Spiced Lamb Shank with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

April 08 must've been cooling down on us. I remember I made this stew out of the extra lamb shanks we had. It's from Jamie Oliver and I've taken the recipe from Kitty's website.

As usual I had made few changes to the recipe unfortunately I don't quite remember how much I had altered. I cut the recipe into half to feed the two of us and served it on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes. Anyway, this dish is definitely worth trying!

Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks

Ingredients:
4 lamb shanks
(A)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 dried red chilli - I used 2 dried chillies
1 tbsp fresh rosemary - chopped
1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano - I used fresh oregano
(B)
1 tablespoon flour
(C)
1 tablespoon olive oil
(D)
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 large carrot, quartered & finely sliced
6 sticks of celery, quartered & finely sliced
2 medium onions, quartered & finely chopped
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
170ml dry white wine - replaced with beef stock
6 anchovy fillets
2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
1 handful of fresh basil, marjoram or flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped - I used fresh parsley and coriander

How to make:
Combine (A) in mortar and pestle and rub onto your lamb. Then dust the shanks with (B). Brown the shanks on all sides with (C), remove.

Saute garlic, carrots, celeries, onions and salt. Add balsamic vinegar and beef stock and simmer. Then the anchovies and tinned tomatoes. Place lamb in the sauce, bring to boil.

Put on a lid on your casserole dish and place it in a preheated 175c oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove lid & cook for a further half an hour. Stir in your freshly chopped herbs.

For the mashed sweet potatoes
Place peeled potatoes in a salted boiling water and boil til a fork pierced easily through. Mash with milk and butter. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy! :)

Basic Crepes, Blintzes with Blueberries and Ice Cream

Made these some time ago. If the dates on my camera are correct, it would've been in July 08 :)

The recipe was from Delicious. 5 of the best by Valli Little. It's a compilation 5 of the best pastas, soups, rice, meat, cold desserts, puddings, etc etc. I think Mama bought this one for me when I was back in Malaysia for holidays last year.

Originally this recipe is called Blintzes with Sour Cream and Cherries. And of course I had changed the recipe a bit not only to suit my taste but also to what's available in my kitchen hee! :D I made half the recipe for the two of us.



Here's the recipe
Ingredients:
(A)
175g cottage cheese
100g cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 heaped tbsp caster sugar
1/2 lemon, zest only

(B)
20g unsalted butter, melted - I used olive oil spray
12 crepes - I made my own, see recipe below. I find store bought aren't as thin as I like them to be
sour cream to serve - replaced with vanilla ice cream

(C)
1 x 425g can of pitted cherries in syrup - replaced with fresh blueberries
75g caster sugar
2-3 tbsp Kirsch (cherry brandy) - omitted
1 tsp arrowroot - used cornflour

How to make:
Place ingredients (C) except arrowroot in pan. Stir til sugar dissolves and add in Kirsch (if use). Mix arrowroot (or cornflour) with 20ml water til smooth. Add to warm syrup and stir til thickened. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 180c and brush baking dish with butter or spray with olive oil. Place ingredients (A) in a food processer or whisk vigorously by hand til smooth.

Place about a tablespoon of cheese mixture onto crepe and fold to make parcel. Gently put your parcels (folded-side down) onto your baking dish. Brush tops with melted butter or spray with olive oil. From here you may cover them and place in the fridge til you're ready to bake for 15 minutes.

Serve with sour cream (or ice cream) and pour cherry sauce (or blueberry sauce on top)!



Now for the homemade crepes
Ingredients:
150g plain flour
1 tsp caster sugar
240ml milk
2 eggs
pinch of salt

Blend all in a food processor or whisk vigorously. Set aside for 30 minutes. Grease pan thinly with oil/butter, tip and swirl mixture thinly onto pan and cook til the top looks cooked and dry. Tip over. Repeat til all batter is used.

These Blintzes are rather similar but with much more texture than Crepes Suzette. And also Crepes Suzette has burnt-tangy taste than these sweet-sour-cheesy number. I love this version much better :D

Prawns Pineapple Rice

There were many recipes tried in the past few months. Some I've taken the the extra step snapping pictures of, some not. However, today we experienced a scorching and sweltering maximum of 43C (hottest in 5 years!!) So, lots of cool cut fresh fruits, water and looks like this preggie lady ain't goin anywhere today!

I made this today after scouting around for some new recipes. Taken from here but I've changed the recipe quite a bit to suit my taste :P

Here's my version
Ingredients:
(A)
2 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
1 tsp ground chillies (cili boh or sambal oelek)
1 tsp tomyam paste (or tomyam cube)
1 onion - thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 celery stalk - sliced
1 stalk lemongrass - sliced or bruise the bulb end
2 kaffir lime leaves - sliced
a splash of fish sauce
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
a quarter of pineapple - diced (you may use the tinned version)
3 cups rice
4 cups water

(B)
200gm peeled prawns
1 diced tomato
2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
sliced chillies - if you like it spicy

How to make:
Saute ground chillies, tomyam paste, onions and garlic til fragrant. Add celery slices, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. The smell shall fill your kitchen by now :) Splash in some fish sauce, turmeric powder, salt and pineapples. Tip in your rice and ensure they are well incorporated and coated.

Transfer rice into your rice cooker and add 4 cups water (or as you normally would in your rice cooker). Keep an eye on it, as soon your rice has absorbed most of the liquid, stir in ingredients B and keep the lid on til ready to serve ;)

Enjoy!

Pistachio Souffles

I've entered into third trimester today hence a little 'celebration'

Pistachio Souffles
20g plain flour
150ml milk
60g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
30g soft unsalted butter
100g ground pistachios - I grind my own with mortar and pestle. I like mine to have some crunch to it, not completely ground
2 drops almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract - I used vanilla bean paste
1/2 tsp orange-flower water
5 egg whites
pinch of salt
10g dark chocolate squares - I used 2 small blocks of Cadbury chocolates

Preheat oven to 200C
Grease 4 ramekins or souffle cups with butter and dust with sugar.

Place the flour in a saucepan with a little of the 150mls milk just enough to blend. Whisk til no lumps appear. Add in the rest of the milk and the 60g sugar. Whisk over medium heat til almost to a boiling point. Take off from heat and keep whisking which will then make it thick and glossy. Let it cool a little, otherwise when you add in the egg yolks, it may just scramble. Add in 4 egg yolks one at a time, whisking on each addition. Then whisk in the 30g butter.

Now watch that mixture in your hands turn custardy-yellow. Yum.

Add your ground pistachios, almond, orange-flower water and vanilla extract and mix them all in well. Watch it now turn pistachio-green and smells intoxicatingly good.


Here's how mine look like.

With a hand mixer, beat your 5 egg whites in a clean, dry, glass bowl with a pinch of salt til soft peaks form. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of caster sugar and beat again til thick and glossy.

Take 1/4 of your eggwhite mixture and lighten your pistachio mix. Fold the rest in.

Place mixture into your ramekins half full. Top with your chocolate squares.



Cover with the rest of your mixture.



Now we have a hidden chocolate secret :)
Place your souffles into the preheated oven, turning it down to 180C and bake for 12-15 minutes.



Ta-dahhh!!



Revealing our little dark secret



Serve immediately.

I must admit mine took longer than 15 mins. Once it has risen above the ramekin brims and golden on top, it's done. I made half this recipe coz well, there's only the two of us here. This recipe was taken from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess" book. Thank you Kak Long for this book which has now covered with flour, pen marks, splattered with butter and if you look closely, you might be lucky to find cake crumbs in between the pages. Koda's hobby.

So I may know how to make a yummy souffle. But if you ask me to cook ikan singgang (a very simple Malay dish), I'd have absolutely no idea. If Mak Cha or Mama finds out, I'd be hearing a round of sing-a-long nag thousands of miles away.

Help!

Garlic Fan Bread

Found this fancy bread on Zack's few month back and felt intrigued to try them out. I halved the recipe to suit both of us and I must admit mine turned out a little burnt. But yummy nevertheless! =)



Garlic Fan Bread

Ingredients:
225ml warm milk
15g fresh yeast - 5g instant yeast
2 tsp caster sugar
450g bread flour
2 tsp salt
30g shortening - butter
1 egg, beaten

55g butter, salted
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
How to make:
Combine milk, yeast and caster sugar til frothy.
Sift flour and salt together. Rub shortening (or butter) into flour mix.
Make a well in the centre of flour mix and pour in yeast mixture and egg.
Combine and knead 8-10 minutes by hand til smooth.
Place dough in a bowl covered with thin olive oil, turning it over so oil covers entire dough ball.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave to prove til double in size.

Mix the 55g butter, garlic and chopped parsley.
Preheat oven 190C.
Spray muffin tins with olive oil spray or butter.
Punch dough and knead 2 minutes. Roll out into rectangular size to 80cm x 30cm.
Spread butter, garlic and parsley mixture.
Cut lengthways to 6 strips.
Layer each strip on top of one another and cut into 16 pieces.
Place each piece in prepared muffin tins and leave to prove for 30 mins.

Bake 20 mins til golden.



This recipe takes time and effort to make. And keep a close eye when its baking in the oven. An alternative to the traditional garlic bread =) You can vary them and make them into sweet, soft cinnamon fan bread. Anything to your fancy. Enjoy!

Beef Wonton

Filling:
Minced beef
Soy Sauce
Spring onions
Mushrooms
Sesame oil
Pepper
Lemongrass paste
Coriander

How to make:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and marinate for 1/2 to 1 hour.
Spoon 1/2 tbsp of mixture onto wonton/gow gee wrappers.
Seal edges with water and squeeze tops.

May be steamed, fried or boiled with soup.
May also be stored in freezer before cooking.

Molten Chocolate Pudding

Bill Grainger's Molten Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:
Cocoa powder + some butter to grease ramekins
50g good quality chocolate
50g butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1tsp plain flour

How to make:
Preheat oven at 220c
Grease and dust 2 ramekins, shake excess out.
Melt chocolate and butter.
Beat egg, egg yolk and caster sugar til light and fluffy.
Pour melted chocolate into the mixture.
Sift in plain flour and gently, gently fold in mixture.
Spoon mixture into ramekins
Bake 10 mins.
Serves 2.