cr-EAT-ive

Satay beef stir fry

2007-01-14T11:48:00.000-02:00

Ingredients:
500g Filet Mignon, cut into strips
1 onion, julienned
1 red pepper, julienned
1 green pepper, julienned
1 clove of garlic
3 sticks of celery, julienned
Coriander and toasted sesame for garlish

Marinate:
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp roasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp water
white pepper

Sauce:
2 tsp corn starch
4 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp satay sauce

Method:
1. Marinate beef for at least 2 hours. Make sauce and set aside.
2. Saute garlic and onion in a wok for about 3 mins.
3. Add beef and stir fry over high heat for about 3 mins, add the rest of the ingredients.
4. When beef is done, pour sauce into wok and cook until the sauce thickens. Add coriander and toasted sesame for garlish. Serve hot.

Note: Great to combine with rice noodle. Just double the amount of sauce and add pre soak rice noodle into wok. Stir until rice noodle is coated with sauce, turn off heat. Serve hot.

Coconut shrimps

2007-01-13T10:30:00.000-02:00

This is a recipe from www.allrecipes.com. I think the recipe lacks salt so I added salt to the shrimps.

Ingredients:
400g shrimps (about 35)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup beer
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup all- purpose flour
3 cups of flaked coconut
vegetable oil for frying (I used corn oil)
salt to taste

Method:
1. Combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, beer and baking powder to make batter. Place 1/3 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.
2. Dip shrimp in flour, then batter. Roll shrimp in coconut and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil to 175 degrees C in a deep fryer. (This can also be done in a wok. Heat oil. To test whether the oil is ready for frying, put a pair of chopsticks into the oil. When there are bubbles, the oil is ready)
3. Fry shrimp in batches. Cook for about 4 minutes or until golden. Remove shrimps to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle salt onto shrimps while still warm. Serve warm with dipping sauce.

For dipping sauce, I used 1/4 cup Dijon, 1/4 cup honey and 1/2 mayo.

Thai Chicken 2

2007-01-12T18:36:00.000-02:00

Original recipe from Leisure-Cat.

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs
1 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp parika
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp coriander, finely chopped
2 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt

Sauce:
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
6 tsp sugar
1 tsp coriander, finely chopped
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
juice of 1/2 lime

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken thighs in the above ingredients overnight. Bake chicken at 200 degrees celcius for 25mins or until cooked.
2. To make sauce, saute garlic and ginger in fish sauce. Turn off heat. Add the other ingredients. Serve chicken with sauce.

Brownie

2007-01-10T17:47:00.000-02:00

I used this recipe from La Tartine Gourmande.

Braised beef shank

2006-12-30T19:14:00.001-02:00

This dish can be served cold as an appetizer or hot with noodle or rice. Remove the beef from the fridge about 30 mins before serving as an appetizer and pour heated sauce onto beef. Reheat beef and sauce when served as a main dish with noodle or rice.

Ingredients:
1kg beef shank (pick the small whole muscle, about 500g)
2 cm piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 sprigs of spring onions, whole and some thinly sliced for garlish
1 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp light soy sauce
1 piece of star anise
1 tsp Szechwan peppercorn
3 tbsp wine (optional)
Roasted sesame oil (about 2 tsp)

Method:
1. Blanch the beef in a pan of boiling water for 4 to 5 mins. Rinse the beef. Bring another pan of water to a boil, add half of the ginger, spring onions and 2 tbsp wine. Place beef into pan and cook for 15 mins. Keep the cooking liquid.

2. In a separate pot, add rest of the ginger, sugar, soy sauce, star anise and wine. Place beef in the pot and add enough cooking liquid to cover the beef and bring to a boil. Then simmer over low heat for about 1 hour until beef is tender.

3. Remove the beef and drain. Rest the beef on the chopping board until it is cool. Cut the beef into very thin slices and serve with the sauce and sesame oil.

Bulgogi

2006-12-26T17:10:00.000-02:00

Ingredients:
1 lb thinly sliced ribeye beef

Marinate:
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 cloves garlic and 1 tsp ginger
dash of black pepper
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (grinded)
1/4 cup sliced spring onion

Method:
Marinate beef for at least one hour. Grill or pan fry beef. Serve with stir fry carrot and cabbage. Enjoy!

