
Home Made Oyakodon
The oyakodon is a classic Japanese bento dish.served in many Japanese restaurants including here in Malaysia. Check out this recipe and try making your own.
The most wonderful time of the year is back in full-swing! Do you ever notice how festivities tend to bring out hidden talents that otherwise lie dormant throughout the year? For eg. a chef is unleashed when cooking for a sizeable party, a stand-up comic jumps out to entertain guests, and a placid monk calmly lets comments of ‘when are you getting married’ pass right through.
Well, let’s bring out your inner mixologist with these specially-curated Christmas Mocktails! Whip them up to wash down all the delicious holiday food with style, and remember – practice makes perfect!
A classic mocktail that your guests will thank you for – this drink is always a hit as it delivers a burst of flavours while using relatively simple ingredients. Cheers to MumUnleashed.com for this great recipe.
Ingredients:
8 Ounces of Fresh Cranberries
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Cup of Water
1 Large Lime
Mint Leaves (to taste)
7UP
Method:
1.Add cranberries, sugar and water to a pot and let it simmer over medium heat for about twelve minutes.
2. Once the cranberry and sugar mixture achieves a pink color, remove it from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Wet the top of your glass and dip it in colored sugar for a festive feel. Add mint leaves and half of lime (cut into wedges)
4.Fill the glass with ice and pour in two tablespoons of fresh cranberry syrup.
5. Pour in 7UP until glass is almost full, and mix gently. Enjoy!
Image taken from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/532339618440079106/?lp=true
This tasty number from OleanderandPalm.com uses ginger beer as the main ingredient, giving it a fresh crisp taste that balances well with the sweet pomegranate cordial.
Ingredients:
Pomegranate Cordial (see recipe below)
Ginger Beer
Ice
Fresh Blackberries + Pomegranate for garnish
Cocktail picks and plastic teeth
Method:
1. In the bottom of a glass, muddle 3-4 blackberries. Add ice and fill the glass almost to the top with ginger beer.
2. Add 1-2 oz. of the Pomegranate Cordial. Top with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.
For the Pomegranate Cordial:
3-4 pomegranates
sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
How to make Pomegranate Cordial:
1. Remove all the seeds from the pomegranates. Place the seeds in a blender and blend on high.
2. Strain the pomegranate through a strainer lined with cheesecloth to remove all the seeds and pulp. You may want to poor it through the strainer more than once.
3. Measure the amount of juice (you should get about 3 cups). Add the vanilla and salt. You will use a 2:1 ratio for the juice to sugar. So, if you have 3 cups of pomegranate juice, add 1 1/2 cups of sugar.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and keep at a rolling boil for 3 mins. Cool completely and store in an airtight jar in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
Image taken from:http://offbeatandinspired.com/2014/11/04/cider-thyme-tonic-mocktail/
A charming concoction from OffbeatandInspired.com, this herb-infused treat brings out the diversity and warm flavours of apple cider – serve cold and have a good thyme!
Recipe:
12 oz apple cider
2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 oz thyme simple syrup (recipe below)
1 bottle (9.3 ounces) tonic water
Additional thyme and lemon slices for garnish
Directions:
1. Add all ingredients except tonic water to a pitcher and stir until fully incorporated.
2. Add ice to four glasses, filling each about halfway.
3. Divide the cider mixture evenly among the glasses. Top with tonic water. Stir gently.
4. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and enjoy!
Thyme Simple Syrup recipe:
0.5 cup granulated sugar
0.5 cup water
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Turn heat to low and stir until sugar dissolves.
2.Simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until syrup coats the back of a spoon.
3. Remove from heat. Take out the thyme sprigs and allow syrup to cool completely before using.
4. Store leftover syrup in a jar in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks.
Mulled Apple Juice
We can always count on BBCGoodFood.com for exquisite takes on our favourite food and drinks, and this one is no exception – simple, elegant, and warms you up from the inside.
Ingredients
1 litre apple juice
strips of orange peel
1 cinnamon stick, plus extra to garnish, if you like
3 cloves
Sugar or honey, to taste
Method
1. Simmer the apple juice with the strips of orange peel, cinnamon stick and cloves for about 5-10 mins until all the flavours have infused. Sweeten to taste.
2. Serve each drink with a little orange peel and a piece of cinnamon stick, if you like.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Another hit from BBCGoodFood.com, this festive favourite will elevate anyone’s mood with a single sip. Perfect for kids at daytime house parties, as peppermint is known to keep them awake!
Ingredients
200g bar plain chocolate, broken into chunks
600ml milk
150ml pot single or double cream
Sugar to taste
6 peppermint candy canes, to serve
Method
1. Put the chocolate in a pan with the milk. Gently heat, stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Continue heating until the milk is steaming, then remove from the heat and stir in the cream.
Divide the hot chocolate between 6 mugs, add sugar to taste and hang a candy cane on the edge of each. Pass the mugs round and let everyone stir their hot chocolate with their candy cane – letting as much of the sweet peppermint dissolve as they fancy.
Nothing says the holidays are here quite like a festive mocktail, so we hope you’ll enjoy making these for your family and guests. It’s a good idea to stock up and keep ingredients handy, as we’d expect many guests will be dropping by to visit. Find everything you need at Ben’s Independent Grocer, and until next year – Happy Holidays!
The oyakodon is a classic Japanese bento dish.served in many Japanese restaurants including here in Malaysia. Check out this recipe and try making your own.
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