chinese cabbage & soba noodle salad

Chinese cabbage, also known as napa cabbage, is one of those vegetables that are seriously under-utilised.

I love the fresh, crunchy texture served shredded with tangy dressings and noodles, just like this dish I’m posting today.

Although you could serve this warm noodle salad on its own, we like to eat it with roasted or barbecued chicken that’s been drizzled with a little chilli oil.

I chose Japanese soba noodles, made from buckwheat flour, for this recipe as well as tangy Chinese black vinegar and sesame oil.

This is a great meal for when you’re short on time. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare, including chopping and cooking the noodles.

Chinese Cabbage & Soba Noodle Salad

Anna’s very own recipe. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
360g soba noodles, cooked as per packet instructions
1 Chinese cabbage, shredded finely
1 spring onion, white part only, finely minced
40ml (2 tablespoons) Chinese black vinegar
10ml (2 teaspoons) light soy sauce
20ml (1 tablespoon) sesame oil
60ml (3 tablespoons) vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Method:
1. Whisk together the soy, vinegar, sesame oil and vegetable oil until well combined.

2. Stir through spring onion then season to taste.

3. Toss cabbage and noddles together while noodles and still warm.

4. Dress with vinegar and oil to taste.

This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Cassie at The Kitchen Alchemist. Be sure to visit her blog for the recap.

wild rabbit, green olive & marjoram pappardelle

Kung Hei Fat Choy / Gong Xi Far Tsai !

Today is the first day of Chinese New Year and therefore the first day of the Year of the Rabbit.

My city council has listed some of the important customs of the Chinese New Year:

• Greet people with "Kung Hei Fat Choy", or "Gong Xi Far Tsai" (Happy New Year) to bring good fortune and prosperity.
• Keeping an empty seat at the table to symbolise the presence of family members who can't be there.
• In the lead up, clean your house to sweep out the bad luck of the previous year but don't clean on New Years Day or you'll sweep away the good luck of the new year.
• Let the old year out by opening every door and window in the house on the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.
• Pay off all debts and cast all grudges aside.
• Do not use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune.
• On New Year's Day wear new clothes and be on your best behaviour, as actions on this day set the tone for the year to follow.
• Ward off bad luck by draping red cloth on your doorway.
• The Kitchen God, the guardian of the family hearth, will be reporting to heaven on the behaviour of the family over the past year, so make sure you feed him with sweet foods and honey to ensure he says sweet things about you.

I love the idea that I have a Kitchen God!

There are twelve signs in the Chinese zodiac, but only six are edible (according to moi).

I demonstrated this with seven days of pork recipes to bring in the Year of the Pig back in 2007, but unfortunately I didn’t get my act together for the Year of the Ox back in 2009.

This year I won’t be caught out and am offering up this sumptuous rabbit pasta, care of Mr Jamie Oliver.

I’m still not sure whether cooking the animal of honour is sacrilegious or not, but since no one has told me otherwise I suppose I can look forward to greeting in 2012 and the Year of the.....Dragon!

The flavours of this dish are herbal and comforting.

It’s easy to make, but it does involve a lot of steps and waiting period for marinating and roasting and cooling and reducing and boiling.

But it’s worth it.

Pappardelle w Wild Rabbit, Green Olives & Marjoram

Ingredients:
1 wild rabbit, jointed
Olive oil
2 knobs butter
Few sprigs fresh thyme, picked over (reserve some for serving)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 cloves garlic
3 wineglasses white wine
600g pappardelle pasta
Small handful green olives, stoned and roughly chopped
Bunch of fresh marjoram
Handful freshly grated Parmesan
Zest of ½ orange or lemon (optional)

Marinade
Small bunch of fresh thyme, picked over
6 cloves garlic, crushed
Glug of olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon

Method:

1. The night before, mix the marinade ingredients together and rub them all over the rabbit pieces. Leave them to marinate overnight in the fridge (can be left like this for up to 2 days for a stronger flavour).

2. Preheat oven to 180’C and in a large, heavy-bottomed ovenproof saucepan, heat some olive oil and a knob of butter.

3. Season rabbit with salt and pepper then add to the pan and brown for a couple of minutes on each side until golden.

4. Add thyme, rosemary and garlic cloves then stir and add wine to almost cover the meat.

5. Cover with lid then cook in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat pulls away from the bone easily. Cool meat in juices.

6. When cool, shred the meat with your hands into 2.5cm strips and discard bones.

7. Remove the rosemary, thyme and garlic and heat to reduce juices to slightly thickened liquor (add optional tomatoes here).

8. Turn heat to low and add marjoram, olives and shredded meat. Stir and season to taste.

9. Boil pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve a little cooking water.

10. Turn up heat under meat sauce and toss through remaining knob of butter, orange/lemon zest (optional) and cooked pappardelle. You may need to add a little pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce.

11. Serve immediately with reserved thyme leaves.

Variation: in the photo in the cookbook, the juices are quite red which leads me to believe a tomato was added somewhere along the process. I added two chopped, skinned tomatoes when I reduced the juices and they broke down perfectly.

This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights founded and hosted by Ruth from Once Upon A Feast

~~~

This is a short shout out to Ms Correct, who loves a good bunny and adores pappardelle. Let's just hope her fiance 007 can tear himself away from bombing small villages and assassinating dictators to get his ass back to Oz sometime soon. You heard me B-Rad! Put down that Blackberry / MI5 receiver and get on a plane!!!

armenian yoghurt soup w chicken & pistachio dumplings

I had dreamt of making this recipe for some time so I made it one of my 2010 Food Challenges to make sure I finally did it.

I liked the idea of a warm, sour, creamy soup. It seemed wholesome and hearty, but somehow still fresh. And the tasty dumplings stuffed with spiced chicken and dotted with pretty green pistachio were pretty.

The soup actually has a very mild flavour. It might be considered bland to some people, or homely and comforting to others.

The dumplings were also gently flavoured, although the mild spice added more impact. The nuts add a soft chew to the texture and I certainly would prefer to eat the soup with the mante rather than on its own.

It wasn’t a bad meal, it just probably wasn’t as exciting as I’d imagined, but you can’t win them all.

Tahnaboor (Armenian Yoghurt Soup)
Based on these two recipes. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
¼ cup rice
1 teaspoon salt
500ml chicken stock
1 litre water
1 egg
250ml plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon cornflour
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
½ teaspoon dried mint, to serve
Method:
1. Boil rice in stock and water with salt until very soft.
2. Beat together the egg and cornflour, then add yoghurt and mix well. Add 2 teaspoons water to loosen the mixture a little.
3. Pour the yoghurt into a large pot and cook on a very, very low heat to prevent curdling. Cook for 15 minutes stirring continuously.
4. Slowly add in rice/water/stock mixture, a bit at a time, stirring continuously to combine.
5. Turn heat to medium, allow mixture to come to the boil, then turn down again and cook for another 10 minutes. (meanwhile boiling mante)
6. To serve, ladle into serving bowls, top with mante then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of dried mint.

Mante (Chicken & Pistachio Dumplings)
Recipe from Australian Gourmet Traveller. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
100g minced chicken
20g coarsely chopped pistachios
½ small onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
40 wonton wrappers
Method:
1. Combine all ingredients except wonton wrappers in a bowl and season to taste with sea salt.
2. Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre of each wonton wrapper, brush edges with water, place another wonton wrapper on top and join ends together, pressing to seal.
3. To cook mante, boil a pot of water and gently lower in dumplings, cooking for 3 minutes or until mante float to surface. Be careful to prevent them sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Note: the original recipe called for 20 round wontons, folded in half, but I used two wonton wrappers pressed together per dumpling, to create more substantial dumplings.

This is my entry for the Presto Pasta Nights event. This week's PPN is hosted by Daphne from More Than Words, so be sure to visit her blog for other pasta and noodle recipes. PPN's founder however is Ruth from Once Upon A Feast.

orecchiette w peas, lemon & crème fraîche

It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to participate in Presto Pasta Night (a Friday food blogging event) and I’m pretty happy to be rejoining the pack with this great recipe.

Despite Jonas’ protests that it wouldn’t turn out very well, he was shocked to discover it was damn delicious.

I wasn’t so shocked, but it did turn out better than even I’d expected.

It’s pretty light, so it makes a perfect spring or summer dinner, or would even work well as an entrée in winter (that’s starter to you North Americans).

Orecchiette w Peas, Lemon & Crème Fraîche

Adapted from A Twist of the Wrist by Nancy Silverton. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
8 ounces orecchiette pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 cup frozen petite peas, or fresh if in season
1 cup crème fraîche
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
6 slices prosciutto, torn in half (optional)
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

2. In the meantime, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the garlic. Cook for a couple minutes until fragrant but not browned, then reduce the heat to medium

3. Add the peas, cooking for a few seconds, then add the crème fraîche, lemon zest and kosher salt. Bring to a light simmer, stirring constantly, until warmed through.

4. Reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and add it while still wet to the skillet.

5. Toss well with the sauce, add the pepper and lemon juice and add the pasta water to create a loose sauce. Turn the heat to high and cook for 2 minutes as the sauce melds with the pasta.

6. Transfer to bowls and top with any sauce left in the skillet.

7. Lay the prosciutto and basil leaves on top. Serve immediately.

Note: you could use cooked bacon instead of prosciutto.

This week's PPN is hosted by Janet from The Taste Space, so be sure to visit her blog for other pasta and noodle recipes. PPN's founder however is Ruth from Once Upon A Feast.

chinese pork & garlic chive dumplings

Chinese pork & garlic chive dumplings, otherwise known as Jiu Cai Jiaozi, happen to be one of the most delicious things on earth. Pan-fried and served with strong, black vinegar and spicy chilli . . . . one of my all time favourite things to eat.

I wasn't daring enough to make the dough, but I thought I was pretty brave to attempt assembling them myself. I was very pleased with the results and even shared the excess with Stinky and M.E., who seemed very happy with that.

To decide how to make them, I scoured the internet for Jiu Cai Jiaozi recipes and came across the very simple steps provided by Billy from A Table For Two. They were so good I kicked myself for forgetting to thank him when we ran into each other at a Peruvian degustation (see Billy, there was a reason I thought I knew you).

These seriously good dumplings are my pasta offering to Presto Pasta Nights hosted by fellow Aussie blogger Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once.

Jiu Cai Jiaozi (Chinese Pork & Garlic Chive Dumplings)

Recipe by A Table For Two. Makes 30 dumplings.

Ingredients:
500 gram pork mince
1 bunch garlic chives (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 packet of dumpling skin (30 skins)
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp rice wine
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Add all ingredients into a large bowl (except the dumpling skins) and mix well together.

2. Fill a small bowl with water and set aside.

3. Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture and lay it in the centre of a dumpling skin.

4. Dip your index finger in the water, then run it around the edge of the dumpling skin.

5. Fold the skin in half from bottom to top, press the skin together and seal the mixture inside.

6. From the centre, overlapping the skin inwards from both sides until it reaches the pointy edges.

7. Run the edges and press tightly with 2 fingers to make sure the dumpling is properly sealed.

Steaming Method:
1. Inside bamboo steamer baskets, lay some iceberg lettuce and make sure is flat enough to put dumplings on top without falling over.
2. Arrange 6 to 8 dumplings inside basket without touching each other so they don’t stick together when cooked.
3. Use a wok and pour 2 cups of water and let it boil in medium heat. Place the steamer basket inside the wok and cover it with a lid. Let it simmer for 10 – 15 mins or until the dumpling skins looks translucent then it is ready.

Frying Method:

1. Heat up a frying pan with a little bit of vegetable oil.
2. Put some dumplings in the pan and lay flat on one side. Make sure they don’t touch each other to avoid sticking together.
3. Pour 2 tablespoon of water in the pan, and quickly cover it with a lid.
4. Few minutes later, flip the dumplings and fry the other side. Again, pour 2 tablespoon of water and cover it with a lid.
5. Fry the dumplings until crisp and golden brown then it is ready.

Billy's note: the dumplings usually go with condiments of soy sauce, sesame oil and black vinegar. A hot spicy chilli paste is also an essential condiment with the dumplings.

Anna’s variation: I added that grated fresh ginger for extra kick.

gnocchi w sage & burnt butter

Sticking to my Potato Week theme (today is Day 5), this is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Joanne from Eats Well With Others.

