Food from the Heart- Dhal

Time flies and this is the 3rd time I am participating in Babe in KL's yearly Merdeka event. Even though I am Singaporean, hubby is Malaysian-and so was my dad. So in our families, both National Day in Singapore and Merdeka Day in Malaysia are highlighted in our calender.

Babe in KL's theme this year is Food From the Heart. I thought that since Hubby is Malaysia, perhaps he could share with us a dish from his childhood days prepared by his mother or grandmother, and then I could cook it.

Before he gave his answer, I was expecting dishes like "Mum's Curry" or "Sweet and sour pork", "Indian curry"..etc. To my surprise, his answer was a simple "Dhal".

He explained to me that in many ways, his family come together to have dhal. Every Sunday morning, his family will travel to his dad's favourite thosai places and have thosai with dhal. His mother would also make dhal on weeknights for dinner. Given the mixed heritage that he is from, it seems to be a dish that the whole family would tuck in happily. He recall his mum making this dish and often it would be more flavorsome with more ingredients than what was served out in the shops. Looking back, he said it was probably a good dish to have as money was tight (not that his family ever let him know that), and that he was satisfied with a good bowl of dhal with rice.


It never fail to amaze me that the simplest food can be the most heart warming ones. If someone were to ask me what food did I recall as most memorable as a child, I would say "Sweet and sour pork" that my grandmother would make from scratch (From marinating to deep frying to braising!) to a simple dish of fried egg, soya sauce and rice.


I asked our friend (who happened to be my colleague and AR's  high schoolmate!!!) her recipe for dhal that she attempted a few months ago when we went over to their place for dinner. She gladly shared it with me. Thanks J! AR said that this resembles what he used to have-except I added in fresh mushrooms that was not available back in those days in Malaysia.

Dhal 
1 1/2 cups red lentils
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup of baby spinach, rinsed
1 cup of chopped mushrooms
1 carrot diced
1 fresh tomato diced
2 tablespoons spread
1 red onion, chopped
2 birds eye chili chopped
2 pieces of curry leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon garam masala


Rinse lentils and soak for 20 minutes. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and saute onions with cumin and mustard seeds, stirring often. Cook until onions are transparent.
Add water, stock, salt, lentils, turmeric and chili powder. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the spinach and other veges and cook 5 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Add more water if necessary.
Stir in garam masala.

Vietnamese Style Prawns-Tom Rim

One of my favourite cookbooks is "The Secrets of the Red Lantern-Stories of Vietnam from the Heart"  It consist not just Vietnamese recipes but also stories from the authors. Pauline Nguyen spoke about their journey from Vietnam to Australia, their memories of the refugee camps and the start up of their family business in Sydney. As I read the recipes and their family story, I can't help but "taste" and "feel" each dish from their hearts.

This recipe consist of King Prawns sauted with tomato, fish sauce and black pepper. It actually resembles the way my own grandmother use to cook prawns in-except she uses tobasco sauce! I changed this recipe slightly as I cooked more than 12 prawns which was what the original recipe calls for.

The chili padi adds the kick without the punch. I like the use of ripe tomatoes and tomato paste as it gives such richness to it. It is definitely a recipe that I will use over and over again.

Vietnamese Style Prawns-Tom Rim 
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
2 birds eye chili chopped
2 tsp of tomato paste
I used around 20 prawns shelled and devined
2 tsp of sugar (instead of 3)
crack black pepper
around 6 tablespoon of fish sauce
around 3/4 to 1 cup of water
2 ripe tomatoes chopped
spring onion

Saute garlic and chili. Add tomato paste, prawns and sugar. Toss to combine. Then add fish sauce, pepper, water and fresh tomatoes. Simmer for around 3-5 mins. Once prawns are cooked, remove prawns. Reduce sauce slightly. Pour sauce over prawns. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

HAPPY SINGAPORE NATIONAL DAY!!!! =) 

Almond Cookies

I can't can't can't get enough of these cookies. They must be one of the easiest but yet so delicious cookies to make. I have previously posted them about it here. Looking back though, I didn't feel that I have given it enough credit so here am I doing this again!

Since baking these cookies, friends and family members have been requesting for the recipe. They are so powerful that a friend of mine who has never done any baking in her life decided to give it a go. (She said she felt embarrassed about asking me to bake for her every week). I can see why though, these have a melt in your mouth texture and the crunch of almonds is irresistible.

I have tried using canola oil as I couldn't locate corn oil... and others have attempted it using olive oil. One observation I have is that the texture depends alot on the humidity of your kitchen and country. In summer, I have to add a little milk or oil as it tends to be drier. Play it by ear is the best way I think!

This is from my favourite nonya cook book of all times by Patrica Lee. 

Almond Cookies 

250grams of silvered almonds
450 grams of plain flour
225 grams of icing sugar
260 grams of peanut oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Egg wash- 1 egg yolk.

Preheat oven to 150C. Toast almonds. Reserve 50grams for garnishing.

In a mixing bowl, mix plain flour, icing sugar, baking powder, soda and salt together. Add in corn oil and almonds. Knead to make dough.

Shape dough and brush with egg wash. Press some reserved almonds on it. Bake for 20-25 minutes till brown.

Baked Beans with Chicken Meat Balls

The humble baked beans has come along way since being on our breakfast table. This is one of my favourite dishes as a kid. My grandmother used to make it with mince pork though, but it is just as tasty.

My twist in this is to use chicken minced- making them into little meat balls first. First of all, chicken mince is leaner than pork mince and...also just because Woolworths had NO pork mince left when I did groceries that day. Why meat balls? For presentation and texture sake I suppose. There is more of a bite while eating meat balls then just saute minced meat.

We had it with rice but I pushed my rice aside and just savored the baked beans with chicken meat balls. No need for carbs with the baked beans I say! 

Baked Beans with Chicken Meat Balls (serves 4-5)

1 red onion chopped finely
1 tsp of garlic minced 
2 red chilsl chopped 
2 cans of baked beans reduced salt
1/4-1/2 cup of chicken stock 

300 grams of chicken mince
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of corn flour
1 egg
3-4 tablespoon of chinese wine
2 tablespoon of soya sauce

Marinate chicken mince for around 20 minutes. Shaped into meat balls.

Saute onion, garlic and chili. Add baked beans and simmer. Add chicken stock if the mixture gets too thick. When it starts to boil, put meat balls in. Cover and cook for around 10 minutes. Check and flip meat balls over if needed. Cook for another 5 minutes or so, adding stock if required. Serve HOT with some veges and plain rice. Or if you are like me, eat it as it is!

Salmon Carrot Potato Cakes

Having one left over salmon fillet the other night, I decided to mixed it up and make some potato cakes for dinner the next night. For some reason, small sized food is really appealing to me these days. Maybe it means less guilt while I take an extra bite of the mini sized food?

This time round, I mashed potato using chicken stock instead of milk or spread. While it wasn't as creamy, it certainly has the flavour to go with it. Just a twist of a traditional easy to make dish I suppose!

Salmon Carrot Potato Cakes 

2 potatoes chopped, boiled and mashed with chicken stock.
1 salmon fillet grilled and flaked. Can also use canned salmon.
1 grated carrot 
1 tablespoon of corn flour
Seasoning- I used a mixed of pepper, salt and chili flakes! 


Mashed everything up, shape into patties and then pan fry it. Serve with salad.

The classic- Chili Ricotta Meatballs with Spag!

My awwww moment with spaghetti must be watching Lady and The Tramp sharing a plate of spag together.

I mean how sweet is that? The innocence of it all!

While I rarely make meatballs- I find the whole rolling meat into balls, pan frying/baking, then cooking them again in tomato base sauce a little too time consuming, I do occasionally venture out of my  "quick quick chop chop" meals.

Especially if it is a very special occasion. It's Presto Pasta's BIRTHDAY! HAPPY 3 years Presto Pasta! This event was founded by Ruth. This week, the founder is hosting the birthday party and everyone is invited! 

So I rolled my sleeves and make my version of meat balls. Adding ricotta cheese gave it a rich texture without necessary adding too much saturated fat in it. I pan fry all meat balls without oil as well and reserve it on one side as I simmer my sauce. Great comfort food I say!

Chili Ricotta Meatballs with Spag!  (Serves 4)

Meatballs
1 tub of low fat ricotta cheese
400 grams of very lean heart smart beef mince
1 egg
1/4 cup of corn flour
1 chopped chili diced finely
1 cup of spiced bread crumbs ( used packaged but fresh will be better)
1-2 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce 
1/2 red onion diced finely 
crack pepper

Pasta sauce
1 tin of chopped tomato
2-3 tsp of mixed herbs
2 fresh tomato chopped
1 small bunch of celery chopped
1-2 cups of sliced mushrooms 
2 carrots diced
1/2 red onion sliced or diced-whatever u like!
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
1 chili chopped 

Wholemeal spaghetti cooked and drained.

Marinate meatballs the night before.

Roll meatballs. Heat a large pan and pan fry all meatballs. I use tongs to turn them over. Set aside on paper towels.

Meanwhile, in another pan, sizzle garlic, chili and onion with some olive oil. Cook all veges adding 1 cup of water if needed. Taste and adjust accordingly. Gently toss through meatballs and sauce.

Separate spag in each bowl. Top it with meatballs and sauce. Serve with some Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper!

The Hubby's Birthday Adventure P2- Chocolate Souffle

Why did I take so long to prepare hubby's dinner?  Because I felt really bad for not having enough time to bake him a proper cake. My guilt got better of me and I managed to squeeze in a souffle.

I quartered the recipe. Some mistakes I made including using an oversize ramekin so it didn't "Spill over" as it should be. I can see it raising but just not enough to bring it over. I think I also left it in the oven a tad too long-it was slightly dry but as we dig in further, it was moist.

Singing Happy birthday to my darling while spooning him souffle was the best I could do for that evening of celebration.

Chocolate though helped smooth everything over doesn't it? =) 



Check out the recipe here.

3 ways to Chapati Pizza

A couple of months ago, Philadelphia cheese had a promotion on their cookbook- buy 3 tubs and get 1 cookbook for free. Pretty good deal hey? I'm have a soft soft heart for bargains so couldn't help resist buying 3 tubs of cheese even though I know it will take us really long to finish it. Baking a cheesecake could be an option but I wasn't in the "mood" to do so. Besides, there was a time factor with the planning of our honeymoon + renovations taking place approximately the same time. 

Thankfully though, the cookbook turned out to be a winner. It featured little recipes that are pretty easy to make (all using Philadelphia cheese of course) but certainly provided me with a different perspective on the humble cream cheese. Pizza- no a problem, Pasta- sure! Patties involving cream cheese-yummy, What about crepes and cream cheese- can be done.

While adapting their "Chilli Prawn Pizza" and "Spanish style Chorizo Pizza", I came up with 3 versions in our old kitchen. I used chapati bases- you can choose to use mini pita breads if you wish.

Chilli Seafood Pizza (serves 2)
1 pizza base of your choice
2 tablespoon of philadephia cream cheese
100 grams of marinara mix
2tsp of dried mix heaps
1 tsp of dry chilli flakes
a handful of rocket leaves

Preheat oven to 180C. Line tray with foil or baking paper. Spread cream cheese on pizza base, place prawns all over the pizza and sprinkle mixed heaps and chilli flakes on it. Season with salt and pepper if you wish. Bake for 15 mins. Cool and then top with some rocket leaves.

Tomato Seafood Prosciutto Pizza (serves 2)
1 pizza base of your choice
1 tsp of tomato paste 
2 strips of prosciutto
50 grams of marinara mix
1 tablespoon of cream cheese

Preheat oven and prepare tray. Spread tomato paste on it and place seafood evenly. You can use a knife to cut the prosciutto into strips but I just use my hands to do that. Dot the pizza with cheese. Bake for 15 mins. Serve with cracked pepper.

Spicy Tomato and Prosciutto Pizza (serves 2)
1 pizza base of your choice
1 tsp of tomato paste
2 strips of prosciutto
1 tomato chopped
1 handful of rocket leaves

Preheat oven and prepare tray. Spread tomato paste on pizza and sprinkle diced tomato on it. Place prosciutto strips and mushrooms. Bake for 15-20 mins and when cool served with rocket leaves.

Stuffed Ham and Couscous Capsicum

I try to have vegetarian meal or at least a meal that has more veges than meat a few times a week. I have previously thought that vegetarian meals are boring and stayed away from them. I mean, how much fun can grilled vegetables be right? noo Wrong...

My first encounter of stuffed capsicum was at the Country Road Cafe on Murray Street. Yup, it is situated in Country Road (the clothing store) itself. I love how couscous and cheese stuffed in capsicum can be so flavour some. Given that juicy big red capsicum are in season, I thought I would give it a go in our kitchen.

I had a packet of instant Anisley couscous left and used that instead. Hubby wants some meat so I shredded ham and toss into the mixture of couscous, feta cheese and cashew nuts. Top with some cheese and it was a satisfying meal for two.

Today marks my last day of work for the year! HOLIDAYS for meeeeeeeeeee.. WoohoO!

Stuffed Ham and Couscous Capsicum

2 big red Capsicum
1 packet of Anisley spice sensation couscous cooked as per instructions
1 50 grams packet of honey baked ham shredded
20 grams of crumbed feta
1/4 cup of cashews
1/4 cup of cheddar cheese

Cut Capsicum into half and wash the seeds out. Dry with paper towels.

Line trays with baking paper. Pre heat oven to 200 C.

Mix couscous, feta, ham and cashews together. Spoon mixture into capsicum cups. Sprinkle with cheese.

Grill for around 15-20 mins.
Serve with a salad

Berry oh Berry Delicious Yogurt Cake

It's the time of the year again where snow flakes fall (not on our side of our world!), songs playing and decorations galore. Christmas- my favorite time of the year.

Horror oh my horror (hahaha, see all my oh? I'm trying to get to the spirit of singing), this is when calories add up. I have previously blogged about my tastes like butter cake but half the fat Yogurt Cake. which really is a good cake to bring to lunches/brunches when you want to impress but lighten the load.

I made this for a gathering recently with the addition of some berries-the result was a moist but not overly oily cake. Superb for saving just that few calories.

Berry oh Berry Delicious Yogurt Cake   

1 cup of yogurt
1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 cups of flour
1 tsp of vanilla essence
1 punnet or can of your favorite berries

Line loaf pan. Pre heat oven 180C. Whisk wet ingredients together. Sift dry ones and fold them into wet ingredients. Spoon in loaf and bake for 30-40 mins. Serve with fruits.

Apple Banana Nutty Parcels

So I made the baklava fingers and actually have 2 pieces of filo pastry left. Not wanting to put it back in the fridge and not having much of the nut mixture left. I cut up a small apple and mashed a banana, sprinkle the nuts, rolled it up and popped it into the oven. Surprise surprise, a quick but lovely dessert was formed.

Apple Banana Nutty Parcels

2 pieces of Filo Pastry
1 chopped up appple
1 mashed up banana
 handful of your favourite nuts
1 tsp of brown sugar

Brush melted spread between the pieces of filo. Wrap apple, banana and nuts up with some brown sugar up. Bake in 180 C degrees for around 20 minutes. Sprinkle some icing sugar on it. Serve warm.

Grilled Honey Soy Chicken

So I am a big fan of oven roasted dishes. Seriously, what can be easier than marinating and putting into the oven and then come back to lovely dinner?

Well,  the only problem was that I ran out of time! So after marinating the chicken overnight with the purpose of chucking into the oven, circumstances happened and I didn't managed to oven baked it in time. The next best thing is of course, grilling it.

I didn't regret it one bit. The result was crisp chicken, but tender on the inside. I served it with rice and veges and it was a lovely comforting meal.

Grilled Honey Soy Chicken (Serves 4)
6 drumsticks
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup of soya sauce
1 tablespoon of garlic
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 cup of chinese wine

All marinated over night or for at least 20 minutes. Baked in oven for 40 minutes or grilled it for around 15 mins. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Chicken Hor Fun

There are some days, where I want Singapore hawker  food. In MY ideal world, it will be low fat, low calorie but tastes the same. Alas, that's not always the case isn't it. We are quite blessed that in Perth, we have easy access to similar hawker food like in Singapore (plus where we reside). However, it is never quite the same as sitting in a kopitam, enjoying a plate of hor fun or  my ultimate favourite... ban mien.

Still, a girl has got to make do with what she has. So dropping by the oriental store, I picked up a packet of the white flat noodles, got my wok in action and started frying.

The result is still not as nice as the hawker style one of course, but it will do! for the time being..... =)

Chicken Hor Fun

200 grams of Hor fun noodles blanched and seperated
500 grams chicken diced and  marinated with soya, sesame oil, dark soya, oyster sauce and pepper.
1 bunch of choy sum washed and chopped
1 cup of chopped mushrooms (I used button but dried dehydrated shitake is fine)
2 eggs
1 tablespoons of garlic

Seasoning
2-3 tablespoon of oyster sauce
2-3 generous tablespoon of soya
1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce 
1/3 cup of shiao xien wine.

Heat a little oil in pan. Fry garlic and chicken till nearly done. Toss all veges in. Then toss noodles and add seasoning. Keep frying. Make sure the heat is on HIGH. Add eggs and tadah.. dinner is served.

I'm sharing this very simple dish with my friends from Presto Pasta organized by Ruth. This week Deb of Kahakai Kitchen is hosting.

Garlic Pepper Steak

Rarely do we have a "Meat and vege" dinner. Just the thought of having a big chunk of meat as a meal does not appeal to me that much. It does however appeal to the hubby-so when he requested steak for dinner, I gave in.

I marinated these sirloin steaks with some garlic powder, mixed herbs and lots of freshly grounded cracked pepper. The result was one tasty yummy steak-and it didn't costs us AU$30 either! The potatoes were over baked with olive oil and mixed herbs- I didn't have the time to leave it in the oven abit longer for it to become crisp.

Garlic Pepper Steak  

Sirloin Steak (I rubbed in some freshly grind sea salt and left it for around 10 mins. Rinse then pat dry)
2 generous tsp of garlic powder
2 tsp of mixed herbs
freshly grind black pepper.
1 tsp of olive oil

Rub oil, herbs, garlic powder and black pepper onto meat. Preheat grill pan to very hot. Grill each side for around 3 minutes or cook till your liking.

Pear and Cranberry Loaf- Happy Birthday to Me!

Greetings from Sydney!

Last year this time- we prepared for a wonderful engagement photoshoot. This year, I'm in Sydney celebrating with great friends.

Birthdays are a funny thing. One can probably lament that getting older limits what one can do. I beg to differ. Each year brings us to different opportunities. It all lies in our attitude. The thoughts that we place in our head.

The year of 2009, and the year of being 25 years old has finally ended. This year though, has brought me unbelievable joy. I have graduated (finally!) and got married (with the amazing 3 weddings) and had a wonderful time with my friends in Malaysia. I learned that it is NOT easy to organize home improvement/renovations and is increasingly getting addicted to magazines (Food and Home improvement included).

So here we are, celebrating a new age- it is only fitting to celebrate with a cute little cake isn't it?

Pear and Cranberry Loaf 

2 pears diced
1 cup of cranberries
125 grams butter
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cup of self raising flour
1/2 cup of buttermilk (I used normal skim milk)

Preheat Oven at 180C. Line loaf tray with baking paper.

Process butter, eggs and vanilla in food processor for 2-3 minutes. Add sugar, flour and milk, process for 1 min or till combined. Spoon mixture into big bowl and add pear and cranberries. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and bake for around 30-35 mins. Serve. =)

Pork and Feta Burgers

There has been an increase of burger joints around lately. The difference is that they are real burgers rather than the processed stuff. Pretty expensive too I have to say- AU$25+ for a burger and some chips.



I shaped some pork mince and crumbled feta cheese into some cute little patties and served them for Sunday lunch. The great thing is that I used the left over patties in some pasta as well, hence that kills 2 meals quickly. LOL Very chic especially when served with some wedges and salad.


Bringing the cafe feel into the home kitchen without the extra cost! =)

Pork and Feta Burgers
300 grams pork mince
50 grams crumbed low fat feta
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 tablespoon of corn flour
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
lots of pepper
2-3 tsp of mixed herbs (dried)
1 tsp of garlic powder

Mix everything up. Marinate for around 20 minutes. Shaped into patties and fry them up. Serve with toasted bread buns, melted cheese and good old salad n chips!

Baked Lamb Meat Balls with Couscous

The thing about having a long weekend is that it gives us a taste of what it feels like having those few days not being at work. Apart from the usual mundane chores, hubby managed to put up wooden venetians plus curtain rod and curtains up.

I thought we took BEFORE photos ages ago when we proudly tried to install beige curtains up and removed ugly green ones. Due to our computer crashing on the 24th of April (YES! Our wedding day!), we lost alot of data and photos despite backing it up (must have forgotten that file) hence the only ones I could find were the ones my mum took when she came over. Even that I only found one that has a photo of our curtains...

Yup.. a photo of me and dad during my parents' visit for my graduation.

And the now photos:
Interior look:



ah... Hubby said that since after the wedding, I have been itching to plan and do other things JUST to add on to my load of work to do. He was being sarcastic of course but in a nice way. Afterall, I had 3 weddings + a doctorate thesis to plan in 1.5 years. Well, right now, I have to say that work is enough to drive me crazy and cooking and home improvement is keeping my sanity in tact (plus alot of prayers of course).

Having said that, I am very proud of hubby as he took upon my crazy idea, even went with me to Ikea to pick these blinds up. AND despite the person saying it will only take less than 2 hrs (it took us 8!!!), it eventually did happen and we have pretty windows. Certainly add abit of warmth isnt it?

I'm also looking at adding some home ideas stuff on this blog- To add flavour (haha pun!!) but also to reflect our next stage of life.

Wait, I did not forget to cook! I was still in winter mode when I baked this but it was such a warm nice Sunday night meal to have. Add a glass of red and a good movie, life is meant to be enjoy isnt it?



Baked Lamb Meat Balls with Couscous (Serves 5-6)
500 grams of lamb mince
1 tub of ricotta cheese (around 250grams)
1 chopped red onion
1 tablespoon of corn flour
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
2-3 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper
1 egg
1 cup of bread crumbs spiced


Tin of tomato (I had mine with oregano and basil)
1 cup of cheddar cheese

1 cup of couscous (cook to packet instructions)

Marinate lamb mince with ricotta cheese, cornflour, sauces, seasoning, egg and bread crumbs for around 30 minutes.

Pre heat oven 200C. Shape mince to meat balls and place in cassoroel dish. Bake for around 25 minutes. Remove from oven and pour tin tomatoes over it.Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for around 5 minutes. Serve with couscous.

Delicious Zucchini Smoked Salmon Slice with Indian Spiced Chickpea Salad

The best thing about blog hopping is that you get the most wide range of ideas for meals. I try to cook/bake something new or re-invented every week-just because we like to experiment with our food!

Well, this delicious recipe was from Petrina who obtained it from Exclusively Food. What I love about this recipe is how versatile it is and deliciously simple!

