Saturday 15 December 2007

Carrot Cupcake with Creamcheese Frosting

I finally got these paper cups *YAY YAY* I've been looking for them and finally one day when I browsed to "mba yulia's" blog, I was lucky she just posted that she is going to sell them and she was waiting for the cups to arrive. I texted her to order right away. And YES!! I have them now after struggling to pick up the cups. I wanted to get it as soon as possible just to be able to use them for baking beautiful cupcakes as the others *hehehe* To tell you the truth, I snicked out from my office to go to her husband's office to pick the cups *hihihi* I was lucky my boss suddenly have appointment. The minute after he stepped put the office, I quickly ran down and stop a taxy. Anyway, thanks, mba yulia. I'll check out your blog more often, who knows you have more new items coming up *hehehe*


So, today I'm showing off *hahaha* my beautiful carrot cupcakes... Actually I have baked them before but with different recipe. This time I decided to try vania's carrot cake. My friend also recommended her recipe. So, I thought why not of making them in my new paper cups?! So, here you go, they look so pretty I couldn't stop taking photos of them *hihihi* That's why gonna find out the reason that this post taking you ages to download *hahaha*

My comment for this recipe is the creamcheese frosting. It didn't say what kind of vanilla so I used vanilla extract in powder form. The vanilla extract taste bitter and weird in the creamcheese mixture. Next time, I would pass it or shall I use other form vanilla?? *we'll see dech!!*. The bitter taste has ruined my delicious carrot cake. The carrot cake is the moist carrot cake I ever had. It tastes better than the other recipe that I had tried before. And next time, I will definitely stick to this one.




Carrot Cupcake with Creamcheese Frosting
Source: Vania's


5 eggs
2 cups sugar (caster sugar)
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup oil
3.5 cups shredded carrot *500 g of carrot
1/2 cup almonds *I skipped this
Raisins (1 small box – 1.5 oz) *Out of stock :p


1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease a 13x9 inch cake pan (or two 9 inch round pan), dust with flour. *I prepared 32 paper cups, no need to grease and dusting :)

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

4. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined.

5. Fold in the carrots, oil, almonds and raisins until combined.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean – about 45 minutes. *Cupcake style takes around 30 minutes*


CREAM CHEESE FROSTING*

Mix together, until smooth:
1 tbsp (20gr) butter
4 oz cream cheese
1 tbsp vanilla * I used vanilla extract like crystals and will not use this again :(
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup icing sugar

*Notes:
I made the recipe with cupcakes style, and the frosting is not enough to frost all 32 cupcakes. So I suggest if you want to do it cupcake style you should double the frosting recipe.

Friday 14 December 2007

Mango Ice Cream and Sorbet

Hi... I'm back!!! It feels like too long to wait to post this Mango Ice Cream and Sorbet. You know why?? Cuz this one really took me ages to enjoy *hahaha* I actually made 'em last week the day after "wedang ronde". It was supposed to be few hours as said in the recipe I got from someone's cooking blog but mine was taking me 2 days *hiks hiks hiks* It took me 1 day to wait just to beat it for 1st time, meanwhile the recipe said need to beat for at least 2 or 3 times to soften the ice cream. Aahhh.... I should've just bought a box from the shop or I should get an ice cream maker :p Lucky the sorbet is quicker, and they are more mangoish than the ice cream.


Any way, it finally done. Why did I choose to make mango flavour? Mango is in season *yay yay* Everywhere you go you see mangos... on the side street, at the supermarket and hip at the local markets everywhere. They are cheap...cheap...cheap... only Rp.5000/kilo. And even our customers send mangos to the office *hihihi*



Mango Ice Cream

Source: someone's cooking blog *sorry... I forgot :p (Modified by: me)

Ingredients:

400 g Mango flesh, cut into small cubes and pureed

500 ml full cream milk
500 ml whip cream
6 egg yolks
200 g sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Whisk egg yolk with 25o ml of milk. Set aside.

2. Heat whip cream, remaining milk and sugar until start to bubbling. Turn off the heat.

3. Add in the egg mixture and salt. Stir thoroughly.

4. Heat again the mixture while keep stirring until it thickened. Turn off the heat.

5. Keep stirring to cool and then add in the mango puree.

6. Keep in freezer until it gets halfly frozen on the side then beat using mixer. Put back again to the freezer. Repeat until 2 or 3 times till you have reach your desired softness. Freeze overnight before serving.



