Ramadan day 23

My meal tonight was a bowl of chicken soup. I always cook the soup the same way my late mother taught me. I used lots of grated ginger, onion, garlic, and mrs. dash original blend. I also added some diced potato. It was delicious.

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Ramadan 2015 Day 10 - Rice Noodle in Beef Soup and Brownies

Lovely and beautiful day today. I decided to cook a simple meal for dinner. Rice noodle also known as bee hoon or mee siam is delicious and can be cooked in several ways. For today, I am making the rice noodle with beef soup.

For the soup:
1/2 lb of beef
1 stick of cinnamon
2 pieces star anise
5 pieces cloves
1 tablespoon of crushed coriander
1 big onion (diced)
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
lots of water, about 10 cups
2 tablespoons of salt or as taste
Rice noodle. Soak in warm water.

Method:
Boil water and all of the ingredients.
Taste the soup and add salt if needed.
Let the beef cooked and all spices are marinated.
Add rice noodle and turn off the stove.
Garnish the rice noodle soup with hot peppers soak in soy sauce.

Dessert today was Brownies.
I am using brownie mix from the box. Follow the instruction on the box and add about 2 cups of apple sauce. I like to add some other ingredient into the cake mix. My favorite is to use apple sauce. The sauce will give more moisture to the cake mix.

 The brownie came out nice and super moist.

Other ingredient that you can add to the cake mix is grated zucchini, peaches, or any other fruits and vegetables.


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Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Fall is a harvest season for pumpkin, butternut, and acorn squash. They are also known as winter squashes. Although the produce section in the store will sell butternut squash all year round, at this time, the farmer's market will sell it at a good deal. I love the meaty and nutty yet sweet flavors of the butternut squash. I usually roast the butternut and eat it with some brown sugar and butter. Delicious!

Today, I decided to cook butternut squash mix with apple in a soup.
Ingredients:
 4 cups of butternut squash (roasted)
 1 large apple (core, peel and cube)
 ¼ cup of olive oil
 2 cubes of chicken bouillon
 ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon powdered dry onion
 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage, thyme and rosemary
 2 cups of water

 Instructions:
 Preheat oven to 450 degree F.
Wash and cut the butternut into half, lengthwise.
Put cut-side down and roast the butternut for 40 minutes.
Once cooked and cool, remove the skin and the seeds.
Cut the butternut into cube.
In a big pot, add butternut and apple.
Add ground black pepper, onion, chicken bouillon, water and fresh thyme, rosemary and sage.
Add olive oil.
Cook on medium low until bubbly.
Using handheld blender, puree until smooth.
Serve warm or chill.

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Shrimp Curry Noodle

Tonight's breaking fast was a simple meal put together with shrimp and curry flavor. I am using angel hair wheat spaghetti for the noodle.

Ingredients:
2 cups of medium size shrimp
2 tablespoons of curry powder
4 pieces hot peppers
1 medium size onion
1 medium size tomato
1 cup shredded carrot
5 pieces soy puff
10 pieces curry leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk
5 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:
Dice onion and hot peppers.
In a big pot, heat olive oil.
Saute onion and peppers.
Add curry powder. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add water.
Let it boil.
Add carrots, shrimp, curry leaf and soy puff.
Add coconut milk and salt.
Cook for another 5 minutes. Cover.
Turn off the stove.

In a separate pot, cook spaghetti until soft.
In a small bowl, add some cooked spaghetti or any noodle you fancy. Pour the shrimp curry on the noodle.
Serve warm. Enjoy!
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Carrot Ginger Soup

The weather is very hot during this summer time that it make me eating light. The stove in my kitchen will only turn on for a quick fix meal. One of my favorite soup besides tomato and basil soup is this hearthy carrot and ginger soup. This soup has all the sweetness from the carrots. The ginger then add zing to this meal. I could eat bowl after bowl of this delicious soup.
Picture will be posted at later date. Please come back.
Ingredients:
3 medium size carrot
1 inch fresh Ginger root
1 large yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream or milk
5 cups chicken stock

Clam and Mushroom Pot Pie

I always enjoy a bowl of pot pie. This time I am using all ready to use items.
Ingredients:
1 can creamy mushroom soup
2 cans chopped fresh clam
1 tube of 6 pieces flaky Pillsbury crescent
1 1/2 cups water
Cooking oil spray.

