Celebrating 2 Years with Chocolate Agar Agar, Be Still My Heart

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First of all what is the correct term blogiversary, blogoversary or blogaversary? Beats me! I'll go with blogoversary (shrugging), just because.

I can't believe that this month, July 2011, marks the 2nd blogoversary of my baby, Spicie Foodie. When I first started kicking around the idea of becoming a blogger, I could have never imagined that it would have put me on the path I'm on. All I can say is Wow!, Thank you and I can't wait to see what the next 2 years hold.

One of the many great benefits of being a food blogger is the incredible people I've met and the new friendships I've formed. You my new foodie friends have supported and encouraged me to keep going and push harder, for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope that you will continue on this journey with me. July will be a month of celebrations with many special recipes, giveaway, contests, and some other special events. Make sure you are following me somewhere or that you visit often to stay up to date. But in the mean time I'd like to share with you the celebratory treat I prepared for us.

Previously I mentioned incredible people I've met, one of those incredibles is Maya from Foodiva's Kitchen. Maya is not only a fantastically talented woman but also very kind and giving. I love reading and of course drooling over her blog because she never lets me down. Every sweet treat is stimulating to the eyes and gets your tummy growling. Her eye for vibrant food and delicious flavor pairings is quite unique, in a very good way. You just have to see it for yourself, so stop by and say hi to Maya at her blog Foodiva's Kitchen.

This treat, or that is the Classic Chocolate Agar Agar recipe, is from one of the most adorable cookbooks I have ever seen and owned. Maya heard that I was learning to cook with Agar Agar and just had to send me this adorable book. It is called "Pretty Little Agar Agar" by Amy Wong, and if you can find it you have to buy it. It was so difficult choosing which recipe to try first because they all look so delicious and beautiful. We went with this creamy chocolate and vanilla layered agar that did not let down. If you love chocolate you have to make this. Quite simply this is the best jelly I have ever had! Plus you don't have to use disgusting gelatin made from animal "stuff" . Agar Agar is a vegan product made from seaweed. Also if you are looking for a summer treat that doesn't involve turning on the oven, agar is a great no-bake dessert. Here it the heavenly recipe that stole my heart.

Classic Chocolate Agar Agar

recipe source "Pretty Little Agar Agar" by Amy Wong

Ingredients A

4 tbsp agar-agar powder

1/2 tsp salt

1500 ml water

1 can evaporated milk

300g sugar

60g coffee creamer

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Ingredients B

150g cooking chocolate

3 tbsp cocoa powder

4 tbsp peanut butter

400 ml water

1 tsp agar-agar powder

Method:

1. Boil agar agar powder and water from ingredients B. Add remainin Ingredients B, continue boiling over low heat and filter.

2.Boil Ingredients A. Keep 1100mk fro laer use. Mixthe remaining mixture with Ingredeitns B and bring to boil again.

3. Take a mould, pour the mixtures in order: 150ml cocoa layer, 200ml white layer, 250 ml cocoa layer, 250ml white layer, 250ml cocoa layer, 300ml white layer, 300ml cocoa layer.

4. Chill in the refrigerator when it is completely set.

Remark: Make sure the mixture is half-set before pouring the next layer in, until all the mixtures are used up.

What I did different: The only thing I changed was the layering order. I was pressed for time and formed thicker layers. Also my mould though big wasn't large enough so I had a lot leftover. I used a canneles and star silicone moulds to make different shapes for the extra agar. You can find all of the silicone moulds here, Silicone Moulds .

Heavenly to the last bite! Thankfully the recipe yields enough to feed 8 or more so I have plenty leftover for snacks and desserts. Next time I need to work on getting the layers perfect so they do not bleed on to the previous layer. Oh well I'll just have to keep making more until I get it perfect ;) Thank you Maya for the lovely gift, I love it! What about you, have you ever made Agar Agar?


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- Ukrainian Hangover Cure Cocktail
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Mandarin Miso Salmon Medallions

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**Before I get to the recipe I would like to remind you that the signup post for June's YBR has been posted. If you'd like to participate sign up here, June's YBR signup. **

Do you ever get a craving only to be shot down by the fact that you either don't have the food in your kitchen nor available at your local grocery store? Then you have try to satisfy it with something else or change your craving altogether. Frankly, it just sucks!

