Simple lentils in Creole style

This dish was first introduced to me by my then boyfriend who is now my hubby. This is the dish that I remembered him cooking for me the first time. It is really a very simple, nutritious dish that even my baby loves it very much whenever we made it.

This dish is always a hit when we have guests coming for dinner be it with the local Seychellios or our overseas friends. They love that it is so simple and taste super yummy. I normally make it thicker than the local here as it give more favour in each mouth full. This is best served with rice. Do try them and you would be amazed. This recipes is for 3 portions.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of red lentils
• 2 cups of water
• 2 cups of skim milk
• 1 stalk of rosemary
• 5 slices of bacon or 3 pieces of sausage cut in bite size pieces
• salt and pepper for taste
• 1 inch of ginger minced
• 1 small red onion cut in small bits

Method:

• Wash the lentils and put in 2 cups of water cooked it till soft, add more water if necessary.
• once soften add skim milk, onion and rosemary leave it to cook on slow fire for 10 minutes or longer if require
• pan fried the bacon or sausages till slightly brown( you can also leave it as it is I prefer pan fried gave out more favour)
• Add them to the broiling lentils and put in the ginger at the same time simmers for another 10minutes
• Add salt and pepper when ready

The trick here is not to add any salt to the lentil before it soften otherwise you would have a pot of uncooked hard lentils. Here I also choose to use skim milk but you could use other if you prefer. For me a dish has to be simple and healthy for my family.

Happy trying out.

Roast Chicken with a twist

For me roast chicken was never a comfort food. Coming from a new age Chinese family food is always done in the local Malaysian way. Growing up we were never given roasted chicken in the great Western way and being different always felt terrible for growing up me. I was always in loved with friends whose moms are into western food be it just a simple tuna sandwhich, it was special to me. However, as I get older and hopefully wiser I knows deep down I am a very simple Malaysian girl with the passion to eat my local special fusion food like the currys, assam pedas dishes, steam fish in chinese ways, porridge with salted egg and fremented beancurd, strew tofu with eggs and meats.... the list goes on and on.

Since coming here I have limited choice and now I have to learn to cook food that suit both of us. The beautiful act of compromised in a mix marriage. So I have to repeatedly tried out new recipes. This is one of the special roast chicken that I would share with all of you. This is also the roast chicken that my baby girl loves very much.

Ingredients:

• One whole chicken about 1200gm
• 3 pieces of cinnamon leaves (if not available then used 2 stalks of cinnamon bark)
• 6 pieces of garlic crushed
• 2 large white onions cut roughly
• 3 stalks of rosemary
• 3 table spoons of osyter sauce
• 3 table spoons of light soy
• 1 table spoons of honey
• few table spoons of water

Method:

• Clean chicken and add all the ingredients to it and marinate it
• Leave it for 3-4 hours or longer if there is time
• Place the chicken on the grilling pan together with all the aromatics
• Add potatoes or carrots if desired
• Pre heat griller to 240C
• Put chicken in and turn the griller down to 180C
• Griller it for 1 hour and 20 minutes

The smell of this roast would make your mouth water... enjoy!!

Red snapper fish in special sauce

We brought a red snapper from the fishermen who used to sell their catch just at the junction to our place. This one was a big catch.. bigger than our daughter. It was really worth the price we have paid for this big red snapper.
Yes, this fish is the prize fish in Seychelles and it is really expensive so most people would eat them on special occasion and the style prefer here is to grill it over the charcoal by the beach on a picnic.
Well I was thinking really hard how I could make more out of my red snapper so last night I used the part that I have defrosted to cook a simple and healthy fish dish in a very special sauce. Here is my recipe, I think you could use any white meat fish for this sauce.

