Strawberry Wholemeal Bread Loaf

Strawberry season is so exciting! Trays of ripe and beautiful strawberries in various shades of bright red can be found everywhere in open-air markets, green groceries and supermarkets. The fresh and sweet fragrance hits you in the face as you walk past them.
I've had this recipe for a while and I finally had the chance to test it out. It is such an easy-to-follow recipe it only took me 15 minutes of preparation time before it was ready for the oven.
The cake loaf does not rise much and is quite filling. I have more than halved the amount of sugar from the original recipe and found the sweetness is just right. The lightness and the freshness of the strawberries really stand out and help balance out the sugar.

Strawberry Wholemeal Bread Loaf

1 punnet of 250g fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup olive oil
2 eggs, well beaten

1) Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2) Dice strawberries into small chunks. Place in a bowl and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Set aside.
3) Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking soda in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Blend oil and eggs and combine with the strawberries. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the strawberry mixture. Blend until dry ingredients are just moistened. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
4) Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Leave in pan for about ten minutes. Turn the loaf out and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Serves 8

Nutritional value per serve:
Calories 191.1
Total fat 8.6g
Saturated fat 1.4g
Polyunsaturated fat 1.0g
Monounsaturated fat 5.5g
Carbohydrate 25.5g
Dietary fibre 3.8g
Sugars 8.1g
Protein 4.9g

PS Nutritional value is calculated using the recipe calculator by SparkRecipe

Stir Fried Chicken with Zucchini

I have made this dish quite a few times and it has now become part of my usual repertoire. I often bring left-overs to work and I like to keep the vegetables crunchy so I tend to keep the cooking time short. The zucchini should just start to soften before you turn the heat off. This way they will keep the texture even after re-heating.
In Australia (and a lot of Western countries) most people prefer cooking with chicken breast than chicken thigh, probably because it is healthier (less fat, more protein, etc). But I have never been converted to use breast because thigh is just so much tastier and more tender! But feel free to use the fillet of your choice. Just make sure you marinate the breast fillet for long enough.

Stir fried chicken with zucchini

400g chicken thigh fillet
4 medium-sized zucchini
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Marinate: 2 tsp raw sugar, cracked pepper, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp corn starch
Sauce: 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp corn starch and 2 tbsp cold water

1) Cut the chicken fillets into 1-cm strips. Combine with the marinate and leave for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2) Chop the zucchini into 2-cm sections. Finely dice the garlic. Roast the sesame seeds if desired.
3) Heat 1 tbsp olive oil on a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add in the chicken fillet and cook until browned on both sides. Push the fillet to the side of the pan and add the garlic in the centre of the pan. When the garlic start to become fragrant, stir in the zucchini. Add about 1/4 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the zucchini start to soften.
4) When the zucchini are cooking, prepare the sauce in a small bowl. Pour over the stir-fry when it is ready. Stir well to distribute the sauce. Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds on the top. Serve with rice.

Cranberry & Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

I have been so sleep deprived this week. Having worked six days in a row did not do much good to my energy level either. I wish I am one of those people who can sleep in for as many hours as they want. I was craving some sweet treats so I ended up making these cookies.
I love oatmeal cookies for their chewiness. These have dried fruits in them, giving them a lighter and fruity sweetness. I suspect they would taste really good with choc chips in them too~

Cranberry and Raisin Oatmeal Cookies, adopted from Baking Bites

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/4 cup rolled oats

1) Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2) In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in vanilla extract.
3) In a separate bowl, mix together flour, wheat germ, baking soda and baking powder. Add in dried fruits.
4) Slowly incorporate the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Add in the rolled oats and stir well.
5) Drop 2.5cm balls on the lined baking sheet, about 2cm apart. Slightly flatten the balls. Baking for approx 11-12 minutes or until the edges start to turn brown. Leave cookies on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate & Walnut Birthday Cake

