Saturday 28 March 2009

Mama's beef pot roast



Anas enjoying Mama's pot roast sampai tak hingat dunia....

Found this recipe while googling video jug today..but as usual simplified by Mama..instead of 3 hours in the pot, Mama only took 30 min to get it served on the plate. Just on time to feed hungry Papa when he got back from work last night.Here is the recipe..


Mama's Beef Pot Roast

1. Slice the beef into steak size. Season with salt and black pepper. Dip in corn or plain flour on both sides.
2. Heat a little butter/ olive oil in a pan and fry the steak slice. Flip over to brown both sides. Then put them aside.
3. In the same pan, stir fry chopped onion, add 2-3 tbs flour depending on how thick you want the gravy to be. Then add beef stock(For Mexican version, stir fry some cumin seed with the onion).
4. Place the beef and the stock in a pressure cooker and cook for 20 min or till the meat is tender. For ordinary pots, U may need 2-3 hrs slow cooking.
5. Add cubed carrots, celery and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Can add some thyme and rosemary as well. For Mexican version, add tomato paste and black beans.
6. Serve on a bed of mashed potatoes with steamed veges. Nice to be eaten with garlic bread.

Monday 23 March 2009

Mama's Nasi Briyani Udang

Recipe recon from http://www.sajionline.com.my/


10 ekor udang
3 labu bawang besar (hiris nipis)
6 ulas bawang putih
4 biji tomato (cincang)
6 biji buah pelaga
1 sudu besar jintan manis
8 kuntum bunga cengkih
1 sudu besar garam
1/2 kecil besar lada hitam
1 sudu kecil serbuk buah pala
1 sudu kecil serbuk buah keras
2 tangkai cili hijau
1 biji lemon (perah)
1/2 cawan minyak
Saffron
5 cawan beras basmati
1 cawan yogurt
2 keping daun bay
4 cm halia
1 sudu besar serbuk ketumbar
1/4 cawan minyak sapi

CARA MENYEDIAKAN:
1) Panaskan minyak dalam periuk,tumis bawang besar hingga naik bau dan
kuning, angkat dan ketepikan.
2) Masukkan udang dan biarkan separuh masak
3) Kisar yogurt,separuh daripada bawang goreng,halia dan bawang putih.
4) Kisar bahan tersebut halus dan tuangkan ke dalam periuk yang berisi ayam
5) Tumis hingga naik bau
6) Masukkan tomato, buah pelaga,cengkih, lada hitam, jintan manis,bay dan kulit
kayu manis.
7) Kemudian masukkan serbuk ketumbar dan garam
8) Biarkan tumisan dimasak selama setengah jam.
9) Setelah air udang kering, masukkan serbuk buah keras dan buah pala.Matikan api
10) Tanak nasi separuh masak bersama sedikit garam.Ketepikan.
11) Dalam periuk lain,ceduk tumisan ayam di dalam periuk, kemudian ceduk nasi
separuh masak tadi.Ulang hingga dapat 2 lapis nasi lauk dan 2 lapik nasi.
12) Setiap lapik hendaklah dituanglan perahan air limau, lebihan bawang goreng,
dan patahkan cili hijau.
13) Di lapisan terakhir tuangkan ¼ cawan minyak sapi, dan renjisan saffron.

Thursday 19 March 2009

Garlic and butter giant tiger prawn

Look at the Algerian Tiger Prawn, huge like lobsters.. so juicy..yummy...

Sambal tumis udang and sup sayur


Aunty K's deep fried garupa, dah tinggal suku baru teringat nak amik gambo.....

Today is the last day for Aunty Kathy's to be in Birm. Uncle Apa wanted to experience being in Birm Whole Sale Wet Market. So at 5.30 am in the morning, Papa drove Uncle Apa and Aunty Kathy to the so called Pasar Borong Birm. Guess what they brought home...a box of huge 10 tiger prawn from Algeria, two garupas, 3 red snappers (ikan kerisi kot..), 20 kg of Holland onions, 2 kg of medium sized prawns, 3 kgs of baby ikan tamban (donno what Brits call this), 1 huge green cabbage and a cauliflower. Looks like Papa doesn't have to go fishing for a month. Alhamdulillah rezeki.....


So Aunty K cooked deep fried garupa with soy sauce, deep fried baby tamban and sambal udang. I grilled the huge tiger prawn with butter and garlic and made some vegetable soup. So lunch today was more than a king..kind of....


Makan punya makan, last2 the whole family missed the 2 pm coach to London, so got to buy other tickets, kesian....


Anyway, it was great to have relatives staying for a few days at our place. Really cheered the kids up. Thank you Aunty Kathy, Uncle Apa, Ezyana and Ewanina for visiting us. Jangan serik utk datang lagi.....boleh shopping lagi 7 kotak or even more..ha..ha...

This is how Mama cut and clean the huge tiger prawns, photos snapped by Aiman........

