**SEPTEMBER RECIPES**

CREAMY ONION SOUP:

3 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 cups thinly sliced Vidalia or Sweet Onion
2 cups Whole Milk
2 cups Half whole milk & Half cream
1 teaspoon Coarse Salt
1/4 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Paprika
4 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese (1 per bowl)
4 teaspoons chopped Parsley (1 per bowl)
Croutons, browned in butter
Worcestershire Sauce, for seasoning


1. Add butter to stockpot. Melt butter over low heat.

2. Add all-purpose flour and cook several minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add onions to stockpot. Sauté onions until soft, but not browned.

4. Stir in whole milk and half-and-half. Cover stockpot and simmer 10 minutes.

5. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika.

ORIENTAL SHRIMP SOUP:

3-1/2 cups Water
1 packet of Oriental Ramen Noodles
1 cup Frozen Cooked Small Shrimp
1/2 cup chopped Green Onions
1 medium Carrot, cut julienne style
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce


1. Add water to large saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat.

3. Add noodles to boiling water. Cook 3 minutes.

4. Stir in shrimp, chopped green onions, carrot strips, soy sauce, and Ramen seasoning.

5. Simmer 3 minutes.


POTATO & CHEDDAR SOUP:

2 cups Water
2 cups peeled and cubed Red Potatoes
3 tablespoons melted Butter
1 small Onion, chopped
3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3 cups Whole Milk
1/2 teaspoon White Sugar
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup diced Ham

1. Add water and cubed potatoes to stockpot.

2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

3. Reduce heat to medium and boil potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Remove potatoes with slotted spoon to bowl.

5. Drain stockpot, reserving 1-cup potato water.

6. Stir in butter, chopped onion, and all-purpose flour.

7. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Stir in potatoes, reserved liquid, whole milk, white sugar, cheddar cheese, and diced ham.

9. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently

**AUGUST RECIPES 6**

AVOCADO/PINEAPPLE SALAD:

1 1/2 cups cucumbers - peeled, seeded, and cubed
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped serrano pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

Combine the cucumbers, onion, serrano pepper, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl.
Add the pineapple and avocado. Gently toss to combine.



LAYERED FRUIT SALAD:

2 cups sliced fresh peaches
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups halved green grapes
1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 (8 ounce) container frozen reduced-fat frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup chopped pecans


In a 2-1/2-qt. glass bowl, layer the fruits in the order listed.
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth; fold in whipped topping.
Spoon over fruit.
Refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with pecans.

**AUGUST RECIPES 5**

GRILLED FISH WITH THAI CHILLI SAUCE:

500g red snapper fish fillet (ikan merah)
1 tablespoon oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

INGREDIENTS A:
¾ cup Thai Chilli Sauce
100g tomatoes, chopped
100g onions, chopped
1 stalk spring onion, sliced
2 red chillies, remove seeds & chopped
2 pieces small canned pineapple rings, chopped (optional)
1 stalk coriander leaf, chopped


Combine ingredients A and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight for better taste.

Meanwhile marinate fish fillet with oyster sauce and lime juice for 10 mins.
Grill fish until brown on both side and place on serving plate.
Pour mixture A over grilled fish and serve.

ROASTED EGGPLANT/AUBERGINE SALAD:
1 1/2 lbs eggplants
1 bell pepper, red
1/3 cucumber, English
1/4 red onion, small
1/2 garlic, clove, small
3 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

To roast the eggplants, preheat a charcoal or gas grill or a broiler.
Roast the eggplants, turning as needed, until the skin is charred on all sides, the time will vary depending on the cooking method you use.
The eggplant is cooked when it is soft and looks somewhat deflated.
Place the eggplant on a plate to cool.
Trim and seed the red pepper, then cut into 1/4-inch dice.
Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and cut into ¼-inch dice.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Peel and finely chop the garlic.
Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, remove as much of the skin as possible along with any large dark seeds.
Cut the eggplant into 1-inch squares and place it in a colander in the sink or over a bowl for 5 to 10 minutes to allow excess liquid to drain, set aside until needed.
Transfer the eggplant to a serving dish and add the red pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic.
Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately or the salt will draw out too much moister from the vegetables.

