Prawn curry laksa

I have been neglecting the blog for a while now. Actually a year now since my last post. I've been planning a lot of writing but nothing seemed to have appeared on paper (except for the weekly grocery list!) or even here.  Life happens.  But it's always great if I can document parts of it here.  Musings and random thoughts, along side a recipe or experience or something that made me excited in the kitchen.

It has been hectic in the home front with the girls starting high school this year, and my eldest finishing HSC last year.  The latter which has excited me the most, purely at the thought of having a daughter starting university came to a halt when child 1 decided not to pursue higher education.  It may not be every parent's dream but it is mine.  Having moved to Australia with so much more opportunities open to our children, education the foremost, it is disappointing to hear this. But.... as we are parents who respect our children's choices, we try not to push the "university" option at this point.  I hope and trust my faith, with the little "seeds" I've planted over the years and months over conversations with her, leading up to this moment about the benefits of having one.  I have loved learning as a child and as an adult.  Over the course of several years, I have enrolled myself in short classes in Sydney purely out of love for learning - to write (an online course on Freelance Journalism), to cook (a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery), of other languages (a term learning Spanish!), and other pockets of learning from elsewhere, whether its volunteering at the local art sculpture event, short council sponsored workshops on composting or gardening or reading books that arouse my creativity.  Not necessarily implementing everything learned but the idea of being in a new environment, meeting new people, doing new things excites me.

Another exciting adventure came in the form of the Thermomix.  I have to say this post is not about how good it is (besides that), it is also how much fun I am enjoying having it in my kitchen and taking it as a part of a business.  I've decided to be a Thermomix Consultant to earn myself one, because really, it blew me away when I first saw it.  I heard about it way back 5 years ago and never thought anything of it.  Since I became a consultant early this year, I have been to meetings and events that were as stimulating as it is enjoyable.  Meeting new people and helping them learn another method of cooking is very satisfying.  Anyways. 

Back to the swing of things.  My last post was when I did the Bridge Run last year. And my new post is also an ode to the running event I did yesterday - the Sydney City2Surf: a 14k run/walk from the Sydney CBD to Sydney's most iconic beach that is Bondi.  This time the walk was a little bit further and took more effort as the route took us to steep roads and hills.  It took me 3 hours and 21 minutes,  to walk the stretch - all good with the sunny weather Sydney put out yesterday plus I had some company walking. After the 8k mark it became tougher mentally, as the hills seemed to becoming endless plus the lack of proper training and the need for sustenance were cries for pausing, to stop and sit and wait it out.  But motivation endures as endless hordes of families with kids, senior groups of women, of old couples pass us, it was a fitting inspiration to soldier on and slowly make it to the finish line. The prize is a medal plus the feeling of accomplishing something that is a feat in my dictionary.  It was also motivation to be a part of the a team that we were supporting - the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation, the Donate Life project.  Which was worth all the effort!

Of course, after the more than 3 hours of walk, then having to leave the beach via buses and then train to get me home, I was craving for some good laksa to tide me over, to get my mind off the sore legs and aching soles of my feet.  I didn't get to eat some but it's fitting that I share this recipe now that I'm at it.

This one is a fitting recipe that is adapted from SBS Food for a Malaysian curry laksa recipe.  I made the chicken stock with chicken bones bought from my butcher.  I could not find candlenuts so I didn't add that to the paste, as well as using a Filipino brand of wet shrimp paste. This is a pre Thermomix recipe so I made the paste in a food processor which made the paste a little bit more grainy. When I made the soup, I strained all the grits before adding in the rest of the ingredients (prawn, fish balls, tofu etc).

The usual suspects for a laksa paste - shrimp paste (use the dry one called belakan), dried shrimps soaking, dried chillies, galangal, ground spices - turmeric, cumin, paprika, coriander and lemon grass.  

Ground spices!

Laksa paste - still a bit grainy with small bits

Making homemade chicken stock

Prawn laksa

Ingredients for Laksa Paste

 8 small dried red chillies (soaked in a bowl of water for 30 minutes)
2 tbsp dried shrimp (soaked in a bowl of water for 30 minutes)
5 red Asian shallots, chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped galangal
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 large lemongrass stalks, trimmed, chopped
1 tbsp belachan/dried shrimp paste (see post)
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric

Combine all ingredients in a food processor (or Thermomix) and process until smooth.  Keep in air tight container in the fridge until ready for use.

