Spaghetti Bolognese

 

 

You can never go wrong with the traditional meat sauce with spaghetti. Adults and kids love it and it's so simple to make. The meal can be eaten alone or accompanied together with a bowl of soup, salad and baked potatoes. You can prepare this in advance and store the sauce in the freezer and heat it up whenever you want. Good for people with busy schedules or working parents.

Prep Time : 10 mins

Cooking Time : 15 mins

Yield : Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients :

• 1 packet of spaghetti
• 2 jars of pasta sauce, i prefer the beef flavoured ones
• 1 packet of mince beef
• 1 can of button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 sausages, cut into small sections
• 1/2 stick of carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 stick of celery, finely diced (optional)
• 1 - 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 white onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp dried or fresh oregano (optional) 
• 2 tbsp olive oil, or any other vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar

Method :

1. Boil a big pot of water with salt and cook spaghetti according to packet instructions. Drain and drizzle in olive oil to prevent it from sticking.
2. Saute the onions, carrots and celery in a hot pan with 2 tbsp oil until the onions turn soft and fragrant.
3. Add in garlic and saute until fragrant before adding the minced beef in. Do not over cook the garlic or else it will turn bitter. Cook until the beef turns brown.
4. Add in the pasta sauce, mushrooms and sausages and stir well. Cook on medium heat until sauce starts to bubble, reduce to low heat for another 5 mins.
5. Before turning off the heat, add in the salt and sugar into the sauce and stir well.
6. Placed a small amount of spaghetti onto a place and pour sauce on top. Best served hot.

Kailan with Beef

There are many types of kailan in the market but i like this type the most. I usually buy the baby kailan which has thinner stems as it is less bitter yet still be able to enjoy the crunchiness and crisp of the vegetable. But it's not easy to get; not all NTUC branches sell it. You can still use the large stem kailan if you're unable to find the baby type. This dish is an all time favourite for me as it has vegetables and beef all in 1 (as i mentioned in the beef bulgogi recipe that i love beef) - simple just serve it with a plate of rice and it's a complete meal. For those who are vegetarians or do not eat beef, you may leave it out or replace with pork, chicken or lamb. Although it was told that it was a typical cantonese dish, i believe other dialects groups and asians love this too. I could even find this dish in Bangkok.

Prep Time : 10 mins

Cooking Time : 15 mins

Yield : Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients :

• 300 g baby kai lan
• 100 - 150 g lean beef ( sirloin or flank steak), sliced thinly
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

Marinate :

• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tbsp water

Sauce :

• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp chicken sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 rice bowl of water

Method :

1. Wash and cut the kailan into 5 cm long sections.
2. Sliced the beef thinly and mix in the marinate. Cover the bowl with shrink wrap and leave it in the fridge to marinate for at least 20 mins, best overnight.
3. Heat up 3 tbsp of oil in a hot wok and stir-fry the beef, stiring constantly. Turn off the flame and remove beef from wok once it's no longer pink. Do not overcook the beef or else it will be very chewy and dry.
4. Heat up 1 tbsp of oil and add in the garlic, fry till fragrant. Add in the kailan and stir-fry for 1 min till the leaves starts to soften. 
5. Add in the beef and the sauce mixture into the wok. Dish up when sauce starts to thicken. 

Beef Bulgogi

I love beef and this is definitely one of my favourite Korean dish. I was really surprised how easy it was to make.  Besides being juicy and tender, I like the sweet, saltiness of the marinating sauce - great when pairing it with a bowl of white rice. After trying out a few Youtube recipes, I'd make some fine-tuning to suit my personal taste. It's a die-die recipe not to be missed. 

Prep Time : 20 mins

Cooking Time : 5 mins

Yield : Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients :

• 200 - 250g beef (sirloin or flank steak), fine sliced
• 1 medium-size white onion, finely sliced 
• 1/2 carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 5 strands of spring onion, cut into 5 cm long sections
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Marinate :

• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp mince garlic
• 6 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp hua diao wine

Method :

1. Mix all ingredients together with marinate into a large bowl.
2. Shrink wrap the bowl and placed it in the fridge to marinate for at least 20 mins, best overnight.
3. Put a bit of oil into a non-stick pan and place the marinated meat into the the pan.
4. Stir-fry on high heat for 3 mins, then simmer on low / medium flame for another 2 mins.
5. Best served hot with steamy white rice.