Simple For Recipe

Thursday, 26 September 2019

Chinese Xiaolongbao (Soup-filled Dumplings)

Xiaolongbao, literally "Little Basket Buns",are traditionally filled with broth and pork, but beef, seafood, and vegetables are very often used as fillings. The broth inside is made by using some meat jelly inside the dumpling before steaming. Gelatin melts when steamed. Xiaolongbao always have soup, otherwise they are just Jiaozi / dumplings.

Filling	Wrapper
300 g Ground pork 2 g Salt 8 g Sugar 6 g Maggi sauce 1/4 tsp White pepper powder 1 stalk Spring onion, cut into sections 20 g Ginger root 150 ml Water 2 tsp Sesame oil 300 g Broth jelly	350 g German #1050 flour / unbleached bread flour 5 g Salt 165 ml Cold water

Use a heavy knife to smashed the ginger root. Place them in a bowl. Add in spring onion and water. Squeeze the mixture to release the juice from the ginger and onion. Strain. Season the ground pork with salt, sugar, Maggi sauce and pepper. Mix well. Gradually add in the prepared ginger-onion liquid and mix until all the liquid is absorbed and the mixture forms a firm and cohesive mass. Drizzle in the sesame oil and combine well. Dice the jelly and blend together with meat mixture. Cover with a plastic wrap and store in the fridge while prepare the wrappers.
Whisk the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add in water and start mixing by hand. Once the dough has come together, turn onto a floured work surface and knead dough until it becomes a smooth, elastic ball. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and allow it to rest for at least half an hour.
Half the dough lengthwise. On a floured surface roll each dough with palms back and forth to form a long rope of dough of even thickness. Portion the roll into 10-gram pieces and flatten each piece with the bottom of your palm. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out forming a disk of 7cm with the edges thinner than the center. Hold a wrapper in your left hand and raise fingers up to form a recess. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Carefully fold the edges of the wrapper together in a pleated fashion with the right hand. Pinch edges together to close the wrapper.
Soak cheese cloth in hot water, wring out water and lay in a steamer. Besides cheesecloth, cabbages, carrot slices, and parchment paper are a good source of lining the steamers too. Put in the dumplings and set the steamer over a pan filled with boiling water. Close the lid and steam for 8 minutes over strong heat. Serve with a sauce dish of thinly shredded ginger and black rice vinegar.

Labels: Chinese, Dimsum and Snacks, Pasta Rice and Dumplings, pork, Poultry

Tuesday, 27 August 2019

Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters with Cherry Radishes and Mushrooms

These budget friendly roasted chicken quarters are easy to make, juicy and delicious. Use your favourite seasonings, though sea salt and freshly-cracked pepper are enough to bring out their natural aromas and flavours. You can store these in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat them in the oven to recrisp the skin. You can make this with a different cut of meat, but you will want to stick with a bone-in, skin-on cut because skin and bone add so much flavour to the dish.

4 / 1.2 kg Chicken leg quarters
1 tsp Black salt (or sea salt)
1 tsp Freshly milled peppers
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 tbsp Avocado oil (or olive oil)
250 g Brown button mushrooms, sliced
250 g White button mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch Cherry radishes
2 tbsp Chopped fresh parsley and chives for garnishing
Zucchini noodles for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Dry the chicken leg quarters with paper towels and rub with 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Evenly sprinkle black salt, peppers, garlic powder and chopped rosemary on both sides of each quarter and gently pat to make the seasonings stick. Arrange the chicken leg quarters in a baking tray lined with a piece of aluminum foil.
Toss the mushrooms and cherry radishes with the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil. Season with salt and peppers. Add them to the chicken quarters in the baking tray.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the chicken skin is crispy and golden brown. Different ovens bake differently so the exact time may vary. Remove the chicken from the oven, let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Labels: Keto, Poultry, Vegetables

Sunday, 10 March 2019

Hokkaido Coconut Soup

Super creamy and deliciously nourishing, this pumpkin soup with coconut milk is the ultimate warmer for cold rainy days. The warmth of fresh ginger adds a lovely kick to the soup. If you like, serve the soup with some roasted poultry leftover, a sprinkle of coconut flakes, pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs. It's also very easy to veganize the soup by using vegetable stock and leaving out the meat.

