Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Nut and Cheese Loaf

Came across this little beauty amongst my untested pile of recipes which took me less than 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes in the oven.

I found it perfect for my little girl who usually needs a top up between school and her afternoon classes. 

It's terrific the next day for brekkie, toasted with a little butter coupled with a glass of milk for my girl or a cup of tea for us big people.

Ingredients

2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup grated cheese, and a little more to sprinkle on top
100g mix of sunflower, pumpkin and pine nut seeds
50g walnuts, chopped roughly
1 cup buttermilk

Method

Preheat oven to 200C degrees.  Line a loaf tin with baking paper.

Sift the flour in a bowl then add the cheese, seeds and nuts.  Mix then add the buttermilk.  Stir until you end up with a soft dough and all of the flour has been mixed through.

Turn soft dough into loaf tin and press it into an even shape to fill the tin. 

Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Bake in oven 30-35 minutes until loaf is golden on top. 

Slice and serve with butter.

Enjoy.


Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Sweept Potato and Leek Frittatas

This recipe is extracted from my trusty Marie Claire "Breakfast" cookbook by Jody Vassallo.  The sweetness of the sweet potato is counterbalanced by the lightly fried leeks, whilst the egg is lightened by the addition of cream. 

Combine them all together and what you get is a very light and delicious mini frittata. 

Perfect for breakfast or packed in a lunchbox for a mid-morning snack which will easily carry you through to lunch. 

Note:  If you don't want a full batch of 12 then half the ingredients listed below to make only 6.

Ingredients

500g orange sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
15g butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced (white parts only)
1 garlic clove, crushed
125g feta cheese, crumbled
8 eggs
125ml cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Grease a muffin tray (12 holes) with cooking spray.

Steam the sweet potato till tender.  Drain and set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil and butter, add the leek and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft and golden.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Cool.

Stir in the feta and sweet potato.  Divide the mixture evenly in the muffin tray.

Whisk the eggs and cream together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour evenly into the muffin trays until three-quarters filled.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and set.  Cool in tin for 5 minutes.

Eat on its own or with a light green salad.

Enjoy

Our love heart shaped frittatas but you can just use a normal muffin tray.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Creamy Garlic Potatoes

I am a big fan of potatoes.  Any type of potato dish, I'm in.  So when my housekeeper found this recipe and made it for my family, we were in high heaven and hmmm'ed pretty much throughout the whole dinner.  A salad was added to the dish to keep it simple.

There was enough left over to have it with Chicken Roast the next day (stay tuned for that recipe coming in the next day or so) and we still hmmmed and ahhhhed over it the next day too.

The recipe is straight out of Richard Bertinet's "Cook in a Class of Your Own" cookbook which thanks to my girlfriend for insisting I take it with me when I was borrowing some cooking books. 

Ingredients

8 medium potatoes (peel and cut evenly in 2mm thickness)
2 garlic cloves (crushed and finely chopped)
5 tablespoons of oil
small bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
salt & pepper
600ml double cream
Ovenproof dish approx 25 x 18cm

Method

Preheat oven to 200C.

Heat oil in heavy based pan.  Add potato and coat with oil.  Stir continuously and when they become sticky add the garlic, salt & pepper and enough cream to cover the potatoes.

Turn heat down and cook until the cream thickens a bit (approx 5 min).  Add the parsley and combine.

Pour the mixture into ovenproof dish and bake for 20-30 minutes, until top is golden and potatoes are fully cooked through. 

Tip:  Prepare dish about an hour before you want to eat it.  It tastes better warm than hot.  Even better, make the day before and just reheat in oven on 150C.

Serve with salad.


Saturday, June 22, 2013

Quick Lemon Cheesecake

This is the quickest and yummiest cheesecake I've ever made.  Okay, the only version I've ever made.  But I have made it many times and each time it was successful.

The last party I made it for, I had to fight for the last piece so I wouldn't miss out.

