Cherry Tomatoes in Chicken Curry

I haven't cooked chicken curry for a while. Just today I remember my friend Danny Mc Cubbin (JamieOliver.com editor) because of the chicken curry he prepared the time I was visiting his office in London. I made a chicken curry last night and I added cherry tomatoes for the little sweet and sour kick. I think this one will do justice to a curry recipe as compared to my previous post, which I deleted. The reason why I deleted it? It's because the photography was really bad. Now with my new DSLR I can do more decent food photos.

A lot of things are happening lately in my life. Aside from my regular job as an art director from Mondays thru Fridays, now I also work as Chef during the weekend in a small cafe called GEISHA. I am also progressing with regards to my future culinary course in Italy. I found my school already and now I'm just doing some house hunting in Firenze and some restaurant internship. Then later on I have to apply for my student's visa in Italy. I will probably get another UK visa so I can visit the JamieOliver online team and some friends I gained in London and Liverpool. Since I will be there on that other side of the planet around yuletide season, I hope my student's visa will be the same as Schengen so I can travel around Europe aside from Italy. I am excited to see snow... I have travelled a lot already but I haven't seen one in my life :)

CHERRY TOMATOES IN CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast Fillet
• Curry Paste/Powder
• Turmeric
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Salt / Pepper
• Sugar
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Coriander
• Sweet Basil Leaves
• Onions and Garlic (Minced)
• Ginger (Grated)
• Coconut Milk
• Olive Oil
• Butter (of course)

Procedure:

Heat pan in medium temperature then add butter and olive oil. Put garlic, onions and ginger then saute all together. Add chicken and fry it until it gets a little brown. Add curry paste or powder along with other spices. Stir-fry the chicken with cherry tomatoes then add salt, pepper and sugar. Add coconut milk with little water. Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add coriander and basil leaves and simmer for another minutes until the sauce evaporate and thicken. Turn off the heat and serve over Thai Jasmine rice then top it with yoghurt.

Hope all of my mates will like this one...

big hug,
joanie xxx

Celeriac and Halzelnut Soup

Celeriac. Must be THE ugliest vegetable I've ever seen. Just look at its knobbly and twisted surface; it's no wonder most people avoid it. But peel away (actually more like cut. it's got really thick skin) the outer layers, and you have a beautiful cream-coloured inside,that gives off a sweet nutty smell and flavour, a bit celery-like but much milder and without the fibrous texture.

Anyway, I picked this thing up because I like to get the odd vegetables at the Farmers' Markets. There's not much fun in getting something you can see in the supermarkets anyway, is there? When I don't know what to do with a new root vegetable, there are 2 fail-safe ways I usually turn to: roasting, or turning it into soup.

Celeriac and Hazelnut Soup
serves 2-4
Ingredients

1 medium celeriac, peeled and chopped

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped

1 small onion, peeled and diced

small handful of hazelnuts, soaked overnight and skin-off

2 cups vegetable stock

about 1/3 cup whole milk (raw)

sea salt and black pepper to taste (about 1/2-1 tsp)

1 tbsp evoo + 1 tbsp butter

To serve

fresh parsley

couple of hazelnuts, lightly toasted

Method

1. Over medium heat, sweat the onions in the evoo and butter, till translucent

2. Add the celeriac, potato and hazelnuts, and saute for 5 min more.

3. Add the vegetable stock and seasoning, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes (depends how big you chopped the vegetables), or till they're all soft.

4. Remove from heat, and blend, adding in the milk till you get a smooth creamy consistency.

5. Meanwhile, lightly toast a couple of hazelnuts (skinless) over medium high heat in a dry pan.

6. Check soup to adjust the seasoning if necessary, before serving with the toasted hazelnuts and parsley for some freshness!

Garnish with the lightly toasted hazelnuts. (to both add crunch and to hint to the person drinking the soup that there's a secret ingredient inside!)

This soup is really velvety and smooth, with that mild, sweet nuttiness coming from both the celeriac and the hazelnuts. I just love that pretty cream colour too. Funny how a while ago I just said it's the ugliest vegetable ever.

