Crispy onion rings recipe

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, sliced thickly
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, milk or beer
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Place half of the flour in a wide shallow bowl, mix the remaining flour with the buttermilk and egg and place it in a wide, shallow bowl and mix the panko breadcrumbs, creole seasoning, salt and pepper and place them in a third wide, shallow bowl.
• Dredge the onion slices in the flour, dip them in a mixture batter and dredge them in the breadcrumbs.
• Place the onion slices on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425F oven until golden brown, about 12-16 minutes.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake (w/ Gluten-Free Variation)

Ingredients 

• 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour*
• -1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
• -2 tsp. baking powder
• -1/2 tsp. each baking soda and salt
• -2 sticks (1 c.) butter, softened
• -1 3/4 c. sugar
• -1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest 
• -1/4 c. lemon juice 
• -4 large eggs
• -1 c. plain yogurt, stirred to loosen

sugar glaze

• -1 c. sugar
• -1/3 c. lemon juice (from 1 1/2-2 lemons)

Directions

• 1. Heat oven to 325F. Grease and flour a 10-cup decorative tube pan or a 12-cup Bundt pan. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• 2. In a large bowl beat butter, sugar, lemon zest, and juice with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until blended. With mixer on low, alternately beat in flour mixture and yogurt until batter is smooth. Scrape into prepared pan; level top with spatula. Batter will be thick.
• 3. Bake 55 to 65 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 5 minutes.
• 4. Glaze: Whisk glaze ingredients in a small bowl just until combined (sugar will not be totally dissolved). Invert cake from pan onto rack; place rack over a baking sheet. Brush glaze all over hot cake until absorbed (sugar crystals will be evident). Cool completely. Transfer cake to a serving plate and cover. Let cake rest several hours, or overnight (fully cooled, then covered), before serving.
• Woman’s Day claims this cake keeps for up to four days.  I made it on Saturday, let it sit overnight, and cut into it on Sunday.  It was moist and delicious on Sunday but had begun to dry out by Monday night.  Unless you have 4-6 hungry people to feed, I’d recommend halving this recipe and baking in smaller pan (8-in. round?).

*Gluten-free variation: substitute 2 c. white rice flour, 1/2 c. corn starch, and 1 tsp. xanthan gum for wheat flour.  Prepare pan with rice flour.

Using Leftovers: Mashed Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

• -2 cups mashed potatoes (prepared with milk, butter, salt and pepper)
• -2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• -1 egg
• -1/2 tsp. baking soda
• -1/2 tsp. baking powder
• -1 Tbsp fried onion toping, crushed 
• -1/4 tsp. salt
• -1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
• -1/4 tsp. bay leaf powder
• -pinch of rosemary
• -pinch of dried chili flakes
• -vegetable oil

Directions

• 1. Blend all ingredients except potatoes in a mixing bowl.
• 2. Stir in mashed potatoes.
• 3. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet on medium-high.
• 4. Spoon potato mixture into pan in 1/3 c. amounts and flatten with a spatula.
• 5. Flip when one side is golden brown and crispy, about 4 min. Keep warm while cooking remaining pancakes.
• 6. Serve hot with lingonberry jam or applesauce and sour cream.

Roasted Pumpkin Cream Soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. fresh pumpkin 
• 2 tsp. fresh sage, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled
• 3 shallots, peels on
• olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed of sand
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 lg. celery stalk, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 4 c. chicken/veggie broth
• 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste
• pinch of ground ginger
• dash nutmeg
• 1/2 c. evaporated milk
• 3 Tbsp. heavy cream
• 3 Tbsp. sherry (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish with your choice of:

• -roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), chopped
• -ground paprika
• -roasted corn (recipe follows)
• -chopped parsley
• -heavy cream

Directions

• 1. Cut the pumpkin into large chunks, halve the shallots, and place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast at 350F until fork-tender and golden.
• I peeled the shallots, but roasting with the peels on would have been better.
• 2. While the pumpkin and shallots cool, sweat the carrots, celery, and leeks in butter in a large pot. Season with salt, pepper, and the bay leaf. When the veggies are soft and lightly golden, deglaze the pot with the wine. Let the wine slowly evaporate over low heat.
• 3. Using a large spoon, scoop the pumpkin out of its skin and squeeze the shallots out of their skins. Add these to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to crush the pumpkin and stir to avoid burning.
• 4. Stir in the broth and evaporated milk and bring to a simmer. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and garlic. Cook over low heat until the carrots are fully tender and the flavors have melded, about 5 min. more.
• 5. Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup in batches (or use an immersion blender). Taste and adjust seasoning, then add the cream and sherry. Heat through.
• 6. To garnish, swirl 1/2 teaspoon of cream into each bowl. Sprinkle with paprika, then top with a few teaspoons of roasted corn, some parsley, and a few chopped pumpkin seeds. Serve hot, doing your best to wipe that self-satisfied look off your face.

