~ Avocado Oatmeal

This will happen one day. This has to. With my obsession with oatmeal and avocado (+ a tiny winy bit of creativity =x), it is bound to be that one fine day, I'll marry them together! *wedding bells* ^ ^ This chemistry sparked off while I was on bed yesterday night, a time when I was supposed to be night-dreaming, and not day-dreaming about food stuff.

What I did was to cook 1/3 C oats in 1/2 C milk, and then blend it with 1/2 avocado and 1 tbsp flaxseeds - all done within 10 min.. minus away the enjoyment, picture-taking and washing that is. The overall product was predominantly oatmeal, with a slight fruity tinge of avocado and sported a great hue of tea green. I had it plain without any sweetener since I liked the taste, but if I were to add one, I would have used a tsp or two of sweetened condensed milk.

And, I have decided to add a tbsp of flaxseeds to all recipes that requires blending, for the flaxseeds really get mushed up well to release their omega-3s! Oh this reminds me of something. This may sound silly, but no matter how appetising and yummy your meal with whole flaxseeds look and taste, do try to resist the temptation of eating and blogging at the same time. I was very distressed over the fact that my "C" on the keyboard started being insensitive (you see, I'm a strong believer in Fujitsu laptops), and only realised the reason why after dislodging one puny flaxseed from the interior groove of the "C" key. Hey, how did THAT get in? =/

~ Wholewheat Focaccia Bread

Adapted from:
Mediterrasian

Description:
Italian yeasted flatbread ideal for dipping in vinaigrette~

Ingredients:
1 tbsp instant dried yeast

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 C warm water (~ 40 deg)

1/2 C wholewheat flour

1/2 C plain flour

Pinch of salt

1/4 tsp dried mixed spices

3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1) Dissolve yeast, sugar and warm water in a bowl. Leave in a warm place for 10 min till frothy.
2) Combine flour, wholewheat flour, salt and mixed herbs together in a large bowl.
3) Make a well in the dough, and pour in yeast mixture and oil. Mix well with a fork.
4) On a lightly-floured surface, knead dough till it doesn't stick to your hands. Add more flour where necessary.
5) Form a ball, grease it with oil and place into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to proof for 1 hour.
6) Punch down, and knead into a rectangular cuboid shape. Dimple the surface with your finger, and brush oil over the dough generously.
7) Cover and proof in a warm place for another 30 min.
8) Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg for 30-35 min till top has browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Remarks:

Recently, I'd tried some complementary focaccia bread with vinaigrette at Modestos, and my was I impressed with it. The bread was crusty on the outside and so soft on the outside. So I've decided to attempt a recipe on it!

It turned out that the bread which looked awfully distorted was indeed crusty, but kind of too crusty as I've left it in the oven for longer than the stated time. The interior was considered soft enough for a wholewheat variety so it's not bad. However taste-wise, it was bland (couldn't even taste the EVOO or herbs inside). Maybe it was due to me using expired dried mixed herbs, adding too little of the herbs and omiting the topping. Nevertheless, still a good start in my opinion! Maybe I'll try Easy Focaccia from Allrecipes the next time around.

The bread was chewy and quite stiff the next day, so it's best eaten fresh on the day it was made. Pop it into the oven for a short while, then it'll be restored to at least 75% of its original splendor.

In an attempt to re-create the dining experience, I'd mixed equal parts of vinegar and EVOO together, along with a small garlic clove as a dressing for my bread:

Anyway, can you imagine it when someone takes a bite of what you baked, comments that it tastes horrible and dump it into the dustbin right in front of you while you are washing the dishes? I've experienced this countless of times. At first I was so hurt, now.. I'm pretty much immune to it already. So if anyone does that to you, don't take it to heart. And don't do that to others... ever. Unless you are an insensitive mother to your own daughter.

