Nutella Bread Pudding

Ok...I saw this recipe again on steamykitchen.com and it's super duper easy to make. Don't have a picture of it yet but will make another one soon. But if you have a dinner party and you  are super busy, then try this recipe. I have this slogan in my head...set it and forget it...kekekeke

Recipe: Nutella Bread Pudding
Source: steamykitchen.com

Ingredients:

3 croissants (preferably 1-2 days old)
1 Nutella spread
1/4 cup pecan halves
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar

How to make it...

First the oven needs to be preheat to 350 degrees F.

Slice each croissant in half lengthwise then slather one side with Nutella. Put the halves back together and cut into 2-inch pieces.
*steamykitchen said that if you don't have croissant on hand then brioche, Challah and even French bread or a baguette works good as well.

Add sandwich pieces and pecans to a small baking dish (suggested: 10-inch x 5-inch loaf pan).


To make the custard, add eggs, cream, vanilla extract, salt and sugar to a medium bowl and whisk until all are combined.

Pour the custard over the sandwich pieces then gently push down the bread so the its can absorb the custard.


Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes then remove the foil and continue to bake uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the bread pudding is golden brown and has risen slightly.

Let cool and then sprinkle on powdered sugar to finish.

Enjoy! :)

Garlic Ginger Shrimp Stir Fry

Something I always make at home. Garlic ginger shrimp stir fry. This recipe was taken from steamykitchen.com

Mini Skillet Meatloaves

Ok...I know...been gone for a long while...but I kinda back...a little bit :)

There has been a few major changes and one of the biggest one is I'm not blogging from MI no more but from the very hot & humid Malaysia.

Yes, you read it right...I'm home away from home...if that makes any sense. :) Now instead of craving for asian food, I'm craving for american food. Here, it's not very easy to come by and not very cheap either. Not to say that I staying away from asian food, is just that I need alot more variety. So used to that in the States...

Anywho, found this at food network and my mouth is watering... :)

Recipe: Mini Skillet Meatloaves

foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small onion, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 to 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional, coz I know you can't find it here...I just use a mixture of water & vinegar)

Here we go...

Mix the breadcrumbs, milk, parsley, egg, Worcestershire sauce, onion, chili powder and garlic in a large bowl.

Add the meat in, season it with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Shape into six 3-to-4-inch oval loaves.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Slowly add the loaves and brown each side for about 3 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk the ketchup, sugar and vinegar and brush a few tablespoonfuls over the meat.

Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, cover and simmer over low heat until cooked, about 15 minutes.

Once cooked, transfer the loaves onto a plate.

Add in the remaining ketchup mixture to the skillet and cook over high heat and stir until it thickens, for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve the meatloaves with the hot glaze and enjoy!

Pad Hoi Lai

Just a few weeks ago, our very sweet Thai friends invited us & Kak Aida for an authethic Thai lunch. Boy! Was is ever a good one. They served us Pad Hoi Lai (Stiry Fry Mussels/Clams), Green Chicken Curry, Fried Bean Curd and many more... it was a never ending buffet. :)
Today, I want to share this recipe and I hope that you guys enjoy it as much as we did. Thanks again Juntima (the cook) and her hubby, Yod, the food taster. :)


Recipe: Pad Hoi Lai
From ~ Juntima

Things you will need...

a bag of fresh mussels (or clams. whichever you prefer)
3 to 5 crushed garlic
1 to 2 tbsps of chili paste in soybean oil
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of soybean paste
1 tbsp of fish sauce
sugar or brown sugar to taste
salt to taste
a handful of Thai basil
vegetable oil for frying

Cooking...

Wash the mussels or clams throughly.

Before we do any frying, add all sauces in a bowl with a little water to mix up real good.

With medium heat in a wok or frying pan, heat up about 3 to 4 tbsps of oil or enough oil for frying. By now you all should know I don't measure my ingredients. :)

Add in garlic and stir fry until it is almost golden brown. Next, add in the sauce mixture and a little water to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan.

Now in with the mussels or clams and mix them well. After that, cover the mussels with a large lid until the mussels are cooked or opens up. Add in a little more water if the sauce mixture dried up.

Lastly, add in sugar, salt to taste, thai basil and 1 tbsp of fish sauce and mix well. That's it... you're done!

Enjoy!

Kueh Penyaram

Saw this on Abg. Zul's Facebook and been looking for this recipe for quite a long time. I will translate in English later but I wanted to save it here so that it won't get lost.

Recipe: KUEH PENYARAM
From: Abg. Zul

BAHAN-BAHAN:
1 bungkus tepung beras
1/2 kg tepung gandum
1/2 kg gula pasir
200 gm gula apong\gula nipah\gula melaka\gula jawa
500 ml air sejuk Minyak untuk menggoreng

CARA MENYEDIA­KAN:
1) Ayak tepung beras dengan tepung gandum
2) Masukkan gula pasir dan gaul rata
3) Masukkan ...gula apong yang dah dibancuhkan dengan air dan tapis.
4) Gaul bersama tepung tadi sehingga rata
5) Biarkan selama 6 hingga 8 jam barulah digoreng

Goreng make sendok yg direndam dlm minyak panas dolok sebagai acuan. Make sendok besi jgn make sendok plastik!

Steak Ala Kampung

This is a recipe from my hubby. Very simple and fast.

Recipe: Steak Ala Kampung
Adapt: my hubby

You will need...

1/2lb Steak cut beef (any kind)
4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
black pepper & salt to taste
oyster sauce

All in one step...
Make sure the beef is washed.
Rub in your crushed garlic, salt and black pepper to both sides of the beef.
Now cover both sides of your beef with oyster sauce.

Cooking the steak...
Now there are 2 ways to do this. The easiest way is to fire up the grill and cook it that way, to your liking. Very well done for me :)
The second way is to pan fry it in a pan with a little oil. Fry both side for about 5 minutes each side or when the beef has turned a rich golden brown in color. In a preheat oven of 350F (don't know what it is in Celsius) cook the beef to your liking. Still very well done for me :)

Then slice the beef and add a little color with a parsley leaf of any other decor is fine. I added the juice that came out while the beef was cooking in the oven on top of the beef to add a little more flavor.

Enjoy...

on a lazy day...

in a bag already seasoned...makes my life a whole lot easier...

A Short Love Story

It's been awhile, I know. Just to drop in to say hi y'all. Just been a little buzy lately. Lots of recipes to post but not enough time to edit them all. Anywho, I found this great video. I absolutely loved it! Enjoy...

A SHORT LOVE STORY IN STOP MOTION from Carlos Lascano on

Selamat Hari Raya

Wishing all my family, friends and Muslims around the world Selamat Hari Raya AidilFitri(Happy Eid)

Smile

Did you smile today?

Shrimp Wontons

Today, dalam sejarah, I didn't feel so good. My whole body wanted to crumble when I got up to makan sahur this morning. My head has been pounding for days now. Blame it on Michigan weather :) On Tuesday and Wednesday, it was above 90F and the next 2 days, it was cold! It felt like Fall just dropped in and said "Honey, I'm home!". I was hanging in there until today. I couldn't make it. I was OUT! Sorrylah Dini. I tak dapat bawa you ke pasar tani hari ni. I hope you got my msg. My phone habis credit pulak. Patutlah the girls tak dapat I punya msg, but just nice juga they all tak dapat msg I. I demam pulak. :)
I feel a little better now and decided to post the recipe I got from RasaMalaysia before I get to weak to think and write.

Recipe: Shrimp Wontons
adapted ~ Rasa Malaysia

Things you need....

about 12 to 14 shrimp (chopped coarsely)
wonton wrappers
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
1 tsp peeled, grated fresh ginger
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn starch
3 minced sprigs coriander
1 water chestnuts (peeled and finely chopped)
White pepper powder to taste
1 beaten egg (for sealing wontons)

Step 1:
Get a pot fill with water ready and heat it to boil. While waiting for the water to boil in your steamer, let's get a mixing bowl to add all the raw ingredients. Mix the the ingredients above, except for the egg, in a mixing bowl.

Step 2:
Place about a teaspoon of the shrimp mixture right in the middle of the wonton wrapper. Now, with your index finger, brush all 4 corners of the wonton wrapper with the beaten egg. Fold the wonton in half, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Place your index finger in the middle so you have something to press up against, fold the left side into the center, slightly overlapping, and press the dough against your finger with your thumb to form a tight seal. Do this to the right side. Now you got a little purse.

Step 3:
Once you have finished wrapping all your wontons, your water should be boiling by this time, boil your wontons (I put 2 to 3 at a time) for a couple of minutes or until they start floating. Pick them up and drain them. Repeat process.

Now for the sauce that goes with this. I made a garlic ginger chilic sauce. I know it's a mouthful.

Garlic Ginger Chili Sauce
2 tsp of minced ginger
2 tsp of minced garlic
2 tsp of minced chili
2 tbsp of soy sauce
a pinch of sesame oil
2 tbsp chopped onion springs
Salt to taste

Enjoy!!

Fried Wontons

My friend Dini bagi this recipe so I thought why not posted it here for everybody to see and try kalau I tak sempat try. Let me know... Thanks Dini for the recipe. Kalau I buat nanti I letak gambar ok. :)

Recipe: Fried Wontons
Adapt: Dini

Hi Dayang, Tak sabar nak tunggu resipi wonton you tu... Trylah my simple resipi kalau you free...

Things you need...

Kulit Wantan
Minyak untuk menggoreng

Bahan Inti:
Isi ayam/daging/udang(dicincang)
Bawang besar(dipotong dadu)
Lada sulah serbuk
Daun Bawang(dihiris)
Cili padi(3 tangkai/dihiris)
Garam
1 biji Telur

Cara:
Gaul semua Bahan inti.
Simpan dalam peti sejuk dalam 30 minit.
Then, isikan inti dlm kulit wantan tadi dan lipat (sapu sedikit air pada kulit wantan utk lekatkan).
Goreng hingga kuning.
Angkat dan toskan minyak.
Sedia dimakan.
Makanlah dgn sos cili, black pepper dan plum sauce.

*instead of guna daun bawang, cili and bwg besar boleh juga just campur dgn parutan lobak merah, black pepper and garam - lagi simple*

Enjoy!!

Selamat Berpuasa

Ello kawan2 sekalian.... I just want to say Selamat Berpuasa. Ada yang tidak puasa hari ni? Sorrylah I haven't been updating my blog lately. Busylah... kalah busy YB. hehehe... Nolah... had alot going on lately and haven't been trying out new recipes. Well, cross that out, I did try Shrimp Wonton on Monday. Have the pictures and recipe but not the time. I also want to update you all on my photoblog. Semua gambar2 glamour you all ada in my photoblog so boleh tengok and download mana yang suka. :)

http://abugigi.shutterfly.com/

Lavender Fest

Last weekend, we drove all the way from Kalamazoo to Romeo Michigan to celebrate their annual Lavender Fest. We headed out around 7:30 in the morning with a few scattered rain. Our hopes were high, we were excited and on we went. We had a very pleasant afternoon. No rain which was quite surprising because it was pouring back in Kalamazoo. We enjoyed each other's company sitting under a big tree with ice cream in one hand, the refreshing smell of lavender from the garden and the alluring musical notes from the harp playing behind us.

Hainase Chicken

I have tried making this recipe so many times and it had never came out as good as I hoped for but I wanted to try it anyways. I got this recipe from recipezaar.com from phabmissus. The recipe was pretty simple and the flavor was superb. The main ingredients were simple too, just garlic and lots of ginger. :)

Recipe: Hainase Chicken
adapted: phabmissus (http://www.recipezaar.com/133760)

Things you need....

lots of ginger (sorry I didn't keep track of the amount I'd used)
lots of garlic (agak2 jelah :) )
1 whole chicken
3 cups of rice
6 daun pandan/screwpine leaves
5 chilies
1 sliced cucumber
a handful of chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp calamansi juice or lime juice is fine
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
salt to taste

*note: I puree the ginger & garlic separately in a blender.*

The Chicken
Step 1:
Heat about 2 to 3 tablespoons of veggie oil in a pot. Add in about 3 tablespoons of ginger puree and 2 tablespoons of garlic puree and cook until fragrant.

Step 2:
Add just enough water to submerge the chicken in and let boil. Once the water has boil, lower the heat to low and slowly put the chicken in. You can put in salt to taste at this time if you want to. I let each side cook for about 20 to 25 minutes to a total of almost 1 hour of cooking time over low heat.

Step 3:
Take the chicken out and let it drip dry in colander before serving. While we are waiting on that, we will go ahead and cook the rice.

The Rice
Wash the rice first of course. Then add in about 1 tablespoon worth of ginger puree and 1/2 a tablespoon of garlic. Salt to taste and mix well. Add in the chicken stock that you made earlier into the rice. 3 cups of rice to 4 to 4 1/2 cups chicken stock. Depends on you. I don't like my rice to be sticky so I made sure it's on a one to one basis. Now here is the secret to making the rice more fragrant...pandan leaves!!! I add in about 6 leaves since I only can find frozen pandan leaves. If you get them fresh, about 2 should do it :). Next, you know what's coming, cook/steam the rice. Same concept. :) While we are waiting on that to cook, let's make the sauces that goes with this...

Ginger sauce for dipping
1 tbsp of ginger puree
1/2 tbsp of garlic puree
5 pounded chilies
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp chicken stock(again stock from the boiled chicken)

Mix all these together. Here you can add chilies if you want or omit it if you don't like it spicy.

Sauce for chicken
1 tbsp garlic puree
1 tsp sesame oil
5 tbsp light soya sauce
1 1/2 tbsp of sugar (to taste)
3 tbsps chicken stock (from boiled chicken)

Cut the chicken to bite size pieces and lay it over a bed of sliced cucumbers. Pour the sauce over it and serve with rice and ginger dipping. Enjoy...

Izuan's Graduation

This is one of my favorite montage that I did for our beloved friend, Izuan, who is enjoying himself very much in Malaysia. Mana I punya tiramisu wei?

Mandigo Strawberry Farm, MI

It was a wonderful day to pick strawberries. The farm had just opened for the season, and the strawberries were fresh and big. Not like last year when there was barely any left.

Screwpine aka Pandan

I have been looking for this plant forever! I missed the sweet and sugary smell of pandan leaves. It's funny how things you have in an abundance are taken for granted but when needed it's not readily available. You'll be like me, spending a good 2 to 3 hours just searching on google at every green houses here in the US who would actually know what in the world I was talking about. Oh well, I'll just keep on looking. :)

Magazine Covers

Ever wanted your picture on a magazine cover? Well, you are in luck... I have found the website where you can do just that! Click here http://www.fakemagazinecover.com/?page=3 or www.oncoverpage.com and you are on your way to making professional magazine covers without all the hard work. :)

Update: since most or actually all of my magazine picture links are lost, this is the only one left and I glad I have downloaded it...you still can go to magmypic.com and make sure you make a copy of your picture or the link will expire. :)

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

Saw this on tv the other day and thought it will be a prefect summer time dessert. Now that Izuan is not here anymore, me and Tajul are forced to learn to make dessert. :( ... Oh my tiramisu... LOL

Recipe: Strawberry Whipped Sensation
Adapted: www.kraftfoods.com

Things you need...

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed Milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Step 1:
Line small loaf pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mash 2 cups of the strawberries in large bowl. Add condensed milk, juice and 2 cups of the whipped topping; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

Step 2:
Finely chop oreo cookies. Mix chopped cookies with butter. Spoon over whipped topping mixture. Cover with ends of foil and gently press cookie mixture into whipped topping mixture. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

Step 3:
Invert dessert onto serving plate when ready to serve; remove pan and foil. Spread remaining whipped cream topping onto top and sides of dessert. Slice about 2 cups of strawberries; arrange over dessert. Store leftovers in freezer.

How to video:

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/cookingschool/videos/videoplayer.htm?vid=871&