May ALL be well, happy and peaceful …

 

 

...

 

To ALL my dear readers,

Whatever has been absorbing my time and energy in the past few years (blogging etc) is now coming to an end. In completing it, I am clearing the space for something new to begin. It will be the celebration for the end of the old and the coming of the new. I am joyful and content with this blog and appreciate all of you.

I may or may not have the time (extremely tight schedule) to create new recipes, as I like to deeply and completely immerse in the new things that I am going to do in the next few months or more.

THANK YOU for visiting.

May ALL be well, happy and peaceful.

Quick Almond Paste Dessert

Quick Almond Paste Dessert

Apply the same method for Quick Sesame Paste Dessert, by making slight changes to the ingredient, you can have a different dessert. So, if you do not like sesame, change it to almond powder or grounded peanut powder. The almond powder with fritillaria cirrhosa consists of sugar, therefore, sugar is omitted in this recipe.

Preparation:     3 mins Cooking time:  5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         6 tablespoons almond powder with fritillaria cirrhosa

°         2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour

°         500ml water

°         1 tablespoon almond syrup (optional)

Method

1. Combine all the almond powder, glutinous rice flour and water in a pot and mix well. Keep stirring and when the mixture bubbles, turn off the heat. Add in the almond syrup and mix well.
2. Ladle the dessert into individual serving bowl and serve hot.

Quick Sesame Paste Dessert

Quick Sesame Paste Dessert

Quick Sesame Paste Dessert

Achieving almost the same results with shortcut, using sesame powder and glutinous rice flour to whip this simple yet quick healthy dessert, why not?  The sesame powder consists of sugar, therefore, sugar is omitted in this recipe.  For a more aromatic sesame paste dessert, roast the black sesame and grind to a powdery form, if desired. Garnish with some roasted white sesame seeds or lily bulb petal.

Preparation:     3 mins, Cooking time:  5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         4 tablespoons black sesame powder

°         2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour

°         500ml water

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients in a pot and mix well. Keep stirring and when the mixture bubbles, turn off the heat.
2. Ladle the dessert into individual serving bowl and serve hot.

Inaka Soba ‘N’ Baked Bean

Inaka Soba 'N' Baked Bean

Inaka Soba 'N' Baked Bean ...

Simple cooking and eating plus do not have to cost a fortune. It is easier than you think.

Just cook the Inaka Soba per the instruction on the packet.  Next open a can of Baked Bean. Steam or heat the Baked Bean, if desired.

What’s the next step? Just add the Baked Bean to the Inaka Soba.

What could make it more interesting and appetizing? Garnish with spring onion or coriander leaves or  nori shreds or sesame seeds or ….

Fancy a spicy version, just sprinkle some chilli flake or paprika!

That’s! Real simple.

Passion Fruit ‘N’ Papaya Pickle

Passion Fruit 'N' Papaya Pickle ...

Just mix it and play with it ...

Match it. Mix it. Play with it. Yes, it is so simple …

Preparation:     45 mins

Ingredients (serves 4)

°         600g green papaya shreds

°         1 tablespoon salt

°         1 passion fruit pulps

°         1/2 green lemon, freshly squeeze

°         4 tablespoons maltose or to taste

Method

1. Sprinkle salt on the papaya shreds and mix well. Let it sweats for 15-20 minutes.
2. Wash and drain the papaya shreds well. Squeeze the papaya shreds to remove the moisture as much as possible.
3. Combine the papaya shreds, lemon juice, maltose and passion fruit pulps in a glass container, mix well and leave to stand for 3hours prior to serving. It can be kept for 3 days in the refrigerator.

Quick Passion Fruit Jam

Quick Passion Fruit Jam

Simple! No cooking. Substitute maltose with honey, if desired.

Preparation:     5 mins

Ingredients (makes 150g)

°         1 passion fruit pulps

°         3 tablespoons maltose

Method

1. Combine the passion fruit and maltose and mixed well.

The Cheerful Passion Drink

The Cheerful Passion Drink

Found a tub of maltose hidden in my kitchen cabinet and decided to make this refreshing drink as the weather is getting hot!  This is rather similar to my previous recipe – Lemon and Passion Juice but substituting sugar with maltose.

