Whole Wheat Bread

This is a lovely whole wheat bread. Recipe is from a bread machine cookbook, where all the ingredients are placed in the bread machine pan, and let the machine do all the work, and you would have one lovely baked bread to enjoy for your breakfast. As usual, I prefer to finish the baking in the oven. So I have used the bread machine to knead the dough, right up to the first rising, then I took out the dough, shape it and placed it in a greased loaf pan for the second rise, and then bake in the oven.

Bread turns out really nice, moist and soft.

Wholesome, healthy bread, perfect for breakfast, spread with butter and jam. And it freezes well too. I had four slices which I kept frozen, simply thaw it and toast until crispy, which I've enjoyed with some homemade tapenade.

Whole Wheat Bread
(adapted from "Biggest Book of Bread Machine Recipes", Better Homes and Gardens)
Makes 1-1/2 pound loaf
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons honey or sugar (I use honey)
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 teaspoon salt (I use 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

Select the loaf size. Add the ingredients to the machine according to the manufacturer's direction. If available, select the whole grain cycle, or select the basic white bread cycle.

Kitchen Flavours notes : To bake in the oven

I use the bread machine to knead the dough, selecting the "Wholewheat Dough" cycle. This cycle will knead the dough, with the first rising in the bread pan. When the cycle has completed, I remove the dough, pat it out on a lightly floured work surface to roughly about 8"x 10" rectangle. Dough will be slightly sticky, so flour your hands lightly. Roll it up tightly like a swiss roll and place in a 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" greased loaf pan. Cover loosely with greased cling wrap and let rise until almost double in size. Remove the cling wrap and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 35 minutes or until the bread is done. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely before slicing.

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (March 2015 Event: Honey) organized by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Doreen (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Joyce (joycescapade.com).

Arugula, Carrot Greens, Apple and Almond Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing

This is a simple salad, and it is really nice and refreshing. I've made this a number of times, using different salad greens. The Honey-Lemon dressing is very simple, just a mixture of honey, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. 

Here, I have used baby arugula leaves, young tender leaves from my carrot plants, green apple and chopped toasted almonds. 

Simply mix the Honey-Lemon dressing and drizzle over the salad ingredients and enjoy! This is simple and refreshing. The Honey-Lemon dressing is especially good drizzled over bitter salad greens like frisee. My kids love this dressing and sometimes when we have roasted chicken for dinner, I would make a simple salad of just a mixed leafy greens and reds, with a bowl of the Honey-Lemon dressing at the side, and let them drizzle over their salad as much as they want. If you prefer a sweet dressing, simply add more honey, or for a more lemony dressing, reduce the honey and add more lemon juice.

If there's any Honey-Lemon dressing leftover, you can always add some water, cubes of ice and you would have a refreshing honey-lemon drink! Or you could add a tablespoon or two into your cup of plain tea, and you would have Honey-Lemon Tea! You may need to add more honey if you are making it into drinks. 

From my container garden : Baby Arugula Leaves and young tender leaves from my carrot plants.

Arugula, Carrot Greens, Apple and Almond Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing
(by kitchen flavours)
a large handful of fresh baby arugula leaves
a few sprigs of young tender carrot leaves, use only the leaves
(or replace the augula and carrot leaves with a bunch of any salad greens)
1 medium green apple
some toasted almonds, chopped
juice of half a lemon
3 to 4 tablespoons honey, or to taste
pinch of salt

Prepare the honey-lemon dressing by mixing in a bowl, the lemon juice, honey and salt to taste. Stir till evenly combine.

Cut apple into quarters, remove the core, then sliced thinly. Put into a serving bowl and mix with the arugula and carrot leaves. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the honey-lemon dressing, mix to combine.  Scatter with the chopped toasted almond and drizzle more honey-lemon dressing. You may not need to use all of the honey-lemon dressing, if there's any extra, make it into a cold drink by adding some water and ice cubes, and enjoy it with your salad!

