Lately, my parents were busy settling my brother's pre-u education. A-Level, SAM (South Australian Matriculation), MUFY (Monash University Foundation Year), ADP (American Degree Programme) came to our mind. Each has its pros and cons though A-Level is more well-known and recognized worldwide. To keep it safe, A-Level is many's first choice but it's tougher too. If I am to look it at another perspective, taking A-Level has another advatange as universities require a lower requirement for its intake. That's why making a life-changing choice can be really nerve-wrecking.
Gladly, I talked to my tuition teacher today and her words indeed comfort me. In 12 months time, I will be sitting for SPM and soon I will officially graduated from high school. However, with my mid term result in May, I will have to make up my mind on what to pursue for pre-u. This means that it will defintely be less than 12 months.
I can't agree more that pre-u is a stepping stone to your future. What you have opted may make a huge difference. Throughout this few months, after attending career day, education fair, reading pamphlets of differents universities etc, I have an idea of what pre-u courses I shall take. Furthering my study in actuarial science has been in mind and hopefully, I won't change my mind again *finger-crossed*
So, I was told by my tuition teacher that an actuarist has a bright future, she assured me that I have the capability to chase my dream in this field. It requires an analytical mind and most importantly an actuarist earns a high income in a low-stress environenment. Honestly, I have been fidgeting whether to take up this course or not with a couple of reason. Firstly, not many local uni offer it. Secondly, the job opportunities in Malaysia is absolutely limited. Thirdly, completing an acturial science course in uni doesn't mean that you are done and over with it. To be a qualified actuarist and acheive associateship, it requires a graduate to take a set of examinations like other professions such as doctors but the advantage an actuarist has is that she can work while sitting for the examintions. It's interesting though!
Oh well, I shall not make a decision without givng it a second thought. And... I still have around 6 months to think about it! While searching about actuarial science, I came across some fun facts about it.
What is an actuary?
Part super-hero. Part fortune-teller. Part trusted advisor.
Why actuarial science?
High salaries. Job security. Endless opportunities.
Finding a job?
Landing Your Actuarial Dream Job.
As long as there’s risk, there’s work. For every company trying to determine if this is the year to expand, for every insurance agency looking to predict the unexpected, for every government office trying to craft sound policy, we are there working to ensure those organizations continue to operate as smoothly as possible.
Also.. I was encouraged to study at USA and to intern there. Perhaps I will be a PR there if I have decided to settle down abroad but to think about it, nothing is better to live in Asia as a food paradise and the hot climate all year long!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Mushroom Chicken Burger with Mock Caesar Salad
I have been so tempted to try out some burger recipes. The juiciness of the patties and the mouth-watering mushrooms are heavenly a perfect combination! To me, any dish with mushrooms is perfect. As for a healthier side dish, I opted for a mock Caesar salad.
Mushroom Chicken Burger
1. Drizzle some olive oil on a pan. Add the chopped onion and fry till they have softened. Let aside to cool completely.
2. Next, blitz the bread in a food processor.
3. Add the chickens and blend till you they are minced thoroughly.
4. Put the cool onion with the rest of the burger ingredients. Use your hand to scrunch the mixture together really well.
5. Divide evenly into five patties and freeze for at least one hour, or till the patties are firm.
6. Meanwhile, mix the ingredients well for both types of mayonnaise.
7. When the patties have firmed, grill the patties over some olive in batches in a non-stick pan.
8. Flip them over when the side which is grilled is half-cooked or have turned white with some crispy golden touch.
9. After cooking the patties, dry the oil on the patties with a kitchen towel.
10. Slice an onion or more.
11. Halve your burger buns and butter them slightly, you may heat them up slightly.
12. Assemble the patty, mushrooms, onion, mayo (spicy or cheesy) or any ingredients of your liking such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon etc on the burger buns.
Mock Caesar Salad
> Drizzle the dressings onto the lettuce and serve.
* The original recipe calls for Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic powder and croutons, however I have made some slight changes to it and added some tomatoes as well as diced apples.
Surprisingly, yoghurt makes a good combination with mayo. It's a lighter version of mayo as you can try making 1:1 portion of mayo and yoghurt as a healthier substitute.
And...this book makes wonder for an amateur like me. Grab it home if you have found any bookstores selling it at such a great deal. You can find any ingredients which you know nothing about, eg herbs and the author gives a thorough explanation of the hint of flavour of each herbs, esp what dish it matches with.
