Thai Chicken Drummettes

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
500g chicken drummettes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 jalapeno pepper, stems, seeds and veins discarded, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp curry powder

Method:
1. Place cilantro, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno pepper and curry powder in a blender, blend to form a paste.
2. Rinse chicken drummettes, pat dry with paper towels. Rub seasoning paste onto the drummettes. Marinate in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
3. Grill chicken for about 20 minutes until well browned. Serve.

Tikka (Bullets)

Ingredients: (Serves 6)
2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
1 cup of green beans, finely chopped
1 cup of carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
Fresh coriander
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 egg white
Breadcrumbs
Oil for deep frying

Method:
1. In a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of canola oil. Add onion and fry until golden brown.
2. Add garlic paste, ginger paste and saute for another minute. Add carrots, green beans and cook for a few minutes.

3. Add garam masala, salt, pepper, tomato, fresh coriander and potato. Then add lime juice. Stir the mixture and slowly add breadcrumbs until the mixture thickens.
4. Form small "bullets" using the mixture.
5. Dip the "bullets" into the egg white, then breadcrumbs. Deep fry the bullets until gold brown. Serve hot.

(Recipe from Indian Cuisine and Cooking Course by Montreal Consultant and Swadisht Restaurant)

Omelette with Cantonese Barbecue Pork (叉燒炒蛋)

Ingredients:
100g Cantonese barbecue pork, cut into 1 cm cubes
3 sprigs of spring onion
4 eggs
1 tsp salt

Method:
Beat eggs. Add salt, spring onion and barbecue pork into beaten egg.
Add about 1 tsp of vegetable oil into wok. Scramble egg mixture until egg is cooked.

Cantonese Crispy Roast Pork and Rice Noodle Soup

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
400g Roasted pork
120g Rice noodle
1/2 head lettuce (washed)
500 mL Chicken and meat stock
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak rice noodle in boiled water for 20 mins until the noodle becomes opaque and soft. Drain and set aside.
2. Boil 500 ml of water in a saucepan. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp oil into the saucepan. Add lettuce and cook for 3 mins. Set aside.
3. Boil chicken and meat stock in a saucepan, add salt to taste.
4. To serve, place lettuce, noodle, and roasted pork into a bowl. Pour chicken and meat stock into the bowl. Serve hot.

Cantonese Crispy Roast Pork (燒肉)

Ingredients:
1 kg pork belly
2 tbsp rice vinegar

Marinate:
1 tbsp sea salt
3/4 tbsp spice ginger powder (沙薑粉)
1/2 tbsp chinese five spice powder
1 1/2 tbsp rice wine (I used Shaoxing wine, see picture above)

Method:

1. Marinate pork belly with rice wine, spice ginger powder, chinese five spice powder and salt for at least 4 hours uncovered in the fridge.
   
2. Brush the skin with rice vinegar. Repeat this twice.
3. Bake pork belly at 200 degree celcius for at least 1 hour until gold brown.
4. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Serve.

Chupe de Quinua (Quinoa Soup)

Quinoa, also known as "the wheat of the Andes", is commonly used in Peruvian cuisine.

Ingredients:
250g quinoa, washed, drained (available in Mercadomunicipal in Curitiba)
3 potatoes, cut in quarters
100g fresh cheese, crumbled (For Curitibanos, Quijo de Minas can be used)
1 red onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 cup whole milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
minced flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1. In a large sucepan, stir-fry onions and garlic in vegatable oil. Then add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add quinoa and cook for about 10 mins.
2. Add peeled and cut potatoes and boil until tender; then add fresh cheese and mik and stir for a few mins.
3. Remove from fire, season with salt and sprinkle with parsley.

(Recipe from "Peruvian Cooking, basic recipes")

Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)

Butter chicken is a restaurant classic, originating in Delhi. It is based on using up the remains of the tandoori marinade.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup natural yogurt
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp garlic pulp
400g can tomatoes
1 kg chicken, skined, boned and cubed
1 tbsp butter
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
4 tbsp of fresh cream (cream de leite)

Method:

1. In a blender, blend yogurt, all the dry spices, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and salt. Add almonds, blend for another 20 sec. Marinate chicken overnight with this mixture.
2. Heat butter in a frying pan. Add onions and fry until brown. Add the chicken mixture and stir fry for about 10 mins.
3. Stir in about half of the coriander and mix well. Add fresh cream and stir in well. Bring to a boil. Garnish with remaining chopped coriander.

(Recipe from Indian Cuisine and Cooking Course by Montreal Consultant and Swadisht)

Kalakand

Ingredients:
400g condensed milk
200g milk powder
2 tbsp butter
1 L whole milk
100g semolina
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:
1. Mix whold milk and milk powder, bring to a boil. Add condensed milk.
2. Stir constantly. Add butter and keep stiring.
3. Add cardamom, butter and semolina. Continue mixing until the mixture becomes thick.4. Spread it on a greased container. Place it in the oven at 180 degress for 30 mins. Sprinkle crushed almonds or cashews on top. Cool and serve.

(Recipe from Indian cuisin and cooking course by Montreal Consultant and Swadisht)

Chicken and meat stock (chinese style)

You can use this stock to make shark's fin soup, tofu and spinach soup, winter melon and ham soup and wonton and chicken soup.

Ingredients:

1 kg chick carcasses, necks, feet
1 kg pork spareribs
4 spring onions
10 slices of ginger
6 litres of water
50ml Chinese Rice Wine (I used Shaoxing cooking wine)
2 tsp salt


Method:

1. Boil 2 litres of water in a stockpot. Put chicken and meat into the stockpot and wait for the water to boil again. Empty everything into a strainer. Rinse the chicken and the meat under cold water.
2. Boil 4 litres of water in a stockpot. Place in the chicken, meat, ginger and spring onions and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours, skimming the surface to remove any impurities.
4. Strain through a fine strainer, removing the solid and skim the surface to remove any fat. Return to the pot with the rice wine and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
   
5. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze in small portions.