Healthy Salad

This healthy fall salad recipe calls for a classic combination of sweet and sour - the sweet supplied by ripe pears, and the sour by pickles and vinaigrette. Jicama strips add a refreshing and delightful crunch to the mix.

Ingredients:

2 ripe pears, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces

1 medium jicama, peeled and sliced into thin strips

3 green onions, finely chopped

1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces

4 cups mixed baby salad greens
1/4 cup pickles, sliced

For Vinaigrette:1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or lemon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Whisk 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, Dijon mustard, turmeric and sea salt and pepper together to form a basic vinaigrette for this salad.

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle with vinaigrette, then give it a good toss with your hands.

Serve immediately. The quantities listed in this recipe make approximately four portions.

Thanks to Dr Ben Kim for this yummy and healthy salad recipe!

Homemade Roselle Jam

Roselle is known as Hibiscus Sabdariffa and is a species of Hibiscus.  It is known as the rosella or rosella fruit in Australia. It is asam belanda in Malaysia. In Chinese it is 洛神花 (Luo Shen Hua) . 

Roselle is becoming increasingly popular as a health drink as it has 

high content of Vitamin C and is said to contain 3 times more Vitamin C than blackcurrant and 9 times more than citrus fruit. It is also rich in anti-oxidant properties (anthocyanins).

Fresh roselle has been found to contain vitamin D, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin B2 Complex, Vitamin A, Niacin and Calcium. 

Known benefits of drinking roselle juice:

- decreases inflammation of kidney and urinary tract. 

- good for arteriosclerosis and reduce blood  

hypertension. 

- normalize blood pressure.

- stimulate internal peristalsis.

- relief cough and fever.

- for soft and smooth skin.

We usually make roselle juice by boiling the calyces in water for 8 to 10 minutes (or until the water turns red), then add sugar. It is often served chilled.  However this time, I decided to make roselle jam as my sister had given me a bag of homegrown roselle; 100% organic! 

Ingredients :

- 3 big bowls of fresh roselle (separate the red fleshy calyx from the central seedpod, washed)

- 3 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

- 1 cinnamon stick 

- few pandan (screwpine) leaves

- 1 cup of water 

Method :

1)  Put fresh roselle and water into a blender and blend it.

2)  Then, transfer to a medium sized pot.

3)  Add sugar and cinnamon stick.

4)  Cook at medium low heat.  Stir occasionally.

5)  Add pandan leaves when half way through.

6)  Keep stirring until it starts to thicken.  Remove pandan leaves.

7)  Let it cool before transfer to an airtight container.  Refrigerate.  

Enjoy your healthy Homemade Roselle Jam with bread or cream crackers.  I also mix 1 or 2 spoons into my fresh lemon drinks!  Very refreshing.... :)

Stir Fried French Beans with Fried Tofu and Preserved Radish

French Beans (String Beans) is highly nutritious. It has the same nutritional benefits as other common beans such as lima beans, mung beans, kidney beans, pinto beans and navy beans. 

It is easy to prepare and delicious no matter how you cook it.  Stir fry is one of it and it is especially tasty if stir fry it with preserved radish.  Instead of just the preserved radish, I also add deep fried  hard tofu.  Do try this simple and nutritious recipe :)

Ingredients :

  
- 1 big bunch of french beans (washed and cut)

- 2 blocks of hard tofu (cut into medium size)

- 1 tbsp of preserved radish (washed and roughly chopped)

- garlic (crushed)

cooking oil

Seasonings : (to taste)

- salt

- soy sauce

Method :

1) Heat enough oil in a wok and fry tofu until golden brown. Set aside.

2) With the remaining oil in the wok, saute garlic and radish until aromatic.

3) Add french beans and stir well. If too dry, add some water.

4) Then, add fried tofu. Stir and mix well.

5) Lastly, add seasonings and give it a quick a stir.

6) Serve hot.

Sausage Factory‏?????

A SARDAR sent his son abroad to give him a good education. On his return back home after completing his studies the father
took the son to his factory where they made sausages.

He let his son have a good look at the whole factory. The son examined the whole procedure seriously and gave a kind of brainy look.

Dad was so happy and asked the son,"So Son, do you have any good plans to further develop our business?."

SON: "Haanji, instead of putting the pigs into the machine and getting sausages out, we can put sausages in and get pigs from the other side"

Dad got so annoyed and he said,
"Wah PUTHAR! You are so clever. Only your mom has that kind of machine, where I put my sausage in and a pig like you came out!"

Man and Woman

1.
Behind every successful woman, there is a satisfied man.
But behind a satisfied woman, there is an exhausted man

2.
Sex is like a restaurant.
Sometimes you get full satisfactory service, and sometimes you have to be satisfied with self-service.

