Lemongrass Pepper Chicken Masala

It's been a huge relief after settling down in my new place and having the freedom to cook whatever I want, whenever I want.
I do hope I could keep the posts coming ...

Here's a chicken dish I made yesterday. It's an Indian based dish with a hint of Asian flavour. I would say it turned out pretty good. Do give it a try and leave ur feedback here.

Now for the recipe..

You need :
1/2 kilo chicken, cleaned and cut to pieces
1 big tomato, sliced

Blend together:
1 1/2 tbsp cracked black pepper
2 lemongrass (white part cut into small pieces)
1 big onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic
3 cm ginger, sliced
1/4-1/3 cup water

Keep aside.

1 tsp black pepper ground
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt

2 cardamons
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 tsp aniseed, pounded
2 sprigs curry leaves

salt to taste
some dark soy sauce

Method :

Mix blended ingredients with turmeric, ground pepper, coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Add this to the chicken pieces, rub all over and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer.

Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon, cloves and aniseed. When fragrant, add onion slices and curry leaves. Once onion turns lightly brown, add in the chicken pieces and tomato slices and mix well to combine.

Add some water if too dry and cover to cook, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through. Add a few dashes of dark soy sauce. Mix well and turn off heat.
Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Tuna Cutlets

I made these yummy treat for dinner yesterday and it was a hit, even my 2 yo ate them. Here's the recipe :

You need :

1 can tuna flakes in water
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 egg
salt, pepper and dried oregano, according to taste
oil for pan frying

Drain tuna flakes and put in a bowl. Add mashed potatoes, onion, garlic, lightly beaten egg, salt, pepper and oregano. Mix to combine.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Make tuna patties and pan fry till both sides are golden.
Serve warm as snack or with rice.


Sending this to : Anniversary Mela

Creamy Chicken Pasta

Hi there. I was craving for some creamy pasta and since I'm not a fan of canned carbonara sauce, I came up with this dish for yesterday's dinner after reading up on options for creamy sauce. It was relatively easy to make though I wish I had more ingredients on hand. The end result was a delicious light yet creamy pasta, packed with flavours. Even my 2 yo enjoyed it.
Do give it a try and you can improvise it with more ingredients which I plan to do next.

I used :

Angel hair pasta, enough for 2 people, cooked al dente. Drain and keep aside.

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, rubbed with salt, ground pepper and italian herbs.
Leave chicken aside while you prepare other ingredients.

Sauce :
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, sliced thinly
3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup thickend cream (I use Paul's)
Italian herbs
Chiili flakes (to taste)
Olive oil for cooking
Salt (if needed. I did not add any salt as the stock had salt in it)

In a non stick pan, heat some olive oil and cook chicken breast till the middle is not pink (do not overcook). Turn off fire, cover the pan and keep aside.

In another pan, heat olive oil, saute onion and garlic till aromatic. Add chilli flakes and dried Italian herbs. Mix well.
Add in chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile slice the chicken breast. Add it to the sauce.
Pour in the cream on low fire, mix well. Taste for flavour and add salt if needed.

Now add in the pasta and coat well. Turn off fire. Serve warm with grated parmesan.

* You may add sliced button mushrooms after the onion and garlic.

Easy pasta ready to serve. Enjoy!!!

Father's Day Thai Fiesta

It's been ages since my last post...with the change of job, the temporary move back to my hometown after nearly 12 years...orient myself geographically and dealing with the little one's needs has been the main agenda this past few months. Now that we have sort of got the hang of it all, and things are starting to roll much smoothly, I've started a part time baking business with my sister and we call it Cake O'licious.
You can check out the FB Page ;).

We have slowly picked up the pace and I'm happy to say that it's running pretty smoothly too.... ;). This gives me the pleasure to bake and try out all kinda new stuff that I've been saving at the back of my mind all this years and definitely solves the issue of who will be eating all those sinful baked goodies....and gives me more reason to do therapeutic baking...yes you heard me right, baking is therapeutic to me...haha....

Now, enough of my musings....

The past weekend being Father's Day, I managed to cook up a feast for the dearest husband....and it was Thai food..being a fan of Thai food, I wanted to try out things from the scratch....I would say a simple version of it but it did take me a couple of hours to get it all on the table...and as usual the husband loved it all...and me too ;) ..so here goes.....

Mixed Vegetables in Red Curry

Thai Fragrant Prawns

Thai Style Steamed Fish

Delicious and Refreshing Fruit Soup

And my, we both enjoyed the food including the little one but she could only try out the steam fish...

Here are the links to the recipes and do give it a try ;)

Fragrant Thai Prawns

Thai Style Steamed Fish

Vegetables in Red Curry

Will post the fruit soup recipe in a different post soon...happy cooking ;)

Chicken n Mushroom Shepherds Pie

I made this yummilicious shepherds pie for dinner last week and the husband truly loved it ;)
There was nothing left at the end of dinner when I actually thought I've made loads and will have leftovers...haha...

