While Christmas’s eve is just tomorrow, for those who’re worried about what to prepare for the last-minute dessert that will be this recipe we are sharing – No-bake Red Cherry & Waffle Parfait. It’s easy to make and it’s a total no-brainer holiday’s menu quick-fix. Layers of quick sautéed red cherries, fresh whipped cream, and Belgian waffles make this no-bake waffle parfait a total spotlight on your Christmas party.
We gave in and purchased a few kilograms of red cherries. Besides grabbing a huge handful and devouring them all in a matter of minutes. If you are a cherry fanatic and need an excuse to eat them first thing in the morning, you’re going to love this healthy cherry waffle parfait recipe!
Red Cherry is in the Season now.
During this time of the year, we will always find red cherries in the market and usually, they are from Australia. Based on our research, their first cherry harvest starts in October/November in the eastern mainland states and extends through to late February with the majority of cherry crops harvested during December and January. Therefore we are so lucky to grab tons of our favourites during this season.
To make the sautée cherries to make it become tender, and the juices concentrate into a gorgeous light sauce simply in a pot combine cherries, lemon juice, and sugar. Smoosh cherries slightly with a fork to break them down. Cook, stirring occasionally until cherries soften and liquid thickens and evaporates almost entirely about 20 minutes. Please allow cooling to room temperature before assembling parfaits.
There’s no baking required
When coming to the holiday party we always worried that we don’t prepare enough food for our guest. And while we are busy with all the preparation for mains and sides, we want to make something that won’t fail for especially the cocktail and the dessert. Therefore, this recipe would be the saver for your holiday serving. We love this idea of no baking as usually this period the oven will be mainly taken by the roasted meat and vegetables. Thus to have dessert in the oven too, we may not able to serve the meal at all.
This recipe uses a quick sautée method to cook the cherries into the most lovely spoon fruits of sorts. You can easily double this recipe if you want to make a big batch, and save half to put over your morning yoghurt, or spread on top of a piece of toast.
3 cups black cherries, pitted (save a few whole cherries for garnishing on top)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the rest
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
8 Belgian waffles, broken into pieces
Methods
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine cherries, lemon juice, and sugar. Smoosh cherries slightly with a fork to break them down. Cook, stirring occasionally until cherries soften and liquid thickens and evaporates almost entirely about 20 minutes. Allow cooling to room temperature before assembling parfaits.
Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, whip heavy cream and sugar to soft peaks. Spoon layers of whipped cream, Belgian waffle pieces, and quick sautéed cherries into glasses, top with whole cherries, and serve!
For those home who are all white like us, we love to incorporate wood and green in it, where it can easier brighten up the house. Over the years, many of our Christmas ornaments have met tragic ends—that’s the price we paid when we decided to add kids and more pets to our lives. Our solution? Upcycle leftover, random-sized pieces of wood into a sturdy, but modern Christmas ornaments!
To end this wood and green is your Christmas best-friend.
Too much of the meat for this holiday season? For those who are sick of meat – we are glad to share with you this dish for your family occasion. You also might be surprised to learn how easy it is to make a salt-baked fish, it might be the most fancier dish but the taste of the fish will make your guests in love with you all over again. We promised that the results are an incredibly moist and well-seasoned fish with a gorgeous presentation! Are you ready to dive in the journey with us in making this delicious salt-baked fish!
Why Salt-Bake Fish?
Most of the dishes will lose it moist during baking and the meat of the fish will become dry and flaky. Using the salt crust keeps the fish moist and locks in the flavours of the aromatics. You can use any herbs and citrus, that you preferred, depending on your individual preferences for the serving. In order to prepare this dish – the most important of the star is the salt. You have to ensure your salt is well mixed in order to wrap the fish beautifully. In addition to the impressive presentation that uncovering a mound of salt to reveal a beautiful whole fish or chicken makes at a dinner party, salt-baking provides a few useful functions:
Insulation: The salt layer insulates food, slowing down cooking and allowing foods to cook evenly. This makes salt-baking ideal for foods that are easily overlooked, such as fish, or beef tenderloin.
Seasoning: Whole fish cooked in a salt crust will be perfectly seasoned—not too salty—once you remove the skin.
Moisture retention: The salt traps moisture within the food so that it cooks in its own juices (similar to sous vide), retaining more flavour.
How much salt do you need?
Many will be questioning, how much salt we need? Depends on how big your fish will be. We got a few boxes of salt for this medium-small fish (roughly 8 inches long ). We encourage you to purchase extra salt just incase you might estimate wrongly. Don’t worried that you using too much, do not fear of the salt!
How to make a Salt-baked Fish?
You can use any herbs you like or you already have in your kitchen for the serving. We are using garlic and spring onion for an Asian touch of taste. Thyme and English parsley are also great choices for your consideration.
You can also use any citrus you preferred. The selected choice you have in mind or a mixture of a few kinds, we used lemon, however, orange is also a good choice for a favourable festive taste. For those who like a stronger taste, onion is highly recommended.
Use two egg whites per cup of kosher salt. We got a couple of boxes for this small-ish two-pound fish.
Start by whipping the egg white in the mixer till peak. Add in the salt by portion till a sandy texture.
The Scaillions Dip you will enjoy
This Scallion Dip is a recreation from Raw Ginger Scallion Oil, it is a deceptively simple recipe that’s an absolute must when enjoying a classic Cantonese Poached Chicken. But we also find that it’s an addictive topping for almost anything and it is a perfect choice for this fish.
This version, however, is more fun. It represents the epitome of Cantonese cooking: pure flavours, simple preparation, and very little added spice or seasoning. It consists of raw garlic, raw scallion, oil, and salt. That’s it!
Don’t you think this is gorgeous? We think that it’s awesome for a party serving for this holiday season, it is a beautiful main for you to showcase your technique as host! What more, it is an easy last minute that you just need a super fresh fish, some herbs and citrus, lots of salt and stuff in the oven for 20 minutes!
We hope that you will enjoy this dish as we do, try it and share with us your version of salt-baked fish! We are excited to exchange with you of the beauty in great food! Happy holiday!
A whole salt-baked fish is an easy recipe for entertaining. It’s a showstopper that will wow your guests, but keep you stress-free. It can be made with almost any combination of aromatic herbs and citrus, perfect year-round for dinner parties or holiday meals.
Ingredients
1kg of kosher salt
3 egg white
2 sliced lemon
Spring onion
3 cloves garlic
One 2 1/2-pound whole dorade or red snapper with scales, gutted
2 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Scallions Dip
2 scallions
(must have white parts, 50g)
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup vegetable oil (120 ml)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Methods
Preheat oven to 220 degrees.
Remove fins from fish. Or ask your fish monger to do so. They can be bony and difficult. Stuff the cavity of the fish with the herbs (stems and all) and sliced citrus.
Mix salt and egg whites until the mixture becomes the consistency of wet sand. Put a layer of the salt mixture onto the sheet pan. and place the stuffed fish on top. Smear the rest of the salt mixture over the body of the fish – you can leave the head and tail exposed. It doesn’t need to be too thick, but enough so that it forms a coating that isn’t see-through or cracking.
Place the fish in the oven and cook about 8 minutes per pound until the flesh is about 48 to 55 degrees. This fish took a little longer than that – I checked after 16 minutes, then gave it another 5 and checked again. It took a little over 20 minutes in all.
Gently crack open the salt crust – we used a rolling pin. Remember you are just trying to loosen the crust, you don’t want to smoosh the fish inside!
Remove crust and peel back the skin of the fish. Lift out the flesh, then carefully remove the backbone, and lift the remaining flesh. Be sure to check for small bones. Don’t forget the meat up around the collar of the fish – that’s good eatin’! Don’t leave it behind.
Scallions Dip
Wash the scallions and pat them thoroughly dry. Thinly slice them into rounds, and then use your knife to mince them further.
Next, slice garlic very thinly. Julienne them into matchsticks and mince them finely. (These steps could be done with a food processor.)
Combine the scallion, ginger, oil, and salt in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, and it’s ready to serve!
Two of the best things about this time of the year? Chai spice! And warm cosy drinks! Which is why I have combined them together for this decadent chai-spiced hot chocolate with cute marshmallow snowman.
It’s creamy, sweet, indulgent and so cozy!
We like to whip this up in the afternoon, cosy up on the sofa and wrap up under a huge fluffy blanket. All the cosy vibes! Oh, and it’s super easy too!
How to make your own snowman?
Kids and parents alike will love making and decorating these adorable marshmallow snowmen. This is the perfect impromptu project for a family since it involves very little mess or downtime. These snowmen are fast, foolproof, and fun. All you need are marshmallows, pretzel sticks, melted chocolate from chocolate chips and extra-long toothpicks (4 inches).
It’s very simple to make but here are some tips for you to make it even easier.
The pretzel sticks are a little too long for the proportion of the snowman, so I bit off the ends, leaving them about 3/4 as long as they were, to begin with. Just experiment and see what look you like. Also, I find that they go in a little easier if you twist them as you’re pushing them into the marshmallow.
Normal-sized toothpicks won’t work; you need the 4-inch variety, which is pretty easy to find at most grocery stores. Slide three marshmallows on the toothpick to create a snowman, then use scissors to clip off the pointy end of the toothpick.
Use the toothpick to poke holes for the arms, legs, and nose, and then push pretzels in the snowman.
Place some mini chocolate chips in a sandwich baggie and melt in your microwave (30 seconds at a time until melted). Snip off a tiny corner of the baggie and “pipe” the chocolate out to draw eyes and a mouth on the snowman.
Serve them on sticks at a holiday party or package them individually as gifts or stocking stuffers. You can even make your snowmen look like friends and family members—experiment with different types of candy coating. Everyone will be delighted by these creative, festive treats.
Chocolate Chai Latte
For this drink, it is a combination of our two favourite drink, Hot Chocolate and Masala Chai Tea Latte. The spices for Chai Latte vary depending on the recipe, but our favourite combination is cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove. It may be messy when you come into mixing herb, we came across this Masala Chia by Anthony the Spice Maker like what we use for our Masala Chai Tea Latte. It has the perfect blend that we like, making it way to simple to make this drink. For chocolate powder, we use Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder.
An antipasto platter is a delicious combination of cheeses, vegetables and meats, usually served with good wines. It’s a great way to start an evening with friends and is very easy to put together.
The holidays are filled with opportunities to gather with friends. What better way to start a party than with an antipasto platter?These delicious platters of food make for easy entertaining at the end of the year, but they are also versatile enough to serve at parties all year long!
What is antipasto? Antipasto, (the plural is called antipasti) when translated, means “before the meal.” Antipasti platters are meant to stimulate your guest’s appetite before they dig into the main meal of the evening. An antipasto platter could rightly be called a “starter platter.”
What goes on an antipasto platter?
This type of platter makes great party appetizers – really tempt them. knock their socks off. Assembling one of these platters can be done in 30 minutes or less, which makes it ideal for a busy schedule when you are entertaining. There is not really a set recipe for an antipasto platter. All it takes is a love of all things that taste good, a bit of creativity and a sense of style.
Choosing your Cheese
We like to choose a variety of cheeses that give me both different tastes and different textures. Use both soft cheeses and firm ones. Keep the flavor of the cheese simple, as opposed to a cheese ball which has been flavored.
Since you will be serving meats and other tastes, let the cheese just complement the other food choices rather than trying to be the star. We use two types of Cheese Pomegranate Brie and Pasteurised Milk Cheese.
Pomegranate Brie This baked brie recipe might just be the best holiday appetizer out there. Of course, it’s delicious. What could be better than rich, melty brie piled onto golden brown baguette with honey, fruit, and nuts? It’s also visually stunning, with a festive mix of red, white, and green colours.
It’s important that the brie is cold when it goes in the oven. Otherwise, it will melt, not soften, while it bakes. We love to use seasonal produce whenever we cook, and, here, fresh pomegranate seeds are the perfect addition. Not only do they look gorgeous, but they also add a sweet/tart, crisp accent for the gooey, buttery cheese. We finish it off with rose petal, honey and sea salt to make the flavours pop. Tip: make sure to get a little of everything in each bite!
Roasted Balsamic Cauliflower This simple roasted balsamic cauliflower makes a delicious, healthy and crowd-pleaser side dish. Plus, it’s inexpensive, low carb and comes loaded with a host of health benefits, from reducing cancer to boosting brain health
But first things first: it’s super easy to prepare! Quarter the cauliflower into 4 pieces and break them into florets, it can be thrown together in less than 5 minutes. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasoning, toss everything together and roast. What could be easier than that?!
Roasted Parmesan Capsicum I don’t know about you folks, but it seems like there’s been a lot of comfort food on our menu lately. This Roasted Parmesan Capsicum is the newest addition to my comfort food menu. It’s zesty, cheesy and simply delicious. They are sweet and have a little heat where balance up with the cheesy flavour.
Zucchini Salad This zucchini salad recipe is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds! We love the way the raw zucchini ribbons curl around the crunchy pumpkin nut. Parmesan cheese gives it a salty bite, and a lemon vinaigrette fills it with bright flavour. Oh, and did I mention? It calls for under 10 ingredients and comes together in minutes.
Assembling your platter
Choose a large platter, marble slab, or cake plate on which to arrange your antipasto platter. Place items in groups on the platter. For visual appeal, place a small bowl of a coloured marinated vegetable or olives in the centre and vary the colours of items next to each other.
Like the previous cheese platter that we did, start lying your centrepieces, for our, it will be the brie. Then we will head on filling in the food with a bigger portion and lastly the small one to fill up the gaps.
Place the antipasto platter in a location easily accessible for guests. Serve with breads or crackers and small plates alongside, allowing guests to create their own assortments of items on their plates.
An antipasto platter is a delicious combination of cheeses, vegetables and meats, usually served with good wines. It’s a great way to start an evening with friends and is very easy to put together.
Ingredients
Carrot
Cured Meat
Pasteurised Milk Cheese
Pomegranate Brie
1 brie wheel, chilled
¼ cup pomegranate arils
Rose Petal, for garnish
Honey, for drizzling
Flaky sea salt, optional
Roasted Balsamic Cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces
Roasted Parmesan Capsicum
3 assorted colour Capsicum – cut into bite-size
4 tbsp of parmesan
2 tbsp of olive oil
parsley for garnish
Zucchini Salad
2 assorted colour Zucchini – sliced to the ribbon
2 tbsp of lemon juice
pumpkin seed – roasted in the pan
Methods
Pomegranate Brie
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the brie onto the baking sheet and bake 8 minutes, or until soft in the middle.
Remove from the oven and top with pomegranate arils, rose petal, and a generous drizzle of honey. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.
Roasted Balsamic Cauliflower
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil
Stir the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and garlic together in a bowl. Add the cauliflower and toss to coat; spread the mixture onto the lined baking sheet.
Stirring occasionally, bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 20 minutes.
Roasted Parmesan Capsicum
Cut the Capsicum into smaller pieces and place it on the baking tray.
Mix the parmesan and olive oil in a bowl well, and fill it into the “cup” of the capsicum.
Bake it for 30 minutes at 220C. Cool it and garnish it with chopped Parmesan.
For those who prefer the classic way of messing your plate in this holiday season – you won’t want to miss this creamy mashed potato. Easy, buttery, perfectly seasoned, and impossible to resist eating it straight out of the pot, homemade mashed potato was never so simple to make and totally mouthwatering!
Now of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion about exactly what constitutes the best mashed potatoes recipe. But if we’re the one put in charge potatoes for Christmas, this recipe is my idea of perfection. These mashed potatoes are indulgently buttery, creamy, tangy, and made with a very subtle hint of garlic (which you’re welcome to amp up, if you’d like). They are perfectly dense and thick (not the whipped and ultra-light variety). They feature not one, but two popular kinds of potatoes (whose skins you are welcome to leave on or peel off). They can be as smooth or as chunky as you prefer. Oh, and they’re also incredibly easy to make ahead of time and reheat in the microwave if you have a busy menu lineup and would like to prep them ahead of time.
Choosing of Potatoes – Russet Potatoes
For us, we shop at the wet market more often than the supermarket as the price is rather cheaper. However, there are times that we preferred the supermarket a lot more especially when come to purchasing a selected type of ingredients. We often have mistaken Yellow Potatoes and Russet Potatoes by their appearance in the wet market, so it’s hard to the differential without labels. They might look similar but one is waxy and another is light and creamy. Therefore when coming to mashed potatoes, we preferred the latter.
For mashed potatoes, usually, we go with Russets as they are a floury potato with a light and fluffy texture. The skin becomes chewy when cooked. These are commonly used for baked, mashed and roasted potatoes.
How to make Mashed Potatoes?
Mashed Potatoes are super simple to make with very few ingredients. You can make them in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot, but we really do think the best mashed potatoes are a simple classic.
The real key to making the best creamy mashed potatoes is to get the consistency right.
Drain Well: We usually let them sit about 5 minutes or so to completely drain or even drain well and put them back in the warm pot for a few minutes to make sure all liquid is evaporated.
Mash by Hand: Use a hand masher or a potato ricer. Using a hand mixer, stand mixer or food processor can break down the starches in the potatoes and cause a very gluey or gummy texture. You can still get buttery smooth creamy mashed potatoes mashing by hand.
Butter is Your Friend: There are places you can skimp on the butter and this is not one of them. We like to use salted butter and lots of it (but you can use unsalted season yourself). Butter helps your mashed potatoes get a creamy… well, buttery texture.
Heat Your Cream: Heat your milk/cream before adding. This keeps the potatoes hot and absorbs better. Add cream/milk a little a time to get the right consistency.
Cream cheese, garlic, and butter added to homemade mashed potatoes can add a delicious tang! You can really add whatever toppings you love the most, mashed potatoes are very forgiving!
How long to boil the potatoes for mashing? Potatoes should always be placed in cold salted water and brought to a boil, this helps them cook evenly. The length of time you need to boil the potatoes entirely depends on how big they are cut.
We quarter our potatoes and boil them about 20 minutes. To check if your potatoes are ready, use a fork and if it is easy to pierce the potato, it is done.
Can you Freeze the Mashed Potatoes?
You sure can, frozen mashed potatoes reheat pretty well in the oven with a little milk. To freeze, scoop them into a plastic freezer bag and press flat (this helps them defrost and reheat evenly)! When you reheat them, add about a tablespoon of milk per cup of potatoes and stick them in the oven to reheat.
In a blink of an eye a week of December has already passed and it’s almost time to meet up friends and family members to celebrate the occasion . For those who prefer the traditional, this creamy mashed potatoes is for you. We’re pretty sure you’re going to love them too. So if you’re looking for a solid homemade mashed potatoes recipe, bookmark this one. And when you’re ready, let’s make a batch together!
Presenting my all-time favorite mashed potatoes recipe! These homemade mashed potatoes are perfectly rich and creamy, full of great flavor, easy to make, and always a crowd fave.
Ingredients
2 kg potatoes russet or Yukon gold
1/3 cup salted butter
1 cup milk or cream
salt & pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
Spring of thyme
Methods
Peel and quarter potatoes, place in cold salted water.
Bring to a boil and cook uncovered 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.
Heat milk, butter, thyme and bay leaves on the stove top until warm.
Begin mashing. Pour in liquid a little at a time while using a potato masher to reach desired consistency.
Friday evening is a classic movie jam session with our family during the quarantine. Having the whole bunch of chips and just chips are very guilty and fattening. So if you want something much filling and yet unhealthy, the onion potato salad with sour cream chip might solve your guilty craving
What to prep for a Friday night?
While the festive season is approaching, we have prepared some exciting posts with you all and let’s start with the staples of the table. “Potato” is one of the favourites on the festive table – is can be toasted, baked or mash. And we decided to boil this time and make it delicious with crunchy chips. I could tell you now that when potato meets potato chips it is doubled the flavour of it and it tastes absolutely delicious!
This dish simply will just take 15 mins of yours and it could be easily prep ahead if you are too busy to prepare on the spot. To avoid the potato too creamy, adding chive and red onion enhances the flavour of the dish.
Honestly, the portion supposed to be bigger but I couldn’t resist it before the photo-shoot so I have to admit that I have nibbled some of it. I love sour cream and it is so rare for me to have it without feeling guilty. To spike some of the chip on top allows me to fulfil my temptation of having chips but at the same time, I will not overdose it as the main leading is the potato salad.
If you make our Onion Potato Salad, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram as @leplaincanvas and use the #byplaincanvas hashtag. I love seeing your takes on my recipes!
This recipe was an excuse to combine our favorite potato chip flavor with the creamy, salty “salad” of our dreams. To hammer that home, the whole dish is topped with crumbled sour cream and onion potato chips. We love to eat this warm, we love to eat this cold, we love to eat this while wearing jorts in the park, and we love to eat this while wearing pajamas on the couch. Do make sure to start your potatoes in cold water so that they’ll cook evenly through and through (if you add potatoes to hot water, the outsides will turn mushy before the insides are tender—no bueno).
Ingredients
2 lb. baby Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup kosher salt, plus more
¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove
1 bunch chives
¼ small red onion
½ cup sour cream and onion potato chips
Methods
Place 2 lb. baby Yukon Gold potatoes in a large pot, cover with 3 qt. water, then 1 cup kosher salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Yes, this is a lot of salt, but it’s the right amount for the job. Potatoes are big and dense—so it takes highly concentrated water to ensure they’re seasoned through and through, Plus, think about how much of that gets left behind in the water you pour out!) Once water comes to a boil, reduce heat, adjusting as needed to maintain a simmer, and cook potatoes until fork-tender, 15–20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make your dressing. Combine ¾ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. onion powder, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp. black pepper in a large bowl. Finely grate 1 garlic clove into dressing and stir to combine. Thinly slice 1 bunch chives. Transfer half of chives to dressing; set remaining aside for serving. Slice ¼ small red onion as thinly as possible through root end. (This might not be the way you usually cut an onion, but we’re going for shallow arcs rather than chunky quarter-moons.) Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse for several seconds (this eliminates some of that astringent raw onion flavor). Pat dry with paper towels. Add half of onion to bowl with dressing; reserve remaining onion for serving.
When potatoes are tender, scoop out ½ cup potato cooking liquid—we’re going to use this later to thicken the sauce, warm up the cold dairy, and flavor the potatoes. Drain potatoes in a colander and let cool 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Crush each potato slightly with your hands (it’s easiest to do this if you transfer them to a baking sheet or big plate first) and add to bowl with dressing.
Toss potatoes with dressing and ¼ cup potato cooking liquid. You want to do this while the potatoes are still warm so that they’ll better absorb all of the seasoning. Don’t worry if the dressing looks a little loose and watery at the beginning—it will all get absorbed and be nice and creamy. Taste and add more salt or, if your dressing looks too thick, a splash of potato cooking liquid.
Top potatoes with reserved chives and onion. Crumble ½ cup sour cream and onion potato chips over—in big pieces if you really just want to be eating a bag of chips or in small pieces if you’d like more of a bread crumb effect.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes are a delicious change from our favourite mashed potatoes! With a creamy texture and delicious buttery flavour, they are the perfect side dish for any meal! While many recipes for mashed sweet potatoes have added ingredients like marshmallows or pecans, we prefer mashed sweet potatoes to be smooth and creamy.
These mashed sweet potatoes are ready in less than 40 minutes, making them a great addition to your weeknight routine, or a last-minute party or potluck side.
How to make Mashed Sweet Potatoes?
Making mashed sweet potatoes is really easy! If we have a lot of time, we make Baked Sweet Potatoes and scoop them out to make mashed potatoes. A quicker method is to boil the sweet potatoes but we prefer the consistency of baked if possible. Once cooked (either boiled or baked) and very well-drained, the sweet potatoes can be mashed.
Start by adding the butter and mixing it in using a hand masher (per the recipe below).
Heat the cream/milk and add a bit at a time while mashing. You can use an electric mixer for a creamier texture or mash by hand.
Once mashed, season with salt and pepper and serve (with more butter of course).
How to mashed the sweet potatoes? You can mash sweet potatoes using a hand masher, this gives more of a rustic consistency (aka a bit less smooth). For a smoother consistency, you can use a hand mixer or an immersion blender.
Alternative for Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are already plenty sweet on their own! Thus, adding savoury ingredients to your mashed sweet potatoes to balance out that inherent sweetness. Finely chopped fresh parsley and green onion combined with some sour cream and butter are all you need for incredible savoury mashed sweet potatoes. another alternative is to add chopped fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
How to Store the Leftovers?
Fridge: Mashed sweet potatoes will last about 4 days in the fridge in a container or covered with plastic wrap. Freezer: To freeze, scoop smashed sweet potatoes into a plastic freezer bag. Press them out into a flat square and freeze. This will help ensure the potatoes defrost and reheat evenly! When you reheat them, add about a tablespoon of milk per cup of sweet potatoes and place them in the oven to reheat.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes are a delicious change from our favourite mashed potatoes! With a creamy texture and delicious buttery flavour, they are the perfect side dish for any meal! While many recipes for mashed sweet potatoes have added ingredients like marshmallows or pecans, we prefer mashed sweet potatoes to be smooth and creamy.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/8 teaspoon black pepper
Methods
Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above potatoes. Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain and return potatoes to saucepan.
Combine butter and olive oil in a small skillet over medium; cook until browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add milk, salt, and pepper to sweet potatoes; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Drizzle with butter mixture; gently stir once or twice.
When it comes to her Christmas décor style, Ree Drummond is all about one-of-a-kind, meaningful items. “Ornaments should never be purchased in bundles,” she says. “The ones on my tree are a mix of crafted childhood ornaments and sweet, sentimental ornaments we’ve been gifted through the years. Some of them are dented, some are chipped and some are definitely broken, but I’m a sucker for a tree that isn’t too sparkly and shiny.”
Whether you live in the suburbs or a city apartment that’s as far from a picturesque cabin in the woods as you can get, you can still transform your surroundings into a rustic wonderland for the holidays. The keyword to keep in mind as you gather handmade rustic Christmas décor ideas is “cosy.”
You’ll want to create an atmosphere that invites you to curl up in a blanket and enjoy all the beautiful DIY Christmas decorations you made yourself. Think: mini trees draped in plaid fabric, sweet signs made from vintage-worn wood, and gathered pine cones, winter greens, and branches. Even your ornaments will carry rustic flair.
We love making food during the holiday season, as we can make food that we can’t make during the usual time. Food is always better when we can share with each other. This Stuffed Pork Tenderloin is one of our favourite dishes to make as it is juicy, where it filled with Mediterranean spinach and feta cheese blend and then covered in a tangy balsamic and rosemary sauce. Any home cook can make this gorgeous pork tenderloin recipe with restaurant-worthy results!
Alright, let’s get to the good stuff! This Mediterranean Stuffed Pork Tenderloin packs a big flavour punch. If you’re feeling intimidated by stuffing the tenderloin, don’t fret! It’s easier than you think!
Pork Tenderloin: A Misunderstood Cut
Poor pork tenderloin. Can you imagine living under the shadow of bacon your whole life? Talk about feeling like the ugly duckling. While bacon has entire fan clubs dedicated to celebrating its goodness, pork tenderloin has faced a myriad of insults–too dry, too tough, too flavourless.
Here’s the deal. This stigma that we’ve given pork, it’s not the pork’s fault! The pork was never meant to be cooked to the dull, grey, lifeless colour we’ve subjected it to for years. So today, we stand up against this injustice. Why you ask? Because Pork tenderloin deserves better. That is why today we shine a light on an under-appreciated cut of pork and show you how to treat a tenderloin right.
How to Stuff a Pork Tenderloin?
There are a few ways to stuff a pork tenderloin, but we find the easiest way is:
Slice the tenderloin in half lengthwise.
Spread the filling down the centre.
Fold the meat over your filling and use some butcher string to tie the tenderloin together.
You can ask your butcher for string, but if you forget, just leave it off. The filling might pop out a bit more when you slice it, but it will still be absolutely delicious!
Preparation of the filling
Once you’ve split the tenderloin, make the filling:
Heat olive oil in a skillet along with some red pepper flakes and garlic.
Add spinach and allow it to cook until wilted.
Use paper towels to remove any excess moisture from the spinach.
Combine the cooked spinach with feta, garlic, and sundried tomatoes for a filling that’s creamy, tangy, and subtly sweet.
Time to bake the meat
Spread the glaze on top, place your pork stuffed tenderloin in a baking pan, and you’re ready to roast!
We prefer to bake the pork at high heat for 15 minutes, then lower to 350 for the remaining cooking time. This results in an outrageously tender and juicy pork tenderloin that’s full of bright Mediterranean flavours.
1/2 a 7 ounce container sundried tomatoes packed in oil (About 6 tomato pieces), chopped
3 ounces feta cheese
For Coating
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 heaping teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Methods
For Filling; Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper flakes and grate the 3 cloves of garlic into the oil. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and allow it to wilt, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt then remove the mixture from heat. Place the spinach mixture in a paper towel and squeeze gently (be careful, it’s hot!) to release any excess moisture. Place the spinach in a small bowl and stir in chopped tomatoes and feta cheese. Set aside
For Coating; Combine balsamic, oil, mustard, rosemary, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
To Assemble; Slice the tenderloin down the middle lengthwise, leaving just about a 1/2 inch intact on one side. Open the top half and lay it flat. Spread the spinach mixture evenly down the center of the loin. Fold the top half back in place and use butcher’s string to tie it together in 3-4 places. Place the pork loin in a roasting pan then smear all sides with the topping.
Roast the tenderloin for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and roast an additional 20-30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the loin reads at least 145 degrees. Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Let’s talk about nutmilks. Fresh, creamy, served with the right cereal and a handful of fresh berries – that’s one of my favourite breakfasts (or breakfast for dinner to keep it interesting!)
