Salmon tart

A week of packed lunches - Thursday.

Ingredients (serves 2):
150g frozen puff pastry
1/2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup thick cream
1/2 cup fresh milk
1 large egg
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups spinach leaves
4 button mushrooms, halved
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
100g smoked salmon
2 tsp dried coriander

Method:
1. Roll out the puff pastry. Cut into a circle to line a 6cm tart tin. Brush with butter and bake at 180 deg C for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
2. Whisk the cream, fresh milk and egg together. Add in the chopped onions, salt and black pepper.
3. Pour the mixture into the cooked crust. Add the spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and salmon, then sprinkle with dried coriander.
4. Turn on the oven's top grill and cook the tart for another 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Tips:
To fill the crust, leave the tart tin in the oven but pull out the oven tray halfway. Put the cream mixture into a jug and pour slowly into the crust.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jan 2008)

Grilled vegetable lasagne

A week of packed lunches - Wednesday.

Ingredients (serves 2):
6 strips dried lasagne pasta
1 medium eggplant
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 large onion, sliced
8 fresh button mushrooms, halved
2 cups canned tomato pasta sauce
3 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried coriander

Cream sauce:
1 cup thick cream
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Method:
1. Cook the lasagne according to the instructions on the packet.
2. Turn the gas hob to a medium flame and place a wire rack over it. Put the eggplant and all the bell peppers on the wire rack and char both sides. Once the skin is blackened, remove from the fire and place in a bowl. Seal the bowl with cling wrap for 20 minutes. Uncover and remove the charred skin with your fingers. Slice the vegetables.
3. In a pan, heat up the butter and saute the onions and mushrooms.
4. In another pan, prepare the cream sauce: add the cream, then stir in the nutmeg powder and evaporated milk.
5. To assemble the lasagne, place a strip of cooked lasagne pasta at the bottom of an oiled oven-proof pan. Layer the ingredients in this order: onions and mushrooms, grilled vegetables, tomato pasta sauce, cream sauce and cheese. Top with another strip of pasta and repeat. Finish with a layer of cheese.
6. If you are assembling the lasagne the night before, cover the uncooked portion with cling wrap and keep it in the refrigerator. Just before baking, drizzle with oilve oil and dried coriander. Bake in an oven at 175 deg C for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Tips:
You can also grill the veggies for 20 minutes in a 175 deg C oven.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jan 2008)

Basmati rice with minced beef

A week of packed lunches - Tuesday.

Ingredients (serves 2):
Rice:
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
4 cardamom pods
2 tsp coriander powder
2 cups Basmati rice, washed and rinsed
2 tsp turmeric powder
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp sultanas

Minced beef:
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp ready-made rendang paste
3 tbsp curry powder
200g minced beef
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water

Raita:
3 tbsp mango yogurt
1 medium cucumber, skinned and chopped

Method:
1. Heat butter and olive oil, and add garlic, onions, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and coriander powder. Fry until fragrant.
2. Add the Basmati rice, turmeric powder and vegetable stock, cook for 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with sultanas once rice is cooked.
3. In another pot, heat 1 tsp olive oil and add in the rendang paste and curry powder and fry until fragrant. Add the minced beef and cook for 2 minutes, then add the peas, salt, pepper, coconut milk and water, and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened.
4. To make the side serving of raita, mix the yogurt and cucumber together.

Tips:
Cut calories by using low-fat evaporated milk instead of coconut milk.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jan 2008)

Grilled chicken salad

Pack your own homecooked lunch box to work with these tasty, no-fuss recipes.


A week of packed lunches - Monday.

Ingredients (serves 2):
2 chicken breasts, sliced in half
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into rings
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tsp orange vinaigrette (from Jones the Grocer)
1 packet pre-washed mixed salad leaves
2 eggs, hard boiled and quartered
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken with oyster sauce, dark soya sauce, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Place a small amount of olive oil in a grill pan and grill the chicken for 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked. Remove and cut into slices.
3. To make the dressing, add the remaining olive oil, onions, orange juice and orange vinaigrette into the same pan. Let the mixture boil for 15 minutes or until it thickens. Let it cool.
4. To serve, place the chicken slices on the bed of salad leaves and add the hard-boiled eggs and tomatoes. Pack dressing separately and drizzle over just before serving.

Tips:
If you can't find orange vinaigrette, make your own using 1 part balsamic vinegar and 2 parts orange juice.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jan 2008)

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)