Chargrilled roasted vegetables

I love weekends, it's a time to relax. With the days getting longer and warmer, I just couldn't wait to go outdoor and breathe in the life that spring brings. It's a wonderful feeling.
Having said that I need a simple and light meal to satisfy my appetite. So I decided to make chargrilled roasted vegetables.

Chargrilled roasted vegetables
Ingredients (for 2 persons)

• 1 large pepper-quartered
• 1 courgette-sliced thinly
  
• 1/2 large aubergine- sliced to 1 cm thickness
• 3 cloves of garlic-smashed with skin on
• 1 large red onion-quartered
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• a handful of basil leaves
• sprinkle of black peppercorn
• generous sprinkle of sea salt
• balsamic vinegar
  

1. Place a wire rack over gas fire. Grilled over medium gas fire-pepper, aubergine and courgette for about minutes or so. Try to achieve charred pepper skin as this will add smokey flavour and also easier to peel of the skin. Remove the vegetables and set aside. Use a knife to scrape off the pepper skin.
2. Preheat oven to 180C.
   
3. Put all the vegetables on a roasting pan. Throw in garlic cloves and basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil. Mixed well so that oil will coat all the vegetables. Drizzle with sea salt.
4. Place the pan into the oven and roast for 35minutes. Removed and let it cool.
5. Served onto a plate, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Served with warm roll, garlic bread etc.

Home grown sweet Genovese basil

Smoked Salmon Donburi

I bought a pack of Scottish smoked salmon to eat it with young salad leaves. I must say the smoked salmon here tasted fresh and really nice. Beside using it in salad, my friend advise me to make smoked salmon donburi. This is really simple and yet tasted so healthy and fulfilling.

Smoked Salmon Donburi
Ingredients (served 2)

• 60 gm smoked salmon slices- cut into bite size
  
• 2 large eggs
• 2 stalks of spring onion-finely chopped
• 1/2 of small carrot-finely chopped
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 2 bowl of cooked sushi rice
• 1 tbsp of shoyu(light soya sauce) - Kikkoman
• seaweed (optional)
• black sesame seed (optional)
  

1. Beat the egg in a bowl and add in the chopped spring onion
2. Heat a pan, pour in the cooking oil. Once hot, add the carrot and stir for a minute or so, then flattened it into a round circle.
3. Place the smoked salmon on top of the carrot. Pour in the beaten eggs from (1) onto the smoked salmon+carrot.
4. Swiveled the pan so that the eggs will coat well all the ingredients.
5. Let it cook for 2 minutes on medium heat. Before the egg is fully set, turn off the heat and cover the pan with lid to let it continue to cook. This step will ensure that the egg will not be overly charred and salmon is just nicely cooked.
6. Served it on top of rice. Drizzle with shoyu sauce, black sesame seed and seaweed.

Enjoy the healthy meal.

Here some picture I took this morning around 6am in my garden.

I love the little blue florets of forget me not mingling well with tulips

Spring Dutch Iris In full bloom

Fragant colorful wallflowers

I love the morning sun ray upon lupin flower spire. The lupin has just begin to flower

Look at the almost black color tulips-known as the Queen of The Night. My favorite tulips

Stir Fry Minced Meat with preserved turnip

I've been preparing quick meal for dinner lately. Not that I don't like to cook anymore but other things require more attention. Nevertheless, it's still yummy or probably I'm not a picky eater. :-)
Also did some photo shoot of rape seed oil field that coming to full bloom now, all over the farming field near where I lived, what a photo opportunity it is.

Stir Fry Minced Meat with Preserved Turnip
Ingredients (for 2 persons)

• 250gm minced meat (pork/chicken)
• 2 shallots-finely chopped
  
• 1/2 inch ginger-finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic-finely chopped
• 2 tbsp of light soy sauce (I use Kikkoman less salt soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of preserved turnip-finely chopped
  
• 1 tbsp of shaoxing wine
  
• 5 tbsp of water
  
• 1 tbsp of vegetable cooking oil+1/2 tsp of sesame oil
  
• 2 stalks of spring onion-finely chopped
• 1 red chilli for garnishing (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a pan/wok. Once it's hot, add in shallot, garlic and ginger, fry till frangant. Then add in the turnip and give it a good stir fry.
2. Add in the minced and fry for around 2 minutes on high heat until slightly cook. Then add in the soya sauce and wine and mixed well. Add the water and sugar as well.
3. Close over with a lid and turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
4. Off the heat and throw in the spring onion.
5. Garnish with chopped red chillis. Served with rice.

Rape seed oil field

Having a quick meal over Guiness in my garden after cycling to the field