Bre-Adventures: My Tesco breadmaker

I have three resolutions for 2017. 1. To get healthier as a family, 2. To embrace minimalism and 3. To be more self sufficient. And part of being self sufficient (at least in my view) is to learn how to make and do things for myself. To me, there's pleasure in slowing down and learning to make things by hand, even the basic things that we've taken for granted in our busy lives... Like making bread!

I've gawked at The Baker Brothers' bread-making videos for ages and they make it look so easy, but where does a novice like me even begin? I thought I'd start by getting myself a bread maker. So a few months ago, I bought the Tesco BM1333 2L, which I got at a discount from Lazada, at around RM170. Here's what it looks like...

How do I like my bread maker and what kinds of breads have I made? Find out after the jump...

The Case of the Rotten Frozen Drummets from Tesco Delivery

Hi everyone! I've been meaning to blog about this for a while, but I've been rushing to complete a few tasks that I had on hand. Today I want to share with you my experience receiving a bag of rotten frozen drummets (yuck!) from Tesco Home Delivery AND how I got a replacement for them.

The bag of rotten drummets :(

I've blogged about using Tesco's Home Delivery service before, which is absolutely heaven-sent for me because trips to the supermarket are tough with Arif's autism and sensory sensitivities. But once in a while, a slip-up will happen, but thankfully they have a pretty good customer service team on hand to help customers. 

I had ordered a bag of Ayamas frozen Drummets along with my other groceries and was going to make some for dinner, but when I opened the bag, I was greeted with an unpleasant smell. No doubt the drummets had gone off. They were clumped together like they had thawed and refroze. There were black spots on the drummets too. I fried one in my air fryer and it turned out horrible. Just the smell alone made me gag.

So the next day, I PM'd Tesco Malaysia's FB page. They replied and said it is against their policy to offer reimbursement for frozen foods, but that I should call their customer service centre and explain. So that's what I did. I called them up and told them my situation. The lady on the line called up the Tesco branch in Puchong, which is responsible for delivering my groceries. They said they would give me a replacement.

Review & recipe: Roast chicken with potatoes and veges using a Philips Pressure Cooker

Just look at this roast chicken... looks good doesn't it? I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm quite proud of this chicken LOL. I've finally mastered how to roast/bake a chicken in a pressure cooker! Yaay! Read on to find out how I did it and the recipe :)

Roast chicken with potatoes and vegetables - yummy! Find out how to make it after the jump!

Christmas Set Dinner @ Fuze, The Everly Hotel, Putrajaya

We managed to squeeze in a one-night stay at The Everly Hotel for a super quick stay-cation and to treat mum to a belated birthday dinner. So let me share with you the scrumptious fare we enjoyed there!

The yummy Christmas Dinner Set @ Fuze Restaurant

Homemade okonomiyaki - so easy!

So, I recently discovered an awesome YouTube channel called Waoryu Only In Japan, and have been binge-watching episodes over the past few days. And somehow, as a result, I developed an intense craving for Japanese street food... especially after the Dotonburi and Hirohima Okonomiyaki lunch experiment episodes! I decided that I HAD to make some Okonomiyaki, and so I YouTubed a few recipes to see if I could make it at home. To my delight, okonomiyaki IS very easy to make and I had all the ingredients on hand, except for dashi and bonito flakes. But, as always, I improvised and the results was just as delicious.

Check out my recipe after the jump...

My (Malaysianised) Homemade Kimchi Recipe

Ok peeps, I love Korean food, especially kimchi, but the store-bought stuff can be pricey. I've made sauerkraut before, using my leftover cabbage, but I'm not a big kraut fan. So I decided I'd twist my kraut recipe a bit and make kimchi. My recipe uses ingredients we can easily find here in Malaysia, and to me it tastes just as good. Here goes.... 

