Saturday, November 14, 2009
Making Vegetable Stock
http://allrecipes.com/howto/making-vegetable-stock/detail.aspx
1. In order for the stock to take on all of the flavors of the vegetables in it, it will need to simmer for a full hour. Because of the long simmering time, it is in the stock's best interest the vegetables be chopped into large chunks rather than small dice. Cut a peeled and halved onion into large chunks.
2. Celery leaves, especially those on the outside of the bunch, are extremely bitter and should not be added to the stock. Remove and discard these leaves from the celery stalks.
3. Slice the celery into large pieces.
4. Peel and chop the carrots into large pieces. If you would like to preserve more of the carrot's natural nutrients, do not peel it as the nutrients are in the carrot's skin. Instead, scrub the carrot under cold running water, then chop the carrot into large pieces.
5. Break up the whole bulb of garlic into individual cloves. Peel the garlic using the method outlined in the Peeling Garlic step-by-step. There is no need to chop the garlic. A full bulb of garlic is used because garlic is the base flavor in vegetable stock.
6. Once all of your ingredients have been prepared, combine them in a stockpot large enough to contain all of the ingredients (including enough water to cover all of the vegetables).
7. Add aromatics to the vegetable medley. We used peppercorns and a bay leaf. Often people also add herbs or scraps leftover from other dishes. Potato scraps can be added as the starch will help thicken the stock a little. Other common additions are stems from herbs like parsley, thyme, or rosemary. If you are planning on using this stock in an Asian recipe, adding fresh, peeled ginger would be appropriate.
8. Pour water into the stockpot. The vegetables should be immersed in water.
9. Turn the stove to a high temperature, and bring the stock to a quick simmer. Once the water has begun to boil, turn the stove down to low. Allow the vegetables to simmer for an hour. Any longer than an hour and the vegetables will begin to turn mushy and begin to lose all their flavorful vibrance, lending a wilted taste to the stock
10. Strain your stock while the stock is at its peak (about an hour after it was placed on the stove). Strain your stock through a fine mesh straining device. Cheesecloth placed in a colander would also work well.
11. The stock should be light in color, sweet, and translucent. If you want a darker colored stock, caramelize the onions and carrots (see the Caramelizing Onions step-by-step) before placing them in the stockpot. Alternately, roast the vegetables until caramelized, then add them to the stockpot. Another interesting trick to making a delicious and thick vegetable stock is to use potato water that was strained from mashed potatoes in addition to (or instead of) water.
1. In order for the stock to take on all of the flavors of the vegetables in it, it will need to simmer for a full hour. Because of the long simmering time, it is in the stock's best interest the vegetables be chopped into large chunks rather than small dice. Cut a peeled and halved onion into large chunks.
2. Celery leaves, especially those on the outside of the bunch, are extremely bitter and should not be added to the stock. Remove and discard these leaves from the celery stalks.
3. Slice the celery into large pieces.
4. Peel and chop the carrots into large pieces. If you would like to preserve more of the carrot's natural nutrients, do not peel it as the nutrients are in the carrot's skin. Instead, scrub the carrot under cold running water, then chop the carrot into large pieces.
5. Break up the whole bulb of garlic into individual cloves. Peel the garlic using the method outlined in the Peeling Garlic step-by-step. There is no need to chop the garlic. A full bulb of garlic is used because garlic is the base flavor in vegetable stock.
6. Once all of your ingredients have been prepared, combine them in a stockpot large enough to contain all of the ingredients (including enough water to cover all of the vegetables).
7. Add aromatics to the vegetable medley. We used peppercorns and a bay leaf. Often people also add herbs or scraps leftover from other dishes. Potato scraps can be added as the starch will help thicken the stock a little. Other common additions are stems from herbs like parsley, thyme, or rosemary. If you are planning on using this stock in an Asian recipe, adding fresh, peeled ginger would be appropriate.
8. Pour water into the stockpot. The vegetables should be immersed in water.
9. Turn the stove to a high temperature, and bring the stock to a quick simmer. Once the water has begun to boil, turn the stove down to low. Allow the vegetables to simmer for an hour. Any longer than an hour and the vegetables will begin to turn mushy and begin to lose all their flavorful vibrance, lending a wilted taste to the stock
10. Strain your stock while the stock is at its peak (about an hour after it was placed on the stove). Strain your stock through a fine mesh straining device. Cheesecloth placed in a colander would also work well.
11. The stock should be light in color, sweet, and translucent. If you want a darker colored stock, caramelize the onions and carrots (see the Caramelizing Onions step-by-step) before placing them in the stockpot. Alternately, roast the vegetables until caramelized, then add them to the stockpot. Another interesting trick to making a delicious and thick vegetable stock is to use potato water that was strained from mashed potatoes in addition to (or instead of) water.
Tunisian Couscous Salad
Ingredients:
3 medium red bell peppers
1-1/2 cups instant couscous (10 ounces)
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne
1 large English (hothouse) cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup Moroccan or other small, black, oil-cured olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 green onions, white parts and about 3 inches of green parts, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound ripe beefsteak tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Instructions:
Preheat the broiler. Put the peppers on a sheet pan lined with foil and broil for about 15 minutes, turning once or twice to ensure they blister and blacken evenly. Remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool. Peel, seed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Set aside.
Put the couscous in a large mixing bowl. Pour 2-1/4 cups boiling water over the couscous. Add 1/2 tsp salt and stir. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, or until swollen and tender.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
To peel fresh tomatoes, core them and put them in a pot with 2 quarts of boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove, cool under running water, and peel. Halve, lengthwise, and gently squeeze to remove the seeds.
Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the cucumber, olives, green onions, garlic, tomatoes, and roasted peppers. Pour the dressing over the couscous and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in the parsley.
Yield: Serves 4
3 medium red bell peppers
1-1/2 cups instant couscous (10 ounces)
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne
1 large English (hothouse) cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup Moroccan or other small, black, oil-cured olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 green onions, white parts and about 3 inches of green parts, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound ripe beefsteak tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Instructions:
Preheat the broiler. Put the peppers on a sheet pan lined with foil and broil for about 15 minutes, turning once or twice to ensure they blister and blacken evenly. Remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool. Peel, seed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Set aside.
Put the couscous in a large mixing bowl. Pour 2-1/4 cups boiling water over the couscous. Add 1/2 tsp salt and stir. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, or until swollen and tender.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
To peel fresh tomatoes, core them and put them in a pot with 2 quarts of boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove, cool under running water, and peel. Halve, lengthwise, and gently squeeze to remove the seeds.
Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the cucumber, olives, green onions, garlic, tomatoes, and roasted peppers. Pour the dressing over the couscous and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in the parsley.
Yield: Serves 4
Couscous with Sausage
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups instant couscous
1-1/2 pounds mergez or other spicy sausage
5 scallions
1 medium to large ripe tomato, 8 to 12 ounces
1 4-ounce jar whole pimientos or roasted red bell peppers
20 oil-cured black olives, preferably pitted
1/3 cup packed fresh mint leaves
2 tsp ground cumin
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Instructions:
Run the hot-water tap and put 3 cups hot tap water in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, stir, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for 4 minutes, stirring once or twice. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the couscous steam for 6 minutes. (Or put the couscous and 2 cups hot water in a microwave-safe container and cook on high power for 4 minutes, then let the couscous steam for 6 minutes.)
Meanwhile, put a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Cut the sausage into 4-inch pieces. Add the sausage to the skillet, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn once and cook for 4 minutes.
While the sausage cooks, trim the scallions and remove all but 1 inch of the green part. Halve the scallions crosswise, put them in a food processor, and pulse until coarsely chopped. Core and quarter the tomato. Quarter the pimientos. Pit the olives unless already pitted. Put the tomato, pimientos, olives, and mint leaves in the processor with the scallions and pulse several times until coarsely chopped and combined. 4 Put the steamed couscous in a mixing bowl and add the scallion mixture, cumin, and salt and cayenne to taste. Mix and fluff with a large fork. Transfer the couscous to the center of a serving platter and place the sausage around the edges.
