Consider It Pure Joy

 A fast cooked dinner for son before he goes to work. Chicken Katsu, Salmon Teriyaki, Mesclun Salad and rice.

Chicken Katsu is so easy and fast to prepare. To cook for one, you  need one chicken breast cutlet, 1 beaten egg, 1 cup of panko, salt and black pepper to taste.

Pound the cutlet with a rolling pin or a heavy meat cleaver if you have one.
Season with salt and pepper.
 Heat the frying pan with cooking oil until the temperature is about 180C.
 Dip the chicken cutlet into the beaten egg, and coat it with panko.
Shake off the excess and repeat the process.
Gently drop chicken cutlet into the pot and deep fry until both sides turn golden brown.
 Dish out when chicken is done and lay it on a paper towel or greaseproof paper.
 Slice the chicken and serve.

Salmon Teriyaki

Heat up a non stick pan or grill pan till very hot. Pan sear and cook the salmon.  Spoon sauce over the fish until sauce is syrupy. Dish and plate.

To make the Tonkatsu sauce and Teriyaki sauce for single serving, these are the ingredients. The measurements are estimated. Taste as you mix.


Tonkatsu sauce
1 tsp English mustard
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1/2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
1 tsp water (optional, mix to taste)

Whisk all ingredients until smooth.



Teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp corn starch + 1 tbsp water


Whisk soy sauce, mirin and sugar and bring to boil. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk briskly. Reduce sauce to the consistency you like.

Book of James

Bible study for this month is on the Book of James.  James wrote his Epistle to challenge his readers to examine their faith to see if it was genuine saving faith. For Christians to survive suffering and grow in maturity, we must have genuine faith.

All of us face testing and trials which are unavoidable. We cannot face them effectively without Christ, our Lord and Saviour. He allows trials to come into the lives of His people. But he gives us the attitude of joy and ability to persevere if we have true faith and trust in Him.

Consider it pure joy,my brothers and sisters, whenever you  face trials of many kinds, because you  know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1-3

God Made Him

Happy Lunar New Year to all! I'm back!!!

This Rose Chiffon cake recipe is created by my friend Angeline. I met Angeline during a food event about 2 years ago and we have been keeping in touch on Facebook and whatsapp.

Angeline is a very talented and creative homecook, and this recipe was even featured in The Straits Times. I have baked this cake countless time because this is now my favourite cake to bake. I just love the colour and flavour.

Do you believe me when I said I baked this cake with the oven turn off? My oven temperature setting has gone kaput, and when the power is on, it becomes very hot even at the lowest temperature. When this cake was ready to bake, I said my 'oven prayer', switched off the power and left in the oven to bake. I have no oven thermometer to check the temperature too. After 30 mins in the oven, I turned the oven on for 5 minutes and off again. The cake was done in 45 mins time and I have no idea at what temperature!

My oven prayer is answered! This cake is very tall for a 5 eggs recipe in a 23cm tin. It is light and fluffy, the perfect texture of a good chiffon.

This cake is just as good on its own but with the fresh cream, it taste even better. The fresh cream is whipped with condensed milk and sweetness can be adjusted to your taste.


Rose Chiffon

Ingredients A
100g cake flour
5 egg yolks

15g castor sugar
20ml rose syrup
80ml milk
70ml oil
1.5 tsp rose essence


Ingredients B
80g castor sugar
10g corn flour
5 egg white


Method

• Mix 20ml rose syrup with 80ml milk.
• Combine egg yolks and sugar and mix well.
• Add the milk mixture, oil and essence and mix till well combined.
• Add flour into the yolk mixture and mix till combined.
• Make the meringue. Combine sugar and cornflour.
• Beat egg white till foamy then add half the sugar and flour mixture, continue to beat for a few minutes then add remaining sugar/flour mixture.
• Beat till stiff peak.
• Add the meringue in 3 additions to the yolk mixture, fold in gently till all whites are incorporated.
• Pour into a 20/21cm chiffon pan and bake at 150C for 40-45 minutes. When done turn the pan over and cool it upside down.

Condensed milk Chantilly Cream

300ml whipping cream

condensed milk to taste

Pour 300ml of whipping cream into a cold mixing bowl and whipped till soft peak, slowly drizzle in the condensed milk till stiff peak.

The Book of Philemon

Our recent study on the book of Philemon teaches us to receive and forgive those who have sinned.
We were once runaways ourselves like Onesimus. We have to do what is right, even facing the consequences of our own sinful actions. The gospel is a message of second chances, and we don't hold past sins against people who have repented.


Jesus took our debt upon Himself. He was created without sins to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

These Are My Words

Red Velvet Cake is always a crowd pleaser. There was once much hypes surrounding the red velvet cakes. People love the moist and tangy buttermilk cake with a bit of cocoa and the cream cheese frosting, and they go gaga over the red colouring in the cake.

Red Velvet Cake has its humble beginnings and the cake dates back to the 19th century. It is red because a man from Texas wanted to sell more food dye and he figured red cakes could sell more!

