Profiteroles

This French dessert sounds and looks fancy but it's
so easy to make. Just in time for your special
Valentine!

 Choux pastry, filling and chocolate sauce...
what's not to love?

I made petite puffs and used ice cream
instead of the classic custard or whipped
cream for the filling.

A few very simple ingredients:
butter, flour, water, a little sugar and  eggs.

 In a small saucepan bring the 1/2C water,
1/2 stick butter, 1/2t sugar to a boil.

 Remove from heat, add the 1/2C  flour
all at once, beating rapidly with a wooden
spoon until the dough comes together.

Let cool for 5 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time until
incorporated.

Beat until the batter is smooth,

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of batter 1" apart on
a sprayed baking sheet.
Smooth pointy tops with a wet finger.

Bake for 10  minutes at 425 then  reduce the oven

to 350 and bake until golden, 10-12 minutes more.

Let cool. Use a serrated knife to carefully
cut off the top 1/3 of each puff.
Fill with a scoop of ice cream.
Replace the tops and drizzle with warm
chocolate sauce. Dust with powdered sugar.

Profiteroles

1/2 C water

1/2 stick butter

1/2 t sugar

pinch salt

1/2 C flour
2 L eggs

• Heat oven to 425. Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray. 
• In a medium saucepan bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil.
• Immediately remove from heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Beat rapidly until until the mixture pulls away from the sides, 
• about 30 seconds. Let cool 5 minutes. 
• Add eggs one at a time and beat well until the batter comes together.
• Drop by slightly rounded teaspoonfuls of batter 1" apart on the baking sheets. Smooth pointy tops with a wet finger.  
• Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350 an bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let cool. 

• 6-Cut off the tops and fill with a small scoop of ice cream. (vanilla or coffee ice cream) Replace tops and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

• Makes about 2 dozen petite profiterole puffs. Serve 2-3 per person.
• If you make these ahead you can warm and crisp them
•  up a bit in a 350 over for a bout 5 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Sauce

1 C semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 C half and half or cream

2 T butter

1/2 t vanilla extract, 

In a medium glass bowl, combine the chocolate

 and cream. Microwave for 1-1/12, stirring once, 

until smooth and pourable. Stir in vanilla

or:In a small saucepan slowly melt the chips and cream.

Stir in the butter to combine. Stir in the vanilla.

or: In replace the vanilla with 1T Kahlua or Grand Marnier 

Puffs Plus: You can make these ahead and store in an 
airtight container until ready to serve. 
Freeze extras in a ziptop bag.

 No defrosting needed:
 simply slice the tops off, fill and serve.

Puffs Plus:  For savory puffs, omit the sugar and
 fill them with items like;
tuna, crab, shrimp or chicken salad. 
Bake larger puffs for a luncheon. 
Bake these 10 minutes longer at 350. 

Enjoy!

Links: Common Ground,
The Charm Of Home,
No Minimalist Here,
French Country Cottage,
My Romantic Home,
Designs By Gollum,
Between Naps On The Porch,
A Stroll Thru Life

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Fusilli with Tomato & Vodka Sauce

Fusilli with Tomato & Vodka Sauce

A delicious quick and easy mid-week meal with a kick!

Serves 4

Prep time:  2-3 minutes

Cooking time:  12-15 minutes

Ingredients

500g/1lb2oz dried fusilli pasta

200ml of good quality tomato passata

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

10 leaves fresh basil

200ml single cream

100ml vodka

60g/2oz of butter

1 tbsp crushed pepper

salt

Pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated to serve

Preparation method

1.  In a large pan cook the pasta as per packet instructions.

2.  Meanwhile make the tomato sauce; in a small pan heat the oil and fry the garlic until golden.  Add the passata, fresh basil and season with salt & pepper.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

3.  When the pasta is cooked, drain and set aside.  In a large frying pan or wok melt the butter, add the pepper and pasta, toss until fully coated.  Over a high heat add the tomato sauce and cream and stir through.  Add the vodka, season to taste and remove from the heat.

4.  Serve the pasta in 4 warm pasta bowls and sprinkle with the cheese.  Enjoy!

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A Weekend With My Daughter

Last weekend my daughter (Megan) and I spent the weekend in Chicago to celebrate our birthdays.  It's a tradition of ours to spend time together for our birthdays instead of giving each other gifts.  As she gets older and busier in her own life I really treasure the one on one time with my only daughter.   We spent our weekend shopping, relaxing and dining at a few of our favorite restaurants. 

We took a break from shopping and had English Afternoon Tea at the Drake Hotel.  Along with a great assortment of hot teas we enjoyed  finger sandwiches, fruit breads, scones, and French pastries.   Each seating lasts approximately an hour and a half.  I highly recommend Afternoon Tea at the Drake as it is relaxing, delicious and  was a great time spent with my daughter. 

The Purple Pig, located on The Magnificent Mile, is one of my favorite Restaurants in Chicago.  Be prepared to wait but it's worth it.  They will take your cell number and call you so you can leave as there is plenty of good shopping close by.  The menu offers a different eating experience with a wide choice of dishes, small/medium in size and are meant to be shared. My daughter, like her dad, is a foodie so nothing was off limits.  Since it was just the two of us we didn't get to order as much as we would have liked, we got full after just a few dishes.  My advice is to keep a menu at the table and order as you go.  This way you won't order too much food.  A bit loud and crowded but has a good atmosphere and we were still able to have a comfortable conversation. Below are two of our favorites.

Eggplant Caponata with Goat Cheese

Turkey Leg Confit, Crispy Lentils, Treviso, Endive, & Agrodolce

Our last night in Chicago we just wanted a light meal so we went to the Gilt Bar for a glass of wine and the most amazing mussels I've ever had.  They're served with a warm baguette to sop up all the wonderful  dry vermouth & lemon broth.  Simply the BEST!

We still weren't ready for the night to end so we went for drinks at the  Signature Lounge, 96th floor of the John Hancock Building, which has the most magnificent city views and premium martinis.  It was the perfect place to unwind after walking the city. 
Our Birthday weekend was just what we needed.  Shopping, relaxing, eating and spending time together, life is good!

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Exploring some pieces of Jakarta

Rain, flood, bad traffic,... are the trending topics for Jakartans for the last seven days.
That's the reality that we're facing now.
It'll continue for probably couple of weeks more.
To be honest, almost every morning and afternoon during the weekdays my heart beat is faster than usual, when I think about my children and husband, who are out there somewhere not at home.

So, what is your plan

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Chicken Jalfrezi

Chicken Jalfrezi

A delicious home-made curry which is filled full of flavour and very easy to make!

Serves 4

Prep time 10 minutes

Cooking time 50 minutes

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, peeled & finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced

1 tsp chilli powder

3 tsp ground turmeric

pinch salt

750g/1lb 10oz chicken breast, cut into large chunks

400g can of chopped tomatoes

2 tsp ground ginger

3 tsp ground cumin

3 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp melted butter

1 lemon, juice only

To serve

basmati rice, cooked according to packet instructions

Indian Breads

2 limes, cut into wedges

2 handfuls fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Preparation method

1.       In a large frying pan or wok heat the oil and add the onion and garlic.  Fry over a low to   medium heat for 5 minutes or until softened.

2.       In a bowl mix together the chilli powder, turmeric and salt, add the chicken pieces and mix until fully coated.

3.       Now add the chicken to the pan and fry for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

4.       Add the tomatoes, ginger, cumin, coriander into the pan, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Add water if the pan becomes to dry.

5.       Stir through the butter and add the lemon juice to taste.

6.       To serve, divide between 4 warm serving plates.  Serve with rice, Indian breads and lime wedges and sprinkle with the chopped coriander, enjoy!

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Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

 We wanted to go to a matinee movie so I popped 

this dinner into the crock pot after lunch. 

Coming home to a ready dinner is better than take-out.

 Slice the beef and chop the garlic.

  In the pot, combine the consomme, brown sugar,

 soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger and red pepper

 flakes. Add the beef and toss to coat.

Cover and cook on hi for 5-6 hours. 

 Remove about 3T sauce from the pot and combine

 with 2T cornstarch. Stir back into the pot along

with the broccoli. Cover and cook on Hi for 

about 15 minutes until broccoli is just tender.

Serve over rice.

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

1 C beef consomme or broth

1/3 C brown sugar

1/3 C soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T sesame oil

1/2 t ground ginger (opt.)

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (opt.)

1-1/2 to 2 lbs beef chuck roast,

2 T cornstarch

broccoli florets about 3 C

Trim excess fat from the beef and slice into strips.

Combine the first 7 ingredients in the crock pot.

Add the beef slices and toss to coat. 

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Remove about 3 T sauce from the pot and

 combine with the 2T cornstarch to make a slurry. 

Stir into the pot. Add as much broccoli as you 

like. You can also use a bag of frozen florets,

 no need to defrost. Stir to combine, cover

and cook on hi for 15-20 minutes to 

thicken the sauce and cook the broccoli to

your desired tenderness. 

During this time you can cook the rice.

