Belacan Miding

Fancy a dish of paku miding or miding fern? I tell you, it is absolutely delicious! So far, I have not encountered it in the markets in Kuala Lumpur but it is available in Kuching, Sarawak. If you were to ask me to choose between Belacan Kangkong and Belacan Miding, I will go for the latter anytime. The fern is very crunchy to the bite and tastes wonderful with belacan (shrimp paste).

Miding is quite expensive nowadays. The small bunch above costs RM2.00 per bunch but that is not all. Only the tip of the fern is used in cooking and the rests and discarded due to its tough fibrous feel. On the other hand, the tip is tender yet crunchy to the bite.

Back in the years when I used to stay in Kuching, I’ve seen some women gathering the miding fern from thick bushes along the road side. It is no mean feat as much needs to be gathered. The tip of the fern will wilt during cooking and thus, the volume of the dish will decrease. I suppose many people like this dish because it is probably pesticide free. Nature’s good stuff!

And here is my recipe for Belacan Miding

Ingredients

About 500 grammes of paku miding (pluck tips only like what is shown above, discard the rest)

About 20 to 40 grammes of belacan
5 cloves garlic
5 cloves shallots
About 30 grammes of dried prawns (pre-soaked for 15 minutes)
5 red chillies (remove seed if you prefer it less spicy)
3 tablespoons warm water
2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil (palm oil preferred)

Method

Pound or blend belacan, garlic, shallots, dried prawns and red chillies.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok and saute belacan mix till aromatic (approximately 1 minute). Add another tablespoon of oil if belacan mix too dry or begin to burn.

Add miding to belacan mix and stir-fry briskly. Add water and continue stir frying till water almost dried up (but miding is moist).

Dish up and serve with steamed white rice.

source:http://www.deliciousasianfood.com

Belacan Asparagus

When I put up my recipe for Stir-Fried Asparagus with Prawns, some of my favourite readers commented about their preference for Belacan Asparagus instead. Most, if not all, of these readers come from Malaysia / Singapore and belacan (prawn paste) is a hometown favourite. It is rather pungent (or can be offensive) in smell and you either like it or your don’t. However, I don’t really like the Belacan Asparagus sold in restaurants because I find that most of the time, they use far too much oil and thus render the dish rather unhealthy looking. Cooking for myself, however, is different as I could control the use of oil myself.

Recently, I saw an episode of Jamie Oliver’s and he taught a simple way of plucking the asparagus so that only the tender parts are used and the rests discarded for being too fibrous. All you need to do is to hold each end of the asparagus with your thumb and fingers and bend the middle part upwards. The stress of the bending will result in the asparagus breaking at a point which separates the tender part from the more fibrous part. Very easy but can waste quite a bit. So, having separated the tender parts, I go through the others and see if I could still salvage any other parts which are not so fibrous

This is my recipe for Belacan Asparagus

Ingredients

• 200 grammes of asparagus (choose tender parts as per technique above)
• 10 grammes or approximately 2 teaspoons of belacan
• 30 grammes of dried prawns (pre-soaked for 15 minutes)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 5 cloves shallots
• 3 to 5 pieces red chilli (remove seeds)
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 4 tablespoons palm oil

Method

Pound or blend belacan, pre-soaked dried prawns, garlic, shallots and chilli till it forms a paste.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok on medium heat and saute belacan mix till aromatic / light brown. Add some oil if it starts to burn before becoming brown. Note that the belacan mix absorbs oil like tissue paper and therefore, you should try not to use too much oil or your asparagus will be found swimming in oil later.

Increase heat to high and add asparagus. Stir well and sprinkle warm water occasionally (you don’t have to use all the water above) to keep it moist and to let the dish cook in a little steam (but not soaking in water). Cook for about 2 minutes. No seasoning is required as the belacan mix is quite salty. You might want to sprinkle some sugar if you find it too salty.

source:http://www.deliciousasianfood.com

Bee Hoon with Chicken Frankfurters and Chinese Mushrooms

Yesterday, we were rummaging through our kitchen to find out what we have which we could cook for lunch. In most Chinese homes, dried chinese mushrooms and dried prawns / shrimps are commonly found. So are bee hoon (rice vermicelli).

I have previously shared with you how to cook Bee Hoon with Stewed Pork Ribs. But yesterday, we have no stewed pork ribs in stock at home. What we have is chicken frankfurters. So, I decided to mix and match and am quite pleased with the outcome.

This is what I did :-

Ingredients

• 250 grammes bee hoon (pre-soaked till soft and drained)
• 4 pieces chicken frankfurters (cut diagonally – or whichever way you like)
• 5 pieces dried chinese mushrooms (pre-soaked in one bowl (about 250 ml) of water till soft and slivered. Remove stalk)
• 50 grammes dried prawns (pre-soaked in about 150 ml of water)
• 100 grammes chinese mustard (more if you like)
• 2 eggs
• 4 bulbs garlic (minced)
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil (preferably palm oil)
• 3 pieces Lime

From top (clockwise): Beehoon, frankfurters, eggs, minced garlic,
chinese mustard, dried prawns and dried mushrooms

Seasoning

• 3 teaspoons light soya sauce or to taste
• Dash of white pepper powder to taste

Method

Heat oil in wok. Fry the chinese mushrooms for about 30 seconds and remove from oil.

Proceed to fry the dried prawns for 30 seconds. Add garlic followed by the frankfurters and eggs. Stir-fry till eggs are done and add back the chinese mushrooms.

Add bee hoon and stir fry for about 3 minutes, gradually adding water which was used to soak the mushrooms and dried prawns a little at a time to keep the bee hoon moist. Add seasoning followed by chinese mustard.

