GRILLED LEMONGRASS CHICKEN WITH LEMONGRASS SWEET CHILLI SAUCE (GAI YANG DTAKRAI)

If you like the aromatic of lemongrass, you should try this dish! Seriously. My hubby doesn't really into lemongrass, but when he tried this dish he likes it a lot.
Both chicken and the sauce are having lemongrass aromatic.



There are 2 kind of grilled lemongrass chicken. One is Vietnamese style and the other is Thai style. And I made the Thai style this time. The original name of this dish is Gai Yang Dtakrai (please correct me if I am wrong).

I love Thai foods, might be because Thai food's ingredients are similar with Indonesian food's ingredients. And plus, I love the combination of sweet and sour which is a common taste in Thai foods.

Better I stop talking and let's try this yummy grilled chicken :).....



Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Lemongrass Sweet Chilli Sauce

Ingredients:
7 pieces chicken - legs and thighs, rinse and pat dry

Marinade Sauce:
2 stalks of lemongrass, finely minced the white part only (I used food processor to mince it)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup shaoxing wine
4 tbsps soy sauce
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp galangal powder
1 tbsp blackpepper
1 tsp dried crushed chilli
3 tbsps brown sugar

Lemongrass Sweet Chilli Sauce:
1-1/2 stalks of lemongrass, finely minced the white part only (I used food processor to mince it)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsps shaoxing wine
1/4 cup fish sauce
3/4 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp dried crushed chilli (you can reduce it if you dislike too spicy)
1/2 cup water
2 to 3 tbsp tapioca starch solution

Preparation:
For the Marinade Sauce:
Mix all ingredients. Put chicken in the ziplock bag and pour the marinade sauce over the chicken. Make sure all chickens are soaked in the sauce. Keep it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Alot better if you marinate it for overnight.

For the Lemongrass Sweet Chilli Sauce:
Mix all ingredients except the tapioca starch solution. Boil it over high heat. Once the sauce is boiling, pour in the tapioca starch solution. Keep stirring until the sauce is thicken. Let it cool before you serve it.

Brush the grill pan with olive oil. Preheat it over high heat. Place the chicken on the grill pan. Reduce the heat into medium heat. Grill and brush the chicken with the marinade sauce. Grill it until both sides are browned.

-OR-

Preheat the oven over 375F.
Put the marinated chicken on the baking dish. Cover it with alumunium foil. Bake it for an hour. Don't forget to brush the chicken with the marinate sauce every 15 minutes. Uncover the chicken. Brush the chicken with the marinate sauce. Bake it for another 20 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the chicken when it is ready to serve.

CHEESEBURGER PIZZA

My hubby and I are getting bored with Hawaiian Pizza. We are too often making Hawaiian Pizza in the past. Until one morning when my hubby bought cheeseburger from BK drive-thru before we went to church, and I helped him to open the burger's wrapper *yea, he is driving and eating to save time ;)* suddenly this crazy idea came across my mind....CHEESEBURGER PIZZA!

At that time, I was thinking why can't I transform a cheeseburger into a pizza? It must be taste good, especially cheeseburger is a common food in America and 99% people in this world like cheeseburger. I just can't wait to implement this idea into a real pizza *oh uh...don't worry I still pay lots of attention and concentration on the preaching ;)*

First of all, I listed down what is the ingredients are needed in a cheeseburger. Of course there will be beef patty, sweet pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, mayonnaise and mustard. Then, to make it merrier I decided to add olives and pizza sauce as pizza without pizza sauce equivalent incomplete.



Surprisingly, it tasted really good! It just different than other pizza which is using canadian bacon, ham or pepperoni. I used ground beef instead of all those deli's meats.

My hubby's comments? He likes it! He said, "I never heard nor imagine of cheeseburger pizza before. And this is really good sweetie!". And I just simply smiling with satisfaction after I heard his comments and compliments :)



Cheeseburger Pizza

Ingredients:
1 homemade thin crust pizza (or store bought pizza crust)
1 lb ground beef
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp of salt and pepper
Oil for stir frying
4 whole dill sweet pickles, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup sliced olives
2 heaps tbsps mayonnaise
1 heaps tbsp mustard

Cheese Mixture:
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese
2 cups Mozarella Cheese

Pizza Sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp dill sweet pickles' juice
2 tbsps pizza seasoning
1 tbsp oregano
3 tbsps Splenda Sweetener (or 1 tbsp granulated sugar)

Fresh Toppings:
1 roma tomatoes, seeded and small diced
1 leave romaine lettuce, small shredded

Preparation:
For The Beef Topping:
Saute garlic with olive oil until fragrant. Saute in ground beef until brown. Add in salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For The Pizza Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and boil it over medium high heat. Let it cool before use.

Finishing:
Preheat the oven at 500F. Grease a pizza pan 14". Lay the pizza dough on the pan. Prick it with fork. Spread the mayonnaise and mustard on the pizza dough evenly. Spread the pizza sauce evenly. Sprinkle it with 1/2 of cheese mixture. Add onion, olives, cooked beef, and the remaining cheese. Top it with dill sweet pickles.
Bake it for 12 minutes. Remove it from the oven. Sprinkle it with tomatoes and lettuce before you cut the pizza.

TELOR PINDANG (BRAISED EGG)

This style of braised eggs are common in this universe. Of course, every country cook it differently. In Indonesia, we braise it with a bunch of shallot's skin and guava leaves. But in China, they will braise the egg with black tea and other chinese herbs.

The uniqueness of this braised egg is after the eggs are completely boiled into hard boiled eggs, we should crack the eggshell. Then, reboil it again so when we peel off the eggshell we can see the brown trails where the crack is. But some people wouldn't crack the eggshell, they just peel off the eggshell and reboiled the egg so the whole eggs will be brown instead of white color.

In Indonesia, this braised egg included in our traditional food. We can eat it as a snack, or as toppings for some traditional Indonesian foods such as Timlo Solo (Meat and Vegie Soup), Gudeg Jogja (Green Jackfruit Sweet Stew), etc. But, in China, they treat this egg as a snack. And it is pretty easy to find them, because they are sold as street foods. I remember when I was studied in China, at night along the way from my apartment to my campus were transformed into night market, so there were lots of people who are selling fruits, foods, clothes, toys, etc. And surely this chinese braised eggs is one of them who sold at the night market.

As for me, since I can't find guava leaves so I combine this 2 countries way of braising the eggs *that is the beauty of cooking by yourself, you can be creative as much as you want as long as the taste doesn't go too far from the original taste if you care the authentication :)*. For sure, I still put more "Indonesian herbs" in my recipe so it still legit to call it "Indonesian Braised Egg" :). I guess this recipe is helping you guys who lived in the country which doesn't have/hard to find guava leaves ;).The taste is similar than the one use guava leaves.



Telor Pindang (Braised Egg)

Ingredients:
6 large eggs
Shallot's skin from 8 cloves of shallot
4 cloves of shallot, finely sliced
1 cloves of garlic, chopped
5 bags of dark tea (any brand will do but should be dark)
1 liter boiling water
3 pieces bay leaves
3 tbsps Indonesian sweet soy sauce
2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Preparation:
In a saucepan, combine water and dark tea. Let the tea bags sitting in the boiling water for 5 minutes until the water become dark brown. Discard the tea bag. Add in shallot's skin, shallot sliced, garlic, bay leaves, Indonesian sweet soy sauce, salt and pepper. Boil it over high heat. Add in eggs. And boil it for 7 minutes or so and make sure the eggs are covered by the tea mixture so it will boiled evenly. Remove the eggs and crack the eggshell (Just crack it! Don't peel it!). Dump it back into the tea mixture. Reboil it for another 7 minutes over low heat.
Soak the eggs in the cold water for an easy peeling and smooth egg. Ready to serve.

PERI PERI CHICKEN

Wow...wow...wow...what a cute name for a dish! Yep, a cute name with a good taste!
Peri Peri Chicken is the most famous menu from Nando's Restaurant. Nando's is originally from South Africa (thanks to my dearest blog friend, Anjuli who gave me the info, because all these times I always think Nando's is originally from Malaysia!!). They have several franchise all around the world. Well, I can't say all around the world, but few countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and USA has it.

The first time I tried Peri Peri Chicken was when I lived in Indonesia. And, since that day I just simply love it. Especially I love spicy :). But don't worry, if you dislike spicy, you can choose the mild one, so it will not spicy at all! *oups...don't trust my judgement because I love SUPER EXTREME SPICY :)*.

Now, it's been ages I didn't eat Peri Peri Chicken because I can't find Nando's Restaurant at the area where I lived. Sadly, I almost forget about it!! Until, I saw a photo of my friend who ate at Nando's Restaurant and there were a photo of a full set Peri Peri Chicken. Suddenly, my mouth is watering and my jaw is almost drop looking at the chicken! And believe me, tho it just a photo but it looks good and really tempting.

So, I rushed to ask Mr. Google and there were loads of "Nando's" Peri Peri Chicken recipes. All the recipes are very similar one to another. So I decided to make my own Peri Peri Chicken recipe.

While the chicken was baked in the oven, I crossed my fingers hoping it will taste good. And.....voila.....it tasted good! My hubby liked it and I am happy cos I can eat Nando's Peri Peri Chicken anytime :).

PS: My Peri Peri Chicken is spicy tho I put "Mild" sticker on it :). So, you should reduce the chilli if you dislike spicy.



Peri Peri Chicken

Ingredients:
6 piece chicken drumstick

Marinade Sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, small diced
2-3 tsps salt
70 ml apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 red chilli pepper
5 green thai bird's chilli, sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tbsps oregano

Preparation:
1. Saute garlic and red bellpepper until fragrant over medium high heat. Pour in vinegar and lemon juice. Reduce the heat. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients. Stir it for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the stove.

2. Pour the chilli-vinegar mixture into a food processor or blender. Process it until fine and smooth. Keep it in the refrigerator and let it cool.

3. Place the chicken in the plastic bag (food saver bag). Pour 2/3 the cold chilli-vinegar mixture. And reserve the rest for additional condiment after the chicken is baked.

4. Marinate the chicken for 2 hours. Bake the chicken over 350F until both sides are brown. Once in a while bash the chicken with the marinade sauce. Don't forget to turn the chicken so it can baked evenly.

