Grilled Prawns with Garlic and Cheese

Prawn is my all time favorite and the kids too. I like it in whichever way it is cooked. I can have it everyday if not for the cholesterol, because I love to suck on the head too! Would it be a waste to throw it away?

Anyway, I had to stop myself from finishing the whole lot on my own. I didnt buy a lot of prawns as they were rather expensive due to their size. It will be either difficult to put in the stuffing if the prawn is too small or there wont be much stuffing.

If you have friends coming over, serve this. Its fast and easy. I bet they will love it too!


Ingredients:

• 8 large Prawns, cleaned
  
• 2 tablespoon Butter, soften
  
• 5 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon grated Garlic
  
• 2 teaspoon Coriander stem, chopped
• A pinch of salt
  
• A dash of pepper (optional - you wouldnt need it if your prawns are fresh)

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Mix all ingredients except prawns together and set aside.
   
3. Trim off the legs, antenna and the sharp thingy (whatever you call that) on the head off the prawns. :P
   
4. Slit the back of prawns, using either a kitchen scissor or knife.
   
5. Skew the prawn if you want the prawn to be straight.
6. Stuff the slit back with the butter mixture.
7. Top with extra Parmesan cheese if you like.
   
8. Grilled till prawns are cooked and the stuffing is slightly brown.
9. Serve immediately.

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Blanched Cockles with Garlic 蒜香伴氽烫血蚶

Blood Cockles. You either love it or hate it. Both me and my husband loves it. My son eats it too.



My father used to buy 5kg of cockles to make his famous chilled dark soy sauce cockles. Each time he made it, he will bring some over to him. I tried and tried but I just couldnt get the taste of cockles that my father made. He even bought the dark soy sauce to me once but still I just could get the right taste. His is still the best!



I had wanted to try my hands making my fathers version of chilled cockles but realised I didnt have dark soy sauce with me. So change of plans. :P



This is (another) replica of what we have tried at Putien Restaurant sometime back. I shall try to conquer my fathers revision another time.

* Giving the cockles a good body scrub. Hate doing it but its all worth it. *

Ingredients:

• 350g Cockles


• 1 Red Chilli, de-seeded and chopped finely


• 2 tablespoon Minced Garlic


• 1/2 tablespoon Cooking Oil


• 1/2 tablespoon Mirin or Chinese Cooking Wine


• 1/2  tablespoon Light Soy Sauce


• Chicken Powder or Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Prepare the garlic first by heat oil in pan.


2. Add in chilli and Garlic and stir-fry till fragrant but not browned.


3. Add in Mirin, Light Soy Sauce and Chicken Powder. If you are using Chinese Cooking Wine, add a pinch of sugar too.
   
   


4. Stir to coat well.


5. Let the seasoned garlic cool.


6. Now, scrub the cockles clean. I used a toothbrush here.


7. Soak clams in salted water to let it spit out sand.


8. Boil a pot of water enough to cover the cockles.


9. When the water is boiling, turn off fire and throw in all the cockles.


10. Drain them out in 3 seconds. *1


11. Place them in cool water or normal tap water and drain so its not too hot to handle. *2


12. Remove half the shell and any dirt that maybe be there.


13. Place some seasoned garlic on each cockles and place then on a dish.


14. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes. *3

Note:

• I blanched then for 3 seconds here. If the cockles you bought are bigger or if you preferred them more cooked, ie, less bloody, blanch for 5-7 seconds. Anything longer than that, its likely that will be cooked. *1


• Cool the blanched cockles partially is to stop it from continue cooking and also to make it less hot to while removing the shells. *2


• The cockles taste better when chilled but if you cant wait, go ahead to have it immediately. *2

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Garlic Bread

Scarpetta is the Italian word for wiping up the rest of your pasta sauce with a piece of bread. Im glad theres a term for it because I love ending my meal with a piece of crusty bread and the bit of lingering sauce on my plate. What makes it even better is if its a piece of garlic bread slathered with butter and toasted to golden perfection.

Garlic Bread
1 large loaf of Italian (or French) bread
1 stick of butter, at room temperature
Roughly 1/2 head of garlic (more or less depending on how much you like)
1/4 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 Tbsp of chopped Italian parsley (I used chives instead)
Optional: A few tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese (as much or as little as youd like)

Optional Step: To cut the harshness of raw garlic, you can dry toast it in a skillet. The garlic will not be as smooth and creamy as roasted garlic but it will be a little mellower. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic cloves with skins on to the skillet and toast, shaking occasionally, until the skins are golden brown. When the cloves are cool enough to handle, peel the garlic and use as you would raw garlic in this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the loaf of bread in half horizontally.

