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Sep 30, 2009

Hayashi raisu (Hayashi rice)


Ingredients

  • 450g / 1 lb thinly sliced beef
  • 4 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • About 10-12 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
  • Butter or oil
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 cup (240ml) red wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce or Bulldog chuunou sauce
  • 1 Tbs. soy sauce
  • Parsley or green peas for garnish

The sauce ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup demi-glace or 4 cups strong beef stock
  • 1 16-oz or 440g can of canned tomatoes
  • 1 Tbs. tomato paste
  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • 3 Tbs. flour
  • Water

OR

  • 6 blocks (or more if you like it thick) from a hayashi rice roux packet
  • Water

Equipment: a large frying pan or sauté pan, a heavy bottomed pot for stewing or a crockpot

Cut the meat up into bite-sized pieces. Heat up a frying pan with butter, oil or combination of both, and sauté the beef until browned. Take out the meat and set aside.

In the same pan, add a bit more butter (no this is not diet food) and add the onions. Sauté over medium-low heat until limp and slightly brown. Add the garlic, mushrooms and carrot. Sauté until the mushrooms are turning limp.

Put all the vegetables in a heavy-bottomed stew pot (a crockpot will do nicely too).

Add the wine. If you’re using the hayashi rice roux blocks, add about 4 cups of water (don’t add the roux at this point yet). If you’re using the other sauce ingredients, add either the demi-glace plus 3 cups of water, the canned tomato and tomato paste, or 4 cups of strong beef stock and the canned tomato and tomato paste. Add the bay leaves and thyme.

Let it all simmer until the liquid has reduced to about half. Add the beef to the pot and contine simmering - the beef should be very tender.

If you’re making your own sauce, make a roux by melting 2 Tbs. of butter in the frying pan and adding the flour. Stir until the flour is grainy and a little bit browned. Add to the stew and stir. Add the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.

If using the roux blocks, add them now and stir well to melt.

Add a little water or stock to thin out if it looks too thick. Simmer a few minutes.

Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Take out the bay leaves.

Serve over rice that’s been mixed with a little salted butter. Garnish with chopped parsley or a few green peas.

This makes 6 to 8 servings.

Budaechigae (Korean Army Base Stew)


Budae Chigae was invented during the famine years of the Korean war and post-war period. Koreans managed to use leftover meat discarded or handed-out from the U.S. army bases to make this dish ("Budae" means military base and "Chigae" means stew in Korean). It's a recent invention with a thousand variations, but it's mostly a lip-smacking mixture of Western meat, ramen noodles, vegetables, and spices.

There is no exact recipe for Budaechigae, but popular meats for the stew are Spam, hot dogs, ground beef, and sausages; popular vegetables are sprouts, scallions, onions, and sookat (chrysanthemum leaves).

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups meat in small chunks (Spam, hot dogs, ham, small meatballs, or a combination)
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced vegetables (combination of any: mushrooms, bean sprouts, chrysanthemum leaves)
  • 1/2 an onion, sliced
  • 3 Tbsp kochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
  • 1 package ramen noodles (just noodles, not spice packets)
  • Kimchi (optional)
  • Sliced rice cakes (optional)
  • Canned baked beans (optional topping)
  • Sliced American cheese (optional topping)

Preparation:

  1. Put all ingredients into a large pot.
  2. Cover with enough water to just cover ingredients.
  3. Bring to a rapid boil.
  4. Reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Enjoy with white rice.

Louvia (Black - Eyed Peas Stew)


Ingredients

  • 3 cups dried black-eyed peas
  • Water
  • 2 onios, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt

Directions

  1. Step 1
    Wash the peas and boil them in a pot with water and salt for 45 minutes. Drain them.
  2. Step 2
    In another pot put the olive oil and the onion. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the garlic, the tomatoes, the tomato paste, the parsley and the dill. Let them cook in medium hear for 30 minutes. Add some salt.
  3. Step 3
    Add the peas to the sauce, mix and cook in low heat for 15 minutes.

Shrimp Fried Rice


Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined without tail
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onion
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside and allow rice to cool.
  2. Heat a large skillet or wok for 2 minutes. When the skillet or wok is hot, pour in vegetable oil, bean sprouts and onions. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes.
  3. Mix in cooled rice and shrimp and cook for another 3 minutes. Stirring constantly.
  4. Mix in green onions, eggs, salt, pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another 4 minutes, stirring continuously, until eggs are cooked and everything is blended evenly.

Sep 28, 2009

Easy Egg Drop Soup


This is great on a dreary day, or when your feeling a little under the weather.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 (49.5 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
  • 1 bunch chopped green onions
  • 1/4 teaspoon white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons cold water

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat chicken broth and green onions in a large pot over medium-high heat. Mix sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup of cold water in a bowl until smooth. Reduce heat and stir soy sauce mixture in to the broth. Boil soup on high for 1 minute, then reduce heat to medium-low.
  2. Beat 3 eggs with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Using a fork, stir egg mixture in to soup and cook until eggs are opaque, about 2 minutes.

Japanese Onion Soup


The basic Japanese soup that's given out as an appetizer at most Japanese restaurants. Very mild, a bit salty, and a touch of tang. It's a very improvisable recipe; most of the ingredients' quantities can be changed according to taste. Use your favorite mushrooms in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 carrot, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
  • 2 tablespoons chicken stock
  • 3 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
  • 1 cup chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
DIRECTIONS
  1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the celery, onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, and a few of the mushrooms. Add chicken stock, beef bouillon, and water. Place the pot over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil. When the mixture reaches boiling, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 45 minutes.
  2. Place all of the remaining mushrooms into a separate pot. When the boiling mixture is done, place a strainer over the pot with the mushrooms in it. Strain the cooked soup into the pot with the mushrooms. Discard strained materials.
  3. Serve the broth with mushrooms in small porcelain bowls, and sprinkle fresh chives over the top. Use Asian soup spoons for an elegant effect.

Sep 27, 2009

Roselle Herbal Tea



Roselle is drunk as a tea, believed to also reduce cholesterol. Roselle fruits are harvested fresh, and their calyces are made into a drink rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins. It's very cool!!!

In India, Africa and Mexico, all above-ground parts of the roselle plant are valued in native medicine. Infusions of the leaves or calyces are regarded as diuretic, cholerectic, febrifugal and hypotensive, decreasing the viscosity of the blood and stimulating intestinal peristalsis. Pharmacognosists in Senegal recommend roselle extract for lowering blood pressure. In 1962, Sharaf confirmed the hypotensive activity of the calyces and found them antispasmodic, anthelmintic and antibacterial as well. In 1964, the aqueous extract was found effective against Ascaris gallinarum in poultry. Three years later, Sharaf and co-workers showed that both the aqueous extract and the coloring matter of the calyces are lethal to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In experiments with domestic fowl, roselle extract decreased the rate of absorption of alcohol and so lessened its effect on the system. In Guatemala, roselle "ade" is a favorite remedy for the aftereffects of drunkenness.

In East Africa, the calyx infusion, called "Sudan tea", is taken to relieve coughs. Roselle juice, with salt, pepper, safetida and molasses, is taken as a remedy for biliousness.

Ingredients of Roselle Herbal Tea
- 10-12 pieces of Roselle flower (dried or fresh)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar (up to your taste)

Cooking Instructions of Roselle Herbal Tea

1. In the teapot with boiling water, add Roselle flower and boil (using low heat for approximately 10-12 minutes). Add sugar and boil until it melted - the amount of sugar up to your taste.
2. Filter the juice and allow to cool, serve over ice.

Sep 26, 2009

Thai Sweet & Sour Shrimp



Today I bought shrimp from the market. My mother give me the idea for "Thai Sweet & Sour Shrimp". This spicy sweet and sour shrimp provides lots of tangy taste and depth of flavor, owing to the unique Thai combination of herbs and spices. It's very great if you have it with jasmine-scented rice...

