SHINE!

You can never have too much garlic, right? I saw the original recipe for this dish at A Year of Crockpotting and sort of “salivated” over the thought of slowly cooked chicken in a bed of forty cloves of garlic rolling on my tongue. Yum!

Needless to say, I copied her recipe but added a few other ingredients for extra kick. What else did I put aside from the onions, garlic, pepper, paprika and teaspoon of olive oil? Herbs. Basil, Rosemary and Chili powder.

It. Was. Heaven!

I also made some mashed potatoes to go along with the chicken and as expected, the Hubby had a blast!

This shrimp dish is a bit like Szechuan shrimp but it is also not quite the famous Chinese food that Szechuan shrimp is… Am I making sense? Anyway, to put it simply, this also has that spicy, tomatoey flavor plus more. It’s something I made from scratch yet again and yes, with much success too!

Ingredients:
Shrimps (You can choose to shell, devein and slice them in half if you want. Mine’s cooked with shell and head and well, it’s just a preference.)
fresh Basil leaves chopped
peppercorns
tomato sauce, about 1/4 cup only
ketchup, dollop
onions, minced
garlic, minced
dried Rosemary leaves
dash of Cumin
dash of Oregano
dash of salt
cooking oil
Tabasco sauce or any preferred spice agent
1 piece chili cut in half

Procedure:
1. Saute garlic, onions then shrimps. Let the shrimps cook until their color changes to light orange.

2. Throw in basil, pepper corns and the rest of the herb ingredients. Stir to blend all the flavors.

3. Pour tomato sauce with a little water, spice agent/ hot sauce and sliced chili.

4. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens.

5. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables.

Remember those sun-dried tomatoes I had out on the balcony as well as those that I made from the microwave-oven? I finally got a good use for them with my pasta puttanesca.
They raised the dish to a whole new level, they rendered that surprisingly delicious soury taste that made the whole thing a pleasant meal experience.
Plus, this pasta dish is so simple, filling and quick, it’s the best alternative meal for those busy weekdays and jampacked weekends. Here’s my own recipe, please feel free to experiment and change or add up to what I have, this one works well for me and my family but you could most definitely let those creative juices flow and alter a little to suit your tastes:

Ingredients:
olive oil
Parmesan cheese
fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
a dollop of pesto
sun dried tomatoes, about 6 pieces
fresh and ripe tomatoes, halved
anchovies
black pitted olives, quartered or sliced in half (your choice)
optional: capers (I don’t like capers much so I didn’t use it on this dish)
pasta
salt to taste
dried basil leaves (optional)
garlic (optional)

Procedure:
Cook pasta according to package directions or al-dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat a pan and pour a little olive oil. Sliced side down, line the tomatoes on the pan and sprinkle a little salt and dried basil leaves on them. Let them cook for about three minutes, or just until they’re soft enough. Turn to cook the other side and set aside.

Using the same pan, pour a generous amount of oil, cook the anchovies until they blend well with the oil. You can put a little garlic along with it if you want, but it is not necessary. Put in the fresh basil and dollop of pesto. Stir. Let cook for a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and using your laddle or spoon, press on each tomato until the skin and meat separates and blend together with the oil and anchovies. Mix in the olives and let the whole sauce simmer for three to five minutes.

Reduce heat to low and pour in your cooked pasta, toss together with the sun dried tomatoes until well blended. Replace in a serving dish, top with Parmesan cheese and garnish with basil leaves. Put a slice or two of pesto or garlic bread on the side to complete not just the look, but the meal.

Pesto bread alternative:
1. Get a slice of loaf bread
2. slice in half to make two triangles
3. spread on a coat of butter and pesto
4. Toast

buon appetito!