Homemade Pineapple and Apple Jam

I love organic molasses sugar and would use it whenever possible. For this jam, no exception! Enjoyed seeing my family spread it on bread (especially homemade bread) or sometimes they just taste it as its own. No preservative, no coloring, no pectin is added. I use Very simple ingredient and easy method...
Ingredients:

2kg Ripe Pineapple

600g Green Apple400-500g

Organic Molasses Sugar (or normal castor sugar)

6nos Clove

1-2"length Cinnamon Stick Method:

1. Peeled, cored, and cut apples into small dice/cube.

2. Blend pineapple into desired texture.

3. Combine dice apple, blended pineapple, clove, and cinnamon stick in a large, heavy-based, deep saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until pineapple is soft.

4. Add sugar and stir gently until sugar is dissolved completely.

5. Continue simmer, stir from time to time, for 45 minutes or until jam jells when tested.

6. Leave jam to cool down, remove clove and cinnamon. Then pour jam into warm sterilised jars/bottles to store. Points I followed:

- Adjust sugar amount based on the sweetness of pineapple and apple.

- Store jam in the refrigerator when its completely cool down. If leave at room temperature, mould may growth, around the 5th day.

Remedy for Kids Mild Fever - Lemon Slice

Last year during my confinement, I read a book, titled "病是教养出来的" (illnesses are cultivated), written by "许姿妙医师".
The writer is a Chinese Medicine Physician by profession but practice and advocate Waldorf Education system in raising children. In August this year, I was fortunate to be able to attend her workshop at Bodhi Temple, Penang (a beautiful place, surrounded by nature); this one day workshop is mainly focused on analyzing and educating the 4 different characters in children.
During the Q&A session at the workshop, participants were given time to ask, discuss and clarify matters related to educating children which centred around learning, commitment and caring as well as health. The workshop was a learning curve for many parents on educating children from the Waldoft perspective. One of the questions were on how to treat children's fever with lemon slice; which is penned in her book as well.
Few days ago, my 16 months old daughter was in mild fever, ~ 38+ degree C, just before the bedtime. I treated her with the "lemon slice" remedy. It works! Steps I did:
1. cradle her to deep sleep.

2. Place a slice of lemon on each of her sole and slip her feet into socks gently.

3. Also, rub her forehead and palms with wet cloth occassionally throughout the night.

4. Repeat step 2 and 3 the second night, just to make sure her body temperature maintain at normal.
** Always keep some fresh lemons in the fridge, good aids (with honey) for sore throat as well..
Thanks for the remedy, 许姿妙医师!

Animal Almond Cookies

Its heavy rain outside, in replaced of playing in the sand box, I suggested to Ying Yin, my daughter, to bake some animal cookies. She just loved the idea... Looking through what I have in the fridge and food store, here is the recipe we settled:
Ingredients:
(A)250g Butter
90g Icing Sugar
(B) Sieve all ingredient together except almond powder
250g Plain Flour
100g Rice Flour
30g Potato Flour/Starch
100g Almond Powder
(C) Decoration
Almond Slices
Black Sesame Seeds
For top grazing
1 no egg (mixed well)
Methods:
1. Preheat over at 150 degree C.
2. Cream (A) until smooth. Add (B) and mixed to form a soft dough.
3. Roll dough on working table and stamp cookies with cookies cutter of any shape that is available in our kitchen or flatten it with folk. 4. Place cookies on lined baking tray.
5. Brush egg on cookies surface and decorate with almond slice / sesame seed / any topping.
6. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cookies lightly brown.7. Wait till cookies completely cool and store in airtight containers.
Points I followed:- Add more plain flour if dough is too soft for cookies cutter to cut.
We baked some extra sharing with babysitter and some for her friends at the kindergarden...

Granola Cup Cake

My sister gave me a box of my flavored Maple Pecan Granola. Love it as snack! I have visitors coming this evening for some chat and light food, just thought of sprinkle generous amount of Granola on my butter cake (*recipe from my Chempedak Butter Cake)...it turned up to be a wonderful match! Also, mixed my rum-raisin into the batter, make the cup cakes more interesting... I baked in different sizes of cup cake for easy sharing...

Roast Chicken

A dish everyone looking forward... the entire cooking process is so rewarding. The roasting aroma filled not only the Training Room but the other rooms as well. Our chicken breast is popular, as we separated the skin and chicken breast (make a "pocket"), stuffed in generous amount of butter + chopped garlic (mixed together).

We stuffed onion, lemon, entire sprig of fresh thyme, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper into the chicken cavity.

Rubbed the skin with salt and pepper and olive oil.

We make sure "Basting" process is done carefully. Fat and cooking juice from roasting tray were spooned over the whole chicken to moisten it. It is important to prevent the chicken surface from drying and enhance the taste of skin in particular. Every participants were given a chance to practice the carving skills and decide our favorite part of chicken for lunch...

Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

50 g Butter

3 cloves Garlic (chopped)

Stuffed in chicken cavity:

1 bulb Garlic

1 no Onion
1 no Lemon

1 sprig Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Roast Gravy:

150 g Chicken Stock

2 Tbsp Flour

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Roating Vegetables (optional):

celeryLeekCarrotPotato
* Note: May boil (potato) and toss the vegetables in the pan before transfer to roasting tin after basting process.

