One of the worst 2 weeks of my life...

Sorry folks..just went for a Tonsilectomy (Removal of my tonsils). Been having to live with "Ulcersaurus" for the past week. It has been a torment just to swallow much more eat..For someone who lives to eat, this is as close to hell as it gets..anywayz..will try having a go at it again when i'm feeling better! Til then...

More Pasta (3-in-1)...Tomato based variations (Intermediate)

Since we're on pasta, let's move you guys up a notch..you've tried the Aglio Olio. Let's do a little variation. Take baby steps...Tomato based..once again, let's demystify the glorious pasta. One word of caution though, once you've gone down this road, you're gonna find it quite hard to part with S$15-$18 for any half decent pasta served by wannabes...really, i am not kidding...i hardly eat pasta outside unless i can't cook it or it's something i have never tried before..by the way..just a sneak peak, i gonna introduce some fusion into the pasta recipes in the upcoming blogs. Stay tuned! 

Let's get started with the tomato based variations. You can do Amatriciana (Bacon), Bolognaise (Minced beef), Marinara (Seafood) etc etc..so be adventurous and try them all out. 

I'm gonna run you through very quickly all 3. 

1) Amatriciana - Bacon with tomato base

Ingredients: 

- Bacon (Cut them into 1-2cm strips across the grain)

- 1 Onion (Chopped finely)

- Tomato puree or just some good O Raghu tomato pasta sauce(Or any other brand is fine as well)

- Olive Oil

- Chilli Padi (about 2-3 finely chopped)

- Of course you need pasta (Once again, refer to my advise in the first pasta blog on Aglio Olio)

Cooking: 

1) Pre-prepare the pasta as per steps 1 and 2 in my earlier recipe

2) Pour the Olive oil into the frying pan and throw in the bacon first! Fry until you can see it start to brown slightly on the edges. Throw in the onions and chilli and continue frying. 

3) Pour in your tomato based pasta sauce (How much to put in? Hmmm...if you're gonna be cooking for 4, you can use one full bottle). Bring to boil. 

4) Throw in your pre-prepared pasta and stir briefly and Voila you're done! Note to NOT OVERCOOK IT, you don't wanna eat pasta that has the texture of instant noodles! Hence it is quite important to get your pasta extremely Al Dente(even to the point of slightly undercooked) earlier on.

2) Good Bolognaise - Minced beef with tomato base

Ingredients: 

- Minced beef 

- 2 Onions (1 chopped finely and the other  just sliced)

- Olive Oil

- Tomato puree or any tomato pasta sauce 

- Pasta of course :) 

Preparation: 

- Season the minced beef with 2-3 tablespoon of light soya sauce, 1 spoon of oyster sauce and ground black pepper.

- Mix it well with the chopped onion (Not the sliced ones) and let it sit for at least 15-20mins. 

Cooking: 

1) Once again pre-prepare the pasta and set aside

2) Pour in the olive oil, throw in the sliced onions and fry for about 2-3mins at medium heat. 

3) Throw in your minced beef and fry. Make sure to break up the chunks. 

4) Pour in the tomato based pasta sauce and bring to boil.

5) Throw in your pasta which you have set aside earlier and stir well. 

Doesn't just looking at the pasta make your stomach growl..makes you just wanna take a bite right?!
This was done with Fresh handmade Fettucini 

3) Lastly Marinara - Seafood with Tomato base

Ingredients: 

- Prawns (Deshelled, de-veined and season with some light soya sauce and ground black pepper)

- Squid (Cleaned, sliced into rings and season with some light soya sauce and ground black pepper)

- 4-5 tablespoon of garlic

- Olive Oil ( Don't be stingy about the oil because this is where the flavors will go)

- Pasta (take a pick...personally if you can ever find fresh handmade ones..do try, it does make a difference)

- Tomato based pasta sauce (try, try, try...there will inevitably be some you like more than others)

Cooking: 

1)Yes..pre-prepare the pasta and set aside 

2) Pour in the Olive oil. Throw in the garlic and slow "boil" in the oil(ala Aglio Olio). 

3) Throw in the squid first, cook for about 1 to 2 mins before throwing in the prawns. Stir fry until the prawns are cooked (ie reddish-orangish)

4) Pour in the pasta sauce and bring to boil

5) Throw in your pasta, stir and Voila you're done! 

Ok i'll try to post some pics of the Marinara and Amatriciana the next time! 

Watch this space - Home made Pesto coming up next....!!! (My mom's absolute favorite)

Another one for the simplicity series - Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard

Here's a really, really simple dish that's both healthy and yummy. It's really a no brainer and i'm sure you'll like this one! It doesn't get easier than this!

Ingredients: 
- A piece of Salmon (I would assume you would have washed this already)
- 2 table spoon of honey
- 3 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard
- Salt and pepper.
- A light dash of balsamic vinegar
- A slice of lemon (Optional)
- To make the ingredient list slightly longer, I've decided to put the aluminium foil here. hahaha

Cooking: 
- Before cooking, make a bag with the aluminium foil. Don't know how? Go back to kindergarten and ask your teacher. :)
- Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius
- Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the Salmon.
- Mix the honey, wholegrain mustard and balsamic vinegar together.
- Pour it evenly all over the salmon and place in the bag. You can add a slice of lemon if you want. Seal the bag.
- Put the bag in the oven for 10 to 15mins at 200 degrees.

DING! DING! Can you hear the oven! It's done! 

Open the bag to the smell the succulent fragrance of the tender salmon steak!

Pasta - Aglio Olio (Simply with Garlic, Olive Oil and Chilli)

After all the complicated dishes, I've decided to go back to basics. Learning how to make a simple but mean Aglio Olio. I realize that there are folks out there who actually like Aglio Olio and seemed to think that this is one complicated dish. Aglio literally means Garlic and Olio..yup Olive Oil. I've got a friend in Melbourne who tried it prior to my intervention without much success. He said he tried doing it sometime back but it's different from the ones i cook...something's missing! Not as flavorful..missing the essence!

So yes we know the ingredients are simple: Pasta, Olive Oil, garlic, chilli...what else? How much harder can it get? And what is the essence of Aglio Oli..Really..Olive Oil and Garlic but you need to get the 2 ingredients to really  marry into each other! Hmmmm...the trick here is not the ingredients, it's in the technique! So let's get started.

Ingredients:
- Pasta of course: Spaghetti, Fettucini, Angel hair etc whatever you wish but just remember that as the pasta gets fatter, it does take longer to cook.
- Olive Oil (About 1 and half cup)
- Garlic (Tonnes of it...to be slightly more precise i use about 4-5 tablespoon full of chopped garlic)
- 3 chilli padi (finely sliced)
- A handful of Italian Parsley (Optional). Dried parsley flakes will do as well.
- Salt and pepper

Optional Variations:
- Prawns: Seasoned with grounded black pepper and some light soya sauce OR
- Bacon

Cooking:
1) Prepare the pasta ahead of time. Remember to add about a table spoon of salt to the pot of water and some olive oil when you're boiling the pasta. It should take about 6 mins for spaghetti and slightly longer for Fettucini. Once again, try it as you cook to make sure it's just right ie AL DENTE! (Which means just slightly before fully cooked)
Note: It is important to stir the pasta as it is cooking to prevent it from clumping together.
2) Strain the pasta and run over cold water to prevent it from cooking further. Set this aside.
3) Pour the Olive oil into a frying pan and throw in the chopped garlic. HERE'S THE SECRET!.....ready?
- Keep it at mid-low heat. You need to literally boil the garlic in the olive oil slowly to let the flavors infuse the oil!! This will take a while so be patient!
4) Throw in the parsley flakes or fresh italian parsley and chilli padi
Optionals:
5) Throw in the prawns or bacon at this stage depending on which variation you're doing. Stir well.
6) Throw in the pasta which you have set aside. Stir fry and add salt and pepper to taste. It is important to get it to the right level of saltiness. So once gain....TASTE, TASTE, TASTE!! NEVER add too much one shot.

