Back to my roots challenge #4

Daeng

This dish may not look pretty but Geez, I love it. Daeng is fish (in this case, mackerel) that has been marinated in salt, vinegar and garlic for 24 hours then air dried. My mum made this one for me. She makes big batches and gives them to my brother and me. When it's time to eat it, I pan fry it in hot oil till it's nice and crispy. I made a dipping sauce of salt and vinegar for that extra vinegary taste. Always best served with a plate of steaming rice.





Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Laksa Me

Laksa Me is a new cafe that opened up a couple of weeks ago. It can be found at Shop 1, 16 Liverpool street, Melbourne. I decided to go after reading Mellie's review on Tummy Rumbles. (and it was on my "must eat places before I finish working in the city" list) The pictures she has on her blog looked enticing (as always). It was a long walk from our office. Right on the other side of the city, in fact but we were determined.

We all enjoyed our meal but I have to say that service was really slow. It was about 30 minutes before we got any of our meals even though there were only a few other diners.

I had the Laksa Lemak. It was vermicelli noodles, fish balls, fish cakes and prawns in a creamy coconuty broth. It was spicy and full of flavour. I usually can't handle too much spice and this dish is the most I can take.

JC went for the My mum's Laksa. It used the same broth as mine but he had roast pork, chicken and prawns. This dish was my second choice. For JC it wasn't as spicy for him, but he enjoyed it just the same.



To be honest, I can't remember the name of this dish. EB ordered this simply because it had pork crackling. After all... who wouldn't? The flat rice noodles were smothered in a spicy Red curry sauce then topped with tofu and fish balls. It looked delicious and EB said that it was.


AL ordered two dishes. The first was Rojak for us to share. This dish is fruits (apple, pineapple, pear and cucumber) with a dressing basically made up of belacan (shrimp paste), sugar, chili, and lime juice. When reading the menu, I knew I would love this dish... and I did. There was a combination of sweet from the fruits and a lovely saltiness that you can only get from the belacan.

AL's second dish was Ipoh Hor-fun. It's rice noodles (hor fun) in a spicy clear broth. It also included tofu and prawns. It wasn't spicy enough for AL as he kept ordering slices of chilli to eat with it.

All in all, we enjoyed our lunch at Laksa Me even though we walked right to the other side of town and the service wasn't that great. We would go anywhere for a good Laksa.

Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Chicken Tagine

My first Tagine recipe.

I've had my tagine (or tajine) for a couple of years now and never used it. I've had it on the kitchen bench for display purposes only until today. I got this from the spice bazaar which was part of the Melbourne food and wine festival. A tagine can be referred to as a type of dish or the cooking vessel the food is cooked in.

Before cooking with it, I had to season it - like you would with a wok. I soaked it in warm water for 1 hour then dried it with a towel. I then rubbed the inside with olive oil then placed it on the stove (using a heat defuser) over a low heat for about 30 minutes. An oven can also be used, by placing the tagine in a cold oven with the temperature set to 150c.

There were lots of tagine type dishes but I couldn't find one that uses a tagine as a cooking vessel. I looked through all my cook books and couldn't find a recipe that I liked so I made up my own :) As usual, I used ingredients I had in my fridge and pantry and I have to say that it turned out really delicious (if I say so, myself). It was spicy with a slight tang from the lemon juice poured in at the end. I don't think I'll change anything from this recipe except make larger quantities next time.

I served this with cous cous and honeyed carrots.

• 500 grams Chicken thighs on the bone


• 1/2 tsp paprika


• 1/2 cayenne powder


• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds


• 1 tsp ground cumin seeds


• 1 tsp tumeric powder


• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped


• 1 potato, peeled and cubed


• 1/2 red capsicum, diced


• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved


• 1 brown onion, chopped


• 4 garlic cloves, crushed


• 4 tbls lemon juice


• 200grams of canned chickpeas


• olive oil


• salt and pepper

1. Rub the spices into the chicken and let sit for about 30 minutes


2. Brown the chicken thighs in the tagine then remove to a plate


3. Saute the garlic and onions till transparent then add the capsicum


4. Cook for 2-3 mins


5. Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes


6. Return the chicken to the tagine


7. Pour in 100ml of water


8. Place the tomatoes on top


9. Simmer for 20minutes with the lid on


10. Turn the chicken and add the chickpeas and lemon juice


11. Simmer for another 10 minutes.


12. Check for seasoning.


13. Serve with cous cous

Chicken Tagine @ Group Recipes




Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Spanish-Style Rice and Apple Cake

I was exhausted after working 6 days so hubby cooked for us and the family. I have to say, even though I love to cook, it's always nice when someone else cooks for me. Hubby chose a dish he thought was simple enough for him to cook and the Spanish-style rice was. I was impressed with this dish but when I saw he also baked... wow, I was pleasantly surprised at the result. He never told me he can bake!

