Or If He Asks For An Egg

Huevos Rancheros is a classic Mexican breakfast traditionally served with fried eggs on corn tortillas and top with hot chili and tomato sauce, refried beans( cooked mashed beans) and guacamole. As the breakfast dish became popular outside of Mexico, many variations are created with addition of non Mexican ingredients like sour cream, lettuce and cheddar cheese.

Today, I want to share with you my version of huevos rancheros. This version might not be authentically Mexican, but I am giving you this my thumbs up for a yummy and uncommon breakfast dish. (uncommon in Asia). This is also good for brunch or light meal. Provecho!

Huevos Rancheros with Pico de Gallo

Serves 1

1tortillas of your choice

2 eggs

15g shredded cheddar, 

1 large tomatoes, seeded, diced

1 red capsicum, diced

1 avocado, diced

1 red onion,chopped

1 red chili, seeded,finely sliced

I tablespoon of roughly chopped coriander

1-2 tablespoons lime juice

Salt to taste

15g cheddar cheese to sprinkle

Coriander to garnish

Tabesco to serve

Method

Pico de Gallo(Salsa Fresca)

• Mix tomatoes, red capsicum, avocado, chili,onions and coriander with lime juice. Add salt to taste. Do not over mix the ingredients or it will turn too mushy.  Cover and chill in the fridge.

Note: I used red chilli to replace jalapenos


Huevos Rancheros

• Heat the tortilla on oiled pan until it turns lightly brown. Flip over the tortilla.

• Sprinkle some cheddar cheese over the tortilla and let it melt.

• Break eggs over the melted cheese, season with salt. When the egg white is slightly set, flip the tortilla over and let it cook for a few seconds.

• Slide the tortilla onto a serving plate, top with salsa fresca, coriander, cheese.
• Best serve with Tabasco sauce.

Note: If you like beans, get a can of black beans or Pinto beans. Cook and mash the beans, serve as spread on the tortillas or as side.

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up 'Eggs' hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out,

organised by Zoe, Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen, My little favourite DIY

Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? Luke 11:12

A loving earthly father will not give his child scorpion to eat if he asks for an egg. Therefore, the loving Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to His children when they ask for it.

She Is Clothed With Strength and Dignity

My Mother's Praised Chicken is Nigella's mum's dish. She cooked this for the family when they were young.. It is one dish which Nigella cooks most often than anything else. She calls it praised chicken because it is a cross between poached and braised.

'This may well be - indeed is - the smell, the taste, and the dish that says "family" to me and my siblings, and brings our long-absent mother back to the kitchen and the table with us. But the fact that I've cooked it more often and over more years than I've cooked anything else doesn't make writing a recipe for it any easier. If anything, it makes it harder, much harder.'  Nigella Lawson

I thought this is very touching and it moves me to make this dish to savour Nigella's childhood comfort food. It is basically a very flavourful one pot chicken soup. Good for days when your want something nourishing and light. This soup is not a dish my children would sing praises to me because they dislike soup, especially soup over rice. Hmm...I wonder which home cooked dish my children would shout praises in remembrance of me?

I made fresh bouquet garni with parsley, thymes and dry bay leaves, and bind a bundle of parsley stalks for the soup.

My Mother's Praised Chicken
Adapted from Nigella Kitchen


Ingredients

1 large chicken (small, 1 kg)
2 teaspoons garlic infused olive oil (3 cloves of garlic infused in heated olive oil)
100ml white wine
2-3 leeks (cleaned,trimmed and cut into 7cm logs)
2-3 carrots (peeled and cut into batons)
1-2 sticks celery sliced
approximately 2 litres cold water(about 1.5 litres)
1 bouquet garni or 1 teaspoon dried herbs
1 small bunch fresh parsley
2 teaspoons sea salt(adjust to taste)
2 teaspoons red peppercorns (black peppercorns)
English mustard
chopped fresh dill


Method

• Get out a large,flame-safe cooking pot with a lid in which the chicken can fit snugly
• On a washable board, un-truss the chicken, put it breast side down and press down until you hear the breastbone crack. Then press down again, so that the chicken is flattened slightly. Now cut off the ankle joints below the drumstick (but keep them);
• Put the oil in the pan to heat, then brown the chicken for a few minutes breast-side down, and turn up the heat and turn over the chicken, tossing in the feet as you do so. Still over a vigorous heat add the wine or vermouth to the pan and let it bubble down a little before adding the leeks, carrots and celery.
• Pour in enough cold water to cover the chicken, though the very top of it may poke out, then pop in the bouquet garni or your herbs of choice, and the parsley stalks or sprigs.
• The chicken should be almost completely submerged by now and if not, do add some more cold water, You want it just about covered.Bring to a bubble, clamp on the lid, turn the heat to very low and leave to cook for 11/2 - 2 hours. Leave it to stand with the heat off, but the lid still on, for the remaining 20-30 minutes.
• Serve the chicken and accompanying vegetables with brown basmatic rice, adding a ladleful or two of liquid over each shallow bowl, as you go, and putting fresh dill and mustard on the table for the eater to add as they wish. (served with white rice and parsley)

