ROASTED VEGETABLES

Yellow and Red Capsicums
Mushrooms
Onions
Brinjal / Eggplant

A) Cut the vegetables in chunks

B) Pour a spoonful of balsamic vinegar on the cut vegetables

C) Add some salt and pepper

D) Pour some EVO Oil in a pan

E) Add the vegetables in the pan with the brinjals in last

F) Keep adding a bit of water and scrap the bottom to get the best flavour

G) Fry until the skins of the vegetables are burnt (20 minutes)

H) Can be eaten on its own or as filling for sandwiches or in a salad

For sandwiches

a) Toast the bread

b) Slice some mozarella cheese (mild) or cheddar cheese (stronger)

c) Add some chicken fillets or beef strips

d) Dish out the roasted vegetables and there you have your sandwich

FRIED TENGGIRI

A) Heat cooking oil in a pan

B) Add a bit of water to the tumeric powder, but make sure the paste remains thick

C) Add a bit of salt

D) Deep fry the fish when the oil is hot

E) 5 minutes on the first side or until the fish no longer sticks to the bottom of the pan

F) Turn the fish and leave it for a few more minutes

G) Strain the oil completely

H) Serve with ulam, rice and sambal

TOMATO SAUCE FOR LASAGNA

A) Saute 3 cloves of smashed Garlic in some Extra Virgin Olive Oil

B) Add Canned Peeled Whole Tomatoes

C)) Leave it to simmer for half an hour

D) Add minced meat or vegetables in the tomato sauce and leave it for 30 mins

E) Add sweet basil, salt and pepper before the final stir

Note:

D) You can leave it plain too if that would tickle your fancy

D) The best vegetables to use are the ones which can absorb the sauce like mushroom, eggplants and zuchini

LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS for 2 portions

a) 2 cups of Tomato Sauce (refer recipe Tomato Sauce for Pizza / Lasagna)
b) 1 small box of Whipping Cream
c) Lasagna sheets
d) 1 small packet of Shredded Cheese

A) preheat the oven to 220C for 1/2 hour

B) Cover the whole base with a thin layer of sauce. This will help soften the first layer of the lasagna sheet. Just skim the sauce to collect just the sauce at this stage. Save the meat or vege for the middle layers

C) first layer: lasagna sheet - spread to cover the whole surface

D) second layer: tomato sauce with meat / vege - to cover the lasagna sheets

F) third layer: whipping cream - until the tomato sauce becomes pink

G) repeat for (C) to (F) oncce again or twice depending on the thickness of the tin

H) Top the lasagna with shredded cheese

I) Put in the oven, covere with aluminium foil for 30 minutes

J) Remove the aluminium foil, bring the lasagna to the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and turn brownish

Note:

Be generous with the ingredients. If you want your lasagna to be more tomatoey, be generous with tomato sauce, if creamy, with the whipping cream and if cheesy, with the shredded cheese.

CHEESE IN FILO PASTRY

INGREDIENTS

Camembert or Brie or Goat Cheese
Tomato
Basil Leaves
Salt
EVO Oil
Ready made Filo Pastry

A) Preheat the oven to 220C

B) Cut the pastry piece into small squares to fit in the muffin tray

C) Brush one side of the pastry pieces with EVO Oil

D) Arrange a few pieces of pastry in each muffin tray to create flower-like pastry shape

E) Cut the cheese into small cubes

F) Add chopped tomatoes and chopped basil leaves and salt to the cheese

G) Place the cheese mixture in the muffin tray on top of the filo pastry

H) Put in the oven on the low rack until the pastry becomes brown (15 minutes)

THIN CRUST PIZZA

FOR THE PIZZA DOUGH

Ingredients
330 g of self raising flour
salt
50g of butter (cut in small pieces)
basil leaves (or dried basil)
150ml milk

A) Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl
B) Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs
C) Add in basil leaves
D) Add the milk scantily while mixing the dough
E) Knead the dough until smooth
F) Roll out to the size of a baking tray

Preheat the oven to 220C.

