Easy Like Sunday Morning (Avocado Toast)

It’s a Sunday!

And it’s a day of rest, altho I’m sure for some, it’s pretty hectic spending time with family and kids and chores and errands and groceries and …. gosh, I’m feeling tired already.

Feel blessed you have things to do. Feel blessed you have people to do it with.

As for me, I’m taking a break and taking it easy. For lunch/brunch. 

There’ll be some face stuffing later with the tribe.

It’s been a lovely yet stressful week. (How can a mere seven days cause so many mixed feelings?)

Had someone very close to my heart visit for a few short days. It’s always too short. But it was good.

I miss her already.

That’s obviously not the stress part.

A word of advice on texting that most probably already know but we all need reminding, esp folks like me who have diarrhoea of the mouth and thumb/fingers.

Anything you type/text can be misread. It all depends on the other person who’s reading it, what kind of a mood they’re in, whether they’re menopausing/andropausing and possibly a host of past traumatic history they’ve gone thru and one word might just trigger some negative response. 

They could read it as a ‘Grrrr’ or as an ‘Awwww’. 

Sometimes concern can be misread as criticism … how? …. only they know. 

And sometimes, they’re just too damned sensitive. Bah! Humbug!

I have no energy for dramatics.

And then I find out I have no chickpeas …. AARRRGGHHH!!!

*Breath*

*count to ten*

Make do….

1 Avocado, nice and ripe

2 Garlic cloves, nice and chubby

1 can Canellini beans, Chickpeas would’ve been nice

1 handful coriander leaves

Juice of half a lemon

Drizzle of sesame oil

1/4 cup Grapeseed oil, or Olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Some toasted pine nuts

Plonk them all into a food processor except for the pine nuts (you can add it in but I like some crunch).

Buzzzzzzzzzzz

It’s up to you how smooth you like it

Sprinkle pine nuts.

Use as a dip, a spread on toast or toss with some cooked pasta (just add some grated parmesan for extra flavour)

Easy!

No stress ….. 

Chinese Red Glutinous Rice Wine Stewed Chicken

Sigh …. I’m in heaven ….

Thank you, Pris!

It’s been too long since Priscilla’s grandmother fed me my first taste of this very traditional Foo Chow (Hock Chew) dish. Stewed Red Wine Chicken. At the first look of it, I was a little scared. But after the first bite ….. I made the little old lady happy by asking for a second helping. Or maybe she just thought I was such a greedy girl.

She’d passed away two years ago. Bless her soul. 

There goes my chance of having more of this wonderful dish, or so I thought. 

I did give the commercial ones a try and they have never been up to par. It’s either too sweet or too sour. Seriously, I thought this was a difficult dish to make. 

Another friend made some for me when she’d got a homemade batch of the wine and lees. And I went off to heaven again. Sigh … will I ever be able to make this myself?

Then Priscilla came for a visit and brought me a bottle of homemade red wine and lees (made by her niece), recipe handed down from grandma! Gosh … I didn’t know if I could pull this off. 

Well waddaya know? I did. I know it doesn’t look like the real thing. Hey, it’s my first attempt but the taste is just as heavenly as I remembered it. And you know, it isn’t rocket science. In fact, I took the lazy way out and just dumped everything in the slow cooker.

You’re suppose to sauté some ginger for garnish and brown the chicken pieces before stewing. Oh what the heck. 

By the way, this isn’t red wine made from grapes. It’s made from red glutinous rice. So, basically, it’s a rice wine with a glaringly vibrant deep red. That’s why it’s so scary looking. 

INGREDIENTS

Half a chicken, cut into large chunks

1 heaped tbs Chinese glutinous red wine lees

1 cup Chinese red wine

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs finely grated ginger or ginger juice

5 - 6 pieces thick sliced old ginger

METHOD

(Like I said I did the lazy easy way)

Marinade chicken pieces with the lees, sesame oil and grated ginger. 

Leave for 30 mins to an hour

Plonk chicken into slow cooker.

Add sliced ginger, Chinese red wine and soy sauce.

