Strawberry and Feta Salad

As the whole world watched Will and Kate tie the knot, I was busy with a business dinner.  On my way home last night, I was reminded of my days as a chef for the British High Commission in Singapore; and today, I made this salad I used to prepare for The High Commissioner on a typical day.

Just combine equal amounts of feta cheese, freshly sliced strawberries, and fresh cherry tomatoes.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with sea salt and pink peppercorns, and add copious amounts of caramelized balsamic vinegar.

Serve with baby radicchio leaves on the side.  I purposely do this so that my greens won't wilt and wither away with the olive oil mixture.

Oh, if I might add, the High Commissioner was at first impartial to try fruit with his salad.  I then challenged his idea by sharing the thought of tomatoes as part of the fruit family!  And he never looked back since.

Tequila Lime Leg of Lamb

I won't lie to you.  This one's really easy.  It's one of those dishes most of your guest would assume you labored through in the kitchen.  Oftentimes, I get tempted to agree -- that I did sweat away and lost an entire morning cooking my labor of love -- but quite frankly, the inner angel in me succumbs to telling the truth.  I wish I had the guts to do so otherwise!

Okay, so first things first.  I color code my prep bowls/containers, chopping boards, and what have yous in my kitchen.  It's just one of those things I get pretty anal about because I worry about cross-contamination and food poisoning all the time.  I've spent years in the industry trying to share the gospel of food safety and how this is one of the most important life lessons one can learn that not only benefits ones self, but the entire restaurant - in my case now, the family!  

Use RED for raw meats, YELLOW for cooked meats, WHITE for dairy products (like cheese) and bread, BLUE for raw fish, GREEN for vegetables and fruits, and last but not the least, BROWN for raw and root vegetables (grown in soil).

Now back to the lamb, rub the leg with Dijon mustard (I used the ones with whole grains for texture).  Then add generous amounts (about 4 Tablespoons each) of Bill Byron's Tequila Lime Rub and Texas Jack number 2 and allow to chill in the fridge overnight, covered in cling wrap of course.

Place in a roasting tray lined with a trivet.  I poured a bottle of San Miguel Cerveza Negra and a glass of water so that the drippings won't get to dry and instead, will cook away as part of the jus (drippings).  Right before plopping it in the pre-heated oven of 180 degrees celcius, I put 2 to 3 knobs (I know, it's so sinful!) of salted butter.  Roast 2.5 kilos of meat for about 1.5 hours.  Baste with butter and drippings from time-to-time.

Lasagna Quattro Formaggio: Brie, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Old Amsterdam, and Blue d'Auvergne

Fancy that?  The usual lasagna made of slowly-cooked bolognese and bechamel sauce, layered over thin sheets of pasta and four kinds of cheese?  Having guests over for The Young Tongue's 2nd birthday not only allowed me to have quality time with family, it also enabled me to get rid of shall I say, uneaten portions of cheeses in the fridge?  Don't get me wrong, we love cheese at home.  But often times I worry about storing them properly.

Albeit controversial for home cooks, I'd like to insist the use of a proper dish to cook this in.    You can use one that's made of cast iron, clay, or glass.  Your fillings of several kinds of cheese, bolognese, and not to mention, the ever so delicate bechamel may get burned when using those disposable aluminum trays.  Buy a good dish that you can reuse and you won't regret it!

Salmon, Capers, and Anchovies

I learned this recipe from my sister-in-law, Donna, who happens to be a fantastic cook,  whilst on a visit in Vancouver last year.  The weather was quite nippy and the copious amounts of garlic entailed in making this dish full-flavored, was well worth all the heat!

Chop 1 bulb of garlic (or 2 for extra heat and umph) extra fine or place in a mortar and pestle and grind until it turns to almost liquid consistency.  Open two tins of anchovies, in oil, and using the back of a fork, crush the fillets until fine; then blend this mixture into the garlic.  Drain about 8 tablespoons of capers in vinegar and chop finely; toss this into the same mixture.  Drizzle about 3 to 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and add freshly ground black peppercorns.

Place a salmon fillet, skin-side down, on a baking tray lined with a trivet.  I personally like placing an aluminum foil underneath for easy clean-ups.  Then place the caper mixture on top of the fillet.  Bake at a pre-heated oven, 180 degrees Celcius, for about 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of the fillet).  Once it's cooked, you'll be able to easily remove the flesh off the skin.  Transfer into a serving dish and although optional, garnishing with fresh dill will make all the difference!

Asparagus, Broccoli, Baby Portabella Mushrooms, and Tartufata Sauce

 

The Young Tongue celebrated her 2nd birthday over lunch with the family earlier today.  We had a spread of her favorite things and I thought I'd start with the vegetable dish.

 

Bring water to a boil then add sea salt.  Plunge the broccoli and allow to cook, then drain and strain.  Repeat the method with sliced baby asparagus and combine them in a serving dish.  

 

In a pan with olive oil, saute sliced baby portabello mushrooms.  Then add some tartufata sauce.  Once cooked, season with salt and pepper and toss into the greens.

 

A friend of mine gave me this Sabatino Tartufata Sauce.  It may have arrived in a small bottle, but the flavors are quite strong.  In fact, it added quite an "umph" to my dish.

This particular Tartufata sauce came from white truffles in Italy.  A lady named Cecile sells them locally and you can reach her at: 0917-8559637 or like her page called "Truffles & More" on Facebook.