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (March 2015 Event: Honey) organized by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Doreen (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Joyce (joycescapade.com).

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Chocolate Chip Cookies were made weeks ago, though I think the name Chocolate Chunks Cookies would be more suitable as there's no chocolate chips at all, but rather, chunks of chocolate bars which are chopped to chunky pieces. 

The dough is mixed, rolled into logs, covered with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, slice the logs into disks 3/4 inch thick and bake in a preheated oven.

My logs are not exactly round, as one side is flat due to the position during the chilling period in the refrigerator. The next time, I'll place them in "standing position", with one rounded end at the base (then I have to make shorter logs), instead of laying them on the side. And due to the rather chunky chocolate chunks and nuts, some of the slices fall apart during slicing, but no problem, simply put them in place and shape the slices if necessary. Place the slices 3 inches apart as they will spread a little.

Freshly baked cookies! 

If you like soft chocolate chip cookies, bake them for about 10 minutes until they are very lightly brown in the centre. Since we love cookies with a little bite, I've baked the cookies for 15 minutes, rotating the trays halfway during baking time.

These cookies are so yummy! 

Chunky gooey chocolate and crisp walnuts, there's no stopping at just one piece! The cookie jar was empty on the third day!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from "Ready For Dessert", by David Lebovitz)
makes about 48 cookies
2-1/2 cups (350gm) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt (omit)
1 cup (8 ounces/225gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature (use salted butter)
1 cup (215gm) packed light brown sugar (I use 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup (150gm) granulated sugar (I use 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (about 225gm) nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, or macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
14 ounces (400gm) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/2- to - 1-inch (1.5 to 3-cm) chunks or 3 cups (340gm) chocolate drops (I use 300gm dark chocolate)

In a  small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then stir in the flour mixture followed by the nuts and chocolate chunks.

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (August 2015 : Brown Sugar and Molasses) organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Jess from Bakericious.

and 

Cook-Your-Books #26 @ kitchen flavours

Homemade Vanilla Yoghurt

Yoghurt is really very easy to make at home. All you need is some yoghurt as a starter, and some full cream milk. I have been making my own yoghurt all this while, the only time I buy yoghurt is when I ran out of yoghurt as a starter to make another batch of yoghurt. I used my homemade yoghurt for baking, cooking, desserts or just eat it as it is. It is also great with some granola or fresh fruits and makes a wonderful ingredient in dressings and sauces. 

When a recipe calls for buttermilk in cakes baking, I would substitute buttermilk with a mixture of homemade yoghurt and milk (source from Dorie Greenspan), ratio is 1/3 cup yoghurt and 2/3 cup of milk, stir to combine and leave for about 5 minutes before using. It works out great each time,

I have posted before how I made plain yoghurt, and today, I'm sharing my Homemade Vanilla Yoghurt.

 The ingredients for making yoghurt : Fresh Yoghurt and Full Cream Milk

I always use Sunglo fresh yoghurt, which contains live ABT cultures, the microorganisms which helps to convert milk into yoghurt, and is beneficial to human health. Whatever brand of yoghurt you use, make sure that it contains ABT cultures. And I always use full cream milk, which makes a creamier yoghurt than using low-fat milk.

You would only need about 2 tablespoons or so of yoghurt as a starter, and if you are wondering what to do with the rest of the yoghurt in the tub, simply freeze them in ice cube trays, store them in the freezer and each time you need to use, take the amount required and thaw before use. Here is how I store the unused store-bought yoghurt :

What to do with leftover yoghurt :

1. Take out the amount you need and place it into a mug. I would call this as the yoghurt starter.

2. Fill up the ice cube trays with the balance yoghurt.

3. Place in the freezer overnight until frozen solid.

4. The frozen cubes of yoghurt.

5. I placed each cube of frozen yoghurt in small plastic bags. I would recommend packing the cubes in small plastic bags, as I find that when I store them together without the plastic bags, they tend to stick together and it would be difficult to separate them when they are frozen.

6. Fold each of the small plastic bags over and place them in a zip lock bag. Store in the freezer and each time when you need some (either for yoghurt making or in a dish which requires just a small amount of yoghurt, this would come in handy) , just take the amount required, and thaw before use. 

Now, lets's make some yoghurt :

To make two cups of yoghurt :

1. Put two cups of full cream milk into a medium pot. 

2. Slit open a vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, put the seeds and the vanilla pods into the milk. (If you are making plain yoghurt, simply omit the vanilla bean).

3. Heat the milk over low heat, and bring it to just under a boil, when the milk at the sides of the pot is just beginning to boil. Turn off heat, let milk cool to just warm to the touch, which would take about 30-45 minutes. 

4. Scoop about one third cup of warm milk into the reserved yoghurt starter in the mug. The milk must be just warm, as too hot, it will kill the microorganism in the starter. Stir to combine well, making sure that the yoghurt starter is fully dissolved.

5. Pour the starter mixture back into the pot of milk. Stir till evenly combined.

6. Remove the vanilla pod.

7. Strain the mixture over a sieve into a clean container, to remove any milk skin or curdles that has formed. Don't worry, most of the tiny vanilla seeds will go thru the strainer.

8. The strained milk with the speckled of vanilla seeds.

9. Close the container. Leave at room temperature overnight, or longer, in a warm corner, undisturbed, until yoghurt sets.

10. Or, simply do as I always do, place the container of yoghurt in a microwave oven, with a cup of hot water next to it. DO NOT TURN ON THE MICROWAVE OVEN. Close the microwave oven, leave the container in it overnight to set. Remember do not turn on the oven, it is merely acting as a vacuum so that the hot vapour from that cup of hot water will circulate within the oven, and to keep the microorganisms happy in the warm environment that they will help to set the yoghurt.

 Homemade Vanilla Yoghurt. Store the container in the fridge and enjoy!

This is the plain yoghurt which I made the week before. For plain yoghurt, simply omit the vanilla beans.

You could use your own homemade yoghurt as a starter for the next batch of yoghurt. I have made yoghurt using my own homemade yoghurt as a starter, which is good for two batches, and after that it would be advisable to start on a fresh yoghurt starter with live ABT cultures.

And if you need some Greek yoghurt, you can make your own too. Place two layers of cheese cloth over a sieve, and place the sieve in a bowl. Pour two cups of homemade yoghurt onto the cheese cloth, and place the sieve with the bowl in the fridge, for a few hours or overnight. The thickened yoghurt collected on the cheese cloth will be the Greek yoghurt and the whey collected in the bowl can either be discarded or use for bread making. 

Now you have seen how easy to make your own yoghurt! There's no need to get one of those yoghurt making machine, you do not really need it. If you have not tried making your own yoghurt before, give it a try, you will enjoy the process of making it, and even better, the rewards of creamy homemade yoghurt to be enjoyed later! And it is so much cheaper to make your own!

******************************

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (May 2015 : Yoghurt) organized by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Cheryl of Baking Taitai

Crisp Chicken Cutlets

"April Potluck", the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). Free and easy theme, we get to cook and select any recipes from any of IHCC's past and present chefs. I've decided to cook one of Nigella Lawson's chicken recipes for our Sunday night dinner. One thing I like about Nigella's recipes are her chicken recipes!

Chicken breast fillet is first flattened (I use a meat mallet) between two sheets of plastic, to a thin piece, then soaked in a mixture of buttermilk and Worcestershire sauce. I did not have any buttermilk, so I've used milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lime juice, stir and let sit for 5 minutes before use. I soaked the chicken breast fillet for about 4 hours, keeping them covered in a shallow container in the fridge.

Just before frying the cutlets, prepare the crumb mixture by mixing breadcrumbs (which I've used Panko), grated Parmesan cheese, celery salt, cayenne powder and dried thyme in a large shallow plate. I fry the cutlets just before serving time. Lift the chicken pieces out of the buttermilk mixture and place them on the crumb mixture, coating both sides of the cutlet. Heat some oil, about 1/4 inch, in a large saucepan, and fry the chicken cutlets on both sides over medium-low heat, until brown and cooked. Drain on absorbent paper towels and serve immediately.