Set slow cooker to High and cook for about 2 - 3 hours or until chicken is cooked. 

(You don’t want to overcook the chicken or it’ll fall off the bone)

Serve as is with fluffy white rice or the traditional way, over cooked rice vermicelli.

*What I’d learnt from this dish. It isn’t in the cooking. It’s in the wine making. Good wine makes good stew.

The commercial stuff …. yuk. Chinese glutinous red wine making is an art.

Overnight Oats

Some folks just don’t like eating oats. I’ve been told it’s boring.

Well …. YOU are boring. 

Oats are so boring you can actually make it very interesting. 

Growing up, mum used to dump an egg, milk and honey in my oats, cook it to a custardy yumminess and serve it to a delighted me. Don’t go eeww … custard IS made with eggs.

Just last week, a visiting good friend was talking about overnight oats. That triggered a childhood craving for oats …. but with a new and modern, healthy twist … no cooking and raw.

You know, it saves a ton of time in the morning. Just prepare it the night before and it’ll be nice and ready when you’re rushing for time the next morning. 

It’s yummy and keeps you energised til lunch …. sometimes I still don’t feel hungry at lunchtime and just have a light snack. How good is that? And that’s even after a tough 2-hour tennis game. Of coz that also depends on how much of the oats you consume.

This is my portion …

(I use a 200 ml jam jar)

3 - 4 heaped tbs rolled oats

1 tsp chia seeds (this makes it gooey. I love gooey oats …. oats are meant to be gooey. You can omit this if you don’t want it gooey. It’ll be a little coarser. I’m not a horse. I don’t like coarse and gritty down my throat)

1 tsp honey

1 good pinch of cinnamon

milk (filled to about 3 quarters of the jar)

Stir everything together and then add the fruits. You can also add the fruits just before eating.

diced peaches

blueberries

Put the lid on and leave in the refrigerator overnight. 

Yeah … overnight …. why do you think it’s called OVERNIGHT oats?

Tons of options:

Almond / soy milk

Yogurt (dilute a little)

Nuts

Other spices

Chocolate chips / syrup

Cocoa powder

Coffee

Raisins

Bananas

Your fav fruit

Whatevers ……

DO NOT be boring

Hot Sauce (Sriracha) Chicken Wings

There are so many types of chilly sauce here, locally made to suit our very fireproof tastebuds. I’ve only come across the name “Sriracha” in the American blogs and recipes. And I don’t think it was even on our grocer shelves til recently. 
I’ve ignored it for the longest time, never having a need for some foreign brand telling me it’s better than what I can get at home. 

Then this recipe popped up. The gooey deliciousness got to my tummy and I. 
Drool, I did. Make, I want.

I was sure this could also be made using our local chilly sauce / hot sauce. But then, I’ve never tasted Sriracha. Who knows, maybe it’s got an interesting flavouring that makes the recipe. Gotta get a bottle. Bought, I did.

Meh. It’s hot sauce. Chilly sauce, minus the sugary sweetness that many of our local brands favor. Now I can truly say … yes, this can also be made using our local chilly / hot sauces … minus the honey.
The thing that makes this more interesting is the bergamot leaves. It gives it an exotic flavor and a beautiful scent to the whole “burn my tongue silly”. 

(Recipe adapted from Slow Roasted Italian)

INGREDIENTS

6 chicken wings (drummets to tips, whole or separated)
1/2 cup Sriracha sauce
1/2 cups honey
1 tbs butter
juice of 1 lime
2 tsps finely shredded bergamot leaves (lima purut), divided

METHOD

Toss everything with 1 tsp of shredded bergamot into a slow cooker. 
Stir to coat chicken wings.
Cook on high for 2-3 hours. 
Remove wings gently (gets very tender and might fall to pieces) and place on a lined baking pan.

From this point, you can broil the chicken wings immediately and baste with the watery liquid or reduce the liquid to a thick syrup and then baste and broil and baste and broil …. to your heart’s content and until it’s slightly caramelised.

