Ajvar

A Balkan relish which is made up of roasted red bell peppers, brinjal, red chillies and garlic.  Its taste can be spicy hot, sweet or piquant according to one's preference. Ajvar complements Cevapcici dish very well.

Ingredients (serves 4):
5 large red bell peppers, to be left whole
3 or 4 fresh red chillies (more can be added if preferred), to be left whole
1 medium-size brinjal, to be left whole

6 pips garlic, unpeeled and packed in a piece of aluminium foil

2 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely minced
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt & ground black pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat conventional oven to 240° C.

Line a baking tray with pergament paper and place the bell pepper, brinjal, chillies and the foil pack of garlic.  Roast the vegetables for about 15 minutes.  Turn over and roast for a further 15 minutes.  This will result the skins of the bell peppers and brinjal turning black and blistered.

Remove from oven and place all vegetables except the foil containing garlic to a bowl. Cover bowl with cling film and leave for about 15 minutes.

Remove garlic from foil.  Peel off the skins and add them to a bowl.  Peel off the skin of the brinjal carefully and cut into two.  By using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and add the flesh to the garlic.  By using a stab mixer, puree the garlic and brinjal until fine.  Remove to another bowl.

Remove the stems and peel off the skins of the bell peppers and red chillies.  Add to a bowl and pulse puree until coarsely chopped - we need a coarse texture.  Add to garlic/brinjal mixture.

Then, add minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and cayenne pepper.  Mix well then add salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Pour into a serving bowl and store covered in fridge until serving.

Serve with Cevapcici and Djuvec Rice.

Bon Appetit!

Kirsch-Schoko-Quark

This simple dessert was taught to our son in school this morning and he prepared them again this afternoon. He is very proud of his achievement and even insisted that I post up his dessert here.  Main ingredients are curd cheese, cherries, fresh cream and cherries.

Ingredients (serves 4):
500 g mager Quark (curd cheese)
100 g fresh cream
1 vanilla pod, to be cut into two and seeds scraped
3 tbsp cocoa
chocolate shavings
1 bottle (400 g) seedless cherries

4 dessert bowls

Method:

Pour cherries into a sieve over a bowl.  Throw the juice away and leave aside.

Whisk curd cheese, vanilla seeds and fresh cream together until well mixed.  Remove half of mixture to another bowl. Add cocoa to one bowl and mix well.

To each dessert bowl, add 1 heaped tablespoon of white cheese mixture and spread well.  Then, add 2 heaped tablespoon of cocoa mixture and spread well.  Arrange 4 cherries on top and then, add 1 heaped tablespoon of white cheese mixture and spread well.

Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top before topping it with a cherry.  Store in fridge before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Stir-Fried Beef with Spring Onions & Red Bell Peppers

A simple chinese dish to prepare for a lazy Sunday lunch.  Most ingredients are readily available in any home - one just need to buy the beef and bell peppers.

Ingredients (serves 4):
350 g beef fillet or tender cut of beef, to be thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, to be washed, dried, deseeded and thinly sliced
6 stalks of spring onion, to be washed, dried and cut into 5 cm lengths (one may use big onion instead)
4 slices of fresh ginger, to be shredded
2 pips garlic, to be peeled and crushed
3 tbsp cooking oil

Marinade Ingredients:
1 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine (optional)
1 tbsp cooking oil

Sauce Ingredients:
100 ml chicken stock
1 tbsp thick soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine (optional)
1/2 tsp sugar
ground black pepper
1 heaped tsp cornflour

Method:
Marinate beef slices with marinade ingredients for at least one hour.  Before cooking, add 1 tbsp oil and mix well.  Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl.

In a wok, heat 1 tbsp oil over high heat until hot.  Add beef slices and stir-fry by using a pair of chopsticks for about 30-40 seconds or until beef changes colour.  Remove to a bowl and leave aside.

Clean wok and reheat 2 tbsp oil over hight heat.  Add shredded ginger and stir-fry for half a minute. Then, add spring onion, crushed garlic and bell pepper.  Stir-fry for about half a minute.  Return beef to wok and mix well.  Then, add sauce ingredients and mix well.  Check seasoning.  Once the sauce starts to boil, dish out and serve hot with rice and sliced green chillies in light soy sauce.

Bon Appetit!