Roasted corn garnish:

• -1 c. corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned…but please, nothing sweetened!  I mean you, Germany!)
• -1 Tbsp. olive oil
• -salt and pepper

Directions

• Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.  Spread the corn on the sheet, drizzle with oil, toss, and season with salt and pepper.  Broil 5-6 minutes, watching carefully, until they just begin to look brown and toasty around the edges. Avoid burning—the natural sugars incinerate quickly! 

Arepas Reina Pepiada

Ingredients

For the arepas:

• 2 cups Masarepa corn flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the reina pepiada:

• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken 
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and finely diced

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together the corn flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the butter into 21/2 cups of water, then add it to the flour mixture, stirring until well combined. The dough will start out loose but the flour quickly absorbs the liquid. Start to knead the dough in the bowl and once it becomes very soft and doesn’t stick to your hands, after about 8 minutes, the dough is ready to be shaped. If, while kneading, the dough seems too stiff and breaks apart, add a few tablespoons of hot water; if it is too sticky, add a little more corn flour.
• Divide the dough into 16 equal balls and flatten each between your palms into a 3 1/2- to 4- inch patty that’s about 1/3 inch thick. For a less rustic-looking arepa, press the arepa into a disk using a flat-bottomed plate; you can wet your hands with a little water if the dough is slightly sticky.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add 3 or 4 arepas to the pan, depending on how big your pan is. The arepas should sizzle as they hit the skillet. Cook the arepas until they’re golden and have a nice crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip them and brown the other side for an additional 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the arepas to a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil if the pan is dry, and the remaining arepa dough disks — you’ll probably need to use two baking sheets to bake the arepas.
• Bake the arepas until they puff up, 20 to 30 minutes, switching the pans so the top baking sheet is on the bottom and the bottom moves up to the top midway through cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes before serving with butter, cream cheese, queso fresco, or mozzarella.
• Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the onions, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and cilantro and salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Gently stir in the avocado, taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed. Slice a slit into the top edge of each arepa and gently wiggle a paring knife into the arepa, creating a pocket. Divide the chicken salad among the arepas and serve. 

Hand Chopped Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of basil, leaves only, washed and dried
• 3 medium cloves of garlic
• 1 small handful of raw pine nuts
• 3/4 cup Parmesan, loosely packed and freshly grated
• A few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

• The technique is: chop a bit, add some ingredients, chop some more — instead of chopping everything all at once. This technique ensures a spectrum of cut sizes throughout the pesto contributing to the overall texture. 
• So start chopping the garlic with about 1/3 of the basil leaves. Once this is loosely chopped add more basil, chop some more, add the rest of the basil, chop some more. Scrape and chop, gather and chop. At this point the basil and garlic should be a very fine mince. Add about half the pine nuts, chop. Add the rest of the pine nuts, chop. Add half of the Parmesan, chop. Then add the rest of the Parmesan, and chop. In the end you want a mince so fine that you can press all the ingredients into a basil 'cake'. Transfer the 'cake' to a small bowl, and cover it with a bit of olive oil. It doesn't take much, just a few tablespoons. You can set this aside or place it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it. Just before serving give the pesto a quick stir to incorporate some of the oil into the basil, and enjoy!

Potato Fennel Gratin

Ingredients:

• 1 fennel bulb, saving fronds for garnish
• 8 baking potatoes, peeled
• 2 cups gruyere, grated
• 4 cups half and half cream
• 4 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

