* This series of posts was inspired by the desire to create a home filled with love, and memories to count for. I’m no chef, just a busy woman desperate to cook decent, tasty and healthy meals for her well-deserved hungry husband. The “Hungry Husband Posts” series was put together after friends started asking me how I made these meals with my limited time. My cooking philosophy? Food must be cooked with love, with beauty and under 30 minutes. So here’s sharing some recipes- enjoy!
“What food do you miss most from home in Canada?”
I ask this question from time to time, and Cliff, concerned that I should rest more instead of spending time creating meals for him, sometimes answers elusively.
I was going to surprise him with a hearty beef stew in the weekend and said, “I’m going to make something special for you this weekend, sweetie.”
To which he replied innocently, “What? Is it dan-dan? The one my mum makes?”
“What’s dan-dan?” I asked quizzically.
“Egg custard.”
It was then that I discovered what he missed. I remember that egg custard. Cliff’s mum made it specially for us during our stay in Canada in June. Soft and silky, it would slip off one’s tongue and melt in one’s mouth. The best part about her home-made desserts was that they tasted so wholesome, with just the slightest hint of treacle, but never cloyingly sweet.
Secretly, I emailed Cliff’s mum to ask for the recipe and woke up early one morning to try this as a breakfast surprise for Cliff while he was sleeping. I couldn’t believe how easy the recipe looked. True enough, the preparation time took only 15 minutes before I hid it (yes, hid!) in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. By the time Cliff and I returned from our early morning gym workout, it was ready!
This is truly a fuss-free recipe if you’re hoping to make a quick and relatively healthy treat. All you need is a whisk and two bowls- forget about the cumbersome electric mixer. I don’t have any of those fancy equipment to boast!
Food For Love:
- Two eggs and one egg yolk
2. About a cup of milk (I used 1 and a quarter cup of low-fat milk and it worked beautifully.)
Love Tip: Did you know most of the world doesn’t take enough calcium in their diet? We need about 2 glasses of milk a day to meet our basic calcium needs and plenty of weight-bearing exercises for strong bones. From our mid-twenties, our bone density starts to decrease, so building strong bones really is essential, even from a young age. If you’re lactose intolerant, try soy milk fortified with calcium instead. Both Cliff and I have low bone densities (due to his long-term medication and due to my medical history) so taking enough calcium and doing sufficient weight-bearing exercises are especially important.
3. About a teaspoon of vanilla extract- this is what makes the egg custard taste and smell absolutely delightful.
4. Two to three tablespoons of sugar ( I stick with two- the less added sugar in our diet, the better.)
Love Tip: Choose brown or unrefined sugar over white sugar.
The Act:
1. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the milk.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, add vanilla extract into the eggs and whisk passionately and furiously for about 3 to 5 minutes. You should observe the sunshine yellow of the eggs slowly paling into a light, creamy froth. Keep whisking! Don’t stop! Think angry thoughts- if only transiently!
3. Pour the sweetened milk into it and whisk more, for another minute or so. You should get an elegant, ivory sea of bubbles, which you can pour out into a little baking dish.
4. Place your baking dish in a shallow baking pan (I simply used a pyrex dish lying around at home), which should be filled with water just to about an inch high.
5. Bake it for about half an hour at about 170 degrees Celsius or 350 Fahrenheit. You can test if it’s ready by using a toothpick. ( I simply kept my fingers crossed!)
And there you go- soft and silky egg custard!
The expression on Cliff’s face to see this treat was priceless.
I served it with Canadian maple syrup to remind him of a whiff of home.
(Cliff’s mum says she usually serves it with caramel, but it according to her, making caramel for the first time can be tricky and take quite a bit of time to make.
Maple syrup or honey can be great substitutes.)
It was rewarding to see him help himself to a second serving.
Between us, we finished the pan of egg custard within the day!
So thankful for a mother-in-law who is ever-willing to share her wonderful recipes.
It would be wonderful to pass down her legacy.
Plates empty!
Hearts full!
Enjoy this easy recipe!
Mmmm……looks absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try it!