A couple of months back, I ‘accidentally’ promised Jonathan that I would contribute to The Weekend Chef and he has been pestering me ever since. So on Merdeka Day, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and come up with something to get him off my back. For a brief moment, the possibility of food poisoning would also serve that purpose but it is very bad form to poison someone on his birthday. So I set out to do something simple yet satisfying.
Being an IT specialist, I have very little time for elaborate cooking. Because of this, I tend to gravitate towards quick and simple recipes. This selection is no different as it follows my belief to cook quickly, enjoy eating and wind up the evening with long chats with friends. As the recent months have been warm and my workplace reminds me of summer, I had a nostalgic moment and missed the barbeques I used to attend. Barbeques to me are synonymous with chilled drinks, salads, casserole, grilled meats and cold cut fruits. So I decided to go with a barbeque style theme for my first foray into The Weekend Chef.
A key ingredient to every barbeque is the drink. A good mix will go a long way in appeasing the masses, while the food cooks on the barbeque. For this, I went with a simple cordial and fruit punch; a mix of beer, soda and mixed fruits served chilled, that would quench any thirst.
For the requisite casserole dish, I made a tuna pasta casserole. Mum taught me this dish but I have made some tweaks along the way. The beauty of this dish is that it is a meal in itself as it has proteins, carbohydrates, fibre and various vitamins. Of course, it helps that it tastes delicious as well!
No barbeque is complete without a salad and for this, I chose a potato salad with a twist. I call it my egg-cellent potato salad, in which I added eggs for a smoother, springier taste and parsley for a hint of green.
To round off the meal, I whipped up honey black peppered buffalo wings. I substituted the traditional marinade with honey to give it a sweet tinge that would complement the sweet, smoky flavour of the grilled meat. The addition of black pepper gives each bite a spicy zing. While marinating the wings, one must make sure that is has been properly marinated prior to grilling – at least overnight – to allow all the flavours of the marinade to impregnate the meat properly.
Of course, since Jonathan needed some presentable pictures of the spread for The Weekend Chef, I turned to the one person I trust for garnishing advice, Mary Tan, my mum.
I hope you enjoy this selection of simple recipes and do not be afraid to venture out and experiment with variants of your own.