Replace the milks
Nut milk is a delicious alternative for those who can’t tolerate dairy, or simply a more easily digestible option for all! When we first learned how easy it is to make almond and cashew milk at home, our world was changed. A whole other planet: rich, tasty, and satisfying.
Nut milk is an easy dairy-free milk substitute, made with nuts and water. It’s perfect for pouring over cereal, using it in smoothies, or even adding to your coffee! It takes your morning routine (other than having kombucha) to a whole new level!
If you ask me, homemade nuts milk tastes way better than store-bought nuts milk. I think you’ll agree once you taste it– homemade is the best! In fact, you probably won’t be able to go back to a store brand after you see how good it tastes, and how easy it is to make ( we will share with you the step-by-step recipes on the next post).
Benefits of Nut Milk
Nut milk is a great dairy-free alternative to cow’s milk. It is easy to digest, can reduce bloating, and therefore an alternative for those who lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy. Nut milk has fewer calories (roughly 60 kcal per 1 cup compared to 80 kcal per 1 cup of skim milk) and carbohydrates (1 g of carbs compared to 12 g of carbs in cow’s milk) than cow’s milk.
Nut milk also contains heart-healthy poly- and monounsaturated fats and is also free from saturated fat, trans fats and dietary cholesterol, unlike cow’s milk. While almond milk is a good source of nutrients, it is not a good source of protein and calcium, as is cow’s milk. But don’t let that stop you! There are plenty of plant-based protein and calcium sources that can supply you with an adequate amount of protein in your diet. (based on nourishbynutition)
Why Homemade Nut Milk?
There are a few benefits to buying ready-made nut milk at your local store. It’s definitely more convenient and the product you’ll find there is probably fortified with essential nutrients. So why should you even bother making your own? It’s simple:
No weird, unwanted ingredients
Contains more fibre and nuts
Less plastic that goes to waste
Use the pulp to make granola, smoothies, crusts or body scrubs
No weird, unwanted ingredients
Much cheaper than store-bought
You can make your own flavours
The store-bought variety to be overly sweet (although there are unsweetened, they’re hard to find). Now you know the benefit of these nut milk, thus wait for next week for the step-by-step guide on making the nut milk.
Rattan furniture is great outdoor furniture during the summer when the sun is out and the indoors are too warm for your comfort, but when the summer days are gone, are there any ways to make good use of your rattan furniture especially during the autumn days?
How to make good use of your rattan furniture during autumn?
In and out furniture Rattan furniture can be used indoors or outdoors depending on the occasion and the weather. The autumn days are very unpredictable, but because your rattan furniture can be used in your inside space as well, when the weather outside is not favourable, simply take your rattan furniture inside and the party continues.
Adding cushion or blanket During autumn it is the time where we like to get cosy, adding cushion and blanket helps to create a cosy place to sit and relax.
Using an autumn colour element I like to add mustard and green to my furniture to make it more fall.
We have been thinking of different ways to enjoy homemade peach jam, and we decide to make some homemade doughnut with peach jam filling rather than just bread and jam. These jam-filled doughnuts are what coffee break dreams are made of. They are soft pillows with a super-easy cream filling. The yeast doughnuts are deep-fried to perfection and then the filling is piped inside for a delightful treat.
Type of doughnut
There are many kinds of a doughnut, from cake to twisted. This time we are going to make yeast doughnuts -they are made from a lightly sweetened yeasted dough that is deep-fried. These doughnuts possess a tender exterior and a fluffy interior. There was a much-heated debate about how doughnuts got the hole in the centre. Some say it was a nod to the steering wheel of a ship, others say it was to avoid undercooking the centre. For us, we are going to make a whole round doughnut and filled them up with jam.
How to make Yeast Doughnut?
Mix the dough The yeasted dough needs more intense mixing to build the structure. Generally, yeasted doughnut dough should be mixed on low speed until the dough comes together, then mixed on medium speed to strengthen gluten strands. The dough is not mixed as intensely as brioche—the whole process will take only a few minutes—but much like brioche dough, yeasted doughnut doughs can be quite sticky and can require oiled hands or a sprinkling of flour before handling.
Let it Rise This tidbit doesn’t apply to cake doughnut batters, but when yeast is involved, it’s really important to allow for enough rise time. Generally, this means 1 to 2 hours of bulk fermentation (letting the entire dough rise) and about 30 minutes after shaping.
For us instead of using warm water to mix the dough, use room temperature water and refrigerate the dough immediately after mixing. Under refrigeration, the dough continues to rise, just much more slowly. This means you can mix the dough up to 12 hours ahead, let it rise slowly overnight, and wake up ready to fry in the morning.
Shape the doughnut You could flatten the dough and cut it out with a doughnut cutter. For us, we divide the dough into equal parts and round them into balls. When you transfer the dough to the oil, do so carefully: It’s easy to accidentally squish the hole shut or stretch the doughnut into an oblong shape.
Time to fry them Remember that if the oil is too hot, the doughnuts will brown too quickly and the centre may remain raw. If the oil is too cold, the dough will absorb a large quantity of oil and be greasy upon cooling. The perfect doughnut will be evenly golden brown on both sides and pale in the centre. Use a deep-fry thermometer to test the oil and help regulate the temperature —around 180°C is best. Blot the oil out with several layers of absorbent paper towels on a baking sheet.
Fill and Roll them up This is where it gets fun: finishing.
For powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or other sugared doughnuts, remove the doughnuts from the oil and drain as desired. After 30 seconds to 1 minute of cooling, toss the doughnuts in the sugar. If you wait for the doughnuts to cool for too long, the sugar won’t stick to the doughnuts.
Poke a hole with a straw and pipe your jam in!
The best doughnuts are fresh doughnuts. If you’ve ever lived anywhere near a Krispy Kreme, you understand. When that magical light went on, it was absolutely worth it to pull over with a total screech to get at those piping hot doughnuts. But even at room temperature, doughnuts are best the same day. If you must, keep them in airtight containers overnight, and enjoy round two.
Milk cold milk, egg, yeast and sugar well in a bowl. Then add in salt and flour and combine them well. Rest it for 15 minutes with a cloth over the bowl.
Slowly incorporate the butter cubes and knead well with your hands or in a stand mixer. The dough has to be glossy and smooth.
Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough, then re-cover the bowl. Put in the fridge to chill for 12 – 16 hours or overnight.
The next day, take the dough out of the fridge and cut it into 70g pieces. Shape each piece into smooth, tight bun and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour. Leave plenty of room between the doughnuts to proof. Cover lightly with cling film and leave for about 2 hours, or until about doubled in size.
Fill it up to the halfway point with vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 165 – 175°C . Carefully remove the doughnuts from the baking tray, take care not to deflate them, and put them into the oil. Fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Don’t cover with a lid when you turn the doughnuts around. Remove from the oil and place on a tray lined with paper towels. Set aside to cool before filling.
Fill a piping bag with jam. Roll the doughnuts in sugar and pipe a generous amount of jam into each doughnut. Eat them right away or store in an airtight tin. Enjoy.
It has been years since we have a pumpkin dish for our Thanksgiving, Pumpkin Icebox Pie, Pumpkin Mousse and even Thai Pumpkin Soup. We love that this festive fall fruit is so versatile it can be used in almost any dish — including snacks, sides and sweets. This year rather than having the pumpkin as the star on the table we want to create something that is suitable for every mains on the table and we created the Roasted Pumpkin with Pistachio Oil.
This Roasted Pumpkin with Pistachio Oil is perfect as a side for your fish and beef dishes. With the sweet pumpkin and savoury pistachio oil, it balances out your platter from every bite you takes. Of course, it is also a dish perfect for itself.
Oven-roasted pumpkin has always been on the top of my list of winter favourites but we recently found out about a combination which makes this dish even more tempting: pumpkin, pistachios and greek yoghurt! We roasted pumpkin wedges the way we always do and added a little cumin to the olive oil which is very nice with the squash’s sweetness. We whipped salty Greek yoghurt with lots of pistachios and browned olive oil to a thick dip that we served on top of the warm squash. The combination of nutty, sweet and salty aromas is simply brilliant!
Choosing of pumpkin
If you use a thick-skinned squash variety, such as those listed here, there is no need to peel; the skin becomes soft enough to eat. If you use a thinner-skinned squash, such as butternut or honey nut, peel and cut it into 1-inch-thick slices rather than wedges.
Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
For a delicious side dish, roast butternut squash until caramelised and scatter with pistachios to serve.
Ingredients
1 butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
50 g pistachios, toasted
250g natural yoghurt
Methods
Heat the oven to 190C. Put the pumpkin wedges into a large baking tray. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft and golden around the edges.
In a pan, heat the oil till brown, before adding in the chopped pistachio, mix well.
Serve with the yoghurt, pumpkin, pistochio mixture and top with a final drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Are you ready to snuggle in and get cosy for fall? We think fall is my favorite season. We love the color, all of the texture, and oh….the leaves. We love the leaves, don’t you?
Throw over You can’t beat a cosy throw. I have to bring out the fall colours in throws. Even if I don’t need the throw for warmth here in Singapore, the soft touch, the nubby textures, it all says fall to me, how about you?
Scented Candles Scented candles are a must-have for me, particularly come fall. Those heavenly fall fragrances conjure up all of the memories, of fall, baking, raking leaves, even a walk in the woods.
Sweater & Socks Like throw over even it is hot and humid in Singapore, it always cool to put on some sweater and socks especially on the rainy day.
Hot cocoa mix What could be better on a cold day then some premium hot cocoa?
Making homemade jam is super fun and rewarding. After making Strawberry Jam and Mixed Berry Jam, we want to use a different fruit instead and the goldern peach is our current choice. Peach is one of the fruits that we always love in all season, it is also a perfect fruit for the transition from summer to autumn. Perfectly sweetened and wonderfully spiced jam with just a hint of cinnamon. Golden Peach Jam will last you for the whole year and can also make great gifts to share with friends and family.
One of the best parts about autumn is the abundance of perfectly sweet peaches, which are nearly impossible to find the rest of the year—and all the classic summery dishes you can make with them. The moment we see the stone fruit appear at the farmers’ market, we’re startled into action and compelled to cook and eat it in as many ways as possible this time we use them in our jam.
What Peach to use?
For the recipes we use fresh golden peach, the white peach have a prettier colour but the taste of the jam could never compare to the golden one.
Use ripe peaches. Not overripe, but soft and ready to eat. The skins come off a lot easier.
If the skins don’t easily come off you should blanch the peaches. I show you how to do this below recipe.
You will know that the jam is ready when the mixture is thick enough to leave an open trail behind the spoon.
Because the batch of this jam is so small (2 cups), and because this jam can be refrigerated for up to 4 weeks you don’t really need to seal the jars. It’s really just more of a hassle because 4 weeks is plenty of time to finish every last drop of this sweet goodness!
What to do with Peach Jam?
We love the sweet & spicy combination of fresh peaches and cinnamon, but if you don’t want your jam to be spicy, go ahead and leave the cinnamon out. That way, you can use it as you would any other fruit preserves – on peanut butter sandwiches or dolloped onto morning yoghurt, oatmeal, or overnight oats.
But the spicy jam is really excellent – we urge you to give it a try. We’ve been eating this peach jam on toast all week – the peach flavour is especially delicious with a slather of ricotta or almond butter. It would also be yummy topped onto ice cream or frozen yoghurt, and it would be a fancy, unexpected addition to tacos too!
Store-bought jams and preserves just can’t compare with the taste of the homemade stuff and this peach jam is no exception. Nothing says happiness like biting into a fresh, sweet, juicy peach at the perfect stage of ripeness. This jam manages to capture all that spectacular autumn weather flavour in a jar for eating any time of the year.
Use this sweet & spicy peach jam on toast, ice cream, or even tacos! It’s a delicious autumn treat.
Ingredients
3 fresh ripe peaches
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cups white sugar
1 tbsp of butter
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
Methods
First, blanch your peaches to remove the skins.
Put your peaches into a pot of boiling water, for 1 minute. No longer.
Then remove from the boiling water, and immediately put them into a cold water bath, for 1 minute. No longer. Do not soak them.
The skins should just peel off. Peel off the skins.
Making the Jam
Then remove the pits, and slice up the peaches.
Place peach slices, cinnamon powder, butter and lemon juice into a heavy-bottomed large pot, over medium-low heat.
Cook for about 15 minutes, until the peaches are soft, and the juices are released.
As the peaches soften, stir frequently, and use your spoon or a potato masher to break them down.
At this point, add your sugar, and stir until dissolved.
On medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
After the 5 minutes, reduce the heat to low-medium (don’t boil the jam, just slow cooking), for another 40-60 minutes. You will know that the jam is ready when the mixture is thick enough to leave a trail behind the spoon.
Remove from heat, and let cool completely before serving.
We have this Phin Filter seating at our cardboard for years and finally, we decided to get it out for use. Vietnamese coffee is an intensely strong and sweet coffee, that’s sure to dissolve your morning daze and perk you up for the day. Its dark roast coffee and potent condensed milk make this a unique coffee. After trying it, it became one of my favourite coffee.
How to make Vietnamese Coffee?
The Vietnamese coffee was rich, flavorful, sweet and perfect on a cool day, but the method for brewing and serving the coffee is what really impressed us. The coffee was brought out with a layer of condensed milk at the bottom of a small, clear thick glass, with a stainless steel Phin Vietnamese filter sitting on top.
The coffee was already dripping into the glass and mixing in with the condensed milk. When our coffees were done dripping, we stirred them to combine the coffee and condensed milk. You can enjoy them hot or fill the glass full of ice.
Vietnamese coffee filter aka Phin Filter
The Vietnamese coffee filter gives a stronger brew than that of an American drip machine and different than that of a French press, which has a lot of factors, but the metal coffee filter used to brew these is a large part of it.
The “phin” (pronounced like feen), is typically made of three or four parts. Lid; it helps keep the coffee from losing heat or evaporating too much while brewing. The body; container for water and coffee. Filter disk; a simple disk with a handle on top for removal that sits on top of the coffee grounds. This means the main way you control the speed and strength of brew is reduced to water temperature, water volume, coffee volume (and grind size if grinding your own Lastly, the rim or lip – simply the rim around the filter so you can rest it on a glass while brewing.
DO NOT shake the filters or compress the coffee, or the coffee grounds will drop into the holes of the coffee filter and plug up the holes! The result will be that the coffee takes forever to drip, or the grounds may clog the filter entirely. Place the metal filter gently on top of the coffee.
What Vietnamese Coffee we use?
Vietnamese coffee is traditionally made with dark roast coffee and often times mixed with chicory root. Common brands used for this are Trung Nguyen and Cafe Du Monde. We uses Trung Nguyen, glad that we are able to get some at Red Mart. The Vietnamese beans are usually the robusta variety (as opposed to the more common arabica).
Enjoy your Vietnamese hot coffee! To make a Vietnamese iced coffee, pour your coffee over a glassful of ice once it has been brewed and stirred. If you love coffee and have only tried weak, watered-down coffee served over ice, you’re in for a big revelation.
2 tablespoons dark-roast ground coffee (preferably Trung Nguyen Premium Blend or Café Du Monde Coffee with Chicory)
2 tablespoons (scant) sweetened condensed milk
Methods
There are two ways to make Vietnamese coffee. The simplest method is to steep coffee grounds in a heatproof container with 2/3 cup boiling water for 4 minutes. Pour through a coffee filter into a heatproof glass.
Or use a metal filter, which we recommend. Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Remove top screen from filter, add coffee, then screw on top screen. Place filter over a heatproof 12-oz. glass or measuring cup.
Pour a splash of the hot water into filter; this will allow the coffee grounds to bloom. When coffee begins to drip through, add enough water to reach top of filter. Place lid on filter and let coffee drip for 4 minutes. If coffee stops dripping sooner, gently loosen screw to relieve pressure.
Stir in condensed milk until blended. Add ice, stir, and serve.
This post contains a little information on this wonderfully adaptive dried grass along with inspiration on how to incorporate it into your home autumn decor.
The technical name for Pampas Grass is Cortaderia Selloana, C. Selloana and there are around 25 different varieties. It comes from southern South America but was taken over to Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand in the 1970s.
If you treat it well you can make it last longer and avoid excess shedding. Give it a good shake before bringing it into the home and once you’ve trimmed and arranged in your desired spot give it a good spray of strong hold hairspray to avoid more shedding. They’re dried grass so you don’t need to water but give a top-up spray around every 6 months.
Homemade Spring Rolls are the best! They are light, airy, and filled with vegetables. Store bought and even those found in restaurants cannot compare. However, many people still avoid them because they are usually deep fried and there are those who prefer not to do any deep frying at all in their kitchen. If that is you, then these Baked Spring Rolls have your name on them. They do take a slightly longer time to cook but are just as delicious and crispy too.
Preparing the filling
The key to crispy Spring Rolls is a filling that is not soggy. Simply place the cooked filling in a metal colander and allow the juices to drain while it cools and you will be rewarded with the perfect filling for your Spring Rolls. For our spring roll, we prepared a simple filling with a combination of vermicelli rice noodles, carrot, five-spice chicken and spring onion.
vermicelli rice noodles; soak the dry vermicelli rice noodles in a bowl of hot water for 3 minutes and drain it.
carrot; shredded it. Dry it in the fridge a day ahead.
five-spice chicken; thinly sliced the chicken. In a pot, with 2 tbsp of oil, cook the chicken, five-spice powder and salt and pepper, till well cooked.
spring onion; finely chopped.
Wrap them up
Some people like small, tight rolls while others prefer bigger rolls. Generally, smaller rolls will be more crispy because they have less filling in them. Personally, we prefer a roll that is about 4 inches in length with a generous amount of filling in it. This size usually works out quite well whether they are served as an appetizer or snack. They are also easy to handle whether you bake, deep fry, or freeze them for later.
Prepare a mixture of cornflour and water in a bowl. The mixture has to be runny, not thick. You can try to use plain water to stick the roll but not sure if it works with every type of skin.
Baked them for a healthy solution
Well, turns out that if you stick a tray of spring rolls into an oven (having brushed each one with a small amount of oil), you won’t get an inferior product at all. They taste every bit as delicious as their deep-fried brothers, are more healthy and the preparation method is less messy too. It’s a triple win if you ask me.
What vegetables you put in them is totally up to you! I picked local veg that are in season. As you’ll notice, I put the veg into the rolls raw as they have plenty of time to cook during their sojourn in the hot oven.
Enjoy these vegan baked spring rolls warm with a side of a simple dipping sauce and maybe even a cold beer.
2 small spring onions – white part finely sliced, green cut lengthwise into thin strips
60 g vermicelli rice noodles
3 chicken fillet, sliced
2 tbsp of five spice powder
½ tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water
Methods
Thinly sliced the chicken. In a pot, with 2 tbsp of oil, cook the chicken, five-spice powder and salt and pepper, till well cooked.
Prepare vermicelli noodles according to packet instructions.
Pre-heat the oven to 425° F / 220° C.
Arrange the wrapper in a diamond shape, place a bit of noodle at the bottom, then a stack of marinated vegetable and start rolling it up. Stop when you reach halfway, fold the right and left corner in so that the roll looks like an open envelope. Brush a bit of cornflour mixture on the final corner and finish rolling. Place under a damp kitchen towel while you roll the rest.
Brush the rolls with a small amount of vegetable oil and place on a baking tray lined with a piece of baking parchment.
Bake for about 15 minutes on one side, then flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes on the other side, until the rolls are golden brown.
Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce.
Cut rolls in half gently with a serrated knife and enjoy them warm dipped in the sauce.
It’s not usual that we post in black and white but this journal documentation just shows otherwise. This place is not considered unheard of the Taiwanese and even tourists, as many of them head over during the weekends, but somehow it is seldom talked about among Singaporeans. So here’s introducing Huashan 1914 Creative Park, a hosting ground for Taiwan’s most significant cultural activities.
So what is a creative park? Taiwan’s creative parks are basically arts and design venues. They’re like museums or galleries that are less formal and more urban and gritty in feel. They feature rotating exhibits in various creative fields like photography, illustration, film, animation, product design, and furniture design, perhaps even music and performance art. We have a good few hours walk around, even our parents enjoy it.
The complex is made up of abandoned warehouses that have been restored, making for a fascinating blend of the old and new architecture. It’s busy with shoppers and event-goers on weekends, when you can hear live music, attend shows, and explore exhibits. The creative vibes buzz with youthful energy. There are a lot of cafes there, however, we didn’t get to enough them as we are heading for dinner later on. We would if we have more time and space in our stomach as they all look so amazing. There is also a theatre where you could watch old movies which a ticket at an affordable price.
Will we go back again? Yes, it’s a nice way to spend an afternoon, and there are always new events and exhibits worth returning for.
Did you know that redecorating can help generate fresh, new ideas and boost creativity and productivity levels? This is especially true in the places you spend the most time using your brainpower, like at your desk. As fall is here, there is a reason for us to do some changes to our workspace at the same time motivating us to work harder.
Changing what’s around you on a daily basis can make a major difference in keeping your mind alert, inspired, and productive, inside the office and out.
Fall is all about nature and it can instantly make us feel more inspired and see things from a different perspective. If you can’t take breaks to work outside for a few hours of the work day, bring the outside in. Natural greens and brown are all inexpensive ways to branch out with your desk decor to include things that give it a real seasonal approach. What is fall to you?
Technically it is the season of Autumn, even Singapore is all rounded summer but we could prepare and eat food based on the universal season. During Autumn, we love to make and store the jam in our pantry, bake tarts and create the cinnamon-citrus scent in our room. The cooling weather is just making us craving for sweet and comforting food. It is just a reminder that our favourite holiday (Christmas) is coming in no time.
Our mom is like the classic British, love to have her tea time with bread and jam. So, whenever she has a piece of bread she will request to have some jam. And therefore, it’s essential for our house to have all type of jam. What makes it easier is that we make the flavours and sweetness based on our taste, it will never go wrong.
Have you encounter buying too much of the fruits and couldn’t finish in time. There is a way not wasting them at all – making them into jam and you will never regret it. You combine frozen cranberries with fresh blueberries to get a preserve that is flavorful, not-too-sweet, and perfectly set (cranberries are magical in the setting ability).
This homemade sweet jam tastes as good as my favourite store-bought blueberry jam, minus whatever preservatives that you get from ready-made ones. We like the presence of the chunks of berries, although like most jam it tasted a tad too sweet for us.
How to sterilize the jar?
Firstly, why would you want to sterilize jars for all your lovely preserves? Just because a clean sterilized jar is essential to the success and longevity of the jams and preserves you spend a lot of time making. Sterilizing is a crucial part of preserving to remove any bacteria, yeasts or fungi thus protecting the food you put into the jar. Dirty or jars not correctly cleaned will infect the food inside, and it will spoil very quickly.
There is a lot way to sterilize your jar for the jam, but we choose to sterilize them in the oven. This method is the most-trusted method for ensuring your jars are scrupulously clean for your preserves. It takes slightly longer than the other ways but starts the process about 30 minutes before your preserves are ready to pot and you will not even notice the
Heat the oven to 130 C. Do not be tempted to heat the oven any higher, or you may risk the glass breaking.
Lay a double layer of newspaper on each oven shelf but not the floor of the oven. If you are using a gas oven, make sure your newspaper is well away from any flame. If it is on a middle shelf, you will be fine.
Arrange the jars on the oven shelf, making sure the jars are not touching each other. Close the oven door and sterilize the jars for a minimum of 20 minutes.
Using thick oven mitts, remove each jar from the oven as needed onto a heatproof mat or heat pad, making sure you fill while the jam or preserve is as hot as the jar.
Besides spreading it over a plain slice of bread, this jam is so versatile that we have also thought of other delicious ways to use it. Recently Angela’s friend from Germany sent us a box of delights, among this delight there is this ginger cookie – Skane Peppaekakor, the flavour complement to the jam so much that we can’t stop having it.
You could also use it to make banana blueberry chiffon cake, and we really think the jam would do good to a batch of muffins.
Not only does this spin on traditional cranberry sauce taste incredible; its vibrant, rich colour will also uplift your spirit. Making jam is so easy that we can’t wait to make more flavours and try them out.
It can be used so many ways! Serve it with dinner, spread it on bread or muffins, stir it into ice cream or yogurt, or fill cake or doughnuts with it.
Ingredients
2 cups of fresh blueberries
4 cups of frozen cranberries
2 cups of sugar
2 tbsp of lemon juice
Methods
Sterizeles your jam it the oven for 30 minutes using the method mention above.
Combine the berries and sugar in a large, non-reactive pot. Stir to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes or so, until the berries are mostly defrosted.
Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring regularly, until the jam thickens. This should take between 20 and 25 minutes. Because of the presence of the cranberries, this jam will pass the sheet test on a spatula. When the jam is finished, remove the pot from the heat.
Transfer to a clean, sterilised jar and close it with a lid. Keep the jar in the fridge and use as required.
During our trip, my favourite part was to chill out at Chifeng Street (赤峰街), this wasn’t the most ideal for our parents. However in the many narrow alleys of Chifeng Street are home to a number of cool indie shops and cafes, great for those tired of cookie-cutter shopping mall experiences. Most of the shops here tend to open in the afternoon, so consider exploring a little later in the day.
For those who like taking streets photography this place is the best place to do so. Every of the indie shop is uniquely designed with a hint of traditional elements. Walking into each and every alley is a kind of wonder.
Where to shop?
This is one of the stores that make into our favourite list during our Taiwan trip. There are a total of 8 outlets all around Taiwan. It sells unique stationery, bags, appeals and also small little kitchen wares. If you like simple streetwear items you are able to pick some here.
What different from this outlet compared to the one we visit at Taichung is that there is a little small cafe for you to take away some drinks.
One day co. (小日子） Address: No. 22, Chifeng Street, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103 Operating Hours: 11.30 am – 7.30 pm
What to eat?
We came across to this shop Man Bao and got attracted from the window designed. Surprisingly it is a cafe where it sells unique flavour bao, and we ordered a Spicy Peanut Bao and try. It is a small shop but every element of the stores is well designed.
There is also this vintage cafe – Rooster Cafe & Vintage where it serve delcious hot brunch, if you have more time to spare here, give this a try.
Man Bao (饅飽) – Closed Address: No. 2, Lane 77, Chifeng Street Operating Hours: 11.00 am – 7.30 pm
Rooster Cafe & Vintage Address: No. 20-4, Lane 25, Nanjing West Road Operating Hours: 11.00 am – 6.00 pm, 7.00 pm – 2.00 am
For those who are particular about the taste of food, and also care a lot about ambience, here is the place for you. You couldn’t even film a little music video there, every corner is a gold.
In the time of autumn, it is time to get out all the fall decorations and create a cozy space to tuck ourselves in. Rust has been the color of the season, adding in pops of sage green, blush pink and navy helps to create different layers and texture.
Changing the bedsheet is the best way to create fall vibes in your room in the simplest way. After creating the space it is time to get cozy up and sip your coffee here. Sometimes, just clearing off space and starting over is a great way to refresh it!
When coming to Japanese food we love all kind of the noodles they have; from Ramen to Udon. And never forget about the light tasting soba. We planned to share our favourite soba salad but instead, we brought home a package of pink noodles that we mistaken as Soba. But instead, it is Ume Sōmen.
Sōmen noodles are similar to soba, but they’re made entirely with wheat flour and the dough, made pliable with the addition of oil, is stretched very thin. However, this beautiful pink somen is made from plums which in Japanese called Ume. Traditionally, they’re drizzled with a spicy dressing and served cold on very hot days. As they are made from plums, they presented with a delicately sweet flavour which pairs so nicely with the spicy dressing.
Sōmen vs Soba
As compared to Sōmen, Soba is slightly thicker and it presents an earthy texture from the combination of wheat and buckwheat flours. It took a long time to cook as compared to Sōmen. Soba Add dried noodles to boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes (reduce the time for fresh noodles). Be sure to cook, drain, and rinse, before adding them to a broth or a salad. Sōmen Cook some in boiling water for 2 to 4 minutes before draining, rinsing, and adding to soups or tossing with sauce. As you can see that Sōmen are very thin noodles made of wheat flour, less than 1.3 mm in diameter. The one we chose is in Japanese pickled plum flavour thin noodle.
How to make the Sesame Sauce?
Like any noodle recipe, it comes down to the aromatics and the sauce to give a plain noodle it’s flavour. And again, with somen, you want to keep things simple. And that means a simple sauce is in order.
The ingredients for this sauce are:
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of sake
1 tsp of sesame oil
1/4 tsp of doubanjiang
1 tbsp of soy sauce
The sauce comes together quickly, just like the cooking of the somen noodles. If you like a spicier bite, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or 1/4 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce to the mix.
When it comes to sesame oil, be sure yours is fresh. Sesame oil has a short shelf life and will deteriorate in quality once it’s been opened if not stored correctly. I keep mine in the refrigerator, but also always have a fresh bottle as a back up in my pantry.
To toast your sesame seeds, use a dry pan over medium-high heat. Move the seeds around often in the pan to avoid burning. Don’t skip this step, it toasting totally makes the difference.
This Cold Ume Somen with Sesame Sauce recipe ticks all of our favorite recipe-making boxes. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s healthy. It’s totally flavorful. And it goes with so many of our favorite mains, and it even makes a main meal all in itself.
With this somen noodle recipe, our family never looses appetite.
