Mengada-ngada time...

Usually when i'm not feeling well or just on "mintak-puji" mode i will crave for food that i know i will not get like my mom's curry fish for example....So what to do..i was thinking..... i have some nice fish in the fridge and i have just bought some curry powder so i did it my way and make my own curry fish...this just shows i miss home and i miss my mom's cooking...huhuhu :((

so here is my own way of making....

"Chindika Fish Curry"

lots and lots of veggies just how i like it :)

Simmering .....

And....finally, Chindika Fish Curry!

mon coeur: A little bit spicy but still ok :)


Well at least i get to satisfy my curry cravings hehehe...thats all that really matters. Thanks mom for the tips on making the fish curry :) and can anyone guess what does "chindika" means? heheheheh......



Chindika me:)
Clarity!

Japanese-style Curry

Curry is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. Japanese-style curry is usually thicker than curry found in other cuisines. I got interested to cook Japanese-style Curry when i read about Chicky egg's post on Japanese curry roux that i decided to make my own mixture of this so called "Curry Roux". I've got all the important ingredients to make curry roux but i dont know if its my 1/4 of indian blood or what..but i kept veering myself to make it taste like an indian curry...erghhhhhh! So...what i do is i combined a little bit of both so what i got is actually called "Japchidian" Curry :) hahaha....what a mixture :P

So the ingredients got close to the Japanese_styled Curry with all the ingredients particularly the vegetables. Typical Japanese curry includes vegetables, such as onion, carrots, and potatoes, and meat. But i didnt use meat for this one as i used Fish fillet instead. You guys must be wondering ....my cooking thesedays seemed to include a lot of vegetables and FISH or Chicken. Well thats because im preparing myself to be a Vegetarian. Well, a semi vegetarian at least for now for i still and wil only take Fish and white meat like chicken meat and veetables only now. So hopefully i will live healthily with eating good and nutritious food only :) Its one of my wish to better myself this year and thats healthier living :)

Ok here is the recipe i got from heltier living on how to make the basic curry roux from scratch.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp curry powder
2 onion
2 tbsps flour
3 cups water
2 cubes soup bouillon
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp grated garlic
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsps butter

PREPARATION:
Heat water in a pan and add soup bouillon to make soup. Slice onion thinly. Heat butter in a pan and saute onion slices slowly until they are brown for 15-20 minutes. Add garlic and ginger in the pan and saute well.

Add flour and curry powder and saute over low heat. Pour soup in the pan little by little, stirring quickly. Simmer the curry roux until thickened, and add garam masala at last.

Ok done with that and now to prepare our vegetables and fish fillet :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 Tbsp. plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large potatoes, peeled and cut intobite-size pieces (1 cup)

2 small green capsicum, cored and cut into bite-size pieces (1 cup)

2 small tomatoes cut into bite-size pieces (1 cup)

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces (1 cup)

2 pieces of fish fillet cut into bite-size pieces (1 cup)
Salt and pepper to season
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, sliced (1 cup)
4 cups water
Japanese curry roux mixture ( 1 cup)

PREPARATION:
Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp. of olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Saute potatoes, carrots and bell pepper for a few minutes, or until tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in large and deep pot over medium heat.

Saute garlic and onion until onion is tender, about a few minutes. Add fish fillet and stir-fry with onion for a minute. Add water, stir well, and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, or until carrot is tender. Add the Japanese curry roux mxture in the soup and stir lightly and add tomatoes let sit for 5 minutes. Serve curry with steamed rice.

All done and here are the finished product :)

The Pot

yummy :)

Vegetarian wannabe

Clarity!

Trade your Soul for Sole?

I was told that the most simple tasting French food is always the most difficult to prepare..well, before i made this attempt to cook the ever so popular dish in restaurants in France, i thought i'd do a research over its background of how it became a reknown dish and why is it expensive, even sometimes higher than filet mignon and always wads of euros more than salmon happens to be just a mere whole fish cooked in brown butter with a squeeze of lemon and some chopped parsley thrown in!

So I found out that....

1. why is it expensive...Just trying to skin sole fish will tell you why it's so darned expensive!

2. The ART of cooking the sole fish it self

3. And the story behind the dish itself, on how it took the soul of one of France's most revered cooks, Chef Vatel

let's chat a little about the no3 discovery why the sole fish is an expensive dish :)

"Taken from a literature article on the net regarding this particular story"

Before the Roi de Soleil's extravagant palace of Versailles was constructed in 1682, the King traveled around the country with his aristocracy. Wherever he went they were required to go too. In this way he kept an eye on his scheming court and also kept them in dept paying for their travel expenses and hosting lavish parties in his honor.

