2014 Resolutions Project: Jamie Oliver's Chili Con Carne Meatballs with Bulgur Wheat

My 2014 Resolutions Project isn't a defunct one yet....not yet...after 2013, Monkey has continued onto 2014. Somehow this year had been rather busy and first quarter has already gone to my horror.
>.<

Time waits for no one and u gotta be fast. After all this is the year of Horse...galloping up and down. If u can't chase and reign the horse....u will be perpetually chasing after it this year. So u command the horse and don't let the horse command u.

the secret to success of Jamie O's 15 minutes meal is...that u have everything within sights...and your utensils must already be within reach. Doesn't matter if it's the water kettle, the food processor, the knives or the ingredients to the last details like food clipper for u to store back ur stuffs. Unless you don't really mind having all ur stuffs thrashed around everywhere and risked them being spilled EVERYWHERE. Also all your pans on the stove must be hot hot hot~~~~~

anyhow I wasn't rushing for time, so I took my own sweet time and surprising everything from the start as in really the start where I had to retrieve my food processor till the very end of merchandising my dish, Monkey took 35 minutes. It was pretty quick.

So if u are not really rushing for time, u start from blitzing about:
2 stalks of spring onions
1/2 bunch of coriander
4 pieces of grilled sweet pepper *those in the jar type*
700gm of passata *basically this is tomato puree in jar, you can get them from the tomato paste/puree section*
1 tsp of smoked paprika

blitz them until they looked like....euuwwwwwww...like the above...
but it tasted good...hahahahaha

just dunk all the stuffs into the hot pan over high fire and let it boil
this can actually be a pasta sauce u know :P


As the tomato puree are boiling.....measure a cup of Bulgur wheat onto another pot, put in a stick of cinnamon and 1 or 2 pcs of preserved lemon. I didn't manage to find any preserved lemon so instead I used lemon juice and salt but of coz the taste profile isn't the same.

So the key is for every cup of bulgur wheat, add 2 cups of water
If u are not a fan of bulgur wheat then use 1/2 cup with 1 cup of water.
Later I found out that bulgur wheat has got lower calories than rice, higher in protein and vitamins. It's easy to digest and high in fiber too. Hmmmm should have this more often in my daily diet.

400gm of minced beef. I got some really good quality ones for making burger. I can't remember if they were angus or wat...but it has got such a nice beefy nose to it.

Just some salt and freshly grinded pepper and scrunch the meat. This was so much fun to do :))). By then ur frying pan should be heated and drizzle some olive oil into it.

As u scrunch, make balls the size of ping-pong. And as u make them, dunk them into the hot pan. The sizzles and the smell was really good...it's just beef!!! with nothing else.

If u have anymore available burners, just grill-burn some red chilis
Thankfully JS's gigantic stoves has got 6 burners...
One was boiling the tomato puree
One was bz cooking the bulgur wheat
Another was with a fying pans with lotsa meatballs innit


in just a minute ur meatballs should have such beautiful colors...just shake shake the pan and ur ass for a bit, and the balls will move around the pan easily. If it doesn't move just use a tong to turn them over. I was more interested at the jus at the bottom of the pan....all the yummy goodness of protein.

U don't wanna overcook the meatballs, coz it will still be cooking over on this side. Using a tong, just transfer all the meatballs over here to continue boiling.

Drain a tin of red kidney beans, say about 400gm. It will cook with the fat and jus from the protein. Add in a pinch of cumin seeds for that extra kick. The beans will pop and the skins will undressed itself revealing the yellowish bean on the inside. Then immediately transfer this entire pan of kidney beans onto the pot of boiling meatballs and tomato puree

With the same tong, turn over ur grill-burnt chilis. I like it that Jamie O usually minimise his utensils but somehow I don't agree bcoz I am already using 2 pots and a pan plus a food processor waiting for me to be cleaned and washed....hahahahaha.

  

As the Meatballs were infusing itself in the volcanic tomato puree, the chilis were grilling, turn the fire off the bulgur wheat and fluff them up by removing more steam outta it. Just get a spatula and dig in, the steam will vent up. If u are using preserved lemon, just mash and mix it and remove the single stick of cinnamon. Since I don't have any preserved lemon...I just gotta remove the inedible cinnamon stick.