Ingredients
200g of kale, cooked and drained
200g of carrots, thinly sliced
4 servings somen noodles
1 tbsp of a sesame seed (for garnish)
Sesame Sauce
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of sake
1 tsp of sesame oil
1/4 tsp of doubanjiang
1 tbsp of soy sauce
Methods
Place the kale in a pot of boiling water and cook for a minute. Drain and cool it aside. In the mint time thinly slice the carrot.
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients in sesame section. This is the sauce.
Cook the somen noodles and run under cold water. Drain well and plate the noodles. Place the kale and carrot on top and pour over the sauce. Garnish with some sesame seed.
Taiwan is defiantly a friendly city for both elderly and kids so for those who are adventurous. There are many streets and alleys in Taipei City, each of them present with rich elements for you to discover. At the old streets and alley of Dadaocheng (大稻埕) it has a mix of East and West, history and the future, tradition and modernity. At its heart is narrow Dihua Street, lined with beautifully restored shophouses occupied by long-established businesses and recently opened cultural-creative enterprises.
Unique Tea House at Original Waston’s Pharmacy
Now it may seem to be ordinary tea house named, ASW Tea House. This Japanese colonial-era building was originally a Watson’s Pharmacy. While we love to explore cafes in different historical building, in Kyoto there is one where you can seat on the tatami mat, in Singapore we have one located in the old police station, whereby in Taiwan there have one location in a classic old building which once host Taiwan’s first Western pharmacy.
While enjoying a cup of tea, seating by the this unique and historic building, I almost can have a view of the olden days, the most busy the economic center or port.
ASW Tea House – Bao An Datong Address: No.11, Bao’an St, Datong, Taipei 103 Taiwan Operating Hours: 7.30 am – 10.30 pm
Discover the traditional stores
What truly makes Dihua street special is that many of these 100+ year-old businesses are still in operation, while cute modern cafés, craft shops and clothing boutiques make practical use of gorgeously restored ancient edifices. Here is a place where you want to obtain your herb goods. There are a string of choices make sure you don’t get lost from the options.
We had the most fun looking throughDa Hua Yuan (大华行). The mom-and-pop stores sell all kinds of nostalgic household items and kitchenware. From woven bags to baskets to anything made with bamboo, there is so much to see that most of the items are spilling out of the store!
Da Hua Yuan (Datong) Address: No.161, Sec.1, Dihua St. Taipei City Operating Hours: 10.00 am – 8.00 pm
Discover the history in the Museum
Dadaocheng is a place of history every few blocks you will see one museum where you could learn more about the place. There is this one museum207 at the corner of Dihua Street and a charming lane, it still carries a vintage air with its faux-brick and sombre-red-wood facade.
The exhibits inside are focused on Taiwanese traditions such as on the art of terrazzo flooring in the past. Perhaps the most enjoyable space at this facility, however, is the roof, from where you can take in a stunning panorama of the neighbourhood and beyond and the resting area at the third level – where it led us resting there for a while.
museum207 (迪化207博物館) Address: No. 207, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong Dist. Taipei City
Food vendors on Minle Street
Besides all the restaurants and cafes along Dihua Street, there a few food vendors just east of Dihua St on Minle Street just south of Yongle Market. These vendors serve several Taiwanese classic dishes.
民樂旗魚米粉 is a food stall that serves homemade swordfish and rice noodles, crispy red braised pork, fried shrimp and fried oysters. Other food vendors serve other Taiwanese food like stinky tofu, milk tea and other local dishes. They open at different times but generally open early and closes early.
Address: No. 3, Minle Street Operating Hours: 6:00 am to 1:00 pm
Dadaocheng Wharf
A short walking distance from the main street right at the end you are able to see the wharf. We went on a weekday where the food store are closed. However, the wharf is actually really pretty and catching the sunset there is quite nice, so if you’re in the area around that time of the day, check it out.
It is a prefect place to end the evening with. And if you’re free the weekend, check out the events.
So that sums up my suggested Dihua Street walking tour! I hope you’ve found some useful information here. If you find something has changed, or feel I missed something great, please let me know in the comments below!
Last week we shared how abstracted painted wall helps to brighten and insert new fun elements to the wall and room. This week we discovered more usage for abstract painting on the wall – whereby we paint our own headboard instead of buying one.
As we are not a fan of headboard sometimes it leads to trapping dust, a headboard does act as a main bed piece to the room. Thus when we came onto how this painted circle headboard was used around the world it really amazed us with the power of paint.
Previously we shared that it best to keep it simple by using one color that’s all you need! It can be a full circle or a semi-circle. For a home with low ceiling like our it best to paint a full circle, it sure will make your room bigger.
Who is a fan of Sardine Curry Puff? We decided to recreate our very our version mini crispy Sardine Puff which was inspired by traditional curry puff. This is an exceptionally fast and easy snack to recreate in a little amount of time.
This has to be a very simple yet yummy evening snack which can be done in a jiffy, with some initial preparations. Had some homemade puff pastry in the freezer leftovers from the mini hotdog puff and we had bought a can of Sardine in tomato sauce long time back. With just a few more ingredients available in the pantry we made this yummy sardine puffs. Do try it and we are sure you will love it.
Sardines
Sardines are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Indeed, the silver-scaled fish in a can are dense with nutrients. One serving of the oily pilchards packs as much as 17 grams of protein and 50 per cent of your recommended daily calcium intake for just 90 to 150 calories.
First, we want you to know what you’re getting into. Sardines have a much meatier texture and more intense (fishier) flavour. But if you find yourself among the seafood-flavour averse, you might not ever love sardines, not even now. Regardless of how you’re going to consume them — for me, sometimes it’s just out of the tin on heavily buttered crackers, with a plate of pickles and mustards — there are a few good rules for how to best enjoy them. This time we added in some herbs to match up with the intense flavours.
Tips to recreate this like us
Mash the sardines well.
Balance tomato sauce can be turned into a dip by adding some chilli or tomato sauce and boiling it for a bit; or to be reserved for plain sardine curry.
You can use shortcrust pastry instead of puff pastry. Bake according to instructions on the packet.
It’s very important when baking with puff pastry that the oven is properly pre-heated. This will prevent uncooked pastry inside.
Do try it and we are sure you will love it. Moreover, all you meed are a few simple ingredients to recreate this delicious snack.
Heat the oil in a wok. Combine all the filling ingredients in the pot. Simmer for 1min, stirring gently. Mix in the calamansi juice and thicken with cornflour. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
To assemble:
Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for 3min, until they are pliable but not too soft.
On a plastic sheet, cut the pastry using a round pastry ring.
Put 1 tbsp of filling in the centre.
Brush around the edges with the egg wash, and layer another pastry over.
Using a fork press over the edge of the round.
Preheat the oven to 200 deg C. Brush the puffs with egg wash and sprinkle it with sesame, then bake for 8-10min, until the pastry puffs up.
Lower the temperature to 170 deg C and bake for 30-35min, until golden brown.
There is no shortage of stunning places in Japan to enjoy the phenomenon of Momijigari – fall leaves viewing. Almost 24 months ago we are lucky enough to able to view the beautiful autumn leave in some different part of Japan. As the time of Momijigari is around the corner, we pulled out some photos from our previous trip for you.
The turning of the leaves in Japan varies due to temperature, elevation, and latitude. In general, the autumn foliage season begins in mid-September on the island of Hokkaido, the northernmost island. We travelled from Osaka, Kyoto to Tokyo during our trips, thus when scrolling down you can see how the colour of the leaves changes when we travel down (from red to yellow).
Looking through the album we discover that a place or scenery can really change the way we travel. As always we would love to travel as many places as possible as we didn’t want to miss anything. However, in Japan, we spend more time walking and seating down to enjoy the view of autumn leaves.
Share us your experience with autumn leaves in the comment section below.
I came across these abstracted painted walls and I like it immediately, loving how they add a pop of color to the wall. These patterns were very nuanced, using three shades per arch and traveling over structural elements with ease. And yes, they are beautiful. Rest assured, however, that you do not have to be as skilled to make a beautifully painted wall.
Here are a few easy ways to make your arch pop:
Keep it Simple One color, blocking off a segment of your wall that’s all you need! Use it as an accent wall by anchoring it with a large plant or a contained gallery wall. You can even install shelves inside the arch and put together the coolest little library.
Spruce Up a Corner Have a corner that isn’t carrying its weight? Paint an arch around it and add a plant or six.
Layer it Up Some of my favorite painted arches are stacks of arches, usually found in spaces that might have been written off as lost causes. For example, a small wall in the bathroom that could easily be bland. Or that awkward space in the kitchen where backsplash doesn’t make sense, but neither does anything else.
While we have been sharing our favourite photo spots in Thailand, we decided to compile a post dedicate for all food lovers and our love for food. There is so much great food spots in Thailand, especially Bangkok. You can rediscover something new at every corner, there might be a beautiful cafe or hidden local restaurants and you will never miss out – their street culture at each turn.
Therefore during our trip, we have planned a day solely to discover great food that we never try before on my previous trip. In this post, you will be finding lots of great food spots at Yaowarat Road. Yaowarat Road, also known as Chinatown Bangkok, is the home of Bangkok’s Chinese community. By day, it doesn’t look any different from other parts of Bangkok, but this big street has some hidden gems waiting to be explored. If you are planning to Bangkok in the future, you never ever want to miss visiting Yaowarat Road, you can explore all their food culture at one goes.
Are you ready to join us to explore our ultimate Bangkok food trail in a day?
Prachak Roasted Duck
Charoenkrung, home to Bangkok’s first and oldest paved road built 150 years ago along the banks of the Chao Phraya River. I fell in love with this beautiful distinct at the first sight – it blends of old and new. We stayed a couple of streets away and when we thought we have time to explore, sadly we have to shift to another hotel due to no water supply at our hotel.
With the thought of revisiting this distinct again, we are still able to share one of our favourite restaurant along Charoen Krung Road. This restaurant has been there for more than 110 years, they served delicious Roasted Duck and Wanton Mee. Never miss having it before you leave Thailand. We also recommend spending time to walk down the busy street to hunt for great breakfast that we have it totally missed!
Prachak Roasted Duck Address: 1415 Charoen Krung Rd, Silom operating Hours: 8 am to 8.30 pm
Dog in Town Ari
There is so many pet cafe in Thailand but sadly I do not have a pleasant experience in my previous trip however thanks to Joe, I have an amazing one this time around. She brought me to this Dog cafe – Dog in Town Ari. Located near Ari neighbourhood, which is Bangkok’s trendiest neighbourhood now! It’s away from the major tourist attractions and also known for its relaxed vibes and hipster cafe scene.
After paying an entrance fee of 350฿ which is inclusive of a drink from the cafe we clean ourself and change into their slipper before entering the cafe. We are then “not” welcomed by the dogs, yes they are less calm then what we think, however, in no time we get to play with the dogs. What we love about this dog cafe is that there is a range of different breed of dog (you definitely will find one that’s your type). The staff of the shop will also host a mini photoshop session for you and the dogs which are great. Head there earlier for a lesser crowd, that’s what we did.
Dog in Town Ari Address: 16/1 Ekkamai 6 Sukhumvit Road Khlong Tan Nuea Wattana Operating Hours: Sundays to Thursdays: 11 am to 8 pm, Fridays & Saturdays: 11 am to 9 pm.
Lhong Tou Cafe – Hipster Cafe
Lhong Tou Cafe instantly became an internet sensation because of their unique double-decked seats, an Instagram-able cafe that you need to visit. Yes, this is not your “coffee” cafe but one which sells “hipster dim sum”. More importantly, this place is beautiful for photos which is an important criterion for new openings these days.
As we are preparing for our stomach to eat the whole day, we decide to order their Signature Set [129฿], Egg Lave Bun[29฿] and the recommended Tofu Jelly Milk Tea to share. The Signature Set which comes with porridge and other sides, similar to Teochew Porridge. It makes a good breakfast if you prefer something light and less oily. It’s our favourite.
Lhong Tou Cafe Address: The Market Bangkok, 111 Ratchadamri Rd, G Floor Operating Hours: 10 am – 10 pm
Siang Ki (Fish Porridge)
Siang Ki is a very simple and traditional shop that sells Teochew-style fish porridge using pomfret and made more luxurious with the addition of fresh fish maw. Growing up eating Teochew-style porridge made by our mom but this instantly makes us fall in love with how fresh the fish and soup are.
The tenderness and freshness of the fish cooked in the old-school style are so impressive that you’ll want to make the trek out here time and time again. While eating it alone is great but dipping it into the provided spicy bean paste dip it deeper the taste of the fish. I regretted not ordering more but yet I need to reserve the place for other food.
Siang Ki at Soi Charoen Krung Address: 54 Soi Bamrungrat, Thanon Yaowarat, Bangkok (behind Grand China Hotel) Operating Hours: 4 pm-10 pm daily (except last Sunday of each month)
Burapa Bird’s Nest 东方燕窝
While researching for “What to eat at Yaowarat?” the first thing that pops up on my research is Bird Nest. You are able to spot the store from far as it welcoming you with the bright led light. The decor within the shop; traditionally Chinese with wooden chairs and jars and jars of pricey bird’s nest of all grades!
At the usually store a menu will be pass to you. At Burapa Bird’s Nest, the friendly lady just started putting out the metal carrier with numbers like 300, 1000 and 2000 and introduced the types of cooked bird’s nest they have! And yes, the numbers represent the type and corresponding value and since we are no wealthy, we made do with the mid-range; the 500 baht blood bird’s nest. The staff will also ask how would you like the bird nest to be served. We decided to order a rock sugar bird nest and a milk bird nest. It tastes so good and not diluted at all, although the bowl is small a good experience.
Burapa Bird’s Nest Address: 63 Plaeng Nam Rd, Khwaeng Samphanthawong Operating Hours: 8 am to Midnight daily
Nai Weng Gao Lao Moo – Pig Organ Soup
If you are the adventurous type, head to Nai Weng Gao Lao Moo for the pig organ soup. An original dish of Yaowarat, the taste is a blend of perfection resulting from the combination of secret ingredients and spices. So, don’t miss out on ordering this delish menu.
It is located right next to the Burapa Bird’s Nest. As all the street store only start open after 5 pm, you can head to the Burapa Bird’s Nest to rest your stomach for more food. This shop is located on the left side of the road, between Soi Yaowapanit and Soi Yaowarat 11, in front of Hua Seng Hong Restaurant.
T&K Seafood
While this is not on our checklist, but our very first hunch if there’s a crowd or a queue it means the food is great – thus we decide to give it a try for our last stop that day. Ranking all the steamed fish we have at Thailand so far T & K serves my 2nd favourite steamed lemon sea bass. The combination of green chillies and chunks of fragrant garlic made it remarkable. The price at Yorawat is slightly pricy compare to many places, so get your wallet ready.
T&K Seafood Address: 49-51 Soi Phadung Dao, Yaowarat Rd, Bangkok 10100 Operating Hours: 4:30 pm to 2 am
After all the food you can end your night by looking the night light down the street. As it is a hot day, prepare a fan, a big package of tissue and bottles of water to make sure you survive this food tour. Looking at all these food photography makes we want to dig into them again soon.
Long Life Noodles (yī miàn, 伊面) or yi mein, symbolize longevity and can always be found on the banquet table at Chinese celebrations. Usually, each banquet will end with a plate of Long Life Noodles, I remembered we used to be so excited with the finale during our late grandma birthday’s celebration. We will feed her a couple of strings of noodle (as there are 40-60 family members queues to feed her) for well-wishing and blessing. Sadly, these days not many hotel or restaurants served a good plate of Long Life Noodles – I think people tend to overlook the small details and it became the unwanted dish.
Filled with disappointment, we decided to find ways to master our own. Now, we love to make this at home, it is super easy to make with just reachable ingredients. Follow our method and you can never fail with this dish.
Unlike the pasta, the most important take away is to focus – like the Hong Kong Styled noodle (yī miàn), they are soft and thin, they can be easily ruined if you accidentally overcooked it. So We will suggest you prepare the ingredients ahead and stay focus when you cook the noodle, drain it and stir-fry again.
It’s suitable for vegans – we didn’t use any proteins, as we wish everyone will enjoy!
For this recipe, you just need 3 main ingredients to make it happen. The noodle, mushroom and vegetable. Many other recipes you see out there will recommend you to use spring onion but I insist to have allium tuberosum, 韭菜 (common names you can see it refer as garlic chives, Oriental garlic, Asian chives, Chinese chives or Chinese leek). This beautiful garlic chive is crunchy and sweet, unlike the green chives. It gives your noodles so much texture in it’s flavour.
For those who prefer to have some protein, you always could add in some shredded chicken or pork or sweet-tasting prawn (recommend to slice into half).
Noodles
The noodles only require – 3 to 5 mins to cook in the boiling water otherwise it will be soggy. While you are cooking your noodle, quickly stir them well, making sure the noodle does not suck on each other. Add a pinch of salt into the boiling water helps to retain the colour and texture of the noodle. Drain and rinse the noodle under the cold tap to prevent the noodle from a further cook.
Condiments
Unlike steak that required just black pepper and salt. The simplest dish for Chinese food could use up to 5- 6 different kinds of condiments. But that is the reason why food can be so flavourful and delicious. Every aspect of the sauces makes this dish a unique one. We keep the ratio of the sauces into 1:1 ratio, in this case, we use a tablespoon each.
Sesame Oil
Oyster Sauce (or Vegetable Sauce)
Light Soya Sauce
Dark Soya Sauce
White Pepper
After all the preparation it is time to combine them. Start by heating up your pan, make sure it is hot enough before you add in the oil. Next, we stir fry the garlic, chives and mushroom, mix well and cover it up and steam it for a minute. If you are cooking meat or seafood, we recommend you to cook the separately beforehand as we don’t want to overcook them. When the ingredients are soft enough add in the noodles, sauces with 2 tablespoons of hot water, mix it well before steaming them for 3 minutes to let the ingredients absorb the flavours of the sauce. Not so long these dishes compete and now you can serve them hot.
Today is #NationalNoodleDay as noodle’s lovers, we are getting ready to celebrate by doing the best thing possible with noodles… eating them! This is a very simple dish to make during your busy day. Hope you enjoy them!
1 tbsp of sauces (combination of light & dark soya sauce, sesame sauce, oyster sauce and white pepper)
Methods
Cook the noodles in boiling water for 3 to 5 mins, strain and cool it in running water and set it aside.
Start by heating up your pan, make sure it is hot enough before you add in the oil. Next, we stir fry the garlic, chives and mushroom, mix well and cover it up and steam it for a minute. (If you are cooking meat or seafood, we recommend you to cook the separately beforehand as we don’t want to overcook them.)
When the ingredients are soft enough add in the noodles, sauces with 2 tablespoons of hot water, mix it well before steaming them for 3 minutes to let the ingredients absorb the flavours of the sauce. Serve hot!
Everyone deserves a designated area where they can work, craft, and be productive at home. No matter how much space you’re working with, creating an organized and stylish home office is a project worth the effort. One of the important factors we need to have is to have great lighting (best to have natural light) need our desk!
Sunlight is your friend when it comes to working from home. See if you can set up your workspace where there’s natural light (steal the spot from your cat if necessary). Not only does natural light help to lighten your mood but if you’re in direct sunlight, you’ll also soak up some Vitamin D. That helps to ward off fatigue and muscle weakness. If you can’t score any sunlight – at least raise the shades.
There are many materials that we are able to choose, from wood to glass. However, using wood as the materials for the area helps to bring us near to the natural, giving more relaxing vibes when working.
The dalgona coffee trend took the internet by storm with videos and pictures of it peppered all over Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and even TikTok. We love nothing more than a simple, foolproof recipe that can be easily recreated at home, and this one is a prime example. We took some inspiration from the Irish coffee and combine it with the dalgona coffee – and tweaked it further to make a Biscoff Irish Cream Coffee drink for those who want a crunch in your drink.
In the most general of terms, you’ll need some hot coffee, sugar (granulated), milk biscoff biscuit and some dalgona cream. The coffee plays a supporting role to the other key components, so brew up your favourite bean and make sure it’s hot before beginning. We use the Irish Cream by Little’s to replace the Irish whisky and coffee, this infused coffee is a perfect choice, as it just seems that we added Irish whisky in our drink.
What coffee do we use?
For these drinks, we use two types of coffee, which complement each other very well. Irish Cream by Little’s For the dalgona cream, we use our favourite infused instant coffee from little’s. It’s smooth, sweet, and just a touch spicy, plus it’s not too damaging on the wallet. If you’ve already got a whiskey collection at home you want to use, choose something in the mid-range with a mild, sweet finish to counter the bitter coffee.
Micoground Coffee by Essenso For our espresso shot, we use the black coffee by essenso – it has a smooth and creamy brew with no sugar added. This blend appeals to coffee lovers who prefer an intense coffee taste with a roasted aroma, that lingers with every sip.
We always prepare our dalgona cream ahead, as we are able to store them in the fridge for later use. Previously we have a detailed post on how to make a dalgona coffee, all you need is instant coffee, sugar and hot water with the ratio of 1:1:1. To save our arm strength we use a whish machine to do the job!
Add all the coffee, sugar and boiling water in a bowl (you can easily double or triple this recipe). Using a hand mixer or stand mixer and whip on one of the higher speeds.
Whip the entire mixture for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and whip any bits that didn’t get whipped.
Making the drink
Add the coffee to a tall glass (about 1 cup) of your favorite milk. If you’re doing iced, add a few ice cubes, then the milk, espresso then spoons the whipped coffee on top. End it with the biscoff crumbs.
Using your spoon or straw, stir vigorously to swirl it into your milk.
Currently at home, we have become more and more concerned about the environment. We should stop here and make sure you know we are no poster child for being eco friendly! Sometimes we use plastic bottles and sometimes we buy unnecessary things and sometimes we create too much waster. However! The environment and our impact on it have moved more and more to the forefront of our mind and it slowly changing the way to make decisions. How we can do more with less and consider the impact of our choices is really good for all of us, no matter our age?
When it comes to the storage system, we fall in love with the bamboo series IKEA has, the NORDKISA, ELVARLI, and the SVALNÄS system. The SVALNÄS system which is made from renewable bamboo. It’s not going to single-handedly save the planet but it is a step in the right direction to put our efforts and support towards material that can be easily replenished. The system is composed of shelf components of various widths and depths, a desk, and a drawer with recessed dividers. The entire unit is very lightweight and best of all, fully customizable. The tracks the shelves hang from come in differing lengths so each section can be customized vertically and horizontally.
Many think hotdog is not a proper meal or even a healthy choice of food, but we should give ourselves a break from all the healthy knowledge we got. Once in a while, we can feel as guilty as we could be to make our stomach happy. So we are not ashamed of eating a hotdog and it is one of our favourites snack we occasionally munch it.
Imagine, slather those puppies with a truckload of pickle relish, a drizzle of ketchup and mustard, and then pop them into a soft, buttery bun and this girl is in heaven. Or even customise them with different ingredients and seasoning. They just make the day so good but today we are not making those.
This time we upgrade (or downgrade) to this cute mini hot dog, a bit more refined when they’re wrapped in buttery, flaky pastry dough to create a delicately puffed built-in bun. They are perfect for your kid lunchbox, but surely the adult love as well. Our mom can’t help to ask for more! They’re just as appreciated at an elegant tea time.
We like to do it step after step, where we would first lay all the cut pastry on the baking mat. Then place your choice of sausage in the middle of the pastry. Start folding one side of the pastry towards the sausage. We love to put a little egg wash on top of the pastry to keep the pastry secure. We then continue to roll the pastry all the way. Remember to hide the end of the pastry at the bottom of the mat, to prevent it from puffing up. Complete it with an egg wash and sprinkle it with sesame. Bake it for 20 minutes at 180°C or till golden brown.
We think this is the shortest blog post we ever written in such long while, but this recipe is so easy to remake. We don’t have to explain in a long story like other recipes.
What I love about this, you don’t need to prep ahead, you need just a couple of ingredients, that you could almost find them at home. They served for raining days when you don’t want to get out of your house. They are so good and so cheap to put on your tea break. For young moms. it is also an easy activities that you can make with your kids. Indulge them with these delicious mini hotdog puff that make both of theirs and your day happier.
We really really hope that you will enjoy this! Tty it and tag your version by sending us an email or on Instagram. xoxo, Angela
12 ounces natural miniature hot dogs or sausages (36 total)
Milk (for wash)
Egg Yolk (for wash)
White & Black Sesame
Methods
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an extra-large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Roll out the pastry slightly to a 12×12-inch square. Cut into thirds. Cut each third crosswise into 12 4×1-inch strips (36 total strips). Place a hot dog in the centre of each pastry strip. Fold each end over the hot dog.
Arrange wrapped hot dogs on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk & milk mixture and sprinkle with sesame if desired. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden.
This is one of those long overdue posts that we need to dig ten out of thousands of images from our hard-drive. We tried to avoid posting too many travel post during this period as it could be depressing when we can’t actually travel. It has been almost coming to ten months since our trip. If anyone has to ask, what is the most darling memory to take away from our Thailand trip, another location we will highly recommend is Ayutthaya.
I didn’t do any research for our trip at all first time – solely done by Joe and my friend, Vanessa. So I was surprised that we stop by Ayutthaya, on our way back from Khao Kho to Bangkok. We never regret to spend our half-day at the Ayutthaya – Ayutthaya Kingdom was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 centred on the city of Ayutthaya. In many eyes, it is a ruins city but upon stepping in the land you will be experienced the beauty of it.
There is a food cart outside the temple, where they sell glass coke/soft drink where hardly can be seen in Singapore anymore. We got a bottle and surprisingly it taste better! We highly recommend you to see these beautiful ruins, but never ever suggest you ride an elephant (as it is a form of abuse) and yet without the fancy tourist trick you could enjoy the relaxed atmosphere through your footstep.
There are many building and temple at Ayutthaya and it is impossible to complete seeing them in half a day, thus we decided to head to Wat Phra Si Sanphet – a compound of the Grand Palace-the foundations of which are still visible -and served as the royal chapel. Remember to wear properly as it is a temple, shoulder and keen must be covered due to respect.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet Address: Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Admission Fee: 20 baht
A thought movement that starts with the way we live, then expands to encompass the home, is kinfolk. Similar in aesthetic to Bohemian-inspired and Scandinavian styles, kinfolk holds the goal of living more simply at its heart. Built around the philosophy of ‘slow living’, the trend and surrounding community gain their name from the magazine of the same name.
Slow living, according to the movement’s official website, is a “self explanatory” answer to the fast, stress-inducing lifestyles we live in the modern world. Translated into the home, kinfolk thought seems to be mostly expressed in practice through minimalism, upcycling and hygge-style decor. But seriously. There are some nice things about the kinfolk ideals, such as creativity, authenticity, reducing waste, and having a smaller footprint on the planet. So if kinfolk appeals to you, here are a few ways you can incorporate it in your home and life.
This is one of our favourite dressing made at home – we love to make use of the extra citrus we got and marinade into jars for serving. This is one of the non-green salad that we like to eat – it can be eaten like this (a new way of eating fruits) or you can mix them with vegetables too.
Add a palate-cleansing pop of colour and refreshing flavour to your next meal with a quick and easy recipe for Citrus Salad with Honey Vinaigrette.
Ingredients we used
With so few ingredients in simple salads such as these, the flavour of each component really has a chance to shine.
Type of Citrus Although the recipe calls specifically for navel oranges, blood oranges, and pink grapefruit, we think you could use almost any combination of your favourite citrus fruit. We highly recommend blood oranges if you can get them through. We forget how much we love blood oranges until they show up again at my favourite grocery store. Then we cut into one and remember how gorgeous their jewel-tone insides can be and how incredibly sweet they are. This citrus salad lets all those colours and flavours shine through.
Peeling the citrus is the most time-consuming part of this recipe, but it’s important to remove as much of the white pith as possible to steer clear of any bitterness.
Sauces I love to use local wildflower honey in my vinaigrette for its delicate, herbal notes. Fragrant fresh thyme is a classic pairing with citrus that we find complements the honey and mustard well.
Alternative
Pair it with avocado – Juicy, tart citrus. And then, creamy avocado. Tangy pickled red onion. Finished with a honey-lime vinaigrette to bring everything together.
Eat it as a side with steak – We always like to have some sweet and sour sides with the steak, this salad is perfect for it. Add one to two tablespoons of red wine to the citrus salad make the whole dish more flavourful.
Serve it with yoghurt – Just spoon them onto your bowl of plain greek yoghurt. It will become a great breakfast!
In terms of preparation, the salad takes less than 20 minutes (just peel and slice the fruit, whisk together the vinaigrette, and plate), so it’s a great option for hot summer days, or a few months down the road, to cure the winter doldrums. This is an also simple citrus salad that’s fast enough for weeknight meals but dressed up enough for weekend brunches or dinner parties. And just like your go-to little black dress, it can be as casual or as fancy as your heart desires!
This citrus salad requires only that you overcome the notion that salads must be green; it’s a novel and wonderful antidote to sorry-looking lettuce. If you’re lucky and can find blood oranges, use them; same with the odd, supremely delicious and usually quite pricey pomelos.
Ingredients
2 naval oranges
2 blood oranges
2 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
Sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
½ tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp balsamic glaze
½ tsp sea or kosher salt
Methods
Use a paring knife to slice from top to bottom to remove the skin and pith in sections. Remove the flesh of the fruits only.
Combine the ingredients of sauce in a bowl, mix well until the oil emulsion.
Place your fruit flesh in a bowl, drizzle the sauce in and garnish with fresh thyme.
An aromatherapy sleep spray may help you relax so you can enjoy a blissfully peaceful sleep. It smells wonderful, is completely natural, and has no side effects. Making aromatherapy sleep spray is a super-easy DIY project.
