Lemon and Raspberry Tart...and the time I got over myself and used a store-bought pastry case.

SPRING BREAK IS HERE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I’m heading down south (I think?) to stay with mum’s penpal. It’s a little sad outside…very grey and gloomy. But BBC weather says that it’s going to be nice and warm in Croughton so I’m not complaining. J It’s not quite going to be a wild spring break in Cabo (Although seeing the chickens wandering around in bikinis is a pleasant thought) but I’m really excited. The last time I saw Lesley was when I first arrived in the UK, and I’ve been dying to go back to her beautiful house ever since.

Despite their protests, I’ve promised to cook for my keep which I’m really looking forward to. To be completely honest I’ve kinda lost a bit of my cooking kick this semester. Too much going on, too many deadlines… a change of scenery is just what I need to get back into gear. The train ride has given me a chance to start planning menus in my head. I know I want to do spatchcock chicken at some point and I’ve brought curry powder for an Indian night, but the rest is pretty much up in the air. Shall I do the roast pork belly again you think? Or maybe dumplings? And what about something new? Puddings? The brain in pulsing with new recipe possibilities and I’m glad. It hasn’t had a chance to do that in a while.

Speaking of cooking (not that I ever talk about anything else), Fiona decided on Saturday night to show Eli and I what a proper British roast dinner was like. On a crazy whim we got into her car for an adventure!

 (When I say ‘adventure’, I mean a chicken run to Morrisons, with a stop at Sally’s quad to steal some rosemary)

Anyways I volunteered to make a lemon raspberry tart for pudding. And this is a recipe I really wanna share because it’s so simple to throw together. It’s the sort of thing that looks very glamorous but literally takes minutes to put together on your part. And it all boils down to a little bit of cheating (i.e-using a pre-made shortcrust tart shell).

Now don’t get huffy. When your counter is covered in potato peelings, oil spills and raw chicken sometimes a pre-made crust is what pulls you back from the brink of dinner party insanity. And no one will honestly be able to tell the difference. Once you pop the shell on a baking tray, all that’s left for you to do is whisk up the fabulously lemony filling, pour it in and bake.

Lemon Rasberry Tart

-         -  One 20cm premade shortcrust pastry shell. (be careful to choose one that isn’t cracked or broken)

-          - 2 whole eggs

-          - 2 egg yolks

-          - ½ cup castor sugar

-          - ¼ cup flour

-          - The juice of 2 ½ lemons (Quick tip: rolling the uncut lemon on the counter before squeezing will give you the most juice with minimal effort)

-          - 1 small punnet of raspberries.

-          - Icing sugar and double cream to serve.

+ Preheat your oven to 180’C

+ Put the tart shell on a baking sheet with some parchment paper underneath.

+Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, castor sugar and flour. Then add the lemon juice and mix well.

+ OK, so you’re going to want to put your pastry case in the oven and then carefully pour in the lemon filling. I poured it in first and carried the lot over, but that resulted in a good lot of the filling sloshing out of the pastry case before the tart even made it to the oven!

+ Bake for 20 minutes. There won’t be any jiggle to the filling when you take it out. Don’t worry; this is more like a lemon bar topping rather than the usual lemon curd. It will still be smooth and creamy when you cut into it.

+Let the tart cool down and transfer to a plate. Bejewel the top with raspberries and chill for atleast 2 hours.

+ Just before serving, dust with icing sugar and serve with some double cream on the side.

:3 I’ll leave you to humbly accept the fountain of compliments you receive for all the ‘hard work’ you put into dessert. Enjoy!

Alice Medrich's Cocoa Brownies

I'm really picky about my brownies. To me, a good brownie starts with the way it looks. Specifically that beautiful, crackly tissue paper crust. You know what I'm talking about right? That light, flaky top that all great brownies seem to have. Then when you bite into it, it shouldn't be cakey or gooey. No, a good brownie hits that golden sweet spot of FUDGY and it tastes of CHOCOLATE. Not a flat, vaguely cocoa-ish taste that disappears into a sugary abyss 2 seconds after you bite down. No. A superior brownie will punch you in the face with an intense, deep, dark chocolate high that'll swirl around your entire mouth till you basically see nothing but chocolate.