Gnocchi are really Italian potato dumplings, just like Swedish palt, German schupfnudeln, Hungarian krumplinudli, Slovak halušky and Lithuanian didžkukuliai (awesome names, huh!).

According to Wikipedia, gnocchi "was introduced by the Roman Legions during the enormous expansion of the empire into the countries of the European continent. In the past 2,000 years each country developed its own specific type of small dumplings, with the ancient gnocchi as their common ancestor. In Roman times, gnocchi were made from a semolina porridge-like dough mixed with eggs, and are still found in similar forms today, particularly in Sardinia . . . The use of potato is a relatively recent innovation, occurring after the introduction of the potato to Europe in the 16th century."

This burnt butter sauce is one of Jonas' absolute favourites.

Gnocchi w Sage & Burnt Butter

Recipe from taste.com.au . Serves 4 (main) or 6 (starter)

Ingredients:
100g unsalted butter, chopped
16-20 small sage leaves
1 recipe gnocchi, cooked
1 cup (80g) shaved or grated parmesan

Method:

1. Place chopped butter into a large frying pan over medium heat.

2. Cook until melted then add sage leaves to pan.

3. Cook butter and sage leaves, swirling pan often, for 4-5 minutes or until sage leaves are crisp and butter has turned a deep nut-brown colour.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Add gnocchi to frying pan and toss to coat in burnt sage butter.

6. To serve, divide gnocchi among bowls, spooning over any burnt butter that is left in the frying pan. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy immediately.

Note: I love to add a few tablespoons of toasted pine nuts at the end.

falooda - sweet vermicelli shake

This lurid pink oddity is Falooda, a dessert-drink popular in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and most of the Middle East.

The falooda drink is an adaptation of an ancient Persian dessert made from noodles frozen with pistachio, rose water and lime juice, thought to be one of the world’s earliest frozen desserts (400 BCE).

Falooda drinks are unusual in composition because they contain basil seeds and wheat vermicelli noodles doused in cold milk and a variety of other flavourings.

My version is based on an Indian-style falooda with scoops of ice cream and jelly, topped off by the sweetest, most toxic-food-colour-red rose syrup that will give you a sugar headache for 3 days!

You can ditch the rose syrup and go for mango or fig falooda instead, but I think that’s wimping out. What’s the pleasure without the pain?

Making falooda was one of my 2009 Food Challenges: I have wanted to make this dessert-drink at home ever since I tried it at a local Indian restaurant. It's got few steps to it, but it's very easy to prepare.

If you like rose-flavoured sweets, you can’t beat this recipe.

One every few months can’t hurt, right?

Falooda (sweet vermicelli shake)

Recipe by Anna Fedeles. Makes 2.
Ingredients:
250ml milk
½ cup strawberry or raspberry jelly
½ cup dried wheat (or arrowroot) vermicelli noodles
2 scoops ice cream
2 tablespoons rose syrup
1 tablespoon basil seeds

Method:

1. Soak basil seeds in water. They will appear like tiny frogs eggs. Drain.

2. Boil vermicelli according to manufacturers instructions. Drain, rinse and chill.

3. In glasses, layer vermicelli, jelly, basil seeds, milk and rose syrup.

4. Top with ice cream a drizzle of syrup and a drop of basil seeds.

5. Serve with a thick straw and long-stemmed spoon.

This falooda is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by the event founder, Ruth from Once Upon A Feast.

tamarind & kaffir broth

It's been a while since I got my act together and participated in Presto Pasta Night! But here I am with this tangy, quick comfort soup that I whip up when I'm hungry. The ingredients (or most of them) are usually on hand ever since my parents gave us a kaffir tree for the balcony.

It's delicious, healthy and really hits my sour spot!

Tamarind & Kaffir Broth w Vermicelli

Anna’s very own recipe. Serves 2 as a starter.
Ingredients:

500ml vegetable stock
1 small red chilli, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
2 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, finely diced
1 tablespoon peanut oil
80g thin rice vermicelli

Method:

1. Heat peanut oil in a small saucepan.

2. Add chilli and kaffir leaves fry for a minute.

3. Add garlic and fry another minute.

4. Add tomato and scallion and fry, smashing tomato, until it begins to break down a little.

5. Add stock and tamarind concentrate and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

6. While soup simmers, prepare vermicelli according to manufacturers instructions.

7. Drain vermicelli and add to soup. Remove from heat and stir through fresh coriander and lime juice. Serve hot.

This week's host for Presto Pasta Night is Rachel, The Crispy Cook. Be sure to see what other pasta/noodle delights await.

scallops w lemongrass & kaffir vermicelli

It might not look very nice, but this noodle dish is quite delicious.

It’s not quite as delicious as the version I tasted in Ubud (Bali, Indonesia) at the Casa Luna restaurant, but then getting my hands on the tiny kaffir limes and other native ingredients isn’t as easy in Sydney. It’s as close as I’m going to get.

This is my contribution to the 100th episode of Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by the founder Ruth from Once Upon A Feast.

If you’re interested in more Balinese posts (photos and all!), I’ll add the links below the recipe.

Scallops w Lemongrass & Kaffir Vermicelli

Anna’s version of a meal eaten at Casa Luna. Serves 2.

Ingredients:
125g vermicelli
12 scallops
100ml coconut milk
3 young lemongrass stalks
4 kaffir leaves, very finely sliced
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of long pepper
Pinch of salt
1 small red chilli, thinly sliced for garnish
2 tablespoons baby mint leaves

Method:

1. Remove the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass stalks until you come to the tender, pale leaves underneath.

2. Mince the stalks very, very finely although stop when you reach the higher, woodier part of the stalk. You only want the soft, moist end near the bulb.

3. In a pan, heat the coconut milk with a little salt and long pepper as well as the lemongrass and kaffir. Bring almost to the boil the reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. In the meantime, soak the vermicelli in a bowl of freshly boiled water until soft (about 5 minutes).

5. In the meantime, season the scallops with salt and long pepper, then pan fry for max 60 seconds on each side.

6. Drain the vermicelli and divide between two bowls. Divide the lime juice and sprinkle over the noodles.

7. Divide the coconut sauce into the bowls until there’s just enough to dress the vermicelli. Toss well.

8. Garnish noodles with chilli and mint then top with scallops. Can be served warm or room temperature.


Bali, Indonesia (July 2007)
Balinese cooking class
Dining out in Bali
Balinese countryside
Sirsak - soursop fruit
Salak - snakefruit


Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes scallops noodles coconut lemongrass kaffir coconut recipes kaffir recipes lemongrass recipes noodle recipes scallop recipes balinese recipes balinese food balinese cuisine indonesian recipes indonesian food indonesian cuisine

tan tan men

Another one bites the dust . . . another 2008 food challenge that is!

With loads of help from my gal in Tokyo, Courtney, I was able to make this absolutely delicious ramen noodle soup.

I first ate Tan Tan Men at Ichiban Boshi, a ramen chain in Sydney, and I have been in love ever since. Spicy, Asian style Bolognese sauce on delicious ramen noodles with a fiery broth. Wow!

My own version was (of course) not as good as the experts, but for a home attempt it was fantastic. Definitely one to make again!

Now what disappointed me immensely was not the recipe but my shaky photography! I must have taken more than 20 photos of the tan tan men and the image on this post is the only one that didn't come out blurry. Sorry about that folks!

Tan Tan Men (Spicy Japanese-Chinese Ramen Soup)

Anna’s version of various internet recipes. Serves 2.

Ingredients:
375ml chicken stock
200g pork mince
180g ramen
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon white sesame paste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon doubanjiang (Chinese spicy bean paste)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons tenmenjan (Chinese sweet miso)
1 teaspoon hot chilli oil
2 tablespoons finely sliced shallot (scallion), garnish

Method:

1. Heat the sesame and chilli oils in a pot.

2. Add garlic, ginger and doubanjiang then fry until fragrant.

3. Add pork and brown.

4. Next add sesame paste, tenmenjan and chicken stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to simmer.

5. In a separate pot, cook ramen as per the packet instructions. Drain.

6. Combine noodles, broth and meat in serving bowls and sprinkle with scallion garnish. Eat hot.

Anna’s variations: If you can’t find all the specialty ingredients then replace the doubanjiang with the Korean equivalent gochjung, the white sesame paste with tahini and the tenmenjan with a tablespoon or two of light soy sauce and a pinch of sugar.

This is my long overdue contribution to Presto Pasta Nights, an event started by Ruth but this week (the last of 2008) hosted by C from Foodie Tots.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes tan tan men soup noodles main course pork recipes soup recipes noodle recipes tan tan men recipes pork soup recipes noodle soup recipes japanese recipes japanese food japanese cuisine chinese recipes chinese food chinese cuisine

penne alla vodka

