Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Something Sweet !!


I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me

love is knowing all about someone and still wanting to be with them more than any other person

love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself

including the things you might be ashamed of

love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone

but still getting weak knees they walk into a room a smile with you


Our love is like a tree that grows

Still stronger through the years

Nourished by our laughter And sometimes by our tears

It shelters and protects us from a dark or sunny sky

And like a tree - it's beauty grows As each day passes by

Happy Wedding Anniversary To The One I Love!

&

Happy Birthday to you too

Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of "you" to the world


Wednesday, November 19, 2008

My Kitchen My World, IRAN : Lubia Polo


One of common and popular Persian's Dish at my home now, is Lubia Polo - well, I said popular because almost two time a month a make this dish, it's kind of easy .. almost like a one-pot cooking. There is a rice, vegetables and meat .. see, simply and you don't have take too much time in the kitchen to get very healthy food. wanna try ?
uupss.. forget to say that this is my entry for event My Kitchen My World hosted by Lauren , and this week with Elra, they are chose IRAN for kitchen destination . *Thank you guys ;-) *

Lubia Polo - Rice with Green Beans & Tomatoes ala Rumah Manis

2 cups basmati rice (very recommended)

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large onion, peeled, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

500 gr meat - beef / lamb or veal, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

750 gr fresh green beans, cut into 1/2 inch

5 fresh tomatoes, peeled, sliced cubes or canned tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon Persian Spice mix (advieh - *see the note !)

1 tablespoon chicken stock powder

1 teaspoon dried lime powder

1/2 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water


Make your own advieh :
2 tablespoon dried rose petals
2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground cumin

throughly mix the ground spices and rose petals. stored in an airtight container

Direction :
In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the beans, fry for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set a side
In medium pot, heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium hear, add the onion stir 5 minute, until translucent, add garlic and meat stir-fry for 10 minutes until meat change the color. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, cinnamon, advieh, lime powder, chicken stock powder. Cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes or until the meat are tender

When the meat are tender add the green beans, stir for 5 minute - adjust the seasoning. Set a side

Preparing the rice :
Wash the rice.
In large non-stick pot, bring 8 cups of water and 2 tablespoon salt to a boil. add the rice and boil briskly for 10 minute, gently stirring twice with a wooden spoon. Once the rice rises to the top of pot, it is done
Drain the rice in a large strainer and rinse with 3 cups lukewarm water.
In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup oil, 2 spatula of the rice, 2 tablespoon yogurt, 1/2 cup lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon of saffron water. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the rice pot. This will form the golden crust, or tah dig. Or to make you easy, you can use potatoes instead. Peel the potatoes, thin slice and arrange over the bottom of rice pot, sprinkle with a little of salt. Believe me, you will get a crunchy delicious potatoes for snack too.

Place 2 spatulas full of rice in the pot, add a spatula of the bean and meat mixture. Repeat, alternating layers of the rice with beans and meat, mounding the ingredients in the shape of a pyramid.
Cover the pot, cook the rice for 10 minute over medium heat.

Mix 1/4 cup cold water and 4 tablespoon oil, pour over rice. Sprinkle on the remaining saffron water

Place a clean dish towel or 2 layers of paper towel over the pot , cover firmly with the lid. Reduce heat to low and cook 50 minute longer.

Remove the lid, un-molding the entire mold onto the platter. And serve the tah dig into separate platter and eat as snack before main course.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Chocolate Brioche


All sudden I in the good mood to make a bread, yaaa .. bread .. !! especially sweet bread - mostly people call 'sweet bun'. I've been tried several recipes , from a simply recipes, medium , until machine bread. But none of them come good .. aarrg.. !!

Do you think I'm tired to try ? he..he..he , not at all ..

Yesterday, I made a chocolate-brioche , it came good . My husband like it. But I still want try another recipes, so please if somebody has a great..great sweet bun recipes, share with me .. I would like to try and prove it that I can make too ^_^


Talk about 'SHARE' , I remember that one of my blogger friend, Lubna from Kitchen Flavours who share her's nice stuff to me ! yes, she gave me so many awards this week. OMG .. !! I'm so honoured, thank you dear Lubna - I'm so proud to put all your awards here, at my home "RUMAH MANIS"








And now let me share my chocolate brioche recipes to all my friends *well, I wish all of you can come and enjoyed a cup of tea and snack and chit chat at my backyard porch* :-)

Chocolate Brioche

Source : Hubert Keller-William Sonoma

For the sponge:
2 tsp. active dry yeast
3 Tbs. lukewarm water
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour

For the dough:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
3 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/3 cup warm milk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions:
To make the sponge, in a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water.

Stir in the flour, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until foamy, about 10 minutes.

To make the dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the 1 3⁄4 cups flour, the sugar and salt and whisk by hand until well blended, about 1 minute.

Transfer the bowl to the mixer and attach the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and milk. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes.
Add the butter and knead for 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the sponge.

Continue kneading on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 400ºF.
Punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured surface

Form the dough into 18 balls, put chocolate inside of dough and place in the prepared wells .

Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Brush the tops of the brioches with the egg yolk mixture.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Brush brioche with melted butter . Let cool completely before serving.
Note :
Here.. let me show you one of my brioche mold that I have . But don't worry even you don't have a specific mold, you still can make a nice shape brioche as you wish, use cupcake mold that will work too.