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SPICY CHICKEN STIR-FRY

by siow on in Poultry, RECIPES

Spicy chicken is a great way to heat up your taste buds. It’s simple and a very delicious dish to share with your family. By enhancing the flavour with coconut oil and coconut flour you can have a healthy stir-fry to boast about. This recipe is inspired by the famous recipe kung pao chicken.

SPICY CHICKEN 

Prep-Time: 10 mins                   Serve: 4

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

1 chicken breast, chopped into pieces

1 bunch asparagus, chopped

1/2 red capsicum, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

100g green beans, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp graded ginger

10 dried chilies

1/4 cup soy sauce (GF)

3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

3 tbsp water

1 tsp brown sugar

oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp ginger powder

1/4 tsp paprika powder

Pepper

Method

In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, 1/4 tsp salt, paprika, pepper and ginger powder. Stir well to mix the dry ingredients. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour.

Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat, brown the floured chicken on all sides. Transfer on to a plate and set aside.

     

Wipe down the pan with paper towels. Using the pan again, turn the heat to medium high and add in 5 tbsp of oil. Once the pan is heated, add in ginger, garlic and onion and the stir to cook until the garlic becomes fragrant and the onion starts to soften but not yet browned. Add in the chilies and cook for 2 minutes. Now season with soy sauce, water, wine, sugar and salt and then stir to mix and allow the salt and sugar to dissolve for 1 minute.

     

Add in all the vegetables and constantly stir for 5 minutes to thoroughly cook the vegetables but not softening them. Make a circle in the middle of the pan and then pour the cooked chicken pieces into the centre. Stir the mixture until all of the chicken is well soaked in the sauce and cook the chicken through for at least another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve with steamed rice.

     

 

KALE DIP

by siow on in Dips, RECIPES, Veggies

One thing I have learned to love is dips and that applies to all dips. I remember visiting my family friend’s house when I was younger and I was served a pesto dip and as usual mum wanted to get the recipe, I then learned how to make pesto from them – my first dip.

We always have a healthy lifestyle but I went a bit overboard a few years ago and got a bit crazy with eating raw foods and came up with several different dip recipes. This recipe is one of them and you won’t regret making it 😀 I see this as a snack or for entertainment, it’s so simple to make and much loved. You probably won’t get a store bought one ever again.

Note: if the dip is still thick add more oil until you feel it’s the right texture; not too oily and not too dry; however keep in mind if you add too much oil it will get very runny and change the flavour.

KALE DIP

Prep-Time: 10 mins

Serve: 10-15

Ingredients 

1 kale bunch, leaves

1 cup almonds

2 cloves garlic

1/2 lemon, juice

1/4 cup almond oil

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Pinch salt

Method

Finely ground the almond in a blender and then transfer into a mixing bowl, set a side.

Place the rest of the ingredients into the same blender and blend the mixture until smooth, stir with a spatular occasionally between blending cycles. Once the mixture is smooth, transfer the nuts in to the mixing bowl and fold the ingredients together until smooth and no lumps of grounded nuts remain. Add more oil if the mixture is a bit dry; Add in more lemon if the dip is still too bitter.

     

 

BLACK SOY PRAWNS STIR-FRY NOODLES

by siow on in RECIPES, Seafood

Black soy prawns is an inspiration from a Chinese stir-fry noodles dish I made using soy/black soy sauce as a seasoning to produce a soy sauce stain colour on the noodles. To balance the salty flavour from the black soy sauce a little amount of sugar is added. The chillies help to reduce the fishiness smell of the prawns while also improving the taste of the stir-fry sauce.

Utilising most of the classic seasoning ingredients used in Chinese stir-fry recipes, the addition of a change of meat and the use of pasta in this dish rather than the usual noodles bought from Asian super markets, I’ve created a uniquely flavoured dish using common ingredients that are available in most peoples’ fridge.

 

BLACK SOY PRAWNS STIR-FRY NOODLES

Prep-Time: 15 mins                   Serve: 2

Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

Egg noodles/egg pasta for 2 servings

1 bunch broccolini/ 1/2 broccoli, chopped

3 kale, leaves only

150g prawns, peel

1 tbsp graded ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

10 dried chillies (optional)

1 1/2 tbsp black soy

1 tbsp crush cashew

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

3 tbsp water

4 tbsp oil

Method

Bring the water to boil in a pot over high heat, cook the noodles in the pot as instructed and the drain and rinse with cold water and then set a side to drain further.

Heat the oil in a pan over high heat, add in the garlic and ginger once the oil is heated and then stir to cook until the ginger and garlic starts to fragrant. Toss in the dried chillies and then cook for 1 minute. Add in the black soy sauce, water, sugar and salt and stir for 2 minutes.

     

Add in the vegetables and cook the vegetables for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables become half cooked and then add in the prawns. Stir to mix and cook the prawns for 2 minutes or until the prawns start to turn orange. Add in the cooked noodles and stir until the noodles are evenly coated in black soy sauce seasoning. Remove from heat and then transfer onto a serving bowl. Sprinkle crushed cashews on top and then serve.

     

 

 

EGGPLANT OMELETTE

by siow on in Egg base, RECIPES, Veggies

In Asia, omelettes are served at different meal times depending on the ingredients used in the omelettes. The basic omelette that only includes eggs and seasonings is mainly served at breakfast with plain congee/rice porridge, where other types of omelette that use different vegetables and seasoning are served at lunch or dinner with steamed rice. The omelettes that are served for lunch and/or dinner often have one single type of vegetable as a key ingredient which gives the omelette its own distinct flavour according to the type of vegetable used.

The Asian method of making an omelette involves mixing all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and leaving it to season for a few minutes before placing the whole thing in heated oil.

This omelette is very unique, it’s Cambodian but also a national recipe because it was created by my mum and passed down through my family and her maid who shared the recipe with her family and others and so. Compared to most Asian/Cambodian omelettes, this recipe may be a bit more complex and has more ingredients. The method used to cook it is the same as always, however it may take longer due to the eggplant.

Note: To obtain the thickness and value when making an omelette it is best to stir the mixture slowly after the mixture is poured into the hot pan instead of just letting sit there to cook. 

Cook the omelette on medium heat to prevent uneven cooking of the vegetables and to stop it been burnt on the outside. To prevent your omelette from getting to dry be ready to remove it from the heat once the vegetables are cooked. 

EGGPLANT OMELETTE

Ingredients

1 black beauty eggplant, sliced

5 Thai chillies, chopped

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp finely grounded pepper

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp stock powder

5 eggs

5 tbsp oil

Method 

Soak the sliced eggplant in water with 1 tsp salt for 15 minutes. After this, wash the eggplant for 5-10 minutes until well drained.

Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl for 2 minutes, add in the rest of the ingredients besides the oil. Stir with a spoon until all of the ingredients are separated and well combined.

       

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, pour in the mixture once the oil is nicely heated and then cover with a lid and leave it to slowly cook for 5 minutes or until golden at the bottom. Divide the omelette into 4 and then flip each quarter over, continue to slow cook it with a lid on for another 5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked enough that they are no longer runny when lifted. Transfer on to a serving plate and serve with rice.

              

 

CHORIZO PAELLA

by siow on in Pork, RECIPES

Paella a beautiful traditional Spanish dish made mainly from rice. The dish is not that much different from risotto besides the region they are from (Paella- Spain, Risotto-Italy). There are many types of paella out there and different varieties of rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, Bahai, Bomba..etc) may be used in the dish but adding saffron is a must to obtain the yellowish / turmeric like colour that paella is known for.

Cooking paella is slightly dissimilar to risotto and to get the right texture and flavour for the dish the rice is roasted in olive oil with onion or tomato before adding the broth/water. While cooking you won’t need to stir it as often as when making risotto which is to prevent the rice from breaking down to much and becoming sticky like risotto.

Note: to obtain the right texture for the dish it is important to keep in mind that it doesn’t need to be stirred too often and keep an eye on the level of stickiness. 

To obtain the right toasty flavour, the rice needs to be toasted in olive oil with onion or tomato before having any liquid added. 

CHORIZO PAELLA

Prep-Time: 10 mins             Serve: 5

Cooking Time: 45 mins

Ingredients 

3 chorizo, sliced

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cup Arborio rice

1/4 tsp Saffron powder

3/4 cup peas

3 1/2 cups water/ stock

1/2 red capsicum, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium high heat, add in the onion and cook until it turns white and is cooked through. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add in the rice, roast the rice in oil for 3 minutes and then add in the chorizo and saffron and cook until the fat starts to run.

     

Add in 1/3 of the water/stock and allow it to boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and leave it to simmer for 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces. Add in the capsicum and consequently add in the rest of the water and cook until the rice has softened. Add in more water as necessary.

Add in the peas and cook for further 3 minutes. Sprinkle the parsley on top and then stir to mix and ready to serve.

 

TURKISH SPINACH

by siow on in RECIPES, Veggies

We all know that Turkish food is amazing and very unique in its own way. Just think of the first time you had a kebab! I enjoy making and eating food from many different cultures. I love to be inspired by friends from all walks of life that I meet along my food journey. It’s been a year since we were introduced to some mutual turkish friends and this year before having a catch up with them my partner had this dish in mind which they strongly suggested to him a long time before. Catching up with them again reignited our interest in turkish cuisine and this dush was a great way to experience their culture first hand. My partner had quite a conversation with them about this dish and wouldn’t let it go until I made it and I’m glad I did. They gave us some advice for the recipe that it tastes better when you add more lemon and garlic to the recipe; better than we expected it tasted amazing and the garlic yogurt sauce goes so well with it.

Prep-Time: 10 mins             Serve: 4

Cooking Time: 35 mins

Ingredients 

2 bunch spinach

1/2 cup rice

1 cup water

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp paprika

3 garlic cloves

1 onion, chopped

1 lemon juice

4 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

garlic yogurt 

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 tbsp plain yogurt

Salt to taste

Method

Wash the spinach well in clean water to get rid of the sand and dirt that can come along with it. The way I do this is by washing them in a kitchen bucket and then changing the water another 2 times with clean water, this will take 5-7 minutes. Leave to drain and then cut into small pieces.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat, add in the onion and then cook for 3 minutes or until onion starts to soften. Add in the garlic followed by tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes start to soften.

Stir in the rice, water and lemon juice – leave it to simmer for 10-20 minutes or until the rice starts to cook but not cooked all the way through. Add the spinach in to the pan in batches and then stir to combine with the rest of the ingredients. Leave it to cook for a further 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked through (soft). Season with salt and pepper to taste (if you want it to dry out cover with a lid, or just add more water if the rice isn’t cooked yet). Remove from heat and set aside.

Garlic yogurt :- Combine the garlic, salt and yogurt in a bowl, mix well with a spoon a set aside.

Transfer the turkish spinach on to a serving plate and then top the dish with a tablespoon of garlic yogurt. Enjoy!

 

CHICKEN BALLS

by siow on in Poultry, RECIPES

Chicken balls or chicken nuggets for most people have a unique and beautiful flavour depending on the way you make them. They are often eaten as snacks or for kids with sauces such as mayo, chilli sauce etc …however it’s different where I come from, every meat or vegetable dish is eaten with rice and Asian sauces mainly made from chilli, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce which tastes sweet and sour.

The recipe I am sharing today is a Cambodian version of chicken nuggets (it’s not really nuggets but from the way it looks you may call it that) the way my mum used to make this dish is with batter and then deep frying them. Deep frying isn’t a healthy way of making anything, but I won’t be placing them in the oven like I normally would because I still want the flavour from the frying so I do a shallow fry instead. Deep frying/shallow frying once in awhile doesn’t hurt.

The way my mum normally serves the dish is with a sauce, a vegetables dish and rice. Since dad is Aussie he always used mayo instead of the traditional sweet and sour sauce so feel free to serve this dish as an entree or however you prefer.

