Lemongrass Mussels, Vegetables & Noodles

Ever since trying frozen mussels Steamed Mussels in White Wine Sauce - Trader Joes, I have let down my guard on frozen shell-fish products, in general. That said, I still take a few moments to scan the ingredient list and nutrition label to make sure the ingredients are as natural (less processed) as possible and the sodium level is not exceedingly high. For example, the clams used in Steamed Eggs with Clams is a good quality product that produced such deliciousness with minimal effort.

Back to the Whole Catch Mussels - Lemongrass Curry from Whole Foods Market which might not have one of the best ingredient lists (it's okay good, just not perfectly good) but @$2.99 a package, who could resist this value deal, and the convenience it will bring to the table when one craves seafood.

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Steamed Eggs with Clams

The only problem with this dish is the steamed egg sticks to the bowl; and that's always hard to clean even using a rough surface dish sponge. So, what's the trick to making Chinese-style steamed eggs and the steamed eggs do not stick to sides and bottom of the bowl?

Else, everything was relatively easy for this Steamed Egg with Clam Meat. All you need is clam meat (fresh or frozen, depending on availability) and eggs, plus minimal seasonings - a little soy sauce and ground white pepper. then garnished with thinly sliced green onions.

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Arctic Surf Clams Veggies Bowl

One of my favorite seafoods (including shrimps and fish) - clams is a lean source of protein, rich in minerals, vitamins, and Omega- 3 fatty acids. Today, the protein feature on veggie bowl is this visually striking Arctic Surf Clam. 


These clams will be great in cool/cold-weather shabu-shabu style hotpot but for now, a warm bowl-meal of clams with veggies

Frozen does not mean subpar quality. Instead, this Clearwater brand, the Arctic Surf Clams are blanched and individually-quick-frozen on-board vessels in less than an hour of harvesting that they are fit to be sushi-grade. I am glad to find Clearwater Arctic Surf Clams in Weee! (one of my go-to online grocery site for fresh, quality, value-for money groceries, especially for items not easily available in brick-and-mortar grocery stores). 

I was never quite into online groceries shopping and always prefer to buy groceries in the stores but the pandemic lingered on for almost 2 years (pandemic fatigue!), so it was great to have another shopping option especially when Weee! online produce is fresh, reasonably-priced (sometimes even cheaper than in the physical stores), and convenient delivery right to the door. If you are interested to try Weee! out, sign up to get $20 off $35 purchase - this deal itself is already worth the sign-up. Almost 40% off your first grocery basket and free delivery). 

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Seafood in a Bag En-papillote

Foil-packet meals are a lazy cook's best friend. En-papillote (French for "in parchment") may sound fancy but this method of cooking is actually a fuss-free and mess-free way to incorporate (lots of) vegetables with protein in a single dish. Though you can't physically see the ingredients being cooked (unlike "eyeballing" stove-top cooking), the secret sealed chamber traps moisture and flavors to ensure steamy deliciousness -  guaranteed almost every time!


There is a "parchment cooking" label created in my website just because this cooking method has a special place in my heart. Look at these easy foil-packet recipes such as En-Papillote Herb-Roasted Trout, En-Papillote Chicken and Asparagus, En-Papillote Salmon, Zucchini and Carrots and these vegetarian-friendly Vegetables and Mushrooms Packets and Zucchini, Bell Peppers Angel Hair Aglio e Olio. Some are easy side-dishes while others make perfect one-dish meals.

Today, this Seafood in a Bag shows the versatility of parchment-cooking yet again. By combining a mixture of fresh seafood - clams, wild local shrimps and sustainable-farmed tilapia fillets with garlic, tomatoes, dried herbs in a foil packet, this irresistibly delicious seafood dish is created in less than 30 minutes.

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White Wine Mussels with Kale and Pasta

Seen it once, passed on it. Seen it again, in the bag.

Well, I do have qualms about frozen shellfish products. Personally, I like my shellfish such as clams or mussels - fresh. Bought when fresh, then cooked and consumed fresh.

Still I gave in, as this Trader Joes product at $3.99 came as value to me, and the ingredients are reasonably decent. Most importantly, a frozen product like this keeps well for "emergency" home-cooking.

Let's say I am in a rush to have even 30 minutes in the kitchen. Then a 15-minute dish like this might do the trick.

Fresh clams or mussels cooks fast, you may say, you do not even need 15 minutes. But again, how can fresh clams or mussels be available if you do not even step out of the house to buy some? With fresh shellfish especially, you already need to be planning ahead. Plan to cook them....and cook them on the same day! So if you do not plan ahead, this frozen mussel item is the next best alternative.


