Bacon and Mushroom Quiche

Two weeks ago, I asked the husband if he's ok with having brunch. He said it's fine. So I started cooking at 7am but he started becoming hungry at 7:30. Oh my! >__<

I have been quite curious about quiches for a long time. I'm a bit hesitant to make the crust, not trusting myself enough that I can do, so I always put it off. But that day, I decided I will conquer this fear and make a quiche! :)

I used the recipe from Simplyrecipes.com as a guide. I added bacon and didn't add shallots (as I don't like onions hehe). Also, I only used 1 egg since my pie plate is rather small. After all, the quiche is just for two people!

Too bad, I didn't have a decent photo of the quiche

To make the crust, I used the same recipe from the site. Since I didn't have pie weights, I used rice. Of course, I tried putting the rice on the crust to see if it won't stick, but it did. So it took me longer to take out the grains and decided to put foil over it before putting the rice again. :D

It was such a treat, and a filling one at that! I thought it would feel like an omelet on a pie crust, but it didn't. I want to do it again. This time, just mushrooms or something spinach and sundried tomatoes! Hmmm...

Au Gratin Twist

If you're looking for a new twist for the usual potato au gratin, I have something to add - sweet potatoes! It's a different pop of color, too.

I made a post about au gratin before.  You can follow the instructions here.

Indian Sweets

I'm not sure if I already shared this before but when we were still in Manila, we frequented Assad, a small Indian mini mart that sells a variety of goods.  They sell Indian rice, a whole lot of spices and they also sell fresh breads like roti and naan! We love their vegetarian samosas with chutney. And another thing that I liked there was their sweets.  As you know, I'm a sucker for sweets. Too bad, they only sell it by weight and minimum is 500 grams. I thought we'd have a hard time finishing the half kilo sweets but it took us less than a week to eat them! :D

So when we were strolling the streets of Serangoon (again) last Saturday, we passed by Komala Vilas' Sweet and Savories shop. I was so happy, I was like jumping for joy! The husband told me to go in and pick what I want. While the shop keeper was answering my questions patiently, in my mind, I was really panicking what to choose. :D Sorry, I wasn't able to take photos of everything in the shop. I was only able to photograph them myself after I have calmed down at home. Hee hee

The first one I tried was the Badhusha.  It was soft and flaky, almost like a donut but with more subtle sweetness. The husband and I shared it, finishing it quickly :D

Badhusha and Asmir cake

The husband liked the Asmir cake, a chocolate flavored milk variety but looked like a brownie. It was crumbly and tasted too sweet for my liking. My favorite was the Pistachio Burfi.  It tasted like the Philippine sweet treat pastillas. It was not too sweet and filled with yummy pistachio nuts. The Milk Beada/Peda is very similar to the Burfi. My little girl loved it and gobbled it the second she tried it.  Lastly, the Ladhoo wasn't really as good as the one we have tried from Yantra.  But the husband still ate it, anyhow. :P

Asmir Cake S$1.40, Ladhoo South S$1.00, Badhusha S$1.00, Pistachio Burfi S$1.00, Milk Beada S$1.00

Overall, it was a sweet treat for all of us.  I will surely be back to try other goodies from Komala Vilas! :)

Komala Vilas Sweets and Savouries
82 Serangoon Road
Singapore 217985
Tel: 62943294

Website: www.komalavilas.com.sg

Email: komala@singnet.com.sg

Dulce de Leche Bars

This is an old experiment that I did. I don't know why I haven't posted this. I'm only posting about the cake because the topping was actually a failed one :D It's supposed to be a peanut butter buttercream but it didn't turn out perfectly as I've thought it would be! Boohoo.  But fret not, the cake was just awesome as it was even without the topping.

And if you think I chucked out the topping -- no, I didn't.  I recycle it by making it a topping for my tart. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup dulce de leche
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• nonstick vegetable oil spray (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180° Celsius. Coat bottom and sides of and 8″ x 8″ baking pan with nonstick spray or just brush with oil and set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Beat the oil and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the dulce de leche. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

4. Bake until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center, approximately 35 minutes. Allow cake to cool for at least 10 minutes before un-molding.

