Lunch Box 3

Opps. Its another Lunch Box post. :P Im cooking fried rice today and thought it will be a good lunch box idea.

This is a rather common lunch box, omu-rice . Its basically egg over rice. I believe the authenic way is to have the rice wrapped in the egg. I wouldnt want to go through the haste of doing that for 2 reasons. It needs more eggs and the kids wont appreciate the effort of doing it. They will just cut the egg and eat it whichever way I do it. :P

So, heres my simple version of omu-rice . Im not using over-night rice hence the rice is a bit more moist but we prefer it that way. Its softer. All the ingredients are my sons favourite except for the hon-shimeiji. ;) You decide what you want in your rice

To have the egg cover the rice, you first cook the egg. Have slight over half an egg hanging out the lunch box. Adjust the remaining to fitting nicely in the box. Spoon the fried rice into the box sitting on the egg. Flip the rest of the egg over then use a spoon to gently push the edge of the egg to the sides to tuck them in. And there you have it. :)

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Crispy Pork Cutlets with Creamy Jalapeno Green Onion Gravy – Say Auf Wiedersehen to the 3 Pan Breading Station!

This is what happens when you have two food wishes in your head at the same time. I’ve wanted to do a schnitzel video für immer, but thanks to another recent food wish, I was also craving biscuits with cream gravy. So, I sort of did both, and it worked out well. Very well.

The crispy pork cutlet part of the presentation is very simple and straightforward, but it did afford the opportunity to share my new breading system. With all the time you’ll save, you can hit the gym to burn off this less than light, but extremely satisfying meal.

I’ve never been a big fan of the 3-pan breading system. Once you dredge meat in the prescribed dish of seasoned flour, you have to toss the rest. The whole idea is to simply coat the meat with flour, so why not just sprinkle on already seasoned meat? We use much less flour that way, and with zero waste.

From there, we’re not dipping these in a bowl of beaten eggs. Why do that, when we can just dump one egg on to the same plate and toss to coat. Faster, easier, and one egg is plenty for four cutlets.

As far as the cream gravy goes, the jalapenos and green onion probably seem logical, but some may raise an eyebrow over the diced dill pickle. I’m not sure exactly why I added them, but I just had one of those feelings. Pickles and pork, dill and cream sauce, it felt right, and it tasted even righter.

By the way, you can substitute veal, beef, turkey or chicken for the pork without missing a beat. Anyway, I hope you give this easy pork cutlet, delicious cream gravy, and/or new breading system a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 Cutlets (makes four entrée size portions of 2 cutlets each):

2 fully trimmed pork tenderloins, cut into 8 pieces, pounded flat

salt and pepper to taste

flour as needed

2 eggs

about 3 cups panko breadcrumbs

For the gravy:

2 tbsp melted butter

1/3 cup diced dill pickles

1 or 2 jalapeños, small dice

1 bunch green onions, chopped

salt and cayenne to taste

1 1/2 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 cup cold milk, plus more to adjust thickness if needed

View the complete recipe

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Day 3 Exploring Siam Ocean World Bangkok

Siam Ocean World is one of the largest two-storeys in-door aquarium in Southeast Asia which is located at the basement of Siam Paragon Shopping Mall in Bangkok. The exhibit is divided into 7 zones with individually designed theme and apart from its recreational options, it also proves a very good learning center for kids too.

With our Day 3 schedule packed with fun at Siam Ocean World, afternoon tea at Agalico and cruise dinner on board Chao Phraya Princess, I am sure you will be excited to follow us through the posts and read about our experience in those places.

As usual after our morning breakfast at Cuisine Unplugged which is located near the hotel lobby, we took the free Tutu Shuttle Service to the nearby BTS station to our first destination at Siam Ocean World.

At the ticketing counter, their friendly staff take time to explain to us about the different types of tickets and from their recommendation, we took the Family Package for @ 3,150 THB (SG$128.00) which includes 2 Adults and 2 Children (age 15 years old and below) and each ticket includes:-

- Back Of House Tour
- Glass Bottom Boat
- Pepsi (22 Oz)
- Salted Popcorn
- Happy Fish Happy Feet
- 5D Theatre

Basically Siam Ocean World is divided into 7 Zones featuring Deep Reef, Living Ocean, Open Ocean, Rainforest and etc. And within the aquarium it features more than 30,000 marine animals in its tanks which brings amazing water world experience for visitors.

[Siam Ocean World] Zone 1 - Weird And Wonder

Upon entering the aquarium, you would see all sort of weird and wonderful sea creatures such as king crabs and rare species like Coconut Octopus (row 1, right) and Leaf Scorpionfish (row 2, right) in Zone 1.

[Siam Ocean World] Zone 2 - Deep Reef

Further down at Zone 2, you would see a huge tank featuring marine life which you will find in the coral reefs.

