Crab cakes with caramelised vinaigrette sauce

These baked crab cakes will be a hit at beach outings and dinner parties alike.

Ingredients (serves 4):
For crab cakes:
400g cooked crab meat
1 small carrot, parboiled and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
A handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp powdered mustard
1 1/2 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
3 tbsp panko flakes (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup olive oil

For the coating:
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko flakes

Vinaigrette sauce:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tbsp brown sugar

Method:
1. Mash the crab meat and remove excess water. Mix with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Roll small handfuls of the mixture into balls and flatten into patties.
3. Coat the crab cakes with flour, followed by egg and panko flakes.
4. Place the crab cakes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush olive oil on crab cakes, then bake at 175 deg C for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
5. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan, then simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens. Drizzle over crab cakes just before serving.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Mar 2008)

Stir-fried asparagus with prawns and shimeiji mushrooms

Ingredients (serves 3 to 4):
1 packet FairPrice Pasar Organic Asparagus
8 grey prawns, peeled and de-veined
1 small packet shimeiji mushrooms, washed and cut above the roots
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp FairPrice oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp water

For the paste, pound together:
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tbsp coriander roots, thoroughly washed
2 red chillies

Method:
1. Wash the asparagus and cut about 1cm off the base of the stems and discard. Cut the remaining asparagus into three approximately 5cm pieces each. Set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat.
3. Add the prawns and paste and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender.
5. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Tips:
Recipe uses FairPrice’s Pasar Organic Asparagus ($3 per pkt of 200g) available at selected FairPrice supermarkets.

Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables in existence. It is rich in folic acid, which has been shown to help prevent neural defects in babies. In fact, a 150g serving of asparagus provides 60 per cent of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid, which is also vital for blood cell formation, growth and the prevention of liver disease.

High in fibre and low on sodium, asparagus is also lean on calorie content, which makes it an ideal vegetable for the health-conscious. It is also a good source of potassium and thiamin, and is one of the richest sources of rutin, a compound that strengthens our capillary walls.

You can also replace the prawns with thinly sliced beef and use shiitake or oyster mushrooms in place of shimeiji.

Recipe source: Today newspaper (4 Sep 2008)

Steamed fish with ginger and spring onion sauce

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 x 200g cod fillet
Salt and white pepper
4 bok choy, cut into half

For the sauce:
1 tbsp FairPrice oyster sauce
3 tbsp cooking oil
3 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp water
3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced finely
4 spring onions (white parts only), chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp sesame oil

To serve:
4 spring onions (green parts only), finely sliced
1 red chilli, sliced lengthwise

Method:
1. Season the fish in salt and white pepper and steam for 10 minutes until the flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork.
2. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, until it becomes fragrant but not browned.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes.
6. Blanch the bok choy for 30 seconds in boiling water. Drain well.
7. To serve, place the bok choy at the bottom of the plate and place the fish over it. Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with the spring onions and chilli.

Tips:
Recipe uses FairPrice Premium Oyster Sauce ($2.45) available at all FairPrice supermarkets.

You can pour this sauce over any firm white fish, be it a pomfret or snapper. Just make sure that the fish you use is the freshest.

Recipe source: Today newspaper (22 May 2008)

Chicken drumsticks with coffee sauce

Coffee helps bring out the flavour of meat without overpowering its taste.

Good coffee beans should be whole - avoid broken or splintered ones.

Freeze beans that you don't use up within 2 weeks of opening. Wrap in layers of plastic to prevent the beans from absorbing the smell of other food.


Coffee - Part 1.

A twist to the ever-popular coffee pork ribs.

Ingredients (serves 4):
6 chicken drumsticks
1 tsp oyster sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper
2 tsp unsalted butter
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp barbeque sauce
3 tbsp brewed coffee
1 tsp brown sugar

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken with oyster sauce, salt and pepper.
2. Saute chicken over a heated grill pan with butter for 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the oil and saute garlic until fragrant, then add in the barbeque sauce, coffee and brown sugar. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
4. Finally, add in the chicken, allowing the sauce to caramelise and ensuring the chicken pieces are evenly covered with sauce. Serve immediately.

Tips:
Prepare the sauce in advance to speed up the cooking process.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Sep 2007)

Mexican chicken enchiladas

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 pieces fresh wraps (from supermarkets)
2 chicken breasts
1 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp salsa sauce
1 tbsp Worchester sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp mint sauce
1 tsp raw cane sugar
1 cup thick cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
bunch of fresh coriander

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken with oyster sauce, salt, pepper and raw cane sugar for 10 minutes.
2. Grill the chicken in a pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan, slice it in strips and leave it aside.
3. Take one wrap and place some chicken strips on it. Top with salsa sauce, mint sauce, coriander and tomatoes and wrap it up firmly. Repeat the method for the other wraps.
4. Place the 4 enchiladas in a tray and sprinkle cheddar cheese, lemon juice and a dollop of thick cream. Bake in the oven at 175 deg C for 35 minutes until the cheese becomes golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven and serve with fresh greens.

Recipe source: Family magazine (Feb 2007)

Steamed shrimp and tofu

Ingredients (serves 4):
12-15 medium-sized prawns, shelled and deveined, keeping prawn shells
2 packs silken tofu, sliced into fours
2 stalks spring onion

Sauce:
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce

Method:
1. Marinate prawns with a light sprinkling of sugar, a pinch of salt and cornflour for 10 minutes, then set aside.
2. Arrange tofu on a plate for steaming.
3. Cut the white base of the spring onion from the green part. The white portion is to be steamed together with the prawns for added flavour. Shred the green part for topping later.
4. Put prawn shells and prawns on a plate to be steamed together. Place tofu on a separate plate. Steam prawns and tofu - preferably on 2 levels of the steaming pot - for 5 minutes until tofu is heated through and the prawns and shells turn pink. Discard prawn shells.
5. To prepare sauce, drain gravy from plate of prawns into a pan. Heat until reduced to half. Add sauce ingredients and heat for 1 minute.
6. To serve, put prawns on top of tofu pieces. Pour sauce over and top with shredded spring onion.

Recipe source: Women's Weekly magazine

Chicken flavoured rice

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 small chicken, skinned and cut into bite-sizes
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 water chestnut, peeled and sliced
6 dried mushrooms, soaked and sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fragrant rice

Method:
1. Mix chopped chicken pieces with all ingredients except the rice. Leave to marinate.
2. Wash rice until water runs clear and drain. Add 2 cups water and start the rice cooker.
3. When the water has reduced to rice level, carefully add chicken pieces on top of rice.
4. Finish cooking the rice and leave covered for at least 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe source: Today newspaper