Whacky Pumpkin Curry Pasta

Yesterday's nice-sunny Sunday was spent with Connie as she wanted to learn something to make for her other friends on the coming week. That said, the whole cooking experience began from buying the ingredients itself. We had to walk our way up to Randwick to get the ingredients, though I think that with the final product, the ingredients could have all been bought around Kingsford area. Anyway, not that I'm complaining as Connie's a good company. By the time we got back to her place, it was already 2pm, far behind schedule as we spent too much time hovering around, hence we had to pull a quickie before it gets too late and the meal end up as a dinner instead. So quickly, we manage to pull the dish off in 45, faster than I thought as I was expecting no less than an hour, but the outcome was pretty good as well...

This time around I decided to throw a bit of West into a wholesome of East, i.e. the pasta base with the Thai curry, which was really aromatic, I should have remembered the brand though, so that everyone else can get their hands on it. Anyway here are the ingredients:

300-500g pasta (any type will do, boil in water until desired softness)
1 large red Spanish onion (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
50g shitake mushroom (chopped, rinsed, seasoned with sugar, salt and dry Basil)
about 300-500g pumpkin (any type will do, you can use butternut as well, coarsely chopped)
2tbsp Thai red hot curry paste (or more for those spice fans, you can use panang curry or yellow curry as well)
about 300g small washed potatoes
200g of tuna flakes
100g of diced tomatoes (just use the canned ones for those who are lazy, they come with the tomato sauce as well)
5tbsp vegetable oil
about 1 cup of milk (you can use coconut milk as well)
grated Parmasen cheese for finishing
salt and pepper to taste
half a bunch of Australian corriander (or use any herb that you like, basil and curry leafs are good options as well)

The methodology is simple, it's like making a curry dish, but add in more of the tomato to make it more subtle. Start of by poaching the chopped pumpkin and potatoes in salted water until the pumpkin are soft and tender, the potatoes will be further cooked in the curry later, so don't worry about them.
Meanwhile, dry-fry (or called toast) the chopped onions and shitake mushroom on a medium-high heat, add in sugar and salt when the ingredients start to dry, followed by vegetable oil and turning to high heat, saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions start to brown. Add in the garlic, saute until fragrant and add in curry paste, followed by diced tomato and half a cup of milk, mix well and simmer until it boils.

Add in the half-poached potatoes and the remaining milk upon boiling, leave to simmer. Meanwhile, mash the poached pumpkin evenly add some salt and pepper to taste. Done with that, add in the tuna flakes into the sauce and mix well, add seasoning to taste and bring to boil again on medium-low heat, add in the mashed pumpkin at last (so that much of the sweetness is retained), turn to low-heat and mix well. Done, serve with pasta, coarsely chopped herbs and finish off with grated Parmesan cheese.

Last note, feel free to add more water to make the sauce more diluted than the dry-pasty version that I like, and you could also substitute the tuna flakes with any other meat, preferably of stronger aroma, like minced beef or pork, or even herb-seasoned sausages, but make sure to pre-roast them to intensify the flavours.

Fried Pasta with Mushroom and Bean Sauce

I have a lot of friends who always admire how good the smell of those noodles from the university's restaurants' are, they then often end up buying into those costly meals. But seriously, it does not cost that much, especially when they buy their ingredients in bulk. So I would like to reveal how to make one of those very aromatic fried noodles in this post. Despite the fact that I used pasta, it can be easily substituted with other noodles, so go for what you like!





Ingredients: (serves 1)
50g Pasta (cooked until desired tenderness in hot water)
25g Large White Button Mushrooms(thoroughly rinsed and sliced thinly)
25g Diced Pork (sliced thinly)
3 tbsp Fermented Black Bean (Soaked in water pre-use)
1 tbsp Black Bean Sauce
1 tbsp Soy Bean Paste
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
2 slices Ginger (finely chopped)
4 petals Lettuce (any type, or use Choy Sum)
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Method:
1. Heat oil in wok and stir fry garlic and ginger until aromatic. Stir in pork slices first. Stir fry for 2 minutes before adding 1 tbsp light soy sauce. Stir-fry for another 1 minute.
2. Add in mushroom slices, stir fry for another 2 minutes before adding fermented black beans, soy bean paste, fermented bean paste, sugar and a splash of water. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in pasta at this point, add the remaining black pepper powder, light and dark soy sauce. Continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes over high heat, adding splashes of water if necessary. Stir in lettuce before serving. Done. Serve hot when it is aromatic.

Cold Mixed Kuay Teow

Ingredients: (serves 1)
50g Dried Kuay Teow (can opt for fresh ones)
10 g Skinned Peanuts (coarsely chopped and lightly toasted) 3 pc Small Thai Chili (seeded and finely chopped)
2 slices Ginger (finely chopped)
2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
3 tbsp Sesame Oil
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 small Cucumber (finely chopped or grated, leave in ice cold water) Toasted Black and White Sesame to garnish













Method:
1. If using dried Kuay Teow, boil in hot water until turns white and tender, drain water, soak in ice cold water and leave in fridge.
2. Lightly toast ginger slices in hot pat, add 2 tbsp sesame oil, stir in chopped Thai chili and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Add light and dark soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper, stir over low heat until everything is well dissolved. Turn off heat.
4. Drain water from Kuay Teow, mix with sauce evenly, add in toasted peanuts, followed by last splash of sesame oil. Top with chilled cucumber. Done, sprinkle with black and white sesame before serving.

