Not for those who are on a calorie-controlled diet;)

I can't stop cooking and baking. Now I took up my crochet hook again too. Looks like something good came into my life and motivated me more than ever! Not that I have ever been bored in my entire life. Anyway, enough chit chat. You probably liked the recipes I posted last time and are coming for more!;) If you are on a diet, go easy on them but, hey, what's life without occasional indulgence really! lol. OK if mum reads that, mum hope you remember what 'lol' means (I told you last time when we were chatting but if you forgot, no matter, I will remind you).

Now to the recipe(s)...I thought I would include something very easy that can be ready in under 15 minutes. Quick dinner, healthy and scrumptious; what more can someone want! Today the recipe is Prawns with vegetables and Shitake mushrooms. You will need:

• Vegetable oil (2 turns)
• A teaspoon of butter
• Prawns (about a good handful)
• A handful of green runner beans cut in pieces
• Shitake mushrooms (about 6, sliced)
• Soy sauce
• Lemon juice, about 2 tablespoons (preferably fresh)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic (2 cloves minced) and a small piece of ginger (grated or minced)

Put together the ingredients and let them work their magic! Heat up a frying pan and add the butter and the oil. The oil will make sure the butter does not brown and burn. Add the prawns and half of the garlic and ginger. Fry just for 3 mins maximum on medium heat. Then remove the prawns from the pan and add to it the beans and the rest of the garlic and ginger; saute those for about 3 mins then add the mushrooms and soy sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep sauteing until the mushrooms are cooked and the beans somewhat softened. If the sauce is too thick of you can hardly notice any liquid in the pan, add a little bit of water and as soon as it comes to the boil, take the pan off the heat. This is best enjoyed with plain boiled rice but is just as nice with plain boiled noodles (type of your choice). Enjoy!

Recipes Recipes...:)

Oh hello everyone, another perfect blue sky today; perfect for a stroll or a day out. However, Justine and myself are having a quiet day at home because yesterday we had a really good day out and indeed have left home at around 10 am and came back at 9.50 pm. Sounds like a long day but hours go by quickly when you are having fun especially with good friends and the kids.

I am straying again from the post title...oops! OK, recipes wasn't it? I believe that I am not mistaken if I say that some people will be glad if I posted some favourite Mauritian recipes on my blog. In a previous post, I included a picture of 'bouillon bredes' and 'rougaille', so let me give you the method to prepare those two since they go very well together.  Please note that they are eaten with rice. There will be more recipes to come in the near future.

To prepare a bouillon bredes, you need any leafy vegetable such as pak choi or bok choi, even lettuce if nothing else is at hand. You also need any vegetable oil, garlic paste, ginger paste, diced or sliced onions, salt, pepper and boiling water. First chop the vegetable keeping stalk bits and leafy bits separate then heat up some oil in a pan and fry the onions about 1 minute. Afterwards, add the ginger then the garlic (do not allow to brown). Have your boiling water ready and pour it in the pan (about 2 cups for 1 pak choi or a bit less depending on how watery you want your soup to be). Let it boil together with the onion, ginger and garlic for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and a sprinkle of black pepper, to taste. Then add the stalk bits of your leafy vegetable. Leave it to simmer about 2 minutes then add the leaves. Boil for a further 2 or 3 mins then it's done.
For rougaille, you need vegetable oil, blended tomatoes, sliced or diced onions, ginger paste (only use if the flesh you choose for your rougaille is fried fish), garlic paste, thyme, chopped parsley, salt and any meat of your choice (fried fish, cooked chicken or beef or bacon or even canned tuna). First fry the chicken, fish or beef then put away in a bowl. Use some of the same oil to prepare the tomato-based sauce for the rougaille. Heat it up again and fry the onions in the oil, then add thyme, ginger (if used) and garlic for about 1 min; do not brown the garlic. Next, add the blended fresh or tinned tomatoes and stir well. Let this mixture simmer for a good 15 minutes, adding some hot water if the sauce sticks to the pan. The sauce will be nearly ready when the oil sorts of separate from the tomato sauce and floats on top. At that point you can add in some salt to taste. Finally, stir in the meat you chose to use as well as the chopped parsley and let them simmer together for 5 minutes. Then it's ready. Serve the rougaille and bouillon bredes on some plain boiled rice.

Give it a try and let me know how you got on;)

See you soon everyone with more recipes and tips.

Lots happening here!

Hi there! I just feel like putting my feet up right now and having a warm cuppa. It is true that it has been somewhat cooler over the last few days...feels like summer is over. Let's hope not!! Anyway, what's been happening in your life lately? I hope you have been having fun. Justine and me have had time to do some fun things; cooking, baking, crafting and going out at local events.
On the 10 August 2013, there was the Sunbury Regatta and we spent the day watching the boat races, enjoying ice cream and fresh air. Justine spent most of her time on the rides and slides I must say;) She had a dolphin balloon which was attacking everyone and she also had her face painted as a butterfly. Lovely! The Thursday before that, we went to the Saint Saviour's CoE garden party, where we met friends and listened to some live music performed by the church members. There was some delicious baked goods there, which Justine enjoyed dissecting more than eating:) Sorry anyone who made the cake! lol. Kids!
At home, we made pizza and Justine had her very own dough ball. The result was an amazing little pizza which she made from start to finish. She posed very proudly with her pizza for a photograph. At the moment though, Play Doh is her new craze; she just can't stop playing with it. She even gets me shaping and rolling! I know! lol.
We made blueberry pancakes for breakfast during the week and made Chinese rice noodle soup for dinner.
I am also posting a picture of a simple but flavoursome dish for little ones: broccoli gratin with ham or salami. Simple but a treat and if it went down well with Justine, it will probably do so too for most children since she can be fussy sometimes with chunky vegetables.

Cooking Is Fun...Honest!

I know that some people do not really enjoy cooking; it's just another household chore on the already long list. For me, cooking is fun and I enjoy it. Whenever possible I let Justine join in as, under supervision, it is safe and as long as they only do the bits that are less awkward for them, that's fine. For instance, stirring sauces and tossing vegetables when sautéing them in the wok are all things that Justine simply adores doing. We also made biscuits once and it was great. There will be mess, mind, but then that's part of the fun so let them make their mess and clean later. While you and the kids are making something do not bother about clearing away or wiping. Simply focus on getting the job done and keeping them safe all the way. Baking and cooking with kids is a great family bonding time and kids often will love to taste what they contributed to themselves rather that something you just present to them at tea time.
Now coming back to grown-up cooking. Most things take less time to make than many people think. Last week or week before that, I made stuffed marrow and it hardly took me an hour's preparation and though it takes a little over an hour's cooking, it is easy to make and yet so tasty. For those who like the idea of something like a lasagne with much less calories and still great taste, ask me for the recipe.

Maybe you have a sweet tooth and would rather bake a cake instead of cooking or baking something savoury. Here is something easy to make and tasty as anything: cupcakes! If you add some cream cheese frosting on it, you have a winner!

You want to have a very steady and no-fail recipe for the frosting because it can easily become runny and it would be no good for frosting anything at all. One tip: always use Philly as the other cheaper supermarket brands are not of the same quality and often hold too much in terms of water content.
I was born in Mauritius and our food there is very flavoursome and tasty. Since we are a multiracial country, we have all sorts of food and thus, Mauritian food can be anything from Biryani to Pilau rice to fried rice or even curry. One of the creole dishes popular with all the sections of the population is "Rougaille" and also "Bouillon Bredes". The first one is a type of tomato based sauce with any kind of meat in it and the second dish is a type of leafy vegetable soup; both are eaten with rice. Rice is the main staple in Mauritius. Below is a picture of Sausage "rougaille" and Bok Choi "bouillon bredes".

 

 

This below is a picture of my Pilau Rice, Mauritian style. We sometimes add eggs, beef and/or chicken to it.

 

OK now get cooking everyone!



Craft Things For Your Home

Crafting things for your home is a good way to introduce uniqueness and interesting objects for half the price, or less, of what you would pay for a similar type object in a shop. Those who have children will find that in many cases, they can join in the craft project and everyone can enjoy great family time while also making something useful or decorative. As an example, my daughter Justine and myself made a scary spider out of newspapers, kitchen roll, PVA glue and paint. The idea stemmed from the fact that she dislikes spiders and is even a little scared of them. So I thought making a spider together would be good in the way that she might view the spider as being fun and colourful in the end and not be afraid of them anymore. To be honest that bit did not work but we did have fun and, just for that, it was well worth the effort.

 

I like crocheting myself and made a little decorative piece for the light cord in the bathroom. I know it's not such a meaningful project but when you are a full-time mum of a toddler of three years old who constantly wants to play or climb or touch everything and anything, believe me, any small achievement feels great.
What we enjoyed making as well, Justine and me, are signs to put on the doors to different rooms. We have done a little daisy chain one for Justine's bedroom/playroom and I have made one for my bedroom but we have yet to make one for the bathroom, kitchen and living room. Something to look forward to I guess.

 

One of my big hobbies is card making. I find that making greeting cards is gratifying because you make your own card from scratch and seeing the final product feels good but also, the person at the receiving end will surely appreciate the care and time you put into it. Getting a card from the newsagent or from the shop is so easy but nothing will compare to a homemade card. I found a real good book about card making; Novelty Cards by Sue Nicholson. I got it at a bargain price on Amazon and even though it was second hand, it was in amazingly good condition.

If you haven't started crafting yet, give it a try...you might be surprised as it can be addictive.