I fried a small piece of the cutlet to test on the seasoning before frying the rest of the cutlets, and find that I needed to add a little bit more of celery salt and the dried thymes, to the crumb mixture, to taste.

I thought that the Crisp Chicken Cutlet from the photo above looks like a piece of toasted bread! LOL!

I served these cutlets with a simple green salad and some potato salad.

Sprinkle some fresh thyme over the cutlets, as I did not have any parsley.

This meal is a total winner! The chicken cutlet is crispy on the outside, with moist and tender meat after soaking in the buttermilk for a few hours. Tasty and delicious! We enjoyed this meal and I would make this again!

Crisp Chicken Cutlets
(adapted from "Nigella Kitchen", Nigella Lawson)
Serves 4
4 chicken breast fillets, skinless and boneless
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (such as Lea & Perrins)
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (I use Panko breacrumbs)
1 teaspoon celery salt, or 1/2 teaspoon for younger children (I used about 1-1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme (I used 2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
oil for frying, such as peanut
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (replaced with fresh thyme)

1. Unroll a piece of plastic wrap, then open out the chicken breasts and lay them on the plastic. Cover the fanned-out chicken breasts with another piece of plastic wrap, and bash with a rolling pin until they are thin, but still whole. (if the underside sections come away, don't worry).
2. Whisk the buttermilk with the Worcestershire sauce in a shallow bowl, or put it into a resealable bag and squish to mix. Then add the flattened chicken pieces to the bowl or bag and leave out for about 30 minutes - or refrigerate overnight if you've got time - to marinate.
3. Preheat the oven to 300F, if you're using a smaller frying pan and want to keep the cutlets warm as you fry them. Mix the breadcrumbs, celery salt, cayenne, thyme, and Parmesan in a wide, shallow dish. Then, once the chicken has had its steeping, lift out the buttermilky pieces and press into the breadcrumbs mixture one at a time.
4. Coat the chicken on both sides with the seasoned crumbs and then lay them on a wire rack, the sort you'd use for cooling cakes.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan - using just enought to coat the base with about 1/4 inch of oil.
6. Once the oil is hot, fry the bigger pieces of chicken for about 3 minutes per side, and the smaller bits from the underside of the breast for about 2 minutes per side. As you remove the cooked pieces of chicken, blot them on paper towels and, if you wish, keep them warm in a low oven (on a cookie sheet) as indicated above, or serve them as you go. However you choose to dish up, serve these crisp chicken cutlets sprinkled with chopped parsley. 

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week "April Potluck"

and

Little Thumbs Up : Chicken, organised by Bake for Happy Kids and My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Diana from the Domestic Goddess Wannabe.

and 

Cook-Your-Books #22 @ kitchen flavours

Goreng Kodok (Mashed Banana Fritters)

Most of us are going bananas this month! Why? Because this month's Little Thumbs Up Event is Banana! And you may have seen many Kuih Kodok (Mashed Banana Fritters) going round the blogs. I was planning to make these banana fritters months ago for LTU, well, here it is.

Most of us have memories of eating these fritters during our growing up years. As for me, my mother used to make these fritters all the time. We have banana trees growing by the side of our house, and when the fruits are ready to be harvested, there are a lot of bananas! A whole stem of bananas have many, many tiers, and each tier has many bananas! More than we can eat! So my mother would share some of the bananas with our neighbours and used some to make these delicious all time favourite! Though in our house, we call these banana fritters as Goreng Kodok. 

These banana fritters are really common in Malaysia and can be found in most stalls that sells fried banana and other snacks. I however, do not really like the ones that these stalls are selling, as the fritters would be rather compact on the inside and sometimes dry, and of course, there are always not enough of bananas in the batter!

