A Cup of Tea and A Cookie Solve Everything

Chocolate Oatmeal  Cookies 

Would you like a cuppa? It's a common welcome greeting when you visit a friend's place which means "Would you like to have a cup of coffee or tea or something to drink?" in Australian slang lingo.  Yes, I would like to have coffee or tea, but I prefer to have them with something sweet and healthy. Of course, a cuppa would be nice with cookies right? Don't you think it's a perfect combination?  I love cookies, I think it is one of the foods that gives me comfort.  Other than that, cookies are good travel companions and so much fun to make. Oh I love cookies! Would you like some today?

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My freshly baked cookies

    Here's my mother's original recipe of a yummy and healthy chocolate oatmeal cookies.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

250 grams butter

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup sugar (you can reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup, depending on your preference)

1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring

3 eggs

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup walnut or almonds (optional) 

1tsp mixed spice

Method:

Melt the butter, add sugar and vanilla flavoring. In separate bowl, mix the rolled oats, self-raising flour, and mixed spice. Add eggs and stir them until the eggs are evenly mixed with the dry mixture. Combine the butter and sugar mixture and gradually stir them in the rolled oats mixture. Brush a melted butter in the pan. Place the cookie mixture on the greased pan and bake in 200 degrees oven for 20 minutes. Serve with a hot coffee or tea.

Source: nikkimcwilliams.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest

Beef Stroganoff on Pasta

Beef Stroganoff on Pasta

     Beef stroganoff according to Wikipedia is a Russian dish of sauteed pieces of beef served in a smetana or sour cream. A lot of countries have adopted the dish and put their own modifications to it.  This dish is very simple and so easy to prepare. It's one of the quick meals I prepare in the Knight kitchen. We usually serve it on pasta or rice.  The dish below was made very simple and quick for my family's Saturday lunch.  Here's my simple recipe:

Ingredients:

700 g of steak (fillet or rump) cut into long strips

250 g of sour cream

1 medium size onion

200 g button  mushrooms chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp pepper

1 small capsicum cut into thin strips

1 beef stock cubes (optional)

a pinch of salt

approximately a dozen of basil leaves (shredded)

400 g of fettuccine or spaghetti pasta

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Method:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a sauce pan.

2. Sautee the garlic and onions for 2 minutes.

3. Add the beef strips, then add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and stock cubes and stir them well.

4. Cover the sauce pan with a lid and let it simmer for 5 minutes until the beef is almost tender.

5. Reduce the heat and add the sour cream and  mushrooms, and cook for about 3 minutes.

6. Add the capsicum and cook for 3 minutes.

7. Stir some basil into it.

8. Meanwhile, cook some pasta by following the instructions in the pasta packet. Drain and serve with the stroganoff.

9. Sprinkle with some cheese and parsley on top.

My Stroganoff on Pasta

Source: buzzfeed.com via DeLallo on Pinterest

Asian Dumplings (Gyouza, Yum Cha, Siomai)

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Siomai: A Filipino Dumpling Recipe

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      Siomai is a Filipino version of pork or beef dumplings.  The name originated from a Chinese word called “Shumai” which is defined by Wikipedia as the traditional Chinese pork dumplings served in dim sums.  The dish is very common in the Philippines and around Asian countries with Oriental backgrounds. They call it "gyouza" in Japanese and "yum cha" in Chinese which  have several versions of it. It can be served as an entrée or simply as a snack food. It can also be considered as street food. There is a popular siomai that I love to eat everytime I go back home in the Philippines and it is the Hen Lin's Pork Siomai.  There are several variations to the dish. Some will combine it with shrimp and vegetables. But my recipe below is the more traditional Filipino version of the dumpling.  

Source: epicurious.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

 Filling Ingredients: 

1 kg minced pork (or beef)

3 tbsp soy sauce 

1tbsp sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 onion sliced in small pieces

2 eggs dash of pepper

2tbsp corn flour 

1tbsp sugar

2 stalks of spring onions or eshallots cut in small pieces

1 small carrot grated pork or beef stock (broth), I used the chicken cube and melted in a bit of water (optional)

dumpling pastry (you can buy it at an Asian shop, or you can make your own pastry please check the video below)

 

Dipping sauce: 

1 tbsp sesame oil (or vegetable oil if sesame oil is not available)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp vinegar

3 or more tbsp soy sauce

sauteed garlic

dash of pepper

Method:

Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture into each wrapper. Fold and seal. Meanwhile, boil water and brush steamer with oil. When the water boils reduce the heat and arrange the dumpling in the steamer and let stand for 30-40 minutes, longer for larger pieces. Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce.

Source: damndelicious.tumblr.com via Brittany on Pinterest

Source: blog.friendseat.com via Old on Pinterest

Spring Rolls

Yummy Spring Rolls 

Home made spring rolls before frying.

Ingredients: 

500g minced pork or beef
200g bean sprouts
1 small onion grated
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 medium size carrot
grated 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 stalks of eshallots, cut in small pieces
1 tbsp salt dash of pepper
1 egg 1 tbsp corn flour
 pork or beef stock (optional)
spring roll pastry (squares)

Source: norecipes.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. 

