Looking for a simple & attractive salad for Christmas?

I was thinking really hard the past few days on what salad to serve on Christmas day. I wanted something colorful and festive looking without compromising the taste. This is what I came up with. This salad is very quick and easy to make.  Furthermore, it is colorful and very delicious. Any better suggestion?

Edible Flower Salad with roasted butternut squash and spinach

Ingredients:

(A)

200 gms butternut squash, julienned

1/2 ts ground black pepper (can be adjusted to your own taste)

1/2  ts sea salt (can be adjusted to your own taste)

1 tbs extra light olive oil

3 stalks of thyme,

2 stalks of rosemary

2 tsp chopped garlic

(B)

60 gms spinach

30 gms edible flower mix

Method:

In a roasting pan, mix (A) and spread out the squash.  Preheat oven to 200 C or 405 F. Roast the squash for 15 mins or till they are soft.  On a serving plate, arrange (B) as you wish.  When squash is cooked, remove the thyme and rosemary and lay them on top of (B). Drizzle all the remain oil from the roasting pan onto the salad.  Toss well before eating. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. 

QPC bean soup on the 2nd day of Christmas, Anyone?

My hubby is a big fan of bean soup and cornbread so we have it more often than most I would guess. However, I chanced a twist on it and surprised him by adding grilled capsicum, garlic and onions this time. If you have some left over ham after Christmas, I recommend that you give this recipe a go. The spicy, smoky flavor of the oven roasted aromatics as well as the small amount of bacon I use, is beautiful with the earthy, round flavors of the beans (whichever of them you use) and very pleasing to the palate. (As I am not an expert on this favorite American "comfort" food I have to believe it must be tasty when my #1 food critic asks for a second helping and makes mmmm sounds throughout the meal.)

Serving: 6
Ingredients:
500 gms dried mixed beans, wash and soak overnight
3 strips bacon, fried till crispy and break into small pieces
1 tsp bacon dripping from the pan
1 cup chopped parsley

(A)

6 cups water

250 gm left over ham

1 onions, cut into 6 parts and grilled

1 head garlic, grilled and sliced into strips

1 red capsicum, grilled and sliced into strips

1 green capsicum, grilled and sliced into strips

1 yellow capsicum, grilled and sliced into strips

1 stalks celery, diced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

½ cup curry leaves

(B)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cubes chicken bouillon, mashed

1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes

Method:

Put (A) into the soup pot and bring to boil. Turn down heat to medium anmd let it simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Add (B) and let boil for 15 min. Add crispy bacon and simmer for 30 more secs. Turn off heat. Fill soup bowls and add a few drop of bacon dripping to each bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot. My recommendation is to served with freshly baked corn bread.

Pork loin roast with Crackling - Co-star Christmas dish

This would be an artistic and delicous roast to set on the dinner table on Christmas day. To enjoy this dish, I suggest you forget all about how sinful this is. (I can do that, can you?) Just enjoy this alluring, luscious piece of roast pork loin like there is no tomorrow and have a Merry, and full, Christmas!

Serving: 4

Ingredients:

1 piece 500gm pork loin with skin

2 cups water

(A)

1 stalk celery, cut into 1 inch pc.

1 medium onion quartered

(B)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs chopped rosemary

1 tbs chopped thyme

1 tbs chopped garlic

1 tsp minced young ginger

¼ onion from quartered onion (retain the balance for another step)

Ingredients for the gravy:

Drippings and cooked vegetables in the pan

1 cup full cream milk

1 cup whip cream

1 tbs dry white wine

½ cube bullion chicken stock

¼ tsp ground black pepper

Method:

To get the crackling just right, this is what you need to do:

First, prepare a deep roasting pan and add (A) in and spread them out in the pan. Add 1 cup of water and set aside. Score the skin crosswise at about 5mm intervals. Rub items from (B) into the pork loin. Make sure some of the rub gets into the cracks of the skin. Place the pork on a rack and place the rack into the roasting pan. Put them in the oven at a very high temperature, 220 degrees C (420 degrees F) for the first 30 minutes to ‘crackle’ the skin. After that turn the oven down to about 175 degrees C or 350 degree F for the remainder of the cooking time, (about 25 to 30 mins. but keep your meat thermometer handy). Baste with liquid in the pan every 10 mins. Keep an eye on it as you don’t want to burn the skin – if it blackens in patches lay a sheet of aluminum foil, shiny side out, across the top of the roast. When the pork is cooked, (thermometer should read 70C / 158F) remove it from the oven. Use a sharp knife to carefully separate and lift the crackling and return it to the oven on a rack at 175 degree C (350 degree F) for around 15 minutes. While you do this, wrap the pork in foil, shiny side in, and leave it to rest as you would any other roasted meat. While the pork is resting and the crackling is getting its extra ‘crackle’, you can make the gravy.

