Getaway & Retail Therapy - Korea

I still can't believe that we (me and my 2 friends) went on a trip to Seoul, Korea .. (a spontaneous decision over breakfast one morning). We were casually talking about going on holiday after our workout in the gym and within a fortnight we were off on the plane to Seoul.

We arranged for the trip and toured the country where we do not speak their language by ourselves.

In the 5 days 4 night trip, we shopped, savored Korean food and culture without a tour guide (except for a half day tour to visit the Changdeok Palace which we followed a local tour). 

We went to the local markets and shopping areas like Dongdaemun, Namdaemun, Insadong, Myeongdon and shopped till we drop!

In fact… we did all that on foot…. yes … we practically walked to all these places from our hotel. Did not use the public transport as we enjoyed strolling along the way. Of course coming back from the shopping area was more challenging as we were lugging our finds!!!

Anyway, here is seeing Korea from our eyes….

Vegetable stall in the market

Dried fishes

Catch from the sea.... so fresh…..

Korean seaweed and kelp

Adeline inspecting the Korean noodles and vermicelli before buying some home.

In the market place

 

We ate where a local would have their meals....Food stalls in the market place (open till 2 am)

We had our breakfast here twice!

Food we ate in Korea…….

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Places we have our meals…….

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Took  a half day tour to visit the Changdeok Palace

A good getaway from our daily routine as homemakers.

Stretched

 

In the midst of my very hectic schedule (yes! life of a homemaker is HECTIC), I have somehow forgotten about Yoga.

I used to practise Yoga diligently couple of years ago. However, nowadays whenever I am in the gym, I would only be doing cardio and weights.

I finally made it to attend a hot yoga session this morning.

Gosh! I have to admit that my body was so stiff and achieving those simple postures was a real challenge. My muscles have not been stretched for far too long and flexibility is definitely compromised.

Nonetheless, I survived the hour of stretching and came out feeling lighter. Looks like I must not neglect this regimen.

So…. Sun Salutation….

will have to be my daily ritual to keep this aging body from further deterioration.!!!

Stir fried Cabbage with Eggs

 

As a busy home-maker, I often prefer dishes that are simple and fast to prepare.

One of my favourite dish would be Stir fried cabbage with eggs.

This dish can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes. It taste absolutely divine served with a plate or bowl of steamy hot rice.

Despite its simplicity, this dish is full of goodness. Cabbage is low in calories and rich in fibre. It is believed to be able to prevent cancer and great for weight loss. The eggs (which is nutrient-rich) will provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals required in any diet.

All you need to cook this dish is 2 simple ingredients

A bowl of shredded cabbage and 2 eggs.

Heat up 2 tbsp of oil and saute some chopped garlic till golden brown.

Add in the shredded cabbage and fry till cabbage turn green and translucent(about 3 to 4 minutes).

Keep things moving in the wok.

Lower the heat and make a well in the center.Crack eggs into the well. Stir eggs with spatula until yolks are broken, trying to keep cabbage out of egg mixture. Allow the eggs cook for about 2 minutes until almost set.Turn up heat to medium. Stir everything together and sprinkle in 2 tbsp of water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Stir fry for another minute.

 

Dish up and garnish with some homemade fried shallots.

Serve immediately,

Yummmy!!! .

Omelette

 

Often… it is the simplest thing that yields the best result.

A simple egg dish could be just the perfect “pick me up” in the morning.

I have been slacking in the baking department again. So, this morning, with no bread/bun on the breakfast table, I whipped up some omelette for breakfast instead.

Omelette is such an easy dish to make. All you need is some eggs, cheese, oil or butter for frying and seasoning. The key to a good omelette is it must be light and moist. Here is how I do it.

Omelette (serves 2)

Ingredients :

3 eggs

a handful of your favourite cheese (grated)

3 tbsp of water or milk

Pinch of salt (to taste)

Dash of coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 tsp of parsley

Butter for frying

Method:

1. Crack the eggs and separate the yolk from the white.
2. Whisk the egg whites till light and frothy.
3. Heat a heavy-bottomed non-stick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and let it melt.
4. Add the egg yolks, water (or milk) to the egg whites and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Continue whisking till the mixture is pale yellow. (You are trying to create as much air as possible into the mixture to yield a light and fluffy omelette).
6. Gently fold in the grated cheese  and the paisley into the mixture.
7. When the butter in the pan is hot enough to make a drop of water hiss, pour in the eggs. Don't stir! Let the eggs cook for up to a minute or until the bottom starts to set.
8. With your spatula, lift one edge of the egg and fold it across and over, so that the edges line up. Cook for another minute or so, but don't overcook or allow the egg to turn brown. If necessary, you can flip the entire omelette over to cook the top for 30 seconds or so. Just don't let it get brown.
9. Gently transfer the finished omelette to a plate. Garnish with some cherry tomatoes or fresh herbs. if desired.

