To my readers who may be surprised to see this ‘new’ layout of my blog:
I actually intended to close this page due to unforeseen circumstances, but then decided to keep the recipes. As with my other page, I realised too late that my food pics & posts were of no interest to (that particular person), and so I have this page as you see it.
Thank you for your support and visits all this while. I really appreciate it!
~Aliza~
…Again, at TokMi’s house.
Mom had asked me to bake peanut cookies for her, and so I decided to do it at her place.
I’ll start making cookies for my own household next week.
And so we had a buffet again, totally spoilt for choice!!
Fruits... some from Dad's orchard
Laksa (forgot to take the pic of the gravy!!! LOL)
Cempedak Goreng
Nasi Ulam
Fish Curry, Beef Kurma & Sweet & Sour Crabs
Steamed Buns, Kangkung Belacan (w/out belacan) and Stir-Fried Kailan with Garlic & Oyster Sauce
Mom’s been hankering for seafood since she got back from Umrah but because of Munirah’s injury (a gaping hole of a wound in her knee!!!) Mom has been putting it off till today. And so we had the crabs and steamed buns specially orderd from Lala Chong 😀
As I’ve mentioned before, Mom’s iftar affairs are always beat any 5-star hotel offering, and if her tables could speak, they’d be hoarse from begging for help by the end of the meal… LOL LOL LOL
But these days, her ‘buffet spread’ has reduced tremendously, since it’s just her and Dad with the maid now with all kids out from the house. Still, once in a while, when we go over for iftar, she runs a bit amok in the kitchen 😀 😀 😀
Thanks, Mom!!
Cheers!
~ am ~
Today, we all had iftar at Kak Nor’s house in Sentul.
Hubby wanted to break fast with Mak, so he decided to invite whoever was available to join. I prepared Leng Chee Kang, while Abg Rahman called to say that he was preparing Nasi Briyani so we didn’t have to bring anything (in case it clashed with the Briyani dish) :p
The Dessert & Sweets Table
My Leng Chee Kang
LENG CHEE KANG
200g dried longans
100g dried red dates
150g dried ginko nuts
50g barley (i left it out this time around)
1 pc. pandan leaf, knotted
rock sugar, to taste
~ place all of the above in a pot with 1.5lt water and bring up to a boil. Simmer for about 15 – 20mins, turn off heat and leave to cool.1 Tbs. biji selasih
15 – 20 biji kembang semangkuk
2 large pieces dried white fungus
~ soak all the above (separately) in cold BOILED water and leave for a few hours. discard the stones of the kembang semangkuk before adding into the longan liquid.To serve, combine all the above, check sweetness. Add in crushed ice and serve in individual bowls.
There are a multitude of ingredients that one can find in Leng Chee Kang which also includes boiled whole quail eggs, peanuts, raisins, sago, shredded dried nutmeg, and the list goes on and on. It depends where you go to get your bowl of leng chee kang, and it also depends on your personal preference. I like mine simple and uncrowded!! 😀 😀 😀
Cheers!
~ am ~
Yep, it’s THAT time again… OUR first date anniversary, so to speak :p
And so our evening had to end with a very special treat, but it was a bit of a challenge (and possible turn off!) since it’d been raining since 5pm!!
Anyway, before we get to the treat, let’s share our iftar menu for today…
I cooked Asam Pedas Daging for the first time, and although it was simple, I really liked it. It went very well with the rest of the dishes.
ASAM PEDAS DAGING
1 – 2 Tbs. cili paste (depends on how spicy you want it)
3 small red onions
1 small clove garlic
1/2 inch piece ginger
1/2 inch piece belacan
~ blend all of the above into a paste200g beef, sliced
1/2 cup tamarind juice
salt, sugar to taste
a small bunch of kesum leaves
1 small piece kaffir lime leafVeg of choice, optional e.g. okra, brinjal, etc.
How to:
Heat oil in a pot and fry the ground paste till almost dry. Add in the beef slices with approx. 1/2 cup water. Simmer until beef is tender, then add seasoning and tamarind juice. Simmer for abour 4 – 5mins, then add in the leaves. Simmer another 2 mins, then turn off heat and serve.
Our special treat?
