Asian Style Shrimp and Mushroom Linguini

A quick and easy Asian twist to pasta. Cooking and eating at home lately had me using up all kinds of sauces for this Italian pasta. I’m using shrimps for this recipe but you can also substitute chicken breast or tofu. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

1 stalk green onions, sliced

2 cloves of chopped garlic

50g shrimps, shelled

2 large pieces dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated, sliced, liquid reserved 

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon hoisen sauce

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon chinese Xiaoxing cooking wine (optional)

More green onions for garnish

250g cooked linguini. 

1. Sauté the mushrooms, garlic and whites of green onions until fragrant then add the shrimps. Cook until it’s pink. 
2. Add the oyster sauce, hoisen sauce, and peanut butter. Stir until mixed. 
3. Add the reserved mushroom liquid slowly to thin out the thick sauce just enough to coat the noodles. Add water if not enough. 
4. Turn off heat and toss the cooked pasta in the sauce. 

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Recipe: 3 Cheese Fusilli and Cheese aka Mac n' Cheese

One of the ways to expand a pickyeater’s food choices is to let them explore and prepare the meals themselves. My daughter hates anything pasta but fancies its shapes as long as its not long and stringy, macaroni included 🤦🏻‍♀️. 

I was surprised that she asked me to get some fusilli pasta today with her favorite pepper jack cheese so she can make Mac and Cheese at home. I’d course I indulged and teased her, it’s “Fuss and Cheese” for a fussy girl like you. I asked if she knew how and explained to me that she saw in someone YouTube grate and melt the cheese in the pan and add the pasta. That's it. I thought heavens no! you will burn the cheese  (Unless your using raclette) and the pasta has to be cooked beforehand. Sometimes YouTube videos aren't so comprehensive in explaining some details you need to guide kids in the kitchen. Think of the pots and pans to clean up and the wasted ingredients. So I explained to her the importance of learning the bechamel to make a mornay sauce or in plain term, cheese sauce.

I let her boil the pasta, grate the cheese, cook the bechamel and put together everything including the garnish. And what do you know, she ate everything! I’d better write this exact recipe on the blog so she can refer to it again next time she wants to make one. Exploring one dish at a time for this picky eater’s journey.


This is a fairly easy recipe that you can teach your kids who likes to cook.


Ingredients:

• 200 grams fusilli cooked al dente
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 2 cups fresh milk
• salt and white pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp Chiz Whiz

Procedure:

1. Boil past until cooked al dente. Drain and set aside
2. Melt butter in a saucepan and add the flour to make a roux.
3. Add the fresh milk and stir over medium heat until thickened. Nappe consistency. At this stage we are making the bechamel sauce.
4. Add the three cheeses and stir further until just melted. Now the sauce has become mornay.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the cooked fusilli in the sauce and toss to coat them evenly.
7. Garnish with chili flakes or paprika if desired or with chopped parsley.
8. Serves 2 to 3 persons.

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Recipe: Jambalaya Pasta

I wanted to try out something different with my pasta today.  Since I still have a small piece of smoked sausage and leftover chicken from my hainanese chicken rice yesterday, why not make  .

#Shrimps also make a great addition to this dish. I’m using linguini and Chef Tony Cachere’s Creole Seasoning. If you can’t get andouille sausage, you may substitute kielbasa or any smoked sausage except for Chinese sausages. 

• Ingredients:
• 300 g linguini, cooked al dente 
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, brunoise
• 1 small shallot, brunoise
• 250 g shrimps, shelled and deveined
• 1 piece andouille sausage, macedoine
• 3 tomatoes, concasse 
• 1 stalk celery, macedoine
• Pasta water if needed
• 1/2 cooked chicken breast, cubed
• 1 tsp Cajun and creole seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• Juice of half lime

1. Saute half of garlic and shallots. Add shrimps until pink. Set aside in a bowl. 
2. Using the same pan, sauté the sausage, tomatoes and celery. 
3. Toss the cooked pasta, shrimps and chicken in and season with cajun and creole seasoning, salt and pepper. 
4. Add pasta water if too dry. 
5. Drizzle with lime juice before serving. 

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Recipe: Weekend Pasta Marinara

In our household, lazy weekends call for simple easy to prepare meals like pasta. It only takes about 30 minutes to get everything done. I cook the pasta ahead and while its simmering, I prepare the sauce. It takes around 10-15 minutes for the sauce to finish and I still have time to plate everything up. Just thaw everything that has been frozen like ground meat, sausages or seafoods.

This weekend, I'm going to steer away from using meat products for a while so I'm going to make Pasta Marinara (seafood). It's a family favorite aside from Pasta Vongole (Clams) which I'm going to share with you soon. 

Originally, “Marinara” is derived from the word, “marinaro” or “of the sea”. The invention of this sauce was believed that it came about during mid 16th century when Spain introduced the tomatoes to Europe. The original recipe did not contain seafoods and the sauce itself would last longer because of the high acidity of the tomatoes. Later on, it became a staple for sailors who are aboard on ship for months because it didn't require refrigeration which was not invented yet, hence the word "marinara" was translated to "sauce of the sailors".

Today, we have so many different versions marinara sauce that you can just google. This is the recipe that I frequently use.

Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

Serves 3-4 persons

Ingredients:

• 200-250 grams of linguini, cooked al dente 
• 2 tbsp a olive oil
• Small onion. minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium tomato cubed
• 1/4 cup suahe, shelled and deveined
• 1/4 cup squid, sliced into rings
• 1/4 cup fish fillet, cubed
• 100-150 grams of clams, fresh in their shells and scrubbed clean
• 1/4 cup Chianti or any white wine (optional)
• 1/8 tsp White pepper 
• 450 ml spaghetti sauce (this is where you can save time by using pre seasoned sauce) I use Clara Ole brand with the Chunky Tomato Basil variant. 
• 1 tbsp butter (optional)
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.
• On medium heat, sauté the onions, garlic and tomatoes. Let it sweat for a while. 
• Add the suahe, squid, fish fillet and clams. Turn the heat up and stir fry the seafoods quickly for a few seconds and pour the white wine over it. Cover and let it cook for about 10 seconds. The alcohol content in the wine should dissapear with the high heat. Season with white pepper. 
• Pour the tomato sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes more until the seafoods are cooked though. The shellfish should all be opened by now. 
• Do not overlook the seafoods. 
• Turn off the heat and throw in the butter. This should melt in the sauce giving it a hint of creamy, butter taste to it. 
• Finally toss the linguini in the sauce and plate them individually.
• Top with grated parmesan cheese.
• Alternatively, I love to add fresh cilantro on my pasta marinara. 

Great paired with the Chianti you used on the recipe. Any brand as long as it taste good on my palate is fine. I'm no sommelier.

I love this spaghetti sauce variant from Clara Olé

I used to consume Del Monte, then Heinz (which I prefer and I can't find in the groceries anymore...why, Heinz?)

Image source: https://www.facebook.com/myclaraole

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