We tried this dish at a restaurant some months back.
Deep fried lotus root - it was good, but a little too salty. Look what mom cooked:
 I especially like the lotus root - crunchy and not too salty.

Stir fry mixed veggies with mushroom is like my staple.. black fungus is very nutritious. (I like it for its collagen hehe).

Steamed fish, mmmmmm thats pure fish essence, without added water! :D

Wooohoooo my all time favourite!
Momma makes the best pizza *grins*
Lots of mushroom, chicken chunks baked in yummy cheese, topped with  red pepper.
Oh and tomato sauce too. I had this all day, lunch and dinner :)

After many years of tea drinking, I've recently gotten very interested with flower / herbal teas (because I now know where to get them!)

Tea for today offers many health benefits; let's go thru by individual herbs.

Pak Kei / HuangQi
~ is of warm properties
~ promotes urination (diuretic)
~ used for treating cold and respiratory infections
~ strengthen immune system
~ is antibacterial and antiviral
~ protects liver
~ promotes tissue regeneration
~ can lower blood pressure (large dosage)
~ can increase blood pressure (small dosage)
~ regulate blood sugar

Jiao Gu Lan
~ antioxidant
~ promotes longevity
~ is a calming adaptogen
~ anti aging
~ improves digestion
~ improves fat metabolism
~ improves endurance in the body
~ regulates hormonal functions
~ prevents constipation
With so many health benefits, I'm happy to drink this every other day..

Have you had days where you woke up feeling really hungry, wanting to eat some tasty good food (not fast food), but just too lazy to cook up a storm?

Today is one of those days..
I wanted something salty, with meat and veggies..
I don't wanna wait for the rice to cook.. too long..

I did the lazy cooking..
One bowl of veggies and meat, cooked together in soy sauce.. yumm!
Served with Amaranth Tea.. A meal prepared in about 30 mins
Voila!
My healthy brunch: Nutiritious as it includes the orange, purple colored veggies, mushroom for anti aging properties, meat for protein, garlic and onions for good immune system.

Ingredients:
- brinjal
- carrot
- minced meat
- fresh mushroom
- garlic
- onions
- soy sauce
- salt


Some freshly boiled flower tea is always so soothing.
Today I chose the Amaranth Tea:

Ingredients:
- 12 flower buds
- boiling water

Amaranth tea is good for skin health, and also has anti aging properties :)
*vain pot*
Oh, it can also help to regulate menstrual function.

The tea has very light sweet scent, and has no strong taste. I like to take it plain, without sugar.
I find this refreshing..
Tinted in pink.. very girly me thinks!

Yeah ok, so it doesn't sound very convincing I know. But its a fact that oats are good for health. Here are some whys:

~ Oats make us calmer. Its a natural anti-depressant.

~ It has Inositol which maintains the blood cholestrol level. (The Boyfriend can prove this.. his health report came back alot healthier since I "forced" him to eat oats hehe. He now loves it!)

~ Oats protects us from bowel cancer because of its high fibre content.

~ Unrefined oats can be eaten on regular basis to reduce stress while cooked oats will relieve fatigue.

Okay enough of benefits. But it is boring to eat the same thing everyday, eh?
For me, I mix in my milk tea (some ppl find me weird, but try it, taste good), mix with hot water and some prunes and bananas, or just plain oats with some sweetened milk.

Recently Momma taught me another recipe with oats, the salty version and here's how I prepare it:

Ingredients: (basically what you fancy eating) I like mine this way-
- Minced meat
- Onion (chopped)
- French beans / cabbage (finely chopped)
- Mushroom (any type) (sliced)
- Oats (of course)

Just heat the pan with some oil, and saute onion.

Add in meat and mushroom and stir for a few minutes.

Add in french beans / veggies.

Season with salt / soy sauce.

Add a cup of water, and pour in oats.

Keep stirring until simmer.

Ready to serve! Yummm... I love it. Keeps me full!

Mmmm some healthy, easy to make dish.

Ingredients:
1 pound soft tofu
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced white onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces diced mushroom (button / portabella)
1 tbsp lemon juice
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
1/3 tsp thyme
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon or honey mustard
3 tbsp snipped fresh chives
4 chive blossoms

Directions:

1. Drain tofu, place on a clean kitchen towel. Draw the corners of the towel together, twist around tofu to drain water.

2. Heat oil until hot, but not smoking. Add onions and sauté until coated with oil. Reduce heat, continue to stir until translucent, about 8 minutes.

3. Add garlic and mushrooms

4. Cook briefly, add in lemon juice, continue to cook for about 7 mins

5. Add in tofu and toss.

6. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except chives, cook for 5-8 mins.

7. Stir in chives, adjust seasonings.

8. Garnish with chive blossoms.

Recipe from Yoga Journal :)

Got this from Yoga Journal dated back in 1999!
Also known as: Glycyrrhiza Glabra

Benefits of Licorice:

• Aphrodisiac (taken with milk and sugar)
• Soothe bowel and kidney irritations
• Cleanse the colon
• Strengthen the liver
• Mild laxative to expel mucous from lungs
• Good to treat sore throats
• Relieves canker sores, eczema, psoriasis.
• Heals herpes (sprinkle powdered roots onto clean sores) (WTF?)
• General abdominal pain, asthma, depression, insomnia
• Menstrual difficulties, nausea, tooth decay

The Nutrients:

• Vitamin B and E
• Choline
• Biotin
• Inositol
• Glycosides
• Isoflavanoids
• Triterpenoids
• Sterols
• Amino acids

Too much of a good thing can become harmful; so use moderately. Excessive use may cause:

• increase sodium
• water retention
• elevate blood pressure
• increase cardiac dysfunction

Licorice Tea:

by decoction:-

Put 1-2 teaspoon of dried licorice into pot/saucepan. Add one cup of water for each teaspoon of licorice. Bring mixture to boil and simmer on low heat for 10-20 mins. Add honey / apple juice after simmerring.

