Saturday Breakfast

Woke up really really hungry this morning, but then I'm in Mami's house and alas! Her fridge is empty......oh dear...with 2 eggs, bit of left over mushrooms, a few carrots, quarter of a cabbage, half a loaf of bread, bunch of sprouts and some avocados... What am I gonna do for breakfast/brunch?!?!

Well one's gotta do what one's gotta do. With bellies rumbling, I set off to experiment with my limited resources.... but first off, COFFEE!!!

After being inspired by Donna Hay on Masterchef last night, she was soooo meticulous with everything. I wanted to try to make the elusive centred runny yolk soft boiled eggs. Apparently you swirl the hot water in the saucepan to make a whirlpool and then drop the egg in and this would make the yolk stay in the centre. As soon as I dropped the egg in, I was like oh no! This isn't gonna work - the egg just cracked, oops! Well there wasn't any more eggs left so, it'll do. But they turned out alrite! Though I still have no clue how long I'm suppose to cook these eggs...

Then in a fry pan, I melted some butter, added the grated carrots, chopped mushrooms and sliced red cabbage, topped it off with some fresh parsley from the garden and served it with some sprouts.

All in all, it wasn't such a bad effort and avocados are always good.

Spanish Night

I had Spanish Night awhile back but the pictures were on a friend's camera phone and I only got hold of them this week. Now need to see if I can remember what I made that night....

It was Tapas and Paella that ruled the night, and after one too many glasses of Sangria, we were all very jolly. After dinner, my new friend SpaceyChicken couldn't get her mind outta the gutter when we were playing Dirty Mind. All in all a very fun night.




Menu for the Night:

Pan con Tomato (Tomato Bread), Champiñones Al Ajillo (Garlic Mushrooms), Chorizo & Beans Stew, Meat Balls with Romeso Sauce, Paella and Escalivada (Roasted Veggie Salad)









Romesco Sauce

Ingredients

• Olive Oil
• Blanche Almonds
• Torn up Bread
• Tomatoes
• Char-grilled Red Capsicum
• Crushes Garlic Cloves
• Paprika
• Cayenne Pepper
• Sherry
• Salt

Directions

Add everything to food processor or blender and then heat up slightly in saucepan

Chorizo and Beans Stew

Ingredients

• Olive Oil
• Quartered Potatoes
• Sliced Chorizos
• Diced Onion
• Minced Garlic Cloves
  
• Can of Butter Beans
• Can of Diced Tomatoes
• Bay Leaf
• Chile
• Stock
• Parsley

Directions

Heat Oil in saucepan, saute Onion, Garlic and Chorizos. Add Potatoes, beans and tomatoes, top with stock, add seasoning and cook for 30 mins or so, top with parsley.

Favourite Winter Drinks

During my recent trip to Tassieville, I discovered 2 Amazing Hot Beverages that will warm your body and soul during the winter months.

This is the perfect time of the year to help yourself to a glass of Mulled Wine - a warm spicy, sweet red wine....best served with a cuddle under warm blankets and a good book. Fireplace is optional.

The other is what I would call Liquid Hot Apple Pie... hmmm mmmmm. So good.


Mulled Wine

Ingredients

• Red Wine
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Star anise
  
• Citrus Fruits
• Sugar
• Water

Directions

Heat wine in saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients. Yuuuummm


Hot Liquid Apple Pie

Ingredients

• Cloudy Apple Juice
• Lemon Juice
• Grated Ginger
• Cinnamon

Directions

Heat apple Juice in saucepan and add rest of ingredients

Hawaiian Night

Aloha!

I've always wondered what's Hawaiian food is like, so on a cold wet night, I decide to bring sunshine and beach to my humble home and invite some friends over to be my guinea pigs.

Turns out, Hawaiian food is just alotta Pineapples. Pineapples in EVERYTHING! From the Fried Rice, to Chicken, Salad and even the Drinks. We were all a bit pineapple-d out that night I think. Though MickyMouse insisted I coulda used a bit more pineapples still.....well he didn't bring me fresh pineapple he saw that day!

With Leis wrapped around our necks and MickyMouse performed an impromptu Hula Dance for us, we sat down to our meal.

Menu for the night: Tuna Ahi Poke, Purple & Orange Coleslaw, Island Fried Rice, Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs and Kalua Pig.

Sorry the picture ain't so great, I was too busy laughing and eating to take more pictures.

Island Fried Rice

Ingredients

• Chopped Onion
• Minced Garlic
  
• Sliced Chinese Sausage
• Diced Spicy Spam
• Diced Pineapple Pieces (I was lazy and just used a can in juice)
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables
• Beaten Eggs
• Shallots
  
• Cooked Rice
  
• Soya Sauce

Directions

Cook in wok all the meat and vegetables, add cook rice and mix everything evenly. Add beaten eggs to coat rice, season with soya sauce

Tex Mex Night

I had a craving for Chile Con Carne and thought it'd be great to do a Tex-Mex Night, it's been ages since I had some Mac & Cheese, one of my childhood favourite and also some spicy Buffalo Wings. But I didn't want to do the deep fried version - 1st it's really messy and I'm kinda low on oil also, there got to be a healthier way.

After some searching online, I finally found a baked recipe.