Having said that, I can't make a good brownie.
Don't get me wrong, I've tried over and over.
But brownies have always been a problem for me. I know they're supposed to be one of the first things you learn how to make, but I've never found a recipe that's been able to co-operate. Somehow it always ends up either dry or undercooked. Most times straight up burnt. NEVER with the Holy Grail of 'beautiful crust'. Maybe I'm being over-critical but I've just never been happy with how my brownies turn out.

So I'm still on my brownie quest. Maybe not quite with the determination and vengeance that I started off with, but I do try. It was on one of these brownie quirks that I tried making Alice Medrich's cocoa brownies. I've seen so much about them over the years online, but always passed them over as potential flops. I mean... a brownie recipe with no chocolate? Madness! Then one fateful evening a brownie craving arose and I didn't have any dark chocolate in my cupboard nor was I willing to walk 40 minutes to get some. I really wish now that moment had come sooner. Alice's brownies are brilliant. They've got that perfect fudgy texture and chocolatey flavour. I added a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt over the top and that did it for me. My only criticism was that I didn't get that crowning tissue paper crackle. Although, that could've been something I did wrong. Any ideas? Comment below if you know the secret to that beautiful top!

Alice Medrich's Cocoa Brownies

- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cold large eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cups walnut or pecan pieces (optional)


+ Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
+ Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water (I just used the microwave. Blast for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat till smooth). Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.
+ Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one.
+ When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
+ Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

I'll leave you to bask in your chocolate comas. :p Till next time!

Sambal Steamed Fish...and the time I repurposed a Brahims sauce packet.

And yet again I've fallen into the no-post trap! Sorry folks, it's been a crazy busy period over here in St. Andrews. More specifically I was in a play written by a friend of mine and it was a bit of a mad scramble to have it up. It was absolutely beautiful and everyone was impressed and happy now the cast is depressed and suffering from PSD (Post Show Depression :p) What to turn to in the light of such a debilitating disease? Why food, of course! Specifically comfort food. And what better comfort food than the kind which invokes flavours from home? Which leads me to a Malaysian Student staple...

Brahim's sauce packets. If you're a Malaysian student studying abroad chances are you stock up on these every time you're home. They're a great quick fix, but it gets a little boring just simmering meat in them. Personally, I rarely use my Brahim's packets for what they're meant to do. :p I get cheeky... I use them as marinades, as basting sauces, as bases for soups, and now I've found a new use. To steam fish. :)

The sambal tumis paste...doesn't really taste like proper sambal tumis. It lacks a certain...richness? sweetness? I don't know. What I DO know is that with a little bit of tweaking it makes a nice spicy steamed fish topping. Served atop a bed of hot white rice, if you close your eyes you could almost convince yourself you're back home. :)

Spicy steamed fish
- 1 cod fillet (if frozen, thawed completely)
- veggie oil
- 1/4 red onion
- 2 Tbsp Brahim's 'Kuah Sambal Tumis'
- 3 Tbsp water
- salt and sugar
- chilli flakes (the Brahim's paste isn't very spicy)
+ baking paper

* I know the pictures show green beans under the fish, but those were half cooked and half uncooked and just entirely very weird. I have a feeling you'd have to steam them separately to include them in the dish, or else you run the risk of overcooking your fish. A bit too much faff really. You'd be better off just stir frying them.

+ Place your cod fillet in the baking paper.
+ Stir fry the red onions till beginning to be translucent. Add the chilli flakes and Brahim's paste, along with 3Tbsp of water. Add salt and sugar to taste. And simmer till slightly thickened. Set aside and allow to cool.
+ Spread the spice paste over your fish and twist the baking paper parcel shut.
+ Place in steamer and steam for 7-9 minutes. The fish is done if it flakes easily when poked with a fork. Check at 7 please. There're few things in life less unpleasant than overcooked fish.
+ Remove packet from heat, and pour contents onto a waiting bed of hot steamed rice.

