Paelle with Chorizo and Seafood

I am not a rice person. I love noodle instead. However, I do love "flavored" rice, fried rice, baked rice, risotto......and paella is one of my favorites.

This traditional Spanish dish carries bright and colorful presentation, thanks to the fresh seafood and meat. Plus it's actually not as much work as the lengthy ingredient list tells, and really well worth the effort. An easy task to make a big pot for a big party too. I found it also good the next day as well, maybe the seafood juice continues to infuse the dish.

(serves 6 persons)

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil

2 to 3 pieces Spanish Chorizo hot sausage, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine 
1 28-oz can tomato
3 cup warm chicken stock
1 tbsp dried herbs of your choice

1 lb shrimp, deveined

1 squid tube, cleaned and sliced

pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

In a large pan, brown sausages with olive oil over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside.
 

Keep fat in pan. Sautee onion and garlic for 5 mins until onion turns pale gold, but not brown.
 
Add rice and wine, and stir for 2 mins. Add tomato, and keep stirring occasionally until 1/3 liquid is evaporated. Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock and herbs, cook uncovered until 1/2 liquid is absorbed by the rice. Add the remaining cup of chicken stock, stirring. Cover and simmer gently for about 15 mins.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Put chorizo slices into the rice. Tuck the shrimps and squid rings into the rice. Sprinkle salt and pepper on seafood with the peas. Place pan in oven to cook for 5 mins until shrimps become pink and squids is slightly brown at the edge.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of each portion before serving.

Salmon with Lemon Caper Butter Sauce

Gloomy October has officially started. Actually it's been hanging over my head since September.

In 2 weeks, I will be going back to work, means 1/3 of my day will be spent in my office day-dreaming, making mistakes, feeling miserable, longing to hold and kiss my boy badly!

What makes it worse is the terrible Canucks season opener.

Well, at least I have something cheerful to look forward to, my boy's big one birthday!

(serves 3 - 4)
Ingredients:
1 large piece salmon fillet
salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs of rosemary
4 lemon slices
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp capers drained
1/2 tsp lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F.

Place salmon on the baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper.

Place rosemary sprigs then lemon slices on top of the salmon.

Bake for 15 mins. Remove and tent with aluminum foil for another 10 mins. Fish will flake easily when done.

To prepare the sauce. Melt butter over medium heat in a sauce pan. Add garlic, capers, lemon zest and juice. Cook for 2 mins. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove salmon from oven. Discard rosemary and lemon. Gently slide a spatula between the skin and the flesh of the fish to remove the skin.

Cut salmon into individual serving pieces. Transfer to a plate and spoon butter sauce over the top. Serve.

Miso Soup with Clams and Tofu

My husband, Matt, does have his signature dishes. I've never heard of this soup until he brought this up when we were shopping for dinner the other night.

And, oh boy, this soup was tasty, filling, satisfying, invigorating, simple-to-made and beautiful. As I can't seem to find anyone who doesn't like miso soup, this deluxe version is definitely a superb comfort food.

(serves 2, generously)
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh clams, scrubbed and washed
4 cups water
2 tbsp miso paste or to taste
1/2 block soft tofu, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp chopped green onion
a handful of thinly sliced dried seaweed

Directions:
Bring water to boil. Add miso paste and stir until it completely dissolved.

Add clams and soft tofu cubes, boil until all clams are open.

Top with chopped green onion and dried seaweed.

Serve hot plain or with steamed rice.

Linguine with White Wine Clam Sauce

Yes, my friends, I do still cook!!!!

I've been asked if I'm too busy with taking care of my son to cook. Of course not. We still need to eat. We still need to eat healthy, eat tasty, eat happy.

A couple weeks ago, my husband's niece dug some really fresh and meaty giant clams from Victoria. Having been off from eating seafood for a long time (thanks for the pregnancy and breastfeeding), I went crazy with this pasta dish. I think both me and my husband had consumed at least 5 dozens in total.

