Sweet potato Onde-Onde

It's been awhile since I've acknowledged my Malaysian Heritage in my blog entries. I'm extremely proud to be Malaysian...I love it for all its unique features and the many opportunities it's given me in terms of exploring cultures and most importantly; palate and flavors! The countless Indian spices, numerous Malay delicacies and impressive cooking techniques from the Chinese. Imagine all of them assimilated into one... and you have = Malaysia. Through the many centuries of living amongst other races; we've learnt to appreciate and incorporate various culinary inspirations to create authentic "Malaysian" dishes of our own.

ONde-Onde (pronounced: ohn-day, ohn-day)

I'm not certain how the name "onde-onde" came about...but I'm pretty sure it's origins are Malay. My sister and I used to call them "bombs".....i vaguely remember the reason being how they "exploded" with sweet syrup from the center in every bite.I took a 2 hour hunt in search of freshly grated coconut and returned home with none. I was disappointed to find that EVERY asian store I came across only stocked frozen strips of coconut, "You want GRATED?....you buy dessicated!" said the Vietnamese lady. And so I did.

Yan; my most dearest bestest buddy in the whole wide wide world! brought this to my attention. An ingenious idea by Carnation; coconut flavored evaporated milk! YAY!!! Good riddance to unhealthy portions of coconut milk + cream; I have found my waistline-friendly substitute.

10 oz sweet potato peeled, cooked and mashed
2 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
1 tin Coconut flavored evaporated milk
250gms desicated coconut (use freshly grated ones if you're lucky enough to find a bag)
3 pandan (screwpine leaves)
1 tsp salt
1 large chunk of gula melaka (Coconut palm sugar) chopped roughly

Blend pandan leaves with 1/3 tin of evaporated milk till leaves are complete ground. Mix mashed potatoes, flour and pandan mixture in a large bowl and knead till it form a workable dough. Add a little more milk if needed. Pour excess milk in a large deep bowl and empty the bag of dessicated coconut in. Sprinkle in the salt and toss well to combine.

Make onde onde balls by rolling them into tiny balls and pressing a piece of palm sugar into the center. Pinch the sides to close and roll them back into shape. Cook onde onde in batches of 6-8 balls in boiling water over the stove on medium heat. They float up when they are cooked. Strain and coat with coconut. They are best eaten warm.*sigh* How I wish I found grated coconut...it would have been sensational!
I was tempted to grab a fresh shell and grate it with a fork myself! *sigh* desperation does these things to you. *laughs*
Skip " mixing excess milk + coconut" step if you're using it freshly grated. I did it to help moisten the dry dessicated coconut grains.

Tags: tapioca sweet potato onde onde budget recipe

Reduction

Definition:
Re-duc-tion (cooking): n. Technique to decrease volume of a sauce through evaporation. Stirring liquids in a pot over the stove till the cows-come-home.

*sigh* Reducing sauces and jams are my biggest kitchen fears! Being the impatient person that I am; standing and stirring the same pot for more than 2 hours could mean death! *laughs*
I had to find another way to keep my hands busy in the kitchen while my pot of onion jam bubbled over gentle flames. I gave an old fail-ed recipe another go, just to see if it was the proportions which were inaccurate or was it from my meager bread baking talent. 3 hours after....I concluded it was the recipe; not me! *grin* The olive loaf had suspicious proportions of flour+water and after extensive research online from various recipes; I decided it was best to try a different composition the next time. It was still edible; just didn't turn out the way I wanted it to.
I sliced the loaf and topped it with roast chicken, mayo, chopped lemon thyme and the yummy jam for dinner. The girls didn't like the jam too much; they thought it was too 'strong'-i have no idea what they meant by strong. It could be that they were unacquainted to the robust flavors of red wine + onions. I personally loved it! It was really sweet...I had to use it scarcely on the open sandwiches. I'm glad it stores well. I'll probably pop it in a jar till the next time I make lamb steaks...MMMmmmmMmm..it should go perrrfectly!

3 large onions sliced thinly(preferably white; I used brown one's and they turned out fine)
Dry red wine enough to cover all the sliced onions in the pot
2/3 cup white sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise cloves

Cook everything in medium thick base saucepan on low heat till the liquid is reduced to a clump of sticky yummy jam! It took me 3 hours....I wish you luck :)


Tags: onion jam budget recipe

BLueberry Beso's

It's been awhile since I woke up to an empty "schedule". I was thrilled! couldn't wait to bake "just-for-fun" *grin*. Despite being extremely deprived of sleep from activities the previous night; I was enthusiastic to hop straight into my favorite apron.
It seems like forever since I baked spontaneously; without pre-decided "combinations" or specific inspirations. This morning; I swung my fridge open and dug in deep into the fruit shelves to find scraps for a fun *experiment*. I mixed and matched...poked, cleaned and threw out several things I dug up and finally picked the winners(closest to being inedible). Fruity and sweet combinations always seem to get my days started with a smile! hehe.

Blueberries+Pear

I brainstormed a couple of possible variations...
1. A berry "bread"
2. A sponge cake topped with fruits
3. Moist and fruity butter bundt mini-cakesI went for the most indulgent option. A dense almond meal mini-cake. I convinced myself it wouldn't kill my diet completely. Reason be; I've cut the recipe in 1/2 and made them into tiny portions. *giggle* I know...I know...I know I'm in self denial. *laughs*
Pears are really good in rich cakes as it gives them a good texture balance and creates an interesting mix to the blueberry bits in between each bite.
I had a hard time coming up with a name for these tiny golden bundt shaped blueberry+almond muffins. "Pear+Blueberry+Almond mini-bundt-cake-type-thing" would sound extremely retarded! Haha Kudo'z to my multi-cultured "Chef" dude; "Lil" Steve-y for the perfect name for them. "Blueberry Beso's" . Beso is Spanish for Kisses...and the name fits them perfectly! Fresh blueberries hidden in a soft, moist and delicate buttery sponge bundt, glazed with a sweet tinge of pear and subtle scent of vanilla...MmMMmmm *flutter's off*.....Doesn't it remind you of a kiss?...fruity one of course *wink*

Makes: 6 mini bundts

160g butter softened

1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup castor sugar
1 XLarge egg
1/3 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 over-ripe packham pear peeled and diced into small cubes

Cream butter, vanilla and sugar till fluffy and well combined. Add in egg and beat for another 1 minute. Add sifted dry ingredients and fold in. Add fruits and gently incorporate. Spoon into lightly greased tins. (Use large cupcake cases if you like). Bake in preheated 180degree oven till surface is golden and centers are cooked through. Flip them out onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve with drizzles of honey / or a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream. YUmmmMMmm...serve warm and fluffy, fresh from the oven.*I bought a cool new vegetable+fruit peeler which works like a chARM!...love it to pieces! It's cool how its attached to my palm. It makes me feel like the "peel"-master! *faints* My apologies for the lame-ness of that comment...I'm full of shit! *laughs*

*Thanks to Eunice from the Malaysian ADnD for the bunch of pretty lily's! I just had to capture them in a shot before they began to wilt :(. Great work with the table settings! It was really pretty. Big thanks and *hugs* to Lyn and "Beverly" as well; a simple "hey" has motivated and inspired my "blogging" more than you can imagine! A complete loss for words. Thanks guys.



Tags: blueberry beso budget recipe

Melon and Kiwi Parfait

You’ve heard it before: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Ever wonder why? Breakfast is important for refueling your body after a night’s sleep. And for those who are trying to lose some weight, sitting down to a healthy, high-fiber brekkie could be the key to success!

One of my favourite morning meal would be Fruit Parfaits because they look cheery and so simple to prepare. hee...

To serve 4, you need:
a. 1 cup rockmelon cubes
b. 3 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut into wedges
c. 400 g low-fat vanilla yogurt
d. 4 tablespoons toasted muesli

Method: Layer fruit, yogurt and muesli in 4 tall glasses. Easy and no-fuss!

Variation: Use any fresh fruits that are in season so that it'll be cheaper. Also, replace toasted muesli with cornflakes if you like.

That's all you need to be well on your way to a daily helping of energy and good health! =)

Tags: melon kiwi parfait budget recipe

boeuf bourguignon

whoever claimed that french cooking is feminine wasn't offering you the complete truth . this is one machismo pot for the guys...filled with rump , belly pork and bacon brewed in a full-bodied alcoholic broth :

note : i admit that this one is initially complicated but on the upside , it'll feed you for days (as long as you can take it lar)

what you need ar ?

1.5 kg beef rump (cubed...and ya...i made this is bulk too...so adjust accordingly hor)
1 bottle of wine ( use a robust wine...which means you can rule out the sweeter ones...i.e. merlots and blends...i used a shiraz )
5 tablespoons rum (okay...this was supposed to be brandy...but rum's a good substitute)
bunch of thyme
bunch of rosemary
2 bay leaves

250 g belly pork
250 g bacon

2 heaped tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 large white onion
2 whole garlics , cloves crushed
salt and pepper to taste

bunch of grapes

how liao ?

in your pot , marinade the beef rump cubes overnight with the wine (make sure every piece gets some hor...don't stint...you should use just over half the bottle) , thyme , rosemary (don't use too much hor...just five small sprigs of each will do) and 2 bay leaves .

the next day , transfer the beef somewhere else and reserve the marinade as well . powder the beef with the flour and ground allspice mix . set aside for now .

skin the belly pork and cook it in the pot in its on juices (use some lard / oil if needed) until lightly browned on each side . remove and set aside .

in the same pot , briskly sear the bacon slices . remove and set aside .

introduce the chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves into the pot . do not brown hor .

after all those annoying baby steps , add everything that was set aside earlier into the pot including the marinade . let this simmer for 2-3 hours . add wine , salt and pepper if needed .

after the required time , remove the herbs (which will probably seem disgusting by now) and serve with some red grapes (erm...i added this myself...but i really think grapes go well here) . boeuf bourguignon is also perfect with pommes de terre mousseline .

bear in mind that the sauce is not a mild alcoholic one...so haha...don't be taken aback by it's rich strength .



bon appetit.

Tags: beef boeuf bourguignon budget recipe

pommes de terre mousseline

that's just french for creamy mashed potatoes . recently , i've been browsing in borders trying to diversify my cooking . i peeked into a delicate blue book that provided this simple recipe to start off my re-appearance here . i know it's a common dish...but i dare guarantee that this is the richest one i've ever tasted :

what you need ar ?

1 kg potatoes (er...ya...i made this in bulk...adjust accordingly hor)
200 g unsalted butter
300 ml whipped cream
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

fresh green herbs ( e.g. parsley , chives )

how liao ?

boil the potatoes until soft . cool sufficiently . the skin should peel off easily by now . mash the potatoes and set them aside ( i realise everyone has their own ways of mashing...from efforting a spoon to classy kitchen utensils...so i leave it up to you lar hor )

heat the butter in a pot / pan (depending on how much you're making lor) and chuck in the mashed potatoes . mix thoroughly .

fold in the whipped cream .

finish off with the ground nutmeg , salt and pepper (optional) and garnish with freshly chopped chives and a hint of parsley .



voila...pommes de terre mousseline.

Tags: mashed potatoes budget recipe

One for the boys!

