Beef Bourguinon - simplified

Beef Bourguinon Recipe

600g to 800g Beef cubes seasoned with salt and black pepper – Stewing kind or beef cheeks (I like ox tail sometimes)

1 onion – cubed

1 carrot – cubed

1 celery stick - cubed

2 cloves of garlic

2 rashes of bacon – cut into small pieces

A little butter for frying

Little olive oil

A little flour for coating beef cubes

Herbs that you like (I use dried parsley or oregano)

Bouquet garni (Tied together thyme(or parsley), green parts of leek, bay leaf)

1 bottle of cab sav or any full bodied red wine)

Salt and pepper

Optional – mushrooms

Method

1.       Lightly coat beef cubes with flour

2.       Fry in olive oil or neutral coated beef cubes in 1 layer till all sides are brown (idea is to keep juices in when you stew or slow cook)

3.       Put beef cubes aside

4.       In the same pot, add a little butter and fry bacon

5.       Take bacon out and put together with beef

6.       Fry onion then carrots and celery and garlic together

7.       When onions are clear in colour, add the beef and bacon

8.       Pour the whole bottle of wine in. Add bouquet garni and any herbs you like

9.       Optional: Add mushrooms

10.   Slow cook in oven for 4 hours or in slow cooker

.: Left Over Idea :.
Use up left overs by putting them in puff pastries to make little pillows of beef bourguinon puffs.
First add some small cubes of potato and it heat up. Potatos are starchy and will thicken up the stew. Wait for the stew to cool down before using them with puff pastry sheet from the store.

Baguette! Artisan Bread recipe

Simple recipe for Baguette. Mix everything together and knead.

Ingredients
300g Bread Flour
8g Salt
8g Yeast
150g-160g Water

Method
If you have a Kitchen Aid, use the hook and knead for 10mins
Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise for 30mins
Take dough out and shape into a long log
Make a few incisions on the top to let yeast do its work
Cover again with plastic wrap and let it proof for 30mins
Preheat oven at 190 degrees
Bake bread for 30mins to 45mins till top is golden brown
Take bread out and rest on wire rack for 15mins

Dark Soya Sauce Prawns "Harr Lok"

I got this recipe from my Aunty and with my cousin, Clara(her daughter) recreated it. The thing about getting recipes from Aunties is that they are used to cooking so often that when you ask them how to cook something, the answer is a bit of this and a bit of that and when you try cooking it... it never turns out the same. I sent Clara on a mission to watch her mum cook and together, we got the recipe! A big hit in my family. It's simple and very quick to make. The taste is unbeatable. Thanks Clara!!

Ingredients
15 tiger prawns
a knob of ginger, sliced into match sticks
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of thick dark soya sauce
1 chili padi, sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon oil for frying
For washing: 1 tablespoon Salt (this removes fishy smell)
For marinating: 1 tablespoon white sugar (this keeps prawns crunchy)

Method
Wash prawns in water with salt to remove the fishy smell
Dry prawns and add sugar. Let them marinate in the fridge for 15 mins
Heat oil in a wok
Add in ginger and fry till golden brown
Add prawns and fry for 2 mins
Add garlic and fry prawns till golden brown and crisp
Add in thick dark soya sauce and chili padi and sugar. Stir fry till prawns are coated well.
Done!

Homemade Kaya Jam

Growing up, my grandma used to make fresh Kaya. Homemade kaya beats store bought any day. It's easy to make if you can set aside 2 hours by the stove just stirring away.

Ingredients
1 Pandan leaf, blended

5 eggs
200gm Sugar or Gula Melaka
230gm Pasturized coconut milk (bought from local supermarkets or markets)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3-4 leaves Old Pandan leaves, knotted (Old leaves have more flavour. They are longer and a darker green)
Water for double boil cooking

Method
Heat a pot with water and find a metal bowl which will sit nicely on top of the pot

Mix eggs and sugar into a bowl. Mix till you can't feel the sugar when you touch the egg
Strain the liquid into a metal bowl (This removes any clumps to get a smooth kaya consistency)
Add coconut juice and the pandan juice and the Pandan knot
The water should be boiling now so add the metal bowl on top of the pot
Here's the hard part, keep stirring the mixture slowly for about 1.5 to 2 hrs

Hainanese Bread Loaf

I finally have the recipe for the local bread sold in the local bakery! It's so easy to make if you have a Kitchen Aid. Simple, easy and yummy!

Ingredients
8gm Instant Yeast
400gm Bread Flour
30gm Castor Sugar
8gm Salt
225ml Water or Milk
50gm Shortening or Unsalted Butter

Method
Mix ALL dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl
Using a Kitchen Aid and the dough hook, add Milk or Water to your ingredients and let the Kitchen Aid knead the dough for you. This should be about 10mins depending on the look of your dough.
After all ingredients have combined, add Shortening or Butter and knead in the Kitchen Aid for about 8-10 mins. Check elasticity of dough. Stop the Kitchen Aid and check the dough by lifting up the dough hook. If it looks like most of the dough is hanging off the hook, it's ready. Alternatively, pinch the end of the dough and stretch it gently. If it can be stretched about 5 cm without forming a hole, it should be ready.
Wrap cling wrap on top of your mixing bowl and let the dough rest for about 30-40 mins. The dough should double in size.
Take the dough out and flatten the dough on a work top with your fingers till it is a rectangular shape. About 7inches by 3.5 inches.
At one end of the dough start rolling it up till it looks like a swiss roll and seal the edges with your fingers.
Put the dough into a 8 inches by 4 inches bread tin.
Let the dough proof for another 30-40mins in a place that is not windy.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.
Bake for 30-40mins with no fan.

Mum's Spaghetti Bolognese

Other Asian kids grew up eating stir fries but we grew up on sandwiches, pizza, pies, sausage rolls and speghetti bolognese!

I'm visiting my brother in Sydney and convinced my mum to show me how it's done.

My family favorite! Lots of our friends have tried our mum's spag-bo when we were in uni and they still talk about it. Brian just talked about it again 2 weeks ago when we all met up in Taiwan for a high school friend's wedding.

Ingredients
600g Minced beef
2 carrots, shredded
1 can champinion mushrooms, chopped
2 onions, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
slash of olive oil
1 can of whole tomatos
1 small tin of tomato paste
Pinch of dried oregano

Method
Heat a medium sauce pan on Medium Heat
When it's hot, add a splash of olive oil
Stir in garlic and onions. Keep stirring
When onions are glassy, add in minced beef and stir till slightly brown
Add shredded carrots and stir
Add chopped mushrooms and stir
Add can of whole tomatos and stir. Mash the tomatos into pieces and stir
Add 1 tin of tomato paste and stir
Add a pinch of dried oregano
Turn to Low Heat and cover
Simmer for 30mins (stir ocassionally)

Turkish Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip

I love dips! This is one of my favorites. It's the best with pita bread...

Ingredients
1 Eggplant
1 Red Pepper
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 teaspoon Chilli powder (I prefer Korean chilli powder)
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Salt
Juice from 1 Lemon
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method
Roughly, poke holes into the eggplant and red pepper with a fork
Pop eggplant and red pepper into oven at 200 celcius for 20-25 mins
After the eggplant and red pepper have cooled down, remove skin from both eggplant and red pepper and break the flesh into pieces with your hands. Put all of this into a bowl
Dump in the rest of the ingredient in the bowl and let the flavor develop for 15mins
All done!