Can't find pictures of these, anyone tried before?

Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups sifted powder sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Beat sugar, vanilla, lemon peel, and 6 tablespoons of butter until well blended.

Add eggs one at a time.
Add flour and baking powder. Dough will be sticky.

Transfer the batter to a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip.
Pipe batter into small rings onto cookie sheets about 2" apart.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Make the glaze by melting the 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat.
Add sugar, water, lemon juice and vanilla, stir continuously.
Brush hot cookies with warm glaze.

Let cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool
completely.

Weather sucks these days, and many fall ill.
Worse, Swine Flu is here! Lets down some Green Juice~!

• 1 cup kale
• 4 stalks celery
• 1 1/2 pears
• 1" piece of fresh ginger
• 1/2 lemon, zest and pith removed

Yum!

Back Entry: 22nd July 2009

I’m here updating my purchases while resisting seduction from my mom’s Eel Soup.
The aroma of fragrant ginger and pepper, combined with the eel… is just so tempting me.
One more hour till dinner time..

This soup is very very good for skin *awake* It gives us bright and supple complexion.

But the fish is full of tiny bones, so be extra careful when you eat it. Me and momma was at the market after bfast, and at 10-ish, the sellers were preparing to go home, and desperate to sell off whatever they have left. I’m so amazed with momma’s haggling skills – she got about 6 big pcs of eel for $5! WTF??! If I was the one buying, I’d innocently pay $10 for those… sheesh what a catch. Learn to haggle girls!

The old folks once said when you cook eel with ginger, you can find out if the eel is toxic. Why?
Because in the water, sometimes they mate with snakes (!!!) so they become toxic. I don’t how true is this.. but better be safe than sorry, yes? Anyway, when cooked with ginger, if the eel turns black – it is toxic, so don’t consume it. Else it is safe.

This soup is warming. Suitable for rainy days :)

Ingredients:
1 pc of eel (for one person)
Few slices of ginger
Some pepper
Spring onion.

Seriously??
... Yummy!!


-from MarthaStewart.com


Ingredients

Makes 24

* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
* 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside

3. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture just until combined

4. With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chunks, raisins, pecans, and oats

5. Drop 2-inch balls of dough, spaced 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten dough balls slightly. Bake 12 to 16 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned, rotating sheets halfway through

6. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ohhhh I just have to put this up!

Ingredients:
4 eggs
3 c. frozen hashbrowns
1/2 green or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 lb. crisp fried bacon (broken)
1/4 c. milk
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese and Mozzarella cheese (mixed to proportions of taste to equal 1 c.)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Lightly brown hash browns and pepper in bacon grease.

Place hash browns on a 2 quart casserole dish and sprinkle with 1/2 of cheese and 1/2 of bacon.

Mix egg and milk together and pour over cheese and bacon. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon.

Cover with waxed paper and microwave high 3 1/2 to 4 minutes or until eggs are nearly set rotating dish 1/2 turn after 2 minutes.

Let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until set. Cut and serve. (About 6 servings.)

Nyummmm!

AFC doesn't have this pic on the site, so just imagine how goooood it is okay.


Ingredients:

7 ounces sugar
7 ounces butter
7 ounces self-raising flour, sifted
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs, preferably free-range
3 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder
8 tablespoons warm water
Handful flaked almonds
3 3/4 ounces cooking chocolate, broken up

For the chocolate sauce:
3 3/4 ounces cooking chocolate
3 3/4 ounces confectioners' sugar
3 3/4 ounces butter
4 tablespoons milk


Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C / gas 4).

Beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the butter mixture.

Add the eggs and mix it all together. Then mix the cocoa powder with 8 tablespoons of warm water, until smooth.

Fold the chocolate paste, almonds, and chocolate pieces into the cake mixture. Pour the mixture into a greased baking tin, spreading it out evenly.

Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Makes 3 dozen medium-size cookies

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
* 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, using a spatula, cream together butter, sugar, and salt. Add egg, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water; mix until well combined.

3. In another large bowl, mix together flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg. Fold into the butter mixture until well combined. Add raisins and stir until well combined.

4. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, scoop out cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Transfer baking sheets to oven, and bake until edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients:

* 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
* 6 oz white chocolate, chopped
* 2 egg
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 tsp vanilla
* 1 cup all purpose flour
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1/4 cup dried cranberries
* 1/2 cup walnut pieces, (optional), lightly toasted
* icing sugar, for dusting


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Butter and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment.

3. Over a pot of simmering water, melt butter halfway. Add white chocolate and stir until melted. Allow to cool to room temperature.

4. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with an electric mixer), whip eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale and thick. Reduce speed to medium and add chocolate mixture.

5. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and stir into egg mixture, by hand. Stir in dried cranberries and walnuts and spoon into prepared pan.

6. Bake 45 minutes.

To Assemble

1. Allow to cool completely before cutting and dust with icing sugar. Brownies will keep for 4-6 days in an airtight container.

Yumm.. I love what I see on the pic; so am trying this as soon as I replenish some supplies.. I got this from Martha Stewart, love the Cookie of the Day section!

Ingredients

Makes about 3 dozen

* 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
* 2/3 cup heavy cream
* Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.