CHICKEN BALLS

Prep-Time: 10 mins                       Serve: 4-6

Cooking Time: 6 mins

Ingredients 

500g chicken mince

4 cloves garlic, mince

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp stock powder

5ml sunflower oil for shallow fry

batter 

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ginger powder

sauce 

5 thai chillies, red ones preferred

2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 – 2 lime juice

3 tbsp boiled water

3 cloves garlic, optional

(I don’t use garlic in this recipe but the originally recipe for the sauce does use it)

Method 

make the sauce: in a mortar and pestle/blender ground the chillies and garlic, once it’s nicely grounded add in the rest of the ingredients and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Taste to make sure it has a balanced flavour of saltiness, sweetness and sourness (most people in Cambodia like it sweet). Set a side.

Make the batter by adding all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl, whisk until smooth so that there are no lumps remain and set aside .

making the chicken balls: combine all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl, nead the ingredients until well combined and leave to set for 5-15 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan over high heat.

Scoop out a tablespoon of the mince and make into a ball, dunk it into the batter and then remove and shake off the excess batter. Place into the oil once it’s perfectly hot. To test that it’s ready by placing a battered chicken ball half way in the oil, if you hear it sizzle and the oil starts to bubble it means the oil is hot enough. If that doesn’t happen you will need to wait until it get hotter to prevent the risk of cooking your chicken balls in cold oil which will cause it to be soggy.

Cook the chicken balls for 1-2 minutes or until all parts turn golden. Remove from the oil and leave to drain on a paper towel. Transfer onto a serving plate and serve with the sauce.

 

APPLE SHORTBREAD/CAKE

by siow on in RECIPES, Sweet/Desert

If you’ve tried my dessert recipe you would know by now that I’m not a sweet tooth so when making sweets I tend to use less sugar or substitute sugar with honey. I just happen to be different from my families and friends. The two sweets that I actually enjoy eating are Australian shortbread and Anzac biscuits. Dad used to make shortbread for my mum’s side of the family every christmas and they loved it.

Besides Cambodian sweets, short bread was the first western sweet I learned how to make. Although my cravings for sweets have reduced more and more over the years I still wanted to add more flavour to this simple short bread recipe and reduce the dependence on sugar to make this happen so I added a natural sweetener instead.

I started by topping the shortbread with homemade apple puree and then baked it in the oven. What happened was that the topping dried out and the inside flavour didn’t really change. I had another go at making it and this recipe is the result of my experiment. I’m actually very pleased with how it turned out because the shortbread has become moist and somewhat like a cake. I love the golden apple pure on the top which gives the shortbread even more flavour.

Note: it doesn’t necessarily need to be apple, it can be any of your favourite fruits or fruits that are in season. Either way the puree will help keep the shortbread moist. 

Use drinking water to make the puree and not tap water. 

APPLE SHORTBREAD

Prep-Time: 15 mins                           Serve: 6

Cooking Time: 40 mins

Ingredients 

2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

250g unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces

apple puree

4 apples, peel and chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp raw honey

1/4 cup water

Method 

To make the puree: place the apples and the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan, cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes or until the apples are cooked and softened. If the apples haven’t softened and the water has reduced add in a bit more water and cook further until they do. Remove from the pan and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Place the cooked apples in a blender and blend into a puree, set aside.

     

Preheat oven at 200°C Fan Force. Grease the tray with butter and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt and baking powder. Then sift the flour and add it to the mixing bowl as well. Mix the ingredients with a spoon until well combined and the  sugar is evenly spread out. Add in the butter and then continue to stir until the mixture has become very smooth. Now add in 1/4 of the puree and continue to mix again to combine.

            

Transfer into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the top layer turns golden. Remove from the oven after 30 minutes and then pour the apple puree onto the shortbread, spread evenly with a spatular. Now return the shortbread back to the oven and bake for further 5-10 minutes or until the apple puree changes its colour. Remove from oven and leave it to cool for a bit before serving.

     

 

STUFFED EGGPLANT

by siow on in Meat, Pork, RECIPES

Are you an eggplant lover? If you are you’ve come to the right page. This recipe is from mum and you know mum’s recipes are the best. This simple stuffed eggplant recipe brings you the taste of Asia/Cambodia it’s so good and very appealing. The traditional way of cooking eggplant in this dish is by deep frying it, but we know that deep frying is very unhealthy and a lot of oil is required. Deep frying eggplant can also be hazardous because eggplant contains a lot of liquid and when it is shallow/deep fried in a lot of oil it will spit including the gigantic spit (a foot out of the pot)(very messy and not fun at all). Plus why deep fry the eggplant when you have an oven at home. The stuffing is made from very basic ingredients, the main ingredient is pork mince seasoned with simple seasoning salt, sugar, stock powder and fish sauce.

From my observations, Cambodians don’t use much shallots in their cooking, only a few dishes include shallots and this recipe is one and is a must. The shallots and garlic help to enhance the favour and fragrance of the dish therefore without them it will taste different.

Note: use which ever eggplant is available in your local market. This time I managed to find the type of eggplant that is traditionally used in Cambodia but when they aren’t around I often use black beauty eggplant. They are big so I recommend finding smaller sized eggplants as they take lesser time to cook and taste better. 

You are welcome to grill the eggplant in aluminium foil on the grill or cook them in the oven the way I do it. 

STUFFED EGGPLANTS

Prep-Time: 15 mins                         Serve: 4

Cooking Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

3 medium sized eggplant, long thin ones preferred

250g pork mince

3 spring onion, chopped

2 shallot, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp stock powder

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tbsp fish sauce

1 egg

4 tbsp oil

Method 

Preheat oven at 200°C Fan Force

Make a cut 3/4 the length of the eggplants, pour the oil into the cut and then rub the outside of the eggplants with extra oil. Wrap each eggplant in aluminium foil and place on to a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the eggplants have softened and are cooked through.

            

      

Making the stuffing: heat oil in a wok over medium high heat, add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Toss in the pork mince and all of the seasoning, stir to separate into pieces. Continuously stir the mince for 3-5 minutes or until the excess liquid reduces.

Toss in the shallots and half of the spring onion and then cook for 2 minutes. Crack the egg into the mixture and stir occasionally until evenly distributed. Continue to cook until no more excess liquid remains, remove from the heat.

Transfer the cooked mince and stuff it into the cut you made on the eggplants. Sprinkle with the rest of the spring onion on top and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

VEAL PICCATA

by siow on in Beef, Meat, RECIPES

There’s nothing better than veal served on mash with a drizzle of a beautiful sauce made with wine, it’s so European and just so tasty. I’ve been crazy when it comes to cooking with wine these days, especially when we have bottles and bottles of white wine we don’t drink sitting there on the wine rack. This is another delicious dish with a sauce made with wine and sliced lemon, it may look hard and time consuming but it’s so quick you might even be surprised. This recipe is one of those you probably have in a restaurant and wonder how it’s made. You can impress anyone with this recipe and have them think you spend so much time cooking it. Give it a go and I guarantee you won’t regret it.

Note: just like any piece of steak you eat you might like it rare or medium rare. When it comes to this dish it might be a bit difficult to cook the meat rare. However cooking the fillets medium rare meat is achievable by adjusting the pan heat to one temperature setting higher than what you would normally use to cook it on a shorter cooking timeframe. This also depends on how thick the fillets are. 

When cooking meat that has been dredged in flour I highly recommend using a non-stick pan to prevent the flour from sticking to the pan while cooking and subsequently getting removed from the meat. From experience it will make the cooked steak less appealing and changes the flavour. 

VEAL 

Prep-Time: 5 mins          Serve: 2

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 veal fillets

1 lemon, sliced

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 bottle white wine

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp capers

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Salt and Pepper

3 tbsp butter

3 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup plain flour

Method 

Season the veal fillets with salt and pepper on both sides, dredge the fillets in flour and shake off the excess. In a pan, heat the oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium high heat. Once the oil is nice and hot place the dredge veal fillets into the pan facing away from you. Cook the veal for 2 minutes on each side until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

      

Pour in the wine and water then cook for 3 minutes to get rid of the alcohol content and allow the wine to reduce. Add in the lemon and cook for further 2 minutes. Now add in the rest of the butter, chopped parsley, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave to cook for 7 minutes or until the sauce reduces down by half.

     

Add in capers and return the veal into the pan, stir to coat in the sauce for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Transfer the veal onto serving plates, top with the sauce and serve straight away with mash or a couscous dish.