Category:

Mains

Bone-in Chicken Thigh in Tomato Sauce With Green Olives

by michelletang118 January 16, 2019

CHICKEN-LICIOUS | This middle eastern chicken dish is the epitome of “one-pan beauty”.

Looking to feed a hungry crowd with some irresistable love? Simply please them and satiate even the most discerning palates with this middle-eastern spiced chicken bone-in thigh dish simmered in a tomato sauce and green olives. This dish can be served straight from the pan.

The key to ensure the chicken remains tender? Patience.

INGREDIENTS:

3 bone-in chicken thighs
8 chicken thighs or 4 whole legs (thighs and drumsticks)
2 tablespoons Baharat Spice Mix
2 tablespoons Ras el Hanout Spice Mix
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 onions, thinly diced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup plain pitted green olives (my favorite are Manzanilla)
8 garlic cloves, sliced
4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
2 x 14.5-ounce cans very good-quality chopped tomatoes (get the Italian stuff — they know their tomatoes)
1 teaspoon sugar
Handful chopped parsley
Handful chopped cilantro
Crushed rose petals (optional, to garnish)

Baharat spice mix:

4 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cardamom pods
4 tablespoons toasted cumin seeds
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons toasted coriander seeds
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves

Bone-in Chicken Thigh in Tomato Sauce With Green Olives

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 40 mins | Yields: 2 servings

For the chicken

Start by rubbing the chicken with 1 tablespoon each of the Baharat and Ras el Hanout Spice Mixes and some salt, then set aside while you start the sauce. (You can do this the day before, then cover and leave the chicken thighs or legs in the fridge overnight — they’ll be even tastier.)
Heat a wide, shallow pan over a medium heat, add the oils and then the onions and sauté with a pinch of salt and the crushed red pepper flakes for about 10–15 minutes until the onions are nicely caramelized.
While the onions are frying, bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and blanch the olives for 2 minutes. Drain and then repeat this process twice more. Drain for the final time and set them aside.
When the onions have caramelized, add the garlic and sauté for 2–3 more minutes. Meanwhile, heat up a large nonstick pan over a medium heat, add the thighs or legs, skin-side down, and let them crisp up as they slowly render their fat.
Add half the stock (or water) to the onions and garlic. Meanwhile, when the thighs are nice and crisp on the skin side, flip them and sear on the other side as well. Season with a touch of salt and pepper, remove from the pan and leave to rest.
Add the remaining stock to the pan and deglaze it with a wooden spoon, combining the residue from the pan with the onions, garlic and stock. This will add amazing flavor to your sauce. If you’ve gone for the vegetarian version, just add all the vegetable stock to the onions in step 5 and skip from there to step 7.
When the stock has reduced by half (i.e. when you’re left with about 2¼ cups, add the tomatoes, blanched olives, sugar and the rest of the spice mixes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and simmer for another 20 minutes over a low heat. I like to turn the heat off and let the dish rest for at least 30 minutes before I serve, which binds all the flavors amazingly. To doll up the dish, garnish with the chopped herbs and rose petals (optional) before serving.

January 16, 2019 0 comments

Japanese Mains

Wasabi Beef Cubes

by michelletang118 March 5, 2016

written by michelletang118

wasabi beef cubes (1 of 1).jpg The combination of steak, wasabi and garlic is too compelling of a concoction to miss.
I love Japanese-inspired dishes so and came up with this wasabi beef cube recipe using Wagyu beef from Japan (but feel free to use a rib-eye or sirloin cut too).
Don’t worry, the wasabi is not that overpowering. It just adds a little ‘kick’ factor to the beef. Then add a dollop of mustard and the rest of the ingredients – diced garlic, sesame oil and some light soy sauce – for an Asian marinade that complements beef very well.
P.S. Remember to take the steak 30 mins out of the refrigerator before cooking.
wasabi beef cubes (2 of 2)

Wasabi Beef Cubes

TIME: 20 mins | SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:

