He loves chowmein, I like pasta.

Toffee Apple Bouguet

2010-11-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we've been busy in the kitchen making toffee apples.
It seemed like a wonderful idea at the start; they are easy enough
for kids to make, they looks lovely and yum, kids just can't resist to
have their mouths wide-open crunching into them. Soon after, our
work top was cluttered up with tools and ingredients, the air was
penetrated with sweet and delightful sensation, laughter and excitement
roamed across the rooms downstair. However, our kitchen floor ended
up covered with sticky toffee as a result..
(and it took me nearly an hour to clean up. )

After all, the job has beautifully done and our items were sold in munites
at the fundraising event. Melony and Glen were happy and very proud
of their work. Mission completed.

To make toffee apples:

12 fun size apples or 6 regular size apples (on sticks).

Ingredients for the coating:

250g light brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp red food dye

Mothod:

Gently bring all the ingredients to boil in a small pot, dip the
apples in one by one until it's fully coated. Rest the apples on
a tray for about an hour before dipping them into "hundred and thounds".

Peachy Mousse Cheesecake

2010-06-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

This light and fruity summer cheesecake has won praise from my neighbours and put a smile on my face.

We're not Australians and we don't live at Ramsay Street, but we do have lovely neighbours who enjoy BBQs very much. Every year, at the end of May we join our neighbours at the neighbourhood BBQ which is held at the bottom of our garden. Although the weather wasn't great this year it was still nice to see the friendly faces, enjoy a few glasses of wine and some warm chats. Kids couldn't resist starting a water fight despite the cold. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Melony running about with only her swim suit on while grown-ups were hanging on to their jackets. Glen, who was following Melony everywhere like a sheep, occasionally showed up beside the dessert table trying to stuff yummy desserts in his mouth before running back to his sister again.

To make peachy mousse cheesecake ,

Ingredients:

For the base:
5 digestive biscuits, crushed.
70g almond or hazel nuts, finely crushed.(Optional)
50g butter, melted.

For the filling:
200g soft cheese
150g full fat plain yogurt
90g light brown sugar
1 tbsp peach jam or apricot jam.
Juice and zest of half a lemon.
Egg white from two eggs, whisked until stiff.
4 leaves gelatin, soaked in cold water until soft.
400g tin peaches in juice, drained and roughly chopped.

For the peach jelly topping:
400g tin peaches in juice, thinly sliced or diced.
100cc juice from the tin peach.
1 leaf of gelatin, soaked in cold water until soft.

Method:
1.Mix the ingredients for the base. Press the mixture into the base of a loose-based 20cm cake tin and chill for 20 minutes.
2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, set aside.
3.In a large mixing bowl, beat the soft cheese, yogurt,sugar and peach jam until smooth.
4. Drain the gelatin, add juice from half a lemon and cook in the microwave for 20 second to melt the gelatin. Quickly stir the gelatin mixture into the cheese mixture.
5.Gently fold the beaten egg white into the cheese mixture, keep folding until smooth.
6. Stir in the chopped peaches and lemon zest. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and chill for at least 5 hours.
7. Once the cheesecake is set, arrange thinly sliced peaches on top of the cheesecake.
8.In a small sauce pan, gently heat up 100cc juice from the tin peaches and the gelatin until the gelatin has melted and combined. Pour mixture evenly over the arranged peaches and chill for at least another 2 hours.

A dessert that will brighten up the day!

Neighbours started to gather in the bottom of our street.

A table full of yummy treats!

Roast Leg of Lamb with Fruity Topping

2010-04-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Holidays!

Everytime when I cook a leg of lamb, I can't help but laugh about something that Melony told us three years ago (she was only 3 then).

It was Easter Sunday morning. I took out a leg of lamb from the fridge, rubbing it with herbs, trying to get our easter dinner prepared before we went out to visit my mother in law. Melony asked curiously : "Mummy, what are you doing?"
"I'm seasoning the lamb because we're going to have lamb for dinner." I replied.

Later, on the way to my mother in law's, we droved pass a farm where Melony and Glen saw some little lambs running across the field. Melony shouted: " Look! It's baby sheep!"
" Melony, do you know how to call baby sheep?" I asked.
" Dinner!" Melony replied with a cheeky smile.

Roast leg of lamb with lemon and apricot topping
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1.5kg Leg of lamb (on the bone)

For the topping:

Zest of a lemon
4 dried apricots
2 cloves of garlic
25g butter (melted)
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 rasher of bacon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

1. To make the fruity topping, put all the ingredients for the topping in a food processor and blend them finely.
2. Use a small sharp knife to carefully make 15-20 holes on the flesh of the lamb . Work the topping mixture into the hole and spread the rest of the topping evenly on the lamb.
3. Leave the lamb to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 200c (190c fan oven).
5. Place the lamb in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the preheated oven.
6. After 30 minutes, turn the heat down to 170c (160c fan oven) and continute to roast for another 2 hours.
7. Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 1o minutes before serving.

Time to serve!

Melony drew this lovely sheep to wish everyone a happy Easter. ^_^~

Feel Good Butternut Squash Soup (Served With Cream Fraiche)

2010-03-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Is it Spring... yet?

I feel totally confused. With the sunshine beaming through our windows, after the rock solid snow from the harsh winter had finally melted. I was so excited to see the sky change to that cheerful baby-blue again. At last, spring has found its way to Edinburgh, I thought. So I couldn't wait to dump my big woolly coat and walk out the door with a light jacket on. Standing in front of Melony's school gate shivering, a friend walked toward me. Before I said "hello" to her, she said to me with her pitiful voice: " Iris! You need a thicker jacket! ". Yeah, I know...

I've been living here for 7 years and I still don't understand British weather... =_=~

Anyway, no matter it's rain or shine, a bowl of hot and tasty soup can always cheer me up. ^_^~

Pumpkin Soup served with Cream Fraiche

Serve 4-6

Ingredients

1kg butternut squash or pumpkin (skined, deseeded, and cut into big chunks)

1 medium size carrot (roughly chopped)

2 celery sticks (roughly chopped)

1 onion (roughly chopped)

2 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1000cc chicken or vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Cream fraiche to serve

Method
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil , stir fry the onion until it's soft and starts to turn brown.
2. Add the rest of the vegetables into the pot and keep stir frying for 10 mimutes.
3. Pour in the stock, cover the lid and leave to simmer for an hour.
4. Season and blend until smooth.
5. Serve with a tbsp of cream fraiche and sprinkle with some finely chopped fresh sage or parsley.

In Love with Spring and Snowdrops!

2010-03-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Winter Treat: Apple Crumble Muffins

2010-03-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

This fruity and fluffy muffin with crunchy crumble topping was so irresistible that I couldn't help but snacking on it.

This winter has been so terrible and seems to last forever! If it wasn't snowing, it was raining (and freezing, of course). Last month, a part of Melony's home work was to look at the moon and draw it on a piece of paper everyday. Only 5 out of 28 days was she able to see the moon. Yes, the weather was really that bad.

But it's OK. While I enjoyed my tea, treating myself with this delicious muffin, I looked out the window and saw daffodils in my garden have come out of the ground. I guess Spring is near!

To make 12 apple crumble muffins (in 7cm height 5cm diameter cases):

Ingredients

for the crumble topping :

50g cold butter, cubed.
70g plain flour
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch of salt

for the muffin:

350g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
220g caster sugar
3 eggs
50g unsweetened natural yogurt
100cc milk
120cc veg oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 medium size apples (cored and diced)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Rub all the ingredients for crumble together to make crumble. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add eggs , yogurt, vegetable oil, sugar and mix well.
4. Sieve the flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon into another bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
5. Toss the diced apple in a tbsp flour to prevent them sinking to the bottom. Gently fold the apple into the muffin mixture. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases (only fill up to 70%), sprinkle the top with crumble. Place the cases on a oven tray and bake for 25-30 minutes until the crumble turns golden brown.

A snow plough got stuck in the bottom of our garden yesterday.

Blueberry Cupcakes for Melony's 6th Birthday

2010-02-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

I made these blueberry cupcakes to give away at Melony's birthday party. Pink ones for girls, green ones for boys.

I can't believe that our sweet little girl is already six!

Last Friday, Melony bounced into our room at 5:30 in the morning cheering, "I'm six! I'm six!". Being the youngest child in her class, she has been waiting for this day for so long. At the moment she is happy being the same age as most of her classmates, but her friends will start turning seven soon.

Anyway, we promised her a big celebration when she's six. Eager to show us her growing confidence, she tried to be involved as much as she could. She got to choose the venue for her party, made her own guest list and told me her idea of a perfect birthday cake.

Voilà! Here is Melony's dream birthday cake. A blueberry cupcake (muffin) with pink sparkling icing , marshmallow and her face on top.

To make 25 blueberry muffins (in 7cm height 5cm diameter cases):

Ingredients

2oog unsalted butter, melted.

60cc vegetable oil

8 eggs

200g whole fat natural yogurt

400cc milk

320g sugar

1 tsb vanilla essence

850g plain flour

8 tsb baking powder

1tsb fine salt

500g frozen blueberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. In a large bowl, add the egg , melted butter, vegetable oil, yogurt, milk, sugar, vanilla essence and mix well.

3. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into another bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.

4. Toss the blueberries in a tbsp flour to prevent them sinking to the bottom. Gently fold the berries into the muffin mixture. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases (only fill up to 60%), place the cases on a oven tray and bake for 25 minutes.

They taste best when slightly warm. I usually keep them in the fridge and microwave them for 20 seconds before serving.

Happy birthday girl!

Melony and Glen.

Make a wish..

Merry white Christmas!

2009-12-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

The giant snow Christmas cake in our back garden.

We built a snow robot using cardboard boxes. Glen even managed to find some icicles as its arms and aerial.

Gingerbread house

2009-12-24T15:38:00.001-08:00

Two weeks ago I took Melony and Glen to the Christmas German market in Edinburgh where they saw gingerbread houses on a stall selling beautiful gingerbread Christmas decorations. Melony and Glen didn't ask me to buy one for them but asked me to help them make one instead. It took us nearly all afternoon last Sunday to make this! Even Gary was so excited and happy to help because he's never made one before. It was slightly tricky trying to put the roofs on due to their weights but we managed it anyway.

Melony and Glen were thrilled to see it completed. I told them that they could knock it down and enjoy it on Christmas Eve (tonight! ) but they prefered to keep the way it is. ^_^

Merry Christmas !

Heritage Potatoes and colourful crisps

2009-11-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

The most amazing and beautiful crisps you've ever seen?

Those beautiful and tasty crisps were made of these jewellery-like heritage potatoes harvested in my vegetable garden.

I started to grow these funny colour potatoes as an experiment last year because I wanted to write an article about Scottish heritage potatoes. The result was great! Not only that lots of delicious potatoes were harvested, my article was published both on a Chinese newspaper in the UK and in Taiwan. Someone told me that I even caused a small stir in Taiwan because after the article, people started looking for red and blue potatoes from their local supermarkets (and got frustrated, of course. )

Anyway, it is definitely worth growing your own potatoes, as it is one of the easiest vegetables to grow and they taste so much better than those available from the supermarkets.

Home-made Crisps

Ingredients

Potatoes, thinly sliced to 1-2mm (use a mandoline to achieve the best result) .
A lot of vegetable oil for deep frying.

Method

1. Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 185C. Fry potato slices in small batches. Once they start turning golden, remove and drain on paper towels. Continue until all of the slices are fried.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 130C.
3. Spread the crisps out evenly on a baking tray. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Leave the crisps to cool on the tray before putting them in a container. The crisps will stay crispy up to 3 days.

Highland Burgundy. They are definitely my favorite! Their firmness and sweetness make them ideal for roast potatoes or crunchy crisps.

Blue Salad.

They were first grown in Scotland in 1900s. They are purple when raw and will turn blue once cooked. The texture is quite fluffy. Great for making scary-looking blue mash or gnocchi.

Blue crisps.

"Normal" Crisps made from Charlotte potatoes.

Mr. Potato Man

2009-10-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

Meet the Mr. Potato Man!!! ^_^~

Actually, this is a funny shape potato (Blue Salad) I just dug up from my vegetable garden today.
We just couldn't stop laughing when looking at it. Therefore, we decided to have a wee play with it and took some photos before it became our dinner.

I can't wait to eat you, Mr. Potato man.

It's so cute!!

Blackberry Jelly (served with custard)

2009-09-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last Autumn, we picked tons of blackberries from the woods, made them into jam and my kids loved it. Since then, Melony and Glen have never forgotten to check the blackberry bushes everyday when we walked through the woods to our house after picking them up from school. Last Thursday, Melony and Glen cheered with joy on finding lots of blackberries that have changed their colour to glossy luscious dark purple. They couldn't wait to fill their empty lunch boxes again with wild blackberries. Eventually they walked home with a content smile.

Hand picked wild blackberries. This time, they wanted to turn the blackberries into jelly.

Blackberry Jelly

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

400g Blackberries

300 cc water

Juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp sugar

5 leaves of leaf gelatine

Method

1. Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. Meanwhile, put all the other ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Continue to simmer the blackberry mix for about 5 minutes until the blackberries soften.

2. Push the mix through a sieve to get rid of the blackberry seeds, add gelatine and stir until all the gelatine has dissolved. Leave the mix to cool down a bit before pouring it into the jelly moulds.

3. Chill the jelly in the fridge for more than 5 hours before serving.

Melony and Glen gave me a hand in the kitchen.

Blackberry jelly best served with chilled custard.

Yum...

Breakfast for my toddlers

2009-08-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Does it look too good for kids to eat? :P

I woke up in a funny mood this morning and decided to make my children's breakfast look as serious as French cuisines. Gary thought I was insane. Ha~ha!

A part of it was actually my mate's fault because she wouldn't be quiet about her wonderful experience of eating in a 3 Michelin stars restaurant in Edinburgh when she came to our house yesterday. I was so jealous! Maybe Gary will take me there for my birthday if he does read my blog. :P

Cranberry and ginger shortbread

2008-12-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

It's time to embrace the Christmas spirit and warm the house up with cheerful Christmas atmosphere by doing some home baking. My 3 year old son Glen promised our dearest old neighbour Nev that he would make something special for him this Christmas. Nobody took it seriously, but Glen did.^^

Therefore, Glen and I made a batch of delicious Cranberry and ginger shortbread and gave away to our neighbours with our best wishes.

This fruity , light and crumbly biscuit can be a good replacement for gingerbread biscuit if you find gingerbread biscuit too heavy .

Ingredients (Make about 50 of 3cm diameter biscuits )

350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
250g Butter, at room temperature
80g caster sugar
100g dried cranberries
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp fine salt

Methods

1.Mix all the dry ingredients well in a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and mix all the ingredients together by using your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. As the mixture turns to crumbs, press it gently to form a dough.
2.Shape the dough into a long tube. Wrap it up with cling film and place it in the fridge to chill for at least two hours.
3. Before baking, unwrap the cling film and cut the dough into 1cm slices. Place them on a non- stick baking tray.
4. Preheat the oven to 180c /gas 4 and bake the biscuits for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven but do not remove the biscuits from the tray until the biscuits are cool.

材料:
350g 中筋或低筋麵粉
250g 奶油 (使用前放置室溫軟化)
50g 白砂糖
100g 蔓越莓乾
一茶匙薑粉一茶匙肉桂粉半茶匙香草精半茶匙細鹽

作法:
1.將乾燥的材料先在大碗中用湯匙攪拌混合, 奶油切丁放入大碗中,用指尖微搓的方式將奶油與麵粉混合搓揉成黃豆大小顆粒狀. 在輕輕地按壓讓麵糰成型.
2. 將麵糰捏滾成長條狀.再用保鮮膜包起放進冰箱冷藏至少兩小時.
3.待麵糰變硬後從冰箱取出,拆開保鮮膜將麵糰切成約一公分厚的片狀.整齊地排放在防沾烤盤上.
4.烤箱預熱 180C, 將餅乾送入烤箱烘烤12分鐘即可.
5.從烤箱取出烤盤後,須等待餅乾放涼後才從烤盤取下哦!

Slicing the dough.

It smells so nice! I can't wait to try it!

It makes a great Christmas gift as well. *_^~

Cranberry and orange chutney

2008-12-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

This seasonal chutney makes a great gift and it goes well with any meat or cheese.

As Christmas comes nearer, I get busier with all the preserves and biscuits making for my close friends and family. Luckily, I have two little helpers, Melony and Glen (my kids). They enjoy all the meaturing, mixing and stirring food making processes. It's nice to see the smiles on their faces when they talk about the coming of Christmas.

Cranberry and orange chutney

Ingredients (makes two 1/2 litre jars.)

350g fresh cranberries
1 large bramley apple ,chopped into small chunks.
3 shallots, sliced.
20g fresh ginger, grated.
Zest and juice of 1 orange.
50g sultanas and raisins
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground allspice
1 tsp sea salt
120 cc cider vinegar
250g light brown sugar

Methods
1. Place all the ingredients in a large sauce pan. Gently heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
Reduce heat once it starts to boil. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until the mixture has thickened and no watery juice remains.
2.Spoon the chutney into sterilised jars and seal . Store the chutney in a cool, dark place. The chutney will keep for up to 6 months.

All in one pan.

Jewellery like cranberries.

Mix, heat and stir.

In beautiful ruby colour and delicious.

Chicken and ginger glutinous rice

2008-12-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

The comforting aroma from cooking this dish, not only warmed up my stomach, but warmed up my heart as well.

Before I tried to cook this dish, I couldn't even remember when I last have it. Must be when I was still in Taiwan, when I was still very young , twenty something maybe..
The thought of making this dish myself, has brought back a lot of happy childhood memories too. I remember that my aunt used to cook this dish to welcome us when me and my family went all the way from Taipei to her house in Kaohsiung. She preferred using chicken pieces with bones to make it. And us kids just couldn't wait to dig in to the sticky rice, searching for the juicy chicken.

But here I prefer chicken breasts because breasts are easier to handle, also less worry about bones stuck in the throat. ^^II

Chicken and ginger glutinous rice

Ingredients (serve 4)

4 chicken breasts, cubed.
50g ginger, shredded.
600g glutinous rice, washed.
50ml black sesame oil
150ml cooking rice wine or sake
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 chicken stock cube
1 tsp salt to taste
1 fresh chili , shredded to garnish.