EVERY year, on August 12th, we’ll go to the same BR shop we went to on our first date in 2004. The three flavours were Vanilla, Pistachio Almond and Very Berry Strawberry. Due to my ‘condition’ now, I changed the Vanilla to (sugar-free) Chocolate Chip. This year, Aina got to enjoy her own scoop of ice-cream which she polished off on her own 😀
Cheers!
~ am ~
Our iftar menu for today ~ Baked Pasta with Salad and Fresh Homemade Mushroom Soup.
My simplified versions of the above are as follows:
Baked Pasta with Sauteed Mushroom Salad
BAKED PASTA
1 cup pasta of your choice ~ macaroni, shell, fussili, etc.
1 pkt. beef mince
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pc. dried bay leaf
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups total chopped carrots, celery, mushrooms (your own preferred variety of veggies)
Grated mixed cheese (ready packed pizza topping is also fine)
BreadcrumbsHow to:
1. Boil the pasta till nearly done. Bear in mind it’ll be cooking again in the oven.2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the mince. Once browned, set aside. Drain the pan, then add a bit more oil. Fry the garlic, onion and bay leaf until onons start to soften. add in the canned tomato and veggies and simmer until veggies are almost done. Add in the beef and simmer another 5mins. Season and set aside.
3. Mix the pasta + mince together, give it a good stir to combine. Pour into a heat proof deep dish, top with cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180’C for about 30 – 35 mins.
Mushroom Soup
FRESH MUSHROOM SOUP
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 pc. bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup sliced mushrooms
100ml water + 100ml fresh milk or cream (I use low fat milk)
salt and ground white pepper, to tastehow to:
heat oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic and shallots until soft, then add in the bay leaf and mushrooms. cook untils mushrooms are wilted and soft. Add in the flour. STIR WELL to avoid the flour from burning. add in the water + milk and bring up to a boil. Simmer for 4 – 5 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Use a hand blender to liquidise the soup, or use a blender ~ make sure you do not cover and hold a cloth over. Pour back into saucepan, reheat; serve hot.
WARM SAUTEED MUSHROOM SALAD2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced into wedges
1 1/2 cups mixed mushrooms, quartered or halved, depending on size
3 Tbs. grape or orange juice
salt and pepper, to taste
Salad greens, to serve
Grated parmesan, to serveHow to:
heat oil in a pan and fry the garlic and onions till almost wilted, then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5mins, then add in the juice and simmer on high heat till done. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the salad greens on a plate, top with the sauteed mushrooms, then sprinkle with parmesan. Serve up!
It was a most wonderful meal, something different indeed 🙂
Cheers!
~ am ~
Today, iftar sans hubby, so the meal was simple, and recycled 😀
Recycled bubur pulut hitam & pengat keledek, murtabak @ PWTC
Noodle Soup
Sup Tulang, which we had with noodles and sambal kicap 🙂 🙂 🙂
Simple and absolutely YUUUUMMMSSS!!!
Cheers!
~ am ~
This was supposed to be our iftar menu on Sunday, but because of Hubby’s sepcial order from Kota Bharu, I had to move the schedule around a bit 😀 😀 😀
Mixed Grill with Roasted Pumpkins and Green Salad.
MIXED GRILL
Lamb Chops:
3 – 4 pieces lamb chops
2 – 3 garlice cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tbs. black peppercorns, cracked
1 Tbs. rosemary, chopped
2 – 3 Tbs. olive oil
~ combine all of the above to the chops and leave to marinade.
Steak:
3 – 4 pieces preferred cut
1 small piece ginger root, minced
2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 – 3 Tbs. olive oil
~ combine all of the above to the steak and leave to marinade.
* SALT IS ONLY ADDED JUST EBFORE GRILLING.
Heat a non-stick griller pan till smoking hot, then add the meats, searing one side then the other, for a few minutes. place in a baking sheet and place in a hot oven for about 25 mins., or done to your preference.
ROASTED PUMPKINS
1 small pumpkin, cubed
ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom ~ to taste
pinch of salt.
olive oil, to coat.
combine all of the above, place pumpkins in a baking tray and roast in the oven for about 40 mins, till nicely browned and caramelised.
I prefer to use pumpkins or sweet potatoes rather than the usual potatoes due to the nutritional value. Plus, they taste GREAT!!
(Do I sound like Tony the Tiger there???)
