The Sugar Bar » vegetables

Fennel and Feta with Pomegranate Seeds, Edamame & Sumac

diva — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:37:18 +0000

The salty creaminess of feta, tanginess of lemon, the licorice-laced crisp flavours of fennel, the explosive sweetness of Sultan’s Jewel tomatoes, the mild honeyish pomegranate seeds and the nuttiness of edamame all brought together in harmony by the grassiness of good extra virgin olive oil.

And to think sometimes I forget why salads are so addictive, so all-encompassing and very beautiful to look at. If something so simple (and simply put together) can taste so good, lifting my spirits with each bite, I’m never going to underestimate the humble salad ever again.

A friend once offered me a bottle of salad dressing, to which I turned it down saying I don’t really eat salad dressing. I enjoy salads mostly as they are – their component parts with no oily, wet dressing that splatters everywhere when I’ve got leafy bits sticking out between my lips like a goat. I don’t know if it’s some weird purist mentality I’ve got but that’s pretty much how I usually like my salads. Or if I really had to go for a salad dressing, then extra virgin olive oil and loads of balsamic vinegar which I love with a great passion. Anything mayonnaise-y, or something thick like thousand island dressing really puts me off. Not that I can’t stomach it, I just won’t enjoy it as much. And give my tummy a few hours, it’d probably start feeling a little upset and gurgling like it was part of a string orchestra. I kid you not. Therefore I stress clean, crisp flavours always. That’s just the way forward.

After months of wishing after the Ottolenghi cookbook, and the torturous process of having to see my beautiful foodie friends blog about their Ottolenghi recipes, experiences, it was high time I finally got my own copy. And I did. And it was such a luxury – a stylishly put-together cookbook with a glossy white cover; my heart was beating twice as fast and doing little skips as I flipped through the pages, eyeing the pulses and vegetables, curbing the urge to start sticking little 3M sticky notes in there with a frenzy for potential lunches and so forth. Happiness is moi. (Yes I’m so easily pleased with new cookbooks. But aren’t we foodies all a species of that sort? I’m eyeing the The French Laundry Cookbook next.) I’ve always been a fan of Ottolenghi food ever since I moved to London and even before I did, I’d browsed through the cookbook thinking how gorgeous the food must taste. Then I started visiting the Islington branch since I live just a little way from it. There was no turning back. I became a true fan. Unfortunately, I always felt a bit like a muggle or a half-blood without the cookbook. And having to queue for half a day (yes I exaggerate) or resorting to take-aways to get Ottolenghi grub in my mouth, down my esophagus and then safely into my stomach whenever I have a craving seems much too complicated. Remember, I am lazy.

Equipped with my new cookbook, life seems so rosy. With the beautiful weather too, it’s about time I shove that crabbiness so typical of my character somewhere where the sun don’t shine. I can’t wait to try out more of the recipes and actually, that’s probably not gonna change the fact that I’d still be hopping on a bus to Angel to take-away Ottolenghi cakes (and then eating them in the dark corners of my bedroom – on my own – a la Gollum) or meeting friends there for lunch.

On a final note, let me just say that I’m not just OCD, a perfectionist and anal (please, no crude jokes) to the point of being annoying. I also plan like a high-strung freak (not that I’m high-strung at all. I just have this thing about planning.) But here’s a confession – I’ve booked my sister and I in for dinner at Ottolenghi 2 MONTHS in advance. Yea, so I’m totally off my trolley like that. Crazy.

The original recipe uses tarragon instead of basil and adds no tomatoes or edamame. This makes about 4 servings.

Fennel and Feta with Pomegranate Seeds, Edamame & Sumac
Recipe adapted from the original (p.17) in Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
Ingredients

Remove pomegranate seeds from the fruit. Be careful not to bruise them or break the skin. You can purchase pomegranate seeds also fresh from the cut fruit section in major supermarkets.

Remove leaves from the fennel, reserving some for garnish later. Trim the base, making sure there’s still enough left on to hold the slices together. Slice very thinly lengthwise. Place sliced fennel, herbs, edamame and cherry tomatoes in a large salad bowl.

In another bowl, mix the olive oil, sumac, lemon juice, herbs and some salt and pepper. Add this to the salad bowl, toss well. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste.

To serve, layer the fennel, then the feta and then the pomegranate seeds. Garnish with reserved fennel leaves, sprinkle with sumac and more parsley leaves if you have any lying about. Serve.

Spiced Rhubarb Pancakes with Golden Syrup

diva — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:21:30 +0000

It’s Shrove Tuesday, ie. Pancake Day! Well it’s not like I need an excuse to have pancakes. It sorta is like a Sunday brekkie thing to have but pancakes when it’s not even mid-week is so much more indulgent and delicious. Knowing that just about the rest of England is having pancakes too (albeit the English crepe-like ones) – savoury or sweet – helps with feeling all fat and happy, and a lot less like the lone greedy chubster.

I spied some gorgeous rhubarb pancakes over at Nic’s Cherrapeno and I couldn’t help getting some rhubarb as well. I think it’s gotta be one of the prettiest pink edible things and I simply love it in a trifle or yoghurt. Thanks Nic for a lovely pancake idea. I’m really glad I made this as I love all things tart. Although the rhubarb sauce wasn’t as tart as I wanted it to be (didn’t wanna tart-out my flatmate), I thought it was a very delicious variation of the usual plain pancakes or the same old blueberry pancakes I find myself having every time.

