tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87465506864532478312024-03-19T10:49:17.777+08:00Cloud9FoodBentos & more!Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-24610564542653215262009-12-16T19:40:00.003+08:002009-12-16T19:53:01.704+08:00Christmas is here againIt's almost Christmas! Time has run away with me, again... Yes, it's been like forever since my last post, and a thousand apologies to everyone. I've been busy, lazy and well, expecting a new addition to the family, if that's any excuse! So future posts could be scarce in the coming months, too... Every year, I make some Christmas cookies for YH's colleagues. This year, despite everything, I Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387716886092470757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-91202781270888987282009-08-26T19:46:00.006+08:002009-08-26T20:08:50.966+08:00Scrambled Eggs with MeatThis dish is easy to make, and great as a bento filler. It's basically minced meat (beef or pork) scrambled together with eggs. My mum used to make this when I was young, and she would serve it with plain rice or rice porridge.Continue reading...Scrambled Eggs with Minced Meat3 eggs100 - 150g minced beef or porkhalf an onion, finely chopped (optional)1 Tbsp soya sauce1 tsp sesame oilsalt and Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-8968757330721650902009-08-21T19:36:00.006+08:002009-08-21T22:27:01.228+08:00Swedish MeatballsThese gloppy-looking round things are supposed to be Swedish meatballs. They taste a whole lot better than they look in the photo, though! I've been wanting to eat Swedish meatballs for some time - I first ate them at Ikea (of all places) - and finally decided to make my own. The great thing about this recipe is that the meatballs are baked, not fried (that sounds like an ad), which means less Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-10378094895198061572009-08-15T00:01:00.003+08:002009-08-15T00:16:04.941+08:00Avocado AppetiserThis "dish" is so simple that I wasn't going to post about it, but after a really lovely comment I received from someone who complimented me on my simple recipes, I have decided to! This is how I first started eating avocados when young...all you have to do is slice a ripe avocado in half, remove the seed, and squeeze some thousand island dressing in the centre (or on the side of your plate). Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-11469969475479072792009-07-20T20:00:00.000+08:002009-07-20T21:34:37.601+08:00Tuna Bacon Pasta SaladWhenever there is a pot luck gathering, I like to bring a pasta salad of some kind. It's easy to transport, easy to make in small or larger quantities, and can be prepared a day ahead of time. For the version I made for last weekend's gathering, I added tuna, bacon, and peppers (capsicum) together with spiral pasta in 2 colours. This pasta is great eaten cold - perfect for bento and picnics, but Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-89127681615440748092009-07-20T18:31:00.013+08:002009-07-20T21:31:50.076+08:00Teriyaki CodFor some reason, I don't cook fish very often. I think it is because I just have it in my head that fish is a bit fiddly to make. However an easy recipe and one of my favourite fish recipes is teriyaki cod fish. This dish is also perfect to put into your bento lunches. (To be honest, a good slice of cod fish is quite expensive here, so I don't make this that often.)This is a slight update on the Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-86221056823320456482009-07-20T18:30:00.002+08:002009-07-20T18:57:33.940+08:00Back to BentoAfter a (long) break, I'm trying to get back to making bento - just a simple one, made with one of my favourite bento staples - Beef and Tofu meatballs (you can't taste the tofu at all, but adding tofu makes the meatballs juicy, even after it has been frozen and re-fried). Here, they have been glazed with homemade teriyaki sauce. The rest of the bento is just some edamame, a happy hard boiiled Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-35740731529212396942009-07-08T18:17:00.007+08:002009-07-08T18:57:09.842+08:00Chicken SaladEver been asked in a survey what dish you would pick if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life? Well, if I had to choose, it would be chicken salad. There's something about cold chicken and raw vegetables that just work so well together. With the summer heat truly upon us in Hong Kong right now, many a night I feel like something cool and refreshing. It may seem too light a meal, Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387716886092470757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-18449396694159273872009-07-08T18:17:00.004+08:002009-07-08T18:37:11.262+08:00Fruit SaladThis is not the most exciting of photos, or recipes, but it's been one of our favourite desserts lately - fruit salad. I suppose a fruit salad should have more than 2 types of fruits inside it, but that often doesn't bother me... It's a great way to get reluctant fruit eaters (such as myself) to enjoy fruit. Somehow, eating an apple or watermelon is a bit boring, but when you chop it up and mix Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387716886092470757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-88437990423187943822009-06-21T22:16:00.002+08:002009-06-21T22:20:59.051+08:00Baked Chicken Breast with Tomato n CheeseThis dish (although it looks like a gluggy mess in the photo) is fast becoming a favourite with me because it is so easy to make. It is a little like chicken parmigiana, but unlike chicken parmigiana, which is first breaded, fried and then baked, this dish is just baked - which means you throw all the ingredients into an oven-safe dish, and plonk it into the oven. Done!Chicken breast works well Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387716886092470757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-81093360490443151012009-06-21T19:17:00.007+08:002009-06-21T21:21:41.271+08:00In a Pasta RutSometimes I get so caught up making the same thing over and over again, there is nothing new to post. It's been a little like that lately, with poor YH constantly being served my regular favourite dishes (not that he ever complains). My obsession with pasta took on a life of its own last week, when we ate pasta 4 days out of 7! If you happen to get into a pasta rut like me, a nice way of making Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387716886092470757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-51131687518275031132009-05-21T11:20:00.011+08:002009-05-21T17:18:28.452+08:00Beef & Potato Curry PuffsCurry puffs are easily available in Malaysia and Singapore, but not so common in Australia when I was growing up, so we always looked forward to my mum's homemade version, which she would make using puff pastry (rather than the traditional flour pastry which is deep fried). My sister and I would help her measure and cut out the pieces of puff pastry, then fill it with a spicy mince beef and Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387716886092470757noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-17327176699041125192009-05-07T16:10:00.006+08:002009-05-07T16:41:58.484+08:00Paprika Chicken & Avocado SandwichThis is one of my favourite sandwiches. It's great in a bento lunch, easy to make, and healthy, too. The chicken tenderloin is marinated with a little soya sauce and paprika, then grilled. I use my George Foreman grill for this, but you can also panfry it if you prefer. The meat is then shredded, and added to a multi grain nut bread, along with slices of avocado and tomato. I find the nuttiness Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387716886092470757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-50147285766868869592009-05-04T12:43:00.004+08:002009-05-04T13:13:33.297+08:00Noodle & Dumpling BentoI find I'm always short on groceries (and time) Sunday night, so making bento for Monday usually involves rummaging around in the freezer. Today's lunch for YH is a simple combination of thin udon noodles mixed with sesame oil, soya sauce and oyster sauce, dumplings (from the freezer) and some baby spinach (wilted slightly with a little sesame oil and sesame seeds). A little red container of Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10387716886092470757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-55606993940469628152009-04-29T12:14:00.003+08:002009-04-29T12:29:54.512+08:00Sausage n Egg BentoToday's bento reminds me of breakfast sets often served in Japan - sausage, egg, salad and rice. I lightly panfried the onion flavoured sausages, and made a giant tamagoyaki layered with leftover beef soboro. Accompanying that was some butter lettuce and cherry tomatoes. I topped the salad with some leftover boiled prawns from last night's dinner (which didn't quite fit with the breakfast theme.)Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-2663758026234975002009-04-27T12:17:00.003+08:002009-04-27T13:17:17.259+08:00Beef & Egg Soboro BentoAfter a short trip away, it's back to bento for me this week. I was preparing this late Sunday night so I kept things simple and made some beef and egg soboro. Together with some peas and rice, it was quick and easy to prepare. As I find the beef soboro is already quite salty, I did not season the egg, so it is actually just plain, finely scrambled egg. (Normally, you would usually season the eggClaudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-75085148090219836532009-04-27T12:14:00.003+08:002009-04-27T14:00:46.039+08:00Bento in OsakaWe just returned from a short trip to Osaka to catch the tail end of the sakura season. As expected, most of the flowers had