Spicy Tomato Chicken with Risoni

My first time experimenting with risoni pasta turned out to be a little more than a surprise. It resembles rice to me!

I paired it up with a spicy tomato sauce chicken and that plate was cleared quickly. The texture is different from any other pasta that I have tasted and I loved it!

Wonder what else can I do with it?

Spicy Tomato Chicken with Risoni (Serves 4)

Risoni- cooked around 2 cups of it in boiling water 
500 grams chicken thigh diced
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 can of basil diced tomatoes
tobasco sauce
1 chili chopped
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
2 roma tomato chopped
1 bunch of chives chopped

Cook garlic and chilli. Add chicken and brown meat. Add all tomatoes and mushrooms with around 1/4 cup of water. Simmer for around 10-15 minutes. Add the amount of tobasco sauce you like, chopped chives and season. Taste and adjust accordingly. Serve with Parmesan cheese and Risoni.

Need Help- Any good Honey Cornflake Bars Recipes?

Help! Calling all readers- I am looking for a good recipes for Honey Cornflake Bars.
 

You see, I thought I found the one in my Womens Weekly’s Biscuits and Bar recipe book. But it turns out to be oily and and not the least crisp. This one is filled with really bad stuff like corn syrup, peanut butter and rice bubbles.

I brought that to a gathering and that wasn’t even finished! 😦 Very sad. 

I recall making this in my Home Econs class-and it wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was GOOD.  The recipe has since gone and I would really like to bring a little nostagia back to the home kitchen.

Any one? Perhaps even a honey joy recipe? A good one?

Help?

Chicken Breast Stuffed with Semi-Sundried Tomatoes and Cheddar

I am so loving my copies of Australia Healthy Food Magazine. A friend recommended me (thanks Laynee- I know u r reading this!) and I got very addicted. It is MY kind of food magazine (I can see AR rolling his eyes because he thinks every food magazine is my kind).It is filled with lots of healthy facts and ways to prepare good tasting food without the scary amounts of calories. From suggested snacks that fill me up to quick dinners to health information, I read it from cover to cover.

This is what I picked up from one of the mag one day. Chicken Breast Stuffed with Semi-sundried tomatoes and chedder. For sides? I mashed potato with cream sweet corn. My friends, you know my pendent for sweet corn of course so this is NO exception.

Honestly, it is not my thing to stuff anything. One deep reason- everything I stuffed comes out. I just can’t seem to do it right. Not this time though, I sliced the chicken breast into half, place the sem sundried tomatoes in there, half a slice of chedder, sew it up with a toothpick, rub it with some olive oil and season it with cracked pepper and salt. Then I throw it into a pre-prepared hot pan and hear it sizzle.

A few minutes and then I turned sides. Oh, not forgetting the edges of course. Mashed the potatoes with the sweet corn instead of cream or butter and it was a steal.

And check out the little ruby tomatoes-aren’t they calling for you?

Chicken Breast Stuffed with Semi-Sundried Tomatoes and Cheddar   (Serves 2)
2 Chicken Breasts
30 grams of 98% fat free Semi Sun dried tomatoes drained
1 piece of cheddar

Seasoning

Preheat grill pan. Quickly cut chicken breast lengthwise, to open it up to a butterfly. Be careful not to cut through it. Place sundried tomatoes and cheddar in the cavity, seal it up with a toothpick. Season and rub olive oil on them. Place on grill and sizzle. Cook for around 5 minutes on each side and dont forget to sear the edges as well.

Mash 2 potatoes with a can of sweet corn. Season. Serve with salad on the side.

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY! This marks my 10 years in Australia already. So HAPPY 10th Year anniversary between me and you Australia!

Smoked Salmon Omelette

A typical Sunday for us starts of with a light breakfast and then church. Then, I come home, ring my parents to catch up on the week followed by lunch. The afternoon events can be hazy as time seem to go quickly but we try to have a quiet lunch together each week.

Sunday lunches for us are usually light but fulfilling. I am a HUGE fan of cafe food and would not hesitate to re-create some of my favourites in our home kitchen. Burgers? Wedges? Breakie? Toasted Turkish Bread- all my favourites at home.