This Nigella Lawson recipe comes from straight from March 2007’s issue of delicious magazine. It was a really simple dinner to make and tasted wonderful.

I had wanted to make it ever since I bought the magazine but Jonas kept insisting that vodka with pasta would be terrible. Having eaten Penne alla Vodka in Italy, I knew it wasn't some insane idea Nigella had cooked up on her own so I was confident it would be very tasty.

It was.

He liked it.

I will never listen to him again.

Penne alla Vodka
Recipe by Nigella Lawson from delicious. Serves 8 – 10.

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 x 400g can crushed Roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons pouring (thin) cream
800g (4 ½ cups) penne rigate pasta
½ cup (125ml) vodka
60g unsalted butter
Grated parmesan, to serve

Method:

1. Heat olive in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic and salt. Cook for 10 minutes until onion softens and begins to caramelise.

2. Add tomatoes and their juices. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has reduced and thickened.

3. Add cream, season well with salt and pepper, then remove from heat.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water according to packet instructions.

5. Drain pasta then return it to the saucepan. Add vodka, butter and salt to taste. Gently mix until butter has melted.

6. Add the tomato sauce and mix to coat pasta.

7. Transfer to serving bowls and top with parmesan.

This is my contribution to Ruth’s Presto Pasta Nights, an event I love participating in but unfortunately I haven’t been eating much pasta or noodles lately.

This week it's hosted by Nilmandra of Soy and Pepper, a blog I hadn't heard of before but through this event I have now wandered through many of her posts and become a big fan.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes main course vodka pasta penne penne recipes penne alla vodka recipes party recipes dinner recipes main course recipes vodka recipes pasta recipes italian recipes italian food italian cuisine

lemongrass beef noodles

This salad is delicious. The ingredients are so fragrant and pungent and sum up all the things I love about Vietnamese food.

First the steak is marinated in gorgeous lemongrass overnight, then grilled and served warm, sliced over herby noodles drenched in spicy nước chắm. Divine!

I first discovered this recipe back in 2006 and have wanted to make it ever since. Now that Jonas is back at work, and I have my nights free again, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to give it a try.

This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights, founded by Ruth at Once Upon A Feast but this week hosted by Abby of Eat the Right Stuff.

Bún Bò Nướng Xả (Lemongrass Beef Noodle Salad)
Based on a recipe from Little Bouffe. Serves 2 as main course.

Marinade:
2 stalks lemongrass
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
450g beef sirloin
Method:
1. Trim the lemongrass stalks by removing the roots and reserving only 6cm from the base. Remove the tough outer layers and chop the core.
2. Blend the lemongrass and garlic in a food processor until finely ground.
3. Add remaining ingredients (except steak) and blend.
4. Place the steak in a plastic bag or container and pour in the marinade. Turn the steak until well-coated and refrigerate overnight.

Nước Chắm:
6 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 minced garlic clove
1 minced red chilli
Method: Blend together and allow to sit for 10 minutes or more to infuse.

Salad:
Marinated steak (from above)
¾ cup nước chắm (from above)
200g rice vermicelli
½ cup shredded holy basil (rau quế)
½ cup chopped coriander leaves
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
1 tomato, deseeded and sliced thinly
1 red chilli, minced

Method:

1. Heat a large skillet on high, add steak and cook, 1-2 minutes per side. Set aside on cutting board 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package; drain and rinse in cold water.

3. Toss noodles with fresh herbs, chilli and half the nước chắm.

4. Divide the noodles among 2 bowls. Add cucumber and tomato on top.

5. Slice the steak thinly, on the diagonal, and distribute slices among plates.

6. Serve remaining nước chắm on the side.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes lemongrass beef noodle salad noodles lunch main course salad recipes lemongrass recipes noodle recipes beef recipes vietnamese recipes vietnamese food vietnamese cuisine

spaghetti alla puttanesca

This is probably my all time favourite pasta sauce. It’s got all the right strong, pungent ingredients to make a punchy, lively sauce: garlic, capers, chilli and anchovies.

All my favourite sour, bitter and salty flavours!

The irony with this dish is that Jonas makes it so well, even though he can't eat it because it contains fish.

For those who speak Italian, the name of this sauce is slightly perplexing, translating to “whore style”. What makes it whore-like is beyond me, but there are many theories.
• normal Napoletana sauce “tarted” up to have a spicy flavour and pungent smell
• offered to prospective customers at a low price to entice them into a brothel
• quick, cheap meal that prostitutes could prepare between customers

A more thoughtful origin came from Diane Seed who wrote in her book, Top 100 Pasta Sauces:

“Conscientious Italian housewives usually shop at the local market every day to buy fresh food, but the [prostitutes] were only allowed one day per week for shopping, and their time was valuable. Their specialty became a sauce made quickly from odds and ends in the larder.”

Whatever the origins, it is not a traditional sauce and only entered the written word in 1961. The Unione Industriali Pastai Italiani (Italian Union of Pasta Makers) claim the sauce came into its own in the 1960s.

Traditionally puttanesca is served with spaghetti, but truth be known I prefer it with short pasta such as penne or rigatoni that are rigate (grooved) to catch more sauce.

I’m sharing this recipe with Ruth from Once Upon A Feast as part of her Presto Pasta Night Friday event. I can’t always get myself organised fast enough on Fridays to contribute to PPN, but when I can, I do!

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Jonas' very own recipe. Serves 4.
Ingredients:400 grams spaghetti
500ml tomato passata
½ small Spanish onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon small capers
1/3 cup black olives, halved
3 anchovy fillets (from can or jar with oil), finely chopped
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 dried bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Begin boiling water for pasta. When ready, add pasta.

2. While waiting for water to boil, heat oil in saucepan, fry onion for 1 minute.

3. Add garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes and cook for another minute, mashing anchovies slightly.

4. Add tomato paste, cook for 1 minute.

5. Add passata, oregano, capers, olives and bay leaf then turn down heat to simmer until pasta is ready. Sauce should thicken a little and anchovies will disintegrate.

6. Mix through pasta and put into serving plates. Serve with plenty of grated parmigiano.

Note: for a vegetarian version, omit anchovies and add 1 extra tablespoon of capers.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes pasta spaghetti spagehtti puttanesca spaghetti alla puttanesca spaghetti recipes olive recipes anchovy recipes caper recipes pasta recipes italian recipes italian food italian cuisine

brodo piccante con fregola

Yesterday I wrote about the five course Italian feast I cooked for my sisters and although I blogged 3 of 5 recipes yesterday, I promised to save this one for Presto Pasta Night and the baked peaches for Weekend Herb Blogging.

For those after more pasta recipes, visit Ruth's Once Upon A Feast for this week's Presto Pasta Night recap.

My dish is predominantly a chilli-laden broth, but it contains beads of gorgeous fregola which are small toasted semolina dough pasta from the Italian island of Sardinia.

Wikipedia Fast Facts: Sardinia
· Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily).
· Sardinia is a generally mountainous island with a few coastal plains.
· The island has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and very mild winters.
· Sardinian is a language of Latin origin with unique elements from Phoenician, Etruscan, and Near Eastern languages. It is still widely spoken in most rural areas and used culturally for folk songs and poetry.
· In 1500 BCE it was known as Hyknusa, meaning island of the Hyksos, a group of people expelled by Ahmose I of Egypt.
· Sardinia’s modern name is after the Shardana or Sherden sea pirates, one of several groups of "Sea Peoples" who appear in fragmentary historical records represented by images of men with horned helmets, round shields, and large swords.
· In 2004, in a cave in Logudoro, a human phalanx was found that was dated to around 250,000 BCE.
· In 1323, the Kingdom of Aragon conquered Sardinia who expelled the native populations of some cities (eg Alghero). The descendants of the conquerors still speak Catalan today.
· Jean-Paul Marat, one of the leaders of the French Revolution in 1792, was the son of a Sardinian father from Cagliari and a Swiss mother.
· In 1860, Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became also the first King of a united Italy, after conquering the rest of the peninsula.
· The original Nuraghe inhabitants of Sardinia, currently concentrated in the interior of the island, are a genetic anomaly, belonging to Y-chromosome haplogroup I, which otherwise has high frequency only in Scandinavia and the Croatia-Bosnia area.