How To Cook Rice

1-1/2C rice

3 C water

1 t salt

Combine ingredients in a medium pot, cover and to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork add a pat of butter if desired. It's always a 1 part rice ratio - 2 parts water .  Easy to remember. 1 C rice to 2 C water.

tip: I like using my crock pot timer to start this recipe so that it will be ready when I get home. It will also stop the cooking and keep it warm until you are ready to eat.

tip: For Crock Pot Steak and Peppers,omit the broccoli and toss in 2 sliced green
       peppers.
    

Enjoy!

Links: Stone Gable,
Under The Table & Dreaming

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Spiced Fruit Cakelets

Jakarta is unusual pretty cold!
It rains almost everyday.
I'm not kind of person who likes to complain about weather.
I always try to enjoy whatever the weather is...
But unfortunately for many times I have to cancel my plan to exercise; walking or jogging. Really disappointing, when you're so ready with complete attire and suddenly we have to cancel it.
...so let me spend more time for blogging

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Chilli Cheese Tortilla Sandwich

Chilli Cheese Tortilla Sandwich

A quick & easy sandwich that is packed full of flavour!  Stack this dish higher to accommodate more people.

Serves 1

Prep time:  2 minutes

Cooking time:  3 minutes

Ingredients

2 flour tortillas

25g Jarlsberg or mature cheddar, thinly sliced

2 slices of parma ham

A few fresh basil leaves

1-2 tsp sweet chilli sauce

Preparation method

1.  Heat a large non-stick frying pan.  Now add a flour tortilla and arrange the cheese on top.  Add the parma ham and scatter over the basil leaves then drizzle over the sweet chilli sauce.  Top with the remaining flour tortilla and cook for 1 minute until the underside is crisp and flecked with brown spots.

2.  Turn the sandwich over and cook for a further minute.  Cut into wedges and serve.

3.  If you are feeding more people, once you have turned the sandwich, scatter over more of the filling and top with another tortilla, turn and cook for one minute.  Continue to layer, but be careful when turning over the stack, enjoy!

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Getting A Perfect Roasted Butternut Squash

Preparing perfectly roasted butternut squash isn't rocket science...
....but it does take a bit of patience and time! Just like people, every butternut squash is unique and different. Unfortunately, this means that it's impossible to establish a guaranteed, fool-proof, exact length of time to roast these sweet beauties for. So what is my method, you ask?



I go by smell. YEP......

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Roasted Parmesan Crusted Salmon

You can use any fish for this quick and easy

 oven roasted recipe.

We love salmon so that's what I used.

This is just over one pound of fish.

Rinse the salmon and pat dry with a paper towel.

Place on a foil lined pan. Salt and pepper. 

Cover the top completely with a mixture of 

3T mayonnaise and 2-3T grated parmesan. 

 Sprinkle on a bit of paprika if you like.

Bake @425 for 12-15 minutes depending 

on the thickness of the fish.

To serve, carefully slide a wide 

spatula between the skin and flesh. The

 skin will stick to the foil. Easy clean up too.

Dinner is served in 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Links: Designs By Gollum,
Between Naps On The Porch,
My Romantic Home

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Beef Stroganoff (Crockpot)

For our Christmas dinner I had made a tenderloin roast which I got for a crazy good deal at $6.99 lb for a whole tenderloin.  I  only used the center cut of the tenderloin to roast (which was delicious!) and cut up the ends and froze for a later use.  So when I was thinking of how to use the leftover tenderloin this recipe came to mind.  I got this recipe years ago from my sister-in-law Judy.  I've made it many times over the years and was surprised when I realized I haven't shared this recipe on my blog.  It's a crock pot recipe which makes it easy, comforting and delicious!  The recipe calls for stew beef not tenderloin and is what I always use BUT if you have extra tenderloin that you got at a great price, why not, it was so good!

2 lbs stew beef, cut into pieces
2 envelopes dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup red wine (I use Pinot Noir or a Cabernet) (I always use red wine but beef broth is also good)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 (4 oz) cans sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 -1/2 cup sour cream



Combine all (except sour cream) in crock pot; stir well. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Before serving add sour cream and heat through. Serve over egg noodles. Serves 8

Note: If you have a small crock pot this can be halved for 4 servings.  If using wine, use wine you will drink.  Then compliment the meal with a glass of the same wine.

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Banana Walnut Grain-Free Granola

Ok, I'm just going to come right out and say it. I mean, there's no point in pretending that we're not all thinking about the elephant in the post here! Grain-free granola is FREAKING expensive. I mean seriously, "Can I get a witness"!?! Yet in spite of the cost, I find myself making it again and again and again. WHY? Because I like it. No let's be honest here....I LOVE it.



