Buttermilk Waffles in many ways!

We have been really blessed with many gifts during at our wedding..and one of my favourite (after the gorgeous food processor that mum bought for us) would have to be our waffle iron. It is a very very special waffle maker because it clocked up many miles of travel brought in from Germany to Perth by our wonderful friends Haz and Hanno.

The first one I did was just plain drizzled with honey and topped with some banana…

Then I recalled the amazing smell from the streets of Singapore from Prima Deli…

So we had Waffle with Peanut Butter and Waffles with Jam!

Buttermilk Waffles(Serves 6 so made around 15 waffles!Needless to say, we had waffles for breakfast every day for nearly a week)

3 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
3/4 tsp of bajing soda
1tsp salt
3 1/4 cups of buttermilk
3/4 melted butter
3 eggs beaten

Preheat waffle iron.

Whisk flour, baking powder, soda and salt togeter. Stir in buttermilk, butter, eggs till smooth.

Spoon batter into waffle iron and cook till done! =)

I’m on the lookout for crispy waffle recipes so if you know any, please share!! =)

Cottage Pie

Have you ever had something to eat as a kid that you just cannot forget?

My first taste of cottage pie was at a friend’s farewell party. I think we were 15 years old. She was one of my close mates in class and we had debates over Shakespeare’s Macbeth. But her dad was relocating to the UK and subsequently to Sydney, hence the farewell party was held.

I took a bite of her mom’s cottage pie and I was sooo sooo hooked on it. Seriously, I have NOT tasted such a well made cottage pie since then. I remembered being cautious.. not quite certain what I was eating (I was brought up in a Traditional soup, vege and meat meals home) but gave it a go anyway. It was in a aluminum tray…and it was huge.

And it was gone in minutes.

The worst thing was I was too stunned (and very unsure about my cookery skills!) to even ask for what her secret was. AND we lost touch soon after her re-location..

I can’t get that image and taste out of my mind though.

Here is my version of cottage pie when the pangs hit.

Cottage Pie (serves at least 6)
3-4 medium sizes of potato (I used royal blue)
1/4 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of spread
seasoning

1 red onion chopped
1 tsp of garlic
olive oil
400 grams of lean beef mince
3-4 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce
1/4-1/2 cup of beef stock
1 cup of peas
1 cup of chopped mushrooms
1 can of tomatoes
1 tablespoon of spicy mango chutney
2-3 celery sticks chopped

Cheddar and Parmesan cheese (around 1 cup)

1) Chop and cook potatoes till done. Mash with milk and spread. Season.

2) Pre heat oven 180C. In a deep pan, fry garlic and onion till soft and done. Add beef mince. Break the mince up as you cook it. Add stock and simmer. Add chutney, sauce and seasoning. Stir in the veges. Cook for around 10-15 minutes till done.

3) Place beef mixture in an oven proof dish. Then top it with the mash potato. Sprinkle some cheese on too. Bake for around 45 minutes till it is bubbling hot and golden brown.

Baked Emperor’s Chicken

Walking into my favorite oriental store one Saturday afternoon, I picked up a packet of spices that that have dangling on top of their freezers. Emperor’s Chicken is a blend of Chinese spices and pepper which intrigued me. I think I ate this in a restaurant in Singapore before… but the memory was vague.

You can stuff your whole chicken with celery, carrots and potato but I chose to use chicken thighs in bone. The preparation was easy! Rub spices all over the chicken and baked it in an oven at around 200 C for 30-40 minutes.

Stir fry some broccoli and DaDuh! A meal is served!

Presto Pasta #118-The ROUND UP!

Hosting presto pasta provides me a chance to get to know more great foodie blogs and to learn more about noodles/pasta. This week, the dishes featured ranged from quick meals to more elaborate ones.

Grab a hot/cold (depending on which continent you are front) drink, sit back and relax on this journey of pasta.

A kid that I used to work with will say….
READY …..SET…..GO!!!!!!

First up, Parita’s world shared the goodness of leeks with us. The creamy leek sauce on a bed of tomato sauced pasta looks delicious to me. Pasta in Tomato Leek Sauce is certainly one to try.

Kelvin’s recipes from Closet Cooking never fails to inspire me. This Penne with Asparagus and Mushrooms in a Gorgonzola Sauce was a dish that he conjured up with left over ingredients in his fridge. I say bring on more recipes to make use of ingredients that we left at the end of the week-not only it is environmental friendly but it is good for the hip pocket too!

Who can resist a good noodle salad? I can’t for sure. Judith from Think on it provided two variations of a sauce you can place on your salad. I don’t know about you but I’m always on the look out for salad dressing recipes. Have a look at Judith’s Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce.

Vegetarians! Here is a call out recipe for you! Dido Divya from Dido Lives Cooks did a wonderful Indian version of Spinach Cheese Ravioli. It even looked a crispy to me! Imagine popping one into your mouth… Love the way Divya used spices such as masala in this classic dish.

I have a weakness for cheeses.. So imagine my delight when Vinolia served up Four Cheese Sauce and Veal Scallop with Fettuccine. Hop onto Akai Saapadu for more quick and easy Indian style recipes.

Little Inbox from Makan King and Queen: Eating Pleasure did a fabulous job with her stir fry of Oriental Fried Udon. I am a BIG fan of one pot dish like this. Saves washing up too. Her use of Udon is especially appealing as the texture of the noodle makes it nice and juicy to bite on.

Let’s welcome Kalaivani from Little Taste Buds– This is her first entry for Presto Pasta and what a lovely dish with pretty colours! Spaghetti with Peppers is not only visually appealing but certainly looks healthy too.

If you are looking for some comfort food- Lemon Chicken Pasta from Ya Salam Cooking is a dish you have to try. The use of chicken broth and lemon means this dish is full of flavor.

I’m drooling with the sight of Italian Sausage Spinach Stuffed Shells. Joelene even featured step by step instructions on how can we do it- very thoughtful of her! Hop onto Joelen’s Culinary Adventures for a taste of her delicious cooking.

Fresh pasta always taste heaps better than dried ones. Sara from Cupcake Muffin had a go with using her brand new pasta making machine-and look at the fabulous job she has done. The sweetness of roasted squash and creaminess of Goats Cheese in Fresh Pasta with Roasted Squash and Goats Cheese is sure to be a hit.

This is also Toni’s first entry! She made Pesto Pasta– from the pesto she made from scratch! I’m just imaginating the wonderful smells of basil in her kitchen! Do check out Daily Bread Journal for more information on how to make fresh pesto- AND how to win a giveaway too!

Georgia from Oh Kitchen, What won’t you do made an awesome dish of Penne with Spinach Sauce. The use of goats cheese and cream cheese with Spinach makes this a high calcium dish! I’m also with Georgia on how easy and quick to do recipes are winners. This one is definitely one of them.

I’m so happy to be reciving this recipe from Ning’s Heart and Hearth. Her Japanese Style Potato Noodles Soup with Crabsticks and Nori (Seaweed) looks really comforting. I have only stir fried sweet potato noodles but didn’t know there is potato noodles in shops out there too.

There is abit of a theme here this week. We love our Goat’s cheese! Ferdzy from Seasonal Ontario Food made Goat’s Cheese, Spinach and Lentil Lasagna. Not only is it healthier than your traditional meaty lasagna but I am sure the Goat’s cheese and lentil will provide a creamy texture as well.

Check out Graziana’s Erbe in Cucina from Italy. The use of herbs in her Pasta with Asparagus and Fresh Herbs dish provide such an aromatic scent. Certainly fresh herbs enhances the cooking experience!! Not only that, it is healthy too.

Looking for something creamy? Marye did a fantastic job with her Southwestern Fettucine with Creame Fraiche. What I love most? that big juicy corn on the side! Do send your best wishes to her on Baking Delights.

Blogging has allowed me to meet lovely friends. SIG from Daily Affairs and I became great friends over blogging. We met in Singapore and never looked back since. She made two very classic pasta dishes- Pasta in Beef Sauce and Pasta in Cream Sauce that even her daughter says “Mummy, the pasta is yummy.”

Soup or pasta? What if you can have both? Melissa from Alosha Kitchen blended the best of both worlds with Pasta ceci. A look in that bowl reveals lots of vege healthy goodness. Be sure to check it out!

Heard of a herb called Garlic Scape? I read it from Joanne’s Eat Well with Others. She used the herb to make pesto and created an awesome Pasta with Chicken, Peppers and Tomatoes! That wonderful use of herbs and tomatoes would have created a wonderful aroma for sure!

Kitchenetta from Got No Milk created a fresh pasta dish for us this week. Her Gnooci salad made full used of vegetables such as asparagus, peas and spinach-exactly my sort of meal!”

Another Perth blogger, Christine from Eat First, Diet Later (I would love to use such a motto!) made a hearty Lamb Pasta Soup. It is PERFECT for a very cold and windy winter here. And with 13kg of lamb in her fridge- I hope we will be seeing more of her pasta recipes soon.

I adore the recipes that Ching from Little Corner of mine puts up on her blog. It’s fuss free, simple and so full of motherly love. Her dish of Stir Fried Spaghetti with Spam brought me lots of childhood memories-especially with pan fried spam!

The founder of Presto Pasta, Ruth from Once Upon a Feast is back with her Grandma Hazel Spaghetti that was made with so much love! A visit from her gorgeous daughters also brought forward a feast of pasta- hey, what is a family gathering without food right?

I’m lost with words with Katie’s Thyme for Cooking‘s Warm Turkey and Garlic Pasta. Fresh new garlic of the summer used in her dish, I can just smell the wonderful aroma from here.

A new comer to Presto Pasta- Zoe from Zoeblog sent her pasta greetings with Pasta with Caramalized leek and Feta Cream sauce. Any cream- look alike pasta that is nearly fat free will be a HIT in my kitchen for sure.

Fancy a cheap and tasty pasta dish? Nic from Lemon and Cheese adapted hers from Nigella Express. Her Mortadella Pasta salad features the use of mustard and thick slices of mortadella!

Food is never the same when eating with your close friends. The Food Hunter shared her passion with her co-workers and made an elegant Penne with Grilled Zuchinni Ricotta Salata and Mint to share with them. I bet they were a hit!

I adore spicy food. So when Served with Love enters her Spicy Marconi with Bell Pepper Sauce to PPN this week, I jumped on it straight away. I do have a packet of Marconi lying around so I might just give this a go soon!

Not forgetting my two dishes for the week:

Pesto Marinara Pasta

and

Stir Fried Chicken, Cabbage and Eggs with Mung Bean Noodles

So that’s it for this week Presto Pasta. Next week’s host will be Kiat from Pots and Plots. Do email your entry to potsandplots (at) gmail(dot) com and cc to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Thank you so much for participating everyone! Hope you had as much fun as I did!!

Stir Fried Chicken, Cabbage and Eggs with Mung Bean Noodles

Noodles is one of the best way to use up leftovers. With several bunches of mung bean noodles left and needing a quick Thursday evening dinner fix, I quickly stir fried it with some chicken, cabbage and eggs. Oh, I cannot forget the super spicy chilli sambal that Grandma bought for us can I?

Stir Fried Chicken, Cabbage and Eggs with Mung Bean Noodles
2 small bunches of Mung Bean noodles
300grams of chicken meat (I used chicken breast here)
2 eggs
1-2 cups of chopped cabbage
garlic
2-3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
1 tsp of sugar
1 tablespoon of soya sauce
2 tsp of sesame oil
chinese wine-1/4 cup

Soak noodles in warm water for a few minutes. Heat wok till very hot. Quickly saute chicken till nearly done and add cabbage. Fry up the noodles and give it a good toss. Add all the sauces and chinese wine and continue the fry up. Do a taste test and adjust seasoning accordingly. Serve with fried shallots and a good tsp of the hot spicy sambal!

Another dish for my friends from Presto Pasta!

Pesto Marinara Pasta

To kick start the week, I’m presenting this dish Pesto Marinara Pasta for Presto Pasta founded by Ruth from Once Upon a Feast.

I would love to tell you that I blended the pesto myself. Fresh pesto would have made such a difference to this dish! But truth be told, our basil plant did not survive my “green fingers” hence it has to come from a jar.

I was searching for an idea to cook Marinara with-especially with my find in my previous post. Now, it isn’t often but the husband then fiance was actually the one who put his book down, turned to me late one night and said….. what about pesto?

Hence…

Pesto Marinara Pasta
250 grams of Spaghetti
200 grams of seafood marinara mix
garlic
crack pepper

Cook pasta, drain and set aside. Gently heat pesto in a deep pan till the lovely smell emerged. Add garlic and fry seafood. When seafood is nearly done. Pop the pasta back in the pan and give it a good toss. Serve with crack pepper and fresh salad.

Get cooking and send me your entry for Presto Pasta! =)

Presto Pasta #118

Ah.. It hasn’t been that long since I hosted Presto Pasta #91 -and I loved every minute of it. I’m once again embracing each pasta/noodle dish coming our way this week. I am soo looking forward to all your delicious creations!

Presto Pasta is certainly one of my favourite event-thank you Ruth from Once Upon a Feast for thinking up this awesome idea.

Send your entries to daphnesu16(at)yahoo(dot).com. Include your name, blog name, url, name of dish and preferably a photo as well.