Recipe reference:
- Hamlyn Quick Cook Family Meals
- Taste of Home Mom's Best Made Easy
- Jamie's America ( http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/burgers-sliders )
Mushroom Chicken Burger
- Chicken breasts -- 2
- Onions
- Bread ( I have used half of a burger bun )
- Egg -- 1
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Olive oil
- Mayonnaise
- Tomato sauce (ketchup)
- Cayenne pepper ( Paprika will do too )
- Juice of lemon ( I left this out )
- Yoghurt
- Cheesy Kewpie Mayonnaise
- Yoghurt
- Portobello Mushrooms (any button mushrooms will do)
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Butter
1. Drizzle some olive oil on a pan. Add the chopped onion and fry till they have softened. Let aside to cool completely.
2. Next, blitz the bread in a food processor.
3. Add the chickens and blend till you they are minced thoroughly.
4. Put the cool onion with the rest of the burger ingredients. Use your hand to scrunch the mixture together really well.
5. Divide evenly into five patties and freeze for at least one hour, or till the patties are firm.
6. Meanwhile, mix the ingredients well for both types of mayonnaise.
7. When the patties have firmed, grill the patties over some olive in batches in a non-stick pan.
8. Flip them over when the side which is grilled is half-cooked or have turned white with some crispy golden touch.
9. After cooking the patties, dry the oil on the patties with a kitchen towel.
10. Slice an onion or more.
11. Halve your burger buns and butter them slightly, you may heat them up slightly.
12. Assemble the patty, mushrooms, onion, mayo (spicy or cheesy) or any ingredients of your liking such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon etc on the burger buns.
Mock Caesar Salad
- Plain yoghurt
- Mayonnaise
- Worcestershire sauce
- Pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Vinegar
- Lettuce
> Drizzle the dressings onto the lettuce and serve.
* The original recipe calls for Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic powder and croutons, however I have made some slight changes to it and added some tomatoes as well as diced apples.
Surprisingly, yoghurt makes a good combination with mayo. It's a lighter version of mayo as you can try making 1:1 portion of mayo and yoghurt as a healthier substitute.
And...this book makes wonder for an amateur like me. Grab it home if you have found any bookstores selling it at such a great deal. You can find any ingredients which you know nothing about, eg herbs and the author gives a thorough explanation of the hint of flavour of each herbs, esp what dish it matches with.
Recipe reference:
- Hamlyn Quick Cook Family Meals
- Taste of Home Mom's Best Made Easy
- Jamie's America ( http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/burgers-sliders )
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Second Attempt Mac n Cheese with Stir Fry Chicken
Mac n Cheese was yesterday's lunch. I was actually craving for a creamy and cheesy one, however this do not turn out right. I have added too much flour so it was pretty starchy like mash potatoes, my brother even thought that I added potatoes in the sauce. I will definitely give it another try some other day :) Mac n cheese is definitely a classic comfort food.
Mac n Cheese ( reference: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Mac-and-Cheese/Detail.aspx?evt19=1 )
2. Saute the garlic with drizzle of olive oil till it's golden brown.
3. Pour some milk into the non-stick pan. Stir till the mixture is bubbling.
4. Stir in some flour and you will get a slightly thick mixture. ( add bit by bit as the cheese will thicken the mixture too )
5. Then, stir in the cheddar cheese and cheddar cheese constantly until the cheese are melted.
6. To flavour, you may add some salt, pepper and paprika pepper. ( you can omit the salt because the parmesan cheese brings a salty touch to the sauce.
7. Lastly, put the macaroni into the sauce and and stir well.
8. It's optional for you to bake them. Otherwise serve without baking!
This stir fry chicken is pretty similar with there previous one but without parsley.
Basic Stir-fry Chicken
- Chicken breast
- Japanese soy sauce
- Pepper
- Dry basil
1. Slice the chicken breast to your desired size.
2. Marinate the chicken with all the other ingredients
3. Heat the pan with olive oil.
4 Stir fry the chicken till it's just tender and cooked.
Mac n Cheese ( reference: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Mac-and-Cheese/Detail.aspx?evt19=1 )
- Cheddar cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Milk
- Butter
- All purpose flour
- Paprika powder
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
2. Saute the garlic with drizzle of olive oil till it's golden brown.
3. Pour some milk into the non-stick pan. Stir till the mixture is bubbling.
4. Stir in some flour and you will get a slightly thick mixture. ( add bit by bit as the cheese will thicken the mixture too )
5. Then, stir in the cheddar cheese and cheddar cheese constantly until the cheese are melted.
6. To flavour, you may add some salt, pepper and paprika pepper. ( you can omit the salt because the parmesan cheese brings a salty touch to the sauce.
