PUMPKIN SEED AND CILANTRO PESTO

" I left the seeds (jalapeno pepper) in because I am bold. " says Pam of Sidewalk Shoes of her amazingly awesome pesto.

" I topped it up with bird's eye chillies and fish sauce because I am South East Asian and crazy. " says I of Cherry on a Cake of Pam's amazingly awesome pesto. 

It had a refreshing nutty awesome taste. Mmmmm-hmmmm Hey pesto!

Then I made a pesto Pizza and I went bonkers because it was crazy awesome amazingly good. R said it was "sedapnyeeeee" ~ which translates to 'extremely delicious'.


I had also used Jamie Oliver's Pizza dough which was seriously good and crispy and crunchy. If Bob's my uncle Pesto Pizza's my Daddy. Oh yea.

But that'll be in my next post. Now it's all about Pam's pumpkin seed pesto, the whole pesto and nothing but the pesto.

The recipe ~ adapted from Pam of  Sidewalk Shoes

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups gently packed cilantro (coriander) leaves and stems
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp jalapeno peppers ( I used bird's eye chillie peppers)
1 tsp fish sauce
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice ( I used lime)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil


Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan until they begin to pop. Shake the pan on medium heat and until the seeds begin to puff up. When all have puffed up, remove and pour onto a paper towel and allow to cool.


In a food processor blitz cilantro, seeds and other ingredients except olive oil until finely ground. Then pour in olive oil in a steady stream until it becomes a creamy paste and fairly smooth.


Store in a glass jar and use for whatever you feel it's good to use on. Like pizza and so many other other things.

SWEETY PICKS A WINNER !!

The power was cut off the whole day today and I could not post earlier. I hope I wasn't keeping you waiting too long (if you were waiting at all that is). However, everything's back to normal, the fans spinning above me head, I'm in a good mood and so is Sweety. AND Sweety has picked a winner ~ with her sweet little paw...... AWWWWW ~ 

Sweetie the winner picker was inspired by the brilliant Jain of Once in a Blue Moon ~

First let me introduce Sweety to you ..........." Sweety meet my Foodie Friends...Foodie Friends meet my Sweety...... "


Sweety  being elegant ~

Sweety being sweet ~

Sweety being outdoorish

Sweety being long

Sweety being a monkey clown

AND NOW FOR THE WINNER ~ But first, I had to set everything up my pretties ~

We had so much fun ~ Sweety tried very hard to remember her ABC.....

Then she picked a lawyer ..awwwww....~ Azmina of Lawyer Loves Lunch!!!!

Azmina, Sweety says  "You're meowst welcome...."  

This little red box is yours Azmina.... 

with the cookie cutters inside of course!

 

SAUTEED LONG BEANS WITH GARLIC AND MINCED MEAT

I was planning on posting a funny post but it just could not be. The men in this house are sitting in their corners sucking their thumbs and sulking. Their all time favourite team are out of the finals for World Cup this time. That is serious matter to some. Mourn worthy.

So I'll just whisper to you.....I cooked long beans sauteed in garlic and minced meat. That's all I'm saying. It's good but it looks like it's not good enough to wipe out those long faces and furious eyebrows. As far as my men are concerned FIFA World Cup is so over. Yes. Who cares anymore. Yes. In this house FIFA World Cup officially ends here!

But the giveaway is still officially open a for few more hours. So go here for the GIVEAWAY !

The recipe ~


300 gn long beans
200 gm minced meat
2 pips garlic
1 red chillie
2 T oyster sauce
a few splashes of fish sauce
1 1/2 T cooking oil
some water or stock
salt

Rinse then cut long beans into 1 inch lengths. keep aside. Pound garlic and chillie pepper in a pestle and mortar medium fine. 

Heat a wok. Pour in the cooking oil. Saute the garlic and chillie paste until fragrant on medium heat. Drop in the minced meat and stir until the meat browns. Add salt, oyster sauce and some black pepper if you like. Drop in the prepared long beans, add some water or stock, about 1/3 cup and stir fry the meat and vegetables until the beans are tender. If necessary add water a tablespoon at a time to keep the dish moist but not too saucy. Add salt to taste.

CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT DULCE DE LECHE COOKIES AND ~ A GIVEAWAY

Despite the success of my dulce de leche I have never considered cosy-ing down into a couch to shovel dollops of dulce de leche from a jar into my face. HO no. The completion of the dulce de leche was no more than a stage in a journey that I had begun when I swiped that can of condensed milk off the shelf. 

So you might think I've had sleepless nights thinking "waht do hi do? waht do hi do?". Ahh ~ truth is ...Hi had known what Hi was to do. HO yes. Hi had plans.

This is plan number one : Chocolate Shortbread Thumbprint Dulce De Leche Cookies with a Pistachio Filigree. Long  Cool no?

The Chocolate Shortbread recipe came from Oven Haven. A beautiful blog. She on the other hand got it from Nostalgia. It's rich, it's chocolatey and it's short. Add your thumbprint, roll in crumbled pistachios and flourish with a dollop of dulce de leche.  Wooooo...what a twist!

I'll let you into a little secret. These cookies are SO chocolatey!! mmm-hmmm
 

The Recipe ~

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup icing sugar

226 gm butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

Some chopped pistachios

Dulce de leche

Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C)

Cream butter in an electric mixer until creamy. Add icing sugar and beat until light and creamy. Add vanilla. On low speed add flour and cocoa powder 1/2 cup at a time and mix until the dough comes together. You might want to take it off the machine and finish the mixing with your hands. 

Using a melon baller scoop scoopfuls of dough and roll into a ball. Press the ball of dough into a thick-ish disc and coat the sides of the disc with pistachios. Lay the disc of dough on a baking tray and make a thumbprint in the centre using your thumb/finger tip or the end of a clean wooden spoon.When done all......

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes of less according to the size of your cookies. I baked mine for about 15 minutes.

Take them out of the oven and using the end of a wooden spoon press down into the depression again because the depression would have puffed up a little while baking. But don't worry. Just push it down again with the back of the wooden spoon. Let cool completely and then fill with dulce de leche just before ( or a few hours) before serving.

But wait!.....the thrill isn't quite over yet. Ho no.


SURPRISE!!! 

A giveaway ~ A box of cookie presses ~

If you have been following my blog you'll know what Malaysians use tart presses for ~ they're for Pineapple Jam Tarts. Like these ~

But they're great for any kind of jam filled cookies. I have a collection of these presses and I thought you should have one too. Wherever you are you're welcome.

I'll be in a very good mood for a week until Saturday  3rd of July. So leave a comment and I'll announce the lucky winner on Sunday 4th of July 2010.


The tart presses will arrive at your door in that little red box. Isn't that fun?