Fried dried anchovies

Ingredients (makes 2 1/2 cups):
200g good quality dried anchovies (ikan bilis), medium size
3 green chillies, cut diagonally
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
Cooking oil for deep frying

Method:
1. Discard head and bitter belly pouch of dried anchovies. Spread on a tray and sun for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat cooking oil for deep frying. Slide in dried anchovies and deep fry slowly over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown.
3. Leave about 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and saute the sliced green chillies* until crispy.
4. Return the fried crispy anchovies to the pan. Sprinkle sugar and sesame oil over them. Toss and mix. Turn off heat. Serve as an appetizer with drinks or as a side dish with kimchi.

Tips:
* For a sticky version, don't add green chillies. Add sugar and about 1 1/2 tbsp water and stir until bubbles appear. Return fried chillies and anchovies to pan and toss quickly. Flavour with sesame oil.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Cheesy rice balls

Cheese - Part 2.

A great way to use up leftover rice - overnight rice grains are harder and hold their shape better.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):
3 cups cooked rice
2 tsp dried coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp sesame seeds
200g Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups flour
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 1/2 cup cooking oil

Method:
1. Mix the rice, coriander, cinnamon, onion, sea salt, black pepper and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl.
2. Grease your palms with oil, roll some rice into a ball and make a dent in the middle. Fill the dent with a heaped teaspoon of Mozzarella cheese and seal up the rice ball. Repeat with remaining rice.
3. Coat the rice balls first with flour, followed by the egg, and then the breadcrumbs.
4. Heat a wok with oil on high heat and pan fry the rice balls until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tips:
To make a baked rice dish, place in a casserole and add more breadcrumbs.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Oct 2007)

Easy chilli mussels

Spicy and simple 10 minute dish.

Ingredients (serves 6):
1kg fresh mussels, cleaned
1 pack Prima Taste Singapore Chilli Crab (containing premix, paste and extra hot chilli mix)
530ml water (30ml for the premix)
4 tbsp cooking oil
2 eggs, beaten
coriander leaves, for garnish

Method:
1. Mix chilli crab premix with 30ml water and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok and add chilli crab paste. Fry until fragrant.
3. Add mussels, stir and coat well with paste.
4. Pour 500ml water, cover wok for 3-5 minutes until the gravy starts to bubble. Add chilli crab premix.
5. Add the extra hot chilli mix if you want it spicy or leave it out altogether.
6. Stir in beaten egg to thicken the gravy.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or slices of crusty French loaf.

Tips:
For a richer gravy, top it with half a cup of crushed roasted peanuts or cashew nuts.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Mar 2007)

Blueberry-buttermilk pancakes with orange sauce

Ingredients (makes 4 to 5 servings, 2 pancakes and 2 tbsp of sauce per serving):
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Orange wedges and/or fresh blueberries (optional)

Method:
Pancakes:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In another mixing bowl, stir together the egg white, buttermilk, cooking oil and vanilla. Add all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined but still slightly lumpy. Gently add the blueberries.
3. For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto a non-stick griddle or pan. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to cook second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and slightly dry edges.
4. Serve with orange sauce. If desired, garnish with orange wedges and/or additional blueberries. Cover and chill any remaining orange sauce.

Orange sauce:
In a small saucepan, stir together 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp cornstarch. Add 1 cup water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir sauce for 2 minutes more. Serve warm.

Recipe source: Health magazine

Spicy pasta

Ingredients:
300g pasta
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 green capsicum, sliced
1 red capsicum, sliced
1 tbsp chilli paste
1 tsp salt
200ml Kara coconut cream

Method:
1. Cook pasta in boiling water until tender, drain then toss in 1 tbsp cooking oil and put aside.
2. Heat remaining oil in separate saucepan, fry onions until golden and add all the capsicums. Stir well.
3. Add chilli paste, Kara coconut cream, tomato and salt to taste. Allow to boil.
4. Toss in pasta and serve immediately.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Coke chicken

A favourite with students abroad as it's easy to cook and suits most tastes.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 kg chicken drummettes (part of the wing)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 shallots, crushed
2 knobs 1.5cm ginger, crushed
3 leeks, 3cm lengths
2 cans x 330ml Coca-Cola
3/4 tsp black soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 and 1/2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
1. Heat cooking oil in a medium pot until hot. Reduce heat to medium and saute crushed garlic, shallots and ginger until fragrant. Add leeks and stir for another 2 minutes.
2. Add chicken drummettes, toss and mix for 2 minutes or so. Pour Coca-Cola over chicken and boil for 10 minutes, uncovered.
3. Stir chicken, add black soya sauce and salt. Cover pot and boil until gravy is reduced to a quarter. Stir occasionally.

Tips:
You can use chicken wings or other parts of the chicken too.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine