Chicken and porcini casserole

I love using porcini mushrooms. There's a certain richness that it generates in stews and soups, that you can't get from normal button/chestnut mushrooms. For this recipe, place 20g of porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 1/4 cup of boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are fully hydrated. Lightly toss 1.5 kg of chicken pieces in 1/4 cup of seasoned plain flour to coat. Heat oil in pan and cook the chicken over medium heat in batches until browned. Set aside. Add 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves of chopped garlic to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Return the chicken to the pan with the porcini mushrooms and the liquid. Add 1/3 cup of white wine, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 3 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leave. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add 300g of field mushrooms. Cook, uncovered for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Serve with pasta.

Beef carbonnade

Yet another recipe from the One Pot cookbook. First, preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Brown beef chunks (1kg) with butter and olive oil. Remove from the pan. Cook 2 sliced onions, and 2 crushed garlic cloves at medium heat for 4 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of plain flour, stir well and cook for 1 minute. Combine 1 1/2 cups of brown ale with 1 1/2 cup of water and add to the pan. Stir well, bring to the boil and return the meat to the pan. Add bouquet garni, season with salt and pepper, and return to the boil. Transfer to a casserole dish, cover well with foil and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Spread French bread slices with dijon mustard and butter. Place bread on stew, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes until the bread becomes crusty.

Balti chicken

I am on a roll, this week. The One Pot cookbook is really excellent, so far I have cooked 5 recipes from it, and they all turned out pretty well. For Balti chicken, first fry 1 diced onion over high heat for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped and 1 tbsp of grated ginger and continue frying for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add 2 tsp of ground cumin, 2 tsp of ground coriander, 1 tsp of ground tumeric, 1/2 tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 cup of water. Increase the heat to high and stir fry for 2 minnutes until the mixture has thickened. (Don't burn it!) Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of water and cook, stirring often for 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and pulpy. Add 1 kg of chopped chicken thigh fillets, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 diced capsicum and 1 diced chilli and simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender. Stir in 4 tbsp of chopped coriander and 2 chopped springs onions. Serve with rice or in our case, prata!

Pork, coriander and potato stew

I used to abhor and detest coriander but recently i have started to move towards a nonchalance about it with the carrot and coriander soup i had on a regular basis at the Uni's cafeteria. I am actually even cooking with it now. I am really getting old. Anyway, this is the second of the four recipes I had planned for this week, pork coriander and potato stew as taken from my one pot cook book.

First marinate pork fillet cubes (800g) with 1 1/2tbsp coriander seeds (crushed) and 1/2 tsp of cracked balck pepper. Season with salt. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight. Toss the pork in 1 tbsp of plain flour and brown the pork over high heat. Remove from the pan. Add 1 diced onion and 2 chopped potatoes to the pan and cook over medium heat for around 3-4 minutes. Return the pork to the pan and add 1 1/2 cup fo red wine, 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 tsp of sugar. Add 1 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cover and simmer for 1 hour. Serve with fresh coriander.

Saffron chicken and rice

It's been two weeks since I returned from Singapore/Paris. Been sorting out some administrative matters and I haven't really settled back into a routine of cooking till this week. Last two weeks, I have been cooking old favourite recipes, just to get myself reacquainted with my london kitchen. So this week, I have bought the ingredients for four new recipes, taken from the two cookbooks that I brought from Singapore. For this post, it's Saffron chicken and rice, taken from Favourite One-Pot recipes, a present from my mom.

First brown 6 chicken thighs with olive oil at high heat. Then remove them from the pan. Next, at medium heat, cook gently 1 diced onion and 1 diced green pepper for five minutes. Stir in some paprika and cook for 30 seconds. Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes and simmer for 1-3 minutes till it thickens. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of boiling water, add 1 1/4 cups of rice and 1/2 tsp of ground saffron. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, till the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken is tender.

Baked salmon with fresh herbs and lemon

Saw this on a JO show. First, scatter salt, black pepper and lemon rind on a chopping board. Drizzle some olive oil on it. Place the salmon fillet on the board. Place some fresh dill, basil and parsley on top of the fish. Place another piece of salmon on top of it. Season with more salt and pepper. Drizzle more olive oil. Place some lemon slices on top of the salmon and bake in the oven, 180 degree for around 15-20 minutes.

Penne with pan fried chicken and capers

If you like pesto, this is the dish for you. First, mix in a bag, 25g plain flour, salt and pepper. Add diced chicken breast (4) and mix well. Fry the chicken with olive until the pieces are golden brown. Set aside. Add 1 sliced red onion and 1 chopped garlic to the pan and cook for 5 min until softened. Return the chicken to the pan and add 5 tbsp of pesto and 200g of cream cheese. Stir and mix well. Then add 1 tsp of whole grain mustard, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 2 tbsp of chopped basil and 1-2 tbsp of capers. Mix cooked penne with sauce and serve with shavings of parmesan cheese.

Chickpea and chorizo stew

A Nigel Slater recipe in the Guardian magazine.

2-3 tbsp of olive oil
2 large onions
4 cloves garlic
3 chorizo sausages - about 400g
crushed dried chillies
a glass of dry sherry, vermouth or white wine
5 or 6 decent-sized tomatoes
2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
small bunch of parsley

Warm the olive oil in a deep, heavy-based pan. I use a cast-iron casserole. Peel the onions, roughly chop them and add them to the oil, stirring to coat them, then letting them cook at a moderate heat. Peel the garlic, slice it thinly and stir it into the onions. Leave to cook, partially covered by a lid, until the onions are soft and pale gold.

Cut each sausage into about four fat chunks. Mix these in with the softened onions, then add a teaspoon or so of crushed, dried chillies.Pour in a glass of dry sherry, vermouth or white wine and bring it to an enthusiastic bubble. Chop the tomatoes roughly, add them and bring them to the boil. Add the chickpeas, drained and rinsed, then pour in a can of water. Season with salt and black pepper, bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and leave to cook slowly, half-covered with a lid, for 45 minutes.

I would give it a stir from time to time, and check the liquor levels.What you want to end up with is a rich, brick-red sauce with a spiciness from the chillies and chorizo.

Just before serving, chop the parsley, roughly, then stir into the stew. Serve in shallow bowls.

Spring onion pastry

Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao has excellent spring onion pastries, and according to l, this restaurant at Tiong Bahru has it as well. I have been there before, around eight years but I can't remember whether it's that good. I have always had the impression that it was difficult to make but thankfully it isn't. My mom came to me one day and said that it was really easy to make and that I should try it. And I did. I have to confess, I didn't really participate in most of the steps. The preparation of the dough, with flour, water and oil, I watched my mom while she did it. Neither did I season the spring onions with salt and oil. But the preparation of the pastry, I made a number of them.

It was perfect in all aspects except the taste, we added too much salt but i guess that's an easy thing to remedy.

150 g sifted plain flour. Pour slowly into the centre of the flour, 150 ml warm water, and mix well. add 2 tbsp of oil and knead till smooth. Cover with moist kitchen towel for 15 minutes. 150 grams of spring onions, add 1/2 tsp of salt before adding 2 tbsp of oil, mix well. Roll the dough

Baked salmon and mushrooms linguine

My Italian craze continues although I suspect that it might end when I visit Paris in April. First, poach salmon fillets (deskinned) in simmering water seasoned with salt and pepper for around 6-8 minutes. Flake the salmon into a dish and keep warm. Melt 3 tbsp of butter at low heat and add 3 tbsp of flour. Pour in 300 ml of chicken stock and whisk until the sauce has thickened. Pour in 150 ml of whipping cream. Pan fry chopped mushrooms in butter for around 2-3 minutes and add them to the white sauce. Pour half of the sauce into a pan of al dente linguine and spoon the pasta onto a oiled baking dish. Add the flaked salmon into the rest of the white sauce and pour over the pasta. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs and grated cheddar over the pasta and bake in a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve with parsley.

Pork chops with apples and sage

I am getting quite tired of the crockery at my London apartment, and so it's refreshing to be using my mom's kitchenware in Singapore. My grandaunt gave her a set of rectangular dishes, the ones you see in posh restaurants and I have been using them ever since.

This is another of JO's recipes. His new cookbook is actually not too bad, there are some interesting recipes that I would like to try in the future. Pan fry pork chops, seasoned with salt, pepper and dried sage in olive oil, till they are brown on both sides. Place the pork chops in a baking dish and fry sliced apples and chopped sage for around 2 minutes. Place the apples and sage on top of the pork, season, and drizzle some olive oil over. Add a knob of butter on top of each pork chop and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 8 minutes.

Penne with mixed peppers and bacon

These days, in Singapore, I rather spend my time at home, cooking then to venture out and mingle with the crowds. My mom has a whole lifetime's worth of cookbooks and I have been poring over them, looking for interesting recipes to try out. I do enjoy cooking for my family, and I have some friends coming over for dinner in the next couple of weeks.

This recipe is from an Italian cookbook I got for my mom from the UK, a few years ago. It's simple and the flavour of the bacon blends well with that of the roasted peppers. First, roast three peppers, yellow, red and green under the grill until the skin is blackened and blistered. Place them in a ziploc bag and allow them to cool. The skin should fall off easily. Remove the skin and thinly slice the peppers. Next, fry chopped celery, bacon, onions and garlic for 4 -5 minutes till the onions are soft. Add peppers and continue frying for 1 minute.Pour in some chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Mix in cooked penne and serve with chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

North sea fish soup

This is an excellent alternative to the mediterranean fish soup. Instead of a tomato base, this soup uses cream and egg yolk to give it a silky finish. First, bring 60 ml of white wine, 600 ml fish stock and 2 chopped shallots to the boil. Add in around 500 g of fish, prawns and scallops. I used salmon for this. Simmer for around ten minutes till they are cooked. Mix together 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp of cream. Remove the soup from the heat and mix in the cream mixture. Add in one peeled, seeded and chopped tomato, chopped parsley and serve with croutons.

