Lemon Snow Drop Cookies

It has been quite a while since I have posted something. No, I have not forgotten to cook or experiment. I have not forgotten to take pictures of my cooking either, just that most of those pictures are taken by phone and uploaded on facebook. Ha ha I have become so typical. But then there has been quite big , BIG changes. I, moa, who used to freak out at the idea of baking have become quite addicted to it. AND my latest obsession has been with cookies. So, today I am making my comeback with a cookie that melts in mouth, soft and crumbly at the same time and is just deliciously lemony. Here are my little lemony cookies smothered in icing sugar to give them the look of covered in snow.

Servings: Yields about 36 cookies

Ingredients:

    Plain flour - 1.5 cup
    Egg - 1
    Butter - 125gms
    Caster Sugar - 2/3 cup
    Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed
    Zest of 1 large lemon
    Icing sugar - about 1/2 cup, for dusting

Methods:

  1. In a mixing bowl, mix in the sugar with the butter with a electric mixer.
  2. Softly mix in the egg followed by lemon juice and the lemon zest.
  3. Now slowly add the flour. It will form a soft sticky dough. Wrap it up in some cling wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. (You can even chill it overnight and just get it out when you want to bake it.)
  4. When the time is up, preheat the oven to 200C. Take the dough out of the fridge and softly knead it for a min. This is just to get the dough pliable. Take little portions( you can use a scoop or a spoon to make even sizes, I just eyeball it.) and roll it out into little balls. The recipe yields about 36 cookies. You can of course make them larger and that will yield fewer cookies.
  5. Once you have rolled out little balls out of all the dough, dunk them in the icing sugar to cover them fully. Do not dust off any extra sugar. Place them on baking tray lined with a baking paper and bake for about 12 min. The cookies will flatten and crack up a little but that will give them that covered in snow look, a bit like crinkle cookies( that recipe is for another day :P ).
 6. If you make larger cookies you might need to bake for couple more min, but make sure you watch them carefully not to over cook them. They will be soft and will look a little under done while they are warm. But trust me all will be okay when they are cooled down.
  7. Now go make yourself a cup of coffee or tea or even a glass of milk and devour the cookies. Yum yum yum.

Dried Fruit Peel and Pumpkin Cake

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

    Cooked mashed pumpkin - 1 cup
    Unsalted butter - 150 gms
    Soft brown sugar - 3/4 cup
    Honey - 2 tbsp
    Eggs - 2, lightly bitten
    Dried mixed fruit peel - 1 cup
    Self raising flour - 2 cups
    Nutmeg powder - 1 pinch
    Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp

Methods:

    1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a wide (I used 8x12 inch glass baking dish) baking dish with baking paper  and grease it lightly with vegetable oil spray.
    2. Steam the pumpkin or cook it covered in the microwave for 5-7 min. Mash it with a potato masher or fork to make a smooth puree. Do not add any liquid or blend it in the blender. That will make it too watery. Measure the mashed pumpkin to yield about 1 cup. Set aside.
    3. Beat the butter with the sugar until soft and creamy. Add the eggs and honey and beat well to combine. Take it of the electric mixer if using, and slowly and carefully fold in the pumpkin with a spatula.
   4. Once all the pumpkin has been incorporated, fold in the dried fruit peel.
   5. In a separate bowl, sift the flour together with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Slowly mix in the dry flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Carefully fold and mix to make sure everything has been incorporated but do not beat it or over mix it. The pumpkin puree is heavy, so if you mix it too much it will create a dense heavy cake instead of the soft crumbly one. 
   6.Once the mixture is well combined, spoon it into the prepared (oiled and lined) baking dish. Smooth the top with a back of a spoon. Bake for 35- 40 min. Check after 30 min to see if its done by inserting a knife or skewer in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean , its done.
   7. Let it cool for 10-15 min in the pan then take it out and let it cool completely before you ice it with the cream cheese icing.

