BIRYANI MASALA & INDIAN DHAL

I made biryani masala for dinner tonight. A very simple dish that goes with indian dhal and malay salad....It's quite similar to Nasi Arab, but briyani masala is quite hot & spicy with no cream/milk. Quite healthy, I assume.

To those looking for what to prepare for dinner, here's the recipe.

1 kg chicken
1 kg biryani rice
3 tablespoon beriyani mix
Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Chillies
Tomatoes
Cashew nut
Kaskas powder
Salt
Butter

1. Blend garlic, ginger, chilli
2. Crush cashew nuts & kas kas. Make it into a paste.
3. Fry onions in butter. Add no.1, no. 2 and sliced tomatoes.
4. Add beriyani mix.
5. Add chicken pieces. Let it cook.
6. Soak rice in 15 minutes.
7. Fry it in butter till dry.
8. Add water and boil.
9. Mix the rice and chicken. Pour butter over it.
10. Cover it and cook till done.


INDIAN DHAL

1 cup lentils
3 cups Water
2 tablespoons Oil
1/2 teaspoon Black mustard seeds
Onion
Garlic
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 tablespoon Hot green chiles chopped
4 whole Cloves-cengkih
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
Knorr Ikan bilis


Preparation

Cook the lentils until mushy (20-30 minutes). Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When these begin to pop, add the cumin seeds and saute briefly, being careful not to let them burn. Blend onion & garlic, and add them in. Add the chopped chilies (if using), cloves, salt, knorr ikan bilis and turmeric to the frying pan and continue frying for few minutes. Add the cooked lentils.
Stir well and reheat gently but thoroughly. I add a selection of diced vegetables like tomatoes, capsicum, celery and cauliflower.

Spinach & Feta Muffins

There never needs to be an excuse to eat spinach and feta – as they are a marriage made in heaven! The spinach and feta is a super classic combination. I love spinach and feta pizza, and my kids love them too. I remember having spinach and feta muffins somewhere, but it’s just too difficult to recall the cafe. The feta gives a delicious smooth, creaminess that's too difficult to explain unless you have tried it!. I suddenly had the urge to have one last week. I googled the recipe, and found this one. After sending Along to work this morning, I stopped by Magic Fresh to get some spinach. This savoury muffin would make a great brunch meal this morning!

Ingredients
200mls vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups milk
2 cups raw spinach (compacted)
600g plain flour
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper (ground)
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
200g diced feta

Method
Preheat the oven to 190deg C fan bake or 200degC regular bake.
Put the oil, egg, milk and spinach in food processor and process until finely chopped. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Fold through feta until just coated, leaving a few small cubes for placing on top of each muffin. But I didnt as I decided to use sunflower seeds instead.

Add spinach mix and combine, do not over-mix.
Place in greased muffin pans. I put some sunflower seeds on top and bake at 190degC for approximately 25 minutes. This is great with chutneys. I just eat them with butter spread.

Bon Appetit!!!!

What's up Doc?

Hubby called last night saying that Edy started having his bad days and asked me to pick him up from work. This morning, he got someone from Motavation Masters Ave to check on Edy but one of the mechanics refused to come to site. We thought of calling AA to tow Edy to Automation. One of the best things about being a member of AA is that it covers you and the vehicle you are driving. As an AA member, they'll help you with

• Testing of your battery
• Jump-starting your vehicle
• Getting access to your vehicle if you're locked out
• Changing your wheel
• Free delivery of fuel if you run out (you pay for the fuel)
• Organising a windscreen ship of crack repair*

I took Syahril & Nan to the location and waited for some help from AA.

These are things you should do when your vehicle broke down.

1) Owner of the card should call AA. I called AA but was refused help. AA people wanted to speak to the one man named on that card.

2) Wait at a safe area

Syahril & Nan waiting by the roadside

Be sure to spot a comfy area to wait for the AA team. We found this area shady for us...

3) Show him your AA card.

4) Let him do the job. Ask him if might need help. The AA team tried to jump-start Edy.

The AA van to the rescue

5) After much work on Edy, & he still refused to start. So, the AA team called for a tow-truck. At this time, you just wait. You'll get another phone call from the AA team assuring that a tow truck would arrive in 30 minutes. While waiting, we chatted...& chatted...

6) The tow truck is here. Again, just step aside and let the MAN do his 'thing'.
& the lady posed for her blog...
See how efficient he was?
& the guys watched too....
Edy was ALL ready to be sent to the workshop without any charges!! As I'm writing, Edy is resting at Automation, hopefully, he'll recover soon...

Eurycoma longifolia

It's only half past eleven, and I've started having the tiredness and sleepiness syndrom. Because I work from home...well my home is my office...the sight of my bed is irresistable. I've climbed up on bed for a while, but guilt overwhelmed me. Yikes! I should be working this minute!

I dragged my legs lazily, and off to get a cap of hubby's TA. I need my energy back....I have hundreds of things to complete before today ends....

Yup, thanks to you TA....I'm off now to the office at the uni...

Frustration is when...

Frustration is when.....

1) you are glued on your study table for hours and hours

2) you sleep late, but get up early to complete your never-ending task, but even while you were sleeping, you were talking to yourself

3) you are given an office at the uni, but have to work from home

4) your ideas can't be freed from your head

5) your supervisor reminds you of the journal deadline

6)your life is coming down on you

7) you are rushing to meet deadlines

8) you really need a back massage but no one listens to you

9) you miss out on your social life

10) you just realized that you had 10 cups of coffee a day

11) you are stuck, and stuck, and stuck

I WANT MY LIFE BACK!

makan, minum, buat calls, kertas, measuring tape semua ada depan mata......

A feast of love...

I was too busy typing and writing when hubby presented me with a plate of yummm food. See the picture was taken on top of my pile of work...We used to eat this at JJ Secret Recipe (the goreng version), but hubby made me a grilled one.

I made him give me the recipe to share it with the others.

So here's the recipe...

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken breasts (boned & skinned) & cheddar cheese (cut into slices)

Salt

Pepper

Bone breasts and flatten. Place a small slice of cheese on each half chicken breast. Roll up each half and secure with toothpicks. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill it the oven.

Tomato & Capsicum pesto
Chopped tomatoes and capsicum
Minced garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the above in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and adjust the seasoning.

Last Sunday, Adnan & Asna hosted a pot luck tea with the other Hamiltonians. I made some curry puffs for the shared tea. The recipe was taken from As' blog at

http://mynurkasih.blogspot.com/

Thanks As....I love the pastry! Yummilicious luvv!!!

Understanding Weight Loss

This article was compiled from
http://www.aswellas.co.nz/our-services/shake-it-professional-weight-management-programe/ and
http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/articles/glycemic-index/
No part of the notes have been changed. I copied the articles to understand what GI is all about and disseminate this information to friends and relatives.

Your body has three main sources of energy. It can burn fat, glucose (carbohydrate), or protein. When we burn fat, we produce substances called ketones. These are produced normally, and when we measure these ketones in our urine, we know we are burning fat efficiently.

High levels of dietary carbohydrates, also known as high glycaemic load foods (e.g. sugars and starchy foods such as bread, rice, pasta and potatoes), work with the hormone insulin to 'switch off' fat burning and increase fat gain.

It becomes virtually impossible to lose fat if you have raised insulin levels.

When your body’s blood sugar and insulin levels are low enough you will switch to a higher level of fat burning.
To burn fat you need to restrict high glycaemic load foods to a level where your body will produce less of the hormone insulin thereby increase the rate of fat burning. Eating less food is not the answer; you need to specifically reduce the high glycaemic index, carbohydrate-rich foods in order to 'switch on' fat burning.

The Glycemic Index

About the Glycemic Index
The Glycemic Index (GI) relates to the way your body’s sugar levels respond to certain foods. Foods are given a rating from 0 –100 on the glycemic index with glucose in the highest position. High Glycemic Index foods (such as simple carbohydrates) will increase the body’s sugar levels rapidly whereas low glycemic index foods will increase the body’s sugar levels slowly. A good understanding of the glycemic index can assist in weight loss and help control diabetes.

How Does the Glycemic Index work?
The glycemic index is complicated and cannot be generalised to all people. Different people will have different reactions to food. The body’s response to food will relate to several factors including; age, activity level, insulin levels, time of day, amount of fibre and fat in the food, how refined (processed) the food is, and what was eaten with the food. In addition to this, other factors such as the ratio of carbohydrates to fat and protein as well as how the food was cooked (eg. Boiled compared to fried or baked) and metabolism will determine the way your body’s sugar level responds after eating. Foods that have a low glycemic index will have little effect on the body’s sugar levels. Comparatively, foods that have a high glycemic index will have an instant affect on blood sugar levels. Ratings on the glycemic index have resulted from numerous studies; however, individuals should test their own reactions to food in relation to the glycemic index.

The Glycemic Index and Food
Foods low on the glycemic index will release glucose gradually into the blood stream whereas foods high on the glycemic index will provoke an immediate response in the blood sugar levels. Foods that contain carbohydrates are usually high on the glycemic index and have the greatest effect on blood sugars. Pasta dishes, bread and potatoes are usually high on the glycemic index. The composition in the carbohydrate will also affect how the body’s sugar levels react. For example, white bread will rate high on the glycemic index whereas wholegrain or rye bread will be rate lower on the glycemic index as it contains more grains and contains complex carbohydrates. Examples of low glycemic foods are breakfast cereals (which are based on wheat bran, barley and oats), wholegrain break, fruit, lentils, soybeans, baked beans etc. Examples of high glycemic foods are white bread, soft drinks, full fat ice-cream, chocolate bars etc.

The Glycemic Index and Dieting
Health experts and dieticians contest that the glycemic index is difficult to use because it is complicated and will vary from person to person. They do concede however, that the glycemic index is a useful meal-planning tool especially when individuals monitor their own individual responses to foods. Low glycemic food is especially helpful in assisting those who want to lose weight. Low glycemic index foods will increase the sugar levels in the body to sustain energy levels for longer periods of time. This means an individual will feel less inclined to eat because energy is being slowly released into their bloodstream. A good understanding of the glycemic index will also assist with exercise. If you exercise then eating high glycemic foods will help you recover from your workout. Specifically, faster carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index are great for raising low blood sugars after intense exercising whereas low glycemic index foods are helpful in maintaining blood sugar levels for long periods of exercise. Health experts encourage using the glycemic index in conjunction with other meal programs to assist in managing diabetes and/or controlling weight.

Below is a glycemic index foods list. The glycemic index foods list shows the food category and also the glycemic index for each particluar food in that category.

Food category

White bread 70
Wholemeal bread 69
Pumpernickel 41
Dark rye 76
Sourdough 57
Heavy mixed grain 30-45
Lentils 28
Soybeans 18
Baked beans (canned) 48
Cornflakes 84
Rice Bubbles 82
Cheerios 83
Puffed Wheat 80
All Bran 42
Porridge 46
Mars Bars 65
Jelly beans 80
Chocolate bar 49
Apple 38
Orange 44
Peach 42
Banana 55
Watermelon 72
Milk, full fat 27
Milk, skim 32
Icecream, full fat 61
Yogurt, low fat, fruit 33
Fanta 68
Gatorade 78

From the sea into the pan

After getting some good catch yesterday, it’s time for some fish cleaning sessions. I leave this task to hubby as it is often very messy. I normally take over when the fish has been cleaned…that’s the cooking part. Hubby was very cooperative when I told him I wanted to shoot his fish cleaning for my blog. So, he started telling me the processes like chef wan telling the audience about his cooking.

Well, we don’t have fancy fish cleaning tools, so we made do with the tools we have at home.

The first step in cleaning fish is to clear the cleaning area. Now, I’m eyeing for a good fish cleaning table to bring it back to our Malaysian home.

The next step is to make sure you sharpen your knife, to make the cleaning work easier. Hubby likes his knife sharp and comfortable in his hands.

