Corn croquettes with ajard

(Dinner! Photo courtesy of Olga Barmina)

Ingredients:

1 can (340g) corn
1 tsp baking soda
250 ml flour
40 ml soy sauce
100 ml water
5 kaffir lime leaves
5 cloves garlic

100 ml vinegar
100 ml palm sugar
5 shallot
70 g cucumber
20 ml coriander seeds
1 stalk coriander
2 chillies

1. Combine vinegar and palm sugar and mix until sugar is thoroughly dissolved.
2. Finely chop shallots, chilli and stalk of coriander.
3. Thinly slice and quarter the cucumber.
4. Crush coriander seeds.
5. Combine all ingredients and place aside while you prepare the tod mun.

1. Crush and finely chop garlic and place it in a wok with plenty of oil for deep-frying.  Do not heat yet.
2. Combine flour and baking soda.
3. Add water and soy sauce and mix to get a thick paste.
4. Chop chillies and kaffir lime leaves very fine, then add to paste.
5. Thoroughly drain corn and add to flour mixture.
6. Mix thoroughly.
7. Heat up oil in wok and fry garlic until golden.
8. Remove garlic from oil and set aside.  The heat should be hot, but not at full temperature.  4/6 on an electric stove is good.
9. Using two spoons, form paddies with the batter.
10. Deep-fry three at a time until done.
11. Remove from oil and place on paper-towels to absorb excess oil.
12. Repeat steps 9 to 11 until all the batter is finished.
13. Serve with the ajard you set aside and rice.

What to do with the garlic?  Garlic makes a nice addition to lots of dishes, sprinkled on top.  I often fry up a large batch of deep-fried garlic (about 2 heads) and within a couple weeks, it’s gone.  It’s especially good for noodle soups (think instant noodles on a lazy day!) and salads.  However, if you aren’t such a huge fan of garlic, or if you’d just like to use it straight away, you could make a cold noodle salad to go with the Tod Mun.

Emma's easy oven-baked macaroni

Emma wanted a recipe with only 5 ingredients (salt is not included, luckily!)

So I wrote one up quickly, and she surprised her parents by cooking.  Apparently, it was good. (Picture coming soon!)  My baby liked it, too, when I made a less salty version of it - so it's also an easy thing to get the little fellows to eat!

Ingredients:

250 g macaroni
3 tomatoes
200 g brocoli
100 g philadelphia cream cheese (I recommend a flavoured one like garlic and chive, or herbs - I used tofutti garlic and chive flavoured soy-based creamcheese, but it's your call!)
100 g 'grate-able' cheese (I used an edam-flavoured soy cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees.
2. Boil macaroni in plenty of water and oil.
3. Dice tomatoes and put them in a pan.  Add a teaspoon of salt and let simmer for some minutes.
4. Chop broccoli fine and add to tomato.  Take off heat.
5. When macaroni is done, drain water.
6. Add cream cheese and tomato-broccoli sauce to macaroni.
7. Grate cheese evenly on top.
8. Place in oven for around 40 minutes, or until the grated cheese is slightly brown.

Was that easy or what?  I garnished mine with some basil leaves :)