The apple cake is similar to an apple upside down cake. It was caramelly and sweet on top with a mixture of tangy-ness from the green apples and nice and spongy on the bottom. We served this with dulce de leche. This is very simple to make. It's just a matter of taking a can of condensed milk and boiling it in a pot of water for 2 hours. You can find instructions here. It turns into a sweet caramel topping that can be used on any dessert. I always make sure I have a can on reserve in my pantry.

As you can see from the picture, it was very impressive for someone who never baked before.

Spanish-Style Rice

We found this was just as good (or maybe even better), cold the next day. But that might be just because of where we were.

• 2 tbs vegetable oil


• 2 thinly closed chorizo sausages


• 2 small red onions, sliced into thin rings


• 1 large red capsicum, sliced thinly


• 300g stir-fry chicken


• 300g brown rice


• 1/2 cup dry white wine


• 1 tsp paprika (sweet, mild or hot)


• 400g cherry tomatoes


• 2 cups chicken stock


• 2 cups boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 200C


2. Heat oil in a oven-proof casserole dish.


3. Cook chorizo and onion, stirring for 2 minutes.


4. Add capsicum and cook for another 2 minutes.


5. Add chicken, rice and cooking, stirring occasionally, until chicken colours (about 5 - 10 minutes).


6. Add wine and simmer rapidly until liquid reduced by about 1/2.


7. Add paprika, tomatoes, stock and boiling water.


8. Once boiling, cover dish with lid and cook in over for about 1 hour (or until rice is tender), stirring 3 times.


9. Server piping hot with bread or cold next day.

Spanish-Style Rice @ Group Recipes




Apple Cake

• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced into thin rings


• Juice of 1/2 lemon


• 50g unsalted butter


• 1 1/4 cups of firmly packed brown sugar


• 1 1/3 cups plain flour


• 1 tsp baking powder


• 1/4 tsp bicarb


• 1 tsp ground cinnamon


• 2 eggs


• 75 ml sunflower oil


• 200 ml full-cream milk

1. Preheat oven to 180C.


2. Slice apples and toss in lemon juice.


3. Melt the butter in frying pan on low heat.


4. Stir in 1/2 the brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.


5. Lay apples in pan, overlapping in a circular pattern. Remove from heat and set aside.


6. Sift flour, baking powder, and bicarb into a large bowl. Stir in cinnamon and remaining sugar.


7. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and milk lightly.


8. Add to dry ingredients and fold in with a wooden spoon.


9. Pour batter over apples in the pan, then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.


10. Cool in pan then invert onto platter.


11. Serve cold with dulce de leche.

Apple Cake @ Group Recipes


Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Back to my roots challenge #3

Corned Beef Torta.

This week's dish is Torta. Now, torta can mean a lot of different things to different people. In Mexico it's a sandwich and in Spain it's a cake or omlette. In my family, a Filipino torta is traditionally made of minced pork however as most dishes I cook, I have altered it a little suit what was in my pantry.

I have adapted this recipe to use a can of corned beef instead. I don't know what it is, but Filipinos love canned corned beef (especially the Hamper brand). Hubby and the little one both love this and it so quick and easy to make, that we have this meal quite often.

• 340g roughly cut corned beef (Hamper Brand)


• 3 cloves crushed garlic


• 1 medium onion chopped


• 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed


• 1 egg


• vegetable oil

1. In a frying pan with hot oil sauté garlic & onions for 2 minutes.


2. Add potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.


3. Add corned beef and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.


4. Remove from pan a place in bowl. Cool for 5 - 10 minutes.


5. Once cooled, add egg.


6. In the same frying pan with more hot oil place about 2 - 3 tbls of the mixture and form into rough patties.


7. Cook on both sides; 2 - 3 minutes per side. Be careful when flipping so as to not break up the patties too much.


8. Serve with plain rice.

Corned Beef Torta @ Group Recipes



Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Rich Maha

I found this place a little too late.

Since resigning from my corporate job (to work in the family business and spend more time with the Little one) I have made a list of cafes and eateries that I HAVE to eat at before finishing up in 3 weeks time. This place wasn't one of them. I didn't know this place existed until I walked passed it the other day and decided to give it a go. I can't believe I never knew about Rich Maha, which is only half a block away from my office. Rich Maha is a restaurant located at shop 9, 343 Little collins street (Equitable Place). They serve Indian, Malaysian, Sri Lankan and Singaporean fares.