ROLY POLY DESERT:
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter(1 stick or 125 g or 4 oz)
2 eggs, beaten
milk, few tablespoons, see instructions
1 teaspoon vanilla
apricot jam

Sauce
1 1/2 cups boiling water (375 ml)
1 cup sugar (250 ml)
2 tablespoons butter (30 ml)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 deg F/180 deg Celsius.
Grease a suitable oven dish, like a rectangular Pyrex dish.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt, and rub in the butter. (Can be done in a processor, also the next step).
Add the beaten eggs, and then just enough milk, tablespoon by tablespoon, to make a fairly firm dough.
It's easy to watch in the processor: as soon as a firm ball forms which is not sticky, but soft, the dough is ready.
Roll the dough out quite thinly -- on a surface sprinkled with flour -- and form a rectangle, by cutting off bits and adding it on again -- you know how.
Spread the dough with apricot jam.
From one of the LONG sides, roll it up like a swiss roll.
Cut this roll into 1 inch slices, using a serrated knife such as a bread knife. The jam WILL ooze out.
Pack the slices, cut sides up, closely together, in the greased dish. Scoop the jam which oozed out on the surface you used, and just plonk back on to these rolls.
In a pot, mix the boiling water (from your kettle), sugar, butter and vanilla and stir until sugar dissolves.
With a tablespoon, ladle evenly over the slices of pudding, but beware: you will have more sauce than the baking dish can take. Usually you'll be left with about 3/4 cup. KEEP IT.
Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes.
When the sizzling pudding comes out of the oven, carefully pour the extra sauce over the centre slices: I find that, when baking, the sauce tends to pool on the sides.
Now the hot pudding will absorb much of the leftover sauce in seconds. Use as much or as little as you like.
Serve hot, with custard, ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

**COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK**

APPLE MARTINI:

2 oz vodka
1 oz green-apple schnapps

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

OR

Whizz together for 30sec in blender
Pour into frosted martini glass

**JULY RECIPES**

PORK CHOPS WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY:

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 pork chops
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk


Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chops two at a time, and shake to coat.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook chops until brown on both sides. Remove chops from skillet, and reduce heat to medium.
Blend soup and milk in the skillet, stirring to scrape up the bits of breading left over from the chops. You can adjust the amount of milk depending on how thick you want the gravy to be (it will thin a bit during the cooking process). Bring to a gentle boil, increasing heat slightly if necessary. When soup mixture is bubbling, return chops to skillet. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until chops are cooked through

MAMA'S ASIAN CHICKEN & RICE
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
 
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked white rice
 
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
chopped green onions for garnish
Directions

In a bowl, stir together warm water, brown sugar, orange juice, soy sauce, ketchup, white vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, five-spice powder, and orange peel until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook and stir the chicken until the outside is golden brown and the inside is no longer pink, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover the skillet. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the chicken and sauce are simmering, bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the rice aside and keep warm.
Whisk the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl until smooth, and stir into the chicken and sauce, a few teaspoons at a time. Let the chicken and sauce cook for about 2 minutes to thicken, then serve over hot cooked rice, sprinkled with green onion.

**EASY ICE CREAM RECIPE**

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
140g caster sugar
300ml double cream


Separate the 4 eggs.
Beat together the yolks and vanilla extract with whisk.
In a separate bowl whip the egg whites and gradually add the caster sugar.
Whisk until it's thick and glossy-meringue like.
Lightly whip the double cream now add the yolk mixture then the egg white mixture.
Fold together and freeze until solid in an airtight container.


(remove from the freezer ten minutes before serving)

**Parleys in Penang**

Our time in Colombo has finally run out.....with 138boxes,two anxious labradors,an impatient husband and graduation dinners on hand I was gradually making the move to Malaysia,our new home.


Fast forward two weeks and voila....we are in Penang and doing everything in reverse.Hoping to have at least seven days to recover from the big move TO Malaysia I was back stuck in the container UNpacking.......after only two days rest.

You recall how tired you were after just delivering a baby???-well multiply that feeling by ten.....yep that's exactly how I'm feeling this minute.With only approximately 30 boxes dumped in a corner,left to unpack, I can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel....shhoooooo!!

The living area is done,so is the kitchen,my bedroom is taking shape.....all that's left now to tackle is the teenage pad and the 5 bathrooms!!(yep you heard me- doing our business is serious business in this family:)


Anyhoo to make a long new adventure short ,we are all super happy to be in Penang,Malaysia (go on GOOGLE it)!!!Culturally rich,modern with an old ancestry feel and so centrally located I can hop on a plane to almost anywhere in Asia ......I'm gonna love it here.....oh & did I mention the food.......you all know how I love my food.....lol!