Quinoa & Cranberry Muffins

Muffin recipes usually yields 12 standard size and I always halve the recipe to get at least 6 muffins which we can consume within 1-2 days. At times I do bake full recipe but will end up cannot finish them in time and I do not have the habit of freezing muffins! Fresh muffins always taste the best :) Like today I've baked this interesting muffin which incorporate cooked quinoa into the batter, hubby ate 1 and packed 2 to work, dear son ate 1, me and daughter shared 1 and left ONE for dear son to bring to school tomorrow, hehehe no more left and I can start trying new muffins recipe again :) Am glad that my family members loves the taste of these muffins :) The texture is very light and very mouthful able to bite on the chewy quinoa.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredient (yields 6 muffins)

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 125gm plain flour
• 80gm light brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 65ml olive oil
• 180ml milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup cranberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 deg cel.
2. In a saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer till quinoa is tender, about 10-12 mins. Drain away water. Measure 1 cup cooked quinoa for use. (balance cooked quinoa? discard? no lah, just mix into your normal cooked white rice and eat hehehe)
3. Sift flour, baking powder into a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt & 1 cup quinoa.
4. Whisk oil, milk, egg & vanilla together. Pour mixture into the flour and fold just till combined. Fold in cranberries.
5. Spoon batter into muffin cases until 80% full. Reduce oven to 180 deg cel and bake for 25-30mins until cooked through and lightly brown. Best serve warm.

Nyonya Curry Chicken

This is a wonderful & awfully delicious dish! Even my boy could not help and steal bits of the kerisik mixture :) Seems like his getting very adventurous in food tasting especially spicy food! He even requested me to cook more curry next time :)

Recipe adapted from Frozen Wings

Ingredient

• 1 whole chicken, chopped into large pieces
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 150gm thick coconut milk
• 50gm kerisik (I used 30gm dessicated coconut)
• 80gm chilli boh ( chilli paste)
• 2 blades pandan leaves, knotted
• 6 tbsps of cooking oil
• salt and sugar to taste (I used approx 1 tsp each)

Pounded ingredients:

• 100gm big onion
• 50gm shallot
• 30gm garlic
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• lemongrass - 2 stalks, white parts only
• dry prawns - a small handful
• toasted belacan - about 1"x1"

Method

1. Pour oil into a wok over low fire and saute pounded ingredients until fragrant. Add in chilli boh and continue frying , this process takes about 10 minutes.
2. Add in star anise and pandan leaves and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add in the kerisik and the chicken. Keep tossing and stirring, adjust to medium-high fire and pour in some coconut milk or add a little water if you find it too dry and cook for a few minutes, add in the balance of thick coconut milk, stir them around and let simmer until chicken is tender. (I stirred the mixture frequently to prevent scorching for about 45mins till the meat is cooked through.)
4. Lastly, add salt and sugar to taste.