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Roast Chicken with Herbs

Sick of having rice dinner?

Well, here’s a simple and yummy meal to prepare. We had this herbs flavored roast chicken over the weekend, served with broccoli, tomato and CHIPS! My all time favorite… here, I’m done with our dinner. =D

Ingredients
2 Chicken thighs

Marinated
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
pinch of salt
dash of black pepper
1tbsp of honey
dash of mixed herbs


What to do

1. Mix all the ingredients and seasoning for the chicken. Rub it over the chicken thighs, and marinate it for overnight.

2. Arrange the chicken thigh on roast pan. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of olive oil over it. Roast it at 200 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes or until the chicken is brown.

3. Serve the chicken with some chips, broccoli and tomatoes.

Lemon Tarts

Being invited to friend’s house for a pot luck gathering, I decided to bake these gorgeous tarts taken from my new recipe book. With the purchase of 2 boxes of Flora Pro-activ butter, I got a free healthy recipe book. What a bargain! =)

Ingredients

250g self-raising flour, sifted
125g caster sugar
50g Flora pro-activ Original
1 egg

Filling
125g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
60mil lemon juice
50g Flora pro-activ original, extra
1 egg, lightly beaten

2tbsp flaked almonds, to serve


What to do

(1) Preheat oven to 180 degree and brush tart moulds with Flora pro-activ.
(2) To create pastry, place flour, sugar, flora pro-activ and egg in a bowl and mix until well combined. Shape into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
(3) To create filling, place sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and extra Flora pro-activ in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and gently stir in the egg. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened.
(4) To assemble slice: Using lightly floured fingertips, press the pastry into the tin. Pour in the hot filling. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake tart for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cold.

Coconut Jam Slice

A simple yet tasty snack that is just perfect for an afternoon tea. A light butter taste on the base, layered with sweet jam and topped with crispy desiccated coconut… hmm, it’s yum! A great snack indeed. You must try this out!

Happy Baking!

Ingredients

250g plain flour

125g self raising flour

150g butter

125g icing sugar

1 egg yolk

125g strawberry jam

3 eggs

550g desiccated coconut

What to do

 

(1) Preheat oven to 180C. Line square tin with paper.

(2) Process flours, butter and icing sugar till it becomes fine and crumbly. Add egg yolk and process till it comes together. Press dough in tin and refrigerate for 10 mins.

(3) Bake dough for 15 mins till golden brown. Allow to cool and then spread jam evenly over pastry.

(4) Beat caster sugar and eggs together till creamy. Add coconut. Spread mixture onto slice. Gently pressing down with back of spoon. Bake for another 25 mins till it becomes slightly golden. Leave to cool and the lift the slice out. Slice into pieces.

 

Assam Fish Curry

I have a pack of Assam Fish paste sitting in my pantry for quite sometime and I’ve decided to finish it up. This paste doesn’t contain coconut milk but with the taste of assam (tamarind) which is very appetizing.

Ingredients

2 thick slices of fish fillet, sprinkled with salt and set aside
6-8 lady's finger
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced
1 pack assam curry paste
250ml water


What to do


1. Heat up the wok with enough oil. Stir fry the onion and curry paste for few minutes until fragrant.
2. Add water and bring to a boil. Add lady's finger, tomato and fish to simmering for about 5 minutes. Add salt and sugar to taste.
3. When everything is cooked, turn off the flame. Dish out and serve hot with rice.

Viennese Finger

I always wanted to have a try on this recipe but I’ve forgotten to get myself the piping bag when I did my grocery shopping. Eventually, I remembered to get one pack of piping bag last weekend.

I was so excited! It was fun to pipe the mixture out to create the shape that I wanted!

I was enjoying piping it, though my piping skill needs to be improved still, I guess. They seem like not even at all. Haha!

Ingredients

100g unsalted butter, soften
40g icing sugar
2 eggs yolk
125g plain flour
100g dark chocolate, chopped
30g unsalted butter


What to do

(1) Preheat the oven to 180 degree. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

(2) Using electric beaters, cream the butter and icing sugar in a small mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg yolks and beat thoroughly.

(3) Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl, and then sift in the flour. Using the flat-bladed knife, mix until just combined and the mixture is smooth.

(4) Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a fluted 1com piping nozzle and pipe the mixture into wavy lengths on the prepared trays.

(5) Bake the biscuits for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly on the trays, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

(6) Place the chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl. Half-fill a saucepan with water and bring to boil, then remove from the heat. Sit the bowl over the oan, making sure the base of the bowl does not sit in the water.

(7) Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is smooth. Dip half of each biscuit into the melted chocolate mixture and leave to set on baking paper.

