Monday, February 24, 2014

Cooking Lab - Rosemary & Salami Garlic Bread

A quick snack ... but very very delicious. 
My lazy light finger-food, an all-time favorite :)


(c) GMV - Got My Vote!


This is one of my original concoction recipes :) It is incredibly easy, tasty and elegant at the same time. Take the simple garlic bread and jazzed it up with rosemary & salami. An all-time favorite snack/finger-food. 



Ingredients:

- Fresh crushed garlic 2 cloves 
- Butter 2 T/S 
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 T/S 
- Fresh Rosemary 5g 
- Salami 30g 
- Toast Bread x 4 slices

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.

2. Butter the toast and make sure the edges are evenly spread.


3. Place the crushed garlic, rosemary and salami pieces on the buttered toast.

4. Drizzle the Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top.

5. Bake in the Oven for 5 minutes.
6. Remove the crusty edges (optional)


7. Slice into 4 squares (for children); or slice into 2 ribbons (canapé style).


8. Serve with fresh garden side salad.



Saturday, February 22, 2014

Cooking Lab - Ragu Bolognese Pasta

I love Ragu! After a eating out some mediocre pasta at premium price, I've decided to roll up my sleeve and create a good pasta that I enjoy the most.

When you add beef slowly cook down with red wine, tomato and stock essence, you are bound to get a magical meal. 

The secret for a special Ragu is the long cooking time. Time is so necessary to have the ingredients' flavour mixed well together.



(c) GMV - Got My Vote!


This is definitely my go-to comfort food dish. 
An all-time family's favourite. 



The key point to a really good ragu is to use a variety of mince, slowly braise in crushed tomatoes. Give it time and you will get a thick bolognese sauce with a depth of flavour.



Ingredients:

- 300g beef mince 
- 200g pork mince 
- 2 onions 
- 2 cans of chopped tomato 
- 400ml beef stock 
- 50ml olive oil 

- 30g unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 packet of pasta 
- 300ml red wine 
- 50ml worcestershire sauce 
- 50g fresh herbs 
- 100g shaved parmesan cheese 
- Salt and pepper to season



Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy bottomed pan

2. Cook the diced onions over medium heat.

3. Stir in the mince meats and season with pepper.

4. Stir in the worcestershire sauce.
5. Stir in the chopped tomato.

6. Add the beef stock to the meat mixture.

7.Let the meat mixture simmer slowly for 45 minutes or until it reduce to a thick paste.
8. In a separate pot, cook pasta according to the instructions on the the packet.

9. Cook to al dent.

10. Drain and remove.

11. Divide pasta into 6 equal portions.

12. Top the pasta with Ragu Bolognese sauce.


13. Add shaved Parmesan cheese on top.

14. Lightly garnish with fresh parsley.

15. Season with salt and pepper.


A warm hearty pasta dish for the cold rainy nights. 



This pasta dish may look too fancy for everyday, but it is actually quite easy to prepare. 




A perfect match with the some dukkah-crusted lamb cutlets~~ Yum-mo

Cooking - Dukkah-Crusted Lamb Cutlets with parsley & pine nuts stuffing

Dukkah-crusted lamb cutlets are a great and tasty idea. The crunchy nuts and aromatic spices complement well with all lamb dishes. 

This is really a simple dish. Just crust some lamb cutlets with dukkah and fry or BBQ. Serve with pesto cous cous and a dallop of Tzatziki dip for a light and satisfying BBQ meal. 

Perfect for weekend BBQ.



(c) GMV - Got My Vote!'





Ingredients:

- 6 lamb cutlets 
- Breadcrumbs 2 cups
- Chopped rosemary and parsley 1 cup
- Pinenuts 1/2 cup
- Potato Starch Flour 2 cups
- Beaten eggs x 2
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 cup
- Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. For the cutlet stuffing, mix chopped parsley, rosemary and pine nuts together, roughly grind them into a coarse texture. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Marinate the lamb cutlets in red wine and leave them in the fridge for 1 hour.

3. Drizzle some olive oil on the lamb cutlets and give them a good rub.

4. Season with cracked black pepper.


5. Cut a small pocket in the cutlet and fill with the mixture in (1). 

[Note: Don't over stuff it, the pocket to remain closed while pan-frying.]

6. Arrange flour, beaten egg, breadcrumb and dukkah on bench as shown.

7. Coat each cutlet firstly in potato starch flour, then dip into the beaten egg.


8. Finish with a Dukkah and  breadcrumbs coating. Dust off any excess. 


9. Heat oil on medium and gently place the lamb cutlets in the hot pan. (Grill on the BBQ would be a better alternative).

10. Sear the cutlets on all side in a non-stick fry pan on high. 

11.Turn down the heat and cook further to your required likeness. I prefer mine done in a medium result. 


12. Cook until the dukkah turned golden and the spices smell aromatic.

13. Remove and set aside.

14. Continue with the rest of the lamb cutlets.

15. Cook cous cous according to packet instructions.

16.  Stir in 2 teaspoon of pesto sauce and cubed tomatoes.

17. Add a tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar.

18. Season with salt and pepper.


19. Plate the cous cous into 3 serving plates.

20. Plate 2 lamb cutlets on top of the cous cous.
21. Garnish with chopped parsley.

22. Season with salt and pepper.

23. Serve warm with a lime wedge on the side.


Optional: serve with a dallop of Tzatziki dip. :) 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Cooking Lab - Layered Puff Sandwich (大黑松小倆口 起酥火腿肉鬆三朋治)

我很喜歡大黑松小倆口的起酥三明治。

內餡有三層:起士,火腿,肉鬆
挑戰部分:麵包要鬆軟,外皮要酥脆,口味要甜鹹適中。。。。來試試吧!

拿來當早餐配牛奶倒是滿適合的。

剛出爐的熱騰騰麵包是最香的!脆脆的外皮,麵包的奶油味加上溶化的起士,這口感真是棒極了!













Saturday, February 15, 2014

Cooking Lab - Honeyed French Crumbed Cutlets w Cous Cous Salad

Another day pouring with heavy rain.
Such a miserable day to stay indoor.

Oh well, at least we can jazzed up our dinner meal to something absolutely scrumptious yummy.....Yes! It's lamb, good Aussie lamb cutlets!!~~


(c) GMV - Got My Vote!'*\(^o^)/*

Honeyed crumbed French lamb cutlets with cous cous salad in Plum Lime dressing.
This is really a recipe of 2 dishes that are cooked separately and then brought together in the end.

Ingredients for the Lamb Cutlets:
- 4 Frenched lamb cutlets 
- 2 T/s of honey 
- 1 crushed clove of garlic
- 1 egg
- Breadcrumbs to coat
- Salt & Pepper

For Cous Cous Salad:
- 1 cup of Cous Cous 
- 1 cup of boiling hot water 
- 1 truss tomato finely chopping
- 1/2 French onion finely cubed
- 3 T/s Pesto paste
- 1 T/s truffled balsamic vinegar
- 1 T/s plum dressing 
- 1/2 lime juice 
Instructions:
1. Rub the lamb cutlets in salt and pepper 
2. Marinade the lamb cutlets in honey
3. Get the beatened egg mixture and bread crumbs ready for rolling fun. 
4. Dip the lamb cutlets in the egg mixture, then roll it around in breadcrumbs. Pat off the excess.
5. Add some oil to the fry pan and brown the crushed garlic until fragrant.
6. Pan fry the crumbed lamb cutlets until golden. 
7. Mix 1 cup of Cous Cous with 1 cup of boiling hot water. Cover.
8. Uncover the Cous Cous and fluff up by stirring with a fork. 
9. Stir in the pesto paste.
10. Add the chopped tomato and French onion. Followered by a a dash of truffled balsamic vinegar, plum dressing and lime juice. 
11. Toss in the fresh rocket. Combine and mix well. 
12. Serve the lamb cutlets on the bed of Cous Cous Salad.
13. Served with smoky BBQ sauce.


A pretty sensational dish and we are like: Please Sir, can we have some more?~