Preparation:     5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         1 passion fruit pulps

°         1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed

°         2-3 tablespoons maltose or to taste

°         250ml hot water

°         250ml cold water or sparkling mineral water

Method

1. Combine the maltose and hot water in a container. Stir vigorously to dissolve the maltose.
2. Pour in the lemon juice, passion fruit pulps, cold water or sparkling mineral water and mix well. Chilled or serve with ice.

Colour of Gaia

Colour of Gaia

A dish that I cooked few months back – Stir-fried Leek, simply paired with deep-fried bean vermicelli, carrot and Vegetarian mushroom (mock meat).

22 Dec 2009 Winter Solstice Glutinous Rice Balls …

Glutinous Rice Balls that look like Quail Egg Ginger Sweet Broth with Rose

With a touch of Zen - Stacking Zen Stone (Blessing ...)

Pumpkin Glutinous Rice Balls N Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls in Ginger Sweet Broth ...

22 December 2009 – Today is Winter solstice. Instead of having the traditional type, I created a different type of Glutinous Rice Balls Dessert.  Added sesame powder with sugar to the glutinous rice flour and the other one is with mashed steamed pumpkin …  What did you have?

Merry X’mas and Happy New Year …

A Merry X'mas and New Year Drink ...

Merry X’mas and Happy New Year …

Enjoy and Have Fun …

Miso Soup with Mashed Tofu and Edamame

Miso Soup with Mashed Tofu and Edamame

I really love what I read in Shojin Ryori Cuisine where the Chef would crush the tofu used for the miso soup. It is the unique aspect of Shojin cooking that is to emphasize the practice of equanimity.  Hence, I whip up this miso soup with crushed tofu and tell this to my kid.  What I cook miso soup now, I tend to remember this crushing tofu and the association with equanimity, so it is kind of a beautiful reminder …

Preparation:     5 mins, Cooking time:  15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

°         8 dried kelps in knot

°         1  thin slice ginger (optional)

°         500ml water

°         100g silken tofu, mashed

°         ¾ -1 tablespoon miso paste or to taste

°         some edamame soybean, for garnish

°         finely chopped spring onion or coriander leaves, for garnish

Method

1. Place the dried kelps, ginger and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the kelps and ginger, if desire. Stir in edamame soybean, miso paste, mashed tofu and bring to a boil
2. Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls, garnish with spring onion or coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Aonori Ko Aglio Olio

Aonori Ko Aglio Olio

Aglio Olio is a real simple to whip up pasta dish and yet simply great.  The minced garlic lightly stir-fry in olive oil add a wonderful aroma and taste to it.  I like to make it real spicy using chilli padi or use dried chilli flake if I run out of fresh chilli padi.

I have a similar recipe http://crystalbyblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/shell-pasta-with-dried-chilli-flake.html that used dried chilli flake but for the above Aglio Olio, I added Anori Ko to add more nutrition values to it!

There are so many way to play with food like garnish it with julienne nori  and Shichimi Togarishi or garnish with Edamame soybean with black sesame seeds,  so have fun and create your own unique or fusion  pasta.

Nori Chazuke

Nori Chazuke (a different presentation ...)

I had a Nori Chazuke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chazuke from a Japanese Restaurant, which is rice topped with julienne seaweed and wasabi where you just need to pour in some clear broth before eating it. A simple dish and I tried to re-create it using Shojin Dashi (Vegetarian Dashi) broth.  In this recipe, I added chilli flake for garnish and just a piece of nori instead of julienne nori.  As for the mushroom and kelps from the Dashi stock, used them to make side dishes.

Preparation:     5 mins, Cooking time:  20 mins

Ingredients (serves 1)

°         1 bowl cooked plain white

°         wasabi, to taste

°         some julienne nori

°         some toasted sesame seeds

°         some matcha powder

°         some chilli flake (optional), for garnish

Vegetarian Dashi

°         10-12 kelps in knot

°         25g dried chinese mushroom

°         1 slice ginger

°         500 ml water

°         2 tablespoon light soy sauce

Method

1. Place the mushroom and water in a bowl and leave it to soak for 2-8 hours.
2. Place kelps, ginger, mushroom and water from soaking the mushroom (strain) in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove the kelps and mushroom. Season to taste with light soy sauce.  Ladle vegetarian dashi into a tea pot.
3. Place a bowl of rice on a serving plate or bowl, top with nori, sesame seeds, wasabi, matcha powder and chilli flake and serve with the vegetarian dashi.