Baked Amorini Tuna Pasta

Tuna pasta is always my favourite. It had been awhile I had baked pasta so I decided to make myself tuna pasta for lunch.

Ingredients

200g Amorini pasta
Olive oilWhat to do
1 onion, sliced
1tbsp tomato paste
150ml cream
1/3 cup frozen peas and corns
1 can tuna in springwater
70g grated tasty cheese


What to do

(1) Preheat oven to 190°C.

(2) Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water following packet instructions or until al dente. Drain and return to pan.

(3) Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a deep non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes or until softened. Add the tomato paste and cream and stir until combined. Stir through the pasta and tuna and season with salt and cracked black pepper.

(4) Transfer the mixture to a ovenproof dish and sprinkle with cheese.

(5) Bake for 15 minutes or until golden on top. Set aside for 5 minutes and serve.

Chocolate Coconut Cake

I was in the mood to do some baking over the weekend. While I was flicking through my recipe book, I saw this interesting combination cake which is merged of chocolate and desiccated coconut.

Crunchy on the outside and moist and you can feel the coconut desiccated while you’re eating it… nice texture indeed.

Happy Baking!

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate, chopped
250g unsalted butter, chopped
250g brown sugar
155g self-raising flour
50g desiccated coconut
2 eggs
Icing sugar, to dust (optional)
Frozen mixed berries, to garnish (optional)


What to do

(1) Preheat the oven to 160 degree. Lightly grease round cake tin.

(2) Place the chocolate, butter and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl, making sure the base does not touch the water, over a saucepan of simmering water.

(3) Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat and sit the bowl in a sink of cold water until cooled.

(4) Combine the flour, coconut and follow by the chocolate mixture in a bowl and beat until combined. Add the eggs and mix well.

(5) Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degree, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

(6) Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

(7) If desired, dust with icing sugar and decorate with fresh berries.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I’ve baked this simple yet delicious cake for mum when she visited me a month ago.

It's pretty easy to prepare! Here you go...

Ingredients 

(A)
20g unsalted butter, melted
Some soft brown sugar
1 canned of pineapples
(B)
90g unsalted butter, softened
125g caster sugar

(C)
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence/extract

(D)
125g self raising flour, sifted


What to do

(1) Preheat oven to 180 degree.

(2) Pour melted butter into a 20cm pan (brush both the base and sides of pan with butter) and sprinkle with brown sugar evenly.

(3) Cut pineapples into smaller pieces and place them nicely on the base of the tin.

(4) Beat the extra butter and sugar with electric beaters till light and creamy then add eggs gradually, beating well after each addition.

(5) Add the vanilla extract and beat until well combined.

(6) Fold in the flour alternatively with 70g of pineapple juice.

(7) Spoon the mixture evenly over the pineapple and bake for 40 min.

(8) Leave cake in tin for 10 min before turning out to a wire rack to cool.

Stir Fry KangKong with Shrimp Chili Paste

A vegetable is a must for me for my everyday meal. I prefer my vegetable dish to be simple by just stir fry with garlic and some oyster sauce.

Well, hubby doesn’t really fancy vegetables. Only a few type of vegetables he will go for such as broccoli, bok choi and kangkong. I reckon kangkong will be his all time favorite. =)

I’ve prepared this easy peasy stir fried kangkong this afternoon. It was a simple yet delectable vegetables dish to be served with hot rice!

Ingredients

100g of Kangkong leaves, separate the leaves from stems and cut the stems into 2-3 pieces

4 gloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

2 fresh red chilies, sliced

1 tsp of shrimp chili paste

Salt to taste

What to do

(1) Heat up the oil in a saucepan. Sauté garlic till fragrant.

(2) Add the chili paste and stir fry for a minute follow by the red chilies.

(3) Add the kangkong. Stir fry for 1 minute and pour in a little of water. Leave it simmering for 2 minutes.

(4) Add some salt then stir fry for few seconds and dish out

Yogurt Cake

Craving for some light cake... something soft, fluffy, not buttery is what I am looking for!

Here I present you my healthier version of cake with no butter but only a small amount of olive oil.

  Enjoy~

Ingredients

260g of yogurt

120 g of Caster sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
50g of olive oil
200g of self-raising flour


What to do

(1) Beat the eggs and Caster sugar under high speed until fluffy.

(2) Pour in the yogurt and mix well.

(3) Gently fold in the sifted flour with plastic spatula.

(4) Lastly, add the olive oil and mix well with spatula.

(5) Transfer batter to the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Fairy Flyaway Cupcakes

It was a rainy Sunday morning. I love rainy day but only on the weekend.

Why’s that? Because the best thing to do is laying on the bed for as long as I want under the warm quilt. It’s just so comfortable...

