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I am sure everybody has their own magic ingredient/s. I just realised last night that mine's gotta be the creamy, rich, exotic and super fragrant coconut milk. It gives my dishes the extra oooompphh!
Just like my favorite little gold necklace (I'll add the picture), which perfects my outfit every time, this magic ingredient makes everything suddenly taste...exotic yet familiar, rich yet subtle, simply out-of-this-world magical!
Am I hard-selling this ingredient too much? Will this qualify me as a coconut milk sales lady? (or do they call it "sales associate" these days?) hehehe
Growing up in Indonesia, I've seen our family's helper, Mbok Yem making coconut milk all the time. While boxed/canned coconut milk/cream is easily available in Hong Kong and I bet anywhere in the world, it is no match to the coconut milk resulted from the freshly grated and squeezed home-made coconut milk. My busy lifestyle (i.e. my lazy ass) does not really give me the luxury of time to try making my own coconut milk, so I had to settle with the boxed ones, but you can try to make your own coconut milk this way.
I wanted to make a creamy tuna and pumpkin pasta last night (as I have a spare can of tuna in spring water ^_^), I was contemplating to use milk, cream or coconut milk...and decided to go with coconut milk. It made it perfect! The oceanic scent of tuna, the sweet and earthy tone of pumpkin, and the magic touch of coconut milk...stop it!
(I don't wanna be a pushy sales associate! I just can't be that person I've been trying to dodge throughout the mall all the time! LOL)
Recipe
- 1 can of tuna in spring water
- 1/4-1/2 small pumpkin (the pumpkin diameter is approx 15 cm), peeled, thinly sliced, softened in microwave for 10 minutes with a bit of water
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 5 cloves of shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 cm ginger, peeled & crushed
- 1/2 packet of farfalle
- 1 small box/can of coconut milk
- olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar
Saute garlic, ginger and shallot, add pumpkin pieces, add tuna pieces with the water, bring to boil, add coconut milk, add seasoning, lower heat. Prepare pasta according to the instructions on the packaging, drain, pour on the sauce mix, stir, heat through, sprinkle fresh chopped corriander/parsley flakes to garnish, serve hot.
Harry Potter and your magic wand, take that!
Sharing this with Presto Pasta Night's Gang!
Just after saying I don't wanna be a pushy salesman, here I go again:
Few more days to go, release the little Chinese in you, see you at the Chinese Take-Out Party Round Up!
no more selling, I promise...for now, hehe
I'm officially falling in love all over again....
Head over heel, smiling from ear to ear, day dreaming, butterflies in my stomach, can't sleep at night, the world looks like a beautiful place, pollution fumes from the buses smelt like freshly baked cinnamon cookies, C-R-A-Z-Y in L-O-V-E!!
...and the new leading actor in my little day time soap opera is...my stud non stick, easy to clean, 6 cup MUFFIN TRAY!
Finally! After baking unshapely "muffins/cakes/baked goods/thingies" (cross out the inappropriate word), I could bake something which resemble muffins :) I had to hold back and restrain myself not to get my hands on my little stud muffin tray all the time! If only I could...I'd bring it to work with me or hold him in my sleep *grin*
My friends (i.e. my guinea pigs) noticed this infatuation and one of them asked:A: (upon receiving another sample of baked goods) Do you bake EVERY DAY??!!
Me: NO!...well...not EVERY day...
A: So, every other day??!!
Me: (decided to use the most convenient method on hand...staring at my freshly painted toes)...
OK...you don't have to point a gun to my head...I admit...I might have over-used the tray, but what the heck! Life's short, bake more treats!
I want something savoury, and South East Asian inspired...so....I made...
CURRY TUNA MUFFINS
Recipe
- 1 can of tuna chunks in spring water (remove water and shred using fork, yields about 1 cup)
- 1 small clove of garlic, super finely chopped
- 2 small cloves of shallot, super finely chopped
- 1.5 tbsp of chicken stock powder (you can replace this with normal salt, just use less)
- 1.5 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1/3 cup of coconut milk
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup of self raising flour, sifted
- fried shallot flakes and dried/fresh corriander for garnish
Preheat oven to 175C, saute the super finely chopped garlic and shallot in 1 tbsp olive oil until fragrant, add the tuna, add 1/2 tbsp chicken stock powder (or a pinch of salt), add curry powder, stir about, set aside. Mix flour, chicken stock powder, sugar in one bowl. Mix beaten egg, coconut milk, olive oil in another bowl. Make a well in the middle of flour, pour the egg mix, stir about, add the tuna (leave some for topping), sprinkle more curry powder if you wish. Line muffin tray with muffin paper cups (or brush with oil), pour muffin mix until 3/4 full, bake for about 25 minutes, 10 minutes before they are done, add more tuna chunks, fried shallot flakes on top, continue to bake until toothpick comes out clean, sprinkle some dried corriander flakes, serve.
I like 'em HOT! Fresh from the oven ^_^
Now I gotta get back to day dreaming about my stud muffin tray...(cue background music...*recommend a love song of your choice here, it has to be the corniest, cheesiest love song EVER!!*)
Check out more yummy muffins at Michelle's Snack Shots event!
....and...there's still time to whip up something to bring for the Chinese Take-Out Party, see you there!
