Lava Queen

This is a simple 4-ingredient sweet potato tart a.k.a the 'fake' egg tart (Adapted from a recipe I saw online). It's fast and easy to make. No electric mixer and kneading needed at all - just using bread as the tart crust/shells! It's also sugar free, healthy and completely suitable for toddlers! They do look pretty much like the real ones, don't they? Hehe. The sweet potato custard filling is equally as smooth, but not as glassy or shiny as the real ones :P Ingredients: 1 egg yolk 30g fresh milk 30g steamed Japanese sweet potato, mashed 3 slices of wholemeal bread (white ones are fine too) Preheat oven to 150°C. Cut the crust off from each slice of bread and flatten them with a rolling pin. Cut a round shape on each slice of bread using a glass (A bigger glass or bowl will yield 2 tarts only) and place it into the muffin tray cup. Mix egg yolk, mashed sweet potato and milk together. Strain the mixture through a sieve for 2-3 times t...

LO has been eating very simple food for the past 2 days (Reasons being mommy was lazy the night before :P and there was a power outage at our place yesterday), so I thought of making up to her by cooking something different today. I made this creamy sweet corn soup to go with her roasted drumstick. It's the first time she's eating a whole drumstick by herself. She didn't seem to like holding it. After a few bites, she started tearing the meat out and tried eating it using her spoon. Lol. Anyway, she finished the soup, carrots and almost the whole drumstick :D BUT the mess was... *speechless* This reminded me of why I couldn't bring myself to do BLW (baby led weaning) in the first place...  You can also add other finely chopped veggies, like celery. LO's meal :D I used fresh corn for this.  You can choose to use frozen corn kernels or canned cream-styled sweet corn, but I think it's always best to use fresh ingredients especially in cooking for my ba...

Another cake made using my LO's favorite fruit - banana! Since she liked the Tokyo banana cake (You can find the recipe here ), I thought of letting her try other cakes as well. But, to make sure it isn't too sweet for her and doesn't contain any artificial flavoring like some that are sold outside, I'm baking it myself. Not too sweet and just right! A great way to use very ripe bananas too! My LO had it for breakfast :D This is the second time I'm baking this banana walnut cake. I used a different recipe for the first time. Both cakes turned out quite similar but I prefer this version - slightly simpler and without using the electric mixer (Lesser cleaning!!). Made some adjustments on the amount of sugar and also omitted a couple of things. So here is my version: Ingredients: 2 large ripe bananas 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour  75g butter, melted  70g brown sugar (Use white sugar if you prefer a lighter color) 1 large egg, whisked 25g walnut...

An Anzac biscuit is a sweet biscuit, popular in Australia and New Zealand.  The history behind it is interesting. It was said that during World War I, these biscuits were sent to the front lines of battle to nourish Australian soldiers. They are made of simple ingredients that don’t spoil easily, which made them a practical choice for shipping to battle zones. They are also eggless, which was helpful because of war rationing - eggs were more difficult to come by than other ingredients.  Today, Anzac biscuits are manufactured commercially for retail sale. They bake up soft. As they cool, they become firm, but chewy. I wanted to make some snacks for a last minute outing to keep my LO 'occupied', so I needed something fast and easy. After browsing through a few recipes, this Anzac biscuit one caught my eye. It took about half an hour to whip up a batch. I made a couple of changes though. As this was a last minute thing, I did not have dessicated coconut and golden syr...

Recently I've been seeing a number people making rice patties on Facebook, so I've decided to join the trend as well. Something a little different and interesting for my LO, compared to serving rice, veggies and meat the usual way. Not only are they healthy, they are absolutely tasty and great as finger food! Basically you can put in any type of meat and vegetables you like! Ingredients: 1 tbsp shredded 1 tbsp finely chopped spinach 1 tbsp minced chicken meat 1/2 tbsp fresh corn niblets 1/2 cup cooked rice 1/2 tsp cornstarch  Shredded cheddar cheese  Ground black pepper, for seasoning Oil, for pan-frying Put carrot, spinach and corn to steam. Set aside. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and season with some ground black pepper. Heat up oil and turn to low fire. Form rice mixture into 4 small patties and pan-fry them til golden brown. Make sure the bottom side is brown before flipping. Serve. Note : Do not press the patties when pan-...

Tokyo Banana cake is a very popular Japanese sweet. This  soft-sponged  snack, shaped like a banana with a fragrant inner cream, is considered one of the top 10 Japanese snacks to get from Tokyo. Though fluffy and cute looking, the ones we had in Japan were a tad too sweet for my liking. So I thought, " How about I try making a not-so-sweet version myself? " Then my LO could try it too since she loves bananas. I started digging and found this recipe online, but I have significantly cut down on the amount of sugar used and omitted it in the banana custard cream filling. The sponge cake was originally baked in one single pan and then cut into two 0.2-inch slices when done. I've tried twice and failed to slice it smoothly right across the middle (Maybe my baking/cutting skill sucked... sob sob), so I baked using 2 separate pans. My not-so-sweet Tokyo Banana cake. LO liked them too :D Ingredients: For the banana custard cream: 50g banana, mashed 1/2 t...

A quick and easy one pot dish. A good way to let my LO consume a balanced and nutritious meal with ingredients from several food groups. Ingredients: Cooked rice, according to personal appetite (Slightly more than 1/2 a cup for my LO) 1 large prawn, shell and vein removed 1/2 a long bean, chopped 3 florets of cauliflower, steamed 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tbsp butter Cheddar cheese, shredded  Some Italian herbs and ground black pepper for seasoning Olive oil, for stir frying Preheat oven to 160°C. Cut prawn into small pieces and marinade with some ground black pepper. Heat up olive oil, stir-fry chopped long beans and prawn pieces til 80% cooked. Set aside. Heat up butter and sauté garlic til fragrant. Stir in cooked rice and stir-fry til rice is fragrant and coated with butter. Add in prawns, long beans and cauliflower. Season with Italian herbs and ground black pepper. Mix well. Transfer half of the rice into an oven safe ramekin. Sprinkle som...

Had mine with blueberries, maple syrup and  icing sugar, while my LO had hers plain with blueberries. This is an eggless version so it's suitable for those who are allergic to eggs. Well, not that we are allergic, just that when I opened the fridge, dang , no more eggs! <Being forgetful has become a common thing ever since I became a mom> Lol! But I was in the mood for waffles, so I started searching and found out that I could actually substitute the egg with those tiny black seeds that are loaded with nutrients that can have important benefits for our body and brain, a.k.a chia seeds! These little seeds are not only packed with goodness, they also provide some extra crunch to the waffles :D Ingredients: 1 tbsp chia seeds  3/4 cup of sweet potato purée (I used Japanese sweet potatoes) 110g all purpose flour  1/4 cup cornstarch  1 cup fresh milk 2 1/2 tbsp VCO 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 3 tbsp drinking water Pinch of gro...

Irregular sleeping routines can lead to erratic metabolism that weakens the body and sometimes causing stomach upsets. This is one of the soups that can help to calm upset stomachs, promote digestion, relieve dyspepsia, and also suitable for those with poor appetite, heat/dampness in the body and phlegm in the throat. A tasty and healthy clear soup. Note : It is said that this soup is suitable for those who spend long hours working with computers or in the kitchen, as it helps to eliminate electromagnetic radiation from computers and gas poisoning from gas stoves in kitchen. Not sure how true but soup has always been well-known for its nourishing properties, so no harm drinking more soups :P Ingredients: 2 green radish 1 carrot 2 potatoes 2 corns 4 honey dates 1 pc dried tangerine peel  3 maces ( Approx 11.3g ) sweet almond  2 maces ( Approx 7.6g ) bitter almond  Approx 300g lean meat Soak tangerine peel til soft and scrape off the white ...

