Friday, June 23, 2006
Spaghetti & Meatballs
This simple pasta dish is made using leftover meatballs from the previous entry. I used purchased bolognese sauce which turned out to be rather salty :(. Note to self: must make some bolognese sauce and freeze it for emergency use.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Swedish Meatballs
This is my trusted recipe that brings success everytime I use. If you find the meat mixture too dry, add more liquid (water/stock) and if it is too wet, adding more breadcrumbs or plain flour will help in shaping the meatballs.
Ingredients:
150 ml cream
2 cubes of beef stock, mix with 100 ml water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
500g beef mince (or 250gr beef mince + 250gr pork mince)
5 tbsp breadcrumbs (approx)
1/2 onion, chopped (abt 2-3 tbsp)
salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
butter + oil for frying
400ml beef stock for gravy (or use Gravox)
Method:
Mix together cream, egg and beef stock in a medium bowl, add the breadcrumb and mix evenly.
Season with salt and pepper, then add the onion and beef mince.
Shape the mixture into meatballs using wet hands. You can also coat the meatballs in plain flour (and shake off the excess) before frying.
Melt the butter with some oil, fry the meatballs turning once until brown and nicely seal.
Transfer the meatballs onto a baking tray and bake at medium heat.
To make the gravy:
In a small saucepan, mix together 400ml stock to the leftover oil from frying. Bring it to the boil and stir evenly.
On another saucepan or frying pan, heat up 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp plain flour. Add the stock mixture little by little while continue stirring to ensure no lumps formed. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the meatballs with the gravy with steamed/boiled vegetable on the side, and cranberry jelly if desired.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
150 ml cream
2 cubes of beef stock, mix with 100 ml water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
500g beef mince (or 250gr beef mince + 250gr pork mince)
5 tbsp breadcrumbs (approx)
1/2 onion, chopped (abt 2-3 tbsp)
salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
butter + oil for frying
400ml beef stock for gravy (or use Gravox)
Method:
Mix together cream, egg and beef stock in a medium bowl, add the breadcrumb and mix evenly.
Season with salt and pepper, then add the onion and beef mince.
Shape the mixture into meatballs using wet hands. You can also coat the meatballs in plain flour (and shake off the excess) before frying.
Melt the butter with some oil, fry the meatballs turning once until brown and nicely seal.
Transfer the meatballs onto a baking tray and bake at medium heat.
To make the gravy:
In a small saucepan, mix together 400ml stock to the leftover oil from frying. Bring it to the boil and stir evenly.
On another saucepan or frying pan, heat up 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp plain flour. Add the stock mixture little by little while continue stirring to ensure no lumps formed. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the meatballs with the gravy with steamed/boiled vegetable on the side, and cranberry jelly if desired.
Serves 3-4
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Bread & Butter Pudding
When the weather is cold, the thought of warm desserts is very comforting. Bread and butter pudding is one of such desserts my hubby craves for in winter. It is an old fashion sweet that is so easy to make. I didn't actually plan to make it, but since I lost the recipe book at the supermarket (it has ALL the recipes I wanted to cook for the week, and I have shopped for groceries based on it) - I was looking for something else I can make using what I had on hand. So, here it is:
Ingredients:
6 slices of fruit loaf (approx)
2 tbsp mixed peel
3 eggs
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup cream (single/pouring)
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
mixed spices (optional)
Method:
Grease a deep (5-6 cm) baking dish. Preheat the oven to 160C
Lightly toast the bread, then cut into triangle. Line the baking dish with the bread, making sure there are no gaps in between slices. Sprinkle with mixed peel (or mixed dried fruit) if using.
Mix eggs, sugar, milk, cream and vanilla extract together. If preferred, sprinkle with abt 1 tsp mixed spices or bumbu spekkoek.
Pour the egg mixture on the bread and let it soak for 15 minutes until the custard is absorbed. Add more bread if needed.
Bake on 160C oven for about 45 minutes.
Served warm with some cream and jam.
Ingredients:
6 slices of fruit loaf (approx)
2 tbsp mixed peel
3 eggs
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup cream (single/pouring)
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
mixed spices (optional)
Method:
Grease a deep (5-6 cm) baking dish. Preheat the oven to 160C
Lightly toast the bread, then cut into triangle. Line the baking dish with the bread, making sure there are no gaps in between slices. Sprinkle with mixed peel (or mixed dried fruit) if using.
Mix eggs, sugar, milk, cream and vanilla extract together. If preferred, sprinkle with abt 1 tsp mixed spices or bumbu spekkoek.
Pour the egg mixture on the bread and let it soak for 15 minutes until the custard is absorbed. Add more bread if needed.
Bake on 160C oven for about 45 minutes.
Served warm with some cream and jam.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Pasta with Tuna Slices
I am not a fan of tuna, but since I found these new John West tuna slices in the supermarket shelves, I have been stocking my pantry with them. They are so versatile; you can use them for sandwiches or cooked sushi, or in salad and pasta like what I did here. For this pasta dish, I used the tuna slices with capers, bay leaf, thyme & lemon in olive oil blend. Just imagine the flavour and aroma! And it ook next to no time to prepare.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Mushrom Green Tea Soba Soup
I had never been tempted to order Soba whenever I ate out in Japanese restaurants, that is until my friend Mag who was visiting at that time persuaded me to share hers. The first experience was a bit wierd as I was not accustomed to eating cold noodle.
Now that Australia has grown its own buckwheat and produced its own soba noodles, there is no reason why we don't eat it more. I was so glad to find the much cheaper Australian's own Hakubaku organic soba noodles. The green tea variety that I used only cost $2.40 for 200g, which is much more cheaper than the Japanese made one. Soba is normally eaten cold, even in winter. The noodle is serve on an iced serving plate, and to eat it, you pick up the noodle with chopsticks and dip it in the dipping sauce. However, if you don't like the idea of eating cold noodle, you can try it with warm broth. And don't forget to slupr loudly as dictated by the correct Japanese etiquette of warm soba eating ;)
As I didn't have all the fancy ingredients suggested by most recipe (including one from Australian Gourmet Traveller that I would sure try next time), I used the recipe printed at the back of the soba packet, with a little modification. Not bad, I would say.
Ingredients:
1 packet (200g) organic green tea (cha) soba
3-4 pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup soya sauce
1/2 cup white wine (I replaced with mirin)
2 tbsp sugar (reduce if you use mirin, since it is sweet already)
Ginger root, peeled, grated
Spring (green) onion, chopped
Method:
Add the shiitake mushroom to 2 cups of boiling water. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
Add soy sauce, white wine and sugar, cook at medium heat for 5 minutes.
Remove shiitake mushrooms, cut into small pieces and add back to the soup.
Cook the soba noodle in rapid boiling water for 6 minutes or until tender.
Drain, then rinse well with cold water, drain again and put into a bowl and top with the soup. Serve with finely grated ginger and chopped green onion.
Serves 3
Now that Australia has grown its own buckwheat and produced its own soba noodles, there is no reason why we don't eat it more. I was so glad to find the much cheaper Australian's own Hakubaku organic soba noodles. The green tea variety that I used only cost $2.40 for 200g, which is much more cheaper than the Japanese made one. Soba is normally eaten cold, even in winter. The noodle is serve on an iced serving plate, and to eat it, you pick up the noodle with chopsticks and dip it in the dipping sauce. However, if you don't like the idea of eating cold noodle, you can try it with warm broth. And don't forget to slupr loudly as dictated by the correct Japanese etiquette of warm soba eating ;)
As I didn't have all the fancy ingredients suggested by most recipe (including one from Australian Gourmet Traveller that I would sure try next time), I used the recipe printed at the back of the soba packet, with a little modification. Not bad, I would say.
Ingredients:
1 packet (200g) organic green tea (cha) soba
3-4 pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup soya sauce
1/2 cup white wine (I replaced with mirin)
2 tbsp sugar (reduce if you use mirin, since it is sweet already)
Ginger root, peeled, grated
Spring (green) onion, chopped
Method:
Add the shiitake mushroom to 2 cups of boiling water. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
Add soy sauce, white wine and sugar, cook at medium heat for 5 minutes.
