Wednesday 29 January 2014

Thai Basil Eggplant

I found this recipe while looking out for ways to use the basil leaves. It is delicious and you can simply eat this dish with rice or even noodles.

Thai Basil Eggplant

1 large eggplant
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 firm tofu pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
Basil leaves
Vegetable oil

Sauce:
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
2 tsp corn starch

1. Heat up a pot and boil some water. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 3/4-inch slabs. Then cut each slice lengthwise into 3/4-inch slice. Cut each slice into 2 or 3 pieces diagonally. Parboil the eggplant pieces in boiling water. The eggplant is done once it is cooked, but firm so it is still holding shape. Take them out of the pot and set aside.
2. Place the tofu in clean paper towels and squeeze the tofu gently to remove excess liquid. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and pan fry on a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until the tofu is light golden brown on most sides. Set aside.
3. Sauce: Whisk all the sauce ingredients. Mix until the corn starch dissolve.
4. Using the same pan for the tofu, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat on medium-high. Add the sliced onion and bell pepper. Saute until they are cooked but still crispy. Add minced garlic halfway through and saute them together.
5. Add in the tofu and eggplant pieces. Turn the heat up and stir in the sauce.
6. Once the pan is hot, turn the heat down to low-medium and mix until the sauce slightly thickens and coat the tofu and vegetables. Turn off the heat and add some fresh basil leaves. Mix once more and serve hot.


Original recipe by vegetarian gastronomy.

Tuesday 28 January 2014

Hobak jeon

Hobak jeon or pan fried zucchini slices has been featured in the drama series over and over again. I am intrigued by them, especially in Glory of the family where Dan-ah made them so pretty.

Hobak jeon are easy to make and they taste good. No wonder they are popular.

Hobak jeon

1 green zucchini
1 large egg
1/3 cup flour
Salt
Vegetable oil

Dipping sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar


1. Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch slices and lay them in layers on a plate.


2. Lightly sprinkle the zucchini slices with salt. Don't over salt the slices as you will be dipping the jeon in soy sauce. Set aside for 5-7 minutes.
3. Put some flour in a shallow bowl. Whisk the egg in another bowl.


4. Coat the zucchini slices with flour on both sides and set aside.


5. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
6. Dip each flour-coated zucchini slices into the egg until fully coated and place in the pan.
7. When the edges start to brown, turn them over. Take them off the heat when they are cooked on both sides.
 

8. Dipping sauce: Mix the soy sauce and rice vinegar and serve with the jeon.



Original recipe shared by kimchimari.

Monday 27 January 2014

Japchae

I learned to speak a little bit of Korean words, all the easy ones thanks to the drama series and songs. But then I doubt I can survive if I am stranded in Korea alone, unless I can somehow communicate with them using one-word and thousands of gestures. I need to learn more.

Korean food - now this, I can say I know a little bit more. Bibimbap, samgyetang, banchan, gamjatang, gochujang, ddeokbokki, sundubu jjigae, seolleongtang, juk, hoeddeok, bulgogi, kimchi, doenjang, naengmyeon, kalguksu, jajangmyeon, hwe, jeon, patbingsu, kimbap, bungeoppang, etc.

Japchae is made from sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon) stir fried with vegetables. It used to be part of Korean royal court cuisine, specifically invented in the early 17th century for a King. Source: Wikipedia.


Japchae

1/2 pound dried Korean sweet potato noodles
2 and a half tsp sesame oil, divided
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 large onion, sliced thinly
2 red chillies, sliced thinly
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
3 stalks green onions, cut into 1" lengths
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms (shiitake/wood ear), sliced thinly
1/2 lb spinach, washed well and drained
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1. Fill a large pot with water and boil. Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Use kitchen shears to cut noodles into shorter pieces, about 6-7 inches in length. Set aside.
2. Blanch the spinach in boiling water. Rinse immediately under cold water. Squeeze the water from the leaves and form into a ball. Cut the ball into half. Combine the spinach, half the garlic, and 1/2 tsp of the sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside to let the flavors soak in.
3. In a bowl, mix soy sauce and sugar together. Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry onion, carrot and chillies until just softened, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, green onions and mushrooms, fry for 30 seconds. Then add the spinach, soy sauce, sugar and noodles. Fry for another 2-3 minutes until the noodles are cooked through. Turn off heat, toss with sesame seeds and the remaining sesame oil.

Original recipe by steamy kitchen


Remarks: You can also include strips of beef if you want. This recipe produce a huge amount of japchae.

