Wilted Spinach Salad - Blue Monday

Alert the media! Our Connor, just turned one, is walking and talking. He's also learning how to share - kinda.







From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of my favorite salads and, because of its color, it's one that I love to serve with holiday meals. The various components of the salad can be prepared well ahead of time, then tossed together just before serving, making it an easy dish for a busy hostess. The bacon in the salad and the drippings in the dressing makes it appealing to all meat eaters. This is a salad that seems to fall in and out of favor with cooks. Fortunately, it is good enough to be re-invented on a regular basis. I find this salad to be enormously appealing and have been known to prepare a mealsize portion of it when left on my own for dinner. You can, of course, substitute another salad dressing for the bacon and vinegar mixture called for here. Any well flavored vinaigrette will do, but I'm especially fond of the real deal. If you haven't tried this salad, I hope you will give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Wilted Spinach Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
5 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 slices bacon (about 2 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 hard boiled egg, peeled and very finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Place spinach and mushrooms in large bowl. Fry bacon in small skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes; transfer with slotted spoon to paper towel–lined plate, leaving fat in skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and add oil, onion, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar; swirl to incorporate. Pour warm dressing over spinach and toss gently to wilt. Sprinkle bacon and chopped egg over spinach; serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Fresh Crispy Pear Salad - Through the Bugs on My Windshield
Best Broccoli Salad - Stacy Snacks
Beet Greens and Tomato Salad - Cooking with Corey
Pear, Blue Cheese, Walnut and Bacon Salad - Modern Comfort Food
Watercress Salad with Miso-Lime Dressing - The Health Seeker's Kitchen
Orange Beetroot Salad - Angie's Kitchen
Chickpea and Spinach Salad - Expat Kitchen
Winter Fruit Salad - The Sweet's Life
Baby Spinach Salad with Pear and Pomegranate - Chef Tom's Kitchen
Fennel and Orange Salad - Ciao Chow Linda

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Stracciatella - Roman Egg Drop Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This soup makes a delightfully easy and delicious light meal. It is not substantial enough for everyone, but most folks enjoy the soup as a separate course or as part of a larger meal. While this recipe is Roman, the Chinese and the Greeks have nearly identical soups in their repertoires and I sense we'd be in trouble if we try to assign the soup a country of origin. There's not much to this. It consists of a good broth into which eggs, mixed with semolina and grated cheese, are dropped. The eggs are stirred vigorously, causing them to break them into the characteristic flakes or shards that resemble rags. The rags, called straccetti in Italian, are what give the soup its name. Years ago, the soup was eaten at least once a week, but it popularity has waned in recent years. That's a shame. It is a lovely restorative soup. I hope you'll try it at least once. Here's the recipe.

Stracciatella - Roman Egg Drop Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 quarts chicken broth
4 eggs
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano
1 tablespoon very finely minced parsley (optional)
3-4 tablespoons semolina (optional)
A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions:
1) Combine eggs, semolina, grated cheese, parsley and nutmeg in a small bowl. Add a ladle of cold broth and beat mixture lightly with a fork or whisk.
2) Bring remainder of broth to a boil. Add egg mixture all at once, stirring vigorously with a whisk or fork so as to break egg mass into small flakes or shards. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, and serve, passing additional grated cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemon Soup - 400 Calories or Less
Soupa Avgolemono - Living the Gourmet
Chinese Egg Drop Soup - Sea Salt with Food
Mushroom Egg Drop Soup - Simply Life
Stracciatella alla Roma - Memorie di Angelina
Enoki Miso Soup - Indonesia Eats
Avgolemono - One Perfect Bite
Ginger Egg Drop Soup - White On Rice Couple

