GARLICKY EGG FRIED RICE - NO WOK REQUIRED

 

A method for garlicky egg fried rice that does not require a wok. A wok is almost always better for fried rice but if you don’t have one or not inclined to use one, this is a viable alternative.
The steps are also easy to follow and stress free.

What you will need:

• 400 grams cooked short grain rice (refrigerated overnight)
• Beat 3 eggs with a splash of soy sauce
• 1 Large yellow onion - chopped up (I used a food processor)
• 12-15 garlic cloves – chopped
• 2 stalks spring onions -sliced
• Soy Sauce
• Salt and pepper

Method:

• Heat some oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat
• Add the onions - Fry for about 3-4 mins - until they soften a little
• Add in the chopped garlic
• Fry for until browned, about 6-8 mins
• When onions and garlic are browned and fragrant - Remove from pan and set aside
• In the same pan - add the rice on a Medium high heat
• Allow the rice to fry and dry out a little in the pan
• After about a minute add the beaten eggs
• Mix well, coating the rice grains with egg
• Add the fried onions and garlic when eggs are almost cooked through

(Note if you adding a pre-cooked protein/meat - add it at this point.)

• Add about a tbsp of soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Turn of the heat and mix in the spring onions

Serve and enjoy!

Creamed Spinach with Poached Egg

Creamed spinach is apparently a quintessential side dish to a steak meal. The wife and I had this at an upmarket steakhouse a while ago. We really liked it. The one we had was served with a sunny side up egg, which the waiter hacked to bits with a spoon at your table side.

The nearby Cold Storage was having a discount on baby spinach recently so we bought 2 packs. I really didn't feel like a salad that day (but then again I rarely do! ;P) so I thought I'd try my own rendition of creamed spinach. Both the wife and I found it rather enjoyable. The poached egg yolk added to the richness and bits of egg white gave the dish some textural variation.

Cream Spinach with Poached Egg

Here is what you'll need for 2
2 Packs Baby Spinach - About 180 grams or so.
1/2 white onion - finely diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
200ml whipping cream
1 knob of butter (about 1/2 tablespoon or so)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (Optional)
2 Poached eggs (optional)

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. (about 2 teaspoons of salt). When water comes to a boil, put all the spinach in. They take just seconds to wilt. When wilted, remove and strain the liquid. Set aside to cool.

2. Next mince the spinach with a knife on a chopping board. Or you can use a food processor if you want it really fine. I like mine with some bite, so I just used a knife to chop up the spinach.

3. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Then sautee the onion and garlic till they turn soft. Add the cream and mix well. When the cream is heated up, turn off the heat and add the spinach and Parmesean (If using) and mix everything well together.

4. Serve in shallow bowls and top with poached eggs if desired. Serve warm.

Hope you'll like this.

Mashed Potatoes

Happy New year people. Work has been a little busier, so homecookedsg.com took a backseat for few weeks. Hence my first post for 2014 appears only now.  Today's post is for a mash potato recipe.
I think the key to the mash potato picking the right potatoes. I was taught that using the waxy potatoes will help in making the mash lighter and less starchy and gooey.

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients for 6-8 servings
500 grams of waxy potatoes - washed and peeled.
125 grams of unsalted butter - cut in 1-2 cm chunks and removed from the fridge to allow to rise to room temperature
1/2 cup of milk
Handful of chives for garnish.
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:
1. Cook the potatoes. There are 2 ways to do so, boil them in water until soft enough for a fork to pierce through, or wrap in foil and bake in an oven at 160 degrees for about 45 mins.

2. When the potatoes are cook enough to handle, mash the potatoes either a traditional hand masher or a potato ricer. (I learnt the hard way that you do not want to put them in a food processor or blender)

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the potatoes and butter. Then add milk gradually for better control over the texture.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chives. Serve with your favourite protein.

Pasta in Tomato Sauce

This dish always reminds me of the scene from the movie No Reservations. The scene where Aaron Eckhart "cons" Abigail Breslin to start eating a bowl of pasta which got me wanting to eat this dish after watching the movie. I think it has do to with the way Abigail Breslin hungrily wolfs down the pasta.