This week has been so crazy. My brain is literally on fire and I feel like my thoughts are spewed out everywhere. I want it to slow down but it won't. I haven't been sleeping well and I am exhausted. Even after only 4 days of work.
So in between all this craziness I managed to find time to bake a birthday cake. I did not have time to search for a recipe online so I used one from the Easy Baking book. When it just came out from the oven, I thought it had to be the saddest-looking cake ever existed! It did not rise as much as I expected and I probably over-baked it a little, making the surface look dry and rough. For the first time in my life I actually iced it too - otherwise it would have been too unpresentable. I was even worried about how it would taste because I could not cut out a small for tasting. But when everyone ate it at dinner, they all liked it and it was delicious. It was rich in chocolate, packed with nuts and not too sweet. The cake actually had a good height as well. And most importantly the birthday boy loved it so that's all that matters :)

Chocolate & walnut cake

4 eggs
100g brown sugar
75g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
125g plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp butter, melted
115g walnuts, finely chopped

icing:
50g dark chocolate
80g butter
125 icing sugar
2 tbsp milk

1) Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Grease a 18cm deep round cake tin and line with baking paper.2) Place the eggs and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk for 10 minutes, or until foamy and a trail is left when the whisk is dragged across the surface. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water until melted.
3) Sift the flour and cocoa together and fold into the egg and sugar mixture with a spatula. Fold in the melted butter, melted chocolate and walnut pieces. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until springy to the touch.
4) Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
5) To make the icing, melt the chocolate as above and leave to cool slightly. Beat together the butter, icing sugar and milk until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Whisk in the melted chocolate.
6) Spread the icing over the top of the cake.

Smoked salmon, leek and mushroom quiche

This year I haven't had much luck with Australian Post. Firstly they lost the postcard that my parents sent me from overseas. And then they directed my RSVP to my friend's wedding back to my address, without a single note or word of explanation! I thought that we are long past the era when people have to worry about losing ther mail. Apparently not!

Enough ranting and back to cooking. After making fried rice with smoked salmon yesterday I still have some fish left from the packet. Not wanting to keep it in the fridge for too long, I made a smoked salmon, leek and mushroom quiche today.

Smoked salmon, leek and mushroom quiche

100g smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
2 trimmed leeks (or buy a whole leek, cut away the green section and the root)
250g sliced mushrooms
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup plain flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1) Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Lightly grease a baking tray.
2) Heat olive oil in a frying pan over moderately high heat. Chop the leeks into thin rings and add them to the pan. Stir for about one minute then add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until both vegetables are softened and excess moisture is evaporated. Set aside and allow them to cool down slightly.
3) In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, baking powder and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the cooked vegetables and the smoked salmon and stir well.
4) Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the eggs are set. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle extra cheese on top if desired.

Punpkin, Spinach & Yoghurt Pasta Bake

I finally got over my week-long viral thing and had the energy to do some proper baking and cooking. I made a trail-mix banana bread yesterday and tried a new dinner recipe today. It is adopted from the Almost Cheeseless Pasta Casserole from 101 Cook Books. I really like this website because the recipes are really creative and healthy. It has got a very wide range of recipes from salad and soup to sweets and drinks. Sometimes it does come up with funky recipe like "the tofu burger" but overall the dishes are quite do-able. The photography is amazing and the recipes are easy to follow.
I have made pasta bake before but this is quite different. The white sauce is based on yoghurt, instead of cream, so the whole dish is infused with the sourness and the milky taste of the yoghurt. I found it quite clever to sprinkle lemon zest on the baking tray. If it was directly incorporated into the sauce the flavour would probably be too strong. The olives, almonds and cheese give this dish a lot of different texture and flavours.
I have reduced the quantity of the pasta by a massive degree but still ended up with a HUGE dish. It is originally suggested as a side dish but I had it as a main meal (and now I am stuffed!!!)

