SPAGHETTI WITH ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOMS

1/2 cup olive oil

8 cloves garlic, sliced

4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped

4 shitake mushrooms, chopped (if dried, soak first)

1 bunch of asparagus, cut into cm-thick pcs and blanched

Peel from 1 lemon, chopped

1 big bunch of basil, chopped

1/2 cup cream cheese, cubed

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 handful of cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 450g spaghetti noodles

1. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Once cooked, set aside atleast 1 cup of cokoing water.

2. In a saute pan, heat olive oil.  Add garlic and seat until soft and tender.  Add tomatoes and mushrooms and simmer for approximately 3-5 mins. Add asparagus, lemon peel and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer.

3.  Add spaghetti and toss together. Remove from heat.

4.  Add cream cheese, lemon and cilantro. Toss through and serve immediately.

CHINESE-INSPIRED DINNER

Theme night, and we settled on chinese. 

Fried rice with salt and pepper squid

LEFT, starting bottom clockwise, chives, chili peppers,
peppercorns, five spice, salt; RIGHT, squid

SALT AND PEPPER SQUID

1 tbsp whole peppercorns

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp five spice powder

2 cups cornstarch

1 kg Squid, cut into strips

Oil for frying

2 banana chili peppers, sliced

Spring onion, chopped

Heat pan. Toast peppercorns, five spice powder and salt in pan with no oil until fragrant. Grind spices together and mix together with the cornstarch. Dry squid and coat in dry mixture. Heat oil for in pan. Fry chili peppers and half of spring onion until slightly crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Drop in squid by batches and fry until golden brown.  Once done, garnish with fried peppers, spring onions and lemon wedges. May serve with sweet and sour sauce.  

Salt and Pepper Squid

FRIED RICE

BOTTOM LEFT, counterwise, corn and carrots,
chinese sausage, green and white chives;
Eggs; Chicken broth with kasuba; Rice;
not in picture, shrimp

5-6 cups day old cooked rice

2 eggs, scrambled

2 Chinese sausage, chopped

1/3 cup chopped shrimp, app 15 small shrimp

1/4 cup Spring onion, white and green part separated, chopped

2 tbsp Soy sauce

1 tbsp Kasuba

1 1/2 cup Frozen carrots and peas

1 Chicken cube dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water

1 tbsp Butter

Add kasuba to chicken cube in water. Set aside. Heat pan. Fry sausages, rendering out its fat. Add the white part of the spring onions and fry until fragrant. Add the butter, and once melted, pour in dissolved chicken cube and frozen vegetables and simmer until vegetables slightly cooked. Add shrimp and saute until cooked. Add rice and toss together. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper as needed. Make a well in the center of the rice and pour in the egg. Let it slightly set then mix it all together. Add green onions, toss through, and serve immediately. 

Fried Rice

BEEF BOURGUIGNON AND SIDES

 (Adapted from Julia Child)

I finally decided to try this recipe after hearing so much about it and from watching Julie and Julia. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to follow the recipe to a T, because I didn’t have the necessary ingredients and I didn’t want to open the oven.  In the end, it turned out okay. Something I would try again, as long as I have 2-3 hours to spare. The main recipe here is the one I did, but I’ll include in parenthesis the method that  was originally done by Julia Child.)

top to bottom: beef shank, bacon

6oz bacon, cut into 1 cm strips (in the original recipe, an uncut piece of bacon was used. The rind was removed and both meat and skin was boiled in water.  Its cut into lardons, which are centimeter-sized pieces, and then the procedure continues as it is)

3 tbsp oil

500 gms beef (Julia Child used beef chunks, but I had shank on hand so that’s what I used.)

clockwise, from right: carrots, onions,
garlic, bay leaf, thyme, tomato paste

1 large carrot, cut into big chunks (I cut them into big chunks so that at the end, I can still serve them with the meat. In Julia’s recipe, I have the impression that they end up as mush and are discarded at the end).

1 medium onion, french cut

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp flour

2 cups red wine (rule of thumb is - if you can drink it, cook with it)

2 cups beef stock (I used 4 beef cubes in 1 L water, which is more than enough to cover the amount needed for this recipe and its sides)

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves garlic mashed with 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

1. Saute bacon in oil for 2 to 3 mins until browned. Remove with slotted spoon. Set aside. Reheat oil.

2. Dry beef in paper towels. Brown. Remove and set aside with bacon.

3. In same pan, brown vegetables, app 10 mins. Pour out excess fat.

4. (If beef cubes are used, add beef in this step and coat with flour as well. Brown also.) Add salt, pepper and flour. Toss together until slightly browned. (In the original recipe, after the flour and seasoning is added to the beef and vegetables, the entire casserole was placed in a 400F oven for around 15 minutes or until the meat was browned even more.)

from left to right: red wine, beef stock

5. Add tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Stir in wine and stock. Scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. (Actually, in the original, the wine was stirred in first before the tomato paste, garlic and herbs).

