Sardines Puff

I always keep a few packets of plain paratha flat bread in the freezer and a few cans of tomato sardine in the pantry. This is one of the simplest yet delicious sardine puff. Yes, you won’t believe how crazy simple they are to make.  Just let the oven do the job, no deep-frying and major cleaning.  I don’t remember where I got this recipe from but I have had the pure joy of making and eating them many times. My kids LOVE them too!

You can also use leftover chicken curry and potato for the fillings. Very yummy!

Do try it out and let me know the verdict ya.

Sardine Puff

Ingredients

10 pieces of frozen plain Paratha Flat Bread (I used Kawan Brand)

1 small can of sardines in tomato sauce

1 yellow onion – finely chopped

1 red chili – seeded and finely sliced

2 tbsp mayonnaise

Egg Wash

1 whole egg + 1 tsp water – slightly beaten 

Directions

Thaw the paratha flat bread in room temperature for 15 minutes.  

Place the sardines in a bowl, drained the tomato sauce for dryer fillings and break them up with a fork then add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well. 

Cut the bread into 4 pieces with a pizza cutter.  Then make 2 - 3 small cuts on just two pieces of the cut-out bread. This will be the cover of the puff.  Refer below. 

Add a spoon of the filling and cover the top with the other piece of the cut-out bread. Using the tines of a fork, press down on the edges of the puffs to seal them. Glaze the top with egg wash.

Place on a baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool. Enjoy!

SPM is finally here!

Today, it's the first day of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam in all the states in Malaysia. My son will be taking eight subjects for SPM. So the next one month will be very crucial for him. His thirteen years of schooling is finally coming to an end. But to me, he will always be my little boy.

My boy is a slightly below average performer in his studies. He was born with a learning disability which means -- he could not spell, could not read, and he would get letters backwards and numbers in the wrong order. Being born a dyslexic means having to work extra hard and we're very well aware that there're obstacles for him to achieving his dreams. But we will make sure that he will not give up that easily without a fight. 

He was diagnosed with Dyslexia when he was in Standard Two. He’s quite outgoing but does have trouble with socialising and dealing with stress. By Standard Three, he still hadn’t learned to read and we were very desperate. He could not even hold a pencil properly. He showed signs of delay with every benchmark, from learning letters and sounds, to writing his name.  He showed little interest in reading and drawing, no matter how much we encourage him. He sometimes came home saying things like "I'm the sxxxxxxxx person in my class". We always reassured him that it wasn't true. It was always acknowledging that school was tough but that he could do it. His teachers misunderstood the symptoms and punished him or labelled him lazy or misbehaved. The Education Department then suggested that he attend a special education school. We decided we had no time to waste and put a strategy together to fix my son. It’s not a death sentence. We then sent him to a tutor who understood the problem -- he had to learn to read. 

But it wasn’t enough that he was taught by understanding teachers and had access to special tutors after school. So it was up to my husband and me. 

The way we dealt with it is by helping him organise his study routine. At the same time we learned to be patient.  Some days were harder than others but he came through all his tests and exams.  Over the years we’ve developed ways of coping with his Dyslexia’s. I’ve read lots of books and learnt through trial-and-error. There were times when his dyslexia affects his behaviour -- perhaps when he has trouble understanding simple instructions, his frustration makes him grumpy. The biggest thing I’ve learned is not to yell back when he gets angry. It only makes things worse. I learned to stay calm. He just needs to take a bit more time.

Then when he was in Standard Five, I decided to quit my high-paying job at an offshore bank and move to Kuala Lumpur to join my husband so that he can coach my son, for his Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examinations. We knew nobody else could help him but my husband and me – especially my husband. Most of our times were spent coaching him. At the same time being careful not to scare or confuse him.

It was so stressful, suffering sleepless nights and worrying about his performance and future. Yes, we got him through the UPSR. The relief we felt when he passed was priceless. Was it worth it? Of course it was.

We’re extremely concerned about how he’s going to make a living for himself in case he can’t do well in studies. So when we moved to Kota Kinabalu a couple of years ago, we decided to have him take guitar lessons. It’s also to help him practice his fine motor skills. We’re aware that learning to play the guitar could be difficult for him but we went ahead anyway. Fortunately, my son’s music teacher was a kind person and very curious. We never told his problems to the music teacher though. The teacher has helped him progress at his own pace and encouraged him. He loves playing the guitar. He likes the fact that he can sit down and bash out a tune where most of his friends who are good at sport, reading etc can't. It's a great confidence booster for him. Now his friends have already made plans to further their studies and yet my son is still clueless about his future.

No matter how we tried to be more creative and persistent and yet my son’s educational journey is still extraordinarily difficult. 

I am very proud of my son, it’s a blessing to have him and we're thankful every single day for being able to raise such a precious miracle. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Having a dyslexic child can be very frustrating at times. Ultimately God is the author of all knowledge.  I hope that God would lead us to just the right people, resources and help that my son needs.

