Almond Jelly

Over the weekends, while cleaning in the garage where most of my cooking and blog supplies are stored. In the process of doing that, I found a couple packets of almond flavored agar mix. Agar agar is a vegetarian gelatin substitute produced from a variety of seaweeds. This brought to my mind of the new molds I bought at an antique store.

This is one of the simplest and EASY things to make or should I say a no-brainer dessert. You can serve it with chilled fruit cocktail. I serve mine with some green jelly to resemble grass in the meadows. It would be fun to present it to a fellow who likes cow--might I need to say who?
Ingredients:
1 packet Almond jelly mix (Golden Coins brand is my favorite)
food coloring (if prefer)
1 can fruit cocktail for garnishing
All you need to do is open the box, pour the contents into water. Bring to a boil and pour into rinsed jelly molds. Chill in refrigerator to set and unmold to serve with canned fruits.
Chef's tips: I used a cup less water to get a firmer jelly.

Pasta with Wild Fennel and Sausage

This afternoon, I took a walk down to the creek near my house to pick some wild fennel fronds. Wild fennel are different from the ones you buy at the supermarket or farmer's market, as they do not produce a large edible white bulb and the fronds have a distinctive flavor of anise. Note: Be sure to pick them away from the roadside and in areas that are not expose to traffic, smog, or dogs. For my sanity, I steep the fronds in water mixed with a teaspoon of salt for about 5 minutes and rinse it well.

Ingredients:
½ lb penne rigatoni
A good handful of wild fennel fronds
½ lb fresh Italian sausage (hot or sweet)
4 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Rinse and drain fennel fronds well. Bring a large pot of water to a fast boil with enough water to cover the fennel. Add the fronds and boil for about 10 minutes to remove any insects. Remove and drain into a colander. When cool enough to handle, chop and mince the cooked fennel. Reserve the water to cook the pasta.
2. With a knife slice open the sausage casing and break the meat into small clumps. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and fry garlic and sausage meat over moderate heat. Cook the meat until it is no longer pink and begins to brown on the sides. Break into smaller chunks with a wooden spoon, add fennel greens and stir well to mix with the oil. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
3. Add a tsp of salt into the strained fennel water and cook pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain pasta and add it to the pan with the sausage and fennel. Continue to cook over low heat for about 2 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the flavor of the sauce. Add some pasta water if you prefer more sauce. Serve warm.
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Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa

I love to make this dish when mangoes are in season. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3-4 slices of Snapper or Salmon

Salsa:

1 can black bean, washed and drained

1 large semi-ripe mango, peeled, seeded and chopped finely

1 cup chopped tomato, skin removed

½ cup finely chopped onions

½ cup finely chopped red pepper (optional)

1 jalapeno (optional)

A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
Juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons oil
2 tsp. sugar
Latke:
2 russet potatoes (peeled, coarsely grated with hand grater)
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. flour
salt and pepper
Oil for frying
Method:
1. Combine potatoes and salt and let stand for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Press firmly on solids to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard any accumulated liquid. Transfer potato mixture to large bowl. Mix in egg, flour and pepper.
2. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 250°F. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop 2 tablespoonfuls of potato mixture into hot, flattening slightly into 3 inch diameter cakes. Cook until crisp and golden, about 5-8 minutes on each side. Transfer and drain on paper towel and keep warm in oven Note: Can be prepared a day ahead and reheat.
3. Mix all the above ingredients for the salsa and season to taste. Put in fridge for later use.
4. Season fish with salt and pepper. Heat oil in pan and fry fish until cooked on both sides.
5. Serve warm with potato cakes and salsa on top.

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Tandoori Chicken

This is an Indian recipe for chicken that makes your hands glow nuclear orange. It is an easy dish to prepare especially when you have a party or you need something spicy and versatile. Yogurt, one of the main ingredient is mildly acidic and is a great tenderizer in this dish.
Ingredients:
20 chicken drumsticks or any cuts of chicken meat
2 pips minced garlic
1 box tandoori paste (easily bought from Indian grocery stores)
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tsp oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Washed and pat dried the drumsticks. Mix the rest of ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add the drumsticks to marinate for 4-6 hours in the refrigerator.
3. BBQ on the grill on both sides until meat is no longer pink. Serve with rice or salad.
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All Foods White and Tempting!

When we think of the color white, we think of weddings, fragrant paper white blossoms of lilies, and white icing on cakes. In western cultures the color White is associated with purity, goodness, and innocence. However, in Asian cultures white is more often associated with the more somber aspects of life. When it comes to food, however, these cultural associations rarely apply. White food like milk, rice, and flour are bland and thus sugar and other seasonings are added to create different tastes and flavors to fit the mood of the occasion. I thought it would be fun to showcase some of the recipes in MzTasty's Kitchen using a new theme: by color. This compilation features a selection of sweets and snacks to whet one's appetite. (Mouseover picture to view recipe).

