Healthy July 4th leftovers

This is one of the leftover makeovers I made after July 4th. Corn, vietnamese meat patti, hard boil egg, lots of mint and bean sprout, good chicken broth, home grown tomatoes and instant noodle. Easy, fast and healthy for you.

Recipe soon.

Duck Pot Roast

Wow, another duck dish. Hmmmm.... I know what you guys think of me. Have a duck farm backyard? Hahahahaha. As I said again, I have lots of duck breast in my freezer. See, the previous duck breast, I seared. Now I am doing a pot roast, with chinese sausage, garlics and onions, jalapeno, wild fennels and lemongrass. Of cos, there is red wine too. What a combination!!!!!

Recipe soon.

Charred Miso Duck breast with Bow ties pasta

I have lots of duck breast in the freezer. This time, I marinated the duck breast with miso, soy sauce, dark sweet soy sauce and some spices. As I said again, if you are not sure whether your duck is done or not, always cut into a piece and find out. You can always put it back into the sauce pan and seared till it is done. I rather have a done meat than red bloody meat.

Ingredients:-

2 piece duck breast with skin
2 Tablespoon Miso paste
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Cooking oil
1 Tablespoon Dark sweet soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger (use fresh ginger if you have)
1 Tablespoon Sake or cooking wine
* marinate the duck breast with all the ingredients in a ziploc bag for at least 4 hours

Method:-

1. Heat a non stick pan on medium high with 3-4 Tablespoon of cooking oil to sear the duck breast.
2. Always skin down first. Seared for at least 3 minutes each side. You will notice that the skin is burnt, its ok.
3. Seared again each side for another 3 mintues, take it out from the pan and cut through a piece of duck breast and see whether you like it to be done or not. It is all up to you.
4. Served with vegetables and pasta you like. Good with a glass of red wine, my preference is Pinot Muenier.


"Anda Boleh"

Chef Chong's Chocolate Lava Cake Special

I searched for this recipe, but somehow my brain told me not to follow exactly what written. I changed some of the ingredients especially the portion. My friend, Miss Fain, loves chocolate for dessert. I knew, this Lava Cake of mine will make her happy, including my partner, Gregg. All of us have to workout more to burn the calories we put in.

Recipe:-

2 cups Semi sweet Chocolate chips (any brands you want)
1 1/2 stick melted butter (salted or unsalted)
1/2 cup AP flour
1 cup Sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 Tablespoon Triple Sac Orange
a pinch of salt

Method:-

1. Melt the semi sweet chocolate chips and butter together in a silver bowl or a pot, do the double-boiled method (cook on top of a pot of boiling water, not direct from the fire). Keep stiring.
2. Once melted, then add flour and sugar, stir again until mixing well. Pull aside, let it cool down a little.
3. Add the eggs and egg yolks together one at a time, then vanilla, salt and triple sac, stir well.
4. Oven must be 400 F, scoop the lava mixed into ramiken of your choice (preferably cup size). Bake for 10-13 min until the side of it pull aside from the ramiken. The center still a little jiggly.
5. Pull out once ready, flip it on to a dessert plate and then sprinkle with powder sugar.
6. Caramel sauce: 1 cup sugar, melted in a sauce pan medium high. Once starting to brown, lower the heat, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and pinch of salt. Stir well until really mixed and creamy. Dont over cooked it.

"Anda Boleh"

Roasted 5 Spice Chicken with Fennel blossom infused Balsamic sauce

This dish was created because of a friend who wanted a chicken and some clean food on her plate. In my head, I was thinking of chicken thigh instead of the chicken breast. The chicken thigh is tastier and can absorb more flavor when marinated. It is moist as well when seared and then roast in the oven for few minutes. Asian flavor mostly with soy sauce, sugar and cooking wine when marinating. You must marinate  the chicken at least 4 hours, then do the bow ties pasta and sauteed mushrooms. The end result was amazing! Healthy and light for sure.

Marinate the chicken thigh at least 4 hours in the fridge:-

3 pieces Boneless Chicken thigh with skin

3 Tablespoon Soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Tablespoon Sake or any cooking wine

1 Tablespoon Cooking oil

* mix all together in a bowl or ziploc bag, massage it well.

Bow Ties pasta:-

2 cups Bow Ties pasta

1/4 cup chopped Green onions

2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

* cook the pasta according to the instruction given, al dante then strained.  Heat the sauce pan on medium high, add garlic and green onions together with oil. Stir for 30 seconds, then add in the bow ties pasta. Stir well, add salt and pepper to taste.

Sauteed Oregano Mushrooms:-

2 cups sliced mushrooms (any kind)

3 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Oregano

Salt and Pepper to taste

* Heat the sauce pan with olive oil on medium high. Add in mushrooms and oregano with salt and pepper, stir for 2-3 min until the mushrooms changed its color to darker brown.

Fennel blossoms infused Balsamic Sauce:-

4-5 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Fish sauce

1 Tablespoon chopped Fennel blossoms (the wild fennels you can find on the trails or raodside)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 Tablespoon chopped Jalapeno without seeds

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

* Heat the sauce pan with olive oil on medium, then add garlic and jalapeno together, stir for few seconds. Then add the balsamic, fennel blossoms, sugar, fish sauce, cook to reduction depends on your preferred consistancy. Always taste it every minute when simmered.

Searing the chicken thigh:-

Heat the sauce pan with 3 Tablespoon Cooking oil on medium high. Pull out the marinated chicken thigh, place the skin first on the pan and seared for at least 3-4 min each side. Seared again both side for 1-2 min each. Put them in the oven at 275 F for about 2 min, while cooking the pasta, mushroom and the sauce mentioned above.

Finally assemble all the items above, make yourself a food stylist.

"Anda Boleh"

Butter Lettuce Kabocha Blossom Red Onion Vineg

Isn't this beautiful to look at and tasty as well? Yes, this is one of my favourite salad I ever made. Light and very gourmet. I have Kabocha squash blossoms in my backyard, making it into tempura. So so good with butter lettuce, crispy sage, fresh bing cherries, cherry tomatoes, green onions and most importantly, the red onions vineg. It is actually so easy to prepare, just that you need to fry the kabocha blossoms. Well, just do it and you will enjoy it.

Ingredients:-

3-4 leaf Butter Lettuce

1 Red Onion Vineg*

2 Zuchini Blossoms**

3 Sage leaf

1 stalk Green onions - chopped

5-6 Bing cherries - halved

3 Cherry tomatoes - halved

Some Olive Oil and Salt to taste

*Red Onions Vineg:-

1 Red Onion - juliened

1 Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

- Sauteed the onions with the oil on medium heat. Add vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper, stir well. Then simmer for a min or two, until little reduced and shiny bright red color of the onions shown. Leave a side for cooling.

**Kabocha Squash Blossom Tempura:-

1 cup AP Flour

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Sparkling Water (cold)

- mixed all ingredients together making batter, add more cold sparkling water if its doughy. The batter should be runny but still stick to a spoon.
- dip the blossoms into the batter, then fry it in the hot oil until golden brown.


Once all of the elements ready, resemble them together just like the picture shown, any ways you like.

"Anda Boleh"

Beautiful Happy Breakfast

I loved this picture, taken one morning having breakfast with Gregg at the patio. We had fruits (plum and strawberries from our garden) and bagel toast with Chef Chong's kaya and whipped cream cheese. The sun was bright and warm that day, beautiful breakfast making us happy all day long. Enjoy, my dear friends! You can get Chef Chong's Kaya by ordering online:  Simply click here.


"Anda Boleh"