Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Banana Lollies










Banana Lollies - the summer must-eat! Normally I don't fancy those colourful candy confetti, its all just to achieve a nicer photograph. But in this case, everything blended so well..will be making again soon.

Banana Lollies
recipe by foodnetwork (i think)

Ingredients :-
Banana
Bittersweet chocolate, choped
Butter, cubed
toasted walnuts, sprinkling
candy confetti, sprinkling

Method :-
1) melt bittersweet chocolate and butter in double boiler.
2) Dip banana into melted chocolate
3) Sprinkle toasted walnuts or any kind of nuts or sweets for extra flavouring
4) Freeze the lollies in the freezer for 15 mins. and its ready

Monday, June 25, 2007

Pasta with Tuna and hot pepper

One of my best discoveries recently is this recipe from SimplyRecipes. It's so simple that I've been cooking it for the past few Mondays..in fact just ate it for lunch again today ...ah very satisfying!

You can check out the original recipe here which uses arugula. Nowadays since preparing it for few occasions, I didn't bother with the quantity as stated and been doing it my own style.

Ingredients
Pasta (any type)
Canned tuna in oil, drained from oil
Chilli flakes, to taste
a clove of garlic, mince
salt and pepper, to taste
olive or canola oil

Mehtod :
1) cook pasta, al dente
2) heat oil in pan on medium heat. Add garlic and chilli flakes, fry til fragrant. Next, add tuna and shred tuna with a fork, continue to cook for a min. or 2.
3) Pour in the pasta, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir-fry a little more and ready to serve.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Roasted Pork Belly (Chinese style)

The recipe is adapted from Lily's Wai Sek Hong. where the pork should be prepared and marinated overnight, which I didn't have time for. To add to my anxiety was the absence of five spice powder , not available at the stores near me. But am not giving up! So, I home-made the 5-spice powder ( DIY recipe) ;) or rather my version of 2-spice powder as I have omitted szechuan peppercorn, fennel seeds, star anise ..hehe

Verdict : Wow! am sure proud of the result despite the skin being a bit rubbery. I think if I have adhered to Lily's recipe 100% the the rubbery skin would not have occured.

Roasted Pork Belly (Chinese style)
adapted from Lily's Wai Sek Hong


Ingredients
600gm Pork belly
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp five spice powder (just used pinch of clove and cinnamon powder)
1 tsp black pepper

Preparation
1) Preheat oven at gas mark 4 (about 180 degrees celcius)
2) Score the skin of pork belly to get a nice crackling effect
3) Dry fry salt, garlic powder, five spice powder and black pepper for few minutes. Add in sugar into mixture.
4) Rub dry ingredients onto meat and marinade overnight or at least 2 hours (i did it in 30 mins :p
5) Place meat on rack of roasting tray with skin side facing up.
6) Roast for about 40 mins.

Note:-
the crackling effect wasn't to my satisfaction, rectify by dry-frying only the skin in a non-stick pan until achieved the desired effect.

Serving :-
Steaming hot rice with chili dipping sauce

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Banana Lollies










Banana Lollies - the summer must-eat! Normally I don't fancy those colourful candy confetti, its all just to achieve a nicer photograph. But in this case, everything blended so well..will be making again soon.

Banana Lollies
recipe by foodnetwork (i think)

Ingredients :-
Banana
Bittersweet chocolate, choped
Butter, cubed
toasted walnuts, sprinkling
candy confetti, sprinkling

Method :-
1) melt bittersweet chocolate and butter in double boiler.
2) Dip banana into melted chocolate
3) Sprinkle toasted walnuts or any kind of nuts or sweets for extra flavouring
4) Freeze the lollies in the freezer for 15 mins. and its ready

Monday, June 25, 2007

Pasta with Tuna and hot pepper

One of my best discoveries recently is this recipe from SimplyRecipes. It's so simple that I've been cooking it for the past few Mondays..in fact just ate it for lunch again today ...ah very satisfying!

You can check out the original recipe here which uses arugula. Nowadays since preparing it for few occasions, I didn't bother with the quantity as stated and been doing it my own style.

Ingredients
Pasta (any type)
Canned tuna in oil, drained from oil
Chilli flakes, to taste
a clove of garlic, mince
salt and pepper, to taste
olive or canola oil

Mehtod :
1) cook pasta, al dente
2) heat oil in pan on medium heat. Add garlic and chilli flakes, fry til fragrant. Next, add tuna and shred tuna with a fork, continue to cook for a min. or 2.
3) Pour in the pasta, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir-fry a little more and ready to serve.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Roasted Pork Belly (Chinese style)

The recipe is adapted from Lily's Wai Sek Hong. where the pork should be prepared and marinated overnight, which I didn't have time for. To add to my anxiety was the absence of five spice powder , not available at the stores near me. But am not giving up! So, I home-made the 5-spice powder ( DIY recipe) ;) or rather my version of 2-spice powder as I have omitted szechuan peppercorn, fennel seeds, star anise ..hehe

Verdict : Wow! am sure proud of the result despite the skin being a bit rubbery. I think if I have adhered to Lily's recipe 100% the the rubbery skin would not have occured.

Roasted Pork Belly (Chinese style)
adapted from Lily's Wai Sek Hong


Ingredients
600gm Pork belly
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp five spice powder (just used pinch of clove and cinnamon powder)
1 tsp black pepper

Preparation
1) Preheat oven at gas mark 4 (about 180 degrees celcius)
2) Score the skin of pork belly to get a nice crackling effect
3) Dry fry salt, garlic powder, five spice powder and black pepper for few minutes. Add in sugar into mixture.
4) Rub dry ingredients onto meat and marinade overnight or at least 2 hours (i did it in 30 mins :p
5) Place meat on rack of roasting tray with skin side facing up.
6) Roast for about 40 mins.

Note:-
the crackling effect wasn't to my satisfaction, rectify by dry-frying only the skin in a non-stick pan until achieved the desired effect.

Serving :-
Steaming hot rice with chili dipping sauce