Weekend Dinner #02 : Roasted Lemon Rosemary Chicken, Shrimps Dill Salad, Portobello Mushroom with Veggie Stir-fry and Chocolate Almond Upside-Down Cake
TGIF! Thank God It's Friday! It's perhaps the most appreciated remark in the workforce. After working so hard for the whole week, we all look forward to a relaxing weekend. For me, it usually starts on a friday night and it's marked with a good family dinner at home.
For this weekend's menu, it's a take off from a typical Roasted Chicken Platter. We are a fan of Kenny Rogers and the like, so we tried to bring it at home with this repertoire - Roasted Lemon Rosemary Chicken for the main dish, Shrimps Dill Salad and Portobello Mushroom with Veggie Stir-fry for the side dish and Chocolate Almond Upside Down Cake for dessert.
Shrimps Dill Salad
What you need:
500g shrimps, cleaned and deveined
kosher salt
2 cups water
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 - 3 tbsp finely chopped celery
3 tbsp minced dill
How to make:
1. Boil water in a pot. Season with kosher salt and add lemon. Add shrimps and cook until they turn pink in color. Drain and set aside.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Add in cooked shrimps and toss. Chill before serving.
Portobello Mushroom with Veggie Stir-fry
What you need:
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 med size onion, julienned
6 pcs mini portobello mushroom, julienned
1 whole red bell pepper, julienned
2 cups broccoli florets
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
How to make:
1. Blanch broccoli florets in boiling water for 1 min. Drain and transfer to an iced water to retain crispy texture.
2. Heat olive oil in a wok. Saute garlic and onion until fragrant. Add in mushrooms and red bell pepper and saute until tender. Add in broccoli, season with salt and pepper.
What you need:
1 whole chicken, cut into parts
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 - 4 sprigs of rosemary leaves
2 pcs lemon, cut horizontally
How to make:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 240 C with turbo function.
2. Mix olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary in a bowl. Toss the chicken well in the mixture. Transfer the chiken into a baking dish or any aluminum foil lined pan. Add pieces of 1 lemon on top.
3. Rost the chicken in the oven for 45 mins or until brown and crispy. Garnish with the other pieces of lemon.
Chocolate Almond Upside Down Cake (a recipe by Gail Gand but I modified it a bit; I missed watching her show Sweet Dreams) - This is a soft, slightly moist cake with a good goeey almond caramel topping. It's one of my favorite cakes actually.
Caramel Topping:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cups sliced almonds, lightly toasted
Cake:
1 1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup full cream milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
How to make:
1. Prepare the topping. Butter an 8-inch nonstick cake pan. Pour 6 tbsp melted butter into the cake pan and swirl to coat the bottom. Sprinkle in brown sugar. Drizzle honey over sugar and sprinkle evenly with almonds.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together for 3 times to make the cake extra light. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add sugar and continue mixing. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
4. Continue beating until light and fluffy about 3 mins. With tge mixer running on low speed, add a third of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add half the milk and continue mixing. Add another third of the dry ingredients mix and add remaining milk and vanilla. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan.
5. Bake until set in the center and springy 45 to 55 mins. Run a knife around the the edge of the pan and immediately invert the pan onto a serving platter. Let it sit with the pan still on top for 5 mins so the caramel can soak into the cake a bit before removing the pan. Let cool completely.
This was how our dinner plate looked like on a friday night. It's truly TGIF!
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