Put the garlic cloves through a press or smash and finely mince them. Add the garlic, parsley, crumble in the Italian herbs with the softened room temperature butter and mix until combined. Spread the butter to both sides of the bread. If you dont use all of it, you can always freeze it for another time.

Bake the bread until it is warmed through, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top if using, then broil the bread until the garlic butter side is golden brown. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesnt burn. Time will depend on the strength of your broiler, anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes.

Variation: Roasted Garlic Bread

I like this roasted garlic variation more than the original garlic bread. Roasted garlic is sweeter, mellower, and smoother than raw garlic. You can even use the whole head of garlic rather than just half the head. The softened cloves make a delicious puree thats mixed with the butter. Add the herbs as you would normally and use the roasted garlic butter on your bread and bake in the same way.

How to roast garlic:
Slice off the top of a head of garlic exposing the cloves. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the cloves, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and wrap the whole head in some aluminum foil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about half an hour or until the garlic is soft and and brown. Squeeze out the cloves and use in pasta, on pizza, baked in bread, or spread on bread, etc.



More Garlic Bread Links
Elises soft garlic bread looks delicious as well
Heidi adds lemon zest and chives to her Dads garlic bread recipe

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Baked Mussels in Garlic Butter 奶油蒜烤青口

 My husband knows I love mussels so when he saw this pack of mussels when we were (supermarket) shopping, he picked it up for me. The first thing he commented was, "You mean mussels are so cheap?!" Yes, the pack of mussels cost only .... $1! Its small though but I prefer this than the larger one.



I used the Garlic Butter Spread I had in the fridge to make this. If you dont have any, you can substitute it with 4 gloves of grated garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to 1 1/2 tablespoon of softened butter.

Ingredients:

• 200g Mussels, washed & cleaned


• 3 clove Garlic, chopped


• 1 1/2 tbsp Garlic Butter Spread


• 1 teaspoon Dried Mixed Herbs


• 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley


• A pinch of Salt


• A dash of Ground Black Pepper

How to do it:

1. Mix all ingredients except Mussels, salt and ground black pepper together.


2. Combine butter mix with mussels. 


3. Season with salt and ground black pepper.


4. Bake in oven at 200C for 15 - 20 minutes or till all mussels are cooked.


5. Serve immediately.

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Steamed Cod with Garlic 蒜茸蒸鳕鱼

I learned this really simple dish from a friend. I like how she uses fried garlic to steam the fish. You can smell the aroma of the fried garlic when you open the lid of your steamer.

Ingredients:

• A piece of Cod


• 2 - 3 tbsp chopped Garlic


• a pinch of Salt and a dash of Pepper

Seasonings:

• 1/2 tsp Salt


• 1/2 tsp Sugar


• 1/2 tsp Chicken Powder or Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Wash and pat dry cod.
   


2. Deep fry 1/2 portion of the garlic till lightly brown. 


3. Drain and set aside.
   


4. Stir fry the remaining garlic till fragrant. 


5. Add in seasoning and fried garlic and mix well.
   


6. Arrange fish on dish. 


7. Top with seasoned garlic.
   


8. Steam for 8 minutes or till cod is completely cooked. 


9. Drizzle some sesame seed oil if desired.
   


10. Served immediately.
    
    

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Garlic Shrimp – Not Necessarily In That Order

The great thing about posting a recipe as generic as “Garlic Shrimp,” is that nobody can complain it’s not authentic. If it has shrimp and enough garlic in it, it’s authentic. Above and beyond that, just about anything goes.

The only real debate revolves around whether to cook shrimp first, and then add the garlic; or sauté the garlic first, and then cook the shrimp. I’ve used and enjoyed both methods, but I think I prefer the one shown here.

If you cook the garlic first, it mellows out the flavor, and gives it a little sweeter aspect, but it also increases the risk of browning it too much, which is the only way to screw this up. Besides that, it prevents getting any kind of color on the seafood.

By searing the shrimp first, you’ll get some nice caramelization, which I think really adds to the depth of flavor. Speaking of flavor, I can’t believe I’m giving away my caper brine secret; but I decided it’s just too good to not share. The little splash of salty goodness does something that’s easier to taste than explain.

