Pork and Clams Alentejo Style

July 19th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

This is a beautiful Alentejo (south Portugal) dish.

My portuguese friend made this dish for the Christmas party a few years ago. I was quite surprised when I saw it, because the combination of pork and clams was so unusual for me, and I couldn’t really imagine what does it taste like (I thought maybe my friend just put everything what he has in the fridge…).

The taste was amazing. Pork and clams work very well together, rich and flavouful taste.

I’m a big fan of this dish since then.

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— Pork and Clams Alentejo Style (serves 4) —

700g pork loin

20-30 clams, scrubbed

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped

3 potatoes

1 lemon

4 tablespoon olive oil

A pinch of salt and black pepper

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

*****

— for wine marinade —

200ml white wine

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon paprika

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

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Cut the pork into 1 inch cubes.

Mix all the marinade ingredient in a bowl, add the pork cubes and mix. Cover and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or over night.

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch cubes and deep fry until golden brown. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy pot, stir-fry the chopped onion and garlic over medium heat until tender. Add the clams, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover the pot and cook until the clams open for about 5 minutes.

Drain the pork cubes (reserve the marinade). Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a fry-ng pan. Stir-fry the drained pork cubes over medium heat until golden brown. Add the reserved marinade, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Transfer the cooked pork into the clam pot, mix everything together, stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the deep fried potato cubes and the chopped coriander.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Curry

July 15th, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

This is a mild and creamy coconut milk-based Vietnamese curry. The beautiful fragrance of lemongrass brings refreshing bright flavour and it’s very simple and quick to make. A great dish for a lazy summer night.

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— Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Curry (serves 4) —

700g chicken thigh, boned and skinned

3-4 stalks lemongrass

3 shallots, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 small green chillies, finely chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)

2 & 1/2 tablespoon Vietnamese fish sauce (nouc mam)

1 & 1/2 tablespoon curry powder

1 bay leaf

300ml coconut milk

2 tablespoons roasted peanits, chopped (for garnish)

2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped (for garnish)

4 portions of plain boiled rice

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Cut the chicken thigh into 1 inch pieces. Crash the lemongrass stalks and cut into 1 inch pieces.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying-pan or wok, stir-fry the garlic and shallot over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the chopped lemongrass, green chillies, curry powder, nouc mam,  palm sugar, bay leaf and chopped chicken thigh and stir-fry for another 5 minutes.

Pour the coconut milk and mix everything well. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.

Serves with plain boiled rice and garnish with chopped roasted peanut and chopped coriander leaves.

Banana Walnut Biscotti

July 12th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Biscotti is a perfect little treat with a cup of coffee.

The mushed banana gives enough moisture to the dough instead of butter and too much oil. So it’s good for your diet too.

I used dark rum and brown sugar in this recipe for extra depth of flavour.

I can’t wait to have a coffee time.

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— Banana Walnut Biscotti (makes around 20) —

250g plain flour

50g brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1 banana (ripe), mashed

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

60g walnuts, chopped

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Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the flour, salt and baking power in a bowl and stir to mix well.

Lightly beat the egg in another bowl, add the sugar, mashed banana, dark rum and vegetable oil, mix well. Add the flour mixture into the bowl and mix to form a dough. Knead in the chopped walnuts.

Transfer the sough to a lightly floured surface board, knead for about 2-3 minutes with floured hands. Form the dough into 2 rolls about 7 inch long, place them onto baking sheet and fatten to 3/4 inch high.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove form the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300F.

Cut the baking dough diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices with serrated knife. Place, cut-side down on baking sheet, Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn and bake for further 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack to coo and harden.

Watermelon Salad

July 9th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

I love watermelon.

It reminds me of my childhood summer memories (watermelon is one of the summer symbol in Japan), and the fresh red colour makes me cheerful.

Well, is watermelon a fruit or a vegetable?  I’ve been questioning it since I was a child.

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— Watermelon Salad (serves 4) —

1/4 seedless watermelon

100g feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt and black pepper to taste

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Cut the water melon into bite-sized cubes.

Arrange them on a plates, top each one with crumbled feta cheese, chopped mint leaves and finely chopped red onion.

Mix the fresh lemon juice and extra virgin oil in a small bowl, drizzle on the watermelon salad.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.

Vegetables with Black Bean Sauce on Crispy Noodles

July 6th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Thick black bean sauce goes perfectly well with crispy noodles.

My body is happy with a lot of green vegetables today.

This recipe is suitable for vegans.

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— Vegetables with Black Bean Sauce on Crispy Noodles (serves 2) —

160g thin dried chinese noodles

1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

4 shiitake mushrooms

300g Oriental stir fry vegetables (such as baby corn, bok choy, spring onion, tenderstem broccoli,  mangetout, chilli etc.)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoons sesame oil

1 & 1/2 tablespoon black bean sauce

300ml vegetable stock soup

1 & 1/2 tablespoon cornflour (mixed with 3 tablespoons water)

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

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Cook the rice noodles (follow the package directions), drain and rinse under cold water, and drain well again. Set aside.

Heat the deep-frying oil to 360F. Devide the noodles into 2 portion and deep-fry a portion at a time until they became crispy. Place them on kichen paper to remove excess oil.

*****

— how to make vegetable with black bean sauce —

Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces.

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying-pan over medium heat, add the vegetables, ginger and garlic, stir-fry about for 3 minutes.

Add the black bean sauce and in the frying-pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour over the vegetable stock soup and bling to boil.

Add the corn flour (mixed with water) to thicken, then add the sesame oil.

*****

Serve fried noodles on plates and pour the sauce over.

Moroccan Meatballs

July 1st, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Spice up summer, beat the heat!

