Linguini Pasta with Clams

Since it's our first time to cook pasta with clam, I adapted Gordon Ramsay's recipe to avoid disaster. Not exactly the same because I will not forget about my lovely chillies & parsleys!

Serve 2

Ingredients:
A dozen of white clams
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g Linguini Pasta

2 tbsp olive oil
3 fat garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, sliced
75ml dry white wine
4 basil leaves
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

How to clean clams?

As usual, when we bought the clams from supermarket, they were still alive & kicking....So to clean them up, we used water with lots of salt to imitate sea water, put them all inside, and let them 'dream' in it.

After 5-8 mins, we found that they were opening up their big jaws.... bubbling! My mom said this part is important because they would throw out all the sands, salt, or whatever dirties inside their mouths. Once they have done so, they are ready to be cooked!

For those did not open their big mouths, normally they were dead, which means they are not good for cooking. Understand? ;)

Instructions:

1.Heat a large pan and add the olive oil. Tip in the garlic, shallot, chilli and sauté for a few minutes until soft, do not get any colour on these or burn them. Add the clams and pour in the wine, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, or else, your clams will not be cooked.

2.Shake the pan and leave to steam for 5 minutes until the clams have opened, adding the basil leaves to the pan half way through.
3.Tip the clams into a colander set over a large clean bowl. Discard any that have not opened. Pour the clam juices back into the pan and boil for a few minutes until thickened slightly. Throw in the parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Clams are naturally salty so you may find that you only need pepper. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for the pasta. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for 2-3 minutes until al dente.
4.Drain the pasta thoroughly. Immediately add to the sauce and toss to coat. Return the clams to the pan and toss again. Divide between warm plates and serve immediately.

It's fun cooking pasta this way. :)

Tiramisu - a Heavenly Dessert

Tiramisu makes a heavenly dessert but it is undoubtedly very rich and indulgent. I have been dreaming of making Tiramisu one day. As you can see, my dream has come true.

To find all the ingredients needed to make a decent Tiramisu is never an easy job. Especially to look for the special cheese to make Tiramisu. We went to NTUC Finest at Bukit Timah because we thought that it is so big, so fine (finest what!) , definitely we could find all the ingredients. However, it was a BIG NO! We almost resorted to get a substitute but we gave ourselves another chance, tried again at the Cold Storage just opposite the road and ......Yes! Eventually! Finally! I got to see what mascarpone cheese is, the main ingredient.

So we finally got together all the ingredients and took this photo:

INGREDIENTS:
Serve 4

100 ml pure cream

4 tbsp Castor sugar

250g mascarpone

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp Masarla (or brandy or Tia Maria) –

150ml strong coffee or espresso, chilled it before mixing

14 ladyfingers (savoiardi)Chocolate Crunchie – chopped Dark chocolateCocoa powder

Instructions:

* Whisk mascarpone cheese with vanilla extract, then mix with 50ml coffee and masala, put aside

* Whisk pure cream with sugar

* Mix them all together, put aside

* Dip ladyfinger, one by one QUICKLY in the chilled coffee liquid and take out, it should be soft on the outside, but still dry in the inside.

* Lay the labyfinger into a glass, one by one, break them into two if need be. * scope in a layer of cream mixture

* Lay another layer of labyfinger, then follow by another layer of cream mixture.

* until the glass 80% full, sprinkle with cocoa powder and dark chochalate.

Done!

The outcome:

I suppose vanilla extract is also hard to find, not to mention the real vanilla bean. May be someone can tell me where to find the vanilla bean? Please!

The usual one used in cake shop is vanilla essence which is about $1++ per bottle. But Vanilla extract is about $4. See the difference? It is because the vanilla essence is synthesized and not made from real vanilla bean. Those commonly found in heartland shops are vanilla essence which are not comparable to vanilla extract.

The rule of thumb: don't save money when buying herbs and spices. Always buy the real, fresh ones. If possible, go for vanilla bean! But I do not know where to find still....

NOTES:

• Always use chilled coffee liquid to dip in ladyfingers.
• Do not soak ladyfingers until it's totally soaked, or else the tiramisu will taste like soaky cake instead.

******************************

I tried to make Tiramisu again the week after, substituted the sherry wine with hard core Masala because I think that something is missing. I also used pure cream instead of double cream because it's a bit creamy. The result is, it really taste better with Masala! But it's much more expensive than the sherry wine. But who cares... as you really get more than what you pay.

Since the Masala is so expensive, I better go to research for more recipe to do with it!

Portuguese Fish Stew & Rustic Garlic Bread

We adapted Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence and JoAnn Cianciulli, instead of using the kele they mentioned, we used Chinese Kailan because we couldn't find it here in Singapore!

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. 2 medium onions, chopped
3. 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped - I love garlic!
4. 1 pound chorizo sausage, sliced in chunks
5. 5 sprigs fresh thyme
6. 1 handful fresh oregano, hand torn
7. 1 bay leave
8. 2 medium potatoes, sliced
9. 1.5L chicken broth
10. 1 pound Chinese kailan, chopped
11. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
12. 16 white clams, scrubbed 1/2 pound perch
13. Sea Bass fish fillets, skin and pin bones removed
14. 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
    

Instruction:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium flame. Add the onions, garlic, and sausage; cook, stirring with wooden spoon, until the sausage renders out some of its fat and the onions are soft.
2. Toss in the herbs and then the potatoes, stir that around for a minute to coat in the oil. Pour in the chicken broth and bring up to a simmer.
3. Add the kailan, season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Uncover the pot and add the clams; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes until the clams open.


5. Add the fish and continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until the fish is cooked.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley.
7. Ladle the stew into shallow bowls and serve with Rustic Garlic Bread for dunking.
   

Note: I find it unhealthy to cook the kailan all the way till browny. So next time if I cook this recipe again, I will only throw in the vegetables in the later part. :)

Rustic Garlic Bread:

1. 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 4 fresh oregano sprigs, leaves stripped off the stem
2. 4 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped off the stem
3. 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
4. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5. salt and freshly ground black pepper
6. 1 large loaf Batard bread

Instruction:

Combine the garlic and herbs in a bowl. Pour in the oil, season with salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients together with a spoon.

Cut a slit down the middle of the loaf of bread, pour the garlic oil into the pocket, pressing with the back of a spoon to get the flavors into the bread. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.

Roast the garlic bread on a grill or bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes until the outside is nice and crusty. Hand tear into pieces for serving.

Done!

Chinese Braised Mushroom with Sea Cucumber

I realise that when I cook mushroom with some Chinese wine, such as Shaw Xing Jiu （绍兴酒）and sliced ginger, it definitely tastes nicer!

This dish is quick and easy, it can be prepared within 30 mins.

Here is how:

1. Cut mushroom into slices (mushrooms have been soaked in water with sugar overnight to reduce its hardness)


2. Save some mushroom water with sugar as well for later use


3. Cut the sea cucumber into chunks like shown above. They are mainly 2 types of sea cucumber in the market, I bought the premium ones because of its chewiness and stronger taste.


4. Cut ginger into slices


5. Finely chop some garlic, depends of how much you like


6. In medium high heat, fry the ginger and garlic until slightly brown, you should be able to smell their aroma when it's ready


7. Put in mushroom and sea cucumber together into the pan, let it simmer with mushroom water for 1 min, add in more water with corn starch.


8. Add in wine, oyster sauce and soy sauce to taste.


9. Simmer for about 10 mins.


10. Done!

This was my Friday dinner!

Tip to note: Ginger is the best friend of seafood!

Fresh ginger should be peeled before using to cook. For storage, the ginger should be wrapped tightly in a towel and placed in a plastic bag, and can be stored in a refrigerator for about three weeks and up to three months if storing in a freezer.

Simmered Pumpkin with Minced Pork

When cooking pumpkin, it is important to make sure that simmer it sufficiently until it is totally softened and melted in mouth when eating.

For this pumpkin, I use minced pork to bring out its best fragrance. I marinated the minced pork with Chinese five spices, salt and white pepper. Then, fry the minced meat with oil until brown, put in the pumpkin and water to simmer. Personally, I do not like dishes in yellow black, so I did not add in black soy sauce.

Before finish cooking, just add in a bit of sliced chili for garnishing.

Try to cook pumpkin together with seeds because of its nutrition benefits. Pumpkin seeds have many health benefits, some of which include a good source of protein, zinc and other vitamins, and are even said to lower cholesterol. One gram of pumpkin seed protein contains as much amino acid as a full glass of milk!

Amazing. So don't throw these seeds away!

Sweet Potato Congee

Sweet potatoes congee was popular during the old days. My grandmother and mother used to serve this on the dining table when I came back from school or after running around in my kampong like chicken little. During that time, we were very poor and always did not have enough money to buy chicken or fish. Thus, this dish had become the alternative that could kill my hunger and yet quite tasty. In addition, it's cheap because we could just dig out the sweet potatoes behind my house and serve for dinner! Children could easily finish this up because of its sweetness and just eat plain without any other dish.

Thing to note though, when served once or twice is fine, but being served over a period of time, your stomache can be quite upset. I could get constipation easily after 2-3 meals or worse, farting all the way to and fro school because of its rich fibre!

Forget about the old days, today, I made this congee because I was sick and am still sick. So I made this to myself and cy to cool down my body so that I can still go to work. It's very simple, just use the rice cooker or slow cooker, put everything inside and wait for about 1 hour. It's done.

I served this with sir fry vegetable.

Everytime when I eat this congee, it always reminds me of the old days. It makes me feel that I am very lucky to have the opportunity to taste so many different food and have the freedom to choose what to eat. Such a reminder is essential so that I am always grateful that I have so many things that I wanted and I am still alive and kicking!

Fried Rice with Mixed Vege

4 Servings

Ingredient:
4 bowl of cooked rice (cook and keep in the fridge overnight)
Mixed vege - 1 big bowl
Nasi Goreng paste - 1 small pack, can buy from supermarket
Salt and Soy sauce to taste
Some leftover alfalfa from yesterday sandwich
Dark soy sauce for colouring
2 tomatoes, cut into slices
Alfalfa with salad cream
1 tbs Sesame oil & 3 tbs olive oil
1 big onion and 1 garlic, finely chopped
fried bacon (optional)

I use a 1 tsp of this (Ayam Chicken Stock Granule) to fry onions and garlic:

Instructions:

1. fry mixed vege without oil to drain water, stir in nasi goreng paste, continue frying for abt 2 mins, take out and put aside
2. medium heat, fry onions and garlic with olive oil and sesame oil, until it caramelised or slightly brown, add in a pinch of salt
3. put in rice, stir it until even, add a dash of soy sauce and dark soy sauce for colouring, continue frying for 2 mins
4. add in mixed vege and fry together under medium high heat until even.
5. Taste and add soy sauce when needed.
   

It's very shiok! Because we don't want to waste our effort, we prepared for 4 servings instead, keep some for tonight's dinner. So tonight's dinner is prepared. No worries!

Mushroom Mixed Vege

Ingredients:

1. Mushroom, cut into slices
   
2. Mixed vegetables (about 1 cup)
   
3. Carrot, cut into strips
   
4. Onions and garlic


5. Olive oil
   
6. Dark soy sauce for colour
   
7. Soy sauce & oyster sauce
   
8. Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Medium heat for heating the olive oil, when ready, fry mixed vegetable to drain water, put aside. (This is very important or else the mixed vegetables will become soggy)


2. Stir fry garlic and onions till slightly brown
   
3. Put in carrot, fry a bit
   
4. Put in mushroom, starch with water, soy sauce, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce
   
5. Simmer for about 10 minutes
   
6. Salt and pepper
   
7. Done! Easy!

Immune Booster - Mushrooms

Maitake and shiitake mushrooms are among the best sources of beta-glucan, which is known to stimulate the immune system. They also contain the protein lectin, which hinders cancer-cell growth.

Fish Fillet & Alfalfa Cheese Sandwich

People said that it's very difficult to make a fish sandwich. I beg to differ.

Here is a classic example on how to make a simple fish fillet sandwich, within 30 mins.


Ingredient:

1 fish fillet

Lemon & minced ginger

Alfalfa & sliced tomatoes

Cheese

1 cup of mayo

1 tb lemon juice

3 tbs horseradish

6 slices of whole grain bread

Rub fish fillet with lemon juice and ginger. Heat pan. Grill fish for 3 mins per side until it brown on each side. Grill bread to toast. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, horseradish. Spread the mixed sauce on grilled bread and top with fish fillet, alfalfa, sliced tomatoes, cheese and second slice of bread.

Done! It's one of the best sandwich I ever had! So simple, and yet so healthy & yummy!

I will prove to you why it is healthy.

I suppose most Asians like me, do not know what is Alfalfa. So I took a picture of it:

It tastes a bit like our Chinese bean sprout, but Alfalfa is one of the most nutritious foods known. Its calcium, chlorophyll, carotene, and vitamin K content make alfalfa an important nutritional supplement.

The high concentration of vitamin K found in whole alfalfa has beneficial effect on several forms of hemolytic disease and has antibacterial and antitumoral properties. Perhaps the most common modern use of alfalfas is in the treatment of symptomatic arthritis, diabetes, kidneys failures and so on.

So, after knowing its huge benefits, let's try some in your next meal!

Equinox High Tea

We went to Equinox last Monday before we could bring kids for our Centre's Year-end Outing to claim their 100 stars. We also want to make sure that it will become an unforgettable event for the kids so we decided to go there first by ourselves.

It is located at 70th floor of Swizz Hotel the Stamford, the highest restaurant in Singapore.

It turned out to be JUST .....OK.

I enjoyed the walnut pudding shown below, whereas cy enjoyed the ice cream shown above. Other than that, the sushi spread, fried rice, pasta, sandwiches, chocolate fondue were just ordinary.

I enjoyed myself by designing my own dessert as if I was cooking in my own kitchen. It was quite fun. See the arrangement below?

This consisted of chocolate cheese and yellow cheese only, but I put extra garnishing together and took this photo.

Nice to see, nice to eat!

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the outing very much and look forward to bring kids there! I am sure that they will be thrilled by standing top on 70th floor and will enjoy the food with us!

Capsicum Pineapple and Mushroom Pizza

As you can see from these photos, we put a lot of toppings such as capsicum, tomatoes, ham and bacon, pineapples, fresh mushroom, etc. onto the pizza bread. In fact, we were a bit over the top.

Eventually, it tasted not as good as the previous one, but it's still tasted better than any pizzas from any takeaways, consoled me a bit.

Morale of the story?

Don't put too much toppings!

Mozzarella comes in two basic styles. Most regular mozzarella, which can be found in lowfat and nonfat forms in supermarkets, is factory produced. It has a semisoft, elastic texture and is drier and not as delicately flavored as its fresher counterpart. This style of mozzarella is best used for cooking and is popular for pizza because of its excellent melting qualities.

On the other hand, fresh mozzarella (see above), which is usually packaged in whey or water, is often labeled "Italian style." It's generally made from whole milk and has a much softer texture and a sweet, delicate flavor. You should try to use the wet version and see the difference yourself. After that, you will not even want to try the dry one!

Last but not least, the most expensive type called Mozzarella di bufala (also called simply buffalo mozzarella ) is the most prized of the fresh mozzarellas but I haven't have the chance to use it though. I do not know if I can find one in Singapore but if yes, will try to use it one day. :)

Grilled Fish & Mash Potatoes

I am a traditional Asian, so it never come across my mind to use paprika to fry fish fillet. But because I have bought a bottle of paprika for the previous Spanish rice with seafood, I have left one whole bottle of it, with little use. So I decided to follow cy's advice to fry some paprika, black pepper and salt with fish!

The result is not bad though. It gave a refreshing taste to the fish and killed all the smelly fish taste it normally has.

So please try to fry fish with paprika at home too!

The paprika that I bought:

Paella Espania

Simply Delicious!

This is definitely our pride! It's so tasty & Yummy! No regret!

We saw what Tyler Florence did in FOOD 911 and tried to follow his recipe. :) To get what you have in the photo is, choose all fresh ingredients and cook with Love~~ eeee.... Can you see the mussles? they are different from the normal ones because they were black in colour! See? Try to use black mussles instead because they can really jack-up the aroma and taste.

Serving 2
3 chicken thigh
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Spanish chorizo sausages
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, diced
2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
Pinch of paprika
1 cup of dry rice
16 saffron threads 6 cups warm stock or water
10 jumbo shrimp
1 dozen black mussels, cleaned
1/2 cup mixed vege, frozen and thawed
Capsicum, cut in strips

Direction:
Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry. Season all over with salt, black pepper, and oregano. Heat the oil in a paella pan or wide skillet.
Brown the chicken on all sides, when nearly cooked through, add the chorizo links and brown. Remove the chicken and sausage from the pan. Cut the sausages into slices and set aside. Drain out excess oil but don't clean the pan.
Make a base flavour by sauteing the garlic, onion, and tomatoes, cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Season with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Add the rice, stirring to coat the grains. Steep the saffron in 1/4-cup hot water for 5 minutes then stir it into the rice. Add the stock/water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks and absorbs evenly. Do not cover or constantly stir like risotto. Add the shellfish and the reserved chicken and sausage. Simmer, without stirring, until the rice is soft and the mussels have opened. (Do not eat any mussels that do not.) Scatter the mixed vege on top and continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed. The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat. Allow to rest off the heat for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with strips of capsicum.

Guessing what is Oregano? Here it is:
Oregano has very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese.

The dry oregano and the fresh oregano do have different flavours and tastes. Try to have some dry ones at home. Use it for pasta, lagsana, or fried mee.

And then....for some of you who do not know what is saffron. here it is:

Saffron is derived from the dried stigmas and tops of styles of Crocus sativus, which is indigenous to southern Europe and Asia Minor. It is in fact, the most expensive herb on earth.


It comes from the flower shown below. Look closely, it has only 3 sticks per flower so it's very expensive in that sense.

The one I bought costs me $11.00! But it's worth it because you can keep it for at least 2-3 years and use it for pasta, rice and even cakes. I will try some for cakes one day.

Mooncake Festival

White Chocolate Champagne mooncake from Raffles Hotel. Mouth watering....

While eating this, I hope that my mother can also enjoy mooncake soon. Hopefully next year, just a bit lar. For health reason, of course.

North Indian Lamb Curry

This is definitely one of my best curry experience.



I rushed back from my office around 830pm, still thinking to cook this or just skip this for another day, since I have all the instant mee needed in my kitchen. However, I eventually decided that we deserved a better meal after a long day hard work, so I quickily made a trip to HDB makmak stall down stair to buy the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks and all other ingredients, INDIVIDUALLY.....then the stall owner said:"Eh, ah moi, u know what...you can actually buy them all in one packet." My eyes were all popped out:"What the....!" So I bought a pack of all the required spices, with just $1.20.

And then in my kitchen, I still own these:
So much of them! I do not know when can I finish them all but I know, rest assure they will be in my kitchen for a very lo.........nngggggg time.

Nevermind the mistake, (which I bought for previous pineapple curry) I still cook with my pride. Here is the final outcome:

SERVES 2
500g lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into pieces
1/4 cup oil

All in one packet: (You can buy it in any makmak stall for a very cheap price tag. )
4 bay leaves
4 cardamom seeds
4 (2 inch) cinnamon sticks
4-6 whole cloves
5 star anise ( 八角）
1 1/2 large onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 carrot, cut into big pieces(optional)
salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
2 teaspoons garam masala (印度香料)
1 cup diced tomato (you can have more of these for thicker sauce paste)
1/3 cup plain yogurt (must-have ingredient!)

Heat oil in large pan; add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon stick , star anise and cloves.
When leaves begin to sizzle and fragrance starts to release, add onions and saute until light golden, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the ginger paste, garlic, and lamb.
Season the lamb with salt; continue cooking, stirring mix, for about 5 minutes more, adding a little water if necessary to keep food from sticking.
Add turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala; stir for 5 minutes, adding 2 tablespoons water.
Add diced tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then add 4 cups of water and simmer for 1hour, or until meat is getting tender.
Lower heat.
Whisk the yogurt with a fork; and add to the pot slowly.
Then cook another 30 mins until meat is done to your liking and sauce is thickened.
Serve with rice.
Tips: Cook till tender, leave overnight for better taste because the curry will settle down and seep into the lamb meat, makes it even tastier.

I cooked more than 2 servings of this, so I kept some for breakfast with cholesterol-free prata the next day!
See? So healthy we are. ;)

South Indian Vege Curry

This dish was totally cooked using the microwave because that morning, cy & I wanted to experience something different and stress-test our microwave and the microwave recipe that came together with it.

So we basically put everything, LITERALLY into a big bowl before going into the microwave, but must fry the onions first, lots of them:

My mistake was to cut the onions into long slices like above, which was not that nice in appearance. Luckily it turned out to be not bad! heuw....!

There you go.

Look not bad huh? It's for our lunch and dinner!

Soba with Seaweed Sauce

Japanese Soba with seedweed sauce. I love them! Same as Cy.

As you can see now, we simply love mushroom! We always find ways to put in extra ones to enjoy them. Yummy!

Olive Bread with Grilled Fish, Baby Batavia & Tomatos

This was our fantastic meal after a long day hard work....

It doesn't taste like Subway or Burger King kind of sandwich.

The magic? Horseradish sauce, grilled fish, basil leaves, parmesan cheese & toasted olive bread.

Simple, yet nice.

Horseradish Sauce
A mixture of horseradish, cider vinegar, mustard and mayonaise, this tangy sauce is perfect for sandwiches and salads. Westerners even use it for prime ribs and sometimes steak! This sauce is awesome~~