I made quite a few changes to the recipe-omitting that 1/4 cup of oil and adding about 3-4 tablespoons of milk. It was still moist and very tasty!

And the chickpea salad? One of our favourite hangout breakie place is in East Vic Park called Food for me. It's wholesome yet simple food got us straight away. Sometimes, all you want is great service, good coffee and down to earth healthy food. Their chickpea was Moroccan but due to the lack of spices I used a mixture of cumin and curry instead and it turned out very addictive! What I might do next time is to add finely chopped red onion for that added crunch.

Delicious Zucchini Smoked Salmon Slice with Indian Spiced Chickpea Salad (Serves 3-4)
3/4 huge grated zucchini
1 cup of low fat cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup of self raising flour
200 grams of smoked salmon
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 tablespoon of low fat milk
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 200C. Line slices tray with baking paper.

Squeeze water out of zucchini. Combine it with cheese, smoked salmon and flour. Using a fork, beat eggs, milk and oil in a bowl. Fold wet ingredients to dry. Spoon to pan and bake for 30 mins. Serve with a salad



Indian Spiced Chickpea salad
1 can of chickpeas drained
1/4 left over zucchini chopped
2 tsp of curry powder
3-4 tsp of cumin
1tsp of garam masala
pepper and salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1tsp of chili powder

Mix it all together. Serve on a bed of salad leaves and Zucchini Slice.

Friday Roast- Mint Lamb Roast with Veges

I have always been quite puzzled with why roasts are so popular in an English household or perhaps even a Aussie household? I used to think that chunks of meat can be so tasteless and tough!

Now though, I realise how easy a roast make a good hearty dinner. Pop it in the oven, cook it for 1 hr or so..and add some root veges..Tadah, dinner is served. I usually freeze a portion to cook it with pasta which makes a nice and tasty left over dish.

The only problem is it usually takes around 2 hours to make a roast!

Mint Lamb Roast with Veges (serves 4-6)
1 kg of Lamb Roast-I bought the pre-packaged one marinated with mint and rosemary.
1 carrot diced
1/2 sweet potato diced
1 red capsicum
2-3 cups of mushrooms
1 red onion diced
2 potatos diced
1 small yam (happen to have that in the fridge!) diced

Roast lamb. Add veges mid way through. Served with some gravy and have a good meat attack!

Classic Baked Cheesecake

A girl got to do what she has to do when she has a sweet tooth right? Oh, not to mention, a good reason to make a cheesecake is when we realised we have been married for 4 months. Woah, time just flew by so quickly..and to think it's 4 months already!

I have been eying this recipe from Donna Hay for ages now. And I suppose having a food processor makes this soo much easier too.No more crushing bickies using my handy roller! LOL.
I made mine with a few modications with the cheese-just because packaging doesnt come with 330 grams of cream cheese or 460grams of ricotta (What am i suppose to do with 40grms?). It still turned out creamy and light which is what I love.

Oh, and pardon the cracks- I do not have a light in my oven so I needed to open the door to give it a few checks. That is of course, a BIG no no to baking cheesecakes. This one is a smaller crack though so I'm giving myself a small pat on the back that it is not as huge as my last cheesecake that I baked.. LOL



Classic Baked Cheesecake
110 grams butternut cookies
2/3 cup almond meal
60 grams melted butter

filling
1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
1 1/2 tbsp of water
250 grams cream cheese (original one was 330grms)
500 grams ricotta cheese (original was 460grms)
4 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon rind grated
1/4 cup of lemon juice

Base: Process cookies in food processor till crushed. Add almon meal and butter and process till combined. Line 9inch cake pan. Press biscuit mixture over base and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 150C.
Filling- Mixx corn flour with water till it becomes a smooth paste. Process cream cheese in the food processor till smooth. Add cornflour mixture, ricotta, eggs, sugar, lemon rind and juice and process. Pour cream cheese over bas and bake for 1 hour 10 mins(Mine took 1 hr 30 mins) till set. Refrigerate till cold.