Homemade Pesto with Fusilli

I love pesto and often make it with pasta. You can also have it with baked potatoes and roast meat. Usually, I make it using a pestle and mortar because I find that it makes it much more flavorful by bringing out the fragrant fresh basil smell. If you like, you can make it in a processor too. I prefer the consistency of my pesto to be almost runny but not quite. I find that this consistency is best when having it with pasta. However, if you're having it with potatoes or meat, you might want to make it into an oozy consistency. 

Ingredients
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
3 handfuls of fresh basil, leaves picked and chopped
A handful of pine nutes, toasted
A handful of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
Lemon
Pasta, fusilli

Pound the garlic with a small pinch of salt. Then, add in the basil leaves and continue to pound. Toss in the pine nuts and pound again.
Once you're happy with the texture, scoop the mixture into a bowl and add in half the Parmesan and stir gently.
Add the olive oil, only enough to bind the mixture into an oozy consistency, just before it turns runny.
Season to taste, then add in the remaining cheese.
Add in more oil and taste. If not satisfied, continue to add in more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency.
Add a small squeeze of lemon juice.
Just toss some of the pesto into the pasta. Mix well. Continue to add in more pesto until  the pasta is covered well.

Easy Peach-y Dessert

One of the easiest and quickest dessert that you can make. A perfect treat for last minute guests! Here, I used cranberry muffins. Feel free to use cupcakes or vanilla cake. Fresh whipped cream would be ideal, but ready-to-use whipped cream will still be a hit.

Servings 4

Ingredient

2 medium-sized muffins or cupcakes or plain vanilla cake

4 peaches, halves and canned (Don't toss away the syrup!)

Whipped cream

Chocolate syrup

Crumble and divide the muffins between 4 glasses or bowls.

Pour in one tablespoon of the canned peaches syrup into each glass, just enough to soak the muffins a little.

Add a peach halves in each and top it with whipped cream.

Drizzle a generous amount of chocolate sauce and serve immediately.

Thai Basil Chicken

A quick and appetizing dish that serves well on fresh lettuce or steamed rice. This recipe uses bird's-eye chillies. If they are too spicy for your taste, feel free to substitute it with red or green chillies.

Ingredients
300g minced chicken
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon palm sugar
1/2 teaspoon sweet soy sauce
1 large handful of fresh Thai basil, leaves picked
2-3 bird's-eye chillies (aka Thai chillies)
2 tablespoons oil
Salt and pepper
Toasted cashew nuts (Optional)

Pre-heat a wok or a frying pan. Once it's hot, add a good amount of oil
Saute the garlic and onions, until fragrant
Stir in the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Break the mince chicken while its cooking
Once the chicken turns color, add in the chillies, stirring all the time
Pour in the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce and palm sugar
Continue stir-frying until the chicken is well coated, then toss in the basil and stir-fry for about 1 minute
Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat and serve (If using cashew nuts, sprinkle on top of dish)

Chilli Oil

This is quick and fantastic for that extra kick when added to a pizza, stir-fry, noodle soup, sauces such as warm salad dressing. I usually use red chillies with a dash or two dried chilli flakes.  

Ingredients

Olive Oil

Chillies, fresh

Dried Chillies, whole or flakes (Optional)

Paprika (Optional)

Heat a saucepan over a low heat and add a good few lugs of olive oil.

Once the oil is hot and add the fresh chillies. Gently fry for about 2 minutes.

Add in dried chillies and paprika and fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool to room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Strain the oil into a bottle and seal.

Refrigerate up to 1 month.