Tempura prawn, fritters and steamed dumpling vermicelli soup recipe

Ingredients
15 medium tiger prawns deshelled and deveined
Roast pork bones
1/2 Chicken bones
2 medium mackerel heads
1 medium sized carrot
2 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 medium Chinese cabbage
4 slices of Bentong ginger
Vermicelli
6 eggs
10 frozen chive and pork mince dumplings
1/2 cup Tapioca flour
1/2 cup All purpose flour
Dried shrimps

5 servings

Making the stock

Pan fry prawn shells, roast pork bones, chicken bones and mackerel heads until caramelized.

Add them to my Russell Taylors pressure cooker, together with coarsely cut Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, carrot and ginger. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the ingredients.

Choose 'soup' setting and start cooking at least 2hours before lunchtime. Once done pressurized for 25 minutes, switch off the pressure cooker.

Steamed dumplings

As I used a metal steamer, I had to line the bottom of each dumpling with some cooking oil and parchment paper to avoid sticking.

I also made 5 hard boiled eggs by boiling cold water in the steamer while the dumplings were being steamed for 10mins straight from the freezer. Make sure the water covered at least 3/4 of the eggs.

Tempura prawn

Mix all purpose flour, tapioca flour, 1 egg with some water until the mixture becomes slightly runny.

Coat the prawn in dry all purpose flour then dip it into the wet ingredients.

Deep fry until golden.

Dried shrimp fritters

Wash a handful of dried shrimps. Mix with the extra tempura batter.

Add a big tablespoon into hot oil. Make sure each fritter is spaced apart from each other to avoid sticking.

Immersed vermicelli in cold water for 15mins. Then bring the water to boil for 5mins until the vermicelli is soft.

Drain the excessive water.

Remove the shells/bones from the stock.

Assemble the components and we are done! (I did not add any salt to the dish!)

Lazy Keto Crepe recipe

Sick with having bread for breakfast everyday?

Why not try out my half keto, low GI and low carb crepe. Excessive crepe can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month (Preserved in cling wrap after cooled to room temperature).

Ingredients

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar/sweetener such as Erythritol
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup milk
4 large eggs
2tbsp unsalted  butter and more to coat the skillet

Yields 12 8inches crepe

Mix all the ingredients in  Philips food processor until smooth.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 day; stir for a few seconds before using.

Lightly coat  a skillet with butter on medium heat.

Quickly pour 1/4 cup batter into center of skillet, tilting and swirling pan until batter evenly coats bottom.

Cook until crepe is golden in places on bottom and edges begin to lift from pan, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Flip the crepe over. Cook for another 45 seconds or so.

*Tips*

If you are adding coconut flour to a gluten-free flour blend or substituting it for flour in a regular recipe,  substitute coconut flour for up to 20% of that blend. The liquid and/or fat combination needs to be increased by about 20% (fat preserves the long term moisture of the final baked product).

Coconut flour typically call for a lot of eggs. Every 1/4 cup (30.8g) coconut flour typically requires one egg for both moisture and structure. Please use eggs at room temperature for the best result.

When storing coconut flour, it’s best to keep it airtight and frozen since coconut flour absorbs moisture.

Enjoy!

Bread pizza recipe

Having breakfast everyday at home during the Movement Control Order means that we have to prepare something out of the ordinary on weekends. Even though bread is a scarce commodity nowadays, we still manage to get half a loaf of Bran & Wheat Germ Gardenia bread from Giant. Massimo breads are usually no where to be seen on the shelf. So there we go with our 15min bread pizza!

Ingredients

Makes 6 bread pizzas
6 bread slices
1/4 cup tomato sauce/chilli sauce
1/2 cup of diced tomatoes
3 slices of cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Mixed Italian herbs to season

Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 C) fan forced.

Arrange bread slices on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Spread tomato sauce on one side of each slice of bread. Use chilli sauce if you want a spicy kick. Or even chilli flakes.

Add  half a slice of cheddar on  each slice of bread .

Sprinkle  mixed Italian herbs.