Mango Sorbet
Source: Majalah Femina

Ingredients:

250 ml drinking water
150 g sugar
850 g sweet mango flesh
100 ml lime/lemon juice

Directions:

1. Mix water and sugar, heat until sugar has dissolved. Strain and let cool before put in the fridge.

2. Blend mango, lime/lemon juice and the above sugar syrup until puree. Transfer to a container and cover with plastic wrap.

3. Freeze for 2 hours until halfly frozen. Then using a fork to scrap the sorbet. Put back to the freeze for 6-8 hour before serving.

Sunday 2 December 2007

Christmas Cookies

X-mas is around the corner. These are what I picked up yesterday at the mall for An-An, me and my nieces *hihihi* I'm not a big fan of these ginger cookies and will not bake one :) So I better buy few cookies just to smell the christmas sense Hm...... These are from AL'S COOKIES, a stall at EX.

Gloutious Sticky Rice Balls a.k.a Wedang Ronde

The idea came by when having lunch at Plaza Bapindo's food court. I always take a minute or two to stop by at the convenience store there. So, I look around at got few blocks of Ting-Ting nuts on hand when I about to check out at the cashier.


So, I thought why not to try vania's wedang ronde recipe since it is similar to our traditional Onde-Onde made by my granddad for one of the chinese traditional event where all of must at least must eat them at the number according to our age *hihihi* I really don't know does it only im my family or same as the others :) Lucky my granddad made was tiny balls and easily to eat for 29 *hahaha* And my granddad's onde-onde has no filling, it's a plain one with colours.


Wedang Ronde
Taken from: vania's


Ingredients

150 gr sticky rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
150 ml water, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsps "kapur sirih" water * I dont know what is this so I skipped it*
3 drops of red and green colouring
75 gr enting2 (Ting-Ting) coarsely mashed

Ginger Soup

750 ml water
150 gr sugar
3 pandan leaves, cut into 2 or 3 cm length
25 lime leaves
50 gr ginger, roughly mashed


1. Mix flour, salt and water. *and also Kapur Sirih water if you are using*. Mix until the mixture can be formed into small balls. Divide mixture into 3 parts. 1 part left uncoloured as white, 1 part is given red and 1 part is given green.
2. Form into small balls, fill with Ting-Ting. Drop each balls into boilling water and cook until the balls came up to the surface. Drained and let it soak in drinking water to avoid them sticking to each other.
3. The soup: Boil water, sugar, pandan leaves, lime leaves and ginger. Take out the ingredients and left only the water and put back to the heat until boil. Set aside.
4. Serving: put few sticky rice balls into serbing bowl or glass, spoon in the ginger soup. Serve hot. *suit best when the weather is chill...*




Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

I have creamcheese left over in my fridge and didn't want it spoiled. And I always love cheese, everykind of cheese :p So, I looked through my magic book and found this recipe, Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies, that I have kept for awhile, taken from Anne's kitchen blog. Thanks, Anne. It was turn out surprisingly delicious. Even a picky kind of kid chosen to eat few slices instead of our lunch at the Court Yard in PI :) But mine doesn't look good as Anne's one but the taste is not less than hers *hehehe* You know why?? I made this at night time and silly me to fall asleep while baking :p




Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies
taken from: Anne's Kitchen (originally from: Buku ‘Kue Kering Potong’ oleh Indriani)

150 g dark cooking chocolate, cut into cubes
2 tbsps butter / margarine
125 g flour
½ tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 ½ tsps vanilla
250 g sugar
75 g walnut/cashew, coarsely chopped
75 g cream cheese, soften at room temperature



Direction :


1. Heat oven to 150 ℃. Butter 20x20x3 cm pan with margarine.


2. Melt chocolate and butter, set aside.


3. Mix all together the flour, baking powder dan ½ tsp of salt.


4. In a mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs and 1 tsp of vanilla. Gradually add 175 g of sugar. Keep beating until thickened and yellow. Add in the dry ingredients mixture to the egg mixture. Mix well. Add in the chocolate mixture, chopped nuts and mix throughly. * I skipped the nuts*


5. Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar until fluffy. Add in the remaining eggs and 1/2 tsp of vanilla.