Ingredients for the Prawn Laksa 

1/4 cup sunflower oil

2 tablespoons of laksa paste

1.5 litres chicken stock

2 and 1/2 teaspoon grated palm sugar

450 grams chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced

10-12 prawns,shelled and tails left intact

1 can 400ml coconut milk

10-12 fish balls (see tips below)

150 grams tofu puffs, sliced (see tips)

200 grams bean sprouts

500 grams thin rice noodles

Heat oil in a large saucepan or pot. Add the laksa paste and cook, stirring until fragrant.

Add stock and stir to combine. Add more laksa paste if preferred.  Bring to a simmer then add chicken and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the prawns and cook for another minute until chicken is cooked and prawns half way through.

Add the coconut milk, fish balls, tofu puffs and bean sprouts.

Stir to combine then bring to a simmer until prawns are cooked.

Cook the rice noodles separately in a different pot. Drain.

Spoon the cooked rice noodles into individual bowls, pour over the laksa with and garnish according to preference.

 To serve - garnish with fried Asian shallots, mint leaves and a teaspoon of shrimp paste or sambal, and a lime/lemon wedge on the side

Tips:

* You can buy combination packs of frozen fish balls, tofu, etc in most Asian supermarkets.

* Before adding the chicken to the stock-paste soup, strain all the grits and grains and return the cleaner stock to the pot.  Discard the paste grains.


And here are photos from yesterday's running/walking event!

Ferrero Rocher cake

There's nothing like cake to bring out the kid in all of us. Especially, when it's a special cake, specially made for a special occasion for a special person, or people.  This post is all about this cake, and I want to specifically talk about the girls.  My tweens.... to be more precise, my triplets.

My girls turned 12 this year. When I say girls, I mean my triplets. Yes. If you're new around here, you will find out that I'm a parent of multiples.  Triplet girls! Imagine all the shrieking and the mood swings coming our way. Anyways. Indulge me and let me be a broken record.... where has the time gone?

I used to stare at them when they were sleeping, as babies and then as toddlers.  Thinking, ..."where did you girls come from?  How in the world was I able to bring 3 babies into this world?"  It's a miracle, I say. A blessing.  Like any child, brought into this world - children are a blessing.

So what is like raising multiples?  It's hard work I tell ya..... and triple the fun.  Imagine having to say something three times, because someone was not listening the first time. Or, having to hear some exciting news from school three times with the same intensity and eye-rolling as the first two recap.  How about having to bear three bouts of bawling and sadness and more crying after our pet duck passed on.  Triple the shrieks - high pitched-intense-highest-decibels-in-the-planet at the height of the 1D phenomenon.  As the girls grew up, showing their unique personalities and preferences, it became a nightmare for Christmas and birthday shopping.  Gone were the days of 3 bicycles, 3 colouring books, 3 skateboards, 3 scooters, 3 this, 3 that..... they became individuals just like that.  In a snap. 

How do we cope?  Parenting 4 kids?!   Being a parent is a 24-hour roller-coaster of emotions.  And our style no matter how lenient or tough we are, all contours to the dynamics of the family.  Why, if I would listen and believe everything I hear and read about, I'll go out of my mind.  Experts say screen time should be limited to this, don't feed your kids that.... There's a lot of hoopla out there geared towards making us all feel insecure.   As parents.  I don't care what they say.  My kids have TV time and use their Ipods everyday with limitations.  But we don't push them.  To have this much hours of homework time, or reading time, or project time.  In our home, there's  no structure.  But there is discipline.  School term is focused on school work.  "Of course, you can have Ipod time as long as you have done your homework for the day." And I don't even have to say this. The girls know. Their limits and they know when mum has had it up to here (gesturing up to the top of one's head). 

The fighting used to be pulling each others hair and pinching and biting.  Then it moved onto to throwing things at each other, then dobbing, tattle telling, then hiding the other persons stuff.  When the girls are bickering at each other, I just say..." Sofia is saying that because that's how she shows love for you"... and then they all start laughing.  

