Left-Over Dimsum ... Part 3

Recycling left-overs is always something that one should do, lest you want to eat the same thing all the time ... it is like your out-of-fashioned clothes needs, a make-over!!!

Here we go with the 3rd way to recycle your left over (lunch: http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/08/recycling-left-over-dimsums-lunch.html & dinner: http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/08/recycling-left-over-dimsums-dinner.html).

The Ingredients:

• The dimsums (in this case it was around 8 pieces, but this recipe would be good for until 20, I think ... hehehe);
• A pretty large onion, a good fist sized one (Asian perspective, if you are Caucasian, of pretty big stature, get half of your fist or a 2/3), finely chopped;
• A tsp of crushed or pureed garlic;
• Half a cup of pan roasted cashew nuts;
• Half of a green or yellow & half of a red paprika (aka bell peppers or capsicum), cut in julienne - they add colour & flavour;
• Half a cup of frozen green peas (always have them, as they are readily available here and quite cheap too ... plus they add colour & vitamins to any dish);
• A carrot, thinly sliced;
• A courgette, thinly sliced;
• A tsp of sauteed black beans (they are readily available in Asian food stores, if you cannot get them and you have the canned ones ... sautee them first);
• A tsp of oyster sauce;
• Ground pepper for additional seasoning, and;
• 2-3 tbs of oil, plus a tsp of sesame oil.

The Procedure:

1. In a heated pan with cooking oil (2tbs of regular oil plus half a tsp of sesame oil), put the onions and caramelise (you would know that they are caramelised when they are a bit glassy (check the photo here ), then add the garlic;
2. Follow with the sauteed black beans, then the dimsums (if the dimsums are frozen, I advise to cover the lid, until they defrost, but tossing and mixing the mixture every 30 seconds to a minute);
3. Add the carrots & green peas (if the peas are frozen, cover it again), if the mixture is dry, add a tbs or two of water or dry white wine or Chinese rice wine.  Just in case you use the wine, let the alcohol evaporate, by letting the mixture to boil for a minute, and mixing it once in a while;
4. Follow with the courgette, then add the oyster sauce and the nuts and paprika (aka bell peppers or capsicum);
5. Cover it and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes, at low fire;
6. Serve with freshly cooked white rice.

 

Kitchen Basic: (UNPAID Product Endorsement) MAGIC BULLET

This is one of my favourite kitchen appliance in our place, the MAGIC BULLET (https://www.google.com/#q=Magic+bullet).

Yes, I am talking about the tele-shopping product, which I thought was a big bucket of CR*P, but it is one of the MOST WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT and it does not cost so much.

I bought my first one, at least 8 years ago (or even more ... yes, I cannot remember, because it was too long, and thought it was not worth remembering since it is just one of the gadgets).  Bought it actually out of a whim ... I kept on seeing it on television, being talked about by these tele-shoppers, saying how wonderful it is in doing things in a fraction of a second .... yes, like you, I did not believe it!!!  

However, during one of my weak moments (guess, some of us knows what I am talking about ... HAHAHA), I saw it being sold in a shop for ONLY €25.  Not thinking, I got it, since I have not bought anything that day.  Brought it home, starting reading the instructions (as if ... HEHEHE) ... threw them in the dishwasher, then when it was clean and dry, started using them.

Yes, it amazed me ... I place in the small cup the unwhipped cream with the flat bottom attachment, then placed it on the electric motor .... VIOLA ... whipped cream ... in less the 10 seconds .... mmm!!!  

My mind just went crazy ... used it to chop up some herbs, which I used directly on my pasta or my dishes .... having cheese grated for toppings ... pureeing my tomatoes ... onions .... garlic etc!!!  Got to make my own hummus too! 

I thought, that was all I could do ... then got a new bf, and new life-style (we ate less carbs, but more protein ... it kept us leaner .... we still eat what we want, but in moderation - this is my advise in controlling your weight-gain ... moderation not indulgence!!!), which meant new stuff in my life, like taking more shakes .... instead of pouring the powder into a shaker and shaking it for a minute or two, we just pour our juice into the Magic Bullet cups and then the shake powder ... then we have the shakes which we drink with our daily loads of vitamins.

Then, I got crazy in making some Indian dishes ... darn, the preparation was really something, got an advise from my Indian best-friend, that there are some short-cuts ... she advised me to puree tomatoes and onions plus the spices ... yes, I used the Magic Bullet (however, I thought in this case, my Braun processor was better ... since it has more space to put in two tomatoes, an onion or two & the spices ... but if you do not have it, then this worked perfectly).

The latest thing I did, which I thought was lovely, when I used the juicer attachment.  Used it as a juicer, it was really good ... but used it for straining something else .... my FISH BISQUE!  YES, I boiled away those fish bones and head with some onions, veggies ... seasoned it.  Placed my staff mixer, to break-up the bones ... boiled them further to get the most of what was in the fish bones ... then placed it in the juicer ... another VIOLA!  Strained and juiced those darn bones out ... then further reduced the strained liquid to half ... and taste (will write about this later, where I have used them).

Well, it has been sometime, almost a decade (or even more than a decade) and it is only now that one of the parts is wearing out ... the spokes that attaches to the electrical bottom.  Something had to give, right?  To think it has been this long, and the lasted ... using it everyday (except when we travelled ... no, we did not bring it with us ... HEHEHE), for more then 4 years straight, plus the extra days when I used it for other heavy and menial chopping, whipping, juicing etc needs to our everyday life.  