Red velvet cake is a dessert that everyone oohs and aahs over whenever I bring it to church functions. These are no exception. I baked for the Filipino fellowship monthly birthdays, and I was glad they enjoyed the cakes very much.



There are many good red velvet cake recipes around. This is one which I like. After testing many red velvet cake recipes, I prefer one with a mixture of butter and oil. I find it more flavourful and denser than all vegetable oil recipes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

makes 12-18 cupcakes

85g unsalted butter
170g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
160ml butttermilk, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs food colouring
190g all purpose flour
2 tbs cocoa powder.sift
1/2 tsp baking soda

Frosting

250g cream cheese, softened
55g unsalted butter
55g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Method

• Preheat oven to 180g
• Cream butter,sugar and salt until well combined.
• In another bowl, whisk in oil,egg,egg yolk,butttermilk and food colouring. Mix well.
• Add flour, baking soda and cooca to the mixture and mix gently until well combined. Do not overmix.
• Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake till just firm, 18-20 minutes.
• Let cupcakes cook in pan for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

• Whisk cream cheese, butter and icing sugar till combined.
• Add in vanilla extract and whisk on high speed till frosting is light and fluffy.

My bible study group has just completed the Bible timeline study and we are now on the book of Psalms. Why we choose to study Psalms?

We choose to study Psalms to help us gain a fuller appreciation for worship. The Psalter is the favourite book for all whatever our circumstances maybe. We find words which are so appropriate to our needs to glorify, seek and talk to God.

Martin Luther once said, " Psalms are a little Bible, and the summary of the Old Testament"
Our Lord Jesus himself also pointed out salvation in Him is written in Psalms.


These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Luke 24:44 

All Your Children

I finally bought a waffle maker! It is a single rotating waffle maker which doesn't take too much space on my small kitchen counter top. This is a made in China brand with a weird name(Rohe) but I'm very happy with it. It is not very expensive and comes with an indicator light which tells you when the waffle maker is ready to use and done. The non stick grids make it easy to remove freshly cooked waffles and clean too.

Prior to the delivery, I looked up some waffles recipes and came across this. The name caught my attention, and this is the only recipe that I have tried. There was no turning back to others. This recipe yields only 3 waffles which is just right for me. Crisp, light and fluffy which is the texture everyone likes.

You can have waffles in many ways and I like it sweet and simple. Pure maple syrup with fruits, or plain with butter and syrup. These waffles do not taste nice on its own. The batter is really basic and easy to mix. It uses buttermilk and I always use real buttermilk, never substitutes.
It is fun to make waffles at home and even my children are making them for breakfast and tea. I bet they will not be ordering waffles at cafes anymore! These are like cafe standard or even better!

Waffles
serves 3

Ingredients

105g all purpose flour
30g cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup corn oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Method

• Mix and stir all the dry ingredients together.
• Mix and lightly blend wet ingredients with a whisk
• Pour wet ingredients into dry. Whisk until smooth and lump free.
• Rest mixture for 30 minutes.
• Pour waffle mixture into pre heated waffle maker.

Children need the peace that comes from knowing they have a loving Heavenly Father who sent His son, Jesus Christ, to bring light and hope into the world.

All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.
Isaiah 54:13

For I Am Sure

Kaya Butter Toast is our local people ultimate comfort food. Kaya is a traditional jam made from coconut milk, eggs and sugar. Some like to eat Kaya butter Toast for breakfast, others prefer it for tea. This toast set is usually accompanied by two soft cooked eggs eaten with a dash of dark soy sauce and white pepper.  The eggs are a perfect complement to the sweet toast. The thick kopi (coffee) or teh(tea) completes the meal.

White bread is usually toast on a hot grill and spread with a generous dollop of salted butter and thick kaya.
You can eat this toast by dipping into the soft boiled eggs, and slurp the rest down.  This kaya toast set is easily available everywhere in local kopitiams(coffee shops),food courts and shopping malls. But if you have sudden cravings of sweet kaya like me, you can make it at home too! This recipe doesn't require you to slave over the stove and stir the kaya for hours. Try! and you be amazed by how easy and quick you can prepare it!

Kaya

45g white sugar
45g palm sugar, chopped
4-6 pandan leaves, cut about 3 inches long
5 big yolks
200ml freshly squeezed coconut milk


Method

• Separate egg yolks from the whites
• In a non stick pot or pan, heat coconut milk with pandan leaves. When coconut milk is simmering, add the two sugars.
• Stir and cook for about 10 minutes until all sugars are dissolved. Remove the pandan leaves and set the coconut mixture aside.
• Lightly whisk the yolk until smooth and well mixed. Add a little coconut milk and whisk until blended.
• Using a double boiler, continue to stir yolk mixture and slowly add in coconut milk. 
• Stir until desired thickness and colour.

Recipe adapted from themeatmen

Nothing can separate us from God's love! God's love is steadfast, sturdy and inseparable! Paul is utterly convinced of God's love for us that he says.....

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor ruler, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8;38-39