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)

Chicken ala king

Ingredients (serves 4):
50g butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
2 Organic Prairie chicken breast fillets
6 fresh mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
1 red pepper, seeded and finely diced

Method:
1. Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a rolling boil.
2. Add the chicken breast fillets. After 3 minutes, turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Set aside for half an hour. The chicken will poach in the heated liquid.
3. When the chicken has cooled, dice it.
4. In another saucepan, melt the butter then whisk in the flour and salt.
5. Slowly add the milk and chicken stock, whisking as you go to get a smooth sauce.
6. Cook, stirring constantly until the sauce becomes thick and bubbly, for about 10 minutes.
7. Add the diced chicken, red peppers and mushrooms and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
8. Season to taste and serve hot.

Tips:
Recipe uses Organic Prairie Chicken Breast Fillets ($59.30 per kg) available at FairPrice Finest.

This is a very retro dish circa the 1970s, when mother and aunties would serve it poured over buttered toast, puff pastry or even choux pastry cases.

Recipe source: Today newspaper (29 May 2008)

Curry tuna samosas

Ingredients (makes 20):
1/2 packet large spring-roll skins
1 can FairPrice Tuna Flakes (any of the three flavours are suitable)
1 large potato, peeled and diced
4 tbsp cooking oil
Oil for frying
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp flour mixed with 2 tbsp water to form a paste

Method:
1. Heat the 4 tbsp of cooking oil in a pan and fry the diced potatoes with the salt until the potatoes are soft (this should take about 15 minutes), stirring often.
2. Remove them from the pan, then wipe the skillet with a kitchen towel to remove any excess grease.
3. Return the potatoes to the pan and pour in the can of tuna flakes.
4. Fry for 5 minutes, until the mixture is slightly dry. Set aside to cool.
5. Cut each spring-roll skin into three strips lengthwise.
6. Place one heaped teaspoon of the mixture at the end of each strip and fold one corner over diagonally to align with the opposite side of the strip. This should form a triangle at the base of the skin.
7. Continue folding the rest of the strip around the triangle.
8. Seal the final flap with a little flour-and-water paste.
9. When all the samosas are ready, fry them in very hot oil, a few at a time, until crisp and golden.
10. Drain on kitchen towels and serve.

Tips:
Recipe uses FairPrice Curry Tuna Flakes ($1.45 per can) available at all FairPrice supermarkets.

Recipe source: Today newspaper (13 Mar 2008)

Radish and fish soup

Ingredients (serves 4):
300g fresh fish fillet (threadfin, cod, snapper)
200g shredded radish
2 cloves garlic, peel and crush
2 pcs x 4cm long leek, julienne
4-5 stalks chrysanthemum leaves (tang orr), optional
2 fresh green chillies
Flour - corn, potato or tapioca
Sesame oil

A:
1 tbsp cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped spring onion
3/4 tsp grated ginger

B:
1 tbsp cooking wine
1 tsp soya sauce
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Cut fish fillet into 1 cm thick slices. Season with ingredients (A) for at least 10 minutes.
2. Dust fish slices with your choice of flour. Drop in boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove and add to simmering soup.
3. Grease a soup pot with sesame oil and heat over moderate heat. Add crushed garlic and shredded radish. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add 5 cups of water and bring a a rolling boil. Continue to boil until radish is soft.
5. Add sliced green chillies and blanched fish fillets to radish soup.
6. Add seasoning (B) and sliced leek. Turn of heat.
7. Place some clean chrysanthemum leaves (if using) in each soup bowl. Pour piping hot soup over leaves in bowls. Serve immediately.

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)

Apple pie

Ingredients (serves 8):
8 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced
140g golden caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp flour
2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp water

Method:
1. Line the baking tray with paper towels. Place sliced apples on the towels and leave for about an hour so they brown naturally. This will give the filling a silky texture.
2. Mix golden caster sugar, cinnamon and flour to form a paste. Pat apple slices dry and tip them into sugar paste. Mix with hands.
3. Line the pie pan with shortcrust pastry. Trim edges and reserve trimmings for decoration. Pile filling into base.
4. Brush pastry edges with a little water and lay pastry lid over filling, pressing edges to seal. Trim and scallop the edges.
5. Cut decorations out of leftover pastry and place onto pastry lid. Make small slashes on the lid to allow steam to escape.
6. Mix beaten egg with some water and brush over the pastry lid. Preheat oven to 200 deg C and bake for 45 minutes until brown. Serve warm.

Tips:
Make the pie (until step 5) a few days in advance, store in a container and freeze. To serve, thaw for at least an hour, baste with beaten egg and bake as instructed.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Dec 2006)

Chicken stew with tomato and chilli

A modified recipe of a traditional Italian stew.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp flour
Salt
800g chicken fillets, leg thigh
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp light soya sauce
4 stalks fresh coriander leaves, chopped
600g broccoli, cut into flowerettes

Method:
1. Place flour, a pinch of salt and a few shakes of pepper into a clean plastic bag.
2. Cut chicken into bite-size cubes and put into same bag. Holding bag closed, shake a few times.
3. Brown flour-dusted chicken in a non-stick pan with olive oil. Do in batches and put aside.
4. In same pan, saute onion, garlic and chilli flakes for 2 minutes.
5. Add tomato paste and light soya sauce, stir.
6. Add chicken and cook over a moderate heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Add a few drizzles of water if it gets too dry. Stir in chopped coriander leaves just before removing from heat.
7. Bring water in a steamer to a rolling boil. Steam broccoli for 3 minutes.
8. Serve chicken and broccoli hot with crusty bread on the side.

Recipe source: Streats newspaper

Strawberry muffins

These are great for breakfast, teatime or as a snack for kids and adults.

Ingredients (makes 12):
375g flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 small eggs
150g sugar
125ml milk
65ml plain yoghurt
125ml butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g strawberries, cut into cubes and frozen

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Line muffin tin with paper cups.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well combined. Gently whisk in milk, yoghurt, butter and vanilla extract.
4. Quickly add the flour into this mixture and stir till they start to blend. Gently fold in strawberries. The batter should be rather lumpy at this stage.
5. Fill the paper cups with the batter until about 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or till the top is nicely browned. Cool muffins on a wire rack.

Tips:
If you prefer the muffins to be less sweet, simply cut down the amount of sugar.

Recipe source: Today newspaper