Hello! Thanks for visiting my blog.

I am on a blogging hiatus as I would like to focus on my jewelry craft work. Hence, I will not be taking in requests for reviews of any nature in the future. If you do have queries on my jewelry work instead, please get in touch via email : oon.adeline@gmail.com

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

[Recipe] Roast Chicken


 I used to buy roasted chicken conveniently from our local supermarket deli section. Those were lazy days when I kept cooking really simple. I would tear the chicken meat into shreds and toss them onto a simple plate of tomato based spaghetti with salad on the side. The only lack I find of the roasted chicken from the deli, is the shriveled up, dehydrated bird. I decided that I could do a better job roasting from home and give the flavor more ooomph! 
 
I love how mine turned out looking plumped and moist, especially on the breast meat. My family and I don't really like chicken breast meat because it is usually very dry. But this roast chicken recipe proved otherwise. I found out that rubbing butter under the chicken skin will keep the meat tender because while it is roasting, the butter is absorbed into the meat. Makes sense? It also helps with the nice browning on the skin.

The milk idea in this recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver. It gives a slightly curdled, caramelized, and flavorful sauce which is absorbed in the vegetables. I think this also helps ensure that the vegetables do not get burnt and dry out during the roasting process.

Preparation time : 15 minutes    Cooking time : 1 hr 30 mins    Serves : 3-4
 
Ingredients :
About 1 - 1.2 kg chicken
2 medium sized onion, sliced
1 large potato,skinned and sliced
1 medium carrot, skinned and sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 cup of milk 
2 tbsp butter, soften
2 tbsp mixed herbs (I use the brand "Masterfoods" readily available at the spice section)
1 tbsp salt
 pepper
olive oil
 
Method :
- pre heat oven at 170 degree celcius
- prepare a pan, size enough to fit the chicken. I've used a 9" round baking tin. Place the sliced potatoes, carrot and onions on the base. Give the vegetables a toss with some olive oil. 

 
- Slip and spread out the butter under the chicken skin on both sides of the chicken. 
 

- Rub the herbs, salt and pepper on the inside cavity of the chicken and the outside. I've added more lemon slices into the cavity as well for the extra zesty flavor.
- Pour the milk into the pan before placing the chicken on top.


- Into the oven it goes for 1.5 hours at 170 degree celcius. In between roasting, baste the juices from the pan and drizzle it on the chicken. I did this twice.
- At the halfway mark, I turned the chicken to the other side so that the bottom part will get it's equal share of nicely browned skin.


- When it's done, put a foil over the chicken and let it rest for a while before serving.
- Enjoy!

Tips : You can pull the meat off the bones and serve it on a bed of salad or mashed potatoes too! Also, do not waste the chicken bones. Freeze it and use it to boil soup on the next occasion you cook!

 
Till the next post, have a blessed week!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Urticaria, Angelina Jolie and Me

Urticaria, also known as hives, is a common skin condition and according to the specialist I had consulted, it happens to 7 out of 10 people. But what's not so common for me is that I have been diagnosed with acute urticaria. The only bad news for me is that it may last me for many more months or even years to get it resolved.

Urticaria causes redness, itch and swelling to the skin. It varies in sizes and usually erupts in clusters or appears in a large patch on any part of the body.  If there are further swelling on the eyelids or lips, it is all together a different term - angioedema. Unfortunately, I have been experiencing both kinds.


Unglam photos of me with swollen lips on different occasions, which doesn't come down till night time or next morning. Initially, I experienced severe itch and swelling on my hands, palms, feet and fingers. The past few weeks however, it has affected basically any part of my body.
 
What causes it?

Causes of trigger for urticaria may include allergies to food, insect bites or medicines. However in my diagnosis, the specialist has ruled out allergies and pinpointed that acute urticaria is caused by a leftover viral infection that was not 100% cleared from my body. Thus the immune system tries to eradicate these viruses by releasing the histamine into the blood stream to fight it off, which causes the swelling.

How will it affect me?

It definitely has been a distressing time for the past 2 1/2 months, since the condition came on. It has caused me many sleepless nights as the breakout of urticaria usually happens when I am asleep. So I get very tired by mid-day especially when I have to take anti-histamines. However, I am thankful that it is somewhat in control as I've read that there are severe life threatening cases caused by breathing difficulty, since the swelling may occur in the tongue or throat. I'm also relieved that it is not a sign of any underlying medical conditions.
 
What can I do about it?