6. Transfer to a slow cooker/crockpot and cook on moderate heat for 2 - 2 1/2 hrs or until meat is fork tender. (Here I deviated once again.  The dish is supposed to be cooked in a 350F oven for the said hours).

7. Once done, remove meat and pour rest of contents of casserole through a sieve set over a saucepan. Transfer meat, bacon and carrots to a serving platter and set aside. Garnish with braised onions and sauteed mushrooms (recipes follows).

8. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce until approximately 2 1/2 cups of sauce remains, or until thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.

beef bourguignon, carrots and sides

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

left to right: sliced mushrooms, butter

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp oil

1-1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

Salt and pepper

Heat skillet over high heat with butter and oil. Be careful not to burn the butter. Once bubbles subside, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 8-10 mins until lightly browned. Set aside to serve with beef.

sauteed mushrooms

BROWNED BRAISED ONIONS

browned braised onion ingredients
(clockwise, from top):
beef stock, onions, butter,
dried parsley, bay leaf, dried thyme

Pearl/small onions, 3-5 pcs per person (I couldn’t find any pearl onions in my supermarket, but luckily enough, there were some small onions of approximately 1 inch in diameter).

1 1/2 tbsp butter

½ - 1  cup beef stock

Pepper

Parsley sprigs (I didn't have any parsley but i did have dried parsley. Not the same, but I had to adapt)

1 small bay leaf

1/4 tsp thyme

1. In the same pan where mushrooms were cooked, add an additional 1 1/2 tbsp butter to the fat. Add onions and saute over moderate heat for approximately 10 mins until brown.

2. Pour in beef stock until I reached halfway up the onions, and add herbs. Cover and simmer slowly for 40-50 mins until onions are tender and liquid evaporates. Once done, remove herbs and serve onions with beef.

brown braised onions

GREEN BEANS WITH LEMON

250 gms green beans, topped and cut to 3 inches length

1 tbsp butter

Grated peel of 1 lemon

1 – 3 tbsp lemon juice (approximately ½ lemon)

Pepper

1. Steam green beans until cooked, around 3-5 mins.

2. Heat pan. Melt butter and toss in cooked beans.  Add 1/2 of lemon peel, juice (add tbsp by tbsp, to make sure it isn’t too sour) and season with pepper.  Mix together. Garnish with remaining lemon peel to serve.

green beans with lemon

CHEESY GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

mashed potato ingredients (clockwise from top right):
garlic cloves, melted butter, cheese spread,
parmesan cheese, cut potatoes

4 large potatoes, cut into chunks

4 large whole garlic cloves

1/2 cup cheese spread (there wasn’t a lot of choices in terms of cheese in the small supermarket I went to, so I decided to try this)

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

1 tsp melted butter

Parmesan cheese to garnish

finished mashed potato

1. Boil potatoes and garlic together in salted water until potatoes are cooked, approximately 15 mins.

2. Heat cheese spread and milk together. Set aside.

3. Mash potatoes with melted butter and cheese spread. Add parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and pour with 1 tsp butter. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve. 

finished dish of beef, carrots, mushrooms, onions,
green beans and mashed potato

MEATBALLS IN SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

Even if I like lumpia shanghai with sweet and sour sauce, I don’t like sweet and sour meatballs or pork. I guess it’s because the meat is drenched in the sauce, and I would rather have control over the amount of sauce. Especially since many restaurants make their sauces sickeningly sweet. I rather enjoy this recipe, which I adapted from Nora Daza’s, because it has a hint of heat as a backnote.

For the meatballs:

500gms ground pork

1 slice of bread, cubed small and soaked in app 1tbsp milk (just enough to moisten)

3/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp onion powder

1 chicken cube (grind to a powder)

3 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

1 egg

Mix together and form into a golf-sized ball. Chill for at least 20 minutes before frying. Set aside. Reserve cooking oil for the sauce.

