[Seeds & Soil] Bendi - Week 7

Assalamualaikum
Peace Be Upon You

(re)Found a new hobby.
It excites me to see them sprout then grow.
Some died, some thrive.

These bendi plants were sowed on 2 December 2017.
I sowed 6 seeds, all sprouted on 3rd day, then I decided to keep only three coz I have space issues.

Yesterday I found buds coming out from two of the three plants already.
Still a long way before they eventually land on my plate (pray that they will!).

Seeds were given by a friend.
Thank you!

[Books] 1/2018 - The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Assalamualaikum.
Peace Be Upon You.

It's Friday already.
Time really flies.

I am trying to read more this year.
Like, a book a week.
But failing big time at that.
It's coming to 3rd week of January and I am at page 50 of the very first book.

[Food & Recipe] Angelhair Aglio Olio

STEP 1
[1]  1 packet angelhair pasta
[2]  1 chicken cube
[3]  4 tbsp cooking oil
[4]  1 tsp coarse salt

- In a pot, add water with chicken cube, cooking oil and salt.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add angelhair and leave to boil until half cooked.
- Take 2 cups of the water, set aside.
- Strain angelhair, set aside.

STEP 2
[5]  Chicken strips - cut into medium-sized bits
[6]  Prawn - leave the tail intact, cut the back and devein
[7]  Squid - cut into rings

- Properly strain and dab (with kitchen towel) the chicken, prawn and squid.
- Heat oil in a work until really hot.
- Fry the chicken, prawn and squid on high heat until the have that brown hues. Fry in small batches.
- Set aside

STEP 3
[8]   6 garlics - I prefer to slice mine, or
                              you can mince the garlic, or
                              'lempang je dengan cleaver sampai penyek'
[9]   Parsley flakes
[10] Chili flakes
[11] 2 cups of pasta water (from Step 1)

- Heat oil in a wok.
- Fry the garlic until they brown on the edges.
- Sprinkle generous amount of parsley and chilli flakes and fry for about 30 seconds.
- Add a cup of pasta water.
- Add angelhair and stir and mix evenly. Use a thong, that would be easier to deal with it :-)
- Add chicken, prawn and squid.
- Add more pasta water if needed.
- Sprinkle some salt to taste (not too much as the angelhair was boiled with salt earlier on).
- Just after turning off the flame, sprinkle some more parsley and chili flakes, you'll get a more 'fresher' look.

Serve & Enjoy!

p/s  I didn't add vege coz the kekanaks don't really eat vege. Instead, I halved cherry tomatoes and served those in their individual bowls. 

[Thoughts] [Ramblings] Moving On...

Things were a bit tensed last year.
Emotionally drained.
In the end I didn't know how I should feel about many things.

'OMG! You're having a mid-life crisis', one friend commented.
'Everyone goes and finds his/her own happiness', another added.
'Find the green button', a friend puts it.

Then I started sowing seeds.
And saw them sprouted and grew.
Some died prematurely.
Some still thrives albeit ungracefully.
But they live on.

Such is life.
We tried.
We thrived.
We failed.
But we must move on.

[Food & Recipe] Pineapple Cake

Assalamualaikum.

Peace Be Upon You.

My first cake for 2018.

Of course my first-bake-of-the-year has to be everyone's favorite - Pineapple Cake.

Original recipe calls for margarine but I made do with the butter. 

Too lazy to go out beli majerin. 

Ingredients

[1]  250 gm - butter

[2]  200 gm - castor sugar

[3]  3 - eggs

[4]  220 gm - self raising flour

[5]  1 can - pineapple (cube) - drain. 

         Blend half of the cubes with 6 tbsp juice. 

         Cut the other half of cubes into small pieces.

- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

- Slowly add egg one by one. 

- Fold in the flour. 

- Fold in blended pineapple. 

- Pour in the cake pan. 

- Sprinkle small pieces of pineapple cubes on top. 

- Bake 170d (no fan) for 40 minutes. 

If you are a sweet-tooth, you may want to add up some more sugar.. perhaps to 220-240 grams. I lessened the sugar to suit our taste.