LORD, are our Father

I visited the  Epicurean Market at Marina Bay Sands three weeks ago. It was a three-day food extravaganza which served a multitude of events, meals and classes showcasing celebrity chefs, exclusive ingredients and wines.

Among the highlights are freshly cooked specialities and take home products. I bought food from celebrity restaurants like Cut by Wolfgang Puck, and also hams, cheese and sausages from the exhibitors to cook at home.

The pork sausages bought from the Epicurean Market are so delicious. Fresh, lean and meaty, and they are much cheaper than retail outlets. I cooked one in skewers with apples, onions and red peppers.

These skewered sausages are grilled skinless and they are really yummy with smokiness taste. The sauce is simply Dijon mustard and honey, and sides is buttered rice.


Pork Sausages and Apple Skewer
Recipe source: Own
serves 1


Ingredients
1 pork sausage, casing removed
1 red pepper, cut into 1"chunks
1 red onion, cut into 1" chunks
1 Granny Smith apples, chunked, dip in lemon juice + water
3 wooden skewers, soak in cold water for at least half an hour.
Olive oil for brushing

Sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey

Method

• Remove casings from the sausage and slice thickly, about 1/2" to an 3/4" thick. Prepare the red pepper, onion and apples. 

• Alternatively thread apple,red pepper,onion and one sausage slice. Brush with olive oil
• Grill on hot pan until sausage is cooked, browned and vegetables slightly charred.

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up 'APPLE' hosted by Kit from I- lost in Austen, organised by
Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My little favourite DIY.

Yet you, LORD, are our  Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

We Also Glory In Our Sufferings

This is another wonderful and easy dish to make. Scallops with  Apple Pan Sauce can be served as a starter or as an accompanying dish to risotto, couscous and vegetables.

I was a little disappointed with the apple sauce when I tasted it after cooking. It wasn't that great, a little sourish but over the scallops, it was delicious. The pea shoots works well too as an accent to the dish. Overall, this dish is great to serve for a dinner party which you can prepare the sauce in advance. The scallops just take a minute to sear on each side. Fast, Fresh and Simple.

Scallops with  Apple Pan Sauce
servings 4
Bon Apppetit

Ingredients

2 Granny Smith apples
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
12 large sea scallops, side muscle removed (frozen)
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup hearty sprouts


Method

• Core 1 apple, cut into 1 inchcubes. Place in a blender with lemon juice and 1/4 cup water;puree until smooth. 

• Strain juice through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl. Peel, core, and cut remaining apple into 1/4 in cubes. Add to bowl. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook scallops until golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate;tent with foil to keep warm.

• Add butter to skillet. Cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Add reserved apple mixture and cook, stirring often, until juice is thickened and apple pieces are tender, about 4 minutes. 
• (Drain) and spoon over scallops;top with sprouts and season with salt and pepper. 

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up 'APPLE' hosted by Kit from I-lost in Austen, organised by
Zoe from Bake for Happy kids and Doreen from My little favourite DIY.

God can bring blessings through those who know that life's goal is character, not comfort but hope.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our  hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

Keep Yourself In God's Love

I have never had Lobster Thermidor in any restaurants. This was adapted based on what I had tried before on the plane.

According to wikipedia, Lobster Thermidor is a French dish consisting of a creamy mixture of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, and brandy (often cognac), stuffed into a lobster shell. It can also be served with an oven-browned cheese crust, typically Gruyere. The sauce must contain mustard (typicaly powdered mustard).

I didn't want a complicated dish. so I adapted this recipe after studying a few recipes online. The ingredients I used are not French produce, but it does taste like Lobster Thermidor I had on the plane. It might look dry on the surface but buried under the golden crusted breadcrumbs is the cheesy creamy sauce with loads of chunky lobster bits.

There was no special occasion for me to cook these crustaceans. I have bought three small frozen lobster tails on a whim, and it was sitting in the freezer for nearly 6 months. This dish is now quite a retro seafood dish and is not often seen in restaurants.

Lobster Tails Thermidor

3 servings

3 packaged lobster tails

4 tbsp butter

1 small white onion, chopped

1 tbsp flour

30ml white wine

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup grated white cheddar

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 tbsp Parmesan

2 tbsp bread crumbs

lemon wedges, for garnish

Method

• Boil lobster tails in a pot of boiling water for 7-8 minutes. Drain and leave in ice cold water to cool.

• Use kitchen scissors to cut away soft underside of tails. Remove meat and save the shells.