Baked fish with home made tomato sauce, capers, olives and mozzarella cheese

I have been really busy for the last month or so, preparing for the viva and my return to Singapore. I am now back, and instead of cooking for M, I am now cooking for my parents. I will continue posting pictures of my cooking here in Singapore, although technically speaking, they are not really appropriate for this webpage, since it's food for my parents. But I shan't be pedantic about this.

For today's dinner, I baked some white fish fillets. I am not too sure what fish it is, as it's my mom's selection and not mine. This is a Jamie Oliver recipe. First, gently fry some chopped garlic, dried oregano, chopped basil stalks and chilli in olive oil till they are fragrant. Pour in a can of plum tomatoes. Do not break up the tomatoes as according to JO, the seeds will make the sauce bitter. Simmer for around thirty minutes and add in basil leaves and 1/2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the tomato sauce into a baking dish, and place the fish fillets on top. Season lightly with salt, black pepper and some lemon juice. Scatter some olives and capers over the fish. Drizzle over the the fish some extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese over the fish and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for around 15-20 minutes till the cheese is brown.

Chicken with paprika, garlic and lemon

Been busy preparing for my viva tomorrow, and so I was unable to cook anything complex. This chicken dish is simple and quick, it can be done in under 20 minutes. Simply fry diced chicken with shallots, crushed garlic, paprika and diced capsicums till the chicken is brown and cooked. Add in the juice of a lemon and some fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve with cooked pasta. Done.

Avocado pesto linguine

I've been sick for the last week or so, fever and cough. Thankfully, M was there and she took good care of me. She cooked sukiyaki for me and it turned out pretty well. So I haven't been cooking for quite some time. This pasta dish is probably my first serious comeback in the kitchen. It's a Waitrose recipe and honestly, they do have some interesting stuff around. For this dish all you need to do is blend 1 avocado, deseeded and chopped, the juice of a 1/4 of a lemon, 1 chilli, deseeded and chopped, 25g of fresh flat parsley, 40 g of fresh basil, 25 g of hard italian cheese, 1 garlic clove and 1 tbsp of olive oil, add it to cooked linguine and mix well. And amazingly, that's it.

Normandy pork with crusty bread

This is another recipe from the BBC website. As always, just click on the title of this entry for the recipe. I modified the recipe by quite a bit. I added fresh mushrooms and carrots to the casserole, and I added a bit of cream to the sauce before I baked it under the grill. I also sprinkled some cheese on top of it before I served the dish to M. The taste of this dish is alright, although it would be much better, if instead of condensed mushroom soup, chicken stock and porcini mushrooms or any other strong tasting mushrooms were used as the base for the casserole. I would also add more cream to it. I will experiment more with this recipe one day.

Belgos

Since I moved to London, there is one restaurant that I have been to, more often than any other eating places here, and that's Belgos, a Belgium seafood restaurant. Last weekend, we were there for dinner. Belgos is clearly a very popular venue as even though we were there at 6pm, there was a 1 hour waiting period as we were without a reservation. We had to walk around Covent Garden for a while. The starters were as unexceptional as ever. We ordered chicken liver pate, cheese sticks and a smoked haddock and potato soup. There's nothing really much I can say about them. The only reason why anyone should go to Belgos is the 1kg Steamed Mussel Pots. We ordered the Green Thai Curry, and the Traditional (white wine sauce) mussel pots. The portions were as enormous as ever, they are 1 kg each after all and the mussels were large and juicy. For 12 pounds, this is actually quite a good deal for seafood in London.

M's favourite food: Rosti

This is undeniably M's favourite food: Rosti and to be precise, creme fraiche since, as you can see in the picture, she's perfectly capable of eating a spoonful of creme fraiche without anything else to eat it with. This is, therefore, one of those recipes that M forces me to make, on a very regular basis. I think it's three times in a week so far. She bugs me so often about it that she's actually willing to make it herself when I refuse to do so. But sadly, she is not very receptive to instructions. To cook this, you have to first grate the potato and mix it with melted butter then season it with salt and pepper. Then, you are supposed to fry it with olive oil until the potato is crispy and cooked on both sides. Unfortunately, she has an unhealthy obsession with butter and so she decided to fry it with butter instead of olive oil. What happened was that the butter turned brown rapidly, burning the rosti in the process. She was quite distraught to find a blackened rosti when she removed it from the pan.

Thankfully, I can follow instructions and so it looks perfectly fine today.

Spaghetti carbonara

I have always assumed that carbonara sauce requires the use of cream, and so I was quite surprised to find a recipe that omits it. This is taken from the BBC website. I am just going to cut and paste the recipe here.

Ingredients
½ pack fresh spaghetti
¼ pack wild mushrooms
30g/1oz butter
2 egg yolks
50g/1½oz parmesan cheese


Method
1. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Fry the mushrooms in the butter, until they darken and release their juices.
3. In a bowl lightly beat together the yolks, parmesan cheese and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Stir the fried mushrooms into the egg mixture.
5. Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and stir immediately.

I added a bit of fresh parsley as a contrast to the richness of the cheese, and also to get rid of it since it's expiring soon. By the way, M says that this is fake carbonara as there's no cream. I am just going to ignore her.