Tagliatelle with Tomato Sauce and fresh basil

The basic pasta dish that and most likely the first pasta dish that most people here in Singapore encounter as a kid. This is more of a walk-through on the technique of making a quick pasta dish, rather than a full recipe.

This post will take you trough on whipping up this pasta dish in 15 minutes or less, with sauce that you pre-made yourself.

Ingredients to serve 2
160 - 180 grams store bought pasta (Or about 100 grams per person for a big eater)
2-3 cups tomato sauce (link here for recipe)
A splash of dry red wine (optional)
Handful of fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Grated Parmesan for garnish (optional)

Steps:
1. Cook Pasta according to package instructions in salted boiling water. Remove strain the pasta. Dress with a little olive oil to prevent them sticking together. Set aside. (Note: Cook for 3/4 of the time stated on the package for Al Dente)

2. In a large saute pan over medium heat, pour all the sauce (and wine if using) onto the pan and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes. Allowing to reduce slightly.

3. Add in the cooked pasta and mix well. Allow the pasta to cook in the sauce for at least a minute or 2.

4. Portion into pasta bowls. Garnish and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

The Basic Onion Tomato Sauce

The emphasis of this recipe is the basic tomato sauce that I like to use in alot of the dishes I cook at home. On its own, it makes a great pasta dish!. It keeps quite well in the fridge and can be used as a base for many variations for several different of dishes. If you look through some of the other recipes in this site, you'll probably come across a variation of this sauce in use. So I thought I would create an entry for this sauce so that I can just refer readers back to this page when I use this sauce. Saves me the typing.

Cauldron of Onion Tomato Sauce bubbling away

This sauce uses canned tomatoes and bottled Passata, both of which can be easily found in most Cold Storage or and at Fairprice.

Here is what you'll need for the sauce. Makes about 1 litre of sauce.

2 cans diced tomatoes. (I like to use the ones that say Plum or Romano. You can get whole canned ones and dice them yourself as well)
1 700g Jar of Passata.
2 yellow onions - diced
4 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
few teaspoons of sugar to taste

Steps:
1. Prep the diced/chopped tomatoes. Remove from the can and strain them. discard the liquids. Set aside

2. Over medium heat, heat about 2-4 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large saucepan or large deep sided saute pan. When oil is heated up (Rolls around easily in the pan) add in the onions and fry for 1 minute, then add in the garlic. Fry for a few more minutes until the onions become soft and translucent (Not brown).

3. Add in the tomatoes and fry for another 3-4 minutes. Then add in the passata. Mix well and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes over low heat.

4. Add in the thyme and rosemary. You can tie the herbs together so that they are easier to fish out later. Allow to simmer over low heat for at least 45 minutes. Stirring occasionally, to prevent the bottom of the sauce from burning.

5. After the sauce is allowed to simmer and cook down, allow to cool and store. Use as needed.

Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes.

This is one of my favourite ways to cook potatoes at home. Its really easy and you get crispy tasty potatoes at the same time. My personal preference, is to cut them in to smaller chunks. About 1.5 cm across, this gives more of that wonderfully crispy surface area.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients to serve 2

2-3 large Russet potatoes - washed and cleaned
2 sprig of thyme (leaves only)
2 sprig of rosemary (leaves only)
2-3 cloves of garlic - minced or grated.
1/4 - 1/3 cup Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps:
1. Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

2. Cut the potatoes into small chunks, about 1.5 cm wide.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add in the herb leaves, garlic and olive oil. Mix well. Then add in the potatoes into the mixing bowl. Season assertively with salt and pepper as well at this point. Mix well.

4. On the largest baking/roasting tray that will fit in your oven, lay out the potatoes in a single layer, together with the herbs and garlic. Try to ensure that none of the potato chunks are not sticking together.

5. Roast in the oven for about 35- 45 minutes. Until nicely browned and crisp.

6. Serve with your favourite protein.

Gnocchi with Mushrooms

Gnocchi with Mushrooms

This is the recipe for the 2nd gnocchi dish I made from same batch of gnocchi that I made with the earlier recipe here. Its a great savoury dish with flavours that are awesome with gnocchi.

Serves 2
Ingredients for the gnocchi:
2 large baked russet potatoes (or 3 smaller ones)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup plain flour - plus extra for dusting
salt and pepper
1 egg - beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Rest of the stuff:
3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
4 shallots - sliced or 1/2 purple onion - diced
150-200 grams Swiss brown or white button mushrooms - cleaned and halved/quartered (depending on their size)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock (use vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian version)
1 tablespoon butter
2-4 tablespoons grated Parmesan for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped chives for garnish

Steps: (1-5 are copied from the earlier gnocchi dish)
1. Cut the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh from the potatoes. Set the flesh aside in the bowl, discard the skins. Pass the potato flesh through a ricer or mash them.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add in the egg, thyme leaves, Parmesan and about 3/4 of the cup of flour. Season with salt and pepper. Mix everything well with your hands. Add in more flour from the remaining 1/4 cup, if the mixture remains very wet. When the mixture begins to come together, transfer to the well floured board and knead gently for about 4-5 minutes until the ball of dough is relatively dry to the touch.

3. Roll into a ball and cut into 2 halves. Roll each half into a long cigar. Then cut of individual pieces from the cigar. About 2-3 cm for each piece. Using a floured finger, make a small indentation in each gnocchi.

4. Place the gnocchi gently into a pot of boiling water. When the gnocchi start to float, take them all out of the water and drain.

5. In a saute pan, heat some cooking oil over medium-high heat. When oil is heated, add in the gnocchi and saute them about 2-4 minutes per side. (depending on how brown you want them). Remove and set aside on a dish lined with paper towels.

6. In the same pan, reduce heat to medium, add in shallots and garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes, until shallots soften then add in the mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes or so, until the mushrooms start to brown and the released moisture from the mushrooms dry up. De-glaze the pan with the white wine, and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes. Then add in the chicken stock and allow to simmer for another minute or so. At the same time, gently scrape the lovely brown bits off the base of the pan, mixing them together with liquid.

7 Add in the butter and mix well. Add in the thyme leaves and gnocchi. Mix well and fry for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and dish onto 2 dinner plates. Garnish with chives and generously with grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Hope you'll like this. Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Zucchini and Sweetcorn

Got inspired to make gnocchi recently. This is the first of two gnocchi dishes that I did from the same batch of gnocchi.

Gnocchi with Zucchini and Sweetcorn

A vegetarian dish that the wife really likes. Its light with delicate flavours. Browning the gnocchi gives it another dimension of flavour and texture, giving a crisp exterior and fluffy interior. The gnocchi's texture is then accompanied with the crunch from the corn and zucchini. Really enjoyable. Wife especially likes that the sweetness from the corn comes through the dish.

Serves 2
Ingredients the gnocchi:
2 large baked russet potatoes (or 3 smaller ones)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup plain flour - plus extra for dusting
salt and pepper
1 egg - beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Rest of the stuff:
3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1/2 purple onion - diced1/3 cup diced zucchini
1/3 cup sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup dry white wine (Or cooking white wine)
1/4 cup vegetable stock (If non-vegetarian, chicken stock works better!)
1 tablespoon butter
handful of pea shoots for garnish (optional)
2-4 tablespoons grated Parmesan for garnish

Steps:
1. Cut the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh from the potatoes. Set the flesh aside in the bowl, discard the skins. Pass the potato flesh through a ricer or mash them.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add in the egg, thyme leaves, Parmesan and about 3/4 of the cup of flour. Season with salt and pepper. Mix everything well with your hands. Add in more flour from the remaining 1/4 cup, if the mixture remains very wet. When the mixture begins to come together, transfer to the well floured board and knead gently for about 4-5 minutes until the ball of dough is relatively dry to the touch.

3. Roll into a ball and cut into 2 halves. Roll each half into a long cigar. Then cut of individual pieces from the cigar. About 2-3 cm for each piece. Using a floured finger, make a small indentation in each gnocchi.

4. Place the gnocchi gently into a pot of boiling water. When the gnocchi start to float, take them all out of the water and drain.

5. In a saute pan, heat some cooking oil over medium-high heat. When oil is heated, add in the gnocchi and saute them about 2-4 minutes per side. (depending on how brown you want them). Remove and set aside on a dish lined with paper towels.

