Prawns With Asparagus

Prawns With Asparagus

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 175 g/ 6 oz fresh asparagus, cut into  2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
• salt
• 4 tbsp dry sherry
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 500 g/ 1 lb peeled prawns
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp finely chopped root ginger
• 4 spring onions, chopped

Method:

• Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 2 minutes; drain well and set aside.
• Mix the sherry and soy sauce together in a  large bowl. Stir in the prawns and leave to stand for 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a wok and quickly stir-fry the garlic, ginger and half the spring onions. Add the prawns and marinade, and the asparagus and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the ingredients are hot.
• Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining spring onions. Serve immediately.

Enjoy your meal!

Source: Sainsbury’s Stand-Up Cookbook: Wok Dishes”, 1985 by Caroline Ellwood

Elena G

Salmon With Sizzling Coriander

As the author says, it is a superb salmon dish from America. And in case you did not know, coriander is known as cilantro there. The recipe is from the book “Coriander – A Book of Recipes”, 1997, written by Hellen Sudell. I followed it years and years ago and it was good. You can check another recipe from this book, fragrant coriander rice and hopefully will tempt you to follow it too.

Salmon With Sizzling Coriander

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 salmon steaks, about 175/ 6 oz each
• 4 tbsp/ 60 ml chopped fresh coriander
• 3 tbsp/ 45 ml grated fresh root ginger
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp/ 60 ml soy sauce, plus extra to serve
• 5 tbsp/ 75 ml olive oil (or cold-pressed sunflower oil if you don’t have olive oil, like me ;)) )
• salt and ground black pepper
• lettuce and coriander sprigs, to garnish

Method:

• Season the salmon steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Prepare a steamer, add the salmon steaks, cover and steam for 7-8 minutes until the fish is opaque throughout. Imho, if the steaks are too thick, may be you should check the salmon after that time and leave it a few more minutes.
• Place the steamed salmon steaks on warmed plates. Divide the chopped coriander among them, mounding it on top of the fish. Sprinkle with the ginger and then the spring onions. Drizzle 15 ml/ 1 tbsp of soy sauce over each salmon steak.
• Heat the oil in a small heavy-based saucepan until very hot. Spoon the hot oil over each salmon steak and serve immediately, with more soy sauce, if you like. Garnish with lettuce and coriander sprigs.

Cook’s Tip: If you don’t own a steamer, cook the fish steaks on a lightly buttered plate over a pan of simmering water. Cover the fish with greaseproof paper or invert a second plate on top.

Enjoy your meal!

Elena G

 

Going Indian III

When is hot outside, try this. If you are not living in a hot climate as Indians are, try this in cold weather and it will make you hot. And my guess is you will ask for more. It is a delicious recipe. So delicious that I tried it just once. Hahaha. I should try it several times as I like lamb and this is indeed something special. I have a déjà vu writing this. I also like the way it is constructed with all those ingredients, some of them rare and precious and full of flavour. What an exquisite aroma it spreads ! It whispers: come and taste me! And of course you come… Sit down at the table and enjoy it with naan bread (I miss naan bread sooo much) or basmati rice (Tilda brand – the best). I must cook this again. So, let’s see what I need, apart from Love and Understanding and Tenderness. And a beautiful and large kitchen where I will be the queen 😉 . I need … to add that the recipe is taken from a wonderful book, “Golden India – Indian Recipes” and the recipes is

Champ Masala

Lamb Chops in Spicy Marinade

Serves 4-6

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

And the ingredients are:

• 1 kg lamb chops 
• 12 almonds, blanched
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 2/3 tbsp (40 ml) butter or oil
• 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2-3 cloves, whole
• 2 tsp coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp ginger, chopped finely
• 2 red or green chillies, deseeded and sliced
• a few strands of saffron, dissolved in 1 tsp milk (optional)
• 2 onions, medium size, chopped
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (til)
• 3/4 cup yoghurt (I always go with my fav, the greek full fat one)

Method:

• Blend cumin seeds, ginger, garlic paste, cardamom seeds, cloves, almonds, sesame seeds, cayenne pepper, sugar and 2 tbsp yoghurt to a purée, adding more yoghurt if the mixture is dry. Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside. You have now a masala paste.
• Melt butter/ oil in a large kadhai (wok) or pan. Add onions and fry till golden brown. Stir in the masala paste and fry for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Add a spoonful water at a time if the mixture becomes too dry. Add the lamb chops and fry 10 minutes on medium heat, turning chops frequently.
• Beat the remaining yoghurt and saffron together, pour it into the lamb and mix well. Bring to a boil the reduce heat to very low, simmer for 1/2 hour.
• Preheat oven to 150˚C/ 300˚F.
• Transfer chops into a casserole and put into the oven to cook for at least 25 minutes. After that you have a taste of India. 🙂

Bon appetite!

