Cookbook review: South East Asian Food

They say never judge a book by its cover, and I really, really try not to. But for this book make an exception. Please. The cover is absolutely stunning. As everyone who has seen this book on my dining table has commented. The recipes throughout are equally gorgeous.

Other than the cover, a couple of things struck me about this book. There are no pictures. Rare in cookbooks in Australia these days. PLEASE don't let that put you off! And as I looked through it, seeking a couple of vegetarian dishes to cook for my photographer friend Jen (who took these stunning photos), I discovered that there aren't any. BUT don't let that stop you from enjoying this book either!

So many of the mouth-watering pastes and sauces can just as easily be used with veggies. Such as the couple I made. But more about those soon.

Rosemary Brissenden {read here for an interview} originally wrote this book over 50 years ago, when it was the among the first to discuss and characterise food from South East Asia. Additions to this edition - which has been completely rewritten - are sections on Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Countries that were less than accessible in the 1960s and 70s! Rosemary's background in international relations is apparent as each section includes a fascinating overview of the cultural and historical context of food in these countries.

While there are many books around with 30-minute Asian dinners, this book is not one of them. There are no "short-cuts" to be had with pre-made spices or sauces. All these are made from scratch, mostly with a trusty mortar and pestle {although I did cheat with one of them and used my thermomix to grind the spices}. Which means you also need to have a bit of time. And plan ahead.

Some of the spices used - ginger, garlic {grown outside Brisbane}, coriander, cardamom, cloves, cumin, chilli, fennel

The three recipes I made were all from the Malaysia and Singapore section:

• Dry chicken curry
• Tandoori chicken {Malaysian Indian} 
• Cucumber raita {Malaysian Indian}

Tandoori chicken is a favourite in this house. Usually courtesy of Patak's. But not any more! The flavours of each of the spices in this dish - coriander seed, cumin seed, chillis, garlic, ginger - were all so subtle yet blended to give a zing you just don't get with a pre-made paste.

Tandoori chicken with rice

The second dish, Dry Chicken Curry, was even more powerful on the tastebuds. The cardamom and cinnamon flavours lingered throughout our house for hours, creating a warming, Christmassy feel {which was a bit odd for an overly hot day in early Spring!}.

To make the Dry Chicken Curry:

• 1 chicken, skin removed, cut into curry pieces {I cheated a bit here and used 1kg of thigh cutlets}
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 1/2 brown onion, finely sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 cup water
• 2 small potatoes, quartered
• salt to taste

Paste spices

• 2 tbs ground coriander
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
• 1/2 tsp ground chillies (or more to taste)
• 3 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 cardamom pods
• 2.5cm piece of ginger, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 6 shallots, sliced

Quite cleverly I didn't clearly read the recipe before I shopped, so I didn't have any curry leaves {and sadly neither did the curry tree in the back yard} and I forgot to buy shallots {I used a small brown onion instead}.

To make the spice paste, grind the dry spices to a powder in a mortar or a food processor {I used my trusty thermomix}. Add the garlic, ginger, shallots {onion...} and mash to a paste. Mix with the chicken pieces, cover bowl, pop in the fridge and let it marinate for 2 hours.

This was my tandoori paste before adding yogurt. Looks good doesn't it!

Once marinated, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and curry leaves until the onion is golden. Add the chicken and all the spice paste and fry until fragrant {the fragrance will hit  you immediately! So fry for 5-6 minutes, making sure each piece of chicken browns all over}.

Add water, salt, potatoes and cook until chicken is tender, potatoes cooked, and gravy is almost dry. Stir well and serve with rice and cucumber raita.

What I loved about this curry is that it would be equally good with a firm white fish or pork or a big mound of veggies.

Dry chicken curry - sooooo good.....

There are so many mouth-watering recipes in this book. Especially in the Vietnamese section. And the Thai section. And the Cambodian section. Oh you know. The whole book!

What is your favourite South East Asian recipe? And cookbook?

Two big thank yous:

1. Jen Dainer, who took all these gorgeous photos - check her out at Industrial Arc Photography
2. Hardie Grant - who sent me a copy of this stunning book. 

THANK YOU!!!

Date and pecan loaf

For those who haven't seen my tweets, this week I'm on special at Woollies. OK, so not ME per se, but this recipe is included in the recipe booklet that is included with the special offer by Lurpak - a special pack with a Lurpak branded loaf tin, 2 x 250g packs of delicious Lurpak unsalted butter and the booklet! 

Lurpak special baking tin offer - at Woolworths. GO NOW!

Many of you know that I was invited to be a Friend of Lurpak, and part of this was to provide a recipe. The other part was to judge their baking competition - thanks to everyone who entered - you can see some of the amazing creations here and the winners here. 

When Lurpak asked me to provide a recipe that could be baked in a loaf tin, I immediately thought of this. I made quite a few varieties of this during #bakedrelief, and it was always a winner! 

However the main reason I love this recipe is that gorgeous and hard-to-pass-up combination of dates and pecans. Also because it’s easy to make and takes less than 10 minutes to mix all the ingredients together before throwing it in the oven. It’s perfect for the office morning tea, the 3pm snack, or just to have with a cuppa!

Afternoon tea. 

Ingredients

200g dates, chopped

100g brown sugar

60g lightly salted Lurpak butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup boiling water

260g self raising flour, sifted

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

1 tsp cinnamon

75g pecans, chopped

Method

• Assemble all your ingredients
• Preheat oven to 180c
• Fill the kettle with water and turn it on to boil
• Grease Lurpak baking tin with Lurpak butter and line with greaseproof paper
• Place the dates, brown sugar, Lurpak butter and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl
• Pour in the boiling water and stir until the Lurpak butter has completely melted
• Add in the flour, bicarbonate soda and cinnamon and mix together using a wooden spoon - be careful not to over-mix
• Stir the pecans into the mix
• Scrape the mixture into the Lurpak baking tin

Pre-cooked. I challenge you to resist eating that raw batter. mmmmm 

• Bake for 50-55 minutes. 
• Leave to cool in the baking tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cake rack and remove the baking paper. 

So, so good. 

• Serve in slices, spread with Lurpak butter. Delicious with a cup of tea! 

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This also freezes really well for up to 3 months - I ALWAYS have one in the freezer for when friends unexpectedly drop in! 

Note: The pecans could easily be swapped for walnuts or left out if you don’t like them

DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Lurpak for providing me with the butter and the baking tin to make this recipe. And of course, for inviting me to be a Friend of Lurpak. 

Chunky oatey choc-orange biscuits

These are one of my favourite bikkies and sooo easy and quick to make. And they are sort of healthy too. At least, that's what I tell myself. Dark chocolate is good for you. Right? And I love how the orange zest adds a bit of zing.

What you need:

• 150g unsalted Lurpak* butter
• 100g brown sugar
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 150g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 130g rolled oats
• 70g oat bran
• 200g block of dark chocolate (I like the 70% cocoa)
• zest of 1 orange

What you do:

• Turn the oven onto 180c to preheat
• Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper
• Break the chocolate into chunks and set aside {this is my favourite step as I normally give it a couple of big thwacks with a heavy-duty rolling pin - great if you are irritated with anyone...}
• Place the butter and sugars into a large-ish mixing bowl and beat until creamy {using an electric mixer if you have one, or a wooden spoon if you want to give those arm muscles a good workout}
• Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined into the butter/sugar
• Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and add the oats, oat bran,chocolate chunks and orange zest {I usually zest the orange over the bowl rather than prepping it earlier}
• Stir until it's well combined {I normally roll up my sleeves and mix with my hands as it's too thick for most electric mixers}
• Shape the mix into walnut sized balls and place on the lined baking tray and squish them a bit with a fork {sorry - no photo of the squishy balls - forgot...}

Pre-squish. 

• Bake them for about 15 minutes or until a light golden colour
• Once cooked, leave them on the tray to cool for a few minutes before popping them onto a wire rack to completely cool

These should last about 4-5 days in an air-tight container. Assuming no hungry kids, hubbys or girlfriends find them first. And eat them all. As once happened to me. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! 

What are your favourite bikkies? 

* DISCLAIMER: I'm a Friend of Lurpak, but I've loved their butter for a long time. Especially on toast with Vegemite. Check out The Lurpak Challenge - entries close soon!

Veggies for breakfast - my scrambled-omlette

I have a few friends who will recoil in horror from this post {no need to name names - you know who you are!} as they believe veggies are disgusting. Well, I don't. But like many, I certainly used to! When I was a kid. And yes, there are still a few that make my stomach churn. But that's a topic for another day.

