Simple Potato Soup

Ingredients :

3 medium potatoes (about 1 lb.)
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) ready-to-serve chicken broth
2 medium green onions with tops
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Directions :

1. Peel the potatoes then cut them into large chunks.
   
2. Heat the chicken broth and the potatoes in a pan (about 3 qt. pan) until the broth is boiling.
   
3. Once the broth has started boiling, reduce the heat and bring it to a low boil. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Be sure to stir occasionally so they don’t stick to the pan.
   
4. While the potatoes are cooking, you can cut your green onions. Peel and cut the heads of the onions in small pieces until you reach the stringy, leafy part where you’ll want to stop.
   
5. Remove your potatoes from the heat but don’t drain the broth. Start to break up the pieces either with a potato masher or a fork, but be sure you don’t mash too much as you still want the potatoes to be in small pieces.
   
6. Stir in the milk, salt, pepper, thyme and onions while keeping the soup over medium heat. Do not let it come to a boil.

Now, to make my soup truly yummy, I added a couple of things:

- More salt – the 1/8 of a teaspoon just wasn’t doing it for me so I added salt to taste.
- Cheese – the recipe suggests a cup and a half, since we want to be healthy, I added 1 cup of 2% sharp cheddar cheese.
- Bacon – The recipe didn’t call for it, but what is potato soup with out bacon? I used lean turkey bacon (45 calories a slice) that added good flavor without too many extra calories.

Raspberry-Infused Vodka

Ingredients
Makes 1 1/2 liters

1 pints fresh raspberries
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 bottles (750 ml size) medium-quality vodka

Directions

1. Wash raspberries and pat dry.
   
2. Place in a 2-quart glass container with a tight-fitting lid.
   
3. Add sugar, and toss to combine.
   
4. Pour in vodka, and close container.
   
5. Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use (1 to 3 months).
   
6. Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved.
   
7. Using a sieve set over a funnel, strain vodka into bottles.

Kerabu Angel Hair Pasta

This dish is a twist to the original 'nonya kerabu bee hoon'. The vermicelli (bee hoon) has been replaced with angel hair pasta as angel hair pasta has better bite. This dish is great for tea parties or as a light lunch. The good thing about this dish, is it can be served warm as well as cold, which means you can prepare it a few hours before your party. And when the party starts, you can have time to relax and enjoy your meal with your guests.

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Serves 4

Ingredients:

250 g Angel hair pasta, cooked according to packet instructions, till "al dente"
200g shrimps, shelled leaving tails intact, marinated with 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup (60 ml) water

Ingredients A:

2 -3 tablespoons sambal belachan
6 tablespoons kalamansi lime juice or to taste
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 teaspoon chicken stock granules
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients B:

5 shallots, peeled and sliced
1 wild ginger flower (bunga kiantan), sliced thinly
A small handful of mint leaves
2-3 tablespoons grated coconut, toasted until light brown (kerisek)

Garnishing:

Extra mint leaves
Extra toasted coconut "kerisek"

Directions:

1. To prepare shrimps: Bring water to a boil and add in marinated shrimps. Remove once they are cooked. Set aside and retain the shrimp stock for later use.
   
   
2. To prepare kerisek or toasted coconut: Heat wok over low heat, slowly dry fry 50g of grated coconut, stir continuously until golden brown. Leave to cool and set aside.
   
   
3. To assemble:
   - In a large mixing bowl, mix Ingredients A together.
   - Toss in shrimps, shrimps stock, angel hair pasta, and Ingredients B.
   - Adjust the seasoning to taste.
   - Serve immediately, garnishing with extra mint leaves and some kerisek on the top.
   
   
4. To prepare Sambal Belachan:
   - 8 fresh red chillies, washed and sliced coarsely
   - 3 chilli padi, washed and sliced
   - 40g toasted shrimp paste (belachan)
   - Using a wok or non-stick pan, slowly pan fry the shrimp paste over low heat until light brown.
   - Pound the above ingredients using a mortar. Keep in a container in the fridge and use whenever required. Stores well up to a week.