Old El Peso dinner kits for the lazy me

Old El Peso dinner kits are one of our favourite quick dinners whenever we've a "SUDDEN" cravings for Mexican dinner @ home. The 'kit' contains a bag of salsa, seasoning mix for the meat and also 10 pieces of soft fajitas or shell/soft tacos. The kit would cost you around MYR14++ here in Malaysia but trust me, it's way much more expensive to eat OUT nowadays. All we need to add in is about 450gms of mince meat for dieters (which you can get now purchase these lean mince from our local Cold Storage).

Just follow the instruction listed at the back of the taco kit and within 10 minutes, dinner is ready to be served. I replaced margarine/butter with olive oil and I also stirred in cubed plum tomatoes at the very last minute for the extra flavor without loosing it's crush.

Soft Tacos was wrapped in aluminium foil before reheating it in the oven for 7 minutes. Continue wrapping the tacos to keep them warm while serving.

That's the only time you'll see my fiance fixing his own dinner.. :P

A bit of everything was layed on a piece of soft taco.

X-T wrapping up his burito

Quick.Easy.Healthy

Korean Pancake Mix

It's dinner time and we're just too lazy to even buy food from the nearby coffee shops...

Discovered a pack of Korean pancake premix in the kitchen *Happy happy*. This is the easiest food you can make in the kitchen because you can add in whatever vegetable or meat left in the fridge to make this yummy delight.

Chop up some 1 red pepper and yellow onions

Some squid too

And a handful of chives

Dilute some remix in a big bowl and chuck in the chopped vegetables. Mix mix mix.. making sure the batter is not too thick for a crispier pancake.

Pan friend the vegetable batter in a nonstick pan lightly sprayed with olive oil. Sprinkle some sliced squid on top of each pancake. Slip and fried the pancakes until it turns golden brown and crispy at the sides.

Here's our lazy dinner, 4 slices for 2 all served in ONE plate.. *lazy to wash too many plates* hah!

Berry Strawberry Topping

Well, I know I can get strawberry toppings or sauce for my dessert at the supermarket but why I'm not doing so is because those sold off-the-shelf is way too sweet for me. This time around, I've decided to make my own strawberry topping minimizing sugar with EXTRA strawberries!

Wash a handful of strawberries

The strawberries were hulled and split into halves. Please them in a saucepan and turn on the stove to medium heat.

Add in balsamic vinegar. Strawberries and balsamic vinegar are match made in heaven!

Instead of sugar, I've added maple syrup to the boiling strawberries

Turn down the heat and boil the stawberries for 15 minutes or until the strawberries caramelised.

Here's a must-have ingredient when making strawberry toppings! The almighty vanilla pod.
It was said to be the second most expensive spice in the world, next to saffron! So please, when you scrape the seeds off the pod, make sure you don't leave any tiny bits behind.. :)

Split 1 vanilla pod and add in the seeds into the boiling sauce. You may want to boil it together with the pod for extra flavor. Turn off the heat immediately and DO NOT LET IT BOIL.

Here's the strawberry topping for my ice cream. You can even spread it on bread or pancakes.

Strawberries are high in vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber. There also have a high rate of antioxidant power. So, here's a very good excuse for you to indulge in strawberry desserts often...Errr... homemade ones with less sugar of course!

Buffalo wings weekend & Anchovy Frenzy!

It's been quite a while since I made baked dinners. Too many weekends away from my kitchen and eating out! So, sekali I get a chance to stay at home and do nothing, I turned out doing more than I should and I'm Lovin it!

Marinated some wings and stored them in the fridge for 12 hours straight..



Here's the Buffalo wings after 30 minutes in the oven..

Open up a can of anchovy fillets in Extra Virgin Olive Oil



Used 1/2 a can of anchovy, add in a can of flaky tuna and cherry tomatoes to make tricolored pasta salad

And how about the rest of the anchovy in the can?


I've mashed them all up and add into my Caesar salad..

I've just recovered from my kitchen withdrawal syndrome!.. ngek ngek ngek...

Red Wine Chicken Stew

When you've cheap red wines sitting at home, DON'T throw them out of your window or hitting those bottles on your ex-bf/husband's head or neighbour's pet snake! Don't keep these wine too long at home because our Malaysian climate is too warm to keep them as 'collections' unless you've your own wine cellar.

Here's one of my ways to discard cheap red wines..

I took out my favourite ceramic stew pot (Thanks aunt Karen!), chop in some vegetables, fresh herbs,mashed tomatoes and big chunks of chicken.

Pour the whole bottle of red wine into the ceramic pot and simmer.. *1/4 glass of red wine end up in my stomach* yuks.. I don't like Carlo Rossi..It's just too acidic but I'm pretty sure this wine makes good stew.

Hours later... You've yourself a big pot of Red Wine Chicken Stew. Serve with pasta, rice or toasted baguette..

Big Breakfast for L'abeille

I should be sleeping at this hour. It's 4:30am now and I'm talking to myself... *yawn*

....I'm hungry! Crap, it's already SATURDAY and it's indulgence time....but so what?! I shouldn't be eating at this hour... *Dreaming of McD breakfast and Chinese dim sum*

... I should have finished the whole star fruit yesterday evening for dinner *Regrets*

I was checking through all my foodie photos taken since the day I started our food blog and I found exactly what I want to make for breakfast later...

THIS!!! IS ONE GOOD SATURDAY MORNING BREAKFAST..


It's even better if I've 'someone' to cook for me.. *yeah L'abeille dream on.....*

"I wanna scramble eggs on buttery rye bread, grilled cherry tomatoes with Italian herbs, sautéed mushrooms and bacon. Oh and a cuppa coffee and orange juice please..."

Okey Dookey, time to climb back to bed. If I'm able to wake up on time to make big breakfast... "Breakfast we shall all have" ;)

Stir fry brownrice beehoon

Here's a healthier version of fried meehoon I made before I left for my long holidays.

What you need:
Light olive oil - just enough to oil a non-stick pan
Organic brown rice beehoon - soaked and set aside.
Chop 1 clove of garlic
Chicken fillet - cut into thin long strips, marinate with a bit of soy sauce, pepper and a few drops of sesame oil.
Chinese Dried mushrooms -soaked and cut into strips
Leafy greens - cut into 2 inches strips
Carrots - just for the colour
A few teaspoons of filtered water, thick soy sauce, thin soy sauce, oyster sauce, Maggi chicken stock granules, salt and pepper.

Method:
Fire up a nonstick pan.
Pour just a few drop of light olive oil-enough to oil the non stick pan.
Add garlic to the hot pan.
Next, add in the chicken fillet. Brown the meat for about 30 seconds.
Add in carrot strips.
Stir in organic brown rice beehoon. Stir but please be gentle as you do not want to break the beehoon into small small strands.
If the meehoon gets too dry, add in some filtered water BUT not too much as it will make the dish soggy.
Add in leafy greens and mushrooms

Stir in thick and thin soy sauce, oyster sauce, Maggi chicken stock granules, salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from pan and serve hot!

Bon Appétit !

Greens for dinner

I love salad! I'll usually have these or something similar for dinner but once in a blue moon, I want something warm. Sometimes I'll just go overboard and end up with 3 types of greens for dinner. Without rice, without noodle and not even bread..just VEGETABLES.... Mooo!

Clockwise: Tau Miu (Pea spouts) with lots of garlic, Stir fried black bean with bittergourd and Hong Kong Choi Sum with lots of garlic, ginger and a dash of Chinese cooking wine..

Talking about GREEN, that reminds me of a song that brings back lots of childhood memories and also memories of the days when XT was trying to 'know me better'... haha..don't ask..don't ask..

Claypot miso soup

It was rainy and it was so windy and cooling last weekend. XT was washing his car while I sat infront of my favourite Channel#703 hugging my 'thinking pillow', trying to get some inspiration on what to cook for dinner the whole afternoon. Both of us were bored of restaurant food and takeaways after the vacation. We wanted a warm dinner yet we don't want anything greasy. Soon, X-T finished washing his car and I STILL don't know what to cook for dinner! Errr...I must come up with 'dinner' as soon as XT finishes his shower because we're supposed to return to the hospital soon.. *panicked*

Chop up Chinese Cabbage, sliced up some carrots and mushrooms

Cubed a block of Japanese tofu and some chicken fillets

Miso paste

Measure two bowls of water into the claypot. Add in miso. As soon as the miso paste was desolved, add in Chinese cabbage and carrots. Boil until semi soft. Add in cubed chicken. Taste the soup. If it's not salty enough, add in more miso paste. This recipe do not require salt as the paste is salty enough. Add in cubed tofu and sprinkle some seaweed before serving.

Here goes our lazy weekend warm soupy dinner ;)

Finally....a Chinese Dinner @ Home

I don't really cook dinners the way my mother, grandmother and grand grandmother used to cook. I am a typical Chinese gal born in a typical Chinese family but due to some "weight issues" 2 years ago, I've changed my diet completely and it works! I've been having salad for dinners, rice was indeed a luxury for those who's currently staying with me ..heh!