Add tomato slices,  sliced chicken bratwurst and more shredded Mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. We love that the bread is slightly charred and so toasty. This recipe is quick without the hassle to make pizza dough.

Look at that cheese pull!

Enjoy! Yummy breakfast for two with a hot cappuccino.

*  You can also add diced pineapple, diced crab meat sticks, chicken ham, pepperoni, sliced olives, sliced capsicum or change diced tomatoes to cherry tomatoes

5 ingredients baked cheese cake recipe

Since we have quite some stock of cream cheese and Mr husband is a big fan, there we go with another fool proof cheese cake recipe!

The filling

250gm  Tatura cream cheese
2 tbsp unsalted butter (30mg)
300ml evaporated milk
2tbsp Easiyo natural yoghurt
1egg

Place all the ingredients into Phillips food processor until they are well mixed.

Place Jacobs Weetameal wheat crackers in a single layer into a lined baking tray.

Pour the filling into the tray.

Bake in a preheated oven on the lowest rack at 180ºC fan forced for 20 minutes until the top is slightly charred.

Cool the cake to room temperature. Add some blueberries on top.

Enjoy!

Baked cheese tarts recipe

The Filling

250gm  Tatura cream cheese
2 tbsp unsalted butter (30mg)
300ml evaporated milk
2 tbsp Easiyo natural yoghurt
1egg lightly beaten
20 square puff pastry sheets

Yields 30 tarts

Place all the ingredients into Phillips food processor until they are well mixed.

Assembling

Thaw puff pastry sheets to room temperature (I use Kawan square frozen puff pastry) 20mins beforehand.

Line the pastry and press it evenly inside an aluminum tart mould.

Cut off the excess dough with a knife and prick the base with a fork.

Repeat until the rest of the dough is finished

Pour the filling into the shells only half full as the pastry will expand.

Bake in a preheated oven on the lowest rack at 180ºC fan forced for 20 minutes. Then  bake at 230 C until the top is slightly charred for 10mins. The beauty of using puff pastry instead of conventional tart shells are that the shells do not need to be prebaked before putting in the fillings.

Cool to room temperature. Place some blueberries on top. Enjoy!

Homecooked baked battered jicama, eggplant and carrot fries

Jicama has low glycemic index and is a great health food. Eggplants and carrots are also nutritious and add interesting colours to the dish. During Movement Restriction Order, jicama is also great because it has a long shelf life and does not need to be stored in the fridge. I involved my stay-at-home boys to cook these fries as well. They are easy and fun to prepare.

Wet ingredients
1 medium jicama
1 eggplant
1 Australian carrot
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 eggs

Dry ingredients
Pinch of ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Mixed Italian herbs to taste
Baked with Yen wholemeal bread flour
Baked with Yen quick cook oats

Preheat oven 230°C fan forced.
Peel jicama and carrot.
Cut jicama, carrot and eggplant into 1/4 inch matchsticks.

Ensure the vegetable sticks are coated with a thin layer of beaten egg mixture.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a shallow bowl.

Coat the sticks with the dry ingredients.
Brush the baking tray with a layer of canola oil.
Place in a single layer.
Bake for 30-45 minutes or until crispy, turning halfway.

Delicious served with vegan ranch dip or guacamole.

We had the vegetable fries with pan grilled chicken bratwurst and fish fingers. Absolutely delicious! The fries were crispy on the outside and still soft and juicy inside. Try this recipe out as a bonding activity with your family. Remember stay home and save lives!

Delicious 3 course Western food in Kuantan | Java Flava Cafe

There are many cafes in kuantan but not many can whip out proper 3 course menus. Java Flava is definitely one of them.. From a cafe that focused on coffee and tea initially, Java Flava has now grown into one of the local favorite hangout spots. It's pork free as well.

Java Flava Cafe
B-1786, Lorong Sekilau 30, Perkampungan Bukit Sekilau, 25300 Kuantan, Pahang
Opens daily 10am-11pm except Thursdays
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If you are planning for some work related discussions over lunch, Java Flava is a great spot. Comfortable with air-conditioning. Enough space on the table for a few folders and laptops.

