Toad in the hole (Sausages pudding) 布丁香肠



After Christmas and New Year, Chinese family is also getting start to preparing some cookies for the coming Chinese New Year celebration. If you would like to try out some new recipes, you may check out my earlier Chinese Delights 2013 event round up posts here or you may refer to the top page at my blog header. There are many good recipes shared by many bloggers, check it out!
I made this Toad in the hole during Christmas time, even though we didn't celebrate Christmas, but I still prefer to make some Western foods during this time.
Toad in the hole is a traditional English dish comprising sausages in Yorkshire pudding .The origin of the name "Toad-in-the-Hole" is often disputed. Many suggestions are that the dish's resemblance to a toad sticking its head out of a hole provides the dish with its somewhat unusual name.

 

Since I have made Yorkshire pudding before, so it was easy to prepare this pudding..

This pudding tasted similar like between pancake and bread..if you are curious the taste, why not try this recipe out..

 

I made some coleslaw to go with this pudding..if I can made the onion gravy then it will be perfect..

Toad in the hole (Sausages pudding) 布丁香肠

*for a 6”x9” ramekin 

5 pork sausages or any other sausage as per your preference

125g plain flour
2 eggs

250ml milk
1/2tsp salt
1tbsp lemon juices

Butter, for greasing

Method

1. Put flour, eggs, milk, salt and lemon juices in a mixing bowl, stir and whisk till a smooth batter.
2. Sift the batter into a clean water jar, cover and stand for at least 30mins.
3. Grease the ramekin with butter, and heat in a preheated oven at 200C for 2mins or until very hot.
4. Remove the ramekin from the oven. Whisk the batter and pour into the hot ramekin, then place sausages on top.
5. Bake the sausage pudding in the oven for 35 minutes at 200C or until well risen, golden, and crisp.
6. Serve warm with other side dish.

Recipe by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

I am submitting this to the "Baby Sumo's Christmas Recipes Collection 2013" event which is hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out.

Impromtu Valentine's meal- grilled lamb, mushroom, mashed potato

After i married and have kids, no more celebration of Valentine..On the recent Valentine's day, i still plan to cook as per normal Chinese meal. But my daughter requested me to cook Western meal after she came back from shool..She said we should also celebrate this day this time. I also sick of everyday Chinese meal, so i agreed with her, and i rushed to the nearby supermarket to make my last minutes marketing..

While i driving to the supermarket, i still not decided what to cook..I start to think which of my blogger friend cook a good Western meal. I recalled i have seen many yummy Western meals in Elin's blog-Elinluv's Tidbits Corner (Thanks Elin). I have never cook lamb at home, so I decided to make some grill lamb chops..
This Valentine meal cost me less than RM 100, very economy and delicious..



Grilled Lamb shoulder

I supposed to prepare Portobello but i could not find it, i replaced with this giant button mushroom, taste nice too..

Our all time favourite Japanese mashed potato, this time i added chopped bacon..Yummy!

Since this is a last minutes meal and impromtu meal, so i did not manage to record down the exact amount of each ingredients..Anyway, this recipe is simple and easy to prepare..

Recipe source: Adapted from Elinluv's Tidbits Corner here and here with minor changes

Grilled Lamb shoulders

Lamp chop (shoulder)
Freshly crushed black pepper
Salt
• washed clean and tenderized , marinate with a pinch of salt and pepper for 30 minutes.
• grill at 200c for 10mins each side, 240c for 5mins one side

Black pepper sauce for grilled lamb
gravy from roasted lamb chops
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Water
Oyster sauce
Tomato ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
Red wine (optional, but worth to add)
Freshly ground black pepper
Flour mix with water, to thicken
.
• Mix all seasonings and ingredients in a pot, cooked for 5-10mins, thicken the sauce by flour mixture.


Grilled stuffed button mushrooms

Big button mushroom or portobello
Green pepper, chopped
Bacon, chopped
Chicken meat, chopped
Carrot, chopped
Parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese

Bread crumbs
Olive oil

• Mix pepper, bacon,cheese, chicken meat and carrot in a mixing bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper, stir till sticky paste.
• Stuff the mushrooms with the paste
• Greased the baking sheet with olive oil, place the stuffed mushrooms on it and sprinkle extra bread crumbs on the surface and baked in a preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes or till crispy brown and cooked

Japanese mashed potato

US russet potato, boiled till soft and mashed fine
Japanese cucumber, chopped
Carrot, chopped
Bacon, chopped and pan fried
Japanese mayonnaise

Refer to recipe here

Ratatouille, Pommes Duchesse (Baked puree potatoes)

Ratatouille movie is one of my favourite movie, i was repeated watching this movie for few times..Finally i made Ratatouille for the 1st time...