FOR THE TOPPING
1) Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients
Sliced pepperoni from the deli (BSC has really good beef pepperoni)
A can of tomato puree
Shredded Cheese

A) Brush the pizza base with tomato puree
B) Arrange the beef pepperoni on the pizza
C) Sprinkle the shredded cheese generously
D) Bake for 20 minutes in the oven

2) Anchovy Pizza

Ingredients
2 cans of anchovy fillets

A) brush the pizza base with the oil from the anchovy fillet cans
B) Shread and spread the anchovy fillets on the pizza
C) bake for 20 minutes in the oven

PASTA

A) One of the best PASTA brands is San Remo

B) Boil some water in a big pot (the bigger the better)

C) Add some EVO Oil and salt and bring the water to boil

D) Add the pasta of your choice

E) To test the readiness of the pasta, throw the strand on the wall. If it sticks, it's ready
(or you can just try it)

F) Strain the pasta and put it under running cold water

G) Add the pasta in the sauce pan over low heat for 1 min. to let the sauce gets absorbed by the pasta

AGLIO OLIO

A) Heat some EVO Oil in a pan

B) Add a few cloves of garlic

C) Add a can of anchovy fillets

D) Add cherry tomatoes or "julienned" yellow or red capsicum

E) Add boiled Angle Hair pasta in the sauce pan for 1 minute

F) Serve

Note:

This will allow the pasta to absorb the sauce fully

CREAM SAUCE

A) Heat up a dollop of butter in a pan. Make sure it does NOT get brown!

B) Add a few cloves of garlic

C) Add a small box of whipping cream

D) Once the cream is boiled, add prawns and asparagus or mushroom

E) Cook until the prawns turn pink

F) Add some salt and pepper

G) Add linguine to the sauce and keep it there for 1 minute

H) Serve with grated cheese or chilli flakes

Note:

C) Devein the prawns by cutting with scissors the back of the prawns and removing the brownie or bluey thing

G) My all time favourite pasta is vermicelli. You can use this as an alternative. Vermicelli is thicker than Angel Hair but thinner than spaghetti. It is just the right thickness for me, and has perfect cooking time 8 - 10 minutes!

SAMBAL UDANG & PETAI

A) Slice some onions and garlic

B) Fry them in hot pan until they are soft

C) Add Chili paste (blended chilies) and fry until its bubbly

D) Add Tiger Prawns, Petai and some cut tomatoes.

E) Keep frying until the prawns turn red

F) Add a bit of water, salt and squeeze half a lemon in the dish

G) It's ready when the water boils

Note:

Use lemon instead of tamarind paste (asam jawa) to get the taste of freshness

CHEESE BREADED CHICKEN

A) Make the Bread Crumb (can be done in advance and kept in an air tight container in the freezer)

a) Toast all the old bread
b) Add Grated Cheese
c) Spice up with Oregano
d) Pound or blend them

B) Clean the chicken fillet

C) Coat the Chicken Fillet with the bread crumb

D) Fry on ridged pan to ensure minimum usage of EVO Oil whilst ensuring that the chickens don't stick to the pan

E) Fry until brown and flip

F) Serve in salad or on its own or as the filler in a chicken sandwich

SUN DRIED CHILLI FLAKES

A) Spread the Cili Padis on a tray or a flat surface

B) Leave the tray where there is some sun but do NOT put the chillies directly under the sun

C) The chillies will get dry in a week or two

D) Once dry, blend the chillies to turn them into flakes

E) When not being used, keep them in an air tight container in the freezer

Note:
A) Cili Padi is a small but very spicy chilly and it is easily available in Asia. It is the spicier version of the jalapeno

STEAMED FISH

A) Clean the Fish thoroughly

B) Cut some Ginger and Garlic and place them at the bottom of the dish

C) Place the fish on top of them

D) Cover the top of the Fish with more Ginger and more Garlic

E) Sprinkle some Parsley and cover the fish with a few slices of lemon

F) Drizzle some Fish Sauce, Salt and Pepper

G) Steam in boiling water for 20 minutes

Note:

A) I normally use cod or black pomfret

STEAK SANDWICH

A) Put the steak in a plastic bag and throw in EVO Oil, chopped garlic, rosemary and oregano

