Inheritance Recipes April Round Up


April which showed so much promise at the beginning ended up being a wet long month. However, the Inheritance Recipes compensated for the grey outside with an abundance of warm and gorgeous colours. A truly beautiful roundup.

It all started with Coffee 'n Vanilla's recipes from her beloved Poland, Krupnik and Polish Cheese Buns.

Then from left to right on the second row, the savoury dishes, to fight the cold Milk, Toast and Honey's mum used to make a Slow Chicken Broth.

Inheritance recipes is also about national celebrations Cooking for Kishore made these interesting Vada (fritters) and send them over.

The next recipe came in miniature form too. We always welcome gluten free recipes this one is from The Gluten Free Alchemist: mini Toads in the Hole

I was next with a scrumptious Moilee

For the Sweet dishes: Only Crumbs Remain, a new blogger to the challenge, gave us her Pikelets, a version of crumpets but much easy to make. See you again soon OCR

Fifteens from Pen to Plate are the ultimate no-bake bars, perfect for the little ones who will pass the recipe on when they grow up, no doubt.

I had a moment of aberration when I made this month collage, sticking a savoury in the midst of sweet dishes. I was to rectify and swap but I told myself it was appropriate for a chicken dish which has no chicken in : City Chicken via the Lawyer's Cookbook

Another national celebration this time from New Zeland with our very own Foodie Quine and her Anzac Biscuits

Thank you whole heartily to each blogger who linked up and we hope to see you in May. Margot is hosting the May Link Up . We got fed up with Inlinkz so, we are trying a new way of linking, take a look and join us.


Savoury Swirls

savoury swirls, savoury desserts, croissant pastry

I never cared much for Sweet Swirls or Pains aux raisins to give them their French name. Though, in Lyon, for some unknown reason, these viennoiseries are called Pain Russes. Nobody knows why.

Having said that, the savoury version, like that of croissants see croissant crown is very handy for picnic and parties. They are cheap to make and can feed a crowd.
 Savoury Swirls
Ingredients

  • 375g pack ready rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen
  • 6 tbsp ready made pasta sauce (not too chunky)
  • 100g wafer thin ham
  • 100g mature cheddar grated
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or mixed herbs
  • This is optional but I found the swirls nicer if they have a little bite: so hot sauce or 1 chilli

Method:
The only difficulty with this recipe is how to roll the swirl properly and even this is not too tricky. It needs to be rolled starting with the shorter end.
Preheated oven 200C

  1. unroll the puff pastry, and roll it out so that it reaches 30 x40
  2. spread the pasta sauce and the hot sauce or chilli if used
  3. ham and cheddar spread equally on the top
  4. mixed herbs next
  5. Starting from the small side roll the pastry very tight and put it in the fridge for 10 minutes
  6. with a sharp knife cut 12 equal slices, lay them flat on a greaseproof paper on a tray, brush them with the egg
  7. Bake for 15 minutes in oven
I link this recipe with Credit Crunch as it's a "batch recipe, freeze for later" moreover it's a very thrifty recipe. This month the linky is hosted by Sarah From Pen to Plate The challenge was developed by Developed by Helen over at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla of Fab Food 4 All.

Sea Bass and Prawn Moilee

Some people have a weakness for chocolates, others for cakes, mine is for seafood and a good Moilee is right there at the top of my list.

Moilee, Curry, recipe, fish, seafood
Picture by Colin Hampden-White
A Moilee is a slightly sweet curry due its coconut milk base. It has a lot of sauce which get absorbed by the steamed rice. It's fragrant and aromatic, thanks the cardamom, cloves and curry leaves, the little kick is provided by the green chilli.

I first fell for this dish in Kerala. It was a happy surprise to see it again in Malaysia but, in my opinion, the best ones are in Singapore. Which means that I had to share it with you since my last post was about Singapore: Must Visit

There is another reason for sharing now. The day I came back from SE Asia, I went back to work on writing and editing the Greenwich Visitor food pages. I love working for the local paper and our little corner of London is getting really food orientated so there is always something exciting to talk about.

This month, it was the opening of the restored Greenwich market. The old market acquired a new roof and flooring. The layout is slightly different allowing visitors to move with more ease. The food court is more defined. 

With the new food court arrived a new cookbook : Greenwich Market Cook Book collated by local resident, Guardian food columnist Rebecca Seal, It's a snapshot of the various stalls, the stallholders stories, and some cracking recipes.

Most require special ingredients but it's worth investing because if you like a specific type of cuisine, you adopt it. For example in the Moilee recipe, you'll need curry leaves, they are not very expensive, they keep for a long time and are used in many curries. 

Sea Bass and Prawn Moilee
reproduced with permission
Ingredients
Serves 2
200g raw prawns (cleaned and deveined)
300g sea bass fillets (cut into generous strips)
3⁄4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1⁄2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons coconut oil
3 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
2.5cm cinnamon stick
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, thinly sliced
10–12 curry leaves
50ml coconut milk
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 green chillies (if you like your food spicy, chop the chillies before adding, if not, keep whole)
salt

Method

  1. Toss the prawns and sea bass in a bowl with 1⁄2 teaspoon of the turmeric, 1⁄4 teaspoon of the grated ginger and the chilli powder. Leave for around 15 minutes for the flavours to absorb and mingle.
  2. Heat the coconut oil in a wide, heavy pan over a low heat. When it’s hot, throw in the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and toast for 2 minutes when they should smell fragrant.
  3. Turn the heat up a bit and add the remaining grated ginger, the garlic, onion and curry leaves. Cook, stirring for another 3 minutes until the onion has started to soften, then add the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon of turmeric, half of the coconut milk and about 1⁄4 teaspoon salt.
  4. Stir well to mix, then put the sliced tomato in and bring the pan to a gentle boil. Add the prawns and fish and cook until just opaque – about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the rest of the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil, then stir in the lemon juice and green chillies.

Serve immediately.

I like this recipe so much that I'm sharing it with Searching for Spice. There is always enough sauce to make another curry the next day
Cook Once Eat Twice

#InheritanceRecipes is often about nostalgia so I wanted to add a recipe which I will definitely pass on.

MBNA Thames Clippers


Party time - double birthday Chris' 40 something and his blog 10th anniversary

I can't really remember when I first met Chris as in Tikichris. He has always been around. We meet at events, exchange tips, support one another whenever necessary and then he or I disappear until the next time. So to attend such a momentous event and meet up with the blogosphere glitterati, one had to arrive in style.

He and I opted to use our Thames Clippers' day hop on and hop off passes. He used to commute with the Clipper as I am a more occasional traveller but it always a pleasure to go up and down river by boat and the day pass allows you to visit most of London landmarks.

Did you know that by the end of 2016 MBNA Thames clippers will have welcomed over 34 million people to its bus services since its inception in 1999. In 2006 AEG, owners and operators of The O2, acquired the majority stake in the company and since then the fleet has substantially grown to 15 vessels. River Bus Express for The O2 is an additional fast direct service between London Eye, and London Bridge to The O2 at North Greenwich on arena event nights.

So what is the attraction?

Passengers are guaranteed a seat and can enjoy a coffee or something stronger from the on board cafĂ© and bar. Tickets cost £6.50 per person for a single journey from central London to The O2 using Oyster pay as you go. 

Travel Facts

MBNA Thames Clippers (thamesclippers.com) is the leading river bus service on the Thames, running a service every 20 minutes between key London piers including North Greenwich for the O2, Greenwich, Canary Wharf, Tower, London Bridge, Embankment and London Eye for Waterloo, as well as several residential piers.

Singapore: Must Visit and Should Have Visited

I was ready. Having had my fill of fun in Melaka (Malaysia), I knew that Singapore would be far far away from my comfort zone. Most people I met were telling me: "You won't like it", "It's only good for the shopping experience and you don't shop" or "It's so expensive, that So and So was not able to stay more than a day".

I was ready, but I was not prepared for what awaited at the end of the train line. Singapore is gigantic, humid and business orientated. The town works in 2D and 3D which makes it difficult for people like me who are directionally challenged.

In spite of all this, I loved Singapore. The weather was terribly humid, though it was the best season to visit. It was impossible to walk more than 10 minutes without getting drenched by torrential rain or sweat so much that the end result was the same, drenched to the seat of your pants. 

How many times during the three days we stayed, did I wonder "how long, are they going to be able to build on this little blob before it sinks?". Singapore is crammed and crowded but somehow, the crowd didn't affect me as much as it does...in London.

YourSingapore.comTake the tube, there is no comparison between the two capitals. Yes, there are a lot of people about, but seemingly, everyone respects the rules and even far(ish) away from the center, the platforms and corridors are spotlessly clean.
Tip: Get a MRT tourist card as soon as can, it allows unlimited travel on buses and tubes.

What to do in Singapore?
There is a long list of "must do", and undoubtedly when you'll leave with your own long list of "should have done" 

Stunning Singapore Architecture. 

Singapore building tower downtown
                                              Downtown Singapore

Ion Orchard Shopping Mall Singapore courtesy of the TOION Orchard Shopping Mall at Orchard road pic courtesy of the Singapore TO
Panoramic views from the ION tower Orchard Road
We didn't manage the tallest building in the city-capital because of the entrance fee but there are plenty of bars which offer a 360 degree panorama.

 Use the express elevator to reach the 55th floor of the Orchard tower and enjoy the amazing views from the ION Sky Observatory, not quite 360 but near enough.
 Plus, some of the windows are etched with what appears to be a very Singaporean past-time: browsing pearls of popular wisdom about life and happiness.

TIP: Singapore is an expensive city so, a bit of research before getting there will pay off. Check Groupon for discounts on entries such as the zoo. There are free tours and things to see, google Singapore for free.

Parks, Jungle and Gardens

We missed the Gardens by the bay. Oh, we went all the way but, it was just impossible to make it further than the bus stop due to unstoppable torrential rain. Nor did we see the Henderson Waves a pedestrian bridge which connects two parks on the Southern Ridges Jungle Walk. Way before we got there, we got lost, pissed off, wet and turned back.
Henderson Waves, Singapore's tallest pedestrian bridge.
the Henderson Bridge courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Office
To compensate, we spent time in the wonderful  National Orchid Garden. which is well worth a visit. It's an oasis of tranquility in the heart of the city. Thousands of species of orchids. There is a VIP orchard section where orchids are bred to be used " as agents to promote goodwill and foster closer ties between nations. To date, the Gardens’ has named over 200 VIP orchids. Examples of VIP orchids include Papillionanda William Catherine"

The National Orchard Museum is a must visit in Singapore
TIP: Try to avoid visiting during the weekends when the Orchid Gardens are incredibly popular with locals and visitors. Bring water or buy it at the entrance. You will spend more than a couple of hours visiting so much beauty there is to see

History: walk back in time
It's difficult to imagine that when Sir Thomas Raffles planned modern Singapore in the mid 19th century it was to "address the issue of disorderliness in the colony". 
There are remains and reminders of this period dotted here and there. I found it worth including these vestiges of the past in our itinerary if only just to learn more of Singapore's history
Peranakan Museum Singapore
The Peranakan Museum
old houses Singapore Peranakan
Peranakan House
Examples of Baba Houses

Singapore Neighbourhoods 
Little India, Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and plenty more. Singapore is home to a melting pot of peoples. Exploring the various districts makes for enjoyable evenings and dining.
 Hindu temple the Sri Mariamman Temple  Singapore
The colourful and kitsch oldest Hindu temple the Sri Mariamman Temple
Where we stayed:
We stayed downtown at the Adonis Boutique Hotel. But since all good things have an end and, we stayed for review purposes, after a couple of nights we moved on, leaving was a bit like being kicked out of paradise. 

In an effort to get close to the airport, we booked in a suburb which had incredibly cheap hotels: Geylang. It didn't take long to realised that we were in the "other Singapore" that of gambling houses, brothels and, other illegal doings.

Though, I'll never invite anyone to put themselves in danger when travelling. Geyland was safe enough and an interesting experience, definitely amazing street food. Some, you'll have to be very adventurous to taste.

Singapore street food

      Live Frogs Clay pot

TIP: You don't have to stay in Geyland to visit. Tours of Geyland (oh yes, they do exist) include some fantastic food.

My Singapore map for a future visit
The green pins are the places I would like to visit next time

Read more:
My review of the Singapore Adonis Hotel
Singaporeans do love their food Bitten by the TravelBug offers of round up of Singapore Chinatown food
Flying Singapore Airlines Business Class by Cook Sister


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