I can only wait for this to clear up with medication prescribed to me and go back to the specialist for further investigation if it still persists after 6 weeks. I am already on my fourth week of prescription but in my opinion, I am not experiencing any form of improvement yet. I am praying for a full recovery on this soon.

So what has Angelina Jolie got to do with me?


I'm not a fan of hers, really. But I think in my situation, this is as close I can get to having an itty bitty resemblance in the lip area. Yes? No? 

Though I dread having a break out of urticaria everyday, mopping around certainly will not help me recover any quicker. So I'm keeping the faith that I will have a complete recovery from this episode in no time. And preferably after the end of my 6th week medication, I will be back in form!
 

Till the next post, have a blessed week!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

[Recipe] Tang Hoon with Prawns

Tang hoon, or glass noodles or rice vermicelli, is one of my favorite food. Better still, if it is the Korean glass noodles that is made with sweet potato base, which has a smooth, firm and chewy texture.

I remember tasting this particular dish in Thailand many years ago and was captivated with it's taste. This dish is originally prepared in clay pots for a more authentic look and perhaps, the taste too. But of course, whose to say we can't use other pots we desire.

A few days ago, I decided to recreate this dish at home when my mother-in-law and sister-in-law came to dinner. It is a fairly simple dish to prepare and definitely a crowd pleaser. So if you want to score some points with your family (or his family), this would probably be one that would impress!


Preparation time : 15 minutes  Cooking time : 20 mins  Serves : 4

Ingredients :
- 12 medium sized prawns (or more, at your discretion)
tang hoon, 4 bundles
- 8 cloves of garlic (or more if you like)
- 4 stalks of spring onions
- 2 stalks of chinese parsley (to be cooked complete with the roots)
- 1 cup chicken stock
-  half a rice bowl of water
- 1 tbsp chinese cooking wine (hua tiao jiu)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce or oyster sauce
- 1 tsp black soya sauce, more to give the dish a darker color(optional)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- pepper to taste

Preparation :
- Wash and cut away the feelers of the prawns. In my case, I've also snipped away the tip of the prawns' heads.
- Soak the tang hoon in hot water. Once soften, drain water.
- Slice the spring onions to finger length.
- Peel the garlic and give them a light smash.

Cooking method :
- In the pot, fry the garlic, spring onions and chinese parsley till fragrant.
- Add the chicken stock, water, sauces, chinese wine and pepper. Bring it to a gentle boil.
- Add the tang hoon and mix well.
- Add the prawns on top of the pot and cover with lid. Allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes.
- By now, most of the stock would have been absorbed by the tang hoon.
- Give it another stir, together with the prawns and simmer for another 5 minutes. You'll know that the prawns are cooked when it has turned completely orange.
- Garnish with chinese parsley and serve.
- Enjoy!

 
Till the next post, have a blessed week!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

[Recipe] Cheat Chicken Puffs


I've been meaning to try making chicken pie for the longest time. (uh-huh, other priorities often get in the way) Somehow, the thought of buying frozen puff pastry available at a not-so-nearby store melting away on it's way home petrifies me. (this, apart from house lizards) Which would mean handling it would be a problem. So my experiment for this was shelved time and again. Ya, this went on for a year!

I was re-inspired to try making it after looking at Diana's easy chicken pie recipe. And the thought of using frozen prata as it's base came through (ya lah I know, a bit slow). Since I had some leftover roast chicken breast meat and frozen pratas are easily available at a supermarket within the estate I live in, I went for it! And then I wondered again, if the frozen prata is similar to puff pastry as I was convinced that it turned out as good as most puff pastries you can get in stores!

Here's how it turned out, adapting to Diana's recipe for the filling.

Filling ingredients :
- 1 portion chicken breast meat, diced.
- 1 medium sized potato, diced.
- 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn.
- 1 medium sized onion, chopped finely.
- 1.5 tbsp concentrated mushroom stock (my substitute for chicken stock)
- a few dashes of mixed herbs
- 1 rice bowl water
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- salt and pepper

Fry ingredients together for about 5 minutes. Add stock and water, let it simmer till potato is soft. When it's almost done, add the corn starch and give it a good mix. The dish should be starchy enough, and not too wet.

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.

Thaw the frozen prata pastry till its fairly soft.  If it's too soft, handling it will be a problem. There were 5 pieces in my packet so I used up all.

Fill the centre of the prata with the cooked fillings. Fold it up into triangular shape and pinch the edges to seal it. Do the same for the rest.
 
 

 Apply egg wash on the top and poke a few holes. Purpose is to let the steam inside escape when its baking.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or till golden brown.


Serve warm and enjoy!
 
Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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