A little Surprise - Cheese Sables

Dear Readers,

Hubby and I are going to India for three weeks end of this month for my friend's wedding and to visit family. The last few weeks have been extremely busy for him, long hours and weekends too. Needless to say it is not ideal and I do miss having him around the house but work is work and I appreciate his hard work - a LOT.

I don't think I say it enough though, it's far easier to show disappointment and anger for him not being around than appreciation for all the hard work . But we all appreciate our family and partners don't we. Sometimes we just forget to express ourselves, so today I baked these little cheese biscuits to show my appreciation and to say thank you.These little biscuits are a great little snack, they are crumbly, flaky, cheesy and melt in the mouth. Who doesn't love surprises and a little gesture like this makes the whole day's work seem worthwhile, that's what he said :-)

So dear readers how do you show your appreciation for your loved ones? I always do it with food, and you?

Love,

Cookie

Recipe                                                              Print Recipe

Adapted from The Big Book of Baking

Yields about 35 biscuits

Ingredients

150 g Plain flour

150 g Mature Cheddar cheese, grated

150 g butter diced

1 egg yolk

1 tsp White pepper

1 tsp Oregano/Thyme (optional)

sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method

Put all the ingredients except the sesame seeds in a food processor fitted with the blade and pulse till the dough comes together. Alternatively you can mix the cheese and flour by hand and then add the diced butter and rub with your fingertips until combined. Add the pepper, oregano and egg yolk and mix to form a dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and let it chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Line a few baking trays with baking paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a cookie cutter cut out 6 cm rounds, re rolling the trimmings to make about 35 rounds.

Place the rounds on the baking tray and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake in the pre heated oven for 10 minutes until the sables are golden in colour. Transfer the sables to a cooling rack and leave to cool slightly before serving. 

Enjoy!

Bok Choy in Garlic Sauce

Dear Readers,

What is your favourite vegetable to cook with? I have many favourites and bok choy is one of them. Beautiful leafy greens, and so quick and easy to cook. I love it especially in a garlic sauce and cook it often. It's ready in a matter of minutes and uses less than 5 ingredients (how good is that!). It makes a great side to any meal, I have to confess sometimes I eat a whole bowl full as a meal. It's so good for you and tastes delicious. 

Love,

Cookie

Bokchoy in garlic sauce

Recipe                                                              Print Recipe

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 bunch Bok Choy (has about 5 individual bok choy)

4-5 cloves Garlic - finely chopped

2 tbsp Peanut oilSalt to taste

1 tsp  Pepper

Chilli and coriander for garnish

Method

Wash the bokchoy well and trim its edge to get individual leaves. In a wok heat the oil and add the garlic to it. Cook it for two minutes, we do not want to brown the garlic just cook it lightly. Add the bokchoy to it and mix well so that it is coated with the garlic oil. Add salt and pepper and give a good toss. Once the bokchoy has softened (it should still be crunchy ) take it off the heat. Garnish with coriander and chilli and serve with jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Mixed berries, Goji Berry & Chia Seeds Smoothie

Trying to be healthy is not a fad. Looking after yourself and eating healthy should be a way of life. In today's busy busy life we often forget ourselves and our bodies cry out for some love and care. In my attempt to lead a more balaced and healthy life I have been reading up on superfoods and their benefits and have been trying to make them a part of my routine. In this recipe I am using two Superfoods - Goji Berry and Chia Seeds.

Goji or wolfberry is the fruit of Lycium barbarum (Chinese: 寧夏枸杞; pinyin: Níngxià gǒuqǐ) and Lycium chinense (Chinese: 枸杞;  gǒuqǐ), two very closely related species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae . It is native to southeastern Europe and Asia. They have a lot of health benefits and have been used in Chinese Medicine for a long time.

Source: Wikipedia

Chia Seeds

I found a great website that explained all the health benefits of Chia Seeds. It is both inspiring and informative - The Wellness Warrior

1. Chia is gluten free
2. It is super high in dietary fibre, making it great for digestion and healing digestion issues.
3. It contains 20% Omega 3 ALA, making it a super food for the brain and heart. Chia has eight times more Omega 3 than salmon!
4. It boasts 20% protein
5. The protein is a complete protein with all 8 essential amino acids
6. It is high in antioxidants (It has a four times higher ORAC value than blueberries)
7. Chia contains five times more calcium than milk
8. Chia contains seven times more vitamin C than oranges
9. It contains three times more iron than spinach
10. It contains twice the potassium content of banana
11. It is food for healthy skin, hair and nails
12. It has a positive impact balancing blood glucose levels (making it awesome for diabetics)
13. Chia makes a great egg replacement. Just combine with water to form a gel, and add it to recipes that call for egg.

