Baked Pasta

Got this recipe from a bff and modified it myself to suit my own palate :)

Suitable and favoured by kids and adults.

Ingredients (for 5 - 6 adults):

300gms pasta (any pasta of your choice)

2 cans of tuna flakes in water (u can substitute this with either chicken, beef or just plain pasta and cheese. Just remember to season your meat with salt and pepper and fry til they are cooked before adding in the cream of mushroom, etc)

2 cups of sliced mushrooms (any mushroom of your choice. I usually use small portobello mushrooms)

1 can of Campbell Cream of Mushroom

1 clove garlic (chopped)

1/2 cup whipping cream

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups each for sauce and topping)

2 cups shredded mozarella cheese

black pepper to taste (optional)

Mc Cormick Italian Herbs (optional)

Method:

1. Cook the pasta til al dente and leave aside.

2. Heat up 2 tbsp olive oil and add in garlic. Saute for a while before adding in the mushrooms.

3. Add in tuna flakes. Stir well.

4. Add in cream of mushroom and whipping cream. Stir til boiling.

5. Add in 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Stir to ensure no clotting. Sprinkle in black pepper & italian herbs to taste.

6. Turn off fire and add in cooked pasta. Stir evenly before transfering into baking casserole (pic below)

7. Sprinkle the cheddar and mozarella cheese on evenly on top and bake for 20 minutes at 200'C. (pre heat oven 20 minutes before baking)
8. Serve hot

I usually serve this with some simple home-made salad or sauted mixed vege. Salad recipes can be found in this blog too.


Churned out directly from Aniston's Kitchen...

Homemade Meatballs Spaghetti Marinara

A success at my very first attempt and it is definiltey in my "frequent dish" list :). The meat balls are easy to make and healthier too because it doesnt include any artificial flavouring. These meatballs can be eaten as snacks as well. I tried to be a lil more creative by making them into meatball spaghetti/linguine marinara.

Meatballs:
Ingredients (makes about 25 medium sized meatballs):

250gms minced meat (beef or pork)
1 cup chopped onion (fried)
1 egg
1 tbsp chopped parsley (I use the bottled one fr Mc Cormick)
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
1.2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt

Method:
1. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix all the ingredients and combine well.
2. Make balls out of the meat mixture and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
3. Bake in oven at 200'C for 20 minutes.

Marinara:
Ingredients:
350 gms spaghetti/linguine - cooked and leave aside
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
10pcs cheery tomatoes (cut into halves)
1 big bottle of Prego Traditional Tomato Paste
5 tbsp bottle of Del Monte Tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:
1. Heat up the wok and add in olive oil. Stir in garlic and sautee for a minute.
2. Add in the cherry tomatoes and fry for another minute or till the cherry tomatoes are half softened.
3. Pour in the Prego sauce and tomato sauce. Add in sugar as well.
4. Leave to boil and and turn off fire. Add in the baked meatballs and stir well.
5. To serve, transfer some sauce (without meatballs) out from the pot of meatball sauce and mix well with the pasta. Pour over the meatbalsl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Churned out directly from Aniston's Kitchen...

Garlic Honey Sauce Pork/Chicken

This is something similar to the Honey Flavoured Roasted Chicken recipe but with a tad of garlic taste for garlic lovers like me :)

Likewise, this can be served with rice or plain pasta.

Ingredients:
Makes about 4-5 pcs chicken thighs or 1kg tenderloin pork

Honey sauce (A)
200g maltose or honey
30g rock sugar
2 slices ginger
2 tbsp hot water

Seasoning (B)
1 tbsp salt
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp chicken stock powder
1 pc preserved red fermented beancurd (tau chu) *optional*
1/4 Chinese Five Spice powder

Method:
1. Combine sauce (A) in a deep non-stick saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil or until the sauce is thoroughly melted.
3. Cut the chicken thighs into 3 large pieces from each thigh OR cut the pork into 3 long strips. Combine 3 tbsp of the cooled honey sauce with seasoning (B). Stir to mix.
4. Pat dry the meat with kitchen towel to avoid watery meat after baking. Marinate the meat for at least an hour or longer for better taste.
5.  Arranged the meat on a tray lined with baking paper (pic below).

