Category: Western

Salmon En Papillote

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Salmon En Papillote

Cooking. Definitely something I find joy in. Something I love. No matter how tired or long the day is, I always look forward to being in the kitchen. Be it something I’ve cooked many times before, or trying out a new recipe, it always makes a sweet end to my day. Not to mention the smile on the Mr’s face after eating it. Just can’t get any better than this!

Taylors Clare Valley Gewurtztraminer 2011

It’s the time of the month again when Taylors Wines has so generously given me two bottles of wine to taste and come up with a recipe that includes it as well as be perfect to pair with! This month, I decided to choose one that I never had much experience with – The Taylors Estate 2011 Clare Valley Gewürztraminer! This wine is light and crisp, with citrusy notes so I only had one protein in mind for it. FISH!

Salmon en papillote with pan fried jerusalam artichokes

There was one way that I’ve been wanting to try out ever since I’ve had it a few years back. En papillote is a method of cooking where food is put in a folded parchment paper in a shape of a pouch or parcel, and then baked! This method is perfect for fish, cause it keeps its moisture while steaming in the pouch. hehe I was taught this method by the talented chefs from Cookyn Inc, when they came to my place to do a private dinner party for my brother’s birthday! Amazing! So big thank you to them!

perfectly cooked salmon

This method doesn’t take long for the fish to be cooked, and the only time consuming step is the preparation of the ingredients. But once that is done, you get a beautifully cooked fish on your plate within 15 minutes! Of course, that depends on the thickness of your protein. hehe So definitely give this method a try, I’m sure you will love it as much as we did!

Salmon en papillote

Salmon En Papillote (Adapted from Cookyn Inc, serves 4)

Ingredients prepped

4 fillets of salmon, cut into 2 inches in width and skin removed & reserved

1 chorizo, cut into cubes

1/2 green capsicum, cubed

1/2 yellow capsicum, cubed

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

4 tbs of Gewürztraminer (or any white wine, you could use champagne too if you feel generous!)

Salt & pepper, to season

1 packet of brown shimeiji mushrooms, washed and separated

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs unsalted butter

thinly sliced lemon

Steps :

1) Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper (about 30 cm long) and lay them on a flat surface. Then place 3 slices of lemon on the paper without any overlap.

lemon on parchment paper

My paper is fluted and it can be easily done by folding your parchment into a square and then folding it into half diagonally again and again until it gets too small to do so. Then flatten it out before placing the lemon slices.

2) Place the slice of fish on top the of lemon, then add a tbs of chorizo, yellow capsicum and green capsicum.

All ready to be folded

3) Bring the two ends of the paper together and fold it over twice and scrunch them together so they do not unfold. Do the same for one side of the pouch, leaving the other side open.

One side of the pouch left open

4) Carefully pour 1 tbs of Gewürztraminer into each pouch. Then fold the rest of the pouch to seal all the ingredients in. Place the pouches onto a baking tray and bake it in the preheated oven for 17 minutes.

5) While the fish is cooking, heat up a small frying pan and add the olive oil. Fry the garlic till it’s fragrant, careful not to burn them as it will turn bitter. Add the mushrooms and fry till tender. Add the butter and allow it to coat the mushrooms well. Keep it warm until ready to be served.

6) In another frying pan, heat it up on medium heat and place the salmon skin in the pan. Fry both sides till it’s crispy and golden, place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Set aside.

crispy salmon skin

7) To serve : Open the parchment paper, and place the sautéed mushrooms on the fish and top it with a piece of crispy salmon skin. Serve it with your favourite side (I had butter sautéed Jerusalem artichokes with pine nuts) and a glass of Gewürztraminer!

Salmon en papillote - served

Enjoy! (:

Just for fun, I’ve made a short video of the steps from start to finish! Sorry about the background noise but I hope it helps in clarifying how it is done! (:

Thank you Taylors Wines once again for the beautiful Gewürztraminer! It was delicious and definitely one that I can see myself having with my seafood! hehe Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and remember to always cook and bake with love! Till then, xx !