Pumpkin, Spinach & Yoghurt Pasta Bake

zest of a large lemon
300g dried wholemeal penne
1.5 cup butternut pumpkin, chopped into 2.5cm cubes
80g frozen spinach
1 cup plain natural yoghurt
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup silvered almond
1/3 cup olives, torn into pieces
1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1) Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C. Grease a baking dish (which I forgot to do!). Sprinkle with lemon zest and set aside.
2) Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente. In the last 2 minutes of cooking time, add the pumpkin cubes into the pasta water. In the last minute, add the frozen spinach and separate with a fork. Quickly and carefully drain away the pasta water. Run cold water over the pasta, pumpkin and spinach to stop them from cooking. Shake off any excess water and set aside.
3) While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the yoghurt, the egg, garlic and salt and set aside. Once cooked and drained, mix together the pasta-pumpkin-spinach mixture with the yoghurt mixture. Stir in half of the almonds until evenly distributed. Scoop everything into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with olives and ricotta cheese. Baking for 30 minutes
4) Remove from oven. Sprinkle with the remaining almonds and season with salt. Enjoy!

Serves 6 as a main

Pasta bake

Banana bread

Wholemeal oatmeal muffins with mixed dried fruits

After making all those sugary cakes and sweets I feel like baking something healthy. Something I can snack on during the week and not feel bad about it. Something that can help me through a eight-hour day and stop me from reaching for more jelly beans.
These muffins are exactly what I need. They are made with mainly wholemeal flour and rolled oats so they are really filling. They are quite light in texture but have a lot of bite in them. The muffins themselves are not sweet at all but the dried fruits make them really flavoursome. I used raisins, dried cranberries and dried goji berries but any other dried fruits, chopped toasted nuts and seeds should work well too.

Wholemeal oatmeal muffins with mixed dried fruits
(from Baking Bites)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup pack brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda pinch salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup mixture of raisins, dried cranberries and dried goji berry
1 cup rolled oats, slightly chopped
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water

1) Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Line a muffin tin with baking cups.
2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in dried fruits and oats. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and water.
3) Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredient and pour in the milk mixture. Stir until just combined. Let stand for 20 minutes.
4) Spoon batter into prepared tins using a 1/4 C measuring cup.
5) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until muffins are golden brown and spring back when gently pressed.

These muffins smell absolutely amazing !!

According to my dad and many websites, goji berries are meant to be packed with antioxidants and really good for you. They are a bit dry and hard to bite into so probably not the best thing as snacks on their own. But they are great with porridge or muesli.
Plus they have an orangey-red colour that is so pretty!

PS As suggested by the original recipe, I divided the batter into halves and store one half in the fridge. It has kept very well over an entire week. It is still very moist and lumpy and easy to scoop out. And the muffins turned out to be equally delicious. I ended up adding three more minutes to cooking time.

燉蛋

If I were to name my five favourite desserts, this one would DEFINITELY make it to the list. I was actually a bit surprised by the simplicity of the recipe when I first found it. But to me cooking should be like this; simple ingredients, easy recipe, yummy food.

燉蛋
(from Christine's Recipes)

125mL milk
1 egg
1 tsp sugar (adjust to taste)

1) In a big stockpot, bring enough water to boil for steaming. (or use a steamer)
2) In a small bowl, beat the egg well. Heat the milk until slightly warm. It has to be hot enough to dissolve the sugar but not too hot that it can cook the egg. Add sugar to the milk.
3) Pour the warm milk into the bowl with the egg and stir to combine. Remove any bubbles on the surface.
4) Cover the bowl with foil and seal the edges. Steam the egg mixture above boiling water on a low heat for 10 minutes. Lift up the lid half way to let the steam escape then replace the lid. The egg mixture should firm up when done.

YUMMMMM!

Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge

I am not sure if people like getting home-made baked goods for presents, but I sure like giving them away. (And how often do you know if people like their presents anyway? Most of us just smile polite and act excited regardless of what we get.) Browsing recipes and picking what to bake is always less stressful and definitely more fun than looking for a present at the stores. You do not have to worry whether they already have something similar, if they would like and end up using it. All you need to know is any food allergies or intolerance that they have and avoid them. If you are ever unsure about their taste buds, you can NEVER go wrong with a recipe with chocolate in it. And what's the worst that can happen? They do not like what you make and distribute it to their family and friends - it will never be wasted or end up being donated to St Vinnie's, which, frankly, we have all done to some of the gifts we got.
This was exactly what I had in mind when I was going to a friend's birthday party last night, especially when the invitation said "no present". (And most people still brought presents anyway. Oh well they were being nice I guess) This recipe originates from Nigella Express, so is naturally foolproof. The original recipe is double the quantity and uses a 23cm square baking pan.

Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge

175g dark chocolate, broken up into pieces
1/2 can of 397g sweet condensed milk
15g butter
80g hazelnut, roasted and chopped

1) Put the condensed milk, butter and dark chocolate into a small saucepan on a low heat. Stir to melt. Remove from heat once all combined.
2) Add the nuts to the melted chocolate mixture. Stir to mix.
3) Pour and spatch the mixture into a baking tin / foil tray of 23cm x 9cm (I used my silicon bread loaf tin). Smooth the top.
4) Allow the fudge to cool. Refrigerate until set. Cut into small pieces.
5) Once cut, keep in freezer. No need to thaw when served.


They might not have come out looking perfect. But they are so delicious and smooth. The chocolate richness richness is incredibly deep and simply saturates your mouth as it melts away.

Hazelnut, apple and lemon yoghurt cake loaf

Lately I have been neglecting my blog more than I would like. This is probably the longest I have gone without uploading a new entry! It's not that I have not been cooking. But I have been lacking the effort to pick up my camera and to spend a few moments to put down a few thoughts into words. I guess that is what work can do to you sometimes.
I have dedicated today as an absolute day off (well, almost absolute day off anyway), ie not going to shopping, not doing meeting up with anyone, not reading Australia Pharmacist trying to get a few lousy CPD points. I went to a new hairdresser to have my hair cut. I wonder why most gay men make better hairdressers and make up artists than straight women? It must be quite an interesting job to be a hairdresser. It is almost like part of their job descriptions to gather gossip and chit chat with the clients. I used to feel so devastated to have my hair cut short because I had such difficulties growing it. Today I must have had about 25cm of my hair cut off and I feel great (my mum would be proud - she's all for short hair). Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to get a bob :P
I used the yoghurt cake loaf recipe again. I really like how moist and dense the cake is. Only this time I've halved the recipe so I ended up with a flat loaf.

Hazelnut, apple and lemon yoghurt cake loaf


1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/8 cup wheat germ
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup plain natural yoghurt
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp brown sugar
1 extra-large egg
grated lemon zest from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped and roasted hazelnuts
1 small apple
Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 lemon

1) Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2) Sift together the flour, baking powder and wheat germ. Peel the apple and chop one half into small cubes. Mix the chopped nuts and apples into the flour mixture.
3) Whisk together yoghurt, 1/3C sugar, egg, lemon zest, vanilla extract and oil. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and whisk in the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.
4) Pour batter into the prepared tin. Core the remaining half of the apple and cut into thin slices. Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter and bake for 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
5) Heat up the lemon juice, ground cinnamon and 1tbsp sugar until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
6) When the cake is cooked through, allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack. Use a chopstick or toothpick to create holes on the surface of the cake. While still warm, pour the syrup over the cake and allow to soak in.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cookies

I went to watch Toy Story 3 with a friend last weekend and thought I would make something special (ie something really unhealthy and full of butter and sugar) to share. I remember this recipe from Nigella Express. These cookies are an absolute form indulgence. Really rich and moist and loaded with chocolate richness in every bite. They've got melted dark chocolate, cocoa powder AND dark chocolate chips. So rich it would literally make your stomach sick.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie

125g dark chocolate
150g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
100g butter, at room temperature
60g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, cold from the fridge
110g dark chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Melt the 125g dark chocolate in a heatproof dish over a pan of simmering water.
2) Combine the flour, cocoa, soda and salt into a mixing bowl.
3) Cream the butter and sugar in another bowl. Add the melted chocolate and mix together.
4) Beat in the vanilla and cold egg. Then mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.
5) Place tablespoonfuls of batter on a lined baking sheet. Do not flatten.
6) Bake for approx. 15 minutes, testing with a cake tester to make sure it comes out semi-clean and not wet with batter. The cookies will not set completely as they will harden while cooling.
7) Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Hazelnut & orange yoghurt cake with orange syrup

I think I am slowly steering myself away from bakegoods that are loaded with choc chips. Not that there is anything wrong with them. In fact I have a theory that adding choc chips can always make a cake taste better. But I also love the crunchiness and flavour that are so unique to nuts and seeds. I have never used hazelnuts in baking before (in fact I have never eaten hazelnuts on its own before today) so I decided to give it a try. It is, after all, the magic ingredient of the heavenly Ferrero Rocher and the creamy Nutella. Instead of lemon as in the original recipe, I have used orange zest and juice for its mellow acidity. A simple orange syrup is poured onto the cake at the end to further intensify the orange flavour and keep the cake moist.

Hazelnut & orange yoghurt cake loaf with orange syrup


1/2 cup white all-purpose flour
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup pack brown sugar
100g hazelnuts
zest of a whole orange
3 eggs
1 cup plain natural yoghurt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 vanilla extract

For the orange syrup: juice from a whole orange + 1 tbsp brown sugar

1) Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Line a loaf tin.
2) To toast the hazelnuts, pour them in a microwavable container and heat on high setting for thirty seconds. Shake the container to move the nuts around and heat for another thirty seconds. Repeat until the nuts are lightly toasted. Place them in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin until they reach the desired size.
3) In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and hazelnuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, eggs, orange zest, vanilla and oil. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently mix just until all ingredients are well combined and there is no sign of flour.
4) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in pan for ten minutes.
5) Meanwhile make the orange syrup. In a small saucepan, heat the orange juice and the sugar until all sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Transfer the loaf to the cooling rack and poke the surface of the cake with a chopsticks to make small holes. Pour over the orange syrup while the cake is still warm. Serve after the juice has soaked into the cake.

When the cake is still dry with no syrup

Roasted punpkin with Brazil nuts and feta

I use the oven mostly for baking cakes, cookies and slices, rather than cooking actual dishes because roasting and baking are really not part of Chinese cooking. But oven itself is a real time saver when it comes to cooking. You prep all the ingredients, pop everything on the tray, leave it in the oven, come back after a while - VOILA!!! A beautiful meal is finished.
What I made today is a good side dish. Pumpkin cubes simply roasted until soft and intensely sweet, which is contrasted with the crunchy Brazil nuts and the salty and tangy cheese. Super easy to make, hardly any cooking involved, but so delicious.

Roasted pumpkin with Brazil nuts and feta

900g pumpkin (either kent or butternut is fine)
100g Brazil nuts
120g feta cheese

1) Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees C.
2) Deseed the pumpkin and chop into 2.5 cm cubes. (Don't bother with the peeling - the skin will soften in the oven) Lay them on a baking tray. Drizzle some olive oil on top and sprinkle with some cracked pepper and dried mixed herbs. Use your hands to mix evenly so each piece of pumpkin is coated with oil and seasoning.
3) Put in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft and cooked through.
4) Put the nuts in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin to yield broken bits of different sizes. Sprinkle over the cooked pumpkin. Break up the feta cheese into small pieces and sprinkle on top. Serve hot as a side dish.

Prawn & pepper spaghetti

One of the things that I like about Brisbane is its outdoor markets. They sell everything from big punnets of strawberries, different types of honey and freshly made pasta to sourdough bread, mini dutch pancakes and handmade chocolate fudge. All the vegetables and fruits are fresh and so much cheaper than getting them from the supermarket. But if you are hoping to get the best quality produce, it is always best to go early as most of these markets open at around 6 o'clock in the morning and finish before noon. And getting out of bed early is not the easiest thing to do in the weekend in winter!
So these are the prawns that I got in the market near where I live. I seldom have the chance to go there because of yoga class and church etc but I really should go more often. (I think I bought the most delicious apples I have ever tasted there!!) They did have the unpeeled ones but I was too lazy to do all the peeling, deveining etc. These prawns are so sweet, crunchy and tasty there really is not much you can do to ruin them, except over-cooking them. They are what makes this simple pasta dish so delicious :)
Prawn & pepper spaghetti

300g wholemeal spaghetti
1 red and 1 green capsicums, deseeded and sliced
1 red chili, finely chopped
300g button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1) Bring a large pot of water with a pinch of salt to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. When cooked, reserve one cup of pasta water. Drain spaghetti and set aside.
2) In a pan, heat about 1/2 tbsp olive oil above medium-high heat. Add chili and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms and allow to cook for a few minutes. Add the prawns and cook until they just turn pink. Stir in the capsicums.
3) Add the cooked spaghetti into the pan and toss all ingredients so they are well combined. Add a bit of pasta water if it looks too dry. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Chocolate and Pear Pudding

I do think having friends over for dinner is one of the biggest pleasures in life. You do a bit of cooking, exchange a bit of gossips, have a bit of laughs, share a tasty home-cooked meal (and share the washing-up afterwards). And you really don't have to cook anything too impressive. It's often simple, familiar and comforting food that people enjoy the most. And there is nothing better to end a lovely meal than a delicious dessert.

Chocolate Pear Pudding, from Nigella Express

1x815g canned pear slices in juice
125g all-purpose flour
75g brown sugar
25g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
100g soft butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence

1) Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C and grease a 22cm square baking dish with butter.
2) Drain the pears and lay them on the base of the dish.
3) Combine butter, eggs and vanilla essence in a mixing bowl and the rest of the ingredients in another. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated into a batter.
4) Spread the batter over the pears and smooth the surface. Bake for approx 25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the centre of the pudding comes out clean.
5) Let stand out of the oven for 5 to 10 minutes and cut into slices. Serve with chocolate sauce or chocolate ice-cream if desired.

This dessert is so easy and quick to make (no surprise since the book is called Nigella Express). The sponge cake layer is moist and soft and the chocolate flavour goes really well with the sweet and tangy pears. We reduced the amount of sugar used in the recipe and thought the level of sweetness was just right. In fact more sugar would probably overpower all the other flavours. We ate the pudding on its own without any sauce and it was really delicious. It is definitely my type of dessert, and definitely the type of dessert for any chocolate-lovers!

Crustless Ham & Broccoli Quiche

Quiche is one of those dishes I have never had until I came to Australia. When most people consider the pastry as the best part (when it is cooked right), I sometimes find it slightly too heavy. Since I do not have the patience to make my own pastry, I took an express route and made this very tasty Crustless Ham & Broccoli Quiche.
Because of the lack of pastry, this makes a much lighter meal and is cooked very quickly. There is no worrying about whether the pastry is too thick or under cooked. Despite the name of the dish, the flour does make the sides and the base of the quiche firm up a bit, creating a very light "crust". The only thing I do not like from the original recipe is that it uses 2 egg whites in addition to the 2 whole eggs. I mean, what would you do with the 2 left-over egg yolks? I'm not sure how big of a different it would make but I have included 3 whole eggs in mine and it has worked perfectly.

Crustless Ham & Broccoli Quiche, adopted from Baking Bites


2 small heads of broccoli, finely chopped
120g shredded ham
1 clove of garlic, crushed and chopped
1/2 onion, diced
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups of milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup of cheese (ricotta and Parmesan)

1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
2) Lightly grease a baking dish or a quiche pan.
3) Heat a bit of olive oil on a pan over medium-high heat. Saute the diced onion until translucent. Add the garlic and chopped broccoli and stir until cooked and softened. Mix in the shredded ham. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
4) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour and baking powder. Season with pepper. Stir in the cooked ingredients.
5) Pour the egg mixture into the prepared pan. Scatter cheese on the top.
6) Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the quiche is golden brown. Let set for 5 minutes. Serve on its own or with salad.

