Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies

Made some thumbprint cookies yesterday.
They turned out well, except that of course the kids had to put sprinkles in everything!

Ingredients
Dough: 1.5 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt - I omitted this 2/3 cup butter - despite that it is supposed to be unsalted, I used salted butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
Use electric mixer to mix butter and sugar together, then add in egg and vanilla - mix some more.
Then fold in flour.
Roll dough into a ball.
Push your thumb in to make space for some jam or whatever filling you want to use.
Bake in the oven 375F for 10-15 mins

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXxJisASPIY

Lemon Bar Recipe

Tried this today (Apr 30, 2020)

Halved the ingredients of the original recipe.  It made a large enough batch.

Ingredients

Shortbread crust
1/2 cup of butter - melted
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tbsp flour

Lemon Filling
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
3 eggs
2 lemons

The filling turn out pretty well, but next time I'm going to add more lemons - it is not tart enough!

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325F

Make crust - just mix all together and press into pan
Bake 18-20 minutes (I found that I have had to have it in the oven for 25 mins)

Make filling - just mix it together.
Pour filling over crust. and bake for 22-26 minutes ( I found that I had to have it in the oven for 30 minutes).

I had no patience to wait for it to cool, but definitely should cool and then put in the fridge.
It is not as 'hard' when it is not cooled yet.


I also wanna try a glass dish next time instead of a metal one.
Overall, it was delicious!

Crepes

Crepes

Very simple crepes recipe.  Tastes pretty good.
This made about 6 crepes for me - probably not enough for a family of 4 (2 adults + 2 young kids)

Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp of melted butter

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.  

Note: what I did
- Whisk flour and eggs together
- Add milk and water to the batter and continue whisking
- then just add salt and butter
- I used almost 1 cup of batter for each crepe

Reference: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16383/basic-crepes/

Three-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Three-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter  (I used Kraft Only Peanuts peanut butter)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg

 It made about 18-24 cookies (with the kids, I got to about 18 cookies)

Directions:

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  
• Step 2
  
  Combine the peanut butter, white sugar and egg. Mix until smooth.
  
• Step 3
  Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overbake! These cookies are best when they are still soft and just barely brown on the bottoms.
  

Note: This dough is hard enough for you to shape/scoop by hand.

It tasted like this Indonesian snack: teng teng kacang

Reference: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/11352/three-ingredient-peanut-butter-cookies/?src=VD_Summary

Buttery Garlic Green Beans

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230103/buttery-garlic-green-beans/

Place green beans into a large skillet and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans start to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain water. Add butter to green beans; cook and stir until butter is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Cook and stir garlic with green beans until garlic is tender and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Panko breaded tilapia

For about 4 tilapia:
1 cup panko
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 garlic powder - I used garlic paste instead
2 tbsp lemon juice

1. Dip the fish in the butter mix
2. Cover the fish with the panko mix
3. Oven 375F for 12-15 mins

Made this for Good Friday and it turned out pretty well.

Fresh Figs Muffin

Fresh Fig Muffins
adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco
makes 12 muffins
1 C AP flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 C buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 C dark brown sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 C chopped fresh mission figs (5-6 figs)

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Generously butter a standard 12 cup muffin pan or line it with paper liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

In a second small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.

Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until well combined.

With the mixer at low speed, alternate adding the the dry and liquid ingredients - 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 buttermilk mixture, 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 buttermilk mixture, 1/3 flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.

Remove bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the figs.

Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them 3/4 full.

Bake until the muffins are a deep golden brown in color, 25-30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then turn out muffins from the pan and let them cool completely on the wire rack.

Source: https://www.yummly.com/#recipe/Fresh-Fig-Muffins-1018344

Meat pie

Anthony had Australia Day at his school last week and someone made meat pie.
It was delicious.
The recipe is below.
Hopefully I can make it as good as she did.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/mini-meat-pies/a337d477-fc94-4cf5-a989-c5f65906670c

And some of the pre-made ingredients to get from Longos

Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken

To Try

Reference: https://cafedelites.com/2016/06/08/balsamic-glazed-caprese-chicken-recipe/

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano*
• 1 teaspoon dried basil*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or a light spray of cooking oil spray)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2½ tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1½ cups grape or cherry tomatoes, divided
• 250 g | 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese (or Bocconcini), cut into 6x ½-inch slices**
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Balsamic Glaze: (Optional To Serve)

• ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 210° | 410°F.
2. Season each chicken thigh with the oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil (or cooking spray) in a large oven-proof pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes each side. Transfer chicken to a plate; drain most of the excess oil, leaving about a teaspoon worth.
4. Return the skillet back to the stove; fry garlic until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the vinegar and brown sugar; stirring to combine while heating through. Bring to a simmer, while stirring occasionally, until glaze has thickened (about 5-6 minutes).
5. Return the chicken to the pan, turning in the glaze to evenly coat. Add 1 cup of the tomatoes, whole, around the chicken and place the chicken into the oven. Bake until the chicken is completely cooked through (about 30 minutes). Top each chicken with a slice of mozzarella cheese; return back into the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
6. Slice the remaining ½ cup tomatoes in half; place them on top of the cheese; pour over some of the balsamic sauce from the pan and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.