I supposed the best ones are still homemade, and my favourite are the ones that my mother used to make, puffy and light, lightly crisp on the outside, and soft, chewy, moist with chunks of bananas on the inside. You would not stop at just one!

How I make Goreng Kodok

Firstly, sift some plain flour with baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add some water and sugar and stir well. The consistency of the batter should be moderately thick, a large spoonful of the batter should be able to drop in dollops easily. Next, mash the ripe bananas, leaving them a little chunky. Add the bananas to the batter till evenly combined, and keep aside for 15-20 minutes. 

Heat some oil for frying over moderate heat. Drop heaped tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil, the batter will puff. Fry both sides, turning them now and then to brown them evenly, this would take about 3-4 minutes to cook, When the fritters have turned golden brown all over, remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.

Serve these Goreng Kodok while still warm with a cup of tea, sit back, take a break and start snacking!! 

Love these puffy Goreng Kodok! When eaten while still warm, the outside is lightly crisp, and the insides are moist, soft, chewy with delightful bites of the banana chunks. You would not stop at just one! 

Goreng Kodok (Mashed Banana Fritters)
(by Kitchen Flavours)
(makes about 36 fritters)
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar (to taste, depending on the sweetness of the bananas)
1 cup water
4 ripe bananas (mashed with chunks visible, about 1-1/2 cups)

1. Sift plain flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. 
2. Add sugar and water, stir well to combine. Batter should be moderately thick, dollops of batter should be able to drop off from the spoon in dollops. If batter is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of water at at time. 
3. Mash the bananas, leaving some of it chunky. Add the bananas to the batter and mix till evenly combine. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
4. Heat some oil over moderate heat. Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into hot oil. (Tip: fry one fritter first to check on the saltiness and sweetness, add a little more salt or sugar to the batter if necessary, before frying the rest of the batter).
5. Once batter has puffed and starting to change colour to light brown, turn fritter and fry both sides till golden brown, which takes about 3-4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove fritters and drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up (March 2015 - BANANA) event organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite D.I.Y and hosted by Faeez of Bitter Sweet Spicy.

and

 Best Recipes For Everyone March 2015 Event : My Favourite Traditional Kueh by Fion of XuanHom's Mom and co-host by Joceline of Butter, Flour & Me

Hakka Yam Abacus Beads Noodles

This noodle dish is a Hakka cuisine. We love eating this small cute little noodles. But surprisingly this noodle is not easily available from Chinese restaurants or hawker centres. So in order to enjoy this noodle, I made this a couple of months ago and am sharing it today with Little Thumbs Up January 2015 : Pasta/Noodles. 

These little rounded noodles are made up of mashed steamed yam and tapioca flour, which is mixed with a little boiling water, to form a dough. The dough is then made into small round balls (about the size of a small cherry tomato),  with one side pressed in the centre to make an indentation (resembling the abacus). The balls of noodles are then dropped into hot boiling water, drained and stir-fried as a noodle meal. 

A plate of Hakka Yam Abacus Beads Noodles

To make the yam abacus, firstly yam is steamed and mashed, then mix with some tapioca flour, and a little hot boiling water to make a dough. Pinches of dough is formed into small round balls, with an indentation on one side (use the back of a round chopstick), to resemble an abacus. They are then dropped into a pot of boiling water to cook, and when they start to float up, they are cooked. Remove and drain, they are now ready to be stir-fried.

The abacus beads noodles are soft on the outside with chewy centre, and is usually stir-fried with meat, mushrooms, soy sauce, oyster sauce and garnished with lots of crispy fried shallots and chopped spring onions. Serve hot, though they are great when eaten at room temperature too. A small plate is really quite filling! I love eating it with a condiment of sliced hot bird's eye chillies with a dash of light soy sauce.

Hakka Yam Abacus Beads Noodles
(adapted from "Delightful Snacks & Dim Sum", Agnes Chang)
600gm yam, cut into chunks, steamed until soft and mashed finely
300gm tapioca flour
1 tsp salt
some boiling water to mix, if necessary (I used about 3-4 tbsps)

2000ml water
2 tbsp oil

4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic and shallots
3 tbsp dried prawns, soaked
2 tbsp dried squid shreds, soaked (omitted)
200gm minced meat
3 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked till soften, and cut to thin slices
3 tbsp black fungus, soaked, shredded (ommited)

Seasoning :
1 tbsp fish sauce (I replaced with oyster sauce)
1 tbsp chicken stock granules (I use 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp dark soy sauce
salt to taste (I use light soy sauce)
1/4 tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 cup water

Garnishing :
1 egg, fried into thin omelette, shredded (omitted)
some chopped spring onion, red chillies and fried shallots

1. Combine mashed yam and tapioca flour, mix into a pliable dough, adding some boiling water if necessary. Divide into small portions and form into the shape of abacus. (pinch some rolls of dough, the size of a small cherry tomato, roll in between your palms into a round and make an indent in the centre with your fingertip). Cook in rapidly boiling water until they float to the surface. Remove and place the abacus rounds into a pot filled with cool water. Repeat until all the abacus rounds are cooked. Drain and place in a large bowl. Mix with 2 tbsp oil. Keep aside.
2. Heat up 4 tbsp oil, saute chopped garlic and shallots until fragrant. Add in dried prawns, dried squid shreds and stir-fry until aromatic. Add minced meat, mushroom shreds, black fungus shreds and stir-fry until fragrant. Add in seasoning and bring to the boil. Stir in yam abacus and stir-fry until dry. Taste and dish up. 
3. Garnish with shredded omelette, spring onion, red chillies, fried shallots and serve hot.

I'm linking this post to :

Little Thumbs Up January 2015 : Pasta/Noodles organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Doreen of My Little Favourite D.I.Y, and hosted by Anne of My Bare Cupboard.

and

Cook-Your-Books #20 @ kitchen flavours

Spaghetti With Spiced Meatballs In Tomato Sauce

"Along The Spice Trail", the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). I love cooking with spices. For this week's time, I've made Diana Henry's, Spiced Meatballs In Tomato Sauce, served over spaghetti.

Simmer the meatballs in the prepared sauce. Smells nice!

What I like about this sauce is, it is really easy peasy. There's no browning of the onions and no dishes to wash! Simply chop the onions and garlic, and dump them straight into the stewing pot along with the other ingredients for the sauce ; canned tomatoes, oregano, tomato puree, light brown sugar, salt and pepper and olive oil. Let the sauce comes to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring from time to time. My family love more sauce for their pasta, so I have used three cans of tomato instead of two. I did not have any canned cherry tomatoes, so I have used one can of chopped tomatoes and two cans of plum tomatoes which I crushed before cooking. And did not have fresh oregano leaves (my plant died!), so I've used a tablespoon of dried oregano.

While the sauce is simmering, prepare the meatballs, as per instructions in the recipe. I've used ground pork instead of beef. Ingredients for the meatballs ; onion, garlic, red chilli, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground mixed spice, chopped coriander (did not have any parsley). Season well. Fry a small chunk to test on the seasoning. Form the meat into meatballs, then browned them in a little oil. Remove and put them into the sauce, and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Check on the seasoning, I added another tablespoon of brown sugar to balance off the flavours. Serve over spaghetti.

Spaghetti with Spiced Meaballs in Tomato Sauce, delicious!

The meatballs uses quite a fair amount of cinnamon and ground mixed spice. I have however used ground nutmeg instead of grated. At first I thought that the spices would be too strong, but they balances off really deliciously with the meat. Stir through the spaghetti with the sauce, top with more sauce and some meatballs, sprinkle with chopped coriander, and enjoy!

