Moroccan Inspired Soup with Minty Meatballs

I have finally edited the videos but please DO NOT LAUGH its not easy i tell you to video tape yourself cooking without tripod no less...anyway i did my best i hope that you can understand and enjoy the 'show' lol.



Minty Meatballs

200g minced meat
1sprig fresh mint - finely chopped
1tsp rosemary - finely chopped
1-2tbsp finely chopped onions
1tsp finely chopped garlic
1/4tsp nutmeg
1tsp paprika (you can add more if you like)
1/4tsp mixed herbs (you can buy pre-packed from the store)
salt and pepper to taste
1 whole egg medium size
1-2tbsp bread crumbs (start with 1tbsp, if its still loose add 1/2tbsp and so on but maximum is 2tbsp no more because otherwise the breadcrumbs will over power the meat and we don't want that)

just add everything in mix it all well then make a small ball using a 1/2tbsp measurement spoon as guide. put it on a tray and cover with cling warp to avoid drying. set aside until you're ready to put it in the soup.

Moroccan Inspired Soup

1/2 of large onion - finely or coarsely chopped (it does not matter actually)
2clove of garlic - finely chopped
1tbsp grated ginger
1tsp cumin
1tsp paprika
1/2tsp nutmeg
2 ripe tomatoes - cubed
1 leek - use the white and green part, cut in half
some baby carrots
some corn
1 small can of bake beans/chick peas/green peas
1tbsp chili sauce or chili flakes
1 can of whole tomato pulp.
1-500ltr stock or water - you can use chicken or beef stock, but here i only use water coz i ran out of stock
1tsp thyme
1sprig fresh sweet basil
1tbsp olive oil

heat pot with olive oil, then sweat onion, garlic and ginger. do not burn them. then add in cumin, nutmeg and paprika. let it sweat some more for another 3-5 minutes in a med-low heat. then add in 1 cup of stock 1st, let it simmer then add in all the veges including the peas let simmer again for another 5 minutes or so then add in the remaining stock and tomato pulps. let it simmer yet again until it slightly reduced. then season it with salt and pepper. after that gently add in the meat balls let it cook in the soup for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of your meat balls, mine takes only 5 minutes as its in a small fun bite size hehehe~ then you are ready to serve! garnish it with mint leaves.

this soup is great with pasta or gnocchi or even egg noodle but i did gnocchi and my children loves it! the white dumpling in the soup that you see in the picture. gnocchi is an Italian potato based pasta traditionally eaten with a cheesy creamy sauce. I might going to make them again, so wait for the recipe n pictures (i didn't get to take pictures for my gnocchi coz my daughter loves it so much i have to keep an eye on it at all time.)

TIPS:
1- i use baked beans, mainly because i can't find canned chickpea so i improvise. when use baked beans rinse it in cold water first to avoid the 'baked bean' taste/aroma that might over powering the soup.

2- Use Stocks are better than water because it'll give the soup body as it'll be the base/background of the tomato pulp/puree. in short it will taste 10x better! you may use chicken/beef /vege stock.

3- in the video i forgot to add in nutmeg so i add it later after i dump in meatballs, the taste will be subtle this way so it'll be a lot better if you were to add in together with the paprika n onions, as it will be infused in the soup.

4- As for the chili sauce, you can adjust it to your taste. if you don't have chili sauce, then you can add chili flakes later (towards the end of the cooking). mine is mildly hot..more of heat really...so that its children friendly, you can always add chili flakes later when you about to eat its ok too ;)...its versatile that way!

morrocan Inspired soup.wmv

Vlogging...baking cooking video tutorials?

I have always wanted to do a baking & cooking video, you know like a tutorial but its always i don't have enough time or no proper camera for video recordings bla bla bla...but now i have a decent cameras of course its not a video camera per say but its a camera capable of video recording ^_^...but now the problem is i don't have a tripod. and apparently tripod is needed for videoing to avoid shaking and also to have a focus shot?...

anyway i've been trying to make video of my latest recipe A Moroccan inspired soup with mini beef balls. the video turned out almost OK but it'll need alot of editing though... and about the dish, it is a hearty dish, its tomato based so it'll give you a warm and fuzzy feeling as you sip into every spoon of the soup... i don't know something about tomatoes that translates to warmness you know what i mean?
and you can have this soup with pasta of any kind including gnocchi. Speaking of which, i am attempting to making gnocchi but i ran out of eggs...so had to KIV it for a while.

