Hua Kee Hougang Famous Wan Ton Mee ........ for the Wan Ton Mee fanatic

This was a Friday evening that I visited the Old Airport Road with HY. We were happy that we found a car park lot right at the front of the hawker center. Those who've been there would know that it's quite difficult getting a lot right at the front.

So, walking up the steps to the first row of stalls, we saw two famous Wan Tan Mee stalls. From what I've heard from friends and seen from food programmes, they have their fair share of popularity.

We decide to join the queue and patronise Hua Kee.

You're looking at my bowl of S$4 worth of Wan Ton Mee. There's a generous amount of char siew. Overall, the noodle is tasty but the wan tons are small. One of my friend, a Wan Ton Mee fanatic, would order from them everytime we come to Old Airport Food Center.



Here's my shot of the tangy noodles that I think is one main reason that attracts the crowd.

Cost : S$3/4/5 per bowl

Address : 51 Old Airport Road, #01-02, Old Airport Road Food Centre.

Country : Singapore

Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach

I know, another pasta dish! I don't even mean to do it, it just happens! This was a fun find after an impulse buy of what felt like ten pounds of tortellini from Costco! This dish is pretty similar to the Gnocchi recipe that I posted not too long ago, but just different enough that it was still worth posting. I love the delicious cheesy centers of the tortellini, and it's so filling! And for the record, the tortellini from Costco is fantastic! It was also fun to use prosciutto in this dish, I don't have it often, and it has such a wonderful strong and salty taste that adds the perfect accent to the pasta and spinach. The only thing I wish I'd done differently is slice the meat a lot smaller. Prosciutto is a very rich product, and getting a big mouthful of it can be a bit overwhelming! But my whole family loved this one, and my daughter even begged me for leftovers the next day...yeah, this one's a keeper!

Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach
Found in Cooking Light October 2008 edition

Ingredients

1 (9 oz) package fresh cheese tortellini
1 tablespoon pine nuts (we omitted these due to allergies)
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (6 oz) package fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
2 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Transfer pasta to large bowl.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Add nuts to bowl.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Add spinach mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients to bowl, toss well.

Serves 4: 1 serving is 1 cup

Per Serving: 292 cal, 9.2g fat, 14.6g prot, 38.8g carb, 3.8g fiber, 32mg chol, 1.8mg iron, 618mg sod.

Points per Serving: 6

Pantry Paella Recipe

My kitchen is overflowing. My freezer is so full I can barely close it. I sometimes hear the crash of bottles, jars and tins falling off my pantry shelves and onto the floor. I seriously think I could cook and eat without going out of the house for a month. Ok, I might get bored of tuna and beans and pasta, but then again, maybe not. I have no idea what causes me to hoard food, but I sometimes imagine I must have been a starving Italian casalinga in another lifetime.

The other day I was thinking about using the short grain Valencia rice I had languishing in the cupboard to make paella. I was going to buy some shrimp but as I perused various recipes it became clear to me that you can make paella with just about any combination of vegetables, seafood or meat. There is no one paella. I figured I might as well use what I have on hand. In my pantry I had a jar of artichokes and a can of green olives, and in the freezer I had pearl onions, peas and a single sausage. Those ingredients were what I used on top of the paella rice. I tweaked the technique I found in a Mark Bittman recipe Tomato Paella to make the rice.

I know it seems hard to believe, but I only used one sausage for 4 servings of paella! Actually, you could easily make this a vegetarian dish. The idea is to use any leftover cooked or prepared vegetables and meats you have on hand or to raid your pantry. I wouldn't make this recipe unless I had several things I wanted to use up. This recipe is a good excuse for not throwing away that 1/4 cup of leftover carrots or peas or whatever you find yourself staring at when cleaning up after dinner. The variations are endless.

