When Chia seeds meet an apple galette

Apple galette with Chia seeds and flax

A few months ago, I met Mika, a Japanese cookbook author who had flown from Paris to work with me. Together, we were going to create the photographs for her upcoming cookbook.

I quickly understood why I had liked Mika even before meeting her. She was an energetic young woman with creative ideas and style, and for an entire week, she and I had a lot of fun in my kitchen.

And I learned.

I learned about Japanese food. I learned about new ingredients. Amongst them, Mika introduced me to Chia seeds.

They are so good for you, and so easy to use in pretty anything you are already used to cooking, Mika said one day while adding some to a noddle dish I styled and photographed. My curiosity was piqued instantly, and the next time I was at the store, I bought a bag of Chia seeds, imagining ways to use them creatively.

Chia seeds look like minuscule dark grey and ivory sesame seeds. They are delicate and subtle in taste, and are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, fiber and B vitamins. Ancient Mayan and Aztec cultures treasured them. I knew I would adopt them without right away.

I started to add them to a chocolate muffin batter. I ate them in granola and porridge in the morning. I added them to garnish a plate of spaghetti with sauteed vegetables.

And I baked a fruit galette, hiding them inside the pie crust I prepared.

Will you bake this galette again? P. asked when he saw how excited I was with my apple dessert and newly discovered ingredient.

He didnt need to ask. He knew the answer.

So I did, and shortly afterwards, I baked an apple tart tatin.

What about Thanksgiving? I inquired a few days later.

Dont you have other dessert plans already? he asked, confused.

He was right. I had talked about many things, between my pear and chocolate clafoutis and a lemon mousse. But I could not help thinking that Id want to honor the last seasonal apples purchased at the last farmers market of the 2011 season. With Chia seeds hidden inside.

I knew I would pique my guests curiosity too. And that theyd not mind.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

You can use the pie crust of your own choice. Flaxmeal was another ingredient I enjoyed adding to the crust. And I liked to keep the topping simple, with the slices of apple flavored with aromas of lemon and cinnamon. Once cooked, I liked to let the galette cool to room temperature, and preferred to eat it toute simple, on its own, without cream or ice cream, the way the French eat fruit tarts.

Apple galette with Chia seeds and flax

Apple galette with Chia seeds and flax

For the crust:

• 2/3 cup (6 1/2 oz; 90 g) millet flour
• 1/3 cup (1 1/4 oz; 35 g) pecan meal
• 1/3 cu! p (1 1/2 oz; 40 g) cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons flaxmeal
• 1 tablespoon Chia seeds
• 1.5 teaspoons xantham gum
• 1 egg
• 6.5 oz (90 g) cold butter, diced
• Pinch of sea salt

For the topping:

• 3 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 small lemon, for juice
• 1/4 cup vanilla-flavored brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon honey

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: Combine the flour, pecan meal, cornstarch, flaxmeal, Chia seeds, xantham gum, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of your food processor.
• Add the butter and pulse until crumbles form.
• Add the egg and pulse, working the dough until it detaches from the bowl. Wrap in plastic film and place in the fridge to rest for 1 to 2 hours.
• Take out 10 minutes before rolling.
• Preheat the oven to 420 F and have a baking sheet covered with a piece of parchment paper ready.
• Roll the crust on a flowered working surface and cut a 12-inch circle.
• Transfer onto the baking sheet and place in the fridge.
• In the meantime, toss the slices of apple, lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar in a large bowl.
• Take the crust out of the fridge and arrange the apples evenly on top, leaving a 1.5-inch border.
• Fold the edge to create a galette.
• Drizzle with honey and small pieces of butter. Bake the galette for 35 minutes. Let cool before eating.

Share and Enjoy:

Ayam Masak Chilli Merah.

Ayam Masak Chilli Merah (Red chillies chicken) is a Peranakan dish-originated from Malacca.

This dish is different from the spicy, creamy coconut milk and tomato based Ayam Masak Merah.

This recipe was passed on from my mother's generation.

The main ingredients are:
1- Fresh Red chillies-20 pieces (cut and blend).
2-Whole smoked Garlic-5 pieces ( peel and blend)
3- Chicken thigh (2 pieces) and wings (5 pieces)
4-Salt to taste.


Roughly chopped the peeled garlic and fresh red chillies.
Place it into a blender with some water and blend it into a paste.
Heat up a wok with 1/2 cup of cooking oil.
Add in the blended paste and simmered until fragrant.
Add in the chicken meat and cooked thoroughly until it fully absorbed the gravy.

Add in salt to taste and serve.

Up to individual preference- Free range chicken tasted better than farmed ones as they are much more leaner and muscled-the taste was hot, slightly pungent due to the garlic and gave a kick to the palate with every bite-addictive red hot gravy goes well with Basmathi rice.

