PAVLOVA No. 2 with summer berries (strawberries,raspberries,blueberries and blackberries)

Pavlova

I have made pavlova before and is posted here: Pavlova recipe with a little bit of a famous history of the dessert.  Please read on a bit there if you like the to get the recipe.  

For this version, I didn't use whipped cream because, I just don't have it in the fridge, the thought of making it just came up quickly to compliment Hubby's lunch.  He had been working hard prepping for weekend lunch so, to equate the effort I came up with pavlova dessert as i happen to have the summer berries for the season on sale in the grocery store.

So i didn't have whipped cream to top it with, hence i just made custard and made it a little bit thicker than usual.  

I just think its easier to make meringue the night before you need the pavlova and leave it in the oven.  Put the oven at 250 degrees C, put off before putting the meringue in and leave it there till morning.  Pls avoid opening the door to check as the temperature would be affected.

I took some pictures for a guide.
Make the meringue:
Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar, (alternatively salt can be used)
2 tsp. vinegar
1 ½ cup sugar
2 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. Vanilla essence


Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. (Gas 4)
2. Cut baking paper into 5 inch squares (make 6 squares)
3. Draw a circle at bottom side of the baking paper. Use this as a guide when you put meringue in each portion. Set aside.
4. In a dry clean bowl, place the egg whites and cream of tartar.
5. Beat the egg white using electric beater until soft peak
6. gradually add sugar whilst continue beating until 
7. Add vinegar and cornstarch
8. Add vanilla essence
9. continue beating until stiff. The meringue must look smooth, silky and holds a stiff peak when you lift the beater.
10. In the prepared baking paper, spoon in the meringue making a circular pattern as per the guide, working from the center, create a small well and spread the meringue to the edge of the pattern. 
11. Pipe around the meringue to create a little well, where you will put the whipped cream later on.
12. Bake for 1 hour and half. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue to cool completely inside the oven. It is best to do this at night and leave the meringue in the oven overnight. The meringue should be firm and crisp.
13. Store the meringue in an airtight container until you will use them.

Spoon the meringue on a lined baking sheet and make a well in the middle but not
going through the bottom.  Leave room for a base.

It will look like this.  A base with a little room for the the topping.  

I made some spiky just for fun.

Making the custard is taking forever.  I just wish I had whipped cream and it
will be finished in a flash, but i unfortunately dont have.  But this is worth a trial for
flavor combination.  It was good. its just that it takes forever, but its worth the wait.

The final Look.

Review:  I would say, it was a good experiment on the flavor.  The making of the custard took forever to thicken, but the taste is phenomenal compared to whipped cream.

PS.  I love the meringue.  I took the extra bit to go with my morning coffee.  It reminds me of those meringue kisses when i was a kid.  Not so sweet, crispy outside and it turns chewy and mallowy in the tongue.

Why chew when you can drink? #4 Raspberries and black berries smoothie

Black berries

Raspberries

Milk

Mix in a blender until smooth.  Add ice cubes if desired.

Why chew when you can drink? #5

Honey lemon glazed pork loin with freen salad

Pan-roasted baby potatoes with herbs

Cut baby potatoes in half, season with salt and pepper and steam for 10 minutes.  Do not over cook.  Make sure they are half cooked only.

In a heavy bottomed frying pan, add 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add a few sprigs of rosemary, add the potatoes.  Occasionally shake the pan to move the potatoes whilst roasting so it won't stick to the pan.  Add dried basil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Perfect for serving on the side of any main dish.

Mini bruschetta

The base is a ready made toasted savory snacks.

Topping Ingredients:

5 large tomatoes

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 clove of garlic (grated)

salt and pepper

To make the topping, finely chop tomatoes; drain to get rid of the excess tomato juice and set aside. Chop fresh basil finely and set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix olive oil, grated garlic, salt and pepper.  Add basil and drained tomatoes.  Mix well.  Place a teaspoon in each of the savory biscotti.  

Enjoy these bite size treats with your favorite cocktail.

Canapes

Base :  Ready made whole grain toasted savory biscotti ( I used Melba Snacks)

For the toppings, I mixed yogurt, cucumber and cream cheese and added some herbs.  One mixture I added dill and another mixture I added basil.

variants:  

smoked salmon (flaked)

finely diced peppers (green, yellow, orange and red)

In some servings i skipped the cream mixture as for some who doesn't like cream based topping. For a healthier option, I just added directly on the savory biscotti a mixture of tomato,basil,grated garlic and olive oil to make mini bruschetta. Some I just added only the peppers.

These bite portions are perfect for gatherings.  There's always something to much while Hubby is busy grilling.  Kids loved the mini bruschetta.  

Gold Doll Cake for a golden birthday

Princess Doll cake

Chef's Ring

Chef’s Ring

I am not a professional chef and it’s not my ring! Well, this one makes wonders. I use this for molding rice, mashed potatoes, cakes, dough, anything that needs a round mold. It is great for molding layers of different textures, colors and flavor.

