Saturday, September 7, 2013

Craving Ravings//Korean Fried Chicken!!

How many of you are die-hard fans of juicy, succulent chicken whisked in spicy-sweet sauce?Korean fried chicken fans to be more precise! I cooked this beauty today as a family lunch and it was lip-smacking!
This bomber is really simple to prepare and can be served either as an appetizer or a side dish.
Here are the ingredients!
-Chicken (boneless or bone-in)
I used 500g boneless chicken breasts and cut them up in chunks.If you're using bone-in, then this recipe stands good for 5-6 pieces.
-Salt to taste
-1 tsp. ground black pepper
-3 tbsp corn starch powder
-3 tbsp all purpose flour
-2 tbsp rice flour
-1 egg, beaten
-1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
-2 tbsp ketchup
-2 tsp hot sauce
-2 tsp soya sauce
-1 tsp/1.5 tsp brown sugar
-2 tsp. vinegar
-1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:
1.Mix the salt, pepper, cornstarch,rice flour and all purpose flour in a bowl and the egg wash in another bowl.Coat the chicken pieces in flour,then in the egg wash and in the flour again for a crunchy exterior. Then set aside.

2.Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok for frying. To test if the oil is ready to fry in, dip a part of the batter in the wok and if the oil sizzles, you're good to go!

3.Fry the chicken in small batches to avoid crowding the pan until golden brown (time depends on the size of chicken chunks) and place on a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.

4.To make the sauce, add the sauces, sugar,salt, ginger garlic paste and vinegar together and mix it with the help of a spatula to form a smooth paste. 

5.Let the sauce simmer on a very low flame for about 5-7 minutes.

6.Add the chicken that you'd kept aside into the sauce and let the rich, tangy sauce coat the chicken well.

7.Roast the sesame seeds separately and use them as a garnish on your hot, tantalizing chicken.
Serve hot!
This is the easier version of the classic Korean fried chicken which uses Korean chilli paste and other local taste enhancers, so if you have trouble finding those, make this and you won't be missing out on anything!
The crunchy chicken coating tossed in the firey sauce with a hint of sweetness is an absolute delight to indulge in!
And the humble impact of the sesame seeds is scrumptious!
*faints*
............................................................................
Make sure you pin this fantastic recipe and have your taste buds relish its absolute  lusciousness!
.............................................................................
Join me at Craft A Doodle Doo via Pinterest and Facebook to find lots more heavenly recipes, DIY projects and ravishing freebies!

Take care,
Nash
-






Friday, September 6, 2013

Craving Ravings//Creamy Chicken Pasta!

Creamy Chicken Pasta anyone? =) When my sweet cousin sister sent me this recipe to try saying that people who dislike pasta in her family happened to smack this up, I knew I had to whip this one pronto!
You know how I said earlier that I post eateries on my blog only when they come out 'that' good?Well this one's a winner!
It's rich, super-creamy with tender pieces of chicken tossed in, enveloped in the delectable sauce and you're gonna savor it to the last bite!Keep in mind that this dish is calorific so save it for special pampering moments!

Sunday, September 1, 2013

The Decorista Chronicles//Faux Vintage China+Jewelry Display DIY

Vintage china jazzed up with some bling bling! I knew I was falling in utter love with all the vintage china popping all over pinterest. There were two particular pinterest boards that happened to pop up in my suggestion box that had all this unbelievable eye candy. I then knew I had to come up with my own wicked clever china wall decor but i also had to wrap up the Wardrobe Stylist series, and this baby? This baby is what I ended up with!

Except that it's displayed on the side of my closet. A fancy home for all my especially fancy jewelry ready to be nabbed from their cubbies when I dash off to college! I'm not sure whether this would be last feature of this series, I may just end up with one more feature which is conjuring up in my mind, so for now, have a dive in the inspiration and scroll down for the steps!
Let's begin by whipping up some of our own faux vintage china, easy enough to do!
Here's what you'd need!
1.A few cheap plastic plates, choose the reflective kind if possible cuz' they give off a glassy sheen which is what we need!

2.Temporary tattoos resembling vintage florals.

3.Adhesive gold crystals. I found mine at a craft store I frequent but I've seen 'em at a lot of other craft stores too for very cheap.

4.Strong glue strips or mounting tape squares. Make sure they are good quality so that they adhere well.

5.Command hooks, the mini ones actually (optional)

6.Scissors, craft glue,pencil and ruler
For the teacup

7.Foam or foam like material
8.Felt/adhesive velvet
9.X-acto/craft knife
10.Small plastic teacups (also at craft stores)
As you see, I've got my teacup (made using the same method as the plates)and a block of foam right here. What we wanna do is measure the diameter of the cup across and use that to cut a conical block of foam;so that the circle at the end of the cone has the same diameter as that of your cup.
Next, we just glue in and fit the foam into the cup so it's snug and tight!
Lastly, take your felt/velvet and cut it in a circle to fit at the top of the foam gaping out of your teacup. Using your X-acto knife slit two lines to fit in two rings (or if you have a bigger sized teacup, slit a line extra).Fit in your rings to see if the slit size works.
Trying it on!
I did a little trial arrangement of my plates because I'm impatient  to see my progress in action. All I did was to get a tiny bit of test mounting tape at the back of my plates and sorted them round to see what works best for me. Also, affix the teacup to one of your plates using a glue gun or uber-strong craft glue.
PRO TIP: If you can't find the adhesive crystal strings, then just pick a gold paint marker and outline your plate, It looks beyond beautiful!
For the decorative hoops:

1.Inexpensive embroidery hoops
2.Pretty fabric ( I made my own using this tutorial)
3.Pin hooks
4.Foam/Corkboard sheets
.................................................................
Pitch the fabric in between the hoops and cut your cork board/ foam to size (if your fabric is very thin) and fit it snugly at the back of your hoops and you're good to go. 
A little extra I did so that I can house my bracelets and necklaces was to use these pin hooks onto my hoops.
And you're done! For some extra storage pizzazz, add transparent mini command hooks to your vintage plates. I couldn't find in my area at the moment (they're never there when you want 'em I tell ya!).
And the keyword here darlings, is heavy mounting tape because you don't want your porcelain and china falling down and crashing (well, of course they won't crash and become smithereens, but anyway..). So make sure you pretty ladies get a good quality mounting tape that will survive the dinosaurs, yes, I think you get the idea now.






Ladies, this corner in my room is the most glamorous one for my go-to jewelry. I have a reasonable amount of jewelry which I've organized in many ways but I love this one the best because it's so feminine and enchanting with the vintage vibe and the glittery metallics!
...............................................................
Make sure you pin this anf follow me if you loved it and you can check out other jewelry/accessory organizing options below!
................................................................

Keep smiling and adieu for now!
Much love, Nash
(Craft A Doodle Doo is also on facebook, pinterest and instagram. I would be love it if you guys join in the inspiration and idea parties there!)











FRESH IRRESISTABLE IDEAS...

RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX!

* indicates required

View previous campaigns.