Pantry Paella
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 cups liquid, a combination of broth, water and juice from toppings (see below)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Large pinch saffron threads
2 teaspoons paprika, preferably Spanish pimentón (smoked paprika)
2 1/2 cups toppings--cooked vegetables, seafood, meat (such as peas, artichokes, green olives, red peppers, shrimp, chicken, sausage)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 2 large cloves
2 cups preferably Spanish or other short-grain rice
Minced parsley for garnish
Lemon wedges

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine stock and water with tomato paste, saffron and paprika in a saucepan and heat.
Put oil in a 10- or 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is shiny, another minute or two. Add liquid and stir until just combined.

Put pan in oven and roast, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Check to see if rice is dry and just tender. If not, return pan to oven and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. If rice is dry but still is not quite done, add a small amount of stock or water or white wine. Amount of liquid will vary depending upon the size of your pan. When rice is ready, turn off oven, sprinkle toppings on rice and cover with lid or foil. Let pan sit in the oven for 5 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce

I know that the season for pumpkin has passed, but please, is there really ever a bad time for pumpkin baked goods? I didn't think so. I loved this recipe because the cake itself literally takes five minutes to throw together and have in the oven, but then you make the caramel sauce right before serving it and you feel like you are serving up a very fancy dessert. The caramel sauce is a bit thinner, and tastes more like a "brown sugar sauce," that soaks into your cake, but I liked it a lot because it gave the cake a very old fashioned taste, very moist and full of flavor. If I was more of a forward thinking person, I would have had whipped cream, or vanilla bean ice cream to serve it with, but even by itself, it was delicious!

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce

Found in Taste of Home, Baking Book

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil

Caramel Sauce:
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
Dash salt
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin and oil until smooth; add to the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended, about 1 minute.

2. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

3. For sauce, combine the brown sugar, flour and salt into saucepan. Stir in water and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cut cake into squares and serve with warm sauce.

The Ungarnished Truth, A Cooking Contest Memoir: Book Review

I'll admit it, even though I find most of the recipes atrocious, I am fascinated by the Pillsbury Bake-Off. Every two years the contest is held with much fanfare and prizes, including a million dollar grand prize. The judges are generally food editors and choose recipes based on taste, appearance, creativity and consumer appeal, but because the recipes use packaged "convenience" foods, they often end up sounding bizarre. Samosa Taquitos with Apricot Chutney Sauce, anyone? Or Huevos Rancheros Pizza?

The Ungarnished Truth, A Cooking Contest Memoir "A Woman, A Chicken Dinner, A Million Dollars" is out now in paperback and I devoured the book in two sittings. Bake-off grand prize winner and author Ellie Matthews is smart, funny and very engaging. Her story gives an almost unbelievable level of detail on her road to the win. But even if she never won anything, you would want to read about this quirky and down to earth woman (who shocked everyone by not jumping up and down or screaming when she won).

In some ways Matthews is a most unlikely contestant. With a scientific mind, and a passion for the outdoors, she is not who you'd imagine even entering contests, but enter she does. Perhaps her amazing eye for detail comes from the fact that she is fully expecting not to win. In fact, she tells herself, and her readers that her first appearance in the Bake-Off is just a practice run.

In addition to sharing everything about the contest and her recipe development strategies, Matthews also shares intimate emotional elements and how the contest wove its way into to her life, even helping her reconnect with a very dear friend she met during a dramatic tragic event in the mountains. But enough about it from me, just read the book, it's an absolute pleasure.

Mexican Chicken Pizza with Spanish Rice

I went back and forth several times on whether or not I was going to post this. It was an invention designed after realizing that I had some thawed chicken in the fridge, no plan, and no ambition! There's really nothing new or exciting about it, but it was a definite hit and was gobbled down by every player in the family. The biggest reason I wanted to post though it because the rice, which was also a mix of ingredients that I basically closed my eyes and threw together, turned out DELICIOUS. I love it when that happens!

For the chicken pizzas, top a flour or corn tortilla with refried, or smashed black beans, chicken that has been sauteed in favorite Mexican flavors, sliced olives and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375 until crispy and brown. Top with rice, sour cream, cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, or whatever your wee fancy heart desires.

Spanish Rice

Ingredients

1 cup white rice
1 1/2 cup water
1 medium sized can diced tomatoes
1 small can green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tablespoon chili powder

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for twenty minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

Imperial Treasures @ GWC .......... for Cantonese food

I heard from people that the Barbeque Combination at Imperial Treasures is good. So here I am to savour them.

Imperial Treasures at Great World City got a main dining area and surrounded by many of it's private dining rooms. I was attracted by the "lanterns" up on the ceiling that makes an impressive interor decor. There's even a good selection of wine in this restaurant. Sounds like a good place for business meals.

Here's the Barbeque Combination we had ...... Char Siew, Roast Duck and the Roasted Pork (S$18). I came for this dish particularly and I think they're pretty good!



Some other food that we had that's worth recommending ...........

Lettuce cooked with ginger and dried scallop (S$14)



Pan Fried Sea Bass with prawn paste sauce (S$18)



Pan Fried Sea Bass without the sauce (S$18) - Although without the sauce, the simply pan fried and slightly salted fillet taste just as marvelous!



Here's my dumpling in ginger tea for desert (S$3.50)

Cost : about S$40 per person

Address : 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Great World City, #02-06

Country : Singapore

100 Things to Eat (in San Francisco)

Have you seen the 100 Things to Try Before You Die list over at 7x7? It's a terrific to do list. I've done about half.

2. Coffee-rubbed pork shoulder at Range
3. Carnitas taco at La Taqueria
6. Burger with fries at Slow Club
7. Shaking beef at the Slanted Door
8. Morning bun at Tartine Bakery
10. Baja-style fish tacos at Nick’s Crispy Tacos
11. Pork sugo with pappardelle at Delfina
12. Salt-and-pepper squid at Yuet Lee
14. Beef brisket at Memphis Minnie’s
15. Oysters on the half shell at Swan Oyster Depot
19. Tuna tartare at Michael Mina
21. Pizza margherita at Pizzeria Delfina
22. Vietnamese roasted pork sandwich at Saigon Sandwich
29. Spaetzle at Suppenküche
30. Laughing Buddha cocktail at Cantina
35. Salted-caramel ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery
36. Dry-fried chicken wings at San Tung
37. Rotisserie chicken at Limón Rotisserie
38. French fries at Hayes Street Grill
40. Cheeseburger at Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
41. Pho ga at Turtle Tower
42. Fried-shrimp po’boy at Brenda’s French Soul Food
44. Cannelé at Boulangerie Bay Bread
47. Ceviche at La Mar Cebichería Peruana
48. Angels on horseback at Anchor & Hope
52. Fried brussels sprouts at SPQR
53. Garlic soup at Piperade
54. Spiced-chocolate doughnut at Dynamo Donut
59. Huarache with cactus salad at El Huarache Loco
62. Shrimp-and-chive dumplings at Ton Kiang
63. Meatballs with grapes at Aziza
65. Crispy eggplant at Jai Yun
67. Sand dabs at Tadich Grill
72. Arancini at Ducca
73. Popovers with strawberry butter at the Rotunda
75. Fried green beans at Coco500
76. Chicken hash at Ella’s
78. Chilaquiles with a fried egg at Pastores
80. Apple fritter at Bob’s Donuts
83. Sweet-potato fries with banana catsup at Poleng Lounge
84. A margarita at Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant
86. A cheese slice at Arinell Pizza
87. Fresh spring rolls at Out the Door
88. Buckwheat crepe and a French cider at Ti Couz
97. Sesame balls at Yank Sing
99. Clam chowder at Hog Island Oyster Co.
100. Cheese course at Gary Danko

I wouldn't say all of these are top favorites of mine, but I can see the merit in each and some of them are absolutely fantastic (see 10, 22, 35, 36, 47, 78). Perhaps I'll come up with my own list one of these days...what's on your list of San Francisco eats?