Since I've the whole day to myself with nothing else to do except kay poh chi-ing other blogs and checking for sponsored post [which turns out none from sponsors today!!], I made a point to cook a typical Chinese meal for X-T and yes... Judy...I'm cooking RICE today! woot! Haha

Claypot chicken rice
[I used skinless chicken and replaced white rice with 10 grain rice... less guilt? hehe]

ABC soup with heaps of tomatoes

Lettuce with oven baked garlic

I realised that cooking a Chinese meal can be quite costly. No? Check out my shopping price list..

Claypot chicken rice
2 whole chicken legs - RM7.00
1 extremely thin slice of Mui Heong salted fish - RM3.00
Dried Mushrooms - estimated RM 2.00
Spring Onions - RM1.00
Siu Cheong [Chinese sausages] - RM3.00

Total: RM16.00
Sigh...rice, Chinese cooking wine, ginger and all the seasoning belum kira leh!!

ABC Soup
Pork Bones -RM7.00
Carrots, Potatoes, Tomatoes and Onion - RM4.00

Total: RM11.00


Vegetables
Lettuce -RM4.00

Total: RM4.00

ESTIMATED GRAND TOTAL: RM31.00

(Remember ar, rice, seasoning, gas, electricity & water belum kira)

"Chap Farn" or economy rice sold outside only cost MYR3-5 per pax ler!!!

I guess there's only two reasons why I should continue cooking at home:-

1. Less oil
2. Less MSG

Sigh...

Lemon & Dill Fish

Yet another easy dinner recipe for the lazy me.

Chopped garlic, fresh dill and mix with a little olive oil,
1/2 a lemon juice, pepper and sea salt

Massage the seasoning onto the fish fillets and
marinate for approx 30 minutes.




Grill the fish fillets and serve with a a handful of stir fried asparagus..


Healthy, Easy & Yummy!

Pasta Frenzy

I hate HATE HATE preparing complicated meals especially during weekdays. Here are two of my family's favorite weekday dinners. Trust me, if you did not accidentally amputate your fingers while chopping the garlic or carelessly dip your fingers into the boiling pasta, I can assure you that dinner will be served in just a mare 30 minutes or less!

Here goes... L'abeille's cheese-less and healthy dinner for twos...

Lemony Tuna Pasta with Zucchini & Dried Chili



You'll need:
2 handful of alphabet pasta [boiled and drained]
1 can of tuna flakes in Olive oil [drained but save 1 tablespoon of olive oil for frying later]
3 dried chillies [soaked, remove seeds and sliced thinly]
1 clove garlic [roughly chopped]
Lemon juice [to taste]
Sea salt & crushed pepper [to taste]


Method:

1. Heat up the nonstick pan, pour the olive oil into the pan.
2. Add in the sliced dried chillies and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
3. Stir in the tuna flakes and mix well with the dried chillies and garlic.
4. Add in lemon juice, salt and crushed pepper.
5. Stir in the cooked pasta and mix evenly.

Dinner's Serve!
Easy isn't it?

Here's another one..

Lazy Chunky Chicken Pasta

My "assistant" chief...

A packet of Bolognese sauce mix comes in handy

when I'm too lazy to make my own sauce

A few stalks of fresh rosemary goes perfectly

well with chicken.

Chop the rosemary coarsely and I've also add in

a few bay leaves for the flavor.

Shred 1 small carrot, cubed 2 tomatoes, onions and garlic

About a 150gm of chicken fillet.

Don't mince, just chop coarsely.

Marinate with a little bit of sea salt and crushed pepper

Ok, Ingredients ready in 5 minutes, pasta's cooked, what's next?

Heat up the nonstick pan, add in the onions and garlic

together with the chopped rosemary and bay leaves.

Stir..stir...stir...

Next, add in the tomatoes, carrots and chicken.

Stir in the sauce mix and 1 1/2 cup of water.

Stir...stir..stir..

You might want to add in a dash of worchester sauce,

a dash of ketchup for th extra Ummmppp!

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the chunky gravy over the pasta,

sprinkle some freshly crushed black pepper and serve!

Other serving suggestion:
Serve them with crusty bread, roll them up with tortilla,

spreading them on pizza base or use it as pie filling...slurppppp!

Ta-dah! Another easy meal served in less than 30 minutes!

Other similar recipe: Jamie Oliver's sundried tomatoes & pesto