1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 Large shallot, coarsely chopped
30 g Fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
1.5 kg Hokkaido or other squash, deseeded, chopped
400 ml Coconut milk
400 ml Chicken broth or water
1 Lime, juiced
Salt and pepper
300 g Roasted duck breast, sliced
Parsley for garnishing
Desiccated coconut flakes for garnishing
Pomegranate seeds for garnishing

Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped shallot and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add pumpkin, coconut milk, chicken broth or water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is soft.
Remove saucepan from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Add in lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with roasted duck breast slices, chopped parsley and desiccated coconut flakes and / or pomegranate seeds.

Labels: Fruit, Poultry, pumpkin, Soups

Saturday, 2 February 2019

Crisp Roasted Duck

A whole roasted duck doesn't have to be fussy. With just a few hours' roasting and hardly any work at all, you can have a juicy bird with crisp skin. Serve it with pan juice roasted Brussels sprouts or some seasonal salad for a festive occasion or Sunday dinner.

The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival officially begins on February 5th, 2019 and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family peace, joy and love this holiday!

	Gravy
1 x 2-2.2 kg Duck Sea salt Freshly milled peppers 1 bunch Thyme 1 Organic lemon, quartered 750 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed, washed and dried	2 tbsp Spelt flour 150 ml Chicken broth or water 50 ml Port or Marsala

Preheat oven to 220C/430F. Wash the duck inside and out with cold running water. Pat dry all over with paper towel.
Rub the duck all over with the sea salt and freshly milled pepper. Fill the duck cavity with thyme and quartered lemon. Prick skin all over with a sharp fork and tie legs together -- be sure to not pierce the meat itself, only the skin. This lets the fat render out and will help crisp the skin.
Place a wire rack in a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with 1 cup of water. Place the duck on the wire rack, breast-side down. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 190C/375F. Turn the duck breast-side up and fill the roasting pan with another cup of water. Continue cooking for a further 60-70 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Brush the duck occasionally with dripping from the roasting pan. 20 minutes before the duck is done, add the Brussels sprouts into the roasting pan and toss with the duck dripping and cook until tender.
Remove duck and Brussels sprouts on a large serving plate. Cover with a tin foil to keep warm.
Scrape the duck fat and juice from the roasting pan and pour into a pan. Add in spelt flour and stir with a wooden spoon until slightly thickened. Add in chicken broth and port. Bring the gravy to the boil and simmer gently for half an hour, stirring occasionally.
Shred or carve up the duck, and serve with roasted Brussels sprouts and gravy.

Labels: Poultry, Spelt, Vegetables

Thursday, 10 January 2019

Lamb's Lettuce Salad with Persimmon, Macadamia and Chicken

Lamb's lettuce, also known as corn salad or mâche, has a distinctive, tangy, nutty flavour and soft texture. It is delicious in salads or soups. This beautiful winter green is packed with water and beta-caroten. It is best during the months of early summer through to autumn, but will grow well into early winter. Named after its resemblance in shape and size to lamb's tongue.

Salad	Dijon Vinaigrette
2 medium Soft boiled eggs, peeled and halved 2 Ripe yet firm persimmons, peeled and sliced 80 g Lamb's lettuce (you can use baby spinach or watercress) 150 g Grilled chicken leftover, sliced 50 g Macadamia nuts, roasted and salted 50 g Dried cranberries	45 ml Olive oil 15 ml Macadamia oil 40 ml Apple cider vinegar 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard Sea salt Fresh ground peppers

Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Boil the eggs for 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool completely. Peel the eggs and cut in half.
Peel and slice persimmons. Arrange lamb's lettuce and persimmon slices on serving plates. Top with sliced chicken, macadamia nuts, cranberries and egg halves.
Place everything for the dressing in a jar and shake vigorously to emulsify the dressing. Drizzle over the salad, toss and serve immediately.

