Delicio Recipe List

When I gave up  my job to become a stay at home wife ( no kids then)  , I wanted to do something related to food, to  keep me occupied and earn a small income. I settled to making muffins to a little Cafe'. They didn't want any thing savory saying they already had enough and wanted a sweet snack and since I wasn't a big baker then ( still struggle with baking but am getting better though)  and didn't know much sweet snacks I stuck to making muffins. I knew  it was the easiest thing to make and less likely to have disasters . So I armed myself with this wonderful little book called Muffins and other small cakes , and started making small batches of muffins for them.  Sadly, because I had little idea of business ( I studied science in school )  didn't make much , and then after  about 3-6 months of baking I stopped. After a year, had my little guy, and left for Malaysia with hubby...   A family friend did scold me when I told him I tried but f...

Cold meat dishes are easy to prepare and often served in summer when it's hot.  This dish has a lot of flavor, the literal translation is Garlic Mud White Meat!  Make this one ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to serve, that way you can devote your attention to the last minute dishes that need frying. You can also use leftover roast pork to make this.  The Sichaun cook would make this with a piece of pork that has a heavy layer of fat and the skin still attached.  This Canadian cook likes to use a leaner cut! 3/4-1 lb. pork a 1-2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, slightly crushed 2 spring onions, white part 1 English cucumber Sauce: 4 T. light soy sauce 2 T. white sugar 2-4 T. chili oil 2 tsp. crushed garlic 2 tsp. sesame oil Heat enough water to cover the pork.  When the water is boiling, add the pork.  Skim off any foam. Add the green onions and ginger.  Boil until the meat is just cooked, 30-60 min. depending on the thickness.  When po...

I was looking for a casserole recipe using chicken and pasta. After looking through dozens of recipes and searching my freezer and pantry, this is what I came up with last week. It is very simple and the roasted vegetables add the perfect smokey flavor. 1/2 to 1 pound pasta, spaghetti or linguine 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise 4 cloves garlic, left whole 1 yellow onion, sliced thick 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 4 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded 2 cups chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne* Salt and black pepper, to taste 4 cups shredded cooked chicken Lightly grease a casserole dish, and line a baking sheet with foil. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water. Drain and transfer to casserole. Place the tomatoes, skin side up on the baking sheet, along with the whole garlic cloves and onion. Broil, for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes, garlic, and onion are softened and have begun to blacken. Remove from the ov...

An easy and healthy soup to add to your Chinese meal.  It helps cut the grease of the Twice-Cooked Pork and the corn adds a bright touch to the meal.  If you can, use the water from boiling the meat for Twice-Cooked Pork or Garlic Cold Meat.  Of course, any other stock or broth you have could be used also, or use water and season as desired. water from boiling meat Chinese white radish (one long) sweet corn (two cobs) ginger (about as much as your thumb) chicken bouillon chopped green onion Cut the radish into large chunks, and cut the corn cobs into three or four pieces.  Use a strainer to remove any leftover solids from boiling meat.  Add the vegetable pieces, several chunks of crushed ginger, and if needed, water to cover.  Boil until radish is tender, about 40 min. Add a little chicken bouillon.  Pour into a large serving bowl and sprinkle green onions on top.  Everyone may help themselves to vegetables from the serving bowl with chopsticks, a...

There is always some flu or some bug going around,  especially when the rain stops and the sun comes out.  The boys caught the stomach bug and spent one weekend  throwing up along with  severe diarrhea and  then the  next week end, before I could breathe a sigh of relief ,  a heavy cold with fever came in. Both being asthmatic, this was not a good sign as  especially my little guy spent one day fighting to catch his breath with a really bad wheeze  going on. Its hard for me as a mother , when the kids get sick they loose the appetite and  you have to keep the food going in ,not out. For me the best kind of food to make during sick days is soups.   Apart from my sick day rice porridg e,  chicken soup is one my  favorite sick day soups to make. I recently read that tumeric is good for colds , and discovered this tumeric broth recipe on pinterest ( where else, hubby thinks its  a very girly app lol) . Anyway, this broth ...

