Recipe: Baked quail egg in avocado with crispy bacon

The month of August has flown past, and now we're at the end of our Little Thumbs Up "egg" event. Firstly, I would like to say thank you to everyone who have joined in the fun, I certainly had fun visiting each of your egg-cellent blogs and seeing what you have created for this event. I hope you had lots of fun cooking for your family as much as I did for mine. We have a total of 249 entries for this event, thank you so much for your support! Next month, Joceline will be hosting LTU with "pandan" as her chosen ingredient.

Next month, I will be hosting "Cook Like a Star" with Zoe and Mich, and we will be cooking Ree Drummond's recipes. You can check out her recipes here and join in the fun!

**************

Let me start by posing a question to you guys - I have one quail's egg and one regular hen's egg. I break both into a halved avocado and place it in the oven to bake. Which one do you think cooks faster?

If you guessed hen's egg, then you are right! I found it a little strange that the hen's egg which is at least 5x larger than a quail egg cooks in about half the time it takes to cook a quail egg in the oven. I think I need to try this again the next time I get a batch of quail egg to see if I was right the first time.

Back in June this year, I made avocado baked eggs. At that time, I used hen's egg and I had to scrape out some of the avocado flesh to make room for the egg. It gave me an idea to try it with quail's egg next time. One quail egg fits nicely into an avocado halve, but you can still scrape out some avocado flesh to make room for two quail eggs. What surprised me though was how long it took to cook the quail egg despite its smaller size. I also topped the avocado baked quail egg with some crispy bacon for extra colour, texture and taste.

I like mine with a runny yolk

Avocado baked quail eggs
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 18-20 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 avocado
2 or 4 quail eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Dill
1 calamansi lime
2 streaky bacon, sliced thinly
1/2 tsp cooking oil

For the mashed avocado (optional)
Avocado, scraped from Step 3
2 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (no fan).

2. In a large frying pan, add the oil and bacon, and fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until crispy. Set aside.

3. To pit the avocado, first you need to find the stalk and remove it. Hold it horizontally, with a knife through the centre until you hit the seed then move the knife in a circular motion until you go all the away around. Twist the avocado halves in opposite direction and it will come apart easily into 2 halves. Sink the knife into the avocado seed and remove. If not using immediately, sprinkle the avocados with some lime juice to avoid discolouration.

4. You are now left with the hollowed out avocado halves. You have the option of using 1 or 2 egg per avocado. If using 1 egg only, then simply break the egg into the avocado halves. It should fit nicely. If using 2 eggs,  use a spoon and scrape some avocado flesh out so that it is large enough to accommodate 2 eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until the egg white has set. Serve hot from oven, garnished with a sprig of dill and the bacon bits.

6. If you have scraped out some avocado flesh (from Step 4), prepare your mashed avocado. Mash with a fork, and then add the cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Serve with toast.

You can find the recipe for avocado baked (hen's) eggs here.

*I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY and hosted by me (Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out). You can link your egg recipes here.


If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! Thanks ;)

Recipe: Mee goreng with fried egg

During my youth, I love eating mee goreng (Malay-style fried yellow noodles) very much, and I would request for mum to get it from her office canteen every Saturday as they do a really good version with a great sambal accompaniment. Once mum arrives home, she would quickly fry a sunny side-up egg to go with my noodles. And that is my definition of a perfect plate of mee goreng.

Mee goreng with fried egg

Now that I am older and wiser (in the kitchen), I can whip up a plate of mee goreng whenever I crave for it. My choice of ingredients usually include chicken, fish cake slices, prawns and choy sum. For my fried egg, I like to use a low heat and gently cook the egg until the white has almost set, then using the spatula, I would scoop hot oil onto the yolk to cook slightly. This is the only way Baby C likes her fried eggs - we once went to a hotel and she didn't like the fried eggs as it had crispy edges.

Mee goreng is best served with an accompaniment of sambal paste (the same one you get with your nasi lemak). 

