Lettuce Salad with strips of ham

Here’s a simple salad for a light and healthy dinner.

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce
Green coral lettuce
Onion
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Strips of ham (cooked)
Shavings of parmesan cheese

Dressing:
1 tsp. capers
1 tsp. mustard
1 clove garlic
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
12 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper


Procedure:

Slice thinly the cucumber, tomatoes, cucumber and onion. Cut the lettuce leaves into manageable bite size; slice the ham into strips and set aside.

In a salad bowl, put lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Grate a clove of garlic and add to the mixture. Mix the mixture vigorously with a whisk or fork to emulsify and incorporate all the flavors together until thick. Add capers and mix further. Toss in the sliced vegetables and mix well. Lastly add some shavings of parmesan cheese. Serve with bread.

Apple Struddle

Strangely, hubby got a sweet tooth on the first day of the year 2008 and wished for something sweet for breakfast with his coffee… Had a quick look at the pantry and fridge then in the freezer; spotted my remaining puff pastry.. and well, I can do something sweet in say 25 – 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 sheets puff pastries

5 pcs. apples

4 Tbsp. Honey

1 Tbsp. Butter

1 tsp. cinnamon powder

½ Cup ground toasted peanuts

1 pc. Egg (slightly beaten)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees C. Thaw pastry in the fridge.

Peel and slice apples thinly. Excluding the core at the center. (Picture below)

Heat butter in a pan, add sliced apples, drizzle honey, sprinkle cinnamon powder, cook further until the apples are caramelized. They will be nicely wilted and brown.

(Picture below)

Turn off heat, transfer the apples in a plate and place in the freezer for 5 minutes to cool down.

A handy tip: The filling should be at least at room temperature or cooler when introduced to the puff pastry, as pastry would tear easily when you put something hot and difficult to handle.

Meanwhile, bash some toasted peanuts until they are roughly fine.

Lay flat the puff pastry and sprinkle the nuts on half of the pastry, leaving the half to roll. Sprinkle the nuts on lower half of the pastry. Add the prepared apple slices and roll the pastry tucking the filling inside and forming like a log. Seal the edges with an egg wash (slightly beaten egg). Brush the top of the pastry with an egg wash, make slits on the top, Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. (Picture Below) Serve in slices.

Seafood Fettuccini

I don’t usually measure my ingredients when I’m cooking something like this, so I had roughly a little of everything of the following:

Ingredients:

Shrimps

Mussels

Oyster

Squid

Smoked salmon

Garlic

Onion

1 can all purpose cream

1 glass of white wine

Oil for stir frying

Salt & pepper

Home-made fresh fettuccini

Procedure:

While making the sauce, boil water and salt in a large casserole for the pasta.

Make the sauce:

Sauté garlic and onion, add shrimps, mussels, oyster and squid; stir-fry for a little while after each addition; add wine, and let the alcohol evaporate until the seafoods are done, add cream and lastly add the salmon. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes until al dente, drain in a colander; mix the pasta with the sauce; add parmesan cheese and serve.

Champagne was ready! Happy New Year 2008!

Fresh Herbed Fettuccini

What’s the heck of making fresh pasta when there are available ready made in the supermarket? Well, the taste really differs!!! Been wondering why some restaurants are very proud to tell their customers that they make fresh pasty and that makes it quite pricey! Fresh pasta is more succulent and there is the flavors just comes alive in your mouth every bite compared to the dried lifeless ready made ones, but the TIME is the essence! Do you really have time to make your own fresh pasta? Well, it is really up to you, good food doesn’t come quickly.

It’s New Year 2008 and I think the very last night of 2007 deserves a special treat for some detailed cooking! So, if you really want to make something special you have to find the time. Another advantage is you can add your own flavors as desired plus you know what’s really in there. Today, I will try to add some herbs from my tiny garden.

300 g. Plain flour

3 pcs. eggs

1 tsp. salt

Parsley leaves (finely chopped)

1 cup flour (for dusting)

In a bowl, slightly beat eggs, add parsley and set aside. Place the flour on a clean working board and make a well in the center, add egg mixture in the center. Working with a fork, slowly mix with the flour starting from the center. Keep the well shape until almost all of the flour is mixed with the egg. Gather the flour and shape it into a ball start kneading like bread dough until soft and elastic but not sticky. Kneading will take about 7 minutes. If the dough still sticks to your hand, add a little flour or if its too hard, add a little egg, however dough must not be soft as it would jam in the pasta machine. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and shape each like a ball. Wrap each with plastic and let the dough rest in 15 minutes.