Instead of enjoying it as an appetizer, I find that this works well with pasta as a meal which is even better for me. If I have no time to cook, how can I even think of preparing an appetizer. A one-dish meal is more appropriate.

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Steamed Clams Capellini with Arugula

I am limited by the size of my kitchen, thus the number of pots and pans, bowls and plates I can own (no storage space!!!), resulting in minimalist fuss-free cooking most of the times.

Do you think you get more clams in the same exact serving bowl (that is used to serve steamed clams, shell-on) if I get the steamed clams out of their shells after I cook them?

Of course, I love love love enjoying clams shell-on, sipping away the last drop of gravy off the shells. This is more rustic and has that "fresh" appeal (I mean, it's shell-on!); while the other (removing steamed clams from the shells) is cleaner, neater, as fresh (since they are bought, shell-on) and probably more substantial from the clams aspect.

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Pasta with Steamed Clams. Vongole? Aglio-e-Olio?

I want my Vongole!

Not as if I have not done it before. I have just forgotten all about it.

Then came the Steamed Clams from Pigspigcorner.com which reminded me, left me commenting "in search for clams" ...

Came another Vongole from Noobcook.com ...

I could not wait any longer!!!

Call it Pasta Vongole or maybe....Pasta Aglio e Olio with Steamed Drunken Clams...?



Obviously, I found my big fat fresh succulent clams and bought them fresh on the same day I made this dish.


My version was slightly different though. It's really a steamed version - meaning the clams are literally steamed to cook in a bowl, with the other ingredients and seasonings in that same bowl at the same time, with garlic, cilantro, green onions, 1-2 tbsp wine.Yes, just like how you do Chinese steamed fish - all in a plate!

Woo hoo...steamy winey briney garlicky!

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Ricecooker Soups - Clam & Corn, Cabbage & Tomato, many more

You must be super darn lucky if you order a clam dish, then each and every clam has its flesh still intact to the opened shell.

Clams sometimes detached from their shells in the process of cooking and can be found "swimming loosely" in the gravy, sauce or broth in which they are cooked.

In the event you picked up some clams (shells already "opened" - cooked), waiting to savor those juicy tender clams from the shells but OH-NO..."empty" clams shells, the clams are not there!!! Just sip the essence of clam-based gravy/sauce/broth from the shells...yes...but how nice it is if you can nibble on some sweet bursty corn kernels? That's a bonus. Lost and found. Lost something and found another?


This word: seafoodiness. Weird word but best describes clams - taste of the sea. Salty. Clams typically turn out savory in a dish so by adding sweet corn kernels, the balance of flavors leveled up.

Clam and Corn Soup [Recipe in The Everything Rice Cooker Cookbook].
How to start:

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Steamed clams, steamed scallops - I love steamed seafood!

Enjoyed these steamed scallops and clams, at the same place (Jia Duo Li Eatery, Jordan District, Hong Kong) we had Typhoon Shelter Crab.

Big fat scallops on the shell...

These clams were cooked the same way as the scallops. At least, the seasonings/marinade, garnishes and cooking method were similar. Steamed with glass noodles in a soy sauce base then garnished with red chili and scallions.


Smart, isn't it? The glass noodles absorbs the "clam + sauce" essence very well. Nothing comes to waste!

Check out my Steamed Prawns with Egg Whites if you are on a steaming trail.

Tag: seafood, clams, scallops, Hong Kong eating

Clam pasta - Asian style soybean

You see pasta and clams. So where does the soybean come from? Well, read on till you find out why this make a soybean Asian-style pasta. :)

Soybeans are ubiquitous in Asian foods. Tofu, soy milk, fermented bean pastes, tempeh and soy sauce are an integral part of Asian cooking. The Chinese, Koreans and Japanese have developed their own styles and processes (different fermentation time, amount of salt or the type of grains added etc.) for fermenting soybeans to get different end-products such as Japan's misos, tempeh and taucheo from Southeast Asia, Korea's toenjang -- all with distinct flavors and colors. Soybeans is a major ingredient in Szechuan sauces and marinades, as well as Southeast Asian soups, sambals, stir-fries and braising.

Can you see it? Can you see bits of yellow soybeans in the pasta? I have used taucheo - a salted fermented soy bean - a yellow soybean paste to uplift the flavors of this dish. Not that the clams are tasteless, where in fact they are full of unami. But in some Asian cooking, sauces can enhance the flavors of your ingredients(提 鲜) and make the ingredients stand out even more.

Taucheo is used prominently in stir-fry dishes, and braising. This bean sauce is used throughout East and Southeast Asia to season vegetables, noodles and fish. It is usually added whole to recipes, or pounded before use.



