Turnip Fries

The only way I know how to eat turnip is  to either eat it raw or cook it with dried shrimps as popiah fillings.  I happened to find "Turnip Fries" recipes online and thought it's something new to try.  Here are the steps :- http://chubbybunnyrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/06/turnip-french-fries.html

(1) Simply cut the turnip into strips

(2) Lay them on baking tray with baking sheet

(3) Sprinkle with a little oil if you like

(4) Sprinkle with a little salt and dried basil leaves

(5) Bake for 20 minutes at 180C

     

As I had selected fan oven mode to bake it (don't know why, maybe I was in "anyhow cook" mode that day), the fries turned out not looking like the normal fries, which didn't really look appetizing to my hubby.  So I decided to try another recipe, this time using the turbo convention mode, with paprika and parmesan cheese seasonings.  You can get the recipe from allrecipes.com - Crispy Turnip Fries.

"Umm..this looks more like french fries....not bad...but I still prefer to eat it raw with rojak." Hubby commented.  Well, I would say I quite like the new "french fries" idea.  Moreoever, it is healthier than eating those potato deep fried ones.

Turnip is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, magnesium, calcium, folate and is a good source of iron, and riboflavin.  For those who don't like to eat raw turnip but like to have a low-cal substitute for french fries can try baking this.

   

Soupy Mushy

During one of my lunch break last week, I ordered mushroom mee suan soup at the food court near my office.  For some reason, the vendor forgotten that I had requested for mee suan, she gave me egg noodles instead.  It was not a very satisfying meal cos the vendor refused to change for me.  While I was eating, I surveyed the ingredients and thought it was a rather simple meal to prepare myself.

So I've decided to try it last night.  The ingredients I prepare are:

-ikan bilis (anchovies) soup stock

-straw mushroom (canned)

-enoki mushroom

-oyster king mushroom
-tomato

-fried shallot (for garnishing)

The ikan bilis soup stock was pre-boiled over the weekend and kept frozen.  I moved it to the lower fridge shelf this morning to defroze so that by the time I get home, I can start boiling the soup right away.

Hubby likes instant noodles, while I get to have my mee suan.  It's a pity I forgot to add the fried shallot and rearrange the mushrooms before taking this picture.

It only took 15 mins to prepare this meal.  I learnt that eating enoki mushroom with tomato aids blood circulation; so I thought why not since the colour also enhanced the bowl of soup.         

A Perfect Marriage

Talking about differences in a married life, one of the areas are food preferences. My late father loved porridge while my mother dislikes it, preferring white rice instead. In fact, she influenced me since young that white rice tastes better than porridge, and the only time she cooked porridge was when I had diarrhea. But now that I have my own kitchen, I find myself making porridge quite often. Perhaps I had unconsciously "inherited" the liking from my father.

Actually, there was a period (before I was married) I actually skipped breakfast and left home early to Kovan hawker centre to queue for the teochew porridge there. 

There are many side dishes and snacks that go well with porridge. And the combination of peanuts and ikan bilis (anchovies) is my current favourite. I've learnt that peanuts, eaten together with ikan bilis, has several benefits such as, it enhances the absorption of calcium into our body, improves normal blood clotting, as well as helps our bones to grow.

I've successfully managed to incorporate porridge into my breakfast menu. It's like a wish come true. A bowl of hot porridge in the morning brings a sense of warmth that awakens the stomach at the start of a new day indeed!

More often than not, we find ourselves married to someone who has diverse likings and preferences, etc.  Regardless, it still produces something fragrant and beautiful, just like peanuts and ikan bilis.

Asparagus

Last night, I decided to try a different way of cooking asparagus.

Ingredients:

1. Asparagus

2. Red Bell Pepper

3. Enoki Mushroom 

4. Black Fungus 

According to the health information in my reference book, eating such combination protects our eyes as well as lower our body fats. Asparagus is consider a mild cooling food and is beneficial to our liver, prevent heart problems and cancer.

