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

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

mini strawberry tarts

from my recent recipes , most people might misintepret me as someone who only relishes in greedily gobbling inhumane portions of food . that is just a misconception hor . i am also well known as an epitome of sweet toothed individuals . i delight in desserts as well . a few weeks back , i happened to catch a show on tv where the chef made a simple raspberry tart . what struck me was not only its tempting appearance...but her ingenuity . so , here , i try to recreate her simplicity with strawberries (only because it's still winter here and they're hardly any other fruits to work with...if any ) .

what you need ar ?

100 grams mascarpone cheese .
100 ml thick cream .
2 teaspoons caster sugar or 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk .
juice of half an orange ( i used a navel orange )
3-4 strawberries (depending on their size...mine were giganormous) .
3 large round digestive biscuits ( i used mcvities chocolate digestive cookies ) .

the measurements above make three to four mini-tarts .

how liao ?

in a bowl , whisk the mascarpone cheese , cream and sugar / sweetened condensed milk together . dice one strawberries per intended tart ( i.e. three in this case ) and add those along with the orange juice into the mix . whisk more to ensure everything's well mixed but not to the point where you mash the strawberries hor . if you aren't confident on being gentle , then forgo the whisk . just use a spoon lor . next , just plate the mixture onto your biscuit bases . decorate with quatered stawberries atop each mini-tart . refridgerate for some time and serve chilled . enjoy .





Tags: strawberry tart budget recipe

Me Mr.Smiley Mango Delight

Mango season's here...woohoo!!...One of my favourite fruits because you can hardly get durian here and the durian here sucks...

So here's my favourite simple dessert recipe of all time that some people are willing to kill me for...makes girls smile all the time when i make it for them...

How to make ar?

First , decide how much you want to make...Once you decide the amount , you mix half that amount of plain creamy yoghurt with another half that amount of pure cream...For you slow people , as an example hor , if you want to make 300 ml of this , you mix 150 ml of yoghurt with 150 ml of cream.How much mango leh?i think this wan best leave to you...my rule of thumb is usually 1 medim mango for every 150 ml of yeild which is actually quite a lot ya...Make sure your mango ripe and sweet wan so the expression of the people who taste it also sweet wan...Haven't finish yet...After mixing the yoghurt and cream , sprinkle brown sugar over the bowl of mixture and mix it in...then mix in some sweetened condensed milk (3 tbs for every 150 ml)...then mix in cubed mangoes...Finally , sprinkle one last sprinkle of brown sugar but don't mix and leave it overnight in the fridge to condition...When ready to eat , mix one last time and if you want to make a girl smile , arrange some mango cubes in the shape of a smiley face :)

Tags: mango dessert budget recipe