I've done a Prawn variation with Fettucini here! 

Voila! You're done! 15mins tops! 

The Spice Trilogy (Finale): The Best Sambal Udang Pedas (Chilli Prawns)

I have decided the leave the best for last. This is one of my favorite dishes ever. Nothing quite comes close to the level of heat..my philosophy to spicy is it's gotta have a kick and you know when it's really kick when your scalp starts sweating. :)  I think if once you see the picture, you'll start sweating! Now that's what i call "KICK"!!

I love it whenever my dad cooks it and my friends love it when i cook it..so here we go! If you love spice, this is an absolutely MUST try!

Ingredients:
- About 1 kilo of Prawns
- 15 Shallots (Don't be afraid to put more)
- At least 20 dried chilli (Soaked in water ahead of time)
- 5-8 chilli padi (Optional)
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- 5-8 candle nut
- A pinch of belachan (About 1 Inch by 1 Inch for those of you who use precise measurements)
- A pinch of Assam mixed with a small bowl of water and set aside)
- Tomato ketchup
- Sweet Chilli sauce (There are a few types you can find in the supermarket: The normal ones, the ones with garlic and the odd shaped bottle-dark reddish sweet chilli sauce..yup, those are the ones)

Preparing the Rumpah (Once again, this is the important part):
I have briefly introduced Rumpah in the previous post so you should be quite familiar by now. Once again, blend the shallots, dried chilli, chilli padi (Optional), garlic, candle nut and belachan into a reddish paste. You might probably start tearing the moment you open the blender.

Cooking: 
1) Pour about a cup of oil in the frying pan and throw in the Rumpah. Fry until you start crying..(I'm kidding..once again yes the frying of chilli does get to you) Fry until you can smell the fragrance of the shallots and spices oozes out..
2) Throw in the prawns and fry together with the Rumpah until the prawns are almost cooked.
3) Add in about 3-4 table spoons of tomato ketchup. Stir well
4) Add in about 3 table spoons of sweet chilli sauce. Stir well.
5) Add in your bowl of Assam water.

Once again, taste, taste, taste! If you like it sweeter, add slightly more sweet chilli sauce...

Voila! You're done! 

THE BEST SAMBAL UDANG PEDAS!

At least, this is really the best I've ever tried! And as my disclaimer on the first blog says: "I am fussy with my food"

Once again, don't worry about making mistakes as you go along. Like i said to someone recently. 

First tries are usually plagued with some imperfection, 

Second tries are IMPROVISATIONS 

By the time you try it the third time, it should be just PERFECTION! 

The Spice Trilogy (Part 2): Assam Fish Head

As promised, my second installment of "The Spice Trilogy" - Assam Fish Head

Some like it sweet, some like it sour, some like spicy, some like it redder...once again, the point is taste, taste taste and just feel free to go with the flow.

Here are the basics to get you started with. This dish comprise a "Rumpah" (Simply means a paste made of various spices used traditionally in either Malay or Peranakan cooking). The "Rumpah" varies slight between dishes but the main components are pretty standard...tonnes of shallot, a little garlic, chilli padi, dried chilli (For some coloring), belachan, candle nut..the other ingredients will vary depends on what you're cooking..

Ingredients:
- Red Snapper head
- 10-15 Shallots
- 3-5 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 large onions
- 5-8 candle nut
- A pinch of Belachan
- 3-4 slices of blue ginger
- Ladies fingers (About 5-7..please feel free to add more if you like)
- 2 Tomatoes (Quartered)
- 2 slices of pineapple (The pineapple is optional: It brings a little sweet sourish taste to the whole dish which is quite appetizing)
- 2 Stalks of lemon grass (You really only need to use the bud ie the fat ends near the roots but do cut away the ends). Cut them into half and smash it slightly.
- Assam (These come in packets. Use about 2inch x 2inch mixed in a large bowl of water. Once again, if you like it more sour, please feel free to add more assam)

Preparing the Rumpah (This is the MOST Important part!)
-Blend the shallots, garlic, chilli padi, dried chilli, Belachan, blue ginger and candle nut into a dark orangie paste. 