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils, which are derived from plants, to create a desired frame of mind or physical effect. It’s been around for centuries, and it’s very effective at promoting relaxation, inducing sleep, reducing anxiety and dulling aches and pains. There are several ways to use aromatherapy oils, but one of the easiest and most versatile is to create a spray. Here’s how to mix and use your own aromatherapy sleep spray.
The amazing benefit of Eucalyptus
We love all the qualities of the Eucalyptus, it is one of our preferred green to be arranged around at home to purify the space. While Eucalyptus is an evergreen tree that’s widely used for its medicinal properties. Following are some of the benefits, why we used in our pillow mist.
Can act as a natural insect repellent – Eucalyptus contains a compound called eucalyptol, which has been shown to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects.
Breathe easy – Respiratory conditions such as asthma may be helped by inhaling steam with added eucalyptus oil. The oil reacts with mucous membranes, not only reducing mucus but helping loosen it so that you can cough it up.
May relieve cold symptoms – Eucalyptus contains a compound called eucalyptol, which has been found to decrease nasal congestion, cough frequency, and cold-related headaches. It may also improve asthma symptoms, although more research is needed.
May promote relaxation – Eucalyptus oil is associated with decreased blood pressure and anxiety. It’s believed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation.
What other essential oils to use?
Bargamot Bargamot essential oil, like other oils of the citrus family, has an uplifting scent that helps ease tensions. This oil is versatile since it can be used to both rejuvenate the mood while relaxing the mind. (Bargamot is highly phototoxic … but this is more of a concern in a lotion than in a nighttime pillow spray.)
Tea Tree Tea tree oil is known to have a relaxing effect on the body and mind. It can help people with an anxiety issue, chronic stress, or insomnia. However, one must not inhale tea tree oil for a long duration as it can cause a headache. Thus it is always good to use it with other essential oil.
Peppermint Oil Eucalyptus oil, which is essentially peppermint oil, also helps to aid breathing, as well as problems such as snoring, she said. Research suggests that eucalyptus can help break up the mucus in your respiratory system, including your sinuses and the back of your throat, factors that can cause snoring.
Precautions
Like any product, if you notice any irritation, stop using immediately. Though these ingredients are gentle, it may cause an allergic reaction. You can also use different essential oils that you may prefer or have a better experience with using. Seek a holistic or functional medicine doctor for advice if needed. Avoid the eye area.
We’ve been using this homemade pillow spray for several weeks, and have noticed that we are sleeping more deeply and feel more rested upon waking up. We use it to spray on the fabric around our rooms, like fabric freshener making our room smell so good!
It’s not a prescription medication, and it’s not magic, but a blend of essential oils known for their relaxing effects is just the ticket for those nights when the pressure of the day doesn’t want to let go.
Want another way to freshen linens? Try this homemade linen spray to scent bedding and towels without chemical fresheners.
Raise your hand if you’ve been unexpectedly working from home for months now! If that’s you, you may not have had a separate home office set-up prior to all of this. And right about now, you’re probably hitting a tipping point where bouncing between your dining room table and the sofa is no longer working as your makeshift office.
Well, we say it’s time to invest in an office desk. So, we rounded up our best home office desks, with a variety of design styles in mind. So, whether you just need to spruce up an existing workspace, are turning your guest room into an office, or are squeezing a desk into another room in the house.
While storage is not the problem here, a simple little desk does the job. We love the combination of wood, rattan and leather, where it brigthen and space up the place.
While the European celebrate Easter Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, we Asians celebrate Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid Autumn and Winter Solstice Festival – they are equally corresponding with to the western countries. Traditionally, it is August in the Chinese calendar, where we celebrate the Mid Autumn festival together. While, this year Mid Autumn festival is 1st October.
Conventionally, it made from red bean or lotus seed paste is surrounded by a thin crust and may contain salted duck eggs yolks. But we decide to make a change, infuse coffee into the mooncake. Are you excited to try out this Coffee Lotus Mooncake?
Overpriced mooncakes
It has become a fad to purchase mooncake as a gift among relatives, friends, and business associates to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. As a result, the price of mooncakes has escalated every year due to high demand. The selling price is many folds compared to the cost of the ingredients. Therefore, I thought this is close to absurdity and trigger me to I should develop a simple recipe that everyone can follow to make it at home.
Besides, since mooncake has become too commercial today, so if you are using your homemade mooncake as a gift, they will value your sincerity, hard work, and effort. Making mooncakes does require some skill, and tedious if you start from scratch. Therefore, this mooncake recipe is about how to make the traditional Cantonese style mooncakes by using the ready-made filling, with simplified steps to save time.
Preparing coffee lotus paste
We are able to get a premade coffee lotus paste at Phoon Huat, however, the coffee taste is too bitter for our liking thus we decide to make our own version with just 2 ingredients. All you need are 220 grams of mung bean paste or lotus paste and 10 grams of instant espresso coffee powder.
Put one tablespoon of hot water into the instant coffee and stir until it resembles a coffee paste. In a non-stick pan under medium heat, put the mung bean paste and coffee paste stir until well combined. Stir fry until the colour is consistent and don’t stick to the pan. Depending on the mung bean paste used, if it is too try, you can add some water or cooking oil to facilitate the stir-frying. For moon cake filling purposes, the filling has to be drier such that it will not be deformed when mould into shapes. Once completely cooled, keep it in an airtight container and store in a refrigerator. Best prepare 1 week before the preparation of moon cake.
We also decided to add some chopped lotus in for more flavour, you can also use other nuts like pumpkin seed or sliced almond in it too.
Preparing the dough
The first part of this mooncake recipe is to prepare the dough. There are only four ingredients required – golden syrup, lye water, vegetable oil, and plain flour.
How to make them?
Measure the amount of golden syrup, lye water, and vegetable oil accurately with a kitchen scale. Mix well.
Sieve the flour. Add all at once to the above mixture.
Use a fork or a stainless steel wire whisk to combine all the ingredients. It is hard to mix at the beginning, but after a few stirs, the liquid will start to wet the flour to form a sticky mass. Eventually, it will become a soft dough that picks up all the flour in the mixing bowl.
Cover the dough with cling wrap. Refrigerate for thirty minutes to let the dough relax. It is more manageable to work with a relaxed dough which is more elastic. As a result, it will not break or crack easily during shaping and wrapping.
To assemble the mooncake
Start by measuring the ingredients:
The ratio of pastry to filling is critical. A good mooncake should have a thin layer of pastry with plenty of fillings. The ratio should be one part of a pastry to two parts of fillings. A skilful chef can use even less pastry to encase the filling. We use 18g of pastry to 35g of filling.
Wrap the filling with the pastry:
Wrapping the filling with the pastry is more delicate than dealing with the egg yolk and the lotus paste. A good quality mooncake should have a thin pastry with consistent thickness.
One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to roll out the pastry in between two plastic sheets or cling wraps. Roll the pastry to a circle about three times of the dough. You may find a different method of wrapping in other mooncake recipes, which is the individual preference of different recipe developers.
Remove the cling film on top, fold the pastry towards the filling.
Pinch away the excess pastry where the pastry is double folded to ensure consistent thickness. You can paste the excess pastry on top where the filling is still exposed.
Roll the mooncake with your palms to form a ball. This action also ensures the pastry has fully adhered to the filling without gaps in between. Otherwise, the filling may detach from the pastry after baking.
Moulding and baking
Moulding. Roll the mooncake in a bowl filled with some flour. Shake off the excess flour. This step is to ensure the dough will not stick to the mould during shaping. Similarly, plunge the piston of the mooncake mould to the flour, and shake off the excess. Place the dough on the baking tray.
Put the mooncake mould on the dough and plunge the piston downward. The dough will take the shape of the mould, and the pattern will be imprinted on the surface. Plunge the mould down lightly to the dough repeatedly for at least seven to ten times to get a perfect shape. Otherwise, the mooncake will look lopsided and with a blurred pattern.
Baking. Bake it at the middle rack, 175°C/350°F top and bottom temperature for five to six minutes or until the surface start to firm up. Some mooncake recipes use a different temperature but it is all acceptable. It is essential to let it firm up before removing them to apply the egg wash. Otherwise, it will end up with a blurred pattern. Remove the mooncake from the oven and brush the surface of the mooncake with egg wash. Return the mooncake to bake for another ten minutes or until golden brown.
Rest the mooncake
Remove the cake from the oven to cool at room temperature. Transfer the mooncake to an airtight container and keep for three days. During this period, the oil from the filling will migrate to the thin layer of pasty, resulting in a very soft and moist outer layer.
Can’t wait to enjoy the mooncake and have a little gathering session with my family. xoxo, Joe
Mix golden syrup, lye water, and vegetable oil accurately in a mixing bowl.
Sieve the flour. Add all at once to the above mixture.
Combine all the ingredients.
Place the dough on a piece of cling wrap. Refrigerate for thirty minutes to let the dough relax.
Filling
Put one tablespoon of hot water into the instant coffee and stir until it resembles a coffee paste.
In a non-stick pan under medium heat, put the mung bean paste and coffee paste stir until well combined. Stir fry until the colour is consistent and don’t stick to the pan. Depending on the mung bean paste used, if it is too try, you can add some water or cooking oil to facilitate the stir-frying.
For moon cake filling purposes, the filling has to be drier such that it will not be deformed when mould into shapes. Once completely cooled, keep it in an airtight container and store in a refrigerator. Best prepare 1 week before the preparation of moon cake.
Wrapping
Roll out the pastry in between two plastic sheets or cling wraps. Remove the cling film on top, fold the pastry toward the filling.
Pinch away the excess pastry where the pastry is double folded to ensure consistent thickness. Roll the mooncake with your palms to form a ball.
Baking
Roll the mooncake on a surface dusted with flour. Plunge the piston of the mould to the flour, and shake off the excess. Place the dough on the baking tray.
Put the mooncake mold on the dough and plunge the piston downward. The dough will take the shape of the mold, and the pattern will be imprinted on the surface.
Bake it at the middle rack, 175°C/350°F top and bottom temperature for five minutes or until the surface starts to firm up.
Have you ever thought what can you do with the leftover citrus peels? Our family, especially our parent are big fans with all type of citrus, you can spot it every day at home. While my mom will air-dry it to make dried citrus for Chinese soups or dessert, we decide to make another swap at home this month – which is the dish detergent.
The multipurpose citrus spray has been highly recommended by many eco-friends out there, therefore we decide to join the squad to make ours. It is very simple and we decide to put it into a post and share with you how easy it can be. It saves you bundles by grabbing your leftover citrus peels and make good use of it. What’s great is that making your own might be even easier than buying it off the shelf, and a lot safer for you and your family!
Conventional Dish Soap: A Lot More Dangerous Than You’d Think
Many housewives including our mom and Joe have the same issue, they spent so much time cleaning and washing. In Asia, we do not have a dishwasher and we spend a lot of time doing cleaning on our own. End up, most of them having irritated and fragile hands with the conventional dish soap. While using the self-made citrus spray, they serve the same purpose yet chemical-free. The best environmental choice you can get it done with your waste. Now that you understand why homemade citrus spray is the way to go, let’s dig into this easy DIY recipe.
Choose a wide-mouth Jar
We have been eating our way through crates of winter citrus, and recently decided to use some of the peels to make a homemade cleaner. We added orange and lemon peels to vinegar, and let them sit in an airtight container for a couple of weeks. The result: a powerful, inexpensive, natural cleaner. However, to do so you need to start with the right equipment.
You can use any jars or bottles you have it at home, there is no constraint at this. We preferred a wide-mouth jar as we want to store and remove the citrus peel at ease.
Type of combinations
If you don’t use lemons/orange often and love grapefruit or even lime, then use that instead! Use a mix of your most-used citrus and herbs to get your desired combo! In the fall, we buy a lot of fresh thyme, so we plan on adding some herb to future batches! As it is a famous disinfecting herb that defeats germs.
Precautions
Like any product, if you notice any irritation, stop using immediately. Though these ingredients are gentle, it may cause an allergic reaction. You can also use different essential oils that you may prefer or have a better experience with using. Seek a holistic or functional medicine doctor for advice if needed. Avoid the eye area.
What we love most about this spray, is that we aren’t going out of our way to purchase ingredients for it. We use lemons all the time. Normally, once we’re done with a lemon/orange, it immediately gets tossed in the trash. We’ve been trying to be better about food waste, so now we can use the rinds for this spray before tossing them.
Using this cleaner is fun! It smells citrusy from the citrus peels, so if you hate everything smelling like Easter egg decorating time, you’ll love this cleaner. It’s also super versatile! You can use it to clean countertops (might not be safe on granite, though), sinks, tables, bathtubs, showers, toilets–anywhere you would use a commercially purchased all-purpose cleaner.
30 drops (1/4 tsp.) Young Living lemon, lime, or orange essential oil (optional)*
Methods
Put the vinegar, the citrus peels (add just enough that the vinegar covers them). Put on the lid and let it sit, shaking it up once in a while, for 2 to 4 weeks (the longer you wait, the stronger it gets).
Strain the citrus peels from the vinegar (a tea towel works very well for this). Put into a spray bottle.
To use, shake the bottle first to ensure everything is blended then simply spray anywhere you would any other all-purpose cleaner and wipe away.
As you mature and evolve, so do your tastes in interior design and bedroom ideas. Gone are the days of being a kid, content with life in a dorm room. Now you’re ready for something that feels more sophisticated and unfortunately, that usually translates to more expensive. Or does it?
Thanks to IKEA, the big box, Scandi retailer that we all know and love, you can achieve the luxe look you’ve been dreaming of at a fraction of the cost. From small spaces to extra storage to DIY hacks to lighting, this one-stop-shop pretty much has it all. Here are our top 2 favorite bed frames from IKEA.
BJÖRKSNÄS I always dream of having a bed board for my bed as I don’t want my pillow to touch the wall, and this is a great option. Natural materials such as birch and leather and fine carpentry details create a neat and airy look. This bed frame is part of our BJÖRKSNÄS collection with roots in the Scandinavian craftsmanship tradition.
MALM To keep our room clean and simple, it is always nice to have more storage and MALM help us solve all the problem. A clean design with solid wood veneer. Place the bed freestanding or with the headboard against a wall. You also get spacious storage boxes that roll out smoothly on casters.
Exposing your clutter to the world is downright terrifying. Yes, the chaos exists, but it feels way less real when it’s concealed behind closed cabinet doors. If you’ve been resisting open shelving, we deff feel you, but hear us out. It can look insanely chic and totally contained if done right. Don’t make any judgments yet — just let these kitchens inspire you. Baby steps.
Minimalist Is More – Tons of plates and cups stacked on shelves = not cute. Force yourself to pair down and your kitchen will look way more chic.
Half & Half – If the exposed feel of open shelving freaks you out, limit yourself to one section of your wall. You can keep the rest of your crap in your lower cabinets, so you aren’t doing away with concealed storage for good, but you can experiment a little with going open.
A Little Functional, A Little Fun – Obvi you need to use shelves to stack your kitchen essentials like bowls and cups, but you can also mix in some fun decor pieces, like books and vases.
At home, one of the biggest wastage produced is definitely in the kitchen. Don’t we all agree? There’s where we got the most purchases for, and there’s where we start hearing the commercial packaging roaring in our bin. This is the longest post we have prepared by far, we have to gather 10 ways to reduce your plastic consumption, for a greener living.
Like we mentioned before, zero waste is a slow journey – apart from the swap, we all need to learn to shop wiser from now on. Both of us are still learning, so do our parent who is living with us. It’s a tough journey to get everyone on board especially in modern time many prefer to opt for “easy ways”. Nonetheless, a small contribution from everyone in the world will make a huge difference.
Before we run through our sharing, we would love to highlight that it’s important to use up what you already have so as not to waste those things. Once those items have reached their end of life, then consider replacing with a greener alternative that can last you for years or life.
1. Food Huggers
While we are cooking, it happens at the time we do not need that much of ingredients and there will be left-over. Now, forget about cling wraps or ziplock bags, the food huggers are what you need in the kitchen from now on. There is a different brand out there but we got ours from Seed and Sprout – it came in set with various sizes that are stackable.
These food huggers stretch best over citrus fruits, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers, but as we mentioned, they can also double as a lid to keep containers holding liquids, nuts, beans, spices, and more airtight. It’s so convenient and keeps your fresh produce longer and preserve its freshness without any chemical release from the plastic. Though it’s convenient to reach for plastic wrap, bags, or foil to preserve food, these colourful, dishwasher-safe discs help cut down on disposable materials and hopefully keep unnecessary trash from entering landfills.
Silicone pouches are so useful in the kitchen – it replaces at least a hundred of ziplock bags in your kitchen annually. You can presume how much waste you have help to reduce. I barely remember I have used any ziplock bags the whole year far. I have habits bring bites to work but now it is so convenient to carry a snack bag or a sandwich bag which I mentioned in the previous post.
We got our silicone bags from the various brands, such as Stasher, EverEco, IUIGA (I found this huge pouch that cost me only SGD 8, it is durable). Silicones pouches are so essential in different ways they help to keep your greens, meats and seafood to prolong their fresh, without worrying about the chemical and keep your fridge neat and clean.
While the standing pouches are great for liquid-based food, it holds a larger fluid and you can reboil the content even with the silicone bag. Stasher bags also come in a variety of sizes and are airtight, can be put in the freezer and microwave — and even in boiling water for sous-vide cooking.
3. Eco Bags
We LOVE these bags – reusable mesh bags and our self-sewed muslin cloth bags. Our cart is always filled with them when we go to the market, as well as the grocery store. It is so convenient when we go to market, just open it and store all the produces without using a single plastic. They are light and effortless to wash, not to mention fast dry and you can use it repeatedly.
The white ones, we got from EverEco, they offer a variety of sizes and styles to choose from, for starters we recommend an assortment to get started. The one we got came in 8 pieces with a storage bag to hold them together. Simply use, wash, repeat. These netted bags a “game-changer,” as they’re breathable, lightweight, all-natural, and hold everything from loose lettuce to lemons. We love not using any plastic at the store to get my groceries.
4. Glass Containers
We adore the 356+ IKEA storage containers – their design evolve and become better. Their original design came with a plastic-lid cover (which we have it with us for at least 5-8 years now) however they’re starting to wear off.
The grip of the plastic covers are broken but fortunately, we have Silicone Stretch Lids now, they help to seal up the old glass container and works perfectly! We always said, “don’t throw away or purchase the glassware, they last you for decades due to their sturdiness.
With their new bamboo lid containers – they are stylish and long-lasting. You do not need to worried about the harmful chemical from plastic. We got the 356+ IKEA storage containers as they are rather affordable in contrast to different brands out there.
5. Storage Jars
Most of our glass jars are from Weck Jars, Le Parfait Jars and Ball Jars, we love the good qualities glassware from them but undeniable they can be costly. During quarantine, we have more time and learned to shop wiser. We have started to collect jars from our purchases – stop choosing plastic packaging and opt for the jars. Little you know, they are perfect for storing and save you tons of spending in jars. Yes, sometimes the lids are ugly but we can’t wait to share with you how we deal with those ugly lids without spending a cent.
We loves to bring this to the “farmers” market or the store, where you can buy grains, nuts, and other items in bulk, a.k.a., without any packaging. Such as Scoop and The Source.
We got ours from various brands – Weck Jars, Le Parfait Jars and Ball Jars from major department store locally like Tangs, Robinsons and Metro but you also can get on their official website which we have shared their links.
6. Silicone Baking Mats
Bakers, homemakers and anyone of you, say more to baking papers and say “hi” to the un-baking silicone mat. It is heat resistant proof and you can reuse it with a wash for years before it wears off. As we mentioned, Silicone is our favourite materials in the kitchen, they are just the perfect invention in the modern world.
Say more to cling wraps from now on – why do you even spend dollars and hundreds a year for the plastic wraps? It makes no sense economically and environmentally. When you can resolve with a good set of Silicone Stretch Lids, you can say goodbye to the disposable cling wraps.
8. Beeswax Wrap
We love Beeswax Wrap – we purchased our very first set 3 years ago. It’s an all-time favourite in our pantry. Over the years we have traded a few sets but they can last for up to a year with proper care and regular usage. They came in various designs and sizes to accommodate your need. We got ours are from a locally by Minimakers and Bee’s Wrap which was a gift from a good friend, we find them essential and elegant.
It replaces plastic bags and plastic wrap and is super easy to clean. For us, it is the gold standard to start with when you are trying to be greener in the kitchen. We don’t trust it with anything liquid, but for sandwiches and solids, it’s surprisingly sturdy and keeps food very fresh.
Recently, we thrilled to make Beeswax wrap at home, since we have lots of left-over pieces of cloth left when we used for handicraft so it is perfect to make into Beeswax Wrap. We can’t wait to share with you when our Beeswax Wrap kit arrives.
9. Compostable Kitchen Sponge
We have swapped to compostable kitchen sponge for almost 12 months now – we’re telling you that they are more reliable than the fibre cloths. They have great in absorbent and do their obligation in perfect ways.
They are biodegradable – like my Kojac sponge when they wore-off they will end up in our fertilizer. Recently we purchase a new set from EverEco, they came in a beautiful pattern that makes us smile. Don’t you feel more sparkling even when you doing the cleaning! It acts as motivation while doing housework while a regular cloth doesn’t.
We got ours from EverEco, we also found them recently at Scoop at an affordable price.
10. Eco Brushes
Always opt for Biodegradable brushes for your dishes and pot. Yes, plastic is defiantly cheaper but if you get to choose, finding something that is could save your world for your future generation, I think it will be a wise step to do right now! We have swapped to these lovely eco cleaning tools for at least 6 – 12 months. It is lasting as compare to the plastic ones and they simply turned into our fertilizer in our plants at home. What’s better than this?
We got ours from various brands – Safix Scrub Pad and Bottle Brush from Scoops, Pot Brush from Seed and Sprout.
“There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.”
– Annie Leonard
We know that it’s a long post but thank you for being so patient! We hope that this would be helpful to you for a greener living. While previously we have shared some of the alternative replacement on facial cleansing tools so you if you are interested you can read more about it.
Flipping through the cookbook is one of our favourite things to do when we are out of ideas on what to make. During the circuit breaker, we purchased this cookbook, Antoni, in the Kitchen by Antoni Porowski. The first look of the cookbook is how dashing Antoni is, secondly we like how vibrant the dishes are just by flipping through them.
*side note: we got our copy from the book store “book actually” we are surprised how they put in so much effort in wrapping every each of the books up. Can’t wait to purchase from them again.
So back to this recipe, as it is summer we decided to look for a recipe that can represent the summer very well. Searching through our fridge we found out that we have some leftover watermelon from the Watermelon Salad with Cucumber. Yes, we want to recreate the Olive Oil and Pepper-marinated Watermelon bites with Halloumi.
I want to give this recipe a miss as I wasn’t sure what halloumi was but glad that we didn’t. Angela keeps backing up that I will love it, indeed I ended up listing it in my favourite cheese of all time.
What is Halloumi?
Halloumi is a semi-hard brined cheese, traditionally from Cyprus. It’s similar to mozzarella in texture, but it is brined so it imparts a salty taste and greater depth of flavours. This is an excellent grilling cheese because it doesn’t melt. Halloumi slices will retain their shape when cooked, and the heat softens the rubbery (or “squeaky”) cheese while mellowing the saltiness.
Tips when cooking Halloumi
The halloumi will smoke as you cook it. Don’t be alarmed—you’re not doing anything wrong. Just turn on the vent, open a window, or run a fan.
The cheese should soften as it cooks, but no liquid should escape, and it won’t melt. You can poke it with a spatula to test its consistency.
A simple vegan option would be to replace the halloumi with marinated tofu. Just make sure to squeeze out the liquid before marinating it, so it soaks up all the flavours. You could also replace it with feta cheese if you couldn’t get them in your stores.
The halloumi flavour really surprises us, and the salty flavour only makes us crave for more during the hot weather. There is still half of the halloumi in our fridge, what dishes should we make using the leftovers?
This dish have become one of our go to for entertaining during the summer. Every bites of the watermelon is marinated well with olive oil and black pepper. Topped with halloumi and mint, it is so refreshing, beautiful and easy to prepare! Try them now! xoxo, Joe
This dish have become one of our go to for entertaining during the summer. Every bites of the watermelon is marinated well with olive oil and black pepper. Topped with halloumi and mint, it is so refreshing, beautiful and easy to prepare!
Ingredients
32 triangle seedless watermelon
60ml olive oil
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 pack of halloumi
Handful of fresh mint
Methods
In a bowl, combine the watermelon, oil and pepper. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, gently stirring occasionally.
Sliced the halloumi lengthways into 4 slices.
Dry the halloumi cheese slices by blotting them with a paper towel. Place the slices on a plate and brush both sides lightly with the olive oil to coat each thoroughly.
Sear the cheese in the hot pan until each slice develops a deep brown crust, about 1 minute on the first side and 1 to 2 minutes on the other.
Transfer the watermelon to a large serving platter. Set a piece of halloumi on each watermelon, you can secure them with toothpick (optional) and top them with mint leaves. Drizzle the bites with the reserved oil, serve them warm.
Your kitchen’s bar counter makes for an ideal place to entertain visitors and to unwind after a long day at work. If you have already set up a well-stocked bar counter, choosing the right bar stool or chair should be next on your to-do-list. Bar stools are quickly becoming a more popular choice over regular stools because they are practical, aesthetically pleasing, and stylish. There is quite a number of types of bar stools available in the market. The following five handy tips can help you in picking the right, practical, and attractive bar stools or chairs to complement your already magnificent bar counter.
Height matters When choosing bar stools or chairs, make sure its height matches your island counter’s height. Start by measuring the height of your bar counter from its top to the floor. The difference should be +/- 300mm. If you’re buying bar chairs that come with armrests, then do pay attention to the height of the armrests as well if you need them to be tucked under your island counter.
Pick your favorite features Each type of bar stool comes with different features that cater to various preferences. Some prefer backless bar stools because they’re easier to get into, while others may like their bar stools with an armrest and backrest cause it makes their entire chilling session a lot more comfortable.
Play with colors…or perhaps not! Your bar stools should be compatible with not only your kitchen’s bar counter but also the overall interior design of your kitchen. Bar stools of muted and light colors, such as white, black, and light brown, are easy-to-match, versatile, and can fit in nicely with most bar counters and the overall theme most interior designs today.
Be creative with the designs While barstools are generally not the centerpiece of your home, those with the right designs can greatly enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of your kitchen or dining room. Unleash your creativity by picking bar stools that incorporate the element of luxury, sophistication, glamour, or any other vibe that you are looking for.
Buy only what you need We understand that you want to be ever-ready for guests, but do not be tempted into buying too many bar stools and end up cluttering them around your island counter. Buy just the right number of stools you need, depending on the available space you have to work around with. And if you are throwing a big party, you can always invite your guests to other equally stunning parts of your house.
Every since we tried The Mussel Pot at Melbourne chilli coconut cream mussel and white wine garlic mussel we couldn’t forget the taste of it. All dishes are served with a slice of freshly baked bread so you can mop up and enjoy any left over sauce. It is so mouth-watering that we tried twice during our trip (where we seldom do so). As we couldn’t travel back to Melbourne as we planned, we decided to recreate our own version.
Mussels are normally considered an appetizer and they look pretty impressive at a dinner party. But, in my household, we don’t care about food classifications. We eat this stuff as our main course. It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s filling! The only part of this that might slow you down is the prep. It takes a while to scrub and clean the mussels, one by one.
Here’s what you need
Mussels
Vegetables; onion, green pepper, and garlic.
Coconut Milk
Dry White Wine (optional)
Red Curry Paste; Available at almost any grocery store, commercial curry pastes vary significantly in their heat level, so you might reduce the quantity if yours is very spicy.
Fresh Corriander, we love using coriander but for those who don’t like it fresh Thai basil is the best replacement.
How to prepare mussels?
First, wash and scrub the mussels: Grab a colander and place your mussels inside. Put the colander in the sink and run it under cold water. Wash each mussel using the hard side of a kitchen sponge and scrub gently in a singular motion from the clasp to the mouth to ensure that you have gotten rid of any debris on the outer shells.
Next, debeard the mussels: “Beards” are a stringy mass that is attached to the side of the mussel. Gently hold the mussel in one hand, and grab the beard with the other. Pull it towards the bottom on the mussel where the clasp is. These “beards” have a tendency to be stubborn so pull firmly. Don’t worry, you won’t crack open the shell.
The key is building up the flavor from the bottom – starting with the butter and onion and garlic, moving on to the curry and coconut milk and then steaming the mussels for mere minutes finishing it off with a good toss. Get that broth in all the crevices! Serve hot and sprinkle the remaining coriander on top. Don’t forgot to serve with a side of french bread. For best results, slightly toast the bread before serving.
Inexpensive mussels are a hero for busy cooks, as they cook up in a matter of minutes. This recipe takes advantage of prepared red curry paste. Available at almost any grocery store, commercial curry pastes vary significantly in their heat level, so you might reduce the quantity if yours is very spicy. Enjoy!
Try this Curried Coconut Mussels recipe if you love shellfish and crave big, bold flavours. Most mussels are now farm-raised, so they’re easier to clean. You should still take time to rinse them under cold running water, and be sure to remove any beards.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds small mussels, scrubbed and debearded (about 60)
3/4 cup coriander, divided
Methods
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in curry paste; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add coconut milk, wine, sugar, and salt; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes.
Stir in mussels; cover and cook 5 minutes or until mussels open. Discard any unopened shells. Stir in 1/2 cup coriander.