7. Lastly, put the macaroni into the sauce and and stir well.
8. It's optional for you to bake them. Otherwise serve without baking!
This stir fry chicken is pretty similar with there previous one but without parsley.
Basic Stir-fry Chicken
- Chicken breast
- Japanese soy sauce
- Pepper
- Dry basil
1. Slice the chicken breast to your desired size.
2. Marinate the chicken with all the other ingredients
3. Heat the pan with olive oil.
4 Stir fry the chicken till it's just tender and cooked.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Okonomiyaki お好み焼き
Okonomiyaki お好み焼き or known as Japanese Savoury Pancake is widely available here in Malaysia, I used to have those sold in Jusco. I can't help to be a fan of Japanese food. If I am given a choice of Japanese food or any other local food, Japanese food will be my very first choice.
So, what's Okonomiyaki?
Kansai-or Osaka-style okonomiyaki is the predominant version of the dish, found throughout most of Japan. The batter is made of flour, grated nagaimo (a type of yam), water or dashi, eggs and shredded cabbage, and usually contains other ingredients such as green onion, meat (generally thin pork belly, often mistaken for bacon), octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, kimchi, mochi or cheese. Okonomiyaki is sometimes compared to an omelette or a pancake and may be referred to as a "Japanese pizza" or "Osaka soul food".
In Osaka (the largest city in the Kansai region), where this dish is said to have originated, okonomiyaki is prepared much like a pancake. The batter and other ingredients are fried on both sides on either a teppan or a pan using metal spatulas that are later used to slice the dish when it has finished cooking. Cooked okonomiyaki is topped with ingredients that include otafuku/okonomiyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce but thicker and sweeter), aonori (seaweed flakes), katsuobushi (bonito flakes), Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger (beni shoga).
I will usually give a twist to the recipe to suit my liking. For this round, I have used marinated frozen prawns and sotongs. I even added some lettuce as the toppings. Once I have seen in a Taiwan Travelling Programme to Japan where they visited a famous local Okonomiyaki shop. The batter is first grilled on a teppan, then an egg is added. Lots and lots of cabbage, seaweed flakes, bonito flakes and okonomiyaki sauce are added! When the savoury pancake is served, it's a heapful of ingredient. How tempting it is!
As referred to Wikipedia, this will be the Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki :
When served with a layer of fried noodles (either yakisoba or udon), the resulting dish is called modan-yaki (モダン焼き), the name of which may be derived from the English word "modern" or as a contraction of mori dakusan (盛りだくさん), meaning "a lot" or "piled high" signifying the volume of food from having both yakisoba and udon.
Osaka style Modan-yaki :
Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savoury Pancake)
( it's optional for you to marinate them )
Toppings: Okonomiyaki sauce, Mayonnaise ( advisably to use Kewpie ), Bonito flakes, Lettuce
Steps:
1. Sift the low protein flour into a bowl.
2. Beat the eggs into the flour with an egg beater and add in the water till you have a smooth batter.
3. Add your choice of ingredients, cabbage and mix well.
4. Drizzle some oil into a non-stick pan over a low fire.
5. Scoop an adequate amount of batter.
6. When the sides of the batter are cooked, flip the pancake over.
7. Do check if the centre of the batter is thoroughly cooked.
8. Serve with the toppings and sauce. Enjoy!
For the Mandarin version of the recipe, refer here.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki
So, what's Okonomiyaki?
Kansai-or Osaka-style okonomiyaki is the predominant version of the dish, found throughout most of Japan. The batter is made of flour, grated nagaimo (a type of yam), water or dashi, eggs and shredded cabbage, and usually contains other ingredients such as green onion, meat (generally thin pork belly, often mistaken for bacon), octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, kimchi, mochi or cheese. Okonomiyaki is sometimes compared to an omelette or a pancake and may be referred to as a "Japanese pizza" or "Osaka soul food".
In Osaka (the largest city in the Kansai region), where this dish is said to have originated, okonomiyaki is prepared much like a pancake. The batter and other ingredients are fried on both sides on either a teppan or a pan using metal spatulas that are later used to slice the dish when it has finished cooking. Cooked okonomiyaki is topped with ingredients that include otafuku/okonomiyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce but thicker and sweeter), aonori (seaweed flakes), katsuobushi (bonito flakes), Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger (beni shoga).
