Japanese Sauce Pasta, Simple One Pot Lunch

When we first visited Pasta Zanmai, the Japanese restaurant, I fell in love with their signature peanut sauce pasta, surprisingly the peanut paste which I thought would be too thick actually paired well with the pasta.

Since I bought a bottle of roasted peanut sauce recently during a Japanese food fair, I thought to use it to make some Japanese pasta similar to the ones we had in Pasta Zanmai, and it turned out surprisingly well!

My Japanese Peanut Sauce Pasta, served with some crunchy chicken fillet, another favorite dish of my kiddos. The whole pot of pasta was finished under 30 minutes.

This is the key ingredient - Roasted Peanut Sauce, can be used as salad dressing too. Just make sure you shake well before using.

The making? Easy.

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Serving for: 4 pax

Ingredients:

Peanut Sauce Pasta:

1/2 packets of spaghetti 

12 stalks of baby spinach, wash and cut into chunks about 5cm long

1 medium potatoes, roughly sliced

2 clove of garlic, sliced
3 eggs, beaten and add a teaspoon of soy sauce & pepper

1 table spoon soy sauce

1/2 table spoon of dark soy sauce (optional)

A dash of rosemary (dried or fresh)
A dash of salt

4 tablespoon of Roasted Peanut sauce

A) Chicken Fillet & Marinate:

200gm chicken breast, cut into short strips

1 teaspoon of salt

A few drops of sesame oil 

A dash of pepper 

Fancy some crunchy fillet instead?

B) Crunchy Chicken Fillet & Marinate:

200gm chicken breast, cut into short strips

1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce (can replace with soy sauce)

1 teaspoon of salt

A few drops of sesame oil 

A dash of paprika powder (optional)

A dash of pepper 

2 tablespoon corn starch

3-4 tablespoon of breadcrumbs

The Making:
1. Season the chicken strips, set aside (for method A).

2. Heat up 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a wok, sauté the garlic till fragrance then add in the potato strips, follow by the chicken strips. Stir fry for about 2 minutes.

3. Add boiled water (room temperature) into the wok to just enough to cover the pasta, let to boil then toss in the spaghetti. Add the salt, soy sauce and rosemary then let it simmers for 8-10 minutes with the lid closed.

4. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat up a table spoon of olive oil, pan fry the egg liquid to make a large Omelette. Using the spatula, roughly cut the omelette and set aside. 

5. On the final 2 minutes, toss in the  baby spinach and close the lid to let it cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, toss in the Omelete and roasted peanut sauce into the spaghetti, mix well. 

That's it,  your Japanese sauce spaghetti is ready to serve! 

And if you feel like adding some crunchy chicken fillets, here's how...

7. Marinate the chicken fillets, coat them with a thin layer of corn starch and generous amount of bread crumbs. 

8. Heat up 3 tablespoon of cooking oil in a non stick pan, fry both sides of the fillets for about 3 minutes or until it turns golden brown. (You may cook few fillets at same time if you have a large enough pan, just don't turn the fillet too soon)

9. Dish out and let the oil drops off before serving.

Itadakimasu!

Do note that this dish is best to serve warm as the sauce may dry up quite fast.  However the pasta taste nice as it absorbs all the sauce. 

Important..

For children below 2yo or anyone with known allergic history to nuts, do avoid the peanut sauce altogether. 

{Travel Special}Tortellini In White Sauce

 

This blog has been quiet recently as I have been away for our family trip. It's the time of the year to be away from work, chores and just be on adventure with our little ones.

While we opt to enjoy local food and drink most of the time, places like Switzerland is just way too costly to dine out (imagine paying RM60 for one simple Burger King set), and sometimes after a long day out the little ones were just too exhausted to walk anymore (it's a DIY trip). These are the moments that call for simple home-cook. 

I got all the ingredients from the local marché (market) and cooked this simple pasta in white sauce with ham. Only took me 20 minutes and it was a really satisfying meal for everyone.

