Vietnamese Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry

September 4th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

This is a traditional Vietnamese curry.

The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes and coconut milk contrast against the curry spices, giving the dish a depth of flavour.
Sweet and strong – just like the Vietnamese women who I met in the mountain.

——————————

— Vietnamese Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry (serves 2) —

2 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric

250g skinless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped galangal or ginger

1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped

1- 2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes (adjust chilli to your taste)

200g sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)

1/2 tablespoon palm sugar

300ml coconut milk

Hand full of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Cooked basmati rice (for serving)

——————————

Combine the curry powder and ground turmeric in a small bowl.

Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and coat with the half of the spice. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pan, stir-fry the chopped shallots, galangal and lemon grass over medium heat until fragrant.

Add the spiced chicken, the rest of spice and chilli flakes and then stir-fry about 2 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and stir-fry another 2 minutes.

Add the nuoc mam, palm sugar, coconut milk and 50ml of water. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or the chicken is tender. stirring occasionally.

Add the coriander leaves.

Serve with basmati rice.

Grilled Rice Balls with Spicy Miso

August 28th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

In Japan, children are taught not to leave even one grain of rice in your rice bowl, because there are seven rice gods residing in every single grain of rice, so we shouldn’t waste them.
This custom to ‘finish all the food served for you’ contains expression of gratitude for food and appreciate farmers who produced the food.

Anyway, I calculated how many rice gods in this rice ball when I was making them today.

100g of rice = about 4300 grains of rice.
I used 300g of rice for 8 small rice balls.
So, 11287 rice gods residing in each rice ball.

Mmm… they must feel so cramped.

——————————

— Grilled Rice Balls with Spicy Miso (8 rice balls) —

300g rice (Japanese short grain white rice, or sushi rice)

420ml water

Some salt

2 tablespoons spring onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons miso paste (light brown coloured miso is preferred)
*please see this link for more information about miso

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

Some sesame oil for frying

1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

——————————

Rinse the rice in a clod water, changing the water several times until the water runs almost clear.

Drain the washed rice in a sieve and place in a saucepan.

Pour 420ml water in the pan and cover with tight-fitting rid.

Bring to the boil over high heat and let cook for 2 minute. Reduce the heat to the lowest and simmer (always cover the pan with a rid) 15 minute. Remove from the heat, still covered, and leave the pan for another 10 minutes.

Place the chopped spring onion, miso paste, mayonnaise, sugar and chilli powder in a small bowl and mix together. Set aside.

Divide the cooked rice into 8 equal portions.

Wet the palms of your hands and then lightly sprinkle them with salt.

Form the rice into circle shape.

Heat a frying-pan on medium heat with a little bit of sesame oil. Fry each side of the rice balls until lightly golden.

Transfer the rice balls onto the baking tray. Spread the miso mixture on the rice balls.

Preheat broiler, position the backing tray approximately 6 inches away from top heating element. Broil about 5 minutes, until the miso mixture starts to brown.

Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Spinach Olive Pizza

August 16th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Spinach olive pizza. Popeye and Olive . . .  Help me, Popeye!

——————————

— Spinach Olive Pizza (1 x 12 inch round pizza) —

1 x 12 inch pizza base (please see how to make pizza dough. *This recipe makes 2 x 12 inch thin pizza base)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons pine nuts

400g spinach, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

A pinch of grated nutmeg

A pinch of black pepper

120g mozzarella cheese, grated

12 small black olives

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Some black pepper

*****

– for tomato sauce –

2 tablespoons tomato purée

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

——————————

Mix all the tomato sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a frying-pan and fry the crushed garlic and pine nuts over low heat until golden.

Add the spinach and stir-fry over medium heat until wilted. Season with the salt, nutmeg, black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 220C / 425F.

Brush the baking tray with olive oil and lay the round base on the tray.

Spread the tomato sauce onto the base, sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Spread the spinach and black olives over the top, followed by the rest of mozzarella and the parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 15 minutes until topping is golden and the base is crispy.

Sprinkle with some black pepper.

Root Vegetable Chips

August 11th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Bright and breezy. A perfect day for making vegetable chips.

The sliced root vegetables and my cat and I, we all bask in the sun today.

Sunshine brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetables,
and these half sun-dried vegetables makes light and crispy chips.

——————————

— Root Vegetable Chips —

Carrot

Parsnips

Beetroots

Butternut, peeled

Sweet potatoes

Chinese lotus roots

Vegetable oil for deep-fry

Sea salt

——————————

Slice all the vegetables in very thin slices with a mandolin or vegetable peeler.

Wash the sweet potato slices and chinese lotus roots in several changes of water, till the water runs clear of starch. Dry the slices thoroughly on paper towels.

Lay out each slice of all the root vegetables separately on a sheet or tray.

Dry them in sunshine for about 4 hours until half sun-dried.

Heat the vegetable oil to 325F / 160C.

Deep-fry the half sun-dried vegetable slices in batches until lightly golden and crispy (deep-fry each kind of vegetable separately). Drain excess oil on kitchen paper.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Grilled Corn with Lime Chilli Butter

August 5th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Spiky haired corn cobs dressed up in fresh and spicy butter. Looking hot.

——————————

— Grilled Corn with Lime Chilli Butter —

8 ears corn, husked

100g butter, softened

1-2 teaspoons chilli powder (adjust chili to suit your taste)

Zest of 1 lime

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Some salt

——————————

Place the butter, chilli powder, lime zest and fresh lime juice in a bowl. Mix until well combined.

