~ spaghetti aglio olio with mushrooms ~

a very simple pasta.. actually i have button mushrooms lebih from my spaghetti sauce i cooked last few days.. pastu fikir2 nk buat apa dgn extra mushrooms ni.. so i figured y not i juz stir fry em and have it with spaghetti..

i used angle hair spaghetti coz they cook very fast n they're not too rich gak.. tats y spaghetti nmpk kurus ya.. hihihi.. recipe ni tuk sorang je tau coz i was experimenting jer.. ajoy wanted to eat something else.. ok here's d recipe:

1 portion of spaghetti - boil first

2 cloves of garlic - chopped

1 long cili padi - chopped

2 button mushrooms (canned) - sliced

1 white button mushrooms (fresh) - sliced

chicken cube/stock (ckit jer)

black pepper
salt (if necessary)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

in a heated pan, stir fry the garlic and cili padi.. when it turns slightly brown, put in the chicken cube (i use a small portion jer, secukup rasa) and stir fry lg. pastu put in the mushrooms and dash some black peppers in.. when the garlic da turn almost brown, put in the spaghetti, gaul and done! hihi..

original recipe is to use chili flakes or dried chilies.. tp i dont hv those, so i used chili padi jer, sedap jerrrr... hehe.. and we can always add in prawns, mussels, capsicum and anything we want.. and if we have olive oil, better to substitute olive oil with cooking oil.. happy trying! :)

p/s: i checked recipes from the internet, most of them will sprinkle some parsley flakes & dash some oregano too.. i wanted to do td tp terlupa.. so, put tat in mind when u're preparing yr olio k.. :)

::stir-fry beef with basil and broccoli::

this is actually a few thai recipes that i combined into one.. most beef and basil recipes does not include vege but because m so lazy to cook the broccoli separately, so i mixed them in my dish.. hehehe.. if u search for the recipe yourself, you might find that some of the ingredients are not in my recipe, reason is simply i dont have the ingredient la hahaha.. and though those recipe includes cili padi, mine doesnt have any cili padi because my gastric doesnt permit me to eat anything spicy.. 

ok, enough yapping, here it is, simple but very nice..

 {ingredients}

beef - about 250g - 300g; sliced thinly

olive oil - 2 tbsp

garlic - 6 cloves; chopped finely

ginger - 1 inch; sliced or chopped

oyster sauce - 2 tbsp; mix with 5 tbsp of water

basil - 1 handful

broccoli - 1 flower

sweet soy sauce - 1 tbsp

cornflour - 2 tbsp

water

{cara2}

1) if possible at least 30 mins before cooking, marinate the beef with cornflour and soysauce.

2) when ure ready to cook, heat the pan and then the olive oil.. when the oil is hot, sautee the garlic and ginger until fragrant.

3) then add in the beef, stirfry until they are nearly cooked, and pour in the oyster sauce mixture. mix well. 

4) add in the basil leaves, stir and then add in the broccoli. cover the pan and let it simmer.

5) add water if necessary, or if u prefer more gravy.

6) check if the beef and broccoli is thoroughly cooked. when its already cooked, switched off the heat and ready to serve. 

this dish is best served with hot rice.. but i dont eat rice, so i just eat it like tat hehe.. happy trying! ;)

::lemon stir-fry chicken::

this recipe serves 2..

{ingredients}

1/2 lemon - juiced

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup chicken broth (i mixed a lil chicken stock + hot water)

1/2 tablespoons soy sauce/kicap cair

1 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon oil (canola/olive/any cooking oil)

200g chicken breasts - potong ikut suka

mushrooms

carrots

snowpeas

garlic - chopped

{cara2}

1. mix lemon juice, chicken stock, kicap n cornstarch in a small bowl

2. heat oil and cook the chicken first until it is cooked thoroughly. angkat and put them on a plate laced with kitchen towel

3. lepas tu add carrots and mushroom in the pan and cook until the carrots mcm da masak, then add in snow peas, garlic and lemon zest and gaul smpi wangi. then add in the lemon juice mixture and stir until nmpk pekat and add in the chicken and gaul hingga sebati.

4. siap and hidang! very simple.. ;)

p/s: u can add or remove any ingredients as u like to suit your taste.. ;)

::healthy tuna pasta::

this was actually a recipe i got from the internet and of course, tweaked to our tastebuds.. sedap.. it was a refreshing change of pasta dishes.. kalau tak asyik beef je kan.. hehehe..in the original recipe, they use fresh parsley and fresh tomatoes.. but i had to substitute with something quick bcoz of time constraint.. ok here goes..

{bahan2}

pasta of your choice - i used spirals

 tuna - 1 can, drained

roasted garlic - 2 teaspoons (use normal garlic if u dont hv these)

dried parsley

tomato paste/puree - 1 small can

diced tomatoes - 1/2 can

black pepper

cayenne pepper (or chilli powder)

extra virgin olive oil

salt & sugar

{cara2}

1) prepare pasta first. as usual, put a pot of water to a boil. while waiting for water to boil, prepare other ingredients..

2) in a large bowl, mix the drained tuna with 1 teaspoon of roasted garlic and parsley.. put aside..

3) in another pan, heat the oil, and fry another 1 teaspoon of garlic and parsley.. and then add in the tomato paste, tomato cubes, dash of black pepper, salt and sugar.. add some water if u need too. mix well and cover until the sauce simmer.

4) once your pasta is el dente, drain them and pour the pasta into the large bowl with the tuna and mix well..

5) once the sauce is done, tutup api and pour the sauce into the mixing bowl as well. mix well again. and we're ready to makan!!! ^_^

bon apetit!

::spicy minced beef pasta::

i was thinking of something very easy to cook for myself sbb ajoy takde kat umah mlm ni.. pikir punyer pikir, last2 decided to prepare myself a hearty simple pasta.. in this recipe, i tak letak apa2 sukatan, mmg ikut sukatan sdri, ikut citarasa sendiri k.. as i said, it is a simple recipe.. ;)

{bahan2}

pasta of yr choice (i chose angel's hair bcoz cepat masak n sedap)

minced beef

capsicum

garlic

chicken stock granule (knorr/maggi)

black pepper

cayenne pepper

oregano

parsley

olive oil

maggi seasoning

tomato sauce

{cara2}

1) boil yr pasta until el dente and drain it.. then toss it with a drizzle of olive oil and place the pasta in a plate..

2) while the pasta is boiling, prepare the beef. in a bowl, combine the minced beef with black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and maggi seasoning with cold spoon. let it rest.

3) in another pan, heat olive oil, and tumis garlic and chicken stock and add in the beef mixed with the herbs. 

4) when the beef is cooked, add in the capsicum and then just give it a good fry.. 

5) add in tomato sauce and gaul everything together. tomato sauce tak perlu byk, just ensure all the ingredients inside the pot is covered with tomato sauce should be ok. and we're done wit the minced beef.

6) tutup api and scoop out the minced beef and place them on top of the pasta. then sprinkle some parsley and drizzle a lil bit more of olive oil and it is good to eat.. :)

happy trying everyone! ^_^

::cucur udang rangup::

kempunan nk mkn jemput2/cucur, tp tak nk pki adabi punyer.. so buat la sdri.. hehehe..

pls remember, portion2 aina mostly for 2 pax ya.. ;)

{bahan2}

1 cups of flour (tepung gandum)

1/2 cup of water (kalau perlu tambah k)

fresh prawns - potong ikut citarasa sdri ;)

carrot - potong dadu kecik2

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon of sugar

dash of baking powder (tuk naikkan ckit)

dash of black pepper

garam secukup rasa

serbuk kunyit ckit for a lil colour

*kalau suka, masukkan kucai/daun bwg/bawang (ajoy & i tak suka sbb tu tak letak)

*can always use this recipe for cucur/jemput2 ikan bilis

{cara2}

gaul semua n goreng mcm cucur biasa! hehehe.. 

