Apple Cake

I just got this recipe from Laura Vitale's website about 2 weeks ago, i baked it twice already and i loved it! Especially when you enjoy it with a cup of coffee. I must tell you this cake is so simple to make and very addictive :-))

You can get the recipe in the link below:
http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/all/episode.php?episodenumber=477

Garlic Bacon Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 slices fresh bread

6 slices bacon, crispy fried

4 slices salami

4 slices any choice of cheese

1 tbs olive oil

For the garlic spread:

In a food processor combine 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp chopped parsley, 2 tbs butter (melted), 1 tbs olive oil, 2 tbs grated parmesan, salt and pepper.

1. In a serving dish lay 2 breads and top them evenly with the spread, on one side of the bread add 1 slice of cheese, salami, 3 slices bacon, cover it with one slice of cheese and then top it with the other bread (garlic spread side down). Repeat it with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Drizzle about a table spoon olive oil on the grill pan over medium heat, put the sandwich and cook them 3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown.

Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs cooking oil
350 g champignon mushrooms, thinly sliced
5 slices bacon, crispy fried (you can drain them on a paper towel lined plate) and crushed
100 g frozen peas
1 cup heavy cream
100 ml chicken stocks (you can mix 100 ml water with 1/2 tsp chicken stock powder)
200 ml milk
Salt and pepper to taste
300 g any choice of pasta
50 g parmesan flakes

1. Sprinkle good amount of salt in a large pot and bring it to boil, add any choice of pasta you'd like and cook it until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a cooking pan preheat 2 tbs cooking oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion, cook it for about 3 min and then add the mushrooms, fry it for another 5 minutes. Season it with a little bit of salt and pepper ( you'll need to add salt and pepper at the end so don't over do it).
3. Stir in the chicken stocks, milk and cream. Boil it, reduce heat to medium low and add the peas. Cook it for another 2 minutes or so, keep stirring,  taste it and well season it with salt and pepper. 
4. In a large serving dish mix the sauce, bacon and the pasta until well combined, sprinkle with parmesan flakes and enjoy immediately. 

Chicken Yakiniku

Ingredients: 
400 g chicken breast fillet, cut into bite size pieces
1 tbs tapioca flour (maizena)
2 tbs cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green chilli, remove seeds
1 small onion, finely sliced
50 ml sake
1 cup chicken broth
100 ml soy sauce
1/2 tsp sweet soy sauce
1 dash of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

• Sprinkle the flour and rub it evenly on the chicken pieces.
• Preheat 2 tbs oil over medium high heat, add the onion and cook it for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until light brown. Add the green chilli and cook it for another 2 minutes.
• Stir in the chicken, cook it for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Pour in the sake, let it cook for 2 minutes, add the soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and the broth. Bring it to boil and let it stand for 3 minutes or until the sauce is slightly reduced.
• Season it with a dash of sugar, salt and pepper. Serve it with a bowl of rice.

Siobak Khelok Singaraja (dedicated to my beloved grandma, Ni Ketut Rai)

     

      Siobak Khe Lok is a traditional pork dish which was created by the Khe Lok family in Singaraja, north of Bali. Tan Khe Lok got married to a local woman named Ni Ketut Rai and they had 9 sons together. In 1963, due to the economic situation in the family Tan Khe Lok and Ni Ketut Rai decided to open a Warung (small restaurant) in front of the family's house. 

      Siobak Khe Lok has weathered some hardships in the beginning of its journey. In 1963, just few months after Siobak Khe Lok has opened, Mount Agung exploded and the business went down for quite some time. In 1965, there was a "Thirtieth of September Movement" abbreviated as G 30 S PKI. As Bali was affected, the restaurant was closed down one more time. In 1966, Siobak Khe Lok was back on track and continuously gained popularity. 

      Siobak has been known for its tastiness, the specialty comes from different spices that have been sun dried to reach the maximum flavour and fragrance. The meat is slow cooked in a combination of rich flavoured pork broth and dried spices. Siobak is served with some crispy pork rinds, homemade pickles, and some finely sliced chili padi (Bird's eye chilli) to give you a full experience to the sense of taste.

      Since the untimely passing of Tan Khe Lok, in 1971, Ni Ketut Rai and her sons have maintained the business and made Siobak Khe Lok as a culinary trademark of Singaraja. By the year 2002, Siobak Khe Lok have 4 Warung in different locations, managed by 4 sons of Khe Lok utilising the same recipe passed down from their parents.  

      Sadly, in 2008, Khe Lok family members mourned the loss of Ni Ketut Rai. The 4 sons continue to honor the legacy of their parents and will never forget where they had started. Because of the Khe Lok family's dedication to tradition and quality, Siobak Khe Lok has received national recognition and became one of the top destinations in Balinese culinary adventure.

Recognitions

http://www.tourguide-bali.com/information/siobak-khe-lok-singaraja

http://www.thebalidaily.com/2012-11-06/the-legend-khe-lok-siobak.html
http://www.pesonanegeri.com/2013/07/03/pesona-kuliner-singaraja-menikmati-siobak-khe-lok-perpaduan-makanan-khas-tionghoa-dan-bali/

http://wisatakuliner.com/kuliner/tempat-makan/item/syobak-khe-lok-singaraja.html

Balinese Shredded Chicken (Ayam Pelalah)

My Balinese grandma handed this recipe down to my mom and she taught me just like grandma used to make. Ayam pelalah is one of the most popular dish in Bali and it is commonly found in balinese mixed rice. This recipe is the Singaraja version of ayam pelalah, you might find it very different from the common recipes out there. In this recipe i had to substitute some of the ingredients because i want it less spicy for my husband and i didn't find coconut oil at the grocery store, but i will write down  the original recipe for you.

Ingredients: 

400 g chicken breast fillet

3 tbs cooking oil

2 tsp sweet soy sauce

1/2 tsp chicken stock powder

2 kaffir lime leaves 

2 tbs lime juice (or limau)

Dash of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Chilli paste

Original recipe:

6 to 8 red chillies, seeds removed 

5 to 6 red thai chillies (or more)

1/4 cup of coconut oil or cooking oil

3/4 tsp shrimp paste 

Salt and pepper

Less spicy recipe:

3 red chillies, seeds removed

2 medium red paprika 

1/4 cup coconut oil or cooking oil

3/4 tsp shrimp paste

Salt and pepper

• In a cooking bowl, add cleaned chicken and bring it to boil. After it's boiling let it stand for 3 to 5 minutes or until the chicken cooked through and drain it immediately. Let it cool, shred the chickens and set aside.
• In a food processor or blender, add all the chilli paste ingredients and puree until smooth. 
• In a cooking pan heat 3 tbs oil over medium heat, add the chilli paste, kaffir lime leaves and cook it until fragrant or turn into darker colour (stir frequently).
• Stir in the chicken, keep stirring until the shredded chicken is well coated. Add the chicken stock powder and sweet soy sauce, stir well. Don't forget to taste it and adjust with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice, stir well and ready to serve with some hot rice. 

American Lasagna

Ingredients:

600 g ground beef 

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs olive oil or cooking oil
1 can or 500 g tomato puree
2 tbs tomato paste
3 fresh tomatoes, cut into 4
1/2 cup red wine
250 ml beef stock (i mixed 250 ml water with 1 tsp beef stock powder)
1 tsp dried basil
Dash of sugar
Salt and pepper
9 lasagna noodles, cooked for about 3 minutes or so and place them in a pan filled with cold water to prevent noodles from sticking
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese
300 g mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. In a large saucepan heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium high heat, add the onion and garlic. Cook them until lightly brown.
2. Add the meat, stir until the meat is cooked through. Add the red wine and wait until it's boiled.
3. Stir in the fresh tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato puree. Cook it for 3 minutes and add the beef stock, turn down the heat to medium low and cook for 1 hour or so just until the sauce is thickened. Stir occasionally.
4. Season the sauce with basil, dash of sugar, salt and pepper. Don't forget to taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and sugar. 
5. Preheat oven to 190˚ C, in a bowl combine the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, mix them well.
6. In a 13"x9" or 32,5 cm x 23 cm baking pan spread a thin layer of sauce, place the lasagna noodles in single layer (edges overlapping), spread evenly 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and then spread evenly 1/3 of the meat sauce, sprinkle the top with 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat with the rest of ingredients (2 more times). 
7. Bake it for 50 - 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown, allow to cool before serving.

Baked Chicken Rendang

Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs
1 pack instant rendang seasoning
1 cup water
1 tsp chicken stock powder
100 ml coconut milk
1 stalk lemon grass, bruised (white part)
4 kaffir lime leaves

How to make:

• In a cooking bowl add the chicken thighs, water, instant seasoning, chicken stock, coconut milk, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and bring it to boil over medium heat. Once it's boiling reduce heat to medium low and cook until the liquid is fully absorbed. 
• Preheat oven to 180 C bottom heat, in a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil lay the chicken thighs and bake them for  about 10 to 12 minutes.

Most asian grocery stores will carry this item or you can easily get it online.

My Burrito Bowl

I was craving for Chipotle so sooo bad, then i decided to make my own burrito bowl. I've been living in Germany for 2 years and it is so difficult to find a mexican restaurant in the area where i live now. It's very tasty, it only looks complex but trust me it is pretty easy and simple to follow the steps. Actually i'd like to have pinto beans as well on my burrito but i've looked on every grocery store in the area and they don't have it, so i came up with the garlic corn recipe.

Ingredients:

For the chicken

600 g chicken breast fillet, cut into strips 

Taco seasoning; 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika powder, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 minced onion.

• Marinate the chicken with taco seasoning for few hours in the fridge.
• Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a grill pan over medium heat, add the chicken and cook them for 5 minutes or until cooked through. 

For the cilantro lime rice

4 bowls cooked jasmine rice

Juice from 1 lime

3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt

• Mix all the ingredients together with a fork, stir well. Taste it, you can add salt if it isn't salty enough.

For the garlic corn

1 can sweet corn

1 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 chopped onion

Salt and pepper

• Heat 1 tbs cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the onion and cook it until lightly brown.
• Add the corn, cook it for 3 minutes and then add the garlic powder. Stir it well, let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper.

For salsa pico de gallo

4 large tomatoes, diced
4 stalk spring onions, trimmed and finely minced
2 jalapenos (you can have less or more), finely chopped
3 to 4 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
Dash of sugar

• Combine all the ingredients, don't forget to taste it and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for few hours before serving.

Chilli sauce

Ingredients:

6 to 7 big red chillies

2 1/2 cups water

2 tsp chicken stock powder

11/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbs all purpose flour

salt and pepper

1 dash of sugar

• Bring the water, chicken stock powder, and the chillies to boil. Let it boil for about 20 minutes on medium low heat. Set aside and let it cool.
• In a blender add the chillies and all the liquid, blend until smooth. Strain everything through a sieve.
• Heat 1 tbs cooking oil in a saucepan over medium high heat, add the flour and cook it until brown but not burnt.
• Stir in the chilli sauce, cumin, sugar, salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low, taste it and adjust seasoning.

Penne Vodka

Ingredients:
500 g penne
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup vodka
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red chilli pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
800 g crushed tomato (2 cans)
1 cup heavy cream
6 - 8 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan or parmiggiano reggiano
Salt and pepper to taste

• In a cooking pan heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat, add the onion and cook it for about 5 min or so, then add garlic and cook for another 1 min. Add oregano and red pepper flakes (optional), stir well. Add the vodka and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the crushed tomatoes, reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 min. Stir occasionally.
• Meanwhile cook the pasta by sprinkle a good amount of salt into a large pot and bring it to boil. Add the pasta and cook it until al dente, drain well.
• Add the heavy cream, stir it well and season it with salt and pepper. Stir in the pasta, turn off the heat, add some basil leaves and grated parmesan on top, stir until well combine. You can sprinkle some parmesan flakes on top of the pasta when you serve it.

Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:
2 bowl of rice (for better result store it in an airtight container and let it over a night in the fridge)
Cooked chicken*
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
2 stalks spring onion, chopped
1 tbs oyster sauce
21/2 tbs sweet soy sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
Salt and pepper

Sides:
Fried shallots
Shrimp crackers

• Heat 2 tbs cooking oil over high heat, add the shallots, garlic and spring onions. Let it cook until lightly brown, you want to leave some space on the pan for the eggs so they don't stick with the shallots, garlic and spring onions. Add the beaten egg on the empty side, wait until the eggs formed a little bit and then quickly mix. Cook them for about 2 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked. 
• Add rice, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and oyster sauce. Mix them well until the rice are fully coated. Add the cooked chicken, don't forget to taste it before you season it with salt and pepper.
• Serve the fried rice with some shrimp crackers and sprinkle fried shallots on top.

*Cooked chicken:
1 garlic, minced
chicken breast fillet (approximately 138 g), cut into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle it with tapioca flour
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
Heat 1 tbs oil on medium heat, add garlic and cook it until lightly brown. Add the chicken, let it cook for 4 minutes or until fully cooked through. Add the sauce and mix them until well coated.

Egg Foo Yung (Fu Yung Hai)

Ingredients:
175 g crab meat
6 medium eggs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
1 tbs all purpose flour
1 tbs tapioca flour

For the sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, cut into cubes
1/2 cup green peas
2 stalks spring onions, cut to 1 cm length
1/2 cup tomato sauce
250 ml water
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 tbs tapioca starch, mix it with 50 ml cold water
1tbs sugar
Salt and pepper
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced (optional)

1. In a big bowl whisk the eggs until bubbly, stir in the crab meat, garlic, carrot, cabbage until well mixed. Add all kind of flour, stir well.
2. Preheat a non stick cooking pan with enough oil just to cover half of the egg mixture over medium low heat. Pour in half of the mixture, fry it until golden brown. Remove and drain over paper towel covered plate, do the same with the rest of the mixture.
3. For the sauce: Heat 2 tbs cooking oil over medium heat, add the onion, carrot and garlic. Sprinkle some salt and cook them until glassy. Stir in tomato sauce, cook for about 3 minutes and then add 250 ml water with chicken stock powder bring it to boil. Add the peas and spring onions, let it stand for another 3 minutes and then taste it. Season it with 1 tbs sugar, salt and pepper.
4. Place the fried egg foo yung on a clean plate, pour the sauce over and serve it with rice.

My Bacon Sandwich

Ingredients:
4 slices brown bread
6 strips of bacon (you can use turkey bacon instead of pork)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 slices cheese of choice (i choose to use butterkäse for this recipe)
2 tbs basil pesto

How to Make:

1. Cook the bacon in a preheated grill pan until golden brown and crispy.
2. In a plate place 2 slices of bread and smear each bread with 1 tbs basil pesto.
3. On the other plate top the other 2 slices of bread each with a slice of cheese, half of the tomatoes, 3 bacons and another slice of cheese. And then top it all with another slice (pesto smeared bread). 
4. Drizzle a little bit olive oil on a grill pan and grill the sandwich for 3 minutes on each side (medium heat) or until the cheese melted.

Feld Salat

Ingredients:

1 pack ready to use lamb's lettuce (feldsalat in german)

2 eggs, hard boiled and sliced

4 or 5 fresh mushroom (thinly sliced), sauté with a little bit of butter.

For the dressing:

3 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the chicken:

2 medium chicken breast fillet, coat evenly the chicken with: 1 tbs paprika powder, 1 cloves garlic (minced), chili powder, salt and pepper. 

• Preheat a non stick skillet with 2 table spoon olive oil medium heat, add the coated chicken. Cook them for about 4 min on each sides or until fully cooked through. Slice the chicken evenly.
• In a small bowl mix well the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. 
• In a salad bowl combine the lettuce, sliced eggs, mushrooms, and top it with the chicken. Drizzle with the dressing.
• Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Basil Pesto

Once i saw the YouTube video from Laura Vitale making pasta linguine with pesto i immediately had to try it. I tried it for the first time and i loved it!! Well,  i was using spaghetti instead of linguine because i didn't have a chance to go to a grocery store but it worked just fine for me.

Ingredients:
For the pesto
2 cups fresh basil
3 tbs pine nuts, toasted in the oven
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbs lemon juice
2 cloves small garlic
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
Salt and pepper

Other ingredients
500 gr spaghetti
Salt
Freshly grated parmesan

1. Fill a cooking bowl with water, sprinkle in some salt and bring it to boil. Add pasta and cook it until al dente.
2. In a food processor add all the pesto ingredients except the parmesan, process until smooth and stir in the parmesan.
3. Drain the cooked pasta, bring it back to the cooking bowl and immediately pour in the pesto with a little bit of cooking water, stir until well combined.
4. Sprinkle some of grated parmesan on top of every portion and serve it.

Indonesian Chicken Noodle (Bakmie Ayam)

Ingredients:

For the noodle

1 package egg noodle (350 g) 

Fragrant oil* 

2 tbs soy sauce

For the chicken

500 g chicken breast fillet, cut into small pieces 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallots, minced

3 tbs soy sauce 

1 tbs oyster sauce

1/2 tbs sesame oil

1 cup water

1 tsp chicken stock powder

Salt and pepper 

Sides

Choy sum, clean and take the leaves, boil them quickly (optional)

Fried shallots
Spring onions, chopped
Chilli sauce (optional)

How to make:

1. Preheat a cooking pan or a cooking bowl over medium heat, add the minced garlic and shallot. Cook until fragrant.
2. Add the chicken, cook it for about 8 minutes or until fully cooked through. 
3. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and cook it until well mixed then add the rest of ingredients. Let it boil until the sauce reduced a little bit.
4. In a boiling water add the egg noodle, boil it for about 3 minutes or until al dente. Drain it and place it on a big serving bowl. Mix them well with the oil and soy sauce.
5. In a serving bowl, serve a portion of noodle, top it with the chicken, a little bit of sauce and boiled coy sum on the side. Sprinkle some fried shallots and spring onions. 

*For better taste and fragrant fried 1 crushed garlic, chicken skins and fats until golden brown. Use this oil for the noodle.

Chicken Quesadilla

Recipe adapted from Laura Vitale, i had to modify the recipe because i didn't have some of the ingredients on hand. The chicken quesadillas are soooo good, especially when you have them with pico de gallo salsa (Laura Vitale's recipe). It will make you come back for more ;-)

Ingredients:

400 g chicken breast, cut into thin strips

2 cloves medium garlic, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tbs paprika powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

200 g shredded cheese (i choose to use gouda for this recipe)

5 tortilla wraps (diameter 20cm)

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

Vegetable oil for the tortillas

How to Make:

• In a plate mix the garlic, onion, paprika, chilli, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the mixed spices until evenly well coated.
• Preheat a cooking pan over medium heat, add the chicken. Cook it for about 8 min or until fully cooked.
• Brush one side of tortillas with vegetable oil and turn them around in a plate (oiled side down). Sprinkle the half side with cheese, top that with some chicken and sprinkle on top of that with some cheese again. Fold it in half. Continue with the remaining ingredients.
• Preheat a grill pan over medium heat.
• Place the folded tortilla on a grill pan, cook it for about 2 min on each side or until golden brown on each sides. 
• Serve the quesadillas with salsa (optional)

Bavarian Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients:
For the sauce
500 g ground beef
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
750 g tomato, cut into 4
2 tbs tomato paste
50 ml white wine
250 ml chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper
Chilli powder (optional)

For the noodle
400 gr spaghetti
100 ml chicken stock
2 tbs virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

1. For the sauce; Heat 2 tbs olive, add the onion and the vegetables. Cook until the onion are soft and have a glossy look. 
2. Add the beef, cook it until brown. Add the tomato paste, mix it well. Pour in the white wine and cook it for 5 until 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomato and chicken stock, cook it for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally, 15 minutes before  finish add the bay leaf, garlic, chilli powder, sugar, salt and pepper. 
4. For the noodle; In a boiling water add the pasta, cook until al dente. In a big bowl mix the noodle, chicken stock, olive oil and season it with salt and pepper.