Foodarrific

I had some uncooked beef balls left over from our spaghetti lunch which I refrigerated overnight. The next day, I decided to try something different with them.

For these beef balls, I used very simple ingredients. Again I don’t really see the need to measure the ingredients.

• ground beef
• cornflour
• breadcrumbs
• paprika
• salt and pepper

Simply mix the ground beef with corn flour, breadcrumbs and seasoning of salt and pepper. Stir well till everything comes together. Then heap a spoonful onto my palm and roll them into balls. One of the easiest jobs in the world .

I keep the seasoning pretty basic because I want the beef balls to complement (not overpower) the spaghetti sauce, or whatever I pair them with.

In a pan with a fair amount of oil on high heat, I drop in the beef balls and let them fry for about 10 minutes before removing to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

To my surprise, the fried beef balls turned out to be even more of a hit than the spaghetti ones . Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I served them with fried egg over instant noodles for a quick, lazy lunch.

Filed under: FusionKid-friendlyMeatQuick & Easy CookingRecipes by chili queen - 1 Comment →

Vegetarian day is frequently a headache for me. The kids are not huge fans of veggie stir-fries which is standard fare for me on vegetarian days. These days, it’s been raining elephants and llamas, so going out to grab a veggie pizza or burger is out of the question.

If we stay home, I have to get creative and this recipe is one I concocted recently. Ta-da! Loaded potato slices.

These are very easy to make. Of course, it’s not as easy as swiping a bag of frozen french fries through a Honeywell Barcode Scanner, but these taste so good that my picky eaters called for an encore and I ended up making a second batch.

Here’s what you need:

• 4 large potatoes, skinned and sliced 1″ thick lengthwise
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 stalk cilantro, finely chopped
• 2-3 teaspoons lime juice
• pinch of salt
• grated mozzarella cheese

Yes, there’s quite a bit of cutting involved. Combine the tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a bowl. Leave aside for a while, then drain off excess juices. You don’t want that.

First I microwave the potato slices on high for about 2 minutes. Transfer them to a tray and space them out nicely. Spoon the tomato mixture onto each slice and top with grated mozzarella cheese.

Then I just pop the tray into my toaster oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese and potato edges brown slightly, and they’re ready to serve.

These loaded potato slices make a very yummy, very healthy meal as there’s no oil added and all the ingredients are fresh. With its vibrant colors, it’s also very presentable and you can serve it as an hor d’oeuvre. Try it, I’m sure you’re going to love it as much as we do .

Filed under: Appetizers & Hor d'oeuvresHealthy EatingKid-friendlyQuick & Easy CookingRecipesSnacks & DessertsVegetarianWestern by chili queen - 1 Comment →

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like fried chicken, have you? And this is just one easy way to whip up a really tasty chicken that I guarantee everyone will love.

As usual, I like to keep my recipes simple. Many times, I find that less is more, so I try not to crowd the taste with too many ingredients. For my five spice fried chicken, I used:

• a whole chicken, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon five-spice powder or less (I just estimate this so feel free to adjust)
• 1 cup flour
• a sprinkle of sugar
• salt and white pepper to taste

Season the defrosted chicken with the above ingredients for at least two hours or longer. Coat lightly with flour before frying.

In a wok, I heat up a 2-3 cups of cooking oil on high heat. To test if the oil is hot, place the tip of your chopsticks in the oil and if it bubbles, you’re set.

Place a few pieces of chicken in the oil. You want to be careful here! To prevent the hot oil from splashing, slide the pieces slowly down the side of the wok as opposed to throwing them in.

Reduce the heat to medium to allow the meat to cook through. Remove and drain when the chicken browns. Set on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

I know deep-frying conjures up images of diet pill reviews but hey, you’re not eating this every day, right? So it’s okay to go ahead and take a sniff of this five spice fried chicken because after you do, you won’t be able to resist chomping on a piece or two… or three.

It goes great with rice or potatoes as a regular meal. You can also use boneless chicken to make this a great finger food for parties, or to go with beer on football night. Go ahead and try this.

Filed under: AsianPoultryQuick & Easy CookingRecipes by chili queen - No Comments →

You know why I love the baguette? There are countless ways you can eat them and they taste good no matter how you make them. If you’re rushed for time, like I often am, even the simplest baguette toast toppings – with garlic butter spread, kaya (coconut jam) spread, or any kind of canned tuna or salmon spread – will make a great meal.

Or if I happen to have bacon sitting around in the fridge, then bacon and cheese baguette it is! I like to make these when the kids have their friends over because let’s face it, nobody can say no to crispy, sizzling bacon!

If I have time for something a little fancier, I will make pizza baguette, another hot favorite with the kids and their friends.

Or if I have leftover chicken curry or Thai green curry, I will simply heat it up and turn it into a quick curry dip for my baguette. Warms the stomach instantly !

Whenever I’m just plain tired or lazy to figure out what to cook, the baguette is my savior. It’s not like I have to cram my day into some stuffy classroom furniture to learn these recipes, I just make them up as I go along and surprise myself and my kids with the wierdest, tastiest baguette ideas.

Filed under: Breads & PastriesHealthy EatingKid-friendlyLunchbox IdeasQuick & Easy CookingTips & Ideas by chili queen - 1 Comment →

For me, eggs are a handy last-resort food. My regular menu doesn’t feature eggs a whole lot but it’s good to know them good old eggs are just sitting there on the door of my fridge, waiting for the time when I’m fresh out of creative cooking ideas and can’t think what else to cook, and then they just jump out at me.

Steamed eggs with pork is one of those down home egg dishes that requires very little prep and just a regular wok if you don’t have a steamer (no power exam tables or any fancy equipment).

The ingredients I use are:

• 3 medium or large eggs
• a small chunk of ground pork
• 1-2 sprigs of spring (green) onions and cilantro, chopped
• fried shallots for garnishing, optional

First I set up my wok, covered and half-filled with water to boil. While waiting for the water to boil, I break the eggs into a bowl, add a splash of water and beat. Then in goes the ground pork, mix well with the eggs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

I pour the pork and eggs into a stainless steel plate which is what I usually use for steaming. I lay a pair of chopsticks, slightly apart, across the center of my wok and use it as a support for my plate.

If you’re using a steamer, then it’s easy, you simply place the plate on the rack. Cover and allow to steam for 30 minutes or more. When your steamed eggs with pork is ready, remove the plate and garnish with fresh chopped spring onions and cilantro, and fried shallots.

If you’ve never tried steamed eggs with pork, it’s a soothing comfort food that goes well with rice. You can also go ahead and vary it by adding salted egg, or leaving out the pork altogether if you’re vegetarian or plan to feed it to the very young or the elderly.

Filed under: AsianHealthy EatingKid-friendlyMeatQuick & Easy CookingRecipes by chili queen - No Comments →