6. Roast or grill in a preheated oven at 220'C for 25 mins. Turn over the meat occasionally applying the meat with the remaining honey sauce (A).
7. Reduce the heat to 180'C and grill for at least 20 mins or more or til meat is thoroughly cooked.




Churned out directly from Aniston's Kitchen...

Honey Flavoured Roasted Chicken

Absolutely love making this dish, not to mention love the taste too!
You can eat this with rice, aromatic or plain rice or even on a bed of aglio olio, which I make pretty often. I usually top up on some sauteed vege and voila, a complate meal! Just like how I make this. Just replace those spam meat with this yummy honey flavoured roasted chicken. You can get the recipe of aglio olio fom the link above.

My kids and hubby absolutely love this dish and I make it pretty often - about once in every 2 weeks :)

Ingredients:

10 chicken wings or 4 pcs of chicken thighs (i prefer to use chicken thigh as I can avoid feeding my family the skin :) )

Seasoning (combined)
125 ml light soy sauce
4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp maltose (optional) it's ok if you dont hav this in your kitchen.
2 tbsp tomato sauce (you can replace it with chilli sauce if you are cooking for adults only)
1/2 tsp pepper

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken with the combined seasoning (at least 6 hours or preferably overnight for better and stronger taste). Be sure to pat-dry the chicken before marinating to avoid wet/watery result from the baking afterwards.
2. Bake the chicken uncovered at pre heated oven at 180'C for 20 mins before turning over and bake for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
3. Serve hot with rice or spaghetti with sauteed vege on the side :)

Churned out directly from Aniston's Kitchen...

Marinated Baked Chicken Chop

Got this recipe from my beloved BFF and tried it out for the first time few days back (substituting pork chop with chicken chop fr the original recipe and making a lil changes here & there based on my own tastebud).....AND voila! hubs, my kids and I love it sooo much! 

It's seriously yummy and best of all, EASY to prepare! 

Ingredients:

6 pieces of chicken chop, trimmed. I usually use the whole chicken thigh.

2 tablespoon white soya sauce

4 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

4 tablespoon brown sugar

4 tablespoon tomato sauce

2 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:

1. Marinade the chicken chops 2 hours prior to baking for better taste. Refer to method #4 for marination instruction.

2. Pre-heat oven to 170'C.

3. In a small bowl, mix the soya sauce, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, tomato sauce and lemon juice together until properly blended.

4. Place the chicken chops upside down inside a medium sized baking tray and spread half of the sauce over them. Make sure sauce is evenly spread and meat is covered. *Skip this part if marination is done 2 hours before baking*

5. Bake for 20 minutes, covered. *10 minutes only if you prefer a drier finishing. You will end up with less but sticky gravy on top of the chicken chops*

6. When done, flip the chops over and spread the remaining sauce over them.

7. Bake for 10 minutes, uncovered or until chicken chops are thoroughly cooked with gravy boiling in the tray.

8. Serve with rice or bread or just on its own with a few side dishes ala western style! 

The chicken chops can be substituted with pork as well.

Hope you enjoy making this dish as it's extremely simple; and of cos sharing it with your friends and family! It will definitely be one of my most prepared dishes for mu beloveds! 

Bon Appetit!

Churned out directly from Aniston's Kitchen...

Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Spam Meat & Prawns

A kind neighbour sent this to me for lunch and I love it so much that I got the recipe from her. One of the most simplest pasta recipes I've ever got! Simple and yummy.....

Ingredients:

Spaghetti or spaghettini

Spam luncheon meat (available at the non-halal section in most supermarkets) - cut into cubes

Prawns (shelled & deveined) *optional*

Coriander leaves

Portobello mushroom (optional) - sliced thinly

2 tbsp onion (slice thinly)

3 tbsp chopped garlic

Method:

1. Boil water & cook the spaghettini til al-dente. Put in a few drops of olive oil to prevent them from sticking to each other. Leave aside.