Methods

1. Wash the rice in a large bowl, cover the rice with water and leave it for 2 hour.
2.Heat black sesame oil in a large wok, fry the ginger until it's dry . Stir in the chicken and brown the surface slightly.
3.Add rice wine, soy sauce, chicken cube and salt. Bring it to boil before adding the rice.
4.Drain the rice and add it to the wok. Keep stir frying the rice until all the grains are coated in the sauce and become translucent.
5. Dish out the mixture in a large bowl. Steam the rice for 30 minutes in a steamer. You can also use the "quick cook " function on the rice cooker to cook it. But remember to add 100ml water to the mixture before you switch on the rice cooker .
6. Garnish it with ginger and chili before serving.

Black sesame oil is availbe at chinese supermarket. Unlike sesame oil or toasted sesame oil which are both made from white sesame, black sesame oil is made from "black sesame". It has deeper colour ,and stronger , slightly smoky flavor.

麻油雞糯米飯
材料:
雞腿肉或雞胸肉500g 老薑50g 長糯米三杯(約 600g ) 黑麻油50cc 米酒 150cc 醬油一湯匙雞粉一茶匙鹽一茶匙(可視個人口味調整)( 水100cc 用電子鍋煮的話)

做法:
1.將糯米洗淨泡水兩小時備用.
2. 老薑切成細絲, 雞肉切丁, 黑麻油放進大鍋裡加熱, 先將老薑放進熱油裡爆香至微焦,再將雞肉放入鍋中拌炒至微焦, 再加入米酒,醬油,雞粉與鹽.一起煮滾後,將瀝乾的糯米一起放入大鍋中跟所有材料拌炒約五分鐘,米粒成半透明後熄火.
3.將做法2.的半熟米飯倒入煮飯鍋中. 放進蒸籠或是電鍋中蒸約30分即可.用電子鍋烹調的話,需再鍋裡加入100cc水,用"煮飯"功能將糯米煮熟即可.

Home made blackberry jam

2008-10-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

Melony made these for her school charity event.

Writtings on the label:
I picked the blackberries from the woods and made them into jam with some help from my mummy!

Wild blackberries in the woods near where we live.

These delicious blackberries were wonderful gift from nature.

Let's start making jam!

ingredients :

500g blackberries, 37og jam sugar , juice and zest of a lemon,

fresh grated ginger 10g .

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan , heat gently and simmer for about 30 minutes until the berries are soften and sauce is reduced. pour the jam in sterilized clean jars. Allow the jam to cool before put the lids on.

Well done, Melony! ^_^~

It goes perfectly with ice cream! *_^

黑莓果醬:

材料:黑莓500g ,蔗糖370g 一顆檸檬的碎皮與檸檬汁, 薑末 10g

做法: 材料全放進鍋子裡,開小火慢慢地攪拌,讓砂糖自然融化不燒焦. 用小火慢熬約1小時,縮減掉1/3之一的湯汁時,就算大功告成了.這時要趁熱裝進消毒過的容器裡密封保存.可放六個月以上!*_^~

Spicy yellow tomato and chorizo soup

2008-10-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

This tasty soup brings some sunshine to the chilly days.

From all the tomatoes that I grew this year, I have more yellow tomatoes than red ones. These yellow tomatoes ripen quickly and taste even sweeter than the red. They look fabulous in the salad too.

Yellow tomato once was very expensive in Taiwan because people believed that it helped to lose weight until some research shows that red tomatoes do exactly the same job as the yellow ones. However, most people now are still willing to pay more for it due to its beautiful golden colour.

On diet or not, this soup will definitely warm you up without adding too much calories. *_^

Ingredients

3 tbsp Olive oil
1 medium Onion, chopped.
1 carrot, peeled and chopped.
2 stick Celery, chopped.
2 slices bacon , finely diced.
100g chorizo , diced.
700g ripe Tomatoes, diced
1 red chili, finely chopped.
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Sugar
1000cc chicken stock (or water with chicken cube)
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1.Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Stir fry the onion . celery ,carrot,
bacon and chorizo for 10 minutes .
2. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the rest of the
ingredients. As long as it starts to boil. turn to medium heat , put the lid
on the pan and continue to cook for 30-40 minutes.

夏天早已遠離,眼看著寒冷的冬天即將來臨. 該是熬一鍋好湯暖暖身子的
時候了.^^~ 湯好不好喝固然很重要,熱量也是要顧好.要不然,一個冬天
下來,又不知道要多長幾斤肥肉呢!

這個夏天雖然紅番茄一陣慘綠,這些黃番茄因為比較早熟的關係,大多長得
很好,顆顆金黃飽滿,也比紅番茄香甜多汁. 不過因為收成太多沒辦法馬上
用完,卜媽早已將它們打成汁放冷凍庫備用.

這道黃番茄香腸辣湯不但滋味好,纖維多,營養豐富外, 因為用了大量番茄
的關係,不要放太多培根與香腸的話,它的熱量也不高哦!非常適合當作冬
天嘴饞時的消夜或點心.*_^~

黃番茄辣湯:

材料: 洋蔥一顆切碎 , 西洋芹兩支切碎, 胡蘿蔔一顆切碎, 培根兩片切末.
西班牙辣腸切丁(可以用火腿或是臘腸替代) 番茄700g切丁, 紅辣椒一條切末.
月桂葉兩片, 糖一湯匙, 高湯1000cc , 鹽與胡椒適量.

做法:
用湯鍋熱油,加入番茄以外的蔬菜與肉類炒香, 拌入番茄繼續拌炒五分鐘,加入
剩餘的材料煮至滾. 滾熱後將火侯調到中等,蓋上鍋蓋繼續煮30-40 分鐘即可.

Green tomato and chicken curry

2008-10-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a bad year for growing tomatoes due to the miserable summer. Too much rain, hardly any sunshine. Although my tomato plants did fruit a lot, unfortunately, many of them died before the fruit could turn red. Therefore, I ended up with loads of green tomatoes. =_=II

Maybe, it's not bad to go green. What goes well with red tomatoes may be alright with green ones too. I had no choice but to think positive and try to use them in my cooking.

Thus red tomatoes were replaced by green ones in my chicken vindaloo. To be honest, it's not bad at all! The tangy flavor of green tomatoes does give the dish some extra kick!

Green tomato and chicken curry

Ingredients (serve 4)

4 chicken breasts, cubed.
2 medium potatoes, cubed.
1 large onion, chopped.
4 medium green tomatoes, sliced.
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
10g ginger , grated.
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp onion seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp vindaloo powder ( or any kind of curry powder)
1tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
300cc hot water
salt and pepper

Methods

1. Coated the chicken breast cubes with curry powder and leave it marinated in the fridge over night.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Stir fry the onion, Garlic, ginger,chili flakes, onion and cumin seeds until the onion goes soft.
3.Stir in the chicken and cook until the chicken is slightly browned. Add the rest of the ingredients , turn to medium heat and cover the pan with the lid . Leave the curry to simmer to about 30 minutes until the meat is tender and potato is soft. season with salt and pepper.

It's not bad to go green.*_^~

綠番茄雞肉咖哩

材料:

雞胸肉四片切塊馬鈴薯兩顆切塊洋蔥一顆切碎番茄或綠番茄四顆切片蒜頭兩顆切碎

薑10g磨碎辣椒末一茶匙洋蔥籽一茶匙(可省略) 小茴香籽一茶匙(可省略) 咖哩粉三湯匙

糖一湯匙鹽與胡椒適量水300cc

沙拉油兩湯匙

作法:

1.將雞肉與咖哩粉混合,放在冰箱裡醃漬一晚.
2.起鍋熱油,將洋蔥,蒜頭,薑等香料一起扮炒至洋蔥變軟. 加入雞肉拌炒只微焦,再將剩餘的材料加入,加水蓋鍋悶煮約30分鐘直到雞肉與馬鈴薯變軟為止.

New york cheese cake

2008-09-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

I have to say that among all kinds of cheese cakes, New york cheese cake is still my favorite.
It usually contains a lot of soft cheese , so that it tastes really creamy and cheesy. In the past, I sometimes made this cake and gave it away to my former loyal customers at my cafe in Taipei . Some even suggested to me that I should have sold it in my cafe but I never wanted to. I think I preferred sharing it with my friends. Anyway, not only the cake was sweet and delightful, it also reminded me the sweet old days when my dear friends gathered around and enjoyed the food that I cooked in my shop.

New york cheese cake (20cm cake tin, serve 6-8)

Ingredients

for the base
10 digestive biscuits
80g butter

for the filling

700g full fat soft cheese
220g caster sugar
200g yogurt or sour cream
3 egg
1 egg yolk
80g plain flour
1 zest of a lemon
juice of a lemon
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp fine salt

Method

1.Put the digestive biscuits in a plastic bag and bash it with a rolling pin to make crumbs.
2. Melt the butter by heating it in the microwave for 1 minute. Mix it well with the biscuit crumbs and press the mixture firmly into the base of the tin. Put it in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
3.Mix all the ingredients for the filling except the flour until smooth. Stir in the flour slowly and mix well.
4. Pour the mixture into the cake tin. Tap the tin gently to remove the bubbles in the mixture. Bake in a preheated oven (190c ) for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 110c and bake for another
50 minutes until the cake is set.
5. Turn off the heat and leave the cake in the oven for 1 hour to allow the cake cool down slowly.
Remove the cake from the oven and chill in the fridge.
6. decorate with cream and blueberries.

