Old Fashioned Baking Powder Biscuits

Taken from Pillsbury Kitchens' Cookbook:

2 cups of all purpose or unbleached flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup soft butter/margarine
3/4 cup milk

Oven: 450F
Combine flour, baking powder and salt
add milk and butter and stir with fork until a soft dough forms
Turn dough onto flour surface
Knead gently 10-12 time until no longer sticky
Roll/press dough to half inch thickness, cut with 2-inch flour cutter
Place biscuits 1/2 inch apart for soft sides or 1 inch apart for crusty sides
Bake at 450F for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown
(recipe makes 12-15 biscuits)

For cheese biscuits, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese with flour

Simple Pad Thai

I love Pad Thai.... so this is my rendition of it:

Sauce (mix it together):
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1/4 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp of fish sauce
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of chilli sauce (lessen it if you don't like it spicy)
2 tbsp of ketchup
3 tbsp of sugar
2 tbsp of peanut butter/peanut sauce
Pepper and salt to taste


1 packet of rice noodles (soften it in warm water for 30 mins)
1 brown onion/2 shallots
1 tsp of minced garlic
Bean sprouts
2 eggs
half pound of minced meat (beef/pork/chicken)
Crushed peanuts


1. Prepare the rice noodles. Normally, soak it in warm water until it is soften
2. Stir fry onions and garlic in vegetable oil
3. When fragrant, add in the minced meat and when cooked, add in the soften rice noodles and stir fry for a few minutes
4. Add in sauce and mix it together with the noodles
5. Crack in the eggs and stir fry
6. Lastly, add in the bean sprouts (if you like it raw, don't add it in, you can use it as topping) because I personally do not like raw sprouts.
7. Top the dish with crushed peanuts and cilantro + a wedge of lime

I made it for a friend who is Vegan.... I just eliminated the eggs and meat and use Vegetable stock instead.... :)

Simple Escargots

My husband and I love eating escargots!

(The pic above -- we haven't sprinkled the cheese .. haha!)

Here's our recipe, which is super simple and fast to make:

You need a ramekin (or a few if you are making for many people)

Ingredients:
Escargots (you can find it canned in stores)
Mozzarella cheese (grated)
Fresh garlic (minced)
Bacon bits (you can buy this ready made package in stores)
Fresh parsley
Butter (depends how many you are making)

Fill the ramekins first with a slob of butter. Then line the inside of the ramekin with minced garlic and fresh parsley. Put in 2-3 escargots per hole/ramekin. Sprinkle the cheese generously all over the escargots and then sprinkle some bacon bits on top.

Pop the ramekins in the oven (350 degrees) for about 10 mins or so.... keep the light on and check on it periodically. When you see the butter bubbling, it is ready!

Serve with French baguettes/bread. Pair it with a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

Bon Appetit!


Another variation of the recipe.... if you don't have ramekins, use MUSHROOMS!!!!! See below....

VOILA!!!

Malaysian Curry Chicken

Wow! I didn't realize that I have not bee updating my food blog for two years. Guess life catches up on you. Here's another one of my favourites (and I can't go too long without eating it).

Malaysian Curry Chicken:

Ingredients:
500 lb chicken (either drumsticks or diced chicken, any other white meat is fine too)
Potatoes (2-3 diced)
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or peanut oil
1 can of coconut cream/milk
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
Curry powder (2 tablespoons)

Part A (put in food processor/blend it):
2 medium sized onions OR 4 shallots
1 inch fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic
5 birds-eye chillies (if you are afraid of it being too spicy, just cut down on this)
2 lemongrass (use white part only)

Part B:
Cumin seeds (a pinch of it)
Cinnamon, 2 sticks (break it in)
Curry leaves or Kaffir lime leaves (2-3)
Star anise (2-3 depending on size)
Cloves (2-3 depending on size)

Steps:
1) Heat oil in frying pan
2) Fry Part A and Part B together for a few minutes (or until fragrant)
3) Mix in the potatoes and fry for a couple of minutes, add in soy sauce and curry powder
4) Add in the chicken and simmer until you can see the flesh is cooked
5) Add in coconut milk and stir then simmer for a bit, add in salt and pepper to your own taste
6) Voila! It's done. You can garnish the top with either green onion, parsley or coriander leaves. Serve it with rice or noodles.

Bon Appetit!

For a healthier version, substitute coconut milk/cream with yogurt or milk.