The Matahari Rhymes with Calamari

Matahari means sun, in Malay.

The beautiful weather affects my mood is a very positive manner. Like my growing pots of herbs, vegetables and tomatoes, I felt like reaching my arms high for the sky. So, I am celebrating the return of summer with a calamari dish marinated with a coat of paprika seasoning, sauteed with some good olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon to finish. I name it Matahari Calamari. I have never made this dish before, I only followed what I felt like eating, so began another kitchen experiment...





The recipe for this Matahari Calamari is very simple. The star ingredient is the squid, so get the freshest you possibly can.

1lb of fresh squid, cleaned
1 teaspoon of paprika powder
1 clove of garlic, minced finely into paste
a pinch of flour
1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
a few scrapes of lemon zest
a pinch of dried chili flakes
salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
a handful of yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
fresh lemons wedges

Method:
1. Slice the squid into 1/2 inch thick rings.
2. Add the garlic, paprika powder, pinch of flour, oregano, dried chili flakes, lemon zest, salt and pepper into the squid rings and mix to combine. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
3. Heat the pan until very hot and add the tomatoes. Saute for a few minutes before adding the marinated squid. You want to have small brown bits crisping up along the sides of the squid when it is cooked so keep sauteing and tossing until the squid is cooked through and the tentacles curled with crispy bits.

I don't like overcooking my squids. When cooking with squid there is a point where the squid becomes toughen and only more cooking time will soften them again, so it's best to not overcook. I like to cook my squid for no more than 5 minutes, so that they are soft and chewy but not rubber ducky chewy.

4. Serve with a generous dousing of lemon juice.



The Matahari Calamari is so yummy with the lemon juice, you feel like you're sitting under the sun eating this delicious squid you could swear that you could taste the sea breeze in your mouth. But that's what buying extremely fresh seafood does to anyone ;)

Peas and Broccoli Rabe Risotto

I was not been a big fan of risotto. My naivety in the past lead me to think that risotto is no different from rice porridge Chinese mothers cook for their sick child. What a bloody fool, I was. But no longer do I feel that way about this precious Italian home-style grub. It's simply the best comfort food in the world that can be cooked in so many ways.

My way is done with fresh peas and broccoli rabe. The burst of sweetness balanced by a mild green bitter flavor just MAKES this risotto. This is an absolutely vegan vegetarian meal...and I am no vegan, let alone vegetarian.







If you have tasted broccoli rabe, you would notice a slightly bitter green taste to the vegetable. It tastes very much like kailan or Chinese kale. When cooked, they become bittersweet and imparts a very deep and robust flavor to any dish. It was quite delightful paired with sweet peas.

It's important to not take shortcuts with risotto. It needs to be creamy and perfectly al dente in each grain of rice. That means you must lovingly stir the pot for 30 minutes until the rice becomes a creamy risotto - no cheating with adding any cream. And please use arborio rice for this recipe, normal rice just would not do.




Peas and Broccoli Rabe Risotto
serves 2-3 persons

1 cup of arborio rice
2 cups of vegetable broth, more if needed
1 cup of white wine
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of peas, frozen is fine
1 cup of chopped up broccoli rabe, reserve the chopped up stalks because you're going to use that first
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of grated parmesan,
salt and freshly cracked pepper


Method:

1. In a medium size pot, heat olive oil, garlic and shallots together and saute them until the shallots become translucent.
2. Add in your arborio rice and saute the rice with the garlic and shallots for about 3 minutes.
3. Now add in your chopped up broccoli rabe stalks in to cook with the rice, season with a pinch of salt. Add the white wine in and stir to make sure that no rice sticks at the bottom.

There is nothing fancy with risotto, just a lot of stirring and making sure that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan. And this is what we will be doing in the next steps.

4. Stir in the vegetable broth bit by bit into the rice until it is all used up. Continue stirring as you cook the rice for another 15 minutes. As time goes by, you'll find that the risotto becomes thicker and creamier but each grain of rice are still nicely holding their shape. In fact, you will notice that the outer layer of the rice is becoming more translucent with a white bit in its center grain. Continue to stir frequently, it is imperative.

5. After 15 minutes of constant stirring, add the remaining broccoli rabe in and resume stirring. Add a bit of broth if you find that your risotto is too thick. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes more, don't forget to stir.

6. Add your peas in and cooked for a few more minutes. Take it off heat, and add your parmesan cheese in. Mix well and season with a bit of freshly cracked black pepper and salt.

Before serving, drizzle a little bit of good quality extra virgin olive oil over the risotto for a nice finishing.

Seat back and admire that little plate of creamy, rich risotto that smells irresistibly out of this world.

My shrooms' post got an award

My first award ever!

I am extremely honored by this award.

Thank you Jessi of Mushroom Council for awarding me Mushroom Recipe of the Week! The aforementioned recipe was for my Marinated Mushrooms with Balsamic Vinegar and Shallots post and it will be featured The Mushroom Channel blog for the world to see.

Do check out the Mushroom Council's website for an extensive collection of recipes and tips on how to cook, use and ignite your passion for this delicious fungus family.

Quick Chicken and Scallop Carbonara

I came back feeling famished. I wanted to slurp something quick and filling because I skipped breakfast that day. Pasta is in order, but with tomato sauce? I felt like something creamy so I decided to make myself a fettuccine carbonara with some chicken and scallop (and a handful of peas and spinach for color!)

Who said you have to eat bad when you're in a hurry?

I need to give Nigella a kiss for creating the shortcut way to carbonara. It's as easy as 1 egg and 1/4 cup of milk for that creamy sauce that spares none of the flavor. Usually, carbonara calls for bacon fat and bacon bits to flavor the sauce but because I did not have any at hand at the time I decided to use chicken and scallops (they were frozen but nothing like a quick zap in the oven won't help).

So here's what you need to make a quick carbonara pasta for two, even though one greedy person could probably finish this up in no time!


Chicken and Scallop Carbonara

150gram of chicken breast, cubed
50 grams of frozen baby scallops, defrosted (if you're using large scallops, I would suggest you don't waste it on this dish)
1 sundried tomato, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 shallot, chopped
a handful of frozen peas
3 cubes of frozen spinach
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/4 cup of milk
3-5 tablespoon pasta water
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan (I used padano, but you can go ahead and use reggiano or romano if you like)
1 large egg
Salt & Pepper to taste

Pasta
1 bundle of fettuccine (about a quarter diameter of a bundle
1 pot of boiling water, salted well

Method:

1. Cook your pasta in water that in a rolling boil. Make sure you salt the water well, I suggest 1 heaping teaspoon for every liter of water. While your pasta is cooking, you can start cooking your sauce.

2. In a hot pan, heat up your olive oil and toss in your shallot, garlic and sundried tomato. Toss to combine and saute. Once you smell the garlic, put in your chicken pieces and saute until chicken is cooked through. Season with some salt and pepper. Let it sit on the pan to brown the sides a little bit.

Give your fettuccine a stir to see how it's doing.

3. Go back to your pan and saute the chicken pieces a bit more, add your baby scallops in and saute the pan again. Add your frozen spinach in and scoop a few tablespoon of your hot pasta water into the pan. Cook until the spinach is wilted and water dissipates from the pan.

Check your pasta, it should be almost done. Take 1 strand of fettuccine and test it by eating. It should not taste floury at all. If it's one, scoop the pasta out of the pot and into the pan.

4. Now that your pasta is in the pan, toss the pasta with the other ingredients for a quick saute. Throw in your frozen peas and saute the pan again. Season with some salt and pepper, add pasta water and milk in. Let the pan come to a simmer.

5. Once the pan is heated and starting to simmer, add your parmesan in and crack the egg into the pan. Now, you have to work very quickly - stir the pasta as soon as the egg touches the pan and lift the pan off the heat. The heat in the pan should be enough to cook the egg and milk through into a creamy sauce. If you think it's not quite done, put the pan over the stove again and let it heat a bit more, while stirring vigorously.

Do not over-cook, you don't want a scrambled egg carbonara.

Once the sauce has reached an off white creamy consistency, your pasta carbonara is done. Serve it hot!

Marinated Mushrooms with Balsamic Vinegar and Shallots

Store this in a sterilized mason jar and keep it in your fridge for an indefinite period of time. Top it on crusty bread and toasts, top it on fish and chicken or steak -- it is delicious! Marinated mushrooms with balsamic vinegar and shallots is the best all-in-one condiment/side dish that goes well with almost anything. Make A LOT if you want it to last. My 2-lbs of marinated mushroom barely lasted 9 days.

And it does not need to cost you a bomb... Would you believe me if I told you I made this recipe with less than $5?



I bought white button mushrooms at the 99cent basket at my grocery store. Sure, the mushrooms may look less than pretty with plenty of bruises and spots - but they were not rotten. They were just basically too bruised for consumers to want to pay premium price for them. And for this recipe you do not need pretty looking mushrooms. In fact, if you had used perfectly nice button mushrooms, you would not be able to tell the difference if it was cooked with bruised mushrooms. So 99cents x 3 for 2-lb's worth of mushrooms, $1 for 5 shallots (and I only used 3) and balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar that's already in my pantry costs $0 and the grand total for this recipe is $3.97. So enough convincing, let's grease it up.

Marinate Mushrooms with Balsamic Vinegar and Shallots
2-lb of white button mushrooms, cleaned with a damp cloth.
3 shallots, diced finely
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of pepper, more or less
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Prepare your mushrooms by slicing them width-wise simply. They do not need to be too thin, maybe about 1/2cm thick or so.