I was ready to buy a new Magic Bullet, when I suddenly found in one second-hand shop (during those days that one has the bug ... actually, was looking for those humongous green glass jars, which I want to fill with €1 & €2 coins ... can you imagine who much it would be worth when it gets filled up ... PENSION ... HAHAHA), I saw the bottom part that was wearing out from my Magic Bullet, plus the electrical bottom & the juicer and all-in-all cost me €10.  A bit expensive, but worth buying since the new one would cost me now €99 ... yes, but it is more than just this part .... who cares, I do not need them, I just needed the bottom blade that would shred & make crushed (or powder) ice.  So, I am counting another 5 years?

Just had to share this one.  NOT GETTING PAID for this story, but my enjoyment in having it has been limitless (kitchen-wise ... HEHEHE)!!!  

Cheese-Herb Nibbles

Have you had that situation when you wanted to nibble something with your glass of wine?  Maybe not with wine, but with something to nibble with a glass of something ... HEHEHE!!!

Well, I had some sliced cheese, but it was too boring.  So, I looked at my pots of herbs by the window .. Had some parsley and basil ... <ding> !!!  Guess, you got the idea?

If not, then have the following:

• Slices of cheese;
• Cut herbs (including the stacks, as long as they aren't tough like a twig).

When you have this ingredients:

1. Lay the sliced cheese flat;
2. Distribute some herbs on the sliced cheese;
3. Roll them up;
4. Cut them up in equal sizes;
5. Serve them with your drinks!

Can that be any quicker?

Filipino Dish: Croquetta (de Carne)

Finally, I know that my blog is being read by someone else that my relatives and friends, even though it is just one person who has identified himself ... (yes, I mean you Bas ... HAHAHA!!!).

When I started this blog, I as just wanting to be able to share what I have thought was one of the greatest achievement of my life (aside from moving totally on the other side of the world where I did not know anyone; learning a new language and the culture, something one has to understand that language is more than expressing the words but more exhibiting the culture of the means of communication that you are using; learning to do household chores, like mastering the art of ironing a work shirt in less than 7 minutes; knowing how to drill a hole in a wall without making a bay window etc etc), wherein my Mom, my Godmother, my aunts were all experts in their own rights (one having a uni degree in Home Economics, that is Mommie; another who once owned her own bakery, my Godmother & aunt; another catering business, my late aunt who looked like a famous Filipina actress).

Food would always be the centre of our culture.  We would always say that "We LIVE to EAT & not EAT to LIVE".  This was even more enforced when I visited after being away for around 12-13 years.  Being away for more than a decade, a good 3rd of my life, I decided to meet up with a few friends who have chosen to "hunt me down" knowing I was in town.  

When you finally plan to meet up with friends, the most common questions were, "What do you want to eat?" or "Where do you want to eat?", "Are you missing any Filipino dishes?".  I think this is all familiar to every Filipino "Balik-Bayan" (literal translation: Balik=return & Bayan=Country), then it would be followed up by, "Has your bf/gf/husband/wife/parner/spouse tried ... adobo, balut, pancit canton etc etc?".  We actually, were even planning to tape the response, as it became like a usual question and answer by the immigration counter ... HEHEHEHE!!!

However, this is no different from when I moved here in the Netherlands.  They would always start by asking how you like the country and the weather, then followed with the language ... how hard it is ... then knowing why you moved etc etc.  

Guess, everyone is just inquisitive ... or Dutch people just the Euro version of Filipinos?

Back to Filipino food and having a total stranger reading my blog ... !!! 

It was interesting when he started asking me about Filipino food.  Then first thing came to my mind was adobo, but the only draw back was adobo is an oily dish.  We just do not eat too oily dishes anymore (on a regular basis), but this does not mean that we never ... it is just not a common thing.  Also, the chicken in the Netherlands are too soft that to be able to achieve the adobo taste the chicken meat would break up to a form that only a abstract artist would find meaning in it.  I know, it can be with pork, but pork adobo is just so good with the skin and the thick fat ... yes, the bf would look at me and say, "You got to be kidding!?".

Why would he say that?  Well, let me tell you another story when I first visited the Netherlands (back in 1998).  I wanted to make pork adobo, and the basic ingredient is pork adobo is pork (wow isn't that obvious ... hehehe), but it has to be a fatty pork meat with skin.  When I went to the butcher to buy one, they gave me one stripped off all these glorious flavour parts ... the skin & fat.  So, I have learned that when I want something, I have to be specific (and I tell you, not only with buying ... in EVERYTHING).

Back to Filipino food, take 2 !!!

So, when I was asked, I had to think of the dish that I loved ... there was the Caldereta (Spanish Beef Stew, which I have finally made my own recipe and the bf & I have cooked it in the US & AU for relatives & friends), but it was summer ... who cooks & eats stew when it is so warm outside.  Then, I remembered one comfort food that I loved, that I would sneak in the middle of the night to open the fridge and eat it even cold ... yes, it tastes good warm & cold ... it is the CROQUETTA!

And I expect you to say .... WHAT? That is not Filipino, that is Spanish!  

A short lesson in Philippine history.

