Throwback in the kitchen

I was finally able to get my photos sorted today and it will be a matter of days (hopefully) to post all the dishes I have been cooking since a while. Alright, this might take a lil while longer because I have my exams next week and guess - by what I'm doing right now- I'll be doing some catch-up the coming days. Anyway this dish is one of my typical stir-fry. I think I said somewhere but I have learned how to cook pulses (sometimes it's hard to believe how things are easy before actually doing it) and it is so simple. I love pulses so much; my mum used to cook it often back in the old days- right now so old but still (unfortunately and fortunately for the best) time goes by so quickly.
Right picture time:

Beef with cauliflower and snow peas

Filling the gaps. Alright I guess I will not be posting that much when uni starts tomorrow. I will try my best to fit everything in my schedule though. I realise that it is really hard to manage time properly. Okay this is not an easy task, but somehow I am still learning and I am thankful that things start to make sense to me. You know like when everything start to take shape and form a picture.

Alright, so this is about cauliflower. Cauliflower is in season. I cooked them with snow peas and beef. Talk about diversification hehe. I think that after having eaten so much cauliflower over the last few weeks, I am starting to really like it. It tastes good to be honest. It is one of those vegetable that go well with anything- okay almost everything.

Note: I do not usually plate up the food, which is why you seen it in the pan. Also I am not posting the recipe because I guess this one is pretty simple, only a change of ingredients.

Tofu teriyaki with asparagus and snow peas

Lot of first indeed. I wanted to try cooking asparagus. It is said to be very healthy. Today I will not dwell on the benefits (feeling lazy yes). There is always some kind of apprehension with the first time, as you are not too sure how it will end up tasting. However the only one way to know is to go for it. I tried to recreate a teriyaki dish I saw on the coles magazine and let's be honest, the result was not that good. I mean it was not the best dish I made. I did a few faux pas. First I should have fried the tofu first to have that crispy skin. Second, my teriyaki sauce was not that tasty enough. I think it lack something I cannot really figure out. Anyway the picture should give an idea of what I have done.

Look at those lovely asparagus

 

Beef capsicum (recipe)

I have already posted something about beef capsicum but today I will post the recipe.

So for the beef marinade, I usually use soy sauce, sesame oil, ground white pepper, and cornflour. You can add cooking wine if you want to. Mix with the beef and let this rest about 15 minutes. In the meantime, cut all your veggies. I used capsicum (obviously) and some snow peas (they are in season right now). Finely cut garlic and onion.
Next step is to cook the beef and then remove from pan. Then saute the garlic and onion. After 2-3 minutes, add the capsicum and snow peas (or any other veggies you like). Let cook until nearly tender (around 5 minutes). Add the cooked beef. Finally add a marinade of oyster sauce and cornflour. Bring to boil and the dish is ready to be served. Salt and pepper to taste. and there you go:

Lovely capsicums

Capsicum chopped. Love the colours

Dish is served

'Green' Risotto (recipe)

This was my first time cooking and tasting Risotto. I have heard of it tremendously lately and I was like why not giving it a try as something new.  I looked up for some recipes and finally chose the one I found easier and it was on the rice packet itself. I bought Riviania arborio rice. In the recipe it says bacon, but instead I used snow peas and zucchini. I kind of wanted a really ‘greeny’ risotto.  The dish turned out great. Well for a first time, it tasted good. I really think that it is a  really nice dish to try because you can make up your own risotto in terms of ingredients.

Recipe (adapted from the Riviani recipe):

Ingredients: 

2 tsp olive oil

30g butter

Garlic (I love garlic so I put about 3-5 cloves)

1 lg onion chopped

2 cup arborio rice

1 zucchini grated

A  bunch of snow pea,chopped roughly

1/4 cup of white wine

4 cups chicken stock, simmered

2 cups button mushroom, sliced

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Chopped parsley

Groud black pepper

Procedures:

Heat olive oil and butter in a large heavy base saucepan.

Add garlic and onion and cook for about 1-2 minute.

Stir in rice and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until rice slightly colours, stirring frequently.

Add wine and simmer to absorb liquid, stirring constantly.

Begin adding stock, a cup at a time, allowing each adittion to be absorbed and stirring well before each addition.

After first cup, add mushrooms. Adjust consistencies with extra water/stock, if necessary.

After third cup, add zucchini and snow peas. When all stock is absorbed, remove pan from heat and stir in cheese, parsley and pepper.

Chicken broccoli & snow pea sautee

After reading and coming across so many articles taking about eating green vegetables, I felt obliged to cook some. I have not been cooking broccoli for a long time, so it was about time to rectify this mistake. Health benefits of broccoli include strengthening bones, protecting your heart, controlling blood pressure,  saving eyesight and combating cancer. I also added snow peas, which is also a super veggie.
The dish is a complete meal, vegetable, protein, fibre and carbohydrates (accompanied with rice). My advice is to try having at least one green vegetable in your meal daily. It is definitely worth it.

I come across this picture which I took after cooking a vegeterian version: