Italian Roast Chicken with Vegetables

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As you all know, I have gone MIA for a while and have hardly had the time to cook and am now trying to get back into experimenting new stuff again. Anyway, I came across this recipe and thought I should just give it a shot since it didn't look very complicating and seemed pretty healthy as well.
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Anyway, it turned out well and tasted really yummy. Hubby felt that the chicken was a bit bland because I didn't marinate it....well, first the recipe didn't require marinating and secondly, sometimes having it a little bland is good for the health. Moreover, the juice from the roasting was tasty enough for me.
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Here's the recipe.....
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Ingredients: -
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- 4 chicken breast fillets
- 4 thin slices rindless turkey bacon (I used beef bacon as it's not easy to find turkey bacon)
- 500g cherry tomatoes
- 2 medium (400g) red capsicums, cut into thick strips
- 250g baby potatoes, thinly sliced (you may use regular potatoes)
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced or diced
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
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1. Preheat oven to 240 degrees/220 degrees Celsius; fan forced
2. Wrap each chicken breast with a piece of bacon. If the chicken fillet is too large, you can always slice them to smaller fillets
3. Combine tomatoes, capsicum, potatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large, shallow baking dish; mix well.
4.Push the vegetables to the sides of the baking dish and place chicken in the centre dish, turn to coat in the oil from the dish
5. Bake, uncovered for about 20 minutes.
6. Turn the chicken from the bottom, facing the top and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Add parsley to vegetables.
8. Serve.
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Voila!!!! A delicious simple meal. You may want to make some soup to go along with this dish.....
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Home Made Beef Burger Patties

Hubby and I love burgers and we only get to eat them if we buy them or have them at restaurants. Sometimes, just for a quick fix, we'll just get the typical 'Ramli' burger which is a famously sold at almost every nook & corner in the country.

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Then, I came across this recipe of home made burger patties and thought....this would be much healthier and a nice change for dinner.

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So, here's the recipe that I wanted to share. My apologies for not updating anyting lately as life been really hectic for me for the last month or so......

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Ingredients:-

- 500g lean mince beef

- 1 cup breadcrumbs

- 1 onion, chopped finely

- 2 tbsps chopped parsley

- 1 egg yolk

- 2 tbsps smoked hickory BBQ sauce

- 1 tsp fine salt

- 2 tsps grated black pepper

- 1 tbsp oil

- burger buns to serve

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1. In a large bowl, combine beef, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, egg yolk, BBQ sauce and salt & pepper. Mix well and shape into patties.

2. Heat oil in a Grill Frypan over a medium-high fire.

3. Grill burgers for 4 mins on side or until cooked.

4. Serve hot with burger buns.

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You made add it with some fries on the side. I also added to the burger bacon slice with lettuce and tomato slices and believe me; it tasted really yummy!!!!

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Enjoy........

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Steam Savoury Egg Custard with Mince Meat

A dish I made this evening for dinner. A simple dish to make and always taste yummy.

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You may not want to add the fried garlic onto the egg custard if you're not much of a garlic fan. My hubby doesn't like it with garlic. So, this is aboslutely an optional choice for you.

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Here's the recipe.....

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Ingredients:-
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsps of minced meat (marinated with 1 tsp of concentrated chicken stock, a dash of pepper and 1 tsp of sesame seed oil)
- 200ml water
- Salt and pepper
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Topping:-
- 2 tbsps oil
- 2 tbsps chopped garlic
- 50ml water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsps soy sauce
- 2 tbsps sliced spring onions
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1) In a heatproof dish, beat the eggs with water, salt, pepper and minced meat until thoroughly mixed.
2) Prepare a wok / steamer for steaming
3) Bring water to boil, then turn down the flame to low
4) Steam the dish for 10-15 mins, or until eggs are set
5) Heat oil in a pan and add in chopped garlic to brown lightly.
6) Sprinkle the browned garlic on to the custard.
7) Then add soy sauce, water and sugar to the oil which is still in the pan
8) Bring to boil and pour over the custard.
9) Garnish with sliced spring onion.
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Ta da!!!!!

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Penne Pasta with Creamy Meat Sauce

I got hold of this recipe and decided to give it a shot. Turned out pretty well. It's more of a dry recipe and does not have much gravy. So, if you are a gravy person, this is not for you.....
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This dish serves 4.
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Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 medium carrot, shredded
- 1 rib celery, finely chopped
- 8 ounces ground beef (240g)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1 2/3 cups milk, divided
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried leaf oregano, crumbled
- 12 oz penne pasta (340g)
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
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1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened.
2. Stir in shredded carrot, chopped celery, and 1/4 cup water; cook until vegetables are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes longer.
3. Stir in ground beef and cook until browned, about 4 minutes.
4. Add wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in tomato paste, 2/3 cup of milk, salt, pepper and oregano, reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the milk has been absorbed.
6. Continue cooking until the sauce is thickened, gradually adding the remaining 1 cup of milk.
7. Cook until all has been absorbed, about 20 minutes longer.
8. Meanwhile, cook penne pasta in a large pot of boiling water until just tender; drain well.
9. Transfer sauce to a large serving bowl. Add the penne pasta and Parmesan cheese; toss penne pasta gently.
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Ta da!!! Not a difficult dish to prepare.....
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Enjoy.....
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Chicken ala King

I have always love this dish since a child and I was really glad to get my hands on this recipe. You have no idea my anticipation the whole day of eating Chicken ala King!!! And the best part is that it is not a difficult recipe to follow.......it serves about 6.

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For 9 years, hubby has always been watching me eat Chicken ala King at The Ship. Everytime I go there, I will always order the same dish and nothing else. This was the first time hubby tried my Chicken ala King and he liked it....

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Ingredients:
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups white sauce, recipe link below
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried leaf tarragon
- pinch ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups diced cooked chicken

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1. In a saucepan sauté mushrooms and red and green bell pepper in the butter for 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Add white sauce, sherry, tarragon, cayenne and salt and pepper.

3. Bring just to the boiling point, stirring constantly.

4. Whisk egg yolks with cream and quickly stir into the sauce.

5. Add the chicken and heat through; do not boil.

6. Serve chicken a la king over butter rice, toast, or pastry shells.

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Do give it a shot if you love creamy stuff. It is not for everybody.....

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White Sauce

This is a savoury sauce and it is used for my next recipe; Chicken ala King.
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Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- salt
- white or black pepper
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1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir in flour.
2. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Do not brown.
3. Gradually stir in milk and continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to thicken.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
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The above makes 1 cup of white sauce.
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Cheesy Spaghetti Carbonara

Some time back, hubby got hold of this recipe and gave it a shot. Most of the time, people will just go ahead; buy the prepared sauce and just add the necessary meat into it. We decided to make it from scratch and we're happy to say that the results turned out well. Only thing is that you need to eat it immediately once it's cooked because when it is cold, the cheese and cream will harden slightly thus making the noodle a bit lumpy. You may add a little milk or water to smoothen things a bit.

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The reason I call it cheesy carbonara is because it really is and there are many types of carbonaras.....the dry one like this one and the ones with more gravy. Another time, hubby will give the other type of carbonara a shot.

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On another note, when you fry the bacon, please DO NOT add any oil as the bacon will release its natural oil. Just ensure that the pot is hot and when you add the olive oil, just add a few drops.

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Anyway, here's the recipe......

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Ingredients: -
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 cups of whipping cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 500g bacon cut in small pieces
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 750g spaghetti or whatever pasta that you would prefer

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1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Fry bacon with medium heat until most of the heat is released but before it becomes crispy. (Make sure you use a large pot as you will need to add the pasta into later)
3. Add wine and oregano. Reduce the wine at medium to low heat
4. Add onion and garlic to bacon and saute for about 10-15 mins. Add olive oil for the last few minutes.
5. About half way through of Step 4, begin to boil the spaghetti. When the spaghetti is ready, mix into the bacon.
6. Mix in the cream mixture, one half at the time.

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Voila.....you have a homemade spaghetti carbonara, made from scratch and it's yummy. Healthy and yummy....