Clam Spaghetti in Bean Sauce
Ingredients:
-1tsp taucheo (preserved/fermented soy beans)
-2tsp crushed ginger
-2cloves garlic, minced
-2tsp sambal belacan
-water
-green onions
-1/2 lb spaghetti, cooked to al-dente, set aside

Directions:
1. Stir fry ginger and garlic at medium heat till fragrant
2. Add tauceho and sambal, and mix well. Add in 2tbsp water so that the paste mixture does not dry up
3. Add in clams to simmer and when the shells open up, add in green onions
4. When ready to serve, add in the pasta, mix well and serve immediately

This dish is a total savory enjoyment - the sauce and the fresh clams, they are IT!

Tune into Ruth's Presto Pasta Night for more scrumptious noodles and pasta dishes in the round-up!


Tag: seafood, clams, fermented soybeans, pasta

Steamed clams, prawns and shrimps medley

CLAMS .............................................and...


PRAWNS ..........................................are...


GOOD


FRIENDS !


Sure they are, and like ginger and spring onions/scallions that are buddies too. They are ALL my good friends. If I put two formidable pairs in ONE plate, it's BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!

Steamed clams and prawns, with egg white
A rough assembly of fresh manila clams, heads-on prawns, green onions, ginger ==> steamed for 8-9 minutes (Note: making sure not to overcook them but importantly don't under-cook them!); and adding whisked of egg white + dash of rice wine/cooking wine at the last one minute, then continue steaming till the 9th-1oth minute...DONE! Yes. It is that easy and highly recommended when you have fresh seafood.
(This recipe is similar to how I steam prawns here. Check that out as well, if you are interested.)

Just taste the natural juices and unspoilt flavors of fresh seafood.

What can I say ?

In conjunction with Sustainable Seafood Choices during the month of October's National Seafood Month, this recipe uses sustainable seafood choices as suggested by Monterey Bay Aquarium West Coast Seafood Guide. The manila clams used in this recipe are almost from an entirely farmed-source, categorized under "Best Choices" in the West Coast Guide and the prawns I have bought are USA farmed-prawns also classified as "Good Alternatives" in the guide. Find out more about Sustainable Seafood Month - Teach a Man to Fish.

Do you follow a similar guide when you buy seafood?

Tag: prawns, shrimps, clams, steamed seafood, seafood

Sambal Seafood Omelette - when I do not know how to cook Orh Jian, Orh Luak, and Orh Neng

One of the most versatile ingredients (and considered a non-seasoning such as salt, sugar) has got to be EGGS. They can be used in desserts (mousse), cakes/bakes(almond cookies) - the sweet stuff; used wholes - hardboiled in sambal, masalas, curry and lontong, poached and eaten with indian curry; used as egg-based gravies in wat dan hor, mui fan and "chilli crab"; used as coatings for tonkatsu and begedil, as "mystery" ingredients in curry puffs and chicken pie/strudel; of course as comforting as a sunnyside up or an omelette - plain(kosong) or filled with your favorite ingredients such as this, this and THIS...



We don't eat oyster omelette often when we were back home because we were worried of stale (dead) oysters, or unhygienic handling of oysters. Well, stale and "dead" oysters fried with eggs - I describe as garbage food - food that smells like...errr....when you lift up the cover of your garbage bin and goes....YIKES! Now, ladies and gentlemen, please educate me - what are the differences: 蚝煎 (pronounced hao jian, in Mandarin;Orh Jian, in dialect) vs 蚝烙 (pronounced hao luo,in Mandarin;Orh Luak, in dialect) vs 蚝旦( pronounced hao dan, in Mandarin; Orh Nurng, in dialect). Aren't they all pan-fried oyster omelette ? Are they all same or not?

Anyway, I don't know what kind of oysters (too expensive, cannot afford and don't know how to buy) to use if I were to make my own Orh Jian. In substitution, I used a medley of seafood (prawns, clams, calamari, scallops) to create my sambal seafood omelette.


