Chicken and Basil Rice

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups day old rice, at room temperature

1 large shallot onion, finely sliced into rings

1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 fresh red chili, seeded and finely sliced

1 fresh green chili, seeded and finely sliced

generous handful of basil leaves

3 skinless chicken breast fillets, about 12 oz, thinly sliced

piece of lemongrass, finely chopped

1 cup of reduced-fat coconut milk

salt and ground pepper to taste

Serves 4

Directions

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion  rings for 3-5 minutes until golden and crisp.  Lift out, drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

Fry the garlic and chillies in the oil remaining in the pan for 2-3 minutes then add the basil leaves and fry briefly until they begin to wilt.

Remove a few basil leaves and set them aside for garnish, then add the chicken with the lemon grass and fry for 2-3  minutes until golden.

Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes to coat the grains, then pour in the coconut milk. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the rice is tender. Adjust the seasoning.

Pile the rice into a warm serving dish, sprinkle with the fried onion rings and basil leaves, and serve immediately.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion rings for 3-5 minutes


Lift out, drain on kitchen paper and set aside


Fry the garlic and chillies


Add chicken


Add rice and coconut milk. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Season salt and pepper to taste


Pile rice on a serving dish, sprinkle with fried onion rings and basil leaves.


 Voila.  Enjoy!

Pin It

Strawberry Picking

We went strawberry picking recently it something I've never done before.   We decided to visit  Eckerts Farms, about 45 miles from my home.  I don't normally drive that far for anything, but for strawberries, I was willing to make a exception.  We picked 15 pounds ( yes, pounds) of strawberries.  Here are some pictures of our adventure! Now all I need to do is decide, what am I gonna do with all these strawberries.

Strawberry season is typically from the end of April to the end of May.  So to find a farm near you that lets you harvest your own fruit, visit PICK YOUR OWN website.



















Last but not least, here's Milo waiting for me at home...


Have you ever picked your own fruits or vegetables from a local farm or from your own garden? Pin It

What's in my bag?

I love  reading "what's in my bag" posts, so I decided to do one myself.  To be honest, my bag is actually way messier than this.  I sort of cleaned up a little.  I switch between bags a lot, so this is what my bag would look like if  I've committed to it more than a week. 

{Here's whats in my bag}

Large Gucci tote

Louis Vuitton credit card case

iphone4

RayBan wayfarer

Burberry checkbook (  to hold cash and coupons)

Smart water bottle

Dove deodorant

Essie mint candy polish

2 Chanel lip gloss

Stila lip gloss

Burt's Bees lip balm

Johnson and  Johnson floss

Food+Wine magazine

Chanel makeup palette

Instant Polaroid camera and film

Nars Orgasm blush ( I have this for 2 years...need to get new one soon!!)

Bobby pin and hair tie

Lush Charity Pot lotion ( thanks, sister)

What's in YOUR bag? I'd love to see!

Pin It

Green Papaya Salad

I must admit I'm pretty excited to share this recipe with you guys.  It's got all the ingredients for a killer blog post.   Fresh ingredients, check.  Healthy, check.  Stunning lightning, check.  All good stuff here :)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 green papaya

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp chopped shallots

3-4 fresh red chillies, seeded and sliced

1/2 tsp salt

8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half ( or 2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges)

3 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sugar

juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts 

sliced fresh red chillies, to garnish
Serves 4

Directions

Cut the papaya in half lenghtways.  Scrape out the seeds and with a spoon and discard, then peel, using a swivel vegetable peeler or a small sharp knife.  Shred the flesh finely in a food processor or using a grater.

Put the garlic, shallots, red chillies and salt in a large mortar and grind to a paste with a pestle.  Add the shredded papaya, a small amount at a time, pounding with the pestle until it becomes slightly limp and soft.

Add cherry tomatoes to the mortar and crush them lightly with the pestle until they are incorporated. Season the mixture with the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice.  Transfer the salad to a serving dish and sprinkle with the crushed roasted peanuts.  Garnish with the sliced red chillies and serve the salad immediately.

