Recipe: Strawberry Mille-Feuille Dessert

The first time I had mille-feuille was at Sage Restaurant in KL in 2009 and to date, it is still one of the best, most memorable desserts I've eaten there. Mille-feuille (sometimes called the Napolean) is a flaky, rectangular French pastry with a sweet filling, traditionally comprising of 3 layers of puff pastry, with 2 layers of pastry cream.

One of my favorite versions is the strawberry mille-feuille, which is the one Hubby recreated at home for us. For his strawberry mille-feuille, he used 1 sheet of Pampas puff pastry (a 1-kg pack comes in 6 sheets) which he cut into 1.5"x 4" rectangles and then baked in the oven for about 12-15 minutes until crispy and golden. Because they puff up quite a lot, he sliced them into half each for a nicer presentation. In between the puff pastry, we layered it with Crème Chantilly (vanilla-flavored whipped cream) and fresh Korean strawberries (in season now!).  Dust with icing sugar or snow powder to finish.

Simple to make, but absolutely delicous and elegant looking. Love the light, crisp pastry against the soft, pillowy cream and fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Mille-Feuille
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 13-15 minutes
Makes 6

Ingredients
1 sheet ready-made frozen Pampas puff pastry, cut into 1.5" x 4" (approx.)
250g fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
Icing sugar or snow powder, for dusting

For the Creme Chantilly
150g whipping cream
1/2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (fan-assisted).

2. Cut the puff pastry to size (you will get 9 rectangles), then place onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Place in preheated oven and cook for 13-15 mins or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.Once cooled, carefully slice each puff pastry into half with a sharp knife to make 2 thin pieces (now you have 18 rectangles).

3. Place the whipping cream with icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk until stiff peaks. Put in fridge if not required immediately.

4. To assemble, place one piece of pastry in the centre of the plate, then top with some of the cream mixture. Lay some sliced strawberries on top of the cream, then top with another piece of pastry. Repeat with more cream and strawberries, then top with final piece of puff pastry. Dust with icing sugar or snow powder and serve.

Dust with icing sugar or snow powder to finish

Note: Leave the puff pastry to thaw for 5mins, then cut to size. It is quite difficult to work with once it has completely thawed.

* I am linking this to Bake-Along #73 (Theme: Mille Feuille) hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids.



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Kaiseki @ Fukuya Japanese Restaurant, Jalan Delima, KL

I can't believe that after all these years, I have not taken Hubby to Fukuya Japanese Restaurant in Jalan Delima for their kaiseki lunch. He's had a good meal at Fukuya KLIA and I myself have eaten in this restaurant a few times and enjoyed it, so I was confident that he would love it as much as I did.

Fantastic kaiseki meal at Fukuya KL :)

Since we made a last minute reservation, we were seated at the sushi bar since the restaurant is fully booked. It sure is good to see this restaurant doing so well!

Fukuya's specialty is the Kaiseki menu which consists of fresh seasonal ingredients (air-flown fresh from Japan twice a week) paired with artistic presentation. The food is prepared according to the strictest traditional methods. The mini kaiseki, served at lunch is priced at RM65++ per person and consists of an appetizer, soup, sashimi, grilled dish, simmered dish, fried dish, shokuji and dessert. It is served course by course, though at times, it came out a little too quick for our liking.

A kaiseki meal sure is a feast for the eyes and palate. Even though I've eaten the kaiseki here a few times, I still feel impressed every time the dishes come out. Like this appetizer - WOW is the word to describe it. In the centre is their signature uni (sea urchin) tofu, surrounded by other delicious bites such as fried fish, eggplant, salmon roll and grilled scallop.

Ah sashimi, my favorite course - thick, fresh slices of salmon, tuna and hamachi (yellowtail). More please :)

Premium chawanmushi - so so smooth, delightful to savour.

Grilled cod with mayo sauce- so happy that today's fish is cod. Topped with the mayo sauce, it was moist and flavourful. I really enjoyed this!

These came out together - crispy tempura, wrapped in shiso in a light batter, miso soup, simmered chicken with radish, and rice with salmon flakes.

Loved this! 

Sushi bar action

Fresh melon for dessert

It was a great lunch for sure, this certainly will not be the last time we'll be visiting Fukuya :)

Opening times: Monday to Saturday; Lunch 12.00 pm - 2.30pm, Dinner 6.30 pm- 10.30pm. Sundays 6.00pm - 10.00pm.

Price: RM65++ for mini kaiseki, available Mondays to Saturdays.

