How to mince and peel garlic the “easy way”
January 28, 2009
How:
Just put the clove of garlic/s on your chopping board or any flat surface. Using the side of your knife, press the garlic with your free hand. Make sure you press it well. Take the peel of the garlic and mince. Easy.
Cheesy Lumpiang Shanghai
January 28, 2009
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 kg ground pork
1/4 kg shrimp (peeled and minced)
1 medium white onion (finely chopped)
1 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1/2 carrot, finely grated
1 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsps oyster sauce
1/3 of 225 gram bar cheddar cheese (grated)
2 tbsp. celery (finely chopped)
1 egg, beaten
15-20 pcs. lumpia (spring roll) wrappers
cooking oil for frying
1 egg white for sealing
PROCEDURE:
Mix everything together using your hand to incorporate all ingredients well. This serves as your filling.
Lay flat one wrapper, place one tbsp. of filling two inch away from the side of the wrapper nearest to you. Take the side of the wapper, fold towards the middle and roll. When half-rolled, take the sides and fold inward. Finish rolling. Brush the edges with egg whites using your finger. Let stay a little to seal completely.
Repeat until all the wrappers are filled. As for the rest of the filling, you can make them as meatballs.
Heat wok, pour in cooking oil. When cooking oil smoke a little, carefully drop lumpia one by one. Deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Cut each lumpia into 2 pieces. Best served with sweet chilli sauce. Enjoy!
Pine Couscous
January 27, 2009
in a skillet, toast some pine nuts, then remove.
In a saucepan, add water, spices and a little bit of olive oil.
Add in the pine nuts.
When the water comes to a boil, add the couscous.
It should cook up in five minutes.
Add water if necessary.
That’s it! Serve hot, perhaps with grilled chicken.
Shellfish Fritters
January 27, 2009
Ingredients:
2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Good pinch of baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup minced shellfish
Oil and butter for shallow frying
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Generous grind pepper
3 tbsp. finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped silver beet or
cabbage
Procedure:
Mince or puree shellfish in a blender. Make batter, place flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, in a large bowl.
Beat eggs and half of milk together. Add to dry ingredients. Add shellfish, any juices, lemon juice, pepper, silver beet or cabbage (added to ensure the fritters are moist and tender).
Adjust consistency so that mixture can be eased off a spoon to form flat fritters about 2-3 inches thick by adding remaining milk.
Having heated oil in a pan, add generous portion of butter. Fry the fritters 4 minutes first side, 3 minutes second side.
Serve hot or cold. Suitable accompaniments include salad, tomatoes, sweet corn, cucumber, creamed or whip potatoes or whole meat bread.
Yields: approximately 24.
Fish Salad Tarts
January 27, 2009
Ingredients:
2 cup fresh (i.e. drum, throats cleaned and cooked off the bones)
1 tbsp. season all or seafood seasoning
1 tbsp. table mustard
3 tbsp. mayonnaise or more if needed for moisture
1 cup green onions with leaves and stems, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped (about 6 sprigs)
1 cup sweet pepper, finely chopped(use chilies for maximum flavor)
1 cup celery (about 2 stalks), finely chopped
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/3 head lettuce, shredded
1 lg. can Texas style canned biscuits
Method:
Mix first nine ingredients. With a rolling pin, roll out biscuits into a thin plate sized crust.
Put about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the mixture in the crust and dredge edges with beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water, fold over as for tarts.
Press edges together and drop into real hot oil and cook about 2 minutes.
The filling must not get hot but the crust must be golden brown.
Steamed Fish with Black Bean & Ginger Sauce
January 27, 2009
Ingredients:
* 1 large knob ginger
* 4 spring onions
* 1 red capsicum
* 1 tbsp soy
* 2 tbsp water
* Sesame oil
* 1 tbsp sugar
* 2 tbsp shao hsing wine
* 2 tbsp peanut oil
* 2 tbsp salted black beans
* Handful coriander sprigs for garnish
Procedure:
Peel and finely slice the ginger. Chop the spring onions into 5cm lengths. Remove the seeds and membrane from the capsicum and cut into fine strips. Mix together the soy, water, a few drops of sesame oil, sugar and shao hsing wine.
Heat the peanut oil in a wok until very hot and add the ginger and spring onions. Stir-fry a minute before adding the capsicum and black beans and stir-fry a few more minutes until the vegetables are wilted. Add the soy mixture, stir until combined and remove from heat.
Check the sauce for seasoning, adding either a little more soy or water if needed. Pour the sauce over fillets of freshly steamed fish.
To serve
Garnish with coriander and serve with jasmine rice.
Serves 4.
Roast chicken with Bread Stuffing
January 27, 2009
Roast chicken with a bread stuffing.
Ingredients:
* 1 whole chicken, about 5 1/2 pounds
* 6 cups toasted bread cubes
* 3 tablespoons chopped celery
* 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
* 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 egg, beaten
Preparation:
Wash chicken and pat dry. Cook chicken giblets in water until tender; reserve 3/4 cup of the stock. In a mixing bowl combine bread cubes, parsley, onion, celery and seasonings.
Add milk, beaten egg, chopped giblets, and stock. Stuff chicken. Roast, uncovered, at 350° for about 22 minutes per pound, to about 175° on meat thermometer.
Remove stuffing to a serving dish for serving.
Store in a tightly covered container.
Chicken with Sweet Peas
January 27, 2009
Ingredients
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 2 to 3-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups chicken or beef broth
• 3 potatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 2 carrots, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch leeks, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup green peas (frozen or canned)
METHOD
1. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Drop chicken pieces into bag and shake to coat each piece. Melt butter and heat oil in a skillet.
2. Fry coated chicken in butter-oil mixture until golden brown. Add carrots, bay leaf, oregano and leeks.
3. Add chicken or beef broth and cook until chicken is almost tender. Add potatoes and green peas and continue to cook until chicken, potatoes and peas are tender. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Singapore Noodles With Shrimp
January 27, 2009
Ingredients:
1 pkg. very thin dried rice noodles
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. ginger, minced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1/3 cup water chestnuts, julienned
1/2 cup celery, julienned
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
2 scallions, sliced
2 tbsp. curry powder
8 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and quartered
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
Preparation
Method:
1. Soak the noodles in warm water for one hour to soften. Remove the noodles and drain to dry.
2. In a wok or sauté pan, add 2 tbsp. vegetable oil and heat it until it is shimmering.
3. Add the ginger, garlic and the vegetables. Sauté for about three minutes. Remove from pan.
4. Reheat the wok/pan and add 1 tbsp. vegetable oil. Sauté the shrimp for 20 seconds, add the oyster sauce, curry powder and 1 tbsp. water. Remove from pan and reserve.
5. Wipe the wok/pan and add 1 tbsp. vegetable oil and heat. Add the noodles and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until they are hot.
6. Add the shrimp mix, and stir to combine. Add the vegetables and combine. Turn out onto a platter.
Super easy dessert
January 8, 2009
This dessert is SO easy and delicious too. Start by taking some crossaints, the uncooked ones, and laying them flat on a cookie sheet. Spray the cookie sheet with olive oil ahead of time. Spread on the Philidelphia cream cheese in the cheesecake flavor on each one. Another option is their honey nut cream cheese or any sweet one that “tickles your fancy”.
You can add in anything you want, such as nuts or jam. Then bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. When they come out, they’re done! If you have icing, you could do that, or they are good the way they are.
Tasty.
