Loosely based on the recipe at http://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-baked-cod-135272.

Ingredients:

• 0.5 lb cod (2 servings), cut into two pieces
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/8-1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Paprika powder

Method:

• Mix salt, pepper, flour and a sprinkle of paprika powder.
• Mix butter and lemon juice.
• Dip pieces of cod into the lemon-butter mixture.
• Coat the cod pieces in the flour mixture. Pour any remaining lemon butter mixture over the flour-coated fish.
• Refrigerate for 30 min - 1 hour.
• Pre-heat oven to 350º F.
• Place cod pieces in baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle some paprika powder.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• Enjoy!

Baked Lemon-Butter Cod with Onion, Bell Pepper and Garlic Medley © Osama Sidat

The other day, I was looking around for interesting breakfast recipes and this caught my eye. I wanted it try it out for myself...



Ingredients (2 servings)

• 1 large russet potato
• 2 eggs
• 1 small (or 1/2 medium) onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 large green pepper (capsicum), finely chopped
• Shredded Cheese
• Spring Onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Butter, melted
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

• Fully bake the potato (425°F, for about 60-90 minutes, until soft inside).
• Cut the potato in half, and scoop out the inside, while creating a "cup" with the potato. I used a muffin tray to hold the potato cups. You can use the scooped out baked potato as a side for another meal.
• Coat the insides of the potato cup with melted butter
• Add onion and green pepper into the potato cup.
• Break an egg into the potato cup; add salt and pepper to taste.
• Top with shredded cheese and spring onion.

• Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes (I did it for 25, and the egg was runnier than I expected)

Enjoy!



Notes (or what could have been done differently):

• Chopped tomatoes would be a nice addition
• Add the spring onion after baking - will taste much better

I saw Jamie Oliver's video the other day and really wanted to try out his way of cooking tuna steak... I didn't have the seasoning ingredients that he used, so I used a mix of what I had on hand...

Ingredients:

• Tuna steak (slice thickness of 2cm or more)
• Olive oil
• Fajita seasoning
• Italian seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

• Mix the fajita and Italian seasonings, along with some salt and pepper. Rub on both sides of the steak
• Drizzle some olive oil and rub into the steak
• Set frying pan on medium heat
• Cook both sides of the steak for 2-3 minutes each. Don't let it cook all the way through (the middle part should be less cooked than the outside, otherwise you'll get a rather dry steak).
• Take the steak off the pan and rub some olive oil in it.
• Enjoy!

Tuna Steak and Mashed Potatoes © Osama Sidat

A few days ago, a friend gave me a recipe that sounded interesting. I decided to give it a shot...

Shrimp, Onions, and Bell Peppers, in a Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 package shrimp (around 350g, I think) - cooked, peeled, and de-tailed
• 2 Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow)
• 1 Medium Onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2-3 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelak (chili garlic sauce)
• 1-1.5 tsp garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• Soy Sauce
• Barbecue Sauce
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

• Melt the butter in a dish. Marinate the shrimps in the butter
• Heat oil in a wok, medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and sambal oelak. Sauteed for a bit.
• Add garlic paste, salt, pepper, bell peppers, soy sauce and garlic sauce. (I don't have exact measurements for the latter two, maybe 1/4-1/3 cup each...)
• Let the sauce and veggies cook for a while.
• Once the sauce starts to bubble, add the shrimp to the wok. Toss well. Set stove to low-medium heat.
• Serve! I made mine with spaghetti!

Shrimp with Spaghetti

A couple of days ago, my Mom gave me an interesting recipe that I tweaked based on ingredient availability and instinct. The results were pretty good, even if I say so myself.



Ingredients

• 1 lb. beef stew (chopped into small chunks)
• 1 large potato, boiled and mashed
• 1 small onion
• 1 egg
• 1-2 cups water
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp green onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Method

• Mix together pepper, chilli powder, garlic powder, ginger powder, salt and soy sauce in a bowl.
• In a pot, add beef, 3/4 of the chopped onion, spices and water. Boil the beef over a steady heat until beef is tender and water has dried out.
• Mash the boiled beef. Throughly mix it with potato, egg, and green onion and the remaining onion.
• Form kebabs from the mixture. I was able to get 8, your mileage may vary based on thickness and length of the kebabs.
• Brush the kebabs with oil.

• Heat the remaining oil in a skillet. Fry kebabs until light brown. I was able to fry 4 at a time, 5-7 minutes each.
• Serve with parathas!

Enjoy!

Hunter beef is a delicacy from Pakistan. Since I started cooking, I had always wanted to replicate it, and, finally, last weekend, right before Eid-ul-Adha, I was able to experiment... There are lots of variations one could make, here's the recipe I got from my Mom, and tried to follow to the letter...

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. (1.5 kg) boneless beef (I asked the butcher for a log-shaped piece to roast/bake)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pkt (~ 25g) Shaan Bihari Kabab Masala
• 1 Tbsp meat tenderizer
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp lemon juice

Method:

• Create a marinade by mixing yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and all the spices.
• Make about 3/4 to 1-inch deep cuts, about one to two inches apart, across the length of the beef log. Use the tip of your knife to prick in random places. This is to ensure maximum absorption of the marinade.
• Thoroughly rub the marinade into the beef, ensuring that it gets spread evenly, including on the inside of the cuts made earlier.
• Place the beef in a dish, cover with plastic, and place it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. (I prepared it on Saturday, took it out temporarily on Sunday to re-rub the marinade that had flowed off, and cooked it on Monday).
• Before cooking, take the meat out at least two hours earlier, to make sure that it reaches room temperature.
• Preheat oven by setting it at 450°F (230°C).
• Place the meat in a covered dish, suitable for baking. I used a roasting pan with a lid. Put it in the oven.
• After 30 minutes, take out the baking dish. Turn over the meat, and place it back inside the oven again.
• Total cooking time will vary based on cut and size of beef. I took out the meat every 20 minutes after the first 30, and checked "doneness" using a meat thermometer (according to mine, "well-done" is at 170°C - that is the internal temperature of the meat). When I finally took it out for the last time, the total cooking time was around 1 hour 20 minutes (and the meat thermometer registered slightly higher than "well-done" - I should have taken it out slightly earlier)
• After taking it out of the oven, remove the beef from baking dish, and cover it with a dishcloth. Allow it to cool before slicing.

Enjoy!

The other day, I picked up a couple of boxes of blueberries that were on sale at Zehrs. Since I don't normally get blueberries, I had no idea what to do with 'em - I wanted to do something interesting, and not just scarf them down! The french toast idea seemed quick and extremely appealing...

The Yummy-ness Oozing Out!

Ingredients:

• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/6-1/4 cup milk
• 2 slices bread
• Nutella
• Blueberries
• 2-3 Tbsp butter
• 1-2 Tbsp Oil

Method:

• In a bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar and milk with a fork.
• Slather Nutella on both slices of bread and arrange blueberries on one of the slices. Sandwich the slices together.

Slathered in Nutella, Covered in Blueberries...

• Pour egg mixture over the sandwich. Ensure both sides of the sandwich are well coated.
• In a frying pan, heat butter and oil. Fry both sides of the sandwich until they are nicely golden brown (or browner, if that is how you like it!)

Looks like an ordinary French toast on the outside... until you cut it open!

Enjoy!

A fairly simple recipe, pretty much a variant of this recipe here, with a few modifications of my own, particularly the spice-to-chicken ratio.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken leg quarters
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, thyme, etc.)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/8 cup water

Method:

• Mix chili powder, Italian seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper with oil.
• Add minced garlic and mix under it takes the form of a "paste".
• Using a knife, add shallow cuts/slits to the chicken quarters to improve the marination process.
• Rub the marinade onto the chicken quarters (I marinated the chicken about 2-3 hours before cooking).
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Place the chicken quarters onto the tray.
• Mix the water and soy sauce and pour over the chicken quarters in the baking tray.
• Bake for about 30-40 minutes.

There are endless sides that could be chosen with the Garlic Roasted Chicken; for tonight's dinner, I chose baked potato, cherry tomatoes and assorted veggies.

Last weekend, I asked my Mom to share her recipe of Sweet & Sour Sauce, and decided to try my hand at it. The result was surprisingly similar to what I had in my memories...

I replaced the traditional fried chicken chunks in the original recipe with chicken chunks prepared in "Spicy Shake & Bake" - This was done in order to "parallelize" the cooking process...

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast, chopped in chunks
• 1 pkg Spicy Shake & Bake (won't be using the entire pack, only enough for the amount of chicken used)
• 1 capsicum/green pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 250-300g frozen vegetables (carrots, lima beans, cauliflower) (optional)
• 3-4 cloves pressed garlic
• 1 Cup ketchup
• 1 Cup water
• 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek (chili paste)
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp black pepper

Method:

• Boil the frozen vegetables for about 2-3 minutes (over-boiling will make the vegies too soft). Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok. Stir fry the vegetables for a few minutes. Remove from wok.
• Heat one tablespoon of oil in the wok. Add chopped onions and green peppers. Stir fry for a few minutes. Remove from wok.
• Mix ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, chili paste and black pepper in a bowl.
• Heat one tablespoon of oil in the wok. Add garlic and sauteed for a few minutes.
• Turn stove to medium heat, and add the ketchup mixture to the work. Mix thoroughly.
• After a few minutes of cooking, add a cup of water to the wok. Stir. Once bubbles appear, turn the heat to low, continue stirring every now and then.
• Prepare the chicken chunks by following instructions on the Shake & Bake package. For me, this involved coating the chicken in the Shake & Bake mixture, placing on an aluminum-foil-covered baking tray and baking for about 20-22 minutes.
• When the chicken is almost ready, turn up the heat on the wok with the sauce mixture. Add a tablespoon of cornflour to thicken it, and stir. Add the vegetables, onions and green peppers to the sauce.
• Remove chicken from oven and add to the sauce.

Voila! The Sweet & Sour Sauce is ready!

Serve with boiled or fried rice...

Chicken & Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce with Boiled Brown Rice

Questions/Comments?

Nothing too fancy here, just a meat sauce I made today to have alongside pasta, although I believe it wouldn't be too bad with some form of bread or rice...

Ingredients:

• 1 pound (~ 500g) Ground Beef
• 500ml (about 2 cups) Pasta Sauce with Mushrooms
• 1 medium or large onion, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 bell peppers (I used about 2/3 of each, green and orange), diced
• 2-3 Tbsp Sambal Oelek (chili paste)
• 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (oregano, basil, thyme, etc.)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• Dried parsley flakes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cooking oil

Method:

• In a wok, add butter and a bit of cooking oil. Turn stove on medium heat. Add chopped onions. Remove onions from wok when they start to brown.
• With wok on medium heat, add the ground beef and allow to cook.
• Once the beef starts losing its reddish color, add salt, pepper (to taste), garlic, chili powder, coriander powder and Italian seasoning.
• Once the meat starts to brown, add 2 Tbsp sambal oelek and mix thoroughly.
• Add the onions back into the wok. Add the bell peppers and allow to cook on low-medium heat.
• After the meat has lost all of its pinkish color, stir in the pasta sauce. (Optional: Add 1 Tbsp of sambal oelek and mix, if you, like me, think that the pasta sauce is way too sweet and should be spicier.)
• Allow the sauce to rise to a simmer. I allowed the meat sauce to cook on low heat for about 20-25 minutes (could have been more, time flies when you're in the kitchen...).
• Sprinkle parsley flakes before serving.

Serve with spaghetti (just a suggestion!).



Questions/comments are welcome!

Notes: Possible addition of shredded cheese to make the sauce richer (and heavier, for the calorie conscious folks!).

Update: Leftover meat sauce folded inside an omelette makes for an awesome meal!

Yesterday, I decided to experiment a bit with salmon, something I hadn't cooked myself before. Fairly quick to prepare and cook. Turned out pretty well, even if I say so myself...

