purple pepper

It gives me so much pleasure cooking for my family especially on the weekends. It reminds me that it was a pretty challenging week for us to juggle both work and parenthood, and Sunday is the only day I get to be a mom and a wife exclusively, because my son’s Nana takes the day off. I always cherish our Sundays, because I get to have my two boys all to myself.

During the course of the week, our home-cooked meals are usually prepared by Nana. We like her cooking because she usually prepares Ilocano food which husband and I grew up on. :)

I usually plan our Sunday meals ahead of time. We allocate Sunday for Seafoods, because it’s the only time of the week I also get to go out to the market and pick out the freshest fish, clams, oysters, mussels, shrimp, crabs and other shells I might fancy cooking. I just go to the local market in Mandaluyong City, but I heard Farmer’s got the best of seafood any market can offer! I’d like to go there sometime soon. But that’s another story altogether.

This Sunday, I wanted to top off my previous post, and prepared a tweaked version of Puttanesca and added Shrimp and Tinapa (Smoked Milk Fish). This is my labor of love, which my two boys downed with gusto, my:

SHRIMP and TINAPA PASTA PUTTANESCA WITH FRESH BASIL and CILANTRO

INGREDIENTS:
1. Shelled Shrimp from the Groceries
2. Tinapang Bangus (Smoked Milk Fish)
3. Minced Garlic (about 6 cloves)
4. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
5. Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes in Can
6. Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom
7. Black Olives
8. Capers
9. Italian Style Spaghetti Sauce
10. Half Cup of grated Cheddar Cheese
11. Dried Oregano
12. Salt and Pepper to Taste
13. Fresh Basil
14. Fresh Cilantro
15. OPTIONAL: Parmesan Cheese, Chili Flakes, Toasted Garlic Chips
16. A pack of your choice of any Pasta

WHIP IT UP:
1. Cook Pasta according to package instructions. But to give you a tip, I put oil, salt and mix it with curry powder and wait until the water boils to put in the Pasta. Curry Powder adds more flavor to the Pasta, and will complement any Red Sauce Dishes you prepare. Ssshhh :)
2. On a skillet, add EVOO, and garlic. Wait for the garlic to toast a bit.
3. Add Tinapa flakes
4. Add Shrimp
5. Add Dried Oregano, dash of salt and pepper
6. Stir in all the liquids: Italian Tomato Sauce, Cream of Mushroom and Canned Diced Tomatoes
7. Wait for it to boil, before you add the Cheddar Cheese
8. Wait for the Cheddar Cheese to melt before you add the sliced Black Olives, Capers, Fresh Basil and Cilantro
10. Adjust according to taste.
11. Optional garnishes are: Toasted Garlic Chips, Parmesan, Chili Flakes
12. Serve with Love.

 

ENJOY THE DISH and Tag me if you have prepared this too! <3

 

I read about this recipe sometime ago from one of the food blogs online, but I can’t seem to remember the exact link anymore, so just drop me a message if this is one of your original recipe, so I may properly give credit to you.

Every Sunday is a Family Day for us and we see to it that we always have Seafood for lunch and/or dinner, so hence, our newest family tradition: Seafood Sunday. This inspiration I’m about to share with you is from my mom, who spent a few days in Manila with us, to take care of his grandson, my 3 yo son, Santori. Mama lives in Olongapo with the rest of my siblings and my Papa. So when she came to Manila for a visit, she came with “pasalubong” (gifts) of Bagoong Isda (Fish Sauce), Sukang Tagalog (some local Olongapeno Vinegar which isn’t too sour), Tinapang Aligasin (Smoked Fish) and Tuyo (Dried Fish).

So last Seafood Sunday, I was sort of craving for Creamy Tuyo Pasta, so we went to the Groceries and bought some ingredients for the recipe. You all can’t imagine how happy my husband was when I served him this dish. He gratefully went for seconds and even brought some left-over pasta for his “baon” (lunch) for office the next day. Here’s the recipe! Hope you all have fun with it and please drop me a message, comment, or share your own version as well. :)

CREAMY TUYO PASTA
INGREDIENTS:
1. Dried Tomatoes
2. 8 cloves of Minced Garlic
3. Tuyo Flakes (you can use Gourmet Tuyo in bottles just like what my uncle did)
4. Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom
5. Nestle Cream or any All Purpose Cream / White Cream perhaps 
6. Dried Basil (fresh Basil would do wonders too)
7. Dried Oregano
8. Dried Thyme
9. Black Pepper
10. Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan Cheese)
11. Spaghetti Noodles (or any kind of noodles would do) 
12. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) 

WHIP IT UP:
1. Cook Noodles according to package instructions. Drain. Set aside.
2. Heat up the pan and pour atleast 3 table spoonfuls of EVOO.
3. Stir in Dried Tomatoes with Minced Garlic.
4. Just before the Garlic turns brown, stir in the Tuyo Flakes.
5. Add Basil, Oregano, Thyme and Pepper to taste.
6. Add Cream of Mushroom and Nestle Cream. 
7. Taste, and add either salt or pepper and adjust according to your taste.
8. Turn off heat when sauce boils.
9. Add the Pasta in the pan and mix in the sauce.
10. Top with Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Basil to garnish.
11. Serve with Love.

Here’s what I came up with. Excuse the crappy photo, I’m no photographer! LOL! :)
 

BUT LOOK AT MY UNCLE’S VERSION!! Well, I call him Kuya Joseph because he doesn’t look like an Uncle, because he looks really young! Haha! Kuya Joseph came up with something of his own and tweaked it according to his taste. His is a lot better, I tell ya. Yay Kuya! I’m proud, because his friends are asking for the recipe too. So here it is! :)


ENJOY!! Please tag me to share your own version! Would love to try out new Pinoy Pasta recipe’s over the weekend to share with you all again.

SMILE AND HAPPY EATING! :) <3