This turned out to be an amazing dish for my night munchies. Not too fancy, not too difficult, quick and tasty. It only takes about 45 minutes with not much preparation. Here it goes:


Ingredients:

• 3-4 Potatoes
• Chicken flavor cube (a.k.a. Chicken Bouillon???) - optional
• Onions (Shallots if you can find them)
• Scallions (Spring Onions)
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 3 strips of Bacon cut into small pieces
• Wine (I prefer red)
• Cherry tomatoes cut in halves (if they are big enough cut them in quarters
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sweet Paprika (optional)
• Olive Oil
• A small cube of melted butter

This portion serves 2 people easily. If your portions are smaller usually by all means you can reduce any of the above.

So ... 

1. Add water into a pan and bring it to a boil.
2. Preheat your oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas 6.
3. Clean the potatoes so that the skin is squeaky clean and remove any gnarly, dark or dangerous looking bits.
4. Cut the potatoes into chunky pieces.
5. When the water comes to a boil, add the cube and stir gently so it mixes together with the water and add the potatoes in it. Boil for around 8 minutes or until soft.
6. Drain potatoes using a strainer (colander) and let them set for a couple of minutes.
7. Add them to a roasting tray. Sprinkle a good amount of oil on them so that everyone is covered and add the melted butter as well trying to cover all of them.
8. Give them a good pinch of salt and pepper and cover them with some sweet paprika. Toss them all together so that everything goes everywhere.
9. Roast them for around 30 minutes or until they are golden, crispy and cooked through.
10. 15 minutes before taking the potatoes out, heat up some oil in a small pan on a medium - high heat (in my hob this means 7 out of 10).
11. When the oil is hot, add the onions, minced garlic and a small pinch of salt. Stir until onions are shiny and watch out not to burn the garlic (it soooooooooooo happens to me way too often).
12. Add the pieces of bacon and spring onions and continue stiring until the bacon gets some color as well.
13. Add a quarter of a glass of wine (I add more but I'm a helpless wine lover when it comes to cooking it) and stir so that every sticky bit left on the pan is incorporated to the mix and let that reduce.
14. When reduced, add the cut tomatoes and stir for a little while until the tomatoes are soft.
15. Take out the potatoes and swiftly drain them on a piece of cloth.
16. Serve them on the plates and pour the bacon and veggy mixture on top of them
17. Since everything will be sizzling hot, let them cool for a couple of minutes.
18. Enjoy.

• 500g beef mince (like topside)
• 1 large brown onion, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (optional), or to taste
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh continental parsley
• 70g (1 cup) breadcrumbs, made from day-old bread
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• 2 tablespoons of water
• Salt & ground black pepper, to taste (½ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoons pepper)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 hamburger buns, halved
• cheddar cheese, thinly sliced, to serve
• 3 medium (about 450g) ripe tomatoes, sliced, to serve, homemade or purchased tomato sauce, to serve
• 4 Iceberg lettuce leaves, shredded, to serve

Prepare all your ingredients before you begin. It is important to use mince from a cut of meat that has a little fat. This will not only add flavour, it also ensures a tender burger by preventing the patties from drying out during cooking.However, mince that is too fatty will expel the excess fat during cooking, causing the patties to shrink and toughen considerably. Topside is the recommended mince for making beef burgers as it contains the right amount of fat.Breadcrumbs are not usually included in the traditional burger patty mixture, but their addition to this recipe helps to give the cooked patties a lighter, more tender texture.The egg acts as a binding ingredient so that the patties can be easily shaped. It also helps them hold together when cooked.

Beat egg and water in a bowl. Add onion, garlic Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce parsley, breadcrumbs and beef mince. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until evenly combined.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions (you can use a 125mls / 1/2 cup measuring cup if you like). Shape each portion with your hands into a patty about: 10cm in diameter and 1.5cm thick.

Place the patties onto a tray lined with- greaseproof paper. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest. Chilling the patties will help them hold together when cooked. This also allows the flavours in the patties to blend and develop. If you chill the patties for any longer, increase the cooking time slightly.

Heat half the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat and cook half the patties for about 4 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through. It is important to cook mince right through because it has a larger ratio of surface area to volume than whole pieces of meat, and is therefore at greater risk of contamination by bacteria in the air. Transfer the patties to a plate, set aside and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and patties.

Meanwhile, preheat grill on high. Place the hamburger buns, cut-side up, under the preheated grill and toast for 1 minute or until golden. Leave the grill on.

To serve, top the bottom halves of the toasted hamburger buns with the patties and then the cheese slices. Return the bottom bun halves under the grill for 1 minute or until the cheese is just melted. Top each with the sliced tomato, tomato sauce and shredded lettuce, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then cover with the hamburger bun tops.

This recipe is Bananas ... and Bananas is good.

This is a very common dessert found on the menus of most Chinese restaurants. My first attempt proved to be quite successful. How did I do it? Here you go:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 firm bananas (ripe but not mushy)
Cooking oil for deep-frying
150g sugar
A little bit of water
A small bowl of cold water with some ice cubes

1. Add the sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring them frequently until the seeds are lightly browned (around three minutes). When ready remove from the pan in a small bowl and let them cool down.

2. Add the flour in a small bowl. Add the water while stirring to form a nice thick batter.

3. Peel and cut the bananas into three or four pieces.

4. Heat the oil for deep-frying in maximum temperature.

5. Just before deep-frying, spear the banana pieces with a fork and drop them in the batter turning them around until fully coated.

6. Add a few pieces at a time in the hot oil turning frequently, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

7. Remove the bananas with a slotted spoon and drain the bananas on paper towels.

8. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan.

9. Cook over medium heat until the mixture caramelizes (around 8 minutes). No need to stir because the sugar should melt and incorporate into the water.

10. Immediately remove from the heat.

11. Take the fried bananas 3-4 at a time and dip them into the caramelized sugar turning them around so they are fully covered.

12. Immediately dip them into the cold water for a couple of seconds so the caramel can crisp up. 

13. Place the bananas on a lightly greased serving plate (you can use butter or a bit of cooking spray so that the caramel doesn't stick to the plate), sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Serve with Vanilla Ice-Cream ... THIS IS A NO BRAINER.

Original recipe makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tablespoons curry powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar

• salt to taste

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 cup plain yogurt

• 3/4 cup coconut milk

• 1/2 lemon, juiced

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until lightly browned. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, sugar and salt. Continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces, tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Remove bay leaf, and stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer 5 more minutes

Source: taste.com.au

Ingredients

• 15 (about 2.5kg) medium coliban potatoes, peeled, halved
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 50g butter, melted
• Sea salt flakes, to serve

Method

1. Step 1

Place the potato in a large saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly tender. Drain. Place, in a single layer, on a tray lined with paper towel. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool. (I used a bowl with ice and water to stop the cooking process and cool them down immediately as I had limited time)

2. Step 2

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 large baking trays with a little oil. Combine the butter and remaining oil in a small bowl.

3. Step 3

Use a fork to scrape the curved side of the potato lengthways. Place, in a single layer, cut-side down, on the prepared trays. Brush with butter mixture. Roast in oven, brushing with the butter mixture once, for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with sea salt to serve.

Source: deepsouthdish.com and homecooking.about.com

This is a recipe I recently tried and worked PERFECTLY. I mean I'm thinking about staying at home cooking this instead of going to the best restaurants to try them out. It is actually a mix of two different recipes, The first one has the perfect dry rub (trust me you're gonna love it) but it is too slow for the everyday cooking needs and in comes the second one which gives an alternate - quicker method. Feel free to visit both recipes (links at the top of the article) and pick something else if you need.

Ingredients

• 1 rack of pork spareribs or baby back ribs
• Commercial or homemade barbecue sauce (I use this barbecue one)

          
Dry Rub

• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 20 turns of the pepper grinder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 50g teaspoon of white pepper
• 50g cup of brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to ~160 degrees C. Select a large baking pan to fit ribs in one layer.
2. Remove the thin membrane from the back side of the ribs if not already done by the butcher. Sprinkle both sides of the spareribs liberally with the rub. Place seasoned ribs on the rack in the baking pan.
3. Drizzle barbecue sauce over the top of the ribs, covering all exposed areas.
4. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Bake 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until tender.
5. Serve spareribs with extra barbecue sauce.
6. Optional: You can char the ribs on the grill or under the broiler before serving if you wish.

Since I don't have a broiler, I just uncovered the ribs, covered with an extra layer of barbecue sauce and left them for another 10 minutes to color up.