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A you can see, my little one is attacking her pasta with relish!!!!

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Chicken & Corn Soup

I used to think that Corn Soup was really a bit weird. It sounded weird to me. The only corn I ever had were those steamed ones, corn on cob and even corn in the cup but never corn soup until a few years back when my mom made it during the Chinese New Year reunion dinner. It would have been absolutely rude not to drink them. Heheheehehe......and surprisingly, it was really pleasing to the taste buds.
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And somehow or rather I managed to come across this recipe in one of my recipe books and gave it shot and well, I no longer find corn soup weird. Hehehehehhe......
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Ingredients:-
- 750 ml (3 cups) chicken stock
-2 chicken breast fillets
- 3-4 corn cobs
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 spring onion (acallions), thinkly sliced, green chopped and reserved for garnish
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tsps grated fresh ginger
- 310g (10 1/2 oz) tin creamed corn
- 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 tbsps soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsps sesame oil
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1. Place the stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the chicken, cover and remove the pan from the heat. Allow the chicken to cool in the liquid. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon, then finely shred the meat using your fingers.
2. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs to yield about 400g (2 cups). Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan or wok and add the spring onion, garlic and ginger. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the stock, corn kernels, creamed corn, rice wine and soy sauce. Stir until the soup comes to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken meat.
3. Stir the cornstarch, sesame oil and 1 tbsp water together in a small bowl until smooth. Add a little of the hot stock, stir to blend, then pour this mixture into the soup. Bring to simmering point, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
4. Taste and if necessary, adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the chopped reserved spring onion.
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I hope you will like this as much as my family and I. Even my little Caitlin loves this dish......
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Sweet & Sour Pork Fritters

I have always love Sweet & Sour Pork and I was lucky to have this recipe in one of my recipe books. So, here's the recipe to share with you....

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Ingredients:-

- 375g lean pork (sliced)

- oil for frying

- 1/2 tin pineapple cubes (drained)

- 1 green pepper (cut into bite-sized pieces and blanched)

- 60g cashew nuts (roasted)

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Marinade Ingredients:-

- 1 tbsp light soy sauce

- 1 tbsp cornstarch

- a pinch of sugar

- 1 tsp ginger juice

- 1 egg (beaten)

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Sauce Ingredients:-

- 2 tbsps tomato sauce

- 1 tbsp vinegar

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

- 3 tbsps water

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1. Marinate sliced pork with marinade ingredients and leave aside for about 1 hr.

2. Heat oli and deep-fry the marinated pork till golden. Drain.

3. Arrange the pork, pineapple, green pepper (optional) and cashew nuts on a serving plate.

4. Mix sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir continuously till thickened.

5. Remove sauce from heat and pour over the ingredients on the plate. Serve.

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There you go....enjoy!!!

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Ginger Chicken

This dish is generally a popular dish amongst the Chinese. This is a dish which I cook quite often and just never thought of putting it in my blog. Hehehehehhehe.....

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Ingredients:-

- 1/2 chicken

- 30g ginger

- 5 cloves garlic

- 2 tbsps sesame oil

- 1 tsp corn flour

- 1 tbsp water

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Seasonings:-

- 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

- 1 tbsp cooking wine (Huadiao wine)

- 2 tbsps ginger wine (optional)

- 2 tbsps water

- 1/2 tsp sugar

- 1/8 pepper

- 1/8 salt

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1. Rinse chicken, drain and cut into small pieces. Peel ginger and cut into slices. Peel garlic and smash with flat side of the knife.

2. Heat sesame oil; add ginger and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes.

3. Add Seasonings and chicken. Mix well and cook for about 6 minutes. Reduce heat and cook for another 6 minutes.

4. If you prefer more gravy, instead of 2 tbsps of water, add 1/2 cup of water instead.

5. Mix corn flour well with water. Stir corn flour mixture into chicken immediately after cooking. Serve.

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Ta da!!! That's ginger chicken for you. You can also cook a dish of vegetables of your liking and there you have it.....a healthy meal for the family....... :D

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