weeknight Archives - Sugar et al

Five Spice Chicken And Red Cabbage Noodles Stir Fry

4|08|2015

August happens to be one of those landmark months for me. I associate it with many important events and decisions of my life. 3 years ago, I moved countries in August and it was the start of a new life. August also means the end of winter in Australia. Spring is not far away and I can hardly contain myself. Incidentally, we moved to our current house in August as well and a year has slipped by, somehow. I remember how upset I was when we had to leave the previous one. It had a huge courtyard with two big pink frangipani trees and in summer, I would spend a good hour or two every week clearing the ground of flowers that would carpet itself in the most beautiful way. It was obviously winter when we left and the branches were bare, perhaps on the verge of bursting out with colour in a few weeks. I found the timing of this change so synonymous with my own life that I wanted to experience the budding and the blooming of nature whilst living in that house. School was due to start however, for the boys and it was a conscious decision to move closer to the new school.

The new neighbourhood didn’t look as attractive to me especially since winter had left it’s mark everywhere. For the first two weeks I got busy unpacking and trying to settle down in the new house (our current house) and then gradually explored the surroundings. I really believe that if you seek something with your heart, you will find it! Big or small. Sometimes not in the most predictable way or in the most likeliest of places, but it will be waiting for you at a tiny little bend or an unexpected little next corner. One day I was walking down the street near my house with the twins, when I noticed a few pink buds in one of the trees. It sadly reminded me of the pink frangipani trees and I moved on. A week later when I walked into the same street, it was different. There were flowers everywhere. Those trees with bare branches were actually Cherry Blossom trees. Can you imagine my surprise? Spring had sprung! I was thrilled to bits and wanted to hug the trees. The boys started filling their pockets with flowers and I went crazy taking photos on my phone.

Now its August and every time I drive through that street, I peek out of my window hoping to catch a few buds in bloom. They haven’t arrived yet but I will catch them when they do. Such is the hope of Spring! Till then, let me paint all the food I eat with colour. Something which is so possible in this beautiful world we live in and the natural bounty we are blessed with.

Reg cabbage I think is one of the under used vegetables. Apart from slaws and salads I cannot recollect finding it on any menu or eating it outside. It is easy to cook with and the peppery flavour compliments most other vegetables. This noodles recipe is a simple weeknight dinner option and is open to adaptation. Please feel free to substitute soba noodles with noodles of your choice. Chicken with prawns or pork. Add any vegetable of your choice..beans, peas, carrots along with the cabbage. If you want the cabbage to retain its colour and crunch, make sure to add it at the end.

Five Spice Chicken And Red Cabbage Noodles Stir Fry
Serves 4

2 chicken breast fillets (about 400 g), thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cm ginger grated
3 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 packet soba noodles, 270 g (or noodles of your choice)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1 cup finely chopped Kale leaves
1/2 cup finely shredded carrots/broccoli/peas (any vegetable of your choice)
2 tsp white sesame seeds (lightly toasted)
red chillies (optional)
salt and pepper, for seasoning

Marinate the chicken with 1 clove garlic, half the ginger, five spice, soy sauce and honey. season with salt and pepper. Leave aside for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook noodles in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 1/2 minutes or until al dente. Drain, then rinse under cold running water.

Heat oil in a large wok over high heat. Add remaining garlic, ginger and onion, and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until onion is softened. Add chicken and stir-fry for 6 minutes or until it starts to brown. Add carrots and other vegetables, (not red cabbage), stir-fry for 3 minutes or until tender. Add cabbage, kale and noodles, and stir-fry for 1 1/2 minutes or until noodles are warmed through.

Divide noodles among bowls to serve. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and red chillies.

Chicken Meatball Stroganoff

23|06|2015

I am truly overwhelmed and touched by your heartfelt and beautiful messages on my last post. It makes me warm and fuzzy even during the coldest days in Sydney. If I happen to mention Sydney winters to my cousins and extended family in the Northern Hemisphere, they don’t take me seriously. Like ‘what is she talking about?!’ I agree, our winters are not the coldest. There’s no shoveling snow around the sidewalks, or snow covered trees, or turtlenecks trending around here. And of course no Christmas carols! But for a sunshine loving person, this is hard enough. Then to add to that, school holidays have started. Keeping the boys entertained is a task by itself especially when the daylight is fleeting. The one thing I am enjoying however is that I am cooking new and different things for the excited little boys. This is the first time ever that I have been bombarded with so many requests.

Most kids love meatballs. Basically, anything edible in that shape goes down well with my boys. If it happens to be meat/poultry, even better. When I buy chicken mince, I make a big batch of meatballs and store in the fridge to be added to a variety of sauces or gravies on different days of the week. They tend to get a little dry and firm in the fridge but reheating them in a sauce/gravy generally softens them up. Another tip that I have learnt through experience is that meatballs are best when browned first in a shallow frying pan and then finished in the oven. They remain soft and juicy.

Looking for variety, something that I am always guilty of I chanced upon this recipe. It sounded like a great way of serving meatballs. Beef Stroganoff is a big favourite of mine especially the sour cream and mushroom based sauce. So, it was a matter of adding the two together. The resulting dish is deliciously creamy, wholesome and ridiculously easy to put together. If you are a fan of creamy sauces, you will love this one!

Meatball Stroganoff
Serves 4

500 g chicken mince
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 brown onion (use other half for the sauce), finely chopped
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (by running 1 slice of bread through a food processor)
1 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 brown onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup fresh/canned mushrooms
2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp canned tomato puree
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
Pasta, to serve with

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Combine chicken mince, garlic, onion, worcestershire sauce, mixed herbs and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on a plate. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook meatballs, turning, for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and keep aside covered in foil.