You need :

300-350 gm boneless, skinless chicken meat, diced small
1 yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 can of button mushrooms, sliced thinly
some olive oil
1 tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp paprika (or more)
1 tbsp flour
1 cup water

5-6 medium size potatoes, boiled, mashed well without lumps
1 tbsp butter
salt and ground pepper to taste

mix together the mashed potatoes with butter, salt and pepper. It has to be smooth. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Saute onion till soft, add in carrot. Let carrot cook a bit. Then and add in chicken meat and mushroom. Cook a little and add in the flour. Mix well and pour in the water. Let it cook well. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and paprika. The gravy should be thick, you can add more water while cooking if needed. Turn off fire. Now transfer it to a heavy oven proof casserole, spread it evenly.

Top it with the mashed potatoes, spread evenly, covering well. You can make simple design on the surface with a fork. Then drizzle some olive oil on the surface.

Heat oven 180 C. Bake for about 30-40 minutes. Serve with some salad.

Pasta with Homemade Chicken Meatballs

Paired with my favourite wine, we had this yummy pasta dish with homemade chicken meatballs for dinner..First time making my own meatballs..i was surprised it was really easy to make and the end result : succulent and delicious...earning me praises for the hubs...Do give this a try..the meatballs recipe is perfect for 2.

You need :

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (minced using the blender attached with mincing blade)
1/2 big onion (chopped thinly)
1/4 cup grated cheddar + parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic (minced)
salt and black pepper powder to taste
some chopped parsley and fresh coriander
1/2 of a beaten egg
1/3 cup breadcrumbs

olive oil for frying

Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl and make into balls...Heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan. Place the chicken meatballs in 2 batches and pan fry till all sides are golden and meat is cooked. Remove from pan and put aside.
Meanwhile, cook your favourite pasta..I used whole wheat spaghetti. Warm up a bottle of pasta sauce..I used Prego Chunky Garden sauce. Once sauce is cooked, turn off heat, add in the meatballs and coat. Serve hot with the pasta.

Vegetarian Whole Wheat Spaghetti

This is a pasta dish suitable for vegetarians...full of flavour and quick to make...great even on weekdays.

I used whole wheat spaghetti for this and could not see any difference from the other variant...so, a healthier choice it is...

Ingredients :

Whole wheat spaghetti - enough for 2
1 can Prego sauce (tomato, basil and garlic)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 carrot (cut into small cubes)
4-5 button mushrooms (sliced)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 - 3/4 tsp paprika
salt and ground pepper to taste
fresh oregano and garlic bread (to serve) - You may warm up some frozen garlic bread
olive oil

Method :

Boil spaghetti in a pot with some olive oil added to the water. Once cooked, drain and keep aside.
Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and saute the garlic till fragrant. Add carrots. Cook a while and add mushrooms. Once carrot is cooked, add in the pasta sauce, paprika, oregano, salt and ground pepper. Cook till sauce thickens (You may also add in some water if needed). Once sauce thickens, switch off the stove and add in the cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss together and serve hot with some fresh oregano and garlic bread.

Linked to : Healthy Diet Lunch Box Recipes and Priya;s Healthy Diet Page

Pan Fried Salmon with Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus

This wholesome meal makes the perfect dinner especially on a weekend where you wanna make something special for your loved ones. It will definitely earn you praises. Well, it did for me ;)

 

Ingredients :

2-3 salmon fillets
4 medium sized potatoes
asparagus (cut off the stems)
salt
ground black pepper
dried oregano
butter (soft)
cream cheese (soft)
olive oil for frying

Method :

1. Get 2-3 slices of salmon, clean it and season with salt, ground black pepper and dried oregano. Make sure you rub it all well. Keep aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the other side dishes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes. Peel about 4 of em, cut into cubes and boil in a pot of water with some salt. Once it is soft, turn off heat, drain the water and mash the potatoes till there are no clumps (it has to be boiled till soft to get this texture). Then add some salt, ground black pepper and 3 tbsp of soft butter. Mix well. Now add 2-3 tbsp of soft cream cheese and mix till well blended. You may taste and adjust accordingly. The texture will be creamy and melts in your mouth ;).

3. Now remove salmon fillets from the refrigerator and keep aside. Add some olive oil to a non stick pan and add in the asparagus. Season with salt and coat well. Cook just till asparagus are cooked but still looking green n crunchy. Remove from pan and arrange them on your serving plates.

4. Add a little more oil to the same pan and pan fry the salmon fillets. Remove from pan.

5. Spoon some mashed potatoes onto the serving plates and arrange the salmon fillets. Serve hot.

Tuna n Mushroom Quiche

This is something I learned to make in one of the cooking classes I attended and at last found time for it.. It was indeed a success...

Pastry :

150 gm cold butter
1 3/4 cup flour
2-3 tbsp ice water

Filling :

4 eggs
1 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 can tuna (drained and flaked)
10 button mushrooms, sliced
finely chopped coriander
salt and coarse black pepper to taste

Method :

To make the pastry, blitz butter and flour in a food processor till crumbly. Add in ice water and pulse till clumps of dough appear. Pour out dough to a floured surface and roll into a ball. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for about 30 mins.
Meanwhile, prepare a tart pan with removable base.Lightly grease it.
Remove dough from refrigerator and roll it out evenly and wide enough to cover ur pan. Carefully place on pan and cut off the excess. Prick base of pastry with a fork. Place baking paper on top of pastry and fill it with beans or rice to avoid the pastry rising.
Bake in 180C for 15 mins. Remove baking paper and beans. Bake further till golden brown. Mine took additional 10 mins.
Meanwhile, mix together eggs, cream and milk. Add grated cheddar, coriander, black pepper and some salt. Leave to rest.
Once pastry is done, remove from oven. Line with flaked tuna and sliced mushrooms evenly. Pour the filling onto the pastry shell slowly. Bake in 160C oven for 30-40 mins or till skewer inserted comes out clean.

Chicken Parmigiana

Ive tried Chicken Parmigiana at some western restaurants and thought of giving this a try...I modified a few recipes I found online and the result : Resh style...tasty, delicious and moist chicken parmigiana....served with aglio olio angel hair pasta n fresh garden salad....;)

Chicken Parmigiana

i) Aglio Olio Pasta

Angel hair pasta (enough for 2)
Olive oil
salt
chilli flakes
dried oregano
a few garlic cloves (minced)

Boil a pot of water, add some olive oil and add in pasta...boil till pasta is of eating consistency, drain and keep aside.
Heat a non-stick pan with olive oil..Add garlic, chilli flakes, oregano and a pinch of salt..saute for a couple of minutes and add in pasta and toss well...turn off heat.

ii) Chicken Parmigiana

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, slightly pounded, put slits on one side
salt and black pepper powder
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten with some salt
1 cup breadcrumbs, mixed with a bit of salt and pepper

1 small can Prego tomato based pasta sauce with basil and garlic (or other tomato sauce of your choice)
 1 green onion , chooped
salt and pepper to taste

mozarella
parmeson powder

Preheat oven 200 degrees celcius.
Heat a non-stick pan with 1/2 cup olive oil.
Season chicken with salt and pepper..dredge into flour and shake off excess.... then dip into egg and dredge both sides with breadcrumbs. Place on non-stick pan and cook for about 3-4 mins on each side or till its golden. Transfer to a baking pan.
Next reduce the olive oil. Saute onion, pour in the Prego sauce, add salt and pepper and let it simmer.. Turn off heat.
Pour tomato sauce on top of the chicken...Arrange slices of mozarella on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper...and a tbsp of  parmeson on each...
Bake in the oven for 5-8 mins, till chicken is cooked through and cheese has melted...

Dish out and serve chicken with pasta and some garden salad....

Roasted Chicken and Fruit Salad

Yet another recipe from Ina Garten....can be found here. Delicious salad served with Cheese n Dill Scones. I didn't have to use the stove at all while cooking dinner this time ;)....a great one if u have company or for your lunch box....

Ingredients :
2 chicken breasts (skin on)
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 cup seedless green grapes (halved or whole) -refrigerated
1/2 cup walnuts (toasted in the oven at 180 degrees celcius for 7 minutes)
1 Fiji apple (sliced) - refrigerated
lettuce
1/2 cup good mayo (cold)
1/2 cup sour cream (cold)
1 tbsp honey

Preheat oven at 200 degrees celcius.
Place chicken on a oven tray (skin side up), rub with olive oil and sprinkle salt and ground pepper. Roast for about 30 -35 minutes. Remove and let it cool. Then remove skin and slice chicken to bite size pieces.
In a bowl, mix mayo, sour cream, honey, some salt and pepper.
In a salad bowl, place the grapes, apples and walnuts. Add in the chicken. Pour the dressing over and mix well....Serve with lettuce and scones....

Spicy Tuna Pizza Sticks

I was at Jusco and got hold of a freshly baked Baguette from Delifrance.....they have the ones i love...crunchy outside, soft on the inside....so yesterday for dinner I had an idea of making a simple pizza like dish with it...
It was a quick, easy, simple yet delicious....worth the try....

Ingredients :
1 baguette (cut into 6 inch pieces and cut it open - refer to pic)
1 can of tomato chilli tuna from Ayam Brand
1 green capsicum (diced)
1 onion (sliced thinly)
mixed italian herbs
salt
low fat mozarella cheese

Method :
Prepare a baking pan with parchment paper...preheat oven 180 degrees celcius...

Arrange baguette pieces...spread the tuna...add capsicum and onion slices...Sprinkle with herbs and a little salt...Add mozarella on top and bake for about 10 mins....ready to serve ;)

Penne with Spicy Tomato Chicken

Made this for dinner.....
Ingredients :

-boiled and drained penne (keep aside)
- Chicken strips or skinless breast (chopped to small pieces)
- 1 onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1/2 tbsp chilli powder
- Small can of Prego mushroom tomato pasta sauce
- olive oil, salt, mixed italian dried herbs

Method :
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Saute onion and garlic till fragrant.
- Add chicken and fry for about 5 minutes.
- Add Prego tomato pasta sauce. Add chilli powder, some water and let it cook well and thickens. Add dried italian mixed herbs (about 1 tsp).... Add enough salt to taste.
- Serve with the penne.....Sprinkle some Parmigiana on top for a cheesy touch...