Tag Archives: garlic

Recipe: Gluten Free Garlicky Anchovy Penne Pasta

May 18, 2016 epicureasian

Anchovies. It’s a fish that doesn’t garner much affection. I suspect most people just can’t handle the strong flavor and/or odors that arise from preserving and curing the fish. It’s the basis of fish sauce found in most Asian markets–which depending on your tastes, will either be fantastically savory or revoltingly pungent. It’s also used widely in other condiments such as Worcestershire sauce and Caesar dressing. In Filipino cuisine, it is used for some bagoong (shrimp or fish paste) recipes as well as prepared fried or dried. The saltier the better!

In Western preparations, I’ve mostly encountered anchovies used very sparingly as pizza topping or salad dressing. But I’ve found anchovies most irresistible in a Sicilian pasta recipe.

I was all set to boil some mozzarella gnocchi last night when I realized that the gooey cheese paste that resulted just wasn’t easily workable. So much for a low/no carb attempt! My fallback plan was a box of gluten free penne sitting in my pantry for such an emergency. Warning: lots of garlic ahead!

6oz (168g), dry weight penne rigate (Ronzoni Gluten Free brand)
3.50 oz, Marinated Anchovy fillets In Garlic (FruitsdeMer brand)
3 oz(s), Garlic, raw, minced or pressed
6 Tbsp, Salted Butter
2 tbsp, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp, Spices, garlic powder
1 dash, Spices, pepper, black
0.25 tsp, Spices, pepper, red or cayenne

Melt butter slowly over low heat in a chef pan or wok, taking care not burn the solids. Meanwhile, mince or press garlic and add to the melted butter, reserving some fresh garlic for topping. Add olive oil to mix, slowly cook the garlic for about 20 minutes until aromatic. Again, take care not to burn the garlic.

Add anchovies to garlic butter sauce and mash the fillets until it becomes a puree. Season with garlic powder, cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Continue to stir, taking care not to burn the sauce.

Meanwhile, cook penne pasta according to package instructions, in salted boiling water, about 9 minutes for al dente. Drain pasta and toss with anchovy sauce. Best garnished with fresh garlic, grated parmesan, chopped basil, and/or chopped parsley.

Yields about 17.5 oz of pasta, serves 2, but it’s soooo good you might not want to share!

MFP Recipe Calculator estimate per 8.75oz serving:
873 Calories
83g Carbs
54g Fat
14g Protein
1g Sugar
4g Fiber

Ye Olde Garden

Blooms, Buds and Sprouts

April 11, 2013 epicureasian

Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Chili Garlic Mukimame with Crab and Salmon

March 1, 2013 epicureasian

Oh, mukimame…how I love thee. You’re the soybean of my dreams, unfettered and free. (Why is it that edamame removed from husks are referred to as “shelled” while imprisoned they are “unshelled”? Seems backward to me.)

While I was shopping at the grocery for a low-fat meat ingredient to go with soybeans, I recalled an edamame salad I once enjoyed from Central Market that featured smoked salmon. That cinched it, I was going to match soybeans with crab and salmon. (Yes, real crabmeat is a splurge, but it tastes delish!) Edit: I also made this recipe with crawfish and crab (shellfish delight)!

Atlantic Salmon Fillets (Farm Raised), about 1/2lb (cut into 4 sections)
Garlic – Raw, 20 clove
Kroger Private Selection – Frozen Shelled Soybeans (Mukimame), 16oz
Kroger’s Private Selection – Wild Caught Claw Crabmeat, 8oz container
Huy Fong Foods – Chili Garlic Sauce, 2 tbsp (less if you don’t like spicy)
Sempio – Grapeseed Oil, 1 tbsp
Abc Kecap Manis – Medium Sweet Soy Sauce, 2 tbsp

Preheat oven to 350F. Place salmon fillets on baking sheet or oil-sprayed pan (I omitted spray). Season with garlic powder, black pepper, salt, or whatever suits your fancy. Place pan in oven and broil for about 10-15 minutes. (It’s okay if still a little rare in center, it will cook out later.) Set aside to cool.

Steam a 16oz bag of mukimame in the microwave for 5 minutes, or boil according to package instructions. Set aside.

Chop garlic. Heat grapeseed oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry garlic until golden brown.

Add steamed mukimame and toss in pan for 5 minutes. Stir in chili garlic sauce and sweet soy sauce until beans are coated. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, carefully break apart salmon into small chunks with a fork. Transfer salmon to pan. Empty container of crabmeat into pan. Toss mixture until everything is coated, about 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Serves 8.

MFP Recipe Calculator estimate per 4oz serving:
205 Calories
11g Carbs
9g Fat
20g Protein
5g Sugar
4g Fiber

Ye Olde Garden

2013 Gardening Notes

February 7, 2013 epicureasian

January and February has seen waves of warm weather alternating with cold. With temperatures rising into the 70s at times, winter landscape was tricked into showing some green. Even our weed lawn sprang into verdant purple bloom this month. However, there was also enough rainfall to entice some of the herbaceous plants to put out new growth, as seen in the pot of Oriental Limelight artemisia growing on our doorstep. I expect to see one or two more cold snaps before we permanently warm up for March and outdoor planting. As of this morning, I rescued a cutting from my old succulent planter to place into a tiny sake cup for planting. If it takes root, I’ll be able to resurrect one of the winter-killed plants.

Leeks are so robust! These are three roots I saved from the kitchen scraps and dunked in some water.

Spring is coming…the evidence in photos below.

Wishlist plants: Golden Japanese Stone Crop (Sedum makinoi Ogon) and Bleeding Heart ‘Golden Heart (Dicentra spectabilis).

Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Adobo Turkey Tails

January 10, 2013 epicureasian

Turkey tails! I spotted these in the frozen meat section of my local grocery store. Since I’m a big fan of tails, I thought I would do something with these tails. Originally I thought of smoking or frying them, but I stumbled on an idea on the internet that sounded really great. Adobo turkey tails!

1.5 cups apple cider vinegar
.5 cup medium sweet soy sauce (ABC Kecap Manis)
40 garlic cloves, crushed/chopped
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
2.5 lbs turkey tails (bone-in)

Place the defrosted tails in a hot pan and cook until browned. No need to add oil to the pan, these tails ooze enough fat to brown themselves. Add peppercorns, garlic and cook until brown. Add 1 cup of vinegar and bring to a boil. Bring heat down to medium heat and add the rest of the vinegar, sweet soy sauce, salt, and sugar. Mix thoroughly and continue to reduce sauce, taking care to coat each tail evenly.

These were yummy. Regrettably, I had some gastrointestinal upset which I suspect came from the tails. My man also suffered some stomach pains after consuming the adobo. I discovered that the brand label Pride of the Farm and meat packer Cargill Turkey has a history of food recalls related to salmonella contamination. While I thought that the vinegar and high heat would have sufficiently killed off most of the microbes, it doesn’t any of the toxins produced by them. Of course, this also led me on a furious clean up with bleach of all the kitchen surfaces to ensure everything was sanitized.

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