Spaghetti Marinara with Garlic and White Wine Sauce

Every evening it's the same dreaded question: What's For Dinner?

This may be fine for a lazy evening dinner.

Spaghetti Marinara with Garlic and White Wine Sauce Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

500 g Spaghetti

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, crushed

125 ml dry white wine

375 g marinara seafood mix (fish, squid, prawns, and mussels)

4 tbsp chopped parsley

Grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8 - 10 minutes until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and garlic, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes until softened but not coloured.
3. Pour in the white wine and boil to reduced the liquid in the saucepan to about 2 tbsp, stirring constantly. Add the seafood mix and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add half of the parsley and heat through.
4. Drain the spaghetti thoroughly, and add to the seafood mixture, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and serve at once, sprinkle Parmesan cheese and garnished with the remaining chopped parsley.

Toffee Chocolate Spoons

Not going to write much today. Just had a mug of warm milk with a toffee chocolate spoon. Still licking it. Feeling dreamy............

Toffee Chocolate Spoons Recipe

(Adapted from AWW's Chocolate)
Makes 10

Ingredients

1 cup (220 g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
100 g milk eating chocolate, melted

Method

1. Line two oven trays with baking paper.
2. Combine sugar and the water in small saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, without stirring, until toffee is golden brown. Remove from heat; stand 2 minutes.
3. Spoon toffee onto trays into spoon shapes; allow to set at room temperature.
4. Dip toffee spoons into chocolate; return to trays. Set at room temperature.
5. Use spoons to stir through mugs of hot milk to make hot chocolate, if you like.

Cherry Clafoutis

After making two successful mouthwatering desserts from The Food Of France Cook Book - Caramel Ice Cream and Petits Pots de Crème -, I was dying to get my hands on another good one from the same cook book.

I set my eyes on Cherry Clafoutis. Cherries are available in abundance on the supermarket shelves at the moment. I grabbed a good kilo of them today and couldn't wait to get on with them.

I was tossing up between choosing the cherry clafoutis recipe from The Food of France Cook Book and Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cook Book.

After the stunning Poulet Roti (French Style Roast Chicken with Herb Butter, I wanted to make a French dessert from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cook Book. But after hearing lukewarm feedback from leshallescooking.com on the runny Creme Brulee and the chewy Cherry Clafoutis comment during one of the MasterChef chat hosted by chocolatesuze, I decided to use the recipe from The Food of France Cook Book.

The cherry clafoutis (pronounced as 'KLA-FOO-TEE') turned out to be SO GOOD!!! The colour, the texture, the ratio between the batter and cherries ticked all the right boxes. Mr J polished off a portion that is big enough for three-people and clutched his aching stomach to bed.

It is very important to take note that it is traditional to leave the pits in the cherries when you make a clafoutis. They add a bitter, almost almond-like, flavour during the cooking which makes this dessert so unique. But you'd better point this out when you're serving the dessert.

Cherry Clafoutis Recipe
(Adapted from The Food From France Cook Book)
Serves 6

200 ml double cream
1 vanilla pod
100 ml milk
3 eggs
50 g caster sugar
70 g plain flour
1 tbsp kirsch
450 g black cherries
icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
2. Put the cream in a small saucepan.
3. Split the vanilla pod in two, scrape out the seeds and add the whole lot to the cream.
4. Heat gently for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat, add the milk and cool.
5. Strain to remove the vanilla pod.
6. Whisk the eggs with the sugar and flour, then stir into the cream.
7. Add the kirsch and cherries and stir well.
8. Pour into a 23 cm round baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden on top.
9. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
   
   

Asian Style Guinness Baby Back Pork Ribs

Oh... Baby Back Ribs! Ah... Tony Roma's! Oh... and the Onion Rings!! :)

Gosh, I love the baby back ribs from Tony Roma's! My first encounter with Tony Roma's baby back ribs was in Anaheim back in 1998. We went to the restaurant without knowing it was an 'Eat-All-You-Can-Ribs' evening. While we were busy attacking our very first slab, we were distracted by the bones piling up on the other tables around us! We chatted with the patron of the table next to us and he told us that he was on to his 7th slab!!!

Guinness braised pork ribs is a popular dish in Malaysia. The ribs are usually cut into individual bones, floured, deep-fried and braised in a thick sauce infused with Guinness stout.

The recipe I have here is not the traditional Malaysian version. The ribs are marinated overnight and grilled / oven baked with an Asian style glaze. The marinade laced with Guinness tenderizes and adds wonderful flavor to ribs.

Yes, you can taste the distinctive malty flavor of Guinness but the bitterness of the stout has already been mellowed down by the brown sugar in the marinade. The ribs are amazingly tender and moist and I hope you will give this recipe a try on your next barbecue or your next grill feast!

