Salmon Spaghetti Aglio Olio

This was one of my first few recipe entries at my original blog. Back then, my Salmon aglio olio pasta was very simple, but abit bland. Later I learnt from Jamie Oliver that the key ingredient in aglio olio was actually something smoky. Which is either bacon, anchovies, or both.

I've also been more adventurous in adding herbs and spices instead of just garlic and chilli padi, and I found that a little parsley and dried chilli flakes makes it even better! I used to add tomatoes and capsicum in it, but one day we just stopped adding and found out that it taste just as good anyway. So this is a bah-getarian dish. :D

You will need:
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 pcs of chilli padi chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp Parsley
Pasta
4 pcs of bacon chopped
2 Salmon fillets
Canned chicken stock

Boil spaghetti with a pinch of salt

Pre-Heat the oven (200°C Roast option for 10minutes)

Pat the fillet dry with some paper towels and salt the skin of the fillets

Using a non-stick frying pan, without oiling the pan, sear the skin side of the fish for a minute before searing the other side for another minute before popping them into the oven for about 5 mins. (Tip: Line your baking tray with aluminium foil to save on cleaning up!)

While your fish is roasting, fry your chopped bacons till brown and crisp and remove them from the pan.

Fry onions till soft, add chilli padi and garlic.

Add in your pasta and stir fry them in high heat. (Tip: Be generous with the oil or else the pasta would be very dry)

Add in your chilli flakes, parsley and some stock and continue frying. Pour you bacon back in last, so that it remains crispy. Add salt to taste.

Serve the pasta into two plates. Place your salmon fillet on top of your pasta.

Bon Appetite!

Chocolate Madness Muffins

I remembered ever making a mean batch of double chocolate muffins but I can't seem to find it in this blog! After searching around my other blog, I found it! The original recipe comes from my favourite cook book, Donna Hay, Simple Essentials: Chocolate.

The original name was Milk Chocolate Chunk Muffins, and uses 1 cup of chopped milk chocolate. But I've only got chocolate chips in my fridge, so I added 1 whole cup of chocolate chips into the muffin mix! Haha... A little overkill, but my friends absolutely loved how chocolatety the muffins turned out!

2 cups self raising flour, sifted
1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 cup unsweetened chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius
2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder & sugar
3. In seperate bowl; mix eggs, vanilla, oil & milk
4. Mix wet mixture to the dry mixture
5. Fold the chocolate chips into the mixture
6. Spoon mixtures into muffin tins lined with paper cups
7. Bake for 20mins or until cooked when tested with a skewer

Serve with a hot cup of coffee!

Instant Pizza Toast

A friend from Hong Kong taught me this, and I just love her for it! This is a perfect little snack or breakfast on days where you just want something a little extra, something other than your boring peanut butter sandwich. And it's SO easy to do!

All you need is: Pasta sauce, Cheese and Bread



I like to use shredded mozzarella because it's nice and stringy, like pizza! But if you don't have those in hand, you can always use those Kraft square cheese slices.

Just spread some pasta sauce onto your bread, sprinkle cheese onto it and throw it into a toaster till the cheese has melted into a gorgeous, divine, lava-like goo with slightly browned tips.



Instant Pizza Toast! Couldn't be more simple than that!

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

This is my very first attempt in making a layer cake! I got the recipe from Nigella.com. The original serves 8-10 persons, using a 20cm cake tin. I cut all the ingredients by half and used a 12cm cake tin, so the cake is much smaller.

I made the cake yesterday evening, but I couldn't eat it as it would spoil my dinner! Agony! So I only got to try it a few minutes ago and I must say...

SO GOOD...

VERY chocolately, so it's perfect for those chocolate craving moments! I only spread a very thin layer of frosting so as not to make it too sweet, and I was right. The chocolate sweetness is just nice. Perfect with a hot cup of unsweetened earl grey tea!

Original Recipe - Serves 8-10

110g plain chocolate, broken into squares
200g self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
175g unsalted butter, softened
60g light muscovado sugar
110g caster sugar
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder

Chocolate Fudge Cream:
200g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
175ml double cream
225g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180oC. Grease and base-line two 20cm cake tins. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water, and cool until tepid. Sift the flour with the cocoa and salt.

Beat the melted chocolate, flour mixture and all remaining cake ingredients together until smooth.

Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and smooth down lightly. Bake for 30 minutes until firm. Test with a skewer. Let them cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on a wire rack.

While the cake is baking, make the chocolate fudge cream. Melt the chocolate in a bowl. Put it back over the heat, and gradually beat in the cream. Once it is all in, take off the heat. Sift the icing sugar and beat into the chocolate and cream mixture, to get a smooth, fudgy blend.

Sandwich the two cakes together with one-third of the chocolate fudge cream. Spread the rest over the top and sides, roughing it up here and there with a fork.

Serve!

Braised Chicken Spaghetti

Most homemade pasta dishes involve a jar of pasta sauce from the store, honestly I have nothing against that, and they make quick and fantastic pasta dishes! But sometimes I just like to have something different, and this recipe is an easy and delicious alternative to the usual tomato based pasta.

Serves 2
1 pc of boneless chicken thigh - diced
5 pcs of large button mushrooms - sliced
1 large onion - cut into large slices
a few slices of carrots
2 pcs garlic - roughly chopped
Chicken stock
1 tsp of dried Oregano
pinch of salt
1 small knob of butter

Spaghetti - a bunch with circumference of about a 50cent


1. Using a deep pot, brown the chicken pieces in oil. Remove from pot.

2. Stir fry the mushrooms, onions, carrots, garlic in pot with the remaining oil with a good pinch of salt.

3. Add in the chicken, oregano and add stock till it almost covers all the contents.


4. Put the lid on the pot, lower fire, and let it simmer while you prepare the pasta.

5. Cook the pasta according to the instruction on the packaging.

**while waiting for the pasta to cook, keep busy by washing dishes and clean up the kitchen!**

6. About 5mins before the pasta is done, add a knob of butter into the chicken and let it continue to braise. The butter would make the sauce rich and velvety!

7. Drain the cooked pasta and pour into the pot with the braised chicken.

8. Stir well and serve with a nice salad!

Super Yummy Braised Chicken Spaghetti