Pumpkin Salad with Crackling Pork Belly

Made this for our anniversary dinner. The plating style is not something I'm used to but I decided to try something fancy since it was a special occasion. The wife likes it, so I must be doing something right.

Pumpkin Salad with Crackling Pork Belly

Pumpkin and macadamia were born to be best friends. They go together superbly. The pumpkin discs went well with the pork. The slight bitterness of the rocket with salty pork was awesome. Asparagus was great with the macadamias and puree.
Did I mention there was Pork belly with crackling, I mean do we really need anything else other than that?

Ingredients for 2
About 300 grams pork belly with skin on
About 1/2 of whole butternut squash
10 stalks of asparagus - bases trimmed
1 cup of rocket leaves - washed
1/2 cup of macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Vinaigrette dressing
1/2 cup Italian Parsley
1 shallot
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Prepare the pumpkin/squash
1. Peel the pumpkin and cut them into slices about 1.5 cm thick. (just estmate, does not have to be exact). An average sized squash should give you about 6 slices from the fleshy part of the fruit. (The upper part without the seeds)

2. Using a small cookie cutter, cut out discs from the slices. Set these discs aside.

3. Roughly cut up the rest of the pumpkin. Wrap them all in a large piece of foil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160 degress for about 45 mins.

4. Place the baked pumkin pieces in a food processor and puree until smooth. Scoop out and set aside. You can pass the puree trough a find mesh seive for a even smoother puree. Mix in the butter and season with a pinch of salt. Reserve and set aside

5. In a saute pan, heat some cooking oil over a medium heat. When oil is heated, cook the pumpkin discs till they brown on the outside and soft in the middle. About 6 minutes per-side. (depending on the thickness) Set aside when done.

Roasting the pork
1. With a very sharp knife, score the skin of the pork with parallel lines about 1/2 a centimeter apart. (A stanley knife works great for this). The cuts you make should also get into some of the fat under the skin, but do not cut all the way to the lean meat under the skin. Salt the skin generously, making sure to rub the salt in the cuts. Pepper the sides as well.

2. Place pork on a baking dish and cook in the oven set to "grill" mode for 45 minutes. Until the skin
"crackles" fully. When done remove from heat. Cut into 2 and set aside.

While the pork is in the oven, prepare the rest of the stuff
1. To make the Vinaigrette, put all Vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor and blitz till smooth. Add a small splash of water if its too dry or too hard to blend. season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve and set aside

2. Toast the macadamias in a pan over medium heat until they brown. No oil needed. Reserve and set aside

3. Blanch the aspargus for 1 minute in salted boiling water. Then shock them in cold water. dress lightly with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

To plate, if you wanna try your hand and fancy plating, you can try "pulling" the puree across the plate. Dress the plate how ever you like. I found that plating in this general order helps.

Pumpkin Puree, Pork, Pumpkin discs, macadamias, asparagus, rocket and lastly the vinaigrette.

Enjoy.

Chocolate and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

My second dessert post finally. Had our anniversary dinner at home recently and wifey insisted to make at least one dish. I urged her to make dessert since she's the one with the sweet tooth.

Chocolate and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis topped with Vanilla Ice Cream

Resulting dessert is what you see here. Creamy and rich Panna Cotta, with the acidity of the coulis to cut through the richness. The crushed almonds give a nice crunch and nutty flavour. Topped with Ice Cream, need I say more?

This is a great dessert to serve at house parties. Can be made up to 2 days in advance. 

Here are the ingredients for 2-3 (depending on the size of your remekins)
Chocloate Panna Cotta
125ml - Whipping cream
125ml - full cream milk
20 grams sugar
5 grams cocoa powder
20 grams dark chocolate
1.5 teaspoon gelatine powder
1/2 cup roasted almonds  - (blitzed in a food processor to desired consistency)
Some store bought good quality vanilla ice-cream

Vanilla Panna Cotta
125ml - Whipping cream
125ml - full cream milk
20 grams sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 teaspoon gelatine powder

Raspberry Coulis
1 cup fresh raspberries (frozen will do fine, just thaw them first)
juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon sugar

Steps:
1. Place milk, cream, cocoa powder, dark chocolate and sugar into a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Heat until the all the chocolate has melted. Stir gently, mixing well.
Add gelatine powder in a small cup or bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of milk(room temperature) and mix well. The gelatine will probably not dissolve but stir to prevent the powder from forming clumps.

2. Add the gelatine mixture into the pot. Remove from heat and stir until the gelatine is fully dissolved.

3. Divide the mixture among ramekins and leave to cool. Pouring the mixture into a small pitcher first will help make the distribution a lot easier. (Much easier than pouring straight from the pot)

4. Place the chocolate panna cotta into the fridge for a 2 hours at least, until set before starting on the vanilla panna cotta.

Moving on to Vanilla Panna Cotta

Follow the exact same steps as the chocolate panna cotta above but replacing cocoa powder and dark chocolate with the vanilla extract. Wait until the vanilla panna cotta has cooled. (Pouring the hot vanilla mixture will melt your chocolate panna cotta) Pour the vanilla mixture into the ramekins,  covering the chocolate panna cotta. Place into the fridge for a 2-3 hours at least, for them set.

Raspberry Coulis:
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and puree. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing down on the solids. Discard the seeds. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve:
1. Turn out the panna cotta in a shallow bowl. Placing the ramekins in the warm water bath for 10-20 seconds can make turning out the panna cotta a little easier.

2. Pour the coulis around the panna cotta and place some fresh raspberries around. Top it off with crushed almonds and vanilla ice-cream. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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.

Spicy Thai Style Chicken Salad

Thai style grilled chicken salad

Was looking to make something spicy for dinner on day and we had chicken thighs in the fridge. So I went out got some lemongrass and corriander and lettuce.

Tangy, savoury, sweet and spicy at the same time. A very refreshing dish to have on its own but this salad goes great with any south East Asian themed meal as well. Ingredients are relatively low cost but the dish still delivers a great meal. Definitely punches above its weight.

Serves 2 (As a meal) or 4-6 as a side dish.

Ingredients:
For grilled chicken
2 boneless chicken thighs (I get them all the time at Cold Storage, 2 for S$4.79)
2 tablespoons grated fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chilli sauce
3 cloves garlic - grated/finely minced
Juice of half a large lime

Salad Dressing
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chilli sauce.
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of half a large lime
2 chilli padi - sliced
1 clove of garlic - minced/grated

Rest of the stuff
1/2 purple onion - sliced
2-3 cups lettuce - roughly chopped
1/2 cucumber - sliced
1 bunch of corriander - roughly chopped
3 stalks spring onion - chopped to 1-2 cm lengths.
1 tomato - sliced into strips
100 grams rice vermicelli

1. To prepare marinade for the Thai style grilled chicken, mix all the ingredients (except the chicken) in a large bowl. Place the chicken thighs one at a time in the bowl. Ensure the chicken is well coated/covered with the marinade. Place the chicken in a resealable bag, pour the remaining marinade into the bag. Seal and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour.

2. To cook the chicken, grill (skin side up) in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius for about 35 minutes.

3. While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the dressing and veg. Mix all salad dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

4. Cook the vermicelli according to package instructions. Then allow it to cool. (you can place it in the fridge or use some ice cubes.

5. In a large salad bowl, mix all the vegetables with the vermicelli thoroughly. Then pour in the dressing, tasting as you go. Mix everything well.

6. Serve the chicken in cut pieces on top of the veg. Drizzle the chicken with juices from the roasting pan and serve.

Enjoy!

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.

Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Silver Fish

Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Silverfish

Bean sprouts are arguably the cheapest vegetable here in South East Asia. Very nutritious and high in fibre. It is also one of those veggies that pose a challenge to parents, when trying to get their kids to eat them.

This is a really tasty dish, common in Chinese households here in Singapore. Quite easy to prepare.
The silverfish is an optional addition, but I like the additional savoury hit and crunch that they give.

Ingredients for 4
300 grams bean sprouts, - husks and tails removed
1/2 tablespoon soya sauce (or to taste)
3 cloves of garlic - sliced/chopped
5 stalks of spring onion - cut into 2 inch lengths
1 regular chilli or 2 chilli padi - thinly sliced
Cooking oil
crushed White pepper

2 tablespoons fried silver fish (optional) - See here for silver fish preparation.

Steps:
1. In a wok or large frying pan, heat some oil over medium high heat. When oil is heated, add in the garlic and chillies (if using), and fry for about 1 minute. Until the garlic just starts to turn brown.

2. At this point add in the bean sprouts and fry until they start to soften a little. About 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with Soya Sauce and White pepper to taste.

3. Add in the spring onions, stirfry for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. When done, dish onto a serving plate.

4. Garnish with silver fish on top and serve hot.

Note: The cooking times for the bean sprouts are highly subjective as there are varying preferences on how well cooked one would prefer their "tou geh". I like them a little on the well cooked side. There are those who like them on the raw side, with a good crunch.

Korean Style Spicy Chicken (Dak Galbi)

A popular dish in Korea. The name "Dak Galbi" actually means "Chicken Ribs" but there are no ribs in this dish. In fact the recipe that I am sharing here uses boneless chicken thighs. Its grilled or pan fried chicken that is marinated in a spicy Korean chilli paste called "Gochujang" (Pronounced - Go - Choo - Jang). Gochujang is usually made of chillies, rice flour and fermented soya beans and seen almost everywhere in Korea.

Dak Galbi

Can't really say how authentic this recipe is but I did this recipe twice at a BBQ and it was a hit both times. This recipe is my rendition of the Korean dish.

Here is what I used to serve 4.

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless chicken thighs. (about 500-600 grams)
thinly sliced spring onion for garnish.

Ingredients for marinade:
1 1/2 tablespoons Gochujang
1 yellow onion - roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic - peeled
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
white pepper - crushed or powder

Steps:

1. Chop the chicken thighs into hunks, about 1-2 inches across.

2. Place all marinade ingredients into a blender or food processor and turn it into a puree.

3. Mix the marinade with the chicken thoroughly and seal with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Overnight is fine too.

4. To cook the chicken, pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees celsius. Spread the chicken pieces on a baking tray and cook in the oven for about 25-30 mins.

Garnish and serve with steamed rice or even in a bread roll with some shredded lettuce/cabbage.

Optional Step, if you have leftover marinade in the container/bowl you marinated the chicken in, you can transfer all the marinade into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. It can be served as extra sauce.

Pork Chops in Brine

Soaking the chops in a brine is a great way to impart flavour into the pork chops. It lifts the flavour of the chops to another level. Finishing the chop in the oven helps it to cook more gently and evenly.

Bone-in Pork Chops with Oven Baked Potatoes and Onion Jam

Ingredients for 2
2 pork chops bone-in (about 350-400 grams each)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking oil for pan searing

Brine
2 sprigs of fresh parsley - roughly chopped
2 sprigs of fresh sage - roughly chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary - leaves only, roughly chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme - leaves only
5 cloves of garlic - roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup of red wine vinegar (White wine vinegar is fine as well)
juice of 1 lemon
1-2 cups of water

Steps:
1. In a large bowl or container, mix the vinegar, water and lemon juice. The add in the sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Then add in all the herbs. Place the chops in the liquid and ensure they are fully submerged. Add a little more water (maybe a teaspoon or so of vinegar) to the brine if there is not enough liquid to cover the chops. Soak the chops in the brine for at least 4 hours or even overnight.

2. When ready to cook the chops, Preheat your oven to 130 degrees celsius. Take the chops out of the liquid and pat really dry. Season with salt and pepper. If any of the herbs or garlic from the brine stick to the pork chops, just leave them on.

3. Now heat some oil in a cast iron skillet (or thick based frying pan) over high heat. When the pan gets really hot, place the chops into the pan and sear for about 2 minutes. Turn the chop over, with the seared side up, place the pan in the oven for another 20 minutes or so. (Cooking times depend on the thickness of your chop, mine were about an inch thick). I sprinkled some dried rosemary before the chops entered the oven, but that's just a personal preference.

Note, if your pan cannot enter the oven, just transfer the chop to a baking dish. Preferably heated as well. If the baking dish is cold, the cooking time in the oven should be a few minutes longer. You can just finish cooking on the pan too, about 4 minutes per side.

4. Serve wtih a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil together with your preferred sides.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

This is a recipe for braising or slow cooking pork shoulder. I use shoulder because it has a good ratio of fat vs muscle. During the cooking process, the fragrance of the spices will fill the kitchen, if not the whole home. (Then again, depends on how big your home is. I live in a humble HDB flat.)

Open Faced pulled pork sandwich. Top it off with a sunny side up and it reminds me breakfast.

Fork tender pork shoulder and crusty grilled bread, simply awesome. It'll save you money too, as pork shoulder is a cheaper cut compared to tenderloins. It also has less fat than the belly. At the end of the braise, the stock is reduced to a gravy like substance that is packed full of flavour, use it as a drizzle on your sandwich. Note that the spice rub is a guideline, you are free to use your own preferred spices.

Ingredients

500grams pork shoulder - (should be in 2 pieces instead of 1 whole piece, allows more surface area for the rub.)

1 yellow onion - sliced
4 cloves garlic - lightly crushed
2 sprigs of thyme
2 - 3 cups chicken stock

Rub
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Steps:

1. Mix all rub ingredients together. Coat the pork fully and generously with the rub.

2. In a casserole dish or deep sided baking dish, line the bottom with half the onions. Then place the pork on the onions.

3. Place the thyme and garlic around the pork and then cover with the rest of the onions. Lastly pour in the chicken stock. Enough to at least submerge the pork halfway.

4. Cover with aluminum foil and cook in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 3 hours. Until the meat is fork tender.

5. Pull apart the meat with a fork and serve with toasted bead with some barbeque sauce and some of the braising liquid.

Enjoy!

