Fish & Chips

An all-time favourite among children and adults alike. I have never cooked Fish & Chips before and I saw this recipe and decided to give it a shot. The tartar sauce is made from scratch and it's really easy to make. It tasted better than those that you buy from supermarkets......

So, do give this recipe a shot.

Ingredients:-
- Oil for deep frying
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup (60ml) cold water
- Pinch of salt
- 40g plain flour
- 10g corn flour
- 4 fish fillets (I used Dory fish)
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Beat egg, cold water and salt together. Stir flour and corn flour into the liquid, mixing quickly with a fork. It is not necessary for the mixture to be completely smooth.
2. Pat fish dry and deep into batter. Ensure that both sides are dipped.
3. Fry in hot oil until fish turn golden brown. Drain well and serve with fries, lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

Ingredients for Tartar Sauce:-
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp finely chopped pickled gherkins (you can get them from supermarkets)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped onion
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1. Stir all ingredients together and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
**
See? I told you....it is easy to make. You may even buy fish patties to make fish burger and smear some tartar sauce on it or you may have some fish fingers with some homemade tartar sauce.

Hubby and Caitlin absolutely enjoyed the Fish & Chips and Caitlin was looking for more fish. Hahahhaha....I had to keep her in check before she overfed herself.

Chunky Chicken Meatloaf with Veggie Crunchies

I love meatloaves and 2 Christmas ago, hubby asked me to make a meatloaf which turned out real good served with homemade BBQ sauce.

I had even brought it for some potlucks which my friends liked as well. But it's been a while since I've made any meatloaves. The last recipe was quite a handful and it involves so many type of meat from beef to lamb to pork.....quite a handful, you know and a real nightmare to make when some don't eat lamb or beef or pork.



Anyway, I came across this meatloaf which uses only chicken, nothing but chicken. I guess you can also substitute it with other meat if you don't like chicken. :D Here's the recipe......simple and healthy....

Ingredients for Meatloaf:-
- 500g minced chicken
- 300g chicken fillets, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsps cajun spice seasoning
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
- 2 pcs white bread, soaked to soften in a little milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 6 slices chicken ham
- 3 to 4 pieces of chicken sausages, cut into halves lengthwise

Ingredients for Veggie Crunchies:-
- 1/2 cucumber, cut into half lengthwise and sliced
- 1 to 2 red onions, slices
- 1 red apple, cored and sliced
- 1 green apple, cored and sliced
- 3 tbsps of apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsps of castor sugar
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt to taste (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius
2. Combine mince meat and chicken fillet, add in seasonings, soaked bread and eggs. Mix well.
3. Line a loaf dish with greaseproof paper. Arrage slices of chicken ham. Top with half the minced chicken mixture and spread to level. Arranged sliced sausages as third layer and follow with the remaining minced chicken mixture.
4. Bake meatloaf at 180 degrees for 40 mins. Remove from oven and leave to cool for about 20-30 mins. Another way to know if meatloaf is ready, use a skewer and insert into the meatloaf and if the juice oozes out, that means your meatloaf is ready.
5. To make veggie crunchies, toss all ingredients together and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
6. To serve, invert meatloaf on a serving dish and serve with vege crunchies.

Ta da!!!!!!!

A real simple recipe and like I said, a healthy one, too. ^o^

Frozen Peaches & Cream

Well, people who knows me well knows that I'm a dessert freak. No matter how full I am after a meal, I will always have space for a little dessert. So, I came across this recipe book which I bought for RM10 and decided to give this recipe a shot.

A down side was that the author wasn't very thorough in terms on how long to freeze the dessert and how much yohurt to actually mix instead of just telling me a large tub which made it a bit sour for hubby's taste bud.

Well, I'll know what to do the next time. It isn't that bad, quite yummy actually if you like yoghurt like I do....

Ingredients:-

- 250g cornflakes

- 50g softened butter

- 1 large tub of unsweetened yoghurt

- 100g icing sugar, sifted

- 6 pieces tinned peaches, chopped

- 200g whipped cream

- 8 pieces tinned peaches, sliced

1.Combine cornflakes and butter, and press down firmly onto the bottom of a glass dish and chill to set for about 1 hour or 2.

2. Just before you're about to take out the chilled cornflakes and butter mixture; combine the yoghurt and icing sugar and fold in chopped peaches and whipped cream. (I would suggest to only use about 1/2 the tub of yoghurt)

3. Pour into chilled, prepared crust and arrange sliced peaches on top.

4. Freeze until set (about 6 hours) and never overnight!!!

So, here's a dessert which is easy to whip and share with family or friends during parties....