5. Serve it with rice and salad. Also, you can pour the reserved sauce over the chicken on the serving plate. Enjoy

TOFU AND SHRIMP WITH TOMATO SAUCE (TAHU UDANG SAUS TOMAT)

Easy. Simple. Delicious. Those 3 words are really described this dish. If you lack of idea or want to use the ingredients left in your fridge *obviously I am talking about my own experience :)* this simple dish is really an answer for you! :). Especially on summer. The tangy of fresh tomatoes and the sourness plus the sweetness of the shrimps are really freshen your day!

Then, since this is my new experiment, of course I need someone to test it and tell me how is it. As usual, my hubby becomes my food tester :). And.....he likes it! *phewww*



Tofu and Shrimp with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 lb shrimps, peel and devein
1 package firm tofu (you can use any kind of tofu as long as it is firm tofu)
2-1/2 cups water and salt solutions (2-1/2 cups water combined with 1/2 tsp salt)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsps cooking rice wine
2 tbsp ang ciu/shaoxing
3 tbsps thai sweet and sour sauce
150 ml water
1 stalk spring onion, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsps tapioca starch solutions

Preparations:
Cut the tofu into the shapes you like. Soak the tofu in the water-salt solutions for about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the tofu and pat dry the tofu with paper towel. Fry the tofu in the preheated oil until both sides are golden-brown color. Strain it and let the oil dripped.
In another pan, fry the garlic with 2 tablespoons oil until fragrant. Stir in shrimp until the shrimp change into pink color (remember stir fry it until pink color only, do not fry the shrimp too long if you don't want your shrimp becomes rubbery). Add in tomatoes, stir fry for about 1 minute. Add in soy sauce, cooking rice wine, shaoxing, thai sweet and sour sauce, salt and pepper, to taste. Stir for another 1 minute. Add in water, stir well. Add in fried tofu, stir well and let the sauce boiled. Once the sauce is boiled, pour in tapioca starch solution, stir fast until you see the sauce is a bit thicken (you can add more starch solution if you want thicker sauce). Remove it from the stove. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle it with spring onion. Bon appetite! :)

REMPEYEK KACANG

Long time ago there was a little girl who lived in Indonesia. And everytime her family went to a city called Bandung which was famous with their local snacks, they were always buy this one kind of snack that unfortunately she hated it. She was confused why her dad, mom and siblings like this un-scrumptious-at-all snack. For her, she loves all kind of snacks (and snacking) but not this one.

Now, she is a grown up woman and guess what? She still dislike this snack. Tho she lived in a far away country from Indonesia, she never miss that snack. Until few days ago, when she accidentaly saw a pic of it, she can't stop thinking about it. Out of nowhere, she can smell a good smell of fried key lime leaf from that snack right in her nose!

So, she determined to try to make herself the snack that she hated when she was a kid. After the snack was well fried, and ready to serve, she can't wait to let her husband to try it. Unfortunately, her husband doesn't really like it :(. But, she does! When she fried the snack, the smell of fried key lime leaf and fried food is flowing on the air. Now, she knows and understands why her family are all like it.



Okay.......I tried to become a novelist but I guess I am failed! :). The story is lame huh? Now, let me tell you the real one. Actually, the story above is talking about me :). And "the snack" we are talking about is rempeyek kacang (it is made of rice flour, coconut milk, key lime leaf and peanut). That's true, I recently like rempeyek kacang. When I was a kid, never ever ask me to try it. I don't know why I hate rempeyek kacang so much. But, after these years hate it I am starting to like it now :). The crispy-ness of the rempeyek kacang and the smell of fried key lime leaf are really made me realize that I missed this good snack!

You will have no problem to find it in Indonesia. I guess, almost all cities in Indonesia are selling rempeyek kacang. Some people make it thick and not that crunchy, but some people (including me) make it thin and crunchy. And I loved the one I made, thin batter with a little bit peanut.
I got the recipe from the old old old NOVA magazine (or newspaper? since it doesn't look like a magazine)



Rempeyek Kacang

Ingredients:
150 gr raw peanuts, peeled and panbroiled
200 gr rice flour
450 ml thin coconut milk
2 small eggs, whisk
8 pieces key lime leaves, finely sliced
2 tsps lime stone
Vegetable oil for frying

Spice Paste:
7 cloves garlic
6 candle nuts
3 tsps coriander
2 tsps cutcherry powder
2 tsp salt, or to taste

Preparation:
In a big bowl, combine spice paste, key lime leaves and rice flour. Pour in coconut milk, eggs and lime stone water gradually. Mix it until well combined.
In a small pan, brush the pan with oil. Scoope 1/8 to 1/4 cup batter. Sprinkle it with panbroiled peanuts (the amount of peanuts are as your desire). Pour the batter into the small pan. then move the pan into circular motion until the pan is covered by the batter. Don't worry about the shape, it doesn't need to be perfect). Cover the pan, and let it cook for about 2 minutes or until half cooked. When you didn't see any liquid batter, then it's the time to remove it from the pan and dump it into a prepared bigger pan with hot oil for deep frying. Fry the rempeyek over high heat until golden color and crispy dry.
Remove it from the pan, and let it dry from the oil on a strainer. Let it cool and keep it in a tight lid container. Ready to serve.

FRIED WONTON WITH SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

Who doesn't know Bakmi Gajah Mada (a franchise noodle restaurant in Indonesia)? I bet everyone who is Indonesian will know it. Bakmi Gajah Mada is a very famous noodle restaurant in Indonesia. You can found them easily in the malls. I remember, when I was a little girl (at 80's), the first and only restaurant of Bakmi Gajah Mada is at Jalan Gajah Mada (Gajah Mada Street). And it explained why they named it Bakmi Gajah Mada, because it is located at Jalan Gajah Mada.

