recipe is : coconut cupcakes with cream cheese topping

Ingredients
coconut cupcake

1 cup (230g/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 small/med eggs
2 1/2 cups grated fresh coconut, lightly toast 1 cup till light golden brown (set aside 2 tbsp toasted coconut for the topping)
2 1/2 cups superfine/cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup hot water

Topping

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 pound cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup castor sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of 2 limes
2 tbsp of the lightly toasted coconut


Method
cake

- preheat the oven to 190 degrees C
- sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. set aside
- cream together butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy
- beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one
- add the grated coconut (toasted and untoasted), mix to incorporate
- mix ½ of the flour into the butter mixture, then add ½ the water, mix well
- add in the remaining flour and water and mix
- spoon the batter into paper cake cups 3/4 way to the top
- bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean
- set aside to cool for at least 30 mins


Topping

- beat butter until creamy. add cream cheese and beat till incorporated and creamy
- add in the sugar, beat till it's smooth and no longer grainy
- add lemon juice, lemon zest and lime zest into the cream cheese and mix to combine
- spread or pipe the icing on to the cupcake and sprinkle with the toasted coconut
- coloured sugar or cake sprinkles can be used to pretty up the cupcakes




~~ culinary adventures ~~

recipe is : carrot pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup (230g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing cake pan
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 small/med eggs
1 1/2 cups grated carrot
2 1/2 cups superfine/cake flour, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting cake pan
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup hot water
1 cup finely chopped pineapple, canned will do nicely. just squeeze out as much of the syrup as possible, before and after chopping

Frosting

1/2 cup whipping cream, cold
1 cup (about 250g) cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup caster sugar (reduce to 1/2 cup for a less sweet icing)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
grated zest of 1 lemon


Method

- preheat the oven to 190 degrees C
- sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. set aside
- grease and dust with flour 2 pieces of 8 inch cake pans, springform works best
- cream together butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy
- beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one
- add the grated carrot, mix to incorporate
- mix ½ of the flour into the butter mixture, then add ½ the water, mix well
- add in the remaining flour and water and mix
- add the pineapple
- pour the batter evenly into the 2 cake pans
- bake for 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean
- cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely. slice the cakes into 2 layers each


Frosting

- whip cream until firm. beat cream cheese in another bowl until soft and creamy
- add in the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest into the cream cheese and mix to combine
- fold in the whipped cream until just combined
- spread the icing in between the cake layers and stack them up
- thinly ice the top and sides of the cake to finish
- refrigerate and serve chilled

recipe is : chocolate brownies

i got this recipe from chef michael smith of the 'chef at home' show. i tweaked a wee bit here and there to suit my own preference
Ingredients

700g/25oz cooking chocolate
200g/0.75 cup butter
200g/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
5 small/med eggs
250g/1.25 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Method

- preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water
- whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder
- when the chocolate and butter have melted whisk them smooth
- add the eggs, sugar and vanilla to the chocolate and mix thoroughly
- add the flour mixture
- pour into a lightly greased and floured 9x13-inch pan
- bake for 45 minutes

recipe is : chewy raisin oatmeal cookies

Ingredients

170 gms (3/4 cup) butter, room temperature
200 gm (1 cup) brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp black treacle
75 gm (3/4 cup) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
240 gms (3 cups) oats
1 cup raisins

Method

preheat the oven to 175 C

cream the butter and sugar

add the egg and mix thoroughly

add the vanilla essence and treacle and mix thoroughly

in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder. add to the wet ingredients and mix to incorporate

add the raisins and oats and mix thoroughly

in a baking sheet/cookie tray drop dollops of about 2 heaped tablespoons about 2 inches apart.

bake for about 15 -18 minutes til the sides have start to crisp and the middle is still springy. remove from tray and set on a metal rack to cool

notes:

i use 2 cups instant oats and 1 cup rolled oats for a different, textured feel

recipe is : pumpkin soup

Ingredients

650 gms pumpkin, skinned, seeded and cut into chunks
1 carrrot, skinned and cut into thick strips
1 med onion, skinned, quartered and sliced
2 cloves garlic, skinned
1 stick celery, deveined and quartered lengthwise
2 bay leaves
4 cups water
salt and black pepper to taste

Method

in a saucepan put all the ingredients together and bring to a boil. once it's boiling, turn down the flame and let simmer for 30 minutes.

remove the bay leaves and using a hand blender, blitz the soup til smooth. if it's too thick, add a bit of water and blitz again to mix.

serve warm

note:

you can substitute the water with chicken stock.

the soup can be made thinner and a swirl of cream can be added for a creamier version

recipe is : lazybum's devil curry

Ingredients

1 chicken, chopped into pieces OR pieces of whichever part of the chicken you prefer
2 big potatoes, skinned and cut into wedges
3-4 fresh green chilli, cut into half lengthwise from the bottom to almost to the stalk end
3 tbsp chilly powder
1/2 head garlic, pounded/blended/thinly sliced
6 shallots, blended together with the garlic/thinly sliced
a big chunk old ginger, julienne/blended together with the garlic
a good squirt of good ol mustard
3 tbsp vinegar
a cup or so water
2 tbsp oil

Method

in a big pan/wok, heat up the oil, fry the ginger, blended ingredients and chilly powder for a few minutes over a low flame. add the green chillies and stir fry a couple more minutes

turn up the flame and add the chicken and stirfry to coat well with the spices

add the water (add more water if you prefer more watery gravy). let it simmer til chicken is almost cooked. add the potatoes, the mustard and the vinegar. simmer til chicken and potatoes are cooked

note:
add more chilly powder if an even spicier taste is preferred

recipe is : rendang tok

Ingredients

1 kg beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

To be blended together:
10 fresh red chillies
8 dried chillies, soaked
20 shallots
1 head garlic
5 stalks lemongrass, use only the bottom white part
1 knob ginger
1 big knob galangal
1 big knob tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin powder (jintan putih)
1 tsp fennel powder (jintan manis)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

Dry spices:
2 star anise
3 inch cinnamon bark
7 cardamoms
6 cloves

Leafy stuff:
coconut cream from 2 coconuts
1/2 grated coconut, toasted over a low flame til dry and browned
5 stalks lemongrass, top trimmed off and lightly bruised
3 pandan leaves, knotted
2 tumeric leaves, crushed to release the aroma
5 kaffir lime leaves
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 heaped tbsp tamarind paste, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water, and pulp removed
1 cup water
salt to taste


Method

marinate the beef with the blended ingredients for at least 2 hours in the fridge

in a pressure cooker, put in the beef and all the marinade, all the dry spices, and the 'leafy stuff'. If the amount of liquid looks insufficient, add more water. cook for 35-40 minutes

the end result should be quite dry and gravy quite thick. if it's still watery, cook uncovered on a medium flame til gravy thickens, stirring occasionally, taking care not to let it burn

add the dry toasted grated coconut and mix well


NOTES:

if cooking on normal pot/pan, it takes about 2 hours or so for the meat to be really tender. stir occasionally. add water when necessary

the amount of spices and ingredients is up to you to adjust to your own preference. the amount in this recipe is to my own taste

i normally marinate the beef in a ziplock bag in the freezer for a couple of days

the toasted grated coconut is normally pounded til fine after the toasting. but i prefer it this way

recipe is : braised beef with radish

Ingredients

1 kg beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 kilo white radish, skinned and cut into wedges
1/2 head garlic, skinned
1 big knob ginger
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp light soya sauce
3 inch cinnamon stick
2 star anise
water
2 tbsp oil

Method

heat the oil up in a big pot. add the garlic and ginger and quickly stirfry for a minute or so. add the beef and brown the sides.. add just enough water to just cover the beef add the cinnamon, the star anise, dark soya sauce and light soya sauce. stir well. braise for about 90 minutes. top up water when necessary. add the radish and braise for another 30 minutes or until tender

Note:

i normally use the pressure cooker to prepare this dish. 30 minutes for the beef and 10 more minutes after adding in the radish.

recipe is : golden roast chicken

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, innards removed, cleaned and patted dry thoroughly with kitchen napkins
1.5 tbsp salt
4 cloves garlic, crushed slightly
3 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp olive oil

Method

rub the chicken with salt, don't forget the cavity as well

gently separate the skin from the flesh at the breast area and slip in a clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary and thyme on each side of the chicken breast

stuff the remaining garlic cloves, rosemary and thyme into the chicken cavity

place in a ziplock bag and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight

take out the chicken to thaw to room temperature. preheat oven to 230 celcius

place chicken on a wire tray in a roasting pan, breast side up and rub chicken all over with the olive oil

place chicken into the oven and turn down the heat to 180 celcius after 20 minutes and turn the chicken to have the breast side down and roast for a further 30 minutes. this is for a more even browning and a crisper skin. turn the chicken breast side up again and roast for another 10 minutes. remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes and carve

notes: i normally clean, pat dry and marinate the chicken right after purchase and leave it in the freezer. it does take longer to thaw the chicken to room temperature, but the marinade penetrates better and the flavour is much, much better

instead of a wire tray, i rest the chicken on top of a bed of sturdy veggies like carrots, whole onions or even some potato wedges or whole baby potatoes to roast

recipe is : almost pesto pasta

this recipe is 'almost' pesto cos i've omitted the pinenuts. and it would not be pesto if there's no pinenuts or nuts of any sort will it? so i just call it 'almost pesto' for now, til i can come up with a name for it.

