Lamb Bourguignon

Made this delicious Lamb Bourguignon the other day and in fact this is not the first time I cook Bourguignon and I always find that this type of dish or something like stew is my comfort food.  

I always love to cook one pot dish as it is easy with no hassle and by the time the dish is cooked, I will surely enjoy this hearty meal.  

Lamb Bourguignon
Recipe sourced from Eat Your Heart Out with changes

Originally from from Delia Smith
Serves 6-7

Ingredients
1kg lamb chop cut into 2 inch (5 cm) squares
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
450ml red Burgundy or other red wine (1 pour in 600ml)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
350g shallots, whole
150g smoked or unsmoked streaky bacon, cut into cubes
150g mushrooms, sliced (I used a mixture of white button mushrooms and fresh shitake)
Salt and freshly milled black pepper


You can either cut the lamb chop into large chunks (5cmx 5cm) or leave it whole (like a 2" steak).

Preheat oven to 140°C.

In a casserole or pan, heat  2 tablespoons of the oil over high heat and sear the beef, a few pieces at a time, to a rich, dark brown on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned meat to a plate.

Add the sliced onion to the casserole and cook for 3 minutes, until softened. Return the meat to the casserole or pan and sprinkle in the flour, stirring round to soak up all the juices. Then gradually pour in red wine, again stirring all the time. Add the chopped garlic, herbs and seasoning, put the lid on and cook very gently on top of the stove on a very low heat or transfer to the oven – either way it will take 2 hours.

Just before the 2 hours is up,  fry the shallots and bacon with 1 tbsp oil for 2 minutes to colour them lightly. Add to the casserole, together with the mushrooms, then put the lid on and cook for a further hour.

 So delicious!

Sticky Rice With Corn Pudding

STICKY RICE WITH CORN PUDDING
Recipe sourced from Febie 

Ingredients 
½ cup uncooked sticky rice (glutinous rice)

2 cups water plus more
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup fresh corn or from the can

Coconut sauce2
2 cups coconut milk  (I used only 1 cup)
½ cup sugar  (I used less than 1/4 cup) 
¼ tsp salt  (just a pinch)

Soak the sticky rice at least 4 hours or over night.
Put rice and water in the pot cook on medium heat, stirring often.
(You might need to add extra water if it is too thick).
Add sugar and corn stir together and turn of the heat.

In another pot cook the coconut milk sugar and salt until melt
Serve the corn and rice topped with coconut sauce .

Serves for 2-3 person

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Ester of Copycake Kitchen

 

Cooked Long Beans With Rice ( 豆角饭 )

Usually I prefer to cook ONE POT dish because it is easy (but some one pot dish needs some long list of preparation).

Well, I do admit that sometimes I can be lazy to cook for a set of meal of 3 dishes; because you need to stand for hours preparing the ingredients, cooking, clean up etc and lately with this kind of hot weather makes you feel more lazier!  

Whenever I finished cooking for all the three dishes and by the time ready for dinner, I always tend to eat little. hmm...probably already so "full up" cooking and inhaling all the fragrant and aroma inside me!  I understand well now, previously when my mum cooked all the dishes, she will eat teeny weeny only and all of us the children feel why our mum so painstakingly cooked for us and she is so scrimp of dishing up the delicious food into her plate!


So once in awhile being as the chef at home, so it is alright to just cook one pot dish and hope no one is complaining and muttering  out "Ah, only one dish?"  Well, at least I have a soup to go with it.

Herewith, one pot dish "Cooked Long Beans With Rice" 

  

COOKED LONG BEANS WITH RICE  (豆角饭 )

(serves for 4-5 person)

Ingredients A
3 cups raw Rice

1 tsp olive oil
550ml water

Ingredients B

3 tbsp oil
4 shallots  (peeled, washed & sliced)
3cm ginger (scraped, washed & chopped)
2 ½ tbsp dried shrimps  (washed, soaked till soft, drained)
150g pork belly or Roast Pork (I used roast pork)

1 pair Chinese sausage  (washed with hot water, drained, remove skin, sliced in slant)
12 long beans  (washed, cut into 1 inch length)

Frying Rice Seasonings

3 cloves garlic (peeled, washed, chopped)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce

Seasonings
1 tbsp Shao-Xing Wine
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp pepper
a dash of sesame oil

Preparation and Method

1.  Rinse and soak rice in water for 30mins, drained and mix thoroughly with olive oil, set

      aside.

2. (If using pork belly)

     Boil pork belly for about 5 minutes, rinse, drain and cut into shred.  Heat the work

     Without oil and fry the pork till brown, the pork will release some oil during stir frying.

     (If using roasted pork)

 Heat up wok, add a tbsp oil and add in roasted pork, give it a quick toss under high

 heat. The pork will release some oil during stir frying. (You may add little light soy sauce and 
 sugar for more added flavour). Once it turn brownish, dish up and set aside.

3. Heat 3 tbsp of oil (Ingredients B) in wok, stir fry shallots till golden brown, add ginger

     and fry till fragrant follow by dried prawns, fried roast pork, sausage, long beans and

     sizzle in Shao-Xing wine, stir fry for a moment, then add Seasonings and stir well. 

     Dish out and put aside.

4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok, fry garlic till fragrant, reduce to low heat, sizzle in 1 tbsp of

     light soy sauce, add rice, dark soy sauce and oyster sauce (In Frying Rice Seasonings)

     and fry evenly at high heat.  Turn off the flame.

5.  Transfer fried rice and add 550g water into rice cooker. Switch on and cook for about

      13 to 15 minutes until boiling, when water almost dried up, pour fried long beans

      mixture over it, cover with lid and continue to cook until the rice cooker automatically

      shut off.  Simmer for 5 minutes more.  Stir well and serve. 

 

Pour in the fried long beans once the water in the rice cooker dries up and continue to cook.

                                        Fluff and stir/mix well together before serve.

This long beans rice is full of fragrant of the chinese sausage and roast pork!  

I think my long beans are a little too cooked; simmer too long in the rice cooker resulted too soft and over cooked; blame me that I went for a long shower. :-)

Plain and Simple White Bread (Delia Smith)

I wasn't prepared to bake anything lately as I was busy with other things to settle with but since my hands are getting "itch" and just the craving to bake something that this Plain Bread is  being baked.

I have so far have not bake a sandwich loaf or plain bread before because I was a little worry that it might not turn up as good as I wanted it to be.  

I decided to just make half of the recipe and continue to measure up the flour, salt, yeast, sugar in half portion and pour everything into the mixer and continue to measure the warm water but I forgot to half it and pour immediately into the flour...... amigosh......too wet.  Oh my, so I have no choice to measure the other half of the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into the mixer again.

Plain and Simple White Bread (Delia Smith) 
Recipe source from Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids 
Original recipe from Delia Smith

Ingredients
(700 g) strong white bread flour, plus a little extra for the top of the bread
1 level tbsp salt, or less, according to taste
1 level tsp easy-blend dried yeast
1 level tsp golden caster sugar (I used normal white caster sugar) 
425 ml hand-hot water

You will also need two 1 lb (450 g) loaf tins or one 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin, well buttered.
*  I only used ONE loaf pan with measurement of 6" x 10"

Method
Begin by warming the flour in the oven for about 10 mins, then turn the oven off. (I didn't do this)

Sift the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the center of the mixture, then add the water. Now mix to a dough, starting off with a wooden spoon and using your hands in the final stages of mixing, adding a spot more water if there are any dry bits. Wipe the bowl clean with the dough and transfer it to a flat work surface (you may not need to flour this). Knead the dough for 3 mins or until it develops a sheen and blisters under the surface (it should also be springy and elastic). You can now either return the dough to the mixing bowl or transfer it to a clean bowl; either way, cover it with clingfilm that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the dough. Leave it until it looks as though it has doubled in bulk, which will be about 2 hrs at room temperature.

After that, knock the air out, then knead again for 2 mins. Now divide the dough in half, pat each piece out to an oblong, then fold one end into the center and the other in on top. Put each one into a buttered tin, sprinkle each with a dusting of flour, then place them side by side in an oiled polythene bag until the dough rises above the tops of the tins – this time about an hour at room temperature. Alternatively, place all the dough in the one tin. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven 230°C.

Bake the loaf on the center shelf for 30-40 mins, until they sound hollow when their bases are tapped. Now return them, out of their tins, upside-down to the oven to crisp the base and side crust for about 5 mins, then cool on a wire rack.

 

 

Simple Japanese Chicken Curry

Hi everyone, good day to you.

Do you like Japanese Curry?  I loves Japanese Curry and usually I cooked it at home using the convenient and instant Japanese Curry Roux.  I only like to buy that "brand" and it is not always that I can get this brand at the supermarket shelves.  And other brands/packs only cook for 1 serving.

