Pulut Inti

I had made this 'kuih' some time back but at that time it was just a 'touch and go' and was still new into cooking. Surprisingly even then, I seemed to have the knack to cook pretty well even though it was a first attempt.

So, I decided to make this traditional dessert for my sister in-law's Open House and it was a HIT!!! A big hit! Finished within seconds. :)

So, here's the recipe.

Ingredient A:-

• 300g glutinous rice
• 300ml water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 pandan leaves
• 80ml thick coconut milk
• banana leaves

Ingredient B:-

• 160g palm sugar (gula melaka)
• 3-4 tbsps water
• 3 pandan leaves
• 200g white grated coconut
• 1 tbsp plain flour

1. From Ingredient A, rinse glutinous rice and drain. Mix glutinous rice and salt. Soak for 30 mins.
2. Add pandan leaves to rice mixture and steam for 15 mins or until the rice is half cooked.
3. Add the coconut milk into the rice mixture and mix well and continue to steam until rice is cooked through.
4. Leave rice to cool.
5. Meanwhile, using Ingredient B, mix the water with palm sugar and  pandan leaves and heat through until palm sugar well mixed.
6. Add grated coconut and plain flour and stir well until mixture becomes thick. Stir during cooking.
7. Put 1 portion of glutinous rice in the centre of each banana leaf and top with coconut mixture.
8. Fold up bothe the ends of banana leaf and serve.

This recipe makes approximately 20 'Pulut Inti', depending on how big each portion is. This is the batch I made.

A really traditionally yummy recipe.

Chocolate Cornflakes Biscuits

It's been a while since I've baked some biscuits or cookies and came across this easy recipe so, I decided to give it a shot. Caitlin helped, too! And it turned out fantastic!!! Crunchy on the outside and soft like cake on the inside.

Ingredients: -

• 125g butter, chopped
• 1/2 cup castor sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence/extract
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 cup cornflakes; 1 1/2 cups extra for coating (crushed)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sultanas (raisins)
• 1/2 cup chopped glaced cherries (I used a mixture of red and green for more colour)

1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees C'. Lightly grease 2 or 3 oven trays or you may opt for baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Fold flour in. Add 1 cup of cornflakes, sultanas, chocolate chips and cherries.
4. On another separate bowl, put the crushed cornflakes.
5. Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and then toss in the crushed cornflakes. Placed onto prepared trays with about 3cm in distance as the biscuits will expand.
6. Bake for about 10-15 mins or until golden.
7. Cool in trays for 5 mins before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Ta da!!!! Easy...easy...recipe. Gonna make these for festive seasons next time.

Coney Dog

Who doesn't like Coney Dogs. Messy but it's always fun to eat. Hahahahahha....so, I decided to make Coney Dogs for dinner tonight.

Using the same beef recipe which I used to make Sloppy Joes; all I did was get some hot dog buns and fried some sausages and poured the beef sauce onto the sausages and voila!!!!! You can always sprinkle some cheese and just put into the microwave for about 10 seconds for the cheese to melt.

Coney Dog!!!! And yummilicious!

Sloppy Joes

This is an absolutely fantastic and easy recipe. I loved it!!! Everyone loved it.....at the rate I'm cooking, I have to double or maybe triple my exercise regime but trust me, it's all worth it! Using the same recipe, you can also make it like a Coney Dog....just get some sausages and hot dog buns and pour some of this yummy meat over the sausages.....

Ingredients:-

• 455g lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 BBQ sauce
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.

2. Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

So, what are you waiting for??? Got make some Sloppy Joes!!!

Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Baked Potato

I am an absolute potato lover and love anything potato. Just made the Mini Meatloaves and hadn't got a clue what to have as a side dish besides the usual steam vege. I wanted something additional and there came this Bake Potato idea.

Rummaged through the web for a Bake Potato recipe and added a little of my own.......

