Dressing Up

Delicious delights...who doesn't favor desserts?  You wouldn't go to a party dressed in your regular everyday outfits, neither should your food.

However, you don't have to bust your budget, most items can be found right in your kitchen. Dressing up your dessert in pretty tea cup saucers, Handleless mugs can double as chocolate creme pots and you can use edible food color markers for inspirational paper plates!

九層玉米脆片醬 9-Layered Nacho Dip

You might feel that it is too late to introduce to you this recipe as you can’t enjoy it while watching 2010 World Cup football game on TV at home anymore. But I can assure you, this Mexican-style dish is a perfect food for everyone at any home party or gathering. It can be made fast to serve as a snack and it can be eaten easily without forks or knives. Following is a high-in-fibre recipe which is good enough to serve at least 5-6 persons. Enjoy.

9-Layered Nacho Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 pack store-bought taco seasoning mix (about 0.625 oz)

100g minced beef

1 onion (chopped)

1 large tomato (diced)

1 lettuce (shredded)

2 avocado (mashed)

1 can refried beans (16oz)

1 bag tortilla chips

100g parmesan cheese (grated)

100g cheddar cheese (grated)

8 oz sour cream

16 oz store-bought salsa sauce

Method:

Pan fry onion with a teaspoon of oil. Add minced beef and cook until well done. Combine with taco seasoning mix. Set aside.

Heat refried beans in a pan. Set aside.

Pour salsa sauce in a small serving bowl and place it in the middle of a large deep plate.

For nacho dip layers, first place shredded lettuce evenly on the bottom of the plate around salsa sauce. Then spread out beans and layer beef mixture on top. Followed by grated cheese and mashed avocado (guacamole). Topped with sour cream and sprinkle diced tomato.

Tuck chips around side of the plate.  Serve and enjoy.

九層玉米脆片醬

2010世界盃曲終人散，可能你會認為我現在才介紹這個食譜給你是實在太遲了，但我想向你保證這仍是值得你嘗試的食譜。非常易做，而且食法簡單，很適合做派對小食。我的這個食譜是低脂低盬兼高纖的，希望它能令你家中派對倍添健康新意。

材料：
Taco seasoning mix     半包 (約 0.625 oz)
免治牛肉                   100克
洋葱                           1個
蕃茄                           1個
生菜                           1個
牛油果                       2個
白豆蓉                       1罐
原味玉米脆片           1包
巴馬芝士碎               100克
車打芝士碎               100克
酸忌廉                       8安士
Salsa醬                       16安士


做法：
洋葱、蕃茄切碎，生菜切絲，牛油果搗爛，分別放於小碗中備用。
白豆煮熱，備用。
下一茶匙油爆香洋葱碎，與免治牛肉同抄至全煮，加Taco seasoning mix拌勻，備用。
Salsa醬倒進小碗，置於大碟中間。
依次將生菜絲、白豆、牛肉、芝士、牛油果、酸忌廉和蕃茄粒圍著小碗一層層叠高。
最後沿碟邊鋪上玉米脆片。請即享用。

薑蔥炒花蟹 Stir Fried Crabs with Ginger and Scallions

I am a busy woman. I have a full time job as well as my own freelance business. I attend hobby classes and I participate in various volunteering functions. But above all, I spend most of my time eating – I enjoy dining out with friends and I like to cook for people at home. I have my column on newspaper to share my recipes and emotions on different things but I still love to start a blog where I can write without limitations, anytime, anywhere.

This is the first dish I want to share with you – Fried Crabs with Ginger and Scallions. I like crabs not only for its taste but also its colour. It becomes red when it is cooked. It is a perfect colour according to Chinese tradition that represents good luck!

Stir Fried Crabs with Ginger and Scallions

Ingredients:

2 lbs crabs
3 inch ginger (peel and sliced)
5 stalks scallion (cut into 2-inch pieces, separate white and green section)
5 cloves garlic
3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
3 tbsp chicken stock
pinch of salt

Method:

Clean the crab and cut into pieces. Pat dry with paper towels. Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a wok and add garlic, ginger and only white part of cut scallions. Stir-fry until aromatic.

Quickly stir in the crab pieces. Stir fry the crab in the wok for a few times.

Add Shaoxing wine and chicken stock. Cover the wok again and let it cook for at 5-10min until fully cooked. Add the remaining green part of scallions and season with pinch on salt. Stir fry until sauce almost evaporated.

Plate and serve immediately.



薑蔥炒花蟹

花蟹　　　　　 2隻
蔥　　　　　　 5條 (切段，白色和綠色部份分開)
薑　　　　　　 10片
蒜頭　　　　　 5粒 (拍扁)
紹興酒　　　　 3湯匙
雞湯　　　        3湯匙
鹽　　　            適量


花蟹洗淨切件，蟹鉗以刀面拍裂。 用廚紙吸乾水份。

燒熱2湯匙油，加入蒜預、薑片及蔥白部份爆香。

放入花蟹快炒約５分鐘，灒入紹興酒及雞湯。冚蓋焗約5-10分鐘。

再加入餘下的蔥，以鹽調味，炒至汁料收乾，上碟即成。