Sambal Seafood Omelette (serves 2)
Ingredients:
- 2-3 eggs depending on size of egg, whisked
- 1/2lb your favorite seafood combination,
- ~1-2tbsp sambal chili paste (depending on how spicy you like it)
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 1 stalk green onions, julienned diagonally

Method:
1. Heat oil in pan, and fry the seafood mixture till cooked (Note: Remember when I made fish soup, I said something about frying the seafood and keeping the "juice essence"? Well, you can keep some of the "juice essence" from here since you do not need much moisture when you fry this omelette). After that, add in sambal chili paste, continue stir frying to mix well with seafood. Sugar to taste, if too spicy. Then, set aside.
2. Add in more oil, and add in whisked egg mixture(Note: save ~1/4 cup egg mixture for later use). Let the egg pan-fried on one side till golden yellow (about3-4mins)
3. Add in seafood mixture, top with green onions, and use a flat turnover ladle to fold the egg into half in order to "envelope" or cover the seafood mixture. (Note: Try not to add the seafood mixture in the center of the egg. Slightly bias it to one side so that it is easier to fold the egg into half)
4. Add in remaining egg mixture from (2) at the "open" edges after you fold the egg into half to seal the omelette

Then you get a neat egg omelette like this - you never know what you gonna get till you attack the omelette with a fork!


And this is what you get - seafood laden, and sambal spiciness!

Also check out the real oyster omelette here and here.


Tag: seafood, seafood omelette,spicy seafood omelette, sambal seafood omelette

Linguine vongole, this time it's for real (well, at least part of it)

I was inspired by Rasa Malaysia for this dish. I've wanted to do linguine vongole for some time now. That time, I did not have clams. NOW, I DO! BUT, the remaining white wine sitting in my fridge is not giving me good signals. Though I would usually "save" unfinished wine with a vacuum pump wine saver then let it chill, this method might be good just for 1-2 weeks. BUT, I've forgotten when I left that unfinished bottle in the fridge, so I'm not sure if the wine is still good. Ok, I will label "opened on MM/DD/YY-date" on the bottle in future. BUT......
No more BUTs...you just have to discard the remaining wine NOW! Luckily, the wine was one of those 2 buck chucks from Trader Joes, if not it would have been so wasteful.

BUT, BUT...now I do not have white wine to cook my linguine vongole !!! Here comes Shaoxing cooking wine to the rescue!

Linguine vongole (as side-dish, serves 2)
Ingredients:
-4-6oz linguine (this is a side dish, thus this pasta quantity)
-1lb of manila clams (tips on cleaning clams in which I did step 1. and 2.)
-1 stalks of scallion/spring onions, cut into small pieces
-2tsp crush ginger
-2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
-1tbsp olive oil
-2 cups Shaoxing wine
-1tsp sesame oil
-dashes of black pepper
-pinches of red pepper chilli flakes

Method:
1.Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente
2.Meanwhile, heat up Corningware pot with 1tbsp olive oil on medium heat
3.Stir fry ginger and garlic till fragrant
4.Add in the clams, Shaoxing wine, then let it cook and simmer, covered, for 3-5mins
5.Add in scallions, sesame oil, black pepper, chilli flakes, cook and simmer, covered until all shells are opened. When the shells open, the clams are cooked!
6.Add in linguine to the clams and mix well

7. Serve...clams are in the limelight here. If you prefer as a main dish, more pasta can be used.

Tag: linguine, vongole, linguine vongole, seafood, clams

Linguine vongole, NO clams, please

"I want to order a plate of Won Ton noodles, without the Won Ton"..."Give me a pizza, no toppings, no cheese please". Try ordering this way in anywhere, and I bet you'll get that nasty look that says "Are you trying to be funny or what?!"

Ok, I'm cooking linguine vongole this time, NO CLAMS! Scusilo, hello ? But I'm using exactly the same key ingredients (minus the clams) required of a vongole dish! Olive oil, garlic, white wine etc. A shrimps on hand is worth a clam I do not currently have. Alright, have some Linguine Gamberetto instead.


Linguine gamberetto (serves ~2-3, as a main dish)
Ingredients:
-1/2lb linguine
-1/2lbs medium-sized uncooked shrimps
-1-2tbsp olive oil
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2cup white wine
-some broccoli florets, blanched and chopped to smaller bite-size pieces
-some mini sweet peppers, julienned to strips
-1tsp dried oregano
-red pepper flakes, to taste
-salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
1.Cook the pasta, about 7-9 mins, in salted boiling water until al dente
2.In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and chile pepper and cook for ~ 1min
3.Add the oregano, shrimps and wine, and cook over medium heat until the shrimps are cooked (turn pinkish red)
4.Add in blanched broccoli and sweet peppers and stir-fry lightly for 1min
5.Drain the pasta, reserving a small cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the shrimp mixture in the pan, and mix well, adding a little of the pasta water if the mixture seems dry.
6.Serve immediately

Alternatively, if you have already done up some grilled shrimps, you can skip step 2. and step 3., just add the wine to the grilled shrimps to deglaze, and continue from step 5.

Tag: linguine, garlic, shrimps, vongole,gamberetto