Pasta With Shrimp, Squash, Lemon And Lots Of Herbs

The first recipe selected in this new year 2020 at Cook The Book Fridays, from Everyday Dorie is Pasta With Shrimp, Squash, Lemon And Lots of Herbs. 

A delicious and colourful bowl of pasta. I like everything about this pasta; the shrimp which gives a delicious umami taste, the fresh citrus taste of the lemons, the bright colours from the yellow and green squash (delicious too!), and that burst of sweetness from the ripe raw tomatoes. Chopped fresh dill and spring onion greens sprinkled over, makes it complete.

And I love Dorie's take on using the squeezed lemon half, dropping it in the pot of water to cook the pasta. So lemony nice.

There is no heavy sauce for this pasta. It is  simple, fresh and delicious. We love it. Will definitely cook this again. Yum!

Cook the Book Fridays
Cookbook Countdown #49

Shrimp Tacos

This week, at Cook The Book Fridays, the selected recipe from Everyday Dorie cookbook, is Shrimp Tacos.

It may look like there's a whole lot of prep work, but they are fairly simple and easy to do.

The cast of characters, that makes the Shrimp Tacos 😉; Salsa, Shredded Lettuce, Shrimps, Yoghurt Cream, Avocado Mash, slices of lime, Toasted Tortilla.

Let's get to know the casts a little better 😃:
Salsa - Grape tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and mango. (I have replaced the pineapple and peach with mango). Season with salt and lime juice. Omitted the hot sauce as I did not have any. (I thought I did!).
Lettuce - Well, simply sliced or shred them.
Shrimps - Shelled and deveined. Marinate with some olive oil and old bay seasoning or chile powder. I've used smoked paprika instead. Fry the shrimps in a little oil until cooked through, season with salt and a squeeze of lime juice.
Yoghurt Cream - Mixture of Greek yoghurt and mayonnaise, whisk together with minced chipotles in adobo sauce. I did not have any chipotles, so I've used some sriracha sauce instead.. Season with salt and lime juice.
Avocado Mash - Stir together ; lime zest and juice, minced jalapeno, and mashed avocado, season with some salt.
Tortilla - Toast lightly over the stove in a dry skillet.
Lime - Slice some wedges for serving.

Now that we are familiar with the casts, it is time to bring them together for a grand finale !

 Here's the...... Shrimp Tacos !

Well, everyone's tummy is full and happy. Review time !

Son : Yummy good!
Daughter : Very nice!
Me, me, me! : Burp..... Already thinking of making it again with perhaps, panfried chicken, or garlic, butter and chile stir-fry prawns or fish ....... . One thing for sure, I need to get a bottle of hot sauce!


Please visit the links at Cook The Book Fridays to read the others' review on this recipe.

This post is shared with Cookbook Countdown #43

Hot Punjabi King Prawn Curry

This month's, July Monthly Featured Dish/Ingredient Challenge theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) is Just For Kicks! : Spicy Dishes. I turned to Madhur Jaffrey's books for her curry recipes. It has been awhile since I last cook from her books. 

This is a fairly easy curry to cook. Recipe calls an overnight marination of  the prawns, but I've marinated them for about 4 to 5 hours. I've used 3 tablespoons of yoghurt instead of 6 tablespoons, as that was what I had left. 

The sauce is first cooked to a fragrant thick sauce, then the marinated prawns are added in, stir and simmer until they are opaque and cooked through. Stir in the remaining garam masala and chopped coriander. 

Delicious prawn curry. Very fragrant from the cumin seeds and tasted so delicious from all the other ingredients. So good with white fluffy rice. This is one dish that I will be cooking again.


Hot Punjabi King Prawn Curry
(Curry Nation by Madhur Jaffrey)
for the marinade :
600gm (1lb 4oz) raw king prawns, peeled and de-veined
6 tablespoons yoghurt
2 hot green chillies, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the curry :
4 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped or crushed garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
2-3 hot green chillies, finely sliced
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
4 teaspoons finely chopped coriander leaves

Rinse and drain the prawns. Pat them dry and put into a non-reactive bowl. Add the yoghurt, chillies and salt. Mix well, cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.

When ready to cook the curry, pour the oil into a karhai, wok or heavy-based pan, about 23 centimetres (9 inches) in diameter, and set it over a medium heat. Spoon in the cumin seeds, swirl and brown for 10 seconds. Add the onions. Saute for about 10 minutes or until brown all over. Add the garlic, reduce the heat to low and stir and fry for two minutes. Mix in the turmeric and stir for one minute.

Now add the green chillies, increase the heat to medium and stir for one minute. Mix in 1-1/2 teaspoons of the garam masala and stir for one minute. Add half the salt, and all of the tomatoes and chilli flakes. Cook for two minutes, then add 120ml (4fl oz) of boiling water. Combine to make a thick sauce.

Simmer for three minutes, then add the remaining salt. Stir in the prawns and their marinade and cook over a medium heat until they are just opaque and cooked through. 

Sprinkle the remaining garam masala over the top and stir.

Fold in the chopped coriander and serve.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

Just For Kicks : Spicy Dishes

and 

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #19 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Shrimp Stir-Fried In Bean Sauce

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown #8, click here
To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

************************

My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #8 is My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo. 

I've made Shrimp Stir-Fried In Bean Sauce. Medium to large sized prawns are best for this dish. Remove the heads, shells and deveined the prawns. However, I like to leave the tails on for dishes like this. 

As in stir-fry dishes, the cooking is done very quickly. Firstly the shrimps are marinated in the marinade ingredients, and left to stand for 30 minutes. Drain shrimps and reserve the marinade. The stir-fry is done by sauteing some ginger, bean sauce is added in, then the shrimps are added in, fry on both sides until almost cooked. Drizzle in the wine, and the reserved marinade.  Toss everything together and stir until prawns are cooked through. Turn off heat and stir in the chopped scallions. Serve hot.

Quick and simple stir-fry shrimp dish, and it is delicious! Great with rice, or even eat it on its own!


Shrimp Stir-Fried In Bean Sauce
(adapted from "My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen", by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo)
Serves 4 to 6
Marinade
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons Chinese white rice wine, or gin

1-1/4 pounds extra large (about 32 to 36 per pound) fresh shrimp, heads removed, shelled, deveined, washed, dried

2-1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon bean sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese white rice wine, or gin
2 scallions, finely sliced

Mix all ingredients for marinade in a large bowl. Add shrimp, mix to coat and allow to rest 30 minutes. Drain through a strainer, reserve marinade.

Heat wok over high heat for 45 seconds. Add peanut oil, coat wok with spatula. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add minced ginger and stir. Add bean sauce and stir. Add shrimp and spread in a thin layer, tipping wok from side to side to spread heat evenly. Turn over. Drizzle wine into wok around its edges. Toss mixture together. If the mix is too dry, add a bit of the reserved marinade. When shrimp turn pink, turn off heat, add scallions and toss to mix. Remove from wok, transfer to a heated dish and serve with cooked rice.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Stir-Fried Eggs with Velvet Shrimp

Cookbook Countdown #1, recipe no. 4, from my selected book for this month, Stir-Frying To The Sky's Edge by Grace Young.

I've made "Stir-Fried Eggs with Velvet Shrimp". We love egg dishes, and especially so when there's shrimps, one of our favourites.

Just as it's name, the shrimps are velvety smooth and crisp tender. The shrimps are marinated in egg white-cornstarch mixture, and according to Grace Young, this is what, which gives the shrimps a crisp silky texture. 

This is a delicious stir-fried egg dish. A very nice dish to serve at dinner time and could easily be a family favourite. I have made this again a few weeks later, and have substitute the peas with a large handful of coarsely chopped cilantro, and it was very fragrant and delicious.

Stir-Fried Eggs with Velvet Shrimp
(adapted from "Stir-Frying To The Sky's Edge", Grace Young)
4 ounces small shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry
4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon egg white reserved
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2-1/2 teaspoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
1/8 plus 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted

1. In a medium bowl combine the shrimp, the 1 teaspoon egg white, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of the rice wine, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Stir until the cornstarch has dissolved. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the oil. Put the shrimp uncovered in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Bring the shrimp to room temperature for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl beat the eggs, pepper, and the remaining 2 teaspoons rice wine and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, add the scallions and ginger, then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry 10 seconds or until the aromatics are fragrant. Add the shrimp and stir-fry 1 minute or until the shrimp begins to turn colour but is  not cooked through. Add the peas, swirl the egg mixture into the wok, and stir-fry 1 minute or until the shrimp is cooked through and the eggs are just set but still moist. Do not overcook.