Once you are ready, you can scale the fish. Do this until the fish is thoroughly clean. This reminds me that I have to mop the kitchen floor once all this work is done. As I am writing, hubby is still in the kitchen, cleaning his catch. Kudos to you, love!!

Then cut off all the fins. If the fish is too big, like the kahawai hubby caught last night, cut off its head.

And next, it’s time to cut off its tail.

The next step is to remove the gut. Don’t insert the knife too deeply in the flesh of the fish. Then, remove the parts that contaminate the flesh.

Hubby found some roes. Let’s look at the roes and compare the roes produced by a female fish and a male one. The one in Zul’s hands are the ones produced by a male kahawai.

Because much of our cooking use the fish head like asam pedas kepala ikan, or fish head curry, give it a good clean. Then, soak the head and the fish in tamarind water or salt water to remove the fishy odour.

Once ready, it’s time to let your fish swim in your pan….My asam pedas snapper is waiting for the snappers to be cleaned. The asam pedas is almost ready now. All smiles!

p/s: It took hubby an hour to clean the kahawais

You, Me and Life

Many of us take things for granted….our jobs, our friends, our spouses, our parents, our children, and our healthWe don't know what we've got until it's gone. And when we wish that it would come back, it will never will.

I just came back from the Waikato Hospital, visiting a sick friend when I realized that all this while, I never take things seriously. My health for one, that is. I have never been terribly sick during my 3 years in New Zealand, and this made me ignore the importance of good health.

Good health doesn't always come easy. We have to be healthy either physically or mentally. Controlling all the negative thoughts that worry you is a signal you have a firm control of yourself. Eating something healthy as a precaution is an excellent way of trying to cure it later in your life. We might be feeling well now and healthy. We might be indulging on foods that we love, but when the time comes, we will realize that we are not that strong superhero who can take hold of our bodies! I must remind myself to always remind my husband about the importance of good health, as a healthier man makes a wealthier woman.



A view of Lake Rotorua & Waikato Hospital

A special celebration for that special man

It was hubby's 44th birthday today, and I planned a great meal for that special man in my life. The preparation was quite tedious starting a day ahead, baking the hummingbird cake and marinating the meats for the paella. On the very day, with no helper (Along was called to work, Anga went shopping @ Auckland)...I spent the whole day in the kitchen. Well, Ain helped out in icing the cake...the rest was a solo effort.

I wanted to present something different than the usual, and it took a while to come up with the menu list. Coleslaw, shepperd's pie & the garlic bread were planned this morning while I was on my way sending Along to work.

Here are some pics taken and some recipes of the meals I prepared today. I think I put on 2kg today! Enjoy!

The gifts we got for dad...a Rugby 2011 cap from Anga, a fishing bait box from Along, a box of choc from Ain & a Kenneth Cole watch from me.

Hummingbird cake from Foodtv. The filling was chopped banana, pineapple & pecans. Tasted great!!!

Menu list...I didnt set up dinner at the dining...as we had the guys over...tak cukup tempat...

My kids love shepperd's pie....since we have additional guests to hubby's small bday party, I decided to make one, to add up to my original menu. Unfortunately, I ran out of mince and was too lazy to run to the Halal butchery...and too lazy to take my food processor from the box (* I don't remember where I stored my food processor...), so I used my blender to make my beef turned into pieces.....anything can do!

My shepperd's pie...(I think I might have posted the recipe in my blog before.)

Paella is a rice dish from Spain and is well-known around the world. You can use just about any kind of ingredient that goes well with rice! My paella contained chicken, mussels, prawns, peas and peppers. But I reinvent my recipe as hubby wants something spicy.
Here is the recipe, credits to Rachel Ray.

Rachel Ray's Paella
Olive oil
Garlic
Onion
Some beriani powder
4 cups rice
Saffron threads
Bay leaf
Chicken stock
Thyme
Red capsicum
Water

Cook the above as you would cook Nasi Minyak....then add the ingredients below

chicken (marinate one night & fry earlier)
beef (marinate one night & fry)
seafood mix (marinate one night & fry)
Turks chicken sausage (fry & add black pepper)

Garnish the paella with parsley, spring onions or anything edible that you like...