Continue stir-frying till chinese mustard and bee hoon is cooked.

Serve with a squeeze of lime.

This recipe serves 3 to 4 persons

source:http://www.deliciousasianfood.com

Bak Kut Teh

Lately I have been quite fond of eating Bak Kut Teh, a herbal soup with pork parts (predominantly ribs). Bak Kut Teh is transliterated to the Hokkien / Eng Choon dialect as “Pork Rib Tea”. All these while, I would buy Bak Kut Teh from a nearby stall and have it for dinner with steaming white rice. That was until the thought of cooking it myself came about when I popped by at a Chinese herbal medicine shop. I wanted to see if I could replicate it at home.

Ready made Bak Kut Teh herb sachet are commonly found in supermarkets and grocery shops and the different brands available can be quite mind-boggling. We bought ours called the Chat Lin Brand, manufactured in Semenyih, Malaysia. So, last Saturday morning, I went to get myself about 700 grammes of pork ribs and loin and the experiment began.

The recipe was simple and easy to follow, though I did add the seasoning to my personal taste. I also added some Goji berries to sweeten the soup. The end result was a satisfying dinner for the family and I am looking forward to cooking the other sachet soon. There are 2 sachets of about 8 grammes each in a packet.

This is the Bak Kut Teh recipe

Ingredients

• 700 grammes pork ribs and loin (ribs chopped into bite pieces, loin kept whole)
• 5 rice bowls of water

Herbs (in sachet weighing 8 grammes as described on the packing)

• Cordyceps 5%
• Giyrrhizae 5%
• Pepper 10%
• Angelica sinensis 30%
• Radix Rehmanmae 10%
• Fructus anisi stellati 10%
• Ramulus cinnamon 10%
• Codonopsis pilosuiae 10%
• Radix astragali 10%

Seasoning

• 10 grammes goji berries (kei chee)
• 2 whole garlic (skin removed)
• 1 tablespoon dark soya sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons light soya sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 heaped teaspoon sugar
• 3 teaspoons salt or to taste
• MSG
• White pepper powder to taste

Method

Bring a pot of water to boil and add pork ribs and loin. Allow to boil for 3 minutes. Remove ribs and loin and pour away the water.

Bring to boil the 5 rice bowls of water. Add ribs and loin, herbs and seasoning and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Remove loin and set aside whilst leaving the rest of the ingredients to stew in medium low heat for 30 minutes.

Cut loin into small pieces and put it back into the soup just before serving.

Dish up and serve hot with steaming white or oily rice (rice mixed with fried shallots).

You might also want to add button / shiitake mushrooms and / or fried puffy beancurd (tau pok) into the soup during the cooking process and serve together with yau char kueh (fried cruellers).

source:http://www.deliciousasianfood.com

Bak Chang Recipe

We’ve finally reached the third installment in the Bak Chang series and today, I will feature our family Bak Chang recipe. Now, this recipe is definitely not for beginners as a considerable amount of skill and estimation on ingredients are required. You see, with home-cooked food, we don’t measure ingredients using measuring spoons or cups. Rather, it’s a lot to do with estimation or what the locals call “agak-agak” (“estimate”). So, this recipe is a guide for you so that you roughly know what ingredients go into the Bak Chang and how is is prepared and cooked.

This Bak Chang recipe is quite close to the Nyonya Bak Chang especially in the taste department. It is probably world’s apart from Cantonese Bak Chang which tends to be a bit on the saltish side and contains bigger chunks of ingredients. Those who are fond of eating saltish Bak Changs might find this not suited to their palate because our Bak Chang recipe is sweet and saltish with a slight emphasis on the former. Nevertheless, for those who are craving for a slightly sweetish Bak Chang, this might be the recipe you are looking for. In this recipe, we are looking at making approximately 25 Bak Changs depending on how you wrap the Bak Chang.

This is our family recipe for Bak Chang

Ingredients

• 1 kg glutinous rice (washed, pre-soaked for 4 to 6 hours and drained)
• 1 kg pork (lean pork from the fore thigh, cut into small cubes not more than 1cm sides)
• 300 grammes dried winter melon (cut into small cubes not more than 1cm sides)
• 250 grammes dried prawns (rinsed and pounded)
• 15 pieces chinese dried mushroom (pre-soaked till soft and cut into cubes not more than 1 cm sides)
• 8 shallots (sliced thinly)
• 1 bulb garlic (chopped)
• 60 pieces Bak Chang bamboo leaves (washed thoroughly and boiled for 15 minutes to soften)
• 5 tablespoons cooking oil
• 10 pieces pandan leaves (knotted)
• Reed or Banana stem reed to tie

Seasoning

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons dark soya sauce
• 4 tablespoons coriander powder (ketumbar)
• Liberal dashes of white pepper powder

Method
Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil in wok and fry 1/2 the garlic and shallots till aromatic. Add glutinous rice, 1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce, 1 tablespoon of ketumbar and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper powder. Stir well. Remove and leave to cool.

Heat up 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in wok and fry the other half of garlic and shallots till aromatic. Add dried prawns and stir till aromatic. Next, add mushrooms and pork. Stir well followed by adding of winter melon and seasoning to taste. Stir till even and pork is cooked. Set aside to cool.

