Simply Blissful Living - Taste of Fiji

We recently celebrated my husband's birthday and he told me he wanted a Tres Leches Cake when I asked him what type of cake he wanted this year. I've baked his cake a few time in the past with good results, but the last time I made Tres Leches Cake was for my mom, about 8 years ago. This time, I decided to add fresh fruit and make a layered cake. Let me show you how I made it. Be sure to check out the video to see the steps on making this into a layered cake. I tweaked the this recipe from Ree Drummond’s tres leches sheet cake. Ree is an amazing, genuine and hilarious blogger; definitely one of my role models. If you haven’t yet discovered her, you’re missing out big! Here is what you'll need: 1 cup All-purpose Flour 1.5 teaspoon Baking Powder 1/4 teaspoon Salt 5 whole eggs, separated  1 cup sugar, divided  1 teaspoon vanilla 1/3 cup whole milk 1/2 can evaporated milk 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk * you can add more or less accordingly  1/4 c...

Ingredients: 2 lbs of cassava, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup gram flour/besan 1 tsp cumin seeds, ground 1 tsp carom seeds, ground 1/2 tsp turmeric 1-2 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp garlic powder or garlic paste 1/2 tsp onion powder or onion paste chili powder or paprika to taste salt to taste Oil to fry Method: If using fresh cassava, peel and cut into desired pieces. Place the yuca into a large pot, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the yuca can be pierced easily with a fork, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your yuca.Drain, and allow to steam for several minutes until cool enough to handle. Cut the yuca into bite-sized pieces, discarding the fibrous core. To prepare batter , mix gram flour and all the spices with enough water to make a pourable, pancake-like consistency batter.  To fry yuca/cassava , heat oil on medium heat. Mix all of the cassava pieces into the batter, making sure e...

A special recipe for #Ramadan for all those celebrating! These lamb/mutton/keema samosa are so tasty and such a crowd pleaser! Great for Iftar and/or any other event/gathering. I've shared how to make cocktail/mini samosas in the video below, so do watch it for some additional tips!

Vakalolo, a family favorite, is a soft and sticky cake/pudding that is steamed in banana leaves. The banana leaves impart a flavor that elevates the dish to another level. This simple, yet tasty, dessert/snack is an islander favorite. Vakalolo is easy to just throw together and steam for an afternoon snack with a cup of tea. The ingredients are so easy to find on the island! In fact, you can probably find it in the gardens of many "koros" [Fijian communities] and home gardens. I prefer to use fresh cassava and coconut; however, grated coconut and cassava are both readily available in most Asian and Indian stores and they are just as good. Banana leaves are available at most Asian markets here in Northern California and even the refrigerated ones will suffice. However, if you're living outside of Fiji and can't find banana leaves, you can use foil in its place. It works well, but the dish does leave something "missing."  This is what you'll n...

Chicken Chopsuey has become a staple meal in Fiji. It is sold at almost every restaurant. The Chinese population in Fiji is small but has a big impact on the cuisine of the country. Try this recipe today, it is a unique combination of Chinese, Fijian and Indian flavours and you will love it! This recipe will serve 3-4 people, depending on your appetite 😌 Here is what you'll need: 1.5 pound boneless skinless chicken thigh meat - you can use any other meat of your choice 8 cloves of garlic, crushed  1 inch ginger, grated  Red or green chili pepper to taste 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp Pick-Me-Up or Worcestershire sauce 2 cups carrots – cut into thin strips 1 cup onions, chopped & sliced 1/2-3/4  cup bell peppers, sliced & chopped  1/2 cup celery, chopped 4-5 cups bokchoy, chopped * see video for how I chop it * oil for cooking salt to taste black pepper to taste Method: Crush garlic, ginger, and chili peppe...

Chilean Pan Amasado is a kneaded bread that is rather easy to make. Literally translated, pan amasado is “kneaded bread”. The Husband, who happens to be Chilean, always tells me that his remembers his grandmother making these in large adobe or earthen ovens. Pan Amasado is his favorite bread, so I had to at least be semi-good at making this bread. With some research and lots of practice, I think I have this bread down! My husband  approves and its definitely something he looks forward to during Chilean celebrations. * Traditionally this dish is made using lard, which is pork fat. Although I eat pork now, when I first made this recipe, I didn't, so I used Crisco in its place. Crisco seems to be a popular choice for this bread now. If you are able to get your hands on lard then go ahead and use it in the same quantity. Note: You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this recipe. It makes the process a lot easier and faster! Here is what you'll need: 2 1/2 lbs ...

Purini or Fijian coconut steam pudding is one of the oldest pudding around in Fiji. Purini uses simple ingredients but taste SO delicious! It is moist, not too sweet, and has an amazing caramel color reminiscent of chocolate cake. It has been windy here lately. T ypically, the weather is a lot warmer during May, but the wind is keeping things cool. Not that I am complaining! This cooler weather is WELCOME! On days like today, a cup of chai, with some Fijian Pudding Cake/Purini is always a sight for sore eyes [quite literally true in my case, due to allergies]. There is something about the comfort foods of the island that brings back so many great memories. This "pudding cake" uses simple ingredients but taste SO delicious! I used my Instant Pot to steam this cake, but I have steamed it on the stove in the past and it turns out just as great. You don't even need to change the time. Steaming it for 40-60 minutes seems to do the trick. I steamed mine for 45 minutes ...

Saina is such a special snack/dish for us Fijians. It is a dish that takes times, but its so treasured because the work behind it is so worth it! Saina is made with fresh taro leaves (taro leaves) stuffed with a lentil, gram flour, and spice mixture. It is first steamed until fully cooked then fried to give it a crunchy texture outside. Although it may not be the simplest dish, it is definitely on the top of the list of "most yummy snacks." My family (and I) enjoy this with some tamarind (imli) chutney and a cup of hot chai . Today's recipe includes an alternative to taro leaves. Because taro leaves are hard to find in all seasons here in the U.S., I tried using Swiss Chard in its place and it came out perfect! The first time I made it, I didn't tell anyone that it wasn't made with taro leaves and nobody could tell the difference. It is now well-loved by my entire family. Swiss Chard is so much easier to grow and access throughout the year here and I am so ...

A few weeks ago, I had a hankering for some almond cake. It was out of no-where but it lingered for a few days... so I decided to make an almond cake. I usually  always have ingredients for a cake at home 😆Not sure if thats a good thing or bad 😖 So, I searched the trusty world wide web for a recipe... and then altered it to my liking. As always.... The recipe I came up with was DIVINE! I ate ONE slice and the rest was devoured by the family. My mom LOVED it. She said this was one of her favorite items I have ever made. So... for Mother's Day, its only fair that I make this for her again and share the recipe with you all! I hope you enjoy this tea cake with your mum [or mom-like figure]  Happy Mother's Day to all!  Here is what you'll need: 3/4 cup  whole wheat pastry flour 3/4 cup fine almond flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt {i used Himalayan} 3/4 cup sliced almonds or cashew pieces {I've had it with both and they...

A puri (pronounced poori or poodi) is a South Asian unleavened bread that is deep fried primarily found in Northern India made from a dough of flour water and salt by rolling it out into discs of approximately the size of palm. Puris are also common in Fiji brought in by Fijians of Indian decent in the Girmatiyas days. It is often eaten together curries or tarkari and very popular during special events such as weddings and prayers. Puri is highly anticipated when there is a function at your Indo-Fijian neighbor or when you are invited to celebrate Diwali. When I was making my pumpkin curry , I HAD to make puri. My dear husband enjoys puris a lot too, so when I asked him what he wanted with his pumpkin, he quickly said, "those puffy deep fried things!"  I don't make puri often, as its deep fried, and I try to limit deep fried foods to once a month or less, but certain occasions just call for them. And although the day I made pumpkin curry wasn't a ...

It wasn’t a meal we had daily, heck, we’d be lucky if we ate it once a month! Lamb curry was something that was an indulgence growing up in Fiji. Lamb, like all other meats, was expensive; therefore, it was deemed a “special” meal. Once every month or so, mom would go to “town” or B Kumar Supermarket on Shalimar Street and buy lamb. I don’t remember if it was precut pieces or if mom did the chopping herself, something she is quite good at, by the way, but I do remember the delicious lamb curry she made! We would all sit down together, with rice and lamb aur aloo tarkari (lamb and potato curry) and devour all the food on our Fiji la plate! Man, those were the good ole days!  Even though we can now afford lamb on a regular basis, we still don’t make lamb curry regularly. It is a still a treat. Even Ma doesn’t make it often, but when she does, I make sure to grab a plate of food at her house or she’ll pack me some and bring it by. {moms are great that way}  Recently, I...

Back on the islands of Fiji, Pumpkin curry, or kaddu tarkari as we called it was a popular dish during weddings and most major celebrations. In fact, it may still be practiced today, that when there is a marriage, kaddu puri (pumpkin curry with deep fried puri) is expected. Mom used to always say that weddings aren't completed without it.  When I found an overgrown patty pan squash type pumpkin at the store last Halloween, I thought it was a steal at $1 so I purchased it. I kept it in the garage, where its cold and dark, for a few months. Just last week, I "found" it and knew that it had to be cooked since the weather is warming up and the garage will no longer be "cool" and dark. It lead to a delicious pumpkin curry with puri and some raita. Let me share the recipe with you! I've also shared my YouTube video showing how I made this. Follow along and make this delicious pumpkin soon! Ingredients 6 cups pumpkin, cubed  1 small onion, chopp...

I am going to start this post off by asking a favor of you all.  Please make this chicken stew. It’s that good. This recipe is one of our favorites in our house. We have a few variations of it, but time and time again, we return to THIS chicken stew recipe. If you’re experiencing the same bipolar “Spring” weather as we are, here in Northern California, chances are you’re still experiencing some cold days. This stew is perfect for cold, windy, and damp days. Not to say we haven’t whipped this up in the middle of summer! But this is especially comforting in the colder days. I grew up eating a lot of stews and I remember my sister making the BEST stew ever! So stew is nostalgic for me. I’ll share variations of this recipe in the near future! This stew refrigerates well and it tastes even better after it sits for a day! It can easily feed a crowd! Ingredients: 2 skinless leg quarters or 2 skinless chicken thighs & drumsticks 1 cup onions, chopped 1 cup bell p...