Potato, Leek & Garlic Soup

I wish I could tell you that I was brave, I was patient, I didn't lose my temper. But all three wasn't what happened last weekend. It was a nightmare. We barely had any sleep and as expected, more problem with transportation. All I want to do is scream. I'm tired! or why can't we live in a real country?? But when H asked if I regret marrying him, I can't possibly stay upset.

Anyway, after a Pneumonia scare, a faint spell and a run in with several doctors, we went home tired and sick. Literally. The neighbor is sick too, so I made a comfort soup to share.

Potato, Leek and Garlic Soup (serve 2)

Ingredients:
* 1 tbsp butter
* 1 leek, cleaned, sliced up till the beginning of dark green. Use as much as you want to.
* 2 medium sized potato, peeled and cubed
* Water + 1 cube vegetable bouillon (use vegetable stock if you have)
* 1 tsp garlic confit
* 1/3 cup of milk
* coarse sea salt
* freshly grounded black pepper
* Bacon for topping

How to:
* In a heavy bottom pot (preferably with a lid), over medium heat, melt the butter till it starts to foam. Add in the leek and a pinch of coarse sea salt. Cover and cook the leeks are soft.

* Add in the garlic confit and the potato, toss for a minute before adding the water, just enough until it submerges the potato, and the vegetable bouillon (or use stock). Cover and turn to low heat. It'll take approx. 20 mins but do check from time to time.

* Using standing food processor, process till smooth and add milk. Let it cook a little bit before turning the heat off. Taste & adjust. Season with black pepper, EVOO & bacon topping. Serve immediately.

Champignons farcis au Jambon & Amande

Ola. 

I wish I could tell you something monumental happened during the absence. Nope. Nein. Nich. H's company just forgot to pay the internet bill, as is the case every month. Before you say anything, mind you that he's working for a MNC. But even a big corporation such as his adapts to local flavor. 

Anyway, you'd be please to know that I'm still experimenting with recipes and do my own rendition. First coming up, stuffed mushroom. Original recipe came from this tapas book I bought last Xmas. 

It calls for pistachio (ka-ching), mushroom (double ka-ching) and jambon (ok..). Here's my Angolan version.

Stuffed mushroom with Ham & Almond (serve 2)

Ingredients

* 6 button mushroom, wiped clean and buttons removed

* 4 ham (I used salami this round)

* 1 knob butter

* handful of fresh almonds, toasted

* 5-6 medium shallots

* S+P

How to:

* Preheat oven to 175C. 

* Except the mushroom, add all ingredients into the food processor. Process till smooth. Add more butter if they are too crumbly or not sticking together. 

* Stuffed the mushroom with the paste and bake for 10 mins. 

Serve VERY HOT. 

Risoni Salad with a Kick

My glamourous plan to have pumpkin risotto was knocked off by H's desire for risoni salad. I didn't know how this dish came about. It was certainly trial and error. I never make this salad twice, because I am just not consistent. And frankly, all you need is several key items (like risoni/ orzo pasta, tuna, tomatoes and whatever you have on your fridge). And of course, fridge. This pasta salad is best served cold. And who cares that the entire ocean poured over Luanda today. I'm just glad the roof has not leaked yet.

Oh, btw.. I am a firm believer and front running supporter that recipe should be used as a guideline. You don't have to follow it to the exact measurement. It primarily serves as inspiration.

... and I'm saying this because I really don't know the exact quantity. I agak-agak (guestimate)

Risoni Salad with a Kick (in this household, serves 1 big boy)

Ingredients:
* Risoni pasta (or Orzo, or couscous if you must)
* 1 tin tuna, drained
* 5 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 big tomato, diced
* 4 ham slices, cut into bite size
* peas, as desired
* mushroom, as desired
* bell pepper, for colour, cut into bite size (~see note below)
* cilantro/ parsley to garnish

Other topping ideas:
* boiled eggs
* (just!) ripe avocado
* corn
* cheddar cheese, cubed
* black olives, sliced

Seasoning:
* EVOO
* fresh ground black pepper
* salt (optional, esp. if your tuna is already salty and if you use cheese)
* red wine vinegar (optional, trust your taste bud)

How to:
* Cook the pasta to al dente. Brown the mushroom with butter (gives a nice additional flavor). Add in your desired ingredients and toss with EVOO (this is probably one of those few occasion you can use your precious liquid gold), fresh ground black pepper and a little salt. Add vinegar if you want.

* Put it in fridge until it's ready to be serve. We love it cold.

Note: I have just recently learn how to flavor my bell pepper. I use the bell pepper left over from that sandwich for this. And it works extremely well. I will be doing this more often.

"Lunch was just perfect, mon coeur. Really, it was wow."

Simply Divine Sandwich

Basically, Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Pepper & Goat Cheese Sandwich.

Simply Divine Sandwich (serve 2)

Ingredients:
* 2 bread bun (or 1 ciabatta)
* 2 red bell pepper
* 1 slice onion (i.e several onion rings)
* Goat cheese (spread & the harder version)
* Cilantro for garnishing
* 2 tbsp OO
* 1 tsp garlic confit
* 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
* S+P

How to:
* [Making the bell pepper] Char your bell pepper in the oven, 175 C for a good 30-40 mins. Immediately transfer to a box with a lid. Let it steam, then peel off the skin & remove the seeds. Cut into quarter.

* In a small bowl, mix OO, garlic confit, vinegar, S+P and add with sliced bell pepper. Cover and put the bowl in fridge. Let it soak for 1 hour or more to absorb the flavor.

