Lobster Recipe: Mango and Lobster Salad

As Cynthia of Tastes Like Home puts it: "Separately (mango & lobster), they are heavenly. Combined? They are sinfully good." She was spot on. This mango and lobster salad was refreshing, light, and mangolicious. For me, the ideal ratio is approximately 1.5 mango: 1 lobster to get that perfect and harmony balance. Plus, mangoes are just too good, so the more the merrier. Click here to see the picture set and here for my baked lobster with cheese. Bon appetit! (Feed me with lobster and mango and I will be your captive!) Recipe: Mango and Lobster Salad Ingredients: 2 lobster claws 2 ripe and big mangoes 1 cup cream 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice Some sweet basil leaves (chopped) Method: Boil the lobster claws in hot water for 10-15 minutes or until cooked. Remove from shell and cut the lobster claws into small pieces. Peel, slice and remove the seed from the mangoes. Cut the mangoes into small cubes. Put the mangoes and lobsters in a bowl. Add in the cream, lemon juice, honey, and chopped sweet basil. Mix well, cover, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Continue Reading "Lobster Recipe: Mango and Lobster Salad"

Lobster Recipe: Baked Lobster with Cheese

Just think of this as an episode of Iron Chef...the chairman says "The secret ingredient is... LOBSTER. A la cuisine!" I rush out to the aquarium frantically, catch my prey, and off I run to the "Kitchen Stadium" and start cooking. I whip up dishes upon dishes of drool worthy lobster dishes to the judges and then the chairman announces "The winner of battle lobster is Rasa Malaysia!" Audience cheer and applause! Well, that was just me day dreaming... What really happened was I got myself a gigantic 5-lb lobster over this past Labor Day weekend and created 3 dishes. All I can say is that I was totally lobster'ed out with the 5-pounder (so much so that I think I am going to stay off lobsters for a while!). Anyway, today I am going to share the first recipe--baked lobster with cheese. In my opinion, you can do no wrong with lobster and cheese in the oven. The dish was simply scrumptious and delectable. I will be sharing two more lobster recipes in the next few days, please stay tuned. For now, just look at these and eat with your eyes, will you? *wink* Recipe: Baked Lobster with Cheese Ingredients: 1/2 lobster 2 teaspoons melted butter 2/3 cup light cream 1/2 slice bacon (chopped finely) 1 stalk spinach 1 clove garlic (chopped finely) 2 slices cheese (use your favorite cheese) Salt to taste A pinch of sugar Some flour Dried parsley flakes Method: Clean the lobster and cut it into halves (use only half the lobster). Boil the spinach in hot water, drain the water dry and chop the spinach. Set aside. Heat up a wok/skillet and add in the melted butter. Saute the garlic and bacon until aromatic, then add in the spinach and cream and bring to boil. Add salt and a pinch of sugar, and a little flour to thicken the sauce. Dish out. Preheat the oven to 375 degree. Spread the mixture onto the body of the lobster and its head evenly. Break the cheese into small pieces and top the lobster with them. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese turns golden brown. Sprinkle dried parsley flakes on the lobster and serve hot with lemon wedges. Cook's notes: I used Kraft American Cheese for this recipe; I found Kraft to be light and becomes crispy when baked. Plus, I actually like processed cheese. You might want to use sharp cheese if you want to try this. (I don't intend to commit a "culinary sin" by using Kraft!) *wink* I saved the other half of this lobster for my second recipe, and the lobster claws for the third recipe. Continue Reading "Lobster Recipe: Baked Lobster with Cheese"

Recipe: Capellini with Cockle Clams and Lemon Butter Sauce

Remember my Italian sweet basil plant that I told you weeks ago? Thanks to my nurturing hands, it's blooming, growing, and abundant with leaves. Sometimes, I just pluck the leaves and straight away they go into my mouth. They are a quick pick-me-up and great as a palate-cleanser especially after some spice-laden Malaysian food. But the highlight has to be my newly "invented" recipe that makes good use of them--complete with my favorite clams!--capellini with cockle clams and lemon butter sauce. I got the inspiration when I went to a cafe with my co-workers a few weeks ago. The capellini dish that I had was topped with shrimp and spinach in butter sauce. I made a slight twist and replaced the shrimp with cockle clams, used sweet basil leaves instead of spinach, and added lemon juice for some extra zest... This dish was bursting with the briny taste of cockle clams, the freshness of diced roma tomatoes and sweet basil leaves, all happily married in an inviting and light lemon butter sauce. It was really good and I am very happy with my new "invention." If you love capellini, do try out my recipe. :) Related recipe: Angel Hair Pasta with Seafood Recipe: Capellini with Cockle Clams and Lemon Butter Sauce (Serves 2 - 3 people) Ingredients: 2/3 pack capellini (12 oz pack) 1 lb cockle clams 2 small roma tomatoes (diced) 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 stick (6 oz) unsalted butter Dried parsley flakes Sweet basil leaves Method: Bring water to boil in a pot. Cook the capellini according to the instructions on the package. While boiling the capellini, heat up a saute pan and add in the butter. As soon as the butter melts, saute the garlic until you start smelling the garlicky aroma (but before they turn brown). Add in the diced roma tomatoes and saute for 1 minute. Toss in the cockle clams and cover the saute pan and wait for the clams to open. Once all clams are open, add lemon juice, salt to the sauce, and toss in the sweet basil leaves (but leave some for garnishing). Drain the capellini and transfer to serving plates. Top the capellini with the cockle clams and lemon butter sauce. Sprinkle dried parsley flakes generously and add the sweet basil leaves before serving. Continue Reading "Recipe: Capellini with Cockle Clams and Lemon Butter Sauce"

Recipe: Angel Hair Pasta with Seafood

My old roommate in San Francisco A taught me how to make pasta. When we were living together in the bay area many years ago, I was in charge of making Malaysian and Chinese food in the kitchen, while A excelled in western food. She made killer mash potatoes (from scratch!) and great pasta. While we didn't indulge in seafood-loaded pasta like this back then, her pasta was always delectable--with really simple ingredients such as unpeeled straw mushrooms, chicken or shrimp. It was a very humble, easy, and practical dish. It was great for our budgets, especially during the dot bomb days... If A were to read this post today, I am sure she would be amazed by my newly acquired cooking skill. I have since perfected my Italian pasta, plus I have upgraded the toppings to all our favorite fruits de la mer. I suspect she would ask for a second helping. *wink* To make it an ultra luxury dish, I got some fresh Florida rock shrimp. Both crunchy and succulent, Florida rock shrimp is worth every buck I spent. (They were priced at $19.95 per pound.) Throw in some calamari rings, scallops, shrimp, mussels, cherry tomatoes, and freshly-plucked sweet basil leaves, you have a 5-star dish that you can make anytime to impress yourself, or your guests. Click here to view the complete pictures set; a total of 8 pictures for your drooling viewing pleasure. Recipe: Angel Hair Pasta with Seafood (Serves 3-4 people) Ingredients: 2/3 pack angel hair pasta (12 oz pack) 1/2 bottle (10 oz.) pasta sauce 4 oz. rock shrimp 1/2 lb mussels 6 shrimp 2 calamari (cut into rings) Italian sweet basil 8 cherry tomatoes (cut into halves) 3 gloves garlic (finely chopped) 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or salt to taste) 2 tablespoons olive oil Dried parsley flakes Method: Bring water to boil in a pot and add in the mussels. As soon as all mussels are open, transfer the pot to the sink and drain the water. Rinse the mussels with cold water to get rid of foams. Set aside the mussels. Bring water to boil in a pot. Cook the angel hair pasta according to the instructions on the package. While boiling the pasta, heat up a deep saute pan with some olive oil. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add in all seafood except the mussels. Once the seafood are cooked, add in the mussels and cover the saute pan for about a minute. Add in oyster sauce (or salt to taste). Lower the heat to low. Drain the cooked angel hair pasta and divide them equally into 3-4 servings. Dish out the pasta sauce and pour it on top of the angel hair pasta. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, sweet basil leaves, and spinkle some dried parsley flakes on the dish. Serve immediately. Cook's notes: I used Prego brand traditional pasta sauce for this dish. See my new napkin? Isn't it cute? $2.00 each at Target! Continue Reading "Recipe: Angel Hair Pasta with Seafood"

French Endive with Celery Mayonnaise, Artificial Crab Meat, and Raisins

After my heavy Malaysian cooking sessions recently, I run into a problem--my whole house smells like a typical Malaysian kitchen--the now stale smell of pungent ingredients such as belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste) and spices lingers in the air and I must say that it's quite unpleasant this time of year. (Winter tends to trap the cooking after-smell longer.) So, I've decided to prepare smell-friendly foods (aka western-style food)--at least for a week--that do not require me to fire up my wok and cook up a storm in the kitchen, for example, this eye candy mini French endive with celery mayonnaise, artificial crab meat, and raisins. Only a mouthful and entirely healthy, they are hassle free to prepare and you can make over a dozen of them in a jiffy. Plus, they are just so tasty and satisfying. Now if only I can get rid of the smell in my house. Recipe: French Endive with Celery Mayonnaise, Artificial Crab Meat, and Raisins Ingredients: 1 French endive or Belgian endive 2 stalks of celery (chopped into small pieces) 1/2 cup of artificial crab meat (diced into small pieces) 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise 1/8 teaspoon of Sri Racha chili sauce (or any chili sauce) 1/8 teaspoon of sugar 1/8 teaspoon of lemon / lime juice 1/4 cup of raisins Mix all the ingredients in a small b0wl and toss well. Fill each leave of French endive with 1 tablespoon of the filling. Serve cold. Continue Reading "French Endive with Celery Mayonnaise, Artificial Crab Meat, and Raisins"

Recipe: Seared Scallops in Spicy Cream Sauce with Buna Shimeji Mushrooms

Still searching for that perfect recipe to wow your special someone on New Year's Eve? Find no more as I've got a sophisticated (and elegant) recipe which is very easy to prepare and take no more than 30 minutes of cooking time. These sweet and creamy fresh scallops are served on a bed of lightly sautéd Buna Shimeji mushrooms, and the spicy cream sauce offers a memorable and different twist to this simple concoction. Pair them with two glasses (or more!) of champagne or your favorite white wine and you have yourself a restaurant style New Year Eve's dinner. Now, you just have to find that romantic spot to watch the fireworks. Happy New Year! Seared Scallops in Spicy Cream Sauce with Buna Shimeji Mushrooms Serves 2 Ingredients: 2 packs of Buna Shimeji Mushrooms (one pack per serving) 6 sea scallops (3 per serving) 1 tablespoon of oil 2 teaspoons of Japanese mirin (sweet glutinous rice wine) 2 tablespoons of butter Salt to taste Spicy Cream Sauce 5 tablespoons of Mayonnaise 1 teaspoons of garlic chili sauce A few drops of lemon juice A dash of sugar Method: Pat the scallops dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over moderate heat, and sear the scallops for 3-5 minutes until both sides of the scallops turn golden brown. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and sauté the 2 packs of Buna Shimeji mushrooms lightly. Add 2 teaspoons of mirin and salt to taste and stir well. Dish up the mushrooms in equal proportion onto 2 serving plates. Mix all ingredients of the spicy cream sauce in a small bowl. Arrange 3 seared scallops on top of the mushrooms on each plate. Add some spicy cream sauce on the plate. Garnish with parsley and chopped chives. Continue Reading "Recipe: Seared Scallops in Spicy Cream Sauce with Buna Shimeji Mushrooms"