tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890577778017509732024-03-13T20:57:59.860+01:00Life Loves The Curious❀❀ Life is about discovery of new culinary conundrums that jump start your senses ❀❀pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-41537032619562919802011-04-12T19:42:00.008+02:002011-04-12T20:50:29.946+02:00Contributors Wanted! MyMyCityCuisine.org-A Traveler's Guide to Local Cuisine<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I received an exciting email last week about this Wiki project that I think it's another brilliant addition to our knowledge in our diversity culinary world. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The <a href="http://www.mycitycuisine.org/wiki/Main_Page">MyCityCuisine.org</a> website is built collaboratively, through the spirit of sharing knowledge, by food lovers from around the worl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">d. </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Do you know what is </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kakigōri? </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Andouillette or </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Figuette?</span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 160px; height: 159px;" alt="" src="http://www.mycitycuisine.org/images/www.mycitycuisine.org/c/c9/Logo.png" /></span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"MyCityCuisine is a wiki project. I</span></span></b></i><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">ts goal is to help </span></span></b></i><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">travelers discover the local food from around the world. Food has always been an integral part of the local culture so, naturally, tasting local food is often high on most traveler's to-do lists. However, until now, there was no single comprehensive source providing this particular information for cities around the world.</span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small; ">Have you ever wonder what are those items (probably intangible handwriting and if you're lucky with worn out photos of the dishes!) in the menu when you travelled to a foreign country and you knew the best culinary experiences would be where and what the locals eat?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"What should I order?", an inevitable question faced by all travelers sitting in a restaurant, in a foreign country. MyCityCuisine is a project to create a free, reliable and up-to-date guide to the most original and tasty local foods from different countries of the world. This is an open project, so we encourage everyone to contribute to it."</span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div style="line-height: normal; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To achieve the aim as great resource for travellers, this project needs lots of contributors! </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> If you have lots of energy with lots of ideas and willing to share a fraction of your time and knowledge of the Culinary World, please channel them into </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">MyCityCuisine.org.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><a href="http://www.mycitycuisine.org/wiki/Find_out_how"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Find out how</span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> you can make a difference to help to fill this void.</span></span></span></div></div></div></span></div></span>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-54879643759858723072011-03-20T09:42:00.015+01:002011-03-29T00:12:26.218+02:00Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Chilli<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I'm celebrating year 2011 with warm and </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">hearthy</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> soup for the coming cold </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">wintery</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> days that caught us by surprise with sudden snowfall on 26, November, 2010! It was expected to be colder and harsher winter in the EU but the sudden snow fall on that day caused much inconveniences and traffic woes that lasted for more than a week! The freezing gloomy days ahead called out for comfort food desperately! All I could think of was a hearty, filling and delicious meal where everyone can dug in as much as they like to their heart's content :-D So, the family agreed on... soup. Not just any soup but Pumpkin Soup with a little twist in the finalé.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This soup is one of my family's favourite whenever we can find quality</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">pumpkins</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> in season and one thing for sure they keep longer unrefrigerated unlike other types of squashes or marrows of the same genus. My favourite choices are butternut and </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabocha"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">kabocha</span></span></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. It's an easy recipe that is suitable for vegetarian as well. You can also omit the </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">crème</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">fraîche</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and it tasted just as creamy but a little of it goes a long way. In my family, there is no compromising of replacing </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_fraiche"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">crème</span></span></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_fraiche"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></a></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_fraiche"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">fraîche</span></span></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> with other sort of cream replacement! Only thing </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">permitted</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> is evaporated milk for coconut milk and that IF I don't have any in the pantry :-P</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In this recipe, I tried roasting the butternut chunks instead of cooking them straight in the pot like I usually did (and like most soup recipes I tried before). I must say that roasting brings out the sweetness in butternut squash and gave this soup a velvety texture with nuttiness flavour I loved so much. I definitely roast my pumpkin in future not only for soup but in p</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><em style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">urée for pies and desserts! To round it up... I added some chopped chillies to boost my immune system! Actually, I was craving for something really hot with lots of spiciness and only Kimchi came to my mind but I didn't want the whole apartment screamed to open the windows and doors for fresh air with minus degree and snowed outside! Well, I have to settle for plain chillies :-P</span></span></em></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 235px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_AVlY3h1xFM/TZEHXQ5QXEI/AAAAAAAAAvs/erZe8zCt3zw/s400/Creamy%2BButternut%2BChilli%2BSoup_4a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589256708796996674" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><div style=" ;font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chilli</span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4-6 portions</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 butternut squash , </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">± </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">800 g - 1kg, peeled and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">deseeded</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">30 ml Olive Oil<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">15 g Butter<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 Yellow Onions - medium size, diced<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 clove Garlic, thinly sliced<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 Red Chillies, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">deseeded</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and finely chopped<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">850 ml Vegetable stock/Chicken Stock (boiled hot)<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">60 ml </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Crème</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Fraîche</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, plus more to serve</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Heat oven to 200 ºC/180 C fan. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Cut the squash into 4 cm cubes, then toss in a large roasting pan with half the olive oil. Roast for 30 </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">mins</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, turning once during cooking, until golden and soft.<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. While the squash cooks, melt the butter with the remaining oil in a large pot, then add the onions, garlic and ¾ of the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">chilli</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">mins</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> until the onions are completely soft.<br /></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Tip the squash into the pan, add the stock and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">crème</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">fraîche</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, then whizz with a stick blender until smooth. Reheat gently and season to taste. Serve the soup in bowls with </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">crème</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">fraîche</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and garnish with remaining chopped </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">chilli</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zh8_3hN4QNE/TYY6pl-xiXI/AAAAAAAAAvk/q4m05kEtHSM/s400/Creamy%2BButternut%2BChilli%2BSoup_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586216874044131698" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b><i>Note: </i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you feel fresh </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">chilli</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> is too strong, you can use </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">chilli</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> flakes instead.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">*For Non-vegetarian version, you can add in some chopped </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chorizo</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (my favourite is 'Extra Spicy' ) and omit the chillies if you want :-) If you use chopped </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chorizo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and add it in Step 3, beware your soup will have a layer of reddish </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">chilli</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> oil. What I did was </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">sautéd</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chorizo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> separately and drizzle some on the soup just before serving.</span></span></div></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-68527792899023879562010-09-12T10:09:00.041+02:002011-02-05T16:09:36.986+01:00Grilled Masala Prawns With Pineapple-Mint Raita<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You love pineapples? I sure do... especially the sweet varieties and living in Tropical climate sure do have the best advantages to savour such juicy delicacies. It's </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">one of my country’s oldest agro-based export-oriented industries and </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">so popular that there is a Pineapple Muzeum to honor this humble fruit! You can view some footage of the </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNdYIF5XP0Y"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Pineapple Muzeum</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (Muzium Nanas, loated in Pontian, Johor) and in </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYQW2B_vrfs"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Hawaii</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, a footage of how the pineapples are grown, harvest and processed :-)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For more information about pineapple, you can read th</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">em in my country's </span></span><a href="http://www.mpib.gov.my/web/guest/home"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">local Pineapple industry</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (look for the Pineapple Info/History on the right column) with with some recipes and the </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananas"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">origin of Pineapple/Ananas</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Lately, I was craving for sweet pineapples and b</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ought a large Josephine Pineapple from a local farmer's market. I used it up for cooking Pineapple Fish Curry and left with a quarter portion. As we all knew, pineapples not just great on its own but when pairing with seafood, meat, BBQ and even in curries, the tastes are heavenly! Besides adding sweetness to the food, it also adds tanginess and tenderized tough meat! Oh... beware if you try to use the juice as toner for face, it's very 'sharp' and may cause dryness and tightness on skin surface :-) I remembered once I was scolded by my mom because the pineapple juice dropped on the wooden flooring and left opaque blotches! :-P</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So, here's a recipe of how I used up the last portion of Josephine Pineapple :-D Enjoy!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/TI-mNX5nYII/AAAAAAAAAuM/nkdtmNJaoag/s400/Masala+Prawns-9a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516810817236328578" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Grilled Masala Prawns With Pineapple-Mint Raita</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br />Serves 2-4</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">20 Large Fresh Prawns</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span>Red or Green Capsicums-seeded & cut to bite size wedges<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">OR<br />Green Chillies to taste<br />3-4 Tbl Oil</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For Mustard Masala:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Tbl Ground Mustard Seeds ( I used freshly grounded Black Mustard Seeds)<br />1 Tbl Pounded Ginger<br />1 Tbl Pounded Garlic2 tsp Honey<br />1 tsp Salt</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">¾ tsp Ground Cumin<br />¾ tsp Ground Tumeric</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For Pineapple-Mint Raita:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">200 g Plain Natural Yoghurt-unsweetened</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">100 g Finely diced ripe Pineapple</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2-3 Tbl finely chopped fresh Mint leaves</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Small pinch of salt</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Garnish:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Extra Mint</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Remove heads and shells from prawns but leave the tails on. Devein the prawns.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Mix all the Masala ingredients together n a large bowl. Add prawns, stir and rub to coat prawns with the mix..Cover and allow to marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Make raita just before serving: combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Thread the prawns onto the satay sticks, alternating them with capsicum wedges or Green chillies. Brush lightly with oil and grill until cooked through and lightly charred at the edges. Cook about 2-3 minutes each side, turning once.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Serve prawns hot, garnished with mint leaves and with raita on the side.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/TJDjpocHdyI/AAAAAAAAAvU/uOeCMW-nv54/s400/Masala+Prawns-6a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517159847898347298" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Note:</span></i></b></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You can use ready grounded Mustard Seeds powder sold at Indian grocers or make your own by slow toasting mustard seeds until its fragrant and pops up. Let the grains cool down before grounding. Used according to the recipe and keep the rest in air tight container for next usage.</span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you can't find black or yellow Mustard Seeds, you can use prepared bottled Wholegrain Mustard but adjust accordingly to your taste.</span></i></div></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-13239772903213985002010-08-05T10:55:00.012+02:002010-08-17T03:35:07.699+02:00Chicken Tarragon And Eryngii Mushroom<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It had been a hectic schedule lately for the family. My kid was sniffing and it's not looking good... no thanks to the crazy weather lately (I tried to boost up his immune system with vitamins and rest but in the end the cold bugs won!). So, the stove was not much of smoking even though I got lots of recipes to try out... :-( </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Still, I managed to sn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">eak into one (or two) of the local supermarkets on my way out to fetch my kid from kindergarten :-P. This time, I found new batches of Eryngii Mushrooms a.k.a King Oyster Mushroom (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Pleurotus </span><em style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">eryngii) </span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">at quite low price (less than 2 €/pkt of 250 g)! It had been quite sometime I didn't serve this mushroom and buying them in Europe is really expensive as it's con</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">sidered 'exotic' food along with Oyster Mushrooms, Abalone Mushrooms, Enoki, etc. To read more about this Eryngii mushroom, you can read it </span><a href="http://pixieate.blogspot.com/2008/08/stir-fried-ginseng-eryngi-mushrooms.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">here with recipe</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and an added flavour </span><a href="http://pixieate.blogspot.com/2008/08/ginseng-eryngi-mushroom-insam.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ginseng Eryngii Mushroom</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (haven't find this one for more than 1 year!)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/TGN7SCqaPfI/AAAAAAAAAtg/-s8FTkvbeDA/s400/Chicken+TarragonEryngii-3a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504378719459491314" /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For this hearty 'One Pot' European style recipe, I used deboned chicken thighs and breast meats </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">with smoked bacon. It's easy to make and you can add on other side dishes to it like rice, potatoes, bread, salad, etc. I cooked some left over carrots and zucchini with a knob butter, pinch of salt and few twist of black pepper. Give a quick toss and serve with steamed rice. Oh... one more thing... instead of the usual White Wine used in such recipes, I broke the rule by using Brandy a.k.a Cognac :-P That's what I can find on the shelf at that moment. This French Brandy can be found mostly in <a href="http://www.moodiereport.com/document.php?c_id=31&doc_id=23679">Chinese households</a>. You can say that if you want to win the hearts of your potential in-laws of your lady love, this got to be IT when you pay them your first visit and also for birthdays and Chinese New Year (Martell is the best choice so far I'd seen ;-D). </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">I can say the dish turned out gorgeously creamy, juicy with a hint of brandy and the tender chicken thigh meat was a great substitution that I preferred more from the usual whole chicken! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">Enjoy cooking it for your next fuss-free meal! :-)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/TGN6kY-nVlI/AAAAAAAAAtY/w1Zf_3mW3Q8/s400/Chicken+TarragonEryngii-4a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504377935175833170" /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Chicken Tarragon With Eryngii Mushroom</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 pcs Chicken Breasts Fillets/Thighs (about 450 g)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 rashers Smoked Bacon - cut into strips</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">150 g Eryngii Mushrooms - thinly sliced</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">50 ml Olive Oil</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">80 ml Brandy (or generous amount if you like it more!)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">80 ml Fresh Cream</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Tbl Tomato Paste (15 ml)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Tbl Fresh Tarragon - picked, firmly packed (about 4 sprigs)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2-3 stalks Spring Onion - finely chopped</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Salt and Freshly grounded Black Pepper to taste</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Wash chicken pieces thoroughly and trim off excess fat. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Remove the skin and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">debone, if using chicken thighs or you can leave the bones in.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Preheat oven to 180 ºC.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. In a large heavy pan, heat the oil to medium high. Add in the chicken pieces and cook about 2 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from pan and drain excess oil.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. In the same oil and pan, add in the sliced smoked bacon. Stir for 2 minutes and add in the sliced Eryngii Mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms slightly wilted.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Add in the brandy, tomato paste and tarragon leaves. Stir until mixture boils. Reduce heat and add in fresh cream. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6. Stir in chopped Spring onions and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">7. Arrange chicken pieces in a shallow ovenproof dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Covered and baked in the oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/TGN53Snl-ZI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/TcO1YBqbVCw/s400/Chicken+TarragonEryngii-1a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504377160374548882" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Note:</span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You can use Button Mushroom or any seasonal mushrooms of your choice for this recipe. Besides using Brandy, you can also use Dry White Wine or Dry Sherry. </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you want a healthier version, replace the fresh cream with plain natural yoghurt :-)</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:small;"><em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Bon Appétit!</em></span></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-21758647929581453502010-06-17T19:36:00.067+02:002010-07-06T18:00:03.790+02:00Torta Di Banana (Banana Cake) ... or is it Banana Bread?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mentioned 'Banana', most people would love this fruit, especially children (give them to my kid, he will eat almost </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ kg!). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Banana comes with variety of colors, sizes and tastes. Basically, bananas are classified into 2 types or groups as 'Dessert Banana' (yellow, soft and sweet when fully ripe) and 'Cooking Banana' (mostly used as green bananas in curry, stew and snacks). Banana is famous among athletes as energy booster besides keeping any hunger pangs at bay :-D In fact, the whole Banana Tree has many uses besides as food (I had a recipe using the </span></span><a href="http://pixieate.blogspot.com/2008/06/banana-multi-purpose-plant.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Banana Flower</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> in this blog), </span></span><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2126328_use-bananas-as-fertilizer.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">fertilizer</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, religious ceremonies and also a </span></span><a href="http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/5/2/central/3761286&sec=central"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">new science discovery</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">! If you want to know names of </span></span><a href="http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokok_Pisang"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Banana varieties in Southeast Asia</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, here's a page in Malay language if you're interested but excluding </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisang_Ambon"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Pisang Ambon</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> which is a Dutch made green-banana flavoured liqueur :-P</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">By the way, any foodies received emails or read about Japanese researchers found that fully ripe bananas with dark spots or patches has higher immunity enhancements quality? Whether it's true or not, I love bananas and so did everyone else! On the other hand, if it's true, am sure Pharmaceutical companies are not happy with the news :-) You can read some of the reports about </span></span><a href="http://bananasweb.com/bananas/Health+Benefits+of+Bananas"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">benefits of banana</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and other superfoods that help to boost our immune systems </span></span><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-504920/Make-sure-superfoods-new-year-menu.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and </span></span><a href="http://www.cardiobeamservices.com/cancer-prevention-in-banana.html."><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. I hope any Japanese foodies out there who had came across such informations to post comments and links in my blog. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">When I was in Belgium recently, I discovered </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">a pure Banana Purée/Juice by Delhaize with no added sugar, additives, coloring or from concentrate. It became an instant hit especially with my boy who loves to drink it besides milk. When we're back in Southeast Asia, everyday he would asked for it... sigh... Anyway, I encouraged him to taste the many varieties of fresh banana available locally. He still asked for it occasionally and I would made him Banana Lassi or whole banana ice cream (just freeze any ripe bananas and whizzed it). This leads to the recipe I wanted to share. It's currently one of my son's favourite item when I have surplus of bananas. The recipe is simple and contains no artificial flavorings or colorings. I like to serve it straight from the oven, hot with butter and freshly brewed coffee or tea. You can freeze any left overs and warm them up later. If you like (which I'm sure you would and love it!) pay a visit to </span></span><a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/09/banana_bread_or_1.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">David Lebovitz's Banana Bread, or Banana Cake</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> explaining of the confusion which I had as well when I baked this banana cake or is it banana bread? :-D</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/TCyrXVNMq7I/AAAAAAAAAtA/TxSPCHkN2pw/s400/Banana+Bread-Boy1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488950463175633842" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">...is it a Cake or a Bread???</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/TDNSlQ-0XoI/AAAAAAAAAtI/WRtYa9rtLLo/s400/Banana+Bread-7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490823170861850242" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">... sliced it thick and serve with butter or any of your favourite spread!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/TCUYXhDAwhI/AAAAAAAAAso/KjVNFIDkkjw/s400/Banana+Bread-6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486818513307877906" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Torta Di Banana (Banana Cake)</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 1 Loaf</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 Bananas (about 300 g, peeled)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">250 g Flour-sifted</span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ tsp Baking Powder - sifted</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda - sifted</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">240 g Raw Caster Sugar/White Caster Sugar*</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">220 g Butter</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 Large Eggs (I used about 65 g-70 g egg)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">125 ml Plain Yogurt (optional)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Pre-heat your oven to 180º C/160ºC fan force.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Peel and mash the bananas but not until watery. (I like to taste little chunks of banana in the cake). If you're using yogurt, add it in when mashing the banana.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and continue to whisk until fluffy.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Add in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Stir well and add in the mashed banana. Continue to stir until ingredients mix well but not over mix.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Rub a cake mould/loaf tin with some butter and dust with with some flour. Knock off any access of flour. Pour the batter into the mould (you can also use 2 small loaf tins for this recipe but reduce the cooking time).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until cooked when a tester comes out clean.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Note:</span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sometimes, I add about 125 ml of plain yogurt to the mashed bananas in the recipe to give it a nice fluffy texture and also the sourness of yogurt helps the bananas from turning brown.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">* If you use Raw Caster Sugar, you will have a darker banana cake like in my photos. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/TCUVv8RbI-I/AAAAAAAAAsg/nMnfFizRbw8/s400/Banana+Bread+Boy+(Mosaic)-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486815634398061538" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The verdict of this recipe... :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-30258823249353566892010-04-24T21:35:00.068+02:002010-06-09T22:14:15.049+02:00Ebiko Noodles With Haricot Verts, Prawns and Shiitake Mushrooms<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Today, I'm going to blog about wheat noodles because someone in the family asked me why Asians ate so much rice! Breakfast was Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice with Eggs/Anchovies Sambal, etc), Fried Rice, Porridge/Congee. Lunch was rice... Claypot Rice, Fried Rice (again!), Char Koay Teow (that flat white noodles is made from rice too!). Dinner is Hainanese Chicken Rice, Claypot Rice, Banana Leaf Rice (no, no, no... we don't eat the banana leaves but Indian food serve on the leaves like plates-no need to clean up later on!), Crab Porridge, Duck Koay Chiap... ok, the lots! Now, come to think of it... indeed I ate lots of rice (gasp! horror!) </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Fine... just want to point out that Rice is so versatile that it </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">can be made into many eatable items. I'm not going to forgo my Paella, Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Briyani Rice, Sushi, Risotto, Mochi or Kheer, ok! :-P Click the link if you want to know more info about </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Rice</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Now, back to the topic...</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I was at the local Asian Supermarket one day to discover hidden among the variety of dried noodles displayed on the shelves, there was a stack of dark red colored plastic packages printed in bold black letters 'Prawn Egg Noodle' on it. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We bought and ate noodles either fresh or dried, made with rice (yes, rice again) and the usual cereals or grains like wheat, durum wheat semolina, buckwheat, eggs, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">puréed </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">vegetables or seafood like handcrafted specialties using Prawns, Nero di Seppia (Squid Ink), Carrot, Spinach and even chocolate! My mind made up that this pack was just like any other dried Prawn Egg Noodles in market... but there's something about that package that caught my eyes (or is it instinct?). So, what is so special with this noodle? Look at the photos below and tell me what you see...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/S9g6Mv6oppI/AAAAAAAAAsA/817V4quJ_sg/s400/EbikoNoodle-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465182138509338258" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">See those little reddish bits? It's Prawn Eggs or Ebiko! I wonder how this company made that... but I DID tasted the ebiko bits after the noodle was cooked :-) What I could think of was the ebiko was dried first (or the Ebiko would burst during mixing!) and added later to the dough. Made into thin strands of noodle, bundled/moulded and dried again before packaging.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/S9n9gnhUQOI/AAAAAAAAAsY/tJpvX-NbALg/s400/Ebiko+Noodle-Mosaic2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465678359597170914" /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/S9g6NVUwLDI/AAAAAAAAAsI/49M9mq5rGBo/s400/EbikoNoodle-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465182148550994994" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I did tried to find more information about this dried noodle but I'm lost in translation with what's the ingredients printed on the back of package in solid red and black! I tried to look for more info about this noodle but found nothing close to the description... so, I called it Ebiko Noodle for this dish instead of Prawn Eggs Noodle to avoid confusion :-D</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>Update:</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A helpful foodie Food-4Tots, pointed out that the Ebiko is known as Shrimp Roe which I finally found some info about this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrimp_roe_noodles">Shrimp Egg Noodle</a>-not much but some explanation of its origin.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/S9g6N7CelCI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/eunaFuB8Jp4/s400/EbikoNoodle-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465182158674891810" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ebiko Noodle With Haricot Verts, Prawns and Shiitake Mushrooms</span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 bundles/pcs of Dried Ebiko Noodles</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">300 g Prawns ~ heads removed and deveined (reserved the heads/shells for making stock later on*)</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">150 g Haricot Vert (French bean) ~ washed and tough vein removed</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">150 g Shiitake Mushrooms (fresh) ~ cleaned and sliced</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3 cloves Garlic - minced</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Generous amount of Shaoxing Wine</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Some Spring Onion (scallion) for garnish</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 litre Prawn Stock*</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Seasoning:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 Tbl Premium Oyster Sauce</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Tbl Soy Sauce</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ tsp Sugar</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Salt & Pepper to taste</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Thickening:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 Tbl Cornflour</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">80 ml Water</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Slice the Haricot Vert (French Bean) into bite size. You can use other seasonal vegetables available locally. Sliced the cleaned Shiitake mushrooms.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If using Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, soak them with warm water to soften before using. Set aside. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Prepare a large pot of water, enough to boil the dried noodles. Bring it to boil (or at least half boil) before you start the stir-frying as this dish is fast cooking!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. In a hot deep pan or wok, add in some cooking oil. Add in the garlic and give it a quick stir to avoid burning.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Add in Haricot Vert (French Beans), Shiitake Mushrooms follow by the Prawns.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Next, in the Seasoning and give them an even quick stir. Add generous amount of Shaoxing Wine!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Pour the Prawn Stock into the pan and let it simmer for few minutes.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6. While the gravy is simmering, boil the dried noodles until cooks. Strain the water off and put them into serving bowls or deep plates.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">7. Before serving, heat up the gravy and pour in the Thickening ingredients (stir the cornflour mixture before adding in). Stir the gravy until it thickens.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">8. Pour the thickened gravy on the boiled noodles. Garnish with spring onions and serve hot.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Note: </span></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You can do this recipe with 2 ways. First method as in this recipe if you want to serve fast to hungry mouths or unexpected guests. The other method will be cooking the stock with the thickener separately from the seafood and vegetables. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Boil the dried noodles or pasta first. Arrange the seafood and vegetables on noodle and pour the hot thickened gravy on it.This way, you can prepare in advance if you have more than 4 diners :-D</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">~ Extra ~ Extra ~ Extra ~</span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Making Prawn Stock*</span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Making prawn stock is a good way to use ingredients that would otherwise discard. If you are using prawns in other dishes such as noodles, the heads and shells are normally removed and thrown away. However, they could be used again to make prawn stock which is an excellent sauce to use in various dishes. Once made, prawn stock can be stored in the fridge for about 2-3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Portion of reserved Prawn heads/shells (from 500 g medium-sized prawns)</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Tbl Cooking Oil</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 slices Ginger</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 clove Garlic ~ minced</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 stalk Spring onion ~ cut into 4 portions</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp Salt</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp Sugar</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Heat a pot or wok. When it's hot, add in the cooking oil.