the herb paste on its own makes an excellent dip or dressing as well, with or without adding the cream.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, sliced into long strips of about 3cm, season with a bit of salt and set aside to marinate for 30 mins


Herb paste -
2 handfuls basil
3/4 - 1 head garlic, skinned
1 handful coriander
50 mls (at least) olive oil

250 ml cream
1 cup sliced button mushroom
2 handfuls grated parmesan cheese
400 gms penne
sprigs of basil and coriander
salt to taste
coarse black pepper to taste (optional)


Method

in a food processor or a blender, blitz the basil, garlic, coriander and the olive oil. set aside

in a big pot, boil the penne in slightly salted water until done to preferred softness. turn off flame

in a large pan pour in a bit of oil and stir fry the chicken until just cooked. add the herb paste and stir fry for a few minutes. add the button mushroom, the cream, parmesan, basil and coriander sprigs, mix well. add a bit of the pasta water to thin out the sauce a bit. season with salt and black pepper

drain out the penne and pour into the sauce, mix well and serve hot

note: the cream can be substituted with full cream milk for a less thick sauce. it would not be too runny as the cheese will help thicken it a bit

recipe is : butttered rice

I love this buttered rice. It's so yummlicious that I can eat it on its own. It also goes well with most dishes, be it meat or veggie. Plus, it's super easy-peasy to prepare :)

Ingredients

freshly cooked rice
grated lemon zest
finely chopped spring onion
finely chopped tomatoes, discard the seed and watery inside pulp
salt to taste
butter

Method

mix everything together. serve immediately

note:

i didn't put the quantity of the ingredients. it's up to your own liking how much you prefer to add. my own quantities would be half a tbsp of tomatoes/spring onion, a pinch of zest, half a tsp of butter to each cup of rice.

hot, freshly cooked rice works best. the heat brings out the fragrance of the ingredients.

shallot oil can be substituted for the butter. just skin and thinly sliced 2-3 shallots, fry them in 5 tbsp of oil til golden brown, dish up quickly to prevent burning (it tastes bitter if burnt).

recipe is : aglio olio funkyfied

this is one of my all-time fav... ever. this simply easy to prepare pasta was inspired by Ee-lyn's Curtis Stone sundried tomato recipe.

i've played around with the original aglio olio recipe. i'm not big a fan of parsley so i've substituted it with basil. sundried tomatoes also came into play with my aglio olio, in fact, it's a must in my recipe as it makes all the difference in the world. for all you know, with the combination of ingredients that i used in this recipe, it might actually be known as a whole different pasta recipe name alltogether (if that's the case, then i truly say sorry for my ignorance).

a few tips for this recipe :

- don't try to cut back on the olive oil in this recipe for fear of it being too oily. the lemon juice used here cuts off the 'oily' feeling.

- i use the australian sundried tomatoes here. the italian ones that i get here are a bit damp and too sour for my liking.

- my personal choice for this is aged/mature cheddar. parmesan or normal cheddar can be used if preferred.

- the amount listed in the ingredients is a guide. feel free to add or lessen the amount according to your own preference.

.... thanks lots Ee-lyn :)
Ingredients

500 gm dried spaghetti

1/2 cup olive oil

2 big handfuls sweet basil, finely chopped

8 - 9 cloves garlic, skinned and finely chopped

6 pcs sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

salt to taste

1 large lemon

1 handful of grated matured/aged cheddar cheese

Method

in a big pot of water, put the spaghetti to boil like normal. once the spaghetti has reached the 'al dente' stage, turn off the flame

in a large pan, heat up the olive oil and once it is heated up, turn the flame down to low. add the garlic and sundried tomatoes and stir fry for a few minutes, don't let the garlic turn brown at any time. add the salt and basil. stir fry for 10 seconds and turn off the flame

scoop out the spaghetti from the pot and put into the pan. a little drippy bit of spaghetti water is fine. in fact, it is better with a little bit of water. mix thoroughly

add the cheese and mix throughly. squeeze in the lemon juice and mix to incorporate. serve immediately

this recipe serves 4

recipe is : roast leg of lamb

Ingredients

2.3 kg leg of lamb, bone out and butterflied and big chunks of fat trimmed off(it will be about 3.5 kg or so with the bone in)

