Happy New Year!

Beef stir fry

150g beef, thinly sliced into bite-size pieces

1 red pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 dried Shiitake mushrooms

for marinade:

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Mirin

1 tsp cornflour

1/2 tsp sesame oil   

Soak the mushrooms in some boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and slice. Reserve the mushroom water.

Marinate the beef for 10-15 minutes.

In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the beef and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Remove beef and reserve. To the same wok, add and saute the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Add the peppers. If the mixture seems too dry add some of the mushroom water.  Stir-fry for about 3 minutes and return the beef to the wok. Stirring constantly, add the soy sauce and Mirin.  

Serve with steamed instant white rice.

Christmas has come and gone,

and now the New Year is on its way.

I want to wish you dear readers a 

really HAPPY END!

I hope your 2013 was a good year, and I wish you a truly joyous 2014!

Good morning)

Good morning lazy Sunday!

How are you today? 

Michael Kors bags

pictures borrowed from Pinterest

Pink

New trend pink!

Update your room by splash of pink!

Chocolate bread and butter pudding

Just add 1 Tbsp of cocoa to the milk and egg mixture to get

chocolate pudding.

25g/1oz butter, plus extra for greasing

8 thin slices bread

50g/2oz sultanas

2 tsp cinnamon powder

350ml/12fl oz whole milk

50ml/2fl oz double cream

2 free-range eggs

25g/1oz granulated sugar

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

nutmeg to taste

Grease a 1 litre/2 pint pie dish with butter.

Cut the crusts off the bread. Spread each slice with on one side with butter, then cut into triangles.

Arrange a layer of bread, buttered-side up, in the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of sultanas. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon, then repeat the layers of bread and sultanas, sprinkling with cinnamon, until you have used up all of the bread.

Gently warm the milk, cream and cocoa in a pan over a low heat. Don't let it boil.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, add three quarters of the sugar and lightly whisk until pale.

Add the warm milk and cream mixture and stir well.

Pour the custard over the prepared bread layers and sprinkle with nutmeg and the remaining sugar and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.

Place the dish into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is golden-brown.

Hello, Boxing Day!

We went to down town and watched a bit of the sale. 

Buzzing shopping experience i must say!

Now we have a party to attend!

Christmas greetings!

Merry Christmas Fill up your life with love, compassion, tolerance, peace and happiness. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all my friends!

At the last minute

Quick DIY decorations at the last minute before Christmas!

A friend gave me this delicious Nougat for Christmas. Sorry! I couldn't wait)))

And especially when "the weather outside is SO frightful "...

...We need more light and candles, and sweets)) 

Bread sauce

100-120g freshly made white breadcrumbs 

1 onion

10-15 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

freshly grated nutmeg

8-10 black peppercorns

1 pint milk

2oz/50g butter

salt, pepper

2-3 Tbsp double cream

Cut the onion in half and stick the cloves in it. 

Place the onion – studded with cloves – plus the bay leaf and the peppercorns, in a saucepan together with the milk. Add some salt then bring everything up to boiling point. 

Take off the heat, cover the pan and leave in a warm place for the milk to infuse for two hours or more.When you're ready to make the sauce, remove the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns and keep them on one side. 

Stir the breadcrumbs into the milk and add 1 oz (25 g) of the butter. Leave the saucepan on a very low heat, stirring now and then, until the crumbs have swollen and thickened the sauce – about 15 minutes. 

Now replace the clove-studded onion, the bay leaf and the peppercorns and again leave the pan in a warm place until the sauce is needed. 

Just before serving, remove the onion and spices.  Reheat gently then mix in the remaining butter and the cream and taste to check the seasoning.

Celebrating Winter Solstice!

Chocolate tray bake

Today we are invited to a Christmas party. I made this tray bake to take it to the party.

2 cups self-raising flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

150g butter, melted

1 Tbsp espresso coffee

1 cup any jam you have (i used lingonberry jam)

Preheat oven to 170 C / Gas mark 4. Grease one 20cm (8 inch) square cake tin.

Combine all the ingredients except jam in a bowl to form a dough ball. Place 2/3 of the dough in a fridge and 1/3 in a freezer for 30 minutes. 

Press 3/4 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared cake tin. Spread the jam over the base but not quite to the edges as it will spread.

Grate with a coarse grater the remaining 1/3 of the dough over the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into slices.

Shirt from Zara

Polka dot shirts are everywhere this season!

Porcini mushroom risotto

1 handful dried porcini mushrooms

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

350g/12oz arborio rice

150ml/¼ pint dry white wine

1.2 litres/2 pints hot vegetable or chicken stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper

freshly grated parmesan to serve

Soak the porcini mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain. Reserve the water. Heat the oil in a large, heavy based saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Fry over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms.

Stir in the rice and coat in the oil. Pour in the wine and mushroom water and simmer, stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed. Add a ladleful of the stock and simmer, stirring again, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is plump and tender.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Parcel from my friend

Today i received a parcel from my friend Natasha.  Lovely presents  and chocolates! Cute decorations. And wonderful creams for my face.