Slow-cooked Pork Belly #glutenfree #asiancooking #chinese

Slow-cooked Pork Belly has been a popular Chinese dish for longer than a century. Slow cook the pork belly in soy sauce and sugar, leaving the meat soft and melt in your mouth. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice... delicious!! To reduce cooking time I use a pressure cooker,but the same result can be achieved from simply slow cooking, using a large saucepan or boiler on the stove, for a longer period of time.

Ingredients:

1.5 kg Pork Belly (if possible, choose one that has be de-boned)
2 cups Broccoli or Bok Choy
1 Spring Onion
2cm Ginger, crush with knife
2cm Cinnamon Stick
3 Cloves
2 Star Anise
1 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Dark Soy Sauce (add extra for a richer colour)
2 tablespoons Rice Wine


Method:

Cut pork belly to 5x5cm pieces, tie tightly in parcel form.
Cook in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain dry.
Place pork belly and all ingredients (expect broccoli) into the pressure cooker, add water to cover 60% of meat.
Close the lid, cook for approximately 45 minutes.
Gently remove the cooked meat, and place into a large pan (The parcels break up easily)
Drain the sauce into the pan as well.
Cook on high heat to reduce and thicken the sauce.
Turn the pork parcels 3-4 times during this process to ensure they are evenly coloured.
If pork belly is already sufficiently soft but the sauce still not thickened, carefully remove the parcels to a plate. Then continue boiling the sauce until sufficiently reduced (about 30% left). Add meat to the pan at the last minute.
Cook broccoli in boiling water for a few minutes.
Remove the broccoli into ice water, drain.
Remove the cooking string from the pork belly.
Plate up with broccoli.
Place sauce around the plate.
Serve with steam rice or Chinese steamed bun.
Serves 3-5.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

Pan Fried Chicken with Crumbed Brie, Pesto Mash, and Boysenberry, Plum Sauce #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipe

This beautifully presented main meal is sure to be a hit at any dinner party. The contrasting textures along with the complementary colours makes this dish a winner. It not only looks good but, tastes fabulous as well.

Pan Fried Chicken with Crumbed Brie

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts
3 wedges Brie or Camembert Cheese
1 cup gluten-free Bread Crumb
1 Egg - lightly beaten
1/3 cup Milk
2 tablespoons gluten-free Plain Flour
Zest from 1 Lemon
1 teaspoon Chopped Parsley
30g Butter
Salt and Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 190C
Lightly salt and pepper both sides of chicken breast.
Heat a pan with some olive oil.
Pan fry chicken on medium-high heat until both side golden brown.
Add butter and place in oven until cooked inside - the cooking time may vary according to the size of chicken. (I cooked about 8 minutes on the stove then 4 minutes in oven.)
Pour some cooking oil into another pan - the oil covering half or all the Brie cheese is best.
Beat milk and eggs together.
Add lemon zest and chopped parsley into the bread crumbs, mix well.
Toss the Brie in a little flour. 
Place into the milk-egg mixture, then roll with bread crumbs.
When the oil is hot enough (about 190C), deep fry both side until golden brown and crispy. Remember the oil must be very hot as it only takes about 3 minutes to fry cheese - otherwise it will start to melt and break up.

Pesto Mash

Ingredients:

3 medium Potatoes -  peeled
1/4 cup Thickened Cream
20g Butter
1.5 tablespoon Basil Pesto (Check our home-made Basil Pesto from our blog or buy Barilla brand)
Salt and Pepper

Method:

Boil potatoes until soft - mash.
Add cream, butter, pesto, salt and pepper 
It takes about 20 minutes to make pesto mash, begin making your Boysenberry Plum Sauce while waiting for the potatoes to cook.

 Boysenberry Plum Sauce 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Dried Boysenberries
1/3 cup White Wine or Sweet Sherry
1/2 cup Plum Sauce
1 tablespoon Plum Jam
20g Butter
Pinch of Salt, if necessary

Method:

Soak the dried boysenberries in the wine for 30 minutes (If using fresh boysenberries, there is no need to soak, simply place them into the boiling sauce in last few minutes).
Drain wine into saucepan, boil with plum sauce and jam on medium heat. 
Add butter and boysenberries, set aside.

Plating up!
 