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Add the minced Garlic and Ginger. Stir until it's fragrant.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Add in prawn heads/shells and give a good stir. After few minutes, add in Spring onion, water, sugar and salt.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Bring the mixture to a boil for about few minutes. Then turn the heat down to a simmer for another 20 min-30 min.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Let the stock cools down. Strain the mixture ~ sepa</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">rate solids from the juice. Use as needed.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-14115879530421061622010-01-18T20:18:00.000+01:002010-01-18T19:36:48.381+01:00Red Radish Leaves with Greek Feta Frittata<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ggakdugi Kimchi, Takuan, Daikon & Dried Squid Soup ... fresh or pickled,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I love Daikon but I'm seldom into Red Radish until I was introduced to this </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radish"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Summer Radish</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> called French Breakfast. They looked weirdly elongated root vegetables with lovely, brilliant deep pink jackets and white pants but with a long skinny tail! Come to think of it looked like a toy rat (really reminded me of Remy!) for a cat to play with. My son was just as curious as me when we saw bunches of them on the kitchen table. Seems that this specie of plant is related to the mustard found mostly in France than in Belgium but I saw once in a local supermarket and pricier than in France.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SzuIe5EwFWI/AAAAAAAAAqo/2Rld6C5wzsU/s400/RadishFritata-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421076640768726370" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">[Red Radish-French Breakfast variety]</span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SzuIfb3jEeI/AAAAAAAAAqw/UJG76rg_l8Q/s400/RadishFritata-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421076650108588514" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">[Close up of the Red Radish Roots]</span></span></div></div><div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This time, the bunches of red radish bought by our neighbour was far better than the previous batches! The freshness of this beautiful plant with her lushes green tops beckoning me to eat them! Yes, eat them whole especially the green leaves :-D Why not? The leaves smelled like </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garland_chrysanthemum"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Garland Chrysanthemum</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (known as Tung Ho, Tang Oh or Shingiku leaves) that I love so much. I like to add Garland Chrysanthemum in oyster omelettes or just stir-fry with chopped garlic. I learnt from a friend, that if you eat the whole plant, roots and leaves, it supposed to help kidney problems but he was refering to the White Radish or </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daikon"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Daikon</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (Mooli) found locally in Asian markets. Anyway, my main target was the leaves...yummy! I know the leaves are edible but my Belgian side was a bit skeptical about eating them in their next meal :-D So, I decided to cook 2 versions on the same day! For lunch, I made the below recipe but for dinner, I stir-fried the leaves in a very hot pan with just oil, garlic, a bit oyster sauce and some julienned carrot for color contrast. What I can tell you is... my family loved both dishes! My father-in-law even told the story to the 'Red Radish' neighbor about it. They were surprised as most of time they just threw them away as garbage. I mean it's a common practice as the leaves are fodder for the animals or ended as compost. Really weird isn't it?</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After that, I went to look for more infos and recipes using radish leaves and it's amazing what we can do with the leaves of this humble plant. I'm not talking of being frugal but for my foodie friends who haven't try it, please grab few bunches in your next trip to your favorite local farmers' market! Maybe you can try with Winter Radish varieties like Daikon or Gros Noir D'Hiver (Black Radish). Gosh... all this made me craving for Pickled Daikon in Nukazuke... :'-(</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SzuIgKeo1FI/AAAAAAAAArA/y0MgZ31k2CU/s400/RadishFritata-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421076662620574802" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SzuIgeQd6jI/AAAAAAAAArI/p1wML64JMwQ/s400/RadishFritata-6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421076667929848370" /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">[Look at those delicious chunky Greek Feta sandwiched between the mushrooms, bacon, radish and leaves!]</span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>Red Radish Leaves with Greek Feta Frittata</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Leaves of 4 bunches of Red Radish (any variety)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">150 g Red Radish (here I used French Breakfast red radish)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">8 Nos Eggs (12 nos Eggs if you want a thicker frittata)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">200 g Greek Feta (I used Dodoni)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">250 g Champignons de Paris (White Button Mushrooms)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3 cloves Garlic ~ chopped</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Medium size Yellow Onion ~ chopped</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">150 g Smoked Bacon ~ cut into small chunks (optional)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Some Cooking Oil</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Salt and Pepper to taste</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 pkt Mesclun Salad or any salad mix to serve</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>Method:</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Clean the mushrooms, cut off the stems (you can leave it on or reserve the stems for other uses like stuffings or soups) and sliced.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Wash the radish leaves thoroughly from grits and remove wilted/damaged leaves. Drain the leaves dry. If you want to shred or chop it up into smaller pieces for easy cooking, you have to do it just before you cook as it spoils easily once cut up. I had the problem with previous batch when I thought I could save some time :-(</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Sliced the red radishes into thin slices. Set aside.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Cut up the Greek Feta cheese into smaller chunks or you can crumble it just before adding to the cooking.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. In a bowl, beat the eggs well and add in some salt and pepper to taste.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6. In a 10-in, heated ovenproof nonstick skillet or deep frying pan, add in the smoked bacon chunks (if using). Fry them until crispy or until the oil/fat released. Remove fried smoked bacon and set aside. Remove some of the oil/fat or for health reasons, replace it with your usual cooking oil or mix both to give some smoky flavour to the dish. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">7. While pan still hot, add in chopped garlic and onions, fry until the onions almost transparent. Add in the sliced button mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms half way cooked. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">8. Pour in the beaten egg mixture; add in the fried smoked bacon (if using) and chopped radish leaves. Stir the egg and vegetable mixture evenly.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">9. Add in the crumbled Greek feta cheese and then the sliced Red Radishes.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">10. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Reduce heat to low so the base of the frittata doesn't burn. Cook until the frittata is set around the edge but still runny in the centre. </span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 16px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:14px;"><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">11.Adjust the level of your rack, so that your pan is about 4-6 inches from the grill/heater. Preheat your oven to 220ºC/ grill on high (please refer to the manufacturer's guide).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">12. Put the pan or skillet under the heater (broiler) for about 2-4 minutes or cook the frittata under grill until golden brown and just set. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Cut into wedges and serve with your choice of salad mix.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><b>Note:</b> You can use the Italian traditional way of cooking frittata instead of browning it in the oven or cook it straight all the way in the pan ~ that's me when I'm too busy (or lazy!). I used those multi-purpose flat pans (the ones I got at home were old AMC collections which amazingly still user-friendly today!) to brown the frittata on both sides :-D</i></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">PS. Do you think the name of the dish a bit like Tongue Twister? :-D</span></span></p></span></div></div></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-37170061218402909192010-01-07T02:50:00.008+01:002010-01-07T08:06:36.680+01:00A Beautiful and Surprised ending to 2009!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">There goes another year and another new year to begin with. So many memories and events that happened during 2009. Funny, I still haven't accomplished what I wanted to do from last year. Maybe I should brought forward the balance? :-) I did participated in BloggerAid Cookbook as I announced earlier in my latest blog entry BUT I think the most unexpected surprise for me was one of </span><a href="http://pixieate.blogspot.com/2009/05/thai-pumpkin-and-chicken-curry.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">my recipe</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> was selected by </span><a href="http://www.saveur.com/siteswelove-detail.jsp?siteId=1546"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Saveur.Com ~ Best Of The Web: Sites We Love!</span></a></div><div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 306px; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/S0VB3OWBlNI/AAAAAAAAAro/EystO_FzG2E/s400/LLTC-Saveur%27s+Best+Of+The+Web.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423813743236715730" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This really meant a lot to me and came unexpectedly before year ending. I found out accidently when I glanced at my site's Live Feed and saw some links or viewers were from Saveur.com! It really jump-started my senses ... :-D I clicked one of those links and voila! The page unfurl in front of my eyes. For an unknown food blogger like me, to have a small part in such well known magazine online and offline in the Culinary World, it encouraged me to improve myself further but also made me felt my efforts are not a waste of time! Thank you so much to Saveur.Com!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It took me some time to mention about it as I felt who am I compared to other established Food Bloggers that are famous and even produced their own cookery books nowadays. Then, inside me was a voice saying,"Hey, if this can happened to you, why not to others?" So, I decided to do this entry (actually, early this morning after I sent my son off to school) after months of silence. I want my Foodie Friends not to feel let down by all the rejections from online food galleries or if your dishes didn't turned right after you followed them to the T...:-D Yes, I do envied those gorgeous Photos in the food blogs :-P 90% of the time, I don't have the right location or using improper set ups, blah, blah, blah... but hey, someone out there did notice the effort! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I wanted to wish all my wonderful foodie friends and not forgetting 'Viewers' and particularly 'Anonymous' posters who left encouraging (and also discouraging) comments in my blog ~ Thank you so much and Happy New Year and best wishes to you and family ~ Let's start cooking for year 2010! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-16340481175304119992009-12-12T08:36:00.012+01:002009-12-12T10:02:17.714+01:00STOP PRESS!!! The BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine Cookbook is finally here!<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Gill Sans';"><pre style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Gill Sans', serif;"><pre style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Finally, the much awaited and talked about '<a href="http://bloggeraidmarketing.ning.com/">The BloggerAid Cook Book</a>' is here! In aid of World Food Programme, food bloggers around the world like you and me, teamed up to form BloggerAid. We realised that we can make a difference to make the world a better place for the needy by contributing something we all love and share the passion for... Food. Armed with that and the aid of Internet (who says Internet is bad?), over a hundred bloggers who never met each other had worked together through this medium as a team. Throughout the process, we not only achieved the vision that we believed in but also new friendships were cultivated.</span></span></span></pre><pre style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The 100% proceeds from the cookbook will be channel towards children and education through the World Food Programme called </span><a href="http://www.wfp.org/school-meals"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">School Meals</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Besides providing vital nourishment, school meals act as a safety net for poor families and also help keep children in school especially girls who may not be given the opportunities to study.</span></span></span></pre></span></span></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><a href="https://www.createspace.com/3405882" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(46, 95, 135); "><img border="0" alt="The BloggerAid Cookbook" src="http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu341/BloggerAid/jacketofbacffbook.jpg" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; max-width: 204px; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 8px; vertical-align: middle; height: auto; " /></a></span></span></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>Recipes from bloggers around the world making a difference!</b></span></span></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>By BloggerAid-CFF, Rhonda Renee, Mark Haak, Peter Georgakopoulos, Deeba Rajpal</b></span></span></span></pre><pre><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>Food does not simply nourish the body; food also celebrates what makes the world diverse, as well as, what unites us. The BloggerAid Cook Book is a collection of international recipes illustrating that we can work together and unite for a greater cause. The authors of this cookbook are food bloggers from around the world who have endeavored to make a difference by raising funds for the World Food Programme and encompassing their passion for "all things foodie" at the same time. Through these recipes they share their traditions and insatiable curiosity about new flavours. They pay tribute to the home cooking of our grandmothers, while celebrating the exoticism and richness of a world brought closer together by their hopes to make a difference. With recipes such as Tomato-Cheese Ravioli with Eggplant Sauce, Spicy Serundeng Tuna and Peanuts, Serrano Ham Paella with Oyster Mushrooms, Raspberry Mascarpone Bites and Triple Layer Orange-Passion Fruit Tart we are doing our part to say that bloggers can change the face of famine. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>We chose the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) to receive the funds generated by the cookbook because of the wonderful work this organization does. The WFP has touched the lives of our members, many of whom are from countries where poverty is often a way of life. More specifically, 100% of BloggerAid's proceeds from the cookbook will benefit the WFP's School Meals Programme, which benefits an average of 22 million hungry children each year. School meals are important on many levels. In countries where school attendance is low, the promise of at least one nutritious meal each day boosts enrollment and promotes regular attendance. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>This book is a virtual way for all of us, wherever we may be and however rich or poor we may be, to pull up a chair at the same table and share what we have.</b></span></div></span></span></pre><pre style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>The BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine Cookbook is now available through the Create Space estore. The estore is a connection of Amazon. You won't find the book on the Amazon.com site - royalties for the School Meals Programme are much higher through the estore. The children need as much support as we can give them!!! </i></span></span></span></span></pre><pre style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Please spread the word, purchase a copy for yourself and more for your love ones and friends as gifts for this coming festive seasons in the aid of children of our future... Thank you for your help! Seasons Greetings & Happy New Year 2010 to all my fellow food bloggers and readers around the world.</span></span></span></span></pre></span></span></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-55787324931800232622009-10-05T15:46:00.052+02:002009-11-07T21:36:05.154+01:00Stilton en croûte aux Champignons et Épinard<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The weather is getting colder these few weeks in the coast and for several days it rained continuously. Looks like Winter maybe earlier this year! My little boy caught the cold and coughs from his Dad. Felt like I'm started to have the symptoms too ... sigh... :-( Anyway, I don't want this to upset my day, grabbed few food mags and newsletters from couple of shops my family frequent to. Sometimes, you can get very good deals when the supermarkets and wholesalers on promotions. Few months ago, I got few promo packs of 2 + 1 Galbani Cow Mozzarella for </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> € 2.99! I missed the one that gave 1 tub of Ricotta Finetta :-( Back in my hometown, that price is for 1 piece of the same item! Of course, at the same time, I bought Buffalo Mozzarella too. It's a must in my menu :-D Both items shared the same shelf anyway :-P.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So, this time I was keen to try out some recipes with Stilton cheese and I saw one version called Melty Mushroom Wellington in </span><a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12804/melty-mushroom-wellingtons"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Good Food magazine, October issue</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Now, '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_Wellington">Wellington</a>' in the culinary world is</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:sans-serif, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> informally used to describe other dishes in which meat or fish are baked in a puff pastry not boots! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">That reminded me fondly of <a href="http://www.paddingtonbear.com/">Paddington Bear</a> and his cute yellow wellington boots :-D Anyway, i</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">nstead of the usual fare of having Stilton, I was torn between cooking a soup with Stilton or bake the savoury pastry. In the end, I chose the savoury pastry recipe as I want to use up an 'ancient' ready-to-roll pastry in the freezer. It would be great</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> for l'heure de l'</span></span><em style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">apéro</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">before dinner and I'll have the Stilton (again!) to end the dinner with :-D. I want to try out the recipe because it's vegetarian and it looked quite easy. I'm not that good in baking and I want to improve it seriously. By the way, anyone follows BBC's Masterchef: The Professionals? It's really a great challenging cooking shows among chefs. I skipped others cooking challenges just to watch it.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/StjJC1ymrtI/AAAAAAAAAqY/TWofkh3wSjE/s400/Stilton%26Mushroom_en+Croute3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393281604412419794" /><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">One more thing, if you have those Stilton cheese that came in ceramic jars, you need to spoon it out thinly to layer the fillings for this recipe. It's easier if you can find sliced Stilton (or any sliced Blue Cheeses). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I was lucky this time to taste </span></span><a href="http://www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk/product_info.php?info=p560_Stilton-Jar-PDO---500g.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Stilton from Paxton & Whitfield</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (last Stilton-in-a-Jar I had was from Harrod's) brought back by my father-in-law during his trip to London recently. Here's my adaptation of the original recipe. I'm not sure if I followed it correctly in the pastry steps but the Verdict? It's delicious and will definitely make it again!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/StjJCfiuUqI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/fHOxTb7nsrU/s400/Stilton%26Mushroom_en+Croute2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393281598440231586" /></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Stilton with Mushroom and Spinach<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Puffs</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(Stilton en croûte aux Champignons et Épinard</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><em style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">)</span></em></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 Medium-size White/Brown Mushrooms</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">300 g Spinach leaves</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Tbl Thyme leaves ~ hand picked</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 clove Garlic ~ chopped finely</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Shallot ~ chopped finlely</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 Tbl Olive Oil</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Egg ~ plus a good pinch of salt, beaten for brushing and taste :-)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">100 g Stilton Cheese (or any Bleu Cheese you fancy)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 x 32 cm</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> ⌀ </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Roll</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ready Made Butter Puff Pastry (or x 500g block)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Flour for dusting</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Salt and Pepper to taste</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Heat the oven to 200 ºC/180 ºC Fan. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Remove stalks from mushrooms. In a pan enough to cook the mushrooms all at once, heat half of the olive oil and sizzle the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes on each sides until golden and cooked through (depends on the size of the mushrooms, you may need longer time to cook them). Lift the mushrooms out onto kitchen paper for a moment. Set aside.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. In the same frying pan, heat the rest of the oil. Fry garlic for few seconds and add in the chopped shallot. Fry until the shallots turn transparent, then add in the spinach. Cook for 2-3 minutes over high heat until completely wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the cooked spinach into a sieve to drain the liquid thoroughly.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. On a cleaned, lightly floured working surface, scatter the picked thyme leaves and roll out the puff pastry on top of the herb. Light press the pastry surface evenly to make sure the thyme leaves stick to it nicely. Using a cutter, cut out 4 size pastry rounds 2 cm wider than the mushrooms for the base and 4 pieces of 4 cm wider rounds for the tops (that is 4 cm wider than the measured base).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">*After several attempts to maximise the yield of the ready-made rolled puff pastry, it gave me about 4 pcs x 8 cm base and 4 pcs x 10 cm top. I was lucky to find smaller mushrooms than the base size.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. To Esemble: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Divide the cooked spinach into 4 portions and stilton cheese into 8 portions. Place the smaller circles on a lined baking sheet. Top with 1/4 of the spinach and making sure that the amount isn't wider than the size of the mushroom. Top with 1/8 of the stilton cheese and then a mushroom, top side up and another 1/8 portion of stilton cheese. Brush the edges with beaten egg. Top it with one larger puff pastry round and gently stretch the pastry over the mushroom ~ trying not to trap any air, then press the edges together with a fork. Trim the edges if needed and brush the top generously with beaten egg. Complete the rest of the cut out puff pastries with mushrooms, spinach and cheese.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Leave them to cool for few minutes before serving. (Depends on the types of oven, you may need to adjust the temperature or the pastries may burn. Please read the manufacturer's manual).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Tip:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> This recipe can be made several days before as it freezes well and it's great for tea time as well.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Note:</span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If using large mushrooms like Field mushrooms or Portobellos, it's best to use a 500 g block Ready-made Puff pastry. Scatter the thyme leaves (or suitable fresh herbs available) on floured surface, roll out the block to the thickness of 3 mm. Cut out 4 pieces pastry rounds 5 cm wider than the mushrooms and 4 pieces of 10 cm wider rounds for the tops, re-rolling the trimmings if needed. If you're short of time (like me), you can use 2 ready-to-roll puff pastries; 1 for the base and 1 for the top (like making Ravioli) and follow Step 5 to finish.</span></span></i></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-39117011340114124692009-09-23T04:01:00.054+02:002009-09-30T02:34:46.775+02:00Salmon Tartare Asian Style With Chicon<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This is my third time making </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">raw fish tartare as</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">apéro</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Usually, my preferred raw fish for raw fish tartare is Tuna but it's very expensive compared to salmon! The species of Tuna available in the supermarket here is </span></span><a href="http://www.eol.org/pages/205934?category_id=13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Nageoire Jaune</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> or Albacore. The usual common seafood over here are flat fish, crevette grises, or mussels (my 2 darlings saw juicy ones clinging on the dike this afternoon :-P). Then... flashbacks of poor tunas that were caught before maturing age I saw in National Geographic channel not long ago made my hand grab that pack of salmon! Anyway, the results for this recipe turned out well and my guests were fine and loved it. One of my close Belgian friends, Aldina in Hamburg requested this recipe to be on my blog when she visited me in Penang but I postponed it for quite sometime (until she had to PM me for the recipe! Sorry, for giving the recipe late :-P and I hope your guests loved it as much as we did).</span></span></span></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SsKjiCZVCfI/AAAAAAAAAqA/85owPSlbt8Q/s400/Chicon_SalmonTartare-6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387047909442521586" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I served this tartare back then with large size </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papadum"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">papadums</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and boiled </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edamame"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">edamame</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> beans. Now, I'm back in Belgium, I have the pleasure of eating kilos of Belgium 'White Gold' ~ the Chicon! The thought of serving this salmon tartare using the chicon leaves was because of the fresh and crunchy tasty leaves. I stil wonder why Chicons are considered bitter... I don't taste it that much actually. I had tasted worst than that with other vegetables like </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_melon"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">bitter gourd</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and some terrible Traditional Chinese Medicine when I was sick. The other reason(s) was I short of small plates and don't have those tiny individual serving bowls :-D Banana leaf did come across my mind but you can't eat it, right? :-D I stored minimum 2 kilos of chicon at a time in the fridge and why not using them?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Most importantly to remember when handling raw seafood and meat, clean your hands, utensils and working surfaces before and after thoroughly. Put raw ingredients in the fridge if you're not serving it before time. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much I did. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sr7RXqra5zI/AAAAAAAAApw/IwBLw1fDsP0/s400/Chicon_SalmonTartare-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385972408905295666" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; white-space: pre; font-family:georgia, serif;">Salmon Tartare Asian Style With Chicon</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 6-8 persons</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">300 g Salmon fillet (w/o skin) ~ Sushi-grade quality</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Several ears of Chicon (Belgian Endives) ~ I used about 1 kg!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Marinade:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">60 ml Light Soya Sauce/Tamari</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">30 ml Fresh Lime Juice</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp Lime zest ~ grated finely</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ tsp Garlic ~ grated from 1 large/2 small cloves</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp Ginger ~ grated from a thumb-size ginger root</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Shallots ~ sliced and chopped finely</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Garnish:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp White Sesame seeds ~ toasted and lightly crushed</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 pc Red Chilli ~ deseeded and chopped finely</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 stalk Spring Onion ~ sliced diagonally into thin slices</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Salt & Pepper to taste (optional)</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Method:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">1. Clean the raw salmon fillet under running water. Pat dry with kitchen paper and set aside.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">2. Wash the Chicons properly and pat them dry. Trim off the browned ends, few outer leaves and any bruises. Leave it whole until needed as chicons turned brown and wilted quickly (I usually put them back in the fridge or covered it up in a drainer).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">3. In a clean bottle or container with a lid, mix all the Marinade ingredients and give it a good shake until the ingredients well incorporated. Set aside until needed.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">4. Cut the salmon steak into long strips and dice into cubes ~ roughly about 1 cm x 1 cm thickness or just the way you would prepare Salmon/Tuna Tartare. Be careful not to dice the fish too small or it would be mushy and break apart when you mix in the marinade.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">5. In a bowl, add in the diced salmon and ¾ of the marinade mixture.With a spoon, slowly fold them together.Wrap up with cling film and refrigerate until time to serve.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">6. When it's time to serve, make sure the salmon tartare changed color or turned opaque and the meat is 'springy' cooked by the Lime juice.Taste it again to make sure the tartare is well seasoned. Add more of the left over marinade if needed.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">7. Add in the sliced spring onions, chopped chilli & lightly crushed toasted sesame seeds. Mix it well and serve in small individual serving bowls with separated chicon leaves or spoon the salmon tartare ready in the chicon leaves.</span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SsF1zCRQkjI/AAAAAAAAAp4/b2OylerDR8M/s400/mosaic-ChiconSalmonTartare.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386716148954862130" /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Note:</span></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I put few whole chicons on the side so that the guests can have extras. If you like more pungent, try it with small amount of wasabi to give it a Japanese taste, bird's eye chillies or Scotch Bonnet to give extra kick for the adventurous guests :-) I suggest that you put separately the wasabi or chillies and let the daring guests help themselves.</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">You can use skin-on salmon steak which is a bit cheaper than skin-off salmon steaks. Just don't forget to remove the skin when you dice it! :-P This recipe is also wonderful and delicious with Tuna. You can use Lemon or Yuzu as well :-)</span></span></i></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-83840190426642142802009-09-17T03:11:00.030+02:002009-09-30T03:13:20.694+02:00G Is For... Gazpacho<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">It was hot and sunny few weeks ago that I decided to try my hands and knives for the first time to make </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazpacho"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Gazpacho</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> ~ that famous cold soup slurped world wide! Every where I went, it's in the Summer Menu. It's so famous that food companies even produced it in tetra-paks, cans and bottles! It's one of Spain's famous export besides Paella, </span></span><a href="http://www.latomatina.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">La Tomatina</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, Bull Fighting, Flamenco and... Real Madrid :-D Ok, I admit am not a football fan but I do knew few names here and there.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Gazpacho is a kind of seasonal raw soup with refreshing quality ingredients that's a sure hit and instantly remembered of European Summers besides it's suitable for vegetarians too. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You won't go wrong if you serve it at dinner in those hot summer days! By the way, another similar cold soup to Gazpacho is</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichyssoise"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Vichyssoise</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (scroll down to the bottom page of how Vichyssoise influenced Anthony Bourdain and in entertainment).</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Traditionally, it's blended with hard bread (or stale bread) rather than serve separately as toasts with or without onions. Some people don't like hard bread incorporated into the soup :-) Of course, you can add hard boiled eggs, ham, croutons, almonds if you want to make other variation of non-vegetarian cold raw soups like </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmorejo"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Salmorejo</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajoblanco"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ajo Blanco</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> or </span></span><a href="http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/14497/gazpacho-manchego-the-food-of-legends"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Gazpacho Manchego</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> which is a meat stew (mainly rabbit and chicken meat) from La Mancha, Spain.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">So, here's my first try of traditional homemade Gazpacho or Gazpacho Andaluz with seasonal ingredients! I don't use mortar and pestle for the pounding of vegetables even though is sometimes favoured to give the soup textures and to avoid foaming created by food processors. I imagined with horror, a large barrel-size mortar, long pestle pounding away with loads of vegetable chunks strewing everywhere on the kitchen floor... and a chirpy 3 ½ year old, happily picking up the scraps? Oooofff... :-|</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SrREnRkTLrI/AAAAAAAAAoY/xHGLD6j-gmA/s400/Gazpacho+A+La+Maison-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383002896135827122" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Gazpacho Andaluz</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4-6 portions</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">To be blended in food processor:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ Cucumber ~ skinned, deseeded & chopped roughly</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5 nos Red Tomatoes ~ deseeded & diced (choose medium size sun ripened tomatoes)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 no Yellow Onion/White Onion ~ medium size, roughly diced</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ Red Capsicum ~deseeded & diced</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 cloves Garlic</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3 slices of hard breads (or stale bread) ~ wholemeal or white, no problem</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Liter Water</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 Tbl Red Wine Vinegar/Xérès Vinegar</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3 Tbl Olive Oil</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 Tbl Tomato Concentrate</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sea Salt & freshly grounded Black Pepper to taste</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Garnish:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ Yellow Onion/White Onion - finely diced</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ Cucumber ~ deseeded & diced</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ Green Capsicum ~ deseeded & diced</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Extra Virgin Olive Oil ~ for drizzling, generously</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. In a food processor, add in the vegetables and stale bread. Blend them into a mixture. Add in the salt and pepper to taste. Then the vinegar and blend the mixture again until it's smooth and creamy.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. While the food processor still turning, add in the olive oil and tomato concentrate.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Pour into a soup tureen or pot and chill it minimum 2 hours in the refrigerator. Just before serving, check the taste again and adjust if necessary.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Ladle the gazpacho into individual bowls or soup plates and sprinkle the reserved garnishes over the soup.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Note:</span></i></b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> I like to use Yellow Onion for this soup because I like it's stronger and complex flavour that complements the Capsicums and vinegar. You can use milder and sweeter white onions or omit it if preferred as sometimes it's not included in the Andalusian region . To chill the soup faster, I poured it into a stainless steel pot ( I would love to have it in a Soup Tureen but I don't want to break it accidently) or if you use a tall blender, you can just put the whole jug in the fridge. If you think it's too liquid, you can start with 800 ml of water and slowly add extra water to achieve the consistency you like... or lessen the liquid to make <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-family:'Gill Sans', serif;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>Arranque Roteño, </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>gazpacho cream</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-family:georgia, serif;font-size:small;"> :-)</span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></div></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-63627341982226229392009-08-20T02:37:00.026+02:002010-04-19T20:34:35.886+02:00Lettuce With Orange, Kalamata Olives & Viande De Grisons Salad<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"> <div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;" ><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SoylIgeLJ1I/AAAAAAAAAnM/fH55BBf6TIU/s400/Lettuce%26ViandeGrisons_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371850021120190290" border="0" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div> </div> </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">One mentioned Swiss, images of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruy%C3%A8re_%28cheese%29"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Gruyère</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raclette"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Raclette</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, Swiss Army Knives</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (remember </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">MacGyver's faithful companion?), Swatch, Sigg, Lindt, Quark or </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Caran d'Ache flashes in your mind. There's one Swiss produce that doesn't really take off in certain countries and a put off to some people. Can you guess what it is? :-P</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Two weeks ago, my family was visited by our Swiss friend and his family whom we didn't meet for some years except through emails and online. Guess what? They brought me 6 x 1.5 Lt bottles of </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivella"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Red Rivella</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">! That's the only carbonated drink I would gobbled down anytime! I was totally fallen flat with this </span></span><a href="http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Lactoserum"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">lactoserum</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> or </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">sérum de lait</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> based drink since 1988! For Lactose Intolerance and Vegetarian foodies, don't fret, there's Rivella Yellow made from Soy Beans serum (shocking indeed for me)! I haven't taste it but am not sure it's as good as original version and I prefer my Soy Bean milk as it is!</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Anyway, that aside and for future blogging. Today's a bit hot for my family but the beach is crowded with sun worshippers! No kite flying today as we can't find any spot to take off. I don't want to step over anyone, of course but actually, I would love to! :-D</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For such a hot day (I bet in one or two days, it would rain -my nose is itchy now), I decided to make salad with some Bio Navel oranges I bought few days ago. Add to that, some left over slices of my favourite air-dried beef, gorgeous beetroot shoots and delicious dressing! With a tall glass of chilled Rivella, I drink to that ;-)</span></span></div><div><br /></div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;" ><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;" ><div><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SpRvSqTWNcI/AAAAAAAAAns/YEbTVUTECwg/s400/Lettuce%26ViandeGrisons_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374042621743609282" border="0" /></div></span></div></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;" ><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Lettuce With Orange, Kalamata Olives & Viande de Grisons Salad</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 nos Lettuce</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 nos Oranges</span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 pkt Viande De Grison (available in ± 20 pcs/pkt)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Kalamata Olives (or any Black Olives)</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Germes de Betteraves Rouge (Young Beetroot Shoots) ~ optional</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For the Vinaigrette:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5 Tbl Red Wine Vinegar or juice of 2 Limes/Lemons</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Salt and Pepper to taste</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Separate the leaves of lettuce individually. Wash and dry the leaves thoroughly.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Wash and remove the outer skin and white pith of the oranges. Slice into rounds. Keep aside and reserve the juice in a small bowl.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. In the same small bowl with the orange juice, add in red wine vinegar, olive oil, ground pepper and salt to taste. Whisk until well mix.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Prepare a Salad bowl, put in the lettuce leaves. Pour in the vinaigrette and gently toss the lettuce leaves until well coated. Use hands if you must :-P.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Arrange the lettuce leaves in large Salad Plates and lay on top slices of oranges in each plate.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6. Granish with kalamata olives, Germes de Betteraves Rouge, few pieces of Viande de Grison for each serving.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>Note:</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You can also serve the vinaigrette separately and drizzle it on the sliced oranges instead of mixing it into the lettuce leaves. If you want mix the vinaigrette with the lettuce, do it when you about to serve to avoid wilted salad leaves.</span></span></div><div> </div><div><a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viande_des_Grisons"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Viande de Grisons</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> or Grisons beef (</span></span><a href="http://www.grischuna.ch/productsE.html#Buendnerfleisch"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Swiss Bündnerfleisch</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> ~ thin slices of air-dried beef) originated from canton des Grisons, Switzerland. If you can't find this type of Swiss air- dried meat, you can replace with other similar air-dried meat or omit it. I also added some pinches of Sumac, one of my favourite Turkish spice on the Viande de Grisons and the salad of salad :-) If you don't have Sumac, you can use the usual way of eating Viande de Grisons with grounded black pepper.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></div></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-56026990541913788452009-08-15T16:29:00.029+02:002009-08-19T22:48:03.567+02:00Chicken Thighs With Spiced Sour Red Cabbage<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I love vegetables since I was a child and my mom never complaint about it unlike some mothers on their children, except that I was quite skinny although I ate meat. Meat in our younger days tasted much better than what we have now. One of my favourite was Pork Belly in Soy Sauce with Eggs (I stopped eating pork since 1993, when my former employer had their factory and office next door to a pig slaughter house! I started to consume pork again slowly about 8 years ago but not as much as I used to). When comes to vegetables, what I had seen in my days were mostly green, except when comes to chillies, we have white, yellow, red, orange and with aubergines, there are purple, light green and white. Nowadays, we can see colorful cauliflowers, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes... the lots! What a vast choices to put on our tables and feed our families.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">With so much varieties and colors of our food, we faced the problems of how to maintain their colors after cooking. Of course, we can eat them raw as salads but certain vegetables need to be cook or at least blanch them for few minutes to make them palatable, especially for children. Besides cooking colorful vegetables, it has to be presentable and taste delicious to encourage children (also adults!) to incorporate vegetables in their diets.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">That in mind, I tried the first time to cook Chou Rouge or </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cabbage"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Red Cabbage/ Purple Cabbage</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> to some countries. Most of the time, I added this beautiful cabbage in salads because the fear of seeing it losing its color (turned into dull blue when cook for long period of time to soften it) put me off from cooking it. Sure, I can always reach out for those bottled or canned Red Cabbage but I prefer to give it a shot before calling it quits! Btw, do you know canned beets are used in most quantity foodservice operations? I do envied those food magazines managed to capture the intense color of this Red Cabbage but when you knew about the tricks of how a dish was photographed to obtain such vibrant colors and shapes, it made me wonder if I should produced photographs of the 'real' results or follow the tricks to make the dish pleasing for the eyes (or acceptable for online food galleries). </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I don't have right apparatus or appropriate tablewares to snap gorgeous professional photos and it's not easy when you have an excited toddler tagging with you who just couldn't wait to dip his fingers into the cooked food! Anyway, I decided to post here as it was. It would be great if any foodie friends out there have wonderful tips to share on how to cook Red Cabbage or any colorful vegetables! Experienced foodie photographers are encouraged to share tips and tricks on how to shoot challenging Red Cabbage dishes :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SownkLp8gsI/AAAAAAAAAnE/PbL5AjhYbdk/s400/ChickenThighs+%26+RedCabbage_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371711958103655106" /></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Chicken Thighs With Spiced Sour Red Cabbage</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ nos Red Cabbage (Chou Rouge)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">200 g White Turnips (Navet)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 pcs Chicken Thighs</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 Tbls Cooking Oil</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ nos </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Orange ~ for juice only</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4 Tbls Apple Cider Vinegar (or more to taste)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp Ground Paprika</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp Gound Coriander</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Salt and Black Pepper to taste</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Wash and slice thinly the red cabbage. Peel and grate coarsely the white turnips.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Wash the chicken thighs thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen papers. Marinade with some salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside for few minutes.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. In a large deep pan, heat the cooking oil until it's hot (you will see the oil smokey). Shallow fry the chicken thighs on both sides until golden brown. Dish up and keep them warm in 2 separate plates.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. In the same pan, add in the sliced red cabbage and white turnip. Cook for 2-3 minutes.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Add in the rest of the vinegar, orange juice and grounded spices. If you want, a</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">dd in some salt and pepper to taste. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mix well and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6. Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables and cook covered for another 15 minutes in medium heat. Serve hot as it is or with grilled polenta.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SownjSbyDqI/AAAAAAAAAm0/Bk0KSVtCnIw/s400/ChickenThighs+%26+RedCabbage_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371711942743428770" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-67702928742243530412009-08-09T21:56:00.025+02:002009-08-11T00:10:20.971+02:00Fried Salted Fish in Tamarind Sauce (Ikan Masin Masak Branda)<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, fantasy; ">When my mom was around, she used to cook this s<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, fantasy; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">alted fish dish which I loved very much. Sometimes, when she can't find the firm and meatier salted fish, she would used other types of firm meat salted fish. I don't fancy soft meat salted fish like gelama that much for this dish :-) In the Penang island, this style of cooking is known as Masak Branda or sometimes, it's written as Masak Belanda but in Malacca it's known as Goreng Asam. I suspected the name of the dish may be influenced by Indonesian Peranakans from Medan in North Sumatera which is very close to Penang island. During the heyday of Spice Trail and colonisations, Indonesia was influenced by Dutch (in my country, the locals still call Netherlands as </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Holland</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">) or Belanda in Malay language (derived from Portuguese ~ 'Holanda').</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I also discovered this versatile sauce or gravy for this dish easily adapted for fried eggs, meat, seafood and vegetables as well. My favourite vegetable for this tamarind gravy is aubergine (eggplant or brinjal), which I will post the soonest.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you read or knew </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peranakan"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Peranakan culture in Southeast Asia</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, a Nyonya was trained not just the cooking skills but also able to adapt their recipes accordingly to seasonal ingredients. I hope Peranakan culture and cuisine stays in years to come as younger generations of this minority group found the tradition is no longer practical in today's world. As the older generations faded away, it's easy to dine </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peranakan_cuisine"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Nyonya cuisine</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> in restaurants but I can assured you, the best Nyonya cuisine comes from the home and from the heart. It's truly an authentic amalgam of Malaysian cultures. If you ever invited to a Peranakan Nyonya home for meal, DON'T decline it! No second thoughts! ;-)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sn82QHeZfPI/AAAAAAAAAmc/qqL_4XBOY-8/s400/IkanMasakBranda_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368068931361275122" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Gill Sans';font-size:medium;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Fried Salted Fish in Tamarind Sauce (Ikan Masin Masak Branda)</span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4-6</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">150 g Dried Salted Fish Meat (preferably firm and white fish meat like Red Snapper, Threadfin or Cod)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 nos Fresh Red Chillies ~ sliced diagonally</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6 nos Red Shallots (Asian Red Shallots) ~ sliced thinly</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5 cloves Garlic ~ sliced thinly</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">20 g Ginger ~ cleaned, removed outer skin & julliened</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">300 ml Tamarind Juice ( or 35 g Tamarind Puree + 250 ml water)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">20 g Raw Cane Sugar or to taste (or Granulated Sugar)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 g - 2 g Grounded White Pepper or to taste (about 1/2 tsp full)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Cooking Oil</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Garnish (optional):</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Some chopped Fresh Coriander, Spring Onions, Crispy fried shallots or Ginger</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Removed any dried scales and hard fish bones hidden within the salted fish meat. Sliced the dried salted fish meat of your choice about 0.5 cm thick pieces. Soak them in water for few minutes. Remove and pat the pieces dry with kitchen paper. Set aside.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Heat some cooking oil in a pan enough to fry the salted fish meat ( I used about 125 ml cooking oil for the amount of salted fish I used). When the oil is hot, fry the salted fish pieces until crispy but be careful not to burn them. Remove them quickly into some kitchen paper to absorb the access oil. Arrange the salted fish into a serving plate.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Remove some of the oil and leave about 50 ml in the pan. Stir-fry the sliced chillies, red shallots, garlic and ginger until fragrant.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Add in the Tamarind juice and let the gravy boils for few minutes.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Add in sugar and grounded white pepper to taste and continue to let the gravy boils until it thickens to your preference.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6. Pour the thickened gravy over the fried salted fish pieces in the serving plate. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, -webkit-fantasy; ">Serve with hot steamed rice or rice congee with other condiments.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, -webkit-fantasy;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SoCaYwvM29I/AAAAAAAAAms/c5hucMeSmh8/s400/IkanMasakBranda_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368460506016046034" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Note: </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you can't find Tamarind Purée (with seeds and impurities remove), use the usual Tamarind pulp with seeds. You may need more amount than the Tamarind Purée. I usually average it 1 teaspoon full of Tamarind Purée to 1 Tablespoon full of Tamarind Pulp. In Malaysia's Peranakan or Nyonya cuisine, each household has their own taste preferences. It's difficult to give exact measurement as most recipes literally handed down through the female generations. For this recipe, I like it more sour with lots of ginger and garlic. For chilli fans, you can replace fresh chillies with dried chillies instead :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you can't find firm whole salted fish meat fillets like Spanish Mackerel, Red Snapper, Threadfin, you can use those small salted fish that had been sliced and dried in halves in Thai supermarkets or major Asian shops.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></div></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-1128941088534913312009-08-03T17:04:00.019+02:002009-08-06T23:14:17.767+02:00Watermelon & Feta Salad (Karpouzi Me Feta)<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, -webkit-fantasy; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Like a magnet, I directed my steps towards one of the narrow str</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, fantasy;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">eets leading into the city centre. It was a hot day by my standard but not for the sun lovers of this beach city ~ the </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostend"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">largest in the Belgian Coast</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. I'm not a sun worshipper since childhood days. I disliked putting sun lotion/sun block repeatedly </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">on my face and body to be bake like lobster :-P Besides, few days ago a documentary in TV5 Monde showed that certain chemicals in sun block caused coral bleaching, increased </span></span><a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/07/02/sunblock-cancer-part-one.