in my studio | category

May
03
2012

spaghetti bolognese

RECIPE FOR SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE WITH MINCE BEEF

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients

400g dried thin spaghetti
500g beef mince
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots, diced
300g sliced mushrooms (or 400g can sliced champignons)
1 tsp oregano (or to your taste)
4 tbsp thick tomato paste
1 x 425g can peeled tomatoes
3 cups beef stock (i use vegetable stock or just water)
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
fresh shaved parmesan and/or powder parmesan to garnish

Method

1. Heat olive oil and saute onions and garlic in a medium pot.

2. Add mince beef and stir until evenly brown until lumps are broken.

3. Add carrots, stock/water, mushrooms, oregano, tomato paste and canned tomatoes. Stir for a bit and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 45 minutes until liquid has greatly reduced.

3. Add salt and pepper and stir.

4. Boil spaghetti with a bit of oil and salt, then drain under cold running water.

5. Serve immediately with hot bolognese sauce topped with cheese.

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Category: beef, halal, in my kitchen, pasta

Nov
10
2011

creamy spaghetti napolitana with prawns

When I’m in a rush, I think of pasta. Spaghetti to be precise. This one here, can be whipped up in a jiffy. All you need are a handful of fresh ingredients (well, not the pasta unless you want to make it yourself :p) and you’ve got a quick meal for a midweek dinner that the family will love. I know my husband would! Here is the recipe for this wonderfully quick pasta dish.

RECIPE FOR CREAMY SPAGHETTI NAPOLITANA WITH PRAWNS

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15mins
Cook time: 20-30mins

Ingredients

400g spaghetti & some water to boil
16 medium sized prawns
300ml thickened cream
1 cup chicken stock
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 small-medium sized onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 large red capsicum, sliced
1 large green capsicum, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tsp basil, to garnish
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Bring water to a boil then put spaghetti in with a bit of salt.

2. While pasta is boiling, heat up oil in a saucepan and sautee onions and garlic.

3. Add the prawns and vegetables and cook for a few more minutes before adding tomato paste.

4. Then add the thickened cream and stock, and bring to a boil.

5. Simmer on a low heat and season well with salt, pepper and mixed herbs.

6. Once pasta is cooked, drain well and mix it with the creamy napolitana sauce.

7. Serve onto individual plates and sprinkle with some basil.

4 lovely comments
Category: halal, in my kitchen, pasta, seafood

Oct
18
2011

spring spaghetti with basil, chilli & garlic

I love this weather. Currently sitting at 24.3 degrees, I couldn’t ask for a better start to a perfect week ahead, inshallah. Inspired by my fresh garden (thanks to hubby!) and the wonderful sunshine we’ve been getting lately, I whipped up this quick meal in no more than 15 minutes. Can I tell you about the flavours? Well they just bursts in your mouth: left, right and centre! Thanks to a few powerful ingredients; garlic, chilli and basil…with a dash of extra virgin olive oil is all you need to turn it into an absolute flavoursome meal. Trust me, its really that good.

organic cooking oil

Ok, lets be honest. I need to give credit to where it all originated from. Secret Recipe. That’s where I first had it (i’ll post a review of this place soon). But for $16.90 a plate, ouch! I seriously felt guilty. Not to my palate but to my husbands pocket. So I decided to try and replicate this and oh la la, what a dish we have here for just under $5 per person. You can substitute prawns with chicken for an even cheaper meal. Hmm, now I really do sound cheap don’t I? yikes!

Slice the vegetables. Slice the garlic. Don’t chop them finely. You want to be able to taste the garlicky flavour.

Sautee the marinated prawns in olive oil. Add a bit of salt and pepper and chilli flakes.

And you have yourself a winning dish. Say hello to Spring!

RECIPE FOR SPRING SPAGHETTI
Inspired by Secret Recipe’s Thai spaghetti

Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients

2 cups cooked spaghetti
10 prawns (marinate with salt & pepper for an hour)
1 bulb garlic, sliced
1 green capsicum, sliced
1 red capsicum, sliced
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
10 mushrooms, sliced (I didnt have any but if you do,add them)
1 red chilli, cut
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
Handful of basil leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp basil infused olive oil
1 tsp chilli oil, for dressing (optional)
100g feta cheese, for dressing (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. In a saucepan, sautee the marinated prawns in olive oil for 2 minutes.

2. Add garlic and stir until prawns are evenly cooked. This should take another 2 minutes.

3. Add all the vegetables and chilli flakes. Season well with salt and pepper.

4. Add pasta to the sauce mixture and pour over with basil infused olive oil. Toss to combine.

5. Finally, topped with some feta cheese and drizzle with some chilli oil.

Click ‘read more’ below to print out the recipe and leave a comment.

3 lovely comments
Category: in my kitchen, pasta, seafood

Feb
03
2011

creamy chicken pasta

I’ve only started to like creamy dishes. Can’t believe I never used to like cream, even in desserts! One night, I was invited over to a friends place for dinner, was the day I turned creamy. Then again, I didn’t used to like a lot of things until much recent, some of which are prawns and sushi but have now fallen in love with, thanks to my husband.

So now, whenever I’m in a hurry or running out of ideas of what to cook or just a little bit lazy…this is what I come up with. Simple, yummy, creamy goodness. If I have leftover sauce, I’ll grill some chicken breast and pour the sauce over for my dinner the next night. My husband loves the taste of the sauce so much he says, “I can drink it all up”.

RECIPE FOR EASY CREAMY CHICKEN MUSHROOM PASTA
Adapted from this recipe

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients

1 chicken breast, cut into long thin strips
600ml thickened cream
2 cups mushroom, sliced
1/2 onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 chicken stock paste (i use homemade)

400g spaghetti

1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (for garnishing)
parsley, chopped (for garnishing)
1/2 lemon (optional)

1tbsp cornstarch (mix with a bit of water)

Method

1. To boil the pasta, fill a pot with water and some salt, bring it to a boil. Then add the pasta.

2. Whilst pasta is cooking,in a medium sauce pan, saute onions and garlic. Do not burn.

3. Add the chicken and stock and stir until just cooked. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add thickened cream and bring to a boil.

5. Lower heat and season with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch and simmer until sauce thickens.

6. Drain cooked pasta and serve in individual plates. Pour creamy mushroom sauce on top and garnish with some parmesan and chopped parsley. For some extra zing, squeeze a little lemon.

Click ‘Read More’ below to print out the recipe and leave a comment.

No comments
Category: chicken, in my kitchen, pasta

spaghetti bolognese

creamy spaghetti napolitana with prawns

spring spaghetti with basil, chilli & garlic

creamy chicken pasta

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