Chinse Sausage and Hasbrown Pasta

I had this sudden urge to eat some chinese sausage the other day, and I couldn't think of any other more funky idea to cook this dish, it is delicious! The distinctive chinese sausage aroma merged with the crispy, salty and yet another distinctive flavour of hashbrowns, try it!

Ingredients: (serves 1 big eater)
200g Pasta (just cook it in anyway you would prepare other dired pasta)
2 pc Hasbrown Patties (Roasted in oven until crisp and crunchy, takes about 15 minutes with a 200 degrees Celicius setting)
1 pc Chinese Sausage (use more if desired, skinned and thinly sliced diagonally)3tbsp Thick Mushroom Soup (use those pre-canned ones, Campbell sounds good)
1 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
3 petals Fancy Lettuce (soaked and cleaned, coarsely chopped)
Pepper and Salt to taste

Method:
1. In a pan or wok, heat sliced chinese sausage without oil, keep stirring or flipping sides to ensure it does not turn black. (use low heat) This should be done for about 2 minutes or so. What you're really up to is the oil from the sausages, once there is enough, stir in the garlic.
2. Add in thick mushroom soup paste at this point, add a bit of water if desired, but not too much. Stir in pasta, add pepper and salt to taste. Continue stirring, add in lettuce.
3. Turn off heat. Add coarsely cut hashbrown chunks and stir well. Done, serve hot.

Simplest Pasta Dish

To those who think that making pasta is a big hassle, I reckon this dish would change your view. I made this during a lovely afternoon a few days back when I was busy rushing for my studio submission and presentation. Hence, I guarantee, this one is really easy to make, and taste really good!



Ingredients: (serves 1)
150g spaghetti
3 cloves Garlic (coarsely chopped)
1 tsp Dried Oregano leafs
1 tbsp Butter
5 Fresh Basil Leafs (can use more, finely chopped)
3 tbsp Extra Light Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste


Method:
1. Boil a pot of water, add dried Oregano leafs and a pinch of salt, followed with spaghetti and cook until desired tenderness. Remove from heat, drain water and add butter to melt, mix well.
2. In a sauce pan, dry-toast the garlic, add olive oil and salt, sautee over low heat, stir in cooked spaghetti and mix well. Stir in fresh basil leaf before right before removing from heat. Done. Serve hot or cold. Top with any extra sauce but it is delicious enough with the salted olive oil.

Italian Angel's Hair, Japanese Style?

What do you do with heaps of seaweed, miso paste, and only Italian Angel's Hair in your cupboard? Haha, check it out!

Ingredients: (serves 1)
200g Angel's Hair Pasta (pre-cooked in hot water, stir in some butter after removed from water)
25g Dried Seaweed (pre-soaked in water until soft)
5 bunch of Parsley (more or less to personal preference)
3 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 Spanish Red Onion (Coarsely sliced)
1 tbsp Light Olive Oil
2 tbsp Miso Paste
2 eggs
1/2 cup Water
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pinch of Sugar
Few Shredded Cheese

Method:
1. In a heated wok, dry fry garlic and onion, add pinch of sugar and salt to brown, followed by olive oil to saute.
2. Stir in seaweed, stir fry for a minute or two, and add in pasta. Stir-fry for another 3 minutes. Add water, followed by miso paste. Continue to stir fry for about 5 minutes, stir in some shredded cheese, make sure the sauce does not dry off. Done.
3. Serve on a plate, top with two half-boiled eggs (add a very egg-gy flavour to the whole. Mix with roughly chopped parsley, adds another layer of aroma to the pasta. Enjoy!

Note: There is no meat in this dish, so pure Vegans, you know what to do twist about to make it to suit your diet! =)

Homemade Pasta Sauce

OK, everyone buys ready packed pasta sauces because their cheap and come in handy. But what if you want to make it your own? ever thought of it? Well most people would not want to take the trouble to that, but I just had this funky idea of making it, rather than going out and buying those pre-made ones, partly as I feel that there is more control over the flavour of the sauce and what goes in it...

Ingredients:

6 tomatoes

4 tbsp thick tomato sauce, or tomato puree

1 red onion

1 red capsicum

150g minced pork

4 clove garlic, or more

50 g champignons, or more

2 tbsp thyme

2 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp basil

Sugar, Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Method:

1. Boil the tomatoes in a pot of water, take out when the tomato skin starts to wrinkle.

2. Heat up 4 tbsp of olive oil in a pot, add in diced onion, use sugar to caramelize the onions. Add in diced garlic and stir fry until aromatic.

3. Stir in mince pork and chopped capsicum and the champignons. Add tomato sauce and seasoning.

4.Squash the boiled tomatoes into the pot. Stir and mix everything well. Add in the herbs at this point.