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Serving for: 3-4 pax

Ingredients:

All fresh from the market:

• 300gm Tortellini pasta

• 1 cup of fresh milk 

• 1 packet of butter (above 1 spoonful)

• 100gm of ham, finely sliced

• 2 big spoon of cheddar cheese, roughly cut into cubes

• 1 egg (I did not buy any, so skipped)

• 8 brown mushrooms, briefly washed and sliced

• 6 sweet peas, washed and cut (in replacement for lack of basil leaves)

• salt & pepper to taste

The Making:
1. Melt the butter in a hot pan, toss in the mushrooms, stir fry for a minute then add in the sweet peas and ham. 

2. Let cook for about a minute, then add the milk, egg and cheese cubes. 

3. Let it boil for a minute or more until the cheese melted, add the Tortellini pasta, basil leaves and salt & pepper to taste. 

4. Close the lid and let the pasta simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes. If it gets too dry, add a little more milk.

5.Garnish with some basil leaves and serve hot. 

Bon appetite! 

Just some Tips for Cooking while Travelling: 

• opt for apartment / motel where kitchenette are provided so simple cooking is possible. In absence of kitchenette, can make sandwiches instead.

• Keep few packet of butters from the airplane meal or hotel buffet, it is great replacement for cooking oil (no point buying a bottle of cooking oil just to cook one meal! ;)

Easy Healthy Mac 'N Cheese #15MinuteSuppers

While we were doing our weekend grocery shopping, we walked past the pasta section and Little Captain saw the elbow pasta. He immediately remind me that it has been a while since I last cooked Mac 'n Cheese, so Mac 'n Cheese it is for lunch today!

Since I planned to bring them to playground for some ball games, I decided to make a quick and easy version by having all ingredient cooked in a pot (except for the sausages), but I would never cut short on nutrition so mixed veggies are must.

I love the color combination...

Little Captain and Princess C had a small bowl each.

While I love mind with chili flakes... Simply Satisfying!

The ingredients... Except the elbow pasta and green peas that are not in pic.

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Serving for: 2-3 little ones

Ingredients:
1 cup elbow macaroni

1/4 cup carrot cubes

1 cup broccoli cut into small chunks

1/4 cup frozen peas, defrost to room temperature 

2 sausages, cut into round slices

Some fresh or dried rosemary 

Salt & pepper to taste

For Cheese Sauce

1 cup cheddar cheese, cut into cubes

2 table spoons of butter

1 table spoon of flour

1 cup of fresh milk

The Making:

1. Cook the macaroni, cut vegetables and peas in a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt for about 8-10 minutes. Drain the excess water and run the pasta under running tap water for a few seconds.

2. While pasta is boiling, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and cook the sausage for about 5 minutes or till golden.

3. In another pot, melt the butter and add the flour on medium heat, stir constantly until the flour dissolved then add the cheese, milk and rosemary leaves. Bring it to a boil until the cheese sauce thicken.

4. Add the macaroni and vegetables into the cheese sauce, seasoned with a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well and turn off the heat.

5. When serving, drops the sausages on top. Sprinkle with more shredded cheese if you like it real cheesy.

The making in 5 simple steps.

I let little captain helped to setup the table as I cooked (his usual chore), I must said he is getting really good at it. Apart from having the cutlery placed correctly, he even prepared the sachet of chili flakes and orange juice for me and daddy, he knew i looooove spicy food, how very thoughful of him! *feeling pretty proud*

A Gentle Note...

As usual, I would remind you that if this is the first time introducing cheese to your little one, always watch out for allergy reaction such as swollen, rashes or itchiness. Besides if you are serving to toddler do use the salt sparingly as their daily sodium requirements are way lower than adults.

Need some guidance on how to select the right cheese for your little ones? Read my previous post on cheese for little ones and also the post on salt / sodium intake.

If you like more cheese recipe, check out here.

Happy cooking!