1-1/4 cups instant couscous
1-1/2 pounds mergez or other spicy sausage
5 scallions
1 medium to large ripe tomato, 8 to 12 ounces
1 4-ounce jar whole pimientos or roasted red bell peppers
20 oil-cured black olives, preferably pitted
1/3 cup packed fresh mint leaves
2 tsp ground cumin
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Instructions:
Run the hot-water tap and put 3 cups hot tap water in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, stir, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for 4 minutes, stirring once or twice. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the couscous steam for 6 minutes. (Or put the couscous and 2 cups hot water in a microwave-safe container and cook on high power for 4 minutes, then let the couscous steam for 6 minutes.)
Meanwhile, put a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Cut the sausage into 4-inch pieces. Add the sausage to the skillet, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn once and cook for 4 minutes.
While the sausage cooks, trim the scallions and remove all but 1 inch of the green part. Halve the scallions crosswise, put them in a food processor, and pulse until coarsely chopped. Core and quarter the tomato. Quarter the pimientos. Pit the olives unless already pitted. Put the tomato, pimientos, olives, and mint leaves in the processor with the scallions and pulse several times until coarsely chopped and combined. 4 Put the steamed couscous in a mixing bowl and add the scallion mixture, cumin, and salt and cayenne to taste. Mix and fluff with a large fork. Transfer the couscous to the center of a serving platter and place the sausage around the edges.
Green Pepper Couscous
Couscous dates from earliest times and is really another form of pasta, made by moistening hard durum wheat and rolling it in flour to form tiny pellets. An authentic Moroccan couscous takes about an hour to make and requires three steamings in a couscoussière. Happily for us, precooked couscous, the kind found in supermarkets, takes only about 5 minutes to prepare. (Make sure the couscous is marked "precooked." Check the description on the package.)
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium green bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
4 medium cloves garlic, crushed through a press
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup precooked couscous
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Melt butter in a nonstick saucepan and add onion. Sauté gently for about 10 minutes, or until onion is golden. Add green peppers and garlic and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium green bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
4 medium cloves garlic, crushed through a press
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup precooked couscous
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Melt butter in a nonstick saucepan and add onion. Sauté gently for about 10 minutes, or until onion is golden. Add green peppers and garlic and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add salt and pepper to taste.
Mushroom and White Bean Stew over Couscous
Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds small whole white mushrooms
1-1/2 cups couscous
1-pound can stewed tomatoes
1-pound can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 cup diced onions
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 cups water
2 pinches cayenne pepper
Instructions:
Quickly rinse and dry the mushrooms, and trim off the ends of the stems. Cut any large mushrooms in half.
Coat a large nonstick wok or 12-inch skillet with olive-oil cooking spray and preheat over medium to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and Italian seasoning, and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.
While the mushrooms are cooking, place the water in a 1-quart saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the couscous and cover. Remove from the heat, and allow to sit for 5 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed.
Using a knife, slightly cut up the tomatoes in the can. Add the tomatoes, beans, and cayenne pepper to the mushroom mixture. Stir to mix, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until heated through.
Stir the parsley into the couscous. Divide the couscous among individual serving plates, and top with the stew. Serve immediately, as is or topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Yield: 4 servings
1-1/2 pounds small whole white mushrooms
1-1/2 cups couscous
1-pound can stewed tomatoes
1-pound can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 cup diced onions
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 cups water
2 pinches cayenne pepper
Instructions:
Quickly rinse and dry the mushrooms, and trim off the ends of the stems. Cut any large mushrooms in half.
Coat a large nonstick wok or 12-inch skillet with olive-oil cooking spray and preheat over medium to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and Italian seasoning, and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.
While the mushrooms are cooking, place the water in a 1-quart saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the couscous and cover. Remove from the heat, and allow to sit for 5 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed.
Using a knife, slightly cut up the tomatoes in the can. Add the tomatoes, beans, and cayenne pepper to the mushroom mixture. Stir to mix, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until heated through.
Stir the parsley into the couscous. Divide the couscous among individual serving plates, and top with the stew. Serve immediately, as is or topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Yield: 4 servings
Poached Salmon with Vegetables Couscous
Moist, succulent salmon is placed atop a bed of light, flavorful couscous, and then crowned with a dollop of sour cream-dill dressing. If you prefer a creamy honey-mustard dressing, simply mix 2 Tbsp of Dijon-style mustard and 1 tsp of honey with the sour cream.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
2 cups reduced-sodium, fat-free vegetable broth
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill
Instructions:
Place the broth, onion, bell pepper, and parsley in a 4-quart pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the salmon fillets, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the fish can be easily flaked with a fork.
Transfer the fish to a plate, and cover to keep warm.
Bring the poaching liquid to a second boil over high heat, and stir in the peas and couscous. Cover and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Place the sour cream and dill in a small bowl, and stir to mix well. Set aside.
Divide the cooked couscous among individual plates. Top each portion with a salmon fillet and a dollop of dill dressing, and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
2 cups reduced-sodium, fat-free vegetable broth
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill
Instructions:
Place the broth, onion, bell pepper, and parsley in a 4-quart pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the salmon fillets, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the fish can be easily flaked with a fork.
Transfer the fish to a plate, and cover to keep warm.
Bring the poaching liquid to a second boil over high heat, and stir in the peas and couscous. Cover and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Place the sour cream and dill in a small bowl, and stir to mix well. Set aside.
Divide the cooked couscous among individual plates. Top each portion with a salmon fillet and a dollop of dill dressing, and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Ingredients
200g/8oz couscous
400ml/14fl oz hot vegetable stock
10 sun-dried or sunblushed tomatoes, quartered
2 medium avocados, peeled, stoned and cut into large chunks
100g/3½oz black olives
a good handful of nuts, such as pine nuts, cashews or almonds
200g/8oz feta, roughly crumbled
130g/4oz bag green salad leaves
For the dressing
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method
1. Tip the couscous into a large bowl, stir in the hot stock, cover and leave to soak for five minutes.
2. Make a dressing with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Stir two tablespoons into the couscous, then gently mix in the tomatoes, avocados, olives, nuts and feta. Taste, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper if required.
4. Toss the salad leaves with the remaining dressing, divide between four plates and spoon the couscous on top
200g/8oz couscous
400ml/14fl oz hot vegetable stock
10 sun-dried or sunblushed tomatoes, quartered
2 medium avocados, peeled, stoned and cut into large chunks
100g/3½oz black olives
a good handful of nuts, such as pine nuts, cashews or almonds
200g/8oz feta, roughly crumbled
130g/4oz bag green salad leaves
For the dressing
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method
1. Tip the couscous into a large bowl, stir in the hot stock, cover and leave to soak for five minutes.
2. Make a dressing with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Stir two tablespoons into the couscous, then gently mix in the tomatoes, avocados, olives, nuts and feta. Taste, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper if required.
4. Toss the salad leaves with the remaining dressing, divide between four plates and spoon the couscous on top
Friday, November 13, 2009
Muffaleta
For the olive salad:
1 gallon large pimento stuffed green olives, slightly crushed and well drained
1 quart jar pickled cauliflower, drained and sliced
2 small jars capers, drained
1 whole stalk celery, sliced diagonally
4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
1 small jar celery seeds
1 small jar oregano
1 large head fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jar pepperoncini, drained (small salad peppers) left whole
1 pound large Greek black olives
1 jar cocktail onions, drained Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or pot and mix well. Place in a large jar and cover with 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 Crisco oil. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least 24 hours before using.
For the sandwich:
1 round loaf italian bread
1/4 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
1/4 pound ham, thinly sliced
1/4 pound hard Genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/4 pound Mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 pound Provolone cheese,sliced
1 cup olive salad with oil Split a muffuletta loaf or a loaf of Italian bread horizontally. Spread each half with equal parts of olive salad and oil. Place meats and cheeses evenly on bottom half and cover with top half of bread. Cut in quarters. Enjoy!
1 gallon large pimento stuffed green olives, slightly crushed and well drained
1 quart jar pickled cauliflower, drained and sliced
2 small jars capers, drained
1 whole stalk celery, sliced diagonally
4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
1 small jar celery seeds
1 small jar oregano
1 large head fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jar pepperoncini, drained (small salad peppers) left whole
1 pound large Greek black olives
1 jar cocktail onions, drained Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or pot and mix well. Place in a large jar and cover with 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 Crisco oil. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least 24 hours before using.
