Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Oggi, with her post: Tikoy Turon for Chinese New Year, on her site "I Can Do That!".

This is perfect for this week's Food Friday feature! The Chinese New Year starts today, and 2014 is the Year of the Horse! Tikoy is being sold in most supermarkets these days (actually, a week before!) and I must admit buying at least one is a big temptation. It's a good thing Ms. Oggi has included her recipe in the above post! Click on the above shot to know more!

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Kiong Hee Huat Tsai! I know, that doesn't really even mean Happy New Year; in fact, when translated literally it says "Congratulations and wishing you prosperity!". lol. But I don't really speak Chinese so.... :)

It's another soup post for me today: Carrots and Squash Soup.

Ingredients:

• squash (cut into roughly 1" sizes, then roasted with crushed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper; then mashed)
• carrot (placed in blender, together with some wan soy/cilantro)
• chicken stock, nutmeg, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper
• cheese (optional)

Procedure:

• Heat the chicken stock, together with some ginger, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the mashed squash. Place everything in the blender if you want it smooth (and you get to eat the ginger and garlic, too)! I placed mine in the blender. :P
• Return to the pot. You may add the cheese at this point and let them melt. Turn off heat, but keep warm.
• In the meantime, skin the carrot, dice and put in clean blender. Add the wan soy/cilantro and a bit of the squash mixture. Then blend till you're satisfied with the consistency.
• Add to the warm squash mixture. Mix. Adjust seasoning.
• Serve warm. Garnish with some wan soy/cilantro leaves. You may add cream, if you want. 
• Dip warm bread. Enjoy!

I seem to be cooking more soups these past few days! Blame it all on the cold weather! I had that soup warm, with some  malunggay pandesal (with garlic-parsley butter) that day. If I had that during lunch/dinner time, I'd most probably partner it off with rice and another dish (fish or chicken, most likely).

Kiong Hee Huat Tsai! 2014, the Year of the (Wood) Horse in the Chinese Calendar, will start today and end on February 18, 2015.  Just random info. :P

Please don't forget to add a link back to this site (you can get the buttons here; deciding to use text instead of buttons is fine also) to be able to add your posts below. Many thanks and hope everyone is going to have a great time this weekend!

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Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Winnie, with her post "Soft Challahs with Semolina" on her blog: Something Sweet.

Now who wouldn't want to have a piece of that!!! I wish I know how to make my own breads, like Ms. Winnie! I'll get there...eventually. In the meantime, do try to click on the shot if you want to know how that gorgeous bread was made!

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What to do if I have more carrots than the usual? Make it into a soup! This is my Cheesy Carrot Soup (with some burnt pandesals on the side, lol).

Ingredients:

• Carrots (used 4 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced)
• Celery (as little or as much as you like)
• Cheese (all I had was cheddar, but you can use whatever you want)
• Cream (used half a 250ml pack, but you can add more)
• Ground pork (totally optional)
• garlic, onion, soy sauce, salt, pepper
• nutmeg, cream

some of the ingredients used, and the pureed veggies

Procedure:

• Place the peeled and chopped carrots, together with the celery, in the blender. Add about a cup of water. Blend till you're satisfied. Set aside.
• Brown some meat on a pan, together with some onion and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and a few dashes of soy sauce.
• Dump the pureed veggies, then mix. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. I added garlic powder at this stage.
• Let simmer for around three minutes, then add the cheese. Once melted, take off the heat then pour in the cream. Mix well and taste. Adjust seasoning until satisfied.
• Delicious served warm with bread (or with rice and another viand).

My youngest doesn't like the taste of celery so much, hence I decided to blend it together with the carrots. Added the cheese to make sure the kids would love it ... and they did! :) Me, I liked it, too (even if am not really a carrot fan). ;P

Please don't forget to add a link back to this site (you can get the buttons here; deciding to use text instead of buttons is fine also) to be able to add your posts below. Many thanks and hope everyone is going to have a great time this weekend!

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