The Recipes

Hi all, as promised below is the recipes for the dinner. Mind you that they are very simple, but maybe it can be an idea or inspiration for you to cook for the special one ;)

Lemon & pepper steak

I use 2 pieces of Australian cut, seasoned sea salt and lemmon&pepper seasoning. You also can squeeze fresh lemon and grind some coarse pepper but this one easier hehehe. Normal salt is enough too but seasoned sea-salt has a subtle hint of paprika and other seasoning. It will prevent your meat from getting too salty.

I just pan fry the meat and it is absolutely easy peasy! You just have to control the fire and flip it over and over. Oh ya, don't forget to rub some butter before that :P

Anyway I learnt one lesson after it is cooked. I have to cover it with lid so that the meat will cooked through without making it hard at the outside. Thank God that I didn't buy the Rib Eye cut else it will be a total disaster. I was so tempted to pick it as it looks so nice with all the fat in between but being realistic, I pick the cheaper cut.

So another advise is, use cheap cut first and experiment with your fire/the way you cook, then once you confident enough, then you can use the prime cut ;)

It's lemony and peppery and tasty, but dry ;(

This recipe is inspired by ThePioneerWoman ;)

Creamy Mashed Potato

I mixed some American potatoes (and they are expensive! It costs me a whopping of RM7++ for only 4 bulk pieces) with local baby potatoes (leftover from last BBQ), some milk (a few spoons only), butter and cream cheese (I use half block).

Seriously, don't skip the cream cheese. It is the ultimate reason why the mashed potato is creamy and sinful!

Peel, wash and cut the big potato. Since the baby potatoes is too...baby, I decided not to burden myself peeling them. So I just dump everything in big pot and let them boiled till soft.

Mash them under low fire to banish the excessive water so that your mashed potato won't be mealy. I continue mashing in a big porcelain bowl because the masher is scraching my brand new Maxim pot!! Hmmpphhhh there will always be a first time right?

So my other advise is, use the right utensil :D

Then I dump everything in my precious casserole (Lalink Khairiah, I use the same bekas to cook rice, sangat berguna ok hehe), spread some butter and bake in the oven for about 20 mins at 180 celcius.

The mashed potato come out very creamy with a little crust on top and piping hot! And smells good too! It feels like I can dig the whole tub by myself. It was thaaattt gooood. Seriously!

This recipe also inspired by ThePioneerWoman hehehe

Sago Gula Melaka

This is my first time doing it and I have no idea how I should cook it. Sago is not really my thing but MrComot like sago very much. That's why I decided to whip it out.

What we need is pearl sago, coconut milk (fresh one is better, I just use the instant one), some pandan leaves and gula melaka (if you can get the nipah one it'll taste nicer!)

Wash the sago throughly and boil it in a big pot.

And don't forget to stir it. Else you have to use 3 different pots just because you forget and this will make you angry because the kitchen get messier and you have to wash lots of pots after that. So don't forget ok?

This what happened when I just left the sago (thinking it can be boiled like the potato) and it burnt!

Thanks to my nose for picking up the burnt smell. I quickly turn off the gas, dump the sago in drainer, wash it until no burnt smell linger and put into another pot, add gallon of water, turn on the fire and watch it closely.

My target for the sago is to make it individual as possible. I want it to be a single pearl of sago, not the lumpy type where they stick together and we have to scoop out using a spoon. I really have no idea how to achieve that but I believe stirring will help. My sago still a bit lumpy though (because of the previous incident where I carelessly left it) but washing it under the cold water also help to part the pearl.

A few minutes after stirring it, I have to changed to another pot! Because the pot I'm using is too small. I forget that sago can grow thousands times bigger! *sigh*

So my advice is, use a very big pot and don't forget to stir ;)

Then dissolve some brown sugar in water thickened according to your likeness

Cook the coconut milk with pandan leaves and a pinch of salt. I add some water (about half of the pack)

This is the instant coconut milk and my first time using it. I never knew they come in creamy and thick version. It's a bit weird though and smell differently.

Scoop some portion into a small cup, add the coconut milk, then top on some of the gula melaka.

And chill it!

It is soooo refreshing and yummy!!

I'm sooo gonna do this again, but this time I will try to make it pearly 100%. But MrComot seems like doesn't care about it ;(

Me: Suka tak sago ni?
MrComot: Suuukkaaaaaaa
Me: But dia tak jadi bijik2. Dia macam lumpy kan? *frowning*
MrComot: Owhh..I don't mind pun. Lumpy pun ok, just scoop it out lah
Me: Whattt? So sia-sia la me gigih buat sebijik2 mcm pearl? *mad already*
MrComot: It doesn't make any different pun kan? The taste sama je..
Me: Hmmmppphhhhh I still don't like it lumpy!

Oklah..enough whining.

So guys, don't you think it is super easy? Try them out and don't forget all my tips ok? :D

Happy messing with the kitchen! ;D