Ingredients:

• 1/3-1/2 lbs salmon
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (alternative: parsley)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or pressed)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Lemon slice (optional)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil (olive oil will probably be better, I just used whatever I had on hand)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

• Prepare a marinade by mixing the cilantro, lemon juice, salt, pepper, butter and oil.
• Cut the salmon however you like. I had 3 smallish slices.
• Preheat oven to 450 °F.
• Place the salmon on a foil lined baking tray, skin-side down (the foil prevents the fish from sticking to the tray, and consequently, helps you avoid the intense scrubbing required to clean the baking tray).
• Pour and spread the marinade over the salmon. Make sure to also apply it on the sides of the salmon pieces. Place the lemon slice on top of the salmon
• Place in oven for about 10-15 minutes. Do not over-cook - salmon is awesome even if slightly under-cooked.

Enjoy with a side of veggies, mashed potatoes, boiled rice, or even on its own!

Tonight, I'm going test it out with a spicier marinade. May make a new post, or just add to this one...

Update: The spicier marinade was a lot more interesting. Made the following modifications:

• Replaced 1 Tbsp oil with a bit of extra butter and 1 Tbsp of Sambal Oelek (chili paste).
• Sprinkled a bit of paprika powder just before baking.

Here's the modified version, with a side of couscous:

Over the past year, I've made few variations of fried rice, using whatever was available to me. Made some this weekend. Allow your creativity to take over...

Note: This recipe is devoid of any "proper" measurements, since I cannot attribute a measurable quantity to the rice (I was basically emptying my bag of rice...) - the boiled rice by itself would amount to about 1 serving. Adjust other ingredients based on your amount of rice.

Ingredients:

• Boiled Rice (1-2 days old cooked rice will do just fine)
• 2 Eggs
• Vegetable Oil
• Frozen Vegetables (mix of peas, carrots, corn, green beans and lima beans) (slightly less than the amount of rice, in terms of volume...)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped/minced
• 2-3 Tbsp Soy Sauce (feel free to increase or decrease the quantity)
• Paprika powder
• Mustard paste
• Salt
• Pepper

Possible additions/modifications: chopped spring onion, cooked tuna.

Method:

• In a bowl, crack the eggs. Add mustard paste, salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs. Add 1 tablespoon of oil into a pan. Add the egg mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat. "Scramble" the eggs and remove from pan once a creamy consistency is reached. tl;dr: Make scrambled eggs.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the frozen vegetables. Remove and strain the vegetables after about 6 minutes.
• Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Set stove to medium-high. Add garlic and sauteed for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the vegetables to the pan. Sauteed for about 1-2 minutes and then move the vegetables to a side of the pan.
• Add the boiled rice to the pan. Stir in the scrambled eggs and soy sauce and mix with the rice.

• Mix the rice and the vegetables.
• Sprinkle a bit of paprika powder on top of the rice (optional).

Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie - a dish I had only read about in what I remember to be Enid Blyton's story books (probably the Famous Five or one of the many other adventure books and series she wrote). A month or so back, I wanted to do something creative with the ground beef I had in my freezer, and decided to experiment with Shepherd's Pie, described by Wikipedia as "a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato".

Outlined below is my version of the Shepherd's Pie - the basics were developed by following the recipe here. This was my second attempt at it - the success of the first attempt encouraged me to give it another shot and add a bit more flavor to the meat.

Note: Any measurements are approximations, or could possibly be totally erroneous (especially when it comes to adding cooking oil or spices), since I pay very little attention to how much I'm putting in of each thing...

Without further ado,

Ingredients (for the meat):

• 1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 3-4 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
• 1/2 - 1 tsp Paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1/2 - 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 - 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning (oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, etc.)
• Salt
• 300-350g Frozen Vegetables (mix of peas, carrots, corn, green beans and lima beans)
• Cooking oil
• Butter

Ingredients (for the mashed potato topping):

• 1 large potato, peeled, chopped and boiled
• Cream Cheese (I used Roasted Garlic and Herb Cheese)
• Butter
• Milk
• Pepper
• Shredded cheese

Method:
Doing the mashed potatoes and the ground beef simultaneously saves a lot of time, compared to doing one and then the other...