Pumpkin Soup

The first step to cook this delicious pumpkin soup is to roast the pumpkin at 450 degree for about 1 hour.
Cut the pumpkin into half. Remove the guts. Then lay it cut side down and roast it in the oven.
Let it cool down and remove the charred skin.
Squeeze the pumpkin to remove any excess water.
This recipe is using 3 cups of puree roasted pumpkin.

Ingredients:
3 cups of puree roasted pumpkin.
4 cups organic low sodium chicken stock.
1 big yellow onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 piece chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt to taste

Method:
Dice onion.
Chop chicken breast.
In a big pot heat olive oil.
Sweat onion.
Add chicken breast.
Cook until chicken is done.
Then add pumpkin.
Add chicken stock.
Add black and white ground pepper, parsley flakes and cumin.
Let it boil.
Reduce the heat. Using hand held blender, smooth the soup.
Lastly, add heavy cream. Salt to taste.
Turn off the stove.
Serve warm. Enjoy!

Chayote Chicken Rice Soup

Chayote is a sweet vegetable when cook in chicken soup. If you are conscious with carb in your diet, you can use chayote in your chicken soup to replace the starchy potato. This is a simple recipe that require no cooking skill at all. Rice is optional in this soup.

Ingredients:
1 chayote (peel skin, seeded and dice)
1 big yellow onion (dice)
2 pieces star anise
4 pieces cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
1 cardamon pod
1 inch fresh ginger
1 piece chicken breast (cut into bite size)
1 cup short grain rice
8 cups water
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 cube chicken stock

Method:
In a big pot, heat olive oil on medium stove. Saute onion and chayote until soft. Add star anise, cardamon, cloves, ginger and cinnamon stick. Cook until fragrant. Add chicken pieces and stir until chicken half cook. Add rice, water and chicken cube. Let soup simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. Serve warm. This soup is so good that I fogot to dress it up with chives or parsley.

Rice Stick Noodle Soup

Growing up in Malaysia, I used to eat rice stick noodle a lot. Rice stick noodle also known popularly in Malaysia as Bihun or mee hoon . For this simple recipe I cook rice stick noodle in chicken broth. I also sprinkled a pinch of cayenne powder, white pepper powder, chopped garlic, salt and black pepper.

Garnish this dish with cucumber, romaine lettuce and cauliflower. Serve warm.

Chicken Breast Soup

When the weather is as cold as now, temperature around 40 degree F. There is nothing comforting than this simple and delicious chicken breast chunky soup.

Ingredients:
1 piece chicken breast (cut into bite size)
1 tablespoon chicken paste (you can substitute with 2 cups chicken broth)
2 cups water ( you don't need this if you have 2 cups chicken broth)
1 inch fresh ginger ( grated)
1 medium size yellow onion (Slice)
1 piece star anise
5 pieces cloves
2 pieces cardamon
1 stick of cinnamon
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoon olove oil for cooking
salt to taste
1 stick large carrot ( slice thinly with a peeler as garnish)

Method:
Clean chicken breast and cut it into bite size. Toss. Rub in with a pinch of salt, grated ginger and turmeric powder.
In a pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, cook the chicken breast for about 3 minutes. Then add thin slices of onion. Mix well. Then add star anise, cardamon, cinnamon stick and cloves.
Add water then add chicken stock paste. Let it boil. Then add black pepper and salt to taste. Let it simmer until bubble. Turn off the heat and serve in a bowl warm. Garnish with some carrot's peel.

How to roast pumpkin

This pumpkin is not only pretty as decoration but really super sweet and delicious in cooking.

Cut the pumpkin into half. Turn the cut side down and roast this at 450F about 30 minutes. Let it cool down a bit before scoop out the seeds and the flesh. I throw away the seeds and just keep the flesh.

To make delicious pumpkin soup, use a cup of chicken broth or any vegetables cube and boil it on medium heat in a pot. Stir in the roasted pumpkin flesh. Season with salt. Serve warm or cold. Adjust the chicken broth to get the right consistency.