Friday 24 January 2014

Apple and mushroom crostini


There is not much you can do when you watch Jamie Oliver cook his simple recipes - other than drool a bit, wipe them off your face, and promise yourself you'll make it yourself some day. This was featured in his 15 minutes meals' program, so it's really a downright simple recipe and delicious to boot. I used half of a green apple and half of a red one, just as Jamie himself prescribed. Go on, go grab the grilling pan right this second.

Apple and mushroom crostini

8 fresh button mushroom
1/2 loaf baguette
1 clove garlic
1 apple
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1 lime
50g shredded cheese

1. Preheat griddle pan on high heat.
2. Remove the mushroom's stalks and place the tops on the griddle pan, turning when charred.
3. Cut the baguette into slices and add to the griddle pan.
4. When charred on both sides, rub with a halved garlic clove.
5. Coarsely slice the apple into matchsticks and toss with roughly chopped parsley and a little lime juice.
6. Place the mushroom on the toasts, sprinkle over the cheese, then pop under the grill until the cheese is melted.

Original recipe by Jamie Oliver.



Tuesday 21 January 2014

Vegan banana bread

I was looking for a banana bread recipe that don't contain eggs, because I am all about baking without eggs these days - if I can help it. I learned that ingredients like banana, pumpkin and avocado can help us do that easily because of their textures. So you're probably going to see a lot of recipes on pumpkins and bananas here, if I manage to find good recipes.

I read how the writer tried different ingredients to achieve a moist banana bread, and finally succeeded this time. So I was tempted to try the recipe.

I did not like it at first. The batter was super thick before going into the oven, and I was afraid that it would be dry. It did turn out to be dry when I tried it a few hours after it came out of the oven. But after keeping it for a day, the bread turned moist and I love it. It is fine if you don't include the pepitas, I just wanted to try because the original recipe used sunflower seeds.

Vegan banana bread

4 medium-sized ripe bananas
1 and a half cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp pepitas (optional)
1 and a half tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda


1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
2. Mashed the bananas in a medium bowl and add in oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix together.
3. Fold sieved flour, baking powder and baking soda into the wet ingredients.
4. Add the pepitas into the batter.
5. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.
6. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.





Original recipe from veg recipes of India.

Pepitas (Roasted pumpkin seeds)

Normally I would simply discard the innards of the pumpkin. But I recalled the bread I had once, which had this layer of crunchy pepitas on top and it was yum. I did not add the pepitas to any bread though. We ate them as snack. They are delicious and easy to make. Although I did follow Ree Drummond's recipe and really thought it'd take an hour of baking in the oven.

Pepitas

Innards of one pumpkin
Salt
2 tsp vegetable oil

1. Rinse the innards in a colander, pulling away the chunks of pulp as you go.


2. Spread the rinsed seeds out on a baking sheet.


3. Allow the seeds to dry for several hours. Don't use paper towels to dry them as they are slimy. Just leave them to dry on the baking sheet.
4. When the seeds are dry, preheat the oven at 120°C.
5. Drizzle the seeds with the vegetable oil. Toss the seeds around to coat.
6. Salt the seeds to taste. Bake for about 15 minutes until they turn light golden brown.


Remarks: I thought they really need an hour in the oven, so I was not going to look at them until halfway through or so. Luckily they started to pop like popcorn, after about 15 minutes in the oven and some already started to get darker than light golden. Thank God for the popping sound.

Monday 20 January 2014

Spaghetti with Shimeji Mushrooms

I thought I'd give Shimeji mushroom in a pasta dish a try. This is a light dish and I increased the amount of chiles in it.

Spaghetti with Shimeji Mushrooms

300g Shimeji mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried chili flakes
10-15 bird's eye chillies, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 pound dried spaghetti
Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter


1. Brush off any dirt from the mushrooms with a pastry brush or a tea towel. Trim and separate the mushrooms into individuals. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.
2. Put the olive oil in a very hot frying pan, and add the mushrooms. Let them fry fast, tossing once or twice, then add the garlic, chilli flakes and halved bird's eye chillies with a pinch of salt.
3. Continue to fry fast for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing regularly. Add in the lemon zest. Then turn the heat off and squeeze in the lemon juice. Toss and season to taste.
4. Drain and add the pasta to the mushrooms, with parsley and butter. Toss gently, coating the pasta with the mushrooms and their flavor. Sprinkle with a little extra parsley before serving.



Original recipe by Jamie Oliver.

