 | Category: | | Sandwiches | | Style: | | Mediterranean | | Servings: | | 6 |
Description:
Easy to prepare plus the dressing is to die for. Turkey, of course, is best used for the burger patties as indicated in the recipe but beef and/or chicken can be used as substitute. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 packet/envelope Ranch Style Salad Dressing Mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (8 oz.) container plain yogurt
1/2 small head iceberg lettuce, chopped into bite size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 packet/envelope Classic Herb Salad Dressing Mix
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
6 regular size whole wheat pita bread
Alfalfa sprouts
Directions:
Combine ranch salad dressing mix with mayonnaise and yogurt. Beat with wire whisk or fork until smooth and creamy. Chill for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine lettuce, onion, tomato, and cucumber in bowl.
Mix classic herb salad dressing mix with ground turkey.
Pan fry or broil to desired doneness.
Serve burgers in pita bread topped with lettuce mixture, ranch dressing, and alfalfa sprouts.
**Preparation takes about 15 minutes, cooking takes about 10 minutes. 
 | Category: | | Meat & Seafood | | Style: | | Thai |
Description:
I have always been a fan of Thai cuisine. Chicken pandan and fish cakes were my regular orders at the now defunct Sukhothai, which happens to be my favourite Thai restaurant along with Krua Thai. Migi, however, refused to give me the recipe for Sukhothai's Chicken Pandan before he left for London. So for the time being, this is my recommended recipe in cooking Thai Chicken Pandan. Enjoy! Thai food is la-la-love! <3
NOTE: My apologies for forgetting and not stating the website where I got this recipe as all recipes posted here were long saved at my PC. Should you know the website where this recipe was originally published, do not hesitate to inform me.
Ingredients:
500 grams (about 1lb) chicken thigh, free-range is best
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped coriander roots
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic
3/4 teaspoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon palm sugar (or white sugar)
1 1/2 tablespoons white soy sauce
2 teaspoons golden mountain brand soy sauce
1 tablespoon chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon milk (from a cow)
30 pandan leaves, cleaned well
For the sauce:
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons black soy sauce
1 teaspoon white soy sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar
a small slice (about 1/2 teaspoon) ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Cut the chicken into 2″ chunks, leaving the skin on.
Smash the garlic, peppercorns & cilantro/corriander roots together in a stone mortar & pestle to make a paste.
Transfer to a bowl. Add soy sauces, palm sugar, cooking wine, sesame oil and milk. Mix well.
Add the chicken and mix well. Cover and marinate for an hour or more in the refrigerator.
Dry roast the sesame seeds in a pan on medium-low heat until browned and set aside (optional).
In a saucepan, simmer the sauce ingredients on medium-low heat until thicker, about 5 minutes.
When the chicken is finished marinating, create little ‘pandan-leaf’ packets as shown in the slideshow. Add one piece of chicken per leaf packet.
Fry the leaf packet on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, until brown.
Top the sauce with the sesame seeds and serve. (Unwrap & discard leaf before eating).
Instructions for Wrapping with the Pandan Leaves:
Start with the non-shiny side up.
Fold the bottom-end up and over.
Fold the top-end down and through.
Pull to make tight.
Filip over, and pick up the top-end
Bring through the top-layer and pull tight.
Flip again, and stuff with a piece of chicken
Trim leaf ends, then fry in medium heat.
**Pandan leaves ('bai dteuy' in Thai) are available frozen in many Asian groceries. Thaw them and clean well before using. Do not rinse in hot water as you will lose a lot of flavor. (Frozen leaves are already less-flavorful, so you want to keep all you can get!)
Pandan essence is also available in little bottles at many Asian groceries. If your frozen pandan leaves have no fragrant smell or flavor, try adding a few drops to your marinade. The flavor of pandan should be noticeable in the finished chicken. If you use fresh leaves, you won't have this problem.
There are many different ways of folding these packets. The instructions given for wrapping leaves a bit of chicken exposed, so that you get a bit of crispiness. You're welcome to experiment! Do make sure you fold them tight, otherwise the juices will leak and the chicken will be dry (and your oil will pop.)
Cow's milk is used in the marinade to tenderize the meat. It can be left out.
You do not eat the pandan leaf. Make sure to tell your guests to take it off before eating the chicken.