Ingredients:

• One slice of red snapper with the bone on it about 500gm
• 2 inches of ginger slice in thin strip
• 2 stalks of scallion cut to 2cm length
• 2 stalks of coriander cut roughly
• 4 pieces of cardamon
• 3 pieces of dried chili
• 3 teaspoon of light soy
• 1/2 teaspoon of salty tauchu
• 1/2 teaspoon of honey
• 300mls of water (more if needed)
• salt and pepper for taste

Method

• Marinate the clean and dried fish in salt and pepper for few minutes
• Put in clean oil to heated wok
• Pan fried the fish till golden brown
• Put the fish aside
• Use small amount of oil from the pan fried, fried the ginger strip to golden crispy
• Add in cardamon and dried chili with water and let it broil
• Then add the light soy and honey, salt and pepper to taste
• Put in the fish and continue to cook for 5 minutes
• Add the scallion and coriander
• Cook for 10 minutes

It is ready to be serve on plate of hot rice....yummy... I really like the sauce as it has a hint of hit and some sweetness of the honey and the fish as the end tone. Give it a try... you will love this sauce.

rainbow

while driving to work today we saw a beautiful rainbow and we were excited both mei n me. rainbow is rare and when it is so beautiful it is really breath taking but best of all this is the wonder and mystery of the universe.
i love rainbow and this is special so follow your heart find that special one. this one is for my little sister.... hear the song n the lyric

Somewhere over the rainbow
way up high
there's a land that i heard of
once in the lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
skies are blue
and the dreams that you dare to dream
really do come true

Someday i'll wish upon a star
and wake up where the clouds are far behind me
where trouble melt like lemondrops
away above the chimney tops
that where you will find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
bluebirds fly
birds fly over the rainbow

If happy little bluebirds fly
beyond the rainbow
why oh why can i?

So my little one... spread your wing and find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. be happy always.
love u

rainbow connection...

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
and what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
and rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard
and answered when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that and someone believed it.
Look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic.
Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that called the young sailors.
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

cappucino...

a nice cuppacino at the end of a hard day seem like a dream especially here are there are no decent cafe that serve a good one. hubby was having this craving at one time and we went and have a really lousy one. from that time onward i told him that i would give him a treat of nice cuppucino when we go home..

homeward journey was rushy and cuppucino was forgetten in the mist of delicious food rush. back on the island cuppucino is back on the mind...so yesterday evening i made a nice mug of cuppucino and he enjoyed it on the balcony with his book, work and laptop. he was surprised that it was as good as the one from coffee bean. argh... it pay off watching hours of coffee program. this is what make me happy when i can make a simple pleasure for another person.....

life is not only about the destination but also how we enjoyed the journey to get there. life's simple pleasure.. be thankful and grateful we can experience them.

life...

life is never a bed of roses but sometimes there are thorns there... then again everything in this universe is useful it is just how we see it. like roses it need the thorns to protect them so it life we need our emotion, abilities, six senses or what ever it is called to protect n care for us.

it is really hard to see the one that you love is hurting because you cant pull them out or even shoulder their hurts but then what is left at the end is faith, hope and courage. faith hope and courage will bind love together and make us strong again to face what we dont think we can face. so my little one have faith, hope and courage... u know who you are.

essentially we all will need that one at at time but love is boundless and endless. life goes on... it the circle of life.

be happy.. spread the joy and have peace always.

Food for thoughts

I am constantly bombarded by people I know in the Seychelles that kept repeating that there is nothing to eat here and we can't make our diet healthy. First and foremost, we have a huge chronic diseases bundle here as many here are obese, hypertensive and diabetic. These are the killers of our generation.


Eventhough I was not a very good cook or even the everyday cook but since coming here I have learned the benefit of a good home cooked meal and the important of eating fresh local produces that are reasonably price. Initially I have hard time coping with cooking and mothering and house work and being myself but I have since love cooking. I even started browsing recipes online and try to modify them to what are available in the Seychelles. Hahaha... you have no complaints from my family we are enjoying the fresh herbs and other local produces.


One of the fabulous food is the fish here, they are freshly caught and you can cook them simply to enjoy the full favour and texture of good fish. Besides, it is also very healthy dish. They are like my baby always said, "Yummiiiii...."


This dish that I am going to share is simple yet keeping it healthy.

