Beef with Dried Chilli

Tried a new dish the other day, because I haven't got any ideas of what to prepare for dinner. I was flipping through my recipes list, read the ingredients and found that I have all the ingredients required in my fridge.

The dish calls for cubed beef. But being me, I used sliced beef instead. Actually, this helps in cutting down the cooking time as sliced beef becomes tender faster.

Ingredients:

2 tsps oil

8 shallots, sliced finely

300g tomato, sliced

6 dried chillies, sliced lengthwise

500g beef, cubes

4 tblsps sweet dark soy sauce

800ml coconut milk (from 1 coconut)

3 cloves

1/2 nutmeg, grated (I use powder)

3 cm cinnamon

Salt to taste

Fried shallots for topping

Spice paste (blended):
4 cloves garlic

3 candlenuts, roasted

2 cm ginger

1) Heat oil in a pan over medium fire. When hot, stir-fry shallots for 1 min. Add spice paste and continue to stir-fry till fragrant, about 3 mins.

2) Add tomato, dried chillies and beef. Toss for 5 mins or till beef is just cooked.

3) Add sweet soy sauce and mix well. Gradually add in coconut milk, stirring to mix well.

4) Add cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Lower fire and simmer till beef is tender and oil separates from gravy. Season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with fried shallots before serving.

Honey Nut Granola Muffins

I'm always getting distracted whenever I'm logged in to post.

Not distracted by my kids, but other food sites which always manage to attract my attention.

Anyways, spent the morning baking oat muffins. I didn't actually use the original recipe (but I'll include it anyway) because I've been wanting to finish this -------------->

I used the Honey Nut Granola instead of rolled oats & almonds (which are in the original recipe), as the Granola already comes with almonds. I originally bought this to overcome my hunger pangs at work (cos my meal times can get a bit abnormal). But I didn't get to finish it. So instead of keeping this in the fridge & waiting for the expiry date, I might as well use it for the muffins.

Ingredients (original recipe): Makes a dozen

1 cup self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup rolled oats*

1/2 cup ground almonds*

(I replaced * ingredients with 1 1/2 cups Honey Nut Granola)

1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup low fat milk

1/4 cup honey

60g low fat butter, melted

1 egg

Icing sugar, to serve

1) Preheat oven to 180C. Line 12-hole muffin pan with muffin paper cups.

2) Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Mix in oats, ground almonds and raisins. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients.

3) In a jug, whick together milk, honey, low fat butter and egg. Add to dry ingredients, mixing lightly until just combined.

4) Spoon mixture into muffin paper cups until two thirds full.

5) Bake for 20 mins, until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in pan for 5 mins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6) Serve dusted lightly with icing sugar.

Japanese Cheesecake

Tried making Japanese Cheesecake. Verdict: Successful.

This is taken from one of my list of food bloggers - Cookbake Legacy aka Chawanmushi. I've always wanted to try baking a light cotton cheesecake, and chance upon it when I browse through her blog.

Looking at the recipe, I think it seems less complicated as compared to the traditional cheesecake recipe, which requires you to leave the cheesecake in the waterbath for an hour, in the oven after baking is completed. Then you have to let the cheesecake cool completely before chilling it in the refrigerator overnight. Then your 'misery' over when you FINALLY get to cut the cheesecake (like really finally!) the next day.

But good things happen for those who waits (is that the saying??) That's the traditional cheesecake. This is Japanese Cotton Cheesecake, which lighter & spongier.

I don't mind baking this again. Next time, with a little twist to the recipe (winkz!).

Spicy Potato Salad

I have completely forgotten to post this recipe, as I was busy trying to figure out whether this recipe is better with or without chillies.

Since I like spicy food, I have to add chillies into the original recipe. (you can always opt the chillies out & eat the potatoes with chilli sauce).

The recipe is quite similar to my Potato & Egg Salad, but this one is without any dip. Plus I'm using blended ingredients & method of cooking is frying instead.


Pre-requisite:
Boiled potatoes (cut into cubes)
Seasoned minced meat (fried with a bit of ginger, garlic & curry powder)

Blended ingredients: (Blended to become a paste for frying)
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Dried shrimps (not paste)

Chopped red chillies
Chopped celery
2 eggs (beaten)

Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Directions:

1) Heat (about a quarter cup) oil. Fry blended paste until fragrant. Add a little bit of water if necessary.

2) Once fragrant, add in the chopped red chillies & celery & continue to fry until paste becomes a bit dry.

3) Add in cubed potatoes & mix paste & potatoes thoroughly.

4) Beat eggs & let it sit in the pan for a while before mixing the potatoes again.

5) Add in the minced meat & salt to taste.

6) Serve hot.

Inspired

I've always wanted to make a Mango Cheesecake, but after a trial once I was so disappointed with the result that I thought I'd never try to do it again.

But dear hubby knows I'm someone not to give up easily until I get things right. So he knew that I am gonna give it another go. It's only a matter of time.

Inspiration got the better of me and I thought of trying Durian Cheesecake. How do you think the combination taste will be like? Hmmm.... No harm trying, it might turn out good; as according to hubby.

Besides 'dealing' with chocolates, I love fruits in cakes & cookies. There's a whole lot of goodies I wanna try but just don't have the time (or energy) to do it. But that's not an excuse for me not to explore this gastronomic adventure. I will eventually... it's only a matter of time. It is my kitchen where I escape to from stress anyway.

So hang around people... a few new stuff coming your way...

P.S: I need to bake a brownie for a very kind & friendly neighbour, who lives on the 15th floor. She has been so nice whenever we bumped into each other at the void deck & giving advice when Zinedine was down with high fever for a week last week. She even went out of her way to buy me Rock Honey to dissolve in water for Zinedine, which is good in reducing heatiness from the body. Problem is..... I'm not sure which unit she's staying in... (LOL!) But I'm gonna find out anyway...