Dim Sum Scallops ~ Happy Valentines Day

Well it's Valentines Day and not that hubby and I actually celebrate it by buying each other lots of gifts and going out for a romantic dinner to declare our love for each other.  Usually I plan a special dinner for all of us.  This year there was only 3 as Alexandria had a sleep over birthday party.  So catering for the three of us I decided on the following menu:

 

Dim Sum Scallops

          Hot and Sour Steamed Fish with Thai Salad

                    Caramelised Pineapple with Toffee Sesame Icecream

 

Sounds delish right?

 

Well the Dim Sum Scallops were....

 

This is how the story of Valentines Day Evening 2014 went in the House of Murray.  All food prepared and ready to go.  Noel and Oliver have been to work together. Come home via video shop as they hire a movie to watch inbetween courses.  By the time everyone showers, gets sorted, takes Alexandria to her party and relaxes.  Start watching the movie - have the Entree of Dim Sum Scallops.  Watch some more movie and then tiredness sets in. Hubby goes to bed as he is working again tomorrow morning - son and I order pizza as I wasn't cooking all the fish for the two of us.

As I said the Dim Sum Scallops were good.

Dim Sum Scallops

(Recipe adapted from The Essentials Fingerfood Cookbook)

 

Serves: 4

ProPoints per Serve: 3

 

500 grams fresh scallops

2 tablespoons teriyaki sacue

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry sherry

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon greated fresh ginger

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Place the scallops in 4 serving dishes.

Place all remaining ingredients in a small jug and mix well.  Divide the mixture amongst serving dishes pouring over the scallops.

Bake in oven for 5 - 10 minutes, or until scallops are tender and white.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Prawn and Herb Rice Paper Rolls

These are something that we love and have made them a lot over the years. Not only are they full of flavour but although being a little fiddly to make that really aren't difficult. This recipe uses prawns but you can use any meat you like or omit the meat to make them a vegetarian roll.

Served with any flavour asian sauce they make a nice light meal, a picnic dish or even a entree.

Prawn and Herb Rice Paper Rolls

(recipe adapted from WW Recipe Collection 2002)

Serves: 4

Points per serve: 3

50 grams cellophane noodles

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

4 tablespoons crushed peanuts

500 grams whole cooked prawns, shelled and cut into pieces or shrimp, shelled and left whole

1/4 cup basil, finely sliced

1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced

4 cabbage leaves, finely shredded

5 spring onions, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

16 rice paper rolls

Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot water, rinse with cold water, drain. Chop into pieces and combine with the vinegar, nuts and prawns.

Combine the fresh herbs, cabbage, shallots and carrot together. Stir in the prawn mixture and mix well.

Working with 1 wrapper at a time, soak the rice paper in warm water for 30 seconds and place on a flat surgace. On each wrapper pile a litlle prawn mixture. Roll up tightly, folding the sides in the enclose the filling. Continue rolling and folding until all ingredients are used.

Serve with your choice of sauce (don't forget to account for any extra points).

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Braised Prawns and Vegetables in Birds Nest

The "Birds Nest" would have to be one of the dishes we always order when dining at a Chinese Restaurant. The kids love them and I must admit so do I. From the minute it arrives at the table to minute the last piece is eaten it is just such a treat. Starting crispy in the beginning and then as it mops up the juice of the dish it becomes soggy and you can guarantee there is always an argument of "he had more than me" or "that was meant to be my piece"!!

You need quite a saucy dish to put into the bird's nest so you end up with the soggy noodles at the bottom. Braised Prawns and Vegetables fits this bill nicely and has a clean taste. But you could use any of your favourite chinese dishes, afterall the baskets are just like using rice or noodles as a side.

Braised Prawns with Vegetables in Birds Nest

Serves: 4
Points per serve: With Bird's Nest: WW "danger beware"
Without Bird's Nest: 3

250 gram packet long life nooodles
oil for deep frying
500 grams raw king prawns, peeled and tails removed
250g can bamboo shoots
250 grams brocolli
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
200g button mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespooon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour
salt
pepper
pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

Bring a saucepan of water to boil and cook noodles according to the packet directions. Drain and spread on a tea towel to dry. Allow to dry for 30 minutes or more if time permits.

Heat a wok or large saucepan full of oil, enough to cover the noodle enclosed sieves completely.

Line the bigger sieve with a layer of noodles, covering completely. Place the smaller sieve on top of the noodles and press firmly to mould, secure with two wire clips if a little loose. Place sieve in the hot oil and cook for 3 - 5 minutes or until noodles are crispy and cooked through. Carefully remove from the hot oil and place on a paper towel lined plate. Allow to cool slightly before attempting to remove from sieves as the metal will be hot.