6. Pour half of the chocolate mixture into prepared pan, top with cream cheese mixture and remaining chocolate mixture. Using a fork or skewer to draw a marble pattern. Oven for 30 minutes. Let cool and slice. * It actually took me 1 hour to bake and still not really done well when I inserted a toothpick, so I decide to turn off the heat and left it for awhile in the oven with the door closed. And that's when I fell asleep :p and get it really crunchy at the top *hehehe* And no one seems to notice how the crunchy part formed. Everyone said it was delicious with crunchy on the top skin and inner chewy alike. It turned out perfect *hihihi**



Saturday 1 December 2007

1 Month's Baby Cookies

I just thought these are cute :) Given by a friend's at his 1 month baby girl and wanna share with all of you :p

Thursday 29 November 2007

Mix Muffins

Another same recipe of the Nothing Muffin with flavours. I have:
1. Green tea
2. Cinnamon sugar
3. Chocolate chips
4. Raisin
5. Strawberry

I made double the recipe and fit to 2 by 24 mini muffin pans. So, each has to at least take 3 :) If you curious just follow my previous post, okie dokie...


Monday 26 November 2007

Green Tea Muffin with Choco Ganache

These muffins made kindda demonstration to my uncles and unties *hehehe* And they were impressed. I considered it was a success, my untie said will order the same one someday to take to her Vihara gathering :)


Same muffin, same recipe as I tried before with "The nothing muffin" from v-recipe. Only this time I thought green tea and dark chocolate would be a perfect match.


The Nothing Muffin
Taken from v-recipe (originally from Muffin Mania by Cathy Prange & Joan Pauli)

1 cup all purpose flour (I cut 2tbsps of flour and add 2 tbsps of milk powder)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter/margarine, melted
1 egg

1. Stir together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt & sugar).

2. Add melted butter and beaten egg to milk.


3. Add liquid ingredients to dry, stirring only to moisted.To this batter, add anything you have on the shelf- chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, fruit, nuts, etc.orAdd nothing & serve with your scrambled eggs for breakfast with your favorite homemade jam or jelly. At this point devide the mixture into 2 even portions and add green tea powder to one portion. Fill the muffin cups with the nothing portion till 1/2 full and spoon in the green tea mixture on the top till 3/4 of the cups.


4. Bake 375 F, 15-20 minutes.


Sunday 18 November 2007

Disaster Doughnut

My first home made doughnut was a DISASTER! Human mistake *me!!* hiks...hiks...hiks... It's good only for those who wants to do teeth exercise :(

Saturday 10 November 2007

Pork Wonton Nooddle a.k.a Bakmi Pangsit

Bakmi is always our favorite. My choice is "bakmi lebar" or wide nooddle *is this english?* hehehe. Simple and yummy. I think it's everyone's favorite. As usual I don't know how to tell you how much to put, just some rough measurement to guide you. I also told from a friend's mom who likes to cook very much that you only need garlic, fish sauce and cooking wine for the meat. So, that's my guide this time.


Early morning I asked my mom to come along to the market, which I always do cause she knows how to grade good pork and can bargain *hahaha* I need to learn the skill. I grew up in "supermarket" era, fixed price and no bargain *hihihi*


Things you need to prepare:

Minced Pork * I bought 1 kg*
Egg nooddle
Fish Sauce *4 tbsps*
Sweet Soy Sauce (Kecap manis) *3 tbsps*
Sugar, salt and pepper
Cooking wine *2 tbsps*
Garlic, chopped *4 cloves*
Vegetable and wonton as extras
Oil


- Heat oil and stir fry garlic until fragrant and put in the meat. Keep stirring until cook and add in fish sauce, cooking wine, sugar, kecap manis, salt and pepper. Give it a taste. Set aside.


- In a serving bowl, prepare 1 or 2 tbsps of oil, 1 tbsp of fish sauce and a little bit of pepper. Set aside. In a medium pan boil enough water, put in the nooddle and let it boil once more. Drained and put in the prepared serving bowl. Stir throughly. You can also arrange vegetable and wonton on the nooddle if you like. Spoon the meat on top.


