#315 Buttered prawn with Egg floss

Recipe adapted from Hanim Cooks

Ingredients:

• 1 lb large prawns
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 4 bird’s eye chillies, chopped
• 5 TBS butter 
• Oil for frying
• 1TBS onion, finely chopped
• 1 TSP garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup evaporated milk 

Method

1.Heat wok with 3 TBS butter and oil (to avoid from the butter burning)

2. Fry the egg, constantly stir in a circle until the egg turns golden brown. Drain and set aside.

3. Heat oil and fry the prawns until it turns golden brown. Drain and set aside.

4. Melt 2 tbsp butter, fry the onion, garlic, curry leaves and bird’s eye chilli until fragrant. Add evaporated milk,mix well and season with salt and paper. Place the prawn in a stir evenly.

5.To serve, place the prawns in a dish and generously garnish with the egg floss.

#314 Home-made Lemon chicken

Recipe adapated from Blogchef.net 

Ingredients:

2 1/2lbs boneless-skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” cubes)

Marinade-

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

The batter 

2 large eggs

¼ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch white pepper

oil (for frying)

The Lemon Sauce

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup chicken broth

1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¾ teaspoon salt

3 slices of lemon (peeled)

2 tablespoons oil

Step 1: Place cut chicken breast pieces into a bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 2: To make the batter – beat 2 large eggs with ¼ cup of cornstarch, a pinch of white pepper and baking powder.  Coat the chicken with the batter.

Step 3: Heat deep fryer to 350 degrees and deep-fry in batches until chicken is fully cooked. Drain on paper towels and set aside. You can also cook the chicken using a wok if you don’t have a deep fryer.

Step 4: Now, to make the lemon sauce – combine 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Mix until well combined and add 3 slices of lemon to the sauce mixture.

Step 5: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in your wok and stir in the lemon sauce mixture and heat until well mixed and sauce becomes clear. Remove lemon slices and pour the sauce over the chicken and mix.

#304

Rainbow cake (recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients 

• Vegetable shortening
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/3 cups sugar
• 5 large egg whites, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature
• Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring
• Lemony Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush six 9-inch-round cake pans (or as many 9-inch cake pans as you have, reusing them as necessary) with shortening. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper; brush again and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add egg whites and mix until well combined. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and milk in two alternating additions, beginning with the flour and ending with the milk. Mix until well combined.
3. Divide batter evenly between six medium bowls. Add enough of each color of food coloring to each bowl, whisking, until desired shade is reached. Transfer each color to an individual cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes (working in batches if necessary).
4. Remove cakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack; re-invert and let cool completely.
5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the purple layer on the cake plate. Spread a scant 1 cup buttercream filling over the first layer with a small offset spatula so it extends just beyond edges. Repeat process with blue, green, yellow, and orange layers.
6. Place the remaining red layer on top, bottom-side up. Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
7. Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.

#300 Homemade beef burgers

It has been awhile since I cooked a meal for Iman, so today I decided to be a good wife and make homemade beef patties served with Cajun infused fries, salad and a glass of virgin mojito for my dearest husband. 

Balqies' homemade beef burger

(adapted from The Ultimate Makeover Burgers by Angela Nilsen)

Ingredients:

400g lean beef mince 

5 spring onions, finely chopped 

2 finely grated carrots

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 medium egg, beaten 

1 1/2 tsp olive oil, for brushing 

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preparation Method:

1. Tip the mince into a bowl with the spring onions, grated carrot, garlic, and egg. Mix well using a fork. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt, then divide the mixture into 4. 
2. Flatten each piece with your hands into a round, about 2 cm thick - or similiar width to your buns. Chill for 30 minutes or until ready to cook. 
3. Heat a griddle pan. Brush each burger on one side with some of the olive oil. Place on the hot griddle , oiled side down. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. 
4. Remove and let the burgers rest for 3 mins. 
5. Serve with salad and fries. Bon appetite. 

#292 Lemon,Rosemary & Thyme Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

Roast Chicken:

6 pieces of chicken leg (remove moisture with kitchen towels)

1 whole bulb garlic, thinly sliced

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary 

6 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 tsp lemon rind + juice

1 Tbs olive oil

4 Tbs Honey

 sea salt & pepper to taste

Preparation Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190c (fan). Finely chop garlic, rosemary and thyme or use a food processor.
2. In a medium size bowl, add in the olive oil, honey into the mixed herbs until incorporated. 
3. Season with salt and ground pepper to taste.
4. Pour the herb mixture all over the chicken.
5. Place in the oven for 30-45 minutes, serve with coleslaw or anything you like. 