Makes approximately 14 balls

For sauce:

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/2 small onion, french cut

1"x1" piece of ginger, sliced

1 banana chili pepper, sliced

1 small carrot, cut into half moons

1 green pepper, cut into squares

1/2 cup pineapple, cut into chunks

1/2 cup pickle juice

1/2 cup white sugar (you can reduce by as much as half if you like, since the pickle juice will already be slightly sweet)

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp catsup

1 tbsp hot sauce (use as much or as little as you want)

1 tbsp corn starch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

In a bowl, stir together pickle juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, catsup, and hot sauce. Set aside. In the same pan where meatballs were fried, drop in garlic, onion, chili pepper and ginger. Saute until soft and fragrant. Add carrots, saute until glistening, and pour in sauce. Let simmer until slightly thickened and carrots cooked. Add cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water and stir until it boils again. Keep adding cornstarch mixed with water until desired consistency achieved, add the bell pepper and pineapple. Add cooked meatballs. Let simmer for at least 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately. 

SPICY SHRIMP PASTA WITH BLACK OLIVES AND CAPERS

LEFT CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT, sliced garlic, chopped onion,
sliced black olives, chopped capers, basil; RIGHT, shelled and deveined shrimp

Remove the shell and devein shrimp. Set aside. Heat a large skillet and add approximately 1/2 cup olive oil. Add 1 small onion chopped and 6 large cloves of garlic thinly sliced. Heat over a medium flame until soft. Add 1/2 tsp chili flakes (heat intensity is up to you; add as little or as much as you want). Heat till fragrant and add 2 tbsp tomato paste. Saute for a few seconds and add 1/4 cup roughly chopped capers and 1/3 cup sliced black olives. Drop in shrimp and cook until pink. Flambe with 1/3 cup brandy. Season with salt and pepper. In the meantime, cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Once cooked, add to pasta sauce and toss together. Add pasta water if needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Add a handful of chiffonade basil. Finish with the juice of 1 lemon and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS AND BACON QUICHE WITH BASIL CRUST

I love quiches. But it can be a little hard to look for stores that sell them, and can be a little pricey.  This is my standard recipe that I use with various proteins.  Another favorite of mine is spicy sardines.

Quiche slice

Quiche ingredients

First, make the CRUST: Place 1/2 c very cold butter and 1/3 c very cold shortening, both cubed into 1/2 inch cubes, into a food processor. Add 1 1/4 c all purpose flour, a handfull of basil leaves and 1/4 tsp salt. Pulse until mixture is in pea-sized pieces. May have to add more flour. Add ice-cold water, tsp by tsp. I used about 5 tsps, which depends on the humidity. Pulse until mixture forms into a ball. 

dough ingredients

Form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 mins. 

When ready to prebake the crust, pre-heat the oven to a temperature of 400F. Oil a fluted quiche pan, approximately 10 inches in diameter. Place chilled dough on a floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.  Transfer to the pan and prick the bottom and sides with a fork to release any steam that might accumulate while baking. The usual procedure in blind baking is to put wax paper or parchment paper on the crust and fill with either raw rice, beans or special baking pebbles. I skipped this part because I find that enough pricking usually does the trick. Bake for app 15-20 mins, or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool prior to filling.

Crust, prior to baking

Assemble the FILLING:

LEFT, filling ingredients; RIGHT, custard ingredients

1. Prepare the ASPARAGUS. Depending on the size of the vegetable, cut 1-3 inches off the woody end. If stalk is still tough, peel around to expose the more tender part. Cut into 1 inch sections.  Blanch the asparagus by boiling salted water and dropping in the asparagus. Cook for app 2-3 mins, remove, and immediately drop into ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.

2.  Prepare the BACON. Cut meat into 1 inch pieces. Heat a pan and drop in bacon, without adding oil. Render out the fat until cooked, but not browned or crispy. Drain fat (leave in the pan) and set aside.

3. Prepare the CARAMELIZED ONION. French cut a medium-sized onion . Melt 1 tbsp butter in the same pan where the bacon was cooked. Add 1/2 tsp dried thyme, rubbing it first against your palm, and heat through until fragrant. Add the onions and gently saute over a low flame. Add 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Continue cooking until soft and lightly browned. Drain (leave fat in pan) and set aside. 

FROM TOP RIGHT CLOCKWISE, blanched asparagus,
cooked bacon, and caramelized onion

4. Slice 3-5 tomatoes, depending on the size, into 1/4 inch thick slices. De-seed. Toss in cooled cooking fat from the bacon and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a wire rack and roast in a 400F oven for app 15 mins (I roasted this with the crust). Set aside once done.