A simple yet wholesome breakfast at can be whipped up in less than 5mins.

Yumz.

 

Cinnamon Rolls

 

I love having freshly baked cinnamon buns/rolls for breakfast. However I am often put off by the fact that the preparation time is long and that I would have to wake up at least 2 hours earlier to ensure that freshly baked cinnamon rolls can be on the table by the time the family wakes up.

A couple of weeks ago, while blog-hopping (my way of de-stressing and getting inspirations), I chance upon a gem! A quick  and easy recipe for cinnamon rolls.

The dough is prepared the night before and left in the refrigerator to chill overnight. During this time the dough will rise…but very slowly. Then the next morning, you just need to pull out the dough and shape it and off to the oven to bake. All in all, just less than an hour in the morning. For me, I took out the dough from the fridge an hour and a half before the family woke up. While the dough is resting, I took a shower and freshen up. Then, before shaping the dough, I just kneaded it for a couple of minutes. Love the feeling of the yeast coming to life and doing its thing. So, even though the recipe does not call for kneading before shaping,,, I just have to do it to satisfy myself. I added some semi-sweet chocolate chips into the rolls. The cinnamon rolls came out prefect!!! Nothing beats a freshly baked roll for breakfast. Hubby had a couple before going to work and the children finished up the rest.

Everyone was satisfied :)

Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Reese’s Kitchen)

Ingredients :

280g Bread flour

15g Milk powder

60g castor sugar

1/2 tsp salt

70g water

6g instant yeast

100g fresh milk

50g butter

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together except butter in a mixer, mix until a dough forms.
2. Add in butter and knead until you get an elastic dough.
3. Brush a deep bowl with some butter, and leave the dough to rise in it for 1 hour. (covered with cling wrap)
4. Transfer it into the fridge and chill over night.
5. Take out the dough from the fridge and let it stand for 5 minutes, then roll flat.
6. Brush a thin layer of butter on the flat dough and sprinkle enough cinnamon powder and brown sugar as you desire.
7. Roll up like a Swiss roll and cut into sections.
8. Place on a greased pan and let it double in size for 10 minutes. Brush with beaten eggs.                (I did not egg wash it, as i prefer the matte look)
9. Bake in preheated oven, 190'C for 20 minutes.

  

Look at the texture…. very fine and sooo soft !!See the texture here...it was unexpectedly soft!

I managed to make 10 rolls from this recipe.

What a great way to start the day!!!!

Banana Choc Chip Cupcakes

 

There were 3 over-riped bananas in the kitchen this morning.

Thought it might be a good idea to turn them into cupcakes. It’s been awhile since I last baked cupcakes. In fact, I have not been baking much lately. Life as been so hectic for me lately, that I hardly have time to bake or blog :(

Anyway, I found these easy and great cupcake recipes, and decided to try out the one with banana. I threw in some chocolate chips and turned them into Banana Choc Chip Cookies…. yum

The recipe is a keeper… easy yet yielding such wonderfully soft, fine textured and delicious cupcakes. 

 

Banana Choc Chip Cupcakes (adapted from Krystina Castella’s)

Ingredients

1/2 pound (225gm) unsalted butter,at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used 3 large banana)
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract & 2 handfuls of chocolate chips

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line cupcake pans with liners.
2. With an electric mixer on medium speed cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs to creamed mixture, and beat well. Add the bananas creamed mixture and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add all the dry ingredients to creamed mixture at once. Mix until the dry ingredients are completely integrated.
5. Add the milk, chocolate chips and vanilla. Mix batter for 1 minute on medium speed.
6. Fill cupcake liners one-half to three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

Banana cupcakes - before baking

Pigs in a Blanket

 

For a quick and easy breakfast, I made these for my family this morning.

 

I called them “Pigs in a Blanket”.

This is like an easy version of sausage roll.

Took a few slices of bread (wholemeal) and trim off the edges. Spread some butter on the bread and put a cocktail sausage on each slice of bread. Wrap the bread around the sausage and secure it with pandan leaves. (the pandan leaves are freshly picked from my garden).

Place them onto a baking tray (lined with aluminium foil) and grill in the oven for about 10 mins. Remove the tray from the oven once the bread is golden brown.

Serve hot with a nice cuppa coffee or Milo.
The bread is crunchy and fragrant.

Simple, yet delightful way to start a day….

 

Yummie ;D