Wednesday, February 8, 2012

MARINARA SAUCE RECIPE. MOZZARELLA SAUCE RECIPE. TEN GREATCOOKING TIPS.

HOW TO MAKE MARINARA SAUCE FOR PASTAS.
HOW TO MAKE MOZZARELLA SAUCE FOR PASTAS
TEN GREAT COOKING TIPS.
COOKING TIPS:

1-How to tone down the sweetness of  tomato sauce? 
 In  spaghetti sauce, what is too sweet, just  add balsamic vinegar

2-Why does  spaghetti sauce go watery when put on spaghetti? 
 Basically, you rinsed your spaghetti after you cooked it. You removed the starch which makes the sauce stick. If you overcook your pasta, you're not allowing it to absorb that last bit of moisture out of the sauce.
Best way to avoid watery sauce is to take your pasta out of the boiling water when it is not completely cooked (this is called "al dente"), then, without rinsing it, finish your pasta in the hot sauce until you reach the appropriate doneness –
3-How long to steam Brussels sprouts?
 All vegetables retain most of their nutrients when steamed for short periods of time. Two to three minutes on steam should be enough ...then it is cooked…”al-dente”.

4-How to keep celery crisp?  
Start by trimming each stalk, rinsing and placing them in a plastic bag rather than storing the whole bunch intact

5-How to retain the whiteness when cooking white rice? 
Add a few drops of lime or lemon  juice


6-Alternative to fresh coconut? 
 In the US try Unsweetened dry grated coconut . Add water according to direction on the box


7- How to stop cut fruits( bananas, avocado, pears and apples) and potatoes from browning? 
Take some citrus, lemon or lime juice and coat the fruit with it. Browning is caused when  the oxygen in air reacts with these fruits and create a naturally occuring enzyme called polyphenol oxidase.
Lemon juice is acidic (citric acid) so you are changing pH/ acidity of enzyme.
Citrus acid deactivate (denaturing) / kill these browning  enzymes in fruits.

8- How hot does vegetable oil need to be, for a fry?
Ideally, cooking oil should be around 350 degrees perhaps up to 375 to fry. Any lower than that, and it may take too long to fry...

9-How much salt is too much?
A typical person needs 4g of salt per day. Very few people need more than 6g of salt per day.  Salt removes calcium from the body
My  Foodie blogger friend Jasna said:
About salt - basicaly we don't need extra salt in our cooking because all vegetables alreadu contain some salt. Salt enhances taste (I use it - guilty); the more we use it, the more we crave it (our tasting buds become 'depended'). 

10- What food ingredients has high calcium content?
Calcium is the basis for strong bones. Adults need 1200 milligrams per day. 
A glasss-8 oz milk, whether skim, low fat, or whole, has about 300 milligrams of calcium.
 Milk and dairy products contain calcium.
People who are not lactose- tolerant should drink Lactose-free milk. Removing lactose from milk and dairy foods does not affect their calcium content.
Spinach and broccoli contain several types of calcium, you should get the type which is closest to what is found in milk,  Also good are sardine fish and cabbage.

Half cup of cabbage  ( crisp cooked )provides the same calcium as an 8-ounce glass of milk...
A cup of yogurt has the same calcium content as an 8-ounce glass of milk.
Daily needs will  be 3 glasses of milk OR 1 ½ cup cabbage OR  3 cups yogurt . …or a combination of  these. However, seaweed contains 10 times more calcium than milk.

HOW TO MAKE A MARINARA SAUCE FOR PASTAS.
Marinara sauce is a popular bold Italian sauce. There are several types of ingredients variation,  but the basic is just tomato sauce with some spices/ herbs. Mine is spicier, and I always boil my minced meat with some ginger to get of the meaty smell..
Ingredients:
1- Plum or Pear tomatoes- cut
2- 1 ½ cup mixed seafood
3- 1 cup cut fresh or canned mushrooms
4- 2 cups  (canned)  tomato sauce or puree
5- 1 tsp fresh basil and  1 tsp oregano powder/spice
5- Parmesan or romano cheese
6- 1 tspn Onion powder and 1 tbsp crushed garlic and chili flakes
7- Olive oil
THE WAY TO COOK:
Boil your pasta, strain and set aside once cooked.
- In a cooking pot, drizzle some olive oil, turn heat on low-
 Add in onion powder and crushed garlic.
-Add in seafood of your choice- prawns, mussels, clams, fish , calamari,
 crab filaments - turn to medium heat and stir
-When almost cooked, add in slice mushrooms and cut  tomatoes
-After 2 minutes, add in tomato sauce/ puree
- When cooked, add in chili flakes,  chopped fresh basil  and oregano
 (or dried, but not as flavorful) and after 2 minutes , turn off fire.
-Pour sauce over pasta on serving plates  and garnish with 
grated Parmesan  or  Romano cheese
Makes 2 – 3 servings
Tips:
 Everybody does marinara sauce a little differently. Try what seems best to you and you will figure out what works and what doesn't..You can chop some hot chili or chili flakes and add them if you want spicy sauce. Put the chilli in with the onions, before you add the tomatoes.  As always, fresh herbs ingredients are best. Leftover marinara sauce can be used to make a pizza or it's very tasty  as sandwich.
·    
HOW TO MAKE MOZZARELLA SAUCE
Get your pasta ready cooked. Spaghetti hair takes about 7 minutes to cook.
An average spaghetti and pasta shells will take about 10 minutes to cook.

Ingredients:
¼  cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
28 oz canned tomato puree
5 oz shredded  mozzarella cheese
1 cup lightly packed, fresh chopped basil leaves
Salt, chili flakes  and pepper
How to cook:
In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté garlic for 2 minutes or until golden brown
Add tomato puree and simmer for 20 minutes over low hea.
Add mozzarella and basil, stir until cheese melts.
Season with  salt , chili flakes and  pepper
Serves Six persons
Tips:
-Do not leave your cooking unattended, sauce thickens upon standing.
-Great for pasta shells and spaghetti hair

48 comments:

  1. tasty sauce
    pics are inviting mouth watering

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    1. hi sm, thank for your visit and sweet comments. have a nice

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  2. wonderful post, homemade sauces are always the best...looks great !!

    Join with me for the Just "4" Fun event :)

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    1. hi sobha, thank you for your visit, yes, homemade food is best.. clean too. have a nice day

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    2. hi Ms. Wan, i will be honoured if you really participate in my event, more happy as u said it will be your first event :)

      Join me for the Just "4" Fun event :)

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    1. hi julie have a great day and thanks for your visit dear

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  4. Oh, yummy!! Kids love spaghetti so much! Another great recipe and tips from you Wan! :) Muaaaaahhhhhh!! Good morning!:)

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    1. hi linda, how are you, cook spaghetti today? try mozzarella... this kind of food is easy to prepare.
      your kids will love them..you too . have a nice day

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  5. Interesting cooking tips, wan. This is new knowledge for me.
    I never try mozzarella sauce before. It looks delicious. I have to try them someday :)

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    1. hi nash, thanks for your visit, you are not alone, quite a number are new to mozzarella sauce.. of course marinara is a very familiar sauce, but with a slight ingredient variance.. have a nice day

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  6. Hi Wan! Thank you for the tip on that watery part. I love spaghetti and my favorite still aglia olio hehehehe because the most simple spaghetti ever. I want to try your marinara sauce though!

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    1. hi cindyrina. glad you came, how is yoga.. always aglia? oh my.. please make yourself try out my recipes here.. you wont want olio anymore after that..ha ha have a nice day

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  7. The mozzarella sauce sounds delicious!

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    1. hi yummy chunklet, many thanks for coming over dear.. well, with mozzarella..? must be delicious for sure.. have a great day

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  8. That is a lot f good tips!Always wondered why my spagetthi becomes watery. Looks good!

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    1. hi linda, glad you came over and the "runny spaghetti sauce" tip benefits you . have a nice day

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  9. weeeeeeee..I love this post Wan..my hon's family always cook spaghetti hihihi..thank you for always giving us useful tips..it is a brilliant idea..oh have you visited my hon's site..hihihi..he has a new post Wan..thank you for being our friend 。◕‿◕。

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    1. hi sie, glad you came , sure you can cook pasta very well..yes, i visited you hon during the day and read/commented- quite emotional, his diapy will go away soon... ha ha thanks for telling me, i give you both my blogging support. have a nice day dear friend.

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  10. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post! Beautiful photos and so delectable!