I am, however, frequently in search for ideas that is healthy as well. I chose to make this smoked salmon omelette because 1) We love smoked salmon and can never have enough of it, 2) It’s light, 3) Eggs are not that expensive so that balanced off the cost of smoked salmon and 4) It’s quick!

We had that with toasted bread. Then, we sit outside in our spanking new patio, read newspapers and chatter away.

Ah.. Simplicity of life.

Smoked Salmon Omelette

4 eggs
2 tablespoon of milk
freshly milled pepper and salt

100 grams of smoked salmon
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
Chives

Beat eggs with milk. Season. Heat a pan with some oil, swirl (u can choose to use butter). Once the pan is hot, add eggs. Remember to swirl so that u get some crispy sides. After 5 mins, when the eggs are nearly set, add in smoked salmon and mushrooms. Sprinkle some chives over it. Attempt to fold omelette into half. Swirl a little. Wait for 2 mins. Turn heat off and let pan sit on the stove for another 3 minutes or so.

Serve with toasted bread and sprinkling of chives.

Milo Dinosaur

Perth went through a SCORCHING 42C on Sunday and 41C on Monday. It is that bad that I felt literally “cooked!”

Sweet AR always have something up his sleeve. Hearing me whinge and complain, he made me a mug of milo dinosaur which is a huge mug of cold milo drink sprinkled with some extra milo powder on top.

It reminds me of the dessert post that I made recently. Much as we have our ups and downs, we know that it can be worked out eventually. This birthday of yours hubby, made me realise how much I appreciate him being around me and how much more blessed I am to have him for more years to come.

Milo Dinosaur

1/4 cup of hot water
2-3 tablespoon of milo

1/2 cup of cold skim milk
ice ice ice!
Milo powder

Disolve milo in hot water. Top with cold milk and ice. (If not cold, stick it in the freezer for 5 mins!) Sprinkle milo powder on it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUBBY! May you be showered with even more blessings this year.

Simple Okonomiyaki

Growing up, watching “Fang Tai” cook in our television screen is the norm. What I used to be amazed, was the amount of oil she seemed to have on hand. There was always a wok filled with oil ready for deep frying- and how nearly EVERY dish required deep frying!

Mum and I went shopping one day at OG (2 years ago maybe?), and I spotted “Fang Tai”‘s  Quick and Easy Meals cookbook. I flipped through and surprise surprise, the dishes featured were alot healthier than what was before.

This simple Okonomiyaki caught my attention because it is what it says, simple. I never did associated the word simple with Okonomiyaki, so it was nice to know that it can be replicated in the small kitchen.

Funny enough, in the cooking instructions, it says add water but now where did it state how much water to add to the batter. I went with my “gut feeling” and added it till it becomes a semi thick batter that we can pour easily using a ladle.

Simple Okonomiyaki 

3/4 cup of flour
1/2 cabbage shredded
mushrooms
1 packet of ham
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tbsp oil
around 1 cup of water
Teriyaki sauce
Mayo

Salt and pepper

Sieve flour and baking powder, add water and mix into batter. Put oil and seasoning. Mix well and set aside for 20 mins. Fold all veges and ham in batter.
Heat oil in pan. pour small ladle of batter into pan, flip after around 5 mins. Serve with teriyaki sauce and mayo!

Teriyaki Scallops Stirfry

Dinners in our households can be a simple affair. Lately however, AR has been requesting for more Chinese style meals. Being a Cantonese girl means I often think of dinners as “Soup, meat, vege and rice” combo. Unfortunately though, more than often, I am back home late and the thought of being in front of the stove for more than 30 minutes does turn me off cooking.

So we compromise. The “soup, meat, vege and rice” combo, is much better off handled over the weekend. Sometimes, he just have to do without a soup. Being brought up under my grandmother’s wings means that soups must be boiled many hours and with love. And I simply can’t handle preparing it in the morning before I head off to work either. Some weekends however, it is doable.

Isn’t funny how husbands are “not quite fussy” until they got married?