- Meat can be prepared and refrigerated. Cook the nooddle just before serving.

Sunday 4 November 2007

Strawberry Cream Magic


This is trully magical cream dessert *hihihi* Any one knows why everything creamy always delicious?? This is a must try. The comment is always why you didn't fill the cup with more?? hahaha. My nieces had 3 cups each. Can you imagine a little skinny girl can eats that much? I bet you can tell how tasty this is. Strawberry Cream Magic taken from anne's kitchen. Thanks, Anne for always let other people copy and paste your posted recipes *hihihi* You know that even my friend's mom said "eppie's made is more delicious than this bought cake from bakery shop" ooohhhh... I'm flying *hehehe* Please do try. For those don't wanna, enjoy the pictures :)


Strawberry Cream Magic
Source: Anne's kitchen (originally from Cooking show Majalah Sedap

Base Ingredients:
3 eggs, separate the yolks and whites
2 tbsps water
1/2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
70 gr low protein flour
50 gr sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cream of tartar
50 gr sugar

Strawberry Sauce:
2 tbsps strawberry jam
2 tbsps water
300 gr fresh strawberries, sliced

Cheese vla:
100 gr sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tbsps low protein flour
200 ml evaporated milk *I put 300ml*
300 ml water *I put 200ml*
150 gr cream cheese, soften using a fork
2 tbsps unsalted butter

Topping: * for instant way like I did, just use canned whip cream :)
100 gr whippy powder
200 ml ice water
100 gr fresh strawberries

Directions:

- Base: Whisk the egg yolks, water, honey and vanilla essence. Pour into sifted flour and baking powder and keep stirring. Add in sugar. Stir well. Set aside.

- Beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar till soft rise. Add in sugar while keep beating till harden.

- Pour the egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture in batches while keep stirring. Pour into 28x28x3 pan lined with parchment paper without greased. Oven for 15 minutes in 190 C.

- Strawberry sauce: heat strawberry jam with water until boil and thicknned. Add in strawberry slices. Cook until soften. Set aside.

- Cheese vla: Mix sugar, egg yolk and flour. Pour in the evaporated milk and water in steady steam and keep stirring. Bring to boil on low heat until thickenned. Add in the cream cheese and butter until the butter melted. Take aside from the heat.

- Finishing: prepare glasses. Put a slice of the cake as the base. Spoon in the strawberry sauce on the cake. Pour in the cheese vla on the strawberry sauce.

- Topping: Whip whippy powder with ice water until soft. Pipe on to the cheese vla. Decorate with strawberry.

Baked Pasta


I know why can't I lose weight. I always tempted by other's food blog *hihihi* and curious what it tastes like. I put aside this recipe long time. I said to myself I definitely will try this sometimes. And I did. Yesterday, as usual my weekend always spent in the kitchen *hehehe* But since this is cooking, so I didn't really follow the measurement exactly :) Anyhow, I'll make your browsing easier by posting it below.


Baked Bolognese Pasta
Source: gift from the kitchen

Ingredients:

500gr penne atau spiral pasta
2 tbsps olive/canola oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
500 gr thin sliced chicken or minced chicken, minced beef or Tuna
1x 410 canned tomatoes or 4 medium size tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsps tomato paste * I put more tomato sauce instead*
¾ cup chicken broth
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
3 tsps sugar or to your taste
1 tsp salt or to your taste
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese *I used other cheese*
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese or can be replaced with cheddar


Directions:

1.Cook pasta following the instruction on the package. Drained and set aside.


2.Heat oil, add in onion and garlic. Stir fried until soft and fragrant, add in the meat. Cook until turns brown. Add in tomato, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, basil, salt and sugar. Cook until the sauce thickenned on low heat.


3. Add in the pasta. Let cook for a minute on low heat. Turn the heat off and add in tasty cheese / cheddar cheese. Stir well.


4. Put pasta into a heat proof dish and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese on the top. Oven with top heater until the cheese melted and brown.