I also remember, my mom and dad liked to bring us, the kids, to eat bakmi Gajah Mada. Besides noodle soups, they also sold the side dishes, such as fried wonton, wonton soup, meatballs soup, etc. For those who doesn't want eat noodle, they also sold rice and veggies or meats.

For me, who is a noodle lover of course I will order chicken noodle soup with beef meatballs *put a little bit of vinegar, hot chilli, and pepper....man....it's heaven!*. Usually, we will order fried wonton with sweet and sour sauce for the appetizer. And let me tell you, their fried wonton is sooooo delicious! The wonton is crispy and the sauce is very good and tangy! Grab one fried wonton then dip it into the sauce.....yummmmm!

So, from all those memories of the good foods and the fun eating out with the whole families inspired me to make my own 'Bakmi Gajah Mada' fried wonton with the sweet and sour sauce *minus the chicken noodles*. And.....the sauce is really good!



My hubby brought some to his work then he shared it with some of his colleagues....and they all like it! :). I am happy, not only because people like my food, but everytime people *especially my hubby's co-workers* gave compliments for my food, it always bring smiles on my hubby's face :). And I know, he proud of me :). That's the most great feeling that paid off all my tired-ness of cooking :).



Now, let's grab one fried wonton and dip it into the sweet and sour sauce........absolutely YUMMMM! :)

Fried Wonton with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 lb (250 gr) pork butt, minced
3/4 cup minced young bamboo shoot
4 stalks of green onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cloves shallots, thinly sliced
3 tbsps sesame oil
2 tbsps rice wine
4 tbsps fish sauce
1/2 tsp blackpepper
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tbsp olive oil, for frying the shallots
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 package of wonton wrapper

The Sauce:
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsps ketchup
1/2 to 1 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
150 ml chicken broth
2 tbsps sugar
1-1/2 tbsps rice vinegar

Preparation:
For The Wonton:
In a small pan, fry the shallot with olive oil until fragrant. Set aside.
In a big bowl, combine pork, young bamboo shoot, green onion, garlic, fried shallots with the oil, sesame oil, rice wine, fish sauce, blackpepper, and tapioca starch. Mix it well. At this point, you should taste it by scooping 1 tsp pork mixture and microwave it for 20 seconds. And you can add more spices, as your desire.
Lay 1 sheet of wonton wrapper. Scoope 1 teaspoon of pork mixture in the middle of the wonton wrapper. Then fold the wrapper to form a triangle, then pull each corner down and glue it with water. Do it until all the wrappers are gone.
Fry the wonton into a 350F hot oil until crisp and brown. Drain it from the oil then place it on the paper towel. Keep it in the lock and lock container. Do not cover the wonton when it still hot, because it will make the wonton soggy!
Serve it with the sauce.

For The Sauce:
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Cook it over medium-high heat. Keep stirring until the sauce is thicken.

BBQ OXTAIL

I know....I know....no one barbecued the oxtail before. But let me tell you the 'backscene' why I made it :).

I have plenty of oxtail, and got bored with oxtail soup :(. What should I do with those oxtails?!

Think, think and think! For some reason, I kept thinking that oxtail can be cook with soup only, and it is Indonesian food! So, my brain kept thinking that I should find any "Indonesian" spices to make this oxtail.

Suddenly, I remember when I was in Jakarta, I ate this Indonesian (Makassar) style grilled ribs. And they are so good! And at that time, Konro Karebosi is the only restaurant which is sold this yummy grilled ribs. But, I bet there are plenty of restaurant sold this Makassar style grilled ribs now.



So, from that memories of eating grilled ribs with my mom and siblings, I got an idea to make BBQ Oxtail :). Luckily, I have all the ingredients that I need to make my BBQ Oxtail :).

And, I'm so happy because it turned out so good. It is very tangy. Even when I grilled it, I smelled the tanginess already. It is a good choice if you are bored with oxtail soup!



BBQ Oxtail

Ingredients:
4 big pieces oxtail, trimmed
Vegetable oil for frying

Flour Mixture:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil

BBQ Sauce:
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cloves shallot, minced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 inch ginger root, minced
1-1/2 jalapeno, minced (you can add or reduce the jalapeno as you like)
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup ketchup
4 tbsps worcestershire sauce
2 tbsps cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsps rice cooking wine
1 tbsp tabasco
1/2 lemon, squeezed
50 ml water
Salt and blackpepper, to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat the oil over medium high heat.
2. Combine the flour mixture. Dredge the oxtails in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour.
3. Fry the floured oxtails into the hot oil until the sides are browned and crispy look. Remove from the pan. Set aside.
4. Transfer the oil and excess fat from the pan. Add 3 tbsps olive oil into the pan. Stir in garlic, shallot, onion and ginger until the onion is caramelized. Add in ketchup, worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, brown sugar, rice cooking wine, tabasco, lemon juice, water, salt and black pepper. Let it slightly boiled.
5. Put the oxtails into the sauce. Coat it up with the sauce. Turn down the heat to low heat. Cover the pan. Let it simmer for 2.5 hours or until you can easily pull the meat off from the bone with fork. Don't forget to turn the oxtails once in a while.
6. Remove the oxtails from the sauce. And grill it on a griller (you can use char-griller, BBQ-griller, any griller will works). Grill it until just enough to have a bit burnt texture. Don't forget to brush it with the sauce while you grill it. If you don't have a griller, you can broil it in the oven. Broil it for 2 to 3 minutes each sides or until there is a bit burnt texture on the oxtails. Or, you can use a non-stick pan and panbroil it until both sides have burnt texture.
7. Serve it with the BBQ sauce and warm brown rice. Yummmm!

