Felicity's Yummy Chicken Lollipops (repost)

Chicken lollipops are special treats for not only kids but for adults as well. I can not remember a time when I did not see chicken lollipops in a party before. They are always the best sellers for any celebration. They're easy to get, easy to eat and no mess.

The chicken lollipop recipes that you would always find on net or cookbooks would mostly tell you to marinate the chicken with salt and pepper and that's all about it. With a husband and daughters who love tasty food, I would always make sure that the food I prepare would be really yummy. This dish is the best fried chicken he had ever had according to my husband. He had 8 pieces and my daughter had some too. Before I knew it, there's none on the plate anymore.

Ingredients

1/2 k chicken wings

1/4 c fish sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic granules

1 egg, beaten

1 c White Wings Crumb in One Mixture

Procedure

Meat Preparation

Remove the wing tips and bin them (or set aside if you want to use them)

Separate the drumette (the part that looks like a small drumstick) from the wing (the part with two little bones) by cutting.

Make small cuts at the smaller end bone of the drumette and slide the meat towards the bigger end bone. Mold it like a lollipop using your hands.

Find the smaller bone tips (end bones) in the wing. Remove the smaller of the two bones by making a small cut on the smaller end bones. Slide the meat towards the bigger end bones until you can remove the smaller bone. Do this with care because you don't want the meat separate from both bones. Mold it like lollipop using your hands.

Place the chicken lollipops in a bowl and drizzle with fish sauce. Put in pepper, garlic granules and paprika. Make sure that the marinade is well spread in all chicken lollipops. Use hands in mixing.

Set aside the chicken lollipops for 30 minutes.

Frying
Dip the chicken lollipos onto the beaten egg and then roll onto the bread crumbs.
Deep fry.
Serve with your favorite dip

Note: If you do not have panko bread crumbs, you can use the ordinary one. If you are feeling adventurous, try the quick oats. If you want more flavor, use the White Wings Crumb in One mixture.

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Stir Fry Szechuan Beef

Have you ever wondered how Szechuan Beef Stir Fry that you order at a Chinese Resto cooked?  It's not really that difficult.  Actually, the procedure is quite easy for anyone to follow even for a novice in the kitchen.

Szechuan cuisine originated in Sichuan, China.  The name Sichuan means heavenly country.  It is aptly named for its abundant fresh produce from its fertile land.  It is well known that the people from that place gives importance to good flavor and spicy dishes.  This was even mentioned in one ancient Chinese writing.  According to a culinary expert, there should be 7 flavors present in a szechuan dish --- sour, pungent, hot, sweet, bitter, aromatic and salty.  (wikipedia)

There are many variation of this dish.  In this recipe, I decided to add babycorns and snow peas to add more veggie flavor to the szechuan.  I also added a bit of sugar because I love the sweet taste battling with the hotness of the dish.  I also added sesame seeds to add more texture to it.

Ingredients
500 g beef, strips
4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp szechuan peppercorn (if you cannot find this, just add a little bit more of chilli flakes)
4 stalks of spring onions, cut into 2 inches long
1 tsp plain flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 capsicum, strips
1 carrot, strips
200 g snow peas

Procedure
Marinade the beef strips with soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, sugar and flour. 
Stir fry the veggies with the sesame oil, garlic, chilli flakes and ginger.  Remove from fire.
Stir fry the beef strips.
Return the veggies to the pan and stir them together with the beef.
Put in the spring onions and sesame seeds.
Serve.

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Matt Golinski

Matt Golinski had been a regular at the Australian cooking show, Ready Steady Cook which I never failed to watch.  He is known for his great cooking skill and good humour.  He was born in Sunshine Coast in Queensland.  He became an apprentice in Brisbane and has worked in some of the top resto.  He is also known for his catering business --The Rolling Dolmade.
His life has proven how things can change in a second.  With his beautiful family, booming business, and great celebrity chef career, what more could he ask for? Everything changed in that one very tragic housefire last December 6,2011 where he lost everything including his wife, Rachael, and his three children - Sage, Willow and Starlia.  He suffered severe burns and was put in induced comma at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. 

He is able to talk a bit and walk now...but how would a father forget the tragedy that took away his loved ones?  That scar is I guess more severe than the burn scars that he has.  Please pray for him.


For more info please click --->Matt Golinski

Credits:  Ready Stead Cook, The Courier
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Easy Tempura Dip

Ingredients
1/4 c sake or dry white wine or red wine
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tsp sugar or mirin (just adjust according to your liking)

Procedure
Mix in a saucepan until sugar dissolves.
Heat the saucepan.  Simmer the mixture.

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Seafood and VeggiesTempura

Whenever I go to a Japanese Resto or Take Away Fast Food, I would always order tempura and sushi rolls.  They make me so hungry each time I see them hehehe. 

