Spicy Salmon, with a Seasonal Salad and Boiled Egg

This is one of my most favourite "healthy" meals.

You know when you feel satisfied about eating something because its good for you and for once you eat it without thinking ok I have to excersise to burn this off later?! Well this is it.

The salad is simply made from salad leaves, grapes, blackberries(some might find fruit in their salads a bit off,but i love it), a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Ok now the Salmon is first marinaded with chopped green chillies, garlic (i love garlic and its good for the heart, so go crazy with this :)), salt, pepper of course, olive oil, a lot of lemon juice, chilli pieces and coriander.

Turn oven on to 180 celsius and pop the salmon in for about 15-20 mins.

Dont forget to also put some oil at the bottom of the oven tin so it does not stick. And finally the egg, boil it for a few mins depending how well u like the yolk made.

Lentil Curry and Chicken Curry, served with String Hoppers and a Spicy Salad

String Hoppers are popular in countries such as South India and Sri Lanka. Theyre pretty easy to make, although it is time consuming. But if you live close to London you can purchase it in packs like i did :)...just pop it in the oven and warm in 5 minutes. For those of you who dont no what this is, its like rice noodles made out of flour. It is traditionally eaten with dhal (lentil curry) and a spicy coconut sambol.

If you wanted to grab hold of some string hoppers without leaving home or travelling far, then order it from: http://www.theasiancookshop.co.uk/

Chicken Curry Recipe:
See below

Lentil Curry (dhal curry)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Mysore Dhal (Red lentils)
1/2 tsp saffron powder
1/2 curry powder
1/2 tsp chillie powder
1 green chillie chopped
1 onion chopped
1 cup water
3-4 curry leaves(optional)
1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seed
2 chillies, broken into 2-3 pieces
2 cloves gralic, minced
1/4 lime
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash the dhal thoroughly and boil in a pan with 1 cup water,
1/2 tsp saffron, 1/2 of the onion and the garlic. When the
the color of the dhal turns from pink to yellow, remove from
fire and put into a bowl.

Put the pan on low flame, add the oil, when the oil is hot add
the remaing ingredients except the coconut milk and dhal.
Cook stirring for about 1-2 minutes.

Add the boiled dhal to the pan and stir well. Cook for another
couple of minutes. Add the coconut milk, and salt to taste.
Cook till the curry starts to boil. Remove from fire and
add the lime juice.


Spicy Salad:

Ingredients and Method
Chop Tomatoes, Red Onion, Green Chillies, Cucumber, into small portions, mix well, season with salt and pepper, and squeeze some lemon in there if you like that tangy taste like i do :)

Pork thai curry with rice

I have to say im not a big fan of thai curry. Unless its made the Sri Lankan way, which means its going to be firey hot.

I started with frying onions, green chillies garlic, then I added the pork and stir fried til brown. Then I added some carrots and red peppers, ( my 2 out of 5 a day) and then added soya sauce, corainder, white wine vinegar, sugar, tomato puree, chilli, and chilli flakes, fish sauce, lemon (or lemon grass), shrimp paste,....then let it simmer gently till the sauce reduces to a thicker gravy and the meat and veg is made.

Basic Pork Thai Curry Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tsp oil
2 tbs red curry paste
500g Heart Smart diced pork
270ml light coconut milk
3/4 cup (185ml) vegetable stock
500g sweet potato, peeled, cubed
3 fresh kaffir lime leaves, shredded
1 bunch snake beans, trimmed, cut into 5cm lengths
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves

Method:
Heat the oil over a medium-high heat in a medium to large saucepan. Add the curry paste. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly or until fragrant. Add the pork and stir-fry just until light golden.

Add the light coconut milk, vegetable stock, sweet potato and shredded lime leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender. Add the beans in the last 6 minutes of cooking. To serve, roughly tear the coriander leaves into the curry and fold through. Serve with the steamed rice or anything you like.

Please bare in mind that this is just a basic recipe. I took it and tweeked it a bit for my own taste.

Battered Prawns, Honey BBQ chicken wings and Vegetable Cous Cous

I simply loved making this dish. It has a mixture of so many flavours, all exploding in you mouth as you take every bite.

The honey from the chicken wings, the paprika from the prawns and tangy lemon in the cous cous all compliment each other and goes down a delight.

The prawns were pretty straight forward, marinaded it with salt, pepper and paprika to give it that extra kick, then dipped in flour, egg, water and deep fry.

The chicken wings were fried on high heat til brown, then the heat was reduced in order to gently cook it with honey, coriander, chill flakes, lemon, chillies and soya sauce. The sauce eventually thickens, giving a sweet spicy STICKY texture.

The cous cous, this is pretty straight forward, you make the cous cous by adding warm water. Then fry some onions, garlic, tomato puree (this gives it that reddy colour) then add some lemon juice, the vegetables, put the heat off and mix in the cous cous. And then just watch all those colours mix through it!

Batter Recipe

Ingredients:
1 medium egg
225ml ice-cold water
100g plain flour

Method:
Beat the egg in a bowl and add the iced water. The water must be as cold as possible, as this prevents the batter from absorbing too much oil, keeping it light and crispy.
Lightly mix in the flour with a fork and beat gently. Don't worry too much about lumps.
Prepare this batter immediately before use. Tempura should be cooked in oil at 180C/350F - if the coated fish or vegetables sink to the bottom of the oil, the temperature is too high

Honey BBQ Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons
garlic powder
1/4 cup gin
2 dashes liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 pounds chicken wings separated at joints
tips discarded 1/4 cup honey

Method:
In a large bowl, mix the teriyaki sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, gin, liquid smoke, and sugar.
Place the chicken wings in the bowl, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the grill for low heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate.
Arrange chicken on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken wings on one side for 20 minutes, then turn and brush with honey. Continue grilling 25 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Dont just follow these recipes, feel free to toss in anything that you think will work well, thats the only way you learn. Enjoy!!