Spicy Grilled Salmon on Mung Bean Vermicelli Salad

And so I have a secret addiction to magazines. Especially ABC Delicious, Woolworths Food Taste Mag, Donna Hay and Better Homes and Gardens. I’m such a food magazine junkie that AR bought me two subscriptions as my birthday present last year (two months late!). As a result, many of my new recipes are inspired by them.

This spicy grilled salmon on mung bean was inspired by ABC delicious. It’s our friday night lazy dish. You know, the sort of day when we are lazy to head out to eat but still want something reasonably healthy + quick to prepare meal at home? Oh, and not forgetting the less dishes to wash the better. I put this on a platter and the two of us just digged our fork in and ate from it. Not very glam but hey….whatever that works!

Spicy Grilled Salmon on Mung Bean Vermicelli Salad

1 piece of salmon fillet (around 200 grams)
1 cut chilli
3 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp of tobasco sauce
cracked pepper

bunch of vermicelli soaked in warm water
3-4 mint leaves
generous handful of basil leaves
1 cup of salad leaves
carrot julienne

Sauce
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 chopped slice chilli
1 tsp of sesame oil

deep fried shallots

1) Marinate salmon with all the chilli for around 15-20 mins. Heat grill on high. Cook salmon on both sides each for around 4 minutes or so. Set aside and rest it.

2) Place mung bean vermicelli on platter. Place salad leaves, mint and basil leaves on top. Top with some carrots.

3) Whisk sauce in a jug.

4) Slice salmon into chunks. Sprinkle salmon onto the salad. Pour sauce over it. Sprinkle shallots and dig in!

Serving this to my friends from Presto Pasta founded by Ruth from Once Upon a Feast. This week Thyme for Cooking is hosting.

Vegetarian Lentil Pie

On some weekends, the vegetarian bug bites. You know, the days when you feel like some good hearty vegetarian meal. But it shouldn’t be boring either.

It’s only been a few years since I embraced vegetables with both arms. Most days, I still like my meat! Occasionally though I don’t mind a good toasted sandwich with roasted butternut pumpkin and goats cheese and of course on other days.. i dont mind a lentil pie either.

I spotted this recipe on ABC Delicious mag a few months back. It’s really simple and require little effort.
Vegetarian Lentil Pie (serves 2)
1 can of lentils (or 80 grams lentils soaked overnight)
50grams of chargrilled marinated red pepper sliced
spinach leaves (1 cup)
20-30grams of feta cheese
cracked pepper and salt.
1 sheet of puff pastry
egg wash

Preheat oven 200C.
In a salad bowl, mix lentils, marinated red pepper, spinach leaves, seasoning and feta cheese. Spoon mixture on to the middle of the puff pastry. Seal on each ends. Brush with egg wash. Baked for around 20 minutes till golden brown.

Midnight snack- Scrambled Eggs

I have a backlog of photos and recipes to post- but this one caught my attention today. When AR and I were busy putting tags and designing our church ceremony program booklet (or was it our Perth menus?), he complained of being hungry.

In all honesty, the weeks leading up to the wedding was such a hectic mess that we barely had time to cook. Needless to say our pantry was wee bit bare. He didn’t want a packet of instant noodles (fussy hubby! hrmph) so a quick check in the fridge revealed some eggs and chives. Thankfully, we always replenished our supply of milk (for our coffee and tea) hence I thought of scrambled eggs. Given that we always nearly have fresh bread in the house, I knew we had some sourdough left in our bread box.

Scrambled eggs was a dish that it is soo easy to prepare but so easy to get it wrong too. I don’t mean to be a scrambled egg snob but I’m sure you would have tasted some over cooked scrambled eggs that resembled more like a mash omelette than it being scrambled.

Some tricks I learned over the years include:
1) Stare at the pan- one distraction and it could lead to over cooked eggs!
2) Use a wooden spoon and stir the eggs from out wards to inwards in circular motions (towards the centre of the pan gently/
3) Once you sense that it is nearly cooked. Remove pan from the heat. Keep the gentle stirring till the eggs are to the consisteny that you want.
4) DO not add salt. I read somewhere that salt alter the texture of the eggs (how true I dont know but it works for me!) I sprinkle some sea salt over it just before serving.

Scrambled Eggs
4 eggs
2-3 tsp of milk
chopped chives

freshly grined pepper/salt

Lightly whisk egg and milk together till JUST about combined. Heat pan up with some olive oil or butter. When the oil is warmed, pour eggs over it. Wait for 1 min for the eggs to set and then start stiring. Sprinkle chives over when it is nearly done. Removed eggs frm heat. Continue to lightly stir till done to your liking. Sprinkle some pepper/salt over eggs. Serve on fresh toast!