The Philippines, more commonly known to Filipinos as Pilipinas (or to the foreigners Filipinas ... For Americans, Philippines ... HAHAHAHA), was formerly a colony of the Spanish kingdom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines#Hispanic_Period), which is why unlike any other Asian dishes, I would say that the Philippines' dishes are the original Asian Fusion dishes ... it is a mixture of the East & the West !!!

What is MY CROQUETTA made of:

• Potatoes, I used 3 fist-sized (Asian man, for Causasians, I would say 2-2,5);
• 2 regular-sized ready made hamburgers, with a thickness of 2,5cms (I did not have any mince meat, and this was the only one available in the fridge), if you have mince about 250 to 300 gms;
• 50 gms of carrots, cut in Brunoise (http://m.wikihow.com/Do-Formal-Vegetable-Cuts), not strictly but as small as possible;
• spices (in this case, the hamburger was tandori flavoured.  so, I used a pinch or two of cumin powder, garamassala, Indian curry powder, sweet paprika & a half a pinch of chili powder - in the Philippines, we would only use salt & pepper, or even some Worcestershire plus a bay leaf);
• half a cup of frozen green peas (just have to incorporate that vegetable & frozen to add moisture, not in the original Filipino Croquetta);
• an onions, finely chopped &
• half tsp of crushed garlic.

There are three parts of this dish.  Yes, it is a bit tedious, but you will find it interesting.  Seriously, there were times, I was almost finished eating the cooked ingredients before I had a chance to make a single croquette ... hehehe ... be warned!!!

Potato Mash Procedure:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut in equal cubes;
2. Put in a pot covered with water, just enough to have them under it;
3. Set to boil, until they break when you put a fork through them (it took me only 5-10 minutes);
4. Drain & mash them. Don't season it, cause the taste would come from the filling;
5. Set aside to cool, it makes it easier to form the croquettes. 

Meat Filling Procedure:

1. Choose a pan that would fit all the ingredients and enough room to be able to mix it;
2. Heat the pan under high with around 3-4 tablespoons of oil;
3. Sautee the onions, garlic, then add the spices (if you are using the Worcestershire sauce wait until you have the meat).  If the mixture becomes a bit too dry, add a tablespoon of oil (or butter) & lower the fire to medium-high;
4. Throw in the hamburger meat & break it apart (if you have not yet done it).  If you are using mince meat, let the sauteed onions, garlic and spices mix into the meat, mixing it once in a while;
5. When the meat has all changed colour add the carrots, and cook for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat and cover with a lid;
6. Then throw in the frozen peas, and mix it every 30 seconds to a minute, cover and cook until the mixture looks drier;
7. Taste (this is where I usually end up finishing the dish ... hehehe) and add more spices and seasoning as desired  (Remember that your potato mash is not seasoned, the filling is the soul of this dish).
8. Keep cooking until the mixture is dry, then set aside to cool too ... Same reason!

Forming the Croquettas:

1. In the Philippines, we ball the mash and stuff the filling in it.  In my version, we just mix everything, and form balls or (in this case) tube like forms (like the Kroketa in the Netherlands);
2. After forming them, roll them in flour.  
3. Dip the mash & meat filling in a lightly beaten egg ... Didn't do this cause it was just tedious, and it can be skipped, but need to differentiate what I did to the procedure back when I was a kid;
4. Roll the croquette in a bowl of bread crumbs ... Another step, that I didn't do, but they did back when I was a kid too;
5. Rest it, or you can just pan fry them light brown the outside, rolling them on each side (this is when you can freeze them and cook it some other time);
6. Fry them on a open pan with a good enough oil, but not too much that they are "skinny dipping".  Roll them on their sides (a minute each side);
7. Take them out of the pan, and let them rest for a couple of minutes on a kitchen paper towel ... Warning you, that you wouldn't want them fresh from the pan, unless your wish it to have blisters in your tongue. A good 4-5 minutes, depending on how cold or warm it is in the place you let me rest.
8. Eat alone or serve with a sauce ... When I was a kid, I used tomato ketchup, but now I have the sweet chilli sauce, which I would say is heaven in a bottle (if you buy the one that suits your taste ... Or else it is FIRE in a bottle ... HEHEHEHE). 

Ok Bas, this the Filipino dish, which I love ... Next one would be the beef stew (caldereta), when it gets a bit more like mid-autumn, which is getting closer by the day.  Have to wait, for a while, to be able to make the photos ... HEHEHEHE!!!

Simple Salad Dressing of Cream Mustard Caper & Garlic

This is a quick one, as last night, the bf enjoyed this impromptu salad dressing, which like anything I create in the kitchen.  

So, he insistently nudged (yes, literally nudging me) to list the ingredients and jot down the procedure, which I used as a chance to share to everyone now.

The INGREDIENTS:

• heaping tbs thick cream (actually, it isn't a cream but Hellmann's sandwich delight spread)
• tsp crushed garlic
• tsp or two capers plus half tsp of its juice
• tsp regular mustard 
• tbs or two orange juice
• tbs extra virgin olive oil
• tsp lemon juice
• freshly grounded pepper

The simple PROCEDURE:

1. Blitz everything except the lemon juice & pepper, to a consistency like very light mayonnaise, 
2. Mix the dressing on a mixture of salad melange plus ruculla (I find that ruculla is suited for this dressing for its light peppery taste);
3. Sprinkle the lemon juice on the dressed salad.
4. Before serving the salad, season it with the freshly ground pepper;
5. Serve with a SMILE (optional).

