Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Prawn Croutons

First up, this was a really nice soup but I can't find the pictures for it. Please just try to visualise it.


Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

1 - Red Pepper - roasted till charred, peeled and chopped
2 - Tomatoes - medium sized, chopped
6 - Chilli Padi - sliced
6 - Shallots - chopped
4 - Garlic cloves - chopped
1 - Ginger - thumb-sized, thinly sliced
Fresh Coriander, remove the roots, separate the stem and leaves - chop the stem, save some of the leaves for garnish

1 cup of good chicken stock
Salt
Pepper
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions -
1. Heat the oil over a low flame.
2. Sauté the chilli padi, shallots, garlic, ginger and coriander stem till fragrant and the mixture looks translucent.
3. Add the red pepper. Sauté for a few minutes.
4. Add the tomato, sauté till soft.
5. Turn off the stove and allow to cool.
6. Pulse is a food processor till really smooth.
7. Return to a clean pot, add the stock. Allow to simmer.
8. Check for salt.
9. Add pepper.

Prawn Croutons

Ingredients -
8 – Prawns, medium sized - shelled, cleaned and chopped coarsely
2 – Garlic cloves - finely chopped
4 – Chilli padi - de-seeded and finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 – tablespoon olive oil.


Directions -
1. Mix all the ingredients and let sit for about 20-30mins.
2. Heat a wok on high, add oil and stir fry till the prawns cook thoroughly and brown just bit.

3. Serve up the soup and sprinkle with the prawn croutons and chopped coriander leaf.

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Mango-Avocado Salsa

This is an extremely easy dish to put together. You would need no more than 25 minutes.

Ingredients
2 - Chicken Breasts
Salt
Pepper

Salsa

1 - Avocado - skinned and cubed
1 - Mango - skinned and cubed
3 - Chilli padi - de-seeded and finely chopped
Small bunch - Coriander leaf - finely chopped
Small bunch - Spring onion - chopped
2 tablespoons - Lemon juice

Directions -

1. Clean the chicken breasts.
2. Rub salt and pepper all over.
3. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

4. Heat a pan grill. (I use a non-stick so no need for oil)

5. Grill the chicken for about 7-9 minutes on each side.

6. Allow to cool for 2 minutes before slicing.
7. Just before serving up, mix all the salsa ingredients. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve chicken with the salsa.

Moroccan Meat Loaf

Ingredients

500 grams - Ground lamb
1 large red onion – finely chopped
4 cloves garlic – finely chopped
1 red chilli – de-seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon - Ras el Hanout
1 tablespoon – olive oil
1 egg – lightly beaten
½ cup – instant oats, lightly toasted and ground
Coriander leaf

Directions –
1. Heat oil.
2. Sauté the onions, garlic and chilli till soft and translucent.
3. Add the ras el hanout and stir to prevent burning. Fry till fragrant.
4. Increase heat.
5. Add lamb and brown. Turn off heat and cool completely.

6. In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, the egg, coriander leaf and meat.
7. Mix thoroughly.
8. Press into an oiled loaf tin.
9. Bake on medium high for 45 minutes, uncovered.
10. Serve with a red cabbage coleslaw and couscous.

Garlic Prawns

Ingredients

1 Chef Garlic (or about 3-4 regular cloves of garlic, finely chopped)
2 Fresh Red Chilies (de-seeded, finely chopped)
2oo grams Fresh Prawns (shelled, cleaned and rinsed really well, drain well)
2 - 3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions








1. Heat oil on low flame

2. Saute garlic till fragant








3. Add chili, saute till colour of chili deepens.

4. Increase heat. Listen for the sizzle.








5. Add prawns, stir briskly for about 1.5 - 2 minutes



6. Serve hot.

Kangkong with Dried Prawn Sambal

Ingredients

150 grams kangkong leaves (discard stem)

Dried Prawn Sambal (This is for more than needed, use the remainder as a bread spread. Store in fridge)

150 grams Shallots, peeled and chopped finely

50 grams Dried Prawn – soaked in hot water, drained and pound finely

20 grams Dried Chili – chopped up, soak in hot water, de-seed and pound finely

1 piece Chef garlic – chopped finely

3 tablespoons oil

Directions for Dried Prawn Sambal

1. Heat 2 tablespoon oil, sauté garlic on a low heat till fragrant. Do not allow to burn.

2. Add the shallots, sauté till transculent.

3. Add chilli, sauté till the paste as reduced slightly and colour has deepened.

4. Add the dried prawn and stir till all the ingredients have combined well and the most of the moisture has evaporated.

5. Keep aside.

Directions for Kangkong Stir Fry

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil.

2. Add about 2 tablespoons of the Dried Prawn Sambal. Sauté to heat through.

3. Add the kangkong leaves. Stir fry till cooked.

4. Serve hot.

Grilled Chicken with ABC Sauce (Ayam Panggang)

This is an extremely easy to do dish.

Ingredients

Half chicken, skinned and cleaned, pat dry

100 grams Shallots, sliced finely

100 grams Butter , use salted

4 tablespoons ABC Sauce (Kecap manis)

Directions

1. Heat butter till it starts to foam

2. Add shallots, stir to coat in butter

3. Sauté till golden brown

4.Remove from heat and allow to cool.

5. Add ABC sauce

6. Pulse in food processor till the shallot bits are chopped up.

7. Spread sauce on the chicken. Allow to marinate for about 20 minutes.

8. Pre-heat oven to 150 – 200 Celsius. Best results in a broiler or grill.

9. Roast / Grill for about 30 - 40 minutes.

10. Serve hot with white rice and side dishes.

I live in a jungle and I love it!

I got inspired a week ago to take these pictures of my plants.

I just love the lushness and the faint fragrance of green in the air when i get home.

These plants are really easy maintenance; I water them just 2- 3 times a week.

No special foods, just tap water and sometimes, the rinse water from rice. (Just like what my Mother used to do...)

- My doorway

- I love my Dracaenas, I have two. One completely green and the other has streaks of yellow.


- My yellow Dracaena and my Japanese bamboo (i read somewhere its called Sasa palmata)


- This is my magic bean plant that I mentioned earlier. Its taken over the top of the gate. Notice the dried plam leaf? That's from my colleague Tracy. Its for Palm Sunday and as any good Catholic gurl knows, its a symbolic welcome to the Lord.


- My yellow Hellaconia. Waiting for it to bloom. And yes, its the same as the roadside plants. I got mine at IKEA. Its a very hardy plant. Always has new leaves sprouting.

I will take pictures of the smaller plants and my 30 year old curry leaf plant for another posting.

Enjoy these.