Get a flat plate and transfer all the fluffed up bulgur wheat. Make a hole in the middle like a well. Switch off the fire of your Volcano then transfer the meatballs and tomato sauce in the middle. Use a tong to pick up all ur grilled-burnt chilis on top. Cut some lime, throw in some coriander leaves and spring onions. Scoop down a few tablespoon of natural yogurt for that contrast.

and dinner is ready :))))

The recipe
For the meatballs:
- 400 gm of ground beef
- salt and pepper

For the bulgur wheat:
- 1 cup of bulgur wheat
- 2 cups of boiling hot water
- 1 or 2 preserved lemons
- 1 stick of cinnamon

For the tomato sauce:
- 700gm of passata *puree tomato in a jar*
- 4 pcs of grilled red peppers *fr the jar*
- 1/2 bunch of coriander
- 2 sprigs of spring onions
- 1 tsp of smoked paprika
- 400gm of red kidney beans
- 1 pinch of cumin seeds

To dress:
- 1 lime
- 4 red chilis *grilled on open fire*
- 4 tbsp of natural yogurt
- some coriander leaves
- some spring onions

Happy Cooking folks!!!!
it's Ok if u take longer than 15 minutes......as long as it turns out yummy :)))
This recipe is simple, easy and really delicious.

2014 Resolutions Project: Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Bake

The above were all leftovers from my fridge. I saw a recipe sometime ago and decided to just make "edible food" outta my fridge.

first thing first...preheat ur oven at 220*C
Then smack watever leftover bacons and sausages that u have in the fridge onto a baking tray. I've only got a few slices of bacon left....so...

Let it back for bout 15 mins. While it's baking, just halve watever leftover cherry tomatoes u have in the fridge. I've alwiz alwiz have these bcoz JS lurves to snacks on tomatoes. *Sorry confession, yes I used your half tub of cherry tomatoes in the fridge...hehehehehehehe*

By the time u are pretty much done, remove the tray outta the oven, crack as many eggs as u would love to consume that particular morning...one of mine broke T_T sob sob sob...arrange all the halved cherry tomatoes on the tray, and add 1tsp of dried oregano. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the egg has set to your desired done-ness.

when it came out I was -_-"
didn't look as good as it should be....coz I was in a rush...season with salt and pepper and there u go, a really easy peasy breakfast made from leftovers :P

For full recipe and a much prettier picture from the author, visit:
http://diethood.com/2013/10/18/bacon-eggs-breakfast-bake/

2014 Resolutions Project: Thomas Keller's Dog Treats

 

I don't know wat prompt me to attempt this dog treats....not just any dog treats but one from Thomas Keller's baking book - Bouchon Bakery. Having not much experience in baking, I proceeded with the ingredients, snapped a pic of the ingredients list and went out shopping.

First of all sautee about 453gm of bacon slices which have been cut into 1 inch wide pieces... U just need to do this at medium fire and have some patience. While it's cooking, go and cut some chicken livers.

I see that those bacon slices are being nicely sautee there. So much of fats came outta it, and the smell was so yummy and good. Can't believe this gonna end up being parts of dog treats.

Wahhhhh I couldn't help but stole a few pieces...oh well when u are cooking u need to TEST TEST first right? And the taste test came out fine...crispy and crunchy and definitely not oily at all because all of the oil has been rendered out.

While sautee-ing the bacon slices, I had been busy cutting the chicken livers into half an inch pieces. I don't eat chicken livers, and preparing them was no fun either....the texture, the smell...oh yucks!!!!

So u'll need about 370gm of these....
throw away most of the oil rendered from the bacon and leave only a bit for the livers.


So u fry them for about 8 minutes, and continuously smashing the livers with your spatula. Now I understand why I don't eat livers...the smell is something that I don't like. ARGHHHH

Next you'll need to blitz the fried bacon slices....
I was like O.O!!! another machine to clean...arghhhhhh....why oh why didn't I read the full instructions before attempting this...but there's no turning back. I had to go on with it.

so after pulsing the bacon pieces for a bit, add in the chicken livers and 130gm of fine cornmeal...

Ohhhhh it looked and smelled like DOG GOOD at this juncture.....
I was rather pleased bcoz it didn't turn out to look/smell like something else...bahahahaha

Next use your mixer with with a fitted paddle to mix the above with 450gm of all purpose flour in 3 batches with 235gm of chicken stocks. Just inter-add the flour and chicken stock

I was -_-"
more things to wash after this....ARGHHHHH

Next roll it up to your desired thickness. Because of the texture and stickiness, u'll need a silpat at the bottom and a cling wrap at the top....

 

JS was busy sniffing around my stuffs and said...he could see the bacon pieces....he even complained the whole house smell of chicken liver

-_-"
then u dun come so close to me....

Bake the dog treats at 120*C for 1.5 hours if u are using a convection oven like mine.....or for 3 hours if u are using a standard oven.

The work didn't end there.....T.T

Prepare a ketchup glaze of 3 tbsp of ketchup *I used Heinz*, mix them with 1 tbsp of egg whites.

Soon once the treats are out....glaze each and every piece carefully...
lower the oven temperature to 95*C and bake for 15 minutes, or until the glaze has set

Ta-DA!!!!!
phewwwwwww
Wat kind of hardwork is this!!! baking macarons is so much easier!!!

Let them cool and transfer to air tight containers. These treats can be kept for one month long. Soon the treats were delivered to the LUCKY REALLY LUCKY SUPER LUCKY DOGS!!!!

Taffy sticked out her tongue...I don't know if that's an approval or wat?

Hardee looked terrified of the dog treat. Don't worry doggie, I won't poison u despite wat u did to your momma last week...by running away and the entire squad had to be deployed in a search and rescue effort to retrieve you......all while u were busy sniffing at the bus stop waiting for a bus.
-_-"

and finally Bambi....who looked like a lion now...so much of fur!!!! Can u see the treat???

I don't know how these owners, made their dogs wait before they can chomp chomp nom nom on their treats. According to owners, the dog did not reject it but they say pleaseeeeee don't do this anymore!!! don't bake for their dogs anymore!!!!!

me :"(((( why????? I lurve ur dogs!!!
"BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GONNA EAT THE NORMAL DOG TREATS ANYMORE, DAMN YOU!!!!"
:"(((((((

okie the list of ingredients are as below again:
453g of sliced bacon, cut into 1 inch wide pieces
370g of chicken livers, cut into 0.5 inch pieces
130g of fine cornmeal
450g of all purpose flour
235g chicken stock

the Glaze:
3 tbsp of ketchup
1 tbsp of egg whites

Good LUCK!!! and lemme know ur results :)))

2014 Resolutions Project: Flourless Sugarless Chocolate Cheese Souffle Cake

Happy New Year :)))) and Monkey will continue on her journey with her lil baking project. Hence it has been renamed 2014 Resolutions Project. This one is really simple easy and lazy...perfect for someone like ME

hehehehehe *big grin*

All u need are:
120g of chocolates
120g of cream cheese
3 eggs *yolks separated*
1 tsp of lemon juice

yeah only 4 ingredients. It's a lazy cake isn't it? No sugar and not even a pinch of flour. As usual preheat your oven at 170*C

Then bain-marie your chocolates and cream cheese. Meaning u heat them indirectly on top of a pot of boiling water without touching the water itself. Since this recipe does not require sugar, it would be advisable to use chocolates that are around 52%.

Once all the ingredients have melted to a consistency, remove from heat and add the 3 egg yolks and combine them.

Next whip the 3 egg whites with 1tsp of lemon juice until medium peak.....
Slowly add the whipped egg whites in 3 batches onto the chocolate mixture...u'll need to be gentle as you fold. This is to maintain the "air" that's inside the egg whites.

Line a 6 inches tin with parchment paper and grease it. Try to purchase a butter spray or something, it's so easy to use :))

Then pour the mixture in. I wrapped the bottom of my spring can with foil bcoz this needs to be baked with 2cm of water bath. Do add in boiling water for this water bath.

Bake at 170*C for 15 minutes
Then reduce temperature to 160*C for another 15 minutes
and finally switch off your oven and keep the door closed for another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely. It is perfectly normal for the cake to shrink as it cools. Then chill in the fridge for 2 hours before consumption.

The staggered baking time means I had to be watching it, so that gave me enuff time to do all the washing and packing up. Once the cake was out....it's time to HIT THE SWIMMING POOL!!!

woohooo~~~~

yah I pretty much did a lot on 1st January 2014 :))))
baking and working out
*plus working out my stomach by eating a lot!!!*

After dinner.....there's dessert!!! Yeah we have this habit of taking something bittersweet after dinner every single day. Be it a cup of espresso with chocolates, pastries or cakes.

Serve with watever u like :) A dollop of ice creams or for lazy person like me....strawberries :P Nice soft light texture with the bittersweetness from the dark chocolates.

It's a very tiny cake so if u need to bake more, do attempt 2x portions of this recipe.
Happy Baking folks!!!!