紐約重口味起司蛋糕

嚐過日式起司蛋糕的綿密,英國起司幕斯蛋糕的清爽柔滑,說來說去,我最愛的起司蛋糕還是這一味捧起來沉甸甸,直感厚實,起司香濃的紐約起司蛋糕. 從前在台北時, 偶而心血來潮時,卜媽就會烤一個起司蛋糕來免費招待店裡的老顧客. 也有不少客人建議卜媽乾脆拿它來當招牌出售呢! 不過,因為這個蛋糕雖然做法不難,但是烤起來挺費時的,所以那時還是覺得偶而烤烤與大家分享就好啦! 大家吃的開心,我就很滿足囉! ^^

雖然這個蛋糕是卜媽的拿手之一,但是嫁到英國後,這還是我第一次做這蛋糕給卜爸吃呢! ^^ 因為卜爸通常比較喜歡滑嫩的英式起司蛋糕. 會想做這蛋糕,也是因為上星期由於樂諦上學的種種問題,讓我們夫妻倆每天晚上坐在沙發上發愁.卜爸一煩惱,就會顧不得身材,莫名其妙地突然很想吃點熱量高的垃圾食品來尋求慰籍.卜媽上"等玫瑰"(Waitrose) 網站買菜時,才去上個廁所回來,馬上很眼尖地發現卜爸在購物車裡偷偷地放進了一個紐約起司蛋糕. 仔細一瞧價錢....媽媽咪呀~ 這個什麼裝飾都沒有,超樸素的蛋糕竟然一個賣11磅!雖然Waitrose 的食物真的不錯,但這樣的價格也實在太"高檔"了. 雖然卜媽偶而也會很奢侈地在中國超市買小小一個就要2.5磅的草大福(日本麻糬),但就是覺得把這錢花在起司蛋糕上真的很不甘心. 所以,我還是很明智地把蛋糕刪除,親自做一個愛妻招牌起司蛋糕來安慰一下卜爸囉!

值得一提的是,這個濃厚的起司蛋糕,竟然讓從來不敢吃起司的樂諦也吃的津津有味呢! ^^

材料: (20cm 直徑烤模, 約6-8人份)

蛋糕底:
消化餅十塊 (壓碎) 奶油 80g (加熱融化)

蛋糕本體:
軟起司700g 白砂糖 220g 200g 酸奶油或原味優格蛋三顆蛋黃一顆檸檬皮一顆(切碎)
檸檬汁一顆香草精 1茶匙細鹽半茶匙中筋麵粉 80g

做法:
1.將打碎的消化餅與奶油混合,倒在蛋糕模底部鋪平壓緊.放入冰箱冷藏20分.
2.烤箱預熱好190c , 將除麵粉外的材料混合均勻, 慢慢加入麵粉繼續攪拌混勻.倒入蛋糕模型中,
輕輕敲打模型讓蛋糕液裡的泡泡釋出. 送入烤箱用190c 先烤15分. 烤箱溫度調整為110c 繼續慢烘
50-60分,直倒蛋糕液固定為止.
3. 將烤箱關掉,讓蛋糕在烤箱裡自然降溫,約一小時後取出冷藏. 食用前脫模,用奶油與藍莓裝飾即可.

Delectable bitterness: Stuffed bitter melon

2008-08-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Bitter melon stuffed with seasoned pork mince. It's a very delicate traditional Taiwanese dish. Due to its bitterness, people either love it or hate it.

"Mum, what is 'bitter'? What does it taste like?" my 4 years old daughter Melony asked me yesterday.
" Well, it tastes like tons of stones dropped on your tongue, making your tongue stiff ,and you'll wish you've never tried it. " I said.

Indeed, by our nature, we are more likely attracted to things that taste sweet than bitter. There is an old Chinese saying that " To be the best man, one must endure the bitterest of the bitter." Chinese believe that bitterness is often followed by great joy and sweetness. Therefore, the bitterer it is, the better it's for us. This probably explains why bitter melon is so popular and widely used in oriental cuisine. Truly, bitter melon is extremely good for us due to its high vitamin C and B content.

When I was a kid, I couldn't understand how would anybody enjoy this dish for not only the melon is bitter, the soup is bitter as well. When older, I came to realize that there were slight sweetness and freshness tangled on the back of the throat after the bitter has gone and I started to enjoy it.

Bitter melon stuffed with seasoned pork mince

Ingredients
1 large bitter melon (available in Chinese or Indian supermarkets.)
2 tbsp corn flour

for the stuffing
400g pork mince
3 dried Chinese mushroom (softened and minced)
30g carrot (finely chopped)
1 spring onion (finely chopped)
10g dried shrimps (softened and minced. It's available in Chinese supermarket)
100g fresh tofu (mushed)
1 egg
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tsp ground white or black pepper
1 tsp chicken powder
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt

for the soup

1000c water
2tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1tbsp mirin
1tsp fish stock powder
1tsp salt

Method

1. Mince and mix all the ingredients for the stuffing except pork mince with a food processor.
2. In a large bowl, mix well the pork and other stuffing ingredients .
3. cut the bitter melon into 4cm long chunks. deseed and ly dust with corn flour.
4. spoon the stuffing into the center of the melon and set aside.
5.In a large pot, bring to boil all the ingredients for the soup. Turn to medium heat and drop the stuffed melon gently into the soup. Cook with lid on for 3o minutes. Serve it with soup or serve it dry with sweet chili sauce.

苦瓜鑲肉 (苦瓜封)

這道台灣小吃,從前在台北時我媽也常常做. 來到英國後,因為超市很難買到大條的苦瓜,因此也只能苦苦思念,看圖解渴. 上周跑了一趟中國超市,意外地買到了一條大苦瓜,立刻就想下手小試一下這道料理.

正宗南部的苦瓜封,絞肉裡都會混合一定比例的魚漿. 在英國連買條新鮮的魚都難,更別想能買到魚漿啦! 所以卜媽靈機一動,就用嫩豆腐來取代魚漿. 沒想到,混著嫩豆腐的餡料吃裡來清爽甘甜,入口即化,效果比魚漿還讚哦! *_^～

材料:
苦瓜一條太白粉兩湯匙

餡料:
絞肉400g 泡軟切細的香菇三朵泡軟切細的蝦米10g 切細的胡蘿蔔30g 切細的蔥一根
嫩豆腐100g 蛋一顆
醬油一湯匙酒一湯匙太白粉一湯匙雞粉一茶匙白胡椒一茶匙香油一茶匙鹽半茶匙

湯料:
開水1000cc 醬油2湯匙酒一湯匙味霖一湯匙(可用砂糖半湯匙代替) 烹大師堅魚粉一茶匙
鹽一茶匙

做法:
1. 將餡料的材料,除絞肉以外,全放進食物處理機裡打碎拌勻.或是用刀切很細,豆腐搗成泥.
2.將絞肉與做法一混合均勻. 摔打幾下可以讓肉餡更有彈性.
3. 苦瓜切成約四公分的段. 表裡都沾一層薄薄的太白粉.
4.用湯匙將餡料填滿在苦瓜中.湯料煮滾後,滿滿放入鍋中,蓋鍋蓋用中火煮約30分鐘即可.

Easy lazy Portuguese custard tarts

2008-08-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

While the crispy puff pastry dances on the tongue , the custard can't wait to melts in the mouth.

At one time, Portuguese custard tarts were all the rage in Taiwan. They were so popular that even hundreds of chain stores and bakeries were selling them , people still needed to queue up for half an hour just to buy a dozen of them. But it only took a couple of years for people to get fed up with them and the whole "Portuguese custard tart " spell to be broken. All of a sudden, many custard tart shops were shut. However, Portuguese custard tart is still widely available at the bakeries in Taiwan these days and it is still one of my favorite dessert.

Although it's not so easy buy Portuguese custard tarts in the UK, it's easy enough to buy ready made puff pastry and custard from the supermarkets and believe me, making
Portuguese custard tarts with these ready made ingredients is easy as pie! Even kids can do it! *_^～

Easy lazy Portuguese custard tarts

Ingredients

500g ready made custard
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp caster sugar
500g Puff Pastry Block
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Method
1. In a large bowl, whisk together custard, eggs , vanilla essence and caster sugar. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180c . Roll out the puff pastry finely and Use a 6cm pastry cutter, cut out circles from the pastry. Press the dough circles into a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin.
3. Place some baking beans on top of the pastry and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the beans. Pour the custard filling into the pastry cup and bake for another 25 minutes until the filling is set.
4. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and dust some icing sugar and cinnamon on the tarts. Place the tin back to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.

It's so easy that even Melony and Glen can do it.

懶人葡式蛋塔

葡式蛋塔曾經在台灣瘋狂地流行好一陣子,突然間,蛋塔魔咒消失,蛋塔專賣店也倒了好幾家.雖然如此,卜媽還是很難忘記這種外皮香酥,內餡香滑的美味. 在英國要買到葡式蛋塔還真是不容易阿!但是要找到現成的派皮或是蛋黃醬卻超容易.雖然這個簡易懶人版蛋塔,現成的派皮部分終究比不上自己做,或是專賣店蛋塔的香酥;現成的蛋黃醬部分卻一點也不輸現做的蛋黃醬哦!*_^ 總之,美味的程度還是有70分以上,做法也超簡單,連小朋友都能夠輕易完成呢!

材料:
現成的蛋黃醬500g 蛋兩顆香草精1/2茶匙砂糖2湯匙現成派皮500g

做法:
1.將蛋黃醬,蛋與香草精,砂糖拌勻備用. 現成派皮放置室溫軟化後,桿平. 用直徑6cm的模型切出小圈圈. 將圓形的派皮放入烤瑪芬糕的烤盤內(卜媽用的是12格的烤模).
2.烤箱預熱好180c. 在瑪芬模內的派皮上倒進烘培豆(沒有的話可以用乾燥的紅豆或是黃豆代替),烤五分鐘左右取出. 將豆子倒出. 接著倒進蛋黃醬,再送進烤箱內烤25分. 再取出,於蛋塔上灑上糖粉,在次送入烤箱中烤約五分鐘到表面微焦即可.

Harvest 2008.

2008-08-15T01:23:00.000-07:00

These were some of the vegetables that I harvested from my garden few days ago. I had a little bit of fun styling them and photograph them .

Sweet and yummy peas. It has been such an enjoyment growing and eating them. I will definitely grow some more next year.

Broad beans. It's so easy to grow those beans because most of the garden pests don't seem to like them. But I'm still not sure what to do with those beans yet.

Mooli, or oriental radish, we often make soup with it or use it in salads. Usually it's white but those I grew had beautiful pink skin. They are called" China Rose", a new variety I guess.

British beetroot(left) and Italian beetroot(right).

The Italian beetroot has beautiful red and white circular pattern. But it doesn't taste as sweet as the British ones.

Cheese and black pepper flat bread

2008-07-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

The alluring aroma from baking this bread will make your neighbors so jealous!

I'm a cheese-holic, black pepper -holic and seriously addicted to breads. Therefore, this cheese and black pepper flat bread is pure heaven to me.
In the past, the same kind of bread was available at the bakery near my work in Taipei . It was so crispy and delicious and I just couldn't help snacking it while at work. However, it was a bit disappointing that I haven't found anything like it at the supermarkets or local bakeries in the UK. Thence, whenever I desire this cheesy treat, I'll bake some.

Cheese and black pepper flat bread ( Serve 5)

Ingredients

For the dough
450g plain flour
1 tsp Salt
4g dry yeast
30g fresh yeast (or add another 4g dry yeast)
2g malt extract (available in health food stores. It will add flavor and textur to the bread. )
270cc lukewarm water

For the filling
200g grated Cheddar cheese
100g grated Parmesan cheese
20g black pepper

Method

1. Place the bread ingredients in a large bowl. Mix and knead with mixer for 10 minutes or by hand for about half hour until the dough is elastic and smooth.
2. Cover the bowl with cling film or tea towel and leave it to rest for about 1 hour until the dough has double its size.
3.Divide the dough into 5 balls . Roll the dough flat and use each one of them to wrap up 40g Cheddar cheese and some black pepper .Then roll them out into flat oval shapes .
4.Places them on baking sheets. Leave them to rest for another 30 minutes.
5.Sprinkle the surface with Parmesan cheese and some black pepper. Set the oven to 210c and bake for 10 minutes.
6.Cool on a wire rack after taking them out from the oven.

Fancy a bite?

起司胡椒脆餅

在台灣時,卜媽對於各式的起司就相當著迷.現在到了英國,連Pooh家人對於卜媽這個東方女子的起司症頭也都感到驚嘆! 婆婆從前還說過,從沒看過有人起司可以這樣一大塊直接咬,不夾在麵包裡,也不用放在餅乾上的呢!(大多數的英國人都喜歡用餅乾搭配起司食用,而卜媽則喜歡把起司整個當成豆乾來啃,連臭滋滋的藍起司也不例外. ) 所以, 對於卜媽這個超愛狂嗑起司,灑黑胡椒像是不用錢,看到麵包必吃到撐的人來說,這個香Q脆的起司胡椒餅簡直就是讓人無法自拔的毒藥!

從前每次上班經過公司附近的上城糕餅屋時,總會一時忘記自己還在減肥,著魔似的買兩大片帶到公司.一片自己嗑,另一片讓座位附近的同事們伸手來時也有得吃.要不然,對他們來說實在是太殘忍了.令人訝異的是,原以為這起司胡椒餅是來自歐洲的卜媽,卻無法在歐洲尋得它的蹤跡.想必,這如果不是日本流傳過來的,這應該就是台灣某個天才師傅的創作吧?

總之,這個結合了英國(切達起司),意大利(帕梅山起司)與法國(麵包本體)特色,有如金剛合體的麵包,果然打遍天下無敵手,順利征服了我的心,讓卜媽不管走到哪裡都想到它.好在現在有了攪拌器,也順利地找到做法國麵包必備的老麵與麥芽精.想到它時,就自己動手做吧! *_^~

(五人份~五片)

材料:

麵糰部分
中筋麵粉450g 塩一茶匙乾麵包酵母4克
老麵30克 (如果用的是自製的老麵則需要用到60克 .老麵的做法請看: 【烘培】恩情老麵與自製老麵 )
麥芽精 2克 (麥芽萃取物,台灣的朋友可以在烘培材料行或網路上買到.英國的朋友可以在健康食品行裡買到)
溫水270CC

餡料:
切達起司200克帕梅山起司100克黑胡椒粒20克

做法:
1. 將麵糰的材料混合,用攪拌器或手揉到麵團光滑有彈性( 用手將麵糰撐開時洞洞成鋸齒狀).
2.用布或是保鮮膜將碗蓋起,讓麵糰發酵約一小時直到麵糰膨脹至兩倍大為止.
3.將麵糰切成五等份,滾成球狀. 壓扁包入切碎的切達起司與少許黑楜椒粒.收口朝下桿成扁薄的橢圓形.放在鋪好烤紙的烤盤上繼續發酵30分鐘. 發酵完成後,表面灑上帕梅山起司粉與黑胡椒粒,送入預熱好210c的烤箱烤十分鐘即可.

注意:稍冷後食用避免起司燙口.

Mr. Pooh's pooh mango cheese cake

2008-07-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

I made this birthday cake for my mango addicted husband who looks like Winnie The Pooh when he smiles.^^

Although I called it "cheese cake", it actually tasted more like mousse for its foaming and melt-in-your mouth texture. It also oozed with sweet mango flavor that no one could resist.

Non-bake non- egg mango cheese cake

ingredient

600g mascarpone cheese
2 mango , one pureed, the other chopped into small cubes .
4 sheets leaf gelatine
80g caster sugar

for the base
5 digestive biscuits, crushed.
50g butter, melted
1 tbsp brown sugar

for the lemon glaze
juice of a lemon
100cc water
1 sheet leaf gelatine
30g caster sugar

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180c.
2.Mix the ingredients for the base and press into the base of a loose-based 20cm cake tin. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
3.Cover 4 gelatin leaves in cold water and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Place the mango puree and gelatine in a sauce pan , gently stir and heat until the gelatine is dissolved. Remove the pan form the heat.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the mango puree, marsarpone cheese and sugar. Add the mango cubes when the mixture is ready to pour into the biscuit base.
5. Pour the mixture into the base and chill for 5 hours.
6. When the cake is set, juice a lemon in a sauce pan, add 100cc water and soaked gelatine. Gently stir and heat until the gelatine is dissolved. Remove the pan form the heat and set aside to cool.
7. pour the lemon glaze on the cake and chill for another 2 hour.
8.When the glaze is set, remove the cake from the cake tin and serve.

芒果起司幕絲蛋糕(20cm 直徑蛋糕)
材料:
派底:消化餅 5 片,溶化的奶油 50g, 蔗糖一湯匙

起司幕絲:義式軟起司mascarpone或 cream cheese 600g , 白砂糖 80g (是個人口味調整) ,吉力丁片四片,芒果兩顆(一顆打成泥,一顆切小丁)

上層裝飾: 檸檬一顆壓汁, 砂糖30g,水100cc, 吉利丁一片

做法:

1.將消化餅放進乾淨的塑膠袋,用桿麪棍將餅乾敲碎,倒入碗中,與糖,溶化的奶油拌勻,在將它倒入蛋糕模型底部輕壓攤平,放入預熱好180c 的烤箱中烤10分鐘取出,放入冰箱中待涼備用.

2.將吉力丁浸泡在冷水中五分鐘使軟化.與芒果泥一起放入小鍋中慢慢加熱攪拌至吉利丁融化即可.放置待涼.

3.將軟起司 ,砂糖,芒果泥,一起先用攪拌器拌勻.最後放入芒果丁,倒入蛋糕模型中.冷藏約五小時.

4. 將檸檬汁加水100cc ,與泡冷水軟化的吉利丁一片用小火微微加熱溶化後待涼 ,倒入蛋糕模型中,成為起司蛋糕的最上層. 蛋糕再放入冰箱中冷藏約二小時,即可脫模切片食用.