Adline's (Malaysianised) Homemade Kimchi Recipe

Serving: One jar

Ingredients
Cabbage - washed and chopped (For this jar, I used about a quarter of a head)
Half a carrot - Chopped into matchsticks (It should really be daikon, but I don't have any on hand)
1 stalk green onion - Chopped to 1 inch lengths
3 cloves garlic - Sliced
2 red chillies (You can use more for extra heart. It's supposed to be Korean chilli powder, but I substituted)
1 tablespoon of dried shrimp, washed and soaked
Salt - about 3 tablespoons (It's a lot, but don't worry as it will turn into lactic acid)

Method
1. Blend together red chillies and dried shrimp (do not add water)
2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well
3. Sterilise your jar and stuff everything inside (Really pack everything in. You might have to start with a larger jar, and then after the cabbage has softened, you can transfer to a smaller jar)
4. Leave the jar on your kitchen counter for 2-3 days (Malaysia is hot and humid, especially in the kitchen, so the fermentation occurs quite fast). After that, taste it to determine how fermented you want it to be.
5. Once happy with the state of fermentation, you can keep the jar in the fridge.

Note: You can Google how others do it too, some people use special jars that will let the CO2 out, and prevent bacteria from getting in. I find that fermenting for 2-3 days in small batches doesn't usually cause much gas build up, so I don't leave my jar lid slightly ajar etc. But if you like, you can place a clean cloth over the mouth of the jar and tie a rubber band around it to allow the fermented cabbage to breathe.

Happy fermenting!

Satisfying my craving @ Laksa Johor Heritage

I love online shopping for its sheer variety and convenience. But now that I'm a work from home mum, I depend on it even more. I've purchased all kinds of things online, from bullion to cloth diapers, but most recently, I ordered myself some delicious laksa Johor! 

The laksa packets you see above are by Laksa Johor Heritage. If you're interested placing an order, do get in touch with them to find out if they deliver to your area. The minimum order is five packets with a delivery charge of RM10 for a total of RM45. 

I shared my laksa order on my FB page and a few people told me that they had been thinking about ordering it, but were unsure of the quality. So since I've given it a try, I'll review it here for everyone's benefit. So here goes:

Portion: The packet might look small, but when you place the contents into a bowl and pour the gravy on top, it makes for a good-sized portion for one (trust me, I'm a big eater!)

Texture: The gravy is thick, which is the way it should be, as I was told you're meant to use your hand to eat laksa Johor, like you would eat a plate of rice. I'm more used to a more watery version, which my mum used to make, but this is ok for me too. 

Taste: I've had some laksa Johor that are quite frankly awful and way too expensive for its quality. And of course, to me, my mum's laksa Johor is the best in the universe. However, I am pleased to report that I was happy with the taste of Laksa Johor Heritage's offerings. 

Freshness: The gravy, spaghetti and veges were fresh, which is crucial, as you need that crunch from the veges as you're enjoying your laksa. All I can think about is someone slaving in the kitchen at wee hours just to get this laksa into my bowl. 

Reheating: I kept a packet of laksa in the fridge overnight to enjoy it the day after. I microwaved it for lunch and it tasted just fine. Here's a tip on microwaving though. Take the packet out of the fridge and pour the spaghetti and veges into a bowl. Let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, microwave the gravy on high. Never microwave the spaghetti and vegetables as they'll wilt. Lastly, pour the hot gravy onto your spaghetti and veges and you're all set! 

I look forward to my next order, I just love laksa Johor! I hope to learn how to make it from my mum soon :) Hope you guys liked this review, thanks for visiting!

Making baby food in a rice cooker

I love making my own baby food for Arif, who's turning one at the end of this month. Not only is making your own baby food cost effective, but it enables you to create your own recipies too. Arif's still not too keen on chunky textures, so I am sticking to thick purees for now. I usually steam his veges and fruits, but occasionally, I make vegetable porridge - in my rice cooker! 

Here, I've combined a cup of rice, broccoli, pumpkin, carrot and bok choy. It turns out bok choy wasn't a good addition, as it left some strands of fibre. I'll leave it out next time. Perhaps spinach would be a better substitute for a leafy vege.

Then, I just add water to cover the ingredients, press cook and let the rice cooker do its thing. Once the porridge is done, I let it cool and then blitz it in the blender, with some extra boiled water. Lastly, I pour the pureed porridge into an ice cube tray and freeze. Voila! Baby food for a week :)

Induction cookers - Yes or No?

Wow, it's been a long time since I did a proper blog, so I think I owe it to myself to brush off the dust and flesh out some of the ideas I've been sitting on. So here goes guys... Today, I'm talking induction cookers.

I've always had a phobia for gas stoves, so after experiencing a gas scare years ago, and hearing one too many stories about gas explosions, I decided to start using induction cookers as they're safer and take up very little space. Since then, I must have gone through 3 already, as induction cookers tend to last for about 2 years max (with frequent use). The first one, a Phillips model, kind of had a small explosion and died out. The next one was a Hanabishi model, and its plastic top eventually cracked. And most recently, our second Hanabishi had its on/off button suddenly freeze. So, we had to go out and get a new one.

We decided to get this one, the Phillips HD4921 at Tesco. It's usual retail price is around RM259, but they had an offer so we got it for around RM170 (with GST). It came with a 2-year warranty and a stainless steel pot.

 

Now, this isn't going to be a review about this particular induction cooker, as I haven't started using it yet, but this post will recap my experience in using these cookers and why I continue to use them.

I plan to review the cooker I just bought a few months down the line, so stay tuned for that :) 

Home made baby food without a food processor

Can you believe it? Arif's now 6 months old (adjusted age 4 months)! With a preemie, it can be hard to tell when to start him on solid foods. These days, mums are often told that we should wait until our babies are 6 months old before we start solids. But our mums tell us that they started feeding us solids at a much younger age, and we turned out fine. But as preemies have an adjusted age to consider, to me, it all boils to a bit of research and my intuition.

When Arif reached 5 months and a half, I decided to start him on solids because he still seemed hungry after having milk and he has been stuffing everything he can grab into his mouth. Of course, I read up on what foods to introduce and how much. I introduced the solid foods to him little by little, and I'm happy to report that he's taken to them really well! Now he eats a fair amount! So far, he's had pureed rice porridge, sweet potato, bananas, apples and carrots.

I decided to make all his baby food myself, but since I don't own food processor, I had to be a little inventive in the kitchen. I've managed to make all his purees by hand and it's really quite easy to do. All you need is a few kitchen tools and some elbow grease. Here's how I do it:

Frugal tip: Make lemongrass last longer

I just love lemongrass, don't you? It adds a distinct flavour to dishes, it's no wonder why it's such an important ingredient in Malaysian cooking. The thing about this fragrant herb, however, is unless you have a lemongrass bush growing in your garden, it can be hard to have it around all the time. There is, however, a way to keep your lemongrass last longer in the fridge - saving you money and keeping it on hand. 

It's super easy, let me show you how after the jump!

Shepherd's pie

Breastfeeding is hungry work and so to satiate my insatiable appetite today, I made shepherd's pie for lunch. I learnt how to make it over at The Fabulous Baker Brothers' YouTube Channel. The brothers truly are fabulous, I love them! Here's how my pie turned out...

Looking good...

It was super easy and quick to make... and tastes great! 

If you'd like to make this, let Henry Herbert of The Fabulous Baker Brothers show you how. Check out their video:

Soft boiled egg - Yum!

I just love soft-boiled eggs, don't you? Getting it just right can be quite tricky though... But here's a helpful tip...

Oven-roasted sweet and sticky roast lamb shoulder recipe

My husband and I love lamb, so I got some chops and made this for dinner recently. Check out my marinade recipe after the jump! 

Chinese New Year feasting - Be prepared :)

Each time Chinese New Year rolls around, I can't help but recall the time when I attended an ex-colleague's open house many, many years back. She had prepared quite a spread, and since my friends and I got lost on the way to her house, we arrived well past lunch time and were famished. Her mum was an especially kind and attentive hostess, asking us to eat more and more. Guess, what? We did, and boy, did my friends and I overindulge! 

