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- Volcano Handmade Noodles
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video You can call it coincidence or simply great minds think alike. I just purchased Hexa's Volcano Chili Powder and I got a request for this recipe on the same day! My kids have been wanting me to face this hot and spicy challenge. Perhaps they love watching me suffer. Anyway, if you know me well enuff, you will know that I prefer my noodles fresh and my pasta dried. And if you are asking why I prefer dried pasta over fresh ones, that will be another topic for another day. Hexa Szechaun Mala Rempah & Hexa Volcano Chili Powder Hmmm... Perhaps that's the same reason why I prefer my noodles freshly made. Fresh noodles tend to have that chewy al dente or QQ (Chinese terms) texture which I love; the same goes for the dried pasta preference. Anyway, if you do not wanna go thru' the hassle of making your own noodles, you can use dried noodles, ramen noodles or even dried pasta. I'm not gonna judge. This is in fact your bowl of Volcano Noodles. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Handmade Noodles: Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 250g Sea Salt, 1/2 TSP Baking Soda, 1/2 TSP Water, 80g High Quality Olive Oil, For Greasing Sauce: Chili Flakes / Szechaun Mala Rempah Preferably Hexa, 10g Sesame Seeds, 1 TSP Black Sesame Seeds, 1 TSP Mustard / Grapeseed / Peanut Oil, 20g Ginger Crushed, 1/2" Garlic Crushed, 1 Clove Veg Stock Homemade, 50g Light Soy Sauce, 2 TBSP Toasted Sesame Oil, 1 TBSP Sesame Paste / Tahini, 1 TBSP Granulated Sugar, Pinch Sea Salt, Pinch Mushroom Powder, Pinch Garlic Powder, Pinch Black Vinegar, 1 TBSP Volcano Chili Powder Preferably Hexa, 1 TBSP Adjust To Preference To Serve: Nori Flakes, Pinch Soy Eggs Homemade, 2 Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Sauce Pot Directions: Please visit my "Soy Eggs" for the recipe. Prepare the noodles. Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. While mixing, add in the water gradually until it comes into a dough. Knead until everything is fully incorporated. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. *If it is too dry, add more water, 1 TSP at a time. If it is too wet, add more flour, 1 TSP at a time.* Grease the dough with olive oil. Cover it with cling film and set aside for 2 hrs. While the dough is resting, prepare the sauce. Mix together the chili flakes or rempah (if using) and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl and set it aside. In a skillet or pot over medium heat, add oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the garlic and ginger. Saute until aromatic. Remove from heat until the garlic and ginger start to brown. Drain into the chili mixture and discard the residue. Mix to combine well. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix until well combined. Taste and adjust for seasonings and spiciness. Cooking the noodles. Divide the dough into 2. Cover the remaining dough while working with 1. Roll the dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured working surface. Continue rolling until the dough is translucent. Flour the rolled dough generously with flour to prevent it from sticking. Fold the dough into an envelope width. Slice as evenly as you can into stripes. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect. Dust the noodles with more flour and set aside while working on the remaining dough. Heat up a pot of water over medium heat. Once bubbles start to form, drop in a handful of noodles. Cook until the noodles float to the surface. Cook for another min, drain and transfer onto serving bowls. Repeat the process for the remaining noodles. Divide the sauce equally over the bowls of noodles. Garnish with some nori flakes. Toss and mix until the noodles are coated with the sauce. Serve immediately with soy eggs. Challenge accepted... Done and I'm dying of spiciness... Recipe Video:
- Soy Eggs
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I have been wanting to do this but I just kept pushing it back until today. Finally, I decided to post this recipe of mine. Again, I am not saying that my version is the best out there nor is my version perfect in any way. This is how I love my soy eggs. The trick is to taste the soy sauce that you are using. I am using a 1:3 soy to water ratio; the brand of my soy sauce is Kikoman (if that helps). If it is too salty, use more water. If it is not salt enuff, add more soy. It is best to kickstart with a 1:1 ratio of 30g each and adjust it from there. Another trick is not to oversoak the eggs. 12 to 16 hrs is an ideal period of time. You can reuse the soy sauce mixture for any future soy eggs or even use it for another brand new recipe (which I'm gonna show you