More next time guys!

Durian Row...and the time I tried to write a poem about my love for the king of fruits.

Oh durian, how I have missed you! 

Your glorious aroma, 

so pungent you are banned from most hotels in the civilised world,

That punctured the hot metal exterior of my boyfriend's car even though his air con vents weren't set to take air from the outside,

Perfumes the memories of my childhood!

Oh durian, how I have missed you!

Your sweet sweet flesh,

That has been compared to a combination of fetid sweaty socks and the oldest of old blue cheeses,

That caused my brother's lips to disappear from sight in a disgusted grimace when he stole a taste,

A single taste is enough to remind me of the comforts of home

(Though let's get real, durian isn't a 'single taste' type food. GO HARD OR GO HOME)

I LOVE THEE DURIAN. 

EVENTHOUGH I CAN ONLY PARTAKE IN YOUR BEAUTY BUT ONCE A YEAR. 

OK, that last bit isn't really true. It used to be. But now you don't really have to wait for durian season to enjoy this thorny fruit. 

If you haven't already guessed, I love durian. Can't get enough of it. Just my luck it's one of those fruits that aren't fantastic for you (high high HIGH levels of cholesterol). It's also what the Chinese would call a 'heaty' fruit. As in eating it warms you up, which would be all well and good in Scotland but not so much here.

All the same, I love love love my durian. A trip home isn't complete without a stop at Durian Row. 

Durian Row in Section 2 PJ is the site of a giant night market that sells almost exclusively, durians. Regulars have their favourite stalls and some even have regular 'durian kakis' (fellow durian loving friends) that they have regular 'durian sessions' with. Everywhere you go, tables will be surrounded by discarded durian shells, chilled coconuts and either laughter or lip-smacking sounds. Some of these places even have all-you-can-eat durian deals. For a flat rate, they keep  bringing fruit to your table till you hold your hands up in surrender (but they don't give you the good stuff, so don't bother). 

The family went for durian a couple of nights ago and we had a feast. Mum picked out some nice D24 durians, and as a special treat we had a 'Musa King' (fox king) durian as well. There're many many many other types of durian, each varying in taste and texture. These 2 are the only ones we've ever tried, but I definitely want to get around to trying the other ones sometime soon! Have you got a favourite durian? Or a favourite place to get them from? Let me know in the comments below!

For now, here is my smushed durian face for your enjoyment: 

Rockin' my plastic glove LIKE A BOSS.

Till next time guys!

White Chocolate Apple Crumble...and the time I refused to believe 2014 was coming.

Seriously though, where DID 2013 go? It cannot have gone by so quickly. There must be something wrong with the laws of physics at play here. I absolutely POINT BLANK refuse to accept that it is only a matter of hours until we usher in 2014.

But if we must say goodbye to the year that barely begun, I am going to send it off in style. I wave adieu to 2013 with one of my new signature desserts, my take on apple crumble. I'm very very proud of this recipe. The apples are extra cinnamon-y and not too mushy, there's ALOT of crumble, and it's all very more-ish. But the thing that really pulls it together is the little bits of white chocolate nestled in the crumble. The chunks on top caramelize beautifully and give the whole thing a slightly nutty flavour, while the chunks underneath just ooze and meld the tender apples with the buttery topping.

Please try this, do. It's super simple, I promise!

White Chocolate Apple Crumble

Filling
~ 4 large granny smith apples; peeled, cored and sliced into small chunks.
~ 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
~ 2 Tbsp brown sugar
~ 1 tsp honey
~1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

Crumble
~ 1/2 cup butter
~ 1 cup rolled oats, ground fine in a food processor.
~ 1/3 cup sugar
~ 1 cup flour
~ 1/2 cup cashew nuts, chopped up into wee chunks
~ 100g white chocolate, broken up into small chunks as well (you could use white chocolate chips)

You will need an ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan

+ Preheat your oven to 160'C.
+ Mix all the ingredients together for the filling and set aside while you get on with the crumble.
+ In a seperate bowl, rub the butter into the oats, flour and sugar. When it feels like damp sand, mix in the cashew and chocolate chunks.