Divide mussels mixture evenly among 4 bowls, and spoon the coconut mixture evenly over mussels. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon remaining coriander.
Purchased pesto is one of the best convenience foods on the market, and pesto from scratch is simple to prepare and even more delicious. Traditional pesto is made of fresh basil leaves, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and pine nuts, but we also love to explore other combination including alternative herbs and nuts such as parsley and almond.
Sometimes we love to experience different forms of the fresh produce we can get. When there is an extra herb, before it turns bad, we will make into pesto or hummus. Over the years, we shared several alternatives to favour the Pesto. It is something you can make and store in your fridge for at least 1-2 weeks. You can enjoy it with any food; from pasta, sandwiches to dipping.
How to prepare the kale?
One of the reasons people dislike kale so much is the texture. The reality is that it’s a hardy, thick, leafy green. All you have to do to combat this, though, is tenderize it. If serving raw in a salad for example, dress it ahead of time and let it hang out for awhile. Unlike other wimpier greens, kale will hold up to this pre-dressing and instead of getting soggy it will get more flavorful and more tender. Cool, eh?
In this recipe, we are going to tenderize the kale by cooking for it in boiling salt water for 30 sec. To prep, the kale just tears the leaves off the thick stems. Drain and dry it one the cloth, it will help to cool the kale down and absorb the excess water.
Why use pistachios?
We were attracted to the pistachios because of the green-on-green concept, and trust us, it worked out perfectly. We have never had a pesto we’ve loved so much – so much that after writing this we’re going to make more to put on some pasta. It’s creamy of course, the natural oil in the nuts plus the olive oil helps with that. But then the flavour is out of this world (could this possibly be my most favourite phrase?) We can eat a bag of pistachios like a champ but cream up?? Why have we never thought of this! All the flavours seem to marry together so well and you’re left with a pesto that’s all up to your imagination and that you want to put on everything, which is exactly what we did.
Like so many recipes, this really is a formula that should be used as a guide more than a law. You can feel free to get creative, if you don’t have pistachios, try walnuts or pine nuts or even almonds. While I’ve made kale the star of the show here, other greenery can be added or swapped, like parsley to brighten the flavor, and baby spinach or arugula make great pesto, too. So, don’t feel restricted by this recipe. Instead, use it as a launching point for all the great pestos in your future!
Cook the kale in a pot of water for 30 sec, drain and leave it aside to cool down. After cool squeeze the excess water out from kale.
Add kale, pistachios, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil to a food processor and pulse until combined, scraping down the sides after each pulse, for about 2 minutes.
Season it with salt and pepper next and continue to pulse until combined, for about 2-3 more minutes. Feel free to add more olive oil if you want a more runny consistency, or more nuts if you want a thicker pesto.
Fancy adding a touch of mint green to your kitchen but not sure how? Mint is no longer reserved for retro. With loads of different ways to add a touch of mint green to your kitchen, you don’t have to go “all-out” to add a splash of mint.
Go full-on, and try mint green on all your kitchen cabinets. To create a modern look like the one above, use simple flat-front cabinet doors and drawer faces. Choose cabinet fronts with recessed edge pulls to eliminate the need to add hardware. This will create a clean, uninterrupted band of mint green color, making it the focal point of the kitchen.
Pair your mint green kitchen cabinets with light wood or white marble countertops. Forgo upper cabinets, to create a minimal look. Keep any open shelves, backsplashes, and trim above the countertops white to reinforce that open kitchen feeling. Light-colored or white floors will add visual balance.
This Tempura Donburi is loaded with light, crispy shrimp and vegetable tempura. With a side of miso soup, plenty of dipping sauce, and a cup of Japanese Sencha tea, you might forget you’re eating at home! Any ingredients can be used for tempura, but usually, it is veggies and usually, the protein choice is seafood and the most popular is prawn.
What is a donburi?
Donburi in Japanese translates to “bowl,” and is any dish served over rice (and, true to its name, generally in an oversized bowl). It is abbreviated to “don” when added as a suffix to the end of a word. One of our favourites is Beef -don, it is simple and delicious to make.
How to prepare the prawns?
A tip to prepare prawn that we learnt and still remember because we thought it is brilliant is remove the shell from the tail end. Because the shell is overlapped towards the tail end so if we remove from the tail end, all of the shell will come off easily without any force.
In Japan, tempura prawns are always prepared straight and not curled up. To do this, after the prawns are deveined, we score the belly side 2-3 times 1 cm apart and then break the muscle with fingers. You can feel the muscle break when you squeeze the prawn between your fingers. If you don’t mind curled up deep fried prawn, that’s ok but presentation of dishes are somewhat important in Japanese cuisine.
What are some of the vegetable choice?
Here is only some of our favourite vegetables but you can always customise based on your liking
Sweet potato is a must for tempura in our household. It’s a bit of a carb overload but oh well. We usually don’t eat huge meals so why not indulge with a few delicious Japanese foods every now and then. The potato needs to be sliced thin so it cooks through easily without burning them.
Brocolli; you must be surprised with this but it tastes extremely well.
Mushroom; Shitake, and Oyster Mushroom is our favorite whereby the Oyster Mushroom has this delicious, meaty flavor!
Onion
How to prepare the batter?
There are two ways to prepare the batter – the one with the breadcrumb or without it. So this recipe we decided to make the one without bread crumb, the battering will be less thick.
Refer the battering with breadcrumb at spam fries.
For this recipe, we use a light batter which is a combination of the ice water, cake flour, and egg yolks. No need to get rid of all the lumps—in fact, take care not to overmix it. Pop it in the refrigerator while you heat the frying oil.
How to make light & crispy tempura?
Cutting of vegetables is the key. We preferred thinly sliced sweet potato, thickly sliced onion, and super bite-sized pieces of broccoli and oyster mushrooms. And of course, big whole shrimp with the tails left on!
Keep the batter cold! This helps it adhere to whatever you’re frying.
Refrigerate the shrimp as soon as you’re done processing them so they don’t turn that light orange room temperature color.
Use two pairs of chopsticks or utensils. One to fry with and one to dip with, so you can avoid too much excess batter getting into your fry pot. Use a fine-meshed sieve to periodically remove excess sediment from the oil.
Don’t fry tempura too long. It takes a very short amount of time to cook the ingredients through, and tempura should never be too brown. 45-90 seconds or so and a couple of flips do the trick for vegetables, and when the shrimp float and are lightly golden and orange, they’re done.
Double coat your tempura; the first dip in your batter mixture, then lightly coat it with some flour then the batter again. It will give you a nicer coating.
In a small deep pot, heat enough oil to fill it about halfway, over medium-high heat. While that’s happening, set up a wire rack over a sheet pan or a platter lined with paper towels. When a drop of the batter sizzles vigorously but doesn’t brown too quickly, you’re ready to go.
To fry, swirl one piece of vegetable or shrimp in the batter (for the shrimp, hold it by the tail), and lower it gently into the batter.
When we are in doubt in what to eat, we always ended up cooking our meal at home. This is a great recipe to be made when you are in doubt as you can use whatever fresh ingredients in your fridge. Using the batter and tips we show you, you are able to enjoy the uniquely and delicious tempura don made just for yourself, isn’t that great?
Enjoy a present-day classic Japanese dish with this tendon tempura rice bowl recipe. A type of donburi (a one-bowl meal of rice topped with any meat or vegetable dish), tendon is crisp tempura laid over freshly steamed rice and topped with a delicious light soy dressing. Enjoy for lunch, or as a light evening meal.
Ingredients
2-3 cups cooked Japanese rice
8-10 pcs tempura
1 small onion, sliced thinly
½ cup dashi stock
1 teaspoon of mirin
1 teaspoon of Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
Salt to taste
Some chopped spring onion for garnis
Methods
In a medium mixing bowl, bring together dashi stock, shoyu, mirin and salt. Pour half of the mixture into a small shallow pan. Bring to boil.
Add in half amount of the tempura and onion, cook until it is almost boiling.
Pour in half amount of the lightly beaten eggs in a thin stream over the tempura.
Add in spring onion and simmer until the egg is almost set.
Gently slide the tempura onto the top of rice in a bowl. Repeat the same process for another serving.
Have you made Iced Coffee Soda yet? It’s a great way to enjoy the full flavour of your favourite coffee in a refreshing fizzy soda form! Something you do wonder, hot weather and still crave for a cup of coffee but it can be not quite exciting as compared to a sparkling drink!
No worries, we have you covered-up – swap to a glass of chilled Coffee Sodaand forget about iced coffee or latte. While recently, Angela found this Asain brand with freeze-dried Peach Oolong Coffee. We give it a mix with a soda and “wow”, it is a sparkling version of your coffee!
For carbonated-lover like Angela, this is love at fight sight for sure. Forgive her excitement but she is so right with the combination. And this’s as simple as mixing a cocktail on a Friday evening. The recipe is so simple – you can use any coffee of your liking and mix with soda water, ice it and “ta-da”! A coffee cocktail is served without you getting drank but maybe you might want to skip bedtime and go for a movie marathon (at least for Angela it seem to be that way)?
The great thing about making coffee soda is that it stays true to the coffee flavour; it’s not coffee-flavoured soda, but real coffee incorporated into a soda-like drink. Fresh brewed and chilled coffee is slightly sweetened to taste. Then carbonated club soda is added. Iced Coffee Soda is a refreshing cold drink with fantastic pure coffee flavour. No artificial ingredients or fake sweet flavours.
What do you need?
Coffee soda is something we will be enjoying a lot recently in this hot summer. You can make with regular coffee or flavoured coffee, as well as espresso too. Here’s what’s in it:
Prepared coffee
Simple Syrup (homemade or store purchased)
Club Soda or sparkling water
Ice
To make the syrup.
As we uses Peach Oolong Coffee, it already have a hint of sweetness in it thus we doesn’t want to add in more sugar to cover up the natural sweetness. However if you are using a bitter coffee add 1 to 2 tbsp of simple syrup is recommended. Here is how you can make this simple syrup;
Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a low boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool fully.
Stored sealed in the refrigerator before use.
NOTE: the simple syrup yield is around 1 cup.
Combine all the ingredients that you have previously prepared. And you can enjoy this chilled drink in just 5 minutes.
If you are a flavoured coffee lover, make flavoured coffee it uses. The flavour can also be changed up by making flavored simple syrups. They are easy to make and can be used in other drinks or cocktails too. True coffee addicts can get an extra caffeine dose by making coffee ice cubes to use too! Just pour coffee or espresso into an ice cube mould and freeze. Enjoy!
One of our all-time favorite ways to make anything taste better is by adding herbs (and lemon, but let’s stick with herbs here for a second). Though dried will work in a pinch, fresh herbs give you the pop of flavor and the freshness and can brighten up just about any dish in no time. Soup that’s sort of flat-tasting? Pasta that could use a little gussying up? Lemonade that needs a little something extra to make it special? All of these very common conundrums can be solved by the addition of parsley, dill, mint, basil, rosemary.
But herbs sold at the grocery store can be expensive and (sometimes) hard to find, and you almost always end up buying way more than you need, right? So what’s a girl to do? Easy (or, at least, relatively easy). You grow them yourself at home. That way, you have them within easy reach whenever you want to whip up a pesto or sprinkle them into a salad. Plus, you can trim just the amount that you need—no more tossing out old rotten herbs that had gotten lost in the depths of the refrigerator or you had no idea what to do with.
You’ve decided—an herb garden it is. Now you need to know where to start. There are so many different things to consider, from the amount of space you have, to how you want to grow your garden. Thus we have been finding time and inspiration to make one.
When it is time for summer, my summers consist of two things: the beach and watermelons. While it is still best to stay indoors, we love to have some watermelon in our patio instead! It was our thing. While it’s easy to enjoy the watermelon with just a spoon but tastier to make it into our favourite snack.
This watermelon salad is full of sliced cucumbers, crumbled feta cheese and mint, all tossed in an easy lime dressing. A simple yet unusual summer salad that’s sure to get rave reviews. Watermelon feta salad is one of those flavour combinations that sound odd but just works so well together. Add some crisp and refreshing cucumbers and mint to the mix, and you’ve got a fresh and colourful side dish that everyone will love.
How to make this salad?
For this recipe, you’ll need to cube the watermelon, sliced cucumbers, crumbled feta cheese and mint leaves. A simple olive dressing goes over the top of the salad and everything is tossed together for a fresh and colourful dish. The sweet watermelon with the salty feta is a flavour pairing that may sound unconventional, but it truly is amazing.
Block feta is the best Just as a heads up, it can be tempting to buy the pre-crumbled feta because it’s more easily available and ready to just dump into a salad. However, the blocks of feta are much more flavorful. With this watermelon cucumber salad, any type of cucumber is fine as long as you remove the seeds before slicing.
Shapes of the watermelon We cut our watermelon into chunks because it’s quicker and easier that way. However, you can use a melon baller if you’re looking for a more elegant presentation for your watermelon feta salad.
Add your mint last I add the mint at the very last second, as cut mint can turn brown over time. Small, whole mint leaves or thinly sliced pieces of mint are best suited for this watermelon salad.
Is watermelon salad good without olive oil?
This watermelon cucumber salad is still delicious without the dressing. However, the dressing ties all the flavours together and really completes the dish. Although we love the dressing, it’s not necessary for this watermelon salad to still be a refreshing delight.
We haven’t made this salad as often as we should! We’ve brought it back out into the light this summer because we was reminded of how easy and delicious it is. It’s always a great hit at get together or just at home for a snack or side dish.
This refreshing Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint is perfect for summer. Sweet ripe watermelon salad combined with feta cheese and fresh mint is simply dressed with olive oil and lime juice. It’s a sweet-and-salty combination that looks just beautiful on the table for a backyard cookout, a potluck, or even a Sunday brunch!
Ingredients
3 cups watermelon cubed or balled
1 1/2 cups sliced cucumber seeds removed
2 tablespoons mint thinly sliced or small mint leaves
1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Methods
Place the watermelon, cucumber and mint in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, and salt and pepper.
Drizzle the dressing over the melon mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta and serve.
Who doesn’t love indulging in a guilty pleasure every now and then? Shopping, delicious food and new kitchenware, what’s yours? I love covering sweetcorn in cheese and popping it under the grill for a stringy, cheesy, finger-licking treat, with a real heat bite. The guilty pleasure is far simpler: cheap cheddar cheese on a chip, combining fat and sugar in a mouthful.
Honestly, there is time I want to order SPAM fries in the diner to fix my guilty pleasure but my hand never allow myself to point it on the menu when the server approach. But these days I had these sudden cravings for spam fries that knock on my door again. So I beg Joe to make it with me. None of us like uncooked, straight from the tin SPAM. How my mom cooks it, usually will coat it with a layer ofegg batter and pan-fry it. But we decided to up the game but make it all time crunchy and fix your guilty needs. Are you ready to join us for upgrading your spam fries as those serving in the restaurant? I bet you can do better than those $10 per serving SPAM fries!
Dip, Powder, Dip and Coat
Apart from your SPAM, you need 3 basic staples in this recipe; egg batter, flour and breadcrumb. Remember the simple step as following, Dip, Powder, Dip and Coat.
Dip – Firstly dip your SPAM matchstick it in egg batter, make sure you give it a full wash
Powder – Follow with a lightly powdering of the flour, allow the egg absorb the flour on it surface.
Dip – Repeat the first step, dip in the egg batter again.
Coat – Let the breadcrumb seat well on the egg batter and you can set aside for frying.
Tips for making Spam Fries
Cut them into any shape you want; we usually cut the Spam into about 15 pieces so they resemble wedge fries.
Add some spices if you want to season the flour; we like the paprika, garlic, and pepper, but you can let your imagination and taste buds run wild.
When doing the dredging, we use our hands for the flour and breadcrumb stations. I use a fork for the egg station, however, as it can get a little messy.
You want about 2 inches of oil in the bottom of a fairly large frying pan. The temperature should be about 270 C. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can drop a small bit of flour in, if it sizzles and bubbles, you’ll know the oil is up to temperature.
Lastly, if you want the Spam fries a little healthier, you can use Spam light.
Can I Pre-made them?
Other than the Mini Corn Dog, this Spam Fries is one of our favourite pre-made food. While we bet that there won’t be leftovers thus we always make more to freeze it. Keep it in a zip-lock bag (like below) or reusable bag. You can keep it in the freezer for up to a month. For a healthier way you can even heat it in the oven without un-freezing it. For the oven, we heat it for 10 minutes at 270 C.
And there you have it, a quick 5-step recipe on how to make luncheon meat fries. Jazz up your plating skills by serving the luncheon meat fried in the tin can that they came in!
Savoury, crispy and enticingly more-ish Spam fries will really surprise you. Indulge in these guilty secret treats!
Ingredients
1 can of Spam, cut into about 15 wedges
3/4 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup of bread crumbs
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp of paprika
1/4 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
Methods
Cut the Spam into the shape of French fries – about 15 wedge fries. Set them aside.
Add the flour to a mixing bowl. Add in the paprika, garlic, and pepper. Stir until it’s well combined. Crack the eggs into a second bowl, and the put the bread crumbs in the third bowl.
Using tongs or your hands, dredge the spam in the flour and roll it until it’s well coated. Next, put it in the egg mixture. Lastly, dredge it in the bread crumbs. Set the pieces aside on a plate.
Add some oil to a frying pan. You’ll need it about 2 inches deep. Over medium high heat, bring the oil up to about 350 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer, sprinkle a small bit of flour in the oil. If it sizzles and bubbles, the oil is up to temperature. Place the spam fries in, in batches, and fry them for about 45 seconds on one side. Using your tongs, flip them, and fry them for an additional 45 seconds on the other side. Set them aside on a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat the process for the remaining batches.
We’re generally quite satisfied with the way we designed our kitchen, but seeing this gorgeous design by Nordiska Kök makes me want to change to a warmer color palette. The oak wood combined with the terrazzo countertops against the beige wall works really well and creates a warm and inviting feeling.
While many likes to paint over their oak we prefer them in raw, just a little staining and you are good to go. Here’s an interesting thing about oak – for some reason, it was almost always treated with clear, neutral finishes, so all oak cabinets wound up looking alike. However, wood stain can do all kinds of things to enhance the look of oak cabinetry.
Nothing beat a Summer Roll for this summer. But wait, what is Summer Roll, it is also known as Vietnamese spring rolls, salad rolls, or rice paper rolls) are the uncooked version or flash-fried spring rolls or fried egg rolls. It is the most filling and easy finger food to make, therefore we love making it at home or for gathering and party.
They’re fresh, loaded with greens, taste so well with shrimp, and you will enjoy it with pleasure when it comes with the seasonal fruit like the mango. We have tried it and love to share with you the recipes someday.
Summer rolls are also surprisingly easy to make at home. Yes, you should probably sit down and read through the directions before you start, and maybe the first roll or two will be a bit flimsy (but no less tasty), but soon you’ll be filling rice paper wrappers with cool and fresh fillings before every summer cookout.
Preparation Is Key
The ingredient list below is quite long and maybe a bit intimidating, but almost all of them can be made ahead — the shrimp, vegetable filling, and even the rice noodles can be cooked and chilled the day before. Store the cooked rice noodles in cool water to keep them from sticking.
Before you begin rolling, set up a work station. Have the shrimp, vegetable filling, rice noodles, fresh herbs, and lettuce organized on a baking sheet. Pick out a serving platter. Clear off your counter or cutting board. Fill a flat bowl with lukewarm-temperature water and then open the rice paper wrappers and prepare to roll.
Fresh prawn makes a different; while it is easy to use frozen peeled off prawn from the freezer but the sweetness of the prawn losses once it is cooked in the water without its shell.
Soak the rice noodle ahead/ overnight; so that it is easier to cook.
Mint & coriander is the key; yes these are very important greens for this spring roll. It does make a difference! Well, we guess that corriander-hater can remove this on your list, but for us, it is a MUST!!
Vegetables; we use micro beansprouts, lettuce, carrot and cucumber here. To have crispy vegetable, after washing, draining and cutting, cover the vegetables with a cloth and keep it in the fridge before use. We will make sure the vegetables is 10 times crispier.
Sauces; many prefer to eat it with the peanut sauce while is nice but in the summer we prefer something fresh thus we made this Vietnamese dipping sauce (nước chấm) this time.
While some of you might think it seems tough to do it. That’s why we compile a stop-motion step-by-step on how to make a Summer Roll. It is so easy and not to fear to have too much, the rice paper is thicker than you know. We break down into a few words and tips incase the stop-motion is too fast for you to check.
Soak the rice paper
Our favourite trick for rolling summer rolls goes against a lot of recipes (even the package) for working with rice paper. Instead of softening the wrappers in hot water, we use lukewarm-temperature water. Hot water makes the rice paper incredibly sticky and prone to breaking, while lukewarm-temperature water will continue to soften the wrapper as it sits, making the wrapper just pliable but tender once rolled. Keeping the work surface wet while rolling will also prevent sticking. Don’t put it on wooden materials, we tried it and we failed.
Step by Step
Summer roll filling has four parts: the cold protein, the vegetables, the rice noodles, and the greens (both the herbs and lettuce). Try stacking these four components and your filling will topple. Instead, wrap the slippery vegetables and noodles inside the lettuce. Then you can easily lay the herbs and shrimp in the wrapper and top with the lettuce roll. It makes wrapping easier, but also makes the presentation neater and the rolls easier to eat.
Soak the rice paper in lukewarm water
Starts with placing the prawn and mint, on 1/3 of the slightly firm rice paper wrapper. We always place them on the bottom 1/3 of the rice paper so it’s easier to roll up.
Wrap the slippery vegetables and noodles inside the lettuce. Then place on top of your prawn and mint.
Don’t over-stuff the roll. Rather, begin with a small amount of filling then add a little more until you find what works with your size/brand of rice paper roll. Remember to tuck the side in. Again, it just takes a little practice.
You’ll get the hang of it after a couple rolls. When we first started, my finished rolls looked awkward and sad. Practice practice!
Dipping Sauce
Fresh summer rolls are one of our favourite dishes to prepare because they’re (1) versatile based on what we have/are craving (2) healthy (3) so, so good and (4) four words: FISH SAUCE DIPPING SAUCE.
The homemade dipping sauce is one of the best parts of the dish. It’s very easy: fish sauce, water, sugar, lemon, and chilli. This sauce is phenomenal! We always have some pre-made in our fridge but the freshly made one is always the best!
These fresh rolls work as a light dinner, a healthy lunch, and one very delightful appetizer. Have fun rolling it! xoxo, Joe
Homemade Fresh Summer Rolls with Easy Peanut Dipping Sauce are healthy, adaptable, and make a wonderful light dinner, lunch, or appetizer.
Ingredients
24 medium uncooked shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1 cup rice noodle, cooked and drained
1 small seedless cucumber, sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
2 large radishes, julienned
handful of coriander
handful of mint
a handful of micro bean sport
16 (8 1/2-inch) rice paper wrappers
8 leaves butter lettuce, halved
Methods
Cook the shrimp: Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Have an ice water bath ready. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Immediately remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon to the ice water bath. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain. Slice the shrimp in half horizontally (also known as butterflying) and set aside. Reserve the warm water for cooking the noodles.
Cook the noodles: If the noodles are very long, break them into smaller bits. Return the pan of water from cooking the shrimp to a boil, then turn off the heat, add the noodles, and let sit until tender, about 10 minutes (check the package directions for times). Drain the noodles, transfer them to a bowl, add the sesame oil, and toss to combine; set aside.
Soften a wrapper: Fill a pie plate halfway with room-temperature water. Immerse 1 wrapper in the water until it softens, about 30 seconds. Use both hands to pull it up out of the water, being careful so it doesn’t collapse on itself, and immediately lay it flat on a clean work surface.
Fill the wrapper: Place 2 to 3 mint down the wrapper, 1/3 of the wrapper Place 2 to 3 pieces of shrimp cut-side up on the herbs. Place a piece of lettuce in your hand, then fill evenly with 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture and 1 to 2 tablespoons of noodles. Place the lettuce cup to the right of the shrimp, leaving a small gap.
Roll up the summer roll: Fold the top and bottom of the wrapper over the filling. Fold the left side over the shrimp and continue rolling tightly to the right until it’s closed and snug. Place it on a baking sheet seam-side down and cover with a damp towel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, adding more water to the pie dish as needed.
Serve: To serve, cut each roll in half crosswise if desired and serve with dipping sauce.
Getting the hang of making this Vietnamese dipping sauce (nước chấm) is an important step to making your cuisine just right. Since it’s just about everywhere in Vietnamese cooking, it’s simply referred to as “dipping sauce”. We keep a stash of premixed sauce ready in the fridge for regular meals throughout the week, but when a special dish is being made, we make a fresh batch for the meal or for the day, and it definitely tastes better.
We used the Goldern Elephant brand fish sauce. Depending on the kind you use, you will need to adjust the amount used due to sodium levels and flavour which can vary from brand to brand. This nước chấm or fish sauce recipe is all about making it to fit your taste.
Commonly eat with
You’ll usually find a bowl of this sauce next to foods like an egg roll, spring rolls or summer rolls, bánh xèo, bánh hỏi, bánh cuốn, grilled meats such as in one of my favourites, grilled pork with rice noodle and veggies, grilled pork chops and fried fish just to name a few.
For different dishes, there are slight variations on this dipping sauce, but we will use this as a base recipe that works great for most things. You can adjust it to your own taste if needed depending on what it’s going with.
Key Ingredients
Water – Keep in mind that about half the volume of this sauce is water. So if you’re trying to conserve ingredients, or just not make so much that wouldn’t get used, know that the volume of water you start with, will be half of what you end up within the final sauce.
Citrus – Following this recipe exactly each time can produce different results since limes or lemons can vary in liquid, pulp, acidity, etc. But don’t even think about using bottled juice. That stuff tastes slightly muted and missing that amazing fresh citrus oil scent that doesn’t stick around too long.
Fish sauce – Slowly add the fish sauce in increments until you gradually reach what the recipe calls for, all the while mixing the sauce and tasting it along the way. After you get used to making this, you can start to tell by the colour of the sauce when you are getting close.
Sugar – If you’re trying to dissolve sugar in cold water and it’s too cold it takes a lot longer to fully dissolve, and you can’t adjust ingredients as you go as accurately. Either use a small amount of hot or warm water enough to dissolve the sugar, then fill in the rest with cold or filtered tap water.
Optional additions – Add chopped chillies to the sauce if you like. Chillies are a must for us!
How to store them?
You can keep in an airtight jar in the fridge as you work through it, but we make it freshly for some special occasions. While you can fridge nước chấm for about a week, we would recommend using it as soon as possible or making it fresh to savour the pungent taste. The flavour will lessen the longer it stays in the fridge.
Sometimes you’ll see people put their own twists on this recipe. It’s all about making it your own. I’ve seen some recipes that swap out sugar for some other juices. Be creative and make this dipping sauce now!
We guess we just have a retreat on our mind lately, although we can’t go for a retreat right now but isn’t it great to get some inspiration for the future? It is not your average, beach shack, but something just a little bit more sophisticated — think of it as a combination of laid back, casual comfort, and the elevated style of some mid-century modern classics.
Previously we found this Casa Cook hotel located at Grece, this time Bali Villa Massilia caught our eye. It makes me wonder if we are really living in a cave. Villa Massilia. Located in the heart of Seminyak and only a few minute’s walk from the beach. The villas feature teak and terrazzo interiors, natural on-trend furnishings, lush gardens, and private swimming pools. It is a perfect place for you to rest and relax.
Teochew’s Oyster Porridge is one of our family comfort food, this is our to-go food when we are tired of good and want something light. Compare Teochew’s porridge to congee, congee has a thicker consistency, whereas in this porridge you need to see the grain, thus you have to make sure not to overcook them.
Every spoonful of porridge comes with the umami of suckling oyster and fragrant broth from it. For those who like a bit of spice, have it will some chilli padi and it’s never a regret.
Teochew porridge, for the uninitiated, is probably quite queer. This is rice porridge by the way, not oats. But rather than its better known Cantonese congee cousin, Teochew mui is plain, not flavoured at all by the stock it’s cooked in; and the softened grains are still whole, not broken down completely into a thick creamy jook. The best way to describe it is probably…watery rice. Doesn’t sound very appetising we know, but this is my ultimate comfort food, especially when in cold days.
Tips for oysters
Buy frozen oysters from the wet market from stalls selling shellfish, or from the supermarket. Fresh oysters are more succulent and better in taste than frozen but they are not easily available in the wet markets these days.
After de-freeze, the oyster, add two tablespoons of cornstarch into the bowl of oyster and mix well, in a while you will see black dirt coming out of the oyster, rinse and drain well and you are all ready to go.
Adjust the timing of cooking the oysters if you are using smaller or larger oysters, fresh or frozen oysters, so they won’t overcook. Fresh oysters need a slightly longer time to cook than frozen ones. Do not overcook the oysters otherwise, they will turn rubbery.
We know we’ve gone really very basic with this, but it is kind of in the Teochew spirit of simplicity. If you making this Teochew’s Oyster Porridage, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram as @leplaincanvas and use the #byplaincanvas hashtag. We love seeing your takes on our recipes!
2 tsp Japanese soup stock(liquid dashi, katsuodashi)
360 ml of water
(B) Condiment
2 tbsp Kikkoman Soy Sauce
1 tbsp sake
Methods
Thoroughly wash the oysters in salt water (slightly less salty than sea water).
Chop the enoki and shiitake mushrooms. Finely chop the green onion, and cut the chives into small, bite-size pieces.
Rinse the rice in a strainer and set aside.
Add (A), both enoki and shiitake mushrooms and the green onion in a pot. Once boiling, add (B).
Once boiling, add in the rice and oysters. Cook until all ingredients are cooked through, scoop the scum from the surface and serve in a bowl. Garnish with chives.
In Summertime, especially in Singapore, a glass of chilled grass jelly is the best thirst quencher on warm sunny days. Don’t be mistaken, this is not a bubble-tea, yes, from far it looks like one but it’s defiantly a healthier version of it! It is a must-drink summer delight, we drink this since we were a kid. Unlike our grandmother traditional recipe, we make some twist with our recipe.
In the old day, my grandmother will make her own Grass Jellyand boiled a big pot of Pandan Rock Sugar Water and chilled them in the fridge for us to drink it. It is so sweet and cool for a hot sunny day! However, it may be too sweet for us right now so we make a tweet in the recipes. We will make the sugar syrup make with water and plenty of ice, add in the chopped grass jelly and topped with cheese foam. It is not too sweet with a little hint of saltiness, it works so well for a summer day!
Easy Making Cheesefoam
It’s not that hard to recreate your own cheese foam as you only need 3 ingredients; cream cheese, sugar and whipping cream. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature if not you won’t be able to have a smooth texture. The combination of creamy, slightly sweet and salty cream cheese foam, topped over cold green tea is something to marvel at. All good beverages that we have come across. We recommend doubling up the ingredients and keeping the whipped cream mixture covered in the refrigerator so you can use it daily in your morning or afternoon tea!
What’s Grass Jelly?
Grass jelly is made by boiling the aged and slightly oxidised stalks and leaves of Platostoma palustre (Mesona Chinensis) with potassium carbonate for several hours with a little starch and then cooling the liquid to a jelly-like consistency.
The benefit of Grass Jelly Grass jelly is often used to help reduce blood pressure, balance blood sugar and protect against diabetes and liver disease. The report notes that it may also:
Act as an antioxidant to fight free radicals
Fight off potentially harmful bacteria that can cause sickness and infection
Protect against cancer
Boost the immune system
It is the best refreshment you can consider for the Summer. Keep yourself cool with Grass Jelly with Cheesefoam. Not to forget to serve them with reusable straws, don’t forget that saving the earth is not just a period of moments but a long life journey. Hope you enjoy this simple drink!
2 tbsp of brown sugar syrup (1 cup of brown sugar + 3tbsp of water; boiled till thicken)
Cheese-foam
85g of cream cheese (at room temperature)
85g of whipping cream
3 tbsp of sugar
salt
Methods
Cheese-foam
In a medium mixing bowl, add the caster sugar and cream cheese. Beat on high until smooth and creamy. About 3 minutes with a hand mixer.
Add in whipping cream and sea salt to the mixing bowl and beat until thick and frothy but still slightly runny. About 3 minutes with a hand mixer.
Combine the drink
Add in the brown sugar syrup starting from the side of the cup. Then add in your ice, follow by grass jelly and water. Spoon whipped cream mixture on top of iced green tea. Optional – sprinkle a little sea salt on top.
What is the best picture you would love to frame up in your home? For us, there are time we would love to have a full glass window to frame up the scenario of our daily life. Well it seem impossible to have one in the apartment we have due to safety regulation. Thus let us see how people do it at their home.
The best places to install this window are bathroom and window seat. Both of these places have a common and it is a place to chill and relax after a long day. To emphasis the scenario we won’t go for an infinitely window but one with a big frame making it really look like a frame for a photo.
Do you want to have a window like this too at your home?
Usually, when I go to Starbucks, the only drink I would order will be Chai Tea Latte. It is my all-time favourite drink at Starbucks. The milky sweetness partnered with the astringent black tea drew me in, but the warm spices that lingered between sips kept me drinking. It wasn’t long before the sweetness of those chai drink mixes became too much for me and I started experimenting with chai lattes at home.
This chai latte gives you complete control over your chai latte experience, from the tea and the spices to the sweetener and type of milk. The result is a creamy cup of black tea subtly spiced and fragrant with cinnamon, cloves and ginger, cardamom and just the right amount of sweetness, so near perfect that you’ll skip the Starbucks chia and come home to make a pot of this at tea time.
What is Masala Chai?
Masala chai is a creamy, spiced tea that’s most popular in India but is increasingly enjoyed around the world. The primary difference between chai and masala chai is that masala chai includes spices, while chai is simply tea and milk.
Chai is typically made with four components:
Black tea (we prefer bagged or loose-leaf, decaf when possible)
Milk (we went dairy-free with coconut and/or cashew )
Sweetener (we went for a little maple syrup)
Spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove)
Anthony the Spice Marker
The spices vary depending on the recipe, but our favourite combination is cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove. It may be messy when you come into mixing herb, we came across this Masala Chia by Anthony the Spice Maker. It has the perfect blend that we like, making it way to simple to make this drink.
Like the shop name, this spice shop is created by Anthony. Anthony’s parents are the first-generational spice makers and having grown up in a spice family, he always has a heart for spice crafting and creating flavours. He aspired to be different from the big players that were already in the market, by sticking to his strong beliefs in providing ethically- sourced, quality spices and crafting authentic traditional flavours of Singapore for all to enjoy. When it comes to herb and spice the first place that we head to is always here.
How to Froth Milk for Any Latte
You’ve brewed, spiced, and sweetened your tea, and now you must froth your milk — unless you’d rather have a classic cup of chai rather than a chai latte. The problem? You don’t own an espresso machine or a frothing wand. Luckily there are three clever ways you can froth your milk for lattes.
Frothing wand; Warm your milk. Immerse your frothing wand in the milk and turn on. Whisk, creating a nice swirl of milk, until frothed to your liking.
Blender; Pour your warm milk into a blender and blend on medium speed until frothy. Make sure to cover the lid of your blender with a dish towel—you don’t want hot milk flying all over your kitchen! (Our method!)
Immersion blender; Warm your milk in a large, deep pot. Place your hand blender in the milk, making sure the blades are immersed. Turn the blender on low, and blend until frothy. This method creates nice foam, but we can’t really recommend it because it is very messy!
Pump frother; You can purchase a special pump-style frother. It makes lovely, creamy foam. We got our pump frother from tao bao.
Enjoyed by millions in India, masala chai, a spiced, sweetened black tea mixed with milk, is now popular around the world. It is sold all over India by chai wallahs, or tea vendors, who pour the tea from big kettles into small cups. But we got to enjoy them at home without travelling, try making yours now!
In this plastic-filled world, avoiding plastic can be pretty challenging. But finding alternatives to common items like plastic bottles and plastic packaging is becoming increasingly easier — and not a moment too soon for our plastic-choked planet. While it is unavoidable when we are out there for purchasing we are sharing some essentials option that you can carry in your bag.
Before we get started, I want to note that when it comes to swapping to more eco-friendly options, it’s normal for it to take some time – months or even years. Zero waste is a slow journey and it’s important to use up what you already have so as not to waste those things. Once those items have reached their end of life, then consider replacing with a greener option that can last you for years or life.
Recycle Tote
It has been years since we kept at least a recycle tote bag in our handbag or purse. There’s no harm from doing that. I think this must be one of our first plastic-free practices and the easiest one for you to start with. Imagine the carries you rejected from purchase you could save the world in a whole lot more.
They came in numerous shades and sizes, you can decide what fit you the best and keep with you at all time. I must admit I’m overly addicted to buying them but fortunately I have Joe manage me on my credit card. These are those we are using:
Reusable Tote: We love to use both Peco Bag and LOQI reusable bag for marketing. They are water-resistant tote with pocket. The best feature of them is light, foldable and to you can select your favourite based on millions of designs they offered. What more, Peco Bag is made from recycled plastic bottles and that is why we love it more about the brand.
Market Net Tote Bag: The beauty of the Net Tote showcasing your fresh produce, the flower you purchase, it always could act as a reminder of what you are missing in your shopping list. I also love to bring my Net Tote for a picnic, it’s just gorgeous to show off with.
Snack & Sandwich Bag
Though the portable, affordable wrap keeps meals fresher and longer, there are several catches: Plastic wrap contributes to the larger plastic pollution crisis, it’s difficult to recycle, and it’s made from potentially harmful chemicals, especially as they break down in the environment. Have you ever figure how much of cling wrap or zip lock bags you have to throw away within a year? Did you know, there is a handful of the government or town council in the world will not recycle soft plastic. After research, we discover that we have been dropping non-recyclable items into the bin. Items that are mistakenly dropped into the bin will make the recycling process harder for the worker. Thus the simplest way of making no mistake by not creating more trash. *For Singaporean who want to know what can recycle or not, you can check out the following link.
One of the solution is that I have shifted to these gorgeous lunch bags both cloth and silicone. We got ours from Glamfields (I’ve got from amazon, for 12 pouches), Stasher Bag and by Roll’ eat. I love all of them as they’re lightweight and unlike the disposable cling wrap or zip lock bags. They come in attractive colours which I appreciate them so much. If you invest in a good sandwich bag you can last for years.
PS: In fact, I just order Lekue Reusable Case in my collection. They came in both in traditional sandwich and baguette shape. I can’t wait to share when it arrived.
Bamboo & Stainless Straws
Instead of plastic straw which is only one-time usage, these are my 3 favourable choices for reusable straws – Bamboo, Stainless Steel and Silicone. We love all of them – particularly the Bamboo because they are special, 100% natural and can be returned to the Earth without leaving a trace. It’s reusable and easy to wash, it’s best to rinse your straw immediately after use to avoid mould and bacteria. You can throw them in the dishwasher for an extra clean, too, but unlike others, bamboo straws are best washed by hand if you want them to last.
What’s the differences? – Bamboo, Stainless Steel or Silicone
Bamboo straws: It doesn’t change the temperature or the taste of anything, so they’re ideal for both hot and cold drinks. They can be reused many times but once they’ve seen better days bamboo straws can simply be placed in your composter or returned to the earth to break down naturally.
Stainless Steel Straws: It could last for a lifetime. They are great for cold liquids, metal straws make chilled beverages taste even colder. But do be careful if you are drinking hot drinks, don’t burn your tongue! Like, Bamboo straws they are easy to clean and you can consider to pass on to your next generation.
Silicone Straws: Itis long-lasting, durable, it doesn’t easily biodegrade or decompose. They are perfect for kids, party makers and those that prefer a softer style straw. It adds a pop of colours to your drinks.
Drinking is necessary for everyone, naturally our body needs to water to survive. For a change, we all drink at least a cup of coffee, tea or a refreshment (not to forget about bubble tea) when we are out at a cafe, hangouts or even a grab away. One of the most significant waste reduce will be to bring your cup. I got my silicone cup from Stojo Store as they are lightweight and easy to carry. One of the best features of its products is collapsible. You can fold it and put it in your bag as it doesn’t take you any spaces as compared to other reusable cups out there.
Although the collapsible silicone cup is our favourite, we also want to mention the glass bottle and stainless steel tumbler. They are great for both hot and a cold beverage, we have a couple of those shared within ourselves.
More to share…
A few things we haven’t mentioned above are:
Reusable Capsule: Since we got our Nespresso machine we tend to drink more cups than usual. Despite we recycle all the capsules for compost. So we are thrilled when we discover reusable capsule! The greatest thing invented, you can stop being convenient, grab the coffee powder in bulks and reduce even more waste.
Bamboo Strainer: It is the most charming things we love about bamboo strainer. 100% handcraft, organic, no chemical use when they made each of them. With this, you can stop using a paper filter and keep something so beautiful on your tabletop. Like the coffee get the tea leaves in loose form and you can make your tea without having wasting the packaging.
Glassware: The last thing I wanted to mention is to reuse all the glassware (like jars, containers) from your meals. Glass is one of the durable receptacles you can get out there. Usually, we will try not to buy new ones and reuse what we already have. Especially, there are various merchandises out there we tried to packaging that is environmental friendly (e.g. tins and jars). Rinse and recycle them and it’ll save you money for getting new ones. Let us go in-depth on our collection in another post soon.
While some find doing laundry to be relaxing, others find it mundane and time-consuming. Regardless of how you see it, doing laundry is a necessary job. And, to help make it more enjoyable for everyone, we’ve come up with 3 ideas that will help you organize and arrange your laundry room situation so that you can cut down on the amount of time you spend washing, drying, and hanging.
Conceal it in a Closet If you lack the space to be able to dedicate an entire room to your laundry, consider putting it in a closet. It makes it easier to conceal, takes up much less space, and lets you keep all your cleaning supplies in the same convenient spot.
Make use of all the Space If you have tall ceilings, make use of that space with hanging racks. It’ll allow your laundry to air dry faster and keeps your clean things off the floor.
Sort your Laundry Minimize the amount of time you have to spend in the laundry room by pre-sorting your laundry. A three-in-one hamper easily lets you toss colors in one bin, darks in another, and whites in the last, making it easy to dump in a load and get on to the next thing.
Every day, around 4 pm, my sister and I start talking about dinner. If there aren’t any leftovers or a previously thought-through dinner plan, my most common proposition is ‘meat and pasta?’ Those two are such staples and always leave us feeling nourished. These days I love to have tomato-based pasta (I used to hate it when I was young) – the sweet-sour of the tomato juice just makes the meal so easy to digest.
Indefinitely All’Amatriciana Meatball Pasta is the star of our choice. We love handmade meatballs, it is so easy, small little pieces can taste so fabulous and explosive than any of those you have out there. Why we say so, as we never minimise the food we serve on the table. We don’t just mix the meat, onion, spice and herb only – that will be an insult to the ingredients and the meal bring on the table. We want it to be flavourful and therefore we have added in smoked bacon, crushed red pepper, parmesan cheese to create a balanced and wholesome experience.
Bacon vs Smoked-Bacon
The usual bacon can be fatty as it came from pork belly, while the smoked bacon does also come from pork but it uses the leg meat of the pig which is way less fatty. In terms of taste, smoked bacon is more flavorful than unsmoked bacon. The flavour varies depending on the equipment used to smoke the meat and how long it is smoked. Generally, smoked bacon has a combination of nutty, sweet, grassy, and buttery taste.
We preferred Infused Smoked Bacon. As they each bring a different flavour to the meatball. We have used Applewood Smoked Bacon, we love the light, fruity and slightly sweet aroma of applewood deep into the meat.
Baked vs Sauce-pan
While many baked their meatball in the oven, we prefer the sauce-pan as we have better control of the heat and how well done we wanted for our meatball. One of the plus points was we make the meatballs and the sauce in the same pan. It adds even more flavour to the sauce and it saves me dirtying another dish.
When we are in rush for a quick meal, we will toss the meatball in the oven and drizzle over some oil to cook them as it is easy, so it’s basically a no-brainer. It is still good however some flavour will be lost in your sauce and a less crispy meatball.
How to cook them?
Oven-Baked Meatballs: Place a wire cooling rack on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil and spray it with cooking spray. Arrange meatballs on top and bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Pro: clean, healthier, hands-off cooking. This is my weeknight approach.
Pan-Seared Meatballs: Heat about 1/4-inch of oil (I use half olive oil, half vegetable oil) in a large cast-iron skillet. Working in batches, brown the meatballs by cooking 2-3 minutes per side and turning with a spatula to create a nice crust around outside of each meatball. At this point, either transfer the partially cooked meatballs to a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes until done OR set aside and add to the sauce to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
Quick and Easy: Freezing technique
Freezing meatballs can be an extremely helpful process to do if you’re looking for a quick feed to pop on the stove and eat for lunch or dinner. Most stores sell frozen meatballs but many have fattening ingredients that you’re probably not satisfied with, or have certain ingredients that you’re allergic to. Thankfully you can freeze your batch of homemade meatballs that can last more than a month and still taste just as good.
Variation for this Meal
While this recipes is already prefect but we love to make a twist to the recipe making it a whole new flavour.
Substitute ground pork for sweet Italian sausage, which is pretty much just ground pork with seasonings added to it already, but that doesn’t hurt when adding it to meatballs.
Substitute ground turkey for any or all of the ground beef or ground pork for a healthier, lower-calorie alternative.
Make baked Italian meatballs instead of browning them in a pan first for another calorie saving option. Baked meatballs are totally delicious and hands-off (which is our favourite part), so this is another good option that we honestly do most of the time if it’s just us, even though we prefer frying the meatballs for special occasions.
If youre in the mood to recreate your own romantic spaghetti moment, then this recipe is perfect for you. We much rather stay in and cook a meal at home. For any special day, we always want something comforting and warm and easy to throw together. This recipe for Spaghetti & Meatballs fits the bill perfectly! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram as @leplaincanvas and use the #byplaincanvas hashtag. We love seeing your takes on my recipes!
Place bacon in the processor. Using on/off turns, grind to a coarse paste. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a garlic press, squeeze in garlic. Gently mix in beef and all remaining ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes.
Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatball. Arrange meatballs on sheet.
Sauce
Puree tomatoes with juice and garlic in batches in a blender until smooth.
Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp; transfer bacon to a plate.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to drippings in pot and heat over medium heat. Add half of the meatballs. Cook until brown on all sides, turning carefully with a small metal spatula, about 9 minutes. Transfer meatballs to the baking sheet. Add more oil to the pot if needed and repeat with remaining meatballs.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add onions and crushed red pepper to the pot. Sauté until golden, about 6 minutes. Add wine; boil until reduced by half, stirring up browned bits, about 8 minutes. Add tomato puree and marjoram. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix bacon into sauce. Add meatballs; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until meatballs are heated through and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
Pasta
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; transfer to large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil and marjoram, adding more oil to moisten, if desired. Divide spaghetti among bowls. Top with meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and serve, passing additional cheese separately.
This month it’s #PlasticFreeJuly, we are excited to share more content we have planned. Going forward we love to share with you our favourite eco-products for the home, kitchen, beauty and daily life we document our substantial living at home. How we can contribute to our mother-earth without hurting it further.
We all must admit that there is no more delay or excuses for treating our mother-earth better than she deserves. This year many of us must have been experiencing different ways of trauma and we couldn’t deny the fact that we all contribute to the damage. We must say “no more” to plastic, harmful chemical and choose our purchases carefully and always go with an Eco-friendly product or brands to support the cause.
While today we love to share with you more about sustainable skincare and eco-friendly cleansing tools. When come to skincare and makeup, we tend to use a lot more disposable tissue, towel, spatula, cotton pad for cleansing. And that is actually very wasteful and harmful to our earth. Here are some replacement options you can replace with what you are using, it actually helps with our carbon footprint. Stop being convenient and let’s get started!
Always replace with reusable cleaning tools
Here are some of our favourite brands that we have been using and practising at home. It is no hassle at all and this helps us cut down so much waste than in the past. The following list is some of the product you can replace with your current cleaning tools. There are many brands out there but we got ours from scoopwholefoods, Evereco, Seeds and Sprout. Many of you will be asking why to shift to these instead, the main sources of these products we love are from Bamboos, Konjac and Silicone products.
Green Clay Konjac Sponge Puff
Konjac Sponge for body
Foreo Luna Play Plus
Bamboo Face Cloth
Bamboo Facial Cotton Pads
Bamboo Nail Brush
Facial Cleansing Brush
Reusable Cotton Pads
Cotton Pads is so convenient to use – we cleanse and throw away. What a fabulous invention! However if we are given a choice to wash the cotton pad and we can reuse it multiple of time why are we eliminate the option that given. They served the same purpose and we simply wash and reuse it again! Even great improvisation from the creators!
Beloved Eco-Materials
Konjac Sponges
Standard cellulose sponges are compostable but usually contain chemicals. Therefore, we should choose something that is eco-friendly and Konjac Sponge is 100% biodegradable. They can be composted along with your veggie, fruit, and plant remains. Simply dispose of it at garden or yard, how easy is it!
Bamboo
The most important quality of bamboo is its environmentally friendly quality. Pesticides and other chemicals need not be used while cultivating bamboo making it more eco friendly. Pollution is also reduced with bamboo cultivation as the plants reduce up to 35% carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and produce more oxygen. It is durable and therefore the products can last a very long time. We love bamboo at home, from the dining table, wardrobe to facial cloth.
Silicone
They are so durable, it doesn’t easily biodegrade or decompose. While normal plastics break down into dangerous microplastic pieces that can be ingested by wildlife and ocean life, silicone doesn’t break down much at all. We love silicone so much as it lasting pretty in varies design you can find.
Not only this #plasticfreejuly but let’s stop contributing to the waste in the world. We should make the world better starting from our very own self and spaces. Please share with us your favourite eco-cleansing tools. We love to know more about it and learn along with you!
It is always great to get inspired by how designers incorporate different ideas around the world. Although some of these ideas are so impractical to use them in our apartment it is definitely eye-opening. There is a saying “We can either work with nature or work against it.”
On this spectrum, these architects have decided to find a middle ground: instead of chopping down trees and building modern houses, the trees are incorporated as a part of their creative ideas. When we’re young we only though of having our home on the tree but now you can have a tree in your home.
Now I am wondering how can I make this idea works in my apartment?
Be inspired by food and drink has been the longest time before we started this blog. While Angela has an obsession with books but in recent years both of us are in love with collecting cookbooks, to learn from the expert and further putting out the home cook meals for family and friends. We loved to share some of our favourites cookbooks and authors to you folk. Let us know if you have already know any of them yet if don’t please check them out!
“Cooking and baking is both physical and mental therapy.” ― Mary Berry
Food Magazines (e.g. fresh + light by Donna Hay) I love to buy food magazine occasionally as during each seasonal change they feature really good recipes. And many celebrity cooks have started to join the squad. However, sadly to say that it is not all food magazines can have good guidance and with a bulletproof formula for everyone. Some magazines after numerous of trying the recipes but it just don’t work at all! But the one that approves by Joe is surely Donna Hay Magazine. So she has been one of our favourites whenever we see something we love at the magazine corner!
My New Roots by Sarah Britton For health enthusiast, you don’t want to miss this. It teaches you to make a healthier choice and features simple recipes to make a home. For those who don’t like to eat green, you might fell in love with the recipes in it. She turned dully vegetable into stunning beautiful dishes.
The Way of Kueh by Christopher Tan Kueh has always been in our life since young, and the making of kueh has always amaze me. When this book first released we know we have to get it, as it have a detailed explanation on the process and ingredients. It is also a plus point that you are able to learn some of the history from the local kueh makers.
A Common Table by Cynthia Chen Meternan I remember the first time I came across to this blog making steam bun, in three ways by @tworedbowls, the next second she has been my beloved food blogger on my list. When I hear that she release her book A Common Table the next second I got it on my bookshelf, I enjoyed her recipes with strong Asian influences from her Chinese background and her Korean mother-in-law. Most of her food is so comforting because of the familiar culture we could be related to her. You can simply prepare all this fusion food at home if you love American, Chinese and Korean food.
Molly on the Range by Molly Yeh I love Molly Yeh – one of my beloved baker blogger, she is so inspiring. I love all the crazy, lovely, sweet beautiful bakes she made and so when I know she has released her book, that goes into my collection for sure! I enjoyed the simple and detailing she shared, it is surely something you like to keep if you like to know more about farm life!
The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adrià I got this book at least 9 – 10 years ago – it was my favourite cookbook. Back then I don’t know who is the author neither do I know that he is one of the greatest chefs on earth. What I love about the book is the step by step guide that none many cookbooks feature this. If you are a first time making your meal, this book is the ultimate guide.
Gordan Ramsay’s Ultimate Home Cooking We don’t love Gordan Ramsay, at least my whole family love him. Swearing is surely one of his signatures on his shows but making food that good and easy he makes great teaching. In his books, you simply can make restaurant qualities meals at home. The book shared you all the techniques you must know in the kitchen. We taught it is the most fundamental book at home.
Bonus read: Leon Happy Curries My friends know how much I love Indian food privately – they said that I’ve Indian blood in my vessel. I love the spices, herb and the smell – how rich the Indian food can be so delicious when it mixture together. That was why by chance when I spotted this book in the bookstore, I purchase it without a hassle. It is a wonderful book filled with delicious recipes! This book is chockablock full with recipes of curries. I like that it’s not just Indian curries, it’s curries from all around the world as well as some lovely looking side dishes and all the bits to go with them. Very very pleased with this book.
Please share with us your recent or favourite cookbooks, we love to explore new reading out there! Happy Cooking!
Previously we have mention how rattan is commonly used in our home,cabinets, and in the nursery. This time we came across this uniquely designed shelf whereby it has an arc top. Previously we have mentioned that having an arch in the home gives a retro feel to the whole house.
It’s a perfect piece for the living room and bedroom, a unique centerpiece you will ever have. Add some greens and wood to the shelf having a boho feel. Something I really love about this furniture is that you are able to spot the dust at the most top of the shelf.
Today we are sharing one of my mom best dish – Stream Fish with Hong Kong Styled Soy Sauce. We love her fish dishes as she knows her ways to make it the best – simple and delicate. Unlike steaming the whole fish, we suggested her make it in fish rolls. Making them into bite-size, roll up with vegetables, it is easy to eat for all ages.
To us, nothing tastes as satisfying as steamed fish with a bowl of white rice, drizzled with the soy sauce from the steamed fish. Sometimes, my dad can have 4 bowls of white rice with just Hong Kong styled soy sauce. We promised that this steamed fish is just so delicious!
We are going to be biased on this: we personally think that fish is best eaten steamed. (Yes, sashimi and sushi lovers, you can protest now). It’s mostly a personal preference; we love the texture of a perfectly steamed fish–the flesh is tender, silky, and oh-so-delicate.
Our Family Heritage
In the previous blog posts, I think we did mention that we were born in a Chinese family with a strong influence from both Cantonese and Teochew culture. My mom is Teochew in blood and she made delicious food since we were young. I believed that is why both of us are so into cooking and good food.
While my grandma was born in a Cantonese family, she enjoyed great flavoured Cantonese dishes and delights. My mom spent her 30 years to refine her recipes into dishes for our family. Some dishes she made wasn’t the most traditional as she studied on her own without anyone teaching her. And many dishes were mixed with the Teochew’s flavours. Therefore, as compared to traditional Cantonese dishes it definitely tastes lighter in flavours.
How to steam good Fish Roll?
3-5 minutes steaming time. Set a timer for it.
Discard the fishy and cloudy fish “water” after steaming. Contrary to common belief, it doesn’t add flavours to a steamed fish dish. If any, it will leave a bitter–from the fish guts if the fish was not cleaned properly–and fishy taste.
Rock sugar. Wonder why the soy sauce is so good that you can just eat plain steamed rice with the soy sauce mixture? Rock sugar is the secret.
Use oil. Heat up some oil in your wok and pour it over the fish before adding the soy sauce. It gives your steamed fish that perfect sheen before you top it with the soy sauce mixture.
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Time flies, it’s happened to be the end of June. Singapore has reopened the city last Friday and the crowds flock into the malls and streets. Hence, personally I miss the quiet streets during the circuit breaker – I feel unsafe yet. Our city has to reopen the city for the economy but not because it’s safe!
When we are able to create more delicious recipes, staying at home becoming a norm for us as there won’t be any craving for us to head out.
2 tablespoons rock sugar, grind into powder form or to taste
Methods
Season red grouper with some salt and pepper, roll up with enoki and coriander stalks, steam for 3 minutes till fully cooked.
As soon as the fish is done steaming, transfer it out from the wok. Discard the fish water and set aside.
Heat up a pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, swirl around until it’s hot. Pour the hot oil over the steamed fish. Put the pan back onto the stove, add the soy sauce mixture and stir well. As soon as the sauce bubbles up and boils, pour the soy sauce over the fish. Topped with cilantro leaves and serve the steamed fish immediately with white rice.
As we know Tang Yuan is a delightful dessert that is served as part of the family reunion meal. With an interesting texture and a super tasty flavour, Tang Yuan is one of our favourite Chinese sweet treats and one we cook all year-round as dessert for dinner parties.
Tang Yuan (汤圆) is kind of like round dumplings. The dough is made of glutinous rice flour and water, and the filling usually consists of groundnut, sugar and lard. It’s pure joy to eat freshly cooked Tang Yuan. After you bite through the slippery, chewy wrapper, the sweet, and runny filling slowly fills your mouth. Absolutely delectable!
Usually, we serve it in a rock sugar soup. However, to make this dessert more sophisticated and tastier, this time we replace it with red bean paste soup.
Preparation for red bean
Rinse the red beans with water at least twice to remove the impurities and dirt.
Transfer the red beans into a freezer-safe container, and add sufficient water just enough to submerge all the red beans. This method is not considered traditional but is incredibly useful, as it can reduce the cooking time substantially to achieve a homogenous texture.
Let the red beans soaked in the water for a few hours so that they are adequately hydrated. Three to four hours are sufficient, but overnight is even better.
Simmer the red beans over medium heat
We suggest using a large pot with a thick bottom to cook the red bean soup. First, the soup can spill off from the pot easily, and by using a large pot will keep the kitchen clean. Secondly, the beans can burn quickly during cooking. You can avoid this from happening by using a large pot with a thick bottom and with high heat capacity, which can keep the soup at a constant boil with minimum heat.
Transfer the red beans into a pot. Add the pandan leaves and heat it over low heat, before covering and continue boiling over medium heat for an hour.
We normally used two to three pieces of pandan leaves for 350g of red beans. It is optional, just like the use of vanilla in western desserts. Therefore, the quantity is entirely up to you.
After 1 hour, the colour of the soup has changed to maroon, which indicates the red beans have started to disintegrate. The beans now look soft and broken down.
Mashed the red bean
There are a few ways you can proceed from this point.