Crispy Fried Ginger Chicken

I am not a big fan of ginger. Give me garlic and I will put it in nearly everything I cook. But ginger is a different matter. I guess my skepticism comes from the fact that I have not been able to use ginger in any recipes that drove me over the hills (in a good way!) or may be it is just the smell and the flavour that puts me off. But every time I pass along the veggie isle in the super market the old crinkly brown little guys taunt me as if to say "wont you give me a chance???" Hence the birth of this little concoction of mine. I decided to challenge myself and use only ginger as the main ingredient of this recipe. To my  astonishment this actually turned out to be really tasty. I for the first time enjoyed the sweet gingery fragrance whiffing out of the chicken at each bite and realised why these little roots are so famous among many cooks. Thus I could wait no longer but to share these recipe with my beloved readers. Let me how you like it.

Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

   Chicken drumsticks - 8 pcs (about 500 gms)
    Plain flour - 1 cup
    Bread crumbs - 1 cup
    Egg - 1
    Milk - 1/2 cup
    Chili flakes - 1/2 tsp
    Salt - 1 pinch
    Black pepper  - 1/2 tsp (coarsely ground)
    Oil for deep frying

    Brine:
    Ginger - 1 tbsp minced
    Black pepper - 1 tsp (coarsely ground)
    Chili flakes - 1 tbsp
    Salt - 1.5 tbsp
    Brown Sugar - 1 tbsp
    Cold water - 2-3 cups

Methods:

    1. Make the brine solution and set it aside for 1/2 an hour for the flavours to develop.
    2. Meanwhile wash and drain the drumsticks. Wipe them with a paper towel if  they are too moist. In a zip lock bag place the chicken and pour in the brine solution. Zip up the bag and place it in a bowl and refrigerate overnight.
    3. On the day of cooking take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature (leave it on the kitchen counter for about 2 hours). You must let the chicken come to room temperature before you fry them otherwise they will overcook on the outside and remain raw inside.
    4. Now the crumbing part. Prepare an assemble line for yourself. I like having everything set out before I do any crumbing. So, in a bowl place the flour, in another bowl the bread crumbs. Stir in the chili flakes and black pepper in the bread crumbs. In a third bowl whisk in the egg with the milk and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
    5. Drain the chicken from the brine solution and give them a quick rinse in cold water to remove any brine from the surface. Don't worry, you are not loosing any flavour. Socking the chicken in brine overnight allowed it to absorb all the flavour it needed.
    6. Now toss the chicken drumsticks in the plain flour. Shake of excess and dip them in the egg wash and then toss them again in the bread crumbs. I like placing the bread crumbs in a big enough bowl so that I can just swirl the bowl around to coat the chicken pieces in the bread crumbs. Makes the job so much less messier when you dont have to use the egg dipped fingers back in the crumbs to crumb up your own finger tips.
    7. Once all the chicken pieces have been crumbed, heat up the oil in a deep non stick frying pan and cook the chicken on med heat, about 4-5 min on each side, until golden. To make sure it has cooked all the way through, stab one of the pieces on it's thickest part with a small knife and see if the juices run clear, it has been cooked through.Once the chicken have been cooked through remove from heat and let drain on a paper towel.
    8. Serve with any sauce that takes your fancy. Being a chili fan I love to dip it in hot chili sauce. Yuumm!!!

 

Spicy Crispy Fried Shrimp Salad

Servings: 4 - 5

Ingredients:

     Shrimp - Medium size, 500gm ( roughly 1 lb), shelled with tail on and deveined*
     Scallions -1 cup, chopped
     Onion - 1 lg, sliced (about .5 cm thick)
     Panko Bread crumbs - 1 cup
     Plain flour - 1/2 cup
     Oil - 1 tbsp
     Salt - 1/4 tsp
     Chili flakes - 1 tsp (or less upon your heat preference)

     Oil for deep frying

    Marinade:
    Garlic cloves - 6-7(or more if you are a garlic fanatic like me!)
    Birds eye chili - 4-5 (remove the seeds if you don't like the heat)
    Salt - to taste

Methods:

    1. In blender or mortar and pestle mash in the garlics and chili and salt to a smooth paste. Marinade the cleaned shrimps in the garlic mixture for at least half an hour.
    2. In a large bowl put the shrimps and slowly add the flour while tossing to coat evenly. If the flour coating  seems too dry then stop adding any more or just add a bit of water to make sure the shrimps are coated nicely in a creamy texture.
   3. Then add the panko crumbs to the shrimp, toss and shake off excess.
   4. Deep fry the shrimps over high heat in batches. It will take you about 2-3 min to cook each batch. Just wait to see if the shrimps have curled up and turn golden and crispy. You have to keep an eagle eye on  them otherwise they will burn really quickly as the heat is high. Drain the fried shrimps on a paper towel.
   5. Once all the shrimps have been fried up, heat a wok on high heat. Add the tbsp of oil and once hot add the chilli flakes. They will bubble up, add the sliced onions straight away.

    6. Saute until they soften a bit, then return the shrimps to the wok. Add the chopped scallions. Turn off the heat. Toss everything together, the residue heat will soften the scallions and add the sweet fragrance to the shrimps.
    7. Serve with any sides you like. They are absolutely yum just as they are.


Hints:
*Devein the shrimps by making a slit with a sharp knife along the back (or spine if only shrimps had one!) of the shrimps and remove the black sandy deposit that pretty much looks like a vein. Be careful not to break away the tails.

No I am not Dead!!

My dearest readers, how have you all been? I have been around the world, pregnant and finally settled down from the commotion of celebrating the 1st birthday of my son.

The last post that I posted here was twoooooo long years ago!! But I have realized that I have been busy enough and it was time to be into the kitchen and heat up the wok. So here I am, back again and promise to bring to you food with new flavours and texture (some baby food recipes definitely!). For now........... HELLO AGAIN... will see you here soon.

Chicken Kebabs with Mustard & Roast Tomato

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast fillet - 1 kg( 2lb), cut into 1 inch thick, long strips
• Small red onions or shallots - 2-3 per person
• Roma tomatoes - 4, cut in half
• Salt & pepper
  
• Olive oil for grilling
• Wooden skewers
  
• 
  
• Marinade:
• Jarred roasted tomato - 4-5 pcs, or 2 tbsp paste
• Dijon mustard - 1 tbsp
• Garlic cloves - 3-4
• Green chili- 3-4 ( or depending on heat preference)
• Salt & pepper - to taste
• Olive oil - 1 tbsp
  

Methods:

• 1. In a mortar and pestle (or a grinder), mash in all the ingredients for the marinade except the olive oil.
• 2. Cut the skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets into 1 inch thick long strips. Marinate the chicken strips in the mixture for 2 hours or overnight.
  
• 3. When ready to grill, mix in the olive oil in the chicken strips. Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers. The recipe yields about 10 skewers/kebabs.
  

• 
• 4. Heat up your griddle on high heat. Once smoking hot, brush the griddle with a little bit of olive oil and lay the chicken kebabs onto the grill. Grill the chicken kebabs for about 3-4 min on each side, until cooked through and charred a bit. DO NOT cook the chicken for too long or press it down with your spatula as that will make the chicken loose its internal juices and make it really dry and hard.
• 5. Once the chicken kebabs are grilled. Toss the veggies with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill the veggies till they are a bit charred.
  
• 6. Serve with grilled naan or pita bread.
  

Grilled Basa

My beloved readers, first of all please allow me to apologize for vanishing from the face of the earth, i. e. face of this blog for the last few months. :D I have been doing some traveling and it took longer than I expected to settle down and shower you with my newest concoctions. However, here I am, back and buzzing with an aromatic and smokey recipe just for you.

Servings : 4

Ingredients:

• Basa filet - 1 kg (2 lb)
• Olive oil for grilling
• Onions or any other veggies of choice for grilling
• 
  
• Spice rub:
  
• Cajun spice - 1 tbsp
• Caraway seeds - 1 tsp
• Cayenne pepper - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp ( or to taste)
• Dijon mustard - 1 tbsp
• Mixed dried herbs - 1 tsp
• Black pepper corns- 1/2 tsp
• Garlic cloves - 4-5
• Green chili - 4-5 ( or depending on heat preference)
  

Methods:

• 1. In a mortar and pestle (or a grinder), grind in all the ingredients for the spice rub.
  
• 2. Wash and pat dry the Basa fillets with a paper towel. Lay the fillets side by side flat on a tray. Rub a generous amount of the spice mixture on the fillets and let it marinate for 1/2 hour to 2 hours. Keep it covered with a plastic wrap and in the refrigerator if it s a hot day.
• 3. Heat up your grill till smoking hot. With a BBQ brush spread a bit of oil on the grill so that the fish wont stick.
• 4. Grill the fish fillets for about 2-3 min on each side, till they are cooked through and gets a charred look. Make sure you do not over cook the fish as it will get very dry.
• 5. Serve on a bed of rice or with a side of garden salad and some grilled onions*.

Hints:
* For the grilled onions, just cut some sweet onions in ring. Toss the them with a bit of olive oil, pinch of salt and black pepper and grill them. The salt is only added to bring out the natural sugar in the onions, which allows it to caramelize nicely, so don't add to much salt.

Spicy Fried Potatoes with Mustard Seeds

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 4 cups, , skinned & cubed
• Onion - 1 med, thinly sliced
• Jalapeno - 1 lrg, thinly sliced
• Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp, coarsely crushed(some should stay whole)
  
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - taste
• Paprika powder - 1/2 tsp

Methods:

• 1. Blanch the skinned and cubed potatoes till they are half cooked, in salty water. Drain and set aside.
• 2. Meanwhile chop the onions and jalapenos and set aside.
• 3. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a non-stick wok. Add the mustard seeds. Add the onions, pinch of salt and the jalapeno. Saute for couple of min.
  
• 4. Add the potatoes, and the spices. Saute on med-high heat till they are fully cooked through and get a little charred on the edges. It should take you about 5-6 min. Turn the heat off.
  
• 5. Serve warm with a side of naan bread or rice.

Pan Fried Salmon with Lemon-Pepper

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Salmon fillet - 4 servings ( 1 lrg fillet cut into 2 inch wide pieces)
  
• Tomato - 2, cut into wedges
• Onion - 1 sml, thinly slices
• Cilantro - 1/2 cup, chopped
• Green chilies - 2-3, sliced lengthwise
• Lemon-pepper salt - 1/2 tsp
  
• 
  
• Spice rub:
• Lemon pepper salt - 1 tsp
• Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Methods:

• 1. Wash and pat dry the Salmon fillets with paper towel.
  
• 2. In a bowl, mix in the ingredients for the spice rub. Rub the Salmon fillets with the spice rub gently but thoroughly. Set aside to marinate for 1/2 hour.
• 3. Chop the rest of the veggies and set aside.
• 4. In a non-stick frying pan heat 2 tbsp of oil to high heat. Fry the Salmon fillets 2-3 min on each side, just to get a crispy sear on both sides. This will make the outer surface of the fillets charred but still store in the moisture. Remove and rest it on a plate.
• 5. If required add 1 more tbsp of oil to the pan. Add the onions. Saute for 2-3 min till they are translucent.
  
• 6. Add the sliced tomatoes and chillies and the lemon pepper salt to the pan. Saute on high heat till the tomatoes soften a bit and the skin shrivels up.
• 7. Return the Salmon fillets to the pan, cook for a min and flip them over gently so that both sides will be covered with the tomato-onion saute. Turn the heat off. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro leaves on top. Serve with rice.
  

Chicken Pasta Salad with Lemon & Dill Dressing

This is one of the most easiest recipes I think I have ever put together. In other words, this is a salad and a meal, all in one for a lazy night's dinner. This is also a great recipe for getting rid of any left over roast chicken or fish or even red meat. As I used a thick but moist dressing, the roasted (slightly dried) meat goes well with the recipe. There is one slight word of caution, if you are not a big fan of lemons/limes then this might not be the right salad for you. However, I am confident once you taste this you will fall in love with those little round juicy fruits for the first time!!!

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• Pasta(any kind) - 500 gms(1 lb)
• Leftover rotisserie chicken - 2 whole breast fillets
• 
  
• Dressing:
• Mayonnaise - 1/2 cup
• Plain yogurt - 2 tbsp
• Fresh dill - 2 tbsp, chopped finely
• Lemon juice - juice of 1 lemon
• Salt & pepper - to taste
• Hot sauce - to taste
  
• Sweet pickle relish - 2 tbsp
• Zest of 1 lemon.
  

