Jack's Place again and more recipes!

I ate the Brownie with Ice Cream at the Ang Mo Kio branch. It was as good as the one at Serangoon Gardens's Country Manna. The different temperatures of the brownie and the vanilla ice cream contrasted wonderfully when put together in the mouth. The portions were small enough for me and the brownie was not too sweet. There was a sprinkling of chopped nuts on top too.

I tried the Grilled Boneless Chicken Chop at Jack's and the impressive bit about it is the amount of skin that comes with it. There is very little and just a thin layer of it, with lots of meat. It reflects the choice of meat that the restaurant makes when purchasing supplies for the kitchen.

Spaghetti with Herb and Tomato
(Makes 4 servings)

1 lb spaghetti
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
a handful of freshly chopped herbs, such as basil and italian parsley
breadcrumbs, lightly toasted
parmesan cheese

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al-dente.
While pasta is cooking, preheat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add white wine and diced tomatoes, and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until tomatoes begin to break down. Stir in chopped herbs and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Drain pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Add pasta to sauce pan and stir until well coated, adding a bit of reserved pasta water if necessary.
Plate and top with a few tablespoons of toasted breadcrumbs, a sprinkle of parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.
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Mango & Avocado Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
(Makes 2-3 servings)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 seedless cucumber, cut into matchsticks
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 avocado, sliced and tossed with lime juice
1 cup lettuce, shredded
fresh basil, chopped
fresh cilantro, chopped
1 package cellophane noodles
Rice paper wrappers

Directions
Cook cellophane noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cool water and let drain. Toss with rice vinegar and sugar, set aside.
Soften a rice wrapper in hot water. Arrange a small amount of noodles and other filling items on wrapper, and gently roll. Repeat with remaining wrappers until filling ingredients are gone. Slice carefully with serrated knife on a bias. Drizzle (or dip in) peanut sauce, and serve.
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Vegetable Fajitas
(Serves 2 to 3)

Onion - 1, medium size , Sliced thinly
Red Bell Pepper - 1/2, seeded and flesh sliced thinly
Green Bell Pepper - 1/2, seeded and flesh sliced thinly
Yellow Bell Pepper - 1/2, seeded and flesh sliced thinly
Mushrooms - 8 ounces, sliced
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
Zucchini - 1/2, cut into 2 inch strips
Canola oil - 3 tsp
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method
Mix oil, chilli powder, cumin powder, salt and vegetables. Marinade for 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
Heat a wok and fry vegetable on high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the mushrooms and vegetables are just tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the filling onto each tortilla and roll up. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

To serve - 4 to 6 wheat or flour tortillas, cilantro, lime wedges and gaucamole.
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Grilled eggplant

10 Japanese eggplants (aubergines), halved lengthwise

olive oil

juice of a large lemon

sea salt

1 long red chilli, seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, very finely chopped

1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked and chopped

feta cheese

Warm a ridged grill pan over low to moderate heat. Once it is warm, brush with oil. Place eggplant halves, cut side down, on the pan, and leave to cook for 5 minutes or so, until the skin on the upper side has changed colour from purple-black to chestnut brown, and the cut side is striped black or dark brown. Turn the eggplants on to their skin side at this stage, and leave to cook for another 4 or 5 minutes, until the skin side is striped, and the body of the eggplant is floppy and much thinner than it was before cooking - you can really tell that they collapse internally when done. All the cooking times will vary by how hot your stove is - go by the appearance of the eggplant, rather than by the minutes given here, because if they're underdone they'll be rubbery. Don't worry if the eggplants look dry as they cook - they will soak up the dressing and be fine.

Have a largish bowl ready to the side containing the lemon juice, a tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, the chilli and garlic, whisked briefly together. As the eggplants come off the grill, put them in this dish and toss them with the dressing.

Once all the eggplants are cooked and dressed, add the mint to the bowl and toss again. Crumble feta cheese over before serving. They are great warm, but could be left to sit and then eaten at room temperature.