Pasta Puttanesca

I'm updating again :-)

Since it's a holiday, I had ample time to do some homecooking. 
I remembered one time, while having dinner at a cafe, my husband had, a plate of puttanesca. He loved his plate and asked me to prepare it at home. So, since I am a very mabait na wife (hahaha)  did some googling for this pasta sauce. I grabbed all the ingridients and  planned to prepare this dish this lent season. Bagay di ba?

To do this, you will need;

12 pcs of chopped anchovies but I used 2 tbsp of dried herring (tuyo). I used tapa king's bottled spicy tuyo
1 tsp minced garlic
1 fresh red chilli - deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
6 whole tomatoes, stewed and chopped or you can use canned tomatoes
1 packs tomato paste (150 grams)
1 Tbsp capers
1/2 cup sliced pitted olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
coco sugar (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
250 gm spaghetti

Then you have to;

1.Cook spaghetti according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2.Heat the oil in a pot or large pan.
3.Saute garlic, dried herring or anchovies anchovies, and chilli in the hot oil for about 1 minute.
4.Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 2 minute.
5. sprinkle some coco sugar.
6.Stir in olives, parsley, basil, capers, salt and pepper.
7.Simmer for a further 4-5 minutes.
8.Add the pasta mix well with the sauce. If it's too dry drizzle with a little more olive oil.
9.Serve and enjoy.

My husband loves it. :-)

Pinoy Spaghetti

I woke up from a nap yesterday thinking I want Jollibee spaghetti but I was too lazy to go out and delivery needs to have a minimum order and its only spag that I want. Since there is a grocery near our place (it will only take 2 minutes to get there). I decided to buy the ingridients for my simple pinoy spaghetti.

So what I did, I grab 400 grams of spaghetti pasta. Boiled it al dente (around 8minutes), drained and set aside.

Then I chopped 1 white onion. Thrown it in a preheated pan with olive oil. Then add the chopped garlic. When the garlic is a bit brown (not burn) I add the 560grams of del monte pinoy style spag sauce and add UFC banana catsup (about half a cup). Season with salt, pepper and sugar. When it simmer thrown in the sliced hotdogs (about 5 pieces), bits of ham and shredded cheese ( I used queso de bola). Wait until the sauce thickens. Then thats it.

Pour over cooked pasta an topped with cheese. sarap!!.

I enjoyed my pinoy spaghetti.

Tuna Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce

It's been a long time since I last posted what I been cooking in my kitchen. Now let me share a very simple pasta recipe that I love to cook when I was staying in Melboune.

You will need;

400 grams pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pcs white onion chopped

1 clove Garlic

1 cup mushroom sliced

5 large Sun-dried tomatoes; chopped

1 can hot and spict tuna; drained

1/4  nestle cream

1 1/2 cup tomato sauce

sweet basil

salt and pepper to taste


Then what you'll do:
Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente.
Heat oil over medium heat and onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and mushroom. Cook until garlic is golden. Throw in the drained tuna, then the chopped basil then add the tomato sauce, mix to blend well and heat through. Cook for about one minute more. Keep sauce warm.

When pasta is just about done, add cream to sauce and stir until it is well absorbed. Don't allow the sauce to boil at this point. Drain penne and add to sauce mixing well. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil before serving, if desired.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with garlic bread. Yumm!

Miso ramen and Gyoza

You will need;

2 cups fresh noodles

200 grams pork sliced

1 to 2 tbsp of oyster sauce

2 tsp minced garlic

½ medium sized onion, chopped

For the soup;

2 cups water

1 packed miso paste ( I used Asian home gourmet)

4 nappa cabbage leaves, sliced thinly

dashed of brown sugar

For garnish;

6 pcs gyoza, pan fried

2 tbsp finely sliced green onions

toasted sesame seeds

What you'll do;

In a wok, saute onion then garlic. add the pork slices. Cook until the pork are medium cooked. Add the fresh noodles. Season with little oyster sauce. Cook for 2 minutes set aside.

In a separate wok, dissolve the miso paste in two cups of water. Add the mirin. Then bring to boil.

Whille waiting for the miso to boil, prepare the noodles in a bowl. Add cabbage slices, place the gyoza on top. Pour the miso soup over the noodles and garnish with spring onion and toasted sesame seed.

Serve hot. :)

The gyoza by the way was left over from last New Year :)

No to overcooked Pasta.

Anyone can make perfect pasta. Here are some tips shared by my friend. You see her brother works as a chef in an Italian resto here in the Philippines.

To start off...

Fill a pot with one quart (1 liter) of water per serving of pasta (1/4 pound, 100 g)  and set it to boil. Stir to ensure that all pasta is in the water and that the pieces are separated. Cook 7 - 8 minutes for long cuts like spaghetti, 8 - 10 minutes for short cuts like penne.
A minute before the pasta's cooking time is up, fish out a piece of pasta and check for doneness. You want an al dente, or chewy texture- Taste, or break open a piece of pasta to test for doneness. When it's ready, drain the pasta in a colander and serve immediately with your favorite sauce.