Make the sauce : Heat olive oil in a pan. Sauté onion and garlic for 4-5 mins, until tender. Add mushroom. Cook on high for 4-5 mins, until browned. Stir in tomato and paprika. Pour stock, bring to the boil and cook for 2-3 mins, until liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to low.
Stir in sour cream and sauce. Simmer for 1-2 mins, until heated through. Add the meatballs and simmer for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm with fettucicne pasta.

3 Simple and Quick Weeknight Recipes With Salmon

2|06|2015

Dinners with Salmon are common in my house. Since salmon is quick to cook, healthy and delicious the idea is to add it to dishes that cook faster. Then dinner is always a breeze. I also love the fact that I can pick up a pack from the supermarket that is just ready to cook…no prepping! Since salmon can be cooked in so many ways, flavored with a variety of sauces and marinades and served alongside a diverse range of vegetables, grain or meal, there is no end to the number of recipes one can have. I decided to share a few of my favorite ways of to eat Salmon today.

Sticky Asian Salmon with Soba Noodles Soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour and a great option for people on a gluten free diet (make sure you read the label properly). It also cooks very quickly which is the reason I pair it often with salmon. For some heat, you could add chopped red chillies to the marinade.

Sticky Asian Salmon With Soba Noodles And Greens
serves 4

4 skinless salmon fillets
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 tsp olive oil
Asian greens (chopped broccoli, snow peas, green peas, chives), to serve
salt, for seasoning

Mix the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a bowl. Use 2 tablepoons of the mixture to marinate the salmon. Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil. When heated, pan fry the salmon fillets till cooked to your liking (about 2-3 mins on each side). Remove the fillets and keep aside.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles as per instructions on the back of the pack. Drain well. Rinse. Leave aside.
In the same frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli and stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the remaining greens. Pour the remaining marinade and noodles and mix till combined. Season.
Serve the noodles warm along with the salmon.

Roasted Maple Salmon With Pumpkin, Fennel and Truss Tomatoes : This is a great weeknight dinner option where you whisk up a quick sauce, chop a few vegetables and roast everything together. The oven does most of the work! There is sweetness from the maple syrup and heat from the chillies so you experience a wonderful balance of flavour.

Roasted Maple Salmon With Pumpkin, Fennel And Truss Tomatoes
Serves 4

4 salmon fillets (skinless or with skin), cleaned, prepped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp mixed herbs
salt, to season
10-12 cherry truss tomatoes
2-3 fennel bulbs, trimmed and quartered
1/2 butternut pumpkin, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C (200 degrees C fan forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the olive oil, maple syrup, crushed garlic, chilli flakes, mixed herbs together in a small bowl.

Place the salmon, pumpkin, fennel and tomatoes on the prepared baking tray. Pour the oil and maple syrup mixture all over. Gently toss to combine. Roast for 15 minutes or till salmon is cooked through.
Remove tray from oven. Move the salmon aside and wrap in foil to keep warm. Roast the vegetables for a further 10 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Serve warm with noodles, pasta or bread.

Coconut Poached Salmon : This is an old recipe from my archives. One that is made over and over again at home. Salmon fillets are poached in coconut milk along with a few Asian ingredients. I am not going to rewrite the recipe as it remains pretty much the same. The only extra thing I have added here is a pinch of turmeric. The original recipe did not have it. You take your pick…with or without turmeric! It tastes amazing both ways.

Get the recipe here

Red Kidney Bean and Pumpkin Stew

24|09|2014

I think we all have heard the story. Cinderella, her step-sisters, her fairy Godmother and the pumpkin carriage. To be able to transform into the most glamorous carriage, I couldn’t love the pumpkin more! But I literally couldn’t love it more than that. My parents love pumpkin and so do my children (how?). I couldn’t get past the mushy texture. As a colour-driven individual I love the way it looks and so last year, I made a few genuine attempts to start cooking with it. I did not fall in love. Nope. I know my readers love it too, gauging by the responses to my posts in the past. And since I love my readers, I decided to lock my eyes with pumpkin again. This time around I thought I would add it to recipes that are big on flavours and pumpkin is an addition. Non-pumpkin loving souls (if you exist?) could benefit from removing them, enjoying the rest of the dish if they wanted to. As it turned out, I actually liked the dish, along with the pumpkin. I did not have to remove any.

The stew is inspired by an Indian dish from my childhood.,’Rajma Masala’. The red kidney bean is the star here. We moms have a natural tendency to add ‘things’ to the meals we feed our children, so the addition of pumpkin is a no-brainer. What is great however, is the way the ingredients work together! The contrast in textures and flavours, makes the stew really delicious. And filling. A quick and hearty weeknight meal. Whilst being equally healthy.

Feel free to increase the heat in the stew by adding either a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, powdered chilli or chopped green chillies.

Red Kidney Bean and Pumpkin Stew
Serves 4

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
11/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 cup canned, diced tomatoes
3/4 cup vegetable stock/chicken stock
1 can red kidney beans (400 g)
400 g butternut pumpkin, chopped into 3 cm cubes
salt, to season
fresh sprigs coriander, leaves picked, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and wait for 30 seconds. Cook the onion, stirring, for 2-3 mins or until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and spices. Cook, stirring, for 1 min or until fragrant.

Add the tomato and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins. Add red kidney beans and simmer a further 10 mins or until pumpkin is just tender. Season with salt. Garnish with coriander. Serve warm