Mediterranean (Italian, Greek) Pasta - Very Delicious Vegetarian Noodles in Garlic Aioli

Mediterranean  Marinated Vegetables


100 g each of : marinated Italian antipasto (more of whatever you favour) :
- Stuffed or pitted olives (green or black or both if you love olives and prefer variations and colour)
- Sundried Tomato
- Marinated Mushrooms

Fresh Herbs and Vegetables


Spinach, Rocket, Parsley, Lemon Basil for Garnishing 
(any one of the selection or combination of all)

For Roasting (Aioli)


Garlic Cloves (2 to 3)

Chilli slices from 1/2 long variety
(alternative : dried chilli powder or chilli flakes)

Optional : Pinenuts (separately in oven till dark yellow but not brown)

* For non-vegetarian option : add marinated octopus

STEPS

Warm up marinated vegetables to at least 80 degrees C so that the temperature difference will not cause shock and bring down the level of the aioli and pasta later.

Boil pasta in salt and vegetable oil till al dante or below (if leaving in water before sauce is ready)

Fry garlic till fragrant. Add chilli but do not leave it to cook for more than a minute (discard if you prefer a less spicy sauce).

Stir in noodles and toss with marinated Italian vegetables until well combined but don't overdo it.

To serve, garnish with fresh herbs, vegetables and pinenuts.

* Viola : a complete meal within 10 minutes!

Baked Half Shell Green Mussels

This is a French provencal recipe which I have modified to suit my family's international and fussy palette. 

Ingredients

60 g of green lipped mussels - some are available cooked frozen with one shell.  If not, get raw chilled mussels, steam lightly with wine and shuck them, discarding one side of the shell with the meat on.

White wine (dry) 300 g

Sauce : chopped shallots, chopped garlic, chopped spring onions, 1/2 cup diced cooked tomatoes, 1/2 lemon juice and zest, chilli powder (to taste), salt, pepper, white wine, olive oil


Herbs Topping : Chopped fresh thyme, tarragon, parsley, dill, sea salt, bread crumbs, butter 


Method

• Fry garlic in olive oil till translucent. Bring the rest of the sauce ingredients to the boil. Add mussel juices (if any left from cooking) or chicken stock. Mix well.  Cool slightly. 

• Preheat oven to 200 C. 

• Arrange mussels on an oven proof tray. Pour sauce over each mussel. 

• Spoon herbs crumb topping. 

• Place mussels carefully into the oven and bake for 5 minutes. 

Christmassy Cranberry Pistachio Log Cookies

The joy of baking for Christmas for yourselves, family and friends. Pretty and delicious - makes a wonderful gift. Nibble on the colourful red and green soft, chewy and yet crunchy aromatic and wholesome biscuits.

This pastry is evolved from shortbread recipe. However, to help all the ingredients bind and stay intact instead of crumbling or melting, egg and fresh milk are added to the dough.

Ingredients

Butter : 1 block (250 g) softened to room temperature (not oily and melting)
Sugar powder or icing sugar 130 g
Castor sugar (white or brown) 30 g
Full cream Milk 1/2 cup
Egg yolk  1 (beaten)
Cranberry 200 g in dried form, soak in a dash brandy,  mix well and let it marinate
Pistachio (raw unsalted) - cut or chop coarsely
Plain flour 320 g
Salt 1 tsp

Simple Steps


Mix butter and sugar till smooth and creamy (easier with electric mixer)


Add vanilla extract and combine. 


Fold in flour and salt mixture gradually and mix well. 


Stir chopped nuts and berries evenly. 


Add milk and egg yolk. Mix well.


Divide dough into two approximately equal portions. Spoon one part onto 2/3 way of a piece of baking paper. Lift up one side, press firmly. Do the same for the other side.  Roll and wrap up the pastry. Press the ends firmly and fold inwards. 


Chill in the fridge for at least two hours. 


Preheat oven till 180 C. Line baking trays with baking paper. 


Cut biscuit dough with a sharp knife into 2.5 cm thickness and place gently on the baking tray.
Repeat with another baking tray. 


Turn down oven heat to 150 after 15 minutes. Turn the cookies over and reverse the original facing of the baking tray. Continue baking for another 10 minutes. 


Makes about 50 cookies.

Japanese / Korean Spring Rolls

My favourite spring rolls, the best in town, could be found in a suburban Japanese / Korean restaurant quite close to home. It's delicious because it tastes like what most doting grandmas or mums would cook for their loved ones on a cold evening or just for snacks to satisfy hunger panks and cravings. No excessive use of salty minced meat, spices and green peas (no-no, that's for curry puffs and samosas only).

Filling : cabbage, carrot, shitake mushroom, yam bean (if available), prawn (can be raw), minced meat (preferably steamed cooked or stir fried beforehand)


Herbs : coriander and spring onions (optional)


Seasoning : soy sauce, pepper, oyster sauce

Assembly : Put filling in an elongated fashion about 1/3 way of the spring roll pastry end 
(The wrapper should be softened from frozen pack and covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying up). 
Roll from one side, Fold the flaps on the adjacent two ends. Continue rolling lengthwise. 


Cooking :  Heat up vegetable oil till 160 degrees Centrigrade. Fry spring rolls on both sides for 3 minutes or till golden and crispy. Place cooked spring rolls on blotting paper to absorb excess oil before serving.


Dipping sauces : worchestershire and sweet chilli

Spicy thick curry in a coconut - seafood or roast duck (Indo-chinese style)

Red curry paste is very versatile for cooking seafood and meat dishes.

Steaming curry in a coconut after a brief stir fry in the sauces not only enhances the visual exotic appeal but keeps the curry warm and more fragrant.

Suitable for cooking seafood (thick soupy hor mok or choo chee curry) or roast duck curry.

This method is especially popular in Thailand and Vietnam.