Thai Chicken Red Curry

This coconut milk based red curry paste make an irresistible sauce. Flavored with both fresh and dried kaffir lime leaves it is a harmonious chicken dish with carrot, potato and mushroom. Finish the cooking with the addition of fish sauce to taste and serve with steamed fragrant rice. We just love to eat this curry dish along with fresh, spicy and sweet lime juice is made of lime juice, garlic, chili, sugar, fish sauce and chopped coriander. And to cut the creaminess of coconut sauce.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into pieces
200g button white mushrooms
200g potato cut into cubes
1 medium carrot cut into cubes
5 or 7 tbsp red curry paste
3 cups coconut milk
5 tbsp fish sauce
1 lime juice

12 fresh or dry lime kaffir leaves
3 red chilies
cooking oil
2 tbsp sugar or palm sugar if any
Preparation:

1. Put the coconut milk in casserole pan or wok and simmer over medium heat.

2. Meanwhile heat the pan with 2 tbsp cooking oil and fry the chicken and working with batches into pan until skin turns brown on both sides just enough to crisp the outer skin of the chicken.

3. Then fry the potato, mushrooms and carrot into pan and until start to brown, set aside.

4. When the coconut milk start its boiling. Add the red curry paste, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce.

5. Stir well to combine the flavor or until red oil comes to the surface. 

6. Add the chicken and sauteed carrot, mushrooms, potato.

7. Follow by lime leaves, chilies into the pan.

8. Cover with the lid bring to a boil until the chicken is fully cooked. By the way adjust the heat into medium low heat.

9. Turn off the gas, taste then adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh chopped coriander.
Thai Red Curry Paste
4 dried long red chilies
10 fresh small red chilies
2 lemon grass stalks,
1 inches galangal,
1 teaspoon finely chopped lime kaffir leaves
5 garlic cloves, chopped
5 shallots, chopped
6 coriander roots, chopped
2 teaspoon Thai shrimp paste
Blend all together in food processor or mortal and pestle until the ingredients forms a smooth paste. Refrigerate or freeze and use as required. To avoid thawing the whole quantity, freezing could be done in small packs required for one use each. Note: Just double the quantity of the ingredients to make extra curry paste.

Rib Eye Steaks With Mushroom Sauce

This is my absolute favorite steak recipe. Great served with a little grilled or roasted vegetables, and it goes well with roasted garlic. Note: You can make this sauce ahead and rewarm just before serving.

Ingredients:
4 pcs Rib eye steaks 12oz each
chicken fat oil
1 spring of fresh rosemary
1 spring of fresh sage
rock sea salt
black pepper 

For The Mushroom Sauce:

3-4 tbsp butter

250g  Shitake (sliced)
150g chopped yellow onions
1 cup pork or beef broth
½ cup red wine

4 tbsp A- Steak sauce
½ tsp dried tarragon
½ tsp fresh or dried parsley
1 tbsp corn flour mix with 3 tbsp water

salt & pepper
Preparation:

1. In a copper pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, add the onions and stir for a minutes. Then add the mushroom cook and stir-fry until they are translucent, then season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

2. Stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender.

3. Add the A- steak sauce, stir well until combined.

4. Add the red wine and broth. Stir, cover with a lid and bring to a boil and until the liquid is reduced to about half. Stirring occasionally.

5. Add the tarragon, parsley and stir, follow by the flour mixture, stir well and simmer until the sauce is thickened. Season with more salt if desired. Set aside and keep warm.

6. Meanwhile, sprinkle the steaks evenly with salt, ground pepper, rosemary, sage and fat chicken oil or olive oil.

7. Rub into the entire surface of the steak. Repeat this process on the other side of the steaks. 

8. Spray or rub the heavy grill pan with oil over medium-high heat. Add the steaks, in batches if necessary.

9. Cook for 5 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness. Take the steaks out of grilled and let stand for a minutes.

10. To serve; Lay the steak on each plate along the roasted vegetables or mashed potato or anything you want to compliment your steak. Top the steak with mushroom sauce and enjoy!

Chocolate Lava Cake Served With Creme Anglaise & Strawberry

We eat with our eyes first, prettily presenting your desserts that makes for a pleasing visual feast. You can make very delicious and lovely desserts with chocolate can add texture, smell, color and flavor to any dessert. This chocolate cake that makes perfect fair for strawberries with cream vanilla custard.
Ingredients:
200g semi-sweet chocolate chips
75g refine white sugar
50g plain flour
3 whole eggs
1 egg white
2 tbsp bourbon or brandy
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 orange zest
100g unsalted butter plus for rubbing the tins
100% unsweetened cacao powder for dusting the tins
6 muffin tins 0r ramekins
Creme Anglaise
Preparation:

1. Preheat oven in 200°C. Using 1 or 2 tbsp of melted butter, grease muffin tins, then dusted with cacao powder, set aside. 

2. Place the chocolate chips and butter in mixing bowl. Add a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan. The water should not touch the pan. Place the chips and butter in the top pan and start heating. Stir frequently until is just melted. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

3. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt and whisk.  Then add the eggs at a time then stir until lightly foamy.

4. Add the flour, vanilla extract, bourbon and stir to combine into a batter.

5. Add the zest and stir gently.

7. Spoon and divide chocolate batter into prepared tins.

8. And bake for 8-10 minutes, 12 minutes for extra soft brownie texture.

9. When done, remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack for 3 minutes.

10. Invert the chocolate lava into restaurant style dessert; Place exactly amount of vanilla custard sauce into serving plates. Spread the sauce with the spoon to the desired shape. Clean up the edges of the sauce or any drips on the plate with clean dry rag or paper towel.

11. Using a knife, loosen cakes from sides of tins. Place the chocolate lava into the center of the cream vanilla sauce, garnished with strawberry, sprinkle some pistachios nuts.

13. Serve immediately, I made it!

Hakka Style Stir Fry Green Fern

As you probably all know, hart's tongue fern or bird’s nest fern is a wild plant. It can be found growing on the trees by the roadside, or in forested areas in countries. And we might think it is strange and not fit to eat!. I even grow this plant on my own balcony. But this plant is very popular in many  Taiwanese Hakka restaurants. It taste delicious and it has health benefit. I love ordering and eating this we called vegetable here in Taiwan in many Hakka restaurants. So I try to cook at home for my lunch, it was really good! So tomorrow guys its Earth Day try to cook this green in your kitchen.
Ingredients:
200g hart's tongue fern, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 red chili, sliced
1 tbsp shredded ginger
1 tbsp small silver dried anchovy
1 tbsp dried preserved salted black beans
1 tbsp small dried Chinese red dates or goji berries soaked in water then drain.

7 tbsp water
2-3 tbsp green seed or vegetable oil
salt to taste
Preparation:

1. Wash the fern and drain in colander. Heat oil in wok over medium heat. Add the garlic, dried fish,  ginger, goji berries and chili. Fry until the fish cook lightly brown. Then add dried bean and fry until fragrant.

2. Add the green fern increase heat to high, immediately.

3. Stir fry for 2 minutes or more until semi-soft or until leaves start to wilt. You might need to add more water to prevent drying the bottom of the wok pan.

4. Season with salt for extra taste if desire. Remove from the heat, dish up and serve with rice.

Beef Bourguignon

This classic french dish "boeuf bourguignon" It tasted better after 1 day in the fridge, and is one of my whole family favorite dish is perfect for weekend meal.
Ingredients:
3 lbs beef meat, chunk or cut into cubes
1 bottle Bordeaux red wine
200g chopped leeks
1 medium size carrot, chopped diced
15 pcs white button mushrooms
2 medium size of yellow onions, cut into quarter
1 beef cube
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sugar
125g sliced bacon
1 tsp dried thyme
3 tsp cognac
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
extra virgin of olive oil
garni: mixed of spring sage, parsley, 2 bay leaves wrapped in leek leave
salt and pepper
Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the copper casserole or Dutch oven at medium heat, add the butter and 2 tbsp olive oil. Fry the beef and working with batches into pan without over crowding, and brown on all both sides. Transfer into a plate and fry the remaining beef and set aside.

2. Add the bacon, fry and until crisp. Remove into a paper towel, set aside.

3. At the same casserole, saute the leek, carrot, then add the tomato paste, flour, cognac and stir to combine.

4. Add the beef back into the casserole.

5. Pour the whole bottle of wine into pot.

6. Then stir with the beef cube.

7. Add the fried bacon, stir everything together. Cover with the lid bring to a boil.

8. Meanwhile, In a small skillet, over medium heat, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and onion, cook until start to brown. When the mushroom and onion heated through. Add the sauteed mushrooms and onion into the pot. Stir with the dried thyme and sugar(if desire) to balance the flavor of wine. Season with salt and pepper then stir well. Add the bouquet of garni, cover with a lid and bring into a gentle simmer. When its start boiling turn off the gas.

9. Place in preheated oven . Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Note that I am braising my beef stew in a Mauviel copper casserole that I can cook than a normal cooking time (3-4 hours in the oven). When the beef is done. Remove the garni and strain some fat oil on the button side of the pot. Stir in fresh chopped parsley. If necessary season with salt again according to your liking.

10. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy with mashed potato. Bon appetit!