Creamy Chai Coconut Shake

I live in a tropical country with summer all year round. Despite that, I only got to know how delicious coconut water was only last year!

Coconut water is really refreshing from the fridge. It's the best thing on Earth on a hot summer day!

In fact, my raw foodie friend only drinks coconut water! She doesn't even drink normal boiled water!! Every morning, her mum would crack open a few coconuts and pour the delicious drink into recycled glass bottles and just store them in the fridge for drinking.

Because coconut water is so delicious, I decided to make a shake based on it! :D And of course, my favourite Chai spice shall be the star!!!

I added coconut flesh to make it creamy. If you blend coconut flesh, you will get coconut milk (with some chewable bits though. If you want it smooth, just pour through a filter), so it's really fragrant!

This recipe makes 2 creamy shakes so you can share it with your friend, or just have it both by yourself! ^^

Ingredients (Makes 2 creamy shakes):

- 400ml young Thai coconut water
- 40g young Thai coconut meat
- 20g agave nectar / maple syrup / honey
- 2 teaspoons chai spice mix
- 2 teaspoon soy lecithin powder/ soymilk powder / 100ml unsweetened soymilk *if using sweetened soymilk, you may omit or reduce agave nectar
- 1 cup ice cubes
- cinnamon/nutmeg powder for garnish

1. Place all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. You can add more chai spice or sweetener according to your own taste.

2. Sprinkle cinnamon powder over this refreshing creamy drink!

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Creamy Vegan Pasta Salad

Ahh...it's already October!

Time flies! ^^"

I'm sorry that in September, I only posted one recipe.

Today, I'm going to teach you to make a delicious Pasta Salad!!

I forgot when I made this... It's some time in July or August. My boyfriend and I brought my favourite nephew to the zoo!!! So I packed lunches for all 3 of us~! ^^

Those are awesome Kyoho grapes!!!

Ingredients (serves 3~4):

- about 1/3 packet of frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn), defroze

- 1 packet of your favourite pasta

- 1 block tofu, cut into 6 pieces + 1 tsp turmeric powder

- 2 teaspoons olive oil

- 1 Japanese cucumber/ zucchini, chopped into bite-sized pieces

- 8 tablespoons soy mayonnaise

- 4 tablespoons raw sugar

- salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot of water, bring it to a boil over big flame. When water is boiling, throw in the mixed vegetables. Cook them for about 3 minutes and take them out with a small metal stainless steel strainer. Set aside.

2. In the same pot of water (you may have to add in more water. see pasta package's instructions), add in 4 tbsp of salt. Cook pasta according to package's instructions.

3. Drain pasta and set aside. You may drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over pasta so that they don't stick together while cooling.

4. In a medium-sized glass bowl, toss tofu with turmeric powder. Use a glass bowl because turmeric is quite hard to wash from plastic bowls! 

5. In a small frying pan, heat olive oil over a small-medium flame for about 2 minutes. Throw in tofu mixture, scrambling it for about 1 minute. Turn off flame. 

6. In a big bowl, make dressing by combining mayonnaise and sugar. Toss in pasta. Toss well. 

7. Mix in all the vegetables (including zucchini and tofu) evenly. 

8. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix evenly.

And you're done!!! 

This is really an easy dish to make, and like all pasta dishes, it impresses. The recipe is versatile too. Feel free to throw in any vegetables or meat you like. It's very delicious. I usually serve it cold.

I first learned of Pasta Salad when I went to Australia to stay with my best friend for awhile. She organised a trip to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and very nicely said she would make us lunch and we would eat it over there!

Till this day, her pasta salad still remains the best pasta salad I've ever eaten. My version will always be in 2nd place. Haha! Sometimes it's the fond times that make some food seem so spectacular in memory. Unbeatable. When I made this for our zoo outing, I wanted my nephew and boyfriend to have fond memories of our trip together too!

In the end, it's my boyfriend's sweet surprise that I cannot forget. He produced a Kinder Surprise chocolate egg for my nephew and I. Ok, my weak spot is guys being nice to kids, so yea, I cannot forget that. Haha!

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Vegetarian Laksa~! ^^

My boyfriend loves Laksa so much, and I thought, as a good girlfriend, I should try and learn how to make it! How difficult could it be right?

As I've sort of made a promise to be a vegan for a month, this recipe is vegan/vegetarian. For all you meat-eaters roaring displeasure, I'm sorry! The vegetarian version is delicious still! It may not be as fragrant as I've omitted dried shrimps, but I substituted chopped mushrooms instead. Stir-fried mushrooms are really fragrant too, right? Haha!

Don't let the amount of ingredients scare you. Most of them are easily found!

Warning: Wear gloves when handling chilli. The seeds burn into your hands and your hands will feel like it's constantly on fire. It's a miserable feeling. If you have chilli burn, prepare a bowl and some salt. Rub your burning hands or finger with salt. Rub THOROUGHLY, until burning sensation is gone. Wash with water. I've tried all other methods: alcohol, mayonnaise, milk, cucumber...goodness gracious. Salt is the only one that worked.

Ingredients (serves 3~4):

Noodles:

- you can choose any noodles you like. I chose beehoon (rice noodles). You can even serve it with rice if you want to.

Laksa Paste:
- 50g garlic, chopped
- 50g shallots, chopped
- 1 slice ginger, coarsely chopped
- 50g dried chilli, sliced, seeds removed, soaked in hot water
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian belachan chilli
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of water/ 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, for easy blending

Broth:
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup coconut milk/coconut cream
- Laksa paste (see above)
- Lemongrass stem, crushed (optional)
- 4 tablespoons salt
- 4 tablespoons sugar

Toppings:
- Shiitake Mushrooms
- Tau Pok (Tofu Puffs)
- Beansprouts
- Laksa Leaves or Basil Leaves, ground finely
- anything else you like. :) For non-vegetarians, you can try fishcake, egg, etc. :)

1. Soak Beehoon in water to soften it.

2. Put all the ingredients in Laksa Paste into the blender and blend it to a nice consistency.

3. In a nonstick pan, fry Laksa paste over medium heat.

4. In a pot, bring vegetable stock to a boil. You can use chicken stock if you are not a vegan/vegetarian.

5. Turn to medium heat. Add in Laksa Paste and Lemongrass stem. Stir the broth.

6. Add coconut milk/cream. Add salt and sugar to taste.

7. Add all the toppings you want into your broth (except beansprouts and Laksa/basil leaves). Let broth simmer for 5 minutes under low heat.

If using mushrooms, fry the first before adding into the soup.

8. Pour away soaking water for Beehoon. In another pot, cook beehoon.

9. Drain beehoon. Serve in a bowl and put some beansprouts on it.

10. Pour broth over your noodles with toppings on top. Sprinkle Laksa leaves/ Basil leaves on top as a beautiful garnish.

Verdict: My boyfriend insisted that once I'm off my vegan diet, we should try to make the Laksa Paste with fried haebee (tiny dried shrimps) to make it really fragrant. This was super spicy because of the belachan chilli I bought... -__-" It was just a sweating good time eating this, but yea, I do agree with my boyfriend that the broth could be more fragrant. For anyone who has made Vegetarian Laksa before, any suggestions to make my recipe better??

Special thanks to my friend, Evelyn, who helped me a lot in my Laksa-cooking adventure. She gave me her grandmother's recipe and I modified it to make it vegan-friendly.

Will you try this???  Hehe! It's impressive, don't you think? The ingredients are easily found in vegetarian stores and markets.

Where to Buy:

- Vegetarian Belachan Chilli

This is what I used. I bought it in a Chinese vegetarian shop downstairs where I live. Most of these ingredients (beehoon, tofu puffs, dried chilli, coconut milk etc) can be bought in Chinese vegetarian shops. This little jar of spice is only S$3.40.

20 cute date ideas~! ^^

Sorry for not updating for awhile! I have so many recipes waiting to be posted...I'll do it soon I promise!! 

In the meantime, let's check out some cute date ideas! ^^

1. Sneak into hotel pools! ^^

2. Go to a major chain bookstore, and leave notes to future readers in copies of your favourite books.

3. Create photo evidence suggesting that you went on an adventure that didn't really happen.

4. Build forts out of furniture and blankets, and spend time doing all kinds of things in it!

5. Try and visit as many people as you can in one night, and turn as many things inside their apartment upside down as you can, without them noticing.

6. Go to the airport, get the cheapest, soonest departing flight to anywhere when you show up, and stay there for a weekend.

7. Write a piece of fiction together. Outside at a cafe. Ask strangers when you get stuck.

8. Dress to the nines, pretend to be married, and test drive very expensive vehicles at an auto dealership.

9. Walk around a city and perform short silent plays in front of security cameras.

10. With camera and pair of boots, make photolog of a day in the life of the invisible man.

11. Walk around the city all night and find a place to eat breakfast at dawn.

12. Go to a restaurant and convince the cook to create something completely new for you.

13. Rent a movie you've never seen before. Set on mute and improvise dialogue.

14. Do the lamest tourist thing in your area that you have both secretly wanted to do forever. Have an unabashed good time!

15. In the middle of the night, drive to the beach, so you arrive just as the sun is rising. Have a breakfast picnic, then fall asleep together. Bring a sun umbrella.

16. Drive somewhere unknown and have dinner in a city you've never been to. With fake names.

17. Go around the city with sidewalk chalk and draw hearts with equations inside on random things.

18. Borrow a cookbook from the library. Choose something to make. Make it a 3-course meal. Buy ingredients and make a meal together.

19. Dress in a pretty white dress and have him wear a suit. Take pictures in a photobooth together.

20. Stay in a boutique hotel/ local hostel in your city for the weekend and pretend you are tourists.

Mushroom Aglio Olio

Aglio Olio.

It sounds so fancy and impressive, is delicious, and the best of all, it's extremely easy and fast to make.

So, if you're thinking of whipping up a quick dinner for your friends or your family, or your boyfriend's family (haha!), why don't you try this easy recipe?

