The word tempura, or the technique of dipping fish and vegetables into a batter and frying them, comes from the word "tempora," a Latin word meaning "times", "time period" used by both Spanish and Portuguese missionaries to refer to the Lenten period or Ember Days (ad tempora quadragesimae), Fridays, and other Christian holy days. Ember Days or quattuor tempora refer to holy days when Catholics avoid meat and instead eat fish or vegetables. The idea that the word "tempura" may have been derived from the Portuguese noun tempero, meaning a spicy condiment or peppery seasoning, or from the verb temperar, meaning "to season" has not been substantiated. However, the Japanese language could easily have assumed the word "tempero" as is, without changing any vowels as both languages are phonetically similar. There is still today a dish in Portugal very similar to tempura called peixinhos da horta, "garden fishies."
It is thought that as the term "tempura" gained popularity in southern Japan, it became widely used to refer to any sort of food prepared using hot oil, including some already existing Japanese foods. Today, the word "tempura" is also commonly used to refer to satsuma age, a fried fish cake which is made without batter.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (115g) plain flour
1/4 cup (35g) cornflour
Pinch of bicarbonate of soda
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 cup (250ml) soda water, chilled
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
Plain flour, extra, to coat
1 carrot, peeled, diagonally sliced
1/4 butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, quartered, seeded
1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
300g green king prawns, peeled, deveined, leaving tails intact
Light soy sauce, to serve
Wasabi, to serve
Directions:
Sift the flour, cornflour and bicarbonate of soda in a medium bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the egg and soda water and use chopsticks to gently whisk until just combined (do not overmix - the mixture should be lumpy). Place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with iced water.
Add enough oil to a large saucepan to reach a depth of 6cm. Place over high heat. To test when oil is ready, a cube of bread turns golden-brown in 10 seconds.
Place extra flour on a plate. Dip the vegetables in the flour to lightly coat. Dip one quarter of the vegetables, one at a time, into the batter. Shake off any excess. Deep-fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining vegetables. Dip prawns in the extra flour to lightly coat. Dip prawns in the batter, one at a time, then deep-fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Place vegetables and prawns on a serving platter. Serve immediately with soy sauce and wasabi, if desired.
In Western cooking, steaming is most often used to cook vegetables - it is rarely used to cook meats. In Chinese cuisine, vegetables are mostly stir fried or blanched and seldom steamed. Seafood and meat dishes are steamed. For example: steamed whole fish, steamed crab, steamed pork spare ribs, steamed ground pork or beef, steamed chicken, steamed goose, etc. Other than meat dishes, rice can be steamed too, although in Chinese this is rarely referred to as "steaming" but rather simply as "cooking." Wheat foods are steamed as well. Examples include buns, Chinese steamed cakes etc. Steamed meat dishes (except fish and some dim sum) are less common in Chinese restaurants than in traditional home cooking because meats usually require longer cooking times to steam than to stir fry. Commercially sold frozen foods (such as dim sum) used to have instructions to reheat by steaming, until the rise in popularity of home microwave ovens which have considerably shorter cooking times.
Ingredients:
One whole snapper, about 800g, cleaned and scaled.
Half a bunch of spring onions, chopped.
One piece of ginger (about 1-2cm in length), finely chopped.
1/2 bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped.
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/³ cup olive oil
Chopped fresh chilli
Steamed Asian greens (bok choy and gai larn)
Jasmine rice to serve.
Directions:
Place fish in a large bamboo steamer set over boiling water for about 15-20 minutes.
Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of the fish.
Check the inside cavity after about 15 minutes and remove from the steamer once the flesh is white and creamy. Place the fish on a long platter.
Sprinkle spring onions over the fish and add ginger and coriander to taste.
Douse the fish in dark soy sauce until it is stained and there is a thin layer of soy sauce at the bottom of the dish. Heat the olive oil in a small pan until it just starts to smoke. Carefully pour over the fish.
The hot oil will gently cook the ginger and greens on the fish and combine with the soy sauce.
Serve with a small side dish of chopped fresh chilli in soy sauce, as well as steamed greens topped with oyster sauce.
Celery can be consumed in two different forms, the most common being the branches in North America, and the root is more popular in Europe.You may also find it in your favorite cocktails, sticks or celery salt.
The plant also called, Apium Graveolens, the scientific name, fortunately it was changed to Celery, can you imagine asking for a few more Apium Graveolens sticks on your vegetable tray ?
Romans and ancient Greeks were familiar with Apium Graveolens, I mean celery, It was also found in some pyramids of pharaohs like Tutankhamen in Egypt.
The plant was mainly growing in the wild and the culture of celery only started in the 16th century. In North America the most popular variety grown is the Pascal celery.
Celery is known as a very low calorie food. Both can be consumed either raw or cooked.
Ingredients:
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
250g good steak, finely sliced
2cm knob ginger, finely shredded
4 celery stalks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 iceberg lettuce, shredded
3 green onions, finely chopped
For the marinade
2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cornflour
Directions:
Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes. Toss beef and ginger with the marinade ingredients. Set aside for 30 mins.
Finely slice the celery on the diagonal. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the water, and finely slice, discarding the stalks.
Heat the oil in a wok or frypan until shimmering, add the beef and its marinade and stir-fry for 2 mins until well-coloured. Add the celery, mushrooms, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and 100ml of the strained mushroom water, and stir-fry for 3-4 mins. Add the shredded lettuce and green onions, toss through, and serve hot, with rice.
This dish was mainly originated from Pampanga. It is a green sticky rice dish like Paella which can be found on almost household during fiestas in Pampanga and Tarlac.
Ingredients:
3 tbsps. cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 piece chicken leg, sliced to serving portions
100 g. pork liempo, sliced into 1 inch cubes
1 piece chorizo bilbao, sliced thinly crosswise
2 MAGGI Chicken Broth Cube
1/2 kg. malagkit rice, soaked for 4 hours & drained
4 cups thick coconut milk (kakang gata)
2 tbsps. fresh turmeric (luyang dilaw), chopped
banana leaves
Preparation:
1. Heat oil and saute garlic, onions and the next four ingredients in a heavy pan (preferably kawali). Stir-fry until meats are cooked. Add malagkit and saute for about 5 min.
2. Pour in gata and luya and transfer to another kawali that has been lined with 2 layers of banana leaves. Cover with banana leaves and cook stirring occasionally for about 20 min. or until malagkit is cooked.
3. Turn heat on high and continue cooking just until a nice golden crust is formed at the bottom of dish.
An embutido (Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese) or enchido (European Portuguese) is a type of sausage found in Spain, Portugal, the Philippines, and Central and South America.
It generally contains hashed meat, generally pork, seasoned with aromatic herbs or spices (black pepper, red pepper, paprika, garlic, rosemary, thyme, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, or others) that is served wrapped in the skin of the pig's intestines.
Mass-produced sausages of these types are often wrapped in a type of artificial, sometimes edible, skin. Although the Filipino longaniza is roughly equivalent to the traditional embutido, there is another Filipino dish that shares the same name, but is better described as a kind of steamed meatloaf and lacks a casing.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup (6 slices) finely chopped (sweet or cooked) ham
3 tbsp. minced green bell pepper
3 tbsp. minced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup raisins
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
dash of liquid seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. cornstarch
slices of hard-cooked eggs (see recipe)
slices of Vienna sausage
aluminum foil, 10" x 12" sizes
Directions:
1. Prepare a steamer and set aside. Alternatively, prepare a baking pan and a wire rack and preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until well blended.
3. Divide the mixture into 2 to 4 portions (depending on how many you want to make).
4. Spread and flatten the mixture onto the center of each foil, divide the slices of hard cook eggs and Vienna sausages. Place each slices at the center of each mixture. Hold the foil onto your hand and roll until the ends of the mixture covers the eggs and sausages. Alternatively, by holding each ends of the foil, roll the mixture back and forth until it covers the slices of eggs and sausages in the center.
5. Finally, roll the aluminum foil into a tightly packed log about 1" to 2" in diameter, sealing on both ends. Repeat with the remaining pork mixture.
6. Place the embutido in a steamer and steam for an hour. Alternatively, place embutido in a wire rack on a baking pan, half filled with hot water. Cover with aluminum foil (Be sure the steam will not escape). Steam-bake in the center of the oven for an hour.
7. Remove from the oven. Let it cool and slice into rings. Serve with your favorite catsup or sauces.
8. Refrigerate unused embutido.
A typical Caesar salad comprises romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper originally prepared tableside. Caesar Cardini (Italian-born Mexican) is credited with creating the salad.
There are several stories that chronicle the specifics of the salad's creation. Cardini was living in San Diego but also working in Tijuana where he avoided the restrictions of prohibition. As his daughter Rosa (1928-2003) reported, her father invented the dish when a Fourth of July 1924 rush depleted the kitchen's supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, successfully adding the dramatic flair of the table-side tossing "by the chef".
Ingredients:
2 eggs coddled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 head of romaine lettuce, cleaned, dry and chopped coarsely
Directions:
Place room temperature eggs in boiling water for 60-90 seconds. To bring eggs to room temperature place in warm water for 15 minutes. Break eggs into a food processor, add garlic, anchovy paste, salt, pepper, worchestershire sauce and lemon juice. Blend until just combined, slowly add oil until the dressing has thickened. Fold in the cheese. Poor over clean crisp romaine lettuce and homemade croutons.
Croutons: Cut day old bread into chunks. Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat. Add coarsely chopped garlic, allow it to infuse the oil for around 5 minutes, disgard the garlic. Add the croutons, occasionally turn in the pan until browned on all sides.
Nobody knows who invented this tasteful dish but it doesnt matter at all. This unique dish is a blend of black pepper sauce and you can find it almost every food court (hawker) and restaurant in Singapore.
This is best suit to those who loves spicy food. Here's my version and you can try it. You can vary the ingredients according to your taste.
Ingredients:
6 chicken drumsticks or chicken breasts (remove the fat completely)
6 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
1 big onion (coarse paste)
5 garlic cloves (coarse paste)
2-3 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (prefer freshly ground)
salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
Directions:
Take a big bowl and put the yogurt. Add coarse pastes of onion and garlic. Add the deskinned chicken. (Drumsticks or breast pieces).Put the cling foil and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge. Heat oil in the skillet and allow the same to become medium hot. Dont allow it to start smoking. Add cloves, green cardamoms, cinnamon and bay leaves. Wait for 3-4 seconds as you see these ingredients crackling and giving out the aroma. Empty the bowl with all its ingredients in the oil. Saute on high flame for 3-4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water and salt. Close the lid, lower the fire and allow to cook for 15 minutes till chicken is tender. Open the lid and finally add the freshly ground black pepper powder and cover for 2 minutes on medium fire.
The secret to this recipe is cooking the beef in 1 cup of oil to seal in the juices, and cooking the broccoli in water to make it crisp and tender.
For a more authentic touch, try using Chinese broccoli, which has an appearance and taste similar to asparagus.
I personally recommend this Beef and Broccoli to those who loves meat and veggies.
Ingredients:
3/4 pound lean beef
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (substitute rice wine if desired)
sugar
soy sauce (light and dark)
water
cornstarch
oyster sauce
garlic cloves
1 pound fresh broccoli
salt and pepper
canola oil
Directions:
Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices. Add the marinade ingredients, adding the cornstarch last (use your fingers to rub it in). Marinate(1 teaspoon rice vingegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon light and drak soy sauce and 1 teaspoon water) the beef for 30 minutes. While the beef is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: for the sauce, mix together a 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, a teaspoon light soy, dark soy, and water in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water thickener and set aside. Wash and drain the broccoli. Cut the stalk diagonally into thin slices. Cut the flowerets into 3 or 4 pieces. Crush the garlic. Heat the wok and add 1 cup oil. When the oil is medium-hot (between 300 and 325 degrees F.), add the beef. Blanch the beef by letting it lay flat for 30 - 40 seconds, and then stirring to separate the pieces. Remove the beef when it changes color and is nearly cooked (the entire process takes 1 - 2 minutes). Remove the beef from the wok and drain on paper towels. Clean out the wok with paper towels. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and stir fry briefly until aromatic. Add the broccoli, sprinkle the salt and sugar over, and stir fry briefly, turning down the heat if necessary to make sure it doesn't burn. Add the 1/2 cup water, and cook the broccoli, covered, for 4 - 5 minutes, until it turns a bright green and is tender but still crisp. Remove from the wok and drain. Clean out the wok and add 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the broccoli and the beef. Add the sauce and cornstarch mixture in the middle of the wok and stir quickly to thicken. Mix everything together and serve hot over steamed rice.