Mutton Sio Mai

Mutton Sio Mai

We are a big fan of dim sum restaurants and once in a while at home we crave for it. The key to a tasty dim sum dumplings is to cook with a bamboo steamer. I have tried doing it in my metal steamer, there’s nothing like it with a bamboo steamer! It’s the flavor and the aroma that has stucked into it that gives a special touch. In my quest to find a bamboo steamer, I’ve been to china town, but wasn’t successful. I’ve seen huge gigantic bamboo steamer which is not what I’m looking to buy! Not until now, a colleague of hubby was kind enough to buy it for us, and we are very pleased to have a medium sized bamboo steamer in four layers. We just got it last night and we wanted to try it right away! Just in time, I have frozen dumpling wrapper which have been sitting in the freezer for quite some time now, But the available minced meat I have is mutton and mutton only! I haven’t had mutton sio mai in my life, but that didn’t leave me any much choice but to try making mutton sio mai. My imagination had worked fantastically with the flavors, hence I put spices that I haven’t used with chicken or pork dumplings. I added chili onion, mushrooms which worked out just well!

Ingredients:
¼ Kg minced mutton
1 can button mushrooms (diced finely)
1 large white onion (diced finely)
1 red chili (diced finely)
1 green chili (diced finely)
6 Tbsp. Soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. corn starch

Soy Sauce:
¼ C. Soy sauce
2 Calamanci (small lime)
½ tsp. Sesame Oil

Procedure:

Prepare all the ingredients and place everything in a mixing bowl. Mix vigorously with your hand, you may wish to use plastic gloves, as I did, until all the flavors have been blended together. Let it stand for about 10 minutes that the flavors will develop nicely.

Place 1 teaspoon of meat mixture at the center of each dumpling wrapper, pat with water around the meat using your finger. Gather the edges of the wrapper up forming pleated raffles. Tap on the table to flatten the bottom of the siomai and squeeze a little just before the edge of the wrapper, leaving a little meat exposed. Do this until all the meat mixtures have been wrapped, then you are ready to steam.

To use the bamboo steamer, place about an inch deep of water in a large woke, taking care that the water should not get out of the rims of the steamer. This is important to keep the steam inside the bamboo steamer. Bring the water to boil and reduce the heat when it is bubbling already. Brush with the base of the bamboo steamer to avoid the dumplings sticking onto it. Place the dumplings in each base keeping a little distance in between each dumpling.



Stack the bamboo steamer over the simmering water and cover the last layer.

Fish /fillet with steamed mixed vegetables and spinach

Season Fish fillet with salt and pepper, coat with flour and shallow fry for about 2 minutes each side.  Whilst frying, steam the mixed vegetables.  Sauté some finely chopped spinach.

Frozen Spinach

one of my favorites as it just breaks down easily. My favorite bit, is there's no need of thawing, it can be added while still frozen.

Why chew when you can drink #3

Why chew when you can drink #3
Why chew when you can drink series is a series of different flavored 
morning shakes, fully loaded with various ingredients that boosts energy for the morning rush. It doesn't mean we are not chewing anything at all.. it's just that some veggies are taken well when sipped than chewed, besides its quick and easy. Seriously, how much time you need to chew all of these? 

Putting them in the blog for my review from time to time. Man , sometimes i just run out of ideas what's gonna be the next dominant flavor! Those tastebuds need to be tickled early in the morning so no fuzz til lunch!

Just mix everything in the blender and good to go! The amount of each ingredient is all up to you. Go ahead and do some alterations what ever you have in the fridge! and ohh, dont forget to throw in some nuts.. I't will keep you going ..

I hope you enjoy this website. Have fun in the kitchen

Pan-grilled tuna steak with baby pechay puree and steamed diced potatoes

The puree

Puree is made by sauteeing garlic and onions with the baby pechay, add 1/2 cup of water and let it simmer for a few minutes.  Turn off the heat and set aside to cool down.  Once cooled pour it into the blender or food processor, add a handful of fresh baby spinach to make it more green. Blitz for a minute.  It is ready to serve on the side of any  main dish.

I love doing this puree because not only it is full of flavor, it also transforms it into paste form (almost liquid) and one good spoon means a lot of goodness in there for my daughter who doesnt like vegies, but she's always tricked with this.  I bet she cant even finish 5 leaves of pechay but with the puree, she finished what was on the plate.   Even myself i personally can eat more of it than chewing the leaves itself.

Tuna

Prepare the tuna by drying it with a kitchen paper, add a lot of freshly ground pepper and some salt.  Massage some oil on the fish and grill it on a preheated pan. 1 minute each side on high heat.

Steamed potatoes

Steamed the diced potatoes for 8-10 minutes, season with salt and pepper.