Kuih Harum Manis

A malay kuih which comes under the "apam" category.  Its texture is very spongy, fragrant (harum) and sweet (manis) - this is how the name "Harum Manis" comes about.  An excellent option to use up leftover bananas and they taste great.

Ingredients (yields about 60 pieces):
150 g dark brown sugar or palm sugar
250 ml water
250 g butter

180 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence (liquid)

330 g plain flour
1 tsp (leveled) baking powder
1 tsp (leveled) bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt

4 - 5 ripe bananas
kuih lompang plastic moulds

Method:
In a saucepan, add brown sugar and water.  Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and leave aside to cool down completely. Strain sugar mixture.  In another saucepan, add butter and melt over low heat. Remove from heat and leave aside to cool down completely.   In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together.

In a mixing bowl, add sugar, eggs and vanilla essence.  Beat until creamy.  Add flour mixture by the tablespoon and fold in well.  Then, add in melted butter and mix well, making sure there are no lumps. Finally, add in the sugar/water mixture and mix thoroughly.

Grease the kuih lompang moulds with soft butter.  By using a tablespoon, add batter until almost half or three quarter full.  Then, add a slice of banana of about 1 or 2 cm thick on top.

Add boiling water to steamer and heat it up.  Once ready, steam the kuih for about 20 minutes.  Once done, remove from steamer and let it cool down for about 5 minutes.  By using a plastic knife, run through the sides of mould in order that the kuih comes out smoothly.

Serve warm or cold.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken in Olive-Tomato Sauce (Mediterranean-style)

Another healthy and low calorie dinner for my two boys.  Pan-fried chicken breast meat without any seasoning cooked in a sauce which is made up of green/black olives, dried tomatoes, garlic and olive oil.  No seasoning was added to the sauce due to the olives' natural taste.  To round up the meal, I served it on a bed of gently-boiled spinach and a side dish of boiled potatoes.

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 large chicken breast meat, to be washed, dried and each sliced into two
12 green olives, to be coarsely chopped
12 black olives, to be coarsely chopped
6 dried tomatoes, to be coarsely chopped
3 pips garlic, to be coarsely chopped
2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
150 - 200 ml chicken stock
1 tbsp canola oil

750 g spinach (fresh or frozen)
1 medium-sized onion, to be peeled and finely chopped
grated nutmeg
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp canola oil

Method:
In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent.  Then, add in spinach and season with seasonings.  Put lid on and let simmer over low to medium heat, stirring regularly.

In a small container, add chopped olives, garlic, dried tomatoes and olive oil.  By using a stab-mixer, purée coarsely.  Leave aside.

Brush a medium-sized pan with canola oil and heat over medium heat.  Add chicken pieces (no seasoning) to pan and fry until both sides are golden brown.  Remove to a plate.  Then, add chicken stock to pan together with the olive-tomato paste.  Bring to a slight simmer before adding the fried chicken pieces.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken are done.

Serve hot with spinach and boiled potatoes.

Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

With the festive season over, I have started to cook healthy and low calories food for my two boys. For tonight's dinner, I prepared Stuffed Bell Peppers with minced beef, harissa and curd cheese filling. Pan-fried with a little oil, followed with the addition of beef stock before they are baked in a moderately slow oven for about half an hour.
As a side dish, I prepared whipped Topinambur instead of whipped potato.

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 medium-sized red bell peppers
2 medium-sized yellow bell peppers
500 g minced beef or lamb
100 g low-calories curd cheese (Magerquark)
2 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely chopped
1 small onion, to be peeled and finely chopped
4 tsp Harissa
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
250 ml beef stock
4 sage leaves
1 stalk rosemary
2 stalks thyme

500 g Topinambur
400 ml vegetable stock
a tbsp chopped parsley
2 - 3 tbsps thick cream (low calorie)

Method:
In a large bowl, add minced meat, onion, garlic, curd cheese, Harissa (add more if you prefer spicy) and salt to taste.  Mix thoroughly and leave aside.

Wash and clean the bell peppers.  Cut them into halves and remove the seeds, leaving the stalk intact.

Add minced meat mixture into the cavities.

Heat oil in a large pan which can be used in the oven.  Sauté stuffed bell pepper all over.  Then, add beef stock and herbs.  Bake in a preheated fan oven for about 20 - 25 minutes.

In the meantime, peel, wash and cut Topinambur in cubes.  Add to a saucepan which is filled with vegetable stock.  Cook with lid on over medium heat for about 25 minutes or until tender.  Drain water away and purée by using a mixer-stab.  Add thick cream and chopped parsley.

Serve Stuffed Bell Peppers with whipped Topinambur.

Bon Appetit!

Lasagna alla Bolognese

Another lasagna dish using a minced beef/tomato-based Bolognese sauce in between layers of pasta and Béchamel sauce.  I recommend that you make your own Béchamel sauce from scratch because homemade sauce tastes much better than the store-bought ones.

Ingredients (serves 4):
500 g minced beef
2 carrots, to be peeled and finely chopped
1 stalk celery or 1/4 celery root, to be cleaned and cut into fine cubes
1 medium-sized onion, to be peeled and finely chopped
2 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely chopped
125 ml instant vegetable stock OR red wine
4 tbsp tomato puree
1 can (400 ml) chopped tomatoes
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
a pinch of sugar
3 tbsp olive oil

Ingredients for Béchamel Sauce:
70 g butter
1 medium-sized onion, to be peeled and finely chopped
60 g flour
500 ml fresh milk
250 ml instant vegetable stock
75 g grated Emmental or Gouda cheese
salt & white pepper to taste
ground nutmeg

one packet (250 g) lasagna sheets
100 g grated Emmental or Gouda cheese
a casserole tray (28 x 24 cm)

Method:
In a medium-sized pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add chopped onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent before adding the minced beef. Sauté until beef changes colour. Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Then, add vegetable stock and cook until all liquid has evaporated.  Add canned tomatoes and tomato puree.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add dried thyme, sugar and check seasoning again.  Remove from heat and leave aside.

In a saucepan, heat butter over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent.  Then, add flour and by using a small whisk, stir until well blended.  Add milk and vegetable stock a little at a time and keep stirring until there are no lumps. Bring to a slight boil.  Then, remove from heat and add the grated cheese.  Season with ground nutmeg, salt and white pepper to taste.

Add a few spoonfuls of Béchamel sauce onto base of casserole tray and spread well. Then, arrange a layer of lasagna sheets on top.

Spread half of Bolognese sauce over lasagna sheets.

Then, arrange a layer of lasagna sheets on top.

Spread half of Béchamel sauce on top.

Repeat procedure until all ingredients are used up.  Lastly, sprinkle grated cheese on top.  Bake in a preheated fan oven at 150° C for about an hour or until golden brown.

Once done, remove from oven and leave aside for about 10 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Filet Wellington with Périgord Sauce

I prepared this exravagant dish for our Christmas Day's Lunch.  A whole beef filet piece covered by a farce mixture, which is made of mushrooms, shallots, chopped parsley & goose liver pâté, and enveloped with puff pastry.  The preparation is a bit time consuming but it is worth the effort.  I served this dish with Potato Gratin and Steamed Brusselsprouts & Carrots.

Ingredients (serves 4 - 6 persons):
1 beef filet (about 1.5 kg) - middle piece, if possible
3 tbsp olive oil

3 shallots, to be peeled and finely chopped
500 g brown or white mushrooms, to be cleaned and finely chopped
a handful fresh parsley, to be washed, dried and finely chopped
30 g butter
3 tbsp Madeira wine (optional)
3 tbsp fresh cream
80 g goose liver pâté
salt & ground black pepper to taste

2 rolls of fresh puff pastry or 2 pkts (à 300 g) frozen puff pastry, to be thawed
1 egg white
2 eggyolks

Worchestershiresauce
200 ml fresh cream
4 tbsp Madeira wine (optional)
125 ml water
1 tsp instant beef stock granules

Method;
In a medium-sized pot, heat butter over medium heat and add chopped shallots.  Stir-fry until translucent before adding the chopped mushrooms.  Cook until all liquid has evaporated.  Then, add cream and Madeira wine.  Cook further until completely dry i.e. until all liquid has evaporated again. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper before adding the chopped parsley.  Remove from heat and leave aside to cool down completely.  Once cooled down, add goose liver pâté and mix thoroughly.

Season beef filet with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Heat olive oil in a large pan and sauté until brown on all sides for about 10 minutes.  Remove to a tray and let it cool down completely.  Pour the juices from pan into a small pot for the sauce.

Place both layers of puff pastry on the worktop with two ends overlapping each other - brush the two ends with beaten egg white first).  Pat dry beef filet with kitchen paper before placing in near to end of puff pastry closer to you - slightly towards to the centre.  Cover beef filet with farce mixture all around.

Bring the lower end of pastry to cover beef filet and then the two sides to overlap as shown below:

Keep rolling until you get a perfect parcel.  Cut off excess puff pastry and cut into decorative strips to be arranged on top.  Then, brush with eggyolks all over and by using a small skewer, prick all over the pastry in order that the air can escape during baking.  Bake in a preheated fan oven at 180° C for about 30 minutes.  Once baking time is over, switch off oven and leave the Filet Wellington for another 10 to 15 minutes with the oven door ajar.

Before serving, slice the Filet Wellington to serving portions.  Serve with gravy.

To make the Périgord Sauce:  add fresh cream and bring to a slight boil.  Season with salt & freshly ground black pepper.  Thicken gravy with a mixture of cornflour/water if preferred.

Bon Appetit!