Thursday, June 10, 2010

Spaghetti Alle Vongole .. en Beurre Rouge.


A new find at the supermarket were these frozen clams in butter garlic sauce. I thought what a great idea to use the juice from those clams to make a butter based sauce for pasta. I don't have white wine. Red wine it is!



Ingredients:
2/3 cup red wine (mine was already opened, Chilean)
1lb clams in shell
handful of spaghetti
3 ripe roma tomatoes (canned has more flavor)
1-2 cloves of garlic
 EVOO




Take a handful of spaghetti!










Salt your boiling water!













Put the spaghetti in.










Drain your noodles. Then using the same pot, refill water and back onto the heat.












This is what the clams look like, approx 20. You can use 2 packages.











When water boils, drop your vacuumed bag of clams in.















Cover with lid and steam until the bag expands and the clams have opened up.

 When clams are ready, take bag out of water. Separate the clams from the liquid, reserve both.





In the same pot on medium high heat, drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil and sauteed tomatoes and garlic.











Pour in the clam juice and red wine. I found I wanted a little more body so I dropped about a tbsp of butter in. Add in about 1 tsp black pepper, toss in clams and stir until everything is well combined, the tomatoes will be soft and the clams get coated in pink.

..et Voila!

Taste Something Different


This is the chicken and squash hot pot @ Golden Phoenix in Vancouver, one of my favorite dim sum restaurants. I went in for dinner, and was the only table there! It was the first time I tried something off the dim sum menu and this dish appealed to me. Pieces of yellow squash and chicken in a thickened cream sauce served on top of an on going flame, hence hot pot. Not bad, I had it as a side on my dish of chow mein.

Chicka-whaaa?


Just thought I'd share with you my deformed chicken mcnugget, it was tasty.

Affordable Birthdays


I made this yummy cake for a friend's birthday. Just a 9inch chocolate cake. Chocolate cake mix, homemade butter cream frosting (margarine whipped with icing sugar a tbsp of water- free!), some oreos, colorful candles and sparklers =)

Savor This!


Oyster Motoyaki @ Akasaka in Surrey. It came to the table in flaming galore. Oysters with sauteed onions and mushrooms in an oyster shell, topped with cheesy mayonnaise, broiled to perfection. A bite of this creamy mother-load will put your taste buds in ecstasy. You feel your arteries hurt from wanting more..

Bean Thread & Seafood


Everytime I open the fridge there is a bit of this, that, everything. Leftovers combined make an awesome dish for one. Chinese bean thread noodle, salmon, octopus tentacles, prawns, some broccoli tossed in a frying pan with a tiny tiny bit of soy, sesame oil, chili flakes, garlic.. just whatever is lying around.

After a long hiatus..

This year by far, has been the best year for me. Perhaps it is because the XXI Winter Olympics took place in Vancouver (I live in GVRD). It could also be my newly found positive outlook on time and age. Or the everyday joys in my youth. Maybe it's everything that ever happens. But we cannot keep waiting for change to happen, we cannot feel sorry for ourselves and act lazy while the world outside is moving. Nothing moves itself.

The Best Sushi Restaurant... in my hood at least.


This is the Fusion Combo at Tobiko Sushi in Surrey, B.C. The things that make this restaurant the best for me is the price, quality and originality! With sushi it is never about quantity, but Tobiko always leaves me full at around $15! I just love their array of special rolls. I am no fan of the pseudo-Japanese California Rolls, but Tobiko gives the California a little fun northwest twist. You can find fresh sashimi, smoked salmon, soft shelled crabs, green roe, fiery torched fish, and a lot of spiciness on their menu. It's not just fun to look at, I can assure you it does not lack in taste and texture.

Prawns in Panko


























This is oh so very easy to make. I used an already made batter mix to which just add water. Peel the body of the shrimp leaving the tail on (no secret - I like munching on tails, full of good protein to cleanse your intestinals). Mix the batter in one bowl and put panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) in a separate bowl.  Be sure to pat your shrimp dry so that there is very little excess water. Hold the tail to dip the body into the batter and swirl it around to coat evenly. The batter will drip a little so quickly get the shrimp into the panko and gently sprinkle on the crumblies. I deep fry the old school way, pot on stove. Medium-high heat, to test the oil, sprinkle a little bit of batter or bread crumb over oil and if it sizzles and begins to bubble then you are good. If your shrimps instantly drop to the bottom of the pot then wait a little! Deep fry until golden.

My Favorite Korean Dish


This scrumptious looking bowl here is called "Sashimi Bi Bimbap" (Sashimi mixed rice with veggies). A fresh daring new way on the classic Korean Bi Bimbap. It's white rice, mixed lettuce, shredded carrots and daikon, topped with assorted sashimi, sprinkled with garlic, nori and a generous dollop of roe, dressed with my favorite hot sauce; Korean hot pepper paste gochujang. This picture was taken right before I devoured it at Sushi Train, in Surrey, B.C. where they give you a bowl of udon broth to slurp on the side!

Baby Onesie Cake!


I got this design from Canadian Living Magazine and I made it for my new born family friend. I layered 2 cakes (confetti & chocolate) with confetti icing and iced the entire cake with it as well. Then some blue frosting trim to decorate. Asoka got a new outfit for his 1 month birthday!

J'aime les baguettes.

Picnic Sandwich


I took some day old baguette (great for soaking in all the flavorful juices) and topped it: turkey slices, avocado slices, simple coleslaw (slaw mix with 3-cheese ranch dressing), and banana peppers because I love the tang and bit of heat it gives! Perfect summer lunch!

Green Sushi


In some nori (dried algae sheets), roll some leftover brown rice together with strips of thin asparagus, sliced cucumbers and avocado. Yummy little snack!

Healthy and Delicious!


A simple lunch enough for two! Grilled chicken breast on a bed of fiesta rice and asparagus. Tossed mixed greens with avocado (mono-unsaturated-fatty-acid) and some grilled prawns, drizzled in balsamic vinaigrette.