Orange Cake

The beauty of this cake is the syrup that is poured over the cake while the cake is hot that gives it the crunchy topping as it cools. I realized over the years that this syrup also protects the cake and maintains it's moisture. Before pouring the syrup over the cake, you may poke a skewer over several places of the cake... Allowing the syrup to absorb into the cake making it more moist... Lovely!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup superfine caster sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• rind of 1 orange

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2. Beat the butter & sugar till light & fluffy.
3. Gradually beat in the eggs.
4. Fold in the flour and orange rinds.
5. Pour the batter into a greased loaf tin.
6. Bake for approximately 1 hour.
7. Pour the syrup on the hot cake. Leave to cool completely in the tin.

Ingredients for syrup:

• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• juice of 1 lemon

To make the syrup, dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice. Boil gently for 15 seconds. Pour over hot orange cake.

Buttered Rice for Kids

I have many Buttered Rice recipes for different occasions & to accompany different dishes but this is the recipe I use consistently when I cook for my kids and little nieces & nephews when they come over. As with all my recipes, it is very simple to make and importantly very tasty! :-)

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 sticks fish sticks/fishcakes
• 10 fish balls (optional)
• 4 tbsp/ 1/2 cup of butter
• 4 heaped soup bowls of cooked & cooled white rice
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1/2 carrot, grated (optional)

Method:

1. Heat butter in a pan.
2. As soon as the butter melts, put in the onion & garlic and saute' till it softens & becomes transparent.
3. Put in the fishcakes/fish balls. Mix in till cooked through.
4. Put in the white cooked rice. Mix well.
5. Flavor with salt & pepper. Stir till all the flavors are evenly distributed.
6. Make a well in the center of the rice. Break an egg. Do not stir. Let the egg cook between the rice on low flame.
7. After 2 minutes, toss the rice around. Add the peas or carrots or both.
8. Turn the fire off and serve. I love the rice to have some texture, so I'd have the carrots slightly crunchy. If you prefer to have the sweetness of the carrots to absorb into the rice, just cook longer...on low flame.
9. Enjoy while still hot!

Apple & Mint Surprise

The dismay I felt when my 8-year old loyal blender decided to retire on me, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. My 13 year old son Azuar was so thrilled with the new blender, he's been creating all sorts of smoothies & slushes everyday... It's making me feel very healthy!!! The Apple & Mint Surprise he made today.. Blew me away!

Ingredients:

• 2 green apples, peeled, cored & cubed
• 2 large handful of fresh mint leaves, plucked & washed
• 1 cup of ice
• 1/2 cup of fresh milk
• 2 tbsp of honey

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients into the blender.
2. Blend till well mixed & combined.
3. Pour into individual glasses.
4. Drink immediately!

Mum's Baked Macaroni

During our school days when friends came over, Mum used to often make this simple but beautiful Baked Macaroni using simplistic means of measurements. Now I make it for my children's friends when they come over... History does repeat itself!

Baked Macaroni Recipe

Creamy Tomato Chicken Penne

I always enjoy the tomato based pasta sauces & my kids love the creamy sauces. So, our taste buds met in-between and we had the yummiest Creamy Chicken Tomato resting on a bed of hot steaming penne'. Very satisfying meal... That's for sure :-)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 packet of penne' (or any pasta of your choice) cooked according to instruction on packet
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 10 small chicken pieces
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 can button mushroom, halved
• 4 tbsp tomato puree
• 1/2 cup canned chopped stewed tomatoes
• 1/2 a cup of water
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Method:

1. Cook the pasta according to the instruction on the packet.
2. Heat oil & butter in a pan. Saute' onions & garlic.
3. Put in the chicken pieces. Sear quickly to brown the outer skin of the chicken.
4. Add the mushroom. Saute' as well.
5. Pour in the stewed tomatoes & tomato puree. Reduce the heat cook till chicken is cooked through. Add 1/2 a cup of water if the liquid has evaporated.
6. Flavour with Italian seasoning,salt, pepper & sugar.
7. Pour in the whipping cream. Reduce heat. Let it simmer gently.
8. Drain the pasta & serve it on a few dinner plates. Dot little bits of butter on the pasta.
9. Scoop up the chicken tomato creamy sauce in the center of the pasta & sprinkle with chopped parsley.
10. Serve immediately. Garlic bread on the side would be good!

Pengat Keledek

Out of all the Malaysian desserts, Pengat of all sorts....is my real weakness. I love the wholesome simple flavors it holds. Sweet Potato Pengat has all the goodness of sweet potatoes cooked in natural coconut milk & delicious gula Melaka... Oh well... Could I say more...

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized (about fist-sized) sweet potatoes, skinned & cubed into roughly 1" equal sizes
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coarse sugar
• 1/2 cup palm sugar, grated
• 2 screwpine leaves, knotted

Method:

1. Boil coconut milk in a small pot with screwpine leaves, on low fire.
2. Add both the sugars & keep stirring till diluted.
3. Put in sweet potatoes. Cook till cooked through.
4. Very soothing when served warm or still good at room temperature.

Roti Chanai

There are so many Indian restaurants selling Roti Chanai all over Malaysia that we are really spoilt for choice but once you make your very own Roti Chanai, you will know.....nothing compares......I don't even know how to describe the difference but your taste buds will know, for sure!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 kg plain flour, sieved
• 5 heaped tbsp ghee
• 1/2 fresh milk
• 1 1/2 cups cool water
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Rub the ghee into the flour.
2. Create a crater in the center of the flour and start mixing the milk into the flour.
3. Mix the salt into the water.
4. Pour it into the flour bit by bit while mixing it in at the same time.
5. Knead the dough till the skin becomes smooth & shiny.
6. Let it rest, covered for an hour.
7. Make about 40 golf sized balls out of the dough.
8. Knead the individual balls till it becomes a little firm & forms a smooth surface. Place it in the basin coated with vegetable oil.
9. After another hour of rest, flatten the dough balls with the palm of your hands. Then pull the dough from the edges to the thinnest you can possibly get.
10. Gather both sides of the pastry towards the center till the pastry looks like a rope.
11. On one end of the pastry, roll it clockwise. Roll the other end of pastry anti-clockwise, till both rolls meet in the middle.
12. Flip one roll over the other. Press the rolled pastry with your palm without changing the shape.
13. Place the twirled, pressed dough on a heated slightly oiled flat pan.
14. When the bottom side is golden brown, flip to the other side. Let it cook to the golden brown.
15. Serve immediately with dhal, curries, sambal tumis or just on it's own!

Crispy Fried Squid

My mum used to always make us this Crispy Deep Fried Squid and it was always so fantastic. I love that the squid, as it is not chewy and extremely crispy & flavorful. Perfect as an entree' on it's own....also ideal eaten with white rice as a side dish.

Crispy Fried Squid Recipe