Orchids

These are my current favourite things, beautiful orchids in bloom. The best thing about them are that they're indoor plants with minimal maintainance. They only need watering once a week which is perfect for a lazy bum like me. They are suppose to stay in bloom for about 6 weeks but we shall see. Well at least I'm attempting to plant something other than the stuff in Farmville! Anyways once the orchids wilt and die, I shall get new ones :)

I love them as they add colour to our living room. Can't wait to add more to the collection, maybe some white ones next. It's simple things like this that makes living in the tropics so worth the heat.

Tomato Chicken Stew

Tomato Chicken Stew a.k.a. Ayam Masak Merah

(recipe from Malaysian Women's Weekly and photo from www.pixieate.blogspot.com)

This is my favourite recipe for ayam masak merah, delicious served with tomato rice. Will post my own photo for this recipe soon.

1 kg Chicken chopped into 5cm pieces

Pinch of salt and turmeric powder

½ cup of oil for shallow frying

2 onions sliced

1 small can tomato puree

2 large tomatoes quartered

1 tbsp salt or to taste

1 tbsp sugar

Spices (ground finely)

10 shallots

5 cloves garlic

7-10 red chilies, seeded

1 lemongrass, plump white portion only

3 cm knob of ginger

1. Rub chicken with salt and turmeric powder and shallow fry in batches

2. In remaining oil, stir fry ground spices until fragrant and oil separates

3. Add onions and stir-fry until soft. Stir in tomato puree and bring to boil

4. Add chicken and mix. Pour water to cover chicken by three quarters (about 2 cups). Bring to a boil

5. Reduce fire to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is tender and gravy is thick. Season to taste with salt and sugar.

Curry Mee

Curry Mee

(recipe from www.rasamalaysia.com)

I've actually tried this recipe and it's good. Even my father who is not fond of curry mee liked it.

Ingredients:

600g shelled cockles/bloody clams (optional)

500g prawns, steamed and shelled; use the heads to sweeten the stock by liquidising them with 500ml water

3 to 4 pieces soaked cuttlefish heads

200g fried soya bean cubes/tow pok (halved or quartered)

300g shredded, cooked chicken meat

500g blanched bean sprouts

600g blanched yellow noodles

300g blanched vermicelli/rice sticks

1kg grated coconut, mixed with 4 litres water and squeezed for the coconut milk to be used as main stock

Seasoning:

4 tbsp salt or to taste

1 1/2 tbsp rock sugar

1/2 tbsp MSG (optional)

Spices (finely ground):

100g shallots

25g garlic

3 tbsp coriander seeds

4 tbsp chilli paste

2 tbsp sliced lemon grass

10 peppercorns

1/2 tbsp belacan granules

Chili oil:

110g chili paste

25g garlic, pounded

175ml to 200ml oil

Method:

Heat 1/2 cup oil to saute the spices till fragrant. Add in salt, rock sugar and 500ml general santan and bring to a low boil till sugar dissolves. Add in the rest of the coconut milk and tow pok. When soup comes to a boil, add prawn stock and seasoning, then bring to just boiling point. Remove from fire and use stock as a soup for the yellow noodles and vermicelli. (Should the gravy or stock curdle, strain it.)

For the chili oil: Saute garlic and chili paste in oil until the chili disintegrates and oil floats to the surface. (Use this to garnish when serving.)

Tom Yam Goong

Tom Yam Goong

(recipe from www.rasamalaysia.com)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups shrimp stock


10-12 shrimp or 8 oz (head-on and shell-on but chop the eyes part off. Devein if you wish)


3 tablespoons lime juice


6 bird’s eyes chilies (pounded)


3 slices galangal


6 kaffir lime leaves (bruised)


2 tablespoons nam prik pao (Thai roasted chili paste)


2 teaspoons fish sauce or to taste


1 stalk lemongrass (use the white part only, pounded with a cleaver)


6 canned straw mushrooms / fresh oyster mushrooms / fresh or canned button mushrooms

Method:

In a pot, bring 3 cups of water to boil. Then add a big handful of shrimp/prawn heads. Boil the shrimp head until the water turns slightly orange in color. Press the shrimp heads with spatula to extract the “goodies” from their heads. Let the stock reduce to slightly more than 2 1/2 cups. Drain the shrimp stock and discard the shrimp heads.

Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, bird’s eye chilies, mushrooms, nam prik bao to the shrimp stock and bring it to boil. Add in the shrimp and fish sauce. Lastly, add the lime juice (if you add lime juice too early, the soup might turn bitter). Boil until the shrimps are cooked, dish out and serve hot.

Daging Hitam

Daging Hitam

(recipe from of www.friedchilies.com)

Ingredients:

1 kg beef (sliced against the grain)

500g shallots

345ml bottle sweet soy sauce

20 dried chillies

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin

4 tbs of oil

Method:

Slice shallots into slivers.

Marinade beef in sweet soy sauce for at least 2 hours.

Wash chillies and blend it with a little bit of water until it becomes a paste .

Dry fry the cumin and coriander seeds so it becomes fragrant.

Heat oil in wok and fry your shallots until soft. Lift it out before it becomes too crunchy.

In the same oil fry chilli paste until fragrant. Then add in spices and marinated beef.

Cook beef for about half an hour until it softens. You can add in a little salt if needed.

Add back the soft-fried onions and mix it well.

Allow to simmer for about an hour.

Results:

After about an hour, the beef gravy will be black from the initial dark chocolate colour.

Scatter some crispy fried onions on top for a little bit of crunch.

The beef should be soft and tastes wonderful, naturally sweet from the onions balanced by the savouriness of the soy.