· The phrase "sardonic grin" comes from the grimace found on victims of those poisoned by a certain herb found in Sardinia which contains strychnine-like alkaloids. It is said that family members would poison the infirm and elderly with the herb when the family was no longer able to afford to take care of them.
· Today the Sardinian economy is focused on tourism and an increasing income is coming from wines and gastronomy.
· Dried grapes, recently found in several locations, have been DNA tested and proved to be the oldest grapes in the world, dating back to 1200 BC.
· Casu Marzu is a cheese delicacy found in Sardinia, notable for being riddled with live insect larvae.
· Sardines were named after Sardinia because they were once found in abundance there.

Brodo Piccante con Fregola & Gamberi
Anna’s version of Giovanni Pilu’s recipe. Serves 6 as entrée or 4 as main course.
Ingredients:
1 cup fregola
2 cups (500ml) shellfish stock
1 cup (250ml) tomato passata
½ cup (125ml) dry white wine
12 medium green prawns, peeled and de-veined
12 small raw scallops
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 chilli, finely chopped
Freshly milled black pepper
Olive oil
Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a pot and fry chilli and garlic until fragrant and softened.
2. Add pepper and tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes until cooked.
3. Add white and simmer, evaporating alcohol, for 2 minutes.
4. Add passata and stock and bring to the boil.
5. In another pot, boil water and cook fregola as per the packet instructions. Drain.
6. When ready to serve, add fregola, prawns and scallops to broth and cook for 1 minute until prawns have turned white. Do not overcook.
8. Divide between serving bowls and eat piping hot.
Note: you could substitute shellfish stock for fish or even chicken stock.

Giovanni Pilu, an Australian-based Sardinian chef who authored the original recipe (on which mine is only slightly varied), recommended drinking a Vermentino with this soup. Vermentino grapes are grown widely in Sardinia and they make a bold, gutsy, acidic white wine that matches well with seafood. We followed instruction and drank a Vermentino with this course, and we were not disappointed.

References & Map
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/italy
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/01/14/FDGSV467611.DTL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermentino
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fregula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardinia

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes entrée starter soup fregola fregola sarda shrimp recipes prawn recipes soup recipes fregola recipes pasta recipes italian recipes italian food italian cuisine

sharba libiya

In Autumn and Winter I love to eat hybrids between soups, stews and pasta dishes.

This particular recipe, Sharba Libiya, is common all over the internet and translates simply to “Libyan Soup”.

The main flavour basis is the Libyan five spice Hararat. Despite my searches all over the place I couldn’t find a reliable source so I had to invent my own version. I used cinnamon, cumin, coriander, chilli and allspice. Who knows whether my ingredients and measurements come close to the real thing!

The recipe calls for orzo or risoni, but you could go for any small shapes that suit you.

It’s a really hearty, flavoursome meal that I highly recommend, especially when the weather is cool.

Sharba Libiya (Libyan Soup
Anna’s very own version of a popular internet recipe. Serves 4 as entrée or 2 as main.Ingredients:300g lamb mince
1 litre beef stock
1 medium onion
½ cup tomato sauce (passata)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup orzo (or risoni)
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 batch Hararat
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil, for cooking
Pinch of salt
Method:
1. Sauté the onion and garlic in oil.
2. Add meat and cooked until browned.
3. Add spices, dried mint leaves, salt and chopped tomatoes and stir.
4. When tomatoes have started to break down a little, add tomato
tomato sauce and beef stock. Add a little water if there’s not enough liquid.
5. Bring to the boil then add orzo and simmer until cooked.
6. Before serving, squeeze over fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh coriander and parsley.
Note: chicken or beef can be used instead of lamb and potatoes, chickpeas and lentils may be included also.

Hararat
Anna's very own recipe.
Ingredients:
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Method:
Dry fry in a sauce pan and combine.

This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Night, hosted by Ruth from Once Upon A Feast.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes presto pasta night orzo lamb pasta stew soupspice blend hararat sharba libiya spice blend recipes spice recipes hararat recipes orzo recipes pasta recipes lamb recipes stew recipes soup recipes sharba libiya recipes libyan recipes libyan food libyan cuisine