Shrimp and herb tagliatelle

I bought a pasta machine few years ago, but I do not use it often :( I do not make pasta as often as rice or noodles. It is because I thought pasta dish always matches with tomato sauce or white sauce or simply olive oil, it makes me feel bored... Another thing is that I didn't spend time to discover different sauces for pasta...

However, when I saw this recipe, the sauce attracted my attention :) I have a chance to use my pasta machine!

Ingredients
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup chopped shallot
140g unsalted butter

14 medium sizes shrimp (shells removed)
3 tbsp chopped chives
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

250g tagliatelle

3 tbsp pasta cooking water
Salt & pepper

Instructions
1. In a sauce pan at medium heat, boil wine, vinegar and shallot until liquid reduced to about 1 tbsp
Add 1/3 butter and whisk constantly
Add remaining butter, whisk constantly, let it completely melted

2. Reduce heat to low, add in shrimp to cook, flip to another side so that both sides cook well

In another pot, boil water to cook pasta

3. When the shrimp changes its color, add in chives, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt

4. When water boils, add in salt and then pasta, let it cook until al dente
Reserve 3 tbsp pasta cooking water and discard the rest

5. In a serving plate/ shallow bowl, place pasta, then shrimp sauce and pasta cooking water
Season with salt & pepper

Enjoy!

Butter beans with butter, mint and lime

Beans... was not my favorite food, I don't like it so much when I was young. The taste was not good, it is always sold frozen with carrots and other vegetables... my mother liked cooking it with pasta and serve in soup.

Now I like it more, as I can cook in the way I like. I found this recipe is delicious especially serving with pasta, serving like salad. Or you can serve as first course :)

Ingredients
6 cups water
1 tbsp salt
600g frozen butter beans

3 tbsp butter
Juices of 2 limes
1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
salt & ground black pepper
1 tsp grated lime zest

Instructions
1.In a saucepan, boil water & salt over high heat
Add beans & cook until tender, about 10-12 mins or until you can poke the beans by a fork
Drain water and try to remove water as much as possible

2. In a serving bowl, put butter and place beans on the top, mix well until butter melted
Add lime juice & mix well
Add in mint, salt & pepper

Sprinkle lime zest on the top

Enjoy!

Cucumber salad

I know it is getting chill now, but cucumbers are on sale... also I saw a recipe with a special salad sauce in a cooking magazine. The way of presenting this cucumber is nice :D

Ingredients
1/2 red onion
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
sea salt
ground pepper

1 cucumber

Optional: 1 tbsp chopped dill

Instructions
1. Thinly slice red onion, separate the layers, set aside

2. In a small pot with lid, place vinegar, mustard, honey, salt & pepper
Cover the lid & shake to mix well
Add in onion & let pickle for 30mins

3. Slice the cucumber in lengthwise with vegetable peeler, be careful!
Place them in a bowl, drain excess water

Right before serving, add in onion salad dressing

Enjoy!

Bake Pumpkin / squash butternut with no waste

Autumn is coming, so It is pumpkin season too!! :D I love pumpkin because the taste is good and it is full of nutrition.
In the past I always removed pumpkin skin when I cook it and discard the seeds too... I guess you do the same don't you?

I am surprised we can keep the skin as well as the seeds! So here is the recipe I found. I am so joyful and want to share with you. No more waste from now on :D

Ingredients
1 small pumpkin (about 1 kg)

Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Option: balsamic vinegar

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 220°c

2. Half pumpkin
Scoop the seeds out & keep them aside*
Divide 1/2 pumpkin into 2 again, with the skin facing you, cut them into 1/2"-1" wide

*Note: click here for the recipe to cook the seeds (coming up soon)

3. Line a baking sheet on a tray, sprinkle some olive oil on it
Dip sliced pumpkin on both side and line them on the tray
Sprinkle salt & pepper on the top

4. Bake the pumpkin for 15 mins, then take it out, flip over the pumpkin, put back to oven and bake for another 15 mins

You can sprinkle some vinegar on the top before serving.

