Curried Chicken Salad

Here is the recipe this is based on: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/curried-chicken-salad-recipe/index.html

I essentially followed all of their directions except I used plain yoghurt instead of mayo (much healthier).

Place 4 chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Rub olive oil on the top of them, then sprinkle on salt and pepper. Bake at 350 F for ~40 minutes (until done). Remove, let cool. Slice into chunks 1 inch long (approx.).

Meanwhile, combine dressing in blender: 1 cup plain yoghurt, 1/3 cup white wine (optional since yoghurt is quite moist as is), 1/4 cup mango chutney (you can find it at Trader Joes), 3 Tbsp curry powder, and 1 tsp salt (optional). Blend until smooth.

Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add in chopped celery, raisins, and chopped green onions. Let refrigerate for a few hours so the flavors can get to know each other well. Then add some cashews and serve at room temp. Ta-da! Delisioso. :-)

We served this at our open house and it was quite a hit. Not spicy but very yummy.

Scallops with Summery Squash

Ok you guys, I am SUPER excited to share this recipe with you! Because it is super fancy and fine (and you'll feel like you're an amazing chef in some expensive restaurant) but really easy to make! Not on the extremely cheap end, though, as scallops aren't the cheapest thing in the world. BUT if you need a splurge or want to impress someone, this is the recipe. Also you can lessen the cost by serving another main dish so this one isn't the only sustenance in the meal.

And now for the recipe. :-)

Directions:

-Take a large handful (1/2 cup?) of fresh parsley and a handful (1/4 cup) of chives. Either chop

first or place straight in blender. Blend until a coarse paste. Add in 1/2 cup olive oil, blend again until it is a smooth dressing.

-In a large skillet, heat up olive oil. Then add in chopped zuccini and squash (chop them in

halves). We also added in a few chopped red bell peppers for color and taste. (have on medium heat) Once almost done, put 2 Tbsp of the dressing in the pan and mix. Also put a tad of thyme. Keep warm.

-In a medium sized skillet, heat up olive oil. Add in scallops. Cook for about 5 minutes on high heat, turning once. The top &bottom should be a golden brown. Don't overdo the cook-time or they will be chewy. Skin should turn slightly opaque. Once done, mix in 1 Tbsp of the dressing and stir the scallops around in it.

-On three or four plates, divide up the squash evenly, then place the scallops on top. Top the dishes with the remaining dressing, then top that with thin slices of fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese.

-Viola! C'est finis. Serve and enjoy.

We had a big loaf of bread on the side as well.

Very delicious! :-)

Thanks to Lindsey Chan who helped me make it. :-) Thanks also to Food & Wine annual cookbook 2007 (and Shawn McClain) whose recipe this is an adaptation of. Speaking of, I recommend this cookbook. Lots of ideas in there.

Bubur Ayam (chicken porridge)

This is reminiscent of my childhood...definitely one of the better breakfasts out there in the world. The recipe is pretty good too. For the chicken and broth, I used leftovers from my whole chicken (see the recipe a few days ago)--awesome.

Directions:

Make rice (boil in water: 2 parts water to 1 part rice). Once rice is done, add in chicken broth (~as much broth as water you already used). Simmer on low until it is ready (no separation of liquid from rice). Add salt and pepper.

Garnish with sliced spring onions, fried onions, pieces of shredded cooked chicken, and sambal (spicy sauce). Optional: add drops of soy sauce. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

This was really fun to make! Next time I'll buy a bigger squash so I get more soup out of it... :-)

Directions:

-Buy a butternut squash. Cut in quarters, cut/peel off skin. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Put in pan.

-Add in 3 cups (amount is negotiable) broth (I used chicken broth with the leftovers from my whole chicken I made a few days ago...awesome).

-Season with: thyme, cumin, curry powder, ginger, pinch of cloves (all this to taste, use your discretion on amounts)

-other options: sautee onions/shallots and garlic in the pot before adding in the other ingredients

Bring all this to a boil then simmer until squash is tender.

Let cool, then transfer to blender and whizz it up into a delightful soup. Eat with fresh baked bread (more on that later) and a nice fresh salad.

Many thanks to Lindsey Chan for bringing us this meal right after we had our baby, leading me to remember and be inspired to try it myself last night.

Whole Chicken

Okay this is my first: cooking a whole chicken. This recipe is from my aunt Joelle, who never measures anything, so the measurements are just guesses and should really be completely disregarded.

Make marinade:

-2 lemons (sliced and juiced)

-2 Tbsp Paprika

-1 Tbsp Olive Oil

-salt and pepper

Pour over the chicken. Put in a ziploc bag, place in refrigerator. After a few hours of marinating, cook in oven at 350 F for 90 minutes (time depends on the weight of the chicken....google it for precise time). Viola, c'est finis.

We had it for dinner tonight and it was pretty good! I think next time I will use more salt and pepper...definitely not an adventurous meal for the taste buds, but a yummy staple. And hey, now I've cooked a whole chicken!

Savory Lentils

Disclaimer: I haven't taken any pictures of this meal BUT it is one of my favorites! It is super easy, simple, delicious, and inexpensive. (Hard to beat that!!) The recipe is as follows:

Combine and simmer for 15 minutes:

1 cup lentils

2 1/4 cup of cold water

Add and simmer for another 30 minutes:

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

2 cups chopped tomatoes OR 1 can tomato sauce

Fry separately:

1 large onion (chopped) in butter

Combine. Add in grated cheese to taste (1/2-1 cup). Mix.

Serve over rice. Greens on the side (I recommend broccoli or green beans or bok choy or squash).

Nasi Goreng

This recipe is entirely from my dear old friend Kahlia. Check out her cooking blog HERE. I won't recount the recipe here, since I took it from her. But I shall simply say this: what an awesome new way to cook an egg! I never knew... :-)

Also, a few pictures...I used the veggies we had in our fridge (which happened to be zucchini, squash, and bok choy). Also I picked the green onions from my new balcony garden! YAY. :-)

having successfully chopped my veggies.....

cracked the egg in the middle of the wok.....

And, if you are feeling exceptionally brave, try adding a child into the mix. Makes any eating experience that much more exciting. :-)

Pasta With Mushrooms and Squash in Cream Sauce

*this meal was inspired by "Fusilli with gorgonzola and mushroom sauce" in Perfect Vegetarian.

Ingredients:

1 box/bag of rotini pasta

1 yellow squash

1 jar of alfredo sauce (or you can make it your

self with heavy cream and cheese)

2 cloves of chopped garlic

fresh mushrooms

olive oil

chicken (optional)

basil to garnish

-Cook the noodles, then drain out excess water.

-Meanwhile, cook the chicken (we fried it in oil, but you could easily barbeque it). Set aside.

-Using the same pan, pour in olive oil, then fry the squash. Next add in the mushrooms. Then add in the chopped garlic. Let the flavors get to know each other. Pour in the alfredo sauce, bring to a boil. Simmer for a little bit, then take off the heat.

-Add in the noodles, garnish with fresh chopped basil.

I thought it was delicious! :-) The squash was from my mom's garden and the basil from mine. :-) So fun.

Enjoy! Serves 4.

Inspiration

I am creating this blog as a means of an outlet. I am not much of a chef, but I have been inspired to start caring more about the food I eat and incorporating creativity into my meals. So I would like to document this process, if only for myself, but also for any others out there who get bored with their repertoire of dishes and would like some variety, some new ideas, some experimenting, some inspiration.