Turning 27 (Part 2) : Little Hunter

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Little Hunter

When I was planning where to head for dinner with the Ho Clan for my birthday a few weeks back, I happened to read a post by Miss D’s post on Little Hunter and I knew instantly where I wanted to go! (: I have to say, Melbourne is full of surprises! Ever so often, you would hear about a gorgeous new cafe or restaurant and thus my ever growing list of places to try! hehe Little Hunter was no doubt one of them! Especially when Gavin Baker (was a sous chef at Fat Duck, London) and Pete Evans are the talents behind this grill house. I definitely couldn’t wait! (:

Little Hunter

Because we were celebrating, the Mr ordered a bottle of Goaty Hill Riesling 2012. Riesling has always been one of my choices of wines when dining out, as it has sweet fruity tones and this had flavours of citrus and green apple. Really smooth and crisp! hehe How cute is the print on their wine glass? I couldn’t stop snapping photos of it. haha There were a few communal tables and also booth seats! I wish I knew, cause I would have definitely requested for one. hehe I’m not sure about you, but our table is always a tad bit small for the amount of food we order. haha Oops! That’s definitely not a bad thing though hehe

Garlic pull apart bread with chicken skin butter

Our meal begun with a complimentary serve of pull apart bread and chicken skin butter. Yes, dear readers, you’re not seeing things! I did say chicken skin butter! This is a delicious little pot of gold! I know it sounds like something that might be heavy and overly rich, but it tasted nothing like that! It was smooth with little bits of golden crispy chicken skin pieces and just melts the moment you spread on the warm bread. It was some tasty, tasty (and did I say tasty?) butter! We definitely wanted more! The bread was soft and just full of flavour. Just a great way to start the night!

Beef on toast

We decided on three entrees and one of them were ‘beef on toast‘. It was a layer of beef carpaccio, over a layer of smooth and rich chicken liver parfait and when you reach the bottom, there was a crispy layer of crusty crouton. The dish is dressed with a mixture of gherkins and chives and the acidic mixture cuts through the richness of the dish. It was so good and I just wanted more!

Pork crackling

The mr would never miss the chance of ordering a serve of pork crackling if it’s on the menu! This was so crispy and crunchy and addictive! We just kept popping them into our mouths! They were beautifully seasoned with paprika and cheddar, and served with a smooth apple sauce. I just love the combination of pork and apple sauce, a match-made in heaven (:

Cured kingfish

Our last entree was the cured kingfish.The fish was so fresh and had a subtle sweetness. Every mouthful had the popping of fish roe and a slight spiciness of the roast peppers. Not only was the flavours beautiful, the plating was impeccable. Like art on a plate! Edible art of course. hehe

Ribeye steak with bone marrow

As Little Hunter was a grill house, we had to try the steaks on the menu. Each of us ordered a different cut of steak and I have to say, they cooked every cut to perfection! The Mr ordered the Robbin’s Island waygu ribeye with bone marrow (he loves marrow!) and beef fat butter. The meat was melt in your mouth and just full of flavour! And how sexy are the grill marks? Just love the criss-crosses that gives a nice char flavour to the steak as well! NOMS!

Blackmore waygu flank

Melissa ordered the Blackmore wagyu flank with cajun flavours and avocado. I would never have thought that avocado goes well with steak, but it did! The flank, though not the usual cut you would order, was cooked to medium rare and bursting with flavour! Definitely a happy belly there (:

Cape grim fillet mignon

I couldn’t go pass the Cape Grim fillet mignon! This melt in your mouth cut was coffee and wood smoked and really didn’t need anything at all. Every mouthful just melted in my mouth. I was definitely the happiest girl that night!

Our sides for the night

With all the meat we were having, we had to order some sides to balance it out. We had the Little Hunter fries which was chunky and crispy. And grilled cabbage! This was no ordinary grilled cabbage, it was one that packed a punch! The sweetness of the cabbage was counter balance by the saltiness of the anchovies and blue cheese and the tanginess of the hazelnut vinegar. I’m not a huge fan of blue cheese, but this was YUMMILICIOUS! Love the crunch of the toasted hazelnuts too! This is one side you don’t want to miss!

Short Mach

After indulging on all the delicious and rich food, the Mr needed a digestive ; a short macchiato. It’s a new ritual of his after being introduced to him by his Italian weightlifting buddy! hehe and He’s loving it (:

Frangipane

Of course, desserts are a must to have a complete meal. haha Well, at least it is for us it won’t be complete without something sweet! hehe I knew exactly what I wanted, and I took charge of ordering the desserts to share. haha As we were already quite full, we ordered two for the three of us! First up : the Frangipane ! I loved how it looked! Just looks like a fried egg on the plate! hehe Instead, it’s meringue with a delicious and tangy passionfruit curd and a refreshing peach sorbet! So so good! The frangipane cake was slightly dense (though still light) but I personally love dense cakes so I was one happy girl!

Double chocolate mousse

The double chocolate mousse was one so rich and decadent! Absolutely loved it! It has an airy layer of white chocolate at the bottom and dark chocolate on top. The coffee cream went so well with the chocolate (almost similar to a tiramisu, but richer), with the bite of the cocoa nib brittle! Loved every single bite!

Ho Clan

So that concludes our beautiful meal! (: Just want to thank the Ho Clan with all my heart for making the night a fab one – filled with good food, good wine and lots of laughter! (: Love you both!

The mr and I

Happy weekend everyone! (:

Remember to always cook and bake with love! 

Little Hunter on Urbanspoon

{SG} One Year On

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One year anniversary dinner

Time really flies, especially when you’re enjoying every second of every day. It’s already been 1 year since I married the love of my life! I can still remember the moment I said I do, and how he passed all the games set by my bridesmaids and opened my room door. I could still remember the smile on his face the moment he lifted my veil. Beautiful memories that I would always remember, and be thankful for. (: To mark our first year of marriage, the mr planned a romantic dinner at Salt Grill & Sky Bar. It’s located at the top of Ion (one of the newest shopping malls in Singapore) and has an amazing view! We went through a secret walkway to a pair of private lifts that lead us to the 55th level! The moment we exited the lifts till we were walked to our tables, I couldn’t stop saying wow in my head! haha

View from Salt

Just breath-taking! Couldn’t get enough of the skyline. Thankfully we had a window-seat, so I could take in the whole view, all night long (: Salt Grill & Sky Bar is opened by Luke Mangan, and not surprisingly, the mr chose a place that serves Modern Australian cuisine. We’ve never been to restaurants by Luke Mangan before (his first Salt is in Sydney), so we thought, why not? hehe I have to say, the mr was spot on with his choice! We were served by a very warm and personal staff, who looked after our every needs through the night. He made it a point to make sure we were enjoying our food and also made sure it was a night for us to remember.

pan seared scallops

One look at the menu, and I knew exactly what I wanted. I have a habit (a good one I would like to think) to order scallops as my entree whenever I’m at a fine-dining restaurant. For some reason, the scallop dish is always one of the stand outs of the night. And this was no different! The scallops were cooked to perfection, so so tender and mildly sweet. It was a perfect match with the chorizo sausages too! I slowly savoured each one, but I wanted more. hehe

tempura quail breast

The mr ordered the tempura quail breast with roasted legs. When it arrived, you could immediately tell it had some japanese influence to it. The quail was cooked to perfection and was very tender and succulent. The good thing was it was cooked different ways and the tempura version added a good crunch to the dish. YUM!

Veal with foie gras and mustard crust

Then came the main. I had the veal that is seared and poached to a perfect medium-rare that had a yummy foie gras and mustard crust, served with a pumpkin custard and red wine sauce. I don’t usually have veal, but this was really good! Though it was a little rare for my liking, the flavours were sensational! The foie gras just melted in my mouth and the sweetness of the pumpkin custard balances the dish out.

Crispy skin salmon

Though I liked my dish, I loved the mr’s dish more! hehe Doesn’t that always happen? You tend to love the dish your partner orders, and secretly hope he would give you more. That was me that night! The salmon was cooked to perfection! Super crispy skin, and still pink in the middle. Definitely a very good choice made by the mr. Amazing! Definitely recommend this if you’re a fan of seafood.

our sides

And as if we didn’t have enough food on our table, we decided to order some sides to share : roast mushrooms in garlic butter and truffle oil & parmesan fries. We loved the mushrooms; they were just little explosion of flavours in our mouth! So so good (: The truffle fries were alright, didn’t have the wow factor, but having a side of fries just worked with what we had.

pear tarte tatin

Of course, we couldn’t not order sweets! A little digestive for the night. hehe One dessert that I cannot go pass is a tarte tatin. It would always be one of my first choice of desserts. The first one I had was at Mr Hive’s Kitchen & Bar and that blew my mind! This one was a little smaller, and was also really delicious! Puff pastry and soft poached pears all caramelised and topped with some creme anglaise and double cream. HEAVEN!

Creme brulee

As I ordered something I love, it’s only fair the mr did too. Without a doubt, he chose the creme brulee. Plus, they were serving it with his favourite salted caramel ice cream! So I knew he was gonna pick this! The pastry chef was so sweet to write Happy Anniversary on the edge of the bowl! Was a super touching surprise. hehe Love personal touches like that! (: Just makes the night even better than it already was.

My love

Just want to say Happy Anniversary to my dearest mr once again! (: This post is late, but just want to tell you that I had an awesome night, and I am so blessed and thankful to have you in my life. I love you! Thank you for being you.

Happy Mid Week everyone! (: Remember to always cook and bake with love!

Cheesy Bubble & Squeak

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Cheesy Bubble & Squeak

Have you ever made dinner for a party and have left over mash and vegetables that you are not too sure what to do with? Making bubble & squeak with the leftovers make a delicious meal the day after. And I assure you, you would always want to have leftovers for every party after you’ve tried making this! (: Always good to not waste food yes?

The Mr is a huge fan of bubble & squeak and the first time he had it was at Galleon Cafe at St Kilda and would order it when he sees it on a menu ever since! I’ve been meaning to make it for him for the longest time but whenever the weekend comes, I always decide to cook something else! haha

Bubble & Squeak from Mr Hive's

Recently at a good friend’s wedding lunch, I tried the yummiest bubble & squeak that made me crave for more even after a few days so I had to try to make it! This one from Mr Hive’s Kitchen & Bar was slightly different, and had cheesy bites to it, so I decided to make a cheesy bubble & squeak too! hehe and to add some protein, I fried a sunny-side up to go with (:

Cheesy bubble and squeak with sunny side up

Cheesy Bubble & Squeak (Adapted from Gino D’Acampo on Let’s Do Lunch with Gino and Mel)

4 potatoes (400g), small cubes and boiled

300g mixed vegetables (any kind you fancy or have leftover)

2 streaks of bacon, diced

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

50g butter

1 tbs thickened cream

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp tabasco

1/2 tsp garlic salt

2 tbs grated parmesan

1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded

freshly ground black pepper, to season

2 eggs

Truffle oil and chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Steps : 

1) Drain the potatoes after their boiled, and add the butter, thickened cream and garlic salt and lightly mash them with a hand masher. I like to leave some chunkier pieces so that it gives the dish more texture, but if you prefer it smooth, then just mash the potatoes till a mash potato texture. Transfer the potatoes into a large metal bowl and set aside.

2) In a frying pan, fry the bacon till brown and crispy, then add the chopped onion and garlic till fragrant. Add the mixed vegetables and fry till tender. Pour mixture over the potatoes.

3) To the potato and vegetable mixture, add the worcestershire sauce, tabasco, parmesan cheese and black pepper. Mix it till well combined and place the mixture into 2 terracotta pots and top with mozzarella cheese. Put it under the grill till the cheese melts and turns golden brown (about 5-10 mins).

4) As the bubble & squeak is grilling, fry 2 sunny side ups and place on top of each terracotta. Garnish with some chopped parsley and drizzle some truffle oil if you have some in the pantry.

Half eaten bubble & squeak

Dig in and enjoy! (:

Remember to always cook and bake with love! 

Baked Eggs With Homemade Baked Beans

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Really sorry for the inactivity for the past two weeks! We had my mr’s family over for a holiday and I took the chance to have a break and just spend quality time with the family. (: But I’m back and this time with a brunch recipe as a form of my apology to share with everyone!

So it’s the weekend! One thing we love to do is have brunch. Be it having it out or home. A dish that I love to order when I head out for brunch with the mr is no doubt baked eggs. The best thing about it is when the yolk is still runny and combines with the tomatoey baked beans to become the perfect sauce for me to dip my bread into it and enjoy every single bite. mmmm! So I decided to try and make it for the mr (and more recently, his family) for brunch at home.

And to be a little over indulgent (as I always like to go all out with my meals haha) I love topping the baked eggs with some sauteed chanterelles, with a side of buttery croissant and some crispy bacon! PERFECT! (: I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Although I have to say, I always tend to get the eggs a bit overdone and only got it done perfectly once! So I have alot of respect for the cafes that always get it spot on! *bows*

I also got a bit adventurous and decided to make my own baked beans from scratch and it turned out easier than I thought! And trust me, once you try making them from scratch, you won’t really buy the tin ones anymore. Definitely worth the extra 20 mins! Also, you can layer your baked eggs with your favourite ingredients. The first time I made it, I added capsicum. The second time I made it, I added corn and spinach!

I found these beautiful baking dish that was perfect for making individual portions of baked eggs! But of course, you could always just bake them in any suitable baking dish. I used a 10″ quiche baking dish for the family and it looked really pretty too! (: So regardless of the size, I’m sure it will still satisfy your tummy! hehe

So here’s the basic recipe of the baked beans as well as the baked eggs. I will be sharing the recipe that will fill a 10″ quiche baking dish. For big eaters like the mr and I, we could polish that off quite quickly, but it could comfortable feed 3-4 people as well! Do remember that the recipe is really versatile, so you could add your favourite ingredients and it will be super yums!

Baked Eggs with Homemade Baked Beans (a FoodMadeWithLove original recipe)

For the baked beans :

50g speck, diced into cubes (or bacon)

1/2 large onion, finely diced

1 tin diced tomatoes

1 tbs tomato paste

1 tin cannellini beans, drained

1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

1 ts olive oil

1/2 tsp sugar

salt & pepper, season

For baked eggs :

4 eggs

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 tbs shaved parmesan

1 tsp dried parsley, for garnish

For the chanterelles : 

5g dried chanterelles*

10g salted butter

50ml hot water

1 tsp thickened cream

Garlic salt  & pepper, to season

Steps :

1) Place the chanterelles in a small bowl, and pour the hot water over it allowing it to re-hydrate while cooking the baked beans.

2) For the baked beans : In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat and fry the speck till all sides are golden brown. Add the onions and fry till fragrant, continuously stirring it. Add the tomato paste and stir till combined with the onions. Add the tin diced tomatoes and allow it to come to a boil. Lower the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 10 mins. Add the cannellini beans, sugar and chilli flakes. Stir and allow it to simmer for another 5 mins. Pour the beans into the baking dish and set aside.

3) For the chanterelles (garnish) : Drain the chanterelles, reserving the water. Squeeze the chanterelles to make sure it’s dry. In another small saucepan, melt the butter and add the chanterelles. Fry till fragrant, then add the reserved water and thickened cream and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated. Season with a pinch of salt (or garlic salt) and pepper.

4) For the baked eggs : Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Create 4 holes in the baked beans using a wooden spoon, and crack an egg into each of them. Top the eggs with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake for 10 mins, or until the egg white is cooked, remembering you would want the egg yolk to be runny!

5) Garnish with dried parsley and the chanterelles. Served with toast.

ENJOY! Have a great weekend!

*Note : Chanterelles could be purchased at Woolsworth in the fresh mushroom section! Of course, you could use other dried mushrooms, or the mixed forest mushrooms that you can purchase from specialty stores. 

Remember  to always cook with love (:

Date Night : Snag Stand

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Due to work, the mr and I really treasure the nights and weekends we get to head out, relax and spend quality time together. It’s been a very long time since we watched a movie in the big screens, so we decided to head to the city on one of the Mondays a while back. We were going to catch The Dark Knight Rises at Melbourne Central so I decided to have hotdogs for dinner. I’ve been seeing heaps of pictures on the mouth-watering food from Snag Stand so I told the mr to meet me there after he finished tutoring at Uni.