China Restaurant 中国餐厅 ......... for skewered lamb

Ever since I came back from Yunnan China, I have been thinking of the skewered lamb that I went crazy over. there's one particular street in Kunming that temporary stalls were set-up just to sell this skewered meat. There's chicken, beef and lamb but I liked the grilled skewered lamb best.

So tonight, I chanced upon the grilled skewered lamb 串羊肉 right in Chinatown in Singapore. The lamb is skewered and then grilled with spices sprinkled over the meat. The spices is what makes this meat tasty.

Grilled skewered lamb (S$1.00 per skewer)



Apart from the skewered lamb, the pork rib noodles 排骨拉面 is not too bad. The soup is tasty but not salty. Most importantly, the meat of the pork rib is infused with the stew and it's so soft that it just fall off the bone.



Address : Corner shop at the junction of New Bridge Road and Mosque Street.

Country : Singapore

Double Stuffed Baked Potato Recipe

David Lebovitz and I should never go out to dinner together. Why? Because I have a wandering fork. I love sharing food for several reasons. First of all, I can rarely decide what I want, so sharing generally means I get to try more than one thing. Also I fear I have bad ordering karma and will choose the worst thing on the menu and be stuck with it if I don't share. Finally, I don't like massive portions so sharing also helps me keep from eating way more than I want.

A few years ago there was a diner that was known for serving gigantic portions and my mother and I used to share a double stuffed baked potato and salad. It was one of those potatoes that was way over a pound to begin with and then it had loads of vegetables in it. It probably wasn't as healthy as I like to believe it was. The restaurant and the potato are long gone now but for years I have tried to recreate it. This latest version is my best effort to date.

My double stuffed potato is really just a formula, you can add or subtract the ingredients and the vegetables you use are really up to you. I bet bacon would be a great addition (isn't it always?) and you could use another variety of cheese or leave out the cheese altogether if you prefer. I do strongly suggest you don't skip the green onion though, it adds both flavor and texture. And be sure to find the biggest potato around, because this dish is intended as a main dish, not a side. Oh, and the one time I did have dinner with David Lebovitz, it was Chinese food so I guess he's better at sharing than he likes to admit.

Double Stuffed Baked Potato
For each serving

Ingredients

1 large Russet potato, the largest you can find
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped vegetables, cooked (I like spinach, carrots, and celery but use whatever you prefer)
1 Tablespoon cream cheese, low fat is fine
1 green onion, chopped
Milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Pierce then bake the potato in a preheated 425 degree oven for approximately one hour, or until cooked through (do not microwave or the skin will be too floppy to stuff). Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes.

Slice off the top of the potato so that you can easily scoop out most of the pulp. Leave around 1/4 inch around the bottom and sides of the potato. Place the pulp in a large mixing bowl and mash, then mix in with the cheddar cheese, vegetables and cream cheese and just enough milk to make stiff but creamy mashed potatoes. Fold in the green onions and season to taste with plenty of salt and pepper.

Stuff the potato with the mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and beginning to brown on top.

Enjoy!

More stuffed baked potato recipes...

Coconut & Lime's Spinach & Onion Stuffed Potatoes
Simply Recipes Twice Baked Potatoes
Blog Appetit's Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Sustainable Pantry's Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Chili Pasta with Beans

I'm actually already craving this dish again and it's only been a few days since I made it! This is what I like to call "real food." It's light and healthy, but doesn't have any weird substitutes, mix-ins, or fake ingredients to make you think that you're feasting on a Salisbury steak, when really it's just gelatin (not that there is anything wrong with that!). I like to think of this as a grownup version of chili-mac, and it's just about as simple to make to, calling for simple pantry ingredients. It's also the first time that I have ever cooked pasta right in with the rest of the food, so the flavor is completely absorbed in the wagon wheels. It's so warm, comforting and delicious, and takes about five minutes to throw together, you're going to love this recipe!

Chili Pasta with Beans

Found in Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2009 edition

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 pound ground sirloin
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 oz uncooked ruote (about 2 1/4 cups uncooked wagon wheel shaped pasta)
1 (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and beef to pan; cook 4 minutes, or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups water and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until pasta is done.