Ratatouille
(recipe source: adapted from Flavours Food Magazine Oct 2007)

1 long purple eggplant
2 zucchinis, cubed
1 onion, cubed
1 red capsicum, cubed
1 green capsicum, cubed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
200g tomatoes, peeled and cubed
100g tomato puree
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme

3tbsp olive oil
Brown sugar to taste
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Method
1. Split the eggplant lengthwise, place in a colander, and sprinkle with salt to draw out the bitterness. Set aside for 30mins, drain and cut into cubes.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom pan. Add the eggplant and cook until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, cook the zucchinis the same way. Remove and set aside.
4. In the same pan, cook the onion until aroma. Add red and green capsicums and cook until tender, add garlic, eggplant, zucchini, tomato and tomato puree. Cook for 1min.
5. Pluck the rosemary and thyme leaves, add to the ratatouille. Simmer over low heat for 1hour. Stir from time to time.
6. Season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
7. Allow to cool and refrigerate if not using immediately. The flavours will develop overnight.
8. Serve warm or cold, as a side dish, as a topping, or use as a base or flavouring for other recipes.

 We enjoyed Ratatouille with Pommes Duchesse (basically some puréed potatoes that includes egg yolk, butter and seasonings), sausages and sunny side-up eggs..

Pommes Duchesse (Baked puree potatoes)
(recipe source: adapted from Angie’s recipe)

400g potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
1 egg yolk
50g butter, melted
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and white pepper to taste

Method
1. Boil potatoes till tender. Drain, mash and press potato through a fine sieve into a bowl.
2. Add egg yolk and half the butter. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper, stir to combine.
3. Pipe swirled rosettes onto a lined baking sheet. Drizzle remaining butter over potato.
4. Bake at pre-heated oven at 220c for 20-25mins or until lightly browned.

Thanks Angie for sharing Pommes Duchesse recipe, it was yummy while still hot, especially the brown and baked edges..so aroma..

Saltimbocca (Beef roll with sage leaf)

This was the 1st time I use sage leaf in the cooking. I tried this recipe as seen in Flavours food magazine, this is how they described Saltimbocca -Popular in Rome, this dish is usually served with a salad and boiled potatoes for dinner. You can also vary the ingredients to make a vegetarian version, replacing thinly sliced eggplant for the beef and stuff the roll with parsley, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Saltimbocca (Beef roll with sage leaf)
(recipe source: adapted from Flavours Food Magazine-Tasting Italy-Oct 2009)
*makes 12pcs

12pcs of beef tenderloin slices
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 slices ham, slice into equal size of beef
30g butter
3tbsp Olive oil
Sage leaves

Method
1. Gently pound the beef slices to flatten into thin slices.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Lay a piece of ham and sage leaf on top of the beef.
4. Roll and secure with toothpick.
5. In a frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
6. Add 4 sage leaves. Place the beef rolls in the pan and cook until lightly browned.
7. Remove and serve immediately, topped with a sage leaf.

We enjoyed Saltimbocca with mashed potatoes and fresh cherry. Love the fragrant of sage leaf, next time i will  try to use sage leaf to roast a chicken..

Baked Spaghetti with meat sauce

My kids not only like to eat Spaghetti with meat sauce, they also like to top up with a lot of mozzarella cheese and bake the spaghetti. So this is the baked spaghetti with meat sauce that i usually prepare for them for a quick and simple lunch.

Spaghetti ready to bake with cheese..

Mommy more cheese please...

Baked Spaghetti with meat sauce
(recipe souce: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

*serves 4-5

250g ground meat (beef or chicken)
350g Spaghetti
1 onion, chopped
4 garlics, chopped
1 and ½ cup pasta sauce
1 Bay leaf
3tbsp olive oil
1/2 green pepper, sliced
100g canned button mushroom, sliced
2tbsp parmesan cheese powder
Some parsley flakes
1tsp salt or to taste
1 and ½ sugar or to taste

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Method
1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onion and garlic with olive oil till brown.
3. Add in ground meat, stir fry for a while.
4. Add in pasta sauce, bay leaf, mushroom, green pepper and water, continue to cook for 10-15mins.
5. Add in seasonings, put cooked spaghetti into meat sauce, mix well (if sauce is dry, add some spaghetti water).
6. Turn off fire, sprinkle parmesan cheese powder and parsley flakes on top.
7. In a casserole dish, add in spaghetti with meat sauce, top with cheese. Bake 7-10mins at 200c pre-heated oven(set to grill function).
8. Serve hot, enjoy!

Happy Cooking and Happy Weekend ahead ....