garlic
Ingredients:
1 kg mussels, washed, cleaned, de-bearded
1 x large onion, finely chopped
2 x cloves garlic finely chopped
3 x cm. ginger, cut into julienne (matchsticks)
300 ml chicken stock or water
2 Tbls rice bran oil
1 tspn fish sauce
1 x long red chilli, sliced for garnish
1/2 cup coriander leaves, for garnish
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Add the mussels and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the stock, pepper and fish sauce and bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Simmer and cover with lid for 2-3 minutes or until the mussels begin to open (do not overcook the mussels). Add more stock or water if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. Remove from heat.
3. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Garnish with chilli and coriander. Serve with steamed rice or bread.
My dad used to cook this for us in the Philippines. I couldn’t resist recreating his dish.
Ingredients:
2 kg chicken wings, separated into wings and drumettes
2 x brown onions, chopped
5 x cloves garlic, crushed, peeled
2 x bay leaves
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
3 tbls brown sugar
1 tspn whole black pepper
2 x star anise
1 tbls fish sauce
1/4 cup rice bran oil
2 x spring onions, thinly sliced
Method:
1. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, water and sugar in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in large pot. Cook chicken in two batches for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Set aside. Saute onion and garlic on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the chicken and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the fish sauce, star anise, pepper, bay leaves and the soy sauce mixture. Season with salt. Stir and cover. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10-20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half.
3. Divide chicken adobo among bowls. Garnish with spring onion. Serve with Jasmine rice.
This is a traditional Filipino dish that I grew up with. I slightly modified my dad’s recipe and put on my own spin.
If you haven’t tried Filipino food before, this is a simple recipe that will give you an idea of the sweet and sour flavors used in the Philippines.
Ingredients:
1 x large red capsicum, quartered, seeded
4 x large dried red chillies
3 x bird’s-eye chillies, halved, seede
2 x cloves garlic, peeled
1 tspn caraway seeds, toasted, ground
1 tspn cumin seeds, toasted, ground
1 tspn sugar
3 Tbls olive oil
Method:
1.To make harissa, place dried chillies in a small heatproof bowl. Pour over 1 cup of boiling water and stand for about 10 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.
2.Preheat grill to high and place capsicum skin-side up and cook for 10-15 minutes or until skin is blistered and darkened. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cool for 10 minutes. Rub off skins and discard.
3.Process capsicum, fresh chillies, soaked chillies, ground cumin, ground caraway, garlic, sugar, oil in the food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Harissa has many different uses. It lasts for months in the fridge and has endless uses. I use it on marinades, chicken, vegetables, fish, beef or lamb. You can even stir it through a dressing. Warning: It’s addictive!
Note: Use less chillies for a milder paste and remove the seeds from the dried chillies. Double the quantity of the recipe to make about a cup.
Ingredients:
500g lamb mince
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
30g sachet taco seasoning
1 egg
1/3 cup, coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbs rice bran oil
1/2 cup plain Greek style-yoghurt
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, sliced
80g salad greens
1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced
6 bread rolls
Method:
1. Combine mince, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, taco seasoning, coriander leaves and egg in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to shape into 6 patties. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat, then cook patties for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. Place yoghurt in a small bowl. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Spread bun bases with butter or margarine. Top each with a pattie, salad leaves , cucumber, sliced tomatoes, yoghurt and bun top.
Ingredients:
560g beef sausage mince
1 small brown onion, finely chopped (you can use red onion)
2 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled, finely chopped (optional)
2 medium potatoes, cut into fine little cubes
1 large carrot, cut into fine little cubes
3 tbs Moroccan seasoning
1 egg, lightly beaten (for egg wash)
3 1/2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 tbs poppy seeds
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Place potatoes and carrots in a bowl with water and cook in the microwave for 4-5 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain and pat dry.
2. Cut pastry sheets in half. Combine the mince, carrot, potatoes, onion and spice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the mince mixture into 7 portions and shape each portion into a log. Arrange sausage logs along the centres of pastry sheets.
3. Brush 1 long side of the pastry with the egg. Roll up to enclose the filling. Cut each roll evenly into 4 pieces. Place rolls, seam-side down, on the lined trays. Brush the top of the rolls with egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Serve with tomato chutney.