The dishes are cheap, full of colour and most importantly, tasty. My friend JC and I had the lunch time special. I had special #1 which included 1 meat and 2 vegetable dishes along with rice and pappadum. JC had Special #2 - 2 meat and 2 vegetable dishes. We also ordered 3 serves of roti. We only managed to eat 2 as they were really big. JC took the last one home for a snack. The servings were large and very filling.

We were both satisfied with our meal so much so that we will return with our colleagues in the coming weeks.


Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Goulash

I've always wanted try to make Goulash. A long time ago, I saw an episode of Tyler Florence's Food 911 and I wanted to try his Austrian version. To be honest, I don't know how authentic this recipe is but it's delicious just the same. We had ours with a side of Mac and Cheese (Hubby is obsessed with it at the moment!) You can find the recipe for it from a previous post here.

• 4 tbs olive oil


• 4 rashes bacon, cut into strips


• 1 kg diced beef


• 2 diced onions


• 3 garlic cloves, crushed


• 2 roasted capsicums, peeled and left whole


• 3 tbs hot paprika


• 1 can diced tomatoes


• 6 cups unsalted beef stock


• 2 tbs red wine vinegar


• 6 medium peeled and sliced potatoes

1. In a heavy pot on a medium heat fry the bacon in the oil. Remove and set aside.


2. Add the beef and cook until brown.


3. Add flour and stir.


4. Add onions, garlic and capsicum. Add paprika, can of tomatoes, beef stock and vinegar. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.


5. Add potatoes and fried bacon. Stir and simmer for 30 minutes, semi-covered, stirring occasionally.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/5809/goulash.html

Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Mac & Cheese

Today the weather was cold and wet. Days like these, it's nice to have comfort food. One of mine and hubby's favourite comfort food is Mac and cheese. Originally, I put this recipe together simply by just playing with the basic ingredients and I then added my own flourish. Hubby seems to like it :) The breadcrumbs on the top gives this dish a nice tasty crunch that we love. Hubby likes to sprinkle it with chopped parsley from our herb pot.

• 50g butter


• 1/2 cup plain flour


• 1/2 tsp mustard powder


• 2 cups milk


• 1 cup grated tasty cheese


• 1/2 grated Cheddar cheese


• 200 - 250g pasta


• Vegetable oil


• 2 large rashes of bacon


• 1 handful chopped parsley


• Breadcrumbs

1. Boil water for pasta.


2. Heat oil in frying pan for bacon.


3. In a separate saucepan melt the butter. Then add the flour & mustard powder. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Add milk 1/2 cup at a time continuously mixing. Whisk out any lumps. Add Tasty cheese to pan and turn off heat. Leave cheese to melt.


4. Cook pasta in water once boiled. Drain when cooked.


5. Fry cubed bacon.


6. Combine pasta, sauce, bacon & most of the parsley in an oven proof dish. Mix well. Top with Cheddar cheese & breadcrumbs.


7. Bake in oven for 10 - 15 minutes; until top is golden brown.


8. Serve with remaining parsley, good bread, and a coke and a smile.

Mac Cheese @ Group Recipes


Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Lunch Box 3: This Time It's Personal

Ahhhh.... another month, another Red Lunch Box menu at Cafe Vue. I am so happy that I only work down the road from the cafe. This time we managed to grab a table at the small establishment.

Starter

Curried celeriac soup with Spring Bay mussels - I liked the taste of this soup however if it wasn't for the mussels, it would've tasted a little bland. There was only a small hint of curry.

Salad

Thai chicken salad - I loved the mixture of the vegetables in this salad - some carrots, bean shoots, chinese cabbage and onions. I'm not a big fan of raw onion and to me, the onions in this salad was too strong. The dressing had a real nice sweet, sour, salty and spicy balance. It came separately in a small test tube.

Savoury

Pork pie with aloe vera and pea jus - I loved the pork pie but not too sure about the ale vera and pea jus that came with it. The pork pie itself had a great flavour and didn't really need any sauce. The jus had an interesting flavour. I couldn't decide whether I like it or not. I think the aloe vera gave it kind of a medicinal taste so I decided that the pie didn't need it.

Sweet

Beetroot macaroon - This macaroon was very sweet. The flavour of the beetroot was very strong in this macaroon (which I don't know if it's good or bad). The texture of it was awesome. It was nice and crispy on the outside and sticky and squidgy on the inside.... nice.

