Tag Archives: carrot

baking, Cake

Carrot & Walnut Cake

Ingredients:

flour 1 cup

cinnamon powder  1 tsp

salt 1/2 tsp

baking powder 1/2 tsp

baking soda 1/4 tsp

brown sugar 1/2 cup

white sugar 1/4 cup

eggs 2

vanilla 1/2 tsp

vegetable oil 1/2 cup

grated carrots 1 1/2 cup

finely chopped walnut 1 cup

 

  1. Preheat oven to 180 Degree C.
  2. Cream vegetable oil with brown sugar & white sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
  3. Sieve all the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder) to avoid any lump.
  4. Add dry ingredients into oil & sugar mixture 1/3 at a time, to make sure they are well combined.
  5. Finally add in grated carrot and walnut. Mix well.
  6. Into the oven and bake for 20-25 mins. Check with toothpick. If it comes out clean, then the cake is done.

https://flic.kr/p/2gLUou8

Very simple and the cake is really good.

mushroom, Potato, Vegetables

Oven Roasted Vegetables

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I roasted potato, cauliflower, carrot by oven before. I always wanted to try roasting different kinds of vegetables at one time. And I did it today.

  1. Preheat oven to  200 Degree C.
  2. Prepare vegetables. I chose potato, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, onion, baby corn, mushroom and cherry tomatoes.
  3. Wash them and cut. For potato, carrot, cauliflower and broccoli, they may need longer time to be cooked. So they must be in smaller size. While onion, baby corn, mushroom and cherry tomatoes. They should be in larger size.
  4. Cover the baking try with aluminum foil. Place vegetables over it. Drizzle olive oil. Sprinkle salt and black pepper. I also spread some dried herbs. And add 2 cloves of garlic. Gently toss a bit.

Into the oven and bake for 10 mins.

Flip them over. and Lower heat to 180 Degree C. Bake for another 10-15 mins.

Very nice. You can have various kinds of vegetables at one time.

And I put them in my husband’s bento box. One thing I love about bento is that he can’t be picky about the food. If I prepare vegetable for him. He has to finish it.

Beef, Uncategorized

Red Wine Oxtail Stew

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I actually wrote a blog about red wine oxtail stew. But somehow it disappeared. Today, I cooked it again. So I rewrote it.

  1. Prepare oxtail. I used about 600g, 4 pieces. Place them in a big bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Dust them with flour. Just let them be coated with a thin flour layer is enough.
  2. Heat a pan. Add in oil. Fry oxtail with patience till each side turns beautifully golden brown. Transfer them into a deep pot.
  3. Prepare vegetables. I used 2 carrots (chopped into small chunks), 1 onion (diced), 1/4 head of cabbage (chopped into medium slices), and 3 chopped cloves of garlic.
  4. Use the same pan (the one used to fry oxtail) to fry vegetables. Fry for, let’s say 2 mins, or till they become slightly soft. Add in 2 tbsp flour, later while slow cooking, it will thicken the soup. Stir fry evenly.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add in 2 tbsp tomato paste. Stir evenly and pour into 1/2 cup wine. Boil a bit to let the alcohol evaporate.
  7. Transfer everything into the deep pot. Add in 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise. Turn to high heat to boil it. Then turn to low heat and slow cook for 3 hours. Try to have a taste to see if it needs seasoning again before serving.

I also prepare mashed potato to be served with stew. Prepare 2 medium potatoes, wash, peel and chop them. Boil till fully cooked. Mash them with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Also add in 1 tbsp butter. Mix them well.

Butter potato paste as the base, place oxtail stew over it.

https://flic.kr/p/2gu659F

I also saved some to make my hubby’s bento.

He really loved the hot buttery mashed potato and the oxtail stew. He kept saying “tai had chi le” means “very delicious”. 🙂

Beef, mushroom

Mushroom & Beef Steak Rice Bento

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Bento for my husband (his second day at work).

I have  seriously thought about what is a good match for rice to be in his bento. The first choice is sure to be meat dish with sauce, so that the flavor will go into the rice. My rule is do not repeat the same dish in 3 days. Since my husband already had chicken yesterday, so I chose beef. He’s also a beef fan.

  1. Prepare steak. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over both sides. Heat a pan. Drizzle in some oil. When oil is heated, place steak in. Mine is not very thick, so I just need to fry it for about 2 mins for each side. My husband likes tender not hard texture. So I tried to shorten the cooking time.
  2. Flip the steak after one side turns brown, (about 2 mins). Cut in 1 small chunk of butter. Also add in 2 crushed cloves of garlic, a little dried thyme. Fry for another 2 mins.
  3. Try to stand the steak and sear the side. Then put steak into a plate and let it rest.
  4. Same pan, no need to wash, no need to wipe. Because there is still some butter left with meat juice. I used it to fry mini portobello mushrooms.
  5. Mushroom should be washed and stem-removed before frying. Fry the gill side first for 2 mins. Then flip it over and fry for another 2 mins. There will be a small hole after the stem got removed. Drizzle in light soy sauce into the hole.
  6. Flip the mushroom over again. turn to low heat and lid on. Cook for 2-3 mins. Turn it over, lid on for 2-3 mins, too.
  7. Mushroom out. Same pan. I made a little sauce with the rest fluid. Also juice comes out when the steak is resting. Add the meat juice in. 1/4 tsp flour, mix well. Add in 1/4 light soy sauce, 1 pinch sugar, dash of black pepper. Reduce the sauce.
  8. Cut steak into strips. Place them over rice and top with sauce. Also put in mushroom and some boiled veggies.

My husband likes his bento very much. 🙂

Chicken, Soup

ABC Soup

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My husband used to cook this soup for me.  That’s really shocking since he seldom cooks. He cooks for maybe 10 times at most and chooses to cook soup. Why? Because he just needs to put all the ingredients into a pot and let the cooker do the rest work. That’s why I cannot say he doesn’t cook at all.

According to him, this soup is full of vitamin A,  B and C, and that’s how it gets the name.

Main ingredients are chicken leg (you can even use pork instead), vegetables (tomato, potato, carrot and onion). The most complicated part is to handle vegetables. (When my husband cooked this soup last time, I cleaned and cut all the vegetable for him.) Cut vegetables into medium chunks.

Put chicken leg into a pot, add in enough water. Bring to boil with high heat first. Skim the soup and remove all the dirt to make sure soup is clear. Then add all vegetable pieces in. Tun to low heat and simmer for at least 45 mins.

Don’t forget to season with salt before serving.

https://flic.kr/p/24wE2e2

I cooked for my husband when he felt a bit sick and didn’t have appetite. He finished this whole bowl of soup. Ate up all the vegetables and chicken leg.

Potato, Soup, Vegetables

Vegetable Soup

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Before anything. Yeah! That’s a whole potato in the soup.

It’s a rally light and simple soup. And of course, it’s also healthy. Even my husband, a 100% meat lover, falls for this soup.

Ingredients (serving for 2)

potatoes 2 (peeled)

carrot 1  (cut into thick strips)

onion 1 (cut into quarters)

1/4 head of cabbage

celery 2 stalks

bacon 5 or 6 slices

salt

black pepper

stock 1 cup

water 2 cups

  1. Place peeled potatoes, carrot strips and onion quarters into a pot.
  2. Add in water and stock. (You can adjust water and stock according to your preference. You can even use all water or all stock). Also add in 1 pinch salt and 1 dash black pepper. Turn to high heat. Bring to boil. Turn to low heat. Lid on and simmer for 15-20 mins.
  3. Put celery strips, bacon slices and cabbage into the pot. Same procedure. Bring to boil with high heat and simmer with low heat for 25 mins.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.

https://flic.kr/p/SGV271

It can be served with baguette or any bread you like.