Location: Fukuya Japanese Restaurant, No 9 Jalan Delima, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (next to Levain Boulangerie and behind the Indonesian Embassy)

Tel: 03-2144 1022

Website: http://www.fukuya.com.my/

GPS Coordinates: 3.145626, 101.72061

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Recipe: Stir fried flowering chives with prawns (Chinese)

Flowering chives are currently in season, and I am excited to see them whenever we are at the wet market or supermarket. It is relatively inexpensive in KL, and I would always grab a couple of bundles to cook at home.

Stir fried flowering chives with prawns

Flowering chives is considered a Chinese delicacy - it has a lovely crunchy texture and tastes slightly sweet. We especially love stir frying this vegetable with seafood such as prawns or scallops. It only takes about 2-3 minutes to cook this vegetable - it should still be crunchy once cooked.

This is an easy, quick side dish which you can serve as part of a Chinese meal.

Vibrant and delicious!

Stir fried flowering chives with prawns
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6-7 minutes
Serves 3-4 as side dish


Ingredients
1 bundle flowering chives (about 170g), cut into 1.5 inch lengths
10-12 fresh prawns, peeled and deveined, with tails intact
1 tsp ginger wine
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
1/2 tsp light soy sauce


1. In a wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and stir fry for 2 minutes, until lightly browned.

2. Add the flowering chives and stir fry for about 2 minutes, then add the prawns and cook for a further 30 seconds to 1 minute until cooked. Season with ginger wine, chicken stock granules and light soy sauce. Serve immediately.

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Recipe: Mango Lassi

Whenever we frequent an Indian restaurant, mango lassi is a must-order for us. Mango lassi is a popular yogurt-based drink, originating from India. The traditional lassi is usually savoury and flavoured with spices, whereas sweet lassi contains sugar or fruits, similar to a smoothie.

Mango Lassi

It is mango season now in Malaysia, so perfect for getting your hands on some beautiful fresh mangoes. Mango lassi is made by blending milk, yogurt and mangoes, and since the mangoes that we bought were really fragrant and sweet, we did not have to add any sugar making this a healthy drink as well. Plus it is so much cheaper to make your own - a single serving of mango lassi in the restaurant can set you back at least RM7 whereas I made a serving for 4 for that price at home.

A nice, cooling and refreshing drink to enjoy with a spicy Indian curry. The kids absolutely loved it!

Mango lassi
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from Much Depends on Dinner
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup natural yogurt
2 mangoes, sliced (approx. 500g)
10-12 ice cubes

To serve
A few sprigs of fresh mint

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and whizz until foamy. If the lassi is very thick, you can add more water or milk. Pour into glasses and refridgerate before serving.

Note: This recipe is from a famous Pakistani restaurant in London called Lahore, shared in the cookbook. If you find that the lassi is not sweet enough, then add a couple of tablespoons of sugar to your liking.

I am linking this to "Cook-Your-Books #12" hosted by Joyce, to Asian Food Fest- Indian Subcontinent hosted by Chef and Sommelier and to Little Thumbs Up (May 2014: Milk) hosted by Tze of Awayofmind Bakery House.


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*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's FB page on 22 May 2014.

Recipe: Asparagus and cheese muffins + Asparagus ends soup

After a few days of eating asparagus, I've gathered up quite a lot of asparagus ends (which I usually throw away because they're woody and fibrous).  I've always felt that it's wasteful to throw them away, so this time I will be making a soup with them.

To go with the asparagus soup, I've also made some savoury asparagus and cheese muffins. The original recipe uses Cheshire cheese, which I couldn't find in the supermarkets here, so I substituted with Cheddar cheese. These were really easy to make, a simple mix-and-bake recipe.

This is only my second time making savoury muffins, but we really enjoyed them. I was especially surprised that Baby D ate 2 whole ones (cheese-lover!). I like how the asparagus stems peek out of the muffins, which gives it an elegant appearance. These muffins were moist, with a lovely top crust and pretty substantial. They're best eaten warm with some cold butter.

For the soup, the asparagus ends are boiled with the chicken stock, and then pureed using a hand blender. This then needs to be sieved to remove the inedible fibrous bits. Using asparagus ends, the soup was pale green in colour (my head went "oh-no!") - I've made asparagus soup before with the stalks and it was a vivid green. I googled and saw other asparagus ends soup images which was a similar shade, so this colour is perfectly normal... phew.

Despite the colour, the asparagus flavours really came through. The soup was silky smooth, creamy and comforting. So next time, don't discard those woody ends... they make a good asparagus soup.

