Basic Quiche Recipe

Thanks to the availability of puff pastry dough in local store, a piping hot meal can be easily prepared in a short period of time. This simple yet delicious recipe is especially useful when you would like to take a break from the kitchen.


Basic Quiche Filling:

3 eggs

200 g Creme Fraiche (Fresh Cream)/ Plain Yogurt (Greek Style)
50 ml milk

Salt and pepper to taste


Optional Ingredients :
BaconOnionHalf boiled broccoliSpinachMushroomFrozen peasPotatoGround beefCheese
Salmon
Pumpkin
Leek
Garlic

You may create different types of quiche out of this recipe. Just slightly stir fry or parboil your ingredients before adding in the egg mixture.

Pastry Dough:
Puff pastry (store bought)

Baking Time & Temperature:
220 degree celsius for 30-35 min or until the egg mixture sets

Method:

1. Line your baking pan with the thawed pastry sheet, as if making a pie crust. Poke holes with a fork all over the pastry.

2. Saute your ingredients with some oil. For my quiche, I used some leftover bacon, white onion, mushroom, potato and frozen peas. Put aside and leave to cool.

3. In a big bowl, combine 3 eggs and milk with a tub of Creme Fraiche, add pepper and salt, and whisk till you get a smooth batter. To have a flavourful quiche, you may want to add cheese to the egg mixture.

4. Spread your sauteed ingredients from Step 2 evenly on the base of your crust.

5. Slowly pour in the egg mixture.

6. Bake your quiche in preheated oven of 220 degree celcius for 30-35 min or until the egg mixture sets.

7. Remove the quiche from oven and let it cool on rack for 5 minutes before serving.


Adapted from:

http://thelittleteochew.blogspot.com/2009/05/quiche-lorraine.html

http://thescarfer.net/blog/2008/05/06/smoked-salmon-leek-and-mushroom-quiche/

About Breastfeeding

The journey of breastfeeding is a tough one for me. From the lacking of milk at the beginning followed by bottle preference from baby and the use of syringe to supplement. Lately, I am finally having enough milk for my baby.

Ok, I make the assumption firstly because the baby is spending less time on breasts while he needed 50 minutes to squeeze out the very last drop of milk from both breasts previously. Secondly, he is able to sleep for longer hours (occasionally more than 4 hours) without a feed now. Thirdly, we no longer need to supplement him with formula unless we are going out and know that we might miss the feeding time. Fourthly, he is more happy nowadays, spending his time watching "Baby Einstein" and self talking.

I certainly hope to maintain the current condition as long as possible because it allows me to have more rest time and baking is becoming possible again. I am glad that I did not give up breastfeeding when problem occurred. What could be more intimate than breastfeeding your own baby??





Sharing here are a few methods used by me so far to boost milk production.


From the photo (left to right):

1. Rivella Bleu - A soft drink from Switzerland containing dairy milk extracts. I only drink it occasionally as I am worried about the calories intake.

2. Galactogil - A French supplement that supposedly increases milk production in nursing mothers. Personally, I did not see a significant increment in milk production plus I think it is pricey. You can get it in local pharmacies with the price of CHF 19.80 per can of 210 g. White granules to be diluted in some liquid, 1-2 tablespoons, 3 times per day. You might finish a can within 2 weeks time.

3. Fennel Tea - Can easily be found in all local supermarket and pharmacies. I bought the one in granules form which can be diluted directly in any liquid instead of boiling hot water for the tea bag type fennel tea. CHF 3.20 for a can of 200 g.

4. Silacten - Another stimulant but in drops form. 15 drops per intake in some liquid, 5 times a day. CHF 11.20 per 50 ml. I prefer this over Galactogil as it is light, almost tasteless and a bottle can last you about 3-4 weeks.

5. Beer without alchohol


Additional ways to stimulate milk supply:

1. Papaya fish soup - I cook the soup once per week as another source of protein and liquid intake.

2. Barley drink - Boil pearled barley in water and and add sugar if desire.

3. Oatmeal - I noticed a significant increase in milk supply after taking oatmeal as breakfast daily. I either cook the oat in milk with a bit of sugar or boil it in water and mix with Marmite when I prefer something savoury.


Extra readings:

http://blogs.babiesonline.com/baby/5-ways-to-increase-breast-milk-supply/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivella
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/archive/index.php/t-939424.html
http://www.mobimotherhood.org/MM/article-diet.aspx

Happy Mid Autumn Festival ~ 中秋节快乐

Happy Mid Autumn Festival!!!

10.30pm now... and the baby is making so much noise. Yea... Ian started to make strange sound since this evening ... as if talking in his own language. He is 2-month-old today and it is really a great mid autumn present to us.

We had a home-cooked dinner... as usual. Broccoli, papaya fish soup (haha... to boost milk supply), sweet vinegar spare ribs and steamed fish with soy sauce. After the dinner, hubby spent quite long time searching high and low for the paper lanterns that we brought over. We gave up after 2 hours of searching. Think we misplaced them somewhere. Sorry sis, it was a waste of effort sending me the candles.

A very quiet celebration indeed. Moon being blocked by another higher apartment, no lanterns, TV is on, baby is resting on hubby's tummy and me... drinking beer without alcohol (also to boost milk supply). Luckily I still have a green tea red bean moon cake to call it a Mid Autumn Festival. I really missed playing lanterns in grandma's house or going to TC with family.

Ooohh... the video upload took ages.

九月十七夜之忙里偷闲

结婚生子真是件不可思议的人生转捩点. 由不会做饭到煮三餐, 再从自由自在到吃饭冲凉都成为奢侈享受. 过程真是即惊又喜. 难得今晚他们父子都睡倒床上, 我才有时间忙里偷闲, 发发牢骚.

孩子快两个月了. 可是还是在为他喝奶的事情忙得团团转. 没办法, 谁叫他老妈子我产奶量有限, 唯有在人奶和奶粉这场拉锯战里, 几经辛苦让他长大. 还好孩子长得很可爱, 这才让我那疲累的身心找到一个平衡点. 我想所谓的母爱便是由此而生的吧... 因为我本人之前并不会对别人家的小孩特别关注.

这是小老虎的近照, 到底有没有像我啊???

Nasi Kunyit with Curry Chicken ~ 黄姜饭, 咖哩鸡

We cooked some nasi kunyit and curry chicken to celebrate the full moon of our baby. Prior to the celebration, we did a trial and this improved version of nasi kunyit turned out to be very successful.


NASI KUNYIT

Ingredients:

500 g glutinous rice
Water (enough to cover the rice)
1 tablespoon tumeric powder
1 tablespoon water
Coconut milk (enough to cover the rice)
4 pandan leaves (knotted)
200 ml thick coconut milk
Salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon peppercorn


Method:

1. Dilute tumeric powder in 1 tablespoon of water.
2. Soak rice in water and add in tumeric paste. Mix well.
3. Soak rice for 5 hours. Make sure the water level is always enough to cover the rice during the process.
4. Pour away the tumeric water before using coconut milk for the rice soaking.
5. Soak rice in coconut milk for 2 hours.
6. Pour away the coconut milk used to soak rice.
7. Put the rice in steam plate together with pandan leaves and peppercorn.
8. Add salt to thick coconut and steam coconut milk together with rice for 15 minutes.
9. Sprinkle the steamed coconut milk evenly on the rice and mix well. (Sprinkle more coconut milk if the rice is too dry). Steam for another 15 minutes.
10. Discard pandan leaves and serve hot.


CURRY CHICKEN

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken (cut into big pieces)
1/2 kg potatoes (peeled and cut into half)
4-5 tablespoons curry powder according to taste (dilute in half bowl of water)
Adequate water to cook gravy
Shallots (peeled and sliced thinly)
Lemongrass (use the white part only, pounded)
Curry Leaves (optional)
Coconut milk
Chicken cube


Method:

1. Pan fry potatoes in hot wok with oil.
2. Heat up oil and saute shallots and curry leaves until aromatic and light brown in colour.
3. Add curry paste and fry until fragrance.
4. Add chicken and lemongrass, stir for one minute before adding water.
5. Cover the pot and bring the chicken to boil in medium heat.
6. Lower the heat, add potatoes and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the chicken become tender.
7. Add salt, chicken cube and coconut milk according to taste.
8. Bring to boil and serve hot.


You may refer to below link from hongkitchen for pictures and explanation.

Adapted from:
http://www.hongkitchen.com/2009/01/turmeric-rice-nasi-kunyit-kunying.html
http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=542

Full Moon Celebration

Hair cutting ceremony

Bathing ceremony

Wa la.... Baby in new bodysuit. 帅吧!! 这可是妈妈不眠不休努力照顾的成果.

Everything About Baby Ian

http://picasaweb.google.com/applegreen1019/EverythingAboutBabyIan#