Remove from oven.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp shredded bergamot leaves and serve warm.

Sandwich Maker Tofu with a Zesty Miso Dip

This is an amazing idea!

You just gotta try it out. 

I’m not writing particularly about tofu. I mean, seared tofu? Pffft!!! Anyone can do that. 

I’d seen this idea floating about on the net a while ago and it inspired me to sear some tofu to go with this amazing, tangy, spicy, sweet, sour, zesty, all-textures dip that mum used to make. Brought back a ton of memories…

Anyway, the dip calls for a Chinese fermented bean paste (tau cheong) quite similar to miso. I didn’t have that paste, I had miso. Miso it is. And I think from now on, I’d stick to miso. It’s just so good!

Right, the tofu. 

Everyone has a waffle iron/sandwich maker, right? No? What? Oh …..

Never mind. Whenever you can get your paws on one….

Like I said, it’s such a good way to sear tofu. 

Or hash browns, polenta cakes, mochi……yes, you read right. Mochi. Those gooey little things. It gets crispy on the outside and still soft and gooey on the inside. Yummers!  I’m sure there are more stuff that can be done with a sandwich maker besides a grilled cheese sandwich. Get creative, peeps!

There’s very little oil used too. And it makes a more even shade of sear.

INGREDIENTS

Firm tofu, cut into wedges or whatever shapes that’ll fit your sandwich maker

oil for brushing or spray

Dip: (This is just a guide. Adjust to suit your tastebuds)

1 - 2 tbs dried shrimp, toasted (like you would nuts)

1 tbs brown miso

Juice of 1 large lime (key lime)

2 - 3 tsps sugar

chillies, sliced

METHOD

Mix all of the dip ingredients into a small bowl except the toasted shrimp.

Stir to mix until sugar has completely dissolved. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Stir in toasted dried shrimp just before serving so that it remains crispy.

Leave aside.

Brush or spray the sandwich maker plates with oil. Place the tofu wedges on, cover and let the gadget do its work. When done, check to see if it’s browned or golden enough to your liking. Otherwise, cook a little longer.

Remove and have it warm with the dip.

Makes a great appetiser.

Passionately Yours ... and mine

This is such a lovely and delicious way to eat passionfruit, I just had to share it. It’s so simple, many may have already tried it this way but I’ve only had my eyes and tastebuds tantalised at a Malay-Indonesian restaurant about a year ago. 

Recently, there have been a variety of passionfruit in the grocers and I had to try them all out. And with this really bad flu I’ve caught, it’s also a great excuse to medicate myself with it. Yes, with natural cures. I’m totally sensitive to drugs. 

INGREDIENTS

All varieties of passionfruit

All kinds of honey

METHOD

Cut fruit in half.

Drizzle honey on top.

Scoop and eat.

Cut another fruit into half.

Drizzle honey on top.

Scoop and eat.

Cut another ….. you get the idea.

Pumpkin Rice

~Pumpkin, Pumpkin,

Round and fat.

Harvest time is coming.

Yum, yum, yum.

That is that!~

I have the sniffles and I think it’s pumpkin fever. Incurable. I die happy.

I found this recipe on a fellow blogger’s site. It caught my eye. And why not? It’s got pumpkin in it.

Hers is a loaded version. You can check it out here.

I just made a simpler one since I’ll be having kung pao chicken on the side. Altho this turned out scrumplicious, basmati rice would be a better choice as it's less fluffy and with a springier bite. 

It’s so appetising! Good even on its own. Thanks Phong Hong!

I’m gonna be making this very often and with different variations.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained

1 Chinese sausage, thinly sliced (or substitute with any meat of your choice)

1 cup diced pumpkin

2 tbs dried shrimp, soaked, drained and coarsely chopped

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups chicken / vegetable stock

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbs oil

Chopped scallions

METHOD

Heat oil. Sauté the garlic and the dried shrimp.

When it’s fragrant, toss in chopped onion, pumpkin, sliced Chinese sausage and ground cinnamon. Stir it around until onions are soft.

Turn off the heat and mix in the rice. Coat evenly.