Garlic ... Ways to store them ... plus Steak with pan-fried garlic!!!

Remembered this only yesterday, when I was with my "mother-in-law". She was offering me some garlic, because she bought a whole string of garlic and was worrying that they would dry out. Then, it dawned to me, that I used to do a couple of things with them.

Here are the advises: 
A. Peeled whole or crushed, mix them with a bit of oil, then store them in a clean wide-mouthed bottle (note: keep the garlic submerged & after a few days the garlic will produce gases, which might make opening the bottle difficult).
 * Spoon it for using in sautéing;
* Mix it for salad dressing, like Caesar Salads (we can talk about the real dressings, not the so-called Caesar Salad dressings);
* Mix with butter and spread on bread for your own made garlic bread, not forgetting to toast the bread;
* Use crushed garlic & oil as marinate for meats, fishes and pre-roasting vegetables.

 B. Cut in pieces, mix it with oil and store in a bottle with a spout.
* Oil in bottle can be used for cooking and for salad dressing, as this is your flavoured oil (note: you can even add herbs in it).

C. Cut garlic in halves (or even as whole) and pan fry in oil until brown.
* Garlic and oil can be used in the future when you require roasted garlic, which can be added in the end of the cooking;

* Mix with butter or on its own and spread on bread, then roast (season with salt & pepper). 

Tonight, we had steak and used the garlic which were pan fried. 

First, marinated steaks with salt, freshly grounded pepper, soya sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

Then made sure that the pan was hot enough but not burning before putting the steaks in the pan, cooking it one minute per side per centimeter of steak for a medium rare steak. 

After cooking one side, throw in the a whole sliced onion and a spoonful of the pan fried garlic plus the marinate. 

Take out the steaks to rest for round five minutes in an aluminum foil, and sealing it in.  If you want yo can just put it in a plate and cover it.  This will cook further the meat. If your plate is warm, then it wouldn't stop the cooking process, otherwise, you get a rare & cooler steak. 

Served the steak with salad dressed with a mixture of:

• finely chopped 10 small capers (5 capers for the bigger ones)
• two olives (pitted)
• a tbs of cream
• a tbs of lemon juice/extract
• three tbs of olive oil (or a tbs of the pan-fried garlic olive oil and two tbs of plain olive oil)
• a tsp of strong mustard (like Dijon or English)
• a drop or two of pepper sauce
• salt & pepper

Breakfast: Fried Egg with Cheese on Fried Bread

Yes, I have another fried bread sandwich (http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/09/sick-but-cooking-sauteed-tomatoes.html), but this time I am using a heavier sort of roll.  In the Netherlands, we call it kaiserbrood, which is literally translated as Emperor bread.

What do we need for this sandwich:

• The bread
• A slice of creamy cheese (or the paper flavored light variety ... Hahaha!!!)
• An egg cooked the way you like it, but I prefer the sunny side-up type.  When done properly tastes so creamy (still haven't done the perfect poached egg ... Will have to try that one day, but didn't this time ... Hehehe)
• Butter or olive oil
• And lovey cream spread (unsalted or the non-salty type)
• Plus a few leaves of fresh basil

I usually keep my breads in the freezer, they say it dries it out, but depends on the kind.  I have noticed that the loaf type when already sliced tend to dry out, if you do not keep them sealed (as in air-tight or most of the air removed from the container you keep it in). 

Anyway, the sandwich was a thought I had in bed, wherein I wanted some eggs but couldn't bare to just fry an egg or boil them ... Had to find something new to my egg & cheese sandwich.  It just came to me that frying pan/skillet or a grill pan just creates the wonderful charring that you can control.  Then adding a bit of butter and cream spread transforms the spread and the bread to couple that cannot be replicated by toasting and spreading the spread on it.

So, I heated up the pan and oiled or buttered,  depending on your heart's desire ... Figuratively and literally ... Hehehe!!!  When the pan is warm enough, put the bread cut side on the pan.  Before putting it in the pan, I would spread it with a bit of the spreadable cream.  It will not just prevent the read from burning completely, but like I said would create the spread and bread as ONE.  

When the pan is really hot, to nearly smoking, it would take you only 30 seconds to a minute to brown (or mildly charr) the bread.  After "frying" the bread, spread another light layer of the cream (this could be skipped ... your call, since it is your sandwich) and top the bottom part with the cheese.  Set aside, while you make your eggs.  

Using the same pan, add more butter or olive oil (yes, your call ...HAHAHAHA) slide the egg or eggs. (Yes, slide them form a bowl, because I break them open in a bowl first.  In this way, you avoid having to cook not so fresh eggs or have trouble fishing out the egg shells).  Make sure your pan is warm or nearing hot, but not burning (for my 10mm pan, it takes a around 2 minutes at high to warm it up).

Another to remember, is that the eggs should be at room temperature (over here, that would be 19-21C, but in the days that there were no fridges that would be 16-18C ... So, wine temperature at room is about 16C) or just not fresh out the fridge (I noticed that if I use cold eggs, the yolk tend to break while cooking and it cooks uneven). When I slide the egg in the pan, I usually lower the fire to medium to medium low after 30 seconds, and fry the egg for a minute to a minute and a half further. Make sure you cover the pan, as the stream would seal the top of the egg and leave you a nice runny yolk minus the snotty white on top (a tip the bf gave me, because he is the one who doesn't like the white to be runny).  

