seafood soup pasta

Weather is getting cold, which means soup season is here! This dish looks complicating, but it only takes 30 minutes to cook. No sugar is added, yet it has very sweet flavor from all the ingredients. My 2 and half year old loved it and so did my hubby. Hope your family will like it, too. Happy cooking! (The recipe is for four large servings)

Ingredients: 

Spaghetti -1 box (or however much you need)

Onion - 1 small (chopped)
Garlic - 2 cloves (minced)
Bacon - 3 slices (chopped)
Carrots - 2 medium (cubed)
Mushroom - 4 medium (sliced) 

Chicken stock - 5 cups **see TIPS
Tomatoes (can) - 1 can (chopped)

Shrimp (no tail) - 1 cup 
Salmon - 1 fillet
Tilapia (or white) fish - 1 fillet

[Seasonings]
Salt & Pepper - 1 tsp each
Tomato ketchup - 2 TBS
Milk - 1/3 cup
Oregano (dried) -  2 tsp
Basil (dried) - 2 tsp

Prep:

1. Chop/slice onion, carrots, mushroom, garlic and bacon. Size should be anywhere from 1/2 inch to 1 inch. 
2. Cut salmon and tilapia into 2 inch chunks. Rub lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Take off the tails off shrimp (optional). 
4. Cook spaghetti as instructed on the box. Rinse with cold water and mix with 1 TBS of olive oil. 

Cook:

1. In at least 5 quart pot, heat 1/2 TBS of olive oil. When it's hot, add onion and fry for 3 minutes, or until transparent. Add in 1 TBS of minced garlic. Add in bacon. Fry for another 3 minute. Add in carrots and fry for extra 3 minutes.
2. Add in chicken stock and canned tomatoes. Bring it to boil. Take out the white stuff on top of the pot.
3. Add in shrimp, salmon and tilapia. Let it simmer under medium heat for 10 minutes. 
4. Add in seasonings and stir lightly (don't mix too hard or you'll break the fish into small pieces). Cover and let it simmer for 10 more minutes. Check the taste and adjust according to your taste.

Serve:

1. In a bowl, add desired amount of cooked spaghetti. Pour in the soup & yummy seafood. 
2. Garlic bread or Grilled cheese sandwich goes well this dish, too!

TIPS

• For chicken stock, use the carton or can version, which has lighter taste than the Chinese stock cubes. If you don't like the flavor of chicken stock, you can use water instead.  

apple cider vinegar salmon

Experimented new recipe! It turned out pretty good, as least my hubby and 2 year-old girl liked it. Three steps: 1) make the marinade, 2) marinade, and 3) bake! You can even marinade in ziplock bag (and freeze it!) and bake it the next day.

Ingredients: 

[Marinade]
Soy sauce - 2 TBS
Apple cider vinegar - 2 TBS
Olive oil - 1 and half TBS
Brown sugar - 1 TBS
Sesame oil - 1 TBS
Garlic - 3 cloves (minced)
Ginger - 1 tsp (minced)
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1/2 (minced)
Salt - 1 pinch

Salmon fillet - 3 (frozen ones you can get from Costco, or 1 lb)

Prep: 

1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients in marinade.
2. Defrost salmon. Add marinade and let it sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 

Cook:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn salmon fillet half way through. 
3. Turn off the oven but keep the salmon inside for 5 more minutes. 

 Serve:

1. Serve with rice. Make sure to drizzle sauce over. 

fish and shrimp soft tacos

Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines because of the flavors that come from all the spices they use. And one of my life goals is to be able to make decent Mexican food -- and I'm nowhere close to achieving that goal. Recently I found a Mexican/Latino market near my place and the people there are so friendly! I bought couple of interesting ingredients to try out. Tacos turned out good, but I will have to study taco recipes more to achieve the authentic taste. But for now, this recipe is good enough for our little family. :)

Ingredients:

Shrimp - 8-10 medium
Salmon - 1 fillet

[Marinade for shrimp and salmon]
Lemon juice - 1 TBS
Carne Asada seasoning - generous amount all around (about 2-4 TBS)

Blue corn tortillas - however much you want
Black beans - 1 can (drained)
Corn - 1 can (drained)
Salsa - store bought or see easy salsa recipe, click here
Lettuce - 1 head (thin slices)
Mexican cheese mix - 1/2 to 1 cup

[Dressing - another version similar to Cafe Rio salad dressing] **see TIPS
Tomatillos - 2 (seeded & chopped)
Jalapeno - 1 (seeded & chopped)
Ranch dressing mix (dry) - 1 packet
Milk - 2 cups
Sour cream - 1/2 cup to 1 cup (depending on how thick you want your dressing to be)
Sugar - 1/2 TBS
Lemon juice - 1/2 TBS

It says it's for meat, but it works for seafood, too!

Prep:

1. Make the dressing beforehand (overnight will be ideal, but 2-3 hours in fridge will do just fine). Mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
2. Marinade shrimp and salmon with the seasoning and lemon juice. Set it aside for at least 30 minutes. 
3. Prepare salsa according to the recipe
4. Cut lettuce, wash twice in cold water, pat dry and keep them in the fridge. 

Marinade shrimp and salmon

Cook:

1. Mix black beans and corn together 
2. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
3. In a frying pan, heat 1 TBS (for non-stick pan or 2 TBS for stainless steel) of olive oil under medium heat. Fry marinated salmon fillet for about 3-4 minutes. Check to make sure it's not burnt. Turn to the other side. Add in shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes. 
4. Transfer the salmon and shrimp into a oven-safe dish/plate. TURN OFF the oven. Cover the shrimp and salmon with aluminum foil. Leave in the warm oven until ready to serve (about 15-20 minutes) Take it out and cut salmon into bite size pieces.
5. [Warm up tortillas] For 6 tortillas, prepare 6 pieces of wet paper towel. Line each tortilla with a wet towel (the paper towel shouldn't be drench wet). The top should be covered by paper towel. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. Serve immediately. 

Cover in aluminum foil - you can poke some holes on top if you want

Serve:

1. Items on the table: 1) Tortilla, 2) Salsa, 3) Lettuce, 4) Beans & corn, 5) Shrimp & salmon, 6) Dressing and 7) Cheese. 
2. You can top your tortilla with anything you like - it's your soft taco!
3. It went really well with the corn potato bacon soup we made.

TIPS 

• No time to make dressing? Just use American mayonnaise. The sweetness of mayonnaise goes perfectly with the tacos! 

mayonnaise pasta

I personally think mayonnaise goes well with pasta. But my husband doesn't like the combination. So I usually make this dish to treat myself once in a while. :) It's definitely on my Top 10 comfort food list. If you like mayonnaise (I prefer Japanese mayonnaise to American one) and pasta, you should definitely try this recipe! 

Ingredients:

Pasta - your favorite kind (for 2 people/2 cups dry)
Japanese mayonnaise - 1/2 cup (yes, it's a generous amount!)

Bacon - 2 slices (sliced) **see TIPS
Salmon - 1/2 cup (sliced)
Diced Tomato in can - 1/2 cup

Salt & pepper - pinch
Any of your favorite herbs - 1 tsp (I like parsley in mine)

Prep:

1. Cut bacon and salmon, set it aside.

Cook:

1. Cook pasta according to package instruction. 
2. While pasta is cooking, fry bacon in a frying pan.
3. Add in salmon and let it cook for 2 minutes. 
4. Add in diced tomatoes, salt, pepper and herb. Cook until bacon is cooked.
5. Drain water from pasta and toss them in the frying pan (or you can do the opposite - put bacon mixture in a pot with pasta).
6. Add in mayonnaise and mix well. Adjust taste to your liking. 

 Serve:

1. All the good stuff in a bowl! Mayonnaise-goodness. :)

 TIPS

• You can add any meat you want - I just happened to have bacon and salmon in the fridge. 

trio-meat linguine in sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce

It's a super long title, but it's probably the easiest recipe. I love Classico's sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce. It's on sale once in a while, so I usually stock up on them. When I'm lazy, this is a life-saver! 

Ingredients: 

Bacon - 4 slices (sliced) **see TIPS
Salmon - 1 cup (sliced)
Chicken - 1/2 breast (sliced)

Garlic - 2 cloves (minced)
Onion - 1 small (minced)
Asparagus - 10 stalks (skinned and cut in 2-inch pieces)

Classico Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo - 1 jar

Milk - 1/3 cup
Tomato ketchup - 2 TBS
Salt & Pepper - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp

Linguine - 1 packet (13oz)

Prep:

1. Cut chicken into pieces. Season with salt & pepper and set it aside. 
2. Peel outer layer of asparagus (it's optional step) and cut them in 2-inches. 
3. Mince garlic and onion. 
4. Cook pasta according to packet instructions. 

Cook:

1. In a wok or frying pan, heat 1 TBS of olive oil. Fry onion and garlic until fragrant. Add in asparagus and fry for another 2 minutes. Take it out from the wok.
2. In the same pan, add in bacon and fry for 2 minutes. Add in chicken slices. Fry until almost cooked. Add in salmon, but don't over-stir. 
3. Add in the sauce. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. 
4. Add in milk, ketchup, salt & pepper, and sugar. Stir and cook for another 20 minutes. 

Serve:

1. Serve over cooked pasta. Garlic bread/stick is a great addition, too!
2. Grate cheese on top.

TIPS

• I did trio-meat because I had little bit of leftover bacon, chicken and salmon. But you can only use one type of meat.

grilled salmon penne with lemon caper sauce

If you like sour but refreshing taste of lemon, this recipe is for you! This lemon caper sauce goes well with pretty much anything. Even my 13-months-old daughter loved it. :) You don't have a grill? No problem -- frying pan is all you need.

Ingredients: 

Salmon - 4 fillets
Asparagus - 10-12 stalks
White mushroom (or your favorite mushroom) - 8-10 (sliced)
Penne pasta - 1 packet

[Lemon caper sauce]
Capers - 4 tsp
Lemon juice - 4-5 TBS (depending on how
Garlic - 1 clove (minced)
Butter - 4 TBS (melted)
Lemon zest (optional) - 1 tsp
Parsley (dried or fresh) - 2 tsp

Prep:

1. Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Set it aside
2. Cut the end of the asparagus and peel the skin of asparagus (the end part). Cut in 2 inch length.
3. Cut mushrooms in strips.
4. [Lemon Caper Sauce] Crush and mince the capers if the capers. Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set it aside. 

Crush and mince capers if it's big (like the one above)

Mix all the ingredients for caper sauce together

 Cook: 

1. Cook penne pasta in boiling salt water.
2. In a frying pan, grill/fry asparagus and mushroom with 2 TBS of butter. Add 1 tsp salt. Cook for few minutes, until asparagus is cooked and crunchy (test it!). Take it out in a bowl.
3. In the same pan, melt 1 TBS of butter. Fry salmon fillets. Cook one side for about 3-4 minutes, then another side for 4-5 minutes. Take it out. 
4. In a big bowl, combine cooked penne pasta, asparagus/mushroom and about 5 TBS (or more if you wish) of lemon caper sauce. Toss it to coat evenly. 

Cook salmon with 1-2 TBS of butter

The crust should be golden and crunchy

 Serve:

1. Place desired amount of penne and asparagus/mushroom on a plate.
2. Place salmon fillet on top. Pour/drizzle (depending on your taste preference) the lemon sauce on top.

TIPS

• It goes well with grilled chicken or pretty much any grilled stuff. 
• Got BBQ party soon? The lemon caper sauce will be a hit. 

teriyaki salmon with crunchy garlic & ginger

My mother-in-law is a wonderful chef. She came to San Jose all the way from Singapore when I gave birth to my daughter to take care of us. She cooked almost everyday for 7 weeks. She asked me what I wanted to eat and I always said, "teriyaki salmon" because her teriyaki salmon was awesome! She taught me how to make it. It tastes much better when she makes for me, but this recipe is quite good, too. Thank you, mom!

Ingredients:  

Salmon fillet (skin on or off - your preference. *See TIPS) - 1 lbs/2 big fillets

[A]
Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce - 1/2 cup (If you want to make your own teriyaki sauce, see TIPS)
Soy sauce - 3 TBS
Sugar - 4 TBS
Salt & Pepper

Ginger - however much you want  (about 1/4 cup)
Garlic - however much you want (about 5 cloves)

Oil for frying

Prep:

1. Slice ginger and garlic into very thin slices.
2. Season salmon fillets with salt & pepper. Set it aside. 
3. Mix ingredients in [A] together in a bowl. (Taste the teriyaki sauce first. If the teriyaki sauce is too salty, add water instead of soy sauce. If the sauce has strong alcohol taste, add soy sauce)

 

Cook:

1. Heat frying pan with enough oil to quickly 'deep' fry garlic and ginger until golden brown & crunchy. Set it aside.
2. In the same oil, fry salmon fillets, (skin side down first). Fry for about 4-5 minutes with cover on. Fry the other side for another 4-5 minutes. It should be golden brown and crunch. Take it out on paper towel-ed plate. 
3. Wipe out excess oil, and leave just enough oil to line the frying pan. Put the teriyaki sauce mixture into a pan, put the salmon back into the pan. 
4. Let the sauce 'caramelize' on salmon. Flip after 2-3 minutes. (see TIPS)

 

Serve:

1. Put the salmon on a large plate, pour left over teriyaki sauce on top. Add the crunchy garlic and ginger on top.  Eat with rice and grilled veggies.  

TIPS

• I personally prefer skin-on fillet for this recipe because it will be very crispy & crunchy and goes perfectly with the sauce!
• If you want to make your own teriyaki sauce:
• 2 1/2 cups soy sauce 
• 1 3/4 cups mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 TBS hondashi
• 1 cup water 
• 3 TBS cornstarch & 3 TBS water
• Mix 3 TBS cornstarch & 3 TBS water in a small bowl
• In a saucepan combine the rest of the ingredients. Bring to boil. Add cornstarch & water mixture and boil (low heat) for another 15 minutes. Cool before using. 
• Caramelizing the salmon is optional. You can heat the sauce separately and pour on top of the salmon.
• I used shrimps (because I ran out of salmon fillet) and it turned out great!