 

SSP

I know that you wonder what SSP is. You are paying attention now.;) SSP is sweet & sour pork for short. I remember eating this recipe for the first time in my life in Constanta in a Chinese restaurant and loved it to bits. When I discovered it in the “Original card from “Delicious Meals Made Easy” I was very happy. I had the chance to cook it anytime I wanted. It happened that I made it in London the first time.

Why are Chinese or Thai or Japanese or other Asian recipes so easy to cook? I have no idea but I like it. I would cook with a wok everyday, provided I have the ingredients and resources. I had this chance once, I took it and all I can do now is talk about it and sometime cook.

Sweet & Sour Pork

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine or sherry
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2,5 cm (1 in) piece root ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 450 g (1 lb) pork fillet, cut into 2,5 cm (1 in) cubes
• 1 tbsp cornflour (or flour)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or apple vinegar)
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp clear honey
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
• 175 g (6 oz) mange tout, topped and tailed (I think you can replace them with broccoli or other pods, as I haven’t seen here them yet, but they are excellent. Too bad)
• 227 g (8 oz) can of pineapple chunks in natural juice (optional, for a fruity addition)

Method:

• Mix soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, garlic and ginger. Add pork, cover and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours. You can leave them longer, from the evening until the next day, if you like. Just remember that it smells quite strongly, so cover it well.
• Drain pork in a sieve, reserving the marinade. Stir cornflour, rice vinegar, tomato sauce and honey into reserved marinade.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan or wok. Add pork and stir-fry over a high heat for 5 minutes. Remove pork from pan with a slotted spoon.
• Heat remaining oil in pan or wok. Add peppers and mange tout and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 minutes.
• Add marinade mixture to pan or wok and stir until thickened. Add pork and cook for further 1 minute, stirring constantly. Breathe in the smell!
• Serve with the savoury basmati rice or Chinese noodles. Any noodles will do. Delicious!

Bon appetite!

Fragrant Coriander Rice

It is Lent.  I usually keep it for 2 weeks and I always end up feeling light and good. Do you know how we Romanian keep Lent? If  you don’t , let me tell you: no meat, eggs, cheese, milk or any other animal products except fish on certain days. But this will not keep me from keeping it. ;))

I have to admit that the recipes that I picked are almost all with some animal product in them. This one is one of the few that is without. So it is perfect for Lent or any other day. I have taken it from the book “Coriander – A Book of Recipes” and is probably Indian or Arabic, let me know the origin, please. Anyway, it is a very perfumed recipe, fresh and light. I have to admit I am not quite taken about it but the persons who have tried it, shesaid it is very good. This is what happens: I make a recipe that I like and end up saying myself how delicious it is and everybody around is saying the same, but when I make a recipe and say I am not into it, I always have a surprise: people are telling me it is so good. Don’t take me too seriously. I am just a fussy eater. ;))

About the recipe, there are some ingredients you might not find in Romania always. But it is ok, you can replace some, you will find them in brackets, and the rice is delicious all the same.

FRAGRANT CORIANDER RICE

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 225 g/ 8 oz/ 1 cup brown basmati rice
• 15 ml/ 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2,5 cm/ 1 in piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 7,5 ml/ 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 7,5/ 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 piece of lemon grass, finely chopped
• grated rind of 2 limes (or lemons)
• 750 ml/ 1 1/4 pints/ 3 cups vegetable stock (or plain water)
• 60 ml/ 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• lime (lemon) wedges, to serve

Method:

• Put the rice into a large bowl of cold water. Swill the grains around with your hands, then tip out cloudy water (the rice will quickly sink to the bottom). Repeat this action about five times. If there is time , soak the rice for about 5 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, spices, lemon grass and grated lime rind. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the rice, turning it in the mixture to coat the grains. Cook for 1 minute more, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low and cover the pan. Cook gently for 30 minutes, then check the rice; if it still crunchy, cover the pan again and leave for a further 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Stir in the fresh coriander, fluff up the grains, cover the pan and leave for 10 minutes. Serve at once, with lime wedges.

Cook’s Tip

Other varieties of rice, such as white basmati or long grain can be used for this dish, but you will need to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

Bon appetite!