What's the Malibu Pilates Chair?

Today I thot I'd post about my review of the Malibu Pilates Chair. As you know, I'm a fitness buff as well and I write about health and fitness issues on top of my love of cooking and food.

Just finished another site on Pilates......my all time favorite exercise. This time I focused on Malibu Pilates Chair, a very popular equipment used by Pilates practitioners. The best part is it can be used at home or in the studio.

Read in detail about this great machine which does wonders to shape your body. I appreciate any comments you may have. Just drop me a mail at the comments section below. See ya!
http://www.squidoo.com/reviewofmalibupilateschair.

Blanched Spinach and Lettuce

As you know by now, I'm into healthy eating and only occasionally deep fry my dishes, particularly fish as hubby loves his fish deep fried. I prefer steamed fish or pan fried. But I must say one thing though....., the crispy bones of deep fried fish can be very addictive! lol......

When it comes to vegetables, you should bear in mind never to overcook them or else all the vitamins and minerals will be lost. There's nothing healthier than a quick blanch and then add the necessary seasoning. That way, the veges maintain their crunch. Try this recipe and let me know if you like it!:-)

Sometimes I cook a combination of vegetables just to get the variety and the taste of different texture of vegetables in the mouth can be very appetizing.

Spinach is loaded with calcium, folic acid, vitamins and iron. We are all too familiar with "Popeye the Sailor Man" and how empowering spinach is! Haha.....well, it's true!

Lettuce, on the other hand, is high in beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin C, potassium and folic acid.

Ingredients
1 bunch of spinach, washed and cut
1 small lettuce, washed and peeled
5 shallots, fried till crispy
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbs soya sauce

Instructions
Put a pot of water to boil. Blanch the spinach and lettuce briefly for 3 seconds and remove, draining out the water. Mix the shallots, oyster sauce and soya sauce together in a small bowl. Pour sauce mixture over the vegetables. Serve.

Pilates Ball review

I thought I'd post this about my Squidoo site. Just published a site on Pilates Ball review. I'm an active Pilates follower and it's really a great exercise for women and men of all ages. Nothing rigorous so you don't hurt your body unnecessarily. Check it out for more information at http://www.squidoo.com/pilatesballreview

Deep Fried Fish

How's your weekend? I went to watch MJ's This Is It yesterday. I'm a huge fan. The movie was great. He hasn't lost his magic after all these years. It shows that genius-es never fade. Please go watch it if you haven't yet. Cheapest concert ticket at RM9.

Hubby is a fish lover and he enjoys fried fish, can eat the whole thing, leaving only the head behind! Yep, he eats the bones too. And I've become like that as well. If you fry the fish really well, the bones actually taste yummy cos it's so crispy. Try it and tell me if you agree, yah?

Having said that, the smaller the fish the better cos the whole fish can be dipped into the oil. A bigger fish would need more oil to make it crispy and crunchy. Me being so health conscious don't really like to eat too oily food.

Ingredients
Small white pomfret, cleaned and wiped dry with towel
1 tsp salt

Instructions
Rub the salt over the fish and set aside for 10 mins. Heat enough oil in non-stick pan to cover the fish. Heat oil over high flame for 3 mins. Then reduce to medium heat.

Pour fish (3 at a time, depending on the size of your pan) into the pan. Let it fry for 5 mins. Turn over and leave for same amount of time. When golden brown and crispy, scoop up. Repeat process until all the fish are fried. Serve.

Stir Fry Kau Choy Fah

Believe it or not, but I don't know what this vege is called in English. Please drop me a comment if any of you know by looking at the pix. This vege is widely grown in Malaysia and is easily available in the wet markets or supermarkets.

It gives a crunchy taste and can be cooked together with prawns, beancurd or fish balls.

Ingredients
1 bunch of kau choy fah
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 onion, cut in slices
4 slices ginger
2 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 small bowl of water
soya sauce to taste

Instructions
Heat oil in non-stick fry pan. Pour in garlic, onion and ginger. Increase to high heat. Pour in the vege. Stir fry for about 1 min. Add in oyster sauce, water and drizzle of soya sauce. Fry till vege is cooked and crunchy. Serve.

Remember not to overcook this dish otherwise it will be soft.

Raspberry Pancakes

This is my 1st post on desserts. There will be more to come. I will add some variety every now and then to complement my broad based chinese dishes. Desserts that are healthy and look pretty can tempt every palate, even those who don't have that sweet tooth!

Raspberries are mainly grown in California and contain high anti-oxidants. Did you know that raspberries contain 50% more anti-oxidants than strawberries, 300% more than kiwi fruits and 1000% more than tomatoes? That's according to a research conducted in the Netherlands.

Raspberries are a good source of Vitamin C, dietary fiber, folate, magnesium, riboflavin and potassium.

Ingredients (for serving 4 pax)

2 cups wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups butter milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

For the raspberries mixture

300 gm frozen raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp corn flour

Instructions

Sift the flour and add sugar, baking powder and salt into large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, butter milk and butter slowly while stirring. Continue to stir until flour is mixed evenly.

Heat oil in non-stick pan (you can use butter if desired). Pour the batter in the shape of a round mould. Flip both sides and pan fry till golden brown. Set aside.

For the raspberries mixture, put the frozen raspberries and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until soft and caramelized. Add the corn flour and stir evenly. Simmer for 2 mins and serve. Pour over the ready pancakes.

Mom's Noodles

Noodles oodles..... there's nothing like delicious home-cooked noodles. Somehow I find that you can differentiate noodles that are home-cooked and those that are served in restaurants. Less oil, more ingredients, cooking with a lot of love and a much bigger serving! lol

My mom cooked some really fierce noodles for our family while I was growing up. I couldn't get enough each time. So when I was older, I tried to cook my noodles to get the exact same taste. It's still a bit short but I guess it's close enough! After all, practice makes perfect, right?

Today, hubby and I weren't too hungry as we had stuffed ourselves with snacks during tea time. So, I decided to cook noodles instead of rice. See if you like my pix .........please give me your comments and feedback!

Ingredients
2 packets of fresh yellow noodles
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 red onions (small), cut in slices
5 slices young ginger
1 strip fish cake, cut in thin slices
4 pieces beancurd strips, or "fu chok"
Choy sum or any leafy vege
1 tablespoon stir fry sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoon soya sauce
p/s: you can add prawns, squid or fish balls if you like.

Instructions
Heat oil in wok. Put in garlic, onion and ginger - fry till fragrant. Add in fish cake, beancurd strips and vege, continue frying. Add noodles and sauces together. Fry and mix ingredients well till cooked. Ready to serve.

Bon Apetit!
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins