Saturday, June 2, 2012

Fish dish delish!

This is an easy Asian Style Baked Salmon parcels recipe that I saw Jay Laga'aia do on a tv cooking show back home.


Ingredients:


2 inch (5cm) piece of ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks
6 green onions, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
1 long fresh red chilli, seeded, thinly sliced
1 cup coriander (cilantro), minced
4 salmon fillets about 6oz (175g)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp sesame oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Cut four squares of parchment paper and place on a baking tray. Fold the sides of the paper to create a bowl type shape.


Top with salmon fillets. Top salmon with ginger green onion and chilli. Drizzle with soy sauce, lime juice and sesame oil.



Bake for 12 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking.

Top with coriander and serve with boiled rice, a salad or cooked Asian greens of your choice.



Enjoy.

Matt

Singapore Chinese Noodles??

Singapore Noodles...this is a favourite dish of Chanin's that I introduced to her a few years ago. 

The dish actually is Cantonese-style and served in most Chinese eateries in Hong Kong as well as Australia and the UK.

Ingredients:

10oz (300g) peeled green prawns (shrimp)
10oz (300g) chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine eg: shaohsing cooking wine
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
9oz (250g) dried rice vermicelli noodles
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp curry powder
1 red capsicum (pepper), halved, deseeded and julienne
6 green onions, ends trimmed and thinly sliced diagonally
1/4 cup chicken stock
fresh coriander (cilantro) sprigs, for garnish

Method:

This is one of those dished that you should get all the preparation done at once.

So, grate your ginger cut up your chicken and peel your prawns.







Place the prawns, chicken, Chinese rice wine, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of ginger in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.




Meanwhile, cut up your capsicum and green onions and place the noodles in a large heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes to soften, then drain.



Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat. Add half the prawn and chicken mixture and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate, repeat with the remaining prawn and chicken mixture. Use a paper towel to wipe the wok clean.


Heat the remaining oil in the wok over high heat. Add the curry powder and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the capsicum, half the green onions and the remaining ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute or until the green onions soften. Add the prawn and chicken mixture, stock and remaining soy sauce. Taste and season with sugar, salt and pepper. Add the noodles and toss until coated and heated through.





Sprinkle with fresh coriander and remaining green onions to serve.




This dish should take no more than about 45 minutes to make, so I'd consider it a quick dinner if you have all the ingredients.


As always,


Enjoy.


Matt
 

 


 
 

Friday, June 1, 2012

It's all Greek to me...

After a bit of an absence, I'm going to be posting a few recipes that I have done, starting with Souvlaki.


Souvlaki is small pieces of meat on a skewer, grilled, normally over charcoal. They can have a few veggies interspersed in the meat. Traditionally they are pork, but at least back home they are lamb or chicken.

When I lived in Sydney, I used to buy my raw Souvlakia from a butcher, in Belmore, called Supreme Souvlaki. Unfortunately I can't do that here, so with most things, I make my own.

I want to thank my friend Toula, for the guidance she gave me via email.

Ingredients:

1kg (2lbs) cubed meat lamb, chicken or pork
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lemons - about 4 tbsp juice
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
For chicken, paprika to sprinkle on raw chicken souvlaki

Method:

Cut the meat up and set aside...we had lamb and chicken.



Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together, then add the herbs, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and put the mixture into a deep bowl.



Add the meat (you can put both the chicken and lamb in the same bowl) to the marinade and mix together well.


The meat needs to marinate for at least two hours but it is better if you leave it overnight to let the marinade really develop.

Thread the meat onto the skewers. You can use either metal or wooden/bamboo skewers, but the latter need to be soaked for an hour or so to prevent them from burning on the bbq.


You can keep the leftover marinade to baste the souvlaki when it's on the bbq, but then it must be thrown away.

Cook the souvlaki thoroughly and evenly, turning them over regularly throughout the cooking time. I use charcoal because I think it gives a better flavour, but you can use a regular gas bbq.




We eat these with Tzatziki and Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata).

The Tzatziki recipe I've done before here, but I'll rehash it now.

Ingredients:

1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 English cucumber, diced into small pieces
4 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper

Combine all the ingredients and mix well, cover and rest for at least an hour.

Greek Salad

Ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper, and extra for garnish
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 red onion, sliced into rings
1/2 English cucumbe,r sliced into thick half moons
1/2 green pepper (capsicum) julienne
 4 oz (120g) feta cheese, cut into small cubes
16 kalamata olives

Method:

Place the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and oregano in a small jar with a screw-top lid and shake to combine.

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl.


Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine, just before serving. Garnish with a little ground pepper.




 Plate up and as usual, enjoy.


Matt