Green Beans Rice

Green Beans Rice
serves : 3-4 portions

Ingredients
Instant rice, cooked and cool
1 Tbsp Oil for stir frying
1 Onion, mince
2 cloves Garlic, mince
70g tomato paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt to taste
450gm frozen green beans, defrosted
2 sticks Carrots, sliced

Method
1) In cooking pan, on medium heat, heat up the oil, saute mince onion until transparent. Add in mince garlic. Cook until fragrant.
2) Add in sliced carrots, cook for 5 mins. Then add in green beans and cook another 5 mins.
3) Next put in the tomato paste, smoked paprika, salt to taste and a little water, cook for another 2 mins.
4) Finally add in cooled cooked rice, mix well with spice and paste-. Cook until rice is hot.
5) Serve hot.

Hungarian Fried Bread { Lángos II }

Over the years I have tried to recreate the nation's favourite street food at home, with so-so but acceptable (to me) results. See https://cookingeasttowest.blogspot.com/2015/11/hungarian-fried-dough-langos.html and https://cookingeasttowest.blogspot.com/2016/05/native-american-fried-bread.html

Am glad I found this following recipe which is easy and comes with video instructions.

Hungarian Fried Bread { Lángos II }
via https://www.nosalty.hu/recept/igazi-strandos-langos
Makes 4 regular-size / 7 mini-size

300gm Bread flour
10ml lukewarm milk
150ml water
25g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp icing sugar

Topping suggestions
3 cloves of garlic, mince
200ml sour cream
200gm cheese

Method :-
1) In a cup, add lukewarm milk, fresh yeast and icing sugar for 10 mins. to activate the yeast.
2) In a bowl, sift in bread flour and salt, make a well, add in the proof yeast and about 150ml of water. Mix it well and let it rest for an hour at a warm place covered with kitchen cloth.
3) Heat up vegetable oil to deep fry. Tear a ball off the dough, stretch it (see video in link given) and fry until golden brown.
4) Serve hot , top with topping of choice.

Hungarian style fried Hake < Sült hekk >

https://cookpad.com/hu/receptek/1926385-sult-hekk

Baked Malaysian Satay

On Sunday at the last minute I decided to try out this satay recipe that I've seen the night before. I have to say I did not follow the recipe completely due to lack of ingredients. Despite this, the meat turned out satisfying especially it was done in the oven and not bbq.

Chicken satay
Recipe by : Lauren's Kitchen

Ingredients A For Chicken satay :
Makes: 25-30 skewers
5 shallots
3 cloves garlic
4 stalks lemongrass ( white part only)

15g ginger
25g galangal
15g turmeric

600g chicken meat
1 tsp salt
2tbsp sugar
1 stick lemon grass (to spread oil on satay while bbq)

Method:
1. Blend all the ingredients (A) . Mix the blended ingredients with chicken , add salt and sugar , combine well . Cover with cling paper and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hours or even over night if you want.
2.Soak Skewers in water while you are marinating chicken to prevent them to burning.
3. Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers .
4.Grill it until cook using bbq method / grill in oven (180°c ,10-15min both side) , brush oil on top (both sides) using lemon grass stick .

served with peanut sauce and fresh vegetables

Using the stove to add some smoke flavour

Tiramisu II

Tiramisu is the only cakes which I don't mind has a ton of cream. It's so easy and best of of all you don't have to switch on the oven, great for summer season.

I have made this version of tiramisu using sponge fingers (in the pic. I used basic sponge) and always received compliments. It's about time I share it here.

Tiramisu
pictorial https://cookpad.com/hu/receptek/1925954-tiramisu

Ingredients

For soaking
1 x 200g sponge fingers (about 20 pcs)
2 x 18g Nescafé strong 3in1
about 150ml hot water
Rum, to taste

For Cream filling
2 eggs (size M)
2 - 3 Tbsp granulated sugar or to taste

1 x 250g Mascapone cheese, room temperature
1 x 200g whipping cream
1 Tbsp gelatine granules
Powder sugar , to taste
Rum, to taste

For dusting
Cocoa powder

Method :-

1) 30 mins before assembling the cake :
      i) prepare the coffee by bringing about 150ml of water to boil. Mix in the coffee and let it cool
         in  the fridge.
      ii) take out mascapone cheese from fridge and bring in to room temperature.
      iii) Whisk eggs and 2-3 tbsp sugar in a heat proof bowl and slowly heat it over boiling water.
            Just heat about 60°c , when the egg mixture is hot to touch. Then remove from double boiler
           and whisk using electric mixer until foamy and cool a bit.

2) Once 30 mins. is up  you can start assembling.
     1) take out coffee from the fridge add in liquer of choice. or leave it out. mix well

     2) Prepare the gelatine as per instruction on packet. set it aside.

     3) Mix together mascapone cheese with thicken eggs (step 1, iii ) until well combine.

     4) In another bowl whip up the whipping cream until soft peak. slowly add in mascapone
          and egg mixture until well combine. add in the gelatine and mix well.

     5) soak lady's finger one at a time and form a layer on glass dish. soak each for about 5 seconds.
         Then put half the cream and smooth it over. Repeat another layer of soaked lady's fingers,
          and finish off with the remaining cream. dust with cocoa powder.

     6) leave in the fridge overnight.
 

Cottage cheese pastry bites

An easy recipe from my neighbour. As this pastry is quite rich, best serve them on special occasions.

Cottage cheese pastry bites

Ingredients :-

Pastry
200gm All purpose flour
200gm Butter, cold
200gm Cottage cheese
a pinch of salt

To glaze
Egg wash

Toppings (optional)
Grated cheese of your choice
Cumin seeds



Method :-

1) Pre-heat oven at 180°c

2) In a bowl, combine all pastry ingredients and knead until just combine. Don't over work it.

3) Let dough rest in fridge for 15 mins.

4) After 15 mins. roll out dough to thickness of 0.5 - 1 cm. cut into shapes that you wish.

5) Glaze pastry with egg wash.

6) If using, sprinkle your choice of toppings all over pastry.

7) Bake in oven for about 18 mins. or until golden brown.

Walnut Meringue Pie

go to Zserbo.com for the recipe and detail instructions for this delicious pie.

I am obsessed with this pie, particularly the pastry. It is light and fluffy.  When walnuts were in season, I was making it every weekend.

As you can compared with the recipe link provided above, I have tweaked the recipe to what I have in the pantry and since then I have been making it based on my tweaked version.