her blessings

this blog is my collection of my mother's recipes, food that i grew up eating, the life we build around food which was made with love and care.

it never occured to me but today i asked my mother's permission if it was ok with her that i blog her recipes.

i have her blessings.

my mother is never the kind of person who dislike to share good things such as good recipes. she loves to share.

from our conversation, this is what i understand why she loves to share.

recipes are just guidelines. the outcome of the dish depends on the person who is cooking it - her cooking experience and skills, her expectations, and her tastebuds.

so, for 1 recipe with 10 cooks, you will still get 10 different tastes, some nearly the same, some not - all individually influenced by individuality.

therefore, by all means share! from a basic recipe, create your own taste and memories from the dish :)

selamat mencuba!

Bolognese Pie

there was a debate among our friends whether what we made was cottage pie or sheppard's pie. from the net, it can be called both which is basically a meat pie made of a meat base and topped with mashed potatoes. meat can be anything from beef, mutton, game, chicken and even fish.

here is our latest fav meat pie ~ bolognese pie :)

it's basically bolognese sauce with lots of minced meat, chunky veggies such as celery, mushrooms, carrots and even peas if you like.

we, cheated ;) we used Prego's traditional pasta sauce and added additional herbs, salt & pepper for taste.

ingredients for base:

• minced meat/chicken
• chopped big onions  5
• chopped garlic 2 heads
• Prego's pasta sauce (we made alot today, so we used 3 large bottles to get the right tomatoey taste)
• bolognese herb mix
• tomato puree (op)
• black pepper
• dried oregano
• salt
• chunky veggies: celery, mushrooms, carrots
• cooking oil

how to:

• sautee the garlic & onions till translucent
• add the minced meat and fry till well mixed & cooked thru
• add the pasta sauce as much as you need to get the taste that you want. if not enough, add some tomato paste/puree
• add herbs & seasoning to taste
• add veggies, celery last to maintain the crunch
• once all is well mixed, cooked and taste to your liking, turn off the burner

ingredients for whipped potato topping

• potatoes
• milk
• salt
• white  pepper
• butter/margerine

optional ingredient:

• mozzarella cheese

how to:

• if you want a thick topping, use as much potatoes as you can. today was a med thick topping which came from 11 potatoes. try to get the waxy ones such as russet but any potato will do (in my opinion)
• peeled & boiled till cooked, drain & then mashed.
• as you mash it finely, add bit by bit the rest of the ingredients till you get the taste & texture that you want. i use very little of butter/margerine. 

assembling:

1. pre-heat you oven for 10mins at 200C
2. in a casserole dish, put in the sauce base (as much you want)
3. top it with the mashed potatoes (as thick as you want)
4. optional ingredient: shredded mozzarella. you can put this on top of the sauce before the mashed potatoes or on top of the mashed potatoes.
5. use a fork to make sore decorative marks on the mashed potatoes or just smooth it out (op)
6. bake in the oven till the top becomes golden
7. switch off oven & take it out to serve.

 

the additional herbs












the Prego sauce

mushrooms. you can even use the fresh ones.

mozzarella cheese

 the base sauce with shredded mozzarella cheese

the  mashed potato topping

the finishing product 



Sembosa/samosa/popia Mama

Bahan2:

• Daging cincang/minced
• Rempah kurma
• Bwg merah dihiris
• Bwg putih dihiris
• Bwg besar dicincang
• Bwg putih dicincang
• Daun ketumbar dicincang/hiris sederhana halus
• Kcg peas dari tin (sya tak suka yg frozen, tak sedap rasanya)
• Minyak
• Garam
• Gula
• Kulit popia (or kulit karipap/puff pastry - ikut citarasa)

Cara2:

1. Daging di kisar/dicincang & diperap dgn rempah kurma (byk rempah supaya bau rempah kurma) utk 15-20mins
2. Panaskan minyak & tumis/goreng bwg merah & bwg putih yg dihiris hingga garing skit
3. Masukkan bwg besar & bwg putih yg dicincang - goreng hingga layu
4. Masukkan daging & goreng sebati hingga air daging kering & daging masak. Jgn terlalu garing.
5. Sambil itu, masukkan garam & gula skit secukup rasa. Kalau kurang ba kurma, tambah rempahya.
6. Setelah daging masak & secukup rasa, masukkan kcg peas & daun ketumbar - gaul rata & angkat ke dlm penapis utk sejatkan mbyak skit.
7. Setelah sejuk sedikit ... Gulunglah ke dlm popia.
8. Goreng popia & hidangkan dgn sos cili @ tomato.

