Sunday, December 23, 2012

It's gonna get messy.

Helloooo readers! :)

Wondering what to nom for lunch? Coz I've got something delicious and absolutely tender to tell you all about. *cues music*

CARL'S JR. MEMPHIS BBQ BURGER!!!

The newest invention cranked out by Carl's Jr. Loaded with a single beef patty, fried onions, pulled pork with BBQ sauce, my goodness - this is the BOMB. Of course, if you're a meat monster, do pack it on by ordering the thickburger portion. Now, that's the real deal! ;D

Yumyum - ready to devour yet? ;D
Alrighty-o, let's take a look at what's on the inside! *anticipation* {well, at least a week ago, I was, haha}

Looks promising, no?
Well, I must say, this wasn't a very satisfying shot {your dear writer was hungry & therefore snapped a photo without thinking} - yes, moving right along - The burger doesn't look super appealing, but to me, the burger doesn't really have to look fantastic to taste good :) So yeaps, I took a bite... *explosion of flavours popping in my mouth*

I devoured the onion first, and woah, that was good. Crispy, warm, and absolutely bursting with yumminess. Then, the tangy flavours from the BBQ sauce hit the tongue, ooooh boy, tangylicious! I really like how the sauce isn't too sweet or goopy, like some that I've had before, it's well balanced, gives the right amount of flavour, and tastes like something you get from a roadhouse bbq place in the USA. 

Next, was the tenderness of the beef - and oh wow wait - is that pulled pork I taste? My goodness, never have I had beef patty and pulled pork together! Seriously, those two together = amazing chemistry. I must say, the pulled pork was really extremely tender, and nothing like what I always expected pulled pork to be {mainly because I had an unsatisfactory experience eating pulled pork 2 years ago}. psst. don't go to "NewYorkNewYork" to have pulled pork.

Altogether, with the meat, pulled pork, BBQ sauce & fried onion, one would have thought that's the perfect combination, but hold on a second - for me it ain't! Hmm, why?

Well, at Carl's Jr., they offer a teeny condiments bar, and they have a ton of good stuff to offer, lemme tell ya. Homemade salsa, chilli w jalapenos, onions, ketchup etc. For me, pouring on a load of salsa, chilli and onions is what makes my nomming experience so much sweeter :D 

Chilli, Onions, Salsa - the epitome of fresh condiments in fast food restaurants!
In case you're new to Carl's Jr., customers here loveee to take loads of this stuff to add to their burgers and dip their fries in. It's fresh, tasty, crunchy, oh you just have to try it for yourself! For those who hate tomatoes, this might just change your mind. {I love tomatoes, FYI} Each time I'm there, you'll catch me going for a 2nd or 3rd round of these >v<

Crispy thick cut fries, oh my love
*salivates* Imagine yourself taking one of those hot, thick cut fries, and you take your first bite - warmness creeping up your tongue, your mouth going ooh-la-la at the ultimate crunchy exterior, leading to a comforting potatoey interior, that just makes you wanna have more, more & moreeeee. *dreamy sigh*

Okay, snap back to reality now, everyone! ;D 

What's the big deal about fries eh? Well, this particular one hits the spot - to me, it's better than the usual McDonald's, KFC or Burger King. It's thick cut, which adds to the whole experience, okay fine I love potato, so yeah. More potato [I actually typed "pototo" before correcting it LOL] = Cherlyn's potato cravings satisfied. It's also not oily, not too salty, not bland, with a crunch that'll leave you hunting for more in that box o fries! ;)

Ice Lemon Tea - le originale
Now now, for those who love your drinks, or you're a water tank, don't hold back your sips when nomming - coz over here at Carl's Jr., they understand. Drinks are all - R E F I L L A B L E. And what do we humble Singaporeans do when we hear that? YAAAAAAM SENGGGGGGGG! Drink all we can! XD {I dabao-ed 2 ice lemon teas to take home}

The thing I love about their drink section is, it's completely a self-serve area, so you can help yourself to it as long and as much as you can take. :D Variety of drinks is utmost important too! They have the regular soft drinks and teas/coffee, but what I always, without fail, go for is, the ORIGINAL Ice Lemon Tea

Brewed only at Carl's Jr., you first have to:
  1. Take a cup & fill it with ice
  2. Fill it with the warm lemon tea, while leaving a 1cm gap to the brim
  3. Pour in your desired amount of sugar syrup (I advise that you don't pour too much)
  4. Add the lemon pieces
  5. Poke the straw in & enjoyyyy!

The lemon tea is really good, and it is completely different from the sweetened (like crazy) kinds you get out there. The next time you're there, don't head for your usual Coke or Sprite, have a little fun - have your own experiment of preparing your desired concoction of lemony goodness! My advice? Have seconds.

My rating? 4.8 NOMX :) Flavourful & tenderness in each bite, with freshness blossoming in every corner of your mouth, you've got to try their latest burger! :) Why didn't I put 5NOMX? Coz their Steakhouse burger last year, that was 5NOMX-worthy, and nothing has been able to top it since. If it ever comes back, this nommer, will rushhhh to tell y'all kays! ;D As for fries & drinks, 5NOMX. Well, yknow, as compared to other fast food places, this does come out tops!

Just a heads up, the combo (small), costs $10.90, which is a reasonable price, coz you get good food, with refillable drinks, and a homemade condiments bar, c'mon, it's worth it. Plus right, ordering the small is good, coz no matter the size of the cup, you can refill, and refill... Check out the ongoing promos too, you might like to try something else too :D

Pucker up!

TTFN,
Cherlyn xoxo

Get a load of this: Bao Jin Tian review coming up next! Keep your eyes peeled, you dim sum lovers ;)


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Feta Cheeeeesy Day PART TWO!

Feeling hungry already? Well, not to worry! If you're looking for a quick-fix for your rumbling tummy, despair not, for this recipe for delicious pasta won't let you down :) {I sound like an advert, don't I} XD
This recipe serves 2 servings :) So, just adjust the amount of ingredients to your own liking.

Presenting to you... *drumroll* Stir-Fried Fusilli w bacon bits and herbs ;)

What you'll need:
  • Less than half a packet of pasta 
  • 3/4 bottle of red pasta sauce (use any you'd like, but preferably one w/o cheese, since we'll be adding in feta cheese later)
  • Feta cheese (basically how much you'd like, but you can go crazy with this element, since the sauce will swallow up most of the punchiness)
  • A huge red onion OR several small red onions
  • Olive oil (cooking type & extra virgin)
  • Several cloves of minced garlic
  • Half a packet of bacon bits (or how much you'd like)
  • Oregano flakes
  • Rosemary flakes (or leaves, if you'd prefer)
  • A pot of boiling water ;)
  • A strainer to drain off excess water
  • 2 spatulas
  • 1 wok or pan
Alright, let's get started! :) I have pictures to guide y'all ^_^

Firstly, let's make sure we have all the ingredients prepared, coz once we start cooking, there's not much time to waste, especially if you want to finish this in under half an hour :)

Let's get the pot of water boiling, shall we? I advise you to fill at least half the pot with water. Now, you can daringly leave it on high heat & wait for it to bubble.

Next up, let's move on to chopping the red onion(s), till it becomes something like the size of what you see below:

Chopped red onion
(Don't be afraid of the amount - it's really not that strong once you've mixed it into the pasta sauce)
Yknow, I've always wondered why it's called red onion, when it's clearly purple. Oh well, it tastes good, and that's what matters :D

Next up, let's mince the garlic (okay, I did forget to take a photo of it, I admit - haha), but I'm sure you nommers out there know this well, unless you're a newbie (in this case, just chop the garlic cloves into really teeny weeny bits) ;)

Oh yes, once you hear the pot of water bubbling, pour in your desired amount of pasta, and stir through it for 10 seconds, to ensure that none of the pasta gets stuck onto the bottom of the pot. Also, now pour in a tablespoon of cooking olive oil. Stir through.

Pot of pasta, waiting to be ready :)
Okay, now let's leave it to cook, for approximately 10 minutes, or when you see that the pasta has distinctively become bigger (but not too big, it means it's been cooked too long). It really differs on the level of heat & how much pasta you put in. :) For me, I just leave it on high heat

During the waiting time, open the bottle of pasta sauce, finely crumble the feta cheese and take out the bacon bits from the fridge (leave it in the fridge till you want to use it, in order to maintain its freshness). Of course, if you haven't finished chopping up those onions and garlic, continue to do so during this time :) Shortly after, check on your pasta, and once it's ready, turn off the heat & drain off the excess water using a strainer.

Pour a sizeable amount of extra virgin olive oil on the pasta, and stir through evenly :)
This ensures the pasta doesn't stick together.
 
Let's get started on the stir-fry! LOW HEAT.
Pour a tablespoon of cooking olive oil into the wok, and swirllll it around.
Now, add in the garlic first, use another spatula to swish it around. Throw in the onions, and let it simmer for a short while (don't wait for the garlic to brown, it will be burnt by the time you finish cooking the bacon bits!). At last, now we add bacon bits ^_^ Now, this will be cooked for several minutes, ensuring it is thoroughly cooked. You'll be able to tell, once the bacon bits start to get brown.

How the bacon bits should look like when cooked :)

Pour in 3/4 bottle of the pasta sauce, right into the wok.
Keep rest of the sauce in the fridge, for use for another day.

Sprinkle oregano & rosemary all over the sauce, stir through. Do this twice.
Now, add in the feta cheese, and yes, stir again. 
Carefully pour in the pasta (some may spill out of wok if poured all at once).
Stir through, going in from the center then outwards - this helps to get all that sauce around evenly.
 Soon enough, your pasta is done! :) Scoop out your portion, then sprinkle oregano over the top, to add that extra herby touch to it ;D

Completed pasta! :)
See? Making pasta ain't tough, it's probably the easiest dinner to make - for me >v<
Hope y'all try this out, it's great for bringing out for picnics or gatherings, as you don't have to trouble yourself by separating the sauce and being cautious of the pasta becoming dry along the way. :)

-Till the next post-

TTFN,
Cherlyn xoxo

Get a load of this: Memphis BBQ burger from Carl's Jr. coming up soon! Just nommed it on Sunday, so a review is bubbling at this very moment :) It's worth waiting for. 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Feta Cheeeeesy Day! PART ONE

Heyhey readers! ;)

Just came back from a battle haha.. was trying for an hour plus to book seats on NOAH :) NCC readers, you feel me, don't ya? :D But yes, Praise Jesus, for His abundance of grace & favour, I managed to get the desired no. of seats, and it's together ^_^ 

Alrighty, of course, every soldier comes back from battle - hungry! So, today, I'm going to give you a step-by-step recipe, complete with photos, that show you how to create a lovely power-packed omelette! 

This was cooked up a few days ago, when I just felt the urge to move my butt, and cook something wholesome (tired of eating downstairs food/instant stuff) for my brunch. Honestly, I just took whatever ingredients I had at home, and threw it into this omelette. Plain omelettes are... plain, downright plain. Which is why I love to add all sorts of stuff into them :D 

Presenting to you... Feta Cheese Omelette complete with Oregano and Cherry Tomatoes! Sounds absolutely delish, doesn't it? (Yes, it tastes good haha)

Ingredients used for omelette
Ingredients used:
  • President spreadable butter (you can use any kind of butter you like)
  • MasterFoods Oregano flakes
  • A handful of cherry tomatoes (I used Honey cherry tomatoes from Thailand for this)
  • 2 eggs (yes, this is for 1 person's serving :D)
  • Feta cheese (crumble how much you'd like, or just follow the guide above)
  • Spring onion (again, chop as much as you'd like, but you can follow the picture shown below)
  • 1 red onion (if you love onions, like me, chop more ;)) 
Okay! Let's stop the talk, and see the step-by-step pictures :D

1) Crack the eggs into a bowl

2) Beat the eggs, until it looks like that

3) Scoop out some butter, and finely crumble the cheese

4) Slice the cherry tomatoes, spring onion & red onion

5) Place butter onto heated pan (low heat), then pour egg mixture in
 After waiting for approximately 1 min~

6) Add in (in order) the red onion, cheese (sprinkle it evenly), tomatoes, oregano & lastly, spring onion
 Then wait for it to cook for a few mins (you can tell when it's done when you see the bottom of the omelette turning a golden brown - not chaoda brown ah!) XD It should slide off the pan easily.




TA-DAAAA! Your omelette is ready :3 

A bite for you? >v<
Just a tip: when you see that your top layer of the omelette is still slightly runny, even though the bottom of is a golden brown, it's okay - turn off the heat, slide it into your pan, and enjoyyyy~ Yknow, a partially runny top layer for this is heavenly. :D Let the NOMX begin! :)

Even though this may be something I threw together, it turned out to be awesomely yummy :) Hope y'all try it out for yourselves & indulge in your very own omelette creations! 

Happy brunching everyone!

TTFN,
Cherlyn xoxo

Get a load of this: I'll be posting the Feta Cheeeeesy Day! Part TWO soon :) Featuring Stir-Fried Pasta, a spin on the usual way of cooking good ol' pasta :) Till then, STAY TUNED. <3

Sunday, December 16, 2012

CG Girls' Potbless Night

Just a few days ago, the girls in my caregroup organised a potbless during our outing :D

I took the opportunity to bring baked potato wedges with herbs ^_^ Well, since it was something that I hadn't cooked for quite a long while, so I basically just searched up a recipe for cajun potato wedges online and tweaked the recipe to suit my own liking haha...

Okay, here's the recipe for some yum-in-my-tum homemade wedges~ Herbified Wedges, Cherlyn style!

Depending on the number of people, plus the varying sizes of potatoes, I guess that it's best you choose the right amount of potatoes for your ultimate satisfaction. However, here is a general recipe guide for 4 servings. :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:
  • 4 Russet potatoes
  • Rosemary flakes (or leaves, if you'd like)
  • Cajun spice powder
  • Oregano flakes
  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil (take note: use cooking olive oil, not extra virgin)
Elaborate Steps:
  1. Slice each potato into 12 wedges (keep skin on)
  2. Place all into a large bowl 
  3. Drizzle olive oil all over it, and mix the potatoes together, preferably with your hands
  4. Pour on the cajun spice powder!!! (I mean it: POUR IT ONNNN)
  5. Mix the potatoes again, then pour on the cajun once more ;D
  6. Sprinkle the rosemary everywhere, and mix
  7. Sprinkle rosemary again, and mix 
  8. Sprinkle oregano (quite a lot) everywhere, and mix
  9. Sprinkle oregano once more, and mix
  10. Get it all mixed evenly, for an excellent herb taste ;)
  11. Preheat oven at 220 degrees
  12. Lay out all your wonderful wedges on a baking tray, and avoid overlapping any of them, to make sure the wedges are able to bake evenly.
  13. You will find that there is a residue of the olive oil and herbs in the large bowl. Drizzle this over the wedges, so that they will absorb all that flavour!
  14. Once oven is ready, pop the tray in, and let it bake for 40-45min
  15. Let it cool down, then place all the wedges onto a paper napkin (on a plate, of course), so that it will be able to absorb access oil. 
  16. Enjoy! :D
There you go! Hope y'all understand it, and try it out for yourselves :) Great for accompanying western dishes, which is a healthy alternative instead of the usual french fries.

Alright, you guys must be wondering... where are the photos? XD I must admit, I was in a hurry to bake this before rushing down to meet my lovely cg girls, so I didn't manage to capture the baking preparation & process. However, I did take a wide shot of all the potbless food, so here it is~

Potato wedges in the green container!
For that portion, I had used 5 potatoes with varying sizes. :)

As for the rest of the potbless food, we enjoyed bee hoon with awesome spicy chilli, fried cuttlefish balls, fried chicken karaage, fried chix wings, jelly cheesecakes and brownies with chocolate eclair ice cream! It was superrrrr delish! Had umpteen servings lol. 

The jelly cheesecakes that Shirin brought were definitely one of the highlights. Everyone asked where it was from, which she revealed, Cottage Pie. I loved it! The jelly on top was light and not too sweet, combined with the signature cheesecake crumbly base, and the cute strawberry heart - oh my goodness, 5NOMX right away! Cottage Pie is found in Pasir Ris, just in case you readers out there want a taste of this goodness. Recommended for parties and gatherings! It's Christmas season fa la la la la...
(Btw Janessa, if you're reading this, the 'graceful' memory of you with 2 cheesecakes is forever etched in my mind hahaha)

To top it all off, Jemimah's homemade brownies (which all the girls were waiting for) hit the spot. I paired it with the scrummy chocolate eclair ice cream provided by Alison, and oh boy, cravings satisfied, Cherlyn's tummy scrummified. ;D 

Homemade brownies - done the right way!

Also, Elizabeth Tai (fondly called Taitai) ;), added on to our sweet tooth fantasies by opening a box of miniature Rittersport chocolate squares! :) It came in 3 flavours, Yoghurt, Bluberry Yoghurt & Strawberry Yoghurt.

Blueberry yoghurt flavoured
I had the blueberry yoghurt, and it was my first time trying that flavour. It was interesting, and the chocolate combined with it proved to be a party of flavours in the mouth :D Good for sharing hehe, all come in pretty little wrapped squares!

Not to forget, although I didn't manage to capture a photo of the delightful fruit kebabs with non-fat yoghurt that Kailin brought, it was a refreshing end to our heavy dinner haha! Fruit kebabs w yoghurt is something I would love to do in my own spare time, now that I've got the idea. :)

Anyways, just to share some tidbits about what fun we had that night - I loved the sharing (by beloved Choy & Jolene), the worship, and the bonding we had together during our girls' outing :) Praise Jesus for every kingdom friendship! Thanks to Elizabeth Choy (fondly known as Choy), for opening up your house, and Clarissa, who came all the way from JB several days ahead to prepare the games! Most of all, to all the girls who came, we laughed, had fun, shared secrets and just basked in the wonderful presence of our Lord <3 Wanling, Shirin, Sabrina, Alison, Jolene, Choy, Eliz Ho, Hazel, Clarissa, Kailin, Christabel, Janessa and Taitai :)
Cheers to the many more girl outings yet to come! *clinks glass*

Blessed CG girls outing <3 xoxo (credit: Elizabeth Choy)

TTFN,
Cherlyn xoxo

Get a load of this: MY KENWOOD ALL-IN-ONE MIXER CAME TODAY!!! (Means: BAKING) :D Will be doing my signature double chocolate chip cookies for Christmas gifts soon ^_^ Might share some parts of my recipe with you... heehee


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Yummylicious Sunday (Lunch)

Hey there my lovely readers! Sorry for being on hiatus for so so long... well, I'm back now! School's out, and let's all enjoy the Christmas season! :D 

Will be updating with as many foodie posts as possible ^_^

Anyways, like I promised, here's the prawn mee I -ahem- ate a few months ago, and was supposed to post this but didn't get to it haha~ Without further ado...



My family decided to walk to Beach Road after church service, to get a load of this awesome bowl of delicious prawn mee ^_^ I had never tried it before, till that day - oh boy, it was gooooooooood!

They basically sell everything to do with prawn mee, and if I'm not mistaken, there are additions of pork ribs and pig innards. As for me, I chose to have mine with yellow mee/thick bee hoon, pork ribs and shelled prawns, along with the soup broth. 

Just for those foreigners out there who are wondering how would you order a bowl to your liking:

1) Pick: All prawns/Prawns with pork ribs/Prawns with pig innards/Prawns with everything (I think there is that option) {Price varies)
2) Would you like your prawns shelled?
3) Soup or Dry? (Dry will come with soup broth in a separate bowl)
4) Which kind of noodles would you like? (Thick bee hoon, kway teow, yellow mee, bee hoon) 
{You can mix 2 different kinds of noodles together, just like mine!}
5) How big would you like your portion to be? {Price varies}

Yupps, I think you'd be pretty confident with your order just about now :D 


Yummy prawn mee!
Take a look at that~ yumyum. The soup is of course, the utmost important factor in prawn mee. It decides if that bowlful is worth the trip.

In fact, let me tell you readers something, I featured a prawn mee stall in Ghim Moh for my film project, and while interviewing the boss, he mentioned that in prawn mee, the defining ingredients that make prawn mee, prawn mee, is the distinctive soup broth and chilli. *enlightened*
Well yes, we Singaporeans should sorta know that already, but what I like about what he said was, "If the soup and chilli is not good, it's just some noodles". Maybe the next time when you find yourself nomming prawn mee, you will take time to savour these 2 ingredients more ;)

The verdict: As for Blanco Court's one, the soup is very flavourful, and you'll find yourself slurping up that last bit of broth! The noodles have a great texture, with a nice bite :B I love the fact that they offer to shell the prawns for you (it will come in halves), cause I'm the sort that have no skill whatsoever in peeling prawns lol. The prawns were fresh, which is obviously important - if not why call prawnnnnn mee? As for the pork ribs, it slides right off the bone, and is tender.
What a simple but tasteful lunch I had! ^_^

My rating? Hmms... 4.8NOMX :D
I do recommend those who have time, to take a stroll there & try this slurpworthy bowl. You won't regret it~

Oh yes, one last tip! CLOSED ON TUESDAYS, I REPEAT - CLOSED ON TUESDAYS! >v<

TTFN,
Cherlyn xoxo

+CG girls' outing potbless food post is going to be up pretty soon (this time I mean it haha)+