[Siam Ocean World] Zone 3 - Living Ocean

Whereas at Zone 3, we get to visit the "Back of House Tour" where we have the opportunity to touch and witness the real operation behind the scenes of how the Aquarium actually works. Beside that Zone 3 also features some underwater rules of survival and how sea creatures protect themselves against predators.

[Siam Ocean World] Glass Bottom Boat

For some family fun, Glass Bottom Boat ride (usual price 150 THB (SG$6.00) per person) featuring a 5 - 8 minutes ride around the tanks with one of their boatman "gliding" the boat was awesome. We enjoyed our ride spotting fishes underneath but if you are keen you can also grab a cup of shrimps to feed the fishes. The experience is pretty pretty exciting as you get to see fishes like sharks, eagle rays and etc just right below your feet through the glass bottom boat.

[Siam Ocean World] Grab some shrimps for 100 THB (SG$4.00) per cup to feed the fish during Glass Bottom Boat ride.

[Siam Ocean World] Zone 4 - Rainforest, Zone 5 Rocky Shore

There are many interesting creatures and animals waiting for you in the rainforest at Zone 4 where you get to see animals like "Giant Water Rat (3rd row, 1st picture)" which look rather cute as compared to those scary street rats. Other than that, there are also Penguin, Golden Snakes, Poison Spiders and etc.

[Siam Ocean World] Happy Fish, Happy Feet

Our family combo tickets also entitled us for the Happy Fish, Happy Feet treatment where we happily sit and relax our feet in the cold jacuzzi which is filled with little fishes that softly nibbles on our skin. Indeed it was a fun experience for first timer like us to enjoy fish spa.

[Siam Ocean World] Mini Aquarium inside a microwave

[Siam Ocean World] Zone 6 - Open Ocean

[Siam Ocean World] Zone 6 - Open Ocean

[Siam Ocean World] Zone 6 - Open Ocean

Everyday around 1.00pm and 4.00pm there will be a "shark feeding show" at Zone 6  where visitors could gather around at the sitting area to watch the 5 - 10 minutes feeding show. At this zone, it features a 270-degree tunnel where you can observe sharks, stingrays and other sea creatures that are found in the deep ocean.

[Siam Ocean World] Zone 7 - Sea Jellies

Remember to drop by the Sea Jellies zone before you leave the aquarium. You will be amazed by these cute jelly fish in those colour changing light tanks which makes them look so stunning under those lights.

SIAM OCEAN WORLD
Level B1 And B2, Siam Paragon
991 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Telephone: +66 2687 2000
Website: http://siamoceanworld.com

Opening Hour:
10.00 am - 9.00pm (daily)

Note:- Nearest BTS station to Siam Paragon is SIAM Station.

[Fuji Japanese Restaurant] Fragrant Green Tea from Japan

We had lunch at Fuji Japanese Restaurant which is located near the food mall at ground level of Siam Paragon Shopping. Even though it was past lunch hour at around 2pm+ but there were still quite a long queue outside waiting to get it. And since it was only 3 of us, we managed to get a table in about 15 minutes.

[Fuji Japanese Restaurant] Zura Soba Noodles With Assorted Tempura

Zura Soba is a type of chilled soba which is often served on a sieve-like bamboo tray, garnished with strips of dried nori (seaweed) and served together a dipping sauce known as tsuyu (mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce and mirin) with chopped spring onion and an quail egg.

[Fuji Japanese Restaurant] Fuji Sashimi Bento Set which includes Miso Soup and Chawanmushi @ 310 THB

Our set of Fuji Sashimi Bento Set which includes Miso Soup and Chawanmushi cost around SG$12.60 which is about 310 THB. Although the quality might not be as good when compared to those high end Japanese restaurant but with the price that we are paying the quantity is enough to feed two pax. 

Fuji Japanese Restaurant @ Siam Paragon
G/F Siam Paragon Shopping Complex
991 Rama 1 Rd, Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Telephone: +66 2 611 7168
Website: Fuji Japanese Restaurant

Itinerary of our Bangkok (Thailand) travelogue are as follow:-
~ [Day 1] Our Family Trip to Bangkok (BKK), Thailand
~ [Day 1] Exploring Asiatique, The Riverfront
~ Cuisine Unplugged and Executive Lounge @ Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel
~ [Day 2] Exploring Chatuchak Weekend Market
~ [Day 2] Health Land and Mahboonkrong (MBK)
~ [Day 3] Exploring Siam Ocean World
~ [Day 3] Afternoon Tea At Agalico, Bangkok
~ [Day 3] Dinner Cruise On Board Chao Phraya Princess, Bangkok
~ [Day 4] Lunch At Secret Garden, Thai Cuisine And Bakery
~ [Day 5] Bangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi)

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3 Cheese Lasagna Rolls a 50 VISA GIFTCARD GIVEAWAY!