Methods:

• 1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Make sure you salt the boiling water properly before adding the pasta, as this is the only time that the pasta will absorb any flavour. You can also cook the pasta in chicken or vegetable stock if you have them handy. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside. Save a little bit of the pasta water aside.
  
• 2. Meanwhile, de-bone and tear the roast chicken into bite size pieces with your hands.
• 3. In a large enough bowl to hold the salad in, whisk in all the ingredients for the dressing. Before squeezing out the juice of the lemon, zest the rind and also throw it in the dressing.
• 4. Carefully stir in the chicken pieces in the dressing with a spatula. Be gentle enough not to break the chicken pieces in crumbs, since they will be very delicate as they are already cooked.
  
• 5. Stir in the drained pasta to the chicken mixture. If the sauce seems too thick for the pasta to be stirred in, add a bit of the saved pasta water to thin it out a bit.
• 6. Serve the delicious salad warm or even in room temperature.
  

Lemon Pepper Chicken Burger

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Whole grain bread rolls - 4 servings
• Romaine lettuce - 4 servings
• Red onion - sliced
• Tomato - sliced
  

• Sauce:
• Mayo - 3 tbsp
• Sweet sour sauce - 2 tbsp
• Sweet pickle relish - 1 tbsp
• Hot sauce - 1 tsp
• Ranch dressing - 1 tbsp
• Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• 
  
• Chicken Patty:
• Chicken mince - 500gm (1 lb)
• Cilantro - 1/2 cup, chopped
  
• Spring onions - 1/2 cup, chopped
  
• Lemon pepper - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper - to taste

Methods:

• 1. Mix in all the ingredients for the chicken patties with your hands thoroughly. Form into patties ( recipe yields 4) and place it on a plate. Cover it with a plastic wrap and let it marinade for 2 hours in the fridge.
• 2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Crank the heat to med-high. Cook the patties one at a time, for 2-3 min on each side. Remove and set aside.
• 3. Meanwhile, whisk in all the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside for the flavours to develop.
  
• 4. Once the patties are cooked, toast the buns on both sides.
  
• 5. On the heal (bottom half) of the bun place a dollop of the sauce, top it with a leaf of romaine lettuce, couple of slices of onions and tomatoes finishing with a chicken patty. If you like add a bit more sauce to the inner part of the crown ( top half) of the bun before placing it on top of the patty.
• 6. Serve. Bon Appétit!

Grilled Chicken Kebab

I love to grill and BBQ. AND I like to do it straight on the fire or charcoal which does create a bit of mess and smoke when it wants to ( which is most of the time!!). Due to these hazards my mom decided to buy an electric grill which desperately needed my magic touch. Thus here are the results......the kebabs turned out so delicious that when I asked my loyal subject ( my little brother) what should I name it, he promptly suggested "pet-bhora kebab" which in English means "Stomach filling kebab". I guess you just have to try it to find out whether his naming for this kebab is perfect or not.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast fillet - 1 kg(2 lb), cut into 1 inch thick long strips
• Naan bread - for 4 servings
• Tomato - sliced into 1 cm thick rings
• Onion - sliced into 1 cm thick rings
• Green capsicums - sliced into 1 cm thick strips
• 
  
• Marinade:*
• Natural Yogurt - 1 cup
• Garlic cloves - 4-5, mashed/paste
• Green chilies - 4-5, mashed( depending on heat preference)
• Lemon juice - juice of half a lrg lemon
• Ginger - 1.5 cm pc, mashed/paste
• Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp, powdered/crushed
• Caraway seeds - 1 tbsp, powdered/crushed
  
• Coarse salt - 1 tbsp, crushed
• Chili flakes - 1 tbsp, crushed
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch long pc, crushed
• Cardamon pods - 2-3, crushed
• Whole cloves - 2-3, crushed
  
• 
  
• Dipping Sauce:
• Natural Yogurt - 1 cup
• Hot sauce - 1 tbsp
• Ketchup - 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp (freshly squeezed)
• Salt & pepper - to taste
• Garlic clove - 1, grated finely

Methods:

• 1. Blend all the ingredients together for the marinade and marinate the chicken strips for 4 hours refrigerated.
• 2. Mix in all the ingredients for the dipping sauce, set aside for the flavours to develop. Heat your electric grill or your stove top grill** to maximum.
• 3. Take the chicken strips out of the fridge half hour before cooking. Mix in 1/2 cup of oil in the chicken strips. Make sure to coat all the pieces evenly.
  