Enjoy!

Baked salmon & broccoli in Asian style

Salmon is rich in omega 3, healthy food. I like eating salmon in Japanese way - sashimi :) but I also like frying salmon on the pan, the half-done salmon with crispy skin is delicious! What about in the oven? May be I can explore some other ways to make salmon, so here is baked salmon.

Ingredients
1 head broccoli, broken into florets*

4 skin-on salmon fillet
juice 1/2 lemon 
3 stalks spring onions, sliced

Optional: olive oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

* If you want to keep the trunks of the broccoli as well, use boiling method - see step 1 **note

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 180°C
Wash and drain the broccoli and, while still a little wet, lay them on the tray (no fillet for the moment)

Pour some lemon juice over broccoli. Bake for 10mins**

**Note: instead of baking the broccoli, you can boil the broccoli at medium heat flower part: 1-2mins & trunks: 5mins, run the broccoli immediately under cool water when time is up, drain water and set aside

2. After 10mins, take the tray out from the oven, push the broccoli aside, lay fillets with skin facing the bottom

3. Top with the rest of lemon juice on the fillets

Sprinkle spring onions & drizzle with a little olive oil over everything

Put the tray back to oven and bake for another 15mins

4. After 15mins, take the tray out from the oven once more, sprinkle everything with the soy sauce

Then return to the oven for 4 mins more until the salmon is cooked through

Serve hot with rice!
Enjoy!

Creamy mushroom soup

Sometimes I just want to make something simple, so soup is good. It is easy, fast and yummy.

Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced

250g mushroom

3 carrots
2 stalks celery

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup half & half*

* half & half = half portion of cream + half portion of milk

Instructions
1. Thinly slice mushroom, peel and dice carrots & dice celery

2. In a Dutch oven at medium heat, melt butter
Add in garlic, onion, mushroom, carrot & celery, stir well
Let it cook until tender, about 4-5 mins

3. Add in thyme and let it cook for 1 min or until you smell the fragrance

4. Whisk in flour, stir with all vegetables, stir well
Add in chicken stock & bay leaf, let it cook, stir regularly, until it is thickened a bit (about 5mins)

5. Add in half & half , bring it to boil
Season with salt and pepper if necessary

If the soup becomes too thick, add more half & half until the consistency is well

Serve hot
Enjoy!

Baked colin fillet, shrimp & broccoli

This is really healthy dish, I love the lemon grass & lilme leaves flavor

Ingredients (4 servings)
2 colin fillets*
10-12 tiger shrimps*

2 carrots
1 broccoli
12 mushrooms

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
8 lime leaves**
1 lime juice
salt & pepper
Optional: olive oil

1 lime zest
2 stalks lemon grass

*you can use 4 colin fillets & no shrimps, or 20-24 shrimps & no colin fillet... it is up to you

**tear them from the edge towards the center a few times - to release flavor

Instructions
1. Wash carrots, broccoli & mushrooms
Prepare a pot, boil enough water to pre-cook the vegetables

To prepare the lemon grass - cut each stalk into 3 parts, cut each part lengthwise into half, use a knife to mash them a bit to release the flavor

2. Slice the carrots in lengthwise into long pieces
Cut the flowers in half, cut the trunks in lengthwise 
Cut the mushrooms into half if they are small, in 1/4 if they are big

3. When the water boils, put carrots & broccoli trunks (NOT broccoli flower), reduce heat to medium, cover the lid and leave them cook for 3 mins 
Then add in broccoli flower & mushroom, cook for another 2 mins

Preheat the oven to 150°c

4. After 5 mins, run vegetables under cool water to keep its bright color, discard the water, transfer the vegetables into a baking dish

Add in half quantity of the parsley, lime leaves, lime juice, salt & pepper, olive oil, mix well

5. On a plate, place the colin fillets
Add in the rest of the parsley, lime leaves, lime juice, salt & pepper, olive oil, use your hand to rub these ingredients

6. Place the fillets on the top of the vegetables
Sprinkle lime zest & place lemon grass on the top

7. Place the baking dish into the oven and bake it for 45mins

Enjoy!

Spinach quiche (meat-free)

Quiche night yay! Got some spinach to finish up... ok let me make a spinach quiche :)

Sometime important to note - You don't cook Spinach ahead, or it becomes too old, but since spinach release juice when cooked, you'll need to reduce the quantity of milk or cream, but I rather like richer taste so I only reduce milk quantity here.

There is no parmesan cheese on the top in this photo

Ingredients
300g pastry dough, click here for the recipe

1 onion
4 shallots

olive oil

250g cream in liquid (I used 30%)
100g milk (I used 1.5%)
3-4 eggs

400g Spinach

60g parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper

Sprinkle on the top: parmesan cheese

Instructions
1. Wash spinach
Chop onion & shallots

Set aside

2. In a big mixing bowl, mix onion, shallots, olive oil, cream, milk, eggs. Mix well
Then add in spinach & parmesan cheese, mix well
Add in salt & pepper

3. Preheat the oven at 200°c
Place a baking sheet on a pie mould

4. On a floured working surface, roll out the dough until it's 0.3cm (not thicker than 0.5cm) thickness
Lay the dough on the pie mould

5. Use a ladle to transfer the egg mixture to the pie mould carefully

6. Put the quiche into the oven for 30mins or until the surface becomes golden

Note: I used large cake mould since I have no pie mould at home. Because of the height of the quiche is about 4cm, I baked it for 1 hour

Serve hot with some parmesan cheese on the top!
Enjoy!

French Pot au feu

I looked over my old recipes and found this one, it is from an old cook book. 

Ingredients (about 6 servings)
1.2 kg beef, short ribs, marrow bones - defrozed
3 L water, room temperature

1 onion
3 cloves garlic
4 cloves
4 thyme
4 bail leaves
4 sage
8-10 pepper grains
1 tbsp salt

2kg vegetables - carrots, leek, turnip, celery

Instructions
1. In a big cooking pot, pour water & place meat, bring to boil and let it boil for 10mins
Remove white foam if there is any, then reduce to low heat, cook for 1 hour

Note: the best will be cocotte such as Staub or Le Creuset (Mine: 37cm oval Staub)

2. Briefly chop onion and mash the garlic
After 1 hour, add onion, garlic, cloves, thyme, bail leaf, sage, pepper & salt into the pot
Leave it cook for another 1 hour at low heat

3. When time is up, add in vegetables, bring to boil at medium high heat
Then reduce the heat to low & leave it cook for 1 more hour

Note: If you use frozen vegetables, you can directly put them into the pot but bring it to boil for 5 mins

Serve hot!
Enjoy!

Mexican Guacamole

We know avocado is healthy food, this is a easy recipe for Mexican dip or side dish or Mexican roll.

Ingredients
3 avocado
1-2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
6 cherry tomatoes or 1 medium size tomato
Juice of 2 limes

1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

fresh coriander

Instructions
1. Cut avocado into half (lengthwise), scoop out the seed and scoop out the flesh
Place it in a bowl, use a fork to mash it into purée
Then transfer it into a mixing bowl

2. Chop the red chillies, onion finely. 
Also chop the tomatoes into little pieces, place them in the mixing bowl of avocado

3. Extract the juice of limes and add into the mixing bowl

4. Add olive oil, salt & pepper, stir well

5. Transfer the guacamole into a serving bowl, decorate the top with fresh coriander

Now you can dip tortilla chips or serve with Mexican roll :)
Enjoy!

Radish leaves soup

When I was first moved to France, I first tasted radish at my husband's parents home. They like eating radish with salt. For the leaves part, my mother in law makes the soup. No waste at all! The soup is delicious too :)

If you like radish and do not know what to do with the leaves part, then now you know what to do!

Ingredients
A bunch of radish leaves

1-2 onions
20g butter (original recipe = 50g)

700ml - 1 liter water
salt

Instructions
1. Soak the leaves, rinse them and chop them briefly
Chop the onions

2. In a medium pot at low heat, melt butter
Then fry with onions and radish leaves for about 5 mins or until golden

3. In another pot, boil water and add salt
When it comes to boiled, pour it to the leaves. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 20 mins at low heat

Enjoy!

Mushroom quiche (meat-free)

I rarely make quiche, I am not fan of ham, lardon... I prefer veggie quiche, that's why I bake this mushroom quiche! It is actually quite simple to make.

One thing to pay attention is that whenever you bake mushroom with something else, like quiche, flan, soufflé... if you don't fry the mushroom and discard the juice ahead, you may probably unable to cook well the flan... you will have it end up watery...

Ingredients
300g pastry dough, click here for the recipe
2 onions
500g mushroom

olive oil

250g cream in liquid (I used 30%)
150g milk (I used 1.5%)
3-4 eggs
Salt & pepper

Optional: chopped Scallion


Instructions
1. Rinse, sliced the mushrooms
Chop finely onions

2. In a sauce pan, at medium heat, fry oil with onions & mushroom, until you see the juice from mushroom released

Discard mushroom juice

3. In a big mixing bowl, whisk eggs with cream and milk until they blend together

Add in salt & pepper, then mushroom & onion mixture
Mix well

Note: You can also add scallion at this stage

4. Preheat the oven at 200°c
Place a baking sheet on a pie mould

5. On a floured working surface, roll out the dough until it's 0.3cm (not thicker than 0.5cm) thickness
Lay the dough on the pie mould

6. Use a ladle to transfer the egg mixture to the pie mould carefully

7. Put the quiche into the oven for 30mins or until the surface becomes golden

Note: I used large cake mould since I have no pie mould at home. Because of the height of the quiche is about 4cm, I baked it for 1 hour

Serve it hot!
Enjoy!

Courgette flan

This is a recipe given by my mother-in-law who always bakes very nice flan, soufflé.... I love it because it is really simple and time consuming, suitable for busy day! It is also comfort food of my husband :)

Courgettes are not cooked ahead version

Ingredients
1kg courgette, sliced without peeling off skin
2 shallot, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
parsley

6 eggs
100g Parmesan cheese
100g Emmental cheese
salt & pepper

Instructions
1. Slice courgette, chop shallot & garlic finely

Preheat the oven at 160°c

2. Fry them with olive oil & parsley on a pan until the courgettes become soft, then use a fork to smash them
Set aside and let it cool down

Note: If you don't have time, you can even skip this step

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, cheese, salt & pepper until they blend well together
Add in courgette mixture, stir well

4. Pour the flan mixture into a mould about 1.5" high
Cook it in the oven for 45mins or until the surface becomes golden

Serve hot!
Enjoy!

French version taboulé

I think most of the French know how to make taboulé (?) it is easy and healthy and delicious. One of the best food for picnic, or when you have barbecue, it is a good side-dish :D

Ingredients (6-8 serving)
500g couscous
olive oil
lemon juice

4 medium size tomatoes
1 medium size cucumber
persil

You can adjust the quantity of tomato & cucumber

Instructions
1. Prepare taboulé 1 day before serving
In a large mixing bowl, mix couscous, olive oil & lemon juice, keep stirring it until the couscous are like sand falling off when you mix them, you can see it is wet though, then you can stop adding oil & juice

Note 1:If you like sour taste, add more lemon juice
Note 2: The taboulé will swell because the couscous absorbs oil & juice

2. Before you sleep, check if the couscous becomes soften. Add in more lemon juice if needed

3. The day right before serving: add in diced tomato & cucumber & persil

Serve cold
Enjoy!

Italian genuine lasagna

Italian loves simple food, with fresh ingredients. They do not like adding too many seasoning so that they can taste the original flavor of the food.

