Grubbin'

Spaghetti and double garlic bread with mozzarella

I am a sucker for garlic bread, and what goes better with garlic bread than spaghetti?

Perhaps you’d like to know what double garlic bread is? Well it’s something I invented last night, and guess what? It’s pretty much the most delicious thing that has ever entered my mouth.

Here’s what you’ll need.

   1 garlic loaf - A loaf of bread with whole roasted cloves of garlic baked right in.

   4 garlic cloves

   softened butter (or olive oil)

   fresh sliced mozzarella cheese

Preparation

   1. Mince the garlic (I use the side of a large knife to crush the garlic into a mash)

   2. Spread the butter on your slices of garlic loaf

   3. Sprinkle your freshly minced garlic evenly across the top

   4. Top with mozzarella

   5. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes until golden brown.

And everyone knows how to make spaghetti…

Enjoy!

Garlic Prawns

This is a great last minute recipe for someone like myself who always has garlic, basil and prawns on hand. I had to run to the grocery to grab the thickened milk, but whatevs.

Note: Try substituting the thickened milk with coconut milk for a tastier (and healthier) base.  

From http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2006/07/garlic-prawns-recipe.html

Tender, juicy prawns in a rich, creamy garlic sauce.

We purchased 475g of headless, unshelled green prawns for this recipe.

Serves 4 as an entrée.

110g uncooked rice (or 1 1/3 cups cooked rice)

30g (1 1/2 tablespoons) butter or 1 1/2 tablespoons oil

16 green prawns, peeled and deveined

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

250ml (1 cup) thickened cream (35 percent fat)

1 tablespoon finely shredded basil, firmly packed

Cook rice according to the directions on the packet. Drain and keep warm.

Heat butter or oil in a frying pan or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add prawns and cook for a couple of minutes, until prawns have just changed colour but are not completely cooked through. Turn prawns once during cooking.

Reduce heat to low, stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, being careful not to brown garlic (it can develop a bitter flavour).

Add cream and increase heat so that the mixture is simmering rapidly.

While the sauce is reducing (keep an eye on the sauce to ensure it doesn’t reduce too much), spoon one quarter of the rice into a mould with about 1/3 cup capacity (we use a 1/3 cup measuring cup). Using the back of a spoon, firmly press the rice into the mould. Invert mould onto a serving plate, tap on mould to release rice and lift mould away. Alternatively, use a ring mould. Repeat with remaining rice.

Simmer sauce until it has thickened to the desired consistency and prawns are cooked through. Stir in basil and remove from heat.

Place 4 prawns on each plate. Drizzle prawns with sauce and serve immediately.

Kimche Chigae

Today I woke up feeling a little under the weather. So what better dish to make than a chigae (Korean stew)

From http://www.trifood.com/kimchichigae.html

Note: I like to drop an egg in about a minute before taking it off the heat. 

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 cup kimchi, 16 oz pork belly (or any part with fat), thin sliced (uncooked bacon can be used as a substitute)
• 2 green onions, slice in a bias
• 1/2 pack dooboo (tofu)
• 2 kochu (hot green chili), chopped
• 2 tbsp kochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 tbsp kochukaru (Korean pepper powder)
• 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp soy sauce
• 3 cups water, salt, pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Place a pot on the stove, turn the heat on. Add pork belly (or bacon), saute for a minute or so.
2. Add kochujang and cook until meat becomes white.
3. Pour the water, add kimchi. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.
4. Add soy sauce, kochukaru, and garlic. Cook for 20-30 minutes.
5. Add chilies, green onions, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.
6. Serve with rice.

first post! w00t!