Spaghetti Vongole

Sorry for the month long "absence". I have been cooking but just so busy to post anything up. HIM has been away for work for 3 weeks. Miss cooking for HIM and by missing HIM I have lined up lots of stuffs to cook for HIM. Anyway I am going to share a receipe I found the recipe online and it is soo good!

The fresh juicy sweet taste of the clams is just heaven. Pity I didin't make some garlic bread to go with it. It would haven been perfect. I made for HIM and he finds it refreshing for a change from the usual tomato & cream base.



Spaghetti Vongole ( adapted from www.laurainthekitchen.com  )

( serves 2-3 )


Ingredients:

1 lb of Manilla or Little Neck Clams.
½ lb of Linguini
2 to 3 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic, sliced
Pinch of Hot Pepper Flakes
¼ Cup of White Wine
1 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Parsley
1 Tbsp of Butter
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Methods:
 

1. Scrub the clams very, very well under cold running water with a stiff brush. Place the clams in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let the clams soak for about 30 minutes.

2.Fill a large pot with water, sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt and bring it to a boil.

3. In a medium pot, add the clams. Add water to cover the clams and bring to boil. Cook just until the clams open. Remove clams from the water and set aside. Line a strainer with 2 coffee filters or cheesecloth, and ladle through ¾ of the clam juice making sure not to ladle any of it from the bottom of the pot, (sand sinks to the bottom and we want to avoid getting any sand in the sauce). Reserve ½ cup and store the rest into a container and store in the freezer. (This clam juice is a fantastic base for any kind of seafood sauce or seafood stew or just about anything seafood)

4. In a large sauté pan with high sides over medium high heat, sauté` the garlic in the olive oil until fragrant and lightly browned.

5. Add the hot pepper flakes and cook for 30 more seconds. Add the wine and clam juice and cook for a couple minutes.

6. Add the clams and butter to the wine mixture. Cover and cook for about a minute wile you drain your linguine.

7. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Add the pasta and toss well to combine. Tumble the pasta onto a large plate and enjoy!

 

 

Thai Pork Panang Curry

I'm not used to spicy dishes since young. Mom has never tried to "train" our tongue by cooking spicy food and even if she does it will taste mild instead of fiery. As I grew up, I'm able to adapt to a middle range spiciness though chili padi is still a no-no for me. Unfortunately I am with a man now whom has grew up eating spicy fiery dishes since young. His mom is a superb cook and her dishes is delicious not to mentioned very spicy too! At times I sniffle through a dish when the spiciness becomes overwhelmed. ( it happens all the time when I have something more spicier than usual )

Anyway, I craved for Thai curries recently and try to make green curry which turns out to be a hit!  ( Promise to post it the next time I make it ) So I decided to make another curry dish and I went over to Tesco to get a ready made Panang curry paste. Luckily the spiciness is not too much for me and turns out just nice. Thank God for these ready made paste cos it saves you ample of time from cleaning the blender and getting raw spices for the curry which some can be hard to find.



Thai Pork Panang Curry

( serves 3-4 )


 
                  



Ingredients:

500gm of sliced pork loin ( i used pork instead of beef )
1 packet of Panang curry paste ( i used Mae Pranom Brand )
100g coconut milk
1 tbsp of brown sugar ( or more according to your taste )
1tbsp of fish sauce
1 tbsp of shredded kaffir lime leaves
1 red chili ( removed seed & sliced )
2/4 cup of water



Methods:

Heat up 50g of  coconut in the pot and Panang paste until oil appears on top.
Add pork and stir-fry till cook. Fill the remaining 50g coconut milk & 2/4 cup of water, boil to cook
and simmer until tender.
Add 1 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tbsp of brown sugar or more as prefer.
Put shredded kaffir lime leaves and sliced chilies and leave it to boil after stir well.
Serve with rice.


                   



Stir Fry Tomato Eggs

I was swarming around the vege stall this morning at the market wondering what vege to cook this time. I usually make sure I have a balance diet of a meat and vege dish daily and sometimes seafood if it is a good deal.Was about to grab a bunch of spinach when tomatoes caught my eye and I realised I have 2 big juicy tomatoes I purchased a few days ago at Tesco for my mango salsa in the fridge which I did not managed to make. But what do I cook it with? How about stir fry it with eggs? What do you know, it is simple to make & yummy too! I am making the dry version without gravy.


