Savoury Bread Pudding

My mom said that savoury bread pudding reminds her to her deceased sister. My aunt was really good with cooking and I guess a lot of people kinda miss her cooking. I decided to try making the savoury bread pudding. How difficult can it be to prepare a bread pudding? I googled and studied some recipes and came out with this. I never remember the taste of my aunt's bread pudding, but I do remember there's minced beef and garnished with chilies and some leaves I don't recall from my childhood.

Savoury Bread Pudding

3 nos. potato, cut into small cube
400gm minced beef
1 no. onion, large
2 clove garlic
2-3 tbsp curry powder
1 loaf bread
400ml fresh milk or condensed milk
3 eggs,large
salt to taste
vegetable oil
butter
2 chillies, cut brunois for garnish
celery leaf, sliced
fried shallot

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease rectangle/square cake pan with butter/ oven proof dish.
• Blend onion and garlic.Heat a little bit oil in the frying pan and add in blended ingredients. Add in curry powder and fry until fragrant.
• Add in minced meat and potato. Season with some salt. Set aside.
• Beat milk and eggs in a bowl. 
• Soak bread into the milk batter and make a layer in the cake pan. 
• Spread some curry minced beef filling on the bread. Repeat the process with another layer of bread just like preparing a lasagna. 
• Sprinkle some red chillies, celery leaf (or coriander if you prefer) on top. 
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. 
• Garnish with some fried shallot before serving.

Barbecued Beef Sandwiches

I love barbecue! I always wanted to try barbecued ribs and finally got my wish. I thought of sharing this Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce I found over seriouseat. The sauce was delicious! It was sweet and tangy and a bit spicy. I love it! Anyway, I got some extra barbecue sauce and I decided to make this barbecued beef sandwich.

Barbecued Beef Sandwiches

Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce
Sliced bread
Tenderloin - grilled and cut thinly
Watercress
Butter/spread

1. Prepare Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce or any of your favorite barbecue sauce.Spread butter on any of your favorite sliced bread.
2. Combine tenderloin with barbecue sauce in a bowl. Mix until well coated.
3. Spread strips of tenderloin on bread. Then top with watercress (or any of your favorite salad).
4. Ready to serve

Beef Goulash

Goulash or Gulyas is a soup/stew originating from Hungary. I first heard of this dish during my practical training. The executive chef was from Hungary. I remembered how the chefs would teach me to put in more and more paprika into the dish because the executive chef likes it.

Goulash is made of  meat, vegetable and spices like paprika. Meat cuts from the shank, shin, or shoulder are usually used. Goulash derives its thickness from these parts which is tough, well-exercised muscles rich in collagen. Potatoes are added to produce more thickness to the stew. This is the first time I prepared goulash. The goulash taste a bit sweet and sour (from the tomato paste) and not spicy at all (for my taste).

Beef Goulash/Gulyas

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 onions, medium dice

500g beef, chunk or shank - cut into cube. Mix in a bit fat

1 clove garlic - finely chopped

1 tsp caraway seed, or cumin

12g paprika/Hungarian paprika

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 liter water, brown stock, hot

2 medium potato

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

salt, pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onions in oil until soft, stirring frequently. Don't let the onion brown.
2. Add in onion into cubed beef. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add in garlic, caraway seeds, paprika, black pepper and tomato paste. Stir well.
4. Add in hot brown stock. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender. This usually depends on the type of meat.
5. Add in potatoes and simmer until cooked.
6. Serve hot with rice or pasta

Nikujaga: Japanese Stewed Potato and Meat

I have always wanted to try making this dish since I've seen the recipe in Just Hungry. The problem was that I've been searching the bonito flakes to make some dashi, but couldn't find any supermarket in my area. So, a few days ago, I tried to google for some dashi substitute. Some of them suggested to use fish cubes to make some broth. Some of them suggested to use chicken broth or vegetables with some Thai fish sauce. Then, there was one person suggesting to use beef broth with a bit of soy sauce and sugar. So, my problem was solved.

Nikujaga

500g boiled potatoes

300g thinly slice beef (I used ground beef)

150g carrots - cut into bite size

1 medium onion - sliced

1 inch ginger - chopped

2 cups dashi, or substitute

2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

Some green onion for garnishing

1. Heat 1tbsp of vegetable oil in a deep pot, and sweat the onion and ginger. Then, add in the meat, and saute until browned.

2. Add in carrot and potato, and saute.

3. Pour dashi and bring them to boil.

4. Turn down the heat to medium and skim the scum. Add in sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Put a pot lid which is smaller than the pot you're using on top of potatoes.

5. Simmer until vegetables are softened, and liquid are almost gone.

6. Garnish with green onion before serving.

Tortilla Wraps

Well, I'm not really sure weather I should call this a Tortilla Wraps or Enchilada. The food did looked a bit like Enchilada. But the sauce really isn't Enchilada. But then, I never been to any Mexican restaurant, or taste any Enchilada before in my life, so I'm not quite sure. 

The thing is, I've seen a chef preparing Enchilada before, there were chicken and cheese involved. But I've never get to see the whole process of making Enchilada nor do I have a copy of the chef's recipe. Anyway, this dish is one of the simplest dish I've tried. The recipe is easy, and it taste delicious too... I made this during my brother's girlfriend visits XD

First, lay a tortilla on the board, and spread some tomato sauce on top.

Then, add the fillings.. I used mince beef, cooked with some diced tomato and some tortilla chips on top.

Roll them

Arrange them on tray, and spread more tomato sauce on top.

I had extra fillings left, and no tortilla, so I spread those fillings on top.

Sprinkle some mozzarella, and bake them in the oven until the cheese turned brown.

And.. this is how they looked like~