Shanghai Noodles Soup in Brown Meat Sauce

When I have a craving for noodles, I usually cook a bowl of this Shanghainese noodle soup. It is a simple dish of meat and pickled mustard greens in brown sauce. I had this many years ago at a friend's house and I remembered how she would make her own noodles and spend hours washing the fresh mustard greens and pickle them in salt. Nowadays, you can easily purchase these plastic wrapped pickled mustard greens in Chinese supermarkets. I loved mine served with sambal belachan, a spicy hot chili sauce with shrimp paste) on the side.
Ingredients:
1 lb Shanghai noodles (or fresh or packaged Udon noodles)
½ lb lean grounded pork, or beef
2 (12 oz.) pickled fresh mustard greens (washed and drained well)
2 slices of ginger, minced
5 cups low salt chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
2 eggs, beaten (for garnishing)
Fried minced garlic (optional)
Sauce:
1 Tbsp. dark black soy sauce
1 Tbsp. dark sweet sauce
2 tsp. soy paste
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. light soy sauce
2 tsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
3 tsp. cornstarch
Method:
1. Mixed the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat some oil in a pan pour half of the egg mixture to form a thin omelet. Flip over and brown both sides of omelette. Remove and cook the rest of the egg mixture to make 2 omelettes. When cooled enough to handle, roll omelettes and cut into thin strips.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan and fry ginger until fragrant but not brown. Fry the mustard greens for about 10 minutes until fragrant. Add the grounded pork and fry until pork is no longer pink and cooked evenly, then add in the sauce ingredients, followed by the 4 cups of the broth. Stir to mix well and turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until greens are soft and sauce has thickened slightly. Add more broth to the mixture if you like it more soupy. Adjust seasonings to your taste.
3. Divide noodles into individual bowls and pour meat sauce gravy on top. Garnish with egg strips and fried garlic.
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Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Satay or "Sate" was originated from Java, Indonesia. It is also popular in other Southeast Asian countries: Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. It is an authentic and a popular dish consisting of richly spiced meat (chicken, pork, beef) on bamboo skewers. The meat is grilled over a wood or charcoal fire and served with a spicy peanut sauce, onions, cucumbers and ketupat (pressed rice cubes.) When I was a kid growing up in Malaysia, my friends and I would wait anxiously for our regular satay vendor. On his shoulder he had a long wooden stick to carry two hugh rattan baskets--a hot charcoal stove on one, and the other basket his famous satay. We would squat near his hot stove and watched hungrily while he cooked our satay. Hmmm..it was the best Satay I've tasted!

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs chicken thigh meat
2 stalks lemon grass, crushed
bamboo skewers, soak overnight with a few drops of oil
oil for basting
Seasonings/Marinade:

3 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. cinnamon powder
5-6 shallots, diced finely

2 tsp. coriander powder

2 tsp. tumeric powder
1-2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsps. oil

1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Peanut Sauce:

300 gms raw skinless peanuts, roasted
2 Tbsp. coriander powder
2 tsp. turmeric powder

2 tsp. ginger powder

2 tsp. galangal powder
2 tsp. cumin powder
1 onion, cut in chunks
3 cloves garlic
2 stalks lemon grass, grind finely

4 Tbsp. chilli paste

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup tamarind paste (or 3-4 Tbsp. tamarind, mix with water to get about ½ cup)

3 Tbsp. oil

Method:

1. Cut meat into 1-inch strips, drain and set aside. In a bowl mix the seasoning ingredients together to form a smooth paste. Taste and test the marinade--it should be spicy, salty and sweet, adjust to your taste. Add more chili if you want a spicier satay. Marinate the meat well with this mixture at least 4 hours or overnight. Pierce meat on bamboo skewers. Set aside in refrigerator while you prepare the dipping sauce.

2. To make peanut sauce: In a pan on medium heat, pan roast raw peanuts till golden brown. Cool, and grind peanuts to resembles like breadcrumbs. Set aside.

3. Mix all the spices, brown sugar and chilli to a paste. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil and fry mixture until fragrant until a thin layer of oil forms on top of mixture. Lower heat and add tamarind juice and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Add sugar and 3/4 of the peanuts. If mixture is too thick, add a little more tamarind juce and a little more sugar if you like it sweeter. The taste should be spicy hot with a balance of sweet and sour taste.

4. Prepare charcoals for grilling. Grill meat over burning coal, constantly basting with cooking oil over the meat using the crushed lemon grass as a brush. Turn chicken over and baste with oil. Grilled till cooked on both sides.

5. To serve, arrange a few sticks of satay on a plate, accompanied with peanut sauce, sliced cucumber, onions, and compressed rice (ketupat)
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