• Preheat oven to 375°. Slice the bottom 1/2" off of the fennel bulb, saving the fronds for garnish. Wash the fennel bulb and then thinly slice using a mandoline, or slicing blade on a food processor. Set aside the fennel and then slice the potatoes in the same manner. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8"x15" casserole dish. Cover the bottom with a layer of overlapping potato slices, neatly as possible. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, a handful of the fennel, 1 tablespoon of butter broken up into small pieces and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Repeat 2 more times. Finish with one more layer of potatoes and top with the remaining cheese. Pour the cream on top. Tear the fronds into small pieces and sprinkle on top to garnish. Bake uncovered for 1 hour 20 minutes. The top should be nicely browned and crispy. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Tagliatelle with Bolognese Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing with the pasta
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
• 2/3 cup chopped carrot
• 3/4 pound ground beef 
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup whole milk 
• Whole nutmeg for grating
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds tagliatelle pasta
• Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano at the table

Directions

• Put the oil, butter, and chopped onion in a heavy-bottomed pot and turn the heat to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the vegetables to coat them well.
• Add the meat, a large pinch of salt, and some freshly ground pepper. Crumble the meat up with a fork, stir well, and cook until the meat has lost its red raw color.
• Add the milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it bubbles away completely. Stir in about 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg.
• Add the wine and let it simmer away until it has evaporated, then add in the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all the ingredients well. When they begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours (or more—she says more is better), stirring from time to time. If the sauce begins to dry out, add 1/2 cup of water whenever necessary to keep it from sticking. At the end, there should be no water left, and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.
• Toss with cooked, drained tagliatelle and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Serve freshly grated parmesan cheese on the side. And if you're feeling particularly naughty, an oven baked baguette with butter and garlic wouldn't go amiss!

Spiral Appetizer

Ingredients

• 1/2 package of frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup shredded swiss cheese
• 6-8 slices of deli corned beef
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, as garnish

Directions

• On a floured surface, roll puff pastry to a 12"x10" rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup of dijon mustard over the pastry and top with swiss cheese, then corned beef. Cut crosswise in half, making 2 rectangles. Roll up one rectangle from the short end, jelly roll fashion into a log shape and seal seam with water. Repeat with the other rectangle. Freeze if desired by wrapping each roll in cling film. Then thaw at room temperature 30 minutes before needed. Cut each roll into 1/4"-3/8" slices, place cut side up, on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Jean likes them served with a martini!

Makes 10-12 spirals per roll, depending how thick you cut them.

Italian Soup

For the meatballs:

• 3/4 lb ground chicken
• 1/2 lb chicken sausage, casings removed
• 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
• 2 tsp garlic (2 cloves), minced
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, fresh grated
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp pepper

For the soup:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, minced
• 1 cup carrots, diced and cut into 1/4" pieces
• 3/4 cup celery, diced and cut into 1/4" pieces
• 10 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup tubettini pasta
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, minced
• 12 oz. baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°. For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1" meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You should have about 40 meatballs, and they don't have to be perfectly round. Bake for 30 minutes until they are cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
• In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Ad the pasta to the simmering broth and cook 6-8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated parmesan, if you wish.
•  

Tagliolini al Limone

Ingredients

• 1 lb Tagliolini pasta
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon zest (4 lemons) plus juice of one lemon
• 1 cup fresh cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for sprinkling
• Fresh ground white and black pepper

Directions

• Bring a large pot of water to boil. In a large sauté pan, bring the butter and cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the lemon juice, white pepper and lemon zest, and reduce by about half. Then remove from the heat. Add the pasta to the water and cook al dente. Drain the pasta, add to the lemon butter, and toss to coat over medium heat. Add the cheese and toss a few more seconds. Pour into heated bowls, garnish with some lemon curls and a grinding of black pepper. Serve immediately with some additional cheese.

Shrimp Canapés

Ingredients

• 1 english cucumber
• 1 cup (about 60) fresh cocktail shrimp, not canned
• 1 cup Boursin cheese, or herbed cream cheese
• 1 loaf multi grain bread
• Cocktail sauce
• 1 small lemon, thinly sliced
• Fresh dill

Directions

• Pat dry the cocktail shrimp and set aside. Using a zester, score the cucumber length-wise creating long grooves. Cut the cucumber in half along it's length and thinly slice using a mandoline; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a 1-1/2" cookie cutter or small glass, create circles from the bread slices and bake until lightly toasted. Let cool slightly.
• To prepare canapés: spread a spoonful of boursin on each toast round, or cracker. Top with 3 thinly sliced cucumber halves, then 3 small shrimp, overlapping slightly. Garnish with a dollop of cocktail sauce and finish with a lemon slice and a sprig of dill.

