Shrimp Scampi Fettuccine and Romaine lettuce with orange vinaigrette dressing

This very simple recipe has a tangy lemony twist to it .. a nice change .. quick and easy!!

Fettuccine  pasta cooked Ala Dante 

30 prawns peeled and butterfly them 

1/4 cup  lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest
4 oz butter
2 green onion
1 teaspoon capers
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup any kind of sweet fruit  juice

fresh chopped parsley

In a pan, melt butter and add the green onion. Stir and add the garlic, Cook for 2 minutes and add lemon zest and lemon juice. Seasoned with salt and  pepper and add the prawns. (At this point you may add any hot sauce of your choice if you wish) Put in some fruit juice (apple or orange juice is fine. I even pun in lefover longan juice sometimes!!) . Reduce ,When the prawns change color ,turn heat off, add parsley stir and serve over pasta. If you like you may also put in pasta to soak in the sauce and then turn off the heat.

Romain salad with Orange vinaigrette

romaine lettuce

tomato wedges

Red bell pepper

carrot matchsticks

garlic bread croutons (see my recipe for garlic crisps)

For the dressing

In a jar combine the following and shake well

4 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

4 tablespoon virgin olive oil

2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

shake well

Rich and creamy Coconut Cream Caramel

This one's dedicated to my good friend, Harry Toolseram, one who introduced me to the art of making basic creme caramel some 16 years ago or so. Thanks buddy! Off course my creme caramel has

evolved a whole great deal since. 

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon water

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1 cup thick coconut milk

3 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. In a sauce pan, melt 1 cup of sugar over high heat with 2 tablespoons of water without stirring until golden brown (I repeat... DO NOT STIR!!) about 3-4 minutes.

3. Once nicely browned, pour onto a 9 inch round cake pan (or individual remekins like the one above) to coat the bottom of the mold. Place in a water bath.

4. In a large bowl. whisk the eggs. Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar, coconut milk, flour and vanilla extract. Whisk to blend in all the ingredients. Pour into the molds.

5. Pop into the over in a water bath for about 55-60 minutes 
(Tip for water bath : Place the molds in a deep enough tray and put it in the oven. Then use a jug to pour water into the pan) Insert a toothpick to test doneness. Let cool and chill. Remove from mold and voila!!

New England Prawn /Seafood Chowder and Garlic Crisps

This chowder is quite filling and warming on the tummy. Great on a cold  rainy  day.

Once I invited my daughter's friends for dinner. They were a bit wary in the beginning (WHAT!? SOUP??!!)...but once they've tried it, they have been asking for more!. My thin crispy garlic crisps are always a hit!! They. always disappear faster than potato crisps.. great healthy snack alternative!   Mmmm..... wonder when I'm gonna have time to invite those wonderful kids again....

 

 

 

 

1/2 cup butter
2 large onions
2 stalk celery
1/2 cup flour
2 potatoes - diced

1can clam or 20 prawns/white fish meat such as Dory or cod and the juice
1 can of evaporated milk
1 teaspoon worstershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon Italian mixed herbs
salt and pepper

In a saucepan, melt the butter. To this add in onion and celery. Do not brown the onion ( 5-7 minutes) till soft. Add the flour and stir into a rue. Take off the heat and continue stirring into a paste. Put back on the heat. Pour clam juice in and stir into a thick paste. Then pour in water, simmer and add the potatoes, milk, worstershire sauce, thyme and Italian mixed herbs. Stir often. When the potatoes are tender put in the seafood. Add hot water if broth is too thick. Bring to boil and simmer for another 5 minutes. Finally add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garlic bread or bun

 

Garlic Crisps

Baguette -thinly sliced  ( day old baguette is best for easy slicing -use very sharp knife)

butter

olive oil

black pepper and salt

chopped parsley

Whip together equal amounts of butter and olive oil, some minced garlic, salt and fresh cracked black pepper corn and some fresh chopped parsley. Spread onto the baguette slices and toast in the oven  until golden brown.

 

My classic Oriental Chicken Salad

I had been making this salad since I was going to school in Denton. Loved it. Now it has become my daughter's favorite as well. Very delicious and very nutritious....

Oriental Chicken salad Dressing 

1 cup sugar
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
4 tspn soy sauce

Mix all of the above on a jar. Close it tight and shake well.

Chicken breast - steamed and diced and mixed with a little of the dressing

spring onions

Chinese water chestnut-diced

Romaine lettuce

celery

carrots -grated or cut into matchsticks size

tomato wedges

chow mein noodles 

Mix all the vegetables with the chicken and dress with the dressing. sprinkle crispy chowmein noodles over the salad.

Singapore Chili Crab

 

I was curious as to why this dish was so popular ..so did some research and compared a few different recipes and came out with this one.. Now, I'm a great fan of Singapore Chili Crab as well!..

4 - 5 fresh crabs -cleaned and halved. Keep the shells as well. Break the claws a little
1. Blend the following:
2 large onions
8 bird chillies (cili padi)
4 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger
2 pc candle nuts (buah keras)
1 square in shrimp paste
 Heat up some vegetable oil in a wok. Put in the above mixture. Add in the following :
1-2 tablespoon chili paste,
1 can tomato paste
4 tablespoon chili sauce.
vinegar and soy sauce to taste.

 2. Simmer and add :

 3 tablespoon brown sugar

2 table spoon white sugar. 

 3. Add in the crabs . still until cooked. Put in :

  corn starch slurry (thick mixture of corn flour and water)and 
2 egg yolks - beaten. 

 4. Stir and its ready! Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves. Great eaten with steam buns. I bought those lovely plain potato buns and soaked all the gravy up with it ...Yum Yum!!

My Carrot Cake with cream cheese topping

Friends have been asking for my carrot cake recipe.. so here it is....

The cake is special because it is not too sweet.... 

2 cups self raising flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups of grated carrots

Combine and mix no 1 -5 above for about 30 seconds. Then mix in the grated carrots . Sometimes I also add in chopped pecans at this point.

Line 3  9in pans with parchment paper and and divide the batter equally in the pans. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for about 40 minutes. When a tooth pick inserted comes out clean the cake is done. Remove from oven and let them cool on racks

Cream Cheese frosting 

250 gm cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frost top of first and second layer and frost all over the 3 layer cake. Chill and serve.

Honey Mustard Chicken with White Rice

Yesterday tried this new recipe for dinner.. turned out quite yummy ..the tangy mustard and slight sweetness of the honey really complement each other ..

Chicken breast (cut in strips)
1/2 onion -diced
1 cup broccoli florets (steamed), some green peas , 1/4 red capsicum
(or you may use frozen mixed veges)
1 can cream of chicken soup
same amount of milk
1-2 teaspoon french mustard
1-2 teaspoon honey
Italian mixed herbs, salt and pepper.

1. Mix the can of cream of chicken soup with the honey, mustard ,milk, pinch of salt , pepper and Italian herb. Mix well and set aside

2. Coat hot pan with some olive oil and stir in the diced onion. Put in chicken strips and stir fry for till it changes colour and cooked through. Seasoned with a little salt and pepper.

3. Put in the vegetables and stir for about a minute or two

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the chicken and let it simmer for  about 4-5 minutes.

5. Serve over hot white rice