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....

Marble Cake

After baking so many butter cakes, I decided to try another popular recipe. Chocolate Marble Cake. A simple recipe and an all-time favourite amongst family members. First attempt...turned out perfect!!!

Ingredients:-

• 250g butter
• 170g castor sugar
• 250g self raising flour
• 4 large eggs
• 6 tbsps milk
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 2 tbsps cocoa powder

1. Heat oven to 180C/gas 160C/gas 4. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line the bottom with a circle of greaseproof paper. If you want to make life easy, simply put all the ingredients (except the cocoa powder) into a food processor and whizz for 1-2 mins until smooth. If you prefer to mix by hand, beat the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold through the flour, milk and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.


2. Divide the mixture between 2 bowls. Stir the cocoa powder into the mixture in one of the bowls. Take 2 spoons and use them to dollop the chocolate and vanilla cake mixes into the tin alternately. When all the mixture has been used up (and if young kids are doing this, you'll need to ensure the base of the tin is fairly evenly covered), tap the bottom on your work surface to ensure that there aren't any air bubbles. Take a skewer and swirl it around the mixture in the tin a few times to create a marbled effect.

3. Bake the cake for 45-55 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.

An indeed simple recipe. You can't possibly go wrong with this................

One Skillet Pork with Rice & Herbs

Here's another new recipe. Simple and easy. Looks like I am on the roll for trying out new recipes. This is a single dish and will not need anything further unless you want to have a soup to go with it. No frying and no oil required. Just simply healthy....



Ingredients:-

• 300g of pork tenderloin cut into bite size
• A packet of sliced white or brown button mushrooms (about 125g)
• 2 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cup of uncook rice
• 1 tbsp Italian herbs
• 1 1/2 cup mixed frozen vegetables; thawed
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet or saute pan with a tight fitting lid over high heat; combine pork, mushrooms, chicken stock rice and herbs.
2. Bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 mins.
3. Stir in mixed vegetables and continue to cook until  liquid had been absorbed, rice is tender and pork is cooked through , about 5 mins.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Another simple and easy recipe and yummilicious. No oil whatsoever needed.

Traditional Macaroni & Cheese

A traditional recipe. There are many types of Macaroni & Cheese which have over time been adjusted to local tastes and individual preferences. Well, I thought starting off with the traditional one would be more fitting. Not those that you buy in a box and prepare but here's one of the recipes I had gotten from the internet.

Ingredients:-

• 1 2/3 cups dry, small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
• 2 tbsps cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsps butter or margarine
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

1.Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.


2.Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

It was simple and yet yummy!!! Cheesy and just yum. So, give it a shot!!!

Fideo (Mexican Spaghetti)

It's been too long since I've been able to try out new recipes and finally; I get to and I look forward to cooking more new dishes and sharing with you all. Came across this recipe on the internet and it looked real interesting. Not the regular type of pastas, a common dish amongst Mexicans.

Ingredients:-

• 2 tbsps of vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
• 1 packet (12oz) spaghetti noodles broken into half
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes (you can used those with cajun, celery, etc)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp of chilli powder (optional and you may add more for a more spicy taste)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese (or any of your preference)

1.Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts in the oil until nicely browned on the outside. Remove from the skillet and set aside.


2.Add remaining oil to the skillet, and add the broken spaghetti. Cook, stirring constantly until spaghetti is browned. Drain off any excess oil, and add tomatoes and onion. Dice the chicken breasts, and return them to the skillet. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Pour in chicken stock, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until pasta is tender, and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Check towards the end, and add more water if necessary.

3.Spoon the chicken mixture into bowls to serve, and garnish with shredded cheese.

Voila!!! An easy recipe and absolutely yummilicious. You can always have it with some garlic bread.

Till my next recipe.

Sago Gula Melaka

This is an all-time favourite local delicacy of mine. I can hardly resist this dessert whenever any restaurants serve them. Hahhaahhaha....so, as usual, I decided to learn to make it!!! Not a difficult dessert to make but it can be quite cumbersome because of the standing by the stove to stir the pearl sago.

How did I actually come about making this dessert? It was because of my niece, Isabelle's 10th birthday. A last minute do which I volunteered to make a Chicken Cottage Pie and since the desserts are normally birthday cakes; I decided to make Sago Gula Melaka. To be honest, I was praying and hoping that it'll turn out well.

And it did!!! It was a real hit!!!

Anyway, here's the recipe. Serves for about 10 people thereabouts.

Ingredients:-

- 500g-600g pearl sago
- 2 1/2 cups of coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 4 pandan leaves
- 400g palm sugar (gula melaka)
- 2 cups water


1. Rinse and soak pearl sago for about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile boil about 3 litres of water.
3. Once water is boiled, add the drained pearl sago into the hot water. Reduce heat to medium heat and stir constantly so that the pearl sago doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. The pearl sago is ready once it becomes transparent in colour which would take approximately 20-30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, pound the palm sugar. Add 2 cups of water to a pan and bring to boil. Add the palm sugar and stir till palm sugar dissolves. Pour palm sugar through a sieve into a container and store in the fridge to chill for a while.
5. Take another clean pan and add 1 cup of water and coconut milk and pandan leaves and stir till it boils. Add 2 tbsps of sugar to the coconut milk mixture and then remove from fire and store in a bowl or container and chill in the fridge,
6. Once the pearl sago is ready, pour the pearl sago through a sieve and put the sieve under a running tap till cool. You may need to do it multiple times depending on how big your sieve is.
7. Pour the cooled pearl sago into a bowl; add 6 tbps of sugar and a pinch of salt and stir.
8. You may then scoop the ready pearl sago into small cups or leave it in a big bowl and chill in the fridge.
9. Serve with coconut milk and palm sugar.

