Christmas Delight | Butter Cake

Hey! Christmas is around the corner! Few days more we will be celebrating this joyful moment with friends and family at home. Food and desserts are the main attention during Christmas besides a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Have you decorated your Christmas tree?

As usual, on Christmas Day, we will be busy feasting and celebrating this day in Church and at home! Also, not forgetting weight-watching too... haha... This year, our list consists of the mixture of Western and Asian dishes, such as chicken debal/devil curry (one of the Eurasian dishes), prawns sambal, roast chicken, roast pork, vegetables, soup and not forgetting our must-have cakes! It has become a norm every year for my Mother-in-law to make some homemade cakes for Christmas, such as fruit cake and butter cake. I have also hooked to these 2 delicious home made cakes since then.

Today, I would like to feature one of her all time favourite and popular cake among the family, traditional BUTTER CAKE! Butter cake has become one of the popular cakes for everyone and it is simply easy to make and tasty! You can make this simple butter cake more unique and mouth-watering by choosing the right ingredients! We found out many ways to enhance this simple cake by using a good quality/premium butter and the technique in making it. I hope by sharing these few tips, you too can enjoy a simple yet extra-ordinary butter cake!

Till then, before I opt for Christmas break, I would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday! Have fun and enjoy! Stay tuned for the next delicious pastry for New year!


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Ingredients: 250gm Butter (Use S.C.S butter/premium butter) 1 3/4 cups Self Raising flour 3/4 cup Castor Sugar 1/2 tsp Baking powder 1 1/4 tbsp Full Cream milk (use Dutch Lady) 1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence 4 eggs (separate egg yolks & egg whites) Methods: 1. Line a 20cm round baking tray with baking paper. 2. Sift self-raising flour & baking powder together. Mix well, set aside. 3. Cream butter & castor sugar with mixer for 10 mins or until mixture is creamy and fluffy. 4. If you are using hand whisk, whisk in one direction for 15 mins. 5. Whisk egg yolks and egg whites in separate bowl. 6. Put egg whites in the batter, then egg yolks. Whisk at low speed. 7. Fold in half of the flour and mix well. Repeat with another half. 8. Add in milk and vanilla essence. Mix well in one direction. 9. Transfer batter to a baking tray. 10.Heat up oven for 10 mins. Baked for 20mins at 400ºF until top is golden brown. 11.Switch off oven. Leave in the oven for 5 mins. Test with a skewer. Note (below is some of the tips from our observation and enhancement): • Use premium butter will enhance the taste and make the butter cake more moist and creamier. • If you are using hand whisk, whisk in one direction. • Use full cream milk will make the cake soft and moist.

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One Pot Dish

One pot dish is always the working moms' favorite. It is not only save us some time to prepare a wholesome meal for the family, it's also easy to prepare and clean up! Sounds great working moms? Since it was a busy day for me the last one week and everyone in the family had caught the cold bugs that fly in the air including me, the thoughts of cooking seem tiring too. Thus, I have to prepare a quick and simple but nutritious dinner. One pot dish is my best choice, all can be done in a short period of time.

This time, using a claypot is the best choice for this one pot dish. By using braising method with claypot, it brings out the flavour of the ingredients and also enhances the taste of the dish. I have selected variety of ingredients this round, chicken fillets, prawns, mushroom, fish cakes, carrot & broccoli. Not forgetting the main ingredient here, the Egg Tofu - 玉子豆腐. Since my family enjoys egg tofu so much, it was a wise decision to add them in the pot. The joy of making this dish is; you can "mix & match" according to your family's favourite ingredients. Ok Mommies, start wokking and enjoy!