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— Moroccan Meatballs (serves 2, about 16 meatballs) —

300g lean minced lamb

1/2 onion, grated

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon ground paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

20g coriander leaves, chopped

Vegetable oil for frying

Some coriander leaves for garnish

*****

— for tomato sauce —

1 tin (400g) plum tomato

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2 tablespoon cumin powder

1/2 tablespoon paprika powder

5g chicken stock powder

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Place the minced lamb, grated onion, grated garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon in a bowl and knead with your hands until well mixed. Add the chopped coriander in the bowl and mix together.

Roll the meat mixture into smallish meatballs.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the meatballs over medium heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the cooked meatballs from the frying pan and set aside.

Add all the tomato sauce ingredients in the frying-pan, then bring to the boil.

Turn down the heat to low and return the meatballs to the pan and simmer with the tomato sauce for about 20 minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Curry Bread

June 27th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

I saw a man who looks exactly like “Curry-pan-man” in the street yesterday.

“Curry-pan-man” is a famous cartoon hero in Japan. His head is made from curry filled bread. He is hot-tempered and very hot curry sports from his head when he fight the enemy.

I was obsessed with curry bread after I saw him, and decided to make it.

This is a very popular food in Japan (as it became a hero character), it’s a filling snack and you can quickly get enough energy to be like Curry-pan-man.

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— Curry Bread (6 pieces) —

— for filling —

200ml curry sauce (your favourite sauce)

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/2 carrot, finely chopped

1/2 egg, beaten

Some breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil for deep frying

*****

— for dough —

220g plain flour

4g dry yeast

1/2 egg, beaten

20g butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

20g sugar

Some vegetable oil

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— to make filling —

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying-pan oven medium heat, add the finely chopped onion and carrot and stir-fry until cooked. Add the your favourite curry sauce and make thick curry.

(*you can use minced meat instead of vegetables if you like)

*****

Place the dry yeast and a pinch of sugar in a bowl, mix in 100ml lukewarm water. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface.

Place the flour, beaten egg, salt and sugar in a different bowl, add the yeast mixture and mix well by hand.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface board and knead for about 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and roll to coat. Cover the bowl with cling film and and let rise about 40 minutes in a warm place.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 6 pieces and shape into balls.

Roll out each piece into a flat round. Put a large spoonful of curry in the center. Gather up the opposite edges of dough and pinch to seal well. Repeat this for the other pieces.

Coat all sides of the bun with the beaten egg, then coat with breadcrumbs.

Lay the buns on a tray, leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil to 340F, and deep-fry the buns until light golden on both sides, place it on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

Carrot & Cheese Crackers

June 24th, 2011 § 1 comment § permalink

Crackers are blooming.

Carrot and cheese flowers.

Yum!

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— Carrot & Cheese Crackers —

150g plain flour

100g carrot, grated

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

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Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

Mix the flour, grated parmesan cheese and salt in a bowl.

Add the grated carrot and vegetable oil in the bowl and mix all together.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board and roll out about 2mm thick.

Cut out with cookie cutters  and Prick each crackers with a fork. Lay them on a baking try lined with baking paper.

Bake for about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Spicy Mango Soup

June 21st, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

I had a beautiful mango soup at a Thai restaurant when I was having a short break in Berlin over the last weekend.

I made a similar soup today. I wanted to make it before I forget the flavour.

This soup is sweet and a bit sour, creamy and spicy, it has a subtle charm just like Berlin city.

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— Spicy Mango Soup (serves 2) —

1 ripe mango, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot (about 150g), chopped

300ml vegetable stock

300ml coconut milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon curry powder

Some dried mint leaves for garnish

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Melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion for 3 minutes until slightly softened.

Add the chopped carrot and chopped mango and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and bring to boil, reduce the heat to low, stir in the curry powder and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth.

Return the soup to the sauce pan, stir in the coconut milk and season with a little bit of salt and pepper, and warm through over low heat.

Sprinkle with dried mint leaves.

Soba Noodles with Vegetable Tempra

June 16th, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

This is also a very traditional Japanese dish and it’s suitable for vegans.

You can make dashi stock from dried shiitake mushrooms too. It’s very easy to make; just soak them in lukewarm water for an hour, and then, here is the umami-rich dashi stock.

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— Soba Noodles with Vegetable Tempra (serves 4) —

400g soba noodles

Some spring onion, finely chopped

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

*****

— for noodle soup —

6-7 dried shiitake mushrooms

1200ml lukewarm water

50ml soya sauce

50ml mirin

*****

— for vegetable tempra —

90g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

150ml water

2 ice cubes

4 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed

100g red pepperr

100g butter nut squash

8 fine beans

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— to make noodle soup —

Shiitake soup stock: Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in the lukewarm water, leave for 1 hour at least, strain with a fine meshed sieve (if you don’t have a time, boil the dried shiitake mushrooms once and leave for 10 minutes).

Place the shiitake soup stock, soya sauce and mirin in a pan and bring to the boil, turn down the heat to low and  simmer the noodle soup about 2 minutes.

*****

— to make vegetable tempra —

Heat the oil in a deep pan to 340F.

Cut the red pepper and butter nut squash into bite-sized slices.

Combine the flout and baking powder in a bowl.

Place 150ml water and 2 ice cubes in another bowl, add the flour mixture, mix together very lightly with chopsticks.

Lightly dip ingredients in the butter and immediately deep-fry them until crisp.

Drain excess oil on kitchen papers.

*****

Cook the soba noodles in a large pot of boiling water until cooked (follow the package directions) and drain.

Place the cooked soba noodles in a deep bowl, sprinkle chopped spring onion, pour in the hot noodle soup, arrange the vegetable tempra on top.

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