I'm always looking for simple recipes with very few steps and ingredients that will still give good (or, at least, acceptable) results. Lesser steps/ingredients = lesser time spent in the kitchen, which is good since I'm a SAHM with no helper. Here's another one of those simple recipes that's full of goodness: blueberry and banana muffins with only 4 ingredients! These muffins are sugar free, making them a healthier choice for morning breakfast or afternoon snack, especially for kids. Simple, healthy and sugar free. Ingredients: 1 banana, mashed 1/2 cup fresh blueberries  1 cup self raising flour  3/4 cup milk  *Optional: 1 tbsp lemon juice (Just to add a bit of lemony zing to the muffins) Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease the muffin tray or line with paper cups. Sift flour into a bowl. Stir in milk and lemon juice (if adding) til combined and smooth. Add in banana and blueberries. Mix to combine. Mix to combine. Spoon mixture ev...

This soup is one of those special soups for children. It is said to be suitable for those who suffer from indigestion and have difficulties clearing their bowels because soybeans strengthens spleen and augments stomach, whereas papaya is nourishing, promotes digestion, lubricates intestine and generates fluid for the body. Naturally sweet and refreshing. Ingredients: Approx 40g soybeans  1 small green papaya Approx 20g white fungus Approx 150-200g pork ribs Rinse white fungus thoroughly and soak til soft. Set aside. Peel papaya, remove seeds and cut into big pieces. Scald pork ribs in boiling water for 5 mins, rinse and set aside. Place all ingredients, except white fungus, with 1500ml water into an electric double boiler. Set the timer to 3 hours. Add white fungus in during the last hour of simmering. Serve. 

Time really flies... This is my second year celebrating Mother's Day with my baby. Seems like it was just yesterday when we saw her for the first time during ultrasound. She was this tiny 'bean', swinging her toothpick-like arms and legs when we looked at the screen, as if she was excited to meet us for the first time too. Now, she's a soon-to-be 19 MO toddler, capable of self feeding and running around calling "Mommy! Mommy!" There really are places in the heart you don't even know exist until you love a child. Being a parent isn't just about taking care and feeding our little ones. It's also about giving our very best (even if it means sacrificing certain things) to be the best role models, educators, nutritionists etc. Parents, especially mothers,  have this gift to be exactly what their children need at any given time that stems from an unconditional love and selflessness. No one else in the world can emulate this.  Looking back, mo...

The sick season is still going on. You've heard them - flu- sick sneezers and coughers at the offices, day cares, shopping malls or grocery stores. Avoiding the flu is no small matter, especially for my LO since young children are at a higher risk. I've been looking for different soups that can help moisten lungs, expel heat/dryness and phlegm, and here's another one that's suitable for those who suffer from cold and chronic cough: This soup is also said to be suitable for those who often stay up late at night. Ingredients: 2 apples, rinsed, stems and cores removed 1 1/2 dried scallops, soaked and break into shreds Approx 10g white fungus/snow fungus, soaked and rinsed Approx 20g lily bulb, rinsed Approx 20g lotus seed, rinsed 1 pc dried tangerine peel Approx 150-200g lean pork Soak dried tangerine peel til soft and scrape off the white pith. Set aside. Scald lean pork in boiling water for 5 mins without cutting into pieces. Rinse and set a...

Been craving for yakitori since I got back from Japan. Consulted Mr. Google to see if there's any new yakitori place other than Shinjiro in Tropicana City Mall and this Moku place popped up. Since it was nearby my friend's office, I asked her to meet me there after work to dig into some grilled skewers.  Moku serves other mains like teriyaki chicken, salmon steak and pastas as well, but all my thoughts were reined on the skewers, so I passed on the rest.  From left: Pork belly slices with enoki mushrooms, tiger prawn and chicken gizzard. From bottom: Scallops, pork slices with enoki mushrooms and smoked duck. Succulent meat with Teriyaki-like sauce. The baby octopus was a disappointment though - overcooked, hard to chew and tasted like rubber!! From bottom: Gizzard, chicken wings, brinjal, shiitake mushrooms and lady fingers. The veggies were quite soft and juicy, though the photo looked otherwise :) Beer and yakitori are one of the world's greate...