Snag Stand

Address : Corner La Trobe and Swanston Street, Melbourne Vic 3000

Website : http://www.snagstand.com.au

The Snag Stand is conveniently located in the middle of the city and would be a perfect place to head to when the weather is nice and warm! It kinda reminds me of those hotdog carts you always see in movies, where you can buy and have it on the go. Of course you can stand or sit around their round bar tables, and just savour every single bite. Don’t get me wrong, their hotdogs are by no means ordinary. They have a huge range of sausages, stuffed in a variety of bread rolls, and the toppings they have just makes their hotdogs super yummy!

When I was browsing the menu, I just wanted to have an order of everything. haha Cause I couldn’t decide on what I should have! So I waited for the mr to help me in the decision-making. What I really like is that they cater to different dietary requirements! They even have vegetarian options, which is awesome! (:

So after some time, we decided on a couple of ‘haute dogs’ and a side of chilli cheese fries! Mmmm !

The first one we chose was the Wagyu Beef that is served up in a rustic roll, with butter and garlic mash, herbed gravy and topped with crispy fried onions! I know it’s like a carb overload with bread and mash! But it was so good! The wagyu beef sausage was juicy & tasty and went really well with the fluffy mash!

Of course, I only had 1/3 and the mr had to finish the rest. hehe I’m really lucky the mr can eat! hehe (: I had to leave some stomach space for the other two dishes!

Our second choice was the Spicy Spanish Chorizo sausage that was grilled with semi-dried tomatoes, chipotle mayo, baby rocket, shredded spanish goat’s cheese on a brioche roll. I was set on this dish when I saw that it was served on a brioche roll! I just couldn’t resist a soft and delicious brioche! I have to say though, I was a bit worried about how strong the goat’s cheese was going to be, cause I have always been reserved with the pungent smell and strong taste of goat’s or sheep’s cheese. Thankfully it was quite mild and went really well with the spicy chorizo sausage! PHEW!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the ultimate comfort food : chilli cheese fries! What could be better than crispy fries, with a layer of chilli con carne, topped with a layer of cheese! YUMMEH! I could just eat this all day. I don’t usually say this, but this could compete with the Canadian fries from Lord of The Fries! Sinful, yes. Delicious, definitely. So I think deliciousness conquers all sins! 😛

We both definitely enjoyed every single bite of our haute dogs and the chilli cheese fries. Can’t wait to head back and try the other flavours and combinations! Especially since the weather is turning warmer (cause it’s Spring, yay!) it would be perfect to have a haute dog or two!

Definitely a successful date night! (: Can’t wait for more nights like this!

Snag Stand on Urbanspoon

Prawn Mac N Cheese

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It’s Friday people! And to welcome the weekend, I decided to go all out and make an indulgent (and sinful) dish – Prawn Mac N Cheese! (: Ever since we had mac n cheese at the Sharing house a few weeks back (a post that will come soon, I promise!), I have been wanting to make some. Especially after seeing Neil Perry’s version of truffle mac n cheese. That was definitely a push factor!  So there was no better day to make it but on a Friday!

And what better way to enjoy a Friday night in with a comforting bowl of cheesy pasta, with a glass of wine and the plan of having a Batman movie marathon with the mr? Absolutely, nothing! (:

This was a really simple recipe and you definitely could start cooking and end up indulging on your couch in less than 1 hour! Sounds good? Here’s the ultimate winter warmer!

Prawn Mac N Cheese (an original recipe)

250g dried macaroni

60g butter

1 whole onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

320g prawns, diced into chunks

1 cup shredded gouda

1 cup shredded cheddar

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/2 tbs dijon mustard

450 ml cream

100 ml milk

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper, to season

Steps :

1) Cook the macaroni in a pot of boiling salted water for 7-8 mins, or until al dente.  Drain and refresh in cold water before draining again and set it to one side.

2) In a large pot, melt the butter then add the onion, carrots and garlic. Fry till they get fragrant and soft. Do keep an eye on the garlic and be careful not to burn them.

