Seafood Pasta En Papillote With Pan Seared Scallops

Nothing beats having your pasta wrapped in paper bag, parchment paper or foil and baked in preheated oven for 20 mins....the aroma of the ingredients get infused and the flavor, juices from the seafood and aroma trapped in the pasta....the scent of the sea will burst on your tongue as you savor the pasta...mmmmm I love food cooked in papillote.  En papillote , a french word for " in parchment " is a method of cooking in which the food is put into folded pouch or parcel and then baked.  The parcel can be made from folded parchment paper and other materials ,such as a paper bag or aluminium foil may be used.  For me, I prefer to use parchment paper...healthier and the juices won't leak out...keep the taste and aroma trapped in...besides pasta you can cook fish in papillote too.  I have a few fish recipes cooked in papillote that I can share with you here. Let me digress a bit since I am on the topic of cooking en papillote :p

chicken :  Baked Chicken Fillets In Papillote 

              Curried Chicken Peppers And Peas In Papillote

fish :      Salmon And Tomatoes en Papillote 

             Salmon Baked In Papillote  

             Scad Ikan Selar In Papillote  

Back to the seafood pasta...it is healthy as not much oil is used...packed with iodine and the dried mixed herbs gives it the final aromatic scent besides the sea scent from the seafood.  A good delicious combination that gives me pleasure in tucking in the pasta after a bout of flu.  Hubby enjoyed it as much as I and we look forward to more cooking in papillote.

            

of course the pasta has to be cooked to al dente first....drained

mix with sea salt and mixed herbs and fresh tomatoes . Teh baby octopus needs to be

scalded with hot water for a mins..drained and mixed together with the NZ mussels

then pour onto parchment paper and wrapped into a parcel.

Place on baking tray and baked in preheated oven for 20 mins.

this is so appetizing...packed with my favourite seafood :)

the aroma when I opened the parcel really makes us drool....everything

was perfectly cooked...the baby octopus and the NZ mussels plus the additional of

pan seared  US fresh scallops..bigger than the 50 sen coin...hehehe

thanks Piggy Joanna for the scallops...love it!

this is one awesome pasta

Seafood Pasta En Papillote

spaghetti for two persons - cooked till al dente - drained

2 tsp of dried mixed herbs
2 tsp of chopped garlic
6 pieces of baby octopus- scalded with hot boiling water for a min
8 pieces of NZ mussels
5 cherry tomatoes - cut into halves and deseed

sea salt to taste
1.5 tbsp of olive oil

Parchment paper - 2 pieces - big enough to wrap the pasta and seafood

Pan Seared Scallops
8 pieces of fresh US scallops ( seasoned with black pepper and sea - salt to taste )
a pinch of black pepper
a pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp of olive oil for pan searing the scallops

Pan seared on non stick pan ...each side 4 mins.


method:

Spaghetti pasta has to be cooked to al dente first....drained off excess water. Add in chopped garlic , sea salt and olive oil onto the cooked pasta in a mixing bowl. Add in dried mixed herbs and cherry tomatoes. Mix well. Add in the scalded octopus and mussels last.

Place the pasta with the sea food onto parchment paper and wrapped into a parcel.

Place on baking tray and baked in preheated oven for 20 mins. Serve the seafoid pasta with the pan seared scallops.

Serve hot.

Spicy Prawns With Kaffir Lime Leaves

I have been wanting to cook this for a long long time.  Saw this recipe in one of the newspaper cuttings many years back and have kept it in my to do list filed in a paper file . I cooked this a week before I was attacked by the flu bug.   This spicy prawn dish is to die for.  The aroma from the kaffir lime leaves gave the dish its signature flavor and taste.  I did not follow the recipe to the dot and used ingredients that is available in the fridge.  The original recipe uses cut ingredients but I shortcut it by using fresh ground chilli paste mix from the wet market with some addition of fresh turmeric and fresh  ketumbar.  After cooking, the aromatic paste will stick to the prawn shell giving it the dry curry look.  This is finger licking good that WB requested that I cook this again for him.  Well, of course ! I have added this dish to my everyday menu list.   A keeper for sure :)

love the aroma of the kaffir lime leaves

I grow them in my garden and it is also

my prized plant in the garden

when making this dish , the prawns must be fresh

Spicy Prawns With Kaffir Lime Leaves

Ingredients

8 large sea prawns - devein but keep the shell and head

1 stalk of lemongrass- crushed
5 kaffir leaves - centre spine removed and sliced thinly
2 tbsp of ground chilli mix paste ( more fresh turmeric and fresh ketumbar ) from the market
2 bird's eyes chillies-  sliced
1 red onion- sliced
1 clove of garlic- chopped
2 tbsp of milk
salt to taste
1.5 tbsp of olive oil or vegetable oil

