.: Tok Ma :.

SEAFOOD RECIPE: Crab Tortellini

2008-12-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

Filling:
8-oz crab meat
4-oz ricotta cheese
2-egg yolks
2-cloves garlic, minced
6-oz grated aged cheddar cheese
2-tsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt & white pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 1/2-cup evaporated milk
1/2-cup chicken stock
2-tbsp butter or margarine
1-clove garlic, minced
3/4-cup minced onion
2-tbsp flour
5-oz grated 4-year old white cheddar cheese
3-tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Couple dashes of lemon juice

Wonton wrappers cut into rounds or left square

Filling:
In a bowl, combine all filling ingredients, mixing well
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed
Making the tortellini:
Put a tsp of the filling in the centre of each wonton wrapper
Brush the edges with cold water
Fold the circle in half to enclose the filling
Press the edges firmly to seal
With the sealed edge out, place the folded circle over the index finger
Bring the ends together toward each other under the finger, turning the sealed outer edge up to form a cuff
Pinch the ends together firmly
Let them dry for a few minutes on a floured surface before cooking

Sauce:
Melt butter in a large straight sided sauté pan
Add garlic & onion, sauté 1-2 minutes until softened
Sprinkle with flour and stir to incorporate
Add evaporated milk and thin with chicken stock; as much as needed for your liking
Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring to melt
Season with salt & pepper, and a couple of dashes of lemon juice

Boil the tortellini in water for 5 minutes, drain
Place tortellini in a large saucepan
Cover with sauce to coat; there may be leftover sauce, but goes well served over vegetables another day

Serves 2-3.... best try!......

SPICY FISH STEW

2008-11-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

Go for Garlic
Garlic is a phytonutrient, a plant nutrient. It's not necessary for life, but it may have some healthful benefits, and it has lots of flavor.

From: eatbetteramarica.

Spicy Fish Stew Bored taste buds will get a jolt from the jalapeño chiles and fish sauce in this assertive stew! From eatbetteramerica.
Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:25 min
makes:4 servings

1/2 cup clam juice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups fresh stir-fry

vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, snow pea pods and bell peppers) (from 16-oz package)
1/2 lb cod, halibut, orange roughy or other mild-flavored fish fillets, cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh or canned jalapeño chiles
2 tablespoons fish sauce or reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
4 cups hot cooked rice

1. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the clam juice to boiling. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

2. Stir in stir-fry vegetables. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated.

3. Stir in fish, chiles, fish sauce and brown sugar. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Serve with rice.

Nutritional Information:

1 Serving: Calories 290 (Calories from Fat 10); Total Fat 1 1/2g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 1430mg; Total Carbohydrate 53g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 5g); Protein 17g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 30%; Vitamin C 20%; Calcium 6%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 2 Vegetable; 1 Very Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 3 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 2 oz-equivalents Grains, 2 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 1/2 c Vegetables *% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

TOFU-and-SOUR SOUP

2008-11-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

Red pepper sauce and rice vinegar are the "hot and sour" in this veggie and tofu soup.

From eatbetteramerica.

Prep Time:25 min
Start to Finish:35 min
makes:6 servings

6 dried black mushrooms
1 medium carrot, shredded (2/3 cup)
3 medium green onions, diagonally sliced
1 cup chopped bok choy stems and leaves
6cups Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons) or vegetable broth
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry, Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot
1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 package (10 1/2 oz) extra-firm lite tofu, drained, cut into 2 1/2x1/4-inch strips

1. Soak mushrooms in hot water about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain; rinse with warm water and drain again. Remove and discard stems; cut caps into thin strips.

2. In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat mushrooms and remaining ingredients except tofu to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in tofu. Cover; simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 90 (Calories from Fat 20); Total Fat 2 1/2g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 750mg; Total Carbohydrate 9g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 2g); Protein 8g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 40%; Vitamin C 8%; Calcium 6%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 1 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 2 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 1/2 c Vegetables *% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

TANDOORI CHICKEN

2008-07-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

There are only three secrets to cooking good Tandoori meats, including chicken. The first is the use of the special clay Tandoor oven, which not many people have in their homes. The second is the special Tandoori coloring, a rich red color imparted to the meat. But for me, the third secret is the most important to learn is the special yogurt marinade used to flavor the meat. Here are the ingredients and method to create delicious Tandoori Chicken at home

For the Tandoor oven, we can substitute the barbeque grill or the oven. For the coloring, you may be able to find special Tandoori food coloring at a local Indian grocery store or online. Or you can try substituting a combination of red and orange/yellow food coloring until you get the color you want. Many Tandoori recipes call for meat tenderizer but I omit this. I was never able to control its use; most of the time it would over tenderize and make the surface (only) of the chicken mushy. Its omission has no downside in my opinion since if you cook the chicken correctly it will be very tender. There is no substitute for the marinade which is described below….

Ingredients:

The Chicken:
3-4 pounds (approx) chicken pieces, bone-in. Alternatively, use boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed for kabobs

For the marinade:
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 large fresh garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped fine
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground red chili pepper
1 teaspoon tandoori coloring, or substitute paprika
1/3 cup plain yogurt

Combine well all the ingredients for the marinade and let stand for a few minutes for theflavors to combine. Be careful with the food coloring since it can stain your fingers.

Remove the skin from the chicken pieces. For a traditional Indian look, slash each piece 24 times with a knife to create just ¼ to ½ inch deep slashes. This will give a traditional look plus allow the marinade to contact more of the chicken.

Add the chicken to the marinade and coat all the pieces. You need to let the chicken marinate for at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator. It’s ok to let it marinate all day or overnight. Be sure to stir the chicken a couple of times during this time.

After just a couple of hours, the chicken is ready to cook. You can use a regular oven toroast the chicken in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until it is just cooked through. It is very important not to overcook chicken because it gets dry and tough very soon after it is cooked through. Alternatively, you can grill this chicken on a barbeque grill, basting once or twice with a light cooking oil like canola oil.

All cooking times are estimations because your oven and barbeque may be much hotter or colder than mine. Please take care to cook the chicken thoroughly, but not so much as to dry it out.

If by chance (not likely!) you do not finish all your Tandoori Chicken you can use theleftovers in a Butter Chicken recipe.

Enjoy!......and see all...

CHINESE BROCCOLI WITH OYSTER SAUSE

2008-07-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

The problem with most broccoli salads is the broccoli - the raw broccoli. Some people like raw broccoli, and actually, I love raw broccoli stems. They taste a lot like cabbage or cauliflower. But the florets? If they're raw, keep them away please. So, how to make a broccoli salad if you don't like raw broccoli? The solution - blanch the broccoli for 1 minute, or no more than two minutes. The broccoli will still be firm enough for the salad, the color will be even prettier, because blanching brings out the green, and the taste will be less raw and more cooked.

Chinese Broccoli With Oyster Sause

Indgredients:

1 lb. Chinese broccoli (gai lan)

1 tsp. garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ginger, minced

2 tsp. peanut or vegetable oil

3 tbsp. oyster sauce

2 tsp. sesame seeds, white

Preparation Method:

Slice the Chinese broccoli into thirds, making the portions equal. Boil in salted water until 3/4 cooked. Strain out and refresh in ice water. Dry the vegetables on paper towelIn a wok or frying pan, heat the peanut or vegetable oil until the oil shimmers. Add the Chinese broccoli, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes.Add the oyster sauce and cook an additional minute. Serve with sprinkled sesame seeds.

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2 MINUTES CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

2008-06-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

2 Minute Chocolate Cake Recipe

Indgredients:
1/2 cup Self-raising flour

1/2 cup Superfine Sugar

2 level Tbsp Cocoa

pinch Salt

1/4 cup Melted butter

1/2 cup Milk

1 Egg

a little Vanilla

Oven Temp ~ 350° Baking Time ~ 35 - 40 Min.Pan Type ~ 7 inch cake pan Preheat Oven, Grease and flour pan.

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl in the above order. Beat well for 2 minutes. Pour into a prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven until cake test done, when using a toothpick.

Be happy to try.... taste delicious....

CHICKEN SATAY..... UMP!.... DELICIOUSE!.......

2008-06-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Satay (also Saté)

Many Westerners think satay is a Thai dish, but in fact it originated in Indonesia and is found everywhere in Malaysia. It is a very inexpensive dish in these countries. Families can make their own satay on a charcoal grill, but more likely they will go out and get heaping platters full of tender skewered meat. Satay is a meal in itself -- not merely an appetizer!
Chicken and beef satay are the most common, but you can also find pork satay -- and even fish satay. The meat is always marinated and should be grilled over charcoal for the best flavor. Satay is always accompanied by delicious peanut sauce!
In Malaysia, satay always comes with chunks of cucumber. Sometimes the cucumber has been soaked in mild vinegar, maybe with some sugar added. Another very common accompaniment is rice cakes (ketupat), which taste great with peanut sauce.Now, if you look at a Malaysian menu, you will see sate. That is satay! To pronounce "sate" correctly, just say "SAH-teh."

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 kg chicken - deboned and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
10 shallots - diced
1 stalk serai (lemon grass)
2 tsp cooking oil
bamboo skewers (thick, soak skewers in water overnight - prevents sticks from burning)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 inch piece turmeric
2 tsp roasted peanuts
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
300 gm roasted peanuts - pounded
1 inch piece lengkuas (galangal)
2 stalks serai or lemongrass
1 inch piece ginger
1 large onion - sliced
3 tsp ground chillies
1/2 cup tamarind juice
Salt and sugar to taste Ground together: for seasoningGround together: for peanut sauce

To prepare Satay:

Marinate chicken pieces with seasoning ingredients, shallots, cinnamon powder and cooking oil
thread 5 pieces of chicken on each skewer and place on grill
Brush chicken occassionally with oil until cooked and tender
Serve hot with peanut sauce, cucumber and onion slices

To prepare peanut sauce:
Fry onion silces till fragrant
Add ground ingredients, ground chillies and tarmarind juice
Stir well
Add salt and sugar
Add peanuts and stir constantly until sauce is thick

Introduce variety to your dishes. Try using beef, or shrimp pieces as well. You can also add slice cucumbers and red onions to go with the satay.FYI: Satay (also written saté) is a dish that may have originated in Sumatra or Java in Indonesia but is popular in many southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. The Japanese variant is called yakitori. Extract