2) Add the cream and allow it to boil and reduce by 1/4. Add the mushrooms, dijon mustard and milk and boil it for another 10 minutes. Add the prawns and cook the mixture on a low simmer until liquid thickens.

3) Take the cream mixture off the heat, and slowly add the gouda and cheddar. Stir it gently, till the cheeses have all melted and combined with the cream. Put the pot back on a low heat, then add the macaroni and stir it till it’s well combined.

4) Season with salt and pepper, then add the grated parmesan. Place the macaroni and cheese in a baking tray, then top it with bread crumbs and more parmesan if you want. Under a hot grill, grill until the top is golden and crispy.

Serve and enjoy on a couch with your favourite movie! (:

So what is your ultimate comfort food? Do share! hehe

Beef Onion and Guinness Pies

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Have you been watching Masterchef Australia? Cause I have! I’ve been watching religiously. hehe And loving it! Friday’s Masterclass is the day I will never miss and even if I do, I will catch up on it online. It is during this time when I get inspired and motivated to try making completely new things. I love the fact that they post their recipes on the masterchef australia website too! Makes it so much easier when trying new dishes!

The Friday that we saw Gary made his beef onion & guinness pie, the mr immediately asked me to make it for dinner the next day! I was very hesistant to make pastry from scratch cos the first time I made a pie/tart base, it failed miserably! So I had a back-up plan, if the pie case failed, I would mash potatoes and turn it into a cottage pie instead! So with a back-up plan in mind, I went all out! So much so I invited friends who were in Melbourne for a visit over for dinner! Haha. I wasn’t too sure what got into my head.

Thank goodness the pie was a big hit! The pastry was buttery and flaky. We could just have it on it’s own (and we did for the left over pastry haha)! I couldn’t really believe how easy it was to make it and I had alot of fun rolling it out and cutting it to fit the baking tin as well! hehe And the best way to have the pie? With a whole heap of tomato sauce of course! YUMMY!

This is definitely a pastry I can see myself making very very often in the future for either sweet or savoury dishes!

And the beef. Where can I begin? It melts in your mouth. Pity I couldn’t cook it for slightly longer cause I already made my guests wait for 1 hour (lucky thing I had Running Man on so they were entertained! hehe) and so I just really needed to get it in the pastry cases, baked and served!

Remember my back-up plan? I had to use it anyway because I had so much beef left, it was a great way to serve them – with creamy parmesan mash! To complete the meal, I made a bowl of salad and viola! (: Was a perfect night with good company!

Beef Onion and Guinness Pies (Adapted from Masterchef Australia)

Filling

3 kg chuck steak, cut into 5cm pieces

150ml olive oil

6 onions, sliced

8 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

5 dried bay leaves

4 tbs plain flour

salt and freshly ground black pepper, for season

2 carrots, cut into large chunks

600ml Guinness

1.5 litres beef stock

1 egg, beaten

Tomato sauce, to serve

Maggie Beer’s Sour Cream Pastry

200g chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

250g plain flour, extra for dusting

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Steps : 

1) Season the beef generously with salt and black pepper. Heat a non-stick frying pan with 100ml of olive oil on high heat, and cook the beef in a few batches until all sides are well browned.  Add the carrot and cook for 5-6 minutes until golden. Set aside.

2) In a large pot, add the rest of the 50ml of olive oil and heat over low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring continuously. This will take around 40 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the bay leaves and cook until a slightly darker brown, without burning it. Add the flour and stir till there is no visible flour left.

3) Add the beef and carrots into the pot and pour 1/2 of the Guinness into the pan to de-glaze, scraping all the brown bits on the bottom. Pour that and the remaining Guinness into the pot. Add the beef stock and make sure there is enough liquid to cover all the beef. Bring it to a boil.

4) Partially cover the pot with the lid and lower the heat to low. Allow that to simmer fir at least 2 1/2 hours or until tender. Set aside and allow it to cool until the pastry is ready. This could also be made in advance and kept in a fridge for up to 3 days.