Wrap the Bak Changs. Bring to boil a large pot of water and throw in the pandan leaves. Boil Bak Chang for 3 hours completely submerged and covered. For best results, use a charcoal stove. For quick cooking, use a pressure cooker and boil for approximately 45 minutes on pressure and 15 minutes standing.

source:http://www.deliciousasianfood.com

Baked Beans with Minced Pork and Potatoes

Baked Beans is not Asian. I don’t think it is. But I’ve seen some of the rice shops here in Kuala Lumpur which serve baked beans cooked with other ingredients. This is just one of the many variants and it adds a bit of difference to the usual baked beans.

You can eat this with white rice or even fried rice. I suppose you can actually eat it on its own but you may have to adjust the taste (especially the tomato) so that the taste is not too overpowering

This is my recipe for Baked Beans with Minced Pork and Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 tin of baked beans
• 50 grammes pork mince
• 1 medium sized potato (diced)
• 1 medium sized onion (chopped)
• 1/2 tin of water (use baked beans tin to measure)
• 2 tablespoons Cooking oil (palm oil)

Seasoning

• 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup
• a pinch of salt

Method

Heat oil in wok and fry potatoes till golden brown. Remove fried potatoes and set aside. Remove oil and leave just about 1 teaspoon of oil in the wok.

Fry the onions till aromatic. Add minced pork and stir fry till cooked. Add baked beans and return the fried potatoes into the wok. Stir well.

Add water and seasoning and bring to boil prior to serving.

Ayam Sioh (Chicken in Spicy Tamarind Sauce)

Ayam Sioh (Chicken in Spicy Tamarind Sauce) is a variant of Duck Sioh (Itik Sioh). This dish is essentially a sour and sweet based stew with a strong hint of tamarind juice (asam jawa) and ketumbar (coriander) spice. I have a feeling that this dish is a Baba-Nyonya Peranakan dish but I stand corrected. Anyway, I was introduced to this dish by my mother-in-law a couple of years back and took a liking to it due to its appetizing taste.

Thankfully, my lovely wife has inherited her mother’s recipe and over the weekend, decided to cook up this dish for Father’s Day lunch. We could not finish the dish as we used 1 whole chicken but we are not complaining because the longer this dish keeps, the tastier it gets. For better results, duck is preferred as the meat is “tougher” to withstand the marinate using tamarind juice. If you can’t find duck, try using “village / kampong” chicken or free-range chicken.

This is my mother-in-law / wife’s recipe for Ayam Sioh (Chicken in Spicy Tamarind Sauce)

Ingredients
1 whole chicken (approximately 1.5 to 2kgs, chopped into large pieces)

Marinade (blend together)

• 200 grammes shallots
• 3 tablespoons ketumbar (coriander) powder
• 225 grammes tamarind (asam jawa) mixed with 350 ml water (squeeze the juice and remove tamarind seeds)
• 10 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons dark soya sauce
• 1 heaped teaspoon white pepper powder

Method

Wash chicken pieces thoroughly. Marinade chicken overnight or for at least 10 hours.

Transfer chicken and marinate to heavy bottomed aluminium saucepan and boil for 20 minutes over a moderate heat.

Turn the chicken pieces, reduce heat to low and boil for another 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken is very tender.

source:http://www.deliciousasianfood.com

Asam Ikan Kembung

My sister loves asam (also spelt as assam) -based dishes, be it Asam Ikan Kembung (Tamarind Indian Mackerel) or Asam Laksa. In fact, mum said that my sister would most likely be drooling if she were to see this dish up on this site. My sister is currently residing in Singapore and on her trips back to Kuala Lumpur, she would usually cook this or ask mum to cook this.

There are two parts to cooking this dish. One is to prepare the chilli-based paste and the other, to cook the fish. For the chilli-based paste, you can actually prepare in advance and keep them in the fridge for future uses (which is what we usually do at home). Asam Ikan Kembung is sour, sweet and spicy in taste and is an excellent dish to whet the appetite. It goes well with plain steamed white rice. You can actually use other types of fish but Ikan Kembung tastes good here. A word of caution though. Take care when eating the fish as the bones might get to you.

This is mum’s recipe for Asam Ikan Kembung

Ingredients

4 pieces ikan kembung (cleaned and gutted)
1 large onion (sliced)
4 to 8 pieces ladies finger (whole or halved)
2 large tomatoes (quartered)
1 cup warm water
1 cup asam juice (soak 1 tablespoon of asam / tamarind paste in 1 1/2 cup water for 15 minutes, squeeze and then strain juice)
Corn starch (mix 1 teaspoon corn flour with 100 ml water)
Cooking oil (palm oil)

Chilli paste (pound / blend)

2 slices of tumeric (kunyit)
5 pieces of dried chilli (pre-soaked in hot water and remove seeds)
4 garlic
8 shallots

Seasoning

Salt and sugar to taste

Method

Pat dry the ikan kembung and shallow fry it till semi brown. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons palm oil in wok and saute chilli paste on medium heat till aromatic and beginning to brown. Add onions and continue frying for 30 seconds. Pour asam juice and warm water and bring to boil.

Once asam juice starts to boil, add ladies finger and tomatoes and allow to boil for 2 minutes. Add pre-fried fish and seasoning to taste. Allow fish to cook under boiling asam juice for at least 1 minute.

Before dishing out, stir in preferred amount of corn starch to thicken and smoothen the gravy to your liking. This dish is excellent if you garnish or top it with chopped chinese parsley.

source:http://www.deliciousasianfood.com

Abalone Appetiser with Chilli and Garlic

Abalone is a sought after food item for the Chinese community and it is prized for its claimed nutritional value. Scientists are still figuring out whether abalones are indeed high in nutrition but for me, unless you eat it everyday, eating it once a year won’t make a difference to your health. Abalones are probably one of the most expensive sea-produce and it is no wonder that some countries are actively cultivating them for the commercial market – Australia and Chile, to name a few.

