from Sakthi

I'm not a good cook, but we had this for a team building day in office. Maybe we can cook together someday :)) - Sakthi



Specially For Public Service Commisiion At GreenCircle Eco-Farm
Conducted By: Ruqxana
Asian Menu For Party of 5



Starter: Sambal Ladies Finger Salad


Main Course: Ikan Panggang (Fish Grilled in Banana Leaf)
Herbed Brown Rice with Oranges
Singapore Chilli Crabs

Dessert: Fresh Fruits in Spiced Lemongrass Syrup



Cookery Magic
179 Haig Road Singapore 438779
Tel: 65 63489667 / 65 63453004 / 65 96656831
Fax: 65 63489667
email: ruqxana @ cookerymagic.com
website: www.cookerymagic.com



Sambal Ladies Finger (Peranakan recipe)

Ingredients
4 cups of water
5 ladies fingers, washed and dried with towel
1/4 cup dried prawns, pounded
2-3 tbsp sambal blachan
2 tbsp sugar
juice of 5-8 limes

Method
1. Boil water in a pot. Blanch the ladies fingers for 5 mins. Drain and wipe it dry on towels. Cut into 1 cm length put in a serving bowl.
2. Mix all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and add to the ladies fingers and stir well and serve.



Ikan Panggang trans. Fish Grilled in Banana Leaves (Indonesian recipe)

Ingredients
1 large fish (tilapia)
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tsp palm sugar
4-6 fresh red chili, chopped
1 cup dark soy sauce
4-6 tbsp lime or lemon juice
2 lemongrass, bruised and chopped
1 inch lengkuas, finely chopped
banana leaves for wrapping (square cut and large enough for folding the fish)
foil for wrapping
2 lemon sliced thinly
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
2 tbsp spring onion, sliced

Method
1. Gut and wash fish and make diagonal cuts on each side.
2. Mix the garlic, sugar, chili, soy sauce, lime/lemon juice, lemongrass, lengkuas and pour it over the fish and rub it all over the fish. Marinate the fish for 30 min.
3. Drain the fish from the marinate and place the fish on a banana leave. Pour 6 tbsp of the marinate inside and over the fish. Put a few slices of the lemon/lime on the fish, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle coriander and spring onion.
4. Make a neat parcel with the banana leaves and secure the parcel by folding the parcel with foil.
5. Grill the fish over growing charcoal or in a preheated oven griller for 10 mins on each side.
6. Simmer the left over marinate, adding more soy sauce or water if necessary.
7. Serve fish in its parcel with the banana leave and foil slightly open on the top exposing the fish, and use the simmered marinate separately as a sauce. Serve with rice.



Herbed Brown Rice with Oranges (New Asia)

Ingredients
½ cup toasted cashew nuts, crushed
3 oranges ( juice and zest of 1 orange)
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 tbsp butter
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp five spice powder
1/2 cup sliced Chinese celery
1 tbsp chopped coriander roots
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp chopped spring onion

Method
1. Peel 2 of the oranges, removing all the white pith and divide the flesh into segments. Zest the remaining one orange and then squeeze its juice and set the juice aside.
2. Melt the butter in a wok over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook stirring frequently for 5 mins.
3. Add the five spice powder and cook, stirring for 30 secs then add the celery, and the coriander roots and cook, stirring for 1 min. Add the orange juice and rice and stir over low heat until the rice is heated through. Turn off heat.
4. Gently stir in the coriander leaves, spring onions and orange segments.
5. Sprinkle with cashew nuts and serve hot.



Fresh Fruits with Spiced Lemongrass Syrup (New Asia)

Ingredients:
For Syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup palm sugar/gula melaka, finely chopped
1 stalk lemon grass, bruised and thinly sliced
1 inch ginger, julienne
2 star anise
1 inch cinnamon
2 tbsp lemon/lime juice
zest of lemon/lime

Any combination of fruits amounting to 500g
papaya, peeled and cubed
guava, peeled and cubed
star fruit, thickly sliced
pineapple, peeled and cubed
dragon fruit, peeled and cubed
banana, peeled thickly sliced

Method:
1. Put all the ingredients for the syrup in a pan and heat it over high heat. Once the liquid starts to boil, lower the heat, add the fruits (add the firmer fruits first followed by the softer fruits) and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and leave it aside.
2. Place the fruits in a serving dish and drizzle some of the syrup on it and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.



Singapore Chilli Crab (Specialty)

Ingredients:
4 crabs
½ cup oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
½ inch ginger, juliennedl
1 red chilli, chopped finely, optional
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
3 tbsp chili sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
salt or light soya sauce to taste
½ cup water or chicken stock
1 tsp corn flour
1 egg, beaten
coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:
1. Slide a sharp strong knife or cleaver under top of shell at back of crab, lever off shell and discard gills and spongy parts under the shell. Wash crab thoroughly. Chop body into quarters with cleaver; remove claws and legs, crack it and chop into large pieces.
2. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the crabs for few minutes until it changes its colour to pink. Remove crabs and leave it aside.
3. In the remaining oil in the wok, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and red chillies for a few minutes until it turn slightly brown.
4. Add the tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, oyster sauce, salt/soya sauce, water/chicken stock and cook, stirring, over medium heat for about 5 mins.
5. Add the crabs and stir well and cook covered for another 5 mins. If you want the sauce to be thicker, you may add the corn flour mixed with a little water and stir well.
6. Add in the beaten eggs, mix well and serve immediately garnished with coriander leaves.