Method to prepare the gravy:

Transfer the drippings and cooked vegetables from the roasting pan into the sauce pan. Add milk and bring to boil, add chicken bullion cube and white wine and turn heat to low. Let it simmer for 1 min and add whip cream. Simmer for another 1 min and transfer gravy to gravy boat to serve with the roasted meat and the crackling.

East & West meet in Christmas Rice

This is my entry for the Apiring Bakers Christmas Giveaway  http://passionbaker.blogspot.com/2010/11/aspiring-bakers-2-christmas-dec-2010.html 

hosted by Swee San of The Sweet Spot http://thesweetspot.com.my/

My husband is the opposite of Ebenezer Scrooge when it comes to celebrating Christmas. An important part of his tradition of celebration is setting a table for guests that is loaded with good things to eat and the central focus is the Christmas turkey and ham. The first few years after our move to Malaysia, he prepared the feast with traditional side dishes. This included his personal favorite, a rich, sage laced cornbread stuffing. He was puzzled, however, when everything he made was gobbled up with enthusiasm by us... all except the stuffing. Everyone raved about his turkey and ham preparations, and the mashed potatoes, green beans, sauteed carrots and grapes, waldorf salad, and best of all, the gravy. Nevertheless, for the first three years of his taking command in the Christmas kitchen, the stuffing was largely snubbed. So in his direct way, he asked me what was wrong. To be honest I hadn't thought about it, but a little bit of digging, and I thought I knew what it was. Sage! It is the sage that is novel to our palate, and then I gently told him that even I didn't like the slightly bitter, deeply aromatic herb. To our palate, the sage was very intrusive, primarily due to unfamiliarity. Talking about it further, my hubby noted that rice is so very much the focus of our cuisine (in Cantonese, when we call for folks to come and eat, we simply say "sek fan" which literally translates as "eat rice", whether we are stting down to a traditional meal or a pizza.) He thought that, in hindsight, perhaps a bread based carb was not the best choice for our celebration. Then he did something that amazed me. The year we had that discussion my hubby went to the kitchen and starting with a large, freshly steamed pot of rice and a wok, he began to play with various spices, herbs, and other ingredients, to arrive at a fried rice that was reflective of both eastern and western flavors, and that was rich and bountiful to reflect the celebratory nature of the holiday. The final result became what we have come to call "Christmas Rice" and it is a highlight of our food tradition during the holidays. Featuring flavors that are both sweet & spicy, and almost rustic in flavors, but very complex, the rice is a perfect accompaniment to the turkey and ham that centers our table. One year, when we expected a much larger group than normal to gather in our home for Christmas day, my hubby also made a large pot of beef bourguignon. In spite of the traditional potatoes normally consumed with that mainstay of French provencial fare, everyone still chose to have some of the rice and it has become a big crowd pleaser. While my hubby doesn't endorse this rice dish for serving with beef, he suggests that it would be great with any fowl, pork, or lamb dish. I agree and hope you will give this one a try and enjoy it as much as we do. (I got hungry writing this.)

This was featured in Asian Food Channel Official Facebook Page

on 15 December 2013

Serving: 8 - 10
Ingredients: 
3 tblsp cooking oil (I like olive oil) 
½ cup pine nuts 
1 rounded tblspn cumin seeds 
1 tspn ground anise seed 
1 tblspn cinnamon Cayenne pepper (to taste, start with 1 tspn)
1 tspn nutmeg 
1 tspn black pepper 
1 cup chopped pecans (may substitute almonds or walnuts) 
8 cups steamed or boiled rice (allowed to cool uncovered to room temperature) 
1 cup golden and black raisins 
1 cup peeled and diced apple
  ½ cup dried apricot chopped 
½ cup chopped figs
  1 ½ cup chicken stock 
1 rounded tblspn turmeric powder 
¼ cup coarsely chopped garlic 
½ cup finely chopped coriander 
¾ cup chopped onions ¾ cup chopped celery 


Method:
Toast pine nuts & pecans in a very slightly oiled frying pan on low heat, being careful not to overdo. Set aside. Reheat the frying pan and add cumin seeds and toast them, tossing and stirring frequently, until the seeds start to pop and the aroma becomes pronounced. Add cinnamon, anise, and cayenne pepper and stir until well mixed, allowing combined ingredients to heat up for less than 1 minute. Remove from heat. Put these ingredients into a food processor and blend well. In a large wok, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic, onions, & celery and stir fry until well mixed and aromas rise from the pan. Add turmeric powder and chopped fruits, stirring until well mixed with the other ingredients and the pan is fully reheated. Add the blended dry mix and the coriander and stir until well mixed and pan is fully reheated. Add large spoonfuls of cold cooked rice and small amounts of chicken stock as needed to separate the rice. Continue to add rice and stock until all has been combined with the spices. Vigorously stir fry on high heat, adding more chicken stock as needed, until all ingredients are well mixed and the rice does not clump togetether. Continue stir frying for six minutes. Add and toss pine nuts, pecans, top with some fresh coriander leafs, just before serving. Serves 8 Note: This dish seems to improve if refrigerated overnight. Seal in a casserole dish or zip-lock bag. Heat up in the oven the next day. The flavors will have married well. Suggestions: Add shredded egg, diced turkey, chicken, sausage, pork, or garbanzo beans (for vegans) to make a one-dish meal.

Stylish Blogger Award

Elisabeth of food and thrift finds is always so kind to me.  She gave me the the “Lovely Blog Award” and now she gives me the “Stylish Blogger Award”.  I am very proud to display this award.

To claim this award, I have to do the following three things:

1.      Thank the person who awarded me.

2.      Share 7 things about myself.

3.      Pass the Award on to bloggers I think are fantastic.

Elisabeth, I thank you for giving me two awards in such a short time. I am also very grateful for your frequent visits and take time to leave kind comments on my posts. I want you to know your visits and your comments mean a lot to me.

Now coming to the 7 things about myself. They are:

1.       I am not a good cook and a lousy baker but I know I am getting better everyday. I am also not a good writer either but I write from my heart.

2.      I am not a traveler but now I am hopeful to be able to go to Foodbuzz 2011 to meet with all the wonderful foodies from all over the world.

3.      I believe in not making any enemies and loose no friends because to me, friends are one of life’s many precious thing.

4.      My happiness comes from seeing those I love happy.

5.      I am a hyper person and must have something to do all the time. I do not know how to relax.

6.      When I decided to do something I always give my best. 

7.      When things don't happen the way I wanted, I like to say this, “Man plan, God decides.”

The last thing I need to do now is to give this award to other bloggers whom I think are fantastic. Honestly, I have not come across one blogger that I think don’t deserve this award so if I leave any of you out here, please know that you all are great bloggers and more than deserve just an award. Thanks to all who have visited my blog and left your comments and hope to see you all often.

Congratulations to the following blogger friends:

anedotes and apple cores

http://anecdotesandapples.weebly.com/

Kimba’s Kitchen

http://www.kimbaskitchen.com/

Elin luv’s sweet delight

http://www.elinluvdelights.com/

Zomppa

http://www.zomppa.com/

luv to eat

http://luvtoeat.wordpress.com/

collaborative curry

http://www.collaborativecurry.com/

sidewalk shoes

http://www.sidewalkshoes.com/

Zesty south Indian Kitchen

http://kitchenswathi.blogspot.com/

My life in the Charante

http://lifeincharente.blogspot.com/

Yin’s homemade

http://yinhomemade.blogspot.com/

love to cook

http://love2cook-msia.blogspot.com/

The Kitchen Witch

http://www.thekitchenwitchblog.com/

Anncoo Joural

http://anncoojournal.blogspot.com/

What’s cooking, Italiian Style Cuisine

http://pegasuslegend-whatscookin.blogspot.com/

Simply life

http://www.simplylifeblog.com/

Kitchen gypsies

http://kitchengypsies.blogspot.com/

Teczcape – an escape to food

http://teczcape.blogspot.com/

Pig Pigs Corner

http://www.pigpigscorner.com/

Almost Bourdain

http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/

6 bittersweets

http://www.6bittersweets.com/

Angie’s recipes

http://schneiderchen.de/

Joy of Cooking

http://joyofcooking247.blogspot.com/

Eat well with others

http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/

Torview

http://torviewtoronto.blogspot.com/

Nasi lemak lovers

http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.com/

No frills recipe

http://www.cheah2009.blogspot.com/

pen to page

http://davidwaters100.blogspot.com/

Bake for Happy Kids

http://bakeforhappykids.blogspot.com/
Journey of an Italian Cook

http://journeyofanitaliancook.blogspot.com/

Before I go make myself a cup of coffee,  please copy the award from my blog and display it on yours if you wish.  If you do, you know the rules.  Congratulations and once again thank you for allowing me to be part of your culinary journey and also being a part of mine.