That evening, when I got home, I started having this awful burning sensation in my chest. That was the first time I ever experienced heartburn! To make it worse, I didn't know what to do about it, so I had a very uncomfortable night. I would later experience heartburn while I was pregnant with my first child. Both times, I hadn't realised that there was a remedy for such a condition. 

Apparently, one of the tricks to preventing heartburn and indigestion is understanding food's hot and cold properties. Have a look at this infographic:  

Based on the facts above, I should definitely gravitate towards cooling and neutral recipes, so I'm going to keep that in mind from now on! So far, I haven't had heartburn during this pregnancy, but if it does rear it's ugly head, I have a bottle of Gaviscon ready! It'll also come to the rescue in case I overindulge again this festive season ;) Hey, I'm five months pregnant, so I've got quite an appetite right now! 

Want to see how Gaviscon works? Check out this video:

Gaviscon doesn't just come in bottles, it also comes in handy tablets and sachets too, so you can carry them in your wallet or purse when you're on the go. To learn more about Gaviscon and their range of products, do visit the Gaviscon website. Have fun but east responsibly everyone! I'd like to wish you all a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!

Baked selar kuning with chillies, onion and garlic + Stir-fried broccoli, cauliflower and carrots

Wondering what to have for lunch or dinner? Well, if you have a selar kuning (or two if they're small) in the fridge, why not try this healthy meal?

Rice with fish and veges, a photo by adline✿makes on Flickr.

As you can see, I also made a simple vege stir fry to go with the fish. Check out the recipes after the jump!

Frugal tip: How to make ginger last longer and not waste it

Now that I'm a work-at-home mum, I've become more aware of our grocery bills and I do what I can to prevent food wastage. When it comes to savings, every little bit counts, so today I'd like to share with you a frugal tip that I've been utilising for quite some time now.

Ginger is an important part of Malaysian cooking, so I always keep it on hand. However, I only need to use a bit of it at a time and ginger doesn't really keep well for long periods. It either shrivels up and dries out, when I leave it on the kitchen counter, or becomes icky and moldy when it sits in the fridge for too long. To make sure that I get to use every bit of my ginger, with no wastage, here's what I do! 

See how not to waste ginger and keep it fresh for longer after the jump...

Review: See U Village Steamboat Restaurant, Paradigm Mall

I've been craving healthy food lately, particularly vegetables. So on a recent weekend, I asked the hubby if we could go to the new steamboat restaurant @ Paradigm Mall, so that I can gorge on vegetables. As stated in the Paradigm Mall website, this restaurant is Halal. So off we went to See U Village Steamboat!

Update 2016: Kindly note that the link in the Paradigm Mall website above that says the restaurant is Halal no longer exists, and the bunting outside the restaurant, which says it is in the process of applying for a Halal certification from JAKIM is still there after years have passed. Please take this into consideration before dining there.

Here's their menu:

Let's take a peek inside, shall we? 

Their set meals are good value and they have six different broths to choose from! Note, you can change the noodles in the set meals for rice, we did.

Want to see the steamboat spread? Read more about the jump!

Making pickled veges

I'm now 16 weeks pregnant and thank goodness my appetite has improved for the most part. I don't gag at the smell of food anymore and I can keep what I eat down now. Still, I'm becoming a very picky eater. It seems my baby likes vegetables, so I'm always craving veges! To help with my vege + sour cravings, I made some vege pickles today! It's super easy to make! Here's what I used - Japanese cucumber, a carrot and a yellow onion. Check out the recipe after the jump!

Pickled veges, a photo by adline✿makes on Flickr.

Frugal tip: Kerabu kaki ayam (Malaysian chicken feet salad) recipe

Every time I buy a chicken at the supermarket, it will come with a pair of chicken feet, which is fine with me, because I love the stuff! A big bunch of chook feet has been sitting in my freezer for a while, taking up space, so I vowed to use them all up. 

Here's what I made with them. Check out the recipe after the jump!