Thursday, March 31, 2011

Things That Make Me Smile

Wannasmile, particularly her Zen Moments of the Day like this one.

Pan Fried shrimps with Glass Noodles in Thai Basil and Coriander Pesto



One of my favourite things to do with fresh herbs is pesto. I had Thai basil (learn about this very special basil in my post on Three Cup Chicken), so I decided to make pesto out of it.

And now that I have a mini-chopper I can do pesto in no time at all! I know, those Italian mamas will insist on grinding everything the traditional way in a mortar and pestle, but.. I wanted pesto fast ): To redeem myself, I have done (chunky) walnut basil pesto by hand before. The next bit about this very special pesto that's sure to send the Italian mamas reeling again, is that I didn't use Parmesan, heck I didn't use any cheese at all! To keep to the true Thai theme, I used naturally fermented soybean paste to provide the savoury factor, and used toasted crushed peanuts instead of pine nuts.


Thai Basil and Coriander Pest0
Ingredients
1 clove garlic
1 large handful of Thai basil (leaves only)
2 large handfuls of coriander
1 handful of unsalted (and preferably soaked) peanuts, lightly toasted
1 tbsp of fermented soybean paste (kind of like white miso)
1 green chilli, deseeded (I used Thai birds eye chilli, but you can opt for milder ones;) )
fish sauce (to taste)
1 tsp of sesame oil
extra virgin olive oil
squeeze of half a lime

Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor/mini chopper, pouring in enough extra virgin olive oil till you get to the desired smooth consistency. Add the lime juice after that to add some freshness.


With my controversial pesto ready, it was time for some asian-style pesto-and-pasta!


Panfried shrimps with Glass Noodles in Thai Basil and Coriander Pesto
Ingredients
1 bundle of glass noodles (also known as mung bean threads/vermicelli, cellophane noodles, dang hoon. Not the same as rice noodles.)
couple of shrimps/prawns, shelled (please use more, I just only had 2 sad ones left.)
a few drops of fish sauce
a little bit of coconut oil (or evoo)
1/4 cup of Thai basil and coriander pesto

Method
1. Soak the glass noodles in cold water for about 10 minutes to soften. Drain, then pour boiling water over the noodles and let sit for 10 seconds (these cook really fast!). Drain, then run cold water over it to stop the noodles from continuing to cook.
2. Devein the shrimps by slitting the back, coat with fish sauce and fry them in a hot pan, flipping once. You'll know when they're cooked, because they turn pink and curl into that pretty butterfly shape.
3. Toss all in the pesto, and garnish with a sprig of fresh Thai basil.


I love glass noodles in all their translucent beauty and slippery goodness, and I love shrimps, though I wish there were more, and when both of them are covered in that delicious savoury pesto with the fragrance of these asian herbs and the smell of toasted peanuts, it's <3!


By the way, Miz Helen decided to fill her plate up last week with my Baked Egg in Jacket Potato with Chilli, Lime and Coriander Butter (: Yay.

OK, This Is Just Getting Weird

We're supposed to defeat Gaddafi.

NATO isn't going to arm the rebels. These are the rebels:


How is this supposed to work? I mean, I'm down with getting rid of Gaddafi and all that, but how, exactly, is this going to be done?

Locust Philosophy

... by Bill Whittle. Awesome stuff, this.

With All That Oil Revenue, You'd Think They'd Be Able To Contribute Somehow

B-Daddy makes an interesting point.

Sourdough Bread


This is a recipe for basic sourdough bread. If you don’t have a pizza stone flip a cookie sheet upside down and pre heat it in your 375° oven. Give the top of the pan a sprinkle with cornmeal to prevent the bread from sticking.

Sponge:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup sourdough starter
2 cups all purpose or bread flour

Bread:
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt

Mix sponge ingredients. Stir well, place in a nonmetal bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside until mix is bubbly, about 8 - 12 hours.

To make bread, add flour and salt to the fermenting sponge. Knead dough for about 10 minutes until elastic, or until the dough bounces back when poked. Let rise in a warm spot until double in bulk. Punch down the dough knead lightly a few more times to get the remaining gas out. Divide dough in half and form into loaves. Place on a well greased cookie sheet and let rest until double in bulk. Slash the top gently with a very sharp knife and transfer, with a peel, to the pre heated pizza stone in the 375° oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until crust is nicely browned and the loaves sound hollow when tapped with your finger.

Baby Blue Bird Nest Cupcakes

S.Kenney - 2011

I just love Martha Stewart's magazines.  For about 7 years now, I have been keeping her Easter editions. I put them all in a basket in my guest bedroom.  When I am looking for cute placecards, or holiday ideas, I often end up with something out one of her magazines.  This link can take you to the online page of where I found these fun Easter treats.



My son's "Odyssey of the Mind" group lucked out again.  They were the recipients of these cupcakes!


The little nest on top of these coconuts is made from toasted coconut flakes.  I have never toasted coconut before.  Honestly, though, anyone who likes coconut should just toast some in the oven even if they don't want to make cupcakes.  The smell is wonderfully potent...nutty, sweet, tropical.  I'm afraid I burned the first batch of coconut flakes and that was not so terrific a smell but the second batch improved.

S.Kenney 2011

While I am confessing my mistakes on the World Wide Web, I'll also spill the news that I've never made cupcakes from scratch.  Yep, its always been from a box. Now, there is no going back.  I followed the recipe very carefully and the result was delicious.  These cupcakes had a richer, deeper flavor and texture than any out of the box mix.

S.Kenney 2011

Cupcakes... They are so pretty; they are like an empty canvas waiting for creativity.  The buttercream frosting was especially tasty.  It was very light but with a very deep rich flavor. 