Serves 6: one serving is 1 1/3 cups

Per Serving: 294 calories, 8g fat, 18.8g prot, 35.4g carb, 4.6g fiber, 21mg chol, 3.7mg iron, 644mg sod.

Points per serving: 6

healthy blueberry clafouti

my Valentine treat...

BLUEBERRY CLAFOUTI...
my HEALTHY VERSION..

sugar free and low carb. i used almond flour, baking splenda and yolk-eggbeaters....i think i i liked it better that the real one...yummy breakfast treat !

cinnamon pecan pinwheels

CINNAMON PECAN PINWHEELS...

bluberry clafouti

Dad's Valentine card

BLUEBERRY CLAFOUTI

this one was full fat, full carb...full GOOD !

my first ever! flourless chocolate cake

Mom's Valentine card

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

DARK CHOCOLATE WAFERS w/MILK CHOCOLATE FILLING

DARK CHOCOLATE COOKIES starting with Martha Stewart's recipe...i used whole wheat flour instead and they came out great.

Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream

There are lots of things you simply must eat when you come to San Francisco, the latest is ice cream at Humphry Slocombe. It's located in the Mission just off of 24th street, a neighborhood more known for Mexican food, but perhaps becoming ice cream central. Back in the 80's gelato was all the rage, but sadly the fad seemed to die out. For years my pick for interesting flavors was Bombay Bazar, an Indian shop on Valencia street in the Mission district that offers flavors like fig, cardamom and chai. Thankfully over the past couple of years ice cream shops like Sketch, Bi-Rite Creamery (on 18th street in the Mission) and Ici have opened up reintroducing the idea of high quality ice cream with fresh and unique flavors. Suddenly it seems the Bay Area is becoming an ice cream mecca.

Humphry Slocombe might just be my favorite ice cream ever. The flavors are sophisticated and not too sweet. It's a cute and retro looking shop with bright red bar stools that face the street. The friendly staff is more than happy to offer you tastes, not that it will help you make up your mind. The flavors are so good and the texture so luscious one bite is not enough. I literally found myself wanting a scoop of every flavor available. Rich and creamy but not cloying, each flavor varies in intensity but is balanced and satisfying. They also offer nibbles of bacon brittle. Yes, bacon brittle.

The flavors rotate and they have about 10-12 everyday. I had Maple Walnut and Balsamic Caramel but equally scrumptious were Rose Petal Creme Fraiche, and a smoky Pistachio Bacon. They also offer wonderfully chewy chocolate chip cookies and sundaes that I have yet to try. But not for long. By the way there is no "Humphry Slocombe" it's just a name that pays homage to characters on the British sitcom, Are You Being Served?

Humphry Slocombe
2790 Harrison St @ 24th
San Francisco
415.550.6971

Tuesday - Sunday Noon - 8 pm

Here are some more enlightening Humphry Slocombe blog reviews, reports and interviews:

7x7-Ice Cream for Adults

Bunrabs

DeFabulous Food

The Kitchn

A Mouthful of Twisted Goodness

The Roti Prata House ........... For Your Crispy Prata

It was a recent Saturday morning that HY got an appointment with a friend to do brisk walking at the HSBC Treetop walk. Well they did the whole 12km! I decided to play the nice husband and send her to the start point .......... but only with a hidden agenda .........

After dropping HY, I immediately drove to the Roti Prata House.  This is where one of the crispiest roti prata in Singapore can be found (my ulterior motive). This morning I had two pratas, one with egg and one, "kosong", plain. To compliment the "shiokness" of the crispy roti pratas, I down one glass of teh halia, ginger tea. This made my GOOD morning.

I think the crispy prata looks delicious. Don't you think so?

Address : 246M/246K Upper Thomson Road. Shophouses betwee Jalan Todak and Jalan Keli.