Stir Fried Beans with Minced Pork

Stir Fried Beans with Minced Pork

This is a common household stir fry dish and incorporates meat and veg together. Coupled with a pot of soup and served with steamed rice, you'll have a meal that is served commonly in Chinese households here in Singapore. How well you cook to beans will determine how much crunch they retain.


Ingredients:
1 pack of green beans - cut in to 2 inch lengths
70-100 grams of minced pork
1/3 cup of grated carrot strips (optional)
1 tablespoon of dried shrimp - chopped in small pieces
3 cloves of garlic - chopped
3 shallots - sliced
3-4 thin slices of Ginger
2 chilli padi / bird's eye chilli- sliced (optional)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
white pepper
soya sauce

Steps:

1. Season the mince pork with sesame oil, 2 teaspoons soya sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar and white pepper. Mix well and set aside.

2. Blanch the beans in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove and shock them in cold water. Drain and set aside.

3. Over medium high heat, in a wok or large saute pan heat some cooking oil. when oil is heated, stir fry the pork until there is some browning. Make sure you break up the mince into smaller bits as you fry. Remove from the wok/pan and set aside when done.

4. In the same work, add a little oil, fry the dried shrimp until crisp and add in the garlic, shallots, ginger, chilli and carrots(if using). Fry until the garlic and shallots just start to brown and release their fragrance. Then add the cooked pork and blanched beans and stir fyr for 1-2 mins more. Drizzle a little soya sauce to taste.

5. Dish onto serving plates and serve immediately.

Note: Well cooked beans means less crunch. There are those who find the tartness of raw veg rather unappealing. If you are one of these people, you can blanch the beans slightly longer, maybe up to 3-4 minutes.

Have your household way of cooking beans? Do share!

Enjoy!

Chicken Thighs with Scallion and Ginger Sauce

Chicken Thigh with Scallion and Ginger Sauce

This is a great tasting savoury dish to go with any East Asian meal. The aroma just hits you when the plate of chicken lands on the dinner table. Makes you just wanna dive right in. This sauce goes great with chicken wings as well. Just adjust the cooking times accordingly. Both the wife and I enjoyed this dish. I will definitely make this again sometime soon. 

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Thighs - cut into large chunks
4-5 stalks scallion/spring onion - roughly cut up
2-3 tablespoons ginger - skinned and roughly cut up
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon corn flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame oil
Soya Sauce
White pepper

Steps:
1. Marinate chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon of soya sauce, dash of white pepper, 1 tablespoon corn flour and 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Mix well and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

2. To make the sauce, put all the scallion, ginger, 2 teaspoons soya sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, with some white pepper in a food processor and blitz till you get a paste. Its alright if the texture is slightly grainy. Set aside in a large bowl.

3. Pre-heat your oven to 190 degrees celsius. Cook chicken on the oven for about 25 minutes. (Cooking time may vary depending on the size of your chicken chunks)

4. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven. Toss the chicken with the sauce in the large bowl and put it back in the oven for another 7-10 minutes. Just for the sauce to dry up a little and stick to the chicken.

5. Dish on the serving plates and serve immediately.

Note: for step 3, you stir fry instead of cooking in an oven if you prefer.

Baked Chicken Breast with Leek and Mushroom Cream Sauce

Chicken Breast with Leek and Mushroom Cream Sauce

Leek, mushrooms and cream are a great combo anytime. Together with a succulent chicken breast, this makes for a great meal. Baked Chicken Breasts soaked in a rich, creamy and fragrant sauce, what's not to like?

Ingredients for 2:
2 Chicken breast portions - boneless (About 200 grams or so per person)
Paprika
Thyme

For the Sauce
100 grams Swiss brown mushrooms - cut into quarters. (You can use white buttons as well)
1 leek - quartered lengthwise and then sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (optional)
200ml cream

Salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil for frying


Steps:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Season the chicken breasts assertively with salt pepper and some paprika and thyme.

2. Place chicken in oven and cook for about 20 minutes. (cooking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken meat) Chicken breast can overcook rather easily, so know your oven. =)

3. To make the sauce, heat some oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. When oil is heated up, add in the leeks and saute for 2 minutes and then add in the mushrooms. Saute until the the moisture released by the mushroom are almost evaporated and mushroom start to brown lightly. About 6-8 minutes

4. De-glaze the pan with white wine and white wine vinegar. Allow to simmer for a minute. Then add in the cream and lower the heat. Turn off the heat just before the cream starts to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve warm together with the cooked chicken breasts, garnished with fresh parsley.

To have it child friendly, you can omit the white wine, vinegar and paprika.

Enjoy! Leave a comment on how yours went!