2. Heat pan on medium-high heat until oil is hot - I would suggest cooking your mushrooms in portions so it cooks evenly and not steam. Toss in your mushrooms, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and saute until the mushroom is completely wilted and slightly browned around the edges.



The key to this recipe is indeed in the method of preparation. Mushrooms contain a lot of moisture, which is one reason why they bruise easily. You need to get rid of the water in the mushroom by sauteing them for this recipe to work. And to do that effectively, do not overcrowd your pan. Cook your mushroom in batches - it is a little tedious but well worth it -- and your arms will thank you too.

3. Once your mushrooms are sauteed well, you will notice that they have reduced from a mountainous pile of mushroom slices into a modest, and delicious, looking mound. Add the shallots in and toss them together with a pinch more salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Give the mushrooms a few more toss before adding the sugar in.



4. Now it is time to add the balsamic vinegar in. Make sure your pan is still hot when you add your vinegar it. It has to sizzle and sputter. Pour the vinegar around the pan so that it will evaporate excess water as the vinegar flows to the middle of the pan; instant caramelization! Toss your mushrooms and vinegar concoction again and let them cook for another 2-3minutes.

They are ready....


They are delightful when eaten hot, warm and cold - on bread, crackers, chicken, fish and steak. These marinated mushrooms is really cool, easy-going, and yummy. It's almost like you're dating a surfer dude where anything goes and still sparks-a-flyin'. I'd recommend this to any first timer.

;)

That Ultimate Crispy Basil Butter Breadcrumb Salmon

This is a Tyler Florence inspired recipe that I made for a dinner reception for 6! In my opinion, when you are having guests over for dinner, seafood is the best option for a main dish simply because it's fast and easy to cook. Salmon is such a forgiving fish; top it with a basil butter breadcrumb for that extra crisp, this is a meal that 1) won't screw up, 2) guarantees impressiveness and 3) pleases the crowd.

The recipe is even simpler, you can do most of the prep ahead of time....



Crispy Basil Butter Breadcrumb Salmon

1/4 cup Basil Butter + 1/4 cup for stuffing (recipe for basil butter compound below)
5 slices of stale bread, cut away the brown parts
6 x 4oz of salmon; in my case a slab of salmon fillet, cleaned and descaled that weighed around 700grams give or take
salt
pepper
lemon wedges, for a quick drizzle before serving

Method:
Preheat your oven to 500 F. You want your oven to be extremely hot when you put your fish in. Also, prepare a oven pan to cook your salmon on, nicely oil.

1. First, we will ready the basil butter breadcrumb that promises that ultimate crispiness. What you need is a food processor; tear the bread into smaller pieces and then blitz until they become crumbs.

2. Once that is done, add your compound butter in and blitz a the bread and butter a few time until they are well combined. You should have a golden crumb that is speckled green. Now set that aside and prepare your fish for application!

You can make the basil butter breadcrumb a day in advance as well, keep it in the fridge.

3. Your slab of salmon should be free from scales and bones. Put the salmon on cutting board and do diagonal slits vertically on the salmon, skin side, just half way through. You will be stuffing some basil butter along those slits after. Do make sure that your salmon is absolutely dry, the paper towel is your best friend for the next step to work.

You can ask your fish counter to help you clean your salmon or you can do so yourself; though it's not really recommended. Imagine fish scales flying all over the place, and yes, they do get in your hair. So, get the kind man or woman behind the fish counter to do it for you.

4. Once the slit is done, season with some salt and pepper. Use a spatula and scoop a goop of softened compound butter. Smear the butter against the slits first to get the butter within those pockets. After that take another scoop of butter and smear the butter along the slits to close them up. You will have a nicely buttered up salmon.

You can make this the night before, or the same morning. Keep the fish in the fridge until 1 hour before cooking time. The compound butter infuses it's basil flavor into the fish; it is just absolutely amazingly moist, tender and flaky - you will never thought fish could taste this good!

5. Now, that your salmon is all buttered up, it is the perfect vehicle for carrying the basil butter breadcrumb. Top the salmon with a layer of basil butter breadcrumbs and then shift the fish, carefully, to an oven pan that's been lightly oiled. Cook for 15 minutes, take the fish out of the oven and let it sit, cover with aluminum foil, for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with some lemon juice and lick your forks clean.

I promise you that is perhaps the best salmon dish you would have ever tasted. The texture of the salmon is silky, moist and juicy with taste that has a nice hint of basil and lemon that melts in your mouth. It WILL convert none fish-loving people into a fish-lover. True story.


Basil Butter Compound
you can make this in advance

3 cups of fresh basil leaves
1 lb unsalted butter
juice from 1/2 lemon
pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Method:
Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until well combined. It's A LOT of butter so keep unused butter wrapped in a foil in the freezer. This basil compound butter is excellent on toast, fish, chicken and even to melt on steaks.