Potato and Cucumber Salad with Peanut Sauce

Potato and Cucumber Salad with Peanut Sauce

I like the Peanut Sauce that comes with the Vegetarian Satay that I got from Friendly Vegetarian Food Supplier.  Since there was some Peanut Sauce left, I decided to have whipped up something similar to the Indonesia dish – Gado Gado.

I steamed a potato (peeled and diced), sliced some Japanese cucumber and with some vegetarian Tapioca cracker (or papadum) and use the peanut salad as dipping sauce.  This is just one of the many ways to enjoy potato, if you like peanut sauce or not allergic to peanut.  Potatoes are not just great for any meals but are also good for you and your body.  It is loaded with a good amount of vitamin C, potassium, fibre, antioxidants, with a low calorie count of 110, yet zero fat and cholesterol!

p.s:  Vegetarian Tapioca Cracker goes well with the peanut sauce, and it adds some texture to this dish! Limit the intake or omit this for a more healthy meal.

Funori Jelly a.k.a Algae Essence Jelly

Funori Jelly with Macha Soy Milk ...

Funori Jelly with Ice Jelly Powder added for a firmer texture ...

Funori Jelly a.k.a Algae Essence Drink with Fresh Lotus Seeds

I bought a pack of Algae Essence (300g± @ S$5.50) from Friendly Vegetarian Food Supplier and make this jelly.  The ingredients listed are Algae, Longans, Red dates, Dark Brown Sugar.  If you want to know how this taste likes, it is exactly like winter melon drink from Yeo’s or the traditional birdnest drink that was very popular in the Pasar Malam in the past (we still can find this drink in some of the Pasar Malam).

Algae Essence @ S$5.50 (300g)

Algae Essence Block

I like making Jelly for colleagues and family members (not that I love jelly) because it is super simple and simply great. It can be made in advance and keep in the refrigerator up to a week A small piece of chilled jelly after a meal, is so refreshing and kids love it too.  For this jelly, my young man does not really like it, as it contains Red Dates bits in it.

It is real simple to make this jelly even kid can do it.  Instead of following the instruction of using 5 litre of water, I used 2.5 litre of water to boil the Algae Essence block.  After chilling it, it becomes wobbly jelly and the sweetness is just nice.  You can also break the Algae Essence block up into smaller pieces (to speed up cooking) prior to throwing into the water and bring to a boil. Add ice jelly powder to it, if you want a firmer version jelly.

You can serve this as jelly or combine with other ingredients to make it into a beautiful and special dessert.  For a quick and no-fuss, simple and fun to serve, I added Macha Soy Milk to it.  It helps to give this dessert a contrasting color and also to create unique, random design or pattern. You can serve with Nata De Coco cubes or fruit cocktails, just like the ice jelly dessert.

If you want to taste this and not wanting to cook it, purchase the read-made jelly from the some of the Vegetarian or Organic Eateries.

Carrot Cake with Mock Floss

Carrot Cake with Mock Floss

Lately, there are lots of dishes using Floss – Chicken Floss, Pork Floss! Look like it is another way to market the product – FLOSS!  I chance upon this recipe – Meat Floss Carrot Cake (non-vegetarian) and modified the recipe to make a Vegetarian Carrot Cake with Mock Floss.

This is a long neglected food and is not too difficult to whip up at all and I love to add lots of ingredients to it. Other way to garnish this Carrot Cake is to drizzle some sweet soy sauce and sprinkle some sesame seeds or chopped chilli, with some Japanese Spring oil shreds and shichimi, or with some crispy shallot and chopped spring onion, or with chee cheong fun sauce and sesame seeds …

Preparation:     15 mins, Cooking time:  25 mins

Ingredients (makes 8 pieces)