Cut the back and devein the prawns.......
Cut into half and season with salt, pepper and garlic and glaze with butter, grill for 20 min in the oven at 180 C.


Tuesday 17 March 2009

Queen Anne Silverware

Today brought Aunty Kathy and family to Queen Anne factory in Wednesbury, near Ikea. Paul, the owner of the factory rewarded me with 3 gifts for bringing my aunty who shopped 2 boxes of QA silverware, not seconds but first quality ones.






First quality ma.....I think the value of these items are around 30 pounds or more. Should bring more people in future, to get more free gifts from Paul..he..he..

Mama's Thai Green Curry

Now I've got a competitor in my food business, so got to be creative and try to cook something a little bit more extraordinary. Tried this menu and wallah, sold out 16 packs in a day. Alhamdulillah......

Made my own green curry paste:
4 green chillis
1 Holland onion
6 shallots
2 cm ginger
2 sticks of lemon grass
1 tsp of shrimp paste/ belace
2 tbs coriander powder
2 tbs cumin powder
1 tbs white pepper
2 kaffir lime leaves (daun limau purut)
4 coriander roots

Methods:
1. Blend all the above ingredients, stir fry them till fragrant and add coconut milk, then add chicken.
2. Add salt and sugar, asam keping and whatever veges that U wish eg aubergine, terung pipit, bamboo shoots etc. Done. Simple isn't it? Serve with white rice.

Monday 16 March 2009

Spaghetti Carbonara



This morning's breakfast is spag carbonara, heavynyer cam dinner Omputih, well, eat breakfast like a king right, but the problem is we eat dinner also like a king. Anyway layan....


Got a text message from Aunty Katy to inform us that she is in London (with Uncle Apar and their 2 kids) and planning to come to Birm tomorrow. Today they are on a tour to Windsor Castle (dekat rumah my brother), Stonehenge and Bath.

Sunday 15 March 2009

Car boot

Today the weather is lovely, felt like summer already though spring is just beginning. Flowers are starting to bloom by the roadside and in the parks. So apalagi projek musim panas..he..he..carboot.....

So after a heavy breakfast of nasi dage with chicken and prawn curry and telur rebus and acar karot, off we went to Lea Marston carboot, took 40 min instead of 20 min cos Papa got into the wrong exit as a result of chatting with mama while driving..Alhamdulillah sampai jugak. Ramainya orang mak datuk, dah lama tak gi carboot. Got another nice pasta cookbook for 50p, a few pants for Madeehah, 50p each, 3 tennis rackets for the kids(50p-1.25 pounds each), my lap top mouse for 50p. Hubby bought Madeehah a mini playhouse for 4 pd and a nice Royal Albert tableware for Mama. Thanks Papa lap u....


Found beras nasi dagang kat kedai Bangla sebelah East and West, tempat kami beli halal meat, 1.99 je per packet of 1 kg..so tak yahlah nak import from Msia. Rasa sama jer cam beras Msia.



Amir and Madeehah at Lea Marston carboot



My new pasta cookbook, a lot of nice recipes to try in here...




Royal Albert tableware for 1 pound


Tennis rackets for the kids, kalau tak asyik berebut je yg 2 btg kat rumah tu...




Single quilt cover with a pillow case for 2 pds. Berbaloi kan, Next week ingat nak pi Carboot Cannock pulak, then singgah rumah anak sedare Che Cik kat sana, insyallah.

Saturday 14 March 2009

Baked lemon and garlic salmon

After wanting to eat salmon for quite sometimes, Anas's dream finally comes true when Papa and Selly Oak clan went fishing at Pasar Borong Birm yesterday morning. They call it op tangkap and bayar. Tangkap ikan kat pasar jelah....Papa bought 1 kg of salmon, 2 kg of fresh prawns and mackerels.

So made baked lemon and garlic salmon today.


Method

1. Season salmon with salt, pepper, lemon and garlic.
2. Wrap in kitchen foil and bake at 190 C for 30 min.
3. Fry crushed garlic, add 2 tbs of flour and fry till light brown.
4. Slowly add fesh single/ double.(Can add mustard to make the colour a bit yellowish).
5. Add salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Serve with baby potatoes, baby carrots and steamed broccoli.

Thursday 12 March 2009

Business or busyness?

Daily routine... wake up at 6 am, prepare 10-16 packs of rice with chicken(lauk tukar2 ikut hari)for Muslim students of Birm U...prepare 7 lunch boxes for the kids, my hubby and myself, prepare breakfast and also lunch for everybody. Amazing isn't it, how I can do all these in 2 and a half hours. By 8.30 am off to the kids school and then send Madeehah to Ju's house. Well, as the Malay proverb says, alah bisa tegal biasa kan.....


My nasi lemaks, ready to be delivered to BU........

My lunch box, lagu mano la nok kuruh lagu nih...tapi meal cam ni sekali semiggu je, hari lain salad je for lunch..he.he...