Pots of tea can be refilled to last the discussion.

Or if you are coffee lovers like me, their barista makes creamy and foamy hot latte and cappuccino as well.

We wanted to order a salad for entree but it wasn't available. So there's a less healthy version of cheesy nachos with so much guilty cheese sauce which 4 of us only managed to finish half. Because the nachos were already drizzled with lots of mayonnaise and cheese sauce already. Perhaps the cafe can consider a salsa version instead?

Croissant

This is one of the best croissants I have had. Crispy skin with warm, soft fluffy insides. Heavenly combination with some salted butter. It's bigger than my hand but I just couldn't stop having more. Strongly recommended!

Chicken wrap

Juicy chicken breast cutlets marinated in BBQ sauce, pan fried then slot into pockets of dense pita bread with lettuce leaves as well as tomato slices. Topped with yummy mayonnaise, half a pocket is enough to fill my hungry stomach. The dish comes with a serving of fries which can be substituted with mashed potatoes upon request.

Grilled lamb chops

Each serving comes with 3 generous slices of turmeric flavoured lamb shoulder. I'm quite particular about having lamb because I dislike the gamey smell and taste. But this lamb chop tasted really like local favorite satay. Dipped in mint sauce, it enhanced the sweetness of the meat. But it can be difficult to cut the lamb chop as there was quite a bit of tendon and fatty bits which I don't eat. A huge serving of mashed potato and coleslaw could easily feed 2!

We were already full by then but could not resist the temptation of ordering the instaworthy dessert!

Affogato

By now 2 doses of caffeine made me slightly giddy so I was glad that I was sharing it with Mr hubby. This espresso shot was slightly bitter which neutralized the sweetness of the coconut icecream. A sprig of fresh mint was a surprise element of the dish. A must order for coffee and ice cream lovers!

Waffles

2 matcha flavoured crispy Belgian waffles sandwiching dark chocolate sauce, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, sweetened red beans and a dollop of cream. The matcha biscuit sticks added some crunch to the dessert.

Therefore, these were out verdicts
Price 7.5/10 (more value for money lunch sets that we didn't try)
Taste 8/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Service 7/10 (Order and pay at counter only)

Baked banana yoghurt cheesecake

Excuse the dent in the center. Bing couldn't resist seeing the baked cake and dipped his finger into it!

The school holiday season is here again! But we have to limit outdoor activities because of the rising COVID 19 cases in Malaysia. Track the latest stats here on MalaysiaKini. I have given 2 public talks about the virus in the past week and I don't want to bore anyone else about it except to keep calm, stay indoors and wash your hands!

But I'm here to spread some positivity. To entertain our boys, we baked a banana yoghurt cheesecake!

For the base

50 g butter
120 g cream crackers or Oreo

For the topping

2 small ripe bananas
juice 1 lemon
250g Tatura cream cheese
3/4cup Easiyo natural yogurt
4 large eggs
½ tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
2 tbsp cornflour

1.Preheat oven to 160C fan and lightly oil a pyrex glass square cake tin.

2. Use Phillips 600W food processor to  crush  the cream crackers, if better Oreo.

3. Melt butter in a pan and stir in the rackers until well coated.

4. Press into the base of the tin to make a firm layer, then bake for 10 mins.

5. Remove from the oven and turn up the heat to 220C fan.

6. To make the topping, put the bananas with the lemon juice into the food processor, then add cream cheese, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and cornflour until everything is well mixed.

7.  Pour onto the biscuit base and bake for 10 mins, then turn the oven right down to 90C fan and cook for another 25 mins. 

8. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool. 

9. When cold, chill for 3-4 hrs. (Cooling the cheesecake this way should prevent it from cracking.)

As I was rushing, I completely forgot step 8! So I ended up with a bubbly looking cheesecake. Maybe you guys should try the recipe and let me know how it went!

Weekend santai breakfast at Ombok Cherating Surf Cafe

Having a short getaway can be really therapeutic after a hectic week at work. Facing non ending patient queue and paper work, we need to put all these behind and clear up the mind. Therefore we decided to relax at Cherating area. A sumptuous breakfast by the beach sounded like a great idea since Cherating is just half an hour's drive away from Kuantan.

