chocolate milk agar pudding with Cheerios

In the early spring 2014, I received a request to prepare two types of desserts for a friend's birthday. The first one is for adults only: Irish cream Baileys tiramisu (an easy recipe here). The second one is for little guests, so it must be children-friendly.

After a brief brainstorming on a MRT train ride, I designed a dessert of chocolate milk agar pudding with Cheerios.



***

Agar has multiple uses, from culinary to scientific ones.

Agar is a gelatinous substance derived from the polysaccharide agarose, which forms the supporting structure in the cell walls of particular algae / seaweed (e.g. Gelidium amansii).

Agar (a Indonesian / Malay word) is also known as:
kanten / 寒天/ かんてん, literally means cold winter in Japan
China grass in India

About a decade ago, I was fortunate to have a brief experience of using agar, as a culture media, to grow some harmless bacteria to express proteins of interest. The particular proteins were then purified prior to subsequent experiments. To prevent the proteins from denaturation (melted) and hence unfunctional, I did the purification in a cold room at 4C! The experience made me appreciate agar even more than ever. Thank you Dr. Tan!

In term of its biochemistry, agarose is a linear polymer made up of the repeating monomeric unit of agarobiose. Agarobiose is a disaccharide made up of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactopyranose.

For culinary uses, agar desserts are relatively easy to prepare: bake-free. Agar is also a less heaty choice of children-friendly snack.



Agar desserts (jellies, puddings, and custards) can be prepared the day or the night before birthday parties, casual parties, Christmas, Easter, Halloween or Valentine's Day or barbeque (BBQ) events. Serve chilled.

An alternative to the animal-derived gelatin, agar is also suitable for our friends and family members who are vegetarians.




Since agar is 80% fiber, it is good for laxative purpose. When our little ones suffer from constipation, I will prepare agar desserts, which are more appealing than medicines.



***

For all of you who love chocolate drinks, including MILO lovers, I lovingly present a recipe of chocolate milk agar pudding with Cheerios.

Servings: 8
Preparation & cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 4-5g agar seaweed powder
♥ 8 tsp glucolin
♥ 2 tsp cocoa powder
♥ 250 ml fresh milk*
♥ 250 ml water
♥ Cheerios O rings, to taste

* If you want a creamier version of the pudding, use 500 ml fresh milk and no water.

Directions:
1. Dissolve agar powder in water & milk.
2. Bring to a boil over low heat & simmer.
3. Stir in glucolin and cocoa powder.
4. While the mixture is hot, pour it onto containers / moulds.
5. Decorate with Cheerios O rings.

Glucolin is suitable for days when we have poor appetite and feel low on energy. When we suffered from diarrhoea, our parents used to feed us glocolin water. Please consume in moderation because an excess intake of sugar can lead to unintentional weight gain.

You can substitute glucolin with sugar. I used glucolin because
1. Glucolin is mainly glucose, but it also comes with calcium and vitamin D3. For every 100g, glucolin has 0.5 g and 500 IU of calcium glycerophosphate and vitamin D3, respectively.
2. It is finer than sugar so it will dissolve faster.
3. I have a tin at home. 





Tips:
♥ Have fun in your kitchen, engage your little ones if they are interested to join in. Mix and match with agar jelly / pudding of similar / contrasting flavors.
♥ Please ensure dissolving agar powder in enough water or other liquid, to minimize the risks of bowel blockage & trouble swallowing. While the packaging of agar powder that I used for this recipe suggests dissolving 10g agar powder in 1 liter water, sometimes I use slightly more liquid.  

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140601

very easy clear apple beetroot carrot (ABC) soup (vegetarian)

This soup has been inspired from the apple beetroot carrot juice which has been promoted in relation to the "treatment of lung cancer and several other diseases."



While it is best to consult experts (e.g. medical practitioners, doctors, specialists), we can also do our parts by improving our diets to stay healthy and get better in our health.

Since I am going to serve the delicious apple, beetroot and carrot to baby Ren, I prefer to cook them so that the water content inside these inexpensive vegetables and fruit is boiled (to kill any germ).

For Dear and myself, I alternate between raw juices and soups.

♥ ♥ ♥

Serving an apple a day to the apple of our eyes - our little one(s) is as magical as the classic story of Snow White and a ministory about it.




♥ ♥ ♥

Beetroot is known to help in the treatment of anemia. I love th imagine how our mother nature endows us with beetroot that 'bleeds' its natural bloody red liquid when we peel and cut it.

Please do not worry if you have a slight pinkish urine after consuming beetroot.

Beetroot can reduce blood pressure (PMID: 23596162), so it is good for people with high blood pressure. If you have low blood pressure like me, please consume beetroot moderately. I try not to eat more than one beetroot weekly. There are so many other delicious vegetables to savor, thankfully!

Since beetroot releases slight salty taste, I do not add any salt to the soup.



♥ ♥ ♥

The soup tastes mildly sour with slight sweetness, and it goes well for baby Ren who loves sweet sour fruits!

Upon drinking the soup, baby Ren's lips turn pinkish - like lipstick-adorned ones. He playfully laughs and sticks his tiny tongue out to slurp joyfully. Your heart surely melts when your little ones do so.



♥ ♥ ♥

Servings: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 1 green apple (苹果)
♥ 1 beetroot (甜菜根)
♥ 1 carrot (红萝卜)
♥ 6 red dates (红枣), pitted
♥ 1 honey date (蜜枣)
♥ 800 ml - 1 liter water

Directions:
1. Wash the produce thoroughly. I wash both organic and non-organic products, and wash more carefully for non-organic ones.
2. Peel carrot, beetroot, apple. Remove the core and seeds of the apple.
3. Add all ingredients to boiled water. Simmer over low heat for 60 minutes.

Tips:
♥ To make the soup more flavorful, use soup stock (e.g. gratitude soup stock, which is non-vegetarian). Next time, I will share vegetarian soup stock recipe.
♥ Beetroot stains. Please be careful especially if you are wearing light color clothes or preparing beetroot in the morning in your professional attire. I normally prepare and consume beetroot first before getting changed.

Other recipes that I love:
♥ apple beetroot carrot juice by Blessed Homemaker @ Singapore
♥ cucumber, celery, pear and lemon juice by Swathi (Ambujom Saraswathy) @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen
♥ celery pear kale juice by Whitney Bond @ Little Leopard Book

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.
   
With love,
ServicefromHeart

comforting rice porridge (spring 2014)

Porridge, also known as congee / Okayu お粥 / bubur, is comforting food for breakfast, lunch, or supper. It is easy to prepare yet generously fueling our days with energy and nutrients.



Baby Ren loves thick but not thin porridge, so I use a ratio of 1:5 or 1:6 of rice grain:water.

Hot, nutritious and comforting porridge is a happy choice of our breakfast this spring. Sometimes, I use slow cooker to cook porridge overnight so it will be ready in the morning.

Fish porridge
♥ 150g Haruan fish
♥ 1 tsp anchovies
♥ 3/4 rice cooker cup rice grain
♥ 1/4 rice cooker cup barley



Seafood porridge
♥ 150g Haruan fish
♥ 1 tsp anchovies
♥ 4 scallops
♥ 1 tbsp dried scallops
♥ crabmeat, to taste (optional)
♥ 3/4 rice cooker cup rice grain
♥ 1/4 rice cooker cup barley

Meat porridge
♥ 200g pork ribs
♥ 1 carrot
♥ 1 tbsp dried scallops
♥ 8 red dates, pitted
♥ 1 tbsp wolfberries
♥ 3/4 rice cooker cup rice grain
♥ 1/4 rice cooker cup barley



To enhance the flavor of porridge, consider adding the followings:
♥ white pepper
♥ sesame oil
♥ sesame seeds (white / black)
♥ fried red onion
♥ cilantro / coriander, finely chopped
♥ parsley, finely chopped
♥ nuts e.g. peanuts, pistachio, almond
♥ balsamic vinegar / wine vinegar

Sometimes I add any / some of these ingredients:
♥ millet: pearl millet, finger millet
♥ quinoa
♥ barley
♥ couscous
♥ oat
♥ lotus root powder / lotus root
♥ wild yam / 淮山 / Huaishan / Dioscorea opposita. I bought the powder form so it will dissolve faster while cooking.
♥ mushroom e.g. shitake
♥ sweet potato
♥ potato
♥ carrot
♥ celery
♥ onion
♥ peas
...
Do you have more suggestions? I would love to hear from you ♥



Tips:
♥ Once cooked, do not stir the entire pot of porridge to prevent them from turning thin / watery. If you want to add no-cook ingredients (e.g. sesame oil, pepper, chopped scallion), take a large scoop of porridge into a serving bowl. Then, add the desirable ingredients and stir.
♥ If possible, use freshly harvested rice grain, especially for babies.



♥♥♥ 

Porridge cooked with rice cooker:



♥♥♥ 

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140501

Z for zucchini for #AtoZChallenge: zucchini bok choy stir-fry recipe

Zucchini, also known as courgette / 夏南瓜, is a summer squash. A funny poem about zucchini and summer entitled Attack of the Squash People by Marge Piercy goes:

"And thus the people every year
in the valley of humid July
did sacrifice themselves to the long green phallic god
and eat and eat and eat.
They're coming, they're on us,
the long striped gourds,
the silky babies, the hairy adolescents,
the lumpy vast adults like the trunks of green elephants.

Recite fifty zucchini recipes!
Zucchini tempura; creamed soup;
sauté with olive oil and cumin,
tomatoes, onion; frittata;
casserole of lamb; baked topped with cheese;
marinated; stuffed; stewed;
driven through the heart like a stake.

Get rid of old friends:
they too have gardens and full trunks.
Look for newcomers:
befriend them in the post office,
unload on them and run.
Stop tourists in the street.
Take truckloads to Boston.
Give to your Red Cross.
Beg on the highway:
please take my zucchini,
I have a crippled mother at home with heartburn.