Asian Style Guinness Baby Back Pork Ribs
Serves 4

8 racks Baby Back Pork Ribs

Marinade:
725 ml Guinness
1 large onion, sliced
125 ml salt-reduced soy sauce (I use Kikoman brand)
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
60 ml sesame oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic

Glaze:
250 ml fluid ounces honey
60 ml salt-reduced soy sauce (I used Kikoman brand)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
2 tsp sesame seeds

Method

1. To prepare the ribs: In a large bowl, whisk together the Guinness, onion, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and minced garlic. Place the ribs in a glass baking dish and pour the marinade over them. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. To Prepare The Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, coriander, minced garlic, and pepper.
   
   

   

3. To Grill: Remove the ribs from the marinade and place them on the grill. Grill until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 10-15 minutes. Brush with the glaze and cook 1 minute per side. Remove from grill and place on serving plate. Pour over the remaining glaze.
4. To Oven Bake: Preheat oven to 160C. Line two baking dishes with baking paper or foil; place oiled wire rack in each dish. Drain pork from marinade. Place pork, in single layer, on racks in dishes. Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes turning halfway and brushing with glaze until well browned and cooked through. Remove from oven and place on serving plate. Pour over the remaining glaze.
   
   

Milan / Milano Cookies - Daring Bakers' July 2009 Challenge

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I haven't baked any cookies for a long time. Mainly because I am lazy... not! It's just that there are so many varieties of cookies and biscuits on the supermarket shelves and I have far more other recipes that I like to lay my hands on. Hence, baking cookies is always at the bottom of my list.

Mr J loves Milano Cookies. He hasn't had any Milano Cookies since his move to Asia in 1997. When I announced I was going to make these Milano Cookies for the DB challenge today, he was beyond happy!

Pepperidge Farm - "Ah, the classic Milano cookie. Simple. Elegant. The perfect balance of exquisite cookies and luxuriously rich dark chocolate."

Milan / Milano Cookies Recipe
(Courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website)
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon extract
1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour

Cookie filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 orange, zested

Method

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Amandel Boterkoek (Dutch Almond Butter Cake)

Have you ever baked a cake in a pie pan or baked a pie in a cake pan?

I just did.

Boterkoek is unique to the Netherlands. It's a filthy rich, buttery, dense cake which Dutch eats during coffee time. It doesn't taste or look like a cake. It taste more like a shortbread. It's seriously not waistline friendly with the amount of butter in it. There are a couple of variations to this cake: Plain, Almond and Chocolate (we haven't heard of chocolate boterkoek but we came across it when we were browsing the web searching for boterkoek recipe).

This is the first time I have ever attempted to make this Traditional Dutch Butter Cake. There are many different recipes on the Internet and after much discussion with Mr J, we have settled on one from Eating In Europe (Recipe #1). We picked this recipe because of the amount of almonds being used in it (2 cups!!) and Mr J loves almonds!

Recipe #1

Unfortunately, the end results were not satisfactory. Although it's full of wonderful almond taste, the cake is lack of sweetness which it should have plenty. The texture is too dried and the colour is not right. It should have a glossy surface instead of a crumbly finish.

So we moved on to Recipe #2 from RecipeZaar by RawFruitNut, claimed to be her oma's (grandma's) recipe. This recipe doesn't contain any almond. Instead, almond extract is used. While I was making it, Little Miss C kept asking me if I was making 'Marzipan' - the dough does smell and taste like Marzipan.

Recipe #2

This recipe turned out to be better than the former one. Visually looks right. It has the glossy surface and dense texture. Soft in the inside and hard on the outside, but not too hard. It tastes buttery and the amount of sweetness and almond taste is just perfect. It's a winner here. I have a very happy and proud Dutch drinking coffee and eating boterkoek all day this weekend!

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Amandel Boterkoek (Dutch Almond Butter Cake) Recipe #1
(Adapted from Eating In Europe)

Ingredients

For the dough:
2 cups of flour
1 cup of butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 small egg
pinch of salt

For the filling:
2 cups ground almond
1/4 cup sugar
1 small egg
grated peels of half a lemon

Method

1. Knead all the ingredients for the dough into a firm ball.
2. Divide the dough in two and press one half into a buttered pie pan of 1 inch (2½ cm) deep and 8 inch (20 cm) diameter.
3. Make the filling: Grind the blanched almonds, mix with sugar, beaten egg and lemon peel and grind once more.
4. Place this almond paste on top of the dough layer and press the other half on top of both.
5. Bake in moderate (350F / 180C) oven until golden brown and done, about one hour.
6. Remove from the pan and cool on wire rack. Cut in wedges or diamonds.

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Amandel Boterkoek (Dutch Almond Buttercake) Recipe #2
(Adapted from RecipeZaar)
Serves 12

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 egg, beaten (reserve 1 tsp)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. In medium bowl, mix together butter, sugar and almond extract.
2. Add beaten egg except for 1 teaspoon.
3. Sift flour and baking powder, and add to bowl, mixing with wet ingredients.
4. Put dough in greased 9 inch pie plate.
5. Mix the reserved 1 tsp of beaten egg with 1 tsp of water, and brush over dough.
6. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until done (firm to the touch).

Roasted Dutch Carrots with Honey and Garlic

Dutch carrots measure about 5-8cm long, they are sold in bunches with the leaves still attached. With a slightly sweeter flavour than other carrots, delicate Dutch carrots look fantastic as a side dish and are extremely tender.

Dutch carrots are extremely versatile. They can be eaten raw or roasted, steamed, microwaved, boiled or even juiced.

But why Dutch?

In the 16th century, Dutch carrot growers invented the orange carrot in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family. They did this by cross breeding pale yellow carrots with red carrots.

Picture credits to Orange Journey

Newly orange, carrots traveled England with Dutch travelers during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The carrot soon caught on in England as both a food and a fashion accessory. Ladies would often use carrot tops to decorate their hats.

The settlers at Jamestown in 1607 introduced carrots to North America.

Source: Perfection Fresh and Eat This.

Read more on Orange Journey.

Roasted Dutch Carrots with Honey and Garlic
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 bunches Dutch carrots (1 kg)
1/8 cup (30 ml) olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp honey
1/2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C.
2. Trim carrot tops, leaving 2 cm of the stems intact. Wash carrots well.
3. Place carrots in medium baking dish with combined oil, garlic and honey; toss well. Roast, uncovered, 15 minutes.
4. Add thyme leaves, roast further 3 minutes or until tender.

Magnolia Cupcakes with Ferrero Rocher Chocolates

Sex and The City fan? Yes? Then you will love these cupcakes. No? You will still love these cupcakes.

I use the Traditional Vanilla Birthday Cake and Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake recipes from The Magnolia Bakery Cook Book to make these lovely cupcakes and top them with Ferrero Rochers and Ferrero Gardens.

Magnolia Cupcakes with Ferrero Rocher Chocolates Recipe

(Adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cook Book)

Makes 48 cupcakes (24 Vanilla Cupcakes and 24 Chocolate Cupcakes)

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Ferrero Rochers

Makes 24

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

24 x Ferrero Rochers

Silver cachous

Vanilla Buttercream:

1 cup unsalted butter, very soft

8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
3. To make the vanilla cupcakes: In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition. Spoon the batter into the cups about three-quarters full. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20-22 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on a rack before icing. Top each cupcake with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate ball and sprinkle some silver cachous around it.
4. To make the vanilla buttercream frosting: Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and the vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (you may very well not need all of the sugar).

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and Ferrero Gardens
Makes 24

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (To melt chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for approximately 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes)

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

24 x Ferrero Gardens

Chocolate buttercream frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, very soft

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp milk

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
3. To make the chocolate buttermilk cupcakes: In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugars until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, beating after each addition until smooth. Spoon the batter into the cups about three-quarters full. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20-22 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and cool on rack.
4. when cupcakes have cooled, ice them with chocolate buttercream frosting. Zig-zag the vanilla buttercream frosting over the cupcakes, then finish with placing a Ferrero Garden chocolate balls on each cupcake.
5. To make chocolate buttercream frosting: In a medium-size bowl, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy and of desired consistency.

Caramel Ice Cream (Glace Caramel)

I am making Ice cream again! This time, a French Caramel Ice Cream. I am a true caramel ice cream fan and I always go for Berthillon's Glace Caramel whenever I am in in Paris.

Caramel Ice Cream (Glace Caramel) Recipe

(Adapted from The Food of France)

Serves 4

Ingredients

70 g sugar

80 ml cream

3 egg yolks

360 ml milk

1 vanilla pod

Method

1. To make the caramel, put 45 g of the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and heat until it dissolves and starts to caramelize - tip the saucepan from side to side as the sugar cooks to keep the colouring even. Remove from the heat and carefully add the cream (it will splutter). Stir over low heat until the caramel remelts.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Put the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring just to the boil, then strain over the caramel.
4. Bring back to the boil and pour over the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously.
5. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and cook, stirring, until it is thick enough to coat the back a wooden spoon.
6. Do not let it boil or the custard will split.
7. Pass through a sieve into a bowl and leave over ice to cool quickly.
8. Churn in an ice-cream maker following the manufacturer's instruction.
9. Alternatively, pour into a plastic freezer box,cover and freeze.
10. Stir every 30 minutes with a whisk during freezing to break up the ice crystals and give a better texture.
11. Freeze overnight with a layer of clingfilm over the surface and the lid on the container. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

I am entering this recipe to the Ice Cream Social event hosted by Tracey of Tangled Noodle, Scott of Scotty Snacks and Jennifer of Savor the Thyme.

Roast Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic + Oven Roasted Potatoes

This moreish Provençal favourite will surprise you with how mild and creamy the garlic becomes after its long roasting. It does sound frighteningly overpowering but, as anyone who has ever roasted garlic knows, the cloves mellow and sweeten in the oven until, when you come to serve, the creamy flesh that is squeezed from the skins is quite different from the raw clove.

Feel free to use as many cloves as you want because any leftover roasted garlic cloves can be peeled and used to make a simple garlic mayonnaise known as aïoli.

Roasted Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic + Oven Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients

3 bulbs garlic
60 g butter, soften
1.5 kg whole chicken
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 cup (250 ml) white wine or water

Oven Roasted Potatoes:
1 kg baby new potatoes
Cooking-oil spray

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Separate cloves from garlic bulb, leaving peel intact.
3. Rub butter over outside of chicken and inside cavity; press combined salt and pepper onto skin and inside cavity.
4. Place half of the garlic inside cavity; tie legs together with kitchen string.
5. Place remaining garlic cloves, in single layer, in medium baking dish; place chicken on garlic.
6. Pour the water carefully into dish; roast, uncovered, brushing occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
7. Meanwhile, make oven roasted potatoes: Boil, steam or microwave potatoes 5 minute; drain. Pat dry with absorbent paper; cool 10 minutes. Place potatoes, in single layer, in large oiled baking dish; spray with cooking-oil spray. Roast alongside chicken for the last 30 minutes of its cooking time or until potatoes are tender.
8. Stand chicken on platter, covered with foil, 15 minutes before serving with roasted garlic and potatoes.
   
   

Accordion / Hasselback Potatoes

Named after the Stockholm restaurant that first introduced them in the 1700s, "Hasselback Potatoes", adopted as "Accordion Potatoes" by other European cuisines, provide an elegant alternative to baked potatoes.

I reckon the name "Accordion Potatoes" is better - more descriptive and free of any reminders of David Hasselhoff.

When properly made, the potato should have opened like the folds of an accordion into a fan shape.

This looks like a very fancy side dish, but is actually easy to do. Definitely a unique way to serve potatoes.

This Accordion Potato Recipe is a truly rustic side. Cut thinly like fans, these potatoes will crisp up but still have soft interiors. White or waxy potatoes keep their shape when roasted.

Let's hear what Nigella Lawson has said about Accordion / Hasselback Potatoes:

"I think of these Swedish roast potatoes as being rather like sauteed potatoes on the stem: each one is cut into think slices across almost right through, but not quite, and then roasted in buttery oil; as they cook, the potatoes fan out, like slightly fleshy crisps with their bottoms still attached. Traditionally, maincrop potatoes are used, but I love these made with new potatoes, too; in which case, Charlotte or Ratte, which are waxy-fleshed and taperingly oval in shape, are best. If you are using maincrop potatoes, avoid those huge floury monsters; moderately proportioned Cara potatoes, or similar, would be just fine for the job.

The advantage of using new potatoes is that they take less time to cook, but the disadvantage is that they take longer to prepare. Finely slicing a lot of little potatoes is a much more fiddly exercise. But whatever size of potato you're using, the important thing is not to cut the whole way through. I find the easiest way of doing this is by putting the potato in a bowl of a wooden spoon while I slice it; the outer edges of the spoon - if you understand what I mean - prevent you being able to get your knife right through to the bottom of the potato which is cradled in it, so you couldn't botch the job even if you wanted to. The potato has to fit in the spoon for this to work, so use a larger one for maincrop potatoes, small one for new potatoes. It's as simple as that.

If you want to peel the potatoes, do, but I find it isn't necessary. And if I buy those shinny, pebbly supermarket ones, I don't even scrub them."

Accordion / Hasselback Potatoes
(Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer)
Serves 6

Ingredients

18 medium oval-shaped potatoes, about 125 g each, or 36 new potatoes, approx 60 g each (I used Kipfler Potatoes)
45 g butter
5 tbsp olive oil
salt

Method

1. If you are using the larger potatoes, preheat the oven to 210C; for roasting new potatoes, preheat to 200C.
2. Put each potato, in turn, in the bowl of a wooden spoon, like you would carry an egg in an egg-and spoon race, and cut across at about 3mm intervals.
3. When you've cut them all, put the baking tin on the hob with the butter and oil and heat up till sizzling.
4. Turn the potatoes well, putting them in upside down (ie, cut side down) first, then the right side up, and spoon the fat over them.
5. Sprinkle each potato well with salt and put in the oven: cook the large potatoes for about an hour and 10 minutes, testing to see whether the flesh is soft (you may need another 10 minutes for this); 40 minutes should be fine for the new potatoes.
6. Transfer to a warmed plate, and serve.