Ingredients: 2 tubes Egg Tofu (Japanese Tofu 玉子豆腐), cut into 2 cm thick 4 stalks Mushroom, washed & soaked (Trim away the stems) 1 strip of Chicken fillet, cut into chunks 10 pcs large Prawns, removed shells - retain tails 1/2 Carrot, sliced 10 florets Broccoli 2 pcs Fish cakes, cut into 2 cm thick 3 cloves of Garlic, minced Sunflower oil Seasonings: 2 tbsp Shaoxing Wine (Chinese traditional fermented rice wine 绍兴酒) Reference on Shaoxing Wine here Salt to taste (I used 2 tsp) Thickener (adjust the thickness according to your taste): 3 tsp Cornflour / Tapioca flour 100ml Chicken broth Chicken broth (600ml) Chicken bones, about 20 pcs Broccoli stems (use the remaining broccoli stems) 1 liter water Methods for chicken broth: 1. Blanch chicken bones with boiling water. Drained. 2. Bring 1 liter water to the boil. 3. Add in chicken bones and broccoli stems. 4. Simmer for 1 hour or until it is concentrated and sufficient for 600ml. Methods for main dish: 1. Marinade chicken fillet and prawns separately with salt and pepper. Set aside for 10 mins. 2. Wash mushroom thoroughly. Soak with hot water for 10 mins. Drain, trim away the stems. Set aside. 3. Blanch broccoli with some oil in boiling water. Drained and set aside. 4. Heat up oil in a claypot, saute garlic till fragrant. 5. Add in chicken fillets, stir fry for a minute. 6. Add in mushroom & fish cake, stir fry for another minute. 7. Pour in 500ml chicken broth. Braise at medium heat for 10 mins. 8. Add in thickener (adjust thickener) & braise until sauce is a little concentrated but not too thick. 9. Add in prawns & seasonings. Simmer for another 2 mins. Add in salt to taste. 10. Add in egg tofu, do not stir the tofu to avoid breaking. Cover with lid, simmer for another 2 mins. 11. Open lid, off fire. Add in broccoli & dish up. Serve while hot. Note: • Adjust the amount of chicken broth & the thickener according to your own preference. I prefer more gravy as it is suitable for kids to have them with rice. • Add in prawns lastly so it will not over-cooked. • You may substitute chicken broth with concentrated chicken stock. You need to adjust the water portion according. • You may add your own selection of ingredients or other ingredients such as cauliflower, spring onion, celery, leek, seafood (fish slices, crab sticks or clams), fish balls or meat balls.

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Pita Tuna

I first encountered Pita bread was few years ago from one of my colleagues. Since then, we consumed pita bread with various of fillings very often especially during lunch time. It was one of our diet plan.

Pita bread is very versatile, we can stuff plenty of fillings in it, such as chicken meat, lamb, beef, tuna, sardines, baked beans, vegetables, sausages or any of your own preference. Pita bread, spelled “pitta bread” in the UK, is a round leavened flatbread that is consumed all over the world in many different cultures. It is generally made with wheat but can also be made in multigrain and whole wheat varieties. Reference from wisegreek. We can make pita bread at home too. It is a healthy and indeed easy-to-find bread around. I would prefer wholemeal as it contains more fibre in it and much healthier. Pre-packed pita bread comes with variety of flavours, such as original, cheese, wholemeal & garlic.

Since my son will be going to pre-school next year, I have to pack some snack or light-meal for him to bring along for his break time. Pita bread with tuna is just one of the simple and healthy snack for all time. Tuna is also a good source of protein, Omega 3, vitamins and minerals. A prefect choice for a growing up kid.
This recipe is simply good for those who is on the run or on diet plan. I would love to have it for my breakfast as I am always rushing to work in the morning! Having something that is tasty, healthy, high in nutrients and easy to make for breakfast is such a convenient way for working parents and kids! Do you agree with me?

Simple yet delicious! A prefect snack for kids and you!You may also try out this simple snack of Tortilla!

