The Occasional Cook

Chicken Tenders with Peach Sauce

March 22, 2014March 3, 2021 7shasha7

Yesterday for brunch I made this for the kids. And then today, we tried a new chicken wings place and the chicken tenders I had for them was not so different than the ones I made for them! But it costs a whole lot more. It really is more worth it and satisfying to cook at home.

The chicken tenders were so easy to do. First, I coated them with seasoned flour (plain flour, salt and mixed dried herbs), eggs and then coated them again in the flour instead of breadcrumbs. Then I Happy Called them. Yes, using Happy Call has become a verb in my vernacular. 😀 Anyway, I used my seasoned olive oil to really Happy Call the chicken tenders.

For the sauce, I used St Dalfour Peach jam mixed with water, five spice powder and cloves and boiled till it becomes a saucy consistency. However, I’m such a spicy person that I ate the peach sauce with my extra hot Peri-Peri sauce. Yumz.

The coated chicken fillets ready for the Happy Call

Asian Dishes, Seafood

Sambal Sardine

March 19, 2014March 19, 2014 7shasha7

This is a classic budget dish which a lot of Malay families turn to in times of crisis or, like in my case a few days ago, nostalgia.

Sambal is the Malay word for ground chilli. The basic sambal paste would consist of soaking dried chillies till soft and then blending it with water, onions and garlic. This basic chilli paste can then be used in a multitude of ways. Add belacan (fermented shrimp paste ubiquitous in Southeast Asia) and fry in oil to make sambal for fried noodles, asam pedas , sambal Tumis… The list is endless.

Here I’ve fried the sambal paste with oil over low heat together with lots of sliced Japanese yellow onions. Then i added a teaspoon of tamarind pulp. When it’s cooked, I added one tin of sardines in tomato sauce, a wee bit it salt and kaffir lime leaves.

Tamarind pulp can be substituted I suppose with line juice. I realise that since I will be vacationing in the States in a few months time, I’d better think like a Westerner, or someone who lives in the West. I doubt I’ll have such Southeast Asian ingredients readily available in Walmart or Target in Dallas! Oh, dear.

Anyway, this is a nice dish and it’s healthy too. I love the smell of kaffir lime leaves in a dish.

Anyway, this

food

Appetisers for School Dinner

March 18, 2014March 18, 2014 7shasha7

Last Friday was the school’s anniversary and I had to help out with the reception for the VIPs. I must say I was very impressed with the boys and girls.

They came up with their version of Peking duck but if course using chicken thighs which they marinated with five spice powder and baked in the oven. They also made their own plum sauce! We were blown away. Home made plum sauce by 15-16 year old schoolboys! They turned out delicious! Anyway, they wrapped a bit of chicken slice with a slice of cucumber with crepe.

I made hummus which turned out too thick especially after sitting for a while in the bowl. The girls piped the hummus onto Ritz biscuits and as a final garnish, one boy suggested using some leftover spring onions! Did I say I was impressed with the kids?

Bread and Batter

Jamie Oliver’s Pizza Dough

March 18, 2014March 18, 2014 7shasha7

Last weekend I made pizza from scratch. I remember making this a long long time ago, about 11 years to be precise, for my now hubby. At that time, I made the pizza heart-shaped. I remember in a fit of anger dumping the entire pizza in the bin. Apparently last weekend when I made this pizza he recalled the incident too. What’s even more interesting is that we both don’t remember what the fight was about. This is a lesson we should all learn-life is too short to waste time fighting and arguing and throwing tantrums. We won’t remember them anyway.

The pictures show the steps I followed. I also figured out that 30g of active yeast is equivalent to 3 tablespoons.

I’ve a weakness for all things spicy and the pizza topping was really mild. I peppered my slice with lots if Habanero Tabasco. 😋

The last three smallish pizzas I brought to work for brunch with the Breakfast Club colleagues turned friends.

For a full proof pizza dough, I trust Jamie now. 🙂

Meat

Cottage pie

March 2, 2014 7shasha7

I know I’ve made this before but today I was inspired to make them individually in aluminium bowls.

I was also very inspired to make the topping using a mix of Japanese sweet potatoes and russet potatoes.

For the beef mixture, I sautéed garlic and three onions till soft in my herb flavoured EVOO. Then I added the minced beef. I added a can of tomato paste and about 3 tbsp of jalapeño Tabasco sauce. I then added two finely chopped habanero peppers. I added lots of Worcestershire sauce and added chicken stock and water till the meat is cooked and the whole mixture is thick and saucy. Towards the end I added salt and black pepper.

For the topping I boiled almost 2kg of potatoes and 1kg of Japanese sweet potatoes. I used a ricer to pulverise the root veggies and then added fresh milk, butter, salt, black pepper and a handful of freshly grated Parmesan.

I must say it was enjoyable but then again, who doesn’t like meat and potatoes together? 😉