dahl

dahl
Originally uploaded by chowen

- 2 cups of red lentil
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- salt & pepper, cumin seed

1. Soak lentil in water for 10-20 mins (cook faster if soaked)
2. Cook high till boiling, then turn low and cook till the lentil 'splits'
3. mix in salt, onion and garlic
4. add cinnamon and cumin
5. Cook for a further couple of minutes, then finish with cumin seed and ground pepper

Chicken briyani

Chicken briyani
Originally uploaded by chowen

- 1 cup of rice, cooked
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 small piece ginger, sliced
- 2 tomatos, cut into wedges
- 500g chicken breast or thigh fillet, cut into chunks

- 1-2 tbsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp tumeric
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 4 cardamon pods
- saffron (small amount)
- fresh coriander (optional)

1. Fry onion in a little oil until browned, add garlic, ginger and continue stirring (3-5 mins)
2. Add chicken, mix in chili curry powder, salt, garam masala, and tomato wedges, cook on low heat (10 mins)
3. Mix in tumeric, bay leaves, cardamon and saffron into the cooked rice (2 mins)
4. Mix both the rice and chicken on an oven dish and place it in the oven for 10 mins
5. sprinkle fresh coriander and serve with natural yoghurt

tartlet light lunch

summer tarts
Originally uploaded by chowen

- 4-6 ready made savory tart case
- small pieces of sausages (using one sausage)
- baked salmon fillet (1 piece - I used left over from dinner)
- 2 eggs
- single cream, 60ml
- grana cheese, to garnish
- rocket salad or any other salad

1. Pre-heat oven 180 for 10 mins
2. Chop and sprinkle salmon / sausage in the different tart case
3. mix the eggs with cream together until thoroughly blended together
4. Pour mixture (3) into the tart cases
5. place in the oven for 10 mins
6. sprinkle grana cheese, serve with rocket on the side

Salty pork

Pork
Originally uploaded by chowen

4 thin slice escalope pork, marinate for 20 mins in
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin (cooking sake)
- 1 tsp sugar

1. Fry 1 sliced onion in 1 tbsp walnut oil until slightly browned
2. add 2 spring onion, sliced length-ways, empty the pan and set the content aside
3. use the left over juice, place pork slices flatly in the pan
4. fry for a couple of minutes on both sides
5. when the pork is cooked, add the onion back and do a stir fry by mixing all the ingredients together

Stir fry rice noodle

Stir fry rice noodle
Originally uploaded by chowen

- 150g thinly sliced pork
- 6 bunches kailan vegetables
- 3 chinese mushrooms, sliced
- 1 chili pepper, sliced
- flat rice noodle - cooked according to packet instruction
- 1 spring onion, thin sliced ginger, for frying

1. fry spring onion and ginger in oil
2. add chili and pork, fry until cooked through, then set aside
3. use the remaining oil in the wok, cook the vegetables (mushroom and kailan)
4. add rice noodle, continue stirring, add more water if it becomes sticky
5. mix in the pork and serve

Roast chicken

Roast chicken
Originally uploaded by chowen

*adapt from Jamie Oliver's recipe

- 4x chicken leg
- bunches of basil leaves
- 2 handful of cherry tomatos, halved
- Olive oil
- salt/pepper
- 10 cloves of garlic
- A handful of New potatos, halved

1. pre heat oven 200 for 10 mins
2. line the chicken in a baking tin, season with salt/pepper
3. spread with cherry tomatos, basil leaves and olive oil
4. spread with potatos and garlic
5. oven roast for 90 mins

Vegetarian risotto

Vegetarian risotto
Originally uploaded by chowen

- 200g risotto rice
- 1 carrot, chopped into small square pieces
- 5-8 asparagus, chopped
- 5 mushrooms, squared
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 shallot, minced
- 2 garlic, crushed
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 150 ml white wine (optional)
- fresh parsley

1. fry onion, shallot and garlic in olive oil until golden brown

2. add risotto rice, stir to coat, add the white wine

3. add stock to the rice mixture bit by bit, only adding more when it's absorbed in the rice

4. add the vegetables, season with salt

5. cook until vegetables are cooked through. The rice takes about 20-30 mins.

6. serve with fresh parsley and pepper

I make the rice into a pile and pour remaining stock on top, while the risotto is still hot it absorbs the stock and leaving it moistened

親子丼

親子丼
Originally uploaded by chowen

Easy dish using left over food and is quick to make.

200g chicken strips
1 chili
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp black sesame
2 spring onions, cut sideways
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp mirin

1. stir fry the spring onions in a little bit of oil on high heat, when sizzling, add the chicken
2. fry the chicken on medium heat, until cooked
3. add freshly cut chili (add this in step 1 to make it spicier)
4. mixed all together with some sesame oil and mirin, cook for a further minute
5. pour the egg over the dish, cook first on high heat until the egg sauce starts to solidify, turn on low heat - fluff the egg gently by running the spatula along the pan
6. serve on top of plain rice and sprinkle black sesame on top

beef lasagna

lasagna
Originally uploaded by chowen

400g beef mince
250g tomato sauce (chunks or mixture of paste and sauce)
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt & pepper to season
6-8 lasagna sheets - soaked for at least 15 mins
2 cups mozzarella

Cheese filling / white sauce
300g ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg
2 tsp parsley

1. fry onion and garlic in some oil until lightly browned, add minced beef
2. when beef looks cooked (no blood on the meat), add the tomato sauce
3. stir in sugar, fennel seed, parsley in to the meat sauce
Simmer for 20 mins

White sauce:
1. mix ricotta cheese with nutmeg
2. add an egg and parsley and blend with a whisker

Layering and baking
1. line the bottom of the lasagna dish with meat sauce
2. place sheets of lasagna on top of the meat sauce
3. cheese filling and a thin layer of mozzarella

Cover with foil and bake at 170c for 20 mins
Uncover and bake a further 20 mins

chicken sate and seafood noodle

chicken sate and seafood noodle
Originally uploaded by chowen

200g plain noodle (2 types of noodles were used for this recipe)
100g smoked salmon
1/2 spring onion, sliced sideways

300g chicken, cut into strips
skew onto wooden sticks
season with salt and pepper

Satay sauce:
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 fresh red chili
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1/2 lemon juice

1. Cook noodle as according to package instruction.
2. Soak in cold water to retain its texture, drain
3. Flake the smoked fish and scatter with spring onion with the noodle
4. Place chicken skewers on a flat pan and grill till it's cooked through

To make the satay sauce:
1. fry onion and garlic in some oil
2. add the rest of the ingredients
3. add water to make the sauce more 'watery' - add water bit by bit until it's completely absorbed into the sauce