• Check on this video on how to make Pita bread at home
• Benefits of Tuna from WHFOODS

Ingredients: 185g Tuna Chunks in Sunflower oil (canned tuna) 2 Wholemeal pita bread, cut into half 1 medium-sized Tomato, sliced 1/2 medium-sized Japanese cucumber, sliced 1 small-sized Onion, minced Dash of black pepper Dash of dried basil leaves Methods: 1. Cut pita bread into half. Set aside. 2. Drained tuna & retain the oil. 3. Heat up the tuna oil, saute onion until translucent. 4. Add in tuna, loosen the tuna and stir fry until fragrant. 5. Sprinkle some black pepper and basil leaves, mix well. 6. Open up pita bread, arrange tomato slices in it, stuff in tuna. 7. Stuff in cucumber slices and it is done! 8. Repeat with the rest of the pita bread. 9. Serve as breakfast or snack or even lunch!

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Sushi rolls 寿司卷

Sushi roll is such a healthy snack, moreover it is also easy to make. It has been my favourite when I dined in the Japanese restaurant. Since then, I wanted to learn it at home and make for my family. After watching some online tutorials on how to make sushi roll, I find it is indeed easy to follow. I would say : "Practice makes perfect!" It is a challenging and fun job to roll it on! Do you want to try it too?

All you need at home are a sushi rolling mat, seaweed sheets, Japanese rice (short-grain rice) with vinegar (if you prefer), raw vegetables (Japanese cucumber, carrot or even avocado), tamagoyaki - Japanese omelette (if you prefer), crabsticks, prawns, tuna, unagi (eel), soft shell crab or any items that you can find in Japanese sushi rolls. I began with some basic and simple sushi rolls. It is such an exciting dish to make especially for kids. The colours are attractive & the shape makes it more appetizing. It is so satisfying to eat it with some wasabi and Japanese soy sauce! Making sushi rolls at home is such a cost-saving event as sushi is an expensive food outside. At the same time, we can have fun and also save some money! Isn't it great?

For this recipe, I have combined tamagoyaki with Japanese cucumber & crabsticks in the sushi rolls. Simple, quick & healthy!

This recipe can make 3 sushi rolls: Ingredients: (Instruction on the pack for using rice cooker) 1 cup Japanese sushi rice (short-grain rice) 2 cups Water Seaweed sheets, square large-sized Tamagoyaki, cut into few longish strips Crabsticks Japanese cucumber, cut into thin longish strips Sushi rolling mat Cling film for wrapping the mat Methods: 1. Cook sushi rice according to the instruction on the pack. Dish up, cool it and set aside. (I omitted the vinegar) 2. Prepare Japanese cucumber & crabsticks. 3. Prepare tamagoyaki (see below video). 4. Wrap sushi mat with cling film tightly and neatly. 5. Lay sushi mat on the table. Put a seaweed sheet on it. 6. Coat hands with some oil or water, spread sushi rice evenly on the seaweed sheet. 7. Arrange tamagoyaki, crabsticks & Japanese cucumber at the middle of the rice. 8. Spread some water at the end of the sheet. Roll it up with the help of the mat. 9. See video tutorial below to get the rolling technique. Bravo! Here are those useful online Video Tutorials: How to make Tamagoyaki video tutorial How to make Sushi rice video tutorial How to make Sushi rolls video tutorial Note: • Use a sharp knife to cut the sushi rolls to have a nice and neat cutting.

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Cream of Mushroom Soup & Garlic Bread

Home is where the heart is! Do you agree with me? This tag line will definitely capture everybody's attention, especially during weekends where we spend most of the time at home. For a working mum like me, I would spend my weekend at home preparing most heart-warming meals for my family. Today, I would like to spread some heart-warming recipes to you whom wish to spend a warm and relaxing evening with the family.

Since it is a rainy season here, having something warm and soothing are one of the most tantalizing meals at home. A bowl of warm Cream of Mushroom Soup with some Homemade Garlic Bread will definitely make your heart warm in the evening. Don't you? Cream of mushroom soup and garlic bread are my family all time favourite. Instead of having them outside where contain plenty of artificial seasonings, why not we have it fresh & pure at home?

