Beef Lasagna

After getting her first taste of lasagna at a popular eating spot, the Swallow's young one was hooked.  When she realized the Swallow had a simple recipe she could try on her own, with minimal supervision, she was delighted.  In her own words, "Mama, please put this recipe on your blog so that I can refer to it when I have my own home."

Young one, this is for you.

BEEF LASAGNA (serves 4 to 5)

Beef Lasagna

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 can button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 handful frozen corn kernels (no thawing required)
• 1 large jar red pasta sauce (about 700g)
• 2 tsp herbs (mixture of ground oregano, basil leaves and marjoram leaves)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g butter
• 30g flour
• 600ml milk
• 9 pcs lasagna sheets (measuring about 7" x 3")
• 250g shredded cheese (mixture of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan)

Method

To make the red sauce

1. Heat olive oil in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions, and fry them until they are limp.
2. Add button mushrooms, corn and carrots.  Mix well.
3. Add beef mince.  Stir occasionally until the meat is browned.
4. Add pasta sauce and herbs. Mix well.
5. Cover the saucepan, lower heat and simmer the red sauce for about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat.

To make the white sauce

1. Heat butter in a smaller saucepan.  When butter has melted, turn off the heat and mix in the flour.
2. Gradually stir in the milk until the sauce is well mixed.
3. Turn on the heat. Stir the white sauce until it becomes thick and starts to bubble.
4. Remove from the heat.

Putting the lasagna together

1. Spread one third of the red sauce onto the base of a glass rectangle dish (measuring about 13" x 9").
2. Cover the red sauce with 3 pieces of lasagna sheets.
3. Spread one third of the white sauce over the lasagna sheets.
4. Sprinkle one third of the cheese over the white sauce.
5. Repeat the process.
6. Bake the lasagna in an oven at 180 degree Celsius until the top of the lasagna is brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
7. Serve hot.

Notes

• Check the manufacturer's guide for use of other kinds of bakeware.
• Use oven mitts when removing the lasagna from the oven.
• Red sauce may be cooked a day earlier.  Keep it in the refrigerator and reheat before use.  This will also increase the flavour of the sauce.
• Baked lasagna may be kept in the freezer.  Reheat thoroughly before consumption.

Home-Made Pasta



One of the Swallow's young ones love to create.  When she has the time, she will usually be found doing something related to art eg painting, doodling or origami.

To nurture her young one's creativity, the Swallow will try to find ways and means to provide her with opportunities to dabble in art or craft.  One recent opportunity was making pasta at home.

The recipe is simple, with ingredients easily found in a home where home-cooked food is favoured.  The young one had fun cutting out the shapes using cooking cutters, and the joy that came when the young one realised she had helped in the cooking preparation?  Priceless...

HOME-MADE PASTA (serves 1)

Star-shaped Pasta

Ingredients

• 100g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tsp water

Method

1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands to make a dough.  Squeeze and knead it for 2 - 3 minutes until it is smooth.
2. Sprinkle some flour on to a work top and roll out the dough very thinly.
3. Cut into desired shapes using plastic cookie cutters, or just invent your own shapes.

   

   Pasta craft in progress

4. Cook for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness and size of the pasta shapes, in a large saucepan of boiling water.  The pasta should be soft but still firm and chewy.
5. Drain through a sieve over the sink.  Serve hot with desired sauce.

Notes

• Steps 1 to 3 can be done by young ones with minimal adult supervision.
• Steps 4 and 5 should not be attempted by young ones unless they are dependable and subject to parent's permission.

Macaroni Soup with Shredded Chicken

In her younger days, when the Swallow had fevers or colds, she was usually offered bread with milk (a mixture of condensed milk and warm water).  This was a simple solution for a meal as there was no wastage if the Swallow's appetite was poor.  A sign that she was recovering from her illness would be when thoughts of a warm bowl of Macaroni Soup or a bowl of Chicken Porridge assail her, and she would request for something more appetizing than the bread with milk.

Macaroni Soup is a versatile dish.  It can be served when someone is feeling under the weather, or when he is in the pink of health.  It can be served in an elaborate way with all the extras thrown in, or in a simple way by just putting some meat, a stock cube and pasta together.  It can be served at a family's meal-time, or for a get-together between friends.

The following recipe is for Macaroni Soup cooked in an elaborate way.  Yes, it does entail a little more time in the preparation but the time spent is well worth it.  The soup, when cooked this way, nourishes and provides the body with a highly-nutritious fluid content.  The aroma of freshly-boiled soup also whets the appetite.  For these reasons, the Swallow will promptly serve up this version of Macaroni Soup when someone in the family is feeling poorly, or is recovering from a bout of illness.

MACARONI SOUP WITH SHREDDED CHICKEN (serves 4 - 6)

Macaroni Soup
with Shredded Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 additional chicken carcasses (easily found in supermarkets nowadays)
• 2 leeks, separated into whites and greens
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 pc thumb-sized old ginger
• 3 carrots
• about 4 ltrs water
• 250g beansprouts (optional)
• 300g siow bai chai
• 400g elbow pasta
• salt & pepper, to taste
• fried shallots (optional)
• spring onions, sliced (optional)

Method

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Add the chicken (backbone side down first), chicken carcasses, white parts of the leeks, garlic, ginger and carrots into the boiling water.  This will make the soup base.  Leave the pot uncovered and bring the soup back to a boil over medium heat.  This will take about 25 minutes.  Turn the chicken over mid-cooking.
3. When the soup is boiling again, turn off the heat and cover the pot.  Leave the chicken in the pot for another 25 minutes.  Remove the chicken.
4. After removing the chicken, bring the soup back to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer the soup for about 2 hours or until soup has a pale white colour.
5. Meanwhile, separate the chicken into pieces.  Shred the chicken breast and fillet.  Return the bones back to the soup for boiling.  (The drumsticks and thighs may be eaten as they are or use them in Hakka Salted Chicken).  Set aside the shredded chicken.
6. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Drain and rinse to stop the cooking process.  Set aside.
7. If using beansprouts, rinse then blanch them in boiling water for 1 - 2 minutes and drain. Set aside.
8. Rinse the siow bai chai.  Blanch them in boiling water for 1 - 2 minutes and drain.  Set aside.
9. When the soup is done, remove the carrots. Slice them and set aside.  Discard all the other ingredients in the soup.
10. Add the green parts of the leeks into the soup and boil for another 5 minutes.
11. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
12. To serve, put pasta into a bowl.  Add the sliced carrots, beansprouts, siow bai chai and shredded chicken.  Add the soup.
13. Garnish with fried shallots and spring onion, if required.  Eat hot or warm.

Notes

• For a spicy and sour kick, have a side dish of cut red chilli drizzled with some soya sauce and freshly squeezed juice of limes.
• If eating the chicken pieces as they are, serve them with some Garlic Chilli Sauce.
• Siow bai chai may be replaced by mustard greens or baby spinach.

Pineapple Salad

Of all the tropical fruits found in Singapore and Malaysia, the pineapple is the Swallow's favourite.

She remembers her younger days when her mother would patiently remove the 'eyes' from the pineapple, slice off the centre part then cut the rest of the pineapple into little triangles, to be cooked with some kind of meat.  Whenever the Swallow is around at such times, you can be sure some of these little triangles would end up in her mouth before the cooking started, and her mother would have had to ask the Swallow to leave the kitchen.

A wonderful way to eat the pineapple is by drizzling the cut fruit with some sweet shrimp sauce or dark soya sauce, then sprinkle with a little sugar and chopped chilli padi.  Yummy yum yum!

Canned pineapple rings or cubes is now easily available and it is a much-lauded alternative as it minimizes the time spent cutting the fruit as well as the problem of finding sweet and tasty pineapples.

Pineapple Salad is a recipe that uses canned pineapple rings / cubes.  It is a favourite of the Swallow's family, and is usually served as a side dish with Roasted Chicken.  The Swallow has served it at several BBQ gatherings.  The pineapple brings a tangy and sweet taste to counter the taste of the mayonnaise.

Pineapple Salad

PINEAPPLE SALAD (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 5 handfuls of pasta
• 4 tbsp Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
• 1 can pineapple rings / cubes
• 8 slices of cooked ham
• 1 can of button mushroom

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Drain and mix with the Miracle Whip or mayonnaise.  Place in the refrigerator to keep cool.
2. Drain the syrup from the can of pineapple rings (the syrup may be used in other recipes).  Cut the pineapple rings into bite-sized pieces.
3. Dice the ham.
4. Drain the water from the can of button mushrooms.  Toast the mushrooms in a toaster oven for about 10 minutes.  If the mushrooms are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces.
5. Remove the cooled pasta mixture from the refrigerator.  Mix the pineapple, ham and button mushrooms with the pasta mixture.  Return the salad into the refrigerator.  Serve cold.