Monday, August 26, 2013

Is this Product good?::: Vegetarian Curry ***Must try*** Team's Gourmet


Simplicity cooking, my dad always loves to say this. On pot everything inside a very good hearty meal of any soup with vegetables, and meat. He is a very easily contented man. So, here am I cooking simple daily for my deary hubby. Vegetarian Curry instead of Soup for a change. However, we didn't follow the packaging advice on the vegetables to be placed inside. Below is our version.


Ingredients
3 cloves of minced Garlic
2 tablespoon of Vegetable Oil
1 packet of Team's Gourmet Vegetarian Curry
500ml of Boiling Water
300g of Cabbage
150g of Chinese Long Beans
100g of Bean, Soy, Be Sweet 292 [Click Here to read more]
3 Fish Cakes
2 Hard Boiled Eggs

Step 1 Wash all your vegetables and prepare them into bite size pieces. For the Fish Cakes, I love them being a thick sliced so sliced them 5mm thick.

Step 2 Pre-heat your pan, place in the Vegetable Oil to heat.

Step 3 Add in the Garlic and stir-fry for a while then add in the sliced Fish Cake. Followed by the Long Beans and the "Bean, Soy, Be Sweet 292". Stir-fry until it the colours are slightly bright but ensure it is not totally cooked. Take them out and place it on a bowl/plate.

Step 4 Using back the same pan, pour in the Boiling Water and add in the Team's Gourmet Vegetarian Curry Paste and bring to a boil.

Step 5 Add in the Stir-Fried Vegetables + Fish Cakes and let it simmer for 5mins.

Step 6 Lastly, add in the Cabbage and let it simmer for another 10mins.

Step 7 Place the Hard Boiled Eggs Piping Hot Curry to coat it with Vegetarian Curry Sauce.

Step 8 Dish and serve immediately.


Team's Gourmet Vegetarian Curry has the great balance of flavour and spicy level. I'll definately go back to this brand if I crave to have Vegetarian Curry.

Click here for our blog page Cooking Classes for more recipes. Hope you will be inspired~

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Pasta Exploration ::: Black Pepper Roast Chicken Aglio Olio


Convenience of preparing a meal is now a very essential need. Roasting chicken is easy but takes time & effort and impossible to cook it on a weekday for working couples/parents. I bought a whole Black Pepper Roast Chicken from a supermarket split it up into 2 meals and this is one of the meal that have been prepared. On your weekend you can also Roast your Chicken and split it up into meals.

Ingredients
1 quarter Black Pepper Roasted Chicken
2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove of crushed Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Sprinkle of Italian Herbs
1.5cm Angle Hair Speghetti (for 1)
2 litre of Water
1 teaspoon of Salt

Step by Step
Step 1 Place the chicken in a 160°C oven to warm it up.
Step 2 Pour 2 litre of Water to boil over the stove with 1 teaspoon of Salt. If the water is boiled place in the pasta. (Cooking the pasta together with the Aglio Olio sauce.)
Step 3 Heat up a pan and add in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, crushed Garlic and Cayenne Pepper. Stir fry until garlic is cooked.
Step 3 Toss in the cooked Angle Hair Speghetti and a dash of salt to taste.
Step 4 Dish on a plate. Crush on some Black Pepper and sprinkle some Italian Herbs before serving.


Click here for our blog page Cooking Classes for more recipes. Hope you will be inspired~

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Dessert Exploration::: Japanese Peach Jelly 80ºC with Japanese Canned White Peach


In search of the perfect Japanese Peachy Peach Jelly that we always never fail to buy every night when we are in Japan for Travels. I believe we have did it!!! It's a kind of pricey but it's very worth for a treat then purchasing it over the counter outside Japan.

If you love Western Peaches, which is also more cost saving. Here is our previous post:Japanese Peach Jelly 80ºC with Western Canned Peach

We have also blogged our itenaries and experience in Japan. Feel free to check out "Our Travels, bits & pieces of our life... come along!" Tab above! Or Click Here

Ingredients
Japanese Peach Jelly 80ºC (Picture shown below)
1 litre of Boiling Water
1 can of Japanese White Peach
Alluminium moulds/Silicon/Plastic cups
Thermometer


While waiting for the water to boil, cube up the peaches and place them in the Alluminium moulds.

Pour the water in a bowl, place the thermometer and wait for the water to reach 80ºC. When it reaches pour in the Japanese Peach Jelly 80ºC powder and stir until all dissolve.


Distribute the Japanese Peach Jelly 80ºC mixture into the Alluminium moulds. If there are bubbles remember to break them for a smooth finish. Put all the filled cups into the fridge to chill and you'll get to eat Japanese Peach Jelly soon!


Enjoy~

Click here for our blog page Desserts & Drinks for more recipes. Hope you will be inspired~

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Salad Exploration ::: Mesclun Mix with Roast Chicken Leg


60g of Mesclun Mix
2 tablespoon of Salad Dressing (your favorite)
1 Sliced Cheese
1 Roast Chicken Leg

Wash the Mesclun Mix and spin them to remove all the excess water. Put the Mesclun Mix in the salad bowl and mix in your favorite Salad Dressing. Dish it in plate and top with small pieces of Sliced Cheese. Place the Rpast Chicken Leg on top & it's ready to serve.

What is Mesclun Mix? It's a mix of the below in varies propotions.


Click here for our blog page Cooking Classes for more recipes. Hope you will be inspired~

Saturday, August 17, 2013

The Local Grill - Best Steakhouse in Johannesburg, South Africa!

South Africans are huge meat eaters. I've not been to any other place that has as many steakhouses, grillhouses and restaurant chains with steak and various grilled meats on the menu as the two cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town. Perfect for us, as we're huge meat lovers ourselves! During our trips we visited some of the top-recommended steak joints around town to see how well their meat stacks up against steaks in other countries.

Of all these places, the Local Grill is by some margin the best steakhouse of them all. They don't necessarily serve the best steak (as we will see later on in this series), but for the steak lover who likes comparing wet aged vs dry aged (or grain vs grass fed) cows, or for the newbie who doesn't even know what 'ageing' is, there's no better place in the country.

Local Grill Best Steakhouse in South Africa

For starters, you know you're in a place that takes its' steak seriously the moment you walk in the door. There are huge chalkboards everywhere listing all the different cuts of beef and how many days each cut has been aged. The Local Grill focuses primarily on two South African beef providers - Chalmar Grainfed Beef and Greenfields Grassfed Beef, all aged, of course.

Local Grill Best Steakhouse in South Africa Development Kitchen

The 'education' doesn't stop there, though. Ask your waiter/waitress if you can 'tour the kitchen' and she summons no less than the owner himself (Steven Maresch), who's all too happy to oblige. The tour starts off with the development kitchen, where we learn that Steve's currently experimenting on grilling steaks on a block of Himalayan Rock Salt that's been pre-heated for 25-30 minutes in a smoking hot grill.

Local Grill Best Steakhouse in South Africa Aged Beef

We're then ushered into the walk-in refrigerator, where the various meats are in various stages of ageing. Bone-on Sirloin, Bone-on Rib-Eye, some of them wet aged in sealed plastic, others dry ageing on the racks. Here we learn that there isn't all that much difference between grain and grass-fed cows ("if you blindfolded me I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference 7 out of 10 times," says Steve). The Local Grill essentially dry ages any cut that has a bone, and wet ages everything else, apparently because the lack of a bone and/or a relatively thick cover of protective fat makes that cut difficult to dry age properly.

The tour complete, we head back to the dining room to place our orders - starting with a Butternut Soup (ZAR 51 / SGD 6.42). It's creamy, it's sweet (without being cloy) and surprisingly delicious.

Local Grill Best Steakhouse in South Africa Butternut Soup

The soup isn't half as good as the Marrowbones (ZAR 46 / SGD 4.80) though. I have to say I don't care for the parsley salad, but the marrow is sweet, succulent, juicy and oh-so-sinful. Plus there's such a caveman-like appeal in picking up the bones with your hands and sucking the goodness out of them.

Local Grill Best Steakhouse in South Africa Marrowbones with Parsley Salad

The seasonal 'breed of the month' was Brahman (a breed of cow with a large camel-like hump just behind its' neck); and we try the Wet Aged Rib Eye. With wet aging, the beef ages in its own blood/juices, so the resulting steak tastes ever so slightly more 'bloody' than a dry-aged one.

Local Grill Best Steakhouse in South Africa Brahman Wet Aged Rib Eye

Speaking of dry-ageing, we also try the Greenfields Dry Aged Rib Eye on the Bone (500gm, ZAR 227 / SGD 28.60). This steak was a little less juicy than the Brahman, but with a more intense beefier flavour. Both steaks were expertly grilled to our required medium-rare; and had a wonderful char on the crust. However we thought that both steaks could have done with a few extra pinches of salt.

Local Grill Best Steakhouse in South Africa Greenfields Dry Aged Rib Eye on the Bone

So while we found this our favorite steakhouse, the meat was a little underseasoned for our tastes and hence we didn't rank these as our favorite steaks. This is just a small complaint, though, and especially considering the very reasonable prices, we'd most definitely heartily recommend the Local Grill to any steak and meat lover. The beef is all sourced from halal providers but the restaurant does also serve alcohol and pork ribs.

The Local Grill has a few different branches, but the one to go to is at Parktown North on 7th Avenue; call up +27 (0)11 880 1946 for reservations. Closed on Sundays.

Tofu Exploration ::: Tofu with Century Egg and Salted Egg


Ingredients
1 Silken Tofu
1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1/4 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1/4 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 diced Century Egg (smaller the better)
1/2 diced Salted Egg (smaller the better)

1. Open the packet of Silken Tofu, drain the excess water and place on a plate.
2. Mix Light Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce and Sesame Oil in a pan over low heat.
3. Top the silken tofu with the diced Century Egg and diced Salted Egg.
4. When ready to serve pour the sauce over and serve immediately.


Click here for our blog page Cooking Classes for more recipes. Hope you will be inspired~

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Hari Raya Cookie Recipes List.. Selamat Hari Raya!!

Here are some Raya Cookies Recipes that you might be interested to bake for your love ones.

This list will be updated every time we try out a new festive recipe!

Pineapple Flower Tart
Click here for Pineapple Flower Tarts recipe
Pineapple Flower Tarts Project

Cranberry and Walnut Shortbread Cookie (Sweet)
Click here for Cranberries Shortbread Cookie and other Shortbread Cookie Compilation

Hong Kong / Taiwan Square Pineapple Tarts / Shortcakes
Click here for Hong Kong / Taiwan Square Pineapple Tarts / Shortcakes recipe

Kueh Bangkit (with step by step details)
Click here for Kueh Bangkit recipe

Cornflakes Cookies / Cereal Cookies
Click here for Cornflakes Cookies / Cereal Cookies recipe

Macadamia Chocolate Chips Cookie Recipe
Click here for Macadamia Chocolate Chips Cookie Recipe

Cranberries Shortbread Cookie (Sweet)
Click here for Cranberries Shortbread Cookie and other Shortbread Cookie Compilation

Almond Cookies Recipe Compilation
Click here for Almond Cookies Recipe Compilation

Melty Pineapple Tarts / Balls / Golf Balls Recipe
Click here for Melty Pineapple Tarts / Balls / Golf Balls Recipe

Monkey shaped German Cookies
Click here for German Cookies and other different varieties of flavors and shaping ideas Compilation

Giant Chocolate Chips & Peanut Butter Chips Soft Cookie
Click here for Giant Chocolate Chips & Peanut Butter Chips Soft Cookie Recipe

Viennese Biscuits a.k.a. Danish Butter Shortcakes Recipe
Click here for Viennese Biscuits a.k.a. Danish Butter Shortcakes Recipe

Plain Lotus Paste Shanghai Mooncake 上海月饼 Recipe
Click here for Plain Lotus Paste Shanghai Mooncake 上海月饼 Recipe

Matcha Viennese Biscuits a.k.a. Matcha Danish Butter Shortcakes Recipe
Click here for Matcha Viennese Biscuits a.k.a. Matcha Danish Butter Shortcakes Recipe

Chocolate Viennese Biscuits a.k.a. Chocolate Danish Butter Shortcakes Recipe
Click here for Chocolate Viennese Biscuits a.k.a. Chocolate Danish Butter Shortcakes Recipe

Butterscotch Chips with Pecan Cookie Recipe
Click here for Butterscotch Chips with Pecan Cookie Recipe

Giant M&M's Soft Cookie
Click here for Giant M&M's Soft Cookie Recipe

Triple Chocolate Cookie Recipe
Click here for Triple Chocolate Cookie Recipe

Almond Sardie Cookie Recipe Recipe
Click here for Almond Sardie Cookie Recipe

Chocolate Chips with Pecan Cookie Recipe
Click here for Chocolate Chips with Pecan Cookie Recipe

Chocolate Chips with Cashew Nuts Cookies Recipe
Click here for Chocolate Chips with Cashew Nuts Cookies Recipe

Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Click here for Chocolate Chunk Cookies recipe
Homemade::: Chocolate Chips Cookies

Nestum Cereal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Click here for Nestum Cereal Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe

Chocolate Chips Cookie with slight hint of Coffee Flavour
Click here for Chocolate Chips Cookie with slight hint of Coffee Flavour recipe

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe
Click here for Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

Cranberries Almond Cookie Recipe
Click here for Cranberries Almond Cookie Recipe

Chocolate Chips Coconut Cookie Recipe
Click here for Chocolate Chips Coconut Cookie Recipe

Chocolate Chips Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
Click here for Chocolate Chips Oatmeal Cookie Recipe


It's still not too late to bake some with your love one. :)

Selamat Hari Raya to all our readers... *with loves*

Click here for our blog page Baking Classes for more recipes. Hope you will be inspired~