Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Friday, March 15, 2013

{food} Cabbage Salad Recipe

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"I'm so glad I spent all that money on sending you to University - you learnt to make that delicious cabbage salad! Oh yes... and you also found a husband"  - my dad.


In my final year of university, I lived with 5 other girls. All five of these girls were gourmet chefs. I most definitely am not a gourmet chef. We cooked in pairs and rotated partners each night which was great for me, because I was never responsible for feeding the masses on my own. My cooking partner for each week - would ultimately put me in charge of chopping things - which is the job always given to the lesser (un)-chef. I got this job every time. There was that one time that my cooking partner let me partake in the actual cooking for the night and that was the very same occasion that we knocked over an entire bottle of olive oil (all over the counter and floor), set fire to a tray of roasting nuts - smoked out the whole kitchen and lounge, accidentally poured an entire bottle of salt into the frying pan and served meat to the vegetarian. That's a true story, you can ask Lauren.

Needless to say, I was back on permanent chopping duty very soon after that.

In my time with the gourmet chefs, I did learn to make the most AMAZING cabbage salad. (Mainly because all it requires is chopping). I made it the other night at home and one of my friends requested the recipe - so i thought I would share it here, because you should probably make it tonight. Because it's delicious. And, trust me - even (un)-chefs can master it. 


Ingredients
  • Half a Cabbage
  • A bunch of Spring Onions
To Roast under the Grill:
  • 2 packs of 2 Minute Noodles (roughly broken up)
  • 2 handfuls of Sunflower Seeds
  • 2 handfuls of Flaked Almonds
Mix Together to make the Sauce
  • 1 packet (or 2 if you prefer) of 2 Minute Noodle BBQ or BEEF flavouring
  • A quarter cup olive oil
  • A quarter cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soya sauce
Thinly slice up the cabbage and the spring onions. (We usually cut up a bit more cabbage).
Roast all the "roasting items" under the grill until they go golden and crunchy. (Watch it carefully -  it catches easily). Toss it around a bit to make sure it grills evenly.

Pour the roasted ingredients (almonds/sunflower seeds/noodles) onto the cabbage and spring onion.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together and pour it over the cabbage/onion/roasted noodle mix.

Mix well and Serve Immediately!
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And here is a pic of me and my digs mates dressed up as Zebras in black rubbish bags for a friend's 21st. I made the cool zebra head pieces for us and painted most of the bags, because - I had obviously been banned from the kitchen that night and needed to feel useful.

x smooches digsmates - can't wait to see you all at the wedding! x


And this is something else that went down in our University house...




Tuesday, July 17, 2012

pay it forward


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Maybe you know of someone who could do with a little pick-me-up. Take it from someone who does not cook - this is the easiest recipe to help you pass on a little love to someone who needs it. At home we call it the "Smartie Biscuit Recipe" and it's super quick, easy and delish. I failed at life since I could not find any Smarties in London - but I substituted them with M&Ms.

Smartie Biscuit Recipe

500g marg
1 and half cups sugar
1teaspoon vanilla essence
4 and 3/4 cups flour

Cream marg and sugar 

Add v essence. 
Add sifted
flour ( I dont sift!! - but maybe should!) 

Beat until smooth ( quite a stiff dough) 
Roll into balls
Press with a fork 
Decorate with
smarties.
Bake at 360'F for 18 - 20 mins

Allow to cool

YUMMY!!


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(I totally bought a hand-beater for the purpose of this recipe. Since this recipe is so easy it makes you feel like you are Nigella hence justifying the purchase of the handbeater).Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
I bought a big glass jar to put the cookies in and I designed a little label in three different sizes to stick on the jar. I added some ribbon on the jar neck and some washi tape to the cookie label.
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"Directions: enjoy with coffee and good mates"

You can download the PDF cookie jar label file here.
go share the love.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Korean Cookout

On Monday, we had a WONDERFUL day of Korean Cooking. Ji Sun, one of my *favourite* student's mom wanted to give us some Korean cooking lessons at her house... and it was a delicious FEAST!
We even had bought matching aprons. 
If you want to start cooking too and need any appliances or aprons, use this Williams Sonoma coupon code to help you save on some!

DISH ONE:  Cucumber Kimchi
Kimchi is a very popular/traditional Korean dish usually made from fermented Cabbage. There are many varieties and we made a Cucumber variation.
This is for cleaning. Then soak cucumber in a very salty hot water solution for about 30 - 40mins
Slice lengthways - but NOT all the way to the bottom...
Make the 'filling'
"BuChu" is a Korean vegetable - that looks a little like grass.
(kind of between chives and grass. haha.)
We are wondering if any grass will do...
Stuff the Cucumbers with the BuChu/grass mixture.

I made a quick recipe card:
you can download it HERE.


DISH TWO: Ddeok Bokki
This is a sweet and spicy Korean dish made with Korean Rice Cakes (Ddeok), Cabbage and spices. When the Ddeok (Rice cake) is substituted with instant noodles it is called Lakk Bokki.
The Ddeok Bokki Sauce includes Gochugang (Korean hot pepper paste), Sugar, Sea Tangle (kelp) and garlic. 

DISH THREE: Dubu Jjim
Korean Tofu dish - made with sauce of red chili, rice syrup, Soy sauce, Sesame Oil and pepper.


Download the Recipe HERE.

DISH FOUR: Korean Jeon:
Jeon is the Korean style pancake and can be made with a mixture of vegetables.

DISH FIVE: Keran Jjim:
Keran Jjim is an egg dish made using a specialised Korean jiggae-pot. The pot retains heat extra well and helps to steam the egg when stove top is switched off.
We used 5 eggs and equal parts water - (ie 10 half egg shell cups).
This is the iron Jiggae pot - which helps to retain heat.
Download the Recipe HERE.

DISH SIX: Ttak Doritang
This is a spicy chicken soup dish made with a mix of vegetables and spices.
One of the main ingredients is Gochu Karu -Korean Red Chili Powder
BuChu and Sesame seeds are used to garnish.
(left: Dubu Jjim, in background Korean Jeon)
Ddeok Bokki
the master chefs - and our matching aprons.
What a lovely day!
Thank you SO MUCH to Ji Sun - you are our Korean cooking Jengi! 
we love you ^^

Disclaimer - Most of these dishes require ingredients that are specialised to Korea - we have tried to think of some appropriate alternatives - if you think of any better ones - give it a go! ;)
graphics in the photographs via puglypixel.com

Also - if anyone is interested in the other recipes - i will write them up - I just have to check with my more "skilled" cooking friends as to the exact directions and substitutions...

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Chef school




WOW! che has managed to find such fantastically gifted chef-friends  - what a marvelous coincidence!

Laura makes THE BEST TURKEY CHILI ON THE BLOCK and I'm not going to try and recreate the recipe here because knowing me and kitchen related-anything I will mess it up and you will end up with marshmallow carrots.


But seriously, if you want the BEST turkey chili recipe, you should CLICK HERE.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Raw Chicken.

For anyone who does not know me. I am NOT a cook.










So far I have survived the day and Im still alive.


Wow my friend just sent me a link to an awesome cooking/recipe site for fresh inspired artists...
check it out! They draw and cook.