This recipe has been improved from my previous Cream of mushroom recipe. Besides, I have also made some garlic bread to savor with the mushroom soup! This is indeed a prefect combination for an evening break or snack! Agree?
Mushrooms contain 80 - 90% of water and very low in calories, they are also low in sodium and fat, a prefect source of fiber, ideal food for weight management. Besides, mushrooms are an excellent source of potassium, a rich source of riboflavin, niacin, and selenium.

"According to this site, Crimini Mushrooms also know as Brown Button or Italian Brown have a distinct rich brown or tan colour. Crimini have an earthy rich flavour when they are cooked and a nutty creamy taste when raw. They may be used in dishes together with white button mushrooms or alone in soups, stew, salads and side dishes."
Reference from BCMUSHROOMS
"Crimini or brown button mushrooms are coffee colored and richer in flavor and nutrients than the more common white button mushroom, crimini mushrooms are available throughout the year."

Thus, I chose Swiss Brown button mushroom this round to find out the differences compare to white button mushroom. To my surprised, it really brings out more flavour to my mushroom soup! With some bay leaves, it enhances the taste, at the same time it brings fragrant smell to the soup.

"Mushrooms are as mysteriously unique as they are delicious. While often thought of as a vegetable and prepared like one, mushrooms are actually a fungus, a special type of living organism that has no roots, leaves, flowers or seeds. While mushroom can be cultivated, they can also be found growing wild in many regions of the world."

Tips on How to Select and Store:
• Look for mushrooms that are firm, plump and clean.
• Those that are wrinkled or have wet slimy spots should be avoided. Since mushrooms darken as they age, choose those that are either creamy white or tan, depending upon whether you are purchasing white or Crimini mushrooms.

Tips for Preparing Mushrooms:
• Mushrooms are so porous that if they are exposed to too much water, they will quickly absorb it and become soggy.
• Therefore, the best way to clean mushrooms without sacrificing their texture and taste is to clean them using minimal, if any, water.
• Wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or kitchen cloth. You could also use a mushroom brush, available at most kitchenware stores.
Reference from WHFOODS
Check out variety of mushrooms here!

This recipe is based on my own preference: Serves 4 Ingredients: 200gm Fresh Swiss Brown Button Mushroom 1 medium-sized Celery 1 medium-sized White Onion 400ml Chicken stock/broth 250ml Fresh Milk (I used Dutch Lady fresh milk) 3 tbsp Butter 3 tbsp Plain flour 2 medium-sized Dried Bay Leaves Salt & Black pepper to taste Methods: 1. Rinse button mushroom with colander then pat dry with a dry cloth. 2. Slice button mushroom. Set aside. 3. Chop celery and white onion coarsely. Rinse bay leaves and set aside. 4. Heat up pan, add butter and let it melt, immediately add in onion. Sautee until onion is translucent. 5. Add in celery and sautee for another minute. Add mushrooms, sautee until mushrooms turn brown or until the water in the mushrooms have suppressed. Stir in flour and mix well. 6. Pour in chicken stock/broth, add bay leaves. Simmer under medium heat for 20 mins. 7. Add in fresh milk and simmer for another 10 mins under low heat. Stir occasionally. (Do not over-boil the milk) 8. Let the soup cool a little. Transfer to a blender, blend batch by batch and pour to another pot. 9. If you prefer some chunky mushroom texture, do not blend too long. 10. Add salt and black pepper to taste. 11. Dish up to a soup bowl, serve while hot with homemade garlic bread. Chicken broth recipe: Boil 550ml water, add in half of whole chicken (in chunks or pieces). You may use those remaining chicken bones to make this broth. Simmer under medium heat for 1 hour. Drained, sieved with colander and set aside. Make sure the chicken broth is sufficient for the above recipe. Homemade Garlic Bread recipe: Ingredients: French loaf or English bread ( I used wholemeal bread) Garlic powder Butter spread Italian herbs (basil, oregano or parsley) Grated parmesan cheese (optional) Methods: 1. Cut french loaf or English bread into slices. 2. Spread butter on each slices. Sprinkle garlic powder. 3. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and Italian herbs. 4. Baked at 400ºF for 5 - 10 mins or until cheese is melted and bread turns crispy. 5. You may need to adjust the temperature and timing according to your oven.