Ossobucco

An italian speciality of beef or veal shanks braised with beef broth, vegetables and white wine (see explanation in recipe).  There are various versions of this dish but our recipe is based on the german version.  Best eaten with baguette and a small green salad.

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 thick slices of beef shanks (Rinderbeinscheiben) - total weight:  1.5 kg OR veal shanks (Kalbshaxe - ask your butcher to cut into 4 portions)
salt & ground black pepper
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp plain flour

250 g carrots, to be peeled and cut into thick sticks
250 g celery stalks or celery root, to be cleaned and cut into thick sticks
250 g big onions, to be peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 pip garlic, to be peeled and minced
50 g butter

1/4 litre beef stock (OR 1/4 litre white wine & 1/8 litre beef stock)
1 pce bay leaf
1 stalk fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
a bunch of basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tbsp lemon juice
salt & ground pepper to taste
1 tbsp Soßenbinder (sauce binder) or 1 tsp cornflour to be mixed with 1 tbsp water

oven bag or Bratschlauch (one can use aluminium foil or a baking tray with a tight fitting lid)

Method:
In a pan, heat butter over medium heat and add sliced onion.  Stir-fry until translucent before adding minced garlic.  Then, add carrot and celery sticks.  Stir-fry for another 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a saucepan, bring beef stock to a slight boil over medium heat.  Add thyme, basil and bay leaf. Simmer for another 5 minutes before removing from heat.  If using white wine:  In a saucepan, boil white wine until reduced to half quantity i.e. 1/8 litre.  Add beef stock, thyme, basil and bay leaf.

Wash beef/veal shanks under running cold water and wipe dry with kitchen towel. Season with salt & ground black pepper and lemon zest.  Coat in flour and remove excess flour.  Preheat fan oven to 180° C (conventional oven:  200° C).

Place 2 beef/veal shanks side by side in an oven bag (Bratschlauch) or all 4 shanks in an oven bag.  Tie up one open end of the oven bag.

Arrange the vegetables on top of the meat shanks and add the beef stock.  Tie up the other open end, making sure that enough air is in the bag.  Place bag on a cold oven wire rack.

Place rack in oven and cook for about 2 hours for beef shanks (1.5 hours for veal shanks).  Once done, remove oven bag to a baking tray.

By using a scissor, cut open the top of oven bag as shown.

Remove to a serving plate and keep warm.  In the meantime, pour gravy into a small saucepan.  Bring to a slight boil.  Add lemon juice and season with salt & pepper to taste. Add sauce thickener and whisk well.

Serve Osso Bucco with gravy.  Best eaten with baguette and a small green salad.

Bon Appetit!

Rojak Petis (Chinese Rojak)

Rojak is a popular fruits and vegetables salad dish in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.  There are various versions of rojak i.e. malay, chinese, indian, etc.  The following rojak sauce recipe is based on the malay preparation.  This time, I included yu char kway and century egg to get the chinese version.

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, to be washed, dried & cut into bite pieces
1 sengkuang (bangkwang) - I used Kohlrabi (turnip) instead, to be peeled & cut into bite pieces
1 ripe pineapple, to be peeled, trunk removed & cut into bite pieces
1 mango (almost ripe), to be peeled & cut into bite pieces
2 pcs yu char kway, to be cut into bite pieces
1 century egg, to be cut into 4

Note:  One may also add "Granny Smith" apples which are sour!  Whereas, blanched bean sprouts and kangkongs are added in the malay version.

Sauce Ingredients;
2 tbsp skinned peanuts (baked or fried without oil)
1 tsp ground cillis (optional)
1 stalk chili padi (optional)
a few slices of bunga kantan (ginger flower/torch ginger bud) - optional
2 tbsp petis (shrimp paste)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
a little tamarind juice - mix 1 tbsp fresh tamaraind with 2 tbsp warm water

Method:
Prepare vegetables and set aside.

Clockwise from from left:  pineapple, cucumber, kohlrabi & mango

Yu char kway

Century Egg

Brown sugar & Petis Udang (Shrimp paste)

Cobek

Add both types of chillis and bunga kantan to cobek and grind.  Then, add peanuts and grind coarsely. Add petis (shrimp paste), both types of sugar and about 1 tbsp tamarind juice (you may add more if the sauce is too thick). Mix well before adding the vegetables.

Mix all ingredients (except the century egg) well into the sauce and serve immediately!

Bon Appetit!