Hallelujah Noodles!

interesting name hey?
it's one of the first dishes i cooked in australia for potlucks...the recipe is from allrecipes. Pretty easy to put together and u usually get more credit than u should....;P
the avocado and cilantro are essential but it works well with most types of greens and do toast the sesame seeds lightly to get the flavour to pop!

Bean Curd sheet soup

this very homely dish is something that my aunt cooks every chinese new year..it's quite simple to make...but very satisfying...!
i like it as a soup but i think it's meant to be a savoury dish with rice...



ingredients:
1 packet of dried bean curd sheet (savoury type - there's two types- sweet and savoury), soaked in cold water til soft.
1 entire head of garlic, half of it minced, the other half left in their skins
200g chicken thigh fillet/ pork belly, sliced into strips
1 tbs oil

method:
1. Marinate chicken with a dash of white pepper, corn flour, light soy sauce and sesame oil for 20 mins. (my aunt doesn't marinate the meat i think...but i marinate all meats given a chance...why?? cos i see my mom do it and i think it increases the depth of flavour and tenderness of the meat.)
2. Heat oil in pan. Add minced garlic and stir fry for 2 mins until fragrant. Add chicken and stir fry briskly til cooked. Add garlic in skins.
3. Add around 1.5 L water and bring to a boil. Add softened bean curd sheets and simmer for around 30 mins. Add more hot water if necessary.
4. Add salt and serve.

serves 4

Lychee Lime Cheesecake

one of the yummiest cakes i have ever made....but mostly cos it's made in mind for a very special person.

My supervisor for the last component of my course.

When i first met her, this is how i described her to my friends: " She seems like the sort of person who has had a very loving and happy childhood...."

and after spending five weeks with her, i can also safely say she is truly one of the nicest persons i have ever met!!!

ingredients: (makes enough for a 21 cm springform pan + 2 small cakes..
500g cream cheese
1 pack lime jelly crystals
2 tbs gelatine powder
1 can lychees
1 pack nice biscuits
50g butter

method:
line pan and containers with grease form paper.
Melt butter.
Crush biscuits (in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or a food processor)
Mix butter and biscuits and press into cake pans. Leave in the fridge to set.
Add HALF of the jelly crystals and 2 tbsp gelatine powder to 100 hot water and mix well til dissolved.
Add the liquid from the lychees. Leave in fridge to set.
(wash up and potter around for an potter waiting for the biscuit base and jelly to set.)
Whizz the cream cheese and lychees in a food processor.
Add the partially set jelly.
Pour into the cake pans.
Leave for around 3 hours to set.
Make up reminder of jelly with around 200ml hot water.
Pour over cakes.
Leave to set overnight.

Sun dried tomato tuna rice pie

I am one of the laziest cooks i know. I love recipes which basically mixes all the ingredients together and then cook in a method which doesn't require much supervision (ie: oven, crockpot or microwave)...

got the recipe from taste.com.au

Ingredients (serves 8)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup long grain rice, rinsed
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
425g can tuna in oil, drained, flaked
1/2 cup (125g) sun-dried tomatoes, drained, finely chopped
200g baby bocconcini cheese, drained, roughly chopped ( i used cheddar)
50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
100g baby spinach leaves, shredded (didn't have any on hand so used the same amount of shredded zuchini)
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Method
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 7 to 8 minutes or until onion is soft.
Increase heat to high and add rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in stock. Bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease and line base of a 6cm deep, 20cm (base) springform pan.
Add tuna, tomato, cheese, parmesan, spinach and egg to cooled rice mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.Press rice mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until set and crisp around the edges. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen pie.
Cut pie into wedges and serve warm.

verdict: The original name of this recipe is mediterrean fish pie..which i tot was only due to the addition of sun-dried tomatoes.. :P brought this dish to a housewarming party...attended by mainly chinese nationals....response was variable...saw a girl discretely throwing her portion away...haha...but it's not that bad...but perhaps it might be just a tad strange to people usually used to eating plain white rice served with different dishes...
this will be interesting to bring to a picnic definitely...lovely served with some grainy mustard or spicy sambal..!
u can use leftover cooked rice too...2 cups and just add the garlic and onions to it.