Seafood Black Spaghetti

This pasta recipe is nothing short of awesome. Because you can never go wrong with light on the sauce, just like Italian do. So that a little bit of garlic can be tasted and splash of white wine. Its not too saucy by still very flavorful. Serves for 2-3 person

Ingredients:

200g black spaghetti
1 squid, cut
300g fresh clams
8pcs Argentine langoustine
2 handful of basil
450g fresh red cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
1 tsp squid ink paste
6 large garlic, finely chopped
4 dried chili
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Add water into pan, bring to a boil. The simmer at medium high heat. Add salt and some olive oil around 2 tbsp. Add the pasta and cook soften (al dente).

2. Mean while, heat around 4 tbsp of olive oil into the skillet at medium heat. Saute garlic and chili until the garlic turn a light brown. Do not let the garlic burn or it has a taste of bitterness. Add the squid then cooked lightly until coated with chili-garlic. Discard the squid from the pan, set aside. Then do this again with the clams and pour the wine into the pan. The wine it create steam needed to cook the clams. Also the wine adds flavor into the sauce. Remove the clam that has started open and set aside.

⇓

By the way cook the langoustine at the same time, just drizzle some olive oil and put them into the oven at 200°C and baked for about 10 minutes on both side. Then take them out from the oven. You can also cook your langoustine into grill pan or charcoal grill if necessary.

3. Back to sauce. Add the tomatoes into skillet and stir for a minute. Then add the squid ink, stir well until combined into the sauce. Pour a 2-3 ladle spoon of boiling pasta water. Then season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 2 minutes or more.

4. Drain the pasta, add into the pan, followed by the clams, squid and basil. Mix or toss well together until the pasta absorb the sauce. Transfer the pasta into the serving dish. Then place the grilled langoustine on top of the pasta and spray some olive oil if desire.

Gambas Al Ajillo

This garlic shrimp tapas has to be of the easiest way to quickly prepare. Just simply saute with garlic, butter and oil. The garlic butter oil sauce it goes well with crusty bread.
 Ingredients:
500g raw prawns (shrimps)
½ cup olive oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp finely crush garlic
1 tbsp capers
5 dried chili
1 tbsp dried or fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper
crusty bread
Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. And Place the cazuelas or ramekins into the oven. Peel the prawns, leaving the tail behind. You devein the shrimps if desire. Just pull out from the back and cut a slit at back of shrimps and remove the vein.

2. Combine the butter and olive into pan and heat gas at medium temperature. Add the garlic and chilis, cook until translucent and bubbling.

3. Add 1 tsp of salt and pepper, give a stir for a second. Then add the shrimps into the pan.

4. Saute carefully and cooked for 5- minutes or until they just turn pink. 

5. Add the capers, parsley and shake or stir the pan for a seconds.

6. Turn off the gas, take the cazuelas out into the oven. Divide the garlic into ramekins and serves along with crusty bread or it goes well to in cooked pasta.

Stir Fry Shrimp in Tamarind Sauce

This zesty stir fry savory seafood dish its combination of sweet, sour, and spicy will satisfy for a quick weeknight dinner. Served with hot steaming fragrant jasmine rice or any white rice.
Ingredients:
500g king prawn
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
50g shallots, finely chopped
10 tbsp water
30g tamarind paste
1½ tbsp sugar
vegetable oil
spring of cilantro
Preparation:

1. Rinse the prawns, remove and discard the shell and de-vein the black part of the prawm using a sharp knife. Heat a wok over high or medium-high heat.  Drizzle in 2 tbsp. oil, then saute the garlic and shallots, stir for about 2 minutes or until fragrant.

2. Add the shrimp into the wok.

3. Now add the chili, sugar and tamarind, then stir gently for awhile.

4. Then pour the water immediately, bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer until pink. Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving plate and  garnish with fresh cilantro.

Steamed Cod With Pickle Bird Lime Tree

Delicate healthy dish and this is a basic and common Chinese steamed fish. The Taiwanes pickle bird lime tree makes a good match with the fish. This recipe is really quick and easy to prepare it has similar result served in local food restaurants in Taiwan. Serve over white rice, using some of the sauce.
Ingredients:

600g clean black cod a.k.a sablefish, or used any white fish fillet.

2 tbsp thick sweet soy sauce

½ tbsp sugar
½ tbsp aroma sesame oil

1 tbsp rice wine

1 red chili, seeded and sliced

2-3 spring onions,  shred

4 tbsp pickle lime bird tree or manjack tree

Preparation:

1.  Add enough water to the wok then place a stainless steel steamer or bamboo steamer, bring to the boil in high heat. In a bowl combine soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar and mix well. Place the fish in conventional ceramic plate. Add the sauce mixture, arrange the spring onion and lime bird tree on top of the fish.

2. Then add the chili.

3. Place the plate over boiling water.

4. Cover and steam for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily. The fish steams in its own juices so you retain all of that flavor.

5. When ready, take the steamed fish out of the steamer. Drizzle some sesame oil over the fish then serve and dig in  while is hot!

Baked Cod With Baby Arugula & Lola Rosa Lettuce Salad

An incredible and healthy cod recipe. Complete the entree with simple salad drizzle in olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper.
Ingredients:
4 cod fillet (190-200g each)
12-15 red grape tomatoes
1 head (60g) baby lola rosa lettuce
1 head (80g) baby arugula
salt and white ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
¼ tsp spanish paprika
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place a non-stick or parchment paper-lined in baking tray. Place the parsley, dill, paprika, a good amount of olive oil, sprinkle of salt and ground white pepper in a large dish and stir to combine.  Then roll and dredge the fish and tomatoes with herbs and olive oil mixture to coat completely.

2. Place into the heated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets or until just cooked through.

3. While the fish bakes, make a very simple salad to serve with the entree. Wash and drain, separate lettuce leaves, place on paper towels to dry. In a mixing bowl mixed the baby vegetables, add around 2-3 tbsp olive oil and season with salt.

4. Divide the fish fillets, tomatoes and salad among plates. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Mediterranean Style Poached Cod With Zucchini & Tomatoes

Poaching is a easy and quick way to cook fish and great for keeping moist and tender. This recipe was inspired me the Mediterranean ingredients. The colours and the brightness of the dish is also something rich and savory. More importantly is very healthy and delicious. Try monkfish also perfect for this recipe.
Ingredients:
4 pcs cod fillets
10 whole pitted black olives, chopped
10 whole pitted green olives, chopped
20 whole caperberries
150-200g red cherry tomatoes, halves
200g zucchini, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano, fresh one if available
60g or 1 Western celery stalk, chopped into small chunks
1 large garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
1 small or medium red Spanish onion sliced
½ cup white wine
1/3 just plain water
salt and white ground pepper to taste
1 tsp tomato paste
freshly chopped parsley
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a copper saute pan or any pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion saute for 1 minute or until they’re semi translucent and starting to soften.

2. Add zucchini and celery, fry gently for another minute, stirring continually.

3. Then follow by the tomatoes, give it a stir. 

4. Add the water and wine.

5. Season with salt and white ground pepper, then stir for a minute.

6. Cover with lid, reduce heat and simmer 3-5 minutes until the vegetables has started to soften just slightly.

7. After a while sprinkle around 1 tbsp or more fresh chopped parsley.

8. Lay one piece of fish on each. Cover the pan and simmer 7-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

9. When done, turn off the heat and sprinkle more chopped parsley. Do not overcooked the fish it should be firm, but definitely not crumbly.

10. Spoon out the vegetables mixture, and place a piece of fish on top.

11. Sprinkle a bit more olive oil on top.

Daing Na Bañgus

This Filipino marinated fried milk fish is very popular fish for the poor even rich people eat this. This boneless dinaing na bangus soaked or marinated in a vinegar, ground black pepper, garlic and very easy to make.
Ingredients:
1 large butterflied with skin-on, headless and boneless milk fish fillet.
½ cup datu puti white vinegar
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
6 large garlic cloves, crushed with skin on
½ tsp sea salt
5 tbsp vegetable oil
Preparation:

1. Lay the fish on a square baking dish or square plate sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the garlic over the flesh and add the vinegar. You can add more salt if required and depends on your taste buds. Cover with lid or plastic wrap, refrigerate and marinate for 24 hours then turning the fish over after 12 hours (can be marinated up to 2 days on the fridge).

2. To prepare, heat cooking oil in a 28cm nonstick skillet or wok over medium heat. Remove from marinade and place the fish together with garlic if desired.

3. Fry the fish until reaches a golden brown color and crisp. Remove from the heat and place to a serving dish and sprinkle the fried garlic over the fish. Serve with garlic-vinegar dipping sauce and enjoy eating with steamed rice.

Grilled Salmon In Tartar Sauce Serve With Baked Vegetables

I usually cooked a lot meat most of the day, but lately I grilled some veggies and fish for a change. I grilled some salmon on the frying pan with less oil and it goes all crispy on the outside and slightly pink but cook on the inside. Then I baked zucchini, asparagus and baby white onion. The baby onion it has a subtle sweetness and it is very juicy. Then to finish off with a creamy tartar sauce. A healthy thing to eat!
Ingredients:
4 x 175g each salmon fillets
110g baby asparagus, trimmed off woody ends
2 small zucchini, cut zucchini into slices, about 1 cm or less in thickness.
2 small baby white onion, cut into quarters
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra olive oil
home-made tartar sauce
Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss asparagus, zucchini and onion onto a baking tray and coat in olive oil evenly. Sprinkle with generous amounts of salt and pepper.

2. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tender but still holding their shape.

3. Meanwhile, heat a large stainless steel and nonstick frying pan. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and rub lightly with olive oil.

4. Cook the salmon for 4 minutes each side or until just cooked through and the skin flakes easily.

5. Place a pile of baked vegetables on each plate and grilled salmon to the side. Spoon a dollop of the tartar sauce over the fish. Garnish with your favorite seasonal small flowers if you like. Serve and enjoy.