Experimenting and Exploring cooking
Originally posted on helenscchin’s Blog: I had not have pork chop for ages since my last pork chop experience. It’s dry tough rubbery chop. I admit …
Apple cider pork chop, baked mustard pear, kale, mushrooms and tomatoes
Originally posted on helenscchin’s Blog: Do you feel at time you wanted to be in a place or food from other country? I don’t know about you craving. …
Mexican fiery beans and chorizo baked pasta
Originally posted on helenscchin’s Blog: Tales of buried treasure have captured imaginations for centuries, though such discoveries rarely happen. …
Edam cheese Porterhouse baked Brussel sprouts on a bed of salads
As I gaze out my bedroom window, I see the cherry blossoms in my garden. It’s so beautiful, and harmony atmosphere which reminded me of Japan, cherry blossoms trees along the road. That thought brought me to create a Japanese style noodle soup.
A while ago, I saw a recipe from Rasa Malaysia: Green Tea Rice. Rasa Malaysia link is attached at the bottom. Her recipe said its not recommended to use matcha powder. I have decided to make mine with noodles and matcha powder rather than using green tea leaves which is so expensive. As I have matcha powder why buy tea leaves.
My recipe is a simple Japanese noodles with a savory soup of green tea, which is completely comfort, hearty, delicious and filling on warm on winter days. In addition, I have also made…
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The spotted dragonfly is pretty insect with speckled outer wings and a splotch of bright red on it’s inner wings that flashes when it flies. But it’s beauty is a bit deceptive. This insect is considered invasive which means it has the potential to harm the environment and economy. Now let’s focus on food transformation. We surely can make lemon posset, a dessert which is sweet into a savoury dessert.
Author Mark Twain suggested that whatever we look at in life and how we see it, can influence our next steps, even our destiny. He said, “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” Did you know our eyes is beautiful is also deceptive? The same as don’t depend on lemon posset as sweet only when your creativity is outside of a box – innovative driven.
Give It All You’ve Got. The encouragement from me is Be Creative, keep going what you can do, and you will be amazed in time you’re doing it with all your heart, and strong motivation to pursue it. We each have different giving levels, and sometimes those levels change over time. Comparison is not beneficial, but attitude is. Based on what skill you have, give generously. You will reap the reward in heaven if not on earth.
If we eat lemon posset as just a sweet dessert to savour or curb our sweet tooth, we will soon eat others dessert as desserts. But if we eat a savoury dessert as innovative driven and an opportunities to love the balance of sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness, then we can serve it as entre. Why serve as entrée? Well, it has umami taste. You can transform it as entrée. You are what you eat.
My savoury dessert is soft, creamy, delicate vanilla custard serve with prawn, pumpkin, and lemon that are plenty in my garden. It’s also has crumbed crunchy texture and flavourful of spice and a hints of curry that is delicious when dip into creamy mousse or pudding. With each mouthful, my imagination brings me to sitting in the restaurant eating a buffet with Rick Stein looking out at the London Bridge. Let’s cook!!!!
Ingredients
300 ml double cream
45 ml lemon juice
45 ml orange juice (bought)
100 g granulated sugar
half small lemon zest
Method
Put cream, sugar in pot on low heat and bring to the boil slowly about 3-4 minutes. Remove from hob and allow to cool for about 5 minutes in a basin of cool water.
Add both the juices and zest. Beat well. Pour into 2 glasses and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight to set.
Savoury Ingredients
6 herb crumbed prawns (bought)
150 g cubed pumpkin
1/2 Tsp curry powder
1/2 Tsp paprika
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper
lemon zest (OPT)
oil
Decoration
cherry tomato, zest and thinly cut spring onion
Method
Preheat oven 180 degrees C. Line baking tray with foil. Place prawns on baking tray. Marinade pumpkin with above ingredients except oil in a bowl.
Then put on tray and drizzle with oil. Roast them for about 25 minutes or until cooked, and crunchy. Remove from oven. Let’s cool for about 7 minutes. Spoon over in the middle of the set lemon posset, using food stacker. Place cherry tomato and 3 prawns over pumpkins. Then sprinkle zest and spring onion over it.