3.
What makes a happy man?
Daughter on the cover of Cosmo.
Son on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Mistress on the cover of Playboy
and...
Wife on the cover of "Missing Persons"

4.
Q: Why was the 2-piece swimsuit invented?
A: To separate the HAIRY section from the DAIRY section.

5.
Teacher: "What do you want to become?"
Little Johnny: "Doctor!!"
Teacher: "Why?"
Little Johnny: "Coz its the only profession where you can tell a woman to take off her clothes and get her husband to pay you."

6.
Old lady, 85, a virgin, about to die, wanted her tombstone to read:
BORN A VIRGIN, LIVED A VIRGIN, DIED A VIRGIN.
The engraver shortened it to:
"RETURNED UNOPENED"

7.
75-year-old man got married to a 16-year-old girl.
On their first night both were crying….
Why???
Coz she didn't know anything, and he had forgotten everything.

8.
Behind every successful man is a woman.
That's why Bill Gate always keeps his wallet in front.

$7.00 SEX

Economic lesson for today... $7.00 Sex

An Arizona couple, both well into their 80's, go to a sex therapist's office. 

The doctor asks, 'What can I do for you?'
The man says, 'Will you watch us have sexual intercourse?' 

The doctor raises both eyebrows, but he is so amazed that such an elderly couple is asking for sexual advice that he agrees.

When the couple finishes, the doctor says, 'There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way you have intercourse..'

He thanks them for coming, he wishes them good luck, he charges them $50 and he says good bye.

The next week, the same couple returns and asks the sex therapist to watch again. The sex therapist is a bit puzzled, but agrees.

This happens several weeks in a row.

The couple makes an appointment, has intercourse with no problems, pays the doctor, then leave.

Finally, after 3 months of this routine, the doctor says, 'I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Just what are you trying to find out?'

The man says, 'We're not trying to find out anything. She's married; so we can't go to her house. I'm married; and we can't go to my house.

The Holiday Inn charges $98.
The Hilton charges $139.

We do it here for $50, and
Medicare pays $43 of it, leaving my net cost of $7.

SHAME ON YOU FOR LAUGHING AT THAT...!!!!!!

Rice Cooker Fried Kueh Teow

Last Sunday, we decided to have fried kueh teow for lunch.  However, I was quite lazy to do it the conventional way. I want something simple, easy and quick. So, I used Toshiba rice cooker to cook kueh teow!

The ingredients were quite simple as I just made do with whatever ingredients that were available on that day. However, you can add your preferred ingredients such as prawns, chinese chives, eggs and cockles.

Ingredients :

- 2 packets of IKT kueh teow
- 2 fish cakes (sliced)
- 1 whole garlic (minced)
- 1 bombay onion (chopped)
- bean sprouts (taugeh) - fried separately
cooking oil
Seasonings :
- 2 tbsp of Homemade Chili Paste
- 1 tbsp of dark caramel sauce
- soy sauce (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)

Method :
1) Heat oil in a wok. Saute garlic and onion until aromatic.

2) Add fish cakes and stir well.

3) Transfer the fried ingredients to the rice cooker.

4) Add seasonings to the rice cooker. Then add kueh teow.

  

5)  Stir and mix well.  Select 'Quick Cook'.  

6)  It takes about 30 minutes to cook.  Stir again after you hear the 'beep' sound.  Let it sit for a about 5 minutes.

7)  Meanwhile, fry taugeh to go with the fried kueh teow.

8)  Serve the fried taugeh with kueh teow.  

That day, we had it with simple watercress soup too.

Well, if you want a simple no-fuss cooking, fully utilise your rice cooker.  As I am busy most of the time, I use my rice cooker to cook soup, braise, stew and steam certain foods.  My multi-purpose rice cooker for a lazy person like me, hahaha...

Updated on 31 Oct 2012 :

This post for Rice Cooker Fried Kueh Teow was featured in Toshiba Home Appliances Page.  Have a look at the page. :)

Stir Fried Manicai (Star Gooseberry) with Salted Egg

I came across Kelly Siew's Manicai recipe at Sarawak Food Fest - Sept 2012.  

In Hokkien, we call it Manicai. Whereas, in English it is called star gooseberry or sweet leaf and in Malaysia it is cangkuk manis, sayur manis, pucuk manis or cekur manis. I like Manicai but all these while I didn't know that any excess amount of Manicai juice is bad for our lungs due to a chemical called alkaloid papaverine. Guess what? I have been cooking Manicai without squeezing out all the juice!

So, this is my first 'squeezed' Manicai and I cooked it with dried shrimps and salted egg. Thanks Kelly!

Do give it a try if you like this dish :)

Ingredients :

- 1 bunch of manicai
(washed and roughly tear the leaves with hand. Then, add salt and leave aside for few minutes. Squeeze all the juice out with hand. Lastly, rinse and squeeze again).

- 3 eggs - whipped
- 1 salted egg
- 1 tablespoon of dried shrimps
- garlic
- Soy sauce
- cooking oil

Method :
1) Heat enough oil in a wok and saute garlic and dried shrimps until aromatic.