For the sandwich:
1 round loaf italian bread
1/4 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
1/4 pound ham, thinly sliced
1/4 pound hard Genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/4 pound Mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 pound Provolone cheese,sliced
1 cup olive salad with oil Split a muffuletta loaf or a loaf of Italian bread horizontally. Spread each half with equal parts of olive salad and oil. Place meats and cheeses evenly on bottom half and cover with top half of bread. Cut in quarters. Enjoy!
Muffalata
MUFFALATA SANDWICH LOAF
1 lg. round loaf sourdough (unsliced) bread1/3 lb. hard salami, sliced thin1/3 lb. ham, sliced thin1/3 lb. Provolone, sliced thin
OLIVE SALAD:
Make this a day ahead:
2/3 c. chopped green olives2/3 c. chopped black olives1/3 c. chopped pimento3 cloves garlic, minced1 anchovy fillet, mashed1 tbsp. capers1/3 c. finely chopped parsley1 tsp. oregano1/4 tsp. pepper1/2 c. olive oil
Mix all ingredients for olive salad, cover and marinate at least 12 hours. Next day you can begin making the sandwich; slice round loaf horizontally - scoop out 1 inch of soft bread middle from the top and the bottom. Brush bottom of loaf with olive oil. Layer cold cuts and cheese, top with olive salad and press top and bottom together, put back in bread sack and tie shut.
Refrigerate overnight and put a heavy weight on top, so the loaf will be condensed. Just like one of those deli sandwiches you buy and it is so good. Don't let all the work discourage you; it is a good sandwich!!
1 lg. round loaf sourdough (unsliced) bread1/3 lb. hard salami, sliced thin1/3 lb. ham, sliced thin1/3 lb. Provolone, sliced thin
OLIVE SALAD:
Make this a day ahead:
2/3 c. chopped green olives2/3 c. chopped black olives1/3 c. chopped pimento3 cloves garlic, minced1 anchovy fillet, mashed1 tbsp. capers1/3 c. finely chopped parsley1 tsp. oregano1/4 tsp. pepper1/2 c. olive oil
Mix all ingredients for olive salad, cover and marinate at least 12 hours. Next day you can begin making the sandwich; slice round loaf horizontally - scoop out 1 inch of soft bread middle from the top and the bottom. Brush bottom of loaf with olive oil. Layer cold cuts and cheese, top with olive salad and press top and bottom together, put back in bread sack and tie shut.
Refrigerate overnight and put a heavy weight on top, so the loaf will be condensed. Just like one of those deli sandwiches you buy and it is so good. Don't let all the work discourage you; it is a good sandwich!!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Nigella's Pasta with Meatballs
This Nigella recipe is taken from her popular Channel 4 series Nigella Bites, based on her popular book How To Eat.
This is definitely time consuming, but here at least I make no apology for that. And there is nothing like serving up a bowl of pasta with meatballs to make you feel like an Italian mamma out of a Hollywood film. I don't mean one of those redoubtable types in amorphous black: think Sophia Loren in the kitchen. It works for me.
The trick to these meatballs is to keep them small. Don't actually use a teaspoon, but use about a teaspoon's amount of mince to roll each ball. If there are children around, so much the better; they tend to like making these. But otherwise, they're easy enough, and the slow repetitiveness of the action can be rather calming.
To go with these divine meatballs, I like tagliatelle. De Cecco, Spinosi or Cipriani brands are all very good, but making fresh pasta is an experience worth trying. No one's saying you have to make it, but actually once you do try, you'll soon see that it's not difficult. I had a pasta machine for years before I was brave enough to use it. For some reason I thought it would be a performance But I tried and it isn't, and I rather like the mood of peaceful concentration the activity ushers forth. And it's a great way of playing in the kitchen with children: they love turning the handle, which is actually a help, not often the case when the children are cooking with you.
Quantities are easy so long as you remember you need one egg per 100g of 00 flour (now available at most supermarkets), and that on average, one 'egg ' of pasta, as it were, feeds two generously.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
Meatballs
250g minced pork
250g minced beef
1 egg
2 tbspns freshly grated parmesan
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tbspns semolina or breadcrumbs
Good grind black pepper
1 tsp salt
Tomato sauce
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tspn dried oregano
1 tbspn butter
1 tbspn olive oil (not extra virgin)
700g bottle tomato passata
Pinch sugar
Salt and pepper
100ml full fat milk
Method: How to cook pasta with meatballs in tomato sauce
How to make the meatballs and tomato sauce
1.Just put everything in a large bowl, and then, using your hands, mix to combine, before shaping into small balls. Place the meatballs on baking sheets or plates that you have lined with clingfilm, and put in the fridge as you finish them.
2.For the sauce, put the onion, garlic and oregano into the process and blitz to a pulp. Heat the butter and oil in a deep wide pan, then scrape the onion-garlic mix into it and cook over a low-medium for about 10 minutes. Don't let the mixture catch, just let it become soft. Add the bottle of passata and then fill the empty bottle half full with cold water. Add this to the pan with the pinch of sugar, some salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes.
3.The tomato sauce will appear thin at this stage, but don't worry as it will thicken a little later. Stir in the milk, and then drop the meatballs in one by one. Don't stir the pan until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown as you don't want to break them up. Cook everything for about 20 minutes, with the lid only partially covering it.
4.At the end of cooking time, check the seasoning as you may want more salt and a grind or two more of pepper.
Pasta
400g Italian 00 flour
Fat pinch salt
4 eggs
How to make the pasta
1.Either put the flour (with the salt) in a bowl and crack the eggs into it, or make a mound of flour on a worktop and add the eggs to that. I don't bother to beat them before adding them to the flour, but if you prefer to, then add them gradually, do. Just find the way that you prefer. All you do is mix the flour and eggs together, and then knead the mixture until it all comes together in a satiny mass. Kneading involves no more than pushing the mixture away from you with the heels of your hands and then bringing it back towards you. If you've got an electric mixer with a dough hook, then do use that, but for some reason I don't find it makes the pasta cohere any sooner. And you don't get the relaxing satisfaction of making it by hand.
2.When the pasta silky and smooth, form into a ball, cover with a cloth and leave for 30 minutes to an hour. Then get out your pasta machine, read the instructions and away you go. Two tips first: cut each slice you want to feed through the pasta machine as you go, and put through the no 1 press quite a few times, folding the strip in half and pushing it through again after each time. When the pasta dough's been fed a few times through the no1 slot, pass it through the remaining numbers on the gauge, before pushing it through the tagliatelle-cutters. And I find that the pasta strips cut into tagiatelle better if you leave them hanging over the table or wherever to dry a little first (10 minutes is enough).
3.When you cook the pasta, make sure you've got plenty of boiling salted water and start tasting immediately the water comes back to the boil after you've put the pasta in. Use about a third of the meatballs in their sauce to toss the cooked, drained pasta in and then pour the rest of them over the scantly sauced ribbons in the bowl. This is ambrosia: food to get you through the winter happily.
This is definitely time consuming, but here at least I make no apology for that. And there is nothing like serving up a bowl of pasta with meatballs to make you feel like an Italian mamma out of a Hollywood film. I don't mean one of those redoubtable types in amorphous black: think Sophia Loren in the kitchen. It works for me.
The trick to these meatballs is to keep them small. Don't actually use a teaspoon, but use about a teaspoon's amount of mince to roll each ball. If there are children around, so much the better; they tend to like making these. But otherwise, they're easy enough, and the slow repetitiveness of the action can be rather calming.
To go with these divine meatballs, I like tagliatelle. De Cecco, Spinosi or Cipriani brands are all very good, but making fresh pasta is an experience worth trying. No one's saying you have to make it, but actually once you do try, you'll soon see that it's not difficult. I had a pasta machine for years before I was brave enough to use it. For some reason I thought it would be a performance But I tried and it isn't, and I rather like the mood of peaceful concentration the activity ushers forth. And it's a great way of playing in the kitchen with children: they love turning the handle, which is actually a help, not often the case when the children are cooking with you.
Quantities are easy so long as you remember you need one egg per 100g of 00 flour (now available at most supermarkets), and that on average, one 'egg ' of pasta, as it were, feeds two generously.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
Meatballs
250g minced pork
250g minced beef
1 egg
2 tbspns freshly grated parmesan
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tbspns semolina or breadcrumbs
Good grind black pepper
1 tsp salt
Tomato sauce
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tspn dried oregano
1 tbspn butter
1 tbspn olive oil (not extra virgin)
700g bottle tomato passata
Pinch sugar
Salt and pepper
100ml full fat milk
Method: How to cook pasta with meatballs in tomato sauce
How to make the meatballs and tomato sauce
1.Just put everything in a large bowl, and then, using your hands, mix to combine, before shaping into small balls. Place the meatballs on baking sheets or plates that you have lined with clingfilm, and put in the fridge as you finish them.
2.For the sauce, put the onion, garlic and oregano into the process and blitz to a pulp. Heat the butter and oil in a deep wide pan, then scrape the onion-garlic mix into it and cook over a low-medium for about 10 minutes. Don't let the mixture catch, just let it become soft. Add the bottle of passata and then fill the empty bottle half full with cold water. Add this to the pan with the pinch of sugar, some salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes.
3.The tomato sauce will appear thin at this stage, but don't worry as it will thicken a little later. Stir in the milk, and then drop the meatballs in one by one. Don't stir the pan until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown as you don't want to break them up. Cook everything for about 20 minutes, with the lid only partially covering it.
4.At the end of cooking time, check the seasoning as you may want more salt and a grind or two more of pepper.
Pasta
400g Italian 00 flour
Fat pinch salt
4 eggs
How to make the pasta
1.Either put the flour (with the salt) in a bowl and crack the eggs into it, or make a mound of flour on a worktop and add the eggs to that. I don't bother to beat them before adding them to the flour, but if you prefer to, then add them gradually, do. Just find the way that you prefer. All you do is mix the flour and eggs together, and then knead the mixture until it all comes together in a satiny mass. Kneading involves no more than pushing the mixture away from you with the heels of your hands and then bringing it back towards you. If you've got an electric mixer with a dough hook, then do use that, but for some reason I don't find it makes the pasta cohere any sooner. And you don't get the relaxing satisfaction of making it by hand.
2.When the pasta silky and smooth, form into a ball, cover with a cloth and leave for 30 minutes to an hour. Then get out your pasta machine, read the instructions and away you go. Two tips first: cut each slice you want to feed through the pasta machine as you go, and put through the no 1 press quite a few times, folding the strip in half and pushing it through again after each time. When the pasta dough's been fed a few times through the no1 slot, pass it through the remaining numbers on the gauge, before pushing it through the tagliatelle-cutters. And I find that the pasta strips cut into tagiatelle better if you leave them hanging over the table or wherever to dry a little first (10 minutes is enough).
3.When you cook the pasta, make sure you've got plenty of boiling salted water and start tasting immediately the water comes back to the boil after you've put the pasta in. Use about a third of the meatballs in their sauce to toss the cooked, drained pasta in and then pour the rest of them over the scantly sauced ribbons in the bowl. This is ambrosia: food to get you through the winter happily.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Biscuit Pudding
Ingredients:
200gm biscuits
2 tbl spns coco powder
1 tbl spn drinking chocolate
1 tea spn vanilla essence
1 cup fresh cream
1/2 cup hot milk
8 tbl spns powdered Sugar
1 tea spn coffee powder
The cream used for cake decoration can be used for this.
Method:
Keep 2-3 layers of biscuits in a vessel (use large bottomed vessel) and soak them with 1/4 cup milk.
In a separate bowl, mix sugar and remaining milk till the sugar is dissolved. Then add coco, coffee, chocolate, vanilla and cream. Mix slowly to get a uniform mixture. Taste the mixture at this stage, if sugar is less, add some more to suit your taste.
Now pour this mixture on the soaked biscuits.
Chill in refridgerator
Serves 4
For pictures: http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2006/06/16/biscuit-pudding/
200gm biscuits
2 tbl spns coco powder
1 tbl spn drinking chocolate
1 tea spn vanilla essence
1 cup fresh cream
1/2 cup hot milk
8 tbl spns powdered Sugar
1 tea spn coffee powder
The cream used for cake decoration can be used for this.
Method:
Keep 2-3 layers of biscuits in a vessel (use large bottomed vessel) and soak them with 1/4 cup milk.
In a separate bowl, mix sugar and remaining milk till the sugar is dissolved. Then add coco, coffee, chocolate, vanilla and cream. Mix slowly to get a uniform mixture. Taste the mixture at this stage, if sugar is less, add some more to suit your taste.
Now pour this mixture on the soaked biscuits.
Chill in refridgerator
Serves 4
For pictures: http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2006/06/16/biscuit-pudding/
Monday, September 28, 2009
Potato/Tuna Patties (Nigella)
INGREDIENTS
350–500g cold mashed potato
418g tinned salmon, preferably organic
15g unsalted butter, melted (if the mashed potato hasn’t got any butter in it)
fat pinch cayenne pepper
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
1 egg
for coating and frying:
2 eggs
100g matzo meal, preferably medium (or sub with breadcrumbs)
50g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Serving Size : Makes 7–9 x 7cm-diameter fishcakes.
METHOD
1. In a large bowl, and preferably with your hands, mix together all the fishcake ingredients.
2. Cover a baking sheet with clingfilm, plunge your hands back into the mixture and form fat, palm-sized patties. Place these on the baking sheet and stand in the fridge to firm up for about 20 minutes to an hour – or considerably longer if that helps.
3. Beat the eggs in a shallow soup bowl and sprinkle the matzo meal onto a dinner plate. One by one, dip the fishcakes into the beaten egg and then into the matzo meal, sprinkling and dredging over as you go to help coat them. When you’re all done, put the butter and oil in a large frying pan, heat till it begins to fizzle and then fry the fishcakes on each side until the crusts are golden, and speckled brown in parts, and the soothing centres are warmed through.
350–500g cold mashed potato
418g tinned salmon, preferably organic
15g unsalted butter, melted (if the mashed potato hasn’t got any butter in it)
fat pinch cayenne pepper
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
1 egg
for coating and frying:
2 eggs
100g matzo meal, preferably medium (or sub with breadcrumbs)
50g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Serving Size : Makes 7–9 x 7cm-diameter fishcakes.
METHOD
1. In a large bowl, and preferably with your hands, mix together all the fishcake ingredients.
2. Cover a baking sheet with clingfilm, plunge your hands back into the mixture and form fat, palm-sized patties. Place these on the baking sheet and stand in the fridge to firm up for about 20 minutes to an hour – or considerably longer if that helps.
3. Beat the eggs in a shallow soup bowl and sprinkle the matzo meal onto a dinner plate. One by one, dip the fishcakes into the beaten egg and then into the matzo meal, sprinkling and dredging over as you go to help coat them. When you’re all done, put the butter and oil in a large frying pan, heat till it begins to fizzle and then fry the fishcakes on each side until the crusts are golden, and speckled brown in parts, and the soothing centres are warmed through.
Thrifty Kitchen Tips
1. Jacques Pépin once said that in his kitchen, he always had an empty milk carton at hand, and into it would go all the bits of meat and vegetable trimmings—peelings and tough stems and end pieces; then he'd put it in the freezer. When it was full and he wanted to make a soup or stock, he'd pull out the carton, slash it open, and dump all those discards into the soup pot. Not a bad idea, particularly in these days of soaring food prices.
2. Buying bread can be a problem for the single cook because seldom does one encounter small loaves. But bread freezes well, so what I usually do is buy a baguette or some other crusty loaf, and what I don't eat the first day I'll cut into four or five pieces, wrap separately in foil, put in a freezer bag, and freeze. I'll pull one out in the morning so it's ready for supper, heated up a touch. You can do the same with any kind of bread.
3. Don't throw away those few tablespoons of cooked spinach, or the three of four extra spears of asparagus you couldn't quite finish; they can be used in a soup, a salad, an omelet, or a frittata. The little bit of precious meat juice left in the pan is worth saving to use later to intensify a soup or to make a pan sauce.
4. Pour extra stock or broth into an ice tray and freeze. When frozen solid, remove the cubes of stock and put them in small freezer bags. This way you can easily retrieve a few cubes when you need a small amount to make a pan sauce or to thin and flavor a sauce or soup.
5. Fresh herbs can be a problem for the cook living alone—or, for that matter, for any cook today. So many recipes call for two or three different ones, which are expensive, and you're apt to throw out the limp remains. One solution is to substitute dried herbs, which good cooks have been doing for ages. Start with about one-quarter as much dried herbs as you would fresh, and taste. Another strategy is to grow a few fresh herbs in pots on a sunny windowsill, if you have one.
6. When you've bought more mushrooms than you can use up, a simple way to keep them is to dice and sauté them. You can then pack the sautéed dice, which the French call duxelles, in a small freezer bag and dip into it whenever you want a tablespoon or so to add to a sauce, a soup, an omelet, whatever.
7. It is very convenient when you are roasting a chicken or a piece of meat to roast at the same time a pan of different vegetables—beets, fennel, leeks, parsnips, peppers, squash, tomatoes—so you can have them on hand for salads, or to be mixed with pasta, grains, rice, or eggs.
2. Buying bread can be a problem for the single cook because seldom does one encounter small loaves. But bread freezes well, so what I usually do is buy a baguette or some other crusty loaf, and what I don't eat the first day I'll cut into four or five pieces, wrap separately in foil, put in a freezer bag, and freeze. I'll pull one out in the morning so it's ready for supper, heated up a touch. You can do the same with any kind of bread.
3. Don't throw away those few tablespoons of cooked spinach, or the three of four extra spears of asparagus you couldn't quite finish; they can be used in a soup, a salad, an omelet, or a frittata. The little bit of precious meat juice left in the pan is worth saving to use later to intensify a soup or to make a pan sauce.
4. Pour extra stock or broth into an ice tray and freeze. When frozen solid, remove the cubes of stock and put them in small freezer bags. This way you can easily retrieve a few cubes when you need a small amount to make a pan sauce or to thin and flavor a sauce or soup.
5. Fresh herbs can be a problem for the cook living alone—or, for that matter, for any cook today. So many recipes call for two or three different ones, which are expensive, and you're apt to throw out the limp remains. One solution is to substitute dried herbs, which good cooks have been doing for ages. Start with about one-quarter as much dried herbs as you would fresh, and taste. Another strategy is to grow a few fresh herbs in pots on a sunny windowsill, if you have one.
6. When you've bought more mushrooms than you can use up, a simple way to keep them is to dice and sauté them. You can then pack the sautéed dice, which the French call duxelles, in a small freezer bag and dip into it whenever you want a tablespoon or so to add to a sauce, a soup, an omelet, whatever.
7. It is very convenient when you are roasting a chicken or a piece of meat to roast at the same time a pan of different vegetables—beets, fennel, leeks, parsnips, peppers, squash, tomatoes—so you can have them on hand for salads, or to be mixed with pasta, grains, rice, or eggs.
Japanese Sweet Potato
Ingredients:
2 small satsuma-imo (sweet potato/yam)
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp milk
2 1/2 tbsps sugar
Preparation:
Steam satsuma-imo until soften. Peel satsuma-imo skin and mash the satsuma-imo in a bowl. Add butter, egg yolk (leave some for glazing), sugar, and milk in the bowl. Stir the ingredients well. Make small oval-shaped sweet potato cakes and put each cake on an aluminium cup. Mix some water and left-over egg yolk in a small cup. Glaze cakes with the egg mixture. Place cakes on a tray and bake in 375 F oven for 10-15 min.
*Makes 4 servings
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/sweetpotato/r/sweetpotatocake.htm
2 small satsuma-imo (sweet potato/yam)
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp milk
2 1/2 tbsps sugar
Preparation:
Steam satsuma-imo until soften. Peel satsuma-imo skin and mash the satsuma-imo in a bowl. Add butter, egg yolk (leave some for glazing), sugar, and milk in the bowl. Stir the ingredients well. Make small oval-shaped sweet potato cakes and put each cake on an aluminium cup. Mix some water and left-over egg yolk in a small cup. Glaze cakes with the egg mixture. Place cakes on a tray and bake in 375 F oven for 10-15 min.
*Makes 4 servings
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/sweetpotato/r/sweetpotatocake.htm
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Brownies!
Cheesecake Swirled Brownies
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/09/cheesecake-swirled-brownies/
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cupcakes
http://startcooking.com/blog/338/Chocolate-Fudge-Brownie-Cupcakes
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/09/cheesecake-swirled-brownies/
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cupcakes
http://startcooking.com/blog/338/Chocolate-Fudge-Brownie-Cupcakes
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Ee Fu Mee
Ingredients
1 large round piece ee fu mee, about 60g
1 litre hot boiling water
1 dried black mushroom, soaked to soften then sliced thinly
3 button mushrooms, sliced thinly
50g carrots, sliced thinly
50g Chinese cabbage, sliced thinly
50g beansprouts
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
Seasoning (combine):
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1/4 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp monosodium glutamate
Dash of pepper
1/2 cup water
Thickening (combine):
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp water
Garnishing:
Spring onions, chopped
Red chillies, chopped
Method
Blanch noodles in hot boiling water for 30 to 40 seconds. Drain, then refresh under running tap water. Drain well and set aside.Heat oil and sesame oil in a wok, then saute garlic till fragrant. Add in button mushrooms and dried mushrooms. Add carrots, chinese cabbage and beansprouts. Stir-fry well. Add noodles and seasoning. Cover wok and cook for one to two minutes. Add thickening, stir-fry, then dish up and serve immediately with garnishing.
1 large round piece ee fu mee, about 60g
1 litre hot boiling water
1 dried black mushroom, soaked to soften then sliced thinly
3 button mushrooms, sliced thinly
50g carrots, sliced thinly
50g Chinese cabbage, sliced thinly
50g beansprouts
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
Seasoning (combine):
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1/4 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp monosodium glutamate
Dash of pepper
1/2 cup water
Thickening (combine):
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp water
Garnishing:
Spring onions, chopped
Red chillies, chopped
Method
Blanch noodles in hot boiling water for 30 to 40 seconds. Drain, then refresh under running tap water. Drain well and set aside.Heat oil and sesame oil in a wok, then saute garlic till fragrant. Add in button mushrooms and dried mushrooms. Add carrots, chinese cabbage and beansprouts. Stir-fry well. Add noodles and seasoning. Cover wok and cook for one to two minutes. Add thickening, stir-fry, then dish up and serve immediately with garnishing.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Baked French Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes
- 1 large onion
- 1/2 cup parsley sprigs minus stems
- 1/2 teaspoon saltfreshly ground white pepper
- 3/4 cup water2 tablespoons butter
Method:
1.Pare potatoes and slice very thin.
2.Peel onion and slice paper thin.
3.Separate into rings.
4.Mince parsley.
5.In a buttered 10 x 6 x 2 inch baking dish arrange 1/2 of the potatoes.
6.Layer with onion and parsley.
7.Cover with remaining potatoes.
8.Sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper.
9.Heat together the water and butter until water boils and butter melts and pour over the potatoes.
10.Bake in a preheated 450F oven until potatoes are tender about 40 minutes.
11.Top layer of potatoes will be dry.
[4 servings]
Ayam Pongteh
INGREDIENTS
1kg chicken
300gms sweet bean paste (sweet tua-chu)
300gm shallots
150gms garlic
300gm potatoes
30gms black mushrooms
30mls dark soya sauce
50gms sugar
30gms palm sugar (gula melaka)
160mls cooking oil
1.5 litre water
Pinch of salt
METHOD
Clean and cut the whole chicken into about 16 pieces. Soak black mushrooms in hot water until soft (about 15 minutes), drain and clean properly under running water then set aside.
Wash and cut potatoes into small pieces. Grind the shallots, garlic and bean paste separately into fine pastes.
Heat oil in wok and fry the finely ground shallot paste and garlic paste until brownish and fragrant. Add ground bean paste and fry until fragrant. Add chicken, black mushrooms and potatoes.
Mix well and fry for about five minutes. Pour in water and stir.
Add soya sauce, sugar, palm sugar and salt to taste.
Simmer until chicken and potatoes are cooked.
Serve with steamed rice and sambal belacan.