Optional:

1. If wanting to serve with extra balsamic glaze (as pictured above), make your glaze while the chicken is in the oven. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, allowing to simmer while stirring occasionally, until the glaze is thickened and reduced by half (about 5-6 minutes). Drizzle over the chicken when ready to serve.

Notes

*You can substitute oregano and basil for Italian seasoning or pizza topper if that is what you have on hand.
**For my Australian followers, I find fresh Bocconcini in the deli section in Woolworths. I used 2 large balls, both 125 g each. You can use the smaller ones if that's all you can find.

One Pan Baked Teriyaki Salmon and Vegetables

To try 

Reference: http://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/one-pan-baked-teriyaki-salmon-and-vegetables/

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 large salmon fillet (or 4 6-ounce salmon fillets)
• 2 bell peppers (red or green), chopped (see note)
• ½ white or red onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped or sliced carrots
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1½ cups of your favorite teriyaki sauce OR use my favorite recipe below

teriyaki sauce

• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ¼ cup cold water + 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

meal prep

• 4 resealable containers
• 2-3 cups steamed white rice

Instructions

1. First make the sauce. Combine water, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and honey in a medium sauce pan and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir together cold water and corn starch until dissolved, then whisk into boiling sauce and reduce heat to medium-low. Remove from heat, stir in sesame seeds, and allow to cool while you prepare the veggies and salmon.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet and arrange salmon in the center. Combine vegetables in a large bowl along with oil. Toss to coat. Transfer to baking sheet arranging the vegetables so that they are around but not on top of the salmon. Season vegetables and salmon with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Drizzle ⅔ of the sauce over the salmon and veggies. Bake for 15-20 minutes until salmon is flaky and tender and veggies are easily pierced with a fork. Steam/cook the rice while the salmon is baking.
4. Drizzle with remaining sauce and serve immediately OR follow next step for meal prep.
5. For meal prep: divide rice, salmon, and veggies between four resealable containers and teriyaki sauce in it's own small container. Refridgerate for up to 1 week. To reheat, simply remove the lid from the containers and microwave for 2-4 minutes until hot throughout. (See tip) Serve with reheated remaining teriyaki sauce.

Notes

You can easily swap out any of these suggested veggies for your favorites. I have tried this recipe with cauliflower, asparagus, and zucchini as well and they are all delicious and work perfectly.
Pro Tip for reheating: I highly recommend investing in an inexpensive plastic splatter guard (sold at almost any grocery store like Walmart, Target, etc) and using whenever you are reheating, especially for a dish like this one - not only will it keep your microwave from getting messy, it will also act as a bit of a steamer and keep a lot of the natural moisture in the food so it doesn't get dried out.

Mom's Yellow Rice

In rice cooker, put:
1 cup ketan
3 cups of rice
2 daun salam
2 sereh
1 can of coconut milk - rooster brand
4.5 cups of water (using the can from the coconut milk)

DIY: baby handprint/footprint mould

1 cup of corn starch
2 cups of baking soda
1/2 cup of water

Mix.
Put in a pan under medium heat and stir until it becomes doughy.
Roll until desired thickness
Use a bowl as a 'cutter'
Put baby's hand or foot.
Let dry for a couple of days or so.

Chocolate Cake Recipe

Successfully made this chocolate cake for Anthony's birthday!
I would definitely make this again!

Chocolate Cake

Ingredient
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 cups sugar
    ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1½ teaspoons baking soda
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon espresso powder
    1 cup milk
    ½ cup vegetable oil
    2 eggs
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1 cup boiling water

Instructions
    Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
    For the cake:
    Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
    Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
    Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
    Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.
    Frost cake

Reference: http://addapinch.com/cooking/the-best-chocolate-cake-recipe-ever/

Frosting

Ingredients
3 cups heavy cream
24 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions
    Heat the cream until very hot, and then pour over the chocolate pieces.
    Stir to completely melt, and then pour into the bowl of an electric mixer.
    Refrigerate to cool.
    Once completely cooled, add the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until light and airy.

Reference: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/big-chocolate-birthday-cake-recipe.html

Lidah Kucing Recipe

Took this from my friend's blog - but I definitely would like to try it!
It's one of my favourite cookies.