Bread Sauce

2006-12-25T22:08:00.000-02:00

A recipe from Mrs. B. Bread sauce is great with turkey or chicken.

Ingredients: (serves 8)
4 cloves
2 medium onions
2 bay leave
1 pint milk (about 500 mL)
13 to 15 heaped tbsp or more breadcrumbs(white bread)
salt and pepper to taste and a dash of cayenne
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cream or top of milk

Method:
Stick cloves in onions, bring milk to boil with bay leaves. Let it simmer for 10 mins. Remove onions and bay leaves. Shake in breadcrumbs and seasoning. Draw aside, add butter and cream. Reheat very gently. Use at once.

Creamed Corn

2006-12-21T16:54:00.000-02:00

Recipe from Saveur (Nov, 2005 issue)
A great side dish for turkey dinners.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)
6 tbsp better
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 cups of corn kernels

Method:
Bring butter and heavy cream to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add 8 cups of corn kernels and simmer for about 10 mins. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

New York Cheese Cake

2006-12-20T10:44:00.000-02:00

I followed this recipe from Dessert and Bakery DIY.

Sauce- Cantonese styled baked pork chop with rice 焗豬扒飯

2006-10-17T17:48:00.000-03:00

Pork chop sauce =200mL tomato sauce+ 100mL beef sauce

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1500 g peeled tomatoes (chopped finely)
400g carrot
½ onion
3 tbsp minced garlic
50ml olive oil
1 tsp oregano
2 bay leave
600 ml chicken stock

seasoning:
½ tsp salt and ground black pepper
½ tsp worchestershire sauce
½ tsp seasoning
2 tbsp chicken bouillon

Method:
Heat up olive oil. Stir fry carrot, onion and minced garlic till fragrant. Add chopped tomato and chicken stock. Bring it to boil over medium heat about 20 minutes.
Add chopped Oregano, bay leaf and seasoning. Simmer for 25 mins.

Beef Sauce

Ingredients:
250ml beef soup base

Seasoning:
½ tsp Maggie seasoning
½ tsp worchestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp beef stock powder
1 tsp sugar

Flour paste ingredients:
20g butter
20g flour

Method:
Make flour paste: Melt butter over low heat. Add flour. Stir and mix well until smooth.
Bring Beef Bone Soup to boil. Add seasoning. Mix well and turn off heat.
Add flour paste into beef bone soup. Stir well to dissolve all particles. Cook over low heat for 20 mins. Turn off heat.
Use strainer to strain off residue.

Beef soup base (cantonese style)

2006-10-16T17:51:00.000-03:00

Ingredients:
2kg beef bones
60 g butter
6L water
9 tbsp tomato paste
1.5 carrot cut into wedges
4 stalks celery cut into sections
2 tomatoes cut into wedges
3 onions cut into wedges
12 cloves garlic chopped finely
4 bay leagves
1.5 tbsp mixed herbs
some peppercorns

Precedures:
Bring water to boil over high heat. Wash beef bones. Chop into pieces.
heat up wok, add butter and melt it over low hear. Add beef bones. Stir fry over medium heat till half done.
Add celery, carrot, tomato and chopped garlic. Stir fry till just tender. Add peppercorns and tomato paste. Stir fry till brownish golden color.
Preheat oven to 210 oc. Put all stir fried ingredients into oven and bake for 30 to 45 mins (Stir and turn ingredients every now and then). Remove from oven.
Put baked ingredients into boiling water. Add mixed herbs. Simmer over low heat for another 3 hours ( while simmering, remover bubbles on top with small spoon) Stain off ingredients. Soup base is done.

Thai Chicken Drummettes

2006-09-20T18:21:00.000-03:00

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)

2006-09-10T13:05:00.000-03:00

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)

2006-09-08T20:57:00.000-03:00

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

2006-09-07T17:37:00.000-03:00

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)

2006-09-07T17:27:00.000-03:00

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:

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

Chupe de Quinua (Quinoa Soup)

2006-09-06T09:27:00.000-03:00

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:

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.
Add peeled and cut potatoes and boil until tender; then add fresh cheese and mik and stir for a few mins.
Remove from fire, season with salt and sprinkle with parsley.