Coleslaw:

• 1/4 small red cabbage
• 1/2 small green cabbage
• 1/2 carrot, shredded
• 1 Tbs lemon rind
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 Tbs Mayonaise 
• 1 Tbs honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation method

1. Remove any tough outer leaves from the cabbage.
2. Trim the core and any tough stems from the cabbage and thinly slice.
3. Add to a bowl with the shredded carrot, lemonrind, lemon juice, olive oil, Mayonnaise, honey, salt and black pepper. Toss to combine.

voila! Bon appetite 

#281

Our fridge is nearing empty, saved for the few numbers of onions, carrots and potatoes. I sat down quietly wondering what could I possibly concoct with such limited resources. I noticed two tins of tuna covered in layers of dust on the shelf, " I must had kept this for a zombie outbreak or something!" I said to myself. Ha-ha, jokes aside, after an hour of preparing and cooking, here we have:

Tuna Bake with mashed potato and carrots! 

Ingredient:

tuna filling

25 g of unsalted butter

4 cloves of Garlic minced

1 large brown onion, sliced 

1 tsp of Dried Oregano flakes

1/2 tsp red Paprika powder

250ml of Whole milk

30 g Parmesan (Optional)

3 Tbsp all-purpose Flour

2 cans of tuna in water (you can use any kind of tuna you like)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mashed Potato & Carrots

5 Russet potatoes (I used russet and chat potatoes)

3 carrots, peeled

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1/2 a cup of olive oil 

25g of unsalted butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Parboil the carrots and potatoes in salted boiling water for 30 minutes until softened, then drain in a colander. 
2. In a large pan on low heat, add the butter and saute the garlic and onion until golden and fragrant.
3. Stir in the oregano flakes and paprika. 
4. Pour in the milk. Once it begins to boil, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese in. 
5. When the cheese begins to melt, add the flour. It should reach a paste-like consistency. Season with salt and ground pepper. 
6. Add in the tuna to the paste until incorporated. 
7. Take the pan off the heat. Lay the tuna in the casserole dish. 
8. In a small pan on medium heat, add the remaining 25g of unsalted butter, olive oil and saute the garlic until fragrant . 
9. Pour over the carrots and potatoes and start mashing. Season with salt and pepper, and layer it on top of the tuna. 
10. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, sprinkling with a little grated parmesan five minutes before the end. Serve with lemon halves, a green salad... or chili sauce if you like. 

voila! Bon Appetit! 

#322 Black Pepper Beef

Photos by Her

1/2 pound beef cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Marinade:
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2  teaspoon cornstarch

Sauce:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1. Marinate the beef: In a large bowl, combine the flank steak with the soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch. Let stand for 15 minutes.

2.  Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.

3. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the beef in one layer and allow it to sear on one side for 1 minute. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes, until the outside is no longer red but the beef is not yet cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

4.   In the same skillet, add the garlic, onions, and peppers and stir-fry until aromatic and the edges of the onions begin to caramelize, about 1 to 2 minutes. Return the beef to the skillet. Add the sauce and stir well to coat. 


Serve with Jasmine rice. 

#105

Ingredients:

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 pound pecan halves

3/4 teaspoon finely minced fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary

1 tsp sea salt

Preheat an oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a standard half sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the pecans with olive oil, herbs and sea salt. Spread nuts in a single layer on the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven, turning occasionally, until the nuts are shiny with a deep golden color, around 15 minutes. Upon removing from the oven, sprinkle lightly with a pinch of sea salt. 

Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Makes 1 pound.  

Tasty Seafood Bake

Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver's Tasty Fish Bake.

Ingredients

• 400g/14oz potatoes, scrubbed and finely sliced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 bulb of fennel, trimmed and sliced
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 4 medium or 8 small fillets of trout, pinboned (used Dory fillets & a mix of seafood) 
• 285ml/½ pint single cream
• 2 handfuls of freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 handfuls of fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 lemons, halved

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Parboil the sliced potatoes in salted boiling water for a few minutes until softened, then drain in a colander.
   
2. Place a 20cm/8in casserole-style pan on a low heat, and add the oil, garlic, onion, fennel and fennel seeds. Cook slowly for 10 minutes with the lid on, stirring every so often.
   
3. Take the pan off the heat. Lay the trout fillets skin-side up over the onion and fennel.
   
4. Mix together the cream, parmesan and anchovies, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and pour over the fish. Toss the potato slices in a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and layer these over the top.
   
5. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, sprinkling with the breadcrumbs and a little grated parmesan five minutes before the end. Serve with lemon halves, a green salad

Tiramisu

photos by Her. 

Ingredients:

1 packet of Sponge Fingers

3 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar

1 (8-oz) container mascarpone cheese (1 scant cup)

1/2 cup chilled heavy cream

2 cups very strong brewed coffee or brewed espresso, cooled to room temperature

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. beat in mascarpone until incorporated.

beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks. add remaining 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks. beat cream in another bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks. fold cream into mascarpone mixture gently but thoroughly, then fold in whites.

in a shallow bowl, dip 1 sponge finger in coffee mixture, soaking it about for a few seconds on each side, and transfer to glass dish/individual glasses. repeat with more sponge fingers and arrange in bottom of dish. spread half 1 1/2" high of mascarpone mixture over sponge fingers. make another layer in same manner with remaining sponge fingers and mascarpone mixture. chill tiramisu for at least 4 hours.

ps/ I'm currently at Iman's house with his sister, Azyan. Waiting to surprise him after a long day at work :)