Anyway, if you like shrimp and LOVE garlic, I hope you give this fast and delicious recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 pound shrimp

salt to taste

6 cloves garlic, minced fine

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp cold butter, cut in 4 pieces

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp caper brine

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley, divided

water as needed to thin sauce

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Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic 蒜蓉奶油蘑菇浓汤

This soup was inspired by Campells canned soup of the same name. :P



If you like that soup, youll be surprised how easy it is to make it at home and I dare say, tastier. ;P



Basically, it a combo of Cream of Mushroom and Roasted Garlic but I have tweak my Cream of Mushrooma little here.

Ingredients:

• 200g Brown/White Button Mushroom, chopped


• 100g Shitake Mushroom, sliced


• 15g Butter


• 300ml Chicken Broth


• 250ml Whipping Cream


• Salt to taste


• 1 to 2 tablespoon Roasted Garlic

How to do it:

1. Saute sliced shitake mushroom with 1/2 the butter till absorb the butter.


2. Dish and set aside.


3. Using the same pan, saute the chopped button mushroom with the remaining butter till it sweat.


4. Pour mushroom into the blender.


5. Add the broth.


6. Blend till desired consistency.


7. Pour into a pot.


8. Add in the previously cooked shitake mushroom and roasted garlic.


9. Bring to a simmer.


10. Stir in the whipping cream.


11. Simmer till garlic has soften.


12. Serve.

Note:

• You can use either white or brown or both button mushroom.


• Do consider adding Portobello Mushroom too. It makes the soups flavour richer. Its slightly more expensive though.

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Stir Fried Pea Sprouts with Garlic

Pea Sprouts are also called Pea Shoots by others. The Chinese call it 豆苗. I remembered the very first time I cooked this, I thought it was more than enough for two but when it was cooked, it was barely enough for one. It shrunk to half!

You shouldnt take more than 10 minutes to cook this dish. So its good for those who always (say they) cant find time to cook.

Ingredients:

• 500g Pea Sprouts
• 4 clove Garlic, sliced or minced
• 1 tablespoon Water
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• a pinch of Salt

How to do it:

1. Heat wok with oil.
2. Add in the garlic and stir fry till frangant.
3. Add in your pea sprouts and stir fry quickly to let them shrink evenly.
4. Add in 1/2 to 1 tablespoon water your pea sprout is too dry.
5. Add in light soy sauce and a pinch of salt to taste.
6. Stir well, dish and serve.

☆ Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

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Bay Scallops with Garlic Parsley Butter Sauce – I’ll Have the Nostalgia on Toast

They say smell is the sense most closely linked to memory recall, and that was certainly the case while making these garlicky, buttery bay scallops on toast. As waves of the wonderful aromas wafted up from the pan, they brought back a flood of vivid memories of my first real kitchen job.

Barely a teenager, I was hired as a dishwasher at an Italian steakhouse, called The Depot (pictured below is the train station that predated the restaurant). While it was fun being inside a bustling kitchen, washing dishes was anything but. By comparison, what I saw the line cooks doing looked like the greatest job ever, and this certainly played a role in my future career plans.

Anyway, there was a scallop dish on the menu, which consisted of 6 large scallops being placed in a small metal broiler plate, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then doused with wine, lemon, garlic, and butter. This was placed under the flame until the scallops were browned, and the sauce was bubbling below. It was finished with fresh parsley, and served with toasted Italian bread for dipping into the amazing juices.

(c) All rights reserved by John R. Stewart

The smell of that sizzling plate as it went by my station was almost too much to take, and once in a while, thanks to some kind of ordering mishap, I’d actually get to eat one. It was pure bliss, and a flavor combination I still love to this day.

By the way, unlike the large day-boat scallops you’re seen me cook before, these are way too small to worry about searing brown. In a restaurant kitchen, if we’re just cooking a couple ounces, we could get a decent sear and still finish the sauce without overcooking. But doing this many at home, all we really need to concentrate on, is not over cooking them. Besides, bay scallops are so naturally sweet, tender, and delicious, the sear is not as important as with the larger ones.

