I will use basil leaves for spaghetti and rosemary are more towards meat, no?

hmmm.. do you know what are you gonna do with it? lol. basil leaves are very 'fragile' so do ur research before you buy it. i've never heard of rosemary in pasta before :/

hmmm.. the reason why i suggest rosemary is because if i do my bolognese sauce, i will be using a lot of meat and stuffs.. so i'm jus wondering whther it will turn out or not

err mind restructuring your post? I don't understand what are you saying

in my opinion, rosemary enhance the flavor of your red meat. Basil can be used in all tomato based cooking (great health benefits too; anti-aging, anti-cancer and etc)

this is what i always do when cooking my bolognese sauce. Sautee your garlic in olive oil until transparent, then adds chopped rosemary leaves (can be fresh or dried), then brown your minced beef. then add the spaghetti sauce like normal. add 1 small dried basil leaf and simmer and cover your sauce until desired taste (usually 10mins). then while serving, remove those basil leaf.

if u wanted to get all these dried herbs, obtain it from tesco. All those herbs in bottles (masterfoods, mccromick) cost around RM9-12, which is a steal. go to tesco (i usually go to tesco extra in shah alam) and u can find all those wonderful dried herbs in plastic pack just for mere RM2-3. and they sells fresh ones too!

This post has been edited by apisgogo: Mar 2 2009, 12:02 PM

i mean i will be using quite a lot of meat.. so using rosemary will be good isn't it? u said earlier rosemary is mostly for meat right..
i saw a few recipes they mention about rosemary in bolognese pasta as well

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Added on March 3, 2009, 12:46 amwonderful idea
thanks for the suggestion.. maybe i will do that one day

This post has been edited by paqralos: Mar 3 2009, 12:46 AM

Anyone know how to make 鲤鱼包？ penang style otak-otak.

Very fast tom yum noodles:



Need: (serves 4)

Instant Tom Yum Paste (see pic in my blog)
Fresh red chilli X 2 (sliced)
Garlic, onion
Chicken broth
150gms Glass noodles
Bunch of coriander

This needs tasting expertise, you've to taste as you go!! :0)

Ok, for 4 people, we need about 12 cups of chicken broth, or about 2 L. Bring it to a boil in a pot, and add chilli, garlic, onion.
After 1 minute, add in 3 tbsp of instant tom yum. Taste. If it's too diluted, add tom yum paste, if not spicy enough, add more fresh chilli.
When you're satisfied with the taste, add in the glass noodles. Please note that the glass noodles will soak up a lot of the broth, and the noodles cook fast. So, about 1-2 minutes should be sufficient.
Serve immediately and garnish with coriander.

more pics and recipes: my blog

today Ah sien taste show? anyone see location for duck shop? I engage in phone missed it, sigh

Rosemary works well with red meat as pointed out by the post above. For pasta sauce, why not try some thyme, or hell even sage works in pasta sauces. I'm experimenting with a combination of rosemary and thyme for my bottled sauce and it works nicely.

The key thing is.. keep the herbs to the minimum.. maximum 2 types. You don't want to have a confusing and conflicting sauce.

Basil is a very very delicate herb and will wilt easily. If you want to keep its flavour, use it only at the very end of the cooking time. I'll usually chop up a bunch of basil and stir it into the hot sauce prior to serving. That way, the color and the flavor is kept. Basil works very well with delicate sauces and tomato. Basil + tomatoes are a match made in heaven. Basil are easily overpowered by other strong flavors.

Anyone tried to plan their own herbs and vegs? Been wanting to set up a small tomato "farm" in my garden and also plant some herbs which i use often like thyme, rosemary, basil, sage and parsley. Any recommendations or guidelines?

Guys, where did u all found/bought all those herbs and rare ingredient?

Anyway, any potato soup recipe? The one with clear soup...Not the creamy/milky one

i normally buy my stuff @ tesco. They carry most of the herbs i've mentioned there.

The rest i plant myself in my herb box.

