Lemon and Rosemary Roast Chicken

 

Ingredients:

1 medium-size chicken

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

2 teaspoons freshly grounded black pepper

1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

2 teaspoons fresh, finely chopped rosemary (or use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)

½ kg potatoes

1 lemon

Method:

Grate zest of the lemon in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, mixed herbs, rosemary and mix well. Set aside.

Wash, clean and pat the chicken dry (very dry) with paper towels all over, including the cavity. Rub the seasoning mixture over the chicken and inside the cavity. With fingertips, gently separate the skin from the meat of the chicken breast and push some seasoning mixture under the skin. Leave the chicken to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Remove chicken from fridge and let it rest in room temperature for at least 30 mins so that it will cook evenly. Brush melted butter (or olive oil) all over the chicken.

Peel and cut the potatoes into halves or quarters. Put them into a pot of water with a pinch of salt together with the whole lemon. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for 1 minute. Return the potatoes to the same pot. Toss the potatoes with some salt, freshly grounded black pepper and a little olive oil. Do this while the potatoes are still hot so their outsides get chuffed up and fluffy.

While the lemon is still hot, carefully pierce it with the tip of a sharp knife about 10 times. Stuff the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken.

Put the potatoes in a roasting pan. Tuck the wings underneath the chicken and place it breast side up, on the potatoes. Cook in preheated oven at 200 degC for around 40 - 45 minutes or until the skin is nicely browned. Turn the chicken over and roast for a further 30 minutes or until the skin is browned. Turn the chicken breast side up again and roast for another 10 - 15 mins until the chicken is done and the potatoes are nice and golden. To test whether the chicken is done, pierce the tip of a knife near the joint between the drumstick and the thigh. The juices should run clear (not pink), if it is still pink, cook the chicken a little longer. Carefully remove the lemon from the cavity. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to settle and the chicken will be much more succulent.

 

http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.com/2009/05/oven-roasted-chicken.html

 

Iced Lemongrass Green Tea

Source: Recipe adapted and modified from The Malaysian Women's Weekly foodbook Issue 2 - Cooking Made Simple
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 stalks Lemon grass (about 6-7cm long), halved lengthwise and crushed lightly
700ml Water
2 Green tea bags (I used Japanese 100% Green Tea Bag)
Ice cubes
2 - 3 tbsps Raw honey (I used Organic Wildflower Honey)
2 Lemon, sliced thinly reserved 4 lemon slices to decorate
Halved lemon grass stalks to decorate

Method:
1. Combine lemon grass and water in a pot. Bring to a quick boil over medium heat.
2. Lower fire and allow to simmer for 15 mins. Turn off fire and add tea bags. Leave to sleep for 10 mins.
3. Let the juice cold down and drain away the ingredients. Add the honey to taste.
4. To serve, fill glasses with ice. Add 2 lemon slices in each glass. Top with tea and add halved lemon grass stalks & lemon slices to decorate.


Lemongrass and green tea are versatile ingredients in cooking and also beneficial in maintaining good health. Their goodness is well-known regardless of traditional or modern medical benefits. Lemon grass is not only a useful ingredient in the kitchen but also one of the natural remedy of inserts and mosquitoes rebellion agent. There are many household products using lemon grass extract due to their benefit of expelling inserts & mosquitoes, such as floor cleaner or moisquito rebellion badges. More benefits of lemongrass & recipe from my other post here.

What makes green tea so special? The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Free radicals are the damaging compounds in the body which alters the cells, tampers with the DNA or may also cause cell death. The occurrence of Free radicals is natural in the body but environmental pollutants can also get added as the damaging particles in the body. Polyphenols which are present in the Green tea are excellent anti-oxidants which neutralizes the Free radicals and helps in preventing the damage caused by the free radical. Green tea also helps the body in protecting the cells from damages which are believed to be linked with Cancer. Hence Green tea is considered as a powerful anti-oxidant.

Besides, a powerful anti-oxidant, green tea helps in boosting the metabolism rate of the body and also helps in burning fat. In another words, green tea induces weight loss. The reason why it helps in preventing obesity is that it blocks the movement of Glucose in Fat cells. It has substances known as Polyphenols which are proven to help in weight loss by increasing the metabolism of fats by the liver, stops the lipase (a fat absorbing enzyme) in the digestive tract and also provides the fullness feeling. Polyphenols especially Catechins do not function as a stimulant but helps in burning calories. For those ladies out there who wants to lose some weight, consuming green tea daily is definitely a good option.

There are few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
• cancer
• rheumatoid arthritis
• high cholesterol levels
• cariovascular disease
• infection
• impaired immune function

Even there are so many positive health benefits of green tea, there are also some negative issues too. Green tea is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women. In addition, negative effects of green tea leaves would link to individuals who have allergies. In this case, someone who is caffeine sensitive could develop problems such as hives and rash from consuming green tea. With caffeine being a stimulant that affects the central nervous system, other problems could result such as insomnia, excessive urination, reduction of potassium levels, and even incontinence. Check out more info here

References of Green Tea from:
Ezinearticles
Chinesefood.about



http://bits-of-taste.blogspot.sg/2010/05/iced-lemongrass-green-tea.html

Lemongrass Tea

Lemongrass Tea Recipe

• Serves: 4
• Prep: 5 mins
• Cook: 20 mins

A healthy and refreshing recipe for lemongrass and pandan herbal tea. Detoxifying, cooling and aids digestion.

If you follow this recipe exactly, you may find that the drink is not sweet at all, and it is intentionally so, as I personally feel it tastes best with only a tiny hint of sweetness. Feel free to adjust the rock sugar to your preference.

Ingredients

• 150 grams lemongrass (serai) pounded to release the flavour
• 5 pandan (screwpine) leaves tied in a knot
• 5 slices ginger
• 1.8 litres water
• 40 grams rock sugar or honey rock sugar to taste

Instructions

1. In a pot, add the ingredients except rock sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
2. Add rock sugar and stir until dissolved. Discard lemongrass stalks, ginger and pandan. Drink warm or chilled.

http://www.noobcook.com/lemongrass-tea/

Fried Tom Yum Seafood Bee Hoon

Ingredients
(Serves 2-3)
- 100g bee hoon (aka 米粉, rice vermicelli, bihun, rice noodles or rice sticks)
- 1 tbsp tom yum paste, mixed with 200ml hot water (adjust the tom yum paste according to your preference)
- A small piece of salmon fillet about 150g, skin removed and cut to bite-sized chucks
- 3 lemongrass stalks, cut to 2 inch lengths, make slits on the stalks to release the aroma
- 100g mushrooms
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- vegetable or olive oil
- 8 large prawns, veins removed and tails intact
- 1 bell pepper, cut to small wedges
- coriander and lime for garnishing (optional)

Directions
1. Soak the rice vermicelli in water for at least half an hour, until the noodles are fully reconstituted. Drain and set aside.
2. In a wok, heat some oil and stir fry the garlic & lemon grass stalks till fragrant. Add bell pepper and mushrooms and stir fry for about a minute or two. Then add the salmon pieces and prawns, stir fry till everything is cooked. Set aside on a plate.
3. Return the lemongrass stalks to the wok. Add the bee hoon followed by the tom yum mixture. The noodles should be fully soaked in the tom yum paste.
4. Cook till the noodles have soaked up all the water, and is of a dry consistency (about 7 minutes). Then stir in the previously cooked vegetables and seafood that you set aside in step 2 and stir thoroughly. You may wish to use tongs so that the noodles are easier to handle.
5. Serve noodles in a plate and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and a cut lime if desired.


http://www.noobcook.com/fried-tom-yum-seafood-bee-hoon/