Homecooked : Assam Laksa

If you are looking for an Assam Laksa recipe to try out, check out Rasa Malaysia's!

Homecooked : Soup for the soul

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Potato, Leek and Bacon Soup

Ever since Mr. C and I bought a Phillips Hand Blender (Phillips Avance 740w), we've been happily utilising it to make Avocado Shakes and soups! 

I had been researching for awhile now on blenders and food processors. Friends recommended Spectablend and even Thermomix, both a bit pricey in my opinion. Hence, the hesitancy and the lag in obtaining a desired appliance. I did not want to buy these appliances (as most ladies who cook in the kitchen do, true life story of a few friends!) only to use them a couple of times in the first few months and subsequently collect dust at the back of my cupboard from neglect. 

When Catch of The Day had this Phillips hand blender on special for about $70, it was a deal I just couldn't say no to and the rest they say is history!

Thus, began a wonderful journey between us, The Clemsters (I know, lame of me to combine our names but oh well... or you rather The Esments) with our Phillipie, the hand blender!

Stay tune for more Phillipie adventures...

The Leongs in town

The In-Laws aka The Leongs have been in town for close to two months. 

It's been lovely with Mr. C and I being pampered. His dad cooks dinner every week night and his mum washes, folds and irons all our clothes! They even vacumn and mop the floor!! With my hatred for ironing and vacuming, it means a mighty lot to me!! Lol.

Of course, it will be nice to have our own playground all to ourselves again but we really don't mind them around. And it isn't just because they take such good care of us. It just feels right to have family close by. Besides, they are rather relaxed and not into the whole touristy-must-see-everything kind of people. 

When we told colleagues and friends that they would be visiting for two months, most people were taken aback by the long duration thinking a week or two was good enough.

I think after all our parents have done for us - working hard to provide for us, children - I think it would be petty to begrudge them whatever that is within reason and our control to provide. :)

As much as I like order and things done my way in my own home, the in-laws will be missed. That's for sure. The house would be quieter we two less people.

I would miss Papa Leong's Hokkier Char, Mama Leong's awesome laundering skills. Heck, I will definitely miss our nightly orange consumption ritual.

I am truly blessed with lovely In-Laws, that's for sure!!

Hokkien Char

Stir fried cucumber with shrimps - my first

Stewed bean curd skin (fu chuk) with carrots and star anis

Folded clothes

Nightly ritual

 

 

Homemade : Mr. C's Chicken Parmagiana

I think, Mr. C took after his dad. Traditional family usually sees the mother cooking wholesome meals for the family. In modern times, it can be the father or even the children!

First Chicken Parmagiana I had was when I visited Melbourne in 2007and Sally brought us to La Roche in St Kilda. The chicken parma was amazeballs! Can't be sure what transpired Mr. C to try his hand at this but he did and we've had it twice and once more with his parents around.

For the price you pay for one outside at the shops, you can easily make a meal for four people! Not just that, it's just as yummy and possibly, even yummier! 

Definitely one of Mr. C's specialties. Not only am I blessed with a patient hubby, I am also blessed with one who likes to test his culinary skills every so often. 

Homemade Mooncake

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Miss Artsy was in town and brought along homemade mooncake!! A talented family whereby the mother is an awesome cook and of course, the talent has been passed down to the next generation, the daughters! 

For those who have no idea what are mooncakes... Mooncakes (月餅) are traditionally eaten during the Mid- Autumn Festival accompanied by Chinese tea. This festival is one of the four most important Chinese festivals. Apparently, this festival is for lunar worship and moon watching.

A typical mooncake is round in shape (and even rectangular, at times) with thick filling made from red bean or lotus seed paste encased by a thin crust of pastry. The moon cake might have egg yolks within and in this day and age, you get fushion-ised mooncakes such as Mixed Nuts, Coffee, Green Tea, Snow Skin etc.