[quick meal]
Soup ABC special


serves 2

Ingredients:

2 carrots - sliced thinly
1 tomato - cut in half
1 garlic - cut in halves
2 onions - peeled not chopped
200gm chicken or pork or beef
2 teaspoon olive oil
pinch of salt


Boil water, add in finely sliced carrots and meat. 5 minutes later add onions and salt. boil for another 5 minutes, add in tomato and olive oil and garlic. add a pinch of salt , stir for another 5 minutes.
serve with rice.

nutrition from carrots are high. they should be thinly sliced for express serving as they would soften faster. if chunks are used, , extend boiling period. a well balanced diet with plenty of iron, vitamins and protein. meat is added to extra flavoring. eating or not depends on user.





[slow preparation]
Mini fat *** cheong - buddha jump over wall

serves 4


4 abalones
1 whole chicken - cleaned and with the butt and wing removed. (black chicken use 2)
150gm dried scallops
30gm wolfberries
10gm ginseng root
6 chinese mushrooms or fresh or wild mushrooms - do not use button mushrooms
10gm yuk chuk herbs
50gms cuttlefish - fresh not dried
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon salt
4 medium size prawns - shell removed - must be fresh prawns. best to use live prawns.
2 tomatoes - skin removed
15gm dried dates
1 garlic - chopped super finely or blended
a little bit of thyme leaves


boil pot of water with chicken and garlic and yuk chuk.
from 1 full pot to 3/4 pot of water, add in wolfberries to soften, add in 1 teaspoon salt, and tomatoes.
from 3/4 pot of water to 1/2 pot of water, add scallops and mushrooms and dates.
boil for another 2 hours under slow fire and add 3 cups of water stired with sugar and thyme leaves and garlic. add abalones.
when mushrooms are soft , remove tomatoes.
add cuttlefish and 1 more teaspoon of salt.
boil for another 15 minutes on slow fire. add in ginseng roots.
stir and check mushrooms always. when extremely soft, add in cuttlefish and set to medium heat for 10 minutes.
by now the wolfberries would be destroyes with seeds all over the place. this is good as its broken down intothe water with its full flavor. the dates should also be partially destroyed by now. all its flavorings have entered the water.
finally add in ginseng root and prawn and boil for another 10 minutes under slow fire.

done !

remember - dates and wolfberries are natural sweeteners. sugar and thyme leaves + garlic makes the water thicken a little bit more.
chicken is not nutritious as it is already flowing inthe soup. the mushrooms take longer time to soften than the abalone. it will not disintegrate. dried scallops are used as flavoring and so is cuttlefish. prawn is always added last as it cooks really fast and the taste is strong that is why u use fresh or live prawns only.
garlic in this case has no flavor but it gives off a fragrant aroma when mixed with all these.

nutrition fact : alot is contained. remember to watch the heat. never let it boil for too long, always use medium to medium high heat . slow heat is for the final moments upon serving.

Penne con carne macinata ala pomodoro
(Penne with minced beef in tomato sauce)

For 4 person

2kg of ripe red tomatoes (Quartered into cubes)
500g of minced beef
200g of streaky bacon (cut into small cubes about 1 inch)
2 large yellow onions (finely diced)
1 stalk of celery (diced)
1 carrot (diced)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 head of garlic (finely chopped)

Flavoring
Rosemary (fresh)
Thyme (fresh)
Oregano (dried or fresh)
Salt
Course black pepper
Bay leaf x 2


Instructions:
1) Brown the bacon in a pot. To help with browning, put the bacon into the pot with some water. The water will help evenly cook the bacon and draw out the fat.
2) Once the bacon is almost brown, pour in the minced beef and brown the meat too. Do not add any water at this stage. Cook off the water coming out of the mince until the beef is brown. Remove to a plate.
3) Using the same pot (don’t wash the pot), pour in the chopped onions and brown them too. Add a little oil if it’s too dry.
4) Once the onion is soft and slightly brown, add in the garlic. Fry till you can smell the fragrance (usually very quickly). Take care not to burn the garlic.
5) Add in the celery and carry to create a mirapua (classic French for mixture of sautéed roots vegetable). Sweat the vegs till they are fragrant.
6) Add in the chopped tomatoes. Stir constantly. If the sauce is too dry, add some water. Bear in mind that the tomatoes have their own moisture and will release into the sauce once they’re being cooked.
7) Add in the browned minced beef. Stir constantly. Pour a can of tomato paste into the sauce to bulk up the flavor. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil and lower down to simmer for approximately 2 hours.
8) Taste the sauce. Add seasoning of salt and pepper to taste. Take about 2-3 stalks of rosemary and strip off the leaves. Chopped it finely with a knife and add it to the sauce. Strip the leaves off the thyme and oregano and add them into the sauce too. Let the sauce simmer for another 30 minutes until it has reduced to a thicker consistency.



ps.. haha... i know the name sounds kinda stupid. lol

This post has been edited by raist86: Apr 1 2009, 08:13 PM

now there's not many guys who interested in planting..not to mention herbs

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Added on April 4, 2009, 3:06 pmfor bread pudding lover..

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk (or 2 cups half & half)
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar (white or brown, depending on taste preference)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (french bread works best)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk (or half & half) just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

2. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture.

3. Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.

4. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Pour batter on top of bread.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

If you make the sauce to put on top of your bread pudding, adjust the sugar in the bread pudding recipe, change it to 1/3 cups sugar (the sauce has the other 1/3 cup in it).
Bread Pudding Sauce

(Optional)-You can replace sauce with honey
Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. flour
dash of salt

Directions:

Mix everything together and bring to a boil for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside for 5 minutes, then pour on warm bread pudding.

This post has been edited by luvjim: Apr 4 2009, 03:06 PM

Quick and easy salad dressing (lemon juice + olive oil)
Works well for green salads

Ingredients:
Lemon juice from freshly-squeezed lemon (3 parts)
Extra virgin olive oil (1 part)
dash of sea salt
dash of black pepper
dash of italian herbs mix
a bit of sugar (to taste)

Mix all the ingredients together, making sure to stir well just before pouring so that the lemon juice and olive oil are thoroughly mixed (they will separate over time). Drizzle over salad greens (I usually buy the mixed salad bag and add kyuri/japanese cucumbers, sliced red onion, sliced carrots, rocket, croutons) and toss. It should taste something like vinaigrette dressing but not as sour, so remember to do a taste test before pouring the dressing.

How much is 1 part or a dash? Well that depends on how much salad you're making, as well as how much juice you squeeze out of each lemon. Don't make too much dressing or your salad will be too oily or too sour.

I made two large bowls of salad for a party recently, using 2 bags of mixed salad leaves, 3 kyuri, 1 carrot, 1 red onion (medium sized), and 1 bag of rocket. To make the dressing for these 2 bowls, I used 3 lemons. However, I ended up using only about 75% of the dressing.

The super quick salad dressing

Ingredients:
Lemon juice from freshly-squeezed lemon
dash of sea salt

If you forgot to buy ingredients or salad dressing and you find yourself in need of a quick fix, this is a very simple recipe that works with green salads (stick to the mixed salad bags, kyuri, carrots, don't use rocket). Put salad in bowl, squeeze lemon juice from lemon directly onto salad (how much depends on how much salad you're making - this dressing will be a little more sour than the first recipe above, so adjust accordingly). Sprinkle some sea salt over the leaves. Toss. You're done!

Tip to reduce pungency of onions (especially red onions)
If you find that red onions are too pungent for your salads/sandwiches/etc, try squeezing some lemon juice onto the sliced/diced onions and leaving the onions to marinate in the lemon juice for a few minutes. Then remove the lemon juice from the bowl of onions, and you can use the onions in your dishes. The pungent taste will be much reduced.

My favorite is a desert food. any kind of desert. but i'm prefer desert which we must refrigerated 1st.
i'd try to bake a bread pudding. but the 1st time i try, the taste is not so good. but still can eat.
it was because im not using an evaporated milk, but a fresh milk.
my friends said, the best is using evaporated milk, the taste is good, she'd try it.

here is the recipe of bread pudding

quick and easy olio pasta

sautee garlic,then mix with olive oil and add a dab of rosemary,salt and pepper. toss in cooked pasta and serve.

This post has been edited by C-Note: Apr 22 2009, 06:07 PM

eh! i got the same receipt with u^^ but the instant mee i used is daddy mee. if you ever heard. i know sarawak got daddy mee but KL should be don't have. For those who knoe daddy mee, here is my receipe.

1 pkt daddy mee
tomato sauce (preferable maggi)

method:
-cook noodle till soft.
-drain away the boiling water.
-put the oil and one third of seasoning on a plate (come with noodle in the packet)
-pour aound 3 o 4 tbsp of tomato sauce
-mix evenly
-ready to serve with chilled juice^^
wakakaka!!! ichiban!!!

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Added on April 30, 2009, 10:07 ami got a simple lemon cheesecake receipe. it take 99.9% exactly like the lemon cheesecake from secret receipe.

Go to any market look for PHILADELPHIA CREAM CHEESE. buy the small packet, dun buy the 2kg packet.

open the box of cheese and you will found 2 receipe. one is lemon cheesecake and another is toblerone cheese cake.

i roughly give the steps of making the lemon cheesecake here as i didn't make it for months because i was studying outstation.

Ingrediant:
1 piece of Philadephia Cream Cheese (if nt mistaken 250g)

half lemon (squeeze the juice)

grated lemon skin (aft squeeze the juice, cut the lemon skin in2 veli veli small piece. need onli a quater of the half lemon skin)

Condesed milk (small tin, require less den half oni, if big one, one third)

1 1/2 tbs gelatine powder

5 tbsp boiling water

12 pieces Marie biscuit (chocolate)

butter

aluminium foil

round baking tin (as big as your face)


method:
(base)
-blend the marie biscuit till powder. put aside
-melt approximate 4 tbsp of butter.
-slowly pour the melted butter into the blended marie biscuit and stir.
-stop adding butter when the marie biscuit is all wet.
-wrap the inner part of the baking tin with akuminium foil.
-then put in the wet marie biscuit in it and press until it become a base
-put inside the frige to chill.

(filling)
-beat cream cheese till fluffy.
-add in lemon juice, grated lemon skin, and condensed milk
-well mix the mixture.
-boil the water till boil. pour in gelatine powder and stir till melt.
-quickly pour the gelatine into the mixture upon melting.
-mix the mixture evenly.
-take the base out from fridge, pour the mixture inside and put into fridge to be chill for around 5hrs. serve^^



i'm not sure whether the measurement is like this o not but i could remember this far because last time i used to make this cake almost 4 to 5 times per week!!!

This post has been edited by huangpl89: Apr 30 2009, 10:10 AM

http://martawrites.blogspot.com/2009/03/cr...coli-salad.html

crunchy cool broccoli salad

goodbye fickle march. i hope your girlfriend, april is a hottie. i am more than ready to trade in my puffy coat for a jean jacket and my clogs for cute flats. when spring comes around the produce bins are just as tempting as the easter candy aisle (sweet stacks of strawberries sing my name, the avocados call out to me). here is a fresh fruit + veggie salad to munch for lunch. (broccoli salad is not just for grannies anymore.) my brother pete gave me this delicious recipe.








pete's fresh salad
3 cups chopped Broccoli
2 cups red Grapes, halved
1 Granny Smith Apple, dicced
1 medium red Onion (optional)
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts

Dress it up
3/4 cups Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tsp. Lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar

Combine broccoli, grapes, apple chunks and walnuts in a medium bowl. Slowly stir in the dressing and mix well until coated. Flavor is enhanced if prepared 24 hours ahead and chilled. Extra delicious when you add any of the following: shredded chicken, sunflower seeds, cucumber and/or craisins. Serve in chilled bowls to keep cool + crunchy.



Yummy nessssss.