Curried Chicken with Grapes & Roasted Pecans

Ingredients

• 2-3 large chicken breasts
• 3/4 cups greek yoghurt + 2 tbsp mayonnaise 
• 2 cups chopped celery 
• 1 small can sliced water chestnuts 
• 2 cups red seedless grapes, cut in halves 
• 1 tsp curry powder 
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 cup roasted pecans
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

• Poach or grill chicken breasts ahead of time. Shred into bite size pieces, cover and set aside. 
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pecans on a baking sheet and bake 5-10 minute until they become uniformly golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool. 
• Combine the Greek yoghurt, mayonnaise curry powder and cumin and mix together in a large bowl. Add the celery, water chestnuts, grapes, cilantro and chicken, cover and chill for at least 6 hours.
• Just before serving, add the oven roasted pecans and toss to combine. Garnish with a sprig of basil.

Rosemary Cheese Straws

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup aged cheddar cheese
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tbsp whole milk

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a food processor, combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt, cayenne and rosemary and blend briefly until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Try a little bit and season to taste. Then add the milk and process until the dough forms a ball.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to an 8"x10" rectangle. With a large knife, cut the dough into 1/4" wide strips and as long as you like! Dust the dough with more flour if needed.
• Transfer the strips to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4-inch between them.
• Bake 12-15 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned. Remove from the oven and set the cookie sheet on a rack to cool.

Coconut sweet bun

ingredients:

For bread dough

• 250 g bread flour
• 10 g instant yeast
• 55 g sugar
• 5 g salt
• 15 g powdered milk
• 1 whole egg
• 105 cc cold water
• 45 g butter, room temperature

For coconut filling

• 400 g freshly grated coconut
• 12 pandan leaves, halved
• 100 g sugar

directions:

• Combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt and powdered milk in a mixing bowl.
• Add egg and water. Beat with paddle attachment, low speed for 3 minutes until all ingredients mixed well.
• Add butter and continue mixing until ingredients form a loose ball, about 2 minutes.
• Switch to dough hook and beat over high speed for about 9 minutes.
• The dough should clear all sides of bowl at the end of beating period, with slightly sticky part sticks to the bottom of the bowl.
• Remove from mixing bowl, knead slightly and form into a tight ball.
• Leave on kitchen counter and let rest for 10 minutes, cover with a piece of plastic.
• Divide dough into 10 pieces, about 50 g each. Roll into balls. Rest for 10 more minutes.
• Roll individual dough and fill with one spoonful of coconut mixture and shape into crescent.
• Arrange on buttered pans. Let rest for 90 minutes, or till the buns double in size.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degree celsius for 8-10 minutes.
• When the top is golden brown, it is ready.
• Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. Serve warm
• To prepare filling, combine all ingredients in a heatproof plate. Steam over boiling water for 5 minutes, covered.
• Remove and let cool before using.

Claypot pork rice

ingredients:

• For soy pork and boiled eggs
• 600 g lean pork, cut into 1,5cmx1,5cm cubes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 25 g garlic, chopped finely
• 50 g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
• 30 g ginger, finely grated
• 250 ml water
• 5 eggs, hard boiled
• For rice
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 25 g garlic, chopped finely
• 900 g rice, washed thoroughly
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 750 ml hot water
• For garnishes and condiments
• Asian cucumber, shallots and chilies pickles
• Fresh coriander leaves

directions:

To prepare pork and soy sauce

• In a mixing bowl, combine pork, salt, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, white pepper and tapioca starch.
• Mix well and let marinade for 30 minutes.
• Combine cooking oil and sugar in a wok. Stir-fry over medium heat until sugar melted and caramelized, about 1 - 1,5 minutes.
• Add garlic and quickly stir-fry for 30 seconds until it slightly browns.
• Toss in mushrooms and pork. Stir-fry for a minute or two.
• Add grated ginger and continue cooking for half a minute.
• Pour hot water into the wok. Cook till the water boils slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the dish into a small pot.
• Simmer over stovetop until most water is absorbed by the meat and mushrooms, about one hour, until the sauce is reduced to a third.

To prepare rice

• Heat cooking oil in a big wok. Stir-fry garlic till fragrant for about ... minutes, over high heat.
• Add rice and cook quickly for a couple of minutes.
• Season the rice with salt, oyster sauce and fish sauce.
• Cook until the rice feels light when stirred with spatula, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add hot water and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
• The water would mostly be absorbed.