I fondly remember of yesteryears when I would play plastic lanterns of different designs with my siblings and end the night with a burning lantern ceremony! Lol. I clearly remember one year I had a fish lantern and my sibling had an army tank each. 

However, with not-so-traditionally-steeped-Chinese-parents, we never had friends over nor went over to friends place to celebrate this festival. As Christians, we do not worship the moon nor deities and what not. So, it was always the three of us lighting candles (more like my brother and I), burning insects and playing with our lanterns.

Hmmm... perhaps, we will have a lantern party.

Instagram : DIY Chicken Parmagiana

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I was first introduced to Chicken Parmigiana aka Chicken Parma when I visited Australia in 2007. 

Sally brought Mr. C and I to La Roche in St. Kilda and I still remember for $15 we had a huge portion of Chicken Parmigiana burying a mountainful of chips with salad on the side. This deal also includes a drink - beer, soft drink or wine. 

Pretty good deal I must say. La Roche has cheap meal deals on certain days. Check out their menu HERE to decide which days to go to take advantage of their meal deals.

Ok, enough about La Roche.

Chicken Parma is a southern Italian baked dish of meat topped with ham, tomato sauce and cheese.

Today for dinner, Mr. C baked Chicken Parmigiana for our dinner. It was fairly straightforward and easy to do. He went out about 3 ish in the noon to grocery shop. We usually go together but I wasn't feeling up to it today. He reckons he can take his time to see certain items he usually doesn't have the luxury to when I am around 'cos he is trying to distract me from the chips and chocolate aisle. LOL.

He bought five chicken thigh schnitzels for $6 from the meat deli at Rowville Shopping Centre. He then headed to Coles and bought melt to cheese and the Parma sauce. All in all, this dish cost both of us less than $20 which we had for dinner and lunch at work the next day!

Can't wait to make this again. Super enjoyed our meal!

Before stuffed into the oven

Post baking, check out the melted cheese! *slurp*

{Recipe} Choc Ripple Yule Log

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{whoopiee!!! somehow, my pictures are showing! wonder what happened to my 'past' the quota limit? aaahh.. who cares? wheee.. now I can post more pictures, again!!}

Every week without fail, we'll get hoards of brochures and catalogues from hypermarkets and retailers advertising their products and any ongoing specials for the week.

I love to browse the ones from Coles and Woolies (aussie slang for Woolworths) especially as they come with easy-to-follow recipes and the products to purchase.

With Christmas time around the corner coupled with NiNi's birthday, I attempted to make a birthday Christmas Log! Came across this easy peasy recipe from Woolworth's catalogue. 

The steps to making this is just too easy to be true. But I tell you, it is that easy. Not only that, it tastes yummy, too!

Ingredients

 - 1 x 250gm packet Arnott's Choc Ripple biscuits (or any chocolate biscuits with no cream)

- 600ml thickened cream

- 1 tsp caster sugar (yup, that little amount)

- 1 tsp vanilla essence

- 20gm cocoa powder

- Grated chocolate or cocoa powder, to decorate

- Candy Spearmint leaves, to decorate (optional)

- Raspberries, to decorate (optional)

 

#1 Use an electric mixer, whip together cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff

Note : I was not sure what constitutes as stiff and Googled it. Lols. Basically, when it's thicker like cream you see spread over cakes.

 

#2 Once cream is stiff, add in cocoa powder until mixed

 

#3 Spread a little of the cream along a long serving plate to make a base

 

#4 Spread one biscuit with 1 1/2 teaspoons of cream then top with another biscuit.  

  

#5 Top with another 1 1/2 teaspoons of cream then place biscuits on their side on the cream base on the serving plate

 

#6 Repeat until all biscuits have been used to form a log

 

#6 Spread remaining cream over entire log reserving a small amount for the tree branch. Cover loosely with foil than refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours to set

 

#7 Just before serving, on a clean platter, cut cake diagonally about 1/4 the way in and use that piece as a tree branch on the main log. Patch up with some more cream so it looks attached

 

 

#8 Use a fork to make some lines along the branch to give it a tree look and then dust log with cocoa or sprinkle with some grated chocolate, if desired

#9 Finish the log with some candy spearmint leaves and raspberries and serve

Note : I didn't have candy spearmint leaves, hence, I sprinkled some Christmas shaped sprinkles for a little Christmas feel and stucked a 'Happy Birthday' signage.

You can always be creative and come out with your own version of Christmas Log. This first attempt was rather chubby looking.

If you like, you can also try this other recipe from Arnott's and decorate it like the below.

Happy Birthday dear NiNi!!

May you have a truly special day...

Screwed up cakes

Saw this on specials at Coles for AUD2 on Sunday. Yeah, I know. I still use AUD instead of $ or dollars. I guess, in time (maybe 5 or 10 years down the road) when I've fully adapted to living here, I'd refer AUD as $ or dollars. Till then...

As I was saying, Green's Classic Carrot Cake was on specials. Bought it and tried it out. You'd think that with the easy-to-follow-step-by-step instructions provided at the back of the box, the cake will turn out beautifully.

Wrong! I made so many mistakes I wondered where I put my brains the whole time I was in the kitchen making this. Firstly, brainy me decided to make the batter into cupcakes instead of cake . Secondly, I poured more water than required.

I read 1/3 cup of water and poured the measured water into the mixing bowl up to 2/3 cups of water only to realise that I actually measured 2 and 1/3 cups of water in the first place. 

OMG!! *bangs head on the table* 

But what else can I do? So, I bimbo-ly just proceeded on.

After following step 1 and 2, I spooned the mixture into the cupcake paper cups only to realise I forgot to put vegetable oil and butter! *groan*

I scooped all mixture from the 12 cupcake paper cups back into the mixing bowl. Threw the gooey paper cups away and placed new ones into the tray. Poured the oil and butter into the mixing bowl, mixed them and scooped them back into the individual paper cups.

I put the cupcake mix into the oven and hoped for the best. 

Next, I decided to mix the icing provided in the box. As I read the instructionse, to my embarrassment, it hit me that the butter I initially forgot to put in the cupcake mix only later on to mix it in was meant for the icing and NOT the cupcake batter. 

Seriously, how dumb can I be? At that point, I figure the cupcakes are doomed to fail. Looking at the oven and seeing them rise prettily gave me hope. 

 

 

And that is what hope can do... give you a few percentages of feeling that everything is going to be alright and BAM!! It is the end of your world when your hopes are dashed. *drama queen* 

The cupcake looked and smelt alright. Mr. C and I tasted 1 cupcake. He thinks it is edible but I think, THROW THEM IN THE BIN!! Not worth torturing one's (my) tastebuds with such atrocity!

So, 11 cupcakes (with peanut butter icing) sit atop the counter table waiting to be devoured by Mr. C. 

It's end of Tuesday and they're still sitting there, as pretty as you pleased. I reckon come Friday, it'll still be there and I'll just bin it.

Hate doing something that didn't turn out well in the end. I know it doesn't define who I am, nevertheless, I still can't help feeling like I've failed. Or maybe it's just PMS talking.

Well, all was not wrong in Estherville as Mr. C's stew concoction for our Sunday dinner was wonderfully made and tasted delicious. It was a nice, warm tasting comfort food just perfect to rid the wintery cold.

2012 Pics - Homecooked meal

Today's dinner and tomorrow's lunch

May has arrived

#1 Ruthie getting a haircut

#2 Home cooked black sauced roast chicken with fried cabbage and baked beans with eggs

#3 Us cooking beef rendang that was delicious!

#4 Ruthie's silent retreat at Campions in Kew

#5 Beautiful lavender with buzzing bees

#6 Mr. C cooked up his own concoction of roast chicken with capsicums and tomatoes