Cinnamon Raisin Muffins

I love eating cinnamon raisin bread so having a baked a version of this in a muffin seems oh so right! The recipe seemed simple enough except it needed two additional ingredients which I do not usually stock up in my larder. This being yogurt and applesauce. Yogurt was simple enough to find but for applesauce I had to buy this from a larger supermarket. The regular local neighbourhood grocery or supermarket would certainly not stock this as most shoppers don't buy it for their regular use.

Over three weekends ago, I tried out the recipe and oh was it so, so good! The smell of cinnamon whiffed through my kitchen and I could not wait for the muffins to be baked. Once they were out of the oven and laid to rest for 10 minutes, I was eagerly picking up, peeling off the cake wrapper and breaking it apart. Since then, I have made these muffins on two other occasssions. These are great pick-me up morning breakfast snacks on the go and even after refrigerating them for two days (ok I made more than my normal share) and then warming them up slightly, they tasted just as good. This is definitely another "keepers" recipe that's for sure!





Cinnamon Raisin Muffins
Makes 12 large or 16 medium sized muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (or all spice)
1/2 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup granulated sugar
57g (half a stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
170g plain yogurt
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C or 350F degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. Mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins in a small bowl and set aside.

2) Place granulated sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla to bowl. Mix until well combined, about 2 more minutes. Slowly add flour to bowl, mixing well as you go. Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt to batter and continue mixing until combined.

3) Set the batter aside. Pour brown sugar raisin mixture on top of batter and lightly fold into batter using a spatula or wooden spoon. You should only fold this 3 or 4 times - you don't want to incorporate it into the batter too much.

4) Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each one about 2/3 full. Sprinkle each muffin evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

5) Bake for 15-18 minutes, checking for doneness after 15 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cucur Udang (Prawn Fritters) - A Malaysian Tea Time Snack

A few weeks back I was approached by Sophia of Chew On That to do a guest post on her blog. The subject-matter was a tea time snack and I decided to do a Malaysian favourite.

Cucur Udang or Prawn Fritter is one of the all time Malaysian favourite tea-time snacks. These fritters are usually made one or two bite size and therefore makes great finger food. They are crunchy on the outside and the inside is soft and moist when you bite into it.

I have used prawn in this particular one but sometimes the ingredients can be varied to include anchovies, thus calling it Cucur Ikan Billis or Anchovy Fritter. You could also use corn kernels as another main ingredient. These fritters can be found commonly at road-side street carts in Malaysia, in the day time and even at night markets. The ones sold outside are usually round and if they are prawn fritters, a small prawn with it's head and shell intact, is placed on top of the batter before being fried.

Visit my post at Chew On That to get the full Recipe for this delicious snack.

Lemon Meringue Tartlets

A few weeks back whilst at a local supermarket, I happened to bump into a friend of mine whom I have not seen for years. However we do keep in contact through Facebook. That's the best thing about social networking sites because you are in touch with people you know without having to be physically in the same place at the same time. But then again there's the downside about it - everyone seems to know what you are up to and there is no where to hide!



My friend's eight year old daughter had been bugging her for a pet dog and the standard reply has always been "no, you can't have one because your baby brother is on the way". My friend is currently pregnant with her third child. Later that evening I received a text message from my friend asking if she could bring her daughter over to my place on the weekend to help me bath my two dogs. Her mother thought it would be a good idea for her to learn how much work goes into taking care of pets. Plus hopefully this fantasy goes away.



Mind you, keeping a pet is not easy. Your pets are for life and I truly believe this! Pets are not to be bought on an impulse, just because they are cute and then when the novelty wears off, they are discarded or abandoned. In Singapore, this is happening so often and the shelters are always full. I told my friend sure, come over for tea as well, and I’ll bake some treats. I think her little girl had fun that afternoon and I know my two dogs did as well.



Lemon Meringue Tartlets

Recipe for Tart Shell

For the Lemon Curd Filling:

3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of cornflour/cornstarch
1 1/2 cups of cold water 3 to 4 lemons, the juice and finely grated zest
3 egg yolks, beaten
50g unsalted butter

For the Meringue topping:

4 egg whites
1/2 cup of castor sugar

To make the Lemon Curd Filling:

1) Place the sugar, cornflour, cold water and finely grated zest in a medium-sized saucepan.

2) Over a gentle flame heat the curd, stirring continuously until it begins to thicken.

3) Add the beaten eggs and butter and continue to heat and stir through until very thick.

4) Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, adding more to taste as desired. Pour the lemon curd into the cooled cooked pastry shell and top with the meringue.

To make the Meringue:

1) In a very clean and large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer place the 4 egg whites. Whisk until soft peaks form and then gradually add in the sugar a little at a time until the meringue is thick, smooth and glossy and all of the sugar has dissolved.

2) Spoon or pipe the meringue over the lemon curd filled pie shell. Use a hand-held blow torch to crisp up the meringue. If you don't have one, place under an oven grill but watch carefully in case the meringue burns too quickly.

Leek, Pepper and Bacon Risotto

I'm not much into risotto but as I had some short grain rice which I didn't want to waste, I decided to cook up a small serving of it. This simple recipe cannot be any simplier. All you need is just time!

Risotto is actually an Italian dish that takes a longer time than cooking normal rice. When it is done well, this dish has a rich, creamy texture, with each individual grain of rice standing out clearly and having a hint of a bite, rather than being soft or mushy. Nowadays risotto also comes in pre-packed boxes and you can find this in most good grocers. All you need to do is just add water. But with most instant meals, the essence of preparing it and having fresh flavours is totally gone altogether.



Making risotto may sound like a complicated process to a newcomer. I personally don't think it is. It starts with frying rice with the ingredients until everything is well coated. The white wine is added and the mixture is continually stirred until the wine has evaporated. Next, broth is added in small amounts at a time, whilst continuously stirring the rice. The entire cooking time can take between 20 to 30 minutes depending on the quantity of rice being cooked.



Leek, Pepper and Bacon Risotto
Serves 4
Recipe Adapted from "Good Food" Magazine

Ingredients:

1.5 litres of canned unsalted chicken stock or home-made stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 streaky smoked bacon rashers, cut into pieces
300g arborio rice (or short grained risotto rice)
125ml white wine
1 small red pepper, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup of frozen green peas
4 large leeks, sliced diagonally (about 1/2" thick)
50g grated parmesan
1 bunch of chives, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

1) Heat up your stock and keep it warm.

2) Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside.

3) Turn the flame to medium. Stir in the leeks, frozen peas and red pepper in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in all of the wine and keep stirring until all the wine has been absorbed.

4) Then add the chicken stock into the rice, one large ladle at a time. Stir and wait until all the stock has been absorbed before adding another ladle. Continue to do this for about 25 minutes until the rick is just cooked and the risotto resembles a creamy consistency.

5) Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Then stir in the bacon, parmesan and chives, saving some of each for garnishing. Serve immediately.

A French Toast Breakfast

There is really nothing better than waking up on a Sunday morning to be welcomed by a plate of delicious warm french toast with maple syrup, fruit and a dollop of my faviourite jam on the side. I love having breakfast such as this.

In fact I think an English breakfast gets me moving faster than an Asian one! Heh I'm Asian right so I should be having my fried beehoon, or porridge or chee kueh .... shouldn't I? When on holidays, the best meal of the day for me would have to be breakfast, especially a buffet spread (ok I love stuffing my face). I thoroughly enjoy moving from one station to another, spread out with fresh fruit, cereal, cold cuts to the guy who keeps flipping sunny side eggs to scrambled eggs. My knees go jello at the sight of this and I would methodologically start with my fresh juice, to fruit and work my way to the main spread of eggs, sausages and pancakes.

Well it's been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so what's your favourite breakfast dish?





French Toast
Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients:

8 slices of Brioche loaf, cut into about 1" thick
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cream (can be omitted)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Maple syrup, jam and fresh fruit to serve

Method:

1) Place eggs, milk, cream salt, vanilla extrct, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl. Whisk to combine well. Soak the brioche into the egg mixture.

2) Preheat a large frying pan over medium fire. Add about 1 tablespoon oil and about 1 1/2 tablespoon butter.

3) Fry the brioche for about a minute of each side until golden brown. Do not overcrowd your pan. Repeat with the remaining slices.

4) Serve immediately with maple syrup, jam and your favourite fresh fruit.

Cheese, Olive and Buttermilk Herb Bread

When I first saw the photos of this bread from "Mix & Bake", I immediately knew I had to try out this recipe. It is a non-yeasted bread and the texture is different from a regular loaf of bread. In fact, it is somewhat dense loaf but I guarantee you that it is ever so delicious. I am even dreaming (and salivating as well) of it again as I write this post. This loaf has a scrumptious flavour of two types of cheeses. Not forgetting the rest of the other delicious ingredients that's added to the batter. I must forewarn you that the smell from the oven whilst the loaf is being baked may drive you to stand in front of the oven waiting for the timer to ring.



Just imagine having a slice of this with a hearty bowl of soup or maybe serve it on the side with a delicious salad. Left overs are great when lightly toasted, hmm that's provided you still have left overs.

This is definitely a recipe keeper. It's so good that my boss has asked for the recipe and she has never done so todate even after sampling my baked goodies for more than a year.





Cheese, Olive and Buttermilk Herb BreadRecipe Adapted from "Mix & Bake" by Belinda Jeffrey

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
60g freshly grated parmesan
60g grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
8 pieces sundried tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mixture of spring onion and Italian parsley
2 tsp thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (or use 1 1/4 cup less 1 Tbsp fresh milk + 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes before using)
Egg wash (optional) made from 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp water
Extra thyme springs and sea salt, for topping

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C or 350F. Generously butter a large loaf tin (23 x 13 x 6cm) and either line it with butter parchment paper or dust with flour. Set tin aside.

2) Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt, pepper and mustard powder into a large bowl. Whisk with a whisk to incorporate the dry ingredients. Add both cheeses, olives, sundried tomatoes, spring onion, parsley and thyme and stir them thoroughly together.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the oil and buttermilk until they are well combined.

4) Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir together to form a thick, sticky batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly.

5) Brush the top of the batter with the egg wash and then srpinkly some thyme leaves and sea salt onto the loaf.

6) Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If the top starts to burn, place a piece of foil to cover the top of the loaf and continue baking. Leave in tin for 5 minutes before turning ot onto a wire rack.

7) This loaf is best served on the same day. Wrap left overs tighly and store in fridge. Gently reheat in oven if serving left overs.

Lamb Cutlets with Mint Gremolata

I hardly cook lamb at home and can probably use the fingers on one hand to count the number of times I have actually done so. But I do occassionally order a lamb dish when dining outside. I know some folks can't stand eating lamb (maybe it's an Asian thing). They say that lamb has a strong gamey smell and no matter how you cook it, they simply cannot eat it. I personally don't have that issue, be it cooked in curries or western dish.

As I was cooking for myself only on a Sunday evening, I decided to buy a couple of lamb cutlets rather than a french rack. I think lamb cooked in a roast or grilled should be eaten immediately. The meat tends to get a bit tougher the next day. However if it was a curry dish, to me it always taste better the next day. This particular recipe was so easy to do that it was ready in less than 30 minutes. It's a simple dish but I think quite elegant to serve if you are having guests over. Best of all, you really don't have to slave behind a stove and get all sticky and flustered.





Lamb Cutlets with Mint Gremolata
Recipe Adapted from "Quick & Easy Working Dinners" by Periplus
Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 french-trimmed lamb cutlets
2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
1/2 Tbsp flat leaf parsley
1 clove garlic
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

1) To make the gremolata, finely chop the mint, parsley and garlic together. Add in the lemon zest, combine and set aside.

2) Season the cutlets and leave for about 15 minutes.

3) Heat a chargrill pan to very hot. Lightly brush with the oil. Cook the cutlets over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side, or cook to your preference. Remove and rest the meat for about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the gremolata on top of the cutlets before serving.

4) Serve the cutlets with your favourite vegetables or sides. I served mine with oven roasted vine tomatoes, seasoned with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Together with this I added pan fried cubed russet potatoes seasoned with a pinch of dried mixed herbs, salt and pepper.