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Showing posts from February, 2011

Prawn Cocktail With Marie Rose Sauce

Marie Rose Sauce adapted from Jamie Oliver’s COOK With Jamie (pg 264) Prawn Cocktail With Marie Rose Sauce Ingredients 1 Packet (400 g) Cooked Pacific White Prawns, thawed 1 Bunch Romaine Lettuce 1 Avocado, halved and quartered 1 Ripe Mango, diced Lemon Wedges Marie Rose Sauce 3 Heaped Tbsp Mayonnaise 1 Heaped Tbsp Ketchup A Splash of Worcestershire Sauce 1 Tbsp Brandy Lemon Juice to taste Method Combine the Marie Rose Sauce ingredients; mixed well and refrigerated. To assemble, divide the prawns, lettuce, avocado, and mango into 4 plates Squeeze a little lemon juice over the prawns mixture. To serve, spoon over the Marie Rose Sauce and drizzle some lemon juice, if desired. Serves 4

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

This is my favorite Roasted Red Pepper Soup recipe, it’s smoky and sweet with a hint of spiciness. The soup goes very well with some sourdough bread, and if you like a bit more heat, just sprinkle some smoked paprika into the soup for that extra oomph! Anyway, when you pick-out the peppers, look for fleshy medium to large sized ones that has smooth, firm, and unblemished skin. The fleshier peppers are more flavorful and they are great for broiling. Roasted Red Pepper Soup Ingredients 8 (about 1 kg) Red Peppers, whole 3 Tbsp Olive Oil 2 (450 g) Medium Yellow Onion, peeled and diced 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped 2 (250 g) Large Potatoes, peeled and diced 6 Cups Chicken Stock Sea Salt to taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter Pinch of Smoked paprika (optional) Method Roasting Fresh Peppers (Broiler): Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the whole peppers on the foil and brush lightly with olive oil. Broil, turning as needed, until blackened on all sides. Once the...

Queen Of Sheba

Recipe adapted from Bittersweet by Alice Medrich (pg 109) Queen Of Sheba Ingredients 6 oz Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped 10 Tbsp (1 ¼ sticks) Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces 3 Tbsp Brandy 1/8 tsp Pure Almond Extract (optional) 1/8 tsp Sea Salt ½ Cup (2 ½ oz) Unblanched Whole Almonds 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour 4 Large Eggs, separated, at room temperature ¾ Sugar 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar Powdered Sugar for dusting (optional) Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream Equipment: An 8 by 3 inches Spring form Pan, or cheesecake pan with a removable bottom Method Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375˚F/190˚C. Line the cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until nearly melted. Remove from the heat and stir until melted and smooth. Or microwave on Medium (50%) power for about 2 minutes, then stir until completely melted and smooth. Stir ...

Chickpea, Potato, And Leek Soup

Chickpea, Potato, And Leek Soup Ingredients 4 Medium Leeks, halved, cleaned, and sliced 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped 1 Yellow Onion, peeled and diced 2 Yellow Wax Potatoes, peeled and diced 1 ½ Cup Canned Chickpeas 4 Tbsp Olive Oil 6 Cups Chicken Stock Sea Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper Method Heat the olive oil in a large pot; add leeks, garlic, and onions with a pinch of salt. Cook the mixture until soft and translucent but not brown.

 Then add the potatoes, chickpeas and continue to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.

 Add the chicken stock, bring it to the boil and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow the soup to cool slightly before you puree it with a handheld blender.

Bring the soup back to the boil and season with some salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Maryland Crab Cakes

Maryland Crab Cakes Ingredients 1 tsp Mustard 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning 2 Dashes of Worcestershire Sauce 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1 Large Egg 1 Red Chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional) 4 Sprigs Italian Flat Parsley, finely chopped 1 Scallion (white part only) finely chopped 450 g Lump Crabmeat, picked over to remove cartilage 40 g Saltine Crackers, crush into fine crumbs Sea Salt to taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper Oil for frying (peanut or canola oil) Lemon Wedges Tartar Sauce Method In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, large egg, a pinch of sea salt, and some pepper. Gently fold in the chili, parsley, scallion, crabmeat, and cracker crumbs with a rubber spatula until just combined. Shape the crab mixture into 10 to 12 pieces patties (about 45 to 50 g each patty). Heat the oil in a large cast-iron pan or non-stick pan until hot. Lower the heat to medium and shallow fry the crab cakes for...