Ombok Cherating Surf Cafe
Cherating, 26080 Balok, Pahang
09-581 9275
Opens daily 9am-5pm
https://g.co/kgs/HeQcdn

The Cafe was located just by the only main road along Cherating beach but there was no obvious signboard so it took us a few rounds to arrive at the correct spot!

The Cafe is of bohemian style. Wooden tables with rocky benches. A simple mural which describes the local lifestyle so well- catch the waves under the blazing sun. The glass window is full of wall stickers-- leaving footsteps from all over the world.

There's only one indoor seating--comfortable and homey couch covered by a patchwork quilt. Next to it is a standing table with DIY jewelleries and dream catchers for sale. A small book corner for those who wants to exchange novels FOC. A small section selling local batik and beachgoing paraphernalia.

The menu looked simplistic but we were blown away by the quality of food served.

Big Wipeout

Pan fried cherry tomatoes, sauteed button mushroom, 2 slices of caramelized baked potato wedges, a ramekin full of delicious baked beans, 2 slices of crispy beef bacon with caramelized fat, 2 gourmet sausages , garden salad, fresh spinach leaves on top of a perfect omelette with 2 slices of multigrain toast! I would say this is breakfast befitting to the King! Generous portion and can easily fill 2 hungry tummies.

American pancakes

A stack of fluffy pancakes topped with fresh banana and strawberry slices. It looks so appetizing and is just at the right amount of sweetness. Spread butter and drizzle maple syrup over the pancakes for additional oomph. It would be better if pure butter is served instead though.

Hot cappuccino

Mr hubby is a great coffee fan. We have our own espresso machine and coffee bean grinder. Cartons of fresh milk are always available in the fridge 24/7, if not at least pasteurized fresh milk. And I would say, this cuppa passed his coffee taste buds! To me, the smoothness of milk mixed well with the bitterness of the coffee perfectly but the blend is a bit strong as I could feel my heart racing after half a cup.

Our verdict:

Price 8/10
Taste 8/10
Environment 8/10
Location 6/10 ( a bit far from Kuantan town!)
Service 7.5/10 (family friendly)

Collagen supplementation- Is it the new fountain of youth? | Go Shine Botanical Beverage Review

Being a lady, I am conscious about my appearance and how fast wrinkles and crow feet have become part of my face in the past decade. Half of my hair thickness is gone due to hormonal changes after delivering my boys. How I miss my carefree student face with no blemish and supple skin. Besides investing in beauty products, what about collagen supplementation? Is it the panacea?

Collagen is a very important structure-- if you like, like a scaffold for the body. It makes up 75% of the dry weight of our skin which allows the skin to look plump and radiant. Collagen is also rich in amino acids which is needed for tendon, bone, joint, nail and hair health. Consuming collagen really brings beauty inside out as proven by a few recent research in 2014 and 2019.

I do believe that proper collagen supplementation can delay signs of ageing. This is because our body break down collagen faster than producing it as we age. Injecting collagen under the skin does not last long, can be painful and difficult to absorb and may cause allergic reactions. Consuming collagen, on the other hand, has very few side effects. Not only is it great to improve skin condition, collagen supplementation has also shown promising results in accelerating wound healing, improving lean mass and alleviating joint pain. Read more about collagen supplementation on WebMD.

The quality of the supplement is of utmost importance. Go Shine by Max Health Malaysia is one of the trusted collagen beverage brand in the market. It is formulated in Japan and Switzerland. Always look out for HACCP, GMP and MESTi approved products to ensure it does not contain any traces of heavy metal. Certified by the Ministry of Health Malaysia,  Go Shine Botanical Beverage is definitely safe for consumption in healthy individuals. To my muslim friends, Go Shine is a halal product.

