Ayam Masak Merah

Today we are going to make Ayam Masak Merah (chicken in red sauce). Ayam masak merah is a Malaysian dish (ayam = chicken, masak = cook, merah = red). It's a mildly spicy tomato based curry that is incredibly delicious! I made it on the Malaysian night I had at home a while ago and Mr. Foodie have a craving for it the other day so here it is.

Ingredients:

Chicken marinade:                                                              Paste ingredients:

1kg chicken thigh fillets or drumsticks                                   2 onions

2 tsp salt                                                                              8 cloves garlic      

1 tsp turmeric                                                                       2 inches ginger

2 tbsp cornflour                                                                    10 red chillies    

pepper                                                                                  2 tbsp cumin

Other ingredients:

1 onion sliced in rings

8 tbsp tomato paste

4 cloves garlic minced

6 cardamom pods

5 cloves

2 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp brown sugar

0.5 cup water

salt to taste

Method:

1. Coat chicken well in marinade and leave for 2 hours.
2. Blend paste ingredients to make a paste.
3. Shallow fry chicken pieces till golden brown and remove from pan.
4. Fry clove, cardamom, star anise and cinnamon until fragrant.
5. Add the paste and fry until fragrant. It's important to cook off the paste to really get the full flavour. Stir regularly to avoid burning.
6. Next, add all other ingredients and chicken then mix well.
7. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked well. I like to leave it simmering for 1 hour. Add salt to taste and stir well.
8. Best served with coconut rice.

cooking the paste

I hope you enjoy this recipe and this dish. It has a lovely tomato, spicy and sweet flavour to it, definitely one of my favourites!

Wagyu Burger from Coles

I spotted some Wagyu Burger Patties from Coles. Usually I would be very skeptical plus I don't generally buy pre-made patties but I thought I'd give it a go so I bought the twin pack and Mr. Foodie was very kind one night to make burgers with chips and veges. We had the wagyu patties with tasty cheese, caramelized onions and jalapeno mayonnaise. The wagyu patties were juicy and not fatty or greasy at all as some patties can be. It was definitely a higher quality patty, I was quite happy with it. It does come at a higher price though.

P/S: Jalapeno mayonnaise is yum! Make mayonnaise as you normally would and blend some jalapenos in it. Not too much, just a little bit to give it flavour.

New Winner

Good afternoon! The competition for Pancakes and Waffles Cookbook by Lou Seibert Pappas is closed and the winner failed to contact me with her details. Not to worry, I have new winner!!!

                                      

Kate Ryan

                                                      Congratulations!!! 

Please contact me at foodieling@gmail.com with your address and contact details so I can post this to you. Hopefully you'll have some yummy fun with it and maybe post some pictures of your pancake and waffle successes on Foodie Ling's Facebook wall. 

Tasca Viva @ Glenelg

On a fine summer's day, there's nothing better than the offer of delicious tapas and sangria down by the beach. A catch up with friends was due and so down to Tasca Viva we headed. I've read some reviews about this place, mixed reviews, but it sounded promising and the pictures looked inviting. Situated on the beach end of Jetty Road, this restaurant is certainly inviting with a beautiful interior that transports you to another place. I found the decor impressive, with almost Moroccan style tiles that tied in together, the light blue colour scheme that reminds us we're at the beach, unique elegant lights hanging from the ceiling and the bar dining style set up which is perfect for relaxed socializing. 

Service was fantastic initially with a very enthusiastic, friendly staff member who then eventually couldn't stop talking but assured us it's all table service and there's no need to go to the bar. After our initial service of menus and complimentary bread, it took a while to flag someone to place an order. Half an hour later, we captured an unlucky soul and decided to order everything at once. 

The drinks list is very impressive with a great range of wines, local and imported beer, sangria, cocktails and spirits. This place is clearly designed for after-parties into the early hours. Sangria. Of course we must have sangria, no? It's compulsory! It was indeed very nice sangria when we eventually got it (after we've finished all our food). Refreshing, sweet, too easy to drink. Shame it was left on the bar for so long it had gone a bit warm.

Our complimentary bread was aromatic, warm, soft and flavourful. Artisan Bakery Sourdough Bread with Salt and Olive. Normally priced at $3.50 a serve, we decided to order a serve when we managed to rope another waiter to our table. He gave it to us on the house, how nice. The tapas menu is, in my opinion extensive enough with a good variety standard menu items and seasonal specials. Tapas typically is a smaller serve, some dishes can be ordered as 'raciones' which are larger serves, ideal for group sharing or that one dish you really enjoy.

Everybody likes chips so we ordered Patatas Fritas - Fried chips with spicy tomato paprika sauce. Not sure where the sauce is but the chips were cooked well and yes, the paprika was nice but it lacked that seasoning kick.

Patatas Fritas $8.00

Calamares fritos - local fried calamari with aioli. The calamari was fresh, cooked well, and seasoned well. The only negative is the batter doesn't stay on very well and perhaps the oil wasn't drained well enough either as those at the bottom got soggy.

Albondigas - Meatballs! Pork and veal meatballs with tomato sauce. It was nice but nothing to write home about.

Panceta de cerdo - Pork belly with roast apple, spinach and cider sauce. The pork belly was cooked well with meat falling apart and melting in your mouth. Pork and apple is always a good combination.

Pulpo a la barbacoa - Barbequed octopus with chorizo. The octopus was overcooked and chewy and the chorizo was burnt. Wasn't impressed.

Clockwise from top left: Calamares fritos $10.00, Albondigas $9.00, Panceta de cerdo $10.50, Pulpo a la barbacoa $11.00

Overall the food was okay. Service was pretty bad and unprofessional. It was hard to get any waiter's attention even though they seem to be patrolling up and down the restaurant. A couple of them seemed like they had no idea what we were talking about. I'm not entirely sure how long this place has been open but they need to iron a few creases.

Tasca Viva
18 Jetty Road
Glenelg SA 5045
08 8376 8880

Winner Announced!

Good afternoon! The competition for Pancakes and Waffles Cookbook by Lou Seibert Pappas is closed and the winner has been drawn. Let's all say congratulations to......*drum roll*

                                      

MISHA LEWIS

Congratulations!!! 

Please contact me at foodieling@gmail.com with your address and contact details so I can post this to you. Hopefully you'll have some yummy fun with it and maybe post some pictures of your pancake and waffle successes on Foodie Ling's Facebook wall. 

The response has been great. Thank you to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for another giveaway in the future. In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy my yummy updates.

Steamboat @ Home

A few of us girls (and boys) from work have finally found the perfect Friday night for going out or doing something together. We work in a retail setting with extended hours so it's actually a lot harder than you think to organize anything. So when I randomly selected one night to do something, it was almost fated that this was going to be the time we discover the perfect Friday. Some of them have not had Steamboat or Asian Hotpot before so I thought I'd do that as it is easy fuss-free group food.

Steamboat is basically a pot of simmering good stock set in the middle either of an electric variety or on a camp stove. Ingredients are served on plates, raw and marinated, and diners can cook whatever they want to eat in the pot. Don't get me wrong, it's by no means just chunks of raw chicken and vegetables. You could serve anything - bok choy, chinese cabbage, dumplings, pork balls, fish balls, sliced beef, prawns, fish, squid, mushrooms. There's also different types of stock such as spicy szechuan and tom yum. It's a beautiful and light meal with fresh ingredients and because everything is only cooked lightly, ingredients need to be fresh. This dish really respects and relies on the natural flavour of the ingredients. Steamboat is a very social food and the meal can go on for a little while. It's especially great when there are big gatherings and reunions with family and friends because preparation is minimal and sitting around the table cooking, eating and chatting together really brings people closer. 

On this occassion I served thinly sliced beef (which can be purchased frozen from Asian groceries), Asian pork balls, fish balls, Shiitake mushroom, Enoki mushroom, fish tofu, home made wantons, prawns, chicken, bok choy, chinese broccoli (gai lan) and Chinese cabbage (wombok).

Thinly sliced beef - rolled and sliced

In the past I have used pork, squid and fish. Be careful in choosing the type of fish as it can go crumbly if left in the pot. Watch the cooking time if you are putting some fish in. Suitable fishes include snapper and sea bass. Back home in Malaysia the dipping sauces are a sweet thick hoisin-like sauce and chilli sauce. Today I served sweet chilli sauce to suit my guests, ABC Spicy Chilli sauce, and hoisin sauce.

Traditionally at home we finish the meal off by throwing some noodles in the pot and cracking an egg or two. Because we've been cooking all those delicious, fresh ingredients in the stock, the soup has an amazing aroma and flavour so this is the perfect time to have some noodle soup to wrap up the meal.

