Is it breakfast time ?

As morning is approaching ... ( it's almost 2am!) ... can't sleep...

I started thinking of what I could prepare for tomorrow's Sunday brunch/ breakfast 

and this gave me a flash back of a wonderful brunch I enjoyed 

at the Four Seasons Resort in Mauritius last summer.

No words needed ... the pictures say it all ...

{Omelette with Crispy Bacon}  or

{Twin Eggs Benedict with Duo sausages }

And this to share ...

{Platter of smoked salmon and smoked marlin accompanied with cottage cheese and avocado}

Happy Brunch!!!  

Can anyone turn back time and bring back this blissful 

moment of brunch food heaven?! :p

Marks and Spencer makes dinner easy !

Have you come across of the Marks & Spencer's latest deal?

Recipes to try for £6. Yes! For £6 !!

Pick up all the ingredients needed for £6 and you can be off for pretty delicious meal for dinner! I was a bit skeptical staring at the shelves for a bit, but it couldn't be any simpler.

I have tried the below :

And this is how it turned out! :)

Not exactly how it is on the picture but close enough! :)

Thanks M & S for the lovely dinner !!


Deliciously Yours,

Cafe Rouge - A trip to a typical french brasserie

Fancy a little French experience in Central London?

Only a few days left to enjoy the 2 for 1 deal at Cafe Rouge!

Sometimes when we don't feel like cooking and eating at home,
these deals often come in handy! { Especially when we're not looking to spend too much! }

Not usually the place we'd choose to go but with a good deal ... it's hard to let it go! :)
And we are most of the time pleased with the food! I have to say that here the highlight
was the french fries! The steak was okay-ish but the French Fries = Thin strips
and so crispy- recommended! If only the waiting staff were French, it would really
feel like being in a brasserie in Paris!

Get your voucher here and enjoy saving a little bit while enjoying a nice meal out!! 

{ Remember only 3 days to go! }

CLICK BELOW 

Oooohhhh Maltesers!!

No need explaining needed here! (^.^)

Sometimes you just need to give in and enjoy !   Everything in moderation-  you just need to control yourself!!

Scrumpfffhhhh - Scrumpfffhhhh - Scrumpfffhhhh - Ahhhh nice!! :)

What to do with pork belly ?

I was walking through the Meat aisle at Tesco yesterday, when a really lean piece of
pork belly caught my eye. Being chinese and chinese like their pork, I didn't think
twice and put it in my basket. Immediately I had flashes in my head about different
ways how it could be prepared and I was happy with my purchase!

I do not usually buy pork belly {as it most often is half fat and half meat and the fat
usually just ends up in the bin! } but this one was a great piece.


Tonight as I came home, I was pleasantly surprised by my fiance who was busy
making dinner and I got really excited when I saw that he had marinaded the
pork belly and it already looked delicious! As I left him all organised in the kitchen,
I started to set the table and waited impatiently for 'eating time'! :)

Great mix of colours and flavours, I could already smell the garlic and onions mixed 

with the sweetness of the peppers and of course the flavour of the sizzling pork

... yummm...

Dish is now ready and if it wasn't so hot, I would have already tasted a bit!

Next the veggie - Pak Choy

{ before }  and { after } So the veg is now ready and oh the noodles are ready too!!

Noodle soup in plain broth seasoned with salt and pepper, sesame oil, chilli flakes, lettuce leaves and spring onion

Time to eat now!!! Thanks for dinner baby boon!! :)

Yummmm!!!!!   Bon appetit!!

Deliciously yours,

Marks & Spencer Tea Cakes

There is no denying that I have a sweet tooth!

I had a very strong craving today and wanted sweets to accompany my afternoon coffee. For lunch, I had a not so very exciting sandwich and I just needed that afternoon fix so bad!!

And I got it!!

Closest place from work and with just a few pennies in my pocket, I was surprised that I could get myself a whole pack of Tea Cakes from Marks & Spencer.

And they were Evilishly good !!!!   Chocolate biscuit topped with marshmallow, enrobed in chocolate... yummmmmm... so light ... so nice!!!!  Before I knew it, I've had three in a row ... ayaaaaaaa ...   (-_-)

Oyster Sauce Chicken

Sunday Night In!

Dinner at home tonight. On the menu, chicken in oyster sauce { recipe from mum } , egg fried rice and chinese vegetables.

So how did I make it ?



Chicken in Oyster sauce

Ingredients:

- 2 Chicken breasts
- soya sauce to marinade chicken
- 1 Onion, sliced
- 1 Clove of garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- half tablespoon cornflour
- oil for frying

Method:

1. Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces and marinade with a little soya sauce
2. Add in the cornflour and mix well
3. Heat some oil in a pan
4. Add the onion and garlic, when just about to take some colour, add the chicken to reduce the heat
5. Stir fry and leave the chicken to brown and cook well
6. When almost golden, add the oyster sauce and stir the chicken until all have a coating of the oyster sauce and tadaaahhh the dish is ready!!

Serve with some egg fried rice and stir fried chinese veggie.

