Cooking Lab - Cauliflower Gratin in Blue Cheese Sauce (法式焗烤白花椰菜)

Today must be the coldest day in Sydney！

The perfect weather for baked cauliflower gratin. It is pretty easy to make and taste great. 

Coat the cauliflowers in thick creamy cheesy bechamel sauce - one absolutely delicious bake dish on its own accord!

超簡單的焗烤蔬菜。雖然用了奶油和藍紋乳酪，但全部都是蔬菜，感覺上還滿健康的。

是一道我覺得既讓人滿足又能搭配白酒的簡單的懶人烤箱晚餐。

Doesn't that look marvelous?


(c) GMV - Got My Vote!'

A gratin is a type of French Casserole. A cauliflower gratin is a pretty handy dish when you’re busy and pressed for time. The flavour intensify when reheated. This a family favourite dish that is easy to assemble, delicious in taste and healthy at the same time.

This cauliflower gratin is pretty easy, taste great and doesn't create too much mess in the Kitchen. Plus it is a real versatile dish, you can combine this with half brocoli, carrots or with any other veggies you fancy. 

Smear or suffocate the cauliflowers in thick creamy cheesy bechamel sauce and there you have it!

Ingredients:

- 1 Medium Cauliflower, trimmed & cut into large florets.

-  200g bacon rashers, rind removed and finely chopped.

- 20g Butter

- 1L Skim Milk

- 2 tablespoon plain flour

- 20g Blue Cheese

- 10ml White wine.

- Salt & Pepper to season

- Grated Mozzarella Cheese 
- Sea salt flakes and black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.

2. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets.

3.  Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to boil.

4. Boil cauliflower florets in salted water until 'al dente'.

5. Cook the cauliflower florets and cook for 5 minutes.

6. Drain the cauliflower florets and line them in an ovenproof dish.

7. In a separate fry pan, lightly spray some oil. Fry the bacon until crispy.

To Make the Bechamel Sauce:

a. Melt butter in pan.

b. Stir in the flour.

c. Cook the lump mixture & add milk.

d. Add more milk and whisk until thicken.

e. Melt in the blue cheese and a dash of white wine.

8. Pour the white sauce over the cauliflower.

9. Generously top with the bacon stripes.

10. Scatter the mixed cheese on top.

11. Place the tray into the oven and bake the cauliflower for 20 minutes or until bubbling and golden.

12. Remove from oven.

13. Serve immediately with salt and pepper.

Simply perfect as a classy side dish.

The dish is a little indulgent because of the white sauce, cheese and bacon. I think it is a relative healthy dish with 2 serves of cauliflower. This is a good side to any roast dish, too. 

This recipe is very simple to make and is absolutely delicious!

Cooking Lab - Caesar Salad

Some good friends are coming over for supper. I promised them that I make my famous Chicken Ceasar Salad.

We are ordering gourmet pizzas later in the evening, this is a perfect complement!

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!'

Doesn't this look healthy, light and delicious? Love a good refreshing crunchy salad on a warm day!

Ingredients:

- 1 cos lettuce

- Chicken thigh fillets 

- 4 bacon rashers

- 2 boiled eggs

- Croutons/ Sourdough bread

- Shaved Parmesan Cheese 帕馬桑起士片

- Ceasar Salad Dressing

-  Anchovy 鯷魚 (optional) but a must for me!!

-  Salt & Pepper

 

Instructions: 

1. Cut chicken thigh fillets in large chunks 

2. Coat it with seasoning powder.

3. Deep fried until golden.

4. Shallow pan fry the bacon pieces until crispy.

Sourdough Croutons (自做天然酵母麵包方塊):

先把天然酵母麵包切小方塊。

再浸泡在亞麻籽油𥚃，讓麵包吸收。

在送入烤箱以低溫慢慢逼出油份。

烤得夠香，夠乾，夠脆，才能顯示出凱撒沙拉的美味。

(亞麻籽油 - Flaxseed Oil 是最近公認最夯的健康食品。含豐富的Omega-3 精華。極有價值的養生品。)

Cool crisp Romaine lettuce - 羅曼生菜一定要硬挺有精神，爽翠。我只挑靠近中心部分的葉梗和嫩葉來做。在外可以買到 Baby Cos.

Cooking Lab - Frenched Cutlets w Pesto & Blue Cheese Cous Cous

Sometimes the movies you watched can have a profound effect on you.

For some reason I was feeling a bit notisatagic this evening, and my mind flashed an image from a TV drama years ago.

It was a Japanese Drama called 'My Little Chef'. It was not well-received, but there was this espisode I still can vividly recall.

A French-Inspired Young Chef trying to help a little boy to rekindle his parents' love by creating dishes that have significance to their romance courtship.

The one particular stunning dish was the one she created a lamb dish based on a pearl brooch design the Father has given to the Mother on their anniversary.

The dish may not create a wow factor in the sophisticated dining era nowadays, but back then when the drama was aired, I was mesmerized by the stunning creativity of the dish.

This is what I come up with tonight. :)

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!' 

Frenched Cutlets $42.99/kg

Cooking Lab - 3 Beans Salad（怎麼吃也不怕胖的魔荳瘦身沙拉)

Ever since I tried the salads from the Big Table @ Adelaide Central Market, I am addicted!!!!

My friends liked their breakfast menu, but for me, their salads are the stand out masterpieces! 

1 year later since my last visit, I still remembered their salad. This really means something. Today I am going to replicate the delicious salads to get them out of my mind!

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!"*\(^o^)/*

低熱量瘦身青豆沙拉：

My 3 Beans Salad - Japanese edamame beans, broad beans and popping fresh peas with salty, creamy chunks of feta. 

簡單的豆豆配對，輕鬆製作出窈窕健康的魔荳沙拉！

Danish Fetta (100% Cow's Milk) $12.99/kg

簡單運用在超市就買得到的醬汁和沙拉食材，使製作這沙拉好輕鬆！❤️

Ingredients:

- Japanese Edamame Beans (日本毛豆) 100g

- Broad Beans (碗豆) 100g

- Frozen Peas (青豆) 100g

- Danish Feta Cheese (丹麥菲達羊奶乳酪) 50g 或少許

[又稱「鹽水乳酪」鹹鹹的，口味獨特，而且沒有像一般羊乳酪有騷味。很適合放在沙拉上或用來焗烤。]

- Honey Mustard Dressing 2T

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2T

- 1 whole lemon juice.

- Sea salt & cracked black pepper

It is sooooo delicious and nutritious at the same time. So happy! The perfect Summer time salad!!

Cooking Lab - Dumplings in Chili Hot Oil

Cooking Lab - Pesto Fettuccine w Sundried Tomato & Okra

The heatwave is stifling.

At least I am enjoying my day in my air-conditioned room.

Definitely need something light and refreshing. This is a perfect light meal or can be served as a main course.

Okra has a beautiful geometric shape and with a bright green colour and pearly seeds, it is a smash-looking vegetable!

What better way then to dress up an ordinary pesto pasta using these gorgeous Spring okra?!

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!'(^_^)v

This is a show stopper!! Stunning bright Spring Fettuccine in basil pesto sauce w sundried tomato stripes topped with okra, pine nuts, slivered almonds and shaved parmesan cheese to wow your guests!

Okra are quickly deep fried and then sliced into pretty star-like shapes.

(Trick: Fried okra will remove the usual slipperiness membrane and will impress those who are not fond of okra and enjoy all the prettiness and goodness it has to offer.)

Slice fried okra on the horizontal to make small pieces. 

Cooking Lab - Okra Salad w Natto Dressing

This is a perfect summer time salad or as a small side dishes. 

Okra has a 'slimy' attribute which are not favored by all. In Japan, Okra is part of the popular neba-neba food group: slippery, sticky or stringy. For me, I quite like the texture & taste. However, they can be an acquired taste for first timers.

It is believed that the sliminess have a hight nutrient value can was suggested that it can sooth ulcers and maintain a good digestive system.

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!'(-_^)

Japanese word for the Day:

ネバネバ (Meaning - Slimy gooey sticky).

(For example - Yamaimo 山芋 ーmountain yam when grated it is called tororo and it is very slimy.

Raw Egg Yolk 卵黄)

Many Japanese food dishes will specifically seek out neba neba-ness and seeks combinations to neba neba ingredients.

Remove stems from okra

Heat oil on high, fried okra quickly until colour brightened.

Garnish with dried bonito shavings and serve with natto in dashi shoyu.

Simple, quick, delicious and nutritious all at the same time .