What I'm Reading

I started reading all these books and have yet to finish one of them. I also have another 2 books that I've recently bought and have yet to read.

Looks like I'm gonna finish the Marian Keyes book first as it's very entertaining and funny. She's one of my favourite authors and I always buy the hardcovers because I'm always dying to read her latest books. If anybody is a fan of Marian Keyes let me know, I have all her books .

The Time Traveller's Wife is very long and not that entertaining but I must finish reading it before I watch the movie.

The Associate is the usual John Grisham. I will probably finish it last.

One of the books that I recently purchase is this one by Cecelia Ahern. She is also a favourite author of mine. I think I'll probably start on this book after I finish the Marian Keyes' one.

Recently I discovered Jodi Picoult, it started when I saw my niece reading My Sister's Keeper. I went out and bought it the next day and finsihed reading it in 2 days. I'm ashamed to say I cried through out the whole book. Later I watched the movie while on the long flight to Los Angeles and yes I cried again while watching the movie! The movie was great and adapted the book very closely except for the ending where it was totally different.

Mysore Chicken

I saw this recipe in the Star and tried it. It tasted pretty good and delicious served with Chapatti.

Ingredients:

5 tbsp cooking oil

500g chicken cut into pieces

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 1/2 cm cinnamon stick

3 cloves

4 cardamoms

1 star anise

2 sprigs curry leaves

1 1/2 tsp garlic pounded

2 big onions, sliced

2 tbsp curry powder mix with 3 tbsp water

125 ml water

1 red chili seeded and cut into squares

1 green chili seeded and cut into squares

Mix together :

6 tbsp tomato sauce

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp light soya sauce

pinch chicken granules

pinch pepper

Method:

1. Heat oil and fry mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and curry leaves

2. Add garlic, fry till fragrant and add onions and curry paste

3. When fragrant add chicken. Fry for a few minutes. Add mixed sauces into pot together with water.

4. Cook till chicken is tender and the sauce is thick. Add chillies and leave for 2 minutes. Dish out and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Chicago the windy city

Been travelling again , this time to the great US of A. Chicago more specifically, land of Obama. Hated the travelling but once there it was great. Went shopping at the outlet mall the second day we were there and I spent money at the Ferragamo outlet. It was relatively cheap, well at least cheaper that Asia!

Since this is my second visit to Chicago so didn't do the tourist thing as did it last year. Most of the time I was on the Magnificient Mile a.k.a. the shopping mile ! Must have lost some weight as I walked at least two miles a day window and actual shopping. In total I bought 10 Coach bags but alas only two were mine. My best buy of the trip was my Ferragamo ballerina slippers, love it.

Best part of the trip was my visit to Harpo Studios home of The Oprah Winfrey Show and a visit to the Oprah Shop of course. Wish I could have been an audience of the show but no luck this time.

Well now I'm back to the normal routine and to face the credit card bill.

Next trip, Melbourne and Jaipur !

The Great Malaysian Sale

Lately I've been shopping more than usual due to the sales. It started off being just a pair of comfortable trousers from MNG recommended by Dura then it went to another pair of trousers from British India that were 50% off. Then came the tops at MNG, Gap, M&S and Zara ! I'm running out of space and now need to get rid of stuff that's just lying there.

Now I want an Ed Hardy T shirt ! Maybe I can get the hubs to get me one when he's in Seattle next month.

Fit Flops

I got myself a pair of Fitflops , yes the supposedly gym in a shoe flip flops.  Aren't they cute ???

I don't know if it will actually make my legs toned or my bum smaller but I just love the bling !

Comfort vs Style ?

Been busy lately , weekends away and all so didn't think to blog. Was in Port Dickson one weekend and Sabah the next so am now longing for a quiet weekend at home. Nothing particularly exciting happening and no forecast of travelling abroad to be excited for.

Learnt a new revelation from a good friend recently . My friend is one of the funniest person that I know (apart from dearest) and being around her is always a joy. She told me she's tired of wearing too tight clothes and too high heels. Comfort is the key word here, style is secondary (well girls must be girls right!) It's ok to be fat and eat whatever you want as long as you're healthy. Why should you be miserable in order to be seen as stylish ? It's all material and external isn't it ? 

To me life is too short to care about what people think about the external material you. What matters is what lies in your heart and how you treat others. The latest 2.55 Chanel doesn't make you a kind person and a pair of red soled Louboutins doesn't bring you love from those who matter. 

Our favourite saying ? Let it all hang out ...... ;)

Awesome Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is not a my favourite cake but this recipe is great. The cake is moist and delicious due to the pineapple bits inside. Try it out it's really easy and you won't even need a mixer.

3 cups grated carrot

2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 tsp bicarbonate soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs (grade B/medium sized)

1 1/2 cup corn oil

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 175 C . Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan or 2 round pans.

2. In a large bowl combine grated carrots, flour, sugar, bicarbonate soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon

3. Stir in eggs, oil, vanilla, pineapple and walnuts.

4. Spooned into pans

5. Bake cake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/3 cup icing sugar

250g cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 vanilla extract

In a bowl combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

My first ever blog

At first I turned up my nose at blogging. To me it felt too much like writing in that little diary you had when you were ten years old. Yes ladies you know the one, it had hearts on the cover and a tiny lock and keys. It was only when I had the task of developing a commercial blog for ChanktekGifts's spin off that I really discovered the world of blogging. 

Honestly the main reason why I decided to blog was because of the cute and adorable layouts and backgrounds available free on the web. I also decided that a blog was a convenient location to store my recipes and wish lists online which I could share with my friends. 

Anyways I've always been an aspiring writer of novels so I guess this is the first step. Enjoy !