(Recipe from "Peruvian Cooking, basic recipes")

Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)

2006-09-05T17:29:00.000-03:00

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:

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.
Heat butter in a frying pan. Add onions and fry until brown. Add the chicken mixture and stir fry for about 10 mins.
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

2006-09-04T09:30:00.000-03:00

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)

2006-09-02T18:42:00.000-03:00

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:

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.
Boil 4 litres of water in a stockpot. Place in the chicken, meat, ginger and spring onions and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours, skimming the surface to remove any impurities.
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.
Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze in small portions.

Farofa (Fried Manioc Flour)

2006-08-12T20:15:00.000-03:00

I attended a cooking demostration class in Swadisht and this is one of the dishes. It is a great side dish to be served with Feijoada.

Ingredients: (Serve 6)

2 tbsp cooking oil
3 bananas (caturra, cut into small pieces)
2 tbsp margarine
300 g of manioc flour (flakes)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 small onion, (chopped)
parsley and green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a saucepan, fry bananas in cooking oil. Set aside.
In a separate pan, heat butter and add onion. Fry until golden brown. Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Add eggs and cook for about 1 min, stir. Add flour, green onion, parsley, salt and pepper.
Add banana and stir. Ready to serve.

Feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew)

2006-08-07T18:04:00.000-03:00

This is the national dish of Brazil. It is usually served on a Saturday (sometimes on a Thursday as well in some restaurants). I followed the recipe from a book called "Cozinha Brazileira" (ISBN 972-8819-05-6). The recipe book was a gift from Renata. Obrigada, Renata!

Ingredients:
3 cups black beans (feijao)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
4 bay leaves
2 tbsp dried pasley
about 2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
Rice, couve and slices of oranges to serve
Meat: (other types of meat can be used, eg. carne seca (brazilian dried beef), ribs)
2 pig feet
2 pork sausages

Method:
1. The night before, soak the black beans in water. The next morning, drain the beans and set aside.

2. In a large pot, cook onion over medium heat. When the onion become transparent, add garlic. Cook for about a minute, then add black beans and mix. Add bay leaves, dried pasley salt and sufficient water so that the water level is about 2 inches higher than the level just to cover the beans. Bring to a boil. Then reduce to low heat and cook the mixture for about 1.5 hours or until creamy. Stir occasionally. Add water if necessary.

2. In a separate pot, cook pig feet in water over medium heat for about 1 hour until soft. Once done, drain the water and rinse under cold water to remove excess fat. Add the pig feet to the black beans.

3. Cut the sausages into 1/2 inch pieces and add to the black beans.

4. Continue the cooking until the mixture becomes creamy. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

5. To serve feijoada, put a ladleful of feijoada on top of rice . Arrange oranges and couve around the sides.

Picadinho Tailandes

2006-08-03T13:10:00.000-03:00

Uma receita da minha amiga. Obrigada, Ana!

Ingredientes:

1 cebola ( média ) picadinha
500 g de carne ( alcatra, coxão-mole ) em tirinhas
3 colheres ( sopa ) de margarina
2 tomates ( sem pele nem sementes ) picados
3 colheres ( sopa ) de farinha de trigo
3 cravos-da-Índia
1 colher ( café ) de canela em pó
1 colher de ( sopa ) de Curry
2 cubinhos de caldo de carne
1 maçã descascada e cortada em cubinhos
1 banana-nanica picada
1/2 xícara ( chá ) de coco ralado
1/2 xícara ( chá ) de uva-passa branca
1/2 xícara ( chá ) de iogurte natural
1/2 xícara ( chá ) de cheiro-verde picadinho

Modo de preparo:

Doure a cebola e a carne na margarina.
Acrescente os tomates e refogue bem.
Junte a farinha, os cravos-da-índia, a canela, o curry e mexa bem.
Acrescente o caldo de carne, dissolvido em 4 xícaras ( chá ) de água fervente, e cozinhe em fogo baixo, até a carne ficar macia.
Junte os demais ingredientes, mexendo bem por mais 10 minutos
Polvilhe com o cheiro-verde e sirva a seguir.

Chicken in Lemon Mustard Sauce with pasta

2006-08-01T23:33:00.000-03:00

Ingredients:

1/2 kg chicken thigh
any kind of pasta (enough for 2)
1 carrot (cut into 1 cm cubes)
1/2 onion (cut into small pieces)
3 celery sticks (cut into small cubes)

Marinate:

Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 orange
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon pepper

Method:

Marinate chicken with for at least 1/2 hour.
Grill chicken over medium heat. Save marinate.
Pan fry vegetable. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside
Cook pasta as per package instruction in a separate pan until el dente. Drain pasta and toss in marinate and vegetable. Cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds until the sauce is reduced. Enjoy!

Caipirinha

2006-07-31T17:47:00.000-03:00

This is the most famous and traditional Brazilian drink. Caipirinha is normally prepared in individual serving.

Ingredients:
1 lime (cut into wedges)
2 to 3 tsp fine sugar
2 tbsp cachaça
2 tsp water
enough ice cubes to fill a 250ml glass

Method:
Mash the lime in a glass. Add sugar, cachaca, ice cubes and water. Mix. Enjoy!

Beef Sauce

2006-07-30T18:13:00.000-03:00

Ingredients:
250ml beef bone soup (see recipe below)

Seasoning:
½ tsp Maggie seasoning
½ tsp worchestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp beef stock powder
1 tsp sugar

Flour paste ingredients:
20g butter
20g flour

Make flour paste: Melt butter over low heat. Add flour. Stir and mix well until smooth.
Bring Beef Bone Soup to boil. Add seasoning. Mix well and turn off heat.
Add flour paste into beef bone soup. Stir well to dissolve all particles. Cook over low heat for 20 mins.

Beef Bone Soup Base

Precedures:

Wash beef bones. Chop into pieces.
Heat up wok, add butter and melt it over low hear. Add beef bones. Stir fry over medium heat till half done.
Add celery, carrot, tomato and chopped garlic. Stir fry till just tender. Add peppercorns and tomato paste. Stir fry till brownish golden color.
Preheat oven to 210 degrees celcius. Put all stir fried ingredients into oven and bake for 30 to 45 mins (Stir and turn ingredients every now and then) remover from oven.
Put baked ingredients into boiling water. Add mixed herbs. Simmer over low heat for another 3 hours ( while simmering, remover bubbles on top with small spoon)

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2006-07-25T12:58:00.000-03:00

Ingredients:
250g lean pork
1/2 carrot
1/8 cup dried black fungus (soak in cold water for at least 20 minutes before use)
4 pieces of dried shitake mushroom (soak in cold water until well rehydrated, takes about 1 hour)
1/2 onion
1 package of spring roll wrappers (or egg roll wrappers)
1/8 cup dried shrimp (soak in cold water for at least 20 minutes before use)
50 g vermicelli (or bean threads; soak in cold water for 30 mins or until well rehydrated)
1/8 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 can of beer (any kind)

Marinate:
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 white pepper
1 egg

Sauce: (Mix the following ingredients)
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp garlic (finely chopped)
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Method:
1. To make filling, blend pork, carrot, black fungus, mushroom, onion, dried shrimp, cilantro and marinate in a food processor.
2. Add egg and chopped vermicelli to the above mixture. Set aside.
3. Set one piece of spring roll wrapper on a plate. Brush the wrapper with beer. Add about 2 tbsp of the filling onto the wrapper. Make spring roll per instruction on the package. Put the spring rolls in the fridge for 1 hour. 4. Heat oil in a wok. Deep fry the spring rolls using medium heat. Cook until the spring rolls are golden brown. Serve with sauce.

Polenta con spuntature di maiale (Polenta with Spare ribs)

2006-07-05T12:46:00.000-03:00

I attended a cooking demonstration class yesterday at Espaco Gourmet Academia
This is one of the four dishes that chef Giorgio Ridolfi demonstrated. Today, I tried out the recipe myself.

Ingredients:

For Rib Sauce:
3 cloves of garlic (center removed)
1 onion (or red onion)
1 kg spare ribs
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of white wine
3 cups chopped tomatoes
3 cups puree tomato
Salt to taste

For polenta:
400 g mixed polenta
3 L beef broth

To make Spare ribs:
1. Add oil into pot, saute onion, garlic until golden brown. Add rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 3 mins.
2. Add ribs into the pot. Use a spatula to move the ribs around so that each side will be cooked. Add a pinch of salt.
3. Once the meat is sealed, add wine (while pot is still hot). Let it cook for about 3 mins. Cover the pot and lower heat. Turn ribs once in a while and cook for about 20 mins.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, let it cook for 10 mins, then add tomato puree. Cover lid again and cook for another 2 hours. Again turn ribs once in a while. Sauce should be reduced once done.

To make polenta:
1. Heat 2 L of beef brooth but do not bring to a boil. Once the brooth is hot, sprinkle polenta into the pot slowly. Whisk the mixture while adding polenta. Continue to add polenta. If the mixture becomes too thick add more broth. The mixture should be runny in the beginning.
2. Contiue to stir the mixture with a whisk for another 30 mins under low heat.
3. Change to a wooden spatula for stirring under low heat for another 10 mins. Remove pot from the stove.
4. Rest the polenta for about 10 mins before serving.

Tip: While serving polenta, have a bowl of cold water ready. Dip the serving spoon into the cold water after each scoop to prevent the polenta from sticking onto the serving spoon.

To serve:
Place the polenta on a wooden plate top with spareribs. Enjoy!

Nanaimo Bar

2006-07-04T10:45:00.000-03:00

A friend suggested to have nanaimo bar for Canada Day celebration (Great Idea!). So I went ahead and found a recipe on the internet. I made some adjustments and the following was what I used.

Bottom layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded cococut
1 3/4 cup graham cinnamon crisps (for Curitibanos: available in St. Germain)
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
5 tbsp cocoa powder

Melt butter and sugar using a double boiler. Add egg and cook until thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crisps, coconut, nuts and cocoa powder. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 X 8 pan.

Second layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp vanilla custard powder
2tbsp and 2 tsp of cream (creme de leite)
1 1/2 cups of icing sugar

Cream butter, cream, custard powder and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Top layer:
160 g semi-sweet chocolate (chocolate amargo)
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Pour over the second layer. Chill in refrigerator.

Click here for weight conversion table.

Strogonoff de Carne (Beef Stroganoff, Brazilian style)

2006-07-03T16:18:00.000-03:00

Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 onion (finely chopped)
700 g minced beef
240g tomato puree
200g creme de leite (cream)
1 tsp dried oregano
200g fresh or preserved mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Saute onion and garlic. Add minced beef ,mushrooms and oregano.
2. Once the beef is cooked, add tomato puree and creme de leite. Mix well. Add salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Note: This can be served with rice or pasta.

Baked Maple Ribs

2006-07-03T10:58:00.000-03:00

I found this recipe in "the Cook's Encyclopedia of Spices" by Sallie Morris and Lesley Mackley. I found the recipe a little too sweet. So I reduced the amount of maple syrup and sprinkled sea salt on the ribs. Thiswas quite popular in the Canada Day party.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
1 garlic clove, crushed
80mL maple syrup
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (alternatively 1/2 tsp red wine and 1/2 tsp white vinegar)
1 kg pork spare ribs
Sea Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 200 oC/400 oF/Gas 6. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 mins until soft.
2. Add the maple syrup, soy suce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, paprika, mustard powder, wine vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 mins.
3. Place the ribs in a roasting tin, pour over the sauce and turn the ribs to coate them completely. Cover the tin with foil and bake the ribs for 45 mins. Remove the foil and bake for 15 mins more. Once done, sprinkle some sea salt over the ribs. Enjoy!

Sid's Caipiroska Canadensa

2006-07-02T10:48:00.000-03:00

I found a Maple Leaf Martini recipe in the Food and Drink Magazine Spring 2005 Issue. The recipe calls for cranberries. Unfortunately, I couldn't find cranberries nor cranberry juice in Curitiba. So Sid modified the recipe and made this delicious "Caipiroska Canadensa".

For 250mL, you will need:
100mL Vodka
100mL Sprite
5 strawberries (coarsely chopped)
2 tsp maple syrup
A few ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in a mixer, mix and serve.

Sampling

2006-06-29T18:22:00.000-03:00

We are going to have a party on July 1 for Canada Day Celebration. So I did this taste test to decide which recipe to use for the day. There were 4 different marinates for the chicken drummettes: lemon and pepper, teriyaki, five spice and honey garlic.

Lemon Pepper:
Sprinkle salt and lemon pepper spice onto chicken drummettes. Marinate for at least 1 hour. Grill.

Teriyaki:
Marinate drummettes in one to one mixture of light soya sauce and mirin for at least 1 hour. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked.

Five Spiced:
For each pound of drummettes, marinate with:
1/4 tsp five spice powder
1/4 tsp tumerica powder
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1/3 cup of red wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 bay leaves
Again, marinate drummetes for at least an hour. Set oven at 220oC and bake for 20 minutes.

Honey Garlic:
Marinate 1 pound of drummettes with 2 cloves of garlic (chopped),about 3 tbsp of light soya sauce and 2 tsp sugar. Bake at 220oC for 15 mins then brush 2 coats of honey on the chicken and bake for another 5 mins or until golden brown

Tips for making beef stir fry

2006-06-02T15:39:00.000-03:00

From Today's Apple News Daily:

"想牛肉炒得嫩滑，就要用薑汁令牛肉肉質變得鮮嫩。首先只要將薑片攪碎，再將薑末放入紗布中擠出薑汁，然後拌入牛肉中攪勻，在室溫下醃製約半小時，讓薑汁滲入牛肉中軟化組織，再以大火爆炒，就可令牛肉變得鮮嫩無比，食落除香味濃郁外，又無生薑辛辣味。"

To tenderize beef, add ginger juice to beef. Let it stand under room temperature for half an hour. Then marinate beef with soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Stir fry beef.

Chicken with Spice Ginger powder

2006-04-04T06:02:00.000-03:00

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken about 900-1.2 kg
8 slices of ginger
8 springs of spring onion
1 tbsp Sahoxing wine
1/2 tbsp spice ginger powder (沙薑粉)
3/4 tbsp salt

Seasoning:
1 cup water
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar

Method:
1. Wash chicken and wipe dry. Marinade chicken with 1/2 tbsp spice giner powder and 3/4 salt.
2. Stir fry ginger and spring onion until gragrant. Add chicken. Sizzle in shaoxing wine. Add seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and cook for 25 minutes until chicken is done. Cool and chop up chicken.
3. Thicken sauce with 2 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of corn starch. Pour sauce over chicken.

Daikon Pudding/ Steamed Turnip Cake 蘿蔔糕

2006-02-23T13:38:00.000-03:00

Ingredients:

150g daikon (see picture below)

30g rice flour
2 dried scallop (rehydrate by soaking in cold water overnight)
50g dried shrimps (rehydrate)
5 shitake mushroom (rehydrate by soaking in cold water for at least 2 hours)
2 dried Chinese sausage
About 1/2 cup water
Salt and white pepper

Method:

1. Grate daikon using a grater (see diagram below). Set aside.

2. Cut dried sausage, mushrooms and dried shrimps into very small cubes (about 0.5cm). Shred the dried scallops. Saute the above ingredients in a wok/pan. Set aside.

3. In the same pan, cook daikon over medium heat for about 5 mins until it becomes semi-transparent. Add about 1/2 cup of water and cook daikon for another 2 mins.

4. Add rice flour to daikon and mix over low heat for about 1 min. Add sausage, mushrooms, dried shrimps and shredded dried scallops. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Turn off heat.

5. Pour the mixture (should not be too watery) into a 9"cake pan. Steam for 1 hour.

It is best to make daikon cake a day ahead and leave daikon cake in the fridge. To serve, cut daikon cake into 1 inch thick pieces (see below). Fry until both sides are golden brown. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds. Serve with Hoisin Sauce.

Custard Pudding

2006-01-24T12:10:00.000-02:00

A very popular dessert in cantonese restaurants

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tapioca
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 tbsp margarine
2 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp custard powder
4 eggs
1/2 cups japanese red bean sauce
1 tbsp corn oil

Method:
1. Boil about 2 liters of water. Pour 1/2 cup tapioca into the boiling water. Bring to boil then lower to medium heat. Cook until tapioca turns transparent. Put tapioca into a sieve and leave under running water for about 1/2 minute. Keep tapioca in cold water. Set aside.

2. Cook red bean sauce in a saucepan. Try to mash the beans at the same time. Slowly add corn oil. Stir vigourously. Set aside.

3. Add 1/2 cup of water, evaporated milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves then add margarine. Remove tapioca from cold water and add into the mixture. Mix corn starch, custard powder and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. Then add this mixure into the saucepan. Stir the mixture, cook until the mixture becomes thick. Remove pan from stove, slowly add in the eggs. Whisk mixture.