焗豬扒飯！

Sometimes I think that my interest in cooking is partly due to the limited choice of restaurants in Brisbane when you eat out. Instead of trying to find a nice restaurant that serve decent food (that is reasonably priced), it is far easier to learn to cook yummy food. (Not to mention how much healthier it is for you!) This dish is really something I would never make when I'm at home in Hong Kong. I mean why would you go through the trouble of all those chopping and stirring and baking and washing up when you can get the same dish (probably a better version of it), along with a drink, at 大家樂 across the road at $40?
This rice dish is probably the most classic Hong Kong fast food dish. I have yet to come across a person from Hong Kong who has not had it before. It's got fried rice, it's got pork chop, it's got tomato sauce, and it's cheesey and so so so yummy. The pork chops are juicy and flavoursome. The rice has absorbed all the flavours from the cheesy tomato sauce, the eggs and all the vegetables. On its own it is such a satisfying meal, and a little antidote to homesickness.

Baked fried rice with pork chop adopted from Christine's Recipe

2 bowls cooked brown rice
1/2 onion, diced
2 capsicums, diced
3 small tomatoes, diced
150g frozen mixed peas, corn and carrots
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
2 eggs, beaten well
2 pork chops
all-purpose flour
salt & pepper, to taste
soy sauce, to taste
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup of cheese (I used a combination of shredded Parmesan and ricotta)

1) Sandwich each pork chop between two layers of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin or a meat hammer to flatten the pork chop to half its original thickness. Remove any visible fat. Marinate them in sugar, pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce and cornstarch overnight (or at least 30 minutes)
2) Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees C.
3) Heat oil in a pan on a medium-high heat. Place the pork chops in the beaten eggs, then cover both sides with flour. Cook the pork chops in the pan until both sides are golden brown and about 90% cooked through. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
4) In the same pan, heat oil on a medium heat. Cook the chopped onion until transparent. Add the garlic and stir for about one minute. Stir in the capsicum and frozen vegetables. Cook until they are warmed through and soft. Remove from the pan and set aside.
5) In the same pan, heat oil on a medium heat and pour in the eggs. When the eggs are starting to set, mix in the cooked rice and break up the rice if there are any clumps. Continue to stir until the eggs are well combined with the rice. Then add in the tomatoes and 2/3 of the cooked vegetables. Mix well and season with pepper and soy sauce. Pour the rice mixture in the baking dish. Top with pork chops.
6) In the pan, heat up the tomato paste and 1/2 cup of water on a high heat. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil then reduce to medium heat. Slowly add in small amount of flour (about 1/2 tsp each time) into the mixture until it thickens to the desirable consistency. Mix in the remaining vegetables and season with sugar and pepper. Pour the sauce over the rice and the pork chops. Sprinkle cheese on the top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the pork chops are cooked through. Serve immediately.

Sweet and Nutty Cake Loaf

I am so happy today 'coz I tried out two recipes and they are both fantastic! I won't fit both of them in the same entry because that just won't do them justice and they both deserve to be on their own :P The first dish that I made was the Sweet and Nutty Cake Loaf, adopted from Baking Bites. I was looking for something that differs from my usual blueberry muffins or choc chip coffee cake. The fact that this recipe used sunflower seeds caught my attention. So I decided to bake this to use up the half-empty packet of seed mix and half-empty bottle of almonds in my cupboard.

Sweet and Nutty Cake Loaf

1 cup white all purpose flour
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups of a combination of sunflower seeds, almonds, dried cranberries and sultanas

1) Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Lined a loaf tin.
2) In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and the seeds, nuts and dried fruits.
3) In a separate measure cup, whisk together egg, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk mixture. Stir until just combined. Do not over-mix and keep the batter slightly lumpy.
4) Pour mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and cooked through when tested with a skewer or a chopstick.
5) Turn loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This cake just has so much texture - the loaf itself is dense, at the same time you get the crunchy almonds, crispy seeds and the juicy cranberries. It is not too sweet and there is the combined flavour of almonds and dried fruits in every bite. I imagine it will make a really good breakfast when heated with a bit of butter or honey on the top. On its own it is really good as a snack. You can be really creative and add whatever nuts or dried fruits you have on hand. Being low fat and loaded with heaps of seeds and almonds, a tea cake cannot get any healthier than this.