Breaded Chicken Chop in Mushroom Sauce

Hhhmmmmm.....a nice, simple meal. Breaded chicken chop is a general favourite amongst all and especially with children. The little special thing about my chicken chop is that I add Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb mix.

An absolutely yummy recipe.

Ingredients for Chicken Chop:-

- Chicken breast fillets (4)

- 2 tbsps Parmesan

- 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tbsp water

1. Combine breadcrumbs with Parmesan on a plate.

2. Pound chicken breast with a mallet or rolling pin until about 5mm thick.

3. Dip into egg mixture and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture.

4. You may put it in a lined baking tray and refrigerate for 10 mins or you may just fry it straight which I did.

5. Lay chicken chop on kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.

Ingredients for Mushroom Sauce

- 250g button mushrooms, sliced thinly

- 3 shallots, finely chopped

- 200ml cream

- 125ml white wine

- 30g butter

- 1 crushed garlic

- pinch of nutmeg

- salt & pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter over a gentle heat in a medium sized saucepan.

2. Add chopped shallots and fry for 3-4 mins

3.Add the garlic and fry for another 2 mins

4. Add mushrooms and season with salt & pepper.

5. Stir all the ingredients until mushrooms softens and darken.

6. Then add wine and turn up the fire and continue to stir until wine is reduced by 2/3.

7. With low fire, stir the cream and nutmeg.

You may want to add some fries or jacket potatoes with some steam vegetables to have a balanced meal.

TIll my next recipe update.

Honey & Soy Roast Pork

Decided last night to give this recipe a shot, wasn't too hard from what I read. Anyway, it is indeed an easy recipe to prepare and to cook. And most importantly, very yummy!!!!

Ingredients:-

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 2 large pork fillets (750g)

- 2 carrots, sliced

- 1 tbsp of ground mustard

- 2 tbsps honey

1. Preheat oven to very hot.

2. Cut each pork fillet in half. Place pork and carrots in an oiled baking dish. Pour over combined mustard, honey and soy sauce, toss to coat pork and carrots in honey mixture.

3. Bake pork and carrots, uncovered, in very hot oven for about 25 mins or until cooked through.

4. You may serve with salad or steam vegetables.

I'm not very good at taking pictures of my cooking but nevertheless, do give this simple recipe a shot and do drop me a line if it turns out well....

Lasagna

I have always love lasagna and never had the guts to try it but thought of giving it a shot and had bought the lasagna sheets for the longest time and I thought; before it expires, I better do something about it and here it goes.............

Well, for the meat sauce, I'll leave it to you. Any time of tomato meat sauce that suits your taste buds would be fine. Cook a relatively big portion as you will need to spread layers of it. The following ingredients are of how to make the bechamel sauce and what is needed to make the lasagna besides the meat sauce.

Here's my pot of meat sauce.

Ingredients:-

Bechamel sauce

- 5 tbsps unsalted of butter

- 1/4 cup flour

- 3 cups milk

- 1 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp nutmeg

**

Lasagna

- About 300-500g of lasagna pieces

- 1 cup of Parmesan cheese

- Oil for brushing

**

To make the Bechamel Sauce:-

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the flour, and whisk until smooth.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until it is just about to boil.

4. Add the milk to the butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until the sauce is very smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds longer.

5. Remove from the heat and season with salt and nutmeg.

Here's the making of the Bechamel Sauce....



Now, for the final making of a lasagna......

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with melted butter or oil, and layer in the following order from the bottom: meat sauce, pasta, béchamel, and grated cheese (saving about 1 cup béchamel for last topping), making 3 to 4 layers of pasta, finishing with meat sauce, béchamel, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan Cheese sprinkled over the top.

2. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes with a tin foil over it

3. Bake another 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven type until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling.

4. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 20 minutes, slice, and serve.

**NOTE**

Do remember to watch closely the last 10-15 minutes of the baking to ensure the top doesn't burn especially when you use a fan forced oven which cooks much faster.

And here's my lasagna..........it was a bit salty, you'll need to go a little light on the cheese....

Enjoy!!!!!!

Stir-Fried Beef with Szechuan Hot Bean Paste

Another recipe which has been shelved for a while because I always forget to buy the Hot Bean Paste for this recipe. A nice and simple recipe.