Pumpkin bread - I smell Christmas in my house!

I found this pumpkin bread recipe and decided to try it.  I have made some changes to the original recipes. I took the suggestion of one user and replaced cinnamon and nutmeg with ground all spices and added walnuts. I also added diced dates and use freshly mashed pumpkin instead of canned.  The original recipe calls for 3 cups of sugar, I have reduced it to 2 ½ cups and the result is actually sweet enough for my taste.  This is a good recipe as the bread came out fluffy. I cut out 3 pieces, got it packed and drove to the guard house to give them to the guard on duty so that he can have them for tea. The big smile on his face was priceless!. The fragrance of this bread not only filled my house with Christmas, it also gave the guard joy. AWESOME!

Largely adapted from Shirley Sober’s recipe.

Ingredients:

            1 cup butter or margarine, softened

            2 1/2 cups sugar

            3 eggs

            3 cups all-purpose flour

            1 tbsp baking powder

            1 1/2 tsp baking soda

            1 tsp ground all spices

    1 tsp vanilla extract

            1 tsp ground cloves

            16 oz. mashed pumpkin

   ½ cup diced dates

   ¾ halved walnuts

Method:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Stir in pumpkin, diced dates and walnuts. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans or a bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C for 1 hour or until bread tests done.

Margarita with a Singer/Songwriter cum Actor

I was introduced to local live theatre show by my son, Nicholas in 2006, when he was a performing art student.  Since then, I have never missed a single theatrical piece that Nicholas was in.  Now and then we will go watch other great shows especially productions by The Instant Café Theatre Company. Last Sunday, Nick and I went to see yet another great production by them called 1 SEX, 1 MONEY 1 SCANDAL.

This show was hilarious and I have to share with you and hope the laughter you get from the video will last you through the week.

Click on the link to see an interview with Jo Kukathas, the Artitstic Director of the show and some short clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk03o133PI0&feature=player_embedded

We arrived early at the complex where the theatre is situated and we had half an hour to spare so Nick took me to a Mexican restaurant in the same complex for a glass of margarita. He knew that was my favorite cocktail drink.  The name of this margarita gave me a chuckle… they called their margarita Horny Margarita. It was really tasty and one that I think can come close to what my hubby makes for me.  I enjoyed the drink and my chat with Nick very much.  It was a lovely afternoon catching up on what is going on with my son's life and career.  I think I am just a typical mum that wants to know all about their children.  I am glad to know he is doing very well in his day job and still pursuing his passion in music and acting in the evening.  I always tell Nick that I don't wish that he will become rich and famous, I only wish he enjoys what he does and be happy.  

Oh,  since I brag about my hubby’s margarita, it will be selfish of me not to share the recipe with you right? LOL!

You’ll need a cocktail shaker, 1 lime, Tequila, Cointreau, salt, ice

Stitch’s Margarita

Ingredients:

1 rounded tablespoon of lime-aid frozen concentrate
2 oz Cointreau
4 oz Tequila gold (we use Jose Cuervo gold)
5 large ice cubes

Method:

Place two cocktail glasses (we use a martini up glass as pictured) in the freezer for 3-4 minutes. Place a tblspn of salt on a tea cup plate and shake slightly to spread the salt evenly across. Place all remaining ingredients into the cocktail shaker.Put  AC/DC’s “You shook Me All Night Long” on the stereo (set to loud). Dance while carefully cradling the shaker for at least more than half the song. Remove glasses from the freezer and invert them and dip the glass edge in the salt. (note, if you live in an arid or semi-arid place, you may have to moisten the edge of the cocktail glasses for the salt to stick).  Pour shaker contents carefully into the chilled & salt rimmed glasses and place one or two of the now reduced ice cubes from the shaker into the glass as well. Replay and sip!