^_^ 

*peace* 

:P 

::aglio olio with spicy prawns::

olio is a very2 simple pasta dish.. sbb tu i suuuukkkkkaaaa sgt masak olio hehehe.. but of course we have to try to vary it so tat tak bosan la kan.. 

aglio olio with spicy prawns

{bahan2 A}

prawns

lemon juice - 1/2 lemon

chopped cili kering - 1/2 btg

roasted garlic - 1 teaspoon

parsley - generous dash

salt

{bahan2 B}

spaghetti

chopped chili kering - 1/2 btg

roasted garlic - 1/2 teaspoon

salt

parsley

olive oil (penting!)

{cara2}

1) while you're cooking yr spaghetti, prepare yr prawns.. combine all the ingredients A in a bowl.. then stir fry the prawns with olive oil.. bila prawns da pink, angkat the prawns and put it in a separate bowl..

2) next, heat the same pan, add in a lil more olive oil about 1 table spoon and tumis the garlic and chopped cili kering. 

3) pour in yr spaghetti in the pan, lower the fire and toss the garlic oil with parsley and salt.. 

4) then hidangkan dlm plate and place the prawns td on the spaghetti.. siap!!!! ;)

::14 ways to save $$$ on groceries::

my MIL emailed these very useful tips.. balik ni nak terus buat.. tq mama! ^_^

.....................................................................................................................................

1. Line the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels. They’ll absorb the excess moisture that causes vegetables to rot.

2. To keep herbs tasting fresh for up to a month, store whole bunches, washed and sealed in plastic bags, in the freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to chop, and they’ll defrost the minute they hit a hot pan.

3. A bay leaf slipped into a container of flour, pasta, or rice will help repel bugs.

4. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture. This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax.

5. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen up right before your eyes.

6. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them – they spoil less quickly in a bunch.

7. Put rice in your saltshaker to stop the salt from hardening. The rice absorbs condensation that can cause clumps.

8. Stock up on butter when it’s on sale – you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack the butter in an airtight container, so it doesn’t take on the flavor of whatever else you’re freezing.

9. In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil.

10. Believe it or not, honey is the only nonperishable food substance, so don’t get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Microwave on medium heat, in 30-second increments, to make honey clear again.

11. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating. When you’re ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restore moisture.

12. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugar on your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of bread – or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.

13. If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half – it will dry out quickly. Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze out exactly what you require.

14. If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.

::grilled chicken with chimichurri sauce with orange glazed garden salad::

tis meal was inspired by a meal i had sometime ard last year at a restaurant called bijou.. actually, this chimichurri sauce was glazed over the chicken n grilled.. but i decided to have a lil twist of my own n did this instead.. i will only share the recipe for the sauce since the chicken is grilled plain with some salt, black pepper n rosemary.. and the salad was tossed with orange glaze dressing i got from a restaurant at bangi.. hehe m sure the chef who cooked me tat chicken kat bijou disapprove of my sauce recipe, tp sbb dia lmbt sgt bg recipe, so kena la buat sdri hehehe.. and ajoy loved it! so i mustve done something right hehehe.. :P

p/s: malan, pls tell me whr i can improve ;)

so here's d recipe for my chimichurri sauce:

2 small bell peppers/capsicum

2 small tomatoes

1 cili padi

1 spoon of tomato sauce

1 teaspoon of black peppers

dash of cayenne peppers

2 dashes of dried rosemary

2 dashes of dried parsleys 

dash of oregano

salt

3 spoons of sugar (kalau pedas/masam sgt)

*blend all this, and bring it to a boil to cook the tomato and bell peppers. if u wanna make salsa/grilling glaze out of it, tak yah la boil it k.. i put lots of sugar to balance the spiciness of the sauce.. pls feel free to modify this to yr own liking.. ;)