If you want your yolk a bit more cooked but soft orange still, fry it further for an extra 30-45 seconds in very low fire with the lid on the pan.  I find that 30 seconds is enough, but noticed that it will depend on your frying pan, the thickness and the alloy it has to retain the heat ... Still researching and comparing this with the non-Teflon type, but got no ceramic types except the Corning-ware one.

Anyway, back to my eggs ... HEHEHEHE .... I mean yours ... HAHAHAHA ... The eggs!  When done, slide them slowly on the bread with the cheese, to soften (or even melt it a bit), place a leaf or two oD fresh basil (for flavour and garnishing) then season with a bit of freshly grounded salt & pepper. 

Eet Smakkelijk!

Sick but Cooking: Sautéed Tomatoes & Onions on Fried Bread

It has been a hard weekend, not just that I am trying to fight the initial flu-like symptoms, the weather started getting cold ... Well, it is now starting to feel that summer is really over.  Not that I am complaining, it sure is nice to have good weather.

Anyway, been cooped up in the house since Thursday afternoon, when I felt so sick and tired that I left work right after lunch.  Got home and slept ... And slept ... And slept !!!  It was good, because I was about to feel better and encouraged me on simple dishes to have.

Due to not feeling well plus a great deal of tomatoes in the fridge (due to the cooking Saturday with my friends - http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/09/vegetarian-lasagna-with-homemade.html), combining both reasons, I thought of using the tomatoes, which is not just a good source of vitamin C it also gives a lovely red colour to dishes.  However, I had to do something very simple, as I wouldn't want to stand the whole evening next to the stove this time.

Took out the following ingredients:

• 250 g of chopped brightly red tomatoes. (The redder they are, the sweeter it seems to me)
• 50 g of finely chopped onions
• Crushed a couple of cloves of garlic
• 20-40 pc of capers (it is usually a tbs or two)
• 10-15 pcs of green olives (not fresh & prefer the pitted type & stuffed with paprika)
• 100-150 g of finely chopped (or minced) chicken meat
•  A stalk of fresh basil with 5-8 leaves, chopped (yes, including the stalk, which should be finely chopped and the leaves roughly chopped)
• A twig of thyme with leaves (of course, no need to chop them)
• enough chillies that it "spikes" the dish, or enough to "fire" it up (strictly optional)

Heat the pan with a medium-high to high fire till it is warm enough, that it doesn't smoke.  Then poured in a good amount of oil ... Like 3-5 tbs ... I prefer olive oil, the cooking variety, not the one you use for salad dressings since this one burns easily.  It usually takes at most a minute, when you have a really hot pan for the oil to warm up before it starts smoking.  

Follow it now with the onions, after 30 seconds to a minute add the garlic.  If you notice that the pan looks a bit dry, add a tbs of oil or two (when u add more oil, that means you will have to Sautée the onions and garlic for one minute longer). Sautée the onions and garlic until the onions are a bit glassy and not completely white in colour.  

Do not worry if it turns a bit brown, but not black and not all brown.  When you have reached this point, stir in the tomatoes and the twig of thyme
into the pan and cover the lid.  If you have not yet lowered the fire under your pan, it is good to do it now to medium-low to medium.  Let the mixture dry up, but not like a desert or crispy at all.  

Just to a point the the tomatoes have reached a very tender state and that only a few pieces of the meat and peel plus its colour is evident in the pan.  At this point, add the chicken mince and stir and toss the mixture. 

When all the chicken meat is cooked, add in the capers and olives.  If the mixture is too dry, add some of the liquid that the capers or olives are stored in the bottle.  Cover it and lower the fire further or keep it to medium-low, simmer it further for 5-7 minutes, after which, open lid and lower the fire to low (if it isn't in low yet), add the finely chopped basil and split each olives in half (this will release more flavour).  Cook further for a minute or two.  At this point, I usually taste to see if I need to season it with some salt (1/8 tsp) and pepper (1/8 tsp), which I usually think I should, and a tbs of extra virgin oil (or when I use the sauce). 

Transfer the chicken sauce into a container or bowl, and do not wash the pan.  Put the pan on a medium heat fire and add a tsp of olive oil or butter (depending on your taste buds or your cholesterol level).

While the pan is heating up, slice open your bread buns (I would prefer the white ones this time ... a whole wheat is possible too, but haven' tried it yet ... let me know if you did, ok?) and lay them flat cut-side down.  Brown it, and let the bread absorb the oil or butter and the remaining sauce in the pan,  then turn again.  This should take no less than 1,5 minutes per side, when the pan is warm (more like HOT) enough.

Then plate it up, scoop a tablespoonful on the bread.  Place a few fresh basil leaves, not just for garnishing, but to enhance the flavour too!

First Day of the Rest of my LIFE ... KITCHEN!!!

Tonight for 10-months, every first Wednesday evening, I will be taking a cooking course.  Not just any cooking course, it will be in Librije's Atelier.

What is Librije? 

Librije is a restaurant (http://www.librije.com/?language=en), not just any restaurant, it would be the only 3-star Michelin restaurant in the Netherlands (the other one is planning to close done, not because of lack of customers, but the chef wishes to retire).  What is even more interesting was the restaurant got its first star in the first year it opened, and caused a 5-month waiting period to have a table ... !!!  Now, wait for half a year for lunch ... yes, it took as that long to wait for one a couple of years back.

Not only do they have the 3-star restaurant, they also have the other restaurant, Zusje van Librije (http://www.librije.com/40/librijes-zusje/), which got its 2nd star last year (the restaurant is part of a hotel, which was once a women's prison). 

These restaurants, hotel and cooking school are owned by the couple Jonnie & Therese (aka as Trees in her childhood ... yes, but in Dutch trees are bomen), who are locals of the region of Zwolle ... and lives just a block or two from our place (rubbing elbows? nope, just us trying to rub theirs ... hehehe) !!!  

Been to both, and was really impressed with it ... the Zusje when it was still a 1-starred, but still as good and impressive as the older sister.

Enough of the hype about the restaurant and their school, I am not getting paid for it, but actually paying the month's salary to take this course (http://www.librijesatelier.nl/dutchatelier/librije-s-workshops/04-09-2013-passie-voor-koken-deel-2 ... too bad it is only available in Dutch).

The course was (or is) last year's birthday gift from the "guinea pig".  He thought that I would love it (which I DO ... no not saying it as a wedding, I DO).  However, I finally realised, that though the gift was for me ... it seemed that this gift for me would eventually (in the long-run) will be more a gift to himself .... mmmm <tight-lipped and one corner higher than the other corner> .... HAHAHA!!!

Who cares, I would be learning the scientific way of cooking, from one of the best restaurant I. This country.  Learning the rules, without going through the trial and error of what matches (well, I would still go through it ... I have not been very well-known to be a stickler to rules ... rather, I would follow the essence of the rule).  Then understanding what wines would be best to be match with dishes ... no more rules of white for fish & other sea creatures and red for meats etc ... will have more of the wines of the wines of the sommelier, Therese (yes, the wife is the sommelier ... I thought she just got the position she is the wife, but I tell you, she can pick good wines ... she has wines from the Netherlands ... this country which barely has any sun, she was able to find a vineyard that produces the right grapes to make her wines ... LOVE IT).

What do you think would happen ... would I be inspired to create more lavish dishes ... or would I end up wanting to have take-away as it would be easier?  Will I be the artist as these chefs are these days ... or will I become a mere copier of famous artworks ?  Questions to be answered, when we go through .... !!!

Some notes about the city of Zwolle

Zwolle from Google maps ... the inner city (which I fell in love with, as the man who lives in it) is shaped like a star, surrounded by water and still maintains portions of the old walls of the inner city.  Take a walk in it (even virtually), as the city is one of the best kept secret from tourist, who only knows Amsterdam or Rotterdam.  Zwolle is maintains its old charm, being a city that is more like an over-grown village, where everyone knows each other and everyone recognises or related to someone you know ... it is the past in the present Netherlands!

30 Minute (plus minus) Dinner: Sautéed Tomatoes, Capers & Olives withDeep Fried Anchovies fillets.

8 o'clock and dinner was still not prepared ... I haven't had any idea what to cook.  I wanted to do some Spanish style cooked sardines with the anchovies I bought this morning, but the pressure cooker was no where in sight ... Hidden away by the fireman, who is busy with the Safety day event.

Simplicity & speed were the main idea for dinner.  I had fresh anchovies, leftover homemade dried lasagna pasta (from last week dinner with friends - http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/09/vegetarian-lasagna-with-homemade.html), tons of tomatoes from last week too, the usual olives and capers in the cupboard. 

Started sauteing the finely chopped large onion, with a tablespoon of pureed garlic on a warm-hot pan (but not smoking) under a medium to high fire, until caramelised which took about 5-10 minutes. Then I added the finely chopped 8 medium-sized tomatoes (just use the proportion of 1:3 of onion to tomatoes' size) plus a small bouquet of thyme & finely chopped twigs (2-3) of fresh basil which would have around 10-20 good sized leaves, then lower the fire to medium to medium-low fire and let it slowly cook for another 5-10 minutes, covered & stirring (and tossing if you can) once every 3-5 minutes.  

When the mixture is slight dry, add capers 3-4 teaspoon of capers (one tsp caper per two tomatoes proportion) and 5-10 pieces of pitted olives, add a tsp or two of the capers bath and same for the olives ... This would give more flavour for the sauce. Lower the fire to medium to medium-low and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes, after which, add more olive oil and split the olives. Simmer further for another 3-5 minutes, but under low to very low fire.

While you cooking the sauce, boil water and cook the pasta.  My homemade lasagna pasta cooked around 7 minutes, which would be al dente. 

As the pasta and sauce are cooking, fillet the anchovies and wash them.  Dry a bit by rolling on a tea towel or kitchen paper.  I prefer the kitchen paper, as the tea towel would need to be washed afterwards, unless you like the fishy smell <wink>.

There is a video of me filleting an anchovy.  It seems that tablets & smart phones does not support this format.  You can view it via your computer or laptop.

Season the anchovies fillet with salt and ground/powder plus a bit of corn starch (to make it a bit more crispier).  Heat up a good enough the oil to about 140-160C, to deep fry the fillets. Make sure your oil is HOT, but not smoking, and DO NOT OVER-CROWD.  Deep-fry until crisp.