Labels: Egg Dishes, Fruit, Nuts and Seeds, Poultry, Salads

Monday, 25 June 2018

Black Rice with Cauliflower Hummus

Black rice, leftover roasted chicken, and a veggie boosted roasted hummus with cauliflowers - a healthy and flavour-packed meal ready in 40 minutes. If you aim to go vegan, just leave out the chicken or use any desired vegetarian protein, like seitan or tempeh.

Black Rice with Leftover Chicken	Cauliflower Hummus
200 g Black rice 450 ml Water Leftover roasted chicken, diced 2 tsp Olive oil 1 tsp White balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper	700 g Cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets 3 tbsp Olive oil plus extra to drizzle 2 tsp Cumin powder 2 Garlic cloves, chopped 3 tbsp Tahini 60 ml Lemon juice 60 ml Warm water Sumac, to serve Dried barberries, to serve Arugula, chopped, to serve Sesame seeds, toasted, to serve

Cook the black rice in a medium saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 35 minutes or until just tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add in chicken. Toss with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Taste and season.
Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Place cauliflower florets on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with cumin. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool slightly. Transfer cauliflower mixture to a food processor. Add garlic cloves, tahini, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and water. Process until smooth.
To serve, spread cauliflower hummus in a wide bowl or platter. Drizzle olive oil over and sprinkle with sumac, dried barberries, chopped arugula and sesame seeds. Serve black rice on the side.

Labels: Nuts and Seeds, Poultry, Vegetables

Wednesday, 10 January 2018

Tri-coloured Quinoa Rice Paper Rolls

Create a simple, healthy and flavourful lunch with these rice paper rolls which are low-cal, low-fat and gluten-free. Use the roasted chicken and cooked tri-coloured quinoa leftovers to make this time-saving, delicious meal.

100 g Tri-coloured quinoa, rinsed
200 ml Water
1 tsp Gluten free tamari plus extra to serve
10 Rice paper sheets
200 g Leftover roasted chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 Sweet pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 Fresh red chilli, thinly sliced diagonally
Fresh parsley, cilantro or mint leaves

Place quinoa and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook, occasionally stirring, for 10-12 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Cool slightly. Toss with the tamari.
Soak a sheet of rice paper wrapper in hot water for 10-20 seconds. Transfer to a clean tea towel to absorb excess water. Place a little of the quinoa in the middle of the rice paper. Top with sliced chicken, sweet pepper, chilli and fresh herb leaves.
Roll up firmly to enclose the filling. Cover with a slightly damp cloth to preven drying out. Repeat with remaining sheets. Continue with remaining rice paper and fillings. Serve with extra tamari, if desired.

Labels: Gluten Free, Poultry, Quinoa, Salads

Wednesday, 22 November 2017

Tandoori Spiced Baked Chicken

This whole roasted chicken seasoned liberally with Indian tandoori masala and fresh herbs turns out crisp, juicy, and absolutely delicious. A perfect meal for feeding family and friends.


1,5 kg Whole chicken, trimmed, washed, dried 30 g Butter, cut into small pieces 1 tbsp Olive oil 20 Sage leaves 3-4 Rosemary sprigs Salt 1 tbsp Tandoori masala spice mix 2 Red onions, cut into wedges 1 kg Hokkaido pumpkin, chopped

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Trim and rinse chicken. Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towel.
Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a large roasting pan. Tie legs with kitchen string and tuck wings under. Separate the skin by running your fingers between the skin and breast meat very gently. This helps the skin get crisp. Distribute 8 sage leaves and the butter under the skin.
Brush the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and tandoori spice mix. Place the rosemary and sage leaves in the chicken cavity.
Place pan on the lowest oven shelf. Bake chicken for 11/4 hours unil golden brown. After chicken has roasted for 40 minutes, add pumpkins and onion wedges and continue to bake, turning vegetables during cooking until juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer (cover chicken with foil if over-browning).

Labels: Poultry, pumpkin

Simple For Recipe

Thursday, 26 September 2019

Chinese Xiaolongbao (Soup-filled Dumplings)

Tuesday, 27 August 2019

Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters with Cherry Radishes and Mushrooms