Cooking
1) Pour about a cup of oil into the frying pan and fry the Rumpah until you start choking (Ok I'm kidding! When you fry chilli, typically the fragrance can be a little overwhelming so do not have any clothes hanging in the kitchen) Seriously, when the shallots and mixture start to fry, it releases the wonderful flavors which are core to the dish.
2) Pour in the Assam water and lemon grass. Bring to boil
3) Add in the vegetables: Ladies fingers, tomatoes, onion and pineapples. Bring to boil.
4) I would assume that by now, you would have washed and cleaned the fish head. Yes, it is now time to throw in the fish head. Boil until it's cook..about 10mins depending on the size of the fish head.

VOILA! IT IS DONE! Easy right??!!! 

Savor! Enjoy and let me have your comments!

Appetizing, spicy and mmmm..just makes you wanna have more! 

Time to spice things up..Our Singaporean favorite - Chilli Crabs

I'm gonna start what i call the "The Spice Trilogy". (You can almost hear the background of Star Wars playing right now...) Yes i am gonna introduce 3 spicy dishes over the next couple of blog entries..

1) Chilli Crab

2) Assam Fish Head 

3) Udang Pedas (Literally Spicy Chilli Prawns- One of my absolute favorite dishes EVER!!!)

Episode One: let's start with the easy one...Chilli Crabs. The famous Singapore Chilli Crab. The philosophy here is, it always seems hard until you actually try it! So don't ever let the name of dish scare you. Let's get going then..

Ingredients:

- Portion for 3 crabs (Alive please)

- 15 Shallots (sliced finely)

- 3-4 bulbs of garlic (finely chopped)

- 1 thumb of old ginger (sliced finely)

- 1 large onion (sliced)

- half to 3/4 bottle of tomato ketchup

- 3-5 table spoon of chilli sauce(with garlic..note: Not the super sweet type)

- 3 table spoon of white vinegar

- 1 medium bowl of warm water mixed with chicken stock (depending on how much sauce you want)

- 2 eggs

- Thai Fish sauce

Optional: 

- 3 to 5 chilli padi sliced (depending on how spicy you like it)

- 2 to 3 candle nut (chopped finely)

- Tabasco sauce (It's more for the bite..please feel free to add to taste...this is as i put improvisation)

I would assume by now that all the ingredients have been prepared and set aside. Ok now the fun part..killing crab. :) Just kidding, I'm not a sadist! 

Preparing the crab:

- Before you untie the crab, turn it over and stab into it's belly with either a sharp knife or just a chopstick will do. You'll see some liquid ooze out. Give it a while and make sure it's dead before you untie it.

- Pull out the claws first. (At the joints to the body) Watch the torns on the claws - best use a thicker cloth to hold the claw and just dislocate it.

- Next you can just pull off the head from the back ie the "crab-butt". The body should split into 2 as you do that. otherwise just chop it into half. Remove the gills. 

- Wash thoroughly - try using a toothbrush to clean off all the mud on the shells and the body.

Now you've completed the hard part...let's get to the fun part.. assembly! 

Cooking

 1) Pour about 1 cup of cooking oil into a frying pan. 

2) Throw in the ginger first. Followed by the shallots and garlic and finally the onion (Medium heat please) Optional on the chilli padi and candle nut. This is where it goes in. 

3) Once you can smell the flavors start to fill the kitchen, throw in the crab. Stir well and add a couple of dash of fish sauce. 

4) Cover and let it "steam" for about 1 to 2 minutes. 

5) Add-in the tomato ketchup and chilli sauce, stir well. 

6) Pour in your chicken stock and vinegar, turn up the heat

7) Almost there... throw in the eggs and stir well to help thicken the sauce. Finally..taste.. not salty, add more salt, not sweet enough, add a little sugar....personally, i like the bite with a little Tabasco sauce! Voila and you're done!

It's not that daunting is it? Once again...important reminder! Taste, taste, taste!! Enjoy!