Everybody couldn't help asking for a second piece because it was so light and delicious.

Kichen BBQ birthday party.

2008-07-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

It was Gary's birthday party last Saturday and we've been hoping a dry day for it. Quite disappointingly, the rain was pouring..=_=II We had no choice but to hold the party in the house and cook the food on the grill in my kitchen.

Grilled aubergine(eggplant) and cherry tomato salad

Ingredients

1 large aubergine

10 cherry tomatoes , sliced.

1 large red chili, finely chopped

10g fresh root ginger, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

handful of coriander leaves

1 tbsp sweet soy sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp chili paste

1tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

Method
1. Slice the aubergine. Cook it on a hot grill until softened. Set aside to cool.

2.In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

3. serve with toasted bread or cold noodles.

涼拌雙茄:

西洋茄一顆或長條茄兩根, 烤軟或用水煮熟後瀝乾. 10顆小番茄切片.

紅辣椒一顆切碎. 薑10g切碎, 蒜頭兩顆切碎.

醬油膏一湯匙醬油一湯匙米醋一湯匙豆瓣醬一茶匙

香油一茶匙糖一茶匙

將材料全混合,灑上笎荽葉,放涼一小時入味即可. 搭配麵包,涼麵或米飯都很開味哦!*_^~

Teriyaki chicken with spring onions

Ingredients

800g skinless chicken breast fillets , cut into chunks

1 bunch of spring onions, chopped

10g fresh ginger root , grated

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp rice wine

1 tbsp orange juice

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients except spring onions. cover the bowl with cling film and marinated the chicken for 1 hour at least. Thread the chicken, vegetables, spring onions into skewers and grill. Sprinkle it with toasted sesame seed before serving.

橙香照燒雞肉串

雞胸肉800g 切塊, 蔥一把切段.

醃料: 薑10g磨泥, 醬油二湯匙, 味霖或砂糖一湯匙, 米酒一湯匙, 柳橙汁一湯匙.

將雞胸肉與醃料混合,醃漬至少一小時,將雞肉與蔥段用竹籤串起,烤熟後灑上芝麻即可.

Spicy lamb kebab with mint and cucumber yogurt.

For the lamb kebab:

Ingredients
600g lamb mince
1/2 onion, finely chopped
10g fresh root ginger ,grated
2 tbsp masala curry powder
A hand full of mint and coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

Method
Mix all the ingredients well in a large bowl . Shape the mince into small balls , thread the meatballs into skewers and grill.

For the mint and cucumber yogurt:
Ingredients
a few mint leaves, finely chopped
50g cucumber ,finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped.
100g natural yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Mix together all the ingredients and chill for at least half and hour before serving.

辣味咖哩羊肉串沾薄荷優格醬.
羊肉串:
羊絞肉600g , 洋蔥半顆切碎, 薑10g磨泥, 咖哩粉兩湯匙 ,薄荷葉與笎荽葉一把切碎, 塩一茶匙,黑胡椒一茶匙
將所有材料混合均勻,揉成小肉丸用竹籤串起烤熟即可.

薄荷優格醬
薄荷葉一小把切碎,小黃瓜一小段切碎, 洋蔥半顆切碎, 無糖原味優格100g,
將材料混合,適量塩與胡椒調味即可.

Sticky lemony chicken drumsticks.

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

zest of a lemon

juice of a lemon

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

Mix all the ingredients except sesame seeds in a large bowl . Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it in the fridge over night. Preheat the oven to 200c . Lay the chicken drumsticks on a baking tray and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Roast the chicken in the oven for 35 minutes.

蜂蜜檸檬腿

雞腿八隻

醃料: 蒜頭一顆切碎, 醬油兩湯匙, 蜂蜜兩湯匙, 檸檬皮一顆切碎, 檸檬汁一顆.

將雞腿放入醃料中醃漬隔夜. 放置烤盤上,灑上芝麻,送進預熱好200c 的烤箱中烤35分鐘即可.

Melony and Glen dressed up as a duck and a chicken to entertain us. ^^

Glen said: I enjoyed the drumsticks so much! I want more!

Cucumber , pork floss and wasabi paste on toasts.

2008-07-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

With wasabi on top, this light and refreshing breakfast is ready to brow the sleeping bug away!

Pork floss, I believe, plays a very important part in Taiwanese and Chinese cuisine. Most Chinese miss it so badly when they're abroad. Usually, people mix it with congee and serve it as breakfast. In Taiwan, we often use it as a filling for rice balls, sandwiches, or sushi rolls.

To make Cucumber , pork floss and wasabi paste on toasts:
Toast the bread and spread some mayonnaise on top. Layer the toast with sliced cucumber, pork floss and a dash of wasabi paste.

Pork floss : sweet, salty, fluffy dried pork. Yummy! ^_^

小黃瓜肉鬆哇沙米三明治:

在烤好的吐司上先抹上一層美奶滋,排上切片的小黃瓜,灑上肉鬆在擠上一坨哇沙米即可.

具有醒腦作用的活力早餐!*_^~

Mini ladyfinger sandwiches with strawberry cream filling

2008-07-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

Ladyfingers ? Or macaroon?

I would say that it's ladyfingers with a lovely twist. Because this little cutie is actually ladyfingers in macaroon shape with cream in the middle.

In Taiwan, people call it "牛粒"(nui-li, means bull's eye). Not a very attractive name for such a pleasant dessert though. It is widely available at bakeries in Taiwan and especially popular among kids. Normally, it's the size of a two pound coin (about 3cm diameter) but those I made were really small and were only the size of a thumb nail.

A box full of joy and childhood memories.

100 Mini ladyfinger sandwiches with strawberry cream

Ingredients:

For the ladyfingers

3 eggs , separate yolks and whites.

80g caster sugar

80g self-raising flour

½ tsp vanilla essence

1 cup icing sugar

For the strawberry cream :

40g butter,room temperature

30g full fat cream cheese

30g strawberry jam

Method:

1.Line the tray with greaseproof baking paper. Preheat the oven to 200c.

2. Whisk the egg whites with 60g caster sugar in a bowl until they are stiff, then set them aside. Whisk the egg yolks, 20g caster sugar and vanilla essence in another bowl until smooth and turn slightly white. Gently fold the egg yolks into the egg whites.

3. Sieve the flour and slowly blend it into the egg mixture.

4.Pour the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle. Pipe out 200 small mounds(about 1-1.5cm diameter) with about 1.5cm space apart on the baking paper. Dust them with icing sugar evenly and bake in the oven for 8 minutes.

5.Beat the butter, cream cheese and strawberry jam together until smooth. Spread it on the mini ladyfinger and top with another one.

Mini ladyfingers. Already so delicious as it is.

It tastes even better with the strawberry cream filling.

We're going to share them with our neighbors. *_^

"牛粒",這種台灣麵包店常常可以看到的小點心,外型像是法國的馬卡龍,事實上,它的兩片小圓餅卻是不折不扣來自義大利的手指餅乾.真不知道是哪位人士如此有創意地將它改良為足以媲美馬卡龍的迷人小點,卻給它取了個不倫不類的怪名. ^^II

呼籲一下台灣政府找個機會給它重新命名,正名,給它一個優雅些的名字吧! 搞不好哪天它還可以成為代表台灣,享譽國際的風味小點呢! (馬政府曰:"馬上"事情很多,"他馬的"很忙.沒空理這種無聊事啦! :P)

牛粒(另有人叫它"幸福小圓餅",嗯~好聽多了!^_^~ )

材料:

蛋白3個蛋黃3個白砂糖80g 香草精1/2小匙 80g 低筋麵粉發粉一小匙

軟化奶油40g 奶油乳酪30g 草莓果醬30g

將蛋白與60g砂糖打發到發泡直立.另準備一個盆子將蛋黃與20g砂糖與香草精打到轉微白.小心地將蛋黃慢慢以對折的方式拌入蛋白中.另外將麵粉與發粉混合過篩,慢慢加入蛋液中混勻.倒入擠花袋中,在烤紙上每間隔2cm擠出直徑均勻的小圓丘(卜媽的迷你版是1.5cm直徑,一般大小的約是3cm直徑).送入預熱好200c的烤箱中烤八分鐘即可.

另外,將奶油,奶油乳酪與果醬打勻.抹在小餅底部,蓋上另一片小餅即可.

Lemony spaghetti with pea shoot and pawn

2008-06-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

The sweet and tender taste from pea shoots and the aroma from the zest deliver a light ,fresh and delightful sensation for this spaghetti dish. It is easy to make ,therefore, is great for the lazy mid summer days.^_^

Lemony spaghetti with pea shoot and pawn
(Serve 2)
Ingredients:

160g spaghetti
75g extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 chili, seeds removed and finely chopped
100cc white wine
1/2 zest of a lemon
350g king pawns
A handful of pea shoots , tough stems removed
Salt and pepper to season

Method:

1. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2.Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, fry the garlic first for 1-2 minutes. Continuing adding
the pawn, chili, white wine, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the pea shoots and spaghetti , toss them well to heat through. Sprinkle the zest of lemon just before switching off the heat. season with salt and pepper.

Sweet and tender pea shoots from my back garden. I picked the flower by accident.^^II Anyway, the flower is edible as well .

In fact, I grow these pea plants especially for the shoots, not the pea. However, cutting off the shoots does help the plants to flower more and produce more pea. So why not? *_^~

Pea plants under the summer clear sky.

Pea plants in my back garden.

豌豆嫩枝的香甜,加上檸檬皮的清爽,讓這道義大利麵額外的清新爽口,非常適合夏天食用的一道佳餚.咬一口,有如將夏日的愉悅含在嘴裡呢!

作法:(兩人份)

義大利麵 160g 橄欖油 75g 白酒100cc 蒜頭一顆切片檸檬皮半顆切碎辣椒一條切碎

去殼鮮蝦 350g 豌豆嫩枝或豌豆芽一把

依照包裝指示煮義大利麵.

起鍋熱油加入蒜頭爆香,在加入鮮蝦,辣椒,白酒翻炒後悶至蝦子轉紅. 此時再加入煮熟的麵條與豌豆嫩枝快速翻炒.熄火前灑上檸檬皮,鹽與胡椒攪拌調味即可.

Glen's Birthday BBQ Party

2008-06-09T01:07:00.001-07:00

The weather has been miserable for the past several months. Sometimes I doubted if summer would ever arrive this year. Luckily, we did have a nice sunny day for Glen's 3 year old birthday party last weekend. ^_^~ Same as before, only families were invited because I preferred not to throw a big fussy party for kids.

Glen's Postman Pat birthday cake.

I decorated this cake myself. I know it's not perfect but Glen loved it .

Glen walked away with the royal mail van! He seemed content with the cake.

It was really great to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine .

After the table was set, it's time to serve the food!

Sun blushed tomatoes , olives and feta cheese salad.

Method:
Break the cheese and tomatoes into a bowl. Mix it with olives and sprinkle the salad with olive oil and Italian mixed herbs. Very simple and delicious!
(做法: 將番茄乾, 醃橄欖, Feta 起司撕碎, 放進大碗中,灑些橄欖油與意式混合香料拌勻即可)

Mango ,cucumber and tomato salsa.

Method:
Dice a mango, half a cucumber , a tomato and a chili . Mix them well in a bowl with a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger ,juice from half a lemon, salt and pepper and a few drops of toasted sesame oil . It is light and fruity and it goes really well with chicken and fish.
(做法: 將芒果,小黃瓜, 番茄去籽切小丁. 加入一湯匙醬油,一湯匙蜂蜜, 一茶匙薑末, 半顆檸檬汁, 適量的鹽與胡椒,幾滴香油攪拌均勻即可. 搭配雞肉或海鮮都很適合哦! *_^)

Red wine and herbs marinated lamb kebabs.(酒香羊肉串)

Method:

Cube the lamb. Mix together 50cc red wine, 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon of paprika,
1 teaspoon of dried parsley, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 1 teaspoon of garlic puree, juice from half a lemon. Marinate the lamb in the red wine mix overnight. Thread the lamb, vegetables, and dried apricots into skewers and grill.
(做法:將 茴香籽兩茶匙, 乾燥香菜一茶匙 (PARSLEY) , 甜椒粉一茶匙 (PAPRIKA),黑胡椒粒一茶匙粗鹽一茶匙, 蒜末一茶匙, 紅酒兩湯匙混合均勻. 羊肉切塊用以上的醃料醃漬隔夜.串起即可.)

Spicy chunky steak kebabs (香辣牛肉串)

Method:
Cube the fillet steak. Mix together 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon of onion seeds,
1 teaspoon of chili flakes, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of onion puree. Rub the steak with the mixture and marinate it overnight.
Thread the steak and vegetables into skewers and grill.
(做法: 將兩茶匙芥末籽, 一茶匙洋蔥籽,一茶匙辣椒末, 一茶匙甜椒粉,一茶匙黑胡椒粉, 一茶匙粗鹽與一茶匙洋蔥末混合用來醃漬切塊的牛肉. 醃漬隔夜後串起即可.)

Satay chicken kebabs.(沙嗲雞肉串)
Method:

Cube the chicken breast . Mix 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of rice wine,
1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of garlic puree into a bowl. Rub the chicken with the
peanut butter satay mixture , thread the chicken into skewers and grill.
(做法: 將兩湯匙花生醬,一湯匙醬油, 一湯匙米酒,一茶匙蒜末混合, 抹在雞胸塊上醃漬隔夜串起即可)

Spicy Seafood Hotpot (Ouch! It's really hot!)

2008-02-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

Very spicy hotpot. Something we supposed to eat on the
Chinese New Year's eve but has been delayed for a few
days due to Melony's birthday.

Frankly, I didn't enjoy Chinese New Year in the past.
A part of the reason was that I didn't (still don't)
get along with some of my relatives in Taiwan. Therefore,
visiting those people during Chinese New Year with my
parents used to be a tough job for me.

But one thing I do enjoy is hotpot(Shabu-shabu). In the past,
we used to gather around a table piled with lots of fresh
raw meat and vegetables, also with a hot burning pot
filled with chicken or beef stock sitting on the center of a table.
It allows everyone to choose whatever they like to eat,
drop it in the pot and watch it being cooked. When it's done,
dip it in any sauce they prefer. It's simple, it's fun
and it's so delicious!

These days, many different hotpot stock cubes are available
in Chinese supermarket. Spicy beef stock is one of my
favorite. It goes well with red meat or seafood. But
beware that as spicy food usually does, it upsets
the stomach afterward.

A tiny squid swimming in this red hot spicy soup.

Cakes For Little Cuties

2008-02-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

These were the lemon cup cakes I made for Melony's birthday
party in the nursery yesterday. It's really easy to make and
all kids love them.

Yesterday when Melony walked into her class, all her friends
came up to her, held her hands singing "Happy Birthday " to
her. She looked so happy and surprised. Through the window,
I saw her shy and beautiful smile. I was touched by the
friendship between her and her friends, also by the fact
that she has grown old enough to have a social life of her
own.

For 30 Lemon cup cakes :

1. Put 250g butter, 200g caster sugar, 5 eggs, zest from a lemon
in a bowl and mix well.

2. Sieve 250g selfraising flour and 4 teaspoon baking powder. Add
it to the egg mix and stir well.
3. Spoon the cake mix into paper cups. Place the cups on a baking
tray and bake the cakes in 170c preheated oven for 15 mins.

4. Decorate the cakes with icing.

Melony's Birthday Cake

2008-02-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

Melony's 4th birthday cake

My daughter Melony will be four tomorrow. However, we held a
small family-only party for her last weekend while my mother
in law was here to stay.

I made this birthday cake for Melony and decorated it
with lovely flowers and butterfly icing. Those are two
of her favorite things and she has been asking for a butterfly
cake for ages. Not only the cake, she told us what she wants for
her birthday as well. It's so delightful to watch my little
angle growing up and being more aware about what she wants.^_^

Under the icing is classic Victoria sponge with apricot jam.

Can't wait to have a big bite. Yum!!

The Irresistible Sweet Red Bean Soup With Grilled Rice Cakes

2007-11-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

As the weather gets colder, my will gets weaker..
I know I haven't reached my target for losing weight
but I just couldn't help thinking about all these
warm, sweet and comforting puddings. Besides, I was
in need of some calories to warm up my half frozen
sleepy brain. :P

I bought quite a few packets of Japanese rice cakes when
they were on sale in the Japanese supermarket. Anyone who
knows me well would have known that there was no way
that I could do Atkin's diet if I have these rice cakes
in my house! I'm just totally crazy about them. Usually, I
use them in Shabu-shabu. Occasionally, I stir-fry them.
In this case, it lay perfectly on top of the sweet red
bean soup. I have to say that this is my perfect comfort
food.

When the ricecake puffs up under the grill, it's ready.

Incredibly chewy and tasty !

Too Cute To Eat Sparrow Sandwiches

2007-11-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

They were meant to be owls, but they turned out looking
like sparrows.. :P

These were two of the funny looking lunch boxes I made for
Melony and Glen for their first week at the nursery in March
this year.I filled them with the healthy and delicious apple
and celery filling, did my best to decorate them, hoped that
they would bring up some conversations between my kids and
their new friends.

That evening when i went to pick them up from the nursery ,
one of the staff told me that Melony refused to eat her
sandwich. The staff felt so guilty that she had to throw it
away after meal time. I must admit that I felt a little
frustrated to hear that.

At home, I made the same sandwich for Melony again, but this time,
without all the funny decoration. Surprisingly, she seemed to
enjoy it! Very Confused, so I asked her, " Melony, do you like the
sandwich?"
"Yes!" she said
"So why didn't you eat your sandwich at school?" I asked.
"Because it got eyes on it and a funny face.." She replied naively.
"Mummy made the funny face especially for you. Didn't you like it?"
I asked.
"Yes, I like it. But I didn't want to break it." she said.

There I realized that sometimes cute lunch boxes could be a problem.
^^II

To make the delicious apple and celery sandwich filling:

Dice some apple, celery, boiled potato and mature chedder cheese.
Add some mayonnaise, some english mustard (optional) and a little bit
lemon juice into the diced vegetables. Mix well and serve.