LEFT, sliced tomatoes prior to roasting; RIGHT, roasted tomatoes

5. Grate enough CHEESE to make approximately 1 c.

6. To prepare the CUSTARD: Whisk together 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 c cream, 1 c milk, 4 eggs, 1 tbsp flour, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Set aside. (Salt can be added, but because of the bacon and cheese, and since the onions and tomatoes are also seasoned, I didn't add anymore).

prepared custard

TO ASSEMBLE:  Layer the roasted tomatoes at the bottom of the cooled pre-baked crust. Scatter the caramelized onions as equally as possible over them. Do the same to the bacon and asparagus, reserving the asparagus tips for decoration. 

Sprinkle the grated cheese over and arrange asparagus spears on top. 

Carefully pour custard into the shell. Sprinkle with pepper and place in a 350F oven for around 35-40 mins, or until quiche has set and is not wet. Let cool for a bit before serving.

Finished quiche

MOCK CHICKEN HAINANESE RICE

I was watching AFC and the program showing was featuring Hainanese Chicken Rice that got me so hungry that I had to literally stand up and make myself some!   Of course I couldn't make it from scratch, or even in the proper way, so I substituted and improvised.  This is the end product. Not authentic  (at al) , but it certainly hit the spot :)

First of all, cook the chicken. For this recipe, I had 6 chicken parts. Along with 2 cloves roughly chopped garlic, 1 x 2 inches ginger in slices, a couple of stalks of scallions, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp crushed whole black pepper, 3 whole shitake mushrooms, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup xiaoxing wine, 1/4 tsp salt, add it all with the chicken into a casserole and top off with cold water.  Let simmer until chicken is cooked, approximately 15-20 minutes. I also added a chicken cube to amp up the chicken flavor.

ABOVE: (clockwise, from top) ginger, shitake mushroom, cracked black pepper, chopped garlic, bay leaf, scallions
BELOW: cut-up chicken pieces
(not in picture : soy sauce, xiaoxing wine)

Garnishes: sliced scallions and cucumbers

Once chicken is cooked, remove from flame, remove chicken and mushrooms and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with cucumbers and sliced scallions. Strain broth and de-fat by skimming the top of the soup with a spoon, carefully removing the thin layer of fat as much as possible. Set aside.

(clockwise, from top right) broth, grated garlic, grated ginger, cooked rice

 RICE.  Heat a pan and add 1 tbsp oil until hot.  Add 1 tsp grated ginger and saute until fragrant. Add in 2 cloves grated garlic and saute for just a few seconds until fragrant. Do not brown.  Add cooked rice (I used about 6 cups) and about 1 cup of the reserved broth.  Keep adding broth until rice is just moist but not wet. Adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Sprinkle 1 tbsp sesame oil over the rice and mix together. Serve immediately.

Chicken Rice

SOUP. Adjust taste of broth.  If needed add hot water and heat until piping hot. Serve immediately.

(clockwise, from top) grated garlic, chili flakes, grated ginger 

CHILI-GINGER SAUCE. Usually, the ginger sauce and chili paste are served separately, but I decided to mix them together. In a  small bowl, mix together 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 clove grated garlic, 1/2 tsp chili flakes (I like heat, which is why I added this much but you can add as little or as much as you like) and enough broth to make a paste.  In a pan, heat together 1/2 tbsp canola oil and 1/2 tbsp sesame oil until searing hot.  Pour in ginger, garlic, chili mixture and mix together.

Chili-Ginger Sauce

Serve chicken with cucumber, rice, soup. oyster sauce and chili-ginger sauce.

DOUBLE BAKED POTATOES

It was just suppose to be a simple baked potato, but because we didn't have enough cheese, I thought of making a bechamel sauce.  And from that sprung the idea of making it a double baked potato, similar to what they have in Everything At Steak.  

Prepare the potatoes:
Wrap the medium-sized potatoes individually in aluminum foil.  Roast in 450F oven for 20-30 mins, or until soft (pierced easily by a fork).  Cut in half and remove flesh, leaving around a centimeter from the skin.  Set aside.

Chicken bechamel sauce:
In a saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter.  Throw in 1 small onion, chopped.  Saute until soft and translucent.  Add 1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms and brown.  Add 2 tbsp flour and mix together until a roux is formed.  Stir around for approximately 1 minute.  Slowly add 2 cups of chicken broth.  Stir until smooth.  Let simmer.  Adjust consistency.  Add 1 cup cream.  Simmer until bubbles break surface.  Add 1 cup cheese.  Stir until cheese is completely melted.  Season with salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp nutmeg.  Remove from heat and stir in cooked shredded chicken.  Taste to adjust seasoning.

