Gastronomical Arts

Jackfruit and Mango Salad with Balsamic Dressing

2008-12-24T20:29:00.001-08:00

The tangy-ness of the fruits are offset by the slighty sourish taste of the balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

i'm pretty glad it was well received at the dinner table!

Ingredients:

1 head of Romaine Lettuce, cut and washed
bunch of lettuce and rocket leaves, cut and washed
4 pieces of jackfruit, sliced
half a mango, sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, washed and sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
dash of fresh black pepper to taste

Method:

Place greens in the salad bowl and top with tomatoes, and fruits. Sprinkle black pepper over salad.
Mix olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette together and pour over salad.
Toss and serve.

sunny side up eggs, black pepper pan-fried chicken, chinese spinach with garlic stir-fry, mushroom and fishcake fried rice

2008-12-23T19:55:00.001-08:00

shrimp omelette, garlic nai-bai stir-fry, brinjal and minced beef spicy stir-fry

2008-12-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

the minced beef stir-fry was inspired after the visit to Ruili in Yunnan last year, a delightful meal even on its own with rice.

Shrimp Omelette

Ingredients:

8 prawns, deveined and mixed with 3 tsp of corn starch, lightly stir-fried
4 eggs (using only 3 egg yolks), beat the eggs with 2 tsp of light soy sauce, dash of pepper
4 tbsp of mixed vegetables
1 onion, sliced
1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

In frying pan, heat cooking oil and add in the onions till fragrant and lightly browned then add in mixed vegetables.
Add in eggs in the pan and wait for the eggs to set slightly.
Sprinkle the prawns onto the omelette.
Turn over when the omelette has set.
Remove from fire when both sides have browned slightly.

Garlic Nai-bai Stir-fry

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 packet of Nai-Bai
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat cooking oil in wok and add in garlic and fry till golden brown
Add in Vegetables and stir-fry with salt and pepper.
Cover wok and leave on fire for 2 minutes.
Stir-fry and remove from heat when reasonably soft.

Brinjal and minced beef spicy stir-fry
Ingredients:

300 g minced beef, minced with 1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 brinjal, cubed and deep-fried
2 green chilli peppers, cubed
pepper to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 tbsp sliced shallots
2 tbsp chopped garlic

Method:

Heat cooking oil and add in shallots and garlic and fry till fragrant.
Add chilli peppers and brinjal, and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add in minced beef and stir-fry till half-cooked.
Add in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and pepper. Adjust taste to your liking.
Remove from fire when cooked.

Baked Vegetarian Quinoa with Wild Mushroom Pasta Sauce

2008-11-18T18:02:00.000-08:00

Quinoa is a great ingredient for salads as well as for main courses. Its valued high in protein and fibre and thus works as a great substitute for rice, pasta, and potatoes.

I love looking at the Quinoa germ curl up during cooking, and there is this nutty flavour to it that blends well with many foods!

Ingredients for Quinoa:

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water
mixed herbs, 1 tablespoon
black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Method:

Rinse Quinoa and add to pot with water, mixed herbs, black pepper, salt and mixed herbs.
Bring to boil, and lower fire and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When Quinoa is light and fluffy, remove from fire to cool.
Heat oven to 150 degrees celsius.
Scoop Quinoa to baking tray evenly.

Ingredients for Vegetable topping:

1 brinjal, cubed
1 small broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 green capsicum, cubed
6 swiss button mushrooms, sliced
10 small cherry tomatoes, sliced
half large white onion, cubed
3 pieces of garlic, sliced thinly
1/3 portion of Prego's Wild Mushroom sauce in large jar
black pepper, to taste
pepper, to taste
Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method for Vegetable topping:

In a wok, heat Olive Oil, add garlic and onions and fry till fragrant.
Add in tomatoes and button mushrooms and stir fry for 3 minutes.
Add in all remaining vegetables and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add in Pasta sauce, black pepper and pepper and stir evenly. Simmer for 5 - 8 minutes.
Scoop vegetables and spread one layer over Quinoa in baking tray, then add cheddar cheese over.
Scoop remaining vegetables over the first layer and top with mozzarella cheese and cover with aluminum foil. (For a drier dish, forgo the aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
Put in oven for 15 minutes.