We all want to eat better to feel better, right? This salad not only fits the "eat better" bill, but it's really delicious too! There are so many organic medleys of hearty greens ~ washed & ready to use. For this recipe, I used one with baby greens: spinach, chard, kale, and mizuna. Have you tasted mizuna? It's an Asian mustard green and looks like arugula. The mild greens are packed with vitamin C, iron and folate ~ and contain powerful antioxidants. And I used a super grains blend of buckwheat, millet, red quinoa and white quinoa to make the salad heartier. (If you don't have access to a power greens mix or a super grains mix, you can use any one or a combination of these.) Also, I added some thinly sliced brussels sprouts to get some cruciferous veggies into the mix. The granny smith apples add some tartness, dried cranberries some sweetness and toasted pecans an earthy flavor, while adding some crunch (definitely don't skip the toasting because toastin...

This recipe makes me think of cold winter evenings, slippers, games, candles, and all things cozy.  Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, and as many other toppings as you wish.  Some more topping ideas: chopped avocado, chopped cilantro, guacamole, tomatoes.  3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. garlic powder dash of cayenne pepper 14.5 oz. can chicken broth 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles 15 oz. can white corn, drained 2 15.5 oz. cans white beans, drained 3 T. butter 3 T. flour 1 cup milk 1 tsp. chicken bullion 1/4 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 1/2 cup sour cream Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker, add chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chicken broth, green chilies, corn, and beans.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About an hour before serving:  In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in flour, and ...

This fried pork dish is one of Sichuan's Famous Four dishes.  Almost anytime we eat at someone's house it's on the menu, and usually shows up at banquets, too.  It gets its name from the cooking method of first boiling the meat, then frying the slices.  There are many variations of vegetables that can be used in this dish, potatoes, cabbage, peppers, salt-preserved vegetables... If your veggie of choice takes a little longer to cook, stir-fry it separately before adding to the meat.  Serve as one dish for your Chinese meal. 1/2 lb. pork belly small bunch Chinese leaf garlic (suan miao ?? or qing suan ??), or replace with baby leeks 2 T. cooking oil or lard 1 T. Sichuan chili bean paste (dou ban jiang ???) 1 tsp. sweet fermented sauce (tian mian jiang ???) 2 tsp. fermented black beans, rinsed (dou chi ??) 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce 1/2 tsp. sugar salt, to taste a few slices fresh red chili or bell pepper for color Rinse the pork, place in a saucepan and cover with water....

The base for this healthy and delicious granola is raw oats. It includes toasted coconut flakes, toasted almonds and two super foods: hemp and chia seeds ~ excellent sources of Omega 3, protein and fiber. The granola is sweetened with raw honey, which has been my sweetener of choice lately. Did you know that raw honey contains natural antioxidants, as well as many vitamins and minerals? There's no reason to fill guilty about incorporating some of this granola into your daily diet ;o) Ingredients : 3 cups raw oats 1/2 cup organic coconut flakes, toasted and roughly chopped 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour 1/4 cup chia seeds 1/4 cup hemp seeds 1/2 cup raw honey 1/3 cup coconut oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions : Toast coconut and almonds: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread coconut on one side and almonds on the other side (single layer). Remove coconut after about 4 minutes, or until lightly browned; t...

I  posted a recipe using Kulhafila fai , and promised you a post regarding the leaves , Kulhafilla fai , I used.  Ok, Kulha filla fai is a locally grown greens, which  grows wild around the beach.  It can also  be grown around the house but I have seen it growing wild  in some of the islands kulhfilla  spreads all over the place.  Its got a slight bitter taste, and is usually used in salads. They are sold in bunches and is finely shredded , mixed with onion , chilli and lime juice. The easiest way to shred  is to tie the whole bunch with rubber bands or piece of cloth at different intervals and remove them as you shred.

These cute and moist Applesauce Walnut Mini Bundt Cakes are light and delicious. The recipe includes just 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and they're sweetened with applesauce and less sugar than most traditional cakes. The walnuts were added to give them some crunch and texture. There's always room for a little  treat ;o) 12 Servings Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup original coconut milk 2  large eggs 2 tablespoon coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract) 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 12-cup mini bundt cake pan (or cup cake pan) Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.  In a medium mixing bowl, cream together applesauce, sugar, milk, eggs, coconut oil and vanilla; add dry m...

My son loves Tacos... soft tacos. I planned to make him some tonight and did not realize that I was out of seasoning mix. I figured it couldn't be that hard to make some. I researched it and found the ingredients. I adjusted it to my families taste and this is what I came up with tonight. My son was satisfied so I guess it's a keeper! LOL 2 teaspoons Chili Powder 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin 1/2 teaspoon Paprika 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder 1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano Mix seasoning together in a small bowl. Add to 1 1/2 - 2 pounds of cooked, drained hamburger meat and add 1/3 to 1/2 cup water and simmer for 10-15 minutes. My hubby liked it too for his salad!

My little guy makes a big fuss over eggs.He would eat brocolli , spinach and most vegetables but give him eggs?  there will be gagging and making faces during the meal.  I have done many methods to get him to eat eggs, so far I have succeeded with grating the boiled egg from egg curry in his rice before he sits down to eat,  fried rice with eggs, quiche , carbonara sauce. Sometimes he would eat omelettes  but only if it comes along with  loads of luncheon meat which I am trying to cut down as they say  its not  good to give too much processed meat. When I showed him this  , and told him thats what professional swimmers eat to get strong for their competitions , he almost collapsed LOL.  The only way he liked his eggs is soft boiled , and worst of all , its the way the eggs are served in Kopitiams in Malaysia and  where the eggs  are just cooked and he can just stir it and dip his toast and no bits and pieces of egg ...

It's common knowledge that a higher consumption of vegetables protects against some diseases, including some types of cancers. Dr. Fuhrman, who promotes eating an anti-cancer diet, recommends eating vegetables from the cruciferous family everyday. I'm always looking for ways to include more cruciferous vegetables in my diet. I used to think that cabbage was only for cole slaw, but have discovered that it's a great base for many salads. This recipe includes cabbage and brussels sprouts, two vegetables from the cruciferous family. Since they have a slightly bitter taste, they are blended with carrots, dried cranberries, and a slightly-sweet dressing. And the crunchy Italian roasted chickpeas sort of serve as a healthier crouton replacement! I hope you enjoy this good-for-you cruciferous salad ;o) 4 Servings Salad Ingredients: 4 cups green cabbage, finely sliced 1 cup radicchio, roughly chopped 2 carrots, finely sliced 1/2 cup brussels sprouts, finely sliced 1/2 cup low sugar ...

Kulhafilafai is a locally grown wild green  that has a slightly bitter taste.  More on that in a later post. I wanted to make a salad that would go with the Chicken Pilau . I decided   to use a locally grown greens, so I choosed Kulhafila fai   as the bitterness went well with the sweet tomatoes. The boys didn't like Kulhafila fai ,  too bitter they say, but then again you can't win every time. For me  its a side dish ,  so it goes well with the rice and when its all eaten together tastes  delicious. Recipe: Tomato and Kulhafila fai salad 3 tomatoes, nice ripe ones, sliced into slices ( round slices) 1 small onion , thinly sliced as you would for salad 1 bunch of kulhafila fai, pick the leaves discard any yellow ones , trim off the  root part. 1 green chilli , thinly sliced Juice of 1/2 a lime salt pinch black pepper  extra virgin olive oil(optional) In a clean bowl add the onions , pinch of salt, and lime juice.  Using your ...