soon). You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Ingredients: (Make 6 eggs) Eggs, 6 Water, 270g Soy Sauce, 90g Rice Vinegar, 2 TBSP Demerara Sugar, 1 TBSP Ginger Powder, 1 TSP Garlic Powder, 1 TSP Shichimi Togarashi / Szechaun Mala Rempah Preferably Hexa, 1 TSP Volcano Chili Powder Preferably Hexa, Pinch Adjust To Preference Equipment: Sauce Pot Directions: In a sauce pot, bring 1 inch of water to a slow gentle boil. Carefully, using a pair of tongs, place the eggs into the water. Cover and let the eggs cook for exactly 6 mins. Remove from heat and immediately place the eggs under running water. Add ice if needed, to stop the eggs from cooking further. Carefully peel the shells from the eggs. Transfer the eggs into a sterilized jar and set them aside. In a large bowl, mix together, water, soy, vinegar, sugar and all the spices, until everything is well combined. *Taste your soy, if it is too salty or not salty enuff, adjust the ratio between soy and water. I am using a 1:3 soy to water ratio.* Transfer the water-soy mixture into the jar. If the mixture is not enuff to fully submerge the eggs, add more water. Cut out a piece of parchment paper into a circle and place it on top of the egg mixture to act as a cartouche. Cover the jar and chill in the fridge at least overnight or for 12 to 16 hrs. Remove the eggs from the soy mixture and store them in an airtight container. The eggs can be kept chilled in the fridge for 3 days. You can freeze for up to 3 months and reuse the soy mixture for future soy eggs or recipe adventures. The eggs can be stored chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container... Eggcellent... Recipe Video:
- Leftover Kulich Soufflé
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This is what happens when I was messing around in the kitchen. Experimenting to be exact. After that 1st mouthful, I told myself that I have to share this little experiment. It wouldn't be neat to hide this lovely recipe from the world. I still have some leftover Easter bread and I still remember what I did with my leftover Xmas cake in January. Anyway, this is largely inspired by 2 of my favorite chefs: Massimo Bottura and Jacques Pépin. What inspirations, you may ask. Well, it is Massimo's Better Than Panettone Soufflé and Jacques' Maman's Cheese Soufflé. And the result is this lazy yet lovely soufflé. Jacques took all the hassle out of making a soufflé, while Massimo transform the leftover Panettone into another entirely new and excellent dish. So I thought why not combine the 2 into 1? This is how my leftover Kulich soufflé is born. I hope you will give this recipe a try. Ingredients: Inspired by Massimo Bottura & Jacques Pépin (Serve 2) Leftover Kulich Homemade / Any Easter Bread / Stale Bread Preferably Brioche or Challah, 150g High Quality White Chocolate Preferably Valrhona or Callebaut, 25g Unsalted Butter, 15g Eggs, 3 Sea Salt, Pinch Granulated Sugar, 50g Cornstarch, 1 TBSP Fresh Lemon Zest, 1/2 Lemon Limoncello, 2 TBSP Equipment: Ramekins Oven Food Processor Hand / Stand Mixer Double Boiler Directions: Please visit my "Kulich" page for the recipe. Preheat oven to 100 degree celsius or 210 fahrenheit. Coarsely dice the leftover bread and transfer it onto a baking tray. Wack into the oven and bake for about 1 hr or until the bread is dry and crispy. Turn the temperature up to 180 degree celsius or 355 fahrenheit. Transfer to a food processor and blitz until crumbs form. Set aside until ready to use. Melt white chocolate and butter on a double boiler. Remove from heat and set it aside. Whip the eggs with a hand or stand mixer until tripled in volume. Add in the salt and sugar. Continue whipping until the color turns pale yellowish. Sieve in the cornstarch. Fold in the chocolate mixture. Followed by the bread crumbs. Lastly, fold in lemon zest and limoncello until everything is fully incorporated. Transfer onto ramekins and wack into the oven and bake for 9 to 12 mins. The sides should be browned, the center should be molten and wobbly. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Just right out of the oven. It will rise just a little and will deflate once it cools... You have to give this a try... Recipe Video:
- Apple Brown Betty