Saturday 27 October 2007

Pralines

I just have few minutes, cuz I'm about to deliver my Pralines to my bf's nieces. So, I'll just write few sentences here :) These chocolate actually requested by his little niece while we were reading some tabloid in Puncak last holiday. She was having cold that time, nearly everything she eaten out if she coughs. Poor Caitleen ... :( So, to make her feel better I promised her to make the chocolate she saw in the tabloid *hihihi* She was so happy about it.

So, I went to Titan for these wilton molds:


What I did was just melting some white chocolate and put colours *also using Wilton's candy colouring* and pipe in the molds and let it cool in the fridge. Easy and so cute, right?? :p

Sunday 21 October 2007

Pad Ka Praw

This is today's lunch. Pad Ka Praw. M'reth introduced this meal to me. She let me know step by step how to make this, unfortunately without measurement *oopps* She never know how much exactly for mostly of her cookings. She told me just remember to keep testing everytime *hehehe* That's what I did. Somehow, I remember just approximate measurements just to make it easier for the beginners like me :)



Pad Ka Praw
Source: m-corner


Ingredients: (approximate measurements)

400 g minced pork

3 cloves garlic, chopped
cooking oil
Fresh basil leaves
6 Fresh chillies, chopped
2 tbsps fish sauce
1 tbsp cooking wine
4 tbsps kecap manis / sweet soya sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oil, add in garlic and stir until fragrant. Add in the meat cook until brown colour.

2. Add in fish sauce, cooking wine, kecap manis, salt, pepper and sugar. Give it a try until you get your desired taste. It supposed to taste sweet, salty and hot.

3. Add in the chillies and finally the basil leaves. Stirring for about 2 minutes. Serve with rice and fried egg.

Basil Pork Ramen ala Su Yin

I'm really in the mood to cook this week :) This morning I made Basil Pork Ramen ala Su Yin. I always like korean instant ramen. It's kinda feel like back to college. The korean restaurant next to my college had been my favorite place for lunch. Got new idea of how to cook it from Su Yin's blog, yeahhhhh... The extra meat makes it soooooo delicious. I don't know how the other take this style, so I just prepared 1 bowl using 1 package of the instant nooddle. After tried a little, I passed it to my mom and then my bro. They liked it so much even I didn't have another go *hahaha* That's okay, I'll make one tonight again after posting this new way of enjoying korean instant ramen :) I know that my bf is now waiting for me to cook and let him try. He's not too excited though, but let see after that *hihihi* Please do try, guys.





Basil Pork Ramen ala Su Yin
Source: Su Yin

Ingredients:


1 package of korean instant ramen
2 tbsps of sesame oil
Minced pork
Fresh basil leaves
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 cup of chicken or beef broth


How to:


1. Cook the instant ramen according to the package instruction.


2. While the nooddle is cooking, you can start to heat the sesame oil, add in garlic and stir fried until fragrant. Put in the meat. Cook until becomes brown. Empty the condiments of the ramen into the meat. Add in the basil leaves and chicken or beef broth. Cook until boil and becomes a little thickened.


3. While you are cooking the meat, don't forget your nooddle *hehehe* You must be concentrated. Once nooddle cooked, strain and sit them in the serving bowl. Pour in the meat. Enjoy while it's still hot, yummy.....



Saturday 20 October 2007

Shepherd Pie


I always like potato, no matter how it cooked or made I'll take all in *hahaha* but I'm not greedy, hehehe. Always want to make pies. I missed those pies sold in woolloomolo, sydney *hikshiks* Imagine how tasty they are even me who don't like green peas ate the pie everytime going there *day dreaming eating the pie*


I took the recipe from m-corner *again...hehehe*. Looks like very easy to make. When making my shopping list for Hainanese Chick Rice, I listed this one also just in case if my mood jumps in instantly while at the supermarket *hihihi* and it did. So after ate the chick rice, I have gained my energy to make this Sherpherd Pie :)


Sherpherd Pie
Source: m-corner


Ingredients:

750 gr red potatoes, cut into chunks
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, divided
400-500 gr extra lean ground beef *I used only 400 gr*
2 Tbsp. flour
4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots and bell peppers, thawed *I skipped this one, mom *hehehe*
3/4 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp. ketchup -----I added around 5 tbsps of ketchup, salt, pepper and sugar to your taste *remember always to taste when cooking :)

How to:

1. COVER potatoes and garlic with water in large saucepan.
Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 20 min. or until potatoes are very tender. Drain; return to saucepan with sour cream.
Mash to desired consistency. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Cheddar cheese.