At

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Chorizo Sausage & Mushroom Rigatoni

Chorizo Sausage & Mushroom Rigatoni

This pasta dish is delicious because the sausages are full of flavour, making the sauce rich and comforting.

Serves 4

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cooking time:  35 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small red onion, peeled & finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, peeled & finely chopped

300g chorizo sausages, skins removed & chopped

100g Portobello mushrooms, sliced

400g can of chopped plum tomatoes

50ml double cream

Freshly ground salt & pepper

400g rigatoni or penne

Pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated to serve

Preparation method

1.  In a large frying pan or wok heat the olive oil and add the onion and garlic.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring until the onions have softened.

2.  Now add the sausage meat, stir and cook over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes.

3.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes, finish by adding the double cream, keep the sauce at a simmer.  If the liquid reduces too much add some of the pasta water.  Season to taste.

4.  Meanwhile cook the pasta as per packet instructions and drain.  Place the pasta in the hot sauce and mix well over a low heat.  Serve the pasta in 4 pasta bowls and sprinkle with the cheese.  Enjoy!

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Orange and White Chocolate Cake

Orange & White Chocolate Cake

A fantastic light orange and almond sponge covered in a delicious white chocolate topping

Serves 10

Prep time 30 minutes

Cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients

175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

175g golden caster sugar

4 oranges, zest of 4, juice of 1

4 eggs, separated

100g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

100g ground almonds

For the topping

200g white chocolate

200ml creme fraiche

100g white chocolate, to decorate

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.  Grease two 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.

2. Place the sugar into a large bowl and add the butter and orange zest, beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy then add the egg yolks.  Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture and fold through lightly.  Then fold through the almonds and orange juice.  

3. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until they can hols their shape.  Now fold through a third of the egg whites into the cake mixture.  Repeat with another third and then the final third.  Try not to over mix the mixture otherwise you will lose the lightness.

4. Divide the cake mix between the 2 cake tins and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.

5. For the topping, place the chocolate in a bowl and melt over a slightly simmering pan of water and leave to cool.  In a separate bowl whip the crème fraiche until it is thick then fold through the white chocolate.  Place one cake on a serving plate and spoon half the icing onto the cake and top with the other layer of cake.  Spread the rest of the icing on top then allow to set in the fridge for at least one hour.

6. To decorate the cake, melt the remaining chocolate and spread thinly over a baking tray.  Leave to set in the fridge then use an angled knife blade to scrape chocolate curls.  Pile the curls in the middle of the cake.  Cut into slices and enjoy!

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Parmesan Oatcake

About 10 years ago, when I owed a food processor* for the first time, I had never imagined to make cookie dough using this machine. Preparing dough for donuts or bread and traditional Indonesian fishcake 'Pempek' were the main reason I decided to own this multipurpose kitchen appliance.
* Brand: Moulinex. French made. Bought in a small town called Kemaman, in Terengganu, Malaysia.

And last

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Spicy Baked Tex-Mex Meatballs (Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free)

I tried to think of something funny and witty, or even romantic (yes....food romance, I like to call it "fromance") to write before I posted this recipe. THAT was 3 weeks ago. After numerous emails asking..."Hey where's that Texas meat ball recipe that you promised?", I realized that I should set aside the aspirations of brilliant witty writing this go around and just post the recipe..

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Chocolate Self-saucing Puddings

Wet and windy here for the last couple of days.
The first week of new year has passed already, and the bit of the days are getting fast. Tomorrow, our children will start their first day of school in Term 3, and activities will be back to the routine. Hopefully everything run smooth as I have to do lots of things on my 'have to do' list... including posting some recipes that I tried last month.

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I'm so EXCITECD as it's time to enter the Pillsbury 46th Bake-Off contest.  Being a finalist in the 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off was an amazing experience.  It would be a miracle to be a finalist again but then again, I believe in miracles!  This year Pillsbury has made some big changes so to get all the rules, deadlines and entry forms go to wwwbakeoff.com.  One thing that hasn't changed is the grand prize winner still wins $1 million and $10,000 in GE kitchen appliances.  Happy cooking/baking and good luck to all who enter!

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Carrot Wheat Muffin

Cheers for a New Year 2013!
I hope the true spirit of the season finds you and fills your heart with joy.



Pic : Morning Sunshine @ Rancabali Tea Plantation, Ciwidey, West Java. 28.12.2012
The super busy month of December has passed by very fast. Too fast.
Yesterday, early morning, we just got back from a short vacation with our big family. Spending time with our both sides of family in two

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