Tomato
#COOKING: FILIPINO SPAGHETTI RECIPE
Filipino Spaghetti. What is this and how is it different from the Italian classic version we know and love? Well, this Filipino favourite is very popular at birthday parties and fast food chains like pride of The Philippines, Jollibee, serve it as a menu staple. Defined by its bright red sauce, which has a base made of Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste and Banana Ketchup (tomatoes were hard to come by during the war!) and also its distinctly sweet flavour, we’re sure you’ll love this if you have a sweet tooth. Also, its protein is a sweet Filipino sausage called Longganisa – or sliced hot dogs – and pork. Stop judging. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! This is actually great!
Ingredients:
450g Spaghetti
2 cups Tomato Sauce
1 cup Banana Ketchup or Tomato Ketchup
1 can Tomato Paste
8 small Longganisa, sliced
1/2 lb ground pork
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsps Brown Sugar
2 tbsps Oyster Sauce
3 tbsps unsalted butter
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grated Cheddar/Mozzerella
Instructions:
1. Prepare Spaghetti till al dente. Strain in colander and set aside, reserving a ladle-full of liquid from pasta2. In large skillet, sautée onions and garlic.
3. Add Longganisa and pork. Fry till ground pork is browned. Drain fat.
4. Add Tomato Sauce, Ketchup and Tomato Paste, plus 1/4 cup water. Stir.
5. Add brown sugar, salt, pepper and oyster sauce and stir.
6. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer low heat for 30 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.
7. In large skillet heat butter and reserved liquid from pasta till boiled.
8. Add spaghetti and toss, ladleling-in a couple scoops of the Tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Mix evenly and remove from heat.
9. Transfer spaghetti to large dish and pour sauce on-top. 10. Garnish with shredded cheese and serve.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr Will Wong)
#COOKING: SHRIMP SHAKSHUA RECIPE
Shrimp Shakshuka. “Shakshuka” is a Tunisian term for “mixture” and it is one of our favourite brunch items! Fancy, ethnic name aside this dish is incredibly delicious, comforting and real easy to make. Soft-poached eggs in crushed tomatoes, peppers and onions. Topped with some Goat Cheese. And some bread to sop it all up! While this Israeli favourite doesn’t contain shrimp normally, we’re doing it!
Ingredients:
1 28 oz can of crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
12 large shrimp
4-6 eggs
3 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1 sweet orange pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup Goat Cheese, crumbled
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsps Cilantro, minced
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Paprika
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Olive Oil
Brioche Bread or any bread of choice
Instructions:
1. In large cast iron skillet, sautée garlic and onions in olive oil on medium-high heat.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and peppers, cool for about 3 minutes medium-high heat or until vegetables start to wilt.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, bay leaves, cayenne pepper and paprika.
4. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Preheat oven at 375°F.
6. Remove skillet from heat and add cracked eggs, spacing apart evenly.
7. Add-in shrimp. Only add eggs and shrimp right before you are placing skillet in oven.
8. Bake for about 10 minutes or till egg whites are no longer transparent. Yolk should still be soft and runny.
9. Using oven mitts, remove skillet from oven. Sprinkle top with cilantro and goat cheese. Serve Shakshuka with bread and tossed salad.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#COOKING: HONG KONG PORK CHOP RICE RECIPE
Hong Kong Pork Chop Rice. This is a classic. Hong Kong Cuisine takes a lot of traditional Chinese influences and combines them with European ingredients and techniques. It smells like literal heaven when it is baking. It truly is a perfect, comforting dish for the Fall. Mom approves and she’s had many variations of this dish. I too have had many renditions of this, some amazing and some made clearly with a can of tomato soup as the sauce base. Nope. I’m happy with this super-tomatoey take which uses real cheddar versus processed cheese (I’ve really seen it all!). As a bit of a food snob, I totally get those who turn-up their nose at things like garlic powder and ketchup, but they are necessary notes in the dish and the end result wouldn’t be the same without it! I hope you love this little bit of my heritage.
Ingredients:
4 pork chops, deboned and halved5 cups of cooked white rice
1 cup of chopped green beans, chopped
1/2 white onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 large tomoato, chopped
1 can of tomato paste
3 tbsps ketchup
3 tbsps white wine
3 tbsps water
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp organic raw sugar
4 slices of Cheddar Cheese
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Parsley
Instructions:
1. Prepare rice and allow to cool.2. At room temperature, marinate pork chops in a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Allow to stand 30 minutes.
3. Pre-heat oven at 350°F. 4. Heat oil in large skillet. Sautée onions, beans and garlic.
5. Once caramelized, set aside half of this mixture. Shift remaining vegetable mixture to side of skillet.
6. Add about 2 tbsps oil into skillet and fry egg till just done.
7. Add rice and toss in fried egg and vegetables till combined evenly. Season with salt.
8. Add about 1 tsbp of oil into baking dish and coat bottom.
9. Place rice into dish, levelling top.
10. Add 1 tbsp oil into skillet with reserved vegetables.
11. Add chopped tomato and allow to soften (about 3 minutes on medium heat).
12. Add-in ketchup, sugar, wine, Worcestershire, tomato paste and water stirring evenly. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with a bit more salt and pepper.
13. In Air Fryer, cook pork chops for about 7-8 minutes at 350°F till just almost done. Remove from heat.
14. Layer pork chops onto rice in dish and pour tomato sauce over top.
15. Layer top with cheese slices on-top and sprinkle some parsley.
16. Bake for about 6 minutes and then set oven to broil for about 5 minutes till cheese is melted and browned.
17. Allow to stand 15-20 minutes before serving.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#COOKING: BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE
Butter Chicken. This Indian institution requires some meticulous treatment, but is well worth the wait. This recipe will leave you with leftovers so no need to stress about lunch or dinner tomorrow also! And it tastes better the second day! You’re welcome.
Marinade:
4 chicken breasts, sectioned
2 tbsp MDH Curry Masala Blend (red chilli, coriander, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, star anise)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsps lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
Sauce:
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp MDH Curry Masala Blend
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup cashews/almonds, ground
3 tbsps Ghee or 2 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp oil
1 white onion, minced
3 chillies, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
Sea salt, to taste
Coriander or green onion, chopped for garnish
Instructions:
1. Place chicken pieces in marinade, mixing well and covering overnight in refrigerator.
2. In large skillet, sautée onions in ghee/butter on medium-high heat. Add chilli, ginger and garlic and fry till caramelized. Add chicken and marinade in batches. Do not overcrowd skillet.
3. Do not cook chicken fully. Remove from skillet once half-cooked.
4. Add tomatoes and paste to skillet, plus Masala. Cook about 10 minutes on medium heat.
5. Add chicken, chicken stock and 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer 30 minutes.
6. Toast almonds/cashews. Place into food processor with a tablespoon of water and blend into a paste.
7. Remove chicken from skillet and separate sauce into a blender. Add cream and blend quickly till smooth.
8. Place sauce back into skillet on medium heat. Once it boils, add-in ground cashews/almonds and salt, stirring evenly.
9. Add chicken and reduce to low heat for 10 minutes.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander or green onion and serve with Basmati Rice and/or Naan. Pickled lime, optional.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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