The other night I was watching My Kitchen Rules Australia and the sisters from Victoria prepared a tempura platter for their special guests.  I got inspired by their tempura platter so I told my hubby, I will make some for us.  He asked me if I know how to make them.  I said "no sweat...that's so easy."  I did not have my pen then so I had to just remember how to make the batter.  I am not sure though if they added baking soda which I did but my tempura turned out good too --light and crunchy.  The secret of making tempura batter is to use cold water or crushed ice and mix them lightly with a spoon making sure that the batter is light and thin.

You can use any veggie or seafood that you want.  There is no rule on what veggies or seafood that are used in tempura.

Ingredients
Batter
1 egg
1 c plain flour
1 c ice cold water or crushed ice
a pinch of baking soda

Procedure
Beat in egg in bowl.  Add in the water.  Put in the sifted flour.  Mix lightly.  Do not overmix.
The batter should be light and thin.  If it is thick, add more crushed ice or ice cold water.
Coat your veggies or seafood and deep fry.
Serve with tempura sauce.

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Manu Feildel

My mother would hate me if I don't feature Manu Feildel in my series on famous chefs.  You see, she's a great fan of him right from the start of the My Kitchen Rules Australia. 
I remember we would often get glued to the television when it's MKR time and most  especially when Manu joined the Australia's Dancing with the Stars.  And ooh boy, the French chef could really dance! In fact he won that contest.  So there, he's not only a good chef but also a good dancer.

From what I've read from different articles on mags and net and saw from his interviews, I've learned that he originally wanted to be a circus performer and in fact he even had trainings on being a circus clown performer with the goal of joining a travelling carnival.  His call for cooking hit him though and made him pick up an apron and cook. 

He came from a family who loves to cook good food.  Both his father and grandfather are chefs and his mother is a great cook.  No wonder he has the same passion for cooking.  Anyway, he became apprentice at his father's bistro and later finished his training in fine dining.

His itchy feet started to nag him though that he decided to go to London.  I can't imagine how this French guy fared in an English speaking country when he spoke no English.  I guess his food talked and broke all the communication barrier.  He worked at The Cafe Royal then later on rose in ranks in Les Associes, Café des Amis du Vin and Livebait. 

It was at Livebait he progressed from Chef de Partie to Sous-Chef and finally Head Chef, earning the seafood establishment a nomination for best seafood restaurant in the UK in 1998.

In 1999, he moved to Melbourne and started working at Toofey's.  Later on he worked with Pete Evans, another young and famous chef at Hugos at Sydney.  He also worked at Restaurant VII and Bilson's.

In 2009, he open his own restaurant named  L'etoile in Sydney.

He is by the way, a single father to his son, Jonti.

credits: MKR Australia, Who Magazine, Australian Good Food Magazine

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Garlic Knots

Garlic knots are lovely appetizers that most pizzerias would have in their shop.  These are actually the left over pizza dough so they do earn a lot of profit from the garlic knots.

I adapted this  Garlic Knots recipe from Martha Stewart.  I was  curious on how it really tastes...as you have known by now, my husband and I both love garlic and other spices in our food. I did a little bit of change though in the pizza dough.  I did not have enough time to buy one from IGA nor did I want the husband go there and get me a pack, so I decided to just make my own dough using the breadflour I have in the pantry.  Having a ready made pizza dough would make the job easier and quicker because I do not have to knead too much and wait for a long time before the dough would be ready for use.  I have also added parsley in the butter mixture.  You can actually replace the butter (for the coating) with olive oil. 

Ingredients

For the Dough
1 lb pizza dough or
           1 packet (7 g) of yeast dissolved in 3/4 cup of warm water
           1 3/4 c white breadflour mix
           1 tsp salt
           2 tsp sugar
           1 tbsp oil
all purpose flour (for dusting and shaping the dough)

For Coating the Knots
4 tbsp olive oil or 75 g butter
4 garlic cloves, minced or 1 1/2 tbsp ready made garlic minced (which I always use)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
2 tsp parsley, McCormick

Procedure

For the Dough (If you are using the ready made pizza dough)
Roll out the dough in a lightly floured surface into a 16x10 inches size.  Cut with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife into 16 strips.  Tie each strip into a knot and place in a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with olive oil.

For the Dough (If you are making your own dough)
Dissolve the yeast into a 3/4 c hot water.  Let stand for 5 minutes.
Mix the dry ingredients of the dough in a big bowl. 
Make a well in the center.
Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into the well followed by the yeast water mixture.
Mix well using your flour dusted hands.
Knead for 5 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball.  Slightly coat with olive oil and cover the bowl with clingwrap.  Let rise in a room temperature until it doubles in size.