Tomato Clafoutis

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...You know there's too much on your plate when green tomatoes, meant for relish, turn bright red on the pantry shelf while waiting to be used. While there'll be no chow-chow this year, there is an upside to all of this. Those no longer green tomatoes will give me an opportunity to share an old recipe with you. It was developed by Patricia Wells and while it's called a clafoutis, I honestly think it's texture is more like that of a frittata. I'll leave final judgment to those of you who experiment with the recipe. Whatever you chose to call it, rest assured that it's a nice entree for lunch or a light supper. The dish is far more attractive when it's made with uniformly sized Roma tomatoes. Unfortunately, I had to use those pesky no longer green tomatoes to make mine. This is more time consuming than most custard dishes. The tomatoes must be skinned before they are cored and seeded. They are then cut, salted and left to drain on paper toweling for at least 30 minutes to rid them of moisture. Too much juice can spoil the custard, so don't rush this step. I actually let mine drain for about 1 hour before proceeding with the recipe. Once the tomatoes are done, the remainder of the recipe is child's play. I hope you'll give it a try. Here's how it's made.

Tomato Clafoutis...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
2 pounds Roma tomatoes, peeled, cored, quartered, seeded and juiced
Salt
2 whole eggs + 2 additional egg yolks
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 10-inch round baking dish. Set aside.
2) Salt tomatoes and drain on several thicknesses of paper toweling for 30 to 60 minutes.
3) Place eggs, cream, half of Parmesan cheese and half of thyme in in a small bowl. Whisk to
combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
4) Layer tomatoes on bottom of baking dish. Pour batter over tomatoes. Sprinkle with remainder of cheese and thyme.
5) Bake until batter is set, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Tomato, Zucchini and Goat Cheese Clafoutis - What's for Lunch Honey
Eggplant Clafoutis - Eating Club Vancouver
Rose Murray's Roasted Tomato Clafoutis - More Than Burnt Toast
Bistro Artichoke Clafoutis - Sippity Sup
Romanesco Claufoutis with Soy Ricotta - Vegalicious
David Boulud's Asparagus Clafoutis - La Belle Cuisine

Garlic Chive Omelette

Garlic Chives aka Chinese Chives is the first green that will be on the ground after the long winter and it is a very welcome sight. It is a very forgiving plant which does not need much attention and a tiny patch of it, is suffice for many meals through the summer. This omelette is one of recipes using this garlic chives.

Here are some nutritional information:  they are rich in vitamin C. Chives leaves are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin A. Garlic chives is high in carotene, thiamine, and riboflavin. Garlic chives is also rich in minerals, especially calcium and iron.was used in traditional folk medicine to treat intestinal parasites, enhance the immune system, stimulate digestion, and treat anemia.  It has long been used to treat fatigue, help control excessive bleeding, and as an antidote for ingested poisons. The leaves and bulbs are applied to insect bites, cuts, and wounds, while the seeds are used to treat kidney, liver, and digestive system problems. 

This vegetable saved my life  - when i was 2 or 3 years old, i was having a metal whisle in my mouth while i was having my bath, the whisle was tiny, like the pepermint candy which has a hole in the middle.  As soon as my mom lay me down on to the towel, oops - i swallowed the whisle.  I had to go to the doctor right away and was told that the only thing to do was to wait - yes, wait for it to come out the other end.  The most important thing was not to allow the whisle to get rusty and to do so, i have to drown in alot of cod liver oil and eat as much of this garlic chives as possible.  The whisle did come out, vegetable and all. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of garlic chives - chopped
4 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
oil for frying

Method:

Beat eggs with salt and pepper.

Add in the chopped chives.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and pour in all the egg mixture to make a large omelette or fry it by spoonful into tiny patties.

Serve warm with white rice.. 

Hong Kong Egg Tarts

I love Dim Sum and would love to go 'Yum Cha' which is our term for having a meal in the Dim Sum Restaurant, in any cities i visit.  Egg Tarts are one of the favorites to order.  The Egg Tarts served in most Dim Sum Restaurants are made with flaky pastry and they are so well baked with perfection, the pastry so light and flaky, the custard is smooth and sweet..  I have tried baking them but found it very challenging.  Have not been happy with my results and am still trying.  And, until i make some good flaky pastry egg tarts,  these Hong Kong  Egg Tarts which has shortcrust pastry, were accepted with glee by Renee,  she ate these in Hong Kong and loved them.

Ingredients:

Crust:

8 ozs all-purpose flour
2 ozs powdered/confectioner's sugar
a pinch of salt
4 1/2 ozs chilled butter - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Custard Filling:
3 large eggs
4 ozs fine granulated sugar (take away 1 tbsp for lesser sweetness)
225 ml  hot water
3 fl ozs evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 drops of yellow yolk food coloring

 
 
 
 
 

Method:
 
To Make The Crust:
 
Put all-purpose flour, powdered sugar and salt into the food processor and pulse to mix.
 
Add in chilled cubed butter and pulse until fine breadcrumb like.
 
Add vanilla extract to beaten egg and then add into flour mixture with the machine running and stop machine as soon as the dough is formed.  Do not overmixed.
 
Remove and wrap dough with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using.
 
To Make the Filling:
 
Put sugar and water in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for 1 to 1/2 minutes and stir until sugar dissolves.
 
Add in evaporated milk, food coloring and vainlla, stir well.
 
Beat eggs lightly and add in to the above.
 
Pass through a very fine sieve, then fold a piece of kitchen towel into a strip and then run it over the top of the egg mixture to remove the bubbles.
 
Leave aside while you prepare the tarts.
 
To prepare the tarts:
 
Grease the tart moulds lightly.
 
Remove chilled dough, knead lightly and divide into small pieces(for my tart moulds, i use 3/4 oz).
 
Form dough into a tiny disk that will fit the base of the mould, then using the thumb, press dough so that it comes up the side of the mould.  Dough can be slightly higher than the mould but not too much - higher will allow more room for more filling but if too high, it will form a lip as this dough recipe is very soft.)
 
Repeat until all the tart moulds are formed.  Formed tart moulds can be kept in the fridge well wrapped until you need to bake them.
 
Preheat oven to 450 f and put the rack to the lowest rung of the oven.(Friends at sea-level can bake @ 400f)
 
Fill the formed tart moulds with egg filling to slightly lower than the rim, do not overfill.
 
Bake @ 450f for 10 mins and then lower the lower the heat to 400 f(sea-level @ 375 f) for another 15 minutes.  Baking time differs from the size of the tart moulds, so visual monitoring is important.  The crust has to be browned and the custard should not be overcooked.  The custard will puff slightly - yes slightly, then it is a sign for doneness,  you might have to remove some of the tarts which will cook faster than the rest as there are hot spots in most oven.  If  the custard puffs up and the crust is not brown enough, the oven door can be opened and left ajar for a while to lower the temperature in the oven, then it can be closed to finish the baking) 
 
Good luck and enjoy.
 
 
Serves

Mock Shark Fin's Omelette

It has been such a long time that i have attended a chinese wedding dinner - an eight course one. The most memorable will be this first dish which was supposed to be an appetizer - The Four Seasons. It was the most welcome platter cos, malaysian guests were noted for never being on-time, so can you imagine how hungry everyone must be. There were four types severed on a lovely garnished huge plate and i did not really cared which represented which season but this omelette was more often than not, will be one of them but it was cooked with Shark Fins. Here, i have fried my omelette with bean sprouts instead - not because i am turning 'green' cos i don't have Shark Fins - who has???

Ingredients:

1 cup crab meat - mix with 1 tbsp shaoxing wine and steam for 3 minutes.

1 cup bean sprouts - heads and tails removed

3 large eggs

salt and pepper to taste

oil for frying

chopped spring onions/cilantro for garnishing

Iceberg lettuce (optional)

Method:

Beat eggs with salt and pepper.

Add in the crab meat and bean sprouts.

Heat up oil and when oil is shimmering, add in the egg mixture and stir. Continue to stir until egg is cooked and set.

Dish out and serve hot.

Serves

Ground Pork With Salted Eggs

This is a traditional home-style dish. mostly passed on within families, and my paternal hokkien grandma used to serve this style which is very firm unlke the soft version. Trust me, it is VERY good as it is intentionally made to taste salty, so it goes well with white rice. Salted eggs are made with duck eggs but i will make with chicken eggs which are less expensive - there are 2 ways to make Homemade Salted eggs, i prefer this method better - Homemade Salted Eggs II.

Ingredients:

2 salted duck eggs, separated

1 pounds ground pork
2 eggs
1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp white sugar
1 tsp white pepper

2 tbsp garlic fragrant oil

1 tsp sesame oil

Method:

Separate the white of the salted egg from the yolk. Divide the yolk into four pieces and mix the whites to the eggs. Beat the eggs lightly.

Mix in the ground pork and the seasonings. Lastly arrange the salted egg-yolks on top.

Drizzle with garlic fragrant oil and put to steam on low-medium heat until cooked.

Remove from steamer and drizzle with sesame oil.

Serve hot.

Serves

Bittergourd Omelette

I like bittergourd but the family don't. I will take the opportunity to cook it when i have company who enjoys the bittergourd as much as i do. This dish must be Hakka cos strangely my friends who love them are Hakka.

There are 2 types of bittergourd, one which is long and the other is a smaller fruit which is very much bitter. In choosing a less bitter fruit, that is the bigger ones, choose one which is pale and has bigger bumps. .

Ingredients:

1 bittergourd - cut into half and remove the seeds.

1 tsp salt

3 large eggs - beat lightly

1 clove garlic chopped

salt and pepper to taste

oil for frying

Method:

Slice the thinly and marinate with 1 tsp of salt. Leave aside for at least 10 minustes.

Squeeze the marinated sliced bittergourd, to remove as much liquid as possible.

Wash the bittergourd under tap water and drain dry.

Heat wok with 2 tbsp oil and when oil is hot, add in the chopped garlic and the bittergourd. Stir fry until bittergourd is cooked.

Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the beaten eggs.

Pour eggs over bittergourd and fry until eggs are set and brown.

Serve hot.


Serves

Lo Soi Duck

A simple preparation, transformed into a classic treasure by the 'lo soi' which is a stock-sauce or mother sauce, once made, may be kept and used indefinitely, over and over, through the years, replenished by the poultry and . seasonings that are cooked in it. This duck dish has a deep and intense flavor and is an enjoyable meal.


Ingredients:

Mother Sauce:

3 pieces of cinnamon sticks - 3" long

3 pieces eight-star anise

3/4 tsp sichuan peppercorns

3/4 tsp whole cloves

2 tsps fennel seeds

1 whole nutmeg

8 pieces licorice root

1 piece fresh ginger - 3" long, lightly smashed

4 pieces galangal 2" long, lightly smashed

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

1 1/2 quarts cold water

2 1/2 cups thick dark soya sauce

1 1/2 cups light soya sauce

1/4 cup Mui Kwai/Rose Wine

1 lb rock sugar

1 duck - 5 pounds or more

Method:

To make the mother sauce:

Wrap all the spices, from cinnamon to galangal, in cheesecloth and sew close.

In a large, covered stockpot, bring the water, chicken,spice package and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, leave the lid cracked, and simmer for 3 hours.

Add the soya sauces, rose wine and rock sugar and raise the heat back to high and bring to a boil. Stir to make certain all ingredients are blended and the sugar is dissolved.

The sauce is ready for use.

To cook the duck with the mother sauce:

Place a rack at the bottom of a large pot. Place the duck on the rack. Pour in the mother sauce. The duck should be completely immersed. Cover the pot, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, leave the lid cracked, and simmer for `1 3/4 to 2 hours, turning the duck 2 or 3 times.

Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow the duck to rest in the liquid for 30 minutes. Remove the duck, cut into bite-sized pieces and serve warm.

A chicken may be cooked in this as well, with no alteration of the recipe and tofu or hard-boiled eggs can be steeped in this sauce too.

Vietnamese meatloaf/Cha Trung Hap

My paternal grandmother used to cook an egg dish which is quite similar but not quite as her recipe is just eggs and ground pork. I remembered she used duck eggs instead of chicken eggs and had to put in alot of pepper to muffled the 'egginess' of the duck eggs.

This vietnamese recipe has more ingredients and putting the egg yolks on top of the loaf gives this dish so much more appeal.

Ingredients:

5 eggs
1 lb ground pork
3 tbsp dried shredded wood ear mushroom - soak to soften
1/2 a bundle of glass noodle - soak to soften, drain and cut into 1/4 inch lengths

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1 teaspoon salt

2 stalks spring onions - chopped
2-3 tsp fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Coriander for garnishing

Method:

Reserve 2 egg yolks and beat remaining eggs and egg whites.

Mix all remaining ingredients into beaten eggs.

Pour mixture into a large heatproof (flameproof) bowl and steam covered over medium heat for about 25 minutes.

Beat reserved egg yolks and pour over steamed egg mixture. Steam for 5 minutes.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot with steamed rice.

To test if the dish is cooked, simply insert a bamboo skewer into the middle of the meatloaf and if the skewer come out clean, the dish is cooked.




Serves

Hard Boiled Eggs

Cooking hard boiled eggs can be a hassle because you have to kor hui and kor chui in hokkien, jaga api and jaga air in Malay and in english, meaning you have to regulated the heat and the amount of water used.
Jean Scully was so kind to share this method of cooking the eggs whereby you don't have to worry whether they are over-cooked or under-cooked.


Ingredients:

Rice Cooker

2 sheets of Kitchen Towel

2 or more eggs(enough to put in a single layer in the rice cooker)

Method:

Wet 2 sheets of kitchen towels and wring out excess water.

Put them in the rice cooker

Put 2 or more eggs on top of wet kitchen towels

Close the lid of rice cooker and press 'cook'.

When the 'cook' button is off and turns to 'warm' - eggs should be ready if they were in room temperature to start with, but if they were from the fridge, keep cooked eggs in the 'warm' function for a while to fully hard cooked the eggs.

Viola!! Hard boiled eggs

Happy Birthday Denver - Denver Omelette

Why is a Denver omelette called a Denver omelette if no parts of Colorado are actually in the filling? Yet another mystery of life. Have to make this omelette for breakfast today to commemorate Denver's 150th year today - HAPPY BIRTHDAY - 5280 @ 150. Perhaps these numbers will be lucky for 4 ekor fans in Malaysia and Singapore.


Ingredients:

2 teaspoons butter or margarine

1 tablespoons chopped fully cooked ham

1 tablespoon finely chopped bell pepper

2 tablespoon finely chopped onion

2 eggs, beaten with salt and pepper

Method:

Heat butter in 8-inch omelette pan or skillet over medium-high heat just until butter begins to brown. As butter melts, tilt pan to coat bottom. Cook ham, bell pepper and onion in butter, stirring frequently.

Quickly pour eggs into pan. While sliding pan back and forth rapidly over heat, quickly stir with fork to spread eggs continuously over bottom of pan as they thicken. Let stand over heat a few seconds to lightly brown bottom of omelet. (Do not overcook—omelet will continue to cook after folding.)

Tilt pan and run spatula under edge of omelette, then jerk pan sharply to loosen eggs from bottom of pan. Fold portion of omelette nearest you just to center. (Allow for portion of omelette to slide up side of pan.) Turn omelette onto warm plate, flipping folded portion of omelette over so it rolls over the bottom. Tuck sides of omelet under if necessary.


Serves