Spiced Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
(adapted from "Food From Plenty", Diana Henry)
Serves 6
For the sauce :
2 x 400 cans tomatoes (ideally cherry) in thick juice (I've used one can of chopped tomatoes and two cans of plum tomatoes which I've crushed before cooking)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
leaves from 4 oregano sprigs (dried oregano)
1/2 tbsp tomato puree (use 3 tbsps tomato puree)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
salt and pepper

For the meatballs :
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
900gm (2lb) minced beef
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp ground mixed spice
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1. First make the sauce. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan (no need to brown anything) and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and leave to cook for 30 minutes, the sauce will thicken and the tomatoes collapse. Stir from time to time, adding a little water if needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
2. For the meatballs, put 1 tbsp of the oil into a pan and cook the onion until soft and pale gold. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another minute and a half. Put this into a bowl with the beef, spices and parsley. Season really well. Pull off a little chunk and fry in some oil. Eat. This helps you decide whether you need more seasoning or spices. Form the beef into meatballs using wet hands.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs in batches. You don't need to cook them through; just colour the outside. Once they are done, tip in the tomato sauce and stir gently. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
4. Serve with pasta (penne or spaghetti are both good; you'll need 100gm/3-1/2oz per person). Stir it with the sauce and meatballs in a large heated shallow bowl and serve.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week
"Along The Spice Trail"

and

Cook-Your-Books #20 @ kitchen flavours

and

Little Thumbs Up January 2015 : Pasta/Noodles organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Doreen of My Little Favourite D.I.Y, and hosted by Anne of My Bare Cupboard.

Pumpkin Frittata with Tomato Salsa

This simple frittata is the perfect lunch meal. Recipe uses sweet potato, but I have use pumpkin instead.

A simple tomato salsa is served with the frittata and they are good really together. I have used cherry tomatoes instead of vine-ripened plum tomatoes as stated in the recipe, as I am waiting for my plum tomatoes to ripen on the vines, there are several fruits right now and I can't wait for them to turn all red!

A simple, healthy lunch! Quick and yummy!

Sweet Potato (Pumpkin) Frittata with Tomato Salsa
(adapted from : "Healthy Appetite", Gordon Ramsay)
Serves 2
1 large sweet potato, about 200-250gm  (I use pumpkin)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
sea salt and black pepper
4 large eggs
small handful of chives, finely snipped

Tomato Salsa :
250gm vine-ripened plum tomatoes
2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
handful of coriander leaves, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil (I omitted this)
dash of tobasco sauce (I omitted this)
pinch of sugar (optional)

To make the salsa :

Halve or quarter the tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix well, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar if you like. Set aside.

For the frittata :

Heat the grill to its highest setting. Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1-cm cubes. Heat a non-stick omelette or frying pan (suitable for use under the grill) and add the olive oil. When hot, toss in the potato and shallot, and season well with salt and pepper. Cook over a medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes until the potatoes are just tender and lightly golden at the edges.

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl, add the chives and pour over the sweet potatoes. Shake the pan gently to distribute the ingredients and cook over a low heat, without stirring, for a few minutes until the eggs are beginning to set at the bottom and around the sides.

Place the pan under the hot grill briefly until the top of the frittata has set. Try not to overcook the eggs or they will turn rubbery. Leave to stand for a minute, then run a heatproof plastic spatula around the sides of the pan and invert the frittata onto a large plate. Spoon the tomato salsa into a neat pile on top and serve immediately.

I'm linking this post to :

Little Thumbs Up (Oct 2014 Event : Pumpkin) organized by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Mui Mui of My Little Favourite D.I.Y. and hosted by Eileen of Eileen's Diary.

and 

Cook-Your-Books #17 @ kitchen flavours

and
"My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.

Apple Cake

Little Thumbs Up event, ingredient for this month is Apple, hosted by I Lost-In-Austen, reminds me of this Apple Cake which I have not baked for years! I used to bake this cake quite often (almost two decades ago!, wow how time flies!) and it was well liked by my office colleagues and friends. This cake was the most requested. And I even had orders for office gatherings, birthday and farewells parties from neighbouring offices, and I was not even selling cakes at that time!

