Spanish Baked Eggs

Breakfast is my most favourite meal of the day. You are eager to start the day off right and your tummy is crying out for food. And it is the only main meal that can be either savoury or sweet! How good is that?

Well if you feel like having breakfast fit for a king, but dont really want to make a big effort, then you must try making this dish. It is easy to prepare, tasty, have an almost gourmet feel to it.

Once you dig into the perfectly cooked eggs with its runny middle and taste that lovely caramelized chutney on the bottom, you will think you are having breakfast in a 5 star establishment....no kidding!

Well you would't know until you tried it for yourself. So here you go:

Spanish baked egg

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:


2 tsp Olive oil
4 free range eggs (large)
100 gm mushrooms (diced)
1 small capsicum (diced)
1 large onion (diced)
flat leaf parsley ( a few sprigs)
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 can of chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Grated parmesan
Extra Virgin Olive Oil



Method:

Pre heat oven to 325F. Add onions and garlic into Olive Oil in a medium heated pan. Sautee until onions becomes translucent. Add parsley, capsicum and mushrooms and stir until caramelized. Add chopped tomatoes and spices. Mix well and remove from heat. Spoon mixture into ovenproof single serve dish and make a well in the middle of mixture and break egg in the middle of well.

Bake in the pre heated oven for 5-8 minutes until egg whites are set. Less time if you want your yolk runny. Remove from the oven and sprinkle grated parmesan and sprinkle the Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Serve with garlic toast or french baguette to scoop up the lovely gooey egg/veg mixture!

Bon Apetit!

Easy Chili Crab

 

 

 

Who does not like a good finger lickin Chili Crab on a bed of hot steaming rice...or soft fluffy bread to scoop up that tasty sauce.

Fresh crab is a must for a a good chili crab dish, and thankfully there are plenty here in sunny Queensland. Alhamdulillah.

This recipe was handed down to me by my mother in law....I feel very lucky that both my mother and MIL are great cooks.  I figured the best way to keep hubby happy is to know how to cook his fave dish from the best person that know how!

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 1kg fresh crab (cleaned) and halved, separate claws
• 5 cm fresh ginger (cleaned and sliced)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 250ml water
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 6 fresh red chillies (deseeded)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic

Preparation method

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

1.Puree the chillies, onion and garlic in a food processor - you may want to use gloves when de-seeding the chillies to avoid burning your hand - then put aside. 

2.Heat oil on high in a wok. Add ginger slices and stir for 10 secs. Add pureed mix and stir for 30 seconds or until oil rises above mixture. Next, add water and lower heat to medium. Add salt, sugar and mix well. 

3.Add crab pieces, stir to coat well and cover wok. Simmer for 10 mins. Switch off heat. Break egg into wok and stir around quickly to coat crab pieces.

Sambal Tumis Jering

If you look up Jering or its scientific name Archidendron Jiringa, you will find that the medicinal values are many, namely aids in hypertension and diabetic patients.

Now I love this fruit for its bitter, meaty, and rich texture, especially cooked with caramelized onions and chili and crispy anchovies. Aaah, warm memories of childhood in my mothers kitchen.

So finding this fruit in the Vietnam market is a godsend, and here is the result.

Sambal Tumis Jering

Ingredients

1 bottled Jering (Dahendi) - drained and washed

5 fresh red chilies

1 large onion (half sliced and half pounded with the chilies)

1 tsp salt 

1 tsb sugar

1 piece of tamarind skin (asam gelugor)

200g dried anchovies

Oil to fry the anchovies

Method

Boil jering pieces until soft (around 10minutes), drain and roughly pound to break the pieces up - set aside.

Pound chilies and half of onion until fine, add salt.

Wash anchovies and drain.

Heat oil in a pan and fry anchovies until crispy - (set aside)

Remove oil from the pan, leaving about 2 tbsp. Add jering pieces and fry for 3 minutes. Add chili/onion paste and sliced onions and stir fry on medium heat until caramelized  for about 4-5 minutes - (careful not to burn), mix in the sugar.  Add tamarind piece and stir to mix the flavours for another 2 minutes.

Take off heat and serve on hot steamed rice. Enjoy :)

Chicken pie in filo pastry

If you wanted a different twist to your regular chicken pie, try using a filo pastry instead of your regular shortcrust. The result is a delightfully crunchy and light meal. If you have not used a filo pastry before, not to worry because following the instructions on the package should set you up nicely.

Also using the black seed provide a nice flavour and texture to the dish, not to mention the health benefits of this amazing herb.

You will need:

2 tbsp Olive oil

700 g chicken breast (diced)

30 g butter

1 tsp plain flour

4 potatoes (peeled and boiled)

1 cup mushroom (sliced)

1 large onion (diced)

1 tsp salt 

pepper to taste

1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)

1 cup cream

1 package filo pastry (from the frozen section in the supermarket)

1 tsp black seed

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat Oven to 400 F/200 C
2. Heat oil in a pan and cook the onion until soft, add the flour and sautee until brown (careful not to burn). 
3. Add mushroom and cook until softened, add chicken pieces and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Mix in peas and carrots, and stir in the cream and salt.
5. Add in the cooked potato and combine well. Set aside.
6. Spray a rectangle baking pan. 
7. Unpack the filo pastry and place the first layer onto the baking pan. Continue to layer the pastry , brushing with the melted butter every time a new layer is placed.
8. After 6 layers, add the filling and distribute evenly. 
9. Place a layer of filo pastry onto the filling and repeat the process until all 6-7 layers are placed. 
10. Brush the top layer with milk and sprinkle the black seed.
11. Place into oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown
12. Cool and serve.