Almond Lime Salad Dressing

Almond Lime Salad Dressing

INGREDIENTS

Salad dressing (For Per Serving) 

1 lime (1 teaspoon of juice) 2cal

2 tablespoons of Nestle's plain yoghurt 17.1cal 

1 tablespoon of almond nibs 60cal 

roughly 1 teaspoon of sugar 15cal 

roughly 1/2 teaspoon of oregano dry herbs 1.55cal 

Total: 95.65cal (~ 96cal)

Salad ingredients (For Per Serving)

1 purple cabbage leaf 7cal

1 lettuce leaf 1cal 

1/4 cup carrot 9.225cal

1/4 cup cucumber 4cal 

1/2 cup grilled chicken meat (tossed in water to drain gravy off) 85.5cal

1 small hard boil Kampung egg 54cal

Total: 160.725cal (~161cal) 

Big Total for this meal: 257cal 

STEPS

1. Cut cabbage leaf, lettuce leaf, carrot and cucumber into thin strips. Tear grilled chicken meat into small chunks. Cut the hard boil egg into 8 wedges. 
2. In a separate bowl, combine salad dressing ingredients together. Mix well. 
3. Pour the salad dressing into the bowl containing all the salad ingredients. 
4. Combine all ingredients and serve. 

Homemade Applesauce

I don't know what applesauce is. I have to google it. I learned about this from many healthy diet videos. Also, I only tempted to do this when I needed it to replace partial of the butter in my butter cake recipe.

There are many videos around but I came down to this -

Homemade Applesauce

INGREDIENTS
(about 4 cups) 4 medium size apples (about 110g each without skin and seeds) 220cal
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water

Total weight: 245g 
Total calories: 220cal 
Per 100g of applesauce = 89.8cal 
1g of applesauce = 0.898cal 
1 tablespoon of applesauce (15g) = 13.47cal 

STEPS

1. Peel the apples and remove seeds. Cut into small cubes. The smaller, the quicker it cooks.
2. In a pot, add in all the measured ingredients.
3. Cover the pot with its lid and let it simmer under low fire for 15-25 minutes until everything turns mushy when pressed with a potato masher tool. 
4. Let it cool. 
5. Ready to be used.
6. Store in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for a week.

NOTES

• This tastes way better than I thought. Of course, many said that it depends on the apples that you used. I just didn't know that it could taste this good and sweet! Seriously no need to add sugars in at all. The sweetness might let you think that it is from sugar but no, all from the fruits naturally. 
• Some people add cinnamon powder. I might add next time. 
• I used this to substitute half of the butter requirement in my durian butter cake recipe 
• I also used it as my salad dressing for tonight's dinner. So awesome! 

Durian Butter Cake

I made a super delicious durian butter cake with a healthy method. I can't wait to share.

I googled some info on what ingredient can be used to substitute butter. It's crazy that 1 butter block that weights 250g is to be included in a 4 eggs 7 inches round butter cake recipe. That's crazily a lot of calories! I'll eat with guilt hanging on every bite. I must do something to it. So, Google, my best friend came handy.

Most sources said applesauce can be used to substitute oil. Some said applesauce cannot replace butter. And some said to be safe, use half butter and half applesauce. I picked the last one. It worked. It is truly delicious and much healthier than the original recipe's. I'll show you comparisons! You'll freak out and think twice or maybe thrice the next time you allow yourself to eat a slice of butter cake, especially if you are in the mid of dieting. Butter cake is no joke but a super high in calories desert to indulge.

I didn't thought of making butter cake, especially during this period when I am on strict calorie diet.. However we managed to buy some really cheap Golden Churn butters. 2 at RM 9.99. How on earth can I prevent myself from buying? In the end, bought 4 blocks. Ah -

Durian Butter Cake 

Self-modified unknown source butter cake recipe 

Supposed to use 7 inches round cake tin but I intentionally used 8 inches round cake tin so that.. I could illusion it to be BIGGER as in large in area than having the slice thick. It actually makes eating difficult when it is thick. The only thing good about being thick is elegance.

Recommended cake tin: 7 inches round tin

INGREDIENTS 
A
4 cold egg yolks (omega's) 288cal
65g homemade unsweetened applesauce (check out recipe HERE) 59.95cal
135g fresh durian flesh (kampung durians) 198cal 
125g salted butter (Golden Churn) 902cal 
200g wheat flour 730cal 

B
4 cold egg whites
50g  white sugar 193.5cal
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar 0cal 

Total: 2371.45 (2371 cal) for the whole cake 
Per serving: 1/8 of the cake = 296cal ; 1/16 of the cake = 148cal 

STEPS

1. Whisk butter with egg yolk one at a time until well blended. 
2. Add in applesauce and durian flesh (mashed). Mix well. 
3. Add in sieved flour and mix well. 
4. Whisk egg whites till huge bubbles are formed. Add in vinegar and 1/3 of sugar at a time until stiff peak is formed. 
5. Whisk in 1/3 of egg whites at a time into the egg yolk batter until all egg white is incorporated. Do this gently but make sure everything is well combined. 
6. Pour cake batter into a paper lined baking tin. Smooth the surface with a spatula. 
7. Bake for 150 degree Celsius for 40 minutes, 165 degree Celsius for another 15 minutes/until cooked.
8. Let it cool for 5 minutes and remove cake from the mold to rest on a plate. Remove paper on the sides. 
9. Ready to be served either warm or cool. Enjoy. 

NOTES

• I used durian flesh that is really very ripen and mushy. Kampung durians which are yellow in colour. It has natural sweetness with a mild tartness in its flavour.
• I used a bigger cake tin so that it cooks quicker and have larger surface area. Feel free to use the original size which is 7 inches round cake tin for the best appearance of the cake.
• This cake is moist and super yummy. Do not expect it to be really sweet due to the fact that I have reduced the sugar from its original recipe by more than half! I have reduced a total of near 100g sugar. My recipe has the sweetness from the applesauce and durians. So, I don't think it is necessary to add that much sugar at all. It tastes just nice, as in really perfect for me. If you think you like crazy sweet stuff, feel free to add more sugar - 

After mixing in the egg whites.

Remember to smooth the surface for pretty surface.

Cooked.

It didn't rise a lot cuz the natural rising agent is the eggs. 

I didn't use baking powder or anything like that to help the cake to rise. 

This cake is quite dense and filling. 

Beautiful cake on doily.

I managed to capture a picture of the cake's interior.

I hope you can see how moist and really yummy it tastes/looks. 

Don't underestimate its taste by its look - cuz it really does taste good, to me.

The durian fiber is still visible there - 

That slice is 1/8 of the cake = 296cal 

Let's take a look at the original's recipe.. 

A
4 cold egg yolks (omega's) 288cal
250g salted butter (Golden Churn) 1804.5cal  
200g wheat flour 730cal 
2 tablespoons of full cream milk powder 150cal  
90g white sugar 348.3cal 

B
4 cold egg whites
70g  white sugar 270.9cal
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar 0cal 

I saved a total of 2371cal (modified) - 3592cal (original) =  - 1220 cal
Each 1/8 slice of cake = 297cal (modified) whereas... 449cal (original) 

You will be amazed after you do the calculations.
At least, I get to have a slice of butter cake without feeling that guilty, comparing to eating the original butter cake recipe's.

Nori Wraps

Nori Wraps

INGREDIENTS

2 sheets of nori roasted seaweeds 20cal 

1/4 of a medium carrot (cubes) 10cal 

1/4 of a medium cucumber (cubes) 5cal 

1 clove of garlic (mashed) 4cal

1/2 teaspoon of olive oil 40cal

2 sawi leaves 5cal  

1 stalk of green onion chopped 5cal 

30g of roasted chicken meat (shredded) 60cal 

1 egg 70cal 

1 tablespoon of water

Dash of oregano dry herbs 

Dash of parsley dry herbs

Dash of rosemary dry herbs

1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar 

Dash of sea salt for seasoning 

TOTAL CALORIES: 219cal 

STEPS

1. Heat up the olive oil with garlic until fragrant. 
2. Add carrot, cucumber, green onion and chicken into a bowl. Mix together with the dry herbs. 
3. Saute the ingredients in (2). Add some apple cider vinegar. Put aside to be used later. 
4. Boil the sawi leaves until cooked. Put aside to be used later.
5. Whisk the egg and a tablespoon of water. 
6. Cook the omelette. Put aside to be used later. 
7. Place nori seaweed at the bottom. Top it with one sawi leaf, followed by the saute ingredients. Place half of the omelette on top. Wrap it up. 
8. Repeat for the second wrap. 
9. Serve. 

This is a good way to eat lots of vegey that I don't love eating at all - like, carrots. Lately I've been eating a lot, via different way of cooking them. So yeah, at least I'm eating carrots now. Maybe I should do this to broccoli too. =/ I kind of enjoy the taste of this wrap. Will do again definitely. There are many varieties to this nori wrap. Feel free to switch your ingredients to make new flavours. Totally healthy vegey meal - if you don't include the meat? .. and egg? 

My dinner, with a few carrot nuggets - 

Chicken Breast Lemon

I made this super delicious meal last night which I feel so delighted after eating. I will definitely do again.

Chicken Breast Lemon  

Unknown Internet source

INGREDIENTS

120g chicken breast (skinless and boneless) 132 cal

2 tablespoons of lemon juice (I used lime juice - 2 limes) 4 cal

1 tablespoon of minced garlic (3 cloaves) 12 cal

1/4 cup fresh basil chop (I used green onion) 5 cal

1 teaspoon of olive oil 38 cal 

1 slice of sandwich cheese 65 cal 

TOTAL: 256 cal 

STEPS

1. Use the knife to poke a few holes on the chicken breast.
2. Marinate the chicken breast with lemon juice and garlic. 
3. Heat the pan with some olive oil. 
4. Cook until one side is cooked and flip to the other side. 
5. When both sides are cooked, stir fry the green onion for a short while. 
6. Place the sandwich cheese on top of the meat and place the green onion on the cheese immediately so that they will stick to it. 
7. Remove from heat to serve when cheese has melted.

The garlic will stick onto the meat, don't worry.
This is such an awesome meal.
By the way this is how 120g looks like. 

Omelette Version 1.0

I'm happy to come up with a recipe of my own. Something really simple and can have many varieties. I think I'll have more varieties to share in the future. As for now, here's the first version. 

All calorie measurements are only approximate figures. I try not to let them exceed a certain whole number, for example this dish doesn't exceed 300 calories for sure (I hope..)

Omelette Version 1.0 

INGREDIENTS

2 small Kampung eggs (~ 70g) 85 cal
10 clamp lala meat  10 cal 
2 slices of braised Japanese tofu 25 cal
1 tablespoon of stir fry bok choy 21 cal
2 tablespoons of stew chicken meat 62 cal
100g milk 54 cal

Total: Approximately 257 cal

STEPS

1. Measure the milk. Pour 10% into the egg mixture. 
2. Heat up the pan. Pour in the egg mixture. Place all the ingredients on top of the egg. 
3. Fold into half after cooked. 
4. Serve together with remaining milk. 

Tomato-Egg Scramble

All these while, I only eat certain types of vegey. You can count it with both hands and that's it. I don't eat anything other than that. Tomatoes are in the list that I dislike. I never will attempt to eat what I dislike at the first place.

The only way I learn how to eat tomatoes is via tomato-egg scramble dish. Previously, I used more oil, add sugar and ketchup to enhance the taste. I can never accept the raw and sour taste of tomatoes. I will puke. That is the only way of cooking that can make me eat tomatoes.

It is not healthy of course since there's so much of unnecessary stuff in it: sugar and ketchup. So I decided to try this healthy version of tomato-egg scramble dish.

Tomato-Egg Scramble 

Original source: CalorieCount

INGREDIENTS

1 egg

2 tomatoes (peeled and diced)

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

a pinch of Italian herbs seasoning 

a smaller pinch of Himalayan rock salt 

STEPS

1. Saute tomatoes in oil. 
2. Push the tomatoes aside to form a ring circle in the middle. 
3. Pour in scramble egg mixture in the middle of the ring circle. 
4. Overturn the egg to another side after one side is cooked. 
5. By the time the egg is cooked, the tomatoes will dry up slightly. 
6. Make scramble egg into smaller pieces using the spatula and mix everything together. 
7. Season with Italian herbs and salt. 
8. Serve. 

I eat this together with a piece of Masimo wheat germ bread which I cut into 6 pieces. 

This meal turns out to be like a sandwich meal to me. 

Masimo wheat germ bread: 1 slice: 90cal 

Total cal in this meal: 167cal + 90cal = 257cal