Tag:

Lime

Clams with Lemongrass and Thai Basil

by michelletang118 February 18, 2020

For those craving some South East Asian flavours, I have this simple littleneck clam dish for you to whet your appetite. What is required is fresh lemongrass and thai basil (and of course, the clams).

Lemongrass is a tall tropical grass typically featured in Vietnamese and thai cuisine and can be found in Asian grocers. When using fresh lemongrass, you would only want the lower bulbous part of the stem which can be pounded or sliced to release the flavours.

As for health benefits, lemongrass is considered a diuretic, tonic and stimulant. It is said to promote good digestion, and for those looking to relieve menstrual symptoms and nausea, one can simply prepare lemongrass with pepper. It is also known to repel insects and can be used as an essential oil in perfumery.

Now onto the Thai basil. Think of the Thai basil as a variant to the sweet Italian basil used widely in American and European cooking. Thai basil imparts a slightly savoury, spicy- anise-like note which feature heavily in many Southeast Asian and Chinese dishes. Its leaves are sturdier and can withhold heat better than its Italian counterpart. As such, it can be added during cooking vs as a finishing touch. Basil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and like lemongrass, is good for digestion.

Regarding which type of clams to use, since I’m in Hong Kong, we have the Manila clams available fresh at the local wet market. Feel free, however, to use littleneck clams. For those curious about the different types of clams, read this. If fresh isn’t a choice, feel free to use frozen.

Clams with Lemongrass and Thai Basil

PREP TIME: 10 min | COOK TIME: 10 min | TOTAL TIME: 20 min | YIELDS: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

20 fresh clams (I like to get mine live from the wet market)
2 stalks of lemongrass
6-8 slices of fresh ginger
Juice of one freshly squeezed lime
2-3 red thai chillis (depending on your spice tolerance)
1 bunch of fresh thai basil
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of rock sugar

METHOD:

Cut off the top of the lemongrass stalks and keep the bottom (most of the flavours are concentrated here). Lightly bash the lemongrass stalk with a pestle or back of knife to release the flavours.
Heat a heavy pot on medium high heat and gently fry the ginger slices for a few minutes to release the flavours. Throw in the lemongrass stalks and chopped thai chilli and add two cups of water. Add in the rock sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. Boil on medium heat for 15 minutes with the cover on to let the flavours permeate through the liquid.
Add the clams to the liquid and close the lid for 5 minutes.
Remove lid and add 2/3rds of the thai basil (keeping the remainder for garnishing purposes). Close the lid for another 3-4 minutes. The clams should pop open when cooked.
When the clams start to open, remove from the heat and serve in a bowl along with the thai basil (and wedge of lime if desired) as garnish.

February 18, 2020 0 comments

Salad seafood

Grilled Octopus Arugula Salad

by michelletang118 April 29, 2017

written by michelletang118

Grilled octopus arugula salad-1082
Good octopus is hard to find. Hence why I choose to procure mine from Spain nowadays. I bought mine precooked and vacuum-packed, saving me a lot of hassle (and time). They come ready to slice into a cold seafood salad, to warm by slipping the package into a pan of boiling water or to sear briefly in a heavy pan or on the grill with a slather of sauce.
Grilled octopus arugula salad-1003
The pressing question then becomes, what to make out of these tender tentacles? Seeing the weather is warming up, I opted for a simple grilled octopus arugula salad.

Grilled Octopus Arugula Salad

INGREDIENTS:

330g octopus salad
2 cups of arugula
2 tomatoes, diced
1 lime
Black pepper, kosher salt, to taste
3 tablespoons of Pukara’s lime flavoured extra virgin olive oil

METHOD:

Take tentacles out of vacuum sealed pack and wash. Slice octopus diagonally into 2 cm bite-size pieces.
Slice and dice the tomatoes.
Heat a cast iron pan on high heat and add dash of olive oil.
Once hot, throw in the chopped tentacles. As the octopus sears, crack some black pepper and salt to the pan. Squeeze the juice from half a lime too for that extra kick. Sear for roughly 3 minutes in total till you get the lovely golden char marks.
Meanwhile, toss together the arugula and diced tomatoes with two tablespoons of Pukara’s lime flavoured extra virgin olive oil. Crack some black pepper and salt.
On a clean plate, layer the mixed arugula tomato salad. Add the perfectly seared octopus tentacles on top. Drizzle some more lime juice. Garnish with a wedge of lime to serve.

April 29, 2017 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

Breakfast

Sunny Side Up Breakfast Brioche

by michelletang118 May 16, 2015

written by michelletang118

“Keep your sunny side up” 🙂

Inspired by Teakha, my favourite quaint little teahouse located in the Poho/Sai Ying Pung area of Hong Kong, I decided to recreate this breakfast toast by using danish/brioche bread I bought downstairs from a Japanese style bakery. I love the juxtaposition of the cheerful colours – the vibrant, red, plump tomatoes contrasting with the creaminess of the green avocado – coupled with the bright, sunshine yellow of the oozing yolk from frying an egg sunny side up.

INGREDIENTS: (serves 1)

1 egg
1 avocado
1 lime
1 tomato
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup of pork floss, to garnish

METHOD:

1) Mash a ripe avocado up with the juice of a freshly squeezed lime. Add salt and pepper and adjust taste to your liking. 2) Dice tomatoes into small cubes. 3) Heat frypan on medium-high. Spray a layer of cooking oil. With the aid of an egg ring, crack egg into the ring to get a perfectly round shape. Once yolk seems to be setting, remove ring and transfer egg with a spatula to plate. 4) In the meantime, lightly toast slice of brioche in toaster. Remove and layer with the avocado, tomato and fried egg on top like an exposed healthy decker sandwich. 5) Sprinkle the pork floss on top as a garnish. Enjoy! Bright and Cheerful Breakfast Brioche (4 of 13)

May 16, 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