20111029 Baked Parmesan Garlic Little Chicken Drumsticks

These were good...finger-licking good! They were so simple to make but so tasty. I served them with some brocoli and baked potatoes. But they would be great finger food to serve at a party too.

(SOURCE: Steamy Kitchen - Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings)

INGREDIENTS
1tsp dried oregano
1tsp dried rosemary
1/2tsp ground cumin
1/2tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1kg little chicken drumsticks
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2tbsp minced fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4cup grated parmesan cheese

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 220C. Slightly bruise the dried herbs. Season the little drumsticks with the dried herbs, cumin, and salt and pepper.
2. Bake the chicken drumsticks for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the drumsticks turn golden brown. While the drumsticks are baking, mix together the oil, basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, and salt in a small bowl.
3. When the drumsticks are cooked through, toss them with the garlic/cheese mixture sauce.

201111017 Chicken Drumsticks with paprika potatoes

(SOURCE: GoodFood 101 One-pot dishes)

The recipe called for a roasting tin with a rack, so the potatoes can be cooked on the roasting tin while the chicken drumsticks are roasting nicely on the rack above the potatoes - this way the potatoes would have absorbed the juice from the chicken, and the chicken would have been more crispy. As I don't have such a roasting tin, I had to improvise - and the result was not bad. (By the way, apologies for the photo. It looked alright on my computer but refused to turn upon uploading...after several attempts to fix this, I gave up!)

INGREDIENTS
10 chicken drumsticks
2 lemons
2 tbsp dried tarragon
2 tbsp olive oil
500g small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1-2 tsp paprika

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 220 degree C. Slash each drumstick 2-3 times.
2. Finely grate the zest from 1 lemon and squeeze the juice from both. Mix in a shallow dish with the tarragon, 1 tbsp of oil and some salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat in the marinade.
3. Spread the potatoes over a roasting tin. Toss in the remaining oil and sprinkle with paprika. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. Lay the chicken drumsticks on another roasting tin. Place the tin with potatoes to the bottom rack of the oven, and the tin with chicken drumsticks in the middle rack. Roast for 40 minutes until the chicken is well browned. (check on the potatoes halfway, and cover them with foil if they get too dry)

20111012 Italian-style Beef Stew

(SOURCE: GoodFood magazine 101 Meals for Two)

I didn't feel like cooking but really wanted a proper home cooked meal, after surviving on takeaway and microwaved dinner for the last few days. I needed something that is easy to prepare and quick to cook. I flipped through a few cook books and finally found this one. I didn't have high hopes for this but was pleasantly surprised. The slightly bruised rosemary and thinly sliced garlic gave this dish such fragrant - what little bit of herb/spice can do! It was the perfect dinner for a lazy Wednesday evening.

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic clove, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
250g pack beef stir-fry strips
1 yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
400g can chopped tomatoes
dried rosemary, slightly crushed

METHOD
1. In a large saucepan,soften the onion and garlic until turning golden.
2. Tip in the beef strips, pepper, tomatoes and rosemary, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the meat is cooked through, adding some boiling water if needed.

20110905 Chicken Wings with Onions and Tomatoes

We went grocery shopping at another supermarket last weekend, and guess what we found - chicken wings! I know it sounds silly to get excited about finding chicken wings, but you have no idea how many butchers and supermarkets I have been to to look for them. So I have made a stew with this recipe again, and added a dash of paprika powder and simmered for 2 hours instead. The chicken wings were so tender and the meat fell off the bone upon touch - exactly how I wanted it. I think I have made enough to feed 6 people, so now I have leftover for my lunch tomorrow and dinner for 2 on another evening!

20110904 Chinese-style braised beef

(SOURCE: BBC Good Food - Chinese style braised beef)

I sometimes miss the braised beef noodle (牛腩面) in Hong Kong. My husband and I tried a few Chinese noodle places here in The Netherlands, but none of them got it right because the beef was not tender enough. Many chinese recipes call for many unfamiliar ingredients that I have no idea what they are and where to find them, so I never give chinese style braised beef a go. I found this simple recipe at BBC Good Food website by accident and decided to give it a try. It got thumbs up from both myself and my husband! Okay, it was a little sweeter than the braised beef in Hong Kong, but it was still really good. My husband had it with udon noodle, and I had it with rice - and both were fantastic!

INGREDIENTS
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp shredded root ginger
3 tbsp oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
1kg beef, cut into large pieces
1tsp five-spice
2tsp sugar
3tbsp dry sherry
3tbsp dark soy sauce
500ml beef stock
2tbsp plain flour
salt and freshly milled black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 130 degree C. Toss the beef in flour, and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a Dutch oven, heat 2tbsp of oil and fry garlic, onion, ginger, and chilli until fragrant. Set aside.
3. Add another 1tbsp of oil to the Dutch oven, then brown the beef in batches. Set aside
4. Fry the five-spice and the ginery mixture over high heat until fragrant, then add sugar and beef. Stir well. Splash in the sherry and scrape up any meaty bits. Pour in the soy sauce and stock, and bring to a simmer.
5. Tightly cover the Dutch oven and cook for about 1 hour. Stir well, then cover and cook for a further 1 hour.