My friend, EB, instead of going for the Lunch Box, went for the prawn baguette. The succulent prawns were dressed in a tangy cocktail sauce and placed in a crusty baguette, alongside slices of avocado and shredded lettuce. It looked fantastic. I may give this one a go next time I"m there.



I've been to Cafe Vue for the lunch Boxes three times now... can you tell?


Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Mothers Day Breakfast

Today I celebrated my very first Mother's Day. I got a really nice pink woollen jumper and got treated out for breakfast.

We headed out to the Blue Room on Clarendon Street, South Melbourne.

Hubby had the Eggs Benedict. Virginian Ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise on an English Muffin. Hubby enjoyed his meal. The egg was cooked perfectly. The yolks were runny and creamy the way poached eggs are meant to be.



I had the Spanish Omelette, baked in a claypot with pimentos, tomato, roasted bacon red onion relish, wood-fired potatoes, hollandaise and toast. I had to try this dish as I've never had eggs cooked in a claypot before. This dish was very tasty. I loved the flavour of the of the caramelised onions and and pimentos in the fluffy, creamy omelette. The potatoes was crunchy and delicious. The hollandaise sauce was a great addition.

I even got a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, which I think the little one was very keen on.


Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Jambalaya - The Revenge

Although I've already posted this dish it's SO good it deserves a second posting. Also, being Mother's Day tomorrow hubby wanted to cook for me and this is one of the few dishes that he can cook (which didn't originate in a can).

We substituted chicken for prawns (as we didn't have any).

• 2 tbp oil


• 2 chorizo sausages


• 2 thick English pork sausages


• 225g cooked prawns


• 4 garlic cloves


• 1 onion


• 1 red pepper


• 2 celery sticks


• chilli powder


• paprika


• 225g basmati rice


• 300 ml chicken stock


• 400 ml passata (or finely diced tomatoes)


• 4 spring onions


• thyme


• bay leaves


• parsley

1. Heat the oil in large frying pan, or better, a paella pan. Fry the thickly chopped chorizo and pork sausages until golden then set aside.


2. Fry the garlic, onions, thickly sliced pepper & celery, in the pan for 2 minutes


3. Add the chilli powder and paprika to taste (preferably hot) and cook for 1 minute.


4. Add back the sausages then add the rice, thyme, bay leaves, passata, chicken stock, salt & pepper. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Use foil to cover if you don't have a big enough lid. Stir 2 or 3 times during the simmer.


5. Ensure the rice is cooked through, add a little more stock if needed.


6. Uncover, sprinkle over the prawns and chopped parsley, & recover for 5 minutes.


7. Serve with spring onions and extra parsley, and some good crusty bread.


8. Optional - add chicken as well as the sausages.

Jambalaya @ Group Recipes


Don't be surprised if you see this on here again :)

Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Chocolate Cupcakes

This week's cake is the simple Chocolate Cupcake. I got this recipe from one of my cookbooks. This past week I have been sick and didn't really think about baking this week so I didn't include the ingredients in this week's grocery. I chose this recipe because I had all the ingredients either in my fridge or pantry ( I can't stress enough the importance of having a fully stocked pantry and fridge with all the basics and essentials). I decided to included 100grams of chocolate chips to make it more chocolatey.

• 100g good quality dark cooking chocolate, chopped


• 100ml milk


• 30g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder, sifted


• 100g butter, at room temperature, cubed


• 115g (1/2 cup) caster sugar


• 2 eggs, at room temperature


• 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour, sifted


• * Chocolate glaze *


• 210g (1 1/3 cups) pure icing sugar


• 2 tbs cocoa powder


• 2 tbs boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 180c. Line 12 medium (80ml / 1/3cup) muffin pans with large paper cases or use non-stick muffin pans.


2. Place the chocolate, milk and cocoa in a medium heavy-based saucepan. Whisk constantly over low heat for 3-4 minutes or until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside until the mixture is lukewarm.


3. Meanwhile, use electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition until well combined.


4. Add the chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Use a metal spoon to fold in the flour, in 2 batches, until well combined.


5. Half fill each muffin pan with the mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centres of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pans.


6. Meanwhile, to make the chocolate glaze, sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a medium heatproof bowl or the top of a double saucepan. Add the water and mix to a firm paste. Place over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) and stir for 2-3 minutes or until warm and runny.


7. Remove the cakes from the pans and use a small pallet knife to spread the warm glaze over the top of each. Set aside for 15minutes for the glaze to set before serving.

