Coconut Milk Rice (Nasi Lemak)

Coconut Milk Rice (Nasi Lemak)

A very famous dish among Malaysians. Usually it is eaten during breakfast but can also be taken any other time of the day. This famous dish is usually wrapped in bananas leaves  and eaten together with fried chillies, eggs, cucumber, fried chicken, squid fried with chillies and many others.

Ingredients:

2 cups  long grain rice

2 shallots
2 slices ginger
1 tsp salt
2 cups coconut milk (from 1/2 a grated coconut)
2 pandan leaves, knotted

Method
1. Wash rice until clean then drain.
2. Put rice, shallots, ginger, and salt in a rice cooker.
3. Pour coconut milk over the rice. (The level of the coconut milk should be 2cm above the level of the rice.) 4. Cook rice until dry then use a wooden ladle to loosen the grains or give it a stir with a pair of chopsticks to distribute the milk evenly. Stand for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the coconut milk. Keep rice warm before serving with other condiments.


Note: To be eaten with cooked chillies (sambal) and other dishes. Dishes suitable to be served with this dish are fried chicken, squid and also rendang.

The rice can also be steamed in a steamer. The texture would be fluffy and taste better.

Sweet Glutinous Rice Dumpling Wrapped In Bamboo Leaves

Sweet Glutinous Rice Dumpling Wrapped In Bamboo Leaves

This is a Chinese traditional dumpling. Every year, the Chinese community all over the world celebrate the Rice Dumpling Festival or Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. It is held to remember a poet by the name of Qu Yuan of ancient China.The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in China with thousands of pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings and a Dragon Boat Race.

The poet Qu Yuan drowned himself in protest against injustice and corruption. It is said that rice dumplings were cast into the water to lure fishes away from the body of this man. This act is remembered by the eating of “chung”, glutinous rice dumplings.

Dried bamboo leaves flood the markets a few weeks  before the festival on the fifth month of the lunar calendar as the dumplings are wrapped up tightly in these leaves. The boiled glutinous rice encloses a variety of fillings from pork to mushrooms, red beans, chicken, and mung beans.  In addition to the traditional ingredients of diced pork. Chinese mushrooms and preserved melon were added to the local recipe by the Straits-Born Chinese. The recipe also includes pounded coriander seeds and lots of sugar.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE RICE

                        
 

1 kg glutinous rice (Sweet Rice)

1/2 cup water

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp blue colouring from the Bunga Telang  (Blue Pea flower)

METHOD:

1. Clean the glutinous rice. Wash well 2 to 3 times. Soak  the grains overnight in water.
2. Boil about 12 dried or fresh blue pea flowers in about 1/2 cups of water for 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Soak half of the glutinous rice grains in this water.
3. The next day, drain the rice grains and place in the steamer. If the holes are too large, line the bottom with a piece of cloth.. Steam over high heat for 1 hour. Steam the the glutinous rice with 2 tsp of salt separately.(The coloured and the plain glutinous rice).
4. Put the cooked glutinous rice in a container.. The dumplings should be formed and folded in the bamboo leaves while the rice is still warm. If it is cold, it will not bind well.

FILLING:

    

            

pork meat

                            

                                                                               

winter melon

 1 kg  pork with the fat/chicken meat

 15 dried mushrooms, soaked till soft, drained, squeezed dry and diced

100 g preserved winter melon, diced

5 tbsp lard or oil

50 g garlic pounded till fine

100 g shallots, pounded

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp  sugar

1 1/2 tbsp white pepper powder

4 tbsp dark soy sauce

5 tbsp toasted pounded coriander seeds  / coriander powder

OIL FOR FRYING:
 
2 cups cooking oil

40 bamboo leaves
hemp string / raffia string

METHOD:

1) Boil the pork meat for 30 to 40 minutes in enough water to cover. Cool and dice. Keep the water.

2) Fry garlic and shallots in the oil, add diced pork meat, sugar, salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Fry well and add mushrooms, me . Cool and store in the fridge. This can be done a day ahead.

TO WRAP THE DUMPLINGS YOU NEED 40 BAMBOO LEAVES AND 20 STRINGS
(soak the leaves and string a few hours or overnight before using  to soften them)

METHOD:

1.Take 2 pieces of the bamboo leaves, If the bamboo leaf is big enough, a piece can also be used. Fold into a cone shape.
2.Put in 1 tablespoon of the plain glutinous rice in the cone. Then put 1 tablespoon of the cooked filling. Add another 1 tablespoon of the coloured glutinous rice.
3.Wrap the cone tightly. Use raffia string or hemp string  for fastening the dumpling.
4. Cook the dumpling in boiling water for 2 hours.Once cooked, take out the dumpling and drain the water.
5.Cool it first before eating.

Note: The pork filling can be replaced with chicken meat.

Cookbook Review Recipe - Simple Tomato Sauce

Cookbook Review Recipe - Simple Tomato Sauce

Jamie Oliver's book Jamie's Dinners is divided into interesting chapters, more than just appetizers, meats, and desserts, one of them being Family Tree Recipes. Jamie gives a basic parent recipe and then ideas for 5-10 different recipes the original could be used in. It's a wonderful concept and provides inspiration for your own spin offs and creations.

After eating this simple tomato sauce, I wanted to cook and consume every single one of the kin recipes. I still might. Scratch that. I WILL.

Recipe from Jamie Oliver - Jamie's Dinners
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Serves 4


Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano or chopped fresh basil stalks
1 whole red chili
28 oz can whole plum tomatoes (good-quality Italian ones are best)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp red wine vinegar

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add some olive oil and fry the garlic, oregano (or basil stalks) and whole red chili. Pierce the red chili first so it doesn't explode. It will give a subtle heat to the sauce. Saute just a minute or two until fragrant then add the canned tomatoes. Do not mash the tomatoes, as the seeds can be bitter and if you chop them up right away the sauce won't be as sweet as it should be. Lightly season with salt and pepper, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the chili.

Break and mash the tomatoes up with a spoon, season the sauce more carefully with a bit more salt and pepper, and add a tiny swig of red wine vinegar just to give the sauce a little twang. It is now ready to serve with pasta, or stir in some additions to take this sauce forward:

• Spicy Arrabiatta - start the tomato sauce off by adding a few more whole fresh chili's. After the sauce has simmered for 15 to 20 minutes, remove the chili's, chop them up and add back as much as you need to give your arrabiatta the desired heat.
  

• Tomato Basil - a real crowd-pleaser can be made by taking the tomato sauce off the heat when it's ready and adding a big handful of torn fresh basil, a nice swig of balsamic vinegar, a good knob of butter and a handful of grated Parmesan. This is fantastic with pasta like rigatoni or tagliatelle, or with grilled meats and fish.

• Puttanesca - simmer the sauce gently with a handful of good pitted and squashed olives, a couple of anchovies and a handful of capers. You can take this in a different direction by flaking in a can of tuna when the sauce is ready.

• Tagliatelle, Spinach & Goat Cheese - Cook tagliatelle in a pot of salted boiling water while the sauce is simmering. Just before the pasta is ready, stir in a large handful of spinach into the tomato sauce. Drain the pasta saving a bit of the pasta water, and toss with olive oil and the reserved water, then pour your spinach and tomato sauce over top. Toss and top with grated Parmesan and crumbled goat cheese.

• Fish or Chicken, Olives and Basil - Pour your warmed tomato sauce into a small baking pan and put a couple of fish fillets on top. If you prefer to use chicken breasts, brown them first in a little oil before placing them on top. Sprinkle with some pitted olives, capers and basil leaves and top with a little torn mozzarella, and place in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes until the fish is cooked. If using chicken breasts they will need about 20 minutes.

