Chocolate Pear Tartlets

It's Friday! I love Friday-who doesn't? It's a special day that brings joy to everyone. Well, it is the last working day of the week. For some people. It's the day that gets you into the holiday mood. The day when you get to catch a new-released movie, have dinner outside or do laundry, at night-leisurely. Or have a pizza night like Kak Min& Family :D It's the day when you get to see your friends posted that classic "TGIF' quotes on your timeline-why haven't they given up on that yet? He he 

So, how's your Friday so far? Any plan for the weekend? As for us, we're going for a short hols this weekend! Yeay! We're going to PD. Double Yeay! And, we're going to take my parents along! Triple Yeay!-Enough with the Yeays :P Hopefully, Husband will get his much needed rest since he's been travelling a lot these few weeks...and for me, hopefully, I'll get to continue my love-affair with my handsome Fifty Shades (with my shades on, of course :D)..Adam? He will surely has a good time with his Atuk and Nenek :) 

Okay, to the tartlets. I love everything about it and the only comment that came out from Husband's mouth is to add more nuts next time-Noted, Sir. :P 

So, here's the recipe. Have a lovely weekend! :)

Chocolate Pear Tartlets

Adapted from VersesfromMyKitchen's recipe. TQ :D

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup almond meal

1 tsp. baking soda

3 melted butter-the quantity is not mentioned, so I used 3 tbsp and I'm glad it worked for me!

1 large pear, thinly sliced (using a mandoline)

150 grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

1. Grease 4 tartlet pans.

2. Using a large mixing bowl, place graham cracker crumbs, almond meal and baking soda in and stir to combine. Add in melted butter and whisk until well combined.

3. Divide dough in four. Press each one into the tartlet pan. 

4. Using fingers, press each one evenly along bottom and up the sides. 

5. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place tartlets on a baking sheet and bake in center of oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

7. While the shells cool, make the ganache. Bring heavy cream to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it begins to boil remove from heat and add in the chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth.

8. With tartlet shells now cool, place a slice or two of pear in the bottom and pour the chocolate ganache over top. Place one pear slice over top and chill.

9. When ready to serve, finely grate chocolate over top. 

50 Shades of Grey's Breakfast Set

Fifty Shades of Grey, a book that needs no introduction. Yes, this is THE book everyone is talking about. Most female I know are currently putting their nose into it. And so do I. Hihi 

I first heard about it from Ellen a couple of months ago.. The clip below made me ROTF hard followed by a huge curiosity on all the hype surrounding this book. An erotic novel? I passed. I'm not going to spent my $ on some steamy provoking paperback... But not until DrLurpak mentioned it again last week. Intrigued by her so called 'recommendation', I bought a copy, a $5 e-book, and I was immediately hooked.

Do not eat the pancakes!

The book is popularly dubbed as Mommyporn. A novel, targeted for matured readers, is about a young girl named Anatasia Rose Steele, who is seduced by insanely hot, sexy, handsome, young, multi billionaire CEO, Christian Grey. The whole story is kind of plain and straight forward-err..except for the 18SX part..But what I like the most about this book is the way the author wrote it-simple, tasteful, and witty (the way Ana talked to her 'subconscious.. and the flirtatious emails between Ana & Christian..;)). It's a page-turner and an "eye-opener" *rolling eyes*-->spank! 

The book is not perfect though. The repetition of certain words and phrase like flush & blush, frown, "stop biting you lip", "Icarus flying too close to the sun?", gray eyes,gray eyes, gray eyes and the same old arguments between Ana and Christian, make me yawned somehow. And some of its erotic scenes made me cringed. It was too disturbing and unbearable..ouch.. Red flag means NO!..But my interest in Christian-perfect-handsome-super rich-sexy-Grey and how he ended up as a sadist made me keep the reading on.

The movie deal had been secured by Universal Pictures and whoever they cast as Christian Grey better be mind-blowing hot. Ian Somerhalder is not a bad choice, but I'll keep my finger crossed for Matt Bomer of "White Collar". He's a gay btw..what a waste..

Well, I'm on the last book of the Fifty Shades trilogy now-I finished the whole first book overnight :P Again, this is absolutely one of those books that keep you glued to the pages. To me, the second book is the most satisfying (so far); it has romances, a bit of tense and less weird 'action'..err.. Read it and you'll get what I mean. Just don't read it in the train/bus..you might get a stare..

Now on the food. I figured I'd fix myself an Ana Stele's breakfast set, just to celebrate the whole idea of Fifty Shades. This breakfast set is based on Ana's favorite morning meal. Pancakes with maple syrup, bacons and a cup of Twinning English Breakfast tea. Sometimes, she added scrambled egg whites with it. They both seem to have it almost every morning. Love the Twinning Tea..I might keep it beside me while finishing the last installment of the trilogy. Have a lovely day guys! And go figure the book! :P

Laters, baby..hihi;) 


The pancake recipe is from here. 

The Making of Teh Tarik

I know...I've been missing in action for days now.. Husband is busy travelling here and there almost every week. I simply don't have much time to cook, shoot and blog. I cook and eat, and that's it. No fancy cooking whatsoever. :P (No aneh-aneh baking either.. CC: K Rima ;p)

But, this morning,  I managed to shoot some pictures while fixing myself a mug of teh tarik. I miss shooting and blogging, so teh tarik pun jadilah.. Adam was on iPad btw..Thank God for iPad (TGFI).. he he 

My friend, Melisa, dropped me a tip on how to get those teh tarik bubbles without having to pull the tea. Just whisk it!  I did, but the bubbles stayed not long. It popped seconds after I finish whisking it. I had to pull my tea and god knows how messy it was he he. I guess I have to settle with non-bubbly teh tarik. Or buy it outside when the craving comes in. :P Thanks Mel! :D

Pan-seared fillet with Pineapple-Tomato Salsa

What's your favorite frozen staples? Me: a packet of mixed veges, ready-made puff pastry, that smiley-face potato fries, instant pratha, and these fish fillets. They (the fish) are not so great, but not that bad either. I'm always turned to them when my ice-box is near-empty, as a last resort, before I could stock up. 

Adam is still on school holiday. That means, for the time being, I no-longer have that 3 hours ME time. Well, don't get me wrong here. I love having him around, but the total hour in getting the chores done has doubled. I could do groceries in an hour, but not with him. I could wash the dishes, clean the counter, immediately after I finished with cooking, but not with him, asking million of non-stop requests, i.e. singing this "excavator" song while he's playing with his toy excavator. T_T

Regardless of that, I'd to admit that I love him, at this age, the most. He is so playful and cheeky, still pelat, which might sparked some minor arguments if you don't understand him and asked lots of random questions. He also knows how to reason us with the same reason we gave him. T_T 

When does school start again??!

On a side note, we finally secured a kindy for Adam.... Alhamdulilah. :)

Pan-seared fillet with Pineapple-Tomato Salsa

Serve 2 persons

For Fish:

2 fillet of sutchi fish 

1/4 flour

Lemon & Herb, to mask up the frozen fishy smell. 

Olive oil, for pan

Pineapple-Tomato salsa:

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 small canned pineapple, chopped

1 calamansi, juiced

1 tsp of olive oil

Lemon & herb seasoning, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

sugar, to taste

1 tspn ketchup

Hot sauce, optional

Mint- I forgot to put it

Way to do it:

1. Season fillets with lemon & herb. Lightly dust fillets with 

flour, shaking off excess. 

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 

fillets and cook 3 to 5   minutes per side, until fish turns opaque and easily flakes.

3. Meanwhile, place all salsa ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine. Taste it. 

4. When done,remove fish from pan and spoon salsa on top fillets.

Pilau Rice with Meatballs

Yogurt is not a regular item in my fridge. I usually bought it when I have a specific baking project in mind. I don't use it often, so when I hold it for the baking matter, it always ended up in Mr. Bin's tummy (I just forgot about it), after weeks at the back of the fridge. Ahem..this remind me of someone :P Bottom line, they don't last long, that's why I don't use them often. 

Well, things changed a couple of weeks ago. I cooked lamb chop masala, and the recipe called for some yogurt, added at the last stage of cooking. The dish turned unbelievably tasty. Since then, I put yogurt in everything I cooked, curries, ayam masak merah, chicken masala..just to name a few...and yogurt just sealed the dish perfectly! 

It was love at the first sight taste. Try add some yogurt inside your pancake batter, they'll turn out airy and fluffy. And if you happen to have a spicy or a over-salty dish, try add some yogurt, it works!  I love the natural, plain yogurt the most and it has become my fav snack these few days. No, I'm not on diet. 

The same goes to this meatball pilau rice, the addition of yogurt inside is just perfect- a mild hot dish. Love it! I think I'm gonna repeat it again for Ramadhan. And since I used a lot of yogurt nowadays, I think I'm gonna learn how to make them myself. Hmm..why not..wish me luck!  

Click here to read more about yogurt benefits. 

Ribeye steak, with potato gratin and french beans

Morning! I'm gonna keep it short today. Lot of errands to run...isk! It's gonna be a long and busy day for me. 

