Stir-fried seafoods with salad

I got this pack of frozen mixed seafoods sitting in the freezer for awhile. In it are slice squid, clams(meat only), mussels and scallops.   i wouldnt say its not great but it was a little bit tricky as i put it out of the fridge on the last minute, probably it would have been easier if had it planned and thawed it earlier. Well, it took a while to stir-fry as it turned watery at first, then i took some if the liquid out of the pan, otherwise it will be boiled.  I lost some if the flavors, but i got no choice.  I am surprised the squid and scallop didnt turn out rubbery as i expected.  Served it with salad.  Nevertheless, different twist for dinner tonight.  Hubby made the lemon vinaigret for the salad. 

Note to self: dont buy that frozen seafood mix again.  It is not cooking evenly because it has different size of of meats.  

Fettuccini with Shrimps and Spinach

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fettuccini with shrimps and spinach

Seriously do you need a recipe?  Well, most of the times moms are always on the rush juggling a lot of things in the house, not to mention cooking is not an exemption on the list.  All you need is to do is open the fridge and see what you can cook the easiest way possible.  Imaginations just keep on popping on your mind and then thats all there is to it.  Grab the right pans and preheat them while   prepping the ingredients in no time.

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 large white onion (finely chopped)

2 bunches of spinach (stalks removed and chopped)

Fettuccini (prepared according to packet instructions) until al-dente

Shrimps (shelled)  (i used frozen pack)

250 ml all pupose cream

1/2 c. Evap. Milk

Oil for sautéing

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese (optional)

****************

Prepare the pasta according to packet instructions until al-dente. While waiting for the water to boil, sauté onions until frangrant (translucent) add shrimps, stir until the liquid has evaporated.

In another sauce pan, blanch the spinach for a minute and drain; add into the sautéed shrimps. Add cream, minced garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add enough milk to thin the sauce. Add  pasta. Mix well until.  Add some parmesan cheese just before serving.

Note: one of my daughter's fave!   she doesnt eat spinach, but little did she know, she had a lot. Happy mommy! 

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Mickey Mouse cupcake tower

Dada's breads

One of those weekends when hubby bakes... Awakened by the devine smell of freshly baked croissant makes one feels like grabbing a cup of coffee.. He is not sharing the recipe but, ssshh, i will eventually make it (wishful thinking (*_*)..)

The little one indeed was delighted to wake up with dada's bread!!!  Croissant with chocolate filling is her favorite! and there were not only croissants, got burger buns and Dada's signature bread.

why chew when you can drink #2

Well, the blender does the job right? I am not fond of chewing celery! But i can definitely drink this!

Ingredients!

Celery 1 bunch

2 green apples

1 cucumber

2 cups low fat milk

Ice cubes

Blitz for a minute in a blender, press that puree button for about 30 seconds, done!  Enjoy a healthy breakfast!  How quick is that?

Berries Breakfast smoothie

Breakfast smoothie

Ingredients:

Berries: strawberries, raspberry and blue berries.(a handfull of each)

 1 scoop of whey protein

 1 glass of fresh milk

Blitz in blender for a minute. Ready for the morning! Rise and shine!

Have a nice day

Roasted Australian Beef Topside

Topside of beef, also know as silverside and top round, is a second-class cut of beef from the top of the hind leg. Topside is a lean, boneless piece of meat best suited for casseroles, stews and roasting. It can be a difficult cut to cook correctly because of its low fat content, and when prepared incorrectly, it tends to be very tough and chewy. Roasting the meat, however, showcases the flavor and creates a tender and juicy piece of beef. By Marie Price, eHow Contributor

I’m always intimidated to cook beef especially the best cuts that are most likely expensive cuts because, I tend to overcook it.  Someone is not happy with a well done beef.

When I saw a nice piece of beef on the rack in Carrefour, I didn’t hesitate to grab one not knowing what to do with it.  Thanks to loads of ideas on the internet, I couldn’t get the perfect ingredients that are mentioned but as usual I have to settle what is in the pantry.  This time, I am proud to say “I did it” in medium rare.  Ohh, the secret? Its in the massage ;-)

Happy that I pleased someone. 

