Seasaltwithfood

A recent episode of the popular Unwrapped program on the Food Network caught my attention when they featured the Spiral or aka Tornado fries . It immediately inspired me to make these deep-fry taters as they certainly looked interesting and fun to eat. The potatoes were cut with a custom spiral cutter before being fried. As I did not have one of those spiral cutting contraption at home, I resorted to the manual way of cutting the potatoes i.e. using a thin sharp knife instead. The result was pretty good. I was satisfied with the outcome although the potato spiral wasn’t as thin and evenly cut as compared to the one’s shown on TV.

As I had mentioned in my last post, you can use the same spice marinate to bake this delicious Spiced Roasted Cauliflower and Potatoes. Just blanch the cauliflower and boil the potatoes before marinating them with the spices. The veggies do not need the overnight soaking treatment. A simple veggie dish that goes so well with some steamed rice. Spiced Roasted Cauliflower And Potatoes Ingredients 6 Medium Sized Yellow Wax Potatoes 1 Medium Sized Cauliflower (about 450 - 500 g) Marinate 2 Tbsp Curry Powder 1 tsp Garam Masala 2 tsp Paprika or Cayenne Pepper 2 tsp Garlic Paste 1 Tbsp Ginger Paste 1 tsp Sea Salt ¼ Big Lime, juiced 3 to 4 Tbsp Canola Oil 2 Sprigs Fresh Curry Leaves (optional) Method Boil the potatoes and allow them to cool completely. Peel the potatoes and cut them into ¾ inch (2 cm) dice. Break up the cauliflower into chunky florets, about 1-½ inches (4 cm). Blanch the cauliflower for about 15 seconds, drain into a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Drain well and pat dry wit

These Spiced Roasted Chicken Wings were baked in an oven and they are really tasty! The chicken wings need to be marinated a day ahead so that the flavors of the spices will be fully absorbed. A great dish for parties because you can prepare the wings a day ahead and just bake them in your oven before your guests arrive. This recipe can also be applied for vegetables, for instance, with cauliflower and potatoes. I will post the vegan version shortly. Spiced Roasted Chicken Wings Ingredients 12 – 14 (1.4 kg) Chicken Wings, tip off Lime Wedges Marinate 4 Tbsp Curry Powder 2 tsp Garam Masala 4 tsp Paprika or Cayenne Pepper 4 tsp Garlic Paste 2 Tbsp Ginger Paste 2 tsp Sea Salt 1 Big Lime, juiced 8 to 10 Tbsp Canola Oil 2 to 3 Sprigs Fresh Curry Leaves Method Combine all the marinate ingredients and mix well. Rub the chicken with the marinate mixture, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C. Bring the chicken wings to room temperature.

This Tamarind Curry Prawn is a great dish for the current cold wet weather here in Vancouver. I picked up some good sized frozen River Prawns from my grocer and decided to cook up this delicious curry dish for dinner. The prawns were sweet and it went so well with the slightly sour tamarind laced creamy coconut curry sauce. Like all curries, you will enjoy this dish with some steamed rice. Enjoy! Tamarind Curry Prawn Ingredients 6 to 8 Tbsp Peanut Oil 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds 1 Red Onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 Tbsp Ginger Paste 2 tsp Garlic Paste 3 Sprigs Fresh Curry Leaves 60 g (10 Tbsp) Fish/Seafood Curry Powder 15 g (2 ½ Tbsp) Chili Powder 30 g Tamarind Pulp, soaked with ¼ Cup of warm water (discard seeds) 2 Cups Water 500 ml Coconut Milk 900 g Frozen River Prawn, thawed 1 Large or 2 Medium Eggplant, cut into smaller chunks and pan-fried
 200 g Okra
 2 Medium Size Tomatoes, cut into smaller chunks
 3 Green Chilies, halved and seeded 1 (100 g) Packet Tofu Puff, halved or quartered

Sometimes, making dessert can be very time consuming. Hence, that’s the reason why I am always searching for good, fuss free dessert recipes that I can enjoy making. Well, this is one of them, a fantastic Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake recipe that I had adapted from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet baking book. It’s a simple and yet delicious dessert recipe that’s now one of my all-time favorites! Recipe adapted from Bittersweet by Alice Medrich Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake Ingredients ¼ Cup (1 oz) Blanched Almond 3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour 3 oz Bittersweet or Semisweet Chocolate, finely chopped ½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Natural or Dutch-Process) 1 Cup Sugar ½ Cup Boiling Water 2 Large Eggs, separated, at room temperature 1 Tbsp Brandy 2 Large Egg Whites, at room temperature Scant ¼ tsp Cream of Tartar 2 to 3 tsp Powdered Sugar Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream for topping (optional) An 8 x 3 Springform Pan or Cheesecake Pan with a removable bottom Method Position a rack in the lower th

