Spinach Mushroom Sausage Quiche with Goat Cheese

First post in 2015 and it already February, time really flying so quick. During my Christmas time, I went to Singapore and Bangkok with my family and in January I went to Melbourne to watch the Australia Open for the first time. It had been pretty busy at the beginning of the year for all the holiday and catch up with friends. Now I finally have time to update my blog and do some serious cooking/baking. My mum almost thought I gave up baking because I didn’t bake for a month when I come back from Thailand.

Oil Poached Salmon with Tomato Salsa and Dill Cream

 

This dish is one of my most recent success challenges that I have done, as oil poached was a pretty new concept of cooking for me and I was surprise it turn out so well for the first timer. It is a dish request by my mum who went on cruise early this year, she told me about the amazing salmon she had on the cruise was so delicious. For those who had tried to pan-fried or bake a salmon fillet before, you know it always turn out to be hard and dried outside and still not cooked inside.

I Heart Bread - Cinnamon Apple Custard Cupcake Bun

Few days ago, I bought some granny smith apple and planned to make either tarte tatin or apple pie. But since I usually bake after dinner, once I finish the dessert it will become a sugar overload late night supper. Since my family just finish the bread I made the other day, so I decide to put the apple in bread. The first thing come to my mind is to have cinnamon with my apple, due to some technical issue, I just though a custard would be good to combine with cinnamon apple to put into bun. (Just so it would mess up too badly when I fold it in.)

Mix Seeds & Nuts Sultana Bread Roll

Before I use to buy bread from one of my favourite Asian Bakery and one of my all-time favourite is the Mixed Seeds & Nuts Sultana Bread. That bakery isn’t near my neighbourhood, so I always need to drive 45 minutes to another more Asian populated suburb to get it. My family use to buy heaps of this bread from the bakery and it will be all gone as our breakfast next day. For all the time and effort we put in, it is quite a hassle to get this bread. So I tried to replicate this bread with my favourite bread recipe and surprisingly it turn out to be 80% similar to the original bread like. Now we don’t need to drive all the way for the bread anymore, it is very easy and simple to make at home.

Simple Soft and Fluffy Buttermilk Scone

Scone has always been one of most frequent recipe I baked very now and then as breakfast or afternoon tea. Even since I was young, I always love scone so much and whenever I went to different hotel or café for High Tea (or should call Afternoon Tea as per British), all I want from is the soft fluffy scone with lot of jam and cream on top. However, it not easy to found good scone, since it is best when they freshly bake and serve it warm.

Easter Idea - My Little Secret Carrot Garden (Carrot Walnut Cake)

This is my second last Easter Idea series, hopefully I can finish my last one before actual Easter come in. It has been a busy week for me at work and personally as my exam date is getting closer and closer, it is not easy to work and study at the same time while still updating my blog in a regular basis but I love baking so it actually more like a distress activity for me. Alright back to my Easter special edition, for my last two recipe Yoghurt Panna Cotta in Easter Egg and HotCross Bun, I’m really happy that I got a lot of compliment on it as both recipe. I’m trying my best to bring out the festival atmosphere here, and the only thing I haven’t explore for Easter is Bunny, so I’m going to grow a carrots Garden for the Easter Bunny.

Mon Petit Déjeuner - Minty Mango Coconut Smoothie

It kind of become my routine for every Sunday Morning that I will have a smoothie for breakfast, guess it is like a detox drink for me to get ready for the new week. I’m very picky on my drink, as I quite soft drink long time ago because it has too much sugar and chemical such as preservation or colouring in it which is proved not good for your health, especially for women while we pay so much for skincare and facial but seriously what we eat is most important to have good skin. So water and fresh fruit juice had become my everyday drink for the past 10 years. 

Easter Idea - Brown Sugar Cranberry Hot Cross Bun

Happy April Fool everyone. Hope you didn’t any heart attack joke. Easter is now officially 3 weeks to go which mean another holiday/ celebration time. Unfortunately I will need to dig my head into my book and study for exam at the end of April (at least I have more time to study while everyone going out for holiday). But that’s fine; I can still have my own mini Easter party with my family by having a huge Easter feast with my family.

Since the last Easter Idea of Yoghurt Panna Cotta in Easter chocolate Egg, I’m going to show you another popular Easter food which you can easily find in store or bakery - Hot Cross Bun. My dad use to get them when I was young but back then I didn’t appreciate the flavour of cinnamon and sultana as much and so do my mum. So I did a different version by substitute cinnamon and sultana with brown sugar and cranberry. I love the taste of brown sugar more than caster sugar as it has some slightly cane sugar aroma and also make the taste has more layers. And Cranberry has been quiet a popular dried  fruit in the past few years, I like it not as sweet as sultana and has a little bit sour taste as well.

Mon Petit Déjeuner - Healthy Raspberry Banana Smoothie

Yesterday my company had harmony day party, which we all need to bring a dish to work to represent our culture. It was a massive party since we had so many people come from so many different background, it just like an international buffet at work.  That one thing I love Australia is the integration and diversity of the cultural. So I had an epic lunch at work, I can barely concentrate at work after lunch. Later at night we went farewell dinner at Japanese Karaoke for one of my colleague, and we went straight to Korean restaurant for some Soju (Korean Alcohol Drink) and some late night supper.

Mon Petit Déjeuner - Pear Cranberry Almond Tart

Even since I start baking, Sunday become the most exciting day of the week. Which mean I get to try all sort of recipe I had in mind during the week made them and get my family to taste testing. Most of the times I will make savoury breakfast like big breakfast, Baked egg or open sandwich etc. But you know some day you just feel like something sweet for breakfast like pancake or Danish pastry. And this Sunday I was craving for tart. 

Mon Petit Déjeuner - Cranberry Lemon Muffin With Crumble Topping

Last night I felt so tired and didn’t want to bake anything too complicate which I usually call “Big Job” because it involves lot of washing or mixing. So I decide to make myself some breakfast/snack and bake some muffin.

l literally did not know the difference about muffin and cupcake, the only way I use to define then is cupcake involve lot more butter than muffin. Therefore I consider muffin is a healthier option of cupcake. So when I dig around my kitchen and search for ingredient, I found some frozen cranberry which I bought from Costco while ago and some lemon. At first I plan to use the frozen cranberry to make smoothie but they are so sour, so I left it in the freezer and didn’t touch it again. Why not make a muffin with cranberry? And I also add some Lemon zest to add on some aroma which is better and more natural than any other essence. 

At first I did not intend to add the crumble topping but then I feel like something crunchy on top of my muffin. I’m not sure about what other people like, but for me I think the best part of a muffin is the muffin top. You can also use the same crumble recipe to make dessert like apple crumble, also one of my favourite recipe with apple. 

Brunch idea - French toast with caramelised banana & Greek yoghurt

Thank god it Saturday which mean no work no worry. But today I have to wake up early to walk my dog Baileys and decide to be a healthy wannabe - run and swim. 

After all those exercise I'm pretty much exhausted and decide to pamper myself for a nice brunch. No need to just had toast, banana and yoghurt for breakfast but I did a little twist to it, so it look more gourmet like those hipster cafe in Surry Hills. 

It is one of my favourite recipe for weekend brunch that I normally make for my family. Basically French toast can go with any fruit you like, my choice would normally be green apple & banana. You can never go wrong with these fruit. 

Today I made it with caramelised banana because I've been craving for banana spring roll so badly which my family and friend think I'm crazy but it was really delicious (trust me!!!).