Ingredients: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies � cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened � cup light brown sugar � cup granulated sugar � cup creamy peanut butter 1 whole egg � teaspoon vanilla extract 1? cup all purpose flour pinch of salt � teaspoon baking soda � cup sugar for rolling Peanut Butter Buttercream 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened � cup creamy peanut butter 1 cup powdered sugar 2-3 teaspoons heavy cream strawberry jelly, as needed Instructions: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in peanut butter and mix for 1-2 minutes. Add in egg and vanilla. Mix until combined and clump free. Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in two parts with the stand mixer on the lowest speed. Mix for a little less than a minute. Do not over mix. Portion dough into 12-16 cookies (depending on how b...

Or  should I call it Pilaf? Hubby thinks it tastes just like a biryani, I told him its a lazy version of Biryani,where everything is dumped into one pot. Yes ! I know! I love one pot recipes.  Eid is coming up,  the previous Eid or Eidhul Fithr is the Eid that celebrates the  end of Ramadhan or the muslim fasting month. This upcoming Eid , Eidhul Adha is to celebrate the end of  Hajj day and also known as the Festival of Sacrifice .  In Maldives Eidhul Adha is  celebrated with quite the merry ment. Male city gets quite deserted as everyone heads to the islands  to celebrate . So life in male city becomes quite tolerable then LOL, So I am  looking forward  for Eidhul Adha .    Hopefully it wont be a rainy day, it has been raining  a lot these past weeks, not that I am complaining, I love the rain, except the boys missed a few swim lessons.  As I mentioned in an earlier pos t they don't go to an indoor pool,  the...

I'm lovin' my oatmeal bowls these mornings! I like to make a big batch of oatmeal over the weekend; and then just heat up an individual serving during the week-day mornings ~ adding 2-3 toppings to make the bowls complete. Toasting nuts and coconut flakes really enhance their flavors... to make sure I don't skip this step, I prepare them in advance too. The simpler, the better ~ who has time for anything but a quick breakfast during the work work ;o)  100% whole grain steel cut oats are my oats of choice because they're the least processed oat cereal and are chewier in texture than the more traditional rolled oats. I usually limit my toppings for each bowl to 2 tablespoons ~ so they aren't overloaded with calories. Below are some of my favorite topping combinations: GRANOLA, BANANA AND ALMOND   BUTTER OATMEAL BOWL This combination was inspired by Zest Juice , a juice and smoothie bar that offers incredibly delicious smoothie bowls. These are the toppings I get on my...

BBQ Beef brisket is a perfect meat to serve a crowd ~ and I love serving these BBQ Beef Brisket sandwiches for family summer picnics. No worries about overcooking the meat due to late guests because the longer it cooks, the better it taste! And the brisket pairs well with macaroni and cheese, roasted veggies, and a chopped salad. Yep, the menu is a done deal ;o) Ingredients: 5-6 lb. beef brisket 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup ketsup 1/2 cup brown sugar 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 Tbsp chili powder 1 Tbsp smoked paprika Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Add catsup, brown sugar, garlic, vinegar and seasonings to a small bowl; stir until combined. Set aside. Remove most of the top fat; leave only a thin layer (no more than 1/4"). Season sides and bottom of beef brisket with olive oil, and sprinkle entire brisket with salt and pepper. Place brisket in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook each side until browned, about 10 minutes. If skillet is t...

"Mumma  how come you don't  watch Jack Pepin now?" , my four year old asked me a few months back.  I had to smile, my boys used to make fun of me because I used to watch a lot of Jacques Pepin videos on You tube when the   I Heart Cooking Club  were making Jacques Pepin recipes. They would come and peep in and comment , my little one even sits down to watch. When my hubby brought home some plums on a recent visit to Kochin , India, I decided to make Jacques Pepin' s plum tart. I love plums and I love the way they soften and goes extra sweet when baked and since it was during Ramadhan ( Muslim fasting month) , it was the perfect little treat to finish the meal. Not too heavy and also easy to make. I didn't have any dried apricots, so made them without it and I forgot to add the oil into the pastry , but it still turned out good. Recipe:  Plum Tart, recipe from Jacques Pepin's Tartelettes Aux Fruit Panaches . ( watch Video here) Pastry : 2/3 cups flour 3 tb...