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN

Since I'd bought lots of chicken breasts fillet, this time I make General Tso's Chicken which is pretty famous in chinese cuisine. The story said that this chicken dish was the favorite dish of General Tso, that's why it called General Tso's Chicken.

Basically, it just chicken breasts cooked with soy sauce. It tasted good tho. Also, it is an easy dish :). The bad news is I don't have hoisin sauce so I added a little bit Indonesian sweet soy sauce, and surprisingly, it still tasted good :). The fried ginger is also the main key of the fragrance of this dish.

For me, it is a refreshing dish after I only cooked very simple dish these few last days :).



General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:
4 pieces large chicken breasts' fillet, trim the fat and diced into bite-size
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger root, peeled and julienned
3 pieces dried chilli, halved
3 stalks spring onion, julienned (or cut into matches size)
1/4 cup light soy sauce
3 tbsps shaoxing wine
2 tbsps sweet cooking wine
1-1/2 tbsps sweet soy sauce (hoisin sauce)
A pinch salt and white pepper
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil

Marinade Sauce:
4 tbsps light soy sauce
2 tbsps shaoxing wine
1 tbsp sweet cooking wine
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp salt
4 or 5 tbsps tapioca starch

Preparation:
Combine the marinade sauce in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, place the bit-sized chicken breasts. Pour in the marinade sauce. Mix it until the chicken are thoroughly coated by the marinade sauce. Marinade it for 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add tapioca starch into marinating chicken. Make sure the chicken is coated by the tapioca starch. Fry the chicken into the prepared oil until browned and crisp. Drain the chicken over a paper towel.

Transfer the hot oil into a bowl, leave 3 tablespoons oil on the pan. Add in ginger and garlic, stir fry until fragrant. Add in dried chilli. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sweet cooking wine, sweet soy sauce (if you use it), salt and pepper. Let it boil for a while until the sauce slightly reduced. Add in the fried chicken. Stir fry until all chicken are coated by the sauce. Add in spring onion. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the stove. Serve it with warm brown rice.

CHORIZO SPINACH STRATA

I called this entry 'from getting frustrated to a good spinach strata'

Yes, last night I am really frustrated because I didn't know what I want to cook for our dinner. When I looked around my kitchen cabinets and hoping that I can find something to cook, I found a bag of hoagie roll (or I called it subway bun :)) on the corner of my cabinet, and.......*tring tring* spinach strata acrossed into my mind. Then I opened my refrigerator, I can't find any ham or bacon :(. But, I saw a bowl of chorizo. Aha....I'm getting excited because I know I will make up my own strata :).

When the chorizo spinach strata *I named it then* is baked in the oven, I can smell the good smell came out from the chorizo! Really made me hungry!.



Chorizo Spinach Strata

Ingredients:
6 Hoagie Rolls (Italian bread, french bread are work too), diced

Filling:
1 package of baby spinach, rinse, drain and chopped
1-1/2 cups pork chorizo
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, small diced
2 tsps olive oil
Salt and blackpepper, to taste

Egg Mixtures (mix all):
6 eggs, lightly whisk
1 cup of fat free milk *a lot healthier I guess ;)*
Salt and blackpepper, to taste

Preparation:
The Filling:
Caramelized the onion with olive oil on a medium pan. Stir in chorizo and stirring until the red oil comes out from the chorizo. Stir in chopped spinach. Stirring until the spinach is soften. Add in bell pepper, salt and blackpepper, to taste. Let it simmering for 3 minutes. Remove from the stove. Set aside.

The Finishing:
Preheat the oven over 375F.
Spread a half of diced hoagie rolls evenly into casserole dish. Transfer the filling to the top of the bread, spread it evenly. Cover it with the remaining hoagie rolls. Pour the egg mixture evenly and make sure the bread are soaking the egg mixture before you put it in the oven.
Bake it for about 30 minutes. Serve it warm.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Lately, I've been trying to bring my hubby's appetite back. Since he got sick last week, he is really lost his appetite :(. So, I kept trying to find new dishes that I never cook before, hoping that he will eat and enjoy it.
Once I found out that I can download lots of video recipes into my iPad, I became a downloader-freak. There lots of video were downloaded, one of them is Jamie Oliver's spaghetti and meatballs' recipe, but as usual, I really can't totally follow a recipe. I always tempted to change the recipe by adding some ingredients here and there :).



My hubby didn't say anything, I guess he still had not get his appetite back yet but at least he ate 2 bowls of the spaghetti and meatballs plus a bowl for his lunch at work.
Myself, I liked it alot. The sauce is a bit thick which is I like. I always think that spaghetti should come with a little bit thick sauce, weird huh?! :). Overall, it was tangy and tasty! :)



Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 package of dried spaghetti
1 tsp salt
2 liter water

For the meatballs:
2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
3 tbsps mustard
1.5 tbsps oregano
1.5 tbsps rosemary, crushed
4 tbsps grated parmesan
4 oz graham crackers, crushed
Salt and blackpepper, to taste
3 to 4 tbsps olive oil

For the sauce:
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup chicken broth
1 bottle marinara sauce
2 tsps basil
1 tsp thyme
Salt and blackpepper, to taste



Preparation:
Boil spaghetti in the boiling water and salt. Boil it until al-dente. Drain it and set aside.

For the meatball:
Mix all the ingredients except olive oil in a big bowl. Scoope 1 tablespoon meat mixture and shape it into a ball. Repeat it until the meat mixture are all in balls shape.
In a pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Fry all the meatballs until all sides are brown. Transfer it to a plate. Reserve the oil.

For the sauce:
Stir fry garlic with the reserved oil, until fragrant. Stir in diced tomatoes with juice, marinara sauce, basil, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste. Add in chicken broth, stir well. Add in the fried meatballs, stir continuously until the meatballs are coated with the sauce. Simmer it until the sauces are slightly thicken.

Serving:
Put spaghetti on a serving plate. Pour the meatballs sauce over the spaghetti. Sprinkle it with grated parmesan. Bon appetite!

PEKINESE DRUNKEN CHICKEN

Let's get drunk with this chicken.....:). Nah, I'm just kidding :). This dish is really healthy *for me*. Yes, it used chinese wine called shaoxing, but it is far from making you drunk after you eat it.

This dish is famous for its name. In fact, it is a traditional dish at the time of Tang Dynasty. I like this dish because not only it is tasty and tangy, also it's very easy, fast and healthy dish which is a perfect gateway if you are tired and don't want to cook but you SHOULD cook for your family.



Pekinese Drunken Chicken

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken fillet, diced
3 tbsps olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 cups chicken broth
4 green onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar (Belzy -- I omitted)
1.5 cups shaoxing (Chinese rice wine or sweet sherry are ok)
2 bunches broccoli, wash and rinse
2 cups boiling water (mix with 1/2 tsp salt)
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Dice the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or fying pan. Add the garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry briskly for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add in the carrots and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the chicken broth and the sugar and bring to the simmer. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The broth should reduce to about 3/4 cup without the chicken burning.
6. Add the shaoxing or Chinese rice wine and salt to taste. Bring to simmer for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in green onion, stirring well.
7. Meanwhile, boil the broccoli in the boiling water mixture for 2 minutes. Remember, do not boil it too long time, you don't want to get a mushy broccoli. Drain it.
8. Arrange the broccoli on a serving plate, then add the chicken. Serve it.

HAM AND CHEESE ROLL BREAD

Yap...Yap...after take more than a month without any update, I come back bringing up my new recipe *errr....actually half of my new recipe*. Remember my last entry? Cinnamon Roll Bread? After few times making this cinnamon roll bread, I'm kinda bored with it *but not my hubby ;)*. So, I made a little experiment and........tada.......Ham and Cheese Roll Bread which was gaining compliments from my hubby :). Suprisingly, it turned so good!

My hubby said that ham and cheese version is more into meal category when cinnamon roll version is more into snack category because it is sweet. I agree with him. A thick layer of ham with melted cheese and bread......it will make you full!

Ham and Cheese Roll Bread

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread flour
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1-1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) lard, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (4 ounces) buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup (6 ounces) water, at room temperature

For the filling:
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 lb ham, sliced
2 cups shredded cheese + 4 tbsps shredded cheese for toppings

Preparation:
Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the egg, lard, buttermilk, and water. Stir together with a large spoon (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients come together and form a ball. Adjust with flour or water if the dough seems too sticky or too dry and stiff.

Sprinkle flour on a counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing on medium speed, switching to the dough hook). The dough should be soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky. Add flour as you knead (or mix), if necessary, to achieve this texture. Knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes (or by machine for 6 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size (or leave the dough wrapped overnight in the refrigerator).

Roll out dough into a 12 by 10 inch rectangle, brush lightly with half of the egg, then sprinkle with the shredded cheese and top it evenly with the ham. Roll up the dough and form a loaf. Place loaf in a lightly oiled 10 by 5 inch loaf pan, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the dough crests above the lips of the pans and is nearly doubled in size.

About 10 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Brush the top of the loaf with the rest of the egg wash. Sprinkle it with 4 tbsps of shredded cheese. Bake for another 15 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for another 15 minutes. The finished bread should register 190 degrees F in the center and be golden brown on top and lightly golden on the sides and bottom. Allow the loaf to cool completely on a rack before removing from pan and cutting.

CINNAMON ROLL BREAD

Are you getting bored with the cinnabon style cinnamon rolls? I do! That's why I'm so excited when Divine Baking posted cinnamon swirl bread. I purposely changed the name of the recipe became cinnamon roll bread, because to me it just like eating a cinnamon rolls, but the only diffferent is this one is a bread. Also, I changed a little bit of the ingredients.

I, especially my hubby, like it so much. He kept asking me when will I make the cinnamon roll bread again :).