A cupcake enthusiast like me never stops at the perfect chocolate/vanilla. Cupcakes are more than that *wink* Possibilities are endless!My cupcake-ing escapades have often been feminine in terms of design, flavors and compositions... I thought it would be nice to have an entry specially dedicated to the boys. With recent inspirations from a new book I purchased from Gail Wagman, I woke early this morning to compose a unique recipe with the help of some guide lines from her book Cupcak3s Galor3. I stirred-up a mess in my kitchen and produced these glossy morsels of manly-ness!Cupcakes laden with the aroma of beer, spiced with dashes of nutmeg and ginger and topped off with a sticky roasted praline of mixed nuts. I decided to call them "Man enough?" *laughs* It reeks of everything 'Man'; it smells of beer!...It's messy..sticky when moist...soft only on the inside, rough on the surface, not too sweet and a tiny bit spicy!..... *naughty grin*I'm glad I have a full class of grown men to taste test them for me. Aussie boy's love their Beer ('Liquid gold' they call it) and I wanted to see their reactions to beer in a cupcake.

Dylan; the shy "brains" of our class gave them the thumbs up!

Rich-ie; "Sexy dude from Bondi" was impressed.

"Stud-muffin" Scotty reckons I found the key to a man's heart *giggle*

The cupcakes received the nod of approval from the "Cool -biker-hunk" of the classMy Malaysian buddy Wesley Loved the sticky nutty topping.

Pretty and shy Anna, wouldn't let me take a damn photograph! LoL*
I used Carlton Draught for this recipe; but if you can find anything stronger/darker; or your favorite beer; that would work too! Just remember "light" beer...is for girls *wink*

1 full cup strong beer
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup raisins
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp bicarb of soda
1 pinch salt
dashes of ground cinnamon + nutmeg
2 eggs

praline: 1/2 cup melted butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 cup toasted nuts, 1 tbsp honey (mix to form a thick paste)

Melt and cook butter, beer and sugar in the microwave for 7 minutes in 60 second bursts. Be sure to keep stirring in between to make sure it doesn't burn. Sift in dry ingredients and blitz with a mixer. Add in eggs one at a time and beat well in between each addition. Spoon into large muffin cups till 3/4 full and bake in preheated 180 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and quickly top muffin cups with nut mixture. Return to oven for another 8-10 minutes or until tops are sticky and caramelized.

Tags: beer cupcakes budget recipe

Oh BOy its hot!

Heat from rays of the unforgiving sun brings out the many beautiful sights in and around campus.
Not just lush greenery and full bloomed posies...
Sun kissed tans and sexy shades on many,
The boys strip down to their shorts, hot surfies in tank tops...
Pretty girls in strappy bikinis..sexy legs in mini shorts,...

too much eye-candy for this shy little Chinese girl to handle! *giggle*

What does she do to Celebrate? ....a summer-y new recipe of course! *wink*
Nothing says summer more than watermeLON! red, juicy, sweet and refreshing ...MmMMm... the perfect afternoon snack to help soothe the heat!DIg in with a huge monstrous BITE! there's nothing like a satisfying mouthful of refreshing watermelon. *sigh* I cant think of any better way to savor a watermelon.
But if you MUST eat it with something...here's a strange but delicious suggestion. Hehe...I love mixing flavors and trying new combinations.
This is another one of my recommended medleys. For those with daring tastebuds and a love for all things fruity and tangy; you've GOT to try this! Pork+fruit is a killer combo!
You might raise an eye-brow as you go through the list of ingredients...don't gasp...it wont poison! haha...I had 2 taste testers who survived as well. This dish gets my satisfied nod of approval and a "I reaLLy LIKE It!" from another fussy eater.

Watermelon balls (chilled)- make balls with a melon baller and skew them in cute kebabs.

