Steak sandwich

This is in my opinion the most manly meal I've ever wrote a post about - a proper steak sandwich. And I'm sure I'm not wrong in saying that it is probably every meat eating man's dream. I find that there's something really manly about eating steak - maybe it's the whole caveman thing in a more modern angle.

We have a couple of steaks at home that need to be eaten before we leave for Vietnam this weekend and I started it by making a lovely steak wrap for my other half for yesterday brunch. And then suddenly inspiration hit me - I should make him a steak sandwich instead. And I wanted to make him a proper steak sandwich and thus I found myself making bread a couple of hours later as I really wanted all of it to have a lovely home made feel to it. And I must say I was not disappointed with the outcome.

Apart from baking the bread and letting the steak come up to room temperature the whole thing was really easy to put together. And by all means use some nice and fresh bread or bread rolls from a bakery - had I been short of time that would have been exactly what I would have done.

I really love the rustic look and feel of those sandwiches. And you should have seen my significant other's eyes when he saw them when I was taking photos. That was pure happiness. So here you go - a juicy filling homemade lunch which is guaranteed to go down a treat.

Ingredients
(Makes 2 sandwiches)
- 4 slices of bread (I used this)
- 200g steak
- Butter
- Lettuce
- 1/2 tomato, sliced
- 4 tsp mustard
- 2 gherkins
- Salt, pepper to season
- Olive oil

Directions
Start by taking the steak out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking in order to allow the steak to come to room temperature before cooking it. When the time has passed, heat up a non-stick pan. In the meantime season both sides generously with salt and pepper and then rub the steak with some olive oil. When the pan is hot, place the stake on it and cook for a couple of minutes (this really depends on the thickness of the steak and how well do you like it cooked). Whilst the steak is cooking, spread some butter on all four slices of bread and add lettuce and tomatoes on 2 slices. Then flip the steak and cook for the same amount of time. In the meantime slice up the gherkins. When the steak is done, remove it from the pan, place on a chopping board, cover with cling film and let it rest for about 5 minutes, so the juices that concentrated in the middle of the steak could even out and result in a more flavourful and juicier steak.

So finally, slice up the steak, divide it between the sandwiches, top it off with some mustard and gherkins. Place the other slices of breads on top of it and enjoy!

Quick chicken stir-fry

I've got a couple of announcements to make before I turn to todays blog post. Firstly, I had my graduation last Thursday and as of then I'm officially Master of Laws and it feels so good to finally know that all the hard work down here in Singapore has paid off properly. Secondly, because of that I did a fair bit of travelling over the last two weeks as I my sister came down here so unfortunately I've been unable to make any posts. And lastly, I think I should just give you guys a small heads-up with regards to my upcoming 10-day trip to Vietnam in the beginning of August where once again I will not be able to post anything. Looking on the bright side, we're doing a half-day cooking course whilst we're there so hopefully I can share some of the Vietnamese dishes with you after I'm back. But enough about the announcements ....

Stir-frys have a sort of sentimental value for me. When we lived back in the UK and went down to the countryside my fiancé always made us a nice stir-fry for dinner. It was like an unwritten rule. After we moved to Singapore we carried on having stir-frys every now and then for two very simple reasons - they're quick to make and healthy. And on the plus side the ingredients here are quite a bit cheaper than back home. What I personally love about stir-frys is that you can modify them to fit all tastes as you can put in almost anything. Also, it is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you eat your 5-a-day. Just pick up a nice bunch of vegetables, all in different colours, and prepare yourself a filling rainbow coloured dish and you're all set of for the day.

I served this stir-fry with boiled white rice, but there are so many nice noodles out there that would go so well with chicken and vegetables. So try out different flavours and experiment until you find something that you really like. Usually we mix the rice or noodles into the stir-fry whilst it is in the wok, but this time for photo purposes I served them side by side. This again is just a matter of preference and doesn't really change the taste - only the way it looks. The only key to making stir fries is to have all the ingredients chopped up a ready, because once you start cooking it is just a matter of minutes until you need everything and the dish is ready.

Ingredients

(Serves 3)
- 200ml rice
- 500ml water
- 2 skinless chicken breasts
- 100g baby corn
- 75g silver sprouts
- 200g bok choy
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 75g snow peas
- 1 clove of garlic
- Soya sauce

Directions
Firstly boil the rice. Place the rice in a pot, add the water and season with some salt. Bring the water to boil and then turn down the heat, place the lid on the pot and let it boil for 15 minutes.

In the meantime chop up all the ingredients. Heat up some oil in the wok, crush in the garlic and fry the chicken. When the chicken is almost done, add the rest of the ingredients and stir fry until the vegetables have wilted. Finally, add the soya sauce and let it reduce down a bit. Now, if you want mix the rice into the stir fry or put the rice on a plate and top it off with the stir fried chicken and vegetables. Enjoy!

 

Simple sesame-seared tuna

As you can see I'm really taking my task of making the most of the fresh fish here quite seriously - last week I made a salmon tartare and now I made myself this super-quick tuna dish for lunch. I really love sushi and sashimi, but sometimes when I eat sashimi I feel like there's something missing. The fish itself has always been delicious, but sometimes I just crave for something a bit more than plain fish. And as the local fish and sushi shop does not do sesame seared tuna I had to get myself together and make it at home.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy it was to put together such a lovely dish - it's just a matter of minutes! The asparagus takes the longest to prepare, but if you have your tuna without a side, then it'll be ready in just over a minute. Apart from the speed I really loved the taste and texture. I know that the middle is still raw (that's why you need sushi grade tuna), but the seared edges really make a difference. This was the first time I prepared something out of tuna steak and I was really pleased with myself. So no more excused for not cooking at home - it is possible to have a healthy, filling and satisfying meal ready in no time.

This works well as a starter or light lunch or dinner and on top of that, it is fancy enough to be served at a dinner party. And if you've got a bit more time and prefer slightly nuttier taste, roast your sesame seeds until they're golden brown before rolling the tuna in them.

Ingredients

(Serves 1)
- 110g sushi grade tuna steak
- 90g baby asparagus
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 5 tbsp soya sauce






Directions
First stir-fry the asparagus with a dash of soya sauce and set on a plate. Then sear the tuna steak by doing each side for 12-15 seconds and then roll it in the sesame seeds. Slice the tuna up and place it on the asparagus. Serve with soya sauce.

Blueberry & Almond porridge

When I was a kid, my mum always made porridge for Saturday or Sunday mornings and I remember very clearly that when I moved out nearly 6 years ago I told myself that there will be no more porridge for breakfasts. And so a couple of years passed and the next thing I knew was that I had porridge for nearly every morning... I guess there is some truth in the saying that mothers know the best.

Until recently I used the quick instant oat porridges that came with different flavours or used the neutral one to have with home made strawberry or apple and raspberry jam. Nothing warms you up and fills you up at the same time for hours on those cold winter mornings than a nice bowl of hearty porridge. As I'm trying to make tiny changes for a healthier and cleaner lifestyle I bought I nice big bag of rolled oats and left the instant porridges with added flavourings on the shelf. Instead, I mixed in some almonds and blueberries to make a delicious and healthy breakfast.

I know that making porridge isn't really a recipe as such, but it is a great way to start the day and is easily customised to satisfy even the pickiest eaters - choice of toppings is endless - drizzle yours with some honey, add coconut, different berries, dried fruit or raisins ... I could go on and on about what you could have your porridge with, but whatever you choose porridge makes a lovely filling breakfast that is good for you and guaranteed to keep you going without cravings until lunch.

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
- 225ml water
- 35g rolled oats
- 2 tsp almonds
- Handful of blueberries

Directions
Boil the oats in water (or if you prefer creamier porridge then half water and half milk) for around 15 minutes. Whilst the oats are boiling, wash and dry the blueberries.

When the porridge is done, stir in the almonds, place the porridge in a nice bowl and top it off with few blueberries. Enjoy!