Strawberry Cheesecake

Crust:

150g shredded wheatmeal biscuits
90g butter, melted

• Process biscuits in a food processor; add the melted butter and mix to combine.
• Pour biscuit crumbs into a lined loaf pan (21 x 10 cm) and press crumbs over  the base of pan  to form a crust. Chill in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Filling:

250g cream cheese, softened
250g strawberries, washed and cut into halves
6 extra strawberries, halved
180g sugar
15g gelatin
250ml thickened cream

• Place strawberries and sugar in a saucepan.  Cook under low heat until strawberries softened.  Blend and then strain.  This will yield about 500ml strawberry puree. 
• Dissolve gelatin in the strawberry puree.  
• Place chilled cream in a bowl and beat until soft peaks form.  
• Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add strawberry puree into the cheese, beating well to combine.
• Fold in whipped cream.
• Pour half of the cream cheese mixture into the prepared pan.  Place some cut strawberries on the mixture and then pour the rest of the cream cheese mixture over the strawberries.
• Chill the cheesecake overnight.
• Serve with some fresh strawberries.

Nasi Lemak

 

 Ingredients:

4 cups rice, rinsed and drained
200ml coconut cream +  water  (adjust the amount of water accordingly)
4 screwpine leaves (pandan leaves)
1 lemongrass, crushed
salt, to taste

Method:

• Cook rice together with coconut cream, water, salt, crushed lemongrass and knotted screwpine  leaves in an electric rice cooker.
• Fluff the rice with a pair of chopsticks. Keep warm in the rice cooker.

Sambal Ikan Bilis (Anchovies)


Ingredients: (approximately ...)

Blend together into paste -
200g shallots
30g garlic
20g turmeric
40g galangal
2 stalks lemongrass
40g candlenuts
20g dried chillies (washed and soaked in hot water until softened)
2 tbsp chopped ginger flower (Bunga Kantan)
sugar, salt and fish sauce to taste


400g ikan bilis, washed and drained
1 onion, sliced
200ml coconut cream
2 tbsp tamarind paste (or to taste)

Method:

• Without oil, fry ikan bilis until dry.  Then add in oil and and fry until lightly crispy.  Set aside.
• Heat oil in a wok and stir fry blended chili paste until fragrant and oil separated.  Add sliced onions and fry until softened.
• Add in fried ikan bilis and stir to combine.  Then add in tamarind paste, coconut cream and fish sauce.
• Season with salt and sugar.

Sambal Egg

• Cook the eggs for about 10 minutes (hard boiled).  Remove the shells.
• Deep fry the eggs until brown.  Remove.
• Cook the fried eggs in the chilli sambal with coconut cream (optional) and serve with nasi lemak.

Apricot Sour Cream Bread

Ingredients:

185g butter, softened
180g castor sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped dried apricot
3/4 cup sour cream
160g self-raising flour
150g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp grated mandarin rind

• Grease a bundt pan, sprinkle with flour and shake out the excess flour.
• Sift flours with bicarbonate of soda.  Leave aside.
• Cream butter, rind and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time. Beat until well combined.
• Fold in flours and apricot alternately with sour cream. 
• Pour into prepared pan, bake for about 1 hour or until cooked.
• Stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning the cake on to a wire rack to cool.
• When cold, dust with sifted icing sugar.
• (Optional) Serve with sour cream.

Wholemeal Coconut-Pandan Muffin

(Makes 12)

(A)
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup rice bran oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp pandan extract

(B)
260g wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
50g almond flakes
2 tbsp dessicated coconut
100g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
 

• Preheat oven at 170 degrees C.  Line muffin pan with paper cups.
• (A)  Whisk everything together in a bowl.
• (B)  Sift everything into a  separate bowl.  
• Fill the muffin cups to 2/3 full.  
• Bake for about 18- 20 minutes.

Tuna Mornay

A quick and simple dish for weekend lunch ...

Ingredients:

425g canned tuna in brine
1 small brown onion, sliced
2 cups milk
1 cup thickened cream
60g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
300g elbow macaroni

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Cook macaroni in a pan of rapidly boiling water until just tender.  Drain.
• Saute onions until softened.  Remove from saucepan.  
• Melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add flour and cook, stirring until foaming.  Gradually add in the milk and cream and stir continuously to get a smooth consistency.  Cook until the mixture thickens.  Reduce heat and cook for a further 2 minutes.  
• Then add in half of the cheese, tuna, onion and macaroni. Season well.   Stir until well combined.  
• Transfer the macaroni into an ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pasta mixture.  
• Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until golden.  Serve hot.