Spaghetti Vongole

Being a huge fan of Italian cuisine, this is the first Italian dish I made back when I started my cooking journey a few years ago-- Spaghetti Vongole, what a classic dish. I also paired it with some spinach and tomato salad for some extra freshness!

Preparation time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
2 servings of Spaghetti  (approx. 2 hand full of spaghetti)
1 bowl of Clams
2 tbsp of white wine
4 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of mince garlic
1 chili
Chopped parsley
According to taste salt and pepper
According to taste grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instruction (minus 2 minutes). Drain the spaghetti however save 3-4 tbsp for the sauce
2. In a preheated skillet, pour in 3 tbsps of olive oil, put in mince garlic and chili, turn to medium hi heat.
3. Once the garlic is sizzling, add in the clams, season the clams with salt and pepper
4. Put on the lid, cook until most of the shells are opened
5. Splash in the wine, pour in spaghetti, add 1-2 tbsp of starch water, add parsley, season with salt and pepper, mix well
6. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and serve
7. Enjoy:)

Tips of the dish
1. Since the clams already contained a considerable amount of saltiness, make sure to taste before seasoning.

Bay Scallop and shrimp in lemon butter sauce

Craving a quick decent dish after a long day of work? Try this recipe! You will only need a hand full of ingredients which you may already have! If you don't have shrimps or scallops, substitute them with any seafood you like! I would say catfish fillets would work extremely well too. 

Preparation time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of bay scallop

1/2 cup of shrimp

2 tbsp of mince garlic

1/2 lemon

2 tbsp of white wine

a few chopped parsley

a few drops of olive oil, or vegetable oil

1 tbsp of butter, salted or unsalted

according to taste salt and pepper

according to taste grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a pan, add a few drops of olive oil, put in the mince garlic, and heat the pan with medium heat

2. Once the garlic started to sizzle, put in bay scallop and shrimp, try to lay them in single layer. Wait for 2-3 minutes until the side started to turn slightly golden.

3. Splash in white wine.

4. Flip the scallop and shrimp, season them with salt and pepper, add parsley. 

5. Squeeze in lemon juice. Stir well until the sauce is warmed up. Turn off the heat.

6. Stir in the butter until incorporated. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese. Assemble the dish.

7. Enjoy:)

Little tips:

1. Keep an eye on the seafood since they are very easy to cook through. Do not over cook.

2. This dish will finish with a very nice and refreshing sauce. Serve it with pasta, rice, bread, or even mashed potatos! 

Chewy sweet pumpkin cake

Chewy sweet pumpkin cake is one of the traditional snacks/deserts in Chinese cuisine. Besides adding pumpin to be the filling, we can also add some red bean paste to create an even more irresistible dessert!

Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

1/3 Chinese pumpkin

1 cup Glutinous flour

a little bit Sauteed Glutinous flour

2/3 cup white sugar/ black sugar

1. cut the pumpkin into chunks, microwave for 3 1/2 minutes till its cooked thoroughly
2. To make the sauteed glutinous flour, pour 1 cup of glutinous flour into a preheated skillet (do not need to add oil to the skillet), keep mixing until its flavourful. Set aside.

2. mash the pumpkin into puree, add sugar

3. stir in glutinous flour a bit at a time

4. on a plate, sprinkle with a bit of the sauteed glutinous flour

5. form the dough into balls, place onto the plate and slightly press down to form flat doughs

6. put a bit of  vegetable oil in the pan, fried the dough with medium low heat until its cooked through

7. Enjoy!

Little tips:

1. microwave the pumpkin a bit at a time for better result

2. Add glutinous flour according to the actual moisture level of the dough

3. pat some sticky rice flour on both hands before rolling the dough

Steamed crab on salted egg white

Wanted to make something simple yet delicious over the weekend. Probably this would be a good dish to share with your guests on the weekend table! 

Preparation time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
6 small crabs (in the size of a fist)
3 salted egg whites
some diced spring onion
1/3 cup white rice wine
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp water

1. wash the crabs, separate the crab shells and the bodies. Place them on a shallow plate.
2. Pour the salted egg white in a bowl, add 2 tbsp of water, stir well
3. pour the salted egg mixture onto the crab.
4. Boil water in a large sized wok, place the steam rack, place the plate of crab on the steam rack, put the lid and steam the crab on medium high heat for 3-5 mins until the crab is thoroughly cooked
5. In a skillet heat the wine on low heat, in a separate skillet heat the oil on medium heat
6. Sprinkle diced spring onion on top of the crab, pour in the boiling hot wine, then the hot oil
7. Enjoy:)

Tips:
1. If you fancy a bit of weekend dizziness, add some more wine to the dish!