Cabbage Roll - Featured in Group Recipes

This recipe is largely adapted from Chef Sam Leong’s recipe. Chef Leong was a Winner of the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence in 2001, 2002 & 2004. In his recipe, he uses pickled snow vegetables (xue cai) but I could not find them in all the supermarkets near my home. So, I replaced it with pickled curry gerkins and use my own ingredients for the roll.  According to my food critic, it has passed the litmus test! However, if I can find xue cai someday, I will definitely do this again. This is a pretty and interesting appetizer.  I like the nutty flavor of the peanuts, with a tinge of sourness from the gerkins and a punch of spicy taste from the thai chilly sauce. I must say it is a great combination of flavors to whet your appetite before the main meal.  Try it!

Servings 4 (1 piece per person)

Ingredients:

4 leaves of Chinese cabbage

4 tbsp ground peanuts

2 tsp mayonnaise

2 pickled curry gerkins, cut into 8 strips 

4 stalks of 4 ins spring onion, white part only

4 slices of carrot

1 tsp Thai chilly sauce

8 thinly sliced red capsicum

4 thin strips of Japanese cucumber

Method:

Blanch cabbage leaves then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.  Lay cabbage leaves flat and spread mayonnaise and ground peanuts.  Lay 2 pieces of pickled gerkins lengthwise and a stalk of spring onion over and rollup.  Slice off both the ends and cut roll into 2 ins pieces. Brush each piece with Thai chilly sauce. Decorate the plate with Japanese cucumber and sliced red capsicum.  Serve cold.

Note: If you cannot find curry gerkins, you can replace it with any kind of gerkins.

Stuffed Japanese cucumber (kyuri) with spicy coleslaw

Today I found 2 Japanese cucumber in the fridge and a head of cabbage.  This is something I made up just for fun:D  I like the crunchiness of the cucumber.  The roasted walnut and the tiny slice of strawberry compliment the slightly spicy mayonnaise dressing. This makes an impressive and delicious appetizer, don't you think?

Ingredients:

2 Japanese cucumbers (kyuri)

1 cup of shredded cabbage

2 tb mayonnaise

1 tb extra virgin olive oil

¼ ts paprika

¼ ts salt

½ ts ground black pepper

1 tb maple syrup

3 to 4 walnuts

2 strawberries thinly sliced and half

Method:

Lightly toast the walnut and glazed with maple syrup and quarter each walnut and set aside.  Prepare the dressing with mayonnaise, extra virgin olive oil, paprika, salt and ground black pepper.  Add shredded cabbage and mix well. Cut Japanese cucumber in about 1 ½ inch long per piece and remove the seeds and make a recess in the center to be filled with coleslaw.  Top it with a piece of walnut and strawberry. Leave in the fridge for 1 hr before serving.

Stir fry cabbage in chilly with peanut snacks (far sang thong) - Featured in Group Recipes

Hey, if you have some peanut brittles at home,  try this very unique dish.  It may sound strange to use a sweet snack in a vegetable recipe but trust me, it taste good!  

Stir fry cabbage in chilly with peanut brittles (far sang thong)

Ingredients 

250gm cabbage thinly sliced

1 tb chilly paste

½ cube chicken stock

1 tb vegetable oil

70gm peanut brittles (preferably those with sesame) - crushed

1 ts chopped garlic

½ cup water

Method 

Heat oil and add garlic and fry till fragrant.  Add cabbage and mix well.  Add water and chilly paste and turn heart to medium and let it simmer till cabbage is translucent and soft.  Put in serving dish and sprinkle crushed peanut brittles.