Smudgy's World of Memories: The Little Wonderer

But it was a good pie. As usual I cut down the recipe and cut down the sugar to half. It's rather sweet if you read the recipe and used frozen blueberries instead. I remember baking this the day before my family arrives from Msia!

Blueberry Pie
Ingredients:
(A)
435 g fresh blueberries
1 pie crust
200 g white sugar - used brown sugar and lessen the amount
40 g flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
115 g sour cream - added a little extra
I also added 1 tsp of vanilla extract
(B)
100 g white sugar - used brown sugar and lessen the amount
60 g flour
55 g butter
I added few dashes of cinnamon powder

How to make:
Combine dry (sugar, flour and salt ) and wet (eggs and sour cream) in ingredients (A) together. The mix wet to dry ingredients.
Put your blueberries in the pie crust and pour the mixture over.

Combine ingerdients (B) to resemble course grainy breadcrumbs-like texture and sprinkle over the pie mixture in shell.

Bake 180c for 50-55 minutes or til golden and browned.

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Sunday, 1-Feb-2009 02:50

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Shortbread Cookies and Pound Cake

Before going into the oven

Yep! Shortbread Cookies this time. Few weeks back we ran out of cookies in the house and hubby loves shortbread cookies so he actually google-ed around for the basic recipe. I got my tools and oven ready, and.. a way we go!

Recipe can be found here

I wouldn't bother putting the recipe here since I didn't make any changes to the recipe and they're very basic cookies. I bet if you tweaked the recipe a bit here and there or simply by substituting white sugar to brown sugar, they'll taste brilliant

into the cookie jar, quick!!

Though they're plain cookies, for a shortbread cookies lover, they sure are irresistible

Few days later I felt like having pound cake. Remember Sara Lee's Marbled Pound cake? They were my favourite! Frozen! I used to absolutely love eating them frozen. Yep, you read that right

I know, my tastebuds are crazy like that

So after scouting around for a basic pound cake recipe, I found one here

Of course I've made some changes and cut the recipe in half

Here's my version.

Ingredients:
100 g shortening - all butter
225 g butter
500 g white sugar
5 eggs
10 ml almond extract - vanilla bean paste
235 ml milk
2 g baking powder
430 g cake flour - plain flour

How to make:
Preheat oven at 150c
Grease your cake pan. I sprayed mine with olive oil spray.
Cream butter and sugar til they turn pale and creamy. May take a bit of time. I used a normal hand mixer.
Add your eggs, one at a time. Ensure each addition is well incorporated.
Add the almond (or vanilla) extract.
Mix well.
In another bowl, combine the baking powder and flour.
Alternate flour and milk into the egg mixture, by starting and ending with flour.
Mix well on each addition.

The batter

Pour batter into your cake pan and bake for 45 mins to an hour. Or until top turn golden and appears dry. You may insert a toothpick to check if middle is cooked.

Tips: My only tip to this recipe is to make sure the butter and sugar is well-creamed. And each addition to the mixture is well incorporated. Pound cake is a very traditional cake and can be delicate too. Ensure everything is well mixed and you'll have a very moist, dense cake in your home

This cake suits any occassion. Make some icing and ice them for a great birthday cake. Or layer it for that special someone. This cake can also be kept for days covered in the fridge or frozen in the freezer. We kept our cake in the fridge for more than 3 days and it still remains dense, soft and moist. Delicious!

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Saturday, 31-Jan-2009 03:22

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Savoury Crepes (Dadar Berlauk) and Sausage Buns

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Made these few days ago. I miss my mom's version of dadar berlauk. I know some may call these differently but this is what she calls them. I remember she used to make them for breaking fast during the holy month of Ramadhan.

I'm not entirely sure of her recipe but this one tastes quite the same. She added sesame oil and spring onions to the batter. A Chinese friend taught her to make them. She doesn't fry them, just roll them up and ready to eat.

This recipe I got from a website and it's pretty much the same how you'd make a crepe batter. Only add splashes of sesame oil and finely chopped spring onions. For the filling, any type of filling suits those delicate, soft crepes

I'll put the recipe up here anyway.

Ingredients:
For fillings: - there are many variations to fillings. I made a curry based for this one.
Onions
Garlic
Minced meat (beef/chicken/lamb)
Curry powder
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Celeries
Mixed veges
Salt and pepper

How to make:
Saute onions and garlic. Add mince and curry powder. Add potatoes, tomatoes, celeries and mixed veges. Fry til dry, season to taste. Let cool.

Meanwhile, you can work on your crepes.

Ingredients:
For crepes:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 egg
1 tbsp oil
salt
splash of sesame oil
spring onions, thin strips

How to make:
Blend all ingredients in your food processor or whisk vigorously. Batter works better when left for 30 minutes before use. Wipe oil on your pan with a kitchen towel. Spoon batter onto pan and swirl to make thin crepes. Once top dries and cooks, remove from pan.

To assemble, pile a tablespoon of filling onto a crepe and roll it up as you would making spring rolls.

If you want to try the fried version, prepare:
1 egg, beaten
breadcrumbs

Dip the rolled crepes into egg mixture and roll onto breadcrumbs. Leave on a rack to sit and continue with the rest of the batter. I find resting the crumbed crepes before frying makes them set properly.

Tips:Ensure the spring onions are thinly sliced as possible. Crepes are very delicate. Be extra careful when handling or it may tear. And I mean, extra careful

Then, I made these!
It was a long weekend with Australia Day last Monday so the shops were having massive sale on barbecued meats (steaks, sausages, patties, etc). We bought a 2kg rack of thin sausages for 6 dollars!

So after dropping by the supermarket and bought some yeast, I started this project. Sausage buns! YUM!

The buns are pretty much a simple, basic bread bun recipe.

Ingredients:
400g bread flour
1 1/2 tsp instant dried yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
250ml warm water
3 tbsp butter/oil

Mix dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients and mix til well combined. Knead by hand 10-15 minutes til smooth. Roll up to a ball. Brush bowl with a little olive oil, tip ball of dough into bowl so all ball surface covered thinly with oil. Cover bowl with cling wrap and place bowl at a warm, dry spot til doubled in size. I usually wait 45-60 minutes to prove it.

Punch dough with fist to let air out. Tip dough onto your working bench - floured. Knead for 1 minute til dough returns to its original size and shape your dough as you like. Once shaped, place them onto your greased baking tray and prove again til it doubles in size. Approximately 30-45 minutes.

Place your lovely looking buns into a pre-heated oven of 200c and bake for 20 minutes or buns browned and bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

Variations: Some dough I had rolled them with curry powder and breadcrumbs. I've also spread some chilli sauce and mayo into others before enveloping the dough with my sausages. If you like, you can turn them into pizza wheels, adding you favourite pizza sauces or mix cubed cheeses into the dough to make yummy sausage and cheese buns. Options and variations are endless

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Wednesday, 28-Jan-2009 11:06

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Pizza Roll-ups

My husband loves this. He prefers his pizzas this way rather than the triangle slices. I made my own pizza dough following Ainsley Harriet's recipe from one of my recipe books. I love his pizza base. It's the softest, easiest, most wonderful pizza base to my humble taste.

Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

(A)
350g bread flour
7g instant yeast
1 tsp salt

(B)
2 tbsp olive oil
225ml warm water

(C)
2 tsp polenta (also known as cornmeal)

How to make:
Mix (A) in your food processor. Combine (B) and add into (A). Process til dough forms. Knead 10 mins. Prove for 1 hour.

Punch and cut dough in half. Flatten one of them into rectangular shape, spread dough with long-side towards you with your favourite pizza base sauce. Top with your favourite toppings. For this one I had put in according to whatever there is in my pantry. Olives, jalapenos, leftover minced meat, mushrooms, bbq sauce, mozarella cheese, mayonaise and chilli sauce. You may add anything you like, choices are endless. Main ingredient is pizza sauce and mozarella cheese. The simplest and delicious toppings I had was tomatoes and fresh basil

Roll up your rectangular shaped dough to a long log. Then carefully slice up the rolls into even sizes. Dust your pizza pan with the polenta (cornmeal) and spray with olive oil. Place your roll-ups onto the pan. Bake in a 200c preheated oven until golden and tops browned. YUM!

For my all-time-favourite homemade special pizza base sauce:
Olive oil
Chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree
Fresh thyme
Garlic - chopped
Salt and pepper
Let be thickened in a pot. Leave to cool and spread on your pizza dough

I don't quite remember when I made this but it has to be somewhere mid 08. When the weather's cold and too lazy to go out for a meal. Yeah, this pizza's the way to go for a quick, satisfying homemade meal

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Wednesday, 28-Jan-2009 04:44

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Spiced Lamb Shank with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

April 08 must've been cooling down on us. I remember I made this stew out of the extra lamb shanks we had. It's from Jamie Oliver and I've taken the recipe from Kitty's website.

As usual I had made few changes to the recipe unfortunately I don't quite remember how much I had altered. I cut the recipe into half to feed the two of us and served it on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes. Anyway, this dish is definitely worth trying

Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks

Ingredients:
4 lamb shanks
(A)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 dried red chilli - I used 2 dried chillies
1 tbsp fresh rosemary - chopped
1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano - I used fresh oregano
(B)
1 tablespoon flour
(C)
1 tablespoon olive oil
(D)
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 large carrot, quartered & finely sliced
6 sticks of celery, quartered & finely sliced
2 medium onions, quartered & finely chopped
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
170ml dry white wine - replaced with beef stock
6 anchovy fillets
2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
1 handful of fresh basil, marjoram or flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped - I used fresh parsley and coriander

How to make:
Combine (A) in mortar and pestle and rub onto your lamb. Then dust the shanks with (B). Brown the shanks on all sides with (C), remove.

Saute garlic, carrots, celeries, onions and salt. Add balsamic vinegar and beef stock and simmer. Then the anchovies and tinned tomatoes. Place lamb in the sauce, bring to boil.

Put on a lid on your casserole dish and place it in a preheated 175c oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove lid & cook for a further half an hour. Stir in your freshly chopped herbs.

For the mashed sweet potatoes
Place peeled potatoes in a salted boiling water and boil til a fork pierced easily through. Mash with milk and butter. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

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Wednesday, 28-Jan-2009 02:59

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Basic Crepes, Blintzes with Blueberries and Ice Cream

Made these some time ago. If the dates on my camera are correct, it would've been in July 08

The recipe was from Delicious. 5 of the best by Valli Little. It's a compilation 5 of the best pastas, soups, rice, meat, cold desserts, puddings, etc etc. I think Mama bought this one for me when I was back in Msia for holidays last year.

Originally this recipe is called Blintzes with Sour Cream and Cherries. And of course I had changed the recipe a bit not only to suit my taste but also to what's available in my kitchen hee!

I made half the recipe for the two of us.

Here's the recipe
Ingredients:
(A)
175g cottage cheese
100g cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 heaped tbsp caster sugar
1/2 lemon, zest only

(B)
20g unsalted butter, melted - I used olive oil spray
12 crepes - I made my own, see recipe below. I find store bought aren't as thin as I like them to be
sour cream to serve - replaced with vanilla ice cream

(C)
1 x 425g can of pitted cherries in syrup - replaced with fresh blueberries
75g caster sugar
2-3 tbsp Kirsch (cherry brandy) - omitted
1 tsp arrowroot - used cornflour

How to make:
Place ingredients (C) except arrowroot in pan. Stir til sugar dissolves and add in Kirsch (if use). Mix arrowroot (or cornflour) with 20ml water til smooth. Add to warm syrup and stir til thickened. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 180c and brush baking dish with butter or spray with olive oil. Place ingredients (A) in a food processer or whisk vigorously by hand til smooth.

Place about a tablespoon of cheese mixture onto crepe and fold to make parcel. Gently put your parcels (folded-side down) onto your baking dish. Brush tops with melted butter or spray with olive oil. From here you may cover them and place in the fridge til you're ready to bake for 15 minutes.

Serve with sour cream (or ice cream) and pour cherry sauce (or blueberry sauce on top)!

Now for the homemade crepes
Ingredients:
150g plain flour
1 tsp caster sugar
240ml milk
2 eggs
pinch of salt

Blend all in a food processor or whisk vigorously. Set aside for 30 minutes. Grease pan thinly with oil/butter, tip and swirl mixture thinly onto pan and cook til the top looks cooked and dry. Tip over. Repeat til all batter is used.

These Blintzes are rather similar but with much more texture than Crepes Suzette. And also Crepes Suzette has burnt-tangy taste than these sweet-sour-cheesy number. I love this version much better

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Tuesday, 27-Jan-2009 21:21

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Prawns Pineapple Rice

I surely have neglected my fotopages account for more than a year!!

Truth be told, I have been busy preparing, adjusting, updating and taken a few stages up in life

I'm now a wife to an absolutely wonderful man, and expecting our first child. All can be read in my blog. Hence more meals to experiment with and hopefully much healthier options

There were many recipes tried in the past few months. Some I've taken the the extra step snapping pictures of, some not. However, today we experienced a scorching and sweltering maximum of 43C (hottest in 5 years!!)

So, lots of cool cut fresh fruits, water and looks like this preggie lady ain't goin anywhere today!

I made this today after scouting around for some new recipes. Taken from here but I've changed the recipe quite a bit to suit my taste

Here's my version
Ingredients:
(A)
2 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
1 tsp ground chillies (cili boh or sambal oelek)
1 tsp tomyam paste (or tomyam cube)
1 onion - thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 celery stalk - sliced
1 stalk lemongrass - sliced or bruise the bulb end
2 kaffir lime leaves - sliced
a splash of fish sauce
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
a quarter of pineapple - diced (you may use the tinned version)
3 cups rice
4 cups water

(B)
200gm peeled prawns
1 diced tomato
2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
sliced chillies - if you like it spicy

How to make:
Saute ground chillies, tomyam paste, onions and garlic til fragrant. Add celery slices, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. The smell shall fill your kitchen by now

Splash in some fish sauce, turmeric powder, salt and pineapples. Tip in your rice and ensure they are well incorporated and coated.

Transfer rice into your rice cooker and add 4 cups water (or as you normally would in your rice cooker). Keep an eye on it, as soon your rice has absorbed most of the liquid, stir in ingredients B and keep the lid on til ready to serve

Enjoy!