Phe, please go again soon. I couldn't have enough.

(serves 4, for my case, it serves 2)
Ingredients:
5 dozens clams
1/2 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, sliced
2 small shallot, sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 red pepper flakes
3/4 cup white wine
1 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 pound linguine

Directions:
Clean and scrub the slams. Discard any open ones.

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over low heat, sautee garlic and shallot until fragrant.

Turn up the heat to medium-high, add clams and wine. Cover the pan and steam the clams until they open, about 3 -5 mins. Shake the pan occasionally to help them cook.

Check the clams. Discard those unopened ones. Remove the clams to a side dish, cover to stay warm.

Add the herbs and reduce the wine by 1/3. When reduced, stir in the parsley and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, cook linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta, then toss the pasta with the sauce.

Divide the pasta between individual dinner plates. Arrange the clams around each plate and serve with an additional fresh parsley on top for garnish.

Baked Halibut with Thai Basil Mint Sauce

One of the big changes of my appetite since pregnant is I've turned into a fish eater. The fact is I didn't like fish at all before as I couldn't stand tiny bit of the fishy smell. It really disappointed my husband as he loves eating fish......all kinds!!!

Now, he's surely pleased for my change though it's not too drastic. My choice is meaty fish which has less fishy smell.

(serves 2)
Ingredients:
2 lemons, juiced (zest 1 of them)
a bunch of fresh mint and thai basil, chopped
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp hot chili paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallot
2 pieces of halibut, skin removed
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F.

To make marinade, whisk together lemon juice, zest, mint, thai basil, sugar, fish sauce and chili paste. Set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Saute shallot until just golden, about 6 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Let it cool.

Place a parchment paper on a large work surface. Place 1/2 shallot mixture on the middle. Top with 1 piece of halibut. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Top with 1 tbsp butter. Spoon 3 tbsp marinade over the fish. Fold the two long ends together and roll the two short ends up. Make sure no steam can escape. Repeat with the other piece of halibut.

Roast fish on a rimmed baking sheet for 10 mins. Unwrap fish. Serve fish and its sauce over a bed of salad green or white rice. Top with extra sauce if needed.

Thai Vermicelli Salad

All about cravings!!! When you are pregnant with specific carving coming on your way, you know you will have to get it done right away.

So, I made Thai salad as I really want something fresh, minty, limey and spicy.......plus I truly crave for the special taste of glass noodle (or vermicelli noodle) in this flavorful salad.

(serves 4)
Ingredients:
a handful of glass noodle or vermicelli noodle
2 tbsp canola oil
200g minced beef
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp brown sugar
6-8 large prawns, chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds or skinned peanuts
salt and pepper to taste

a handful of chopped coriander, mint, thai basil, green onion

2 tsp minced ginger 1 jalapeno, finely chopped 2 lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce

Directions:
Soak the noodle in boiling water for 5 mins for glass noodle or 15 mins for vermicelli noodle. Drain.

Heat the oil in a sauce pan, cook minced beef with cumin and chili powder for 5-8 mins until fragrant. Add garlic, sugar, prawns and pumpkin seeds or peanuts. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix ginger, jalapeno, lime juice and fish sauce for the dressing.

When the meat mixture is still warm, mix in the greens, noodle and dressing.

Serve when cooled.

Basil Pesto Linguine with Mushroom and Fish Fillet

Summer is ending soon. It's time to "keep good storage" of the home-grown basil. What would be the better way than turning these fragrant buddies into a big jag of pesto - perfect staple for a quick pasta dinner.

(serves 2)
Ingredients:
For Basil Pesto (I made a big jar and keep it in fridge):
6 cups fresh basil leaves
4 cup virgin olive oil
1 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
6 cloves garlic
3 tsp salt and pepper
3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

For Pasta:
1/2 lb linguine
3 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
10 wild mushrooms, sliced
1 whole fish fillet (any white fish), seasoned both side with salt and pepper
1 tsp freshly chopped thyme and oregano

Directions:
Blend all pesto ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor until almost (but not entirely) smooth. Scrape down the side of the container, and stream oil into the food processor while blending until just to mix.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 mins. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.

