Grilled Prawns with Garlic and Cheese

Prawn is my all time favorite and the kids too. I like it in whichever way it is cooked. I can have it everyday if not for the cholesterol, because I love to suck on the head too! Would it be a waste to throw it away?

Anyway, I had to stop myself from finishing the whole lot on my own. I didnt buy a lot of prawns as they were rather expensive due to their size. It will be either difficult to put in the stuffing if the prawn is too small or there wont be much stuffing.

If you have friends coming over, serve this. Its fast and easy. I bet they will love it too!


Ingredients:

• 8 large Prawns, cleaned
  
• 2 tablespoon Butter, soften
  
• 5 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon grated Garlic
  
• 2 teaspoon Coriander stem, chopped
• A pinch of salt
  
• A dash of pepper (optional - you wouldnt need it if your prawns are fresh)

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Mix all ingredients except prawns together and set aside.
   
3. Trim off the legs, antenna and the sharp thingy (whatever you call that) on the head off the prawns. :P
   
4. Slit the back of prawns, using either a kitchen scissor or knife.
   
5. Skew the prawn if you want the prawn to be straight.
6. Stuff the slit back with the butter mixture.
7. Top with extra Parmesan cheese if you like.
   
8. Grilled till prawns are cooked and the stuffing is slightly brown.
9. Serve immediately.

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Little Cheese Men

My son likes ham and cheese sandwiches but the most he will eat is a slice of bread if its with sliced cheese even if in cute shapes. However if its with ham alone, he can eat two slices. So I gathered that it got to do with cheese.



I tried Parmesan Cheese and guess what? He can eat more than three slices! Sure he likes it. It smells nice and is crunchy too!

* Marching Little Cheese Men *

Today we had cut-out little men and flowers (not shown here) on the remaining bread. It was really easy to make too.



Just butter the bread. Have a bowl of grated Parmesan Cheese ready. You may want to use unsalted butter since Parmesan Cheese alone is salty enough. Then press the bread with butter side down to the cheese. Shake off excess cheese. After which, you can toast it in your oven, cheese side up.



I was too lazy to bring out my oven so I used frying  pan instead. Toast the plain side first then turn over to toast the side with cheese. Remove them once they are slightly brown. Cool them on the rack before giving them to your kids.



Oh! Your kids can do this too. Its fun! Just remember to do the toasting for them.

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Watch Cream Cheese Frosting Being Made and Relax

As promised, here is the cream cheese frosting recipe that co-starred in our red velvet cupcakes video last week. If you’re a regular cake baker, you may be wondering why a video is even necessary for such a simple frosting? I used to think like that.

When I posted the red velvet recipe on YouTube, and teased the fact that I’d show the frosting in a future video, I was instantly met with a huge wave of panicked comments, all having a similar message; something to the effect of, “When the hell is the frosting video being shown? I want it now. I need it now. Give it to me now!”

So, not wanting an angry mob of people waving pitchforks and unfrosted cupcakes in front of my house, I quickly edited the footage and posted it today. This shows that no matter how simple a recipe or technique is, people just feel better and more relaxed about making it, if they can see it being done first.

Anyway, the next time you whip up a carrot cake, or batch of red velvet cupcakes, I hope you give this ultra-simple and delicious frosting recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for a cake or 12 cupcakes (plus maybe some leftovers):
*Double recipe if you like a thicker layer of frosting.

1/4 cup soft butter

4 oz room temp cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (or to your taste - start with a cup and go from there)

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Mushroom Cheese Soup 芝士奶油蘑菇浓汤

Its school holidays and I cant get much housework done with the kids around. Theres no point packing as it will get messy the next minute. What I do is stay up late to clear my housework. Anyone wants to help out?



I always have mushroom in my fridge cos its the familys favourite. For one of my late night suppers, I decided to make soup as I wanted some easy and fast to cook. Something I dont need much time to prepare nor lots of cleaning after cooking.



I had wanted to cook this but run out of cream. I stole a few slices of my daughters cheese to replace the cream instead to change it a little. Hot, creamy and yummy soup for the cold night. Just my kind of comfort food.



Ingredients:

• 500ml Water


• 8 Button Mushroom, diced


• 4 Shitake Mushroom, sliced


• 15g Butter


• 4 slice Cheese


• 1 tablespoon Flour


• 2 tablespoon Water

How to do it:

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan.