380g wagyu beef cubes (can substitute with ribeye or sirloin)
~8g of wasabi paste (3 small 2.5g packs)
2 teaspoons of light soy sauce
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, sliced
canola oil
butter (optional, for frying)
spring onions, diced (for garnish)

METHOD:

Wash and pat dry wagyu beef cubes. In a bowl, marinade beef cubes with wasabi, sesame oil, mustard, and soy sauce.
Make garlic chips (for garnish). Heat pan on medium heat, add a dollop of canola oil and take one clove of sliced garlic to pan-fry until golden brown. Set aside to cool for use later.
While pan is still hot add a knob of butter and throw in rest of the sliced garlic. Add the beef cubes and fry until colour changes and cubes give off a golden brown hue (~5-6 minutes).
Once cooked to your desired ‘wellness’ factor for beef, remove from the pan and transfer to serving dish. To serve, garnish with the garlic chips set aside and sprinkle the chopped spring onions.

March 5, 2016 0 comments

Gluten-free Mains Salad

Jerk Chicken Quinoa Citrus Salad

by michelletang118 February 15, 2016

written by michelletang118

Jerk Chicken Citrus Quinoa Salad (1 of 21)
PROTEIN PACKED SALAD | A hearty and healthy chicken salad with creamy avocado, nutty quinoa, fresh parsley and lots of bright citrus flavours.
Fancy a touch of the Carribean? Well, look no further than Jerk Chicken. First, let’s clarify: “Jerk” doesn’t mean what you think it means. It means Jamaican BBQ. This well rounded flavour of sweet, hot, herbal and spicy chicken can be served with rice, beans or pasta. In this particular instance, I chose quinoa as I fancied a light dinner after the repetitive days of gluttony over the recent Lunar New Year.
I love quinoa not only due to its health benefits, but because it is so versatile and easy to prepare. Did you know that quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat? It is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. Furthermore, it is chock full of fibre (good for relieving constipation) and is high in iron and magnesium. For more information about the health benefits of quinoa, click here.
The prime burst of flavor in this salad comes from the jerk chicken. Jerk seasoning boasts elements of sweetness, hotness, herbal-ness and spicy-ness – what a terrific combination to titillate your taste buds. Now, many of you may be wondering whether you can make your own jerk seasoning? Short answer, yes. Can I be bothered tonight? No. Problem with Hong Kong is that jerk seasoning is not easy to find. Thanks to my dear friend Noah though, he managed to grab me some on one of his (many) business trips to the British Virgin Islands.
Jerk Chicken Citrus Quinoa Salad (17 of 21)
Jerk Seasoning…not for “jerks”. Jerk seasoning typically comprises of a mixture of onion, vinegar, cayenne pepper, all spice, cinnamon, black pepper and oil.
As for how I chose to cook the chicken, I opted for the sous vide (my latest cooking gadget addiction) which inevitably takes longer (but results in chicken that is more moist and juicy). Feel free to pan-fry your chicken tenderloins/breast instead if you only have 10-15 minutes to spare (after you marinade it).
Now, for a little light dressing, simply whisk together lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, and a dash of honey. This citrus dressing is so refreshing and light that it won’t overpower the intense flavours from the jerk chicken.
Jerk Chicken Citrus Quinoa Salad (3 of 21)

Jerk Chicken Quinoa Citrus Salad

INACTIVE TIME: 1.5 hours | ACTIVE TIME: 4 minutes | SERVES: 1
INGREDIENTS:

2 small chicken tenderloin fillets (or 0.5 pound chicken breast fillet if you prefer)
1 tablespoon jerk seasoning
1 bunch of Italian parsley
1 limes
1 orange
1/2 tablespoon of liquid honey
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

METHOD:

Preheat pot of water with the sous vide to the desired temperature. In this case, I set it to 140°F/60°C for cooking the chicken tenderloins.
Marinade chicken tenderloins with the jerk seasoning and place in zip-lock bag.
Once desired temperature is reached, immerse zip lock bag into the pot of water, removing all air via the water immersion method. Leave in the water for 1-1.5 hours.
While chicken is cooking via the sous vide method, prepare the quinoa. Simply place half a cup of uncooked quinoa into a pot set on medium-high and pour in 1 cup of water. Leave to boil, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until cooked. Set aside and leave to cool.
Prepare the salad dressing. Juice one lime and half an orange. In a small bowl, combine these juices together and whisk in half a tablespoon of honey. Set aside.
Chop up the coriander and the remaining half of the orange into small chunks. Dice the avocado into small bite sized chunks. Combine everything with the cooled down quinoa, mixing in the salad dressing.
Once chicken is done in the sous vide, remove from the zip lock bag and pat dry. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet or pan on medium-high heat and coat with a light drizzle of oil. Once oil shimmers throw the chicken tenderloins in and pan-fry until golden brown (~2 minutes each side).
Remove chicken from pan and slice into smaller bite-sized pieces.
Transfer quinoa salad base into a bowl for serving. Top with the freshly cooked chicken slices and serve while warm.

February 15, 2016 0 comments

Gluten-free Mains

Sous vide Chicken Breast with Herbes de Provence

by michelletang118 February 11, 2016

written by michelletang118

Sous Vide Chicken with Herbs de Provence (14 of 14)
Thanks to sous vide cooking, no longer do you have to tolerate bland and tough chicken breasts.
Chicken breasts are the classic lean muscle-building protein. But don’t get stuck in the routine of pan-frying the breasts, which often results in producing a tough, bland and dry texture.
Tonight, I was feeling rather experimental and had some time to spare. Consequently, I opted to cook chicken breast sous vide style. All it requires is extreme “hands off” patience.
The secret to perfect chicken? Temperature control. The kind of down-to-the-degree type of control that sous vide cooking can attain.
If we’re to believe what our parents told us, chicken should be cooked to a temperature of 165°F; anything below 140°F then you tread into the “danger” zone, the temperature zone in which bacteria supposedly thrives. The ideal temperature for cooking chicken rests between 140-145°F. Once you get pass the 155°F mark, sous-vide chicken starts to take on an unpleasant chalky, tacky texture.
I set up the dial on my Anova precision cooker to 60°C/140°F. Chicken cooked at 140°F has a very tender, extremely juicy texture that is firm and completely opaque. No signs of stringiness or tackiness. It melts between your teeth. At two hours the chicken has a nice resilient chew to it, while retaining its juiciness.
The problem with traditionally cooked chicken is that the meat is penetrated by higher heat from the outside in, making it very difficult to gauge exactly what temperature it is from the edges to the centre. Common sense dictates that we often overcook the outer layers inevitably, leading to that all too familiar dry and stringy texture. Sous vide cooking allows one to control precisely the temperature at which one desires to serve them eat. This effectively means that by the time we’re done, the chicken is cooked perfectly from edge to centre without compromising on its juiciness.
The results? The chicken breast is tender enough to cut with a butter knife and glistens with flavourful juices.
Sous vide chicken with herbes de Provence (1 of 1).jpg
Not your ordinary bland and dry chicken breast.

Sous vide Chicken with Herbes de Provence

INACTIVE TIME: 2 hours | ACTIVE TIME: 4 minutes | SERVES: 1

INGREDIENTS:

One chicken breast (palm size)
1 tablespoon of herbes de Provence.
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Sous Vide Chicken with Herbs de Provence (9 of 14)
METHOD:

Preheat precision cooker to 140°F/60°C. Allow the water bath to come to the right temperature before dowsing your chicken in the bag inside.
Season the chicken breast with a coating of olive oil followed by the herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Bag the chicken in zip lock bag or vacuum bag (if using).
Immerse the chicken in the bag into the water bath. It should sink. Set timer to 2 hours. Feel free to run some errands, go for a jog, or take a shower while the chicken is cooking (this is what I mean by “hands-free” cooking).
Once time is up, pre-heat a cast iron pan or skillet on medium-high heat, coated with a thin layer of oil. Remove chicken breast from zip lock bag and pat dry. Once oil starts to shimmer, place chicken breast on the pan and hold down flat with a spatula to ensure maximum contact between chicken breast and pan. Pan-fry for 2 minutes on each side to produce a beautiful brown and crisp sear.
Once seared, remove chicken from pan and slice to serve.

February 11, 2016 0 comments

Mains Sous vide

Sous Vide Steak

by michelletang118 February 9, 2016

written by michelletang118

Sous Vide Steak (3 of 19)
First time experimenting with the Anova sous vide and decided I’ll test it out by making a rib eye steak, courtesy of Farmers Kitchen. Naturally farmed and grass fed, the Black Angus Beef comes from the far south eastern corner of Australia. The meat can be ordered online, and comes chilled (never been frozen before) in a vacuum sealed pack.
So what exactly is Sous vide? Simply put, “Sous vide” is French for “under vacuum” and refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food and cooking it in temperature controlled water bath. However, that’s a bit of a misnomer. You don’t need to vacuum seal your food to cook sous vide. Instead, this technique is really about bringing food to a very precise temperature and holding it there for a period of time, which is why some people refer to the technique as “precision cooking.”
So why should one opt for the “sous vide” method of cooking?
If you are tired of overcooking your fish, chicken or steak then sous vide could be the right solution for you. After all, the most obvious benefit of sous vide cooking is that you can prepare perfectly cooked food every time you step into the kitchen — all with very little effort.
But that’s not the only reason to cook sous vide. The gentle, oxygen-free cooking environment helps to retain your foods’ valuable nutrients. Plus, foods cooked in a vacuum-sealed bag are far more shelf stable than those cooked on the stovetop — this means you can cook countless meals ahead of time without worrying about your dinner spoiling.
Another benefit? When cooking sous vide, proteins like chicken and pork can be served at lower temperatures than when following traditional cooking methods. The increased minimum cook time for the sous vide cooking process essentially pasteurizes the meat, which means that medium-rare pork chops and subtly pink chicken are perfectly safe to eat. Sous Vide Steak (2 of 19)
Even better — sous vide cooking is truly a “set it and forget it” method of cooking. Seal your food, place it in your water bath, and walk away. Since the water bath will never get above the desired temperature, the food will never exceed your preferred level of doneness. What does this mean? You can throw dinner parties with ease — that juicy ribeye or pork tenderloin can be made hours ahead of time and finished right before serving, leaving you plenty of time to socialize with your guests.

Sous Vide Steak

INACTIVE TIME: 45 minutes | ACTIVE TIME: 2 minutes | SERVES: 1
INGREDIENTS:

300g sirloin steak (feel free to choose the “cut” of your choice)
salt and pepper to taste (I used some “Salt with Attitude”, thanks to the kind compliments of Farmers Kitchen)

Sous Vide Steak (19 of 19) Sous Vide Steak (7 of 19)

METHOD:

Place sous vide immersion circulator into a pot of water and adjust temperature to 57°C for steak down medium (assuming steak is roughly 1 inch thick).
Drop the steak inside a vacuum sealed bag or zip lock bag.
Once water reaches the desired temperature, use the water dispersion method to remove air from the zip lock bag and clip bag onto the side of the pot. Set timer for 45 minutes.
Once 45 minutes is over, heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan on high heat. Remove steak from ziplock bag and sear both sides – roughly 1 minute each side – to get a nice crusty exterior.
Remember to gently sear the sides of the steak too (~30 seconds) on the hot pan too.
Layer steak on a plate. Allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes before consuming. To serve, sprinkle some salt to taste. Here, I used Salt with Attitude thanks to courtesy of Farmers Kitchen.

