Apple Crumble

4 apples
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder

crumble:
300g flour
180g brown sugar
200g cold butter, cut into cubes

peel, core and slice the apples. sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon into the apples and distribute well. arrange into a baking dish. in another dish, mix the sugar and flour evenly. rub in the butter little by little till it resembles breadcrumb. sprinkle onto the apples, and bake in a 180deg C oven for 30 min. eat hot with vanilla ice cream.

Moussaka

this is something i learnt on TLC, but i modified it, so that it has more of the greek kick to it..here goes..

3 medium potatoes, sliced into 8mm thick
3 medium aubergines, sliced into 8mm thick
1 green capsicum, wedged into 6 and sliced into 8mm thick
1 red capsicum, wedged into 6 and sliced into 8mm thick

meat sauce:
1 onion
3 garlic
400g beef
3 tomatoes, chopped (i dont bother skinning it)
raisins
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp cumin
salt & black pepper & oregano

bechamel:
100g butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 L milk
2 bay leaves
salt & white pepper to taste
2 tbsp cheese (i used blue cheese for extra ummph. you can use parmesan too)

heat some olive oil in a flat pan. fry the potatoes on both sides to golden. lift and arrange in a baking dish. repeat with the aubergines. saute the capsicum and arrange on the aubergine layer in the dish.

for the meat sauce, heat some olive oil, fry the onion and garlic till fragrant. stir in the beef till fully cooked. put in the tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, raisin, salt and pepper. stir and cover on low heat till thickens. while waiting to thicken, make the bechamel.

for the bechamel, melt the butter in a sauce pot. put in the flour and stir till it resembles a smooth paste and golden. pour in the milk slowly, while stirring vigorously. put in the leaves and stir till thickens and simmers. turn off the heat and put in the cheese. stir till melted.

arrange the meat sauce over the capsicum layer. pour the bechamel onto the top layer. put into a 200deg C oven for about 30 - 45 min; till the top is golden. let it stand for about 10 min, and its ready to be indulged.

Salsa

No, this is not the sexy salsa dance that you might think it is. This is pretty sexy itself, considering how easy it is to make it, and how much of an impression it can make on others having it with their roast chicken, steak, spaghetti or just about anything that needs the extra refreshing sweet and sour taste. There're lotsa versions to this, but this may be my very personal favorite, considering its impact on taste, yet so simple and cheap. This is for 6 pax.

Ingredients:
2 red apples, chopped
1 green apple, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
a handful of chopped coriander (daun ketumbar)
1 tsp ground cumin (jintan putih)
a pinch of salt

Method:
Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate till needed.

Fusion Baked Maggi

I created this out of things that I have at home. Just felt like cooking today, after a few series of Nigella Feasts in the morning, and I was in a lazy Saturday mood, so going out and shopping for groceries is certainly out of the question. I had recently updated my Italian spices that I buy at Bagus Store for Bakers, and had a tingling taste for Italian today. So I present, my very own Fusion Baked Maggi. Yummy and very easy to make.

Ingredients:
3 packets Maggi
3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 packet of hot dogs, cut into chunks
2 tomatoes, cut into chunks
2 large onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup olive oil
thyme
oregano
pepper
3 cheddar cheese slices for topping, cut into triagles

Method:
1. Marinate chicken and sausages with pepper, oregano and thyme. Heat olive oil, and saute onions and half of garlic till golden. Add in the marinated chicken and sausages, and stir till chicken is slightly golden but still juicy.
2. Add in tomatoes, more pepper, thyme, oregano and salt. Stir till juice from tomatoes thickens. Place in a baking dish, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, soak Maggi with hot water, till almost soft. Drain water and leave aside in a bowl.
4. Melt butter in a pan, and fry the remaining garlic till golden brown. Pour over Maggi, and toss with a dash of oregano and salt. Set aside.
5. In a bowl, beat the eggs, salt, milk and flour together. Pour half of this custard batter onto the chicken mixture in the baking dish. Make sure custard is distributed evenly between the chicken mixture. Top all this with the tossed Maggi, and pour in the remaining custard. Press the Maggi slighly, to ensure that all are covered with the custard.
6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes in a 180 o Celcius oven. In the final 10 minutes, arrange cheese on top, and bake further. Let it set for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:
1. Make sure Maggi is not over-soaked, coz it will get too soggy when covered with custard.
2. This is a very rich tasting dish, so for a wholesome meal, have it with salad and a simple olive oil and lemon dressing.

Tomato Sandwich

This recipe reminds me of a type of sandwich that Norleen once taught me in college, and I love them still. Her mom used to make them for her during her school years, and I think its a good practise for all moms to do the same. Very healthy, and the combination of the ingredients somehow compliments the sweet and soury tomato taste. Yummy! I know some would be whining...what the hell...but trust me, this is pretty awesome.

Ingredients:
Fresh tomatoes (sliced thinly)
Bread
a pinch of salt
Butter
a dash of black pepper

Method:Spread butter onto bread. Arrange tomatoes onto butter bread, add salt and pepper.

Olyn's Salad

Sorta Italian and French mixed dressing.

Salad Ingredients:
Lettuce assortments
Cherry Tomatoes (wedged)
Onions (sliced)
Hard-boiled Eggs (sliced or wedged- whichever of preference)
Olives (sliced)
Dressing
Croutons

Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 lime
5 olives (chopped)
1 bulb garlic (crushed)
a dash of Italian Mixed herbs
salt and black pepper to taste

Dressing Method:
1. Whisk all ingredients together, till you get a smooth blend of ingredients. Use immediately.

Crouton Method:
Lightly spread any bread with olive oil and cut into small cubes. Place onto baking tray, and toast in a 150 deg Celcius oven till browned and crispy. Make sure you toss it around once in awhile during toasting.

Salad Method:
1. Mix all vegetables and olives with dressing. Top the salad with eggs and Croutons. Serve cold.

Tips: If you're too lazy to whisk, just put in all the dressing ingrdients in a jar. Tighten lid, and shake away, till well blended.

Lasagne

This recipe is actually a mix of my own and Nigella's. Its easy to make, and tastes extremely gorgeous. And I'm not at all exagerating. I don't think I'll ever buy Lasagne again after this, when I know I have the perfect recipe for it, and can make much much more at a fraction of the price and for the family to enjoy. This recipe is for 6-8 persons (4"x4")

Lasagne Ingredients:
300g Lasagne sheets
Meat Sauce
Bechamel Sauce
2 cups Parmesan cheese (shredded)
2 cups Mozarella cheese (shredded)

Meat Sauce Ingredients:
800 g minced beef
2 onions (chopped)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup water
1 large can tomato puree
2 large cans whole tomatoes
2 generous dashes of Italian Mix herbs
10 olives, sliced (optional)
salt and black pepper to taste

Meat Sauce Method:
1. Heat oil, and saute onions till fragrant. Add in beef and cook till browned.
2. Add all other ingredients, and simmer on medium heat till thickened or not too liquidish.
3. Cool down to further thicken.

Bechamel Sauce Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 studded onion (onion pierced with 3-4 cloves)
1 basil leaves
dash of thyme
salt and white pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce Method:
1. Melt butter, and when foam forms, add the flour. Stir thoroughly for about 3 minutes. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
2. In a separate boiler, scald the milk (heat up till almost boiled).
3. Bring back butter and flour mix to heat, add milk quickly, and stir quickly to avoid lumping. Add the rest of ingredients, stir and cook further till thick. Set aside to cool.

Lasagne Method:
1. Cook Lasagne sheets according to box instructions, drain and sit in cold water.
2. Assemble the Lasagne:
a. Meat Sauce
b. Lasagne sheet
c. Meat Sauce
d. Parmesan
e. Bechamel Sauce
f. Mozarella
3. And back to step (a) till the brim of the casserole dish. For the last layer, however, swap the Mozarella and Parmesan, for the natural golden finish after baking.
4. Bake at 200 deg Celcius for 40 minutes. After baking, let it stand for 20 minutes to set. Fantastic!

Tips:
1. Its very important to sit the cooked Lasagne sheets in cold water to ensure it doesn't stick and is easier to deal with.
2. I also add a bit of oil into the boiling water when cooking the Lasagne sheets.
3. I had this with a simple tossed salad with a dressing I made up on my own. See next recipe.