White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies (Bill Granger)

White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies (Bill Granger)

Recipe source :  Bill Granger

Ingredients

150g butter, softened
165g brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla                 ( I did not add vanilla)
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
200g rolled oats
140g white chocolate chunks
85g dried cranberries
a pinch of salt            ( I did not use salt because I am using salted butter)

Rolled oats

 Butter

Cranberries

Brown sugar

Flour

White chocolate chunks

egg

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degree /Gas mark 4 and line 3 baking trays with baking paper.
2.  Cream butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add egg and vanilla (if using) and beat until smooth.
3.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt (if using) together. Add oats, chocolate chunks and cranberries and stir together.
4.  Add to creamed mixture and mix well.
5.  Roll small teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on baking trays.
6. Flatten the balls with a fork dipped in flour.
7.  Bake for 12 minutes until pale golden.

I am linking this post to "Cook Like A Star"

 

Hosted by  Zoe from bake for Happy Kids and Yen from Eat Your Heart Out and Mich from Piece of Cake

I am also linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

 

 

The theme for November is Oats, 

hosted by Vivian Pang's Kitchen

Organised by Zoe from bake for happy kids and Doreen of My Little favourite DIY

Soondubu Jjigae (soft tofu stew) 순두부 찌개

Soondubu Jjigae (soft tofu stew) 순두부 찌개

Recipe source : Adapted from Maangchi

This hot soupy Korean stew is something different. Be careful though and handle with care because it is bubbling hot. 

My family had this stew together with hot steaming rice and it so happened to be raining heavily when we were having this for dinner. I suppose it enhanced the ambiance to have this steaming hot and spicy stew on a cold rainy day!

Ingredients

12 dried anchovies, remove the guts
10g kelp
1/2 big onion
5 cloves garlic
3 dried mushrooms
100g minced pork
1 cup mixed seafood
1 stalk spring onion, cut into sections of 4 cm
2 red chillies, sliced
2 tbsp hot pepper flakes
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 cubes of soft tofu
2 tsp fish sauce
5 cups water 
1 tsp salt or to taste
2 eggs , optional

Top : dried anchovies

Centre : dried mushrooms

Bottom : kelp

 Mixed seafood

 Minced pork

Prepare the stock

1.  Pour 5 cups of water into a pot and add the anchovies, half a piece of big onion, dried kelp, dried mushrooms and garlic.
2.  Boil over high heat for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes.
3.  Strain the stock and set aside.
4.  Remove the mushrooms and cut into small pieces.

Instructions

1.  Heat an earthen ware pot and add cooking oil.
2.  Stir-fry the minced pork and mushrooms.
3.  Add pepper flakes, keep stirring and add 2 cups of stock.
4.  Add in the seafood and tofu. Break up the tofu into smaller pieces and allow to boil for a while.
5.  Add fish sauce and salt and adjust taste to your preference.
6.  Add in the spring onions and red chillies. 

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #37 - Korean : The Feast of Hansik (November 2013)

hosted by Grace of Life Can Be Simple 

Tom Yam Goong

Tom Yam Goong

Recipe source :  Adapted from  Phuket.com ~ Chef Anut Koonmark

We have been ordering this Tom Yam Goong whenever we ate out at Thai restaurants. We all love to have this spicy soup yet I have never taken the trouble to find out how to cook this famous Thai soup until today. Come to think of it, it was actually so easy to cook. Now I just wonder why I have never attempted to make this at home much earlier!

I guess I have to change my perception and be more adventurous to try cooking  more foods from distant lands!

Ingredients

2 shallots, cut into wedges
1 stalk coriander
3 stalks lemongrass, use white parts only, bruise it
1 stalk ginger torch flower or bunga kantan in Malay
4 slices galangal
1 can straw mushrooms, cut into halves
1 1/2 tbsp chilli paste
1 tomato, cut into wedges
2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
300g medium-sized prawns,
4 kaffir lime leaves
3 chilli padi, cut lengthwise into halves
1.5 litres  chicken stock
2 tbsp lime juice

 Top left : limes.

Below limes : red chilli padi. Below chilli padi : galangal.

Far left : kaffir lime leaves

Centre : stalks of lemongrass.

Right : ginger torch flower or bunga kantan

Far right : coriander

Prawns

Instructions

1.  Heat up chicken stock in a pot.
2.  Add shallots, coriander, galangal, ginger torch flower and lemongrass and simmer for 10 minutes.
3.  Add straw mushrooms and tomato pieces and simmer for 2 minutes.
4.  Season with fish sauce, salt, sugar and chilli paste.
5.  Add prawns and boil until they are cooked.
6.  Add kaffir lime leaves and chilli padi.
7.  Season with lime juice and serve immediately.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  (Thailand) - November Month

hosted by Lena of Frozen Wings

Red Ruby Dessert (Tub Tim Krob)

Red Ruby Dessert (Tub Tim Krob)

Recipe source :  The Malaysian Women's Weekly - May 2011 (courtesy of Chef Simon Seow)

This is a popular dessert in Thai restaurants. It is sweet, fragrant and very refreshing. Downing it is very satisfying after a hot and spicy Thai meal.

The crunchy water chestnut cubes look like red rubies, while the transparent sago looks like diamonds floating in a bowl of chilled coconut milk.

And the taste is simply awesome!

My whole family likes this very much. Excellent!

Ingredients

100g water chestnut, cut into small cubes
10 drops red food colouring
100ml sugar (for syrup)
70g sago
80ml water
180g tapioca flour
200ml coconut milk, chilled
Ice cubes
Flesh of one piece of jack fruit, cut into small cubes

Top: sago- Left: jackfruit- Right: water chestnut

Method

1. Skin the water chestnuts and cut into small cubes. Place them in a bowl of water and add red food colouring. Set aside to let the chestnuts absorb the colour.
2.  Boil sugar in 80ml water until the sugar is dissolved. Cool and put the syrup in the refrigerator to chill. 
3.  Bring 200ml of water to boil in a pan over medium heat.
4.  Rinse sago in cool tap water and put immediately into the boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes or until the sago turns transparent.
5.  Remove pan from stove and pour into a large sieve. Rinse under running tap water then leave to soak in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from sticking together.
6.  Strain the water chestnuts. Leave them in a sieve for 30 seconds to drain off the coloured water.
7.  Place tapioca flour in a large bowl. Mix the water chestnuts with the tapioca flour. Pour over a sieve to shake off excess flour. Use hand to shake further to remove as much flour as possible.
8.  Cook the water chestnuts in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes or until they float to the surface.
9.  Remove water chestnuts with a slotted spoon and mix immediately with chilled sugar, coconut milk, ice cubes and sago in a large bowl.
10. Add in jack fruit cubes.
11.  Serve chilled.

Extremely delicious! 

Highly recommended!

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  (Thailand) - November Month
hosted by Lena of Frozen Wings


I am also linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #6

hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

  

Apple, Dried Cherry & Almond Loaf (Bill Granger)

Apple, Dried Cherry & Almond Loaf (Bill Granger)

Recipe source :  Adapted from Bill Granger


This is a healthy breakfast loaf. Lots of fruits and nuts. It is easy to bake. No beating or long proofing required. And very tasty too!

Ingredients

50g rolled oats
300ml milk
240g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
80g dried cherries
45g dried mixed fruits
75g soft brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp honey
1 lightly beaten egg
30g chopped almonds

 Mixed dried fruits consisting of dried apples, cherries, raisins and cranberries

 Egg and almonds

Dried cherries

Brown sugar

Milk
 

 Rolled oats

Instructions

1.  Put oats in a bowl. Pour milk over it and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
2.  Preheat oven to 180 degree C (Gas mark 4 ).
3.  Lightly grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
4.  Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in rolled oats, together with the milk, dried fruits, sugar, cinnamon, honey, egg and almonds.
5.  Pour into the prepared loaf tin. Level with a spoon.
6.  Sprinkle some rolled oats on top.
7.  Bake loaf for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Fresh from the oven

I am linking this post to "Cook Like A Star"

 

Hosted by  Zoe from bake for Happy Kids and Yen from Eat Your Heart Out and Mich from Piece of Cake

I am also linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

 

 

The theme for November is Oats, 

Hosted by Vivian Pang's Kitchen

Organised by Zoe from bake for happy kids and Doreen of My Little favourite DIY

Pork & Pineapple Red Curry (Gang Mu Tay Po) 泰国猪肉黄梨咖哩

Pork & Pineapple Red Curry (Gang Mu Tay Po) 泰国猪肉黄梨咖哩

Recipe source :  Adapted from Appon's Thai Food

November is going to be a spicy month for my family! I have bookmarked many more Thai dishes to try out. I believe my family is looking forward to them as well, as we love hot and spicy food. 

I have always love pineapples, either eaten fresh as a fruit, or made into sweet desserts or cooked into savoury dishes. One of my friends once commented that having pineapples in a savoury dish, makes the dish "exotic". I tend to agree as I think this pork and pineapple red curry look rather exotic. 

It sure looks exotic and tastes scrumptious! What a wonderful dish!

Ingredients

500g pork shoulder, cut into thick pieces
300g pineapples, cut into thick slices
450g snake beans, cut into sections of 4 cm
2 limes, extract the juice
250ml coconut milk
4 pieces kaffir lime leaves
700ml water
2 tbsp sugar
100g Thai red curry paste
1 tsp soya sauce

 

 Kaffir lime leaves and limes

Snake beans

 Pineapple cut into slices

Thai red curry paste

Instructions

1.  Heat wok and fry the Thai red curry paste for 1 minute.
2.  Add coconut milk, water and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a boil.
3.  Add pork pieces, pineapple slices and snake beans.
4.  Add in the lime juice, sugar and soy sauce.
5.  Continue to boil until the meat is tender, about 20 minutes.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  (Thailand) - November Month
hosted by Lena of Frozen Wings

Green Papaya Tea To Reduce Uric Acid 青木瓜泡茶医痛风

Green Papaya Tea To Reduce Uric Acid 青木瓜泡茶医痛风

We received all sorts of emails from friends and associates on a daily basis. Not all are about work. Oftentimes we received emails on jokes, awesome pictures of scenery and sometimes we even received emails on medical advice and tips. I usually filed such medical tips just in case I needed it for myself or to help friends.

One of the medical tips which I received recently is about green papaya tea being able to cure gout or at least my friends have testified that the tea has helped them reduced the uric acid content in their blood.

There is this guy in my office who limped badly and was on medical leave very often. I have seen him grimacing in pain as he moved about. Upon further query, he told me that he had gout. One of our friends in the office advised him to try this green papaya tea. He brewed this tea regularly and he walks normally now.

The article further advised that even those without gout can consume this tea without fear of any side effect because the ingredients are just green papaya and green tea!

I brewed some to try today. It is refreshing and tastes just like green tea!

Ingredients

180g green papaya cubes
2 green tea bags, or 1 tsp of green tea leaves
750ml water

Instructions

1.  Place papaya cubes and water into a pot.
2.  Once it reaches boiling stage, allow to simmer further for about 10 minutes.
3.  Add tea leaves/tea bags.
4.  Let the tea steep for 3 minutes.
5.  Drink while warm.

 Green papaya

Cut green papaya into small cubes

 Green tea bags

Very refreshing!

This papaya tea is supposed to reduce the uric acid of those suffering from gout.