Yummy Mummies

2007-11-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

The mummies are crawling out the box..
Creepy? Of course not, they're yummy!^_^~

I made these cup cakes for my kids' Halloween party
at the nursery as well. And kids absolutely loved it.
Melony and Glen moaned about they didn't get enough
cup cakes from school even they already ate quite a
few while i was decorating them in the morning.(=_=)II

But they certainly enjoyed their first ever Halloween
party. I do appreciate the idea of introducing the
concept of death to children in such a merry and funny
way.To most orientals ,the death is thought to be
powerful and more respectable than the living. Therefore,
we never joke about people who have passed away .

Here is the recipe for these delicious mummies.

For 15 cup cakes (about 4cm diameter each)you'll need:

A.
Self-raising flour 110g
Baking powder 1 tablespoon

B.
Egg x1
Butter (soften) 70g
Sugar 50g
Chocolate (melted) 70g
Pumpin puree 50g

Method:

Mix and beat well all the ingredients in list B .
Sieve the flour and baking powder , then add it to
the egg and butter mix. stir well.
Pour the cake mix into the paper cups.
Bake for 15mins(180c).

For the decoration you'll need some icing to make the
bandages, melted white chocolate and chocolate buttons
to complete the eyes.

Melony and Glen dressed up for Halloween.

Mini Pumpkin Balls

2007-11-03T03:59:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin is one of my favorite vegetables. I love the
sweet and welcoming smell from the cooking process.
In my home country Taiwan, pumpkins are often the
size of watermelons. Taiwanese call them "Golden Melons"
for their beautiful orange colour. The texture of them
are usually firmer.Here in the UK, pumpkins are availiable
in various sizes and textures. A few of them are even too
cute to be cooked!

Despite being on Atkin's diet, I promised my kids to
make something funny and tasty for their Halloween
party in the nursery. I felt really awful when i was
doing it. The irresistable aroma from the pumpkin and
butter puree nearly failed my Atkin's diet.(ok~ I did
try two teaspoons. :P)

These cute little pumpkin balls are really easy to make.

First, make the pumpkin and butter puree by wrapping up
the cooked skinless pumpkin (baked or steamed )with a
clean tea towel or cotton clothe, squeezing out as much
water as you can. Put the pumpkin in a bowl and mash
it up with some butter and sugar.

Scoop out a teaspoon of the puree and make it into a ball.
Keep making loads of them, place them on a tray, then put
the tray in the freezer .

once the balls are frozen, cut the puff pastry into 4cm
diameter circles and wrap the frozen pumpkin balls in them.

Use a small knife to make a few cuts on the side of the
pastry balls then brush some egg yolk on them before baking
them in the oven (190c , 15 mins)

Finally, decorate those little pumpkins with green icing and
pumpkin seeds.

Frozen pumpkin puree balls

Before baking.

Done!

Melony made this really cute pumpkin man and scary spider
for Halloween.

World Club Sandwich

2007-10-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

As we grow older, we get fed up with a lot of things.
For example,my husband gets fed up with the fish and
chips from the shop we used to like. He also gets
fed up with his favorite chinese takeaway dish which
he thought he couldn't live without.Most of all, he
gets fed up with all the sandwiches that were availiable
near his work.Therefore,he sweet talked me to make sandwiches
for his lunch at work.He told me that my cooking is one
thing that he will never get fed up with.Mmm...sweet,isn't
it?

Well, there you go!Here is the sandwich that i created in just
10 mins and it also used up what we left in the fridge. :P
This sandwich contained many things from different countries.It's
like a world club in a bun. To make this sandwich, you'll need
Wholemeal rolls ,Cajun chicken breast,English cherry tomatos,
Japanese pickled ginger,Tawanese sweet chilli sauce,Roman lettuce ,
finally, some Bejing duck sauce on the bottom bread.

How does it taste like? ...I don't know! :P
But Gary(my husband)said it was superb and i'd like to believe
him .*_^~

Giraffe Sandwiches

2007-10-23T01:20:00.000-07:00

Giraffes:the animals that have small heads, innocent big round eyes,
and skinny legs..YES!Just look like my daughter,Mel!

My husband likes giraffes because his first soft toy was a giraffe
and he had it for a long long time.For that reason,my mother in law
also found some lovely giraffe soft toys for my babies . And they
love them! In my kichen cupboard, we have giraffe mugs, giraffe spoon.
So, how about having some giraffe sandwishes as well?

I didn't kill a giraffe and chop it into piesces to make the sandwish.:P
Instead, i only used a hotdog roll ,some cheese ,some egg,and some carrot.

To make the carrot and egg sandwich filling:

Dice a boiled egg, shred some carrot,add a tea spoon of honey and a
table spoon of mayonnaise.Mix well.

To decorate the sandwich:

1.Slice the bread.Place some cheese on top of the bread ,grill for 1 minute
so that the cheese will melt a bit and look like the spots on a giraffe.

2.Use 2 peas and spaghetti to make the horns, almond flakes as giraffe's
ears,raisins as giraffe's eyes,and seaweed as giraffe's nose.

Long legs Melony

Rosemary And Lemon Roast Chicken

2007-10-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

It's the 10th day of my Atkin's diet...
bored of meat already? NO! :P
I'm a meat eater who also enjoys cheese and all sorts of protein .
That's why i chose to be on Atkin's instead of other complicated
diets. i really hope that i will shed a few pounds before this
christmas.Actually, i already lost about 2.5kg in the past ten
days.it seems that Atkins really works for me! ^_^~

My biggest pain of being on Atkin's is to say goodbye to my
favorite pasta and cakes.i still make cakes for my kids
sometimes,but i'm not even allowed to taste them.my husband
and kids are quite happy to keep all the sweets and dessert
to themselves anyway.

As my hubby and kids enjoyed their Chinese beef stew and rice for
dinner,here, i have this roast chicken all to myself( of course
i didn't finish it all in one meal..)

ROSEMARY AND LEMON MARINADE ROAST CHICKEN

Ingredients:
whole chicken 1.5kg x1
half a lemon
small bunch fresh rosemary
one clove of garlic
20g of melted butter
1 tea spoon of dijon mustard
1 tea spoon of sea salt
1 tea spoon of black peppercorn
1 table spoon of honey(optional)

method:

1.juice the lemon .put all the ingredients except the chicken
into a mini food processor to make the herb puree.

2.spoon the puree all over the chicken ,put the juiced lemon
inside the cavity of the chicken. leave it at the room temperature
to marinade for about 30 mins.

3.preheat the oven to 210c (190 fan oven)

4.place the chickn in a roasting tray, cover it up with foil and roast
it for an hour.

5. remove the foil and spoon the oil from the tray all over the
chicken . reduce the tmeperature in the oven to 180c and roast
for another 30 mins.

6.pierce in the thigh with a fork , if the juices run clear ,
it's cooked!

i decorated the chicken by tying a peice of leomn and a bunch of rosemary.

still looked beautiful after it was cooked.

Shaws:Elegant,Delicious,But..

2007-10-11T02:02:00.000-07:00

DELICIOUS AND NICELY PRESENTED DESSERTS.

MODERN BUT COSY. I LOVE THOSE LEATHER CHAIRS!

SHAWS LOCATED AT THE OLD FISHMARKET CLOSE ON ROYAL MILE,EDINBURGH.
GROUND FLOOR AND BASEMENT OF THAT CUTE APARTMENT IN THIS PICTURE.

VISITED SHAWS in July and was a bit disappointed knowing that it was under new management.it used to be popular with its various tapas selection ,but now it serves
set lunch and dinner menu only. enjoy its three course beautiful and delicious meal for as little as 9-15 pounds, it's still a wonderful bargain!

BUT.. there are still space for the improvement at the service because the waiter didn't look happy at all.

more information:
Address: 21 Old Fishmarket Close, Edinburgh, EH1 1RW
Tel: +44 (0)131 226 1300

Get Well Soon Vegetable Broth

2007-10-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

AS all the members in my family caught the famous "winter vomiting bug" a few days ago, none of us had the appetite to eat anything .therefore,i made this light ,warm, healthy soup , hoping that it would provide some energy for my family to fight the bugs.

this soup is really easy to make.you can use any kind of vegetables that are left in the fridge.

for my soup,i chop one onion,one potato, two stalks of celery and some carrots finely and added some bacon , beans , sweetcorn and bay leaves .first,heat some butter in the pot , throw in all the ingredients and 1 table spoon flour. keep stir frying it until its soft. then,add some chicken stock enough to cover the ingredients . bring it to the boil and simmer for an hour. add some pepper and salt to season.

Box The Rain

2007-10-10T01:21:00.000-07:00

This is probably the most cloudy year since i moved to the uk!
it has been raining for months . after the unpleasant ,wet and
windy summer, here comes the frosty, foggy and damp autumn.
now i can understand why British enjoy sunshine so much.

here i turned the scene into my kid's lunch box.
i use the bioled rice and ham to make the house,brocoli as the
trees , the pesto turkey rolls as the clouds,and slices of garlic
as the raindrops.

to make the pesto turkey rolls:

1. use a meat mallett to pat 1/4 of the turkey breast thin and flat.
2. spread the pesto evenly on the turkey breast.
3.roll up the turkey breast . put it on a baking tray and place some
butter on top of the turkey roll. bake in a 210c preheated oven
for 25 mins.
4.slice when it's cool.