Pork Soup with Water Chestnuts & Red Dates Recipe

I’m not good in making soup like any others that I know. No basic in anything besides drinking. I’m totally regretted for not learning it in a younger age when I thought I don’t need it at all. And who knows I will be far away from everyone. I still believe in the saying “there never too late if we have the heart of willing”.  I started browsing and checking on recipe on how to make a simple soup and in the same times it still good for our body system.

What makes it harder for me is that, I don’t read Chinese nor understand the name of the herbs. I have to pictures every single of them and look for it at the store. Oh well, nothing I can do right now.

This soup actual helps you strengthens the lungs and spleen, expels phlegm and alleviates coughs. Red dates are known to be effective in countering fatigue, anemia and low energy level. Mostly used to build up strength and blood and often added to others herbs for the sweetest.

Ingredients:

2½ litres (10 cups) water

1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced

12 water chestnuts, peeled

8 red dates (hang zao), pited and rinsed

500g (1LB) lean pork, rinsed and scalded with boiling water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste.

Method:

Bring the water to a boil in a stockpot. Add all the ingredients, except the salt, and cook over high heat for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Season with the salt and remove from the heat. Serve hot in individual serving bowls.

Lavender Cookies Recipe

This is one of my favorites cookies I have to say. Not because I baked well but because I personally like lavender. Couples months ago, I found out that there a lavender festival coming up and wanted to go every year but never did. Drive was long and this year was an exception because I found someone to come with us and drive was not as bad when you go with a group of fun friends. Thanks to my dear hubby for driving the girls. We indeed having a blast and enjoy the green around us with the scene of lavenders. 

 

This festival actually giving me an idea or inspire of doing some cooking or baking with it and got fresh herbs of lavender from them which I’m so excited to try it out. On the very same week, I baked cookies out of it. And guess what?? It came out perfectly and I’m totally in love with this cookies. So refreshing! And of course, I gave out some to my friends to try it out as well. A lot of feedbacks from them. Some said, it’s good to eat it with coffee and some love it with a cup of tea. So, either you’re a coffee or tea lover… this cookies just suit everything. Even a glass of wine!

Enjoy your baking & the cookies. Would love to hear from you back.

 Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup superfine sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1¾ cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp dried lavender, chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Line 2 – 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Sift together the flour and baking powder into the mixture, add the lavender, and stir well.

Place tablespoons of the mixture on the baking sheets, spaced well apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 – 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 40

 

Corn and Bacon Crustless Quiches Recipe

It’s weekend again. Who don’t love weekend ya? My weekend always seem the fastest time that flew away. I had million of things I want to do with my hubby but it was ended up doing something else. Not that I hate it, just wishes that I have more time during the weekend.

Anyways, I have so much to write but I have some technical problem. Hmm….. Hopefully it will fix soon.

Today, I would love to show you a new recipe that I tried early on these days. Besides shopping, I love to cook. I love to try on new things and find more new taste on food same goes to life. Since it’s a weekend why not I share this recipe with you guys and you can try it at home with your love one. Let me know what you think about it. 

Ingredients:

4   corn cobs

2   teaspoons olive oil

2   rashers bacon, cut into thin strips

1   small onion, finely chopped

3   eggs, lightly beaten

2   tablespoons chopped chives

2   tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

¾  cup (60 g/ 2 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

1/3 cup (80ml / 2 ¾ fl oz) cream

Method:

1)     1)  Preheat the oven to 180 C (350F / Gas 4). Lightly grease four ¾ cup (185ml / 6 fl oz) ramekins. Remove the husks from the corn and, using a coarse grater, grate the corn kernels into a deep bowl-there should be about 1 ½ cups corn flesh and juice.

 

2) Heat the oil in a pan and cook the bacon and onion for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion softens. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the corn, eggs, chives, parsley, breadcrumbs and cream and season well. Spoon into the ramekins

3)Put the ramekins in a large baking dish. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Lay foil loosely over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just set. 

Note: Supposed to post it last Friday but too busy with my stuffs. Sorry!!

Spicy Corn Puffs Recipe

Corn is one of the famous vegetables. But my favorites are the yellow corns. I love making them for dinner but I wanted to try something new or different from it. I knew we could do so much with corns besides boiling them or stir fry them with butter and parsley and etc…

And corn puff is one of my experiments and it turned out…. DELICIOUS!! I love this snacks or appetizer already and it’s good for party too. And it’s not that hard to make either. Just a lot of chopping, which I don’t mind at all.

I’m running out of things to say on today post. Might be the heat that making me uncomfortable right now. Not going to waste anyone time. Check out the recipe below.

Ingredients:

2 corn cobs

3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves

6 spring onions, finely chopped

1 small fresh red chili, seeded and finely chopped

1 large egg

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 cup (125g/ 4oz) plain flour

Oil, for deep-frying

Sweet chili sauce, to serve

Method:

1)      Cut down the side of the corn cobs with a very sharp knife to release the kernels. Roughly chop the kennels, then place them in a large bowl. Holding the cobs over the bowl, scrape down the sides of the cobs with a knife to release all of the corn juice from the cobs.

2)      Add the fresh coriander, spring onion, chili, egg, cumin, ground coriander, 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste to the bowl, and stir well. Add the flour and mix well. The texture of the batter will vary depending on how much juice is released from the corn. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 tablespoon water, but no more than that as the batter should be quite thick and dry. Stand for 10 minutes.

3)      Fill a large heavy-based saucepan or deep-fryer one-third full of oil ad heat to 180C (350F), or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 15 seconds. Drop slightly heaped teaspoons of the corn batter into the oil and cook for about 1 ½ minutes, or until puffed and golden. Drain on crumpled paper towels and serve immediately with a bowl of the sweet chili sauce to dip the puffs into.