Ingredients: -
- 250g beef fillet
- 70g onions
- 100g celery
- 2 red chillies
- 1 stalk spring onion (not a necessity)
**
Marinade: -
- 1/4 salt
- 2 tsps corn flour
- 2 tbsps water
- 1 tbsp Szechuan hot bean paste
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
**
1. Rinse beef, drain and cut into thin slices. Add in the Marinade, mix and marinate for about 15 mins. Meanwhile, peel onions and cut into slices. Cut celery into slices. Remove seeds of red chillies and cut into slices. Cut spring onion into 3cm sections.
2. Heat 2 tbsps of oil, then add onions and red chillies and fry for about 2 mins or so.
3. Add beef and celery and stir fry until the beef is cooked through.
4. Garnish with spring onion and serve.
**
Like I said, it is a very simple dish especially for those of you who are busy. Even to marinate only takes 15 minutes compared to some dishes which can take at least half an hour to about an hour or longer.
**

Stir-Fried Chicken with Chilli Caramel Sauce

It's been a while since I've made this dish. A simple dish to cook but will take quite some time to marinate. A very yummy recipe....



Ingredients:-
- 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
- 2 tbsps grated fresh ginger
- 2 tbsps soy sauce
- 60ml (1/4 cup) Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed or diced
- 800g chicken thigh fillets, cubed
- 4 tbsps soft brown sugar
- 3 tbsps rice vinegar
- 2 tbsps chilli sauce
- 2 tbsps fish sauce
- 3 tbsps chicken sotck
- 3 tbsps oil
- 1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 tbsps coriander, finely chopped
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, to garnish (not a necessity)
**
1 Put the five-spice, ginger, soy sauce, wine and half the darlic in a glass bowl or ceramic bowl. Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, thn stir together. Add chicken, stir to coat, then cover and marinate in the fridge for about 3-4 hours.
2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, rice vinegar, chilli sauce, fish sauce and chicken stock.
3. Heat the wok and add 2 tbsps oil. When oil starts to smoke, add the chicken in batches and stirfr for about 3-4 mins, until golden brown. Remove each batch and keep warm while you cook the rest.
4. Reduce the heat slightly and heat the remaining oil in the wok. Add the chilli and remaining garlic and cook for 30 secs. Pour in the sauce mixture and allow it to bubble until reduced, syrupy and caramelised. This will take about 3-5 mins. When the sauce is thoroughly reduced and caramelised, return the chicken to the wok, without any of the accumulated juices, and cook for 1 min to coat the chicken in the sauce and heat through. Stir in the coriander. Garnish with the spring onion before serving if you wish.
**
NOTE***
Glass and ceremic are ideal for marinating because metal reacts with acids and plastic absorbs strong flavours.
**
Well, that's it for now!!! :D

Beef Stew

Another recipe that I love and have always been cooking this dish on a regular basis and I was pretty surprise that I didn't actually share this with you all. Anyway, here's the recipe. You may use lamb if you prefer especially for those of you who don't eat beef......... :D




Ingredients:-
- 500g beef
- 300g potatoes
- 200g carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsps flour
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 650ml hot water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 pepper
**
1. Rinse meat, drain and cut into 3cm cubes or you may buy those pre-cut ones. Peel carrot and potatoes into 3cm cubes as well. Chop garlic finely.
2. Add meat, garlic and plain flour into a non-stick pan/wok/pot and stir well. Cook under high heat for about 3 minutes, mix well. (no need for any cooking oil)
3. Add hot water, dried bay leaves, dried thyme, potatoes, carrot, salt and pepper to the meat mixture and boil.
4. Stir constantly so that the ingredients do not get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
5. Boil for about 15-20 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.
6. Add another 50-100ml of hot water if the stew becomes too thick.
7. Serve with rice.
**
Yummy!!!! Absolutely yummy.............
**

Bistro Pepper Steak with Fries

I have never cooked a steak before and came across this recipe which looked pretty easy to make and decided to give it a shot.
**
The recipe's pretty idiot proof.
**


Ingredients:-
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) beef/chicken stock
- 1kg frozen potato fries
- 2 tbsps peppercorn medley
- 4 beef fillet steaks (600g)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) thickened cream
**
1. Prepare the fries according to instructions
2. Meanwhile, place pepper and salt in shallow dish; press onto both sides of steaks.
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan; cook steaks until browned on both sides and cooked as desired.
4. Remove from pan; cover to keep warm
5. Add stock to pan; simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half. Stir in cream.
6. Serve steaks with sauce and chips. You can also steam some fresh vegetables like french beans and carrots like what I did.
**
See....not difficult right?
**
Just a note, I will suggest that you at least slice a few lines across your steaks. It cooks faster.
**
Have fun!!!!