°         200g radish weight after  peeling, diced

°         50g carrot weight after peeling, died

°         4 chinese dried mushroom, soaked and sliced

°         150g rice flour

°         1 tablespoon corn starch

°         1 teaspoon salt or to taste

°         pepper to taste

°         ½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

°         500ml water

°         1½ tablespoon oil

Garnish

°         some mock floss

°         few coriander leaves

°         ½ fresh chilli, sliced

Method

1. Combine the rice flour, corn starch, salt, pepper and sesame oil with 250ml of water. Mix well and stir into a smooth batter.
2. Heat oil in a wok. Throw in the radish, carrot and mushroom and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in 250ml of water and bring to a boil.
3. Off the heat and pour in the batter. Stir till the batter turn thick and transfer to a steaming container and steam for 25 minutes.
4. Let it cool. Top with mock floss, garnish with chilli, coriander and serve.

Steamed Vegetarian Fish with Enoki Mushroom

Steamed Vegetarian Fish with Enoki Mushroom

Ideal for busy people who have little time to spare meal especially during weekday. For this dish, the emphasis is more on the natural food like tomatoes and mushrooms, which is a little different from my earlier version of http://crystalbyblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/steamed-vegetarian-fish.html. It required very little and simple seasoning. You can opt to sprinkle sesame oil after steaming, if desired.

Preparation:     7 mins  Cooking time:  8 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         1 vegetarian fish slice

°         2 tomatoes, cut into 4 wedges

°         100g enoki mushroom, base trimmed

°         2 thin slices ginger, finely shredded

°         1 teaspoon sesame oil

°         1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

°         1-2 mini dried Chinese mushroom (optional), soaked

°         coriander leaves and chilli/wolfberries, for garnish

Method

1. Arrange the enoki mushroom, tomatoes, vegetarian fish, ginger shreds, mushroom ion a heatproof serving plate.
2. Sprinkle salt and oil and steam for 8 minutes.
3. Garnish with coriander, chilli and serve immediately.

Silken Tofu with Wasabi

Silken Tofu with Wasabi

Silken Tofu with Wasabi ...

For kid - without wasabi ...

I read about Goma-dofu (Sesame Tofu) – a special dish where the tofu is made using sesame paste and kuzu powder (Japanese arrowroot potato). It is served with dashi and wasabi.  So, I replace the sesame tofu with silken tofu and serves with dashi and wasabi.

Preparation:      10  mins,  Cooking time:         5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         1 tube silken tofu (250g), steamed or blanched, drained well cut into six sections

°         wasabi

°         some roasted sesame seeds (optional), for garnish

Quick Dashi Sauce

°         45ml water or dashi stock

°         1½  teaspoons sugar

°         1½  tablespoons light soy sauce

°         7.5ml cooking rice wine (optional)

Method

1. To make the sauce: add 30ml water with sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Stir in cooking rice wine and light soy sauce.
2. Place the tofu on individual serving plates and pour in dashi stock.
3. Top with wasabi, sprinkle some sesame seeds on it and serve.

French Beans Salad with Miso Tofu Dressing

French Beans with Miso Tofu Dressing ...

Simple and fun to serve as side dish or salad! Omit tofu and replace with oil if desired.  Add few shreds of carrot for a colourful presentation.

Preparation:      10 mins  Cooking time:   5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

°         150g French bean, trimmed, cut into small section and blanched

°         Some sesame seeds and chilli flakes or shichimi for garnish

Miso Tofu Dressing

°         100g silken tofu

°         ½ tablespoon miso paste or to taste

°         1/3 – ½ tablespoon sugar or to taste

°         Few drops of sesame oil (optional)

Method

1. Combine the miso tofu dressing ingredients in a bowl. Mix and mashed well.
2. Add in the French beans and mix well.
3. Garnish with sesame seeds, chilli flakes or shichimi and serve.

Watercress Miso Soup

Watercress Miso Soup ...

Yes, it can be so simple and yet delicious. Add udon or rice vermicelli to this, you have a bowl of noodle soup.

Preparation:     8 mins, Cooking time:  8 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         100g watercress

°         500ml water

°         1 slice ginger

°         Miso to taste

°         Some sesame seeds or chilli flakes or wolfberries, for garnish

Method

1. Place the ginger and water in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add in watercresss and season to taste with miso.
3. Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls and garnish with sesame seeds or chilli flakes or wolfberries.
4. Serve immediately.