Sunday, March 1, 2009

Fish fillets with tofu

Ingredients:
500g fish fillet, cut 3 inches wide, 3 inches long
200g tofu, cubed
2 tbsps cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled/minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsps all-purpose flour
2 tbsps corn flour, diluted in ½ cup water
1 small capsicum, sliced
2 tablespoons black beans/tausi
1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions:
1. Roll fillets in all-purpose flour, fry until medium brown, set aside; Do the same to your tofu, set aside.
2. Wash black beans/tausi to lessen saltiness. Heat sauce pan with cooking oil, add garlic, onion, tausi and capsicum.
3. Add the diluted cornflour, mix well with soy sauce.
4. Pour the boiling sauce over the fried fish fillets and tofu in a serving platter. Serve hot with rice.

Orange Chicken

What you need!
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter

For Sauce:
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. vinegar
2 cup orange juice
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. dried basil
1 small can mandarin oranges (optional)

Make it!
1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a plastic baggie. Shake chicken pieces well to coat. Lightly brown on both sides in butter in skillet over medium heat. 2. Combine sauce ingredients and add to skillet. Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until tender. Remove cover and allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. 3. Stir in mandarin oranges, if using. Serve with rice.

Lazy Day Peanut Noodle Salad

From 101 Cookbooks
I used asparagus in this version, but you can use any of your favorite in-season vegetables. This time of year peas, asparagus, and carrots all make great additions to the noodles and peanut sauce.

1 8 ounce package soba noodles
1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed then cut into 1/2-inch segements
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup (brown) rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
drizzle of toasted sesame oil
big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4-1/2 cup hot water
1 small bunch of spring onions or scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup peanuts
12 ounces extra-firm (organic) tofu, cut into small cubes (feel free to heat the tofu in a skillet if you like, but cold is good too)

Big a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the soba noodles per package instructions.In the last minute or so of cooking toss in the asparagus. Drain noodles and asparagus, run under cold water for about a minute to stop cooking, and set aside.

Make the peanut dressing by combining the peanut butter, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and a big pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Thin with hot water - the amount you'll need depends on the original consistency of your peanut butter. I like it the consistency of a thin (non-Greek) yogurt. Taste and season with a bit more salt if needed.

Gently toss the noodles, asparagus, spring onions, peanuts, and tofu with a big splash of the dressing. I reserve a bit of each ingredient to sprinkle on top of the serving platter to make it look nice. Add more dressing a bit at a time, until the salad is dressed to your liking, reserving any extra for another use. Taste, sprinkle with more salt if needed, and enjoy!

Serves 6 - 8.

Crab Fried Rice

From Serious Eats
- serves 2 -

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1 cup cooked jasmine rice
Salt and pepper
Pinch sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 scallions, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
3 ounces cooked crab meat
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Procedure
1. Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Crack the egg into the skillet and let it cook for about a minute or so. Then scramble up the bits that haven't cooked.
2. Dump in the rice, and stir until all the rice is coated in the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the sugar, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.
3. Add the chopped scallions and half of the crab meat. Cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve the rice on a large plate. Sprinkle with the remaining crab and chopped cilantro. Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce to taste.

Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Gourmet 2002

Active time: 10 min
Start to finish: 45 min
Servings: Makes 4 to 6 servings.

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes (the latter will make them quite spicy, so using according to your preferences)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.
Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.
Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Chocolate Cloud Cake

From Nigella

INGREDIENTS
250g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids
125g unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
175g caster sugar
2 tablespoons Cointreau (optional)
grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
23cm springform cake tin
for the cream topping:
500ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling for the cream topping:
500ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling

Serving Size : Serves 8–12.

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
2. Line the bottom of the cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or a microwave, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate.
4. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 75g of the caster sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture, the Cointreau and orange zest.
5. In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the 100g of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape but not too stiff.
6. Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools.
7. When you are ready to eat, place the still tin-bound cake on a cake stand or plate for serving and carefully remove the cake from its tin. Don’t worry about cracks or rough edges: it’s the crater look we’re going for here. Whip the cream until it’s soft and then add the vanilla and Cointreau and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff.
8. Fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, easing it out gently towards the edges of the cake, and dust the top lightly with cocoa powder pushed through a tea-strainer.

ADDITIONAL INFO
You can make this into an Easter Nest Cake by folding 200g melted chocolate into the cream topping and dotting with the sugar-coated eggs instead of the cocoa. Leave the Cointreau out of both the cake and cream.

Chicken Bouillabaisse

Barefoot Contessa

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 50 min
Level: Difficult
Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients
1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Good olive oil
1 large head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
1 1/2 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons Pernod
1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
Rouille, for serving, recipe follows
Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt, pepper, and the rosemary. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, saffron, fennel seeds, tomato puree, chicken stock, white wine, Pernod, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the garlic is very tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Carefully pour the sauce into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add the sliced potatoes and browned chicken pieces with their juices. Stir carefully.

Cover the pot and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done. Check the seasonings and serve hot in shallow bowls with big dollops of Rouille and slices of crusty bread.

Rouille: We did not make this and the chicken tasted great on its own!
4 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
*1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup good olive oil

Place the garlic and salt on a cutting board and mince together. Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, saffron, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth.

With the machine running, pour the olive oil in a thin, steady stream through the feed tube to make a thick mayonnaise emulsion. Transfer the rouille to a serving bowl and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Yield: 1 cup