Like this? Follow 15 Minute Suppers on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

and look for the #15MinuteSuppers hashtag too

Today we are all sharing recipes that are 15 minutes or less, whether it's a smoothie, holiday dessert, or a quick snack.  Having a bunch of recipes that only takes a few minutes in your recipe tool box is good thing! Need more quick 15 minute recipe ideas? Check out these other great #15MinuteSuppers!

• Layered Strawberry Banana Smoothies from Around My Family Table
• Easy Healthy Mac 'n Cheese from Food 4 Little Ones
• Leprechaun Bark from Better in Bulk
• Gyro Pizza from Just 2 Sisters
• Easy Breakfast Roll-Ups from Home Cooking Memories
• Homemade Hummus and Pita Chips from Jen's Journey

Head over to our #15MinuteSuppers Pinterest Board to see all the past recipes and more delicious goodness!

BLOGGERS: Would you like to join us at #15MinuteSuppers? We’d love to have you! Please check out the 15 Minute Suppers website or ask to join the Facebook group (for bloggers) to participate on Fridays…we’d love to have you join us.

Oriental Stir Fried Spaghetti with Bacon #15MinuteSupper 熏肉炒意面

It was a busy weekend for the family. We were spring cleaning in preparation for the lunar New Year which is only 2 weeks away and I nearly forgot it's lunchtime until I saw the clock pointing to 12:30.. Oops.

So I quickly searched my fridge for what to cook and found a packet of streaky bacon and some cooked spaghetti, left over from the previous dinner. So, stir fried spaghetti it is. The baby Choy Sum in our garden is ready for harvest so extra green for the pasta, how convenient. :)

It's a hush hush meal but yummy none the less. 

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Serving for: 3-4 pax

Ingredients:

1/2 packet of spaghetti 

3 eggs, beaten and flavored with some salt & pepper

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped  

1 carrot, cut into short strips

1/4 onion, roughly chopped 

4 strips of streaky Bacon, cut into short strips
8 stalks of baby Choy Sum, washed and cleaned (since our homegrown baby Choy Sum is pesticide-free, I only gave it a brief wash)

1 teaspoon of salt

A few drops of Worcester sauce 

2 table spoon of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce (optional, I added it for darker color which is more appetizing. Add more or omit as you wish)

A dash of pepper

A dash of paprika powder

The Making:

Stir Fried Spaghetti with Bacon, the oriental style

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook the spaghetti for 10 minutes, add some salt in the water while boiling. Once cooked, drain the excess water and set the spaghetti aside.
2. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat up a table spoon of olive oil and cook the egg omelet. Roughly cut it into small pieces using the spatula then set aside.
3. Heat up a table spoon of olive oil on the wok and sauté the garlic till fragrance, toss in the onion and bacon strips, stir slightly then add the carrots slices. Add salt and Worcester sauce to taste.
4. Add 1/2 cup of water, soy sauce and dark soy sauce, mix roughly then cover the wok and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Toss in the cooked pasta, follow by the  Choy Sam and eggs. Add another 1/2 cup of water, close the lid and let the pasta simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Turn off the stove, add a dash of pepper and paprika powder & mix well. Your pasta is ready to serve.

I love mine with few drops of freshly plugged lime (yeah, another product from our garden..), but that is really not necessary. It's just me and my exotic taste bud, Big Guy & the kiddos enjoy the spaghetti just like that.

Bon appetite!

Follow 15 Minute Suppers on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

and look for the #15MinuteSuppers hashtag too!

Oriental Style Stir Fried Spaghetti with Bacon from Food 4 Little Ones
Creamy Garlic Pasta from Better in Bulk
Creamy Coconut Shrimp from Around My Family Table
Quick 15 Minute Shrimp Tacos from Jen's Journey
Shrimp Fajita Rice Bowl from Turning the Clock Back
Pasta with Bacon and Brussels Sprouts from Suburbia Unwrapped

Head over to our #15MinuteSuppers Pinterest Board to see all the past recipes and more delicious goodness!