Why i came out with such a dish, its because i'm in a 'diet' right now, hoping that by mid year next year i'll get my figure back. My diet plan is to minimized carbs as mush as i can especially rice but in a day, i allow myself to have 1/4cup of rice or pasta and thats it for the whole day! reason of the 1/4cup is so that i won't be too deprived which in the end it'll led to yo yo dieting so to speak...(well at least that's my reasoning) I am no dietitian but i think this method works, 1st of all its high protein low carb diet  and lots and lots of veges and fruits. any binging will be off fruits. my previous diet was too strict that after awhile i just couldn't stand it (lets face it we asians will FOREVER crave that little grain we call rice) that i ended up eating more than i should.

and..................i also have help for my diet this time and it will probably speed up my weight loss program i don't know but so far i think it helps coz i notice change in my 'weight' digits just after a week..i will tell you for sure what kind of help i'm getting when it is for sure works! so stay tune. but even with the 'help' you'd still have to have some control over your food intake and have some exercise at least 15 minutes a day for everyday. a quick work out and thats it that is to avoid flabs after all the weight loss (hopefully)....bla bla bla another random ramblings

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This is just a 3 day old vanilla essence. the color will change according to age. so don't worry.


DIY Vanilla Essence a non alcohol version.

what you need
11/2 c food glycerin
1/2c warm water
2 vanilla pods
glass jar preferably dark glass jar - i use my old coffee jar (its a clear jar)

1st sterilize the jar then add in the glycerin and warm water. Stir well. then cut the vanilla pod in the middle length wise and scrape the seeds out and put in the glycerin mixture. when you can put the pod in the glycerin mixture too.Stir & mix well. close the lid and shake it, shake it some more. then let it sit there like all preserved should. give them 2-3weeks before using it.

shelf life? i think so long you take care of it i.e not contaminate it with other ingredients while using it it would last you a very long time.

The Great Excuse: Stuffed Eggplant

Anything that is stuffed is a great excuse to use leftovers. well that's my kitchen mantra *lol*
after 'sun drying' my tomatoes i...ok i'll honest, i started to feel lazy again...(its like that with me nowadays, thats why this blog is lacking the attention it deserves) while rummaging my fridge i took out my chicken thighs and thawed it and then i find that i still have 1 eggplant left from my sandwich, an italian gourmet sausage, 2 strips of beef bacon a bit of sour cream and a lump of mozzarella cheese and my almost dried up parsley. and i thought perfect! now i'm in the mood for stuffing stuff hahaha...but eggplant seem to be my victim of choice. i never tried stuffing eggplant before, potatoes yes, tomatoes yes, fruits yes but never eggplant. and apparently according to my friend Celine, stuffed eggplant is common in france...so is this recipe is french? i don't know i just hentam (wing it)*lol*

the out come?

hmm...surprising tasty. so i think yo u can easily use leftover chicken meat or beef or what ever you have in the fridge but i think if you wanted to use sausage, use a gourmet sausage as it is more flavorful. my ingredients are without portion coz its left overs and i just use what i have and estimate a amount so that it'll fit into my eggplant skin nicely.

italian sausage (i use beef)
beef bacon
an eggplant cut in half and rub it with salt and let it sit for a while then rinse.
salt & pepper
1 chopped shallot
1 clove chopped garlic
chopped parsley spring onion
dries thyme
1 tsp sour cream
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
olive oil

cut the skin off the italian sausage and squeeze the sausage out.
saute shallot and garlic with a bit of olive oil until fragrant then add in the sausage meat. continue cooking until you can see that the shallots and bits of sausage meat is caramelizing. add in herbs stir then remove from heat.

in another pan cook beef bacon with butter until crisp.

mean while brush cut eggplant with butter or olive oil and roast it in the oven until the flesh of eggplant is thoroughly cooked in a 180c preheated oven. this may take about 20-30minutes depending on the thickness of the flesh. brush the eggplant with oil frequently, this will help the eggplant cook faster.

when cooked let it rest fro 5 minutes then carefully scrape the flesh out using a spoon. this should be easy to do coz the flesh of the eggplant is soft and almost mushed. drain excess water from the flesh. then combine it with the sausage mixture. mix well and mesh any lumps from eggplant flesh. then add in the beef bacon and some grated mozzarella. save some for topping.

divide the fillings into 2 equal parts and start filling in the eggplant case. pack it tight. then sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan on top. bake again for another 10 minutes or until cheese melted and crusted....

this can be your made to impress appetizer hahahah~ i'd say its gorgeous! in taste and presentation.

as for the thawed chicken...i made a roasted thigh chicken out of it with coarse mustard and some other stuff...i'll post the recipe in the next N3.

**hmmm just thinking....perhaps this dish will taste a lot better with ricotta cheese instead of mozzarella?

homemade Sundried Tomatoes

Last night i was surfing the net and stumble upon this blog where the writer phrase the glory of sun dried tomatoes, how sweet, flavorful and nutritious it is. It is good on its own, great binging snack and surprise! kids loves it too...and true enough my vege hater son likes this unlikely snack. Sun dried tomatoes have the same nutritional value as the fresh tomatoes they are made from: they are high in Lycopene, antioxidants, vitamin C and low in sodium, fat, and calories. anyway seeing all those pictures of yummy tomatoes *ahem* dried up tomatoes....*shrugs* mmm to be honest i hate raw tomatoes and i can't imagine those people able to just bite into the red plump and juicy tomatoes...yes tomatoes are sweet and sour at the same time i give you that but there's this certain 'raw' taste that i can't seem to swallow...you know what i mean? but when it is cooked correctly i love it to bits...

unfortunately ready made sun dried tomatoes are not easy to find in Malaysia. but lucky for us it is easy enough to make yourself and be proud of it hehehehe~ the method is i presume the same with dried fruits...it make sense huh? ok what i did was...oh wait the ingredients...what you need

* 1kg of bright red ripe tomatoes
* 2clove of garlic chopped
* some dried herbs i use parsley and thyme
* kosher salt or sea salt
* olive oil to brush and some to preserve.

wash tomatoes and then slice them. i divide a tomato (mine was a large tomato) into 4 nice thick slices. slice all tomatoes.
*you wouldn't want to slice it too thinly coz it will shrink A LOT!
then pat it dry and brush them with olive oil and sun dry it for 2-3 days in a row, take it in during the night.
2nd day, you brush the tomatoes again and sprinkle garlic, herb mixture and salt then let it dry again.

We Malaysian are lucky coz the tomatoes can dry up in just 2 days or sometimes 1 1/2day (coz its really hot here) then you can have your snack or preserve it... i was sun drying my tomatoes today until it start raining late afternoon so i have to go for plan B. that is Oven dry tomatoes.

to Oven dry it you need a low low low heat, and let it dry for 1-1.5hrs if you have fan in the oven but if like me my oven don't have that feature so it took me slightly more than 2 hrs.
but today i cheated a bit instead of using 100c i crank it up just abit ooo about mmm 120c then towards the end i crank it up abit more to 135c coz i can't wait to eat coz after sprinkling the herbs and garlic, i can hear my tummy rumbles coz its soooooooooo fragrant!
but if you were to follow my step becareful coz you might burn them instead so set your timer and check on them once in a while and see how they are doing.

PRESERVING SUN/OVEN DRIED TOMATOES

to preserve your homemade sun/oven dried tomatoes, just prepare a glass jar, sterilize it 1st
though then fill those yummie tomatoes up then fill in olive oil until it fully cover the tomatoes.

TIPS

* you can use the olive oil from the preserved to saute whatever coz it'll be infused with flavors (tomatoes, garlic and herbs) or just toss it with pasta or salad with some vinaigrette.

* when you used up your tomatoes refill your olive oil making sure covering the remaining tomatoes