Sneak out before dawn to drop them in other people's gardens,
in baby buggies at church doors.
Shot, smuggling zucchini into mailboxes, a federal offense.
With a suave reptilian glitter
you bask among your raspy fronds sudden and huge as alligators.
You give and give too much, like summer days limp with heat,
thunderstorms bursting their bags on our heads,
as we salt and freeze and pickle for the too little to come."

Zucchini contains useful amounts of folate / folic acid (24 μg/100 g), potassium (280 mg/100 g) and vitamin A (384 IU [115 μg]/100 g). 

While looking for star anise (for sea cucumber recipe) at Bishan NTUC Fairprice Finest, I came across yellow zucchini - products of Malaysia. Since it has been produced regionally, I asked myself, "why not try a new dish with zucchini?"



For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 30 Wed, I lovingly present a recipe of zucchini bok choy stir-fry.


 
Dear loves it, he describes zucchini as being slightly similar to aubergine / eggplant.

Servings: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes or until crispy tender

Ingredients:
♥ 1 zucchini (夏南瓜), washed & julienned
♥ 2 bok choy (小白菜), washed & cut
♥ 5 cherry tomatoes (樱桃番茄)
♥ 1 tbsp olive oil (橄榄油)
♥ 1 tbsp peanut butter (花生酱)
♥ 1 knob ginger (姜), minced
♥ 5 cloves garlic (蒜头), minced
♥ 1 tsp dried shrimp (虾米), minced
♥ 1 tsp DOM Bénédictine (法国廊酒)
♥ pepper (胡椒粉) to taste

Directions:
1. Wash & cut zucchini & bok choy.
2. Sautee ginger, garlic, dried shrimp with heated olive oil until fragrant.
3. Add zucchini, peanut butter, DOM, pepper.
4. Add bok choy & stir-fry until cooked.
5. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.





Tips:
♥ If you buy green color zucchini, Choose bright green color one with a max length of 25-30 cm. Larger ones may be bitter.
♥ May I also suggest an easy recipe of zucchini soup with meatballs?



Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.


With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140430

X for XO for #AtoZChallenge: easy XO fried rice recipe

XO stands for eXtra Old for cognac - a variety of brandy liquor - that has been stored for a minimum of 6 years (from 2016 onward, a minimum of 10 years).

Cognac, named after the town Cognac in France, must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in Limousin or Tronçais oak barrels.

Since brandy has been used for:
♥ cake & pie toppings
♥ steak sauces
♥ soups such as onion soup
♥ Christmas pudding
♥ XO fish head bee hoon (thick noodle) in Singapore 
May I recommend using XO cognac for simple home-cooked dishes like fried rice? 

Since I was using leftover rice for baby Ren - which I purposely cooked softer, my fried rice was slightly soggy.

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 28 Mon, I lovingly present a recipe of XO fried rice by ServicefromHeart.

Colorful rice grains of mixed white, red, brown rice

Serving: 1
Preparation & cook time: < 15 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 1 bowl pre-cooked rice, dried & chilled
♥ 2 tbsp olive oil
♥ 1 tbsp sesame oil
♥ 2 cloves garlic, minced
♥ 1 slice ginger, minced
♥ 1 tsp anchovies powder
♥ 1 tsp dark soy sauce (kecap manis)
♥ pepper, to taste
♥ 1 tbsp spring onions, chopped
♥ 2 tbsp XO cognac
♥ 1 egg
♥ 4 scallops (optional)
♥ 1 carrot, diced (optional)
♥ 1 stalk celery, sliced (optional)
♥ 1 tbsp peas (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oil using high heat to stir fry garlic and ginger until fragrant.
2. Sauté vegetables (carrots, celery, peas)
3. Add scallops. After a side is cooked, turn them over.
4. Add rice, pepper, anchovies powder, dark soy sauce. Stir to mix well.
5. Coat with sesame oil and XO for a shiny look. 6. Stir thoroughly.
7. Garnish with spring onions.
Tips:

1. Use cold and dry cooked rice. You want to use firm rice grains because they are easier to separate while stir-frying them. This choice is important to prevent your fried rice turning out soggy or mushy. To remove moisture, you can either (A) air freshly-cooked rice and then refrigerate the rice for a minimum of two hours or (B) use leftover rice from the night before.

2. Use medium to long grain rice such as medium grain of jasmine rice. Choose the sturdy grains that don't clump together when fried. Avoid short grain sushi rice or glutinous rice, which is softer and tends to stick together.

3. To acquire the smoky, slight burnt flavor, use high heat: a blazing hot pan / wok if possible. Add sufficient amount of oil to prevent your fried rice ingredients from sticking to the surface of pan. While the heat to stir fry our home-cooked version of fried rice may not be as hot as restaurants' ones, we can pre-heat our pan with a lid before adding ingredients.

4. To ensure thorough mixing of flavors and aroma, cook 1 to 2 servings at a time.

5. To have a crunchy texture, include vegetables like celery or long beans as ingredients.

6. For a stronger taste, you can pre-infuse your oil with ginger and garlic overnight.

7. To prevent the fried rice from turning out mushy or soggy, I prefer to separately cook the egg into a sunny side up or an omelette that can be thinly stripped to garnish on top of the fried rice.

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140428

W for wolfberry for #AtoZChallenge: easy spinach soup with wolfberries recipe

Wolfberry is also known as goji berry (枸杞), desert thorn, or matrimony vine. When my eyes feel tired from staring too much into laptop, I remember Mom's advice to have some wolfberries. They are versatile ingredients for tonic soups, porridge or congee, or herbal tea.

Wolfberries go well with a variety of dishes, simple ones include spinach soup.

In Southeast Asia, we often have spinach soup cooked with 3 different kinds of eggs: normal egg, salty egg, century egg. Home-cooked version of thin and clear spinach soup can be egg-free and simpler.

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 26 Sat, I lovingly present a recipe of easy spinach soup with wolfberries by ServicefromHeart.




Serving: 2 as a side dish
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 1 packet spinach: sharp spinach (苋菜) or round spinach (菠菜)
♥ 1 tbsp anchovies / ikan bilis / ikan teri, rinsed
♥ 1 tbsp wolfberries
♥ 1 honey date (optional)
♥ 3 sticks imitation crab meat

Directions:
1. Bring water to boil with anchovies and honey date to acquire salty and sweet tastes, respectively.
2. Before boiling, add wolfberies and imitation crab meat.
3. Meanwhile, wash thoroughly spinach.
4. After boiled, add spinach. Stir. Be careful not to overcook.




Tips:
♥ It is best to consume this meal immediately. Mom warned not to eat left-over spinach dishes. Why? Spinach is rich in nitrate(which is reduced to nitrite) and Fe2+ (oxidation of Fe2+ results in Fe3+).
♥ Rinsing and soaking wolfberries are also important to remove pesticides and fungicides. 

Other recipes that I love:
♥ Nirmala Ganesh's spinach soup at Lil Spice & Lil Stir
♥ Wiffy's Chinese spinach in superior broth at Noob Cook

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140426

U for udang for #AtoZChallenge: udang tim DOM (steamed DOM prawns)

Hello seafood lovers! Spending my early years in Indonesia - an archipelago with 18,307 islands*, I grew up loving seafood greatly. We had them fresh and relatively inexpensive as compared to landlocked regions. 

* according to a 2002 survey by National Institute of Aeronautics and Space of Indonesia (LAPAN).

Udang is an Indonesian name for prawn. Initially, I wanted to prepare wasabi prawn but changed my mind as its recipe requires deep frying. Our little kitchen has no separation from our living room, so I agree not to deep-fry anything, as it will cause the couch and living room floor turning oily.

Quoting Plato, "necessity is the mother of invention," I am motivated to think of ways to prepare delicious prawn dish without deep frying.

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 24 Thu, I lovingly present a recipe of udang tim DOM / 法国廊酒蒸虾 / steamed DOM prawns.



♥♥♥

DOM Bénédictine (法国廊酒) is a Made-in-France medicinal herbal liqueur beverage (1) developed in 1510 in a Benedictine monastery in Abbey of Fécamp, Normandy, France, and later (2) rediscovered by Alexandre Le Grand in 1863. 


DOM stands for "Deo Optimo Maximo" ("To God, most good, most great") and is a commonly used abbreviation at the beginning of documents of the Benedictine Order. Aspiring like the highly dedicated manual & intellectual work of the Benedictine monks for God, we sincerely hope to produce delicious and nutritious meals with optimum and maximum love for our loved ones.

While the exact recipe of this 40%-alcohol liqueur is a closely guarded secret hitherto, we know that it is distilled in antique hammered copper pot stills and aged in oak barrels for four months. 

Nowadays, the ingredients include 27 ingredients. The list includes herbs and spices such as angelica, hyssop, juniper, myrrh, saffron, aloe, arnica & cinnamon.

When I just delivered baby Ren, I was given several bottles of DOM. The generations of our parents and grandparents believe that luxurious DOM helps mothers to recover from childbirth, especially during confinement. Thank you for such a gift with over 500 years of tradition! 

♥♥♥

Servings: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes or until prawns are cooked

Ingredients:
♥ 6 large prawns (known as shrimps in US)
♥ 3 cloves garlic (蒜头), minced OR 1 small knob ginger (姜), sliced
♥ 1 tbsp sesame oil (麻油)
♥ 1 tsp DOM Bénédictine (法国廊酒)
♥ 1 tsp salt (盐)
Below are optional:
♥ 1 tsp wolfberries / Goji berries (枸杞子), washed & soaked
♥ 1 tsp light soy sauce (kecap asin)
♥ 1 tsp coriander / cilantro (胡荽叶) / parsley (香菜), finely chopped

Directions:
1. Trim the head and tail end of the prawns using a pair of scissors.
2. Devein both back & under sides using a tooth pick.
3. Soak deveined prawns in salted water (to enhance the texture) for 10 minutes, drain & rinse.
4. Place ginger / garlic at the bottom of bowl, prawns on top of ginger. 
5. Sprinkle DOM and sesame oil on top of prawns.
6. Steam at high heat until prawns cooked & turn orange (check once in a while to prevent overcooking). Cover bowl with aluminum foil.



Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140424

T for tomato for #AtoZChallenge: chopped tomato salad recipe by ServicefromHeart

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 23 Wed, I prepare an easy chopped tomato salad recipe. Hope you enjoy it!

Tomato is rich in lycopene, a powerful natural antioxidant, which is good for our health. Tomato consumption is potentially beneficial to reduce cardiovascular risk associated with type 2 diabetes.

Servings: 2
Preparation time: < 5 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 6 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
♥ 2 scallions, cut into rings
♥ 2 tbsp sesame oil
♥ 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
♥ 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Mix vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper in a bowl.
2. Chop tomatoes and scallions. Mix with the dressing.

This simple and light healthy salad recipe is inspired by the recipe of chopped tomato salad with scallions from the book 500 salads by Susannah Blake (page 68). Thank you!

Tips:
♥ Try also variations by substituting scallions (daun bawang) with basil leaves (daun kemanggi).
♥ Serve this salad with garlic bread or a bowl of hot soup.
♥ Always use ripe tomatoes to avoid any potential plant toxicity. Normally, I discard the green leaves.


Check also our other #5minutemeal recipe.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140423

P for potato for #AtoZChallenge: potato salad with yogurt dressing recipe by ServicefromHeart

Potato is starchy tuberous food that we often enjoy, from french fries to potato soup. Being versatile, potatoes have been used in a wide variety of recipes worldwide. After maize, wheat and rice, potato comes forth as the world's largest food crop.



The starch of potato is a source of carbohydrate, that fuels our body. For variations in rice-dominating Asian diets, consider serving potatoes as a meal. 

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 18 Fri, I lovingly present a recipe of potato salad with yogurt dressing by ServicefromHeart. Classic potato salad uses mayonnaise and herein we substitute the mayonnaise with nutritious yogurt, especially good for growing children. 

Serving: 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 500 g potatoes (土豆 / kentang)
♥ 1 egg (鸡蛋 / telor)
♥ 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (香醋 / cuka balsamic)
♥ 5 tbsp plain / Greek yogurt (酸奶)
♥ fresh chives (韭菜 / kucai), chopped
♥ 1 scallions (葱 / daun bawang), cut into thin rings

Directions:
1. Wash potatoes thoroughly. Cook in boiling, salted water for 25-30 minutes or until tender when pierced.
2. Hard boil egg.
3. Meanwhile, wash and cut scallions and chives.
4. Mix vinegar, yogurt, pepper for dressing.
5. Drain cooked potatoes, leave to steam dry.
6. Peel dried cooked potatoes and egg. Cut into bite-size chunks.
7. Gently toss potatoes with dressing.
8. Garnish with scallions and chives.

Tips:
♥ For variations, substitute scallion with parsley.
♥ Store potatoes in dry and dark place. Do not use the potatoes if sprouts have grown because the sprouts contain toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids.

If this recipe takes too long to prepare, how is about our other #5minutemeal recipes?

Other recipes that I love:
♥ Danielle Tsi's scallop and potato salad at Beyond The Plate
♥ Luisa Weiss's Ottolenghi's potato salad with yogurt and horseradish at The Wednesday Chef based in Berlin; How is about substituting horseradish with wasabi?
♥  potato battercake of of Xiaomei Pig (小媚猪) at Weekjoy (in Chinese)

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140418

L for lemon for #AtoZChallenge: lemon-flavored tomato mozzarella salad recipe

Lemon is a versatile Citrus fruit, which is rich in vitamin C.



Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) reminds me on Graduation & friends forever. I am very grateful for all the friendships with wonderful, lovely, inspiring people of diverse age and cultural background. You all have opened my eyes and heart to cherish a simply beautiful life.


"As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever"

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 14 Mon, I lovingly present a recipe of an Italian classic salad of tomato and mozzarella, dressed in lemon juice by ServicefromHeart.

We cherish savoring the wonderful combination of sweet red tomatoes, creamy white mozzarella, and fragrant green basil leaves in Italian restaurants. This classic salad originated from Campania in Italy - affectionately known as Insalata Caprese (Capri-style salad) - can be quickly and easily prepared at our home too.

Mozzarella is a semi-soft cheese originally from Southern Italy. Fresh mozzarella is white and high in moisture, hence it is best consumed fast after it is made, preferably by the next day. If we need to buy an imported mozzarella, choose low-moisture mozzarella.

Servings: 2
Preparation time: ~ 5 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
♥ 250 g mozzarella cheese, sliced
♥ fresh basil leaves
♥ 2 tbsp virgin olive oil
♥ 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
♥ 1 tbsp lemon juice
♥ 1/2 tsp pepper, freshly ground
♥ 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. To make salad dressing, mix oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper.
2. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella.
3. Arrange slices in small dishes.
4. Sprinkle with dressing.
5. Garnish with basil leaves.