2. Add in the mushroom and saute till mushroom softens.


3. Add in the water and bring to a gentle boil.


4. Add in the cheese and stir to melt it.


5. Mix flour with water.


6. When soup begins to bubbles, gradually stir in the mixture to give the soup a creamy texture.


7. Serve with bread.
   
   

Note:

• I do not add salt as its salty enough with the cheese. However, if you find it not salty enough for you, add more cheese.


• You dont have to use 2 types of mushroom. I used 2 types, more if I have, as I prefers different texture.

This recipe is for Weekend Wokking hosted by Marija of Palachinka.

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Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing – Chicken Wings Sold Separately

Some of you might think I’m posting this creamy blue cheese dressing recipe while on vacation, just so I don’t have to answer questions as to why it took five years for this popular food wish to appear. And, while I don’t have a great answer for that, I do have a “grate” answer.

That’s right, a cheese grater and a wedge of frozen blue cheese is real the secret behind a perfect creamy blue cheese dressing. Not only is crumbling blue cheese a messy operation, but those larger chunks sink to the bottom, and don’t become one with sauce. 

Using this technique produces a dressing exploding with the funky goodness of whichever blue-veined cheese you decide to use. I used a Maytag blue cheese, but any of the World’s great blues, like Roquefort or Stilton, will work beautifully. I hope you give this great method a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 3 1/4 cups Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing:
 *Please note: everything in this recipe is “to taste,” so adjust to your liking!
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
cayenne to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces frozen blue cheese, grated

View the complete recipe

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Cheese Stuffed Pork Cutlet 芝士炸猪扒

This is the second dish that I prepared last Friday that I will be sharing the recipe.



In fact this, like the Pork and Vegetable Stew, is my old recipe which Im trying to improve. Now the pork tasted better and you can fry it on its own without cheese stuffed in it.

Ingredients:

• 250g Lean Pork, about 6 slices


• 3 slices Cheese, 1 for each Cutlet


• 1 Egg, beaten


• Plain Flour for dusting


• Breadcrumbs for coating


• Oil for deep frying

Seasonings:

• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder


• 2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce


• 1/2 tablespoon Mirin


• 1/2 tablespoon Sake or Chinese Cooking Wine


• 1/2 teaspoon Ginger Juice


• a dash of Ground Black Pepper

How to do it:

1. Pat meat dry with paper towel.


2. Tenderise and flatten the meat on both side with a meat mallet till the meat expand and thin.


3. Marinate the meat with seasonings for at least half an hour.


4. Cut cheese into half or to size to fit inside the meat. Keep the cheese away from the
   side as it will melt and sip through the meat when you fry.


5. Cover with another piece of meat.


6. Dust with flour.


7. Dip in beaten egg.


8. Coat well with breadcrumbs.


9. Deep fry till it turn golden brown.


10. Serve immediately, here with BBQ sauce.

Note:

• If you prefer more cheese, you can add another half a slice. I use 1 1/2 slices for my cutlet.


• Although we want to get the meat thin, try to be careful not to over do it till its too thin as it may tear during frying causing the cheese to oozes out.


• If you would like to make plain pork cutlet without the cheese, just skip steps 4 and 5.

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Seattle Cheese Festival

On Saturday Steven and I revisited Pike Place Market with camera, water bottle, and crackers in tow for the third annual Seattle Cheese Festival. The festival showcases over 200 varieties of international and domestic artisanal cheeses. In addition there are wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, seminars, and scavenger hunts for the kids. Best of all, cheese sampling and most of the activities (with the exception of the seminars) are free! I was afraid it would rain since the weather report predicted AM showers, but it turned out to be a beautiful day so I couldn’t have been happier.

I never found out what this big cheese was.

We wanted to get there before 10 to see the cheese race where local restaurant owners roll cheese down the cobblestone streets of the market but we ran a little late and just missed it. Maybe next year.

The tables were lined with cheese after cheese; it was a plethora of cheese as far as the eye could see. There were imported cheeses from all over Europe including France, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and domestic ones from Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, and Montana. There were cheeses made from cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, and goat’s milk and cheese of all shapes, sizes, colors, smells, and textures, from nutty hard cheeses, smooth soft cheeses, to stinky runny cheese.

Do you dare try the Stilton?

How about the intimidating Roquefort?

