Chicken Carbonara in Red Sauce

Ingredients

Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 diced bacon

1 cup diced chicken breast

1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, green peas, corn)

1 cup fresh tomatoes (diced)

1 cup grated cheese

1 cup milk (regular, skimmed - any will do)

1 can (751g or 10LB) tomato and herbs sauce (del monte)

Dash of black pepper

Dash of basil

Dash of oregano

Dash of parsley

Dash of coriander 

Dash of Tabasco hot sauce 

Pasta 

2 cups water 

1 tbsp oil (regular oil)

Dash of salt

Dash of thyme

Garnish (optional)

Parmesan cheese 

Tarragon

Cucumber 

Olives (pitted)

1. Heat olive oil - add garlic and onions - dash of black pepper, basil and oregano. Sautée.

2. When onions are slightly soft - add chicken and bacon. Sautée for 5 minutes. Add mixed vegetables. Mix and let it cook. 

3. When chicken is white - add cheese and milk. Simmer for 5 minutes. 

4. Add dash of tabasco hot sauce and pour in tomatoes. Mix. Pour in tomato sauce. Mix and simmer for 5 minutes as seen on the photo below.

5. Add in parsley and coriander.

Pasta 

1. Bring two cups of water to boil. Add regular oil and dash of salt. 

2. Once water is boiled. Add pasta and simmer for 10 minutes with regular stirring.

3. Once pasta is cook - drain and add a dash of thyme. Mix and let it cool.

Finish product 

I love pasta and I'm proud to say that it's one of my specialty - be it beef, chicken or seafoods - you can count that I make the yummiest one :)

Also, it's my first time to use cucumber as garnish and surprisingly it blended well with the sauce and pasta. And must you wonder why I'm using the twisted pasta - I prefer this over the regular ones. It's easier to dress up and present :) 

PS for boiling the pasta - I suggest that you make it to 2 tbsp of oil instead of just one to make it more flexible after draining :)

Beefy Situation

Ingredients

* Beef Strips

(it's a thinly sliced meat that looks like a bacon but it's beef)

* Sauce Mix

Dash of Basil

Dash of Coriander

Dash of Black Pepper

Dash of Minced Garlic

Dash of Parsley 

Dash of Turmeric

Dash of Curry Powder

(i indicated "dash" because the flavour solely depends on your appetite for spices. you can go up higher than just a dash on any of the spices i've mentioned. also you can opt for fresh basil, parsley and coriander but since this is for a sauce where the beef is to be soaked, it is best to used the ones sold by bottles or minced dried leaves)

A Tablespoon of Honey

A Tablespoon of Korean Pepper Paste

A Tablespoon of Olive Oil

One Whole Yellow Lemon

Mixed Vegetables - boiled, optional

(diced carrots, onions, tomatoes, green peas and corn/ broccoli was optional)

Garnish

Orange Skin

Lemon

Dried Tarragon Leaves

Olives

Procedure

*Wash Beef Strips in running water. Drain. Set aside.

*In a bowl, Mix all Sauce Ingredients. Add Beef Strip. Mix well. Set aside.

*Heat frying pan over medium fire and add Beef Strips.

*Cook until Sauce lightly disappears or when Beef Strips becomes a little semi grilled looking.

(i didn't indicate adding of oil while heating the frying pan because we already added Olive Oil on the Sauce Mix thus the Beef Strips are to cook on its own oil while being semi grilled on the pan.)

Finish Product. Since I'm really into food presentation, I decided to used the Orange Skin as a bowl for the Beef Strips and garnish some of its peeled skin on the entire meal. Food presentation is not just for the professionals but also for those foodie who loves a little twist in their platter :)

I superbly enjoy today's experiment. Yesterday, I saw Jamie Oliver mixing up some BBQ sauce for a recipe and on it, he added honey and I've been mixing some blends since I started preparing Korean Beef BBQ in the passed months and earlier, I thought Honey would totally rock the flavour with its sweet tingle sensation and it didn't fail me. I absolutely love the smell and taste. If only there was a way to smell the photos I've taken - you'd surely fall in love with it :) 'Til next cooking experiment. 

xoxo

Niksie :)