To assemble:
Dot butter in potato cases.  Fill with mashed potato mixture and form into a mound.  Sprinkle with additional cheese and dot with butter.  Return to oven for another 15 - 20 minutes.  Serve immediately with chopped chives and sour cream.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

it always begin with an ingredient, and in this case, it was basmati rice that was almost a year in the cupboard. And a craving for Indian food, particularly biryani.  And after about an hour of searching online for a beginner's version, my mum casually mentions she has one courtesy of Magnolia chickens.  And so the following is an adaptation of said recipe, as well as some tweaks that I learned after reading numerous versions.  It's actually been some time since I ate an authentic biryani, so I hope this had atleast some semblance.  If not, well I hope its atleast remotely tasty.

Spice mixture:
Dry roast 1 tsp coriander seeds and 2 bay leaves until fragrant.  Grind in mortar and pestle until powdery.  Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp finely chopped garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, and 1 whole chili pepper chopped to the mortar and pestle.  Grind to a paste.  Add 1/4 tsp dried chili flakes, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 2 tbsp ghee*.  Mix together.  Set aside.

For marinade:
Mix together 1 tbsp tomato paste to 1/2 cup plain yogurt.  Add 2/3 of spice mixture.  Stir together.  Pour over 1/2 kg chicken pieces and marinade for 3 to 4 hours.


To prepare:
First, prepare the rice by washing 3 cups of uncooked basmati rice and then soaking for atleast 10-15 minutes.  Set aside.  In a bowl, soak 1 tsp katsuba or saffron in 2 tbsp milk and soak for at least 10 minutes.  Set aside.


Heat pan with 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee.  Saute 1 large chopped onion until lightly browned.  Add 1 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic, and 1 whole chopped chili pepper.  Fry until fragrant.  Add 2 whole tomatoes, seeded and chopped.  Saute until tomatoes are soft.  Brown chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.  Add remaining spice mixture.   Drain rice and pour into pan.  Saute until translucent.  Add katsuba/saffron mixture and stir until liquid has evaporated.  At this point, the rice can be cooked in the pot or in a rice cooker.  I opted for the rice cooker so the rice mixture was transferred to one.  add in 4 1/2 to 5 cups chicken broth.  Cook.  Halfway through, add chicken to the rice mixture.  In remaining 5 minutes cooking time, add peas.  


Garnish with chopped cilantro, slivered almonds and hard boiled eggs.




*to make ghee:  melt 1/2 cup butter until it bubbes.  Watch butter carefully to make sure it does not burn.  Remove from heat.  Milk solids will settle on the bottom of the pan.  Carefully pour off clarified butter.


✔  1/3 cup raisins may be added to the rice with the peas.

MOTHER'S DAY DINNER

it began with one ingredient - asparagus. and i remembered that i've been craving for fish in a lemon butter sauce with capers.... so viola! it also helps that it's my sister's birthday the next day and fish, pasta, capers and olives are her favorites :)

Fish in lemon butter sauce with capers and asparagus

Drench fish fillets in seasoned flour (salt and pepper).  Heat pan with oil and butter and pan-fry fish until golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.  Transfer to a serving platter. Par-boil asparagus spears and arrange aound fish.  In same pan, de-glaze with 1/4 cup white wine and simmer until alcohol has evaporated.  Add 2 tbsp capers and 1 tbsp garlic. Saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add the juice of 1 whole lemon.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add 2-3 tbsp butter and swish around pan until sauce becomes creamy.  Pour over fish and asparagus.  Serve immediately.

Pasta with tomato oil and olives


In a pan, heat 1/2 cup olive oil.  Add 1 tbsp chopped garlic, 1 tbsp chili oil or 1/2 tsp chili flakes, and 2 tbsp chopped capers.  Saute for 2 minutes.  Add 2 tbsp tomato paste.  Saute for 1 minute.  Deglaze with red wine and evaporate alcohol.  Add olives.  Let simmer.  Meanwhile, cook pasta (spaghetti in this case) according to package instructions.  Once cooked, add noodles to sauce.  Add pasta water to loosen sauce if needed.  Add chopped basil.  Taste for seasoning.  Serve immediately!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MUM!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE SISTER!!!