Steamboat doesn't have to be extravagant and it doesn't have to be with a large group of people. If you don't have a steamboat pot or a camp stove, no problemo! I've done it in a rice cooker before. It was an enjoyable night and everyone had fun. I'm glad because there's always a bit of pressure when introducing something new to your guests. What will we do in 4 weeks time now?

Pasta with Prawns, Chilli and Cherry Tomatoes

Fellow foodies, it's been a very busy week and weekend finally being able to have two days off with my fiance so we've filled it with quite productive activities in relation to our wedding. Frankly speaking, I'm very proud of the boys for being accommodating and organized. They've got their suits sorted! A busy week always means a quick meal and one of my favourite quick meals is pasta! With all the cherry tomatoes and chillies I've harvested from my garden, I had to use them before they go bad! We've been very lucky with a fantastic harvest this time. I also had the opportunity to use my herbs.

I decided to make Pasta with Prawns, Chilli and Cherry Tomatoes. Just beautiful, honest home grown, fresh goodness and letting the produce shine through. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

500g pasta (any type - I used spiral pasta)

1 cup prawns

2 cloves garlic sliced

11/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved

4 chillies finely sliced

100mL white wine or sherry

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped mint

1 tbsp chopped basil

salt and pepper to taste

4 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add some salt. Cook pasta till al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In a pan heat up some olive oil and saute sliced garlic and chillies until fragrant.
3. Add prawns and toss for about 2 minutes then add cherry tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the white wine and toss the pan to mix everything together. 
5. When the prawns are cook and cherry tomatoes starting to go soft, turn off the heat and stir in the parsley, mint and basil for that fresh flavour.
6. Pour the pasta in and mix well then serve. Serve with parmesan if desired.

This meal is definitely under 30 minutes prep and cook time. With the chillies, it really depends what type of chilli you used and what level of spiciness it has as well as how spicy you would like your dish. I used 4 bird's eye chillies in mine. Now, time to sit back with my pasta and watch My Kitchen Rules!

Pera Kahve @ Glenelg

We were feeling somewhat deflated as we headed down to Glenelg to re-send the mobile phone in for repairs because the button came back loose and it wasn't before! Another 24 hours without a smart phone - it's amazing how it has dominated our lives. I can't take pictures, I can't check Facebook and I can't make notes for blogging! I had to rely on my rusty brain for once! Ahhh technology. 

Anyway, we had nothing planned, we were at Glenelg, the weather was beautiful. Well, ya just have to stop for coffee don't you. We found this little place on Gordon Street (just off Jetty Road) that advertised Turkish Coffee. Well, I never had one of those, let's try it! Pera Kahve is a well decorated, funky, chilled out cafe with blue, black and white themes. There's a cushioned 'lounger' outside and funky wall art. I thought, this place is cool. I liked the vibe in there.

They serve a variety of coffees, teas, cakes, focaccias and rolls but we weren't hungry so we decided to try Turkish Coffee and Turkish Apple Tea. The Turkish Coffee came in a miniature pot with a ceramic cup sitting inside. It was a strong shot of coffee. The only problem was, it was hot. The metal, the cup, everything. And being so miniature it was a bit hard not to burn your lips on the metal as you take a sip. The coffee was good. It was a very aromatic, strong, nicely flavoured coffee. Just don't drink the last quarter of it - the sediment is like eating coffee bean paste. The Turkish Coffee is served with a Turkish delight and a glass of water so having a sip of the coffee and taking a bite of the Turkish delight created a nice balance. 

The Turkish Apple Tea was interesting. It had a sour or tarty taste to it. It wasn't bad but really wasn't my cup of tea (pardon the pun).

Oh and while I was there, I saw this on the wall. I'm not quite sure how Turkish coffee fortune-telling works but it looked interesting. Overall, loved the vibe. 

Pera Kahve

2 Gordon Street,

Glenelg SA 5045

French Toast Anyone?

Once again after one of those My Kitchen Rules nights, I had a craving for French Toast. I had just bought some beautiful, fresh sourdough rye bread and thought that would be perfect for it! French toast is basically thick cut bread dipped well in a egg, milk and cinnamon mixture and pan-fried. You can practically top it with anything you like!

Ingredients:

4 thick slices of sourdough rye bread

4 free range eggs beaten

3/4 cup of milk

2 tsp castor sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Method:

1. Combine the milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon powder and beat well.
2. Heat a little bit of oil or butter in a pan. Dip the bread into the mixture and soak well then pan fry it on the pan. Remember to flip and be careful not to burn either side. 
3. Serve with anything you like!

This is a versatile snack. You can make it savoury as much as you can make it sweet. I like sweet so I usually have mine with honey or maple syrup or even fresh strawberries, spiced apples and sometimes peanut butter! Oh, and did I tell you they go incredibly well with ice cream! Enjoy!

Bracegirdles @ Glenelg

Every girl needs her chocolate fix now and then so when you're down at the bay, Glenelg, there's no other place like Bracegirdles. Situated right in the hub on Jetty Road, it's a two storey cafe specializing in Belgian chocolate. The atmosphere is casual and nice - great for hanging out with friends. They even have seats on the balcony upstairs so you can watch the world go by on that little tourist strip - perfect for a summer evening.

The menu is quite extensive for a chocolate cafe. For those who don't like chocolate, fear not, you do not have to abandon your friends and wait patiently outside - they serve savoury food such as omelette, filo pastry parcels and soup. For those who do like desserts, this is heaven. There are a range of cakes and tarts on display, sipping desserts and good old fondue. 

Their Chocolate Affair Fondue was what we decided on as we had just had dinner so some fruit made it feel somewhat healthier. The rich Belgian chocolate was smooth, creamy and oh so yummy. Other options include marshmallows, Turkish delight, different types of chocolate (dark and white) and more. The Belgian Waffle was equally good with a shot of delicious chocolate served with strawberries and vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate affair fondue $19.90 serves 2
Belgian waffle $11.90

Bracegirdles also have an interesting variety of drinks. The usual hot chocolate, frappes, coffees and teas are available but one particular one caught my eye. Peanut Butter Frappe! It was crunchy peanut butter, milk, liquid Belgian Chocolate and crushed ice. Very yummy and extremely high in calories.

Peanut butter frappe $7.90

Bracegirdles is priced on the higher side so it's not somewhere we frequent but that occasional treat is just enough to keep me happy without being sickly. Check out their full menu.

Bracegirdles

31 Jetty Road
Glenelg SA 5045
08 8294 8482

Hub Fine Foods @ Aberfoyle Park

Hub Fine Foods is my favourite local cafe. In fact right now I'm wondering why I haven't done a review on it earlier. It's almost as if we go there so often, I didn't bother taking photos but this little cafe is well worth telling people about. The name 'Fine Foods' is probably a little deceptive because if you're expecting gourmet meats and fancy omelettes you will be disappointed. This cafe however is nothing short of a great eat at a fantastic price. It's come a long way from the deli that used to be. With fresh looking tables, chairs and sofas, a clear view of the counter where delicious pies, pasties and cookies are displayed, the lovely red and white theme works perfectly. There's canvases on the walls of London and it really does give a lovely feel. 

Love how they hide the fridge

They serve breakfast all day with the usual bacon and eggs, ham and cheese croissant, omelettes and big brekky right through to any sandwich/roll/double cut roll you can imagine. The list is virtually endless and if that's not enough there's always chicken burger, steak sandwiches and hot dogs. Even if you just wanted something simple, beans on toast is available! Wedges and chips for sharing are also on the menu

Their drink list is just as impressive with all sorts of teas, coffees and milkshakes. I must commend them on their milkshakes and the value for money. It's a fantastic milkshake and really, you actually get two glasses. They fill your glass and give you the other half in the metal shake cup all for $4.00. Not sure if it's a smart business decision but it keeps customers happy. Mocha milkshake is my favourite. 

Iced coffee without cream $4.50

Latte $3.20

On this occasion where I remembered my camera, we had Hot dog special with bacon, cream cheese and BBQ sauce. It's not a gourmet sausage or anything, just your good old frankfurter you get in NY style hotdogs but when packed with bacon, cream cheese, sauce, mustard and onions, it's the kinda snack you need when you've got $5.50 to spare. 

Hot dog special $5.50

Their steak sandwich isn't shy of a good feed either though not particularly gourmet. I'd like my onions cooked and caramelized a bit more but overall it's a satisfying lunch and the steak wasn't tough of chewy. Oh and who doesn't love a good old ham and cheese croissant!

Steak sandwich with the lot

Ham and cheese croissant $5.50

All in all this place is great value for money and a nice comfortable place to catch up with friends. The girls there are great and provide good service. Next time I'm there I'll get more pictures. I'm glad this is not very far from us because it's great for those mornings or lunch times where we just can't be bothered. 

Hub Fine Foods

Shop 5 Hub Drive

Aberfoyle Park 5159 SA

08 8270 1850