Tel : 64595260

Country : Singapore

Chatmasala ......... Good Indian Food in Greenwood Avenue

It was the 14th day of the Chinese New Year. I was set to go for a Chinese dinner with my parents for a "Lou Hei" but the Chinese dinner became an Indian one and a good one by the name of Chatmasala.

We drove into Greenwood Avenue and HY suggested that we walk into this cosy and very unassuming restaurant. She had a business meal here before and was impressed. I'll trust my wife when she says it's good. She's the picky one.

While at the door, Dhershini (proprietor of chatmasala) ushered us into her restaurant and quickly impressed us with her hospitality. She asked about our taste preference and then recommended the dishes that will most suit our palate.

Before we decide the dishes, we were recommended lassi (Indian's version of the yogurt drink). I went for the ginger lassi which I took to a liking very quickly. There are mango and strawberry flavoured ones too.

Ginger Lassi (S$6.50)





Dhershini introduced us to some of the popular dishes in her restaurants. Here's those that I had tried would recommend.


Naan ....... Garlic (S$2.50), Cheese (S$3.20), Butter (S$2.40). The garlic one is my favourite. It's HY's favourite as well.





Starter Platter (S$28.80) ....... Tofu, Fish Paste Cake, Basmati rice, papadum

Fish Paste Cake

Fried Tofu ..........

Basmati rice stuffed inside a papadum.

Keeala Fish Curry (S$15.80). The fish is fried and then dunked into the curry. However, the fish doesn't seem to be soaked in the curry for very long so its not mushy. Good stuff!

Fried fish inside the curry.

Kasturi Kebab (S$16.80). This is a chicken kebab and this taste really nice and tender. Must try!

Eggplant strips (S$10.80). This is good but very spicy hot!

For desert, we shared the Crispy Banana Roll (S$6.00)

Cost : about S$42 per person

Address : 18 Greenwood Avenue, Hillcrest Park,

Tel : +65 67622133

Country : Singapore

Holy Cannoli!

I thought that this would make a pretty appropriate Valentine's post. Cannoli are so pretty and amazingly easy to make, you could get the stuff today, and have them made tonight in a snap! This recipe was provided by Paula Deen, who, as far as I'm aware, is not Italian at all! She does make a great cannoli though!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons amaretto (I could not find this anywhere, so I used almond extract and it was heaven!)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsalted chopped pistachios (I didn't use these)
1 cup ricotta cheese
12 prepared cannoli shells (I got mine at the bakery in Superfresh)
1/2 cup melted chocolate

Directions

In a large bowl, whip together amaretto, cinnamon, heavy cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form.

In a medium bowl, combine the pistachios and ricotta and stir in half of the whipped cream. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Fill a pastry bag with no tip with the mixture to fill the cannoli shells.

Dip the tips of the cannoli into the melted chocolate. Place the sheet tray in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until filling and chocolate is set. I drizzled and dipped, you really can't have too much chocolate!

*I discovered disposable pastry bags last Christmas and LOVE them! You can clip the tip off to whatever size you want and then throw it away when you're done!

Chicken Roasted in a Pot Recipe

Last month it seemed everyone was roasting a chicken. Perhaps the chill in the air inspired a desire for something comforting and familiar. I couldn't watch a cooking show on television, read a newspaper online or food magazine without staring at yet another roast chicken. And blogs! It seems just about every food blogger was roasting chicken. I think it was the steady stream of breathtaking photos that finally got to me.

This is a "poulet en cocotte" recipe that I modified. I saw it on a certain television program and decided I would make it a little differently. It was moist but didn't yield crispy skin. Fresh out of the oven, I particularly enjoy roast chicken with roasted root vegetables or a big green salad and boiled potatoes all slathered with vinaigrette. The next day I shred the leftover chicken and use it in something else like enchiladas, another excellent comfort food.

