S for strawberry for #AtoZChallenge: strawberry macaroni salad recipe

Strawberries -- succulent and sweet -- are one of baby Ren's favorite. Adorned with only less than 8 front baby teeth, he has enjoyed strawberries since he turned 8 months old. We introduced a little piece of his finger size, then two little pieces, then a strawberry, which is cut into little pieces, few days later 2 strawberries and he always wants more! Since strawberries are an excellent choice for getting vitamin C, flavonoids, folate and fibers, we are happy that he appreciates strawberries. 



I love preparing baby tomatoes, also known as cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, as one of our salad ingredients. They come handy for little fingers, who love practicing pincer movements in a path of becoming future prolific guitarists or mechanics or surgeons. We also love salad as a warm meal, all rich colors, tastes and textures mixed in a bowl or a plate.

Coriander, also known as cilantro, Chinese Parsley, contains antioxidants and anti-bacterial chemicals. Coriander is stronger than parsley in fragrance, and I love it with Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore. This meal will be the first one in which I introduced coriander to baby Ren. It is funny to see a finely-chopped coriander piece on his cheek, while he points indicating he wants more of his meal.

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 22 Tue, I lovingly present a recipe of strawberry macaroni pasta salad by ServicefromHeart. This recipe is inspired by a strawberry aficionado-in-making, baby Ren!



Servings: 2 (2 adults + 1 toddler)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5-8 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 175 g dried macaroni pasta
♥ 1/2 tsp salt
♥ 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
♥ 1 water apple
♥ 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
♥ 1 tbsp sesame oil
♥ 1 tbsp olive oil
♥ 1 tbsp sesame seed
♥ 1/4 tsp pepper
♥ 1 clove garlic, minced
♥ 1 lettuce 

Directions:
1. Gently whisk dressing of garlic, pepper, oil, coriander, sesame seed. Stir until smooth.
2. Cook macaroni pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions*. 
3. Meanwhile, wash thoroughly lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, water apple. Cut them into bite chunks (toddler-size).
4. When macaroni pasta is ready, drain and immediately combine with dressing.

* It takes 5 minutes to reach al dente, but I cooked longer so the macaroni would be softer for toddlers.

Tips:
♥ For better fragrance, lightly toast sesame seeds over medium heat. For toddler recipe, I skip this stem to minimize too much heat in the meal.
♥ Since this recipe is intended for a toddler, the taste is mild. If you want stronger taste, you can use higher quantity for dressing ingredients. ♥  Some people may be allergic to strawberries, check with doctors if white-fruited strawberry cultivars (without Fra a1 allergen) are okay for them.



Other recipes that I love:
♥ Bridget's sweet strawberry pasta (Bake at 350)
♥ Kevin Lynch's strawberry and avocado spinach salad in raspberry balsamic vinaigrette at Closet Cooking
♥ Ali Ebright's avocado strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed dressing at Gimme Some Oven 

For faster-to-ready meals, see also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,

ServicefromHeart

20140422

H for honey for #AtoZChallenge: warm honey heart pasta salad recipe by ServicefromHeart

First of all, my heart goes to you all who have kindly visited ServicefromHeart and left encouragements and constructive suggestions! Thank you very much ♥



Honey - a symbol of sweetness - is as sweet as granulated sugar. To give our food or beverages a sweet flavor, I often use honey (which has antiseptic and antibacterial properties) to substitute sugar.

Honey is also a symbol of everlasting, sweet new year, and healing in some cultures.

"And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations; Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought" ~ Al-Quran 16:68–69.

Suitable for long-term storage, as long as we minimize its access to humidity, honey is a must-have food item in our kitchen.

To prevent ants from competing with us, I immerse the honey jar in a shallow bowl containing water, just like a moat-protected mini castle.

Remember to change the water on alternate day to avoid a breeding ground for tropical mosquitoes, especially dengue-causing Aedes mosquito!

Alternatively, use the left-over of soapy water from washing dishes. 

♥♥♥

Both Winnie the Pooh and baby Ren loves honey. Many times, we love things that people whom we love, also loves.



Thank you hardworking honey bees! Without you all who diligently collect nectar from flowers, we would not be able to enjoy sweet honey.



For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 09 Wed, I lovingly present a recipe of warm honey heart pasta salad by ServicefromHeart. 

This easy to prepare recipe calls for many loving and heart-warming ingredients. It is suitable for a breakfast or bruch on the Valentine's Day, or a birthday of a loved one.



Rich in vitamin C, strawberry is a sweet companion for this salad as it forms many hearts when sliced.



Avocado adds smooth and creamy texture to this honey heart pasta. You may also be interested in a post on avocado for #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 01 Tue.  