Chicken Mango Salad

2008-10-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

Trying to lead that healthy lifestyle.

Ingredients:

1 head of butterhead lettuce
half a cucumber (cut into shreds)
2 tomatoes (cut into pieces)
1 mango (cubed)
2 pieces of chicken thigh meat (deboned)
2 tbsp olive oil
garlic (diced finely)
black pepper
light soy sauce
pepper
mixed herbs
3 tbsp vinaigrette
walnuts

Method:

Debone chicken thigh and marinate with olive oil, light soy sauce, black pepper, mixed herbs, pepper and finely diced garlic.
Wash vegetables, cut and toss together. Put cubed mangoes on top. Put aside.
Heat up frying pan and pan-fry chicken till cooked. Be sure to add all the olive oil marinade into the frying pan.
Remove cooked chicken and leave to cool.
With the marinade still in pan, add in vinaigrette and stir till even.
Chop chicken into slices and place on vegetables. Pour marinade onto salad and sprinkle with walnuts.

Magnificent Macaroni Cheese

2008-10-18T02:30:00.000-07:00

For this recipe, i didn't use sweetcorn, and instead used button mushrooms and baby carrots, and it turned out more savoury. Add sweetcorn for a slightly sweet taste.

Ingredients:

200g dried macaroni
50g broccoli florets
8 baby carrots, sliced
10 button mushrooms, sliced
40g butter
40g pain flour
600ml semi-skimmed milk, warmed
1 tsp english mustard (optional)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
175g strong cheddar cheese, grated
1 can (340g) sweetcorn drained (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 deg C.
Cook macaroni in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Cut broccoli into small florets, add to the pan with baby carrots and mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes until the macaroni and broccoli are just tender. Drain and turn into an ovenproof dish.
Melt butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring over a medium heat, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk in, stirring well after each addition. Return to the heat, bring to boil and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
Remove sauce from heat, stir in the mustard (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Add three-quarters of the cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.
Add sweetcorn (if using) and stir, then pour the sauce into the ovenproof dish and fork it lightly through the pasta and broccoli. Scatter the remaining cheese on top, then transfer to the preheadted oven and bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.

Mint-Bailey's Brownies

2008-10-18T00:55:00.000-07:00

Improvised from the original recipe found at Joy of Baking.

Ingredients:

450 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped
226 grams unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa Powder
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup mint-bailey's
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a nonstick cooking spray) a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate, butter, soy milk in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, and then stir in the cocoa powder. Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk (or use a hand mixer) together the eggs, sugar and mint-bailey's. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and then fold into the chocolate and sugar mixture until well combined.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 - 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Serve at room temperature or chilled. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. These freeze very well.

Shepherd's Pie

2008-10-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

This was improvised from a recipe from my Secondary 3 & 4 recipe book for my Food & Nutrition classes.

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes - boiled
10 g butter
2 tablesp soy milk
2 tablesp light sour cream
salt & pepper

~ mix above together till smooth

olive oil
1 medium onion - diced
1 and half cup mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots)
10 cherry tomatoes - sliced
4 large button mushrooms - sliced
250 g minced beef
1 and half dessertsp oyster sauce
salt, pepper, mixed herbs

Method:

Boil potatoes for 15 minutes and leave to cool.
Heat oil in frying pan and fry onions till soft, then add in mushrooms and fry till soft.
Add in minced meat and fry till almost cooked, and add in oyster sauce, salt, pepper and mixed herbs.
Add in mixed vegetables and cherry tomatoes.
Preheat oven at 180 deg C.
Mash Potatoes and stir in ingredients till smooth and fluffy.
Put meat and vegetables in pyrex dish or aluminium tin and spread mashed potato mixture on top and mark with fork. Brush with butter and put to bake.
Bake for 30 - 40 minutes on middle shelf and till top is golden brown.