RecipeTin Eats

Glazed lemon loaf

Nagi — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Glazed lemon loaf is what you make when you’re after something not too sweet that’s fuss-free to make. Lovely bright lemon flavour with buttery undertones, it’s a quick bread which means no yeast and easy to make. Excellent shelf life of 5 days!

Glazed lemon loaf

Quick breads are a great option for those times when you have the urge or need to bake, but don’t have the time for more involved recipes. They’re also convenient – easy to transport and easy to serve. Slice like bread and eat on a napkin!

As for today’s lemon glazed loaf, it’s here after I responded to a question on Facebook for how to convert my simple Lemon Yogurt Cake into a loaf. “Use the recipe as is but I’d switch half the oil with melted butter to get buttery flavour into it, because it’ll be taller than the cake so there’s less frosting-to-cake ratio so you’ll want the cake to have more flavour. I’d probably dial up the lemon flavour for the same reason. And it will take longer to bake – just keep testing with a skewer!”

By the time I got to the end of the response, the “just do this” suddenly seemed a little less simple. So I decided to create and properly test it, write it up and publish it! 😂

Ingredients in Glazed Lemon Loaf

Here’s what you need to make this. Note: Lemon extract is recommended for really good lemon flavour, but you can get away with doubling the zest instead!

Yogurt – A “secret ingredient” in baking to make batters that bake up into lovely moist cakes, muffins etc. Any plain, unsweetened yogurt is fine here. I typically use Greek Yogurt. Substitute with sour cream (full fat).
Flour – Just plain / all purpose flour. Self-rising flour can be used in place of flour and baking powder, however, the loaf won’t be quite as soft or rise as well. Baking powder + flour is just more effective.
Baking powder – This makes this loaf rise.
Butter AND oil – Butter adds lovely buttery flavour into baked goods while oil makes the crumb moist. In this particular loaf, I wanted to the best of both worlds so we’re using both! In most recipes, I use one or the other – or I use butter plus another technique to keep the crumb moist (like the more involved technique for the reader-favourite plush Vanilla Cake).
Oil types – Vegetable or canola oil, or any other plain flavoured oil (such as sunflower, grapeseed oil) can be used. For the butter, use unsalted.
Fresh lemon – Fresh please! We need the zest and juice. Zest is where all the lemon flavour is! Juice provides mostly tang, not much lemon flavour.
Lemon extract (natural) – To make the lemon flavour in this un-missable! I really does enhance the lemon flavour in a way that you can’t achieve using just fresh lemons. But if you’ve got a stack of fresh lemons, feel free to skip this and double up on zest instead.
Vanilla – For flavour. I use vanilla extract here which is real vanilla flavour. Vanilla essence is artificial so the flavour is not as good. I typically only use pricier vanilla bean paste or vanilla beans for more refined dessert recipes, such as the recently published Flan Pâtissier (the world’s greatest Custard Tart!)
Sugar – Just 1 cup which makes this loaf on the less-sweet side.
Eggs – At room temperature, so they incorporate easily into the batter. I use large eggs which are ~55g / 2 oz each, an industry standard so the eggs will be labelled “large eggs” on the carton.
Salt – Just a touch, to bring out the flavours. This is good general practice for all (well, most!) sweet baking recipes.

Lemon glaze

For the glaze, you just need soft icing sugar / powdered sugar and lemon juice. Australia – be sure to use soft icing sugar, not pure icing sugar which will set into a hard icing, like royal icing.

How to make this lemon loaf

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Mix wet into dry. Bake! How easy it that!

Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl until combined.
Pour the wet into the dry ingredients then whisk just until combined and lump free. Don’t keep whisking as this will cause your cake to come out hard!
Pour / scrape the batter into a lined pan. (Note – when I say “lined pan”, I use a single sheet of baking / parchment paper to line the long sides and base. I don’t bother with the short side – no sticking problems if you grease it).

Bake 45 minutes uncovered, then loosely cover with foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Rest 10 minutes – Let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes (all cakes are very fragile when fresh out of the oven) before transferring it onto a cooling rack.
Cool – Use the paper overhang to lift it out onto a cooling rack, then cool completely for 3+ hours before glazing!
Glaze – To make the glaze, just mix the icing sugar (powdered sugar) and lemon juice together. Then spoon / spread it onto the surface, coaxing drips down the side.

⚠️ GLAZE THICKNESS CAUTIONARY NOTE!

I find glazes will go from seemingly too thick to way too thin with just even the barest smidge of extra liquid. So take care and be patient when mixing the glaze! I only use 3 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice for 1 cup of icing sugar. At first it will seem like there’s nowhere near enough liquid, but be patient, keep mixing! It will turn into a thick glaze that will drape over your lemon loaf rather than spreading into a thin, transparent (unsatisfying) glaze.

The no-glaze option

“Everybody” loves the glaze but actually, there’s a good case for a no-glaze version too. No glaze means you can toast it like bread – literally, in a toaster. Then slather with butter and for a really great finishing touch, drizzle with honey.

You can just imagine the flavour combo here, right?? Not-too-sweet lemony cake soaked with lightly salted melted butter and sweet honey. It’s so good I almost published this recipe without the glaze!!

Whichever way you go, glaze or no glaze, you can’t go wrong with this lemon loaf. It’s also one of those recipes that’s quite forgiving, so it’s a good one for those new to baking or if you have little helpers keen to get involved.

Stays fresh 5 days

And finally – this lemon loaf has an excellent shelf life. Regular readers know that I am notorious for extending the shelf life of baked goods! It used to drive me mad that people would just accept that homemade muffins would go stale overnight, and that cakes are best made on the day of serving as they lose freshness within 24 hours. Who has the time to bake fresh on the day, not to mention the disappointment of not being able to enjoy cakes for days afterwards? The reader-favourite Vanilla Cake and Cupcakes are probably the most famous example around here – they stay fresh for 4 to 5 days which is unheard of!

As for this lemon loaf – it’s perfect for 3 days, still great 5 days later. Keep it in the fridge if it’s warm where you are, but if not, the pantry is fine.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Glazed lemon loaf

Recipe video above. Just a lovely lemon loaf with really great lemon flavour that's fuss-free to make, easy to transport and serve. Oil and yogurt keeps the crumb moist while butter adds lovely flavour. It stays fresh for 5 days!

Everybody loves the lemon glaze but it's also terrific without because you can toast it, slather with butter then drizzle with honey. SO GOOD!

Course Baked, Cake, quick bread

Cuisine Western

Keyword Blueberry loaf bread, lemon bread, lemon loaf, No yeast bread, quick bread

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Cooling 3 hours

Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Servings – 10

Calories 367cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

2 cups plain flour / all-purpose flour (Note 1)
4 tsp baking powder (make sure yours is alive!)
1/8 tsp salt

Wet ingredients (Note 2 – room temp):

1 cup plain yogurt , at room temperature
2 large eggs (~55g/2oz each), at room temperature
75g / 5 tbsp unsalted butter , melted and cooled
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
2 tbsp lemon zest (~2 large lemons)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 cups caster sugar / superfine sugar (sub normal/granulated sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract – sub 1 tbsp extra zest (Note 3)

Glaze (optional):

1 cup soft icing sugar/powdered sugar , sifted
3 – 3 1/2 tsp+ lemon juice

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Grease then line a 21 x 11 x 7 cm (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75") with baking / parchment paper. (Note 4)
Batter – Whisk Dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk Wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour Wet ingredients into the Dry ingredients. Whisk just until lump free. Pour into the prepared loaf pan then smooth the surface.
Bake 45 minutes uncovered. Loosely cover with foil then bake a further 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Cool & glaze – Stand 10 min in pan then turn out onto a cooling rack. Fully cool before glazing (~3 hours). Use a spoon to spread and coax lovely glaze drips down the side! Cut thick slices and serve.
Glaze – Whisk ingredients until combined and smooth, a thick smooth frosting that will drip thickly, not be transparent. Start with 3 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, and add 1/2 tsp extra, as needed. (Note 5 on thickness)

Notes

Adapted from two beloved reader favourites – Lemon Yogurt Cake and Blueberry Lemon Loaf – but with better lemon flavour plus buttery flavour added (see in post for why!).

1. Self raising flour can be used instead of flour + baking powder but the cake won’t rise as well (self raising flour isn’t as good as combining flour + baking powder).

2. Room temp – It’s best to have fridge-cold ingredients de-chilled so they incorporate more easily into the batter and ensures you the melted butter doesn’t solidify into lumps. Eggs can be submerged in hot water for a few minutes, yogurt can be microwaved for 15 seconds then stirred.

3. Lemon extract (natural) – This really drives home the lemon flavour. You just can’t get the same amount of lemon flavour in this cake just using fresh lemons, sadly! If you go crazy with lemon juice, it just makes it sour. Zest is where the lemon flavour is, but there’s a limit to effectiveness. For best flavour, just a little natural lemon extract.

4. Pan & lining – I just line long side and base with a single sheet. The loaf doesn’t stick to the short ends. If your pan is larger, then your loaf will just not be as tall as pictured. Cook time will be around the same, but perhaps check 5 minutes earlier.

5. Glaze – You want it as thick as possible so it’s not a really thin glaze, but a consistency so it will drip slowly down the side of the loaf and not be see through. It will go from too thick to too thin with the tiniest bit of extra liquid so start with 3 teaspoons and add 1/2 teaspoon extra lemon juice at a time until you achieve the right consistency (test down side of bowl).

Leftovers will keep for 5 days in an airtight container. I keep it in the fridge if it’s warm weather but always serve at room temperature for best flavour!

Nutrition per slice assuming 10 slices, including glaze.

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

Dunno why I look so happy when Dozer looks so tortured, waiting to taste that bit of lemon cake!

The post Glazed lemon loaf appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb)

Nagi — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 02:21:33 +0000

Try this irresistible, simple recipe for stuffed eggplant: oven-roasted eggplant halves topped with Moroccan spiced lamb or beef. Low-cal, low-carb, low effort and utterly delicious!

Moroccan stuffed eggplant

You’ll often hear me declaring quite passionately that I think eggplant is one of the most underrated vegetables around. They’re cheap. They’re meaty. And they’re fabulously versatile, used in cuisines worldwide like Asian, Italian, Greek and Indian, prepared through various cooking methods including frying, steaming, roasting and simmering.

Today, we’re smearing, roasting and stuffing. Well, topping, not scooping-and-stuffing, in a manner that gives it a semi-stuffed vibe. Think of this as a mid-week take on traditional stuffed eggplant dishes you find in Arabic cuisine that involves hollowing out eggplants, stuffing with rice, meat, herbs and nuts, often baked in a tomato sauce. Sounds magnificent, doesn’t it? And it is. but there’s a lot more pots and pans involved! We’re going simple today. You can make this tonight, after work!!

Nice close up of said soft juicy eggplant!

Ingredients in Moroccan stuffed eggplant

The base flavouring for this Moroccan stuffed eggplant is a homemade Chermoula spice mix which does double duty as the spice paste for the eggplant as well as flavouring the meat filling.

Homemade chermoula spice mix does double duty

Chermoula spice mix

Chermoula is a North African spice mix that traditionally is a marinade or sauce containing fresh coriander, garlic and spices. Sometimes you can also find it in a dry spice mix form. We’re using the dry blend today for our purposes.

The spices – The majority of the spices are pantry staples, but don’t make a special trip out if you’re missing one or two…or even three! There’s enough in the blend that you can substitute with something else – suggestions are in the recipe notes.

Olive oil and lemon juice – These are used to make the paste. I like to use lemon juice to add a bit of tang as well as cutting down on the oil required to make a smear-able paste.

The meat filling (lamb or beef)

Here’s what you need to make the meat filling. You can use lamb or beef, though if I had my pick I’d choose lamb as it’s a classic pairing with flavours from the Arab world.

3 teaspoons of the Chermoula spice blend is used to flavour the filling. In addition to this, we have garlic and onion for aromatics, and a little tomato paste to bind the filling together.

The eggplant

Choose eggplants around 250g/8oz and 17cm/7″ long. Don’t worry about exact size – adjust toppings accordingly. If you end up with larger eggplants, the topping layer might be slightly thinner, but the dish will still be packed with flavor.

Salt helps remove moisture from eggplants. More on this below!

Toppings

And lastly, the toppings! It really finishes this dish so I urge you to use them. The pine nuts are a great finishing touch, though other nuts will make an adequate substitute (almonds, macadamia, walnuts, or seeds).

If you’re anti-coriander/cilantro, switch with parsley!

How to make Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant

As mentioned above, I call it stuffed because describing it as a “topped” eggplant just doesn’t seem to capture the essence of this dish. 😂 But actually, it’s not properly stuffed – which means no scooping necessary, which means it’s easier to make. Win!

Sweating the eggplant (recommended)

Sweating the eggplant to remove excess water is a recommended but not essential step. It seasons the flesh as well as drawing out excess water that otherwise pools in the eggplant which dilutes flavour when you’re eating it.

But you can mostly get around this problem by simply cutting slits in the skin to let the water escape as it roasts. So don’t sweat it if you don’t have time to sweat it! *Sorry, I couldn’t resist!*

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Keep the cap/stem intact and cut through it, it helps hold the eggplant together once roasted and soft.
Diamonds – Using a small sharp knife, cut 2.5cm/1″ diamonds into the flesh, cutting down as far as you are comfortable without piercing the flesh.
The said diamonds!
Salt – Sprinkle the surface with salt and rub it in. It’s good to get it into the slits but even if you just rub the surface, the salt will make it’s way into the slits.
Sweat for 30 minutes. I put the eggplant upside down in a colander to allow the water to drip out.
Squeeze like sponge to remove the excess water then pat the surface dry.

Making the “stuffed” eggplant

Mix the Chermoula spice blend in a bowl. Measure out 3 teaspoons and set aside for the meat.
Paste – Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining chermoula and mix to form a paste.
Smear the paste onto the surface of the eggplant.
Roast for 45 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until the eggplant is softened. Sometimes it takes longer – don’t forget to check the edges.
Spiced meat – A quick cook! Sauté the garlic and onion, then cook the lamb with the reserved Chermoula spice blend. Finally, add the tomato paste and water to make the filling “juicy” (rather than dry and crumbly).
Assemble – Top the roasted eggplant with the lamb filling. Dollop on yogurt, sprinkle with pine nuts and coriander then dig in!

Matters of serving

Servings

This recipe is designed to serve:

2 people as a generous dinner with a small side salad;
4 as a meal with a starch (flatbread, couscous) and a substantial side (like Honey Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad, roast veg, chickpea salad); or
4 people as a generous starter.

Low carb, low calorie!

For the eggplant alone, it’s a mere 450 calories for a whole eggplant (ie 2 halves) with only 22 grams of carbs. To be honest, a serving of the eggplant alone makes for a satisfying meal – you have protein and vegetables covered! Though I do like to add something fresh on the side, even if it’s just some plain fresh cucumber and tomato.

So, it’s low calorie, low carb, simple to make and a something different to make with beef mince rather than the usual Spag Bol. What do you think?? Feel like giving this a go? I HOPE SO! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb)

Recipe video above. A delicious, unique, EASY way to serve up eggplant and minced / ground beef or lamb! Think of this as a midweek take on traditional Arabic stuffed eggplant that's usually hollowed out.

Don't worry if you don't have every single spice. There's so many in this spice mix, it will still be tasty even if you're missing one…or two, even three!