Pin It

My First Macarons

I have always been intrigued by these beautiful little sandwich cookies.  From everything I read, I was prepared to fail, at least the first time I made them. Much to my delight, they were a success!

Here's the recipe

with raspberry jam filling

They taste "YUMILICIOUS" and I hope the next time I will make them more even. hahaha

top with toasted sesame seeds

now I'm addicted

Pin It

Yes, the weekend is finally here...

Well lovelies, it has been quite a long and exhausting week and I could not be more excited that it's Saturday.  Hope your weekend is filled with all things fabulous!

source: weheartit

Pin It

Strawberries Cream Mini Muffins

Looking for a  perfect breakfast recipe?  These strawberries and cream are absolutely DIVINE! 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup strawberries slightly under-ripe diced into quarter-inch pieces

1 squeeze of lemon juice

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking power

1/4 vegetable oil

1/3 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 tsp. powdered sugar

 adapted from  Nigella Lawson's

Directions

Preheat over to 400F.  Line a 24-cup mini-muffin tin with paper baking cups.  Put diced strawberries into a bowl spritz lemon juice on them and stir gently to combine.

In a medium-size bowl, stir together flour, sugar and baking powder.  In a small bowl, beat together oil, sour cream, vanilla and egg. Pour mixture over dry ingredients, stirring to combine with a wooden spoon.  Fold in strawberries.

Divide batter evenly among the paper cups in the mini-muffin tin.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Place tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Take out the muffins and continue cooling them in the paper cups on the wire rack. When muffins re completely cool, place the powered sugar in a small sieve.  Shake sieve lightly to dust the muffin with sugar. Serve.

Pin It

Lemon Madeleines

This recipe was a piece of cake.  They taste so much better than the ones I've had at Starbucks.  I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
4 Tbs. ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioner's sugar for dusting (optional)
Madeleine pan
Makes 12 ( you can double the ingredients to makes 2 dozens)

Directions

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Using a pastry brush, heavily brush softened butter over each of the 12 molds in a madeleine pan, carefully buttering every ridge. Dust the molds with flour, tilting the pan to coat the surfaces evenly. Turn the pan upside down and tap it gently to dislodge the excess flour.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar and salt. Using a wire whisk or a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat vigorously until pale, thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Sprinkle the sifted flour over the egg mixture and stir or beat on low speed to incorporate.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the lemon zest and half of the melted butter just until blended. Fold in the remaining melted butter.

Divide the batter among the prepared molds, using a heaping tablespoon of batter for each mold. Bake the madeleines until the tops spring back when lightly touched, 8 to 12  minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and invert it over a wire rack, then rap it on the rack to release the madeleines. If any should stick, use your fingers to loosen the edges, being careful not to touch the hot pan, and invert and rap again.

Let the madeleines cool on the rack for 10 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the tops with confectioners sugar and serve. 

So delicious and awesome for dipping with coffee!

Pin It

Recent Outfits

First of all, I wanted to thank you Foodista for featuring my Strawberry Mojito as Drink of the Day on April 30.  

Express shirt, 7forallmankind Jeans, Tory Burch Reva flats, Gucci purse

Banana Republic blazer, F21 tank top, J brands jeans, Vintage scarf, Marc Jacobs sunglasses, Tory Burch sandal, Gucci purse

 Have a beautiful weekend.  My darlings, what are your plans for the weekend?  John and I we  hope to have a low-key (relaxing) weekend at home.

Pin It

Breakfast in Bed for Mother's Day -Egg In A Hole

Spoil mom this Sunday with  this simple delicious recipe.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 slices whole wheat sandwich bread

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 large eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Serves 2

Directions

Using a cookie cutter or a knife, cut out a small flower shape from the center of a thick slice of bread. Spread each side of bread with butter. Heat skillet over medium heat. Saute bread until golden, 1 to  2 minutes. Lower heat, and gently flip toast. Break an egg into flower-shaped hole. Season with salt and pepper .  Cover, and cook until egg white turns opaque, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate along with the  piece of cutout bread, perfect for dipping into yolk.

Get free printable label at Oh happy day

Pin It