My friend who stayed in Italy learnt the traditional way to make lasagna, I am surprised how simple it can be (I have seen many complicated recipes....)! It is genuine family dish for everyday life.

This is vegetarian version - 

I replaced beef by mushroom and spinach

Ingredients
Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (just remove skin, cut each clove half)
500g minced beef
1L tomato juice
2 tomatoes, diced
2tbsp cottage cheese (remove water)
50g mozzarella (for pizza - the package has NO water)

400g cottage cheese (remove water)
400g mozzarella, diced (for pizza - the package has NO water)
salt & pepper

12-14 Lasagna sheets

Instructions
1. In a pot, put olive oil and garlic, fry it until you smell the flavor

2. Add in minced beef, fry it until it becomes golden color

3. Add in tomato juice, tomatoes, cottage cheese, mozzarella, salt & pepper, mix well and let it cook until boil
Turn off the heat after the mixture boils for another 10 mins

4. To assemble the lasagne, on a rectangular pan:
Pour olive oil to grease the pan

Preheat the oven at 180°c

5. Lay lasagne sheets to cover the bottom, add the tomato beef mixture to cover the sheets, with a table spoon - add some cottage cheese without mixing it, you'll find white spots on the sauce, then sprinkle mozzarella over the pan

6. Repeat step 5 for 2 times

7. Put the pan into the oven and bake for 30mins or until the surface become golden color

Enjoy!

Caramel popcorn

I love popcorn, it is my favorite snacks when I feel like to eat between meals other than fruits :)

Got an invitation from someone so nice with her kids, but some of them have allergy against gluten and diary products. I wanted to bring a dessert but definitely not a cake!!

So... I think popcorn is kid's favorite, isn't it? I think kids won't like plain popcorn... may be caramel! something sweet and yummy :)

Ingredients

1/2 cup corn kernels, popped, will make about 8 cups
1 cup nuts (almond, hazel nuts, walnuts...)

Caramel sauce:
1/2 cup or 113g butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup water
Optional: 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp cinnamon


1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Pop the corn, click here to see how to make popcornRemove the unpopped kernels and place them in a big mixing bowl

2. Line a baking sheet with baking sheetPreheat the oven to 120°c
Note: If you want to serve it immediately, omit this step, go to step 3

3. In a medium sauce pot, mix butter, sugar, salt, water, and any flavorings, stir until combine

Bring to boil over medium heat and boil 5 minutes until thickened. Stir frequently to prevent boiling over => be careful of bubbles

4. After 5 mins, remove from heat, stir in vanilla and soda, mix well
Note: Baking soda is used to soften the syrup mixture, won't become too hard that you can chew the sugar after baking

5. Quickly pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn and nutsUse a wooden spoon or spetula to stir until popcorn evenly coated

You can serve it hot immediately if you won't store it for later

If you want to store it for later:

1. Spread out onto the baking sheet to one layer

Bake for 30 minutes, stir it about every 10 minutes

2. After 30mins, take it out from the oven, let it cool down 

3. When completely cool down, store in airtight containers

Enjoy!

Taco soup

I love Mexican food, my friend gave me this taco soup recipe, every time I make it, people just love it! It's great for many people. This Christmas I made it for my husband's family and the soup is gone very fast!

Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
500g minced beef

1 can/ 398ml pinto beans (drained water)
1 can/ 398ml kidney beans (drained water)
1 can/ 398ml corn (drained water)
1 can/ 398ml tomato including juice
red or green chili
3 tbsp taco seasoning mix*

1 can/ 398ml tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 cup salsa (I used medium hot salsa)

Sour cream
Grated cheese
Tortilla chips

*You can make it yourself, click here to get the recipe

Instructions
1. In a large pot, pour oil, fry with garlic and onion with beef

2. Add in beans, corn, tomato, chili and taco seasoning

3. Add in tomato sauce and water
Let it boil for 15mins or until the beans become soft

4. Serve hot with sour cream, grated cheese and tortilla chips

Enjoy!