I think all of us have our own distinct ways of marinating the type of meat we intend to cook. My favorite marinate concoction, especially for lamb chops, would be a mixture of rosemary, garlic, lemon zest and juice, chopped mint leaves, parsley, olive oil, and sea salt. Marinate the lamb chops for at least 6 hours or overnight, if possible. Remember to bring the marinated lamb chops to room temperature before grilling. If you love lamb, do try making these mouth-watering Aromatic Grilled Lamb Chops. Enjoy! Aromatic Grilled Lamb Chops Ingredients 8 Rib Lamb Chops, trimmed off excess fat Marinate 3 Cloves Garlic, skin-on 4 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary Leaves 1 tsp Maldon Sea Salt A Handful of Fresh Mint Leaves (about 2 to 3 sprigs), finely chopped 5 – 6 Sprigs of Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped 1 Lemon, zest Juice of ½ of Lemon Freshly Ground Black Pepper 5 Tbsp Olive oil Lemon Wedges Method In a pestle mortar or a food processor, coarsely pound or process together the garlic, rosema

Some days, my kids will have home-baked treats for breakfast. It can be scones, muffins, or quick breads. Well, remember the Cream Scones With Chocolate recipe I posted earlier? The cream and flour ratio in that recipe worked so well it prompted me to tweak the recipe a little and bake this lovely Cheddar Scones. I added some chopped scallions, cheddar cheese, and bacon into the scones. They turned out great - cheesy, savory, moist inside, and crusty outside! Kids love it! Cheddar Scones Ingredients

 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
 2 tsp Sugar
 2 ½ tsp Baking Powder
 ½ tsp Sea Salt 
120 g Cheddar Cheese, grated (I used Applewood & Sharp Cheddar) 6 Strips Bacon, cooked, and crumbled 2 Scallions, chopped 1 ¼ Cups (300 ml) Heavy or Whipping Cream 

 Glaze
 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream

 Method

 With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Line a cookie sheet with 2 layer of parchment paper. 
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and

Another nourishing breakfast recipe that my kids love is Baked French Toast With Banana And Chocolate. Don’t you think they look like more like a dessert rather than a breakfast meal? I think it looks like a breakfast Tiramisu. :-) The baked French toast is not excessively sweet and my kids absolutely love the combination of banana and chocolate for breakfast. Yummy, try it! Baked French Toast With Banana And Chocolate Ingredients 4 Large Eggs ½ Cup Milk 2 Tbsp Sugar ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon ½ tsp Vanilla Extract A Pinch Of Sea Salt 8 Pieces White Bread, crust off 2 to 3 Bananas, sliced 50 g Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened (to grease the baking dish) 1 ½ Tbsp Demerara Sugar, for sprinkling (optional) Cocoa Powder 1 Baking Dish (9 ½ x 2 ½ inches) Method Preheat an oven to 375˚F. (190˚C) In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt until well combined. Dip the bread slice, one at a time, turning on

What do you usually feed your kids for breakfast before sending them to school? About a month ago, one of the readers’ posed this universal question to me via email. As parents, we are all aware that a good breakfast is essential to help kids stay focus in the classroom and to get them through the first half of the day in school. So, over the next few postings, I will address that question by sharing some of my kids’ favorite home-cooked breakfasts. Today, I will start with my son’s favorite Baked Eggs breakfast recipe. It’s a cinch to make, just crack a couple of eggs into the prepared ramekins with some cream, scallions, chopped tomatoes, and bake in the oven for about 13 to 15 minutes. Serve the baked eggs with some toast, fruits, and juice. Kids love it. Baked Eggs Ingredients 2 Large Eggs 2 tsp Whipping (Heavy Cream) ¼ Medium Tomato, seeded, and diced 1 Scallion, chopped 1 ½ tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp Unsalted Butter Sea Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper Method Preheat an ove

Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake was the first recipe that caught my attention from Dorie Greenspan’s latest cookbook Around My French Table. I love simple recipes, and this apple cake recipe fits the bill. It so happened, I had a big bag of apples in the fridge. So, I decided to have a go at baking the cake with the local Honey Crisp apples, and the result was fantastic! The cake was light, moist, full of apples chunks, and tasted really good! Recipe adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake Ingredients ¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour ¾ tsp Baking Powder Pinch of Sea Salt 4 Large Apples 2 Large Eggs ¾ Cup Sugar 3 Tbsp Dark Rum ½ tsp Vanilla Extract 8 Tbsp (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled Method Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the springform on it. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and sal

I think shrimps and garlic is a perfect match together with lemon or lime zest. One of my favorite method of preparing shrimps is to pair it with a mixture of breadcrumbs mixed with citrus zest, garlic, chili flakes, parsley, sea salt, and pepper. This Lemon, Lime, And Garlic Shrimps appetizer has a great combination of flavors, just make sure it’s served with lots of crusty bread. Lemon, Lime, And Garlic Shrimps Ingredients 4 Tbsp Olive Oil 150 g Peeled Large Prawns, thawed if frozen, pat dry 3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped Zest of 1 Big Lime Zest of 1 Lemon ½ tsp Chili Flakes 3 Heaped Tbsp Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley 1 Tbsp Breadcrumbs Sea Salt to taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter Crusty Bread Lemon and Lime Wedges Method Preheat an oven to 425˚F. Place the olive oil in a baking dish large enough to fit the prawns in a single layer. Warm the oil in the oven for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the oil are hot. 
 Meanwhile, toss the prawns with all the