Author: blenderandbasil

Blender & Basil is an invitation to explore, create, and connect as a global community of food enthusiasts, generate new traditions and create a home away from home. Reach out to us for collaborations and let's share our culinary adventures!
Recipes, Simple Recipes

Steamed Eggs, Tofu, Fish and Prawns – a Protein-Rich Recipe

Egg whites, tofu, white fish and prawns – it’s a protein fix! This recipe is inspired by Chinese steamed eggs, which every child with Chinese parents has probably had. I’ve made this many times, and used to make the consistency a lot smoother by increasing the number of eggs used compare to the fish and prawns, for example, but really prefer this firmer version. Also, this is a steamed recipe, and the taste is a lot lighter and more subtle compared to stir-fries and stews, so I really recommend using some Japanese ingredients such as tsuyu soup stock and mirin. Continue reading “Steamed Eggs, Tofu, Fish and Prawns – a Protein-Rich Recipe”

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Baking, Recipes

Traditional Italian Jam Tart

Jam tart, in Italian crostata is a very typical home made cake in Italy and because everyone likes it and it requires no special effort, it’s baked at any opportunity. The ultimate classic is made with apricot jam, but its base, called pasta frolla, is the perfect match with any flavour of jam and marmalade. I bake it to say thank you to friends, to bring to a last minute dinner party, or just to use up a jam jar that’s not getting the right attention. Continue reading “Traditional Italian Jam Tart”

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Meatless Monday, Recipes, Simple Recipes

Peperonata, More Than a Side Dish

I love this dish because it requires few ingredients and provides a lot of flavour. It is a great side dish to present at a dinner party – but I love it solo or with a naughty slice of cheese on top – just like how I’m making it today, with my favourite smoked provola sarda (which I’ve imported from home). I often use bell peppers for this, mixing all colours in, but this time I’m making it using these long red and green peppers, very sweet flavoured and comforting to the palate. This recipe makes enough for two.

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Recipe Review, Recipes

Chinese New Year Recipe – Bak Kwa

It’s Chinese New Year , I’m in Singapore and there’s so much information to take in about the uses and traditions of this special day. To avoid any faux pas, I kept it simple and decided to make at home one of the best known delicacies in Singapore and Malaysia. Bak Kwa (Chinese barbecued pork jerky) is often given as a present for CNY, and it is usually bought at one of the various stores that are famous for having a long tradition or an old family recipe for it. But as we all know, the best present to give is time, and I love spending time in cooking or baking something special for friends, so I followed this recipe from The Burning Kitchen and it was absolutely spot on! Continue reading “Chinese New Year Recipe – Bak Kwa”

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Recipes

Fish al Cartoccio

Chinese New Year is approaching and you can definitely feel a seafood fever in the air when you go to the local wet markets in Singapore. Far from boasting any authority on the matter – I’ll leave this to the Chinese household of Blender&Basil – I’ll limit myself to show you how I cook fish, which is a rather common method used in Italy. The method is called al cartoccio, and it consists of cooking a whole fish (a sea bass, a sea bream, or like in this case, a mackerel) with its own steam inside a parcel made of aluminium foil. Continue reading “Fish al Cartoccio”

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Recipes

Chinese Big Plate Chicken Stew (Dapanji) with Homemade Flat Noodles

A big plate of chicken is a great dish to share for a festive gathering, and for winter, this stew really warms you up! The name, Dapanji, literally means a big plate of chicken, and, as you can probably imagine with a name like that, there are many variations of this recipe. Dapanji is actually a fusion dish between Sichuan and Xinjiang cuisine, so it’s definitely spicy! We’ve made it here with a poussin as we didn’t have that many mouths to feed, but as you can imagine, it’s easy to scale up. Continue reading “Chinese Big Plate Chicken Stew (Dapanji) with Homemade Flat Noodles”

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Recipes

Walnut and Pomegranate Chicken – Fesenjoon

I don’t need to tell you again how much I love Middle Eastern food, and this time I’ve indulged in a festive Persian dish of Moorish origins, often eaten at special occasions such as weddings. Fesenjoon is a stew made with pomegranate molasses and walnuts reduced to a cream. If you don’t fancy chicken, this recipe works perfectly with duck, or you can make a vegetarian version using butternut squash or aubergines. This Persian recipe, taken from the book Saffron Tales, doesn’t really require a lot of work (if you don’t count peeling a pomegranate as work), it just needs patience and time for the walnuts to reduce into a dark, velvety sauce, and then for the chicken to cook in it: the final touch, pomegranate seeds, add a refreshing flavour as well as a touch of glamour to this visually stunning dish. Continue reading “Walnut and Pomegranate Chicken – Fesenjoon”

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Recipes

Aubergine/Eggplant and Beans Stir-Fry (Qiezi Doujiao)

We’re starting January with a simple Chinese veggie recipe, as we’re probably all nursing some headaches and watching the scale. Aubergine and spice also makes a very warming combination, so it’s good for the winter months! The recipe does require oyster sauce, but if you can making a vegetarian version then you can get vegetarian oyster sauce made from mushrooms instead. Continue reading “Aubergine/Eggplant and Beans Stir-Fry (Qiezi Doujiao)”

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Recipes

Classic Italian Lasagna

Before starting the new year’s resolution diets, in Southern Europe there is one more event that closes the winter holidays, corresponding to the arrival of the wise men bearing gifts to the new born baby Jesus, this is known as Epiphany, or the kings (Los Reyes). For the last winter feast with the family, here’s a classic Italian recipe: homemade lasagna al forno. It’s a favourite throughout the holidays, and a homemade staple when it comes to Sunday lunch all year round. We made it for dinner on Christmas Eve and it was a great success, even though, I must admit, it will never be as good as mamma’s. Continue reading “Classic Italian Lasagna”

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