Arrrr.. I'm so hungry!!! Bon Appetit !!!


Deliciously yours,

Hummingbird Cupcakes

            

The Hummingbird Bakery is one of my favourite place to satisfy my cravings for cupcakes.

Who can resist not going inside with such beautiful displays at their window? Well, at least ... {unfortunately} not me!

La Porte des Indes

I believe that my love for food definitely grew stronger during the several 

occasions when dining out with my dad during his visits to London. 

And you have to know, my dad is the one who has introduced me to fine 

dining since a very young age and he is my Hero! :)

Thanks to my dad, I came to know about the well kept secret of 

"La Porte des Indes Restaurant", an oasis of a place, located in a little 

street off oxford street in Marble Arch.

As starters, only the best: Tandoori grilled king prawns - juicy and full of flavours.

The Perfect Bento Box @Satsuma

I love Japanese Food.

The Japanese Cuisine offers a very wide variety of dishes, with different delicious
taste and textures. From its fresh tuna or salmon sashimi dipped in wasabi and soya
sauce, to a simple bowl of rice with grilled chicken teriyaki, or a bowl of miso soup
with tofu and seaweed in it ... one can never get bored of the Japanese cuisine.

I have tried quite a few Japanese restaurants in and around London and I have to admit
that being the greedy cow that I am, I usually end up ordering too much food wanting
to have little bits of everything and stuffing myself so much that often the whole
experience just loses a bit of its sparkles!

This time, I was happy to be able to combine most of the dishes I wanted to eat
- all in one Bento Box order- all in just the right amount ...

Sorry the picture is a bit blurry! 

So, on the menu :  Bento Box -  Salmon and Tuna Sashimi, Ebi Karaage
{ instead of the tempura because I like how super crispy this version is!  }
, yakilori { tender marinaded meat on stick with sweet teriyaki sauce } ,
California Rolls and a spicy seafood salad!

A very copious meal already but of course {bad habit} I had to order a bit more!

On the side, I could not resist ordering the soft shell crab roll ...
with the spicy mayo ... ooomfphh!!!
My mouth is salivating already just by the thought of it! :p

Ahh... well, with some green tea at the end of the meal, it was perfect!
Although I would have loved to have the green tea ice cream for dessert,
I just had to say No! Let's not be too greedy!

Oh and do try the Strawberry and Kiwi juice that they make fresh!
Had a sip from my other half's drink and it was pretty good!

SATSUMA Japanese Restaurant  

56 Wardour Street

London W1D 4JG

  

I have the best Fiance ever!

Whether it's Valentine's Day or not, you should always show the one you love that you do Love Him / Her ... it's all in the little actions, words, and surprises ... to show you care ...

In my case, these cupcakes with heart sprinkles found their way straight to my heart ... and tummy! :p Hmm.... yummm....

Let's make Valentine's Day everyday! (^.^)

Fast and Simple Dinner

With a little help, it is quite easy to get a nice meal together ...

I grabbed a cod fillet in crust from M&S which I put in my pre-heated oven to grill for about 15-20 minutes until cooked, crispy and golden. In the meantime, I boiled a couple of potatoes to make some fluffy mashed creamy potatoes and finally for the veggie option, I stir fried some spinach leaves with garlic ... and the final result is ....

Simple, quick and easy ... and most important, balanced and healthy, oh and also very tasty ... :)

Got some work to do now so I'm happy that it all didn't take long giving me enough time {hopefully}  to finish my work, watch some tv and spend some time with my Fiance before going to bed!

(^.^)

Happy Valentine's Day !!!

It's all gone! It's All Gone!!!

All gone in the tummy and settling comfy around my waist! Argh!!!

Macarons Macarons !!

Macarons have taken the world by storm these recent years and I am one of the weak ones who have fallen head over heels for them! { How not to? }

Now, for the traditional day of Romance, Pierre Herme brings us new flavours which will not let you unmoved { so I hear!!} ! The Macarons Infini is one with blackcurrant, cream flavoured macarons with salted butter caramel which just sounds Wonderful ... Simply to DIE FOR!!  Gonna have to head there for some and quick!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

And remember to treat yourself to something delicious, as there is no Greater Love than the love for Food ...  (^.^)

Breakfast Time !! HK Style or Fully British ?

Good Morning Weekend!!!! And now ... , it is tome for some breakfast!

The All sweet HK breakfast with delicious filtered coffee {from Monmouth Coffee Shop in Borough Market }, Man T-heo  { Plain Chinese Steamed Dumplings } dipped in condensed milk ...

Cafe de Hong-Kong in China Town London

Fancy a typical meal Hong Kong Style?

Before we went through the whole menu meticulously at Cafe de Hong Kong, we quickly chose our drinks first. Bubble Tea anyone?

         

On the left, I had the Fluffy green tea pearl drink, and Mr. A had the ice coffee and tea mix {not sure what it's called but this is basically what it is! } (^.^)

So what are we eating today??

Malaysian Food in London Chinatown

After a long day of wandering the streets of london {Chinatown and Nottinghill} during the weekend with my foodie companions, we decided to have dinner at this tiny little place on a little street off Wardour Street: C & R Malaysian Cafe & Restaurant.

