HOME Academy cooking student Jean Paller shares with us her recipe for salmon. So if you want to impress your employer or family, do check it out.
SALMON AND PESTO with DRESSED VEGETABLE
INGREDIENTS:
600 g new potatoes
200 g fine green beans
200 g tender stem broccoli
4 x 120 g salmon fillets, scaled and pin-boned, from sustainable sources
Olive oil
1 lemon
PESTO
:
25 g pine nuts
½ a small clove of garlic
50 g fresh basil
Extra virgin olive oil
15 g Parmesan cheese
Lemon
METHOD:
- To make the pesto, place a small frying pan over a medium heat, tip in the pine nuts and toast until very lightly golden – keep them moving so they don’t burn, then place in a small bowl and put to one side.
- Peel the garlic, and then place in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt.
- Pick and tear in the basil leaves.
- Bash the mixture to a paste, then add the pine nuts and pound again, leaving a little bit of texture. Scrape the mixture into the small bowl.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil – you need just enough to bind the pesto and give it an oozy consistency – then finely grate and stir through the Parmesan.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Have a taste and season with a pinch of black pepper and a squeeze more lemon juice, if you think it needs it.
- Scrub the potatoes well, then trim the beans and broccoli.
Fill a large pan three quarters of the way up with boiling water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling, carefully add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, adding the beans and the broccoli for the final 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat.
Rub the salmon fillets all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in the hot pan, skin-side down, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 4 minutes, or until golden underneath.
Use a fish slice to turn them over, then cook the fillets for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until just cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the heat, rest for 30 seconds, then add a good squeeze of lemon juice and give the pan a good shake.
- Drain the vegetables well, then tip into to a large bowl. Add the pesto, then use tongs to coat everything nicely.
- Divide the fish fillets and vegetables between your plates, drizzle over the juices from the pan, then serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Our volunteer Jean Paller shares her recipe for Chicken Calabrese, a classic recipe with tomato, cheese and basil, that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds!
CHICKEN CALABRESE
(Chicken breast with fresh tomato cheese and basil)
INGREDIENTS:
2-chicken breast
1-handful fresh basil
1-pack mozzarella cheese 150g
Salt and pepper
1-tbsp olive oil
Cherry tomatoes 350g
2-gloves garlic
1-oz, 30g Parmesan cheese
4-tbsp balsamic vinegar
METHOD:
- Season the chicken breast on each side with salt and pepper.
- In a frying pan add the olive oil on medium heat caramelize the chicken breast (make it slightly brown) on each side.
- Cut all the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Once chicken is caramelized on each side add crushed garlic to frying pan followed by the tomatoes.
- Deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar and grate the Parmesan cheese over the chicken and tomatoes.
- Slice the basil and shred and add to pan.
- Put mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken breast or enough to cover the whole chicken breast.
- Bake in oven for 15 -20 mins at 200 degrees.
Jean Paller works as a domestic worker in Singapore, and volunteers with HOME in her spare time.
Christmas is the time for eating great food together with family and friend. Janeth, HOME Academy’s baking teachers, shares with us a recipe for a festive carrot cake that will impress all your loved ones.
CHRISTMAS CARROT CAKE A LA JANETH
Equipment-2 8’’ round or square aluminum cake tins
Baking time-30-35 minutes
Baking temp. -175-180 °
Makes about 2kg round or square cake
Ingredients;
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon powder
- 1 ½ cups caster sugar
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs-lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup raisins-presoaked, about 5 minutes
- ¾ cup desiccated coconut
- ¾ cup crushed pineapple
- 1 ½ cups grated or pureed carrots
For the frosting
- 200 grams cream cheese
- 6 tablespoons butter (unsalted, softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (preferably clear extract)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice –optional
- 200-300 grams icing sugar, sift
Note; double frosting recipe for extra decorating if like
Direction
- Preheat oven, grease the baking tins and line them with baking paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon powder, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add the walnuts, raisins, coconut, crushed pineapple and pureed or grated carrots.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, combine well after each addition, using wooden spoon.
- Divide equally into the prepared tins.
- Bake in the preheated ovens for about 30-35 minutes or till toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave in the tins for about 10 minutes before turning them into a wire rack to completely cool before frosting.
- Place 1 cake on a board, flat side up, spread some of the frosting then top with the other cake. Spread the rest of the frosting. Decorate
Direction for the frosting;
- With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter till smooth and no lumps, add vanilla and lemon juice and beat at medium speed.
- Lower speed and add in icing sugar a little at a time.
- Beat until smooth and just combined. (May use wooden spoon to mix at this point)
- Over beating will cause the frosting to be runny.
During the rest of the year this cake is great too, some ideas for decoration are below:
By Janeth A. Bullecer
Equipment needed;
8’’ round spring form tin, Greaseproof paper, Foil, Baking tray
Ingredients;
For the Crust;
- 175-200 grams digestive biscuits
- 80-100 grams softened butter
- 1 Tablespoon caster sugar (optional)
For the Filling:
- 750 grams cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs, at room temp.
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 5 Tablespoons plain flour (only if needed, if batter is runny)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 150°C
- Line the round spring form tin with the greaseproof paper then grease with oil or shortening.
- To make the crust; In a food processor, place digestive biscuits and process till very fine, add softened butter and sugar, process till you get a soft dough.
- Spread the biscuit dough evenly into the bottom of the baking tin, then refrigerate while preparing the fillings.
- To make the filling: beat the cream cheese into a large bowl, with a handheld mixer or stand mixer until smooth
- Add the eggs 1 at a time, incorporate well
- Add the vanilla extract, milk, sour cream and lemon juice, and beat well until smooth and well combined.
- If batter is runny add the flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time until it becomes thicker but still pourable.
- Pour batter into the prepared chilled crust, spread evenly.
- Wrap the sides and bottom of the tin with foil making sure it is high enough to avoid getting the water in.
- In a deep baking tray, place the tin with the batter then pour water into the tray, fill up to half of the tin.
- Bake into the preheated oven for about 1 hour or so.
- Cheesecake is baked when the sides are firm and center is just wobbly
- When it’s baked, leave the cake in the oven for at least 45 minutes with the door ajar.
- Take it out then cool completely then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
The Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) is an anti-human trafficking organisation advocating empowerment and justice for all migrant workers in Singapore
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