Basmati Rice with Grated Coconut

This is what I packed for this week's Vegan lunch with the girls - Basmati Rice with Grated Coconut. This dish was inspired by my recent success in utilising the rice cooker to make a one-pot Hainanese Chicken Rice. I thought about what else I could do using just the rice cooker. So, out of curiosity, I tried this dish today, using a method very similar to how I made the Chicken Rice.

2 Tbsp of oil in a heated rice cooker, followed closely by a cinnamon stick, one star anise and a clove (instead of the shallot-ginger-garlic combo). I replaced jasmine rice with basmati. It requires a pre-soak - don't skip this step as I did.

Again, I got soft fluffy rice and maintained the integrity of each grain whole. And that's it, you can stop right there and serve with any vegetable or meat dish.

Just for experimental purposes, I ventured further, adding roasted cashew nuts, grated coconut and raisins, gave it a quick fry over high heat on a non-stick pan, then laid them out on a pile of baby spinach.

My friends seemed to enjoy it more than I did - maybe they were just being polite, but then again, knowing these friends, they wouldn't have bothered to be cordial if it sucked. I did not go ga-ga over it because I felt I lost some moisture after the stir fry, and the grated coconut worked my jaws hard. I've been told recently it's good to work your jaws as food these days are way too processed and artificially tenderised.

Well, try it for yourself and let me know if you can help me improve this dish.

Check out my previous Vegan lunch contributions -

- My Pretty Ratatouille

- Sunshine Salad

Cooking Competition! Bacon-wrapped Chicken Leg Roulade

My nephew is joining a cooking competition in a tertiary institution and he asked me for some help. I thought, what a great way to bond with him, and readily agreed. First, I have to say, I admire his guts for even daring to sign up for the competition. I would have been frightened to death! I like to continue to believe that cooking need not come with stress.

The must-use ingredients are 3 boneless chicken legs, one 300g turkey breast and 4 eggs. Is this even normal to cook 2 poultry meats in one dish?? We cracked our heads to think of a recipe that would work. Together with his cooking partner, we spent the afternoon discussing recipes and deciding on cooking techniques that would yield a good dish in 90 minutes. Here's what we came up with - Bacon-wrapped Chicken Leg Roulade - a rather sophisticated dish to my mind.

We cut the turkey breast into thin long strips and butterflied the chicken legs, meaning, slicing it horizontally so it opens like a book to get a nice flat slab of meat. After marinating them with salt, pepper and freshly chopped rosemary, we barded it. We laid out bacon strips on a piece of aluminium foil, each overlapping the other, placed the butterflied chicken leg across at the bottom of the strips and of the foil, arranged the turkey strips on top of the legs, and basically rolled everything in, with the foil.

Next, we poached the rolled up meat for 25 minutes at medium high heat.

How gorgeous is this!

We chilled the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes, then took them out to pan-sear till brown and aromatic.

We cut up the rolls and were greeted with these moist, juicy, pink-blushies. I suggested they poach another 5 minutes during the competition so as not to risk an uncooked meat which would mean an immediate elimination.

The boys did a Baked Sunny with the eggs, and presented this to family members for food tasting. Every single one said it was delish, from fussy eaters to those not particularly fond of meat. The bacon gave a salty, smoky crunch and offered a good contrast to the soft, moist poached meat.

I was impressed with the boys' efforts and their enthusiasm and was delighted to have been a part of it. I call this a good day in the office for myself.

Don't know if they have cleared the Qualifying Round but they are already winners in my mind.

Duck FAQ Page

I started a new "Page" in this blog today called Duck FAQ. You can find it at the top banner of the Main Page - tell me if you don't!

It captures questions I've received from readers in the past months and my responses based on my own research and culinary experiments. 

Click here to read the Duck FAQ Page. Enjoy my new quack page!

Braised Purple Cabbage - No word in English rhymes with purple

I read on the internet that no word in English rhymes with purple. How can that be true? I had thought every word had its corresponding rhyming word/s. Circle? Riddle? Cradle? Title?

In the context of food, purple food is a good thing. The purple cabbage is a highly nutritious vegetable, full of Vitamins C and A. It can be eaten raw or added to a coleslaw - did I just form a culinary rhyme?

Here's another easy peasy recipe for you to try as a side dish. This 5-minute quick braise is one easy way to cook the cabbage if you don't like it raw.

Recipe adapted from Food Wishes


Ingredient (serves 2-3 as a side dish)
- 2 Tbsp duck fat or olive oil or butter
- Half a cabbage head
- 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (optional, and only if you like a tangy taste)
- 1 Tbsp honey or a handful of raisins, if you like it sweet (healthier replacement to sugar)
- 1 cup of stock or water
- Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. In a heated pan, add oil, then add shredded cabbage. Stir till cabbage is slightly soft.
2. Add liquids and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
3. Add raisins or honey if you like a sweeter taste.
4. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust.
5. Cook till it reaches the softness you like. Done.

Cut a V-shape to remove the core

Slice into ribbons. Size is not important, just make sure they
are of the same size so they cook evenly

Don't they look pretty?

I used duck fat, but you can use butter or olive oil

Raisin is a healthier replacement to sugar

Colour turns darker when cooked

Home-cured Gravlax (Smoked Salmon) on a Toasted Baguette

Curing salmon at home is now a monthly affair for me - I just can't get enough of this wonderful creation called gravlax. Today, I cubed it and served on a toasted baguette with creamy scrambled eggs and sprinkled fresh chopped dill all over. Cubed ones seem to taste much better than the usual strips that twirl into a flower.

This was how I cured it at home with no special tools whatsoever. A reputed cookbook that I had read cautioned that smoking salmon should be left only to professional chefs. What the heaven. Tell me, how elitist can you get and still breathe.