Day 131 : Potato Lamb Curry

POTATO LAMB CURRY

We are so craving for curry today. Something really spicy. Yup curries - Bryan's specialty. He's back from his trip. He bought a rack of lamb this morning so we're gonna have lamb curry for dinner today Yayyy! And lots and lots of potatoes. We are potato-people, my family. :D

He's gonna be using the Pressure Cooker. First round, he will cook the lamb. Second round, the potatoes. Just You wait and see, the lamb curry will be totally awesome!

3 Simple Steps :

1. Saute Ingredients.

2. Add Lamb.

3. Add Potatoes.

The Ingredients.

onions, ginger, garlic, chilly, lemon grass, curry powder for meat,

spices : cardamon, star anise, mustard seeds, cloves, cumin seeds

1. Saute Ingredients. 

Saute the ingredients in the Pressure Cooker pot

until your kitchen smells heavenly.

Oohhh, the aroma is simply divine.

Add the curry powder. Add seasalt.

2. Add Lamb.

Add half a carton of fresh milk.

Close lid and allow 

the Pressure Cooker to do its magic.

3. Add Potatoes.

When the red button drops to indicate 

the meat is ready, open the lid. 

Now add the potatoes and some carrots (cut into bite size).

The aroma of the lamb is just totally irresistible!

Can You smell that? Hmmm-mmm-mmm. :D

Words just cannot describe how perfect the curry turned out! If You wanna avoid making a mistake, like how I used to make, You know, like over-cooking or under-cooking your food, just use the Pressure Cooker. It really does help You to get it right all the time. :D

The Rice.

He transfers the curry to a serving dish, and uses the same pot to cook the rice. The tip is NOT to wash the pot. :D Rinse the grains in a separate colander. Fry the grains in some cooking oil directly in the pot, before adding filtered water. Add a pinch of seasalt.

Oh my, let me tell You - the rice is simply flavorsome and You can just eat it on its own. Absolutely fluffy, moist and very very very tasty! :D

Ooh, the potatoes just melt in your mouth.

The lamb is tender and so darn yummy!

A close up.

Wash your hands now and put away all the spoons.

You've just gotta eat your dinner tonight 

with your fingers! There is just no comparison.
Slurp! Absolutely finger-lickin' delicious!

I had my one shake of The Green Drink this morning, 

fried noodles for lunch and the above for dinner.

To Sum Up

1 meal & 2 meals

Juice. Fruit. HemoBerry. Water. Tea.

Time of Posting : Saturday @ 8:45am

Day 130 : Fried Rice with Tempeh

FRIED RICE WITH TEMPEH

This evening, I'm gonna fry some rice with whatever I can find in the fridge... which is nothing much. Didn't have time to run to the store today. :( I do have some frozen tempeh in the freezer which I'm gonna use. No need to thaw, so that's good. Plus, there's some leftover rice which I would just use.

By the way, tempeh is fermented soybean cake. Don't worry, You're not gonna be eating moss or anything gross like that. Don't let the F word scare You. It's actually high in protein and quite delicious. :D

3 Simple Steps

1. Fry Tempeh.

2. Saute Ingredients.

3. Add Rice & Egg.

1. Fry Tempeh.

Chop tempeh which comes in a 

flat-cake form into bite sizes.

Stir-fry tempeh in sesame see oil.

Add organic dark sauce. 

Add mirin (a macrobiotic sweetener). 

A healthier choice to sugar.

The mirin will start to caramelize. 

Scoop tempeh up into a side bowl.

2. Saute Ingredients.

Saute garlic and small anchovies 

(pre-soaked to clean) in sesame seed oil.

I found some enoki straw mushrooms, 

and am adding those too. 

Fry Fry Fry.

3. Add Egg & Rice.

Add rice. Add beaten egg. 

Add seasalt and organic shoyu.

A a bit of water. Stir-fry.

Garnish with whatever You have in the fridge. 

I have some tomatoes and lettuce.

I had my shake of The Green Drink in the morning, 

noodles for lunch and fried rice for dinner.

To Sum Up

1 shake & 2 meals

Juice. No fruit. BioFruity. Water. Milk Tea.

Time of Posting : Saturday @ 8:01am

Day 129 : Pasta-Shell Omelette

PASTA-SHELL OMELETTE

Dinner is gonna be for two. I'm gonna prepare a really easy pasta dish for dinner. Oh, so very simple. Anyone can do this. Honestly. Kindergarten Level One. :D

3 Simple Steps:

1. Boil Pasta Shells.

2. Saute Ingredients.

3. Add Pasta & Egg.

 

1. Boil Pasta Shells. 

In salted water. Drain and set aside.

2. Saute Ingredients.

Saute garlic and ginger (minced) in olive oil until fragrant.

3. Add Pasta & Egg.

Toss the shells in. Add 2 beaten eggs. 

Add chopped coriander and chillies. 

Add seasalt and black pepper. 

Stir fry and mix well.

Ta--dahhh!

I prepared a side salad as per photo at the top.

Justine added a slice of cheese at the bottom of the bowl, 

before spooning the hot shells into the bowl.

The photo taken is before she mixed the shells up 

with the melted cheese. :D 

Somehow, we forgot to snap a photo after.

Sorry about that. :(

Today, I had my one shake of The Green Drink, 

leftover dinner from last night for lunch 

and the above for dinner.

To Sum Up

1 shake & 2 meal.

Juice. Fruit. BioFruity. Water. Tea.

Time Of Posting : Saturday 7:29am

Day 128 : One Pot Braised Chicken Oriental-Style

ONE POT BRAISED CHICKEN

ORIENTAL-STYLE

This evening, Justine is taking a short break from her books and helping me to prepare dinner. Her Dad is still outstation, so dinner will be just for two. Having said, in the end, we kinda cooked like, for 4. Jus will do the frying, and I'll just toss stuffs in.

I'm not going to bother to chop up the chicken, because ... to be REALLY honest, I don't know how to chop chicken. I don't have the strength for it. I have tried a few times before (it's not like I didn't try - I did!), and the chicken piece, after my handling, looked very massacred. 

Too many slash lines here and there, never at the same spot when the cleaver comes down, and the bones all end up getting crumbled as well, those bit and pieces of the broken bones later would disturb the smooth texture of the food, and we'd find ourselves busy picking the bones out of our mouths, instead of enjoying the food. 

Since then, I leave the chopping to Bryan. Let's just work with our strengths, I feel. :D

3 Simple Steps :

1. Saute Ingredients.

2. Add Chicken.

3. Add Broccoli.

This is a very easy dish to prepare.

Just toss everything in. :D 

1. Saute Ingredients.

Saute garlic, onions, ginger in sesame seed oil 

until You can inhale deeply.

2. Add Chicken.

Add potatoes and carrots.

Toss in some dried chillies.

Add filtered water until it half-covers the contents of the pan.

Add oyster sauce, organic brown rice vinegar and seasalt.

Add thyme herbs.

Bring to boil and simmer on low heat.

3. Add Broccoli

When the contents are about cooked, 

toss in the broccoli and coriander leaves.

Close lid. Count to 10 slowly. 

Remove lid and snap a photo before serving. :D

Bon Appetite!!!

Time of Posting : 10:34am (Monday)

Day 127 : Stir-Fried Minced Beef with Petai

STIR-FRIED MINCED BEEF 

WITH PETAI

I still have another half portion of minced beef left in the freezer, that I used on Thursday for our spaghetti bolognese. So I'm gonna use the balance tonight to prepare a very simple dinner for two. Anyone can do this, even those of us who have NEVER cooked before - that includes ME, once upon a time, not so long ago. 

3 Simple Steps:

1. Fry Petai.

2. Fry Meat.

3. Combine.

Easy like anything! 

:D:D:D

1. Fry Petai.

After slicing the petai in twos (to make sure there are no creepy crawlies hidden in them), I rinse them, and dry-fry them. No oil. Just fry fry fry, and keep on frying, back and forth, until ... until they look - good. Transfer to a bowl and leave aside.

2. Fry Meat.

Saute garlic, onions, ginger in sesame seed oil until fragrant.

Add the minced beef. Add basil herbs and seasalt.

Add organic dark sauce.

3. Combine.

Toss the Petai in. 

Add carrots and chopped cili padi.

Didn't I tell You it's simple??? :D

We are having the beef-petai with 

leftover chicken rice. Serve it piping hot.

Tastes fantabulous when You mix them up together!

Even better when You eat with your fingers.

There is simply NO comparison ... 

with the spoon, I mean. :D

Hmmm-mmmm. Absolutely delicious!

Time of Posting : 10:01 am (Monday)

Day 126 : Homebaked Angel Pie

HOMEBAKE ANGEL PIE

This afternoon, Justine and I are going to bake a pie. 

We have never attempted pies before, so it's kinda exciting to see whether we could actually do it. We're just gonna do it the easy, cannot-fail way. The filling is mighty simple. It's just the crust that we're not so sure of doing. Justine got a simple recipe from the net for the pie crust.

3 Simple Steps :

1. Mash the Filling.

2. Knead the Dough.

3. Bake the Pie.

Kindergarten Baking ... :D :D :D

1. Mash the Filling.

Boil potatoes and carrots in salted water. 

Drain and toss into mixing bowl.

Ingredients to mash : 

potatoes, carrots, onions, tuna, button mushrooms,

chillies and spring onions.

Add seasalt and pepper.

Mash roughly, don't be overly ambitious - 

the mushrooms will be stubborn, so leave them alone.

Just mash mash mash until your arms ask You to stop.

Add one beaten egg to bind the ingredients.

Lay the filling in an oven tray.

I made a mistake here. 

I forgot that there should be a pie crust on the bottom. 

I only thought about the top.

Bear with me...   Still in kindergarten, some people.

2. Knead the Dough

Justine came across a simple 4-ingredient 

recipe for the pie crust on the net.

Sieve 2 3/4 cups of flour.

Add 1 teaspoon of seasalt.

In a separate bowl, 
add 1/2 cup of vegetable oil 

and 1/2 cup of fresh milk.

Pour the contents in.

Exercise your fingers in the mixture 

until it becomes a dough.

Knead knead knead ...

Make it into a long roll, and split into two.

Wrap the dough in cling foil 
and refrigerate for about 15 minutes,

to expand the ingredients.

I don't know what this "expanding-thing" means, 

but I'm just gonna follow the instructions.

Remove the dough from the fridge. 

Sprinkle some flour on the working table and roll out the dough. I don't have a rolling pin so I'm just gonna use my hands. Justine's giving the instructions. I am trying to flatten and tumbuk-tumbuk (pound?) the dough until it is reasonably flat and large enough to put over the oven dish.

3. Bake the Pie

Justine takes over and tucks the sides of the dough neatly into the pyrex. Excess is removed. She beats an egg to brush over the top. I couldn't find my brush, and so she is using a spoon to drip the beaten-egg over, and her fingers to smooth and spread it out.

After that, she uses the excess dough (which she nipped from the sides that is sticking out from the pyrex) to make into the alphabet D, angel wings and a halo. 

This Pie is for her brother, she says. :D

Pop it into the mini-oven.

Set the temperature at 200 degrees celcius 

for 40 minutes (uncovered) and 

another 20 minutes (covered with aluminium foil).

The aroma of a pie baking in the kitchen, 

honestly, is heavenly!

Oohhhh! Our very first homebake pie! :D

Please excuse the invisible crust at the bottom. :D

Yummy!!! We couldn't believe the crust is so yummy and the filling just melts in the mouth. Justine says we should have added cheese too. Perhaps the next time. :D

Time of Posting : Monday 11:44am

Day 125 : Spicy Spaghetti Bolognese

SPICY SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

This evening, I am gonna prepare pasta for dinner. Bryan is outstation so let's keep it simple, shall we?

3 Simple Steps :

1. Boil the Pasta.

2. Fry the Meat.

3. Add the Pasta.

1. Boil the Pasta.

Boil the spaghetti until half-done.
Drain and set aside. 

2. Fry the Meat.

Saute garlic, onions, mustard seeds 

and cumin seeds in olive oil until fragrant 

and the mustard seeds starts popping.

Hmmmm, smell that???  Awe-some!!!

Add the minced beef.

Add button mushrooms, tomatoes

and dried chillies. 

Add tomato puree.

Add lime slices for a bit of zest.

Add filtered water. Add seasalt.

Bring to boil on medium heat.

3. Add the Pasta.

Mix well and allow to cook for a few minutes 

before turning off the flame.

Garnish with whatever You have.

Enjoy!! :D

This morning, I had my one shake of The Green Drink, 

chicken chop for lunch and pasta for dinner.

To Sum Up

No Juice. Fruit. BioFruity. Water. Coffee Latte.

Time of Posting : Monday 9:40am

Day 124 : No-Hassle Chicken Rice

NO-HASSLE CHICKEN RICE

Today, I'm kinda tight for time. 

So I think I would just do a no-hassle 

meal with the Pressure Cooker.

3 Simple Steps:

1. Rinse Rice.

2. Add Chicken.

3. Add Water

Back to Kindergarten ...

1. Rinse Rice.

I am using a combination of brown and white rice.

Rinse the rice and drain the water.

Leave it in the Pressure Cooker Pot.

2. Add Ingredients.

Add chicken, carrots and garlic (smash whole). 

Add half a cube of mushroom stock (no msg), 

seasalt and sesame seed oil.

3. Add Water.

Add filtered water. 

Close lid. 

Turn on flame.

Let the magic begin ...

The red button drops some 20 minutes later 

indicating the contents are cooked.

I let it be for another 20 minutes or so

before I open the lid, to allow the rice to "dry up" a lil.

Oooh, the aroma is just heavenly!

Here's Dinner. :D

The rice is nice and fluffy. You can just enjoy the rice on its own. The chicken piece is tender and tasty. Looks like I have cut too much spring onions, as You can probably tell. Forgot that Bryan is in Singapore, and dinner is only for two. Spring onions, for ONE. :D

Today, I had my one shake of The Green Drink, 

wan tan noodles for lunch and chicken rice for dinner.

To Sum Up

Juice. No Fruit. Water. BioFruity. Tea.

Time of Posting : 4:16pm (Wed)