Crispy Asian Squid Strips

If you are a regular reader of this blog you know by now that the Little Girl's ultimate favorite food item is squid.  So I am always in search of new squid recipes or tweaking old ones.  This particular recipe is a variation of  the fried garlic and pepper squid one.  Instead of just seasoning it with salt and pepper I decided to add a special ingredient to the mix.  The result was a lovely crispy squid dish that the Little Girl absolutely loved.  You can serve it with sweet chili sauce or chili soy sauce, but we loved how flavorful the dish was so we ate it as is.  I will be adding this to the Little Girl's long list of favorite squid dishes. 

Here is the recipe:
100 grams squid

50 grams minced garlic

15 ml fish sauce (preferably Thai because it tastes less salty, then what Pinoys brands)

15 ml soy sauce

15 grams sugar

60 grams all purpose flour

dash of ground black pepper

Oil for deep-frying

And the secret ingredient - 1/2 tsp of sesame oil

1. Cut the squid into strips. Mix all the the other ingredients, except the flour and oil for frying, pour over the squid strips. Let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2.  Dust the squid strips in flour, and deep-fry.  You should just fry until the strips turn golden burn so as not to toughen them.

3. Drain on paper towels, then serve immediately. 

Tuna Pad Thai Pasta

For the last couple of weeks I have not been able to cook.  But yesterday I was back in the kitchen.  I decided to make this Thai-Italian fusion recipe I read in the August 2011 issue of  Yummy magazine. Pad Thai is a favorite Thai dish of mine, while the Little Girl loves pasta dishes so this recipe is a winner in both our books.  But I had to leave out the beancurd, sprouts and peanuts from my version because the Little Boy has G6PD deficiency, he cannot have any kind of bean nor any type of nut.  I am sure if I included these ingredients the dish would have tasted even better and had more texture to it, but even without these the dish turned out really yummy.   The Little Girl said it is her newest favorite pasta dish. 

Here's the recipe:
For the phad thai sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup fish sauce (patis)
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup vinegar
3 tbsps sweet chili
2 tbps lemon juice

300 grams fettuccine noodles
2 tbsps corn oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 (180 gram) cans of hot and spicy tuna flakes in oil
1 square beancurd, deep-fried then cut into strips
6 eggs beaten
3 cups bean sprouts
1 tbsp chili powder (optional)

For topping
chili powder or flakes
ground peanuts
Parmesan cheese
calamansi slices

1. Make the pad thai sauce: In a pot, boil together the ingredients until syrupy; set aside.

2. Cook fettuccine noodles according to package directions until al dente.

3. Meanwhile, in a nonstick wok, heat oil and saute garlic until fragrant.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add tuna together with pad thai sauce.  Add fried beancurd, reserving some for topping.

4. Pour in beaten eggs and let sit on the mixture for a few seconds before mixing. You should have a creamy mixture, not a sauce with scrambled eggs mixed in.  Add the bean sprouts last.  You can add some chili powder or flakes to make it spicy; otherwise, serve it on the side.

5. Toss pasta into the sauce mixture and let the noodles absorb some of the sauce.

6. Transfer to a platter and arrange remaining beancurd strips on top.  Sprinkle with chili powder, ground peanuts, and Parmesan cheese.  Serve with calamansi slices on the side. 

Squid and Red Bell Pepper Stir-Fry

The Little Girl loves squid, any which way you cook it, she will eat it.   She says that she could eat squid every day. This is one of her favorite squid dishes.  Since it is the Lenten season I will be cooking this dish on Good Friday.

If you would like to try this dish, here's the recipe:

1 kilo squid

1 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1/3 cup red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup green onion or leeks

1. Score each piece of squid to make a criss-cross pattern, then cut the squid into 2x2 inch squares.

2. In a saucepan, bring to a boil enough water to cover the squid, then drop the squid pieces in the boiling water.  Cook for about a minute, then take out squid from the saucepan.  Set aside.

3. Mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and salt in a bowl.

4. Heat a wok, when hot add oil.  Saute garlic and ginger.  Add the bell pepper strips, then toss in squid.  Pour in the pre-mixed seasonings and simmer until sauce boils. Add the green onions.  Remove from pan, then serve hot.

 

Thai Cucumber Salad

This is a great accompaniment to grilled fish and pork dishes, and it is extremely easy to make.  I have several recipes for this dish, I tweak each recipe to suite our taste buds.  I am posting the original recipe I found you can adjust it according to your liking.

You need the following:

1 cucumber (you can peel it if you want, I like to keep the skin on because the nutrients are there)

1 small white onion or shallots

2 spring onions finely sliced

1 red chili (siling labuyo)

1/2 cup of coriander (I don't like coriander, but if you do then add it)

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Dressing

2 tablespoon fish sauce

juice of 1/2 lime or juice 2 pieces calamansi

1-2 clove of minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon of shrimp paste

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon sugar

Cut the cucumber lengthwise then repeat with each half until you have a number of long strips.  Now slice the other way to create bite-sized rectangular chucks.    Place in a bowl.  Add the onion, green onion, chili and coriander. 

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in another bowl, stir until the shrimp paste is dissolved.  Taste the dressing for salt-sweet-sour balance.  Pour dressing over the salad, toss well then transfer to a serving plate. Top with chopped peanuts.

If you would like to serve the salad as a main course just add about a cup of cooked shrimps.



Fried Garlic and Pepper Squid

The Little Girl requested for another squid dish for dinner.  She loves to eat squid. 

So for dinner tonight I made a Thai squid dish called Thod Grathiam Prig Thai Meuk, English translation - Fried Garlic and Pepper Squid.  I found the recipe in a magazine a couple of years ago. I probably made this dish twice before but never for the "little girl".  While I was cooking she came up to me and asked to have a taste.  She loves it.  It makes me very happy when she likes the meals I make for her.

This is a tasty dish because the squid is marinated in garlic, fish sauce and chicken powder.  You can serve it without a dipping sauce but I like to serve it with sweet chili sauce.

Here is the recipe:

100 grams squid

50 grams minced garlic

15 ml fish sauce (preferably Thai because it tastes less salty)

15 ml soy sauce

15 grams sugar

60 grams all purpose flour

1 cube chicken powder

dash of ground pepper

Cut the squids into halves to thin paper-form and then slice into one inch strips.  Mix all the ingredients to coat the squid.  Dee-fry until golden brown.  Serve with sweet and sour sauce or sweet-chili sauce. 

Bagoong Fried Rice

The first challenge has been completed.  It was a hit with the family. I did not have a recipe for this dish.  I tried to remember what was in all the bagoong fried rice I had in restaurants.  My version is no match  to that of the Flavors and Species version, but for a new home cook I must say it turned out pretty good.