Fried Sambal Stuffed Fish

So it seems that I haven’t been doing much cooking, actually i have been cooking, just that my food photography skills need to be turned a a few notches, haha. Couldn’t get the photos the way I wanted them to turn out so didn’t post. But to keep you anticipated, I have been whipping stuff like Ayam Buah Keluak, Beef Rendang, Ondeh Ondeh, Insalte Caprese, among others. But here’s something simple and absoultely delicious with frangrant white thai rice.

FRIED SAMBAL STUFFED FISH

Ingredients:

• 2 Hardtail Mackerel (Ikan Cincaru), you may use Ikan Kembong or Ikan Selar

Spice Paste:

• 3 fresh red chilies
• 5 dried chilies 10-12 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp belacan
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon tamarind pulp, soak in 1/4 cup water, extract juice and discard pulps
• 1/4 cup oil

Preparations:

Clean and rinse fish with water. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep slit from the back of the fish along the bone. Repeat the same on the other side of the fish.

Blend the spice paste with a mini food processor or use mortar and pestle to pound the flavoring paste.

Heat up wok with 3 tbsp oil, add in spice paste and stir-fry with low heat until aromatic.

Add tamarind juice and continue to stir-fry until the spice paste is smooth and somewhat moist, but not overly runny.

Season to taste with salt and sugar.

Dish out and let cool.

Directions:

Stuff the spice paste into the fish on both sides of the slit and also inside the fish stomach.

Heat up 1/4 cup oil in a wok, deep fry the fish until cooked. Serve with white rice or Nasi Lemak Rice.

“BEN 10” Soup aka………

This is one soup that I managed to get my son to drink, he calls it his “BEN 10” soup. He isn’t exactly what I would call adventurous with food, and his version of a good meal equates to french fries and fried chicken wings. But when it comes to “BEN10” soup, he will easily down 2 bowls with 3 slices of bread, that’s even enough to fill me up. It’s a good thing he doesn’t ask for this on a daily basis, cos’ i refrain from anything in a can and this can be a rather expensive soup to make. But for the rest of you reading, this is actually Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Cream of Forest Mushroom Soup

 

Ingredients:

• Chicken /Vegetable Stock (You can make and freeze or buy ready)
• Mushrooms (I use porcini, portobello, white and brown button and shitake mushrooms) – Sliced
• Shallots – Sliced
• White Wine (Optional)
• Cream
• Bay Leaves
• Back Bacon – Sliced
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Butter
• Flour

Directions:

Firstly to make the thickener, liquify the butter in a skillet, when all goes quiet add in the flour and fry till you get a crumbly texture. Be careful that it’s not too dry. Set this aside.

In a  heavy pot, bring to boil the stock and throw in the bay leaves.

Next take a skillet and add olive oil, when the oil is hot add in the shallots, then bacon, saute till fragrant then throw in all the mushrooms, add some black pepper and the wine, continue to saute till cooked.

When the stock is boiling, throw all the bacon,mushrooms and liquid from the skillet into the pot. ( you can set some aside to garnish)

Bring to boil for about 10 minutes, then use an electric hand blender and blend the mixture, now the tricky part is to slowly add the thickener and blend at the same time till the mixture sticks to the back of the spoon, not too thick or else it will be like eating a paste. Continue to boil the soup for another 10 minutes, then add in the cream and stir for 5 minutes then switch off. Let the soup sit for another 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with some cream and black pepper, you can pluck some parsley or coriander for color.

Laksa – A Slightly Healthier Version

Well, we all know that Laksa is one of our local favorites, in fact i like it so much that i could eat it everyday, of course this wouldn’t do my gut and cholesterol level any good, so I decided to whip up a SLIGHTLY healthier version of this, it would be next to impossible to totally omit the coconut milk. The good thing about making your paste and cooking from scratch, is that, you can control the amount of oil , salt and sugar to suit your *ahem … healthier lifestyle.

Nonya Laksa

Ingredients:

• shallots
• galangal
• tumeric
• lemongrass
• white belachan
• Chilli paste (I make my own, but you can buy it from most supermarkets)
• laksa leaves
• fish sauce
• cooking oil
• dried prawns
• coconut milk
• water
• tau pok
• fresh milk (erm.. this is the only part that is healthy)
• salt
• gula melaka
• laksa bee hoon (coarse rice vermicelli)
• fishcake – julienned
• cucumber – julienned (another healthy element)
• bean sprouts
• sambal chilli

Directions:

To make the laksa rempah, pound or blend the shallots, galangal, tumeric, lemongrass, belachan, chilli paste and some laksa leaves, then set aside.

Dry roast the dried shrimp in a skillet untill nicely frangrant and roasted, next pound the dried shrimp into a fine powder using the mortar and pestle.

Now add oil into a wok and toss in the dried prawn powder, stir untill it starts to slightly brown, then add in the laksa rempah and mix well, now add in the coconut milk bit by bit till you get a nice paste, next add the rest of the coconut milk and fresh milk, add in water , then salt, gula melaka and fish sauce to taste, let it simmer till cooked, throw in the sliced tau pok till soft.

To serve blanch the laksa bee hoon and bean sprouts, ladle the laksa gravy over and strain a few times, garnish with the cucumber, laksa leaves and egg.

Quick and Easy

It’s always good to have pesto on hand, be it freshly made and kept ever ready in the fridge, or bought. Pesto is easy enough to make and kept in batches. Basil pesto just needs pine nuts, basil, garlic and olive oil, (you can get loads of recipes and variations over the internet) Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, just substitutes basil for as the name implies sun-dried tomatoes. It was a long Saturday for me, and feeling rather exhausted, i decided to whip up a quick and easy pasta meal.

Penne in Pesto Sauce with Garlic and Almond Chicken Tomato Concasse

Ingredients:

• Penne (Obviously, but you can use any other type of pasta)
• Chicken Breast
• Sliced Garlic
• Toasted Almond Slices
• Sweet Basil
• Tapioca Flour
• Basil Pesto
• Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
• Olive Oil

Directions:

Slice the chicken breast, add tapioca flour, massage through and set aside. Saute the garlic in olive oil till brown, add the tomato pesto, when the fragrance hits you, add in the chicken and saute till 80%, add in the basil leaves and almond flakes, continue to saute till cooked and set aside.

Now in a pot of boiling water, add in the penne and cook according to instruction, drain and set aside when done.

Heat up a pan, then add the basil pesto, on medium heat throw in the penne and toss till well coated.

To serve just put the penne on a plate, spoon the chicken on top and garnish. Voila… there you go, quick and easy… and satisfying.

Healthy Night Tonight

After last nights; mexican and this morning’s big breakfast, my body was telling me that it needed a break from all that rich food, so it was time to take it easy, it helps when you listen to your body. Your body really does not tell you chocolates, cakes and lard all the time, neither does it tell you, char kway teow, chicken rice and laksa, so don’t kid yourself as much as you would want to.

So for dinner I made a simple cabbage salad and grilled mackerel fish (You will see that I am using the almond and sesame seed mix from the night before).The focus here is the salad so here goes:

Shredded Chinese Cabbage with Almonds and Sesame Seed Salad

Ingredients

• Chinese Cabbage

Garnish

• Roasted Almond Slices
• Toasted White Sesame Seeds

Dressing

• Garlic
• Ginger
• Light Soya Sauce
• Sesame Oil
• White Vinegar
• Sugar

Directions

Honestly if I really have to give instructions here, you ought be shot in the head. But for the culinary impaired, use a peeler to shred the chinese cabbage (I use this peeler from Kai which is excellent). For the dressing, finely grate garlic and ginger then put it into a bowl, add the vinegar, light soya sauce, sesame oil and sugar and stir till the sugar dissolves. To serve just toss the shredded cabbage drizzled with the dressing and top it with the almonds and sesame seeds.

Chorizo Big Breakfast

This time the credits go to Nicole, really appreciate her for making the effort to air fly  these superbly home made Chorizos (Spanish Pork Sausages). Her brother home makes these wonderful sausages, without preservatives, so you really have to eat them fast as they can’t keep for long, plus point is that it’s not too salty as most bangers are.

My comments for the Chorizos – Not too fatty, less salt, no preservatives and the skin has that nice bounce when you bite down – Two Thumbs and Two Toes Up.

Honestly sometimes all you need are really good, and fresh produce and almost anything you touch (cook) turns to gold. Brunch this late morning would be grilled chorizo and tomatoes, sauted fresh button mushrooms (olive oil, salt and black pepper)and my ever popular creamy omelette. ( I beat with cream and milk, and fry with butter, how much more decadent can you get)

Pot Luck Mexican

It’s was the week end again and another opportunity to (fei-lo ship) with our friends, the theme was a mexican pot luck, Eva and Alvin prepared the Tacos, Elaine (minus Chad as he was overseas) prepared Guacamole and Salsa, and I was in charge of dessert.

Mexican restaurant food eaten outside is pricey and definitely not my first choice of food if I had to eat out. In fact I’ve never really eaten much mexicans food except for fajitas (pronounced fa-hee-tas, the mexican way of pronouncing “j” as “h”, being which meant I stayed at Sau-Ha-Na, haha… feels exotic just saying it)

The Tacos were amazing, with juicy beef fragrant with cumin and other spices, fresh diced tomatoes, jalapenos (ha-la-penos), with mixed cheese oozing from crisp healthy corn Taco shells. The salsa had just the right amount of spice and natural sweetness, the Guacamole was just so creamy and …ooohhh and aaahhh…. this is the first time I’ve ever tasted Guacamole, and I’m now a proud convert. I’ve even learnt something from Elaine. Did you know that to prevent your Guacamole from discoloring, you had to leave one seed in it? – Don’t ask me why, it just works.

For dessert I prepared Platanos Machos, a mexican banana dessert, I added my own twist into it just to make it interesting. I call it

Platanos Machos Asiago

Ingredients

• Bananas
• Butter
• Orange Juice
• Brown Sugar
• Amaretto
• Roasted Almond Slices
• Roasted White Sesame Seeds

Directions

First heat up a skillet and add the butter, when the butter silences, add the quartered bananas, fry till slightly browned. In a cup add orange juice and brown sugar, stir till sugar is dissolved. Now add the mixture to the skillet and let the mixture caramelize with the butter, then add the amaretto and turn off the heat. Transfer the finished bananas to a serving plate and generously sprinkle the roasted almond slices and toasted sesame seeds.

Omega-3 Oil Craving Attack

Thank goodness for Fassler, the amount of Salmon my family goes through, would quickly burn a hole in your pocket buying from the supermarkets or worst still eating out in restaurants, my kids absolutely love my grilled salmon with chinese infused teriyaki sauce and crispy caramelized ginger. I don’t know why I never developed a taste for cooked salmon, give me the whole fish and I’ll eat it raw any day.

Sake Don – (Raw Salmon Slices on top of Sushi Rice) and Grilled Salmon with my special sauce –  for the kids, would be on the menu for tonight.

Sushi Rice –  is easy enough to make, just cooked rice, vinegar, mirin (japanese cooking wine), sugar and salt.

Teriyaki Sauce – Sliced Ginger, Oil, Sesame Oil, Sugar, Shoyu and Dark Soya Sauce.

Verdict: Everyone finished 500grams worth of Salmon in one sitting.

A Thai Feast

Always liked the spices of thai food, so decided that would be the theme for this weekend’s feast with the Ong’s (check out crystaleva.wordpress.com)

I always preferred to make my paste from scratch as opposed to buying ready made, who knows what preservatives they add to the pre-made paste.

So here are my recipes for Home Style Green Curry Chicken and my favorite Stir Fried Minced Pork with Thai Holy Basil prepared by the Missus.