Assemble the pasta machine on a working table and flour the rollers. Keep a cup of flour at your side; you will need them each time the dough rolls out of the machine.

Take 1 ball of dough and knead a little shaping it into a rectangle using your fingers and then flatten with a rolling pin. Pass the dough into the rollers of the machine which is set to the widest setting and start rolling manually. As dough rolls down the machine, catch it with your hand so it would come out straight but don’t pull as it would tear. Flour the dough and pass through again at least twice on the same setting and eventually narrow the rollers each setting. It is important not to skip a single setting because the dough is likely to get stucked at the bottom.

As you narrow the rollers the dough will become thinner and longer until the thinnest setting is achieved then you get a nice long sheets of dough. Pass the sheets into the desired cutter like fettuccini or spaghetti. Some machines need the cutter to be attached, but the one I had, it’s already there and all I need to do is transfer the dough and roll from there. Hang the pasta and let it rest for at least 30 minutes, this gives enough time to dry. I used the oven rack to hang them. Then your pasta is ready to cook until al dente.

Here’s a tip in cooking pasta, after boiling to al dente, wash the pasta with running water to get rid of the extra flour so that the pasta won’t stick together so that you can incorporate the flavors of your sauce into it.

Spicy Beef and Rice Wraps

I’ve been exploring lately on puff pastries and I don’t know where I went wrong on my last try, the puff pastry just didn’t puff!!! None the less, this time I made it right. I finally found the tricks, or maybe it’s just my oven. After baking for about 10 minutes at gas 10 (around 270 degrees C ), put on the grill for 2 minutes and the pastry just puffed in few seconds!

Why I’m using ready made pastry? Simply because they are easily available and very convenient to use and besides, I haven’t succeeded making my own puff pastry. I’ll have to work on that yet.

I have an extra puff pastry which is thawed and I hate throwing things just like that, instead of serving the leftover vegetable fried rice last night with the wraps, I used the rice as a filling as well. They look good, but I know its carb overload but what the heck! That makes a quick lunch for us!

Anyway, here’s how I did it.

Ingredients:

2 sheets Puff pastry (ready made)
1 pcc. Slightly beaten egg

Filling:
200 g Beef (Sliced thinly in strips)
1 pc Carrot (Sliced thinly in strips)
1 pc Red Bell Pepper or capsicum (Sliced thinly in strips)
1 tsp. Oil

Seasonings: a dash of the following:
Cinnamon powder
Chili powder
Cumin powder
Paprika powder
Ground black and white pepper
Salt

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 270 degrees C. (Gas 8)

Prepare the filling:
Season the beef with a dash of all the seasonings and rub or massage them to the beef to mix the flavors.


Spicy Beef filling


Heat a nonstick pan, add oil and add beef piece by piece until beef becomes a little firm, keep them moving they randomly turn over to cook the other side. This way, the beef stays in long strips, not curled up. If you put them all together in one go, the beef would curl up. As soon as the sides of the beef are charred or have turned dark brown, they are done. Add the carrot and bell pepper/capsicum and stir with the beef. Cook another minute and the filling is done. Transfer the cooked filling in a plate to cool down in room temperature.

Assemble the wraps:
It is important not to put the filling when its still hot, otherwise the puff pastry will turn soggy. Another tip is do not thaw completely the puff pastry, it is better to thaw them in the fridge and keep it cool until ready to use.

Divide the sheet into 4 equal squares. Place the filling in each square and seal the pastry on opposite sides and brush with beaten egg.


Divide the sheet of puff pastry into 4 squares


Place the filling at the center of the square and seal with egg wash


Bake for 10 minutes on high temperature and on the last minute, put on the grill until brown.

Christmas Cheese Cake

Here is my version of Alton's Cheese Cake. I was so intrigued how to make baked cheese cake coz, I can't have raw cheese these days (not safe for baby). It's my first attempt to make baked cheese cake, otherwise, the no-bake cheese cake is relatively easy. I learned a lot of tricks from Alton's video, Hat's off on the investigation on "The Trouble With Cheese Cake"

Home Made Christmas cookies anyone

Giving away cookies for everyone I know in KL...

S

I think it's a great idea to give away something you make yourself during christmas, with the "labor of LOVE". For this season, I gave away some christmas cookies to some friends around and to some staffs of the apartment. The receptionists and staff had been very helpful to us since we moved in, so I guess its time to give something back specially on the light of Christmas.

I used the basic cookie recipe that I just happen to discover not so long ago, and just made some alterations like adding cocoa to make chocolate flavors, and some nuts on different designs. I used almonds and cashew and lastly I brushed them with eggwhite to have that glossy look.

And lastly for the packaging, I have to pack them differently to look nicer and made some boxes out of art paper.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Cookies

1 Cup butter/margarine
1 Cup Sugar
2 t. Vanilla extract
1 Cup self raising flour
1 3/4 Cup plain flour
1/2 Cup Corn flour
2 pcs. Egg Yolks

Method:

Beat butter, sugar, eggyolks and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Fold in flour mixture and mix well until dough doesn't stick to the hands. Roll out dough to 6mm thickness and cut with cookie cutter. Place on baking try and bake in preheated oven 170 degrees Celcius for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Christmas Honey Glazed Ham

Christmas Honey Glazed Ham

Ingredients:
5-6 lb. fully cooked ham
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 1/2 cups honey
2/3 cup butter
1/8 tsp. white & Black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place ham cut side down in a foil-lined roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the ham in a diamong pattern. Insert a clove in each of the scored intersections.

Combine corn syrup, honey, butter, and pepper in the top half of a double boiler, and heat until the butter melts and mixture is smooth, stirring frequently. Keep the glaze on the top of a double boiler, over hot water, while baking ham.

Brush glaze over ham. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325 degrees, basting ham every 10 to 15 minutes with the warm honey glaze. Remove ham from oven, cover with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Just before serving, caramelize the glaze and serve it with the ham.

Roasted Duck with Vegetables

Ingredients:

2 Pcs. Duck Thighs
6 Pcs. Medium potatoes
6 Pcs. Baby Carrots
4 cloves garlic
1 Pc. Onion
Thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. olive oil

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees C.

Season the duck with salt, pepper and fresh thyme and set aside.

Meanwhile boil the potatoes with water for 3 minutes and cut into wedges. Slice Onion in wedges. In a baking dish, put potatoes, onion, garlic, baby carots and season with salt & pepper and set aside.

In a preheated pan, add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, add in the seasoned duck thighs, skin-side down, pan fry for 3 minutes each side until skin turns golden.

Place a rack above the baking dish with the vegetables in it. After pan frying the duck, place them on the rack and sprinkle over the remaining duck fat in the pan. The drippings from the meat will flavor the vegetables. Continue cooking in the oven for 45 minutes or until done.

Serve with bread.

Biscuit

Biscuit

I tried this recipe from the set of cookie cutters that I bought but I'm so concerned with the sugar and the butter content so I substituted the butter to margarine and lessened the sugar. So from original recipe, here is the modified recipe which really, really turned out great... These bite size biscuits is addictive once you start popping one! The chocolate dots at the center are small chocolate chips.

1 Cup butter/margarine
1 Cup Sugar
2 t. Vanilla extract
1 Cup self raising flour
1 3/4 Cup plain flour
1/2 Cup Corn flour
2 pcs. Egg Yolks

Method:

Beat butter, sugar, eggyolks and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Fold in flour mixture and mix well until dough doesn't stick to the hands. Roll out dough to 6mm thickness and cut with cookie cutter. Place on baking try and bake in preheated oven 170 degrees Celcius for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Food Pictures - slideshow

Spicy Squidrings with eggnoodles

Spicy Squidrings with eggnoodles

What I had:
For squidrings:
Frozen squidrings
3 tablespoons chili powder
¾ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
Oil for frying

For egg noodles:
1 pack egg noodles
½ liter water
1 carrot
1 red capsicum (bell pepper)
1 yellow capsicum
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 pc. Onion (thinly sliced)
Salt & pepper

Procedure:

To cook eggnoodles:
Bring to boil ½ liter of water, add eggnoodles until al-dente. Wash with cold water, (this is to get rid of excess starch and prevent them from sticking together) drain and set aside.
Sauté garlic and onion, add sliced capsicums and carrot. Add the eggnoodles and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes more.

To cook the squidrings:
Thaw squid rings completely and drain. Set aside.
Mix chili powder, flour and salt. Coat the squid rings with the flour mixture and shake off excess flour by using a sifter or colander.
Deep fry until golden and serve with the eggnoodles.

Spicy Prawns

Spicy prawns

What I had:
Frozen Prawns (deveined and shelled)
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons chili flakes
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Thaw the prawns completely, wash and set aside.
Crush garlic with mortar and pestle to make a paste and add a little salt. Set aside.
Grease a pan with oil and heat. Add shrimps and cook until done or until shrimps turn dark orange. Remove shrimps from pan. Using the same pan, add butter, garlic paste and chili flakes. Add the prawns and continue cooking until all the ingredients are well mixed and prawns have absorbed all the flavors. Serve on top of a bowl of plain rice.