Assembling the dish

• As soon as the rice is ready, it is time to prepare the dish.
• Fill 1/3 part of a ramekin or heatproof bowl with the meat and add a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce.
• Top the meat with rice up to 0.5 cm of the rim of the bowl.
• Steam for 45 minutes.
• To serve, flip the bowl over on top of a serving plate.
• Serve warm with cool shallots, chili and cucumber pickles and fresh coriander leaves.

Braised roast pork and salted fish

ingredients:

• 350 g roast pork, cut into 1 cm thickness
• 150 g salted fish, cut into small pieces and deep-fried
• 3 shallots, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, lightly bruised
• 20 g ginger, sliced
• 20 g red chilies
• 20 g Thai bird's eye chili
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp kecap manis / Chinese dark soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup cooking oil, more for deep-frying salted fish

directions:

• Heat cooking oil in a wok over medium heat. Add chilies, shallot, garlic and ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes till fragrant. Add salt.
• Toss in salted fish and roast pork. Stir-fry for another minute.
• Season with soy sauce and kecap manis. Mix well.
• Remove the dish from wok into a clay pot or small stock pot.
• Add water and braise over low heat for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and serve warm with rice.

Green beans and taoco stir fry

ingredients:

• 3 shallots, sliced thinly
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp taoco (fermented soy beans)
• 1/2 tbsp sugar (optional)
• 40 g chili, sliced diagonally
• 1 tomato, quartered
• 4 salam leaves
• 2 stalks lemongrass, halved
• 250 g green beans, sliced diagonally
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cooking oil

directions:

• Coarsely ground taoco in a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
• Heat cooking oil in a wok and stir-fry shallots and garlic over high heat quickly.
• Add taoco and sugar into the wok. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
• Add chili, tomato, salam leaves and lemongrass. Cook for one minute.
• Combine green beans into the wok. Stir-fry quickly to combine all the ingredients for another minute.
• Add water and simmer for 1 minute. Season with soy sauce if desired.
• Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.

Donat kampung (powdered sugar doughnuts)

ingredients:

• 250 g bread flour (or all purpose flour)
• 10 g instant yeast
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 30 g butter (or margarine)
• 25 cc milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 105 cc water
• 300 g powdered sugar, for dusting

directions:

• Combine all ingredients, except water and butter, in a mixer bowl.
• Beat over medium speed until all ingredients are mixed well about 2 minutes.
• Add butter into the dough and continue mixing for another 2 minutes.
• Slowly drip water into the bowl and continue beating until 3/4 water is used up.
• Increase the speed to medium high and continue mixing for another 10 minutes.
• If the dough is too hard and not tacky enough, add a bit more water.
• Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide the dough to 12 equally shaped balls and let rest for another 10 minutes.
• Shape the dough into doughnuts.
• Let proof for 30-40 minutes.
• Heat cooking oil in a wok over medium heat.
• Fry the doughnuts for 2 minutes each side until golden brown.
• Let cool and dust generously with powdered sugar.
•  

Carrot, jicama and bean stir fry

ingredients:

• 1 jicama, medium sized and grated
• 1 carrot, grated
• 100 g green beans, sliced diagonally and thinly
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 150 ml wate
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 clove garlic, mincedr

directions:

• Heat cooking oil in a wok. Add garlic and stir fry till fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add beans and stir fry quickly for another 30 seconds.
• Combine carrot and jicama. Cook for a minute.
• Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
• Add hot water and lower heat.
• Cover for a minute and remove from heat.
• Serve warm with rice.

Indonesian gado gado salad

Peanut Sauce

• 2 cloves garlic
• 10 g bird's eye chili (green chili)
• 20 g gula melaka
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 100 g peanuts, deep-fried or roasted
• 1/2 tbsp kecap manis
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 cup water

Salad

• 200 g cabbage, sliced thinly
• 75 g bean sprouts, blanched briefly
• 250 g tofu, fried till golden and cut into cubes
• 1 medium cucumber, quartered and cut into 1/2 cm thickness
• 2 stalk Chinese celery, chopped finely
• 2 spring onion, chopped finely
• 10 g red and white crackers, deep-fried

directions:

• To make the sauce
• Mix garlic, chili, gula melaka, salt and peanut in a food processor and grind coarsely.
• Add lime and kecap manis, mix well.
• Gradually add water and stirring at the same time, to a desired thickness.
• To serve
• Combine all salad ingredients in a big mixing bowl or individual plater.
• Add sauce and serve immediately.