The original recipe for these sweet nest cupcakes made the little baby bluebirds out of piped, colored frosting.  I decided to use Hershey's milk chocolate Easter eggs instead.  I thought that was much easier and tastier than a mouthful of frosting.  



Cute cupcake-making interruption!!

While writing this article, my daughter begged me to see the movie "Burlesque" with her.  This is the movie featuring Cher and Christina Aguilera.  

Woah!!  

From describing my sweet little baby blue bird cupcakes to this steamy, sultry, va-va-voom Burlesque story was QUITE a distraction and required a mental shift.  I'm not sure I agree with the PG-13 rating on this movie.  And, I hope every wanna-be dancer out there doesn't run off to L.A. thinking that a burlesque lifestyle is that innocent.  

However, I must give a strong thumbs up for those who can appreciate the music, choreography, and cinematography of this movie.  It was visually stunning, musically captivating, and choreographically superb.  The acting was weak, the plot was predictable and cheesy moments were the basis of the movie but being a former dancer myself (of the classical ballet variety however!!) the dancers were incredible.  

I have to return to these cupcakes, a little frazzled, but admitting I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.  (Still can't figure out the why Jack wore that black eyeliner...)

Interruption over...back to the innocent little baby bird cupcakes.  Whew!  If I can divert myself back, that is.

S.Kenney 2011
The beaks were the most difficult details in making these cupcakes.  I didn't pipe frosting like the recipe entailed.  I used little chewy candies that were colored yellow.  That didn't quite work so well.  They were sticky and hard to handle.  Perhaps something drier would work better that could be secured with frosting to the tops.  Perhaps crushed lemon drops...

Baby Blue Birds' Nest Cupcakes:

Frosting:

Yield
Makes 2 1/2 cups
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Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
3 large egg whites
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Directions

Combine sugar and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Place over a pot of simmering water; whisk until hot and sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer stand, and beat on high speed until cooled, 7 to 10 minutes.

Replace whisk with paddle attachment, and set mixer on medium-high speed; add butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Beat in chocolate. If not using immediately, refrigerate buttercream in an airtight container for up to a week. Bring to room temperature, and rebeat or stir vigorously before using.

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pan once. Set aside to cool.

Lightly frost cupcakes with 1 cup chocolate buttercream; set aside. Tint 2 tablespoons reserved buttercream pale yellow; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #349 Ateco leaf tip; set aside. Tint remaining buttercream light blue; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #11 Ateco plain round tip, and pipe three bluebird heads, 3/4 inch in diameter, onto each cupcake. Using leaf tip, pipe yellow beaks. With a toothpick, add melted-chocolate eyes. Form each nest with 2 tablespoons toasted coconut.

Pork Chop with Honey Glazed Apple Slices and Dauphinoise Potatoes


Dauphinoise potatoes in their most basic form consist merely of sliced potatoes, cream, garlic and seasoning. Depending upon what I am serving them with, however, I often like to sprinkle a little ground nutmeg over the top, immediately prior to placing them in the oven. In this instance, served with a pork chop and honey glazed apple slices, the addition works very well.

Ingredients for One Person

1 pork chop
3 medium floury potatoes
2 1/2" thick slices of Bramley apple (cored)
5 fl oz double (heavy) cream (single/light cream or milk are not suitable substitutes - they will split)
2 cloves of garlic
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 tbsp liquid honey
Salt and pepper
Sunflower oil for frying

1 medium tomato and freshly chopped dill for garnish

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 300F/150C/Gas Mark 2. Such a low oven is necessary to prevent the cream from splitting.

Peel the garlic cloves and grate or crush them in to a bowl. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Stir well. It is a good idea to always have some extra cream on standby, as different dishes vary in size and the potatoes have to be all but covered.


Peel the potatoes and slice as thinly as possible, certainly no thicker than 1/4". A mandalin can be used if you have one and due care is exercised. Arrange the potatoes in layers in a round, oven-proof dish, 6" in diameter and around 1" deep. Press down gently but firmly, so as to compress the potatoes but not break them. Pour the cream and garlic over the top. The potatoes should be almost but not quite covered. Sprinkle the nutmeg evenly across the top. Place the dish on to a baking tray and on to a low shelf in the oven for one and a quarter to one and a half hours.


When the potatoes have been in the oven for around an hour, add a little sunflower oil to a non-stick frying pan. Bring it up to a medium heat. Season the pork chop on both sides and add it to the pan. It will take around eight to ten minutes on each side to cook, depending upon the thickness of your chop. (Although there are now suggestions in certain quarters that pork can in fact be eaten slightly underdone, this is not something I am personally prepared to risk. Make sure therefore that your chop is fully and properly cooked.)


When your pork chop is done, remove it to a heated plate, cover with tinfoil and set it aside to rest for around five minutes.


Wipe your pan with kitchen towel to remove the excess oil. Add the honey and heat gently while you wash, decore and slice the apple. Do not peel it. Add the apple slices to the pan and fry for about a minute and a half on each side. You want them softened but not to the extent where they will break when you attempt to plate them.

The dauphinoise potatoes should have browned nicely on top and softened all the way through. Remove them carefully from the oven and plate them with the pork chop to one side. Add the apple slices. The tomato should be halved by making alternate forty-five degree cuts to the core around the circumference. Twist gently to separate. Scatter the dill over the potatoes and serve.


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AWARD - 12



Received this award from Sojo - My Culinary Experiments.

She has lovely recipes and also specialities from Kerala to share with us in her blog. Do find some time to go through them.

Thank you Sojo for honouring me with lovely Blog award.