This cheesecake is definitely not rocket science.  It requires some biscuit crushing, some refrigeration, some mixing, some juicing, some more refrigeration and that's it.  Definitely no baking required.

Without further ado...  

Ingredients

225g Marie biscuits
135g unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
250g Philadelphia cream cheese block, room temperature
395g sweetened condensed milk
1 lemon, zest grated and then juiced (should make approx. ⅓ cup)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract  

Method

Line a pie dish with aluminium foil or cling wrap.

Crush the biscuits in a food processor and empty into a mixing bowl.  Add the melted butter and combine well. Pour into pie dish and spread out evenly.  Press the mixture firmly into the pie dish and refrigerate.

Chop up the cream cheese block into cubes and beat with an electric mixer.  When smooth start drizzling the condensed milk to it and keep mixing, then add the lemon juice gradually, vanilla extract and lemon rind.  Continue beating until creamy and well mixed.  There should be no lumpy bits.

Remove biscuit base from fridge and add filling to it.  Spread evenly and refrigerate overnight.

Serve plain or with a dollop of cream, scoop of ice cream or raspberry coulis.  My family just goes for plain as we can't be bothered with the extras.  This cheesecake stands very well on its own.

Trini "The Pirate" is showing daddy the surprise cake made for him.
Not exactly a pie dish but it's all I have at the moment.  Still does the trick.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Apricot Chicken Wings with Mango Salad

This is one of my hubby's favorite dishes.  It morphed out of another apricot chicken recipe which used chicken legs and thighs.  I used to love using chicken wingettes and drummettes when I could find them in my local supermarket in Oz but since I can't obtain them in Singapore, I happily settle just for standard wings. 

Because we enjoy the wings so much, we don't waste time with any other side dishes except for a very light salad.  The focus is always the wings and anything else is just a distraction.  The salad helps lighten the load and cleanses the palatte along the way.

It takes a while in the oven but it sure is quick to whip up.

Ingredients

Wings
1kg wings
1 can apricot nectar
Chicken stock powder

Salad
1 large butter lettuce, washed and sliced
1 ripe mango, skinned, seeded and chopped into small cubes
0.5 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
30ml virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (add more as needed)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (I used the bottled concentrated version)


Method


Wings
Preheat oven to 180°.

In a lightly greased oven tray place the wings, sprinkle enough stock powder to cover all the wings and add the nectar.
   
Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the wings over and bake for another 30 minutes.

Turn again and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the skin is crisp and the chicken is fully cooked.

Half-way through baking.
Move wings to a serving dish.

Salad
In a salad bowl add the lettuce and mango.  Combine all other ingredients in a jug, stir and adjust dressing flavouring to suit your tastes.  Pour over salad and mix well.

Mango salad ready to go.


This looked like a civilised start
but there were only 5 wings left by the end.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Bread & Butter Pudding with Strawberries

This recipe is my sister's favorite breakfast when she visits.  I like that I don't need to insert the dish inside another water-filled tray which is typically how this pudding is made.  One of my previous recipes required the tray within a tray practice and I was happy to replace it for this option. 

When I used to make it back in Oz, I often made plum preserves using plums from my garden and it was incredibly delicious.  So if you make preserves at home then swap the strawberries for a jar of whatever fruit preserve you have.  I have also attempted to make it with shop bought fruit conserve but I was not happy with the result, so I don't recommend it.

Ingredients

10 slices bread
Margarine
500g fresh strawberries
½ cup raisins or sultanas
6 eggs
1½ cup milk
¼ cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Preheat over to 180C.

Remove the hull from the strawberries and cut them in quarters.  Place them in a deep microwave oven proof dish, add a little bit of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Cook in microwave for 4 minutes.  Drain the juice and set aside.

Spread one side of bread slices with margarine and cut in half.

My assistant demonstrating.
In a casserole dish (approx. 20x28cm), place half the bread slices in a single layer.  Cover with half the strawberry preserve and sprinkle half the raisins. Repeat process with second half.

First layer
Adding the strawberries and raisins.
Undertake the necessary taste test.
Whisk eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla in separate jug and pour over the bread. Cover with lid or aluminium foil and set aside for 10 mins to allow mixture to absorb.
 
 
Bake for 35 mins then remove lid/foil and bake a further 15 mins.  Remove from oven and let it cool off for about 5 minutes.

Serve and drizzle some of the strawberry juice across the top. 

Enjoy.


Friday, April 26, 2013

Cabbage and Cauliflower Soup

It's one of those days where I have too much vegies and not enough time to use them before they spoil.  Whenever I am in such a situation my answer is always a pot of soup. 

With cauliflower in one hand and cabbage in the other, as the wheels in my head are turning I am wondering what on earth to do with them.  Do they work together?  Should I toss other vegies in there?  Is there something special I need to do?  Then in typical fashion, I just go "stuff it", toss it altogether and see what happens and I was very happy with what happened.  

Here are quick facts on their health benefits:

Cauliflower
  • Rich in antioxidants, just like the cabbage
  • Loaded with vitamin C and E, folic acid, potassium, zinc and carotenes
Cabbage
  • Loaded with vitamins A, B, C, K and E
  • Rich in antioxidants that help reduce the risk of bowel cancer and cardiovascular disease
  • Can help lower blood sugar
  • Aids in strengthening the immune system and help the body overcome infection
  • Effective remedy for rheumatism and arthritis
Just like any vegetable, the cabbage is highly effective in its raw format since the active ingredients are lost in prolonged cooking.  It is also a natural cleanser and purifying agent when juiced.

Ingredients

1 leek, trimmed and sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped

¼ cabbage, chopped

½ cauliflower, chopped
1L stock
salt & pepper and chilli flakes to taste 

Method

In a large saucepan add the leek, garlic, carrots, celery, cabbage and a cup of water.  Saute for 10 minutes on low.

Add the cauliflower, stock, salt and pepper, then bring to boil on high heat.  

Turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve with crushed pepper, a pinch of chilli flakes and crusty bread.



Thursday, April 25, 2013

Pasta and Polish Sausages

I am a big fan of chorizo sausages and regularly use them in pastas, soups and whatever else I come up with.  However, it's hard to find in Singapore and when I do it's quite expensive.  Through a local friend, I was introduced to Polish sausages which have a delightful flavour, maybe not quite as potent as chorizos but yummy just the same.

I often have to rely on a combination of whatever I have in the cupboard and fridge because I truly despise supermarket shopping and not having a car in Singapore makes it that much harder to go shopping with a 4 yo in tow.

With sausages in the freezer and pasta in the cupboard, I rummaged through the fridge and pulled this pasta together which was appreciated by the whole family.

Ingredients

400g pasta of your choice (we use small pasta to make it easier for our little girl)
1 jar of bolognese sauce
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
0.5 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
3 polish sausages, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt

Method

In a large saucepan, bring to boil water, pasta and salt.  Cook the pasta until al dente.

In the meantime, fry the sausages on medium heat until nice and crispy.  Remove from pan.

Using the same pan gently cook the rest of the ingredients except for the jar of sauce for about 15 minutes.  Add the sausages and sauce and cook on low for about 10 minutes.  Toss in the cooked pasta and gently stir until all mixed.

Serve with grated parmesan and a nice glass of red.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Chocolate Frosted Rainbow Cake

A couple of months ago my 4yo daughter came across "Nerdy Nummies" on YouTube, a series of videos made by a young girl named, Rosanna Pansino.  As Rosanna describes it, the videos are "geeky cooking shows" which are basically simply made themed cakes or cupcakes. 

Trini was totally hooked and every couple of days she asked me to find the "girl who makes the rainbow cake" so she can watch her videos.  I looked over her shoulder one day and watched Rosanna make a rainbow coloured cake that just looked so cool, I promised to make it for Trini's birthday in September.