Ingredients:-

• 4 medium baking potato
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons butter
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 slices bacon (fried and cut to bits)

 
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Scrub the potato, and pierce the skin several times with a knife or fork. Rub the skin with olive oil, then with salt.

2. Place the potato in the preheated oven, and bake for 90 minutes, or until slightly soft and golden brown. Slice the potato down the center, and serve with butter and black pepper. Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese over the top and bacon bits.

So, if you are a potato fan and are thinking to have a different type of potato for a meal or add something different, go make some bake potatoes.....

Mini Meatloaves

I made a meatloaf 2 or 3 Christmas ago and it was yummy and made it a couple of times more for parties and other get-togethers; and have left it on the back burner for some time now and in those days, I didn't even bother to take a picture of it.

Came acorss this really easy recipe to make Mini Meatloaves. Hhhhmmmm....interesting and easy enough compared to the last meatloaf I made which nearly drove me to insanity because it required so many darn things! Hahahahahhahahahahaha..............

  Ingredients:-

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 450g ground beef
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

3.In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.

4.Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes.


So, go ahead and give it a shot. Have some steam vege and a bake potato to top it off....absolutely yummilicious!!! Even if I have to say so myself!

Pork & Mushroom Risotto

I love risottos. Have always loved risottos and they're bad for the hips! Hahahahahha....But who cares??? Life is short.....found this recipe and decided to add pork to it. And for a first timer cooking risottos, it turned out pretty good and not a difficult recipe to manage. So, do give it a shot. :)

Ingredients:-

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 small onions, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup minced pork (you may substitute the pork)
• 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup rice
• 3 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken stock)
• 2 teaspoon butter
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 
1.Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until onion is tender and garlic is lightly browned. Remove garlic, and stir in the parsley, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook until celery is tender, then add the pork and mushrooms. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking until the  mushrooms are soft.

2.Pour the milk and cream into the skillet, and stir in the rice. Heat to a simmer. Stir the stock into the rice one cup at a time, until it is absorbed.

3.When the rice has finished cooking, stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese, and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Ta da!!! Simple and delicious. Only downside is that you need to eat it hot and it will clump together after a while but nevertheless still yummy! Hubby loved it....Yuli loved it...Caitlin's having it for lunch tomorrow.

Broccoli Fish Bake

An indeed simple and healthy meal. Fish...brocolli and m,ost importantly; some creamy condensed can soup mixed into it!!! I could not ask for a simpler meal and my kitchen is clean. No oil...no salt needed. Only note that go easy on seasoning the garlic powder on the fish as it may turn out too salty.

Ingredients:-

• Garlic powder to season the fish
• 280g broccoli spears, cooked and drained
• 450g-600g fresh or thawed frozen firm white fish fillets (cod, haddock or halibut)
• 305g can Condensed Cream of Chicken & Mushroom Soup (you may use any of your preference)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika

 

1.Arrange broccoli in 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with fish. Mix soup and milk and pour over fish. Sprinkle with cheese.

  

2.Mix bread crumbs, butter and paprika and sprinkle on top. Bake at 230 degrees C for 20 minutes or until fish is done.

Yummy...yummy...yummy....for those of you who may feel that it may not be filling enough; have some Butter Rice on the side. :D

Garlic Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

Another new recipe which I tackled. Who could ever resist a good pork chop, right? Simple and easy to cook and you can have it with some steam rice and steam vegetables. Healthy and yum!!!!

Ingredients:-

• 2 tbsps garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 4-6 pork chops (get the thinly sliced ones)
• 4-6 tbsps minced garlic
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup water, divided
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

1. In a bowl, mix the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Rub the pork chops with the garlic powder mixture and minced garlic on both sides.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, mix the Worcestershire sauce with 1/2 water. Place pork chops in the skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove pork chops from skillet.

3. Pour the remainder 1/4 cup water. Mix in the mushrooms and onion and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until onions and mushrooms is cooked. Return the pork chops back to mix with the onions and mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.

A yummy dish....