Back to veggies for breakfast. I'm really lucky to work from home, which means I have the luxury of taking a bit of extra time to make breakfast. As I don't have to bolt to the train while scoffing that second piece of Vegemite on toast. Because I'm late. Again.

One of my favourite breakfast foods would have to be eggs. These little protein pellets fill my belly in a way toast or cereal never could! Especially when cooked with a few veggies. AND this helps my eat my 2+5 every day.

One of my favourite breakfasts is what I like to call a scrambled-omlette. I'll never be a chef as the perfect looking omelette has ALWAYS eluded me. Hence my scrambled-omlette.

This was todays version. And yes the photos are terrible, but I was STARVING. And it was cold this morning and I wanted to eat my breakfast while it was hot!

Feeds 1.

What you need:

• small blob of butter (I love Lurpak*!) or spray of olive oil
• half a zucchini, sliced thinly 
• 3-4 mushrooms, sliced (depends a bit on size - I used button mushies today)
• 1 egg
• splash of milk 
• 3 teaspoons of cottage cheese
• parmesan cheese for grating
• salt and pepper

What you do:

Turn the stove onto a medium heat. Spray your small skillet with olive oil or melt the butter and saute the zucchini and mushrooms until soft, stirring often.

While they are cooking, mix the egg with a splash of milk {about the amount that would fill 1/2 an eggshell at the MOST}, mix in a taste of salt and pepper. Once the veggie mix is cooked {this normally takes 3-4 minutes}, turn the stove down to low, add the egg mix, plop about 3 generous teaspoons of cottage cheese on top and cover until cooked {this takes 1-2 minutes, depending on how hot the stove is and how runny you like your egg}.

Once it's cooked, serve it up and grate a bit of parmesan on top! Add extra cracked pepper and/or salt {although I find the cheese gives it enough of a salty taste}. You could have it with some toast, but I normally just have it on it's own.

Scrambled-omlette with zucchini and mushroom. Yumbo!

A few variations - I often add red capsicum instead of zucchini, or a bit of bacon, or whatever veg I have in the fridge. If I'm extra hungry I'll use two eggs {but I'm trying to limit my eggs to only 1 most days as my cholesterol doesn't like me to eat more than about 6 eggs a week ...}.

What's your favourite way to incorporate a few veggies into your breakfast?


* DISCLAIMER: I'm a Friend of Lurpak, but I've loved their butter for a long time. Especially on toast with Vegemite. Check out The Lurpak Challenge - entries close soon!

Lentil-bol

I love lentils. And I really don't cook with them often enough. And I don't know why. They are easy to cook, cheap, full of fibre and other stuff nutritionists love, low in calories, and really, really yummy!

When I was a kid, mum used to always add lentils to her spag bol to add extra "goodness" and to make the mince go further. I say "goodness" because I really wasn't a lentil lover until probably my early 20s. However I did love her spag bol. Despite years of trying I've never been able to replicate the flavour. Maybe one day...

Anyway, this dish is my version of lentil-bol. Sans mince as I'm trying to cut down the amount of meat I eat.

Lentil-bol. All it needed was a glass of red!

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
• 150g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 x 400g can of lentils, drained and rinsed
• 2 x 400g cans of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water or red wine
• dash of tabasco
• teaspoon or 2 of herbs/spices - I used chipotle spice, but you could use Italian herbs, paprika, cumin or whatever takes your fancy
• pasta {I like spaghetti or linguine or fettucine}
• parmesan cheese for serving

What you do

• Heat the oil in a medium-large frypan on medium heat
• Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until pale {stir so it doesn't catch}
• Add the red pepper and mushroom and stir through for 2 minutes
• Add the lentils, tomatoes, water/red wine, tabasco and herbs and spices, stir to combine
• Lower the heat, cover the frypan and let the mixture simmer for 30-45 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes or so
• About 10-15 minutes before you want to eat, cook the pasta according to directions. 
• Serve up and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top. 

This is even better a day or two after it's been made {I love it for lunch too}. It would be PERFECT with a glass of red, but as I'm trying to have 5 alcohol free days a week while I'm doing my 12 week body transformation challenge, I refrained. Yes, I know. Very unlike me.

This serves 4, and if you are doing the 12wbt, it's about 160 calories per serve - without the wine, pasta or parmesan {I know, I know, all the good stuff *sigh*}. Also very yummy served over a baked potato or sweet potato. 

What is your favourite way of eating lentils? 

Eating healthy - Thai beef salad

So I know that it's nearly winter, and that winter is really not the time for salad, but I'm trying to be healthy and lose weight. So salads it is! And with the glorious weather we have been having in Brisbane lately, you would never know that next week marks the official start of winter. {I'm discounting that it's currently bucketing down outside, and mentally transporting myself back to yesterday when I wore shorts and a tank top. And made this salad.}

Thai beef salad - yummo!

So, the health kick. I've decided that since my hubby has recently lost a heap of weight and looks great, that I need to get into gear and play catch up. And sadly my hips seem to have found a few at least 2-3 of the kilos he lost {don't you just HATE that?}. Like many, I have signed up to do the Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation {#12wbt if you are on twitter}.

Today is day 1. And I'm determined to get off to a good start! Despite just accepting an invitation to attend the Brisbane Cheese Awards announcement breakfast {if you love cheese then pop along to the People's Day on Sunday 5 June at Portside - it will be a great day! With a lot of cheese}.

But back to my salad.

It's sooo easy and so full of flavour.

What you need:
400g beef fillet
salt and pepper
150g Vermicilli bean thread noodles (the Asian variety - I normally use the Pandaroo brand)
1 cucumber, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large red capsicum, deseeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced finely
1 bunch of fresh coriander, chopped (stalks and leaves only)
1 bunch of fresh Thai basil, remove the leaves and tear them into smaller pieces


For the sauce
juice of 1-2 limes (start with 1, add extra to taste)
1 tbs fish sauce
1/2 tbs palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 long red chilli chopped finely

What you do:

• Heat the oven to 180c. 
• Season the beef on a baking tray with salt and pepper. 
• Roast the beef for about 20 minutes so it is still pink (I usually use a larger piece of beef so there are leftovers, but you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly).
• Remove the beef from the oven once it's cooked to your liking (rare, medium, well done) and leave it to rest for 15 minutes while you make the salad and the sauce.
• Once the beef has rested, slice it thinly
• To make the sauce - stir all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Let it sit for 15 minutes at least for the flavours to develop. Add extra lime, sugar or fish sauce as necessary to taste. 
• Cook the bean thread noodles according to the directions on the packet (it takes about 2 minutes in a pot of boiling water). Drain and leave to cool
• To make the salad, place all ingredients into a large bowl and gently toss together. 
• To assemble - place the bean thread noodles on the bottom of 4 plates,  add the salad, add the beef, spoon over the dressing. 

This is also gorgeous as leftovers for lunch the next day. 

What's your favourite healthy meal? 

Bone suckin' good!

OMG this stuff is AMAZING. A massive thanks to Black Pearl Epicure who invited me to trial a new product (new to them that is!) and if I liked it, would I blog it. LIKE it - I LOVE it!

IT is an American product called Bone Suckin' Sauce. Now, I hear what you are saying. It's American. It will be full of ghastly high fructose corn syrup {a scourge of waaaay too many foods}. Well, no, it's not! I know! Quel surprise! {oops wrong country. Really meant to say "holy smokes Batman!"}.

AND there are no preservatives and it is gluten free. Win all around.

There are loads of ways you could use this sauce - I kept it simple, and just used it to marinate some chicken drumsticks, so I could get the full and unadulterated flavour. Sooo simple. The 10yo stepson {readers will be aware of his pickiness when it comes to so many foods} LOVED it. And has requested it again and again.

So, what I did was this:

I scored {actually, I forgot, but you should score} the chicken drumsticks, placed them in a bowl, then added about 1/3 jar of the sauce. Rub the sauce over the chicken pieces making sure the sauce gets into the scored bits.

Cover the bowl and pop it into the fridge for 3-4 hours {I didn't actually do this bit either - it was Friday night, we were hungry, it was getting late, I was a bit disorganised - we've all been there!}.

Preheat your oven to 180c, then pop the chicken pieces onto a baking tray. Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes, turning the drumsticks every 15 minutes or so.

You can see here there are only 7 drumsticks. That was perhaps my biggest mistake with this dish. I should have cooked 70. Or at least 17. They were bone suckin'ly good.

I served them with roast potato pieces and a simple salad. Delicious.

There is also a hot version of the Bone Suckin' Sauce. We haven't tried that yet - will do so soon. I've also made this using chicken thigh fillets that I cooked on the BBQ instead of in the oven. They took about 15 minutes on the BBQ.