Salmon Sashimi Salad

We were invited to join our friend R's family for Christmas lunch last year and I made a simple raw salmon salad with Japanese dressing as entree. It has been a staple at the Tummies' ever since and I am sure I will be making this more often now that the weather is getting warmer.

Free free to use a combination of sashimi grade fish such as king fish, snapper and tuna. Serve it as an entree or with some cooked Japanese rice.

If you are a fan of raw fish, you might want to check out my hwedupbap (Korean raw fish on rice) or maguro no tataki don (chopped tuna rice bowl).

serves 4 as an entree

you'll need;

2 pieces of sashimi grade salmon, thinly sliced (reserved skin)

2 Lebanese cucumber, peeled lengthwise with a vegetable peeler

2 spring onions, chopped

1 red chili, seeds removed and finely diced

2 shallots, finely sliced

1 tbs of toasted sesame seeds

for the dressing;

2 tbs of light soy

2 tbs of mirin

1 tbs of lime juice

1 tsp of sesame oil

Peel the cucumbers into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Place ribbons  on a large platter.

Pin bone the salmon and slice into 2 mm slices, place salmon on top of the cucumber ribbons.

Prepare the spring onions, chili and shallots, scatter the topping over the salmon.

Pan fry reserved salmon skin with a little oil until golden and crispy, allow to cool before breaking or chopping into chunks.

Scatter chopped salmon skin, toaster sesame seeds over and drizzle with dressing, mix everything well and enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower And Quinoa Salad

I am completely hooked on quinoa at the moment. Though I have always enjoyed dishes with quinoa when dinning out, I have never cooked it at home until a few weeks ago. 

We bought a box of quinoa and guess what? There is a recipe on the back of the package by Cath Claringbold, a Melbourne chef renowned for her Middle Eastern cooking. I tweaked the recipe a little and it is now a favourite at the Tummies'!

Give it a try if you are a lover of quinoa or a late convert like us. Serve it as it is or as a side dish when you next roast a chook.

Happy cooking and have a wonderful weekend!

P.S The original recipe asks for pomegranate seeds. When the fruit is in season, make sure you add 1 cup of the ruby coloured seeds to brighten up the dish. 

recipe adapted from Cath Claringbold's

serve 2 as a main or 4 as a side dish

you'll need;

1/2 a cauliflower, sliced 

160 g of white quinoa, cooked and cooled

500 ml of vegetable stock

1/4 cup of slivered almonds, lightly roasted

1/4 cup of sultanas, roughly chopped

1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley, shredded

1/2 bunch of coriander, shredded

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1 red onion, sliced and caramelised

for the dressing;

3 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs of sherry vinegar

1 tbs of pomegranate molasses

sea salt to taste

crushed black pepper to taste

Place sliced cauliflower in a roasting pan, drizzle with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in the pre-heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring from time to time to ensure even browning. Remove and allow to cool.

To cook the quinoa - place quinoa in a pot, wash and drain well then add stock to the pot simmer on low heat and cook until the quinoa is tender and the stock has evaporated. Remove from pot and allow to cool.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients and set aside.

I have added caramelised onion to the salad which works wonder to the already delicious salad.

Place all ingredients in a salad bowl, drizzle with the dressing and toss well. Serve it as a light vegetarian meal.

Or as a side dish with roast chicken or grilled fish.

Kerabu Kay, Nyonya Poached Chicken And Prawns Salad

Hello everyone! It has been almost 7 months since my last post and I am ready to come out from my all too long hiatus. 

A long hours and stressful job, daily gym routine and other works and projects on the side made me rather selfish with the little spared time I am left with - spending time with friends and love ones or catching up on my reading became my priorities for the last few months.

I have missed talking about food; one would have thought working in a kitchen gives me plenty of opportunity to do that but unfortunately that is not the case. A decision was made to modify my daily routine a little to enable me to start blogging about food again and I can already feel the joy of blogging as I type....

I posted a kerabu dish (Nyonya's answer to Thai yam or salad) a while back and this is another variation using chicken and prawns and dress with a slightly different dressing.

F.Y.I kay = chicken in Hokkien, unlike Nyonya dishes from other part of the country, those from Penang are often named in the Hokkien dialect rather than Malay.

serves 4 as part of a Malaysian meal

you'll need;

1 chicken breast (~350 g), poached, cooled and shredded

10 banana prawns, poached, peeled and halved lengthwise

15 green beans, finely sliced diagonally 

1 large shallot, peeled and sliced lengthwise

6 tbs of desiccated coconut, dry fried until golden

1 stalk of coriander, picked (optional)

for the dressing;

4 tbs of sambal belacan (see below)

1/2 a very juicy lime

2 tbs of sugar

2 tbs of coconut milk

a pinch of salt

sambal belacan;

200 g of dried chilies

80 g of toasted belachan

salt and sugar to taste

Prepare the green beans and shallot and set aside.