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I found out about this by accident. I was browsing thru' the internet for ways to make use of leftover or stale bread, and this Brown Betty caught my attention. It is somewhat like Apple Crisp or Cobbler. I thought to myself, "I'm in!" without any hesitation, as I had all the ingredients on hand. Just out of the oven... A Brown Betty is a traditional American dessert made from fruits and sweetened crumbs. The dish was first mentioned in print in 1864; a recipe from 1877 uses apple sauce and cracker crumbs. Apple Brown Betty was one of the favorite desserts of Ronald and Nancy Reagan in the White House! Taken from Wiki. A yummilicious mess... This is another fantastic way to make use of any leftover Easter bread or stale bread and some sad fruits hiding at the back of a fridge. In closing, this is a hearty dessert, especially during the cold holiday season. So, save this recipe! Ingredients: (Make one 9" Apple Brown Betty; Serve 12) Leftover Kulich Homemade / Any Easter Bread / Stale Bread Preferably Brioche or Challah Coarsely Diced, About 2 Loaves Granny Smith Apples Peeled Cored Coarsely Diced, About 500g Red Gala Apples / Any Red Apples Cored Coarsely Diced, About 500g Or Pears Preferably Bosc Or A Mixture of Fresh Berries Fresh Orange Zest, 1 Orange Fresh Orange Juice, 1 Orange Light Muscovado Sugar, 75g Adjust To Preference Sea Salt, Pinch Cookie Spice Blend Homemade, 2 TSP Or Pumpkin Spice Blend Homemade Calvados / Brandy / Cointreau / Spiced Rum, 2 TBSP Apricot Jam, 2 TBSP Butter Coarsely Diced, 50g + More For Greasing Equipment: 9" Round Cake Pan / Pastry Ring / 8" Square Baking Dish Oven Directions: Please visit my "Cookie Spice Blend" page for the recipe. Please visit my "Kulich" page for the recipe. Crumble the leftover or stale bread into a large bowl and set aside. *If your stale bread is too hard to crumble by hand, you can use a food processor and pulse it a few times. Try not to overdo it, or you will end up with bread crumbs.* In a large mixing bowl, mix together the 2 types of apples, orange zest, juice, sugar, salt, cookie spice, brandy and apricot jam until well combined. Taste and adjust for sweetness with sugar. Preheat oven to 190 degree celsius or 375 Fahrenheit. Lightly grease the baking pan with butter. Sprinkle and distribute the crumbled bread onto the pan. Followed by the apple mixture. Press it down gently to compact. Repeat the steps, stacking crumbled bread and apple mixture. The last layer should be the crumbled bread. Drizzle any leftover juice (from the apple mixture) over the Brown Betty. Sprinkle and distribute the diced butter over the top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Wack into the oven and bake for 45 mins. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 12 mins or until it is crispy golden brown. Serve immediately with some ice cream, sour cream or any leftover Pashka. I served my Brown Betty with leftover Pashka... Mama Mia... Another fantastic way to make use of leftover / stale bread... Recipe Video:
- Leftover Kulich Frangipane Pudding
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I didn't know that I have some leftover frozen frangipane hiding at the back of my freezer. It has been about 4 months! I am quite surprised that it has not gone bad. I have some leftover Kulich, so, 1 + 1 = this pudding. If you do not have any leftover frangipane, fret not, I got you covered. All the ingredients, measurements and directions are written down below. If you do not have any leftover Kulich, you can use any Easter bread. And if you don't have any of those, you can also use any stale bread; broiche would be a wonderful substitute. As for the fruit, any stone fruit will do the trick. I am using plums, you can use peaches, cherries, apricots, nectarines or maybe even apples. Glaze the baked pudding with some apricot-orange mixture and you will have a wonderful leftover dessert. Ingredients: (Make one 8" pudding) Frangipane: Unsalted Butter Softened, 125g Granulated Sugar, 125g High Quality Almond Meal, 125g Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 50g Sea Salt, Pinch Eggs, 2 Fresh Orange Zest, 1/2 Orange Cookie Spice Blend Homemade, 1/2 TSP Pudding: Leftover Kulich Homemade / Any Easter Bread / Stale Bread Preferably Brioche or Challah Coarsely Diced, A Handful Plums Corsely Sliced, 2 Less or More Apricot Jam, 1 TBSP Fresh Orange Zest, 1/2 Orange Fresh Orange Juice, 1 TBSP Slivered Almonds, For Garnishing Equipment: 8" Spring-Form Cake Pan Hand / Stand Mixer Oven Directions: Please visit my "Cookie Spice Blend" page for the recipe. Please visit my "Kulich" page for the recipe. Prepare the frangipane. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy with a hand or stand mixer. It should resemble a mayo consistency. Add in the sugar and continue creaming until well combined. Followed by the almond meal, flour and salt. Add in the egg and whip until fully incorporated. When you hold up the frangipane, it should hold its shape and not fall off from a spatula. Lastly, mix in orange zest and the cookie spice blend. Continue mixing until well combined. Prepare the pudding. Preheat oven to 170 degree celsius or 340 fahrenheit. Add just enuff leftover Kulich or stale bread to cover the bottom of the cake pan. Press down the bread gently. Try to compact it as much as humanly can, but do not over flatten it. Spoon and spread the frangipane evenly over the bread. Lay the sliced plums onto the frangipane, creating some patterns as you desired. Wack into the oven and bake for about 35 to 45 mins or until lightly golden brown. While the pudding is baking, mix together apricot jam, orange zest and juice in a small bowl until well combined. Once the pudding is out of the oven, immediately brush the apricot mixture onto the pudding. Set aside to cool down completely before unmolding onto a serving plate. When about to serve, brush the pudding 1 more time with the apricot mixture and garnish with a generous amount of slivered almonds. Slice and serve immediately. A wonderful way to make use of leftover bread... Mama Mia... Recipe Video:
- Ginger Tonic
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I was scrolling thru' my TikTok and @AnnaInAsia popped up on my feed with her Ginger Shot recipe video. That inspired me to make this refreshing beverage. I added lemongrass to the mix and serve it with some sparkling water. The beverage base can be kept chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days. Every time you feel like hydrating yourself, fill a glass with the base, add some ice and sparkling water, and you will have a very refreshing and healthy cup of tonic (especially in this scorching hot weather). Cheers! Ingredients: Inspired by @AnnaInAsia (Serve 4) Ginger, 50g Lemongrass White Parts, 1 Turmeric, 50g Orange, 1 Lemon, 1 Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/4 Cup Sparkling Water, For Serving Ice Cubes, For Serving Equipment: Blender / Stick Blender Directions: Corsely slice the ingredients. Transfer to a blender along with some water to get the blender going. Blitz until smooth in a blender. Strain onto a sieve lined with some cheesecloth. Squeeze out as much juice as humanly can. Transfer the strained juice in a sterilized jar or an airtight container. Add in the apple cider vinegar. Give it a shake and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. It can be kept for up to 3 days. When about to serve, fill a serving glass with some ice cubes. Give the tonic a shake and fill the glass half way thru' with the tonic. Fill up the glass with some sparkling water. Serve immediately. Cheers! Refreshing... Recipe Video:
- Healthier Nasi Lemak
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Nasi Lemak is an iconic dish throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. There are literally thousands upon thousands of variations, from Nyonya Peranakan to Johor style to Singapore style to Medan style of Nasi Lemak. All have their own uniqueness. But today, I am making my grandma's recipe with a twist. A twist that is inspired by Chef Saúl Schwarz. When I saw his video popped up on my feed, I knew that I have to give his idea a try. Check out his Instagram and Tiktok, give him a follow while you are at it. My grandma's recipe is her usage of carbonated water and fresh coconut milk. She explained that carbonated water actually makes the rice lighter and fluffier. I know I couldn't get any fresh coconut in this modern age, so, if you have access, please use fresh coconut milk. So, what makes this a healthier version of Nasi Lemak? We all know that most of the ingredients are mostly deep fried, from the sambal ikan bilis to the chicken and fish. But in this recipe, the chicken is actually boiled with the marinade. I added some tips along the way in the directions down below. The tips are to prevent a disastrous mess in the kitchen. Be sure to read and understand before proceeding. Ingredients: (Serve 4) Marinade: Banana Leaves, 1 Large + More For Plating Dried Shrimps, 1 TBSP Dried Scallops, 1 TBSP Dried Anchovies, 1 TBSP Shallots Coarsely Chopped, 4 Red Onion Coarsely Chopped, 1 Garlic Coarsely Chopped, 3 Cloves Ginger Coarsely Chopped, 1" Sambal, 2 Heaped TBSP Adjust To Preference Pandan Leaves Tied Into Knot, 4 Lemongrass White Part Only Crushed, 1 Kecap Manis, 1 TBSP Tamarind Juice, 1 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Gula Melaka, Pinch Chicken: Chicken Breasts Skinless Boneless, 2 Large Baking Soda, 1 TSP Nasi Lemak: Star Anise, 1 Cloves, 3 Hexa Food's Cinnamon Stick, 1 High Quality Olive Oil, 1 TBSP + 1 TBSP Yellow Onion Finely Minced, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Gula Melaka, Pinch Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Ginger Finely Minced, 1/2" Pandan Leaves Tied Into Knot, 3 Lemongrass White Part Only Crushed, 1 Rice Preferably Basmati or Jasmine, 220g Carbonated Water, 200g Coconut Milk, 125g Garnishes: Pickled Cucumbers, Onions & Chilies, A Couple Each Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet Large Pot Blender 