I will usually give a twist to the recipe to suit my liking. For this round, I have used marinated frozen prawns and sotongs. I even added some lettuce as the toppings. Once I have seen in a Taiwan Travelling Programme to Japan where they visited a famous local Okonomiyaki shop. The batter is first grilled on a teppan, then an egg is added. Lots and lots of cabbage, seaweed flakes, bonito flakes and okonomiyaki sauce are added! When the savoury pancake is served, it's a heapful of ingredient. How tempting it is!
As referred to Wikipedia, this will be the Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki :
When served with a layer of fried noodles (either yakisoba or udon), the resulting dish is called modan-yaki (モダン焼き), the name of which may be derived from the English word "modern" or as a contraction of mori dakusan (盛りだくさん), meaning "a lot" or "piled high" signifying the volume of food from having both yakisoba and udon.
Osaka style Modan-yaki :
My version of Okonomiyaki:
Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savoury Pancake)
- Cake flour/ Low protein flour -- 200g
- Eggs ( Big ) -- 2
- Water -- 250ml
- Cabbage
- Minced onion
- Minced garlic
- Soya sauce
( it's optional for you to marinate them )
Toppings: Okonomiyaki sauce, Mayonnaise ( advisably to use Kewpie ), Bonito flakes, Lettuce
Steps:
1. Sift the low protein flour into a bowl.
2. Beat the eggs into the flour with an egg beater and add in the water till you have a smooth batter.
3. Add your choice of ingredients, cabbage and mix well.
4. Drizzle some oil into a non-stick pan over a low fire.
5. Scoop an adequate amount of batter.
6. When the sides of the batter are cooked, flip the pancake over.
7. Do check if the centre of the batter is thoroughly cooked.
8. Serve with the toppings and sauce. Enjoy!
For the Mandarin version of the recipe, refer here.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti and Parsley Garlic Chicken
I was craving for some creamy oh-so-delicious spaghetti so back to what I used to cook, creamy spaghetti sauce! It's pretty similar with carbonara but it's eggless instead. The wholesome-ness comes from the whipping cream. Though it's fattening with the cream and cheese but good food can't wait :)
This is the recipe I come out with:
Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti
- Spaghetti
- Wild sliced button mushroom
- Onion
- Whipping cream
- Cheddar cheese
- Chicken stock cubes ( don't try to omit this! - you will regret :p )
- Mustard powder
- Olive oil
( the quantity of the ingredients are to your liking )
1. Saute the sliced onion with some drizzle of olive oil in a pan.
2. Mix the chicken stock with hot water and pour it into the pan.
3. Stir well till the chicken stock has completely dissolved.
4. Add in the mushrooms and simmer in the pan.
5. Pour the whipping cream into the pan and stir well.
6. Taste the creamy sauce, if it's way too salty for you, add in more water.
7. Add a pinch of mustard powder and cheddar cheese.
8. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you may add some corn starch but I did not do so.
Parsley Garlic Chicken
- Chicken breast
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Dry basil
1. Slice the chicken and set aside in a container.
2. Chop the parsley till it's fine.
3. Marinate the chicken with the salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, dry basil and olive oil.
4. Mince the garlic and saute it over the olive oil.
5. Add in the chicken and basil.
6. Stir fry till the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
7. The chicken is perfectly done if it's tender and juicy!
Serve the spaghtti with the parsley garlic chicken and enjoy your meal!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Carrot Cupcakes and Cream Chese Frosting
Dated 1/10/13
It was my mum's birthday so I decided to bake something special. I was scrolling through my cousie's blog and came across two recipes on carrot cupcakes. She recommended that this will be moist but not too sweet as it blends with the cream cheese frosting ( frosting is meant to be sweet ). I do have a sweet tooth. Hence, I decided to give it a try! Though it was my first try preparing the frosting but it wasn't that hard as I expected. The carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are reasonably good, I cupcake base a lot. It's nutty and aromatic! This will definitely be on my very own baking list :)
红萝卜蛋糕 (credits to Min's Blog)
Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (yields around 20 cupcakes)
2. Sift in the pain flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder.
3. Add the walnuts and shredded carrots.
4. Fill the cupcakes liner with the batter, bake in the oven at 180 degrees celcius.Cool after baked.
5. For the cream cheese frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla essence with an egg beater. Then, add in the walnuts.
6. When the cupcake had cooled, top them with the frosting. Serve chill!
It was my mum's birthday so I decided to bake something special. I was scrolling through my cousie's blog and came across two recipes on carrot cupcakes. She recommended that this will be moist but not too sweet as it blends with the cream cheese frosting ( frosting is meant to be sweet ). I do have a sweet tooth. Hence, I decided to give it a try! Though it was my first try preparing the frosting but it wasn't that hard as I expected. The carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are reasonably good, I cupcake base a lot. It's nutty and aromatic! This will definitely be on my very own baking list :)
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| One of the most presentable cupcakes I have made so far |
红萝卜蛋糕 (credits to Min's Blog)
- 鸡蛋 2个
- 植物油 150ml
- 细糖 100g (我有减少许）
- 香草精 1tsp
- 面粉 125g
- 发粉 1tsp
- 苏打粉 1tsp
- 盐1/4tsp
- 肉桂粉 1tsp
- 萝卜丝 165g
- 坚果碎 55g
奶油乳酪
- 奶油 (软化）55g
- 奶油乳酪 (软化） 115g
- 糖粉 240g
- 香草精 1/2tsp
- 坚果碎 55g
- 把鸡蛋， 油， 细糖和香草精搅拌均匀。 筛入粉类， 盐和肉桂粉。
- 加入萝卜丝和坚果碎。
- 倒入烤盘， 放入预热180‘C的烤箱， 烤大概40-45分钟。 待凉。
- 准备奶油乳酪糊： 把奶油， 奶油乳酪， 糖粉和香草精放进大碗， 用打蛋器搅拌均匀。 加入坚果碎， 即完成。 把乳酪糊抹在冷却的蛋糕上
Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (yields around 20 cupcakes)
- Eggs -- 2
- Vegetable oil -- 150ml
- Castor sugar -- 100g ( I used 80g )
- Vanilla Essence -- 1 tsp
- Plain flour -- 125g
- Baking powder -- 1 tsp
- Baking soda -- 1 tsp
- Salt -- 1/4 tsp
- Cinnamon powder -- 1 tsp
- Shredded carrots -- 165g
- Walnuts (chopped) -- 55g
- Softened butter -- 55g
- Softened Cream cheese -- 115g
- Confectioner's sugar/ Icing sugar -- 240g
- Vanilla essence -- 1/2 tsp
- Walnuts (chopped) -- 55g
2. Sift in the pain flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder.
3. Add the walnuts and shredded carrots.
4. Fill the cupcakes liner with the batter, bake in the oven at 180 degrees celcius.Cool after baked.
5. For the cream cheese frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla essence with an egg beater. Then, add in the walnuts.
6. When the cupcake had cooled, top them with the frosting. Serve chill!
Sweet Sixteen
Dated 20/10/2013
My bunch of mates have celebrated my birthday on my sweet sixteen which was rather a surprise. Didn't I expect my best friend to lie to me that she couldn't join the fun and so I called her up. In fact, she has arrived at one utama where we met up for a so called reunion dinner with my friend from Penang. I was astonished when my best friend appeared and gave me a surprise They even bought me a cake.
How much I appreciated this friendship can never be described in words. I have met them for three years and ten months but this 46 months are enough to prove that they are my best-est friends on earth. I may not be good at expressing myself when we spend our time together but hereby, I will like thank every single one of you for all you had done. Without any one of you, my life is not complete.
My bunch of mates have celebrated my birthday on my sweet sixteen which was rather a surprise. Didn't I expect my best friend to lie to me that she couldn't join the fun and so I called her up. In fact, she has arrived at one utama where we met up for a so called reunion dinner with my friend from Penang. I was astonished when my best friend appeared and gave me a surprise They even bought me a cake.
How much I appreciated this friendship can never be described in words. I have met them for three years and ten months but this 46 months are enough to prove that they are my best-est friends on earth. I may not be good at expressing myself when we spend our time together but hereby, I will like thank every single one of you for all you had done. Without any one of you, my life is not complete.
" A friend is someone you can be alone with and have nothing to do and not be able to think of anything to say and be comfortable in silence, "
- Sheryl Condie
"Best Friends
The title we chose
Tears are shed
Love is spread
We know that we both really cared
I smile, you smile
You cry, I cry
I wish, you wish
You die, I die
If you fall
I'll help you up
And if you call
I'll always pick up
Best Friends Forever
The promise we made
And I know in my heart
That it will never fade"
The title we chose
Tears are shed
Love is spread
We know that we both really cared
I smile, you smile
You cry, I cry
I wish, you wish
You die, I die
If you fall
I'll help you up
And if you call
I'll always pick up
Best Friends Forever
The promise we made
And I know in my heart
That it will never fade"
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| Five sisters |
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