Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I will be away from next week and will not be doing any new posting in my blog during this period.

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

5 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken pieces
2 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 button mushrooms, quartered
½ cup red wine
1¼ tbsp wine vinegar
1¼ tsp fresh chopped parsley
2½ tsp fresh chopped oregano
2½ tsp fresh chopped basil
1 bay leaf
1 tin canned tomatoes
½ cup chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar

Method:

In a large frying pan heat the oil and lay the chicken pieces, skin side down in one layer.

Brown for 3-4 minutes, then turn each piece over. Continue turning the chicken pieces until all surfaces are well-browned.

Remove the chicken pieces to a plate and keep warm.

Add the onions and garlic, to the oil and chicken juices in the frying pan. Cook lightly for 2-3 minutes or until they are just beginning to brown.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Pour the wine and vinegar into the pan and boil rapidly to reduce to about half the original quantity.

Add the herbs, bay leaf and tomatoes, stirring well to break up the tomatoes.

Stir in the chicken stock and season with pepper and sugar.

Return the chicken pieces to the tomato sauce and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is tender.

Serve with pasta.

Ham and Green Pepper Omelet

Ingredients:

3 eggs
2½ tbsp milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1¼ tbsp vegetable oil
½ cup chopped green pepper
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
2 oz lean meat, cut into small dice

Method:

Break the eggs into the bowl and beat in the milk and pepper.

Heat the oil in a omelet pan and fry the green pepper until it is just soft.

Stir the tomatoes and the ham. Heat through for 1 minute.

Pour the egg mixture into the frying pan over the vegetables. Stir the mixture briskly with a wooden spoon until it begins to cook.

As the egg begins to set in, lift it slightly and tilt the pan to allow the uncooked egg underneath.

When the egg on top is still slightly creamy, fold the omelet in half and slip it onto a serving plate. Serve immediately.

Stuffed Eggs

Stuffed eggs make an attractive and delicious party appetizer

Ingredients:

18 small quail eggs
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup cooked, peeled shrimp, finely chopped
¾ tsp finely chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Cook the eggs in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and plunge them immediately into cold water.

Allow the eggs to cool completely, then remove the shells. Rinse and drain.

Cut each egg in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks.

Put the yolks into a large bowl and beat in the butter and garlic. Mix well.

Add the shrimp, basil and pepper to the creamed egg yolk mixture. Beat thoroughly until a soft consistency results.

Fill each egg white half with a little of the prepared mixture, piling it attractively into the cavity left by the egg yolk.

Refrigerate until required.

Japanese-Style Peanut Dipping Sauce

This beautiful sauce, which has chunky texture, is best served with fresh raw slices of salmon, some shredded carrot and shredded Japanese seaweed, making a dish that’s ideal as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp chunky peanut butter
4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp miso
2 tbsp sugar to taste
1 tsp finely chopped young ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped spring onions
1 tsp chopped cili padi

Method:

Put all ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Mix well until the sugar dissolves, the peanut butter is smooth and everything is well-blended. Pour into individual bowls for serving.

Fish and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium whole fish (about 600 g) such as white or black pomfret or red snapper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 ginger, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium-sized carrot, sliced
1 rib celery, diced
3 larges tomatoes, skinned and diced
600 ml water
1 tbsp chopped parsley or spring onion
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Clean and gut fish, and cut into 1 cm thick slices. Cut head into two halves.

To make the fish stock, heat oil and fry the ginger and fish head until half-cooked and add water. When cooked, strain to leave only the liquid for the stock.

Heat oil in a roomy pan and “sweat” onion, garlic, carrots and celery until translucent, but not browned. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes before adding fish stock.

Simmer soup over low heat for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Just before serving, rub a little salt and freshly grounded pepper on fish slices and slip them into the soup. Bring to the boil and cook for 5-6 minutes.

Ladle the soup into deep soup bowls and sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley or spring onion and serve immediately.

Tips for Better Cooking

If you can’t find good ripe tomatoes for pasta sauce, buy a good Italian brand of plain canned tomatoes. Tomatoes are usually canned when at their very best, very ripe and full of flavours.



Buy dry spices whole and keep them in a dry and cool place – they’ll keep for years. Before using, roast them in a dry pan to release the flavours, then grind them down with a mortar and pestle.



Use fresh rather than dry herbs, but remember their flavours are very delicate and subtle. Most herbs will lose their aroma if cooked too long, so add your herbs at the end of the cooking. Some sturdier herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano and bay leaf can be cooked longer without losing their flavours.



To keep green vegetables bright green after cooking, blanch them in hot salted water for a few minutes. Immediately plunge them into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process and to fix the chlorophyll. Overcooked vegetables lose their crunch and most of their vitamins.