       Hi guys!! I am SO EXCITED to be doing my very first GIVEAWAY!  Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy : )

This is your chance to WIN a $50 dollar VISA Giftcard from yours truly! I have been having so much fun blogging about the greatest thing in the world.... FOOD!  It is my ultimate passion to cook and bake and experiment in my kitchen! I love hearing all of your feedback and sweet comments. Thank you to all who let me know what you think... and to all of my Followers and Facebook friends! I really do appreciate all of your love and support!  Here is how you enter the giveaway:

                                                    **THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**

                  Leave me a comment on this post, telling me how you found my blog!

Did you find me on Facebook?  Or on Tasty Kitchen?  Did you google a recipe and my blog pulled up? Are you one of my friends?  Any answer is fine... just let me know how you heard about my blog! Thats it!! : )

       The giveaway will close on Thursday February 3rd at Midnight (Pacific Time), so no more entries after that. ( Please be sure to leave an email address or someway to contact you, if you do not have a blog or google account.)

I will announce the winner Friday February 4th sometime around 8 or 9 p.m. or whenever my kiddos are fast asleep in their beds! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE! Please ONE ENTRY (COMMENT) per person!

3 CHEESE LASAGNA ROLLS

Recipe By: Holly Lofthouse

• 9 Lasagna noodles
• 2 large Chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
• 1 jar (16oz) Alfredo sauce
• 1 jar (26oz) Spaghetti sauce
• 2 T grated Parmesan Cheese
• 3 oz Chive & Onion Cream Cheese
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 cup shredded Mozzerella Cheese
• 1/4 tsp dried Basil

Directions:    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Start by boiling your lasagna noodles in a large pot. Cook according to package directions. Drain and then place lasagna noodles on a foil lined cookie sheet.

In a large bowl add your cooked, shredded chicken, garlic powder, parmesan cheese and cream cheese. Mix. Pour in alfredo sauce and mix all together well.

Pour one cup of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 2.5 quart baking dish. Spread chicken alfredo mixture onto one lasagna noodle about 2/3 of the way up. Roll noodle up. Place in dish. Repeat with all remaining noodles. Once all rolled and in dish, cover with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with shredded mozzerella cheese and basil.  Bake, uncovered for 25-30, or until Hot & Bubbly! 

                                                  

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The 3 ingredient cookie

An excellent version with oats, bananas, dried cranberries and grated orange zest.

Have you heard about those three-ingredient cookies consisting of nothing but bananas, oats and an optional fill-in (chocolate, raisins or nuts, for instance)? No added sugar. No added fat. Suitable for vegans and all those on lactose-free, casein-free, gluten-free*, egg-free, dairy-free diets. Take 2 minutes of prep work and need about 15 minutes in the oven. Thats less than it takes to unpack your regular grocery bags, so theyre super-quick as well.

* You need to make sure you use certified gluten-free oats, also called pure oats. 


I came across the recipe in The Burlap Bag. As the author Lauren notes, even if you eat all of those, youve basically consumed 2 bananas and a cup of oats, so this qualifies as health food in my opinion. They are soft and slightly chewy. Theyre not the best-oat-cookies-in-the-world (these are!), but theyre pretty moreish and satisfying. Flavour- and texture-wise, these remind me of those soft apple and oat drops Ive been making, just much quicker and simpler.

My two older kids love them (Karoliine, our youngest, is still to young to have any solids), and the grown-ups are pretty fond of them, too:

 

So heres the recipe. Again, a huge thank you goes out to The Burlap Bag for this great cookie idea. Come autumn, Ill try their Autumn 2-ingredient Cookie, using pure pumpkin pureé.

Use really ripe bananas for making these - the riper your bananas, the sweeter the cookies.

3-ingredient oat cookies
(Kaerahelbeküpsised)
Makes about 16 bite-sized morsels

2 ripe medium-sized bananas
200 ml (4/5 of a cup) of quick-cooking oats
a handful of either raisins or dried cranberries (craisins) or chopped dark chocolate or chopped walnuts

Pre-heat the oven to 170 C/350 F. Line a cooking sheet with a parchment paper or simply grease your cookie sheet thoroughly.

Peel the bananas, place into a bowl and smash with a fork. Add the oats and the add-in (I love the tiny seedless currant raisins):

 

 Mix till combined. Take about a teaspoonful of the mixture at the time, form into a ball and transfer onto your cookie sheet.

 

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool slightly and enjoy!

Other foodbloggers making these:
Anne @ Annes Food (9 March 2013, in English)
Martiina @ Tegemisi. Toimetusi (4 March 2013, in Estonian)
Gaili @ Tsheburashka (3 March 2013, in Estonian)
Kätrin @ Kätrin kokkab (13 March 2013, in Estonian)
Karen @ Kafka na praia (2 April 2013, in Brazilian Portuguese)

More moreish oatcake recipes:
My melt-in-your-mouth oat cookies
Cheesy oatcakes
Peppery oatcakes
Oatcakes with ginger
Apple and oat drops

Two years ago: Estonian Soda Bread Recipe
Four years ago: Raisin Fruit Soup Recipe (Kissel)

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