Honey, Soy and Chicken Stir Fry

Hey Everyone!

Today I am bringing you a great basic stir fry that can be adapted to anyone's pallet, its so tasty with all its fresh crisp vegetables and the tangy-sweet chicken morsels. I think stir fry's are really underrated in everyday cooking, they are a  great weeknight dinner and can be quite healthy if you want it too be, with the reduction of the amount of oil and removal of fat from the chicken breast. Like many people say preparation is the key to wok cooking, you should have everything ready before the heat is even turned on and then when it is you don't have to be worried about overcooking vegetables. The addition of other ingredients such as Chilli, Lemon, Ginger or Garlic to the sauce can boost its flavour beyond belief, I usually add these every time.

I will say one thing though, everyone should invest in a proper wok, I have had mine for many years now and it still is in great working order. I'm not talking about one of those silly non-stick coated electric things, I'm talking about a Carbon Steel one. When you first buy one you have to do what they call seasoning it, you heat it over a high heat until its smoking, you then put brush a thin coating of cooking oil onto the surface and brush it until its absorbed soaking up any excess with paper towel. Seasoning helps create a natural non stick surface for your wok and it makes your life so much easier.

Onto the recipe

This would probably serve 4 as a main

Ingredients

- 500g of Chicken Breast fat removed and in thin strips, your aim is too cook in a couple of minutes
- 1 Tspn of Cornflour
- 1/2 Tspn of Bi Carbonate of Soda
- 1 Tbsp of Light Soy Sauce
- 3 Tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp of Oyster Sauce
- 3 Tbsp of Honey
- 1/4 Cup of Water
- 3 Cups of Hard Vegetables in thin strips such a Broccolini, Carrot, Capsicum, Onion etc.
- 3 Cups of Soft Leafy Greens such as Bok Choy, Choy Sum, Cabbage, Spinach, Snow Peas etc.
- 1 Tbsp Vegetable/Sunflower Oil
- Rice, or Noodles to serve.

Method

1. Combine Chicken Breast, Cornflour, Bi Carbonate of Soda, and Light Soy in a bowl and marinade for half and hour.
2. Combine Dark Soy, Oyster Sauce, Honey and Water in a small bowl or measuring jug, sit aside.
3. Heat wok over high heat on a gas stove, with the oil. Once hot add the marinated Chicken and spread out evenly over base, let sit for 1 minute and then stir again and repeat the process.
4. Add the heard vegetables and continuing to stir for 1 minute, add the sauce and mix around until everything is coated, now cook the sauce of for a minute until it starts to reduce.
5. Now add the leafy greens, ensuring that you mix it well to cover so that they start to wilt. Cook for an additional minute and half.
6. Turn off the heat and you are done! Serve this delicious stir fry with Rice or with Noodles tossed in Sesame Oil for an extra nutty taste.

Until next time, keep on cooking and good luck!

Kitchen Tea Cake

Hi all!

How is everyone doing? Is there is there even anyone there? I hope so, because today I am bringing you the story of the kitchen tea cake I made recently. It really was quite a fun cake, even if it was a bit difficult to do when I first started it. After Everything though I think it worked really well and I love how it turned out, the style of the decorating was a bit hard to get used too, but what's the point of doing something and not having to come up with an ingenious way to get it done?

Thanks to my friend Erin for the great photos of the cake

For the cake the bride wanted something a bit denser than the usual sponges and vanilla pound cakes that everyone is into at the moment, so she opted for white chocolate mud. I think it imperative that everyone finds recipes that works for them, in my case it White Chocolate Mud Cake recipe from Anneka Manning's "Mastering the Art of Baking". As well as this being a great comprehensive book on baking, it also seems that the recipes are really strong, I recommend that anyone that loves baking should get there hands on this one! For the Buttercream I always tend to opt for Gretchen Price of Youtube's "Swiss Meringue Buttercream". It's got a great consistency and it really is one of the tastier buttercreams that I've tried. I do recommend that if you live in a hotter climate like mine (Australia) That you find a recipe that will hold up to the heat, so if that means the addition of a vegetable shortening that is solid at room temperature, I would add it so that you don't have a cake disaster.

Thanks to my friend Erin for the great photo of the cake

I sometimes feel like decorating is simultaneously the easiest and hardest part of doing cakes. With this one I just levelled and filled two 7 inch rounds then proceeded to crumb coat then, I then did a really thin second coat so that if there was any gaps in the ruffle you wouldn't be seeing bare cake. I then proceeded to fail at achieving the ruffle that I wanted, I ended up just sitting everything aside for a bit so that I could really focus on how I was go get this the way I wanted it. I ended up coming back to it an hour later and it just turned out perfectly. The teapot was made with a Styrofoam ball I covered with fondant and then used a combination of moulds and hand cutting certain elements.

All in all I really enjoyed making this cake and I feel that it turned out exactly how the client wanted it.

Until next time, see ya!

Apple and Carrot Salad with Whole Mustard Vinigarette

Hello world

Well here we are, today I am bringing you a fabulous little salad that takes no time at all to make and packs a great flavour punch. I tend to think that salads that incorporate fruit into them are all the much better than a plain old salad. Take this one for instance, the addition of the green apple gives the perfect blend of sweet and tart too what would be a very ordinary carrot salad.

You could change this up so much with the addition of a whole variety of things, I imagine some really finely chopped red cabbage would be great in this, or maybe the addition of really thin matchsticks of celery would lends it earthy and grassy tones to it, just make sure you use nearly even amounts of each vegetable. Another great addition would be a fresh herb, I think parsley would be fantastic in this or if you have the addition of celery, why don't you make the most the perfect celery leaves, I believe they are severely underused in cooking.

Too make everyone's life easier I think you should all go out and buy a mandolin, I cannot stress enough how much easier it makes my life on a weekly basis. Say for instance you have a potato bake, who here hates trying to chop potatoes evenly so that they all cook at the same time, I know I do! or maybe you would like to make grilled eggplant, there is nothing easier than getting out you mandolin and using it too have perfect slices every time.

So here it is, the recipe. I believe this would probably serve 2 as a light lunch with some great sourdough bread, or 4 as side to a main meal.

For the Salad

- 2 Green Apples
- 2 Medium Carrot

Optional
- 1/8th Red Cabbage
- 1 Rib of Celery
- A handful Celery leaves or Parsley

For the Dressing

- 2 Heaped Teaspoons Mustard Pommery or any other whole grain mustard
- 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Mandolin all the vegetables that you're using ( ForCelery, cut the rib into thin matchsticks) and  place into a bowl
2. Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
3. Scatter dressing over the vegetables and fruits, toss to combine.
4. Add, if desired, roughly chopped Celery leaves or Parsley, and lightly toss.
5. Serve and enjoy the fresh sweet and tart tastes of this wonderful salad.

I hope you love this simple salad as much as I do.

Until next time, Goodbye.

Well here we are

Hello there!

Anyone listening? It's been more than a year since I have posted on here, I think its given me time to sort of out my future, I'm job-searching and I thought this may be a good time to get back to doing something pro-active with my life.

Not very much has happened this year, I finished high school and moved house. I am hoping that on here I will be able to share my expanded recipe backlog that I have created over my few years in the kitchen, I think I will also share some of my favourite art and give some brief histories on the pieces in question. I have also developed an interest in cake baking and decorating and looking forward to sharing with you some of my journey's as a beginner cake decorator.

Until then I hope your all having wonderful days filled with joy.