• 4. Place the chicken strips side by side on the grill and cook for 3-5min on both side, or till cooked through in few batches. Depending on the type of grill you have the cooking time will vary. If you have an electric grill, it might take shorter time to cook since you can close the clam shell lid and cook on both sides simultaneously.
• 5. Once all the chicken strips are cooked, place the vegetables or some other vegetables of your choice on the grill and spray some oil and season with salt and pepper, grill for 3-4 min till they get a nice dark grill mark.
  
• 6. Once the veggies are done, place the naan breads on the grill and cook for 1 min on each side, this is just to warm up the breads as well as giving them a char grill taste.
  
• 7. Serve the chicken kebabs with side of the dipping sauce, grilled veggies and naan. Bon Appétit!

Hints:

• * I like putting all the ingredients except the lemon juice and yogurt in mortar and pestle and crush it all up together to a paste. It does not need to be a fine paste, I like it pretty coarse. But make sure that you carefully grind all the mustard seeds and anise seeds finely before adding the rest of the ingredients to the mortar.
• ** If you do not have a grill, you can also bake this in the oven or cook it in out door BBQ .

Chicken Pad Thai

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• Flat rice noodles - 500gm(1lb)
  
• Chicken breast fillet - 500 gm( 1lb), cut into strips
• Bean Shoots - 3 cups
• Carrots - 2 med, julienne cut
• Broccoli florets - 2 cups
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
• Garlic cloves - 4, minced ( half separated)
  
• Green chili - 3, minced
• Peanut butter - 1 tbsp
• Eggs - 4
• Salt & pepper - to taste

• Sauce:
• Soy sauce - 3 tbsp
• White Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• Fish sauce - 2 tbsp
• Brown Sugar - 1 tbsp
• Chili flakes - 1 tsp

Methods:

• 1. Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• 2. Prepare and chop the veggies, set aside. Mix in the ingredients for the sauce, set aside for the flavours to develop.
  
• 3. Marinate the chicken strips with soy sauce, black pepper, salt, chilies and half the minced garlic.
  
• 4. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick wok. Add the chicken strips. Saute on high heat till they are cooked through. Remove from wok and set aside.
• 5. Wipe the wok clean with a paper towel. Add 2 more tbsp of oil and heat up. Cook the eggs by scrambling them. Once they stiff up a bit, add the carrots and broccoli. Season with salt & pepper. Saute on high heat for about 3-4 min till they are softened a bit. Make sure you don't over cook it. They still need to be nice and crunchy.
• 6. Return the chicken to the wok. Stir to combine. Saute for a min. Remove everything from the wok on a plate and set aside.
• 7. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the wok, add the left over minced garlic and saute till they are fragrant. Add the noodles and saute for a min. Return the chicken and veggies to the wok, stir to combine.
  
• 8. Add the sauce to the noodles. Saute on high heat for about 2-3 min, or till the noodles absorb all the sauce. Turn the heat off.
• 9. Serve immediately.
  

Chili Beef

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Beef strips - 500 gms
• Onion - 1 lrg, sliced
  
• Chilies/capsicum - 1 cup, sliced (seeded if heat is not preffered)
  
• Corn flour - 1 tbsp
• 
  
• Marinate:
• Soy sauce - 1/2 cup
• Tasting salt - 1 tbsp
• Black pepper - 1 tbsp
• Chili powder - 1 tsp

Methods:

• 1. Mix in the ingredients for the marinade and marinate beef strips overnight.
• 2. Heat oil in a pan, add the beef and saute on high heat for 4-5 min, till cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside.
• 3. Add the onions and peppers to the pan, with some black pepper and tasting salt. Add a splash of oil if required, however you should not need to. Saute on high heat till the onions are browned on the edges a bit, but still crispy.
• 4. Return the beef strips to the pan. Stir to combine and saute for 2-3 min on high heat.
• 5. In a bowl mix 1/2 cup of ice cold water with the corn starch and 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp tasting salt. Whisk to combine smoothly.
• 6. Add the mixture to the beef. Stir vigorously so that the corn starch does not lump up in one place. Once the gravy starts to thicken and simmer a bit, turn the heat off.
• 7. Serve immediately on a bed of pasta or rice. Bon Appétit!
  

Shrimp Fried Rice

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Shrimp - 1 lb, shelled and deveined
• Onion - 1 med, chopped
• Carrots - 1 cup, sliced
• Frozen sweet peas - 1 cup, defrosted
  
• Green chilies - 2-3 , chopped
• Soy sauce - 2-3 tbsp
• Tasting salt - 1 tbsp (or to taste)
• Black pepper - 1 tsp
• Eggs - 2
• Basmati rice - 3 cups(raw)

Methods:

• 1. Rinse and drain the rice.
• 2. Bring water into boil, add the rice with 1 tsp of salt and boil till the rice seems al dente. Drain and set aside.
• 3. Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Fry the eggs by scrambling them, remove and set aside.
• 4. Add the onions to the pan, saute till they are translucent. Add the carrots, half the amount of tasting salt and black pepper. Saute for 2-3 min till they are a bit softer. Add the sweet peas and saute for 2-3 more min. Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside.
• 5. Add the shrimp to the pan with 1/2 tsp of garlic paste and 1/2 tsp of tasting salt. Saute till they curl up.
  
• 6. Return the eggs and veggies to the pan. Stir to combine and saute for 1-2 min.
• 7. Add the drained rice to the pan. Carefully stir to combine as not to break the rice. Test for salt. If required add a bit more tasting salt and black pepper. Saute for 3-4 more min.
  
• 8. Sprinkle the soy sauce on top, turn the heat off, cover and let it rest for 10 min before serving.
• 9. After the 10 min, stir the rice a bit so that some of the whiter rice and some of the darkened rice with soy sauce will mix evenly. Serve with a side of fried chicken or any side of your choice.
  

Spring Fried Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 1 lb, cut up in 2 inch size pieces.
• Plain flour - 1/2- 1 cup
• Soy sauce - 2 tbsp

• Marinade:
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
• Tasting salt - 1 tbsp
• Black pepper - 1 tbsp
• Garlic cloves - 2, minced

Methods:

• 1. Whisk in the ingredients to make the marinade. Marinate the chicken pieces overnight, refrigerated or minimum of 2 hours.
  
• 2. On the day of cooking take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature before cooking.
  
• 3. Mix in the extra soy sauce with the chicken. Sprinkle the flour on top of the chicken pieces and combine gently with your hands to coat every chicken piece.
  
• 3. Heat oil in a wok, enough so that the chicken pieces will be half submerged. Fry on med-high heat for about 4-5 min on each side, until cooked through and golden and crispy.
• 4. Serve immediately.
  

Tuna Salad with Chili Oil

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Red cabbage - 1 cup, thinly shredded
• Red Capsicum - 1 lrg, thinly sliced
• Red Onion - 1 sml, thinly sliced
• Seedless cucumber - 1.5 cup, thinly sliced
• Canned Tuna chunks - 1 cup, drained of the canning juice/oil
• 
  
• Chili oil dressing:
  
• Salt & pepper - to taste
• Chili oil - 1/2 cup
• Honey - 2 tbsp
• Lemon/lime juice - 1 tbsp
  
• 
  
• Chili oil:
  
• Olive oil - 500ml
• Birds eye chilis - 2-3, ( or to taste) sliced lengthwise.
• Garlic clove - 1

Methods:

• 1. To make the chili oil, get a large non-stick pot. Wipe it clean of any residue. Pour the oil and heat it up on low flame, approx 2-3 min. Add the chilies and the garlic. Keep the oil on low heat for 5- 10 min. Make sure the oil does not get hot enough to cook the chilies or the garlic. It should just be warm enough to infuse the flavours into the oil. After the 10 min, turn the heat off, let the oil cool down and store it in a sterilized glass bottle for future use.
• 2. Chop and prep the veggies, set aside. Drain the tuna chunk of its canning juice, break it into bite size pieces and set aside.
• 3. In a large bowl, whisk in the honey and lemon juice with salt and pepper. Slowly pour the chili oil while you whisk the dressing. This will create a nice thick dressing.
  
