Sunday, 28 April 2013

Slow Braised Chinese Pork Belly

Every time I visit a chinese restaurant I always make sure pork belly is on order. I'm completely addicted to the melting fat and tender soft meat, all soaked in the flavours of star anise, soy, ginger and garlic. I had an intense craving the other day and decided to recreate some at home.

After a brief panic attack because the supermarkets were closed due to a public holiday (damn SA trading laws), I surprisingly found some belly cuts at my local foodland corner store. Chuffed, I trotted home and started preparing. Threw in some bok choy too because I figured I should probably eat some sort of greenery after all that pork fat.




Chinese Braised Pork Belly

serves 4

4 generous slices of pork belly, about 500g
(alternatively, buy a whole piece of belly and slice 3-4cm thick)
1 small knob ginger
4 cloves garlic
8 spring onions
2 star anise
4tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp shao xing cooking wine (about $2 a bottle at any Chinese grocer)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (you can leave this out if it's too much trouble)

steamed rice and bokchoy to serve


Slice ginger in to discs and spring onions in to 5cm batons. Place all ingredients in to a pot that the meat fits snuggly (but not too snug) in.

Cover with water so the meat is submerged and bring to the boil slowly on the stove. Turn down to a gentle simmer and leave for approximately 2hrs, or until the meat is tender, but not falling apart.

Retrieve the meat, and strain sauce if desired. You can also thicken with a little cornflour mixed with water, however I like the runny but rich gelatinous taste.

Serve over steamed rice with greens and remain blissfully ignorant to the thought of eating streaks of melting tender pork fat.

Indulgent Peanut Butter and Nutella Crepe Cake

I made this cake for my birthday just recently. I'd wanted to make a crepe cake for a long time but the thought of making that many crepes freaked me out so much that I constantly put it off. Then, not long ago I visited a dessert bar with crepe cake on the menu which was deeelicious and made up my mind that I was going to conquer the beast.

Now, I'm warning you, this cake has a disgustingly large amount of butter in it, so if you're health conscious, best look away now. Also, I apologise to my friends who ate this on that weekend...

I did get some comments about it tasting like a giant Reeses peanut butter cup, which I was pleased about since they began my love for PB and chocolate many years ago.

The crepe's are chocolate and made from a martha stewart recipe for her crepe cake with a (very complicated) delicious looking hazelnut filling. The PB and nutella are my creation adapted from frosting recipes. You'll want to set it in the fridge after making it, but if the weather permits then leave it out at a cool room temperature otherwise the crepes harden up and it's less fun. Best eaten within a few days.

Apologies for the wonky photos, it was my birthday and I was so excited to eat the cake I could barely manage pictures.




ermagerd! cake!

Chocolate Crepes

1/4 cup water
170g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate
1 1/2 cups flour
6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar (caster, raw, whatever you please)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups milk

Peanut Butter Filling

1 cup smooth peanut butter
200g butter
2 cups icing sugar
dash of vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Nutella Filling

1 cup nutella
200g butter
2 cups icing sugar
dash of vanilla extract
pinch of salt


Method

Heat 1/4 cup of water over the stove and whisk in butter 1 cube at a time until all emulsified. Turn off the heat and stir in the chocolate until all melted and incorporated. Set aside momentarily.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla and whisk till combine, slowly add the milk until a smooth but runny batter forms. Grab the chocolate mixture that's been cooling and whisk in vigorously until it resembles a delicious chocolate drink. Don't drink it though, it's pretty tempting.

Let that baby rest for a couple hours or overnight if you want to make it in advance.

Take a break and watch some trashy daytime television.

Next step, cook the crepe's spooning a small ladle full in to the pan and swirling to spread. The first will always be a disaster so don't be disheartened. Also if you make lots of ugly ones, not to fret either, you can hide them in the middle of your cake ;)

I ended up with about 22 crepes (convenient since I was turning 22!) you may have a few more, or a few less, which is fine.

While the crepe's cool, make the fillings by beating the butter with sugar, salt, and vanilla until fluffy then adding the PB/nutella and beating a few minutes longer until it's all mixed in and aerated.

Now comes the fun part! Start layering with a crepe first, then alternate layers of PB and nutella filling, allowing one very heaping tablespoon for each layer. Top with a layer of filling or just leave the crepe bare. You can also sprinkle with grated chocolate or cocoa powder. I left mine with PB :)

Slice, and marvel at the glorious stripes!


Autumn Pasta Greed

Motivation to exercise always ceases when the cool change sets in. Not wanting to get out of bed, wearing thick cardigans and eating lots of pasta are common themes for me. Pasta because it's tasty, but also because it's quick and comforting. It's funny how eating tends to replace exercise in colder months. A dangerous opposite.