Prepare the chicken and prawns and set aside.

For the kerisik - dry fry the desiccated coconut in a pan over moderate heat, stirring constantly until it turns golden.

Prepare the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients in a bowl, taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and pour the dressing over and mix well. Check for seasonings before serving.

A quick and delicious salad is ready.

Serve as part of a Malaysian meal or it will go very well as a snack with some cold beers.

Kerabu Bok Nee, Nyonya Wood Fungus And Poached Chicken Salad - "Malaysian Monday 98"

Having only Sunday off means I often try to fit in too much on my only day off. With that I get a huge dose of blues come Monday. Fortunately, my lovely reader Angela returned to the restaurant with her whole family which made my day a whole lot sweeter, thank you again!

If you are looking for evidence of Thai influence in Nyonya cooking especially that of Penang, look no further than the huge array of kerabu (cold salad) dishes on offer. The Nyonyas borrowed the concept of yam (Thai salad) from neibouring Thailand and turned it into something uniquely Nyonya, using mainly local and Chinese ingredients and a sambal belacan based dressing.

Like their Thai cousin, kerabu is a refreshing addition to a Nyonya meal and helps to cut through the many rich dishes of the cuisine. 

There are a few terrific kerabu dishes that I want to share with you in the coming weeks but I shall start off with this Nyonya classic using wood fungus and tender poached chicken breast that is nothing short of a texture and taste haven. Each explosive bite reveals the complexity of such a simply prepared dish, it is a perfect summer dish that will go well as part of a Malaysian meal or a snack with a few cold beers.

F.Y.I - bok nee = (木耳) wood fungus in Hokkien, unlike Nyonya dishes from other part of the country, those from Penang are often named in the Hokkien dialect rather than Malay.

Announcement! -I officially left my job on the 10th of August 2013 having spent almost 10 months cooking the food that I know and love best. Unfortunately the lack of support from skilled staff and management's direction (or the lack of it)  for the restaurant had made my position untenable.

It is all good on my end; my new job does not required me to work on nights or weekends and it is only a 10 minute bike ride from home leaving me plenty of time to cook and blog again! 

serves 4 as part of a Malaysian meal
you'll need;
1 chicken breast (~350 g), poached, cooled and shredded
1/2 a cup of wood fungus, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 ginger flower, removed petals and sliced finely
6 tbs of desiccated coconut, dry fried until golden
1 stalk of coriander, picked (optional)

for the dressing;
4 tbs of sambal belacan (see below)
1/2 a very juicy lime
3 tbs of sugar
a pinch of salt

sambal belacan;
200 g of dried chilies
80 g of toasted belachan
salt and sugar to taste

To poach the chicken - bring a pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt, place the chicken breast into the pot, when the water return to a simmer, cover and turn off the heat. Remove the pot from the heat source and allow the chicken breast to steep for 20 to 25 minutes. When it is done, remove the chicken breast from the pot and allow to cool, hand shred into fine slivers.

Remove all the large petals from the ginger flower and finely slice with a sharp knife.

Finely slice the shallot.

For the kerisik - dry fry the desiccated coconut in a pan over moderate heat, stirring constantly until it turns golden, 

For the dressing - place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, you might want to adjust the seasonings according to your taste.

Have all ingredients ready and you are almost there.

Place all ingredients together with the dressing in a large bowl and mix well. Check for seasonings before serving.

Serve as part of a Malaysian meal or it will go very well as a snack with some cold beers.

The crazy season has started, we decided a combined Nov/Dec roundup should work better for everyone during the busiest period of the year. I will be hosting the next event, so please send all your entries to me at sureshchong@yahoo.com . To find out more about MMM and on how to enter please click here

Yum Muu Yang Polamai ยำหมูย่างผลไม้ Grilled Pork And Stone Fruit Salad

I have no idea why such a delicious dish was not posted closer to the date when it was first prepared... a question best leave to the X-File team.

I know we won't be getting any stone fruit here in Australia for a few more months but then I do have my readers over the northern hemisphere who are enjoying the abundance of stone fruits at the moment. Other seasonal fruits can be used of course; pineapple, kiwi fruit and rock melon is another combination that will work very well and if you are in the tropics, why not take advantage of the huge array of tropical fruits you have over there?

You may use the classic marinade (garlic, coriander root, white peppercorns and salt) with other meats of your choice. Seafood such as tuna, salmon and trout are also fantastic substitutes. Feel free to experiment with the ingredients available to you, remember sanuk (fun) is a crucial ingredient of a successful Thai salad.

Serve this refreshing salad as part of a Thai meal - with one of the two Thai curries (massaman curry with beef or panang chicken) I posted recently perhaps? If you are a fan of using fruits in savoury dishes, you might also want to check out my spicy prawns salad with stone fruits and corn.

recipe from the tummies' kitchen
oven preheated at 200 C (conventional)
serves 4 to 6 as part of a Thai meal
you'll need;
2 pieces of pork fillets ( ~400g)
2 tsp of salt
2 cloves of garlic
2 coriander roots
2 tsp of white peppercorns
2 nectarines, stones removed and sliced
2 white peaches, stones removed and sliced
2 peaches, stones removed and sliced
1 small cucumber, sliced
2 spring onions, diagonally sliced
1/2 red onion or 3 shallots, sliced
a handful of mix lettuce leaves
4 soft boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
1/3 cup of cashew nuts, toasted

for the dressing;

2 coriander roots, chopped 

5 to 8 bird chilies, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

3  tbs of castor sugar

3 tbs of fish sauce

6 tbs of lime juice

pinch of salt

Pound garlic, coriander roots and white peppercorns with salt to a course paste, marinate pork with the paste for at least an hour.

Roast cashew in the oven for 15 minutes, allow to cool. For the dressing - place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, it should taste hot, salty, sour, and sweet.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients and place in a large salad bowl.

Pan fry pork fillets with a little oil for 30 seconds on each side, transfer the pan to the hot oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to rest before slicing.

Add pork slices to the salad bowl, pour 1/2 of the dressing over and mix well. Top with egg wedges and sprinkle the cashew over. Leftover dressing can be kept refrigerated for a week.

Roast Beef,Thick Mung Bean Noodles And Mixed Vegetables Salad 涼拌牛肉粉絲

The following evening I created another heathy salad with some of the leftover beef from our previous dish (see roast beef salad with grilled vegetables, baby spinach and goat curd), this time a refreshing salad with an oriental flavour. Thought still on our diet but I simply couldn't resist not adding some of the thick mung bean noodles that I bought recently.

These slightly chewy noodles turned out to be a great addition to the salad; not only did they add body and texture to the dish, my longing for noodles was also fulfilled. If you are unable to find them use the normal mung bean noodles instead.

recipe from the tummies' kitchen
serves 3 to 4
you'll need;
250 g of leftover roast beef, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, removed seeds and slice thinly at an angle
2 carrot, peeled and julienned
2 celery sticks, sliced thinly at an angle
2 spring onions, julienned
1 bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
150 g of mixed lettuce leaves
1 cup of bean sprouts
3 bundles of thick mung bean noodles, cooked until al dente, refreshed and drained well
3 to 4 tbs of toasted sesame seeds

for the dressing;
2 tbs of garlic oil
4 tbs of light soy
2 tbs of dark soy
1.5 tbs of chili oil with sediments
2 tsp of sesame oil
1 tbs of sugar

Prepare the vegetables.

Prepare the noodles, once drained mix in a little oil to stop the noodles from sticking and set aside.

Place all dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well, adjust the seasonings to suit your taste.

Place all ingredients in a salad bowl, add the toasted sesame seeds and dressing and toss well.

Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds before serving.

Roast Beef Salad With Grilled Vegetables, Spinach And Goat Curd

Thanks to carbless salads such as this and with regular exercise I am now able to fit into clothes I haven't been able to wear for years. My goal is in sight but since many of my friends are now on the same "no carbs after 5pm diet", more such recipes will be shared here.

This is a hearty warm salad perfect on a wet winter day like today. Lamb cutlets will go beautifully in place of the roast beef but the upside of roasting a big piece of beef is there will be leftover enough for a couple more meals. Recipes on how to use up the leftover roast beef will be posted next so stay tuned!

P.S goat curd was added after the photos were taken :(

recipe from the tummies' kitchen
oven pre heated at 200 C (conventional)
serves 4 as a one dish meal
you'll need;
1 kg of rump steak
3 tbs of dijon mustard
2 tbs of smoked paprika
1 tbs of chopped rosemary
1 tbs of chopped thyme
juice from half a lemon
3 tbs of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 zucchini, shaved in to ribbons using a vegetable peeler
1 shop bought or homemade grilled pepper, sliced
1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
a handful of picked mint leaves
a handful of picked coriander leaves
250 g of baby spinach
100 g of goat curd or feta

for the dressing;
6 olive oil
3 red wine vinegar
1 tbs of English mustard
1 tbs of honey
salt and pepper to taste

Marinate beef with mustard, spices, herbs, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper overnight or for at least 2 hours. Roast marinated beef in the hot oven for about 30 to 45 minutes depending on how you like your beef cooked. Leave aside to rest before slicing. 

Shave zucchini using a vegetable peeler, season with salt and pepper.

Grill zucchini ribbons in batches on a well oiled hot griddle or bbq. 

Place all salad ingredients in a salad bowl...

Mix in the beef slices and dress well before crumbling in some goat curd or feta cheese over.