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Cooking with just a handful of ingredients will not only safe you time but will also let you rediscover the natural, basic flavours of foods. You will learn how to combine them so that they subtly complement each other without creating an overload of conflicting taste and aromas.
By using a contained ingredient palette, this recipe concentrate on classic taste combinations, such as risoni, with tomatoes an fresh herbs, served with colourful vegetables. Each is bathed in a simple sauce or dusted with spices.
If you need crowd-pleasing recipe for family meals or entertaining, you have come to the right place for this meal is filled with ingredients based on versatile and flavourful oomph!!! Thus, it should be in your everyday meal planner. You will be surprised by the sheer variety of good food can be prepared with a minimum of ingredients- and fuss!!!
This soup is thick and as hearty, comfort, delicious meal that can be cooked in any type of kitchen: outdoor or indoor; all in your favourite one pan or pot. Let’s papa loves mama and dancing to sweet memoirs of their younger days where life is full of adventures, colours, and leaving behind a trails of good ole sweet footprints for the next generation to learn what is life that is worth living for!!!!
Ingredients
6 slices bacon, cut into bite size
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
200 g lentil, wash, and dry
200 g risoni
180 g peas
15 g sage leaves
15 g lemon-thyme
15 g oregano
1 c white wine
2 1/2 – 5 c vegetables stock
6 cherries tomatoes, halved
1 can diced tomatoes
1 medium carrot, cut into bite size
1 small zucchini, cut into bite size
1/2 large eggplant, cut into bite size
oil
salt
pepper
balsamic vinegar
chili sauce (OPT)
chili flakes
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Method
Heat oil in pan on medium heat. Add bacon and cook for about 3 minutes. Now add garlic and onion, fry until translucent and fragrant. Then add carrot, cherries tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini, cook stirring until vegetables soften about 6 minutes.
Add risoni, sage, lemon-thyme, and oregano; stirring until well combined about 6 minutes. Then add wine and stirring until almost evaporated about 2 minutes. Now add in 2 1/2 c stock and diced tomatoes and lentil. Cook stirring to combine. Season with salt, pepper and a dash or two balsamic vinegar and chili sauce if you like it spicy. Let lentil simmer, stirring occasionally until lentil and risoni are tender about 20-30 minutes. At about 5 minutes before 30 minutes, add peas, stir to mix well. Now at this stage, if soup is too thick add the remaining stock. Check seasoning again. Serve in bowl and sprinkle chili flakes. Enjoy!!!!
As I gaze out my bedroom window, I see the cherry blossoms in my garden. It’s so beautiful, and harmony atmosphere which reminded me of Japan, cherry blossoms trees along the road. That thought brought me to create a Japanese style noodle soup.
A while ago, I saw a recipe from Rasa Malaysia: Green Tea Rice. Rasa Malaysia link is attached at the bottom. Her recipe said its not recommended to use matcha powder. I have decided to make mine with noodles and matcha powder rather than using green tea leaves which is so expensive. As I have matcha powder why buy tea leaves.
My recipe is a simple Japanese noodles with a savory soup of green tea, which is completely comfort, hearty, delicious and filling on warm on winter days. In addition, I have also made green tea egg with green vegetables. Yes, I mean green tea egg.
Be courageous and adventurous not just in travelling but in cooking. Fill your kitchen with green tea fragrant smell and tummy with satisfying inspiration and brighten your soul.
To do one day in advance
Green Tea Eggs Ingredients
2 eggs, plus water to boil eggs
20 g matcha powder
1 oolong tea bag or any green tea (OPT)
4 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 Tbs miso paste
1/2 Tbs ginger powder
1/2 Tbs garlic minced
40 ml mirin
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
6 black peppercorn
2 1/2 c water, more if needed
Strain the soup by using double layer muslin clothes into a jar, then strain again using a new double muslin into a bowl. Now add noodles, coat into soup, followed by buk choy, egg and broccolini. Sprinkle some black sesame over the vegetables, egg and noodles. Sprinkle garlic on to broccolini. Enjoy!!!!
Rasa Malaysia link: https://testing.rasamalaysia.com/green-tea-rice/
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Method
Bring a pot of water enough to cover eggs to boil over medium heat, cook eggs for about 10 minutes. Drain the water, place egg in ice water and in fridge for about 45 minutes. When eggs are cool, crack the shells and set aside in bowl.
Using the same pot, add eggs, matcha, tea bag, brown sugar, soy sauce, miso paste, ginger, garlic, mirin, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorn and 2 1/2 c of water. Stir to mix well. Let’s simmer for 2 hours; occasionally stir to coat the eggs. By 1 hour, water will reduced, add more to cover the eggs. Continue to simmer and stir for another 1 hour. After 2 hours, switch off, remove from hob and sit on bench top to cool. Remember, stir t coat the eggs every 30 minutes. Let it sit in marinade overnight.
Noodles Ingredients
200 g Japanese egg noodles, plus water to cook Japanese egg noodles and dash of sesame oil
1/2 bunch of buk choy, halved lengthwise and separate
1/2 bunch broccolini, cut into bite size
black sesame seeds
cooked garlic minced, sprinkle on to broccolini (OPT)
Method
Bring water to boil, put noodles in a strainer, stir to break loose about 3 minutes. Lift the strainer and drain well. Put in bowl, drizzle sesame oil and toss. Set aside. Now remove the green eggs, cut in halved and set aside in bowl. Using the green tea marinade from making the eggs with 1 c of water from cooking the noodles to cook broccolini until tender. Then blanch buk choy about 4-5 minutes. Remove vegetables, set aside.
Life is like a camera….. Focus on what’s important, Capture the good times, Develop from the negatives, And if things don’t work out, Take another shot. Home is where the heart is; each lives for the other and all live for God.
Food is magical…… Whether it’s a hearty family dinner or sweet baked treats, the sheer look, smell and taste has the ability to transport us back to happy memoirs from our childhood, a special event in our lives or something we appreciated to have
Beyond that, food connects us to our loved ones. What’s a birthday celebration without a cake and the birthday person?
Fire up the oven and create winter comfort birthday cake for my younger sister’s 50th birthday. I use my thickened cream that is going to expired in 3 days. The shredded coconut has been in the fridge, begging me please, please use me before I turned bad. It’s a shame that we as the whole family could not gather together to celebrate it with her. Luckily, we have modern technology: Zoom. So we sang Happy Birthday, share a short message memoirs of what she did, about her childhood, growing up and her own family bought a cheesecake where I cannot eat.
As you can see the plate has got plenty of space. Well, I made a small loaf size as there is nobody here to eat, only me and gave some to my parents. I noticed that the chocolate seems to be missing as I know I put some batter at the bottom followed by chocolate chips. Then some more batter and chocolate chips and shredded coconut.
The next day, my youngest sister came to check in on me to make sure I am well and bought me chicken briyani, curry chicken, and roti chanai. So, I gladly cut some of the cake for her to taste and take home for her family. A few hours later, assuming her tea time she what’sapp me saying the cake is moist, delicious, and she loves the chocolate and coconut topping. Let’s bake!!!!
200 g cake flour
1/4 Tsp baking powder
1/4 Tsp salt
250 g butter
250 g white sugar
4 large eggs
half lemon zest
1 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
250 ml thickened cream
185 g chocolate chips, 40-50 g melted for topping and decorate drizzle on plate
120 g shredded coconut, plus more for decoration
Preheat 170 degrees C. Grease and flour loaf pan lightly. Use medium loaf pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter until it becomes very creamy about 2 minutes. Gradually add 1 big ladle sugar and continue beating well for 4 minutes until fluffy and light. Reduce speed to low add egg 1 at a time beating well each addition and remember scrapping down the sides. Next add zest and vanilla.
Followed by flour mixture alternate 3 batches with thickened cream 2 batches; folding until flour and thickened cream incorporated. Scrapping sides at all time. Spoon batter into prepared pan about 1/3 then gently chocolate chips into batter. Next another 1/3 batter, followed by chocolate chips and shredded coconut.