When you are starting to put the fillets in the oil, remove the sauce from the fire ... At the same time, drain the pasta and plate, then drizzle with some oil to prevent it from drying up and sticking to each other and plate.  I would even drizzle some oil first on the plate, if not the sauce.

Then complete the ensemble by topping it with the crispy anchovies.

Eating it in parts or mixing them together is a choice you have to discover, because I just love them in both ways!!!

The leftover sauce, I am planning to have with some toasted or fried bread for lunch ... !!!  

Vegetarian Lasagna with Homemade Lasagna Pasta

Last Saturday was one of the most cultural evenings for the last 10 years, because we had two guests at home (colleagues of mine).  One of them was an Indian woman raised and educated in India, and my good friend (another colleague) is a Surinamese woman of Indonesian origin. Then my bf whose Mom comes from the South of the Netherlands and a Dad with Friesian origins, but born and raised in Batavia (old colonial name Jakarta) and studied in the Netherlands ... Then me ... <pointing upwards> read the profile ... HAHAHA!!!

What else would happen when you have a group who has been raised to "LIVE to EAT" and not "EAT to LIVE", it is a day of cooking ... But the funny thing was that we cooked a dish that was "indigenously" NOT ours ... Lasagna ... But definitely OUR VERSION of a vegetarian lasagna!  

The challenge was that day, our Indian friend was on her vegetarian period.  So, we had to make one without the usual ingredients that I would never miss in any dish ... MEAT ... I AM A CARNIVORE!!!  What even added to the challenge was that my Surinamese friend wished that we do not use any olives and capers ... SAY WHAT?!?!? Yes, EXACTLY!!!  However, they did not have any issue with the use of cheese ... YES ... There, I can have some flavour ... And we could use herbs ... YES again!!!

We started making our lasagna pasta ... <flashback> When I first made it in 2011, I mixed a cup of wheat flour to one egg and seasoned it with a pinch of salt.  Kneaded it until, it was possible to have it rolled ... Yes, I did it all by hand ... Even rolling the pasta dough, then I was able to make some pretty decent fettuccine and ravioli with mushroom, cheese and some Iberico ham in them ... And the "guinea pig" (aka BF) loved it !!!!

Fettuccine with meat sauce
& blue cheese

Spinach cheese Ravioli
with Tomato Sauce

<back to present time> So, I tried to start mixing the same proportion of two cups of flour and two eggs plus a pinch of salt (or more like a fourth of a teaspoon). Didn't find any whole wheat flour, but thought that the self-rising flour wouldn't make any difference ... Little did I know that self-rushing flour would be making the dough drier ... Anyway, I mixed it but the darn thing ended up to be just little pebble-like rather a whole clumpy rock.  I added an extra egg, for each cup, which made is very sloppy ... Then my sweet Indian lady friend, who had decades of experience of making chapati (they seem like thin bread like tortilla) ... She whack the dough into submission and eventually it got mixed into a clumpy rock-shaped dough.

When we got the dough, I pulled out from the cupboard the guinea pig's last Christmas gift ... The pasta maker attachment for the Kitchen Aid mixer he gave me for the first Christmas together ... Yes, he is giving me appliances, but it was my choice ... I literally wanted it, but now it is becoming a routine ... CRAP ... Sometimes getting what you want is not always going to make you smile ... Yes, I am an ungrateful B*TCH ... HAHAHA ... That is why he LOVES me .... Because I am being ME!

Back to the story ... My trusted friends-colleagues assisted me in the process of putting the dough into the machine, which gave us more than we needed ... And even four extra sheets of lasagna (forgot to photograph them when it was fresh, and these ones are cracking now ... Which I would use for another small lasagne with MEAT!!!

Showed this to a true-blue born and raised Italian colleague of mine (nope she was no 2nd or 3rd or nth generation migrant) ... and she noted that this was too thick.  I got my first failing mark from her ... Boo Hoo Hoo ... Well, that is why I said ... OUR VERSION ... HEHEHEHE!!!!  However, she thinks that I can really cook, so she promised to give me real flour to be used for pasta making (will add that when I find out what it is.,.She told me but I forgot...HEHEHEHE). 

For the filing filling of the lasagna, using the same dough mixture of 2 cups (self-rising) flour and 4 medium-sized eggs (use only 2 medium-sized eggs for a regular whole wheat flour), I used the following:

* 2 medium length zucchini (aka courgettes in Dutch), slices in sheets;

* 2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped;

* 3 paprika (aka bell-pepper in the US & capsicum in Germany & Australia) cut in paysanne (in small cubes), I tend to use a green, a yellow & a red ... It just gives more colour;

* 1 kg of really riped tomatoes, finely chopped or even pureed but the liquid kept, you need to dry this out in the cooking process;

* 250 gms of spinach

* 150 gms sliced champignon mushrooms

* 150 gms sliced shiitake mushrooms

* 5 medium-large cloves of garlic or one of the single bulb type, crushed; 

* 1/2 tbs fresh leaves of thyme (if you have the dried type, I usually tripled or even quadrupled the amount);

* two sets of 2-3 twigs of fresh basil (which would have around 10 leaves per twig) which are finely chopped;

* 1-2 tbs dried oregano (an extra tablespoon wouldn't hurt ... hehehe);

* a tub of ricotta cheese (I would have used mozzarella, but forgot to buy and got this one in the freezer);

* a big tub of cottage cheese;

* a cup of roughly grated Parmesan cheese. 

