Tag: light dinner

Recipes

Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes

by AudreyLeave a Comment on Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes

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Sometimes you need something simple, yet satisfying. This is one of those dishes. A perfect recipe for spring, this dish is light and refreshing. The key ingredient is canned tuna stored in olive oil, which gives this recipe a beautiful saltiness that makes this dish so easy to devour.

Hopefully the idea of canned tuna doesn’t scare anyone off, but I promise, this is much more elevated than the tuna salad or casserole that gave it the bad reputation. The key here is that it is stored in olive oil, not water. This olive oil adds depth of flavor and acts as a perfect host to the pile of garlic that I added to give some savory to this dish.

To balance out the saltiness, I included fresh cherry tomatoes for their acidity and brightness. They are added right before serving so that they warm up enough to just slightly burst, making every bite juicy and tinge sweet.

Now, let’s get started:

 

Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes

Makes 2 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 5 oz. can of tuna, stored in olive oil
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
  • 5 bundles dried squid ink pasta (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
  • Drizzle extra virgin olive oil for garnish
  • Salt to taste

Step 1: Heat enough water to cook the pasta, add a teaspoon of salt. When boiling, add pasta and cook until al dente.

Step 2: Heat 3 tbs olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Add garlic, and cook until they start to crisp up and become golden.

Step 3: Add the tuna and any leftover olive oil from the can. Break into bite-size pieces and cook for 3 minutes. Add the dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste. Stir to combine.

Step 4: Add the tomatoes. Cook until they start to blister and burst open, about 5 minutes. Crush half the tomatoes so they release their juice. Stir in the reserved pasta water to make a sauce.

Step 5: Add the pasta and coat everything with the sauce. Drizzle with olive oil, and it’s ready to serve.

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Recipes

Savoury udon egg custard

by AudreyLeave a Comment on Savoury udon egg custard

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I was inspired to make this recipe after going to eat at a soba noodle restaurant in Dallas. They had a dish in their small bites section that was so simple, yet delicious. The dish, called chawanmushi, is a steamed egg custard. The custard is dairy free and mixes egg with broth to create a light, savory appetizer or side dish. I took the basic idea from this dish, and taught myself how to make it through the Cooking with Dog Japanese cooking show channel on YouTube. (You can see their video for chawanmushi here and their recipe for udon egg custard here.)

This recipe is perfect for a spring meal as it is both warm and light. You will not feel overly full after eating this, so this would be an ideal late dinner or small lunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 package udon noodles, cooked
  • 2 cups dashi broth (or chicken broth)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tomato, cut into bite-size chunks
  • 1 shitake mushroom, sliced with the stem removed
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 small filet of grilled salmon, broken into chunks
  • drizzle sesame oil

Step 1: Put a cloth towel on the bottom of a deep-depth frying pan. In a separate saucepan, boil enough water to fill the frying pan half-way.

Step 2: Break up the egg whites with a fork. Then break the yolks and whisk the eggs until they are a homogeneous mixture.

Step 3: Mix the eggs with your broth. Stir well and then run the liquid through a strainer to ensure your mix is completely smooth when cooked.

Step 4: Put your udon noodles, vegetables and salmon into small bowls. Pour the egg liquid over the toppings and into individual serving cups and then top with a drizzle of sesame oil. Cover the bowls securely with plastic wrap. Place them into the cloth-lined frying pan.

Step 5: Pour the boiling water into the frying pan – there should be enough water to cover the bottom 1/2 to 1/3 of the bowls. Make sure that you are pouring around the bowls as to make sure that you do not dilute your egg mixture. Cover the pan with a lid and bring the pan to a rolling boil. When the water is fully boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook another 10-15 minutes. The custard is done when the top is opaque and you can push a skewer into the custard and it is solid.

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