Mediterranean Menu For Party of 5


Starter: Spiced Aubergine Salad

Main Course: Garlic Butter Prawns
Erba Olio (Herbed Pasta)
Singapore Chilli Crabs

Dessert: Fresh Fruits in Spiced Lemongrass Syrup




Spiced Aubergine Salad (Middle Eastern)

Ingredients
2 aubergine, sliced
5 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1-2 red chilli, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin powder
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
4 tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 tbsp yogurt
salt and black pepper
parsley or coriander leaves for garnishing

Method
Preheat the grill. Brush the aubergine slices lightly with some of the oil, salt and pepper and cook under a high heat, turning once until golden and tender and put in a bowl.
Mix all the remaining oil, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, coriander. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly and add to the aubergine. Stir well and chill for at 2 hours.
Add the cucumber and tomatoes. Spoon yogurt on top and sprinkle the parsley.


Erba Olio trans. Herb and Olive Oil (Italian)

Ingredients:
Olive oil 5 tbsp
Garlic cloves, chopped or crushed 6
Red Chili, chopped 1 -2 (optional)
Spring Onion, chopped 2 springs
Basil, chopped 4 tbsp
Coriander, chopped 4 tbsp
Chinese Celery, chopped 2 tbsp
Mint, chopped 2 tbsp
Salt
Black Pepper
Pine Nuts ½ cup
Cooked Pasta 400g

Method:
1. Put oil in a pan and heat it over medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli in the oil and fry for about 1min.
2. Add the herbs and cook, stirring for about 5 mins.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.
4. Add the pasta and stir. If the pasta is dry, add a little of the pasta water. Sprinkle pine nuts and serve.



Garlic Butter Prawns

Ingredients:
100g butter
10 garlic cloves, chopped
500g prawns, washed, leave the heads and shells on
salt
black pepper
coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:
Heat butter in a wok and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 1 min.
Add the prawns and stir fry until the prawns turn pink.
Add the salt and black pepper and stir and turn off the heat.
Serve garnished with coriander leaves.



Fresh Fruits with Spiced Lemongrass Syrup (New Asia)

Ingredients:
For Syrup
1 cup water
1/4 cup red wine, optional
1/2 cup palm sugar/gula melaka, finely chopped
1 stalk lemon grass, bruised and thinly sliced
1 inch ginger, julienne
2 star anise
1 inch cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon/lime juice

Any combination of fruits amounting to 500g
papaya, peeled and cubed
guava, peeled and cubed
star fruit, thickly sliced
pineapple, peeled and cubed
dragon fruit, peeled and cubed
banana, peeled thickly sliced

Method:
Put all the ingredients for the syrup in a pan and heat it over high heat. Once the liquid starts to boil, lower the heat, add the fruits (add the firmer fruits first followed by the softer fruits) and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and leave it aside.
Place the fruits in a serving dish and drizzle some of the syrup on it and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.



Singapore Chilli Crab (Specialty)

Ingredients:
4 crabs
½ cup oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
½ inch ginger, juliennedl
1 red chilli, chopped finely, optional
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
3 tbsp chili sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
salt or light soya sauce to taste
½ cup water or chicken stock
1 tsp corn flour
1 egg, beaten
coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:
Slide a sharp strong knife or cleaver under top of shell at back of crab, lever off shell and discard gills and spongy parts under the shell. Wash crab thoroughly. Chop body into quarters with cleaver; remove claws and legs, crack it and chop into large pieces.
Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the crabs for few minutes until it changes its colour to pink. Remove crabs and leave it aside.
In the remaining oil in the wok, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and red chillies for a few minutes until it turn slightly brown.
Add the tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, oyster sauce, salt/soya sauce, water/chicken stock and cook, stirring, over medium heat for about 5 mins.
Add the crabs and stir well and cook covered for another 5 mins. If you want the sauce to be thicker, you may add the corn flour mixed with a little water and stir well.
Add in the beaten eggs, mix well and serve immediately garnished with coriander leaves.

food on helen's birthday

Recipes from Philippines, China and Canada

Filipino Adobo

Ingredients:

- 1 kilo (chicken or pork or mixed)
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup of cooking or olive oil)
- 1 head of garlic, diced
- 1 big bulb of onion, diced
- salt & black pepper to taste (freshly grounded pepper is better)
- 1 cup soya sauce (to taste)
- 1 cup vinegar (to taste)
- 1 or 2 cups of water (optional, and usually used as a meat tenderiser)
- 1 pc red chilli pepper (optional)

Procedures:

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Sauté the garlic until it turns light brown. Then sauté the onion. Add the meat and sauté with the garlic and onion until it is about to tenderise.
3. Add the soya sauce and vinegar. Add the salt and black pepper.
4. For a dash of spice, put one red chilli pepper. Taste and adjust to suit your taste (should be a bit tangy).
5. Bring to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes to let the flavor mix well with the meat (or when meat is tender). For dry adobo, simmer until the sauce thickens and then it’s time to serve.

Note: There are different twists to Adobo. For example, in my family, we like it dry (with very little sauce). Some like it with more sauce. On certain occasions we also put hard-boiled quail eggs in it. Here in Singapore, I tried cooking it with potatoes.