Wondering if anyone can help with sorting out a special 3 course meal?

[lilchefred]

I am cooking for myself, my partner, parents and brother and his new girlfriend in 2 weeks and I am trying to figure out what to cook.
I have found this mouthwatering recipe http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/turkey-recipes/asian-inspired-turkey-salad
and I am wanting to continue with the Asian-inspired theme throughout. But I am lost for what main or dessert I could make. If anyone has some tasty suggestions or recipes they would be happy to forawrd to me I would be sooo grateful. This is going to be the first time we are all together and I want it to be a real success.
Thank you in advance :)

[Elisha]

I don't have a specific recipe, but maybe I can help you think a bit. Seeing that you already have meat in the starter, I would make the main course with less meat or even vegetarian, unless your family is a "meat-only". For the dessert, see if you can find something that you can make the day before. After all, you also want to spend time with your family and not be lost in the kitchen the whole time. I'm not so familiar with asian desserts. I for occasions like that usually make a nice chocolate cream or trifle the day before, then I know I don't have to worry about the dessert, I just need to take a bowl out of the fridge and maybe sprinkle some cocoa over it or throw some strawberries on for decoration.

Here are two links that might help you:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/advanced/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/
They both have good advanced search features, so you could specifically search for asian main courses or dinners.

Hope that helps you a little bit... :) I hope your party will be a success and you'll enjoy it!

Greetings
Elisha

[lilchefred]

Hello Elisha!
Thank you soo much for getting back to me...I have just realised that I probably shouldn't have posted in the recipe section. So apologies.
I will definitely go for meat in either the sarter or main as you suggested.
Have actually found this cute dessert online which I am going to practice making later on in the week but I know it will go down a treat at some time in the day.
http://castsugar.blogspot.com/2007/12/dessert-sushi.html

The problems with thai dessers are tha they are renowned for their intricacy and the time and care involved in their creation. And I have wobbly hands lol. Perhaps I will try make some coconut ice cream and decorate somehow.

Thank you also for the websites you suggested I look at. I have only just found this forum tonight and I already know I will become addicted to it by the end of the week :)

Kind regards,
Jillian

[Elisha]

Hi Jillian,

It's my joy! And seeing that you are searching for recipes, I think you are in the perfectly right section. I haven't been in the forum for quite some time but I plan to be here more often to make some contacts.

See you soon
Elisha

[Semigourmet]

Hey guys, I just saw this thread. I love asian foods. I have a few recipes I could post here for you and a couple of suggestions. I do like the dessert your considering they look cute and Jamie Oliver's salad looks Beautiful and mouth watering. I like Teriyaki sauces. like teriyaki chicken, or stir fry. I have recipes for Teriyaki sauce along with Egg Foo Young, with gravy, fried rice and banana and chocolate spring rolls they are easy an GOOD. If you are into the chocolate, they are rich too. so If you would like any of these I can post the recipes here for you. Just let me know which ones you wouldl like

The suggestions I have are to keep it simple, and try your recipes before you make them for the guests. that will give you more confidence on that day and may eliminate a recipe. I would also make ahead anything you possibly could. that will take some pressure off of you. You are gonna be Stessed enough. and GOOD LUCK! it sounds like a BLAST, everyone is gonna love what you have done for them.

[lilchefred]

Oh wow...Semigourgmet! Thank you so much. (Everyone on here's so nice!) :)
Those recipes sound delicious! I would love any recipes you can provide me with. I am completely new to Asian cooking. (Have always been scared to practice and always just kept to the food I feel comfortable with, but with this event I seem to have more confidence to try the recipes I have always wanted to try). The banana chocolate spring rolls sound so good I am having cravings for them already!!! Hehe. :rolleyes:
I am actually planning to try the recipe nex week and "suprise" my partner...Just hoping it'll be a good suprise haha. Thank you again and I look forward to receiving those recipes so I can make a start. (Even if it takes me 3 practice runs...

Jillian

[Semigourmet]

Egg Foo Young with Gravy

Servings 4 Makes 4 pretty large patties


Ingredients

4 eggs beaten
3 green onions chopped
1/3 cup peas and carrots (canned, drained)
1 cup bean sprouts, coarsely chopped
Gravy
Beef broth or chicken broth, (beef broth is of course your darker gravy for the egg foo young)
Water and cornstarch




Directions

1. In a large sauté pan heat butter and oil over medium heat until hot.

2. Add 1/3 cup of egg mixture to hot skillet slowly. Cook until firm and golden on bottom. Turn and cook top until lightly browned and egg is fully cooked. Remove from pan to paper towel lined plate and keep warm in oven at 170 F. To 200 F.

3. For sauce: heat beef or chicken broth in small saucepan. Add cornstarch to water and mix well. As broth comes to a low boil stirring constantly with wire whisk. Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the broth until it has a gravy consistency.

[Semigourmet]

My Fried Rice

Makes 3- 4 cups




Ingredients

2 cups cooked white rice (1 to 2 days old) (rice measurement is taken after it has been cooked).
1-2 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons milk, for each egg
½ cup yellow onion halved set on its end sliced into ¼ inch slices
½ cup coarsely shredded green cabbage
¼ cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup frozen peas & carrots, frozen peas and shredded fresh carrots. (If using fresh shredded carrots add them with the cabbage.)
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
½ to ¾ cup diced cooked meat, such as, diced ham, bacon crumbled, chicken diced, or chopped shrimp (or omit if you want vegetable fried rice)
¼ cup bean sprouts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ to ½ cup soy sauce, to taste




Directions

1. Heat wok over medium high heat, when hot add the onion; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broccoli, and cabbage, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, frozen peas and carrots, and garlic. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the vegetables are to the doneness. Remove from the wok and set aside. Add the oil to the wok and let it heat for a couple of seconds. Add the rice and stir. If it starts sticking add more oil as needed. When rice looks like it has re-hydrated and is getting soft then start drizzling the soy sauce over the rice to color it. Then add the egg to the mixture and cook stirring until the egg is done. Add the vegetables back to the wok and cook stirring until everything is heated through.

[Semigourmet]

Teriyaki Sauce

Makes about 1 cup



Ingredients

Sauce:
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons sweet rice wine
1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoons minced ginger
Glaze:
½ tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water



1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
2. To make glaze: Mix 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Heat sauce on medium high heat and add cornstarch water mixture. Simmer until thickened.

[Semigourmet]

Banana And Chocolate Spring Rolls

Servings 4



Ingredients

1 quart peanut oil, for frying
1 whole banana, quartered
4 whole won ton wrappers
4 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chopped into small pieces or morsels
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 ounces caramel flavored ice cream



Directions

1. Preheat the oil to 350 degrees. In a large deep (at least 2 quart) pot.

2. Place 1 piece of quartered banana and several small chocolate pieces at the bottom of the wonton wrapper. Sprinkle with sugar and wet the edges with water. Wrap like a burrito and drop into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and place on plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil until ready to serve.

3. Sprinkle again with sugar. Place on serving plate with a scoop of ice cream.

[Semigourmet]

Hope these come in handy for you. they are My Asian Staple go tos. Good luck again. Let us know how things turn out? We love to hear back!

[Elisha]

Ohhhhh, these spring rolls sound so lovely! Banana and chocolate is such a nice combination! Now I just need to think of a calorie reduced version so that my husband doesn't pick up MORE weight...

Can one also bake this in the oven? Than the fat of the frying part would be out of the way. But most likely, I will anyways need to make a plan for an alternate wrapping because I won't get won ton wrappers here.

I suppose I could use dark chocolate (has less sugar). Is the granulated sugar in your recipe very essential or could I leave that? And there's always low-fat ice-cream...

[Semigourmet]

You know what I don't use the granulated sugar or the ice cream. Just the wontons. LOL Not sure what you could use in thier place.

[Elisha]

I'm quite certain that puff pastry will work. That will go nice with the bananas and chocolate. Think I'm going to through some cinnamon in as well. I just love chocolate and cinnamon!

[Semigourmet]

Elisha, Great Adaption. that sounds wonderful! Let me know how it turns out!

[Elisha]

Will do so! But I don't know yet when I will find the time to try it out because I'm busy planning a complete renovation of my bedroom, and seeing that I do all the work myself, from painting till assembling the cupboards, it's gonna keep me busy for a while. But I love adapting recipes and trying out new things, so even it takes a while, you'll hear from me, I promise.

[Semigourmet]

WOW!! that is a lot of work! Good Luck! I look forward to hearing from you.

[captculinary]

I am not a pastry chef, but here is a recipe we used at the Halekulani Hotel in Honolulu. We sold a ton of this at Orchids Dining room. Let me know if you wish something of a meat or poultry dish instead. I can make a recommedation if you wish. Hope this helps.

Poached Long Tail Pink Snapper (Onaga) Oriental (serves 4)

4 - 3 oz Onaga Filets (Orange Roughy or any other firm white fish will suffice)
2 inch section Ginger (peeled, cut into very thin julienne strips)
4 stalks Green Onion (sliced)
½ bunch Cilantro (coarsely chopped)
½ cup Shiitake Mushrooms (sliced & sautéed until golden)
¼ cup Soy Sauce
½ cup Peanut Oil (reserve 1 tbsps. for mushrooms)
2 tbsp. Sesame Oil

Place fish filets in a shallow casserole dish with a little water (about ½ cup). Put ginger atop the filets and cover the dish with foil. Bake @ 350 degrees for approximately 12 minutes until the filets are opaque throughout.
While fish is cooking heat on high heat the combined peanut & sesame oils until just at the smoking point. Remove fish filets from the oven; top them with the green onion, cilantro, and finally the mushrooms. Drizzle the soy sauce over each filet. Then sear each filet with approximately 2 tbsp. of the hot oil mixture. Serve immediately.

Steamed Rice:

1 cup Japanese rice (short grain)
1 ¼ cup Water

Rinse rice thoroughly under cold water. Put rice and water together in a medium saucepot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and continue for 15 minutes.

[PappaLazarou]

That sounds excellent captculinary! I will try this with Snapper steaks.