Avocado , Grapefruit And Pomegranate Salad

Stay healthy and eat healthy will be my motto for 2014 :)  hahaha motto not resolution ! Well for dinner, I made this simple and yet delicious salad to go with pan fried salmon...refreshing and healthy too .  It was a mistake to add in the pomegranate ,WB has no patient to take out the seeds even though it taste good in the salad :)  Pomegranate, beside preventing and reversing CAD, alaso prevents cancer, and promote healthy skin by its powerful abundant antioxidant punicalagins. 

It has these benefits:- adapted from here

• Pomegranate increases the synthesis of nitric oxide, required for healthy arterial endothelial function,
• protect nitric oxide from oxidative degradation,
• reduces coronary plaque buildup,
• reverses atherosclerosis,
• inhibits LDL oxidation,
• reduces blood pressure, and
• oxidative stress.

Avocado ,Grapefruit And Pomegranate Salad - WB's Kitchen

2 ripe  avocados
1 large red grapefruit
1 japanese cucumber
1 ripe pomegranate
mint leaves * optional

vinaigrette:
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
some chopped mint leaves * optional

Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.  Leave aside.

Before serving, cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the seeds, and carefully peel off the skin. Diced into bite size cubes, toss the avocado in the vinaigrette to prevent them from turning brown. Use a sharp knife to slice the peel off the grapefruits ( be sure to remove all the white pith ), then cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments.  Diced the japanese into bite sized cubes.  Chopped the mint leaves ( optional ) .

Arrange all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Pour the vinaigrette on top and gently mix till the salad ingredients are covered in vinaigrette dressing. Serve chilled or room temperature.

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Stir Fry Small Pieces aka 'Chau Lup Lup '

We tried to cook my mom's signature dish ' chau lup lup' which translated in Cantonese , it means fry all the small pieces , but it didn't taste like mom's cooking reason being we did not add in roasted peanuts. But just the same, it tasted delicious.  The dish comprises of  preserved radish, diced dry tofu - the firm and hard type , diced long beans and cut red chillies .  Simply stir fry all the diced ingredients with chopped garlic and let me tell you , this goes well with a bowl of teochew porridge.  Thanks to WB for helping out in cooking this delicious and appetizing dish.

Stir Fry Small Pieces aka 'Chau Lup Lup ' - from WB's Kitchen

ingredients:

diced long beans,
diced dry tofu,
preserved radish,
sliced red chillies
chopped garlic
a few dash of white pepper
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
salt to taste

Method:

In a non-stick wok , saute chopped garlic and preserved radish with a tbsp of vegetable oil till fragrant. Add in all the diced ingredients and chillies and continue to stir fry till well combined. Add a few tbsp of water and continue to stir fry till the long beans are properly cooked.  Add in a few dash of white pepper and salt to taste before dishing up.

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Curry Pork Ribs

Ready made fresh curry paste from the wet market has made cooking curry much easier for busy people and for WB especially *wink  .  When I was back from the hospital a month ago, he cooked this for himself.  He went to our regular stall at the Kg.Simee market and bought this fragrant ready made curry paste and cooked his favorite pork ribs.  All he had to do was to saute lightly the paste in the claypot and add in the blanched pork ribs into the fragrant paste.  Add a cup of water and simmer over low heat till the ribs are soft and tender.  He added the potatoes in half way through the cooking so that the potatoes will not turned out to be mashed.  Mmmmm as he was cooking this , the aroma of the curry made me hungry and if not for my stitches then , I would have grabbed a bowl for myself.  He cooked enough for his three meals while I ate only steamed fish and spinach ! So unfair ! But I told him, I want a bowl for photography sake and thus , I stole some for blog photos :)

Curry Pork Ribs - from WB's Kitchen

1 cup of ready made fresh curry paste from the wet market
1 sprig of curry leaves
1/2 kg of pork ribs - meaty part
a few potatoes - peeled and halved
sea salt to taste if needed

Method:

Blanch the pork ribs , drain and leave it aside.   Saute the curry paste in a claypot under medium low heat for a few minutes, add in the curry leaves and blanched ribs.  Stir till the ribs are coated with the paste.  Add in a cup of water and simmer under low heat.  Cover the lid and simmer for half an hour , stirring occasionally so as not to allow burning the ribs and paste at the bottom of the pot.  Add in the cut potatoes and continue to simmer till the curry thickens and the potatoes are soft but hold its shape. Season to taste with sea salt.  

Note: no oil needed as the paste has enough oil and this curry does not need coconut milk, but you can add coconut milk if you desire.

Enjoy !

Stir Fry Mixed Veggies

These veggies when stir fried together looks wonderfully deliciious. When I asked WB to use all the veggies available in the fridge, this is what he whipped up for our dinner.  I have to be careful when I tell him that or I will end up with all the veggies in my dish. He took everything out of the veggie drawer in the fridge and stir fry them together.  No gravy and it was an assortment of veggies put together ! LOL ..trust my man to do the cooking !  Anyway, when this dish was served, I almost uttered 'what is this '... but the vibrancy of the colors whets my appetite :) 

Stir Fry Mixed Veggies - from WB's Kitchen :)

1 stalk of chinese leeks - cut into 1/2 in length

1 carrot - sliced

1 small slice of pumpkin - cut into cubes

2 tomatoes - cut into slices

some deep fried ' tao pau '/ beancurd skins

1/4 cup of chicken broth  

1 tbsp of vegetable oil

a drop of sesame oil

1 tbsp of chopped garlic

1 tsp of chilli flakes 

seasoning

mixed herbs salt

a dash of white pepper

Method:

Heat up vegetable oil, sesame oil in a wok, add in garlic and saute till fragrant.  Add in all the cut vegetables and stir fry till well mixed.  Add in chicken broth and simmer the veggies till soft and cooked.  Add in chilli flakes and seasoning.  Off heat and dish up and serve hot with rice.

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Linguine Pasta With Rosemary Infused Olive Oil

Have you tried making your own infused oil...it can be garlic infused or herbs infused.  For me, I prefer fresh herbs...especially rosemary and thyme.   I used  heat the oil method .You can check it out here if you are keen to make your own fancy flavors infused oil :) . With this infused oil, you can drizzle on your pasta, as a salad dressing or as an appetizer with chunks of artisan bread.  I not only used them for pasta but mixed it with balsamic vinegar...gosh...drooling just thinking of balsamic vinegar with rosemary infused oil as a dip for my artisan bread :)  When Iam fully recovered, I will be baking bread again and you can guess , I will surely make balsamic vinegar dip with the rosemary infused olive oil . 

For today, I drizzle the rosemary infused oil on my linguine and gosh ,it does make a difference to usually bland linguine.  I added cherry tomato and pan grilled salmon and some  chinese mushrooms to it.  The perfect pasta for a light lunch :) 

To make the infused oil....click here

Linguine Pasta With Rosemary Infused Olive Oil

Linguine for two person  - cooked in salt water till al dente - drain and leave aside

2 tbsp of warm rosemary infused olive oil

pan grilled salmon - flaked it

10 cherry tomato - cut into halves

3 chinese mushroom- soaked and cut into slices - saute with chopped garlic till fragrant and cooked

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together and serve hot.

Enjoy !

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Erynggi Mushroom And Eggplant Tempura

First time making mushroom and eggplant tempura . Not easy to make tempura.  It really needs a lot of skills and practice but I am not discouraged. I will make better ones the next time.  The moisture from the eggplant and mushroom makes it soggy fast so have to eat it fast :p  Love the crumbs ..it remained crispy all through...those that I took out from the oil.  YUmmy!  If  you have not tried tempura..you must...it is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  Love the erynggi mushroom slices especially. Dip it in the tempura sauce and gosh...it was finger licking good :)  Practice makes perfect ! Like what Nami shared on her blog...the key for perfect tempura is the batter and the temperature of oil.  You can go read for more tips on her blog :)

Note:  Excuse the poor photography...my arm is still not completely functionable

still shaky :(

Erynggi Mushroom And Eggplant Tempura - adapted from justonecookbook Vegetable Tempura

Ingredients:-

4 Erynggi Mushrooms- cleaned and cut into 1/8 in slices 
2 eggplant- cleaned and cut into 1/8 in slices

Tempura batter - rule is egg water: flour = 1:1 ratio

1 cup (250ml)  egg water ( 1 cold egg (40g) + 210ml cold water )
1 cup (250 ml ) cold all purpose flour

Tempura Sauce

3/4  ( 200ml)  cup of dashi stock/ konbu dashi for vegetarian )
3 tbsp of soy sauce
2 tbsp of mirin
2 tsp of sugar
2" daikon  radish

Make the tempura sauce:

1.  First, make Tempura sauce. Combine dashi stock, mirin sugar, and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Then lower the heat and let it simmer ntil sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Now clean and wash the erynggi mushrooms and eggplant and cut into 1/8 " thick slices. Dry dry them using paper towels.

3. Heat the 1 1/2 inch of oil in a pot.  When the oil temperature is  (160C-180C ), start making the batter.

4.  Crack the cold egg into 210ml cold water . Whisk vigorously and remove foam on the surface. As you slowly pour the  egg mixture into the cold flour, mix the batter with chopsticks in a figure of 8 motion. ( mix about at the most 1 minute ) Do not over mix the batter and leave some lumps in batter. Keep the batter cold at all time.  It is best to place the bowl of batter over a basin of ice cold water.

5.  For root vegetable deep fry around 160C, for mushroom around 175-180C. Do not over crowd the pot with ingredients. Remember you only put ingredients taking up 1/2 of oil surface. Transfer tempura to a wire rack or paper towel to remove excess oil.

6.  Between batches, remember to remove the crumbs in the oil, which will burn and and turn oil darker if you don't take it out.

Serve with the tempura sauce.....or wasabi with soy sauce

YUmmy!

Have a nice day!

Stir Fry Meat Slices With Sesame Oil And Ginger - Reminisce Confinement Days

I had a sudden crave for stir fry meat slices with lots of sesame oil and ginger. I made WB cooked this dish for me :)   After all the bland food this dish was appetizing , for it reminded me of my confinement days. My grandma cooked this dish for me almost everyday during my confinement days .  I taught WB how to cook and hmmm I would say he is good at following instructions.  Instead of stir fry the baby spinach , he made a soup with it and added his favorite veggie in...yea, he loves tomato.  I still see the spinach roots in the soup :p Anyway, I am thankful for my meals without having to prepare them myself :)  Praise be to God for He sees to my daily needs.  Amen.

Happy Deepavali to all my Hindu Friends And Readers

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