The Great Chef

Hi everyone, good day to you. Do you like Japanese Curry?  I loves Japanese Curry and usually I cooked it at home using the convenient and instant Japanese Curry Roux.  I only like to buy that "brand" and it is not always that I can get this brand at the supermarket shelves.  And other brands/ packs only cook for 1 serving . I read with e cstatic when Nami of Just One Cookbook posted her Simple Chicken Curry recently and even had a post on how to make curry roux from scratch ! Since the homemade curry roux is so easy to make, I have wasted no time to make this immediately. Today my lunch is Simple Japanese Chicken Curry.   JAPANESE CHICKEN CURRY Largely adapted from Nami of Just One Cookbook Ingredients: 500g boneless skinless chicken breast Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper 2 carrots 2 onions 1-2 potatoes ½ tbsp ginger 2 cloves garlic 4 cups/1000ml chicken broth   1 apple (I used Fuji apple) 1 tbsp honey (I didn’t add this) 2 tsp salt 1 recipe of...

"The filling for this tart is rich, dark and delicious.  The sweet caramelized onions ad wonderful depth and flavour to this simple yet classic tart." Recipe quote from the "Best Ever Book Of Pastry" Cookbook. CARAMELIZED ONION TART Ingredients 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 500g onions, sliced Large pinch of grated nutmeg 1 tsp soft dark brown sugar 2 eggs 150ml single light cream (I used 75ml whipping cream & 75ml milk) 50g grated Gruyere cheese (I used Mozarella cheese) Salt and pepper For the Pastry 75g plain all purpose flour 75g cup whole meal   flour (I used plain flour) 75g butter, diced 1 egg yolk Ice water Method Make the pastry Mix the plain and wholemeal flours in a bowl.   Use your fingertips to rub in the butter.   Mix in the egg yolk and enough chilled water to form a firm dough.   Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Knead the dough and gather it into a smooth ball.   Wrap in clear film/plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. He...

I made a promise earlier but I lied..... I promised that after I made the Kumquat Shaker Pie I wouldn't be posting anymore kumquat recipe anymore but I just couldn't help it and this Ms Kumquat is at it yet another post again! Wel l it is all because of the upcoming  Bake Along #41 where by the theme is Turnovers, so I thought I join in the fun to bake along with them and moreover I still have a little 'some'  kumquat jam left. Initial, to day post should be the savour y turnovers but I wasn't very pleased with the outcome of the bakes and therefore I post this Kumquat Almond Turnovers first.   KUMQUAT ALMOND TURNOVERS IN PHYLLO PASTRY   (makes 4 triangles turnovers) Ingredients Fillings 100g kumquat jam  50g ground almond 50g melted butter 1 egg yolk (for egg wash) 5, store bought phyllo pastry sheet * (when I unwrapped the pack of the phyllo, it was all broken into 3 parts therefore, I took one part which is the size of 3" x 12" to use instead or el...

I am not a fan of avocado.  What about you?  I remember the first time I tasted avocado was many years ago, dining in an Indonesian Restaurant.  I can't remember who order me the Avocado Juice and one sip of it, eeeeweee, I don't think I like it and I swap the juice immediately with someone else.   Even when at later years, when my brother-in-law made sandwiches with avocado as part of the ingredients, I choose to opt that out. But now as I have learned the nutrition goodness in avocado, so I got to appreciate this fruit.   When Hui of Butterfly Waltz made this Avocado Chicken Parmigiana last February, I thought I should give it a try too for an easy way to prepare and cook for my lunch.   AVOCADO CHICKEN PARMIGIANA    Recipe sourced from Hui of Butterfly Waltz & from Esther, The Fuss Free Chef   Ingredients: 2 Chicken Drumstick (Boneless & Skinless), seasoned with salt & pepper ½ Cup Plain Flour 2 Tbsp Fresh Milk 1 Egg...

Yesterday after seeing Sonia of Nasi LemakLover made her Blueberry Yogurt Muffin and I thought I should start to clear up some of my frozen blueberries in my freezer. It has been quite awhile now I have not been baking because I thought I have put on a little weight and my tummy gotten a little obvious seen the "3 layers fat"   (every woman fear of! ....hehehehe....).  Nevertheless, if you have long not doing any bakes of cakes, pies, tarts or anything .... I just feel like something missing in life for me..... so dull. Clearing up some of my frozen blueberries in my freezer, herewith Brown But ter B lu eberry Muffin ~ With Crumble Topping! Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins (Adapted from  Emma of Poires auChocolat ) (Makes 12 muffins) For the muffin mix : 105g butter 90ml whole milk 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 tsp vanilla essence 175g plain flour 170g caster sugar (I put only 1 40g) 1 1/2 tsp baking powder pinch of salt 250g blueberries Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.  Put muf...

My Sister S made this Puff Pastry Cheese Sticks the other day and thought of sharing it with you since it is so easy to make this. These cheese sticks or cheese straws are just the right thing for children's party, TV snack time, oh.... anytime of the day if you are craving for some munchies! This photo courtesy from my Sister S PUFF PASTRY CHEESE STICKS... OR CHEESE STRAWS Ingredients 2 sheets puff pastry 1 large egg, lightly beaten 40g finely grated parmesan cheese  Method Preheat oven to 200 Celcius,  Grease one oven tray. Brush one pastry sheets with the beaten egg  and sprinkle the grated cheese all over. Top with other pastry sheet  and lightly press together. Cut into 1.5cm (1/2") strips and cut each strip into half.   Twist the strips, and place about 2cm apart on the baking trays. Bake for about 12 minutes or until strips are browned lightly. Easy right? A snap shot pic taken from the "Women's Weekly ~ Baking Day" : Puff Pastry Cheese Straws

I loves using banana to bake cakes.  But I just don't get the chance to wait for the banana to get fully ripe for my bakes because it will soon disappear before that.   So this time, I have to hide a few away in order to bake a banana cake.  That s omeone in my house loves to eat banana, but has indicated to me that won't eat anything that is called banana cakes whereas my Sister S won't eat bananas, but any cakes that uses banana, she will eat!  So funny, right?     Banana Nut Bread Recipe source from Joyce of Kitchen Flavours ~ adapted from "The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book") Makes one 9 by 5-inch loaf Ingredients 6 tbsp (90gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup (250gm) sugar   (I use only 150g ) 2 or 3 very ripe bananas, coarsely mashed (1 only have about  2 0 0gm) 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 cups (315gm) all-purpose flour ( I use 250g) 1 tsp baking soda  (I use only 1/2 tsp) 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp...

The "Ms. Ku mquat" , that's me, Mel, is at it again.  P osting another kumquat recipe.  I promise that this will be my last kumquat recipe.  Hope no one is complaining....  I wonder why should anyone complained when I am posting some delicious dessert here, right? KUMQUAT SHAKER PIE   Recipe from  Food52.com Makes a 9-inch pie   Ingredients 6 oz kumquats (about 180 -200g) 1 large lime ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (divided)   (I put in 130g but still sweet!) 4 large eggs (divided) ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch 1 tablespoon water 1 All Butter Pie Crust with Almond (see below recipe) Method Rinse kumquats and lime thoroughly. Cut kumquats in halves to quarters lengthwise, depending on the size. Remove the seeds. Slice the kumquats into eighth inch thickness. Place sliced kumquats in a small, non-reactive bowl. Zest the lime, and add the zest to the kumquats. Juice the lime ...