Divide the dough into two when already doubled in size.  Flatten each dough into a 5 inches long and a half an inch thick. 

Cut into strips with a width of 1 inch. 

Cut each strip into two and form a knot. 

Place the knots in a rimmed baking sheet ( you can put baking paper if you want). 

Brush with olive oil.

For Baking the Dough

Bake the knots for 15-20 minutes or until they become a bit brown in a preheated oven at 200C.

For the coating

Heat the olive oil or butter (if you prefer) in a saucepan together with garlic 1 tsp salt, and the herbs.

Brush the mixture onto the garlic knots.

Serve warm.

Note:  You can also add parmesan cheese or oregano or any herb that you like.
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Quick and Easy Divine French Cheesecake

Cheesecake was already a popular dish in Ancient Greece even before it was conquered by the Romans.  The latter only adopted it after this.  Cheesecake is a divine desert with soft cheese toppings and usually graham crackers for its base. 

The good thing about cheesecake is that you can either choose to bake  or just refrigerate it.  It is believed that cheesecake was first made by a Greek Physician Aegimus (adapted from History of Cheesecake)

Cheesecake can also have different flavours depending on what you like.  You can be adventurous as much as you like. 

Ingredients
Crust:
1 3/4 cups Graham cracker crumbs (or granita crackers)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Filling:
1 cup sugar
4 8-ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sour cream

Procedure
Combine the crust ingredients. Mix well.

Press onto bottom and sides of a greased 9 inch spring form pan.
Chill in while preparing filling.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar until smooth and light.
Beat in eggs, vanilla and cornstarch, just until blended. Stir in sour cream.
Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake 30 to 40 minutes at 165C. Cool.

Refrigerate.
Serve with fruits

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Strawberry - Walnut Muffin

Muffins are delectable snacks or breaky.  You're not only filling up your tummy but you are also giving  a treat to yourself with the sweet fresh taste of the strawberries and the crunchiness of the walnuts in this lovely strawberry walnut muffins.

Ingredients
1 c plain flour
1 c white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnammon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1 c vegetable oil
1 c strawberries, chopped
1 c walnuts, chopped

Procedure
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt cinnammon and nutmeg in a bowl.
Make a well in the center and pour in eggs and oil.
Mix well, then fold in strawberries and walnuts.
Grease and flour 2 muffin pans.
Fill muffins 2/3 to 3/4 full.
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 175C.

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Felicity's Chicken Lollipop

Chicken lollipops are special treats for not only kids but for adults as well.  I can not remember a time when I did not see chicken lollipops in a party before.  They are always the best sellers for any celebration.  They're easy to get, easy to eat and no mess. 

The chicken lollipop recipes that you would always find on net or cookbooks would mostly tell you to marinate the chicken with salt and pepper and that's all about it.  With a husband and daughters who love tasty food, I would always make sure that the food I prepare would be really yummy.  This dish is the best fried chicken he had ever had according to my husband.  He had 8 pieces and my daughter had some too.  Before I knew it, there's none on the plate anymore.

Ingredients

1/2 k chicken wings

1/4 c fish sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic granules

1 egg, beaten

1 c White Wings Crumb in One Mixture

Procedure

Meat Preparation

Remove the wing tips and bin them (or set aside if you want to use them)

Separate the drumette (the part that looks like a small drumstick) from the wing (the part with two little bones) by cutting.

Make small cuts at the smaller end bone of the drumette and slide the meat towards the bigger end bone.  Mold it like a lollipop using your hands. 

Find the smaller bone tips (end bones) in the wing.  Remove the smaller of the two bones by making a small cut on the smaller end bones.  Slide the meat towards the bigger end bones until you can remove the smaller bone.  Do this with care because you don't want the meat separate from both bones.  Mold it like lollipop using your hands.

Place the chicken lollipops in a bowl and drizzle with fish sauce.  Put in pepper, garlic granules and paprika.  Make sure that the marinade is well spread in all chicken lollipops.  Use hands in mixing.

Set aside the chicken lollipops for 30 minutes.

Frying
Dip the chicken lollipos onto the beaten egg and then roll onto the bread crumbs.
Deep fry.
Serve with your favorite dip

Note:  If you do not have panko bread crumbs, you can use the ordinary one.  If you are feeling adventurous, try the quick oats.  If you want more flavor, use the White Wings Crumb in One mixture.

A comment or two will be appreciated...

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Sophie's Coconut-Almond Cake

You might be wondering why my eldest daughter's name is in the name of the cake.  It's because I was the one who made the recipe. 

I was checking my pantry if there's anything I needed to get from the shop when I realized that I still have a bit of dessicated coconut (left over from my macaroons) and that I haven't used my almond meal yet.  Instead of wasting them, I decided to make a cake of my own. I also added the left over condensed milk in the fridge (no one drinks them in the house anyway).  The result was really soooo yummy -- my daughter's new fave!