1 whole head of garlic, crushed and each clove separated
3 tbsp dijon mustard
black pepper
salt
stalks of fresh rosemary
ball of twine
Minty sauce

a bunch of mint, very finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely grated
drippings from the roast lamb

Method

rub the mustard, black pepper and salt all over the leg of lamb. place the garlic and rosemary stalks intermittently on the meat side of the butterflied lamb. roll up tightly and tie with twine. place in a plastic bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight

preheat oven to 165 degrees Celsius

place a rack in a roasting tray. place the marinated leg of lamb in the center of the rack and roast for 1 hour 45 mins to 2 hours

remove the lamb from the oven, tent with aluminium foil and let rest for 30 minutes before carving

for the minty sauce, add the dripping from the pan to the chopped mint and garlic, mix well

note:

i normally serve the lamb with cucumber raita and roasted potatoes. you can serve with whatever salad and potatoes of your choice

recipe is : cucumber raita

this is a easy peasy salad to make. absolutely delish on a hot, hot day

Ingredients

2 cucumbers, peeled, pulp seeded area discarded and cut into small cubes
1 small tub of plain yoghurt
a pinch of cumin powder
1 tsp finely chopped mint leaves
salt to taste

Method

Mix all the ingredients and pop into the fridge for at least 30 mins to cool

recipe is : scrambled eggs and toast

this is not the everyday scramble eggs and toast. a lil bit of this and a lil bit of that has been added to scrumptioustify the menu

Ingredients

4 eggs
5 sweet basil leaves, thinly sliced
handful grated parmesan
100 ml milk
1 tbsp butter
crusty sourdough bread, thickly sliced
herb oil (recipe is here)

Method

brush some herb oil on the bread and toast over a griddle or even on a pan

in a big bowl, break the eggs, add the milk and whisk til foamy. in a wide shallow pan, heat the butter and once the butter melts, pour in eggs and sprinkle the basil around. scrape the bottom of the pan as the egg sets and continously scrape til most eggs has set. add the parmesan and continue scraping until egg is set and no longer liquid and and runny. serve hot with toast

recipe is : steamed ginger chicken rice

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 thumb-sized knobs young ginger, grated
1 thumb-size knob old ginger, crushed
2 heaped tsp salt
2 cups rice, washed and drained thoroughly
3 spring onions, halved length-wise
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp margarine
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp concentrated chicken stock
2 handfuls beansprouts

chilli sauce
1 tsp grated young ginger
1 tsp grated garlic
3 tbsp bottled chilli sauce
1 tbsp oil

shallot oil sauce
4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp oil (preferably cornoil or sunflower oil)
5 tbsp light soya sauce
Method

to make the chilli sauce, heat up the oil over a low flame and pour into a bowl. let cool. add the chilli sauce, garlic and ginger and mix thoroughly

to make the shallot oil, heat the oil over a low flame in a pan and add the shallots. fry until the shallots turn golden. pour into a dry heatproof bowl and let cool. add the light soya sauce and set aside

fry the old ginger, spring onion and garlic in the oil for a few minutes til fragrant. add the rice and stir fry for 5 minutes. transfer into rice cooker. stir in the margarine and chicken stock to thoroughly mix and add water to cook like normal rice

pat the chicken dry and cut into 1 cm thick slices. rub the salt into chicken and marinate with the grated ginger. bring the water in a steamer to a boil and steam the chicken over high heat for 20 minutes. let rest in steamer for 5 minutes before removing

using the steamed chicken water, blanch the beansprouts and drain. pour in the shallot oil sauce and toss

serve the chicken rice and beansprouts hot. dip the chicken in the chilli sauce for extra spiciness

recipe is : braised beef

Ingredients

750 gms beef, cut into large chunks
6 eggs, washed to thoroughly clean
a big knob of old ginger, crushed
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5 stalks of spring onions, use only the lower part
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp dark rice vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp light soya sauce
salt to taste
a dash sesame oil
1 tbsp oil
water