February 9, 2016 0 comments

Family Style Mains

Roast Rosemary Rack of Lamb

by michelletang118 December 23, 2015

written by michelletang118

Roast Rosemary and Garlic Rack of Lamb (4 of 13)
Hosting a dinner party for friends but can’t think of what to make in a short amount of time? In situations like these, a quick and easy solution would be to roast a rack of lamb. Roasting is the ideal way to cook a rack of lamb. The process can basically be broken down further into three distinct parts: preparation, roasting and resting.
First, the prep work. Prepare a combination of fresh or dried herbs and spices or create a paste by combining the herbs and spices with a little bit of olive oil and rubbing it over the lamb. For best results, use the following steps for preparation:

Score the fat covering the meat using a crisscross pattern across the surface of the lamb.
Season both sides of the rack with salt and pepper.
Rub the lamb with single herbs, mixtures or herb paste.
Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.

What’s the best temperature to roast a lamb rack? Ideally, the best roasting temperatures are between 425 and 450 ° F (about 230°C ). Cooking lamb at high heat preserves the tender and juicy nature of the meat. The lamb rack should cook to a medium pinkish rare in about 12-18 minutes.
For me, I like to sear the lamb before roasting to get a nice brown finishing. This can simply be achieved by heating a salute pan with olive oil until the oil shimmers. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper, and sear the meaty side for 3-4 minutes until a golden brown colour emerges. If you elect to pan sear before roasting, add herbs, crust or herb paste after searing and before roasting to ensure the lamb remains juicy and succulent.
Roast Rosemary and Garlic Rack of Lamb (10 of 13)

Roast Rosemary Rack of Lamb

Total time: 25 minutes | Serves: 6 (roughly 3 chops each)
INGREDIENTS:

Two baby back lamb ribs
Few sprigs of fresh rosemary
Few sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons of freshly minced garlic
3 tablespoons of olive oil, to rub
Salt and black pepper, to season

Roast Rosemary and Garlic Rack of Lamb (2 of 13)
METHOD:

Season the lamb racks first by generously rubbing them all over with olive oil, black pepper, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Leave to marinade for a few hours, or overnight if desired.
Preheat oven to 230 degrees celsius and line roasting tray with parchment paper.
Heat sauce pan on medium high. Pour some olive oil to coat and once oil starts shimmering, throw the lamb racks in and brown evenly on both side (roughly 2-3 minutes each side).
Transfer browned racks to the preheated oven and roast for 12-15 minutes depending on how “rare” you like your lamb.
Let the rack sit for a few minutes (can cover with an aluminium tent foil) to let the juices run so that the lamb chops will be tender upon serving.

December 23, 2015 0 comments

Mains

Sumac grilled lamb chops with lemon pea mash

by michelletang118 August 26, 2015

written by michelletang118

After having disappeared mysteriously for a month (I got caught up with work amongst other things), the girl is back in the kitchen. This time, she is back experimenting with sumac and lamb chops. Some of you may be wondering “what the heck is sumac?”. So before I digress into the finer details of the recipe, let me give you a brief description of what sumac is, its origins, and more importantly, why you should have it in your spice cabinet!

Sumac is one of the most ancient spices that one should readily have at their disposal

The sumac bush, native to the Middle East, produces deep red berries, which are dried and ground into coarse powder. While it’s less common, the berries may also be sold whole. Ground sumac is a versatile spice with a tangy lemony flavor, although more balanced and less tart than lemon juice. A small sprinkle also adds a beautiful pop of color to any dish.

Sumac is a widely used, essential spice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. It’s used in everything from dry rubs, marinades, and dressing. But its best use is sprinkled over food before serving.

It’s great over vegetables, grilled lamb, chicken and fish. Ground sumac also makes a nice, flavorful topping on dips like hummus.

Thanks to the recommendation from my Iranian friend (who I highly respect when it comes to the culinary scene), I’ve decided to experiment with sumac and grilled lamb chops tonight. Given how busy I am, in order to save time, I opted to create a quick and simple lemon pea mash as a side. The two complement each other harmoniously, both in flavours and in colours.