Ingredients
1 c dessicated coconut
1/2 c plain flour
1/2 c almond meal
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 c condensed milk
4 eggs
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c caster sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar

Procedure
Cream the butter and add the sugar (caster first and then the granulated) little by little while mixing continuously until fluffy but not stiff. 
Put in the eggs one by one while mixing.
Pour in the milk and mix again.
In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture little by little while continuously mixing.
Pour in the batter in a greased spring form round pan.
Bake for 35 - 40 minutes in a 180C preheated oven.  Use the toothpick method to see if the cake is ready.

Note:  Do not open the oven and check the cake until 10 minutes before baking time is over.  The center of the cake will sink because of the change in temperature.  That's what happened when my hubby checked to see if the cake is ok. 

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Know Your Potatoes

To know which variety of potato is the best  type to use for your recipe please refer to the chart.  Click on the photo to make the size bigger.

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My Hubby's Quick and Easy Mashed Potato Recipe

Mashed potatoes -- oh so yummy!  One of the dishes that my hubby does really well is mashed potatoes.  If it's mashed potato, you can bet that it would not be me making it. I do not have the patience to mash potatoes!  This recipe is just the basic mashed potatoes that he makes.  Next time, I would ask him to make a fancy one.

I was reading a forum conversation on internet awhile ago and they were talking about mashed potatoes had its origin in the Andes Mountains 7000 years ago and it was only introduced in Europe in 1536.  The basic recipe is practically the same.  Although some people would add cream, cheese or garlic.

The secret in makin a real nice fluffy mashed potato lies on the potato type that you are using.  I would like to suggest that before you start making one, get yourself familiarised with the types of potatoes. Click Know Your Potatoes link to choose which potato to use.

Ingredients
6 medium size, carlingford variety
1 c butter (the good brand you could get),cubed really small
milk (the amount will depend on the consistency of the mashed that you want)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Peel the potatoes and cut in quarters.
Boil water with the potatoes.
Put in salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from fire when the potatoes are cooked.  To check if the potatoes are ready, just poke them with a fork.
Remove the water.
Put in the cubed butter to the potatoes and start mashing them together with the potato masher (use the metal one to make your job easier).
As you mash the potatoes, pour in milk a little at a time taking into consideration the mashed potato consistency that you like.
Serve with your favorite steak, chips (fries) or any meat dish or veggies.

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Slow-Cooked Beef and Mushroom Ragout

 Ragout is of French origin.  It is also called ragu in Itali.  The dish is a thick, hearty stew cook over low fire very slowly for a long period of time allowing all the ingredients to blend well with one another.

The term “ragoût” comes from the French ragoûter, which means “to revive the appetite.” Recipes for this stew dating back to the 1600s have been found in France, which suggests that people have been making it for a very long time, and by the 1700s, a very diverse assortment of recipes were being published. Some ragoûts are entirely vegetarian, for example, while others are heavy on meat, and some cooks introduce ingredients like cream to vary the flavor.

This was the first time that I cooked this dish and I was surprised of the mixture of flavor after slow-cooking it for 4 hours.  Yes, it is indeed a bit of a wait for the dish to cook but hey it's all worth it.  The taste is somewhat similar between the Filipino caldereta and afritada dishes.  The soup is quite thick and mouthwatering.  The best thing about cooking this dish in a slow cooker, is that you can leave it cooking by itself without worrying about it getting burnt while you are doing other things.  I love my slow cooker now hehehe.

You can serve this delicious ragout with mashed potatoes or rice or both.  Try my husband's yummy mashed potato recipe too.

Ingredients
500 g beef, cubed (chuck or blade)
6 baby onions or 2 medium onions (quartered)
200 g bacon, chopped
10 button mushrooms
100 ml beef broth
100 ml red wine
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tin diced tomatoes (400 g)
1/2 c frozen peas
2 tsp thyme
olive oil

Procedure
Coat the meat with flour (Use ziploc plastic bag to do this).
Heat the oil in the pan.  Put in onions, mushrooms and bacon.  Remove from pan when the onions are soft.  Put into the slow cooker.
Sear the beef on each side. Remove from pan and put into the slow cooker
Pour in the red wine and broth on the pan.  Simmer a bit and pour into the slow cooker.
Put in the thyme and tomatoes.  Add salt  and pepper (to taste).
Put the slow cooker on high heat and cook the ragout for 4 hours (8 hours if low heat). 
Put in the peas 10 minutes before turning off the heat.

Note: If you don't have a slow cooker, you can use a crockpot and cook the ragout for 9 hours.  If you opt for a less complicated way, you can use the ready mix ragout soup base of McCormick.  You can also replace beef with lamb, chicken or pork.

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