So, here's what we had recently: Ribeye steak, with potato gratin and french beans. 

Have a great Monday! :D  

Here are some tips for cooking perfect, juicy steak taken from Noob Cook (thank you so much for sharing this!).

Before Cooking:

- Season the steak with salt and pepper just before cooking. If you salt it earlier and leave it for a while, the salt will draw out the juices.

- Bring the steak to room temperature before cooking. If you kept the steak in the fridge, bring it out to rest at room temperature at least half an hour before cooking.

- You can use herbs such as rosemary or thyme to go with the steak if you like. You can also purchase bottled steak herbs mix.

- Use thick cuts of meat. Ideally, the steak should be at least 3/4 inch thick. Anything thinner than that will usually result in overcooked and tough meat.

- If you want beautiful grill marks on the steak, use a griddle pan. Otherwise, you can use a normal pan.

During Cooking:

- Heat up the pan till very hot before placing the steak on it. Then reduce the heat to medium high.

- When cooking, turn the steak over once using a pair of kitchen tongs. Do not keep flipping and turning the steak as it is cooking.

After Cooking:

- After cooking, let the steak “relax” for a few minutes in a plate before serving so that the juices will disperse throughout the steak and it will be juicy.Do not discard the liquid collected on the plate – use it for making steak sauce.

Click the link for recipe: Ribeye Steak, Potato Gratin. 

Ginger-Citrus Carrot Cake

I've to make this short, coz I'm leaving for my groceries trip in 10 mins. It's still dark outside, if you'd to ask why I have to wait for another 10 mins. Plus, the rain that started at wee wee hour in AM shows no signs of giving up yet.

Okay, the carrot cake. As usual, I'm gonna write my usual stuff which is "this is the most delicious carrot cake I've ever made so far", " I love this cake to bits", and " you must try this now". he he Seriously, I've to finish this in 10 mins, so that's the best line to sums up everything about this cake. I've made carrot cake, at least 5 times, possibly more and the recipe is sort of the same. The different between each recipe is the additional stuff you put inside. Is it raisin & walnut? or pineapple and coconut? Date & walnut.. The spices variation..?etc2.. Sometimes, the same old stuffs make me tired of repeating them. So what make me try this one?

Well, let's just say the picture on Hungry Rabbit site really got me. It looks really good on screen.. I never add lemon or orange zest in my batter/frosting before, so why not give it a try and see how it goes. 

The taste is out of this world. We finish the whole cake in 2 days. New record. :P (Husband had 5 slices.. :P, not in one sitting lah of course..) 

This cake needs a minimal prep and that what I like about it the most. You don't need a mixer for this cake. Just a bowl and a whisk, literally. And in 1 hour time, your kitchen will smells good. 

Okay, GTG. It's more than 10 mins.. :P

Ginger-Citrus Carrot Cake
(adapted from Hungry Rabbit)

(RC Note: I halved the recipe and used 1 egg)-I'll put up the half batter recipe soon.

yield: 10-12 servings/slices

INGREDIENTS
1-3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon orange zest, freshly grated
1 teaspoon lemon zest, freshly grated
1 1/4 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) light brown sugar
3/4 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-2/3 cups shredded carrots (4 medium carrots)

DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, and grease parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt together in medium bowl.

2. Add zests and granulated sugar to a large bowl, knead wit finger tips until zests are fully incorporated into the sugar and resembles wet sand. Whisk in light brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until mixture is smooth. Stir in carrots, add flour mixture and fold with rubber spatula until mixture is just combined.

3. Transfer batter to prepared baking sheet and smooth surface with offset spatula. Bake until center of cake is firm to touch, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack (do not remove parchment) and then reinvert onto second wire rack. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.

Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
2 teaspoons orange zest, freshly grated
2 teaspoons lemon zest, freshly grated
3 cups (12 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup malted milk powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
12 ounces cream cheese, chilled and cut into 12 equal pieces
2 cups (8 ounces) walnuts , toasted and coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, add malted milk powder, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.

2. Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time; and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 30 seconds.

ASSEMBLY
1. Transfer cooled cake to cutting board, parchment side down. Using sharp chef’s knife, cut cake and parchment lengthwise in 3 equal rectangles.

2. Place 1 cake rectangle, parchment side up, on serving platter and carefully remove parchment. Using offset spatula, spread approximately 3/4 cup frosting evenly over cake layer. Repeat with two more layers of cake and frosting, pressing gently on each layer to level. Use remaining frosting to coat top and sides of cake.

3. Press chopped walnuts onto sides with hand. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.