• Chop the cooked meat into chunks.
• Preheat oven grill. 
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan. Add chopped onion and cook 3 to 5 minutes until very soft.

• In another pan, add the remaining butter (2 tbsp). When butter melts, add chopped lobster meat and saute.
• Add flour to the softened onions and cook together another 1-2 minutes. Whisk in wine, then milk. Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheddar cheese and add Old Bay seasoning. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Pour lobster meat and stir to combine. Spoon lobster meat into and over the shells. 

• Top with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Grill on high until golden, 2-3 minutes. 

Take Delight In The LORD

You may have noticed that the typical popover recipe contains no baking powder, baking soda, or yeast to make the popovers rise. So, what makes them"pop over"?

Basic popovers are made with eggs,milk, and flour. The batter is thin enough to be pourable, but thick as whipping cream. The high proportion of liquid in the batter creates steam that causes the popovers to puff up. The egg protein causes the popover batter to stretch, hold the steam and solidify to form crusty walls. When spilt opens, it is hollow inside.

Preparation couldn't have been easier with a blender. Just a few seconds of whizzing the ingredients in the blender makes the batter silky smooth and free of lumps, so there's no need for straining. I am.using David Lebovitz's recipe, Sugar crusted popovers.  I love these puffy golden delicious, crisp and buttery crust with a custard like interior.

Sugar Crusted Popovers
makes 9 



Ingredients


For the puffs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsps sugar
140g flour

For the sugar coating
130g sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
60g melted butter


Method

• Softened butter, for greasing the pan.
• Preheat the oven to 200C. Liberally grease a non-stick popover pan, or a muffin pan with 1/2 cup indentations, with softened butter.
• For the puffs, put the 2 tablespoons melted butter, eggs,milk, salt an sugar in a blender and blend for a few seconds.
• Add the flour and whiz for about 10 seconds,just until smooth.
• Divide the batter among the 9 greased molds, filling each 1/2 to 2/3 full.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until the puffs are deep brown.
• Remove from the oven, wait a few minutes until cool enough to handle, then remove the popovers from the pans and set them on a cooling rack. 
• Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bow. Thoroughly brush each popover all over with the 60g of melted butter, then dredge each puff generously in the sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat them completely. Let cool on the wire rack.

These popovers are best the day they're made. Leftovers can be stored in a container and snacked on the next day. You could freeze them too.

This post is linked to Bake Along  'Popovers' hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Lena from

Her Frozen Wings and Joyce from Kitchen Flavours.

Take delight in the LORD, and he  will give you  the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Keep My Commands and You Will Live

I got to know Mary Berry from watching The Great British Bake Off. She is one of the judges in the baking contest. Mary Berry has written many cookbooks and this is my first time using her recipe. This is an easy one bowl cake mix and anyone who can hold a whisk can make this cake.

This cake is deliciously moist, with light fluffy texture. Slightly crumbly with a nice apple fragrance, it can be eaten as a morning coffee cake, or with vanilla ice cream as a dessert. This is definitely a keeper and good for lazy days baking. Cake is best served warm.

The Very Best Apple Dessert Cake
Mary Berry
Bake in 20cm loose bottomed cake pan.

Ingredients

225g self-raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
225g caster sugar (200g)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
150g butter, melted
250g cooking apples, peeled cored (2 granny smith)
25g flaked almonds


Method

• Preheat the oven to 160C fan or 140C. Lightly grease a deep 20 cm loose bottomed cake tin.
• Measure the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs almond extract and melted butter into a bowl.Mix well until blended, then beat for a minute.
• Spread half this mixture in the prepared tin. Thickly slice the apples and lay on top of the mixture in the tin,piling mostly  towards the centre. Using 2 dessert spoons, roughly spoon the remaining mixture over the apples. This is an awkward thing to do, but just make sure that the mixture covers the centre well as it will spread out in the oven.
• Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours - 1 1/2 until golden and coming away from the sides of the tin.

Preparing ahead - Best made to serve warm but can be made the day before. And,once cooked and cold, you can wrap and freeze it for a maximum of 3 months.

Note: If making this cake again, I would cut my apples in chucks, and use at least 3 apples in this recipe.

This post is linked to LTU 'Apple' hosted by Kit from i-Lost in Austen. Event is organised by Zoe from

Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My little favourite DIY.

Proverbs 7:2

Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

Message of Christ

Glutinous Rice with Chicken is more commonly known in Chinese as 糯米鸡 or Loh Mai Kai. My version has mushrooms, Chinese sausage and roast pork besides chicken. I have always like glutinous rice but I'm always mindful not to eat too much at one go. Glutinous rice fill your stomach fast and is hard to digest.

I am very happy with this recipe. This is so delicious and I'm going to make again, this time in full recipe with no salt reduction, and in smaller serving. Cooked glutinous rice can be kept frozen and reheated by steaming. You can use Chinese rice bowl or disposable aluminium dish.

Glutinous Rice with Chicken
Adapted from Sugar & Everything Nice


Ingredients

450g glutinous rice
6 chinese dried mushrooms
1/2 whole chicken (2 boneless chicken thigh)
2 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp thick soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
7 tbsp oil
170g roast pork
3 pieces dried chinese sausage
1 tbsp cornflour
salt to taste
1 stalk coriander leave -chopped


Method

• Soak the glutinous rice overnight. Rinse and drain well.
• Soak the mushroom for about 20 minutes and then cut  in half (quarters)
• Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Season with 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and 1 tsp sugar.
• Slice the roast pork into 1 cm cubes and season with 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp thick soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, the remaining sugar and pepper.
• Slice the sausages thinly, lightly fy for about 2 minutes and set aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil and fry chicken until cook and all the gravy absorbed.Remove and set aside.
• Heat another 2 tbsp oil, add in roast pork and stir fry for about a minute.
• Add mushrooms and 1/4 cup water cover and simmer for 10 minutes.Blend cornflour  with 1/4 cup water and thicken the gravy. Set aside.
• Mix the glutinous rice with 3 tbsp oil,1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt.
• Divide chicken, roast pork, sausages and mushrooms into 10 equal portions. Place each portion in a bowl.
• Divide the rice into  10 portions also and cover the ingredients of each bowl with 1 portion of rice.The bowls should only be half full.
• Steam the bowls of rice in a steamer for 30 minutes or until the rice is well cooked.
• Turn each bowl of rice onto a serving plate and serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Let the message of Christ dwell among you  richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16

Keep Me As The Apple of Your Eye

These Apple Rose Tarts are so lovely. Don't you think they are too pretty to eat? I didn't do a proper job rolling them especially the first few roses. It looks easy in the video but it took me a while to get the hang of it.
Don't wait till Valentine's Day, you can make these anytime of the year. These tarts are lovely for an afternoon tea, and they taste nice too!

Apple Rose Tart
makes 9

Ingredients

1 cup cake flour
1 red apple
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey (maple syrup)
3 tbsp water
113g butter, salted

Please follow the steps in the video link below.

Note: I replaced honey with pure maple syrup. I find it is not necessary to reduce sugar. Don't forget to brush honey and sprinkle icing sugar and cinnamon after baking!  Best served warm.

This post is linked to LTU 'APPLES' hosted by Kit of  i-lost in Austen. Event organised by Zoe from
Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My Little favourite DIY.

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 17:8

Do Not Merely Listen To The Word

I'm not sure about you but I love the caramelised taste of gula melaka or palm sugar. Gula melaka is a common ingredient used in making many Asian desserts. It has rich flavour and deep colour, and goes very well with coconut milk.

My friend A shared this recipe with me, I have made this dessert several times and everybody loves it. This dessert tastes best if cooked with fresh coconut milk, and using good quality gula melaka. Gula melaka agar agar is traditionally served in diamond shaped cut, and on banana leaves.

Gula Melaka Agar Agar
7 inch square pan

Ingredients

1 pack of agar agar powder
750ml water
1 block of gula melaka about 200g (you can use more if you prefer sweeter)
250ml of coconut milk (fresh is the best)
a few pieces of Pandan leaves, knotted.



Method

• Cut gula melaka into small pieces (easier and faster to melt)
• Put gula melaka, water and pandan leaves into a pot and bring to boil. Stir until all the gula melaka have melted then put through a sieve to remove any sediments.
• Lower the heat and add the coconut milk.
• Allow the mixture to come back to a slight boil at low heat. Don't over boil.
• Remove from heat and pour the jelly mixture into a pan/mould of your choice. Traditionally this is made in a aluminium square or rectangle tray then cut to diamond shape when set.
• The jelly will separate into two distinct layers as it cool, try not to shake or move the container about when it's cooling.
• Chill in the fridge until they're ready to eat.

Bible Study is on the Book of James. James is a book about practical Christian living that reflects a genuine faith that transforms lives. In chapter 1, we learnt that Jesus teaches believers to test their faith and be doers of The Word. James encourages believers to put their faith into action, and to be servants of Jesus Christ.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22