Transfer into a microwave safe bowl and add in the stock.

(Same method as how I cooked rice before. Alternatively, you can also plonk it into a rice cooker if you have one).

Cook uncovered on high for 10 mins.

Sprinkle chopped scallions just before serving.

Cockles

What do you do with cockles?

Just curious ......
I haven't seen many posts on cockles and am wondering if it's eaten anywhere else besides asia. 

Here in Malaysia, we like it 
~1. just scalded, the flesh dug out with a pick and dunked in a sweet chilly dip. 
~2. Fried with koay teow (flat rice noodles)
~3. Cooked in a curry

Anyone has recipes other than the measly 3 I have?

Down Memory Lane : Leek and Tofu Stir Fry

There are comfort foods and then there are comfort foods that remind you of your childhood. 

There are so many of them from the good young days, I can’t remember them all. Then you see a particular ingredient at the market stalls and it triggers that inner childhood tummy pangs. Some of which I used to hate eating before but all of a sudden develop a hunger and craving for it …. strange. No …. no durians yet. That would take some serious doing.

This was one of the dishes my Chinaman uncle used to love as a condiment to his porridge. Porridge as in Chinaman rice porridge, not the oat porridge westerners eat every morning. 

I also used to dislike rice porridge. It was bland, boring, colourless, textureless … but I guess that’s why the condiments that go with it. But you’ll be amazed at the way a typical Chinaman eats porridge and how much of it is shoved into the mouth with their chopsticks while accompanied by the minutest sliver of condiment and then followed by another five to six shovels of porridge.

I eat (if I had to and it’s usually when I’m sick) a spoonful (yes, I use a spoon. I would have porridge all over my face and lap if I tried using a chopstick) of that bland, boring white mush with a gazillion condiments. That’s sick food. Yes. 

Oh forgive me my ancestors … sigh.

I’d forgo the porridge and have all them condiments with white fluffy rice. So much better. 

I’ve always loved tofu. Leeks only in leek and potato soup. Then one day…….a bunch of leeks called out to me from a grocer’s shelf …. and the rest, as they say, is … in my tummy! Yum!

Of course I had this with rice … not porridge. I’m not sick, you know.

INGREDIENTS

Bunch of leeks, whites and greens, sliced whichever way you like

Firm tofu squares

Oyster sauce

Sesame oil

Oil for sautéing

Optionals:

Thinly sliced / minced pork or chicken

METHOD

Heat oil.

Brown tofu squares on each side. Remove from pan.

Slice into thick slivers.

Set aside.

Brown meat in the same pan. Add a little more oil if need to. 

Stir in leeks until slightly softened. Longer if you prefer it softer.

Add oyster sauce to taste.

Stir in sliced tofu.

Turn heat off.

Add a dash of sesame oil. Stir to mix. 

Dish out and serve.

To make it a little more fancy, sprinkle on some toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy! And welcome to the Chinaman’s world.  

Just Plain (Rice) Talk

You know, the average Malaysian is spoilt rotten. 

Myself included. 

We’re blessed with all the latest and greatest electronic gadgets that promise to cut time short, make life simpler … work, cook etc….yeah right.

Anyway, I’m talking about our very-taken-for-granted rice cooker. I’m quite surprised that something that you’d probably receive 7 units of at your wedding as a gift over in this part of the world, is such a rarity in the average mat salleh’s (foreigner) household. 

Why am I talking about cooking rice? 

It’s so simple right? Not worth blogging about. But hey … take away the rice cooker and our fellow Malaysians would probably be at their wits end. You can only take that much instant noodles.

I found myself in a situation where I didn’t have the luxury of a rice cooker.

Googled for the correct ratio of rice to water. Most of the instructions (if not all) come from cooks in the western countries. Yeah … but of course … no rice cooker at home right?

But they seem to like their rice a little softer than how we like it here … of course that all depends of the type of rice you use as well.

Let’s just talk plain, unassuming jasmine rice. The type that plain, unassuming people like me eat daily… well… almost daily … ok ok … once a week. But then, I’m not your average Malaysian either.

