Thai Noodle Salad

Now, KitchenAid, you are wonderful. I love you, I can’t live without your stand mixer. And I want to have your everything! But YOU ARE NOT PERFECT.

I’m such a dumb who can’t even manage to use your can-opener for one single time. Always stuck in the middle of the can top circle, I can never have a smooth cut. And the dumbest of the dumb was I used my bare hand to finish the thing off. I got cut. So deeply that I was not able to cook for days.

YOU ARE NOT PERFECT. But I love you.

I’m now just posting what I have in my archive.

(Serve 4-6)

Ingredients:

For Dressing:

1 cup honey

1 whole red pepper, seed removed

3 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp hot pepper paste

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp oyster sauce

For Noodle:

1/2 lb capellin noodle or spaghettini, cooked and cooled under cold water, drained

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 red pepper, finely sliced

4 green onion, cut thinly on the diagonal

1/2 cup Italian Parsley, coarsely chopped

Directions:

To prepare dressing, combine honey, red pepper, garlic, hot pepper paste and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the red peppers are pureed. Add lemon juice, vinegar and oyster sauce, stir well and set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat in a small skillet, and cook garlic just until it is fragrant and begins to brown, about 1 min. Remove from the heat and cool completely. 

In a large bowl, toss cooled pasta with garlic and oil. Add red pepper, green onion and parsley. Toss with enough dressing to coat and chill before serving.

Chicken Stew

I don’t have much to say about this dish, because it’s super dumb-free, but really tasty!

This is actually one of my inventions. Yes, I heard you, “Really? Such an easy recipe, you call it an invention?” Well, honestly, I didn’t plan to post it until my sister-in-law, who’s a huge fan of this dish, kept begging me to put it on my blog so that she can make it on her own.

Now, Keturah, if you ever try to make it, but ruin it. You are not eating in my house for the rest of your life!

(serves 6 persons)

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs
salt and freshly ground pepper to season

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced
5 tomatoes, diced

1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp tomato paste 

1 tbsp capers

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat oil on medium high heat in large sautee pan. Add the chicken (skin side down) and cook until browned on each side. Set aside.

Add onion, garlic and tomato, and cook for 10 mins. Stirring occasionally.

Add wine, cook for about 5 mins over medium heat.

Add broth, tomato paste, caper and rosemary. Mix well.

Put in chicken thighs. Cook until the juice bubbles. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 mins.

Serve with spaghetti or rice.

Ragu alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce)

Ragu! I just like the sound of this word! So exotic, so European!

One thing I love about this recipe is its flexibility. You can make a delicious stew with big cut of chunky meat, served with mashed potato or rice. With minced meat, you can make an amazing pasta sauce. Leftover sauce could be eaten on toast for lunch too!

I do recommend to make a large pot of sauce, it freezes really well.   

(serves 6)

Ingredients:

 2 tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 lb minced beef

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups white wine

4 tomatos, chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

a sprig of fresh rosemary

a small bunch of fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 cup cream

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

a bunch of fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Directions:
Heat oil in a large, heavy-based suacepan over medium heat. Add carrot, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins or until soft.

Add beef with pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 mins or until beef begins to brown. Add wine to deglaze the pan, and cook for 8 mins until most of the wine is evaporated.

Add in chopped tomato and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 mins until the liquid is much absorbed into the meat.

Pour in beef broth, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Put the lid on and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in cream and cheese. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pasta.

Linguine with White Wine Clam Sauce

Yes, my friends, I do still cook!!!!

I’ve been asked if I’m too busy with taking care of my son to cook. Of course not. We still need to eat. We still need to eat healthy, eat tasty, eat happy.

A couple weeks ago, my husband’s niece dug some really fresh and meaty giant clams from Victoria. Having been off from eating seafood for a long time (thanks for the pregnancy and breastfeeding), I went crazy with this pasta dish. I think both me and my husband had consumed at least 5 dozens in total.

Phe, please go again soon. I couldn’t have enough.

(serves 4, for my case, it serves 2)
Ingredients:
5 dozens clams
1/2 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, sliced
2 small shallot, sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 red pepper flakes
3/4 cup white wine
1 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 pound linguine

Directions:
Clean and scrub the slams. Discard any open ones.

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over low heat, sautee garlic and shallot until fragrant.

Turn up the heat to medium-high, add clams and wine. Cover the pan and steam the clams until they open, about 3 -5 mins. Shake the pan occasionally to help them cook.

Check the clams. Discard those unopened ones. Remove the clams to a side dish, cover to stay warm.

Add the herbs and reduce the wine by 1/3. When reduced, stir in the parsley and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, cook linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta, then toss the pasta with the sauce.

Divide the pasta between individual dinner plates. Arrange the clams around each plate and serve with an additional fresh parsley on top for garnish.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

It’s been a while since last time I posted on my blog. But I do keep browsing other blogs……just to keep myself in the cooking mode.

Well, though my baby is still a baby (5 months old), I’ve already been imagining cooking his favorite food for him, making cookies/cupcakes with him; been wondering how he likes his mama’s cooking; will he be an eat-in boy……Apparently it’s way too early to plan cooking for my boy since he’s just started eating solid weeks ago. It’s just fascinating to even think about it, especially when you love to cook.

One thing I’m sure my boy would love to eat is spaghetti and meatballs. Which kid doesn’t love spaghetti and meatballs?! It’s such an universally loved dish that no kid (even adult) would ever resist. I always make a big batch of meatballs, and keep some frozen in the fridge……just in case we need a quick-fix dinner.

(serves 6, about 30 meatballs)
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 eggs
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups home-made tomato sauce(or 1 can tomato sauce)
2 tbsp ketchup
1 1/2 lb spaghetti

Directions:
Mix by hand in a large bowl all ingredients, except the last four.