Preparation is fairly easy. Blanch the asparagus lightly first.  Drop the red bell pepper, enoki mushroom and black fungus into a heated wok with a bit of oil, and do a quick stir fry.  Add one teaspoon each of sesame oil, knorr chicken stock powder, rice wine and sprinkle a bit of salt, then add the blanched asparagus, make a quick stir fry before serving. 

How's that?  The colours of the dish makes me hungry. And the taste? Just perfect! 

I also fried some eggs with yellow onions to go with this dish.  I learnt that eating eggs with black fungus actually helps to strengthen our bones and teeth.  Asparagus with eggs also bring a rosy glow to our skin.  Those with joint pain can try eating asparagus with crab meat cos it is said to reduce the pain.  However, take care not to eat asparagus with bananas, as it will irriate our stomach and cause discomfort. 
I told hubby I'm happy to prepare tasty home-cooked meals for him.  He was all smiles. 

Portobello

Haven't had portobello for some time, so I decided to prepare some for dinner last night. 

The first time I got to know about this breed of mushroom was at the Margaritas restaurant some years back.  Its aroma and jucyness attracted me.  Best of all, it's available at the NTUC supermarket.  Had tried a couple of recipes from the internet; be it toasted with a slice of cheese on top, or with onions and bell peppers, hubby likes them all. 

Last night's attempt, however, was quite disappointing.  Instead of chopping the onions, I actually decided to grind it with my dry mill so as to avoid teary eyes.  As a result, the pungent smell of the onion was too overpowering and didn't taste as good. 

Wonder if anyone knows to chop onions without bringing tears to the eyes?  Someone told me I could fill my mouth with some water while doing it, but I had tried before and it doesn't really help very much. 

Thankfully hubby finished the meal without any complaint. And that's what I really appreciate about him too...

Baking Mood

If you ask me, I'd prefer cooking over baking (be it cakes or other form of pastries).  Why? Because I don't really like food that is too sweet, buttery or creamy.  But I do indulge in some sinful desserts occasionally.  Hehe.

As for hubby, he's a desset guy (well, almost).  Before we bought the oven, I made a few attempts at baking muffins with the microwave oven; it was a disaster! Fortunately, my elder sister encouraged me to attend baking classes, and so I signed up for one recently at BIY (short for Bake-It-Yourself). Haha, no muffin class available so I opted for something close - profiteroles (a 2-hour lesson). 

Just last Sunday I managed to try it out with the new oven.  Guess what? Tada!

Success!  My youngest niece loved it and ate two of them - a very powerful affirmation for the efforts I put in indeed, and that really made my day!

With renewed zest, I decided to give the muffins a try again, since there were some over-ripe bananas in the kitchen.  The recipe is taken from bakingmum.blogspot.com.  I reduced the sugar content as bananas have a much higher sugar level when over-ripe. 

The result?  See for yourself...

"Ah-ha...! Finally, muffins that rise huh...? Not bad." hubby said after one bite.

"The texture could be better," I quibbed, "The ingredients used were mixed by hand. If you want smoother, lighter muffins, get me a mixer, OK?"

"I knew there's a catch somewhere..." hubby just shook his head in resignation.

Yay...      

Turkish Figs

Maybe you've seen this fruit before.  I came across it during last Sunday's wet market trip.  It's a fig fruit from Turkey as what the fruit seller told me.  I found it rather special as I've never seen such fruit before.  What I normally see is the small light brownish yellow type of fig fruits which people usually use to make dessert or soup.  So I decided to buy it home to try even though it costs me $6 for 4 figs! 

According to the fruit seller, it is only edible when the skin turns dark purple. 

How do you eat it?  By peeling the outer layer skin from the tip of the fruit.

Here you have it, the inner view of the fruit.  It was soft and very easy to eat, sweetness is mild but just enough, unlike the dried figs which tend to be much sweeter.  It's worth trying as it is not a fruit that we get to see that often here.