In a sauce pan, sautee garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Lightly pan-fry fish, 2 mins per side. Add white wine, let it simmer for another 2 mins.

Add pasta in sauce pan with pasta water, 2 tbsp pesto and mushrooms. Toss frequently to shatter the fish. When mushrooms are cooked, add herbs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Grilled Salmon with Tartar Sauce

I don't eat fish. It really disappoints my husband who's actually a cat that wants to be fed with fish every meal.

To avoid my complain, my poor husband usually cooks fish for himself when I'm not at home as I am just too sensitive to any slight smell of it. And basically I would yell at him until the smell is totally gone. I believe my selfishness might already make some of you want to kill me for my husband.

I do realize how intolerant I've been though. So, I've decided to make compromise a bit - he's allowed to have fish whenever he wants, even though I'm around. He's absolutely thrilled as a friend of ours just wild-caught a huge salmon last week, and we were given half of it.

So, here's another signature dish of him. The salmon itself is extremely fresh that grilling it went completely easy. I did help cooking it too.....by giving instruction of making the tartar sauce, plus, by giving up my tweezer for him to prick those little fish bones.

(serves 2......my husband had my portion)
Ingredients:
For Salmon:
2 center-cut salmon steaks, 1" thick
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For Tartar Sauce:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp pickle relish
1 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, pickle radish, dill and minced onion. Stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper. Let rest for 15 mins.

In a saute pan heat olive oil. Place salmon in center of the pan over medium-heat and cook for 5 mins, turning once. Or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Remove the fish to a plate. Top with tartar sauce and serve.

Pan-Fried Squid with Lemons and Pagrattato

My craving for white wine continues as temperature keeps surging. To be a bit more refreshing, I was looking into making seafood.

From one of my favorite cook books "Jamie's Italy", I found this extremely simple and satisfying recipe. In the past, Italian used pangrattato as a substitute for Parmesan as some people couldn't afford it. Its crunchy texture goes perfectly with soft texture of the squid, just like having fish and chips. Pangrattato is basically fried or toasted breadcrumbs in garlic oil. Great to make if you have stale breadcrumbs around. I made my own breadcrumbs by toasting the stale baguette before blending it finely in the food processor.

Instead of drizzling lemon juice over the squid before serving, one interesting way to make this dish is to pan-fried the squid with the lemon. The heat helps the squid to absorb the juice evaporated from the lemon. And the zinginess of the lemon actually turns a bit sweet into the squid which was a nice surprise!

(serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 baby squid, trimmed, cleaned and sliced (I used frozen baby squid tubes)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1-2 fresh red chilies, prickled
6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 large handfuls of stale breadcrumbs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
good splash of olive oil
a handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped

Directions:
To make pangrattao, put 6 tbsp of oil in to a thick-bottomed pan. Add the whole chilies, garlic and breadcrumbs and stir for a couple of minutes, until the breadcrumbs are crisp and golden. Season with a little salt and pepper, and drain on paper towels.

Wipe the pan with paper towel and put it back on a high heat.

Add a good splash of oil, then season the squid and lay them gently in the hot pan with the lemon slices. If you can't fit them all in, cook them in 2 batches, you don't want them all cramped together.

Fry for a minute or so, until golden, then turn the squid over and fry for the same amount of time on the other side.

The lemons will color and need to be turned quicker than the squid, so just remove them from the pan and put to one side when they look like the ones in the picture.

Small squid should be cooked through in this time, but if your squid are large they'll need a bit longer.

Take the pan off the heat and divide the squid and lemon slices between your plates.

Scatter the pangrattato and the finely sliced parsley over the top of the squid.

Great served with a lightly arugula salad and a glass of cold white wine.