Would you like to join us at #15MinuteSuppers? We’d love to have you! Please check out the 15 Minute Suppers website or ask to join the Facebook group (for bloggers) to participate on Fridays…we’d love to have you join us.

15 Minutes Mini Shell Pasta with Minced Meat Sauce #15MinutesSuppers

Little one and I were busy giving our car a thorough wash earlier that I nearly forgot it was almost lunch time. Good Lord that I remember to thaw the frozen minced meat before we began washing so I was able to cook up something decent. There was half a packet of leftover shell pasta, so shell pasta it is for lunch.

I have always like Shell pasta for its shape as it holds the ingredients in the pocket which makes it tastes rich and juicy; it's like hidden treasure in the shell. 

This is a simple yet satisfying dish, ideal for busy day such as today. 

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Serving for: 3-4 little ones

Ingredients:
1/2 packet of dried shell pasta (200gm)

A palmful of minced meat (approx. 100gm)

1/4 cup of onion, finely chopped 

2 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 table spoon of soya sauce

Few drops of sesame oil

A dash of salt

A dash of pepper

Few leaves of fresh / dried rosemary 

1/2 cup of Shredded cheddar cheese

The Making:

1. Boil the pasta in a pot of hot water based on indicated time (approximate 10 minutes), add a pinch of salt. Once cooked, drain the excess water and run the pasta under tab water for a few seconds, then set aside.

2. While the pasta was boiling, heat up a spoon of olive oil in the pan, sauté the garlic till fragrance, then toss in the onion, follow by the minced meat and all the remaining ingredients; stir well to mix. 

3. Let the minced meat cook for about 5 minutes (till it turns brown), then add the cooked shell pasta. Let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes with lid closed so the pasta will absorbed the sauce thoroughly.

4. Serve the pasta in a dish, add the shredded cheddar cheese on top (it will melts slowly) and decorate with some fresh rosemary leaves.

Just that simple... Bon appetite!

Tips:

• add a spoonful of butter into the pasta if you like it really creamy, but I am happy with mine as-is.

• you may add some bacon bits for the added flavor.

Like this? Follow 15 Minute Suppers on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
and look for the #15MinuteSuppers hashtag too

Check out these scrumptious Thanksgiving leftovers and they only take 15 minutes:

Grandma's Turkey Soup from How To This And That
Turkey-Cranberry Panini from Better in Bulk
Sweet Potato & Turkey Hash from Around My Family Table
Mini Shell Pasta with Minced Meat from Food 4 Little Ones
Cheesy Turkey and Rice from Monzanita's

If you are a blogger and you’d like more info, please check out the 15 Minute Suppers website or ask to join the Facebook group to participate on Fridays…we’d love to have you join us.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Hams and Chicken

My little captain really enjoys eating Mac and Cheese, he can eat an entire plate all by himself, however most Mac and cheese served in the restaurant are rather plain - just macaroni and cheese, and some even uses cream cheese which is lower in nutrition in compared to natural cheddar or Parmesan cheese, so I seldom offer to my baby girl who is allergic to cream cheese.

After a recent visit to a fine dining restaurant where they served really nice baked macaroni and cheese, at quite an expensive price as expected, I decided to cook this at home since my little captain really enjoyed it to the very last bit. Besides, I can choose to use good quality cheese without fearing my girl will have another flare out after consuming cream cheese again.

When I told my little captain I'm making Mac and cheese for dinner, he was so excited and immediately offered to help up in the kitchen. He is a real helper nowadays, helped to chop up the hams, shred the cheese and prepare the cheese sauce. Hopefully one day soon my little girl is ready to join us too.

The macaroni and cheese with ham and chicken turned out really nice, especially when it's piping hot. My big guy volunteered to empty the remaining bits. :)

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 25 min
Serving for: 2-3 little ones

Ingredients:
1 cup elbow macaroni

1 table spoon of bread crumbs

100gm of good quality ham (I used honey glazed ham), finely chopped

1/2 cup of minced chicken, marinate with a pinch of salt and ground pepper

For Cheese Sauce

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

2 table spoons of butter

1 table spoon of flour

1 cup of fresh milk

The Making:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 375°F.