What You Need:

• 250 gr butter/margarine
• 150 gr icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 gr all purpose flour
• 5 egg whites

The How To:

• Beat butter/margarine with icing sugar and vanilla until soft and fluffy.
• Stir in the flour.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff
• Fold in the egg whites into the butter mixture
• Scoop mixture into a plastic bag (ziploc works well) and cut out one of the corners.
• Squeeze out onto a buttered cookie sheet in a 2.5" long stick shape, leaving space in between. They MELT!
• Bake at 160 celcius for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your sticks. Bake till golden brown and crunchy.

When I'm done - hopefully it looks like this!

Good TO DO list to live by

Think positively.
Eat healthy.
Exercise today.
Worry less.
Work hard.
Laugh often.
Sleep well.
Repeat…

Source:
http://www.lifebuzz.com/8-things/#!3QXT3

Herb Potato Salad

Ingredients:
16 small red potatoes boiled and sliced in quarters
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup copped chives
¼ small red onion, sliced
1 Tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
 

Directions:
Mix together herbs, sliced onion, oil, mustard and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add the chopped, boiled potatoes, toss, and season with salt and pepper.

 

Reference:

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/bbq/blog/29025/29025/

Grilled Mushrooms on Skewers

 

 

To keep the mushrooms from falling through the grates, I skewered them (everything is better on a stick, or at least my 3-yr old thinks so).

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Skill Level: Easy

Cost To Make: $7-$8

Serving: 8-10 skewers

 

Ingredients

• 16 oz (1 lb) Baby Portabello Mushrooms (crimini or button work too)

For the marinade:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• small handful of parsley
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

What you will need:

• 10 (10-inch) bamboo/wood skewers

Instructions

1. Place 10 medium skewers into a baking dish and cover with water. It's important to soak the skewers for at least 15 minutes (more is better) or they will burn too quickly on the grill.
2. Place all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times until marinade is nearly smooth.
3. Rinse your mushrooms and pat dry. Cut each mushroom in half, so each piece has half of the mushroom stem.
4. Place the mushroom halves into a large gallon-size ziploc bag, or a medium bowl and pour in the marinade. Shake the bag until all of the mushrooms are evenly coated in marinade. Refrigerate and marinate for 30-45 minutes.
5. Preheat your grill about 300˚F
6. Skewer the mushrooms snugly onto the bamboo/wooden skewers that have been soaking (no need to dry the skewers). Skewering the mushrooms was a little annoying at first until I got the hang of things. I've found that it's easiest to skewer them by twisting them onto the stick. If you just push the stick through, it may cause the mushroom to crack.
7. Place the skewered mushrooms on the hot grill for about 3 minutes per side, making sure the mushrooms do not burn to the grill. The mushrooms are done when they are soft; as mushrooms should be :) Remove from the grill. Cover with foil to keep them warm until ready to serve.

Reference: http://natashaskitchen.com/2013/06/02/grilled-mushrooms-on-skewers/

Summer Pasta Salad

Summer Pasta Salad

Ingredients

4 cups (1 L) fusilli pasta
2 cups (500 mL) sugar snap peas or snow peas, trimmed
2 tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
4 oz (113 g) thinly sliced smoked turkey or smoked chicken, cut in strips
2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups (500 mL) fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup (60 mL) pine nuts, toasted

Preparation

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 4 minutes. Add peas; cook until pasta is tender but firm, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain and transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat.
Add turkey, tomatoes, basil and cheese; toss to combine. Garnish with pine nuts.

Reference:
http://www.cbc.ca/bestrecipes/recipes/summer-pasta-salad

Gingerbread Cake

I was looking around for Easter treats, but ran into this gingerbread cake that I'll make for Christmas.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, or 1 stick
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Direction

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square pan.
2. Cream the butter together with the sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the molasses and sour cream. Add eggs, continuing to beat until well-blended.
3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger. Add to the wet ingredients and beat just until smooth.
4. Pour into the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

 Reference:
http://spoonful.com/recipes/classic-gingerbread-cake

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

The concept sounds intriguing... cookies and pudding!
I don't think I'll be adding the mini robin eggs - I guess it's not Easter cookies.  It's more just chocolate cookies :)

Chocolate Pudding Cookies with Mini Robin Eggs

Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (3.4 oz.) package chocolate  instant pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (omitted)
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups Mini Robin Eggs (colored malted milk Easter candy), chopped (omitted)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in chocolate pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and Mini Robin Eggs.
4. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are set. The middles will not be completely done. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Note-if you can't find Robin Eggs, you can use malted milk balls.

Reference:
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/chocolate-pudding-cookies-with-mini-robin-eggs/

4/18: I haven't tasted the cookies yet since it's still Lent.  1.5 days left to go!  People around me told me it's good.