Red Leaf Amaranth Soup

Amaranth. Is it a grain, seed or vegetable? While amaranth has been cultivated as a grain that is a good source of trace minerals and vitamins, the amaranth leaf vegetable is equally nutritious, particularly high in iron content. I hardly buy them till I saw the young tender Red Strip Leaf Amaranth (large green leaves with red stripes in the center) at the farmers market.


At the same time, after watching a cooking segment about how amaranth and gojiberries support healthy vision (or for myopic like myself - to slow down vision deterioration), I was inspired to go searching for amaranth leaf vegetable so that I can try cooking it at home. In the cooking segment, the chef made a clear soup of amaranth vegetable in homemade chicken stock. However, I am adapting it to a clear soup of amaranth vegetable and fresh tiny (Japanese) anchovy.

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Tomato-Anchovy Sauce Pasta

It was no where near puttanesca but a very robust and delicious sauce that can be easily prepared - in the oven. Heavenly sauce made in the oven. Who could resist the easy route to explosive flavors?

The Angel Hair pasta topped with "puttanesca" sauce - intensely savory.


and topped with roasted corn and bell peppers - bringing in a balance of sweet notes.

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Roasted Anchovy Fillets & Tomatoes à la Puttanesca

As a fan of sardines, I have wanted to try anchovy fillets for a long time. Different fish; however both considered "small" fishes and belong to the champs of Omega-3s along with salmon, and smelt.


Roasting tomatoes with anchovies, garlic, olive oil, ground black peppers and green onions (the bottom white parts) could not be easier. This is pasta sauce/dressing cooked in the oven solely by slow roasting the combo. Roasting those not-rightfully-in-season tomatoes also helps to bring out the sweet umami flavors of tomatoes.

I have used Trader Joes Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil here (photo below, at end of post). Each can has six small fillets and I have used them all in this recipe. The resulting sauce is intense but not overpowering and not overly salty.

There are many other products out there and if you have tried a good product, do leave me a note. I would love to hear your recommendations.

Anchovy fillets in oil is a source of EPA (EicosaPentaenoic Acid), and DHA (DocosaHexaenoic Acid). They are relatively low in mercury, and are healthier EPA and DHA choices than high-mercury species, such as swordfish, and mackerel.



Very intense sauce that I love! I am going to roast a bigger batch next time and keep it handy to toss into pasta whenever needed.

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Soybeans Ikan Bilis Stock, Broth 黄豆江鱼仔汤底

Never be stingy on tomatoes, here I said.

An aura of insecurity fills the the kitchen one day....

Not a single tomato at home!

NOOOooo.....!!!


It's like losing the ability to cook! A little exaggeration maybe but truly, I feel comfortable when the kitchen is well-stocked with tomatoes. Even a single tomato left in the pantry or kitchen would leave me feeling assured as I know very well that with any other ingredients in the kitchen or fridge, there is bound to be something I can put together, and done rather quickly.

Do you have an ingredient you cannot do without ? Not having it makes you insecure?


Okay. Not having onions and garlic makes me insecure too.

As 2012 drew an end with these fanciful vegetarian wonton cups appetizers, the challenge today on my first 2013 posting, is to return to the basics - making a quick tasty stock/broth without tomatoes; so here, a stock/broth made with organic soy beans and dried anchovies (ikan bilis).

This broth is usually what makes the Yong Tau Foo （酿豆腐） soup-base in hawker stalls and eateries back in Singapore. The clear broth is light-tasting, savory and suitable as a soup-base for vegetables and tofu/stuffed tofu.

And now I found my survival route in the absence of tomatoes! :)

Tag: organic soybeans, dried anchovies,dried anchovies soybean stock

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Dried Anchovies (Ikan Bilis) and Peanuts

Remember those tiny dried anchovies here? Their bigger "cousins" are more commonly known as ikan bilis in Singapore.

Toasting dried anchovies on the cast iron pan is one of the easiest way to recreate this Asian snack that sometimes double up as a side-dish/condiment in main dish Nasi Lemak. Toasted dried anchovies has many uses too, such as garnish/toppings on a simple vegetable dish (e.g Spicy Okra), congee, soups (including noodle soups), and rice! Toasted or non-toasted, they are also very useful when making a tasty broth/stock.

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Spicy Okra with Toasted Ikan Bilis (Dried Anchovies) 香辣秋葵与香脆小鱼

When the weather gets cooler day by day, soups gets thicker becoming stews; spice cravings becomes stronger and stronger. It won't be long before we want more spice in soups and stews especially in winter (just less than 3 months away).

This dish here is appropriately perfect for the fall weather now. The mild spice that works in well when paired with steamed rice.


There are usually more than one type of dried anchovies sold in the Asian grocery store. The larger size ikan bilis (seen here); and the smaller version used in this dish.

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