Herb Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Dip

This recipe was originally called Meatballs Nirvana, sourced from Allrecipes.  Well, it didn't quite send me into nirvana (thankfully!) but these are very yummy nonetheless.   

Chocolate and Irish Cream Frozen Yogurt

Did i hear you said "Decadent!"?

Yea, my thoughts exactly :)

Then again, adding yogurt balances the health scale somewhat, especially since I made it with my homemade yogurt.  So this is really a decadently healthy dessert.  A classic oxymoron, if there is one.

Guiltfree Yogurt Cream Cheese with Herbs

 

You may be wondering how is this recipe guiltfree?  Well, that's because it's made using low fat yogurt, so you can totally tuck into it without having to worry about the calories :).  

 

Vietnamese Rice Rolls with Lemongrass Chicken

 

My post on Cold Lettuce Rolls is by far the most popular in my blog.  Maybe because of the ease in preparation, the fun in assembling and the prettiness of the whole thing :)

 

So now let me present to you Version Number Two - a Vietnam-inspired rice rolls wrapped with fragrant lemongrass chicken strips and paired with creamy avocado, cucumber and fresh mint leaves. Very yummy.

 

Whilst i like to think of Version One as a more homemade, Malaysian style roll with sweet pork mince, this Viet version is bursting with the fresh flavours of lemongrass and mint.   There really is no need for any dipping sauce as the chicken meat is well seasoned, but if you are a die hard sauce fan, then feel free to serve it with some sweet Thai chilli sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vietnamese Rice Rolls with Lemongrass Chicken

 

• 400g chicken thigh fillet, sliced into very thin short strips, sbout 1 inch length
• 1 packet of dried rice roll sheets
• 1/2 a cucumber, julienned
• 1/2 head of romaine or iceberg lettuce, rinsed and the leaves cut into thin strips/chiffonaded
• 1/3 carrot, julienned
• 2 cups of fresh mint leaves, rinsed
• 2 avocadoes, pitted and cut into slices

 

Marinade for the chicken meat

• Lemongrass paste (see below on instructions to make lemongrass paste)
• 3 tbspn sugar
• 2 tbspn fish sauce
• 1/2 tbspn soy sauce
• 1 tbspn oyster sauce
• Generous dash of white pepper

Lemongrass paste

• 3 stalks of lemongrass, white part only, roughly chopped
• 3 pip garlic
• 1 inch knob ginger, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced

1. Put all the ingredients for the lemongrass paste into a blender and pulse until fine.

 

2. Pour it together with the rest of the marinade and mix with the chicken strips.  Marinade for at least 3 hours or overnight.

 

3. Heat 2 tbspn of oil in a pan and fry the meat until cooked. Adjust the seasonings. Set side to let cool.

 

4. Assemble the ingredients.   Pour some warm water into a wide bowl or container, wide enough to dip the rice roll sheets.

 

5. Gently dip the rice sheets into the warm water until soften but not wilted. Spread onto a wide plate, put the toppings and wrap into a spring roll shape. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

Easy Chicken Parmigiana

My family and i don't eat out at Italian restaurants very often, so once in a while, i like to make some simple Italian fare (besides pasta) to quell the cravings.

Homemade breacrumbs

Here's something easy as we go into the weekend. 


Making your own breadcrumbs is very simple.  In fact, by the time you finished reading this, you will be like - what? that's it? so easy?!

Durian Yogurt Cake

Since we are in the midst of a glorious durian season, it's the best time to try some durian based recipes. 

Homemade Yogurt - the Ultimate, Fuss Free Way

 

 

UPDATED on 11April 2016 

 

Note: Since I posted this, I have had quite a lot of queries and feedback on the finer points of making homemade yogurt.  Based on all this discussion, I have added in some new photos for better illustration as well as some specific points on the cooking process.  Hope this helps!

 

 

For someone who loves her yogurt with a passion, it has never occurred to me to make my own yogurt until a few years back. I came across many blogs that sang the praises of homemade yogurt, and thought what a great idea that was. 

Quick n Easy - Goji Leaves Soup

This is one of my favourite go-to soups when I know that I will not have time to make long boil soups.  In my previous post on Boost For Your Eyes I wrote about the highly nutritious goji berries and that it's one of the superfoods for good eyesight.