Salted Egg Squid, Pumpkin fried rice & Hearty beef soup

best part about having a two-day school week? having the time to do things i love, such as cooking ^^  been in the kitchen every monday on a pretty regular basis so far, and it's so fun to be able to whip up new dishes in the kitchen every week.

Salted Egg Squid

i LOVE salted egg and my two favourite places to have it are Irvins and Thaipan. decided to try it for myself one day since i love it so much! ^^ well as you can see, it's kinda still in a work-in-progress haha. i cooked my eggs a little too long, but other than that, it tasted yummy!! thanks Koi for the recipe!!! (:

Ingredients:

squid (i bought a packet of frozen squid because i was lazy - and had no idea how - to clean the whole squid. but i think buying it fresh would definitely taste better!)

4 salted eggs  

60g butter

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp olive oil

1 egg, beaten

black pepper to taste

curry leaves (optional)

1. Clean the squid (especially if you bought it fresh).

2. For the salted eggs (nobody told me this and i was initially flabbergasted as to what i should do with those black eggs O.o): Clean off all the black stuff and rinse the eggs under running water. You just need the yolks for this recipe.

3. Steam the salted egg yolks for 7-10min and mash it with the fork while it's hot. 

4. Fry the squid with olive oil, sugar and black pepper. Set aside.

5. Melt the butter over low heat, then mix in the mashed salted egg and cook till it forms a smooth paste.

6. Add in the beaten egg and stir till the mixture turns lumpy.

7. Add in the cooked squid and curry leaves. Toss to coat for 1min or less. Serve (: 

Pumpkin Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups rice, cooked the previous night and refrigerated 

100g slightly fatty pork, sliced

1 packet shitake mushrooms

10g dried shrimp, soaked for 30min.

4 cloves garlic, minced

half a large onion, finely chopped

200g pumpkin, chopped

2 tbsp soy sauce

1. Heat some oil in a frying pan and cook the pork. Set aside.

2. Fry the dried shrimps, garlic and onion till fragrant. 

3. Add pumpkin and mushroom and stir-fry for 1-2min.

4. Add the rice, pork and soy sauce and fry everything together. You're done! :) 

Hearty Beef Soup

Ingredients: 

1 pound beef (stew meat), cut into small cubes

3 carrots, cut into cubes

3 stalks of celery, cut into cubes

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 bay leaves

500ml beef stock

500-700ml water (depending on your taste preference)

1. In a large pot, heat up 2 tbsp oil and fry the beef cubes till well-browned. Set aside.

2. Add in onion and garlic, and fry till onion is transparent. Add in carrots and celery and stir well. Add in some beef stock and bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure that nothing sticks. Add in the rest of the stock, browned beef, bay leaves, chopped tomatoes and enough water to cover all the ingredients.

3. Bring to a boil, and then let it simmer for 25min. Serve

French onion soup, Lemon paprika prawns and French bean & almond salad

hello! (: i'm super excited to share my recipes for today because i'm so happy with how they turned out! and all the recipes are relatively simple to do, except the soup which is a little tedious, but not very difficult nonetheless ^^ ah my photos are always so bad, but it's the taste that matters yeah? :p haha. didn't feel like i cooked a large quantity of food but i'm glad that it filled the tummies of my loved ones :) we were surprisingly really full after the meal! super satisfied :D 

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

30g butter

675g onions, thinly sliced

1 tsp sugar

120ml dry red wine

2 tbsp plain white flour

1.5 litres beef stock

1 baguette

garlic spread

115g emmental cheese 

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Stir together the onions and sugar. Cook the onions for 40min, uncovered, stirring occasionally so that they do not stick and burn on the bottom, until they are browned.

2. Stir the wine into the onions. Increase the heat to medium and stir for 5min or until the onions are glazed. Sprinkle with the flour and stir for 2min. Stir in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and leave the soup to simmer for 30min. Add water if too salty.

