Okra with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Topic: Vegetables
This is one of my father's favorite recipe for okra, however we used tomato ketchup or tomato sauce before but last night I tried using fresh ripe tomatoes and it was more delicious!

100 g okra, sliced thinly
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 tbsp. grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup broth
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:
1. Saute garlic, onion and ginger in hot oil for few seconds, add tomatoes and saute for 5 minutes or until tomatoes are tender and juicy.
2. Add okra and broth. Let it boil, season with sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the oyster and light soy sauce. Adjust the seasoning. Cook until the okra are done.

Rice with Fried Cauliflower, etc.
Topic: Rice
This is my version of rice with cauliflower. I fried the cauliflower first before adding it to the rice. One variation is cooking the rice together with the cauliflower but I prefer to cook it in this way. The reason was, I like the taste of fried cauliflower, that's all. LOL :D

Ingredients:
3 cups Basmati rice (long grain rice)
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced thinly
4 1/2 cup chicken broth
salt
1/4 cup cooking oil

Directions:
1. Wash the rice then drain for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pot, fry the cauliflower and carrots for 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set aside. (Fry the vegetables in several batches)
3. On the same oil, saute the onion slices until transparent.
4. Stir in the drained rice and fry for 3 minutes over medium heat.
5. Add chicken broth and salt. Let it boil, simmer until the liquid are reduced.
6. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes.
7. When the rice are done, add the fried vegetables. Mix well, transfer to a platter and top with fried fish or meat.

See also;
Arroz Mofalfal (Arabian Rice)
Fried Chicken Biryani

Cream of Chicken Soup
Topic: Soup
We are freezing here in Kuwait! We craved for hot soup and hot tea or hot chocolate every night and that was the main reason why I made this soup last night.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast,skinned and diced very thinly
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic,crushed then minced
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 thick cream
5 cups chicken broth
1 small sachet of chicken soup powder
1 tsp. chopped dried parsley
1 tbsp. corn flour dissolved in a little amount of water
salt and pepper to taste
Few mint leaves/sprigs for garnish

Directions:
1. Heat butter in a pot, brown chicken breast for 2 minutes then add garlic and onion, stir until transparent. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add chicken broth and chicken soup powder. Stir to blend well. Let it boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and dried parsley, cook for 2 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat. Stir in the thick cream, mix well.
5. Turn on the heat again and simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Transfer to a soup bowl and garnish with mint leaves. Serve while hot.

Tips: Add more mint leaves and it will refreshen your throat especially when you have colds due to the cold climate!

Baked Clams
Topic: Misc. Seafoods
Clams are already delicious even you bake it as it is without any spices. Sometimes I did it that way when I wanted its very natural taste, and it is still the best for me. Sometimes cheese is also nice additions on it. I tried baking it yesterday using the recipe below and it was good but I still prefer the one that was baked without any spices on it.

Ingredients:
Clams, one valve remove
1 tsp. olive olive
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Few dried basil leaves
Few chopped dried red chili
Salt (optional, some clams are already salty)
Directions:
1. Combine together olive oil, lemon juice, basil leaves and chili, add salt if desired. Blend and mix well.
2. Put few amount of mixture over the clams's meat.
3. Arrange in a baking dish and bake in preheated 250 degree C for 10-12 minutes. (If you prefer it to be a little bit dry, then bake it for 15-20 minutes.)
4. Serve immediately.

See also:
Clams Soup

Arroz Caldo
Topic: Rice
Few days ago, my hubby said we did not able to eat Arroz Caldo for a long period of time, so maybe he missed the dish, hence I decided to cook one last night. When I cooked Arroz caldo, I never used glutenous rice, I just used jasmine rice instead of it since I found the glutenous very sticky. The starchy texture of jasmine rice is already good for me and my hubby likes it too. I always add vegetables too to complete the nutrients on it. Boiled quail eggs is also one of my favorite additions.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup jasmine rice
6 cups water
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp. butter

500 g chicken, sliced into serving portions
4 cups water
1 medium onion,minced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 thumb-sized ginger, crushed then minced
1 medium carrot,sliced into strips (optional)
2/3 cup sliced baguio beans, sliced thinly (optional)
2 tbsp. fish sauce or to taste
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. cooking oil

Garnish:
roast onion slices
1 dozen quail eggs, boiled

Directions:
1. Wash the rice once then drain.
2. Heat butter in a pot, saute slices of 1 onion until transparent, then stir fry the drained rice until lightly brown.
3. Add 6 cups water to the rice and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, stir occassionally.
4. While waiting for the rice to cook, prepare the chicken. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a separate pot. Saute garlic until golden brown, add onions and ginger, stir for a minute then add chicken slices and 4 cups water. Let it boil, remove scums as it rises, lower the heat.
5. Add fish sauce, sugar,black pepper, salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the chicken are done.
6. Add the vegetables, cook for 3 minutes.
7. Add the chicken mixture to the cooked rice. Stir to mix well and cook for 2 minutes more.
8. Garnish and serve.