Mee goreng with fried egg
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 13-15 minutes
Serves 2


Ingredients
4 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
50g chicken, sliced
8 prawns, deveined with tails intact
100g fish cake, sliced
2 tbsp + 1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
300g thin yellow noodles
2-3 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 stalks choy sum, cut into 4cm length
1/2 tbsp cili giling (optional)
2 eggs

To serve
Sambal paste
1 lime, halved

1. Marinate the chicken slices with 1/2 tsp light soy sauce and 1/2 tsp sesame oil. In a separate bowl, marinate the prawns with 1/2 tsp light soy sauce and 1/2 tsp sesame oil.

2. Heat 3 tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium high heat and add garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned, then add chicken and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until cooked through.

3. Add the fish cakes and cook for 1 minute, then add the noodles and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Season wth light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, as well as cili giling (optional - if you want your noodles to be slightly spicy).Finally, add the choy sum and prawns and cook for 1-2 minutes until the prawns are cooked through. Serve immediately.

4. To fry the eggs, place 1 1/2 tbsp of oil into a small frying pan over medium low heat and break an egg. Cook until the egg white has set, then using the spatula, scoop hot oil onto the egg yolk for about 10 seconds. Repeat with other egg.

5. To serve, plate the noodles then top with a fried egg each. Serve some sambal paste on the side.

*I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY and hosted by me (Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out). You can link your egg recipes here.


If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! Thanks ;)

Set Lunch @ Maison Francaise, KL

Understated but elegant. That was my first impression of Maison Franҫaise. We were at this fine dining French restaurant doing one of our favorite things - enjoying a long lunch with great food. 

Maison Franҫaise is located in a quieter part of KL, in a beautiful refurbished bungalow. The main dining area is draped in natural sunlight, a dream come true for me. I also loved the tiny details such as the gorgeous flowers in glass vases on each table, the simplistic but modern furnishings and the eclectic artwork. 

The food here is authentic, classic French with modern twists. The restaurant is under the helm of Executive chef, Franck Lamache, who has worked in many renowned outlets such as 3-Michelin stars Crillion Hotel in Paris, Alain Ducasse and Le taillevent, just to name a few. He has also previously worked as a private chef for the President of Kazakhstan.  They also have an extensive wine list of over 150 premium wines from France, the highest one priced at RM15,000. We were told that all fish used in the restaurant is sourced from France, and the beef from Piedmont Italy and Australia.

Other than the a la carte and degustation menus, they also do a reasonably priced set lunch which is available from Tuesdays to Fridays. They are priced at RM59++ for 2-courses or RM75++ for 3-courses. The menu changes daily, depending on ingredient availability.

Amuse bouche - capsicum mousse with cherry tomato

There is a choice of 2 items per course. For entree, we had the crab meat salad and vegetable terrine. I love the presentation of this dish - beautiful colours and so fresh looking.The vegetable terrine consisted of zucchini and tomato layers, and complimented the crab salad very well.  Love the accompanying ikura too.

The smoked fish platter served for the set lunch is also available on their a la carte menu (RM59). The platter consists of three types of fish, all smoked in-house - seabass, salmon and herring, which should be eaten in this order. The flavour intensity increases with each different fish. It is served with a refreshing cucumber salad with champagne vinegar and caviar.

Homemade smoked fish platter

For mains, we had the seared red snapper with homemade tagliatelle and a saffron sauce. I like the sauce very much with the fresh fish. We also had the seared lamb loin with apricot, garlic and almond crumble, which was cooked to chef's recommendation of medium rare (RM98 on a la carte). The lamb was very tender, and juicy and I wish there was more! The crumble was really delicious with the lamb. Love the plating of this, so arty and colorful.

Red snapper with homemade tagliatelle and a saffron sauce

Seared lamb loin with apricot, garlic and almond crumble

Dessert was a choice between the roasted figs from Provence with vanilla ice cream and meringue or the white chocolate cake with raspberry mousse. I really loved the latter, both beautiful in appearance and flavour.

My lunch date with the rainbow eucalyptus by the pool

Verdict: Food presentation is top notch and the set lunch is excellent value for money.

For full a la carte menu, you can view it here. You can read my afternoon tea review here.

Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday: 11.00am – 11.30pm (last order). Closed on Mondays.

Location: Maison Francaise, 5 Jalan Changkat Kia Peng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: 03-2144 1474

Website: http://www.maisonfrancaise.com.my

GPS Coordinates: 3.151518,101.715147


If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! Thanks ;)

Recipe: Millionaire's Shortbread (Nigella Lawson)

Millionaire's shortbread, also known as caramel shortbread is a classic British treat consisting of three delicious layers- the buttery shortbread, luscious caramel and a chocolate topping. Have you ever tried this before? In the UK, you can easily get this in bakeries or even supermarkets - one of our favorite ones are from Thorntons. Nowadays, you can get some cool variations such as salted caramel layer or white chocolate topping. The name millionaire's come from the fact that this is a very "rich" treat.

Millionaire's shortbread

Hubby's favorite sweet treat - got this on our last trip to the UK

This month, I have been quite busy with my egg recipes for Little Thumbs Up, so imagine my delight when Hubby-and-daughter team made us millionaire's shortbread one afternoon. Double bonus for me, I get to enjoy this fantastic treat and so happened he picked Nigella's recipe so I get to post this for "Cook Like Nigella Lawson" too. So, thank you to my two darlings.

So, you start off by making and baking the shortbread. You can get your kids to help with this part. Baby C did a great job from forming a dough, to pressing it in the pan and then pricking it all over with a fork. Then, comes the caramel part which is made easy with condensed milk - this takes about 10 minutes to make and it's really easy! Finally, you melt the chocolate (any chocolate will work) and pour it on top and let it set. We did find it a little difficult to cut, because the caramel seems to melt very quickly in the hot climate.

Baby C helping out

Caramel love

These were absolutely delicious, and they were gone within 2 days. Since Hubby did such a great job making these, I'll have to convince him to make another batch soon :)

  Oh YUM!

Roxanne's Millionaire's Shortbread
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess
Makes 24


Ingredients

For the shortbread:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
170g butter

For the caramel

230g butter
14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 tbsp golden syrup

For the chocolate layer:
12oz bittersweet chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan or similar, and line the bottom with baking paper.

2. Put the flour and sugar into a bowl, and rub in 170g butter, clumping the dough together to form a ball. Press this sandy shortbread mixture into the pan and smooth it with either your hands or a spatula. Prick it with a fork and cook for 5 minutes, then lower the oven to 300°F/150°C, and cook for a further 30-40 minutes, until it is pale golden and no longer dough. Set aside and let it cool in the pan.

3. Melt 230g butter in a saucepan over low heat, then add the condensed milk and syrup. Whisk the mixture well until the butter is thoroughly incorporated. Heat over medium heat until it is boiling, stirring regularly. It is ready when it has thickened and has turned a light golden brown, this will take about 8-10 minutes. Pour this caramel evenly over the cooled shortbread and leave it to set.

4. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a bowl over a pot of simmering water or use the microwave. Pour and spread it over the fudge mixture and leave it to cool. Once set, cut the caramel shortbread into pieces. The squares can stored in the fridge to keep them firm.

Note: Kids can help with preparation of the shortbread. 


*I am submitting this to the "Cook Like a Star" event (Nigella Lawson) event hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Anuja from Simple Baking. You can link at any one of the host's page.

*This recipe was featured on Fabulous Food Blog Recipes FB page on 29 Aug 2013.

Recipe: Japanese Omelette (Usuyaki tamago) + Healthy noodle soup with leftover roast beef

Japanese omelette is seasoned with both sugar and salt, compared to the Chinese omelette which is seasoned with soy sauce. They are also thinner, and can be used to wrap whole ingredients or sliced thinly to use as garnish for sushi and noodles.

