Lazy Sunday Cookies

Sunday morning, lurgy free... what to do!? Naturally tidy the room, organise the wardrobe and bake! In my room tidying escapades I came upon yet another hat, so I've spent the day wondering round in black and looking very philosophical (no poetry spouting though).

So, with wooden spoon in hand, and nod to France oh so neatly placed (I didn't plan that one) in homage to my baking buddy having realised that this was the first time I had baked without her about, I was ready to go! I bring you an amazing baking brain-child:

Lazy Sunday Lemon Cookies

Ingredients:

6 oz Butter
2 oz Icing Sugar
1/2 lb Self-Raising Flour
1 decent sized Lemon
Icing sugar

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together.
3. Grate the lemon zest into the sugar mixture and mix together.
4. Work the flour in with your fingers until it comes together in a ball.
5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut into rounds.
6. Put on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes till a pale golden brown.
7. Let them cool on a wire rack.

Now here is the really good bit...

8. In a small bowl/cup pour in a small amount of icing sugar, then squeeze in the lemon juice from the grated lemon. Mix well.
9. Keep adding icing sugar to this until you reach a consistency that is spreadable but not too runny. I was lucky that this made exactly enough icing for the number of cookies I had!
10. Spread your icing onto your cool biscuits, leave to set and then nom away!

Comfort Cookies

One of the simplest of recipes and one that provides fantastic comfort in hours of need that I thought I'd better share all the cookie (although bear in mind they come out quite spongy) love!

Ingredients:

100g flour
50g sugar
60g butter/margarine
1 tsp vanilla essence (I promise that it's better with the stuff and I never normally bother with it!)
1 egg, beaten
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder, dissolved in hot water (though I always use self-raising flour anyway)
1 small bag M&M's (or smarties, or chocolate-chip, raisins...)


Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 175 C.
2. Cream the butter (or margerine) and sugar together.
3. Add the egg, vanilla essence, salt and baking powder and mix.
4. Add the flour and mix it in.
5. Throw in your M&Ms (or indeed whatever you fancy)
6. Bake for at least 10 minutes (use your judgement - I know all ovens are different and have their ticks)

These are best eaten the day they're made and are so deliciously comforting that you'll wish you made more (but be glad you didn't or you'd have scoffed the lot!) Luckily for me, this recipe is perfect for those with a wee oven and it makes five generous cookies (or if you accidently double the quantities like I did then you end up with five ma-hoo-sive cookies....).

Enjoy!

The Position Has Been Filled!

One of the loveliest things about HK has been the stream of visitors to our flat. Most have been my flatmates, but it has still introduced me to new and exciting people and today has been no exception. The very lovely lady who is currently in the (i think coveted) position of 4th flatmate, today cooked for all of us one of the most beautiful and scrumptious meals ever (and that's saying something as a lot of good food has come through our kitchen) and I fear that if I do not commit this to paper I will forget it!

Ingredients (as far as I can work out). All quantites are left to personal preference!

• Onion
• Garlic (fresh)
• Ginger (fresh)
• Pepper
• Dhal
• Bok Choi
• Sugar snap peas
• Rice

Method (roughly)

This meal starts, as all good ones should, with cooking the onion. We all know how we like our onions best cooked, and if you've made it here I'm guessing you've done it yourself countless times before, so cook your onions...

When you onions reach you Personal Point of Perfection (would you just look at that alliteration), then add your garlic, ginger and spices. Here, the garlic was sliced and the ginger grated but again this is down to personal preferences. Crush it, smush it, flatten it, pulverize it... whatever makes you happy! Black pepper and cumin were used here because that was what was available in the cupboard - of course you can use whatever you have going! 

As all this had been going on the dhal should have been cooking away - again however it floats your proverbial boat. Our honorary cook liked to do it with salt water and turmeric but we had none of the latter available.

When the dhal is cooked, drain it but KEEP THE WATER!!! This is a tomato free recipe and unless you want to use some then then the liquid has to come from somewhere! 

Throw the dhal into the pan with the onions et al, and throw the bok choi and sugar snaps on top. Hopefully the water will boil off and steam the veg all at once! While this is going on, cook your rice. This, of all kinds of cooking, is one of the most personal so I'm not even going to begin to go there! 

The only thing left to do is put it together and munch away...

Sadly I have no pictures of this beautiful dish, but I am going to attempt a reincarnation, upon which time I will be sure to add photos here!! Until then, happy cooking!

On Soy Sauce

I love soy sauce. I think its one of cooking's great inventions and without doubt a store cupboard essential. I thought, moving out to Hong Kong that finding soy sauce would be a doddle... I was partially mistaken. In the UK when you go into the supermarket you will find your Amoy and your blue dragon soy sauces, often in large and small sizes and Often with a choice of light or dark varieties. Sometimes there may be a third or even a fourth brand to choose from. So far so simple. Often the choice is dictated by which ones are on offer if any,  and at the end of the day there isn't much scope for going wrong when faced with barely a shelf of choice. Well let me show you the wealth of choice in Hong Kong:

I tell you the scope for making mistakes is huge, but then alongside that you've got all the exciting new discoveries. One such discovery has been chili soy sauce.

This packs a punch with out and out chili heat and it's wonderful. This is my favourite thing to do with it: stir-fried veg and noodles, sometimes with bacon, sometimes with chicken, but always wonderfully yummy. It's western Asian cuisine at it's most comforting! Sadly I've no idea if there is anything similar floating around in the UK but if it's ever stumbled across then do try it, but remember to practice caution. Only the tiniest amount is needed.

Dropping degrees...

It's November. It's that time of year again when the poppies come out and the travesties of years gone by are remembered; our heroes honored and when there is a mutual hope that we will never see anything like that again. And so the hunt for the poppy has begun. A hunt this year because in Hong Kong there is more seeking required to find this flower, and I cannot let a Remembrance day pass where I am without one. In addition I am feeling the urge to purchase one of these:

A poppy for all year, the knowledge I will always have one (though I can guarantee I will probably still end up with a good seven of the regular ones per-year - always happens) and my money will still go to the British Legion. Hard to see the flaws in such an investment.

Remembrance day has always been important, but it seems even more so this year. That probably has a lot to do with being away from home, and it being something that makes me proud to be British and proud to be British. Hanging on with traditions is a way of keeping home alive.

The other thing November has brought to Hong Kong is "colder" weather. It has fallen bellow 20C, but has yet to fall below 15C and yet the scarves and coats are out. I have to admit that I too have been feeling a pinch chilly very much to my shame. My hardy northern-ness is suffering in this warmer climate.

On the other hand I have a new favourite fruit:

Even though the dragon fruit looks bizarre, if you are a fan of kiwi fruits odds are you'll like this one. It's not as tangy but the texture is similar. My next challenge is to attempt a salmon chowder, now that the weathers getting cooler. Here's hoping it works...

The Ovenless Diaries #1

There is no doubt that one of the things I am missing most out here in HK is an oven. It's not something I'm used to being without and now I realise just how much I relied on it, so it almost feels like I'm going back to square 1 with my cooking. On the side of the pro-points, we do have a gas hob, which makes hob only cooking a little more variable.

This weeks revelation was a family fave (sadly now the all hallowed apple crumble and custard) but a tasty one nonetheless. Ginger and honey marinaded salmon with mashed potatoes (skin left on) and pak choi. I suppose this isn't really a recipe, but the marinade is simply chopped fresh ginger, runny honey and olive oil in the quantities of your choice. The oil works its way though the fish as it's marinading, making it so easy to fire into a wok/frying pan and cook gently through. I just wish I had taken a picture....

For now however, I need to bend my mind to more exciting things that I can cook and expand my hob cooking skills...