Tuna and Veggie Spagetti

OK.. Still in the mood for spaghetti. Thanks to Masak Bareng Yuuk! Pasta Edition... Well... I still have quite a stock of Spaghetti so why not. The day I made this was I was busy studying for one of my quiz day. Then I realized it was already past lunch time. I went to the kitchen and realized I forgot to cook my rice this morning aaaaaand I ran out of bread. Fruits were not really my options... I am tired and hungry. I want something filling, satisfying and quick. I reached for the spaghetti and decided to throw a cheat-bolognesse (a.k.a  the instant packets) but alas! it was also gone....

So I decided to make do with what ever I have. I quickly round up everything I think can work when I saw the canned tuna... AHA! this might work.... we shall see...

Honestly... it taste divine and takes only 10 minutes... well OK 15 mins to make and serve

To serve 1 (2 portions)

Ingredients:
1 handful of spaghetti -use any other pasta shape you want... it doesn't matter I think.
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 medium garlic, crushed then finely chopped
2 tbsp Onion, chopped
1 small carrot - Diced small
4 cherry tomatoes - cut to quaters
2 tbsp salted butter
1 tsp ground white pepper
a bunch of flat leaves parsley - chopped
2 tbsp Canned tuna - drained from the oil or water or brine and flaked

Directions:

1. Boil water in a pan for the spaghetti. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare the carrot, tomatoes, parsley and tuna
3. When the water boils, add the salt and olive oil then bring the spaghetti in. I break the long spaghetti in half before putting them in boil water. 
4. Then heat the butter on a separate pan / wok, add the Onion and garlic. Saute until soft and fragrant
5. Bring the carrot in... followed by tomatoes add the ground white pepper. I do not add anymore salt because the butter is already salty. Let it cook for a while. I like my tomatoes to be slightly wilted to retain the warm fresh taste of tomatoes.
6. The spaghetti usually need about 7 - 8 minutes to be Al-dente (my husband taught me this)... or get a piece of the spaghetti and throw to the wall... if it sticks it's done... or... my way... pinch the spaghetti... it is the level of tenderness I want... then it is done
7. Drain the spaghetti and bring back to its pan . Add the sauteed carrot and tomatoes in the pan together with the cooked spaghetti. 
8. Mix together. Add the chooped parsley then the flaked canned tuna..
9. All is good and ready to serve!

This will also be my entry to Masak Bareng Yuuk! (Let's Cook Together) Sept-Oct Edition on Pasta!!!

Entry requirement in English click here

Simple Vegetable Stir Fry

You know when you walk in to the stores and you see all kinds of stir-fry sauces in packets. I can't see why making so much fuss when the basic simple stir-fry is a matter of one two three. Here's a basic recipe you can build up and add up any other meat, veg or ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 2 garlic, crushed
• 1 cm  finger
• Salt and ground white Pepper
• 1/2 Stock cube (optional)
• 3 tbsp vegetable cooking oil 
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• A handful of Broccoli 
• A handful of whatever meat (chicken, Beef, sausage etc) or meat substitute you like (tofu, egg etc)
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Heat cooking oil. Bring in Onion, garlic and ginger. Sautee until fragrant and soft
2. Add the meat or meat substitutes... let them cooked.. add half water to cook them. 
3. Add the carrot and brocolli, add the rest of the water and the stock cube
4. Seasoned with salt and ground white pepper
5. Final taste... ready to serve. ----

Semur Ayam // Braised Chicken in Sweet Soy Sauce

OK... semur ayam or Braised Chicken in Sweet Soy Sauce is the next simple cooking. all you need to have are... of course Chicken... hehehe... good Sweet soy sauce (just go to Asian Store) and Nutmeg. You can use the ground nutmeg in those small bottles but I prefer whole nutmeg that I crushed or grated... the smell and taste is much more fantastic. Reminds me so much of home, Ambon Island, Maluku Province, The Spice Island... OK... Here's the recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 Chicken Wings - simply because it was cheap and also Tastier
• 1/4 medium Onion, chopped 
• 2 Garlics, Crushed and finely chopped
• 1/2 Nutmeg, Crushed
• 1/4 cup of Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce 
• 1/2 Stock cube, 
• Salt and ground white pepper
• 2 tbsp juice of lemon juice
• 3 tbsp Vegetable cooking Oil

Directions:

1. Heat the oil. Bring in the Onion and garlic. Sautee until soft and fragrant
2. Add the Soy sauce and Nutmeg. Then stock cubes, salt and pepper.
3. Put in the Chicken wings. Coat the chicken with the soy sauce evenly. Cover and let it cook for 5 minutes. 
4. After 5 minutes add the lemon juice and if the chicken is not properly cook.. add about 1/4 cup of water. 
5. Give it for final taste... then ready to serve. --

For me, it is best served with hot white rice and simple stir-fry

Quick and Easy Spagheti Bolognesse

First of all I wanted to say that... it is OK to use those Packets of bolognesse sauce... they make life much easier, don't they? As for me I have a bit of time while taking  a break from my readings and fix myself a nice solo lunch. Below recipe might not be the authentic bolognesse recipe but it is good enough for me.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 Onion, finely chopped 
• 1 Garlic, Crushed
• 1 cup Diced Chicken, You can use left overs or any other meat you like... Usually it is with Mince meat.
• 1 carrot, diced small
• 1/2 cup tomato paste, I use the Indonesian Tomato Ketchup
• 4 Cherry Tomatoes, diced small
• 1 tbsp Basil, the dried one
•  Salt and pepper to taste
•  A handful of Grated Cheddar Cheese to sprinkle
• A handful of Spaghetti

Directions:

1.  Heat butter then add Chopped Onion and Garlic. Sautee until soft and fragrant
2. Add the chicken and carrot
3. Add the diced cherry tomatoes and tomato paste 
4. Then add basil salt and pepper
5. Add a bit of water to let the carrot and chicken cooked through
6. Final taste and its done. I usually add a dash of sugar to enhance the flavor.