6. With the same saute pan, heat some cooking oil over medium heat. When oil is heated, add in the garlic and onion. Fry for about 2 minutes. Then add in the zucchini and corn. Fry for another 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables start to brown slightly. De-glaze the pan with the white wine and stock. Cook for another 2 minutes then add butter cook for another minute. When the butter starts to thicken the sauce, add in the gnocchi and saute for another minute or so.

7. Dish onto 2 dinner plate and garnish with pea shoots (if using), a generous shaving of Parmesan cheese and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Hope you'll enjoy this as much as we did!

Eggplant Sitrfry with Corriander and Chillies

Eggplant Sitrfry with Corriander and Chillies

Got inspired to do this dish while watching masterchef Australia one evening. Think it was Kylie Kwong during a masterclass episode. Can't remember the exact recipe so I went with what felt right. Results were awesome.

Great savoury dish to go with any Asian Meal. Especially if you like corriander and garlic. Its dish with bold flavours and it packs a punch too. As a meat lover, I'd say this is a great way to get your veg intake.

Ingredients to serve 2-4:
1 large egg plant
1 handful corriander - roughly chopped (I usually just use the whole pack from NTUC or Cold Storage)
2 stalks spring onion - sliced
2-3 large chillies - sliced
5-7 cloves garlic - finely chopped/minced
1 knob of ginger - finely chopped/minced
soya sauce
salt
sesame oil

Steps:
1. Cut the eggplant lengthwise in to 2. The slice each half into 1cm pieces.
(Optional step:- lightly salt all the eggplant pieces and leave on the tray/dish for about 1 hour. The salt will draw out the moisture from the eggplant. After, drain the liquid and rinse the eggplant pieces thoroughly and dry with paper towels just before step 2)

2. In a wok or large saute pan, heat about 3-4 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When oil is really hot, add in the cut eggplant and stirfry until they are lightly browned on all sides. Remove and set aside on a dish with paper towels to soak up some of the oil from frying.

3. With the same wok, there should be a little oil. If not, add about 1 tablespoon. Lower heat to medium and add in garlic, ginger and chillies. Fry for about 3-4 minutes but do not let the garlic burn. Drizzle the with a couple of teaspoons of sesame oil.

4. Add in the eggplant and stir fry for another 2 minutes or so. Drizzle with soya sauce to taste. Turn off the heat and add the corriander and spring onions. Mix well in the wok and dish onto a serving plate. Serve immediately. Best served with steamed rice.

Mushrooms with white wine vinaigrette and tarragon

This is a great appetiser or side dish that you can prepare up to 2 days ahead. Tastes great served warm, and even better when left in the fridge for at least a day. Its an earthy dish with a sweet and sour tone, made fragrant with the fresh tarragon. Serve with crusty bread, its great as a vegetarian appetiser.

Mushrooms with white wine vinaigrette and tarragon

Very important note in preparing this dish is to get the mushrooms caramelised to a nice brown colour on the outside.

Ingredients to serve 4-6

400-500 grams white button mushrooms - kept whole
2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3-4 sprigs of tarragon - leaves only
1 purple onion - sliced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
cooking oil for frying
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

1. In a large saute pan, heat some cooking oil over medium high heat. When oil just about starts to smoke, add in the mushrooms and saute for about 4-6 minutes. Until they release their moisture and  start to brown. (Most of the browning will occur only after the moisture is released).

2. When the mushrooms are browned, add in the sliced onions and saute for another 2 minutes.

3. When onions soften and brown a little, add the vinegar and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Drizzle a little Extra Virgin olive oil and add the tarragon leaves. Mix well. (This will help to form a vinaigrette that will allow the mushrooms to soak up flavour)

5. Serve immediately or chill and serve the next day.

Grilled Corn Salsa

A refreshing side dish to have with a meal. Goes great with Asian dishes too.

Grilled Corn Salsa

The sweetcorn and red pepper complement each other well, with lime and coriander cutting through the sweetness. Grilling or roasting the corn brings out a slight hint of nutty flavour. Highly enjoyable. Really easy to do as well.

Ingredients:
2 sweetcorns - with husks peeled.
1 red bell pepper - diced
1 shallot - sliced
1 clove of garlic - sliced
Handful of corriander leaves - roughly chopped.
1 tablespoon spring onion - sliced (optional)
Juice of 1/2 a large lime.
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:
1. Grill sweetcorn over an open flame in an oven set to grill, until the corn just starts to char on the outside. The Kernel should still be moist on the inside, you do not want to dry them out.