Ingredients:
- 400 g shrimp or prawns, shells removed (tails can be left on)
- MARINADE : 1 tablespoon oyster sauce + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1 1/2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 1 green bell pepper, OR 1 green Anaheim pepper, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks, fresh or canned
- 3 Tablespoons white wine or sherry (or cooking wine/sherry)
- 50 g garlic, minced
- 1 thumb-size piece ginger, grated or sliced up fine
- 3 kaffir lime leaves (fresh)
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 Tablespoon cayenne pepper (omit for a milder dish)
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground white or black pepper
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp. water
- GARNISH: generous handful fresh coriander

Directions:
1. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over the shrimp. Toss to coat and set aside.
2. Place 1-2 Tablespoons. oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger 1-2 minutes. Add a little wine/sherry when the pan becomes dry.
3. Add the green pepper and stir-fry 1 minute. Add wine or sherry as needed to keep ingredients frying nicely.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add the lime leaves, tomato, coconut milk, honey, lime juice, cayenne pepper, chili power, fish sauce and pepper. Stir well to combine.
5. Add the shrimp and pineapple chunks. Simmer 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and plump.
6. Add the cornstarch dissolved in water and stir well. Simmer 1 more minute, or until the sauce has thickened.
7. Taste-test the dish, adding more honey (or brown sugar) if you prefer it sweeter. If you prefer it saltier, add more fish sauce. If too sweet OR too salty add more lime juice.
8. Sprinkle over the fresh coriander and serve with plenty of jasmine-scented rice.

Thai Spicy Mixed Vegetable Soup with Shrimps


This soup will makes you worm in the cool night. There are many herbs in this menu, sweet basil, pepper corns, chilli, and shallots. Try it when you need to feel better from the cool night!!!

Ingredients
- 300 g shrimps, shelled, and deveined
- 1 cup babycorn, sliced
- 1/2 cup mushroom, cut into well pieces
- 1/2 cup sweet basil leaves
- 3 cups chicken stock

Mixer Ingredients (for blending)
- 12 pepper corns
- 5-7 shallots
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
- 1/2 cup dried shrimp
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce

Directions:

1. Grind all spice mixture ingredients in a mortar and pound until mixed thoroughly.
2. Heat chicken stock in a pot, then add spice mixture and keep stirring it.
3. When the soup boils again, add fish sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes, add prawns, and the other vegetables.
4. When vegetables are cooked thoroughly, taste and add fish sauce as desired.
5. Transfer into bowl for serving, have it with hot steamed jasmine-scented rice... It's really good !!!

Stuffed Bitter-Sweet Gourd in Clear Soup


The bitter gourds or momordica is one of the famous herbs in Thailand. This soup is Bitter-Sweet, let's try it !!!


Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock (or water)
- 2 bitter gourds (or momordica)
- 300 grams ground pork
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 coriander roots, finely chopped
- 2 shitake mushrooms, cut into well pieces
- salt (to remove bitter taste from bitter gourd)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- white pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves (garnishing)

Cooking Instructions
1. Clean, and cut the bitter gourds into 2" length pieces. Scoop out the seed and the inside part. Sprinkle the salt on the surface of bitter gourds (inside and outside part) and leave it for 20-30 minutes, then wash them with clean water.

2. In a mixer bowl, add ground pork, garlic, coriander roots, soy sauce (1 tablespoon), oyster sauce (1 teaspoon) and sugar (1 teaspoon). Knead until all ingredients mixed well. Then stuff the ground pork inside the sliced bitter gourd.

3. In a pot with chicken stock, over medium heat, add stuffed bitter gourds, shitake mushrooms, soy sauce (remaining), oyster sauce (remaining) and sugar (remaining). Wait until boiling then turn down the heat to low level. Let simmering about one hour (but the longer time will makes the better taste - my mother left about 2 hours).

4. Transfer the soup to a bowl. Sprinkle over the white pepper powder and fresh coriander, and serve with plenty of jasmine-scented rice.

Bibingkang Galapong


Ingredients

  • 4 eggs, well beaten
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup melted margarine
  • 2 cups rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup coco cream, 1/4 cup sugar for topping

Directions

Add sugar to beaten eggs.
Combine salt and flour; add to egg mixture.
Add melted margarine, coconut milk, and baking powder.
Pour into banana leaf-lined mold.
Bake in 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven.
When half-done, take it out from the oven and brush top with coconut cream and sugar and bake until golden crust is formed.
Yield: 3 large bibingkas.

