The Parable of the Lost Son

 Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter is one of the best seller at Bill's cafe in Sydney. Many raved about this must have brekkie and have even replicated it at home with great success.

These hotcakes are so light and fluffy and they are not made with your usual pancake mix. There are ricotta in the mixture which makes the pancakes taste creamy and light. Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese and are often used for desserts and also for savory dishes like calzone, pizza and lasagne. Its texture is similar to cottage cheese, though lighter. The eggs are separated and beaten egg whites are added last into the mixture to create light and airy hotcakes.

The Honeycomb Butter is so delicious with the hotcakes and you don't need maple syrup.. I kept the leftover in the freezer and it should be great on French Toast or just plain toast. You can use fresh honeycomb, or simply add Nestle Crunchie bar and honey with the butter in the food processor.


Ricotta Hotcakes
Bill's Sydney Food

Ingredients

225g ricotta
170ml milk
4 eggs, separated
140g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
50g butter

To serve banana or strawberries
icing sugar for dusting

Honeycomb Butter
250g unsalted butter, softened
2 crunchie bar
2 tbsp honey


Method

• Make the honeycomb butter first. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Shape into a log on clingfilm,roll,seal and chill in a refrigerator for two hours.

• Place ricotta,milk and egg yolks in a mixing bowl and mix to combine. 
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.

• Add to the ricotta mixture and mix until just combined.

• Place egg whites in a clean dry bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. 

• Fold egg whites through batter in two batches, with a large spoon(whisk)

• Lightly grease a large non-stick frying pan with a small portion of the butter and drop two tablespoons of batter(a ladle) per hotcake into the pan (don' cook more than three per batch).

• Cook over low to medium heat for two minutes, or until hotcakes have golden undersides. Turn hotcakes and cook on the other side until golden and cooked through.
• Transfer to a plate and quickly assemble other ingredients.
• To serve, stack 3 hotcakes on a plate and top with strawberries and a slice of honeycomb butter. Dust with icing sugar.

Linking this post to Cook Like A Star 'Bill Granger' organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids,
Yen of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake.

Totally Transformed! 20 November - 22 November 2013
Day One
The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-31)

The parable of the Lost Son is also commonly known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, this is in fact the parable of the prodigal father...extravagant in his love towards both his sons. It is beautiful illustration of the extravagant love God has for us.
The children learnt of the son's selfishness/sinfulness by asking for his inheritance. They learnt of his waywardness after he got his inheritance and later his awakening when he spent all his money and has to tend pigs in a farm. He is full of repentance. He realized how hurt his father was and how much his father loved him. It was only then that transformation took place. He embraced his father's love and his relationship with his father was restored. Like the son, we are severed in our relationship with God because of our sin and like the son with his father, we all need to be restored in our relationship with God and embrace His love.

We have a Father in heaven who is like the father in this parable: Compassionate, loving, forgiving and merciful. 

For this son of mine was dead is alive again, he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate. Luke 15:24

Give Thanks To The Lord

This pot of Padang-Style Beef Rendang which I cooked recently is now one of my favourite home cooked food. The recipe is from Chef Wan, a famous TV chef in Malaysia. This is also the first time I am cooking Chef Wan's recipe. There is another recipe, Portuguese Baked Fish which I have also bookmarked.
I have cooked this dish twice because it is not that difficult to cook and is good. How good is this dish? Well, It is so good that I feel so proud and happy I can cook such delicious food!
Without further ado, let me share the recipe here.

Padang-Style Beef Rendang
Rendang Daging Padang
The Best Of Chef Wan

Ingredients

125ml vegetable oil
2 thsp coriander powder
2 tbsp Fennel powder
2 tbsp cumin powder
2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 kg beef, cut into thick slices(shin)
1 litre coconut milk extracted from 1 1/2 grated coconuts
1 litre water

Mixed spices (2 cardamon,2 cloves, 1 cinnamon,1 star anise)
125ml Tamarind juice from 2 tbsp tamarind pulp mixed with 125 ml water and strained

6 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
8 tbsp pounded roasted grated coconut (kerisik)
1 finely sliced tumeric leaf (kaffir leaf)

Spice Paste
15 shallots, peeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cm ginger, peeled
3 cm tumeric, peeled
1 tbsp dried prawn paste (belachan)
30 dried chillies, soaked,seeded and drained



Method

• Combine ingredients for spice paste in a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Heat oil in a wok and saute the spice paste together with coriander, fennel, cumin and ground black pepper. (Add in the mixed spices).

• Put in the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and cook over low heat until fragrant.

• Add the beef and coconut milk, water and cook for 30 minutes?(2 hours) until beef is tender.

• When the gravy thickens, add tamarind juice,sugar and salt to taste and grated coconut(kerisik).
• Garnish with finely sliced tumeric leaves(kaffir leaf). Serve hot with rice.

Note:  There were no instructions for the mixed spices, and there is also no way one can cook tender beef in 30 minutes

This fragrant beef rendang tastes even better the next day.

Linking this post to Cook-Your-Books organised by Joyce of Kitchen flavours.

Totally Transformed!

We are all prepared and ready for camp this Wednesday 20th November!
Give Thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

The Earth is the LORD'S

Here is another hearty and healthy breakfast for you. This is for those who must have carbohydrates to start their day. These Oat Crusted Potato Cakes are made of mashed potatoes mixed with rolled oat and flour. The potato cakes are lightly salted and dusted with oat before pan frying in light olive oil.


Oat Crusted Potato Cakes
makes 6 potato cakes
Ingredients
500g potatoes
40g rolled oats
40g wholemeal flour(plain flour)
salt and pepper to taste
Light olive oil for shallow frying


Method

• Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain, return to the pan and mash, allow to cool slightly.

• Stir in 30g oats and flour and season well.
• Press into 6 round potato cakes and coat in the remaining oats.

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the potato cakes, about 2 minutes each side.
• Serve topped with grilled bacon and eggs.

Note: The oats add creaminess to the mash, making the potato cakes soft and creamy. This is best served hot from the pan. You can also turn these potato cakes into salmon cakes. Just add in a can of pink salmon flakes, chopped onions and snipped dills.

Linking this post to Little Thumbs Up 'Oats' hosted by Vivian of Vivian Pang Kitchen, hosted by
Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My little favourite DIY.

The earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness. Psalm 24:1

Your Word Is A Lamp For My Feet

Not too long ago, I tried to "harvest" squid ink from fresh squid but it was not worth the trouble. Squid ink are available cheaply at gourmet stores and they can be kept in the fridge for a year.
I have been eyeing this Squid in its Ink recipe from The Harry's Bar cookbook by Arrigo Cipriani.

There is only one famous Harry's Bar in Venice, located on Venice's Calle Vallaresso, near the Piazza San Marco. Harry's Bar has been for five decades, the meeting place for artists, writers, royalty,maestros,divas and celebrities. The founder, Giuseppe Cipriani is also famous for inventing the famous Bellini coctail and Carpaccio which is a dish of thinly sliced raw beef. The bar is also well known for its risottos and dozens of pasta dishes.
The family has expanded their business to pastas, olive oils, sauces, cookbooks and kitchenwares. Today, you can find the Cipriani group of bars and restaurants in many parts of the world.

This dish  Seppie In Tecia Col Nero, Squid cooked in its Ink makes an excellent sauce for pasta. It is also good with risotto. In the cookbook, it is served with grilled polenta.

Seppie In Tecia Col Nero
Squid Cooked In Its Ink
Adapted from The Harry's Bar Cookbook
serves 6 as a main course

900g medium squid or 675 cleaned squid
6 tablespoon olive oil
1 large celery rib, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 1/2 cup dry white wine(375ml)
1/2 cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, including basil and parsley
125ml fish stock or water, if needed'
salt
freshly ground pepper
25g squid ink
Parsley, fresh red chilli slices to garnish



Method

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion, and garlic, and cook until softened and golden but not browned - about 5 minutes.

• Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the squid, raise the heat to high, and toss for a few minutes. Then add the wine and the herbs and boil for 2 or 3 minutes more. Turn down the heat.

• Add in the ink, season with salt and pepper  and cook over low heat, partially covered, until the squid is soft, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally and add a little fish stock or water if the liquid evaporates. Taste the squid and adjust the seasoning.

Note: The long cooking time will not make the squid rubbery. When it is cooked that long, the squid develop a totally different kind of tenderness in texture.I cooked half a recipe and served with regular pasta, 

I have not been to the Harry's Bar in Venice so I can't tell if my version is similar in taste. My home made squid ink pasta definitely tastes better than those I have tried elsewhere.

I am also showing off my two new Le Creuset to you, bought at warehouse sales at 70% off list price. There were not many choice colours but I am happy with these two.

26" Buffet Casserole 

26" Stew/soup pot

Some of items on sale

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Books by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

The Mailbox Club

Since Sunday School started The Mailbox Club in July, we have 29 children who have completed the first series. There are about 6 to 10 lessons in each series at different level for children 5 to 12 years old.

These children will be receiving their certificates of completion during the children's camp in November.

Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

You Were Bought At A Price

 While waiting for my home made char siew braising in the wok, I cooked for myself a simple lunch.

皮蛋廋肉粥 Lean Meat and Century Egg Oat Porridge.

This is not only quick and tasty, but healthy because it is cooked with oat instead of rice! This recipe was inspired by Ellena of Cuisine paradise who made this back in 2009. I modified her recipe to 1 serve.

This porridge, similar to Cantonese style and texture, is so tasty that it is hard to tell it is made from oat. Cook this for your friends and family, and don't tell them it is oat, they will never know they are eating something that is good for them, and that will keep them full till the next meal!



皮蛋廋肉粥

Lean Meat and Century Egg Oat Porridge
serve 1

3 tbsp of quick cooking oat
20gm of mince pork
1 roughly chopped century egg
1/2 beaten egg, lightly beaten
200ml chicken stock (low sodium) + 150ml water
Chopped spring onion and conriader, to garnish
Pan fried shredded ginger, to garnish
pepper to taste

Method

• Marinate the mince meat with some light soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil.
• Pan fried shredded ginger till brown, remove ginger slices. 
• Fry the mince pork with the ginger oil and give it a quick stir until the meat are well separated and cook through.
• In a saucepan, boil the chicken and water together. When it comes to a boil, add in the oat. When the oat is boiling, add in the cooked meat and chopped century eggs. Remove from stove
• Drizzle in the beaten egg and give it a quick stir. Serve in the bowl and garnish with spring onion, coriander and ginger.

Linking this post to Little Thumbs Up "Oat" organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Doreen of My little favourite DIY, and is hosted by Vivian of Vivian Pang Kitchen.

You were bought at a price. Therefor honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:20