I read with ecstatic when Nami of Just One Cookbook posted her Simple Chicken Curry recently and even had a post on how to make curry roux from scratch !

Since the homemade curry roux is so easy to make, I have wasted no time to make this immediately.

Today my lunch is Simple Japanese Chicken Curry.  

JAPANESE CHICKEN CURRY

Largely adapted from Nami of Just One Cookbook

Ingredients:

500g boneless skinless chicken breast

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

2 carrots

2 onions

1-2 potatoes

½ tbsp ginger

2 cloves garlic

4 cups/1000ml chicken broth  

1 apple (I used Fuji apple)

1 tbsp honey (I didn’t add this)

2 tsp salt

1 recipe of Homemade Japanese Curry Roux * (please see below for recipe; make this

   ahead first)

½ tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Ketchup

Method:

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Discard the extra fat and cut it into bite size pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Peel and cut the onions, carrots and potatoes

Grate the ginger and crush the garlic.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onions until they become translucent.  Add the ginger and garlic and give it a thorough stir.

Add the chicken and cook until the chicken changes color.

Add the carrot and mix.

Add the chicken broth (or water).

Bring the stock to boil and skim out the scrum and fat from the surface of the stock.

Peel the apple and coarsely grate the apple into the pot.

Add the honey (if you are adding this but I opt this out) and salt and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

When the potatoes are ready, add a ladleful or two of cooking stock and mix into the homemade curry paste.  Add more cooking liquid if necessary and mix well until it’s smooth.

Add the roux paste back into the stock in the large pot and stir to combine.

Add soy sauce and ketchup. Simmer uncovered on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the curry becomes thick.

 Serve the curry with Japanese rice on the side and garnish with soft boiled egg.

Homemade Curry Roux

(Please go over to Nami's blog  for tutorial pictures)

Ingredients

42gm unsalted butter

4 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp curry powder

½ tsp chilli powder

Method:

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat.

When the butter is completely melted, add the flour.

Stir to combine the butter and flour. Soon the butter and flour fuse and swell. (Do not stop stirring because the roux will easily burn)

After 20-30 minutes, the roux will turn to light brown color. Add the curry powder, garam masala and chilli powder.

Cook and stir for 30 seconds and remove from the heat.

(If you are not using this immediately, store the roux in an air tight container and keep in the fridge for 1 month, and 3 months in freezer.)

Do I like this curry?  Of course and it taste awesome and delicious; almost perfect taste like the store bought instant curry roux.

                             Thank you NAMI for this wonderful delicious curry!

CARAMELIZED ONION TART

"The filling for this tart is rich, dark and delicious.  The sweet caramelized onions ad wonderful depth and flavour to this simple yet classic tart."

Recipe quote from the "Best Ever Book Of Pastry" Cookbook.

CARAMELIZED ONION TART

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

500g onions, sliced

Large pinch of grated nutmeg

1 tsp soft dark brown sugar

2 eggs

150ml single light cream (I used 75ml whipping cream & 75ml milk)

50g grated Gruyere cheese (I used Mozarella cheese)

Salt and pepper

For the Pastry

75g plain all purpose flour

75g cup whole meal  flour (I used plain flour)

75g butter, diced

1 egg yolk

Ice water

Method

Make the pastry

Mix the plain and wholemeal flours in a bowl.  Use your fingertips to rub in the butter.  Mix in the egg yolk and enough chilled water to form a firm dough.  Transfer the dough to a floured work surface.

Knead the dough and gather it into a smooth ball.  Wrap in clear film/plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan.  Cook the onions over a low heat for 30 minutes until soft, stirring.  Add the nutmeg, sugar and seasoning.

Gentle cook for 5 minutes until the onions have caramelized. Cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 200C.  Lightly grease a loose based 14”x4” fluted tin pan.  Roll out the pastry and use to line the tine.  Chill for 20 minutes.  Prick the base.  Line with foil and beans.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and beans and add the onions.

(I did not blind bake the pastry).

Beat the eggs and cream, add the cheese and season.  Pour over the onions.

Bake for 30 minutes until set.

     After chilling another 20 minutes the roll out pastry into the pan, I add in the onions (I did not 
     blind bake it); add in the eggs/cream mixture, thereafter spread over the cheese and send it
     into the oven!

 

Very filling with just one slice of it.

KUMQUAT ALMOND TURNOVERS IN PHYLLO PASTRY

I made a promise earlier but I lied..... I promised that after I made the Kumquat Shaker Pie I wouldn't be posting anymore kumquat recipe anymore but I just couldn't help it and this Ms Kumquat is at it yet another post again!

Well it is all because of the upcoming Bake Along #41 whereby the theme is Turnovers, so I thought I join in the fun to bake along with them and moreover I still have a little 'some'  kumquat jam left.

Initial, today post should be the savoury turnovers but I wasn't very pleased with the outcome of the bakes and therefore I post this Kumquat Almond Turnovers first.

 

KUMQUAT ALMOND TURNOVERS IN PHYLLO PASTRY 

(makes 4 triangles turnovers)

Ingredients

Fillings

100g kumquat jam 

50g ground almond

50g melted butter

1 egg yolk (for egg wash)

5, store bought phyllo pastry sheet *

(when I unwrapped the pack of the phyllo, it was all broken into 3 parts therefore, I took one part which is the size of 3" x 12" to use instead or else I will take the whole sheet to fold, and fold)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix the kumquat jam and ground almond together till all combined.  Set aside.

  

Unwrap the phyllo, take out the five sheets needed, and place them on a clean counter. Cover with plastic wrap and then a damp towel to keep them from drying out.

Cut the phyllo sheet into the size of 3" x 12".

Take one cut sheet of phyllo and brush all over with melted butter, place another cut sheet on top and brush over again.  (One triangle turnover have 5 long strips).

Place 1-2 tablespoons of the kumquat mixture on the bottom right corner of the sheet and fold it up like a flag, corner to corner. Continue to flip the triangle (don’t fold them too tightly or the will explode in the oven), until you get near the end of the strip. Slice off the top left corner of remaining unwrapped phyllo, then brush remaining “tab” with melted butter and fold over to seal the pocket.

Place it on seam-side down, on the prepared pan. Brush the turnovers with egg wash.

Bake, uncovered, until the turnovers are browned and crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly on racks and serve warm.

 I added the ground almond into the kumquat jam so it won't be runny while baking but only need to seal the phyllo properly else it will 'burst' out.

Delicious and crispy!  You can always use mixed berries as the filling; and if I am making with phyllo again, I think I used blueberries.

I am submitting this post to Bake Along hosted by

 Zoe of Baking for Happy kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Lena of Frozen Wings.

 



 

AVOCADO CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

I am not a fan of avocado.  What about you?  I remember the first time I tasted avocado was many years ago, dining in an Indonesian Restaurant.  I can't remember who order me the Avocado Juice and one sip of it, eeeeweee, I don't think I like it and I swap the juice immediately with someone else.   Even when at later years, when my brother-in-law made sandwiches with avocado as part of the ingredients, I choose to opt that out.

But now as I have learned the nutrition goodness in avocado, so I got to appreciate this fruit.  

When Hui of Butterfly Waltz made this Avocado Chicken Parmigiana last February, I thought I should give it a try too for an easy way to prepare and cook for my lunch.

 AVOCADO CHICKEN PARMIGIANA 
 Recipe sourced from Hui of Butterfly Waltz & from Esther, The Fuss Free Chef 

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Drumstick (Boneless & Skinless), seasoned with salt & pepper
½ Cup Plain Flour
2 Tbsp Fresh Milk
1 Egg
1 ½ Cups Dried Breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ Cup Tomato Pasta Sauce
1 Avocado, Sliced
½ Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Salad Green & Cherry Tomato to serve

Line a baking tray with baking paper; brush the base with cooking oil.  Preheat the oven to 180 celcius.

Mix the beaten egg and milk in a shallow bowl.  Set aside.

Coat the chicken pieces with flour and shake off excess.  Dip each chicken piece into the egg mixture and then coat it evenly with the breadcrumbs.

Arrange the meat in the dish, spray or brush the top evenly with cooking oil and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 min, or until the crumbs have turn a golden brown.  Turn the meat over halfway.  You might need to do this probably 2-3 times per side, each time at a shorter interval, depending on the thickness of the chicken meat.    

Once the chicken is just cooked through, spoon the tomato pasta sauce onto the chicken meat and smear evenly.  Arrange some slices of avocado on top, followed by a generous sprinkle of grated cheese. 

Bake for another 5 min until the cheese has melted and is starting to bubble and brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately with a side salad. 

This recipe also from Cuisine Paradise

 

                         I sprinkle some dried parsley on top; 10 minutes before took out
                         from oven.                                                   

                         A satisfying lunch....oh, of course together with a cup of tea too.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up organised by

 Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids.

<