Pull out gently one square pastry. Put the square pastry in a plate so it looks like a diamond shape (with a corner pointing up (north), a corner pointing down (south), one pointing left (west) and the other pointing right (east). Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of the minced pork or beef mixture in the center. Use your hands to elongate the minced pork mixture. Fold the south corner over the  pork/beef mixture. Fold the right corner over, and then the left corner over. Roll the spring roll to the north corner. Repeat this for the rest of the square pastries.

Turn the stove heat between medium and high. Add a generous amount of oil to a deep frying pan. After the oil is warmed (about 5 min), add the spring rolls to the pan. 

Cook them for about 3 to 5 min and then turn them over so both sides become golden. Once both sides are golden, transfer them to a strainer to drain the excess oil. Put them on some paper towel to drain further excess oil.

Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Source: google.hr via Σ∇ΣLΨΠ RΩDRIGUΣZ, 💋 on Pinterest

Stir Fry Noodles

Stir Fry Vegetables With Hokkien Noodles

      Stir fry vegetables with noodles is a common dish that I usually prepare in the Knight kitchen.  I can cook a variety of stir fry vegetables using different types of noodles. The above photo was my recent noodle dish prepared using hokkien noodles but the basic ingredients are the same.  The base recipe that I found to be close to what I usually make is in here. Anyway, here is my own version of the vegetable stir fry with hokkien noodles.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 big onion sliced

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

1 medium size carrot cut into strips

1 medium size red capsicum

100 g beansprouts (optional)

200 g snow peas

1/2 bunch of spring onions (cut in about 1cm length)

250 g of  broccoli cut into florets

1/4 cup of soy sauce

2 tbsp of oyster sauce 

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (or alternately I use the Kecap Manis in place of the soy sauce, oyster sauce and chilli sauce)

440 g of thin Hokkien noodles

a pinch of pepper

200 g of chicken fillet or pork boiled in 1/2 cup water until tender (use this chicken or pork stock in cooking)

Procedure:

1. Put a 200 g pork or chicken in a sauce pan, put 1/2 cup of water and bring it to boil until the meat is tender.

2. Set aside the meat stock and slice the chicken or pork in small pieces.

3. Place the sauce pan or a wok (whichever is available) over high heat then add the vegetable oil. 

4. Add the minced garlic and onions and stir fry them for 2 minutes or until you can smell the sauteed garlic and onions.

5. Add the meat, the stock, carrots, bean sprouts and snow peas and saute them for 2 minutes, then add the capsicum in the last minute or until the carrot is tender but please do not overcook them.

6. Blanch the broccoli and the noodles in boiling water for about two minutes. Drain and add them in the sauce pan with vegetables.

7. Toss well until all the ingredients are well combined.8. Add the spring onions and a pinch of pepper.

9. Place the dish in a platter and garnish with the spring onions.

     If you are interested in making a stir fry rice noodles, here's a very good video on how to make it.

                        

Source: thrashlab.com via Crafty on Pinterest

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Spanish Style Omelette

Wondering what to do with your leftover meat or deli? Here's my favorite leftover recipe. A quick and easy recipe and yummy too.

Spanish Omelette 

Made this Omelette from my leftover roast.

 Ingredients: 

2 medium size potatoes (cut in small cubes or chopped thinly)

1 small onion

1/2 tbsp minced garlic (optional, I prefer it with garlic though

6 eggs

1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped in small pieces

a pinch of pepper

leftover roast meat, ham, salami, or any deli chopped in small pieces 

5 tbsp milk

60 ml vegetable oil

50 g grated cheese

Method:

1. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat together with milk, salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat and fry the garlic and onions.
3. Add the leftover roast, ham or any leftover deli.
4. Add  the chopped potatoes and let it cooked until its tender.
5. Add the egg mixture and sprinkle with parsley and cheese.
6. Reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid.
7. Cook for about 12-15 minutes or until the egg has set.
8. Cut in wedges and serve hot on a bread or as part of your tapas dish.

For more tips in making a perfect Spanish Omelette or Tortilla, please check the video below:

Source: awesomecuisine.com via Pavithri on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Physique Design on Pinterest

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Easy Beef Rissoles

Planning of having a barbie?  Here's one of my family's favorite dish on a barbie ~ Easy Beef Rissoles!

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Beef Rissoles on Your Barbie (Oz Slang for Barbecue) or In Your Sandwich

My home-made rissoles

Ingredients:

500g premium minced beef

1 tbsp of minced garlic

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs (I usually use a fresh multi-grain bread and use my tupperware lawn mower (turbo chef) or alternately use your food processor to make bread crumbs)

1 small carrot grated

1 tbsp of mixed herbs

1 grated onion

2 tbsp soy sauce

a pinch of pepper

1 packet of french onion soup (optional) or beef stock cubes (optional), alternately use 1 tbsp of salt

 1 tbsp of corn flour

Method:

Mix all the ingredients and make them into rissoles. Pan fry them and cook in a barbecue. Serve with your favorite steam vegetables or salad or place into your sandwich.

Source: Uploaded by user via Brittany on Pinterest