Coconut fenugreek curry with lamb meatballs

Inspired by a cooking presentation that a friend took me to a few weeks ago, I made this lamb meatball curry from scratch a few days later. 

Coconut fenugreek curry with lamb meatballs

Daikon cake 蘿蔔糕 (1)

I've been on a daikon roll for a couple of months now. And seeing as the lunar new year is just around the corner, I decided to try making daikon cake, an item commonly eaten at home during the celebrations. This is my first attempt.

Steamed daikon cake

Seafood porcini risotto

Seafood porcini risotto

Buttered pork tenderloin with Granny Smith

So taken I was with the beef & kale cauliflower rice, I had it for dinner again last night and made buttered pork tenderloin and sautéed lamb's liver to go with it.

Buttered pork tenderloin with Granny Smith, served with beef & cauliflower rice and sautéed lamb's liver & mushrooms 

Beef & kale cauliflower rice bowl

I get beef mince quite often as it always seems to be on a special deal. The organic round steak mince from Tesco is quite good, flavoursome and lean, and is my choice of beef mince. I've made several tasty dishes using mince, such as chilli con carne, meatballs, barbecue beef stir-fry, and beef in lettuce cups. But I thought it was time to try a new dish using steak mince. And following my success at making cauliflower rice, I went ahead and mixed beef and kale together for this dish.

Beef & kale cauliflower rice bowl

Cauliflower rice

I got a mini chopper a while ago but had been apprehensive about using it to chop anything other than onions and garlic cloves. But the lure of grinding my own nuts was such that I decided to take the plunge. Tonight for dinner, I made a beef & kale cauliflower rice bowl. For the cauliflower rice, I blitzed a whole head of raw cauliflower. Of course I had to did this in batches (about 5) as my mini chopper wouldn't be able to handle a lot. Still, I was delighted with the way it turned out. 

Cauliflower rice sautéed

Shrimp and egg fried rice 蝦仁蛋炒飯

I've been flat out with work and life in general for the last couple of weeks. In addition to meeting the usual deadlines and finalising the paperwork for a new job, I was also studying for my RIAM Grade VIII violin exams, which included practical and aural/theory. The practical parts included three pieces and scales and arpeggios. I had the pieces ready shortly after I made up my mind to sit the exams in early March but I really had to scramble to get ready for the aural/theory. In the end, I think it went well.

The downside of being so busy was that I had no time to go grocery shopping. It was fine for a while as I had loaded up on meats when I last visited the butcher's, but for the last 3-4 days, I was hanging by a thread and had to be creative. Last night the fridge was practically empty. Luckily I still had some shrimp and garden peas in the freezer. I made a quick trip to the supermarket and picked up a tin of sweetcorn and a few stalks of spring onions, and voilà, shrimp and egg fried rice for dinner!

Shrimp & egg fried rice

Happy Lunar New Year!

臘肉腸褒飯
Cantonese clay pot rice with smoked pork, Chinese sausages, and bok choy

Chinese cured pork rice 'là ròu fàn' 臘肉蒸飯

My friend TT sent me two chunks of là ròu from Taiwan. La rou is a southern Chinese specialty. Growing up in Taiwan, my memories of Chinese New Year are accompanied by the aromas of la rou rice steaming in the rice cooker. 

Hainanese chicken rice 海南雞飯

Spicy meatball & aubergine bhuna

Minced meat is a regular in my freezer/fridge because it is so versatile (e.g., chilli con carne is an all-time favourite). When I have time (and am up for it), I like to make meatballs. This is a version I made a few days ago.

Vegetable biryani

I felt that I hadn't had enough vegetables in the last few days, so for dinner last night, I made a vegetable biryani. This is my second time ever making it, having rather enjoyed my first attempt. 

Chilli con carne

This is classic comfort food in our home. The dish is wonderfully aromatic and with just the right amount of kick to awaken any palate. I sometimes substitute, to a great degree of success, the steak mince with turkey mince for a lighter taste.