* [Assembling the sandwich] toast your bread with a little butter over pan. Spread with some goat cheese on both sides. On the bottom side, layer the bell pepper, onion, and finally topped with goat cheese. Sprinkle with some black pepper and garnish with cilantro.

Voila! We loved it so much that we made another extra sandwich to share. We went to bed giddy and well fed.

Day 20: Tawa Pulao

This online journal of recipe is so not working on the days that internet is down. Like what happened most days this week. But good thing I still have my little green book of recipe.

My neighbour knew we both love Indian food and often shares with us his kitchen escapades. He's Texan, Indian by heritage and yet vegetarian by choice. Imagine that. Just the other day he made Gulab Jamun. But what I'll forever remember him for is for the Tawa Pulao he made many months ago for our little picnic. Mine doesn't resemble his at all, but it certainly made a very nice lunch especially accompanied by butter chicken.

Tawa Pulao wannabe (serve 2)

Ingredients:
* 1 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp OO
* 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds
* 1 large onion, diced
* 3/4 tsp mince ginger
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 large bell pepper, cubed
* 10-12 cherry tomatoes, quartered. You can use regular tomatoes.
* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder + 1 tbsp garam masala + 1/2 tsp paprika
* 2 cup cooked rice (I used basmati rice this time)
* 1/3 cup green peas
* cilantro to garnish

How to:
* Heat up butter & oil, add in the seeds. Once you can smell the fragrance, add in onions. Half way through, add in ginger and garlic. Cook till soft.

* Add in the tomatoes and bell pepper. Cover and cook for 3-4 mins till soft. Add in the spices and mix well.

* Add in rice and toss. Taste & adjust the seasoning, add more turmeric powder if necessary for colour.

* Lastly add in the green peas. Mix. Turn off the heat, add in the cilantro and serve immediately.

I would certainly add in diced carrots next time for additional texture. But I'm curious what will happen if I add cubed pineapple ;) So unconventional, but I thought the flavour will blend in just nicely with the sourness from the tomato. Skip the yogurt though. Hopefully you won't forget to fry some papadums, unlike me!

Tomato Tart with Puff Pastry Sheet

When you bought puff pastry sheets, it comes in a pack of 10. So rather than letting them dry in the fridge, you can make a tart with them. Something like Tomato Tart with puff pastry sheets. Looked much better than my chicken potpie :) Much more presentable and we both liked it for its lightness.

Tomato Tart with Puff Pastry Sheet (serve 2)

Ingredients: 

* 4 puff pastry sheets

* 10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved 

* 6 chorizo slices

* goat cheese, cubed

* shredded cheese (I used emmental)

* 1 tbsp dijon moutard

* Coarse black pepper

* A little salt

* Chopped basil

How to:

* Preheat the oven to 180 C.

* Cut a parchment paper 2 inches larger than the pastry sheets. Scrunch it up into a ball and put it under running water until it is drenched. Swing it until it dried all excess water, and lay it flat on the table. Lay your first pastry sheet on top. Sprinkle some olive oil and lay 2nd pastry sheet on top of it. Repeat process until 4th pastry sheet. 

* Spread a dollop of dijon moutard on top of your 4th pastry sheet. Be generous. Then start scattering your chorizo and tomatoes. Then feta, then black pepper, sprinkle some salt then some basil. And lastly, your shredded cheese.

* Carefully pleat, and bake till brown (about 15-20 mins). Sprinkle additional basil for garnishing. 

Chocolate Moose with Olive Oil

Gosh, I'm just plain happy now that H is back at home. I'm such a wuss and I'm sure I irritate enough people with my incessant chatter and complaints. I thought there's no better welcome home present than cooking his favourites, just to remind him that his wife's cooking beats any chef out there :)

I used to make chocolate mousse using smitten kitchen recipes, but I'm curious with chocolate mousse using olive oil and the promises of being super light. Original recipe is here from Delicious Days and here's how I did mine. 

Chocolate Moose (serve 4)

Ingredients:

* 200 gr dark chocolate, melted and whisked with (slightly less than) 1/2 cup OO till well incorporated

* 3 eggs yolk + 50 gr white sugar, whisked until turns pale & a little fluffy

* 3 eggs white + 50 gr white sugar, whisked till it turns stiff. I added a pinch of cream of tar tar to aid :)

* 200ml full cream, whisked till it turns stiff. 

How to:

* Mix all ingredients starting by folding the egg yolk into the dark chocolate mixture, followed by egg white, and lastly by the cream. 

* Put into fridge 4 hours before serving. 

Verdict: chocolat moooooosseeeee.. it really is oh very smooth, light and extremely decadent. Wow. I'm not turning back to other recipes. This is a little fail proof too, because I didn't whisk the cream as well as I should have and when I folded it, it's a tad heavy, but the outcome is still wonderful. The only problem is exercising self control. 

"Hmm.. it's really good eh?" I said the other day, while we were lounging on the sofa with cognac in our hands.

"Yes, the best you've made so far. Maybe you can add cognac next time."

"Adding it to the chocolate batter hmm?"

"Mmm.. or maybe like this is also good. Somebody is going to have a good nap." 

"That somebody is not meeeee.."

Final note, I didn't use EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), keep this precious gem for your salads & dips. Please use a normal OO because while I couldn't taste the OO on the chocolate mousse, I could smell & taste it on the chocolate batter. I can only imagine what EVOO would do. Good luck!