Cinnamon Roll Bread

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread flour
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) vegetable shortening, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (4 ounces) buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup (6 ounces) water, at room temperature

For the swirl:
1 egg and 1 tbsp water, lightly beaten together
3/4 cup dark brown sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Preparation:
Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the egg, shortening, buttermilk, and water. Stir together with a large spoon (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients come together and form a ball. Adjust with flour or water if the dough seems too sticky or too dry and stiff.

Sprinkle flour on a counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing on medium speed, switching to the dough hook). The dough should be soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky. Add flour as you knead (or mix), if necessary, to achieve this texture. Knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes (or by machine for 6 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size (or leave the dough wrapped overnight in the refrigerator).

Roll out dough into a 12 by 10 inch rectangle, brush lightly with half of the egg wash, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up the dough and form a loaf. Place loaf in a lightly oiled 10 by 5 inch loaf pan, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the dough crests above the lips of the pans and is nearly doubled in size.

About 10 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Brush the top of the loaf with the rest of the egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for another 15 minutes. The finished bread should register 190 degrees F in the center and be golden brown on top and lightly golden on the sides and bottom. Allow the loaf to cool completely on a rack before removing from pan and cutting.

BAKED PARMESAN GARLIC CHICKEN WINGS

It tasted good, tangy and easy to make. So, what more can you ask for a recipe? :). I added a little bit sugar in the dipping sauce, and all are set for finger foods *I took it as my entrees ;)*.
Also, I submit this recipe from Steamy Kitchen to cooking games hosted by Liza.

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (1/2 tsp table salt)
2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or melted butter)
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (like Lawry's)
1 cup blue cheese dressing
1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (or to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar (or to taste) --> added by me

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F. In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, rosemary, cumin and salt. Lay the chicken wings on a baking sheet and season the chicken wings with this mixture.
2. Bake the chicken wings for 20-25 minutes. While the chicken is baking, mix together the oil, fresh basil, garlic, parmesan cheese and seasoning salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the blue cheese dressing with the mustard and sugar (this is your dipping sauce)
4. When the chicken is cooked through, toss the wings with the garlic/cheese/butter sauce. Serve with the blue cheese/mustard dressing.

THIN CRUST CHICKEN GORGONZOLA PIZZA

Don't you feel bored making the same pizza all the time? I do. That's why after making hawaiian pizza with thick crust all the time, then this time *yesterday to be exact* I made some experiment. I tried to make a new crust and topping recipe.

Thin crust from Kitchen Simplicity was my choice this time. The original recipe was made from AP flour, then I changed it into half AP flour half whole wheat flour. And for the topping, I tried the combination of chicken, cilantro and gorgonzola cheese with mayonnaise and mustard sauce *honestly, those are the only ingredients left in my fridge :)*

Surprisingly, the outcome of my experiment is really good! The crust is perfect *my hubby liked the thin crust more than the thick one now :)*, and the topping and sauce really made a perfect combination. I guess, this recipe is my to-be-true-recipe :).



Thin Crust Chicken Gorgonzola Pizza

Ingredients:
Pizza Crust:
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsps. apple cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Pizza Sauce:
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup mustard
1 Tbsp. sugar (I used 2 tbsps. splenda)
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1-1/2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. pizza seasoning

Toppings:
2 pieces chicken fillet, boiled and shredded
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 can black olives, sliced
3/4 cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:
For Pizza Crust:
Mix all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Stir together water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top. Let proof for 10 min.
Stir in oil, salt, vinegar and 2 cups flour mixture until well incorporated.
Add additional flour mixture and knead until pliable and barely sticky. If you use standing mixer, set the speed at speed 2 and beat it with dough attachment until pliable and barely sticky.
Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
Once doubled, punch it down.
Roll and stretch the dough to cover a 14-inch ungreased pizza pan. Cover with pizza sauce and toppings of choice.
Bake at 500ºF for 10-12 min. until browned and bubbly.

For Pizza Sauce:
In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Stir until well combined. Heat it over medium heat until bubbly. Turn off the heat and set aside.

For Assemble:
Lay the pizza dough to cover a 14-inch ungreased pizza pan. Prick the dough with fork. Cover the dough with pizza sauce and toppings. Bake in preheated oven at 500F for 10-12 minutes until browned and bubbly.

SPICY PORK PIROSHKI

Sometimes, when you read a recipe book it is not just giving you the new recipe, also it gave you an idea to create a new recipe. It happened to me few weeks ago, when I borrowed a recipe book from a friend of mine, I saw a recipe that totally new for me. The name also was the first time I heard about. PIROSHKI *I know...I know...I'm not too familiar with western food tho I lived in US for almost 2.5 years*! Yes, piroshki is a name of pastry that originally from Russia.

Since I never see, taste or make it, I really blinded with what piroshki is. I can't tell the one that I made is the correct one or not. In my mind, pastry *as piroshki is catagorized in pastry fams by Russian* is always related with croissant, pie and flaky. But, to me, Russian pastry *at least piroshki* is same as mini bread *or we are Indonesian, called it roti unyil*.
When in the recipe book, it made eggplant piroshki, I made up my own piroshki which is made from pork, bacon and some herbs including chilli powder. It tasted good and my hubby and friends liked it :).



Spicy Pork Piroshki

Ingredients:
Pastry:
4 sachets (28 gr) dried yeast
2 tbsps sugar
315 ml lukewarm milk
3 cups (375 gr) all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
125 gr butter, melted

Filling:
1 pound pork loin, minced
1/2 pound bacon, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1-1/2 tbsps Italian seasoning
1/2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp tabasco
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation:
For The Pastry:
In a medium bowl, combine yeast and sugar. Stir in the milk. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the yeast mixture and the melted butter into the centre of the flour. Stir with dough attachment at speed 2 until the dough is smooth and pliable. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl. Knead the dough lightly (the dough will be very soft but should not be sticky). Then, divide the dough into 24 portions.

For The Filling:
Mix all ingredients in a big bowl. Divide it into 24 portions. Shape it into short log. Set aside.

Finishing:
Preheat the oven to moderate 350F (180C/Gas 4). Grease baking sheets. Set aside.
Flatten 1 portion of dough into a small disc and place 1 portion of filling in the centre of the dough. Wrap the filling and press the edges firmly and seal it tight. Place assembled pastries, sealed-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Set aside in a warm place for 20 minutes. Brush the piroshki with beaten egg and lightly sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through and golden.

KOREAN SEASONED FRIED CHICKEN (YANGNYEOM TONGDAK)

I never try this Korean Fried Chicken before, but once I saw the pic of it at CG's blog my mouth just can't stop watering :). Fortunately, I have almost all ingredients except rice syrup or honey.

The preparation didn't take more than an hour, it's a perfect recipe when you don't feel like cooking. Also, the taste is good :). My hubby and I can't stop nibbled it til I need to hide it so we have something to eat for dinner :).



Korean Seasoned Fried Chicken (Nangnyeom Tongdak)
Source: Maangchi via Cooking Gallery

Ingredients:
Fried Chicken:
6 pieces (3 lbs) chicken fillet (you can use chicken wings or whole chicken as well), cut into chunks
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup potato starch powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup glutinous flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
Oil for frying the chicken
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Sauce:
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup hot pepper paste (use 1/4 cup if you dislike spicy)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon apple vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:
For The Fried Chicken:
Season the chicken chunks with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.
Add all dry ingredients: tapioca flour, glutinous flour, all-purpose flour and baking soda, plus the egg.
Mix everything well. When you notice that it's too dry, add some drops of water, just to make sure that the chicken chunks are well coated.
Fry the chicken over high heat until brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.

For The Sauce and Serving:
Heat olive oil in a pan and add the minced garlic. Stir fry until fragrant for about 30 seconds under medium heat. Add tomato ketchup, hot pepper sauce, sugar and apple vinegar. Cook until thoroughly mix, for about 1 minute. Toss in the fried chicken until well coated. Sprinkle the chicken with toasted sesame seeds. Serve it with lettuce and warm rice.

ROTI BOY (COFFEE BUN)

Got the opportunity to try this famous coffee bun when I and my 2 colleagues went to Kuala Lumpur 2.5 years ago. In Malaysia, this coffee bun is famously called Roti Boy. It was very easy to find the bakery that sold this bun, you can tell by the smell of the coffee from 300 meters away from the bakery.

So, today while I'm waiting my hubby back from work I tried to make it and I'm so happy when I saw the buns were beatifully rised and the coffee 'topper' were melted as my expectation.

And same as the one sold at bakery, I can smell the coffee came out from the oven. Once, the buns came out from the oven, I can't wait too long to try it. The bun is soft with coffee flavor for the filling and the toppers. It is so good.....For all coffee lovers, you must try this. I guarantee you will like it :)



Roti Boy (Coffee Bun)
The Buns' Recipe are from Joy of Cooking
The Filling and Toppers are from Kitchen Corner *with a little change from me*

Ingredients:
Filling:
200g butter (softened)
1 tsp coffee mixture (1/2 tsp granulated coffee dissolve with 1/2 tsp water)
70g brown sugar

Topping:
100 gr butter
80 gr icing sugar
80 gr beaten eggs (2 small eggs)
2 tsp granulated coffee dissolve with 2 tsp water
A pinch of cinnamon powder
100 gr plain flour

Bun:
500 gr bread flour
2 sachets (@7gr) active dry yeast
35 gr granulated sugar
25 gr dry milk powder
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
50 ml evaporated milk
175 ml water
1/2 tsp salt
75 gr unsalted butter

Methods:
For the filling:
Using an electric mixer beat the butter and brown sugar until light and pale until the sugar totally dissolved. Add in the coffee mixture for the final beating. Place the mixture into the fridge until it harden. Divide the harden mixture into 10 portions and sit in the fridge until ready to use.

For the toppings:
Beat the softened butter with icing sugar until everything well combine. Gradually add in beaten eggs then the coffee mixture. Add in pinch of cinnamon powder with the flour and beat until everything well incorporate. Place the mixture into a piping bag and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

For the buns:
In a mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients until well mixed. Add in egg, egg yolk, evaporated milk and water. Knead with hook attachment over speed 2. When the dough become a smooth dough add in salt and butter and continue the kneading process until the dough become smooth and elastic but not sticky. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Pinch dough to let the air out. Divide the dough into 12 little doughs, shape it into balls. Fill it with the butter filling. Seal it tightly. Place each doughs on a greased baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches space between each one to avoid sticking to each other during the baking. Cover the doughs with cling film and proof for 50 - 60 minutes.
Before baking time, pipe out the toppings in a spiral start from the top center of each buns. Then, bake it for 12 minutes at 400F preheated oven.