Banana and Dates Bread

It's Hari Raya Puasa time and dates are available. 

Always want to try my hands to make sticky dates pudding. But before I do it, I better try this recipe instead.  Hubby loves banana and cinnamon bread. Instead of adding other dry fruits, I add dates instead. 

Very easy to do and complete within 30 minutes.  A simple loaf to have on a beautiful weekend.

Ingredient :

• Banana - 4-5 pieces, mash it
• Chop Dates - 1 cup, cut into small pieces
• 2 eggs
• Brown Sugar - 1 cup
• Butter - 1 cup, soften
• Cinnamon Power - 1 teaspoon or more
• Baking Power - 1 teaspoon
• Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon
• All purpose flour - 1 3/4 cup, sifted
• Maple Syrup - 1/4 cup 
• Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Direction :

Start heating up the oven.

Flour, baking soda, baking powder sift together. Add Cinnamon and set aside.

Place Butter and Sugar in an electric mixer.  Gradually add eggs (1 by 1), banana, dates and maple syrup. Make sure all are mixed up well.

Lightly grease pan loaf or use the tefal coated loaf and pour the mixture in.

Oven 150-160C, bake it for 35 - 50 minutes.  Use a toothpick and stick it into the bread. If the toothpick comes out clean, then its done! 

Chinese Braised Pork Belly with Egg

I have been wanting to try my hands on this dish for a while.  Found some fresh pork belly from the supermarket and decide to give it go.

I want to perfect this dish to cook it for my parents when I am back to Malaysia and hopefully they like it.  I like meat in big chunks instead of small pieces. This dish, I think works well with big chunks of meat. Slowly braised it to perfection.

Very happy with the whole process. The end result is meat so juicy and tender and it just melt in your mouth.  

Lovely dish

Ingredient :

Group A

• Pork Belly - with skin please. Cut into big 1-1.5 inch chunks
• Sesame Oil - 2 table spoons
• 5 Spice Powder
• Cinnamon Powder
• Light Soya Sauce - 2 tablespoon
• Dark Soya Sauce - 2 tablespoon
• Mirin - 2 tablespoon

Direction - Use all the group a ingredient and marinate meat, at least overnight.  Portion you can add more. 

 Group B

• Cinnamon Stick - 2 pieces
• Clove - 4-5
• Star Anise - 2
• White Pepper Corn - 6
• Rock Sugar - 2-3 pieces
• Chicken Stock
• Dark Soya Sauce (Salty one)
• Light Soya Sauce
• Cooked Egg - 3-4
• Mirin sauce
• Oil
• Minced Garlic
• 2-3 pieces of Old Ginger

Minced Garlic, Ginger, Cinnamon sticks, Star Anise, Cloves and Pepper corns

Hard boiled Eggs

Direction :

Brown the pork belly with oil first.  Make sure the meat a lightly brown and not fully cooked.  Browning will make the meat juicy.

Meat after browning

Use a separate pot, oil, garlic, ginger stir in till fragrant.  Add all the spice, meat, sauces, mirin and chicken stock. Make sure the stock are the same level as the meat.  Boil it and then turn the fire level low.

Stir from time to time making sure the water level are okay.  Braise in low fire for 45 minutes to an hour. It there's oil on top, remove it.

15 minutes before complete, add the hard boiled eggs.  

Serve white it is hot with white rice.

Oats and Peanut Butter Biscuits for Dogs

Another healthy treat for Minime.

This recipe is really easy to do.  Just get all the ingredients together and mixed it.  

Mini was so excited knowing that I am baking treats for him. Whenever the oven beep, he will get excited and bake just to let me know "hey, it's ready!"

I hope you will enjoy making this for your pet as much as I do.  It is better than to get the ready made outside and you do not know what they put in it.

Ingredients:

• Wheat Flour - 3 cups
• Quaker oats - 3 cups
• Peanut Butter - 4 tablespoon
• Cinnamon - a pinch
• Chicken Stock - 1 cup
• Honey - 2 tablespoon
• Warm water

Direction :

Flour, Oats mixed with Peanut butter. Use your hand to mixed it together. Add honey, cinnamon, chicken stock and warm water and mix it together with a spoon to form a wet paste.

Use a pipping bag or zipper bag, pour in the dough to the baking sheet.

Baked it for 25-30 minutes until 150C.  The treats should be soft and once cold you can keep in the freezer.

