Simple & Delicious Salmon Pasta

Pasta - I don't know why kids love pasta so much. I love pasta for a different reason, it is easy & quick to cook. No problem in feeding the kids or rush them to eat their meal. They will just automatically slurp everything from the plate. They just enjoy doing it. I do appreciate the simplicity & unpretentious of pasta. Sometimes, things doesn't have to be too complicated. It just kinda remind me on the thick SOP book.

Pan Fry the salmon fillet ahead of time. Slice the salmon into smaller pcs. Season with sea salt & pepper. Pan fry it until it is fully cook. Set aside.

Ingredients for the Pasta (3 serving):

250g Spaghetti

3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp chili flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tomatoes (remove the skin & chopped)
250ml of fish stocks
100ml of  cooking cream

1) Start cooking pasta first with pinch of salt. Cook 250g pasta follow the package instruction until al-dente. Do not over cook pasta, follow the instruction strictly.
2) In the mean time, start browning the garlic & chili flakes in olive oil  (small fire). It takes about 4-5 mins. Do not burn the garlic.

 

 

3) Add in the chopped tomato, stir fry for a minutes, add in the fish stocks. Simmers for a while.
4) Lastly, add the cream, let it boils & reduce the liquid slightly , toss the al-dente pasta in for a minute. Serve hot immediately.

Tips: How to poach tomatoes to move the skins:

1) Make a cross at the bottom of every tomatoes.

2) Boil a pot of hot water.

3) Put the tomatoes in to be boiled for about  2 mins.

4) Lift it out from boiling hot water into cook tap water.

5) Just peel off the tomatoes skin. It is very easy.

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Korean Japchae (Stir Fried Korean Glass Noodles with Vegetables 杂菜炒)

We had Japchae for the 1st time during our trip to Korea. We thought that was very good. As usual we will try to figure out how to cook it at home.  We miss the Korean glass noodles which is very different from the Chinese glass noodles. It was made with potato starch. My hubby loves the texture of these noodles so much. As the Korean wave is very strong in Malaysia & Singapore,  we have these noodles import into this region with reasonable price. It is actually quite easy to cook. This noodles are great for partis as it tastes good even when it served cold. It has a lots of vegetables in it. For the vegetarian versions, just skip the meat & it tastes just as great.

The infamous Korean Glass noodles made from potato starch.

The Ingredients (3 - 4 servings):
350g Dried Korean Glass noodles
6-8 cloves of minced garlic
Light soya sauces
2-3 eggs
Cooking oil
Some water
Salt & Pepper
Sesame oil

Cut everything below in strips: to
Fresh mushrooms
Onion
Carrots
French beans
Green bell pepper
Spring onions
Black wood fungus  (fresh)
300g Meat strips marinated with 1tsp of oyster sauces
Garnish with cucumber strips & sesame seeds (toasted)

Tips: You can throw in any kind of vegetables. Any amounts. As long as it is well season with soya sauces. It  will taste great.
Tips: You can use the Korean soya sauces which will it even more authentic.

I

1) Separated the eggs yolk and eggs white. Fry with vegetable oil, let it cold, cut into strips, set aside.

 

2) Heat oil with mince garlic & fry the french beans & carrots. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.

 

3) Put a big deep pot with lots of water over the noodles & cook according to the instruction on the packaging. I noticed that different glass noodles with slightly different size has different cooking time. The rule of thumbs, always pick up one noodles from the pots & eat it. This classic grandma method work perfectly well.

4) Drain the cooked noodles & put in into a big bowl, pour some light soya sauces to flavor it. The noodles is very long. Need to cut it with a scissors. I use stainless steel bowl. Mix the noodles with clean hand.

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5) Heat oil with mince garlic, cook the onion with green bell pepper, season with soya sauces. Just put all the cooked vegetables on top of the noodles.

 

6) Heat oil with mince garlic, cook the meat strips with mushroom & black fungus. Cook this last as it will stain the wok. You don't really wash the wok pan every time when you cook.

 

7) Finally mix in the fresh cucumber. Use clean hand to mix is the fastest way. Season with sesame oil or additional soya sauces if needed.

Serve immediately.

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Stir Fry "Short Tail" Noodles (老鼠粉) with Minced Meat - Malaysian Style

I like to cook noodles on weekend evening. It is fast, less mess & quick clean up. We just need to wash 3 bowls & 3 chop sticks. No other reasons for a working mum who want more rest on the weekend. Mummy also need a break sometimes, I always tell my girl that if she insists on I should cook a full course dinner. This is her full course dinner definition: three dishes & one soup serve with rice, a typical Asian dining. Here comes the Stir Fry "Short Tail" Noodle 老鼠粉 with Minced Meat.

You can get these fresh short noodles  from the local wet market or supermarket. This is quite a common fresh noodles in South East Asia especially Malaysia & Singapore. It is just one type of fresh rice noodles but shorter in length. If you can't find this, just replace with any fresh rice noodles e.g. flat rice noodles.

Ingredients (3 Servings):
600g Short Tail Rice Noodles
200g Bean Sprouts
200g Minced Meat (marinated with 1tsp oyster sauces)
Some sliced fish cake (kid loves this)
2 tbsp Minced Garlic
1 egg

Sauces Mixture:
500ml of broths ( or 500ml of water + 1tsp of chicken stocks)
1 tbsp of dark soya sauces
1 tsp of soya sauces
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

Method:
1) Fry 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil with minced garlic.
2) Add in minced meat & fish cakes, continue stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
3) Add in noodles & continue to stir fry 1 min.
4) Add in the sauces mixtures, let it simmer for about 2mins, add in the bean sprouts.
5) Keep stir fry to avoid the noodles stick on the pan.
6) Last in the egg & stir in quickly before off the fire.
7) Serve hot.

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Stir Fry Hokkien Black Noodle Malaysian Style

I always missed the food that bring back the old memories. It just feel so good & warm when thought of  the great time when we spends so much time sharing street food with all the siblings. Now that I have my own family, I would also like to create great memories for my kids. Believe me, it always starts from the kitchen. I noticed young children always like noodles. That is the first food they crave before starts to eat rice.

Ingredients:
600g Fresh Hokkien Noodles
150g Lean Meat cut into strips
150g Prawn (I did not use & replace with sliced fish cakes)
100g Pork Liver ( this ingredient make a huge different in this dish, very old school)
200g Choy Sum ( some additional cabbage & bean sprout is fine too)
3 cloves of minced Garlic
1 tsp spoon of Grated Dried Flat Fish Powder  (左口鱼-optional if you don't have）

Sauces:
3 tbsp Soya Sauces
1-2 tbsp Dark Soya Sauces ( I like my noodles dark)
Pinch of Pepper
400-500ml of Chicken Broth (can replace with plain water with 1 tsp of chicken stocks)

Method:
1) Heat 2 -3 tbsp of oil &  fry garlic.
2) Add in lean meat, prawn, pork liver & stir fry.
3) Add in all the sauces & let it simmer.
4) Add in noodles & continue stir fry. Do not put lid on.
5) When the noodles is almost going to dry up, add in the choy sum & stir fry. The vegetable is going to cook in just 1-2 mins.
6) Just before switch off the fire, add in the grated dried flat fish powder.

Enjoy!

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Simple Udon in Japanese Awase Miso Soup

When hunger strikes & you need FAST food to be served at you home little kitchen. I will recommend noodles soup. Super fast udon in miso soup with Japanese mushrooms, fried tofu, fish ball & some spring onion. Kids love noodles. Noodles in soup is really comforting especially on cold raining seasons.

I prefer to use fresh udon as it tastes better & cook faster , it is very springy or "Q" in Mandarin.

Ingredients for 1pax:
1 pkt of fresh Udon (200g)
Method:
Just buy any quality udon from the store & follow it cooking instructions.
Drop the udon into hot boiling water, cook for 3 mins or so & drain it.
Wash the udon with running tap water to clear the starch, drain & keep aside.
By doing this, the soup will not looks cloudy.

While you are cooking the udon, boil about 350ml of water.
Add in your favorite choice of Japanese mushroom, sliced fried tofu, fish ball or your choice of ingredients.
Once all these are cooked, go ahead & add in 1tbsp of your favorite miso & spring onions.
Slightly stir the miso & cooked udon & let it simmer for abt 30 seconds-1mins.
Serve immediately.

The success factor of this simple dish is delicious awase miso paste & good quality udon noodles.
Try to select the miso paste that has this label-"awase" on it, a type of mixed miso which taste better.

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Fried Spagetti with Spinach Japanese Style

Over the weekends especially Saturday or Sunday afternoon,  I seriously do not know what to cook. Or too lazy to cook. But we still need to eat & fill up the stomach. We just need something quick & comfort- PASTA!!

My kid says the pasta with tomato sauce ...again? =.=
Fine. Mummy cook stir fry pasta, simple ingrediants & extremely satisfying.

Simple ! Simple! Simple!

Serving for 2:
200 g dry pasta (cook as per package instructions- 1 min less than al dente)
3 slices of bacon (cut into pcs)
some minced garlic (load more if you love garlic)
2 stalk of spinash (wash & cut into 1 inch lenght)
some japanese muchroom or any fresh muchroom (optional)
1tbsp Japanese soy sauces
1tbsp sake
1tbsp mirin
olive oil
Probably half a cup of pasta water or less

Method:
1) Fry olive oil with garlic, add in the bacon & muchroom. Fry for 2 mins.
2) Add in spinach. Stir fry for 1 min,
3) Add in cooked pasta with soy sauces + sake+ mirin & some pasta water. Stir fry for 1 -2 mins. Let the sauces absord into the pasta.
4) Serve & dig in immediately.( I like this the most!)

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Stir Fry Spaghetti with Olive Oil

This is my another quick & fast recipes to cook up something in the kitchen to fill up three hungry tummies. Yeah~! Stir Fry Spaghetti  with Olive Oil to the rescue. You can consider this a vegan recipes too because it doesn't contain any meat. This is a very delicious stir fry pasta.

Ingredients (2 serving):
200g Spaghetti
3 tbsp good quality Olive Oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp chili flakes
Season with Salt & Pepper
Some Basil leaves (slightly cut into thin strips)

Retain some pasta water - 1/4 cup

Some smashed bread crumbs
(optional :you can use croutons, pls refer  -http://fabulouscake.blogspot.com/2011/02/delicious-croutons-for-salad.html. Just smash the croutons in a plastic bag with roller pins)

Method:
1) Cook pasta according to package instructions. Cook less than 1-2 mins or slightly below al-dente because we need to stir fry it later. It will become al-dente after stir fry.
2) Heat olive oil with small fire together with the garlic & chili flakes. Let it soak in the oil to cook for 5 mins, we need to infuse the olive oil with garlic fragrance. Keep an eye on the pan so that it doesn't burn. You just need to brown the garlic.
3) Turn to middle fire, add the smashed bread crumbs, stir fry to 30 seconds, then add in the cooked pasta. Stir fry quickly.
4) If the pasta is too dry, you can add some water  to stir fry it for about 1 mins. In the mean time, season the pasta with salt & pepper, basil.
5) Must serve warm. Enjoy~

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