Voila!!!!!!!!!

**Do take note that the reason sugar and salt is added into the peral sago is to make it taste better because many a times if you just chill the plain sago, it has this very bland taste. If you are making a smaller portion like only about 250g of pearl sago, then use less sugar. It is entirely up to you.**

Chicken & Vegetable Soup

I came across this recipe. Looked absolutely simple and healthy. Another single dish meal which I absolutely love when I'm not so hot about cooking so many darn things. Hehehehehhehe....

Ingredients: -
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 chopped onion
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery sticks, chopped
- 1.4kg skinned whole chicken
- 2 litres water
- 2 vegetable stock cubes
- 2 cups rice or pasta
- Fresh chopped parsley


1. Heat oil in a deep pan and garlic and onion. Stir-fry for 15secs and then add carrots and celery. Stir-fry for 4 mins until onion is soft.
2. Add chicken as a whole, water and the vegetable stocks. Bring to boil over high fire, then lower to simmer, covered for 1 ½ hours. Remove chicken from pan to cool.
3. Add pasta and rice. Simmer uncovered for 10-15mins or until pasta or rice is done as desired.
4. Remove meat from chicken, and shred roughly. Return shredded chicken meat to pot with some fresh parsley. Heat until boiling.
5. Serve hot.

Quick Bake Macaroni Cheese

I believe this is an all-time favourite of many families especially when it comes to feeding their children. Well, for one I am one of the very lucky mummies in the world who has a daughter who is not a picky eater. That's one of the reason she is so round. Hahahahahahhaha......

I have had this very easy recipe for a while now but never came to trying it. This is what I call a simple single dish with all basic nutrients from vege to chicken, cheese and pasta......

Ingredients: -

- 250g macaroni, cooked according to the packet instructions

- 150g broccoli florets boil or steam till tender

- 200g chicken, sliced thinly or into biteable cubes
- 6 crabsticks, cut small
- 60g butter
- 50g plain flour
- 350ml Evaporated Filled Milk
- 400ml water
- 250g pizza cheese mix
- Salt and pepper to taste (I didn't put any and it still tasted good)

1. Melt butter and add in flour. Cook stirring until mixture bubbles. Stir in Evaporated Filled Milk, water and cook until sauce boils and thickens. (Use a whisk to do this)
2. Stir in cooked macaroni, broccoli, crabsticks and half of the cheese. Spoon it onto a casserole dish (2 litres) and sprinkle the remaining cheese.
3. Put under grill in an oven until cheese melts and turns light gold in colour for about 15 mins.

As I'm updating this blog, Caitlin's attacking her lunch with relish. So, I guess it's a good recipe. So, do give it a shot. Another simple single dish. Probably the next ti,e round, I may try it with Chedar Cheese instead. Of course, you can always replace the vege, chicken and crabstick with any other ingredients that you would prefer.

Here is the macaroni mix.....

Here it is with the cheese topping.....

Hope you will like this recipe as much as I do.............

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Teriyaki Chicken with Noodles

I seem to be getting these 'single' dishes but honestly, it just so convenient if you're always in a rush or in one of those days you are not just in the mood to cook but somehow, you need to....this is also another dish!

Ingredients: -

- 2 tbsps cooking oil
- 1 sliced or diced onion
- 500g sliced chicken
- 40g halved French Beans
- 40g sliced zucchini
- 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 or 3 packets Maggi Mee (cooked and drained without adding the flavouring)
- some sliced pring onion

1. Heat oil and stir-fry onion for 2 mins.
2. Add chicken, French Beans and zucchini and stir-fry for 3 mins
3. Mix honey into Teriyaki sauce and mix well. Then, add into the vege mixture and cook for about a min or so.
4. Take drained Maggi Mee and toss through the stir-fry until well mixed.
5. Serve, topped with spring onion.

Easy, isn't it? Cooked this last night and it was yummy!

Chicken, Carrot, Cucumber & Capsicum in Plum Sauce

This is a dish that you can always have on its own because of the varieties in one dish. All you need is some steam rice.......

Ingredients: -

- oil for frying
- 500g chicken breast, sliced thinly
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or diced
- 1 tsp chopped ginger
- 1/2 a carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 red capsicum, seeded and sliced
- 1/2 a cucumber, sliced
- 230g water chestnuts, peeled and halved (optional; I didn't use this in this cooking)
- 2 tbsps light sauce
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1/4 cup plum sauce
- 1 cup bean sprouts, trimmed
- Some roasted cashew nuts

1. Heat some oil over high fire and fry the chicken for about 2 to 3 mins and transfer it out of the wok onto a clean plate.
2. Heat a little oil using the same wok and stir0fry garlic and ginger for about 10 seconds.
3. Add the capsicum, carrots and cucumber and cook for 2 mins.
4. If you are using water chestnuts, add them and continue to stir-fry for another minute but if not, move to the next point.
5. Once veges are tender, turn fire to low and quickly mix the soy sauce with the cornflour and add on to the cup of plum sauce.
6. Return the chicken with bean sprouts and add the mixed sauce and stir-fry for 2 mins.
7. Add a 1/4 cup water as the sauce may be too thick and stir-fry for another 30 seconds with the roasted cashew nuts.
8. Serve with wam rice.

Ta da!!!!! A simple meal. .................