The liquid from the chicken was very rich and flavorful and I had so much of it leftover, I used it to make grits. Let me tell you, the next time you have any kind of au jus or gravy, use it as part of the cooking liquid in grits and stir in some cheese after taking the pot off the stove. This makes the most amazingly delicious side dish or breakfast. It's perfect on cold mornings when you want something as warm and filling as hot cereal but prefer savory rather than sweet flavors. Honestly, I would make this chicken again just so I had the juice to make grits!

French Style Chicken Roasted in a Pot

Ingredients

4 1/2 to 5 pound roasting chicken
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 small stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Pat chicken dry and season with salt. Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken breast-side down. Cook until breast is darkly browned, about 8 minutes. Using a wooden spoon or tongs inserted into cavity of bird, flip chicken and add the vegetables, continue cooking another 6 minutes. Remove Dutch oven from heat; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, this will take somewhere around an hour and 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken to carving board, tent with foil, and rest a full 20 minutes. Carve chicken, serve with juices from the pot (and carving of the bird).

Enjoy!

Here are just a sampling of January 2009, roast chicken posts. Try visiting a few and see if you don't find yourself planning a chicken dinner...

Last Night's Dinner Roast Chicken 3 Ways

Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy blog's Roast Chicken with Pancetta & Olives

For The Love of Cooking Lemon, Garlic & Basil Slow Roasted Chicken

Whisk blog's Poulet en Cocotte Grand Mere

Thursday Night Smackdown Chicken with 50 Cloves of Garlic

Serious Eats Paprika Roast Chicken

White Winter Vegetable Stew

This was another gem I found in Cooking Light (best cooking magazine in the WORLD). When I first saw it, I was a little hesitant and wondered if it would have much flavor or richness. I hesitate no longer! This soup was delicious and if you never told me that it was light, then I would think that I was completely indulging. It's creamy, it's hearty and packed with flavor, perfect for a bitter cold winter day. If you like potato chowder, you'll love this as a healthy substitute. As a side I toasted a baguette topped with tomato slices and mozzarella cheese. If I had fresh basil in my fridge, it would have gone on there too, but alas...

White Winter Vegetable Soup

Found in Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2009 edition

Ingredients

1 baking potato, cut into (1/2 inch) cubes
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 cups thinly sliced leeks (about three large)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 turnips peeled and cut into (1/2 inch) cubes
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into (1/2 inch) cubes
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk

Directions

1. Place potato in a medium bowl; cover with cold water to 1 inch above potato. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan, and cook 7minutes or until soft but not browned, stirring occasionally. Add leek and the next 4 ingredients (through celery root) to pan. Place a sheet of aluminum foil directly over vegetable mixture. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Drain potatoes; add to pan. Stir in 2 cups water. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Heat milk in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat to 180, or until small bubbles form around the edges (do not boil). Gradually stir hot milk into vegetable mixture, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

Serves 8: One serving is 1 1/4 cups soup

Per Serving: 311 calories, 10.5g fat, 12g protein, 43.6g carbs, 4.9g fiber, 299mg chol, 640mg sodium

Points Per Serving: 6

Brown Butter Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts

A few weeks ago I tried a dish with gnocchi that ended up being N-A-S-T-Y! I don't necessarily think that it was the gnocchi, it was just a bad combination of food all around. However, I did have to tell myself not to blame the gnocchi and give it another chance. Gnocchi COMPLETELY redeemed itself with this dish. It was so simple (which I think it how gnocchi was intended to be prepared), light and delicious. My whole family loved it, especially my kids who snarfed down their fat pasta and green spinach (does a mommy proud!). We didn't have the pine nuts in ours due to allergy, but I have no doubt that it's a delicious addition. If you like gnocchi, you must try this dish!





Brown Butter Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts


Recipe found in Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2009 edition




Ingredients

1 (16 oz) package vacuum-packed gnocchi
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10-oz) package spinach, torn
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain.
2. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts to pan; cook three minutes, or until butter and nuts are lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute. Add gnocchi and spinach to pan; cook 1 minute, or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4: 1 serving is 1 cup gnocchi and 1 TB cheese

Per Serving: 289cal, 10.8g fat, 9.5g prot, 40.3g carb, 1.8g fiber, 20mg chol, 2.2mg iron

Points per Serving: 6



I was also lucky enough to receive a couple of cute awards from Melissa at Schweet N Savory, a blog that I love to visit...


