Creamy garlic herb mushroom spaghetti with clams

Source: www.pinchofyum.com

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

8 oz pasta

4 tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

16 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp herbes de province 

1 1/2 cups milk

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley

2 cans clam (baby or minced)

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to packages. Add a little oil to prevent sticking.

2. Melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium high heat. Add one clove of garlic and sauce for a minute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sauce for 5-10 minutes until golden brown and softened. Set aside.

3. Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter to the pan and melt again over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauce for a minute until fragrant. Add the flour and herbs de provence. Stir fry for a minute to cook out the flour taste. Add the milk slowly, whisking to incorporate. Let the mixture simmer until thickened (about 15 minutes). Stir constantly to avoid flour clumps. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Toss the sauce, pasta, and mushrooms together. Add the clam juice as needed to keep the sauce from getting too thick. Stir in clams and parsley about 2 minutes before serving. 

Note:
1. If you don't have herbes de provence, just any mixture of herbs would do. I normally mix whatever I have on my pantry, such as dried parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and etc. 

Chili Lime Chicken

Source: www.rasamalaysia.com

Prep time: 15 mins
Marinate: 2 hours
Cook time: 20 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
2-2.5 lbs chicken thighs
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 tsp fresh lime zest (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped finely
2 jalapeños, chopped finely
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Rinse the chicken thighs and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
3. Combine all other ingredients together. Normally i would put the marinade in a ziplock bag for easy storage.
4. Add chicken to the marinade, make sure to stir and coat the chicken evenly. Marinade for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
5. Bake the chicken for about 20-25 minutes or until the skin becomes brown and charred.

Easy Sukhothai Pad Thai

Source: Modified from Sukhothai Pad Thai, allrecipes.com

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serving: 6 people

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp tamarind pulp (optional, but recommended for authentic taste)
1 package dried rice noodles (12 ounces)
3 tbsp peanut oil (can substitute with canola oil)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
4 eggs
6 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or shrimp, or totu)
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups ground peanuts
1/2 cup pick;ed oriental radish
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1 tsp chili powder
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions:
1. Soak rice noodles in cold water until soft (about 20 minutes), drained.
2. Marinate chicken with salt and pepper, with a dash of fish sauce.
3. To prepare Pad Thai sauce: In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, blend sugar, chicken stock, vinegar, fish sauce, and tamarind pulp.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and stir fry chicken until cook. Add noodles and stir until cooked.
4. In a small sauce pan, scramble eggs until partially cooked, transfer to the skillet.
5. Stir in Pad Thai sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Close the lid for about 5 minutes until the noodle soaked up almost all of the sauce. Stir in peanuts and radish and bean sprouts. Mix well. Add chives and chili powder.
6.Serve with lime on the side.

Note: If desire, can serve bean sprouts as a side for crunchy texture. When cooking tofu, add soy sauce for color and taste. The dish should be quite sweet, a bit tangy, and salty. Make sure the peanuts are unsalted, dry roasted.