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">skin cancer</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and a research done in Zurich discovered </span></span><a href="http://www.skinbiology.com/toxicsunscreens.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">certain chemicals in sunblock</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> brands caused genital deformation in rats (sorry, animal lovers... I think in this case, it's unavoidable) which I definitely not going to apply it on my son or on any kids! I'm going to get an </span></span><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2189803_use-organic-sun-block.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">organic sun block</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> for the family in my next shopping trip :-) If you need to go out to the beach or errands, wear proper sun protector ~ proper clothing, hat, umbrella, sunglass, synthetic-free chemical sunblock and stay in the shade as much as possible. Be safe and still enjoy the warmth of the sunshine!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now, back to this little street I mentioned earlier... Under the influence of the hot sun, there's only one thing focused in my mind ~ watermelon! Standing at its usual spot was the shop I usually tagged along for fast (also emergency) and convenient food supply. What surprised me was, right in front of me was a large crate of... Greek Watermelons! Yep... all the way from Hellas! My hubby jokingly said the fruits must had been following us back! :-D</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">During my recent trip to Athens, Greece I had the opportunity to taste some fabulous local fruits from the organic farmers' market. One of such fruits is the large oblong shaped, sweet, juicy and red watermelon! I was treated with watermelon and feta cheese salad in my Greek friend's home. I read somewhere long time ago about this weird combination but to taste it right in front of me, is a heaven sent! :-D As I searched further into this salad, some people added red onions, fresh mint, olives, red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar and some don't. Can any Greek foodies furnish me with more info about this salad?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For my easy version, I used half of the watermelon (the other half reserved only for me!) and a packet of </span></span><a href="http://www.dodonidairy.com/Home/Products/Feta/Default.xml.aspx?Language=2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Dodoni Feta Cheese AOP/PDO</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (200g) which I found creamier and milder than the traditional sheep's milk </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feta"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Greek feta</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">There are certain ingredients that I didn't added in as I don't have them in the pantry at that moment but the combination of tastes were great even with simplest basic ingredients. This recipe is for my Greek friend, who's also my son's 'nounos', Axilleas S. in mind with no raw onions added. It's 'yucks' for him! Thank you for the fabulous meli (from the beekeeper-seller at the back of your house) and the several litres of best quality extra virgin olive oil which had me worried about the transporting condition throughout the airports :-P</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sno30_Ofs9I/AAAAAAAAAlk/Tm3_Z3bhz5c/s400/Watermelon%26Feta_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366663289430324178" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, fantasy; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Watermelon & Feta Salad (Karpouzi Me Feta)</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 4-6</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">½ Watermelon ~ preferably seedless and sweet variety</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">150 g Greek Feta (preferably authentic Greek Feta)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For the salad dressing:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Generous amount quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used 60 ml)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Freshly Grounded Black Pepper to taste</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Rice Vinegar to taste (optional ~ I used about about 10-20 ml)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Fleur De Sel to taste</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Some Fresh Basil ~ chiffonade</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. In a small bowl, mix together the extra virgin oil, grounded black pepper, fleur de sel and rice vinegar until combined. Set aside.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Remove the rind of watermelon and cut into bite sizes. You can cubed or use a melon baller if you like them in rounds. Pour in the dressing and mix gently with the watermelon chunks. Chill them in a salad bowl until needed.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Before serving, crumble the feta cheese around the watermelon chunks.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Sprinkle with the 'chiffonade' fresh basil leaves and serve.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>Note: </i></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>You can omit the vinegar if you like. I tried with and without vinegar before and it's only slight difference in tastes. For me, the vinegar is to prevent browning of fruits and to cut down the olive oil. This salad is great with Souvlaki, BBQ meat and sausages... it's refreshing and yummylicious! Another way I like is serving the watermelon with Heart of Palm. It's amazing taste too!</i></span></span></div></span><b><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SntG-GcMfNI/AAAAAAAAAmU/MmEYQnV-7_Y/s400/Watermelon%26Feta_4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366961413636783314" /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-38024950861261536092009-07-20T23:05:00.000+02:002009-07-24T13:19:46.099+02:00Wanton Wrappers With Quail Eggs, Lotus Seeds and Gingkos Sweet Soup<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia, -webkit-fantasy;">"Waste not, want not" ~ It's a very helpful idiom. I was left with large bundle of wanton wrappers from last cooking session. I let them dried up on a baking sheet on the kitchen top while deciding what to do with it later. Usually, when I made wantons or dim sums for my family, I will buy extra wanton wrappers. You never know if there are torn wrappers or odd shape wrappers between the layers!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Besides that, left over wanton wrappers not only made delicious dessert or sweet soup but savoury dishes like noodles and pasta as well. Believe me, it's really tasty! So, next time if you have torn wrappers (please, not the ones already been wrapped with raw ingredients) or left over wanton wrappers, don't chuck them inside your freezer or throw them away! Just let them dry on a tray, dehydrator, under the sun or in the oven (low temperature). You'll be amazed how versatile these humble wanton wrappers are!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This time, I decided to c</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia, -webkit-fantasy;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ook a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tong_sui"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chinese sweet soup or dessert</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. I'm a huge fan of 'Tong Sui' or Chinese sweet soup. Some of this sweet soups may took hours to cook that unless you have large family or group of friends visiting you, it's no point to make it yourself. Back home in my town, I would go to my favorite sellers to buy them. Of course, when you're traveling or living far away from your home, cravings for them over rides the tedious hours of making them :-D This sweet soup I made is very easy and the 'tiny additions' to it made it even more tastier and healthy too that is, if you don't mind the cholesterol or what the scientists said! I, certainly don't for sure, no way when comes to sweet soup desserts! :-D</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, -webkit-fantasy;"><br /></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SmhUMTzbPvI/AAAAAAAAAlc/8Qws83IeVXA/s400/WantonEgg_4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361627926835707634" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, -webkit-fantasy;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SmhTG4gTgII/AAAAAAAAAlE/CaG1QxdbhVA/s400/WantonEgg_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361626734096777346" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Wanton Wrappers With Quail Eggs, Lotus Seeds & Gingkos Sweet Soup</span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 2</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">12 nos Quail Eggs</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">30 g Dried Wanton wrappers</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">60 g Rock Sugar or to taste</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">50 g Gingko nuts ~ canned or preshelled (optional)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">50 g Lotus Seeds ~ canned or freshly packed (optional)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 cups water</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Some extra water</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Boil the quail eggs until cooked. Leave it to cool and remove the shells.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Wash the rock sugar quickly. Set aside.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Cooking the wanton wrappers (this is a bit tricky part): We need a small pot and a bowl of cold water or ice cubes. In a small pot, add in some water (about 2 - 3 cups) and bring it to a boil. Put in the dried wanton wrappers and cook them until softens and almost transparent. Remove them from the boiling water and quickly plunge them into the bowl of cold water. Set aside until needed.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">NOTE: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The reason I did this because I don't want a cloudy sweet soup. Wanton wrappers are coated with extra flour to avoid pieces stick together. When you pre-cook the wrappers, the extra flour dissolved into water (thus water turns cloudy and yellow due to <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-lye.htm">lye water</a> (read comment #22 at the bottom of page) used as coloring in commercial productions such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_noodles">noodles</a> or desserts in small quantity). The cold water 'shocking' method also made the wrappers a bit springy and not easily torn apart</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">.</span></span></span></i></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. In a deep pan or pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the rinsed rock sugar and cook until it's fully dissolved.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Add in the quail eggs, lotus seeds, gingko nuts and cooked wanton wrappers (don't forget to remove the ice cubes if you used them :-P). Bring it to a boil for 1 - 2 minutes. Serve hot or cold (add in some crushed ice or ice cubes).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-29329059450641534882009-07-02T16:45:00.022+02:002009-07-04T17:05:14.036+02:00Red Snapper Fillet In Thymato Sauce<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, fantasy; ">I bought a small pack of Arrowroot powder sometime ago but it's not been used as much as I planned. I used it in soups but haven't test it in stir-fries. My house helper bought me some nice and fresh Red Snapper fillets and large prawns last week from a fisherman, selling by the road side :-D She's really good at sourcing such produce and I'm really happy with her service :-P I even told her that I mentioned about her in my blog... she's so happy :-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I decided to use the arrowroot for this recipe that used tomatoes before it's due date :-P I read that arrowroot is works very well with acidic liquid (example; tomatoes in this recipe or maybe pasta sauce?). It's neutral tasting it's the best among the starch thickeners besides surviving the freezer with no effects of odd taste or spongy. It also gives high gloss to your dishes ( I think it's fabulous with pie fillings!). One thing of caution though, arrowroot doesn't work well with milk based sauces as I found out when I use it to make ice cream when I ran out of cornstarch :-(</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">H</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">ere's a recipe that I wanted to share. You must be wondering what's this 'Thymato Sauce' :-P It's the combination of 'Thyme' and 'Tomato'. You see, when I upload my recipe and picts to food sites, they have this word/title limits to certain count. So, to shorten the process (actually, my laziness :-P), I decided to call the fish's sauce/gravy as 'Thymato'. I think it sounds better than 'Thymemato'. Hmmm... sounds like one of those weird science projects, huh? Well, If you can have 'Tamarillo', why not 'Thymato'? Hee heee heeee... :-P</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sk9vamiSy0I/AAAAAAAAAk8/CVulcI-zBOc/s400/image_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354620984778476354" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sk0NZE3oAoI/AAAAAAAAAk0/dsr4g16tIHM/s400/image_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353950256468329090" /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Red Snapper Fillet In Thymato Sauce</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Serves 2-4</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">300 g Red Snapper Fillet (or any white fish fillet) ~ skin on</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">400 g Tomato ~ skinned and seeded</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">2 pcs Lebanese Cucumbers</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">1 Tbl Fresh Thyme ~ fully packed/1 tsp dried Thyme</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">1 clove Garlic ~ minced</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">10 g Arrowroot Powder **</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Some oil for shallow frying</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">For Fish Marinate:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">2.5 g Salt (approx. ½ tsp)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">3o ml Ginger Wine (I'd posted a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://pixieate.blogspot.com/2009/05/prawns-with-broccoli-and-pine-nuts.html">recipe</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> if you don't have ready-made wine)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Some Ground White Pepper to taste</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">For Seasoning:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">60 ml Water</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">30 g Raw Sugar</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">2 g Salt (approx. ⅓ tsp)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">20 ml Tomato Sauce (Tomato Ketchup)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">10 ml Rice Vinegar</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Thickener Glaze:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">30 ml Water</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">12 g Arrowroot Powder**</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">* Unless stated otherwise all cup & spoon measurements are level.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">** For this recipe you can use other starches as thickener or glaze like Cornstarch, Kudzu, Potato Starch, Tapioca or Water Caltrop Starch.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Method:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">1. Rinse fish fillet and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut into pieces (depends on the size of fillet, you can have about 3 or more portions). Mix gently the pieces with marinade for 10± minutes.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">2. Slice the skinned and seeded tomatoes into wedges. Cut the cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and then dice coarsely. You can cut into rounds as well ~ as long as the cucumbers cook evenly.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">3. Add the Kudzu powder to the pieces of fish and mix well (it's easier to mix with fingers).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">4. Heat some oil in a deep pan. Fry the fish pieces on both sides until medium-well done (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">62.8°C/145°F degrees core temp)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. Dish out and set aside. Remove the used oil.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">5. In the same pan, heat some oil. Stir-fry the minced garlic until fragrant. Add in tomato wedges. Stir for awhile. Add in the seasoning and fried fish pieces. Let it cook for few minutes.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">6. Add in the diced cucumbers and fresh thyme. Gently mix the ingredients so that the fish pieces are not break apart.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">7. Add in the thickener mixture and gently stir until it thickens. Dish out and serve.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Enjoy!</span></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-70155729491808495472009-06-18T20:08:00.020+02:002009-08-01T00:34:42.384+02:00Fresh Thai Pineapple & Cucumber Salad<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I love </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapples"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">pineapples</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (Ananas comosus), a v</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ersatile fruit in which it's so sweeeeeeet and very fragrant as well! I like to use them not only in sweet desserts, drinks (what's </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">P</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">iña Colada </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">without Pineapple!) or the local favourite like </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Pineapple Jam and Pineapple Tarts! It also gives extra tang (or a 'kick')</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> of sweetness in savoury recipes like Pineapple Pajeri, Achar, Crab Curry, Salt Fish with Pineapple Curry, Sambals, Rojaks, Salad... The list is endless with such delicious fruit originated from </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">southern part of Brazil and Paraguay. There are several types of pineapples hybrids that I love, available locally in Malaysia, mainly Moris (Gula Batu/Rock Sugar) Pineapple, Sarawak Pineapple, Honey Pineapple, Joesphine and</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Gandul Pineapple.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I remembered when I was little, I hate eating pineapples even though it's so delicious in my favourite Salt Fish & Pineapple Curry or Laksa. It's because of the dark brown 'eyes', bracts or spots which ever names it's known, caused my tongue to itch and hurt badly. My mom furiously scared when I ate pineapples with hands... :-D It's because the pineapple juice left blotches of marks on her vinyl flooring when dried... :-P Well, occasionally I still have the stings but I can handle it... with MucoAid :-P</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Here's a fresh salad recipe that is very simple to make for a fuss-free hot Summer days gathering with family and friends over the BBQ... with cool and refreshing </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi%C3%B1a_Colada"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">P</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi%C3%B1a_Colada"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">iña Colada</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, of course!</span></span></span></span></div><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sjvz7H62XAI/AAAAAAAAAjs/sRFNrkTxwek/s400/Pine%26Cucumber-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349137179496307714" /><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sj2rt3a-L7I/AAAAAAAAAkE/Jd5v-XPXEDQ/s400/image_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349620736845557682" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Fresh Thai Pineapple & Cucumber Salad</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Serves 2-4</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">¼ pc Fresh Pineapple ~ peeled, cored and dark brown 'eyes'/bracts removed*</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">( * I used only ¼ of 1 whole fresh pineapple)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 nos Japanese Cucumbers (Kyuri) or 1 medium size cucumber</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 nos Red Onion ~ thinly sliced</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 bunch Watercress</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 Red Chilli ~ sliced thinly (optional)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Dressing:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3 Tbl Fresh Lime or Lemon juice</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 Tbl Soy Sauce</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp Sugar</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp Chilli Sauce</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 Tbl Fresh Mint ~ chopped (about 3-4 stalks)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Peel cucumbers and cut into halves lengthwise. With a small teaspoon, scoop out the seeds and cut into 1 cm pieces (you can leave the seeds on if you want, if you're using Japanese Cucumbers/Kyuri). Place it in a bowl.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Cut the pineapple also into 1 cm pieces and add to the cucumber.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Add in the sliced red onion and watercress. Mix well.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. For the dressing; in another bowl, mix all ingredients with a whisk.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly. Serve in a salad bowl or individual plates. If you want extra spicy and hot, add some more sliced red chilli.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Note: </span></span></i></b><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">To avoid the salad becom</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">e watery, add the dressing only when you are about to serve. If you like, add some coarsely pounded toasted </span></span></i></b><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">peanuts or any nuts of your choice.</span></span></i></b></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><br /><a title="Fresh Thai Pineapple & Cucumber Salad on Foodista" href="http://www.foodista.com/recipe/57XDNZMG/fresh-thai-pineapple-cucumber-salad"><img alt="Fresh Thai Pineapple & Cucumber Salad on Foodista" src="http://dyn.foodista.com/content/embed/logo.png?foodista_widget_6YFPTMNS" style="border:none;width:100px;height:22px;" /></a>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-45657083148351765092009-05-31T23:16:00.026+02:002009-06-04T11:21:34.875+02:00Prawns With Broccoli and Pine Nuts<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For the last few months, I'd been eating quite a lot of seafood even when I travelled, I never missed tasting seafood specials of the regions. Of course, prices are hefty compared to my hometown - well, no fret I'll be back and ready to have seafood spree -actually the fishmongers are happy to see me, you know :-D They even remembered when was the last time I patronised their stalls :-P</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I think there will be more meat and vegetables recipes coming (seafood is 'errhmmm' in Europe you know...) There's one scene I wanted to tell... any country I went, my first visit would be their fresh markets. I love the hustle and bustle of the local life, far away from tourists (except me of course :-D ) and sometimes, you may find odd food or specialty of the season amongst the vans, trucks and carts. The scene, I mentioned earlier was the first time I'm in Europe, I was shocked to see pre-cooked crabs and </span><a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crevette_grise"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">crevettes grises</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on display in baskets, trays and crates :-D I'm used to see 'live' crabs in tanks or ponds ready for selection and cook to your specifications. Well, except Flower Crabs and Blue Swimmers, other crabs are kept alive until further notice! What I can say is, today I'm a huge fan of Crevettes Grises! They are yummylicious and I always reserved the peeled shells and heads as stock for soups, stir-fries, steamed seafood, noodles... etc.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Looks like my next seafood tryout is going to be the cooked crabs but judging by the size and weight, it's going to pinch my purse soon :-D Anyway, I'm not doing fish... yet but here's a yummy recipe that may take sometime to cook but I love the results. It's like eating 2 flavours in one dish! Most important thing... </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">mise en place</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... ingredients within reach, very hot wok or pan and fast stir-frying. Lots of handwork involved but all of us can do it! Serve this dish hot with steamed rice or made extra gravy, ladle on top yellow noodles. ramen or egg noodles as a delicious side dish to your main meal!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SiWnpIa0T5I/AAAAAAAAAi8/o1NgL_Kxzd8/s400/PrwnBcoliPNuts-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342860858021400466" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SieR0-IJrFI/AAAAAAAAAjM/9vZ9PAJqG5E/s400/PrwnBcoliPNuts-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343399822114794578" /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Prawns with Broccoli and Pine Nuts</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Serves 2</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">25 g Pine Nuts</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">150 g Broccoli</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">150 g Prawns</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/2 pc Carrot</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 slices Ginger</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 Tbl Ginger wine</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some boiling water for scalding the vegetables</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Marinade for Prawns:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/8 tsp Salt</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 tsp Cornflour</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 tsp Oil </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Seasoning for Broccoli:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/4 tsp Salt</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup Chicken Stock</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3 Tbl Water</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3/4 tsp Cornflour</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sauce (Gravy) Mix:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3 Tbl Water</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/8 tsp Salt</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/4 tsp Sugar</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp Sesame Oil</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp Cornflour</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Method:</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Rub the pine nuts with clean damp cloth. Let them dry and toast the nuts until fragrant and golden. Set aside. It's important to stir the pine nuts constantly to avoid burnt. You can also bake the nuts in oven at 120 ºC for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. I used fan to have even roasting.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. Wash and cut the broccoli into small florets. Slice the carrot into rounds or any shapes you fancy (for this recipe, I shaped the carrots into flower and sliced them about 2mm thick, to maintain the shape of the design). Set aside.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. In a small pot/pan, heat some water to a rolling boil. Scald the broccoli florets and carrot for about 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Shelled and devein the prawns. Rinse and pat dry. Marinate for about 5 minutes.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Heat some oil in a wok or deep pan. When it's really hot, add in the broccoli and stir-fry for while. Sizzle with ginger wine, the seasoning and mix well. Dish out in a serving plate. (Keep it warm with another plate on top if you prefer).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">6. Wash your pan or wok with some water and heat it up again to high heat (to evaporate the water before adding oil to avoid splattering).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">7. When the wok or pan is dry, add in some oil. When oil is hot and smoky, add in sliced ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the marinated prawns and stir-fry quickly for few seconds. Add in the sliced carrots and the sauce/gravy mixture.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">8. Mix well until the gravy thickens. Dish out on top of the cooked broccoli. Sprinkle some toasted pine nuts and serve.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Note: </span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you can't find ready made Ginger Wine in your local Asian shops, you can try to make your own.</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">15 g old ginger - bruised or sliced into pieces</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">60 ml Rice Wine or Sake (please choose quality rice wine)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Add them together in a air tight jar and leave it to soak overnight before using. Strain the liquid as needed. This quantity will keep for several weeks, depends on how frequent you use in your cooking :-)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">♪ ♥ Enjoy ♥♬</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-50439843078431493762009-05-15T20:58:00.012+02:002009-08-01T00:43:00.062+02:00Spicy Chilli-Garlic Prawns<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's been more than 5 months, I had a part-time assistant or helper to do some chores at home. What amazed me was she managed to get very good (and cheaper too) some of my favourites from the local fresh market. I bet she's very good at haggling the prices! Frankly, I used to spend a lot buying food from supermarkets, which has little or no choice at all except imported produces which doubled the price (sometimes ridiculously) and such items had short shelf-life by the time they reached their destinations. Since I employed her, my expenditure for food reduced :-) but I still spend some hefty sums for quality wine or cheeses :-(</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Few days ago she bought for me some fresh medium Tiger Prawns for only 3.10 € which made me grinned and thinking of ways how to eat these prawns. Btw, that price is for 1 kg and varies from day to day. Sometimes, when it's heavy rain, seafood are slightly more expensive. When the price is good, she would buy some for me to freeze, so that I could cook on other days when she's not working for me. No wonder, some of my neighbors seek her help to buy vegetables and particularly seafood! :-D</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For this dish, it's important to know that a very high heat is used to avoid over cooking of seafood yet maintain its succulent and firm shape. Some foodies called it as springy, bouncy or 'QQ' texture that when you bite into these prawns, you can taste the bursting sweetness of fresh prawns and the marinades. You need to practice 'mise en place' if you're going to cook this stir-fry method which worth the effort. Now, let's wok away with this recipe...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sg27ygHsG3I/AAAAAAAAAh8/t4mHIvSqO1o/s1600-h/image_4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sg27ygHsG3I/AAAAAAAAAh8/t4mHIvSqO1o/s400/image_4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336127609793944434" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Spicy Chilli-Garlic Prawns</span></b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Serves 2-3</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">500 g Large Prawns (like King Prawn or Tiger Prawn)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For the Sauce/Gravy:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">50 ml Soy Sauce</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">30 ml Rice Vinegar</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 tsp Sesame Oil</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">30 g Tomato Ketchup</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 tsp Raw Sugar</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 tsp Cornflour</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some Water</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 Tbl Cooking Oil (like Corn, Peanut, Palm or Canola)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 cloves Garlic - minced</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 Tbl Fresh Ginger - minced</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 nos Fresh Red Chilli seeded and minced (you can also use Jalapeño or Bird's Eye Chilli)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 stalk Spring Onion - sliced thinly</span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Method:</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. For the Sauce: Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until sugar and cornflour dissolve.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. Heat a pan or wok over high heat until you see some smoke coming out. Add 1 Tbl of the cooking oil. Add in the prawns and sear until browned on both sides (about 1 minute or so on both sides). Remove the prawns from the pan. Set aside.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. With the same pan, turn up the heat on high and add in the rest of the cooking oil. Add in the garlic, ginger, chilli and half of the sliced spring onion. Stir for awhile until fragrant.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Add in the sauce mixture and give a quick stir until it starts to bubble.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Add the seared prawns and continue to stir-fry until cooked and the sauce thickens slightly. Dish out into a platter and garnish with the remaining sliced spring onion. Serve with hot steamed rice!</span></div><div> </div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tip:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Before start cooking, prepare the other stir-fry ingredients mise en place because you will cook in very high heat and fast. The ingredients for stir-fry have to be within your reach so that the dish not only cooks fast but not over done. This method ensures your seafood stays firm and succulent. If using vegetables, stays crunchy and maintain its color and taste.</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></div><div><br /></div><br /><a title="Spicy Chilli-Garlic Prawns on Foodista" href="http://www.foodista.com/recipe/HTSLXHDF/spicy-chilli-garlic-prawns"><img alt="Spicy Chilli-Garlic Prawns on Foodista" src="http://dyn.foodista.com/content/embed/logo.png?foodista_widget_PXQRS8SB" style="border:none;width:100px;height:22px;" /></a>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-48172887074785080462009-05-05T22:43:00.029+02:002009-06-07T09:21:50.253+02:00Grilled Vietnamese-Style Chicken With Cucumber & Carrot Vinaigrette<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'd been thinking buying a grill pan for sometime now but the problem I'm facing was there's no Round Grill Pan available at the frequent shops and malls I went to. Most of shapes available were Square and Oval... but my cooking hobs are round! It's quite frustrated for me when I saw the 3 shapes in their brochures and they said straight to my face,"If there's none at the display counter, it means we don't have in this outlet. It's the HQ who dispatched the items to us. We don't keep stock such items." Come on... if you don't have THE item I wanted, please indicated in your brochure which outlets the products were available! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I hate to travel 369 kms to IKEA just to get what I want :'-( When are you coming to my area? Sigh... I had to settle for the oven grill... the ole faithful. Well, I knew few tricks to achieve what I want for this recipe but I'm too lazy... actually too tired from the coughings and sore throat problems I had on and off lately. I had to force myself to swallow the %$@# anti-biotics because I don't want to spread it to my family :-(</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Luckily, that didn't deterred me from having a hearty meal :-P Actually, I'm trying to clear my refrigerator as much as possible to give her a thorough clean up and rearrange the compartments. I found an edible Double cream which later on I used for Vanilla Ice cream. There were 1/2 box of Low-fat Coconut Milk, 4 chicken thighs, some Kyuri (Japanese Cucumber) and topped it up with other ingredients, I decided to cook the chicken thighs for lunch. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SgCmL1oRSmI/AAAAAAAAAhc/jciTgwrNoh8/s1600-h/image_2-1.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SgCmL1oRSmI/AAAAAAAAAhc/jciTgwrNoh8/s400/image_2-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332444681111423586" /></a><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Grilled Vietnamese-Style Chicken with Cucumber and Carrot Vinaigrette </span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Serves 2</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">350g - 500 g Chicken thighs/Chicken breasts - skin-on and deboned </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For Marinate (to be blended into smooth paste):</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 cloves Garlic-roughly chopped</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 nos Small Red Onion (Asian Shallots*)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">½ Tbl Fresh Ginger</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">60 ml Fresh Coconut Milk or Low-Fat Coconut Milk</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 Tbl Rice Vinegar/Glutinous Rice Vinegar</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 Tbl Fish Sauce</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 Tbl Soy Sauce</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 Tbl Brown Sugar</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cucumber & Carrot Vinaigrette Mix:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 nos Japanese Cucumbers (Kyuri)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 nos Carrrot (medium size)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 ½ Tbl Rice Vinegar/Glutinous Rice vinegar</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 Tbl Peanut Oil or any oil that's light in flavour</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 Tbl Brown Sugar</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 tsp Salt</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Method:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Wash and pat dry the chicken thoroughly. Place chicken in a ceramic bowl or any non-reactive containers, large enough for the chicken to marinate. Add in the marinade paste, stir to coat evenly and cover (since I used chicken thighs, I made some incisions to let the marinate permeates deeper). Let it sit for at least 15 - 20 minutes at room temperature or at least 3-5 hours for the best flavors in the refrigerator. I left it overnight until needed to have deeper and rich flavor.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For the vegetable vinaigrette;</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Peel the cucumbers and carrot into thin, long strips. In a bowl, whisk the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and oil. Add the peeled vegetables, toss to mix and refrigerate until serving. (I prefer to make salad closer to the end of cooking time to avoid the vegetables become watery and limp).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. Set the grill in the oven to 220ºC (with 2 upper heaters on or the equivalent in the model you have but you can use grill pan, gas grill, charcoal grill or non-stick electric grill). Lightly oil the rack. Remove chicken from the marinate, shake of the excess. Place the chicken, skin side up (or down if you're using a pan grill) and grill until browned, about 7-8 minutes. Turn and grill the other side until browned for 5-7 minutes. Move the chicken away from the direct heat (turn off the upper heaters but maintain the temperature and place it in the middle rack in the oven). Continue to cook the chicken thoroughly for about 7-10 minutes or until the meat turned opaque. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Serve the grilled chicken with the cucumber vinagrette and rice.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Note: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The above cooking times were based on the size of chicken cuts I bought. Depends on the size of chicken cuts, cooking time may varied. Please adjust accordingly to your grill also. If you're using pan grill, the browning is faster because of the direct contact with the pan. Make sure it's on medium heat and cook the chicken cuts until done. I'm thinking of getting one of this pan grill for a change-thanks Jamie :-)</span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*</span><b><a href="http://www.asiafood.org/glossary_2.cfm?wordid=3310"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Small Red Onions </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; "><b><a href="http://www.asiafood.org/glossary_2.cfm?wordid=3310"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(aka Asian Shallots</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; "><b><a href="http://www.asiafood.org/glossary_2.cfm?wordid=3310"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">)</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Small reddish purple onions, commonly used in Asian cookery.</span></span></b></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These grow in bulbs, like garlic, and are sold in segments that look like large cloves of garlic. They have a concentrated flavour and are easy to slice and grind. You can substitute with your local shallots if you can't find it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></div></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-41321203214848392072009-05-02T19:30:00.020+02:002009-06-04T17:39:28.884+02:00Thai Pumpkin And Chicken Curry<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I was curious about this </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thevirgincoconutoil.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Virgin Coconut Oil</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and all t</span><a href="http://www.coconut-connections.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">he fuss</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for some time now. There were shows and information spreading around about this 'healthy coconut oil' which is derived from Fresh Coconut instead of it's dried form, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copra"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Copra</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> which is a RBD Coconut Oil (RBD stands</span><em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: inherit; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">for refined, bleached and deodorized). I finally found some brands available at an organic counter. I chose a smaller bottle to start with as I don't know how it will taste or how good it's heat tolerance in cooking as claimed by many. Also, it's said that Virgin Coconut Oil has </span><a href="http://www.thevirgincoconutoil.com/articles_archive.php?category_id=26"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">medicinal and beauty values</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> ranging for human usage to your faithful pets!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Guessed what? I'm hooked! :-P I was surprised by the quality of this Virgin Coconut Oil... After I cooked with the oil, the sweet coconut aroma was still there and less smoky too when it's subjected to very high heat. I'm thinking of replacing recipes using butter with Virgin Coconut Oil (like coconut in cookies) instead as suggested by </span><a href="http://delicioustv.com/tonifiore/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Toni Fiore of Totally Vegetarian</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> fame. Then I got this idea of replacing recipe using coconut milk with evaporated milk and Virgin Coconut Oil. The evaporated milk to give a creamy look and Virgin Coconut Oil for the coconut aroma... LOL. I'm not sure about other foodies opinions about this replacement as not all recipes are suitable and I still feel that nothing beats the original taste of fresh coconut milk... well, once awhile it's no harm. Everything should be taken in moderation, right?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you are interested to make your own Virgin Coconut Oil, you can look into </span><a href="http://central-america-forum.com/forum-topic/how-make-virgin-coconut-oil"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Milyn and Peter Christopher</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">'s blog, </span><a href="http://homemadestyle.blogspot.com/2007/08/making-virgin-coconut-oil-vco.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Homemadestyle</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span><a href="http://www.thevirgincoconutoil.com/articleitem.php?articleid=158"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Virgin Coconut Oil.Com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Back to the recipe, here's a recipe I used my left overs from recent cooking. I also added extra Bird's Eye Chillies at the end of the cooking to give that extra kick of wake-me-up and for my chilli-crazy brother who visited me so early in the morning on Friday :-|</span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sf80VdN943I/AAAAAAAAAhM/3z4QP5gIYUM/s400/image_3-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332038027055063922" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Serve with steamed rice and chillies!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sf80VRKPogI/AAAAAAAAAhU/ty32smDHDJs/s400/image_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332038023818224130" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thai Pumpkin and Chicken Curry</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Serves 2-4</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 small Pumpkin (any suitable pumpkin, about 500 g - 700g)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">500 g Boneless Chicken Thighs - cut into bite-sized pieces</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">½ cup Thai Basil - firmly packed & chiffonade </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To be blended into paste:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 nos Shallots - chopped coarsely</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3 cloves garlic - chopped coarsely</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3 Tbl Thai Red Curry Paste</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 Tbl Water</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">300 ml Fresh Coconut Milk (canned or packed can be use)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 Tbl Fish Sauce (Nam pla)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 nos Lime (½ Lemon) - extract the juice only</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 tsp Palm sugar or Light Brown Sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3 Tbl Virgin Coconut Oil or Cooking Oil of your choice</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Method:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Prepare the pumpkin; halved, seeded, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks. Washed and drain well.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. For the curry base: In a blender, add in the garlic, shallots, Thai Curry Paste and water. Process until smooth.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. In another small bowl, combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Heat up a pot or deep pan over medium heat. Add in 2 Tbl of cooking oil. Shallow fry the chicken meat until light brown (half cooked). Remove and transfer the chicken pieces into a bowl or plate. Set aside.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Return the pot/pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the curry paste and stir until fragrant </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(be careful the paste will caused the oil to splatter).</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">6. Add in the chicken meat and pumpkin. Mix well with the paste mixture.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">7. Stir in the coconut milk mixture and bring to boil. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">8. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the pumpkin is tender and chicken meat is cooked throughout.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">9. Ladle into a bowl and garnish with Thai Basil. Serve with steamed Jasmine Rice or your favourite rice.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Note:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you're health conscious, you can use evaporated milk instead of coconut milk. What I did before was to use </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Virgin Coconut Oil</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to cook the curry paste. Then I add in evaporated milk. This gives you the fragrant coconut flavour and creamy gravy. You can adjust the hotness of Curry Paste to your liking if you prefer.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-51917826942952388122009-04-23T21:28:00.033+02:002009-06-04T17:40:30.469+02:00Stir-fried Mixed Colored Long Bean With Prawns and Cashew Nuts<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After a nice lunch celebrating my birthday (yep, am getting wiser another year! LOL) in a Japanese Restaurant, my family decided to get some grocery at this mall. It's Sunday and this place was crowded as usual. Judging by the hot weather, I bet lots of people were enjoying the 'free' air-conditioning in such malls besides bringing their families for shopping. Yours truly, preferred to be near the freezers LOL!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What a coincidence, someone we knew participated in a local Model Search held at this mall and we're glad that he was in the final. Later on, I learnt that he didn't won anything because the main awards and other sub-titles (is this the correct term?) were won by the sponsor's own models! OK, the 14 Finalists got something like RM 400 worth of Prizes (Vouchers? Toilettries ... worth € 84.70/ USD 111.08?) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I found it strange... First, they advertised for Model Search which was opened to the public. If they voted their own models (which obviously already searched and founded) as winners, what's the contest for? I suspected it's part of their gimmick to promote their agency but what a biased and unprofessional etiquette! Could it be such practice is confined locally or the same as any model agencies through out the world? Is there any models or agencies that can shed some light in this matter? Yes, I felt it's not fair that my friend didn't win a single thing but I also pitied the other hopefuls I saw that day. They should get a fair judgement and votes! I remembered I saw a petite model about 5 ft 2 in who wore a 5 inch tall high heels... blessed her feet!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ok, now back to this recipe I wanted to share :-D I found an interesting item (also rare) among the shelves of multi colored hues of vegetables! I read about it before but never thought I saw it with my own eyes this long garnet colored long beans! This is the end product... :-D</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SfcPFQAYFKI/AAAAAAAAAgk/nNI1c0dTr9E/s400/image_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329745266886579362" /><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here's the stars fo the dish... the </span><a href="http://www.melissas.com/Products/Products/Red-Chinese-Long-Beans.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Red or Purple Long Bean</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> or </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yardlong_bean"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yard Long Beans (Vigna unguiculata)</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">! I pictured it with some left over, common Green Long Bean variety. There's definitely differences between these 2 species; not only it's color but taste and texture. Which one is my favourite? Any guesses?</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/SfYFhBJxqJI/AAAAAAAAAgU/0OMaGR3kosc/s400/IMG_8564.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329453273842821266" /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Let's get to dish! I mixed the two types of Long Beans with some prawns and nuts. The taste came out nicely balanced with the extra creamy, cruncy cashew nuts. I admitted, I was worried that the Red/Purple Long beans may lose their color and turned mushy, just like their green cousin. I decided to give it a good stir with high heat like I usually did with vegetables - the way I preferred. Voila! Here's the result... The dark color still there and guessed what? It tasted crunchy and not mushy at all compared to Green Long Beans which is still crunchy but slightly softer even though I tossed them into the pan the same time after I mixed them up first in a colander.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Sfh4mhXwTnI/AAAAAAAAAg0/wlPi6lSss6g/s400/image_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330142762181348978" /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Stir-fried Mixed Colored Long Beans With Prawns & Cashew Nuts</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Serves 2-3</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100 g Green Long Beans</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100 g Red/Purple Long Beans</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100 g Prawns - cleaned and deveined</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">50 g Cashew Nuts - toasted without oil</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4 pips Garlic - minced</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">½ cube Chicken Stock or ½ cup homemade stock </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Oil for frying</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Garnishes of your choice</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Method:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Wash the long beans and trim into 3-4 cm lengths. Set aside.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. In a deep pan or wok, heat some oil until it's hot.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. Add in the minced garlic and stir-fried until it's slightly brown and fragrant.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Add in the toasted Cashew Nuts and stir.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Add in prawns and stir quickly (it would curl slightly; do not over cook the prawns or any seafood too long. The texture would be hard or rubbery). </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">6. Quickly, add in the trimmed long beans and stir to mix thoroughly. By now, the prawns already cook properly with the long beans.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">7. Dish it out and serve with your choice of garnishing.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-589057777801750973.post-20129262379633345882009-04-20T22:46:00.026+02:002009-06-04T17:41:26.284+02:00Soya Sauce Chicken<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I had been over buying some fresh chicken meat lately, in fact I was thinking of steaming chicken with some chinese herbs my sister-in-law gave me but the idea was put off for couple of times due to last minute change of plans (which I really hate it when I had to accommodate for the sake of someone else's... grrrrrr) and I landed myself with several pieces of chicken breast meats already thawed in the chiller for couple of days :-( </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We knew the risks of thawing and refrosting is a BIG NO-NO! I had to do something about the chicken meat... fast because later in the afternoon, there would be some people coming in to check rusty rails at my balcony. There would be lots of screeching, banging and sparks flying about ( I wished it was like in Harry Potter). Alas... my poor plants would be frightened off their leaves! Sigh... but safety first. I wished I could changed the railings to flexiglass panels but I need to submit in paperworks ,blahs, blahs, blahs.... which would take months for approval! My day, definitely not only noisy but smoky and I can't enjoy the rain. Yep, I love rain but within the comfort of my home; not forgetting hot chocolate or tea and some cookies... :-D</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well, after standing inside my kitchen for hours (yep, I'm lazy too when it rains!) this is what I could think of after trying to wake myself up with coffee (thanks dear, for the lovely coffee everyday, bisous!) It's sort of the Malay style of cooking Ayam Masak Kicap - it's simple with few ingredients that made this dish fragrant with sweet and tangy taste from the tomatoes. Serve with hot rice, vegetables, fish or prawn cracker and papadums... don't forget dessert! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Se9xmLEHgmI/AAAAAAAAAf8/nqfZmCr9Yoc/s1600-h/image_1.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lf3cwvgHqYY/Se9xmLEHgmI/AAAAAAAAAf8/nqfZmCr9Yoc/s400/image_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327601784821613154" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Soya Sauce Chicken</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Serves 2-4</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5 pcs Chicken meat - clean and pat dry (about 300 g - 450 g)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3 nos Big Onions </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> sliced</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 cloves Garlic </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> sliced</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">10 ml Thick Soya Sauce</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5 ml Sweet Soya Sauce (Ketjap Manis)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 nos Large Red Tomato</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> - </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">quartered (or more if you like)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Salt and Sugar to taste</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Spices for frying:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 pcs Cloves</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 pc Cinnamon stick (about 4 cm)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Few pieces Cardamom (I used 4 nos)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Oil for frying</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Method:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. In a deep pan or wok, heat some oil, enough to fry the chicken meat in small batches. Cook the chicken pieces half-cooked. Remove and set aside.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. Fry the big onion, garlic slices and the spices until fragrant. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. Add in the ketjap manis (sweet soya sauce) and thick soya sauce. Let it boil for awhile in the pan.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Lastly add in the half fried chicken pieces and tomatoes. Mix the meat with spices well.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Season with salt and sugar.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">6. Garnish with coriander leaves or spring onion and serve hot with favourite rice or as side dish.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Note: No need to add water because the chicken meat and tomatoes produced enough water for this dish.</span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></div>pixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08189015058658260987noreply@blogger.com6