Category Archives: Home Cook Food

Shrimp Aglio Olio

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COVID-19 Movement Control – Day 60
Lunch: Shrimp Aglio Olio

Can’t believe it. We already survived 60 days of MCO. Throughout this MCO, I have journaled every day on my Instagram of my thoughts, special memories and mostly food that I cooked, some for the very first time since we cant eat out during this special time. The one special thing is, the boys used to tell me “Mommy, can you please don’t cook?”. Now, Jaden would come to the kitchen and asked what did I cook that smelled so nice or he would add on his food serving. This is for me to read years in future of how we survived this pandemic and why 2020 is so special to all of us. Treasuring memories.

My favorite pasta is Aglio Olio and also one of the very first pasta that I tried cooking. It’s easy and I was told to think of the colors of Italy flag. White for garlic (lots and lots of garlic cooked with olive oil), green for parsley and red for tomatoes.

When I was buying parsley, I had the option of getting a packet of Italian parsley at $2.50 or a parsley plant at $6.50. It was the only parsley plant standing there and surprisingly, it looked healthy. I decided to get the plant as the Accountant mind told me if I can use it 3 times, it’s already cheaper and I don’t have to keep on going back to Village Grocer to buy. I am really challenging myself if any plant can survive in my hands. I don’t have green fingers.

Ingredients:

  1. Pasta – 250g (about 85g per serving)
  2. Olive oil – 1/2 cup
  3. Anchovies in olive oil – 2 per serving
  4. Garlic – 6 cloves, thinly sliced
  5. Chili flakes (1/4 tsp) or chili padi (2 red, halved and seeds removed)
  6. Shrimps – about 5 medium shrimps per person
  7. Cherry tomatoes – 12
  8. Fresh Italian parsley – 1/4 cup, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Put 2.5 litre of water to boil, add salt
  2. Once boiled, gently put pasta into the pot of boiling water.

3. Let it cooked for about 10 minutes or follow cooking instructions on pasta box, stirring occasionally.

 4. While pasta is cooking, add olive oil into wokpan.

5. Put anchovies and its oil

6. Add garlic slices and sauté until golden brown and fragrant. Add chili padi.

7. Add shrimps and cook for 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook the shrimps.

8. Add tomatoes

9. Add cooked pasta and parsley and mix them evenly.

10. Add a little of water from pasta pot, if it is dry.

11. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with some parsley and serve warm.

You may sprinkle some grated parmesan, if you love cheese.

The 3 beautiful colors of Italy flag.

 

Shrimp Taco Bowl

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COVID-19 Movement Control – Day 55

Lunch: Shrimp Taco Bowl

My third attempt of Poke Bowl. Butter garlic shrimp with mango salsa and cabbage salad. Recipe inspired from Downshiftology. I found her while looking for meals prep ideas and saw several interesting posts by her.

The shrimps were juicy and succulent. The mango salsa had the sweet and sour refreshing taste. The cabbage gave a crunchy healthy taste to the bowl. I had white rice at the bottom of the bowl. I love the colours of the food and I can see myself eating this often.

(A) SHRIMP

Option 1: Garlic butter shrimp

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons butter, or more as desired
  • 600g large shrimp
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Fresh parsley, chopped to garnish

Instructions:

  1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat and then stir in the garlic. Cook this for about 30 seconds.
  2. Add the shrimp to the skillet and season it with salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until the shrimp begins to turn pink. Do not overcook shrimp or they will become rubbery.
  3. Take the shrimp off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. If you’d like it extra buttery, you can add more butter now as well.
  4. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve.

Option 2: Fajitas shrimp

Ingredients:

  •  1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin
  • 1/4 tsp Paprika
  • 1 clove minced Garlic
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 300 g Fresh Shrimp
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil.

Instructions:

  1. Mix together and add Shrimp. Marinate 20 minutes before grilling/frying.
  2. Add olive oil and fry Shrimp 2-3 minutes per side.

 

(B) MANGO SALSA

Mango salsa, a perfect blend of sweet and zesty taste which is good with Tortilla chips or add it to meals for boost of fresh sweetness i.e. pair with tacos, fajitas, burrito bowls, salads, etc.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe (1 cup) mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 1/2 small (1/4 cup) red onion, diced
  • 1 medium cucumber, sliced and diced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced – reduce or omit to adjust spicy level
  • 1 tbsp cilantro leaves or fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

  1. Once you have prepared all the ingredients, toss them into a bowl and stir everything together until it’s combined.
  2. Let the salsa rest for about 10 minutes for the flavors to blend together or serve right away with a side of tortilla chips.

(C) SLAW

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chopped Red Cabbage
  • 2 cups chopped Green Cabbage
  • 1 stalk chopped Green Onion
  • 2 tbsp chopped Cilantro
  • 3 tbsp Mayonnaise
  • Juice from 1/2 Lime
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Sugar

Mix together, set aside.

(D) ASSEMBLE TACO BOWL

  1. Scope rice (white, brown or quinoa rice) on serving bowl
  2. Place shrimp on top of rice
  3. Add Mango Salsa and Slaw
  4. Add fresh Avocado and cherry tomatoes to add flavor and colour to the food.

Fermented Soy Bean Paste Stew (Doenjang-Jjigae)

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Recipe from my favourite Korean chef, Maangchi. I must get a copy of her cookbook.

Jaden added more rice and we finished the entire stew pot and green onion pancake. My cooking must have improved or they are more easy now due to the MCO cause they used to tell me “Mommy, can you please stop cooking”.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4):

  • 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
  • 1 green Korean chili pepper (cheong-gochu), stemmed and chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 large (8 medium) size shrimp, shelled, deveined, washed, and coarsely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
  • 2½ cups of anchovies stock (water and 7 dried anchovies, guts removed)
  • 5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) fermented soybean paste (doenjang)
  • 6 ounces (3 pieces) medium-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
  • 2 green onions, chopped

 

Directions:

  1. Add potato, onion, zucchini, chili pepper, garlic, and shrimp in an earthenware pot or stainless-steel pot.
  2. Wrap the dried anchovies in cheesecloth (or a dashi bag, a pouch for stock-making sold at a Korean grocery store) and put them into the pot with other ingredients. Add water and cover.
  3. Cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes until it starts boiling. (If use stainless steel pot, it will take about 7 to 8 minutes)
  4. Stir in the soybean paste, mixing well. Cover and cook for 20 minutes longer over medium heat.
  5. Add the tofu and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the anchovy pouch and discard.
  6. Sprinkle with the green onions and serve as a side dish to rice. Serve it directly from the pot, or transfer to a serving bowl. Everybody can eat together out of the pot, or portions can be ladled out in individual bowls for each person.

Green Onion Pancake (Pajeon)

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Recipe from my favourite Maangchi

Ingredients (for 6×7 inches rectangular pancake)

  • 10 stalks of green onions:
  • ½ cup of flour
  • ½ cup of water
  • 1 tsp of soybean paste
  • ½ tsp of sugar
  • 3 tbsp of vegetable oil

Sauce: Mix these ingredients in a small bowl

  • 1 tbsp of soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp of vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp of sugar or honey
  • 1 chopped shallot or 1/2 chopped yellow onion
  • Chopped green or red chili peppers
  • 1 tsp of roasted toasted sesame seeds (toasted sesame seeds give a very fragrant and enhance the taste of this sauce)

 

Directions:

  • Clean, wash, and drain a handful of green onions
  • Cut them into 4 inch long
  • Make batter by mixing flour, water, soybean paste and sugar in a bowl. Mix well until the batter is smooth.
  • Heat up a non-stick pan
  • Add vegetable oil to the heated pan.
  • Put the green onion on the pan parallel to each other, in the shape of a rectangle.
  • Pour the batter over the green onion evenly.
    *tip: If you want some seafood (chopped squid, mussels or fresh oysters) in your pancake add it on top of the green onion before pouring the batter.
  • While the pancake is being cooked, keep patting it, pressing it slightly, and keeping it in a nice shape with your spatula.
  • A few minutes later, when the bottom of the pancake turns crispy and golden brown, turn it over.
  • Cook a few more minutes until the bottom of the pancake turns crispy and golden brown again and flip/turn it over.
  • Cook another minute and transfer it to a serving plate.
  • Serve hot with sauce.

Glutinous Rice Balls with Ginger Soup

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On a cold, rainy day … it’s so comforting to have a bowl of glutinous rice balls (tang yuan) in ginger soup.

So glad that I bought this packet of ready made glutinous rice balls last weekend and could quickly made it for our after dinner dessert today, especially after hearing another 2 weeks of MCO.

The pandan leaves are from our pot in the balcony, the reason why I like to have mini herbs garden at home.