Servings: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes



Ingredients:
♥ 1 tbsp honey (蜜糖)
♥ 1 tbsp sesame oil (麻油)
♥ 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (香醋)
♥ 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped (芫荽叶)
♥ 1 tsp black sesame seeds (黑芝麻)
♥ 1.5 rice-cooker-cup heart-shaped 3-color pasta (心形三色意大利面)
♥ 2 tbsp Heinz mini star-shaped pasta (小星形意大利面)
♥ 1/2 avocado (牛油果), peeled, cored & chunked
♥ 3 strawberries (草莓), washed & sliced into heart shapes
♥ 6 grapes (葡萄), peeled & quartered
♥ 6 cherry tomatoes (小番茄), washed & halved / quartered




Directions:
1. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Since the star pasta is much smaller, I added it later.
2. Meanwhile, mix honey, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, cilantro, sesame seeds, cherry tomatoes.
3. Once cooked, toss pasta with the honey mixture gently to prevent accidentally breaking the heart pasta.
4. Garnish with strawberries, grapes, avocado.



Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes, especially for salad! 

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140409

A for avocado for #AtoZChallenge: warm pasta with avocado salad recipe by ServicefromHeart

I have loved avocado since I was a kid. In Jakarta, Indonesia, my girlfriends and I would once in a while enjoy cold avocado chocolate milkshake on hot afternoons! I also always love a bite of avocado inside my sushi accompanying fresh raw salmon meat.



For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 01 Tue, I lovingly present to you an easy salad recipe of warm pasta with avocado.

Servings: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 150 g dried pasta
♥ 1 ripe avocado
♥ 1 water apple
♥ 1 red onion
♥ 1 tbsp sesame oil
♥ 1 tbsp sesame seed
♥ 1/2 tsp mixed herbs of basil, oregano, garlic, thyme, red bell peppers, parsley

Directions:
1. Cook pasta in boiling salt water according to package instructions. Stir occasionally and let boil for recommended time.
2. Meanwhile, peel and pit avocado, cut it into bite size. Quickly coat avocado dices with sesame oil to prevent them from turning black (getting oxidized).
3. Cut water apple and chop onion. Mix with avocado.
4. Drain pasta and mix with other ingredients.
5. Garnish with sesame seeds and herbs.

Avocado is also a favorite choice for vegetarian dishes for its high fat content. Fat sounds scary but there are good fats around. Let's learn how to add heart-healthy mono-and polyunsaturated fats to our diet. Most (~67%) of avocado's fats is monounsaturated fat (oleic acid). Avocado is also rich in folate, which is good for pregnant mothers and their babies.



Avocado sounds like Avogadro constant to me. Its value is equal to 6.02214129×10²³ mol⁻¹, and it represents the number of constituent particles (usually atoms or molecules) per mole of a given substance. The Avogadro constant is fundamental to understanding both the make-up of molecules and their interactions and combinations. Imagine all the particles in the molecules of our food! Too much for me but I appreciate them.

Water apple is also known as water cherry, rose apple, pearl jumbu, jambu air. In my childhood, I enjoyed it as an ingredient for rujak in Jakarta, Indonesia. In this recipe, the sweet and crunchy water apple contrasts the soft and creamy texture of avocado.

For this meal, I used the Gomitini pasta of Colavita brand of Italy. I bought this pasta from NTUC Fairprice as it was on promotion at the same price as the house-brand one. I was also attracted by the time it takes to cook, only 5 minutes! So, I decided to give it a try. It will be better if the plastic packaging is more durable.

Tips:
♥ To determine if an avocado has ripen, it should appear brown in skin color and yield to gentle pressure when held in the palm of the hand and squeezed.
♥ Keep a small bottle of dried mixed herbs in our fridge, it comes very handy! For better flavor, fresh herbs are still the best.
♥ If you have extra time, lightly pan toast the sesame seeds for better fragrance. 
♥ Since raw onions have strong smell, it is a good idea to rinse our mouth after this meal, especially if we are going to chat with our family members, friends or colleagues.

Recipes that I also love:
♥ Indonesian-style avocado milkshake with black coffee
♥ Avocado, Grapefruit & Shrimp Salad
♥ Cucumber & avocado salad
♥ Kinpira of capsicum and water apple   

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140401

easy arrabbiata pasta recipe

This morning, we enjoyed a breakfast of pasta arrabbiata, followed by a tiramisu dessert, so that we can stay hot and alert for the entire day!



Since this recipe uses chillies & peppers, it had been named Arrabbiata", which literally means "angry" in Italian.

"Anger is a letter short of danger."

It is okay to be angry at particular things (e.g. unacceptable situations / people's behaviors) - after all we are human beings with emotions, but please do not let our anger prolong inside us, harming ourselves & others.

After this meal, let us convert the heat (anger) inside us into positive energy to transform our lives! 



Servings: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 150g dried penne pasta (意大利面)
♥ 4 ripe tomatoes (番茄), chopped or blended*
♥ 4 cloves garlic (蒜头), thinly sliced
♥ 1 red onion (洋葱), finely chopped
♥ 2 tbsp olive oil (橄榄油)
♥ 6 black olives (黑橄榄), sliced into rings
♥ 1 slice cheese (芝士)
♥ 2 tbsp fresh parsley (香菜), finely chopped
♥ 0.5 tsp black pepper (黑胡椒)
♥ chilli (红辣椒), to taste

* To save time, you can quarter your tomatoes and blend them.

Directions:
1. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.
2. While pasta is hot, add cheeese in between pasta to partly melt it. This is an alternative of coating the pasta with olive oil to prevent them from sticking to each other.
3. Sautee onion, garlic with pre-heated olive oil in a frying pan.
4. Add tomatoes, olives, pepper to the pan. Stir.
5. Simmer the sauce.
6. Turn off the heat, add pasta & parsley into the pan & toss.

If this recipe takes slightly too long to prepare, please visit our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140320

very easy aglio olio recipe

Aglio olio is one of favorite meals of baby Ren and his Daddy. Hearing the words aglio olio reminds me on Olivia - Popeye's girlfriend.

If possible, cook fresh and eat immediately. Equally important, using fresh ingredients from garlic to herbs will ensure delicious aglio olio.

This very easy to prepare #5minutemeal recipe in its most basic form calls for garlic (aglio) and oil (olio). It is okay if you are missing 1 or 2 ingredients listed below, as long as you have the garlic and oil.



Our Asian-flavored aglio olio also uses sesame oil. Perhaps, it is the sesame oil that gives our home-cooked version its uniqueness seldom found in Italy or Italian restaurants.

For sesame oil, I use Ghee Hiang Baby brand manufactured in Penang, Malaysia, using methods and techniques learned from Fujian, China.

Ghee Hiang does not sponsor me any. Although the price is slightly more expensive than other brands of sesame oil sold in Singapore NTUC Fairprice, I have since fallen in love with the fragrance and aroma since my first confinement after the birth of baby Ren.
 



Serving:1
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 70g dried spaghetti pasta (意大利面)
♥ 5 cloves garlic (蒜头), thinly sliced
♥ 1/4 onion (洋葱), finely chopped
♥ 1 tsp anchovies (ikan bilis / ikan teri)
♥ 1 tsp dried shrimp (虾米), finely chopped
♥ 1 red chilli (红辣椒), cut into fine rings (optional)
♥ 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (橄榄油)
♥ 1 tsp sesame oil (麻油)
♥ 1 tbsp fresh parsley (香菜), finely chopped
♥ pepper (胡椒粉) to taste

Directions:
1. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, wash and mince garlic, onion, dried shrimps.
3. Heat olive oil on a frying pan.
4. Sautee garlic, onion, chili, dried shrimps, anchovies.
5. Over low heat (or no heat), add pasta, sesame oil, herbs, pepper. Mix well so every strain of spaghetti looks glossy.



If you have extra time, you can consider any of these optional ingredients:
♥ prawns, boiled
♥ scallops, pan-grilled
♥ fish, pan-grilled
♥ mushrooms, sauteed 
♥ vegetables
♥ fresh (recommended) / dried herbs (basil, oregono, thyme)




After savoring home cooked aglio olio, how is about few bites of tiramisu as a dessert?



Other recipes that I also love:
♥ Wiffy's prawn aglio olio (using prawn stock) @ Noobcook
♥ Jun's dried shrimp sambal @ Indochine Kitchen

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140316

Simple and easy pasta with creamy yogurt sauce by ServicefromHeart

This recipe is cream-free but creamy enough thanks to the yogurt. 

Try different types of pasta for fun! Besides the common spaghetti, linguine and macaroni, how is about pasta in interesting shapes and sizes? Kids will surely like them. 

Two things serve as inspirations for this recipe:

♥ Looking at a container of yogurt in our refrigerator this morning, has encouraged me to think of a new meal for our family. It is always good to finish our food before their expiry dates. 

♥ I really love Guesteau's motto, "Anyone can cook", from the Disney movie Ratatouille. It is very encouraging to you and me! The movie is about Remy who is dying to become a chef and features heart-warming delicious treats to our eyes.

Servings: 2

Preparation & Cook time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients:

♥ ~150g dried pasta 

♥ 1 tbsp olive oil

♥ 1 cup plain / Greek yogurt

♥ 6 cloves minced garlic 

♥ 1 tsp anchovies (preferred) / pinch of salt

♥ 1/2 onion / red onion (optional)

♥ 1 tsp dried shrimps (optional) 

♥ 1 tbsp herbs, chopped (optional) 

♥ pinch of pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil water in a pot to cook pasta.

2. Meanwhile, wash and mince garlic, onion, dried shrimps.

3. Heat olive oil on a frying pan. 

4. Sautee minced garlic, onion, dried shrimps, anchovies. 

5. Over medium heat, add pasta, yogurt, herbs, pepper. Mix well.  

Tips:

♥ Try whole wheat pasta that contains minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, selenium and manganese.

♥ You can substitute olive oil with butter for creamier texture. 

♥ Instead of weighing ~70g of dried pasta per person, I use my palm to wrap around a bunch of long pasta as a quick measurement. 

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipe.