~ Strawberry Milkshake

Taken from:
Tiffany's! 

Ingredients (serves 2):
200g strawberries
1/2 C milk
4 tsp sweetener (I used lactulose =x)
1/2 C ice

Remarks: 
Blend all together for a refreshing strawberry juice! Yes juice, not milkshake! I could barely taste the milk =( Perhaps a substitution with creamer and less ice to save the drink?

For those who are clueless to what lactulose is, it is a laxative that is really sweet. It is not absorbed by the body and helps to retain water in the bowels, therefore softening the stools. Very good for the slightly-constipated me!

"I'm a good strawberry-shaped fishy, and I'm too adorable to be eaten!"

~ Cheesy Broccoli Oatmeal Soup

Taken from:
Tiffany's! 


Ingredients (serves 2):
240 g broccoli, chopped and steamed
1 tomato, chopped and steamed
1/4 to 1/2 C instant oats
1 C milk
1-2 slices processed cheese

Directions: 
1) Place broccoli, tomato, oats and milk into a pot and bring to boil. Simmer for 5-10 min.
2) Blend till smooth or to desired texture.
3) Pour into bowls and garnish with cheese. Serve hot.


Remarks: 
Ahh I lost the pictures!!!


After the completion of my final year project (FYP), I seem to regain my interest in destroying Mum's kitchen =p  

Here's to good health, and no more FYP!

~ Crimson Oil-Free Mushroom Soup (with Collagen)

Taken from:
Tiffany's! 


Ingredients (serves 1-2):
1 small tomato, cut into chunks
1 carrot, cut into chunks
1/4 red capsicum, cut into chunks
150 g oyster mushrooms
2 tbsp pasta sauce
1 tbsp collagen powder
1 tsp chopped green onions/scallions

Directions: 
1) Place tomato and carrot chunks into a pot and add sufficient water to cover them. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 min, or till carrots are soft.
2) Add in red capsicum and mushroom, to cook for 5 min.
3) Stir in pasta sauce, collagen powder and green onions, and simmer till bubbly. 
4) Season with salt and pepper if desired, and serve.


Remarks: 
Ahh I lost the pictures!!!


Oh dear, this soup gave my olfactory system the jimjams when the pungency of the oyster mushroom clashed head-on with the sharp smell of the red capsicum. Eww what a horrendous malodorous smell! The pasta sauce was truly a saviour, melding the two adversaries together, and the soup turned out pretty awesome! For my palate, that is. =) 

The mushrooms lent an interesting chewiness, the carrots a sweet goodness, the capsicums a stimulatory kick, the tomatoes a tangy zing, the pasta sauce an Italian flavour and the green onions an Asian slant. An excellent medley of ingredients for a healthy crimson soup!

For those who like a faster way of doing things, dump all the veggies into the pot and boil away! The reason for having step 2 is to prevent the red capsicum and mushroom from becoming too mushy to add texture, and also to limit the amount of water (based on volume) added in step 1. 

Regarding the addition of collagen powder, the collagen powder advocates will either 1) nod their heads in approval or 2) gawk in horror, depending on how they see it. Boosting the soup with collagen gets a pat on the back, but stirring vitamin C-fortified gelatin into hot steaming soup turns the table around. Oh well, that's why adding the collagen powder is optional (if you happen to have it).

~ Thick Easy Oil-free Mushroom Soup

Taken from:
Tiffany's! 

Ingredients (serves 2-3):
200 g portobello mushrooms, 1/4 chopped into chunks, rest sliced
50 g oyster mushrooms
6 tbsp + 6 tbsp water (180 ml total)
2 tbsp flour
6 tbsp + 2 tbsp low fat-milk (120 ml total)
1 tsp soy sauce

Directions: 
1) Boil diced mushrooms in 6 tbsp water for 5 - 10 min in a pot. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
2) Add in the rest of the mushrooms and remaining water, boil and simmer till mushrooms are soft, around 15 min.
3) Increase heat, stir in 2 tbsp flour, and mix well to cook. Break up any large lumps with the back of a spoon.
4) Mix in 6 tbsp milk and soy sauce, and cook till bubbly. Simmer for 5 - 10 min and stir constantly to prevent burning of milk.
5) Pour the mixture into a blender and blend to desired consistency.
6) Return the soup into the pot, and rinse out residual soup from the blender with 2 tbsp of milk. Add in diced mushrooms and cook till bubbly.
7) Season with salt and pepper if desired before serving.
OR
1) Boil all mushrooms in 12 tbsp water for 15 min.
2) Mix in 2 tbsp of flour and cook till pasty.
3) Stir in 8 tbsp of milk and 1 tsp soy sauce, and simmer for 5 - 10 min.
4) Blend the soup till desired consistency, and serve with salt and pepper.

Remarks: 
Ahh I lost the pictures!!!

Attributed to the generous serving of mushrooms, the resultant soup was extremely thick, and some watering down with water/milk might do some good. Avoid over-blending and use chunky mushrooms, as the mushrooms got sort of mushy for my soup. Feel free to experiment with any type of mushroom. I might exclude the soy sauce next time around, which proved to be too overpowering. After slurping the last drop, I found the soup surprising filling - good for an afternoon lunch!

~ Orange Cranberry Chickpea Cake

Adapted from:
Smallest Smallholding

Ingredients:
240 g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 egg
100 g brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
Zest and juice of 1 orange
50 g of dried cranberry and raisin mix (or any fruit mix), plumped with orange juice

Directions: 
1) Blend chickpeas, egg, sugar, baking powder and 1 tbsp of orange juice in a blender till smooth.
2) Stir in dried fruits and zest.
3) Pour into a greased round tin and bake in a preheated oven at 150 deg for 40 min, or till brown.
4) Spoon orange juice over cake and cool before removing from the tin. Dust with icing sugar if desired.

Remarks:  
Ahh I lost the pictures!!!


Wouldn't call this a cake - it seems very crumbly, maybe another egg might do the trick? It is somewhat like eating mashed potatoes with cranberries. I would probably reduce the sugar as the dried fruits are very sweet already.