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    1. hi treat and trick, many thanks for coming and appreciating my post, likewise i also enjoyed reading and learning new recipes from you. have a nice day

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  11. Lovely pasta recipe to go with the mozzarella sauce. Rinsing the pasta after boiling is to stop it from cooking further and to keep the texture intact. Draining out the water will work to prevent the sauce from becoming watery. This is how I have been cooking pasta and it has worked best so far for me.

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    1. hi nava, thanks for coming.glad you want to try out the mozzarella, its yummy. have a great day.. hows your garden growing..waiting for your rosemary plant to grow

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    2. hi nava, thanks for coming.glad you want to try out the mozzarella, its yummy. have a great day..
      hows your garden growing..waiting for your rosemary plant to grow

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  12. Wonderful post. Homemade sauce always good for health..

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    1. hi chandrani, how are you these days, glad you came and like my post. have a nice day

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  13. Love to read your cooking tips always! It makes a difference in the kitchen.............now I will definitely try the mozzarella sauce, maybe tonight even, it looks so good.
    Have a nice day Wan! Take care

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    1. hi marie, thanks for being here, i like the mozzarella sauce plus a lot of sliced/grated salad on top. have a nice day, you take care as well

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  14. That was nice read for me MS Wan, as always nice tips. Love the picture of spaghetti pasta :) My kids love pasta especially my son, so I end up making pasta atleast once a week but never got a chance to click n post as they just attack over the pasta immediately :)

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    1. hi prathiba, glad you like my post, thanks for visiting, your kinds are so cute, your pasta sauce must be very delicious. ha ha have a great day... nice knowing you

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  15. i love this...totally yummy

    Aarthi
    http://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/

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    1. hi aarthi, thank you for visiting, how are you, have a nice day

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  16. Delicious...
    About salt - basicaly we don't need extra salt in our cooking because all vegetables alreadu contain some salt. Salt enhances taste (I use it - gilty); the more we use it, the more we crave it (our tasting buds become 'depended').

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    1. Hi jasna, thanks for coming over, and thanks so much for the salt tip, am going to add this tip in my post.. have a nice day

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  17. Many of my favourite foods are in this post today, I am drooling now looking at them. Will try your recipe next time I have a chance.

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    1. hi lunaticg, ahaa now i know your favorite food, after so many posts, i am glad you as my regular visitor, finally found some suitable recipes. thanks for your visit and have a nice day..

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  18. What nice array of delicious food! I like both the sauces.

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    1. hi quay po, how are you , glad you came and like this post, have a nice day...

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  19. Hi Wan,It looks so good,makes me drool..maybe I will try this on Sunday..interesting cooking tips,thanks.
    Regarding the guest post..love the idea,thank you so much..my email sujasugathan78@gmail.com.

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    1. hi suja, many thanks to you for coming over with such inspiring comment. Looking forward to having you be my guest.. will be in touch on this. have a nice day dear.

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  20. Wonderful post...Its really helpful...Recipe looks yumm..

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    1. hi reshmi, thanks for your visit and sweet comment.
      have a nice day

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  21. Hi....thnx for the nice comments in my space......both the sauce recipes are fantastic n thanks for sharing some great tips......also thnx for letting me know abt the blogs error.....pz let me know if u get the same in future !

    Http://Onlyfishrecipes.blogspot.com/

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    1. hi sonali, thank you ...sure will let you know and have a nice day, glad you lke this post

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  22. Hi Wan, very interesting. But as I eat to live not live to eat, will just eat whatever is put in front of me....but my preference is spicy food, preferably Malay food.
    Hmmmm, should have married a Malay, ha ha.

    You sure know your stuff here re exotic foods....and great pics too.
    Have a pleasant weekend, and stay beautiful.
    Lee.

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    1. Hi Lee, thank you for being here.. i eat to live too but i blog on foodie.. varieties. i posted on some malay food too, but most of the exotic (genuine traditional) ones are not meant for blog post..apart from the ingredients, the cooking methods are also very lengthy plus many tips needed, to get it done well.
      if you are my neighbor, i will cook gourmet malay food for you to try out. ha ha
      have a wonderful day

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  23. Love it. I have been looking for marinara sauce for a while. Bookmarking it. Thanks for sharing Wan.

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    1. hi Uma thanks for the visit and liking this post..have a nice day

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