About three years ago, when I bumped into one of my ex-colleagues, and after chit-chatting for a while, she asked me, "Do you still make the Apple Cake? I missed eating that cake! I wanted to order from you as a gift for a friend, but I lost your number!" After all those years, and she remembered! What is it about this cake that everyone seems to like? Maybe it is the buttery, moist and tender crumbs that makes eating this cake a pleasure. This is really such a simple cake, without all the heavy frostings, yet still a winner with those who have tried it. And the apple makes it all the more interesting and delightful to eat, especially if one likes a simple cake without any frostings.

Apple Cake, as described in the book "Apples are baked on top of a melt-in-the-mouth butter cake, then glazed with apricot jam.  The cake can be served warm as a dessert with whipped cream."

The recipe is from "Cakes & Slices Cookbook" by Australian Women's Weekly or you can find it from their website, here. I borrowed the book from my sister once upon a time ago, had almost all the recipes in the book copied and typewritten on A4 papers and kept them in my file folder. Here, it is, my file of almost 20 years old. The Apple Cake recipe is right on top, naturally!

This is just one of the files. I have a few more, which I've separated as "Cakes & Baking" and "Cooking & Dining"! LOL! I was sort of clearing my old files and thought of discarding most of them, but somehow I find myself putting them back in my cupboard! I guess all the hours spent collecting the recipes over the years, some are typewritten, some are handwritten, pieces of papers with notes and scribbles on them, and others in clippings from newspapers and magazines pasted on A4 paper for easy filing, all the efforts that went into it, seems such a waste if I discard them. Besides, as I browsed thru the files, there are interesting recipes which I've not tried before.... well, don't even know whether I'll make them, but just in case! LOL! Kinda sentimental value to me, I guess!

Apples are peeled, quartered and cored. Make lengthway cuts into the rounded side of apple quarters, cutting them 3/4 way through (not all the way). The apple quarters are then placed all around the baking pan, onto the batter with cut side up, arranging them close to the pan. I have used Fuji apples instead of Granny Smith. For the batter, I have reduced the sugar slightly to 120gm. 

The cake was baked at 175C for 50 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent the top with foil if browning too fast. Once the cake is done baking, let stand in pan for 5 minutes and gently invert the cake onto a wire rack. For the glaze, I have used 1 tablespoon apricot glaze, which I warmed with 1 teaspoon of water, then brush the warm glaze over the hot cake. Let cake cool, and slice to serve. 

A simple buttery cake, soft, moist and tender. The apples still had the slight crunch to it which is nice eaten with the cake. It can be served as a dessert with whipped cream as mentioned in the recipe, but it is good enough on its own.

Apple Cake
(adapted from "Cakes & Slices", Australian Women's Weekly) 
180gm butter (I use salted butter)
2 tsps grated lemon rind
2/3 cup (150gm) sugar (I use 120gm)
3 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour (1 cup plain flour + 1-1/2 tsps baking powder)
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup milk
2 medium apples
2 tbsp water
1 tsp gelatine
2 tbsps apricot jam, warmed

Grease 20cm springform tin or deep 20cm round cake pan, cover base with paper, grease paper.

Beat butter, rind and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beat until combined. Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in sifted flours and milk, spread into prepared pan.

Peel, quarter and core apples. Make lengthways cuts into rounded sides of apple quarters, cutting about three-quarters of the way through. Place quarters, rounded side up, around edge of cake. Bake cake in moderate oven about 1 hour or until browned. Stand 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack.

Heat water in pan, sprinkle over gelatine, stir, without boiling, until gelatin is dissolved, remove from heat, stir in jam. Brush jam mixture over top of hot cake, cool before cutting.

• Recipe can be made a day earlier
• Storage : Airtight container
• Freeze : Not suitable
• Microwave : Not suitable

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I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up event, organized by Bake For Happy Kids and My Little Favourite D.I.Y. and hosted this month by I-Lost in Austen

and 

Cook-Your-Books #16 @ Kitchen Flavours