There are many ways to cook abalone but the usual ways are in soup and braised with mushrooms. Some restaurants offer abalone yee-sang as well. Be prepared to pay a premium for those. For those at home, one of the most popular way of eating abalone is to make an appetiser out of it. Get a can of abalone, slice it thinly and garnish it with chilli and garlic.

This is my recipe for Abalone Appetiser with Chilli and Garlic

Ingredients

1 can of whole abalone (slice abalone thinly. Use the water in the can to boost up your chicken soup)

3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 red chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)
3 pieces calamansi / limau kastur

Method

Slice abalone thinly and arrange on a serving plate. Wrap with cling film and chill in fridge for 1 hour.

Before serving, sprinkle garlic and chilli over the abalone and squeeze the juice of calamansi over the abalone.

Cherry Coconut Chocolate Squares

(Makes about 54 squares)

In addition to the basic dough you will need:

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups flaked coconut

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, well drained and coarsely chopped

Line a 13"x9" baking pan with foil.

Stir cocoa powder into basic dough mixture. Press evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust looks dry.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, almond extract and baking powder until well blended. Stir in coconut and cherries. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until top just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Lift it out on to a cutting board using the foil ends and cut into 1 1/2" squares. Squares can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Coconut Pineapple Cookies

(Makes about 36)

In addition to the basic dough you will need:

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1/3 cup pineapple preserves (use raspberry or apricot if you prefer)

Add 1 cup of the flaked coconut to the basic dough mixture and mix well. Shape the dough into 1 1/2" balls and roll in the remaining coconut to coat them. Place the balls 1" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie with your fingertip.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookie is firm and the coconut is lightly toasted. When cooled, fill each hole in the center of the cookies with the preserves.

You can vary this basic dough to make a wide variety of Christmas cookie recipes. Add other flavorings like maple, ginger or cinnamon. Add chopped dried fruits like apricots or dates. Or bake them plain in holiday shapes and decorate with colored icing.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Here's hoping these quick and easy Christmas cookie recipes help keep the pressure off the cook.

Lasagna Recipe and Tips

Lasagna is a popular oven-baked pasta dish. The classic lasagna, if such a dish can be said to exist, is based on a meat and tomato ragu and a bechamel sauce. These are layered between sheets of pasta dough (two or three layers for a lasagna) in an oven dish, covered with cheese (usually parmesan or mozzarella) and baked in the oven for about half an hour.

Many lasagna variations exist. Vegetable lasagna, lasagna without bechamel, chicken lasagna, meatless cheese lasagna, lasagna without any sauce (just vegetables and/or meat) or even lasagna without the pasta.

When creating a lasagna, start with the main ingredient (ragu, vegetables, seafood, etc.), add a layer of bechamel, then one layer of pasta sheets and then the main ingredient again. Continue until the oven dish is full. End with a layer of pasta, spread some bechamel on top and sprinkle the cheese over it.

Some recipes call for the bechamel to be mixed through the ragu or tomato sauce, while others tell you to layer it between the pasta and the ragu. This seems to be based on personal preference and taste.

Besides sprinkling cheese on top of the lasagna, it's also a good idea to mix some through the bechamel sauce, to give the lasagna some cheese flavor throughout, instead of just on top. Turn the heat off under the bechamel sauce before adding the cheese, or the sauce will become rubbery.

When it comes to the pasta dough there is a choice between home-made pasta and store bought dried pasta. Since dried pasta is made with just water and flour and home made fresh pasta usually includes eggs, there is a distinct difference in flavour and texture. The main difference, however, comes from ease of use. Making pasta from scratch can be a lengthy process and takes some practice to get it right. Fresh pasta also needs to be precooked before assembling the lasagne. See the pasta page for a fresh pasta recipe.

Dried pasta is usually precooked, so it can be put in to the oven dish straight out of the packet.

In the US, pasta sheets generally have a curvy surface. Outside the US, they are almost always flat.

Here is a recipe for traditional lasagna. visit Good Cook Recipes.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 lbs Minced beef

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or crushed

1 can chopped plum tomatoes

10-15 basil leaves, chopped or torn (or 1 tsp dried basil)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

5 crushed black peppercorns (or to taste)

1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp sugar

One pack of lasagna sheets

1 1/2 pints Bechemel Sauce *

Finely grated parmesan

* Bechemel Sauce:

1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

Salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, as desired

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk together over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool nearly to room temperature.

Add hot milk and whisk to combine.

Add the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, and heat till just simmering.

If desired, you may bring the sauce to a boil; once the béchamel sauce has come to a boil, lower the heat to low and very slowly simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir it often with a whisk to avoid sticking to the bottom. Do not allow the sauce to brown. The longer the sauce is simmered, the smoother it becomes due to the cooking and swelling of the starch grains

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy base or non-stick pan over a medium-high heat. If the oil browns, turn the heat down.
Add the onion and fry until golden brown.

Increase heat to high and add the meat and garlic. Fry until brown. Minced/ground beef takes some time to cook well. Fry until there is little moisture left in the pan. If necessary, spoon out any excess fat.
Add the tomatoes, cover the pan and lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the bechemel sauce.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 f.

Mix the basil, oregano, salt & pepper in to the ragu.

Place a thin layer of ragu in the base of the ovenproof dish and cover with a single layer of pasta sheets. Spread a layer of bechemel sauce over the pasta. Repeat this until you run out of meat, making sure that you have enough bechemel sauce left to cover the top layer of pasta.

Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the top.

Place the dish in the oven on the top shelf and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling.

Lasagne Recipes

Here is a great recipe for lasagne that may or may not be the best you’ve ever tasted. Either way, it’s sure to be a hit every time you serve it up.

1 package lasagna noodles

1 1/2 jars thick spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 large onion, chopped

1 large container ricotta or small curd cottage cheese

2 cups parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 eggs

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

3 cups fancy parmesan or mild cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 pound Italian sausage, cooked and chopped

1 pound ground beef, cooked and chopped

2 cans mushroom slices

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the sausage and the beef together.

In a pan, sauté the peppers and onions in olive oil or butter until soft.

In another bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, pepper and parsley.

In a pot, cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Rinse noodles in cold water and drain.

In a large non-stick baking pan, pour in 2 cups of the spaghetti sauce. Add a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Add a thin layer of spaghetti sauce over the noodles.

Next, add a thin layer of the cottage cheese mixture, followed by layers of meat, onions and peppers, shredded cheese and mushrooms. (note: save enough shredded cheese for the very top).

Cover filling with the final layer of noodles. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on top of noodles, then sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top.
Place uncovered pan in the oven and bake until the top is a golden brown color and filling is bubbly.

=> Spinach Lasagne Recipes: Low Fat Spinach Vegetarian Lasagne Recipe

Whether you are a vegetarian or not, this low fat vegetable lasagne recipe is a healthy meal and you won’t even miss the meat.

3/4 pound lasagna noodles

1 pound low fat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups part skim milk mozzarella cheese, grated

1 (4 oz.) jar marinara sauce

1 tablespoon oregano

1 box frozen spinach, thawed, drained and finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 cup onions, chopped

Olive oil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a pan, sauté the onions in the olive oil until soft; drain.

In a bowl, combine the onions, cottage cheese, spinach, oregano and pepper.

Prepare lasagna noodles according to package direction; drain.

Oil a 9 x 13-inch pan and layer about 4 or 5 of the cooked noodles on the bottom.

Layer the spinach/cottage cheese mixture, sauce and mozzarella cheese over the noodles. Add the final layer of noodles on top and cover with remaining marinara sauce.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes.

Chicken Lasagne Recipes: Best Chicken Lasagne

If you’re looking for easy lasagne recipes with chicken, give this savory dish a try. It’s loaded with Italian seasonings and, of course, lots of cheese. This chicken lasagne will truly become one of your favorites.

2 (uncooked) whole chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 cups mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (28 oz) can Italian tomatoes with basil

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons fresh Romano cheese, grated

2 cups grated carrots

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 oz. lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1/2 cup fresh Romano cheese, grated

6 to 8 slices Mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute the chicken, mushrooms, garlic, onion, oregano, basil and thyme in the olive oil until the chicken turns white in color. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, the 3 tablespoons Romano cheese, carrots, salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

Oil a 9 x 13 baking dish and layer half of the lasagna noodles on the bottom. Next, add layers of the tomato sauce, chicken mixture, remaining Romano cheese, mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes. Cheese should be melted on top.

Seafood Lasagne Recipe: Royal Seafood Lasagne

If you’ve been searching for the perfect recipe for seafood lasagne, then look no further. Your quest has ended. This lasagna dish is brimming with shrimp, crab, five kinds of cheeses and lots of creamy flavor.

1 (8 oz.) package lasagna noodles, cooked

2 tablespoons butter

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons basil

2 (10-3/4 oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 pound shrimp, cleaned and cooked

1 pound crab meat (can substitute imitation crab)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a pan, sauté the onions in the butter.

Combine the cream cheese, cottage cheese, egg and basil together in a bowl. Mix in the onion, and salt and pepper to taste.

Layer cooked noodles on bottom of 9 x 13 baking pan. Layer with cottage cheese mixture, and pour the entire can of mushroom soup over the cottage cheese mixture.

In another bowl, mix together the milk, wine, shrimp and crab meat. Spread 1/2 of the seafood mixture over the soup layer. Repeat the layers of noodles, cottage cheese and seafood. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on the Cheddar and Mozzarella cheeses. Return to oven and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese on top is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Mexican Lasagne Recipe: Ranchero Mexican Lasagne

Here’s a great tasting mashed potato recipe featuring tangy mustard. You can experiment and try it with honey mustard and any other flavored mustard you enjoy.

1 pound turkey meat

1/2 package taco seasoning

1 tablespoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon hot sauce

3 tablespoons salsa

1 can Mexican chili beans, undrained

1 can stewed tomatoes with chilies

1 teaspoon parsley

4 tortilla shells

Mexican cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, reserve 1/4 cup of the chili beans including the juice; set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the turkey meat. Add in the taco seasoning, cumin, red pepper, hot sauce, salsa, remaining chili beans and stewed tomatoes.

In the bottom of a baking dish, lay one tortilla shell on bottom of dish. Add a portion of the cheese on top, and layer the meat next. Add another tortilla shell and repeat the layering of ingredients.

Sprinkle what’s left of the shredded cheese over layers and add the reserved chili beans. Sprinkle parsley on top. Gently press the mixture down into the pan.

Beware of Fast Food Veggie Burgers

While I applaud the efforts of the fast food industry in attempting to provide vegetarian and more healthful alternatives to the crap they already sell on a daily basis, I have to point out shortcomings and defects in their attempts to provide vegetarian and healthy alternatives that sabotage or defeat the whole purpose of attempting to provide healthier and meat-less (vegetarian) products.