3. Meanwhile, slice the baguette and spread generously with garlic spread. Toast the baguettes till the garlic is fragrant, sprinkle cheese over and toast till the cheese melts. Place 1 slice of baguette in each bowl and pour the soup over. Serve immediately.

This was a really warm hearty soup which we all loved! and the bread inside was probably what filled us up (: *rubs tummy*

Lemon Paprika Prawns

a really simple dish that is zesty and spicy!

Ingredients:

450g prawns, washed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

salt

2 tsp hot paprika

juice of 2 lemons

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat, add the garlic and fry for 1min, stirring, then increase the heat and add the prawns. Fry for 3min on high heat, stirring frequently.

2. Add the paprika and lemon juice and season to taste with salt. Serve.

French bean & almond salad

it's a close fight between this and my french onion soup, but if i had to pick a favourite, it'd be this dish for its simplicity! (: i loved how it was so easy to prepare and yet so absolutely delicious with its yummy sauce!!!! i modified the recipe a little from taza's blog ;)

Ingredients:

1 packet of french beans, sliced

3 carrots, sliced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 cup almonds, chopped

1, Toast the almonds in the toaster for 3min.

2. Boil the french beans and carrots in a pot of salted water for 5-10min till your desired softness. Make sure they're not too soft that they break into pieces when mixed. Drain and set aside. 

3. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup and mustard. 

4. Toss with the french beans, carrots and almonds. Serve. 

Pan-seared scallops and Braised eggplant

each time my cooking turns out successfully is such a happy occasion for me! (: it's really a sense of accomplishment and warmth to be able to cook for the people i love ^^ and big thank you to my family who are the most supportive fans of my cooking haha. they always eat up every single morsel and never fail to sing praises of it!

haha so i did a very "fusion" dinner that night, with one western and one chinese dish. finally managed to find affordable scallops in the supermarket after trying to hunt for them the previous week! so i decided to cook this dish today ^^ my first time cooking scallops and i wanted something manageable, and this was an awesome recipe!!! so simple, and it allows the scallops to take centre-stage with a scrumptious sauce to top it off!

Pan-seared scallops
Ingredients:
1 packet of scallops
1/3 cup white wine
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp chilled butter
a handful of thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Pour one tablespoon of oil into the pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the scallops right before throwing them in the pan. Sear 3-5min on one side, or until browned. Flip it to the other side and sear for another 3-5min. Remove from the pan and keep them warm in the oven at around 60 dec C.
2. In the same pan, pour in the white wine and garlic. Bring it to the boil. Allow it to boil till the wine has reduced to around 2 tbsp. Add in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until fully melted and mixed well. Stir in the thyme.
3. Pour the sauce over the scallops and serve.

okay this dish looks like a pile of mush, but i'm so proud of it!!!!!! i finally managed to do an eggplant dish that is cooked properly and tastes good :') you have no idea how many times i've failed with this ingredient -.- i don't think i've ever put up an eggplant recipe on my blog because it always turns out rather awfully :( it takes a really long time to soften! and i never managed to cook it long enough to get rid of the raw taste. sighs.

but...i finally did!!!! (: chinese-way of cooking eggplant has proved to work best (Y) hehe. the secret? (no secret actually) - braise it. works perfectly, and doesn't require too much effort. i threw in a whole bunch of my other favourite ingredients so it's really yummy ^^

Braised Eggplant
Ingredients:
1 packet of eggplant
1 packet of minced pork
1 packet of enoki mushrooms, trimmed ends, rinsed
a handful of dried shrimps, soaked
5 tbsp shaoxing wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
5 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp black vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 dried small red hot chilis, diced

1. Trim off the stems of the eggplant. Cut into small rounds/lengthwise into rectangular pieces.
2. In a bowl, mix the wine, soy sauces, sugar and vinegar and 2/3 cup of water.
3. Drizzle 1-2 tbsp oil into a wok. When the oil is heated, add the garlic and shrimps and fry till fragrant. Add in the minced pork and fry it till it is almost fully cooked. Add the eggplant and chili and fry till it is slightly brown.
3. Pour in the sauces and stir well to make sure everything is well coated. Bring it to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for around 10min, stirring occasionally, or until the eggplant has softened.
4. Stir in the mushrooms, bring to the boil again. Then remove from heat and serve. 