Allison's Place

A secret hideout of a cafe-store, chock-full of teak tables, mahogany cabinets & the most charming clutter that money can buy.

Real thought & effort have gone into Allison's menu, resulting in comfort food that transcends mere scrambled eggs. Thumbs up for the huevos rancheros _ piping-hot baked eggs made tangy with tomatoes, topped with super-creamy feta cheese & served with warm tortilla.

Fluffy frittata, filled with slow-cooked eggs, parmesan, potatoes, tomato salsa & sorrel. Much more flavorsome than any old omelet at high-profile outlets elsewhere.

Salmon-&-tuna akame fish cake with poached egg. Prices are encouragingly low; most items cost under RM20, so even a belly-busting meal with drinks won't exceed RM50 per person.

Pumpkin soup with c! ilantro pesto. A tangy Thai twist to perk up what would otherwise be a banal broth; it's like tom yam crossed with pumpkin soup, almost.

Almond-blanketed prawns with Oriental salad. The nuttiest crustaceans ever; a tasty testament to the crazy creativity of the folks here & their expert execution.

Complimentary moist dark chocolate cake. All in all, Allison's Place is a crackerjack venue for breakfast, lunch & tea.

Cranberry smoothie & cappuccino.

Mixed smoothies: apricot & oat bran, alongside banana & macadamia.

Allison's Place @ Damansara Heights,

8-1A, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur (behind Hock Lee mini-market).

Open Monday-Saturday, 8am-4pm.

Peppermint Mocha Pumpkin Affogato

When some things are lying around, you realize they make great friends.

Peppermint Mocha Pumpkin Affogato

What you need:

1 Peppermint Mocha

a scoop of pumpkin ice cream

What you do:

Place ice cream into pumpkin mocha. Enjoy.

I cooked: Chicken a l'Orange with sauteed potatoes and caramelised onions

So, if you remember, during the run-up to Blogger MasterChef, I spent a lot of time experimenting in the kitchen. I've never eaten chicken a l'Orange before, but I have had duck a l'orange (which I like). Was browsing through Delia Smith's cookbook and found a recipe for orange sauce so decided to it with chicken.

For this dish, if you know how to make sauces, the rest is pretty simple. For this dish, I decided to pan fry the chicken (simple!) and serve it with sauteed potatoes and caramelised onions. I was quite happy with the result, but if you prefer your chicken to be more moist, do swap for chicken thigh. Do be liberal with the sauce, the more the better I think. :)

Chicken a l'Orange with sauteed potatoes and caramelised onions

Preparation time: 20-25 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 chicken breast, butterflied cut or sliced thinly

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp paprika

Freshly ground salt and pepper

2-3 tbsp plain flour

Parsley, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

For the sauteed potatoes

5-6 potatoes (I used Russet), peeled and sliced thinly abt 8mm width

Freshly ground salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

Butter

For the caramelised onions

1 large onion, sliced thinly

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp butter

For the sauce

2 medium sized orange

1 tbsp plain flour

275ml chicken stock

3! tsp bro wn sugar

Freshly ground salt and pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Start by caramelising the onions first, since this takes the longest time. In a frying pan, melt the butter and then add the onions and honey, cooking and stirringcontinuouslyfor 30-35 minutes.

2. Marinate the chicken with oyster sauce, parsley and 1 tbsp of olive oil for about 15-20 minutes.

3. While waiting, parboil the potatoes in salted boiling water. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Drain in colander and let them dry out for a crisper texture when frying them later.

4. In a non-stick frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place plain flour and paprika on a flat plate and season with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken with the beaten egg, followed by the flour mixture and place in the heated pan. Cook each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat for all pieces of chicken.

5. For the sauteed potatoes, add 2 tbsp olive oil to a frying pan on medium high heat and then add the crushed garlic. Add the potatoes and cook them until golden brown (this will take about 10-15 minutes) and then season with salt and pepper. Towards the end of cooking, add a knob of butter for crispier skin.

6. Finally, for the sauce, remove the rind from the oranges and cut them up into thin shreds and blanch them for 5 minutes in boiling water. Cut 4 slices of oranges and keep aside for garnish. Squeeze the juices out of the remaining oranges. Using the same pan used to cook the chicken (don't wash), sprinkle flour and stir to form a paste. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes to brown slightly, then add stock gradually to make a smooth sauce, then add the sugar. Cook for another minute before adding the orange juice and rind and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

7. To serve, place sauteed potatoes on a plate and then top it with the pan fried chicken. ! Drizzle with lots of orange sauce. Place a small portion of caramelised onion at the side and garnish with 2 slices of orange.

A sweet and savoury dish

Chicken a l'orange with sauteed potatoes and caramelised onions

Full set of photos available to view here.