Tips:
♥ 1 ripe avocado makes a wonderful additional ingredient to this recipe.
♥ To enjoy this recipe as a main course instead of an appetizer, serve with garlic toasts. 

Recipes that I also love:
♥ Meyer lemon pudding @ The Galley Gormet by Nicole
♥ Lemon Macaroon by my sister LukSunshine
♥ Baked Lemon Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce @ Cooking Classy by Jaclyn
♥ Lemon Pistachio Cupcakes @ A Night Owl by Kimberly

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipe, especially for salad!

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140414

K for kimchi for #AtoZChallenge: kimchi longan pancake recipe

Hello Korean food fan! Kimchi (김치 in Hangul) is a Korean national dish that has gone global. The most popular kimchi are fremented from napa cabbage, radish, scallion, or cucumber as a main ingredient. My favorite kimchi includes sweet lotus root kimchi, what are yours?

In Singapore, I bought spicy & sour kimchi from NTUC Fairprice. Perhaps one day we can also try the special low-calorie and vitamin-rich version of Korean space kimchi, publicized as starship kimchi, that was designed for the astronauts Ko San / 고산 / 高山 & Yi So-Yeon / 이소연 / 李素妍, the first Korean and the second Asian woman (defined as a female resident of an Asian country) to fly in space.

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 12 Sat, I lovingly present a kimchi longan pancake recipe by ServicefromHeart.



Thanks to Korean drama series & movies through Korean diaspora, we have been introduced to delicious Korean food.

You can refer to this recipe as partly accidental, yet it brought simple happiness to me and baby Ren who loves it too!

I was given lotus root powder, that I do not know what to do with it. How is about using it to make pancake?

Lotus root is cooling in nature, usually taken during the summer months. Therefore, it can balance the hot and spicy kimchi.

I also need to consume some items that have been residing in our fridge for some days. These include parsley and longan.

The combinations of sweet longan, spicy-tangy kimchi, salty anchovies, and fragrant parsley brings joyful treat to your taste buds.

The texture of longan is also slightly similar to some shrimps that I have eaten.

Parts of this recipe are also inspired by the recipe of green onion pancakes by Holly of BeyondKimchee. In particular, the tips to use cake flour instead of plain flour, so that you can obtain crispier texture of panckage. Later on, I decide to minimize the use of cake flour after realizing that it contains chlorine. 



Servings: 2
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
For pancake:
♥ 1/2 cup of plain flour
♥ 1/2 cup of water
♥ 1 tbsp of lotus root powder
♥ 1 egg
♥ kimchi (if you like spicy, add more; else use slight amount)
♥ longan
♥ anchovies (you can also use salt)
♥ pepper
♥ parsley (you can also use green onion / scallion)
For cooking:
♥ olive oil
♥ garlic
For sauce:
♥ 1 tbsp of Thai Fish Sauce
♥ 1/2 tbsp of vinegar
♥ 1 tsp white sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Mix flour, lotus root powder, pepper, water, in a bowl. Add egg, and re-mix.
2. Add kimchi, anchovies, and peeled cut longan. Mix again.
3. Sautee chopped garlic with 1tbsp olive oil in high heat until fragrant. Cover the frying pan for a while.
4. Turn the heat to between medium and low, add the pancake mixture.
5. Add the pancake mixture onto the frying pan to form a circular or any shape that you want. If you have heart shape stainless steel, your kimchi pancake will look even more romantic!

If you need to prepare a meal faster, please check also our other #5minutemeal recipes, particularly the easy kimchi fried rice.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140412

J for jiaozi for #AtoZChallenge: jiaozi 饺子 / Chinese dumplings recipe

If the Italians have ravioli, the Chinese have jiaozi dumplings. The versatile jiaozi (饺子) - often wrapped in cornu shapes, are eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Preparing and eating jiaozi are also a tradition to welcome Chinese / Lunar New Year / Spring Festival and other joyful occasions.

For the wedding of my sister in JinTan (金坛), Jiangsu (江苏), China, her in-law family had prepared countless beautifully & uniformly wrapped jiaozi - a symbol of fortune & prosperity.


♥♥♥

Before we arrived at Xian - my first visit to Xian, an ancient capital of Chinese kingdoms, Mac Ching told us how she looked forward to having a banquet of jiaozi! She succeeded to set our expectation high.



Steamer baskets of jiaozi incessantly arrived at our table in charming presentations of multiple colors, shapes and flavors. 



While a meal could be very delicious to the extent that we feel beyond blessed, it was the companionships of dearest friends (hailed from worldwide, thanks to China Synergy Program 2010*) - savoring the jiaozi together that made a dinner unforgettable, imprinted permanently in our hearts and memories.

* It is a great privilege to be a participant of China Synergy Programme; with great privilege comes great responsibility.