Off the top of my head, I recall we tried about 2 or 3 Stiltons, some Roquefort after rallying up our courage, 4 delicious Goudas, an amazing smoked Cheddar, cave-aged Cheddar with lots of crystals, an odd Fontina that left a bitter aftertaste, Comte, Asiago, 3 or 4 goat cheeses, delicious Irish cheese that reminded us of Parmesan, Camembert, and dozens more that I can’t remember. I discovered I’m not the biggest fan of goat cheese. We loved one of the Goudas so we purchased some along with some blue cheese.

Eventually, the little cubes of cheese add up! After sampling over 40 varieties of cheese, Steven and I were full of cheese, crackers, and delicious local bread. I don’t know how we would manage to sample all 200 plus varieties.

More photos from the festival.

The festival is over for this year but I think it will be back next year. Its a lot of cheese and a lot of fun! Cheese sampling goes from 10 am to 5pm but its best to get there early because the lines get longer and longer. There are sometimes crackers and breads available with the cheese but its a good idea to bring some crackers with you so you can clear your palate occasionally (you never know when youll taste a really strong cheese). Also bring a water bottle because you might get thirsty.


As we were leaving, we met an adorable African Gray Parrot, Phineas, and his trainer. Phineas was so sweet and intelligent (about the intelligence of a 7 year old his trainer says). If you point your finger at him and say "Bang!" he swings back and dangles from the trainers finger. Phineas also did a handstand and back sommersault for us and calmly rested on my palm while I petted his head.






And a trip to Pike Place wouldnt be complete without getting some more Daily Dozen Doughnuts. See more photos here (no smell-o-vision Im afraid).

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Chicken and Cheese Puff 鸡丝乳酪酥� 泡芙

This is a super easy finger food to make. I made this for the kids as an afternoon snack. I had to make a second batch because my son said I I ate his share. :P I use mayonnaise as the dipping sauce. You can leave it out or use other sauces such as chilli, tomato sauce or any of your preferred sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 piece Pastry Puff, thawed and cut into 4 squares


• 2-3 pieces Cheese singles divided into 4 portions (I used Cheddar Cheese here)


• 2 pieces Chicken Fillet, cut into strips and divided into 4 portions


• 1 egg yolk for brushing

How to do it:

1. Blanch Chicken Fillet till just cooked.


2. Drain, pat dried and set aside.


3. Place half a portion of cheese on a pastry puff diagonally.


4. Place a portion of chicken strips on the cheese and top with the remain cheese.


5. Take the bottom corner of the pastry puff and roll it up.


6. Brush with egg yolk.


7. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 200C or as instructed on package.


8. Remove and serve with dipping sauce if desire.

Note:

You can use other ingredients other than chicken if you like. I didnt add any seasoning as the Cheddar Cheese is salty enough.

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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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A Simple Goats Cheese and Beet Soup

Remember I promised to start a Beetroot Dish of the Month feature? Well, its time for this months beetroot recipe :) A very simple, yet delicious beetroot soup. The potato acts as a thickener, and the goats cheese gives the soup a wonderful silkiness and smoothness.

As always, I LOVE the colour :)

Goats Cheese and Beetroot Soup
(Peedi-kitsejuustusupp)
Serves 4 to 6

500 g beetroot, peeled and cut into small chunks
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 onion, peeled
1.5 litres vegetable bouillon
150 g goats milk cream cheese (f.ex. Soignon), at room temperature
1 tsp dried herbs (I used Meiras Mediterranean herb mix)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the bouillon into boil, add the vegetables and cook for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Blend until smooth and creamy (f.ex. in a blender or food processor).
Return the puree into the saucepan and add the goats cheese, spoonful by spoonful, as well as any seasoning. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
Serve with crusty bread and garnished with fresh herbs.

OTHER BEETROOT SOUP RECIPES @ NAMI-NAMI:
Dashing Coconut and Beetroot Soup (January 2010)
Creamy Beetroot Soup with Horseradish (January 2008)
Beetroot Soup with Goat Cheese (November 2007)
Delicious Vegetarian Borscht (September 2007)

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Garlic Cheese Bread

  I cant think of a better thing to accompany a delicious Italian meal than this cheesy, buttery garlic bread. Words cannot describe how amazingly scrumptious this bread is, so please just do yourself a favor and make it. Now!