Christmas! :))

Merry Christmas everybody!!! :) haha okay i know it's abit belated. but i wanted to finish all my celebrations before doing a post on it. i feel so happy and blessed this christmas! ^^ surrounded by family, friends and loved ones, this year's Christmas was really an awesome celebration :) i had three christmas dinners consecutively from christmas eve to boxing day! :D it's been really the most amazing #christmas2012 ever :')

this feast looks SO DELICIOUS right?!!!! omg. i'm so inspired! it looks so martha stewart-like! she's my idol haha. anyway, this was my christmas eve party with sam and his family & family friends! :) it was a really lovely spread and a really nice cosy heartwarming atmosphere. cos i'm still coughing terribly (yeah i've been sick for almost three weeks now :/), i didnt talk much, but it was nice sitting there listening to all the conversation! anw it was my first time meeting all of them, so quite fun to just listen to them talk.

my darling is back from his holiday!!!! just in time for christmas ^^ all i could ask for christmas <3<3<3 so happy to see him, it was really all i needed :) this christmas tree is gorgeous isnt it! it was at the party too! i really loved the whole warm christmas-y ambience and food and all. hehe shall keep this in mind when i host a party next time! :) especially when we move back to our house....i wanna have a nice christmas party next year!!

on christmas day, had dinner with the family! ^^ and i'm so proud to say that me & mummy prepared all of these food! except the log cake. haha that was from Bakerzin. but everything from the appetizers, main course and drinks were prepared by me, with mummy as my sous chef ;)

here's what was on the menu:

- prawn cocktail (appetizer)

- mince pies

- pan fried potatoes

- cranberry cocktail (drink)

- log cake

*if you wanna see the recipes for these dishes, it's at the end of this post! :)

boxing day dinner with hopers! :)))) so glad that we finally had a chance to gather again ^^ really happy for all this festive season! although i had work the next day, but all the fun we had made it totally worth ittttt :) and i had such fun cooking for them! with sam as my assistant ;) heh. and ngan brought nic this time too!! only missing tzewei and dom who are busy travelling haha. can't wait for them to be back! must have a proper gathering before i fly off :(

okie that's all for christmas. can't wait for NEW YEAR now!!!!

have fun cooking and enjoy your 12 days of christmas! ^^

Prawn Cocktail, Mexican Style

250g prawns

1 tbsp olive oil

juice of 1 lime

sundried tomato puree

1 tbsp coriander

1 tbsp tabasco

2 tbsp sour cream

4 tbsp mayonnaise

iceberg lettuce

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the prawns until they turn pink. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with lime juice and tabasco. Stir well till prawns are coated. Set aside to cool.

2. Add tomato puree and chopped coriander to the sour cream & mayonnaise and stir till combined.

3. Lay the lettuce at the base of cocktail glasses

4. Place the prawns onto the lettuce and spoon over with the sauce.

Mince Pies 

200g plain four

40g caster sugar

40g ground almonds

125g butter

1 large egg, beaten

milk, to glaze

Mincemeat:

225g minced beef, cooked

225g apples, peeled, cored, chopped

225g sultanas

225g raisins

1 orange, zest & juice

60ml cognac

1. Mix all the mincemeat ingredients together. (can be packed in sterilized jars and stored in a cool dark place until use)

2. Lightly butter a 12 hole pie or patty tin. Tip the mincemeat into a bowl and stir so that the liquid is evenly distributed.

3. Rub the butter into the plain flour, caster sugar and ground almonds and stir in the egg.

4. Bring the mixture together with your hands, wrap in clingfilm and chill for an hour or so. Thinly roll out the pastry on a floured surface. Cut out 12 circles with a pastry cutter, large enough to fill the base of the prepared tin. Press gently into each hole, then fill with mincemeat.

5. Cut another 12 slightly smaller discs and use to cover the pies. Press the edges together to seal. Make a small slit in the top of each, then brush lightly with milk. Chill for about 30min.

6. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.

7. Bake the pies for 20min or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and serve warm.

Pan fried potatoes

5 large potatoes

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

thyme & rosemary, to season

1. Wash the potatoes and peel them. Slice into 0.5cm thick pieces.

2. Fry some garlic in oil in a frying pan, then add as many slices to cover the bottom of the pan.

3. Fry for 5min on one side, or until it turns golden brown. Season it.

4. Flip it over to the other side and fry till golden brown.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the remaining potato slices & garlic.

Cranberry Cocktail

2 1/2 cup cranberry juice

1 cup water

60ml vodka

finely grated zest of 1 orange

finely grated zest of 1 lime

1. Mix all the ingredients together. Chill for half and hour. Strain into glasses to serve.

Nachos

500g plain nachos

500g ground beef

salsa

250g cheddar cheese

jalepenos

sour cream

300g kidney beans, drained, rinsed

onion, finely chopped

35g taco seasoning

chili powder

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup coriander leaves

1. Cook and stir ground beef and onion over medium heat until meat is crumbly and no longer pink (5-10min).

2. Add kidney beans, chili powder, seasoning and tomato paste and 1/4 cup water.

3. Simmer for 5min until thick. Stir in coriander leaves.

4. Arrange nachos on a plate. Top with cheese, minced beef and beans. Bake for 5-10min, or until cheese is melted.

5. Top with salsa, sour cream and jalepenos and serve.

Chicken Stew

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 medium onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp flour

1 can diced tomatoes

few sprigs of thyme

12 chicken drumsticks

2 cups white wine

chicken stock

1. Prep all the vegetables. Just roughly chopped will do. In a casserole pot, fry the carrots, celery, onions, garlic and thyme with some olive oil for 5-10min over medium heat. The onions will be soft and translucent.

2. Raise the heat to high and add the chicken. Cook the chicken until it's no longer pink on the outside.

3. Add the white wine and diced tomatoes.

4. Add water/chicken stock until it just covers the chicken and vegetables. Bring the stew to a boil.

5. Once it's boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, put on the lid and leave it for 1 hour.

6. Remove the lid to reduce the liquid. Stir it once in awhile to prevent the vegetables and chicken from scorching the bottom.

7. Once reduced to your preference, serve.

Shrimp Diabolo and Chickpeas with Spinach

this is quite a healthy meal i cooked this time! haha the picture sucks :( didnt manage to get a good photo of it before everyone started digging in -.- and i only used instagram to get a photo, so...here it is. haha.

Shrimp Diabolo

2 tbsp oil

1 onion

3 garlic cloves, crushed

120ml dry white wine

250g passata (sieved tomatoes)

450g cooked peeled tiger prawns

1-2 tbsp chili sauce

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5min, or until softened and beginning to turn golden.

2. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds. Stir in the wine and let it bubble away for 1-2min.

3. Stir in the passata and bring to the boil, stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5min, or until reduced slightly.

4. Add the prawns and stir until piping hot. Do not overcook or the prawns will become tough. Stir in the chili and worcestershire sauce, and serve immediately.

Chickpeas with Spinach

3 tbsp oil

500g spinach leaves

300g chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1. Rinse the spinach and shake off any excess water. Place it in a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, tossing constantly so that it does not stick to the pan. When it has wilted, transfer the spinach to a colander and squeeze out as much water as possible by pressing it with a wooden spoon, then place on a chopping board and chop coarsely.

2. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, add the spinach and allow it to warm through before stirring in the chickpeas. Add the paprika.

3. Add the vinegar and 2 tbsp of water and allow to heat through for several minutes. Serve.