~ Mexican Whole Wheat Flour Tortilla

Adapted from:
Allrecipes

Description:
Thin, unleavened flatbread~

Ingredients (makes 6 8" tortillas):
40 g plain flour

160 g wholewheat flour

Pinch of salt

15 g extra virgin olive oil

20 g sunflower or any vegetable oil

120 ml boiling water

Directions:

1) Combine flour, wholewheat flour and salt together in a large bowl.
2) Rub in oil, till the texture of oatmeal is achieved.
3) Make a well in the dough, and pour in water. Mix well with a fork.
4) On a lightly-floured surface, knead dough till it doesn't stick to your hands.
5) Roll into 6 golf-ball-sized balls, place on a tray and cover with a warm damp cloth. Let it rest for 1 hour.
6) Roll a tortilla to preferred thickness on a well-floured surface.
7) Heat griddle or frying pain over high heat, and dry-fry each tortilla on one side. Once the first bubble is seen (around 1 min), flip over the tortilla and fry for another 30 min. Carry out step 6 while waiting for the tortilla to cook.
8) Serve, refrigerate or freeze tortillas.

Remarks:

A tour in the bread section of any supermarket would leave someone agape with horror - purchasing 8 wholewheat tortillas is tantamount to buying 4 - 5 loafs of enriched wholewheat bread! Now, what would justify this? Since I felt like having a tortilla wrap and have been wanting to make my own tortillas, I thought to myself: why not make it on a fine cooling day like today?

A quick search on my favourite portal landed me on this recipe. I tweaked it slightly by using EVOO and sunflower oil in place of the shortening. This made the tortillas a little dry and I couldn't roll them up without cracks, so perhaps next time around more oil can be used. The dough was easy to work with, and rolled out extremely well - I've made them to a thickness of ~ 1 mm! Taste-wise, one can't expect much, these are flour tortillas mind you!

I'd wrapped a tortilla around a sausage...

... and another for my salmon patty, and boy they were delish! On a side note, I'm so glad that I didn't get diarrhoea from eating food that was frozen so long ago!

The following following day, I rolled a tortilla with scrambled egg and bean sprouts:

~ Chocolate Raisin Tofu Whip

Taken from:
Tiffany's

Description:
Creamy tofu whip~

Ingredients:

300 g traditional chinese tofu

42.5 g pack of raisins

2 tsp bee pollen

1 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

1) Blend all together until smooth and creamy.
2) Pour into glasses, and chill before serving.

Remarks:

Gosh this is so upsetting... I had a diarrhoea after this yummy treat, and I'd literally passed out all my expensive bee pollen! =( I really have to cook my tofu first before I blend it up with other ingredients.

This whip is sweetened by natural sugars in raisins and bee pollen, and is made extraordinary with the chocolatey cocoa and the creamy texture of tofu. Do note that the longer this stands, the thicker it gets as the raisins absorb the moisture! This is one quick and delicate dessert for the health-conscious! Plus, no one will ever know there's tofu inside!

~ Classic Vinaigrette (served with Tomato and Avocado Salad)

Taken from:
Olive oil: the essence of the Mediterranean book

Description:
A classic vinaigrette with the deep flavours of extra virgin olive oil~

Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp vinegar

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1) Whisk vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
2) Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly, until the vinaigrette is smooth and well blended.
3) Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Remarks:

"A taste older than meat or wine, a taste as old as cold water. Only the sea itself seems as ancient a part of the region as the olive and its oil." - Laurence Durrell.

What fine portrayal of the olive from a biographist! In English, it would mean that the olive seems as central to the life and history of the Mediterranean region as the sea, and which possesses a distinctive taste that no one can forget till now. Do correct me if I'm wrong.=)

Let's put the literature aside and concentrate on this impressive classic salad dressing. Tangy and slightly fruity, this vinaigrette over a simple mix of sliced tomatoes and avocado creates wonder, both for your health and palate. Serve this appetiser fresh!

~ Dad's Purple Sweet Potato Soup

Dad came up with an innovative way of presenting his usual sweet potato soup, that is to mash a purple sweet potato into the predominantly orange sweet potato dessert. This made it really sweet, appetising and definitely appealed well to me! Kudos to Lao Pa!

~ Shopping Trip @ Mustafa

Together with K, I went to Mustafa and bought quite a lot of items. Here's a quick breakdown:

1) No Marks Face Cream and Wash Gel ($3.70):

The cream was too greasy for my face so I'd used it as a mask for around 10 min after I had my exfoliation with honey and sugar scrub. Then the cream is washed off. This left my skin pretty soft and supple. Afterall, the cream is "formulated using hand-picked natural ingredients and organic extracts known to enhance your natural beauty".

I like the gel though, for it cleans the face without stripping the face dry. What separates it from other facial gel is the presence of little colourful beads of red, yellow and green which contain vitamins A, C and E for antioxidative effects. So you have to crush them while you create lather, and then cleanse your face with it. A tad bit troublesome, but I'll gladly do it for the fun of it!

2) Rhomlon Mascara ($4.20):

This looked rather promising with its "fibre formula", but I personally didn't feel any difference in the length of my eyelashes except for that of the time needed for application. And it took pretty long to dry. My Maybelline Unstoppable Curly Extension can do the same job with just one stroke.

3) Emami Hairlife Instant Hair Pack ($2.50):

Oo this herbal treatment stinks, and left my hair stinking for two days too! But my hair was less frizzy since the natural oils in the treatment made my hair slightly heavier. The best result was seen on the second day of application.

4) Bamboe Javanese Kare ($1.10):

When I've tried this, I'll do a review. I promise. =)

5) MTR Hot & Sour Clear Soup ($1.70):

When I've tried this, I'll do a review. I promise. =)

6) Olivos Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($3.50):

Finally I've bought EVOO! I've been putting off the purchase despite wanting to buy one eons ago as I couldn't find a small bottle at the local supermarket. Cold-pressed, EVOO is extracted from olive paste without using heat. The difference between all the grades of olive oils lies in the proportion of oleic acid that is present. The lowest acidity (found in EVOO) produces the best flavour. This can't be disputed, my EVOO smells positively o live-ly, and good for me =)

The taste of Olivos EVOO is very robust, and its strong pungency and taste definitely suits me! 

7) Nature's Essence Calcium Pills ($16.90):
These are calcium pills! What can I talk about them?

I find that this brand appear to be more value for money. For a mere $16.90, a bottle comes with 125 softgels, which contain 300 mg calcium and 100 IU Vitamin D3 each. When choosing calcium supplements, do take note of the elemental calcium that is present, not the amount of calcium carbonate or calcium salts i.e. 300 mg of elemental calcium, not 300 mg of calcium carbonate. Do not be fooled by marketing gimmicks.

Try not to purchase pills with extremely high calcium content out of convenience, to avoid any overdose. I'm very skeptical about one-a-day calcium pills. Compacted with 1000 to 1500 mg calcium in each dose, the pills are a sure way to hypercalcemia. I believe that our body is not made to take such high amounts at one go. If there is excess input, the body will either store it (ever heard of calcium deposits in the arteries?), or produce increased output. The spike in calcium excretion via the kidneys may precipitate calcium stones in the urinary tract.

Always get a reliable brand that comes packed with Vit D which aids calcium absorption. Some other variations would include potassium and magnesium. These are fine too, since these two nutrients are typically insufficient in our diet.

For dosage form, I would prefer a liquid solution over a solid tablet since calcium ions are much more easily absorbed (there is no need for dissolution unlike tablets). However, anyone who has had tried a liquid form of calcium would agree that liquid encapsulated within a shell would be kinder to the palate.

Ok, I shall take back my words.. These are alot to talk about!

8) Laptop cooler ($9.50):

With 3 powerful yet quiet fans supported by a translucent frame, and illuminated by aquamarine blue LED lights, this laptop cooler can't get any cool-er! The only qualms I have is the exposed fan blades at the bottom, for I keep getting my fingers grazed when transporting it around.



Total damage? $40.

Gratification? Priceless.

