Mixed apples and dates salad

With Hari Raya coming soon, dates are on sale everywhere in the neighbourhood shops and supermarkets.

I decided to use dates and add into apple salad

There are quite a few recipes about apple salads in the web and I adjusted to create my own

Recipe 

Ingredients

1 green apple

1 red apple 

3-4 dates

A handful of sliced almonds

Cider vinegar

2 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoon mayonnaise 

Method 

Salad dressing

Mix 2 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar together.

Pan fry or toast a handful of almond slices and set aside 

Cut up 1 green and 1 red apple into cubes and put in a medium bowl

Dice up the meat of 3-4 dates and add into the apples

Spoon the prepared salad dressing over the apples and mix

Sprinkle with the almond slices 

Serve as a snack 

I pan fried my almond slices 

Cider vinegar

Dates from Israel

This salad is really good. Try it :)

Chocolate chip cookies

These cookies are quite delicious the exterior is crunchy but the inside is a bit soft. They are suitable for young children.

I think using the Ghiradelli chocolate chips helped as they are large and slightly melted after baking.

I referred to Hershey's recipe and this is how I did it with a bit of adjustments 

https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/en-us/recipes/other/5368/hersheys-perfect-chocolate-chip-cookies

Ingredients 

125gm unsalted butter (Emborg brand)

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 caster sugar

Vanilla extract

2 eggs - use 90gms

2 & 1/4 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup Hershey's cocoa powder

1 cup Ghiradelli chocolate chips

Method 

Beat 125 gm unsalted slightly softened Emborg butter with 3/4 cup caster sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar with some vanilla extract

Then add 90g beaten egg divided into 2 portions and beat well

Sift 2 and 1/4 cup of plain flour with 1 tsp baking soda n 1/2 tsp salt n 1 cup Hershey cocoa powder

Divide the flour by 3 portions and beat in 

It will get harder by 3rd portion 

Add in 1 cup of the chocolate chips n stir in using spatula

Line your trays

Drop heaped teaspoonful onto tray

Bake at 180 c for 10 mins

Cool on wire rack. The cookies will harden upon cooling.

Before baking

After baking

See the melted chocolate chip?

Enjoy these with your hot coffee or tea :)

Cheesy macaroni with minced beef casserole

This wonderful delicious recipe is from Ashley Wagner and her recipe link is here

http://www.centercutcook.com/cheesy-macaroni-and-beef-casserole/

It was full flavoured with cheese and the minced beef.

The top was also amazing with cheese and panko crumbs!

I did mine as a reduced portion and I skipped chili powder

Ingredients (reduced portion)

1/4 piece Onion chopped, 1 large pc garlic chopped, 300 gm minced beef, 1/2 can of diced tomatoes (about 200 gm), macaroni about 200 gm, paprika n black pepper and salt, lite sour cream 1/2 cup, milk 2 tablespoon, oil for frying

Panko crumbs 1/2 cup 

Shredded cheddar cheese slightly more than 2 cups

Method

1. Cook macaroni and drain water and set aside 

2. Prepare beef

Please fry the onions with about 1 tablespoon oil till a bit translucent

Add in the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds

Turn fire to low heat now

Add in the minced beef, salt 1/2 teaspoon, sprinkle black pepper and paprika and fry till beef is browned

You may need to adjust by adding a little oil so that the beef won't stick to base of pan

Now add in the diced tomato with juice and fry for a while more.

Now add in the macaroni, the sour cream n milk n the cheddar cheese 1 cup. Stir for awhile . Off the fire and stir evenly.

3. Baking 

Place into a casserole ( I used a round glass one)

Cover the macaroni top with 1/2 cup or more cheddar cheese 

Top with 1/2 cup of Panko crumbs

Do not expose macaroni or they turn hard

Bake in oven at 190 degree Celsius for about 30 minutes and the top browns nicely . I did turn the dish at about 15 mins for more even browning.

Frying beef with tomato

Added macaroni 

Added the other ingredients sour cream, milk, cheddar cheese

See the cheese melted?

Cover with more cheese  ( I didn't cover enough so a bit of macaroni hardened)

Cover with Panko crumbs 

Browned nicely and smells so great!

The next day I warmed again to eat as lunch

Enjoy the casserole!