I want to pass these on to Priscilla at Priscilla's Baking Adventures, Sara, at Sara's Kitchen, ad Pam at For the Love of Cooking. They are all fun and delicious looking blogs that I enjoy visiting often. Congrats, and happy cooking!

Charles Pizza

We were at a BBQ all afternoon Sunday and due to decrepit Footscray Park BBQs didn't get our snag until 4.30pm! By 9pm we were hungry again and decided to go for pizza. Went for old fave Charles Pizza on Droop St, near the corner of Ballarat Rd (Footscray of course). I had Wendy's Special (hot salami, capsicum, olives) while Mr Baklover got Hawaiian. It was OK - the salami was so chewy though, if you bit into a piece you couldn't bite through it, you had to rip it with your hands if you wanted to distribute over two bites. The garlic bread wasn't the loaf type that is connected just along the bottom so you can rip it apart, it was single pieces, but I like the aforementioned sleazy sort!! We used to get pizza from here weekly and it was always a bit random, aside from the tough salami I do like their style with a good crust and not too much cheese. I just wish pizza was a "respected" foodstuff like it is in the USA, rather than just being "take-away" and made with as much care (or rather lack of) here in Australia.

Charles Pizza, 131 Droop St, Footscray (near cnr Ballarat Rd)

Triple Layer Bars

All I can say about these bars is WOW. They have everything you could ever want, chocolate, peanut butter, coconut...sweetened condensed milk (you know when a recipe calls for that, it's gonna be good). Anyway, you have a party, bbq, dinner plans, and don't know what to bring for dessert? Make these, they won't disappoint!

Triple-Layer Cookie Bars

From The Taste of Home Baking Book

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
2 eggs
TOPPING:
1 pkge (7 oz) flaked coconut
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add eggs; mix well. Spread into a greased 13x9 inch pan.

2. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Sprinkle coconut over crust; drizzle with milk. Bake 20-25 minutes longer, or until lightly browned. IN a heavy saucepan or microwave, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter; stir until smooth. Spread over top. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Pontini for Italian cuisine .......... Good desert discovered

Pontini has been with the Grand Copthorne Hotel Waterfront ever since the hotel started business along the Singapore river. This is the second time that HY and I visited this Italian restaurant. Since my first visit, HY and I have been raving about Pontini's desert sampler to our close friends.

Here's the Pontini's desert platter (S$32) which includes their three signature deserts. they are also available seperately in the desert menu.

Creme Brulee topped with berries. The sour berries teams up nicely with the sweet mousse at the bottom. Yummy .......

Banana Parfait. The pieces of banana are imprehated into the parfait. A thin coconut crisp is placed on the parfait. ..........

Venetian Tiramisu. The cake is interlaced with the mousse ..........

Sorbet with fresh fruits .......

We did eat our dinner before the deserts .......

Here's the bread basket and sticks that was served before our orders ....... good stuff.

Soup of baby neck clams with assorted seafood served with garlic croutons. This an appetising soup with all the fresh goodness of the seas. We're wondering why there' no prawns tonight and we found out that the restaurat have returned the batch of prawn which were not fresh according to their standards. I like their attitude to maintain the standards ..........

This is what my friend had ordered ...... pan seared US beef. This proves to be the best of our mains. Everyone who've asked for a bite of this beef dish all nodded in approval.

Apart from my friend who ordered the beef dish with a stamp of everyone's approval, the rest of us unknowingly ordered their scallop squid ink linguine. None of u thinks that it's anything special.

Cost : about S$60 per person for dinner including desert.

Address : 392 Havelock Road, Grand Copthorne Hotel (Waterfront), 2nd floor

Country : Singapore

Website : http://www.millenniumhotels.com.sg/grandcopthornewaterfront/restaurant/pontini.html