+ spread your apple filling into the bottom of your baking pan and top with crumble. Like I said, there is ALOT of crumble. This is nice. This is GOOD.
+ Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, periodically turning the pan if it looks like the chocolate chunks are burning too quickly.
+ At the end of 30 minutes, take the pan out and cover it with tin foil. Pierce the top of the foil so that steam from the apples can escape.

+ Turn your oven up to 180'C and bake for a further 20 minutes.
+ Dish up with warm custard, or (my favourite) cold, cold, vanilla ice cream.

And on that sweet note, see you guys in 2014!

Steamed Brocolli with Stir Fried Prawns...and the time I flew home and cooked for mum.

Oh it's so nice to be home. If you can overlook the 30'C heat that is... But the food more than makes up for that. This is totally going to be a recipe for disaster though... Normally I eat carrot sticks and walk an hour a day. That's NOT happening here. :p oh well.. I guess I'll just worry about those few

More kilos when I get back to the bubble. 

For now, here's a quick dish I threw together for my second night here. It was really nice cooking for mum again. We had a nice little dinner for 2 together last night, and I can't wait to have a lot more. 

Steamed Brocolli with Stir-fried prawns. 

- 1 head of Brocolli

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- soya sauce to taste

- 200g prawns, shelled and cleaned

- 1 tbsp corn flour

- 2 shallots, sliced

- 1 inch ginger, roughly grated

- 1 green chilli, cut lengthways

- 2 tbsp oyster sauce,

- 1 tbsp Thai chilli sauce

- 1 1/2 tsp soya sauce

- salt and pepper

- vegetable oil

+ cut up the Brocolli into florets and toss with 2/3 of the garlic and a drizzle of soya sauce. Arrange on a plate and drizzle a pinch of salt over. Steam for 4-6 munutes ( depending on how tender you'd like your Brocolli to be)

+ toss the prawns in the corn flour and season with salt and pepper. 

+ add 2 tbsp of veggie oil to a wok. Heat till just starting to smoke, then throw in the sliced shallots, ginger, remaining garlic and green chilli. Fry till fragrant. Add sauces and stir till combined. Add prawns, stir fry till just turning pink. You may need to add some water to loosen up the sauce. 

+ when the prawns are cooked, pour the whole lot over your steamed Brocolli. 

+ serve with hot, white rice. 

 

ENJOY!

Coconut 'Whipped Cream'...and the time I had hot chocolate weather.

The first snow of the semester came down on our little town about an hour ago. This picture was taken after it stopped, but before that we had big flakes of snow flying all over the place. It was almost like we were in a snow globe.  That's right. We've had our first episode of what I'd like to call Hot chocolate weather. 

Now I like my hot chocolate super dark with whipped cream on top. In Edinburgh I picked up this beauty:

And it is my favourite hot chocolate mix ever. Smooth, dark, and very very rich.

But what about the whipped cream? I didn't have any in the fridge.. So as usual I had to improvise with the stuff that I did have. The 'cream' I came up with isn't quite as thick or fluffy but it produces a nice smooth layer on your hot chocolate that smells faintly of coconut. Dairy free! For our lactose intolerant friends. :) 

It kinda feels like you're drinking a smooth, lighter version of a bounty bar. 

And if you can't find powdered coconut milk, maybe the top layer that forms in the can will work too... I don't know. If anyone does try that, let me know in the comments! :)

Coconut 'Whipped Cream'

- 1 Tbsp coconut milk powder

- 1/2 tsp icing sugar

- 2 tsp hot water

+ Mix everything in a microwaveable cup till smooth then microwave for 10 seconds on high. 

+ Stir again then pour over hot chocolate. 

Enjoy!