Chocolate Cupcakes @ Group Recipes



Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Hawaiian Chicken Parmigiana

Tonight for dinner we had Chicken Parmigiana with a twist. We were in the mood for something a little different so I came up with Hawaiian Chicken Parmigiana. This is like a normal parmigiana but I placed slices of ham and pineapple rings on the top of the chicken schnitzel then topped with lots of cheese. These toppings were a great addition to the common pub fare. Give this one a go.

• 2 Chicken Breast Fillets
  


• 1 Lightly Beaten Egg


• 2 Cups Bread Crumbs


• 1 Cup Plain Flour


• 4 tbp Tomato Ketchup


• Shaved English Ham


• Pineapple, cut into rings


• Vegetable Oil


• Grated Cheese

1. Lightly coat each chicken fillet in flour then dip into egg.


2. Cover with breadcrumbs.


3. Pan fry in hot oil.


4. When golden brown, remove and place on baking dish.


5. Spread each fillet with Ketchup, then layer with ham and pineapple.


6. Sprinkle with cheese.


7. Place under grill (broiler) until cheese is melted.


8. Serve with corn and mash potatoes.

Hawaiian Chicken Parmigiana @ Group Recipes


Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Back to my roots challenge #2

Pork Adobo

My second dish for my "Back to my roots" Challenge is the Pork Adobo. I usually make this dish with Chicken (on the rare occasion when I do make this) but it's just as delicious with pork. Once again, this recipe is a common fare at my mum's table. I love the balance of the sourness from the vinegar and the saltiness from the soy sauce. There are many, many versions of this dish out there but my mum's is a simple one and VERY satisfying.

• 500g pork chops, cut into large pieces


• 5 garlic cloves, smashed


• 250ml water


• 125ml white vinegar


• 75ml dark soy sauce


• vegetable oil


• pinch of salt

1. In a frying pan, add water, vinegar, garlic, salt and the pork chops.


2. Simmer until the pork is cooked through; about 15 minutes.


3. Remove pork and set aside liquid.


4. Add the oil and fry the pork.


5. Return liquid and soy.


6. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.


7. Serve with plan rice.

Pork Adobo @ Group Recipes


Bon Appetite
Cherrie

Turkish Selection

Tonight's meal was a feast. I made Lamb Kaftas, Baked stuffed tomatoes and cous cous salad. All three are easy to make and goes really well together. I got the recipe for the cous cous salad from Jamie Oliver's Naked Chef. The mixture of herbs I used (from our herb pot) was refreshing and gave the salad a nice lift to it. The stuffed tomatoes had a sweetness from the tomatoes which mixed with the slight saltiness from the parmesan cheese in the stuffing. As for the Kaftas, it was my first time cooking and eating one of these. I adlibed on the recipe. I added mint leaves from our garden as I know lamb and mint goes well together. It did in this recipe too.

Serve with oven warmed Turkish bread. Oh...of course no meal is complete without something from the family Nando's store. In this case, corn.



Stuffed Tomatoes

• 2 tbs bread crumbs


• 2 tbs grated parmesan cheese


• 1 garlic clove


• 2 tbs parsley


• 1 tbs olive oil


• salt


• 2 tomatoes

1. In a bowl mix all the ingredients


2. Cut a cone shape out the top of each tomato


3. Scoop out the flesh


4. Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture


5. Bake in oven for 25 - 30 mins @ 350F

Stuffed Tomatoes @ Group Recipes


Couscous Salad

• 125g couscous


• 1 red onion


• 1 clove garlic


• 1 small chilli


• 1 tomato


• 1 red pepper


• olive oil


• lemon juice


• 150 ml cold water


• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar


• 1 handful of parsley


• splash olive oil


• salt


• pepper

1. Mix couscous, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl.


2. Add water, stir, and leave for 15 minutes.


3. Grill pepper over naked flame until black.


4. Cover peppers with wrap when cooked, steam, then peel & chop finely. Discard seeds.


5. Mix pepper and finely chopped onion, garlic, chilli, tomato, and parsley in a bowl with the vinegar.


6. Drizzle with olive oil, season, and stir.

Kaftas

• 1 cup of finely chopped parsley


• 1/4 mint (optional)


• 1 small onion


• 1/2 kg lamb, beef, or lamb & beef mince


• salt


• pepper

1. Mix by hand the finely chopped parsley, onion & mint in a bowl with the mince


2. Season


3. Mould onto skews, 2 per person


4. Fry or BBQ for 20 minutes

Kafta @ Group Recipes


Bon Appetite
Cherrie