Method

heat the oil in a pot and add the ginger and garlic. stir fry quickly til frangrant. add the beef and stir around quickly to brown the meat. add the vinegar and stir thoroughly to mix. add enough water just to cover the meat. add the brown sugar, dark soya sauce, light soya sauce and sesame oil. bring to a boil and let simmer. always make sure that there is enough liquid to stop the meat from burning. add hot water if liquid is running low

after 1 hour, add the eggs and make sure that there is enough liquid to almost cover the eggs. once the liquid is bubbling, let the eggs cook for 15 minutes and remove from the pot. let cool a little and peel the shell. return to pot

after 2 hours or once the meat reached preferred tenderness, add the spring onions and salt (optional). simmer for another 5 minutes and serve

recipe is : western oriental roast chicken

ok, i've something to confess. throughout all my years of cooking, i've never, i repeat, never roasted a whole chicken before. this is my first attempt. glad it turned out great.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, about 2 kgs, cavity thoroughly cleared and cleaned
2 tbsp split green beans, soaked at least 4 hours or overnight
handful of dried chestnuts, soaked at least 4 hours or overnight
2 sprigs rosemary
3 stalks spring onion
1 sprig sage
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
3 tbsp herb oil (recipe is here)
2 carrots, cut into big chunks
3 onions, skinned
4 stalks celery leaves, ends trimmed
6 big potatoes, peeled and cut into huge chunks
brussel sprouts (or any greens of your choice)
garlic butter

Method

boil the split green beans and chestnuts in salted water for 20 minutes or until just tender. drain and set aside

preheat the oven to 180 C. arrange the rack so that the roasting pan will sit in the middle of the oven

use kitchen napkins to pat dry the chicken and carefully separate the skin of the chicken away from the flesh at the the breast area and at as much surface of the skin as possible. rub the salt into the cavity and under skin of the chicken. rub 1 tbsp of the herb oil into the cavity and 1 tbsp herb oil under the skin of the chicken. spoon the split green beans and as much of the chestnuts as possible into the cavity of the chicken. add 3 cloves of garlic, the spring onions, a sprig of rosemary and some sage leaves into the cavity. put one clove of garlic on each breast area under the skin. add the sprig of rosemary under the skin as well. rub the dark soya sauce all over on the outside of the chicken skin. rub the remaining tbsp of herb oil onto the skin

in a roasting pan, arrange the celery, onions and carrots so that they sit at the bottom of the pan. put the chicken on top of vegetables and if there are any remaining chestnuts, strew them around in the pan as well. roast for about 2 hours or until the juice runs clear when a skewer is pierced into the thickest part of the thigh. take out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving

while the chicken is roasting, parboil the potatoes in lightly salted water, drain and add to the roasting pan once potatoes are just cooked. a little bit of the herb oil can be used to toss the potatoes just before add to the pan

steam the brussel sprouts for about 5 minutes or until just cooked. toss in garlic butter and serve with the chicken and potatoes

recipe is : sheperd's pie

Ingredients

Potato crust
5 large potatoes
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp butter for dotting the pie crust
2 handfuls parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Pie filling
700 gms minced mutton and beef
3 large onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 cups mushrooms (button or swiss or portobello or a mixture of all three), broken up into small chunks
2 stalks rosemary
3 bay leaves
3 leeks, finely sliced across the length
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil


Method

preheat the oven to 180 C

boil the potatoes, peel the skin and mash. add the butter, cheese and salt and pepper and thoroughly combine. set aside

heat the olive oil in a big pan. add the onions and stir fry til translucent and softened, add the garlic, rosemary and bay leaves. stir fry for a few minutes til fragrant. add the leeks, celery and carrots and fry for about 3 minutes

add the minced meat to the pan and stir fry til just cooked. throw in the mushrooms and cook for a couple more minutes. add salt and pepper to taste

spoon the meat mix into a big casserole dish and top with the mash potatoes. even out the surface with a spoon and dot the top with little bits of butter here and there. bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the top turns golden brown

notes:
a little bit of stock or liquid can be added to the meat mix if it is too dry. do not add too much water as the whole pie will become soggy.

don't add milk to the mash potatoes as the pie crust will not be firm enough to hold it's shape

recipe is : herb oil

Ingredients

olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 stalks rosemary, bruised
5 sage leaves, bruised


Method

get a clean, dry jam jar with an air-tight cover.

fill the jar up to three-quarters way full with olive oil. add in the garlic and herbs. make sure that the olive oil completely covers the herbs totally. let it sit to infuse the flavour for at least 1 day before using

note:

you can use almost any strong aroma fresh herbs for this oil.

can be used for salad dressing, brushed onto bread before toasting, for grilling meat and vegetables, for cooking, and many many other ways.

make sure that the oil completely covers the herbs at all times. discard any herbs that sticks out.

check the oil before use to make sure that it's still good. do not use moldy or bad oil.