Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) Barley Risotto
I’m a huge fan of barley benefits: it’s high in fiber and helps lower cholesterol; it’s very nutritious and enriches any stews, broths or even salads. When I saw the unreasonable prices of risotto rice in Singaporean shops, I quickly turned to a barley recipe as a perfect solution! Since I’m making the effort to buy more local produce and use the local market as much as I can, instead of kale or broccoli exported from far countries, I chose a local green, gai lan (Chinese Broccoli). Continue reading “Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) Barley Risotto”
Simple Kale Pasta with Cashew Nuts
We all love kale: with a boost of vitamins and antioxidants comes a great solution for a quick and easy meal. This simple recipe serves two, and a few of its ingredients are easily interchangeable. Use it as a base for one of those evenings when you think you don’t have anything to cook, and when you open the fridge and cupboard you realise it’s not so bad. All you need is one ingredient and a few complementary ones to make a delicious pasta dish. Continue reading “Simple Kale Pasta with Cashew Nuts”
Sardinian eel pie (Panada di anguille)
Easter has come and gone, and in Sardinia many families have cooked a very traditional dish for special occasions: Sardinian panada. Many claim that this pie was created during the pre-nuragic period. I doubt so, judging by its similarities with empanadas, I would say that the idea was probably coming from our Spanish invaders. Legend says that the first place where it was cooked was a small town called Assemini, where back then fishing was the main activity. Hence, the panada di anguille, filled with eels is the classic version, which is also the one I’m presenting to you today. However, ingredients are easy to change: for the Easter holidays for example, the preferred filling would be lamb meat, accompanied by potatoes or other veggies. Continue reading “Sardinian eel pie (Panada di anguille)”
How to Have Your Kaya Toast and Eat It
We have a bit of news to start with. Those who follow us on Instagram might have noticed that many of our recent posts are Singapore-based. In fact, the Italian half of the blog (ironically) is going to be based in Singapore for an indefinite amount of time. This will mean painful missions to find Italian ingredients to keep up with traditional recipes. But it will also mean a lot of foodie travel posts (hopefully) and frequent posts on culinary curiosities about this city, which really is all about food!
It’s the week before Easter, and if I had all my kitchen utensils with me I would probably make you a lamb roast, or some delicious Torta Pasqualina. But instead, while my kitchen is still on its way here, I’m gonna talk to you about toast. Coming from London, where we even have a cereal bar, it shouldn’t have surprised me so much when I noticed there were cafes and chains everywhere selling mainly toast. Yet, it tickled my curiosity! Soon I discovered that an important part of the traditional Singaporean breakfast is kopi and kaya toast. These come in sets, like mini breakfast menus, and there are various types you can choose from. But first let’s cover the basics. Continue reading “How to Have Your Kaya Toast and Eat It”
Chinese Corn and Pine Nuts Stir-Fry (Song Ren Yu Mi)
With spring in the air, we’re here to share another light and easy Chinese veggie recipe this week. Pine nuts are not only subtly fragrant but extremely nutritious, and make up the main ingredient of this week’s recipe, along with corn.
I’ve always got some frozen corn in the freezer as it’s so versatile and easy to store (not to mention tasty!), so this recipe is often a go-to if the fridge and food cupboards are looking a bit bare.
Continue reading “Chinese Corn and Pine Nuts Stir-Fry (Song Ren Yu Mi)”
Dry fried green beans with chilli (gan bian sijidou) – a simple veggie recipe
Now that spring has arrived, it’s time for lighter food, but still with a touch of warming spice. That’s why we’re sharing this vegetarian dry fried green bean with chillies recipe today. It’s a very quick and simple recipe, and you need very few ingredients to cook it – mainly just the green beans and chillies! Although you will need to fry the green beans twice, you will only need one wok, as the oil is recycled.
Continue reading “Dry fried green beans with chilli (gan bian sijidou) – a simple veggie recipe”
Cauliflower with olives – A simple recipe
While it’s in season and at its best, I’m proposing a recipe with cauliflower. In Sardinia this dish is called cavolo soffocato, literally meaning suffocated cauliflower, and it’s called like that because you let it steam in the pot by closing the lid. Apart from the quality of the ingredients, you only need a bit of patience for the success of this very simple and satisfying vegetarian recipe. Have it as it is with some home made bread or fluffy basmati rice, or make it a side dish for a meaty dinner. Continue reading “Cauliflower with olives – A simple recipe”
Grilled fish simmer pot (Kao Yu) – a spicy Chinese recipe
Grilled fish served on a gas fire in a simmering tray of chillies and veg has been getting increasingly popular in Chinese restaurants, and unlike more traditional roast fish, it’s a lot saucier – in that it comes in a bubbling tray of soup. You can then spoon the soup over your bowl of rice as you eat the fish.
We’re making it with enoki mushrooms, celery and bamboo shoot here. In terms of choosing the fish, carp is ideal, sea bass is a good option, though we’re making it with yellow croaker here. Continue reading “Grilled fish simmer pot (Kao Yu) – a spicy Chinese recipe”
Pancake Day Recipe: Zeppole Sarde (Zippuas)
Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, is traditionally the day before the beginning of Lent. During this Catholic holiday lasting forty days, followers of Lent should avoid eating meat and other fatty or sweet foods, which is why Shrove Tuesday is the day they feast and treat themselves to a special meal. You might have guessed that we do not eat pancakes on this special occasion in Italy, as each region makes their own traditional cakes. In Sardinia we have zeppole, in dialect Zippuas, very tasty fritters that look like doughnuts and taste of saffron and orange. Continue reading “Pancake Day Recipe: Zeppole Sarde (Zippuas)”
Drunken Chicken (Shaoxing Zuiji) – a pressure cooker recipe
Want to cook with alcohol now that we’re no longer in dry January? This drunken chicken recipe is super easy and as it’s made in advance and served cold, you can make it to soak on a weekend and take it out of the fridge on Monday! Traditionally it’s made with Shaoxing rice wine, and that’s what we’re using here.
It’s usually made with chicken thighs or chicken wings, ideally with the bones removed but the skin on, as the skin keeps the meat together better and it will look prettier at the end. I don’t particularly like the skin in cold dishes, so I’m using boneless and skinless chicken thighs here. Continue reading “Drunken Chicken (Shaoxing Zuiji) – a pressure cooker recipe”
Blender & Basil 