As I mention in the video, this makes a beautiful appetizer, but will also make a killer pasta sauce with some cream added in to stretch it. I hope you can find some small, wild scallops soon (frozen are great, as long as “Scallops” is the only ingredient listed on the bag), and give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4-6 appetizer size portions:

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 pound bay scallops

4-5 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup white wine (NOT cooking wine)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 tbsp cold butter, cubed

cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

buttered and toasted Italian bread slices

*Note for pasta sauce, add a 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream with the wine, and proceed as shown. Should make enough sauce for about 4 portions of pasta)

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Parmesan Garlic Chicken

   There are a lot of different versions of parmesan chicken out there. This one is my favorite! Its probably the easiest one to make too. I love that it doesnt use bread crumbs like most of the other recipes Ive seen. This is one of those easy weeknight meals we all look for. It can be ready in 30 minutes and it is sure to please. Serve it up with a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce and pasta, or it would be great chopped up and put on top of a big green salad!


Parmesan Garlic Chicken

4 small boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the parmesan cheese, italian seasoning and garlic powder in a large, shallow bowl or dish. Run the chicken breasts under cold water, then roll wet chicken in the seasoning mixture to coat. Place coated chicken breasts on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with spaghetti sauce and pasta.



Recipe Source: Kraft.Com



Linked up at Mandys Recipe Box

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Garlic Cheese Bread

  I cant think of a better thing to accompany a delicious Italian meal than this cheesy, buttery garlic bread. Words cannot describe how amazingly scrumptious this bread is, so please just do yourself a favor and make it. Now!

 It is sinful, but so worth it. Its topped with 3 different cheeses, low-fat mayo (gasp! I know) butter, garlic and chopped green onion. I think the green onion is what makes it amazing. This bread can really be a meal all in itself. Sometimes, Ill just serve it with a side salad and some marinara sauce on the side for dipping. It is so filling and so good.

Garlic Cheese Bread

1 loaf French Bread
1 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup low-fat Mayonnaise
4 green onions, chopped


Directions: In a medium bowl, mix together the cheeses, mayonnaise and chopped green onion. Cover and keep in fridge until ready to use.

Cut loaf of French bread in half lengthwise, then in half again. Making 4 equal pieces. Working with 1/4 a loaf at a time, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add 1 clove of minced garlic. Place 1 of the sections of bread, face down, into the skillet. Swirl bread around to soak up the butter and garlic, and allow bread to toast very slightly. Remove bread and place on a baking sheet, face up.  Repeat process with remaining butter, garlic and bread.

Spread cheese mixture evenly onto each section of bread. Bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. About 10 minutes. Slice and serve! ♥

 

 

Recipe adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

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Roasted cauliflower with bacon and garlic

First of all, thank you all for your kind feedback about the upcoming Nami-Nami Cookbook! Your support means a lot to me...

Im trying to blog more often this month, as the amount of dishes that Id love to share with you is actually rather impressive - and now, that the cookbook is out of my hands, so to say, I may have more time. Well see. Ill start with something rather easy, yet super-yummy that we had for dinner last night. It was exceptionally well received both our little daughter (shes 1 year and 9 months already, and a very good eater!) as well as her 74-year-old grandmother who was visiting. So this dish appeals potentially to a very wide age group :)

The recipe is from Jadens Steamy Kitchen. I cannot even really say that Ive adapted it in any particular way - apart from specifying the amount of bacon in the recipe (sold in 100-125 g packets around here) and changing the cooking times a little. I roast cauliflower quite often (usually just sprinkled with salt and drizzled with oil), and used the same timings and temperatures Im used to (and these were both different from Jadens).

Roasted cauliflower with bacon and garlic
(Röstitud lillkapsas peekoni ja küüslauguga)
Serves 4

1 large cauliflower, cut into rather small florets
6 cloves garlic, cut into thick slices
100-125 grams smoked bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 200 C. On a large baking sheet, toss together the cauliflower florets, garlic slices and bacon bits. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast in the middle of the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes until bacon is crisp and cauliflower is cooked and slightly golden brown here and there. Taste for seasoning, and serve at once.

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Poulet aux quarante gousses d’áil or chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

Heres a dish that I made several times during last year - and hope to make again as soon as the fresh, new seasons garlic appears on the market stalls in a couple of months. Its a dish that I had been intrigued by for ages - imagine, 40 whole garlic cloves to season just one chicken! - and when I finally made it, I fell instantly in love with it. When researching the dish, I came across several and very different versions. After making it several times, Ive settled for this minimalist one. Just chicken, olive oil, lots of garlic and some saltnpepper. If you like your chicken with crispy skin and sticky, browned bits, then this version isnt perhaps for you, though you can always brown the chicken on a frying pan first and give it a short blast under the grill at the end.