The first method is to use an immersion blender to blend the beans until there are broken up.
The second method is to fish out the beans and mashed them manually and subsequently returned to the pot.
Either way will achieve the same purpose. The first method is our favourite method, however manually works fine too, but you need to remove the panda leave first, then let it pass through a wire mesh strainer. Mash about 80% of the beans, and keep the other 20% intact, so that there are still some whole beans in the soup.
Sweeten with Rock Sugar
Add the rock sugar plus a little bit of salt to balance the sweetness. It is a common practice to add sugar at this stage. It is a strange phenomenon that the red beans will take a longer time to soften if you add the sugar at the earlier. Sweetness is a personal preference, so you can adjust according to your desire.
At this point, the red beans should have disintegrated further to form a homogeneous suspension and thicken considerably.
After adding the sugar and salt, do not cover the pot anymore as you need to stir it constantly to avoid it from burning. Simmer over low heat for a further 30 minutes.
Now it comes to the final step. Turn off the heat and put on the lid. Let it sit for 30 minutes to allow the red beans to disintegrate further. (If you want it thicker.)
Add in your favourite tang yuan and enjoy it! Click here for a detailed explanation for making tang yuan. Give it a try and let me know of the outcome by leaving your comment below. It does not take you long before you can enjoy a bowl of heartwarming traditional Cantonese dessert at home.
A sweet, nutty, runny filling sealed with a slippery, chewy wrapper, Tang Yuan (Chinese glutinous rice balls) is a delectable dessert not to miss.
Ingredients
250 g red beans
1 1/2 litres water
80-100g rock suger
2-3 pandan leaves, knotted
50 g glutinous rice flour
60-75ml water
Methods
Soak the red bean in water for 2–3 hours.
Wash, drain and pour into a pot. Add 1.5l of water to the red bean and bring to the boil. Add the pandan leaves. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
After 2 hours, remove the pandan leaves. Add the rock sugar gradually, and stir to dissolve. Taste, and sweeten with more rock sugar if necessary. Let it continue to simmer for an hour.
Make the tang yuan dough. Sift the glutinous rice flour into a bowl. Gradually add water to form a stiff dough. Place dough on board and knead well for 3-4 minutes. Roll firmly into the size of a marble ball. (Add 50g of sweet potato paste to the dough for yellow tang yuan.)
Drop the balls into the red bean syrup, and cook until they float to the surface. Serve each bowl of hot red bean soup with 3 tang yuans.
If the changing leaves have you daydreaming over new hues for your home, maybe it’s time to swap out your pastels for an autumnal yellow shade like ochre. Whether you prefer a bold mustard color or more subtle yellow tones, ochre is a unique hue that echoes the beauty of the great outdoors. When paired with chic accessories and bold textures, ochre brings the ultimate fall color for prepping your home before you welcome the holidays. Scroll on to see 5 ways you can decorate your home with ochre.
1. Navy Blue: The combo of navy blue and ochre yellow totally slays. The rich yellow color beautifully balances chilly blue tones, especially when you add cheery accents like coral pink and orange. (via Oh Happy Day)
2. Blushing Pink: If you’re looking for one must-have to update your bedroom for fall, experiment with this rich tone. An ochre and peach quilt warms up the bedroom and ends up acting like a neutral while letting the teal and blue tones pop. (via Greenhouse Interiors)
3. Take a Seat: Your reading nook could be the perfect space to try out this trendy tone, whether it’s with a vintage flea market chair or a retro piece your parents had in the attic. If you’re hesitant of its boldness, don’t be! This muted sunny hue is right at home in a warm and neutral color palette. (via A Beautiful Mess)
4. Bring in the Art: A gallery wall can be the *perf* way to try out a new color palette, without committing to a new couch or paint color. Against a dark teal backdrop, this unique collection of wall art feels equal parts retro and elegant. (via Front + Main)
5. Light and Bright: Feeling bold? This jaw-droppingly gorgeous home is totally rocking that ochre mustard accent wall. Keep the space bright and fresh with pastel pink, gray and black accessories for a totally Scandi vibe. (via Vtwonen)
Are you loving this fall-inspired paint color? Follow us on Pinterest for more fall decorating inspiration.
Living as a Chinese household, our family cooked traditional Chinese dishes all the time. During our break at home, we decide to exchange recipes with our mom. Where we teaches her to do some bakery and she shared some Chinese recipes with us. Our mom decided to share something light and healthy – The Steamed Fish Roll with Roasted Garlic in Fish Broth.
We’ve always liked that this dish had strong yet clean flavours. Since it was steamed, it was also relatively healthy and acted as a good counterfoil to the much oilier that you may have.
Homemade Fish Broth
This recipe required using the homemade fish broth. As the homemade fish stock is essential in my home cooking we decided to prepare more for later usage too. Apart from the flavour, it is packed with nutrients that our body requires. It makes a great soup base for noodles, rice vermicelli, pasta or it can be served as a daily nourishing soup with added tomatoes and vegetables.
All you need is 400g fishbone, 10g of old ginger and some peppercorn. All you need is to rinse fishbone with ginger in a pan with a little bit of oil. Add peppercorn and hot water, simmer for 30 mins over high heat till a white broth. Strain and set aside. As simple as it sounds.
It is always nice to learn from our mom and we hope that you enjoy this recipe too. Leave a comment below and let us know if you like this.
Steamed Fish Roll with Roasted Garlic in Fish Broth
Exquisite dish that is full of flavour and texture – perfect to serve as a main course at a dinner party.
Ingredients
100g baby bok choy
250g red grouper meat, sliced
20g enoki
some coriander stalks
50g garlic
2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
Fish Broth
400g fishbone
10g old ginger
a bit of peppercorn
2 litres of water
20g lotus root, thinly sliced
Methods
Prepare the fish broth: Rinse fishbone with ginger in a pan with a little bit of oil. Add peppercorn and hot water, simmer for 30 mins over high heat till a white broth. Strain and set aside.
Season red grouper with some salt and pepper, roll up with enoki and coriander stalks, steam for 3 minutes till fully cooked.
Deep-fry garlic till golden brown, cook with 200ml of fish broth for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add lotus root, baby bok choy and tomatoes, cook briefly and turn off heat.
During the stay at home, we have tried more bake goods then we usually well as the delivery service is so easy nowadays. However, what we do to make things easier is to have a “bread baking day” from time to time where we’ll bake several different loaves at once, then store them in the freezer. It lasts us quite a while.
This time we decided to our mom favourite raisin bread. If you are not a fan of raisins or dried fruit (cranberries, chopped apricots, etc. can be used instead of raisins), use chocolate chunks or leave them out entirely. This bread recipe will be delicious regardless.
This homemade raisin bread is a delicious, lightly sweetened yeast bread. It’s wonderful sliced right off the loaf, and it makes fabulous toast. Whichever way you like it, homemade raisin bread is a top-notch breakfast choice.
Add some fresh-squeezed orange juice and a hot cup of your favourite coffee or strong, black tea, and you have a breakfast that would be right at home on a cafe menu. You can also make French toast out of raisin bread for a yummy Sunday breakfast. If you prefer, you can mix and knead the dough with a bread machine or stand mixer with a dough hook attachment rather than by hand.
Ingridents Needed
Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Flour: We used cake (wheat) flour but you can use all purpose or bread flour too. Stoneground flour will need a little extra rising time but most commercial bread flours will react the same as all purpose or cake flour.
Yeast.
Milk / Water: You can use only milk or only water if you prefer.
Sugar.
Butter. You can use vegetable/canola oil too if you prefer.
Raisins. Use any dried fruit you like or substitute with chocolate chunks/chips.
Spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger. (optional)
Salt.
Freeze slices of raisin bread and toast from frozen. Alternatively, the dough can be frozen in a loaf pan and baked from frozen. Baked raisin bread will last for up to 3 days wrapped in foil on the kitchen counter. Give this bread a try now!
This Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread is wonderful as toast in the morning and is adaptable to suit various dietary restrictions. Prep time does not include about 2 hours inactive time.
Ingredients
1 cup of milk at 40 C
2 tbsp. Brown Sugar*
2 1/4 tsp. Instant Rise Yeast
6 tbsp. Neutral Oil (See Note) Or Melted Unsalted Butter
2 Eggs
3 1/2 c. All-purpose Flour (17 1/2 Ounces By Weight), Plus More For Dusting
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Raisins
Methods
Combine milk, brown sugar, and yeast in a bowl or measuring cup. Let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy. This indicates that the yeast is alive and well.
Pour the yeast liquid into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add oil and eggs. Whisk to combine the wet ingredients, then add flour and salt. Use the dough hook or a spatula to roughly combine the wet and dry ingredients into a shaggy dough. Add the raisins, then fit the bowl and dough hook to the stand mixer. Knead on medium low speed for 10 minutes.
Remove the dough hook, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Flour your countertop as lightly as possible, then spread and stretch the dough into a rectangle that is the length of your loaf pan.
Place log seam side down into prepared loaf pan. Repeat process until loaf pan has a total of four logs. Cover loaf pan with plastic wrap and let rest for 30-45 minutes at room temperature until dough has doubled in volume and. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 170 C.
Remove plastic wrap. Lightly brush the top of the dough with heavy cream. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the top of the bread loaf is golden brown and the internal temperature of the bread is at least 90 C. Be sure to rotate bread midway through baking for even cooking.
Let bread cool in pan for 5 minutes. Unmold bread from pan and allow to cool to room temperature on wire rack. Once cool, slice bread using serrated knife.
Notes
*The 2 tablespoons brown sugar won’t make the bread very sweet. If you want a sweeter loaf, double the brown sugar.
Not everyone has the urge to Marie Kondo their place, even if they’re stuck at home with plenty of time to spare. “Organizing can be a stressful and daunting task for some, especially if you’re looking at all the items you have at once,” says Rob Truglia of MakeSpace Storage. “It’s best to start off by determining what areas you need to clean and go from there.”
Although our pantry is not anywhere to perfect, here are some tips for those who want to get things started.
Start slow. “Don’t try to reorganize your entire home all at once. Don’t even devote a whole hour to organizing if you don’t feel like it. Start slow with 15- or 30-minute sessions.”
Ditch the Packaging. Make the most of precious space by ditching the packaging. All the plastic and boxes that come with paper towels, garbage bags, etc. take up more space than you realize. Plus, it looks way cleaner and streamlined.
Utilize Vertical Storage Space. We took advantage of vertical storage space, storing frequent-use items at arms’ reach and occasional-use items stowed on the highest shelves.
Baskets, Baskets, Baskets. We utilized pretty baskets to tuck unsightly items away. Vacuum parts, appliance parts, BBQ tools, and other not so shelf worthy items were stowed away in deep, uniform, baskets. We clipped matching custom labels onto the baskets to make it easy to find what we need and maintain order.
Glass Jars. Transfer pantry staples like flour, sugar, pasta, rice, and nuts into stylish glass jars for a simple and quick visual inventory.
Incorporate Natural Materials. We ditched most of the plastic (can’t wait to get rid of them soon) and opted for natural materials like wood, glass, and seagrass to house utilitarian items.
There is still so much to do for the kitchen, however most important is to maintain the cleanest and organization of it before it getting messy again after the packing.
During the last couple of months, when we are told to stay home unless necessary, making meals at home has become a habit. We learned to plan our meals, prep the necessary ahead of and became extra organized than we are used to. While the two of us are blessed to stay with our family during this tough period, many weren’t that fortunate. Many friends out there are homesick as some of their family members are on another side of the world or living away.
Therefore, we decided to design meals on a tray/board for isolated individuals who can still enjoy quality time alone or with family or friends online. Simple recipe and idea like this are easily made at home, try it together with your friend and you can dine-in at home via the skype or zoom. Join us for the various options we are sharing subsequently on our blog!
We love Mexican food – probably the first thing that comes to mind when we think of a Mexican menu is tacos! This year we have missed our Cinco de Mayo day but it is good to have a post-celebration.
How to build the board?
Marinate your beef; it is best to marinate it overnight however an hour will be good enough.
Make your salsa; this time we make a Mango Salsa for this Taco board. Usually, we will let our salsa sit in the fridge for an hour or more.
Toast the taco and serve it at the side of the board with the mains.
Fill small bowls with your favourite salsa, tacos, lime and cheese dips.
How to make the taco beef?
It’s a quick recipe using a simple marinade for your skirt steak. It just needs 1 hour of marinating before you throw it onto a skillet. From there, you can top off your tacos with diced onion, cilantro and fresh lime juice. We use a ziplock bag to do the marination, as it simple and mess-free.
Combine beef, soy sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon canola oil, garlic, chilli powder, and cumin. Zip the ziplock bag up and mix it well like playing play-dough. (Scroll down to the end of the post for the recipe)
5-Ingredients Mango Salsa
To make this easy mango salsa recipe, you will need:
Fresh Mangoes: Nice and ripe, and diced to your desired size.
Red Onion: Also peeled and finely diced.
Jalapeño: For a milder salsa, I recommend using just one pepper, seeded and diced. Or for a spicier salsa, feel free to add two peppers. (optional)
Fresh Cilantro: Finely-chopped
Fresh Lime: Please avoid the bottled stuff — your salsa will taste so much better with fresh lime juice!
It’s so easy! Simply…
Prep all of your ingredients: The size of your dice is totally up to you. So feel free to make your salsa as chunky or finely-chopped as you prefer.
Combine ingredients: Toss everything together in a mixing bowl until evenly combined.
Taste and season it: Feel free to add in some salt and pepper here, or also add in extra lime juice or cilantro if desired.
Serve: Then dive in! Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
We love that you can put one out at happy hour or for a casual get together and people can serve themselves and graze at their leisure. There’s no official call to serving time and no end to the options and combinations you can present. Can’t wait to have more board party, check out the pancake board that we previously made too.
Easy, quick, authentic carne asada street tacos you can now make right at home! Top with onion, cilantro + fresh lime juice!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 mini flour tortillas, warmed
3/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges
Methods
In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon canola oil, garlic, chilli powder, and cumin.
In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine soy sauce mixture and steak; marinate for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add steak and marinade, and cook, stirring often, until steak has browned and marinade has reduced, about 5-6 minutes, or until desired doneness.
Serve steak in tortillas, topped with onion, cilantro and lime.
Our family love pizza, so pepperoni pizza is usually a surefire dinner win. But if we’re being honest, we rarely make pizza for our family. We see pizza as a cheat night for us, and we get delivery. So when we decided to make pizza at home, we knew it needed to be better than your average delivery. It needed tons of pepperoni, a nice crust, great flavour, and maybe even a surprise or two to put it over the top.
Making pepperoni pizza is as easy as layering the ingredients on a pizza crust. Start with the sauce, then cheese, pepperoni, and a little more cheese.
What Toppings go with Pepperoni Pizza?
You can load up a pepperoni pizza with endless options of toppings. Topping ideas include:
olives
bell peppers
hot peppers
pineapple
sausage
various types of cheese
chicken
arugula
bacon
While traditional pepperoni pizza is made with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni.
Homemade Pizza Dough:
If you have made pizza dough before then you probably know that it’s super easy. Our pizza dough recipe uses SEVEN simple pantry ingredients: (water, oil, sugar, yeast, salt, vinegar, and flour) and it’s every bit as good (or better than) your favourite restaurant pizza dough. We love how easy and inexpensive it is to make Homemade pizza dough.
Can Pizza Dough be made ahead of time?
There are a few different options for making pizza dough ahead of time.
Optional 1: Make the dough up until the first rise. Place the dough in an airtight container in the fridge to rise overnight, or for several hours, before rolling it out and pre-baking it.
Option 2: Completely make the pizza dough, including pre-baking it in the oven for 6 minutes. Top with desired pizza toppings, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, until ready to bake your pizza.
Option 3: Freeze the pizza dough. Form a ball with the dough and lightly spray it on all sides. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a ziplock freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the pizza dough in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and rise. Then roll it out when you are ready to pre-bake.
You could also pre-bake the pizza crust and freeze the pre-baked crust before adding sauce and toppings. Just make sure the crust cools completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in your freezer.
Leave a comment below and let us know which flavor you would like us to challenge at home. Enjoy.
This Homemade Pepperoni Pizza has everything you want—a great crust, gooey cheese, and tons of pepperoni. The secret to great pepperoni flavour? Hide extra under the cheese! Who needs delivery?
Last week we talk about the transition of rattan from the past till now. And we realized the rattan is widely and popularly used at the nursery too. Thus if a retro-chic nursery is what you’re searching for, look no further than the latest rattan decor trend.
The versatile cane-like material (often but not always used in wicker-style woven furniture) adds tons of vintage charm and is perfect for giving an outdoorsy, breezy, and tropical vibe to any room as well. And fear not: While the material was super popular in the ’70s, today’s pieces don’t doom you to a stale, dated look. Pairing rattan with modern colors and details makes it an easy option for a beautiful space for baby and you.
Below are some of our favorite combination;
Rattan + Neutrals: Wicker and light wooden elements look crisp when paired with all-white everything and a green cactus as a color pop.
Bohemian Accents: An airy footstool gives vintage flavor to this modern room, and the natural color complements both the clean white walls and rich terra cotta shades in the rug and planter.
Easy and Breezy: The open weave of this cradle echoes the curvy scrollwork of the wall molding for a look that’s sophisticated but never stuffy.
We are so excited about this cake because it’s our first official mango recipe this season and it’s a good one. It’s also our first ever roll cake (or Swiss roll, whatever you know it as) and we can’t believe it turned out so well, without any catastrophes.
What it basically is, is this. A lighter-than-air sponge cake made without oil or butter, and super fluffy, is rolled up with a classic filling of mangoes and fresh cream. Covered in icing sugar and chilled, then sliced to reveal the cutest little pieces of cake you’ve ever seen. Let’s do this!
This cake depends on super airy, highly whipped egg whites to help it rise. It gets a little help from baking powder, but many recipes for a traditional sponge cake won’t even include that. Egg yolks add richness and colour, omitting the need for any butter or oil. The effect is not a moist cake, but a super pillowy one. Seriously, it’s so soft and spongy!
We were convinced rolling the cake up would be impossible, but we promise it’s easy. The hotcake is rolled as soon as it’s out of the oven, with the help of a towel to prevent burns and the cake from sticking to itself. Then you let it cool in the fridge and when you unroll it, it retains the shape, so that after you’ve spread the filling onto it, you can roll it back with no hassles. At the most, you’ll see a small crack, it’s nothing that’ll cause damage we promise. Be gentle but confident.
Season for Mango
Currently, it’s the best season for mango’s lovers – due to its peak, it just tastes so much sweeter, juicier than others season throughout the year. If you didn’t know they come in different colours and shapes. We have compiled some of the popular types of mango in the market. (As for this recipe we use honey mango.)
Honey mangos have some availability from January to late-February, reach peak availability from late-February to mid-July, and have some availability from late-July to the end of December.
Haden mangos have some availability from mid-January to March, reach peak availability during March, April and early May, and have some availability in May, June, July, early August, mid-September, October, November and early December.
Keitt mangos have some availability in early March, reach peak availability mid-March through early April, have some availability in mid-April through late-July, peak availability August through September, and some availability October through December.
Can’t wait to try more version of the cake roll. Leave a comment below and let us know what flavour you would like us to try.
Simple yet elegant, this mango cake roll is made of a soft and fluffy chiffon cake and a creamy and delightful mango with whipped cream.
Ingredients
Mixture A
4 egg yolks
50 g corn oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
50 g milk
20 g caster sugar
85 g cake flour
Mixture B
4 egg whites
60 g caster sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
100 g fresh mango
100 g whipping cream (whip till stiff peak)
Methods
Lightly whisk egg yolk and sugar. Add in corn oil, vanilla extract and milk and stir well. Fold in cake flour, set aside.
In a big bowl, combine egg white and lemon juice. Whisk at low speed till foamy, then add in the sugar in 3 parts slowly till stiff peaks.
Take 1/3 of the egg white and use a hand whisk to mix it in egg yolk mixture, till light. Fold the balance egg white mixture, combine well.
Pour the batter into the pan that line with parchment paper. Bake at 160 C for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven and cool it on the wire rack. When the cake is still warm, peel off the parchment paper from the cake. Invert the cake and place a new piece of parchment paper over the cake.
Spread the whipped cream on the cake, but apply more cream at the side face you, and place the mango on the thicker cream.
With longer side facing you, roll the cake tightly to form a cake roll. Wrap with cling wrap and keep it in the fridge overnight before you serve. Slice to serve.
Some grab-and-go smoothies are loaded with sugar and calories. Our version, which is a twist on one of Angela’s favourites, is much lighter–and incredibly easy to make. We always got our Pear Yakult Juice in one of the local fruit drink stalls and it tastes amazing. However as we now have to stay at home, we decided to make our own rather than travelling out to get one.
Despite the fact that pear is regularly regarded as a typical and dull fruit, there are numerous amazing medical advantages of pear and pear juice. The pear is a sweet (and somewhat sour) fruit that is related to the apple. Both of them are from the Pome family. Pear juice is not only delicious but is extremely healthy for you. If you have not tried it before, here is the easiest pear juice recipe you can use to energize yourself and be healthy simultaneously. Added our favourite Yakult which is good for our digestive system.
Benefit for Pear
“I hate apple but I love pear”, do not judge me for my favouritism.
May promote gut health
Have anti-inflammatory properties
Linked to a lower risk of diabetes
May boost heart health
May help you lose weight
Easy to add to your diet
Pears mitigate the effects of fever, prevent flu, and calm any irritation or allergies you might have.
We hope that you will enjoy this juice as we do. It is a simple recipe, we hope that it will kick start your morning or the day with a boost of energy! Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
pears (quantity depends on the amount of juice you want)
1/2 bottle of yakult for each cup
Method
Bathe and thoroughly wash the pears with cold water in the sink. Gently rub against scrub all the surface area with a brush or with your hands to get off the dirt.
Cut through the center and remove any seeds that are there. Discard the center part which has seeds, the seeds, and the stem.
Slice the pears into chunks that are a perfect size to fit in your juicer’s tray and tubes.
Hurl them into the juicer along, set the juicer on and let the pear and other ingredients run through it. Make sure you go according to your model’s instructions.
Serve it with 1/2 bottle of yakult! Pear juice is meant to be consumed fresh because unpasteurized juices should not be stored.
We love rattan furniture! Did you know there is a lot of history behind it too?
Rattan furniture has been around for much longer than you may think. This material was harvested because of its strength and malleability. These two advantages make it perfect for crafting furniture. While it is often referred to as wicker, the actual material is rattan and wicker is the weaving pattern.
There is also a difference between bamboo and rattan. Bamboo is hollow in the middle, which makes it more susceptible to cracking and breaking, whereas rattan is rattan all the way through. This adds to the strength of the material for furniture building as well. So much to learn about this beautiful furniture!
While I am scrolling through Instagram, I have seen more and more used rattan furniture at their home. I am amazed by how rattan chair and basket that we usually see have evolved to more function and shape. It is very hard for us to own rattan furniture as it is usually big and bulky. However, recently there are more light and minimalist designed furniture in the market. Where it caters to people who owned a smaller house.
Would you like to own a piece of rattan furniture?
We have been brainstorming what to make during this #covid19, digging online and our recipe book. As the weather has been so warm lately we decided to make something cooling, and we came across this Water Chestnut Cake from the book – The Way of Kueh. There are many interesting Kueh in the book, not to mention it has a detailed explanation that you will never miss a detail.
Have you ever encountered with Chinese water chestnut cake in dim sum halls? They look yellow and transparent and present a sweet taste. This Chinese Water Chestnut Cake is unique in its taste. It’s subtle. It’s not a jelly though it has the translucent characteristics of jelly when hot. And it’s not a cake at all either. Its texture is harder than jelly and it’s not too sweet and there is the wonderful crunchy fresh sweetness of the water chestnut bits. Let’s get started!
The Main Ingredients
Water Chestnut Strach To make this cake you will need to get some water chestnut flour or 馬蹄粉. You can find it at your Asian grocer or supermarket, we got it at Phoon Huat. This flour is actually more of a starch and is also used as a thickener and as a crispy coating for deep fry.
Water Chestnut Freshwater chestnuts, or 馬蹄, of course. To check for freshness give all the water chestnuts a squeeze. The fresh ones will be rock hard. The not so fresh chestnuts will feel soft. For the beginner, it’s okay that there is mud these chestnuts grow in the mud and you will just need to give it a rinse to get it off.
Slab Sugar The last consideration is that of the sugar. The kind of sugar traditionally used is the slab sugar, or 片糖, which is a slab of soft barely refined sugar cane that the Chinese love to use for desserts for the rich taste and shiny gloss that it provides. The slab sugar comes in different variations of colour that will also affect the colour of your food, lighter brown to darker brown. I used the darker brown for my cake for the extra depth of flavour. Or if you would like to have a white water chestnut cake you could use regular white sugar instead but the taste will be sweet but not as complex.
If you have gotten your ingredients ready, all you need is cook the syrup and prepare the starch slurry ready. Combine them well, make you stir it constantly pervert from burning.
Once steamed, let the cake cool completely before attempting to slice it. Otherwise, you’re gonna get some weird looking slices. To serve your wonderful treat slice the water chestnut cake into 1/4-1/2″ thick slices and lightly fry on each side until golden and heated through.
Can’t wait to try more recipes from the book The Way of Kueh and share it with you. I hope that you like this recipe, let us know if you have try it out in the comment box below.
A Cantonese treat, mandatory for Chinese New Year. Mostly found in restaurants, it is easy to make at home.
Ingredients
starch slurry
225 g water chestnut starch
600 g water
syrup
650 g water
330 g sugar *
25 g pandan leaves, cut into 1 cm shreds
200 g peeled fresh water chestnut, cut up
15 g lard
Methods
Make starch slurry. Whisk water chestnut starch and water together until smooth, cover and let it stand for 20 minutes.
Get your steamer ready. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 20 cm square pan, at least 5 cm deep, with lard.
Make syrup. Combine water, sugar and pandan in a pot, cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture just reaches a simmer.
Strain syrup into a clean pot and set over medium heat. Add water chestnuts and lard, and bring everything to a full but gentle boil. Switch off the heat, cover and let the syrup seat for 2 minutes,
Give starch slurry a good whisk, then pour it into the pot in a very slow, thin stream while stirring constantly with a spatula. The batter will rapidly thicken into an opaque texture. Turn on heat to low, and stir batter constantly until thickens into a creamy, custard-like paste.
Scrape the paste into the tin. Steam for 20 to 25 minutes until Koh is translucent and fully cooked.
Transfer pan to rack to cool. The Koh will shrink and pull away from the pan sides as it cools, and should then un-mould smoothly. Serve while still warm.
Notes
* The Koh’s colour comes from the sugar you use. We have use peen tong here, a moss-gold tint and resonant flavour.
If you’ve never heard of turmeric milk, you’re in for a treat. Turmeric Milk aka Goldern Milk became my absolute favourite night time drink other than just a cup of regular warm milk. This drink is not only completely comforting, relaxing, and soothing, but it’s also extremely nutritious. It helps to brighten and give your skin’s complexion a boost!
While I was studying skincare knowledge with my beautician (aka mentor in life), also through books and online reading. Turmeric has recently become a darling with skin experts and skincare brands. The benefits have encouraged me to try to make turmeric milk as a routine. I believed that instantly it’s will become your favourite comfort seek!
Turmeric Good for Your Skin?
In Indian culture, a glass of turmeric milk was traditionally given to brides-to-be to brighten their complexion the night before. It’s more than just an old wives tale. Curcumin has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which do help in combatting acne and clarifying the complexion.
Turmeric also acts as a blood purifier and flushes out toxins from the system. If you are experiencing a sinus headache, a cup of Turmeric milk might provide relief, as it eases mucus flow and promotes sinus drainage.
Most of the people I know have hated the taste or the scent of raw turmeric with all their might. And, our dearest Joe is one of them! I can’t be more agree that it can taste awful if made wrongly. But I can tell you that it’s opposite of disgusting and Joe can share with you how much she enjoys it now!
Why of Alt-milk (alternative milk)
When we are addressing the different kinds of milk – I have been taking both Dairy and Soy Milk since I was born. And we the human race has consumed Dairy milk for centuries, and it’s a staple in many families. Yet it caught mine and much earth-lovers attention that we should be relying less on foods sourced from animals. Is a good overall approach to tread more carefully toward our Mother Earth.
While I depending on Soy Milk for the longest time due to a seasonal reaction with Dairy products. To make sure I have good calcium level, soy milk is the most affordable option for the past decade. Though, I was being told that I have a high level of urine acid due to the intake of Soy Milk (but some research mentioned that it might not be the case, more studies we will find out) therefore I have been searching for other alternatives.
I have started to fall in love with Nut Milk – especially the Almond. I have tried a couple of brands out there but nothing is accommodated to my tastebud except Ecomil at the moment. It is organic and no artificial sugar added in it!
Sometime, we would challenge to make our own nut milk soon but meanwhile, Ecomil is my favourite! I do not know many brands out there so please shall with us what is good for you!
To make Turmeric Milk Tips
Could I replace other alternative milk or dairy milk? You can use any milk, based on your preferences. The different milk will bring out a different taste of it! While Dairy Milk will give you a creamier and a stronger taste, almond milk will have a natural sweet-almond scent.
Could I replace another herb? You can add 2-3 whole cardamom pods while boiling for a more intends flavour.