5. Add 3-4 cups of water, cover with lid and bring to boil, then turn to low heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Done, stir in a good drizzle of olive oil until thick and smooth. Serve with pasta or rice.

NOTE: The main reason I prefer to make my own pasta sauce is that I big chunks of the ingredients in the sauce, makes the eating process more sensational as you have to bite more and get more out of the texture of the sauce and the pasta.

Minced Pork Pasta

It has been really some time since I last updated my blog, really could not find tiime to do it as my assignments were very demanding. But thankfully it is all done now. Despite the busy and hectic schedule during the last couple of weeks, I did still consistently took some pictures and wrote down some recipes that I made, just to share with everyone. These recipes should be quick to make as I would not have cooked them if they were too time consuming, and do bare in mind that they serve only one person and at most two small eaters. Anyway, let's start with an easy one...

Ingredients:

100g minced pork

1 red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 sclice ginger

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp pepper

1 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat up oil in a frying pan, add diced red onion and saute over low heat. Add sugar to caramelize the onions. Then stie in ginger and garlic.

2. Add in minced pork when all the things in the pan start to brown you smell the aroma of it. Stir fry over high heat. Add in the rest of the seasonings and done, ready to serve.

3. you can serve it over hot rice or anything else, but i choosed pasta because I had heaps of them in my cupboard.

Chinese Style Pasta?

It was a busy afternoon and I wanted to make something quick so that I can continue with my assignment. For a while I was thinking of eating bread and settle the hunger, but after thinking about it, I decided to make something else, so that I can bring the extra to Uni for lunch. Anyway, here it goes, bare in mind, some people like it, some do not, but I'm in the first category, HeHe...

Ingredients:
250g large spirals
50g Tuna Flakes (or minced Pork)
5 pc large Chinese Mushroom
5 sheets Chinese Cabbage
1/2 Red Onion
2 cloves Garlic
2 slice Ginger

1 tbsp Chillie Sauce

1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
Pepper and Salt to taste

Method:
1. Cook Spirals in a pot of water until desired tenderness, drain water.
2. Heat up a wok and add in 2 tbsp Oil. Add in choped garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until brownish and add in Tuna Flakes (or minced Pork). Stir In the Mushrooms and Cabbage stems.
3. Add in the pasta to stir-fry. Stir in the cabbage leafs before adding seasoning. Done. That easy!

Bacon and Mushroom Carbonara with Tuna Flakes

Well, I finally got to make it as delicious as those in pizza outlets! HaHa, that is my own opinion though, you guys can try for yourselves...

Ingredients:
200g Macaroni
1 Strip Bacon
3 pc large Chinese Mushrooms
30g Tuna Flakes
5g Ikan Bilis (Anchovy)
30g Shredded Cheese
3 sheets Chinese Cabbage
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Oregano
3 cloves Garlic
3 tbsp Mayonnaise
Salt, Pepper and Sugar to taste

Method:
1. Cook Macaroni in a pot of water until desired tenderness, drain. Slice Bacon and Mushroom into preferred sizes.
2. Place Bacon and Mushroom over low heat in a pot or wok. Add a pinch of sugar, 1 tsp Oregano, slowly saute until golden brown.
3. Soak anchovy in sugared water, drain and saute over low hear as well.
4. Melt 1 tbsp of butter, add chopped garlic, Chinese Cabbage and Tuna flakes. Add seasoning and a pinch of Oregano.
5. Melt Cheese (use shredded Parmesan or Mozzarella for better results), stir in 1 tsp of butter and Mayonnaise. Stir in Macaroni and add remaining Oregano powder.
6. Place anchovy, sauteed bacon and mushroom on top. Done. Mix well before eating.

Note. Don't eat often! Carbonara is high in calorie.

Amateur's Carbonara - Salmon Flakes Penne

I woke up early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. Hence I went to my kitchen, had my cereals and started to make my own version of carbonara with the available time (not much though)...


















Ingredients:

Penne 200g
Salmond Flakes Salad (refer previous) 125g
Cabbage 25g
Butter 30g
Shreded Cheese 75g
1 cup Milk (to own preference)
1/2 a Brown Onion (chopped)
1 clove of garlic
1 piece of whomeal bread
Olive oil
Dried Thyme
Dried Basil
Pinch of sugar
Pepper and Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat a small pot of water, put in Penne when boiled, add some saltand a tablespoon of olive oil, leave uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until desired pasta tenderness.

2. While the Penne is cooking, toast the bread in a toaster or oven till desired cruchiness.

3. Heat up a wok, put in 10g of butter and add in the garlic and brown onions, followed by a pinch of sugar, to caramalized the onions and bring out its flavour.

4. Add in the milk and switch to lower gas mark (so that the milk does not degrade in it's quality and benefits). Slowly stir in the cabbage and let to heat up, remember do not bring to boil.

5. Subsequently add in thyme, basil, pepper and salt to taste. Slowly stir in the shreded cheese till the soup thickens.Drain the Penne, throw in 20g of butter and stir till disolved.

6. Mix the thick soup and the hot penne. Crush the toasted bread, place on top. Serves as garnishing and adds texture to the pasta. Give a good drizzle of olive oil to the pasta. Done. Serve hot or cold to own preference.