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.

Japchae

I first tasted it in 2006 when i was on holiday in Seoul with my family. My friend ordered it for dinner and i didn't know what it was called until much later when i came across it on Youtube under the Korean food section. The potato noodles are chewy and springy, unlike our usual rice noodles. It has definitely superceed bee hoon and hor fun as my favourite noodles dish.

The great thing about this dish is that you can add as many ingredients into it as you like. I personally like lots of vegetables and mushroom in it, occassionally i'll add in some sliced beef or fish cake into it. In Korea, they would usually put in chinese mushrooms, squid and some meat in it.  

Prep Time : 5 - 10 mins

Cooking Time : 15 mins

Yield : Serves 3 - 4
 

Ingredients :

• 200 - 250 g potato noodles
• 1/2 carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 100 g cai sim, cut into 5 cm sections
• 6 chinese mushroom, soaked and sliced
• 1/2 white onion, sliced finely
• sliced beef or fish cake (optional)
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic
• 2 - 3 chilli padi (optional)

Sauce :

• 6 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 5 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• dash of pepper

Method :

1. Cook potato noodles according to packaging instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan and add in the garlic when oil starts to sizzle.
3. Add in onion, mushrooms and carrots into the pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds before adding in the cai sim.
4. You can then add in the potato noodles once the ingredients starts to soften. Stir and mix everything evenly.
5. Add the sauce mixture slowly and stir the noodles constantly to ensure all is coated.
6. Served alone with as a side dish with rice.