While I was half awake and half dreaming, out of sudden I had the mood for baking right away. It’s been awhile since I had an inspiration to do some baking. Hell yeah, I rushed to washing up and get busy in the kitchen with my first baking since??? (dunno how along ago)

Here you go…

Ingredients

375g self raising flour

180g butter, softened
180g castor sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1tsp vanilla extract
1-2tbsp milk
Colored sprinkles, to decorate


Buttercream
Scant 100g butter, softened
380g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract


What to do

(1) Preheat the oven to 190 degree. Put paper liners into shollow muffins pans.

(2) Sifted the flour into a large bowl and add the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat well until the mixture is smooth, then stir in enough of the milk to make a pourable consistency.

(3) Divide the mixture among the paper liners. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until risen, firm and golden brown. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.

(4) For the buttercream, beat together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.

(5) Use a serrated knife to cut a round from the top of each cake, then cut each round in half. Spread or pipe a little of the buttercream on top of each cake, then press the pieces of cake into it to resemble butterfly wings. decorate with the colored sprinkles.

Hot Salami Pizza

Pizza – my all time favourite. I prepared this for our lunch over the weekend which is a simple yet fulfilling lunch. Love it to bits.

Ingredients

2tbsp tomato paste

100g hot salami

6 grape tomatoes cut into half

5 button mushrooms, sliced

1 green onion, sliced

150g cheddar cheese, grated

 

What to do

Preheat oven and prepare pizza tray. Place pizza on the prepared tray and spread tomato paste over the base. Place all the ingredients evenly and top with cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

 

For pizza base, please refer here

Pineapple and White Choc Muffins

It’s been a while I didn’t bake muffins. So it’s time for me to get working now…

They look good, don't they? And of course... they taste absolutely gorgeous too! Enjoy~

Ingredients

75g unsalted butter, chopped
300g white chocolate, roughly chopped
3 eggs
90g castor sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
200g self-raising flour
1x432g can pineapple


What to do

(1) Preheat oven to 175 degree. Paper line the muffin cups in muffin tin.

(2) Melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch water).

(3) Whisk the eggs, castor sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture. Fold in flour. Add in the pineapple and stir to combine.

(4) Pour into prepared muffin tin. Place a piece a pineapple on top of the batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top has a firm crust.

Tuna and Vegie Patties

While I reading my “Super Food Ideas” magazine and I came across this simple and healthy recipe - Tuna and Vegie Patties. Honestly, the patties are quite difficult to handle as they were so soft. However, I managed to shape them in round shape. I am happy with the outcome. =) It has a think layer crusty outside and soft favourable mash potatoes inside. Yum!

This recipe can makes up to 16 patties. In the magazine, they also included some guide to freeze the leftover. Wrap the leftover patties individually in plastic wrap and place in airtight container. For the next meal, you may just thaw the patties in fridge overnight and cook the patties in the frying pan.

Ingredients

1kg red rascal potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped

2x185g cans tuna in oil, drained, flaked

500g frozen vege mix, thawed

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Some finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 egg yolks

180g breadcrumbs

What to do

(1) Place potato in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash in a bowl. Set aside to cool completely.

(2) Add tuna, vegetables mixture, onion, parsley and egg yolks. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

(3) Using 1/3 cup mixture at a time, shape into 16 patties. Place breadcrums on plate. Coat patties in breadcrumbs.

(4) Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook patties in batches for 3 minutes each side or until golden. Serve.

Stir- Fried Spaghetti

This morning I had a sudden urge to fry noodle as our breakfast instead of having toast and scrambled eggs. Having some leftover spaghetti,  I started to make this simple and quick breakfast for less than 15 minutes.

What a yummylicious hot and fast food for breakfast! =)

Ingredients

Spaghetti (portion for 2 serves)
1 piece of chicken breast fillet, cut into pieces
5 small Roma tomatoes, cut into small pieces
some green beans, celery, dried beancurd and champion mushrooms
Salt and pepper, to taste


What to do

(1) Heat 2tbsp olive oil in frying pan, add the chicken fillet and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
(2) Add in tomatoes, green beans, celery, beancurd, mushrooms and stir fry.
(3) Add seasoning and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in some water if it is too dry.
(4) Stir in spahettin and mix well.

Baked Chicken Drumstick with Home Made Sauce

We had been eating out quite often recently. It is time to prepare some healthy home cook food. =)

I wanted to prepare something quick and easy for our dinner so I could have enough time to watch my TV show at night. Before I leave home to work this morning, I had marinated the drumsticks with the gravy mix and leave it in the fridge.

