Here's another "one-pan" recipe and have dinner ready in 30mins!
Singaporeans love eating Leek during Chinese New Year. It's Chinese name 大č (da4 suan4) with č sounding like įŽ, which means counting; symbolises the counting of money and is considered an auspicious food with its association to good wealth.
While it is not Chinese New Year and we are in fact entering Winter in Australia, it is the season for Leek. Right now, they are the cheapest vegetable in the supermarket, at only A$1.50 each. So Chinese New Year or not, I decided to get one and prepare a fuss-free meal with it.
One Pan Creamy Leek, Mushrooms and Chicken Spaghetti (serves 2-3)
1 Chicken Breast, sliced
10g Onion, minced
10g Garlic, minced
200g Mushrooms, sliced
1 Leek, leaves and roots removed, sliced
150g Spaghetti
450g Heavy cream
150-250g Water
3 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper
Optional
small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
chili flakes
1. Pat dry the chicken breast slices and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a frying pan/skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp of oil and sear the chicken breast till both sides are browned. Remove from pan and reserved.
3. In the same pan/skillet, saute the minced onion and garlic till fragrant and onion turns slightly translucent.
4. Add in the mushrooms and leek and cook till mushrooms has softened slightly.
5. Stir in the heavy cream, water and bay leaves. Season with salt then add in the spaghetti.
6. Cover pan to bring mixture to a boil. Then stir frequently for about 5mins, adding more water if needed.
7. Returned the chicken breasts into the pan, nestle them into the spaghetti. Cover and simmer for 5mins.
8. Toss and coat everything with cream sauce, garnish with chopped parsley (if using) and serve.
If you like this recipe and would like to share it, please link to this blog post with its original contents. All recipes are created by me (unless otherwise stated) and require a lot of effort and time to craft. Crediting back is the biggest form of encouragement for me! Thank you! =)
Thoughts: Leek has a mild onion-y taste that some might find it challenging to swallow. But like onion, this pungent taste gets mellowed during cooking and turns into a mild sweetness. This is especially effective when cooked in a cream based sauce like this dish.
What I love about this dish is that it's creamy and hearty, with vegetables, protein and carbs all in one dish. It hit all the right notes on a cold wintery night. To make it even more awesome, grate some Parmesan cheese over the spaghetti before serving!
Since it only takes 30mins to cook, I didn't have to slog in the kitchen for too long, which is very important because it's Friday night and everyone deserve to chillax, and slump in front of the TV with a drink in your hand!
If you've tried this dish or other recipes, do share your yummy creations with us on facebook or tag @whattobaketoday on instagram!
All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Mother's day is around the corner again, have you gotten her a present yet? Perhaps you have already planned a fun day out with her, or made a heart-warming, tear-jerking, homemade card saying how much you love and appreciate her? Whatever your gift is, your Mum will definitely love it!
This year, though we still can't be home to celebrate Mother's day with our families, but like last year's Apple Rose Tart, I still want to create something for Mummy dearest for the occasion, albeit something simple.
Elderflower Strawberry Waffles (serves 2)
Mixture A
50g Strawberries, finely diced
30g Elderflower liqueur/cordial
Mixture B
100g Milk, whole fat
50g Oil
50g Elderflower liqueur/cordial
1 Egg
Mixture C
100g Plain flour
1g Baking powder
1g Dried Elderflower
30g Sugar
pinch of salt
1. Leave (A) to macerate for at least 15mins. Mix (B) till homogenous and sift (C).
2. Pour (B) into (C), stir it a few times before adding (A). Continue stirring till the mixture is smooth with no visible flour-lumps.
3. Leave the mixture to rest for 10mins and heat up the machine while waiting.
4. Pour batter into machine and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Love the strawberry bits within the waffles! đ
Optional to serve
Fresh Berries
Chopped Almonds
Dried Elderflowers
Maple Syrup
Elderflower Cream (if using)
100g Heavy cream
30g Elderflower liqueur/cordial
20g Icing sugar
5. Whip heavy cream and icing sugar till stiff peaks and fold the liqueur through it. Keep chilled till serving.
6. Cut up the waffles and plate as you desire.
If you like this recipe and would like to share it, please link to this blog post with its original contents. All recipes are created by me (unless otherwise stated) and require a lot of effort and time to craft. Crediting back is the biggest form of encouragement for me! Thank you! =)
Thoughts: Since we came back only last week, I didn't have as much time to give it as much thought. The first time I put together these flavours was for the Elderflower and Strawberry Roses Cake I made for Mummy's belated birthday 2 years ago. I remember she enjoyed the flavour combination very much, she'll probably enjoy this as well. Plus, with cafe, brunch-style food on the rise and its increasing popularity, I think Mummy will be proud to show this dish off to her friends, knowing that I made this "for her". đ
Like previously mentioned in the old post, elderflower and strawberries are very pleasing flavours, even more so when place together. A little feminine, if I might say, but definitely still a crowd pleaser.
The elderflower liqueur can be a little challenging to find, and it can be quite pricey too. Substituting with elderflower cordial will be more cost effective but it has an acidic base that will impart a slight sourish taste to the waffles, so exercise caution when substituting. Preferably start with a lesser amount than the recipe calls for.
For the garnish and toppings, you can use anything you want, most berries will go well. Though if possible, I highly recommend keeping the elderflower cream for creaminess (and boozinessđ
) and chopped almonds for its crunch. Otherwise, a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream will be incredible too! There are no hard and fast rules about it. Likewise for the decorations, do it to your heart's desire. I did 2 different ways here, 1 as a atas (high end), plated dessert wannabe and the other as a casual, cafe-style, waffle stack. Cut it into heart shape, or make them into bite-sized, there's no right or wrong way, but Mum will definitely love it even more if you serve the waffles as "breakfast-in-bed"!đ
If you tried this recipe, or captured your Mum's surprised look when she sees your beautiful creation, be sure to share with us on facebook or tag @whattobaketoday on instagram!
All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