Once cake has cooled, unmold and frost liberally. Cut and serve or store in a covered container for up to a week.

Source: Scarlettabakes.com

Chicken Souvlaki

Hankering for some mouthwatering chicken souvlaki? There’s no need to troop all the way to a Greek taverna when you can easily make your own. This recipe makes use of a classic, all-around marinade that works equally well with pork and lamb. Fire up your grill and cook away!

For the marinade:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp chopped red onions
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp ground oregano
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed

For the tzatziki

• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup seeded and diced cucumber
• 1 (125-ml) pack plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 zucchini, sliced into 16 cubes
• 4 small onions, quartered
• 16 cherry tomatoes or 4 small tomatoes, quartered
• olive oil for basting
• grilled pita bread, to serve (optional)

1.  Combine all ingredients for the marinade; mix well. Add cubed chicken breast and marinate for 6 hours or overnight.

2.  Make the tzatziki: Sprinkle salt on diced cucumber. Place on a strainer and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture from the cucumber. Mix cucumber with the rest of the ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3.  Thread chicken on a skewer, alternating with 1 zucchini cube, 1 onion quarter, and 1 cherry tomato. Repeat to make a total of 14 to 16 skewers.

4.  Lightly brush chicken with oil. Grill on an iron griddle or over charcoal for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with tzatziki and grilled pita bread, if desired.

Marinated the chicken overnight

Soaked the sticks in water to avoid burning them

Homemade tzatziki

Source: www.yummy.ph

BC Bloggers Meme: A Day in My Not So Boring Life

From Joelrunyon.com

It's been a while since I've joined the meme for BC Bloggers. I was a bit busy with our transfer to the new house and now that we don't have a helper, I am more swamped than ever. :D

On to the topic, I guess my day usually and is typically revolving around my little girl and manning the house as I'm a stay at home mom at the moment.

7:00 - 8:00am - Wake up, tidy up the room a bit. This would mean I will pick up the toys the little girl was playing with the previous night. Get the cups and glasses we used (we drink tea and water in the room before going to bed) Prepare breakfast and the husband's lunch (It could also be prepared the night before or leftovers from last night's dinner). Load the clothes in the washing machine. Plan what to cook for lunch.

8:00 - 8:30am - Eat breakfast with the husband and the little girl. Clean up the mess and wash the dishes. Hang the clothes. Take a bath with the little girl. Say goodbye to the husband as he leaves for the office.

9:00 am - Let the little girl drink her milk and prepare to go out. There will be delays, usually. :)

9:30 - 10:00am - If we have planned activities for the day, say, go to Ikea or buy something in the market, we go out by 10am. It usually takes us two hours to finish everything since she will be playing in between or will ask to eat or something else just comes up.

12:00noon - We're usually home by this time and are eating lunch. After eating, I will let her watch tv for a while or play with her toys while I clean up.

1:30 - 2:00pm - Tuck the toddler to bed for her afternoon nap. After she sleeps, I will try to rest or clean up some more. I normally rest for an hour or so. I send emails to my family (parents and siblings). Then I'll be up and about by 4pm to prepare dinner. I cook it ahead so we can play by the time the little tot is awake.

4:30 - 5:00pm - Usually she's up at this hour and we will be both playing. Or reading books. Then we prepare to head out to the playground.

5:30pm - 7:00pm - Playground time. Or playdate with her friends.

7:30pm - Dinner time at home. Waiting for Dad to arrive. Bathing time.

8:00pm - The little girl watches tv for 30 minutes to an hour while Mom and Dad eat dinner.

8:30pm - Cleaning up the whole house and prepare for breakfast the next day.

9:30 - 10:00pm - We all stay in the bedroom to play and read until we fall asleep.

From Ninaspetpeeves

Whew, that was long! I never thought we do a lot of things in a day. Lots of reasons to be happy and enjoy life!

 

Interested in joining BC Bloggers? Hop on to Paula's blog and find out how to join!