The particular craving I'm talking about today is salmon. I wanted a big thick salmon fillet. I'm talking King/Chinook or Sockeye . Fresh, vibrant, fatty and just melt-in-your-mouth almost orgasmic kind of salmon. I was setting the bar very, maybe too high. Salmon is one fresh fish that is most available here in this landlocked country. As I walked down to the grocery store I began daydreaming about how I would prepare it. Maybe just grilled so the skin becomes yummily crispy. Perhaps I'll marinade it before grilling it or cook it under the broiler. Oh the anticipation has high and the taste buds were salivating.

I walked into the store and headed for the fresh fish case. *@$(%!#0/*+ ........... And now I want to cry, boohoo! The only fresh fish available was carp and rainbow trout. Normally I would be skipping to the rainbow trout but this time it just wasn't going to cut it. Like a big whiny baby I headed to the frozen foods section. That's how bad I wanted salmon, I was willing to take any type of salmon they had. I found some salmon medallions, interesting I've never tried them before. While the quality was not going to be comparable to my initial craving, I counted myself lucky that I could even be buying frozen salmon. Lucky not just because I was going to satisfy my craving but also because there are a lot of people in the world that would consider this an extravagant purchase. We all need to count our blessings and be thankful for them instead of whining about what we want or don't have. There are always people worst off than we are.

I tucked my (senseless) pouty lip in and headed home to experiment. Here's a tip if you need to defrost frozen food quickly, place the sealed food inside a container with cool water. Make sure most of the food is covered by the water and leave at room temperature. As I waited for the medallions to defrost I start going through ideas of how to cook and spice the medallions. I concluded that a marinade would be best incase the salmon had a frozen texture. Not to toot my own horn but the marinade tasted and paired perfectly with the medallions. In fact this is going to be a marinade I try again with fresh salmon fillets. Now that grilling season is here if you are lucky enough to have a grill these would taste great right off the grill. Enjoy and I hope you all have a lovely, warm and sunny weekend!

Mandarin Miso Salmon Medallions

serves 2
3 Salmon medallions
6 tbps. fresh squeezed mandarin juice from 4 small mandarin oranges*
reserved peel from one mandarin
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. rice vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp. red miso paste
1 tbsp. honey

vegetable oil
chives and red pepper flakes to garnish
a slices of mandarin/orange to garnish

*If Mandarin/Tangerines are not available use fresh squeezed orange juice.

Marinade:
1. In a bowl combine the fresh mandarin juice, garlic, ginger, vinegar, miso paste and honey. Stir until the miso paste has broken apart and the ingredients become a thick liquid. Remove any pith left on mandarin skins and cut into even sized pieces, place in bowl with the marinade. Place the salmon medallions in a nonpourus container. Pour the marinade over the medallions, cover and refrigerate a minimun of 30 minutes or overnight if you like.

Cooking:
The next day or after 30 minutes drain any reamaining marinade and discard. The salmon medallions can be grilled, broiled, fried on a flat top grill or fried in a skillet. Add a little bit of vegetable oil to cooking surface and cook the medallions until cooked all the way through.

Serve:
Serve each medallion with a slice of fresh mandarin on top, fresh chopped chives and pepper flakes sprinkled over.

You could serve these with a green salad, or steamed vegetables. I served mine with steamed white rice and steamed brocolli.

**If you'd like to participate sign up here, June's YBR signup. **

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A Mediocre Stir Fry and Why Do I Suck at Chinese Cooking?

Hi everyone, sorry I have been MIA this past week. We had new windows installed on Monday and it turned into a longer project than originally thought. We've been preparing, waiting and cleaning up the huge mess since Sunday. As you can see I was left with no extra time to answer emails, share any recipes nor visit your blogs. I am beat! But as soon as I can gather some energy I'll be playing catchup. I leave you with something I wrote a couple of weeks ago.

Every time I try to cook anything Chinese I fail, miserably. I don't know what the deal is with me and Chinese food. I mean I do like Chinese food, so it's not like I'm just cooking it and not really caring about the outcome. By no means am I an expert or know a whole lot about it, so I try to read and look up very basic dishes. I don't ever attempt the more complicated sounding dishes. I stick to more common dishes known to us in the West like easy stir fries, fried rice or hot and spicy pork threads. Besides not succeeding with the cooking, European Chinese food gives me the worst heartburn. I say European Chinese because when I lived in the US the Chinese food there never gave me heartburn, it tasted fantastic. I do have to admit that ever since we have lived in Europe for the most part the Chinese food here has left me disappointed and unimpressed. I've eaten Chinese food in France, Germany, Austria and Czech Republic and all of the food was from Chinese restaurants run by Chinese people, so it's not a matter that the food is not being prepared by people that don't understand the cuisine. The only thing that I can conclude is that Chinese food has been "toned down" to fit Europe palates. I can only conclude that because I can see how Mexican food has completely been toned down and even strip of its authenticity. Where in North America Chinese and many other immigrant groups have been a part of society and so has their cuisine, in some parts of Europe it seems like they are a bit behind on the amount and quality of ethnic foods. My husband and I agree that out of all the places we have traveled to in Europe, Paris was the best place in Europe for good ethnic foods. (I'll have to tell you about that another time though.)

I would say that 99% of the time a Chinese food craving hits us we go to one of our local Chinese restaurants, I try to not put my husband through the unsatisfied misery of having to eat my failed attempts. The Chinese restaurant we frequent most often has decent fried noodles and fried rice, so that's what I stick to. I'm not 100% thrilled with either though, because they are really greasy. I will have to admit that if it's a takeout night, I only order the chicken fried rice or noodles so I can pick out the chicken and give it to Panchito. I hate the texture and taste of the chicken, it tastes and smells boiled and I can't stand the taste or smell of bland boiled chicken (shuddering). Panchito loves it and when we say we'll bring him back some "Chinese chicken" he knows what he has coming and jumps with excitement, this Dog is crazy! So as we sit down to our Chinese take-out, I sit with my obligatory pack of antacids. Nope, the taste of antacids doesn't help the greasy noodles taste one bit better. Ok it's kinda gross, but it's either that or be belching and feeling horrible the rest of the night. Geesh!, I sound like an 80 year old woman and I'm only 31!

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 broccoli stalk (about 10.5 oz or 300 grams)
1 large carrot, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, sliced in strips
7 oz. or 200 grams button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1/3 cup or 100 ml vegetable or chicken broth
1-2 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil

To serve:
egg noodles, boiled and drained or steamed rice

**TIP** In the comments below Belinda suggested "Get that wok HOT HOT HOT and it really helps!"
1. Cut the flowerets from the broccoli stalk, set aside. Heat the oil in a wok or large pan. Once warm fry the onion until soft then add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add the carrot slices and fry for about 3 minutes, then add the pepper strips and fry for another 3 minutes. Next add the mushrooms mix well and fry for 5 minutes, then add the soy sauce (and any other spice you like) and mix all ingredients well. Pour the broth into the wok/pan and stir until well incorporated. Place the broccoli flowerets over the vegetables, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and allow most of the the remaining broth to cook off.

If serving over egg noodles, add the noodels to the pan/wok and fry for a few minutes. If serving with steamed rice mix the vegetables with the rice or serve over the rice.

Well, incase I haven't grossed you out enough yet perhaps you'd like to try my mediocre vegetable stir fry? That should finish the job for sure! Come on you know you want to try my goodness... I'll let you in on a little inside joke in my house. My husband came up with a sarcastic way of referring to my failed recipes or rather unpalatable dishes I put in front of him as "Goodness!". (I know many of you use that word, and when I see it I have to giggle even though I know you mean that the dish is delicious.) I appreciate and love his honesty. Well at least my hubby still eats what I put in front of him and doesn't send it flying out of his mouth like Panchito. He is a very good husband and for that I make it up to him by making one of his favorite dishes as payment for eating the "Goodness", haha.

If you want a real expert, and good authentic Chinese recipes please visit Liv at , Egg Wan's Eastern Food Odyssey. I for one need to spend more time learning from her blog so I can stop sucking at Chinese cooking.

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Somen (Nyumen) Miso Soup, Ready in 10 Minutes

So far 2011 has started just like 2010 came to an end, busy. But I'm not complaining, who wouldn't rather be busy with too much to do then bored with nothing to do. I do have a question for those of you that have children, go to a 9-5 job, cook, clean, and blog- how do you find all that time to do all of the aforementioned plus have time to photograph, write, visit all of your favorite blogs, and still have time to enjoy life? Even those of you that are stay at home parents, how do you guys do it all? Do you guys have clones? And where can I get one?

Lately I have been trying to challenge myself on how to prepare good and healthy meals with limited time. Today I have one of those "challenge" meals. It is a warming, delicious and pretty healthy soup. It's called Somen Miso Soup and it will take you about 10 minutes (or less) to prepare. Somen are pale, really thin Japanese wheat noodles. They are typically eaten or served cold and when prepared or served warm the name changes to Nyumen. (There is a fun way of serving the cold Somen called nagashi somen, they flow down a long bamboo tube and running cold water, the people stand over the tube and try to catch the flowing noodles with their chopsticks. Check out Youtube for the fun demonstrations.) Since the somen is very thin it takes a very small amount of time to cook. I cheated when it came to the miso, I used Kikkoman Instant AKA (Red) Miso Soup packages. Even though I always keep a package of fresh miso paste I love to have those Kikoman packs to grab a quick snack because they are delish! The bad thing is that the package has MSG and for the most part I try to avoid it but oh well. If you don't have the red miso packs you could also use the Shiro miso or white miso packages.

Ingredients for 1 serving:
1 packet instant miso soup,Kikkoman Instant AKA (Red) Miso Soup
1/2 serving Somen noodle, they come bound together per serving just use half
hot water, according to package or adjust to taste

optional toppings:
wakame
scallions
tofu

1. Boil enough water for the noodles and the instant soup mix. *Tip* I have an electric kettle that boils the water in no time, this will really make the process go faster. Fill the electric kettle and boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, which will typically say boil the noodles for about 4-5 minutes. Drain the noodles, run under cold water and set aside. Running the noodles under cold water stops them from cooking further.
2. Add the miso pack or packets to a large bowl. Stir in water until fully dissolved. Place the noodles in the bowl(s) and stir. If you would like to add any additional toppings do so before serving.

That's it, super simple! This isn't much of a recipe since it's a total no-brainer. But trust me the soup will be really good and when pressed for time this is a great meal option. I've served it both for lunch and double the recipe, per person, for a light dinner. So what about you guys, do you have a go to meal that is both a no-brainer and ready in no time but still healthy? Leave me the links to them in the comments, I'd love to see your dishes!

*Little reminder in case you missed it, You can now sign up for the January edition of YBR here*

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Thutilinanga Indonesian Chili Fried Eggplants/Aubergine

Eggplant also know as Aubergine is one of our favorite vegetables. Well technically it is a fruit but people use it as a vegetable. These veggies are in the same vegetable family as tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes. I know it's kind of weird thinking that all these vegetables belong in the same family. Eggplants/Aubergine come in a variety of shapes and colors but I think to most of us in the west we are most familiar with the long almost pear shape purple varieties. People in Asia are also familiar with long skinny, round and small eggplants. Since I've only had the long pear shaped I could not tell you how and if they differ in taste. Maybe some of my readers could enlighten me ?

Eggplants are very good for our bodies, have you ever noticed that the darker fruits,vegetables and greens are usually the best and healthiest options. They are a good source for Vitamins B1,B6 , dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, magnesium, cooper, niacin, antioxidants and the list goes on. In studies Eggplants have also proven to lower cholesterol as well as help manage type 2 diabetes and their GI is 15 - quite low. In addition to being very beneficial to our bodies I find Eggplant to be a very versatile vegetable that will absorb any type of spices and sauces well so it makes a great cooking ingredient.

The recipe I'm sharing with you today is from one of my Indonesian cookbooks our FDG so kindly brought for me from Indonesia. ( I spoke about it here ) I'd like to tell you that my photo doesn't do the dish justice, Even though it doesn't look so pretty it really was delicious so delicious that I've made a several times now. I followed the recipe pretty much as in the book but one time I changed a couple of things, please see the notes. The eggplant was soft with a little bit of spiciness from the chili and all the flavors really came together. I hope you try the recipe and see how flavorful it tastes.

