Empanadas Tapas - Latin American smoked ham, onion, cheese, tomato

Spanish influenced snacks or tapas. Besides South Europeans, South American and Filipinos make delicious empanadas with unique local flavours.

Here's an easy recipe inspired by my beautiful Latin American friend. She provided the basic recipe which can be expanded and tweaked to individual taste.

I have added more fillings to perk up the flavours to fit a fussy eater's main meal. Guess who's that?

Make from scratch or use good quality puff pastry. You'll need 2 pieces.
Blind bake one on both sides lightly at 150 C for 10 mins (preheated oven).

Prepare smoked leg ham, cheese, tomato, slice onion and line liberally on the baked pastry.
Cover with the uncooked pastry and bake at 180 C for 20 mins. Lower the heat to 150 C for another 10 mins. Do not burn the pastry.

Winter Sweet and Spicy Soup - monk's fruit for cough

Stave off winter cold and cough with this traditional natural formula therapy which I have tried successfully, much to my amazement and satisfaction.

The main ingredient is "monk's fruit" also known as luo han guo in Mandarin.

(According to TCM documents, Monk's fruit is a remedy for cough, supposedly neutral, effective for soothing both cooling and heaty cough) 

Other ingredients : 

4 Honey dates - flat and square shape (preferable to red dates but the latter is fine if the first is unavailable)
6 dried Longan fruit (heaty)
Cinnamon (heaty) 

The combination balances the hot and cool properties. While heat elements are necessary to soothe winter cough. 

Bring water to the boil. Add honey dates, luo han guo first. The final product looks slightly tan in colour. Do not overcook, i.e., boil for more than 30 minutes. 

A similar soup can be improvised for summer cough. Besides monk fruit, the essential ingredient, add more rinsed watercress (vegetable) and winter melon candy. Go easy on the winter melon sugared sticks as they can be very sweet.

For holistic treatment of summer sore throat, heat rash and cough, refer to this pear soup.

http://homecooksecrets.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/cool-sweet-compote-of-snow-fungus.html

Note : natural remedies are for mild colds and coughs.

If the illness is caused by bacteria, it is vital that you seek professional medical advice and prescription for anti-biotics.

Rack of Lamb

Lamb is a good way of warming up for the winter chill.

This is an easy recipe. Remove meat from chiller or refrigerator before preparing the marinade.
Try to use fresh chilled instead of frozen meat which doesn't taste as good even after it has been thawed.

Marinate with lemon juice, red wine, pepper, sea salt.

Return to fridge. Take out to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.

Lamb chops are more costly and dries out faster during cooking process compared to the rack.

Place a few sprigs of rosemary around, on top and beneath the lamb on an oven proof dish

High heat grill for 10 minutes (or sear on the stove pan quickly).  Lower heat after 15 minutes. Slow cook for 50 minutes.

Reserve the liquid and reduce.

Sauces to serve with : red wine sauce and mint jelly.

Olive Rice - Chaozhou and Shanghai styles

There are many versions of Chinese olive fried rice.

In the southernmost Chinese provinces, especially in Chaozhou (Shantou), the popular olive rice dish is fried with pork mince and olives and pickled vegetables. Sometimes, an egg is added when the dish is almost ready to be served. But that is optional.  Note that Chinese olives are salty and dry, unlike moist Mediterranean style olives that are pickled in acid and brine.

The Techiu people brought along their traditional recipes when they migrated to Thailand. Hence, olive rice has become a staple, popularised by the ethnic Chinese cooks.

http://www.thaitable.com/thai/recipe/chinese-olive-fried-rice

Sometimes, olive vegetables are added for saltier flavours.

For the Shanghai folks, olive vegetable preserved and soaked in oil is the preferred seasoning.  Unlike dried olive, the bottled olive vegetable comprise mainly vegetables and only a little bit of olive. Do not add more oil and seasoning before tasting because the olive vegetables is oily and salty.

After frying the rice, it is steamed and topped with fried dried scallop and spring onion.

Fennel and white bean boiled in pork stock

Drive away the autumn/winter blues with easy warm soup.

Grilled pork meat or ribs (leftovers can be used).

Slow cook in 1/2 stock pot of water for at least 2 hours. Skim off impurities and bubbles. Filter and set aside.

Soak white bean for one hour and discard water. If using canned, drain water, rinse with water, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut one fennel into small bite size. Squeeze juice from a small quarter slice of lemon.

Bring the stock to the boil.

Add the beans (when ready) and boil for 5 minutes. Then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add fennel slices. Add garlic, onion and salt. Bring to the boil.

Ready to serve with bread or steamed rice.