 It is sinful, but so worth it. Its topped with 3 different cheeses, low-fat mayo (gasp! I know) butter, garlic and chopped green onion. I think the green onion is what makes it amazing. This bread can really be a meal all in itself. Sometimes, Ill just serve it with a side salad and some marinara sauce on the side for dipping. It is so filling and so good.

Garlic Cheese Bread

1 loaf French Bread
1 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup low-fat Mayonnaise
4 green onions, chopped


Directions: In a medium bowl, mix together the cheeses, mayonnaise and chopped green onion. Cover and keep in fridge until ready to use.

Cut loaf of French bread in half lengthwise, then in half again. Making 4 equal pieces. Working with 1/4 a loaf at a time, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add 1 clove of minced garlic. Place 1 of the sections of bread, face down, into the skillet. Swirl bread around to soak up the butter and garlic, and allow bread to toast very slightly. Remove bread and place on a baking sheet, face up.  Repeat process with remaining butter, garlic and bread.

Spread cheese mixture evenly onto each section of bread. Bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. About 10 minutes. Slice and serve! ♥

 

 

Recipe adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

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Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

   My hubby and I had our 7th wedding anniversary on July 1st. Since it landed on a Monday, we celebrated on Sunday, and because it was the only day we could get a babysitter. Before our date, I whipped us up this amazing Strawberry Cake!

   I admit, it does start off with a box cake mix. Some of you may gasp, but if youre like me, you are proud of those box cake mixes because they make pretty darn good cakes. I doctored mine up a bit, by adding sour cream (which makes it super moist) and fresh chopped strawberries.

  Cream cheese frosting is what I topped it off with and the results were the most delicious strawberry cake I have ever had in my life. Kale said the same. We all loved it. This one is a keeper, fo sho.



Strawberry Cake
with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (18.25 ounce) box Strawberry Cake mix ( I used Pillsbury Moist Supreme)
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh, chopped strawberries


Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 ( 8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the cake mix, water, oil, eggs and sour cream. Using a hand mixer, beat on low speed until combined, and then on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Dump in the cup of strawberries and mix by hand, until just combined.

Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cake cool completely before frosting.

For frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined and creamy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until combined. Add the milk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until frosting is smooth and free of any lumps. Frost cake and serve! ♥

Store cake covered in the refrigerator, if you have any leftovers :) 

I love the pink color of the batter. Especially, once the strawberries are mixed in.

I forgot to take pictures of the batter in the pan, and then baked, so this is all I have...

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Fig and Goat Cheese Clafoutis

Im still taking full advantage of the availability of good quality fresh figs at the markets at the moment. The figs are from Turkey, with dark purplish skin and beautifully pink insides. Ive got no idea whats the actualy name of the specific fig variety. Theyre a bit too plump and round for Black Mission. Perhaps Brown Turkey?

One of the fig recipes I had bookmarked already three years ago was Melissas Fig and Goat Cheese Clafoutis, and I was excited to finally try this at home. I can testify that its a wonderful clafoutis recipe - the tart creamy goat cheese indeed made it taste a bit like cheesecake, it had a lovely clafoutis conistency, and it looked absolutely amazing. We enjoyed it when still slightly warm, and I think thats when the clafoutis is at its best, but it tasted also good when completely cool.

Do try it, if youve got a chance.



See here for the Estonian recipe: Viigimarjavorm kitsejuustuga.

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Summer crostini with feta cheese and strawberries

Heres a truly summery crostini from one of my favourite food magazines, Swedish Lantliv Mat & Vin. Im really sorry I got the magazine issue and came across the recipe just last week, as the Estonian strawberry season has come to an end. I can just imagine how lovely it would have tasted with just-picked sun-kissed strawberries as opposed to those much less pleasant imported ones. Still, these were wonderful and come highly recommended.

Crostini with feta cheese and strawberries
(Krõbesaiad maasika ja fetaga)



sourdough bread (ciabatta, baguette)
extra virgin olive oil
feta cheese
strawberries
fresh basil leaves
freshly ground black pepper

Slice the bread thinly, halve the slices, if necessary. Brush or drizzle with a little bit of oil and toast in a pre-heated 220C/450F oven until golden and crisp.
Slice the cheese, divide the cheese slices on hot bread.
Garnish with sliced strawberries and basil leave, grind some black pepper on top.
Serve.

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