Rose water

rose water

Normally made from dried flower buds, but I can't bear to kill them and miss the bloom. So instead when roses mature, open up and petals start to fall, I collected them to made rose water.

1. Tear petals into pieces, macerate in a tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt for a day, stirring every few hours, the petals will wilt. 

rose water

2. Add warm water to the dull brown mixture, then add a tbsp of lemon juice, instantly the gorgeous colour of the petals re-appears.

3. Filter out the liquid, mildly sweet sour with a faint note of rose.

Cauliflower

cauliflower

What a magnificent head of flowers, growing under the shelter of huge green leaves.

cauliflower

This is the first time I successfully grown a cauliflower (past ones destroy by slugs and caterpillars) and want to enjoy the pure taste of the florets, which turned out to be crunchy, with mild sweetness. 

cauliflower

1. Break into florets, bake at 150˚C until the taste of rawness is gone, around 15 minutes.

2. Mix in a bowl with a tbsp coconut oil and a pinch of salt.

Herring open sandwich

Salted herring is a way to enjoy oily fish that is low in the food chain. It does have a powerful smell best served in strong sauce.

herring open sandwich

1. Warm a few tbsp of sour cream with a tbsp of mustard,  tsp of turmeric, tbsp of brown sugar, lots of white pepper, lower the dried herring fillets into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Spread a tbsp of sauce on thick slice of brown bread, place a filet of herring and top with fennel or dill.

Netted kale

kale

Netting is the easiest way to stop white butterfly laying eggs under cruciferous vegetable leaves, like kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower etc. If unprotected, the eggs with develop into caterpillars that feed on the leaves.

Mix herbs green salad

mix baby herbs green salad

I learned from my visit to Hoi An, Vietnam the use of a lot of mix fresh herbs and young mustard leaves in dishes. They harvest herbs and mustard leaves very young, when both leaves and stalk are tender.  

For example, coriander is harvested just a month old, barely 3 inches tall, basil and mint leaves are plug young too.

A green salad of lettuce with a mix of baby herbs, coriander, basil, fennel, mustard, rocket, mint etc, is a mini explosion of flavor in every mouthful.

I made the vinaigrette with 1 part balsamic vinegar, 2 parts olive oil and a big pinch of salt.

Broad bean with kaffir lime leaves

broad bean with kaffir lime leaves

Quickly stir-fried young fresh broad bean with a little salt is one of my favourite spring dishes. Adding a few kaffir lime leaves cut into fine strips just before serving give a unique aroma to the dish.

Chicken in lemon coriander sauce

Adapted from Madhur Jeffrery's recipe, this is a more sauce less spice and more colourful version.

chicken with lemon coriander sauce

1. Cut chicken into pieces, season with salt, white pepper, 5 spices powder for 1 day.

2. Sear chicken until all sides are golden, stir-fry red bell pepper cut into strips until just soft.

3. Blend an onion, a few cloves of garlic and an inch of ginger in some water into a fine paste, cook in 2 tbsp oil at medium heat with a tbsp curry powder and turmeric powder, until reduced, about 15 minutes.

4. Add in juice of a lemon, a cup of coconut milk, season with salt, a tbsp brown sugar, add in chicken and red pepper, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until middle of chicken pieces are cooked.

5. Stir in a big handful of fresh coriander leaves just before serving.

Wheatgrass drink

Wheatgrass

I use the Sprouter to grow wheatgrass and make the juice. According to Wikipedia information, wheatgrass has the same nutrients like most leafy green vegetables (broccoli, spinach etc), but the juice does have a unique taste, a green oily taste of chlorophyll and a mild sweetness.

Wheatgrass drink

1. Soak wheat grains for a day (I use organic de-hulled Spelt grains), grow in Sprouter for around 10 days.

2. Cut the green shoots off, add water and blend until a deep green liquid formed, about one minute.

3. Use a sieve to filter out the tough fiber.

Asparagus with cashew and herb

The season for asparagus has started, I made this cashew nut with sour cream and herb sauce to give the dish extra protein, and more filling as a light meal. 

asparagus with nutty sauce

 

1. Peel the bottom of the asparagus if tough, bake at 180˚C until just turned soft, around 15 minutes for 1cm diameter ones.

2. Blend equal quantity of cashew nuts with sour cream, water and a pinch of salt until smooth, add minced fresh herbs like fennel, coriander, chive etc.

Rice pudding with coconut milk

It is better to make rice pudding with fat rice grains like sushi rice or risotto rice, they absorb juice well and becomes very fluffy.

rice pudding with coconut milk

Bring to boil 100ml of rice in 400ml coconut milk and 300ml water, add a pinch of salt and 2 cut up medjool dates to sweeten. Simmer for around 45 minutes, stirring once in a while to stop sticking at the bottom. (3 portions)

Tuna with preserved lemon

I find tuna a bit dry and mild in taste, adding preserved lemon helps to excite the taste buds. 

tuna with preserved lemon

 

Natural Wine Tenuta Grillo

Tenuta Grillo

My first visit to a natural wine producer, where the wine is made following the organic principles, but in vinification, there are even less manipulations, e.g. no filtering, no addition of yeast, and less chemicals used, e.g. super low dose of sulfur etc.

Tenuta Grillo

This vineyard is in the Piedmont area of Italy, Guido Zampaglione sets the objective to make natural wines that are tannic enough to be stored for years. Indeed his wines, my favorites are Igiea and Pecoranera, are delightfully deep red, full of aroma and big body.

Tenuta Grillo - Guido Zampaglione

He achieved this by fermenting for 45 days, to extract maximum tannin and colour from grape skin, then store in 2nd hand oak barrel for a short while before bottling for long term storage. 

Tenuta Grillo

The wine continues to develop and mature in the bottle until ready for drinking, at least 6-10 years.

Kale pesto on grilled cheese with vegetable

A dish that is easily prepared, tasty, and full of nutrients.

Kale pesto on grilled cheese

Cut fresh cheese into slices, lightly salt and pepper both sides, sear slowly on medium heat until golden. Spoon kale pesto (or normal pesto) on top, serve with any cooked vegetable like asparagus, carrot, zucchini etc.

First harvest meal of the year

The dish may look messy, some broad bean, a few asparagus and lettuce, but it is the first full plate of vegetables all collected from my garden this year. More to come: broccoli, cabbage....

broccoli, cabbage grown in green house to avoid white butterfly

 

Wild sea bass

Wild sea bass

Beautiful 1.5kg sea bass, there is a thin layer of oil under the skin after cooking, delicious juicy tender flesh.

1. Wipe dry the sea bass, with scale, sprinkle a big pinch of salt on each surface, and a little inside. Rest in the fridge for at least half a day.

Wild sea bass

2. Before baking, wipe dry again. Bake at 200˚C for 15 minutes and rest with oven door ajar for another 10 minutes.

Perfect fried egg

This is my perfect fried egg, sunny side up, the edge crispy, the top is cooked (not raw as in normal sunny side up), without flipping the egg, the yolk is still runny in the middle. 

perfect fried egg

 

1. Use a frying pan with a glass lid, without air hole. On high heat, warm oil and crack egg inside, reduce to medium heat and put lid on.

2. When moisture starts to form on the lid, tilt the pan so that moisture run down to the pan and sizzle to form steam, and so cooks the surface of the egg.