2. PREHEAT oven to 180°C.
Brown meat in large nonstick skillet. Stir in flour; cook 1 min. Add vegetables, broth and ketchup; continue cooking 5 min.SPOON meat mixture into 8-inch square baking dish.
Cover with mashed potatoes. Bake 18 min.; *it took me more than this cause I my oven is bottom heater, which is hard to get the potato turns golden*
sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese.
Bake an additional 2 min. or until heated through and cheese is melted. *I don't want to get the bottom meat burnt so after 2 minutes I left the pie in the oven with door closed to get the cheeder turns golden colour*


Hainanese Chicken Rice

Tempted by m-corner made Hainanese Chicken Rice couldn't hold myself so instantly I made my shopping list that day and went shopping on that nite. She didn't post the recipe yet, but just for me she told me how to cook it on the messenger *hehehe* Thanks, mom :p
It's easy to make, just like she said. Since this is my first time, I guess I need time for trial and error. It's not totally ruined, just need to remind myself everytime to give it a taste before put it in the rice cooker. The tastiest rice comes from tastiest chicken broth *I forgot to taste the soup hihihi and a little less taste in the end* But it still delicious though, if you eat with sweet n sour chili plus soy sauce...hm... yummy. Give it a try, less hazzle than other cooking and not to mention yummy, yummy, yummy. I even didn't have breakfast and directly cooked it just want to save some more room for my Hainanese Chicken Rice *hehehe*



Hainanese Chicken Rice
Source: m-corner

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Rice, washed few times and drained *I measured out 4 glasses using my drinking glass, it made easier for me later when to cook the rice I'll just measured out 4 glasses of chicken broth using the same glass. That way you'll get your rice cooked just right, hihihi* lesson from an untie who ran a canteen while in college.
3 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced *If you like the ginger taste, you add more*
Garlic, minced and more for making the garlic oil
Salt to your taste
Cooking oil
Directions:
1. Boil water enough to cover your whole chicken. Put in the chicken, sliced ginger and salt. Let it boil once more, then simmer for 20 minutes *depends on your chicken size*. Set a side. *remember to give it a taste*
2. Heat the oil in a wok and put in all garlic and keep stirring until fragrant and turning golden. Set aside bigger amount of oil and the garlic for serving the chicken later.
3. Using the same wok and left garlic oil to stir fry the rice. Keep stirring until fragrant. Move from the heat and pour into the rice cooker. Add in 4 glasses of chicken broth. Let it cooked by itself :)
4. Cut the chicken into your preffered size and serve with garlic oil, rice and sweet and sour chili sauce.
Sweet and sour chili sauce
Blend all together:
Chili
Salt
Sugar
Garlic
Lemon juice
*no measurement, everything is to your taste, hehehe*

Tuesday 16 October 2007

Satay, satay and satay

For the long weekend, probably the longest holiday we can have of the year I prepared chicken satay, pork satay and beef satay for our BBQ nite at Puncak. I thought instead of doing nothing and just playing cards for the whole day at the villa until our hands cram *hahaha* so... I thought it'd be fun to entertain ourselves at nite :)

I got these satays ready days before since I only have time at night after work. You know that small meat cubes and satay skewers are killer? *hahaha* I experienced that, my left hand was in pain the day after like you've been lifting heavy stuff. I got some marinades from the website. I like most the beef satay, recipe from "kedai hamburg"... delicious, of course it has honey in it and not many other ingredients to keep the beef taste. But some like the pork satay, I guess it depends, huh? For the chicken, I choose to do it Malaysian style. It's not the matter of which one taste better, but I guess we are used to with the Indonesian taste which is more plain than the Malay *hihihi* And Indonesian chick satay uses "kecap manis" my favorite *hehehe*, I guess you can tell why now... Just in case you guys would like to try, check out below.

