I like Japanese noodle soup for its healthful benefits. This kind of noodle soup is not rich in flavor or taste. The texture is also very simple. However, with simple dish like this, we can really test the quality of the noodle, the broth and other ingredents.

Cooking this noodle soup is very simple and fast. It is best for a quick lunch. Sometimes when I am busy over meal time and I don’t really feel like hungry, I still make this quick noodle so that I will not go all the day with an empty stomach. After finishing a bowl of this noodle, I often feel very refreshed and relaxed.

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It is simple, but it is the best way to really test the taste and the chewy texture of the soba noodle. Zaru in Japanese means ‘the basket’. Due to the way the soba is place on a small bamboo basket that it was given the name. I love to have soba in this simple way because the taste is mild and very comforting. In addition, it is very quick to make. Whenever I am in short for meal, I would think of this dish. Whenever I crave for something light to eat to refresh my appetite, I would think about this noodle.

This cold noodle may be served together with shredded spring onion, grated daikon radish, wasabi or quail eggs.

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Ingredients: (serves 2)

- 200g dried fettucine

- 25ml olive oil

- 300g button mushroom, sliced

- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

- 2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded, diced

- 2 tbs tomato puree

- 50ml white wine

- 100ml thick cream 

- 1/16 tsp ground nutmeg

- flat-leaf parsley, chopped

- salt, pepper

- grated parmesan, to serve

Cooking:

- Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and keep warm.

- Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and tomato puree, cook until just boiled then stir in the wine. Cover with the lid and simmer until the mixture is thickened.

- Add cream, nutmeg and parsley to the sauce. Cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

- Pour the sauce over fettucine and sprinkle with grated parmesan.  

Sambal adds the spicy flavor to these thin slices of beef. I am not a fan of spicy food, however, this dish did make me feel palatable. Again, as usual, when making spicy food of other Asian cuisine such as Indian, Malay, Thai or Indonesian, I will reduce the amount of spicy ingredients, otherwise I will not find the food delicious at all. When the spicy taste is too overwhelming, I hardly eat anything at all and only drink water

Serving this spicy beef with steamed rice on cool days is great.

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This pasta is very simple yet offers authentic taste and flavor. When feeling tired, I only like having something simple and light to eat. This pasta with the fragrance of lemon and the mild sourness made me more relaxed. 

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 This is my quick, simple and healthy pasta. 

Zucchini is quickly saute with garlic in olive oil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Then mix the pasta with sauteed zucchini, sprinkle with grated parmesan. 

Fresh blueberries are so perfect for this soft-baked cookies. You can sense the texture of the chocolate chips. And it is interesting that at each bite, you will wonder whether you can bite into a blueberry or not. The juice from the fresh blueberries inside the cookies comes out into the mouth, blending into the soft texture of the cookies makes a wonderful moment.

While in the oven, some blueberries may break out and the juice may run onto the baking sheet. Looking at that moment, I felt very eager and started to imagine the blueberries melting in my mouth with their mild sour juice.

Anyway, I love sweet treat with berries !

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This soup is very tasty to serve with French bread. 

Ingredients: (serves 2)

- 1/2 tbs olive oil

- 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced 

- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

- 1 sweet corn, remove kernels

- 2 medium potatoes, diced

- 2 tbs dried small shrimps, washed and soaked in water

- 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock

- 120ml milk

- 2 tbs. cream

- salt, pepper, paprika 

- a handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Cooking:

- Hea tthe oil in a saucepan. Add the leek and garlic to cook for 2 minutes.

- Add the corn, potatoes, dried shrimps (including the soaking water), chicken stock and milk. Cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are softened but not broken apart. 

- Remove the lid and cook until the soup is thickened. Take out 1 cup of the soup and put in the blender or food processor, process until smooth. Return to the saucepan. Add cream, salt, pepper, paprika and parsley. Remove from the heat.