TOM YUM (HOT AND SOUR PRAWN SOUP)

I have been busy the past few days and was caught unaware that the deadline for posting a Filipino dish for the Kulinarya Cooking Club is today. Apologies to the club. The theme for this month is sinigang which is a sour soup, generally speaking. It is soured by  any ingredient of choice depending on the region the cook comes from: tamarind (the most popular), tomatoes, guavas, green maggoes, pineapple (my favourite). The main ingredient can be beef, pork, chicken, fish or prawns. A variety of vegetables goes in which results in a very tasty bowl of goodness. 

Athough I wasn't able to cook sinigang, I managed to rustle up a quick hot and sour prawn soup with the ingredients I've managed to find in my cupboard. Spiked with chillies, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves, it is more tom yum than sinigang. Tom yum is a hot and sour soup that originates from Thailand and as the name connotes, is very yummy. Sour, salty and spiked with as much heat as you like. Or not. It is entirely up to you. So here it is, hot and sour prawn soup, a toast to heartwarming soups.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

20 king prawns, shelled and deveined (save shells for the stock)
1 tbsps. cooking oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp. of chopped red chillies
1"x1" piece of ginger, sliced
1 lemon grass, smashed
4 c. fish stock or water
3 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
juice of 1 lime
3 tbsps. fish sauce
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 c. spring onion rings
1 tbsps. roughly chopped coriander (cilantro)
slices of lime 


Method:


Heat up a wok. Add the cooking oil, then the garlic and chillies. Stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the prawn shells, lemon grass and ginger and stir again until the shells turn bright orange. Add the stock or water and the shredded lime leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain into a bowl then transfer back into the wok. Bring back to a boil, then add the peeled prawns, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the prawns are done. Do not over cook the prawns as they become tough. Ladle into a bowl or four individual bowls. Top each with spring onions, chopped coriander and lime slices. Serve hot.

Please visit the Kulinarya Cooking Club Members' blogs to see their sinigang recipes.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

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Grilled Prawns, Pea Shoots and Noodle Salad

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PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL BROWNIES

Life isn't always rosy, we all know that. There are days that are a deeper shade of gray. We just have to think of ways to cope. I don't drink nor smoke nor self-medicate but bake I do.


Once in a while we all have our brownie baking day. When we don't feel so good inside, we make something that will keep us occupied for a while, something that will keep our thoughts away from things we don't want to think about. We do something that will make us look forward to a nice cheerful moment that is soon to happen...after the brownies are done. Brownies surely brings smiles, smoothes away our frowns and soothes our worries with its sweet, sugary chocolatey goodness.  


I don't know how many times I've made brownies. It's quick and easy and always yummy. We take turns choosing what to add to it: nuts, M&M's, choc chips, peanut butter chips, etc. I want it with peanut butter this time. I keep thinking of fudge. Maybe condensed milk. I added cocoa powder to some of the dough and swirled it in. I don't know if this is technically a blondie because the base is the peanut butter dough. Well, it came out pretty brown so let's just say it's a brownie. It had crusty swirls on the outside and was fudgy inside. Just the way I like it. I'm smiling now.

Ingredients:


1/2 c. butter
1 c. smooth peanut butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
3 tbsps. cocoa
2 tbsps. condensed milk

Method. Cream the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar together. Add the eggs, condensed milk and vanilla and blend. Add in the flour, salt and baking powder and mix. Take out 1 1/2 cups of the batter and mix in the cocoa powder and 2 tbsps. of condensed milk. Transfer the rest to a lined 9" x 13" baking pan. Drop dollops of the chocolate batter into the peanut butter batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350° F/ 180° C for 25 minutes or when the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake if you like them fudgy. The middle will still be squidgy but will firm up when cooled. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool before cutting into squares.

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 Adora's Box has exclusive rights to all the recipes and photos in this blog.

MIXED MEAT STIR FRY ON FUJIAN NOODLES AND LONDON'S CHINA TOWN

It is supposed to be the summer season but the weather seems to ignore the fact. All we had was one or two weeks of sunshine in the spring. It is either raining or overcast. Luckily, a little bit of sunshine has been forecasted for the next few days. It is not hot, just nice, mild with a dose of sunshine. These days are just so precious and few that we really have to take advantage of them. Of course the first thing that comes to mind are the leisurely activities that we have been dreaming of doing all the winter months. We went out to China Town in the weekend and it was so nice to stroll around without a heavy coat and a cold nose. 

I took a few photos of London's China Town so I can show you how it looks. Most cities have their own China town and we always seek them out when we travel. They are all different yet have the same welcoming feel.

Chinese arches confirm that you have reached China Town. That plus the unmistakable aroma of Chinese food. 

People come here to eat, to shop, to stroll or simply just to be here.

My husband and daughter milling amongst the crowd, mostly tourists, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells. 

Tourist belt intertwines with the market street.

All the exotic fruits and vegetables are available here.

Love it or hate it. Durian: the stinky delicacy of the Orient.

No mannequins are to be seen on the shop windows. These roast meats are the goods that make the customers come.

Here are the experts making the Chinese dumplings that we all love.

Their special talent are put on show.

The Chinese bakery is not to be missed. Delicious Oriental style cakes, buns and sweets are reason enough to take a trip to China town.

I made a quick dinner with the fresh Fujian noodles we bought at the Chinese supermarket  and our takeaway roast and char siu pork. This recipe is called mixed meat because you can use any combination of meats and seafood that you like. You can use raw pork or chicken slices, seafood or any cooked meat. You can also add fish balls, fried tofu and mushrooms. You have to season and stir fry the raw meat first. I stir fried the noodles separately then topped it with the stir fried meat and vegetable sauce. It is a really versatile dish. You can use whatever ingredients you have or like.

Ingredients:


400 gms. fresh Fujian or any fresh noodles
2 tbsps. light soy sauce

1 1/2 c. cooked meat

3 cloves of garlic chopped

1 carrot, sliced thinly diagonally

15 dwarf beans, cut diagonally into 2" lengths

4 bunches of spring onions, cut diagonally, green parts and white parts separated

3-4 Chinese leaves (Napa cabbage)

cooking oil

2 cups chicken stock

2 tbsps. corn flour

1 tbsp. oyster sauce

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. sesame oil

Method:

Boil lots of water in a pot or wok. When boiling drop the noodles and add 2 tbsps. of oil. Stir gently to separate. Cook until al dente. This will be stir fried later. Refresh the noodles with cold water and drain. Drizzle a bit of oil and stir. Heat up a wok. Add 2 tbsps. of oil and add the drained noodles. Stir fry on high heat for 3 minutes with 2 tbsps. of light soy sauce. Transfer to a serving dish. If using raw meat, season with light soy sauce and stir fry briefly then set aside. Wash and dry the wok. Heat up the wok and when very hot add 2 tbsps. of oil. Add the carrots and stir fry for 2 minutes or until it changes colour. Add the garlic and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the dwarf beans, white part of the spring onions, meat and the oyster sauce. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the stock. Disperse the corn flour in a bit of water and add to the stock when it boils, stirring until it thickens. Add the rest of the ingredients and check the seasonings. Ladle over the noodles and serve piping hot. 

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

Please support Adora's Box by making your Amazon.com and mymemories.com (use the code STMMMS55174) purchases from this site. Click on their respective banners to proceed to their websites. It will not cost you a single cent more but will help sustain this blog. Thank you.

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Fried Egg Noodles with Pork and Choi Sum

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Thanks for dropping by. It would be nice if we could meet up on FACEBOOK or TWITTER. 

PORK, PEANUT AND CORIANDER POT STICKERS

Pot stickers as we say it simply in English or gyoja in Korean, gyoza in Japanese or Jiaozi in Chinese are all the same banana so to speak. They are little dumplings wrapped in circular flour pancakes, part steamed and part grilled or fried. The filling is usually made with minced pork and Chinese leaf (Napa cabbage). 

SLOPPY JOSE

Sloppy Jose is my Philippine-Hispanic version of sloppy Joe. It is a twist on a very popular bread filling in the Philippines called giniling which simply means minced. It is made with minced pork, tomato sauce, potatoes and raisins. 

A few innovations resulted to a very exciting new dish. I've made the minced pork filling with chorizo instead of potatoes and sultanas instead of raisins. Redcurrant jelly added at the end to gave it a sweet tangy flavour. It has a bolder flavour than sloppy Joe so I served it in rustic bread rolls instead of soft buns. Ciabata or panini would be good substitutes. To continue the Hispanic theme, patatas bravas is served as a side dish. This is the Spanish tapas staple of fried potatoes with a spicy dressing. Together, the two dishes make a perfect team.

PATATAS BRAVAS

Potatoes although eaten as a staple to bulk up meals, can also be a astand alone dish. In itself, it already has a lot of taste. 

Patatas bravas is a staple tapas dish which consists of fried potato wedges served with a spicy (hence the name) tomato based dip. The name literally means fierce potatoes. It is also sometimes served with a mayonnaise type dip similar to a seafood dressing but spiked with paprika and cayenne. 

I chose to roast my patatas bravas because roasting intensifies the natural taste of potatoes. This would be very nice as part of a tapas spread or as a side dish. 

Ingredients:


8 medium or 10 small potatoes, cut into wedges lengthwise
2 tsps. salt
1/4 c. cooking oil
1/4 tsp.ground black pepper
1 tsp. sea salt


Method:


Pre-heat the oven to 350° F/ 180° C. Cover the potatoes with water in a pan. Add the 2 tsps. of salt and boil for 5 minutes. Drain. Heat up the cooking oil in a pan. Tip in all of the potatoes. Stir to coat with oil. Transfer to a non stick baking tray or tray with a non-stick liner and sprinkle with the ground black pepper and the sea salt. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown. Serve with the dip.


Bravas dip:


1/2 c. light mayonnaise
1/4 c. tomato sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. chilli powder

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This post is on Food Buzz Top 9, July 22, 2011.

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LOW FAT MANGO AND LIME FROZEN YOGHURT

As the summer sets in and the sweltering heat come upon us, it is time to once again indulge in our favourite refreshments. Unfortunately, unless it's a glass of iced water you're thinking of, there's always some calories involved. Our local supermarkets usually have special offers for ice creams making it all the more tempting to load up with our cooling but calorific creamy treats. 

TANDOORI STYLE CHICKEN

Indian take-aways are as popular as Chinese takeaways here in the UK. My favourite item on the menu is the tandoori chicken. 

I am always amazed at how Indian style barbecues are grilled in the tandoor (bell shaped clay oven). The intense heat part chars and part cooks the red stained meat and the resulting taste is just incredible. Not a lot of people would have a tandoori oven in their homes but a similarly spiced chicken can be cooked in the barbecue, in the oven or grill. The result, though not the same, is also quite delicious. Now that the barbecue season is on, it certainly is a good flavour to try on you next grilling session.

Marinating in yoghurt and spices gives the chicken its intense flavour and succulence. I always grind my own cumin seeds because that gives a flavour that's very different from cumin powder. The red fiery hue used to come from different kinds of chilli powder. Nowadays, red food colouring is used to stain the meat. Tandoori chicken is perfect with salad and flat breads or rice.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, spatchcocked
1/3 c. thick, plain yoghurt
2 tbsps. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tbsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
1 1/2-2 tsps. salt
2 tbsps. oil
1/4 tsp. red food colour

Instructions:

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a baking dish that's large enough to accommodate the spatchcocked chicken. 

Cut a few slashes on the thickest part of the chicken. Smear the marinade all over the chicken and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. 

Grill on medium heat on the barbecue or in the oven at 350°F/180°C  for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until done (depending on the size of the chicken). Chop into serving pieces.

This post is on Foodbuzz Top 9 today, July 14, 2011.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

Please support Adora's Box by making your Amazon.com and mymemories.com (use the code STMMMS55174) purchases from this site. Click on their respective banners to proceed to their websites. It will not cost you a single cent more but will help sustain this blog. Thank you.

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Thanks for dropping by. It would be nice if we could meet up on FACEBOOK or TWITTER. 

GRILLED PRAWNS, PEA SHOOT AND NOODLE SALAD

I have a very special post today. I am doing my very first guest post and it's at Chef Dennis at More Than a Mountfull no less.


I met Chef Dennis at the jolly foodie community of Foodbuzz. He was one of my first foodie friends and has always shown support for my blog. I have great admiration for him because he is so passionate not only about his blog but also about blogging itself. He is very selfless and shares his knowledge about blogging on Ask Chef Dennis on Wednesdays. On Fridays, he shares the limelight (his) to one lucky blogger on Guest Post Fridays with Chef Dennis. I can't believe my luck when I received an e-mail from the good chef inviting me to guest on his blog. This is the best thing that's happened to my blog since I started it 9 months ago. I was so excited but also very nervous. His posts (including the guest posts) are usually on top 9. What if I shame the guy? He had very kind reassuring words in his letter that made me think I have to do this "because I can" (to borrow his famous words).

APPLE CRUMBLE PUDDING IN A MUG

I try to have a bowl of fresh fruits all the time. The thing is, people at home either eat a lot of it and leave the bowl empty or not eat any and leave a bowl full of over ripe fruits. Bananas are made into banana cake or muffins, apples into pies  and soft fruits into fruit sauce. The apples languishing in the bowl this week has been rescued and made into apple crumble puddings. 

This dessert is a cross between French apple pie and Eve's Pudding (apple filling topped with a cake batter). I made them in a mug just for fun. They are delicious on their own but even better with vanilla ice cream, toffee sauce and more walnuts.

Ingredients for the filling:

8 eating apples
2 tbsps. of lemon juice
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. of walnut pieces
1 1/2 tsps. ground cinnamon
2 tbsps. all purpose flour

Peel and core the apples. Cut into small cubes. Add the rest of the ingredients in and mix.

Ingredients for the pudding:

2/3 c. soft butter
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. milk
pinch of salt

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs gradually while still whisking. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and milk and stir until mixed.

Ingredients for the crumble topping:

1/4 c. butter (room temperature)
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. chopped nuts
1/4 c. of demerara or brown sugar

Put the butter in a bowl and add the flour. Mash with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Add the sugar and chopped nuts and stir.

To assemble:

Portion the apple filling in oven proof mugs. Drop the pudding mix by the spoonful on the filling. Gently smooth the surface, making sure to cover the filling up to the sides of the mug. Scatter the crumble topping over it and bake, au baine marie, for 40 minutes until well puffed and golden brown. They may also be baked in an oven proof dish to make one big pudding.

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Adora's Box has exclusive rights to all the recipes and photos in this blog.