Ingredients:

650 g. Australian Topside beef

marinade:

5 Tablespoons   Jack Daniel Barbeque Sauce

1 glass   Merlot wine 

4 cloves garlic

1 onion

pepper

In a zip lock bag, place the piece of topside, add all the marinade ingredients and do a gentle massage onto the meat by squishing gently the bag of goodness.  (Using this method you keep your hands free from the marinade mixture). Chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, giving it a gentle massage every now and then.

Drain the marinade and put it aside, dry the meat by patting it with a kitchen paper.  Add some more freshly ground pepper. Pat it again so the pepper would stick to the meat. Drop some few drops of olive oil and gently massage it into the meat. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees C. at the same time, preheat a pan (with heavy bottom) over the stove until it becomes very hot.  Remembering not to oil the pan, but oil the meat. Once heated, gently place the beef in wait for at least 3 minutes on each side to brown the outside of the beef before turning it to another side, until all the sides have browned.  At this stage, you can feel that the meat is still juicy on the inside, but browned outside.

Place it on a roasting rack. Here, i put on cooling rack and place it over a pan of potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic.  Roast for 2 hours at 250 degrees C.  After 2 hours, let the meat rest for 5minutes before cutting for serving.  Serve immediately while still warm.  The roasting time should give enough time to prep the table, so just put the cutting board on the table so it will be on the plate right away, ready for the hungry carnivores. ;-) 

To prepare the gravy, on the same pan used with the beef, add the marinade and let it simmer .  Ad a cube of beef broth until it becomes a little bit sticky like a gravy consistency. Drain with a sift and discard the residue. Serve gravy warm with the beef. 

 This how it should look to achieve tenderness..  pink and juicy inside. Serve it with the potatoes.

Flat Bread

This flat bread is a 5 star for my daughter..  I wish I could acknowledge that Chinese Chef I saw on tv way back before my daughter was even conceived.  I remember his face but couldn't remember his name.  He used this flat bread  recipe  for a peking duck recipe he once showed in one of his shows. You bet I owe a thank you to that chef, so I might come back to put his name here for acknowledgment  if I catch him again.

Well, this is very simple easy to do flat bread.  Now, i can do it in less than 30 minutes. Fresh flat bread would be served on the table.

Normally I do it with eyes half closed, I meant i don't measure anymore, just estimate the amount but for the purpose of posting it here, I did measure this time. :-) and took a step by step photos for a guide.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 warm water

In a mixing bowl add flour and salt, make a well at the center and add olive oil and sesame oil.  Gradually add the warm water while mixing the mixture (use the tip of a wooden spoon, or tip of the fork to mix) until it forms small lumps, continue adding water whilst mixing until the flour gathers together and form bigger lumps.  Gather all the lumps to form a dough.  On a flat working surface, knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.  Form into a log and cut into pieces.  Form each peace into a ball.  Flatten it with the palm of your hands and then flatten it further using a rolling pin until it becomes thin.  Make it as thin as possible.  Sprinkle some flour if needed so it wont stick to the surface or to the rolling pin.  Preheat a flat pan,  and place the flattened dough. Cook in high heat until the surface starts to rise like bubbles. Flip it over to cook the other side.  Use a flat turner to do this, and if you are tempted to flatten the bubbly surface, go ahead.   Once there are black spots visible, the bread is done!

Make a well in center and add olive oil and sesame oil

gradually add warm water while mixing, it will start to form small lumps 

flour starts to form larger lumps

After adding the water, gather the lumps around the and knead like a dough

Place the dough on a smooth and lightly floured surface

Form into a log

cut into pieces

form into small balls

flour the surface and the rolling pin

flatten it using the palm of the hands

Flatten the dough using a rolling pin

Cook it on a flat pan

It will rise like bubbles

Flip it over 

ready to eat..

The bread is good as it is, use it as wrap or stuff it with goodness inside.

Some of the variations below:

stuffing it with thin cheese

add ham 

wrap it like an envelope

in the pan it goes

waiting time won't be that long :-)

Fish in a parcel

Opened, ready to eat

Serving Suggestion - Serve it piping hot from the oven straight to the plate.

This is one of my my favorite influences of "The Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver.  I like the way he does things in a quick and easy way with full of flavors.. lots of goodness!!!  This recipe has never failed me by far. Preparation can be done in advance, it gives time to prepare other goodness for the dining table and just pop it in the oven when everything is ready. 

There's nothing more surprising than opening a main course just like opening a present and the aroma just meets you straight away with steaming goodness. 

Here's a guide: there is nothing precise on the portion of the ingredients as long everything can fit and wrapped securely without any leak.  The ingredients is up to your liking as well. Others can be skipped or maybe substituted.  Keeping in mind the balance of its acidity of lemon and portion of butter/olive oil.  Lemon can be overpowering but it is necessary.

Ingredients: 

Fish fillet

peeled garlic 

chopped onions

chopped leeks

chopped spring onions

red capsicum

butter

lemon

olive oil

salt and pepper

Cut a portion of  baking paper (about 1 foot long) and lay it flat on a plate.  Place the fish fillet in the center and season with salt and pepper;  add onions, garlic, leeks, spring onions, capsicum on top of the fish add a knob of butter on top, squeeze a lemon and drizzle a little olive oil.  

Fold the ends lengthwise first, pressing the crease each fold and secure the sides.

To wrap everything, fold the baking paper lengthwise, make a crease each time by pressing it with your fingers, (make 3-4 folds), then secure the ends by creasing crosswise, making the last fold facing down.

Secure the ends by folding the ends, press the crease each fold

Lay it flat in a baking dish with the crease on the top side.

Bake for 30 minutes in the oven..  Make it the last thing you put on the plate so that it remains warm upon serving.

Just perfect for a weekend lunch.


BTW, I had posted one with a different variation long time back: fish in a parcel

Spaghetti with Chicken in Mushroom Sauce

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Spaghetti with Chicken in Mushroom sauce

My 4 year old daughter loves mushroom sauce and sometimes she prefers pasta over rice, so this is a product of her taste, trying to incorporate some vegetables in it and at the same time, the mother tries to avoid rich creamy sauce for some obvious reasons (i.e. she’s deliciously creamy enough!).  Seriously, for this recipe,  I skipped adding cream, as I used to, instead I boosted the amount of garlic and pepper to have some contrasting flavors of the earthy mushrooms, hence, it is still yummy less the extra calories.  But I found another way to make it tastier by using low fat milk loaded with garlic, will tackle that in another post with that picture.

Meantime, for reference, here it is.

Ingredients:

250 g. chicken breast, thinly sliced

300 g. button mushrooms, sliced

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bulb of white onion

1 red capsicum/bell pepper

1 green capsicum/bell pepper

1 cube of chicken broth dissolved in 1 ½ C. warm water

olive oil to stir fry

1 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. water

Freshly ground pepper

Salt

250 g. spaghetti – Prepared as per packet instructions.

Brown mushrooms in a heavy sauce pan with a dash of olive oil, set aside.  Sauté onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant, add chicken, add browned mushrooms, add warm water with chicken broth, and season with freshly ground pepper.  Bring to boil. While boiling, add cornstarch mixture gradually until the sauce thickens.  Add cooked spaghetti and mix.  Now add cheese and serve while it is still warm.

Note: As this has been a family favorite, a different variations has been developed, skipping the amount of water in the recipe.

1.     Add cooking cream to thicken the sauce and add 1 clove of garlic (grated)

2.     Alternative to the cream, 1 ½ C of low fat milk and 1 clove of garlic (grated)

It is also worth noting that while cooking the sauce, prepare the pasta at the same time so when the sauce is ready, mix the pasta straight away while it is still hot. It takes a skill to do it but once you’ll get the hang of it, it’s gonna be easy. Timing is essential.