2 Large Mason Jars Rice Cooker Spice Grinder Directions: Please visit my "How To Make Sambal" page for the recipe. Please visit my "How To Pickle Almost Anything" page for the recipe. Prepare the marinade. Wash banana leaves thoroughly and pad them dry with a kitchen towel. Lightly toast the leaves over an open fire. Cut the leaves into strips, just wide enuff to slide into the 4 sides of the jars. Slide the leaves into the jars, covering 4 sides. Set aside. Add shrimps, scallops and anchovies into a bowl. Add just enuff water to submerge and steam on medium for 10 mins. While steaming, add shallots, onion, garlic and ginger into a blender. Add just enuff water to get the blender blitzing. Blitz until smooth. After 10 mins, drain and discard the liquid. Add the dried seafood into the blender. Blitz until well combined and smooth. Transfer this mixture into a skillet. Turn the heat up to medium. Add in sambal and stir to combine well. Add in pandan leaves, lemongrass, kecap manis and tamarind. Mix until well combined. Season with salt and gula melaka. Give it a final stir, remove from heat and set aside to cool down completely. Prepare the chicken. Dice the chicken breasts into 1" cubes and transfer them into a large bowl. Add in baking soda, massage, coating the chicken well. Set aside for 15 mins. After 15 mins, wash the chicken thoroughly under running water. Transfer into a large bowl. Add in the sambal marinade and massage onto the chicken, coating well. Transfer the chicken into the prepared mason jars, including any leftover marinade. Marinate chilled in the fridge overnight. The next day, prepare the rice. Toast star anise, cloves and Hexa Food's cinnamon in a skillet until aromatic. Transfer into a spice grinder and blitz until powder forms. Set aside. In the same skillet over medium heat, add 1 TBSP of olive oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the onion. Season with salt and gula melaka. Saute until lightly caramelized. Add in garlic, ginger, pandan leaves and lemongrass. Saute until aromatic. Deglaze with 1 TBSP of olive oil. Remove from heat and set aside. Wash rice under running water and drain. Repeat the washing process about 5 times or until the water is clear. Drain and add in all the onion mixture, including the pandan leaves and lemongrass. Add in the carbonated water and coconut milk. Season with salt and give it a stir to combine well. Cook in a rice cooker as per the manufacturer's instructions. While the rice is cooking, cook the marinated chicken. Lay kitchen towel in a large pot. *Make sure the towel sits inside the pot and not overhanging as it may catch fire during the cooking process.* Add in the jars of marinated chicken. Fill the pot with water, leaving the jars about 1" above water. *This will allow enuff air to circulate within the jars and prevent the jars from exploding.* Bring the water up to a rolling boil. Boil for 15 to 20 mins. Start the timer only when the water is boiling. *Use a large enuff pot to accommodate the water and jars, or the water will overflow and cause a huge mess.* Remove the jars from heat and carefully unlid. Transfer into a large bowl. The rice would've been cooked too. Fluff the rice. Lay some banana leaves onto serving plates. Spoon the rice onto the leaves. Add the chicken and some of the sauce over the rice. Garnish with some pickling veg and chilies. Serve immediately. Recipe Video:
- Sambal Breakfast Cups
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: For as long as I can remember when we don't have any food on the table, I would just make sandwiches outta sambal and mayo. That will be my go-to breakfast or brunch or lunch. The more I grow older, the more I cook, bake, experiment and discover. And this is how I elevate from a simple sambal-mayo sandwich into something special. I think you have probably seen this in a fancy eatery which they use pastry instead of bread. Or maybe in a YouTube video? I hate bragging and taking credits, but this is one of the 1st recipes which I had posted back in 2012. I didn't know that it will explode into something viral (same as my black forest jar cake). Either way, it is fun re-vamping some old recipes. Every step is nostalgia. I will be revamping more and more old recipes in the future. Pls stay tuned. In the meantime, let's get started with the recipe. Ingredients: (Serve 3) Sesame Oil, For Brushing Sandwich Bread, 8 Sambal Homemade, 1/2 TBSP Adjust To Preference Kewpie Mayo, 1 TBSP Grapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, 1 TBSP Turkey Bacon, 6 Slices Gula Melaka Syrup / Maple Syrup, For Brushing Eggs, 6 Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Dried Parsley, Pinch Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet Oven Muffin Tin Directions: Please visit my "How To Make Sambal" page for the recipe. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius or 375 fahrenheit. Brush muffin tin with sesame oil. Trim the crusts from the bread. Roll the bread using a rolling pin and slice it into halves. Push 2 slices of bread onto the sides of each muffin mold, making sure the bread sits fully. Plug the center hole with a smaller slice of bread, which is why we need 8 slices of bread. In a small bowl, mix sambal and mayo until well combined. Spread the sambal mixture into the bread cups. *If you need more sambal-mayo mixture, use the same ratio.* In a skillet over medium heat, add in oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the turkey bacon slices. Once the edges start to crisp, flip and cook for another 30 secs. *We only wanna sear the bacon until the edges are crisp brown. They will finish cooking in the oven.* Remove from heat and transfer onto a plate. Brush the bacon with gula melaka syrup, on both sides. Place the bacon slices into the bread slices, overhanging, at the center, just where the bread ends meet. Crack an egg into a cup or bowl. Scoop out the yolk with a spoon and drop it gently into the cups, on top of the bacon. Fill the cups with egg white. Repeat the process for the remaining eggs. *I find that doing it this way will reduce the mess, as the bread cups may be overflowing with egg whites and cause a huge mess.* Wack into the oven and bake for 10 to 15 mins, or until the egg whites are set but still jiggly. Remove from oven, season with salt, pepper and garnish with parsley. Carefully unmold and transfer onto serving plates. Serve immediately. Yolk explosion... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:
- Spaghetti Al Pesto
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Pesto is a love or hate affair. It is whether you love the aromatic greens or you straight-out hated it. To be honest, I dislike pesto. Maybe I had some bad ones or perhaps, the greens are too much for me to handle. Somehow over the years, it started to grow on me. Partly, I started to step into the kitchen and cook or bake more which had led me to this endeavor. As far as I can recall, when I said I had some bad pesto, I mean that the pesto isn't even green in color! That's how bad it was. Anyway, I am sure there are thousands upon thousands of pesto recipes online; there's the famous traditional method by SeriousEats whereby the pesto is made in a pestle and mortar. There's also a modern-day technique well explained by the wonderful Helen Rennie. Today, I am using the modern-day method. Let's save the traditional way of making pesto for another day. I am also not using any basil nor pine nuts. I am using what I have in my pantry; which are parsley and stale bread. You can of cos use any aromatic herbs or nuts as desired. For extra complexities, you can use a combination of herbs or nuts. The possibilities are pretty vast. Stale bread crumbs remind me of where I came from. I didn't have much growing up; my grandma would visit bakeries and asked for those unwanted bread ends or trimmings. She would blitz them into bread crumbs. That was pretty much our dinner already, and if any of us complained, we would literally go hungry. Anyway, I hope you will give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Pesto: Stale Bread, 30g Parsley, 30g Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 TSP Garlic, 1 Clove Parmigiano Reggiano, 8g High Quality Olive Oil, 26g + More For Storing Unsalted Butter Softened, 14g Sea Salt, Pinch Pasta: Spaghetti / Any Pasta Of Your Choice, 100g Hot Water, 400g Sea Salt, Pinch Chili Flakes, Pinch Dried Lavender Preferably Organic, Pinch Sambal Hijau, 1 TBSP Adjust To Preference Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Food Processor Directions: Please visit my "How To Make Sambal Hijau" page for the recipe. Prepare the pesto. Toast stale bread in a toaster or oven until crisp-toasted. Transfer into food processer and blitz into crumbs. We only need 15g of bread crumbs. Keep the remaining 15g chilled in the fridge until ready to use. With 15g of bread crumbs still in the food processer, add in parsley. Blitz until the parsley has broken down. Add in the rest of the ingredients and continue blitzing until everything is fully incorporated. *Scrape down the sides for even blitzing.* *I prefer my pesto with some texture, but if you prefer a smooth pesto, add a bit of water to blitz until smooth and pass the pesto thru a sieve.