1 tbsp citrus peel (check the dessert aisle at the supermarket for this)
Mint leaves (I didnt have these ...but i wish i did )
1 apple cored and diced roughly
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp pure honey
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
cracked pepper

Meat: Marinade
3 pork lion chops for at least 2 hours in
1 tbsp yogurt
2 tsp whole grain mustard
1 tsp lea+perrins sauce
1 tsp salt
cracked pepper
1/2 tbsp oregano flakes

Mix honey, lemon juice and vinegar in a small bowl. Heat a flat nonstick pan and smear with a light drizzle of olive oil. Add in the apples and the honey mixture. Throw in the citrus peel and add dashes of ground cinnamon. Stir well to combine. Add sugar and pepper and cook till liquids are reduced to 1/2. Should take about 20 minutes. Be careful not to burn the sugar in the pan. Lay in the slices of marinated pork and pan fry on both sides till cooked through. Dish out the stewed apples half way thru if they start to soften too quickly. Drizzle remaining sauce in pan over watermelon skewers and toss with mint leaves + extra bits of citrus peel.

Did your jaw drop? *laughs* be relieved that I didn't attempt to cook the watermelon!

Tags: melon skewers pork budget recipe

Checking up on our waistlines ;)

As vanity takes it's course, us 3 Malaysian girls are feasting-"healthy" in preparation for the expensive,stylish and extravagant annual Malaysian ADnD event (Annual dinner and dance). I'm not usually present at such ball/prom-ish occasions; and I blame pure laziness. I hate fussing over getting dressed up fancy, etc. I love having a "dress-up" session with my girlfriends for a fun night out in town but my wardrobe isn't exactly "dainty, formal and elegant" -friendly. This year, the ADnD will be organized by a couple of very special friends of mine..and I couldn't possibly miss the chance to cheer my very pretty ex-housemate "Jia" dancing on stage! *gets excited*
The dinner is this friday.. and considering how I only have 1-2 "formal"-ish outfits...I'll have to make sure I squeeze in cozy and snug *wink*
hehe...
Cheers to delicious oil-free stir fried vege's!
For those who are sick and tired of soy sauce or stereotypical Chinese flavored stirfried dishes. Try this combo.Its fairly unorthodox, but lemon juice, lemon grass, chilies, fish tofu and greens are a lipsmacking medley. I used green beans, watercress stalks, carrots and lettuce in this sweet and sour stir-fry combo.

1 tbsp thick chilli sauce
1/2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1 tsp brown sugar
1 inch lemon grass stalk sliced
1 red chilli sliced
salt and pepper to taste

"Fish tofu?!" you say...
Another one of those great diet-days freezer-friendly items! They are golden cube nuggets of fish paste mixed with soy bean (tofu). Healthy and a perfect substitute for fat laden mince meat. They can be grilled, steamed, pan fried...skewered....ample options for what to cook them with!

Where to get a bag?: Most Asian marts, frozen aisle

Tags: fish tofu budget recipe

It's semester break - treat yourself with a nice (piece of) cheese cake!

As my debut post on studentsonabudget, this recipe is specially dedicated to rich-textured-cheese cake lovers.

So we are on a budget doesn't mean we can't treat ourselves with nice food. The cheese cake recipe I am sharing is my most favourite baking recipe ever. Why? It's easy, cheap and as good as those you bought from cafes! (even tastes better than some cafes'!)



Here are what you need:

• 375g cream cheese (I tried out a few brands, turns out Kraft's Philadelphia works the best)
• Approx 70g sugar
• 2-3 eggs (depends on size; separate the yolks and whites)
• Butter (if you don't mind poor presentation, you don't even need it, it's just for greasing the bake-ware)
• Oven
• 8-9" round-shaped bake-ware
• Whisk (or an electronic beater can always save you from sore arms)

That's it! You don't even need flour!

And before we start, please make sure everything is at room temperature.