Cream Puffs-Profiteroles With Vanilla And Chocolate Pastry Cream & Happy Valentine's Day

I am glad my daughter persuaded me to help her bake these tasty Cream Puffs for this Valentine’s Day. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make these versatile Cream Puffs. You need to apply a bit of strength to stir the dough; but, the result is well worth the effort! They baked beautifully to a golden colored cream puff in the oven pretty quick. We baked several batches of these puffs. So tasty and versatile, you can fill it with pastry cream, ice cream, or a savory filling of your choice. I should disclose that prior to this, I’ve never had any cream puffs before. Never cross my mind to include it to my “to bake” list, embarrassing. Anyway, better late than never I suppose. In the end, we decided to fill the cream puffs with vanilla and chocolate pastry cream. Whichever filling you choose, I urge you to give this recipe a try! A very Happy Valentine’s Day to all! Recipe adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan Cream Puffs-Profiteroles Wi...

Budini-Baked Chocolate Pudding

Recipe adapted from Bittersweet By Alice Medrich (pg 120) Budini-Baked Chocolate Pudding Ingredients 6 oz (170 g) Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped 8 Tbsp (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter 1 ½ Tbsp Brandy or Rum (optional) 3 Tbsp Semolina Flour (optional) 3 Large Eggs 2/3-Cup Sugar Pinch of Sea Salt Equipment: Six 8 to 16 oz ramekins or ovenproof bowls Vanilla Ice Cream (optional) Method Note: You can bake the Budini now or later in the day. Simply refrigerate, covered, until about 30 minutes before you want to serve the Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375˚F/190˚C. Combine the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set in a wide skillet of barely simmering water, and stir frequently until completely melted and smooth. Or microwave on Medium (50%) power for about 2 minutes, then stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in the liquor and semolina flour, if using. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and salt with...

Fish Fingers With Fresh Mango Chutney

Fish Fingers With Fresh Mango Chutney Ingredients 2 Pieces (350 g) Tilapia Fillet, cut into 5 long strips for each fillet All Purpose Flour 1 Large Egg, lightly beaten Panko (Japanese Breadcrumbs) Peanut or Canola Oil for frying Lime Wedges Sweet Potato Fries (optional) Fresh Mango Chutney Marinade 1 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice 3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander 1 Green Chili (Jalapeno or Serrano), seeded and minced 1 Scallion, minced 1 Clove of Garlic, minced 1 tsp minced Ginger 1/8 tsp of Sea Salt ¼ tsp Chili Flakes 1 Tbsp Peanut Oil Method Add the fish strips to the marinade and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Toss the marinated fish strips with the flour, dip into the beaten egg, and coat with Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs). 
 Heat the oil in a large cast-iron pan or non-stick pan until hot. Lower the heat to medium and shallow fry the fish strips for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serv...

Fresh Mango Chutney

Fresh Mango Chutney Ingredients 1 Medium Ripe Mango, pitted and diced 2 Tbsp Chopped Red Onion 1 Tbsp Chopped Coriander ½ Red Chili, seeded and finely chopped 1 Tbsp Lime Juice 4 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice 1 tsp Sugar ¼ tsp Cumin Powder ¼ tsp Sea Salt or to taste Ground Black Pepper to taste Method Place the mango, red onion, coriander, red chili, lime juice, orange juice, sugar, and cumin powder in a blender, and blend to a coarse puree. . Season the chutney with freshly ground black pepper, refrigerate and served chilled.

Chestnut Torte

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I’d like to share an easy, sure success cake recipe that I have baked many times now. Besides being an easy recipe, there are couple of other reasons why I like this recipe. The first is that I can decrease the amount of sugar required and yet the cake will still turn out moist and decadent. The other reason is that my family really enjoy this no fuss Chestnut Torte! To serve, I would deck-out a slice of the cake with some fresh berries and several sifts of Varlhona cocoa powder. Here’s a suggestion, as, why not give this recipe a try? Enjoy. Recipe adapted from Bittersweet by Alice Medrich (pg 116) Chestnut Torte Ingredients 4 Oz/115 g Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped 8 Tbsp (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces ¾ Cup (about 6 oz/170 g) Unsweetened Canned Chestnut Puree 1 Tbsp Rum or Brandy 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Pinch of Sea Salt 4 Large Eggs, separated, at room temperature ½ Cup Sugar 1/8 tsp Cream Of Tartar Powdered Sugar for...

Spicy Chipotle Chicken Wings & NFL Super Bowl XLV Party Snacks

I’m looking forward to the NFL Super Bowl XLV this weekend. To many sports fans, including myself, enjoying any major sporting event is all about having some good food, drinks, and great company. Cheering for your team with near zero disruptions, however, requires you to prepare as much as possible ahead. So, I have rounded up some simple and yet delicious snacks recipes here that you can cook-up beforehand to serve this Sunday. I also highly recommend you consider making these Spicy Chipotle Chicken Wings. The chicken wings are spicy, sweet, sticky, and finger licking good. Yum! Have a Super Sunday all, hope your team win! For those that are not football fans, I hope you will try making these snacks anyway. Enjoy! Spicy Chipotle Chicken Wings Ingredients 16 – 18 Chicken Wings (about 1.2 kg) tips removed Lime Wedges Marinate 2 Tbsp (21 g) Chipotle Rub Mix 4 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar ½ tsp Garlic Powder 1 ¼ tsp Sea Salt 2 Tbsp Pounded Roasted P...

Tortilla Soup

Whenever Whole Foods Market has fresh sweet corn available, I like to make this Southwestern and Mexican Tortilla Soup. This is one of my favorite corn based soup which is hearty enough as a simple lunch or a light dinner soup. I usually serve it with fresh avocados, grilled corn kernels, cheddar cheese, cilantro, and topped with crispy tortillas. Recipe adapted from Live, Love, Eat! By Wolfgang Puck (pg 30) Tortilla Soup Ingredients 3 ears Fresh Corn, shucked 5 Cloves Garlic, peeled 1 Medium Yellow Onion, peeled, and quartered 1 Jalapeno Chili, trimmed and seeded 2 ½ Tbsp Corn Oil 3 Corn Tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares 2 Large Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste 2 tsp Ground Cumin 7 to 8 Cups Chicken Broth Sea Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper Garnish 3 Corn Tortillas 1 Ripe Avocado 1 Large Whole Chicken Breast, cooked, boned, and skinned ½ Cup Grilled Corn Kernels (optional) ½ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese ¼ Cup Chopped Fr...

Chili Dungeness Crabs Dip

To all my readers, I would like to wish you all a very Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai! May the lunar new year of the rabbit bring you lots of joy, luck, health, and prosperity! I am sure many of my readers in North America must be looking forward to this weekend’s big event, the NFL Super Bowl XLV! Just like the divisional playoffs, I have another great snack recipe that you can prepare ahead before the big game. This is a really delicious, and addictive, Chili Dungeness Crabs Dip. The slightly sweet, sour, and spicy sauce is accompanied with lots of chunky crabmeat. This dip will complement just about anything you throw at it, whether it’s baked potato skins, wedges, fries, chips, or just some toasted bread. Try it and enjoy the game this weekend! Chili Dungeness Crabs Dip Ingredients 350 to 380 g Dungeness Crabmeat, from 2 Large Dungeness Crabs (reserved shells) 
 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
 1/2 inch Ginger, chopped
 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
 8 to 12 Thai Bird...