2) Stir in manicai and cook for about a minute. Add some water if it looks too dry.

3) Make a well in the middle and add beaten eggs in and wait for it to set. Stir and mix well.

4) Add salted egg on top and let it set. Then add water if it is too dry. I prefer it to be a bit moist. Lastly, stir in the soy sauce to taste.

5) Stir and mix well and serve hot.

This dish is full of fibre and it is indeed delicious.... :)

Healing Miracle for Burns

A young man sprinkling his lawn and bushes with pesticides wanted to check the contents of the barrel to see how much pesticide remained in it. He raised the cover and lit his lighter; the vapours ignited and engulfed him. He jumped from his truck, screaming. His neighbour came out of her house with a dozen eggs and a bowl yelling, "Bring me some more eggs!"

She broke them, separating the whites from the yolks.

The neighbour woman helped her to apply the whites onto the young man's face.

When the ambulance arrived and the EMTs saw the young man, they asked who had done this. Everyone pointed to the lady in charge.

They congratulated her and said, "You have saved his face."

By the end of the summer, the young man brought the lady a bouquet of roses to thank her. His face was like a baby's skin.

Keep in mind this treatment of burns is being included in teaching beginner fireman. First Aid consists of first spraying cold water on the affected area until the heat is reduced which stops the continued burning of all layers of the skin. Then, spread the egg whites onto the affected area.

One woman burned a large part of her hand with boiling water. In spite of the pain, she ran cold tap water on her hand, separated 2 egg whites from the yolks, beat them slightly and dipped her hand in the solution. The whites then dried and formed a protective layer. She later learned that the egg white is a natural collagen and continued during at least one hour to apply layer upon layer of beaten egg white. By afternoon she no longer felt any pain and the next day there was hardly a trace of the burn. 10 days later, no trace was left at all and her skin had regained its normal colour. The burned area was totally regenerated thanks to the collagen in the egg whites, a placenta full of vitamins.

Since this information could be helpful to everyone, won't you please share it with your loved ones?

Stir Fried Malabar Spinach with Salted Egg

Malabar spinach is in fact not related to spinach! The leaves and stems of Malabar Spinach is purplish-red or green. It has fleshy and thick leaves. When cooked, it is slightly slippery. I used to cook this veggie quite often as my girls like it. It is simple and easy to prepare; be it a stir-fry or a simple vegetable soup. No matter how you cook it, it is still tasty!

Here is one of my Malabar Spinach recipes which I stir fried it with salted egg. Hope you like it!!

Ingredients :

- a bunch of Malabar Spinach - washed

- 1 salted egg - whipped;  yolk, cut into small pieces 

-  garlic - crushed

- 1/2 cup of water

- soy sauce - to taste

- Cooking oil

Method :
1) Heat cooking oil in a wok at medium high heat. Add garlic and saute till fragrant.

2) Add malabar spinach and give it a quick stir. Add water and continue to stir another minute.

3) Add salted egg and let it simmer for a while. When the egg is set, add soy sauce and mix well. (Take note that you should adjust the soy sauce accordingly as sometimes the salted egg can be quite salty. As for me, I did not add any salt to it as I have added bamboo salt into my soy sauce).

4) Remove from the heat and serve at once.

 Hope you like this simple recipe.  Enjoy!! 

Enzyme-Treated Coconut Oil Might Prevent Tooth Decay

Enzyme-Treated Coconut Oil Might Prevent Tooth Decay :: FOOYOH ENTERTAINMENT

Lim Peh Ka Lu Kong!

Dr. Quek made a routine house call to Mr. Lim, one of his elderly patients. He asks, "And how are you doing today, Mr. Lim?" Mr. Lim replies, "I feel just fine, doc. But you know, it's the strangest thing.  Every night when I get up to pang jio, the bathroom light goes on for me automatically when I open the door!" The doctor is worried that the old man is getting senile, so he phones the man's son, and the son's wife answers. The doctor tells her, "Mrs. Lim, I'm a little concerned about your father-in-law. It seems that when he gets up to urinate at night and opens the bathroom door, the light somehow goes on...." At which point, Mrs. Lim yells, "Aiyoh, Ah Seng!  Ah Pa pang jio in the fridge again!"  ____________ _________ _________ QUESTION: How do you know frogs are Hokkien? ANSWER : Because when it's cold, they go "kwah,kwah, kwah".  QUESTION : How do Hokkien prawns laugh? ANSWER: Hae hae hae.  QUESTION: How do Hokkien fish laugh?  ANSWER: Hoo hoo hoo.  And here is a classic ...... QUESTION: What's the difference between Ang-mor and Hokkien fairy Tales? ANSWER: Ang-mor fairy tales begin with "Once upon a time..." and Hokkien fairy tales begin with "Lim Peh ka lu kong..."