Wednesday, 29 May 2013

Sweet Fragrant Rosemary Salmon

I happened to buy a bunch of Rosemary from Tesco and my intention was to stew chicken with Rosemary and trying my luck to grow this herb from the stems itself.  However, after going through my freezer, I realised I still have 4 slices of salmon!  So, I decided to cook salmon with Rosemary as I don't want to keep the fish in the freezer for too long.  Since I didn't have any lemon on that day,  I just made do with whatever I have; ORANGES!  Wow, it's delicious......
Benefits of Rosemary
Rosemary is used in many culinary dishes and is commonly used to flavor soups, sauces and meats. In addition to being used in cooking, it has also been used as a natural remedy for a variety of ailments over the centuries. 

Benefits of rosemary includes cancer prevention, improved memory, mood elevator, remedy for migraine, pain relief, anti-inflammatory, immune booster, antibacterial, digestive health, hair growth, fresh breath, diuretic properties, respiratory health, liver detoxification, anti-aging, etc.

Precautions
Pregnant women should avoid consuming large amounts of rosemary because it may lead to uterine contractions and miscarriage. People with high blood pressure should not take rosemary because it may raise blood pressure.

(For more info on Rosemary, please go to Health Diaries)

Ingredients :
(The ingredients in this pic is for photo shooting purposes only.  I used 3 oranges instead of 1)

- 2 slices of of salmon (washed and marinated)
- 3 Sunkist oranges (use the juice and the pulp only)
- 1 tbsp butter 

Seasonings for Marinate : (to taste)
- salt
- pepper
- garlic (finely chopped)
- 3 sprigs of Rosemary (finely chopped)
Method :
1)  Marinate the salmon fillets with seasonings and set aside for about 20 minutes.
2)  Heat butter in a pan.  I used Happy Call Pan.
3)  Place marinated salmon fillets into the pan.  Close the lid and slow grilled over medium low heat.
4)  Grill until both sides are slightly brown.
5)  Pour half of the orange juice onto the salmon fillets.  Let it pan fry for a while.  Do the same on both sides.
6)  Pan fry until the juice almost crystallised.
7) Serve hot.
Hope you like this simple and healthy salmon.

Note :  If the orange is too sour, you can adjust according to your taste by adding some sugar.  As for me, I like it sour, so no sugar is needed. The amount of orange juice is used  depends on individual's preferences.

Here are other salmon recipes, you may like :


I'm linking this post to September 2013 Cooking With Herbs Blog Challenge hosted by Lavender and Lovage.


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Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Healthy Grilled Cheesy Egg Sandwich

This is a very simple yet healthy sandwich which I used to make it for breakfast.  My children like it very much especially with tomato sauce and some fresh cucumber or tomatoes.  

Ingredients : (This is for 1 serving)
- 2 slices of bread

- 1 egg
- 1 slice of cheddar cheese
- butter
- soy sauce
- pepper

Method :
1)  Heat about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of butter (to taste) in a pan over medium heat.  I used Happy Call Pan.
2)  Place bread in the pan. (In fact I made 2 rounds for 4 servings. The above photos are for 2 servings whereas the above recipe is for 1 serving.  So, adjust according to your requirement).

3)  Bread an egg on top of the bread.  
4)  Drizzle some soy sauce and pepper on top of the egg according to taste.
5)  Place a slice of cheese on top of the egg.
6)  Place another slice of bread on top of the cheese.  Close the lid and slow grilled over low medium heat.
7)  Grilled until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted but the yolk is half-cooked or fully-cooked (depending on individual's preferences).
8) Your healthy sandwich is ready to be served.
Look at the yolk... I like it to be about 80% cooked.

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Monday, 20 May 2013

Braised Pork Belly with Red Glutinous Wine Lees (紅糟,Ang Zhao)

Ang Zhao (紅糟) or Red Glutinous Wine Lees is beneficial to our health as it is believed to have cholesterol lowering function.  My family always have homemade red glutinous wine and after harvesting the red wine, we keep the lees in the fridge.  It stays good for many years.  I like to use the lees when cooking meat, mushrooms or use it to fry rice.  It is very delicious.
Using lees to braise pork or chicken is quite popular among my family members.  This is a homely dish and I am sure most local Chinese (Malaysia) know this dish especially those from Manjung, Perak.  It is easy and yummy.  

Ingredients :
- 2 strips of  pork belly with skin (washed, cut into big pieces and marinated )
(alternatively you can substitute pork belly with chicken too and add some woodears or dried mushrooms)

Seasonings for marinate (to taste)
- 2 tbsp red wine lees
- 2 whole garlic (washed but do not peel the skin)
- 1/2 tsp cumins
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- salt
- soy sauce
- sugar
- pepper

- 2 cups of water

Method :
1)  Marinate pork belly with all the seasonings for at least 30 minutes.
2)  Place everything into a pot and add 2 cups of water.  Cover and bring to boil.
3)  Lower the heat to the smallest and braise for about 40 - 50 minutes until the meat is tender and the gravy is thickened.
4)  Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.
Hope you like it and do give it a try.  If you do not have the lees, you can add some rice wine to it too.

If you are interested in any Red Glutinous Wine recipes, do have a look at the following links :





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