RECIPES: Meals, Desserts/CROCHET - Free Patterns: Baby Blankets, Layettes

2012-04-05T17:54:00.001-07:00

2012-04-03T18:15:00.001-07:00

2012-04-01T08:59:00.003-07:00

Lo Bak Gow (Chinese Radish Cake)

- 400 g rice flour (1 packet)

- 2 medium lobak, shredded

- 2¾ cups water

- 1½ Tbsp salt

- 6 Chinese mushroom, soaked and sliced into small pieces

- ¼ cups dried shrimp, washed and cut into small pieces

- 2 links Chinese sausages, cut into bite size

- 2 Tbsp oil

Combine first 4 ingredients and mix well.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the rest of the ingredients until aromatic and mix into the rice flour mixture and mix thoroughly.

Line bottom of an 8" square pan with parchment paper. Pour mixture into pan.

Steam for about 1 hour.

Before removing cake from pan, run a butter knife along the sides to loosen.

Serve warm with hoisin sauce and chilli (optional)

Wrap remainder and refrigerate until to use.

2012-03-31T14:06:00.001-07:00

IVORY BABY BLANKET
This blanket has quite a few details, but it's worth it. Easy to crochet.

Ivory Baby Blanket (36" x 46")
Start with Ch 121 st
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch across, turn [120st]
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn
Row 3: Repeat row 2
Row 4: Join with sl st in first sc, ch 3, front cross stitch (fcr) across with dc in last st. (do not turn, just fasten off) [59 fcr, 2 dc]
front cross stitch (fcr): next st, dc in next st; working in front of dc just made, dc in skipped st.
Row 5: Join with sc in top of ch 3, sc in each st across (do not turn, again fasten off) [120 st]
Row 6: Repeat row 4
Row 7: Repeat row 5
Row 8: Repeat row 4
Row 9: Join with sc in first st, sc in each st across, turn
Row 10: Repeat row 2
Row 11: Repeat row 3
Row 12: Join with sl st in first st, ch 2, hdc in each st across, turn
Row 13: Ch 3, dc in each st across, turn
Row 14: Ch 4, skp next st, cl in next st, (ch 1, skip next st, cl in next st) across ending with dc, turn [59 cl]
cluster (cl): *yo, insert hook in next st, yo, draw lp through, yo, draw through 2 lps on hook; repeat from * 2 more times in same st, yo, draw through all 4 lps on hook.
Row 15: Ch 3, dc in each st and in each ch across, turn
Row 16: Ch 2, hdc in each st across, (do not turn, just fasten off)
Row 17: Repeat row 9

Repeat rows 2 to 17 until desired length, ending with row 11.

Edging
Rnd 1: Join with sc in first st, sc in each st across with 3 sc in corner and work evenly in end of each row, ending with 2 sc in same st as first st. Join with sl st in first st [536 st]
Rnd 2: Ch 2, hdc in each st with 3 hdc in each corner. Join with sl st in top fo ch 2, (do not turn, fasten off) [536 st]
Rnd 3: Ch 3, dc in each st with 5 hdc in corner st. Join with sl st in top of ch 3 [552 st]
Rnd 4: Ch 3, cl in same st, ch 1, *skip next st, cl in next st, ch 1* across to 2 sts before corner, skip next 2 st, (cl 1 ch1) 2 times in next corner st. repeat from * 3 more times, ch 1, skip next st, cl in next st, ch 1, skip last st. Join with sl st in top of first cl [278 cl]
Rnd 5: Ch 1, sc in same st, ch 4, (sc in next cl, ch 4) around. Join with sl st in first st. Turn
Rnd 6: Sl st in next ch sp, ch 1, 3 sc in each ch sp around, Join. Fasten off.

2012-03-31T11:28:00.003-07:00

SPRING ROLLS

1 med onion - cut into strips

1 med carrot - julienne

1/2 can bamboo shoot (strips)

125 g (approx. 10 leaves) cabbage - shred (discard lower portion of middle vein)

1/4 tsp sugar

salt, pepper to taste

1/2 tsp corn or tapioca starch

1 pkg spring roll wrapper (20 medium) - "Spring Home TYJ Spring Roll Wrapper"

Fry onion in 1 Tbsp oil until slightly soft.

Add carrot and cook for about 1 min.

Then add in cabbage and fry until soft.

Put in bamboo shoot and stir well.

Add sugar, salt, and pepper.

Turn off heat and add tapioca starch directly to veggies.

Stir well. Cool before wrapping.

Place one wrapper on working surface, with one corner towards you.

Put 1 heaping Tbsp of the above filling on the wrapper, leaving about 2" on either side, and roll away (just one turn) from you.

Fold one side of wrapper over filling, make another roll, then fold the other side over filling and finish rolling towards other end of wrapper.

Place seam side down.

Using tongs or wooden chopsticks, place seam side down into hot oil and hold for a few seconds to seal.

Deep fry until golden-brown and drain on paper towels.

Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.

Always a favourite. My son likes it unfried. Before putting in the filling, brush the wrapper with some hoisin sauce and hot sauce (optional). Roll up and enjoy.

2012-03-31T07:35:00.004-07:00

BAKLAVA ROLL
This baklava roll is different from the traditional square ones. Simple to make and easy to serve without the filling falling out of the pastry. In cooking, presentation is important and this lovely baklava roll will certainly bring out the "Wow!". Like any other baklava, this one is really good and the sweetness in the syrup is just right. I have given this recipe to many of my friends and colleagues. Enjoy!

Baklava Roll

- 3 c chopped walnuts
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp sugar
In a bowl, mix ingredients.

- 10 phyllo sheets
- ¾ c melted butter
Lay 1 phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Top with another sheet, brush with butter. Put ½ c filling along long edge and roll tightly to form a roll. Brush bottom of spring form pan with butter and fit the roll in a spiral in the middle of the pan. Repeat with remaining sheets and fit the rolls around the last one to form a circle.
Bake at 350° F for 40 minutes or until phyllo is golden. Slice coiled baklava into serving pieces.

Syrup
- 2/3 c sugar
- ½ c honey
- 2 tsp vanilla
- lemon rind
- 1 c water
In a saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil. Pour over cooled baklava rolls.

2012-03-25T10:40:00.004-07:00

LIME & HONEY DRESSING
Was given this recipe by a friend as I enjoyed the dressing when she hosted a dinner. She did not have the amount for the ingredients, so I experimented and came up with the following recipe which is very close to what I had at her house. This recipe is very versatile as it can be used for any type of salad. Below is my family's favourite spinach salad.

Lime & Honey Salad Dressing
-juice of 1 lime
-2 tsp honey
-¼ tsp olive oil
-¼ tsp mustard
-salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bottle and refrigerate. Pour over salad before serving.

Spinach Salad

- baby spinach
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 4 pieces (½" squares) feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 Tbsp almond slivers, toasted