Black Sesame Paste With Almonds Using Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender

Black Sesame Paste is one of the common dessert found in dessert chain outlets such as Ah Chew Desserts, Dessert Hut, Er Gu Dessert (二姑糖水) and etc. And some believe that by consuming black sesame paste it also helps to nourish the blood, lubricate the intestines and clear "wind" in the stomach too.

On the down side, for those suffer from spleen troubles, diarrhoea or loose stools should avoid over-consumption of these small seeds.

BLACK SESAME PASTE WITH ALMONDS

After the previous recipes on Broccoli And Spinach Soup, Pumpkin And Meat Porridge; this post I would be sharing another quick Asian dessert which I am sure most of you would love it. The consistency of this Black Sesame Paste could be adjust with additional 100 - 150ml more of water during cooking if you prefer a more dilute and watery paste.

(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
150g Black Sesame Seeds
50g Uncooked Rice
4 Cups (1000ml) Water
150g Caster Sugar/Rock Sugar
1 Stalk Pandan Leave, knotted
50g Roasted Almonds, roughly chopped

Method:-
1. Pre-soaked the rice for at least 30 minutes, drain well and set aside.

2. Rinse the black sesame seeds, drain well and pan-fry till completely dry and fragrant.

3. Place sesame seeds and rice into Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender glass jug together with water. Set the timer to 20 minutes, blend the mixture for 30 seconds using SPEED 1.

4. Next add in pandan leave and sugar, bring the mixture to boil on HIGH for 5 minutes before switching it to SIMMER and continue to cook until end of the cycle.

5. When everything is cooked, remove the "pandan leave" and PULSE the mixture twice or more to achieve your desire texture.

6. Ladle Black Sesame Paste between serving bowls, garnish with roasted almonds and serve immediately.

To serve you could top it with some roasted almond to enhance the taste or even with a scoop of Vanilla Ice-cream if you are open to some adventure new combination. Till then I would update more recipes such as "Watermelon Granita", "Porridge", "Bolognese Sauce" using Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender soon.

STAND A CHANCE TO WIN CUISINART SILICONE WARE

Just for your information, I saw from ToTT's Facebook page that they already round-up the 8 Finalists for Cuisinart Soup Making Competition (Singapore region) which will take place on 01 December 2012. After which the winning team will represent Singapore in the regional competition in Hong Kong for the championship! So why not "VOTE" and support your favourite soup shown above at ToTT Facbook Page (link here) and be one of the 4 Lucky Voters to win a set of Cuisinart Silicone Ware worth S$80.00!

I have "voted" the Healthy Prawn Broccoli Soup (2nd row, 2nd soup), what about you?

Rainbow Pancake Vs Geen Pig Pancake

I guess most of us love eye appealing food despite whether you are an Adult or kid. As a mum of one, I hardly used food gel/colouring in our food but in order to achieve the eye catching colours for this Rainbow Pancake I have to use tiny bits of it for the effect. And to obtain the vibrant colours, you could mix your food colouring with some water before adding to your favourite pancake mix, in this way it could prevent over mixed of the pancake mixture and leaving you with nice and fluffy pancakes.

Pumpkin And Meat Porridge Using Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender

Continue from my last experiment on using the new Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender for my Broccoli And Spinach Soup I would be sharing another quick one-jug recipe on Pumpkin and Meat Porridge which I did a few days back while my boy was not feeling well. Indeed this new blender comes in handy for cooking porridge to feed from 1 - 4 person without having the hassle to stand beside the stove and keep checking the porridge to make sure it is not overflow or overcook.

PUMPKIN AND MEAT PORRIDGE

This innovative blender helps to cook porridge especially those type that is suitable for baby between 6 - 15 months. It is so easy to prepare as what you need to do is to add all the ingredients into the blender, press STIR, to COOK/SIMMER till the porridge is ready to be served.

 Although my boy is neither a baby nor toddler but this type of comfort porridge is always great to whet the appetite of those who are not well or just recovered from sickness. Moreover you could also control the texture of the porridge by adjusting the amount of water/broth used.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 30 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 120g Chicken/Pork Fillet, cut into 1.5" cubes
• 80g Pumpkin, cut into 1.5" cubes
• 30g Carrot, cut into 0.5" cubes
• 1/2 Cup Uncooked Rice
• 600ml Water or Chicken Broth
• 1 Century Egg(optional), cubes
• Garnish with Fried Shallot, Ginger and Chopped Spring Onion

Method:-
1. Rinse the rice in a few wash, pre-soaked it in water for 30 minutes (preferably) before cooking. Drained well and set aside.

2. Using the Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender, add in chicken, pumpkin and carrot cubes into the glass jar together with 1 teaspoon of oil. Set timer to 30 minutes and press the STIR button (on the right side) to stir the mixture regularly to avoid burning.

3. Through the hole on the press-on lid, add drained rice and water/chicken broth into the glass jug and bring it to boil using HIGH heat. (it takes about 2 - 3 minutes)

4. When the mixture comes to boil, change to LOW and cook the mixture for 7 - 10 minutes before switching it to SIMMER and continue to cook until end of the cycle.

5. Once everything is cooked, PULSE it a once or twice if you prefer a smooth texture for the porridge.

6. Ladle the porridge between serving bowls, top with some century egg, fried shallot and spring onion. Serve hot.

So you see, after about 30 minutes of cooking time from scratch you are able to enjoy a bowl of delicious homecook porridge using whichever ingredients that you prefer. And moreover the best part is, when you get home from work, you just need to put everything in the blender and with a touch of button your meal will be ready by the time you finished your shower.

UPCOMING CUISINART RECIPE

Black sesame paste is one of the common dessert found in dessert chain outlets such as Ah Chew Desserts, Dessert Hut, Er Gu Dessert (二姑糖水) and etc. Consuming of black sesame paste is also believed to nourish the blood, lubricate the intestines and clear "wind" in the stomach. So stay tune for the upcoming recipe soon!

Crabtree & Evelyn 2012 X’mas Food Collections

Christmas is a time of joy as well as preparing gifts for family, friends and loved ones. For me I always love Crabtree And Evelyn fine food range such as their Biscuits and Tea which I often stock up at home for afternoon tea-time or when there are guests around.

Every year a month or so before Christmas, Crabtree and Evelyn will launched their limited edition X'mas collections from food to personal care gift ideas. Below are some of my personal preferences from Crabree And Evelyn 2012 X'mas Collections which I think it would come in handy while preparing your coming Christmas gifts.

Mini Biscuits (S$60.00) is a perfect gift for anyone with a sweet tooth! This beautiful gift box contains six different flavours of Crabtree And Evelyn indulgent biscuits which baked in Great Britain using a traditional recipe. When eaten you could find generous chunks of different fruits and chocolate within the biscuit which make it an irresistible melt-in-your-mouth experience.

This gift set contains Double Chocolate Chip Biscuits(100g); Traditional Shortbread (100g); White Chocolate And Raspberry Biscuits (100g); Strawberries And Cream Biscuits (100g); Chocolate Chip Shortbread (100g); Lemon And White Chocolate Biscuits (100g).

If you can’t pick between your favourite treats, then go for the Festive Indulgence (S$58.00) pack where you can have them all with this beautifully packaged seasonal selection. This gift set, comprised of limited edition Christmas Spice Ginger Biscuits (165g), and three festively decorated 65mm baubles each containing a different delectable fudge such as Christmas Spice, Clotted Cream and Chocolate.

With a wide assortment of gifts housed in beautiful and colorful keepsake containers, Noël it is recognised across the globe as Crabtree And Evelyn’s signature Christmas fragrance. It has a blend of fresh balsams, cranberry, apple, and citrus complemented by spicy star anise, clove, and nutmeg, instantly evoking the spirit and smells of holiday festivity throughout the home.

Noël Fragranced Candle (S$50.00) helps to create a luxurious glow and ambiance in your home for the holiday with our festively fragrant.

Noël Set Of Three Fragranced Candles (S$65.00) features the festive fragrance of Noël and vibrant red glass holders that will add a burst of colour to the season.

Noël Home Fragrance Reed Diffuser (S$75.00, 192ml) let you indulge in the continuous and celebratory fragrance of Noël in the elegantly designed reed diffuser.

Noël Home Fragrance Spray (S$28.00, 100ml) instantly infused your home with the festive scent of fresh evergreens, bayberry, zesty orange and warm spices.

I am sure all woman love to have a pair of smooth and delicate hand, so with this La Source Hand Care Tin (S$55.00) it would make a prefect gift to ensure those delicate fingers are well looked after. Inside this unique keepsake tin is a complete hand care kit that includes La Source Nail And Cuticle Therapy, La Source Hand Remedy, La Source Hand Recovery, La Source Hand Therapy and La Source Buffer to ensure even the most hardworking hands looking at their best during this festive season.

{New} Evelyn Rose Ultimate Luxuries (S$168.00) consist of Crabtree And Evelyn’s signature scent blends of English roses with the exclusive Evelyn Rose for a fragrance with unique charm. This would be a perfect gift for woman who is both feminine and graceful. This set contains, Evelyn Rose Shower Gel (250ml), Evelyn Rose Body Lotion (250ml), Evelyn Rose Hand Therapy (100g), Evelyn Rose Eau de Parfum (50ml) and a Compact Mirror in Gold.

There are a lot of afford and meaningful products which you could take a look from Crabtree and Evelyn 2012 X'mas Catalogue at this link HERE. I am sure you would find something useful for Christmas Gift(s). And for your information Crabtree & Evelyn recently opened their 11th store at the latest mall The Star Vista (located just beside Buona Vista MRT Station) at unit #01-03.


* All related photos and products related information such as pricing in this post are credited to Word Of Mouth Communications Pte Ltd and Crabtree And Evelyn.