Yup, 2 kitchen diaries in 1 post. Very busy. You've gotta work hard and push yourself to the max when you are still young (single and without kids). Right?
Meal 1: Pasta in Chicken Broth with Cauliflowers
Anyway, I still took 3 days off (end up 2 1/2 days...) to go back hometown, and spend a night with my lovely sister, home alone! And that was great as it meant total freedom! We just do what we want and eat what we want, no fuss, no nagging, no reminding, no control. Good time indeed! (LOL)
Since I have more time at home, I decided to cook this Pasta in Chicken Broth with Cauliflowers to please my sister. Yes, I have a very young little sis, who is still in primary school. And I still remember those days when I have to feed her and clean her when she is a baby/toddler. Good training for future I guess.
I prepare chicken broth with chicken cubes, bones and wings. Don't worry about the oil, thats what make the soup nice!
Then, I add in tomato chunks and spring onion (stems), continue cooking till the tomatoes are well done, and in fact, blend in with the soup to give a bit of reddish colour.
And finally, the cauliflowers and remaining spring onion (leaves). Keep an eye while cooking as the cauliflowers taste better when they are just nicely done, giving the crunchy texture. Season the soup with some salt and pepper powder.
Finally, serve them over boiled pasta! I use spirals this time, I think shells, macaroni and other short shaped pasta will do well with the soup.
A tasty and healthy lunch with my sis!
Meal 2: Pan Fried Salmon Fillet with Mashed Potato and Onion Rings
Once in a blue moon, we Malaysians have 2 public holidays right after weekend, which means, 4 days off in a row! (3 for me actually...) And once again, he suggested to cook something for dinner. So, we shop for some fresh ingredients and decided to have some Pan Fried Salmon Fillet.
This meal is really easy to prepare, but it turned out to be a little messy for us due to lack of utensils & space. I have to say, we really got some fresh salmon, very tender and juicy. Sprinkle salt and ground black pepper on both side of the fillet and fry them over olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. [TIPS: Use minimal oil as salmon fillet is rich in fat] Wait for 4-5 mins before you flip the fillet and cook the other side for another 4-5 mins. Sprinkle some chopped lemon thyme (they have some really hard stem!) on top of the fish fillet before remove from heat and serve on plate.
For the onion rings, prepare batter with cake flour (self-raising flour), cold water and egg. Dip the onion rings in the batter and fry in hot oil. Not bad this time, they are still crunchy after some time.
For the mash potatoes, boil the potato cubes until soften. [TIPS: Use US Russet Potato as they give a very soft and smooth texture. Mixed in some Holland Potato if you like to feel some potato chunks in the mash potato, as Holland Potato takes longer time to cook] Drain away the water and press the potatoes using a fork. Stir with some milk and cheese over small fire, and season with some salt. For the gravy sauce, we just get the ready-made gravy in packet available in stores (to avoid failure).
And, yum yum yum! Enjoying off days at home, relax ~
