Tequila Shrimp Pasta with Tomato-Cream Sauce

• 1 1/2 lb tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 /14 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons tequila
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 chipotle chiles en adobo, minced, plus 1-2 teaspoons sauce from the chiles
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 lb. bow tie pasta
• 2 green onions, including green tops, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the tomatoes in a 9-inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Place in oven and bake 30 minutes. Turn tomatoes and bake until tomatoes are soft and lightly browned and most of their juices have evaporated, 25-30 minutes longer. Let cool and transfer tomatoes and remaining juices to food processor and process until fairly smooth.
2. In a non-aluminum dish, combine the shrimp, lime juice, tequila, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. let stand at room temperature, stirring once or twice for about 30 minutes.
3. Drain the shrimp, reserving the marinade. Set a large frying pan over high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When it’s hot, add the shrimp and cook tossing and stirring, until the shrimp are pink and partially curled but not done through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Reduce the heat to low and add garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the pureed tomatoes, the reserved marinade, the chipotles and their sauce to taste, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Raise the heat slightly and simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Add the cream and stir in the shrimp and any juices from the bowl. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just cooked through but still moist and the sauce is thick, 3-5 minutes.
5. Cook bow tie pasta as directed and drain. Add the pasta to the sauce in the frying pan. Heat briefly, tossing and stirring, until well combined. Divide the pasta among individual plates. Scatter green onions over the top and serve immediately.

Kung Pao Shrimp (Kung Pao Prawn/宫保虾)

Ingredients:

12-15 big shrimps or prawns (peeled and deveined)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
10 mini dried red chilies (use half if your dried chilies are regular or longer size)
1/4 onion (quartered)
1/2 green bell pepper
3 stalks scallions (use only the white part)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 1/2 tablespoons oil

Kung Pao Sauce:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)
1/2 teaspoon starch
4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon black vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method:

Mix the Kung Pao sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat up a wok and add the cooking oil until the oil is very hot. Add the chopped garlic and do a few quick stirs. Add onions, green peppers, and dried red chilies. Stir-fry until you smell the spicy aromas from the dried red chilies. Add in the prawns and roasted peanuts and keep stirring.

When the shrimps are half-cooked, add the Kung Pao sauce into the wok, keep stirring until the sauce thickens and the shrimps are cooked. Add the chopped scallions, do a quick stir, dish out and serve hot.

Matcha (Green Tea) Ice Cream Recipe

1) A bucket of vanilla ice cream of your choice.
2) Matcha or green tea powder where you can find here on my Food Store.

Leave the ice cream out for 30 minutes or until they turn slightly soft. Add in a few tablespoons of matcha (depends how matcha-y you wanted your ice cream to be), then stir and blend well with the ice cream. The ice cream should turn light green in color and tastes exotic with a slight tint of bitter flavor derived from the matcha.

Freeze the ice cream, scoop it up and serve cold.

Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:

300g deboned chicken thighs

1 tbsp sake

4 tbsp soya sauce

4-5 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

1. In a bowl, put in sake, soya sauce, mirin and sugar. Mix well and marinate the chicken in it for about 20 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a pan, brown both sides of the chicken thighs and leave until cooked.

3. Pour in the teriyaki sauce that was used to marinate chicken in the pan and continue to cook until the chicken has glazed and covered the chicken.

4. Remove the pan from heat, serve on a plate and drizzle any remaining sauce from the frying pan.

5. Serve the teriyaki chicken with boiled rice or salad leaves.