Shape into 1 inch meatballs. Roll and compress tight.

Heat frying pan on high heat. Add olive oil. Brown meatballs on all sides, about 2 mins. Do not overcrowd the pan. You may need to cook them in 2 batches.

Add tomato sauce and ketchup. Gently stir the meatballs. Simmer for 20 mins.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season water with salt, and cook spaghetti for 8-10 mins until al dente.

To serve, put plain pasta on a plate, top with meatballs and sauce, and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

Basil Pesto Linguine with Mushroom and Fish Fillet

Summer is ending soon. It’s time to “keep good storage” of the home-grown basil. What would be the better way than turning these fragrant buddies into a big jag of pesto – perfect staple for a quick pasta dinner.

(serves 2)
Ingredients:
For Basil Pesto (I made a big jar and keep it in fridge):
6 cups fresh basil leaves
4 cup virgin olive oil
1 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
6 cloves garlic
3 tsp salt and pepper
3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

For Pasta:
1/2 lb linguine
3 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
10 wild mushrooms, sliced
1 whole fish fillet (any white fish), seasoned both side with salt and pepper
1 tsp freshly chopped thyme and oregano

Directions:
Blend all pesto ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor until almost (but not entirely) smooth. Scrape down the side of the container, and stream oil into the food processor while blending until just to mix.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 mins. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.

In a sauce pan, sautee garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Lightly pan-fry fish, 2 mins per side. Add white wine, let it simmer for another 2 mins.

Add pasta in sauce pan with pasta water, 2 tbsp pesto and mushrooms. Toss frequently to shatter the fish. When mushrooms are cooked, add herbs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Stuffed Pasta Shells with Ground Beef and Mushroom

Long weekend came up. Finally I’m able to relieve myself a bit from my new busy work, and free myself to stay in kitchen to relax and cook. Afterall I would rather being trapped in the kitchen all day instead of the office!

My husband loves stuff pasta. His favorite is cannelloni with ricotta and spinach. The other day we went grocery shopping, and found those jumbo pasta shells so adoring. They just reminded me of how Giada made this pasta on “Everyday Italian”, so I’ve decided to try those instead.

Usually pasta is our quick meal. But you have to invest a bit more time on this dish as stuffing really takes a day. Well, maybe half for others because I made quite a lot to pack lunch for work.

(serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
For Stuff Pasta Shell:
30 jumbo pasta shells (I used half of a 500g box)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic clove, minced
1 pound ground mince
1/2 pound mushroom, cleaned and diced
salt and pepper to taste

500g ricotta cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

For Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 roma tomatoes
1 cup red wine
2 dried bay leave
Fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tbsp of red pepper flake (optional if you don’t like it hot)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 5 mins. Drain.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and starting to brown, about 3 mins. Add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the meat is lightly golden and cooked through. Add the mushroom and stir to combine, about 2 mins. Remove from the heat and let cool.

For the tomato sauce, in a large casserole pot, heat oil. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and red wine, simmer uncovered on low heat for an hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce. Let cool completely. (You can make more, store sauce in a glass jar and put it in fridge for future use)

 

In another large bowl, combine the cooled beef mixture with ricotta and Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, salt and pepper.

Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1 cup of tomato sauce. Hold a shell in your palm and stuff it with a large spoonful of beef mixture, about 2 tbsp per shell. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full. Drizzle the remaining tomato sauce over the shells and top with the grated mozzarella. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 25 mins.

Mushroom Lasagna

Summer is on officially, yeah! 23°C with sizzling sunshine made me crave for a glass of chilled white wine, while my husband craved for lasagna strangely.

I used to make beef lasagna with tomato sauce, but a white sauce dish seemed to be a better match with white wine. Here I came up with a light lasagna with mushrooms.

(serves 6)
Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodle
1 pound wild mushroom (whatever type’s available), sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
3 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tbsp thyme, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
4 cups whole milk, hot
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt and pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup ground parmesan
1 cup shredded mozzarella
4 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.

Cook lasagna noodles for 10 minutes in a large pot of boiled salted water. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil, add garlic and onions and saute 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, parsley and thyme, saute 5 minutes. Stir in wine. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter, add flour and cook for 1 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the mixture all at once. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg, stir for 3 minutes until thick. Set aside off the heat.

In bottom of 12″ x 8″ baking dish, spread some sauce followed by 1/3 of the noodles, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat 2 more times. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is brown, and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.

Salami Ricotta Ravioli with Mushroom

I love deli meat, especially salami. It goes perfectly tasty with grilled cheese sandwich.

My mom-in-law gave me a batch after her office party, yeah!!! But I didn’t want them to spoil before I could finish them, so I made a whole lot of ravioli by using salami and keep them in freezer.

(makes around 30 raviolis)
Ravioli Ingredients:
1 package frozen wonton wrappers (sit in room temperature for 10 minutes, easy to peel off piece by piece)
500 gm ricotta cheese
200 gm salami, chopped
2 egg yolks
pinch of salt and pepper
fresh thyme and oregano

Sauce Ingredients:
2 cups mushroom (choose your preference), sliced
1/4 stick unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of salt and pepper
fresh thyme and oregano

Directions:
Mix ravioli ingredients

Scoop 1 tsp of ravioli filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Brush the wrapper edge light with water. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half, enclosing the filling to form a triangle. Repeat with the remaining filing. (Uncooked ravioli can be refrigerated in the freezer for future use)

Melt the butter, add herbs and garlic. Stir in mushroom and sautee until mushroom softened. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. About 5 minutes.

Plate the ravioli, pour the mushroom sauce over. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the ravioli and serve.