How To Combine 3 Simple Ingredients To Make an Easy Peasy Yet Super Healthy and Nutritious Dessert or Tong Sui 糖水

Sweet potatoes flesh are not always in orange colour.  You can find spectacular purple-flesh potato, which is also known as Okinawan potatoes. Like orange sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes are low in carbohydrates and fat.  They are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin A, which boost our immunity and help preserve our eyesight. They are also rich in complex carbohydrates and fibre.

Purple Sweet Potatoes are found to improve blood sugar regulation. Eating purple sweet potatoes also help lower blood pressure. But what makes them truly stand apart from their orange counterparts is the fact that purple sweet potatoes have high contents of anthocyanin which may have anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, anthocyanins have been epidemiologically associated with a reduced cancer risk and cardiovascular disease.

Sweet potatoes can be steamed or boiled, or in anyway you like.  I usually use orange or purple sweet potatoes for breads, buns, desserts or just steamed it. They are delicious!!

Red Beans is one of the richest foods in antioxidants. It provides half your daily requirement of fiber, source of iron and thiamine (vitamin B1) which stimulates attention and memory.

Ginger is known for its medicinal properties. Modern scientific research has revealed that ginger possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects.

Just combine the above 3 ingredients into a delectable and nutritious dessert for your breakfast. I cooked this dessert in a slow cooker. Just switch it on to Auto before you go to bed. The next morning, you will have hot dessert for breakfast!

So, starting your day with a bowl of this simple 3-superfood dessert will definitely cheer you up and get you through the day!! Something different for your family instead of the usual Milo, milk, bread,cake, etc, right?

Sweet Purple Potatoes Dessert with Red Beans and Taiwan Ginger Cube (姜母茶)

Ingredients : 

(Please take note that, the measurement for this simple dessert is quite flexible.  You may adjust it to your taste)

- 2 medium sized purple sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)

- 1/2 cup of red beans (washed)

- 1 cube of Taiwan Brown Sugar Ginger Cube

- 1500ml water 

- 8 tbsp brown sugar

- few blades of pandan leaves (washed and knotted)

Method :

1)  Put everything into the slow cooker except the pandan leaves.

2)  Turn it to Auto before you go to bed. (If you want to have it for breakfast.  Otherwise, you may prepare it anytime you like).

3)  Alternatively, you can cook it over the gas stove.

4)  Add the pandan leaves few minutes before serving.

That day, I had it with a slice of radish cake. In case you are interested, do kiv for this radish cake recipe....

Other similar recipes you might be interested :

Have a great weekend and cheers!

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Flavorful Braised Pork Belly with Pumpkin

My goodness, time really flies and 2015 is entering its second month soon.  My sincere apologies to all for not posting anything since New Year and not visiting my fellow bloggers' cyberhome.  Well, I have been very occupied with a new project (it's a good start for me in 2015; new project means extra pocket money for me, besides my full-time job...yeah! ) which I have been rushing to meet its dateline since I came back from my year-end holidays.  Well, to all who sent their greetings and wishes last year, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and may you all enjoy good health and prosperity in whatever you are doing.

Here's my 1st post for 2015 and I hope you all like this simple but very flavorful Asian braised pork belly with pumpkin.  If you wish to know the health benefits of pumpkin, click the pic  below for more info.

Flavorful Braised Pork Belly with Pumpkin
Ingredients :
- 1 strip of pork belly (blanched and cut into bite size)
- 1 bowl of cubed pumpkin (with the skin intact)
- 1 thumb sized ginger (crushed)
- 1 tbsp fermented black beans (tau si)
- soy sauce to taste
- water
- Cooking oil

Method :

1)  Heat some oil in a pan or wok.

2)  Saute ginger and  fermented black beans until aromatic.

3)  Add cubed pork belly and stir fry for awhile.  Mix well.

4)  Add water until it covers the meat.

5)  Cover and let it boil at high heat for 5 minutes.  Then lower the heat and simmer until the meat is cooked and tender.  This takes about 35 to 45 minutes depending on the type of pot used.  I used AMC medium pot.  Add more water if you prefer more gravy.

6)  When the the meat is cooked and gravy thickened, add cubed pumpkin.

7) Cover and continue to cook until the pumpkin is cooked and soft.  This takes about 5 to 8 minutes.  Add soy sauce to taste.  Stir and mix well.

8)  Serve hot with steamed rice.

A very simple yet flavorful dish

You can substitute pork belly with chicken too. 

A homey dish which our family have never get tired of it since our grandma days.

Note :  No salt is added as the fermented black beans itself is already salty.  

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Pumpkin Waffles... is it comparable to True Belgian Waffles?? You judge ...

I still have some pumpkin left and I decided to do something different. Pumpkin Waffles, yes, that’s right. However, I chanced upon a waffle recipe from Taste of Home which have in fact captivated me instantly. I have wanted to try it immediately. It’s True Belgian Waffles, but what about my pumpkin puree??? ... Eh..., I can actually add pumpkin puree to this recipe, right? However, I have no idea how a True Belgian Waffles really taste like; without the addition of pumpkin. So, is there anyone who have tried this True Belgian Waffles without any modification? Anyway, I will do this waffles again without the pumpkin puree and will update you all on this.

Overall, I can tell you, this pumpkin waffles is really very very yummylicious and my girls and hubby giving all thumbs up for this. They prefer this pumpkin waffles to the normal waffles version which hubby used to make for us.  Hubby enjoys making pancakes and waffles for us on weekends and holidays and usually we would wake up to the sweet aroma of his bakes feeling so blessed and loved :)  Now hubby wants to bake this version instead of his usual ones, hahaha...

Recipe source : Taste of Home (with some minor modification in red)
Ingredients :
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar (I used ½ cup)
- 3.5 teaspoons baking powder (I used 1 tsp double acting baking powder)
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1.5 cup pumpkin puree (steamed and slightly blended)
- 1.5 cups milk
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract (I omitted)
- Sliced fresh strawberries or syrup, honey

Yield : 14 mini waffles

Directions :

1) In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder.
2) In another bowl, lightly beat egg yolks.
3) Add pumpkin puree, milk and butter; mix well.
4) Stir into dry ingredients just until combined.
5) Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.
6) Grease preheated waffle iron with butter and bake according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown.
7) Serve with strawberries, maple syrup or honey.

It’s great to serve this waffles warm with maple syrup or honey

Top it with your favourite fresh fruits....

Isn’t this a very satisfying and heartwarming breakfast for your family??

Do have an enjoyable week!

I am submitting this post to "My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.


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Pumpkin Lemongrass Soup

Pumpkin is very healthy and nutritious.  It's very versatile as you can cook it in anyway you like besides turning it into healthy desserts, jam, bakes, etc.  When making it into soup, it's not necessary to add meat as pumpkin itself is already sweet.  All you have to do is wash the skin thoroughly.  Then cut it into your required sizes and put everything in including the seeds and the pulp.  No wastage!!!

More benefits of pumpkin can be found in the above Spicy Fragrant Japanese Pumpkin's post.

Ingredients :

- a quarter of pumpkin together with its seeds and pulp (cut into required size)

- 8 stalks of lemongrass (use the white stems, cut and crushed)

- 2 thumb sized ginger (crushed)

- 2 chicken carcass (blanched)

- water (enough for soup)

- 8 white peppercorns (crushed, optional)

- salt (to taste)

Method :

1)  Put pumpkin, lemongrass and ginger into a pot of water.
2)  Once the water is boiling, add chicken carcass to the boiling water.
3)  Boil at high heat for 15 minutes and add peppercorns.  Turn to low heat and boil for about 1.5 hours.  
4)  Season with salt.
5)  Serve hot.

I love to drink the soup HOT..

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (Oct 2014 Event: PUMPKIN) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Eileen (Eileen's Diary).

Also submitting this post to "My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.

To receive new updates, do LIKE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING on FACEBOOK. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)

Refreshing Rice Porridge/Congee with Sweet Pototoes

Usually when any member of my family is under the weather, rice porridge or congee is the best choice. Besides being refreshing, it's also excellent for those who have weak digestive tract from chronic or acute illness and also for healing nourishment.

Cooking rice porridge or congee is easy and simple. An amount of grains with 5 to 6 times more water is all that is needed for plain rice congee and  preferably, a pinch of sea salt is added. Plain rice congee can be of white or brown rice grains.  For added flavour or health benefits and healing purposes, a combination of grains, beans, vegetables, meat or medicinal herbs is commonly practiced by my family since our grandparents' era.  In fact most of my uncles and aunts as well as my parents are quite well equipped with Chinese medicinal herbs knowledge as both my grandparents were Chinese sinseh.  Too bad, my knowledge on this topic is quite limited and I regretted that I didn't really make it a point to learn it from them.  Fortunately, I am still able to cook simple yet nutritious and healthy meal for my own family, hehehe...  Not too bad, isn't it????  

Ingredients :

- 1 cup of rice grains - I used brown rice (thoroughly washed)

- 1 medium sized orange sweet potato (peeled and cut)

- 6 cups of water (adjust the water depending on individual's preferences)

Method :

1)  Put washed rice and water into a pot and bring to a boil.

2)  Lower the heat and simmer until the rice is semi-cooked.

3)  Add in sweet potatoes and continue to cook till porridge consistency and the potatoes are soft.

4)  If you need to add water, remember to add hot water.

5)  Serve hot for breakfast or lunch.

I prefer my porridge to be super silky smooth (you need to simmer it longer) but hubby likes his rice porridge just as the above picture and my girls like theirs to be very watery.  So, each time whenever I cook porridge, the consistency of the porridge also varies depending on the type of porridge and the 'demand', hehehe...

We usually eat this with some side dishes or condiments if we are having it for lunch.  As this was for breakfast, we had it with Homemade Salted Duck Egg <--- (click here for a step-by-step recipe).

Isn't this a very simple yet healthy breakfast for your beloved family?

In case you are interested, here's the  link to my previous porridge/congee recipes :-

Sweet Bitter Gourd Porridge

Malay style porridge : Bubur Lambuk/Spiced Porridge

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