Mama's fav! Mine too ;)

popia yg belum digoreng

inti popia

I love the pic. An idea for cakes.


http://www.bhg.com/recipes/desserts/chocolate/dark-chocolate-dessert-recipes/?page=29

My Fav Pasta Goreng

pic taken on 30th july 2012

recipe posted on 20th august 2010.

i thought i had this recipe in my blog but after searching for it .... eh, tak dak.

i better write it down b4 i forget.

one thing about me is that i seldom have the measurements for the ingredients. so ... for now, i'll just list them.


ingredients

• pasta - i love fusili pasta for this recipe. macaroni is ok too.
• bawang merah & bawang kuning besar - blended
• cili kering & cilipadi - blended
• lots of garlic - chopped. for a bag of fusili, about 4-6 big cloves.
• minced meat - i prefer beef but chicken is ok too
• fish balls & fishcakes - cut to desired bite-sizes but wash & fry them 1st b4 cutting them up
• carrots & young corn - cut bite-sizes (you can add any other veggies)
• an egg or 2
• kicap manis
• garam
• gula/sugar - secukup rasa
• oil
• daun ketumbar/fresh coriander leaves - lots!
• bawang goreng

how-to

• heat cooking oil & fry garlic 1st till slightly golden but not burnt
• add the blended ingredients - onions n cili & a pinch of sugar - fry till frangrant n oil separates from the cili. (petua secubit gula ni utk memerahkan sambal, bukan utk rasanya)
• add minced meat - again fry till oil separates from the mixture
• add fish balls, fish cakes n fry for awhile
• then add veggies
• add salt & kicap to taste
• add the pasta - stir almost well
• add an egg or two and mix everything well. you don't want lumps of eggs.
• when all is mixed well ... just before serving ... throw as much chopped coriander leaves & caramalised onions (bwg goreng) in as u want. it adds frangrance  and aroma to the dish .... yuuuummmmm!

Variation:

you can even change this into a bake pasta dish. when everything is ready & done, put it in a casserole dish, lightly beaten n season a few eggs with S&P, pour onto the dish and baked until golden brown & you can even add shaved cheese on it before baking it.
serve immediately!

asam pedas ayam

Asam pedas ayam (terlupa ambik gambar)


1 ekor ayam:

dada dipotong 4 + 1 kepak & drummet, bahagian peha dipotong 3 + drumstick dipotong 2. So, 1 whole chicken gets you 20pcs (less or more depending on its size). Unless you want to cook it as 4 quarters.



Bahan kisaran:

Bwg merah 1 mangkuk sup corelle

Bwg putih 3 ulas

Ciliboh 4-5 sudu besar; tambah lagi jika nak lagi merah @ pedas

Halia 1 inci

Kunyit 1 inci

Lengkuas 10 hiris

Lada hitam 15 biji; tambah jika nak lagi pedas (ditumbuk dulu sebelum masuk dlm kisaran)

Buah keras 2-3 biji (ditumbuk dulu sebelum masuk dlm kisaran)



Bahan2 lain

Serai diketuk/dititik/dibelah 2

Daun kesum

Bunga kantan 2

Air secukup kuah yg diingini (kuah cair/pekat) - saya suka kuah pekat skit

Asam keeping 2

Air asam jawa sebesar 2 ibujari + air & ditapis

Garam

Gula



Notes:

*Asam pedas ikan aje ditambahkan daum kesum, bunga kantan, kcg bende & terung.

*Asam pedas ayam & daging cuma ada daun kesum & bunga kantan



Cara masak:

1. Tumis bahan kisaran hingga garing

2. Masukkan semua perisa – garam, gula, asam jawa & asam keping secukup rasa

a. Bg asam pedas ayam & ikan, perisa di masukkan dulu

b. Bg asam pedas daging, perisa dimasukkan akhir. Daging perlu empuk dulu sebelum dimasukkan garam, gula & asam. Kalau dimasukkan dulu perisa, daging susah nak lembut/empuk.

3. Masukkan ayam & serai. ‘gorengkan’ dlm tumisan hingga air ayam kering & ayam bertukar warna.

4. Masukkan air secukupnya, biar didih & ayam masak empuk

a. Kalau nak kuah pekat, air sedikit aje; kalau nak cair, bykkan airnya

5. Sebelum angkat, masukkan daun kesum & bunga kantan. Pastikan kuah secukup rasa. kalau masam sgt, keluarkan asam jawa. Setelah layu daun kesum & bunga kantan, boleh diangkat & dihidang.

trifle or fruit cocktail pudding?

internet search comes up with so many versions, i don't know what to call this dessert but i want it for today's menu :)

this is what i made but without the whipped cream because i've never whipped any before.

in my 40 years, this in only my 2nd time making this dessert. last sekali buat masa sekolah rendah.

- bottom layer can be yr basic sponge cake or swissroll, pandan is preferred. once cut & arranged, make some strawberry jelly & pour over it. let it cool & set in the fridge.
- next make some custard. i foloowed my aunt's recipe but modified it abit:

• 1 tin ideal
• 2 tin air (kalau nak kurang cair, kurangkan air sikit)
• 2 sudu makan Bird's custard
• garam
• gula
• daun pandan/vanilla essence
• 1 egg/1yolk (optional)

-- semua dimasukkan ke dalam periuk (telur last/op) & diadun sebati & secukup rasa. kemudin masukkan telur
-- masak diatas api sederhana hingga pekat/likat, always stirring the mixture
-- matikan api tapi teruskan kacau supaya tak set/hangus
-- sejukkan skit & tuang ke dalam bekas pudding tadi diatas cake/jelly
-- tos kan fruit cocktail dari sirupnya. tabur buah2 ke atas/dlm kastard tadi
-- setelah semua dah sejuk, masukkan ke dlm peti.

last ingredient is the whipped cream but mine failed. in the end, i served it chilled as it.

 

the failed whipped cream ... huhuhu ...












verdict: puashati mak buyung nak makan dessert ni   :)  alhamdulillah!

bubur lambuk mama

bubur lambuk

(anggaran: 1 pot beras utk bubur utk 4-5 org as a side dish)


step 1: bahan2 yg diperlu disediakan

cincang bwg besar 2 labu, bahagi 2 bahagian
cincang bwg putih 1 labu
cincang halia 2 hiris
ayam 1 dada cincang
udg 6 ekor cincang

1 biji kelapa utk santan pekat(diperah tanpa air dulu, 2nd time dgn air 3/4cawan 2 kali. tiap perahan santan diletak dlm lain2 bekas. yg pekat diguna dulu, jika tak cukup lemak, tambah bekas yg ke dua & seterusnya. kalau dah cukup, mungkin bekas perahan yg ke3 tak perlu.)

1 pot beras basmathi

daun2 pucuk paku, pucuk paku merah, daun kaduk & daun pucuk manis - ambik daun ajer & pucuk2 muda.
(pucuk paku hijau & merah boleh banyak tapi daun kaduk (kalau byk, rasa pedal) & pucuk manis byk juga - dihiris halus or kasar ikut citarasa)
other veggies: carrot, kobis, kcg panjang - shredded or diced

garam
gula
black & white pepper

air secukup keperluan, 3 pot air utk 1 pot beras & additional air lagi

step 2: cara memasak

- tumis 1/2 bwg besar, semua bwg putih & semua halia.

- masukkan ayam & tumis hingga kering air ayam/ayam masak.

- masukkan udg & goreng sekejap hingga masak.

- masukkan 1 pot beras & 3 pot air - masak hingga nasi masak & lembik/hancur mcm bubur, kalau keras tambah air skit2.

- bila nasi dah masak jadi mcm bubur, masukkan sayur2 & baki bwg besar cincang tadi.