Note: The cheeses were only used when I started layering, and did not mix it while cooking.

This is how the onion, garlic and 

tomato mixture should look like.

• heat up a pan, a good-sized one since the kilo of tomatoes are going to be in it and you would be stirring a good deal of the cooking process.
• when the pan is warm enough pour in a good amount of oil, around 5 tbs, that leaves a small puddle in it;
• put in the finely chopped onions & crushed garlic, caramelised, then follow it with the tomatoes.  I would keep pan open to dry up after a bit faster, but making sure to stir to prevent it to burn;
• throw I the mushroom and slightly stir them in the mixture;
• then a bit lesser liquid, I would thrown in the paprika, herbs and spices, followed with more olive oil. 
• Allow to simmer further until the sauce is thicker than it started.

Drizzle the baking pan bottom with oil and the sauce, the layer up:

1. lasagna sheet;
2. sauce again;
3. chopped basil leaves;
4. spinach leaves;
5. courgette sheets;
6. cheeses (ricotta, cottage & Parmesan)
7. repeat until you have only enough sauce & cheese to top everything. 

Bake the everything in a preheated oven at 160C for 15-20 minutes.  I usually turn the oven on, when I start preparing my ingredients, because I have a pretty big oven. If your oven is the size of a typical microwave oven, I would turn it on when I start preparing the sauce.

While waiting for the veggie lasagna to bake, I grilled some halloumi and steak (tips in making the perfect steak - http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/08/garlic-ways-to-store-them-plus-steak.html). 

It took us a good hour or an hour enough to make, had the lasagna and grilled halloumi cheese for my sweet but powerful armed chapati expert.  For us carnivores, we had an extra slice of steak!!

  

We (the three of us) were able to achieve the challenge ... Creating fresh pasta ... Vegetarian dish we three never done (or maybe not) ... Learning from each others' experience and expertise!!!

Oh, the bf & I loved it so much, that we went to the in-laws (mine) and shard the leftovers with them ... And his father asked what it was called ... The sign that he liked it ... my mother-in-law loved it too!!

Homemade Babi Pangan Sauce

As a kid, there was always one dish I always love ... Chinese sweet sour pork ... Or my Chinese friends would call "Gu Lao Rou".  They are always something that would make me happy ... As long as it is the real thing.  

So, One day, I was craving to make some sweet sour sauce and was experimenting on mixing different ingredients, instead of the usual ingredients to make a thin but sticky sauce.  Decided to mix tomato ketchup, some orange juice, a bit of flour and salt and pepper to further season, then boiled them together and stirring with a wire whisk regularly ... It tasted good, but it was not the sweet & sour sauce that i wanted to make. What came out was Babi Pangan sauce ... It was such a surprise, because I see everyone buying the package which they mix with water and then cook, and could not imagine these simple ingredients to be the sauce that is a staple in every Dutch Chinese restaurant. 

The proportions are 3:1 of tomato ketchup to orange juice, and just a third or quarter the porting of the juice for the flour, this is only to make the sauce thicken quicker, as the tomato ketchup tends to have this already.  Then season accordingly.  

Did that sound confusing?  Let me list it down differently ... Hehehe:

3 tbs tomato ketchup

1 tbs orange juice

1 tsp flour 

Salt & Pepper (optional)

I usually just dump all these ingredients in a big mouth bottle, with the lid closed, shake to mix completely (remember this tip in http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/07/another-left-over-honey-mustard-sauce.html).  Then pour it in a cool & lightly greased pot or pan, put over a medium fire to slowly cook the mixture.  Remember to stir (or I should say, whisk, as using a wire whisk is better) to keep the sauce smooth, otherwise, it would end up a bit "clumpy".

This is the consistency which you should achieve.

Note: 

* The seasoning can be placed in the bottle or when you are cooking.

* Acidity of the tomato ketchup plus orange juice can make the sauce a bit too sour, if it is, i suggest to add a bit of sugar or honey or artificial sweetener. 

* it is possible to not use any flour, but your cooking time would take longer, since the only thickener would be from your tomato ketchup.

* if you plan to use cornstarch (aka corn flour), just use half of the amount that is used for flour (got this link from a friend - thanks Chic - which gives the differences of the two http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061018115130AA5BRCB)

Found out that there were a few variations that can be done with this simple sauce, here are some I have tried:

* Sautée crushed garlic and onions (and some crushed chillies, if you like your sauce to have a bit of bite ... You know how much you can put in  ... If not, use only a pinch, because it is easier to make it spicier than to soften it) on medium-high to high fire.  When the onions & garlic have been caramelised, pour in the sauce mixture and cook further;

* Add a teaspoon of soya sauce, to the ingredients in the bottle, which gives it a bit darker tone.  If you are to follow this variation, remember that soya sauce is salty already;

* Adding Worcestershire sauce.  This very unique sauce just gives a light spicy flavour that enhances the tangy taste of the Babi Pangan sauce. 

To the reader ... Hope you are enjoying what you are reading ... If you do ... You know what to do!!! 😉