Method:

Heat up 1.5 tbsp of oil in a wok,  add garlic, sliced onions,  2 tbsp of  ground chilli paste mix , crushed lemongrass , onions, stir fry till fragrant. Add in the prawns and pan fry till cooked.  

Add in milk and  salt to taste and add in kaffir leaves and turn heat on for a few mins to give the prawns extra crunch and the milk has thicken.  Dish up and serve with plain rice or yellow glutinous rice.

Smoked Chicken

Smoked chicken taste better than roast chicken.  The distinctive smoky flavor is to die for.  I used to roast chicken for WB but since I learnt how to smoke chicken using the wok, I have been making these smoked chicken for WB . I learned how to smoke in the wok from my cg leader when I helped her make smoke chicken drumsticks for some fund raising project.   Who say we stop learning once we are retired...hahaha for me it is still learning process till I take the last breath :p

I smoked some for him a week before we caught the flu bug. WB prefers his chicken to be  marinated with just black pepper and plenty of sea salt.  It is really addictive and WB is still craving for it ....ok I promised to make some again once we recover from this flu :)  This smoked chicken is a keeper for sure. Now I dont have to think what to cook for the coming Christmas....smoked chicken it will be :p

you need a piece of alumium foil to line the base of the wok

throw in some tea leaves ( puer or any type of tea leaves)

with some brown sugar...when the tea leaves and brown sugar get burnt,

 it gives out a distinctive smoky flavor which is absorbed into the chicken

meat

smoke the steamed marinaded chicken  for 

20 mins till brown

the meat remains tender and juicy

love this method of smoking chicken

I can have these pieces of smoked chicken all to myself :p

.......aromatic and finger licking good smoked chicken

great for parties and I am sure you will woo your guests with 

this home smoked chicken

Smoked Chicken 

1 whole chicken - cut into 4 parts with skin on

2 tsp of ground black pepper

2 tsp of sea salt

1 piece of aluminium foil big enough to cover base of wok

4 tbsp of tea leaves - any choice will do

1 tbsp of brown sugar

Method:

Marinated chicken parts with black pepper and sea salt and leave to rest for at least a few hours. Steamed them in a boiling steamer until the chicken parts are cooked.

Prepare the wok for smoking process.  Place a piece of aluminium foil at the base of wok.  Throw in the tea leaves and brown sugar and mix evenly.  Place a rack  over the tea leaves mixture.  Place the steamed chicken parts on a bbq aluminium netting tray and place the tray on the rack .  Cover the wok with lid and set the stove fire on high.  Smoked the chicken parts for 20 mins until the chicken turned golden brown and has the distinctive smoky flavor.

Enjoy!

Stir Fry Fish Fillets With Wood Ear Fungus

After a bout of cough and fever....cooking something simple like this dish is most welcome.  Both WB and myself  were down with fever and cough for the past week.  Fever gone but the cough still persists ....I managed to whip up this stir fry fish fillets with wood ear fungus.  Eaten with a bowl ofplain hot porridge was truly heavenly :)  Taste so good and delicious.  Especially with homegrown spring onions.  After taking medication for a week, this dish definitely boost up our appetite.  Dont be sick...stay healthy and stay away from crowds ! We survived on plain porridge and pressure cooker really makes life much easier when one is sick  :) love my pressure cooker.

