Finally tried making Sushi....

Have been wanting to try to make Sushi for a long time but it always seems easier to just dine out. I love going to Sushi bars and picking the dishes from the sushi train...

Anyhow, I finally decided I should at least try to make it once. Turned out pretty okay... considering I am an amateur! This website helped me to roll it up properly: http://sushiday.com/archives/2006/10/26/how-to-roll-maki-sushi/

Simple South American Chili

This is a popular dish in South America and I have just found out when I arrived in Vancouver that it is a dish called "chili"! Chili???? To us Asians, chili is simply the vegetable itself, the spicy hotness you feel when you accidentally chew on a piece of it....(some Chinese dishes have fresh chillies in it and sometimes you would want to avoid it because it is alarmingly spicy!! Especially the SzeChuan ones....)

Anyhow, I have explored the makings of some chili and here goes my recipe:

You can have the option of having no meat in it (purely vegetarian style) or just add some ground beef or chicken....

Ingredients A:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and sliced)
6 cloves of garlic

Ingredients B:
1 cup of beer
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of black beans
1 can of red kidney beans
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce/tabasco
1 tsp salt
1 can of tomato paste (if the sauce is too watery)

Saute ingredients A together for a few minutes till fragrant. Add Ingredients B after that. Simmer for around 15 mins. Voila!!!!! Serve with shredded cheddar cheese on top and corn bread or rice! (OH! If there is ground meat, make sure it is well cooked and saute with Ingredients A)

For easy reference, here is my recipe of Buttemilk Cornbread (in picture above) --- a perfect pairing with chili...

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk, low fat
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg OR 2 egg-whites

Now, mix all the ingredients above together. Grease your loaf pan and stick it into the oven (450F). Bake it for 20-25 mins OR until it is dry when you stick a toothpick in.

NOTE: If you can't find buttermilk in your local store or don't have it handy, you can make it.... check out this link on how to make it: http://frugalliving.about.com/od/makeyourowningredients/r/How-To-Make-Buttermilk.htm

Ma Po Tofu

This spicy tofu dish is one of my favourites.

Ingredients:
1 block of tofu (medium firm), cubed
Ground pork/chicken
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tbsp spicy bean paste
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp black bean paste
Dash of pepper
1 tsp cornstarch + cold water

Stir-fry garlic until fragrant, then add the meat. After it is well-cooked, add in the spicy bean paste, soy sauce and black bean paste. Mix in the tofu. Stir-fry another 2-3 mins and then add in the mixture of cornstarch + water. Voila! (For garnish, add spring onion or parsley on top)

Optional add-ins: Mushrooms, rice wine or leeks might enrich the dish.

Pineapple Rice

This pineapple rice serves 4. However, feel free to adjust the recipe to your liking and serving.

Ingredients:
1 pineapple (medium sized) - cut it half, save the shell and cube the rest of the pineapple
4 bowls of rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 shallots, minced
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 fresh red chilli, sliced
1 bunch of spring onion
Choose your own meat: chicken/pork/beef/prawns


Fry the garlic and shallots in oil. Then saute the meat 2-3 mins. Add rice and then the combination of fish sauce, soy, sugar, chilli, spring onion. Fry for 2-3 mins, then add the pineapple cubes (if you feel there is too much, save the rest for dessert later)...

Serve the pineapple rice in the pineapple shell with a sprig of parsley/coriander as garnish.

Seafood Marinara

This could go with Spaghetti or any pasta.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 Fresh tomatoes or Tomato paste/Diced tomatoes in a can
1 cup of stock
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Pepper and salt to your taste
Any seafood available: Calamari, clams, prawns, etc etc

Saute the onions and garlic till fragrant. Add in tomatoes/tomato paste plus stock. Sprinkle the dried spices. Lastly, add the seafood. Simmer for 5-10 mins (calamari and prawns cook real fast anyway).

Get your pasta boiled and drained. Top with Marinara sauce and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on it. Dress with a sprig of fresh parsley!

Voila! Dinner for two....

Pork Schnitzel... Aussie style

For some reason, today I had a craving to eat some Aussie schnitzels.....

This tastes really good with butter rice. This serving is for two ....

Ingredients:
4 cutlets of pork (make sure it is sliced thinly), slit the edges to avoid curling when it is being fried.

For batter, combine the following:

A
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1 tsp each of salt and pepper

B
1 egg, lightly beaten

C
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp paprika

Coat the pork cutlets in A, then B... and then C (probably best to place them in separate bowls). Refrigerate the coated cutlets for a few hours. This is recommended because it will help to keep the coat solid on the cutlets.

While you are refrigerating the cutlets, you can start making the sauce. I like to use Mushroom sauce, so here are the ingredients:
- 4 to 5 mushrooms
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- some corn starch mixed in cold water
Saute the mushrooms with garlic and soy sauce. When it is cooked, stir in corn starch to thicken the sauce. If you wished to have a smoother sauce, blend the sauce, or else it is just good to serve it as it is. (I blended it anyway)

Saute the pork cutlets 6-8 mins or until cooked.

Pour mushroom sauce onto the cutlets when serving. You can also serve with lemon slices and fresh parsley on top.