Monday, May 28, 2012

My Spicy Potato Salad

My Spicy Potato Salad......
Cik Ngah had had this potato salad a few times at office pot-luck gathering. It usually served with Chicken-in-a-Bag dish! So when Cik Ngah volunteered to make chicken roast, this side dish came into the picture.

Armed with Google, Cik Ngah found recipe that is spicy and suitable for our asian taste. For the Dijon mustard Cik Ngah use homemade. Will update recipe in the next post.

My Spicy Potato Salad recipe is as follow;


Ingredients:


2 1/2 pounds gold potatoes, peeled
4 large eggs, hard cooked, peeled, chopped
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped green peppers
1/3 cup chopped red peppers
1/3 cup chopped yellow peppers
3 green chilies. chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise, or as desired
2 tblsp Dijon mustard 
3 tblsp chopped dill 
2 tblsp chopped chives
tblsp  lime juice
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
Chopped parsley for garnish.

Preparation:

  1. Wash and put potatoes and egg in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil gently for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. 
  2. Drain and let cool completely. When the potatoes are completely cooled, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks.
  3. Skin the eggs and chopped.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, chopped eggs, onion, peppers and chilies.
  5. Combine the mayonnaise with mustard, dill, chives, lime juice, and seasonings. Add to the potato salad and mix until well blended. If desired, add more mayonnaise.
  6. If desired, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

My Spicy Rosemary Chicken Roast

My Spicy Rosemary Chicken Roast
The Wan Lijah's grandkids residing in Klang Valey decided to held a bitrhday luch for May's birthday guys and ladies! Pot luck gathering. So, thinking that I still had the Mc Cormick - Rosemary Chicken marinate I volunteered to make Rosemary chicken roast.

Back at home, I discovered that I actually did not have the marinate!! Alhamdulillah however I did have the fresh herbs; rosemary, dill, thyme, oregano and lemon! (bought these herbs for potato salad actually!!) So as always Cik Ngah googled recipe for rosemary chicken roast. Mix and match the recipe and My Spicy Rosemary Chicken Roast was born!!! he he he...

Served with My Potato Salad.....
Here is my mix and match recipe.....


Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into 2
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, cut into 4
1/2 tsp black pepper, fresh cracke
1 tsp hot cayene powder
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey

Brine
12 cups water, cold
1/2 cup salt

Gravy
Roast chicken residue and onions
1 cup chicken broth (1 cup water plus 1 cube non-msg chicken stock)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp corn starch
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions
1.   In a large non-reactive, nonporous container with lid, like a glass jar, mix salt into cold water and dissolve completely to make brine. Submerge chicken into brine. Cover with lid. Refrigerate and brine for 2 hours.
2.  Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 375° F. Remove chicken from brine. Rinse in cold water. Pat dry with paper towels so the skin can get golden brown and crispy.
3.  Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over outside and under the skins of the chicken. Marinate in a close container or zipped plastic bag for at least 1 hour.
4.  Spray non-stick cooking oil onto wire rack and place wire rack in a large baking pan. Arrange the chicken onto the wire rack. Stuff the onions cut into the chicken halves. Tuck in all wing tips so they don't burn.
5.  Bake at 375° F for 1 hour. Then broil for 3 minutes to get skin crispy.
6. Remove roasting pan from oven and let rosemary chickens rest for 5 minutes. 
7. Pureed the roast onion and chicken residue (from the baking pan) with chicken broth and mayonnaise.
8. Heat the gravy in sauce pan and bring to boil.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste and lastly combine the corn starch to thicken the gravy.
10. Serve roast chicken with gravy.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

My Death by Chocolate Cheese Cake

My Death by Chocolate Cheesecake......
I have installed iFood in my phone and came across the recipe and video in iFood. iFood became 1 more application in my phone that I can use during my 'waiting time' and also when accompanying hubby to his badminton game.. Previously only Facebook, but now I have iFood and also foodgawker....yeyy!!!

Back to this recipe, I baked for 2 birthday occasions and Alhamdulillah, they were deliciously great! This is definitely a keeper for cheese and chocolate lover......


Ingredients;
100g butter, melted
250g crushed oreo cookies (with chocolate cream)

500g Cream cheese, room temperature
2 tbsp plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs separated
100ml sour cream
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
3 tbsp lemon juice

Need to improve the side base...
too thick and not even....
4 oz white chocolate, melted
4 oz bitter-sweet chocolate, melted
4 oz dark chocolate, cut into chunks
12 oreo cookies cut into chunks

8 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoon light corn syrup

Method:
  1. Grind oreo cookies with melted butter thoroughly and press into 9 inches springform tin and set aside.
  2. Beat egg whites until hard peak form divide into 2.
  3. Beat cream cheese with flour, caster sugar, egg yolks, lemon rind and juice, and sour cream until light and fluffy.
  4. Divide into 2. Whisk in melted white chocolate into one and melted bitter-sweet chocolate into another half.
  5. Stir in chocolate chunks into the white chocolate mixture and oreo chunks into the bitter-sweet chocolate mixture.
  6. Mix well with egg whites and pour the cheese mixture into 3 parts alternately with the white and bitter-sweet.
  7. Bake for 40 minutes and then check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the center. Leave in the tin to cool.
  8. Refrigerate over night.
  9. Heat the whipping cream, remove and add chopped chocolate and corn syrup.
  10. Whisk until all chocolates are melt. Continue whisking until the chocolate ganache is cool.
  11. Pour the ganache onto the cooled cheesecake and decorate with chocolate curls.
The slice....

Friday, May 11, 2012

My Minestrone Soup

My Minestrone Soup
It has been a while since Cik Ngah  last cooked something new! Been keeping the recipe for a while and  last week bought the ingredients and had only managed to do this on last Wednesday nite! 

Verdit? Easy recipe and delicious. I just wonder why I did not try this any sooner? If I want to have this, I need to find the restaurant that have this soup! Luckily I can find this at a cafe in my office lobby..Hemm I guest that is why!!!

Here is the recipe that Cik Ngah took from internet but could not trace where did Cik Ngah took it from...

Ingredients;


2 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cubed
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1.5 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 0.5 inch pieces
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning/Italian Herbs - Cik Ngah use Mc Cormick
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 14 oz can diced tomato
1 14 oz can crush tomatoes or 5 medium tomatoes,blended
1 14 oz can of kidney beans
1 cup pasta of your choice
6 cups chicken broth or 6 cups water plus 2 cubes non-msg chicken stock

Garnish:
Yummy......!
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions;

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onion and cook until translucent.
  3. Add the garlic and continue sautéing until fragrant.
  4. Add celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften.
  5. Stir in green beans, italian herbs and pepper.
  6. Add all tomatoes and the chicken broth and bring to boil. 
  7. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  8. Stir in kidney beans and pasta and cook until pasta is tender.
  9. Season to taste with salt.