Don't I make a great salesperson? =p

~ Pineapple Milkshake

Adapted from:
Anita's Tried and True Recipes

Description:
Thick blueberry sauce to accompany a nice hi-tea dessert~

Ingredients:

150 g pineapple chunks
100 ml milk
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1) Blend all together, serve with ice.

Remarks:

This drink tasted peculiar with the combination of curdled milk and tangy pineapple, and separated on standing. So do consume immediately.

~ Oven-Baked Japanese Sweet Potatoes

Taken from:
Sarah's

Description:
Roasted sweet potatoes~

Ingredients:

2 Japanese sweet potatoes
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp pepper
Pinch of salt

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 200 deg. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2) Peel the sweet potatoes. Cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.
Place the sweet potatoes into a resealable plastic bag. Add oil, salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.
3) Roast for 30 min, turning every 10 min, until slightly browned. Drain on paper towels immediately. Serve warm or cool.

Remarks:

For once there is a positive comment from Mum! Try to slice the sweet potatoes into rectangular blocks. I'd made some with tapered ends, which burnt real badly. And have them cool, they tasted better that way.

~ Sweet Potato and Vegetables Casserole

Taken from:
Tiffany's

Description:
Colourful and antioxidant-packed vegetable casserole~

Ingredients:

1 carrot, sliced diagonally
1 brinjal, sliced diagonally
1 (150 g) sweet potato
2 small tomatoes, deseeded
1/4 C milk
1 tbsp flaxseeds
1 slice processed cheese, divided into small 1 cm squares

Directions:

1) Steam all the vegetables till soft, but able to retain their shape.
2) Mash sweet potato, tomatoes and milk together.
3) Pour into an oven dish, top with carrot and brinjal.
4) Bake at 220 deg for 15-20 min, sprinkle flaxseeds and cheese generously. Bake for till casserole is bubbly and cheese is slightly browned. Wait to cool for 3 min before serving.

Remarks:

I was dying to use the organic brinjals and Japanese sweet potatoes that I'd bought so I just randomly used them in this dish, which I truly have no idea what to call. This turned out like baby food to me as the vegetables were really soft! 

All of the ingredients were sweet except for the cheese, which I found to be the least complementary in the dish, so give it a miss ya?

~ Chocolate-Coated Strawberries

Made in a similar way as cake balls! One chocolate ganache to rule them all!

~ Chocolate-Coated Peanut Butter Cake Balls

To the leftover cake crumbs from the chocolate cake, add leftover ground almonds and enough peanut butter to hold its shape as balls. Dip balls in chocolate ganache and chill to set.

Fast isn't it? I particularly like the soft peanut butter balls inside as I'm almost addicted to peanut butter! The balls did not put me off like eating pure peanut butter on its own (greasy!!) due to the combination with cake crumbs, but took me some time to get used to the taste and texture. A great means to clear those excess crumbs!

~ Chocolate Sponge Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Blueberry Cream Cheese Filling

Adapted from:
The Foody
Allrecipes

Description:
Chocolate-frosted layer cake with blueberry and cream cheese filling~

Ingredients:

112.5 g sugar

75 g plain flour

37.5 g cocoa powder

3 eggs, separated

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 tso baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

100 g dark chocolate (72%) bars
100 ml cream
1 1/2 tsp rum

Directions:

1) Whisk plain flour, cocoa and baking powder together and sieve.
2) Combine sugar and cream of tartar together. Whisk egg whites with gradual additions of sugar and cream of tartar mixture till soft peaks form.
3) Beat egg yolks and vanilla till pale, and fold in egg whites, followed by flour mixture.
4) Grease a 14 X 14" baking tin, lined with buttered greaseproof paper. Pour batter evenly into the tin, and bake in preheated oven at 200 deg for 8 min. Take care not to overbake.
5) Dust a sheet of greaseproof paper with icing sugar and turn the sponge upside down onto it.
6) Remove the lining paper and trim the edges of the sponge cake. Cut into two equal rectangles and spread one with cream cheese filling and then blueberry jam. Place the other layer over the first, and chill cake.
7) To make the chocolate ganache, heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
8) Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over the chilled cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outwards. Chill cake to set.

