Spicy Tagliatelle With Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Bacon.

Haven't been cooking anything new in a while. Busy schedules and all. I felt like a spicy pasta dish (which is quite often) one evening and thought making use of the pack of leftover cherry tomatoes in the fridge. This is a variation of pasta dishes I posted here before. Its not too heavy or saucy, but lightly dressed in a sauce that is not too strong but still full of flavour. The sweetness of the tomatoes and the saltiness of the bacon go so well together.

This easy meal for 2 is put together in less than 30 minutes.

Spicy Tagliatelle With Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Bacon.

Here is what you need for 2.

180 grams Tagliatelle pasta (Or your favourite long pasta)
100 grams streaky bacon - cut into small strips.
5-6 cloves of garlic - sliced
1/2 cup Chardonnay or dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock (Or use the salted water from cooking the pasta of stock is not available)
2-3 bird's eye chilli/chilli padi - sliced (leave these out for a non-spicy version)
12 Cherry tomatoes - Halved
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful of fresh basil leaves - Sliced
Cooking oil (canola, light olive etc)
Extra virgin olive oil - for drizzling.

Steps:1. Cook pasta In a pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes (Or according to package instructions). Strain and set aside. Add some olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

2. In a large saute pan, heat some cooking oil. When oil heated, fry the bacon strips until they almost turn crisp (4-5 minutes) then add in the garlic and tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes. 

3. At this point deglaze by adding in the white wine and chicken stock. Scraping up the brown bits from the base with a wooden spoon or similar implement. Allow to simmer for about a couple of minutes or so.

4. Add the pasta into the pan and mix well. Turn off the heat. Add the chillies and basil. (You can save some for garnish) Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Dish onto pasta plates and garnish with some fresh basil and chillies. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

Hope you will like this. Enjoy!

Spicy Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp

Great simple dish to do at home. Nice savoury flavours with the corriander cutting through. Light and fresh tasting. This meal for 2 can be done in 30-40 minutes. Adding lime juice at the end can help lift up the dish, make it fresher tasting.

Spicy Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp

Ingredients for 2
180 grams Angel Hair Pasta
200 grams grey/tiger prawns - shelled and de-viened (reserve the heads)
4 cloves garlic - chopped/sliced
2 large chillies - sliced
2 stalks spring onion - sliced
handful of corriander - roughly chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
Juice of 1 lime (optional)
cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste

Steps:
1. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, place the prawn heads with 1 tablespoon of butter and cook until the prawn heads turn fully pink. Then add the chicken stock and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes over low heat and reduced by about 1/2. Strain and reserve the liquid. (You can cook the pasta or prep the herbs/chillies during this time)

2. Cook pasta according to package instructions in salted water. Angel hair usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Strain and set aside. Add a little olive oil to prevent from sticking together. 

3. In a large saute pan, heat some cooking oil over medium heat. When oil is heated, add in the spring onion, chillies and garlic. Fry for 2 mins.

4. Add in the prawns and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes. Until prawns are almost cooked fully. Add in the stock and white wine. Allow to simmer for 1 minute and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Mix well and allow the butter to thicken the liquid to form a sauce. Then add in the pasta mix well with all the stuff in the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Turn off the heat, toss with corriander and lime juice (if using). Dish on to 2 dinner plates or deep sided pasta dishes and serve immediately.

Hope you like this one. Enjoy!

Spicy Thai Style Chicken Salad

Thai style grilled chicken salad

Was looking to make something spicy for dinner on day and we had chicken thighs in the fridge. So I went out got some lemongrass and corriander and lettuce.

Tangy, savoury, sweet and spicy at the same time. A very refreshing dish to have on its own but this salad goes great with any south East Asian themed meal as well. Ingredients are relatively low cost but the dish still delivers a great meal. Definitely punches above its weight.

Serves 2 (As a meal) or 4-6 as a side dish.