2. Cook the macaroni in a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt as per the suggested cooking time (around 5-7min), drain the excess water and run the pasta under running tap water for a few seconds.

3. Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, stir fry the minced meat and chopped ham until the meat turns brown. Turn off the heat and set aside.

4. In a clean pot, melt the butter and add the flour on medium heat, stir constantly until the flour dissolved then add the milk. Bring it to a boil until the cheese sauce thicken.

5. Add the macaroni into the cheese sauce, follow by the ham and meat. Mix well. 

6. Transfer the macaroni to a carousel (I used a round baking tray instead), sprinkle with more shredded cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 10 minutes and get ready for a really yummy Mac 'n cheese!

I love this baking pan I used for the baking the macaroni, as we finished the food the smiley Mickey will appear. :)

My little boy was so excited as he was busy chopping, shredding, stirring, scooping. I let him used a butter knife to cut the ham so I can leave him alone while I boiled the macaroni. I love the team work between us :)

Useful Tips!

• The Mac forms a thin layer of crust on top after baking, if your baby has soft teeth suggest to skip the last step. It taste great even if serve without baking it.

• I ran out of mozzarella cheese at the point of cooking, so I used a cup of cheddar cheese instead and it turned out well. You may add more cheese if you like it really creamy, but this is good enough for us. 

Homestyle Chicken Bolognese Pasta 健康鸡肉番茄意粉

Little captain requested for pasta tonight, after searching my fridge, finally I found right ingredients to cook up this simple Chicken Bolognese. Guess what he said to me after taking few bites? "Mommy, this is the best dinner in the whole world! I like it so much!"

He may have over exaggerated but his action speak louder than word - he finished his entire plate of pasta and quickly top up for more. Something rare from my picky eater, so I'm pretty sure he enjoyed his dinner. 

It's really simple to prepare, what makes the different is the ingredient you used. I added celery this time and I like the extra crunchiness it brings (of course the extra nutrition too). But if you do not like celery, just skip it, this is really quite a nutrition packed pasta with all the fresh ingredients used.

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Serving for: 2 big & 2 little ones

Ingredients:
1/2 packets fettuccine or spaghetti pasta (I mixed both)
1 canned tomato purée (475gm)

1 cup of stock or boiled water

2 cloves garlic 

1/2 large yellow onion

1/2 cup carrots (about 2 thumb size)

1 stalk celery

8 baby cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup of brown mushrooms, washed

1 palm size of minced chicken meat

1 teaspoon of anchovy powder (optional if using ready stock)

A dash of coarse salt

A dash of wolchester sauce

A teaspoon of oregano leaves

A dash of ground pepper 

The Making:

1. Season the minced meat with a dash of coarse salt and sesame oil, set aside. In the meanwhile, clean, peel all vegetables (except tomatoes) and chopped finely.

Prepare the bolognese sauce 

2. Heat up 2 table spoons of olive oil in a deep sauce pan, sauté the garlic till light brown then add in the onion, cook till it starts to turn transparent then add in the rest of the vegetables and lastly mushrooms. I choose to serve the cherry tomatoes as-is but you can add them in too.

3. Add the wolchester sauce, coarse salt, oregano into the pan, mix well. 

4.Toss in the minced meat bit by bit, then add the tomato purée, follow by a cup of water and anchovy powder. Let the sauce shimmers on medium heat for about 20 minutes with lid closed until its thicken.

5. In the meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water according to the time indicated on the packaging (between 10-13 minutes),drench the excess water and run the pasta under cool water to avoid them from getting soggy. Add a table spoon of olive oil and mix well. This will keep the pasta from stick together.

6. Toss the pasta into the sauce, let it shimmers for about 3 minutes, mix well and it's ready to serve.

7. Garnish with some fresh oregano leaf or cherry tomatoes, and some shredded cheese will be ideal too. it's a delightful feast to the eyes as it is to the tummy. 

