I have always love tacos but last month I tasted beef tongue tacos at one of the mexican restaurants in Montreal, and it ah-maaaa-ziiiing!! Seriously, I can't get back to normal tacos. I have been always a big fan of beef tongue dishes, but putting it in tacos was never occured to mind. The tongue was well prepared, perfectly charred on the outside but juicy in the inside. 

Since I can't find this dish in Quebec city, I decided to make it myself, with a bit of Asian touch, of course!

You know, I have been missing my schedules of posting a recipe a week. I am not quitting this commitment (yes, keeping a blog is a sort of commitment), it just lately I have been failing at cooking good recipes and or failing at taking a good picture of the success meal itself. 

A holy matrimony between my favorite slow-cooked beef curry and my all time favorite pub snack, rendang and nachos on one plate. Double awesomeness on one plate. It is healthy too, I mean it is covered with a mountain festive colored fruits, so it must be healthy.. maybe.. 

Anyway, I am not here to discuss about what is a healthy snack, I am here to share my latest craving recipe, so for the love of rendang and nachos, here is Rendang Nachos...

This recipe is the follow up of the previous recipe. Lemper is flavored rice with fillings and wrapped in banana leaves. Usually the filling is chicken meat but this time I am trying to be creative and mix two recipes in one: recipe for the real lemper rice and Balinese spice for the meat filling (yeah because I have it in my fridge and I cant wait to use it.. ihihihihii..).

As you have guessed, for the following post will be about Balinese spice... hihihihi.. The pic above contains more or less the type of the ingredients I used for the spice mix. I used more than triple the amount of what shown on the pic tho. You see that I have two kind of chillies? The big one is not spicy. It has the smell and the taste of Thai chilli but not the hotness, which is perfect so I can have big amount of paste with chilli flavour without burning my tongue off.

Whenever I have to bring a dish on potluck parties or having guests for dinner, one of my top notch dishes is this simple beef satay. My favorite beef satay is not dipped in peanut sauce. So whats with that bowl of peanut sauce on the pic? Well, it just decoration.. hehehehe..

The sauce give a nice balance of sweet and spicy. Let your guess know about the chilli so they don't get surprised when they accidentally bite on one. It can be very spicy for some people. Or if you feel a bit evil, just keep quiet and wait till someone bite on the chilli and get the spice attack!

Today's recipe is another savory snack recipe from Solo (Surakarta), a major city in central java. Sosis means sausage, but this sausage is not like a common sausage we use to eat. It looks more like a spring roll, so why are we calling it sosis then? well, my opinion is because its meat filling. Since its a bit complicated to find a real sausage skin so we use a smart and easy substitute to wrap this tasty meat filling by using a springroll-like wrapping. 

The recipe it self is pretty easy, the only thing that takes time is making the wrapping. I didn't use store-bought springroll wrap, I made everything from scratch. To be honest I never made this sosis with store-bought wrappers so I can not suggest you to do so. Feel free to try it do tho, and let me know the result :) 

I must admit my plate looks far from cute, actually it looks like Fred Flinstone's dinner kind of plate with huge piece of meat, whole carrots and potato and barely sautéed mushroom. Well, actually, he was the inspiration for tonight's dinner at my place. This steak recipe was a no-brainer recipe; super easy and quick to make. Perfect for summer time, just light up your grill and pitch your meat and veggies in. Then you just chill out sipping your favorite beer while the meat is cooking. I am sure Fred Flinstone did this as well back then!

Beef tongue or what they call it 'Gyutan' is definitely one of my favorite beef cuts. It just magically delicious! It tastes like beef (well, obviously) but the texture is amazing, its almost as if its melts in your mouth. Tender, moist and a little chewy at the same time. 

Okay, if my description sounds unconvincing enough or even a little vague, maybe you'll just have to try it!

Here I have a simple recipe for your first gyutan to try!

Who doesn't love meat buns, you can have it fried, baked or even steamed! Its delicious and filling. You can have it as a snack on a rainy cold days or even for the kids lunch the next day. Very practical, dont' you think?

I love fried finger food. I know its not healthy but it just sooo good. I can eat it as a snack anytime or as real meal with other side dish. Today I made around a 75 dumplings. I made this big amount in purpose because I am going to travel until February 2014 without my family and I want them to still be able to enjoy my cooking while I'm away. I freeze the rest of the dumplings so whenever they miss my cooking, all they have to do is fry the dumpling or steam it. Isn't a great idea?!