Smooth top and bake for 70 minutes or until skewer out clean. Remove from oven, cool on pan for 1 hour. Transfer to serving plate. Once it has cooled, sliced a piece and lay it beside the whole cake. I decided to add the chocolate that I got some left by melting it and drizzle on like decoration on plate and some on a corner of the slice cake.
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Note: You may use heavy whipping cream, or sour cream. You can omit shredded coconut and use desiccated coconut. Or you can use fruits of your choice or even just plain pound cake. As this is a birthday cake I added chocolate chips which I have not had it for years; it also going to expired in 5 days.
Smiles are luxury, so to are hugs and kisses. Hence, it’s enjoying every sunshine. The most important thing is the privilege of loving and being alive. Did you know all this is a luxury? So, stay safe. Stay grateful and stay blessed.
I am grateful to God for all my necessities, grace and peace. Without God, I am unable to cook, and post my food to share with you all. What are you all grateful for? I food to eat, clothes, show to wear, roof over my head. Of course, my family for me to enjoy. This is the precious luxury that you better not loose it.
My dinner is simple, comfort, flavourful and delicious to go with rice. It’s sure is a luxury dinner to enjoy with a glass of red wine. Let’s cook!!!!
Ingredients
30 ml balsamic vinegar
1/2 Tbs wholegrain mustard
1 chicken breast fillet skin off, cut into bite size
100 g pepperoni, cut into bite size
1 apple, cut into bite size
1 carrot, cut into bite size
1/2 medium size zucchini, cut into bite size
200 g can lentils, rinsed and drained
75 ml vegetable stock
5 g porcini, soaked, squeezed, reserved water
4 -6 sage leaves, cut into small pieces
1 Tbs oil
pepper
worcester sauce (OPT)
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What is luxury? Well, they made us trust that luxury was the rare, the expensive, the exclusive, everything that seemed unreachable.
When we realise that luxury are those small things that we did not know how to appreciate when we had them, thus now they are gone, we miss them so much.
Luxury is not stepping into hospital. Its being able to walk. It’s going out on the street without a mask. It’s gathering of the whole family and with friends.
Method
Place chicken and pepperoni in a bowl. Mix balsamic and mustard and pour into the chicken and pepperoni bowl. Toss to coat for 15 minutes for the flavour to develop. Set aside in fridge.
Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat. Add zucchini, carrot and apple, cook stirring for about 10-12 minutes or until softens. Add lentils and stock. Bring to a simmer about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.
Pour chicken and pepperoni and the marinade in. Add worcester sauce and pepper to taste. Stir for 1 minute. Now add in the reserved porcini water. stir to mix well for about 2 minutes until sauce thickens.
Spoon everything onto the plate and serve with rice and a glass of red wine.
Note: You can use any vegetables of your choice. Such as fennel, and leek. You can use beef ribs, or pork cutlets. You may omit sage use rosemary or basil.
3 eggs
3 shortcuts bacon
1 slice of bread
50 g thickened cream
a handful salad
Parmesan Lactose cheese, grated
salt
pepper
butter, extra for bread
Cracks eggs into a shallow plate. Add seasonings. Then cream. Beat lightly. Butter bread.
Heat frying pan with butter over med heat. Once butter starts bubbling add bacon, fry till brown both sides. Remove from pan.Set aside.
Using the same pan add more butter. Once melted, pour the eggs in and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Next place bread with no buttered side on top of eggs followed by cooked bacon and salad.
When eggs are cooked, flips the all sides up on to the salad. Now, slowly lift the eggs on to plate. Grate cheese on to all sides of the eggs. Put them in microwave for 1 minute to melt cheese. Once melted, remove from microwave and sprinkle chili flakes around and a bit on the salad. Enjoy with a glass of Prosecco.
Note: You can omit chili flakes. You can use oil instead of butter. I run out of oil so I use butter. You can add slices of salami, prosciutto, tomato, avocado, salmon or anything you can find in your pantry and fridge. You can use any cheese like Parmesan, Pecorino, Mozzarella, Cheddar or Gruyere. I use Parmesan lactose cheese as I cannot take normal cheese.
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Food from the pantry and fridge. No need for bells and whistles with this easy recipe – just take a few basic; bacon, bread, cheese, eggs, salad and let them be the stars of the menu tonight.
Eggs are versatile, right. You can make anything with eggs. What are the benefits of eating eggs every day? Google: “Without a doubt, there are a multitude of benefits to eating eggs every day. Not only do eggs provide high quality protein, they also contain 11 vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. And this means they can make a valuable contribution to daily nutrient requirements.
Most of the protein in an egg can be found in the egg white, while the yolk contains healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Have you watch Journey to the centre of earth? Does this looks like it? The salad in the middle is like the hot lava about to explodes. The eggs are the rock volcano.
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Pretty, cheap, and unique, that’s what you will get when you spend a little time personalising your food with your own imaginations and combinations. It doesn’t take much to learn how to do it, and it’s a wonderful project to do in lockdown. Use a favourite story, theme of the month or put your heart into it.
You will find yourself thinking up excuses to whip up a tart or salad dressing every other day once you own a Nutri Bullet.
It will inspire you and satisfy your family the whole month through to Christmas. I needed a warm and healthy lunch on a wintry cold day. I filled my plate with colourful food made in 30 minutes: multi-tasking.
Christmas is just around the corner and that means plenty of entertaining at home with family. I have come up with a beautiful balanced menu for the festive season that’s healthy and delicious kicking off with a warm vegetables and fruits platter.
My salad is light fantastic, healthy, delicious just like the movie made in Heaven. The story ending is she came back to life and he make her a beautiful garden. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a beautiful garden on a cloud? Let’s put the garden on a cloud in your plate!!!!
Cloud Ingredients
300 g ricotta cheese
3 Tsp oil
1/8 Tsp salt
Apple and craisin dressing
2 1/2 small apples, cored
100 g craisins
3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp chili flakes
5 Tbs oil
water (OPT) if too dry
Vegetables and fruits salad
6 cherries medley, halved diagonally
6 snap peas, string removed, cut end both side
4 broccoli, florets
4 strawberries, cut into flower shapes
2-3 strawberries halved
1/2 apple, cut to bite size
65 g blueberries
Method
Place broccoli and snap peas in a microwave safe bowl with water, microwave for about 12-14 minutes until softened and cooked. Drain and set to cool aside.
Next put ricotta, oil and salt into blender. Blend until light and smooth 30 seconds. Remove to a bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
Then cut apple to bite size and place in the blender together with craisins, vinegar, salt, chili flakes and oil. Blend till you get a smooth dressing. If too dry, add a bit of water.
Once the vegetables cooled. Put it in a bowl toss together with cherries, apple, strawberries, and blueberries with the dressing.
To assemble on plate, spread ricotta in the middle of plate. Place the dressed salad on top of ricotta leaving some ricotta cheese expose around the plate.
Drizzle some dressing over the salad, if it drip down onto the edge of ricotta is ok. Serve with a glass of white wine. Enjoy!!!
Note: You can use any vegetables, salad, nuts of your choice. Instead of herb dressing you can make fruits dressing. You can use apricot, mango, avocado. You can use mascarpone or cream cheese instead of ricotta cheese. You may omit chili flakes. This salad is for one person. If you are making for your family increase the ingredients amount.
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French dessert anyone? Of course I learned from June Darville. The first time I re-lab from June Darville called Blueberries, pear and safron clafoutis it on 16/10/2015.
As I refused to throw away expired cake flour; about 140g left. I think as hard as I could. And Ah hah!!! Clafoutis only require 70 g. So I made it again to be on save side; I had added cornflour to it as I read on google how to make cake flour with all purpose flour and cornflour. Its still nothing as near as June’s.
Well, the more practice the more better its get. Or perhaps with fresh cake flour would have help its rise not too flat. Perhaps I should add some baking powder or bicarb soda so it won’t be flat. Next time will do that: cooking and baking needed some experimenting, exploring and creative too apart from just presenting…
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