Note: My chicken is small about 1kg. I cooked it for 1hr and 15 mins and left pot overnight in the fridge. The next day, I removed the hardened fats before heating. The chicken meat is very tender and falling off the bones. I used black peppercorns. Red peppercorns is quite expensive here $14.50 for 1oz and I couldn't find green peppercorns which is a more suitable substitute.

This post is linked to Cook Like A Star 'Nigella Lawson' organised by Anuja from Simple Baking,  Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Joyce from Kitchen Flavours.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. Proverbs 31:25

Look To The Lord

Nigella Lawson does not need much of an introduction. Her passion for good, homemade food ties all of us together. She is unpretentious when comes to food. She loves food and she raids her fridge for midnight snack in her silk pajamas. Some people do it, I do too. Well, maybe not in silk pajamas.

Nigella has written many cookbooks and one of my favourite is Nigella's Kitchen. For this month Cook Like A Star 'Nigella Lawson' I will be cooking mostly from this book. Let's start with this African Drumsticks, page 46.  Nigella calls these African drumsticks because the recipe was given to her by her African friend and she tweaked it to her taste and style.

Though the drumsticks are good, especially with the couscous, the only African influence I can think of is the addition of apricot jam. These drumsticks also taste very much like Delia Smith's Devilled Chicken,
Overall, it is still a good simple dish with an exotic name to make to impress your family and friends.

African Drumsticks
Adapted from Kitchen - Recipes From the Heart of the Home

Ingredients

80ml Worcestershire sauce
4 tbs tomato sauce
2 tsp English mustard powder(dijon mustard)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbs apricot jam
1 onion, finely chopped
8 chicken drumsticks
1 tbs of garlic oil (olive oil and 1 tablespoon chopped garlic


Method

• Preheat the oven to 200C
• Marinate the chicken in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, mustard powder, ground ginger, apricot jam and the chopped onion. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight. Pour the olive oil and garlic into an ovenproof dish and arrange the chicken in the dish snugly. Pour over any remaining marinade.
• Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through.

Couscous with Carrots and Rasins

Recipe: Own

Ingredients

1/4 cup cous cous

1/4 cup hot chicken broth

2 tablespoons grated carrots

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons cashew nuts, toasted

flat leaf parsley to garnish

Mix couscous, raisins and carrots in a bowl. Pour the hot chicken broth and quickly covered with a clingwrap. Leave it for 5-8 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and sprinkle cashew nuts just before serving.

This post is linked to Cook Like A Star 'Nigella Lawson' hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy kids,
Joyce from Kitchen Flavour and Anuja from Simple Baking

Look to the LORD and his strength;seek His face always.  1 Chronicles 16:11

Do Not Be Anxious About Anything

Jamie's Italian has opened in Singapore. There are long queues everyday and online reservation is fully booked till October. However, it is easier for you to get a table if you walk in during off peak hours
I was there alone on a late weekday afternoon and ordered one of the famous pasta, Jools' favourite Sicilian Tuna Fusilli and Polenta Chips as side. Jools is Jamie's wife and this is her favourite Saturday afternoon pasta.  This dish is also one of the reasons why I was there. This pasta is healthy and light and I want to recreate it at home. There's another Jools' favourite in Jamie's 30 minute meals called Pregnant Jool Pasta which is penne cooked with sausages.

I ordered the single portion which is 75g and came with a herb breadcrumbs on a spoon. It was very fresh, light and delicious. True to Jamie's food philosophy, this pasta which is cooked with fresh and simple ingredients can be enjoyed eating in a balanced healthy way.

The polenta chips were so superbly fried too, remain crisp and warm right to the last piece. I have to save the tempting desserts for another trip with family and to try the other dishes as well..

The tuna used in the restaurant is albacore. There are many types of canned tuna and the regular ones are the yellowfin.  Albacore tuna is white meat tuna, has a non fishy taste compared to regular tuna. It also has the lightest flesh, and is priced higher than regular tuna. Unlike ordinary tunas, albacore also contains more omega 3 fatty acids and naturally the fats content and calories are higher than regular tuna.






My version of Jools'Favourite Sicilian Tuna is adapted from here.

