Saturday, 31 January 2009

Chicken with feta and olives



Ingredients:

8 chicken pieces
1 onion chopped
25g fresh oregano leaves
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
150g black olives
150g feta, crumbled

Heat olive oil in saucepan and cook the chicken pieces, in batches, for 3-4 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same saucepan, heat the remaining oil and cook the onion and half the oregano leaves for 3 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the tomato paste to the onion mixture and stir for 2 minutes, then add the tomato and the chicken pieces.

Simmer, covered, for 40-50 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the olives and remaining oregano leaves. Top with crumbled feta.

Sunday, 25 January 2009

Avocado and tomato soup



Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados
300ml sour cream
1 litre chicken stock
cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, finely diced
1 tbsp of basil
1 tbsp of chives

Mix the tomatoes, onion, basil and chives. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, and set aside.

Cut the avocados in half, remove the peel and lift out the stones. Chop the flesh coarsely and place it in a food processor with 3-4 tbsp of the sour cream. process until smooth.

Heat the chicken stock in a pan. When it is hot, but still below simmer point, stir in the rest of the cream. Gradually stir the avocado mixture into the hot stock. Heat but do not let the mixture approach boiling point.

Season and ladle the soup into individual bowls. Add the tomatoes before serving.


This is like having nachos without the nachos: guacamole, salsa and sour cream. Maybe I should add a bit of green and red chili the next time to spice it out but aside from that, it's a nice filling soup, might be more appropriate for summer.

Chorizo and onion hash



Ingredients

450g chorizo sausages, sliced into huge chunks
450g cooked potatoes, diced
1 bunch of chives
1 onion, finely chopped

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the sausages. Cook until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the olive oil to the sausage fat in the pan and then add the potatoes and onions. Cook over a low heat for 5-8 minute, turning occasionally until golden.

Add the chives and cook for a couple more minutes, until they are piping hot. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.


I had leftover chorizo from my chorizo chickpea soup and this is what I made with it. Oh I think I used the wrong kind of potatoes, they were too floury, i need them to be more crisp in this dish.

Cream of onion soup


Ingredients:

1 kg variety of onions, sliced
1 litre of chicken stock

2/3 cup of double cream
1/2 cup of butter

Melt butter in a large pan. Add the onions and stir to coat in the butter, then cover and cook very gently for about 30 minutes. The onions should be very soft and tender, but not browned.

Add the chicken stock and season to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Leave the soup to cool, then process it in a blender. Return the soup to the pan. Add the cream to the soup and reheat it gently until hot, but do not allow it to boil. Taste and adjust the reasoning. Serve with chopped chives.


I think the first western soup I tasted is cream of xxxxxx, (chicken, mushroom) probably from Campbell. I don't recall having tried cream of onion soup or it could be that I am so used to French onion soup that I have always subconsciously ignored this cream of onion soup. But it is fantastic, in a sense it may be better than French onion soup as this way of cooking it brings out the natural sweetness of the onion, whereas for french onion soup, it tends to be slightly overshadowed (perhaps because of my skill and the skill of those who cooked the ones i've tried) by the cognac/brandy and the cheese on top.

Saturday, 24 January 2009

Thai Chicken and Glass Noodle Soup


photography by Jeff

We came back last night and I really wasn't in the appetite to eat anything after all that crazy food in Singapore. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by the need to eat something Thai and with glass noodles. And I wanted something simple enough for lunch yet tasty enough to jolt my jetlagged stomach.

Ingredients:
3 sprigs of fresh cilantro
3 cloves chopped garlic
some lemon grass
some crushed ginger
3 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
some pepper corns
salt to taste
2 chicken drumsticks (or any other preferred parts of the chicken)
chinese cabbage - chopped
glass noodles
oil

steps:
1. drizzle some oil into the pot and fry the chopped garlic until golden brown
2. add 2 bowls of water
3. add cilantro, lemon grass, ginger and pepper corns
4. bring to a simmer and add the chicken, cook for 30 min
5. remove chicken and shred into pieces
6. add seasonings and add chinese cabbage
7. when soft, add glass noodles, they cook very fast, so remove after a few minutes and serve.
8. Garnish with chicken and more chopped cilantro.

