Category Archives: Foodie

Jamie Oliver’s Dan Dan Noodles

Posted on September 25, 2012 | 2 comments

Another recipe form my favourite chef Jamie Oliver 20 minutes’ recipe. This serves 4 people.

Ingredients

  • 400g minced beef  (I used chicken mince)
  • 1 tablespoon Szechuan pepper
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • 5 medium dried red chili
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 300g dried egg noodles
  • 1 tablespoon runny honey ( I used normal honey)
  • 4 medium bok choi
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 small bunch spring onion
  • 1 lime, quartered, to serve
  • 100ml vegetable oil

Steps

  • Crumble your stock cube into a large pan of water and get it on the heat.

  • Place a wok on a medium heat and crumble in the dried chillies. Toast for a minute or so. Add the vegetable oil, then pour all of the chillies and most of the oil into a bowl and put in one side.

  • Turn the heat up to high and add the mince. Stir fry for 10 minutes or so until crispy.

  • Peel and finely slice the garlic.

  • Trim and chop the spring onions and grind the Szechuan peppercorn in a pestle and mortar. Cut the lime into wedges for later.

  • Tip the noodles into the boiling stock and separate them with tongs to ensure they don’t stick together. Cook according to packet instructions.

  • When the meat is done, spoon any fat out of the pan. Add the honey and stir fry for another minute until all the mince is coated and sticky. Pop the wok in the oven to keep warm.

  • Cut your bok choi into quarters lengthways and drop them in with the noodles for the last minute of cooking.

  • When your noodle and bok choi are cooked, scoop out a cupful of water to keep.

  • The drain in the colander. Tip your noodle, bok choi and the cup of water back into the hot pan.

  • Add your raw garlic, soy sauce, ground Szechuan peppercorns and as much chilli oil as you dare and give everything a good m ix together. Cover with a lid.
  • Put the noodles in a bowl. Get your wok of crispy meat out of the oven and spoon the meat over the top of your noodles.

  • Drizzle with a little extra chilli oil then scatter each portion with chopped spring onions. Serve with lime wedge for squeezing over.

 

The noodle was really yummy.

You may also like :

*Jamie Oliver Szechuan stir fry with chicken and brown rice *Jamie Oliver’s Chicken Tikka Masala *Jamie’s Italian : Restaurant Review

2 Comments

Posted in Recipe

Tagged , , ,

Hot chocolate, no Cioccolata calda

Posted on September 17, 2012 | 6 comments

I am not a coffee drinker as coffee gives me a headache so if I have to drink, I would order a hot chocolate while my hubby enjoys his mocha or cappuccino.  During our Europe trip as well I had hot chocolates instead of coffee whenever we sat down in cafes for drink.

While in Burano, we fell like a coffee and cookie so we went to this small café along the way. We asked for a hot chocolate, a cappuccino and some cookies. The cookies were yummy and AS was happy with his cappuccino but I was surprised to get a cup full of thick hot chocolate with no milk.  It looked more like a dessert you get in Max Brenner  than a drink I was expecting. It was so thick that it stuck to the sides of the cup. It was very dark and with a bitter edge but too sweet for my liking. I didn’t know what to do with it as I could not drink it. I dipped a few cookies into it but did not drink rest of it . I was a bit disappointed that I could not get my normal hot chocolate.

Hot chocolate, cioccolata calda

That was not the only time we were served a thick hot chocolate. In Rome as well, I got the same drink when I ordered a hot chocolate. Luckily we had an Italian couple in our tour group so they helped me get a cup of warm milk and I made my own hot chocolate by mixing the thick chocolate with milk.

Hot chocolate, cioccolata calda

So after coming back to Sydney, I goggled what really happened to my hot chocolate in Italy and this is what I found. I got Cioccolata Calda when I asked for hot chocolate. Chi-o-co-la-ta Call-da is Italian for Hot Chocolate. Cioccolata Calda is described as authentic Italian Hot Chocolate which is a cup of thick, delicious, creamy, pudding like consistency, hot chocolaty goodness. I should have asked for milk chocolate if I wanted my normal hot chocolate. So remember if you ever visit Italy, do keep in mind the difference.

I learnt my lesson to do some research on food and drinks for the next time I travel.

If you want to try your own Cioccolata Calda, click here for the recipe.

6 Comments

Posted in Foodie, Italy

Tagged ,

Aloo ko achar (Nepali style potato salad)

Posted on September 12, 2012 | 17 comments

Aloo ko achar is a very popular Nepali potato salad which is used in most bhoj in Nepal. There are many different ways that it can be prepared. I am sharing my recipe here.

Ingredients

  • 3 medium potatoes (200gm)
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 Spanish onion
  • 2 Teaspoon of mustard oil
  • 1 Teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 Teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
  • 1/2 Teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
  • 1/2 cup white sesame seeds (teel)
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 3 green chillies
  • A few leaves of fresh Coriander
  • Salt to taste
Fenugreek seeds (Methi)

 Steps

  • Boil potatoes, peel and chop into quarters. I use pressure cooker as it is quick and easy.

  • Cut cucumber and carrot in half moon shapes as shown in photos.

  • Finely chop Spanish onion, green chillies and coriander leaves.

  • Roast sesame seeds (Teel) on a pan until it turns light brown and starts crackling. Make sure to stir regularly so it doesn’t burn.

  • Place it in the blender with half a cup of water to make a fine paste. Alternatively grind it into a fine powder in the grinder and mix with half cup of water.

  • Put the potatoes, cumber, carrot, onion, coriander and green chilli into a big bow. Add the sesame paste, lemon juice and salt.

  • Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add mustard oil. When the oil gets heated and you start to see smoke add the fenugreek seeds. Wait till it goes dark brown and add chilli flakes, turmeric powder and take off from the heat straight away.

  • Pour this into the bowl with the potatoes.

  • Mix it well and it is ready to be served.

It tastes best if you leave the Aloo ko achar in the fridge for half an hour before serving.

You may also like :

*Aloo dum *Aloo Tama bodi *Aloo chop

17 Comments

Posted in Newari Food, Recipe

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pan fried pork belly

Posted on September 9, 2012 | 6 comments

My husband has wanted to eat pork belly for a while but we couldn’t find pan-fried pork belly in any restaurant. Pork belly is a boneless cut of fatty meat derived from the belly of a pig. I know it is very fatty but it taste yummy as well. We did try one Taiwanese restaurant but it was a bit too sweet for his liking so I decided to make my own pan-fried pork belly. It is quite simple and I am sharing it with you all.

Ingredient

  • 250 gm. Pork belly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons grated ginger
  • 5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon chill power (optional)
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil for frying

 Steps

  • Mix ginger, soy sauce, salt, chilli, turmeric,  cumin, coriander, pepper with pork belly and marinade in a bowl and leave for at least an hour.

  • Heat up a wok with oil enough so the pork slices are half submerged in oil. Once one side turns golden brown, turn the piece over and fry the pork slices until both sides turn golden brown.

  • Line a plate with kitchen paper towel and put the pork on it to soak excess oil.
  • Serve it hot with rice or any other dish.

I had mine with roti and potato curry and it was yummy. 🙂

6 Comments

Posted in Recipe

Tagged , , , , ,

Macaroons

Posted on September 2, 2012 | 15 comments

A macaroon is a type of light, baked confection, described as either small cakes or meringue-like cookies depending on their consistency.  But the macaroon I am talking about today is the ones from Adriano Zumbo.

Adriano Zumbo is a patissier who is now a celebrity chef who has his own show on SBS and appears occasionally as a guest judge in Master Chef and he is the macaroon master.

The first time I tasted his macaroons, I was in food heaven and now I will never eat any other macaroons. They come in vibrant colours and just melt in the mouth. They comes in a variety of flavours like almond, almond butternut crunch, coconut caramel,  coconut jelly, coffee coconut meringue, apple, cream cheese mousse, summer pudding, peach bellini, strawberry and balsamic , pineapple coconut, chupachup, toasted marshmallow, burnt toast & butter flavour, vegemite sourdough, blue cheese & pear flavour and many more.

What could possibly be better than yummy Zumbaron? A chocolate covered one, which they called ‘Chocarons’. I know they are full of a lot of sugar and fat but I can’t resist one when I see it  🙂

 Look at some of his amazing creations and you will fall in love with his sweets as well 🙂

15 Comments

Posted in Foodie

Tagged , , , , ,