Writing this post at 12am in the morning is really not a very good idea! Just looking at the picture makes me very hungry...I must resist the temptation to eat late at night! But this cold wintery February really is the best time to have some wholesome slow-cooked meals.

I do enjoy spending hours in the kitchen making food. Sometimes, I just too lazy to bother to cook, but I don't really want to eat pre-packed supermarket food. This oven slow-cooked pork shoulder steaks is easy to prepare and almost effortless. Very delicious with steamy hot plain boiled rice!

Ingredients:

1. 1.5kg Pork shoulder steaks (Roughly cut into chunks)
2. 3-4 Large carrots (Roughly cut into chunks)
3. 500g Closed chestnut mushrooms (Sliced into thick slices)
4. Few large cloves of garlics (minced)
5. Large piece of ginger (minced)
6. 2 large shallots (Roughly sliced)
   
7. 2 Generous heap tablespoonful of whole grain mustard (LOT OF IT)
8. 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
9. 500ml Alcoholic pear cider
10. Roughly 2-3 tbsp olive oil
    
11. Large bunch of flat leave parsley (Roughly chopped) (Chop the stalks a bit finer and set aside)
    
12. Salt and pepper to taste
13. Finely sliced spring onion (for garnish)

Pre-heat the oven to 180'C. In a deep oven-proofed pot, heat the oil under medium heat, and gently fry the shallots, ginger and garlic until lightly caramelised.

Add the pork chunks and parsley stalks and fry until the porks are lightly browned. Add the mustard, mushroom and carrots to the pork and cook for further 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika and season to taste. 

Pour the pear cider to the pork and bring the liquid to a boil. Remove the pot from the stove and put it in the pre-heated oven and slow-cook it for at least 2.5 hours until the pork are tender and soft.

Remove the pot from the oven after 2.5hrs, check if need further seasoning. Stir in the chopped parsley and mix well.

Done! When it is ready to be served, garnish the dish with sliced spring onion and enjoy it while it is hot!

Still HUNGRY...but I have to resist the temptation!!! I must to resist the temptation!!!  I must to resist the temptation!!!

These were the food I cooked in the new tiny and basic kitchen for the past 2 months. I have been a bit lazy to write down all the recipes but I have learnt a lot of the new pastry and bread making skills. I particularly like the mango jam tartlets and the meringue pie. With a little turmeric added to the pastry dough, the result is a lovely vibrant yellow tinted tart case. 

The piped meringue tart with mango jam filling was a Christmas present for my friend, Chris and his family. I think it feasted the eyes with interesting texture as well as filled the stomach..

I made the salmon custard tart for my Boxing day lunch. I added chopped dills to the pastry dough. It was really eye pleasing with those tiny green bits in the pastry. 

I am also very pleased with the outcome of the ciabatta challenge. It was fiddly to make, but it was real fun! Really tasty with just balsamic and olive oil dip.

The mushroom risotto pie with goat's cheese was quite tasty too according to Chris and Clive. It was specially make for a movie night at Clive's. A vegetarian pie that in par to any meat-filled carnivorous pies.

If I tell my little nieces and nephew that I cooked a rabbit...I think they will cry! 
Some supermarkets used to have rabbit on their selves, but I have not notice them for a long time. Wandering at the local butcher yesterday, I thought a whole rabbit for £2.99 is rather cheap! I thought maybe I can make a Ragù sauce and share this dish with a friend, but then I thought maybe eating rabbit is not really everyone's cup of tea! The taste and texture of rabbit meat is actually quite similar to chicken!

I made up this "Ragù" recipe myself, probably not an authentic Italian way! But it tastes quite good..and quite simple to make too..

Ingredients:

1. Whole rabbit (washed and cut into large piece or just half) 

       (I saw dead rabbit with fur and skin on at the butcher, but I don't think it is a good idea to get one of those!)

1. 3 Large carrots (peeled and cut to chunks)
2. 2 Large onions (roughly chopped)
3. 1 Bulb of garlic (separated with skin on)
4. 1 Stalk of leek (sliced in chunks)
   
5. 1 Whole red chilli (with seeds)
   
6. 1 Package closed chestnut mushroom (roughly sliced into large  pieces)
7. 6 Large fresh tomatoes (cut into quarters)
8. 2-3 tbsp Oilve oil
   
9. 2 Sprigs rosemary
10. 500ml Alcohol-free pear cider (alcohol version could be nice too)
    
11. A bunch of spring onion
    
12. Large bunch of flat leave parsley (roughly chopped)
    
13. 2-3 tbsp Tomato paste
14. 1 Zest of a lemon
15. Juice of half a lemon
16. 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
17. Salt and pepper to taste
    

Process:
Pre-heat the oven to around 160'C -170"C.

In a deep cooking pot, fry the garlic, onion, leek, rosemary and some of the spring onion in the hot oil until soften. Add the rabbit pieces and fry until lightly brown and the sauce is lightly caramelised. Season with generously with salt and pepper.

Remove the rabbit pieces from the pot and set aside. Add the carrot, chilli, mushroom and fresh tomatoes into the pot and fry for 5 minutes until the tomatoes are soften. 

Arrange the rabbit pieces back into the bottom of the pot. Pour the pear cider to cover all the ingredients. Lid on and bring the liquid to a boil. 

Remove the pot from the stove and put it into the pre-heated oven and slow cook for at least 2.5hours (check occasionally). (Best do this dish in the evening) After switching off the oven, leave the pot in the oven overnight.

Once the pot is cooled in the oven, remove it from the oven. Take out the rabbit pieces and remove all the bones with your hand. 

Reunite the meat with the tomato and carrot sauce. Mix gently and re-heat the sauce. Add the paprika, tomato paste, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped parsley and spring onion to the sauce and cook for furtherfew minutes until the sauce is heat through completely. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. 

A wonderful sauce for fresh pasta. A hint of spiciness with sweetness from the chilli and pear cider...mmmmmmm....

Life has been a bit busy since moving to Brighton. I must really get back to my routine to cook more and get fat by eating all the food by myself!)

This year I wanted to explore food and the aspect of cooking much further than just feeding myself. I am hoping to maybe make it part of my future career!

Still, I am going to continue making and cooking colourful food! I really think a plate of colourful food really could make you feel better by just looking at it!

This roast corn-fed chicken was specially made for my Chinese New Year Meal. The twist was....the vanilla essence..! I think it was a rather nice experiment..A very gentle hint of vanilla give the chicken a lift in the sense of smell and a touch of festive fragrance.

The quick chilli jam was also rather nice! But I can't really remember the recipe now! All gone, the jam!