Simple Vanilla Cupcake

One of the things that I’m always messing with is cupcakes. It’s the never-ending quest for all the best versions. I’m quite fussy about cupcakes. I have tried numerous recipes over the past few years.

These easy vanilla cupcakes are so simple to make so even baking beginners will be able to make them easily and you can decorate them however you like! Decorate them with butter icing and add sprinkles to make them just a little bit fancy.

Don’t let the lack of party occasion deter you from letting your baking creativity run wild. Why not whip up a batch of lovely home-made cupcakes today? This simple cupcake recipe makes a batch of 24 cupcakes so you have plenty of cakes to decorate. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the mixture between all the paper cases to make sure you have an even amount of mixture in each cupcake case so that they would rise to the same height. These cupcakes are ideal for making with children but beware, it might get messy!

Simple Vanilla Cupcake

(Adapted from Genius Kitchen)

Ingredients

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

½ cup butter – softened

¾ cup sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)

2 whole eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Mix the flour with baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture alternating with milk. Stir in the vanilla essence. Beat until smooth.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are 3/4 full, not all the way to the top and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Crème Caramel Pudding

Remembering my grandmother.

It’s All Souls Day again, today it has been almost 20 years without her and each year I miss her more and more.  I miss the sound of her voice and her smell. I really wish I could hug her right now. Not a day goes by when I don’t imagine what life would be like had she not died.

She’s not here anymore and I don’t get to do anything exciting for her. I will never forget the day when I was told that she had gone away. She’s like a rock to me. Her warm memories are still fresh in my mind. 

The thing which I always regrets the most is I forgot to thank her for giving me colourful childhood memories. She was the strongest woman I have ever known. During her last years, she went through a tough time and it really hurt me to watch her slowly dying and fading away from my life. She suffered a lot which sometimes I felt bad about it. She was not worth every single pain she went through. I lost the most amazing woman, a devoted grandmother who loved grandfather more than her life. I can still picture her sadly waiving to me every time I go   home when the holiday was over.

Dear granny,

I wish you’re here to talk to me. I wish I could tell you about my life and my passions. I wish you could meet my husband and children and give me good parental advice. I want to tell you how proud I am of my children and how the thought of you watching over me keeps me going. I also want you to know that mama is doing great. Thank you, granny. Thank you for your love. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for encouraging me to be the best person I can be and to do the best I can in everything I wish to achieve. You’re all I have while growing up and thank you for being my best friend.

Mostly, thank you for being my grandmother. I love you.

Until we meet again.

This recipe yields 20 puddings. Creamy, rich and sweet with oozing caramel sauce -- what is there not to love about this crème caramel? 

Crème Caramel Pudding

Adapted from Azie Kitchen

Ingredients

1 (397g) can of sweetened condensed milk

1 (345ml) can of evaporated milk

1 can of water (use the can of the sweetened condensed milk)

5 - 6 whole eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

The caramel

1½ cup white sugar

3 cups water

Directions

Place the sugar in a small pan on a medium heat until the sugar turns brown. As soon as it starts to bubble, carefully add the water. The caramel may spit slightly and it will be hot. 

Bring to a simmer until it is completely melted and combined then turn off the heat. Cool completely and refrigerate it overnight. 

Pour the caramel evenly into 20 small clear round sauce cups.

Preheat the steamer.

Remove the eggs’ eyes and beat it lightly.  Add the rest of the ingredients and lightly whisk it to avoid air bubbles in the mixture.

Sieve the mixture to remove any bits of cooked egg lumps. Pour the mixture into the prepared cups containing the caramel. Cover all the cups with cling wrap individually to prevent water from dripping onto the surface of the flan.

Steam it for 10 - 15 minutes or until cooked.

Once done, let it cool down completely before placing them into the fridge for a minimum of 2 – 3 hours. It is best to leave them overnight in the fridge.

Happy 17th Birthday, my son!

We have been married since November 1999 and from the very beginning we wanted to have children. 

On October 30^th 2000, we welcomed the our first child -- a son -- into the world. Five days before his due date which was November 4^th, at 6.40am by a very unplanned caesarean. He was born healthy and beautiful.

I laboured at home all morning and arrived at the hospital at 1cm dilated! Thought I would be having the baby within the hour but the doctor said that the baby was still very high up and stayed that way after a few hours so I had a section and my beautiful boy was born. 3.6kg! My sweet H completes me as a mother!

Becoming a parent, particularly for the first time, is an emotional experience. It is wonderful. OK, there is the lack of sleep and official sick days, I know. 

I was only 24 when I had my son! Having my children was such a life-altering experience. When I had my children, I found the purpose in life. That doesn't mean I don't make my share of mistakes because being parents was never easy but I am a better person for knowing my children and I am very honoured to be their mother. And I wouldn't trade my best day before kids for my worst day with kids! They have taught me to be more patient, more loving and much more appreciative of every moment we have together as a family.

Life is great but life is even better once I have been blessed to become a mother. I love being a mother. Motherhood is my life and greatest achievement.

Happy 17^th Birthday to my one and only beloved son! 