Transfer the mixed butter on a sheet of parchment paper and mold into a log. Wrap the log with the paper and twist the ends to seal. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

Pull back hunks from ears of corn, remove and discard silks, tie husks together with string to form a handle.

Place corn on rack of an uncovered grill directly over heat with husks hanging over the edge or away from the heat.

Grill the corn for about 15 minutes until browned, turning occasionally to cook evenly.

Sprinkle with salt and serve with the lime chilli butter.

Chocolate Croissant Pudding Cups

July 29th, 2012 § 2 comments § permalink

Butter, cream and chocolate. The fascinating collaboration of unhealthy foods.

Umm, bad things are so tempting and delicious.

——————————

— Chocolate Croissant Pudding Cups (serves 4)—

3 croissants

70g dark chocolate

3 eggs

50g sugar

200 ml single cream

150 ml milk

1 dash of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sugar for sprinkle

——————————

Cut the croissants and dark chocolate into small pieces.

Mix the eggs and 50g of sugar in a large bowl, and whisk in the single cream, milk and a dash of vanilla extract.

Divide the chopped croissants and chocolate between 4 ceramic tea cups (200ml capacity per cup). Pour the cream mixture over and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 340F/170C.

Sprinkle with sugar on top of each cup (1/4 teaspoon of sugar par cup). Put the cups in a oven dish and pour in enough hot water around the cups.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until the pudding is just set and golden.

Swedish Meatballs

July 24th, 2012 § 2 comments § permalink

By the way, I’ll never step into IKEA on the weekend again . . .

——————————

— Swedish Meatballs (serves 4) —

200g minced beef

200g minced pork

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

50ml milk

30g breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill

2/3 teaspoon salt

A pinch of ground pepper

A pinch of ground nutmeg

Olive oil for frying

Some chopped dill for garnish

Lingonberry or cranberry jam for serving

Mushed potatoes for serving (optional)

*****

— for the sauce —

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon white wine

1 tablespoon plain flour

200ml beef stock

100ml double cream

Salt and pepper

——————————

Heat some olive oil in a frying-pan and saute the finely chopped onion over medium heat until golden brown. Set aside.

Place the minced beef, minced pork, sauteed onion, egg, milk, breadcrumbs, chopped dill, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well with hands.

Form the mixture into smallish meatballs.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the meatballs over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown.

Remove the cooked meatballs from the frying-pan and spoon away excess oil from the frying-pan and then melt the butter, add the flour and stirring until smooth. Add the white wine and bling to the boil, then add the beef stock, double cream and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and continue to stirring until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the frying- pan and coat with the sauce.

Serve with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, garnish with some chopped dill.

Raspberry Vodka Jelly Shots

July 20th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

1 shot, 2 shots, 3 shots, 4. Red red red red, let’s party.

——————————

— Raspberry Vodka Jelly Shots —

1 Hartley’s Raspberry Jelly tablets

150ml water

300ml vodka

Some fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)

——————————

Place the jelly tablets into a bowl, add 200ml boiling water, strring until the gelatin is dissolved.

Stir in the vodka.

Pour into shot glasses and refrigerate until set.

Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Salmon Rice with Spring Onion Salad

July 15th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Japanese style salmon rice with lemon and soy sauce flavoured spring onion salad topping. This dish remind me of my hometown and mum’s cooking.

I grew up near the river where salmon are born and return. It was amazing to see how they remember the birthplace and swim back hundreds of miles upstream to reach their home.

Home is special for everybody.

——————————

— Salmon Rice with Spring Onion Salad (serves 2-3) —

300g rice (Japanese short grain white rice, or sushi rice)

420ml water

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

200g salmon fillets

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sake (rice wine)

60g spring onion

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon  sesame oil

——————————

Rinse the rice in a clod water, changing the water several times until the water runs almost clear.

Drain the washed rice in a sieve and place in a saucepan.

Pour the water in the pan and cover with tight-fitting lid.

Bring to the boil over high heat and let cook for 2 minute. Reduce the heat to the lowest and simmer (always cover the pan with a lid) 15 minute. Remove from the heat, still covered, and leave the pan for another 10 minutes.

Roast the sesame seeds in a dry frying-pan over medium-low heat until golden. Set aside.

Sprinkle the salmon fillet evenly with the sea salt, cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.

Heat the grill or grill pan over medium heat, skin side down and grill for 3-4 minutes, carefully turn over and grill for another 3-4 minutes.

Break up the grilled salmon into small pieces with a fork. Sprinkle with the sake and mix.

Add the salmon and roasted sesame seeds into the cooked rice and gently mix everything.

Place the fresh lemon juice, light soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl and mix well to make dressing.

Cut the spring onion into very thin slivers. Toss with the dressing.

Transfer the salmon rice to bowls. Arrange the spring onion salad on top.

Toasted Camembert & Grape Sandwich

July 6th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

I love the combination of grapes and cheese.
Fresh, sweet grapes and mature, salty cheese.

Two different things that go together well. It’s like a good marriage.

——————————

— Toasted Camembert & Grape Sandwich (serves 2) —

4 thin slices of bread

Some butter, softened

150g camembert cheese, thin sliced

a handful of red seedless grapes

——————————

Butter each slice of bread on one side only.

On the unbuttered side, arrange the slices camembert cheese, top a few grapes, pressing into the cheese, and arrange the slices cheese onto the grapes. Put the other slice of bread on top, buttered side out. Press together gently.

Heat a frying-pan over medium-low heat, fry the sandwich for about 2 minutes each side until golden brown.

« Older Entries

Newer Entries »