Serves 2 as a main with a small side salad, or 4 as a meal with a starch (flatbread, couscous) and a substantial side (like this Pumpkin Salad, roast veg, chickpea salad), or 4 as a generous starter.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Keyword Ground beef recipe, lamb mince recipe, roasted eggplant, stuffed eggplant

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Eggplant sweating 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings – 4

Calories 450cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Eggplant

2 x 250g/8oz eggplants (aubergines), ~17cm/7" long (Note 1)
3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice (or more oil)

Chermoula spice mix (Note 2)

1 1/2 tsp EACH coriander, paprika
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp all spice powder
1/2 tsp EACH garlic powder, ginger, turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Spiced beef or Lamb topping

1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove , finely minced
1/2 onion , finely chopped
250g / 8oz beef or lamb mince , lean if you can (chicken, turkey, pork also ok)
1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
2 tsp tomato paste (Note 3)
1/4 cup water

To Serve

Yoghurt , plain
2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped (sub parsley)
2 tbsp pinenuts , toasted (Note 4)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
Sweat eggplants (recommended, see Note 5 to skip) – Cut eggplants in half then score with 2.5cm / 1" diamonds. Rub surface with salt, getting some into the slits. Place face down in a colander and set aside for 30 minutes. Gently squeeze like a sponge to remove excess water, pat surface dry.
Mix Chermoula spice mix ingredients in a bowl. Remove 3 teaspoons for the meat and set aside. Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining spice mix and mix into a paste.
Roast eggplant – Place eggplant on baking tray. Slather spice mix onto the surface. Roast for 45 minutes until softened.
Spiced topping – Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 1 minute. Turn heat up to high, add lamb/beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red. Add reserved spices and salt, then cook for a further 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in water, cook for 1 minute until it's juicy but not watery.
Assemble – Top eggplant with beef/lamb. Sprinkle over coriander, dollop with yogurt and pine nuts. Finish with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired!

Notes

1. Eggplant/aubergine – Don’t get too hung up on eggplant size. I always provide weight and measurement because they vary so much in size – what is a “medium eggplant”??! If you have giant ones, you’ll just have a thinner layer of topping (there’s enough flavour in this dish you won’t feel robbed). If you have tiny ones, pile it on higher or reserve leftover meat for another purpose.

2. Spice subs – With so many in this spice mix, it’s fine if you’re missing one…or even three! Just dial up some of the others to make up for flavour. Specific subs:

All spice – mixed spice
Garlic powder – onion powder, or fresh garlic
Ginger – more garlic
Turmeric powder – saffron
Cinnamon – more all spice

3. Tomato paste – or sub water + paste with 1/4 cup crushed tomato or passata. I offer this as a suggestion as I always seem to have a partial bottle of passata in the fridge!

4. Toasting pinenuts – Small skillet, no oil, medium heat, toss until golden and smells toasty. Remove from pan straight away.

5. Eggplant sweating – Draws out excess water so you don’t end up with water in the eggplant halves that dilutes eating flavour. Removing bitterness from eggplant – generally speaking, this has been bred out of eggplants sold these days. I’ve never had a problem.

Don’t have time to sweat? Just cut 2 x 3cm/1″ slits in the skin so the water escapes while roasting. Also, expect to add 5 to 10 min to roasting time.

6. Yogurt tip – To make the yoghurt even tastier, mix 1/4 cup of yoghurt with 1/2 garlic clove, minced, a small squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the flavours develop. I do this for company.

Make ahead – Roast the eggplant and meat filling. Fully cool both, uncovered, then put into containers in the fridge. Re-warm both using method of choice (juice up the meat with a splash of water if needed) then assemble!

Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not convinced cooked eggplant will freeze well but the meat will be fine for 3 months!

Nutrition per serving, using lean beef – 2 eggplant halves (i.e. one whole eggplant) per serving. This is a satisfying meal even by itself!

Nutrition

Originally published in March 2016. Majority spruced up in 2023 with a better, more streamlined recipe with better flavour, sparkling new photos and a brand new recipe video!

Proof of eggplant fondness

Oven Roasted Eggplant (aubergine)

Lentil and Roasted Eggplant Salad

Eggplant Curry – South Indian Brinjal Curry

Pasta alla norma (Eggplant pasta)

Crispy Chinese Eggplant

Moussaka (Greek Beef and Eggplant Lasagna)

Miso-Glazed Eggplant

Life of Dozer

Can’t even whiteboard recipe ideas without Mr D hovering around.

The post Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Chilli Crisp Noodles

Nagi — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 +0000

A good dose of chilli crisp, the popular Chinese condiment found “everywhere” these days, adds firecracker crunch into these Chili Crisp Noodles that’s astoundingly quick to make. Tastes like Spicy Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles – but much faster to make!

Chilli crisp, how I love thee!

Chilli crisp. That highly addictive Chinese condiment that’s the perfect blend of crunchy, spicy and savoury. Adds a stack of flavour into anything without overpowering heat.

Are you already familiar with it? If not, meet your new best friend!

But the best part about chili crisp isn’t even the spice kick. It’s the crispy bits. Those fabulous crunchy bits of chili and garlic add fabulous texture to anything lucky enough to be graced with a dollop of this wondrous Chinese sauce that has taken the western world by storm!