Ingredients:

• A medium size fish such as grouper or shoe maker fish
• 2 small tomatoes cubes them in bite size pieces
• 1 small apples cubes them in bite size pieces
• 3 teaspoon of oil
• 3 teaspoon of tomato ketchup
• 2 teaspoon of chilli sauce

Method:

• Heat up the pan add the oil and gently pan fried the fish about 8 minutes on each side or till the skin is brown and cooked
• Removed the fish and put it in a serving dish
• Add the tomatoes and apple into the pan stir fry for a minute
• Add the tomato ketchup and chilli sauce to the tomotoes and apple leave it for 5 minutes
• Pour over the tomotoes and apple in spicy sauce over the fish when serving

This fish dish is good to go with rice as it is not too heavy and there is already nice fruit and vegetable in it.

Busy night

I really hate one of those really busy day that seem to go on and on and finally it spillover into the night. Yesterday was really one of those day that you wish it would end soon... and hey the bed is near yet... it is so far away.

Hubby was running late as usual, more stuff to do, patients are not well need to be review, calls coming in all the time... baby is still at the nanny...rushing to send the specimens to the airport ... it was truly nightmare for me the mummy...

What do you do on a busy night? When dinner seem no where in sight? Baby needs a bath, dinner and bed or not really in that order...and we still have not send off the specimen yet. Argh.... the agony of a working mother.

Lucky in the 10 minutes that we are home to pack up the specimen I have half of the dinner in the grill and worry the rest later when we are home.

So today I would share a fast and simple pork chop with rice recipe that is superb for busy night that both daddy and baby enjoyed very much.

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of thinly slice pork chops
• 2 teaspoon of osyter sauce
• 1 small pinch of cumin seed
• 2 teaspoon of light soya sauce
• a dash of meat tenderiser
• some pepper and chilli flakes for taste

Methods:

• Mix all the ingredients together with the clean pork chops
• Put it in the griller setting the temperature at 170C for 45 minutes

Wala.... a simple and delicious dinner. Add a side of cucumber tomatoes salad light and refreshing. There is no oil added to this recipe as pork chops do contain some fat so it would naturally provide the part of oil to the dish. It a healthy version to cater for both young and old.

Sugar n spices n all things nice

Sugar and spices are the gentle reminder of the innocent of childhood and what fun life can be. There is always yummy food simple and nice. These are the things that made me happy when I was growing up. I was watching this program on BBC yesterday on childhood foods... hey that remind me of my home town a small sleepy place in the valley among the mountain where food comes in the simplest form and greatest taste.

I remembered that my sister and I used to go to this road side stall to have a yummy bowl of noodle with nice hot soup that has fishballs in it. Or the nice rojak a local veggies salad in peanut and prawn paste with chilies that is so yummy it makes my saliva drool even now. Or the blanched shell fish dip in chillies sauce that is so simple and nice. But the best of the best are the sweet, tangy fruits that are preserved in vinegar and sugar. I always remembered my mom used to give me 10cents .... which is really rich during my kiddy day to buy one of these sweet preserved fruits and I would eat them.. dripping the juices down my chin.

But things are different now, children have sophisticate taste where McDonald and Wendy's seem to be the food for the day and we have a big problem of childhood obesity. Are we as parents to be blame for our eating habits or have we forgotten about simple and nice food?

For me I would love to recreate my love for food and to teach my children the simple food that I have grown up with. Grant... I do have my Mac and KFC once awhile but still the smell and taste of simple home cooked meal always bring the warm of home to my memories.

Here I would like to share a simple and healthy grilled fish recipe:

Ingredients:

• A small slice of red snapper or any fish you prefer
• 2 cm of ginger cut in long strip
• 2 medium tomatoes cut in round slices
• 100mls water
• 3 teaspoons of light soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• Pepper to taste

Method:

• Put the clean fish in a small baking dish line the tomatoes on the side
• Lay the ginger on top of the fish
• Add in the water, soya sauce, pepper and sesame oil
• Put in the griller at 120C for 40 minutes
• Or even steam it if you dont have a griller

Once cooked served with rice.