Chile Con Carne

Ingredients

• Beef Mince
• Chopped Green Capsicum
• Can of Red Kidney Beans
• Tomato Paste
• Can of Diced Tomatoes
• Chopped Onion
• Minced Garlic
• Chile (flakes, fresh chopped, powder)
• Oregano
• All Spice
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Sugar
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

Brown Mince, onion and garlic, add capsicum and tomato, beans and paste.

Season with spices, cover with water

Cover lid and cook for 45mins or thereabout

Baked Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

• Chicken Mid Wings
• Flour
• Garlic Powder
• Cayenne Powder
• Butter
• Salt
• Hot Sauce

Directions

Coat chicken with the dry ingredients, chill for 1 hr

Melt Butter and mix with Hot Sauce

Bathe Chicken in Hot Butter Sauce

Bake/Grill until Golden

Vietnamese Beef Stew

Beef Stew


There's nothing better than an One Pot Wonder on a cold windy night.


My cousin came to visit and I decide to try recreate this Vietnamese Beef Stew that's one of my favourite of my best friend's mom's cooking.


It is actually a fusion dish between French and Vietnamese cusine and the flavours are so intense and it's quite healthy.


Vietnamese Beef Stew


Ingredients:

• Chuck Steak diced
• Carrots chopped
• Green Beans half
• Stock
• Red Wine
• Star Anise
• Cinnamon
• Onion chopped
• Garlic minced
• Ginger minced
• Coriander
• Flour
• Sugar
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

• Cover Beef with seasoned flour (Salt & pepper), brown and remove from pot
• Cook onion, garlic, ginger add carrots and liquid and beef and seasoning
• Cover and cook for an hour, cook beans separately and add to pot in last 5 mins
• Sprinkle with coriander and serve with rice

Cinco de Mayo Mexican Night

It was actually 3rd of May but it was close enough to the Mexican Festival. Besides it was a total coincidence anyway. I absolutely adore Mexican Food - all the flavours, colours, spices and alcohol!

When I say Mexcian food, I don't just mean Tacos & Burriots....I love them too, but there's so much more to Mexican cusine that just that! For my guests, I prepared Bean Salad, Kiwi Fruit Salsa, Guacamole and Mole Pollo (Chocolate Chicken).

I get the same reaction from people everytime I tell them I'm making Chocolate Chicken - usually I'm greeted with raised eyebrows and a dubious look. But seriously the Mole Sauce is so yummy and easy, I've made it a few times already and it hasn't failed me yet, and no...the chicken isn't sweet.

Bean Salad



Ingredients

• Can of Beans
• Can of Corn Kernals
• Red and Green Capsicum chopped
• Spanish Onion chopped
• Tomato Chopped
• Coriander
• Lime Juice

Directions

• Mix everything together and season with salt

Polo Mole
Ingredients

• Tomato Paste
• Onion chopped
• Green Capsicum chopped
• Garlic minced
• Chili
• Cumin
• Coriander chopped
• Cocoa Powder
• Chicken
• Toasted Sesame Seeds (which I totally forgot this time! ooops)

Directions

• Brown chicken, cook vegetables add seasoning and water to cover. Season with salt & pepper and sprinkle toasted sesame seed on top. Serve with rice

Jamaican Night

The cold wet weather is making me miss my home - Sunny Hot Jamaica, so I decide to make some Ja'can food to help cure my homesickness. When you talk to anyone about Ja'can food the first thing you'd hear utter is Jerk, Jerk this and Jerk that.

Many people have asked me what and why "Jerk" (as they snicker away). It is just the name of the marinate we use for bbqing or grilling meat. It has such intense flavours - tangy, spices, sweet, peppery and chilli. Imagine there's this burst of flavours in your mouth having a party. It is best paired with Red Stripe Beer, unfortunately I couldn't locate any for tonight. But I did have some Malibu with Strawberry Liqueur & Lemonade cocktail - yuuuum

I personally Loooove Soup, any type of soup. For my dinner party of 7, I also made some Red Peas Soup. The thick soup with sweet potatoes and coconut milk and bits of Red Kidney Beans and Spinners made this a very satisfying entrée. Actually the soup alone could have been a meal on its own for me. But since I wanted to make sure all my guests are very well fed, oxtail stew was also on the menu. This is one of my all time favourite stews. By the end of the night, not even the boys had seconds because there was just so much food! My fridge is now well packed and it's just the way I like it!


Red Peas Soup

Ingredients

- Can of Red Kidney Beans
- Can of Coconut Milk
- Sweet Potato diced
- Green Capsicum diced
- Carrot diced
- Onion diced
- Garlic minced
- Chilli chopped
- Parsley
- Soup Bones blanched
- Spinners (dough fingers)
- Seasoning : Allspice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mixed Herb
Salt & Pepper
Directions

- Add everything (but parsley & salt) to pot, fill with water and cover.
- Blend half the soup and then return to pot, add parsley & salt
- Serve with fresh bread

Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

- Scallion
- Onion
- Thyme
- Oil
- Soya Sauce
- White Vinegar
- Chilli
- Garlic
- Allspice, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, Pepper


Directions

Add everything to food processor/blender, mix and then marinate meat over night. Cook meat on BBQ grill or Bake in Oven