Pasta Lunch

Just back from Langkawi holiday, totally worth the trip in my opinion. Starting working today, so I make a simple lunch from my normal staple ; spaghetti. I cooked with mushrooms, quails meat, chicken stock, basil. Very simple dish to make, once spaghetti cooked until al dente, simmer it with chicken stock with quails meat and mushrooms, add basil, salt and pepper for seasoning.Reduced stock to concentrate the taste and serve.You can replaced mushroom and quails meat with anything you like for example mussels, clams, prawns and chicken as to be said anything you like.

A few dishes I cooked during holidays

From the top :

1)Rumpsteak with red wine vinaigrette reduction

2)Bacon rolls and poached egg with caviar

3)Steamed salmon fillet with salsa chiles

4)Pan fried quails with pan sauce

5)Pan fried quails on top of caramilized onions and shiitake mushrooms

Pan fried cod and seared scallop with White Wine Vinegar Reduction

Preparation for this Saturday dinner is on full swing now..meantimes i pamper myself with a nice little dish yesterday.This is the cod fillet and seared scallop with a little sidedish of pasta in alfredo sauce. Rock and roll mates

Easy dressing using reduction or vinaigrette

Having fish, shellfish or meat in a menu at home, serving with a sauce or gravy is not a must. When we dine outside, we were serve with mushroom sauce, red wine sauce etc....is it really necessary we follow? Good sauce will definitely will enhance the flavour but a bad sauce will totally spoil the food regardless how well the dish is cooked or grilled. When cooking at home, using simple method to complement dish is an option as well. Beside gravy or sauce, you can use the 2 above mentioned methods. Reduction or vinaigrette.

Reduction : Use leftover meat that stuck in pan or tray or vinegar(balsamic, red or white wine or even cider vinegar) with broths or wine or even just butter. Put a bit of butter into tray or pan and let it melt.Pour in the vinegar, broth or wine to simmer.Scrap of the meat bits off the bottom and let it reduced to wanted volume and serve.

Vinaigrette : 3 parts olive oils and 1 part vinegar. Emulsified both ingredients in a blender or mixing bowl. Add in a bonding medium like butter, mayonaisse, herbs or etc (up to your preference).May add sauteed vege into emulsied mix and serve.

Try it. Both style is very very flexible, you may add whatever you want and you will amazed how different the flavour will be. Remember, we are not working in a restaurant we dont need approval from clients.