Now to make your sauce and pasta blend together try this strascicata technique.

To do this... Warm the sauce in a skillet while the pasta is cooking. Just before the pasta is done, transfer it, while it is still dripping, into the skillet. Turn to high heat and toss the pasta and sauce. This technique helps the pasta to absorb the sauce, imparting a more complex flavor. This is the technique that I usually do and for me it's a magical way of making my pasta dish more yummy.

Mangiamo!

Padthai

Whenever we eat at Thai resto, padthai is a must to order. Since this is my favorite, I wanted to make my own PadThai so one weekend I brave myself in making this dish.
With the researching and reading (online and cooking magazines) I did about this dish, I come up with this version....

What you will need;

8 oz. Hofan  noodles, available at  the oriental section of the supermarket

1 to 1 1/2 cups raw chicken breast or thigh meat, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion chopped
1 cup tofu cubed
1 fresh egg
3 cups fresh bean sprouts
3 spring (green) onions, sliced
1/3 cup crushed or roughly chopped peanuts
1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
lime wedges for serving
oil for stir-frying,

PAD THAI SAUCE:
Just mix everything.

3/4 Tbsp. tamarind mix (I used sinigang mix) dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1-3 tsp. chili sauce
3 Tbsp. brown sugar

Then what you have to do;

1.Bring to boil a pot of water and  dunk in your rice noodles. Allow noodles to soak while you prepare the other ingredients. I boiled my Hofan Noodles for 3 minutes. Do not overcook as it will be soggy. Remove from heat, wash in cold water and drain.  Set aside.

2.Heat a large wok over high heat until very hot, saute onion then garlic. then add the chicken strips. About 1-2 minutes add the tofu.

3. Then add the Pad Thai sauce and simmer for a minute. Season with salt and pepper.

4.Low the heat and add the noodle, Stir rigorously, keep everything moving in the wok.

5. Then when everything is mix, push the noodles to one side of the wok and crack an egg into the middle. Let it set for 10-15 seconds and toss everything all together.

6.Add the beansprouts. Keep things moving. Add more sauce if it looks a little pale.

7. Throw in the spring onions. Turn the heat off, and quickly give the wok a good stirring to mix everything together.

8. Turn off the heat and transfer in a serving plate, topped it with spring onions and add fresh lime wedges :)

Korean Army Soup

There are many version in making this soup. I am sharing you how my husband cooked this last weekend. I tell you, I super love this hot and spicy soup. :)

You will need;

1 tin Spam, sliced
4 hotdogs sliced on the diagonal
1 package Kimchi Ramyun
1 heaped tbsp chili paste
Sliced firm tofu
Kimchi

Then what you will do...
1.In a pot, place 2 cups of water. Let it boil

2.Then add the sausage, spam and sliced tofu. Simmer for a minute

4. Throw in the ramyun

4.Then add the kimchi according to your liking.

5. You can add korean chili paste if you want it more spicy.

6. Voila… Budae Jigae (부대찌개)!!

Yummeh!!!

Food Friday: Packed Lunch

My packed lunch for today at work would be penne with tuna and tomatoes .  I don't bring rice and viand for baon. So If not pasta, it would be sandwich or I will eat out na lang. Its only during weekends that I make home cooked meals. You know, busy with work,. I really dont have that enough time to  prepare or cook during workdays.

Do you bring baon  at work or in school din ba?

Happy Food Friday!

Pancit Habhab

Pancit hab-hab is a noodle dish famous in the streets of Lucban, Quezon Province, where the vendor uses his thong to grab some habhab and put it in a square banana leaf then drizzle the noodles with vinegar mix. The noodles are eaten by pushing the banana leaf to your mouth. A very creative way to eat it right? :)

That photo was taken few years ago at Buddy's Pancit Lucban Branch at Market Market. I was sorting my photos when I saw this one and right now, I am craving for it. Guess I'll ask the husband to visit Market Market over the weekend. :)

Enjoy the new week everyone. See yah!

Food Friday: Ramen and my Cafe World

Whenever I crave for Kimchi noodles, I would grab an instant pack. It's a staple in our house. The spiciness and the firm noodles are just perfect for me. The husband and I love this ramen compared the ones we locally have here because ours are too salty.
Now, if you'll look closely the background is my Kainan Republic. My online cafe at Cafe World. It's my latest addiction after Farm Town. Im level 20 already and I'm excited to level up to get more stoves, more counter and more dishes to make. hahaha!
Have you tried the two?
Happy Foodie Friday everyone!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

My bowl of spaghetti

I love eating spaghetti from a bowl rather than a plate because this way I can easy twirl the pasta neatly against the inside of the bowl until no noodles are left dangling. No messy sauce splatting...hahahahha!!!!

Anyway, Im sharing this recipe that my husband and I loves. Especially when we're watching television :)

To make the meatballs;

Mix half kilo of ground beef plus chopped ham. Then add a dashed of salt and pepper. Sprinkled with a little flour. Mix mix well. Add 1 beaten egg.

Now this is the fun part. With the use of your hands, grab a small part of the mixture and form into balls. It’s up to you what size of the meatball you want. Deep fry in low heat so as not to burn the meatballs. When cooked, drain excess oil. Set aside.

Now for the spaghetti sauce, just the basic....

In a saucepan saute onions and garlic. I use one medium pouch of italian spaghetti sauce then I add 1 regular bottle of banana catsup. Salt and pepper to taste. Throw the sliced mushroom. Add the meatballs and simmer. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Sprinkle grated cheese. Enjoy!

Pasta cooking made much easy

Angelhair Pasta with Tuna in Red Sauce

An easy and quick Pasta recipe. Glad there's this del monte tomato and cheese spag sauce. I love it's blend. It has the sour taste of tomato and the perfect flavor of cheese. :)

Okay enough said, del monte's not paying me here harhar!

So here’s what I did;

1.Cook pasta (500 grams) according to pack directions. Drain and set aside. I used angelhair pasta. It cooks in 3-4 minutes only.

2. In a pan saute onion then garlic, add the 2 cans of tuna (I used tuna in oil)drained and set aside.

3. Add a can of drained sliced mushroom (or olives)

4. Mix mix mix then set aside

5. In a saucepan, melt butter; add flour and cook on medium-low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly

6. Add the spaghetti sauce (I used delmonte tomato and cheese) and simmer

7. Then slide in the sauted tuna and mushroom.

8. Add chili pepper for some spice (optional)

9. Topped your cooked pasta with the red sapg sauce and sprinkle some grated cheese.

10.Done!

Easy Peasy right? :)

Instant

The other day, the husband and I were wandering around the supermarket when I saw this familiar photo printed on a piece of foil package. I look closely...then I saw the English character saying...Kimchi Ramen. Yay, it's my favorite, just perfect! It may not be the fresh one but this will do. :)

A hour later, us at home;
I cannot let go of the idea of enjoying the ramen....so I followed my heart! :)
I read the back label or should I say, followed the picture for instruction.

As I interpret the photo It says.... boil water for some minutes, pop the noodle and stir. Simmer. Remove from heat then add the seasoning. Mix mix mix. Place noodles into bowl . Grab a chopstick and enjoyed! See I can read korean instructions. :) Well...I put more water though! hahaha

It's good compared to some other instant noodles. :)
Then the next day, after the workshop, asked hubz to have a dinner near our place. There was this restaurant that I thought was japanese but was a korean restaurant...woooohhh!
and this was the real thing!

It made me a happy being again! :)
You think we just had Kimchi ramyun....no way, bitin yan. Here's the rest of the food we had

Oishii (Delicious)

Beef Sukiyaki

I worked in a japanese company before and it's a common thing to see beef sukiyaki on our dining table during company parties. Now, I am not working in that jap company anymore but my love for beef sukiyaki remains. I decided to make my own beef sukiyaki last Friday evening.

So you'll need;

Half kilo beef sukiyaki (thinly sliced beef )

500g Tofu cut into cubes

1/2 Chinese cabbage (chopped)

7-8 shitake mushrooms

200g Cellophane noodles

2 medium scallions, sliced

Onion quatered

sukiyaki sauce: Just Mix everything... 1/3 cup soy sauce 3-4 tbsp Mirin

5 tbsps sugar

1 beef cube dissolve in 1 cup water

and now this is the exciting part...the cooking.

1.Boil the noodles ah hmmmm...sorry forgot how many minutes, so just follow as per package direction then rinse in cold water, drain & set aside.

2.In a skillet, drizzle some oil & pan fry the beef for 2-3 minutes. Then set it aside.

3. Saute the onions, add the mushroom and the cabbage and the scallions.

4. In a separate pan, sear the tofu. I separate so I wont squish it :)

4. Remember the sukiyaki sauce, we have to boil it for 3-4 minutes. Taste it, if it's salty add water and a tbsp of mirin.

Now... assemble everything.

Find a bowl then place atleast 1/4 part of the bowl with the noodles, another 1/4 part with the beef, then the rest, place the vegtable and tofu. Pour the steaming hot sukiyaki sauce.

Then get a chopstick and enjoy :)

By the way, hubz had another serving, this time, we place a freshly cracked egg at the center before pouring the hot sukiyaki sauce. Oishii :)

Another thing if you want an authentic Beef Sukiyaki recipe, you could get that here