already fallen there, so we headed out of the city to Yoshino, where over 10,000 sakura trees grow wild on the mountain. To my delight, there were still quite a few sakura blooming, especially in the higher regions of the mountain.On the train journey to Yoshino, we enjoyedClaudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-60145202831898137502009-04-14T15:38:00.005+08:002009-04-14T18:13:47.091+08:00Tofu n Egg OmeletteThis recipe is great if you are looking to add some extra protein and tofu into your diet, and it is also perfect to pack in your bento lunches, as it tastes good cold. It is also a handy way to use up any leftover tofu you may have in the fridge. The tofu makes the egg omelette very soft and juicy, and you can't really taste the tofu at all (which means it is a sneaky way to get non-tofu loving Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-40960349733382252622009-04-12T17:35:00.008+08:002009-04-12T18:10:30.694+08:00Double Chocolate Chip CookiesIf you love soft, gooey, chocolate cookies (or are a Mrs Fields cookie fan), you'll love this recipe. Take them out when they are just cooked through (the bottom may still be a touch gooey) and they will remain soft even after they have cooled (which I find pretty amazing). The only downside is that the cookies, being a little cracked and brown, may not look overly attractive to some. The taste Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-2309252129066536022009-04-09T10:12:00.008+08:002009-04-09T11:10:11.467+08:00Teriyaki Chicken Mushroom RiceThis one pot, one dish meal was created out of a need to prepare something hot and satisfying with a minimal amount of preparation and cooking. All you need to do is cut and marinate the chicken and mushrooms, and dump them with the rice into a rice cooker. The rice cooker takes care of the cooking, leaving you free for other things. Simply serve it up when the rice is cooked, with a side of Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-16837998640408143572009-03-15T17:15:00.006+08:002009-03-15T18:32:04.364+08:00Roasted Chicken & Sausages with Sage & OnionI got this recipe from Nigella Lawson's book Feast, and wanted to share it here as I love the flavours in this dish, yet it is very simple to make. (by the way, I highly recommend many of the other recipes in that book, too...) The mustard, lemon, Worcestershire sauce, sage and onion marinade blend really well together and adds a little more zest and flavour to plain roast chicken.This dish is Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-74789790377773211982009-03-06T23:57:00.003+08:002009-03-07T00:08:05.934+08:00Owl BentoI've taken a long break from making kyaraben (character) bento. I've just not been all that inspired, I suppose. It's been a blob of pasta, or leftovers with rice for poor YH for a few months! As my parents are visiting us right now, I thought I'd make the effort and make a special bento for them, especially since my mum has been hinting about how she'd love to eat one. My mother loves owls, so IClaudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-78618153993268692642009-02-26T22:50:00.008+08:002009-02-27T11:13:16.272+08:00Easy One-Sauce LasagnaAs the days go by, I've come to realise that Cloud9Food is all about comforting, home-style food that is not only tasty to eat, but is also heavenly for the chef ie. simple to prepare! Another favourite of mine which falls into this category is my One-Sauce Lasagna.I love lasagna, but the thought of preparing the bolognese meat sauce, bechamel sauce, layering everything and then baking it sends Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-49062507898512156522009-02-26T12:25:00.007+08:002009-02-26T13:06:16.014+08:00Pan Seared Foie Gras with Raspberry Apple SauceYes, yes, I know. Foie gras ("fat liver") is cruel to geese. But what can I say? It's only of my guilty eating pleasures. It was the day after Valentine's Day, and I was at the supermarket - to my surprise, I saw a packet of foie gras on sale - 2 decent sized pieces for HKD49.90 (USD6.40)!!! What an incredible bargain. Of course I could not resist and bought the last two packs. I pan fried them Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746550686453247831.post-3397587070354469082009-02-25T12:41:00.006+08:002009-02-25T15:25:39.792+08:00Simple CrêpesYesterday was Shrove Tuesday, or what is now more commonly known as Pancake Day. As my parents are in town visiting, and both my dad and YH love pancakes, I thought it would be appropriate to make some pancakes to celebrate. Apparently, in the past, Catholics used to eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, as it was the day before Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent). Pancakes were made to use up the Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386314485947732394noreply@blogger.com0