Is health or the wellbeing of the American people the main objective in selling vegetarian products or is it financial gain? Unfortunately for all the people who want to believe the fast food industry is coming around and becoming more health conscious, the fast food industry’s objective in selling vegetarian items such as the veggie burger is strictly commercial, at least right now or presently.

Why? Because until the vegetarian items are completely lacking animal byproducts, the promoting and selling of vegetarian items is to deceive fast food consumers into believing that they have a choice in eating meatless or healthier items and products, which just isn’t true

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Take McDonald’s, Burger King, and the Habit for example. They all sell a veggie burger. But that veggie burger patty (if the patty itself is not entirely vegetable based) is cooked in ANIMAL LARD number one, and number two, cooked on the same grill that meat (DEAD ANIMAL FLESH) is cooked on.

All meat contains parasites and worms, and the ugliest ones that you could ever see with the human eyes. I know this personally as I have done the personal research (and have been presented research from Doctah B, Bro. Tarik, and others in the Los Angeles area) and have the nauseating photographs to show you. TOTALLY GROSS!

Some people thought they were avoiding animal byproducts by only eating French fries from the fast food restaurant, not knowing that most fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s were cooking their fries in vegetable oil mixed with beef juice. That’s right! McDonald’s add beef juice to its cooking oil for flavor, in addition to spraying the fires with a sugar solution, freezing them and shipping them off to McDonald’s franchises, and after cooking the sugar sprayed fries in beef juice (oil), sodium chloride (salt) is added and you have one of the most addictive products in America – McDonald’s French fries!

Take Subway for example, a place I used to eat at often in my early vegan days and while I was in the Corporate world. I had my places to eat at and menus to choose from. However, eating out was the exception to the rule and not the rule, as I normally prepared my own lunch. But Subway was right across the street from my place of employment and the food was much lighter than the stuff sold at the more general fast food establishments.

However, as I became more spiritual and health conscious, it started to bother me eating at establishments that served vegetarian products alongside with meat or flesh products. I used to order the Veggie Max sub sandwich from Subway. But the soy based Veggie Max patty was in a container or bin next to bacon (pig’s back end). This was not a far distance for the microscopic parasites and worms to crawl from the bacon bin to the veggie patty bin. Also, the veggie patty was cut in two with the same knife used to cut meat with. You see, it really doesn’t matter if you’re health conscious or vegan or vegetarian and the person preparing your food (or product) is not. To the fast food employee, they’re just preparing another product totally oblivious to strict food sanitary preparation ethics and principles.

Another thing to point out about the Subway Veggie Max sub or sandwich is that it was (1) cooked (actually, RADIATED) in a microwave oven, (2) cooked or radiated in the same microwave oven as meat or flesh products (pork worms can’t be killed in heat because of a heat-resistant shell that forms around the worm in very high temperatures, and the only substance that can penetrate or break open that shell is the hydrochloric acid of the human body).

One day while out on the town with my children here in Glendale, California, my daughter wanted some noodles or Chow Mein and I think some vegetable-fried rice or egg rolls from Panda Express, I really can’t remember exactly the items, but I do remember asking the Panda Express employee to prepare an exclusively vegetarian plate – NO MEAT OR MEAT-BYPRODUCTS WHATSOEVER, i.e. vegetable-fried rice, Chow Mein, steamed vegetables, and to my utter shock, the employee honestly told me that NOTHING at Panda Express was vegetarian. Absolutely nothing! I said, “Even the vegetable-fried rice, noodles, and steamed vegetables?” He said “That’s right, Sir!” With a discombobulated look on my face, the employee then told me that Panda Express pours chicken juice on all of its items. So now I’m thinking about the time when time compelled me to get something on the go and I got what I thought was completely vegetarian from Panda Express.

And of course, I’ve heard similar accounts from my good Vegan comrades as well. So if you want to know a thing, ask. And by all means, don’t presume.

If you think those vegetarian corn dogs at Hot Dog On-A-Stick are vegetarian, think again! They contain egg whites (in the bread batter).

I also used to eat the vegetarian burritos at Baha Fresh Mexican Grill. I started getting headaches. Why? White flour tortillas cooked on the same grill as the slaughtered flesh (meat). So what did I do to cure the problem? I Left those burritos alone and I have been fine ever since.

I remember my early vegan days of 1997 and 1998 and thinking I was not eating any animal parts or byproducts whatsoever only to discover that those black beans I was eating from El Pollo Loco contained chunks of chicken. One day while eating these black beans, I noticed a strange substance in them. When I picked the substance up and closely analyzed it, I was disgusted to be holding a piece of chicken in my hand. Boy did I feel nauseated at this revelation and discovery. I had to let those beans go no matter how good they tasted. I refuse to let taste disillusion me into a state of poor health and into an early grave.

Vegetarian does not mean vegan! Vegan means “completely animal free, including dairy products and eggs,” whereas vegetarian means “meat-free but not dairy/eggs-free.” A vegetarian burrito at a fast food restaurant may contain cheese and sour cream (congealed cow snot or mucus). Some veggie burger patties may also contain cheese. Cheese is from an animal so how can it be animal free? While many health conscious folks and would be vegans enjoy Boca Burgers, some brands contain egg whites and cheese, so start reading the ingredient list on the box.

So although McDonald’s now has a veggie burger, just know that its veggie burger is cooked in beef oil, in addition to the fact that the veggie burger is centered between two white, refined grain buns, conventionally grown iceberg lettuce (the worst lettuce to eat and the most nutritionally deficient plant to eat) and genetically engineered tomatoes (if you want lettuce and tomatoes on your veggie burger). The same thing can be said of Burger King and the Habit’s veggie burgers.

