Black Sesame Bread

I finally have the time to update my blog. I've been busy with a new sweet baby girl. Also, I told myself I had to finish my birth story before updating my food blog.

This is a recipe I came up with when I was pregnant. I was told that I was anemic and so I tried several ways to bring my hemoglobin level up. I knew that the iron pills given to me would not do anything than give me constipation. So I took blackstrap molasses, black beans, red beans and black sesame.

I decided to experiment making bread with some of the black sesame seeds. I added oats as well. The results were satisfying.

The dough was grayish looking with a soft texture.

I like the way it looked after baking. It tasted right too. Perhaps next time I could use  more sesame seeds. I don't know when I'll have time to make bread again though. Soon I hope....

One of the good things about sharing my recipes on my blog is that I know where to find them when I need them later! So here goes... 

Take care, folks! I hope to post again soon. Happy baking!

Bitter Gourd with Salted Egg

Some years back we made a trip to my father's hometown in beautiful Pangkor Island. My gracious and generous aunt made sure we had scrumptious dishes with fresh seafood with every meal. One of the wonderful food we fell in love with was a simple bitter gourd dish.

We tried several times and different ways to reproduce it at home, but it never came close to the version we had. Until finally, we found the right way to do it. It may not be exactly the same as what we had, but it's close enough.

What I like about this dish is that it's simple, healthy (I think) and tasty. It takes only 3 ingredients and a few minutes to prepare it. I didn't even add any salt or pepper.

The recipe is as simple as this:

 1. Half a bittergourd, sliced thinly and soaked in water

 2. Two cloves of garlic, finely chopped
 3. One salted egg

 Method:
 1. Separate yolk from egg white. Steam the egg yolk only.
 2. Mash the egg yolk and beat in with the egg white.
 3. Fry garlic with oil slightly.
 4. Add bitter gourd and some water. Cook until soft.
 5. Pour in the egg and stir fry for about a minute.

Easiest recipe ever. It's perfect for busy nights or lazy days. 

Pregnancy Chai Tea

Hello everyone. It looks like the festive seasons are over. Christmas, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day... 

Now it's Lent and it's time for me to put aside the hectic baking schedule and focus on the next BIG event... the coming of a second child.

So, while mentally preparing for birth and practicing relaxation etc, I'd like to share a caffeine-free tea recipe that's safe for pregnant mothers to consume. 

I use rooibos tea in this recipe but if you don't have any, you can just omit it. You may add a teaspoon of blackstrap molasses. It's nutritionally beneficial, especially if you're anemic.


Okay folks, hope you'll give this a try, whether or not you're pregnant.  It's time for me to do some meditation and relaxation..... or maybe later.

Earl Grey Chiffon Cake

It has been way too long since I last posted. Christmas has passed and Chinese New Year is approaching. While I wish I have time to post some recipes for the festive goodies, I just don't have the time, especially to shoot the photos.

So here's something I did sometime last year. I made an orange chiffon cake for after rosary snack but it turned out kind of flat, so I simply had to try again. The second time around, I used a different flavour and wasn't as timid as I was about mixing the beaten egg white with the egg yolk mixture.

Here's how it turned out:

I'm happy with the way it turned out. It was soft and spongy and held its shape at the same time.

Chiffon cakes are normally not decorated, but she just had to...

Here's the recipe. You may change the flavour to whatever you prefer. If using citrus fruits, remember to add the zest as well.

Happy baking!