Cilantro Zesty Oil

INGREDIENT:

2 cups Cilantro, leaves and stems

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Lemon of zest of juice

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/3 teaspoon Sea Salt

DIRECTION:

1. Soak and rinse the cilantro; drain well.  Chop it finely with a knife.

2. In a bowl, add all the ingredients.  Mix well.  Serve it with fish or meat.

Coconut and Lime Seafood Soup

Coconut and lime is a good pair, both in sweet or savoury. This soup is a very quick meal since the seafood takes very little time to cook through. If you like spicy, just add more chilli. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Coconut Milk (Not coconut cream)

1 cup Chicken Stock

4 cups Water

1 dozen Mussels (I used frozen)

2 dozen Prawns

2 pieces Cod Fish (I used frozen), cut into big chunks

10 Button Mushrooms, sliced

1 small Onion, sliced

1 Lime

1 Red Chili, cut into small arounds (optional)

1 handful Cilantro, rinsed

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

1. In a soup pot, combine coconut milk, chicken stock and water.  Bring it to a boil over high heat.

2. Add mushrooms and onion.  Let it to boil for 10 minutes for the flavour to develop into the soup base.

3. According to the order follow, add mussels, cod fish, and prawns.  Let the soup comes to the boil again.  Then, add cilantro and squeeze the lime juice in.  Add chili if you are using.  Season the soup with salt to taste.  Remove the soup from the heat immediately and serve.

Lemony Lentil Soup

It is a wonderfully filling and delicious soup that can warm your body up in a cold weather.  It is something that I would make a big pot and bring it to work everyday for lunch.  I know the list of ingredients looks so long, but do not let that intimidates you.  Most of the items are just spices.  I hope you will enjoy this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Green Lentils, rinsed

1 Yellow Onion, peeled and chunked

2 Carrots, cut into bite size

2 Potatoes or green bananas, cut into bite size

1 Zucchini, cut into bite size

3 Tomatoes, cut into chunked

7-8 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced

2 cups Canned Diced Tomatoes

1 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped

4 Limes, juiced (can be substitute for lemon)

4 cups Vegetable Broth

2 cups Water

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for frying)

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Power

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons Red Chili (optional)

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

1. Heat up the oil over high heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Fry until they are fragrant; about 5 minutes.

2. Add lentils, zucchini, potato, tomato and carrot.  Stir fry for about 5-10 minutes.

3. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, water and all the spices.  Bring it to a boil over high heat and then continuously cook for another 15 minutes.

3. Turn off the heat.  Add cilantro and lime juice.  Season the soup with salt to taste.

Cilantro Chutney

If you have a whole bunch of cilantro left from another recipe, you can use it to make this lemony chutney.  This chutney is very delicious when paired with chicken, white fish, and baked potato.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Cilantro, leaves and stems

1/2 inch Ginger, peeled and cut into pieces

1/2 Lemon, juice

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

3/4 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1/3 teaspoon Salt

DIRECTION:

1. In a food processor, add all the ingredients.  Blend until it is well incorporated.  This chutney can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Oven Roasted Sweet Corn with Cilantro Parmesan Dressing ｜焗甜粟米配莞茜帕馬森乾酪醬

Farmers' markets have been featuring Ontario corns lately.  They are so sweet and juicy that the kernels just burst in the mouth.  I heard about GMO and know about it, but we won't touch on that topic today.  Today, we are talking about how to cook the sweet corn other than just boiling or throwing it on the barbecue.

Many people love barbecue corn, us too! Though sometimes we can get pretty lazy to think of turning on the barbecue, especially on a hot day after work.  What about roasting corn in an oven? Although the flavour of this oven roasted corn is not as good as the barbecue, the texture is just as perfect.  Since it takes nearly half an hour to roast in the oven, you can even go take a shower in the mean time.

I added cilantro and parmesan cheese here to bring some new flavour to our dining table.  If you simply want to enjoy the sweet corn, just skip the dressing and season the corn with sea salt.

INGREDIENTS:

4 ears Corn, husked and removed silks

1/3 cup Butter, soften

A handful of Cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Paprika

2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese Powder

材料：

4 條  粟米，去皮

1/3 杯  牛油，室溫

1小束  莞茜，葉和莖，切碎

1 茶匙  甜紅椒粉

2 湯匙  帕馬森乾酪粉

DIRECTION 做法:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.  Brush a layer of butter on each corn and then lay them on a foiled roasting pan.

1. 預熱焗爐至400F。在粟米上平均擦上一層牛油；把粟米一字排好在已舖好錫紙的焗盤上。

2. Roast them in the oven until slightly brown; about 25 minutes.

2. 把粟米焗至微金黃；若25 分鐘。

3. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients with the remaining butter; mix well.  Set it aside.