By the way, I saw spinach at the Farmers' Market! Could it be...... spring is coming!

This is part of Weekend Herb Blogging.

Gone Fishin'

Note to self (and Henry):  must remember to stay to the left!

Nope, I'm not in the states.  Anyone want to guess where we are?  Suffice it to say, no snowstorms here.

Cheers!

Cheezburger of the Day

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

SWEET POTATO IN JAGGERY SYRUP ( Vrat Ka Khana )

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes ..... 2 ( select small ones)

Jaggery ................ 2-3 tbsps.

Salt ............ a pinch

Ghee ......... 1 tsp.

Cardamom powder ... 1/4 tsp.

Method:

1. Wash and cut the sweet potato into half inch circles. Peel the skin ( it is easier to peel after slicing)

2. Heat the ghee and add the sweet potato. Stir fry and add one cup of water, jaggery, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt.

3. Simmer and cook until done.

It's Like Watching NASCAR

... just to see the wrecks. With 42 minutes to go to finish the thing, I came across this.

O you who believe! do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends: would you offer them love while they deny what has come to you of the truth, driving out the Apostle and yourselves because you believe in Allah, your Lord? If you go forth struggling hard in My path and seeking My pleasure, would you manifest love to them? And I know what you conceal and what you manifest; and whoever of you does this, he indeed has gone astray from the straight path. If they find you, they will be your enemies, and will stretch forth towards you their hands and their tongues with evil, and they ardently desire that you may disbelieve. Your relationship would not profit you, nor your children on the day of resurrection; He will decide between you; and Allah sees what you do. Indeed, there is for you a good example in Ibrahim and those with him when they said to their people: Surely we are clear of you and of what you serve besides Allah; we declare ourselves to be clear of you, and enmity and hatred have appeared between us and you forever until you believe in Allah alone...

WHAMMO! Glass and metal and tires are flying in all directions!

When I listen to the thing, I can't help but do so trying to figure out just how it's been bent to encourage war and destruction. And then I hear verses like that and think it was never bent at all. Just like the video Secular Apostate posted said, the thing is picking up speed as it gets near the end.

Dangerous, frightening and yet utterly engrossing.

Pork Sirloin Half. Good Food, Cheap !!

How would you like to be able to eat a nice piece of pork, for under 50 cents a serving ??
When it comes to buying meats, you just cant beat buying the whole loin , or even a portion of one , and doing the trimming yourself.  The savings are amazing , and you get to decide just how much fat is left on each piece.   I personally do not like thick fat , but do enjoy a thin strip of it on the outside of a roast or steak.  Okay, the first thing you have to do is find a sale,  every couple of months you will find these on sale for about $1.00 per pound.  Now I realize this is not the BEST pork I could be buying , I am looking for a good free range source I just haven't found one yet.  The good news is: it is local, tastes great , and the price is right when you are on a tight budget .

I usually buy two at a time.. fill the freezer up a little.  

I like to give the loin a good rinse, and start by laying it fat side down on a cutting board.  

For whatever reason I always align what I call the scrappy end , to the right side of my board.  Simply start by slicing that piece off... 

The scrappy ends , don't make for good roasts or steaks... so I cube it up for stews ,and chili.  1" square is best , you will want to cut out any really fatty bits while you are cubing it.  

Next flip the loin over, and trim the fat down  to an appropriate thickness.. You will need a sharp knife with a good point for this.  Poke the knife thru the fat , and cut from the middle towards the outside.  I'm not sure why but I find this easier to do.     

I had two, so one I went rather lean on and the other I left a good fat cap on.  

Here's the other one, lightly trimmed and simply cut into two large roasts.  

The one I trimmed lean, became pork chops.  Nice and thickly cut about 6oz each.   

Don't forget to label & date your freezer bags. I find adding the weight on there really helps too.  This was from one loin,  I got several nice chops, a large bag full of cubed pork, and a good sized roast , and about 3/4 lbs of fatty bits that will become dogs treats. All this for under $6!!  

Here is one of the roasts , with the fat scored , and a little honey and chili rubbed in.  

I just love roasted pork !!  

This piece cost me about $1.50 :)) and I got 4 servings from it.  

