Mango Sticky Rice

I first time tasted this delicious dessert at a Thai restaurant in Jakarta. Then my second experience was at the breakfast buffet at the resort we stayed in on the trip to Phuket, Southern Thailand. I was introduced, that there can be a few kind of sticky rice, from Durian, Mango and also served with or without wrappers and filling. Since, my bestfriend gave me a wonderful cookbook as a present, I just couldn't resist but trying it out. It turned out really good! It's simple, easy and taste great too! Try it out and enjoy ^_^

Khao Neow Ma Muang / Mango Sticky Rice

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sticky rice
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 tablespoons white sugar
1 or 2 sweet, ripe mangoes

The Sauce:
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

How to:

Soak the sticky rice for at least an hour before steaming.
Steam for 20 minutes on medium-high in a sticky rice steamer. If you don’t have a sticky rice steamer, you can try steaming in a bowl in a covered saucepan with an inch of water at the bottom of the pan.

While steaming,

Sauce for the rice:
Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk to a saucepan + 1 1/3 tbsp sugar + 1/4 tsp salt
Stir over low heat until dissolved. Set aside.

Topping sauce:
In another small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1 1/2 tsp sugar + 1/8 tsp salt
Stir over low heat until dissolved. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat.

When the rice is finished, spread out in a shallow bowl and cover with 1/2 the thin sauce (the sauce you made first). Stir well and keep adding more until you reach saturation point & cover with a towel. Let the rice absorb the coconut milk for 10-15 minutes.

Slice mango as shown and arrange on a plate.

Recipe is adapted from Vatcharin Bhumichitr's cookbook.

Lemon Bars, Lemon Squares. Lemon Pie. You name it!

This time, I am going to make a lemon bars/squares. You name it! But since I used a rounded pan, so let's call it a lemon pie ^_^

Let's try this simple easy recipe, right away!

Lemon Pie

2 cups flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs (I like my pie to be firm, so I'm using 3 small eggs, instead of 4 - as original recipe)
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
9x13 greased pan, 350 degrees

How to:

Preheat oven to 350°F
Lightly grease the pan.

Crust:

1. Combine the flour, icing sugar in a large bowl.
2. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture.
3. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You may need to dip your fingers into a little flour or icing sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.

Filling:
1.Mix the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon juice.
2.Pour this over the baked crust and bake for 25 minutes longer.
3.Sprinkle with icing sugar, if desired, when the bars are done.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from http://www.overthekitchencounter.com/

Roasted Pesto Mushroom

Good morning! This one is great for snacks or an appetizer :) Delicious, healthy, 20 minutes ready meal ^_^
Sooooo yuuummmyy too!

Ingredients:

Olive oil for drizzling
Mushrooms (as many as you want) or 4 large portabella mushroom caps, wiped clean and degilled if you like
1/4 cup pesto (or more)
1/2 cup of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
(optional: fresh mozzarella)

How to:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place mushrooms side up on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Smear pesto onto each mushroom, getting the pesto down into the gills. Roast for 10 minutes.

While mushrooms are roasting, combine tomatoes and feta cheese. I dont add any salt, since feta is already salty and tasty. Add pepper if you like. After 10 minutes, top each mushrooms with the tomato-cheese mixture, then return for 5-10 minutes more.

Optional: Top each mushroom with fresh mozzarella and roast until the cheese is melted.

Eat, Love and Chill ~ Greece

Sun is shining, breeze is blowing and birds are singing :) Too many things to tell about this country. The warm-hearted people, breathtaking view, the ancient and historical places and for sure the food!

Due to lots of places I'd like to share here, let me start it from one of my favorite beach on earth! Porto Katsiki. It was worth a long drive (not to forget the pretty landscapes on the way there). Such a breathtaking view from any angles! No wonder it's so famous, that's why they have plenty of spaces for parking- still come early before noon time is better!

Translation to English of Porto Katsiki means "Port of the Goat", due to the fact that before only a goat could reach this area. The white lines of the cliffs are amazing, I felt so small there. The water is bright blue and the cliffs have grassy topped fringes. And you'll see some big tourist boats come and go :) It's just perfect! My lovely heart captured some awesome photos :) Be amazed! Enjoy!

Taste of India

Hands up if you are an Indian food lover! Me too! I love any curry! Indonesian, Thai, Indian, they are all my favorite and each dishes have their own unique taste. A very simple recipe yet having a nice authentic taste! ^_^

Indian Curry

Serves 6

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs, skinless (or meat, seafood, as desired)
1/2 lb. potato or squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1 onion diced
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. mustard seed, whole
2 one-inch sticks of cinnamon 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt

How to:
Heat oil in medium saucepan. Add mustard seed and let them pop. Add cinnamon sticks. Cook briefly to release their aromas. Add the onion and cook until golden brown. Add garlic and ginger, continue cooking 2-3 minutes more.

Add chicken pieces, peppercorns and the Curry Masala and cook until brown, adding small quantities of water as necessary to keep the spices from scorching.

Add the vegetables, the coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes until the meat falls easily off the bone and the juices not too thick.

Serve with basmati rice or pita bread

Chocolate Lava Cake

I had my first bite of this cake at the Cheesecake Factory years ago.I remember it was served with vanilla ice cream yuuuuummm! So easy to fall in love with this warm-melted chocolate cake. Then I soon found out,this cake has some other cute names ;) Molten Chocolate Cake or just simple Chocolate Melted ^_^

I, now, like to serve it with refined sugar on top and mint ice cream ^_^

Ingredients (4 people):

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour

Serve with:
refined sugar, mint/vanilla ice cream, crème Anglaise (English Cream) raspberry sauce. Whatever you like. My favorite is with ice cream!

How to:

Preheat oven to 350°F
1. Melt chocolate on low flame in a bain-marie (double boiler).
2. Stir in diced butter, until it melts.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.
4. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.
5. Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.
6. Bake for about 15-20 minutes(depend on the oven and how you like it to be)
7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.
Enjoy!

Sweet Cassava ala Thai

I've always loved Thai cuisine. First time I tried this Thai dessert was at the Thai restaurant next to the office building. Fell in love instantly. There are a few versions of recipes for Sweet Cassava ala Thai out there, I believe they are yummy too (coz' basically I love cassava), but then some of them look kinda mix-up with Indonesian dessert dish, we called "Kolak" that is usually served during fasting month or Ramadhan.

So, here it is, the recipe that I truly believe has the exact taste of the one I tried at Siam Thai restaurant :)

Sweet Cassava


Ingredients:
500 gr cassava
500 ml water
125 gr sugar
1/2 tbsp salt

Sauce:
150ml coconut milk
1/8 tbsp salt
1 tsp rice flour
1 pandanus leaf

How to:
1. Boil water, sugar and salt.
2. Put cassava in the boiling water, stir and reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Stir again and wait until the cassava turn to well-boiled color.
4. Sauce: Put all ingredients into a pan and stir well until thick.
5. Put the cassava to a plate and serve with the coconut sauce.

Enjoy!


(courtesy: wikipedia)
Note: *Cassava... just like potato, rice and yam, it is a common food in Indonesia and the third largest source of carbohydrates for human food in the world. For most people, cassava is most commonly associated with tapioca.