Yasai Katsu Curry (Wagamama style dish, my way)

Receita em Português AQUI

(This is my dish, photo taken with camera)

Everyone has been waiting for this one a proper Wagamama (Yasai Katsu Curry, 72 on the menu) dish made my way the secret is out hehe!! All made from my head and senses as had no recipe, just what is tasted like to go by and textures in my mouth.

(This is Wagamamas dish, photo taken with phone)

Recipe ingredients: (I'll be a bit vague, as it depends on people)

• 2 slices of butternut squash (per person)
• 2 slices of sweet potato (per person)
• 2 slices of aubergine (per person)
• 2 eggs mixed in a bowl
• 1/2 packet of water crackers in a bowl (crumbed to resemble rough bread crumbs)
• 3 soup spoons of plain flour (in a bowl)
• 3 soup spoons full of olive oil
• 2 soup spoons of garam masala
• 1 spoon of turmeric
• 1 soup spoon of medium curry powder
• 1 soup spoon of ground coriander seeds
• 1 garlic finely chopped
• 1 piece of ginger the size of a garlic clove finely chopped
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 300grs of risotto rice (to make the sticky rice)
• salt and pepper to taste.

All the above ingredients are depending on the number of people but based initially on 4.

the risotto rice to be sticky rice I done it as follows, cooked it in very little water just to cover the rice, and as it cooked and drank the water I added more (hot) water to it, once virtually cooked, put it in a sieve drain passed a little boiling water through, and drained it again but not entirely, put it back in the pan with a lid on and let it rests a good 4-5 minutes.

The curry sauce you can make this in advance and heat it near the time to put over rice and fried stuff (I decided not to cover fried stuff as wanted to show it in the photo).
Put a little pan on the stove with a little olive oil about 3 spoons full, once hot add the very finely chopped, garlic, onion, and ginger, let these cook until golden, at this stage add all the powders, garam masala, turmeric, med curry powder, ground coriander seeds and a little seasoning salt and pepper. Let these cook until it forms a paste add about 2 glasses of water, and once boiling, mix in a glass two spoons of plain flour and some warm water, mix well so it has no lumps, must be gravy consistency, then pour half into the boiling curry and stir briskly, once that is farly thick blitz it with the blender to smoth out the pieces of garlic, onion and ginger add a little more flour and water to it and mix again briskly until it gets like a very thick gravy. And is ready to go over the rice.

"The veg" the aubergine is fried from raw, however the butternut and the sweet potato are part-cooked in water for only 3 minutes, to make these is very simple you need a pan with vegetable oil very hot (or a dip fryer) and each slice of veg goes in the flour first, then the egg and finally in the cracker crumbs (normally Panko crumbs are used, but I feel crackers are just as good and cheaper) then in the fryer until golden brown (don't forget to turn them) . Once done they should drain a little in some kitchen paper, then served with the rice and curry sauce also with a little mixed leaves salad (also supposed to have a little pickled ginger, I didn't get enough time to make that :D ) see pictures.

So that is how you make it at home if you time it right all will come out hot, if not stick it in the oven for a blast before serving hehe (minus the salad) Have fun, I know I did.

(This is Wagamamas dish, photo taken with phone)

(Again my Dish, photo taken with camera)

Rich Tea Biscuit Cake witth Almond

Ingredients for the Recipe: ( enough for many :D )

• 4 yolks
  
• 125 g butter
• 125 g Fine sugar (Caster fine sugar)
• 125 g Icing sugar
  
• 40 g ground almonds (I ground my own for a more intense flavour)
• 1/2 almond essence
  
• +/- 2 packets McVities Rich Tea biscuits (or Maria biscuits)
• 1 cup strong coffee (just warm nearly cold)
• 10 flaked almonds (I flaked my own with my Santuku knife)

In a bowl place the yolks, butter (soft or into little cubes), sugars, and the almond essence, blend these very well with a mixer, until it forms a whitish cream, once it gets to that point add the almond while still mixing , mix these very well until all the ground almond is all blended in. Then refrigerate it for about an hour so it hardens to a thick cream consistency.

Then get the biscuits and one by one dip them in the (almost cold) coffee for about 3 seconds each, don't leave them too long or they will become soft and break apart, and also if too soft is impossible to spread the cream. Arrange them on a plate or tray one in the centre and six surrounding the centre one, then apply a thin layer of cream (that you had refrigerated), repeat the process until the cake is around 5-6 biscuits high, and finally cover the whole of the cake outside in the same cream, and sprinkle the almond flakes on top, them refrigerate until very cold and firm.

It is very nice served with a nice strong cup of coffee. I believe the original recipe doesn't have almonds at all and the walls and top of the cake is decorated with dessicated coconut shavings.
We all know that almond goes extremely well with coffee, as a lot of times when out for a coffee you get a little almond biscuit with it, therefore the reason why I used it.

Nut Free Salad Pesto Pasta with a Pan Fried Cod Loin

Easiest and fairly healthy meal. Recipe Ingredients:

• 400grs fresh pasta (I used spirals)
• 250grs packet of three leaves salad (mine was, spinach, rocket and water cress)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 red chilli
• some olive oil
• 1 juice of whole lemon
• 4 fresh cod loins
• salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan put a little olive oil and two of the minced garlic cook for 1 minute add the salad, and toss it quickly when it goes limp and darker in colour pour it all into a jug and add 3 glugs of olive oil, the lemon juice the bell pepper and chilli, blitz it all with the blender. Meanwhile cook the pasta in boiling water with a little salt and a little vegetable oil, it takes around 15 minutes to cook once cooked add the pesto, you made. Also on the pan you sautéed the salad add a little more olive oil the remaining garlic a little salt and pepper, and the cod loins you can squeeze a little lemon juice over them if you want it will take around three minutes on each side to cook completely depending on thickness, and is all done ...check the times and plan how and when to cook things so that all finishes at the same time, this is a lovely light and fast meal yet very filling and colourful. cheers!!

Chorizo Flower Thighs served on a Chive Mash and a Smooth Spicy Cheese and Tomato Sauce

Another invented by me, and with this one both the eyes and the stomach can eat it.

Ingredients for Recipe: (for the 3 people)

• 3 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
• 1 bunch of chives (half diced, half just strips) "see photo"
• 1 piece of chorizo the length of the chicken thigh (chopped into strips)
  
• 1 can of peeled tomatoes (cut in pieces)
• 1 / 2 cup of milk + 1 cup of milk (for purée)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, (1 cut into strips for the thighs, 1 thin sliced for tomato sauce)
  
• 3 tablespoon of cheddar cheese (cut into small cubes)
  
• 1 tablespoon of butter for the mash + 1 more
  
• 1 flat teaspoon of chilli powder
  
• 6 large potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes)
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• some coriander leaves.
  
• salt and black pepper (to taste)
  
• optional if you want the thighs also spicy, 1 red chilli (sliced thin into strips without seeds or veins)

It's easy to prepare. After removing the bones and skin (optional). Extend the thigh on a tray (or similar) and on the thicker part of it, with a sharp knife cut a flap to elongate the thigh further, (see photo) and put over some salt, ground black pepper, chorizo strips, chives, chilli strips of (optional) and garlic strips. Wrap the thighs so that they look as intact thighs, stick a couple of criss cross toothpicks to avoid them open when you cook them.

Let them rest half an hour helps helps them to gain taste, put a little olive oil in a frying pan and once hot put the salt and pepper well as the thighs frying, seal and make the thigh golden brown turning them around until the whole thigh is golden, pour contents of the skillet (frying pan) into a pan and pour in also the can of tomatoes and the remaining garlic garlic. Once it boils, turn down the heat and let it cook for about 5 minutes, add the chilli powder and turn the thighs around , and let it cook 5 more minutes. Now remove the thighs from the sauce and cut them into slices, and put the butter (1 tablespoon) milk and cheese cubes into the sauce, , , once incorporated it makes a very creamy sauce.

Of course at the same time do the potatoes. Put the potato cubes in a pan with boiling water and they will take about 10 minutes to be cooked, once they are cooked and drained and mash them. In a milk pan put, a glass of milk warming up with a tablespoon full of butter, and once hot so that the butter is melted pour it into the mashed potatoes also adding the salt, ground black pepper, chopped chives and a of pinch of nutmeg, stir well dish it and put the slices of chicken on top and the sauce around. Don't forget the coriander leaves as these are not just decoration, eaten with the sauce gives it a special taste.