The dish originates in Southern France, Provence, which is famed for its excellent olive oil and large, rosy-tinged garlic cloves. I love making this with young fresh garlic (see photo here), but it works with any garlic. Although the amount of garlic sounds somewhat over the top, then trust me and dont be tempted to choose some tiny garlic cloves. The bigger, the better here. Also, Im sure the French would use a good extra virgin olive oil here, but if price is the issue, then any good olive oil works here.

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic
(Kana 40 küüslauguküünega)
Serves 6



1 whole chicken, preferably free-range (about 1,5 kg)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
40 large garlic cloves (from 4-5 whole heads of garlic)
250 ml (1 cup) olive oil
fresh herbs of your choice (rosemary, sage, thyme, bay leaves)

First, prep your garlic cloves. When making this with fresh and young garlic cloves, then theres no need to peel them. During winter you should first blanch your garlic cloves in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and remove the softened papery skins.
Using a kitchen paper, pat the chicken dry. Season generously with salt and pepper, both inside and out. Place the chicken, breast-side up, into a Dutch oven or heavy casserole dish where the chicken fits snugly (the better the fit, the less oil you need).
Push the garlic cloves and herbs around the chicken, pressing them down between the chicken and the dish.
Pour over the olive oil - check that all the garlic cloves are covered with oil.
Cover the saucepan and place into a preheated 180 C/360 F oven. Bake for 1 hour and 15-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.



To serve, carve the chicken into suitably large chunks. Serve with fresh green salad leaves and some wholemeal bread to mop up the delicious garlicky juices. Dont forget the softened and mellowed garlic cloves - these are the extra bonus of the dish. I love pressing them onto piece of bread.

* You can use the leftover garlicky olive oil to dress up a salad or serve as a seasoned frying oil during the next few days.

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Wild Garlic Hummus Recipe

The wild garlic season has began here in Estonia. For almost a fortnight I see people foraging for the pungent wild leaves in a nearby forest, and Ive been picking a small brown paper bag full of leaves twice myself. The other day I was browsing on Pinterest for lovely wild garlic ideas, and came across this lovely recipe for wild garlic hummus on Shaheens blog Allotment2Kitchen.

I used my regular hummus recipe and simply added a generous handful of wild garlic leaves. The result was a vibrant green dip/spread, that had a wonderful garlicky element, but its Lebanese/Israeli heritage was still there.

Note that wild garlic is also known as ramson (Allium ursinum). Its closely related to wild leeks or ramps (Allium tricoccum). Very generally speaking, the first is common in Europe and the latter in North America. You can easily substitute one for the other in this (and other Nami-Namis wild garlic recipes).

Wild Garlic Hummus 
(Karulauguhummus)
Serves four

400 g canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 handful fresh wild garlic leaves, rinsed
couple of spoonfuls of water
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drain the chickpeas and place to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until youve got a smooth paste (or slightly coarse, if thats how you prefer your houmous). Taste for seasoning - if you wish, add some more lemon juice or salt.

Excellent with toasted pita bread, or on a slice of toast, or spread on crispy crostini or as a dipping sauce with some crudités. We enjoyed ours with some Georgian bread, pictured.

More Wild Garlic recipes:
Wild Garlic Pesto with Almonds @ Nami-Nami
Wild Garlic Pesto with Pinenuts @ Nami-Nami
Wild Garlic Tzatziki @ Nami-Nami
Mashed Potatoes with Wild Garlic @ Nami-Nami
Wild Garlic Butter @ Nami-Nami
Ramson-Almond-Pesto  @ Küchenlatein
Creamy Wild Garlic Soup @ Cinnamon and Thyme
Wild garlic, courgette and mint soup by Angela Hartnett

More hummus recipes:
Harissa-spiked hummus @ Nami-Nami
Beetroot Hummus @ Nami-Nami
Hommus with pomegranate syrup and tahini @ Anissa Helou
Basil hummus @ Simply Recipes
Hummus en fuego @ 101 Cookbooks
Roasted jalapeno and lime hummus  @ The Kitchn
Beet Hummus @ Chocolate & Zucchini

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