My Culinary Blog

Ingredients: 

4 chicken breast halves, skinned, boned and sliced
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
5 tablespoons corn oil
8 oounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 pounds bok choy or Chinese white cabbage, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
6 scallions, chopped

1. In a bowl, toss chicken with the salt and pepper, garlic and cornstarch mixture. Set aside.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of corn oil in a wok and stir in mushrooms, bok choy/cabbage and sugar for 2 minutes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from wok.
3. Heat remaining corn oil in wok. Stir−fry chicken for 2 minutes over high heat. Add soy sauce and mix well. Cover and cook for about 6 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
4. Mix in the cooked vegetables and scallions. Stir fry together for about 1 minute. Serve hot with rice.

Ingredients:

 4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz. corn starch
1 lb. topside of beef, cut into matchstick strips
2 cups vegetable oil
3 medium carrots, scraped and cut into matchstick strips
2 spring onions, cut into 1 inch sections
2 dry red chilies, shredded
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons wine vinegar

Mix together the eggs, salt and cornflour and toss the beef in this until well coated. Heat the oil in a wok to 350 degree F, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds, and stir−fry the beef for 1 1/2 minutes or until crispy. remove and drain on paper towels. Reheat the oil and deep−fry the carrots for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour off most of the oil, leaving about 1 1/2 tablespoons in the
bottom of the wok. Reheat, then add the spring onions, chilies and garlic. Stir−fry together for about 30 seconds over the heat then add the sugar, soy sauce and vinegar. Return the meat and carrots to the sauce. Toss over the heat and serve.

Ingredients: 

3 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
6 slices bacon, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup chopped scallion
3 Tablespoons all−purpose flour
2 cups shredded Canadian white cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
12 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
Snipped fresh chives or minced scallions for garnish

In a 2−quart saucepan, heat the milk and the chicken broth over medium−low heat. Meanwhile, in a 4 or 5 quart Dutch oven, cook the bacon, stirring, over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the red onion, celery, and scallion and cook, stirring, until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat, add the heated milk mixture, and whisk until well blended. Return to the heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture come to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and stir in the cheese, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepperuntil the cheese is melted and the soup is smooth. Serve the soup hot, garnished with chives.

Ingredients: 

2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups plain yoghurt
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons dill, chopped
toasted almond slices, for garnishing

In a blender, puree cucumber and garlic, pulsing the blades to liquify the chopped cubes. Toss in the dill, salt, water, and yoghurt and mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

4 oz. shrimp − peeled, cooked
2 avocados
1/2 banana
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon half & half
salt and black pepper
1 pinch paprika
1 pinch sugar
1 1/2 cups chicken − cooked, diced
6 lettuce leaves − shredded

If using frozen shrimp, thaw completely. Cut avocados in half; remove stones. Use a melon baller to remove flesh from avocado skins. Reserve skins and 4 avocado balls. Dice remaining avocado flesh. Slice banana. Combine diced avocado and banana. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine mayonnaise, half & half, salt, sugar, pepper, and paprika. Fold in banana mixture, chicken and lettuce. Spoon mixture over reserved avocado skins. Top with shrimp and avocado balls.

3 lb. stewing chicken, stewing with giblets
1/2 lb. stew beef, cubed
Water
2 medium onions, wedged
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 leeks (white only), chopped
1 carrot, quartered lengthwise
1 teas. salt
2 egg yolks
6 tbls. half & half
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

Cut chicken in 4 pieces. Place chicken, giblets, and stew beef in a large pot, cover with water − bring to a boil. Skim foam from surface until surface is clear. Add onions, celery, leeks, carrot and salt. Cover, simmer about 2 hours. Remove beef from cooking liquid, reserve for another purpose. Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken. Cut meat into small pieces.
Strain cooking liquid, squeezing liquid from vegetables − discard vegetables. Boil cooking liquid until reduced to about 1 quart. Beat egg yolks with half & half and white pepper in small bowl.
Stir in about 1/3 cup cooking liquid; stir egg−yolk mixture into remaining liquid. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in lemon juice and chicken pieces − heat through. Pour into tureen or serve in individual bowls.
Serve immediately.

1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups butter
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all−purpose flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond extract
2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease and flour one 9 or 10 inch bundt pan. By hand, with a spatula, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs all at once and beat well. Sift the flour and the baking powder together. Add to butter mixture along with 1 cup of the milk. Continue to beat well (the batter will be doughy).
Add the remaining 1 cup of milk along with the vanilla and almond extracts. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 400F for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 350F and continue baking for 15 minutes longer.

Enjoy your meal!

1 cup self raising flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 egg
pinch of salt

Sift flour, salt and soda into a small bowl. Add sugar, egg and milk. Beat on low speed until mixed. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute,
then fold in melted butter. Place spoonfuls onto a hot griddle or frypan.

4−6 Lamb shanks (chopped in half)
1 large carrot
1 parsnip
2 tomatoes
6 oz. veal/chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
seasoned flour(for dusting)
1 onion
1 stick of celery
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons basil
2 cups mashed potatoes

Dust the shanks in flour and brown them in butter and oil in a heavy skillet or fry pan. Put the cooked shanks in a saucepan, cover with water, wine, and tomato paste and cook ever so gently for about 90 min or until meat starts to soften (you may have to add a little more water or wine.)
In the meantime, saute the vegetables (roughly chopped) with the garlic in the same frying pan; you may have to add a little  more oil. After a couple of minutes add the tomatoes (roughly chopped), lemon juice and rind. Cook gently for another few minutes. Transfer partly cooked lamb shanks into a casserole dish. Skim off any fat formed during cooking. Add the cooked vegetables, mix lightly, add the fresh herbs, spoon mashed potatoes on top and finish cooking in a pre heated 190 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Serve piping hot with crusty bread.

Enjoy