"I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray".

An InLinkz Link-up

Prawns with Chilli Bean Sauce and Fresh Coriander

Made this prawn dish for our weeknight dinner. It was so yummy, that by the time dinner was over, the plate was totally clean, even to the last bit of the remaining sticky sauce!

Get medium to large prawns for this dish.

Yum! Yum! The thick sticky gravy is so delicious eaten with rice. There's not much gravy, but whatever there is, was scrapped off clean!

A family favourite!

Prawns with Chilli Bean Sauce and Fresh Coriander
(recipe by Kitchen Flavours)
600gm medium to large prawns
1 heaped tablespoon chilli bean sauce
1 heaped tablespoon plum sauce
1 tablespoon sugar, to taste
2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
1/4 tsp black soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and chopped (optional)
generous bunch of fresh coriander leaves and young stems, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water

Prepare the prawns :

Trim off legs and feelers, leaving shells intact. Make a short slit along the back to remove the black vein.  I removed the eyes by trimming off the top part of the head at a diagonal just after the eyes (optional, but I always do this when I cook prawns with the head intact). Rinse and drain. Marinate prawns with 1 teaspoon sugar, set aside. 

For the sauce :

Mix chilli bean sauce, plum sauce, sugar, Chinese cooking wine, black soy sauce, water and cornflour solution in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Should be a little salty and sweet.

To cook :

Heat some oil to shallow fry the prawns on both sides in a single layer, until prawns are cooked and shells lightly crisp, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove to a plate, keep aside. You may need to do this in a few batches. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil. 

In a clean wok or saucepan, heat about 2 tablespoons of the oil from above. Saute the chopped ginger, chopped garlic, chopped chilli, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in the sauce mixture. Let it bubble for a minute and thickens slightly. Taste and adjust accordingly. (you might need to add a little sugar or chilli bean paste or the plum sauce, to taste). 

Add the fried prawns, and stir till the prawns are coated with the sauce. Stir in the chopped fresh coriander, dish up to a serving plate and serve hot. Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Shrimp and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes for National Pasta Month

One more cookbook to my collection, "Cooking Italian with The Cake Boss" by Buddy Valastro. This book is a birthday gift from my sister a couple of months ago. (thank you sis, this is one lovely cookbook!). The first dish that I've tried, Spaghetti with Shrimp and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes is a total winner. 

The recipe uses baby spinach, but I've used a bunch of fresh chives from my garden. And I've used more white wine and added in some coarse chilli flakes. Though this dish takes a little extra work, as the garlic are drizzled with olive oil, wrapped in foil and roast in the oven until tender. The cherry tomatoes are seasoned with some salt, olive oil and chopped garlic, they are then roasted in the oven on a baking tray, tossing them about every 5 minutes to prevent scorching, and until the tomatoes burst, which takes about 15-20 minutes. Fresh bread crumbs are scattered over the tomatoes during the last 5 minutes of roasting so that they are brown and crispy. I have however used some leftover crispy breadcrumbs which I kept in a jar, made from my homemade herb bread, which I scattered over the spaghetti just before serving.

A delicious plate of pasta. If prawns are one of your favourites, you would love this pasta dish! Don't skip the roasted garlic, it makes the pasta so fragrant and garlicky delicious. The cherry tomatoes added wonderful flavour to the dish. And the breadcrumbs makes it all the more interesting and yummy. This spaghetti is family approved!

Linguine with Shrimp and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
(adapted from "Cooking Italian with the Cake Boss" by Buddy Valastro)
1 large head garlic, about 1/2-inch cut off the top (I use 2)
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, red, or a mix of red and orange
kosher salt
1/4 cup Homemade Breadcrumbs
1 pound dried linguine (I use spaghetti)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use about 1-1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc (1 cup)
1 large lemon, halved
4 ounces (about 1-1/2 cups loosely packed) baby spinach (I use a bunch of garden-fresh chives)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano (my addition)
1 tablespoon coarse chilli flakes (my addition)

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 375F,
2. Roast the garlic: Put the garlic head in a small piece of aluminium foil, cut-side up, and drizzle with a teaspoon of the oil. (You can also roast the garlic in a small ovenproof ramekin covered with a foil or in a ceramic vessel specially made for roasting garlic). Wrap the garlic tightly in the foil and place in the oven. Roast until the garlic is fragrant and the cloves are golden and a sharp, thin-bladed knife, such as a paring knife, slides easily to the center of a clove or two, 30 to 40 minutes. When the garlic is done, remove it from the oven, unwrap the foil, and let the garlic cool. (Do not turn off the oven). When cool enough to handle, pop the roasted garlic cloves out of the skin.
3. Meanwhile, put the tomatoes in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chopped garlic,  1/4 cup oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir gently to coat. Spread the tomatoes evenly in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. As the garlic cools, roast the tomatoes in the oven, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent scorching, until the tomatoes burst, about 10 minutes. Roast another 5 minutes, shake the pan, and scatter the breadcrumbs evenly over the tomatoes. Roast until the breadcrumbs are toasted, another 5 minutes.
5. While the tomatoes roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter is melted and foamy and the oil is hot, add the shrimp in one layer, and season lightly with salt. When one side is pink and firm, 1 to 2 minutes, turn the shrimp over with tongs or a wooden spoon and season the other side lightly with salt. Continue cooking until the upward-facing side is firm and pink and the shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 more minutes. Just before the shrimp are finished cooking, pour in the wine, raise the heat to high, and bring to the boil. Squeeze some lemon juice into the pan, catching the seeds in your hand. Stir and let cook for 1 minute, then remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
7. Use a heatproof measuring cup to reserve about a cup of the pasta's cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and add it to the pan, tossing or stirring to finish it in the sauce. If the sauce is too dry, stir in a little of the cooking liquid.
8. Remove the pan form the heat and add the roasted tomatoes and their juices, along with the roasted garlic cloves. Stir in the spinach and parsley. Mix the ingredients together, transfer to a bowl and serve family style.

#100/100

I'm submitting this post to World Pasta Day Party, hosted by the lovely Louise of Months of Edible Celebrations.

Be sure to drop by World Pasta Day Party at Months of Edible Celebrations on the 25th October, where Louise will do a round-up of all the delicious pasta that everyone is bringing to the party!!

I'm linking this post with :

Cook-Your-Books #5 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

Prawns with Crushed Mustard Seeds : IHCC

"Alavida Madhur" (Goodbye Madhur), is our theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), and this is the last week that we are cooking from Madhur Jaffrey's recipes. It has been a fantastic and delicious 6 months cooking from The Queen of Spice's wonderful recipes. Indian cuisine has always been my very favourite, and the past six months has really been a delicious cooking adventure, and most of the recipes that I've tried shall make a return in my kitchen. A few favourites have already been repeated in my kitchen a number of times. And I will continue on to cook from the many recipes that I have bookmarked to try!

Starting from April through September, we will be starting with a new chef, Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israel-born, now based in London, and already have a few fantastic cookbooks to his name. He is most famous for his colourful and delicious vegetarian dishes, with a Mediterranean flair. I am pretty excited as I have never cooked any Mediterranean recipes before! If you would like to join us, please drop by IHCC for the full details.

So, for today, this dish Prawns with Crushed Mustard Seeds wraps up the last post of  Cooking with Madhur Jaffrey with my friends at IHCC. This is a delicious dish, cooked in a sauce of crushed mustard seeds. I can see a repetition of this dish in my kitchen in the future.

Suitable for kids and those who do not like spicy dish. The only spicy ingredient is the sprinkling of black pepper powder, which can be easily omitted if serving to kids. Here I have used the minimum amount as my kids are eating this as well, the next time when I cooked this for myself, I'll add red chilli flakes and more  black pepper powder for extra spicy kick. This dish is delicious served with plain white rice.

To wrap up this last post on Cooking with Madhur Jaffrey, I have listed a few favourites of mine.

Prawns with Crushed Mustard Seeds, what can I say, there was no leftovers!

Hare Masale Ka Omlate (Eggs with Fresh Green Herbs) : I really love this omelette dish, great as a main meal for a quick lunch, or to serve as a dish for the dinner table. The vibrant sunny yellow colour definitely makes it very appetizing!

Fried Fish Steaks : A simple mixed of masala spices marinated into the fish steaks. Very tasty and goes great with just any rice pilaf or plain white rice.

Red Pork Curry : This is by far my most favourite! The pork is cooked till very tender with all the flavours and fragrance from the spices.

Stir-Fried Cabbages with Fennel Seeds : Simple and delicious! 

Turmeric Rice : I have cooked this many times! Very good with any types of curries.

Please stop by I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) to view the delicious dish that my friends has made.

Prawns with Crushed Mustard Seeds

(source from : 100 Essential Curries, Madhur Jaffrey)

Serves 3-4

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons tomato puree

4 tablespoons mustard oil, or other vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 thin slices fresh root ginger, peeled

1 hot dried red chilli

450gm (1 lb) headless prawns, peeled, de-vein and washed

1/4 teaspoon salt

large pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

Step One

Crush the mustard seeds, using a pestle or mortar or spice or coffee grinder.

Step Two 

In a small bowl, mix the crushed mustard seeds, turmeric and  tomato puree, together with 3 tablespoons hot water. Set aside.

Step Three

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic cloves, ginger slices and dried chilli and fry, stirring, for a few seconds until the mixture begins to darken, then add the prawns. Fry, stirring, until the prawns turn opaque. Stir in the mustard seed paste and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the salt, pepper and lemon or lime juice. Fry, stirring, for a further 2 minutes. Transfer to a warm serving dish.

#29/100

Fried Prawns with Garlic and Fresh Basil

The Chinese love to have prawns on the dinner menu during Chinese New Year. Prawns are called "har" in Cantonese and it sounds like laughter, as in hahaha, which,  of course sounds merry and happy, a good start to a new year. Whatever it symbolizes, prawns are delicious and quite expensive during the festive occasion, especially so when a prawn dish is on the menu from the Chinese restaurants. I have stocked up on some prawns before the festive season starts, and now that I'm back home after the holidays, it's time to bring some "har" to my dinner table at home. Since prawns are a favourite in my house, you can be assured of lots of "hahaha and smiles" when these are served.

This is a very simple and easy fried prawn dish. Last weekend, I've visited my sister and harvested from her garden a big bunch of lovely Thai basil leaves from her very lush basil plant. Thank you sis, the basil leaves are extremely fragrant!

My family enjoyed this dish a lot! We love the wonderful smell and taste of the crispy minced garlic and the fragrance from the basil leaves. Prawns have their own unique flavourful taste, and would be extremely delicious with the right amount of seasoning, so adjust the seasoning to your taste. Best eaten with your fingers! It is fingers licking good!

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

And also sharing this with :

See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by Ms. enPlace

Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes
Tuesday Trivia hosted by Memories By The Mile

Fried Prawns with Garlic and Fresh Basil
600gm medim-sized fresh prawns (remove legs, feelers and de-vein, leaving head and shell intact)
a big bunch of fresh Thai basil leaves
8 large garlic cloves, chopped finely
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
generous sprinkling of white pepper powder
cooking oil for frying

1. Marinate prawns with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar and a generous sprinkling of white pepper powder. Keep aside, covered for 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat about 1/2 cup oil and fry prawns in one single layer, 2 minutes per side until cooked. Remove and drain. You may need to do this in a few batches. 
3. Remove oil from wok, retain about 2 tablespoons of oil in wok. Saute the chopped garlic until light brown, crispy and fragrant. Add in all the pre-fried prawns and a pinch of salt to taste. (You may add in more white pepper powder and sugar to taste if desired). Stir fry until prawns are coated with the fragrant chopped garlic about 1 minute. Add in the basil leaves, stir to combine for a minute more or until leaves are wilted and fragrant. 
4. Dish out to a serving plate. Enjoy!

Stir-Fry Prawns with Ginger, Green Onions and Chinese Wine

Prawns is one of our favourites in my house. We love prawns, any way they are cooked, there would usually be no leftovers, just like this dish that I've cooked for dinner a couple of weeks ago. This is a simple, quick dish, and really delicious eaten with white rice.