Remarks: It is still not spicy enough by my standard. I would suggest pounding the garlic and bird's eye chiles for those who love some heat.

Friday 17 January 2014

Keria

There was more than enough of sweet potatoes lying around the house, and I decided to make sweet potato doughnuts or keria as we call them. These are my sister's favorite, after doughnuts - they are from the same family after all. She was so excited when I told her that I made these. I hope I get to make her some when she's back.

Keria

250 g sweet potatoes
1 tbsp tapioca starch
80 g all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

For the glaze:
80 g granulated sugar (I used brown sugar)
3 tbsp water

1. Peel and oil the sweet potatoes until tender. Mash them while still hot.
2. Add tapioca starch, flour, and salt to the mashed sweet potatoes. Mix to combine until the dough holds together.


3. Divide the dough into small portions. Shape the dough into desired size using your hands. Form into balls and flatten them out a bit. Make a hole in the middle.


4. Deep fry the doughnuts until they become golden in color. Drain excess oil from the fried doughnuts. Set aside to cool.
 

5. Prepare a pan and add sugar and water for the coating. Wait until the sugar mixture thickens, and add in the doughnuts. Stir to glaze the doughnuts with the syrup until the sugar crystallized. Remove and let them cool.


 Recipe shared by Azlita.


Remarks: My keria did not have the crystallized sugar that stuck on prettily like others. Perhaps I put in too much water in the glaze. But the keria are still sweet, they taste like normal keria. They just don't look pretty. Haha.These are also super soft keria, because I put in less flour than the recipe called for - fearing they'd turn out to be hard like some of the bought ones. I need to make some amendments of course, but I love how I can make keria now. Give it a try.

My second try, looking much better.

Thursday 16 January 2014

Red velvet pancakes

This recipe is inspired by a program on National Geographic channel. I watched the host went around looking for the best food trucks, and decided to try making my version of the pancakes.

Red velvet pancakes

1 and a half cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 large egg
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk lightly to combine. Set aside.
2. Combine yoghurt and vinegar and let it rest for 2 minutes.
3. Add oil, food coloring, egg, sugar and vanilla extract into the yogurt mixture and whisk.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Slowly incorporate wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
5. Cook the pancake on a lightly oiled hot griddle. Pour spoonfuls of the batter according to the size you want.
6. Wait until bubbles begin to appear on the surface before flipping the pancakes.
7. Scatter some of the chocolate chips on top and cook until the pancakes are brown lightly.



Wednesday 15 January 2014

Potato and pasta frittata

I love eggs for breakfast, and this recipe is a great way to finish off all the leftovers in your refrigerator. Actually, this would be great for brunch, like Sunny Anderson did with the hash. It's a 'clear out your refrigerator' recipe. The basic ingredients are eggs and seasonings. Everything else is up to you.

Potato and pasta frittata

4 large eggs
2 medium size potatoes, sliced 1 cm thick
1/2 cup of cabbage and red cabbage, roughly chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, deseeded  and chopped
1 cup cooked pasta
Splash of milk
Salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
50g shredded cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 160 C.
2. Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are tender.
3. Let the potato slices cool and arrange in a greased pan.


4. Sprinkle the jalapeno and cabbage on top of the potato slices. Add the cooked pasta.



5. Crack the eggs in a bowl, add the milk, salt, cayenne, smoked paprika and cayenne. Whisk the mixture to combine.


6. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
7. Take the pan out and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake in the oven until the cheese melted and the top is brown.


Monday 13 January 2014

Dark chocolate banana muffins


I am looking for the best banana chocolate muffins recipe, like the ones at Starbucks. They are huge and full of chocolate chips. Not too sweet, and I like to sink my teeth in them especially the top crust. One muffin is already enough to make you full, because it is huge.

This is not really the recipe I am looking for, but they taste good. Especially the day after.

Dark chocolate banana muffins

1 and a half cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 and a half tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 big bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
100g semi sweet dark chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 170 C.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, egg, oil and milk until incorporated.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chopped dark chocolate.
5. Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups, filling until 3/4 full.
6. Bake the muffins for about 30 minutes, until the tops are pale golden and the cake tester comes out clean.
7. Let the muffins cool for 15 minutes.

Original recipe by Marcela Valladolid.

Saturday 11 January 2014

Bingka labu

I love all sorts of Malay kueh, and this is one of them. Bingka is basically a traditional cake made from flour, eggs and coconut milk. Different ingredients are added to turn it into a different variety. You can add in grated tapioca (Bingka ubi), sweet corn (Bingka jagung) or maybe banana cubes (Bingka pisang). There are many other types, of course.