Tips: If the taste is slightly bitter as a result of overcooked garlic and shallots, add a little sugar to taste. Ayam Pongteh can be kept in the fridge for a few days and actually tastes better
1kg chicken
300gms sweet bean paste (sweet tua-chu)
300gm shallots
150gms garlic
300gm potatoes
30gms black mushrooms
30mls dark soya sauce
50gms sugar
30gms palm sugar (gula melaka)
160mls cooking oil
1.5 litre water
Pinch of salt
METHOD
Clean and cut the whole chicken into about 16 pieces. Soak black mushrooms in hot water until soft (about 15 minutes), drain and clean properly under running water then set aside.
Wash and cut potatoes into small pieces. Grind the shallots, garlic and bean paste separately into fine pastes.
Heat oil in wok and fry the finely ground shallot paste and garlic paste until brownish and fragrant. Add ground bean paste and fry until fragrant. Add chicken, black mushrooms and potatoes.
Mix well and fry for about five minutes. Pour in water and stir.
Add soya sauce, sugar, palm sugar and salt to taste.
Simmer until chicken and potatoes are cooked.
Serve with steamed rice and sambal belacan.
Tips: If the taste is slightly bitter as a result of overcooked garlic and shallots, add a little sugar to taste. Ayam Pongteh can be kept in the fridge for a few days and actually tastes better
Telur Belanda
Ingredients- Four eggs (or whatever number you want), fried. Just see that the yoke is no longer runny. Leave aside.
- Gravy: One tiny ball of tamarind pulp mixed with a small bowl of waterSugar, salt, pepper and a little corn flour to thicken the sauce
- Other ingredients: 1 or 2 stalk red chillies, cut
thumb size ginger, smashed
3 pips garlic, smashed
1 small onion, quartered
Method
- Heat a little oil, and fry the ginger, chillies, garlic and onion till fragrant.
- Add the tamarind juice and the flavourings. Simmer for a while. Put in the eggs and let it simmer further.
- Taste. Add more sugar till you get a pleasant tasting sweetish-sourish gravy.
[You can replace the eggs with prawns or fish fillets. You may pan fry a piece of mackerel (ikan tenggiri) and add it to the gravy to simmer till cook.
I can add some tomatoes and omit the chillies.]
If you like, sprinkle some spring onions on the dish to make it look prettier
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Oatmeal Baked Chicken
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 1/2) pound broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
1/2 cup milk (or egg white)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
DIRECTIONS
1. Coat a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl or large resealable plastic bag, combine oats, paprika, chili powder, salt if desired, garlic powder, cumin and pepper.
3. Dip chicken in milk (or egg white), then coat with oat mixture. Place in prepared baking dish.
4. Drizzle with butter.
5. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until juices run clear.
[you may try to marinate chicken with lemon juice & salt]
[Serves 4]
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 1/2) pound broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
1/2 cup milk (or egg white)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
DIRECTIONS
1. Coat a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl or large resealable plastic bag, combine oats, paprika, chili powder, salt if desired, garlic powder, cumin and pepper.
3. Dip chicken in milk (or egg white), then coat with oat mixture. Place in prepared baking dish.
4. Drizzle with butter.
5. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until juices run clear.
[you may try to marinate chicken with lemon juice & salt]
[Serves 4]
Friday, September 11, 2009
Crème Caramel
Flan Recipe (Crème Caramel/Caramel Custard Recipe)
Ingredients:
4 eggs1/2 cup sugar2 cups milk (whole milk preferred)1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Caramel:
1 cup sugar1/2 cup water
Method:
In a small sauce pan, prepare the caramel by blending the sugar and water in medium
heat. Keep stirring it until it thickens and the syrup turns deep amber in color. Turn off heat.
Arrange 6 ramekins and add the caramel (in equal portion) into the ramekins. (Save some caramel for topping purposes.) Tilt the ramekins and make sure that the caramel is coated evenly at the bottom of the ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
Clean the sauce pan and heat it up (use low heat). Add in the milk and 1/2 cup of sugar. As soon as the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat. In a big bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, and add in the warm milk slowly. Add the vanilla extract and do a quick whisk. Strain the custard mixture into the 6 ramekins and set aside.
Arrange the 6 ramekins in a baking pan big enough to fit them. Pour hot water in the baking pan about halfway up the ramekins. Transfer the baking pan into the oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the ramekins from the baking pan and let cool. Once they turn cool, transfer them to the fridge and chill them for a few hours. When they are ready to serve, slide a knife around the side of each ramekin to loosen the flan. Turn it out on a dessert plate and top it with extra caramel, if you want.
Cook’s Notes:
If the caramel turns solid, heat it up in a microwave for 10 seconds to dissolve it.
For other flan recipes, try out fellow bloggers Danielle’s and Elise’s recipes here and here.
Ingredients:
4 eggs1/2 cup sugar2 cups milk (whole milk preferred)1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Caramel:
1 cup sugar1/2 cup water
Method:
In a small sauce pan, prepare the caramel by blending the sugar and water in medium
heat. Keep stirring it until it thickens and the syrup turns deep amber in color. Turn off heat.
Arrange 6 ramekins and add the caramel (in equal portion) into the ramekins. (Save some caramel for topping purposes.) Tilt the ramekins and make sure that the caramel is coated evenly at the bottom of the ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
Clean the sauce pan and heat it up (use low heat). Add in the milk and 1/2 cup of sugar. As soon as the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat. In a big bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, and add in the warm milk slowly. Add the vanilla extract and do a quick whisk. Strain the custard mixture into the 6 ramekins and set aside.
Arrange the 6 ramekins in a baking pan big enough to fit them. Pour hot water in the baking pan about halfway up the ramekins. Transfer the baking pan into the oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the ramekins from the baking pan and let cool. Once they turn cool, transfer them to the fridge and chill them for a few hours. When they are ready to serve, slide a knife around the side of each ramekin to loosen the flan. Turn it out on a dessert plate and top it with extra caramel, if you want.
Cook’s Notes:
If the caramel turns solid, heat it up in a microwave for 10 seconds to dissolve it.
For other flan recipes, try out fellow bloggers Danielle’s and Elise’s recipes here and here.
Easy Pureed Cream of Broccoli Soup
1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 10 oz. bag frozen chopped broccoli
4 c. chicken broth
Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tsp)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c. half and half
Sour cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper for serving
Heat the soup pot over medium high heat. Add the butter or oil to the hot pan and the chopped onions.
Cook the onions until they are translucent and tender.
Add the frozen chopped broccoli, chicken broth, lemon juice, and nutmeg to the pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered until the broccoli is very tender.
Transfer the soup to a blender 1 cup at a time, and blend on the puree setting of the blender. Be sure the top vent from the lid has been removed. Move the blended soup to another pot over low heat on the stove to keep warm until all of the soup has been blended.
Stir the half and half into the soup and heat over low heat (be sure that it does not boil) until warmed though.
Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream, additional grated nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
2 tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 10 oz. bag frozen chopped broccoli
4 c. chicken broth
Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tsp)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c. half and half
Sour cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper for serving
Heat the soup pot over medium high heat. Add the butter or oil to the hot pan and the chopped onions.
Cook the onions until they are translucent and tender.
Add the frozen chopped broccoli, chicken broth, lemon juice, and nutmeg to the pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered until the broccoli is very tender.
Transfer the soup to a blender 1 cup at a time, and blend on the puree setting of the blender. Be sure the top vent from the lid has been removed. Move the blended soup to another pot over low heat on the stove to keep warm until all of the soup has been blended.
Stir the half and half into the soup and heat over low heat (be sure that it does not boil) until warmed though.
Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream, additional grated nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
Ginger Onion Chicken/Fish
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-chicken-with-ginger-and-spring-onion-2
Ingredients
680 g chicken , breast, leg or thigh - with bones
5 small green onions
5 small slices of ginger
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ cups (380ml) water
1 food processor
1 large wok
1 large skillet
1 large steam basket
1 large chef knife
1 cutting board
Step 1:
Make The Marinade
First take 3 spring onions (or green onions) and coarsely chop them. Next, cut off 5 slices of a ginger root. It is ok to leave the skin on the ginger as it will add to the flavor in the marinade. Add these ingredients along with 1 tablespoon of salt an 2 tablespoons of rice wine into a food processor. Finely chop and mix the onions, garlic, ginger, rice wine and salt. You can use a food processor or a mortar and pestle. Take the finished marinade and spread it evenly over both sides of the 1 1/2 pounds of chicken. Bone in chicken is recommended as it has more flavor and cook with the skin on. Now set the chicken aside for 1 hour at room temperature and let it marinate.