Stir Fry Tomato Eggs

(serves 3 )

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

2 medium size tomatoes ( removed seed and cut into cubes )

2 tbsp oil

A pinch of salt & grind black pepper for taste

Methods:

Heat up oil. Add tomatoes with salt and grind pepper

Stir fry for about 1min and add beaten eggs.

Mix egg and tomatoes well and stir fry till cook. Dish up

 

Easy Bizzy Carrot Cake

The header says it all.. I'm not into baking nor loves eating cakes except crepe, cheese but for some reason I made it just to test how far does my culinary skills goes. Nevertheless I still prefer cooking than baking. So enough with my blah blah on a lazy Saturday morning.. I walked into the baking stall a few days ago located at Fettes Park Market which sells quite a bit of premix recipes for cakes, muffins, brownies, cupcakes and raw Chinese sweet savories as well.

I have bought a few types of premix to try before and the most hit I've got was the chocolate moist cake which is a fav of bf mom. I added rum as an extra oomph ingredients and it taste as how a rum chocolate cake should be. Rummylicious!! This time I wan try to do carrot cake though I have done it before but not as often as the chocolate cake.

Easy Bizzy Carrot Cake

( serves as many as you can )

Ingredients:

4 eggs ( I used large size eggs )

180ml corn oil

1tsp vanilla essense

160gm grated carrot

100gm walnut ( u can get it at any baking shop )

100gm golden raisin ( I used black raisin )

 

 

Methods:

Beat eggs & sugar in the mixer till white & fluffy. Then add corn oil & vanilla essense 

Sieve in the premix flour and mix well

Add grated carrot, walnut and golden raisin. 

(You can break the walnut into small pieces if you find it too big)

Place a piece of baking sheet on the bottom of the baking tray

Pour batter into a 8"x 8" tray and bake at 180°C  or 50 min

Jamaican, Chinese & Japanese Dishes

On Wednesday I had a buka puasa feast with old colleagues from Equatorial Hotel at Hotel Royal. Buffet style at RM45nett per person which is special price quoted by the Hotel GM. Food wise in terms of taste & choices is just so-so but then that does not matter. The company of old colleagues and the laughter we had throughout the evening make up to it. : )

So tired by the time the dinner was over which is why I gonna do a late post:


Stir-Fry Chayote with Oyster Sauce & Prawns

( serves 3-4 )

Chayote

Ingredients:

1 medium size chayote ( cut into medium slices )
5 inch of carrot sliced thinly
6-8 pcs of prawns
1 tsp of minced garlic
2 tbsp of oil
1 tbsp osyter sauce
Salt & sugar to taste
Half a cup of water ( enough to cover the chayote while simmering )

Methods:

Heat up the oil in the wok. Add in the garlic and the prawns.
Saute for a while, then add chayote, carrot and oyster sauce.
Stir thoroughly and add water.
Cover the wok and allow it to simmer in medium fire till soft.
Lastly add salt and sugar to taste and dish.

 Garlic Teriyaki Pork Slice with Straw Mushroom & Capsicum

 ( serves 4 )


Ingredients:

500gm of pork loin with no fat
1 medium size capsicum sliced
1 small onion
1 tsp of minced garlic
6 pcs of medium size straw mushroom sliced
2 tbsp of oil
1 tbsp of brown sugar to taste
5 tbsp of water
1 stalk of spring onions chopped in short length

Marinade:

1/2 tsp of baking soda ( this is to soften the pork texture before frying )
4 tbsp of garlic teriyaki sauce ( marinade it for 15min before frying )


Methods:

Heat up the wok and add the garlic, onion and mushroom
Saute till fragrant, then add the pork and stir thoroughly with the rest of the vegetables.
Add water and brown sugar to taste and let it simmer for a minute or till pork is cook.
Lastly add spring onion and dish.

Mushroom Aglio Olio with Roast Jerk Chicken

( serves 3 )

 Ingredients:

Mushroom Aglio Olio

1 large bunch of spaghetti
3 pcs of dried chilies soak till soft and cut into pieces
2 cloves of garlic sliced
5 pcs of fresh abalone mushroom sliced
1 tsp salt 
Crush black pepper to taste


Methods:

Boil half a pot of water for the spaghetti. Add a tsp of salt when boiling the spaghetti for about 7min
Once the spaghetti is cook, drain the spaghetti and put aside.
Heat up olive oil in pan and add the chilies and garlic sliced. Saute till fragrant.
Add the mushroom and stir for about 1 -2 min in medium fire. Once done, off the fire and pour the oil into the spaghetti and toss it thoroughly. Add crushed black pepper to taste.

Roast Jerk Chicken

9 pcs of medium size cut chicken
1/2 tsp of honey
A small pinch of salt to taste
1 tbsp of Walkerswood Jerk Marinade sauce
( not sure if you can get this locally as this is a gift from a friend )

Methods:

Wash the chicken pieces and remove all fats intact and pat dry
Add 1 tbsp of jerk marinade and leave it overnight. (keep it refrigerated)
Preheat oven at 250'c for half and hour.
Take the chicken out from the fridge and add 1/2 tsp of honey to the chicken.
Mix to give the chicken a mild sweet taste. (As the marinade is hot & spicy we do not want more than 1/2 tsp honey to overwhelm the original taste) and a small pinch of salt before putting the chicken to roast.

Hellooo Again...After 2 Years...

I have abandoned this blog for quite some time now.. I know that I have not make time to write or post something,but now I decided that I have too much of unfinished tasks which need my attention. One of them is this blog. So, I'm gonna make sure this happen.

A lot of things has been going on during this 2 years. I came back from S'pore for good         ( but now aching to leave this beautiful island to seek better $$$ : p ) I'm happily in love with a man whom soon and I hope will be THE guy that I would spend my whole life with. I got a job now similar to what I am doing before which is customer service but in marina line. At least, my current customer does not shout or throw stuffs when they don't get what they want. What a relief and I don't missed that part of hotel line.

What I really missed while in S'pore was cooking. When I got back, I start polishing my culinary skills and boy! I really need lots of practise. But anyway, I got my groove back and on track again. My bf become my guinea pig, not that he mind! Anyway it is always good able to cook cos the food outside is not as healthy and clean as what how you made it. And save cost too! So I decided I'm gonna create a cooking blog and post every dishes that I cook daily which is super simple to make.

I present to you my first dish:

Wolf berries Leaves Soup

( serves 4 )

1 bunch of wolf berries leaves ( It's sold in most wet markets and it has long thorny stems )

5 piece of fresh abalone mushrooms sliced

1 tbs of wolf berries / no pre soak required

1 tbs of dried prawns ( washed )

1 tbs of dried anchovies

3 cloves of sliced garlic

1/2 cube of Maggi Ikan Bilis stock for taste

Method:

Put half pot of water to boil. When the water is boiling, put in the garlic, dried anchovies & dried prawns.

Boil it in small fire for about 10min till it smells.

Add the leaves and simmer the soup for about 10min before adding in the Ikan Billis stock to taste.

Do not simmer more than that as the leaves cooks quickly.

Lastly add the wolf berries and Do Not close the pot with the pot cover as it will change the leaves color to yellow.

Simmering the wolf berries in the soup is not required as it will turn soft once it is soak in the soup.

Serve with white rice.

Stir Fry Luncheon Meat with Potatoes

 ( serves 4 )

1 can of luncheon meat ( 198gm ) cut into cubes

2 medium size potatoes cut into cubes

1 small onion

1 tsp of chopped garlic

2 tbs of peanut oil

Sauce:

1 tsp of oyster sauce

3 tbs of light soy sauce

1/2 tsp of sugar to taste

half a cup of water

Method:

Heat up the oil in the wok. Once oil is heated up, put the potatoes into the wok and pan fry the potatoes for a minute before close it with a wok cover. This is to soften the potato texture. Do this in medium fire for about 5-7min. Once it is soft, add in the onion and mince garlic and stir fry till it is fragrant.

Then add the luncheon meat followed by the sauce mixture and let it simmer for about 5min before removing it from the stove. Do not let the luncheon meat simmer too long as the meat texture will become soggy.

Serve with white rice

In Cloud Nine

I finally found it....and it's worth it... I'm in love......