After a couple of crusty, crunchy, sometimes porridgy (is there such a word?) meals …. I’ve come to a ratio that’s pretty much how I like it.

INGREDIENTS

Aww … seriously?! Ok ok …

Water

Uncooked jasmine rice, rinsed

No, we don’t put a pinch of salt 

Ratio of 2:1, Water to Rice

(I usually just cook 1 cup of rice, so this ratio works perfectly. I haven’t tried it with a larger amount …. yet).

METHOD

Place rinsed rice and water into a deep dish microwave safe container. (I used a glassware deep casserole dish).

Cook on high for 20 mins. 

(I cook for 10 mins, check to see if it’s blown up, and then continue for another 10 mins, without stirring)

When cooked, remove from microwave oven (be careful of hot steam). Fluff with a fork and serve hot with your favourite condiments.

So simple. Not worth blogging about. 

Instant Jammin' - Spiced Peach Jam

 

 

 

This has got to be the fastest and freshest jam making process I've ever experienced. No cooking, fresh, refreshing and healthier too! I must say tho, the texture isn't quite as gooey and sticky as regular jams but you know that's all a bunch of sugar and pectin.

This doesn't rely on too much sugar nor pectin. It uses something that's popular in the health circles these days.... Chia seeds....botanic name: Salvia Hispanica.
Remember those days where you have all sorts of funny clay animal figures which you kept watering and eventually sprouted and gave them "hair"? Yup....those. Chia pets, they were called.
Now we ingest them instead of pasting them on figurines...the seeds, not the clay things. Nope...you won't get a hairy chest nor is it an alternative solution to hair loss. What you will get is some long list of health benefits. Go look it up, will ya. I'm talking jam here.
Immersed in liquid, the seeds turn into a gelatinous goop. Apparently, they absorb 10 times their weight in water!

My sis-in-law posted a link on her Facebook wall about this. The recipe called for fresh berries. Berries of any sort is expensive here and since this was an experiment, I wasn't gonna waste it if it doesn't work out. So, I'd decided to use up some canned peaches left over from a wannabe peach cheesecake....that's another story.

Amazingly, it worked. Why I doubted it in the first place, I don't know. Maybe I'd just doubted myself...my ability to get it right...I have this knack for screwing up the simplest of process.
And of course I can't keep it simple. I'd added some spices to liven things up.

An experimental jam.

INGREDIENTS

About 1 cup canned peaches, drained
1tbs chia seeds
Sugar to taste, or honey (I used sugar so as not to alter the peach flavours too much)

1 star anise
1 stick cinnamon


METHOD

Put the peaches and sugar in a food processor or blender.
Buzz til you get a texture that you like.
Stir in the chia seeds.
Place spices at the bottom of a jam jar and pour fruit purée over.
(You can use a spice infused syrup for a stronger flavour)
Seal and leave overnight for the seeds to absorb the liquid.

Note: since making this, I've discovered that this is a great way to make chutneys and mint jelly as well. Unfortunately, this doesn't keep too long since it's non cooked.

Why not experiment for yourself and do let me know what you've made and how it worked out for you.
 

 

Guest Post : Three Cookies

That's the name of my guest, Three Cookies, not a recipe for 3 measly cookies.
This guest post came at the most appropriate time, never mind that it took Mr T (yes, that's right, that's Mister T to you) 20 months to come up with it. The fact that he actually remembered and made the effort .... I'm happy.

Some of you already know what a crappy few months it's been for me and on top of everything crappy, the car crash I was involved in last Saturday, depriving me of my favorite form of exercise, tennis. And when I'm faced with boredom and lack of exercise, I cook or bake. But, whiplash and a sprained shoulder doesn't make that much fun either. So, yeah, thank you Mr T, your timing is spot-on!

