Creamy Bottle Gourd Soup

Recipe:
1 large bottle gourd (skin removed, cubed)
1/2 yellow onion (cubed)
4-5 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
1 tsp thyme flakes
2 Tbsp cream cheese (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)

(1) Saute garlic and onion till fragrant. Add in bottle gourd and fry for a little while.

(2) Pour water into the cooking pan enough to cover all the gourds. Put on lid and simmer till the gourds soft.

(3) Let stand to cool slightly. Pour the gourd into blender and keep aside the balance of the water. Blend till a smooth consistency texture formed. Add the cream cheese water and mix well. Add the balance of the water kept earlier if want a more diluted soup.

(4) Sprinkle some tyme flakes and stir in, in circular motion.

(5) Bring the creamy soup to steam for 3-5 minutes. Once done, serve immediately.

Non Spicy Curry Chicken

Recipe:
2 chicken drumsticks (marinated with lemon juice for 1 hr, after which marinate with 1 Tbsp turmeric powder and 1 stalk curry leaves for another hr)
1 white potato (cubed)
1 lemon grass (trimmed and smashed the bulb)
1 yellow onion + 4 shallots + 2 garlic (chopped and blended)
2 Tbsp natural yogurt (mix with 1 cup room temperature water)
1 Tbsp cream cheese (mix with 1 cup room temperature water)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder

(1) In a frying pan, heat up some oil. Stir-fry all the blended onion, shallots and garlic till fragrant.
Add in lemon grass and stir-fry together with the blended ingredients.

(2) Add in chicken drumstick and pan fry together with all ingredients. Add in potato and pan fry for a while. Add in cumin powder and turmeric powder and stir well.

(3) Once all ingredients smell fragrant, pour in diluted yogurt and cream cheese and put to simmer till the chicken cooked and potatoes are soft. Serve immediately.

Yields: 2 adults portion

Cheesy beef fusilli

Recipe:
1 bowl fusilli (boiled with some olive oil and half-cooked)
1 small piece of beef (thinly sliced and marinated with lemon juice for 1 hr)
5 baby corns (diagonally cut)
2 Tbsp cream cheese (mix with 2 Tbsp warm water)
1 Tbsp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup homemade beetroot soup stock
some finely cut carrots
some chopped zucchini
some chopped garlic
some chopped shallots


(1) In a frying pan heated up with olive oil, stir-fry garlic and shallots till fragrant.

(2) Add in beef and stir-fry. Add in corns, carrots and zucchini and stir-fry.

(3) Add some homemade stock and put on lid to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove lid, and pour in fusilli.

(5) Once the ingredients' gravy starting to dry up, stir in cream cheese and put to simmer for 2 minutes. Lastly, Stir in cheddar cheese, mix well and dish out.

Yields: 1.5 adult portion

Carrot Yogurt Omellete

Recipe:
2 eggs (beaten)
handful of shredded carrots
2 Tbsp yogurt

Mix everything with beaten egg and pan fry

Sweet potato balls

Recipe:
1 orange sweet potato (boiled and mashed)
some minced yellow zucchini
some chopped parsley leaves
some homemade bread crumbs

Mix everything in a bowl, roll with homemade bread crumbs and pan fry till crunchy.
Made 9 potato balls.

Method to dry bread crumbs can refer to
http://www.marthastewart.com/286024/homemade-breadcrumbs

Wholemeal raisin bread

Recipe:
1 1/2 cup pandan water
(boiled with 3 screwpine leaves and let stand to cool in room temperature)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp agave nectar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
2 tsp active dried yeast

After beep, add in 2 Tbsp of sultanas coated with flour (pre-chilled)

(1) In a breadmaker, put the ingredients as according to the list above.
Mode: Wholemeal
Crust: Light
Weight: 1.5lb or 700g setting
Bread machine: Tesco breadmaker

(2) After beeping sounds, wait for 10 minutes before adding sultanas. Let it kneads till smooth, while it threaten to stick to the pan - press STOP button. Let it proof for 1 hour. (I used timer before set to baking mode).

Note:
a. 2:35 to 2:40 for tesco breadmaker when adding in sultanas
b. do not remove the dough from the pan as it is very sticky and will be very hard to handle by hands

(3) Set to "BAKE" mode, and bake for 1 hour.

(4) Wait for 15 minutes before removing baking pan from the bread maker. Leave the bread to cool down for at least 30 minutes before slicing.


Results: This is a simple recipe that yield very soft bread and light crunchy skins. Besides, it is only using all purpose flour - make it very convenient when running out of bread flour.

Baked potato rice in rice cooker

Recipe:
1/2 cup rice (cooked)
1/2 cup vegetable soup stock (extra for additional moisture if needed)
3 potatoes (boiled and mashed)
2 Tbsp cream cheese + 2 ice cubes soup stock (melted and mix together)
some chopped green zucchini
some chopped celery
some chopped green leaves
some chopped yellow onion
some chopped fresh basil leaves
some sliced tomatoes
handful of shredded mozarella cheese
handful of shredded cheddar cheese
handful of homemade bread crumbs

(1) Lay parchment paper on aluminium foil - together put into rice cooker (can try without if using non stick rice cooker pan). Press cooking mode once to preheat rice cooker.

(2) Mix potatoes with cream cheese and add some soup stock till a smooth and creamy texture formed. Add in basil leaves and mix well.

(3) Add in cooked rice to the potato mixture and mix well. Add more soup stock for additional moisture. Stir in all the chopped vegetables, and add more soup stock if needed.

(4) Pour the potato rice mixture into rice cooker. Use a metal spoon to smooth out the mixture from middle to the side. Lightly press flat the mixture.

(5) Lay some tomato slices on top of the potato rice, followed by handful of bread crumbs.

(6) Press cooking mode to cook. Once button release, add cheddar cheese and top with mozarella cheese. Press cooking mode two more times (wait for 4-5 minutes if unable to press the button).

(7) The potato rice is ready when the cheese melted and the fragrant potato smells released.

Yields: 2 adults portion

Rice cooker used: National brand, one button mode

Note: Try to experiment with your rice cooker on the cooking time, as different rice cookers may have different methods and duration for cooking.