~ Anko (Imitation with Kidney Beans)

Taken from:

-

Description:

Imitation japanese red bean paste~

Ingredients:

1/4 C water

1 can kidney beans (15.25 ounce), drained and rinsed

1/4 C + 1 tbsp sugar

Directions (for 250g anko):

1) Boil kidney beans, sugar and water in saucepan, stirring constantly till water is almost dried up.

2) Mash up the beans till a paste is formed, and store in the fridge until use.

Remarks:

Usually salt is added to anko, but since the kidney beans are naturally slightly salty and they are preserved in a solution containing salt, I've omitted the salt. Actually there is no need to add water, but I'm just afraid that I'll burn my kidney beans =p Canned kidney beans are a good substitution for boiling your own adzuki beans.

~ Cheese Roll-Ups

Adapted from:

-

Description:

Simple twist to the original fluffy bread slice!

Ingredients:

1 slice processed cheese

1 small lettuce leaf

1 whole wheat bread slice

Directions:

1) Flatten bread slice with a mug or rolling pin.

2) Place cheese and lettuce leaf on top before rolling up tightly in a plastic wrap. Unwrap only when serving.

Remarks:

I wanted to play with some variation in my sandwiches and tah-dah, cheese roll-ups! Well, it's not exactly a novel idea but still.. it's a creative innovation :) Speaking of which, I'm reminded of the new term "analogs" in drug design that I've learnt today! Drug companies use the structure of previously known drugs to come up with structurally and/or functionally similar "new" drugs..

Ok enough of medicinal chemistry, back to the roll-ups. Eating my bread this way seemed to enhance the taste of the cheese as the fluffy bread is no longer in the way to overwhelm the thin slice of cheese. Additionally, the cheese seemed to be concentrated (rolled up) in one single bite which offered a texture variation from that of eating from a sandwich. I've used NTUC's house brand high-calcium cheese which boosts of possessing calcium equivalent to that of one cup of milk per slice, and it's those types which soften and melt pretty quickly, resulting in a dense cheesy taste. The lettuce added moisture and crisp which create a nice sensory alteration from the soft roll.

This roll will definitely send the pig scrambling out of its warm cosy sty early in the morning!

~ Tomato Egg Pasta

Adapted from:

-

Description:

Quick and filling pasta cloaked in chunky tomato-based sauce lined with shreds of egg white

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes, diced

1 tsp oil

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp ketchup

1 egg, yolk and white separated

75 g pasta

Directions:

1) Cook pasta in salted water till al dente. Reserve half a cup of liquid, and set pasta aside on a plate.

2) Heat oil and tomatoes in a saucepan, and cook till tomatoes are soft, around 5-10 min.

3) On low heat, add in dark soysauce, ketchup and adjust the consistency with the pasta liquid if you like the sauce to be thinner.

4) Stir in the egg white till its cooked and pour the sauce over the pasta.

5) Top the pasta with egg yolk and serve.

Remarks:

I was up earlier than expected, what else can I do then to whip myself a nutritious breakfast? But what? Peanut butter sandwich was on my lunch list so no way I'm going to have that for breakfast as well. Had no cravings for oatmeal for a long long time so its out of the question. Let's open the fridge for some inspiration and hey, there were many tomatoes lying around! And so I've decided to make a quick meal out of my favourite lycopene duffels!

Being lazy and dreadful of having bad breath (was going to school and for driving after that), I've omitted the onions and garlic that I adore so much. An egg was throw in to add protein, taste and for aesthetic purposes =p Don't you just like the yellow yolk perched on the bed of red with white streaks?

As I'd used wholewheat pasta which had a distinct nutty taste to it, I couldn't really tell the exact taste of the sauce if I had it together with the pasta. However, a sample of merely the sauce yielded a rather ketchup-like taste, and the egg yolk lended a creamy texture. On the whole, it was a rather good gustatory experience in the morning.

~ Strawberry & Grape Smoothie

Adapted from:

-

Description:

A saccharine smoothie packed with antioxidants to cool off the hot day~

Ingredients:

1/2 C frozen grapes
3 big frozen strawberries
1 C milk
1 tbsp sugar-free berry jam

Directions:

1) Blend all together and serve immediately.

Remarks:

Felt like drinking a smoothie, so just whipped up a casual one with anything on hand.

~ Durian Puffs

Adapted from:

My Kitchen

Description:

Satisfying chilled durian-stuffed treasures~

Ingredients:
900 gm durian with seeds
60 g butter
120 ml water
1/8 tsp salt
60 g flour
2 eggs

Directions:

1) Deseed the durians to get the flesh and place in a covered bowl to chill in the fridge.
2)In a medium pot, bring water and butter to boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a soft ball.
3) Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time, mix well between adding.
4) Pipe the batter into a small 3" circle onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
5) Bake for 10 min with 200 deg in a preheated oven then bake with 180 deg for another 15-20 min.
6) Prick each case with a toothpick and then cool them on rack completely.
7) Split and fill the cases with the durian flesh before chilling them.

Remarks:

A remarkable pastry! The burst of durian from each bite certainly threw me off my chair! Each puff case was soft and chewy with the right amount of saltiness that blended well with the creamy pungent filling. Yummy!

It's quite interesting to see the progress of baking..

... from small flat lumps of batter:

... to plump puffs: