Thai crab risotto with kaffir lime and lemon grass

January 15, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

For me, this is the ultimate dish, combining all my most favorite flavors. It is a little time consuming but SO well worth it. This recipe is from the wonderful British chef, James Martin.

Serves 4

2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
10 oz Arborio rice
4 fl oz white wine
1 green chillies, finely chopped (The recipe says 2, but I’m a pussy!)
1 tsp Thai green curry paste (or more if you like a real kick)
1 thick stick of lemon grass, crushed and chopped into several pieces
2 Kaffir lime leaves, crushed and sliced finely
10 fl oz hot chicken stock
10 fl oz hot fish stock
2 tbsp Mascarpone cheese
About 1 oz flat leaf parsley and cilantro (fresh coriander) mixed and chopped together
1 lb white and dark crab meat, mixed
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup heavy cream
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few micro greens for garnish

Melt the butter i a deep frying pan and add the garlic and shallots. Fry for 1 minute.
Add the rice and then the wine.
Stir in the chopped green chilli, curry paste, crushed lemon grass and Kaffir lime leaves
Mix together the hot chicken stock and the hot fish stock. Add a ladle full of the stock to the rice and stir until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Continue adding the hot stock, a ladle at a time until all the stock has been absorbed. This should take about 13 to 15 minutes.
Once the rice is cooked,remove the lemongrass, add the Mascarpone cheese and the chopped herbs.
Add the crabmeat and the grated parmesan. Stir.
Add the cream and the lime juice and season well.
Spoon onto warmed plates and serve with extra parmesan, some sprinkled micro greens or a little chilli oil.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Dhal with spinach, tomatoes and coconut milk

January 13, 2015 Belinda

I get more excited about non-meat recipes these days than anything. I almost always choose non-meat dishes in restaurants as I find them so much more interesting than a lump of meat on a plate.
This is lovely just served with some boiled rice.

Serves 4

11 oz red lentils
1 heaped tsp freshly grated ginger
A handful of cilantro stalks finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped
14 fl oz coconut milk
15 oz tin of chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 red chile, seeded and finely chopped
8 curry leaves (fresh is best or dried)
4 oz baby spinach leaves
juice of 1 lemon
3 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
salt and pepper

Put the lentils into a heavy-based pan with the ginger, cilantro stalks and a teaspoon of salt then pour over the coconut milk and about 21 fl oz of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, adding the tomatoes after 10 minutes.

After 30 minutes the lentils will have broken down and will be thick and creamy. Then whisk until the mixture becomes smooth. If it is too thick then you can add a little more water. Leave to simmer gently while you get the spice mixture ready.

Heat the oil in a small heavy-based frying pan. Add the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves. Leave them to temper. The oil should be bubbling and the seeds popping. This will take about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Stir straight into the lentils reserving 1 tablespoon. Be careful, as the mixture may spit a little. Whisk until well combined and then stir in the baby spinach, lemon juice and spring onions. Test for seasoning and put some salt and pepper in, it if it needs it, but it may not.

Ladle the dahl into bowls, then sprinkle over the cilantro leaves, reserved spices and spring onions to serve.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Poultry

Malaysian chicken rendang

January 6, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is one of my all time favorite dishes. It’s very intense, bursting with lemongrass, ginger and coconut flavors, slow cooked so the chicken falls apart and the sauce reduces so the flavors intensify.
All you need with this is some steamed rice. Enjoy!

Serves 4
Cooking time 1 1/2 hours

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken thighs, skin on
4 chicken drumsticks, skin on
2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
boiled rice, to serve

For the curry paste
1 1/2 onions, quartered
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped
4 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin, (I use roasted cumin)
1 tbsp dark, soft brown sugar
2 tbsp peeled and grated root ginger
3 large garlic cloves
14 fl oz (1 1/2 cups) coconut milk
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 star anise, ground to a fine powder

Preheat the oven to 325 F

Put all the paste ingredients in a blender, season with salt and pepper and blitz together to a paste.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and heat the oil in a flameproof braising dish with a lid over a medium heat.
Add the chicken and fry for a few minutes until lightly brown. Add the spice paste, bring to the boil, then cover with a lid.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours until cooked through and completely tender.

Serve with the cilantro and serve with plain boiled white rice.

Asian flavors · Poultry

Soy braised chicken thighs with star anise and orange peel

November 2, 2014February 7, 2016 Belinda

I love braising, especially now the colder weather is here.
I also love this time of year when we start putting the fire on in the kitchen and making lots of comforting, rich braises and soups. This combination is divine with the pungent Asian flavors. All you need is plain boiled rice.

Serves 4

2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, plus more if needed
2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp chicken stock
8 bone-in chicken thighs
3 tbsp peanut oil, divided use
3 scallions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 dried small red chile
3 short strips orange zest removed with a vegetable peeler
1 whole star anise
2 tsp cornstarch

Heat the oven to 325 F
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar and 1/4 cup stock or water. Stir to mix and set aside.
Season the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large ovenproof skillet or other heavy-lidded braising pot over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add half of the chicken pieces, skin side down, and sear without disturbing, until the skin is crisp and bronzed, about 7 minutes. Turn the pieces carefully to avoid tearing the skin and brown the other side, about 7 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate to catch the juices. Cook the remaining chicken the same way.

While the chicken is browning, coarsely chop the scallions separating the white and green parts. Set them aside.
Discard all the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium heat. Add the remaining tbsp of oil, then add the white part of the scallions, garlic, ginger and chile. Stir and cook just until you can smell the garlic and ginger, about 30 seconds. Pour in the reserved soy mixture and stir to combine. Add the orange zest and star anise.

Set the chicken thighs in the pan and add any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Cover the pan with parchment paper, pressing down so the paper nearly touches the chicken and the edges extend about an inch over the sides of the pan. Cover with a secure lid and place the pan in the lower part of the oven.
After 15 minutes, turn the chicken pieces with tongs and check to be sure there’s at least 1/4 inch of liquid in the pan. If not, add a few tablespoons of stock. Replace the parchment and lid and return the pan to the oven until the chicken is fork tender and pulling away from the bone, about 20 more minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a serving platter without crowding the pieces and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Remove the star anise and orange peel from the pan. Set the pan over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Skin off any surface fat.Add the scallion greens.

Put the cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the remaining tbsp of stock and whisk briefly to combine and smooth out any lumps. Pour the mixture into the simmering liquid, stirring to incorporate it evenly.
The liquid will immediately thicken to a glossy sauce the consistency of maple syrup. Pour any juices the chicken has released into the sauce and simmer for another minute.
taste for soy sauce and vinegar. The sauce should be salty,but not too much. If it’s too salty another splash of vinegar will balance this out
Spoon the sauce over the chicken and stir

Asian flavors · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Grains

Coconut – carrot rice pudding

November 2, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

Now we’ve put the clocks back and the weather has a freshness to it, I start to think about my favorite way of cooking. Comfort food, whether its braises. slow cooking, soups or warming desserts like this one.

Serves 4 to 6

2 1/2 – 3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups (1 x 13.5 oz can) coconut milk
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, like jasmine
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup peeled, finely grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon, plus more for garnish
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup raisins

In a 4 quart heavy-bottomed pot set over high heat, bring 2 1/2 cups milk, coconut milk, rice and salt to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low, add the grated carrot and simmer, stirring often and slowly adding up to 1 cup of the remaining milk, until the rice is tender, 20 – 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamon and ginger in a small bowl.
Once the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar mixture and raisins.
Transfer the pudding to a serving bowl and allow to cool slightly.
The pudding will continue to thicken as it comes to room temperature, topped with additional cinnamon to taste.

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Indian-style macaroni and cheese

October 14, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients, they are all pantry staples which I’m sure you have. I adore Indian food and who doesn’t love mac and cheese? This combination is superb!

Serves 6 to 8

3 tbsp butter
Salt
4 cups dried macaroni (14 oz)
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, minced
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin (I roast mine)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp red chile pepper
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
a pinch of pepper
3 cups whole milk
4 cups grated mature cheddar (about 14 oz)
1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9″ by 13″ ovenproof dish with 1 tbsp of the butter.

Fill a large pot with water and place it over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil and add a good amount of salt. Add the macaroni and cook until tender, but still firm. About 8 to 10 mins. Drain.

Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and onions. Stir and cook until the onions are just beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, paprika, cardamon, chili powder and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the flour and a pinch of salt and pepper and stir for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk and continue to stir as it thickens. Cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the 3 cups of cheese and stir until melted.

Add the drained macaroni to the baking dish and then pour over the cheese sauce, stirring well and making sure all the macaroni is well coated.
Sprinkle the top with the rest of the grated cheese and the breadcrumbs and bake until the top is golden and the macaroni is hot and bubbling. About 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Spicy sesame Asian guacamole

September 26, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

Who doesn’t like guacamole? Well, as I’m an Asian food nut, this recipe ticks all the boxes for me, especially if it is served with sesame rice crackers or fried wontons.

Serves 4 and the total time is 15 minutes.
3 ripe Haas avocados
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions,white and light green parts only
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp chile-garlic sauce
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Sesame rice crackers for serving

Cut each avocado in half lengthwise. Remove the pit from the avocado and discard. Remove the avocado from the skin and place the avocado flesh in a bowl.
Add the red onion, scallions, lime juice, chile-garlic sauce, soy sauce, ginger, 1 tsp of the sesame seeds and the sesame oil.
Mash with a fork until half smooth and half chunky. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Meat

Easy Asian pork in lettuce cups

September 23, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

I love wrapping food in lettuce cups and usually I use ground turkey or chicken, but this recipe is with strips cut from a pork tenderloin, marinated and cooked. It’s such a fun dish to serve as a starter and let everyone fill their own lettuce cups.

Serves 2 or 4 but can be easily augmented.

The marinade
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp dry sherry
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark (toasted) sesame oil
1 tbsp Asian chile sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 green onions, white and green parts chopped

The other ingredients
1lb fresh pork tenderloin, silver skin removed
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 head iceberg lettuce (I actually buy 2, incase the leaves tear as I’m separating them)
2 tbsp peanut or safflower oil
1/2 cup hoisin sauce

To prepare the marinade, in a large bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. Cut the pork into matchstick pieces, add to the marinade and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 325F. Spread the pine nuts on a small baking sheets and roast until they turn golden, about 8 minutes.
Gently separate the lettuce leaves to use as cups. Cut the larger leaves in half. The lettuce leaves can be refrigerated until you’re ready to cook the meat.

Place a wok or saute pan over high heat and when it’s hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the pork, stir and toss for 3 minutes until it loses it’s pink color. Stir in the pine nuts.
Transfer to warmed dinner plates and serve at once, accompanied by the lettuce cups and hoisin sauce.
To assemble, place a small amount of hoisin sauce in each lettuce cup, add some pork and eat in your hand