I take all the fatty bits , and lightly fry them up for the dogs ,  they LOVE it !!  They need a bit of extra fat in their diet this time of year .

So , from $ 12.00 worth of pork ( rounded up to make the numbers easier )  I ended up with 11lbs worth of trimmed pork.  I'm going to use 6oz as a serving size.

11lbs = 176oz 

176oz / 6oz = 29.3 servings 

$12.00 / 29 = $ 0.40 per SERVING!! 

There you have it, by taking a little bit of your time, you can eat Good Food, Cheap!!  $0.40 per serving!!  Sure beats paying $4.00 a pound to have someone else butcher it for you.  I hope you have enjoyed my new series , Good Food , Cheap!!  If you have any questions ,or suggestions for future posts , please leave a comment below.  Happy Cooking !!

bukan bersepah, rezeki melimpah :)

assalamualaikum wbt :)

hello hello. hari ni kan rasa mengantuk yang amat, dari bangun pagi, sampai lah ke petang, eh ape petang, sampai sekarang. berpeluh-peluh dekat rumah tadi, jenuh mengelap semua cermin almari dalam rumah. mama banyak almari tahu? almari pinggan mangkuk dia, bukan almari baju :P lepas tu cuci dapur, vacuum ruang TV. sugar & pepper (demok-demok) yang banyak teman! sayang depa sangat-sangat! ingat tak hari tu ada bising cakap nak meminimumkan barang dalam bilik i kan? ha, ini dia antara 1st step yang berjaya dilakukan beberapa minggu lepas.

bilik nampak macam serabut, bukan apa, sebab banyak barang. pada hal, rasanya banyak dah barang yang dah buang, dan bagi pada orang. tapi setiap kali kemas, mesti ada barang yang akan diberi orang. apa maksudnya? (udah-udah lah membeli) eh tapi tak lah, i memang suka excited lebih, cakap nak itu nak ini, tapi selalunya hadiah yang best-best sweet semua tu mama abah & kawan keliling yang kasi :) thank youuuuu!

ini part pertama! rak ni ada 2, cuma bertindih, nampak la tinggi menggalah.

dari frame, koleksi kaset, kasut, buku, shawls, etc.

kaset, everytime i tengok, mesti i terus ingat zaman hostel. dulu blh bawa walkman je.

next year tu baru kami boleh bawa MP3 tau! kaset ni kumpul duit sendiri! hehe.

tapi time tu ada MP3 dah kembang hidung. sekarang? semua pun ada dalam HP je.

linkin park, too phat, nelly, BSB, AADC, N'Sync, radja, SO7, melly goeslow.

buku bedtime stories ni, rasanya semua kanak-kanak pun ada kan?

tapi dulu sibuk tengok gambar je.

buku ni dari darjah 1, kira-kira 15 tahun dah. hadiah hari lahir ;')

wowowo. majalah maktab! kami panggil MRSM maktab, bukan maktab perguruan ok!

ainaa amira muka depan tuh, cover girl tuh. huahuahua.

okay ini adalah diari SDN BHD di asrama dulu. hari tu baca balik, i tergelak seorang,

nak menangis pun ada. banyak benda dah terlupa, baca balik duk call kawan,

cerita semula. banyak bittersweet hidup :)

kalau dkt asrama dulu, bila spotcheck, diari antara paling dijaga!

haa. finally jadi 1 rak je. and simple je. mudah kan. hehe.

step 1 selesai!

tapi ada banyak lagi lah part yang dah siap. nanti semua pelik, lamenye lah anak dara seorang ni mengemas? LOL. ha hari tu kan i buat puding berkuah, sendiri, 100% ha, tapi lupa nak snap gambar kuahnya. tak syok pula nak kongsi resepi. oh, mestilah licin mereka makan. esok sambung part 2 bilik! :P

by the way, thank you utk semua sesiapa yang pernah kasi hadiah dalam hidup i ni, tak kisah lah yang nampak dari mata, atau dari hati. :)

Fra Chris, Zig Ziglar and the Pro-Life Movement

Over at Portiuncula*, Fra Chris is re-thinking the pro-life movement. Less screaming (well, no screaming) and more praying and kindness. It's a very Zig Ziglar approach.