This smoothie uses both goji berries and chia seeds and is a wonderful healthy way to start the day.

Mixed berry, Goji Berry and Chia Seed Smoothie

Frozen Mixed Berries

Goji Berries & Chia Seeds

Recipe                                                                                              Print Recipe

Yields 1 glass

Ingredients

Mixed berries (I used frozen berries)

250 ml Light Milk/Almond Milk

1 tbsp Honey

5-10 g Goji berries

1 tsp Chia Seeds

Method

Using a stick blender, combine all the ingredients to get a delicious berry smoothie.

Chilli, Lemongrass and Vegetable Hokkien Noodles

Dear Readers,

I am always telling hubby to take lunch from home whenever he does not have lunch time meetings.What are your favourite lunch box meals? I don't care whether it's your kids lunch box or your own, what is your favourite meal to pack and eat at school/work? 

When I was at school, lunch time was always fun, we would chatter endlessly with friends and share food. Many kids would get curd rice and a vegetable side dish (it was South India!) some lemon rice, some sandwiches and some the famous maggi noodles. As we have already established just how spoilt I was, I will tell you that my mother usually packed parathas for me with a veg side dish or achar (pickle) accompanied by a nice cold juice or a milk shake and some fruit, and since I lived very close to school my tiffin was sent at lunch time - piping hot and fresh! To say I was the envy of my lunch time circle is not an understatement. 

A lot of our friends are having babies, scares me a little as we are sort of entering another phase in our lives. I often wonder what kind of a mother I would make. I know I do put my mother on a pedestal but I seriously cant help it she's just that wonderful. Will I be half that wonderful? I don't have any kids as yet, but we do plan to have a family in a few years. No rush, but one can't help but wonder. Sometimes self doubt creeps in, will I be able to inspire and be patient/loving and selfless. Will I make food that the kids would adore? What will I pack for their lunch box? Ahh the mindless list of questions continues...and then reality hits me. No kids as yet! 

Kids or no kids this vegetable hokkien noodles is a yummy lunch box meal. It can be prepared ahead of time and is full of flavour and really healthy too. The only time consuming aspect is chopping all the vegies, use a food processor if you have one, it will really cut down the prep time. So dear readers, once again what is your favourite lunch box meal?

Love,

Cookie

Recipe                                                                                                        Print Recipe

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

400 g Fresh Hokkien Noodles Packet

300 g Mushrooms sliced

2 Red capsicum sliced

3-4 Carrots - julienned

8 Asparagus - trimmed and cut into 5 cm pieces

1 cup broccoli florets

2 cups chopped spring onions

4 tbsp grated Ginger8-10 cloves of garlic - crushed

3 lemon grass - finely chopped (optional)

5-6 Long Red Chillis- finely chopped

4 tbsp light soya Sauce

1 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce

11/2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar/White Vinegar

2 tbsp Sambal Oelek (chilli paste)

2 tbsp chopped basil leaves

1 cup Coriander leaves

1 tsp White pepper

3 tbsp Peanut Oil

Deep fried Shallots - for Garnish

Method

Boil 2 l of water in a kettle and then pour it into a large bowl. Immerse the Hokkien Noodles in boiling water and cover it. Keep it aside till ready to add to the dish.

Chop all the vegetables and set aside. In a wok heat the oil and then add all the lemongrass, ginger and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the chopped red chilli and the spring onions leaving a little for garnish. Now add the broccoli and carrots (as they take longest to cook) and cook till they are a little soft but still crunchy. Add the asparagus and capsicum, followed by the mushrooms. Now add the light soya, dark soya, rice wine vinegar, Sambal Oelek and pepper. Give it a good mix so that everything is well combined. 

Now add half the coriander leaves and all the basil leaves and give a good mix. Now add the hokkien noodles to the wok and mix so that it is well coated with the sauce and vegetables. noodles are ready to be served. Place a good serve of noodles on a plate and garnish with red chilli, coriander and deep fried shallots. 

Enjoy!

Super food smoothies- Banana Spirulina smoothie

Dear Readers,

2013 is my year for fitness, I really let myself go last year buckling under stress and work pressure. I promised myself this year will be different, on my path to healthy eating I have discovered Spirulina. This monster vomit green smoothie is Spirulina, banana smoothie. I think the colour green makes it a lot more fun to drink, it will be a great hit with kids am sure. 

Spirulina is an algae comprising of 60% protein.  It also contains vitamins B₁ (thiamine), B₂ (riboflavin), B₃ (nicotinamide), B₆ (pyridoxine), B₉ (folic acid), vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin E. It is also a source of potassium, calcium, chromium,copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, sodium and zinc. It has been in dietary use since the age of Aztecs and is again fast becoming a popular dietary supplement. I purchase it online in the form of a powder which makes it really easy to use in smoothies and juices. If you live in Australia you can visit  Cheap Super Foods for more information. If like me you are looking for simple ways to improve your health and well being, you should give this a go.

Love,

Cookie

Banana Spirulina Smoothie

Recipe                                                                                                   Print Recipe

Yields 1 glass

Ingredients

1 Ripe Banana

1 tsp Organic Spirulina Powder

250 ml Light Milk/Almond Milk

Method

Using a stick blender, blend the milk, banana and spirulina powder to get a smothie. I do not use sugar or sweetener as the banana sweetens the smoothie. This makes a great breakfast addition. Enjoy!

Spirulina Powder

Blender Smoothie Action

Banana Spirulina Smoothie

Salt and Pepper Crispy Mushrooms

These crispy salt and pepper mushrooms make a great snack to serve at parties. They are quick and easy to assemble and taste delicious.

Recipe                                                                                               Print Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

300-400 g Oyster Mushrooms (if unavailable use sliced cup mushrooms)

1/2 cup Tempura flour (if unavailable, use plain flour mixed with sparking water)

1/3 cup cold water

3-4 red Chilli (finely  chopped)

4 Cloves Garlic (crushed)

2 tbsp Finely chopped Ginger

1/2 cup Red Capsicum (finely diced)

3 tbsp Finely chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp Light Soya Sauce

2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Veg Oil for frying

1 tbsp Peanut oil

Method

Mix the tempura flour and water to get a smooth batter and keep it aside. Heat the oil in a wok for frying the mushrooms. Dip the mushrooms in the batter and start frying till crispy and golden (about 3-4 minutes) Repeat the process for all the mushrooms.

In another pan heat the peanut oil and fry the ginger, garlic till fragrant. Then add the capsicum and red chilli and fry for another 5 minutes. We only want to lightly toss them in oil and not over cook it. 

Add the pepper and soya sauce followed by the crispy mushrooms. Quickly toss the mushrooms in the ginger-garlic soya mixture till well coated. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately. 

Enjoy!

The Green Goddess - Palak Paneer

Dear Readers,

I am sharing one of my favourite recipes with you - Palak Paneer (Paneer in a spinach sauce) I may have mentioned earlier, this is one of my mother's specialties. Cheese and spinach is a great combination, we all know that but this is pretty special. Soft creamy paneer immersed in a delicious, green spinach sauce, yumm. The problem with me and writing recipes is that I do not follow recipes while cooking, specially Indian food, I like to go with the flow. It's all in my head and I keep tasting and modifying things. So writing recipes does not come naturally to me. Baking is different. I can be quite anal and precise while baking but cooking is all about tasting and adding things, for me anyways. So now that I am sharing a very common favourite of mine, writing quantities is proving a little hard. I have tried to be accurate but feel free to add your own spin to it.

Love,

Cookie

p.s.  Are you a go with the flow kind of cook or a recipe follower?

Recipe                                                                                               Print Recipe

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

300 g Paneer (cut into cubes)

1 Large bunch of spinach (washed & roots trimmed)

1 Onion (chopped)

2 medium Tomatoes (chopped)

2 tbsp Ginger Paste2 cloves Garlic crushed

11/2 tsp Roasted Ground Cumin

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 Cinnamon stick

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

Method

Wash the spinach thoroughly and then blanch it in boiling water for about ten minutes till tender. Immediately plunge the spinach in cold water to retain the green colour. Puree the spinach using a blender.

Heat the oil in a wok and add the cinnamon stick to it. Now add the onions, ginger and garlic and cook till the onions are translucent. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till they soften. Add the cumin and chilli and a tsp of salt and cook for another ten minutes. Pour the spinach puree to the onion-tomato masala and cook for 5-10 minutes and then add the paneer cubes to it. Check the seasoning and add salt if required. Sprinkle the garam masala and let it cook for another 10 minutes. 

Palak Paneer is ready to be served. Enjoy with rotis or parathas.