This is very heartwarming and delicious. too bad I forgot to buy chilli padi otherwise might be nice as an accompaniement

Jeff's score: 8/10

Sunday, 18 January 2009

Tomato and basil bruschetta



Ingredients

4 large slices of ciabatta
1 garlic clove, cut in half
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
4 ripe tomatoes
1 tbsp shredded basil

Toast the bread until it is crisp. Rub the cut edge of the garlic over both sides of each bread slice and drizzle oil over each slice.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and mix with the basil. Season well and pile onto the bruschetta

Chorizo and chickpea soup



Ingredients

400g can chopped tomatoes
110g pack chorizo sausage, chopped into thick wedges
140g wedge Savoy cabbage, shredded
1 chili, finely chopped
410g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 chicken stock cube

Put a medium pan on the heat and tip in the tomatoes followed by a canful of water

Pile the chorizo and cabbage into the pan with the chili and chickpeas, then crumble in the stock cube. Stir well, cover and leave to bubble over a high heat for 6 minutes or until the cabbage is just tender. Ladle into bowls and eat with crusty bread


This is now my favourite soup! Add a hard boiled egg on top to balance the taste of the chorizo.

Saturday, 17 January 2009

Pasta al forno (Baked spaghetti)



Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g minced pork or beef
1 tbsp plain flour

125 ml white wine
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
250ml chicken stock
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
500g spaghetti
2 tbsp grated parmesan


Cook onion in large frying pan for 10 minutes. Add garlic, minced meat. Stir until brown, sprinkle with flour. Cook stirring for 3 min. Add white wine. Boil for 1 min. Add tomatoes, puree, stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg. Partially cover. Cook gently for 35 min. Heat oven to 180 degrees. Cook pasta in boiling water, drain. Toss with sauce. Scatter with parmesan. Pile into lightly oiled serving dish. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp

I have always seen this dish in Bella Italia, but I don't recalled having tried it. So when I happened to chance upon the recipe in the London Paper, I decided to try making it. I quite like the taste of this dish, nice natural flavours and most importantly, the taste of the pork (which can be too strong) has become mild and it blends in well with the tomatoes and the cheese.

Sunday, 11 January 2009

Broccoli and chili spaghetti


Ingredients:

Dried spaghetti
450g broccoli, cut into small florets
1 fat red chili, seeded and finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and broccoli and cook for 8-10 minutes until both are tender. Drain thoroughly.

Using the back of a fork, crush the broccoli roughly, taking care not to mash the spaghetti strands at the same time.

Meanwhile, warm the oil, chili and garlic in a small pan over a low heat and cook very gently for 5 minutes.

Pour the chili and oil over the spaghetti and broccoli and toss together to combine. Season to taste. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.


This is probably not everyone's cup of tea but I love the natural flavours of this dish, the sharp contrast between the chili and the broccoli.

Curried broccoli soup


Ingredients:

3 cups of milk
1 large broccoli
1 tbsp garam masala

Pour the milk into a large pan and place over a medium heat. Cut the broccoli into florets and add to the milk with the garam masala and season with salt and pepper.

Bring the milk to the boil, then reduce the heat, partially cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.

Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Return the puree to the pan and heat through gently, checking and adjusting the seasoning and serve immediately with dried coriander on top.



The broccoli can be substituted with cauliflower. I wanted to use cauliflower but sadly it was all sold out at the supermarket (which is quite odd). Coriander goes really well with this soup, somehow it balances the sharp taste of the curry powder which can be quite overpowering if you are insane like me to add triple the amount specified in the recipe. I have no idea why i go crazy with regards to curry powder.

Saturday, 10 January 2009

Farfelle with bacon peas and sage




From Gordon Ramsay: Cooking for Friends

Ingredients

400g dried farfalle
3 tbsp olive oil
8 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
300ml double cream
150g peas
freshly grated parmesan
small handful each of sage and parsley

Cook the farfalle until it is al dente

Heat oil and fry bacon over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the bacon is golden brown. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Pour in the cream and bring to the boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes until reduced and thickened slightly. Tip in the peases, bring back to a simmer and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir the grated parmesan into the sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

When the pasta is done, drain and tip into the sauce. Add the herbs, then toss the pasta until well coated with the creamy sauce. Sprinkle over the parmesan to serve.


This is basically a cream version of carbonara as opposed to the egg version which I think is the more traditional one. I've always thought of the cream version as the bastardised version of it but it doesn't mean i won't want to eat it. Anything with bacon and cream is bound to be nice! Oh and I think English tea goes really well with this dish. I am not too sure why ...

Sunday, 4 January 2009

Creamy parmesan - baked eggs

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 tbsp of cream
1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 160 degrees.


Break the eggs into a large ramekin dish and spoon the cream over the top. Season with salt and ground black pepper and sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.



Bake the eggs for about 10 minutes, or until they are just set, and serve immediately


I can just imagine this dish at a dinner party as a starter. One ramekin dish with a saucer for each person. The key to this dish is the cooking of the eggs. It depends on how you like your eggs done. I love it to be just set so that it's soft and the yolk oozes out when your spoon sinks into it. I used my toaster oven to bake the eggs: 10 minutes without a grill and 5 more minutes with the grill and it worked pretty well. I added freshly chopped parsley and some paprika on top to give it an extra kick as well as a contrast to the richness of the cream.

Oh and those ramekins are new. I just bought them from Robert Dyas. It's one of my favourite stores these days (it, HMV and GAME), I am always browsing the wares there every saturday.

Saturday, 3 January 2009

Pasta Puttanesca


Ingredients

2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan)
extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tin flat anchovy fillets, drained
1 /2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
20 oil-cured black olives, cracked away from pit and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers
1 (32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
A few grinds black pepper
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente (with a bite)
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano, for passing,

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil, garlic, anchovies, and crushed pepper.

Saute mixture until anchovies melt into oil and completely dissolve and garlic is tender, about 3 minutes.

Add olives, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, and parsley.

Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes.

Toss sauce with cooked pasta.




Some modifications to this recipe. I added salmon to it to make it more substantial as a meal. I love the use of anchovies as the base for the pasta sauce, it elevates a plain tomato sauce into something special.

Friday, 2 January 2009

Claypot Rice (with a rice cooker)


How it looks in the rice cooker.

Lunch is served.


I remember when I first left for Melbourne for my first degree, my mom would tell me the wonders of the rice-cooker, and how I should make claypot rice. Now claypot rice is a beloved dish in my family. When I was a little girl, my family and relatives would come together on a Sunday evening, drive down to that particular stall in Chinatown, order a few claypots of rice and wait a really long time for it to arrive. The anticipation was full of chatter and excitement and the final arrival of the fragrant, slightly burnt rice was always greeted with oohs and aahs and within minutes, everything was devoured.

So my mom kept telling me that it's a perfect one-dish meal. And I never cooked it. Lately, I've been missing my mom. And when one misses her mom, one will hear her mom's voice (or nagging?) in her mind's ears. So yea, it dawned upon me that claypot rice might not be such a bad idea after all.

Marinade chicken wings with oyster sauce, sesame oil, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce overnight. Add some chinese wine if you have (i don't). Chop some garlic and mix it with rice and cook the rice in the rice cooker the normal way. Then when rice is half cooked, add the chicken wings, pre-soaked and squeezed dry dried shitake mushrooms, and some cabbage. When the rice cooks, drizzle with 1tsp of sesame oil and dark soy sauce, fluff and eat.

It's a really easy and heartening dish to eat. Jeff loves it! I think what's missing is the chinese wine and chinese sausage. That will really add complexity to the flavour.

Oh, please add the cabbage last, I put it in wayyy too early with the rice and all I got was wisps of fibre...heh.

Thursday, 1 January 2009

Rosti



Ingredients:

2 potatoes (King Edward or normal Waitrose potatoes)
1 tbsp of butter
olive oil


Grate the potato. Squeeze and drain all the liquid from the grated potatoes. Add the melted butter then season it with salt and pepper.

Fry it with olive oil at medium high heat on one side for about 8 minutes. Flip the potatoes over and continue frying for about 8 minutes until it is brown and crispy.

Serve with parsley and a dollop of creme fraiche.

Just be careful not to get it burnt and not to get hands shredded.