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!