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Tuna & Mushroom Potato Top Pie

Pie is my family all time favourite. It has become a tradition of our family to have pie whenever there is a special celebration, such as Christmas, Easter, New Year day, sometimes birthdays too. I was first introduced to homemade pie by my Mother-in-law when I was married few years ago. She is simply a good cook and a good baker with so many tested traditional recipes. I was thrilled and inspired by her ability and talent in making all sorts of pie. I must be thankful to her as she has guided me in many of her traditional cooking and baking.

One of the most popular pies in every occasion in the family is "Traditional Chicken pie". Using variety of ingredients in the chicken stew and baked it with homemade pastry top, it is wholesome, easy & tantalizing! Is it great to be able to savour homemade pie during special occasions? Besides Traditional Chicken pie, "Family pie" is another traditional and simply mouth-watering pie which makes you fall in love with it. It is also an easy-to-make pie with the mixture of eggs & evaporated milk as the top. This pie is creamy and delicious. I managed to baked this pie under her supervision someday ago. (Check out the recipe here!). I must say it is a great way to learn variety of traditional recipes from the older generation & those experienced cook.

Well, today I would like to share with all of you a modern pie recipe which I chanced upon. Besides pastry pie, I wanted to try something more savoury, creamy & cheesy! Potato top pie is a good choice and it is indeed easier to make. It is similar to shepherd's pie but instead of using minced mutton or beef, I go for Tuna. This recipe is adapted & modified from the Women's Weekly Food Book - Easy healthy meals - Tuna, onion potato top pie. This was my first attempt in making potato top pie, which I can assure you, it is simply delicious and easy to make. For my case, I have added fresh white button mushroom & dried herbs in this pie to enhance the taste and at the same time to added more fiber in my son's diet. The recipe is suitable for kids, especially those picky eater. This recipe called for tuna, which is a good source of protein & Omega 3. Moreover, tuna is healthier and low in fats compared to meat. You may add extra ingredients such as carrots, green peas or corns to add more vegetable range. Isn't it great to have a wholesome meal for the whole family? I would definitely make this again for any special party or celebration, it is such a simple & quick recipe for any occasion.

Serves: 4 Ingredients A: 3 large US Potaotes, washed & peeled 1 tbsp Butter 1/2 cup Milk (I used full cream milk) Ingredients B: 1/2 cup Fresh White Button, chopped coarsely or sliced 1 Onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped 2 sprigs Curry leaves, removed stem 2 cups Tuna (use canned tuna chunks in sunflower oil) Salt & black pepper to taste 2 tbsps Lime juice 2 tbsp shredded Cheddar cheese 4 medium-sized Oven-proof bowls Methods: 1. Preheat oven at 300ºF. 2. Peel and wash potatoes, cut into small chunks. Bring water to a boil. Add in a pinch of salt & potatoes. Make sure the water cover the potatoes. 3. Boil potatoes until soft. Drain. Mash hot potatoes with butter & milk. Set aside. 4. Heat up oil in a frying pan over medium-high fire. Brown onions for one minute, add in garlic and curry leaves. Fry another minute. 5. Add in mushroom and saute until fragrant. Add the tuna and toss well. Sprinkle some salt & black pepper according to your taste. Off fire. Stir in lime juice and mix well. 6. Spoon tuna mixture into 4 medium-sized oven-proof bowls. Press mixture into the bowls with the back of a spoon. 7. Top with mashed potato and use the back of the spoon to smoothen the surface. Use a fork to make patterns on the top of the mashed potato. 8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over and add a sprinkling of black pepper. 9. Place in the oven and bake for 15 mins at 400ºF or until the top is golden brown. Do not over baked. Note: • Mash potatoes with potato masher while it is hot to make the process easier. • Use US Potato to get the soft and moist texture.

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