20110831 Chicken Biryani Pilau

(SOURCE: BBC Good Food - Chicken Biryani Pilau)

It was a week when I wanted to have decent meals every evening, but did not have the time to cook anything after work because of the usual 2-hour commute from work. So on the day I worked from home, I went grocery shopping and cooked up a storm in the evening. I made several one-pot dishes, so I simply had to reheat them (or microwave them if I feel really lazy) after work. As I have been craving warm food for lunch these days, I made huge one-pot dishes so there was always enough leftover for my lunch.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
10 chicken drumsticks (poked all over with a fork to let the curry flavor in)
1 onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp curry powder
350g basmati rice
700ml chicken stock
250g frozen peas

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 180 degree C.
2. Fry the chicken over high heat in a casserole, then lower the heat to medum and cook onions for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over curry powder, stir in rice, and pour over the stock. Bring the dish to a boil, then cover the pan and bake the dish in the oven for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the dish from the oven. Stir in peas, leave the rice to stand for about 5 minutes with the lid on. Then serve.

20110830 Root Vegetables and Lentils Casserole

(SOURCE: BBC Good Food - Spicy root & lentil casserole)

The original recipe called for 2 parsnips, but I couldn't find them so simply replaced them with 100g more potatoes. It was a very fragrant (and filling) dish, as the potatoes and lentils absorbed all the flavor. I served it with some plain white rice and steamed broccoli.

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
800g potatoes, cut into large chunks
4 carrots, thickly sliced
2 tbsp curry powder
1L vegetable stock
100g red lentils
fresh coriander, chopped
yoghurt

METHOD
1. In a large pan, heat oil on medium heat and cook onion and garlic until fragrant. Tip in potatoes and carrots, and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle curry powder and pour stock, then bring it to the boil. Reduce heat and add lential. Cover and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until lentils are soft. If it was still too watery, cook without a lid for about 10 minutes, until sauce is thicker. Serve with chopped coriander and yoghurt.

20110823 Chicken and Rice Casserole

I remember reading a recipe about chicken and rice casserole before, and was too lazy to look it up on the internet. So I simply gave this a go without knowing if I got the ingredients right - daredevil me in the kitchen! As my husband was home late, I left the dish in the oven for a little too long, so the chicken was a bit dry. Other than that, it was okay so I was pleased.

INGREDIENTS
700g chicken, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
225g mushroom, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream
1 cup raw rice
1tsp thyme
1tsp basil
1tsp Italian dried herbs
1/2tsp paprika

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 190 degree C.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brown them in a pan over high heat. Remove to a plate. Lower the heat to medium, and cook onions and garlic until the onions are soft. Remove to a plate. Add mushroom and dry saute them to release some moisture. Remove to a plate.
3. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and heat to reduce to about 1 tbsp. Add stock and bring it to a boil. Remove the pan from heat, then add cream, sour cream, and dried herbs.
4. In a casserole dish, mix together rice, onions, mushroom, and sauce. Then lay the chicken over the top in a single layer. Cover the dish and bake for about 45 minutes in the oven. If the dish is still a bit watery, uncover the dish and cook in the oven for a few more minutes.

20110821 Braised Beef Goulash

(SOURCE: Delia's Complete How to Cook by Delia Smith)

This was SO GOOD! The meat was so tender! I find this kind of dish perfect for days when I work from home, as it takes only 20 minutes to prepare then I can get back to work while it is slowly stewing in the oven. I think this will be a perfect dish for a dinner party too as it allows you to multitask - while the dish is cooking away in the oven, you can clean the kitchen counter, prepare for the appetizer and side dishes, and set up the table for a cozy evening with friends/family. I served this with simply some boiled potatoes, so we could mash the potatoes on our plates to soak up all the finger licking sauce.

INGREDIENTS
1kg braising steak, cut into 4cm cubes
1 tbsp hot paprika powder
1 tbsp sweet paprika powder
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 bay leaves
650g can chopped tomatoes
handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 medium red peppers, cut into strips (about 2x5cm)
salt and freshly milled black pepper
sour cream

METHOD
1. Mix the basil leaves into the chopped tomatoes, and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a casserole over high heat until i is sizzling hot, then brown the beef in batches. They need to be a good, deep nutty brown color. Remove to a plate.
3. Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the onions and cook them for about 5 minutes until they carmelize at the edges. Then stir in the garlic and return the meat to the casserole. Sprinkle in the flour and papika powder, and give it a good stir.
4. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, and season well with salt and pepper. Let it all come slowly up to simmering point, then cover the casserole and cook in the oven for 2 hours.
5. Then stir the peppers into the goulash, cover and cook for a further 30 minutes in the oven.
6. Just before serving, take the casserole out of the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then stir in the sour cream to give a creamy effect.

20110820 Chicken Cacciatora

(SOURCE: Delia's Complete How to Cook by Delia Smith)

To be honest, I was a little disappointed at this dish as the chicken tasted a little bland - just a tomato-y dish. I guess it was my fault that I didn't use freshy rosemary leaves, which could have made a huge different. Also, I was too lady to chicken a whole chicken into 8 pieces, and used chicken drumsticks instead. The chicken drumsticks might not have soaked up the sauce as well, so I should have poked them all over with a fork.

INGREDIENTS
1kg chicken drumsticks
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium-large onions, thickly sliced
700g ripe red tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp dried rosemary, bruised
1 bay leaf
275ml dry white wine
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and freshly milled black pepper

METHOD
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in the casserole over a high heat and brown chicken in batches. Remove them to a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium and cook onions for 8-10 minutes, until they are softened and nicely browned at the edges. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Then add the tomatoes, tomato puree, rosemary, bay leaf, white wine, and white wine vinegar. Season and bring to the boil, then let it bubble and reduce to about half its original volumne (which will take about 20 minutes).
3. Add the chicken into the casserole and stir them around, then put the lid on and allow to simmer gently for 60 minutes.