Meanwhile heat oil in the wok add prawns and quickly sautee until just pink. Remove from heat.

To the same pan add the bamboo soots, broccoli, carrot and mushrooms. Stirfry for 4 - 5 minutes or until broccoli has started to soften. Add spring onions. Toss for 1 - 2 minutes.

Blend together the cornflour, chicken stock, oyster sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and ginger. Add to the vegetables. Bring to the boil. Return the prawns to the pan, continue to stir for 1 - 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve in the birds nest.

Note:

Although the noodle baskets are quite easy to prepare, there is a little fiddling with it especially cooking with the hot oil. So please, be careful. You can prepare these earlier, store in a air tight container and warm in the oven prior to serving. To shape the baskets you need two metal sieves. One needs to be just a little smaller than the other so it fits inside, enclosing the noodles tightly.


(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Murgh Makhani

In Old Delhi in the 1950's the legendary Moti Mahal restaurant created the dish that for millions of poeple around the world, especially us British, defines Indian food. "Butter Chicken" as Moti Mahal calls it, is the father and mother of Chicken Tikka Masala.

In the West, this dish is much interpreted, but in fact it has been enjoyed by Punjabis for decades. This is exactly how it is prepared in Old Dehi so of course - we just had to try it.

Ideally the chicken should be cooked in a tandoor on skewers but we used an indoor grill and a barbecue would suitably do the job as would cooking the chicken pieces in an oven. The key is not to overcook the chicken for fear of it drying out and not being the tender meat the we are all familiar with.

Although this recipe is quite time consuming and not for a beginner chef, the taste proves that it is definately well worth the effort.

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Murgh Makhani

Source: curry

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Serves: 4 - 6

3Z

1 teaspoon crushed ginger

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons chilli powder

juice of 1/2 lemon

800 grams boned chicken thighs, skin and fat removed, cut in half or diced

100 grams plain Greek-style yoghurt

1/4 teaspoon garam marsala

1.25 kilograms tomatoes, cut in half

125 ml water

2.5cm piece fresh root ginger crushed

4 garlic cloves, peeled

4 green cardamom pods

2 cloves

1 cinnamon leaf or bay leaf

1 1/2 tablespoons Kashmiri chilli powder

60 grams butter, cut into small pieces

2.5 cm piece frest root ginger finely chopped

2 green chillies, each slit into 4

75 mls single cream

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons sugar

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To make the marinade, mix together the crushed ginger, crusher garlic, salt, chilli powder and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the chicken and using your hands coat the pieces with the mixutre. Set aside for 20 minutes. Mix the yoghurt with the garam masala and apply to the mariated chicekn. Set aside for another 10 minutes.

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Thread the chicken on to skewers. Cook over the grill plate, barbecue or in the oven for 15 - 18 minutes, thurning the skeweres to cook evenly on both sides. Don't worry if some parts blacken as this actually adds to the flavour.

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While the chicken is cooking make the sauce. Place the tomatoes in a pot with 125 ml water and add the crushed ginger, garlic, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon/bay leaf. Cook until the tomatoes are completely broken down and soft. Remove from the heat and either using hand-held blender or a food processor, puree the mixture. Press through a sieve to make a very smooth puree.

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Return the puree to the pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the chilli powder. Cook until the puree starts to thicken, then slowly incorporate the butter, little by little, stirring constantly. The sauce will become glossy.

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Remove the chicken from the skewers and add to the puree along with any juices. Simmer for 5 - 6 minutes. As the sauce begins to thicken, add the chopped ginger, slit green chillis and cream. Continute simmering until the sauce is thick enough to coat the chicken.

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Remove from the heat before the fat separates out and comes to the surface of the dish. If this happens simply stir in 1- 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon more of cream and remove immediately from the heat. Add the salt, ground fenugreek leaves and garam masala and mix well. Check the seasoning and add the sugar if needed. Serve hot.

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Note to make this more child friendly or milder I would omit using the green chillies and also add about twice the amount of cream, depending on the mildness you require - you could also reduce the amount of Kashmiri chilli powder that you use.

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A tandoor is a clay oven used to back breads and other dishes in North India and Pakistan. The fire is fuel by charcoal and ofent kept lit all day. It is the focal point in many homes and some villages even have a communal tandoor where, believe it or not, gossip is as important as cooking.