Creamed Spinach

Creamed Spinach

Taken from Wolfgang Puck's Masterclass.

Ingredients:

900g spinach

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups bechamel sauce

1 tsp salt

0.5 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1) Heat up some olive oil on a pan on medium heat. 

2) Add the spinach in, bit by bit, and cook until wilted (but not soggy). It should take around 2 to 3 minutes. Add a little bit of water if required.

3) Chop the spinach as finely as possible, and place it in a pot.

4) Warm the bechamel sauce, and gradually add it into the spinach while mixing. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a little bit of milk.

5) Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese

For this recipe, feel free to substitute the cheeses with other types of cheese such as parmesan cheese or aged cheddar.

Ingredients:

150g macaroni

1 cup of bechamel sauce

1 cup cheddar cheese

0.25 cup mozzarella cheese

0.25 cup breadcrumbs (optional)

Salt

Black pepper

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celcius.

2) Cook the macaroni, then let it dry it as much as possible.

3) Add the bechamel sauce slowly into the macaroni and mix it well.

4) Now add the cheddar and mozzarella cheese in and mix it well. 

5) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6) Spread out the macaroni mixture in an oven-proof pot or skillet, and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. 

7) Put the skillet into the oven until the top is golden brown. It should take around 8 to 12 minutes.

Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel sauce is commonly known as a mother sauce, and is one of the fundamental blocks of French cuisine. It serves as the base sauce for lasagna, croque monsieur, mac and cheese, and many other dishes.

It can also be used to make other sauces, such as cream sauce, mornay sauce, soubise sauce, and so on.

Ingredients:

0.25 cup flour

5 tbsp unsalted butter

3.6 cups milk

2 egg yolks

0.5 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1) Heat the milk in a pot until it is just about to boil. Keep an eye on it - once it boils, it will overflow very quickly, messing up your stove and kitchen. Set the whole pot aside.

2) Warm the unsalted butter over medium heat until it is melted. 

3) Lower the heat and add the flour slowly, stirring it continuously with a metal whisk until is smooth. Cook it for 2 to 3 minutes. If the mixture starts to get brown too quickly, take the pot off the fire occasionally. 

4) Add the milk to the butter mixture, ladle by ladle while stirring. Cook it for around 12 minutes. Again, if your fire is too strong, take the pot off the fire occasionally to prevent it from overcooking.

5) Turn off the fire. Add in the egg yolks, one at a time, and quickly whisk it into the mixture.

6)) Add the salt and nutmeg, mix it well, and the sauce is ready.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breasts

6 strips of bacon

Salt

Black pepper

0.4 cup creme fraiche

0.25 lemon 

Parsley (optional)

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius.

2) Season the chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper.

3) Wrap the bacon around the chicken breasts and place them on an oven-proof skillet.

4) Place the skillet into the oven for 25 minutes.

5) Change the oven mode to grill and increase the temperature to 250 degrees Celcius for around 2-3 more minutes, or until the bacon turns crispy.

6) Take the skillet out from the oven and remove the chicken breasts. 

7) Add the creme fraiche and lemon juice in the skillet. Turn on the heat and mix well.

8) Drizzle the mixture over the chicken breasts and garnish with some parsley. 

Pan-Fried Pork Ribeye

Pan-fried Pork Ribeye

Ingredients:

2 pork ribeyes

⅓ tsp salt

0.25 tsp black pepper

0.25 tsp dried oregano

Instructions:

1) Mix the salt, dried oregano and black pepper. Use it to season all sides of the pork.

2) Heat up some oil with a skillet. Once the oil is hot, put the pork ribeyes in and fry it for around 5 minutes each side. Avoid moving the pork to give it a better sear.

3) Use a meat thermometer to check its doneness - once it reaches 58 degrees Celcius, you can remove it from the pan, cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes. During this time it will continue to cook and reach its optimal internal temperature of around 63 degrees Celcius.

Pesto Sauce

Pesto Sauce

Homemade pesto sauce tastes worlds apart from store-bought ones. And it is not difficult to make as well, though it requires some tasting and adjustments. 

For the basil leaves, you can try getting them from NTUC Fairprice Finest, which sells 30g for only $1.55.  So far this is the cheapest I could find (other than growing it yourself); other places, including NTUC Fairprice Xtra, were selling it for up to $3.55 or so for 30g.

If you find pine nuts too expensive (which they really are!), almonds can serve as a good substitute as well.

Ingredients:

90g basil leaves

⅓ cup of pine nuts or almonds

0.25 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

0.5 tsp salt

0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1) This step is optional - you can toast the nuts for a short while, maybe around 2 to 3 minutes. 

2) Now add everything into a blender, except for the olive oil. Add just half of it. 

3) Blend it while adding in the rest of the olive oil slowly, until mixture is smooth. 

4) This step is very important - taste. Then adjust it accordingly, with either more parmesan cheese, salt or olive oil.

Mediterranean-Style Sole

Mediterranean-Style Sole

Taken from Massimo Bottura's Masterclass. I love this dish; it is simple, healthy and delicious. The fish can be turbot, sea bass, or snapper as well.

(Picture taken before cooking)

Ingredients:

2 white fish fillets

10 slices of lemon, sliced very thinly and with seeds removed

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

100g black Italian olives, pitted

10g capers

2 tbsp parsley

1 egg, lightly beaten

Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius, and season the fillets with salt.

2) Place the fillets on a piece of baking paper, and arrange the lemon slices evenly on top of the fillets. Place the tomatoes, olives, capers and parsley uniformly across the fish, then drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

3) Brush the edge of the baking paper with the egg, then place another piece of baking paper over the fish, lining it up with the first sheet. Fold the edge of both pieces of baking paper up and over a few times, covering the fish entirely.

4) Place in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

5) Use a pair of scissors to cut a slit on top of the packet, and transfer the contents to a plate and serve.

Steamed Pork Ribs

Steamed Pork Ribs

Most recipes for steamed pork ribs involve using black bean sauce, but after it induced a gout attack for me I stopped using it. 

For steamed pork ribs, the freshness and type of pork really matters. I would recommend using Indonesian pork for this; it really makes a big difference.

Ingredients:

500g of pork spare ribs

4 tsp light soy sauce

4 tsp cooking wine

0.5 tsp salt

0.5 tsp sugar

1.5 tsp corn flour

3 tsp minced garlic

1-2 bunches of spring onion

Instructions:

1) Add the soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, garlic, sugar and corn flour into the pork ribs and mix well. Let it marinate for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

2) Let the pork ribs rest at room temperature for 20 minutes or so, then steam it for 20 to 25 minutes.

3) Sprinkle with spring onion and serve.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Vegetables

Stir-Fried Chicken Breast with Vegetables

This is an easy dish, and the chicken breast can be replaced with thigh meat if you wish. Similarly, the vegetables can be easily substituted.

Since the sauce is a bit thick, it goes well with rice.

Ingredients:

200g of chicken breast, cut into 2cm cubes

200g of nai bai

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon corn flour

2 teaspoons concentrated chicken stock

3 tablespoons light soy sauce

0.25 cup honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Olive oil

Salt

White pepper

Instructions:

1) In a mixing bowl, add the corn flour and around 3 tablespoons of water. Whisk it well, then add the concentrated chicken stock, light soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and some white pepper. Mix well again, and set aside.

2) Season the chicken breast cubes with some salt and white pepper.

3) Heat up some oil on a skillet, then add the chicken in. Cook for around 5 minutes, then remove from skillet and set aside.

4) Add a bit more oil to the skillet, then add the minced garlic in. Once it starts to turn brown, add the nai bai in and saute until it is cooked.

5) Add the chicken back to the skillet and mix.

6) Whisk the sauce again before pouring it into the skillet. Mix well and let it cook for another minute or so, then serve.

Pan-Fried Pork Chops

Pan-Fried Pork Chops

Taken from Food Network.

Ingredients:

2 pork chops

0.25 cup of flour

1 teaspoon of butter

Cayenne pepper

Salt

Black pepper

Instructions:

1) Dry the pork chops as much as possible, then add salt and black pepper to both sides.

2) Mix the flour with some salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Dredge each side of the pork chop in the mixture.

3) Heat some oil on a skillet, and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the pork chops in and cook it for around 2 to 3 minutes on one side. 

4) Flip and cook the pork chops for another 1 to 2 minutes. Ensure that the juices do not run red or pink.

5) Serve.

Swordfish Steaks

Swordfish Steaks

Ingredients:

2 swordfish steaks

1.5 tablespoons of butter

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

1 teaspoon of parsley

0.5 teaspoon of lemon zest

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Black pepper

Salt

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius, then mix the butter, garlic, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl. Add some black pepper and salt.

2) Dry the swordfish steaks as much as possible, and season both sides with salt and black pepper.

3) Heat up some oil in an oven-proof pan, and add the swordfish steaks in for around 3 minutes.

4) Flip the steaks, and transfer the whole pan into the oven for 6 minutes.

5) Transfer the steaks to plates, and add the butter mixture into the pan. Deglaze the pan, then pour the mixture over the steaks. Serve.

Minced Beef and Peas with Rice

Minced Beef and Peas with Rice

This is an extremely easy recipe - almost zero skill required, since it's mostly "throw everything in at one go" and cook.

Ingredients:

225g of minced beef

40ml sake

30ml light soy sauce

30ml dashi or water

0.5 tablespoon sugar

0.25 cup frozen peas

0.5 tablespoon grated ginger

2.5 cups cooked rice

Instructions:

1) Mix the minced beef, sake, light soy sauce, dashi/water and sugar in a small skillet. Cook it for around 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the beef.

2) Add the peas and ginger in and cook for around 3 to 4 more minutes. The liquid should have mostly evaporated.

3) Serve over hot rice.

Miso Glazed Eggplant

Miso Glazed Eggplant

Referenced from pickledplum.

Ingredients:

2 small to medium eggplants

0.2 cup miso paste

2 tablespoons of mirin

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 tablespoon of sake

Sesame seeds (optional)

Spring onion (optional)

Instructions:

1) Add the miso, sake, mirin and sugar into a small bowl. Mix it well until it is smooth.

2) Pre-heat the oven to 230 degrees Celcium at grill.

3) Cut each eggplant to half lengthwise. Score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern.

4) Coat a pan with oil at high heat, then place the eggplants in, skin side down. It should take a few minutes for the skin to turn brown.

5) Flip the eggplants over and cover the pan for around 3 to 4 minutes. 

6) Flip the eggplants back (skin-side down) and add the miso mixture evenly on the eggplants.

7) Place the pan (if it is oven-proof) into an oven and grill it for 4 minutes.

8) Add some sesame seeds and spring onion, and serve.

Braised Beef Brisket/Shin

Braised Beef Brisket/Shin

Ingredients:

600g beef brisket or beef shin, cut into 5cm chunks

4cm ginger, sliced

2 star anise pods

1 cinnamon stick, halved

1 garlic clove

30ml of cooking wine

0.5 tablespoon of dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon of light soy sauce

0.5 tablespoon of oyster sauce

0.5 tablespoon of sugar

80ml of blanching liquid

Spring onion

Instructions:

1) Add the beef into a pot and half the ginger, half a cinnamon stick, and 1 star anise pod. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the beef, and bring it to a boil. As it boils, remove all the scum and impurities that rise to the surface.

2) After around 10 minutes, keep around 80ml of the blanching liquid and set the beef aside.

3) Heat up a bit of oil in a skillet, and saute the garlic and the remaining ginger, cinnamon stick and star anise pod. This should take around 1 to 2 minutes.

4) Add the cooking wine, mix it well, then pour the entire mixture into a slow cooker. 

5) Add the beef in, then the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and blanching liquid. Set the slow cooker to low power for 8 hours.

6) Before serving, remove as much of the surface oil as possible. Add some spring onion on top, and serve.

Pan Fried Tom Yum Chicken Breasts

Pan Fried Tom Yum Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

Salt

2 tsp olive oil

1.5 tbsp clarified butter OR olive oil

2 Knorr Tom Yum stock cubes

Instructions:

1) Pound the chicken breasts with a meat pounder until they are roughly of the same thickness. 

2) Break up the stock cubes as much as possible, and mix it with 2 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt.

3) Use the mixture to season the chicken breasts, and leave it in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

4) Let the chicken rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

5) Heat up a skillet over medium heat, then add the clarified butter or olive oil. 

6) Add the chicken breasts and cook for 1 minute, then flip them over.

7) Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and leave it for 10 minutes.

8) Turn off the heat and leave it for another 10 minutes.

9) Serve.

Garlic Butter Pork Chops

Garlic Butter Pork Chops

The best part of this recipe is that the meat does not need to be marinated in advance. So it can be prepared on short notice.

Ingredients:

4 pork chops

2 tbsp clarified butter

3 tsp minced garlic

3 sprigs fresh thyme OR 2 tsp dried thyme

1 small lemon wedge (optional)

Sea salt

Black pepper

Instructions:

1) Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and black pepper.

2) Heat up a skillet on medium heat, then add some cooking oil and the clarified butter in. If you are using fresh thyme, you can add the sprigs in now.

3) Add the pork chops and cook for around 2.5 to 3 minutes per side. 

4) Add the minced garlic and mix it with the pork chops while frying it at the same time. If you are using the dried thyme, you can add it in now.

5) Once the garlic is slightly browned (should be less than a minute), remove from skillet. 

6) Squeeze some lemon on the pork chops and serve.

Pasta with Bacon and Asparagus

Pasta with Bacon and Asparagus (serves 2)

Ingredients:

150g pasta

75g to 100g bacon

350g asparagus

60ml creme fraiche

1 egg

50g to 75g parmesan cheese

Black pepper

Instructions:

1) Dice the bacon, separating the fat and meat as much as possible. 

2) Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces, separating the tips and the stems.

3) Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.

4) In a bowl, mix the creme fraiche, egg, cheese and some black pepper.

5) Heat up a frying pan, and add the bacon fat in first. When some of the bacon fat has been extracted, add the rest of the bacon in and cook until it starts to brown.

6) Add the asparagus stems and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, then add the asparagus tips and cook for another 2 minutes. Set the bacon and asparagus aside on a separate plate.

7) Drain the pasta, keeping a bit of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the frying pan, then add in the creme fraiche mixture. Add it slowly and mix it with the pasta at the same time. 

8) Now add some pasta water to help coat the pasta with the sauce. 

9) Add the bacon and asparagus back into the pan and mix well, then serve.

Steamed Duck Legs

Steamed duck legs

This is easy to make, and the process actually extracts most of the fat from the duck legs. 

Ingredients:

2 duck legs

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp five spice powder

2 tbsp cooking wine

1 tbsp light soy sauce 

1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1) Wash and dry the duck legs, and try to remove as much fat as possible. 

2) Marinate it with the minced ginger, five spice powder, cooking wine, light soy sauce and salt. Let it sit for 4 hours or overnight.

3) Steam the duck legs for 35 to 40 minutes. There should still be a thick layer of oil on top of the gravy, so try to remove as much as possible before serving.

Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

Roasted chicken with root vegetables (serves 3 to 4)

This is again, another recipe from Thomas Keller's masterclass. I used two lemons instead of five though.

Ingredients:

For the brine

2 lemons, halved

6 bay leaves

100g parsley

28g thyme

0.25 cup honey

1 head garlic, halved through its equator

0.125 cup black peppercorns

3.8 litres water

300g salt

For the mains

1 whole chicken

Root vegetables in the amount and type that you desire (e.g. potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, parsnips, leeks, rutabagas)

Clarified butter (optional, can be substituted with canola oil)

Salt

Instructions:

1) Add all the brine ingredients into a big pot and bring it to a boil, then let it cool.

2) Submerge the chicken in the cold brine for 12 to 24 hours.

3) Remove the chicken, truss it, and discard the brine.

4) Dry the surface of the chicken as much as possible, then leave it in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 2 to 3 days.

5) Leave the chicken at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

6) Prepare the root vegetables and spread it over the roasting pan. Season with salt, drizzle clarified butter or canola oil, and mix it well.

7) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celcius, and brush the chicken with clarified butter (or canola oil). Season all sides with salt.

8) Place the chicken on the centre of the vegetables (make a nest), and roast it for 20 to 25 minutes.

9) Reduce the heat to 200 degrees Celcius, and roast for another 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how big your chicken is.

10) Let it rest for 20 minutes. Squeeze a bit of lemon over the vegetables, sprinkle some gravy sea salt or finishing salt on the chicken, and serve.