Jools' Favourite Sicilian Tuna Fusilli

serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound, (400g)good-quality fusilli or penne(fusilli)
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cans(400g x 2) good quality whole peeled tomatoes,  chopped
2 cans (10oz) good-quality tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked(142gms x 2)
1 to 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (2 deseeded chillies)
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 lemon, zest and juice(1 lemon)
Small handful freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (Herb breadcrumbs)

Herb Breadcrumb
recipe source: own
1/2 cups of panko
1 tablespoon of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of parmesan

Mix the above ingredients and baked in the oven at 180C for 10-15 mins or until breadcrumbs is brown and toasted.

Method

• Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook the onion, chilli, cinnamon and basil stalks on a medium to low heat for 5 minutes until onion has softened and is slightly sweet.

• Turn up the heat and add your tomatoes, tuna and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water according to the pack instructions. When al dente, drain the pasta in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water.

• Toss the pasta into the tuna and tomato sauce with the roughly torn basil leaves, a glug of olive oil, the lemon zest and juice, and mix together well.

• Loosen the pasta with a little of the reserved cooking water if needed. Check the seasoning and serve immediately with Parmesan.( crunchy herb breadcrumbs at the side)

Ta-Da,..My homemade version. I would say this is very close in taste.

Note: Pasta sauce is cooked for 4 servings. Cooked pasta is for single serving of 100g.
Those who tried this pasta and other food in the restaurant here and abroad, felt that there are some degrees of  inconsistency in presentation and taste.

A church friend had a cancer scare recently. Her doctor has found abnormalities in her mammogram and she had a biopsy done. As she waited for her biopsy result, we all prayed for her and gave her encouragement and support. She had recently lost her mother to breast cancer and  might have inherited the cancerous genes.
Thank God  the biopsy report was non-cancerous but abnormal. She is due to do a open biopsy to remove the lumps from both breasts using an ultrasound hookwire to do further test.
When one is struck with an uncertainty medical report, one is naturally frightened. My friend is thankful she has a God who cares, and has given her comforting Word. She has faith in God's will for her, whatever outcome of the open biopsy.

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

Cast Your Burden On The Lord

 Curtis Stone does it again! This time with this Chicken and Chorizo Paella. 
A very easy and relaxing way of cooking this dish. You don't need to have everything mise en place. Just prepare and cut, as you cook along. Follow the steps exactly in the video as Curtis Stone works his charm on you and you'll be fine.
I have cooked paella many times but never have it so easy. Moreover, it tastes so great. Usually, for easier eating, I use bite size boneless thigh but not this time. This dish serves 4 but there are only 3 in the family eating, and I have 3 large chicken drumsticks. The chicken drumsticks were cooked so crisp that I wish I could have more and the rice was cooked to near perfection, tender,moist and crisp round the edges. Move over, old paella recipes, make way for Curtis Stone's Chicken and Chorizo Paella!

Chicken and Chorizo Paella
Curtis Stone Feed Your Family
serves 4


Ingredients
4 cups water
3 tsp salt
small pinch saffron threads
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pack chicken (3 large drumsticks)
1/2 medium brown onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small red capsicum, thinly sliced
2 cups medium grain rice (arborio rice)*
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tomato, seeded and cut into small dice
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish


Method

• Preheat oven to 200C or 180C fan.
• In large saucepan, heat water and salt to a simmer, turn off heat and add saffron.
• Place large ovenproof frying pan or paella pan over high heat and add oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Once oil is hot, add chicken and brown on all sides, for about 5 mins. Remove chicken from pan, reduce heat to medium high and return pan to the heat.
• Cook onion, garlic and capsicum for 2 mins, or until softened. Add chorizo and cook for 1-2 mins.
• Stir in rice, then paprika, and cook for 2 mins, or until pan is dry and rice is coated with oil.
• Add warmed saffron water to the pan and stir to evenly combine. (note: sizzling sound) Add the chicken back to the pan, arranging in a single layer, evenly spaced and bring to a simmer over high heat.
• Once pan comes to a full simmer, remove heat, sprinkle with tomato and season with salt and pepper(pepper only, taste before adding salt). Place in oven and cook, uncovered, for 25-30 mins, or until the rice and tender and chicken is cooked through. A sign of a good paella is crisp[ around the sides of the pan.
• Stand for a few mins before serving. Garnish with spring onion and lemon wedges.

* I would have used Australian calrose rice for this recipe but I have an opened box of arborio rice to clear.

This post is linked Cook Like A Star 'Curtis Stone'. Hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids

Baby Sumo from Eat Your Heart Out and Grace from Life can be simple.

Cast Your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.  Psalm 55:22