“In terms of nutrition, the potato is best known for its carbohydrate content (approximately 26 grams in a medium potato). The predominant form of this carbohydrate is starch. A small but significant portion of this starch is resistant to digestion by enzymes in the stomach and small intestine, and so reaches the large intestine essentially intact. This resistant starch is considered to have similar physiological effects and health benefits as fiber: It provides bulk, offers protection against colon cancer, improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lowers plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, increases satiety, and possibly even reduces fat storage.[57][58][59] The amount of resistant starch in potatoes depends much on preparation methods. Cooking and then cooling potatoes significantly increases resistant starch. For example, cooked potato starch contains about 7% resistant starch, which increases to about 13% upon cooling.” (Source: Wikipedia)
“Sweet potato varieties with dark orange flesh have more beta carotene than those with light-colored flesh, and their increased cultivation is being encouraged in Africa, where vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem. Despite the name “sweet”, it may be a beneficial food for diabetics, as preliminary studies on animals have revealed it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and to lower insulin resistance.” (Source: Wikipedia)
For ‘sweets’ I asked Ana to make Bubur Sum Sum. If you’ve never tried it, you should! It’s really nice… 🙂
BUBUR SUM SUM
1 cup rice flour
3 cups coconut cream
a pinch of salt
sugar syrup:
2 blocks gula melaka
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
water, depending on consistency of syrup
3 pcs. pandan leaves, knotted
Method:
Put the rice flour, salt and coconut cream in a heavy-bottomed pot.
Stir over low heat until mixture thickens. When mixture has thickened, pour into a tray or a deep serving dish and leave to cool.
For the syrup, mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil. Strain into a bowl. Ready to serve.
There are a few versions of this bubur, and I am using the easiest which does not require the rice flour mixture to be steamed. I like the bubur to be a bit soft and runny, sort of like a sticky tau foo fa, but you can follow the recipe exactly if you prefer 🙂
And so there it is, our iftar menu for today 🙂
Cheers!
~ am ~
First of all, to all friends and family, near and far, who have sent me wishes via text and FB, thank you very much. I am truly touched by your good thoughts and prayers.
SO.
Like any other year before this, August 8th will always be a non-working day for me. I have a policy against working on my birthday! :p :p
Homemade Char Kway Teow
1 pkt kway teow, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 Tbs. chilli paste
1 Tbs. oyster sauce
1 Tbs. dark soy sauce
1/2 bowl of peeled shrimp
1 egg
1 cup crunchy beansprouts
1/4 cup chopped chives
salt, sugar – to tasteheat oil in a wok til almost smoking. fry the garlic and shallots with the chilli paste. add in the shrimp and when it’s half cooked, quickly add in the sauces. when almost dry, break in the egg and stir briskly. when egg starts to set, add in the noodles and stir well, making sure the noodles aren’t stuck together. add in the sprouts and chives and cook further, till you get a slightly burnt base, then stir and mix around. serve HOT with pickled chillies.
Mom and Dad were also due to arrive today, back from Umrah. Their flight was delayed, so it was close to mid-day by the time they got home.
Aina of course had fun (and fights!) with Baby Qesha, and during one of the ‘peaceful’ moments, I managed to snap this…
BOLE????!?!?
The two cousins in QESHA’s COT!!! How seriously funny is that??!??! LOL
We also had these for our iftar….
Buttered Prawns ~ from Muhibbah
Sweet & Sour Siakap ~ from Muhibbah
Since Mom had just gotten back and I was pretty sure Tok Yat was tired, I volunteered to cook the Kway Teow and the veggies ~ Stir-Fried Leeks with Mixed Mushrooms 🙂
Stir-Fried Leeks with Mixed Mushrooms
1 small leek, sliced lengthwise
1/2 red pepper, sliced
choice of mixed mushrooms, about 1 1/2 cups in total
minced garlic, approx. 1 tsp.
minced ginger, approx. 1/2 tsp.
2 Tbs. oyster saucein a wok, heat a small amount of oil, just eough to fry the aromatics till fragrant. add in the leeks and peppers, together with the oyster sauce. if too dry, add about 1/4 cup water. stir to cook. when leeks begin to soften, add the mushrooms and continue to cook further until mushrooms are done. serve!
Apart from that, we also had Sup Ekor Campur, Bubur Pulut Hitam, Chicken Porridge with Condiments, and of course a whole lot of variety of dates all the way from Saudi 😀 😀 😀
And so that’s it. My birthday treat 😀
Cheers!
~ am ~
According to my menu plan, today’s menu is supposed to be a western meal BUT since late last night our niece came back from Kota Bharu with some ‘special’ items, I switched it around and made Masak Lemak Cili Api Perut dengan Pucuk Ubi (Beef Tripe and Tapioca Shoots cooked in Spicy Coconut Cream) and Fried Salted Terubuk (the Terubuk was given by our neighbour).
Tripe & Tapioca Shoots
TRIPE & TAPIOCA SHOOTS COOKED IN SPICY COCONUT CREAM
1 cup pre-cooked tripe
2 cups pre-cooked tapioca shoots
pounded to a fine paste:
a handful cili padi (more or less, depending on preference)
1 thumb-sized fresh turmeric root
1 piece asam gelugor
1 piece turmeric leaf, shredded roughly
1/2 cup thin coconut milk
1 cup thick coconut cream
salt, to taste
in a large saucepan, add in the pounded ingredients and thin coconut milk and bring up to a boil. add in the tripe and shoots with the asam gelugor and turmeric leaf, and bring up to a boil. lower heat and add in the coconut cream. simmer gently, stirring regularly to keep the cream from splitting. season to taste and serve.
Boiled Tapioca Shoots & Fried Salted Terubuk
What was this ‘special’ item all the way from Kota Bharu, you might ask….?
Lemak Bakar and Percik Perut Ayam
Yupp, you read it right! LEMAK as in FAT. Pure FAT skewered and grilled over an open flame. Hubby’s favourite every time he goes back to Machang (his hometown) durin the fasting month. Percik Perut Ayam is another specialty, and please do not ask me how it is done.. I have no idea!! LOL
Our sweets for the evening was watermelon, dragonfruit, dates and mint tea 🙂
Cheers!!
~ am ~
Today we had guests, so my menu was a bit more ‘elaborate’ so to speak 😀
Nasi Minyak, Ayam Masak Merah, Curry Dhall with Vegetables and Acar Buah (hubby got from a friend). For sweets, I made fresh soya bean milk with tofu skin and barley for our beverage. Hubby had also bought some drinks just in case the soya drink may not appeal to the kids.
NASI MINYAK
1 Tbs. ghee, to fry the spices
2 shallots, sliced finely
1 small garlic clove, sliced thinly
small piece of ginger, bruised
1 pc cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
3 star anise
2 pandan leaves, knotted
3 cups rice, washed and drained
3 1/2 – 4 cups liquid (to cook rice – i use half water and half fresh milk)
salt, to taste
golden raisins, optional
heat the ghee in a large pan and fry all the aromatics until fragrant. stir in the rice and stir well. pour out the whole contents into a rice cooker and pour in the liquids and salt. stir to mix, then switch on the cooker and let rice cook as usual. just before serving, sprinkle with raisins.
AYAM MASAK MERAH
7 pcs. chicken drumsticks, cut into smaller pieces
2 large onions
3 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1-in ginger
10 pcs. dried chilli, soaked and chopped
~ blend all above ingredients to a fine paste.
1 pc. cinnamon stick
2 star anise
3 cardamom pods
3 Tbs. tomato ketchup
salt, sugar to taste
frozen peas, optional
1. heat oil and fry the paste with the dry spices till fragrant and slightly dry.
2. add in the chicken pieces and let it simmer gently with the spices. lower heat so that the spices does not burn easily. stir regularly to avoid the bottom of the chicken pieces from burning.
3. once the chicken is half done, add in about half a cup of water. this is to ‘pick up’ the bits of chicken and paste that had set at the bottom of the pan. cook the chicken until done, then add in the tomato ketchup and peas, season with salt and a small amount of sugar.
4. serve with hot rice.
As for the beverage, I just made soya bean milk as usual (blended soy beans + pandan leaf + a few slices of ginger), and added boiled barley and boiled beancurd skins. I didn’t have gingko nuts, so I ommitted that. This is a good beverage to take for iftar, and I sweetened the whole thing with a low GI sweetener 🙂
I was supposed to make donuts using my new gadget but ran out of eggs so that has to wait… :p
Cheers!
~ am ~
zazook.wordpress.com 