- masukkan santan & kecilkan sedikit apinya. kacau2 hingga santan masak tapi jgn sampai pecah minyak. sambil itu, masukkan garam, gula, white & black pepper secukup rasa.

- adjust rasa & texture. kalau kurang rasa ayam, mskkan 1/2-1 chic cube. mama masukkan bwg grg skit.


- kalau pekat, tambah air atau santan. kalau kurang lemak, tambahkan santan.

- hidang dgn daun bwg, bwg sup & bwg grg & air lada kicap.

- texture bubur ini ikut citarasa masing2. ada yg suka betul hancur mcm bubur, ada yg suka texture tak hancur. adjust lah pd peringkat masak beras/nasi.

beras dimasak menjadi bubur

santan & sayur telah dimasukkan - nearly the end product

selamat mencuba!

an easy trifle by nigella

i think this is an easy construction of a trifle. it's here as a guide and open for modification.



Ginger passion fruit trifle By Nigella Lawson


Preparation time: less than 30 mins

Cooking time: no cooking required

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 1½oz ready-made sponge cake, pound cake or madeleines

• 125ml/4½fl oz ginger wine

• 500ml/18fl oz double cream

• 4 tsp icing sugar

• 8 passion fruit

Preparation method

1. Slice or break the sponge into pieces and arrange half of them in the base of a shallow dish. Pour over half of the ginger wine. Pile the remaining sponge pieces on top and pour over the remaining ginger wine.

2. In a bowl, whip the cream with the icing sugar until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed - don't make it too stiff.

3. Scoop out the pulp from two of the passion fruit and gently fold into the cream. Pile the cream on top of the soused sponge.

4. Scoop the pulp from the remaining six passion fruit into a bowl, then drizzle on top of the white pile of cream, so that it is doused and dribbling with the black seeds and fragrant golden pulp.

Deep fried soy sauce fish (mama)

• Sediakan dahulu:

o A - cincangkan

 Bwg putih, halia – byk & dicincang

 Bwg besar dicincang

o B – satukan

 Oyster sauce

 Kicap pekat

 Kicap cair

 Air

o C – hiris panjang2 daun sup & daun bawang

• Ikan jenahak @ kerapu – dibersihkan & disalut dgn sedikit tepung jagung @ tepung & digoreng saja diketepikan dlm pinggan hidangan

• Tumis bwg putih & halia, kemudian masukkan bwg besar

• Masukkan sos tadi

• Tabur daun2 atas ikan & tuangkan sos yg panas tadi diatas ikan - hidangkan

Homemade corn beef & olio

CORN BEEF AND CILIPADI AGLIO OLIO PASTA - just add corn beef & cilipadi.


Spaghetti Aglio Olio by Martin in Italian Recipes, Pasta dishes
This is the simplest and quickest of all pasta recipes. The main ingredients in spaghetti aglio olio is garlic, chilli and oil. Olive oil is infused with the garlic and chilli which is then stirred into the hot pasta. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 13 oz of dried spaghetti

• 1/2 cup of olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1-2 large red chillies, seeded and finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, finely chopped

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Stir well and boil rapidly for 8 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.

Meanwhile, combine the oil, garlic, and chilli in a small saucepan. Cook over a low heat for 7-8 minutes to allow the oil to absorb all the flavors. The garlic should become golden brown but don’t allow it to burn.

Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the large saucepan over a very low heat. Make sure it’s not a high heat because you don’t want to dry out the pasta. Pour the oil mixture over the pasta and add the parsley. Mix thoroughly so all the pasta is well coated with the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.




Home made corn beef

It's easy to make your own corned beef at home. Just plan ahead. The beef brisket will take about 3 weeks to cure. You can also use bottom round roast in place of brisket, if you wish.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts water

• 1 cup salt

• 1 teaspoon saltpeter (see note 1 below)

• 2 beef briskets, about 4 pounds each (see note 2 below)

• 12 garlic cloves

• 3 tablespoons pickling spices

• 8 bay leaves

Preparation:

Boil water. Add salt and saltpeter, stir to dissolve and set aside to cool. Place brisket in a large crock, zipper-style plastic bag or other non-metallic container. Pour salt water over meat and add garlic, pickling spices and bay leaves. Meat should be submerged; use a weighted jar to hold meat under pickling solution. Refrigerate or set in a cool place for 3 weeks. Drain and remove bay leaves before cooking.