On a separate Pan, boil water about 3 cups. When it is boiled add the spaghetti.Timed it for 7 minutes... usually that is the time when the Spaghetti is Al-dente... cooked and firm and not mushy.
Strain the cooked spaghetti then add it to the sauce. Stir together that bolognesse sauce coats the spaghetti entirely.

Serve on a plate. Sprinkle the grated cheese... Enjoy

------ This will also be my entry for Masak Bareng Yuuk! September - OCtober Edition on PASTA!!!

Simple Vegetable Soup (Broccoli and Carrot)

HAH! this is a recipe that hardly ever go wrong. Unless if you burn the food down or have an unbelievable tasteless tongue. The soup is cheap, wasy and takes minutes to do...

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 Medium Carrot, cut to your liking -
1 or 2 handful of Broccoli florets...
1/4 meduim size Onion, peeled and sliced

2 garlic, peeled and crushed
about 2 tsp of Salt
about 1 tsp ground white Pepper
few stalk of Flat Leaf Parsle, I usually didn;t chopped them but it's OK. it's the flavour that I need. 
1 tbsp of butter or 1 tbsp of cooking oil
2 - 3 cups of water
Whatever meat you like, sausage, chicken, beef, OR mushroom, tofu, meatballs.. etc.. You can also go without this if you just want vegetable soup. - Cut the meat to smaller pieces for faster cooking time.

Directions:
1. Heat the oil or melt the butter then sweat the onions and garlics
2. If you are using Meat or protein of any kind... bring this in first after the onions and garlic soften.
3. Stir until the meat turn color, add water
4. Let it simmer about 5 minutes to make sure the meat are cooked.
5. Put the carrots in. Let it simmer for another 3 - 5 minutes until the carrot soften a bit.
6. Bring in the Broccoli florets and the Flat leaf parsley
7. Add salt and Pepper. Taste it to your liking.
8. Soup is ready

Note: you can add Stock cube if you like but remember put the stock cube first and taste it before you add any salt. Stock cubes are salty.

--- This soup still uses the vegs I bought last time. So cost wise... it is still under 1 pound... Hah! ---

For other recipe for soup ... you can see this link
http://annies123dish.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/simple-chicken-soup-sup-ayam-mudah.html

3 Colors Scrambled Eggs

This is just me putting fancy catchy name to an otherwise simple and mundane food.
Let's face it... Scambled egg is so versatile, international and is always a hit with everyone.
For me it's something magically tasty when you combine egg, parsley and tomatoes.

This is my 1st packed lunch to Uni... many more will come

Ingredients:
2 Eggs
5 Cherry tomatoes, quartered - or cut to your liking
Flat leaf parsley - about 5 stem, chopped
2 pinches of salt
a dash of white pepper
1 tsp of butter

Directions
1.   melt the butter over medium heat
2. Bring in Tomatoes and let it soften a bit
3. Break in the eggs
4. Quickly add 2 pinches of salt and pepper
5. Scattered the chopped parsley
6. Stir continuously until cooked. Some like it well done, some like it a bit runny
7. Ready to serve

For me I have this with Warm toasted Garlic and Coriander Naan Bread.

Approximate cost:
Eggs bought 6 for 85p. I use only 2 so that will be 24p
Cherry Tomatoes 1 pound a bunch. I use 1/4 of it so it's about 25p
Parsley i bout a whole bunch for 80p only use like 1/8 of it so about 10p
Naan Bread is 60p for 2. I ate 1 so it's 30p
In total my very satisfying lunch is 89p... HAHAHA... Not even 1 pound

Hello from my New Blog

OK... this is soooooo... annoying... I cannot log back to my Annie 1-2-3 Dish Blog. Because.... wait for it... I forgot the answer to the security question I created myself... owww.. come on... I did that in 2009 and can't remember a single answer to the Qs... Anyhow... this is also good for me to start a new blog on this particular project I am doing.

I am now in Brighton, UK doing my MA under the Chevening Scholarship for 2012/13.
Sooo... as a student and also as international student who will bring her family to live with her in UK....
Saving up and being wise with your money is crucial.
In my opinion, studying abroad can be scary if you lose control of your financial management. The biggest spending you have is on Accomodation, Transportation, Communication and Food.

So this blog is dedicated to my ideas of budget menu, which are simple, wholesome and tasty. There's no need to stuck to Instant noodle or fast food restaurant. If you have a kitchen with very very basic kit you can basically do ANYTHING and save like MILLIONs of dollars, pounds, rupiahs etc...

So Welcome and Have fun!!!
Do share your budget recipes too if you have any...

xoxo

Helena Rijoly-Matakupan