I love this simple stir fry with lots of wood ear fungus

Stir Fry Fish Fillets With  Wood Ear Fungus

ingredients:

300 gm fish fillets- red snapper ( your choice of fish )

2 cloves of garlic

an inch ginger - slice thinly

a bunch of spring onions - cut into 1" length

shredded carrots

2 pieces of wood ear fungus- soak till soft and cut into shreds

1 tbsp of olive oil

seasoning - mix seasoning ingredients together

light soy sauce

1 tsp of corn flour

1 tsp of chinese cooking wine

a pinch of sea salt

a dash of pepper * I leave this out coz of my cough

1/3 cup of water

Method:

Heat up wok and add in oil, throw in ginger and garlic and saute till fragrant. Add in wood ear fungus, carrots and fish fillets. Continue to stir fry till fish is cooked. Add in seasoning sauce and stir fry till  gravy thickens.  Add in spring onion after a quick stir fry, dish up and serve hot with plain porridge or hot rice.

Enjoy !

Pickled Pumpkin Slices With Lemon Juice And Dried Sour Plum

When I read this recipe...I was like  " wow,,,this is healthy and I must make this "  Pickle with lemon juice...mind this this perfect for me. So I asked WB to take me to Jusco and I got myself a small chunk of organic pumpkin to make this yummilicious pickle.  And to add flavor to this pickle...added some asam boi and chilli to it.  This is truly addictive....refreshing, crunchy and  slight spicy hot after taste.  A wonderful and healthy pickle that will have you craving for more.  Eating pumpkin raw is my first time.  This is better than the pickle green papaya ...of course,  this is my personal preference :)Try this pickle..you will agree with me.  The pumpkin should not be over ripe.

mix lemon juice, cut chilli,  chopped assam boi and sugar together

and let the ingredients marry each other :p

a 450 gm chunk of organic pumpkin

peel off skin and use a peeler...peel pumpkin into thin slices

love the color of the sliced pumpkin..

cheerful looking :)

mix together the pumpkin slices and the lemon juice mixture

in a mixing bowl

let it sit for an hour in room temperature

ready to be store in glass jar

can keep for a week or two

I make small batches....finish make again

Pickled Pumpkin Slices With Lemon Juice And Dried Sour Plum

ingredients

450 gm pumpkin - sliced thinly with peeler

(A)

3 assam boi - deseed and chopped into small pieces

3 bird's eyes chilli - sliced

2 lemons - squeeze for juice and sieve away pulps and seeds

3 tbsp of castor sugar

Mix (A)  together and leave aside

Peel off skin and peel pumpkin slices thinly.  Mix together pumpkin slices with (A) in a mixing bowl. Let it rest for an hour.  It is ready to be packed into a glass jar and store in the fridge over night . Pickle is ready to be served as a side dish or snacks.

Enjoy !

Fried Ikan Cincaru With Kuini Sambal

excerpt taken from wikipedia

Kuini or Mangifera odorata is a mango variety that is to be native to tropical Asia, specifically to West Malaysia. The fruit is light orange in colour and juicy sweet when ripe. The tree has a distinct feature, i.e. emits a fragrant resinous smell. The tree flowers throughout the year and the flowers too are strongly scented with its fragrance. The sap on unripe kuini fruits is poisonous. Kuini (Mangifera odorata) commonly found in East Malaysia's Jungle (Borneo) has spherical, almost round shape, dark green and green when ripe. It has strong odour which can be detected from afar.

Photograph by: Thaumaturgist
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

I forgot to take a picture of the kuini I bought so I took the photograph by Thaumaturgist :)

Kuini are not often found in the market but I was lucky to see them in Jusco supermarket the other day.  I bought some home to make Kuini sambal.  The aroma of the kuini mixed into the sambal makes a wonderful accompaniment for the fried ikan cincaru.  This kuini sambal is really addictive. Love this wonderful sambal ...wish that Kuini can be easily obtained from the supermarket or market, then I can have Kuini sambal everyday :)

yummy 

Kuini Sambal

fresh chillies-  a handful, cleaned and deseed

a few bird's eye chillies- for extra hot

1 inch toasted belacan ( shrimp paste )

1 Kuini - deseed and chopped coarsely 

Method:

Pound chillies in traditional mortar and pestle till pulp..meanwhile toasting the belacan in a wok over low heat..once the belacan is fragrant and well toasted, add to the pounded chillies and continue pounding till well combined. Add chopped kuini to the sambal.  Mixed well and served with fried Cincaru or any fish of your choice.