Ingredients:

  • A packet of glutinous rice balls
  • Water: 2 cups (480ml)
  • Ginger: 2 inches, sliced
  • Pandan: 3 leaves
  • White sugar: 30 gram
  • Brown sugar: 30 gram

Method:

  1. Put water and ginger into a pot
  2. Let it boil and simmer for 30 minutes
  3. Add pandan leaves

4. Add sugar and let it simmer till sugar is fully dissolved

5. On a separate pot of water, let it boil, put in the glutinous rice balls and let it cook till the rice balls float.

6. To serve, add rice balls to a serving bowl and ladle the ginger soup over.

Toad-in-the-Hole

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COVID-19 Movement Control – Day 37
Quick breakfast for Jaden before his e-learning and he liked it. Something new for his breakfast.
I used Tefal Brut Mineral Frypan 28cm. It’s non-stick and spacious enough for me to make this breakfast. It’s so easy that you can make it by just looking at these photos.
  1. Cut out a square hole from a slice of bread
  2. Crack 1 egg into the bread hole. Add pepper
  3. Add cheese
  4. Add ham
  5. Put the cut out bread on top
  6. Turn the bread over

Serve with baby spinach and cherry tomatoes to add colour to the breakfast and cheer up the day.

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

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COVID-19 Movement Control – Day 36
Lunch: Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Play masak-masak with my niece. A new recipe for us and it turns out really well. We had this soup with garlic bread.

I really love the colour of this food. So vibrant. I think my food photography is getting better. Do you think so too?

Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes – 4
  • Red pepper – 2
  • Garlic – 7 to 8 cloves, skin on
  • Red onion – 1 cut into 8 and open up
  • Black pepper
  • Salt
  • Olive oil
  • Bake at 200C for 45 mins

 

 

Shoyu Salmon Bowl

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Ingredients:

  • Sushi grade salmon
  • Mirin sauce
  • Quinoa
  • Cherry tomato
  • Sesame seeds
  • Cucumber
  • Pineapple or mango
  • Onions
  • Corns
  • Green onions
  • Seaweed flakes – cut into 2 inches long
  • Avacado
  • Walnut, pumpkin seeds or coconut flakes

Directions:

  1. Rub salmon with salt and put in fridge.
  2. Rinse salmon and pat dry and cut into 1cm x 1cm cube
  3. Marinate salmon with mirin sauce for 5-10 minutes
  4. Cook quinoa rice.
  5. Cut ingredients into bite sizes.
  6. Scoop quinoa rice into a bowl and assemble poke bowl to your liking.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap

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COVID-19 Movement Control – Day 34

We had leftover of Nando’s chicken from dinner yesterday. I decided to make this chicken wrap from it. A healthy food, using sour cream rather than mayonnaise and the taste is delicious.

During this MCO, I have tried several new things, more creative in whipping up a quick and easy meal from whatever in the fridge. Jamie Oliver has been my favourite as he has lots of simple, easy and healthy food that we can follow.

Ingredients

Parmesan Croutons:

  • 1/2 French baguette day-old, crust removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Chicken:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 8-ounces each)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sour Cream Caesar Dressing:

  • 1 cup low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 anchovy, smeared with a fork to a paste
  • 1/2 clove garlic, minced or grated
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sandwich Build:

  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 heart romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-size pieces
  • Parmesan Croutons, recipe follows
  • Four 12-inch sundried tomato tortillas, toasted with a little oil

 Directions:

  • For the Parmesan Croutons (yield 4 cups):
    1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
    2. Add the bread and Parmesan to a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    3. Drizzle with oil and mix well.
    4. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  • For the chicken:
    1. Place the chicken in a shallow dish just large enough to hold them.
    2. Whisk the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl until combined.
    3. Pour the oil mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.
    4. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
    5. Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
    6. Remove the chicken from the oil mixture and pat dry.
    7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 12 minutes per side.
    8. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly.
    9. Thinly slice the chicken against the grain and set aside.
  • For the sour cream caesar dressing:
    1. Mix the sour cream, Parmesan, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, anchovy, garlic and season with salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
  • For the sandwich build:
    1. Place the sliced chicken, sour cream Caesar dressing, tomatoes, romaine and Parmesan Croutons in a large bowl. Toss to coat evenly.
    2. Fill each wrap/tortilla with the chicken mixture.

3. Wrap it and cut into halves diagonally.