* Transfer into a sterilized jar and add a layer of olive oil. Keep chilled in the fridge overnight before using. It can be kept chilled for up to 7 days. Prepare the pasta. In a skillet or pan over medium heat, add pasta & hot water. Season the water with some salt. Once the pasta water becomes starchy, add 2 TBSP of the pasta water into the pesto to loosen up. Give the pesto a quick stir. By the time the water has almost evaporate, the pasta should just be under al dente. As quickly as you can, add the pesto into the pasta. Add more pasta water into the jar to clean out all the nooks and crannies. Transfer into the pasta. Immediately, toss to combine well. Remove from heat and sprinkle chili flakes, lavender, the remaining bread crumbs and add in the sambal hijau. Give it a quicky toss. Transfer onto serving plates and serve immediately. Sambal hijau adds that zingy aftertaste... Always choose pasta that has rough surfaces like that... It will create more starchy pasta water, thus no extra cream nor cheese... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:
- Sambal Hijau Telur Goreng | Thrice Cooked Eggs
Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: Being of Indonesian heritage, I am quite embarrassed that I have never seen or heard of this chili sauce before; sambal hijau originated in Indonesia. Maybe perhaps, my grandma didn't introduce this sauce to the family. It is basically a concoction of green chilies, herbs and spices, somewhat like a spicy tangy pesto. With that thought in mind, this is proving quite a challenge to create recipes using sambal hijau as the main ingredient. Remember that I wanna create recipes with ingredients that you can find in your pantry? I had stepped outta that zone for this collaboration. Kinda like leveling up to intermediate stages. For starters, this is thrice cooked eggs in a spicy stew. This technique is quite iconic in Indonesian cuisine. Usually, the eggs are boiled, deep fried and cooked in spicy chili sauces. But, I find that the sauce somehow covered the beauty of the eggs. And that's how this dish was born. Please do not expect Instagrammic runny yolk porn tho as the eggs are cooked thrice. The stew is of cos fulla flavors with sambal hijau as the contrast. The fried boiled eggs are like sponges soaking up all the wonderful flavors from the stew. Enuff talking, let's get started with the recipe. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Eggs, 5 Grapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, For Deep Frying Ginger Finely Minced, 1/2" Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Bay Leaf, 1 Star Anise, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 1" Cloves, 3 Vegetable Stock Homemade, 1 Cup Tamarind Paste, 1 TBSP ShaoXing / HuaTiao Wine, 1 TBSP Light Soy Sauce, 1 TBSP Sambal Hijau Homemade, 1 Heaped TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Slurry, 2 TSP Cornstarch + 2 TSP Water Sesame Oil, 1 TBSP Coriander Finely Chopped, A Handful Equipment: Sauce Pot / Dutch Oven Egg Piercer (Optional) Directions: Please visit my "How To Make Vegetable Stock" page for the recipe. Please visit my "How To Make Sambal Hijau" page for the recipe. Pierce the bottom of the eggs with an egg piercer. Add 1 inch of water into a sauce pot. Bring it up to a slow simmer over low heat. Gently add the eggs into the simmering water. Cover and cook for 6 mins. Remove from heat and immediately drain and put it under running water. Add ice. Once cool enuff to handle, slowly peel the eggs. Pad the eggs dry. Add 2 inches of oil into the sauce pot or dutch oven *To check if the temperature is ready for deep frying, insert a wooden chopstick. If bubbles appear around the chopstick, the oil is ready.* Gently add in the eggs using a spider. Flip once bottom half is golden brown. Deep fry until golden brown on all sides. *You may have to do this in batches.* Remove from and transfer into a wire cooling rack or on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Carefully drain the oil, leaving just enuff for stir frying. Add in ginger and garlic. Saute until aromatic. Add in bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon and cloves. Stir fry until aromatic. Add in vegetable stock and deglaze. Add in tamarind, ShaoXing wine, soy sauce and @chillibellasg’s Sambal Hijau. Stir until well combined. Add in the fried eggs. Bring it up to a simmer. *Make sure the sauce pot is small enuff so that the eggs can submerge properly.* In a bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth to create a slurry. Add that slurry into the stew. Stir until well combined. Simmer for about 3 to 5 mins or until thickened. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt. Add in sesame oil and give it a final stir. Remove from heat. Transfer the eggs onto serving plates. Drain the stew and discard any residue. Pour the stew over the eggs. Garnish with some coriander. Serve immediately. Not your instagramic yolk tho... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:
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