University Cultural Event

I recently cooked 3 dishes for my University Cultural Event. Made some delicious chocolate muffins, a Sri Lankan chicken curry, and Tuna cutlets. The chocolate muffins came out better than I expected.

I couldnt make the curry and cutlets as spicy as I normally make it, as the majority of people at the event cant have spicy food. I dont know if its just me, but food taste so bland without spices.

Chocolate Muffin Recipe

Ingredients:
250 g butter
190 g caster sugar
4-5 eggs
250 g strong bread flour
20 g baking powder
60 ml milk
100 g chocolate chips
150 g drinking chocolate
20 squares of dark chocolate,

Method:
. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until white and fluffy.

2. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition, and whisk together for 5 minutes.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder, add to the butter mixture and fold together until well-blended.

4. Add in the milk and the drinking chocolate and mix for 1 minute. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Refrigerate the mixture for 2 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

7. Line muffin trays with paper cases, making 20 muffin cases in all.

8. Place a teaspoon of the muffin mixture in each case. Top each case with a square of chocolate, then add another teaspoon and a half of the muffin mixture on top.

9. Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and risen. Remove and serve warm from the oven.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry Recipe:

Ingredients:
3 lb Chicken or Chicken pieces
3-4 tbs. lemon juice
6 cloves Garlic & 1 inch Ginger root - crushed together
2 tsps Salt
1 tbs. Powdered black pepper
1 tbs. Roasted Curry powder
1/2 tbs. dry red chili powder
4 Cardamoms
2 Cloves
8 Curry leaves
4 pieces Rampe
1 inch piece Cinnamon
1 medium Onion (sliced)
3 tbs Vegetable oil
2 tbs Tomato paste or sauce
1 cup thick Coconut milk or fresh milk

Method:
Wash chicken pieces and drain water thoroughly.
Add lemon juice, crushed garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, curry powder and red chili.
Coat the chicken pieces well with the spices and set aside for about 1/2 hour.
Heat the oil in a saucepan.
Fry curry leaves and rampe.
Add onions and fry until soft.
Add the chicken pieces and stir for sometime.
Add cinnamon, lemon grass, cardamom, cloves and stir until well mixed.
Add tomato paste (or sauce) and stir until all pieces are well coated (If the curry is too dry and tend to stick to the saucepan, add 1-2 cups water & stir).
Close with a lid and allow the chicken to cook on slow heat.
Add the thick coconut milk (or fresh milk) and bring to a boil without covering.
Taste and adjust salt.


Tuna Cutlets Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 x 170 g flaked light Tuna
1 small Onion chopped
1 green Chili chopped
1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
1 piece Rampe (Pandamus) (optional)
1 piece Cinnamon
1/2 inch Ginger root (crushed)
4 cloves Garlic (crushed)
2 tbs Vegetable oil
Salt, Pepper and Cardamom powder (optional) to taste.
4 medium Potatoes boiled, skinned and cut into pieces.

THE COATING:
Two Eggs (beaten)
Toasted bread crumbs (grounded)
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Drain the two cans of tuna.
Heat the oil in a skillet (frying pan).
Add crushed ginger and garlic, stir, add onions, green chili, curry leaves, Rampe and cinnamon.
Cook until the onions are tender light brown.
Add drained tuna, stir all together.
Allow to cook for a few minutes.
Add the drained tuna liquid.
Stir and allow to cook until the liquid is dry.
Add salt, pepper and cardamom powder.
Stir until well mixed.
Turn off heat.
Add potatoes and mix well.
Seperate the mix and shape in to small (2 inch diameter) balls or thick discs.
Coat the balls with beaten egg and then with the toasted bread crumbs.
Deep fry in hot oil until light brown.
Cutlets (made in to thick disc shapes) are great with rice & curry.

Hot Butter Cuttlefish (Sri Lankan Style)

Ok, so many of you might be like huh, wots that?

This dish is SO famous in Sri Lanka. Its similar to calamari, deep fried in a crispy batter. Its sweet because of the buttery taste, spicy because of the chillies and so deliciously bad for you.

Ingredients:

500g cuttlefish
50g Corn flour
1 Egg
Salt and pepper to taste
15g Spring onion
15g Capsicum
3tbsp Chilli paste 3tbsp
1 tsp of sugar
100g Butter or margarine
Oil to fry

Method:
1. Drain the cuttlefish well and swab them if needed.
2. Season the cuttle fish with salt, pepper and egg then mix the flour in it or coat it with flour.
3. Heat oil until clear and drop the cuttlefish into it one by one.
4. Fry till cooked and its light brown (like KFC)
5. Heat a wok. add the butter or margarine when it is fully melted add the spring onion and the capsicum.
6. Stir it twice then add the sugar, ajino moto, chili paste and in goes the flowery cuttlefish.
7. Leave it for 2 more minutes for the fried cuttle fish to absorb the hot butter and get ready to be gobbled by mouth watering species.