Ingredients:
For grilled chicken
2 boneless chicken thighs (I get them all the time at Cold Storage, 2 for S$4.79)
2 tablespoons grated fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chilli sauce
3 cloves garlic - grated/finely minced
Juice of half a large lime

Salad Dressing
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chilli sauce.
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of half a large lime
2 chilli padi - sliced
1 clove of garlic - minced/grated

Rest of the stuff
1/2 purple onion - sliced
2-3 cups lettuce - roughly chopped
1/2 cucumber - sliced
1 bunch of corriander - roughly chopped
3 stalks spring onion - chopped to 1-2 cm lengths.
1 tomato - sliced into strips
100 grams rice vermicelli

1. To prepare marinade for the Thai style grilled chicken, mix all the ingredients (except the chicken) in a large bowl. Place the chicken thighs one at a time in the bowl. Ensure the chicken is well coated/covered with the marinade. Place the chicken in a resealable bag, pour the remaining marinade into the bag. Seal and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour.

2. To cook the chicken, grill (skin side up) in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius for about 35 minutes.

3. While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the dressing and veg. Mix all salad dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

4. Cook the vermicelli according to package instructions. Then allow it to cool. (you can place it in the fridge or use some ice cubes.

5. In a large salad bowl, mix all the vegetables with the vermicelli thoroughly. Then pour in the dressing, tasting as you go. Mix everything well.

6. Serve the chicken in cut pieces on top of the veg. Drizzle the chicken with juices from the roasting pan and serve.

Enjoy!

Mushrooms with white wine vinaigrette and tarragon

This is a great appetiser or side dish that you can prepare up to 2 days ahead. Tastes great served warm, and even better when left in the fridge for at least a day. Its an earthy dish with a sweet and sour tone, made fragrant with the fresh tarragon. Serve with crusty bread, its great as a vegetarian appetiser.

Mushrooms with white wine vinaigrette and tarragon

Very important note in preparing this dish is to get the mushrooms caramelised to a nice brown colour on the outside.

Ingredients to serve 4-6

400-500 grams white button mushrooms - kept whole
2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3-4 sprigs of tarragon - leaves only
1 purple onion - sliced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
cooking oil for frying
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

1. In a large saute pan, heat some cooking oil over medium high heat. When oil just about starts to smoke, add in the mushrooms and saute for about 4-6 minutes. Until they release their moisture and  start to brown. (Most of the browning will occur only after the moisture is released).

2. When the mushrooms are browned, add in the sliced onions and saute for another 2 minutes.

3. When onions soften and brown a little, add the vinegar and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Drizzle a little Extra Virgin olive oil and add the tarragon leaves. Mix well. (This will help to form a vinaigrette that will allow the mushrooms to soak up flavour)

5. Serve immediately or chill and serve the next day.

Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Silver Fish

Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Silverfish

Bean sprouts are arguably the cheapest vegetable here in South East Asia. Very nutritious and high in fibre. It is also one of those veggies that pose a challenge to parents, when trying to get their kids to eat them.

This is a really tasty dish, common in Chinese households here in Singapore. Quite easy to prepare.
The silverfish is an optional addition, but I like the additional savoury hit and crunch that they give.

Ingredients for 4
300 grams bean sprouts, - husks and tails removed
1/2 tablespoon soya sauce (or to taste)
3 cloves of garlic - sliced/chopped
5 stalks of spring onion - cut into 2 inch lengths
1 regular chilli or 2 chilli padi - thinly sliced
Cooking oil
crushed White pepper

2 tablespoons fried silver fish (optional) - See here for silver fish preparation.

Steps:
1. In a wok or large frying pan, heat some oil over medium high heat. When oil is heated, add in the garlic and chillies (if using), and fry for about 1 minute. Until the garlic just starts to turn brown.

2. At this point add in the bean sprouts and fry until they start to soften a little. About 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with Soya Sauce and White pepper to taste.

3. Add in the spring onions, stirfry for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. When done, dish onto a serving plate.

4. Garnish with silver fish on top and serve hot.

Note: The cooking times for the bean sprouts are highly subjective as there are varying preferences on how well cooked one would prefer their "tou geh". I like them a little on the well cooked side. There are those who like them on the raw side, with a good crunch.