Bingka labu

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 tbsp butter
Yellow food coloring
1 tbsp sesame seeds


1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.
2. In a blender, blend the flour, sugar, coconut milk, evaporated milk, pumpkin puree, salt, eggs, butter and a few drops of the food coloring.
3. Pour into a greased pan. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
4. Bake for about an hour. Increase the baking time if you want the crust to have a darker brown color.

Recipe shared by ladyofleisure2101


Thursday 9 January 2014

Roasted red pepper pasta

Roasted vegetables are like a treat. Try roasting your vegetables today, and you would make any excuse to have them everyday from then on. Now, roasted peppers are the best. They get this smoky aroma enveloping them, and I am inhaling it right now. Yeah, it's stuck on my hands after I worked with them just now. Not that I am complaining, though.

Roasted red pepper pasta.

2 whole red pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 whole medium onion, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
Flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
1/2 pound pasta : Penne

 1. Roast red peppers and cover with cling wrap to allow to sweat.




2. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then remove seeds. Puree peppers. Set aside.
 
I did not wash the roasted pepper skin to keep all the goodness, like Ree said. All I did was peel them and scraped the black parts.


3. Cook pasta in salted water for 8-12 minutes until al dente.
4.In a skillet over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. 
5. Add broth, salt and pepper and stir. Pour in yoghurt and stir to combine.
6. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Stir to coat pasta and top with chopped parsley.


Original recipe by Ree Drummond.


 p/s: I learned something new today. Penne is the plural form of Italian penna. The word penna was derived from Latin penna (feather or quill). Source: Wikipedia.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

No-milk pancakes

These pancakes taste great, even without the milk. You should try making them at least once.

No-milk pancakes

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup water

1. Mix wet ingredients together.
2. Mix dry ingredients in another bowl.
3. Combine all the ingredients and stir. Get all the lumps mixed in good.
4. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes before cooking.

Recipe shared by ribbonandcircus.



Sunday 5 January 2014

Vietnamese spring rolls

A recipe I got from a friend on Instagram, the land of drool-worthy food.

Vietnamese spring rolls

3/4 Japanese cucumber
1 carrot
100g rice vermicelli (blanched in boiling water and strained)
1 small bunch coriander (chopped)
1/2 cup medium-size prawns (boiled)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 packet of rice paper

Dipping sauce:
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp garlic (minced finely)
1 lime
1 tsp fish sauce
Warm water
2 birds eye chillies (chopped)

1. Cut the cucumber and carrot into matchsticks.
2. Prepare the sauce. Dissolve the sugar in some warm water. Add the garlic and juice of half a lime. Add in the chillies and mix well.
3. Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce and 2 tbsp of the dipping sauce.
4. Mix the cucumber, carrot, rice vermicelli, coriander and prawns in the vinegar mixture. Separate the vermicelli after mixing well.
5. Soak the rice paper and start assembling the spring rolls.

Recipe shared by Sara.


Kerabu mangga

This dish was inspired by the delicious Kerabu Mangga at The Chicken Rice Shop. A must-order dish whenever I eat there.

Kerabu Mangga

3 green mangoes
2 Kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsp dried shrimps (soaked)
1 small handful groundnuts
2 birds eye chillies (chopped)
2 tsp fish sauce
2 limes
1 tbsp sugar

1. Dry toast the shrimps and groundnuts in a pan and set aside.
2. Peel and grate the mangoes.
3. Slice the lime leaves thinly.
4. Prepare the sauce by mixing the lime juice and sugar until the sugar dissolve. Add in the fish sauce.
5. Mix all the ingredients together.


Steamed tofu

This is a favorite dish that mom loves to cook for our family. You can use either silken tofu or firm tofu.

Steamed tofu

1 container of silken tofu
1/2 head of garlic (peeled)
2 birds eye chillies
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp dried shrimps (soaked)
2 tbsp black soy sauce

1. Heat up the oil in a pan.
2. Pound the shrimps, garlic and chilli.
3. Add the ingredients into the pan.
4. Sauté the ingredients and don't let the garlic get burned.
5. Add the soy sauce.
6. Prepare the tofu and top with the sauce mixture. Steam for 5 minutes.





Chai tea/masala chai

[Updated]

Somehow I recall having the knowledge before, that this beverage is not actually called Chai tea. Let me shed some light on this now.

Chai is a Hindi word for tea. The real name is Masala chai, or literally mixed-spice tea. Source: Wikipedia.

Although before I started to gain a lot of interest in spices or rather when I was younger, the word Masala  scared me. I was picturing a truckload of spices in the drink, and no tea flavor at all. Clueless, I know.

I love Chai tea  masala chai so much that I used to sneak into the competitor's grounds to get my fix. Just because my former workplace did not offer it in the menu. It is so easy to make, actually. So, here's to delicious homemade Chai tea  masala chai.

Chai tea

2 cups water
1 piece cinnamon stick
4 green cardamom pods, smashed gently
4 whole cloves
1 star anise
2 quarter-sized pieces fresh ginger
2 tsp black tea leaves
1 tbsp condensed milk

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the water, all of the spices and ginger to a boil over medium heat. Turn of the heat and allow it to steep for 15 minutes.
2.  Bring the mixture back to a boil, then add the tea. Turn the heat off, and allow it to steep for 3-5 minutes depending on how strong you like your tea.
3. Stir in the condensed milk and strain it into a mug and serve.

Original recipe by Aarti Sequeira


Orange yoghurt cake

I love baking without the hassle of cleaning all the buttery utensils and bowls, so I love this recipe. Delicious and healthy cake, and I love the real orange taste as opposed to store-bought orange products that have the artificial taste.

Orange yoghurt cake

1 cup flour
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp grated orange zest, plus 1 tbsp orange juice
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large orange (zested into thin strips and segmented)

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Butter an 8-inch cake pan. Stir flour, 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, salt, yoghurt, oil, orange zest and juice, egg and vanilla in a bowl. Pour into pan. Bake for about 25 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
2. Place zest strips in a bowl. Stir in segments and remaining sugar. Garnish cake with some segments, serve with the rest.

Original recipe by Martha Stewart.



Shakshuka

Unlike the intimidation of the foreign name, shakshuka is actually an egg dish poached in tomato sauce. Great for breakfast and you can control the level of spiciness. You can even prepare the sauce and divide into individual portions before cracking the egg in to customize to each person's preference.



Shakshuka

1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper, cored and cubed
1 ripe tomato, roughly chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
2 eggs
2 tbsp tomato paste
Water

1. In a saucepan, dry roast the cumin on high heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add oil and sauté the onion for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, pepper, tomatoes, cayenne (depending on your preference), smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, adding enough water to keep the consistency of a pasta sauce.
3. Crack the eggs into the pan. Cook very gently for 10-12 minutes, until the eggs just set.
4. Serve with chunky white bread.

Original recipe from theguardian.com



Chicken fajitas and salsa

This recipe is so easy and healthy. You can cook the dish the night before, if you want to have them for breakfast. Just heat up before eating. I fell in love with smoked paprika and cumin because of this recipe and use both the ingredients whenever I can.
 Feel free to change the chicken breast to your choice of meat. Even tofu would be amazingly good for this dish.



Chicken fajitas and salsa

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
1 medium red onion, finely sliced
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 small pinch ground cumin
2 limes
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 flour tortillas

For the salsa:
1 fresh red chilli
2 ripe tomatoes, cored
1 small bunch fresh coriander
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lime
Extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat up a pan using high heat. Slice
the chicken lengthways into long strips roughly the same size as the pepper strips.
2. Put the pepper, onion, and chicken into a bowl with the paprika and cumin. Squeeze the juice of half a lime, drizzle a bit of olive oil, season with a pinch of pepper and mix well. Marinade for 5 minutes.
3. Finely chop the red chilli. Roughly chop the tomatoes and coriander. Combine the chilli and tomatoes in a second bowl with salt, pepper and lime juice. Stir in the coriander.
4. Use a pair of tongs to put all the pieces of pepper, onion and chicken into the preheated pan. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Keep turning the pieces of chicken and vegetables over so they don't burn.
5. Warm the tortillas up in a microwave or a warm dry frying pan. Squeeze the remaining lime juice over the chicken.
6. Serve with bowls of natural yoghurt and Cheddar cheese (optional) alongside the salsa.

Original recipe by Jamie Oliver.

Chapter one.

I haven't been writing much last year and it seems that was it for my former blog. I have no idea if I'd continue writing anything there. That was why I was thinking and re-thinking about starting a new one. But since a friend from Instagram, chickquita suggested that I blog about the recipes I tried..I think it's a great idea. I can compile the recipes and share them with friends. I will always love food, forever ;)


Thank you, chickquita and dottology for the encouragements. Appreciate it very much.


Here is a preview of what I cooked before.