Step 2:
Make The Garnish
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the garnish. Start by peeling the skin off a ginger root with a spoon. Then thinly slice and finely chop the ginger to make a 1/3 of a cup. Remove the both the tops and ends of the green onions. Slice the green onion in half lengthwise and then line up all the green onion halves. Thinly slice them at a diagonal. Mix the chopped green onions and the prepared ginger in a small bowl.
Step 3:
Steam The Chicken Breasts
Put about 1 1/2 cups of water in the bottom of a large wok or skillet and heat to a low boil. Place a large steam basket in the wok and put the chicken into it. Cover the wok and steam for about 15 to 20 minutes to cook.
Step 4:
Garnish And Serve
Remove the chicken from the steam basket to a serving dish. Take a large skillet and pour in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat. While the oil heats, take the green onion and ginger mix and spread it evenly on top of the green onions. Once the oil starts to crackle, remove from the heat and pour on top of the chicken. This dish will serve four people.
Ingredients
680 g chicken , breast, leg or thigh - with bones
5 small green onions
5 small slices of ginger
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ cups (380ml) water
1 food processor
1 large wok
1 large skillet
1 large steam basket
1 large chef knife
1 cutting board
Step 1:
Make The Marinade
First take 3 spring onions (or green onions) and coarsely chop them. Next, cut off 5 slices of a ginger root. It is ok to leave the skin on the ginger as it will add to the flavor in the marinade. Add these ingredients along with 1 tablespoon of salt an 2 tablespoons of rice wine into a food processor. Finely chop and mix the onions, garlic, ginger, rice wine and salt. You can use a food processor or a mortar and pestle. Take the finished marinade and spread it evenly over both sides of the 1 1/2 pounds of chicken. Bone in chicken is recommended as it has more flavor and cook with the skin on. Now set the chicken aside for 1 hour at room temperature and let it marinate.
Step 2:
Make The Garnish
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the garnish. Start by peeling the skin off a ginger root with a spoon. Then thinly slice and finely chop the ginger to make a 1/3 of a cup. Remove the both the tops and ends of the green onions. Slice the green onion in half lengthwise and then line up all the green onion halves. Thinly slice them at a diagonal. Mix the chopped green onions and the prepared ginger in a small bowl.
Step 3:
Steam The Chicken Breasts
Put about 1 1/2 cups of water in the bottom of a large wok or skillet and heat to a low boil. Place a large steam basket in the wok and put the chicken into it. Cover the wok and steam for about 15 to 20 minutes to cook.
Step 4:
Garnish And Serve
Remove the chicken from the steam basket to a serving dish. Take a large skillet and pour in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat. While the oil heats, take the green onion and ginger mix and spread it evenly on top of the green onions. Once the oil starts to crackle, remove from the heat and pour on top of the chicken. This dish will serve four people.
Claypot Chicken Rice
Ingredients:
2 cups rice1 skinless chicken breast & 2 chicken drumsticks1 stalk scallion (chopped)3 inches ginger (peel the skin and chop into thin strips)6 shitake mushrooms (soak in hot water for 30 minutes and cut into halves)1 small piece salted fish (cut into small pieces)2 Chinese sausage (sliced) - optional
Seasoning for chicken:
2 tablespoons oyster sauce1 tablespoon soy sauce1/4 teaspoon chicken boullion powder1/2 teaspoon corn starch1/2 teaspoon sesame oil5 dashes white pepper powder1/4 teaspoon sugar1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine (or rice wine)
Seasoning for rice:
2 tablespoons soy sauce1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce2 teaspoons cooking oil1 pinch of salt
Method:
Chop the chicken breast and chicken drumsticks into pieces.
Add the chicken seasoning and mix well. Marinate for an hour in the fridge.
Rinse and clean the rice in a rice cooker as if you are making steamed rice after the chicken is marinated for an hour.
Add the rice seasoning and cooking oil into the rice and start cooking the rice.
At the same time, heat up a wok with some cooking oil. Add in the chicken and shitake mushrooms.
Quickly stir-fry the chicken until half-cooked. Add in the chopped scallions. Dish out and set aside.
Deep fry the salted fish and set aside.
Add the chicken into the rice cooker when the rice is almost dry (about 7-8 minutes) and continue to cook till rice is completely cooked.
Leave the rice cooker on “Stay Warm” for 15 - 20 mintues before serving.
Top the chicken rice with fried salted fish and serve immediately.
2 cups rice1 skinless chicken breast & 2 chicken drumsticks1 stalk scallion (chopped)3 inches ginger (peel the skin and chop into thin strips)6 shitake mushrooms (soak in hot water for 30 minutes and cut into halves)1 small piece salted fish (cut into small pieces)2 Chinese sausage (sliced) - optional
Seasoning for chicken:
2 tablespoons oyster sauce1 tablespoon soy sauce1/4 teaspoon chicken boullion powder1/2 teaspoon corn starch1/2 teaspoon sesame oil5 dashes white pepper powder1/4 teaspoon sugar1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine (or rice wine)
Seasoning for rice:
2 tablespoons soy sauce1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce2 teaspoons cooking oil1 pinch of salt
Method:
Chop the chicken breast and chicken drumsticks into pieces.
Add the chicken seasoning and mix well. Marinate for an hour in the fridge.
Rinse and clean the rice in a rice cooker as if you are making steamed rice after the chicken is marinated for an hour.
Add the rice seasoning and cooking oil into the rice and start cooking the rice.
At the same time, heat up a wok with some cooking oil. Add in the chicken and shitake mushrooms.
Quickly stir-fry the chicken until half-cooked. Add in the chopped scallions. Dish out and set aside.
Deep fry the salted fish and set aside.
Add the chicken into the rice cooker when the rice is almost dry (about 7-8 minutes) and continue to cook till rice is completely cooked.
Leave the rice cooker on “Stay Warm” for 15 - 20 mintues before serving.
Top the chicken rice with fried salted fish and serve immediately.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Chicken Chop Oriental Style
Ingredients
• 2 pieces boneless drumstick chicken with skin, cleaned an dried well
• 2 eggs- beaten
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce( use maggie)
• A tbsp of pepper
• A pinch of sugar
• 1 potato, cut into wedges
• 1 tomato, quartered
• 1 big onion, sliced thinly
• 40g button mushrooms
• 40g mixed vegetables
• 1 cup boiling stock(use maggie chicken stock)
• 1 tbsp tapioca flour
(A):
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• Salt and pepper
Seasoning:
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 2 cm cinnamon stick (kayu manis)
• 1 clove
• 1 star anise (bunga lawang)
Method
Marinate chicken with (A) for two hours or preferably overnight.
Dust chicken with tapioca flour and deep fry in medium hot oil till chicken turns a light golden brown. Then
fry potato wedges till golden.
Add 1 tbsp flour in 2 tbsp butter. Add boiling stock and seasoning. Put in button mushrooms, big onion and tomato. Cook for five to 10 minutes till gravy is thick.
Pour gravy over chicken .
• 2 pieces boneless drumstick chicken with skin, cleaned an dried well
• 2 eggs- beaten
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce( use maggie)
• A tbsp of pepper
• A pinch of sugar
• 1 potato, cut into wedges
• 1 tomato, quartered
• 1 big onion, sliced thinly
• 40g button mushrooms
• 40g mixed vegetables
• 1 cup boiling stock(use maggie chicken stock)
• 1 tbsp tapioca flour
(A):
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• Salt and pepper
Seasoning:
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 2 cm cinnamon stick (kayu manis)
• 1 clove
• 1 star anise (bunga lawang)
Method
Marinate chicken with (A) for two hours or preferably overnight.
Dust chicken with tapioca flour and deep fry in medium hot oil till chicken turns a light golden brown. Then
fry potato wedges till golden.
Add 1 tbsp flour in 2 tbsp butter. Add boiling stock and seasoning. Put in button mushrooms, big onion and tomato. Cook for five to 10 minutes till gravy is thick.
Pour gravy over chicken .
