Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Carrot cake

This is my all time favourite carrot cake. I have combined two best recipes and put them together and make my own version carrot cake The secret ingredients for this carrot cake is the mixed spice. It gives the cake a little bit of spice taste which compliment the cake a lot. Give a try and you will know what I mean.



Ingredients:

190g soft table margarine
210g soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
1/2 cup grated carrot
3/4 cup roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice

Sift
100g plain flour
90g self-raising flour

Method:

Line and grease a 20cm square or round cake pan. Preheat oven at 180C.

Beat soft margarine, sugar and essence until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in grated carrot and chopped almonds. Add sifted dry ingredients and mixed spice.

Turn out mixture into prepared cake pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.


Icing:

1 packet (250g) cream cheese, softened.
1/4 cup butter. softened
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup icing sugar

Method:

In bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla and beat in icing sugar, one third at a time until smooth. Spread over top of cake.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Ikan Siakap Cherita

Bahan:

  • Seekor ikan siakap 
  • 3 ulas bawang putih
  • 3 batang serai
  • Satu labu bawang besar
  • 10 biji cili padi (dipotong)
  • 1 biji cili merah
  • 5 helai daun limau purut (dihiris halus)
  • Satu cawan air
  • 2 sudu sos cili
  • 2 sudu sos tiram
  • 1 sudu cili boh
  • Garam dan gula secukup rasa
Cara:

  • Ikan digoreng garing
  • Untuk kuah, tumis bawang putih
  • Masukkan cili padi, cili merah, serai, bawang dan daun limau purut diikuti air, sos cili, sos tiram, cili boh, garam dan gula secukupnya.
  • Masak hingga mendidih dan apabila kuah kelihatan pekat, siramkan ke atas ikan.

* Hasil dapat dilihat dalam gambar untuk blog ini.

Meatloaf Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

  • 910 g extra-lean ground beef
  • 110 g Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 0.3 g garlic powder
  • 6 g salt
  • 2 g pepper
  • 110 g thinly sliced cooked chicken ham
  • 115 g provolone cheese, sliced

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pat the meat mixture out onto a piece of waxed paper, and flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Lay slices of ham onto the flattened meat, and top with slices of cheese. Pick up the edge of the waxed paper to roll the flattened meat up into a log. Remove waxed paper, seal the ends and seam, and place the loaf into a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
  3. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the loaf is no longer pink inside.

Italian Style Meatloaf

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon Italian-style seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs and ketchup. Season with Italian-style seasoning, oregano, basil, garlic salt, diced tomatoes and cheese. Press into a 9x5 inch loaf pan, and cover loosely with foil.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Ikan Kembung Masak Cuka


Bahan:

4 ekor ikan kembung (goreng garing)
1 sudu besar jintan manis (tumbuk lumat)
5 ulas bawang merah (dibelah dua)
5 ulas bawang putih (dibelah dua)
1 ulas bawang besar (dihiris nipis)
1 inci halia (dihiris nipis)
2 biji cili merah (dipotong 2 dan di belah 4)
4 sudu besar cuka
Garam, serbuk perasa dan gula secukupnya
Sedikit minyak untuk menumis.


Cara:

  • Panaskan minyak dalam kuali, tumis bawang merah dan halia yg telah dihiris nipis. Masukkan jintan manis yang telah ditumbuk dan sedikit air. Kacau sehingga berbau wangi. Masukkan bawang merah, bawang putih dan cili yang telah dibelah. Kacau lagi, masukkan sedikit air dan cuka. Masukkan garam, gula dan serbuk perasa. Masakan ini mestilah rasa macam2 manis. Kemudian masukkan ikan yg digoreng kacau sehingga kuahnya menyerap masuk ke dalam ikan. Angkat dan hidangkan dengan nasi panas.

Crab Crusted Grouper

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese flavored bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped yellow bell pepper
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 (6 ounce) can crabmeat, drained and flaked
  • 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 (6 ounce) fillets grouper

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, red pepper, yellow pepper, green onions, jalapeno, butter, crabmeat, and mozzarella cheese. Arrange grouper fillets in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the crumb topping evenly over the fish.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork. If you have thin fillets, you may broil for 10 minutes instead of baking.

Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatball





Ingredients

  • MEATBALLS
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 egg, beaten
  •  
  • SAUCE
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes (I use 7 fresh tomatoes, soak in hot water and peel of the skin, chop them into small cubes)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.

Thai-Style Crispy Fish Salad

Thai-style Crispy Fish Salad




Ingredients

    • 250g fish fillet (preferably garoupa), sliced
    • A dash of salt and pepper
    • 2 tbsp plain flour
    • 2 shallots, sliced
    • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
    • 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
    • 4 bird?s eye chillies, chopped
    Salad sauce
    • 2 tbsp fish sauce
    • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • A few drops sesame oil

Method

    Combine salt, pepper and flour in a small plastic bag. Put fish fillet slices into plastic bag and give it a shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat enough oil in a wok until hot, then deep-fry the fish slices until light golden brown and crispy. Remove onto a serving plate. Put salad sauce ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Add in shallots, coriander leaves, kaffir lime leaves and bird?s eye chillies to mix. Pour the sauce over the fried fish fillet slices. Serve immediately.

Mango and Lemon Cheesecake

This is my other favourite dessert that I like to make, It is wasy and simple, the only tricky part is to make sure the consistency of the gelatine. You don't want it to be too much water as it will make the cake a little bit wet and soft. Here is the recipe for the cheesecake:

Ingredients:

250g packet sweet biscuits, finely crushed
125g butter, melted
250g packet cream cheese, chopped
295g can sweet condensed milk
5 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon rind
1/4 cup just boiled water
3 tablespoons gelatine
1 cup whipped cream, plus extra to serve
400g ripe mangoes, sliced thinly

Method:

1) In a mixing bowl, combine biscuit crumbs and butter. Press into a 20cm springfoam pan firmly, using a flat bottomed glass. Chill for 20 mins until firm.

2) Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese util smooth. Beat in condensed milk, lemon juice and rind.

3) Place water in a bowl. Whisk in gelatine briskly with a fork until dissolved. Cool for 5 mins. Beat into cheese mixture. Fold through whipped cream and mangoes.

4) Pour mixture over prepared base. Chill for 3 hours or overnight until firm. Serve in wedges topped with extra mangoes and whipped cream, if you like.




Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Turkey Leg Pot Roast Recipe Turkey Leg Pot Roast Recipe


 

Turkey Leg Pot Roast Recipe



IngredientsTurkey Leg Pot Roast
  • 3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 2 cups fresh baby carrots
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 2-1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 3 turkey drumsticks (8 ounces each), skin removed
  • 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

  • In a greased 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first six ingredients. Place drumsticks over vegetables. Sprinkle with the seasoned salt, thyme, parsley and pepper. Cover; cook on low for 5 to 5-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180°. 
  •  Yield: 3 servings.


I have decided to make this pot roast for our dinner today. Not sure how it will turn out but will definitely write a review of it. Will upload my version of pot roast once it is ready. Can't wait!!!

Sun Dried Tomato and Pine Nut Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

I have tried this recipe for our anniversary this year and it turned out really great. The mixture of sundried tomato plus pine nuts made the meal really delicious. Me and my hubby really love this meal. Two thumbs up!! Oh ya, if you cannot get the tenderloin get other parts of the beef that is good for roasting. Be careful when you choose the part of meat as if you choose the wrong one the roast can be quite chewy and hard.