In 1671, the king traveled to Chantilly to meet with his commander, Prince Condé before waging war on Holland. A great feast was planned hosted by the Prince for the King and his court with the aid of his "Master of Cooks", François Vatel.

The first night of feasting, a light supper was provided of turtle soup, creamed chicken fried trout (whatever that is), and roast pheasant. Seventy-five extra guests attended the party. Vatel was horrified that some of the tables at his super did not receive enough pheasant roast. Although his staff assured him that he wasn't to blame for the shortage of food and unknown quantity of royal guests, he was humiliated by this blunder.

At four o'clock in the morning after what he considered to be a failed first diner, Vatel was still hard at work desperately trying to secure enough food for the next day's gala event, an even more extravagant and opulent menu of anchovies sevigne, melon with Parma ham, lobster quenelles with shrimp sauce, and filet of sole.

He met with a fish monger in the early hours of morning who arrived with an inadequate amount of fish. He asked the purveyor, "Is this all"? and the man replied back to him, "Yes sir" not knowing that Vatel had also ordered more from several seaport towns in France. Vatel waited hoping that more would arrive. Nothing came.

Exhausted from twelve sleepless nights of preparing for Prince Condé's feasts and unable to see a way out of total disgrace, he went to his room and fixed his sword to his door. He ran into it several times. The first two times only wounding himself, the third thrust he pierced his heart. Some say he ran upon it another five times.

Fifteen minutes after his suicide fish poured in to the royal household and assistants came running to find Vatel so that he could distribute it. Too late, Vatel lay dead in a pool of blood.The dinner went on as planned minus the filet of sole course, and all agreed – the Roi de Soleil included – that his death, although tragic, only proved Vatel's code of honor. Vatel traded his soul for sole.

All the drama and all you need not trade your soul for the damn recipe hehehhe here is my version of the famous soul trader = Sole Meunière

Ingredients

2 (8 ounces) sole fillets
Salt and black pepper
8 Tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic
Lemon slices, for garnish

Instructions

1. Season fillets with salt and pepper.
2. Heat butter in a large sauté pans on medium high until butter is nut brown. Make sure your pans distribute heat evenly (very important).
3. Dredge fillets in flour, shaking off any excess flour. Do this step right before placing fillets in pans. This ensures a crisp crust.
4. Place fillets in hot saute pans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy.

5. Remove fillets from pans and transfer onto a platter.
6. Dump out butter from the saute pan. Don't rinse it! Add remaining butter and heat on medium high until golden brown. Take off the heat and add lemon juice and a big three finger pinch of chopped parsley.
7. Place fish on plates and spoon over nut butter lemon sauce.
8. Garnish with lemon slices

so here it is....

my version of the ever so expensive...

Sole Meunière

Soul for Sole?

hmnnn.....i dont think so :P

And this dish is best serve with a salsa salad which i've prepared in just a few mins...like my aunt Alys likes to say.."easy-peasy" ;)

my salsa toss out salad

the combo that ignites fire that brings your soul to search for sole :) fish that is...hahaha

and oh yes.....this is the famous "Master of Cooks", François Vatel

Bon appétit!

Clarity!

We Ran!

This chart will explain what we did yesterday, me and ms. danne :)

Let Clarity defines you!

Clarity!

Exercise to Get High

Can you actually get high from exercise? Many people report a feeling of euphoria after engaging in exerting fitness routines such as running, swimming, biking and heavy workouts at the gym.According to Harvard Medical School psychiatrist , Dr. John Ratey, "There is a runner's high but most people really do not get it. Almost everyone, however, gets a boost in mood and usually fairly quickly.

"Dr. Ratey has written a book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain that is due out in January, 2008.While the phenomenon is still not completely understood, studies conducted at the American College of Sports Medicine show that exercise seems to raise levels of various chemicals in our body that help to elevate our mood.

If the thought of getting physically fit and improving your overall well-being isn't inspiration enough, consider that a serious exercise routine may actually give you a "high" and improve your mood.

Taken from : Average Joe Fitness Blog

Your way & My way,

Clarity

Road to trepidation ....underwater :)

Today we decided to do something different and start the week by going swimming....so here are our swimming shots :)

malu2 kucing macam ..hehehe

Clarity

My dinner...road to trepidation @ home again :(

corn for dinner? must be joking...but its true...this is all i can have and tomorrow will be payback time gonna eat like "kerabau pindik" hahahaha hungry :(

sweet corn anyone?

Clarity

My sad sad sad dinner...

well..tonight i wil have to start my road to trepidation @ home and drinking carrot & fruit juice coz my partner ms. danne played hooky and stayed off work today :(( huhuhu

so here's to my cutting down on food and drink more juice :-)

here is me and my wonder drink :)

VeGood and Be Good ;)

Clarity

I'm trying to lose weight......konon lah..

Ok i wanna look like this (konon! according to cheeky egg hahaha) ----->

so i guess i need to eat lots of time in small portions ..i remember ms danne telling me about this and do i listen No :( Now....need to reformat and do it right back again and hopefully this time i get what i want from what i set myself to do! So its payback time!

Grazing and Weight Loss

The Problem "I'm trying to lose weight. I was told to try small meals every couple of hours, but I feel like I'm constantly eating and overeating. What should I do? How does this affect my weight loss?" --kzadora

The Solutions

1. Grazing works
"This way of eating enables you to change your metabolism. Eating small meals keeps your blood sugar level from making large up-and-down fluctuations; believe it or not, it is much better for you."
--sandy

2. If you can't graze, just snack
"You don't need to be eating small balanced meals every two hours. The trick is to break up the nutrition you need in a day to have as snacks in between meals. Don't skip a meal to save calories -- that has the opposite effect. Your body will hold onto fat calories (survival mode) and burn muscle because that is the most readily available energy source. This will in turn lower your metabolism, making it that much harder to lose weight."
--amanda

3. Listen to your body
"Eating several small meals a day means eating when your body, not your mind, is hungry. When people wait for the standard meal times (breakfast, lunch, dinner), often we are so hungry we overeat. If you eat when your body tells you you're hungry, you will eat more frequently but fewer total calories and feel more satiated."
--iVillager

4. Eat breakfast
"You need to make a commitment to yourself to eat breakfast before you leave the house. This is very important to jump-start your metabolism. The longer you put off breakfast, the longer you put off burning more calories because your metabolism is still extremely low from sleeping eight hours."
--amanda

5. Make good food choices
"I always put fruits and veggies at the top of my list of food to eat first and foods made with flour or starch at the bottom. Eat all your servings of fruits and veggies first, then treat yourself to pretzels, a tortilla or rice."
--sandra

"Stick to WHOLE foods -- that means keep the processed, chemical-laden, sugar- and salt-saturated foods to a minimum. Fresh LIVE foods digest more easily, are nutrient- and enzyme-packed and provide a good amount of water."
--cindy

6. Drink water
"It is also imperative that you have at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day. This is the amount of water your body loses in a typical day - not including the extra water you will lose due to exercise. You have to make a conscious effort in the beginning to get all your water in, but it will become second nature in just a little bit of time.
--amanda

7. Be a conscious eater
"Keep a diary of the things you eat until you become accustomed to portion control."
--sandy

8. Savor your meals
"Try making up a nice plate and eating only what you have chosen for that meal. Never go back and put more food on your plate. Make each meal small (about 300 calories) and sit down someplace that is peaceful and enjoy each bite."
--sandra

9. Don't forget exercise and activity
"If you really want to speed up your weight loss, incorporate exercise. Exercise could be anything that your body is not already used to doing; any bit of activity you add into your lifestyle will have positive side effects. Just keep at it and don't give up.
--amanda

"If your workplace has stairs, use them rather than the elevator. Take the long way around the stores when you shop. Park way out in the parking lot so you can walk."
--gordy

Eat foods that will help you lose

Hungry Girl: Fat-Burning Food

by Lisa "Hungry Girl" Lillien
Provided By:

Hungry Girl's Fat-Burning Food Guide:
Can foods help burn fat? Some experts insist they can. Here is Hungry Girl's list of diet-friendly foods that are rumored to fight flab!

Grapefruit
I'm not sure if it has magical fat-burning properties, but research suggests that this sweet 'n' sour citrus fruit can aid in weight loss. One Scripps Clinic study found that eating half of a grapefruit or drinking four ounces of grapefruit juice with meals (without making any other changes in eating habits) resulted in an average weight loss of more than three pounds in 12 weeks. Scientists speculate the weight loss happens because grapefruit lowers insulin levels, which curbs your urge to snack. And, of course, the less you snack, the easier it is to lose weight.

HG Tip: If grapefruit is a little too tart for you, try sprinkling some Splenda on top.

Green Tea
Green tea is one ambitious beverage. Not only does it help prevent cancer and heart disease, but numerous research studies have also found that drinking green tea, or taking green tea supplements, can also rev up your metabolism. Just how big of a difference can this fat-burning brew make? Some researchers claim if you drink five cups of green tea a day, you'll burn 70 to 80 extra calories. That's not bad, and definitely worth a shot!

Spicy Foods
Like it hot? Good news: Eating spicy foods can help you burn more fat. Hot foods make you sweat and raise your heart rate, which temporarily increases your metabolism. So grab some cayenne, your favorite bottle of hot sauce, hot chilies or red pepper flakes, and give your food ‑- and your metabolism ‑- a kick. My personal fave hot sauce is Frank's Red Hot Extra Hot.

Low-Fat/Nonfat Dairy
In addition to building strong bones, calcium also inhibits the production of calcitriol, a hormone that tells cells to generate more fat. Woohoo! Several studies have concluded that incorporating low-fat or nonfat dairy products into your diet can help you lose more weight. My favorite forms of low-fat dairy are Dannon Light 'n' Fit Smoothies, Yoplait Light Yogurt and Dreyer's Grand Light Ice Cream.

Water
Skimp on water, and it'll be harder to lose weight. Dehydration slows down your metabolism, and it can also lead to sugar cravings and fatigue (which might make you less likely to exercise). Yikes! Some experts recommend guzzling eight cups of H2O a day. I have at least 10 to 12 glasses daily.

Cinnamon
Research shows that a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon, eaten with food, helps metabolize sugars more effectively and lower the body's blood sugar levels. This is helpful because high blood sugar levels and excess sugar in the blood can lead to fat storage. Cinnamon also brings out natural sweetness in food and, well, tastes good. So sprinkle away! My favorite way to use the stuff? Mixed with Splenda and some fat-free cottage cheese or on baked apples. Mmm!

HG Protein Tip!
Protein is essential for building muscle. And the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn ‑- even when you're at rest. Protein also has the highest thermic effect of all the macronutrients (protein, carbs and fat). So, you burn more calories digesting protein than you do digesting carbs or fats. Your best protein-packed bets are turkey, egg whites, fish, tuna and skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

Hmn....i do like the sound of this article asking me to eat more to lose weight.....but logically it does make some sense..so perhaps i need to eat like "babiks" hahahah already become "kerabau Pindiks" and still ask to eat a lot more to become small...hmn....interesting indeed :P

Could I Be Eating Too Little?

by Liz Neporent, MA

Is it true that if you consume too few calories, your metabolism will be lowered? And if your metabolism is lowered, what kinds of problems might that cause? --G.R.

Your metabolism is in effect your body's furnace. Calories are the fuel that heats this furnace; the hotter your furnace burns, the more calories it uses up just to keep up with basic functions like digestion, breathing and so on. Your activity level and the food you eat affect your metabolism. The more activity and exercise you do, the faster your metabolism runs, even when you aren't being active. Activity also builds muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat. In other words, the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism. If you don't put enough food in your body, your "furnace" doesn't have anything to keep it going. It goes into a sort of hibernation mode by slowing down and using fewer calories. So, yes: If you eat too little, you can slow your metabolism.

Walk It Off

Just something that i have an interest on for i have been trying to maintain my ideal weight for god know since when BUT anyhow little, little step hopefully will bring little little big changes :) I HOPE!! but anyhow its just for the sake of keeping fit and so i got this article by Liz Neporent, MA on this particular subject so read on... ;)

4 Steps to Perfect Walking Form

Maintaining good form while you walk will help you burn more calories with each step and avoid injury. Keep these guidelines in mind during every walking workout.

1. Head, shoulders and chest: Keep your head up and centered between your shoulders. Focus your eyes straight ahead. Keep your shoulders back and down. Your chest should be naturally lifted, as if there were a string attached to the center that gently pulls it upwards.
   
2. Arms and hands: Your arms should be bent at 90 degrees. Swing them back and forth -- not side to side -- and keep them close to your body. Keep your hands loosely cupped as if you are holding a butterfly that you don’t want to escape but you don’t want to crush either.
   
3. Abdominals: Pull your belly button gently in toward your spine and tuck your pelvis forward ever so slightly so you feel tall, stable and upright.
   
4. Hips, thighs and feet: Power your movements from your hips rather than your thighs, but keep your hips loose and natural. Take short, fast strides that still feel natural rather than awkward. Land firmly on your heels and roll smoothly to push off with your toes. Think of planting your heel and then "pushing the ground away from you" as you roll through your foot.
   
5. Breathing and heart rate: Your breathing will be loud, but concentrate on keeping it even and steady. Your heart will be thumping, but focus on keeping the beats steady and regular.

A note to treadmill users: Use the handrails as little as possible unless balance is an issue for you. Avoid "water skiing" -- that is, putting the treadmill on an incline, gripping the rails for dear life and using your arms to soak up the bulk of your effort. (This goes for walkers and runners!)

Content from Liz Neporent, MA