Cooking Monster: Cheesy Goodness

Tuna Pasta

February 01, 2019

Ingredients
250g pasta shells of your choice,
300g bottled pasta sauce
1 canned tuna in mineral water
3 red shallots
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano
2-3 tbsp chilli sauce
Black pepper and salt to taste
1 cup sliced white wild mushrooms
1 cup of shredded cheese

Instructions
1) Cook the pasta in boiling water, al dente (about 2 minutes less than the instructed time). Drain and set aside
2) Heat up 3 tbsp oil and saute the shallots and garlic until soft. Add in the tuna chunks, continue stirring for 3 minutes.
3) Add in the pasta sauce. Season with Italian seasoning, oregano, black pepper, chilli sauce and salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
4) Remove sauce from heat, pour in the cooked pasta and mix well. Pour into a casserole dish, topped with the sliced mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and some chopped parsley.
4) Bake in a 180'c preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

Beef

Pan-Fried Spaghetti

December 24, 2018

Ingredients
250g spaghetti
200g beef mince
3 red shallots
2 garlic cloves
1 cup of pasta water
1 tbsp black pepper
1/2 big jar spaghetti sauce
2-3 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp mixed herbs
Salt and sugar to taste
Grated cheese for garnish

Instructions
1) Cook the pasta according to the packaging instructions. Set aside.
2) Heat up some oil and sauté the minced red shallots and garlic until fragrant.
3) Add in the minced beef with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper. Cook the beef until browned.
4) Add in the pasta sauce, pasta water and chilli sauce. Leave the sauce to simmer for about 10-15 minutes until it thickens.
5) Add in the mixed herbs. Salt and sugar taste.
6) Lower the heat and add in the cook spaghetti. Incorporate well with the sauce. Serve with a garnish of grated cheese.

Beef

Beef Lasagna

September 23, 2018

Ingredients

A box of oven ready lasagna sheets

Meat Sauce

200g minced beef
3 red shallots
3 garlic cloves
400ml pasta sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
2 cups of water
1 beef stock cube
Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese Sauce

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 litre of fresh milk

1 tsp white pepper

1 cup grated cheese (I used Mozarella and pasta cheese)

Salt to taste

Instructions

Meat Sauce

1) Heat oil in a pot and saute the sliced shallots and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add in the minced beef. Season with black pepper and salt. Stir well until brown.

2) Add in the pasta sauce and 1 cup of water. Leave to simmer.

3) Add in the chilli sauce and beef stock cube. Gradually add in the remaining water until the consistency is to your preference. Set aside.

Cheese Sauce

4) Heat the butter in a pan or a wok. Add in the flour, stir for about 15-30 second and add in the milk.

5) Add in salt and white pepper, leave to simmer until it boils.

6) Add in the grated cheese and stir well, set aside.

7) Preheat the oven at 200'c.

8) Grease the baking dish that you want to use. Start with a layer of meat sauce at the bottom, topped with the lasagna slices and then pour the cheese sauce. Repeat this for 3 or 4 times depending on the size of your baking dish.

9) Top it off with some more grated cheese.

10) Cover the top with a sheet of aluminium foil, bake at 200'c for 30 minutes. Then take off the foil and continue baking at 10-15 minutes at 150'c.
11) Leave to cool and set for 15 minutes before digging in.

Cheesy Goodness

Chocolate Cheese Cupcakes

March 03, 2018

Ingredients
Cupcakes
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
175g butter, softened
1.5 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1.5 tbsp sour cream
1 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
150g cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp castor sugar
6 tbsp semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Topping
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate
50g butter
3 tbsp icing sugar

Instructions
Cupcakes
1) Preheat oven to 180'c
2) Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in medium bowl
3) In a large bowl, cream together butter and castor sugar (1.5 cups) for about a minute until smooth and fluffy. Then whisk in the eggs until well mixed
4) Gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the wet mix until well incorporated, leave aside about 3 tbsp of the dry mixture . Mix the sour cream and water in a separate bowl and then mix together with the batter, set aside
5) Mix 4 tbsp of chips with the 3 tbsp of the dry mix. Then fold into the cupcake batter
6) Cream the castor sugar (4 tbsp), vanilla extract and the cream cheese until smooth. Add in remaining 2 tbsp of the choc chips, set aside
7) In the cupcake papers, spoon in 1 tbsp of the cupcake batter to cover the bottom, followed by 1 tsp of the cheese mix in the middle, and top it off with another 1 tbsp of the cupcake batter
8) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a pick comes out clean
9) Leave the cupcakes in the tray for a few minutes before transferring them onto a rack to cool completely

Chocolate Topping
10) Melt the semi sweet chocolate with the butter for 1 minute in the microwave
11) Mix well with the icing sugar. Dip the top of the cupcakes into the mixture and leave to set.

Cheesy Goodness

Garlic Cheddar Chicken & Seasoned Wedges

February 03, 2018

Ingredients
Chicken
4-5 pieces pf chicken
3 tbsp butter
2 cloves of garlic chopped small
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Seasoned Wedges
3 potatoes (wedged with skin on)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion power
1 tsp paprika

Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 175'c
2) Melt the butter and chopped garlic in a microwave
3) Mix bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano, dried parsley, black pepper and salt in a big bowl
4) Set up you station like so, too make things easier and quicker. Cover the chicken first in the garlic butter and then coat it with the dry mixture

5) Arrange in a baking dish, sprinkle any leftovers of the cheese and crumb mix on top of it.

6) In a separate bowl, mix the potatoes and the seasoning ingredients well. Arrange on a baking tray

7) Bake for the potatoes for 40 minutes and the chicken for an hour.

Cheesy Goodness

Red Velvet Cupcakes

August 13, 2017

Ingredients
Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups of all purpose white flour
1 1/2 cup of castor sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temp (you can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tbsp of lime juice into a cup of fresh milk and leave it for 10 minutes)
2 large eggs, room temp
2 tbsp of red food colouring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar

Cream Cheese
1/4 pound (approx. 3/4 of the philadelphia cream cheese bar)
1/2 stick of butter (approx. 1/4 of the normal butter bar)
1 cup of sifted confectioner's or icing sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Instructions
Stage A
1) Preheat oven to 180'c
2) In a mixing bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Vege oil, buttermilk, eggs, red colouring, vanilla extract and vinegar
3) In a seperate bowl, sift in the dry ingredients. Flour, castor sugar, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder
4) Put the mixer on medium speed and add the dry ingredients into the wet slowly, be careful to not add them all at once, until they are smooth and thoroughly combined
5) Use an ice cream scooper to fill in the cupcake papers that are lined into muffin tins. Fill up to 2/3 of the cupcake papers
6) Bake for 20-22 mins

Stage 2
1) While the cupcakes are in the oven, mix everything in the cream cheese ingredients until smooth. You can always use less sugar if you prefer a less sweet frosting
2) Wait for the cupcakes to cool completely before icing

This serves about 16 regular-sized cupcakes

ps. I find the cupcakes taste better when they're left to cool in the fridge for a while

Beef

Creamy Mushroom Carbonara

August 07, 2017

Ingredients
1/2 pack of spaghetti
Slices of thin beef streaky
2 red shallots (sliced)
2 garlic cloves (sliced)
Fresh wild mushrooms
330g of creamy pasta sauce
Black pepper
Salt and sugar to taste

Instructions
1) Boil the pasta as per instruction
2) Heat a pan with some oil and fry the beef streaky until slightly crispy. Set aside
3) Sauté the shallots and garlic. When fragrant, add in the mushrooms and cook until soft
4) Add in the pasta sauce and black pepper. Salt and sugar to taste, stir well
5) Add in the spaghetti and cooked beef streaky. Incorporate until well mixed

Cheesy Goodness

Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken and Mushrooms

June 22, 2017

Ingredients
1 pack of Fettuccine pasta
4 tbsp butter
500g chicken breast, sliced thin
1/2 cup of sliced white mushrooms
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
500g thick cream
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1) Bring a pot of water to boil, add in some salt and the pasta. Cook according to the packaging instructions, drain, run cold water through the pasta and set aside
2) Mix garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and salt in a small bowl. Season the sliced chicken breast with the mixture on both sides

3) Heat the butter in a medium-deep pan and fry the seasoned chicken until brown. Set aside and cut into smaller bite sizes or slice thin
4) Sauté the mushrooms and set aside

5) Using the same pan, leaving the brown sediments, pour in the cream and leave to reduce for about 5 minutes. Then add in the parmesan cheese, mix well

5) Add in the chicken pieces and mushrooms. Salt and pepper to taste
6) Add in the drained pasta and give it a big toss

Cakes

Japanese Cheesecake

February 12, 2014

Ingredients

250g Cream Cheese (for baking)

110ml fresh milk

50g butter

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup cake flour

1.5 tbsp cornstarch

6 egg yolks

6 egg white

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp castor sugar

Important: Do not use Omega eggs. I learned the hard way that Omega eggs can't be used to make a meringue.

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 160'C. Grease and line an 8 inch cake tin with baking paper on the inside and wrap with a few layers of aluminium foil on the outside

2) Melt the cream cheese, butter and milk by using a double boiler for about 10 minutes until smooth and has no lumps

3) Stir in lemon juice, cake flour, cornstarch and egg yolks into the melted mixture. Sift the batter once or twice to remove and lumps

4) Using a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar at low speed until foamy. Add in sugar and whisk at medium speed until stiff peaks are form. You'll know if you turn the bowl over and the meringue doesn't move

5) Add 2 big dollops into the batter first and fold (do not beat) until mixed through. Then add the batter into the remaining meringue, continue folding until meringue and batter are mixed well

6) Pour into the cake tin. Place tin into a prepared water bath (Water bath: A bigger cake or roasting pan filled with one inch of hot water). The aluminium is used to prevent water from seeping in too much into the batter when baking

7) Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. After than, turn of the oven but leave the cake to cool inside for 30 minutes with the door ajar. I stuck a rolling pin in between the door and the oven

This was my first time baking it and I left it in the oven for only 10 minutes to cool. I think that's why the cake shrunk too much on the sides.

8) Let the cake cool down to room temperature before refrigerating for 3-6 hours. If it seems like water has seeped into the cake, just place a few layers of kitchen towel under the cake while refrigerating. This helps to absorb the excess water

Cakes

Classic Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Topping

December 15, 2013

Ingredients

Cake

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

200g chopped baking dark chocolate (Cadbury ones taste amazing)

1 cup castor sugar

225g softened unsalted butter

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

125ml fresh milk

Cream Cheese Topping

250g cream cheese

1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

125ml thickened cream

Instructions

Cake

1) Preheat oven to 160'C

2) Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder in a big bowl

3) Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one by one and lastly the vanilla extract

4) Melt the chocolate on a double boiler. Place the chocolate in a heat resistant bowl, place over a saucepan of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl must not touch the water. After all has melted, let cool for a few minutes

5) Beat the cooled chocolate with the eggs butter mixture until smooth. Alternately mix 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the milk. So it's like dry, milk, dry, milk, dry

6) Pour batter in a lined 9" springform pan and bake for 55 minutes

7) Let the cake cool to room temperature before spreading the frosting

Cream Cheese

1) Mix the cream geese with a mixer until smooth

2) Add in the sugar and vanilla essence, continue mixing until smooth

3) Gradually add in the cream while mixing until you get a spreadable consistency. If too thick, add more cream. If too runny, add more sugar

4) Refrigerate for at least an hour for it to set

Cheesy Goodness

Cheesy Tuna Omelette

December 09, 2013

The easiest hearty breakfast!

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 small can of tuna chunks in water (approx. 90g)

2 tbsp of shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbsp of mayo

1/2 tsp of black pepper

A pinch of salt

Instructions

1) Beat the eggs in a medium sized bowl

2) Chuck everything else and continue beating

3) Cook in a large pan at medium heat until cooked through

Beef

Baked Beef Macaroni

January 03, 2013

Ingredients

500g macaroni pasta

1 red onion, diced

1/2 tsp garlic powder

500g beef mince

800ml pasta sauce of your choice

200g sliced button mushrooms

1 medium sized tomato, diced

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp italian seasoning

1 tbsp hot sauce (I used Nando's Peri Sweet)

Salt to taste

Grated cheddar/mozzarella cheese and ground parsley for the topping

Instructions

1) Cook the pasta al dente and run them under cold water once they're done, drain and set aside

2) Heat up some oil in a pot and stir in the beef mince. After being left to brown for a while, season the beef with onion, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, italian seasoning and salt. Mix well

3) After the onion has softened, add in the tomatoes and mushrooms. Keep stirring until the beef had cooked through

4) Pour in the pasta sauce and hot sauce. Leave to simmer and season to taste

5) Mix the sauce and the drained pasta and pour into a baking dish. Top off with the grated cheese and parsley

6) Bake in a preheated oven at 180'c for 25 minutes

Cheesy Goodness

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

December 10, 2012

Ingredients
Dough
1 small packet of dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp castor sugar

1 egg

60 ml melted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Filling
30ml melted butter, approx
1/4 cup castor sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1.5 tbsp cinnamon powder
0.5 - 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Glaze
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp whole milk

Instructions
Dough
1) In a small bowl, add in the warm water, 1 tsp sugar and dry yeast. Leave for a few minutes until it starts to foam up
2) In a mixing bowl, mix the egg, melted butter, milk and sugar. Followed by the yeast mix and vanilla. Continue mixing well
3) Add in 2 cup of the flour and salt first, mix. Then the remaining 2 cups. At this point you can just knead the dough for a few minutes and form a ball
4) In a large bowl that has been oiled with some vegetable oil, place the dough and cover with a cling wrap and leave in a warm place for 1 and a half hour until the size has doubled up

5) After that, flour a flat and wide surface and roll out the dough to form a big rectangle

Filling
6) Mix the castor sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon powder in a bowl. Brush a layer of melted butter on the flat dough

7) Spread the cinnamon sugar all over. And top off with the chocolate chips if you want

8) Roll the dough from the long side, rolling each fold tight. Seal it off with dabs of water. Cut into equal pieces. I yielded 16 rolls

9) Arrange in a buttered baking dish with some gaps between each roll. Cover again with a cling wrap and leave for another 30 minutes for the dough to rise. In the mean time preheat your oven to 180'c

After 30 minutes

10) Brush some melted butter on top of the rolls. Bake for 25 minutes and let cool before pouring the glaze

Glaze
11) Mix the cream cheese, butter and icing sugar until smooth. Add in the milk 1 tbsp at a time until you get a smooth runny consistency

12) Pour over the rolls while they're still hot

Older
Stories

Tuna Pasta

Pan-Fried Spaghetti

Beef Lasagna

Chocolate Cheese Cupcakes

Garlic Cheddar Chicken & Seasoned Wedges

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Creamy Mushroom Carbonara

Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken and Mushrooms

Japanese Cheesecake

Classic Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Topping

Cheesy Tuna Omelette

Baked Beef Macaroni

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

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