Buttered Noodles and Shrimp

This meal is so super easy. It’s a simple yet delicious meal that is similar to shrimp scampi. Sometimes, I fix this for dinner when My Matty’s at work, and I go overboard with the garlic that I have to brush my teeth 4 times after eating. This is also great if you need to use leftover spaghetti noodles or you have vegetables that need to be used immediately.

Buttered Noodles and Shrimp
by Culinary Miss

1 lb frozen shrimp that has been cooked, peeled, and deveined
3/4 lb spaghetti, cooked to al dente
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, julienned
1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Defrost the shrimp by placing in a large colander and running it under cold water for 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil on medium-high heat. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or more, depending on how spicy you want the dish to be. Let the red pepper flakes merry in the oil, about 30 seconds. Immediately add onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then, add the asparagus, sauté for 2 minutes, and the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is warm and heated through.
3. Add the spaghetti noodles and toss until all the noodles are warm and coated with the butter, about 7 minutes. If the noodles are sticking and are difficult to toss, rinse under cold water before transferring to pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer to a pasta platter and top with spring onions and cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

What I’ve Been Up To

Stir-frying is a skill that Asians have in them. So natural a skill that every Asian has their own stir-fry recipe. It’s like dancing for Latinos, only more delicious.

I have been cooking. It’s just that recently, I’ve been cooking meals which I can easily whip up without reading a cookbook. And I took an awesome photo of this drunken stir-fry noodles that I made, only I forgot to write down the recipe. And now that I’m writing this post I can’t seem to remember what I exactly put in it.

A lesson learned by me is that if I want my posterity to be aware of my excellent culinary skills that I shall write the recipes stored in my brain. On paper. And that includes stir-fry noodles.

Pan-Fried Tilapia and Rice Pilau

I think “30-Minute Meals” is a phony.

I mean, how in the world can Rachael Ray prepare those “30-minute Meals” in 30 minutes?? Maybe it’s because the magic of movie editing has made it possible for her to finish in that time span. Or perhaps, it’s her wicked multitasking skills that make her become Wonder Woman in the kitchen, and that just bugs me because I covet her multitasking skills.

This meal, however, is a sincere and honest-to-goodness 30-minute meal. It’s quick and easy, you don’t have to be Rachael Ray to do it. And if you don’t serve it in time I’m going to say you’re going to have to beef it up in the kitchen next time.

Pan-Fried Tilapia and Rice Pilau
Adapted from Rouxbe.com

3 tilapia fillets
1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice
1/2 cup coconut milk
1.5 cups water
1 small onion, finely diced
3 springs of green onions, chopped
1/3 cup French fried onion
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper
cooking oil

1. In a small cooking pot, heat 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil in medium high heat. When heated, saute the onions until transparent. Add rice and saute until some of the grains turn opaque. Add the coconut milk and the water, stir and let boil. Add a dash of salt and pepper. When the mixture is boiling, turn heat to low and cover the pot. Cook the rice until it is tender and fluff to make sure that all the liquid has been absorbed. Keep warm until ready to serve.
2. In a skillet or shallow frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil in medium high heat. Sear the tilapia fillets. Add salt and pepper, flip the fish when it turns almost opaque, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper the other side. The fish is cooked when it flakes easily, transfer to individual plates.
3. When the fish is cooked, fluff the rice again. Add the green onions, French fried onions, and cilantro, and mix until thoroughly combined. Divide in 3 servings and transfer to individual plates.
4. Enjoy the rich and oniony goodness!

This dish is delicious. I was surprised that the coconut flavor is not overpowering, instead it enhanced the sweetness of the rice. The onions give the dish a rich flavor, and the cilantro adds an exotic taste to it. The rice can be served with any mild fish or with a baked chicken.

KA-POW to you, Rachael Ray.

Happy Valentines Day

I like shrimps. I like menz.
But I don’t like shrimpy menz.

– Obviously an inside joke

Chicken Paprikash

When I was a little one, my mom sold Tupperware to earn extra income. She was pretty good at it, too. For some reason the ones that were colored burnt orange were her best selling ones. Anyway, I remember there was one particular summer when she sold A LOT of those burnt orange pitchers where the lid has a pressy-button thingy that makes it so most of the air comes out of the pitcher (If you were a Tupperware child of the ’80s then you know what I’m talking about. If not, then you’ll just have to take my word). I remember that it was out-of-stock and my mom was raving how lucky we were that she got to purchase one before everyone else did. So we used that pitcher A LOT. One time, I was looking for the pitcher while preparing for dinner and asked her “Mommy, where’s your favorite orange pitcher.” She seemed confused and asked what orange pitcher. “You know, that Tupperware pitcher.” She said we have a lot of Tupperware pitchers. “That one that’s so popular that you ran out of those pitchers to sell.” Ahh, the paprika pitcher. And thus, my first exposure to the word paprika.

Since then, I’ve learned that paprika is a very zesty and delicious spice. I’ve used it in dishes, but I never really got to the point of being able to distinguish its flavor. Like, I’ve never tasted something and said “AHA! There is paprika in the dish!” So, when I found this recipe I was curiously intrigued. What could paprika taste like?

Yummy in my belly

Chicken Paprikash
Adapted from Elizabeth Germain’s recipe
Printed in Cook’s Illustrated April 2002

8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved widthwise, and cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved widthwise, and cut into 1/4 inch strips
3 1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 dried marjoram
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 C chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Season both sides of chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add 4 chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook without moving them until skin is crisp and well-browned, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer; transfer to a large plate. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs and transfer to plate; set aside. When chicken has cooled, remove and discard skin. Discard all but 1 tbsp of fat from pan.
2. Add onion to fat in Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened. Add red and green peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and peppers are softened. Stir in 3 tbsp of paprika, marjoram, and flour; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, scraping pot bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; stir in tomatoes and add 1 tsp of salt. Add chicken pieces and accumulated juices, submerging them in vegetables; bring to a simmer, then cover. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 30 mins.
3. Right before serving, combine sour cream and remaining 1/2 tbsp paprika in a small bowl. Stir a few tablespoons of the hot sauce into sour cream, then stir mixture back into sauce in pot. When serving, spoon chicken and sauce on rice, buttered egg noodles, and mashed potatoes and sprinkle with parsley.

The dish was amazing. It had a curry-like taste to it and the paprika gave the dish a sweet and peppery taste to it. The original recipe tells to put the pot in the oven to continue to braise, but simmering on low heat on the stovetop worked just as fine. Pan-frying the chicken gave the sauce a rich and enhanced taste to it. Remember to temper the sour cream before putting it in with the rest of the sauce, otherwise it won’t completely blend in with the sauce and the dish will just look gross.

Try it. It’s really good. And, did I mention that this is a Hungarian dish? So there you go, you won’t have to go to a Hungarian restaurant to have this dish.