Stir-Fry Prawns with Ginger, Green Onions and Wine is one of my family's favourites. The kids would finish most of the prawns, leaving the ginger and green onions behind, I don't mind, I love ginger and green onions, so I would finish it all up, including the pieces of garlic! I like using ginger and green onions in most of my stir-fry dishes. Firstly, they give a really aromatic and delicious tastes to dishes, secondly, I love to eat the pieces of ginger and green onions which has absorbed the taste of the seasoning, and thirdly, I've harvested a big bunch of fresh green onions from my potted garden. :o)

Try out this simple dish, your family would love it, especially the kids! You may use less ginger if you prefer. 

I'm sharing this with :
Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes


Stir-Fry Prawns with Ginger, Green Onions and Chinese Wine
Marinade together :
500gm prawns (remove head and shell, leaving the tail intact, slit along back and devein)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsps corn flour
pinch of salt
pinch of white pepper powder
pinch of sugar

For the sauce :
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/3 cup water
1 tsp corn flour
white pepper powder, to taste
salt, to taste
4 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing wine)

cooking oil
2-1/2" knob of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 big bunch of green onions, cut to 1" sections, separate the white and the green parts

1. Marinate prawns with sesame oil, corn flour, pinch of salt, white pepper powder and sugar. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. For the sauce : Mix well in a bowl, the oyster sauce, chicken stock powder, water, corn flour, white pepper powder, salt and rice wine. Keep aside.
3. Heat about 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil in a wok or saucepan. Add in the prawns and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes until prawns turn pink and are cooked through. Scoop out to a plate and keep aside.
4. In same wok, add some cooking oil if necessary, fry sliced ginger until beginning to  brown and aromatic, add in the sliced garlic and stir until ginger and garlic are light brown. Add in the white part of the green onions, stirring until aromatic. Add in sauce mixture, stir well, and taste, adjust seasoning if necessary. Let the sauce comes to a boil, add in the prawns and the rest of the green onions.
5. Give a quick stir to fully coat prawns and dish up to a serving plate. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Garlic Buttered Prawns with Tomato and Coriander

I have bookmarked about half a dozen recipes to try from Masterchef, Australia website, and somehow time seems to slip by real quick this month! Well, this is my second submission to the blog hop event, Cook Like A Star, where the featured chef for September is "Masterchef" organized by my friend, Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and her co-hosts, Anuja from Simple Baking and Baby Sumo from Eat Your Heart Out.

Now this recipe is not from any of the contestants, but rather from the sponsor, Western Star. Ever since I've seen this recipe, I really wanted to give this a try as we all love prawns in my house!

The recipe calls for 80gm of butter, but I used about 40-50gm. This is a really simple, quick and very easy dish to cook.  It uses lime zest and the juice, and the taste of this dish reminds me very much of Thai cuisine. Surprisingly the recipe does not call for any salt, maybe the amount of salt in Western Star butters are sufficient, but I added in a pinch of salt according to taste. And I used only 1 small lime as I do not want it to be too sour. There's no water required at all for this dish, all the delicious gravy are really from the chopped tomatoes and the juices from the prawns. And I can see why this is recommended to serve with fresh bread, to mop up all the delicious gravy! 

We had this with plain white rice, the gravy is really good eaten with white rice, my kids certainly enjoyed this dish. 

This is linked to Cook Like A Star blog hop, Celebrity Chef for the month September is "Masterchef", hosted by Zoe with co-hosts Anuja and Baby Sumo. Click on the link below to view other delicious yummies!

Garlic Buttered Prawns with Tomato and Coriander
(Masterchef, Australia)
80gm Western Star Butter
3 cloves garlic, crushed
500gm green prawns, peeled and deveined
1 small red chili, finely sliced (optional)
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup torn coriander leaves
salt to taste (my addition)

1. Melt butter in a large frypan over medium-high heat until foamy, add garlic, chilli and prawns, cook tossing for 2 minutes until almost cooked through.
2. Add tomatoes, lime juice and zest and coriander, cook, tossing for 1 minute.
3. Serve prawns immediately in the pan with fresh bread or tortillas and let guests help themselves.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimps (Mexican Style) : IHCC

This week is "Potluck" week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are currently cooking from chef Rick Bayless's recipes. I have bookmarked more than a dozen recipe of Rick Bayless's to try all these months and this Sweet and Spicy Shrimps is one of them. This is so easy and quick to cook, and most important, this is delicious!

Sweet and Spicy Shrimps (we usually call these Prawns, over here)

The recipe calls for Frontera Chipotle Salsa or Frontera Guajillo Salsa, I do not have either of these. What I  have was some leftover La Costena Chipotle Salsa (chunky) and another bottle of Chipotle Salsa (paste). The recipes requires the salsa to be pureed in a blender and press through a medium mesh strainer. Since I have only about 1/3 bottle of the chunky salsa, I pureed that and mix with about half a bottle of the other chipotle salsa (paste). I did not bother pressing the mixture through the strainer. The recipe uses honey to sweetened the sauce, I added in a couple of tablespoons of honey and I still can't taste the sweetness at all, so I added in about 1 teaspoon of sugar, and it was perfect. 

Sweet and Spicy Shrimps, just as it is called, it is sweet and spicy, though for me, the spiciness is rather mild. The tastes all blend together really well, sour, sweet, salty and spicy. An easy and quick dish to put together and delicious too!

I had this with some white rice, and it was good! The taste is similar to our local sambal, only less spicy. 

This is linked to I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are cooking from Rick Bayless's recipes.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

(source from : Fronterafiesta, Rick Bayless)

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jar (16 ounces) Frontera Chipotle Salsa or Frontera Guajillo Salsa

1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound medium-large (about 24) shrimpm, peeled and deveined with last segment of tail left intact

thinly sliced red onion, fresh cilantro to garnish

1. Puree the salsa in a blender and press through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (I prefer a 12-inch non-stick skillet) over medium. Add the salsa and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced to the consistency of tomato paste (it should have reduced enough for the oil to have risen, leaving a sheen on the surface), 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Taste and season with honey and salt, it should taste slightly salty and have a hint of sweetness.
2. Stir the shrimp into the cooked salsa (there should be just enough to coat everything lightly) and return the pan to the medium heat. Cook, stirring constanly, until the shrimp are just barely cooked through (cut open a shrimp to see that it has turned from translucent to opaque white), about 3 minutes. Scoop onto a platter and let cool to room temperature. In a small strainer, rinsed the sliced onion under cold water and shake until nearly dry. Sprinkle over the shrimp along with the cilantro leaves, and the dish is ready to serve.

Sambal Belimbing Prawns

Some of you may ask, "Belimbing? What is that?" If you are from Malaysia, you may or may not know what Belimbing is. Even though it can be found locally, not many Malaysian would know of this fruit. It is an extremely sour fruit, that is used mainly in cooking, and is popular among the Nyonyas and Malays in Melaka and certain states in Malaysia. Belimbing tree can hardly be found in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor city where I lived. Mostly, these trees can be found in villages and smaller towns. I was fortunate enough to have one right in my own backyard!  Yes, I planted this Belimbing Tree about 12 years ago from the seeds of a ripe fruit. It has been faithfully fruiting regularly all these years. The fruit is long and oval, green when young and will turn yellow when ripe. They are at their best when the fruits are green and young, once they turn yellow, they will get all mushy and soft. And these fruits are extremely sour, they do not turn sweet when ripen, they are sour throughout. 

Belimbing Tree at my small little backyard. The tree is about 20 feet high.

The pretty red flowers that will produce wonderful, sour fruits!

Belimbing fruits. They grow along the branches and the stems that holds them together are extremely fragile. Just nudge with a slight force, and the whole bunch of fruits would drop to the ground. Are you familiar with Belimbing fruits?

The fruits are delicious when pickled! Very addictive! You may not have noticed it, but a similar photo of these fruits, is the profile picture of Kitchen Flavours. In fact, the very  first post of Kitchen Flavours was about this tree! This Belimbing Fruit Tree is very precious to me!  :) I have fond memories of my beloved late mom cooking delicious spicy dishes using these fruits during my childhood days in Melaka.

I used the fruits for cooking sambal dishes like the one below, in asam pedas which is very popular in Melaka, and I love them pickled, maybe one day, I'll do a post on that! 

Belimbing fruits

Now, let's get to my Sambal Belimbing Prawns :

1.Belimbing fruits and kaffir lime leaves, both from my garden.
2. Make a few tears by the side of the kaffir lime leaves right before cooking, the wonderful aroma of the leaves will be released even better.
3. Some of the ingredients, belimbing fruits, kaffir lime leaves, sliced onions, tomato wedges.

For the cooking instructions, refer to my recipe below.

A plate of Sambal Belimbing Prawns is ready for your tummy! We love to eat the belimbing, even my kids love the fruits. Even though this dish might be a little spicy for them, they would dig for the prawns and the belimbing, brush aside the gravy and eat with rice. Once the fruits are cooked, they will release the sourness right into the gravy, so the fruits are really not that sour after cooking. Usually for sambal dishes like this, some tamarind paste dissolved in water would be used, but I have omitted that, as the belimbing is sour enough.

Does it look spicy to you? Do you like spicy food? 

I'm submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest, Melaka (August) hosted by Yummylittlecooks and organized by Wendy of Table For 2.....Or More.


Sambal Belimbing Prawns
20 medium-sized prawns (shelled and deveined)
50-60gm dried chillies
300gm shallots, chopped
2 clove garlic, chopped
1" square piece belacan (shrimp paste)
12-15 belimbing fruits, cut into 2 or 3 sections
3 pieces kaffir lime leaves
1 medium tomato, sliced to wedges
1 medium onion, sliced to wedges
1/4 cup water, or more
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste
2/3 cup cooking oil

1. Cut dried chillies lengthwise to remove as much seeds as possible. Rinse them clean and place in a small pot, covered with cover and let it come to a boil. Let it boil, uncovered for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, let dried chillies soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes, then drain,. wash under cold tap water in a strainer, then leave to dry for about 15 minutes. 
2. Blend the softened dry chillies, shallots, garlic and belacan (shrimp paste) together to a fine paste. 
3. Marinate the shelled prawns with 1 tsp of sugar, stir well to combine. Keep aside.
4. Heat oil in wok or saucepan. Add the blended paste and fry for about 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning, add in kaffir lime leaves into the 5 minutes of frying, and keep stirring until paste is fragrant and separates from the oil. 
5. Add in belimbing fruits and keep stirring for about 1-2 minutes. Add about 1/4 cup of water, stir, let it come to a simmer, stir for about 2 minutes to soften the belimbing, you may taste the sambal at this point, if it is not enough sour for you, some belimbing may be added. Then add in the prawns, tomato and salt to taste. A pinch of sugar may be added if you want a sweeter sambal.
6. Let it boil and stir until prawns are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
7. Dish out to a serving plate and serve with plain white rice. Enjoy!

Prawn Omelette

Another simple dish, easy and delicious! The prawns are stir-fried together with coriander roots, lemongrass, chili and garlic, season with with fish sauce, brown sugar and black pepper. Eggs are done, omelette style and  filled with some of the stir-fried prawns and wrapped up like a parcel. Top with more prawns, garnish and ready to serve. Yum!

Instead of  making into one big serving, I separated into four small parcels for individual serving.

The kids love it! I sprinkled some coarse black pepper over my portion with some sliced chili and more chopped coriander leaves, yum!

Prawn Omelette

(adapted from "Stir Fry")

2 tablespoons oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 lemongrass stems, white part only, finely chopped

2 coriander (cilantro) roots, finely chopped, plus extra leaves, to garnish

1-2 teaspoons chopped red chillies, chopped, plus extra finely sliced, to garnish

500gm (1lb 2oz) raw prawns (shrimps) peeled

3 spring onions (scallions), chopped, plus extra finely shredded, to garnish

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1-1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

4 eggs

chilli sauce, for serving

1. Heat half the oil in a wok. Add the garlic, lemongrass, coriander root and chilli and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add the prawns and stir-fry until they change colour. Add the spring onion, pepper,  tablespoon of the fish sauce and brown sugar; toss well and remove.
2. Beat the eggs, remaining fish sauce and 2 tablespoons water until foamy. Add the remaining oil to the wok and swirl around to coat the side. Heat the wok and, when it is very hot, pour in the egg mixture and swirl around the wok. Allow the mixture to set underneath, frequently lifting the edge once set, and tilting the wok a little  to let the unset mixture run underneath. Repeat until the omelette is neatly set.
3. Place three-quarters of the prawn mixture in the centre of the omelette and fold in the sides to make a  square (or simply fold in half). Slide onto a serving plate and place the remaining mixture on top. Garnish and serve with chilli sauce.