Soto means soup in my language. There are tons of soto variations recipe in Indonesian cuisine. Its considered as one of our comfort foods. Almost every region in Indonesia has their own soto recipe and highly influenced by the availability of local ingredients and cooking traditions. Today, I decided to try a soto recipe from Sumatra island, its called Soto Padang. The bouillon is so rich in spice, it just perfect and comforting in this cold, snowy season. 

Do you ever wonder why spaghetti meatballs have to be so huge and intimidating? In my opinion, the person who cooks those giants spaghetti meatballs is very efficient in time management. Making balls can be time consuming. Today I have a day off so I told myself to make my own bite size spaghetti meatballs. Et voila, here is the recipe.. 

I must admit this soup is the longest-cooking-time soup I ever made, but it was totally worth it! The ribs were so tender and the broth was so tasty. 

Have you ever watched the cartoon series; SpongeBob Squarepants?.. He is the chef on a burger joint, he makes the famous tender and juicy burger in Bikini Bottom.. Guess what?! I found his secret recipe... Muwahahahahh!

Ingredients: 
For the skin:
1½ cup flour
½ cup vegetable shortening (you can use butter or lard)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
a pinch of salt
½ cup ice cold water

1. In electric mixer, put the flour, vegetable shortening, Italian seasoning and salt. Pulse together until the dough starts to clump together. Reduce the pulse power and drizzle the water. Stop the mixer when  a ball begins to form. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile you can prepare the filling


The filling:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 chayote, diced (labu siam) or beansprout or potato
1½ tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp beef broth powder
4 links of your fav sausages (or you can use ground meat, shredded chicken etc) cut into coins
½ can corn kernel, drained
2 tbsp water (optional)
100 gr vermicelli, blanched with boiling water
2 boiled egg, each cut into 8
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter or olive oil for saute
1 egg

1. On a big skillet, saute onion and garlic with butter or olive oil until fragrant on medium heat, toss in chayote and carrot. Cover the skillet for about 5 minutes for the chayote and carrot to tender.
2. Add nutmeg, coriander, beef broth, sausage and corn. Stir well. If you find the filling mixture too dry, add water. Keep in mind that we don't want to have a very wet mixture because we it will make the pie skin soggy. Cover the skillet for another 5 minutes or until the carrot gets the perfect tenderness.
3. Add vermicelli, mix well, turn off the stove and set aside
4. Take out the skin dough from the refrigerator, the dough works best when it is still cold. Divide the dough into two balls. When you are working on one half of the dough, make sure to wrap the other half back to prevent it from drying.
5. Flour a work surface and roll out each ball of dough into a square with ¼cm thickness. Using a big glass, press the mouth of the glass on the dough to form circle sheets. Roll each circle until it become a thin sheet but not transparent and fill with adequate amount of filling and a tiny sprinkle of scallion, fold the dough over to cover the filling and press the edges using a fork. Arrange on a baking pan.
6. Now work on the other half of dough on floured work surface. Roll the dough into a thin square sheet. Carefully transfer the thin sheet dough on to a baking pan. Make slits on the left and right side of the dough­. Pour the rest of the filling in the middle.

7. Fold the very top side of the dough then start briding the sides. Right side of the dough fold in then left side dough fold in on top of the left side.

8. Slightly beat the egg and brush it on top of the pies.
9. Bake on 375 F for 45 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and flaky.

I love love love cooking casseroles. I have tons of reason why I love it, some of them are: its easy to store if you have left over, its a good idea to bring for a potluck, and the fact that I can put my carbohydrate staple (such as pasta, rice, mashed potato) directly on top of the meat and let it slowly cooked together is pretty cool, I love how all the flavor mix together on every bite.

Don't judge this food by its look.. The best food in the world CNN's version 2011.

Originally comes from West Sumatra ( Minangkabau). This dish is often served at ceremonial occasions and to honored guests, It's not only delicious but also meaningful in Minangkabau society.

If you haven't already, go ahead.. "Rendang should be the first! It's a really nice, you should try!"

Ingredients:

2kg cubed beef
3 Stalks Lemongrass, bruised
3 Kaffir lime leaf
4 tbs Tamarind paste (soak in warm water, remove the pits then use the water to cook)
2 packs of Instant Cocomilk @200ml , much better if you have fresh Cocomilk
Vegetable oil


Paste:
8 Cloves Garlic
12 Bawang merah or 5 Shallots
5 Red Chili or Cabe Rawit
150 gr Cabe Merah Keriting or Thai Pepper or Bird's eye Chili Pepper
4cm Fresh Tumeric, peeled
Salt
White Pepper
6cm Fresh Ginger, peeled
4cm Fresh Galangal, peeled
6 Candlenut or Kemiri
*) To paste all these ingredients with food processor, Do not use water.. but use vegetable oil about 50ml.

These are just half of the ingredients, the rest I forgot to capture...

1. Sautée the pasted ingredients in low heat  until its fragrant and the colour changed, stir evenly.
2. Add Cocomilk, Lemongrass, Kaffir Leaf, Tamarind, keep stirring in low heat, about 10 minutes...
3. Add the cube meat, stir evenly .. add some water , around 150ml.
4. Keep stirring carefully and slowly... not always .. but often check your pan and stir... Put in medium heat (not too hot) and uncover the pan

 Oh yes Baby keep stirring...xixixi... without burning or ruining your meat.. 

6. It takes a couple of hours to reduce the water.  ( in my kitchen took 2 hours)

Have you checked your pan again ?? Don't leave it too long out of your sight!!

Keep Stirring...

7. Put in the lowest heat, to get dark colour. and you can a rest a bit.. check your pan and stir once in while.

8. About 1 or 1,5 hours then its ready...... more tasty if you keep one night and re-heat in a pan not in a microwave before serve...

Okay, this is how it looks like, after I kept in fridge 2 nights and re-heat.. 

PS: It costs alot of energy and time , so if you're not patient enough, just forget this recipe then go to nearest Rumah Makan Padang :-)  .. The taste and the result of your Rendang depends on your mood..  Trust me :-)

Ingredients:

600gr Oxtail

6 cloves garlic, chopped finely

3 Shallots chopped finely or 8 Bawang merah

5 Cloves

1 tsp (5 ml) nutmeg powder

3 cm Cinnamon

2cm peeled ginger, smash

Celery

2 Peeled Carrots and slice

3 Peeled medium potatoes and cut in 6 cubes

4 tbs (60 ml) olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Clean the oxtail then boil with cool water in a pan.. Once its boiled , throw away the water then add clean hot water until it's covered , also ginger and boil them again, medium heat.

2. Sauteé the garlic and shallots with oil until its fragrant and colour changed, then add in the pan.

3. Add the nutmeg , Cloves into the pan

4. Let it cooks slowly until the meat soft and tender.. ( it might take hours to cook)
5. Add Carrots and potatoes...
6. Wait until the Vegetables cooked , add Celery...
7. Serve in a bowl , sprinkle with dried shallot.

To freshen up the flavour, you might want to sprinkle some lemon juice when serving. This soup can be served as appetizer (LOL... if this soup is JUST an appetizer, I wonder what should be served as the main menu) or main dish (with a bowl of rice ofcourse). Some Sambal Oelek will give the soup a bit hot kick.

Happy Cooking !!

Ingredients :

600gr Cubed beef (with sligh fat)
400gr Beef Ribs (or any beef bone)

1 Lemon grass stalk
2 Kafir lime leafs
100ml Coconut milk mix with 50ml warm water
6 tbs (90 ml) Olive oil
3 tbs (45 ml) Tamarind paste (you might want to soak the tamarind paste in warm water, press with spoon to remove the pits, then use the water to cook.)

Paste ingredients:
A pinch of Cumin
2 tsp Coriander
Chilli (optional)
8 Kemiri (candlenut)
4 Garlic cloves
7 Bawang merah , or 3 Shallots
2 cm fesh tumeric or 2tbs Turmeric powder
2 cm Ginger


1. Sautée all grinded ingredients until fragrant and the colour become shimmering gold.
2. Put the meat and ribs in, stir until colour changed then pour some water into the pan , make sure the water covers the meat evenly, perhaps you will need 2 or 2,5 lt.
3. Add the Lemongrass, Kafir Lime leaves and Tamarind.
4. Reduce the heat and let it boils. Once it boils, check if your meat is tender enough. Make sure you leave your pan without the lid so the water will evaporate a bit.
5. Pour in the Coconut milk mix and let it boils once again. You might to stir it once in awhile to make sure the coconut milk doesnt get separated from the water.
6. Your soup is ready to serve! Don`t forget to sprinkle fried shallot on top to add some Indonesian flavour to it.



Eat Smakelijk !!