However, if you’re on the road or out and about in society and must make a choice to eat something that is not so insalubrious, it would be a good idea to experience around with a major fast food chain’s veggie burger rather than give in to the traditional crap that has been served over the years and that you always bought and ate. However, it is better (and wiser) to seek out vegan restaurants before you actually hit the town (if you’re a health conscious individual or vegan).

I know how difficult it is to be vegan (at first) and to not have vegan eateries so easily and readily accessible, especially if you live in a small town. I’m thankful that the Greater Los Angeles area and Southern California in general is loaded with vegan spots around town to get something wholesome and nutritious to eat. The same is true for other big cities around the nation such as New York City, Atlanta, San Diego, San Francisco-Oakland Bay area, etc.

Veggie Burger Recipe

You don't necessarily have to be a vegan to enjoy a great veggie burger recipe. They can be enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians and just about anyone that loves a healthy lunch or dinner. You can buy the expensive ones you find in the frozen food section at your local health food store that cost about a dollar each, or you can easily make them yourself in your own kitchen.

Veggie burgers usually contain a mixture of vegetables and other ingredients such as onions, lentils, black beans, walnuts, almonds, rice, sprouts, mushrooms, oats and other ingredients such as dairy, eggs, cheese that are not considered vegan.

Those that are vegan would not eat any of these burgers that contain any kind of animal products. Of course the main thing about burgers made this way is that they don't contain any meat of any kind, thus being nearly devoid of cholesterol and being healthier than the burgers you'll find at your local fast food restaurant.

Even those of you who enjoy burgers the traditional way with bacon, cheese, mayo and of course enjoy all the meat in a burger, will enjoy a good veggie burger. There are even some of these kind of burgers that if you didn't know what you were eating, you probably couldn't tell the difference. Yes, they are that good and by the time you add the usual condiments such as organic ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado or guacamole and other healthy topping, the only difference is a greasy piece of meat.

So what is a good veggie burger recipe and how do you make them? The biggest trouble people might think you'd have in making one of these burgers is getting them to stick together. That problem is solved by drying out the preformed burger patty slightly in a dehydrator such as the Excalibur Dehydrator. The specific ingredients in our burgers are sprouted wheat berries, celery, onions, carrots, walnuts, sunflower seeds, Bragg's Amino Acids, and herbamare added as a seasoning.

We then take all those ingredients and mix them up in our Vita-Mix blender, take the finally mixture and form them into patties and place them on teflon sheets (so they don't stick) that come with your dehydrator. You then dehydrate the patties for a few hours at a couple different temperatures, flip them over once in the process and when they're done, you have delicious and healthy burgers. The recipe we use makes 6 patties and we store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh, because they are not totally dehydrated.

To heat them up again you can let them sit out before you eat them for a couple of hours and then put them back in the dehydrator for a few minutes. This is essentially a raw food recipe so we don't usually heat them up again in a skillet or griddle because food cooked over 118 degrees is no longer considered raw. Above that temperature, life giving food enzymes begin to be destroyed and the nutrition is cooked right out of food.

Once you eat delicious burgers that aren't really cooked and are made of only vegetables and other healthy natural ingredients, you may never go back to the traditional hamburger. And if you already enjoy raw and mostly raw food then this veggie burger recipe can be just another healthy recipe to add to your already healthy lifestyle.

Simple and Unique Salad Recipes

Sometimes a nice chilled salad is just the thing to hit the spot. Other times, a salad makes a great compliment to a main dish. Whether you just want a quick snack or a unique course for a meal to impress friends or family, you should start by opening your mind to new recipes. What better way to impress your friends' tummies (and your own!) than to serve something different? To get you started, this article has four recipes for simple yet unique salads that you are bound to love!

Spinach and Cranberry Salad

1 lb spinach, rinsed and torn into pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp minced onion
3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1/4 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Heat a small skillet at a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the almonds and cook until toasted. Allow the almonds to cool. In a large bowl, mix together the spinach, cranberries, and almonds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, white wine vinegar, vegetable oil, cider vinegar, poppy seeds, onion, paprika, and sesame seeds. Just before serving, toss the spinach in the dressing mixture.

Broccoli Salad with a Twist

1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
3 tbsp mayonnaise
4 bacon strips, cooked and chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/3 cup mandarin oranges

In a large bowl mix together the broccoli, bacon, onion, and cheese. In a separate bowl, combine the mayo, sugar, and vinegar-mix well. Pour the sauce over the broccoli mixture and mix together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour. Just before serving, sprinkle chilled mandarin oranges over the top.

Pear and Pecan Salad

1 bag Italian salad greens
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 pear (peeled, cored and diced)
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing

Toss all ingredients (except for dressing) in a bowl. When ready to serve, drizzle a bit of Italian dressing over the mixture and toss well to ensure an even coating. Garnish with lemon or mandarin oranges.

Pistachio Fruit Salad

1 cup reduced-fat whipped topping
1 package instant sugar-free pistachio pudding mix
1 can fruit cocktail, drained
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup maraschino cherries
handful of mini marshmallows

Drain the pineapple juice into a large bowl. Whisk in the pudding mix for about two minutes. Add pineapple, oranges, fruit cocktail, cherries, and marshmallows. Carefully fold in the whipped topping to keep it fluffy. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

Children Love Cooking Banana Bread

If you want to drag your children away from the TV or computer then try cooking with them. They will love making the mixture and even better having the leftovers.

Obviously it can be a challenge to let your little ones help in your kitchen as the mess will probably be quite impressive but they'll enjoy the process and love the end product.

