Hari Raya Ang Pow!

Every year during Hari Raya Time, both me and John are busy searching for Ang Pow packets, we never had enough! So this year he keep on reminding me on getting enough packets like almost everytime Hari Raya topic being brought up! It's traumatizing! So to avoid that we don't have enough, I get some Ang Pow packets and he get some too, and we end up with like 500 Ang Pow packets???? Well, this year we sure HAVE ENOUGH!

Ang Pow packet oh Ang Pow packet!

Plant Your Own Veggies and Herbs!

Now I have the whole reason to cook gourmet food!

yippee!!!!

This parsley is very delicate, it needs lots of water and sun

chives, rosemary and Vietnamese coriander 

Basil (for my own pesto sauce), mints, sage and chives

Lettuce

Carrots

Pumpkin

green beans

chilies and egg plant

 

lemon grass and pandan

tumeric

roselle

Guava

rock Melon

Indonesian Chicken with Green Beans

Ingredients
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced 2 teaspoons turmeric
1 small onion, chopped 1 teaspoon salt
1 pound green beans, chopped 1/2 cup water

directions
Prep: 45 min
1 - In a skillet over medium-high heat, saute the chicken in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until cooked through
2 - Set aside
3 - Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the garlic, ginger and onion until soft
4 - Add the green beans
5 - Stir until the beans turn bright green
6 - Add the lime (or lemon) juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, turmeric, salt and 1/4 cup of the water
7 - Slowly add the remaining water if necessary, although the sauce should not be watery
8 - Add the chicken pieces and stir until the chicken is completely covered with sauce
9 - Serve over rice.

Malva Pudding with Traditional Custard Sauce

Last Saturday, we had our South African's friends coming for barbecue. So I decided to impressed them for some South African dessert and came across Malva Pudding, a traditional South African bake pudding. Worth a try!

Malva Pudding
Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients: 

The pudding
· 6 1/2 ounces sugar (3/4 cup, 200 ml, or 180 g)
· 2 large eggs
· 1 tablespoon apricot jam
· 5 ounces all-purpose flour (150 g)
· 1 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 tablespoon butter (a generous tablespoon)
· 1 teaspoon vinegar
· 1/3 cup milk

Directions:
1 - Preheat oven to 350 deg F/180 deg Celsius. (NOTE: I find my convection/fan oven very hot. I baked the pudding at 170 deg C and had to turn it down to 160 deg C/325 deg F for fear the pudding might burn. You know your oven - Adjust accordingly).
2 - Grease an oven dish. I used a 7 x 7 x 1 1/2 inch Pyrex dish. (18 x 18 x 4 1/2 cm)
3 - Beat or whip the sugar and eggs. It's quickest in a food processor, or use electric beaters. Beat until thick and lemon coloured, then add the jelly (jam) and mix through.
4 - Melt the butter (don't boil) and add the butter and vinegar to the wet mixture.
5 - Sieve, or simply mix together: the flour, soda and salt.
6 - Add this mixture with the milk to the egg mixture in the processor or mixing bowl. Beat well.
7 - Pour into an oven-proof dish and bake until pudding is brown and well-risen -- depending on your oven and oven dish this will be between 30 - 45 minutes. (Mine was done in 30 minutes this time).

Vanilla Custard Sauce
· 2 cups whole milk
· 1/2 cup sugar
· 5 large egg yolks
· 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: 
1. Bring milk and sugar to a simmer in a saucepan without stirring. Whisk yolks in a bowl until blended, then gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return to saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens enough to coat back of a wooden spoon and registers 170°F. on an instant-read thermometer.
2. Immediately pour sauce through a fine sieve into a metal bowl and place bowl in a large bowl of ice and cold water. Stir in vanilla and whisk custard occasionally until cool, then cover surface with a piece of wax paper to prevent a skin from forming.

Chill until cold.

Note: Happy Trying!