The other active ingredients include:

Rice Ceramide- whitens, hydrate and moisturise skin
Sakura- rich in antioxidant/anti-ageing, promotes collagen production
Vitamin C-boost collagen production, hasten healthy skin cell turnover
White Cucurmin- potent anti-oxidant, UV protection, soothes inflamed skin
Melon Extract- rich in Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) a poweful antioxidant, stress reliever
L-cysteine- Whitens skin by enhancing the production of glutathione, anti-oxidant
Vitamin E- Strong antioxidant, absorbs harmful UVB
Apple Stem Cell- maintain longevity of skin stem cells

What does Dr Yingzangel think?

Any healthy person with no chronic illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart/kidney/liver failure may try collagen supplement with no ill effect. Avoid if you are expecting or lactating as well because no research has been done in this group of ladies as it is unethical to put both mothers and babies at risk. I have personally experienced the difference in collagen supplementation and will continue to consume high quality collagen such as Go Shine.

Go Shine Website
Or Whatsapp their agents:
011-2855 0987 (Jenny)
016-608 3369 (Christina)
016-709 0422 (Noel)

Disclaimer: the opinion given is merely a personal experience and does not constitute formal medical advice. Please seek your medical professional's advice before any complementary therapy. Always ask for certified professionals before proceeding with treatment and stop if discomfort or side effect ensues.

Children safe and eco-friendly skincare | Ecostore Baby Care Product Review

Last weekend, we brought the children to Cherating Turtle Sanctuary. One of the panels in the exhibition talked about pollution of the ocean by man-made waste. And how that endangers the marine ecosystem. Do you know that plastic items can take 20-500 years to decompose? So every step that we take to reduce plastic waste contributes towards saving our planet! Read this article on WWF to find out more about plastic pollution. Reducing carbon footprint is everyone's responsibility.

In our home, we try to reduce, reuse and recycle. We have made do with plastic straws and replace them with washable metal straws instead. As for plastic bottles, we tend to choose products with eco-friendly features. Therefore Ecostore products remain our choice. We have been using their laundry detergents and baby care products for some time now.

All Ecostore product bottles are made of renewable sugarcane plastic which is 100% recyclable. The ingredients used in Ecostore products are also suitable for the septic tank. Bath water can be reused to water the garden if one has a proper gray water system in place. Their products are made in New Zealand following the strictest environmental standards in ISO14001, Enviromark Diamond and CarboNzero certified factories.

Ecostore Baby Care products consist of a complete series of hair shampoo, body wash and body oil. The ingredients are plant based (GE and GMO free--which means no genetically modified crops) and cruelty free. There are no harsh chemicals like SLS/SLES, paraben, PEGs, dimethicone, synthetic dyes and perfumes. Do you know that newborn skin does not need soap for the first few weeks anyway?

Ecostore Baby Hair Shampoo

Baby Yi's hair are fine and soft. His scalp is sensitive and develop cradle cap sometimes.

Infused with lavender, eucalyptus and geranium oil, this hair shampoo allows gentle yet effective cleansing and is able to hydrate the scalp at the same time. This essential oil blend also relaxes the little one.

Ecostore Baby Body Wash

As with other Ecostore products, this body wash is dermatologically tested. Eucalyptus, lavender and aloe vera are the main ingredients used to nourish, hydrate and soothe sensitive baby skin. Our bedtime routine with Bing and Yi includes a warm shower filled with the relaxing scent of lavender. Children needs some down time, just like us adults before turning in.

Ecostore Baby Body Oil

Baby Yi used to scream every night and fight sleep as an infant. I almost lost my sanity sometimes holding and breastfeeding him for hours in a stretch. Ecostore body oil became our massage oil every night to relax him. I also used the oil to fade itchy stretch marks during confinement. Besides that, the oil works really well to soften baby Yi's cradle cap along the hairline. Again it smells wonderful because of the lavender, not to mention the great moisturizing effect of both blackcurrant and almond oil.

What does Dr Yingzangel think?

New Zealand has one of the strictest standards in the world when it comes to baby skincare products. Therefore, I feel rest assured that the Ecostore baby series is 100% safe for my children, as well as the environment. Given the high quality, the price tag is very much affordable and value for money.

Get Ecostore products here. Quote BABYS1 for discounts! Valid until end of July 2020.