Anywho, a favourite dish of mine from growing up was always spaghetti carbonara. I would get so excited when dad would make it for dinner and eat 2, 3, even 4 helpings before he told me that I should stop, and I would, but always reluctantly. Traditionally the addition of cream is not as common, as the egg is the star of the show, but make sure your eggs are fresh! And if it weirds you out too much just substitute an egg for an extra 100ml of cream.




Simple Spaghetti Carbonara

Serves 4, generously

8 rashers short cut bacon
1 small brown onion
2 cloves garlic
4 eggs
dash of cream or milk
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley and parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)


Cut the bacon in to strips and fry with a little oil in a pan until browned, but not too crisp. I would brown mine a little more next time.

Chop the onion and garlic finely and add to the pan with bacon, fry on a low heat for a good 10-15mins so the onions are nice and soft (start heating your pasta water now). Best to avoid crunchy raw onion in your pasta.

 Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti (I used linguine because it's my favourite) in a large pot of well salted water.

While the onions and pasta cook, whisk the eggs with cream/milk and season with salt and pepper.

 Once cooked to al dente, drain and quickly place back in to the pot.

Add the bacon and onion, as well as the egg mix. Stir and let the egg slowly cook through the residual heat. If it's not doing much put it back on a very low heat and mix constantly, but make sure the egg doesn't just scramble on the bottom.

Pile generously on to a plate and eat on the sofa.

Saturday, 6 April 2013

Addictive Chickpea Lentil Salad

Salad number two from my lentil salad list. List of two that is, haha. I started making this after having something similar from a convenience store. I thought, damn I could make this at home and it would be fifty zillion times better. And it was. It's so so ridiculously easy to make especially if you take the trashy route and use canned chickpeas and lentils (hey, sometimes a gal's gotta do what a gals gotta do) and can be a nice side to some meat or seafood, or a main meal on it's own. I made it so much over the summer and always bring it along to BBQ's/parties where it's always welcome!

The chickpeas are my favourite bit they're like little creamy nutty nuggets of goodness. I always try to fit as many on my fork/in to my mouth as I can in one hit. Not going to lie, I often just go for spoonfuls straight from the can...



 

Chickpea Lentil Summer Salad

Serves 4 as a main, 6+ as a side

1/2 generous bunch of parsley (curly or flat), finely chopped
1 400g can of chickpeas
1 400g can of lentils (or alternatively cook and cool 350g from dried)
2 ripe tomatoes de-seeded diced
1 cucumber de-seeded and diced
4 spring onions sliced
1 avocado diced (optional but delicious)

Dressing

2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp tahini (if you don't have this you can substitute mayonnaise)
1 tsp mustard
salt and pepper to taste


Whisk all the dressing ingredients in the bottom of a bowl (serving bowl will do; less to wash). Dice salad veg how you wish (I like, little 1cmish cubes) and toss through with drained chickpeas and lentils. Then, shovel in to your mouth and enjoy!



A Crazy Summer's End

It's been a rather hectic last few months, I've taken a long hot break over the summer from the blog but I can't be neglectful forever and have finally made my return. I have a handful of summery recipes that I'll post up for anyone wanting to hold on to the last ray of warmth before the autumn chill sets in. It's going to be lovely and warm for the next week or so, even though it is technically autumn, I feel like it's okay to pretend for a little longer...

So while you kick back in your front yard with an old book and iced tea pretending that you're not too cold why not make a little something to nibble. Here are my two favourite lentil salads from the summer. Lentils are the best, such an all rounder. They're a carb, vegetable and protein substitute. Plus they are quick to cook and inexpensive. Always a win. I just use plain old brown ones but whatever you fancy! Just stay away from the dahl varieties (red, yellow) or anything split because they will just turn to mush, you want the skins on.


 

Lovely Lemony Lentil Feta Salad

Serves 4-6

2 cups lentils, cooked and cooled
1 cup crumbled feta
1 small head lettuce (butter, cos, baby spinach or cress would work, just please no iceberg)
From here you can freestyle, add whatever you like, tomato, carrot, avocado, cucumber... I just left it as is but utilise what's in your fridge!

Dressing

juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp mustard
1 tbsp whole egg mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste (not too much salt, feta is very salty)


Whisk dressing ingredients in a bowl (the salad serving bowl will do; less washing up). Tear lettuce in to small pieces and toss it all together! Pull out your cutest salad servers and dig down to the bottom for the best tangy, salty feta lentil stash.

 Next salad, next post ;)