There are so many kinds of aglio olio you can make. The name literally means 'garlic and oil' in Italian. So to keep it authentic, I guess you just need to flavour your olive oil with garlic by some light stir-frying in the pan for a few minutes before adding whatever you want to your pasta dish. ^^

The family was really hungry when I got home from work. It was a lazy rainy evening. My mum was really tired and had no inspiration to cook that night. My brother was hungry but did not feel like eating out. I was actually feeling a little lazy, but I had this urge to cook for my family. It was getting really late though, so I wanted to make something quick yet something different and special for a change. So, mushroom aglio olio it was~! ^^ Here are the ingredients!

Ingredients (Makes 3~4 servings):

- 232g elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 100g mushrooms, washed and sliced (I used shiitake because those were the only shrooms I could find in my fridge. Feel free to use any other mushrooms you like. ^^)
- 3 dried chillies, milled coarsely, or 1tbsp of chilli flakes (optional)
- 40g fresh parsley, milled coarsely, or 1 tbsp of parsley flakes (optional)
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- juice of 1/2 a lemon (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to instructions on package. Drain and set aside pasta in a large pot/bowl. Reserve a small cup of pasta water.

2. In a medium-sized saucepan over a medium flame, heat olive oil. Add garlic and chilli flakes. Saute for about 3 minutes until garlic turns a light golden brown. Add mushrooms. Saute for about 6~8minutes.

3. When there is a lovely fragrance, turn off the stove. Be careful not to burn your garlic~

4. Pour all ingredients in the pan to the pot/bowl of pasta. Toss pasta in this oily mixture. Add parsley flakes. Toss some more. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Toss some more. Drizzle more olive oil if you find your pasta too dry.

5. Garnish with a fresh stalk of parsley. Beautiful! You may drizzle some lemon juice over your pasta too just to give it an extra oomph. :)

Easy isn't it? My family polished everything off and raved about it. Totally worth it~! ^^

Enjoy~!!

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Sorry for the long hiatus over here in my blog! I was feeling rather down and uninspired to write since my last post here. I updated everyday on my facebook page though, and I'm really happy to see new people on my facebook page from all over the world! I really wish one day I can meet everyone here~~ ^^

Well, anyway!

Despite me feeling blue for the past month, I've been trying my best to bring cheer to my other friends with my baked goods at that same time~! ^^

I've made peanut butter cookies, lemon drop cookies, very dark chocolatey cookie balls and so on~!

They are all very delicious, and today I'm going to share what was a huge hit with my friends and family!

These are classic peanut butter cookies and as you can see, they don't look exactly pretty. Hahaha! Oh but who cares when they are so delicious! They are fragrant and moist on the inside, yum yum!

I used Skippy's Creamy Peanut Butter. I'd wanted to get Chunky because I just love to bite on things, haha, but I grabbed the wrong bottle. -____-"

If you are very particular about the food you put into your tummy, go ahead and grab some organic and pure peanut butter~ ^^ If yours is just pure peanut butter without other added additives (read the ingredients list!), do add some salt into this recipe. A pinch or 2 will do. 

Ingredients (Makes about 20 cookies):

- 3 tbsp water + 1 tbsp flaxseed meal (or 1 egg, beaten)
- 150g all-purpose flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- 150g peanut butter
- 50g raw sugar
- 50g brown sugar
- 40g shortening / refined coconut oil (if using this, measure 40g of the coconut oil in its liquid form as the 1st step and pop it into the freezer until you need to use it)

1. Preheat oven to 180℃. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift flour and baking powder into a medium-sized bowl.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the peanut butter, sugars, and shortening (or solidified coconut oil). Scrape down the sides, then beat in the flaxseed mixture (or egg).

4. Stir in (2) until thoroughly combined.

5. Use a small ice cream scoop and drop the dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared sheets. If you do not have an ice cream scoop, you can use your hands, grab a piece of dough, and roll it into a ball, and place them onto the lined sheets.

6. Using a fork, press the cookies down in a criss-cross pattern.

7. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops no longer look wet. Be careful not to overbake!

8. Transfer cookies to cooling racks and wait for them to cool before storing them in pretty glass bottles or cookie containers~! ^^

These cookies can keep for up to 5 days in room temperature in an airtight container, or freeze for up to 3 months. ^^

I hope you enjoy them! They are so very delicious, easy-to-make, and make great gifts for friends!

Choose to buy organic refined coconut oil if using it to bake. The unrefined one has a strong coconut taste and smell, which you might not want or like in your baked goods. ^^

Where to buy:

Currently, I'm using this one and I got mine from Organic Sunny's Choice at The Rail Mall. You will be able to find many other excellent choices of coconut oil in selected Cold Storage supermarkets, Yes Natural organic shops, and other healthfood/organic stores, and even Indian provision shops. 

Coconut oil is just lovely. It's the only non-meat oil that can be solidified naturally in lower temperatures. ^^ Read about the other awesome use of coconut oil here!

Random, but I wonder if anyone missed this blog's updates at all. Probably not, because there are so many blogs out there to keep you entertained, and this blog hasn't been particularly entertaining I guess. Hahaha! But well, anyway, remember to like Happy Girls Cute Food on Facebook if you like reading my updates. I update there everyday with recipes, food porn (haha!), and some nice fashion for girls. So, check it out, and like the page if you like it! ^^