Plain and simple Vanilla Muffin

Sometimes, all you really want is a simple, delicious plain muffin.

In my case, my 2 year old seems to dig for this simple and healthy muffins and she brings them to school at the nursery for her snacks and small lunch at the nursery and everyday  she b rings back an empty lunch box so I think I'm doing right here :)

Anyhow, baking for kiddies snack we must always pay attention to the sugar and butter content for it to be healthy snack for the LO :)

Ingredients

1 cup (125g) self rising flour

3/4 cup (180 ml) milk

1/2 cup (100g) of brown raw sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1-2 normal egg(s)

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons (30g) butter or vegetable based butter like Olive or sunflower  margerine

  

Preparation

1. Preheat to 170ºC/325ºF.

2. You need a bowl and a fork to mix with for start then add flour, milk, sugar, and baking powder and mix for 1 to 2 minutes. 

3. Then add the butter and egg(s). and mix for 1 to 2 minutes then  add a tsp of vanilla.

4. Prepare your baking tray. Grease the muffin tray or silicone muffin moulds

5. Pour mixture evenly onto the greased muffin tray or mould.

6. Put in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until the surface  slighty browed or more.

7. Take out then leave to cool before serving.

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NOTE: To have a different flavour of muffin you can use the same recipe just add in the berries or fruits and also cocoa for a a chocolate vanilla muffin. It's all up to you. You can double the portion for this plain muffin and then put in whatever flavour you want after that.

DONE!

Have a go at this simple but tasty vanilla muffin.

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Poach salmon wt shredded zuchini & mushroom pasta

 

Ingredients

200g dried angel hair pasta

80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

5 (about 1kg) zucchini, coarsely grated

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 of brown onion thinly sliced

3 - 4 button mushroom thinly sliced

1 Poached salmon fillets, break into big chuncks *

2 tsp olive butter or any begetable oil 

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1 small portion of formage blanc/yougurt/creme fresh to make the sauce.

2 tbs lemon juice

Preparations

1. Cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Refresh under cold water. Drain. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 tsp of the oil. Toss to combine.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive butter for cooking in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and mushroom and cook until softens and translucent. Add the grated zucchini,5-6 minutes or until the zucchini is just tender.

Poaching*

3. Sprinkle the salmon fillets with a little salt. Put the water, parsley and onions in a sauté pan, and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down on the pan. Cover. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet, or to desired done-ness. Do not overcook. Shred the poached salmon in big chunks and set aside.

4. Add the zucchini & mushroom mixture, basil and lemon juice and the formage blanc/ natural yougurt or créme fresh and the chunky pieces of salmlon together into the pasta mixture. Toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and basil.

Happy trying everyone!

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Spaghetti aux crevettes /Spaghetti with prawns

My first post for 2014! 

Spaghetti aux crevettes /Spaghetti with prawns

Ingredients :

1 pound long pasta (or any kind)

3 Tbs olive oil

3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

A big canned diced tomatoes ( 28 oz ) or 1 or 2 fresh tomatoes will do

1tbs tomato paste 

½ cup white wine (optional) or bouillion aux cravette * (pls see note)

1 pound cooked shrimp , deveined and peeled

salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes to taste

2 tbs of grated parmesan cheese

2 tbs of green beans (if you like)

Fresh parsley , to taste

Preparation:

1 . Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water  and a dash of olive oil. 

2 . In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat . Add garlic and cook about 1 minute.

3 . Add tomatoes and wine (optional) or just use bouillion aux cravette* and mix. Add salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste and simmer for ten minutes.

4 . Add the shrimp, green beans to the sauce and pour the drained pasta on your sauce and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Add 2 tbs of grated parmesan cheese on the sauce and mix well all together;

6 .  just before serving,sprinkle with fresh parsley pasta .  

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Note *

1. How to make bouillion aux cravette.
1. In a large pot boil water with Rosemary , salt and thyme, 
2. Add in raw prawns  and boil until the skin turned red.
3. Take out the Prawns.
4. Save the water to use for cooking (bouillion aux cravette)

Simple, quick and delicious! 

Have a good try everyone!

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Baked Fish with shreded Carrots & Leeks

Ahh..my first entry for 2013! wohooo! :)

 We went to a restaurant the other day and I ordered this fish dish and straight away I was hooked with it. I didnt get their recipe but, here's what I managed to come up with.

Baked Fish with shreded Carrots & Leeks 

What you’ll need:

2  fillets of fish  ( any kind) cut into smaller pieces

Olive cooking butter, 

1 big brown onion cut into long strips

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped

dried Thyme

1 carrot ( grated)

1/2 stem of leek ( grated)

a handful of green beans

1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth

Fillet of fish cut into small pieces and ready to be season with  garlic salt and peper and a dash of  some fresh basil and thyme, then set aside.