Bon appetite!

Useful Tips!

• Double the portion of all ingredients and you can keep the extra Bolognese sauce for next cooking. Good to keep up to a week in the fridge. I stored mine in a glass jar, safe and practical.

• If you are working mom like me, you probably do not do market shopping on weekly or ad-hoc basis. To ensure I have basic ingredients for spontenous cooking, I usually buy few chicken fillets in one go, cut them into long stripes or mince them and store in individual plastic bags before freezing them. Each bag contains enough serving for 1 meal, so defrosting is really hassle free - just defrost the exact amount I need!

• when serving to my 20 months old, I cut the pasta into bite size using the kitchen scissor. This makes it easy for self feeding and less risk of chocking tool.

Stir Fried Spaghetti with Dory Fillet

My little boy loves noodles and pasta, especially fried noodles. So i thought of cooking some stir fried pasta today since I only have less than 30 minutes to spare in the kitchen. In between cooking, I had to run out kitchen a few times to attend to the duo as they were asking to play bubbles, I am lucky that our kitchen oversees the backyard and the living hall, so I can keep an eye on them while cooking. Being a mom really requires a lot of multitasking, I feel like an octopus sometimes and I'm sure most moms feel the same! 

Here's the simple yet healthy family lunch.

The portion for my 19mo.. I cut everything into bite size. 

This is the first time I'm serving stir fried spaghetti to my sweetie pie, she seem to really enjoy her lunch, fed herself the entire plate of pasta without complaining. Proud of my little baby.. :) 

Creamy Cheesy Multi-Colors Alphabet Pasta 芝士蔬菜意面

Now that baby has past 1 year old and confirmed no allergy reaction with cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese, I am serving her creamy cheese pasta instead of the usual soup pasta. I love the cheesy smell and the creamy taste of this little pasta... When I was cooking it in the kitchen, even my little boy couldnt resist to ask for a try..

I used four different types of vegetables here for the mixed nutritious, you can replace with vegetables of your choice, but do try to maintain the variety of colors.

Organic Alphabet Pasta with Goji Berries

Today's meal for Baby Claire - Organic alphabet pasta with celery, carrots, onions and goji berries cooked in anchovies soup.

Goji berries, 枸杞, also known as wolfberries, are high in antioxidant and is believe to be good for eye sights and brain development. I soaked them in water for about 5 minutes before cooking, just in case there is any coloring used in the making of the dried goji berries, this shall wash any residues away (I know some may think its totally unnecessary but I rather be safe than sorry...)

The berries have a soft texture after cooking and tasted tangy and sweet, so no resistant faced although this was the first time I introduced this to my 15 months old.


The preparation is simple, takes only about 20 minutes including all the washing and chopping.

Ingredients:
2 palmful of organic alphabet pasta
10 goji berries
1 stalk celery
1/4 medium carrots
1/2 medium onions
1 tea spoon of homemade anchovies powder

Serving size: 2 feeding

1. Soak the goji berries in warm water for 5 minutes, set a side.

2. Cut the remaining vegetables into small cubes.

3. Cook the berries and vegetables in a pot of boiled water for 10 minutes. First 3 minutes of high heat and change to medium heat subsequently. Add a teaspoon of homemade anchovies powder and mix well.

4. Add 2 palmful of organic alphabet pasta, cook according to the time indicated on the packet (I cooked mine for 10 minutes).

Just that simple. Baby Claire loves her pasta and ate up most by herself. Now that she has good eye hands coordination, I started training her to self feed and she is making good progress thus far. Just need to make sure I have many bibs to standby and a wet hanky on stand by :) Needless to mention, I have to supervise her closely to avoid the possibility of chocking.


Note:
Personally I will not give the goji berries to my kiddos on regular basis, as it is a type of herbs so it is always safer to give in moderation to avoid long term side effect.