Chicken Thighs with Scallion and Ginger Sauce

Chicken Thigh with Scallion and Ginger Sauce

This is a great tasting savoury dish to go with any East Asian meal. The aroma just hits you when the plate of chicken lands on the dinner table. Makes you just wanna dive right in. This sauce goes great with chicken wings as well. Just adjust the cooking times accordingly. Both the wife and I enjoyed this dish. I will definitely make this again sometime soon. 

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Thighs - cut into large chunks
4-5 stalks scallion/spring onion - roughly cut up
2-3 tablespoons ginger - skinned and roughly cut up
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon corn flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame oil
Soya Sauce
White pepper

Steps:
1. Marinate chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon of soya sauce, dash of white pepper, 1 tablespoon corn flour and 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Mix well and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

2. To make the sauce, put all the scallion, ginger, 2 teaspoons soya sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, with some white pepper in a food processor and blitz till you get a paste. Its alright if the texture is slightly grainy. Set aside in a large bowl.

3. Pre-heat your oven to 190 degrees celsius. Cook chicken on the oven for about 25 minutes. (Cooking time may vary depending on the size of your chicken chunks)

4. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven. Toss the chicken with the sauce in the large bowl and put it back in the oven for another 7-10 minutes. Just for the sauce to dry up a little and stick to the chicken.

5. Dish on the serving plates and serve immediately.

Note: for step 3, you stir fry instead of cooking in an oven if you prefer.

Italian Style Roasted Chicken Thigh

I had a similar dish at an Italian restaurant recently and it left me feeling rather unsatisfied. The chicken was under seasoned and the skin was not rendered well enough. That inspired to try this at home.

Italian Style Roasted Chicken Thigh with Pan Roasted Vegetables and Chorizo

Wifey agreed that this time around it was much better than that we had. The awesome smell of rosemary permeated the house during the oven roasting. Simple yet tasty combination. The chorizo add a nice kick to the dish.You can call it rosemary chicken thigh I guess as it will be the primary fragrance and flavour.

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken thighs

1 cup pumpkin - cut into chunks

1 red pepper - cut into pieces about 1 - 2 inches across

Handful of asparagus - tough bases trimmed

50 grams of chorizo - sliced

Leaves of 2 Springs of thyme

2 cloves of garlic - sliced/chopped

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

oil for frying

Marinade:

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil

2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary - leaves only (or 1 tsp dried leaves)

2 sprigs of fresh thyme - leaves only (or 1 tsp dried leaves)

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash of lemon juice

Steps

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken thighs in the bowl and fully coat the chicken in the marinade. When done, place them in resealable bags. Pour remaining marinade into the bag. Mix well my massaging the bag a little. Re-seal and place in fridge for at least 20 mins. Longer if you have more time.

2. When ready to cook, place chicken thighs skin side up on a baking/roasting tray. Cook in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes. (Cooking times may vary depending on the size of your chicken) Use grill mode for the last 3 minutes to crisp up the skin.

3. While the chicken is in the oven, you can start to cook the vegetables. In a saute pan over medium heat, brown the pumpkin about 3-4 minutes per side. When the pumpkin softens, remove from heat and set aside.

4. Wipe the pan down and add a little oil. Saute the red peppers until they begin to blister and soften. When done, remove and set aside. 

5. Add the chorizo to the pan, fry until they just about turn crisp, the add the garlic and fry for another minute or so. At this point add the asparagus, red pepper, pumpkin, butter and thyme leaves. Saute for another minute or so. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from pan.

6. Dish the vegetables onto dinner plates. Place the cooked chicken thighs on the vegetables and drizzle the roasting juices onto the chicken and vegetables. Garnish with herb of your choice.

Note: Vegetable combination is to your preference. Based on what you feel works for you and your household. Squash, potatoes and zuchinni come to mind. Do note that differernt vegetables have varying cooking times. E.g, carrots take a whole lot longer.