I regretted buying the Woolworths Brand of Teriyaki Sauce- wonder what was I thinking of getting a Home Brand? Most of the time though, I have no problems with Home brand but when it came down to this sauce, it wasn’t as good as it should be! Too sweet, and it didnt taste like teriyaki at all! Next time, back to the oriental store and stick with a Japanese brand!

Speaking of Woolworths, my bargain side came out quite unglamly at Woolworths one day- All seafood were being marked down and it was close ot 5pm. Haggling resulted in 50% discount in these scallops! YES! My Singaporean blood remains…. 

Teriyaki Scallops Stir Fry (Serves 4) 

400 grams of baby scallops
1 bunch of spring onions sliced
1 red capsicum diced
1/4 of cabbage sliced
1 tablespoon of garlic
1tsp of chopped chilli
3 tablespoon of teryaki sauce
1 tablespoon of soy

Saute garlic and chili till it smells sooo good. Then add the veges. Add a couple of tablespoons of water. Cook till it is nearly done. Push them aside. Add scallops and quickly fry them till they are not transparent. Add sauces and toss everything together.
Serve with rice.

Garlic Tomato Ginger Shallots Sausage Spaghetti

I was surprised to spot a packet of Ginger Shallots Sausages from Woolworths-even better was that they were extra lean. Sausages are so handy to have in the freezer. We are eating less of them because we are becoming quite conscious about the the type of meat that it contains. This one appears ok though-and with the flavours ginger shallots, it was hard to resist!

I themed the sausages up with some spicy garlic tomato sauce. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese brings a sharpness to it.

Garlic Tomato Ginger Shallots Sausage Spaghetti  (serves 4)
250 grams spag cooked
1 tin of garlic diced tomatoes
1 roma tomato diced
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 packet of Ginger Shallots Sausages diced
1 tsp of chili powder
2 cups of diced button mushrooms
Parmesan Cheese

Saute garlic. Add tin of tomatoes and diced fresh tomatoes. Cook sausages in sauce. Add around 1/4 cup of water and simmer. Season with chili powder and pepper. Add diced mushrooms. Simmer for another 10 minutes and toss spag through. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

After a loooong break, I am finally back on the wagon with Pasta Presto founded by Ruth! This week, it is hosted by A Scientist in the Kitchen.

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.

I’m BACK!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! Hubby and I started the new year with a bang. Well, not exactly… we were in Paris and needing to take the flight back early next morning, we decided to spend the night in our little hotel room facing the Eiffel Tower of course.

Yes! We usher in the new year with Macarons and Isaphans from Laduree and Pierre Hermes. Not forgetting a mini bottle of champagne and mini croissant.

Our greatest find in Paris would be MACARONS. Gorgeous delicious little ones.

From a tea salon at Laduree to hard to find boutique of Pierre Hermes, we are proud to say we found it! And through walking along the streets of Paris.

My verdicit? Totally in love with Pierre Hermes. Hit and miss with Laduree. The unique flavours that Pierre Hermes carry is amazing- from white truffles to chestnuts- Texture of it has a crisp outer shell with very moist innards. Laduree is much sweeter and lesser innards.

What won me over, however was the way staff handled the macarons. I arrived on busy days- New Year’s Eve and the day before that to both boutiques. The queues were long. I saw staff at Laduree handled macarons roughly- one staff broke 2 macarons in front of me. Same situation at Pierre Hermes, but all staff handled pastries gently.

On the flight back to Singapore, many Singaporeans were sighted carrying the famous LV paper bags… I proudly went up the plane with my Pierre Hermes paper back filled with treats!

Other treats in Paris include my all time favourite Chestnut filled Crepes. Wonderful  aroma filled the air of the streets of Paris- or in our case, we had ours near to the Lourve Museum and along the streets of St Michel.

Our last stop of our trip was Paris. All in all, we went to Copenhagen, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Koln (Cologne), Zurich and Bern for a stop over on our way to Interlaken, Geneva and to the full of surprises Paris.

We had the most amazing time ever- the only negative was when we had to cancel our trip to Amsterdam due to the snow storm-well we did pray for snow and boy did God deliver!

So back to work for me… but no fear, I have more food posts up my sleeves…and of course an update of our never ending kitchen renovations….