Prep Time:
30 Min
Cook Time:
40 Min
Ready In:
1 Hr 25 Min


Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallots
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2/3 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 (3 pound) beef tenderloin

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). 
  2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Stir in pine nuts, and cook until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Place shallots in the skillet. Cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, mix in pine nuts, bread crumbs, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool.
  3. Slice the tenderloin lengthwise across the top about 2/3 of the way through the meat to create a pocket. Spread stuffing into the pocket. Wrap the tenderloin with kitchen twine to secure the stuffing, and transfer to a roasting pan. Rub the remaining olive oil over the surface of the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue cooking tenderloin 20 minutes, or to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Simple Scones

Scones are good to have for tea with clotted cream or just as simple as with butter and jam. I love my scones to be served with strawberry jam. Simple and yummy. So here is the recipe for scones:

Ingredients:

2 cups all- purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup raisins (or dried currants)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg

Directions:

1) Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 200C.

2) In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.


3) In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

4) Using a fork, stir in sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against th bowl into a ball. The dough will be sticky in places and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.

5) Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 8-8 inch circle about 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp of sugar. Use sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Baked Tuna Quiche

Here is the quiche recipe....you can put any kind of filling up to your liking:

Ingredients:

- 3tbsp cooking oatmeal
- 100g plain flour, pinch of salt
- 125g margarine
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cups tuna pieces
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cups skimmed milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 100g grated cheese

Method:

1) Mix oatmeal with flour and salt
2) Add margarine and stir until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with cold water, continue stirring until pastry is formed.
3) Line pastry in a 9 inch pie shell
4) Spread onion and tuna pieces over pastry. combine eggs, skimmed milk, salt and pepper to taste and pour into the pie shell. Sprinkle cheese on top.
5) Bake quiche at 210C for 10 mins. Then reduce heat to 170C and continue baking about 30 mins more.Serve hot or cold.


Shepherd Pie

Good Luck trying this recipe:

Ingredients:

- 450g potatoes
- 1 tbsp veg oil
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 300g minced beef
- 300 ml hot beef stock
- 1 tbsp brown sauce
- 2 tsps soy sauce
- 2 tbsps milk
- knob of butter
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 75g prozen peas
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp blend chillies
-100g grated cheese

Method:

1) Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10 -20 mins until tender.

2) Meanwhile heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the carrot and onion for about 1 min over a medium high heat, then add mince beef and stri fry until well browned. pour in the hot stock and stir in the brown sauce and soy sauce.Bring to boil and simmer rapidly for 3-4 mins.

3) Drain the potatoes well and return to the pan mash well, then beat in the milk and butter until smooth and creamy.

4) Mix the cornflour and a little water to a paste and stir in the lamb mixture with the peas, bring back to boil, stirring until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper and blend chillies.

5) Preheat the grill to medium. Spoon the mince mixture into dish and top with mashed potato and sprinkle over the grated cheese. Place under the grill for 5 mins until the pie is speckled with brown cheese.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

This is my all time favourite cake. It turned out really superb and delicious even on my first attempt. That tells how easy to make this cake and it can never go wrong as long as you follow the instructions correctly.

Here is the recipe for the cake:

Ingredients:

225g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (you can put zest of 2 lemons if you want it to be zestier)
225g self-raising flour

For the drizzle topping
Juice of 2 lemons
85g caster sugar.

1) Heat oven to 180C. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in the flour, then add the lemon zest and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin (8x21cm) with the greaseproof paper, then spoon in the moxture and level the top with a spoon.

2) Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. while the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemon juice and sugar to make the drizzle. prick the warm cake all over with the skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle- the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Will keep in airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.




Introduction

I love cooking and baking so much that I have decided to create a blog dedicated to food and recipes. The reasons behind it is because I want to put all my recipes as well as the food that I have tried to cook online so that I can access it anywhere and anytime. With the advance technology nowadays, one will not need any folders as well as book and papers to gather all the recipes they like anymore (save all the spaces in the cupboard for other stuffs). In one click (plus the internet connection) I will be able to access to my recipes effortlessly within no time. 

At the same time I can share my thoughts of food and recipes with anyone who are interested in it. Exchange recipes as well as ideas on how to make the cooking better is always a good thing to do. After all, 'Sharing is Caring' right??