Your children will appreciate that food doesn't come in packets and takes time and effort to prepare. They will also learn patience and concentration as you help them prepare their masterpiece.

Banana bread is a great way of sneaking fruit into your kids diet as it has been popular for decades as it is not only good for them but tastes delicious as well.

The best thing about cooking at home is the delicious smells you generate as the food cooks, especially with banana bread. The first cut into the fresh baked loaf releases a truly delightful aroma.

The best bananas to use are already very ripe and soft. Often they skins will no longer be a vibrant yellow but much browner. You may have been temped to throw them away but for this recipe they are perfect. So you're also making the pennies go further.

You don't need many ingredients for banana bread, which is why it's great for children to do. You require

1 or 2 bananas, 4 oz flour, 2 eggs, vanilla essence, 1oz butter and a pinch of salt.

Put them into the bowl one by one and mix until smooth. Enjoy the messy process with your children. Pour the mixture into baking tins and cook for around 40 mins at 220 deg C. Then tip out and enjoy.

The Simply Delicious Banana Bread Recipe

There are a number of mouth-watering and easy to make recipes that people can have during breakfast. One such popular dish is the banana bread recipe whose origin lies in Australia. It is quite tasty and does not need much time to prepare. Both children and adults can enjoy this dish during breakfast.

It is also quite popular in continents like North America. But the residents of Australia are really fond of it. The benefit of the dish is that it is filling as well as appetizing. As a matter of fact, the bread used in North America is thicker than the bread used in Australia.

Not everybody knows the right way to prepare banana bread recipe. It has an irresistible sweet taste and flavor that make people crave for it. It can be eaten with coffee or tea.

The banana bread recipe became popular in USA in the early part of the 20th century and it was found in various recipe books in that time. Baking at home gained popularity in the 1960s and people tried making banana bread at home instead of going to the cafes.

It is quite easy to make banana bread at home. The main ingredient to make this recipe is banana. This needs to be mashed properly. The bread making process also necessitates fermentation of the main ingredient. Earlier yeast was used in making bread but for banana bread recipe baking soda is used. The thick batter that will turn into the bread should be kept in a thick rectangular pan. Generally egg is used for making banana bread but the vegetarian people can use yogurt or tofu.

At first a person needs to mix sugar with butter until the mixture becomes fluffy and light. Thereafter, the mashed bananas need to be added to the mix and stirred so that all the ingredients blend well together. Next, one needs to add the vanilla extract. The eggs need to be beaten in a separate bowl. When it is done, the egg needs to be added to the banana batter. The dry ingredients in the recipe need to be added to the egg mixed batter thereafter.

One need a 9x5 inch sized rectangular baking tray for baking the banana batter properly. The baking tray needs to be well greased with butter. The optimum baking temperature for the banana bread recipe is 350F. One should ideally bake the batter for one hour and should check the progress of baking in the time with the help of a toothpick. After the baking is done one can keep the banana bread on a wire rack. This will make it cool down. The bread can then be sliced with knife and served with tea.

The Secret to Russian Potato Bread

I have previously written several articles on breads and bread making and would like to present an article on making Russian Potato Bread from my collection of bread recipes. If you do a search on the internet you will quickly discover that very little is provided in the area of this exquisite bread. So without do here it is and I hope you enjoy it.

1/2 pound of boiled potatoes

2/3 cup of the potato water

3 cups of bread flour

1 cup of whole wheat flour

2 tbsp. of butter

2 tsp. of salt

1/4 ounce of yeast

If you were making this recipes in the strictest sense of the original Russian Potatoes Bread you would find that it calls for you to cool the mixture and then sieve the potatoes prior to adding the potato water to it, however welcome to the modern world. It is faster and simpler to use your blender to do the complete chopping etc.

You can proof the yeast with a bit of the potato water that you have created above. Add a little bit of sugar to it in order to kick start the yeast. When it begins to bubble up toss all the remaining ingredients into the blender and mix them together. Next place it into an oiled container and cover the mixture. Place it in your oven for 90 minutes to allow it to rise.

Should you prefer not to use the whole wheat flour the rising should occur in approximately 60 minutes. You can then place it in the blender and knead it for seven minutes. At the end of the kneading process divide the dough into two. Let it rise for one more hour and then bake it at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. It will make two loaves of bread.

Traditionally you could make one large round rustic style loaf. Then sprinkle a bit of cornmeal on an oven stone and complete the second rising right in the oven pulling your mixture out of your oven only long enough to obtain the proper oven temperature and then bake it at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Sweet Butter Chicken Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1kg (2lb) chicken fillets, cubed
- 60 g (2 oz.) butter
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 cardamom pods, bruised
- 350 g (12 oz.) pureed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 g/2 oz.) yoghurt
- 1/2 cup (125ml/4 fl oz.) cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat a wok until it becomes very hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl it to coat. Stir-fry all the chicken in two small batches, for about 4 minutes for each batch, or until it they become brown. Remove them from the wok.

2. Reduce the heat and add all the butter to the wok. Add the spices and stir-fry them for about 1 minute or so, or until they become fragrant. Add all the chicken and coat in the spices.

3. Add the tomato and the sugar and the simmer, stirring, for about 15 minutes, or until all the chicken is just tender and all the sauce is thick. Add the yoghurt, the cream and the juice, and warm through for about 5 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and the cardamom pods just before serving.

Nutrition Value:

- Protein 32 g;
- Fat 27 g;
- Carbohydrate 7.5 g;
- Dietary Fibre 1 g;
- Cholesterol 122mg;
- Energy 1669kJ (397 cal)