I’d love to stay on here longer, but I gotta hit the books again. Yes I am a geek, don’t judge me. And yes the work’s starting to pile up. Third yes, I’ve turned into a granny who fights the cold with hot soups, cups of tea and blankets about my knees. Well, grannies are so in right now. You can’t fault that. Off I go, leaving you the recipe.

This recipe’s given me the fluffiest, softest pancakes ever. But it didn’t rise enough to my liking and it may have needed some rising agent like baking powder. I might have to experiment and compare with other recipes in the future. Nevertheless, they were good. Like little fluffy clouds.

Recipe yields 8 pancakes
Rhubarb Pancakes
Ingredients

In a dry medium bowl, whisk egg whites to form stiff peaks.

In a separate large bowl, sift flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre.

Beat lightly together the egg yolk, melted butter and milk. Pour into the well and mix gently to form a lumpy batter. Fold in egg whites, leaving some touches of egg whites intact.

In a small frying pan, heat some butter, add a ladle of batter and fry until bubbles start forming on the surface. Flip and allow the other side to cook for another minute or so. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Keep the other pancakes in a warm oven or let the hungry buggers you live with gobble them up whilst you work hard at the stove!

Rhubarb Sauce
Recipe can be found here, which I used for a ganache. You can use this in the pancake batter and to serve over them.

Sweet Cucumber and Wakame Seaweed Pickle

diva — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:07:55 +0000

I love my pickles, especially Asian (I stare pointedly at my Korean and Japanese pickles) pickles. Some of them may smell, some of them may look terribly dubious and like something outta the bin but still, they really wake up your tastebuds. How is it possible for me to not love that about them?

After a recent dinner with Su-yin from Bread et Butter, and a (typical of foodblogger-style) chat about pickles, I was really up for making some to have around in the house. Of course, these pickles aren’t the traditional aged type of pickles but a quick one with a pickle-sort of dressing, nonetheless they taste great and is a great accompaniment to any oriental meal. At home, pickles are served on a little sidedish plate to accompany the dinner dishes and rice. Not only do they help with one’s appetite and digestion, they cleanse the palate especially after oily dishes or strong-tasting ones.

What’s so great about pickles is that they’re terribly cheap and easy to make which means it’s totally great for students like yours truly. And because this is a quick pickle, you don’t have to leave it to ferment for days and all that. Think of it as a pickled salad. I find it hard not to snack on this as well when I’m a little bored.

It’s been a busy week and the weather’s been so horrid I think I’m finally breaking. I’m one to love the melancholic grey and rain but recently, my tolerance has just plummeted. That explains my uninspiring ‘banter’ on this post at the moment. Forgive me. But these babies currently waiting for me in the fridge have brightened up my day and blasted a bit of sunshine (albeit temporary because they’ll go so quick) into my life and if you think to make them, I hope they will do the same for you too.

The recipe I’ve used from Everyday Harumi and the only alteration I’ve made is the addition of toasted white sesame seeds to give it a bit more flavour. I thought the dressing was superb but a little flat to taste but that might’ve been because I taste-tested before adding the grated fresh ginger. Nonetheless, I thought the sesame seeds were a great addition.

Recipe serves 4.
Cucumber and Wakame Seaweed in Sweet Pickled Dressing
Ingredients

Wash and soak wakame for 5-10mins then cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then slice diagonally into pieces of 4-5mm thickness. Place in a bowl, lightly sprinkle with salt and leave for 5-10mins. Then squeeze firmly and place in a clean bowl.

Combine the salt, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl and mix well. Add this to the cucumber and wakame. Add the sesame seeds and mix well, careful to coat all in the vinegar dressing. Leave in the refrigerator to chill before serving (about 1-2 hours is good). Don’t leave in the fridge for more than 2 days as the seaweed and cucumber will start to lose its colour and texture.

Serve the pickle in small dishes with some grated ginger on top. Eat with a steaming bowl of rice and accompanying dishes!

Prawn, Shiitake & Tofu Ankake Donburi

diva — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:38:38 +0000

I made a very similar dish earlier on Monday. I had just gotten home from uni, starving, cold, and just a tiny bit cranky. In such a volatile state, it was very likely I would’ve succumbed to the lazy option of a bowl of cereal. Oddly enough, I prepared a prawn & tofu stew of sorts using mirin, sake, miso, smoked pancetta (yea, odd one out) and lots of negi. It worked and I think a part of me was shocked it had because honestly, cranky cooking isn’t always a very wise thing to do.

I wanted to recreate the flavours for a donburi. Why I was so motivated to have a donburi was also due to my newly purchased bowl. You can check it out in the pictures. It’s even got a cute little ceramic cover like those claypots you normally see at Chinese restaurants. Was unbelievably chuffed all of yesterday about my bowl. I even got it out and showed it to the flatmate and her boyrfriend too. I was all giggles and big grins. And you know what else I absolutely love about my new bowl? If I wanted to have pickles with my donburi, all I need to do is to flick over the cover which is helping to keep my just-cooked meal nicely warm, put the pickles on the underside of the cover which when flipped, acts as a little side-dish. How awesome is that! Most donburi bowls I find are a little too large so I end up filling it up to only halfway which looks a little silly. And if I fill it all the way, it’s too much food for me to consume at a go (actually I lie, sometimes I can eat a horse if you could bang it up into a soup and therefore downsize it into mouth-friendly portions- sorry if that was crude). This guy is just purrr-fact.