Sweet Pork Satay
Idea taken from: cikciks' blog

Ingredients:

1 kg Pork, cut into cubes or any other size or shape you like :)
Satay skewers

To marinade, blend all together and let the meat marinaded overnight:
100g pecan
2 tbsps coriander seeds, stir fried w/o oil for couple of minutes until fragrant
2 fingers galingale, grated
1 finger turmeric
16 shallots
8 cloves of garlic
4 lime, squeeze the juice
200g palm sugar
10 tbsps sweet soy sauce "kecap manis"
6 tbsps soya sauce "kecap asin"

Chicken Satay
Taken from one of the fellow Malaysian's blog

Ingredients:
4 chunks of chicken breasts, cut into cubes or any size or shape you like :)
Satay skewers
To marinade, blend all ingredients become paste and add in 4 tbsps sweet soy sauce "kecap manis" and 1 tbsp oyster sauce and marinade overnight:
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 inch ginger
3 cloves garlic
6 shallots
2 tbsps turmeric
2 stalks lemon grass
4 tbsps oil

Honey Beef Satay
Source: kedai hamburg

Ingredients:
500g beef, cut into cubes or any size or shape you like :)
Satay skewers

To marinade, blend all together and marinade the meat overnight before arrange them on the skewers:
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsps sweet soy sauce "kecap manis"
2 tbsps oil
4 tbsps honey

My lunch box by mom

I intended to post this simple lunch box few weeks ago, it held until now :p I don't know why but everything mom's made always be a special for me, not just me though. Even it's a simplest but to us, me, my sis and my bros, it's a special treat ever *hehehe*
So, while my grandma was abroad, my mom is the chef for the week :p Everything she cooked were fingers licking. And she even cares for my lunch at the office so she woke up early to prepare. The menu was stir fry vegetable *i don't know what the vegie name :* and fried pork cutlets. Vegie was simple, stir fried with chopped garlic. The fried pork also simple but delicious. I can eat the mountain high plate of rice only with these pork cutlets. Slice pork in squares, like 1cm thick. Then marinade with lime juice, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Simple as it is. Even for amateur like me can do *hahaha*

Sunday 23 September 2007

Basic Vanilla Cupcake


I was told the night before the party. My boyfriend's bother called him after 9pm that he's having gathering at his mother's place to celebrate his son's 1st birthday. I was planning to buy some present to give his little son, Joshua, next week. But I felt that going there with empty handed is just not right. So, on the way home late night I decided to make some cupcakes. Cupcakes is the easiest to make and not to mention pretty as well :) Pretty cupcakes are ideal for emergency *hahaha*



Once again, before going to bed I opened my magic book *hihihi* and the most basic vanilla cupcake picked because I have all the ingredients. The question left was "how am I supposed to dress these cupcakes beautifully?" I like pink, I have Pink Cooking Chocolate in my magic box and left over whipping cream. Also I wanted to combine with Cecilia's. So, pink is perfect. I picked Chocolate Buttercream for the frosting. Also decorated with melted chocolate. All edible for the cupcake :). I didn't think about Joshua supposed to have blue colour :p It was too late already when it ran across my mind when I was about to leave *hihihi*

Basic Vanilla Cupcake
Source: cupcake creations


Ingredients:
5 oz (150 g) Butter, softened
5 oz (150 g / 2/3 cup) Superfine (caster) sugar
6 oz (175 g) Self raising flour *I substituted with 1 1/2 cups flour + 3/4 tsp salt + 2 1/4 tsps baking powder*
3 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla extract
*I added 5 tbsps whipping cream, cuz I panic when seeing the mixture is too thick :p, lucky it turned out just fine*


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. Line a 12 cup cake pan, with cup cake papers.
3. Crack the eggs into a cup and beat lightly with a fork.
4. Place all ingredients in a large bowl.
5. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and creamy.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and firm to touch.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
9. Allow to cool fully before icing.


Frosting:
Pink Cooking Chocolate, coarsely chopped *I didn't do any measurement just appx. at least double the size of the cream :p*
1/4 cup Whipping cream
1/2 cup Icing sugar *I use caster sugar and blend until it becomes like powder*
1/2 cup Butter


Bring the cream to just boil, pour into the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool. Beat butter and chocolate, add in icing sugar. Beat until smooth.