During the preparation, we will create two batters: the cheese batter and the egg whites)

Ready? Here we go:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degree celcius
2. Start preparing the cheese batter: Beat the cream cheese until smooth. During the process, add the egg yolks one by one to help. Also add half the sugar (35g) into this batter.
3. Set the cheese batter aside, start preparing the egg white batter: Beat the egg white until it stands (at the perfect state, it should stand so still that it won't even fall out from the bowl if you flip the bowl upside-down) then, whisk the remaining sugar (35g) into the egg whites too.
4. Then, FOLD the egg white batter into the cheese batter.
5. Pour the mixture of two batters into the greased bake-ware.
6. Pop it into the oven and wait for around 35-45 minutes. (depends how brown you want)

Ta-da! That's it. With less than 10 bucks you can make a yummy cheese cake that can serve 8 people a yummy treat (or indulge yourself for a whole long day) so why pay starbucks 5 bucks for a piece?

Technorati Tags: cheese cake, recipe

Fried rice for lazy days

Jacklyn, a reader of this blog, emailed us to share her recipe. Many thanks, Jacklyn!

Fried rice for lazy days

To serve 2-3,you need:
a. 2/3 - 1 full cup of rice -remember to cook rice first!
b. 2-3 eggs -beat and add a little pepper
c. half a can of luncheon meat
d. some cabbage-optional or any other vegetable
e. mixed vegetables-portion up to you
f. and this is the most important secret ingredient! one can of...Spicy Pork Cubes.


Just fry the items in this order:
Heat a little oil in the pan.
a. cabbage/vegetable
b. eggs
c. luncheon meat
d. mixed vegetables
e. Spicy Pork Cubes
f. rice

Toss and fry till rice has been evenly cooked. And Serve!

Tags: fried rice budget recipe

Babi Tarik

or, if you would rather know it by its ang-mor name, Pulled Pork!

I must admit that Pulled Pork has always existed as a concept in my mind until now - I've only known vaguely what it is while dining at the occasional burger joint like Blooies or Hard Rock, where Pulled Pork is served in sandwiches. I also know that the traditional way to prepare pulled pork is over a barbecue. But not having a barbecue on the ready, some other recipes I've searched up on also mention that you can use a slow cooker, which won't give exactly the same results, but would be good enough if you know how to add the flavours in at which points of the cooking process. Besides, we're on a budget, right? I spent $8 on the meat, which is enough to last me for four or five meals (two, if you're Hobart) and the rest of the ingredients I picked out from what I had lying at home, so it is pretty cost efficient. You'll need a slow cooker for this recipe, along with plenty of time. I mean, overnight cooking plenty.

Babi Tarik AKA Pulled Pork

For the pork:
Twee Bak - ok, lost in translation here. Most recipes call for a shoulder cut of meat or something called a "Boston Butt". But I'm in freaking Singapore here! All my cuts are in Chinese names. Go for a thick chunk of meat that has a layer of fat on one side. Over here, I got two pieces of Twee Bak, which my dad says is a loin meat.
1 onion, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, whole, smashed but intact
2 cinnamon sticks
3 tbsp Worcester sauce (I just agar-rated)
3 tbsp red wine vinegar (I also agar-rated)
1 tbsp cloves
Water

For the sauce:
Tomato ketchup
Tabasco sauce
Honey
Worcester sauce
Fresh black pepper
Liquid from pork

1. Stud meat with cloves. Line bottom of slow cooker with onions, followed by the rest of the ingredients except the meat and water.

2. Lay meat on top of the ingredient mess and then pour water to cover. Slow cook for 12 hours. (Go and sleep. I did this after dinner, and worked on it for lunch the next day.)

3. [12 hours later] Drain the meat on a rack and pull out cloves, as much as you can. They'll be soft after all that cooking, but then again, so will the meat. You can also easily peel off the layer of fat and return it to the liquid to let the flavours infuse. Place meat on a large plate to rest.

4. Strain the remaining liquid to get rid of the solids. Skim the surface to remove as much fat as possible. (Throw the solids away. They're no good for anything anymore.)

5. Mix the sauce! I didn't put any quantities because a lot of agar-ration is required. The sauce should be at least 2/3 ketchup, with worcester, tabasco and the honey added to your taste of honey and sweetness. Finally, the cooking liquid should make the third of the sauce to form a syrupy consistency.

6. Using two forks, "pull" the meat apart so that they form fine shreds. That's where the name comes from. Once meat is separated, pour sauce over and mix well, taking care not to form a paste and keeping the shredded meat consistency.

7. Serve in a sandwich! Or with a mash and coleslaw. It's a long cooking process, but rather quite worth it.

Tags: pulled+pork sandwich filling budget recipe

pot belly pork

note : some preparation time required and those lacking appreciation for fat need not attempt haha .



i personally love pork and i reckon the most exquisite part is *drum roll* belly pork . to me , it has the perfect constitution of meat and fat (although the amount of fat will disgust most) . perhaps it's because i grew up having pork leg rice with my family for brunch on sundays...but i am confident that no other meat is capable of substituting the taste of slow-cooked pork .

what you need ar?

3 pieces of belly pork (mine amounted up to just below 500g)
2 cups white chicken stock/water mixture
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 cm piece of ginger
1 cinammon stick
2 tablespoons of chilli flakes (via grounding about 8 dried chillis...somehow i feel i should have added more...i guess it depends on how spicy you want it)
3 star anise
6 cloves
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar

oh...and just a tablespoon of honey

how liao ?

simply marinate the belly pork in a pot with the listed ingredients (except the honey) and chuck it into the fridge overnight (you can tell it's a classic aromatic combination...so...i guess a couple of hours will suffice...but being somewhat a perfectionist , overnight better lar hor ?) . after having it rest to room temperature , slow-cook it in a pot (don't need slow cooker lar har) with a low fire (obviously) . it should be done in about an hour hor and you'll find the sauce significantly reduced . if you want more flavour , simply make more of the sauce for adding when the mix in the pot dries up and let the pork cook longer . personally , one hour is enough to make me drool and gobble it up in minutes . oh oh...and just to make it even more tempting , drizzle the pork with the honey to provide not only a lustful glaze , but an accentuating contrast to the spices...and have you licking your fingers later .

perfect with a nice warm bowl of rice .

Tags: stewed belly fatty pork budget recipe

butterscotch pancakes

if i were ever to make breakfast in bed for someone , pancakes would be ideal . you could score some points with your loved one by making them from scratch eh ? the ingredients are cheap , they're too simple to make , they taste sinfully wonderful and they're great for light meals as well :

what you need ar?

for the pancake :

1 cup plain flour (measured after sifting)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons of melted butter

for the butterscotch sauce :
2/3 cup brown sugar , lightly packed
2/3 cup cream
2 teaspoons of butter
a dash of vanilla essence (optional)

how liao ?

in a bowl , mix the flour and baking powder well . crack an egg into the mix and stir some more . add the milk and whisk to a near smooth consistency (minimize the flour blobs hor but don't need to whisk until blobs aren't visible anymore lor ) . for a final touch to the batter , add the melted butter (you can do this just by melting butter in a teaspoon over a stove hor) . give it a final whisk and you're batter's ready lor .

to prepare your the pancakes ar , simply line a pan with butter and fry about four tablespoons of batter per pancake over a low fire . flip when they seem easily mobile (not stuck to the pan lor) . it should take no more than 40 seconds per side hor . the batter should provide you a six pancake stack with just a tablespoon to spare . just nice for two people (or one of me) .

for the sauce , simply heat the brown sugar , cream and butter in a pan for at least five minutes over a low fire (same fire as for pancakes lor) . it should have a nice creamy consistency and leave your house smelling all sweet and heavenly . turn off the fire and add the vanilla essence , watch it sizzle and enjoy the fragrance . pour the sauce over your pancake stack liao .

serve with scoops of ice cream if you want (like i did with my experimental batch awhile ago) :



i bet you're drooling already aren't you ?



Tags: butterscotch pancakes budget recipe