Noodle salad will perfect your picnic basket, as it makes feeding a crowd as easy as it is tasty!

1. Cook gemelli according to instructions on box and cool. Chop the cornichon and radish. Dice the sausage.
2. Mix the cooked pasta with the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate salad in a tightly covered container for several hours before serving.

Crepe, originated in France, is a type of thin pancake, and can be served either with savory or sweet fillings. You don't have to buy a crepe pan, unless you don't mind crowding up your kitchen. (today I just packed 4 skillets/pans away....yes, they have to go to the cellar). So if you have a non-stick pan, it would be just fine.

1. Combine the flour and salt together in a bowl. In another mixing bowl, whip oil, milk and carrot honey juice together. Sift the flour mixture into the liquid and stir until the batter is free of lumps and smooth. Batter will be thin, like heavy cream. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking.
   
2. Grease an 8-inch nonstick pan lightly and heat over medium-high heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter into pan and swirl until the bottom of the pan is covered with batter. Cook the crepe for 1 minute, or until the crepe is slightly moist on top and golden underneath. Loosen the edges of the crepe, slide the spatula under it, and then gently flip it upside down into the pan. Cook for 1 minute and transfer the cooked crepe to a plate to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
   
3. Fill crepes with desired filling and seasonal fruit or stack them after they have cooled and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw before using.

I am sending this to "Creative Coffee Recipes", Chow and Chatter First Giveaway event hosted by Rebecca.

1. Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Line muffin tins with papers or grease liberally. Dissolve the coffee powder in hot water. Set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Set aside.
   
2. Beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Gradually add in sugar and beat until fluffy and light in colour. Add in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in rum extract. Alternately add in flour mixture and prepared coffee. Stir only until combined. Do not over-mix.
3. Fill muffin cups 4/5 full and top with 3 hazelnuts. Bake 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins on a wire rack. Combine together the powdered sugar and instant coffee. Add in hot water and stir until smooth. Drizzle the glaze across the top of each muffin and leave to set before serving.

Wolfberry, (other names like Chinese Wolfberry, Goqi ) a Powerful Antioxidant, has been highly regarded as one of the foremost nutritional and therapeutic plants in China. It can be used to nourish a weak body, improve vision, and promote longevity. Chinese Wolfberry contains compounds known as "lycium polysaccharides", which is highly effective in promoting immunity. TCM (Traditional Chinese medicine) uses Chinese Wolfberry to treat diabetes, hypertension, fever, malaria, and cancer. It's also used for improving circulation, erectile dysfunction, dizziness, an eye tonic for blurred vision and tinnitus.
If you interested in TCM and wants to know more about Goqiangiesrecipes, check Traditional Chinese Medicine Health out.

1. Peel the rough skin off the asparagus and trim them into even stalks. Rinse and put them in a pot of salted boiling water. Blanch briefly and remove. Slice the ginger, onion and garlic. Clean the Chinese wolfberries with water. Drain.
   
2. Heat the corn oil in a skillet until hot. Add in sliced ginger, onion and garlic, stirring until aromatic, and pour in the stock. Bring it to a boil. Put the asparagus into the stock, and season it with the salt.
3. Transfer the asparagus into a serving dish, discard the ginger, onion and garlic. Add in Chinese wolfberries and let cook briefly. Dissolve the cornstarch in water and drizzle into the soup. Cook on strong heat until it thickens. Pour over the asparagus and serve immediately.

"No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut." Allow me to quote Channing Pollock to start the post. Peanut butter is not only nutrient-dense but also very delicious. It is widely used in baking and most commonly used in sandwiches and as a spread. I just love its rich flavour, and gooey, smooth texture.
Information about the benefits and nutrients about peanut from Food Navigator. Peanuts and peanut butter are whole foods that contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, ample protein and beneficial unsaturated fats. Since they are a plant food, they naturally contain no cholesterol. Research studies on large groups of people have found that people who often eat peanuts and nuts have much lower risks of heart disease. Also, scientists are finding that diets high in monounsaturated fats, the type found in peanuts, may also protect against heart disease.
If you are allergic to peanuts, then replace them with Nutella, or poppy fix. I am sending this to "peanutbutterboy - The Great Peanut Butter Exhibition"

1. Dissolve sugar with warm water in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle dry yeast over and let proof for about 10 minutes. Add in bread flour and egg. Stir at low speed until a rough dough ball formed. Stir in salt and butter until evenly dispersed. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough until a soft and elastic dough has formed. The dough should pass the windowpane test. (stretching the dough to see if it thins out).
   
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with a plastic wrap and let proof until doubled at room temperature. Coat one of your fingers with flour, then press it gently into the center of risen dough to the bottom. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready.
3. Press down the dough, round up, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Flatten the dough and roll into a rectangle, about 30cmx20cm. Spread the peanut butter over the first two-thirds of the dough rectangle. Leave 1cm unbuttered all the way around. Fold the unbuttered third over the center third of the rectangle. Fold the buttered third top down to cover it. Give the dough a 90 degree turn to the left. Gently roll out the dough into a long strip 45cm by 18cm and fold the two shorter ends to meet each other in the middle. Rotate the dough 90 degree to the left again and roll it out into a 40cm by 18cm rectangle.
   
4. Roll up the rectangle along the long edge. Moisten the edge with water, and lightly press to close. Cut the loaf into five sections. Place them with cutting side up into a regular loaf pan lined with baking paper and let proof until double in volume. (I have also tried doubling the recipe and baked it in a rectangular pan). Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and bake the loaf until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

When I saw Lavanya's Lemon Squares two weeks ago, I knew then I was going to love those and would bake them myself. Besides Lavanya, another recipe created by Carole Clements (cook's companion) has inspired me to adjust the recipe.
The balance of sweet and sour makes "Lemon Squares" a favourite tea treat for all. To ensure the crust crumble, it is important to have it pre-baked before adding the lemon filling.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Lightly grease a 20x25 cm baking dish. Sift the flour, icing sugar, ground hazelnut and salt into a mixing bowl. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
   
2. Mix with a fork until the mixture forms a ball. Press the mixture evenly into the baking dish and bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Beat the eggs and sugar until smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to combine. Mix together the flour and baking powder and add into the lemon mixture. Fold to combine.
3. Pour the filling over the shortbread crust and bake for about 20-25 minutes until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut into 5x5 cm squares and dust with icing sugar.

Mango is one of the most delicious fruits in the world and regarded as a valuable item of diet. The flavor of the mango is described as a delicate, exotic blend of peach and pineapple flavors. They are great with poultry, seafood, smoothies, etc. and they can be eaten fresh.

1. Rinse, pat dry and shred the chicken breast. Place the shredded chicken in a bowl, adding in the marinade, mix and set aside for 30 minutes. Cut the fresh mango lengthwise, along the pit. Peel and slice the flesh.
   
2. Heat up some oil in a skillet. When hot, add in the marinated chicken and stir briefly until the pink colour has turned into ivory. Scoop out and drain.
   
3. Leave one tablespoon of oil in the skillet and heat up again. Stir the minced garlic and shredded onion until aromatic. Add in white parts of spring onion and return the chicken to the skillet. Stir briefly. Add in water, mango slices, and tomato wedges, stirring, and season with salt if necessary, until all the ingredients are well-combined.

Strawberry marmalade is great for bagels, biscuits and toast. Gelling sugar I used for the recipe is a kind of sugar for making marmalade, which contains pectin as a gelling agent. Double the portion of sugar if a regular sugar applied. I am sending this to Strawberry Feast promoted by Happy Cook - Kitchen Treasury.

1. Prepare 2 or 3 1lb-jars and lids by washing well in warm soapy water and rinsing thoroughly. Bath them in a pan of boiling water for a while. Dry the jars.
   
   
2. Well wash, remove stems and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Slice strawberries. Peel the lemon and thinly shred lemon rind. Drop in squeezed lemon.
3. In a big nonaluminum pan, add the prepared fruits and the preserving sugar and combine them briefly. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours. You would see a lot of liquid coming off the strawberries. Heat the strawberry mixture to boiling over medium heat, and allow it to boil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Ladle marmalade into still very warm jars to prevent the jars from cracking when the hot filling is added. Wipe jar rims clean and seal with lids and bands. Store marmalade in a cool and dry place. After opening jar, store marmalade in the refrigerator.