Asparagus and cheese muffins
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from Good Food Channel
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Makes 9

Ingredients
9 asparagus, woody ends removed, stems cut into 1cm pieces, leave the tips a little longer
200 g self-raising flour
100 g cheddar cheese
62g butter
1 spring onion (green parts only), snipped
75ml milk
50ml natural yogurt
1/2 tsp English mustard
1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (no fan) and line a muffin tin with 9 cases.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the cheese. Melt the butter and pour into a jug. Add the spring onions, milk, yogurt, mustard and eggs into the melted butter. Mix well until combined and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the flour and cheese, and stir in the chopped asparagus stems. Be careful not to over mix and stop as soon as the mixture is combined.

4. Spoon the mixture evenly between the muffin cases and push an asparagus tip into the middle of each. Bake in the oven from 25-30 minutes until golden. Best eaten hot out of the oven, spread with a little cold butter.

Note: I halved the original recipe, to yield 9 muffins. I could not get Cheshire cheese here, so I substituted with Cheddar cheese.

Creamy asparagus ends soup
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from here
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
300g asparagus ends
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt
2-3 tbsp cream
A knob of butter

To serve (optional)
Asparagus tips
Parmesan cheese
Bacon


1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add onions and cook for 2 minutes until they have softened. Make sure that they do not brown. 

2.Then, add the chicken stock and asparagus ends and cook for 15 minutes until softened.

3. Remove from heat and use a hand blender to puree the asparagus ends. Pass the soup through a sieve to remove the inedible fibrous bits. Place back into saucepan, and season with salt and pepper, simmer at very low heat and add the cream. Serve immediately.

* I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up (May 2014: Milk) hosted by Tze of Awayofmind Bakery House.


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Recipe: Asparagus Bacon Pasta with Poached Egg and Parmesan

Hurray, one of my favorite vegetables, asparagus is back in season again! I bought a huge bunch from the wet market the other day, so decided to whip up a few different dishes featuring this delicious vegetable. For my first asparagus dish, I made pasta for lunch since my son loves it a lot.

Asparagus Bacon Pasta with Poached Egg & Parmesan

Asparagus are full of vitamins A, B and C, virtually fat-free, and full of fibre and folic acid and is also great for the heart, boosts your immune system and cancer defences, as well as being great for skin, nails and hair. This time, we got the larger asparagus, which have a crunchier bite to them. I decided to saute them with some garlic and serve it with pasta, bacon, Parmesan and poached egg. Just snap or cut off the woody ends and cook the asparagus for a couple of minutes, to keep them tender and sweet.

I made 2 plates - one with and one without the poached egg. The non-egg version was for my little boy, who had a cough. Despite having a cough, he finished his whole plate off pasta with gusto :) I personally prefer the one with the poached egg as the runny egg nicely coats each strand of pasta and gives it a wonderful creaminess. Other than poached egg, you can also substitute with a soft boiled egg (recipe here).

Now you see it, now you don't :D

Asparagus Bacon Pasta with Poached Egg and Parmesan
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
150g spaghetti
10 stalks asparagus, washed and woody ends trimmed
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 rashers streaky bacon, sliced thinly
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
Salt and freshly ground pepper

To garnish
Parmesan, freshly grated
2 eggs, at room temperature (optional)
Parsley, finely chopped
Truffle oil (optional)


1.  Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to pack instructions (al dente should take about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and drain, run under cold water to stop from cooking further.

2. Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan on medium high heat. Add bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same pan, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the asparagus and fry for 2-3 minutes until cooked. Add the pasta, drizzle with remaining olive oil and mix thoroughly for about 1 minute, and then season with chicken stock granules, salt and pepper. Mix in the crispy bacon.

4. Using a two-pronged carving fork, swirl some of the pasta around the fork. Slide the pasta off the fork and mound it in the center of a plate. Repeat for each serving. If serving with poached or soft boiled egg, place the egg on top of the pasta (in the centre). Garnish with some freshly chopped parsley.

5. For the poached egg, see this whirlpool method, or Delia's method, or clingfilm method. This time, I am using the Delia method - fill a frying pan with 4cm barely simmering water. Break each egg into a cup and lower into the water. Cook for approximately 2 minutes (you will know it's cooked when the egg white has set). Use a slotted spoon to remove. You can also serve this with a soft boiled egg.

6. Serve immediately. Shave Parmesan cheese on top and add a dash of truffle oil to finish.

Note: Please do not discard the asparagus woody ends.Save them in a zip lock bag and place in freezer. See here on what you can do with them.

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*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's FB page on 28 April 2014.