• Sausages Baked in Tomato Sauce - Pour your warmed tomato sauce into a baking pan or oven proof dish. Take some nice sausages, toss them in a little olive oil, then place them on top of the sauce and cook at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the sausages are golden and crisp on top. Throw whole basil leaves on top to serve. The sausages will be nice and juicy on the bottom from the sauce and lovely and crisp on top. To turn it into a cassoulet, add a can of beans such as cannellini, flageolet, haricot or chickpeas and chunks of bacon before you bake.

Click here for printable version of Simple Tomato Sauce

Click here for printable version of Tomato Sauce Variations
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THE RESULTS?
This is the best tomato sauce ever. It is SO worth it to go out of your way and look for good quality Italian tomatoes for this recipe. I made the recipe once using the a regular can of tomatoes (not Italian), and the sauce just wasn't as sweet.

The first time I tried this sauce it was made by my friend Tara, who stirred in some chopped basil and cream to blush the sauce. She mixed it into some penne and I swooned and drooled and exclaimed it was the best pasta sauce I had ever eaten. That was over 2 years ago. I'm not sure why I waited so long to make this myself!

When I made this sauce myself, I turned it into the Tomato Basil variation where balsamic, Parmesan, butter and basil were stirred in and served it on tagliatelle. So wonderful. You can taste the difference the quality ingredients make. So sweet, rich and addicting.

I saved about a cup of the sauce and made Sausages Baked in Tomato Sauce the next night, using hot Italian sausages. The flavors and oils in the sausages cook down and release into the sauce making it completely irresistible. I served it with roasted potatoes the first night, and the sauce kind of acted as a fancy ketchup for dipping the potatoes and bites of sausage into. The next day for lunch I served the leftover sausages and sauce with the leftover tagliatelle. My husband told me I need to make him that pasta dish for the rest of his life.

I never want to make another tomato sauce again. I love Jamie's suggestions for what to do with the sauce and find myself drooling over ALL of them. This recipe is worth going out of your way to find the Italian tomatoes, making a huge batch and freezing it in baggies to try his variations or in your own concoctions. Try this!

Gone Camping...

Gone Camping...

...be back in a few days.

Gadgets: Jot It Down

Gadgets: Jot It Down

Some might think they're a bit old fashioned, but I love recipe cards. They come in handy for those times when you've hit upon the perfect mixture of ingredients when experimenting in the kitchen or perhaps when your Great-Aunt Millie is drunk at Thanksgiving and you're finally able to get her to divulge the secret recipe for her famous lasagna. I've also seen them given as gifts for brides-to-be at showers...just have your friends each write down their favorite recipe on a card and then them place them in a cute recipe box. Wrap & voila, instant keepsake!

In the past, I've used simple index cards but that may be changing as I've found there are some really cute designs out there. Here's a few that might pique your interest from Etsy  or you could just design your own, they're pretty easy to make :

Recipe For A Happy Marriage 

Recipes For Vegetarians

Damask Spring-Summer

Break Out The Fat Pants

Simple Lemon Oregano Roasted Chicken

Simple Lemon Oregano Roasted Chicken

A chicken with crispy, flavorful skin is my absolute favorite. I could never be one of those people who don't eat the skin to cut calories and fat. Just wouldn't happen. If it's crispy and seasoned well you better believe I'll be eating it. And possibly stealing some more when no one's looking.

This is my favorite way to roast a chicken. It's quick to prepare and produces a fabulous sort of Greek tasting chicken. I use whole chickens marked Fryer Chicken since that's what's available at my grocery store. A fryer chicken just means that it's a bit smaller, usually around 3 - 3.5 pounds. A Roasting Chicken would be around 5 pounds, and if you use one of those, just increase your cooking time.
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Serves 4-6


2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp lemon pepper

1 3-3.5 lb whole chicken
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, garlic powder, salt and lemon pepper.

Pat your chicken dry. Place in a roasting pan, oven-proof frying pan or cast-iron skillet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and rub it all over the chicken. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the chicken. Place your chicken in the oven and roast for 1-1.5 hours until the juices run clear and an internal meat thermometer reaches 170 degrees inserted in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest 10-15 minutes to let the juices redistribute.

Optionally: You can stuff a half a lemon and some sprigs of fresh oregano inside the chicken before you roast it.

Click here for printable version of Simple Lemon Oregano Roasted Chicken

____________________________________________________________________

THE RESULTS?
It's just as easy to roast two chicken at a time to roast one. For the same effort you are left with a bunch of leftover shredded chicken that has a million uses. I had that logic the last time I made this roasted chicken, and decided to try this recipe on one chicken and Jamie Oliver's recipe on the other one. While we loved Jamie Oliver's recipe (especially the crispy bacon and those amazing potatoes) we liked this one even better. I have made this recipe at least a dozen times and I never tire of it. The crispy flavorful skin is lovely with the moist chicken. You would be surprised how well the lemon pepper penetrates and imposes a citrus flavor to the meat.

Oh and check out all those dark chicken drippings in the pan. By all means DO NOT THROW IT OUT. That is concentrated chicken flavor, fabulous added to the pot when you make your own chicken broth, or perfect when used in Tagliatelle with Chicken, Rosemary and Pine Nuts.

What a Cute Little Clove of Garlic : Roasted Garlic

What a Cute Little Clove of Garlic : Roasted Garlic

My friend Cate makes this appetizer that's always a hit at her get-togethers and simply requires only two ingredients. Her roasted garlic is so delicious that I once ate two whole heads of garlic by myself while watching an episode of Glee at her house...seriously! Sure, I smelled like an Italian trattoria and had a stomachache the next day...but damn, it was good while I was eating it.

Roasted Garlic

~ Grab a few heads of garlic.
~ Remove the loose skin, keeping the rest intact.
~ Slice off the top of the heads. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if you wish.
~ Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil.
~ Drizzle generously with your favorite olive oil.
~ Wrap the garlic in foil and place it in on an oven-safe dish.

~ Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour @ 400 degrees, depending on how many heads of garlic you're cooking.

~ Remove from oven and serve.

* Cate usually serves them up with various crackers. You take a small knife or toothpick and pop the clove out of the head (it'll be soft). You can eat the whole clove as is or squeeze out the garlicky deliciousness and spread it on your cracker or sliced baguette.

Photo courtesy of  Noisebot

SkyTrax World Airline Awards 2010:The Best Airlines in Africa

SkyTrax World Airline Awards 2010:The Best Airlines in Africa

This years SkyTrax World Airline awards was concluded in Hamburg last week with Asiana Airlines scooping the Airline of the Year Award in a night that was dominated by Middle Eastern Airlines.One World was voted the best Airline Alliance with Star Alliance coming in second place.In Africa, South African Airways was voted the best Airline in Africa followed by Kenya Airways and Air Mauritius at third place!

South African Airways also scooped the Staff service Excellence Award followed by Kenya Airways and Air Mauritius in that order.Kulula,the "airline that does not take itself too seriously", was named the winner of the Best Low-Cost Airline Africa Award.More than 17.9 million air travellers from over 100 different nationalities took part in the 10 month survey, July 2009 to April 2010.

If you want quality flight in Africa,the choice is now clear!The three best airlines in Africa are South African Airways,Kenya Airways and Air Mauritius!

Gadgets: May The Force Be With You

Gadgets: May The Force Be With You

Williams-Sonoma is currently carrying a line of Star Wars products including pancake molds and cookie cutters for the young (or older) Jedi in your life.

The pancake molds are nonstick steel with handles and include Yoda, Darth Vader and a storm trooper. The cookie cutters are plastic and include Darth Vader, Yoda, Boba Fett and a storm trooper.


Williams-Sonoma - Star Wars Kitchen Gear