I'M PISSED!!!! So angry with the blinking idiot who drove into my face with no braking space and caused me to t-bone him ... and in the middle of a thunderstorm even! I'm grateful to be writing this here, griping and ranting about it (no episodes of my life flashing before my eyes) but the inconvenience of having no car to go anywhere or do anything. And our public transport is crap! Blinking Imbecilic Idiot!! (Sorry, I'm pissed, remember?) How I wish I had been driving a hummer. That would have been a, "Whoops, what's that? Oh, it's just a bump in the road, drive on."

Right, sorry, Mr T, thank you for allowing me rant.
I'm gonna calm down now and enjoy this. 
Now, as I was saying (before I went on a t-bone tangent) ...

Mr T (first name: "Three", Last name: "Cookies") has 2 very interesting blogs. (How one keeps track and have enough posts for 2 blogs, I know not. I'm already struggling with one). He's been AWOL for awhile now. What he's been up to is for him to know and us to find out. But he's back now and raring to get going again. 
"Three Cookies" is one very unusual blog with 3-part posts of updates on what's cooking/baking, what's the favorite pic of the day and what's the latest in the food world, good/bad.
"Easily Good Eats" is all about his tried and tested recipes ... all easy and good.
Go on over and you'll know what I'm talking about.


And here's Mr T himself.


“Whoo! My first time doing a guest post!” (quote from Pings Pickings) 

Opportunity knocks at every mans (and womans?) door. So when this guest post opportunity came knocking on my door I knew I had to grab it with both hands. Doing a guest post is an honor and great fun, though there is a constant worry. High standards need to be maintained, that’s not easy, and doing a post for Ping means the recipe, writing style and photography has to be top notch. I probably fell short in all areas but Ping kindly compromised her standards and accepted my efforts. Thank you! 

This recipe took me 20 months to make, but its not a slow cook recipe. Sometimes when you see an interesting recipe it gets stuck in your head and if you don’t make it soon it gets on your ‘to make’ recipes list. Over time the list gets bigger, recipes get ignored, forgotten or made after a long time. I first saw the recipe on Eats Well with Others site about 20 months ago and I knew I had to make it.  I never realized it would take 20 months though.

20 months later when I got around to attempting the recipe there was no jam at home. Instead there was mango chutney. According to the laws of ingredient substitution, chutney should work instead of jam. Chutney is effectively jam with spices, and spices and peanuts do go well together. 

The spiciness, saltiness and sweetness, combined with the crunchiness and biscuity (cookiey!) texture was like fireworks in the mouth. 

The bar was excellent but I have one small reservation. I love peanut butter and jam (or jelly!) combination. If I was in the mood of eating peanut butter and jam I would prefer it on toast rather than in bar form. The toast version is unadulterated, you get mainly the peanut butter and jam flavor. In the bar it gets mixed up with flour, sugar, butter and egg, the peanut butter and jam play more of a supporting role. Just a personal preference, don’t let this discourage you. The peanut butter mango chutney bar is still very delicious and if it was offered to me I would grab it without second thoughts.

The recipe is adopted from epicurious. The main changes I made was replacing chutney with jelly and halving the amount. Halving was necessary because mango chutney has a stronger flavor compared with jelly, it can be overpowering.


PEANUT BUTTER CHUTNEY BAR

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder 
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup smooth peanut butter (I used coconut peanut butter)
¾ cup sugar 
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I used coconut oil)
1 large egg (I used chicken egg)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/8 cup (about 90 ml) mango chutney (original recipe suggests ¾ cup of jelly)
2/3 cup coarsely chopped salted roasted peanuts


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat foil with nonstick spray. 
2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt
3. In a separate bowl beat peanut butter, sugar, and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, beat on low speed until smooth. 
4. Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat on low speed just to blend
5. Transfer half of the dough to the baking pan. Place remaining dough in the freezer for 10 minutes. 
6. Spread the dough evenly on the baking pan. Spread chutney over the dough. 
7. Remove the dough from the freezer. Break into grape-size pieces and scatter over chutney layer. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. 
8. Bake bars until golden brown and delicious, about 30 – 35 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. 

Thank you again Mr T for this wonderful usage of the mango chutney other than my using it as a condiment or an accompaniment for the scallops.