Easy One Pot Mushroom Spinach Pasta (Free of Top Allergens)

I love one-pot meals. These one-pot meals are a life saver for those hectic days with my active toddler.

This recipe comes together quickly (under 30 minutes) but it tastes like you have been slaving away at the stove for hours. The active prep time for the pasta is only about 5 to 10 minutes depending on your knife skills. The pasta is infused with a rich mushroom flavor and it tastes even better the next day. My husband kept telling me how much he loves this pasta; I figure this is a good sign that this one-pot pasta has his stamp of approval.

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1-1/2 lb (680g) button or cremini mushrooms, sliced thick*
11 oz (312g) baby spinach, washed and dried
4 cups cold water, vegetable broth or chicken broth
454 g spaghetti pasta (gluten-free or regular pasta)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

* If you use less than 1-1/2 lb of mushroom, increase water or broth by 1/2 cup.

Directions
1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil.

2. Cook and stir in onions. Saute until it is translucent.

3. Turn the heat down to medium. Add in mushrooms and sweat the mushrooms until it is soft and tender.

Look at all the delicious juice for the pasta to soak in!

4. Pour in 4 cups of water, spaghetti and thyme.

5. Bring contents to a boil and stir the pasta. Turn the heat down to medium, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked through. Stir the pasta occasionally. Once the pasta is cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the spinach.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom 

Variation: Add 1/4 block of cream cheese to step 5, before stirring in the spinach.

Chinese Braised Fish (Hong Shao Yu)

Lately, I have been craving Chinese food. One dish that I have been meaning to make for a long time is a dish called Hong Shao Yu (the literal translation is "Red Braised Fish"). This is another one of my grandmother's famous dishes.

This Chinese braised fish recipe tastes similar to the Filipino dish adobo, which I also adore. The fish is first pan-fried and then simmered in a mildly sweet and savory sauce, which tastes amazing over a bowl of steamed (white) rice.

My only recommendation is to use a thicker white fish fillet (1/2 inch or thicker) as my thin sole fillets fell apart when I tried to pan fry it.

This recipe comes close to my grandmother's version but it does not quite taste the same. Even though my search goes on, I have to admit that this recipe is a keeper and definitely satiated my craving for Chinese food.

Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb fish fillet (preferably 1/2 inch or thicker)
1 stalk of green onion, chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, sliced into coins
1 cup water
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine (or rice wine)
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 stalk of green onion, chopped (for garnish)

Cornstarch Slurry
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

Directions
1. Add oil to a pan over medium-high heat.

2. Pat both sides the fish fillet dry with a paper towel.

3. Add the fish to the pan and cook each side until is it golden (about 1 to 2 minutes). Transfer the fish to a plate.

4. To the same pan, add green onions and ginger. Stir fry until fragrant.

5. Add in water, cooking wine, soy sauce and brown sugar. Mix and bring to a boil.

6. Once the sauce reaches a boil, return fish to the pan.

7. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until it is cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes.

8. Transfer fish to a serving platter.

9. Mix the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water in a small measuring cup. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan.

10. Increase heat to medium-high to reduce the sauce until it is thickened, about 4 to 6 minutes.

11. Pour sauce over the fish and garnish with green onions. Serve immediately as part of a multi-course meal.

Source: Adapted from Saveur

Scrambled Eggs with Garlic Sprout Stir Fry

Many of my childhood memories evolve around my late grandmother's food. I had always taken it for granted that she will live forever and never bothered to write down any of her recipes. When she passed away suddenly 7 years ago, all the family recipes disappeared as well.

Though the recipes disappeared, I can still vividly recall the taste, the aroma and the look on my grandmother's face as I devoured her many delicious meals.

Now I am trying to recreate the recipes she had once lovingly made for me and document it on this blog. This is in part so I can share these family recipes with my little man, who I hope one day, will recreate these dishes for his own family. The other part of me is recreating these recipes to relive those wonderful memories with my grandmother.

When I saw Sharon of Nut Free Wok post a recipe on garlic sprouts, it reminded me of the scrambled eggs with garlic sprout stir-fry my grandmother made with regular frequency. After a quick visit to the grocery store, I had successfully replicated the dish. But I still think my grandmother made it better.

Ingredients
3 to 5 eggs
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil, separated
1 bunch garlic sprout, washed, trimmed to 2 inch pieces (see note below)
1 tbsp soy sauce (optional)

Author's Note: Garlic sprout or garlic scape has a mild garlic flavor that is wonderful in stir fries, sauces, pastas, among many other dishes. It can be found at Asian grocers or farmers markets during the spring time. You want to buy garlic sprouts which are green and has a firm texture. Foodista has a great article on garlic sprouts if you want more info on this delightful vegetable.

Directions
1. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.

2. Pour in a tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, scramble the eggs until it is soft and runny. Set aside.

3. To the pan, add the other tablespoon of vegetable oil and saute the garlic sprout until it is cooked but still has a firm bite to it (about 2 to 4 minutes).

4. Add in the scrambled eggs, soy sauce and saute until it is well combined. Serve immediately over rice as part of a multi-course meal.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom