Nasi Goreng

Nasi goreng is a favorite cusines found mainly in Indonesia, Singapore and  Malaysia. It is simple to cook and does not requires a lot of ingredients. Nasi Goreng is local name for fried rice.


Ingredients :

1 cup cooked rice (preferably overnight)

2 large eggs

400g raw shrimps, shell removed

Salt according to taste

6 tablespoons cooking oil

3 cloves of finely chopped garlic

1 onion, finely chopped

2 red chilies, seed removed and sliced finely

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon sugar

200g finely sliced steak

2 teaspoons sweet soy sauce

1 tablespoons soy sauce or according to taste

4 finely chopped onions

Preparation:

Beat the eggs in a bowl until foamy. Add a little salt according to taste. Using a wok or frying pan, heat it up and coat it with a little cooking oil to avoid the food from sticking while cooking. Make an omelet by using a quater of the earlier mixed eggs. Ensure that both sides are evenly cooked. Repeat the process for another 3 times until all the egg mixtures have been used. Then cut the cooked eggs into strips for placing at the top of the nasi goreng later.
Use a food processor to process the onion, chili, garlic, sugar and coriander until it became a thick paste.
Heat up a wok or frying pan and add in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Then saute the processed paste and cooked until it is fragrant. Add the meat and raw shrimps. Cook for another few minutes until the color changes. Finally add in the cooked rice and add more cooking oil if necessary. Add all the sauces, scallions and continue frying for another 30~60 seconds, until it is fragrant.
Scope from the work into a plate and add the strips of omelet at the top to garnish. Serve while hot.

Thai Green Curry

Ingredients:

• 400 grams beef (a little less then 1lb.)
• 1 tbsp cooking oil (corn, safflower or peanut oil, not olive oil)
• 3 tbsp green curry paste (see our green curry paste recipe or use prepared curry paste)
• 2 1/2 cups coconut milk (1 1/2 cans Chaokoh brand coconut milk or squeezed out from 400 grams grated fresh coconut)
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 5-10 small fresh Thai eggplants, quartered
• 2-3 fresh red spur chilies*, sliced diagonally
• 1/4 cup sweet basil leaf (optional)
• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp palm sugar
• Sweet basil leaves and red chili slices for garnish

Preparation:

1. Slice the beef into thin pieces, about about 1/3" (3 cm) thick.
2. Saute the green curry paste in oil over medium heat in a wok or saute pan until fragrant, reduce the heat, gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the coconut milk a little at a time, stir until a film of green oil surfaces.
3. Add the beef and kaffir lime leaves, continue cooking for 3 minutes until fragrant and the beef is cooked through. Transfer to a large pot, place over medium heat and cook until boiling. Add the remaining coconut milk, season with palm sugar and fish sauce. When the mixture returns to a boil add the eggplants. Cook until the eggplants are done, sprinkle sweet basil leaves and red chilies over, then turn off the heat.
4. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with sweet basil leaves and red chilies before serving.

Spaghetti Carbonara

The eggs in this recipe cook when they come in contact with the hot pasta. If you are concerned about food safety, use pasteurized eggs for the ultimate safety. You can use other meats like pancetta or ham instead of the bacon, or just leave it out altogether. I sometimes add some minced garlic to the egg and cream mixture before mixing it with the spaghetti.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. spaghetti pasta
• 8 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook bacon in a heavy skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Set bacon aside. Set skillet aside; do not rinse or wash.

Cook the pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, cream, half the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and pepper in a medium bowl and beat until well blended.

When the pasta is cooked, drain, reserving about 1/3 cup cooking water, and immediately add to the skillet with the bacon drippings. Place over low heat and toss for 1 minute, scraping the pan with tongs to loosen pan drippings.

Stir in the egg mixture and toss thoroughly until combined. Add pasta cooking water as needed until a creamy sauce forms. Add the bacon and remaining cheese and toss again to coat. Serve immediately.

Pasta all'Amatriciana

Hi guys!

This is the first post, so I reckoned was a good start talking about one of the most common and good (in my opinion) pasta sauce in Italy.

The Bucatini all'Amatriciana

A bit of History:

This dish comes from Amatrice, a town on the border between Lazio and Abruzzi about 80 miles northeast of Rome. On the Sunday after Fer Agosto, August 15, Bucatini all'Amatriciana is served with great fanfare at local celebrations.

Fer Agosto, "Holiday of August", is one of the most observed Italian public holidays when practically all of Italy comes to a halt. The big factories in the North such as Fiat close their gates and most Italians get in their car or on the train leaving the large towns to the elderly and the tourists. This is one of our favorite pasta sauces.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 oz slab bacon or pancetta finely diced
• 3 T butter
• 2 - 14 1/2 oz (or 1 28 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
• 1/2 chili pepper, broken into small pieces, or 1/4 t chili pepper flakes to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup pecorino cheese
• 1 lb pasta, bucatini, penne or spaghetti

Preparation:

1. MELT butter in a large pan over medium heat.
2. SAUTÉ the onion until transparent - about 5 minutes.
3. ADD the chili and pancetta and sauté until onion is golden and the pancetta or bacon nice and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. SET the pasta water to boil.
5. ADD tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally, making sure sauce does not burn, about 15 minutes.
6. ADD salt to taste. Careful with the salt, as pancetta and or bacon are quite salty. You will also be adding the cheese, which is rather salty, too.
7. MEANWHILE cook the pasta.
8. WHEN done to taste, drain and pour into a warm serving bowl or directly into pan with the sauce, mix well adding grated cheese to taste and serve.
9. PASS extra cheese at table.
10. SPAGHETTI can be substituted for the bucatini and in a crunch, pennette.

BUON APPETITO!!