Prepare the grated carrots and Leeks

Sauted the big brown onions and garlic until translucent with some melted cooking butter

Then add the veges of grated carrots and Leeks and sauted until softens then set aside

Next, brown the fish fillet until half cooked with the left over melted butter 

Pour in the vegetable broth and let simmer for another 2 minutes

Put in the sauted veges and the green beans

Covered with alluminium foil and baked for 25 to 30 minutes at 200°C

And so Voilla! my baked fish with shredded Carrots and Leeks :)

Happy trying!

  À bientôt

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Chiken & Mushroom pie

Both me and my husband loves to eat pie's anything that has pastry into it is our kinda food and recently we found out that our little one is crazy about pie too :)
Because we love pie so much I decided to make my own chicken & mushroom pie the easy way :)

So here are the ingredients you will need :)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
• 150g/5½oz button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 50g/2oz butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 300ml/½ pint milk
• 200ml/7fl oz chicken stock (you can use the chicken cubes and just pour hot water into it and you get your chicken stock)
  
  
  white pepper
• pinch salt
• dried / fresh parsley
• 500g/1lb 2oz ready-made short-crust pastry ( If you dont have this then you can make your own pastry  and I usually use this recipe to make pastry dough from scratch)
• 
  

Preparation Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and fry until the chicken begins to turn white.
3. Add the mushrooms and continue to fry until the chicken is golden-brown.
4. Add the onion and garlic to the same pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly until it has formed a thick smooth paste (this is called a roux).
6. Mix the milk and stock together in a jug, then add white pepper and salt, to taste. Pour the liquid slowly into the flour mixture, whisking all the time until smooth. Simmer over a gentle heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
7. Stir in the dried/fresh  parsley and pour the sauce over the chicken and mushroom mixture. Mix well, then spoon into a pie dish and leave until completely cool.
8. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is the thickness of a pound coin. Brush the edges of the pie dish with beaten egg, lay the pastry on top, press down the edges and trim. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg .
9. Take a fork and punch in some holes on the top of the pie allow steam to escape and then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden-brown on top.

And here is the end result of it ! yummylicious   Chicken & mushroom pie! :)

enjoy trying this recipe!


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Crispy Apple Tart

This is a quick and easy recipe to the usual apple dessert and furthermore, it is kinda pretty too :)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Oven Temperature: 240° c  -  460° f

Step 1: You will need

• 110g of shortcrust pastry ( recipe for shortcrust pastry)
• 30 g butter, cut into cubes
• 4  apples, peeled
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 apples, peeled and diced
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 85 g sugar

  Make the apple filling

Place a wide saucepan on a medium heat and put in the diced apples and with the sugar. Heat and stir until they start to break down. You can mash them with the back of the spoon to help them along.
Keep stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated. Then turn off the heat and put in the cinnamon powder.
Continue to stir and mash the apple mixture for about a minute more, then set aside.

  Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 230°C, 450°F or gas mark 8.

Cut the apples

Take one of the peeled apples and cut off the sides without cutting into the core, which you can then discard. Cut the apple pieces into thin wedges and repeat this with the rest of the apples.

  Assembling the apple tart

Place the shortcrust pastry circle on a baking tray, …and spread the apple filling ...evenly over its surface. Next, layer the apple wedges in a circle ...carefully around the side … and finish off with an arrangement in the centre

Springkle with sugar and butter

Sprinkle a little sugar over the top of the tart. Then also place on various small knobs of butter.

  Baking

Place the tart into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes, then remove.

Glaze and serve

Using a brush, paint the surface of the tart with some of the apple filling. This will give it a glazed, shiny look, and add to the flavour.

 It is now ready to serve.

Voila!

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Omelette aux pommes de terre ( Omlette with potatoes)

 
Splendide Omelette aux pommes de terre et surtout, délicieuse! :))

Ingredients

5 eggs, ( for two person)
2 boiled potatoes,
30 g of cheese,
Dausages or turkey or chicken or ham
salt
pepper
parsley.


Preparation

 

clean and peel potatoes

cubed the potatoes

Cook the potatoes in water and fry in olive oil

For two person use 5 eggs

Cut the sausages which is used here or anything that you fancy, you can just chuck it inside there and fry until crispy. 

Beat eggs and add milk, parsley, basil and  pepper.
Salt and pepper.

Pour in the beaten eggs mixture
Cook over low heat and serve at your convenience: runny or fully cooked.
Add some cheese, put a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add parsley, close the omelette and cook for 2 miutes.

Voila!

hmnnn yummy!

Throw in some extra mozarella on the top if you like :)

ah..the happy cook for the night, my very own Chef Ray :)) hik! hik! hik!

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 foodatelier@gmail.com