B) Seal the plastic bag and start pounding the beef until it's flat

C) Pan fry the steak in very little EVO Oil

D) Cut some onions and fry the onions in the same pan

E) Serve with wild rockets, tomatoes, fried onions, cheese and mustard (or chilli sauce) on a toasted baguette or country bread

Note:

Ideally, use ridged pan to minimise the usage of oil while ensuring

that the the steak does not stick to the pan

SALAD NICOISE

A) Ingredients

a) Salad Romaine or Butterhead
b) 1 can Anchovy fillets
c) 1 can of Tuna in Water
d) 1 boiled potato
e) a few cherry tomatoes
f) 2 boiled eggs
g) any kind of cheese cut in cubes
h) Croutons

B) Add all the above ingredients in a chilled bowl

C) Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil as dressing

D) Sprinkle a bit of salt just before serving

Note:

A) to give a garlic flavour, cut a clove of garlic into two and rub it all over the serving bowl before chilling it in the fridge

CHICKEN SOUP

Chicken Stock
A) Prepare the Chicken Stock (can be done in advance) - Boil the following for 2 hours

a) Onion
b) Garlic
c) Carrots
d) Celeries
e) Chicken Carcass
f) Dry Red Dates

B) Sieve and throw away the ingredients, leaving you with just clear chicken stock

C) Chicken stock can be kept in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a week

Chicken Soup
AA) To make chicken soup, bring the Chicken Stock to boil

BB) Add chicken drumsticks and lentils and leave it for 1 1/2 hours

CC) Serve on its own or with bread or rice.

DD) Add chilli flakes or cut chilli padi to give it a kick!

Note:

C) Alternatively, instead of using lentils (add in an hour before serving), use spinach (add in 3 minutes before serving) or carrots or celeries (both add in 15 minutes before serving)

PANCAKE

A) TO SIFT

a) 1 cup of flour
b) 2 tsp baking powder
c) 1/2 tsp salt

B) Add 1 cup of milk scantily, stir gradually till smooth

C) Add 1 beaten egg and 1 tsp of melted butter in (B) mixture

D) Melt a bit of butter in the small egg pan

E) Cook in hot frying pan

F) Flip when the sides start bubbling

G) Serve with bananas and nutella or maple syrup

Note:
B) This mixture is good for 8 small pancakes
D) Melt a bit of butter in the pan for each pancake made

CRAB IN TOMATO SAUCE

A) Ask the fishmonger to cut the Flower Crabs into 2

B) Clean the Crabs thoroughly

C) Saute 3 cloves of smashed Garlic in some Extra Virgin Olive Oil

D) Add Canned Peeled Whole Tomatoes

E) Leave it to simmer for half an hour

F) Add the crabs in the tomato sauce and leave it for 15 mins

G) Add sweet basil, salt and pepper before the final stir

H) Serve with Vermicelli pasta

Note:

A) Estimate one crab per person

D) One can of tomatoes per every 2 crabs

H) When the water for the pasta boils, add a few drops of extra virgin oil olive to stop pasta from clumping and some sea salt before adding the pasta in the water

ROAST CHICKEN

A) Preheat the oven to 250C

B) Peel and cut Garlic, Onions, Potatoes, Capsicum and Tomatoes in whatever shapes

C) Arrange the Whole Chicken Legs in an oven proof dish

D) Add (A) in (B)

E) Add Chicken Stock until it covers half of the chicken

F) Spice the chicken up with Paprika, Rosemary, Oregano and freshly squeezed lemon

F) Cover with Aluminium Foil and put in the oven for 1 1/2 hours

G) Turn the chicken and vegetables every 15 minutes

H) Uncover the dish, reduce the oven temperature to 180C for 15 mins to brown the chicken

Note:

B) One of each for every 2 persons

C) One whole leg per person

E) Can use granule chicken stock diluted in water enough to cover half of the chicken

SCARBOROUGH PRAWNS

A) Preheat the oven 200C

B) Clean and devein the Tiger Prawns

C) Put the prawns in a single layer in a oven proof dish

D) Pour in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil until the prawns are semi-covered

E) Add Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

F) Add 3 cloves of Chopped Garlic

G) Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes

H) Serve with toasted bread (yummy....)

Notes:

B) estimate 3-4 prawns per person

E) the spices used are from the song Scarborough Fair, hence the name