And now for this cake.  This cake has got the grooves.  Nutella and dark chocolate ganache for frosting, hazelnut chocolate wafers in between hazelnut cake, whole Ferrero Rochers for garnish.  Surprisingly, its not too sweet. It's perfect for that special occasion, or person.  Or just make any day of the week and make that day special!

To make this cake, ingredients are:

7 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 cups hazelnut meal (or finely ground hazelnut)

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoon cocoa powder

3 teaspoon baking powder

10-12 pieces crushed wafers

To make the frosting, ingredients are:

300 grams salted butter, softened to room temperature

250 grams 70% minimum dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup Nutella spread

For garnish 

 a few Ferrero Rocher chocolates

 1 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

How to make the cake, frosting and decorate the cake

Preheat oven to 180*C.  Line two 20cm round cake pans - spray with a non stick spray and line with baking paper.

Sift the cocoa, flour and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.  Stir in the hazelnut meal.

Using a stand mixer or hand held beater, whip the eggs until frothy.  

Slowly add the sugar and beat until pale yellow and the batter has tripled in volume.

Fold the dry ingredients into beaten eggs in 3 additions.

Divide batter into the prepared pans, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a test skewer comes out clean. Check the cake every 10 minutes to be sure.

While cake is baking, make the frosting.

Using a pot with simmering water, place the butter, chocolate and Nutella in a heat proof bowl and set over simmering water.  Stir until the butter, chocolate and Nutella are melted and incorporated together.   Set aside to cool.

Once the cake is baked, place on a cooling rack and cool for 15-20 minutes.

Using a serrate knife, divide the 2 cakes into 2.  You will have 4 round cake slabs.  Be careful when slicing as this is a very delicate cake.

To assemble the cake.  Get ready to get your hands dirty with chocolate!

Reserve 3/4 cup of the frosting for decorating.

Place a small dab of frosting onto a serving platter/cake tray.  This is to make sure your cake does not move around while assembling.

Place one layer of cake on top and press slightly with your hands.

Spread about 1 tablespoon or more of the frosting onto the cake.

Layer with the crushed wafers.

Repeat with the other layers of the cake.

Spread some of the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake.

Press the coarsely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.

Decorate the top of the cake using a small spatula by swirling it back to front

Pipe some stars on the cake and top with Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

Keep in the fridge to chill before serving.

If making a day ahead, make sure to take out of the fridge half and hour to 1 hour before serving.

* Tips and tricks

* You can use crushed wafers on the sides instead of hazelnuts.

* You can complete omit the wafers in between the layers and just use the frosting, and the sides.

* We opted to use only 3 layers of the cake and ate it separately as a taste test.

Recipe is adapted from Let the Baking Begin, originally posted in language here.

And when it comes to raising girls, well, I  don't mind the fighting and the not-listening phase. I don't mind the mood swings that goes with growing up and teenhood.  Why I already have an 18 year old who has prepared us for the next chapter.  So bring it on!  And while we're at it, bring out a couple of red and whites, will ya?!

Chocolate sour cream bundt cake

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post.  Not that anyone notices.  With all the thousands of fabulous food blogs around.  But I’d like to keep writing as this keeps me creative.  Cooking.  Baking. Taking photos.  Then writing.  It’s a cliché, but it is therapeutic to write.  To compose one’s ideas on paper, or in blogging’s case tap, tap, tapping on the computer. Sometimes, well most times, ideas elude me.   The girls have been getting a lot of writing tasks from school and it helps that I am able to assist them with writing ideas.  Even though they don’t end up in the blog, the writing ends up somewhere.  At school.  To be graded for composition, narrative/persuasive texts, etc.  At least here its not being judged.  No grading.  Just open ended talk about generally anything under the Australian sun.  So what’s up with adobo down under....

The year has swooshed by so quickly.  And we are on the second half of 2015 already!  The first of July to be exact.

On the home front, the girls are onto their milestone years.  Big sister is in Year12 – taking HSC (Australian equivalent to SAT or NCEE) this year, just turned 18, and currently in NYC (and LA) for a performing arts tour at school.  The younger girls are in Year 6, just turned 12 and taking on many tasks at school mostly related to arts and crafts, have done several high school applications and one interview with a school principal.  It’s an exciting and busy year.  So the first half of blogging has been set aside, but there have been lots of cooking and cakes baked so far.  