Mr. D, a keen foodie himself, has been recommending their food quite a few times now and after we've tried it already once, it is now one of our favourite places for great value delicious food!

At first glance, it doesn't look like much but just take a seat and wait till the food arrives in front of you...

Some of the dishes tried and tested :

>> Stir fried, two types of noodles with seafood and vegetables <<

Noodles + Chicken + Egg + Vegetables ... yum!

What's for dinner tonight?

Not much of eating out lately just because it is even better home made!

Tonight I felt like making a dish true to my roots : Mauritian Chinese (^.^)

This dish is called : "Poulet et Oeuf Roti " - basically it's a chicken and boiled eggs
concoction cooked in a sweet and salty sauce made from soya sauce and brown sugar.
I've made up the dish tonight as I remembered it from watching my Grand mother (popo)
cooking this dish when I was a kid and was not even allowed to boil an egg for fear
I would burn myself!

Tonight it's Linguini Time!

For a rapid dinner meal, PASTA is the obvious option!

Boil pasta - Make the sauce ( white sauce or tomato sauce ) - Mix and it's done!

This time, I had to make the sauce with whatever I had in my fridge ... and I had bacon!
Or ... I only had bacon in my fridge ... so even this way, pasta was my easy choice for a quick dinner!

This is how I made it ...



Ingredients:
- Linguini (250g)
- 1 Chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup of milk
- a pack of bacon
- 2-3 tablespoon of pesto sauce { I had some left in my little pot }
- grated cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Method :
- Boil the Linguini - add a pinch of salt in the water
- Boil for about 3-5 minutes or until just done - be careful to avoid over cooking the linguini ...

Then:
- In a frying pan, add some oil
- Once hot enough, add the chopped onions and the bacon to fry
- Add the Pesto sauce
- When bacon is cooked, add the tablespoon of flour
- Mix well to cook the flour which will absorb all the oil
- Slowly add some milk and keep stirring to avoid lumps from forming
- Gradually add the rest of the milk, stirring constantly until a thick sauce is formed
- The sauce is now almost ready - add some cheese to melt - then season to taste with salt and pepper
{ I usually also add some chilli flakes to add a bit of Oumpf! to the sauce! }
And the sauce is now ready!

>  Plate the linguini on the serving dish {plate}
>  Spoon the sauce on top
>  Grate a little cheese on top and Voila!

Serve with Garlic Bread or Fresh Leafy Salad if desired.

Bon Appetit!!

Deliciously Yours,

Crepes? or French Pancakes?

Born on the stalls of the Borough Food Market, Creme de la Crepe eventually opened its first ever shop in Covent Garden.

My friend and I accidentally found this place in the Covent Garden Piazza one afternoon as we were looking to have a nice afternoon snack. If you fancy having crepe, Creme de la Crepe offers a range of gourmet sweet and savoury crepes, as well as salads, smoothies and hot drinks to eat in or take-away.

Mmmm... Moun-Fan !

What is Moun-Fan?

Moun-Fan is a childhood dish of mine which I really like! To briefly describe this dish, I'd say it's like a chinese version of the well known indian biryani - but less the spices and less the oil! In fact, I am not sure if it is actually chinese ...  it probably originates from Chinese families living in Mauritius only!

Easy to make, you can put   { practically}   anything in it and adapt the recipe as you like.

I like it my way as below  (^.^) -  { cooked in a rice cooker }

This is how I make it : Moun-Fan, Shirl's Style 



Ingredients :

- 2 cups of jasmine rice
- 2 dried chinese mushrooms - soaked overnight and sliced and marinade with a little soya sauce - mix
- 2 chinese sausages sliced diagonally
- 1 sliced onion and chopped garlic
- 3 chicken thighs - cut in smaller pieces - marinaded in soya sauce
- 1 dried scallop - soaked overnight
- salt and pepper to taste
- soya sauce
- some oil for frying

Method :

- Heat some oil in a pan
- When hot enough, add the sliced onion, garlic, then add the sliced chinese sausages, the chinese mushrooms and the soaked dried scallops. Season with salt and pepper.
- Leave the pan to sizzle, mixing all the ingredients continuously { a blissful aroma of all the ingredients will fill the kitchen ... Mmmm.... }
- Remove from pan and add to the rice cooker pot
- Next add the marinaded chicken pieces { I use a non-stick pan so I do not add any extra oil }
- Fry the chicken pieces until slightly golden on the outside - only partly cook the chicken to avoid overcooking in the rice cooker
- Once golden, add to the rice cooker pot
- Wash the rice, then add to the hot pan to de-glaze the pan and pick up the chicken flavours stuck to the pan {this is the best bit }
- Add to the rice cooker pot and flavour with a teaspoon of soya sauce
- You will need to add a cup and a half of water for the rice to cook
- Close rice cooker and Cook the rice

After 20 minutes .... ta daaaaahhhhhhhh :)  Time to eat!

Bon Appetit Biensur!

Deliciously yours,