Thai Green Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

• Coconut cream (head), and Coconut milk: (tail)
• Sliced beef, chicken or pork
• Pea eggplants (If available)
• Fresh Green Peppercorn seeds on stalk ( If available)
• Thai eggplants
• Lime leaves: torn into pieces
• Thai basil: leaves

Green Curry Paste (Just grind everything with a mortar and pestle)

• Lemongrass: Bottom 2/3 of the stalk cut into small rings
• Galangal:
• Chopped Cilantro roots:
• Salt:
• Roasted black peppercorns:
• Garlic:
• Green big and small chilies:, with a few red :medium chilies: thrown in
• Shrimp Paste (Belachan)

Directions

First prepare the ingredients for the paste. Chop each piece into fine bits, to make the pounding easier. Roast the peppercorns on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until fragrant.

In a stone mortar and pestle, start with the lemongrass, and pound until it’s a paste. Then add the lime peel and galangal, and pound until paste.

Add the cilantro roots, salt, peppercorns, and pound until paste.

Add chilies and garlic, and pound until paste.

Add shrimp paste (if adding), and pound until mixed. Set your finished curry paste aside. Mom likes the curry paste to be somewhat gritty, so don’t worry about making a perfect uniform paste.

Separate the coconut cream from the milk, and put into two separate bowls, and prepare all of your ingredients.

Throw 1/2 of your coconut cream (head) into the hot pan. It should sizzle and boil like mad. Let it do this for about 20 seconds, then add all the curry paste.

Keep stirring the curry paste so it doesn’t burn or stick to the pan. If it dries out to much, gradually add more of the coconut cream to the pan, little by little. You want to cook the paste for about 2-3 minutes, until it’s really fragrant and you sneeze. Not joking. You will sneeze. The ingredients inside the paste cook at different speeds, and when the chilies start to cook, the air gets spicy. That’s when it’s done.

Add some more coconut cream and the meat or tofu. Keep stirring until cooked through, and make sure your paste doesn’t burn or stick to the pan. Keep adding coconut cream to slightly ‘boil’ the paste, not so much ‘dry fry’ it. If you run out of cream, start to use milk. If using beef, you’ll need to cook for much longer, until the chicken gets tender.

Add all the coconut milk and boil for a minute or two. Then add the eggplants and lime leaves.

Boil 1 minute, then add the basil, stir and serve. You may want to garnish with bits of basil to make it look pretty.

Stir Fried Minced Pork with Thai Holy Basil

Ingredients:

• Oil
• Garlic
• Small chilies to taste
• Ground pork (or chicken/beef)
• Fish sauce
• Black soy sauce:
• White sugar:
• Water
• Thai Basil and Basil Flowers

Directions:

Smash chilies with a stone mortar and pestle if you have one, or use the side or back of a knife. Smash garlic, and set aside with the chilies.

Clean basil by picking off the leaves and flowers, and discarding the stems. Rinse and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan until very hot on high heat. Throw in the chilies & garlic, and stir until browned. You should sneeze from the chili. (You may want to open a window.)

When the garlic is ready, add the pork. Break it up in the pan with your spatula, to make sure it cooks evenly. Fry until no longer red.

Add sugar, soy sauce & fish sauce. Stir and let absorb.

When dry, add the water and the basil leaves. Stir until basil is wilted, and serve on rice.

Talking About Tradition – Birthday Sweet Mee Sua

Ever since I was young, a birthday would never be complete without flour vermicelli (mee sua) in sweet soup, every year I would crave for that once a year sugar  rush. Simple and easy to prepare, it meant a long and sweet life.

Ingredients:

• Rice Flour Vermicelli
• Pandan Leaves
• Sugar
• Egg

Method:

• Boil eggs in shell till hard boiled, then shell eggs and set aside (you can slice the eggs if you want to)
• Boil water with pandan leaves and sugar (according to preferred taste)
• Add rice flour vermicelli to boiling soup and cook it.
• Transfer the vermicelli and soup to a bowl, garnish with the hard boiled egg and serve.