in my studio

Aug
04
2015

barley and chicken soup

I am a HUGE soup lover! I could eat soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I just found this amazing soup recipe through a friend from a Facebook cooking group, so happy to come across new soup recipes. Please hit me with some of your favourites too. They are so nice especially in this cold wintery weather.

RECIPE FOR BARLEY AND CHICKEN SOUP
Adapted from Coles Magazine, with slight modifications
Serves: 6
Prep time: 15mins
Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients
1kg chicken (I use chicken maryland pieces with bones)
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 flat leaf parsley stems
2 thyme sprigs
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp peppercorns (or pepper)
1/2 cup pearl barley
some chopped coriander
2L water (or more)
Salt to taste

Method

1. In a large stockpot, saute with some oil; onions, leek, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley and coriander.
2. Then add the chicken pieces and water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 hours.
3. Use tong and transfer chicken pieces into a bowl. Remove and discard skin and bones. Coarsely shred the chicken.
4. Add barley and chicken pieces into soup and cook for another 30 minutes or until barley is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Categories: chicken, clean eating, entree, in my kitchen, soups

Aug
02
2015

brownie cheesecake with chocolate mousse

If you like chocolate and cheesecake then you should try out this triple later cheesecake which is made of a brownie base, cheesecake centre and a chocolate mousse topping! Or if you’re more of the traditional type cheesecake lover with a fruit toping, like blueberry or raspberry, then go for this New York cheesecake, absolutely to die for (which happens to be the middle layer in this cake!)

BROWNIE (BASE) RECIPE
Click here for brownie recipe

CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Click here for cheesecake recipe

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE RECIPE
Adapted from Nigella, I halved the recipe

Ingredients

75 grams marshmallows
25 grams soft butter
125 grams good dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), chopped
30ml hot water
142ml thickened cream, whipped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Put the marshmallows, butter, chocolate and water in a heavy-based saucepan.

Put the saucepan on the hob, over heat, though keep it fairly gentle, to melt the contents, stirring every now and again. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, whip the cream with the vanilla extract until thick, and then fold into the cooling chocolate mixture until you have a smooth, cohesive mixture.

Pour on top of cooled cheesecake then chill for a minimum of 4 hours.

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Categories: in my kitchen

Jul
16
2015

Pineapple Tarts | Tart Nenas

Pineapple tarts are such a Malay tradition for Raya(Eid). One of the best biskut raya (Eid cookies)!

You can make them in a few different shapes so I went with the flower and the ‘pineapple’ shape tarts. The flower was made using a tart cutter and the pineapple was done by hand, and the pattern was made using scissors (yes really!)

So proud of my little pineapple tarts! LOL

DOUGH RECIPE
Adapted from Siti Emel

Ingredients

265g butter, room temperature**
2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted**
1 tbsp vanilla essence**
a pinch of salt**
1 drop of yellow food colour**

2 egg yolks ##
1 egg white##

2 tbsp corn flour ~
500grams plain flour, sifted ~

Method

1. Beat/mix all ingredients ** in a mixer for 5 mins. I use a food processor

2. Add ingredients ## then mix again for another 5 mins

3. Add ingredients ~ then knead dough (in my food processor)

4. Set aside for 30mins. Then start making your tarts with the filling (recipe below)

5. Preheat oven at 160C for 20mins first

6. Then bake for 20mins!

PINEAPPLE FILLING RECIPE

Ingredients

500grams grated pineapple (juice drained)
250grams sugar
1 screwpine leaf (daun pandan)
2 drops orange food colouring
Method

1. Cut pineapple and using a food processor, process till it becomes fine. Then drain the juice.

2. In a pot, combine all the ingredients and cook on a low to medium heat until it reduces and becomes like a jam consistency.

3. Let it cool before assembling the tarts

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Categories: cookies, desserts, eid, in my kitchen

Jul
13
2015

FREE Eid Money Envelopes

FREE PRINTABLES

Eid Money Envelopes/Packet

*You may download this printable at the end of this post*

Make your Eid gifting nicer by giving out your money in Eid money envelopes. It makes a nice surprise for the recipient to receive it, anxiously knowing how much is inside. I still remember during raya (eid), my sister and I would get heaps of duit raya (money envelopes) from relatives; but we were too shy to ‘check’ it publicly, so we’d collect them all and store them in our bags. As soon as we sat in the car, we’d start opening and counting LOL.

My 2015 eid theme is Geo scandi, and they come in 2 cute designs. If you prefer a more generic colour theme to suit both genders, I have them in my Confetti Collection or in my Golden Marrakesh Collection

They fit any bill perfectly, as shown :)

Even little kids will enjoy them!

This, money envelope along with your money inside, could potentially brighten up a little child on their Eid day :)

6 lovely comments
Categories: do-it-yourself, eid, eid decorations, eid giveaway, free printables, freebies, in my studio

Jul
12
2015

malaysian lontong

RECIPE FOR MALAYSIAN VEGETARIAN LONTONG
Adapted from my stepmother

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients

For the paste, blended:
2-3 dried chillies, seeds removed and soaked in hot water for 30mins
6 candle nuts
4 garlic cloves
6 shallots
1.5 tbsp turmeric powder
1cm piece of shrimp paste (belacan), toasted
30g dried shrimp, or handful-soaked in hot water for a couple of mins

Other ingredients:
10 small packets of rice cubes, cut into small cubes
1 cup long green beans, cut into 5cm long
1 large carrot, cut into 5 cm thin strips
1/2 cabbage, cut into pieces
400ml coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 packet bean curd sticks, softened with boiling water for 5mins
3 tbsp oil
salt, to taste

Method

1. In a medium size pot with water, boil rice cubes for an hour (follow instructions on packet). Remove and leave to completely cool before refrigerating for 2 hours. Rice cubes need to set firmly before cutting.

2. Cut all the vegetables and then blend the ingredients to make the paste.

3. In a medium pot, heat up oil and saute the blended ingredients until oil separates.

4. Add coconut milk and chicken stock, simmer on medium heat.

5. Put the vegetables and bean curd sticks; and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. Season well with salt.

6. Serve with some cut rice cubes for a one pot meal.