5) To make the pastry : In an electric mixer, blend the butter and flour and a pinch of salt until the mixture resembles large bread crumbs. Slowly add the sour cream and mix until it comes together to form a dough. Shape it into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

6) Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius. Grease 12 holes in a cupcake baking tin with butter (or 6 in a muffin tin). Roll out the pastry to 3-5mm, using a little extra flour for dusting. Cut out 12 rounds about 4 cm bigger than the cupcake holes and another 12 rounds that are about 2 cm larger for the lids.

7) Place a pie base in each hole, then press in lightly with your fingers. Make sure there is about 1 cm left above the mould. Fill each hole with some beef mixture and top each with a pastry lid and crimp the edges to seal in the filling. Brush each pastry top with the beaten egg, and cut a small hole in the center of each pie for steam to escape.

8) Bake the pies for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Turn out and serve with tomato sauce.

ENJOY! (:

PS : I made much more than the 12 pies needed, so like I mentioned before, I topped the leftover beef filling with a creamy parmesan mash. You could easily make another batch of pastry and make more pies! (: Or just cut the recipe into half! 

Cooking in NZ : Courgette Polpette

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As a way to say thank you to my uncle, auntie and cousins for their kind and awesome hospitality. The hubs and I decided to cook dinner for everyone. There were 11 of us that night and needless-to-say I was quite worried with how the menu would turn out. Mum was super worried that there won’t be enough food. But of course, there was always WAY too much!

We were quite daring to try one of the recipes that we saw on a cooking show at Paihia a couple of days before the scheduled dinner – courgette polpette. Simply put, cheesy courgette balls! haha As funny as that sounds, it tasted surprisingly good!

               It wasn’t heavy even though there was quite a bit of cheese added, I didn’t cook the courgettes till they were overly tender, I preferred mine with a bit of crunch! But might actually be easier to roll and combine them when they are softer. haha. Personal preference! (:

Courgette polpette (adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in River Cottage Everyday)

2 tbs olive oil

3 medium courgettes, finely diced into cubes

1 egg, beaten

2 tbs grated cheddar

1/2 ball buffalo mozzarella, diced

50g breadcrumbs

1 tbs chopped parsley

Ground black pepper, to taste

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the courgettes for about 10 minutes, until tender and golden. Set aside to cool it a little.

3. Combine with all the other ingredients to make a thick, sticky mixture. Season with black pepper.

4. Take a heap teaspoon of the mixture and roll them into balls. Place on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 mins or until it starts to brown. Serve them warm or cold. With bread or with salad. ENJOY!

ps : it’s vegetarian-friendly too! (:

Yorkshire Puddings.

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This is no ordinary pudding. Not something sweet, in fact it’s savoury!

The first time I sunk my teeth into these beautiful puff was at Cafe Vue at Melbourne airport and they were a whole plate of deliciousness with waygu beef, mash and a thick and and luscious gravy. O-M-G!

So when I returned back from Singapore, I had to try making it. I was reading one of the older editions of the Delicious magazine and I found a perfect recipe that was as easy as mix-stir-pour-bake-VIOLA! So I couldn’t resist and had to make it. And it’s the cutest thing!

loved how they just pop up and have that beautiful golden brown. You kinda have to eat it as soon as it’s out of the oven (with caution not to burn urself!) cause it’s not as nice cold!

I cooked a stout beef stew to go with it and it was a match-made in heaven! (: And the tummies were happy and very satisfied.I reckon it will go well with any kind of stew that has thick and yummy gravy.

So give this easy treat a go when you’re thinking of making a stew! (: You’ll love it!

Easy Yorkshire Pudding (Adapted from Delicious Magazine)

Ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil

2/3 cup plain flour

Good pinch of salt

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup milk

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Pour 1 tablespoon of oil in each of 12 holes of a cupcake baking tin. Out in the oven for 5 mins or until oil is hot.

2. Sift flour and salt into a bowl and combine. Add egg and egg yolk and use a balloon whisk to whisk until combined. Gradually add the milk in a thin, stead stream and whisk until smooth.

3. Pour batter into a jug and divide evenly among the cupcake holes, pouring the mixture carefully into the hot oil. Return tin to the oven and bake for 15-20mins or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm!

ENJOY!