Green Moss Steamed Cake

This cake needs no introduction. One fun fact about this cake is that it’s named after the colour. Well, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Raya cake is this cake. But of course, I don’t just wait for Raya to bake this cake.  

I've lost count of how many times I've baked this cake. I still can't understand how such a simple cake can taste so great! I believe it has to do with the ingredients. 

Honestly, I was not a big fan of this cake until a few years ago. It all changed when I happened to taste it at a friend’s open house.  I was instantly hooked. So I made it a point to get the recipe then and there and ever since, baking this cakes is one of my fav Raya traditions. No Raya is ever complete without this classic treat cake on the table.  

Trust me, it's definitely a crowd pleaser because I really find it very difficult to stop eating this cake, it can be addictive! I have seen kids and adults gushing over this cake. You can also use this as as dessert for a party and it is ideal for a potluck party too.

Green Moss Steamed Cake

(Adapted from Dapurkuberasap)

Ingredients

450gm butter

10 whole eggs

¾ cup castor sugar

2 cup Nestum – finely blended

200gm Horlicks

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp vanilla extract

60ml pandan paste

1 cup Condensed Milk

Directions

Preheat the steamer. Grease an 8”x8” square baking pan and dust with flour then line with parchment paper. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape the mixer bowl occasionally.

Add in the eggs, one at a time. Beating well after each addition.

Beat in the condensed milk and pandan paste.

Lower the speed then add in the Horlicks, Nestum and flour alternately until well incorporated.  

Pour in batter into the baking pan. Cover with aluminium foil.

Steam for 3 – 4 hours. Check the water level after 1 hour and make sure to add hot water instead of cold water.  

Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool before serving.

Chicken Pie

It has been raining here for 6 days straight. It’s supposed to clear up today and we’re supposedly finally going to see some sun. The weather has really affected my mood, though. I’m typically alright with a couple days here and there of rain, but 6 days straight just really puts one in a crappy mood.

I made this pie yesterday.  This chicken pie has been a staple in my house for years.. Everybody loved it so much. Makes a great breakfast on the run. Since I am working, it's easy for my children to pop it into the microwave to reheat.  I usually use more veggies than it calls for. I like my chicken minced. 

My son gobbled up most of it before it was fully cooled yesterday and today it didn’t last until lunch. Definitely a keeper!

It’s not difficult to make the pie crust. Spend a little time to bake up a homemade crust you can be proud of. Once you get the hang of it, the result is so much better than the typical frozen pie crust that you get at the store. There are many different ways to make a pie crust but the most classic is made with butter. This one is using plain yogurt along with butter. You can also make this recipe by hand if you don’t have a food processor.

This recipe makes about 16 individual pies.

Chicken Pie
(Adapted from Azie Kitchen)

Pastry Crust

250gm All-Purpose flour

200gm unsalted butter

110gm plain yogurt

1 egg yolk

1 st sugar (optional)

A good pinch of salt

Directions

The first thing to is to cut up the butter into cubes and put them in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

Put the flour, egg yolk, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a couple times to mix. Add the frozen butter to the food processor and pulse several times until the dough just barely begins to hold together. You know that the mixture is ready if when you pinch some of the crumbly dough together with your fingers, it holds together.

Drizzle the yogurt into the food processor and continue to pulse a couple times until it is moist and shaggy. If it is too moist then add extra flour to the dough. I added ½ cup of flour. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

If you not using a food processor, press or squish pieces of butter into smaller flat flakes with your fingertips until you no longer feel any cold hard pieces of butter. 

Chicken Pie Filling

500gm chicken breast – minced

1 medium carrot – finely diced

1 green capsicum – finely diced / 1 big can green peas

1 yellow onion – finely diced

4 cloves of garlic - minced

120gm white button mushroom - diced

2 tbsp olive oil

Chicken marinade:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

½ tsp MAGGI Seasoning Cukup Rasa

½ tsp Parsley flake

1 tsp sesame oil

A few dashes of black pepper

1 tbsp corn starch + 3 tbsp water (thickening)

1 whole egg + 1 tbsp of water -  lightly beaten

Directions

In a wok, sautee the garlic and yellow onion in olive oil until soft and aromatic.

Stir in the diced carrot then add in the chicken. Stir constantly until the chicken is cooked through.

Throw in the mushroom and capsicum / green peas. Continue to stir until the mushroom and capsicum / green peas start to soften. Do not overcook them.

Stir in the thickening. Let the mixture cook and thicken up for another minute or so. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool to room temperature.

Making pie

Preheat oven to 180ºC. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 3mm thickness. Cut out 16 dough circles just a bit larger than the aluminium mini pie pans. Press a dough circle into each pie pan, making sure the dough comes almost to the top of each pan.

Fill the pies with the chicken mixture. Cut out another 16 dough circles just the enough to cover the top of each pie. Press the dough so that the edges meet, then use a fork to seal the edges. Prick the surface of the crusts, twice, with a fork. Lightly brush egg wash on pies.

Bake pie for 35 minutes at 180C or until pastry is golden and puffed.