Angel Hair Pasta

Angel Hair Pasta

Recipe source :  Adapted from Flavours Magazine, No. 40, Sept - Oct 2003

Noodles and pasta are usually our preferred choices for weekend lunch or brunch because weekends are times for the much needed rest and relaxation after five days of slogging in the office. 

I love to cook angel hair pasta because the texture is much thinner, therefore cooking time is much shorter. This brand that I bought just took me two minutes to boil to make them al dente. 

I normally cook it with prawns or seafood but I just wanted a change and cook this with pork slices. 

Ended up looking like a "East meets West " dish.

Ingredients

250g angel hair pasta, cook accordingly to package instructions
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce                          ( original recipe did not use this )
1 tbsp soy sauce                               ( original recipe did not use this )
1 tbsp Kikkoman Shoyu
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp chilly flakes
300g pork, cut into slices                  ( original recipe used prawns )
1 stalk spring onion, chopped
5g wakame seaweed, soaked to soften

Method

1.  Cook angel hair pasta accordingly to instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.
2.  Heat olive oil in pan and saute chopped garlic until fragrant. Add in pork slices and fry for one minute.
3.  Add in all the sauces, wakame seaweed, mirin and chilly flakes.
4.  Toss in the pasta and stir quickly to mix well. Add in the chopped spring onions.
5.  Dish up and serve. 

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for January 2015 is Noodles and Pasta 
Hosted by  My Bare Cupboard

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 
and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Book #20

Hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Fruity Fusilli

Fruity Fusilli

Recipe source :  Adapted from "Everyday Chicken" by Parragon Publishing

I saw this interesting recipe from the above-mentioned cookbook and I was inspired by its concept of using mango and raisins to cook pasta. However,  I had made several adjustment to suit my family's taste preference. I cut down on the amount of meat and therefore I had to reduce the corresponding amount of spices which were used to marinate the meat. The seasoning ingredients were my own addition. 

My son commented that it was the weirdest pasta dish he has ever eaten. This was because he does not like fruits to be cooked in any way whatsoever. He prefers fruits to be eaten fresh. But for this pasta dish, he gave the thumbs-up sign because his mouth was too full of this delicious fruity fusilli to give praise! 

Despite his praises, he maintains that this is weird! Oh boy!

Ingredients

100g minced pork/chicken                  
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp cumin powder
sprinkle of chilli flakes
a pinch of pepper
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped shallot
150 ml liquid from boiling the pasta
2 tbsp raisins
1 ripe mango ( cut into cubes )
300g dried fusilli
1 tbsp chopped Chinese parsley

Seasoning ingredients 

2 tbsp Lea & Perrine sauce
1 tbsp mirin (Japanese wine)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

Method

1.  Marinate the minced pork/chicken with turmeric powder, cinnamon, cumin, chilli flakes and pepper for 30 minutes.
2.  Boil fusilli according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. Retain 150ml of the liquid from boiling the fusilli.
3.  Heat a frying pan until hot. Add 2 tbsp oil and saute chopped garlic and shallot until fragrant.
4.  Add in the marinated pork/chicken and stir to loosen the minced meat. Pour in the liquid retained from boiling the fusilli. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. Add in pasta and seasoning ingredients. Stir to mix well. Fry until almost dry.
5.  Add in the mango cubes, raisins and chopped Chinese parsley. 
6.  Dish up and serve. 

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for January 2015 is Noodles and Pasta 
Hosted by  My Bare Cupboard

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 
and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

I am linking this post to  Cook-Your-Book#20

Hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Tricolor Fusilli With Ham and Fish Balls

Tricolor Fusilli With Ham and Fish Balls

Recipe source :  Doris Choo

My youngest son loves to eat pasta. I used to cook pasta with either tomato sauce or cheese. But today,  I wanted to cook it differently. Part of the reason was because my fridge was too congested. I needed to finish off  the many bottles of sauces, Japanese mirin and chilli flakes that were taking up space in my fridge. 

Personally, I would have opted for shrimps or seafood for pasta. However, my youngest son prefers ham and bacon. So we comprised by having ham and fish balls, together with some fresh buna shimeji mushrooms and parsley.

Well, I am pleased to share the end result which was delicious!

Ingredients

300g tricolor fusilli
20 pieces fish balls, cut into halves
2 pieces ham, cut into small pieces
150g buna shimeji mushrooms, removed the roots
2 sprig parsley, chopped
4 pips garlic, chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp mirin                 (or white wine )
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil

Japanese mirin

 Tricolor fusilli

 Buna shimeji mushrooms

 Fish balls, cut into halves

Ham, cut into small pieces

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the fusilli and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 11 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Alternatively , cook accordingly to the instructions mentioned in the package of pasta.
2.  Heat olive oil in a wok and add in chopped garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.
3.  Add in the buna shimeji mushrooms, fish balls and ham. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
4.  Add in mirin, oyster sauce, chilli flakes, salt, pepper, and sesame oil. Stir to mix well.
5.  Toss in the boiled fusilli together with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from boiling the fusilli.
6.  Continue to stir until the liquid is almost dry, then add in the chopped parsley.
7.  Toss to mix everything until well combined.
8.  Dish up and serve.

Yummy!

I am submitting this post to Aspiring bakers #38 : Boozy-licious! (December 2013)

hosted by Jasline of Foodie baker