I'm not kidding, it is as easy as counting up to 5!

Tip 1: I love panchetta and I usually add them to any dish that calls for bacon, or just to up the ante for any stir fry veggie
Tip 2: Please only use the real deal parmigiano reggiano. I will not recommend using a substitute or the powdered in a bottle one. I have made a mistake of buying one before, never again.
Tip 3: Have everything ready. Mis-en-place you all! I might be an organised chaos lady but I usually have my ingredients arranged according to its order of use.
Tip 4: Cut the ingredients in half if there's only 4 of you. We're only 5 but my Jason eats for 3. No lying, he ate 3 plateful of this for dinner and even had the left over for lunch the next day.

Ingredients: 
500 grams spaghetti
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano
4 slices of streaky bacon, diced
154 grams of panchetta (small pack)
8 garlic cloves
Freshly ground black pepper
​Salt

Serves 8

Instructions:
Cook pasta as per package instructions. Drain and reserve a cup of pasta water.

In a medium size bowl, whisk eggs. Once done, add grated Parmegiano and combine with fork. 

Slowly add a tablespoon of pasta water into the egg and cheese mixture, one at a time.  2-3 tablespoons is a good ratio to bring the temperature up. This is to temper the egg and ensure it does not cook as scrambled egg later on. 

In a frying pan, fry your bacon and panchetta on its own fat. If you only have bacon, just double the amount and you are good to go. Once it's brown, depending on how cook you like your bacon bits. Fish it out of the pan and set aside.

Use the fat in the pan to fry the minced garlic. Once it becomes fragrant, add pasta.

Switch the flame off and move the pan to the unused stove top. You will finish cooking your carbonara using the residual heat. This will also ensure your egg does not get scrambled.

Slowly add the egg mixture and quickly toss pasta and egg continuously until pasta is well coated. 

Add more pasta water to achieve the sauce consistency you prefer.

Add the bacon and panchetta bits, pepper and a little bit of salt. I use my Himalayan salt to complete this dish, not too much though because panchetta is salty enough. Serve hot! 

You can add parsley, or other type of herb you feel like having.

Happy Eating!

As I said from the first Spaghetti Challenge issue, Super Meaty Spaghetti, this combination can either wow you or repulse you! 

Tip 1: You should cover your panini or sandwich press with aluminum foil.
Tip 2: The more meat in the filling, the better 

Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, pressed
slices of bread
shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Place butter and garlic in a small bowl. Cover it with clingfilm before melting the butter in the microwave.

Brush both sides of the bread and toast.
​
Top the bread with cheddar cheese. Add spaghetti and meat. Put more cheese on top. Top with second piece of the bread.

Finish it off in a griddle or panini press. 2 minutes each side to ensure the the cheese has melted.

Slice it in half and voila! no more left-over!

I have been meaning to resurrect my blogging which means resurrect my relationship with the kitchen and what better way but to put myself on a challenge.

I thought, why not make as many spaghetti dishes as possible?

Who does not like pasta? One might not love pasta but for sure like it on some level. Actually, I do not know anyone who does not eat pasta at all!

So here we are on my 1st week of Spaghetti Challenge and I decided to do a super meaty sauce that calls for minced chicken, beef and pork. The result was yum!

So far so good. Now I'm all hyped up and excited to think of what variation I will go for next week! 

Tip 1: if you are to create one of the ingredient, then please do it before you start cooking
Tip 2: if you would like your spaghetti with lots of meat, then by all means, increase the quantity of your meat.
Tip 3: if you do not like sugar, then just add one tablespoon. By the way, sugar is a natural food enhancer. I don't use MSG in my cooking but do use sugar from time to time. 

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 lb minced chicken
1/2 lb minced beef
1/2 lb minced pork
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium green capsicum, diced
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
​1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water

Servings: Perfect for 500 grams of pasta.

Instructions:
Brown the meat in a heavy bottomed pot.

Add onion and capsicum and saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 more seconds.

Add tomato paste, sauce and stewed tomatoes, seasonings and water.

​Simmer for 30 minutes.

While this sauce is simmering, in a separate pot, cook spaghetti according to packet instructions.

Personal preference:
I like to keep the sauce and pasta separate. I get a pan and just mix as many pasta to sauce or vice versa I like. That way I can make it spicy if I want to or keep it as is depending on my mood. 

This is what I did with the left over... either you will love it or you will be disgusted. Nothing in between!

Happy Eating!!!

It's one of those recipes I saw in my FB timeline. 

Let's just say this is as easy as counting 1, 2, 3. With three kids, one under one year old, full time work and a house to manage, as much as I want to I really can't spend too much time making dishes.

Tip 1: Use a cupcake liner, I learned it the hard way. Trying to take it out of the mould was not fun
Tip 2: Use a thicker type of bread, I know I would! Thin bread is much too less for a yummy concoction like this
Tip 3: Cook the bacon in advance, keep it in your fridge like one of those reserve
Tip 4: Will be yummy with Garlic Mushroom on the side or buttered asparagus!

Ingredients
3 slices of thick white bread
6 eggs
6 bacon strips, cooked but not crispy
Cheddar cheese shreds
Dash of pepper

Direction:
Pre-heat the oven at 400 F

Line the pan with cupcake liner

Cut the bread in 6 circle shapes to fit the bottom of the liner

Place the bacon on top of the bread as a wall for the egg

Add as much or as little shredded cheddar cheese on top of the bread

Crack the eggs in the middle

A dash of pepper

Bake it for 15 minutes

Serve with sauteed garlic mushroom in butter or buttered asparagus and you'll have a one of a kind brunch on your hand! Baked egg cushioned on a bed of cheese and bread deliciously hugged by bacon