What it is – Jars of red chilli oil packed with chopped chilli and bits of garlic, seasoned with salt and sugar. Sometimes with peanuts or crispy soy beans, for extra flavour and crunch!
What it’s called – Sold under various names but all akin to similar meaning – crispy chilli oil, chilli crunch, crunchy chilli oil, and just plainly “chilli crisp”. Also remember in the States, chilli is spelt with one “l” – chili.
Where to get it – Some larger grocery stores in Australia (Coles, Woolies) and Asian stores. A$4 for 200g/7oz jar, I use around 1/4 of the jar for these noodles (serves 2).
Which one I use – My go-to is Laoganma’s Spicy Chilli Oil (above) which is a worldwide favourite. But I am currently obsessed with Mrs C’s Chilli Crisp which I discovered at the Melbourne Good Food & Wine Show last month. A secret recipe passed down through generations, this chilli crisp made by a small family run Australian business is exceptional in flavour and crunch. Treat yourself when you’ve been good, support a small Aussie business or gift it to chilli loving friends! This stuff is special. Get the APPRENTICE if you can’t handle the heat, or the OG (classic) if you can! The OG is spicier than Laoganma.

Mrs C’s – personal favourite

Homemade – try the Serious Eats or Chili Pepper Madness recipes for “real” ones , or Marion’s Kitchen for a quick one (haven’t tried but is rated well).
How to use chilli crisp – Add into stir fries, noodles, soups, dipping sauces, dressings and fried rice for an instant flavour hit. See specific list above the recipe video.

Today, we’re using this flavour bomb to make Chilli Crisp Noodles. Quick. Easy. Outrageously good!

Ingredients in Chili Crisp Noodles

Other than chilli crisp, the ingredients in these noodles are flexible because the chili crisp does so much of the heavy lifting here. So there’s no need to dash out to the store if you don’t have exactly everything listed, I’ve added substitution notes.

Chinese sesame paste (plenty of sub options!) – Tahini in steroids. Stronger sesame flavour! Find it in Asian stores and the Asian aisle of some large grocery stores.
Mix well – Sesame paste has a tendency to separate, like tahini, pure peanut butter and other natural products. Mix to combine into a smooth paste. If yours has been sitting around for a while and proving impossible to mix, microwave to warm then mix. Last resort – stick blender. 3 seconds and you’re done! (Make sure the head is fully submerged)
Subs – Don’t fret if you can’t find sesame paste, and don’t make a special trip out just for this paste. The main purpose is for creating a creamy sauce base for the noodles so you can substitute with similar ingredients. In order of preference (starting with best): Chinese sesame sauce (sesame flavour not as intense), tahini, pure peanut butter, commercial peanut butter spread (Bega, Jiff etc). Add a dash of extra sesame oil.

Light soy sauce – Or all-purpose soy or half the amount of dark soy sauce (sauce colour will be darker)
Rice vinegar – Substitute with apple cider vinegar or other clear vinegar.
White sugar – or any other type of sugar, or honey, maple syrup etc. Just a touch, to balance the other flavours.
Toasted sesame oil – For tasty sesame flavour! I always use toasted sesame oil which is brown and has more flavour than un-toasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, un-toasted is harder to find.
Salt – Start with the conservative 1/8 teaspoon as per the recipe then add more at the end if needed. Not all chili crisp brands have the same level of saltiness. Particularly with homemade chilli crisp, I always need to add more.

Noodles – This recipe will work for dried or fresh (fridge) noodles, quantities included in the recipe for both. I like to use ramen/instant noodle cakes because the crispy chili bits get caught up in the tangle of noodles.
Garlic and ginger, fresh – Still worth making even if you don’t have fresh ginger and garlic. But it’s even better WITH!
Green onion – For a hit of freshness. Sub with 1/4 red onion or 1 small eschallot, finely sliced.
Coriander/cilantro (optional) – Fresh herby flavour. Actually, I’ve probably made these noodles without more than with!

How to make Chili Crisp Noodles

You’ll love how the sauce is virtually no cook!

Sauce base – Mix the sesame paste, soy, vinegar, sugar, salt and sesame oil until smooth. Use a bowl large enough to toss the noodles because we will be adding the noodles into the sauce. Sprinkle the green onion on top – don’t mix it in. We will be pouring hot oil on it so it partially cooks it.
Chilli crisp fry-up – Heat the chilli crisp and oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Then add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds until golden. Be prepared for amazing smells!

Sizzle! Pour the hot chilli crisp over the green onion and enjoy the sizzle! Mix to mostly combine.
Cook noodles per packet directions. The ramen cakes I use are boiled for 2 minutes.

Drag the noodles straight out of the hot water into the bowl. The excess water helps thin the sauce to give the finished dish the right consistency. Toss noodles in the sauce until dispersed, adding extra water from the saucepan if needed to loosen the noodles.
Taste and serve! Toss through coriander/cilantro. Add more salt if required – different chilli crisp brands vary in saltiness (most homemade chilli crisp recipes are far less salty). Then devour!

If you’re a chilli crisp first timer, welcome to the first day in your new, tastier world with this magical ingredient now a staple in your fridge. A dollop of chilli crisp will save you all those times you make something (Asian or not!) and you just feel like the dish is missing “something”, and elevate anything you add it to.

And if you’re already firmly on the chilli crisp train, I hope you enjoy this new addition to your speedy-meals repertoire thanks to our trusty friend.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

10 specific things to make with/use chilli crisp

Add a generous scoop into your favourite stir fry or stir fried noodles – like Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry), Chicken or Beef Broccoli, Cashew Chicken, Lo Mein, Chow Mein.
Turn your Chinese noodle soup into SPICY Chinese noodle soup!
Add a big dollop onto your San Choy Bow lettuce wraps (classic pork or vegetarian)
Add into the dipping sauce for gyoza, Chinese pan fried dumplings – pork or vegetarian, wontons, spring rolls, Siu Mai etc etc etc!
Make your Asian Sesame Dressing spicy
Add a hit of fire to your fried rice
Make spicy Smashed Cucumbers
Use as the dipping sauce for crispy Chinese Pork Belly
Add a big dollop to dial up the X-factor of Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelette)

Watch how to make it

Chili crisp noodles

Recipe video. Ridiculously good and ridiculously fast, here by popular demand after a sneak peek on Instagram! Chili crisp oil is the star ingredient here, adds spiciness, awesome crunch, savouriness, and a touch of sweet. Widely available these days – see Note 6.

Tastes like Spicy Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles – but much faster to make. LOTS OF SUB OPTIONS because chili crisp carries so much of the flavour weight here!

Course Main, Noodles, Side

Cuisine Asian

Keyword chili crisp noodles, chili noodles

Prep Time 7 minutes

Servings

Calories 503cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (Note 1 subs)
2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 2)
1 tbsp rice vinegar (Note 3)
1 tsp white sugar (or other sugar, or honey, maple)
2 tsp sesame oil , toasted (Note 4)
1/8 tsp+ cooking / kosher salt (Note 5)
2 heaped tbsp chilli crisp (get oil + chili bits) , Laoganma’s Spicy Chili Oil is my go-to (Note 6)
1 tbsp ginger , finely minced*
1 tbsp garlic , finely minced*
1 green onion stem , finely sliced (or 1/4 red onion finely sliced)
1/3 cup coriander/cilantro , roughly chopped*

Noodle options (Note 7):

140g/ 5oz (2 cakes) instant noodles / ramen noodles
250g/8oz fresh noodles (like hokkien, lo mein)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

CHECK the spiciness of your chilli crisp – taste it!! Laoganma is not actually that spicy (most store bought brands I've used are similar) and the quantity used is based on that brand. If yours is very spicy, start with less and add more later.
Base sauce – Mix the sesame oil, vinegar, soy, sugar, salt and sesame paste in a bowl. Top with green onion (don’t mix in).
Sizzling chili crisp – Heat chilli crisp and oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, stir 30 seconds until golden and it smells amazing. Pour over green onion – enjoy the sizzle! Then mix.
Toss – Cook noodles per packet directions. Drag the noodles straight from the saucepan into the bowl (extra water loosens the sauce). Toss. Use cooking water to loosen more if needed. Toss through coriander/cilantro.
Adjust & finish – Taste. Add more salt if needed and more chilli crisp if desired (not all chilli crisp is the same saltiness / spiciness). Eat!

Notes

* Optional. Makes it better, but still worth making without!

1. Chinese sesame paste (not to be confused with Chinese sesame sauce which is not as intense) has more intense sesame flavour than tahini. Available at Asian stores and some large grocery stores. Sub with tahini or pure unsalted peanut butter with an extra dash of sesame oil at the end.

Commercial peanut butter spread (eg Bega, Jif (US)) will also work but has the least flavour.

2. Soy – Or all-purpose soy or half the amount of dark soy sauce (sauce colour will be darker)

3. Vinegar subs – or apple cider vinegar or other clear vinegar)

4. Toasted sesame oil is brown and has more flavour than untoasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, un-toasted is harder to find.

5. Salt – Not all chili crisp has the same level of saltiness. Laoganma’s Spicy Chili Crisp (which I use) is quite salty. If you use homemade, you’ll probably need more salt.

6. Chili crisp – Chili oil with crispy bits of chili of varying levels of spiciness. My go-to: Laoganma’s Spicy Chili Oil, a worldwide favourite, not that spicy. Sweet, salty balance, and excellent crunch factor with extra from soy beans. Sold at larger grocery stores in Australia + Asian stores. Excellent flavour, A$4 for 200g/7oz jar.

A special one I love – Mrs C’s (OG Classic) – made by an Aussie small business using a recipe handed down through generations, exceptional crunch and flavour! Get the APPRENTICE if you can’t handle the heat, or the OG (classic) if you can! (OG is spicier than Laoganma).

Use the crispy chili bits plus some oil for frying up the chili, ginger and garlic. If you’re short on oil from the jar, add a drizzle of oil.

Make your own – try the Serious Eats or Chili Pepper Madness recipes for “real” ones , or Marion’s Kitchen for a quick one (haven’t tried but is rated well).

7. Noodles – I like using ramen / instant noodles because the crispy chili bits gets tangled up in the curls. But any noodles will work here – same weight per ingredients list for other types of dried (like rice or egg noodles) or fresh noodles (ie from fridge).

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

His favourite room in the house. (Mine too)

The post Chilli Crisp Noodles appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Ham and cheese omelette

Nagi — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 05:29:04 +0000

I’ve updated the way I make omelettes. This “scrambled egg” approach is easier and yields a better result without having to worry about raw egg in the middle. Today’s omelette recipe is filled with ham and cheese. Sauté your ham first!

Ham and cheese omelette

I used to cook omelettes using the technique whereby you lift the edge then tilt the pan to allow the raw egg to run underneath. While that method works fine, it does have a tendency for the risk of raw egg in the middle unless you take the omelette to slightly golden on the surface. While perfectly acceptable to me and in every day diners, this is a no-go zone in the high-end culinary world. The surface of omelettes should not even have a hint of golden colour and the surface should be swirl-free. Like this:

French omelette (plain, nothing inside). Notice how the surface is blemish free, not golden, and smooth!

That’s a French omelette, by the way. It’s usually folded in 3, like above, or shaped like an almond rather than half moon. The inside is a little more fluffy than creamy like mine, and there is a little more technique behind it. If you want it, ask me for it! Maybe I should get our French Chef JB to teach you how to make it – would you like that?

As for today’s omelette, it’s a homestyle one and much more rustic looking. But nevertheless as good as you’ll get at any respectable breakfast bistro around town!

What you need to make an omelette

All you need to make the omelette itself is eggs, a pinch of salt and butter or oil for cooking. On the matter of cream or milk – see below!

Do you add cream, milk or water to omelettes? A splash of cream (or milk) is said to make omelettes a little creamier. But in all honesty, the cooking technique makes much more of a difference. No one will ever know if you do or do not include cream. Whereas everybody will know if your omelette is dry and rubbery!!

For me personally, I can’t break the habit so I add cream if I have it, and milk if I don’t.

A note on salt – Eggs, bizarrely, can only take the smallest amount of salt. Even 1/8 teaspoon of salt for 3 eggs makes it too salty – even without ham and cheese. For my egg sandwiches filling, I only use 1/8 teaspoon salt across 6 whole eggs! So for a 3 egg omelette, you only need a pinch of salt.

Butter vs oil – Butter wins every time for flavour! Oil works fine and you can get away with using less. But it doesn’t add to flavour unless you use a really good extra virgin olive oil.

Ham and cheese for omelette

Today’s omelette is stuffed with ham and cheese. For convenience, I used pre-chopped ham (I like that they are a bit meatier than using sliced ham). If you use sliced ham, just chop it into batons or tear into strips.

As for the cheese, I always shred my own because it melts easier than store-bought shredded which is coated with anti-caking agents. Store-bought is also cut thicker which means it takes longer to melt in omelettes.

Use a flavoured melting cheese, like colby (I use this), gruyere, tasty, cheddar, Monterey Jack. Mozzarella melts great but doesn’t have as much flavour so you might want to add a sprinkle of parmesan or pinch of salt on the cheese itself.

Other things to put in omelettes

I’m shameless – I’ll put virtually anything in an omelette. Here are some suggestions – obvious and less obvious!

Garlic mushrooms – see Mushroom Omelette recipe
Prosciutto asparagus (in the egg white omelette) – excellent low calorie filling option
Grilled marinated vegetables or antipasto type things (leftovers from Wednesday’s Antipasto Chickpea Salad!) – chopped
Pizza toppings – pepperoni/salami, capsicum/bell peppers, onion, cheese
Leftover quesadilla fillings
Dinner leftovers – like spaghetti bolognese (I’d add cheese), meatballs (chop them). Good enough for jaffles, good enough for omelettes! Even stir fries will work – Chinese omelettes are a real thing!

Mushroom omelette

Egg white omelette with prosciutto asparagus

Grilled marinated vegetables

It’s gotta be non-stick!

Whatever size pan you use, be sure it has a good non-stick coating. Eggs are the world’s best natural food glue!

Pan size – The thickness of your omelette will be determined by the size of your omelette pan. I use a 24cm / 9 1/2″ Tefal non-stick pan measured from rim to rim, and this is the size measure the pan is sold as. It has a curved edge, so the flat base of this pan measures 18cm / 7 1/4″ in diameter. This is the size the omelette comes out.

A smaller omelette pan will make a thicker omelette that will take a little longer to cook through. A larger pan will make a thinner omelette. The other thing with a larger omelette is that it can be a little trickier to fold in half, but nothing a little confidence and quick flick of the wrist can manage!

How to make a ham and cheese omelette

I always sauté the ham first, not only to give it a little flavour but also because the warm ham helps the cheese melt faster so you don’t have to worry about over-cooking the omelette to get oozy cheese. Nobody wants to cut into an omelette only to find the cheese inside is not melted!!

Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and cream or milk (if using). Whisk well until fully combined and a bit foamy – takes me about 10 seconds with a mini whisk.
Tools – Use a non stick 24cm/9.5″ wide pan, or thereabouts (18cm/7 1/4″ flat base). You will need at least 1 rubber spatula for cooking, though 2 will make your omelette folding life a whole lot easier!

Sauté ham – Melt a tiny dab of butter in the pan over medium heat. Once foaming, swirl/spread then, using a rubber spatula (which we need for the omelette), cook the ham just for a minute or two until it is warmed through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Medium low to medium heat – Return the pan to the stove and melt the remaining butter until foaming. We want the stove on moderate heat – which might be medium low or low for you, depending on the strength of your stove and the size of the stove ring you are using. We don’t want it too high else you’ll have to deal with the surface burning before the inside cooks through. Too low, and the omelette takes so long to cook it kind of turns rubbery. We need to find the happy medium!