Enjoy!

Simple Sautéed Shitake Mushrooms with Shishito Peppers

I was inspired by the mushroom side dish I had a Cut a couple months back. Decided try my own rendition of it when I saw a pack of Shishito peppers while walking around Isetan Orchard with the wife.

Sautéed Shitake Mushrooms with Shishito Peppers

Shishito peppers is a thin skinned pepper that is not very spicy but lends a very nice fragrance to this dish. Not as tart or fruity are other more fleshy peppers that we usually find in our local supermarkets. This is a very simple and easy dish to prepare and a great complement to almost any meal.

Ingredients:

1 shallot - sliced
250 grams shitake mushrooms - half them if they are very large

6 Shishito peppers - stalks removed
Soya sauce and ground black pepper for seasoning

Handful of bonito flakes for garnish

Steps:

1. Heat some cooking oil in a saute pan over medium heat.

2. When oil is heated, add in the peppers and fry for about 2 minutes.

3. Add in the shallots and fry until the shallots soften and the peppers start to wrinkle and brown slightly on the edges.

4. Add in the mushrooms and continue to fry for another 3-5 minutes. When mushrooms are almost done, turn of the heat and add in the soya sauce and ground black pepper to taste.

5. Dish onto plates and garnish with bonito flakes.

That's all there is to it. Simplicity at its best! Hope you'll enjoy this recipe.

Spicy Dry Ramen Tossed with Sesame Oil and Soya.

Had a dry noodle craving at home so I tossed this together. Beats having to eat instant noodles. The fresh vegetables add a refreshing textural element. I used Bonito flavoured soya (cause I happened to have it in the fridge) but you can use regular Soya, or even Yuzu Soya for a fruity dimension.

Spicy Dry Ramen with all the garnish

Served Warm, tossed in Soya, Chilli Oil (Layu), Sesame Oil, Garlic oil, Sugar, Cayenne Pepper and Rice Wine Vinegar. Served with fresh veg and a 6 minute egg. Its deceptively addictive.

Here's what I used for 2:

160 grams egg noodles/ramen

Garnish
1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce (About 3-4 leaves)
1 Large chilli - thinly sliced
Handful of bonito flakes
Handful of shredded Nori
2 stalks of spring onions - sliced
3 tablespoons Dried Sakura Ebi - Toasted in a oven at 190c for 5 mins.
2 eggs - Boiled for 5-6 minutes in boiling water then placed in cold water.

You can mix and match your favourite vegetables for the garnish, or based on what you have in the fridge at that time.

Sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons - Bonito Soya
2 teaspoons Chilli Oil (Layu)
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Sugar1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (omit if you are not into spicy)
2 teaspoons Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon Garlic oil

(You can prepare garlic oil by frying 2 cloves of sliced garlic in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until they turn golden brown)

Steps:

1. Mix all sauce ingredients together in large mixing bowl.

2. Boil ramen/noodles according to package instructions. When done, toss noodles in the sauce mix. When noodles are well coated with sauce, dish into separate bowls.

3. Remove shell from eggs and place on noodles.

4. Top with all other prepared garnish and serve immediately.

It require a little effort in prep, well worth it. Just be sure you prepared all your garnish before you cook you noodles. Once you start to cook your noodles, everything will happen quickly.

Grilled Corn Salsa

A refreshing side dish to have with a meal. Goes great with Asian dishes too.

Grilled Corn Salsa

The sweetcorn and red pepper complement each other well, with lime and coriander cutting through the sweetness. Grilling or roasting the corn brings out a slight hint of nutty flavour. Highly enjoyable. Really easy to do as well.

Ingredients:
2 sweetcorns - with husks peeled.
1 red bell pepper - diced
1 shallot - sliced
1 clove of garlic - sliced
Handful of corriander leaves - roughly chopped.
1 tablespoon spring onion - sliced (optional)
Juice of 1/2 a large lime.
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:
1. Grill sweetcorn over an open flame in an oven set to grill, until the corn just starts to char on the outside. The Kernel should still be moist on the inside, you do not want to dry them out.

2. When corn is grilled, removed the kernels from the cob. You can do this by cutting the cob in half, then stand it vertically on the chopping board. Use a spoon or blade to scrape the kernels down. Place the kernels in the bowl, discard the core.

3. Heat some oil in a saute pan over medium heat. When oil is heated, add in the diced red peppers, garlic and shallots. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, to get the tartness out of the peppers. Fry until the peppers start to soften. Remove the the pan and set aside and allow to cool.

4. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Oven Grilled Chicken Thighs

This is an easy-to-do grilled chicken dish. Just season the chicken, chop the veg and into the oven. Ready in 40 minutes but actual work done is about 15-20 minutes. 

Oven grilled Chicken Thighs

The juices of the chicken, flavoured with the seasoning will mix in with the veg below, adding flavour and also acting like a dressing for the veg. I adjusted the height of the baking dish to be closer to the top heating element, for a crispy finish on the skin.

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken thighs (You can get them at most Cold Storage outlets at S$4.99 for 2)

Seasoning:
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cyanne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
(You can mix and match the herbs to your liking)

Other ingredients:
300 grams brussel sprouts - halved
2 large carrots - chopped into chunks and blanched in boiling salted water for about 5 mins.
1 large yellow onion - roughly sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
5 cloves of garlic - peeled
1 Teaspoon duck fat (optional, you can use olive oil instead)

Shrimp and Scallops with White Wine, Garlic and Butter Sauce

I got this idea a while back when there was left over Chadonnay, Garlic butter/spread and shrimp at a friends BBQ. I improvised by using the pan that belonged to the chalet. It was a hit. After that, I get requests to do this at a bbq, but now I bring my own pan, herbs etc...

Shrimp and Scallops with White Wine, Garlic and Butter Sauce

 Here is what I did for my most recent rendition at home.

300 grams tiger prawns - peeled and deveined
6 scallops

4 cloves garlic - sliced
2 sprigs of thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock (optional)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. In a saute pan, heat some cooking oil over a medium heat. When oil is heated, add in the shrimp and scallops and fry for about 20 seconds each side. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

2. Add the garlic into the pan and cook for about 1 minute, till they just start to brown on the edges.(Add a little more oil if pan is too dry)

3. At this point add in the wine and deglaze the pan. (Using a spatula something similar, scrape the brown bits off the base of the pan) Allow to simmer for about 1 minute and then add the chicken stock. Simmer for another 2 minutes over low heat, or so, allow the liquid to reduce by about 1/3.

4. Then add butter and thyme. Mix well and simmer for another minute.

5. Add in the shrimp and scallops, turn off the heat and mix well. Serve in the deep sided dish.

Recommend to serve with crusty bread, to mop up the sauce.

Its actually very easy to do. Just have to watch out, not to over cook the seafood.

Enjoy!

Instant Noodles! Angel Hair Pasta with XO Sauce

I was home alone one day, feeling hungry and lazy at the same time. Yes, those days do happen. I have a small container of Silverfish, just for this kind of day. This recipe is something I picked up at a promotional cooking class.

Angel Hair Pasta with XO Sauce with silver fish and spring onions

Assuming you have the silver fish ready made, this takes sheer minutes to put together, once the pasta hits the boiling water.

This dish works great as a light meal or as a carb element in a more substantial meal.

The XO sauce adds a spicy kick to the whole dish. The tangy and slightly bitter spring onions cut through the sweetness of the XO sauce. The silver fish adding the hit of savory coupled with another textural crunch element.

Here's what you'll need:
Serves 1 (How many recipes you know says "Serves 1"?)

Silverfish - 1 Pack - washed and drained dry.
Oil for shallow frying the silver fish
2-3 tbsp Light Olive oil or other neutral flavoured oil.(Maybe more if you XO sauce is very dry)
2-3 tbsp XO Sauce
3 Stalks Spring Onion, sliced.
180 - 200 grams Angel Hair Pasta