All I need to do tonight is just put the drumsticks in the oven and cook through. Pretty convenience, right? ;)

Enjoy the hot food together with the “hot” TV show – MasterChef!. = D

Ingredients

2 chicken drumsticks,
a dash of mix herbs
a dash of extra virgin olive oil


Marinate the chicken with:-
a pinch of salt
a dash of grounded black pepper
1 tbsp of gravy mix
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of light soy sauce
3 cloves of grated garlic
a dash of mixed herbs

What to do

1. Marinate the chicken drumsticks and cover the bowl in a zip bag. Leave it for few hours in the fridge.

2. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. On a baking tray, wrap up the chicken with aluminium foil. Bake the chicken for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Place the chicken drumsticks on a plate and serve with potatoes and salad.

Cinnamon Sugar-Coated Maple Apple Cakes

Another recipe taken from Donna Hay! It looked tempted to me when I browsed on her website so I had decided to give it a try. I don’t have the Bundt tins so they were replaced by muffin cups.

Freshly baked from the oven

This is yummy! I love ground cinnamon so much… they taste so good. ^_^

Ingredients


375g self-raising flour, sifted
1tsp ground cinnamon
250g butter, melted
175g brown sugar
175g maple syrup
4 eggs
6 red apples, peeled and grated
2tsp ground cinnamon, extra
220g caster sugar


What to do

(1) Preheat oven to 180 degree. Place the flour and cinnamon in a bowl and mix to combine.

(2) Add the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs and apple and mix well to combine.

(3) Spoon into muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked whr tested with a skewer. Turn out immediately.

(4) Place the extra cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine.

(5) Coat the cakes in the sugar and cool.

Beef Patties with Mushroom Sauce

Sick of having food like rice or noodles for lunch or dinner? Well, try these simple patties that served with some greens. Tasty yet healthy! =D

Ingredients

280g beef mince

1 tbsp olive oil

½ brown onion

salt and pepper

1 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 large egg, beaten

Mushroom sauce
2 medium button mushroom, sliced
150ml water
1 tbsp of BBQ sauce
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
½ tbsp of corn starch mix with 3tbsp of water
Salt and pepper to taste


What to do

(1)Heat the oil in small sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, salt and pepper and sauté until tender.

(2)Stir in minced garlic. Set aside. Mix cooled onions and garlic with mince, ½tsp salt, and ¼tsp pepper. Add egg.

(3)Divide mixture into 2 and place in ring moulds.

(4)Preheat pan for medium-high heat. Grill patties until brown then turn, cook until medium-rare, or to your liking.

(5)In the mean time, heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Sauté the mushroom till fragrant. Pour in the water and add the BBQ and oyster sauce. Bring to boil and add in the corn starch for thickening.

(6) Pour over the mushroom sauce and serve with salad.

 
 

Minced Meat Noodle

Since we almost had the same breakfast most of the time like toast, scramble egg, muesli, oat and etc.

Now, we kinda miss those days back in Malaysia, our breakfast will be noodles like hokkien noodle, wan tan noodle, nasi lemak and many more. It makes me mouth watering now… haha

Hence, this week I had prepared an Asian food for our breakie – NOODLE which is the simplest one! (";)

Ingredients

2 pieces of dried noodle
150gm minced beef
3 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked then sliced
2tbsp of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1tbsp corn starch mixed with 3 tbsp of water
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

For seasoning
2tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp oyster sauce
1tsp sesame oil
1tbsp dark soy sauce
dash of pepper


What to do

(1) Marinate the mince with seasoning and leave for 1 hour.

(2) Heat some olive oil in a wok, sauté the garlic and add the marinated mince and mushrooms till cook through. Add in the mushroom and cover the lid, turn to low flame and simmer until the sauce thickening.

(3) Bring water to boil in a pot. Cook the noodles as per the instruction on the packaging and set aside.

(4) Pour in the corn starch mixture to the mince; stir well and off the fire. Pour the sauce over the noodle and garnish with chopped chives and hard-boiled egg.

Chocolate Brownie

I came across Donna Hay’s website and saw this simple brownie recipe. Well, since I haven’t tried to bake brownie before, it’s a good chance for me to give this a go!

I’ve added in some chopped walnuts as I recalled the last time I had brownie they did have some nuts in it. You may add other types of nuts as well.

I was please as it turned out nicely and the taste was good too! =)

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate, chopped

250g butter, chopped

310g brown sugar

4 eggs

35g cocoa powder, sifted

185g plain flour

¼tsp baking powder

60g walnuts, chopped

 

What to do

(1) Preheat oven to 160 degree.

(2) Place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.

(3) Place the sugar, eggs, cocoa, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Lastly add in the chopped walnuts and stir well.

(4) Pour into a 20cm square slice tin lined with non-stick baking paper.

(5) Bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer withdraws clean.

(6) Allow to cool slightly in the tin before slicing. Serve warm or cold.