Note 1: Saltpeter is known commercially as potassium nitrate and is used to give the meat a pink coloring.

Note 2: Bottom round roasts may be substituted for the brisket for a leaner corned beef.

Beryani Pakistan (earliest attempt)

Beryani Pakistan


Bahan2:

1 ekor ayam dipotong 14-16 (dipasar boleh buat)

1.5 paket rempah beryani sindhi @ bombay

1 mangkuk corelle bwg goreng merah

2-3 biji bwg besar kuning dicincang

halia 1/2" dimayam halus

5 biji bwg putih di cincang

1-2 kotak susu low-fat @ full-cream, nak kuah pekat @ cair

2 biji tomato besar - blanched, skin off, deseeded & chopped

½ cekak daun ketumbar dibasuh & dihiris halus

sedikit daun sup & mint – dihiris halus

minyak untuk menumis

air (* kuah adalah combnation air & susu - taknak byk sgt air, nanti kuah cair & tawar)

(garam & gula tak perlu sebab rempah dah cukup perisa)



persediaan:

1. ayam dipotong & dibersihkan

2. siapkan semua bahan2 yg perlu dihiris, dicincang



cara2 memasak:

1. panaskan minyak & masukkan bwg besar - tumis hingga garing - slightly browned/caramelised

2. masukkan bwg putih & halia - tumis hingga naik bau

3. masukkan rempah beryani & sedikit air (suku cawan utk mudah menumis). Takyah tumis sampai garing mcm kari

4. masukkan ayam, gaul rata dlm tumisan. gaul2 sekali sekala hingga air ayam kering & tumisan pecah minyak sekali lagi

5. masukkan hirisan daun2, daun ketumbar, tomato dicincang & bwg goreng - gaul rata

6. masukkan susu - kacau semua bahan sebati, jgn tinggalkan susu sendiri diawal2 ini supaya susu & semuanya sebati

7. kalau ingin kuah byk, tambahkan air @ susu

8. jaga sambil sekali sekala kacau sehingga pecah minyak (sorry, bahasa biasa sikit, tak tahu nak explain mcmana hehehe)

9. bila dah pecah minyak, cukup rasa, ayam dah masak - siap!



optional: masukkan ubi kentang

acar pisang gala mek

Acar Pisang Gala - Mek (sini panggil ‘pisang kari’)

A

• Pisang Gala muda dihiris2 tapi jgn putus (ricik)

• Rendam dlm air garam

• Celur – masa ikut sepejal @ selembut mana nak pisang tu

B

• Bawang merah, bawang putih (1), halia sedikit & cili boh – dikisar sekali & ditumis

• Bila dah garing & pecah minyak, masukkan cuka, garam & gula – imbangkan rasa.

• Masukkan pisang, gaul rata & hidang

Petua kepala santan utk boko & lmpat tikam

Apa jua bahan sukatan - cawyan, senduk atau sudu -

1. Utk boko: 15 santan, 1 tepung beras & garam
2. Utk lompat tikam: 17 santan, 1 tepung beras & garam

Di atas api kecil, sentiasa kacau hingga likat & ckup rasa.bila tutup api, still kacau. Jgn lama atas api, jgn bagi pecah minyak. Asalkan dah hilang rasa tepung, ada rasa lemak masin - it's done!

fluffy rice

a few months back, hubby & i went for a cooking class.

what i want to highlight here is not the recipes that we cooked but how to cook the perfect fluffy rice.

all you need is rice, the 1 cup measuring cup and the liquid measuring cup/pitcher.



for every 2 cups of rice (Basmathi or Thai fragrant rice), you'll need 675ml of water.
for every 1 cup, you'll need 350ml of water


tried & tested, works every time!


**note:
according to my Mama, every 2 pots of rice cooked can feed 3 people with average appetite.

1pot rice + 1-1.5pot water