3. 同時間，在一只碗內加入所有剩餘材料和剩下的牛油；拌勻靜置。

4. When the corn is ready, remove it from the oven and brush a generous amount of butter mixture on each corn.  Serve immediately.

4. 當粟米焗好後，趁熱擦上牛油汁料；上桌。

Roasted Mini Potato with Cilantro Lime Sauce | 青檸汁焗薯

This flavour of these potatoes will probably remind you a little of Thai cuisine because of the cilantro, lime and fish sauce.  My husband and I love what this exotic flavour brings to the humble potatoes.  This recipe is even tastier when it is spicy, but my husband and my son can't handle heat so I omitted the chili here. If you enjoy spicy, just add chopped chilis into the dressing.

  

INGREDIENTS:

15-20 Mini Potatoes

Vegetable Oil

Salt and Pepper

DRESSING:

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Lime of zest and juice

1/4 cup Cilantro, stems and leaves, finely chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, peeled, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Fish Sauce

材料：

15-20 迷你薯仔

菜油

鹽和黑胡椒粉

汁料：

2 湯匙  橄欖油

1 個  青檸，刨皮和榨汁留用

1/4 杯  莞茜，莖和葉，切碎

3 瓣  蒜頭，去皮，切碎

2 湯匙  啡糖

1 湯匙  魚露

DIRECTION:

1. Add the potatoes in a mixing bowl.  Season them with salt and pepper and a drizzle of vegetable oil. Mix well.

1. 在一只碗內加入薯仔，下鹽、黑胡椒和少量菜油調味；拌勻。

2. Pour the potatoes onto a foiled roasting pan without crowding them.  Roast them in the pre-heated oven at 400F for about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.

2. 薯仔倒上已舖好錫紙的焗盤上。放入已預熱至400F 的焗爐烤若20-25分鐘，似乎薯仔的大小而定。

3. Meanwhile, combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl; whisk it together until the brown sugar is dissolved.  Set it aside.

3. 同時間，在另一只碗內加入所有汁料材料；拌勻靜置。

4. When the potatoes are roasted until slightly brown and soft, remove them from the oven and add them into the dressing immediately.  Mix to coat the potatoes with the dressing.  Serve.

4. 當薯仔焗至微金黃和軟身，從焗爐取出。倒入汁料，小心拌勻；上桌。

Tomato Beef Egg Drop Soup with Rice | 蕃茄牛肉蛋花湯飯

Almost every family has its own recipe for egg drop soup.  Although the basic ingredients are around tomatoes, beef, and egg, there are so many ways to play around with them to make the soup suit your taste buds and the weather.

The soup my mom made when I was little had very little red meat because red meat was a luxury throughout my childhood.  Mom then would add lots of tomatoes and eggs to enhance the flavour and nutrition.  The tangy flavour always brought up our appetite especially on some hot days.

Thankfully now that meat is no long a luxury for us we are able to add as much beef as we like.  This soup is a quick and healthy recipe that is great to make on a weekday.  Hope you will enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS: (4 servings)

3 Tomatoes, large, cut into wedges

150 gram Beef

4 Eggs, beaten

1 bunch Cilantro, leaves only, rinsed

1 stalk Scallion, cut into around

4 cups Water

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

4 bowls Cooked Steamed Rice, Link

Seasoning:

4 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Sugar

1/3 teaspoon White Pepper, ground

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

1/3 teaspoon Salt

材料：(4人份)

3 個。蕃茄，切瓣狀

150 克  牛肉

4 隻  雞蛋，打勻

1 束  莞茜，葉部份，洗淨

1 條  青蔥，切粒

4 杯  水

2 湯匙  菜油

4 碗  白飯，連結

調味料：

4 湯匙  豉油

1 湯匙  糖

1/3 茶匙  白胡椒粉

1 茶匙  麻油

1/3 茶匙  鹽

DIRECTION :

1. Slice the beef against the grain into 1/2 cm thick stripes.  Combine them with the seasoning; mix well.  Set it aside.

2. In a soup pot, add vegetable oil and heat it up over high heat.  Add tomato slices.  Fry them until they start to become soft; about 2 minutes.

3. Add beef and fry until it starts to turn colour.  Add water, cilantro, and scallion.  Continue to cook until the soup comes back to boil again.  Slowly add in the egg in a ribbon style.  Turn off the heat and serve it with cooked steamed rice.

做法：

1. 牛肉逆紋切成半厘米薄片。下調味料；拌勻。

2. 在湯鍋內下菜油，用大火燒熱。下蕃茄，炒至開始變軟；若2分鐘。

3. 下牛肉片，快炒至其開始變色。下水、莞茜和蔥。繼續煮至湯翻滾。將蛋慢慢倒入鍋內形成蛋花狀；離火。 配以白飯食用。