Both Japanese and Chinese omelette are great for making omurice (rice wrapped in omelette), topping on fried noodles as well as soupy noodles. Today I am sharing a recipe for healthy noodle soup topped with leftover roast beef and Japanese omelette. Simple but tastes very good, and it makes good use of leftover beef.

Japanese omelette (usuyaki tamago)
Recipe adapted from Japanese Bible
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp caster sugar
A pinch of salt
Vegetable oil for greasing pan

1. Place eggs, sugar and salt into a bowl and beat lightly using chopsticks. Pass mixture through a strainer to remove strands of eggs.

2. Very lightly oil a Japanese omelette pan or a 20cm (8-inch) non-stick frying pan and place over medium heat. Pour one third of the egg mixture into the pan, then tilt pan quickly to spread mixture evenly over the base.

3. Cook for 1 minute or until edges of egg mixture are dry and surface is nearly set. Using a spatula, flip the omelette and cook for a further 5 seconds.Transfer omelette to a chopping board.

4. Repeat with remaining egg mixture to make two more thin omelettes, greasing the pan lightly between the batches.

5. To slice the omelette, fold the omelette into thirds and then slice thinly into strips using a sharp knife.

First batch I made was slightly thicker so it has a more spongy texture 

Very thin Japanese omelette

Healthy noodle soup with leftover roast beef and Japanese omelette
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 pieces non-fried broad noodles (I used Cintan brand, approx. 110g)
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp cooking oil
3 stalks choy sum, cut into 1 inch lengths
6-8 sugar snap peas, ends trimmed and sliced
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt
100g ribeye roast beef, roasted and sliced thinly

For marination
1/2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp Japanese soy sauce

To garnish
1/2 portion Japanese omelette (recipe above)

1. Marinate the leftover beef in the mirin and Japanese soy sauce for about 5 minutes.

2. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a few drops of cooking oil and salt, and cook the noodles for 3 minutes,or until al dente. Drain and divide into two bowls.

3. In a separate saucepan, add the cooking oil and garlic and cook over medium high heat for 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the choy sum and sugar snap peas and cook for about 1 minute. Then, add the leftover beef for about 30 seconds, just to heat up. Season with salt as necessary.

4. Divide the soup between the two bowls and top the noodles with the vegetables, beef and Japanese omelette. Drizzle a little sesame oil over the top. Serve immediately.

*I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY and hosted by me (Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out). You can link your egg recipes here.


If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! Thanks ;)

Afternoon Tea @ Piano Lounge, Dorsett Grand, Subang

What better way to welcome the weekend than a relaxing afternoon enjoying a cup of tea and cakes?

Piano Lounge at Dorsett Grand, Subang

During our staycation with the kids at Dorsett Grand, Subang, we tried out their 3-tier afternoon tea in the Piano Lounge. Piano Lounge has a relaxed yet elegant ambiance, I especially like the pretty glass lights hanging down from the ceiling. The afternoon tea is available every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 4 pm - 6 pm and is priced at RM38++ per person and RM58++ for 2 person.

Every set comes with a pot of tea (BOH tea is served here) as well as sandwiches, cakes and scones. We were most definitely impressed with the quality of the afternoon tea, especially with the scones and the cakes. Happy to report that they get their scones right here. The sandwiches come in two different fillings - egg mayo and smoked salmon. Cakes were also nice and moist, the kids loved them.

Baby C enjoying her afternoon tea

Each set you see here is for 2 pax

Scones and meat turnover

Sandwiches

Not only pretty to look at, they are delicious to eat too

Piano Lounge- the venue for an afternoon of elegant indulgence

Goofing around ;)

Reservations recommended.



Pork-free.

Price: RM38++ per person, RM58++ for 2 pax.

Location: Piano Lounge, Dorsett Grand Subang, Jalan SS12/1, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-5031 6060

Website: http://www.dorsetthotels.com/malaysia/subang/

GPS Coordinates: 3.079216, 101.595294