Place some hot pesto mash on the side of the plate. Add chicken and Brie. Pour the warm boysenberry plum sauce over the top.  Add some grilled asparagus and crispy sweet potato chips.
To make crispy sweet potato chip, peel 1 sweet potato, shave thin with potato peeler. Deep fry in hot oil (before frying cheese) on medium heat until brown and crispy. Place on paper towel and toss with some salt.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

 

Christmas Youle Log #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipe #Christmas

This gorgeous festive cake is a beautiful addition to any Christmas table. It epitomizes the essence of festive season where beautiful food and the festive spirit are essentially intertwined. A decoration in itself, enjoy the sensory as well as the visual.

Chocolate Sponge

Ingredients:

 

6 Eggs - separated, room temperature. 
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
1 cup gluten-free Corn Flour
1/4 cup gluten-free Plain Flour
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder (optional)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C.
Grease a large thin sponge tray. Line with baking paper on the base.  (30x15cm)
Sift all dry ingredients 4 times.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites and salt for 3 minutes.
Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Add egg yolks and vanilla.
Mix through gently until just mixed.  
Add dry ingredients, fold in gently with plastic spatula, do not over mix.
Pour into the tray and bake for 20 minutes.
Turn out onto rack, then decorate with cream after cooling.

Chocolate Butter Cream

Ingredients:

400g Butter - room temperature
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
1/4 cup Water
350g Dark Cooking Chocolate - melted
3 cups Icing Sugar - sifted.
1.5 tablespoon Brown Food Colouring (If it is not dark enough.)
2-3 cups Thickened Cream - whipped.
1 tin Fruit Cocktail (400g) - drained

Method:

Boil caster sugar and water on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
Beat butter in mix master for about 15 minutes at medium speed, until soft and creamy
Add melted chocolate and sugar water.

Roll in baking paper or tea towel

Beat for a further 10 minutes until smooth.
Add icing sugar and brown food colouring (if necessary) . 
If the butter cream is a little wet and soft, refrigerate for about 20 minutes. For best results, make it a day ahead.
Remove and place the sponge on a large baking paper or clean tea towel.
Spread with half of the whipped thickened cream.
Place drained cocktail fruit on the cream and roll the sponge.
Let it stand about 30 minutes in the fridge to prevent it falling apart.
Spread remaining whipped thickened cream on a large plate or cake board.
Remove the baking paper from the cake roll, spread top and sides with chocolate butter cream.
Using icing spatula, or fork, make stripes in the butter cream to make the cake look like a yule log.
Cut into 2-3 pieces on an angle.
Place them on the whipped cream.
Using a piping bag, decorate end of rolls to look like logs.
Dust some icing sugar on the top and decorate with some Christmas decorations. 

Decorate with icing bag to look like logs

Keeps in the fridge for about 5-7 days

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

Arrange rolled sponge on whipped cream

 

Cut and serve!

Rich Fruit Cake #glutenfree #glutenfreebaking #Christmas

With Christmas just around the corner, it is time to bake your Christmas cake. Treat your guests during the festive season, or give this classic cake as a gift to family or friends. Begin your preparations now as this rich fruit cake can keep up to 3 months in a cool place, and it will be richer in flavour and even more delicious after 2 weeks. 

 Ingredients:

150g Butter - softened
1/3 cup Brown Sugar*
4 large Eggs
1 cup gluten-free Plain Flour
1 cup gluten-free Self Raising Flour
1 tablespoon Mixed Spice
250g Walnut or Pecan Nuts
1/2 cup Brandy, extra

A: 

1/4 cup Hot Water
2 tablespoons Jam (Any flavour is suitable, I use plum jam )
1 tablespoon Instant Coffee

B:

Stand overnight

1 kg Mixed Dried Fruit 
250g glace cherries
200g Pitted Prunes - halved
1/2 cup Brandy
1/3 cup Sweet Sherry or Port
1/3 cup Honey or Treacle
Combine all ingredients B, cover and stand overnight.

Method:

Preheat oven to 140C
Grease and double line a 24cm deep baking tin with baking paper. If possible, use a square tin as it is easier to slice.
Sift flour and mixed spice 3 times.
Mix ingredients A together, set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until soft and creamy. 
Add eggs one by one.
Add ingredients A.
Pour 2/3 of dry ingredients in the mixture. Mix well.
Drain the ingredients B.  
Add into the mixture with remaining 1/3 of dry ingredients.
Mix well and pour into the baking tin. 
Spread and smooth the top with plastic spatula. 
Bake at 140C for 1 hour. Reduce to 130C for another 1- 1.5 hours until a skewer comes out of the middle totally clean 
Remove cake from oven. 
Brush the top with extra brandy.
Cover with a dry tea towel or aluminum foil.
Allow to cool in the tin overnight.
Turn out from tin. 
Remove the baking paper.
Brush whole cake with brandy, then wrap with aluminum foil and put into fridge or cold place.
* I only use 1/4 cup sugar as the fruit is already very sweet, but you can add more sugar if you like.

Tips:
Whisky can be used to replace Brandy
Cut the cake when it is just removed from fridge. Allow to come to room temperature.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com 

 

Ossobuco Spaghetti #glutenfree #italiancooking #pasta

Ossobuco is a popular traditional Italian speciality of cross-cut veal shanks, slow cooked with vegetables, red/white wine, and tomato ragu. Why not cook extra Ossobuco and use the leftovers to make this pasta dish? In leftovers, the taste develops to give you a delicious depth to the flavour and  a richness to the finished dish.  Combined with Barilla gluten-free spaghetti, it is a simple but delicious dish.

Ingredients:

1.5 cup peeled cold Ossobuco with sauce (Please check the recipe from our blog)
200g Barilla gluten-free Spaghetti
120g Beans - sliced
1/4 cup White Wine
1/3 cup Barilla Napoletana Sauce*
2 cloves Garlic - chopped
1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley
Some Parmesan
Salt and Pepper

Method:

Bring a saucepan of water with a little salt to the boil. 
Add spaghetti and cook for approximately 6-7 minutes. Cook for a little extra time if you prefer soft pasta.
Drain, toss pasta in a little olive oil, leave aside.
In a large pan, heat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Stir fry garlic until a little brown. 
Add Ossobuco and cook for a few minutes.
Add white wine and napoletana sauce, simmer some minutes. 
Add spaghetti and sliced beans, cook another few minutes. 
Add seasonings , parsley and parmesan before serving. 
Serves 2.

Tips:
* May need reduce or add extra Napoletana sauce, depending upon your leftover Ossobuco sauce.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com 

Sago Plum Pudding #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipe #Christmas

With Christmas almost upon us, it is time to share some more of the festive spirit in the form of another recipe for your Christmas table! Why not make a few of these fantastic puddings. Wrap them in foil, then in a Christmas cloth, finish with a lovely ribbon and a sprig of holly and Voila - the perfect homemade gift that is sure to please.

Ingredients:

2 cups Milk
1 cup Brown Sugar
180 gram Melted Butter
1 cup Sago
2 tabs Brandy or Rum
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 tsp Mixed Spice
1 teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda - mixed in a little milk
2 cups fresh gluten-free Bread - crumbed in blender
2 cups Mixed Dried Fruit
2 Eggs

Method:
 
Place sago and milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Once boiling, remove from heat and allow to sit with an occasional stir for about 1 hour - (If you watch closely you can stir and boil till it is soft)  
Once soft mix all ingredients together - (Looks a little runny but ok) 
Pour into a greased steamed pudding tin, cover with grease proof paper, then alfoil,put lid on tightly. Place steamed pudding tin into a saucepan, or boiler, of boiling water with saucer under.
Cover boiler with lid and boil for about 2 hours watching the water does not boil dry. - Top up water periodically. 
When done, remove pudding tin from boiler and simply pour pudding out onto a plate.
Serve with custard and have a great Christmas.


Tip:
Ignite a little brandy for a nice effect.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

Gingered Carrot Salad #glutenfree #salad #summer #christmas

For a change of pace and to celebrate the arrival of Summer in Australia, (I know that it is technically Spring, but it is hot enough to be Summer) I thought we would share this refreshing carrot salad with you. This salad is a great accompaniment for any barbeque, and also, with seafood, cold meats and salads gracing the tables of Australia on Christmas day, this is a perfect dish for your lunch. 

Ingredients:

8 Carrots - peeled and grated
4 Spring Onions - chopped (reserve a little for dressing)
6 sprigs of Garden Fresh Parsley - chopped (I use the sprigs in the dressing)
1 teaspoon Hot English Mustard
1 teaspoon Seeded Mustard
1 tablespoon Fresh Grated Ginger
Juice of one Lemon or Lime
1/4 cup Olive Oil

  

 Method:

Add carrot, spring onion, parsley and sultanas to a bowl.

Add remaining ingredients plus reserved sprigs and spring onion to blender - blend.  
Pour over carrot, onions, parsley, and sultanas.
Stir in, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then serve. (A very refreshing side salad and little fuss)

Bon appetite!
   




Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com