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)

White miso soup with carrot and daikon

Ingredients (serves 2-3):
4 cups dashi
A splash of sake
100g carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
100g daikon, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp white miso paste
A pinch of salt, to taste
Sliced spring onions, to garnish

Method:
1. Combine dashi and sake in a pot and bring to a simmer.
2. Add carrot and daikon. Cook for 3-5 minutes over gentle heat.
3. Mix miso paste with 1/4 cup warm dashi. Stir well to remove lumps, and pour mixture into soup. Season with a pinch of salt, if desired. Don't over-boil the soup or the flavour, and nutritional value, of miso will be diminished.
4. Garnish with sliced spring onions and serve.

Recipe source: Food and Travel magazine (Feb 2007)

Cauliflower with haloumi cheese

Cheese - High in calcium and full of flavour, this gourmet treat adds richness and character to your dishes.

To prevent cheese from becoming tough and stringy, cook it at a low temperature or add it to your cooking at the last stage.

To retain the softness of cheese, chop finely or use a grater with large holes.

Cheese - Part 1.

A twist to your usual Western broccoli and melted cheese. Best eaten lightly pan-fried or toasted, Haloumi cheese is firm Middle Eastern cheese that won't melt when cooked.

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 tbsp olive oil
150g Haloumi cheese, cut into cubes
1 medium onion, sliced
5 cardamoms
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground turmeric
400g cauliflower florets
2 medium carrots, par-boiled and chopped
3/4 cup vegetable stock
Pepper to taste
Fresh coriander, to garnish

Method:
1. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan, saute the Haloumi cheese until golden brown and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add the rest of the oil, then saute onions, cardamons, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric until fragrant.
3. Add the cauliflower, carrots and vegetable stock and let simmer under low fire for about 10 minutes until the stock reduces.
4. Toss in the cooked cheese and add pepper to taste. Stir fry for another 5 minutes and remove. Top with fresh coriander and serve immediately.

Tips:
Don't feel like cheese? Then use tau kwa cubes instead.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Oct 2007)

Irish stew

Ingredients (serves 6):
1 kg lamb, cubed (neck chops or boneless lamb leg)
2 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
2 large onions, quartered
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 carrots, cut into chunky rounds
1 stick of celery, cut into 5cm pieces
350g new potatoes
225g mashed potatoes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
500ml chicken stock

Method:
1. Season lamb cubes with salt and pepper. Leave for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a heavy casserole dish, brown meat in olive oil, then remove from pot.
3. Scrape all meat from the bottom with a wooden spoon, add butter and saute onions and garlic until soft.
4. Add carrots, celery, browned lamb and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer for an hour before adding new potatoes.
6. Simmer for another 45 minutes until lamb is tender and potatoes cooked.
7. To thicken stew, add mashed potato and stir until well combined. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Tips:
Brown the lamb, saute the onions and garlic and then combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Leave to cook for about 8 hours while you get on with other things.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Dec 2006)

Beef stew

Ingredients (serves 4):
300g Banksia beef cubes, for stewing (available at Fairprice)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 stalks celery, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
Potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef stock (use beef stock cubes)
1/2 tbsp thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
Italian parsley, for garnishing (optional)

Method:
1. Season beef with salt and pepper for 1 hour.
2. Heat oil in a pan over high heat and fry beef cubes for about 4 to 5 minutes until browned.
3. Add onion, carrot and celery, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add potatoes and mix well.
4. Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
5. Pour in beef stock and stir well. Bring to a boil, and season with thyme, and more salt and pepper if required.
6. Simmer over low heat for about 1 to 2 hours until cooked. If the gravy is too thick, adjust the consistency with more stock. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Tips:
Serve with rice, bread, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Recipe source: Today newspaper

Ginger carrot cream soup

Ingredients (serves 2):
4 carrots, skin removed
4 thin slices of ginger
3 cups good quality chicken stock
1 cup thick cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 stalks of fresh spring onions, tied into a knot
small bunch of coriander
pepper and salt to taste

Method:
1. Boil the carrots until soft and blend them in a food processor until smooth.
2. Place the butter, ginger and spring onions in a pot and saute until fragrant.
3. Add the carrots and stir the mixture for another 5 minutes.
4. Pour in the chicken stock and let the soup boil for another 10 minutes on medium heat. Add pepper and salt to taste.
5. Once soup is boiling, add the cream and stir the soup for another 5 minutes.
6. Sieve out the ginger and spring onions. Serve immediately with a dollop of cream and a sprig of coriander.

Recipe source: Family magazine (Feb 2007)

Seafood casserole

Perfect dish for Christmas.

Ingredients (serves 2 to 3):
200g Prantalay Seafood Mix (from NTUC, to thaw, follow instructions on the packet)
125g parmesan or cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
500ml milk
4 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a pan. Fry onions until lightly browned. Add celery and carrots and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add seafood mix and fry for 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the flour and butter with a whisk until well blended. Gradually blend the cheese into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place celery, carrots and seafood into a medium baking dish. Spoon the cheese sauce into the dish and toss with the rest of the seafood mixture. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over.
4. Without covering the dish, bake it in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or grill under medium heat until the surface is brown. Serve hot with bread.

Recipe source: Today newspaper

Dried scallop & winter melon soup

The combination of winter melon and water chestnut makes this high in fibre, good for cleaning out the intestines and also in soothing sore throats.

Ingredients (serves 4):
600g winter melon
20g dried scallop
150g chicken meat
4 Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked in water until soft
50g carrot
4 water chestnuts
3 tbsp green peas
6 bowls stock

Method:
1. Soak dried scallop in half a bowl of water until soft.
2. Cut chicken meat into small cubes and season with 1/2 tsp cornflour.
3. Cut winter melon into cubes.
4. Pour stock into a pot. Add dried scallop, winter melon, water chestnut and mushrooms, and boil over low heat for about 45 minutes.
5. Add chicken and carrots and parboil for another 10 minutes. Add the peas and salt to taste.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Aug 2006)

Low-fat chicken and mushroom pie

Ingredients (serves 4):
Filling:
340g chicken breast, without skin
1 large onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
115g white button mushroom
115g white Japanese mushroon (optional)
55g green peas
1 tbsp chopped pasley (香芹)
1 tbsp plain flour
15g butter
300ml skimmed milk

Pie crust:
185g self-raising flour
20g butter
80ml skimmed milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

Method:
Filling:
1. Melt butter in a pot and put in 1 tablespoon of plain flour. Mix well. Add milk bit by bit, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth.
2. Put in chicken breast, mushrooms, onion, carrot, green peas and parsley and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a deep baking dish.

Pie crust:
1. In a large mixing bowl, rub butter into self-raising flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add milk bit by bit until it forms a soft dough.
2. Roll out to fit the top of the baking dish, seal edges, and brush on beaten egg. Set oven to 180 deg C with upper/lower function.
3. Bake on lower shelf for 30 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Recipe source: Today newspaper