Home-made fish chowder recipe

Very long time back I remember very well when I took my first sip of fish chowder from fish & co., I was immediately awe-strucked!!

That very moment I decided I should attempt this recipe. Here's how I did it, yes tweaked to my liking:

• Ingredients
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 600ml fish stock, made from 1 fish stock cube
• 225g potatoes, peeled and halved
• 300ml full cream milk
• 500g fish, chopped (you can use any fish like salmon, halibut. I used barramundi fish)
• 4 tbsp cream (I used cheddar cheese to ticken the soup instead)
• 250g vegetables (I used a mixture of broccoli, mushroom and carrots)
• small bunch coriander, chopped
• 1 tsp mixed herbs (mix of oregano, rosemary and thyme)
• black pepper and salt to taste 

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 mins until the onion is soft. Stir in the flour, then cook for a further 2 mins.
2. Pour in the fish stock and bring it up to a gentle simmer. Add the fish, potatoes and carrots in and simmer for 10-12 mins covered until the fish and vegetables are cooked through.
3. Add the broccoli, mushroom, mixed herbs and season with salt and pepper. Then stir in the milk gently on low heat simmer for 5 mins covered.
4. Finally add the cream or cheese to ticken the soup and then simmer for 1-2 mins more. Check the seasoning. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with some bread.

Easy home-made lemon honey ginger tea recipe

Drinking lemon honey ginger tea regularly can be helpful in many ways. This simple and refreshing tea can be enjoyed cold or hot - whatever way you prefer.

The individual ingredients of a lemon honey ginger tea is also often used to help ease cold and flu symptoms through a combination of unique and natural medicinal qualities that boost the immune system.

Ingredients

• Fresh ginger, small piece peeled and thinly sliced (you can use more if you prefer more spicy taste to your tea)
• Water, 3 cups
• Honey, 1 Tablespoon (more or less according to your sweetness)
• Lemon, 1 piece cut into small and thin wedges
• Tea powder, 4 Tablespoons (you can use bags, flavored tea or red tea. It's your choice)

Directions

1. Place ginger, powdered tea and water in a saucepan over low heat. Put the lid on and let it boil for about 10 minutes. Once it's 10 minutes, turn off the fire and continue to let the saucepan sit covered for atleast another 10 minutes. This allows the ginger and tea to be infused.

If you are using a teapot, add ginger and tea powder in the teapot and pour boiling water in it. Let it rest covered for atleast 15 minutes.

2. Strain the tea through a sieve to remove the ginger and tea powders.

3. Add lemon slices and honey to the sieved tea and drink it immediately if you like it hot. 

If you want cold tea, let your tea cool down, store it in the fridge and add ice cubes before serving.

4. Be experimental by adding other ingredients that you like. You can add camomile, cinnamon, orange or even mint.

Easy Moist vanilla cupcakes with frosting recipe

It's really super easy to make yummy vanilla cupcakes. Here's a very easy receipe to follow:

Vanilla Cupcakes with frosting recipe

Makes 16 cupcakes

Ingredients:

A. Dry ingredients:

1 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking power

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

B. Wet ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup yogurt

2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.

2. Sift together all the dry ingredients (section A) and leave it one side.

3. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs one at a time.

4. In a seperate bowl, Mix together the remaining wet ingredients (yogurt, milk and vanilla extract) and leave it one side.

5. Add in 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and then add in 1/2 of the wet ingredients. Repeat until all ingredients are combined. We are done when streaks of flour in the batter are not visible.

6. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners and fill with 1/4 cup batter.

7. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 180°C or until golder brown. Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (optional)

Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

Rainbow sprinkles (optional)

Food coloring (optional)

Method:

1. To make the frosting, mix together butter, vanilla extract and food colouring in a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Then add to the butter mixture slowly and mix until mixture is smooth. 

3. Pipe frosting into the COOLED cupcakes and sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles for added colour and crunch.

Having dinner at home.

Home cooked meal vs. Takeaways - I am a firm believer of having at least one meal a day to be prepared at home.  At least I know and I ensure my family has had that 1 portion of vegetables, meat/fish and fruits.

Where got time?? - On normal busy weekdays that meal would be dinner. I prefer to cook something less fancy that requires not more than 15 mins after a long day. Weekends of course are meant to play/experiment with time food. Since we have the luxury. 

Cook?? I only know how to boil egg and make instant noodles - I definitely don't think it is difficult to cook. Anybody who knows how to cook instant noodle or boil an egg, should be 'qualified' enough to make their own or their family's meal. I will start showing u how easy it is and hopefully more people start cooking their own dinners. :)

Recipe?? - it's not something you should fear. Never ever follow a recipe from A-Z. The keyword is read. Understand. Improvise. Recipes should be guides or inspirations unless you want to learn a basic technique. 

How to start?? - start simple. I'm not even chinese and I cook Chinese style very often. Here's how below. Good luck. 

Chinese dinner:

1) stir fry vegetables in garlic and soy sauce 

Ingredients:

- oil

- garlic; sliced or chopped 

- soy sauce

- Kailan or any leafy vegetables you like

Method:

stir fry

Garnish:

fried onions

Improvisations:

Try different types of vegetables.

Try adding shiitake mushrooms.

Try using oyster sauce.

2) ABC Soup

Ingredients:

- carrot, diced

- potato, peeled and diced 

- chicken/pork, sliced

- soy sauce/salt to taste

- water

Method:

boil till carrot and potato turn soft and breakable. 

Garnish:

fried onions

Improvisations:

Try adding celery/ lotus shoots or any of your favourite vegetables. 

3) omelette

Improvisations:

Try adding prawns

Garnish:

Spring onion

4) steamed fish (for those who have extra time)

Ingredients:

- fish whole or fillet; cleaned

- garlic; sliced

- ginger; sliced

- soy sauce/salt to taste

Method:

steam over boiling water. (Tip: I prepare this while cooking rice or while cooking soup)

Garnish:

spring onion

Improvisations:

Try with prawns. 

Try adding sesame oil. 

Sunshine bread recipe

This is a super super simple recipe done in 5 mins (I swear)!

Sunshine Bread
(Serving for 1 person)

Ingredients

1. 1 bread
2. 1 egg
3. Pepper and salt to taste
4. Butter/margarine/oil
4. Mixed herbs (optional)
5. Cheese (optional)

Method:

1. Make a hole in the centre of the bread with a cup, keep the round cut out piece for later use.
2. Preheat oven/stove whichever u prefer to cook in and butter the frying pan/baking tray.
3. Once pan or tray is heated up, place bread with the hole in it on it.
4. Crack the egg directly onto the hole.
5. Sprinkle herbs, cheese, salt and pepper on top of the egg.
6. Cook till brown and serve it immediately.
7. Left over round shape bread can be heated up and toasted to your liking with cheese or just plain.


That's all!! See, I wasn't bluffing. Go ahead and try!

Molten chocolate Nutella lava cake in a mug

I made this yummy molten chocolate nutella lava cake in a mug today!

Here's my recipe to share.

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 tablespoon condensed milk
1 tablespoon butter/margarine
2 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon milo/cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Nutella
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Butter the inside of a mug well and preheat the oven at 180 deg C
2. Put all the ingredients except the chocolate chips and stir well
3. Lastly fold in the chocolate chips
4. Place the mug into the oven and bake for 10-15 mins or until the cake has risen well and baked on the outside. If you prefer a well baked moist cake bake for an additional 5-10 mins.
5. Serve hot and with a vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.