In his excellent Secrets of Closing the Sale, Zig teaches us that selling is the transferrance of emotion. When the prospect feels about your product the way you do, she buys. Kindness and empathy transfers feeling much better than screaming. Further, prospects never admit they were wrong. You can't get them to change their minds, only to make a new decision. Rather than arguing with them when they turn down your product, you need to present new information that allows them to make a new decision. I love the free ultrasounds outside of abortion clinics for this.

In any case, check out the video over at Portiuncula. It's a very nice example of Christian teaching informing a practical decision.

* - Have you tried Mystic Monk Coffee yet? You should. It's quite good.

An Award! Pour Moi!

Awwwwww...  

I've seen these awards get passed around.  I didn't really know what they were about.   But here is an award  that has landed on my doorstep from the really sweet 

The Fancy Flea 

 She lives far away in  Queensland, Australia.  I can't believe someone from Queensland is connecting with someone way down here in Texas.  That is the absolute beauty of blogging.  Connections.  What an impact all of us out here will have on the world.  I definitely know it is for the better.

Just so she knows, we are all following the devastating earthquake that hit her neighbor, New Zealand this week.  We are hoping and praying for all of the survivors and people affected by this tragedy.  What sad photos of the destruction are hitting us all.


Now. I am ready to accept this "Versatile Blogger Award", say 7 things about me, and then pass the torch on to 7 more bloggers that I enjoy...


Here are the rules (or should we say... guidelines...)


1.Thank the person who gave you the award, and link back to them in your post.

 Thank you Lauren!  So sweet, just like your blog!

2.Tell us seven things about yourself.

3.Award 7 recently discovered new bloggers.

4. Contact these bloggers and let them know they’ve received the award.

7 Things about me:


1.  I am scared to death of anything that buzzes.  I even had to turn the buzzer off of the dryer because I would freak out.  I have never been stung by a bee and I am trying desperately to keep it that way.  Unfortunately, I have passed on my manic behavior to my children so when something is buzzing, we are quite the sight...


2. I went to a school deep in the south of Louisiana.  During the Civil War (NOT that I was around then...) the school made an agreement with both the North and the South that the girls attending the school would continue their education, unharmed.  They did.  The war raged within miles around.


3.  I surprised my husband years ago with a trip to Tasmania, Australia.  We were set to backpack for 5 days on the island.  The season was Spring.  A freak snowstorm hit the island and 4 feet of snow fell within a day.  We were stranded in a makeshift hut with 2 jolly ranchers as survival food for 2 days.  We hiked out in thigh high snow for 6 hours before we finally reached safety.  Our souvenir from that ordeal were leeches on (MY!) big toe and sun burns on our eyes from the glare of all that snow.  Surprise birthday, indeed, honey!


4.  O.K.,  I am getting long-winded.  I didn't think I could figure out much to say about myself.  Figures (snort).  Sooooooo, I'm basically long-winded and could probably chat with an ant crawling across the floor and more than likely be pretty content.


5. We were living in Japan when 9/11 happened.  Months later, we were invited to a special event.  It was in honor of the victims of 9/11.  We had no idea that upon arrival there would be hundreds of Japanese supporters at the event and WE (yes, the 4 of us) were the honored guests of the entire evening and special seats were reserved for us smack in the middle of this huge auditorium.


6.  When I was 6 mos. old, we moved to  Tehran, Iran.  A few years later, the Shah was overthrown and we were part of the sudden evacuation as well as all of the other American families.


7.  I have this flat part on the top of my head.  I can't stand it.  I am always embarrassed about it at the hair salon.  I have just found the most adorable stylist who crafted a sweet cut that rounds out my "flat top"!  Oh, bless you Mallory.


And now, I will grace this "Versatile Blogger Award" on 7 bloggers that make my heart go pitter-patter...


1. Sonias Wonder World
2.A Good Appetite
3.Rhayne
4.Apples in Wonderland
5.Angie Muresan
6.Collage of Life
7.Marcie Scudder Photography