Remarks:

This was supposed to be a chocolate swiss roll or chocolate log cake for the yuletide season! But due to my incompetency, the swiss roll cracked too badly that I had to switch to making a chocolate cake instead.


The cake was frosted with chocolate ganache, which was made with a slight mistake in one of the ingredients. Using 3% whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream, I couldn't whip the ganache to a filling for my cake (the ganache can be used on its own or whipped into a chocolate frosting). Thus, in a bid to create a contrasting filling for the cake, I'd blended my remaining cream cheese and some icing sugar till suitable consistency. Homemade blueberry jam was spreaded onto the cream cheese filling.

I really liked the resultant product after everything was assembled! The cake was very fluffy, moist and not too sweet, and the fillings were a treat! I didn't know that the cream cheese frosting and blueberry jam would go so well together. If I had known earlier, I would have planned for such a combination. 

Anyway, with my never-say-die attitude, I'll definitely attempt a chocolate swiss roll recipe again! But for now, I shall savour my exquisite cake!

~ Blueberry Sauce

Taken from:
Allrecipes

Description:
Thick blueberry sauce~

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1 1/3 C fresh blueberries
2 tbsp water
5/8 C orange juice
1/4 C + 1 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp cold water
1 tbsp + 1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1) In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 C blueberries, 2 tbsp water, orange juice, and sugar. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.
2) In a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Add in remaining blueberries and simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 4 min.
3) Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon. Thin sauce with water if it is too thick.

Remarks:

Woah, this sauce was really thick. It didn't taste like blueberries after it was just made, instead it felt more like orange jam. Leave it to stand in the fridge for a day or two, and the blueberries will shine.


I found that the addition of almond extract yielded a rather weird tasting jam, if you have a strong preference for original tastes, omit the almond extract. The ground cinnamon blended well. I would recommend that the sugar to be cut down by one tbsp more so that it wouldn't be cloyingly sweet.


As a filling for my chocolate cake, which was meant to be a chocolate log cake at first, the jam certainly steals the show!

~ Crustless Tofu Veggie Quiche

Modified from:
Vegweb

Description:
Low carb veggie quiche~

Ingredients (serves 2):

1 tsp oil
1 onion

2 garlic cloves
1/2 head broccoli, chopped into small florets

(1 slice of ham, diced)
1 carrot, sliced
1 brinjal, sliced
1/4 C chopped spring onions
1 packet silken tofu, drained
2 tbsp mustard

1/4 C milk

1 tbsp potato starch

2 slices of processed cheese

Directions:

1) Sauteed onion, garlic and meat together till slightly browned.
2) Add a tbsp of water followed by carrots. Simmer for 5 min.
3) Add in brinjal and carrot. Simmer till vegetables are soft, approximately 10 min.
4) In the meantime, blend tofu, mustard, milk, cheese and starch till smooth.
5) Combine tofu sauce with the vegetables, and spoon over 2 oven dishes.
6) Bake at 200 deg for 20 min, and 180 deg for another 10 min. Let the dish set for 5 min before serving.

Remarks:

This is the first time I've made quiche, and moreover it's a vegan one! Bro doesn't fancy tofu nor any dish with no "staple carbs" so it's a nono for him.

For me, I felt pretty healthy after having this. (until I threw my carb balance off with 20 odd tang yuans and two pong pia)!

The culprits:

The accomplices:

The dish smelt like cheese-flavoured Pringles chips, but didn't taste like it. The cheese taste was subtle, with a slight predominance over tofu. To add a little omegas and crunch into it, I'd sprinkled some flaxseeds over the top. The carrots were a joy to the dish, and the brinjal too! However, the broccoli tasted kind of sourish, I wonder why. Additionally, I would to see a more solid quiche, so I guess the water that was added to the stir-frying of vegetables was uncalled for.