Methods:

1. Rub the chicken inside and out with generous amount of salt and fresh ground black pepper.
2. Preheat oven to 200-220 degree C.

3. Separate the breast area skin (make a "pocket") and stuffed in garlic butter.

4. Stuff the garlic bulb, whole lemon, onion, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper into the cavity.

5. Pat chicken with kitchen towel, rub olive oil all over.

6. Transfer chicken on roasting tin and roast for 45 minutes.

7. Remove the roasting tin from oven and "baste" the chicken.

8. * Put the chicken back to the oven and roast for another 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

9. Allow chicken stand for 20 minutes after removal from oven before carving.
Roast Gravy:

1. Pour juice and fat from roasting tin to saucepan. Add chicken stock. Bring to boil.

2. Add flour to thicken the salt.

3. Lastly add salt and pepper to taste.

Egg and Potato Salad

"Never thought that potato can taste so good!" ... is the comment from some participants in the training room.
The potato simply absorbed flavor from mayonnaise and mustard. Together with hard-boiled egg make a perfect match! Never forget to highlight, the crunchy celery, pickled gherkin and onion enhanced the salad texture.

Ingredients:

• 5 nos Potatoes (large)


• 3-4 nos Egg


• 1/2 cup Celery (cubed)


• 1/2 cup Onion (chopped)


• 2-3 Pickled Gherkin (cubed)


• 1/2 cup or more mayonnaise


• 2 Tbsp English / Dijon Mustard


• To taste Salt


• To taste Pepper


• Dill / Parsley - garnished or chopped and mixed with salad

Methods:

1. Boil eggs

2. Boil potatoes with skin. May boil with bay leaf and fish sauce (optional).

3. Peel eggs and potatoes. Dice eggs. Slice or cut potatoes into any shape.

4. In a separate bowl, mixed mayonnaise and mustard well.

5. Add eggs, potatoes, celery, onion, gherkin, salt and pepper.

6. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

7. Serve cold.

Points I followed:

- I simply love to garnish with dill or mixed with chopped parsley. It fresh up the salad!

Trifle

It was very fun each time we prepared Trifle... we have custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers with fruit and sponge on the bottom, and custard and cream on top; but with our creativity and artistic hands, we prepared our very own charactered trifle, as long as it consists of 5 layers...
This is a very cheerful dessert, contribute from its colorful layers. Kids would definately love to prepare and enjoy it!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Mushroom Soup is one of the popular (western) soup in this part of the world. Unfortunately, to many of the young generation, the instant powder/canned form or those found in the fast-food restaurant is their version of mushroom soup. Therefore, a few couldn't accept our freshly cooked original recipe... Of course, most of us enjoyed and asked for more...

To me, the most important is be able to introduce this homemade version... and I have made many mums became the best Cook in the eyes of their children when they used my recipe! It is very encouraging and joyous moment to see the satisfied faces.

Ingredients:

• 500 g *Mushrooms (sliced)


• 90 g Butter or Olive oil


• 2 nos Onion - medium (chopped)


• 3 cloves Garlic (crushed)


• 2-3 Tbsp Plain Flour


• 1.5 lit Chicken Stock


• 2 Bay Leaf (medium)


• To taste Black pepper (freshly ground)


• To taste Salt


• Parsley - garnish (chopped)

Methods:

1. Heat up butter and add in garlic and onions. Cook until soft but not brown. ~ 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Add sliced mushrooms, cook over a high heat for 3 minutes, stir constantly.

3. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms, mix well to combine.

4. Pour in the hot chicken stock and bring to boil. Add bay leaf and leave the soup to cool for a few minutes.

5. Place soup in food processor. Blend well till smooth.

6. Return the soup into saucepan. Season with salt and peper and reheat until boiling.

7. Stir in the cream (optional). Garnished with chopped parsley.

Points I followed*:

- Used fresh white button mushroom, swiss brown mushroom (both large & small), fresh shiitake mushroom and canned button mushroom.

- If lighter color preferred, used more white button mushroom.- For those don't like the woody mushroom smell, reduced amount of shiitake mushroom.

White Stock

We carefully prepared our white stock, as we know it is essential to any quality sauce (for our roasted chicken) or soup (mushroom soup).

Points that we followed:
- cooked slowly/simmer
- should not be covered
- scum and fat were removed as they accumulate

Ingredients:

• 2 kgs Chicken Bone


• 5 lit Water


• 1 no Onion (large)


• 1 stick Celery


• 1 tsp Thyme


• 1 tsp Parsley


• 1 Bay leaf


• 5-7 Cloves


• 10 Peppercorns

Methods:
1. Wash bones in cold water.
2. Place bones in stockpot and cover with cold water. Heat to the boiling point (blanch).
3. Drain.
4. Cover bones with fresh water. Add vegetables and spices.

5. Simmer for ~ 3 hours. Remove scum as it accumulates.
6. Skim and strain.

Notes:If stock is not going to be used immediately, to prevent spoilage, it should be cooled as quickly as possible by placing the container in cold running water. It should then be refrigerated.

Food Production Practical

I have opportunity to impart my knowledge on food preparation to younger generation who are keen to learn how western style of cooking is being done. Most of them knows the name of the western menu but does not know how it was prepared. It was a pleasure to be able to share with them the western method of cooking for stock, soup, salad, meat, and dessert. Of course, one of the highlights that make the session more interesting is the vegetable cutting, especially onion chopping...