• 4. Toss the veggies into the dressing to coat evenly. Gently toss in the tuna.
• 5. You can serve it as it is or as side to any main of your choice. I personally like to eat it just on its own.
  

Saffron Infused Fried Rice with Garlic Chives

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice - 3 cups (raw)
• Onion - 1 med, finely diced
• Garlic chives - chopped, 1 cup
• Saffron strands - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic cloves - 2-3, minced
• Green Chili - 2-3,( or to taste), sliced
• Salt & pepper - to taste
• Cumin powder - 2/3 tsp
• Whole anise seeds - 1 tsp

Methods:

• 1. In a large saucepan bring water to boil, drop the rice and boil until al dente. Drain and set aside.
• 2. In a non-stick wok, heat 3 tbsp of oil. Add the garlic, green chilies and saffron strands to infuse the oil.
• 3. Add the anise seeds, onion and chives, saute for 2-3 min till the onions are translucent.
  
• 4. Add some salt and pepper and the cumin powder, saute for a min. Add the drained rice to the onions. Saute on high heat for 5-6 min, till the rice have absorbed the flavoured oil. Season if required.
• 5. Serve with any meat or fish side.
  

Pepper Beef

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Beef rump steak - 500gms(1lb), cut into thin strips
• Green Capsicum - 1, cut into strips
• Banana peppers - 1 , cut into strips
• Whole pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
• Soy sauce - 3 tbsp (2 tbsp more separated)
  
• Black pepper - 1 tsp
• White pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste (account for the saltiness of the soy sauce)
• Corn flour/starch - 1-2 tbsp
  

Methods:

• 1. In a bowl, mix in the 3 tbsp soy sauce, black pepper, chili powder, white pepper, salt. Marinate the beef strips in the sauce mix for half hour.
• 2. Heat some oil in a wok. Once smoking hot, add the whole pepper corns to the oil followed by the marinated beef strips. Saute for 6-8 min, till they cook through.
• 3. Add the sliced onions, capsicums and peppers. Saute on high heat for 4-5 min. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
• 4. In a bowl, whisk in the corn flour with 1 cup of cold water and 1 tbsp of soy sauce. Pour this over the peppers and beef.
  
• 5. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens up. Serve immediately on simple fried rice.
  

Hokkein Noodles with Garlic Sesame Prawns

Servings: 4 - 6

Ingredients:

• Hokkein Noodles - 2 packets (450gms each)
• Prawn - 500gms, shelled and deveined
• Carrots - 1 cup, cut into strips
• Snowpeas - 2 cups, deveined
• Bean shoot - 2 cups, rinsed
• Garlic cloves - 3, minced
• Birds eye chili - 4-5, whole
• Chili flakes - 1 tsp ( or to taste)
• Salt - to taste
  
• Cooking oil
• 
  
• Sauce:
• Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
• Oyster sauce - 1 tbsp
• Fish sauce - 1.5 tbsp
• Sesame oil - 1.5 tsp
• White vinegar - 1.5 tbsp
• Brown sugar - 1 tsp

Methods:

• 1. In a bowl whisk in the ingredients for the sauce, set aside.
• 2. Cook the Hokkein noodles per package instructions, drain and set aside.
• 3. Heat oil in a large frying pan, add the minced garlic and the birds eye chilies, to infuse the oil with their scent and flavour.
• 4. Add the cleaned prawns and a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of the made sauce. Saute the prawns on high heat for about 3-4 min, till they curl up. Move them to the side of the pan.
• 5. Add the carrots and saute for a min or so.
• 
• 6. Add the snowpeas and stir to combine. Saute for 1-2 min.
• 7. Add the bean shoots and the drained noodles. Saute for 2-3 min on high heat. Pour the sauce over and stir to combine thoroughly. Turn the heat off and serve immediately.