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Chicken and Pumpkin Stew
Pumpkin works amazingly well in this dish, adding an interesting sweet contrast to the chicken.
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes.
Serves: 4.
600g chicken, cut into 6cm pieces 1/3 cup plain fl our mixed with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper3 tbsp olive oil2 medium onions (200g), cut into thick wedges1 rib celery (100g), thickly sliced l large carrot (150g), halved lengthwise and then thickly sliced2 tomatoes (200g), cut into thick wedges700ml water500g pumpkin, skinned and cut into 4cm chunks1 sprig fresh rosemary or thyme1 small zucchini (100g), thickly sliced2 tbsp chopped parsleySalt and pepper to taste
Step 1 Clean chicken and pat each piece dry with paper towels. Dip pieces in the seasoned fl our and shake off excess.
Step 2 Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and arrange chicken in a single layer, leaving 2cm space around each piece. (If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches to avoid over-crowding the pan.) Cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. (Chicken does not have to cook right through.) Remove onto a plate, leaving as much oil as you can in the pan.
Step 3 When all the chicken has been browned, add onion, celery and carrot to the remaining oil in the pan. Cook celery and carrot, turning them occasionally, until vegetables are browned around the edges. Take pan off the heat and transfer vegetables onto a plate.
Step 4 Return chicken to the pan, add the tomatoes and cook 3-4 minutes, until tomatoes soften. Add water, bring to the boil and turn down heat to medium-low. Simmer 15-20 minutes until chicken is tender.
Step 5 Add the pre-cooked vegetables, pumpkin and herb of your choice. Season with salt and pepper and simmer 10 minutes before adding zucchini. Cook a further 6-7 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle chopped parsley just before serving. Serve hot, with rice, potatoes or bread.
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes.
Serves: 4.
600g chicken, cut into 6cm pieces 1/3 cup plain fl our mixed with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper3 tbsp olive oil2 medium onions (200g), cut into thick wedges1 rib celery (100g), thickly sliced l large carrot (150g), halved lengthwise and then thickly sliced2 tomatoes (200g), cut into thick wedges700ml water500g pumpkin, skinned and cut into 4cm chunks1 sprig fresh rosemary or thyme1 small zucchini (100g), thickly sliced2 tbsp chopped parsleySalt and pepper to taste
Step 1 Clean chicken and pat each piece dry with paper towels. Dip pieces in the seasoned fl our and shake off excess.
Step 2 Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and arrange chicken in a single layer, leaving 2cm space around each piece. (If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches to avoid over-crowding the pan.) Cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. (Chicken does not have to cook right through.) Remove onto a plate, leaving as much oil as you can in the pan.
Step 3 When all the chicken has been browned, add onion, celery and carrot to the remaining oil in the pan. Cook celery and carrot, turning them occasionally, until vegetables are browned around the edges. Take pan off the heat and transfer vegetables onto a plate.
Step 4 Return chicken to the pan, add the tomatoes and cook 3-4 minutes, until tomatoes soften. Add water, bring to the boil and turn down heat to medium-low. Simmer 15-20 minutes until chicken is tender.
Step 5 Add the pre-cooked vegetables, pumpkin and herb of your choice. Season with salt and pepper and simmer 10 minutes before adding zucchini. Cook a further 6-7 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle chopped parsley just before serving. Serve hot, with rice, potatoes or bread.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Mashed Potatoes + Gravy
Wash and peel 6 potatoes. Cut them in half and place in a 2 quart pot 1/2 filled with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Boil the potatoes about 20-25 minutes. Check at 20 minutes. Use a fork and carefully pierce the potato for softness. They should be soft and not too mushy. When done, drain the water. Add the butter, milk and a shake of pepper. Mash with potato masher until they are fluffy. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Pile lightly and high into a serving dish. Place 2 tablespoons of butter on top of potatoes.
GRAVY:
Thicken 2 tablespoons meat drippings or Minors Au Jus with 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Slowly stir in 1 cup water and 1 cup milk. Season with salt and pepper.
alternative: HP sauce?
KFC Gravy
beef or chicken stock - depends on how much you want to make
salt - sesedap rasa~
msg - optional
soy sauce, regular - 1 teaspoon; not too much ( add flavor and colour)
corn flour - depends on how much stock you use or until it makes the gravy thickened
black pepper, ground of course - you can put a little bit of white pepper if you want.
1. heat the chicken or beef stock.
2.add corn flour mixed with water or stock~
3.add salt,msg*, pepper and soy sauce
4.cook on a sauce pan until it thickened
GRAVY:
Thicken 2 tablespoons meat drippings or Minors Au Jus with 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Slowly stir in 1 cup water and 1 cup milk. Season with salt and pepper.
alternative: HP sauce?
KFC Gravy
beef or chicken stock - depends on how much you want to make
salt - sesedap rasa~
msg - optional
soy sauce, regular - 1 teaspoon; not too much ( add flavor and colour)
corn flour - depends on how much stock you use or until it makes the gravy thickened
black pepper, ground of course - you can put a little bit of white pepper if you want.
1. heat the chicken or beef stock.
2.add corn flour mixed with water or stock~
3.add salt,msg*, pepper and soy sauce
4.cook on a sauce pan until it thickened
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bi Bim Bap
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients
18 ounces chicken breasts
6 eggs, separated
12 ounces carrots, julienned
12 ounces cucumbers, julienned
12 ounces spinach, cooked and shredded
sesame oil, as needed
salt, pepper to taste
6 cups cooked sushi rice
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped white scallion (chang, onion shoot)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted and crushed
1/4 cup chili bean paste (kochujang)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water
METHOD
1. Make the marinade: Combine 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup minced garlic, 1/4 cup chopped white scallion, 3 tablespoons toasted, crushed sesame seeds and pepper to taste.
2. Cut chicken breasts into small pieces, matchstick sized.
3. Let rest at least 2 hours in marinade -- refrigerated.
4. Season egg yolks with salt. Beat until smooth.
5. Lightly oil and heat nonstick pan over medium flame.
6. Cook yolks crêpe-style. Transfer crêpes to. sheet pan to cool.
7. Repeat process with egg whites. (If necessary, add small. amount of cornstarch-water mixture to keep whites smooth.).
8. Julienne white and yellow crêpes. Reserve.
9. Season carrots and cucumber with salt. Set aside 5 minutes. Rinse; pat dry. Saute in sesame oil. Reserve.
10. Stir-fry spinach in sesame oil. Reserve.
11. Arrange chicken, egg, vegetables around rice.
12. Make Kochujang sauce: combine 1/4 cup kochujang (chile-bean paste), 2 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water in saucepan. Heat to boil, stirring constantly.
13. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture reduces, 3-5 minutes.
14. Serve Kochujang sauce with the Bi Bim Bap.
Ingredients
18 ounces chicken breasts
6 eggs, separated
12 ounces carrots, julienned
12 ounces cucumbers, julienned
12 ounces spinach, cooked and shredded
sesame oil, as needed
salt, pepper to taste
6 cups cooked sushi rice
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped white scallion (chang, onion shoot)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted and crushed
1/4 cup chili bean paste (kochujang)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water
METHOD
1. Make the marinade: Combine 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup minced garlic, 1/4 cup chopped white scallion, 3 tablespoons toasted, crushed sesame seeds and pepper to taste.
2. Cut chicken breasts into small pieces, matchstick sized.
3. Let rest at least 2 hours in marinade -- refrigerated.
4. Season egg yolks with salt. Beat until smooth.
5. Lightly oil and heat nonstick pan over medium flame.
6. Cook yolks crêpe-style. Transfer crêpes to. sheet pan to cool.
7. Repeat process with egg whites. (If necessary, add small. amount of cornstarch-water mixture to keep whites smooth.).
8. Julienne white and yellow crêpes. Reserve.
9. Season carrots and cucumber with salt. Set aside 5 minutes. Rinse; pat dry. Saute in sesame oil. Reserve.
10. Stir-fry spinach in sesame oil. Reserve.
11. Arrange chicken, egg, vegetables around rice.
12. Make Kochujang sauce: combine 1/4 cup kochujang (chile-bean paste), 2 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water in saucepan. Heat to boil, stirring constantly.
13. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture reduces, 3-5 minutes.
14. Serve Kochujang sauce with the Bi Bim Bap.