Recently I celebrated my birthday with a party at home and figured why wait till September and chose to make the cake for my birthday.  Trini could hardly wait to help with the mixing and dyeing of the cake layers.

How fun is this.  I feel like a kid all over again.
Making this cake is super super easy.  Just needs time since 6 separate cakes need to be baked.

Instructions:

3 Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake Mix boxes
9 egg whites (3 per box)
1 cup oil (1/3 cup per box)
3.75 cups water (1.25 cup per box)
2 Betty Crocker chocolate frosting tubs
Food dyes in purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red (we used pink instead of yellow simply cause my daughter asked me to)
2 x 20cm round non-stick cake pan

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 160 celsius.

Take the first cake mix box and follow instructions to mix batter.  Split the batter in half and add purple to one batter and blue to the other.  Add enough dye until you are satisfied with the intensity of the colour.  Pour each batter into the lightly greased cake pans and bake in oven for 20 minutes each (or 30 minutes for both at the same time) or until cakes are baked through.  Repeat the process with the rest of the boxes and food dyes.

The 6 colours.
You may note that the green one split in half because I handled it before it was completely cooled and unfortunately I didn't have a cooling rack.  The pink also got a little messy because I forgot to grease the pan.  Either way it didn't hinder us from continuing with the cake production.

Straighten the top of each cake by slicing off the bumpy section.  This way as the cakes get stacked they are unlikely to topple over.

Spread each cake with chocolate frosting and stack in rainbow colour order starting with purple at the bottom.  This uses up one tub of frosting.  Then frost the outside of the layered cake with the second frosting tub.  I got hubby to do the frosting cause he is so much more patient than I am and it was a good decision, since he did a wonderful job.

Layered with frosting.

Not a bad job by hubby.  Certainly more patient than I am.
And that's it.  Cut the first slice nice and big just so you can experience the wonderful rainbow colour before the rest of the cake gets sliced and chomped up.  We had very little left by the next day but we sure enjoyed it over and over again.

Trini is looking forward to her rainbow cake in September but I am told that she will choose the colours next time.  No worries sweet-pea, you can make it whatever colour you want.


Happy me, with my first slice cut out.
I was surrounded by under 6 yo when it was time
to blow out the candles.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Poached Fish With Cabbage

Whilst searching for another recipe on the internet (not that I remember what that was anymore) I came across this healthy eating website with very simple recipes: www.whfoods.org.  I subscribed to it and for the last 12 months I've been collecting recipes in my inbox thinking one day I will do one of them.

Well finally I did with a little tweaking.  The outcome looked soupy, perhaps a little boring (I can never figure how to make fish have some flavour and well, cabbage is just cabbage) but boy was I wrong.  It was the yummiest fish dish I have possibly ever had, except maybe the coconut fish in the oven that hubby made many moons ago.

If you're a calorie counter consider that this dish has a total of only 180 calories.  Good for me as I finalised my detox and am looking at a lifestyle change with my cooking.  It was a good start with this dish, that's for sure.

Give it a whirl and tell me what you think.

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
0.5 small cabbage, shredded
3 fillets of white basa or cod fish and cut into 2.5cm pieces
500ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 leek, finely sliced
1 tablespoon lime juice concentrate
100g mung bean sprouts, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
salt and white pepper to taste

Method

In a large deep frying pan, heat one tablespoon of the stock and saute the ginger and fish for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the rest of the stock, bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat for 3 minutes.

Add the remainder of the ingredients and cook on medium-low for a further 3 minutes.

Serve with cracked pepper and dried chilli flakes for a punchier flavour.

Enjoy.


Monday, March 25, 2013

Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

This lovely combination of cauliflower and broccoli makes a soup that retains much of its nutrients by steaming the florets whilst cooking the rest of the ingredients.

Living in Singapore, I have turned to the habit of dropping a red chilli in just about anything including soups.  Between the garlic and chilli the soup provides a little zing in the mouth and makes veggie eating a little more exciting.

As for the health nutrients, both veggies are high in fibre, water and vitamin C, low in carbs and fat and potent with anti-cancer properties. 

Ingredients

0.5 broccoli, florets cut-off and separated from roughly chopped stalk
0.5 cauliflower, florets cut-off and separated from roughly chopped stalk
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1.20 litres stock

Method

Steam the florets until tender and set aside.

Heat the oil on medium-low heat in a large saucepan.  Add the onion, garlic and chilli then saute on low heat for 5 minutes.  Add the stalk of the broccoli and cauliflower, carrots and celery and saute for 10 minutes.  Add the stock and parsley, bring to boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

Let the soup cool slightly and then blend it well.  Add the steamed florets, reheat the soup and serve.


Friday, March 22, 2013

Fresh Juices

A year ago I did my first detox to shed some unwanted weight, cleanse my liver and increase my performance level.  Had a terrific success where I lost 5.9kg in four weeks.

The detox program was a combination of fresh juices, soups, handful of nuts and I abstained from coffee, alcohol, meat and anything that was refined like sugar and flour.

If you are interested, here's a link to May 2012 where my journey was recorded along with the Top 10 Juices we used.

Since then I embarked on another detox journey as bad habits and way too much wine snuck into my diet and felt the need for another clean up.  This time we revisited some of our favorite juices but also made new ones.

Below is a new list of 10 juices that we enjoyed.  If you have a juicer give them a try and leave me a comment with your thoughts or if you have any juices for us to try leave me a comment with the ingredients used.

1 by 1 Fruit and Vege
1 orange
1 apple
1 pear
1 nashi pear
1 carrot
1 celery

2 by 2 Fruit and Vege

2 sticks celery
2 carrots
2 oranges
2 apples
2.5cm ginger root

Beet Mix

1 beetroot
2 carrots
2 stick celery
1 apple
1 orange
1 lemon

Grapes Basic

1 small bunch of grapes
1 orange
1 lemon
2 apples
2 carrots
2.5cm ginger root

Grapes Delight

1 small bunch of grapes
1 orange
1 pear
1 nashi pear
2.5cm ginger root

Pineapple Subdued

1 pineapple
1 orange
1 pear
2 carrots

Pineapple Ginger

1 pineapple
1 large pear
1 orange
5cm ginger

Veggie Twang

0.5 celery
2 carrots
1 orange
1 lemon
2.5cm ginger root


Watermelon Bliss

2 thick slices of watermelon
2 oranges
1 apple
1 nashi pear
2.5cm ginger root

Watermelon Zing

2 pink grapefruits
2 thick slices of watermelon
2.5cm ginger root


Note:  You may note that the basic ingredients are much the same in different combinations.  Reason is that many fruits are not easily accessible in Singapore where I reside and when they can be found they are quite expensive, so we usually eat them in their natural state (ie. berries, kiwis, peaches, apricots).

We also use lots of ginger in our juices due to its zingy flavour and numerous health related benefits.  If interested in knowing more, read about it here: WHFoods: Ginger.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Noodles with Broccoli and Carrots

With my detox program over, I was pleased to finish up at 3.5kg lighter in two weeks and seeing signs of my previous waistline.

Floating through one of my cookbooks entitled Tasty Vegetarian, I went fishing for an easy-going vegetarian recipe and came across a broccoli and carrots noodles dish.  The easy-going prep was not so easy-going, lots to finely chop and I was not so happy with the outcome as I found the flavour somewhat flat.  What to do?  What to do?  Light soy sauce and red chilli flakes pushed this dish into a new dimension of flavour that was then worthy of eating and posting on this blog.

Ingredients

250g vermicelli noodles
3 tablespoons oil
2.5cm ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped (include the seeds for spice)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 leek, trimmed, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons honey
300ml stock
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 broccoli, florets only (reserve the stalk for a soup rather than waste it)
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
dried red chilli flakes, to serve (optional)
fried shallots, to serve (optional)

Method

Prepare noodles according to packet instructions, drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok, add the ginger and red chillies and stir-fry on medium heat for one minute.

Add the garlic, onion and leek and stir-fry on medium for 3 minutes or until onions have browned (turn down the heat if they are frying too quickly, you don't want the onion charcoaled).

Add the honey and cook for 5 minutes to caramelise.

Add the stock, vinegar and soy sauce, bring to boil and simmer for 8 minutes.

Stir in the broccoli and carrots, cover and simmer for 4 minutes then add the noodles and simmer a further 4 minutes.

Serve topped with fried shallots and a light sprinkle of red chilli flakes for zing.

Enjoy, we sure did after we tweaked it.


Thursday, March 14, 2013

Broccoli & Potato Soup

As we continue on our detox journey, I need to maintain interest either in the juices we drink or the lunchtime soups I cook.  Both Trini and I enjoy broccoli which makes it a good alternative to carrots and celery that usually end up in my pot.  On a whim I tossed in a chilli too for a little zing.

Broccoli are packed with health benefits such as:
  1. The soluble fibre in the vegie draws cholesterol out of the body.
  2. High in calcium and vitamin K, it aids against osteoporosis.
  3. Packed with vitamin C and flavonoids, making it a great antioxidant.
  4. High in protein, low in calories.
  5. High in fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar, and curbs overeating.
 All very goo reasons to have them.  Above info was extracted from www.care2.com.
Ingredients

1 broccoli, cut into florets and stem chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek, trimmed and finely sliced
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 litre stock

Method

In a saucepan add garlic, onion, leek, chilli, potatoes and one cup of water. On medium-low heat saute for 10 minutes. Add more water as needed.

Add stock and broccoli, bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve either blended or just as is with crusty bread.

Blended for my daughter with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Straight out of the pot for me.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Cauliflower Soup

As I indicated in my Detox Update post, last week I made a Hearty Lentil Soup that ended up being far too big a batch and I was left eating it for several days in a row.

Ever since I took up cooking, I found it a challenge to make dishes that are for 2.5 people (my daughter is only 4 and eats like a bird).

Given last weeks experience, my focus today was on making a Cauliflower soup that would only be for 3 people and I mostly succeeded. I haven't made this very simple and plain soup for a long time but best of all is that it took me all of 40 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients (Serves 3)

½ cauliflower, cut into florets and stem chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1.2 litre stock

Method

In a saucepan add garlic, onion, carrot, celery and one cup of water. On medium-low heat saute for 10 minutes. Add more water as needed.

Add stock and cauliflower, bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Vegetable Stir-fry

My hubby is not a big soup fan and given our detox program (see Detox Update) we needed to come up with a vegetarian meal that would be satisfying, delicious and easy to make on the weekend when he was at home.

Using a couple of cooking books as inspiration we came up with a vegetable stir fry that turned out to be filling and tasty.  It made a bigger batch than we needed so the next day we stir fried the leftovers a bit more rather than nuke it in the microwave.

We are focusing on changing the way we eat once the detox is finished by mixing up our weekly intake between meat, fish and just plain vegies.  Given that I enjoy dabbling in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes will be a delight.  Although on this occasion, John was the chef and I was the assistant.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
5cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 red capsicum, deseeded and chopped in 2.5cm pieces
1 large carrot, peeled, quartered lengthways and thinly sliced
½ broccoli, cut into florets and stalks chopped
300g mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tomatoes, chopped in large chunks
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Method

On high, heat a wok for one minute.  Add the oil and rotate in wok to coat.

Stirring at each step:
  • Add ginger and garlic and fry for 30 seconds.  
  • Add the apple cider vinegar and cook for 15 seconds.  
  • Add capsicum and carrots and fry for 5 minutes.
  • Add broccoli, mushroom, soy sauce and chilli and fry for 3 minutes.  
  • Add tomatoes and fry for 1 minute.
Serve immediately.

Bon appetit.

Guest Chef in my kitchen.
Vegetable Stir-fry