Cinnamon Banana Bread

Today I made another banana bread. I believe it's the 3rd banana bread recipe I've put up in the blog but it is just as good, probably the best one!! It is so moist and dense and full of banana flavour. The crusty is slightly smokey but the inside is so fluffy and soft. It uses yoghurt in the batter which keeps the bread moist and smooth. Yoghurt in bake goods is so good indeed I should use it more often. By the way sour cream would do the same too but it does contain more fat than yoghurt.
I have kept the banana bread plain as it is but you can just as easily mix in chocolate chips, rolled oats, some chopped walnuts or even some chopped apples.

Cinnamon Banana Bread
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 Overripe bananas, mashed (about 1.5 cup)
1/2 cup plain natural yoghurt
1 cup white all-purplse flour
1/2 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

1) Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees C
2) In a mixing bowl, cream together the oil, applesauce and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Add vanilla, bananas and yoghurt and combine well.
3) In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the wet ingredients. Gentle fold the mixture until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
4) Pour batter into a lined or silicon loaf tin and smooth the top. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to finish cooling.The batter will remain slightly lumpy. Don't overmix or you'll get tough instead fluffy bread.


I have officially become one of those people who like to browse around cookware stores. Today I went to DFO hoping to do some trans-seasonal shopping. Instead of winter clothes, I ended up getting a baking dish and a kitchen scale! It's one of those small mechanical scale that looks just like the one we have at home. But I really need a kitchen scale though - I am sick of having to convert measurements from weight to cups everytime I use a recipe written by a British cook!

Pork chop with pineapple and capsicum

I find it quite funny that a few colleagues at work are always so interested in what I bring to lunch. They can be fascinated by basic dishes like fried rice, 梅菜蒸豬肉 (steamed pork mince with dry pickled Chinese vegetables) 、蒸水蛋 (steamed egg)、豆腐煮魚 (tofu with fish) etc. And I can never find the most perfect and accurate way to explain to people exactly what ingredients such as 豆豉 (Chinese fermented black beans) or 腐乳 (fermented bean curd) are. I guess in Hong Kong, we are pretty lucky to be exposed to cuisines from so many different countries and we have become accustomed to a wide variety of cooking and flavours.
I remember when I first came to Australia, a friend from boarding school told me that she would never eat fish that had any skin or bones attached to it. That was almost incomprehensible to me as we would have steamed whole fish at home at least two to three times a week and it is a dish that I really enjoy (not to mention how much I love those fish eye balls!) And think of all those delicious sashimi that she is missing out just because she's scared of raw meat!
Anyway I cooked this dish a few nights ago and brought the leftover to work for lunch the next day. A colleague couldn't help ask me what I was having because she reckoned it smelled really good. I got kinda embarrassed because, after all, there isn't anything impressive about pork chop in a pineapple sauce right? But I guess this is part of what they call cultural differences. And maybe I can start spreading the message that home-cooked Chinese meals are nothing like the greasy Chinese takeaway that you get from next door!

Pork chop with pineapple and capsicum

2 slices of pork chops
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 red capsicum
1/2 yellow capsicum
1/2 green capsicum
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and roughly chopped
1 can of pineapple pieces
Sauce: pineapple juice from the can, 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste), 1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1) Place pork chops between 2 layers of cling wrap and flatten with a meat mallet or a rolling pin to half of its original thickness. Slice them to 1cm-thick pieces and marinate with sugar, soy sauce, ground pepper, sesame oil and corn starch.
2) Heat oil in pan. Cook pork chop pieces until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
3) In the same pan, add sliced onion and cook until transparent. Add garlic and capsicums and cook until capsicums start to soften. Stir in pineapples, pork chops and the sauce into the pan and bring it to boil. Then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
4) Thicken the sauce by adding a mixture of 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp of corn starch. Serve with rice.