Wednesday 11 March 2009

Dalca kambing istana

Teringat masa bulan Ramadhan lalu, Kak Na Abg Wahab tapaukan sedikit dalca kambing with roti canai semasa Papa balik from Tadarus kat rumah dia. Sedapnya hingga menjilat jari..So had asked from her the recipe which she obtained from the chef of one of the istanas in Msia.



terlebih hancur pulak dal nya

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 kg lamb/ chicken/ beef
1 cup of dhal/ lentils
1/4 spoon tumeric powder
2 tbs curry powder (any brands)
rempah tumis:star anise, cardamon pods, cinnamon sticks
1 tbs ghee
onion, ginger- blend
curry leaves
aubergine, okra, potatoes
2 tomatoes (belah 4)

Methods:
1. Boil lamb till tender.
2. In a separate pot, boil lentil with tumeric powder on a slow fire. Stir occassionally. Add to the pot of lamb once soften.
3. Fry onion and ginger in ghee till fragrant and add curry powder. Add to the pot of lamb.
4. Add potatoes, okra, aubergine.
5. Fry in another pan sliced onion, curry leaves, rempah tumis. Add to the pot of lamb. Add salt to taste and the quartered tomatoes. Done.

Lasagne

Aiman had requested for lasagna last night, so while I am still in the cooking mood, baked one for everybody.



Mama's lasagna (Filled with veges so that the kids have no excuse but to eat them)

Ingredients:
Lasagna sheets
Ragu tomato paste
Carrots
Onion
Mushroom
Broccoli
Cauliflower
1/2 kg minced beef
1 tbs Chilli powder (optional)
3 tbs chilli sauce
1 tsp oregano


White sauce:4 tbs plain flour, 2 cups ,milk, salt and pepper, nutmeg powder,3 tbs soft cheese

Methods:
1. Fry garlic and chopped onion.
2. Add minced meat/ chicken. Add the veges.
3. Add tomato paste, chilli sauce, oregano, salt and pepper. Season to taste.

White sauce:
1. Heat olive oil and add flour, milk salt, soft cheese, nutmeg powder & pepper. Stir till a bit concentrated. Add water if it is too thick. Then whiz the whole thing in a blender.
2. Layer the lasagna sheets, then put on the red sauce followed by white sauce alternately. Repeat till the whole lasagna sheets and the fillings are finished.
3. Sprinkle some cheese on the top most layer. Bake for 40 min at 200 C. Done.

Coventry

Got an invitation from D for lunch at her place in Coventry. So on Sunday after Zohor, off we went in Papa's old, messy but sturdy VW Sharan. Alhamdulillah D had also invited Dr. Fauziah Paimin ( and family) who is my 10 yrs senior in MU Medical School. Had nasi briyani with lamb briyani, fried chicken and acar timun+ karot. Yummy..thanks D for the great hospitality. The kids seemed to be enjoying themselves so much, playing football in a small empty ground just next to D's house. After lunch, walked across the road to Kak Fauziah's house for solah Asar.

Never been to Coventry before, looks like a nice place. Much quieter than Birm. Less congestion. Too bad, forgotten to snap any photos.


Madeehah, so happy masa make up before going to Coventry



Today bumped into http://www.fuadlatip.com/
Quite an inspiring blog, a lot to learn...

Finally finished reading Prof Muhd Kamil's 'Travelog Haji' , it was indeed a turning point. Felt how much we lack in performing our doa. This book really touches me deep down. It brings back all the sweet memories while performing our Hajj in Dec 2006, the same pilgrimage year as Prof Kamil. Felt write writing a book out of it, but I guess nobody will buy hah..ha..

Bought 10 books of Sis Zabrina's 'Life is an open secret' from D for my Birm colleagues and myself. Can't wait to read these books. Life is an Open Secret has 2 volumes, Book 1 has a green cover, Book 2 is pink. Guess I will be sleep deprived the whole of this week. After putting Madeehah to bed, will be lighting up the bedside lamp and read till I doze off. Wiil be updating about the books soon, insyaAllah.

Monday 2 March 2009

25th February,Happy Birthday to me and Happy Anniversary

Actually I have forgotten about this date till mummy Izan gave me a bell a day before, asking tak buat kenduri ke??Kenduri? Emm..birthday cake pun tak de cik mummy ooi...supermum is so busy and has very severe backache which alleviated all the desire for cakes what more celebrations.



Anyway got a birthday wish (and kisses from some) from my kids and hubby. For me, birthday is nothing so very special, just getting one year older. Not to mention, yesterday Amir found another grey hair on my head, he was rather astonished and managed to pull the grey hair off. Amir.....Amir....a day will never pass without having to listen to him crying, usually after being bullied by other siblings due to his extra cheeky behaviour.

Anyway Happy Birthday to me and Happy 13th Anniversary. Moga sentiasa diberi kekuatan oleh Allah untuk terus istiqamah dalam mencari keredhaanNya.