"To those whom much is given, much is expected." ~ John F. Kennedy

♥♥♥

The Japanese version of dumplings is called gyoza (ギョーザ, ギョウザ). When, I was busy and working hard in California, I once bought some frozen gyoza and packed it with my lunch box. At Urey Hall, La Jolla, I would then heat my lunch box with a microwave*. The gyoza made my relatively meatless lunch box complete!

* Now, I try to minimize using microwave, if possible.

♥♥♥

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 11 Fri, I lovingly present a jiaozi recipe.



Servings: 40 pieces
Preparation time: ~ half day (I am a beginner, please pardon me!)
Cooking time: 5 minutes or until dumplings are cooked

Ingredients:
♥ dumpling wrappers (饺子皮)
♥ water to wet dumpling wrappers
for the filling:
♥ 350g meat (肉), grounded
♥ 250g shrimp (虾), grounded
♥ flour* (面粉), e.g. sweet potato flour, corn starch, lotus root powder
♥ 2 eggs (鸡蛋), beaten
♥ 1 firm bean curd / tofu (豆腐)
♥ 2 tbsp sesame oil (麻油)
♥ 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (香醋)
♥ 1 tbsp honey (蜜糖)
♥ 6 cloves garlic (大蒜), minced
♥ 1 tsp ginger (姜)
♥ grounded white pepper (白胡椒), to taste
♥ salt (盐) / light soy sauce (kecap asin), to taste
♥ 3 stalks scallion (大葱), finely chopped
♥ parsley (香菜), finely chopped (optional)
♥ chives (韭菜), finely chopped (optional)
♥ leek (韭葱), finely chopped (optional)
♥ bamboo shoots (竹笋), finely chopped (optional)
♥ lotus roots (莲藕), finely chopped (optional)
♥ black fungus / wood ear (黑木耳), minced (optional)

* adjust the amount until the filling mixture sticks

Directions:
1. A faster way to finely chopped vegetables is to use food processor (Pulse mode) in few seconds. Unless you want to have pesto, pulse briefly only and not too many times.
2. Mix all ingredients for filling in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly.
3. Drop a tsp of filling into a wrapper. Fold.
4. (optional) Place dumplings individually on plastic-covered plates. Do not let them stick to each other.
5. (optional) Freeze together on plates. Once frozen, store dumplings in a box separated with plastic so that it will be easy to take them for cooking.
6. In boiled water, add dumplings to cook until they float for 5 minutes.
7. Besides (1) vinegar and sliced ginger sauce, you may also like (2) peanut dip sauce (3) hot chilli oil to accompany jiaozi dumplings. 

Frozen jiaozi dumplings are generous companions for fast-to-prepare noodles, please check our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140411

PS: This post is also dedicated to my sister and brother-in-law, who both make better jiaozi than me.

H for honey for #AtoZChallenge: warm honey heart pasta salad recipe by ServicefromHeart

First of all, my heart goes to you all who have kindly visited ServicefromHeart and left encouragements and constructive suggestions! Thank you very much ♥



Honey - a symbol of sweetness - is as sweet as granulated sugar. To give our food or beverages a sweet flavor, I often use honey (which has antiseptic and antibacterial properties) to substitute sugar.

Honey is also a symbol of everlasting, sweet new year, and healing in some cultures.

"And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations; Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought" ~ Al-Quran 16:68–69.

Suitable for long-term storage, as long as we minimize its access to humidity, honey is a must-have food item in our kitchen.

To prevent ants from competing with us, I immerse the honey jar in a shallow bowl containing water, just like a moat-protected mini castle.

Remember to change the water on alternate day to avoid a breeding ground for tropical mosquitoes, especially dengue-causing Aedes mosquito!

Alternatively, use the left-over of soapy water from washing dishes. 

♥♥♥

Both Winnie the Pooh and baby Ren loves honey. Many times, we love things that people whom we love, also loves.



Thank you hardworking honey bees! Without you all who diligently collect nectar from flowers, we would not be able to enjoy sweet honey.



For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 09 Wed, I lovingly present a recipe of warm honey heart pasta salad by ServicefromHeart. 

This easy to prepare recipe calls for many loving and heart-warming ingredients. It is suitable for a breakfast or bruch on the Valentine's Day, or a birthday of a loved one.



Rich in vitamin C, strawberry is a sweet companion for this salad as it forms many hearts when sliced.



Avocado adds smooth and creamy texture to this honey heart pasta. You may also be interested in a post on avocado for #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 01 Tue.  



Servings: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes



Ingredients:
♥ 1 tbsp honey (蜜糖)
♥ 1 tbsp sesame oil (麻油)
♥ 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (香醋)
♥ 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped (芫荽叶)
♥ 1 tsp black sesame seeds (黑芝麻)
♥ 1.5 rice-cooker-cup heart-shaped 3-color pasta (心形三色意大利面)
♥ 2 tbsp Heinz mini star-shaped pasta (小星形意大利面)
♥ 1/2 avocado (牛油果), peeled, cored & chunked
♥ 3 strawberries (草莓), washed & sliced into heart shapes
♥ 6 grapes (葡萄), peeled & quartered
♥ 6 cherry tomatoes (小番茄), washed & halved / quartered




Directions:
1. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Since the star pasta is much smaller, I added it later.
2. Meanwhile, mix honey, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, cilantro, sesame seeds, cherry tomatoes.
3. Once cooked, toss pasta with the honey mixture gently to prevent accidentally breaking the heart pasta.
4. Garnish with strawberries, grapes, avocado.



Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes, especially for salad! 

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140409

G for ginger for #AtoZChallenge: Ginger milk curd recipe by ServicefromHeart

Fragrant and hot, knobbly ginger has been popularly used as a medicine and a spice to enhance diverse cuisines - for example Chinese, Indian, Caribean.

As a spice, the pungent flavor of ginger removes fishy flavor in seafood. In the confinement of East Asian mothers, it seems that every meals go with old ginger, from stir-fry vegetables to meat dishes.

People have used ginger to alleviate stomach related discomforts, including motion sickness, morning sickness, colic, upset stomach, gas, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, appetite loss, menstrual pain, post-childbirth bloating during confinement.

American Cancer Society highlights that preliminary results in animals show some effect of ginger in slowing or preventing tumor growth, though the mechanisms remain elusive (PMID: 17175086). 

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 08 Tue, I lovingly present a recipe of ginger milk curd by ServicefromHeart.



Ginger milk curd (also known as ginger-juice milk curd / ginger milk pudding / 姜汁撞奶) is delicious and healthy desert for toddlers, new mothers and each of us who loves ginger.

This Chinese dessert originated in Shawan town of Panyu District, Guangzhou, China.

Ginger contains an enzyme (termed as protease zingipain) that coagulate the milk proteins to form curds.

Servings:1
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 100 ml water (水), filtered (过滤)
♥ 1 knob old ginger (老姜)
♥ 3 egg white (蛋白)
♥ 300 ml fresh milk* (鲜奶)
♥ 1 tbsp honey (蜜糖)

* It is better not to use low-fat / skimmed milk so that ginger can curd the milk. 

Directions:
1. Boil water with old ginger chunks. Let it cool & remove ginger chunks.
2. Gently yet thoroughly mix milk, egg white & honey into the ginger water.
3. Steam over low heat until you can put a spoon on top of the curd without sinking. 



Other recipes that I love:
♥ no-egg no-steam ginger milk pudding recipe at (1) Travelling Foodies by Alan & J and (2) My Baking by Siu Kwan of Simonne Bakery
♥ 108 ideas of cooking / baking with ginger @ Chef and Sommelier
♥ Ginger soybean curd by Joceline Lyn

For faster to prepare recipes, please check our #5minutemeal recipes. 

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140408

F for finger millet for #AtoZChallenge: East Asian style Finger millet porridge by ServicefromHeart

Finger millet (also known as ragi / Muthari kurukku / Kezhvaragu / pampered corn / Nachni / Eleusine coracana / 䅟子), is a rich source of calcium, protein, fiber, vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin). 



This grain is very cooling on a hot day, especially for hot summer or dry spell (kemarau) such as an extreme one that we had in Singapore from February to mid March 2014. It is the driest one since 1869 for Singapore.

withered bougainvillea during a dry spell in Singapore (2014)

Finger millet can grow with less water than rice and wheat does.



Thank you for the finger millet that Candida gave me (and baby Ren)! She has given liquid of finger millet - mixed with milk - to her baby girl Divita since she turned 6 months old.



The choice for finger millet over wheat is probably due to more easily digested proteins of the former.

Finger millet also contains the amino acid methionine (Met / M) - the only amino acid coded by the initiation codon AUG of mRNA for protein synthesis. 

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 07 Mon, I lovingly present a recipe of East Asian style Finger millet porridge by ServicefromHeart. 



Serving:1
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 3 tbsp finger millet seeds (穇子)
♥ 1 tsp wolfberries (枸杞子), washed & soaked until fluffy
♥ 1 egg (鸡蛋)
♥ 1 tsp sesame oil (麻油)
♥ grounded white pepper (白胡椒粉) to taste
♥ 1 fresh parsley leaf (香菜叶)

Directions:
1. Wash ragi by rubbing them in water for a minimum of 3 times.
2. Soak ragi overnight or at least 15 minutes.
3. Add finger millet to soup stock / boiled filtered water.
4. Stir finger millet continuously to ensure thorough cooking until the porridge thickens and bubbles stop to form on surface.
5. When finger millet is almost cooked, gently add egg & wolfberry. Stir.
6. Add white pepper. Mix well.
7. Garnish with parsley.



Other recipes that I love:
♥ An advice to cook ragi properly to prevent constipation from Yummy Tummy
♥ ragi drink for baby by Oishi
♥ Ragi porridge recipe for baby
♥ Sweet ragi malt
♥ Swathi combines ragi and oats



Next time, I will use finger millet flour so to cook faster so that I can play more with Baby Ren, an idea for a future #5minutemeal recipe! 



With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140407