Tamagoyaki

With more time on my hands on a cheery Sunday morning, I decided to make myself some Japanese egg roll for breakfast. Or you can call it a pre-lunch appetiser given that it was already almost noon...

My recipe calls for simple ingredients in my kitchen: chopped carrots, celery and onions, a tablespoon of milk, dash of salt, pepper and basil. No fancy equipment either: no rectangular omelette pan, no bamboo mat... But no compromise in taste! :)

To get the silky smooth egg texture, use a sieve to sieve out the chalaza. Everything can then be mixed together as you would in a normal omelette, and you can start frying and rolling!

The omelette roll should be left to cool for a while before slicing it with a sharp knife to obtain a nice clean cut. I should sharpen mine...

This would look pretty cute in a lunch box.

Itadakimasu!

What?

• 3 eggs
• Onions, carrots, celery chopped (about a tbsp each)
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp basil (optional)
• Oil to brush pan with

How?

• Beat eggs and sieve it through a sieve to remove the chalaza.
• Mix in milk, salt, pepper, basil and vegetables.
• Heat a pan at low to medium heat and brush with oil.
• Pour a layer of egg mixture into the pan and tilt it to cover the bottom of the pan.
• When the egg has cooked for about 30 seconds, roll the egg from the corner and stop at the middle. At this point, the egg has not fully set; it will still be runny on top but firm enough to roll.
• Move the egg to one corner of the pan and pour more egg mixture at the unrolled end of the egg. Tilt the pan again to spread the egg mixture evenly.
• Repeat step 5-6 until all the egg has been used up.
• Fully roll the egg and cool it for a while before removing from the pan; the egg roll is more fragile when hot.
• When cool enough, slice the egg roll with a sharp knife into pieces of about 1/2 inch thick.

Konnyaku chrysanthemum jelly

Home sweet home. Been a week since I've been back! I was so excited to start baking again that I went on a mini baking shopping spree in the supermarket. Gathered some almond meal, baking powder, cocoa, chocolate, vanilla and flour. Then when I got back, I realised I forgot good ol' butter. GARH.

In need of a quick dessert fix, I decided to raid the pantry and the fridge to see what I can come up with. 

I found packets of konnyaku jelly powder sitting right there on my shelf! In place of fruits, I decided to make some jellies with chrysanthemum flowers.

Chrysanthemum flowers were first washed and boiled with about a litre of water. After sifting out the flowers, the jelly powder was then added while stirring.

These perky, bouncy chrysanthemum-flavoured little rounds are strewed with wolfberries for some natural sweetness.

A healthy and delightful treat for a quiet, pleasant evening. It feels good to be back. :)

All-in-one-pot

Here's another variation to "tomato rice"! This time with fish cubes, and when better to try this than when in the greatest angling country in Europe? ;)

This happened after a long day in the laboratory, and the mental fatigue was getting into me. Thinking about having to prepare a meal is not exactly the best cure for a cranky mood. As I contemplated popping pre-packed food into the microwave oven, I suddenly remembered *to my horror* that I have already defrosted that darn piece of salmon. And y'know what they say... never refreeze defrosted food ...

I really didn't want to pan fry the fish and wash up the extra frying pan afterwards. And it annoyed me even further that I did not have an oven here in Stockholm. Man, am I starting to miss home. And then, I had a light bulb moment.

I could cook rice with tomato pieces / cubes of salmon, all together!

Simply "break" the tomato and stir it all in once the rice is cooked. All-in-one-pot literally! I didn't have a rice cooker here so this was made with a pot on the stove. I only roughly estimated the amount of water I should have, so I ended up with a mushy mess. But it was a yummy wholesome mess! Don't judge! :p

Other types of fish could be used too. Here I have cod seasoned with some grounded black pepper.

I like it that this is so easy to make, and I only have one small pot to wash after! And yea ok, maybe that bowl too... But what if I just eat out of the pot... *light bulb lights up*

Coffee chocolate muffins

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Do you know the muffin man,
Who lives on Drury Lane?

An all too familiar nursery rhyme, and it keeps ringing in my head as I tried to practice my script in vain. As a consequence of my fruitless attempt at work, I caved in - time for some therapeutic baking! :D

I knew I needed some caffeine... And what better way to have it than infusing it a sweet treat? This, is a coffee muffin, double shot. (Yea, really. I added twice the amount of coffee granules than usual...)

Look at those cute little coffee domes! Round and bouncy, I just wanna poke poke poke...

Presenting the not-so-pretty ones, albeit dressed it pretty pink polka dots.

Tsk, you pale in comparison to the perfect dome.

And because you aren't as pretty, I'm gonna eat you first.

Ooo I smell the coffee. Yummiliciously paired with dark chocolate chunks. Caffeine rush!

One last bite...

I decided to pack up the perfect domes to share with others. And well, since these aren't as pretty... I might as well just have them now...

Happy long weekend everyone! :D WOOHOO to bank holiday!

Green bean dessert

It is always a comfort to have warm desserts in a faraway land. :) However, mom said that green bean is "cooling" and I shouldn`t be taking it during the cold winter. Haha, whether a certain dish is "heaty" or "cooling" is a concept of the east, I can`t even explain it properly - moms.just.know.

Yet I like my green bean soup best served warm, and was craving for them when it was freezing cold here. So if I can`t have them in winter, I made it as we break into spring. :) The beans were first soaked in water for 2-3 hours before they were poured into a pot of water to boil. I added rock sugar together with the beans - got the sugar from a chinese shop in London and they were a little orangey in colour, hence the slight golden tinge in my soup. When the sugar have dissolved and the beans have softened (haha the picture shows them a little mushed...), I added my favourite component - sago! :D

I finished the whole pot in 2 days. One of the few times I think it`s just right to cook for 1. :D

Assam fish

I do it the easy way, I use assam paste! No-fail method - a definite success. :D

With onions, garlic, celery, carrots and fish, and served with rice. I like it better with porridge though. :) Easy to prepare, nevertheless still yummy and remains as one of my favourite "fast" food.

But I still miss baking sweets.

Ginseng chicken

I am always just cooking for one these days. So my daily meals have evolved to include all the necessary in one pot - my lazy food. They are quick and easy to make, thus have become the usuals on my dinner plate.

Onions and garlics for the antioxidants.

Celery and carrots for vitamins A and C. Surely these contain antioxidants too?

Chicken as the protein in this dish - marinated in ginseng and dark soy sauce.

Let it simmer for a while...

And served with steamed rice. 

This makes one meal for one!