Remove shiitake mushrooms, cut into small pieces and add back to the soup.
Cook the soba noodle in rapid boiling water for 6 minutes or until tender.
Drain, then rinse well with cold water, drain again and put into a bowl and top with the soup. Serve with finely grated ginger and chopped green onion.
Serves 3
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Cente Manis
I first tasted this sweet last CNY eve, made by my sister's friend Marina. It was a hit that night, because of it sweet taste and freshness / coolness. Very suitable for hot weather. Apparently this sweet is also called Cantik Manis (Pretty & Sweet) or even Jentik Manis, but since Rina, like most other people from Jakarta calls it Cente Manis, I will stick to that name.
The recipe I post here is courtesy of Marina. Her version uses mung bean flour (tepung hun kwe) and tapioca pearls. However, I have also come across recipes that use rice flour instead of mung bean flour. You may also substitute tapioca pearls with the colourful pacar cina. For this recipe, I actually coloured the tapioca pearls with a drop of green and red food colouring. The addition of jackfruit is really refreshing and it also adds nice colour to cente manis.
Ingredients:
100 gr tapioca pearls (sago)
4 pieces of canned ripe jackfruit, finely diced (optional)
225 gr sugar
1 tsp salt
750 ml coconut milk
100 gr tepung hunkwe
200 ml water
Method:
Place the tapioca pearls into a sieve over a large bowl. Rinse the pearls under running water, then cook them in a pot of hot water for about 1/2 hour until transparent. If the water runs low, add more.
Remove and rinse under cold water and drain. Divide pearls into 2 portions, add a drop of pink to one portion and green to the other. Coat each portion with 1 tbsp of tapioca flour and set aside.
Boil coconut milk, sugar and salt until sugar dissolves. You may add knotted pandan leaves for extra fragrance.
Meanwhile, mix hunkwe flour with water well. Rinse off excess flour from the tapioca pearls. You should get translucent pink and green pearls.
When coconut milk is boiling, turn off the stove and stir in hun kwe mixture, then add in the pearls and jackfruit. Pour the thick mixture into moulds to set. Alternatively you may want to do it the traditional way, ie. wrap the mixture in plastic sheets or banana leaves and let it set.
The recipe I post here is courtesy of Marina. Her version uses mung bean flour (tepung hun kwe) and tapioca pearls. However, I have also come across recipes that use rice flour instead of mung bean flour. You may also substitute tapioca pearls with the colourful pacar cina. For this recipe, I actually coloured the tapioca pearls with a drop of green and red food colouring. The addition of jackfruit is really refreshing and it also adds nice colour to cente manis.
Ingredients:
100 gr tapioca pearls (sago)
4 pieces of canned ripe jackfruit, finely diced (optional)
225 gr sugar
1 tsp salt
750 ml coconut milk
100 gr tepung hunkwe
200 ml water
Method:
Place the tapioca pearls into a sieve over a large bowl. Rinse the pearls under running water, then cook them in a pot of hot water for about 1/2 hour until transparent. If the water runs low, add more.
Remove and rinse under cold water and drain. Divide pearls into 2 portions, add a drop of pink to one portion and green to the other. Coat each portion with 1 tbsp of tapioca flour and set aside.
Boil coconut milk, sugar and salt until sugar dissolves. You may add knotted pandan leaves for extra fragrance.
Meanwhile, mix hunkwe flour with water well. Rinse off excess flour from the tapioca pearls. You should get translucent pink and green pearls.
When coconut milk is boiling, turn off the stove and stir in hun kwe mixture, then add in the pearls and jackfruit. Pour the thick mixture into moulds to set. Alternatively you may want to do it the traditional way, ie. wrap the mixture in plastic sheets or banana leaves and let it set.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Pandan Chiffon Cake
I have always been baking chiffon cakes using an ordinary spring form tin. But now that I have a chiffon tube from Indonesia, courtesy of my sister, I tried this recipe from Ching. The cake turned out to be tall, in fact taller than my tin, good thing I didn't submit to the temptation of adding another egg, and taste great. I replaced the coconut milk with Carnation milk - coconut flavoured (98% fat free!). The texture is somewhat denser than other recipes I have tried. Great recipe. Thanks Ching.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Yam Ring
Back again blogging after 1 1/2 months' hiatus. My apologies to some of you who have been back checking regularly, I was just not in the mood to blog with so many things going on the past 2 months. Now that things have quieten down, and I started to twiddle my thumbs again, I thought I'd give it a go. Thank you for the wishes and greetings! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Gong Xi Fat Chai and Happy Valentine Day to all....LOL! Incidentally, that list nearly covers all wishes I got in my Christmas card from hubby (with the presents to match all occassion too, but that would be the subject of another entry in a more appropriate blog).
For those of you who have linked to this blog, I have linked to you also. If I miss you out and you'd like to be linked, give us a yell :)
Anyway, for Reunion Dinner, which sadly wasn't celebrated with all my immediate family members, I decided to make a few "traditional dishes". Although these dishes might be traditional for many of you, they are certainly not in my family. Having grown up in Indonesia, we are more accustomed to have dishes like chicken curry, beef rendang, satay and semur for our Ciak Tua Kai, besides the few must have Chinese Dishes like braised sea cucumber with bamboo shoots & mushrooms, he keng (prawn roll similar to ngoh hiang of the Hokkian people) and hoi chor (crab balls). For this year Reunion dinner, celebrated with my sis and her colleagues and family, I contributed these few dishes:
Vegetarian Yee Sang
Was told by dear hubby to shred the vegies longer next time. Sigh.... must use the right tool. Totally forgot my special vegetable shredder!
Loh Hon Chai
Not very pleased with this one, as I cooked it at home some 2 hours before the dinner, and subjected it to two sessions in the microwave oven before it was served, resulting in rather overcooked and soggy vegies.
Yam Ring
Read further below on comments on this one.
My sis cooked a few other dishes, including a very nice chicken satay which I don't have the picture of, the picture on my digicam being out of focus.
Fried Noodle & Steamed Fish
I totally forgot to take pictures of the desserts, Almond Jelly with Longan (made by my sis) and the very refreshing Cente Manis contributed by Marina.
Back to the Yam Ring.
I think I finally figured out how to make a nice crispy one. These are the pictures of Yam Ring I made on CNY day for lunch at home.
Much more fluffier! Yipee!
The recipe was taken from here.
For those of you who have linked to this blog, I have linked to you also. If I miss you out and you'd like to be linked, give us a yell :)
Anyway, for Reunion Dinner, which sadly wasn't celebrated with all my immediate family members, I decided to make a few "traditional dishes". Although these dishes might be traditional for many of you, they are certainly not in my family. Having grown up in Indonesia, we are more accustomed to have dishes like chicken curry, beef rendang, satay and semur for our Ciak Tua Kai, besides the few must have Chinese Dishes like braised sea cucumber with bamboo shoots & mushrooms, he keng (prawn roll similar to ngoh hiang of the Hokkian people) and hoi chor (crab balls). For this year Reunion dinner, celebrated with my sis and her colleagues and family, I contributed these few dishes:
Vegetarian Yee Sang
Was told by dear hubby to shred the vegies longer next time. Sigh.... must use the right tool. Totally forgot my special vegetable shredder!
Loh Hon Chai
Not very pleased with this one, as I cooked it at home some 2 hours before the dinner, and subjected it to two sessions in the microwave oven before it was served, resulting in rather overcooked and soggy vegies.
Yam Ring
Read further below on comments on this one.
My sis cooked a few other dishes, including a very nice chicken satay which I don't have the picture of, the picture on my digicam being out of focus.
Fried Noodle & Steamed Fish
I totally forgot to take pictures of the desserts, Almond Jelly with Longan (made by my sis) and the very refreshing Cente Manis contributed by Marina.
Back to the Yam Ring.
I think I finally figured out how to make a nice crispy one. These are the pictures of Yam Ring I made on CNY day for lunch at home.
Much more fluffier! Yipee!
The recipe was taken from here.
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