Chinese New Year Special

     Hi readers! Okay, so I know its February, but in the Chinese calender its the New Year. So this year is the year of the snake, and for those celebrating this special occasion, I have a special recipe for you! And, those who aren't, you can cook this Asian dish anyway. Now, this dish is sort of Singaporean-Chinese, so the measurements may be different and some of the ingredients might be new to you. But, Google has all the answers, trust me.

Braised Pork with Asparagus

Ingredients

1 kg  Pasar Fresh Pork (or fresh pork in general), cut into pieces

150g  ripe pineapple , cut into cubes

150g  sliced asparagus 

100g  preserved soya bean ( Dou Jiang)

2pcs  Chilli padi ,each sliced into 3 segments

3pcs  Sliced garlic

10g  Sliced spring onion

100ml water

Marinate pork cubes with a little dark soya sauce.

Fry pork cubes in heated wok over low fire till fragrant.

Add garlic and fry for 30 seconds.

Follow with preserved soya beans and cook for 1 min.

Add pineapple and asparagus and cook for 2 minutes.

Add water and braise for 10 minutes.

Garnish with spring onion and chilli padi.

 

Chef's Tip: 

Control the fire or heat when cooking pork marinated with dark soya sauce.

It is easy to overcook and dry out the pork.

      Looks pretty simple doesn't it? You can complete that meal with rice and Kai-lan Vegetables. Oh and by the way, I got this from a Chinese magazine, I forgot the title though. But, have a Happy Chinese New Year then! I'm off to Malaysia! 新年快乐！

Just Add Magic: Prize-Winning Chili

      Okay, here I am with the last recipe from Just Add Magic.  It's called... Get ready: Mrs. Rusamano's Annual Nobel Chili Cook-Off Award-Winning Chili. You can see why I just put Prize-Winning Chili.

Prize-Winning Chili

2 lbs lean ground beef

2 large green bell peppers, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 tablespoons minced garlic

2 fresh Jalapeño chiles, chopped

1/3 cup chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon red peppers

2 bay leaves

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

6 cups water or beef broth

Saute' meat, peppers,onions, celery, and garlic in a pan. Drain

fat. Add everything except beans. Cover and simmer 1 hour,

stirring occasionally. Add beans and simmer another 15 minutes.

      Well, its been great fun sharing these recipes, I hope you found them useful. I especially enjoyed the Swirley recipes. But, it's not the end! I've got lots of great recipes waiting here for you. See you soon! xoxo

Just Add Magic: Tiramisu

      The Tiramisu wins! Okay, I keep my promises. The recipe won by... 2 votes? Roughly. So I'll give you all what you've been waiting for. By right, the recipe is called Tony's Favourite Tiramisu. But that's a bit long so... Just Tiramisu.

Tiramisu

2 cups of heavy cream

1/2 cup and 4 tablespoons sugar

8 oz of mascarpone cheese

3 tablespoons of creme de cocoa
1 cup strong coffee of espresso

20 lady fingers or sponge cakes

1/8 cup cocoa powder

serving dish

Whip 1 cup of the cream into stiff peaks, refrigerate while

completing the next steps. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar or to taste.

In a separate bowl, whip the mascarpone cheese,

1/2 cup sugar, and 2 tbsp of creme de cocoa. Set aside.

Dip the top sides of half pf the lady fingers in the coffee

and place in the bottom of the serving dish. You will need to

cover the bottom of the dish, so only use as many

ladyfingers as needed to do so.

Take refrigerated whipped cream and fold

into the cheese mixture.

Spread one third mixture over ladyfingers

and dust  with cocoa powder.

Repeat steps 3 and 5, ending with the cheese mixture on top.

Take the reserved 1 cup of  of cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar and whip

til soft peaks are formed. Spread mixture over top of cheese

layer and garnish with cocoa powder.

Chill tiramisu for at least 2 hours before serving.

     So, thanks for voting, and if you will, please follow this blog, it would mean a lot to me. Otherwise, keep reading! Cause next week is the very last recipe from Just Add Magic, the Prize Winning Chilli Recipe!

Just Add Magic: Mrs Rusamano's Cannoli

        Well! It's been quite a while, huh? Here's another sweet treat from Just Add Magic. And if I'm not wrong, we have two more recipes left from this book, a Tiramisu recipe and a Prize-Winning Chilli recipe. So please vote for which recipe you want to be featured first on the poll gadget to your right. Okay, I'll just shut up and give you the recipe:

Mrs Rusamano's Cannoli

Shell

1 cup flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons vinegar

Filling

2 lbs ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1&1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup citron (optional)

SHELL

Blend first four ingredients and add butter. Blend with your

fingertips as you would a pie crust. Add cold water and vinegar.

This makes a hard dough. Chill for 1 hour.

Roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness

and cut into 4 x 5-inch rectangles.

Roll dough around tubes, 1 inch in diameter.

Fry at 360 degrees until brown. Drain and cool.

FILLING

Beat ricotta, vanilla, and sugar until smooth,

then add nuts, chocolate chips, and citron. Chill.

Fill crusts at both ends with filling.

Hi

Hi guys, sorry I know I haven't posted in a while. I've been really busy this week and I will post another recipe or two by Sunday. Trust me, I just don't have the recipe with me now. : D

Just Add Magic: Hexberry Tarta

      Here's another from Just Add Magic! This is Hexberry Tarta recipe, if the special ingredient (dash of Rue Seed) is added, the consumer of it will become hexed. Its pretty confusing, really.

 

Hexberry Tarta

Ingredients:

2 pints berries

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons almond extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup shaved hazel nuts

dash of Rue Seed

2 egg whites (optional)

pre-made pie crust

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into pie crust. 

If desired, brush the crust with the egg whites. 

Bake at 350 degrees. For 1 hour or until crust is light and flakey.

 Waiting for the day I can jet off to London

and set up my own quaint Teashop.

~ Chee An Lyn

      Yeah, I couldn't find a picture of the Tarta, so please enjoy this lovely picture of Mascarpone Cheese and Strawberry Tarta. Come back for more recipes from Just Add Magic!

Just Add Magic: Keeps 'Em Quiet Cobbler

      Here's another mysterious recipe from Just Add Magic. This recipe is used, in the book, to keep whoever eats it quiet. And the only antidote is Moon Honey. And, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, please go read the book. It's a good one, I really enjoyed it.

Keeps 'Em Quiet Cobbler

Stopped the gallo from his early morning cockle.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

10 ripe apples, sliced

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons almond paste

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon aged vertivert stems*

With a hand mixer, thoroughly beat flour, sugar, softened

butter. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix apple slices with

cinnamon, cloves, almond paste, and vertivert stems. Add the

flour mixture and stir until well-blended. Put into a baking

pan and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

or until apples are tender.

 


"I'm gonna scoop you heat you up, Take you bake you eat you up
HOOK, Give it to me, That Apple Cobbler"
~ Apple Cobbler, Artist: LL Cool J

      *Now, the special ingredient here is the aged vertivert stems. It may not be a real ingredient, but its what makes the eater of this Cobbler keep quiet. So don't sweat it if you can't find it, I'm sure it tastes just as good without it. Come back for more recipes from Just Add Magic!