Recently  we also celebrated our 10^th year anniversary in Australia.  I can’t believe it has been a decade.  It seems like only yesterday when we were at Sydney Kingsford International Airport, armed with 6 luggages and 2 massive boxes full of personal effects, memories and other stuff we wanted to hang on to from the past, as we started our new life in Australia.  A decade has passed and we have thrown some of those old stuff, acquired new ones, and have been creating new memories since we came.  It has been amazing.  Like everything that life is, there have been many down moments but the positives always overcome the negatives.   

So a milestone deserves a cake.  And to celebrate we made this cake.  A chocolate sour cream bundt cake.  It's a great cake for celebrations.  Or if you just want cake, really.

Recipe adapted from Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

225 g butter (I used salted), plus extra for greasing the pan

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup water

2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting the pan

1 ¾ cup caster sugar

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs

½ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze

200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1 cup thickened cream

1 tablespoon butter

Method

Preheat oven to 175*C.  Butter and flour the pan the bundt pan

In a small saucepan, mix together the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water and place of medium heat, stirring with a spatula until completely melted.  Remove from heat and set aside

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking soda with a spatula or whisk.  Add half the melted butter mixture and stir until thoroughly blended.  

 Add remaining butter mixture and mix until well combines.   

Add eggs one a time, stirring until completely incorporated before adding additional egg.  

 Fold in the sour cream and vanilla and stir until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Let the cake completely cook before inverting onto a rack.

Make the glaze.

 Place the chocolates in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until hot (but not boiling). Pour into the bowl of chocolates and stir with a spatula until chocolate is melted.   

Add the butter and continue to stir until you have a smooth.

Drizzle the glaze onto the cooled cake, letting it run down the sides. 

(Just like below. Extreme control measures needed to restrain from licking the bowl and spoon)

And let me just say, Australia you have been amazing.  We came here, fell in love and more than happy to call you home.

Cheers mate!

Dilmah takes tea to the plate

Photo provided by Horizon Communications Group

It started in 2007 in Colombo Sri Lanka, with the goal of “putting tea back to high tea”, the Dilmah Real High Tea challenge initially included consumers to partake in the challenge when it was brought to Australia in 2011.

Now on its 5^th year in Australia, the challenge now involves other countries: New Zealand, Macau, Thailand, UAE, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.  The 2014 challenge was opened to professional culinary teams to prepare and craft their own recipe in one or more of four categories, where each recipe must include a Dilmah tea in it.

The high profile judges included German born ACF Black Hat Chef Bernd Uber, Australian celebrity chef Peter Kuruvita, Dilmah’s own tea master Dilhan Fernando - son of Dilmah founder Merrill Fernando. 

Dilhan Fernando said it’s all about “taking tea to the plate”.  He mentioned that each year, the creativity is astounding and it is amazing to be around such a passionate teams and culinary artists.   Dilhan is the son of Dilmah founder and is the Director of the Dilmah School of Tea – the first international school of tea with sessions in Colombo Sri Lanka in partnership with the Institute Paul Bocuse in Ecully, France.    Aside from the family’s passion behind the Dilmah brand and tea, they are also passionate about environmental conservation and are involved in humanitarian projects in Sri Lanka. 

This year’s overall winner from Australia is Geoff Laws and Shaun Thompson of Qantas Lounge by Pullman, who will compete in Sri Lanka in 2015 against the world’s best culinary tea masters for the chance to be crowned Global Real High TeaChallenge champions.

Dilmah founder Mr. Merrill Fernando is excited at the progress tea has made in the culinary world.  He said, “tea is really much more that what initially meets the eye – not only is it soothing to drink, both hot and cold, but is also the most versatile herb to be used in the kitchen.  I am proud of the winners, their gastronomic ingenuity and their true respect of tea and the high tea tradition."

For more information about the Real High Tea Challenge and photos of the winners, please visit www.realhightea.dilmahtea.com

Photos were here are of "tea masterchef" winner - Bloodwood Restaurant Newtown.

Photo courtesy of Horizon Communications Group

Photo courtesy of Horizon Communications Group

Photo courtesy of Horizon Communications Group

Photo courtesy of Horizon Communications Group

Disclaimer: The writer attended this event as a guest invited by Horizon Communications Group.