Semi-scrambled your eggs! Give the eggs a quick whisk then pour into the pan. Leave it for 15 seconds or until you see the edges just start to set. Then, using the rubber spatula, start making long, leisurely strokes, scraping the cooked eggs off the base to allow the uncooked egg to run, until the eggs are partially cooked.
GOAL – The eggs should be still raw enough to spread like jam across the base of the skillet, but not raw enough that the eggs run when you tilt the pan.
TIP – If at any point you feel like the eggs are cooking too fast, just remove the skillet off the stove!
Spread the custardy semi-scrambled eggs across the base of the skillet and roughly smooth the surface. Tidy the edges, if you you feel so inclined. (I feel inclined).

Top – Sprinkle half the omelette with the cheese, then the warmed ham (this helps melt the cheese).
Fold – Ensure the naked side of the omelette is not stuck by running the rubber spatula around the edge (it won’t be, because you are using a good non-stick pan!). Then using 2 rubber spatulas, fold the omelette over.

Optional tidy – At this point, sometimes I may push the edges in to make them nice and tidy. Other times, I see the ooze of cheese and think that’s the prettiest sight in the world, why on earth would anyone push that inside to hide it??!
Slide (or flip) out – Checking again to ensure the omelette is not stuck to the pan. Then either slide the omelette out like a normal person or be a bit cheffy and flip it out onto the plate. I show both in the video. Then EAT!

If I serve with toast, I like to put my omelette ON the toast

I cannot believe I wrote so much about the humble omelette. Sometimes I even amaze myself at how much I have to say about any type of food!

I’m sorry if I overwhelmed you. And feel free to keep making omelettes as you have been all your life. I get it. If you’re happy with your omelette game, don’t change it! In fact, share your tips!! Bring on the Omelette Debate! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Ham and cheese omelette

Recipe video above. This "scrambled egg" method is a great, easy way to make omelettes that are soft and custardy inside without worries about raw egg in the middle. Essentially, you make soft scrambled eggs, then spread (like jam) across the pan so it sets into an omelette. Fill, fold, serve!

Makes 1 omelette, a filling meal for one.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Western

Keyword ham and cheese omelette, How to make an omelette, Omelette

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings

Calories 595cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

3 large eggs , ~55g/2oz each (fridge cold fine)
Pinch of salt (that's all you need)
1 tbsp cream (or milk), optional (Note 1)

Cooking / add-ins

1 tbsp/ 15 g unsalted butter (or 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil)
1/3 cup chopped ham (I use store bought, Note 2)
1/3 – 1/2 cup shredded colby cheese , use box grater (or cheddar, tasty, gruyere, Monterey Jack – Note 3)

Serving (optional, pictured)

1 stem chive , finely chopped
Garlic butter roasted mushrooms
Roasted cherry tomatoes (on vine, Note 4)
Toast

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Heat control – If at any stage your omelette is cooking too fast, remove the pan off the stove to let it cool down and lower the heat.
Whisk the eggs, salt and cream in a bowl for 10 seconds until slightly foamy.
Warm ham – Melt 1/3 of the butter in a 24cm/9.5" non-stick pan (or thereabouts, Note 5) over medium heat until foamy. Swirl/spread to coat the base, then cook ham using a rubber spatula for 90 seconds until warmed through. Remove into bowl.
Semi-scramble eggs – Melt and swirl remaining butter in the pan. Give the eggs a quick whisk then pour into the pan. Leave for 15 seconds or until the very edges set, then do long leisurely strokes around and across the pan to scrape up cooked egg and let the raw egg run onto the base. Continue for 30 seconds or so until the egg is partially cooked. GOAL: wet enough to spread like jam, but not so wet that the egg runs when you tilt the pan.
Spread the egg evenly across the pan (no need to be meticulous). Top half with cheese, then ham. (By this time, the omelette should be almost cooked through but still shiny/custardy on the surface).
Loosen the naked side then fold over using 2 rubber spatulas. Leave in the pan for another 30 seconds to melt the cheese and finish cooking inside.
Serve – Slide or flip onto a plate and serve! Sprinkle with chives if desired.

Notes

1. Cream or milk is said to make omelettes more creamy (as well as adding a bit of extra bulk). But honestly, the right cooking method makes much more of a difference. Cook an omelette well, and no one can tell if you’ve included cream or not – I’ve done a blind test. However, I still add it out of habit!

2. Ham – I like the ham bits to have a bit of chunk to them. If using thin slices, chop into small strips or tear with hands.

3. Cheese – Any melting cheese works fine here, I like Colby as a great all-rounder I use for many things. Mozzarella melts great but doesn’t have flavour like other cheeses so either add a sprinkle of parmesan or pinch of salt on the cheese.

Shred your own cheese to be sure it melts. Store bought pre-shredded is thicker cut and has anti-caking agent on it so it doesn’t melt as well. It has a place in life for convenience, but omelettes is not one of them!

4. Roasted cherry tomatoes – Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan) until a bit wrinkly (I do this for the last 15 minutes with mushrooms).

5. Skillet size –

6. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition per omelette. This is filling, even without toast!

Nutrition

More egg life essentials

Shirred Eggs (Baked Eggs with Spinach & Mushrooms)

Egg Recipes

Life of Dozer

Dozer’s favourite spot is under the dining table (no prizes for guessing why). So sometimes, if I want a cuddle, that’s where I’ve gotta go!

The post Ham and cheese omelette appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.