Even though no sugar is added to this soup, it still tastes a bit sweet. I cooked this soup on my husband’s birthday. And served it with garlic bread. He really loved it.

Beef

Beef Stew 2.0

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The first time my husband and I wen to buy groceries after he came back, I suddenly stopped in front of the beef shelf. A voice talked to me in my mind “buy some beef and cook beef stew”. Then I bought beef. Haha.

I cooked tomato beef stew before. This time I’m gonna make a beef stew 2.0. 🙂

1. Cut beef into small cubes. Prepare 3 big rotten tomatoes. Cut a cross at the bottom. Soak in hot water for a little while. Peel them and chop into small dives.

2. Heat a pan. Oil in. Fry beef till brownish. Set them aside.

3. Same pan. Add in chopped 1/2 onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Sauté till aromatic. Add in tomato dice. Sprinkle a little salt and black pepper. Simmer a bit.

4. Transfer everything into a deep pot. Add all beef in. Pour in stock covers all ingredients. Also add in star anise, bayleaf, dried thyme. I also add in 1 tablespoon tomato sauce to make color brighter and 2 tsp sugar. Cover the lid. Simmer for 1 hour and a half. Trust me, your kitchen will be full of incredible smell.

5. Prepare 1 carrot and 2 small potatoes. Cut into small chunks. Add them into the pot. Simmer for another 30 mins.

6. Mix 2 tablespoon flour with water or stock till no lumps. Pour into the pot. Quickly stir evenly to make it rich and thick.

It’s perfect to go with rice or noodles. My husband really really loved it. He finished all rice in a great speed and kept saying yummy.

Chicken, Uncategorized

Chicken, Vegetable & Vermicelli Stir-fry

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When I don’t have enough time to think what to cook, stir-fry will be my first choice. All I need is to put some vegetables and meat and stir fry them.

1. Soak vermicelli in water for 3-5 mins or till it becomes completely soft and transparent. Cut shorter with scissors. And drain.

2. Cut boneless chicken leg into small pieces. You can also use chicken breast. Place chicken pieces in a bowl, add in 2-3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tsp chopped ginger, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 tsp cooking wine and 1-2 tablespoon corn starch. Mix well and marinate for 10-15 mins.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the pan. Fry chicken till brown. Then set aside for later use.

4. Heat pan again. Add in a little extra oil if needed. Stir fry carrot slices first for 2 mins. Then add in cabbage, vermicelli and chicken. Stir fry for another 2-3 mins.

5. Add in 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon water. Simmer for 1 min.

6. Season with salt and ready to serve.

Cake

Fried Carrot Cake

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1. Cut carrot cake into medium cubes. I bought carrot cake from local supermarket.

2. Place them in a big bowl. Add in corn starch. Shake a little bit to let carrot cake be coated with starch evenly.

3. Fry carrot cake in oil till starch layer turns hard. Set them aside.

4. Heat a little oil. Sauté 2 cloves of chopped garlic till aromatic. Add in shreds of 1 small carrot. Stir fry for 2 mins.

5. Add in chopped cabbage, bean sprouts and spring onion. Stir fry for 2 mins.

6. Add in 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon chili sauce and 1 tablespoon Thai chili sauce. Stir fry evenly.

7. Add fried carrot cake in. Mix evenly and season with a little salt.

Quick recipe, Uncategorized

Scallop & Asparagus Stir-fry

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1. Cut scallops into two thinner pieces. Peel the asparagus and cut them. Also prepare several carrot slices to garnish the dish.

2. Boil a pot of water, add in 1 tsp salt. Blanch asparagus and carrot for 1 min. Rinse under water and drain them.

3. Heat a pan. In with 1 tablespoon oil. Sauté a little garlic & ginger slices. Add in scallops. Fry each side for 1 min.

4. Add in asparagus and carrot. Quickly blend them.

5. Add in 1 tsp cooking wine, 1 tsp light soy sauce and a little salt to season. Stir fry evenly.

6. At last, in with a little starch water.