your chicken needs some thyme

Baked Chicken with Thyme

serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 lbs chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup white wine

kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 small bunch of fresh thyme

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F (180C or 170C Fan).

2. In a 9" square casserole dish, add chicken, cornstarch and white wine. Season with with salt and pepper. Toss and mix well until the marinade evenly coats each piece of chicken.

3. Roll each piece of chicken around a sprig of thyme. You can place any remaining sprigs on top or in-between the chicken.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes until fully cooked. Serve with rice, pasta, potatoes and/or other vegetable sides of your choice, using the juices from the pan as a sauce.

waffles

Homemade Waffles
serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

2. Add in remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will appear lumpy, do not overmix. Let batter rest for 10-15 minutes before using.

3. Preheat your waffle iron. Pour in batter into the waffle iron grids, careful to not overfill. Close the lid and cook for 2 to 2.5 minutes. Flip waffle iron over and cook for another 2 to 2.5 minutes.

4. Turn waffle iron right side up, open the lid and carefully transfer your waffle with a spatula to a wire rack. Continue making waffles with remaining batter. Serve hot with your favourite toppings.

VARIATION - Taiyaki

1. If you have the fish shaped molds for your waffle iron, you can use this recipe to make Taiyaki.

2. Just fill the molds halfway with batter, then place 1-2 tbsp of your desired filling (eg. custard, chocolate, nutella, red bean paste) in the centre. Cover the filling with batter and gently add more batter to fill in the side of the fish molds.

3. Close the waffle iron lid and cook each side for 2.25 to 2.5 minutes. Serve hot.

cantonese brisket 炆牛筋

炆牛筋 (meng ngau lam)

serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

3.5 lbs rough flank (navel)/brisket/shank OR 2.5 lbs chuck roast and 1 lbs tendon

kosher salt

2 tbsp avocado oil

2" piece of ginger, sliced

Braising liquid:

1 cup Shaoxing wine

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

3 pieces star anise

3 bay leaves

1 tbsp sugar

Vegetables:

2-3 carrots, slice 1" bias

1 small daikon radish, cut into 1" pieces (optional)

chopped green onion for garnish

METHOD:

1. Parboil Meat - place beef/tendon into a medium pot, add some salt, cover with water and bring to a rolling boil. This process removes impurities and scum, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Discard water. 

2. In a glass measure, make the braising liquid by combining all ingredients. Set aside.

3. Cut beef into 2" pieces and leave the tendon whole. Set aside.

4. Instant Pot - turn on Sauté setting and add oil and ginger. Stir fry for 2-3 mins until fragrant and crisp. Add braising liquid and tendon. Stir to combine, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cancel Sauté setting.

5. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on High for 15 mins. Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. Once the Instant Pot is safe to open (pressure is fully released when the float valve has dropped back into the lid), transfer tendon to a cutting board and cut into 1" pieces. Add tendon and beef into the pot, stir to combine.

6. Replace the lid, seal the Instant Pot, cook on High for another 15 mins. Allow it to release pressure naturally. Once it is safe to open, check that everything is fork tender. Transfer beef and tendon to a large casserole dish, cover and set aside. 

7. Defat the remaining sauce and then strain it into a regular medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, add carrots and daikon (if using) and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Thicken the sauce with a corn starch slurry if desired.

8. Pour vegetables and sauce over beef and tendon. Garnish with green onion and serve with rice and other side dishes.

easy bolognese

Cannelloni

serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

For the Bolognese:

2 lbs (1 kg) combination ground beef, pork or Italian sausage

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1/2 head of garlic, minced

3/4 cup cream

1 can (15 oz) chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish

kosher salt and pepper

For the cannelloni:

1 package dry pre-cooked cannelloni

1 large jar (700g, 25 oz) passata or marinara sauce

4 buffalo mozzarella, sliced

1 cup shredded parmesan

METHOD:

1. Make the Bolognese. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium. Add onion and cook for 5-10 minutes until softened. Season all the meat and add the ground pork/sausage and brown for 5-10 minutes. Add ground beef and cook for another 5 minutes until all the meat has browned. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Pour in cream while stirring. Cook for another 2 minutes, continuously stirring, until bubbly and the meat has absorbed most of the cream. Add tomatoes, making sure to scrape up any bits that are sticking to the bottom of the pot. Stir in basil and parsley. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often. Adjust seasoning as desired. Turn off heat and set aside until ready to use.

3. Assemble the cannelloni. Preheat oven to 350F (180C or 170C Fan).

4. In a 9 x 13" casserole dish, pour a third of the passata. Stand up a cannelloni tube vertically on the sauce and use a small spoon to carefully stuff each with the Bolognese. It's okay if some of the meat falls into the dish. Line up each stuffed cannelloni on the sauce in an even layer.

5. Pour the remaining passata over the cannelloni. Top with mozzarella slices and then sprinkle parmesan all over. Bake for 50-55 minutes until bubbly. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before serving.

TIP - Bolognese can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Bolognese can also be used to make lasagna, ravioli or Spaghetti Bolognese.

salmon spinach pasta

Salmon Spinach Lasagna

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 skinless salmon fillets

1 bag prewashed baby spinach

6 sheets dry pre-cooked lasagna

2 buffalo mozzarella, sliced

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

For the béchamel:
2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup cream

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

zest and juice of 1 lemon

METHOD:

1. Make the béchamel. In a small pot over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil, continually whisking. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Stir in cream, pepper, lemon zest and juice. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Pre-cook the spinach in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. This should soften the leaves and reduce the volume by half. Set aside.

3. Preheat your oven to 350F (180C or 170C Fan) and assemble the lasagna.

4. In a 9" square x 3" deep casserole dish, ladle in 1/4 cup of the béchamel. Place 2 lasagna sheets on the bottom and then arrange the salmon fillets on top in one even layer. You may have to trim your fillets to make it fit. Lightly season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Spread half the mozzarella slices evenly over the salmon. Add another 2 lasagna sheets and ladle over another 1/4 cup of béchamel. Add cooked spinach and top with remaining mozzarella slices. Top with the final 2 lasagna sheets and pour the rest of the béchamel over top, making sure that the surface of the lasagna is covered with sauce. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and parmesan over top.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbly. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before serving.