Pork Adobo – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

This is my first dish using Le Creuset Round French Oven and I was absolutely happy with the result! The French oven seared the meat beautifully, and the tight fitting lid sealed in all the flavours as the meat braised in the glorious marinade. The husband planted a big kiss after his meal, which as always, meant that it was a really good meal. Even the kids requested for me to make the same dish again for dinner the next day. Husbands may lie, but kids don’t. :p

I have to admit that I was initially worried about discolourations or staining the French oven due to it’s white interior. Plus searing the meat with a little sugar in the marinate means there is going to be some charring involved. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing, when such things happens it adds a whole new depth of flavour and goodness to the dish. But that may also mean sticking to the pan like super glue.

However, my concerns were all debunked! A little of the marinade and very little effort was used to scrape off the goodness left on the bottom of the pan after searing the meat. Washing it was a breeze, there was no discolourations, and it looks like it was spanking brand new. It looks so good, and cooks so well, I could kiss it. But the husband will be jealous. I already in love with Le Creuset’s products but cooking with their French oven made me fall in love with it all over again. 

Enz F of PinoyKusinero kindly shared with me his recipe of Adobo Kangkong, which essentially is kangkong in the same adobo marinade. So being the lazy efficient me, I made a meal complete with vegetables (kangkong) in one pot. So this is essentially a one pot meal, if you do not consider the rice cooked effortlessly in the rice cooker. If you prefer using chicken, here my recipe for Adobo Chicken. 🙂

Have you taken part in the current Mayer Airfryer GIVEAWAY? Details below.

pork Adobo 4

Do like Le Creuset’s Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all their current promotions.

Pork Adobo Process

Adobo Pork

Sharon of Delishar

  • 1 rack of baby back ribs about 1.2kg, cut half length wise and cut into individual rib
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tbsp whole black peppercorn
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 medium onion sliced into wedges
  • 6-8 cloves garlic lightly smashed
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Salt to taste
  • Cooking oil for searing
  • Bunch of kangkong cut into 2 inch pieces
  • Marinate pork ribs in all the above ingredients except kangkong, 1/4 cup water, salt and cooking oil.

  • Allow to marinate for 4-25 hours.

  • When ready, remove meat from marinade and blot dry.

  • Reserve the marinade for braising!

  • Heat oil in dutch oven until oil is shimmering but not smoking.

  • With high heat, sear both sides of the ribs.

  • Do it in batches so as to not over crowd.

  • Remove ribs when done and set aside.

  • Turn off heat, and use kitchen towel to remove all the oil in the pan.

  • Turn on heat to medium, and add in about 1/4 cup of water of marinade.

  • Use a spatula to scrape the charred bits on the bottom of the pot.

  • Add all of the marinade and add the ribs and jus back into the dutch oven.

  • Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low.

  • Cover and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.

  • Remove cover, add kangkong stir a little.

  • Cover and allow to cook until vegetable is wilted. (about 3 minutes)

  • Fish out all the kangkong, and set aside.

  • Turn the heat up to high and allow the sauce to reduce until desired consistency.

  • Season with salt if needed.

  • Serve over steamed white rice.

pork adobo 1

To take part in the Mayer Airfryer + Baking Tin Giveaway, simple complete the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. Singapore time (GMT+8). The winner will be selected by random.org and will contacted by email. The winner will need to respond within 48 hours. If there is no response from the winner after 48 hours, another winner will be selected. Meet up required for prize collection, therefore it is open to Singapore entrants only.

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Aloha Burger – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

A couple of us were talking about burgers at a kid’s birthday party a couple of weeks ago. When the husband mentioned that he have never had pineapple in a burger before, almost immediately we all exclaimed that he has no idea what he was missing!

So when I was planning my meals for the weekend, this was on top of the list. It was really quite a simple meal, because I baked up a batch of prepacked fries to serve together with the burger. Or you can try making some Baked Hand Cut Fries! The patties can be prep a day before, and grill up within minutes. The pineapple needs no other preparation. You can use fresh or canned pineapples for this recipe. I used canned for that night just because it was more convenient.

The kids gobbled their burger up without any fussing or running around. Melody even asked for it to be made again the next day. 🙂 The husband was a little disappointed that I did not make extra portions because he wanted a 2nd serving! I saved the extra teriyaki sauce to drizzle on simple pan-fried salmon the next day. The sauce will go really well with chicken too! 

Don’t forget to participate in the current giveaway!! 5 pairs of Each-a-Cup drink vouchers to giveaway! Click HERE for details!

Aloha Burger

Delishar

Patty

  • 600 g minced beef
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrot
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallion
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Oil to grease grill pan

Teriyaki Sauce

  • 2 tsp corn starch/flour
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 1/4 cup light soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 tsp brown sugar or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 clove garlic minced

Toppings

  • Sliced pineapple rings
  • Beef tomato sliced
  • Butterhead lettuce
  • Buttered hamburger buns toasted

Patty

  • Add all the ingredients for burger patty in a bowl.

  • Mix until combined, but do not over work it.

  • Divide into 6 patties, and keep chilled for patty to firm up.

  • Meanwhile get your other ingredients ready.

  • When ready to grill, heat grill pan on medium high.

  • When pan is hot, grill burger patties for 3 minutes on each side on medium heat.

  • Add or reduce time to your desired done-ness.

Teriyaki Sauce

  • Mix cold water with corn flour, stir to combine.

  • In a small saucepan, add soy, pineapple juice, garlic, and ginger.

  • Bring to simmer, and add sugar to taste.

  • Then drizzle in cornflour mixture while stirring.

  • Bring to simmer until sauce thickens.

  • Remove from heat.

Toppings

  • Grill pineapple slices, 2-3 minutes each side.

  • Then build your burger.

  • On your toasted bun, layer lettuce, tomato, patty, sauce, pineapple, and bun.

4-5 minutes for med-rare
5-6 minutes for medium
7-8 minutes for well done.

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Beef Pho – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

I don’t think Beef Pho needs much introduction. Pho is still one of the husband’s favourite meal. It has a richly flavoured broth that satiates but doesn’t leave feeling like you just consumed a heavy meal. Plus it’s really pretty simple to make. Every time I make Pho, the husband will be grinning from ear to ear. The kids will always ask for 2nd servings of soup, and slurp every last drop ever so loudly. 🙂 

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Roasting the ginger and onion gives the broth depth. Cooking it with the skin/paper still on, ensures that it releases maximum flavour. All the herbs and spices used gives the broth a warm, yet refreshing note. To me, the key to a bowl of good Pho lies in the broth, and of course the fresh herbs that accompanies. If you are not a beef eater, check out my Chicken Pho (Pho Ga) recipe that I shared on my cooking blog a while ago. 

beef pho process

Beef Pho

Delishar

  • 300-350 g thinly sliced beef I used shabu shabu beef
  • 1 unpeeled yellow onion quartered
  • 2 inch unpeeled old ginger
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 cardamom
  • 1 bay leave
  • 2 tsp sugar adjust to taste
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce or to taste
  • 1.5 L beef stock preferably low-sodium
  • 4 servings of rice noodle / stick
  • 1 cup bean sprouts to serve
  • Lime wedges to serve
  • Thai Basil leaves to serve (I didn’t have any so used sweet basil from garden)
  • Mint leaves to serve
  • Fried shallot to garnish
  • Scallion to garnish
  • In a lightly greased pan, toast onion and ginger until charred on both sides.

  • Ginger should be softened.

  • Meanwhile place all the spices into a herb baggie or tie it up in a cheese cloth.

  • Slice the ginger into thin pieces and place it in a pot together with the spices and charred onion.

  • Add beef stock and bring to boil.

  • Season with fish sauce and sugar to taste.

  • Then lower heat to a simmer.

  • Cover and cook for 15-20 mins.

  • Meanwhile, you can prepare your rice sticks as per package instructions.

  • Place the prepared rice stick in serving bowl, and add beef on top.

  • Pour boiling hot beef broth over the sliced beef to cook it.

  • Garnish and serve.

  • Serve with the fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and a side of lime wedge.

1 beef pho

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Breakfast Skillet – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

A good breakfast means a good start to the day, and with a breakfast so colourful, it is hard to not start the day with a smile on your face. This recipe is a great way for using up left over bits and ends of vegetables that’s sitting in your fridge after a week of cooking.

I used my trusty 26cm Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet to make this gorgeous one pan breakfast. Simply because I can utilize the stovetop to oven cooking without having to wash another pan. Because cast iron retains and distribute heat so well, I can assure that my vegetables will have even browning and lovely crusting as it cooks itself in the skillet.

The cheese acts as a nest to contain the eggs in the middle of the pan. As the cheese hits the hot vegetables, it starts to melt and forms a gooey cheese nest to herd the eggs together. This prevents the egg whites from making it’s way through the little cracks between the vegetable, and going all over the place. Plus, who wouldn’t like gooey baked cheese?!

3 breakfast skillet

In celebration of Le Creuset‘s 90th anniversary, I am hosting a 5 pcs Le Creuset Skillet Bundle giveaway worth $572! Stand a chance to win the bundle that includes:

  • 1 Skillet 26cm in Dijon Yellow
  • 1 Spatula medium in Caribbean Blue 
  • 1 Silicone handle sleeve in Caribbean Blue
  • 1 Bowl in Dijon Yellow
  • 1 Bowl in Caribbean Blue

To take part in this giveaway, simply complete the rafflecopter at the end of the post.  

This recipe will be the perfect recipe for you to make in your spanking new 26 cm Le Creuset Skillet! Here are more recipes that were made using the Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet:

This giveaway is made possible by the good people at Le Creuset.

Breakfast skillet process

Breakfast Skillet

Delishar

  • 2 russet potatoes washed and diced
  • 1/2 yellow onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 a large zucchini diced
  • 1/2 red pepper diced
  • 100 g slice white button mushroom
  • 4-5 strips of bacon sliced to 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley to garnish
  • Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

  • In a cold pan, add bacon.

  • Allow bacon to cook on medium (if using cast iron) to medium high heat.

  • When fat rendered, and bacon is crispy, fish it out and set aside.

  • Add olive oil, and potatoes.

  • Allow to cook undisturbed for 3 minutes or until underside is golden.

  • Saute and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

  • Add onion, and garlic, then saute for a minute.

  • Add mushrooms, zucchini, and red pepper, then saute for 1-2 minute.

  • Remove from heat, and make a shallow indentation in the middle of the pan.

  • Top with cheese, then crack eggs on top off cheese.

  • Bake for 8 minutes.

  • Crumble crispy bacon on top, and garnish with chopped parsley.

  • Serve immediately.

7 breakfast skillet

To take part in this giveaway, simply complete the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. Singapore time (GMT+8).  Giveaway bundle includes: Skillet 26cm in Dijon yellow x 1, Spatula medium in Caribbean x 1, Silicone handle sleeve in Caribbean x 1, Bowl in Dijon x 1, Bowl in Caribbean x 1. The winner will be selected by random.org and will contacted by email. The winner will need to respond within 48 hours. If there is no response from the winner after 48 hours, another winner will be selected. The winner will need to self-collect the prize at Le Creuset’s office;  therefore, it is open to Singapore entrants only.

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Caprese Tart – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

I instantly think of making this Caprese Tart when I saw their Organic Pesto with Zucchini, Organic Balsamic Vinegar, and Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the package that Alce Nero sent me.  At first, I was quite worried about the texture of the Organic Pesto with Zucchini. I thought it might be too wet, because zucchini has a high content of fluid. But I was proven wrong when I opened the jar. The pesto was thick, smooth, and creamy! The taste isn’t very heavy, which was perfect for this recipe. It’ll also make a good pasta dressing, especially for kids as basil pesto can be quite strong in flavour.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Alce Nero’s Organic Balsamic Vinegar was obtained from organic Italian grapes concentrate and aged in barrels for more than 25 years! I have always loved the rich, distinct flavours of balsamic. It is delicious as a dip for good bread, makes awesome salad dressing, and make great marinade for meats too. I like to reduce it, mix in some honey to make it a glaze for dressing salad to serving it with my pan-seared salmon. 

I made the glaze using Organic Wildflower Honey. The honey came at a really crucial time when I wasn’t well, and the family started a rotation of sore throat and cough, probably due to the hazy conditions. The family and I have been taking spoonful of honey to nurse the poor throat. 

What I love about Alce Nero’s products is that it’s all made with no preservatives and no artificial coloring / flavoring. With the amount of processed food available out there, it really comforts me to know that safe, healthful foods are still widely available, and at a very reasonable price. It makes me feel good, and secure that I’m able to give my kids products that are free of unwanted chemicals.

I made this for a pot luck party and it was gone in a flash! I mean it’s caprese salad on a puff pastry! How can anybody resist that?! Here was how I made it.

Caprese Tart process Caprese Tart process 2

Caprese Tart

Delishar

Caprese Tart

  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
  • 1 large beef tomato sliced
  • 1 mozzarella buffalo sliced
  • 2-3 heaping tsp pesto sauce
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves
  • Egg wash
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Honey balsamic glaze to dress

Honey Balsamic Glaze (makes about 1/2 cup)

  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup honey or to taste
  • 1 spring rosemary
  • 1/2 stick cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf

Caprese Tart

  • Preheat oven to 200C.

  • Prepare puff pastry by scoring the outer edge (about 1/2 inch) of the pastry.

  • Careful not to cut through.

  • Apply pesto sauce on top of puff pastry, leaving the outer corners clean.

  • Place tomato and mozzarella buffalo in alternate layers on inner part of the puff pastry, leaving the scored outer side as the border.

  • Drizzle some olive oil over the tomato and mozzarella.

  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Brush the sides of the puff pastry with egg wash.

  • Bake for 20 minutes or until puff pastry is golden

  • Drizzle with balsamic glaze to dress.

  • And scatter fresh basil on top before serving.

Honey Balsamic Glaze

  • Place balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and bay leaf in a heavy bottom saucepan.

  • Bring to simmer over low heat and allow to reduce for 15 minutes or until it coats the back of the spoon.

  • Stir in honey, until combined.

  • Remove bay leaf and rosemary.

  • Allow to cool.

  • As it cools it will thicken.

If you do not want your cheese to brown slightly like mine.
Bake your puff pastry first for the first 10 minutes, without any toppings.
Then add your toppings and bake for another 10 minutes.

Caprese Tart 2

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Orange Muffins – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

This muffins were almost impossible. Don’t get my wrong, they are super easy to make. All you need to do is blend, mix, and bake. It was almost impossible because my oven died on me while it was preheating. I had everything prepared and ready to go. Then the electricity at home tripped! Everything was dark. At first, I thought it was some electrical appliances that my helper was using in her room. Or my steam iron that has been giving us problems. But I turned around, and my helper was right behind me. 

I checked, turned off my oven then the circuit breaker stopped tripping. My heart was broken. I was thinking, oh my… no more baking/roasting for me! A part of me kinda died with the oven as well. And I was really disappointed as I have promised my girls to make them orange muffins. The only saving grace is that the oven died at the time when I was about to mix my wet and dry ingredients. My heart would break even further knowing that those ingredients have to go to waste. So I started packing up, and sealing stuff in air tight containers, hoping that my oven will rise from the dead the next day.

Then I proceeded to give my oven a pampering spa scrub, bath, and a good massage. Then stuck a thirsty hippo in to absorb all the moisture as I read moisture is a common culprit for causing the oven to trip. Well, the next day I crossed my fingers, toes, hair, and eyes while I walked over to turn my oven back on. IT WORKED! IT’S ALIVE! I LIVE AGAIN! Phew! I was so freaking happy. 

orange muffins Insta 1

I happily pulled out all the ingredients that I’ve saved and started the process again. Finally threw everything in my blender to blend. Mixed it and into my preheated oven. I literally stood by my oven to watch it bake, while gently coaxing it, and verbally encouraging it to hang in there and not die on me again. Definitely showing it a lot of love and attention, but it was well worth it!

The house smells amazing while the muffins were happily rising in the oven. The aroma of butter and orange was driving my saliva glands and tummy crazy. And the smile on my girls faces in the morning was priceless. The muffins were fluffy, and kind of have a texture of light butter cake. They were gone in no time at all. This recipe is definitely a keeper. 

Don’t forget to take part in the Chinese New Year 2016 S$500 Paypal Cash Giveaway! Click to go to GIVEAWAY PAGE and complete the rafflecopter widget at the end of the post!

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Orange Muffins

Delishar

  • 1 seedless orange peeled and sliced (I used Navel Orange)
  • 1/2 cup 118ml orange juice
  • 1 egg 65g, grade AA
  • 1/2 cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cup 224g all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup 100g castor sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Preheat oven to 200C.

  • Line muffin tins with muffin liners.

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

  • In a blender, place orange slices and orange juice.

  • Pulse until smooth.

  • Add butter and egg, then blend to combine.

  • Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

  • Fold wet and dry ingredients until just combined.

  • Fill muffin cups to 3/4 full.

  • Bake for 20 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.

  • Allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to wire rack to cool completely.

Use room temperature orange, juice, butter, and egg. If not your liquid ingredients will curdle. If it does, just blend it a little more and mix well with dry ingredients. But be careful not to over work your batter or you will get gummy/rubbery muffins.

orange muffins

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Bourbon Chicken – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

My girls were a little crazy over this dish. The loved the sauce and the glazed chicken pieces over their white rice. Before you get all up on my neck about giving my 4 & 5 year old bourbon, let me explain. This bourbon chicken has no bourbon or alcohol at all. Now, you wouldn’t really have thought that I would slowly poisoning my girls liver would you? 😛

I’ve never heard of bourbon chicken until I travelled to the USA. This dish right here is one of the popular take out or dine-in dishes at Chinese restaurants all over the states. I was a little apprehensive the first time I saw it on the menu. You see, I don’t drink, alcohol gives me hives and plants a tiny person with a jack hammer in my head.  So when I saw it on the menu, I’m like “Thanks, but no thanks.” But after seeing it time and again, every where I go, it’s almost in all the food courts / restaurants I visited.

So, my curiosity got the better of me, a risk (of hives and pounding headache) I was willing to take. Being the foodie, I got to find out for myself why is this dish so popular. So I ordered my first plate, and it was pretty much love at first bite. Sweet, savory, tangy, and with a very slight kick. I can see why it has got the making of a popular dish. So I went back and did a little research on it.

Bourbon chicken was named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was said that a Chinese chef who developed this recipe in a Chinese restaurant gave that dish it’s name. Makes sense now? Not sure how credible the origin of the mysterious bourbon chicken is though. Although the recipe doesn’t call for bourbon, it doesn’t restrict you from adding it in either. 😉

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Bourbon Chicken

Delishar

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

  • 1 kg boneless skinless chicken breasts / thighs cut into bite-size cubes
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup apple juice
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cider vinegar or rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup light soy sauce
  • Corn starch slurry
  • Chopped spring onions to garnish
  • Heat oil on med high heat in a large skillet.

  • Add chicken pieces and lightly brown on both sides.

  • Remove chicken and set aside.

  • Add remaining ingredients except corn starch slurry into skillet over medium heat.

  • Mix well, then return chicken to skillet.

  • Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer.

  • Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

  • Thicken sauce with corn starch slurry.

  • Garnish with chopped spring onions.

  • Serve over steamed white rice.

Bourbon Chicken 1

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Hawaiian Meatballs – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

Initially, I wanted to make some Sweet and Sour Meatballs for a quick fix meal. But when I looked into my pantry, I found a can of pineapples sitting around. So I changed my mind, and decided to try out something new but similar. I knew that anything sweet & savoury will definitely win the hearts of my little ones, and that would mean that I can save myself some effort in trying to get them to eat their food fast. 

It definitely helps when I’m serving meatballs of any kind. I mean, meatballs on its own is such fun food. The process of making meatballs is also a lot of fun for me. I usually bake my meatballs because it uses less grease, and the fat of the meat drains onto the tray as it cooks. That being said, do remember to line your baking tray for easy clean up. 

The dish turned out great! It tasted a lot like a cross between the Chinese sweet and sour, and Japanese teriyaki. Both a winning dish with the family. The sauce goes very well with steamed rice, and I love the sweetness and crunch of the peppers! 

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Hawaiian Meatballs

Delishar

Serves 4

Meatballs

  • 500 g minced beef
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 yellow onion minced
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/2 yellow onion sliced
  • 1/2 red pepper cut into bite sized
  • 1/2 green pepper cut into bite sized
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 & 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple I got canned pineapple and chopped it up
  • 1 tbsp white rice vinegar
  • Corn starch slurry
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • Chopped coriander to garnish

Meatball

  • Preheat oven to 200C.

  • Mix all the ingredient for meatball together.

  • Form meatballs about 1 1/2 inch size and place on greased baking sheet an inch apart from each other.

  • Give the meatballs a light spray of cooking oil.

  • Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Sauce

  • Heat cooking oil in pan over medium high heat.

  • Saute garlic and onion until onion is soft.

  • Add peppers and saute for a minute.

  • Add soy sauce, sugar, water, vinegar, and crushed pineapples.

  • Season to taste.

  • Stir in corn starch slurry to thicken sauce.

  • Add prepared meatballs, and toss to coat.

  • Remove from heat, garnish, and serve.

Hawaiian meatballs 1

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Ratatouille – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

This gorgeous dish that originated in Nice. Ratatouille is a traditional French recipe and is also known as stewed vegetables. If you find the name familiar, it is because it’s the same of a Disney movie. And in the movie, they served up this dish as well in one of the scene! 

This dish is traditionally build on fresh vegetables sauteed separately then layered on a baking dish before sending it to the oven to stew. Here, we skip that first step, layered the vegetables, and allow it to cook all at once. It’s a great side dish, and a great vegetarian alternative as well. I particularly like this dish because it’s healthy and I don’t have to feel guilty reaching out for a 2nd serving.  

ratatouille 2

The process of layering is pretty tedious in my opinion. But it was well worth the effort after seeing how gorgeous it turned out to be! I used the thinnest setting on my mandoline slicer to get more layers. However, you can always go a little chunkier. Use your favourite pasta sauce as the base, or you can always make your own. After pictures, I grated some parmesan cheese on top before serving, which gave the dish a little more oomph! 

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Ratatouille

Delishar

Serves 4-6

  • 1 zucchini thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow squash thinly sliced
  • 1 brinjal / eggplant thinly sliced
  • 1 red pepper thinly sliced into semi circles
  • 1 jar 400g of your favourite pasta sauce (I used a roasted red pepper sauce)
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 springs thyme leaves removed
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh basil to garnish
  • Preheat oven to 190C.

  • Mix olive oil, thyme, basil, and garlic together.

  • Coat the bottom of your 10 inch cast iron skillet with pasta sauce.

  • Lay out thinly sliced vegetables in alternate patterns.

  • Season with salt and pepper.

  • Spread olive oil mixture on top of vegetable.

  • Cover skillet with foil.

  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until sauce is bubbly and vegetable is soft.

  • Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

Use a mandoline slicer to get even thin slices of vegetables.
Use a casserole in place of a cast iron skillet.

ratatouille

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Grape Muffins – Delishar | Singapore Cooking, Recipe, and Lifestyle Blog

If you are a regular reader on my blog, you would know that I love making muffins. If you have not tried the top 3 muffin recipes on my blog yet, please do. It’ll list them here for your easy reference.

Muffins is my choice of bake product simply because they are quick, easy, and has never failed to satisfy the sweet tooth or hungry bellies looking for a snack. Muffins are also a very good make ahead breakfast option. Bake the day before to sleep in a little more in the morning. The family will go on auto-pilot to grab themselves a muffin for breakie if it’s on the kitchen counter. 

I know it is uncommon to use grapes in muffins. However, that does not mean that it should not be in there. My eldest wanted me to buy red seedless grapes for her to snack on, and the auntie in me bought so much because they were on promotion. 1 punnet for $8.99 and 2 for $10.99? Quite a no-brainer. Which also led me to this grape muffin experiment. 

I really did enjoy biting into the grapes for that burst of sweetness. The grapes holds its shape pretty well even after baking and did not turn into a mushy mess, which was awesome because it added nice texture to the muffins. 

I’m also trying to mess around with producing recipe videos after getting quite a few requests. So there is my debut. There are still a lot I need to learn about shooting these recipe videos and editing them. Baby steps I suppose. Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you.

Grape Muffins

Delishar

  • 1 1/2 cups 192g all purpose flour
  • 1 cup 120g wholewheat flour
  • 1/2 cup 100g castor sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup veg oil or melted butter
  • 1 1/4 cup 356g greek yogurt
  • 3 tbsp 45ml fresh milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups 245g seedless grapes, rough chopped
  • Preheat oven to 190C

  • Line muffins tray.

  • Whisk together all plain and wholewheat flour in a mixing bowl.

  • Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

  • Then add oil, yogurt, eggs, milk, and vanilla.

  • Mix until just combined and still lumpy.

  • Fold in grapes.

  • Divide batter equally into lined tray.

  • Bake 20-23 minutes at 190C.

  • Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

  • Stir until ingredients are combined. Lightly fold in grapes.

  • Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown on top, Cool in pan.

To use all plain flour only, use 2 1/2 cups (320g) flour and omit wholewheat flour.
You can use natural yogurt or buttermilk as well.

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