Winter Warmer : Russian Borscht Soup

It is winter Down Under and a good way to warm the family's heart and gut is a warm bowl of Borscht. Beetroot is an essential ingredient of this Russian staple. This is a vegetarian recipe that serves four.

Bring plump tomatoes (skin and seeds removed or use canned) and 3 1/2 cups of water to the boil.

Add julienned carrot, beetroot, cabbage and parsnip (optional). When the vegetables are almost cooked, add sliced celery and onion.

Then add a teaspoon of herbal stock granules. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Mix 1 teaspoon of flour with sour cream or use directly into the soup, adding a little at a time and combine well.

Serve with warmed or toasted bread.

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Easy and Delicious Cassava / Tapioca Pudding

Cassava or tapioca is a root vegetable, an unlikely ingredient for making dessert, you may think? But cassava pudding is a very popular Southeast Asian dessert and snack.

I love two styles of cassava pudding - Kueh Bingka (baked Malaysian cake) and Kueh Getuk (steamed Indonesian pudding). I was delighted when a friend shared with us a recipe that fuses the two cakes into one. I have added comments and more ingredients based on my past experimentation and experience with baking similar cakes.

Ingredients :

1/2 kg grated cassava

(thaw frozen pack from Asian grocer in the fridge for 12 hours

OR

grate from freshly peeled tapioca root that has been soaked in water for at least 1 hour)

1 cup of good quality light coconut cream (e.g., ayam or kara)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chilled grated coconut or dessicated coconut (not rancid)
2 medium sized eggs (lightly beaten)
50 g unsalted dairy butter (softened at room temperature)
1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients, starting with butter and cassava, then add sugar, coconut and egg.

Mix everything together (but save a little bit of egg for glazing later).

When well combined, pour mixture into greased baking tray.
Use a broad base or large surface tray so that the cake will be evenly baked.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 45 minutes.

Turn the tray around 2 times during baking to ensure even distribution of heat.

Check with skewer if the cake comes clean. If not, bake for another 10 minutes.

Leave the cake in the oven to brown for a while after turning off the heat. Slice the cake when cooled.

This cake can keep at room temperature for 30 hours during spring and autumn seasons.

- Acknowledgement : Mrs SYW for her inputs

Brussel Sprouts - delicious ways of cooking wholesome foods

Most children (and adults too) do not fancy eating brussel sprouts despite coaxing and convincing evidence that the vegetable is packed with nutrients and antioxidants.

Discard old, stale, conventional and boring ways of blanching brussels sprouts. There is no need to precook the brussel sprouts. Here are some easy and novel ways of whipping up delicious brussels sprouts dishes.

Stir Fry B.S. with Carrots, Garlic and XO sauce

Wash and cut brussels sprouts into halves (quarter for larger ones) and remove tarnished leaves.

Peel and cut carrots into cube or thin slices.

Fry garlic lightly in vegetable oil. Increase the heat and stiry fry vegetables quickly.

Put two to three teaspoons of spicy XO sauce * and mix well with the vegetables. Put in XO sauce last as it is already cooked. Turn off heat. Dish up and serve with noodles or warm steamed rice.

* XO sauces can can be bought from Asian grocers and the speciality food aisles of supermarkets. I prefer Lee Kum Kee brand which contains visible and tasty dried scallop and shrimp compared to some other brands that use fish or squid as some of the ingredients. Once open, the bottled sauces is best kept refrigerated.

Stir Fry Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Sizzle thinly sliced bacon in a frying pan. The meat cooks in its own oil and there is no real necessity to add more oil.

Fry diced garlic in the oil and add brussels sprouts. Increase heat and give it a quick stir.

(My family in the USA provided this recipe,)

Brussels Sprouts Soup

Finally, treat brussels sprouts as you would with cabbage. They make delicious soups when combined with vegetables and beans. Enhance the flavours by adding celery and some julienned ginger.

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Squid Curry Stir Fry

The curry base for this seafood dish is similar to Thai southern curry.

Marinate squid slices with 2 tsp of meat or seafood curry powder and pepper.

Stir fry red curry paste in oil till fragrant. Next fry onions, followed by squid. When almost ready, put a few dashes of dark soy sauce. Add sliced chilli if a spicier taste is desired.

Tip : do not cover the pot or overcook the squid.

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Baked fig in proscuitto wrap

An easy appetizer recipe using sweet and savoury ingredients - fig and prosciutto. Only two main ingredients and two steps. No kidding!

1. Grease baking tray with a thin coat of almond or macadamia oil.
2. Bake in preheated oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.

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