This is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when you need something to tide you over till dinner. The health perks alone have made it a daily ritual for us. If you try this recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and tagging a photo #byplaincanvas on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Turmeric Milk is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when you need something to tide you over till dinner. The health perks alone have made it a daily ritual for us
Ingredients
2 cups of homemade almond milk
1 tablespoon local honey, optional
1 tablespoon coconut oil, optional
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
small pinch of black pepper and grated ginger (fresh is best)
Methods
Simply pour all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a light boil. Whisk to combine ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer for up to 10 minutes.
Strain the milk if you have large pieces of ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns, etc. Blend, it in a blender for a few times till foamy. To serve, add honey or a dash of cinnamon.
Longing for a little indoor greenery, but less than confident when it comes to picking, potting, and caring for house plants? Indoor plants not only make your living space more inviting and luxurious, they also make your home’s air healthier. Adding an indoor garden to your home is much easier than you thought.
Top 5 Indoor Plant
Rubber Plants Like most of the other plants on this list, the rubber plant requires bright, indirect light. You should only water it when the soil is dry. Rubber plants have the added benefit of being one of the best natural air-cleaners out there. Place them near your favourite seating area to enjoy the fresh air.
Fiddle Leaf Figs Bright, indirect light is ideal. Only water this plant when the top inch of the soil is dry. Place it in a corner to create a dramatic focal point.
Split Leaf Philodendrons Bright, indirect light and even moisture allow this plant to thrive. You can dip a simple planter in neon paint, which brings out the gorgeous green colour of the leaves.
English Ivy Four hours of direct sunlight (and indirect during the rest of the day) and steady moisture is key to keeping your ivy happy. Put your plant in a pot that gives it room to grow or train it around a sculptural form to create a topiary.
Kentia Plant Sunlight and regular waterings keep indoor palms happy. While many others require high humidity (impractical as far as the indoors go), the kentia is relatively low-maintenance. It also adds major drama to a dining room.
Are there any house plant that is your favourite but not on our list? Leave a comment below and share with us.
Before bedtime, I find myself seeking out extra moments to sip on something warm. I especially love to incorporate this into my nighttime ritual, as I am winding down after a long day and heading to the couch next to my window. While caffeine won’t do, this herbal tea latte is perfect.
Consider of it as your comfort brew that also doubles as a nightcap and even satisfies that sweet tooth you have after dinner. It’s the most intimate way to treat yourself on a chilly evening. It’s easy to mix of chamomile tea and steamed milk that’s sweetened with honey and finished off with just a bit of ground cinnamon. Shall not further the delay, check out how it makes!
What does Chamomile help with?
Chamomile tea contains anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and carminative properties, which help in soothing the stomach line. Drinking a cup of chamomile tea may relieve an upset stomach, menstrual cramps, irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, and abdominal gas.
What brands are we using?
As a tea lover, I anticipate with all variety of the brands out there from commercial to boutique, tea bags and tea leaves, flora or fruit-based. I enjoyed exploring unique brands whenever I travelled to. For this blog post, the chamomile tea latte is made from Pukka from Australia. First of all their tea are caffeine-free, 100% organically and it smelled calming and soothing. If you can’t take caffeine at night, you would love to try this. (Someday, we would love to share with you a post some of the teas we like and enjoy!)
Chamomile Tea Latte Tips:
Use loose tea Give it a blend it (if you do not have a french press lid) Make sure to press down and hold the lid so that you won’t get a splashing mess everywhere!
Stronger herb taste For those who prefer a stronger taste, it all depending on how long you’re simmer your milk and tea. We’ve found that most of the chai ingredients work well with chamomile tea lattes so try it next time with star anise, cloves or nutmeg.
Sweeten with honey To make the recipe a little sweeter, add in a tablespoon of honey at the same time you add in the vanilla extract.
It has been raining lately, this Chamomile Latte helps to warm the body ups. Give it a try and share it with us in the comment section below on your result.
Take your herbal tea game to the next level with this Chamomile Latte. I’ll show you my secret trick to making the perfect latte froth using a Blender.
Ingredients
2 cups milk (Any milk of your choice.)
2 tablespoons loose chamomile tea
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cardamom pods, crushed
1 cinnamon stick + ground cinnamon
Methods
In a saucepan, heat milk on medium-low heat with chamomile, cinnamon stick, and cloves.
When little bubbles form along the sides of the pan, let it simmer for a couple of minutes before turning off the heat. With the heat turned off, steep for 5-10 minutes depending on how patient you are.
In a blender, use a strainer to separate the chamomile tea milk by filtering out the chamomile, cloves, and cinnamon stick.
Add vanilla extract to the milk.
Blend the mixture in the blender 5-8 times to froth.
Pour the chamomile tea latte into 2 mugs and sprinkle on ground cinnamon.
Been following Melissa Koh‘s Instagram, straight away I fell in love with the leather sofa she has at her home. It is a bold statement piece where you need careful accessories to the surrounding to prevent a dull home.
A traditional leather sofa is dark by nature so the easiest way to balance that out is to accent and/or surround it with plenty of light for desirable contrast. A paler hue on the walls, soft cream or white accent pillows, and/or a light or white coffee table will accomplish just that!
Another way to minimize the visual weight of a set of leather furniture is to break it up. Keep the sofa and find a place for the other pieces. Supplement with upholstered chairs for a chic and collected look instead of a matchy one.
For those of you who live with leather sofas or chairs, how do you accessorize or decorate around it?
Who says that it has to be autumn for a pumpkin cake, it should be the all-rounded season! If you only have pumpkin cakes during autumn that will be so wasted. As it is not at our home for sure, we love the pumpkin in all its favours – it also classy and sweet by its natural scent and taste.
So just the other day, Joe and I decided to make a 4-layers mini pumpkin cake with all of our favourites within one! You will love it like we do – pumpkin, caramel and coated beautifully with meringue.
This recipe is super straight forward (aka way easier than making pumpkin pie). Whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl beat together the oil, caster sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla extract. Carefully beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients about 1/2 at a time. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake.
This cake will bake for 15 minutes. When in doubt – bake the cake for a few more minutes. This cake is very moist so the chances of it drying out are slim/non-existent. If your cake is gummy or starts to sink – that means it wasn’t baked for long enough.
Is Pumpkin high in sugar level?
While you are having pumpkin, the natural sweetness will make you worried about the high sugar content. A cultivar of a squash plant and known for its distinct colour, pumpkins are low in calories and contain many nutrients such as protein, calcium, fibre, iron, provitamin A and vitamin C.
Based on the reading we studied, Pumpkin has a high glycemic index, but a low glycemic load at 3. This means that as long as you stick to eating a single portion of pumpkin, it shouldn’t significantly affect your blood sugar levels. However, eating a large amount of pumpkin could drastically increase your blood sugar. Therefore with a balanced healthy diet, a slice of pumpkin cake wouldn’t cause you much harm compared to the fast-food you might have consumed.
Which ingredients to use?
Can I use pumpkin pie filling? No, unfortunately, canned pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin puree are not interchangeable. Pumpkin pie filling includes sugar, thickeners, and many other ingredients and therefore will not yield the desired results. You can also make your very homemade pumpkin puree, with just a few simple step.
Swiss meringue vs Italian meringue Use your favourite meringue recipe to top the filling. We prefer using Swiss meringue which cooks the raw egg whites and sugar over a double boiler before whipping until stiff and glossy. Swiss meringue is more stable (which means less weeping will occur) and adds to that marshmallow-texture we like. Cover the cake with Swiss meringue then caramelize the meringue with a blowtorch or bake for another 20 minutes at a low temperature before serving.
This may not be a simple cake to make but it is moist and filling for the dessert day. We love to prepare the caramel filling beforehand and leave it in the fridge for future use. It makes everything easier. Give this cake a try and let us know in the comment below or on our Instagram for the result.
This is a delicious version of my favorite ever pumpkin cake, where we use both grated pumpkin, pumpkin puree and sour cream instead of grated carrot and apple sauce/peach puree.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
150 g butter
1 3/4 cups grated pumpkin
3 large eggs
150 g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
65 g (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) light brown muscovado sugar, firmly packed
180 g (1 1/4 cups) all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. flaky salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
80 ml (1/3 cup) sour cream
80 ml (1/3 cup) pumpkin puree
Caramel Filling
150 ml (2/3 cup) milk
100 ml (1/3 cup + 2 tbsp) heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean
3 large egg yolks (save egg whites for frosting)
4 tbsp. (55 g) granulated sugar, divided
2 tbsp. (17 g) cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 tbsp. (15 g) butter
Methods
Pumpkin Cake
Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 30 x 40 cm/ 11 x 16 inch sheet pan and cover with baking paper.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
Peel and grate the pumpkin.
Beat eggs and sugars until fluffy and lighter in colour and texture, about 3 minutes. Add the melted butter and beat until combined. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl, then stir into the batter until just smooth. Add grated pumpkin, pumpkin puree and sour cream to the batter and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
Bake for about 16-18 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cake cool completely before cutting out rounds with a 6,5 cm/2.5 inch cookie cutter. Wrap the rounds in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container if not using immediately.
Caramel Filling
Pour milk and cream into a saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add seeds and bean to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp sugar, cornstarch, salt and yolks. Set aside.
Put the remaining 3 tbsp of sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the pan over medium to high heat until the sugar starts melting around the edges. Turn the heat down to low and stir carefully with a spoon until sugar is melted and golden brown. Be careful not to burn the sugar! Stir in the butter.
Very carefully pour some of the hot milk mixture over the melted sugar (it will bubble up so make sure to be careful as this stuff is hot!). Add the milk mixture little by little, then heat until everything is melted again.
Slowly pour half of the hot milk mixture over the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Pour everything back into the saucepan and remove the vanilla bean.
Whisk over medium heat until the mixture becomes very thick. Put the saucepan in a cold water bath, stirring every now and then to prevent a skin from forming. When mixture is cool, pour into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap against the surface of the pastry cream. Put the bowl in the fridge until pastry cream is cold and thick – about 2 hours, but preferably longer.
Assemble
Put the first small cake layer on a small plate or cake stand. Spread with a layer of the pastry cream, then put the next cake layer on top. Repeat until you’ve used four layers for each little cake. Put the cakes in the fridge while you prepare the frosting.
Meringue
Pour egg whites and sugar in a clean and heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel or glass). Put the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly, and the simmering water should not be touching the bowl.
Whisk the sugar and eggs constantly with a whisk until the mixture reaches about 65°C (about 140-150°F). If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, just rub some mixture between your fingers. If the sugar has melted and mixture is hot to the touch, it’s ready.
Remove the bowl from the heat, beat until white, fluffy and cool to the touch with a stand- or electric mixer. This step can take about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest.
Cover the cakes with meringue frosting and toast the meringue with a kitchen torch.
A to-go smoothie is the best option if you’re not a breakfast person, got little time to settle your meal in the busy morning or just looking for a healthier choice. Imagine when you can get all the nutrition within a cup and it is almost half of the price you could get outside, why not spend 3 minutes to make your own.
I know that many of you might not like the taste of avocado – it has a fresh grass taste and a pure avocado smoothie can be very dense. Hence we made a slight adjustment to the recipe, instead of using water or milk we replace it by coconut water. It instantly lifts up the flavour of the smoothie.
Benefits of Avocado and Coconut Water
Avocado The avocado is one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. Ounce for ounce, they are among the richest in fibre, folate, potassium, vitamin E, and magnesium among all fruits. This nutrition profile makes it a worthy Superfood.
Coconut Water Known for its concentrations of electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals, coconut water has swept the nation. From yoga studios to vending machines. It is also a – Good Source of Several Nutrients; – May Have Benefits Against Diabetes; – May Help Prevent Kidney Stones; – May Support Heart Health; – May Reduce Blood Pressure; and – Delicious Source of Hydration.
We’ve been experimenting around attempting to make a good avocado smoothie. Coconut is PERFECT with avocado. We tried recreating it but only recently we realised the trick is to add coconut milk! It’ll be good if you can get fresh coconut milk for this. You can purchase fresh coconut shreds and extract the coconut milk. If you really don’t wish to go through that, packaged ones will do. Same goes for coconut water.
If you enjoy this ingredient combination leave us a comment below or connect us through our Instagram. This drink is simple, soothing and refreshing.
A rich creamy avocado smoothie made with coconut water. This detox smoothie is high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Sugar-free and high in good fats, it’s perfect for those on a healthy low carb keto diet.
Ingredients
1/2 ripe avocado
200ml coconut water
50ml coconut milk
1tbsp + 1tsp coconut sugar (or Gula Melaka)
Methods
Cut ripe avocado in half. Save the seeded side for future use. Remove skin and place half of the avocado in blender. It is not necessary to cut it up.
Add coconut water, coconut milk and sugar into the blender. Blend everything together until smooth.
To serve, top with desiccated coconut or fresh coconut pulp if desired.
Japandi, Scandinese or Japanordic, whatever you choose to call it, this latest hybrid trend effortlessly combines the best bits of two favoured design cultures. Founded by a common focus on uncluttered, minimalist and functional living, Japandi offers the perfect balance between the relaxed pared-back feel of Scandinavian design with the warmth and refined elegance of Japanese interiors.
The differing approaches to colour can also be seen through the use of wood within both styles, as both rely heavily on the incorporation of natural finishes. A Scandinavian-inspired décor will lean more towards lighter tones with a rustic, relaxed quality, whilst Japanese interiors often favour warmer stained or refined painted woods.
Overall, Japandi brings together the best parts of two ever-popular trends to deliver the ultimate in functional, minimalist living. The refined elegance of a Japanese-inspired scheme adds some finesse and warmth whilst the cool, modern rustic feel of Scandi design adds variance in texture. The result is an interior style that exudes clean and ordered sophistication whilst remaining comforting and relaxed…What’s not to love?
While we love to go grocery shopping – we like to experience new ingredients for our meals as well. We love the beauty of the different veggies and meats, especially the one we didn’t see much in the kitchen.
Whats is Belgian Endive?
Belgian Endive is a variety of chicory. Its narrow, cream-white leaves with yellow tips grow in a small, tight little baton shape and curve in to meet at the top. It is grown from a species of Chicory closely related to but not the same as that grown for its roots. The leaves are crisp and have a slightly bitter or tart flavour.
As we mentioned Belgian Endive on its own it tastes fairly bitter, thus we paired with spinach, goats cheese and some crushed walnut for more flavours. This is an incredibly simple dish that we first cooked simply because we had all the ingredients in the fridge to use up. You can glaze it with a balsamic sauce, it will be a great addition. However, you can omit the dressing and it will taste natural and sweet.
Pan-fried chicory is best served warm for these rainy days but actually they are good for all season. You can also serve this alongside pan-fried or oven-baked fish or sprinkled crumbled hardboiled eggs mimosa style over the top which is how we enjoyed this for a simple light meal.
This is a simple salad for your lazy afternoon. Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
Warm the oil a large frying pan, then add the chicory cut side down, turning after 3-4 minutes, or when charred underneath. Throw in a pinch of salt, and cook for another 4 minutes.
When the chicory is browned and soft remove from the pan, draining on kitchen paper if there is too much oil.
Plate up and sprinkle with the goat cheese, walnut, baby spinach, balsamic vinegar and some black pepper.
One of my guilty pleasures was to swing by Starbucks in the afternoon to get their Matcha Green Tea Latte (with just one pump of syrup). Usually, by the afternoon, I’ve already had my lunch, so I need something with a mild sweetness for my midday pick-me-up. A smooth cup of matcha green tea latte is just perfect.
But for now, we try to stay home as much as possible, thus we decided to make ourselves at home. Glad that there is always some matcha powder around in our cabinet. We use the powder for many of our green tea baked goods, but it just never crossed our mind to use it for our daily cup of latte.
It’s a slightly bittersweet taste of matcha when blending in with milk and a tiny bit of sugar, it makes the perfect cup of drink. On a chilly day, the warm latte tastes extra good as we take slow sips from the cup. If you prefer the iced version of the matcha green tea latte, it is as easy as using cold milk and adding in ice cubes.
Interesting facts of Matcha
Matcha is made from high-quality tea. Professionals mentioned it provides small amounts of vitamins and minerals, matcha is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, which have been tied to protection against heart disease and cancer, as well as better blood sugar regulation, blood pressure reduction, and anti-ageing.
Hence, for those who don’t know, it contains caffeine! Because you’re consuming whole leaves in matcha, you may get three times as much caffeine than a cup of steeped tea, about the amount in a cup of brewed coffee.
The preparation of matcha is the focus of Japanese tea ceremonies, and it has long been associated with Zen. This is likely one reason it’s becoming so popular, as meditation is becoming more and more mainstream.
Ways to Froth Milk
Frothing wand; Warm your milk. Immerse your frothing wand in the milk and turn on. Whisk, creating a nice swirl of milk, until frothed to your liking.
Blender; Pour your warm milk into a blender and blend on medium speed until frothy. Make sure to cover the lid of your blender with a dish towel—you don’t want hot milk flying all over your kitchen! (Our method!)
Immersion blender; Warm your milk in a large, deep pot. Place your hand blender in the milk, making sure the blades are immersed. Turn the blender on low, and blend until frothy. This method creates nice foam, but we can’t really recommend it because it is very messy!
Pump frother; You can purchase a special pump-style frother. It makes lovely, creamy foam.
How’s everyone been coping with #quarantine at home recently? Getting stress up from staying too much at home? Take a break and have a cup of Green Tea Latte, as matcha help to relieve stress too. Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe! xoxo, Joe
This recipe shows you how to make a creamy and frothy cup of Matcha Green Tea Latte. Enjoy this delicious drink at home by mixing bitter sweet matcha green tea with warm milk.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup milk (any kind you prefer)
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon matcha or 1 1/2 matcha bamboo scoops + more for dusting
optional: honey or sugar
Methods
In a bowl, whisk together water and sifted matcha powder until all clumps are gone.
Heat (don’t boil) then froth milk. Put milk in a mug and then pour in matcha tea.
Add honey or sugar to sweeten then use a mesh strainer to add a dusting of matcha powder on top.
Although we are unable to travel now due to the Covid-19, it always nice to do some googling on what is there in the world on the net. We came across this hotel Casa Cook Rhodes located at the Grece. This hotel provides me full of a different inspiration for me to create a relaxing and contemporary home.
Throughout the design of the hotel, warm grey walls have been paired with wood elements which gave a warm home feel. In the bathroom, shelves have been built into the wall, while a concrete vanity sits above a wood slat shelf. Which provides you lots of extra spaces for your product. Some of their room also uses soft natural tones which are combined with black and natural elements.
At first sight, I definitely didn’t realize it is a hotel. Thus I would really want to visit there one day and call it my second home.
Time files – it’s entering May, the second phase of the circuit breaker. We can’t believe that our year just flew by just like that! #Stayathome seems to have to be the norm for everyone but it doesn’t mean that it got to be lifeless and less entertaining than usual. Why not pamper yourself and your love ones at home with a surprise Nyonya Kueh Pie Tee party for a #stayhome high tea. It is very simple in preparing and it is an all-time favourite delight for all ages.
Everything can be prepared in advance. So you can just sit back and relax, watching your family enjoy themselves making their own little Pie Tee. We simply love to serve this alongside Popiah as well!
Kueh Pie Tee doesn’t take much skill if you follow the steps here – that is, use ready-made Kueh Pie Tee cups. Now that you have the shells and the filling, it’s time to put them together. Please do not assemble ahead of time as the filling will make the pie tee shells turn soggy. Only prepare as many as you want to serve and serve immediately. Top the pie tee shells with turnip filling. Few strips of the omelette strips and sprinkle some prawn on top and then garnish with 1-2 cilantro leaves.
We were beyond thrilled when we popped this cute pie tee inside my mouth. It’s been so long! The memory of us as a kid eating this when I was Medan just flashed right in front of me! So good and satisfying!
Trying out making your very own version of Kueh Pie Tee, you could never head out to get it from the store. Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
2 eggs (beaten and made into omelette and cut into long strips)
freash crab meat (stir-fry till cook)
bean spout (cook in hot water for a minute, drain)
green bean (stir-fry till soft, sheeddred it)
500g of prawn ( deshell, cooked and halved) – keep the shell for the filling
2 chinese sausage (soak in hot water, remove casing, cut into long strips and stir-fry)
roasted crushed penunt
white sesame
corriander leaves
Methods
Kueh Pie Tee Filling
Heat the oil, stir-fry the prawn shell. Add water to create prawn stock, leave aside for use. Heat the oil again, add in minced garlic, add the shallot and minced shrimp. Stir-fry it till fragrance.
Add in the carrots, turnip, raddish and cook it till soft. Add in the prawn stock and continue boil for another 5 minutes.
Now add in the seasoning and continue frying until it is slightly dry. Leave at the side to cool.
Assemble the Kueh Pie Tee
Scoop about 2-3 Tbsp of the Kueh Pie Tee mixture into the shell. Add strips of egg omelette, and 1-2 sprigs of fresh coriander leave if you choose to use. Enjoy!
When we are working outside, we tend to grab a cup of fruit juice after a meal during lunch. However as we now have to #stayathome, we decided to make our own rather than travelling out to get one. In fact, it is so much cheaper by making yourself at home. So we have combined a series of Yakult smoothie to share, this week we would like to share with you this amazingly simple recipe we simply adored.
Blend up this easy Peach Yakult Smoothie in no time to enjoy as a delightful breakfast or snack. Give it a whirl! They’re certainly a delicious treat in the spring. Juicy and sweet, peaches add so much flavour to homemade desserts and snacks, like this easy Baked Caramelized Peaches with Feta Cheese recipe. We enjoy smoothies all year in our home. A great blender makes it easy to whip up a variety of smoothie combinations. This PeachYakult Smoothie recipe is a new favourite of ours. It’s simple too.
Use fresh or frozen peaches to quickly make this refreshing smoothie that is great for an on-the-go breakfast or snack by the pool. Made with milk, original Yakult thus this smoothie is much lighter than a milkshake but just as cool and satisfying.
We love how much nutrition we can pack into them. This peach smoothie tastes just like my favourite dessert as a child, but I love that it’s super healthy and filling and give us the energy to keep playing all day long. This is peach smoothie recipe is definitely a new favourite with our family!
Benefits of Peaches So just the other day we found that the fruit store has this amazing peaches and we look up for their benefits. Surprising they have lots of benefits that include preventing constipation and supporting good digestive health. They contain prebiotics, which feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut tied to anti-inflammation, immunity, and mood.
– Peaches are good for digestion – Peaches protect your eyes – They may lower cancer risk – They can boost your immune system – And perk up your skin too – They’re helpful for blood pressure control and de-bloating
We hope that you will enjoy this drink as we do. It is a simple recipe, we hope that it will kick start your morning with lots of energy! Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
This easy peach yakult smoothie recipe is full of fresh peaches and other other fresh ingredients. Throw these in a blender for about 30 seconds and you’ll have a creamy and refreshing treat that your taste buds will crave!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peaches
1/2 cup crushed ice
3/4 cup milk
1 original Yakult
Methods
Combine peach, ice and milk in a blender until smooth. Combine the Yakult in and mix it well before serving.
When you think sunroom or even screened-in porches, you may think outdoor. And if you think outdoor, you may think uncomfortable wicker or wire furniture. But because sunrooms typically are built into the structure of your home, you should bring in upholstered seating, plush pillows, and throws just like you would anywhere else.
Make sure to include a coffee table and side tables so you have a place to set down drinks or the book you’re reading. We also suggest hiring an electrician to install electrical outlets in your sunroom if they’re not there already; after all, the sunroom is a relaxing space to get some work done when the weather is nice. In short, a sunroom should really be furnished well enough to function as a second living room.
While most of us are staying at home for self-quarantine routine, we decided to compile a list of our favourite #stayhome Netflix series/movies for you to have more entertainment! If you are done with all your works, exercises and cooking/baking videos, maybe you should grab your popcorn and watch these on the list as we do!
Kim’s Convenience Kims is definitely on the top of our list, the most popular Korean family in Canada tv comedy. Recently they just released their season 4 and we have to say it is never getting enough. Each season is only 13 episodes and they are so much joy for your home! It is easy for all ages to watch so it is surely entertaining for you and your family!
Kingdom “Impressive” and, it’s not just a regular zombie series! (*spoiler ahead) You might find the first 3 episodes just simply scary and not knowing what’s going! But wait for it, the writer knows how to reveal the story without any of your expectation! Well, you need to give some time for the drug to kick start with. Addiction will just get on you slowly, it is first Asia’s tv series that we can’t get enough of!
Stranger Things Joe is never scientific friction and horror drama person but Stranger Things makes her fall into this genre. Believe it or not, Stranger Things is one of the dramas that pulls everyone in to subscribe to Netflix. From the walkie-talkies to Winona Ryder herself, the new Netflix show is fun, creepy – and couldn’t be more of a retro-fest if it had neon eyeshadow or a glowing fingertip. The rest is Stephen King. A faceless, straggly-limbed embodiment of evil stalks their little land, roused by blood and teenage sexual activity. There is a total of 4 seasons, each of them with a cliff-hanging ending which leads to the non-stop watching.
Sex Education “It is a horny teen comedy”, that might be the first impression you’ll get! But it’s so much more, it’s also “hilarious and bold”. For those who enjoy English series and British’s joke, this’s the funniest! There are so many interesting topics to explore, for both the parents and teens (it could be an educational book for those parents do not know how to explain or engage with their kids). You’ll fell in love with the characters as each of them portray “a different type” you can commonly find today! Nonetheless, they are great actors despite their age!
The Umbrella Academy As soon as you start watching this show you will be hook, as the way it was put together so intricately yet effortlessly. It will make you realize you has start watching one of the most unique and dynamic shows to be released in years. Some people to dismiss it as bad, simply because it is different, it can be hard to really sink your teeth into but after a while it all becomes clear. It has a familiar tone to it yet it is also incredibly innovative, although it never feels forced, everything that happens, even the most unrealistic sub-plots are completely believable, and the quality just gets better with each episode, despite the strange discovering’s along the way.
Locke and Key The mystery is the keyword here, and the show really threads this yarn, slowly unveiling certain answers for each member of the Locke family. There’s a bit of The Haunting of Hill House, a bit of Stranger Things and plenty of contrived mystery. And you simply want to watch till the end for the answer of the mystery.
The King: Eternal Monarch With an amazing character transformations by talented actors Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun and the amazing Out-of-this-world cinematography to create the parallel universe fantasy. This is currently our favourite on-going drama on Netflix right now, as we can’t wait to relieve the story together with the cast.
Ever wanted to build a greenhouse? The greenhouse is the place to spend some quality hours. How you will feel when you have attached a greenhouse in your own house? You need not go outside to entertain yourself. Making a greenhouse room in your house is not a big task anymore.
The joy to control your growing environment year-round, knowing your plants and crops won’t suffer during extreme winters or summers.
Braised Pork Buns (Kung Bak Pao) was one our favourite dish from childhood by our mom. So tasty yet so fuss-free to make. Kong Bak Pau (aka 扣肉包) would be the closest version of a burger in Chinese cuisine, a thick slice of braised pork belly braised in soy sauce and spice sandwiched with fresh coriander between a steam leaf bun.
This time we are glad that we have our mom to assist us with this. Thus it will totally taste the same to what we have in our childhood.
With the use of five spice that combines with the fats that are rendered while cooking, it keeps the meat tender and develops that sweet flavor. This is one comforting yet sinful dish that is hard to resist!
Start by cleaning the pork belly
The first thing our mom did was to boil a large pot of water. Once the water had come to a boil, we placed the pork belly into the water and cooked it for 20 minutes. At the end of this time, the pork was lifted and placed on a cooling rack.
Using a fork, mom’s poked as many holes as she could on the skin, making sure that the fork also penetrated into the layer of fat under the skin. This would allow the fat to render out later.
When the pork had cooled a little, we dried the pork as best as we could with a piece of paper towel.
Prepare the herb & seasoning
Sides; Soak the mushroom in a bowl of water overnight in the fridge.
Herb; Sliced the ginger. Smash the ginger and garlic with the slide of the knife. In a pan, smoke the star anise, cinnamon stick and smashed ginger and garlic till fragrant.
Sauce; We made the sauce by mixing thedark soya sauce, shallots, garlic, honey, five-spice power, Shaoxing wine and sesame oil in a bowl.
With all the ingredients done prepared, combined them in a claypot. Cook it for 20 mins in high heat, and an hour in low heat. And it’s time to serve them.
How to wrap them?
Bun; Steam the bun till soft, remember to serve them got!
Garnish; you can wrap it with lettuce, coriander leaves and white sesame. Wash and drain the lettuce and coriander leaves overnight, leave it in the fridge with a cloth over to withstand the crispness of the vegetables.
Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, Tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
1 kg pork belly (preferably with 1/3 fat and 2/3 lean meat)
8 steamed buns
Green lettuce
2 tbsp of dark soya sauce
2 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of Shao Xing wine
1 bag of Kong Bak Pau herb
6 slices of ginger
6 cloves of garlic
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
8 soak Chinese mushroom
Methods
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add in the whole piece of pork. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and rinse the pork. Pat dry and let it cool slightly. Using a fork, pierce through the skin (about 50 times) to make many little holes in it. Make sure you pierce right through to the layer of fat beneath the skin. Slide it into 1 I’m thick.
Place the pork in a clay-pot and combine with the remaining 4 tbsp thick caramel, shallots, five-spice, soy, honey, wine, garlic and sesame oil. Add into the soaked mushroom at the side.
Cover with a lid and simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours until the pork is tender and the sauce should be reduced to a slightly syrupy consistency. Turn the slices of pork occasionally so that they are evenly covered with the sauce.
Add salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Dish out and garnish with coriander leaves.