Bibingka Cassava


Ingredients

    For the bibingka
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup evaporated milk (fresh milk can be substituted)
  • 7 cups raw cassava, grated (or frozen) - cassava are now available in most groceries in cities with a large Latin American or Asian population.
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • banana leaves (available frozen in Philippine stores; or use cookie sheet or something)
    For the topping
  • 1 cup thick coconut milk (available in Asian stores)
  • 2 tablespoon flour
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Beat eggs and sugar till lemon colored. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x9 in pan lined with banana leaves (or cookie sheet).
2. Mix coconut milk with the flour. Add condensed milk and cook over medium heat till thick. Add eggyolks and mix well. Return to heat and cook 5 minutes more. Pour over baked bibingka. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and broil till golden brown.

Tofu Arroz Caldo


Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 pound fresh tofu
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely sliced
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup rice grains(uncooked)
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 7 cups water
  • 1 medium onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce (patis)
  • 5 stalks scallion(spring onion) finely sliced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cut the tofu into one inch squares. Then deep fry it until golden brown. Set aside. In a large non-stick soup pot over medium heat, sauté garlic in oil until lightly brown. Add ginger and onion, stir for a minute. Then add fish sauce. Add rice, water and a little salt and pepper. Simmer in medium low heat, stirring occassionally for about 40 minutes or until the consistency of a light creamed soup has been reached. Add the fried tofu and correct seasonings to taste. Stir in a small amount of sliced scallion. If rice soup becomes too thick, add a little water to thin it a bit. Garnish individual bowl servings with sliced scallions just before serving. If you prefer, sprinkle a little lemon juice on the soup servings. This will give a pleasant tartness to the dish. Yield: 6 - 8 servings.

Sep 25, 2009

Sopa de maiz (filipino corn soup)


Ingredients

  • 3/4 c Thinly sliced onions
  • 2 Cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 lb Raw shrimp, shelled, -deveined, and diced
  • 2 c Bottled clam juice
  • 2 c Water
  • 1/2 ts Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 c Chopped, cooked -or canned corn
  • 1/2 c Shredded watercress -or spinach
Saute the onions and garlic in the oil for five minutes. Add the shrimp and saute for two minutes. Stir in the clam juice, water, pepper, and corn. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the cress and cook two minutes. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve.

Misua



Ingredients

  • 1 small bundle misua (fine rice vermicelli)
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 clove chopped garlic
  • 1 onion
  • salt or patis and pepper to taste

Directions

Saute garlic in oil until light brown. Add onion and saute until onion is translucent. Add water, salt or patis and pepper to taste. When the water boils add eggs whole, one at a time. Break misua into 3-inch lengths and add. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Rice apam steamed

Ingredient A

1) 200g Rice flour

2) 200ml Coconut milk

3) 160ml Boiling water

4) 1 tsp Double-acting baking powder

Ingredient B

1) 120g Sugar

2) 1 tsp Double-acting baking powder

3) 1/4 tsp Vanilla essence

Methods:

1) Sift rice flour and baking powder.

2) Combine rice flour with coconut milk and mix well.

3) Add boiling water, mix well and set aside to cool.

4) When cool, stir in baking powder and set aside for 1 hour.

5) Combine Ingredients A and B. Mix well.

6) Line aluminium cups with paper and arrange on steamer tray.

7) Pour batter into cups until 90% full and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

8) Steam over rapidly boiling water for about 15 minutes.

Remarks:

Nice to eat with grated coconut without skin or orange/brown sugar.

Sep 24, 2009

Kuih Bahulu

Kuih Bahulu or Kuih Baulu is the same cake just different pronunciation. This cake is almost similar with Madeleines. Both these cake needs their special mould to bake. Kuih bahulu is usually baked during the festive seasons such as Hari Raya or Chinese New Year. These sweet and eggy kuih go very well with coffee, and are always a crowd-pleaser during the festive seasons.

Ingredients:

1) 6 eggs

2) 175g castor sugar

3) 120g plain flour

4) 120g self-raising flour

5) 1 ½ tsp baking powder

6) 1 ½ tbsp corn oil

*kuih baulu moulds - for best result, used brass mould

Directions:

1) Lightly grease the baulu moulds with corn oil and place them in a preheated oven at 250°C.

2) Beat eggs and sugar with an electric hand beater until the mixture is creamy and fluffy.

3) Sift both types of flour and baking powder into the egg mixture. Stir well to mix then add corn coil into the batter.

4) Spoon just enough batter into the preheated moulds and bake for 10 minutes or until kuih baulu is golden brown.