Pan fried salmon with mash potatoes

This is extremely simple ! Total cooking & preparation time 30 minutes...

Ingredients

Salmon steak (with skin on and descaled)
Potatoes

Spring onion

Salt, pepper

Butter

Milk

Start by placing roughly diced potatoes in a hot boiling salted water. Cook till soft and drain water while keeping potatoes in the pot. Add a knob of butter and a dash of milk (this is all up to your tastebuds on how creamy/buttery you want it). Season with pepper. Mash it all up till creamy. Fold in the chopped spring onions. Leave it aside.

Pat dry the salmon steak. Score the skin of the fish into couple of slashes of about 1 cm deep and apart. Season well with salt and pepper, ensuring the crevises of the fish is well seasoned. On a non-stick pan, heat up olive oil. Once hot, place the fish (skin side) on the pan and leave it alone !!!! Don't touch it for about 2-3 minutes while the skin is being fried. This will ensure that it is crispy. Flip it over (carefully) and cook for another 3 minutes. The key to cooking salmon is not to overcook it otherwise it'll be yucky!

To plate, place a huge spoonful of mash potato and place the fish on top. Enjoy with white wine

Soup for the soul

Here's a nice recipe for a Sunday lunch...

Ministrone Soup

Carrots (diced)

1 can of diced tomatoes

Leek (sliced)

Garlic (1-2)

Bacon

Rosemary

Chicken stock

Fry the bacon in a pot till fragrant. Add all the other vegetables and stir fry for a while. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock till pot is filled. Add the rosemary sprigs. Boil till soup a bit thickened. Served warm with toasted garlic bread.

Rigatoni with basil, pine nuts and sausages

Here's a great recipe for a quick, yummy lunch...

Ingredients
Rigatoni (1 soup bowl full - serves 2) - it's a type of pasta
Sausages
Basil
Pine nuts (lightly roasted on pan)
Tomato base

Start first by preparing the tomato base. Get couple ripe tomatoes (~6) and boil in water. Once slightly cooked, remove skin. Then either diced it roughly or blend it. Pour it back into a pan and add salt, pepper, chopped garlic, and any herbs you prefer (basil, oregano,etc)

Cook the rigatoni in a pot filled with boiling water, salt and a dash of olive oil. While it's cooking, fry your sausages till crispy.

To dish your pasta, pour pasta unto a serving plate. Pour on the tomato base and sprinkle on top the sausages, pine nuts and basil leaves. Feel free to add other condiments such as parmesan cheese and chili!

Nonya Food Series - Assam Fish

This is lovely ! but loads of preparation...worth it though when you see the smiling faces of your guests.
Ingredients
Fish (either whole or sliced) - i prefer sliced to even out the cooking
Pineapple, onion or any other vegetable (ladies finger or long beans is good)
Garlic, shallots (chopped finely)
Serai (lemongrass)
Dried chili (soaked in hot water)
Tamarind juice (500 ml)
1/2 tablespoon belacan

Start preparing the spice mixture by pounding garlic, shallots, serai and dried chili. Do chop all the above finely before pounding. Add the belacan as well.

In a hot wok, fry the mixture with oil till fragrant. Then add in the tamarind juice (~500 ml). Add sugar and salt to taste.

Once it's boiling, add the fish and vegetables. It should take around 10 minutes to cook.

Serve it with mint leave as garnishing.

Nonya Food Series- Chili Dried Shrimp

Here's one dish that I really love to eat with just white rice or even as filling for a sandwich... there are various recipies to this.. try this out yourself

Ingredients

Dried shrimps

Red chili (2 or more)

Serai (lemongrass - 2 or more)

Shallots, garlic (depending on your preference)

Tamarind juice

Belacan (1/2 tspoon)

Wash the dried shrimps in warm water, drain and pound till fine using a pestle and mortar. Prepare the chili mixture by pounding the cut chili, serai, shallots and garlic. Prepare the tamarind juice using 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp and 6 tablespoons water.

In a hot wok with oil, fry the chili mixture till fragrant. Then add the dried shrimp and fry for a while before pouring in the tamarind juice. Add sugar and salt to taste. Keep on frying till mixture is dry. Serve with rice, definitely tasty with mint leaves.

Play around with recipe depending on your preference for either spicyness (add more chili), sweet & sour (sugar and tamarind). Stick with the belacan though to avoid too salty.

Nonya food !

Had a blast cooking Nonya food for the family on New Year's Eve....

Long beans with dried shrimps
Assam fish with pineapple
Mike's special hot fried chicken
Chili dried shrimp