2. When corn is grilled, removed the kernels from the cob. You can do this by cutting the cob in half, then stand it vertically on the chopping board. Use a spoon or blade to scrape the kernels down. Place the kernels in the bowl, discard the core.

3. Heat some oil in a saute pan over medium heat. When oil is heated, add in the diced red peppers, garlic and shallots. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, to get the tartness out of the peppers. Fry until the peppers start to soften. Remove the the pan and set aside and allow to cool.

4. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Mushroom, Red Pepper and Spinach Fritatta

We really enjoyed the last time we had Fritatta at home, so I decided to do it again. This time changing around the ingredients I used a little. By the time I was done, I realized that I made a vegetarian Fritatta.

Mushroom, Red Pepper and Spinach Fritatta

Ingredients:
200 grams white button mushrooms - sliced
0.5 - 1 cup baby spinach
1 medium sized red pepper - diced
1 medium sized yellow/white onion - diced
150-200 grams cheddar cheese
6-7 eggs
50 grams mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 stalk spring onion - sliced (optional for garnish)

Rosemary Focaccia‏

Been wanting to try this for a while now. The fragrance of freshly baked bread and rosemary is awesome. I had bread flour, rosemary, yeast leftover from the recent pizza session, so I decided to try this.

Rosemary Focaccia‏

Here's what I used: (Adapted from Gordon Ramsay's recipe)

500g bread flour
1.5  tablespoon semolina
15 grams dried yeast
50ml olive oil, plus a little extra
2–3 rosemary sprigs, leaves only
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Rosemary Pizza

Pizza made at home. Simple and flavorful pizza I got from Gordon Ramsay's UCC. The fragrance of the rosemary just hits you when you open the oven doors. Really inviting you to just tear off a piece and bite into it.

Tomato Rosemary Pizza

The technique with this recipe calls for the pizza to be first cooked in a oven-proof frying pan and then placing it in the oven. This allows for the underside of the pizza to be well scorched (imitating the effect of those traditional wood ovens). You'll need a 26/28 cm oven proof frying pan.

Here's what you'll need for 4 pizzas:

For the pizza dough
15 grams yeast
500 grams bread flour
325 ml lukewarm water
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon caster sugar

Toppings
400 grams passata (tomato puree)
12 to 16 cherry tomatoes- halved (Or you can use large sliced tomatoes)
2 balls mozzarella cheese
About 8 sprigs of rosemary
Extra Virgin olive oil for drizzling.
Pepper for seasoning.

Mushroom Cream Sauce

This simple mushroom sauce recipe was taught to me by an old friend James a while ago. Former chef at an Italian Restaurant.

Mushroom Cream Sauce

I cannot remember the exact proportions he taught me at that time, it was years ago. I have made this several time and its always a hit with guests though. This recipe results in a smooth, rich and earthy sauce.

Here's what I used:

1-2 tablespoons of butter
1 yellow/white onion - Diced
200-250 grams Swiss browns or white button mushrooms - thinly sliced
1/3 - 1/2 cup of white wine (you can "cooking white wine" or any cheap dry white will do)
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
200ml thickened cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.

Will yield about 3 cups of sauce or 6-8 servings.


Steps.

1. Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. (You can add a little oil to prevent the butter from burning too quickly)

2. Add onions and fry for 3 mins, stirring occasionally

3. When the onions begin to soften, add mushrooms and thyme to the pan and continue frying. As the mushrooms cook, they will release the water content from within. Just continue frying until most of the liquid has evaporated. You want to mushrooms to caramelize slightly, to release their deep nutty flavor. Do not add the wine before that. The cold liquid will hinder that from happening. Also, the wine is used to mop up all the wonderful brown goodness that is stuck to the pan when the shrooms and onions caramelize.

4. Add the white wine to the pan and simmer for a about 2-3 mins or until most of liquid as evaporated. Make sure to mop up the wonderful brown bits that are stuck to the base of the pan.

5. Add the cream and mix well. Lower the heat to low, to prevent cream from going into a rolling boil. Then add in the Parmesan. Mix well.

6. Turn off heat, add salt and pepper to taste. You are now ready to serve the mushroom sauce.