Note : If the dough are too stiff, don't worry. Just add a little more water to dilute it.

Give your pet one or two whenever you want directly from the freezer. 

Mini loves it!

Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Dog Treats

This is my pet, Minime.

Having a pet is a big commitment.  And we always making sure Mini will have the best food and in best of health.  This is a real small sum to pay knowing it can be really costly in medical.

Since he is alone most of the time when we are out to work, I would baked some healthy treats for him as an encouragement for being a good dog.

Pumpkin is very good for his fur and dogs loves peanut butter. With a little peanut butter, it just drives them wild.

I hope this simple recipe will encourage some dog lover to bake some healthy treats for their pet.

Ingredients :

• Fresh Pumpkin Puree (see below direction)
• Peanut Butter - 4 table Spoons
• Wheat Flour - 3 cups
• Cinnamon Powder
• Honey - 2 tablespoon
• Warm Water - 1/2 cup

Direction :

For Pumpkin puree, remove seeds and skin and cut into square chunks and steam until the flesh are soft.  Puree the soft steamed flesh and let it cool.

Flour mixed with Peanut Butter, add cinnamon powder, honey, warm water and lastly the pumpkin puree. Mixed it well, making sure all area combined. It may look lumpy but no worries about it.

If the mixture is too thick, just add warm water.

Use a pipping bag or zipper bag, pour in the mixture and placed it on the baking sheet.

Oven to baked for 160C for about 25-30 minutes.  You will see the cookies golden brown.

The cookies are soft and chewy. After cool, keep in freezer for up to a month.

Your dog will love it! Especially on a hot weather.

Roasted Garlic Toast

Everyone love a good Garlic toast/bread.  I constantly want to bring this simple bread to the next level instead of just a normal mundane toast.

So what I did is, I spent a little more time to make the spread and roast whole garlic to get the paste.

I love roasted garlic and you can use these paste for fish, spread, just anything want you!

Ingredient :

• Roasted Garlic - 2 whole (put into oven 180C for 55 minutes)
• Parmesan cheese - make sure it is grated. Taste better.
• Garlic Butter - is either you make it from the scratch or buy from the supermarket
• Dry Oregano
• Salt
• Black pepper

Direction :

Remove the Garlic paste after you have roast the whole garlic.  Make sure it is cooled.

Mixed the Roasted Garlic paste with Parmesan, Oregano, Salt and pepper to taste. Please take it to make sure it is not overly salty.

Spread these into a lovely piece of toast and use the toaster oven or oven to brown it for about 5 minutes +/-.

Serve warm with a nice bowl of soup. Yummy!

Fried Rice with Mushrooms and Chinese Sausages

Fried rice is very easy to make.  My Mom always reminds me that  to make good fried rice, it would better to use overnight cooked rice. 

I love to experiment by combining different ingredients together.  It will always surprised you!

Ingredient :

• Cooked rice - overnight better 
• Chinese Sausage - 2 sticks. slice it 
• Minced garlic
• Japanese Fishcake 
• Japanese/Korean Shimeji Mushroom
• Light Soya Sauce
• Salt
• Pepper
• Clams (optional)
• Fresh Parsley

Direction :

Oil, lightly fry the chinese sausages till fragrant. Add garlic, mushrooms and cook till the mushrooms are soft, add fishcakes, clams and drizzle with light soya sauce, a little salt and pepper.

Add rice and mixed it all well together.  Garnish with some fresh parsley for the freshness taste.





 

HEARTY MINESTRONE SOUP WITH CHICKEN

I love tangy soup and Minestrone soup is one of the soup that I love a lot.

You can add any ingredient into this soup and you will be satisfy with it.  This soup has all the vegetables, beans and protein that you need.  And I tell you, over night taste much better!!!

Ingredient:

• Chicken Breast - 4 pieces
• Olive oil
• Fresh Prawns (Optional)
• Streaky Bacon - 6 pieces
• Butter
• Celery - 4 sticks. slice it
• Minced Garlic
• Brown Onion - 2, slice it
• Red Bell pepper
• Green Bell pepper
• Mixed vegetables - peas, corn and carrots
• Oregano
• Fresh Rosemary 
• Bay leave - 2 pieces
• Kidney beans - 1 tin
• Chicken Stock
• Diced tomatoes - 2 cans
• Seasalt
• Black pepper
• Parmesan Cheese

Direction :

Use a good stainless pot, olive oil, pan sear the chicken breast.  Just sear the meat until meat are slightly brown but not fully cooked. Set aside.

Use the same pot, add the streaky bacon, onion and cook till soft. Add garlic, celery bell peppers and all the vegetables into the pot.  Chicken stock, bay leave, dice tomatoes and all the herbs. Boil the soup for 15 - 20 minutes in medium fire.

Chicken Breast cut into big chuncks and set aside.   Add Kidney beans and chicken into soup. Salt and pepper to taste.

If you think the soup is not sour enough, you may add a little "ketchup or apple cider vinegar".

Make sure you taste the soup from time to time to make sure everything is fine. 

If you want this soup vegetarian, just skip the meat.

Parmersan cheese and some fresh basil works wonder with this soup.

Love it!

Roasted Salmon with Miso Paste

This is one of my best dish.  A Japanese dish and you have it alone, with salad, white rice, porridge or even with bread.

You can use Cod fish and I have post the Miso Cod recipe on my earlier post.

This is one of the dish my husband will not turn down. 

Ingredient :

• Salmon Fillet - get near the belly which is fatty and yummy!
• White Miso Paste (you can mixed white and red miso) - 2 table spoon (depending on how bit the meat is)
• Mirin sauce - 2 table spoon
• Garlic Herb Butter 

Direction:

Marinate the fish with miso paste and mirin. Marinate overnight preferred.

Take out the fillet from the fridge 1 hour before you cook it.  Warm up the toaster oven first.

Add a little "garlic herb butter" onto of the fillet. Use a toaster oven slowly cook the fillet until the meat is firmed. 

Once the fillet is cooked, if you have a high power on the oven, just increase the temperature. Otherwise, cook a little longer for the brown crust on top of the meat.

If you want a little savory taste, add a little brown sugar on top and roast till sugar melted.

Roasted Tomato Soup

My friends and I love Tomato soup. Sometimes what you get outside, the taste may not be there. I love my tomato soup being tangy and creamy.  So I decided to make my own version of tomato soup which is satisfying and will never forget.

 

 Roast the Tomatoes

• Tomatoes - 10-15 cut into chunks
• Fresh Rosemary
• 2 Brown onion - slice it
• Seasalt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil

What I did is I roast the tomatoes, onions, fresh rosemary, garlic with olive oil, seasalt and black pepper for 1 1/2 hours.  After roasting, I blend it into puree.

To make the soup :

• Celery - 2 sticks slice it
• Butter
• Minced Garlic
• Brown Onion 1
• Chicken Stock
• Oil
• Seasalt 
• Black Pepper

Pot, butter, onion, celery stir together until tender. Add garlic until fragrant and chicken stock and cook till all vegetable tender and soft.  Add the "roasted tomato puree" and salt and pepper to taste.

I love to add some "roasted red bell peppers" into this soup.

All you need to do is to roast the bell pepper on the stove with high fire.  The skin of the bell pepper will burn but dont worry. Make sure the whole bell pepper are roasted properly and then throw into a bowl of cold water.

Peel the skin off and cut the bell pepper into small chucks and add into the soup.

Its a little more work compare to a standard soup and you will be rewarded with a satisfying bowl of soup!

Creamy Salmon Soup

After traveling to North Europe, I found out that I'm crazy about this Creamy Salmon Soup. It has everything in it which is a little similar to Chinese ABC soup.

It is really easy to make. Goes so well with rice, noodles, toast or just have it alone.

Ingredient

• Carrot - 1 carrot, remove skin and slice around 0.5cm each.
• Potatoes - I prefer Russet Potatoes. Peel it and cut into cubes
• Leeks - 2 sticks. Slice the white part only
• Brown Onion - 1, slice it
• Garlic - 2 cloves, minced it
• Tomatoes - 2, cut into 6 pieces each
• Pepper Corn - 
• Salmon - 2 slices. Remove skin and cut into chunks
• Sea Salt
• Butter
• Chicken Stock 
• Fresh or dried dill
• Fresh Chives
• Black Pepper

Butter on pot and add onion and leeks. Cook it until the onion and leeks soften. Add garlic and stir for a few seconds. Add tomatoes, potatoes and carrots into pot and stir for about 5 - 10 minutes.

Add chicken stock and boil the vegetables together.  Lastly, add Salmon and dill. Salt and Pepper to taste.  

And fresh chives before serving.