Orange-glazed cod fillet

Ingredients (serves 2):
1 tbsp corn flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cod fillets (about 250g each)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small bulb ginger, skinned and sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp dried coriander
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tbsp honey
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp orange rind

Method:
1. Mix the corn flour, salt and pepper together, and coat the fillets with it.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat and fry the fillets for 10 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Saute the ginger in the same pan until golden brown and crispy. Remove.
4. Put the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan and saute the garlic, onion and dried coriander until fragrant. Add the oyster sauce, dark soya sauce, ginger powder, honey and orange juice. Let the sauce simmer until it thickens.
5. To serve, pour the sauce through a sieve over the fillets. Garnish with orange rind and fried ginger.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jan 2008)

Chicken meatballs

Ingredients (serves 2):
200g minced chicken
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1 onion, chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 sprigs coriander, finely chopped
2 sprigs mint, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tbsp corn flour
Salt, to taste

Method:
1. Mix all ingredients together and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Wet your hands so that the meat doesn't stick to your fingers, then roll the mixture into balls.
3. Heat oil over low heat. Shallow fry the meatballs, turning frequently. Blot with kitchen towels, and serve.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jan 2008)

Stuffed sambal squid

Spicy Malay dish in 3 simple steps in 20 minutes.

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 large squid, cleaned but leave skin intact
150g Dodo fish paste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 tbsp Foodstar Sambal Ikan Bilis paste
1 tsp lime juice
1/4 cup water

Method:
1. Stuff each squid with the fish paste and close the opening with a toothpick.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a grill pan and fry the stuffed squid on all sides until cooked, about 3 minutes each side. Remove and set aside.
3. To make the sauce, heat the remaining olive oil and saute the onions for 5 minutes. Add the sambal paste, lime juice and water and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Pour the sauce over the grilled squid and serve.

Tips:
Instead of fish paste, use minced pork or chicken seasoned with salt and pepper.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jan 2008)

Ginger lime jam

Ingredients (makes 2 medium jars):
10 large limes
3 bulbs ginger, skinned and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups castor sugar

Method:
1. Sterilise the glass jars by submerging in water and bringing to the boil for 2 minutes.
2. Skin 7 limes with a vegetable peeler.
3. Chop skinned limes into chunks. Extract the juice from the remaining 3 limes.
4. Place ginger slices into a presser to extract the juice. Alternatively, pound with a pestle and mortar, and squeeze out the juice.
5. Place lime chunks, lime juice, ginger juice, brown sugar and sugar in a pot and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
6. Keep stirring for 20 minutes until the mixture caramelises and thickens. Remove from heat, and cool completely before spooning into glass jars.

Tips:
For more bite, shred the leftover ginger and throw it into the jam mixture.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jan 2008)

Mini egg tarts

Egg - Part 3.

Smaller in size, but tastes as good as ever.

Ingredients (makes about 20):
For the pastry:
2 cups plain flour
155g butter
2 tbsp castor sugar
2 tsp ice water

For the custard:
2 eggs, at room temperature
340ml milk
120g castor sugar

Method:
1. To make the pastry, combine flour and butter and rub them together with your fingertips until they resemble breadcrumbs.
2. Add castor sugar and ice water and stir to form a smooth dough. Knead it a little, roll it into a ball, wrap with cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, stir the custard ingredients together, making sure there are no bubbles in the mixture.
4. Roll out the dough into 1/2cm thickness and cut about 20 circles, each around 10cm in diameter.
5. Fill mini muffin pans with the pastry dough, pour in the custard until almost full and bake at 180 deg C for 25-30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, let them cool briefly, then remove.

Tips:
Make the pastry in advance - you can store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Apr 2007)

Eggs poached with tomato and capsicum

Egg - Part 2.

Yummy and healthy, this stew is easy to make.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 tbsp oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
1 carrot, cut into big pieces
1 red capsicum, cut into big pieces
1 zucchini or cucumber, cut into chunks
1 can tomatoes, diced or whole
Mixed dried Italian herbs
2 tsp soya sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 eggs

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic and shallots until shallots are soft.
2. Add carrots, capsicum and zucchini (if you use cucumber, add it later, along with the eggs) and fry briefly, then add the can of tomatoes (include the juice), and the herbs, soya sauce, salt and pepper.
3. Boil for a while until vegetables are half cooked - about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Make a well in the vegetable stew. Crack an egg in a clean bowl and slide it gently into the well, making sure the yolk doesn't break.
5. Repeat the process with the other 3 eggs, making a well in the stew for each egg.
6. Turn the heat to low and let it poach gently until the eggs are cooked, for about 10 minutes.

Tips:
If you like the stew spicy, add a dash of paprika.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Apr 2007)

Puffy eggs on toast

To whisk eggs to greater volumes, beat room temperature eggs in copper bowls.

To get fluffier scrambled eggs, add 2 tsp of liquid (cream, milk or water) per egg.

Refrigerated eggs are easier to separate than eggs at room temperature.

A hard-boiled egg is easier to peel when hot.


Egg - Part 1.

The breakfast staple is given an interesting twist.

Ingredients (serves 2):
2 eggs
2 slices of bread
A bit of butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Separate the egg whites and the yolks.
2. Put egg whites in a clean bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk with an egg-beater until they form stiff peaks.
3. Divide the puffed whites on the bread slices, leaving a hollow in the middle.
4. Then, put an egg yolk in each hollow and place the bread in a toaster oven.
5. Toast for about 3 minutes (longer if you like your yolk firmer) and serve hot.

Tips:
Sprinkle some grated cheese halfway through the toasting process.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Apr 2007)