The meat base:

• In a frying pan, add cooking oil and about a tablespoon of butter. Sauteed the chopped onions and garlic, until slightly brown. Remove from stove.
• In a cooking pot/pan (I used a wok... ), add about 2-3 table spoons of oil. Add the meat, and starting cooking over medium heat. Break up the ground beef (with a wooden spoon) to prevent any lumps from forming.
• Add salt, paprika, red chili, coriander and pepper to the meat. Then add the sauteed garlic and onions. Finally, add the Italian seasoning. Keep cooking over medium heat until the ground beef loses its pinkishness. Turn the stove to low heat once it starts to brown.
• In a pot, add the frozen vegetables and enough water to cover them. Put on the stove on high heat. About 6 minutes after the water reaches a boil, remove the vegetables and pass through a sieve to strain any water. Add the vegetables to the meat. (I kept my wok containing the meat on the stove on low heat until I was ready to progress to the baking stage).

The mashed potatoes:

• In a bowl, thoroughly mash the boiled potatoes with pepper, cream cheese, butter and milk (until it forms a creamy texture).
• Add Italian seasoning and paprika (optional).

The baking stage:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. 
• Grease a baking tray or dish. I use a 9-inch square baking tray.
• Add the meat and vegetable mixture to the tray, and press down with spoon/spatula.

• Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the ground beef. Add some shredded cheese (optional).

• Put the tray in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes (until the potato starts to brown).

• Cut into six or eight pieces (or more, depending on tray/dish size).
• Serve/Eat. Enjoy!

Questions are welcome!

Created this recipe about last weekend. Sources included asking my Mom, and incessantly Googling "baked chicken".

Note: Any measurements are approximations, or could be totally erroneous, since I'm recalling this from memory...

Ingredients (for the chicken):

• 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breast (sliced into 3 separate, palm-sized pieces, in my case)
• 2 Tbsp chili paste (I use a Chinese brand that comes in a green-lidded plastic jar)
• 1 Tbsp mustard paste
• 1 Tbsp soya sauce
• 1 Tbsp barbeque sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp black pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (a mix of oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, etc.)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped

(possible addition: Worcestershire Sauce)

Method:

1. Mix the chili paste, mustard, the sauces, salt, pepper, butter, garlic and seasoning to form a marinade.
2. With a knife, slightly mark the surface of the chicken pieces with lines (don't cut too deep!); I am told this improves the absorption of the marinade.
3. Marinate the chicken pieces, ensuring that both sides are properly covered.
4. Place in glass bowl, covered with plastic. Place it in the refrigerator. (The first two pieces were taken out after 4 hours, the last piece was left marinated for about a day and a half.)
5. Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
6. Place chicken pieces in a baking tray and bake until chicken is cooked*. Turn the chicken pieces to ensure evenly baked pieces.

* I baked the first two pieces for about 30 minutes on the central grill in the oven (15 minutes for each side of chicken piece) and then for 10 minutes on the upper grill - result was pretty dry. The last piece was baked for 20 minutes on the central grill (10 minutes for each side) and on the upper grill for about 5-7 minutes - result was comparatively juicier.

Optional: Serve with potato wedges, cucumber and vegies.

Baked Chicken with Potato Wedges, Cucumber Slices and Other Vegies

Since I started university, at times I have found joy in cooking. As a student, I am the sole subject of my culinary experiments, so I can be rather liberal with my experimentation

Most of my recipes are combinations of recipes found on the Internet, along with additions/subtractions of my own. I thought it might be a good idea to document some of them, so amateur cooks like myself can get an insight into the wonderful world of cooking. Hence, I'm starting a new section in my blog, titled "Culinary Experiments".

Cheers!

Disclaimer: Follow recipes at your own risk. There is a lot of hand waving involved, since most (read: all) of the time, I'm not very precise with my measurements.