4. Preheat oven to 190 Celcius. Pour 1/2 tapioca mixture into a baking pan, add red bean paste, then pour the rest of the tapioca mixture on top. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve hot.

Sour Cream

2006-01-23T17:30:00.000-02:00

I couldn't find sour cream in any supermarket in Curitiba. (It was not available in Salalah either) Luckily, I found this recipe in the Pine Post by International Women's Club of Parana.

Ingredients:
500 g of creme de leite (cream)
1 container of natural yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 lemon

Method:
Combine cream, yogurt and mayonnaise and whip with a hand mixer. When the mixture has the consistency of whipped cream, add the lemone juice which will sour the cream. 1/2 of the lemon is usually enough but depends on your taste. Flavour improves if it has time to sit.

Keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.

Note: Do not beat too much or you will get butter.

Soy Milk

2005-12-20T13:50:00.000-02:00

Ever since we moved to Brazil in January this year, I have been dying for a nice glass of soy milk. ( I don't know why, because I survived in the Middle East without any such craving). Soy products are available here, but all of them come with flavouring that may be too much of an "acquired taste" for me. To give you an idea, there is "Ensure" flavoured vanilla soy milk and the (downright awful) orange flavoured soy milk. For me, the best one is probably the apple flavour but still, nothing beats the regular, sweetened soy milk. So I went onto the internet and found this simple recipe.

Makes about 2 litres

Ingredients:
2 cups soya beans
2 litres of water

Directions:
1. Soak soy beans overnight with water.
2. Discard the water. Transfer soy beans to a blender. Add 1 L (or sufficient for beans to be liquidised). Blend mixture until almost homogenous.
3. Transfer the mixture into a pot. Add remaining 1 L of water and bring the milk mixture to a boil. Boil for about 15 minutes.
4. Filter milk through muslin or cheese cloth. (a sieve will also work)
5. Add sugar to taste.
6. Add orange-flavoured Tang powder to mixture for the ultimate killer party drink (just kidding)

*Soy milk turns bad quite easily, so only make a small batch at a time.

Conversion table for Oven Temperature

2005-12-19T17:04:00.000-02:00

I am having a little trouble with the layout of this particular posting. If anyone knows how to fix this, please let me know.

Please scroll down for table.

	Gas mark	Fahrenheit	Celsius
Very slow	1	250	120
Slow	2	300	150
Moderately slow	3	325	160
Moderate	4	350-375	180-190
Moderately hot	5	400-425	200-210
Hot	6	450-475	220-230
Very hot	7	500-525	240-250

Lamb Vindaloo

2005-12-18T18:44:00.000-02:00

Makes 2 servings:

Ingredients:
500g diced lamb
1 large brown onion
1 cup chicken stock

vindaloo paste: (combine and let it stand for 1/2 hour before cooking)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 cardamom (optional)
4 gloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground ginger

Directions:
1. Cut lamb into 1 ince pieces. Brown meat, set aside.

2. Cook onion in the same pan, until soft. Add vindaloo paste, until fragrant. Add stock, return meat to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered over low heat for about 1 hour or until meat is tender. Stir occasionally.

Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

2005-12-16T08:45:00.000-02:00

I love this recipe! It's easy to make and you can prepare this ahead of time (up to 12 hours ahead). It's a very good dish to bring to a pot luck lunch/dinner in the summer.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:
250g Udon noodles (can be found in Asian markets)
1/3 cup crunchy/smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil (cannot be substituted with light sesame oil)
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cucumber, julienned
3 carrots, grated
6 green onions
1/3 cup of chopped fresh mint
1 cup chopped roasted peanuts
(optional: 2 cups of bean spouts; if you decided to use bean spouts, cut down the amount of cucumber to 1 and carrots to 2)

Directions:
1. Cook the udon noodles as per package instructions. Drain and rinse the noodle under cold running water and let cool.
2. Whisk peanut butter, milk, rice wine vinegar, light soy sauce, dark sesame oil, ginger and crushed red pepper flakes.
3. Combine the cooked noodle, cucumber, carrot, mint and green onions (also bean spouts if desired). Add the peanut butter dressing and mix well. Served chilled and garnish with chopped roasted peanuts. (You can also garnished with roasted sesame)