Roasted Cauliflower And Quinoa Salad

I am completely hooked on quinoa at the moment. Though I have always enjoyed dishes with quinoa when dinning out, I have never cooked it at home until a few weeks ago. 

We bought a box of quinoa and guess what? There is a recipe on the back of the package by Cath Claringbold, a Melbourne chef renowned for her Middle Eastern cooking. I tweaked the recipe a little and it is now a favourite at the Tummies'!

Give it a try if you are a lover of quinoa or a late convert like us. Serve it as it is or as a side dish when you next roast a chook.

Happy cooking and have a wonderful weekend!

P.S The original recipe asks for pomegranate seeds. When the fruit is in season, make sure you add 1 cup of the ruby coloured seeds to brighten up the dish. 

recipe adapted from Cath Claringbold's

serve 2 as a main or 4 as a side dish

you'll need;

1/2 a cauliflower, sliced 

160 g of white quinoa, cooked and cooled

500 ml of vegetable stock

1/4 cup of slivered almonds, lightly roasted

1/4 cup of sultanas, roughly chopped

1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley, shredded

1/2 bunch of coriander, shredded

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1 red onion, sliced and caramelised

for the dressing;

3 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs of sherry vinegar

1 tbs of pomegranate molasses

sea salt to taste

crushed black pepper to taste

Place sliced cauliflower in a roasting pan, drizzle with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in the pre-heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring from time to time to ensure even browning. Remove and allow to cool.

To cook the quinoa - place quinoa in a pot, wash and drain well then add stock to the pot simmer on low heat and cook until the quinoa is tender and the stock has evaporated. Remove from pot and allow to cool.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients and set aside.

I have added caramelised onion to the salad which works wonder to the already delicious salad.

Place all ingredients in a salad bowl, drizzle with the dressing and toss well. Serve it as a light vegetarian meal.

Or as a side dish with roast chicken or grilled fish.

Roast Potatoes With Duck Fat And Rosemary

Often the simplest and most unadorned dishes are the tastiest and roast potatoes with duck fat is a very good example of that.

J 'demanded' some snacks before the start of our dvd marathon on a cold Sunday afternoon. Having just had yum cha hours before I was quite happy to eat nothing until dinner but in order to stop him from running to the nearest shop and return with some msg laden crisps, I had to do something quick.

I spotted the tub of duck fat (from this recipe) in the fridge and knew what to do right away and the result was a bowl of the naughtiest, tastiest, crispiest golden roast potatoes ever. 

serves 2 as a snack or as a side dish to meat or fish

oven preheated at 220 C (conventional)

you'll need;

3 large potatoes, cut into chunks

5 cloves of garlic, lightly bashed with the blade of a knife

a sprig of rosemary, removed leaves from the stalk

2 to 3 tbs of duck fat*

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the ingredients while the oven is heating up.

Place all ingredients in a oven tray and mix well, season generously with salt and pepper.

Roast in the hot oven until golden and crispy, shaking from time to time for even roasting.

Serve as a snack or as a side to meat or fish.

Karashi Mentaiko Supagetti 辛子明太子スパゲッティ Spaghetti With Mentaiko And My 600th Post

Do not judge a book by its cover and it is appropriate to use the saying to describe this rather ordinary looking pasta dish. What it lacks in the look department is aptly compensated by the unique and addictive flavour that will have you ask for more, a reason why I have chosen this to be my 600th post.

Apart from the furikake (rice seasoning) and shredded nori which are used as garnishes, everything else is of foreign origins. Despite that, this quirky and very tasty dish is quintessential Japanese, the willingness of the Japanese to experiment with non Japanese ingredients is why there are always surprises awaiting when one visits a Japanese eatery.

The star of the dish is of course the karashi mentaiko (marinated spicy pollock roe) or known as myeongranjeot in Korean. Though it was only introduced to Japan over a century ago, it is now considered a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It is difficult to describe the taste of mentaiko; it is salty, savoury, fishy , a little spicy and utterly delicious! ... words failed me really so do make it one of the ingredients you must try before you die.

P.S My dear friend A had started a lunch group at work with 5 of her colleagues (each contribute a  fixed amount of money and each would take turn making lunch etc etc.) and I was quick to say yes when she asked me for my assistance when it was her turn to cook. This formed one of the components of her bento boxes.

recipe from the tummies' kitchen

serves 3 as part of a Japanese meal or bento

you'll need;

250g spaghetti, cooked until al dente

65g of karashi mentaiko (marinated spicy pollock roe), separated from the membranes and set aside

3 heap tbs of pure cream

4 heap tbs of kewpie mayonnaise (Japanese mayonnaise)

pepper to taste

shiso fumi furikake (shiso rice seasoning) or finely shredded fresh shiso leaves

shredded nori seaweed

You can find mentaiko at all Japanese and Korean grocers (ask for myeongranjeot) and this is the packaging of the one we used.

And this is how the marinated pollock roes look like. Remove the the tiny eggs simply by making an incision on one end of the roe and squeeze out the tiny eggs from the very thin membrane.

Shiso fumi furikake (shiso rice seasoning) and we used pure jersey cream from South Australia, available at La Latteria in Carlton.

Place mentaiko, cream, cupie mayonnaise in a large seasoning bowl and whisk until well combined, season with pepper. Meanwhile cook spaghetti with a large pot of salted water.

Place drain spaghetti into the bowl with the mentaiko cream mixture and mix well.

Sprinkle with shiso fumi furikake (or fresh shiso) and shredded nori seaweed.

Or seen here as part of the offerings in a bento. Please check out my tori no karaage (fried chicken) and recipe for origini (rice balls) and maze gohan (mixed rice balls) will be posted next so please stay tuned!

Nasi Kunyit 黃薑飯 Steamed Glutinous Rice With Turmeric And Coconut Milk - "Malaysian Monday 71"

I was about to write a rain cheque for this week's MM post but that was before I saw the delicious nasi lemak kuning (yellow coconut rice) at my favourite Makcik Manggis' blog Jom Masak ...Jom Makan-Makan. The fragrant coconut rice beautifully coloured with turmeric reminded me of something I cooked when my dear firend A came over for dinner one night.

Nasi kunyit (or turmeric rice in Malay) is a significant dish for the Peranakan/Nyonyas, given out as  gift together with the likes of red eggs and ang ku kueh (red rice cakes with sweet filling in the shape of tortoise) to friends and relatives when a baby turn's one month's old. 

Traditionally served with chicken curry and that was exactly what I did when A came over to keep me company when the other tummy was away.

Please remember to head over to my friend Sharon's blog Test With Skewer to check out the 19th Muhibbah Malaysian Monday roundup!

serves 4 as a one dish meal
you'll need;
600 g of glutinous rice
2 tbs of turmeric powder
2 cups of water
2 pieces of asam keping (tamarind peel)* or a juice from half a lime
400 ml of coconut milk
pinch of salt
2 pandan leaves, knotted
Malaysian chicken curry to serve
cucumber and onion pickle to serve

Place washed glutinous rice in a large bowl and add in the water, turmeric powder, asam keping and water, stir well and leave it to soak overnight. Drain the rice well and discharge the asam keping and set aside the next day.

Place the soaked rice in a shallow bowl or a lined steamer, pour in half of coconut milk and a pinch of salt and mix well, place the knotted pandan leaves into the bowl, cover and steam over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Mix in the rest of the coconut cream and mix well, cover and steam for a further 10 minutes.

Serve the fragrant turmeric rice with chicken curry. I decided to have some cucumber and onion pickles on the side to cut down the richness of the dish.

I am hosting this month's event so please send all your entries to me at sureshchong@yahoo.com, to find out more about Muhibbah Malaysian Monday and on how to participate, simply click HERE. I will be waiting!

Warm Beetroot And Cumin Salad

This is a quick and easy recipe using one of the most underrated vegetables around. It puzzles me how such delicious and versatile vegetable is hated by so many. Fortunately there are also many like me who simply can't get enough it. 

A little spice makes a difference to any dish and such is the case here with this stunning looking salad. The warmth fragrant cumin pairs perfectly with the tender earthy beetroot, making it a perfect side dish to go with any grilled meat or fish. I served this as a side with lamb kebabs and spiced yoghurt sauce.

P.S always wear kitchen gloves to avoid staining your hands.

recipe adapted from The Food Of Morocco A Journey For Food Lovers
serve 4 as a side dish
you'll need;
6 beetroots, boiled till tender, peeled and cut into wedges
80 ml of olive oil
1 tbs of red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
2 tbs of chopped coriander leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Boil beetroot with plenty of salted water until tender (~1 hour). Replenish pot with hot water if it evaporate during cooking. Drain and when they are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into wedges. 

Mix olive oil, red wine vinegar and cumin in a swallow bowl and mix well.

Place beetroot, onion and coriander in the bowl and mix well, season with salt and pepper.

This stunning side dish goes perfectly with kebabs, grilled meat or fish.

Ikan Bilis Masak Kentang, Spicy Anchovy, Potato And Peanut Stir Fry - "Malaysian Monday 42"

As an old Chinese saying goes, "peony though beautiful, relies on the green leaves to bring out its brilliance" (roughly translated from 牡丹雖好，全仗綠葉扶持。) I always plan my meals using the same principle - to have a few side dishes that compliment the one or two star attractions of any given meal. Familiar to all Malaysians and Singaporeans; this everyday dish, despite its simplicity its dangerously addictive!  

serves 4 to 6 as part of a Malaysian meal
you'll need;
100 g of dried anchovies
100 g of peanuts
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into batons
2 tbs of brown sugar
juice from one lime or 4 Asian limes (limau kasturi)
oil for frying

for the spice mix;
1 green chili, chopped
1 red chili, chopped
4 garlic cloves, bashed

To prepare the spice mix - pound ingredients into a course paste.

Peel and cut potatoes into neat batons.

Fry potatoes until golden and drain well followed by the peanuts.

Drain off most of the oil and fry anchovies until golden and crispy, drain well and set aside.

Saute the spice mix with 2 tbs of oil for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat then add in the sugar and lime juice. Stirring constantly until the mixture thicken and turn syrupy.

Return the potatoes, peanuts and anchovies to the pan, stir and coat well.

Serve as part of a Malaysian meal.

I am hosting this month's event so please send all your entries to me at sureshchong@yahoo.com

To find out about the event and how to take part please click HERE.

Nasi Minyak, Rice Cooked In Butter - "Malaysian Monday 39"

I made this fabulous side dish using my dear friend Makcik Manggis' (Jom Masak... Jom Makan-Makan ) recipe, terima kasih makcik! I have had this numerous times at Malay weddings but making it at home was a first for me thanks to the very easy to follow recipe. I served it with the curry kambing (Malaysian goat curry) I posted a week ago and I think they are a match made in heaven. If you want something festive to go with your next Malaysian meal please remember to try this out!

P.S I have been away from the computer for a few days and just realized this post was removed so I am reposting this.

recipe from Jom Masak... Jom Makan-Makan
serves 4 to 6 as part of a Malaysian meal
you'll need;
2 cups of basmati rice, rinsed and drained
3 shallots, peeled
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 cm knob of ginger

a little cooking oil 

a small knob of butter

a little yellow colouring (optional)

2 star anise

6 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 pandan leaf
1/3 cup of milk
2 1/2 cups of water
salt to taste
a little yellow colouring (optional)
a handful of roasted cashew nuts
a handful of sultanas

Pound shallots, garlic and ginger into a rough paste.

Saute star anise, cloves and cinnamon stick with a little cooking oil and butter for 30 seconds before adding the wet spices. Continue to cook for a minute....

Add in the well drained rice and stir well, making sure each grain of rice is coated with the fragrant mixture.

Transfer rice to a rice cooker then add pandan leave, milk, water and a little salt to taste. 

When rice is cooked you may gently stir in a little yellow colouring if using. 

Top with some roasted cashew nuts and sultanas and serve as a replacement for steamed rice.

My friend Sharon from Test With A Skewer is hosting the May event, please send all your entries to its.sharon.gmail.com. To find out more about the event please click here.