INGREDIENTS: (serves one)

2 lamb cutlets
2 teaspoons of sumac
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 cup frozen peas
1 knob of butter
Juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Sea salt

METHOD:

Place cutlets in a non-reactive bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle sumac, garlic powder, and salt all over.
Cook the peas in a saucepan of boiling water (~1.5 cups) and boil for roughly 10 minutes until soft. Stir in the knob of butter, the lemon juice, and a dash of sea salt.

Sumac lamb chops with pea mash (16 of 18) 3. With a potato masher or fork, lightly crush the pea mixture until it resembles a mash.

4. Meanwhile, coat a cast iron pan with olive oil and turn the hob to a high heat. Pan-fry the lamb chops 2-3 minutes on both sides depending on how well done you like your lamb. Cover with foil and set aside for 5 minutes to rest.

5. Layer the pea mash on a plate and stack the lamb chops neatly on top. Serve immediately.

August 26, 2015 0 comments

Fish Mains seafood

Baked Salmon with Lemon-Dill Yoghurt Sauce

by michelletang118 July 12, 2015

written by michelletang118

Salmon is one of the most nutritious types of fish to add to your diet. It supplies iron, zinc, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, in addition to a whole host of other nutrients you need for good health. As you may all know, salmon contains a specific type of unsaturated fat called omega-3 fatty acids which helps lower your risk of dying from heart disease. Choosing salmon over red meat can help lower your cholesterol because salmon is much lower in saturated fat than beef, pork and some cuts of poultry.

There are many ways you can serve your salmon. With just a hint of seasoning, the amateur cook can make salmon taste delicious. That said, salmon fillets are traditionally prepared with dill. You can’t go wrong by baking your salmon fillet(s) in a heated oven then dressing them with a dollop of creamy lemon and dill yoghurt sauce.

Oven Baked Salmon with Yoghurt Dill Sauce (15 of 18)

INGREDIENTS:

(1 fillet palm size ~ serves one)

Marinade:

1 salmon fillet (~4 ounce)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill weed
1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon honey
Pinch of cracked black pepper and salt

Yoghurt-dill sauce:

1 tablespoon of greek yoghurt
1/2 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill weed
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Oven Baked Salmon with Yoghurt Dill Sauce (1 of 18)

METHOD:

1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line roasting tray with parchment paper. Marinade salmon all over with the marinade ingredients for 10-20 minutes.

2) Remove salmon from marinade and place on roasting tray. Shove in the oven and roast for ~15 minutes until skin changes colour and flakes easily with a fork.

3) In the meantime, make the yoghurt-dill sauce by mixing together all the sauce ingredients.

4) Remove salmon from oven and spoon over a dollop of the yoghurt sauce to serve.

July 12, 2015 1 comment

Mains

Rosemary Crusted Lamb Chops with Grilled Eggplant

by michelletang118 March 21, 2015

written by michelletang118

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops with Eggplant Side (2 of 13)

Hello my little lamb chops!

When it comes to cooking dinner for two, nothing comes easier than the lamb chops – delicate, tender, and oh-so-juicy. Rub with some chopped rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil, and let it sit for a bit, sear all over on high heat, rest for a few minutes, and serve.

A lamb chop is such a lovely tender piece of meat, bursting full of delicate flavours, that you don’t have to do much to it. In fact, the only thing you really have to take care of is not to overcook it. Lamb chops are best served pink (i.e. medium rare) but feel free to cook it for longer if you prefer your meat medium or well.

INGREDIENTS (Serves one):

Two lamb chops
1/2 eggplant
A few fresh rosemary sprigs
2 garlic cloves, diced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops with Eggplant Side (13 of 13)

METHOD:

For Eggplant

1) Slice eggplant at a diagonal, ~3/4 inch thick.

2) Chop fresh rosemary finely. Grind rosemary, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and black pepper in a mortar and pestle.

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops with Eggplant Side (12 of 13)

3) Brush the olive oil mixture evenly onto the eggplant slices, reserving some for later.

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops with Eggplant Side (11 of 13)

4) Heat griddle pan over medium heat. Oil griddle well and grill the eggplant slices. Brush the exposed eggplant side with the remaining olive oil mixture. Wait a few minutes until griddle marks form then the flip the eggplant slices to char grill the other side. Once chargrilled to perfection, set aside and keep warm.

For the Lamb Chops:

1) Combine chopped rosemary, diced garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper into mortar and pestle. Ground and pound.

2) Marinade the lamb chops on both sides with the olive oil mixture.

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops with Eggplant Side (8 of 13)

3) Heat griddle pan on medium-high heat and brush with some olive oil. Once hot, throw in the lamb chops and sear on both sides until done to your liking (~3 minutes each side for medium. Remember, tender lamb chops are best served pink).

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops with Eggplant Side (6 of 13)

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops with Eggplant Side (5 of 13)

4) Let the chops rest for a few minutes then serve with the char-grilled eggplant as a side. Enjoy!

March 21, 2015 0 comments

Gluten-free Mains Pasta

Thai Basil Salmon with Brown Rice Spaghetti

by michelletang118 March 13, 2015

written by michelletang118

Friend visiting was allergic to gluten so I gave gluten-free brown rice spaghetti a try today. Verdict: this pasta is a lot stickier than when cooking normal pasta. Luckily though, taste is not compromised and in actual fact, I rather like it (gives it more texture)!

So what exactly is gluten?

Gluten is a protein composite found in wheat and related grains, like barley and rye. Gluten isn’t necessarily bad, but some people are gluten-intolerant, meaning their bodies produce an abnormal immune response when it breaks down gluten from wheat and related grains during digestion. The most well-known form of gluten intolerance is celiac disease, which affects 1 in every 141 people in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health.

When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, it triggers an immune response that damages their intestines, preventing them from absorbing vital nutrients.

For those gluten intolerant, doctors would typically recommend a gluten-free diet. Patients must avoid eating any foods and ingredients that contains gluten, including bread, beer, french fries, pasta, salad dressing, soy sauce and even some soups (unless otherwise marked as “gluten-free”).

In recent years, however, many people without gluten intolerance have seemed to embark on the fad of the “gluten-free diet”. Experts express concern that going gluten-free without explicitly needing to could be detrimental to a person’s health as gluten-free foods are often nutrient deficient.

INGREDIENTS (2 servings):

Brown rice spaghetti (enough for 2)
280g of salmon sashimi
Handful of cherry tomatoes (yellow/red)
1 large bunch of thai basil leaves
Handful of green peas (frozen will suffice)
1 lime
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper / fresh chilli (deseeded)

Salmon with Brown Rice Spaghetti and Thai Basil (10 of 11)

METHOD:

1) Boil pasta according to package instructions (~10 minutes for al dente. NB: Brown rice pasta can take longer).

2) In the meantime, prepare the salmon, thai basil leaves and cherry tomatoes. Slice the salmon sashimi into thin slices. Tear off the thai basil leaves from the stems and chop roughly. Slice the cherry tomatoes.

3) Slice the garlic and heat sauté pan with olive oil on medium heat. Pan fry the garlic until fragrant (be careful not to burn it!).

4) Chuck in the green peas and a teaspoon of salt. Now is the time to throw in the chopped deseeded red chilli (if using fresh) or sprinkle some chilli flakes.

5) Check the pasta. Once cooked, drain the pasta in a colander and pour the contents from the sauté pan into the pasta pot. Throw in the chopped salmon, cherry tomatoes and basil then quickly pour the drained hot pasta back into the same pot and toss with your tongs. The salmon will slowly change colour as it cooks from the heat of the pasta. Add the juice from the fresh lime and toss again.

6) Transfer pasta to bowls/plates and serve whilst warm.

March 13, 2015 0 comments

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