Description:
Baked Macaroni might seem a very common and simple recipe to some but THIS is how I love my baked macaroni done. Mmmmm mmmmm. XD
Ingredients:
225 g. of macaroni (you can use penne or ziti as well)
3 tbsps. of butter
3 tbsps. of olive oil
1/4 kg. of ground beef (sirloin, if you want minimal fat)
1/4 kg. of smoked ham or bacon, or salami or pepperoni (sliced as thinly as you can)
1/4 kg. of fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 kg. of tomatoes, chopped
1/4 kg. of onions, chopped
4-5 green or red bell peppers (or 6-8 pimientoes), cored and chopped
1 whole garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 c. of tomato paste
3-4 c. of good meat broth
a bunch of fresh basil leaves, chopped, or about a teasponful of dried basil leaves
salt
pepper
sugar
For the topping :
1/3 c. of butter
3 tbsps. of flour
2 c. of milk
1 c. of water
half of a 225 g. block of Quickmelt (processed) cheese, softened then cut into small pieces
half of a 225 g. block of cream cheese, softened then cut into small pieces
salt
pepper
Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package directions, undercooking by about 5 minutes. Again, this will allow the pasta to finish cooking in the sauce, absorbing the flavors. Drain, rinse and set aside.
Heat the butter and olive oil together over medium-high heat in a sauce pan. Add the ground beef, breaking up the lumps. Add the garlic and cook until the meat starts to brown. Add the ham, bacon, salami or pepperoni. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add all the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften. Add the tomato paste and stir. Pour in the meat broth. Season with salt, pepper and some sugar. The sugar will neutralize the acidity of the tomato paste. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, prepare the cream-cheese topping. Melt the butter in a saucepan. When frothy, add the flour all at once, stirring. Let the flour cook for about 5 minutes to remove any floury taste in the cooked topping. Usually, the flour is cooked when the mixture starts to turn golden brown. Pour in the water in a thin stream, stirring as you do. The mixture will be lumpy at this stage. Pour in the milk slowly, again, stirring as you pour. By the time all the milk has been incorporated into the mixture, it will appear to be a little thin. Don’t worry, the cheeses will thicken them to the required consistency. Add the cheeses. Set the heat to low and let the cheeses melt, stirring the mixture occasionally. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.
When the sauce is done, add the cooked pasta and toss well. Let the mixture cook over low heat with an occasional stirring. This should allow the pasta to finish cooking. Usually, this step takes about 5-6 minutes.
Pour the pasta and sauce into a baking dish. Make sure that the dish is large enough so that the mixture is an inch below the rim. You will still be adding the topping. Everything will simmer and bubble during baking and you don’t want the sauce and topping falling onto the oven floor.
Pour the topping onto the pasta mixture, spreading to seal the edges. If you don’t seal the edges, the exposed pasta will dry up during baking.
Bake in a preheated 180oC oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. How brown depends on you. A well-browned topping is more aromatic and attractive but, if there are leftovers, the topping does have a tendency to get overbrowned during reheating.
Let the baked macaroni rest for about 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with garlic sticks or buttered toast.
| Category: | | Meat & Seafood | | Servings: | | 4 |
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce
2 tablespoons oil
4 boneless loin chops (pork or lamb)
1 clove garlic chopped
Directions:
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper and brown sugar in a small cup.
Heat oil in skillet and cook chops about 4 minutes on one side or until well browned , flip and cook a few more minutes to brown other side. Remove from pan. Cook garlic in pan to brown and then add soy mixture, letting boil rapidly a few minutes. Add chops to pan and cook and turn in the sauce a few more minutes.
| Category: | | Meat & Seafood | | Servings: | | 8 |
Ingredients:
8 (6-ounce each) lean lamb rib chops
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Vegetable cooking spray
Directions:
Trim fat from chops; set chops aside.
Combine apple juice and next 3 ingredients in a large zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag. Add chops; seal bag, and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove chops from bag, reserving marinade.
Place chops on a broiler rack coated with cooking spray, and place rack on a broiler pan. Broil 5-1/2 inches from heat 9 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness, basting frequently with reserved marinade.
| Category: | | Meat & Seafood | | Servings: | | 3 |
Ingredients:
6 lamb chops
flour for dredging
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup Spanish olives, seeded and sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Season chops with salt and pepper; dredge with flour. Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chops and cook 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Transfer to heated platter.
Pour wine into skillet and scrape up brown bits. Stir in tomatoes and olives. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chops.
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