This hot chicken thighs appetizer actually might originate from Buffalo, New York (too lazy to google). I wanted to make Buffalo Chicken Wings but the Halal Butcher ran out of nibbles and wings so I substituted that with thighs instead. Well, there are many recipes that you can find on the net, but this one, I used Barefoot Contessa's recipe.

Buffalo Chicken Thighs

16 chicken thighs

Cayenne pepper

Tabasco

Salt

Sour cream

Worchester sauce

Black pepper

I mix everything and marinate them overnight before grilling/baking them in the oven.

This is hubby's bday cake. I took the recipe from FoodTV network. Yummm as it uses cream cheese icing (my favourite!)

Hummingbird Cake

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup pecan pieces

3 ripe bananas, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple ( I used canned pineapple)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

For the Frosting:

2 packages cream cheese

Butter

Icing sugar

p/s: the vocab for today is "too lazy..."

Bag Bliss

2010 was the year when I got crazy over a few things. First, it was watches and I started collecting watches of different designer brands and of different sorts. Then I was going haywire with the china ware and began hunting for these in whatever markets I could land on.

Of late, I was passionate over bags. Yes, bags, bags, bags and more bags…which I have stored safely (or secretly???) all over the place.
My madness over bags started after watching Bride Wars. I was so overwhelmed with the bags that Anne Hathaway & Kate Hudson carried in their hands/shoulders which I found to be so tres chic.

The totes (which I fell for) used by these celebrities in the movie.

So, I started buying one bag. And the next came, and I started eyeing for more, and more. Within 6 months or less than that, I had 6 new bags. And the bags I bought were simply stunning and I hate to part with any of them!

At first, I thought all bags are just bags to me. But there are the hobos, satchels, tote, the crossbody, the top zip and you will find countless names to the bags you actually own! Let me describe (to my knowledge) in the simplest terms what these bags are.

The satchel is the doctor style bag with two handles. Sometimes there is a longer strap attached to the bag which allows you to carry the bag on your shoulder.

A hobo is a classic that many women own. It’s oval in shape with small handles which are just big enough to carry by the shoulder. I like hobos because they tend to crunch down when carried, and I thought that looks really awesome!


A Tote (pronounced toht) can hold hold everything you need! The tote was inspired by a shopping bag and can be carried either on your shoulder or by hand. I think this type of bag (like the ones in Bride Wars) makes you look trendy.

A top zip, I guess is zippered on the top. I don’t quite favour this style, so I don’t read much about this kind of handbag. The crossbody, swing pack and the messenger bag are all the same to me (in my eyes). Some designer brands give different names to their styles of bag, but these are all sling across your body. I plan to buy one as they are excellent if you are always on the go, like you travel a lot! (p.s: not that I travel a lot)


Now, I have to start hunting for shoes to match the new bags I have…..will this be my 2011 passion? Who knows?

Playing hide and seek, anyone?

Have you heard of geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing)? I was introduced to this activity by my employer while we were on a job stint at Mystery Creek. Her daughter and grandchildren have been actively participating in geocaching. Val described in detail what it was all about during one of our lunch breaks and I decided to google about this new thing. There were heaps of stuff to digest from the net.

Geocaching is like playing hide and seek, played worldwide. It's a craze that is taking the world!!Instead of you hiding, you have to find objects or treasures that other members of the group (the geocachers) have hidden. You definitely need a GPS to help locate a ‘treasure’. When you have found the ‘treasure’, you need to sign a logbook and return the geocache to its original location.

In geocaching, there are rules such as “If you take something from the cache, you have to leave something of equal or greater value, and write about your find in the cache logbook”.

I find this hide and seek adventure rather interesting for a family-get-together. Why don’t you give this a try? I’m sure I will.


Geocaching, a fun game for everyone Normally, the geocache is put in a container or a plastic wrap
You can try getting additional info on geochaching from this...