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Sunday 9 November 2014

Garlic Butter Prawns




These prawns were oven roasted using garlic butter. The recipe is from Deliaonline the link is here 


I only found it troublesome to remove all the shells and heads and the 'intestines ' of the tiger prawns.

I bought only 8 pcs and they came up to $8.44. I bought them from Sheng Shiong but you can purchase these at any wet market or supermarket. 

I omitted serving with parsley as I didn't purchase any fresh herbs, I used dried parsley for seasoning. 

Recipe was for 20 prawns but mine was only half portion 

Remove the head and the shell of prawns leaving the tail.
Slit the prawn on its back and remove the intestine.
Wash n dry with paper towels and set aside.

Prepare the seasoning
Crush 2 pcs of garlic
Use about 30 gm unsalted butter - softened
1/2 tbsp dried parsley ( use fresh if you have)
Grate 1/2 lemon zest and juice
Some salt and black pepper.
Mix all the above n apply to the prawns.
Place them on a buttered tray or baking dish.

Pre heat oven to 220 deg celcius. 

Place in top shelf and cook for 5 minutes if using a tray and 6-7 minutes if using the dish.

My prawns didn't spread out flat but sort of curled up 

Serve with lemon slices and sprinkled with parsley.


Enjoy!!

Friday 7 November 2014

Pancakes recipe from Nigella Lawson


This pancake recipe is from Nigella Lawson and the texture is firmer - if you are looking for Happy Meal type you won't find it here but they still tastes great!

Kindly refer to this link


My children ate a few pieces and I added bananas to my portion.

What I want to improve on the next batch is to increase the sugar a bit more perhaps another half teaspoon sugar.

Recipe 

1 tbsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 tsp white sugar 
2 large eggs beaten
30 gms butter - I used unsalted - melted and cooled
300 ml milk
225 gms plain flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence - additional 
Butter for frying ( I omitted)

Method
Put everything inside the blender and blend.
I did it the conventional way. I placed everything in a measuring jug and used my whisk.
Make sure the flour at the bottom get mixed in too.
Heat the non stick pan on low heat.
Pour the batter into the pan.
Mine are about 4 inches wide.
When you see the surface bubbling or blister, flip the pancake over and cook for another 2 minute or less.

If you want to make banana pancake, pour the batter onto the pan, then wait a few seconds, cut 4 thin slices of banana n place into the pancake.
Use slight pressure and push into the pancake.
When the bubbles appear, flip it over.
Cook it another 40 seconds or so. 
The bananas will be nicely caramelized.




My larger pancake 

Serve with maple syrup or some strawberry jam.

Today I replaced the butter with corn oil n the caster sugar with icing sugar and it worked as well.



Happy cooking!

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Thin crust pizza recipe from Jamie Oliver


It has been a long while since I last made pizza. After tasting a thin crust pizza during an outing, I decided to try and make a thin crust pizza too.

After checking several internet recipes I found Jamie Oliver's recipe. As his recipe is for several pizzas , I halved the amount . Even so, the dough was enough for 4 pcs of 8 inch pizza.


I kept half a pizza for the next day for my breakfast. Just heated it up for a few minutes.

Oh, Jamie Oliver has a restaurant in Singapore at Vivo City. Jamie's Italian. I have to go and try the food there one day.



Recipe for half portion
Yeast mixture
Active dried Yeast 1 sachet 7 gm
About 325ml lukewarm water
1 tablespoon caster sugar

Dough
400 gm bread flour
200 gm semolina flour
1/2 tbsp of fine salt

Method
Mix the flour and salt together in a big mixing bowl.
Mix the yeast ingredients in a bowl n stir with a fork. Cover the bowl. 
Let the mixture bubble. 

After a few minutes the mixture is ready.
Make a well in the flour mixture.
Pour the mixture into the well and use a fork to stir in the flour. 
When you can no longer stir the flour in, use your hands to knead

Please note I change to using bowl so I just knead inside the bowl. Original he used the workstation 
Knead for 10 minutes till the dough is elastic. I used only 5 minutes.
Place inside another clean greased bowl n cover with cling film.
After 45 minutes, remove half the dough n wrap in cling film n freeze for next use.
Divide the remaining dough into 2 balls . Flour them n wrap in cling film. Rest for 15 minutes.
Roll out the dough n place on greased pizza pan. 
Apply the sauce n toppings.
Bake at 250  deg celcius for 7-10 mins. I used only  200 deg celcius.

Yeast ready

Dough after 5 minutes kneading

After 42 minutes


The rolled dough

I put ham mushroom and pineapple

Topped with cheese

After baking
It was yummy and the crust is 
excellent!

I just did another pizza this time I used yellow capsicum with chicken ham and also wild rocket leaves with Perfect Italiano pizza plus cheese. The base from Prego fresh mushroom sauce.


Another yummy slice!