Gordan’s Classic Lasagne

i thought the top was a bit too charred.
but Cheok described it as an equivalent to roast pork! haha
so I guess. it’s not too bad.
no charred taste. so im happy (:

My first go at cooking lasagne.
the cheese sauce and the meat just went really well!

absolutely love it.

though I didn’t have a shot with it in nice layers.
cos it topples once it’s lifted up.
but it was still quite yums!

Ingredients :
(Recipe from Gordan Ramsay’s Cookalong Live)

2 tbsp olive oil
½ large onion, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 pinches dried oregano
300g minced beef
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
30ml (2 tbsp) red wine
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
50ml milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the cheese sauce :
25g butter
25g flour
300ml milk
Pinch of ground nutmeg
60g Cheddar cheese, grated
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
6 sheets of ‘non-cook’ lasagne sheets

Steps :

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

2. Heat the olive oil in a hot pan.
Grate the onion and carrot and crush the garlic before frying together.
Season with the bay leaf, a pinch of oregano, Worcestershire sauce and a little salt and pepper.
Allow the onion to soften before making a well in the centre of the pan.
Place the mince in the middle of the pan and stir to break it up.
Add the tomato puree and allow to cook out for 30 seconds.
Continue until all the meat has browned nicely.
Add the wine and cook off the alcohol before adding the tomatoes.
Leave to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.
Finally add the milk, turn off the heat and set aside.

3. To make the cheese sauce, first melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add the flour and using a wooden spoon, stir to form a paste.
Over a gentle heat add a third of the milk, whisking to prevent any lumps forming.
Add the rest of the milk a third at a time, whisking as you go.
Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of ground nutmeg.
Allow the sauce to cook out for another minute before adding the Cheddar cheese.
Stir and remove from the heat.

4. Spoon half of the meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish
and place pasta sheets on top (break the sheets if necessary to avoid any overlapping).
Next, pour in just under half of the cheese sauce,
and spread evenly using a spatula before spooning the remaining meat on top.
Add the final layer of pasta and use the spatula to pour over the remaining cheese sauce.

5. Finish with the grated Parmesan and sprinkle with another pinch of oregano.
Add a light seasoning of salt and pepper before cleaning the edges of the dish
and placing in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Stuffed Chicken Legs with Pea and Broad-bean Risotto

Friday nights are always fabulous dinner nights.
Baby and I try new recipes to cook and bake.
just so to take the stress off that is induced from Uni or work.
and it always works! (:

So this week. Baby decided to make one of the dishes that I have been wanting to try :

It had alot of preparation before you actually get to sink your teeth into the yums.
So thank you for the effort sweets!


so yes. this is what you do to make the stuffed chicken legs

take slices of streaky bacon and lay them side by side
on an oiled big sheet of aluminium foil.

the chicken legs were stuffed with sausage meat, pistachios, parsley and thyme.
wrap the leg to form this round beauty
place it on the slices of bacon
and wrap it into a roll

very carefully twist the sides.
careful not to tear the aluminium foil.

Baby did it in cling wrap first
just so you get to see how it should look like inside! (:

you boil it for 25mins and take it out onto a plate
and chill it in the fridge for 30mins.

take out the foil and you should get something like this!
it should stay in the rolled up shape

pan fry the rolls to crisp up the bacon
till it’s nice and brown

then slice it into thick medallions to show off the inside (:

the pistachios just gives this nice colour to the dish

serve them on a plate of risotto.
YUMS!

a sniff from home

we had half a duck sitting in our freezer for the longest time
and just though of making something that we really miss with it.
and the thing that came up in our minds was..

and it wasn’t difficult to make at all! (: hehe

Ingredients :

Duck ( chopped up into pieces)
Bamboo shoots (1 can)
3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of chinese wine
2 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
1 big chunk of ginger (sliced thinly)
2 small onions / shallots
1 teaspoon of fermented black bean
1 teaspoon of fermented yellow beans
3 heaps tablespoons of chilli paste

Methods :

1. Fry the ginger and onion till brown, add the duck and fry skin down first.
2. In a bowl, mix the sauces together and pour it into the pot. Add in the chilli paste and stir well.
3. Mix the sauce through and well. Add 4 tablespoons of water. Let it simmer for about 1/2 hour.
4. Add in the bamboo shoots and let it simmer for another 20-25mins.
5. Serve with rice.

it tasted great! though i didn’t have the fermented beans.
the taste wasn’t very different from my mummy’s. hehe
so im happy. and my tummy is also very happy (:

give it a try. and let me know how it went!

Mac and Cheese

I saw this recipe on Not Quite Nigella
and it looks super good! haha
and I’ve been wanting to make mac and cheese from scratch for the longest time
so tonight was the night! hehe

and it turned out really well!
really yummy
and I’m glad the boys enjoyed it. hehe
it was creamy
and the bacon just really flavoured the dish
and i added chicken breast to increase the protein of the dish
of else baby won’t have enough hehe

absolutely love how it turned out.
and I really enjoyed cooking it.
it was easy and only needed 10 mins in the oven
after everything was prepared and done.

Recipe :

500g macaroni (use any kind u like)
3 rashers of bacon, cut into cubes
200g chicken breast, diced
2 small brown onions
1 1/2 cup of cream
1 1/4 cup of milk (i use light milk)
2 cups of cheddar (and extra to top it)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Steps :

1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees celcius.
Cook the macaroni according to the instructions with plenty of salted-water
until al-dente. Careful not to cook till it gets too soft, or it will turn mushy after.
Place it into the baking dish

2. Fry the onion till it’s soft, not brown.
Add the bacon and cook for about 5 mins and add the chicken breast.

3. Add the cream, milk and nutmeg and wait till it comes to a boil.
Reduce the heat till it simmers, add the cheese.
Stir till all the cheese has melted.

4. Pour the cream mixture over the macaroni
and sprinkle it with extra cheese.

5. Put it into the oven and bake it for 10 mins.
Then turn it to the top grill
to brown the top of the dish.

6. Serve when it’s HOT! (:



i made not one but two haha.