The best shortbread in the world

It was a raining day,

I woke up and felt like to bake something. I have seen this recipe a couple of days ago and decided to make it.

I'm not so much favour in cookies or bread, and would like to make something different. But since I have all the ingredients I need right now, usually I don't have all at once, so I made shortbread.

What I like is that it's a little crisp, a little dissolvable and light when eating. It's not hard like the cookies I sometimes buy in the store. This shortbread is a good one!

Enjoy with a cup of tea and feel wonderful!

Recipe from Jamie Oliver's book: "My guide to making you a better cook"

Ingredients

250g/9oz unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

125g /4 ½ oz caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

250g/ 9 oz plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

125g/ 4 ½ oz semolina or cornflour

Add lemon/ orange zest/ lavender to the dough (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150c/ 300F, butter a 22cm /9 inch square tin. Cream your butter and sugar together with a whisk or wooden spoon until pale, light and fluffy. Add the plain flour and semolina or cornflour. Mix lightly with a wooden spoon and then your hand until a smooth dough.

2. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll it our until it’s an even 2 cm/ 1 inch thick all over. Press the rolled out dough into your tin, poking it into the corners with your fingers.

3. Prick the dough all over with a fork, then pop it in the preheated oven for 50min until lightly golden.

4. While it’s still warm, sprinkle with a generous dusting of caster sugar. Allow the shortbread to cool slightly, then cut into 12 chunky finger-sized pieces.

I used lemon zest and semolina

Fun fact: Unrelated. I wore high-heels to take the pictures because of the high kitchen table.

My first lasagna

Yesterday, my boss gave me the lasagna spice. I went home and the thing pop in my head was to make lasagna. The next day I was heading to the supermarket to buy the ingredients. Whenever I ate lasagna in the restaurant in the school, I was always thinking that "is it difficult to make it or not".

So I searched many recipes, it wasn't difficult at all. Combine a little from this, a little from that, I create my own version. So, here is my lasagna.






Quite simple one, without using zucchini. Layer isn't beautiful since this is my first try, and I was lazy, I didn't count how many lasagna noodles to boil first. A little different from the recipe I used, but basically, here is how it is made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNAnfWpWEMg

Chicken curry soup

It has been more than 2 years since I made chicken curry. It is not that I don't like, but it's just a food that I don't cook usually.

A couple of weeks ago, my boss bought me a lunch. That was a curry soup with bread. It had a really good taste. The first time I felt pleased when I ate curry soup in Finland. So I want to make it again, their soup is mainly vegetable. I did my version with chicken.

Finely taste. The only thing I don't like is the texture, it seemed that the coconut milk doesn't dissolve well into water. Or is it the way the curry soup should be? I don't know. But next time I will try with coconut cream to see whether it has any different or not.


I don't remember how much spices I added in my soup, but below are the main ingredients I used.

Ingredient

Chickens

Potatoes

Carrots

Onions

Dill

Curry powder

Coconut milk

Sugar

Salt

2 cloves of garlic

Pepper

Instructions

1. Potatoes and carrots: peel, cut into small cubes.

Slice up half of the onion.

Chicken thighs: cut into half.

Peel 2 cloves of garlic, mince them fine.

2. Heat the pan with the high heat, add a little oil.

Throw half of the garlic, wait until it becomes light brown, don't let it burn. Then throw the carrots and potatoes into it. Stir until they become light brown. Set aside.

3. Heat a pot with high heat, add a little oil.

Throw another half of the garlic, wait until it becomes light brown, don't let it burn! Then throw the chickens into it. Stir until they become brown. Add a little sugar, a little salt. Then pour water until it's all over the chicken, reduce the heat to medium.

Cover it, let it be in around 1 hour to be totally cooked (depends on the mount of your chickens, water and your taste, change the time until the chicken get cooked as you want).

4. Finally add the potatoes, carrots, onions, some curry powder, and coconut milk to the pot chicken, put a little sugar, a little salt until suitable to your taste. Cook a little bit more until they are all soft. Add some pepper and dill on top.

5. Serve with rice vermicelli, rice or bread.

Caramel strawberries

This is the time in the year when strawberries, plums, and peas are not only sold in the supermarket but also outside. The weather is getting better when yesterday and today it is really hot.

I bought a package of strawberries a couple of days ago. It was imported from Spain. They are so sour that I can't eat them raw. So I think a little caramel may be good with it. The caramel has a smell of brown sugar, but it's ok because it is not that strong.


It's a good combination between the sour, cold strawberries with the sweet caramel. I feel glad to eat them in this weather.

Kitchen in spring

Yesterday I decorated my kitchen with some vegetables. You recognize them, they are mint and salad!


I'm happy with it, the kitchen looks fresher and newer with the little plants.

Happy spring!