Ingredients:

(serves 2-3)

2 medium eggplants ( aubergine)*

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 red chili, thinly sliced ( or any color you have)

1-2 tsp. ground chillies

2 Roma tomatoes, quartered

1/4 tsp. salt

2 medium eggs,lightly beaten

6 3/4 oz or 200 ml thick coconut milk ( I have also substituted with vegetable broth)

In addition I have on occasions also added the following ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small piece of ginger, finely chopped

(*The recipe book calls for 4 Aubergines, they are refereeing to long and thin Asian Aubergines but instead I have used 2 large and thick western Aubergines. *)

1. Slice off both ends of the clean eggplants then slice them in half cutting widthwise. Take each half and slice into quarters lengthwise. Heat the oil and fry the eggplants until they have browned , making sure to turn so they fry on all sides. In the mean time slice the onion, chili and cut the tomatoes into quarters. Once the eggplants are browned and soften through place on a serving platter or large plate and set aside. In the same pan fry the onions until they are translucent then add the chili and fry for another 3 minutes. Next add the tomatoes, ground chili, and salt giving the ingredients a good stir. Fry until the tomatoes have broken down.

2. Next push the vegetables aside and add a little more oil to the pan if necessary, pour the beaten eggs. Cook the eggs though and break up to scrambled eggs. Stir and combine the egg into the vegetable mixture. Pour the thick coconut milk or if substituting like I have pour the vegetable broth. Stir to well combine all ingredients and allow to come to a boil.

Pour the vegetables mixture over the eggplants and serve.

The eggplant tasted much better than it looks in my photos, sorry the photos aren't very good. Both my husband and I really enjoyed them, we ate all of it. They were served on the side of Nasi Goreng for a Vegetarian dinner. ( Recipe for Nasi Goreng is here )

I leave you with another little fact about Eggplant/Aubergines , they are native to the Indian Sub-Continent and then were spread throughout many regions of the world. Funny I always pictured or thought they were native to Mediterranean areas in Europe.

* This dish can be enjoyed as a main dish or as a side dish. If you are a vegetarian and don't eat eggs I think Tofu instead of eggs would taste just as good. *

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Green Curry Noodle Soup

I love experimenting with food ! This was the result of one such experiment, an amazing tasting soup! I had no plans to make soup for dinner it just went that way. It all came together when I was cleaning the refrigerator and came across a very small amount of leftover Thai green curry paste I made to use in a fish curry. I grew up in a home where my Mother put all the leftovers , no matter how small, in the refrigerator. Her logic is that some one will get hungry and need a little snack. Her logic was correct someone always ate the leftovers. Growing up like this thought me to not be wasteful and now in my own home I too put all the leftovers in the fridge - no matter how small. So being that the leftover curry paste was not enough to cook another curry or any other big meal I came up with the idea of adding it to or making a soup with it.

I don't know about you but I've never come across green curry soup. I quickly started picturing in my head how to use it as an additional flavor to a light soup to serve as an appetizer. I don't have exact measurements for you since it was just throwing in a little bit of this and a little bit of that, so I'll be giving you rough estimates. You can experiment with the ingredients to adjust it to your own taste, maybe less spicy or even spicier. I also had 4 small button mushrooms in the refrigerator so I added those too.


Your Ingredients:
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 TBS. soy sauce
1 TBS. fish sauce
Juice from 1 lime
1 tsp ground lemon grass
1 TBS. green curry paste
4 ginger slices
2-3 garlic cloves minced
4 fresh button mushrooms, sliced
Rice noodles, quick cooking
4 cups ( 1 liter) water

Garnish:
fresh cilantro
chopped scallions
lime wedges
sliced red chilies ,optional

1. Fry the garlic, onion and ginger first - once garlic is cooked add curry paste and fry another 3 minutes. Next add ginger and lemon grass powder, mix and cook another 3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes.
2. Add water , bouillon cube , soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir to combine/ mix ingredients well. Cook until the mushrooms are completely soft and cooked through about 15 minutes,Or longer to allow flavors to combine better.
3. Right before you are ready to serve the soup add the quick cooking noodles to the soup and boil until the noodles have cooked through 5-8 minutes. You could also cook the noodles separately and add them to the broth right before serving.

Serve with fresh chopped cilantro, lime slices , sliced chilies (optional) and chopped scallions.


The soup was tasted so so good it was both spicy and a bit tangy. But it also had a very fresh taste from the fresh cilantro, which I think also helped it feel lighter for warm spring weather. My recipe may sound a bit strange at first but trust me the soup was so good that the main course was ignored until all the soup was gone. I can't wait to make it again soon and I think it will be the main course instead of just an appetizer.

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Nasi Goreng Indonesian Fried Rice

A couple of weeks ago our friend, aka frequent dinner guest (FDG), brought me a gift. Actually two gifts the first was an Indonesian cookbook from his trip to Indonesia and the second a packet of Saffron from his trip to Egypt. As you can imagine to a foodie these make the best gifts:) The cookbook is called " The best of Indonesian Cooking" by Yasa Boga and published by Marshall Caven Dish. Here is a picture of the cookbook and I checked on Amazon but it's not available, so maybe you can try to find it else where.

There are so many recipes that look and sound so good. Just flipping through the pages makes my mouth water. Honestly, I couldn't decide which recipe to try first. It was like a mouth-watering overload and I wanted to try them all at once. But I finally decided on two recipes for two dishes that we are familiar with, Nasi Goreng or Fried Rice and Chicken Satay with peanut sauce. The first time my husband and I went to an Indonesian restaurant this is what the waiter recommended to us, and we both enjoyed it very much. Today I'll share the Nasi Goreng recipe and in another post I will share the Chicken Satay recipe. This is a very easy and fast recipe to make, also a great way to use up left over white rice.

First is the recipe as it is written in the book and following it I will share my substitute ingredients in case you need them. Also I used dark soy sauce so the color on yours rice and Satay maybe lighter.

Ingredients:
5 Tbs. oil
600 grams (1.32 lb. )refrigerated rice*
1-2 Tbs. sweet soy sauce

Spices (ground) :
5 shallots
3 garlic cloves
3-5 red chillies
1/2 tsp. dried shrimp paste

Garnishes:
sliced cucumbers
sliced tomato
fried shallots
fried eggs (per the book image)

Saute ground spices in oil until fragrant and thoroughly cooked. Add rice and sweet soy sauce. Mix well until rice becomes warm. Serve fried rice with fried eggs, finely sliced cucumber and fried shallots.

*Note: Use cooled rice, preferably rice that has been left overnight, to make fried rice. Newly-cooked rice breaks easily and sticks to the frying pan.

My substitutes:
Sweet soy sauce is soy sauce that has had refined brown sugar added to it. I only had dark Chinese soy sauce to use, so I added 1 teaspoon to the soy sauce and allow it to dissolve completely. Unfortunately I cannot find shrimp paste so I used 1 teaspoon of Fish sauce mixed with a pinch of paprika (for the color). I know not very authentic but it will add the fishy taste and smell to the rice that the shrimp paste would. This is something that I have been doing for a while and I haven't noticed the missing shrimp paste yet. The image in the book had sliced tomatoes along with the cucumbers, so I added them even though the recipe doesn't call for tomatoes.

Another tip to people that can't or don't eat very spicy food, use less chillies or perhaps omit them all together. But add a little paprika so the rice still has some of the color.


What did my husband and I think of this recipe ? YUMMM !!! it was delicious and my husband asked if we could have this again very soon:) I can't wait to make it again for us and for our friend FDG. Thanks again FDG for my gifts that keep on giving, hehe. Now I just need to figure out what to make with my Saffron, hmm .....

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Thai Fish Curry or Kaeng Khieu Wan Pla

The previous post I shared a deliciously spicy Thai green curry paste form the "The Complete Asian Cookbook" by Charmaine Solomon. In her book she also shares a fantastic, super easy and very quick meal to use this curry paste with, Kaeng Khieu Wan Pla or green curry of fish.I love to make this light curry on a hot summer day, because it's so quick and I don't have to be in the kitchen too long. But now that I think about it this hassle free dish is a great dinner year round.
In addition to the ease involved in this meal, it's also a healthy dinner,because fish is lower in calories than meat and it's cooked without oil. Unfortunately the coconut milk will add some calories to the dish but I think just being mindful of this will help us make better choices when it comes to dessert or maybe taking in less calories the following day. All that being said the taste of this fish curry is well worth the coconut milk calories.
The recipe in the book is pretty much the way that I cook this fish curry, with the exception of a few things. I will post her version and my slightly different version, so you can choose what works best for you.


Your Ingredients:
(serves 4)
Charmaine Solomon's Version:
*1 lb or 500 grams fish steaks
2 1/2 cups coconut milk
*2 tablespoons green curry paste
*2 sprig citrus leaves
1 tsp salt
1 TB fish sauce
*1 or 2 small green chillies, seeded and chopped(optional)
*2 TB finely chopped fresh basil,finely chopped

*My variations:

1 lb or 500 grams fish fillets (pangasius catfish)
-Green curry paste, I make my own

I exchange the citrus leaves for 1 Tablespoon lime or lemon juice
-For a milder version omit the chillies
-exchange the fresh basil for fresh coriander
-add a piece of ginger either sliced into thin strips or finely diced

1. Wash the fish well , slice the ginger and chillies. Bring coconut milk to a slight boil with curry paste, stirring constantly. Add the fish, reduce heat and simmer with ginger, citrus leaves, salt and fish sauce until the fish i cooked through, about 15 minutes. If exchanging the citrus leaves for the lime/lemon juice, wait until the fish is cooked all the way through to add the juice otherwise it will slow down the cooking.
2. Once the fish is cooked through, add chillies (optional) and fresh basil, and cook for another 5 minutes. I you are exchanging the basil for the fresh cilantro, add the cilantro on top when serving, or you can add both the basil and cilantro they go well together.

Serve with steamed white rice and you're ready to enjoy!

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Thai Green Curry Paste, home made

A couple of weeks ago I received a message from Cassie at Chow Bella, asking about a curry powder and green curry, I told her I would share this Thai Green Curry paste recipe for a delicious Fish Curry I make. (First I will post the curry paste and then I'll follow it up with the fish curry.) The recipe, I have used for a couple of years now, is from the "The Complete Asian Cookbook" by Charmaine Solomon. I am not as familiar with making green curry paste, so I have always just followed the directions without needing to make adjustments to the recipe. The recipe as it is has worked wonderful in making several different dishes that call for it.

Your Ingredients:

4 large green chillies
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 small brown onion
1 tbs chopped garlic
2 TBS chopped fresh coriander, all including root
2 tsp. chopped lemon lime peel
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp lemon grass
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp shrimp paste ( 2 tsp fish sauce)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbs oil

1. Chop the onion,garlic,coriander, lemon peel, and chillies. Remove the stems from the chilies, and for a milder version remove the seeds or spicier version leave them. Next place all the vegetables , spices and the oil into a blender. Blend until you have a thick paste. If it's too dry add either a bit of water or more oil to smooth out the paste.

2. Scoop onto a container and it's ready to use. Or you can store it in the refrigerator for about a week maybe longer or in the freezer for up to 2 months. (This paste should make enough for 2 recipes.) Now you are ready to use in any of your favorite Thai dishes!

This is the book I got the Recipe from, but she has a lot of delicious recipes to try.

The Complete Asian Cookbook

**UPDATE**

This recipe was #4 on Foodbuzz top #9 on Feb. 20, 2010 *

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Malaysian Chicken Curry Puffs, and a new cookbook

Malaysian chicken curry puffs a first in my kitchen, and a dish that has become a favorite and one that I will cook frequently . Malaysian cuisine is one that has been on my checklist to learn and cook. I am not really sure why I didn't try it sooner, but thanks to our friend (aka frequent dinner guest :) ) it moved up on my foods to cook very quickly. While on a trip to Malaysia he picked me up a wonderful cook book. It is called "The Food Of Malaysia" and I love it! There are so many dishes to try and I've already made a few.

Normally when I cook I cook by feeling and don't follow specific instructions. When it's something completely new to me I usually research the dish to get a general idea of what ingredients go into it. Then I cook it my way, adjusting to my likes and wants to make it my own. But since I'm making these for the very first time I will follow the instructions in the cookbook. Below is the recipe as found in the cook book.

Your ingredients: makes 40 pieces

For the filling~

5 tbsp. (75 ml) S oil

1 medium onion

1 tbsp. (10 ml) grated ginger

3 1/2 tsp (17 ml ) meat curry powder

1/2 tsp (2 ml) chili powder

1/2 tsp (2 ml) turmeric powder

2 large potatoes ( 500 grams / 1lb ) peeled,boiled and diced

2 tsp (10 ml )sugar

1/2 tsp (2 ml) black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 cups chicken meat (400 grams / 14 oz) or 2 large chicken breast, cooked and diced

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

Pastry ingredients:

3 1/2 cups (500 grams ) flour

150 grams (5 oz) butter or shortening

3/4 cup + 4 tsp (200 ml) water

1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt

1. In a skillet gently fry the onion and ginger until onion is golden brown. Next add the curry,chili and turmeric and fry for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Next add the potatoes,sugar,peeper and salt and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the chicken and water and cook until mixture is almost dry. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. Knead the pastry into a smooth dough, cover and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes. Dividing the dough into 2 halves, roll each half on a floured surface to a 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. With a cookie cutter cut into the dough, 10 cm ( 4 in) circles in diameter. Fill center of each circular dough with 1 tbsp (15 ml) of chicken filling, fold in half and crimp and roll edges to form a simple wave pattern. Make sure the pouch is well sealed. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

3. Deep fry each puff until it is lightly golden brown on both sides, or you can bake them at 180 c (350f) for 30 minutes or until lightly golden. Serve hot or at room temperature, with a spicy chili sauce.

**Notes,I used commercially prepared pastry dough and baked the pastries instead of frying, this worked just fine. The pastries were flaky and absolutely delicious! I also made only half a recipe and cut the pastry into a bit bigger circles to serve as a main dish for dinner.

Next is the recipe for the chili sauce that was served to top the puffs. It was so good and added another unique taste.

Ginger Chili Sauce:

4 red chillies, sliced

3 cm (1 1/4 in) ginger,sliced

3 cloves of garlic

5 tbsp (75 ml) water

1 1/2 tbsp (22 ml) sugar

1 1/2 tbsp ( 22 ml)lime juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sesame oil (vegetable oil)

1. Grind all ingredients together in a mortar or in a blender. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week. Enjoy!

These delicious puff pastries are so good and so easy to make. I did a little research and learned that they are a favorite Malaysian in-between meals snacks that were originally created by Indian cooks. They are apparently so popular that they are found everywhere and enjoyed at all hours of the day.

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Malaysian Meat Curry Powder

Today I'm posting a curry powder recipe that you will need for the next recipe I will be posting. It is Malaysian meat curry powder, and a new curry powder in my spice shelf. Malaysian cuisine is new to my dinner table, but it's one that I have been curious about. Having never made Malaysian curry I need to do a Google search on what spices go into this meat curry powder. The recipe below comes from Rouxbe, an online cooking school. It is an excellent site that features delicious recipes and instruction videos. They also offer memberships to access more learning material.

Your ingredients:

10 whole cloves

10 whole black

peppercorns

4 whole cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick (about

2-inches/5 cm)

4 whole dried red chilies

4 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1. First we will be toasting the spices, Rouxbe suggest to do it according to size,because the spices will toast at different rates. In a pan with medium heat add the cloves, cardamom and peppercorns. Toss a few times, and as soon as they begin to smoke and release their fragrance, set them aside to cool. Next toast the cinnamon stick and dried chilies, then toast the coriander seeds. And last we will toast the cumin and fennel seeds together.

2. Once the spices have cooled down, you can either grind them in a spice grinder or in a pestle and mortar. Grind all the spices except the turmeric, reserve it for the last minute. Grind until you have a fine powder or until you get the desired graininess you want. ( I leave mine a little grainy, but that's my personal choice.) Now you can add and mix the turmeric powder with all the other spices.

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