2. Pan fry the spam meat and prawns. Leave aside.

3. Fry onion and mushroom with some olive oilr and leave aside.

4. Fry chopped garlic with olive oil and toss in spaghettini. DO NOT let the garlic turn brown. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Turn off fire immediately and toss in the remaining ingredients (spam meat and prawns)

5. Garnish with coriander leaves and chilli flakes/coarse black pepper (optional)

Churned out directly from Aniston's Kitchen...

Peach Salsa Dip for Nachos/Tortilla Chips

A recipe shared by a closed friend with a bit of changes made to my liking ;)

Ingredients:
1 canned peach (chopped semi fine)
1 capsicum (chopped)
2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsps chopped peppermint leaves
1/2 big onion (chopped)
1 lemon (juice squeezed)
Vinegar and honey to taste

Method:
Mix everything together and serve with fresh crispy, crunchy plain nachos or tortilla chips.
A perfect appetizer for an evening of western cuisine menu. Goes well with wine too!


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Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes

Mayonnaise (according to your taste preference)

Salt and pepper

Bacon and ham bits (optional)

2 hard boiled eggs – cut into 8 pcs each (optional)

Carrots (cut into thin sticks) optional

1 big onion (chopped) I prefer the orange-colored ones cost hay taste sweeter n nicer

Some English herbs sprinkles (parsley, Italian herbs, rosemary or thymes)

Method:

1. Wash the potatoes and boil them with the skin intact.
2. Poke the potatoes with a chopstick to see if they are soft enough. Turn off fire and pour away water and let them cool down before peeling off the skin.
3. Dice the potatoes with a butter knife.
4. Mix with mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add in chopped onion.
6. Sprinkle some herbs onto potatoes.
7. Mix in the hard boiled eggs.
8. Sprinkle bacon/ham bits before serving. Serves 6 – 8 ppl.

Churned out directly from Aniston's Kitchen...

Tapas – Garlic Prawns in Olive oil (Gambas Al Ajillo)

Ingredients:

1 kg medium sized prawns

2 whole garlic (chopped finely)

Olive oil

Sal

Chilli flakes (optional)

Method:

1. Pre heat oven @ 220 – 250’C
2. Pour abt 1 cm high of olive oil onto baking dish
3. Add in chopped garlic and cook in oven for 10 minutes or until sizzling hot
4. Remove fr oven and add in the prawns
5. Sprinkle some salt
6. Put into oven and cook for another 10 – 12 minutes
7. Sprinkle chilli flakes before serving (optional)
8. Serve hot and best taken with sliced baguette and white wine!

Churned out directly from Aniston's Kitchen...

Debut Recipe - Creamy Mushroom Tapas

This is one of my much sought after recipes! I have shared this with many tapas fans and it is also one of my personal favourites!

I can actually dish this out without looking at my recipe book! That's how often I cook this dish and how it is loved by my own boys who request for it every now and then!

Presenting my improvised version of Creamy Mushroom Tapas!

Ingredients:

2 packs of Portobello mushrooms / any mushrooms of your choice (cut into halves)

1 pack of large flower mushroom

1 can of button mushrooms (chopped)

1 whole garlic (finely chopped)

2 tbsp of Olive oil

A knob/1 tbsp of butter

A small packet of whipping cream

2 cans of Campbell Cream of mushrooms

Thyme/parsley leaves for seasoning (optional)

Method:

1. Heat up wok and put in butter and olive oil.
2. Add in chopped garlic. Fry for 20 seconds.
3. Add in chopped button mushrooms and leave to sizzle for a while.
4. Next, add in Portobello mushrooms.
5. Pour in Campbell soup and whipping cream.
6. Leave it to boil and then sprinkle thyme/parsley leaves.
7. Turn off fire and serve hot with fresh baguette. (I only buy from Deli France cos theirs is Da BEST!)
8. Makes about 8 servings.