In my walk-in kitchen – and I call it that because it’s so ridiculously small and crappy I could cry – I own very little. 1 cereal bowl, 2 plates, 2 Cath Kidston mugs (1 given to me for my birthday), 1 milkpan and small frying pan (given to me by S’s mum for my birthday as well), 1 glass mixing bowl, 1 colander, some cooking utensils and cutlery. That is literally owning next to nothing. And I don’t complain because the kitchen has very little to offer as well: no oven, 2 ridiculously tempermental electric hobs, zero work space, 1 crapbag microwave/grill, next-to-zero pantry cupboard space – and that is something we can’t change since we’re all moved in and literally living in the coolest, trendiest bit of Central London. So gifting myself this humble bowl makes me very happy and even happier to use it. (I thought about an ice cream maker but that in comparison to my small kitchen would be a monster of gadget.)

But anyhow, another recent purchase was the Everyday Harumi cookbook, just one of the cookbooks I’ve had on my Amazon wishlist for a while now. The pictures in here are seriously good and the recipes so easy to follow (very similar to things my mum would cook at home – a very heartwarming cookbook). It’s too bad for the others that they didn’t get purchased but I thought was a longtime coming. After flipping through it, I was glad to see a recipe for something quite similar and incorporating an ankake sauce. This sauce is made by thickening seasoned dashi stock with a potato starch and water mix. It is very tasty and goes so wonderfully well with rice; therefore making donburi one of the best comfort foods for me. When the day is as grey as heck from morning til evening, surely a bowl of rice will bring a little sunshine into my cupboard-sized bedroom?

I haven’t followed Harumi’s recipe exactly. In fact, I’ve used some different ingredients but I’ve basically followed her ankake sauce recipe quite closely. I think this dish is spanking good and you can try it with loads of other types of ingredients. Smoked pancetta cubes was a bit of an odd one out. But I do love pairing it with prawns and seafood in general – as you can see from my past King Prawn Pancetta Fried Rice post. Very comforting, very easy to make. I have a feeling my mama would be proud.

A little word about potato starch – you can find this in Asian supermarkets. I got a packet which cost a little over a quid from my Japanese grocer – a really large packet actually so it’s good to invest in it and just keep it in the pantry for future use. Also, potato starch is a lot stronger than cornstarch as a thickening agent so you don’t need large quantities to get the required texture. It mixes a lot easier than cornstarch I find, so you don’t get those bitty pockets of starch like if you used cornstarch or worse, plain flour.

This recipe yields 2 servings.

Prawn, Shiitake & Tofu Ankake Donburi
Ingredients

Prepare vegetables. Clean mushrooms, trim the stalks and either finely slice them or leave them whole and star the top with a knife. This ensures that it gets cooked through (similar concept to brussel sprouts) and also looks pretty. My mum prepares it with the star for oden hotpots but I generally like to cook my shiitake mushrooms this way.

For the ankake sauce: In a small bowl, add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar to prepared dashi stock. You may use any type you’ve got on hand but I prefer using a sardine or bonito one as it gives a bigger flavour than kelp stock I find. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. In another bowl, mix together the potato starch with a tbs of cold water. You’ll need to give it a quick mix again before using as this will settle whilst you let it stand.

In a large frying pan or wok, heat some oil. When hot, add the garlic, pancetta cube and red onions. Sauté. Then add the negi/spring onions, mushrooms and prawns.

Add the ankake sauce mixture. When it comes to a boil, add the potato starch mix to thicken the sauce, stirring so that it becomes thicker evenly without bits of jellified starch.

Separate hot cooked rice into two donburi bowls, serve the ankake over it. Garnish with chopped negi/spring onions and sesame seeds. Finally, take a deep breath, savour the gorgeous smell and tuck in!

Beetroot Tortelloni with Wild Mushroom Medley

diva — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:28:00 +0000

When I realize the dishes I’ve been cooking are either starting to look the same every time or just backsliding into the boring (or actually I’m simply having cereal for dinner), I know it’s time to invest in a new cookbook/look into some older ones I’ve forgotten, or go grocery shopping for something good. Take-away is a sorry way out. Avoiding it also makes me feel like a better person, by some odd line of reason. So, grocery shopping was what I did last Friday at Borough Market – where there was lots to drink, taste, ogle at and buy of course. Foodies familiar with Borough Market will know that it’s not simply a fresh produce heaven, it’s also a mushroom heaven. I was so thrilled being able to find a couple of stores selling a wide range of wild and exotic mushrooms; indulging myself, I bought a lovely bag of assorted types – one of my favourites being the oyster mushroom and the king oyster (which my mum uses a lot in Korean cooking actually). I saw a stall selling a range of Japanese shimeiji mushrooms too which would be good for my miso soup. A little pricey but that comes with having to import them I believe.

With mushrooms, it’s always good to have them fresh as once they start to go mucky, it’ll affect the taste. Of course, it starts to look less visually appealing as well. So storing them in a dry part of your fridge is ideal. Make sure you haven’t put them next to anything wet or if you’ve left them in those supermarket plastic boxes with a clingwrap top, make sure no condensation has collected underneath the plastic wrap which could drip onto the mushrooms. This will mean they’ll start to decompose quite quickly in the fridge. You want them dry, smooth and springy to touch.

When I first bought the fresh pasta, I kept calling it ravioli and then tortellini which is a mistake. Ravioli – because I’ve been wanting to get a pasta machine and make giant ravioli filled with all sorts of weird wonderful fillings (like a little goblin, it’s been hiding in the back of my mind so much a lot of the stuff I talk about tends towards ravioli which leaves people around me very puzzled). Tortellini because I never knew there was a difference between tortellini and tortelloni. They both look the same. Apparently the sizes and weight differ, from 2g to 5g respectively and tortellini is more often served with broth and not tortelloni. Did you also know, according to the story behind tortellini/loni, that this lovely pasta was very likely inspired by a woman’s navel? Learn something new every day! The beetroot tortelloni is from La Tua Pasta (website is here) and I found its lovely stall, manned by 2 beautiful European men, next to the Empanadas one. To find it, just leave the Green Market, head to the bit selling all the chocolates and patisseries and then turn left which will bring you out into the open.

There’s another stall selling fresh pasta too but there didn’t seem to be much of a range in my opinion. If you’re feeling very decadent, try the squid ink tortelloni stuffed with cheese and crab meat. It looks positively divine and something very similar to one I tried in Spain (why Spain, I don’t know but it was a very good handmade pasta Italian restaurant) – careful though as it’s £9.50 a pop. So if you do try it, would love to hear from you how it is!

beautiful fresh handmade tortelloni that needs to be eaten within 3 days

This beetroot tortelloni has been stuffed with beetroot, ricotta and grana cheese, nutmeg and bread crumbs. I wanted something a little different from the usual sage and butter combo and so tried out marjoram which goes great with mushrooms. I used red onions as well because of its mildly sweet flavour which worked good with the almost citrusy tanginess of the beetroot. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to taste the mushrooms with the onions and the beetroot but thankfully it worked and I thought this dish was quite delicious. The final touch of butter definitely pulled it altogether.

Mushrooms and butter. Actually, butter to anything is always beautiful. I have a book about things to eat before you die. Can’t remember the author or the title right now. It’s sitting on my bookshelf at home and I can distinctly remember what it looks like but not who wrote it or what it’s called – which is really annoying! Anyhow, the writer visits this famous restaurant and talks about mashed potatoes and what is the secret behind getting it stiff but still creamy and amazing like cement paste. And what does the chef say? There’s no secret. There’s no mashing it up and pushing it through a sieve nonsense. It’s just a lot of butter.

Ah. There you go. Goodbye olive spreads, margarine and I can’t believe it’s not butter! nonsense. Butter’s good.

If you share my love of fresh pasta, mushrooms and real butter, why not try out this recipe? You don’t need specialty pasta just some fresh ingredients and you’ve got a quick and easy meal done.

•••

I’ve decided to submit this post to the food event Beet ‘n’ Squash YOU — a monthly food- fight wherein the stupendous virtues of vegetables are extolled. You all know how much I love my vegetables and how crazed I am about mushrooms. This month, the event hosted on Gourmet Fury, boasts 2 lucky winners who will receive a super cute Winner’s badge and some Gourmet, Wild Dried Mushrooms from Untamed Feast. Totally exciting event! Go round and have a little gander ~ this month’s veggie is MUSHROOMS.

Recipe serves 2.
Beetroot Tortelloni with Wild Mushroom Medley
Ingredients

To prepare the mushrooms, I hear you should gently brush under water them to get rid of dirt and all that. I didn’t have a brush and I’m used to just lightly massaging the mushrooms under the running tap, making sure to get to the gills under the mushrooms. With the chanterells and oysters, simply trim off the ends, wash and dab off excess moisture before frying.

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic, sauté. Add the red onions next and give it a quick stir. Once it starts to soften a little, move to side of pan, add the mushrooms and cook. Stir fry everything for a few minutes then add the marjoram. Season well. Set aside whilst you cook the pasta.

For the pasta, simply cook for 4-5 mins in boiling water. Drain off and pour into the frying pan. Give it a good toss, season a little more if needed. Add the parsley and salted butter. Give it one final toss to mix everything well. Then serve and tuck in.

Spicy Lamb Burgers and an Onion Marmalade with a Kick

diva — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:18:15 +0000

This past week’s been great – I’m very food-involved and there’s much talk about cupcakes which couldn’t make me any happier. There’s even been a cupcakery feature in the latest British VOGUE. Surely there are too many signs?

And then the bestie was in London all week on an audit job so she popped in on Friday night for my homecooked meal before we went out to catch up and unwind over a couple of drinks (we managed to fit in some awesome boogying as well).

After graduating from uni, our crew of friends were like a a bunch of seeds that went dispersing in the air. Some went back to the their hometowns, some went further out to look for jobs, some wandered south-wards (like moi) to continue with their studies, or not. Some stayed put and welcomed the next stage in life with somewhat hesitant and nervously open arms. It may seem like we’ve split ways and gone forward, hopefully a positive step towards our goals in life. The latter I reckon is true but the former, I hope will never happen. Partings can be sad and goodbyes are such bittersweet moments. But again, they are also a chance to say ‘hello’ again. So it’s good. Think positive.

We’re doing the best we can to stay in touch and sometimes, being such a laidback/chilled out bunch can mean there are long periods of time when the only contact we’ve had is the odd text or 2 minute phonecall. But even those moments are great. And whatever chance we get to see each other, we make sure that we have a great time in such a way that we might be said to re-define the phrase ‘quality time’. In the past few weeks, it’s been superb as most of us have done our best, booked our train tickets early, etc. to get down to wherever for a birthday bash, a dinner, a wicked nightout, a quick weekend meet-up. It’ll definitely get harder as everyone’s getting busier with work and it’s very tricky to try and sort something out between everyone’s schedules. Because of that, I’m over the moon when someone comes to visit even for a short while. These moments become all the more precious since they’re so hard to come by.

Since bestie and moi had gone for that ridiculously divine meal at Murano the last time she was down in London (and flippin’ gave myself indigestion because of it, not that I’m complaining – I’d do it all over again even if you added something more injurious to my body to the mix!), it was time for a homecooked meal, with a slight touch of sophistication I say. I’m fortunate to know girls who have hearty appetites and enjoy sitting in front of the telly with a plate of good food, scoff it down unabashedly whilst sipping daintily on a glass of whine. A bit of an oxymoron appearing in that sentence but that’s sorta like what we are. Chilled out, reaal chilled out the two of us, sophisticated (I hope!) with brains to boot, do I dare say with a touch of class and yet always eager to eat food like it should be eaten in real time. Here I am proud to announce two real women in real time! The others I’m sure you’ve either heard of on this blog or I shall, in good time, schedule in their grand entrance.

Yes, real women eat real burgers. Unless pardon me, you’ve special dietary requirements, no offense anyone!

I love sandwiches. I love good bread – especially when baked fresh so it’s crusty warm outside and almost melting buttery soft on the inside. Some good extra virgin olive oil that almost tastes grassy as a dip and some butter on the side, it’s a heavenly combination. And because good bread’s such a luxury, I like homemade burgers in anything but the cheap burger buns you can get in the shops. It jazzes things up a little, makes it look and taste better and surely makes the whole eating experience a lot more exciting?

I chose a seeded bun for this as I’m like a bird, or a squirrel, whichever. I eat loads of seeds and nuts a day. I’m addicted to them things. They make me happy. And looking at the generous sprinkling of seeds on the bun tops, I was well chuffed. I was hoping to get sourdough bread, which is what the Handmade Burger Co. we often visit serves their burgers in and I do love the texture of good sourdough. Unfortunately, my (eeks) last minute trip to the shop came back with nothing and I had to settle with the leftover stuff in the bakery section.

These burgers have a special ingredient. What’s that? Chutney! What kind of chutney? A totally spanking Mr. Vikki’s Tomato & Nigella Chutney I got from the BBC Good Food Show. It flavoured, along with the added spices and fresh coriander, the lamb very nicely and I was a little shocked how good it tasted with just a couple of simple things like that. The lamb burger also retained all it’s moistness so when I squished my bun together with the burger fillings, it oozed out all that juice and caramelized liquer which the bottom bun bread was very eager to absorb. Yum yum. Will definitely make this again and again.

For 2 servings
Spicy Lamb Burgers
Ingredients

Put all the ingredients, except the cheese and lettuce, together in a large bowl. Mix well and then split the mince mixture into two. Form into balls, gently pat down and form the round sides in a burger pattie.

Add some oil to a hot frying pan and cook each side about 4 minutes on medium heat. Serve in a bap, burger bun, ciabatta roll, seeded bun, etc. Top with fillings, onion marmalade and eat!

Onion Marmalade with a Kick
Ingredients

Add oil to a hot pan. Sauté the onions until they are soft and slightly translucent. Add white wine, thyme, chopped chili, salt and pepper. Lower heat and let it cook gently and caramelize for about 45 minutes. You may want to let it caramelize to a stage where it’s a lot wetter and gooey but I like to have the onion pieces still fairly whole and visible.

When cooked to your preference, stir in the balsamic vinegar and honey to taste. Serve on top of your burger.

Cranberry & Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb, with Baked Potato & Vegetables

diva — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:01:25 +0000

My mum has ears like a bat. And I, whenever I’m shopping for clothes, cosmetics, or simply groceries, am always found making verbal wishes: Really want some mussels; Fancy some really good warm bread now with just a little bit of butter; I could do with some king prawns for a paella this weekend; Oh wow, the lamb rack is going pretty cheap now!…I think it’s an annoying habit since I sorta do it unconsciously. But sometimes, it’s a good thing since I’ll in some weird spur of the moment remember the things I lusted after, jot them down in a list and stick it up on a 3M sticky note as my new List of Definite ‘To Buys’. Shit. I’m a materialistic, greedy fatty betty. Cursed for life with this horrible disposition.

It so happened that mum remembered my wish for lamb rack and since I coveted it so much, she bought an Australian rack and another from New Zealand. Both were fresh, looked gorgeously red and juicy. The only difference between the two was the colour of the meat. When cooked, both were to die for. Equally succulent and tender. When mum came home with the beautiful cuts of lamb in her grocery bags, I was overcome with a mix of anticipation and absolute fear. I’m just not good with cooking red meat. It simply isn’t my forte. I don’t eat a lot of red meat but when I do, I love it medium to medium-rare if possible. And to others, it may seem like I’m not cooking it for long enough and that may be likely since I am rather clueless as well with red meats. But they always turn out fairly edible and delicious. Thus far, I’ve never given myself food-poisoning either. So I suppose that’s a good thing, huh. Nevertheless, this time’s different. The pressure is on. Cooking for the family is a stressful affair as my parents are quite picky eaters and mum will not be afraid to point out the areas found totally lacking and unsatisfying. Yep, tough love runs in the family.

I was pretty nervous all day, worrying about how the rack would turn out. I just didn’t want to mess it up and throw about 70 bucks worth of rack into the bin. That would just be awful. I was glad that I had some support from friends on Twitter. Sitting on the stairs (I don’t get no internet connection in the kitchen), nervously documenting the cooking process to friends was simply one of my darker kitchen moments. But thankfully, it all worked out fine. I was little upset that we didn’t have proper carving knives (or at least, the one we had was nowhere to be found) and so most of the crust ended up falling off the lamb as we literally manhandled the rack to split it into individual ribs. Shame. But still delicious. Surprisingly, the honey mustard I used as a marinade and glue to hold the crust gave the lamb a lot of flavour, even if I chose not to marinade it for an hour or so. The meat was extremely tender and succulent. I didn’t think it needed some kind of sauce as I wanted to taste the lamb as it was, thus keeping the dish simple and true to itself.

The crust was seriously, and I really mean like seriously, good. Garlic and cranberry is honestly one of the best combinations of flavours ever. Totally loved the crust. I could eat that shit all day. Munch on it 24/7, giving myself water breaks to wash it down probably. And then carry on. Somehow I’m thinking the crust and sour cream in a jacket potato could be a new heaven for me.

Dinner wasn’t impressive or restaurant quality, but it felt a little bit like Sunday Roast. Just homely and chilled out. And hey, it’s just me cooking, what do you expect? But I was very happy with my success and I think I got the thumbs-up from almost everyone. Definitely a keeper of a recipe. I have a feeling the dogs felt the same. Every time I opened the oven, the dogs went wild. Dashing about in the garden, barking like the apocalypse was near. Absolute pandemonium. My dogs love lamb, which is supposed to be really good for their bones and fur coat, or something like that. We used to feed them mutton bones (for some strange reason) but it got a little bit of a costly expense so obviously, scrapped that habit pretty quickly. Anyhow, the dogs got all the lamb rib bones and some leftover potato skins. They couldn’t have been happier. I think the rest of the family was pretty happy too.

Cranberry & Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
Ingredients

Preheat oven to 220d Celsius.

Combine cranberries, fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, and shallot in a food processor; Pulse. Remove from processor then add breadcrumbs and season well to taste.

To prepare the rack, wrap the rib bones with aluminium foil to prevent charring. Spread honey mustard over lamb and massage in. When it comes to red meat, be prepared to get down and dirty so make sure hands are clean and nails trimmed. Next, pat breadcrumb mixture into mustard marinade on the lamb. Press on any bits that fall off and it should stay on. Drizzle on some olive oil before placing lamb on a broiler pan, meat side up, in the oven to cook.

This should roast for 35-40 minutes for medium-rare to medium. After removing from the oven, leave lamb covered for 10 minutes. Slice rack into chops to serve.

Baked Potatoes or Student-style Jackets
Ingredients

Wash and scrub potatoes, then pat dry with a kitchen towel. WIth a fork, pierce the potatoes all over.

Preheat the oven to 200d Celsius, or you can simply use the already heated oven you’ve got for the lamb rack.

Place in microwave, and on high power, microwave for 4 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and repeat the process for another 4 minutes. You should be able to pierce through the potatoes with a fork with relative ease. If there is a little resistance, microwave for another 2 minutes. Now whack it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, or till the skin has gone nice and crisp and the insides are soft and fluffy when cut through.

Split open down the middle, throw in some butter, sour cream and whatever garnishes you like. Or if you’re going for a student-style jacket, cheese and beans it is!

For Old Times Sake: Chow Mein with Sunny Side Up

diva — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:21:49 +0000

I am looking back into the past but I’m not writing about my life’s greatest hits – the food edition. Well, not really. But a plate of chow mein the way my mum used to make it back in the day with tomato ketchup was certainly a fab lunch treat to come home to after school. You see, in primary school, I had 3 out of 6 years of morning session classes; meaning, I got up well early at 6 in the morning to get to school for 7.20, looked forward to my packed lunch somewhere around 10 and then got saved by the bell at 12.50. Our lunchbreak for me, however, was never enough. Not that my packed lunch wasn’t sufficient. Rather, I was a growing kid who needed plenty of food to grow in both mind and body. So by the time I had gotten home and kicked off my dirty school shoes, I was starving.

I remember I’d sit in front of the TV with a glass of juice waiting for lunch and something like Ninja Turtles or Transformers would be playing on the cartoon channel which made life so much better. Chow mein was one of my favourite lunches. Really tasty, good-looking and quick to make. There was nothing I could fault it for. Another thing was, it was perfect for mum’s refrigerator-cleaning days when all the old stuff had to be cooked or chucked out. Sometimes, leftover meats got thrown into the wok as well and wooohooo. I never complained. We all know leftovers taste great the day after anyway! It’s a fact of life.

We used to visit this family restaurant, Baystreet 21, almost religiously every Sunday. It served a range of local and western dishes. It was always busy. The ambience was nice, the seats were comfy and us little kids loved to bounce around on it so it’d make squishy or farty noises. Year after year, as their clientele grew in size, the restaurant got busier and bigger. The kitchen got noisier and the staff got less friendly. But the food was good, the prices affordable and my dad got along awfully well with the restaurant manager. You could say this was our local ‘diner’. It was a place where families could take their naughty children for a good meal out, have a three course meal at affordable rates in a comfy, homey restaurant. And it was always really fun to watch the parents on the other table struggle with their bratty, spoon-banging children (we were always the most well-behaved ones). One of their memorable dishes, other than the fish & chips, was the chow mein. The first time I ordered it, I was quite blown away by the mammoth portion of noodles which were topped with heck loads of shredded lettuce and a sunny side up. But that plate of chow mein swept me off my feet because of that egg. It was like the whole thing was smiling up at me. Cracking the yolk and having it ooze all over the noodles was a little bit of heaven too.

I’ve had chow mein takeaways since then and my own stir-fry noodles on lazy cooking days. Odd as it sounds, however, the chow mein + sunny side up combo has somehow eluded me. I found myself wanting that little bit of heaven. A simple heaven within easy reach.

I admit this chow mein recipe looks nothing fancy but that’s the beauty of it. It’s nothing fancy. Use whatever you’ve got and it still ends up a pretty voluptuous dish. It’s not as soy sauce-ish, oyster sauce-ish as what you’d normally get at an eatery or takeaway but I love this ketchup-version nonetheless. Chow mein is all about the ethic of using what you’ve got anyway and turning the odd bits into a tasty treat.

This recipe serves 3-4. I don’t use a lot of soy sauce or salt in cooking so you might want to have additional salt (to taste).

Chow Mein with Sunny Side Up
Ingredients

You can use whatever noodles you have at hand. Chinese egg noodles are real nice but I prefer using yakisoba noodles because you can get them in handy packets and I prefer slightly thinner noodles than egg ones.

Soak the noodles in cold water for a minute or two and use your fingers to ruffle through it to separate the strands, think of yourself washing someone’s long hair in a wash basin full of water. Drain away the water then set aside.

In a hot wok over medium heat, heat up some cooking oil and the sesame oil. Add the ginger and onions and sauté. Add the minced chicken and stir fry. Now add the carrots, hang bok cabbage, hsao shing, white pepper and stir fry. Cover the wok with lid, turn the heat to low-medium and let cook for a bit.

In a small bowl, mix together the 2 tbs soy with 1 tbs ketchup. Remove wok lid and add the noodles, chopped spring onions and mixed seasoning. Stir to coat well, making sure the noodles are completely cooked through. When done, serve hot with sunny side up on top. Garnish with shichimi tōgarashi if you like.

For the eggs:
In an egg pan or frying pan over medium heat, add some butter. When the butter is hot enough, crack the egg onto the pan and lower heat.

The egg will start cooking rather quick so be careful. Cover the pan with a lid for 2-3 minutes whilst the egg cooks over low heat. Check on it to make sure the edges don’t get too brown and crisp. If it does remove from heat and shake the pan to loosen the egg from the pan. To get the top nicely cooked, baste the top of the egg with the melted butter in the pan.

When done, all the whites should have cooked through and firmed up. The top of the yolk should be a matte colour, without its uncooked glistening sheen, and warm to touch.

Serve on top of your chow mein.

Be Special: Tuna, Apple & Raisin Curry

diva — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:08:38 +0000

I have a disease and it’s not curable. And when it worsens, my financial health goes plummeting as well. This sticky situation one may be familiar with and call it the Shoppers’ Syndrome. I believe the release of the film ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ is an overt sign from the heavens to me. In other words, flippin’ sort my life out. Cut up all credit cards, debit cards, throw away VIP shoppers accounts, leave your Kate Spade wallet at home, ban yourself from getting on the train into town, ignore magazine adverts (this is going to be hard since my language paper focuses on beauty adverts) and so forth. Generally, practice self-restraint!

What a bummer.

Just when I was having fun, I now have to be very careful with my awful spending habits. And therefore, cooking becomes a little more exciting too. The task of the month? 1) Using ingredients to the max, i.e. cooking dishes that can last me forever. Right, I do exaggerate. But last me long enough so that I can delay the next trip to the supermarket. 2) Cooking dishes that I can keep for the next day. Given, I am a lazy arse. But this time that isn’t my excuse. Staying in the library working on my paper for 7 hours straight can really take it out of me. Living away from my parents, specifically from my mum, makes me miss home-cooking very much. Makes me miss coming back to mum’s dinner and eating with the rest of the family. A little tired, a little dizzy, cooking dinner for 1 is something I’m starting to feel a little restless and annoyed about. So it’s an easy way out when I can take out a pre-prepared meal (by myself, not by Tesco’s or Sainsbury’s or M&S), whack it in the microwave or oven and then tuck in.

Pre-prepared meals, especially if storebought, are usually rather boring. And in my dictionary of cooking/food, dishes can be as quirky, weird, special, and most importantly as fun as possible. This curry was created in a rather haphazard way, the process sort of like a try and error. A little special, not very aesthetically appealing. Very different from the usual Chicken Korma, Lamb Jalfrezi, etc. However, this was tasty as! And with the spices, it kept me nice and warm in front of the telly for Comic Relief, warming me-self well and good.

From now on, when I’m feeling a little dead inside, a little in need of comfort food, my advise? Eat curry!

What sort of curry? Get creative. Be special.

This makes about 2 large servings.

Tuna, Apple & Raisin Curry
Ingredients

Heat some oil in a deep pan or wok. Add the onions and sauté. Now add the apples and sauté. Add the paprika and cumin and fry. Add the tuna followed by the balti curry paste and cook for about a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, water and ground cinnamon, turning the heat down and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste curry a little in between the cooking process and should it need more spices, add a little by little to taste.

Serve with naan bread or rice. If kept til the next day, I suggest frying this with rice for an amazing curry fried rice!

Cold Matcha Udon with Sweet Sesame Spinach and Bonito Flakes

diva — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:40:24 +0000

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day, a little on the chilly side but sunny nonetheless. But let me sidetrack: this is what England does to you. It leads you on, luring you with the advent of Spring with good days randomly bestowed upon us, deceiving you with the popping up of daisies and spring flowers. And whilst we, ignorant sub-lunary beings, soak ourselves in this induced state of temporal bliss, warm and shivery at the same time – as you are in a just-prepared scented bath – a change of day rips away the cloak of illusion from our eyes so we only see grey and pissy rain before us. Just for added luck, they bash us down with a full minute of hippie hail.

Yep. That is what happened today. Thinking it might be all lovely and a little warmer than usual, I planned a summery meal – bukkake udon for my Sunday lunch. A cold, refreshing udon meal with what humble (really, I just mean lacking) ingredients I have was the general plan. All that was thrown on the cold English cobblestone and then crushed to unrecognizable bits under the feet of faceless hurrying city inhabitants. Gutted. Nevertheless, stubborn as I am, I went ahead with the day’s meal plan and made it anyway. Placed it in tupperware boxes and left it to cool in the fridge. And instead of the fantasy I’d created in my head – eating a bowl of cold udon in a tank top, scruffy bottoms and flip flops, I regret to say I faced reality and sat next to the radiator, clothed in multiple layers, as I slurped up my noodles and felt my gum nerves and sensitive teeth cringe a little from the cold sauce.

Nevermind this sad image I’ve created, I was quite happy to whip this up with what leftover rotting ingredients I had available. And although this is quite a non-authentic Japanese dish (please forgive me, the purists out there), I adore my Mum’s Sweet Sesame Spinach which she makes as a side dish to accompany grilled fish and couldn’t see why I would deny myself the joy of combining two yummy dishes together.

If anyone is wondering about the type of udon I’ve used, let me just say that fear not, I didn’t confuse green fettuccini or soba with my udon. Udon come in different thickness and flatness/roundness depending on which region it originates from (correct me if I’m wrong) and these matcha udon I have are of the inaniwa kind from the Akita prefecture. Hence, it’s thin and flat appearance; it is often deemed one of the highest quality udon of the country. Also, as opposed to regular fat and round udon, this udon stayed firm and al dente all through. They are, I should say, quite elastic. When running and rubbing between my hands in cold water, it was very easy to handle and not overly starchy so there wasn’t much of a need to run under cold water for long (to get rid of excess starch, remain its bite and not let it go mushy). You find this type of udon dry in packets so it’s pretty easy in terms of storage. For more information on inaniwa udon, try here.

I was a little anxious about what I could pair matcha udon with. Initially, this was supposed to go into a pudding. I was thinking matcha udon in a custard cream dipping sauce topped with adzuki bean paste but I’m a little worried about that. What do you reckon? Any ideas? Once I’ve decided, I’ll get the ingredients and experiment asap as I once saw someone serve chocolate spaghetti as a pudding and that really intrigued me. I love this matcha udon, however, and it’s going to become a staple ingredient in my pantry cupboard. The taste was very similar to chasoba. And the perfume of matcha is just heavenly, upon opening the packet. I can still smell it on my hands, even now.

This recipe is good for 1. I highly recommend doubling the recipe and keeping the other serving in the fridge for dinner or a midnight snack. So easy to make, store and eat!

Cold Matcha Udon with Sweet Sesame Spinach and Bonito Flakes
Ingredients

To make the cold sauce, boil 200ml of water. Remove from heat. Add the rest of the ingredients, and leave to cool. Once it is cool, keep in a container and leave in the fridge til needed.

To cook the udon, bring some water to boil in a saucepan. Then add the udon and cook for 4 minutes (or depending on what it says on your udon packet). Drain away the hot water once cooked, run under cold water. As you drain, use your hands to lift and rub the udon (kind of like how you would wash a little boy’s head of hair). I leave the udon in cold water to cool then drain, place in a tupperware container with a little water in the fridge til needed.

To prepare the spinach, first toast the sesame seeds in a non-oiled greaseproof frying pan. Place in a mortal and pestle and lightly crush them. Be careful not to over-crush which would result in the release of oils of the seeds turning it into a paste. Add half a tsp of sugar to the sesame seeds and mix.
In a frying pan, heat the sesame oil. Fry the spinach until they just began to wilt and are coated in the oil. Add the rest of the brown sugar and toss. Remove from heat and add the sesame seed sugar mixture to the spinach. Mix through, making sure that it is evenly coated with the sesame seeds.

When ready to serve, drain whatever excess water from the udon and place in a deep bowl. Bukkake udon usually means pouring the sauce over the topping and udon. However, I didn’t want the sesame seeds to run. I’ve poured the sauce over the udon instead then topped it with the sweet sesame spinach and a pinch of bonito flakes after.