It’s the start of the New Year and I thank you for reading Kitchen Rescue every Thursday.

In gratitude, I am sharing some recipes (for you to clip, keep and cook through 2014). These are recipes that I feel like eating after the very rich holiday fare.
At the end of the day, we still end up choosing what our tastebuds find most comforting. I guess next week is when we really start trying to lose weight!

Bon appétit!

Ensaladang Pako
I was gifted with a box of kiwi. It was such a pity to see it go to waste, so I made a vinaigrette out of it to serve with my pako (fiddlehead fern) salad. You may omit the kiwis and the vinaigrette will still taste great. Don’t forget to season to your taste.

Dressing:

1/3 c Lola Conching Virgin vinegar or any local vinegar you wish to use
6 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp crushed garlic
¼ c sliced onions
¼ c water
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

2 kiwi fruits, peeled
¼ c oil

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Let simmer 10 minutes or until reduced to half.
Remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a blender and add the kiwis.

Pulse.
Slowly add the oil in a fine stream.
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Adjust sugar, according to taste.
Refrigerate dressing and serve cold.

Salad:

1 k pako, washed well, tender fronds snipped (only use tender parts of the pako)
¼ k cooked shrimps, shelled and poached
2 tomatoes, seeded and sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
2 salted eggs, sliced
6 shallots, thinly sliced
½ k grapes, washed, cut in
half

Arrange salad components in a bowl. Chill and serve with kiwi dressing

Pasta with Garlic Baked Crabs
4 crabs, cleaned and halved, with top shells reserved
6 tbsp butter
4 tbsp olive oil
1/3 c pounded garlic
2 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp green onions, chopped
2 tbsp parsley
¼ c white wine
Combine butter, olive oil, garlic, pepper flakes, salt, green onions and chopped parsley. Mix well.
Generously brush mixture on crabs.
Splash a bit of wine over crabs.
Bake crabs for 10-12 minutes in a pre-heated 350º F oven.

Pasta:
500 g Linguine, cook according to manufacturer’s instructions
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ c garlic, sliced
Pepper flakes, to taste
Butter/drippings from crabs
½ c clam juice or fish stock
Zest from 1 lemon
2- 3 tbsp cream
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp coriander, coarsely chopped with stems
Heat olive oil, make sure that you use a good kind.
Add garlic and cook until almost brown.
Add a pinch of pepper flakes, according to taste, butter/drippings from the baked crabs, clam stock, lemon zest and cream. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add pasta and toss well. Season to taste.
If you find pasta a bit dry, add more clam stock, a tiny splash of cream and finish with 1 tbsp butter.
Add flat leaf parsley and coriander last.
Arrange crabs on top of noodles and serve immediately.

Super Tasty Roast Chicken Mami

Stock:
1 k chicken wings
¼ c garlic
4 onions
1 c leeks
Salt
pepper
Heat oil. Brown chicken wings.
Remove the oil rendered from the wings, leaving 1 tbsp in the pan.
Brown garlic in the leftover oil.
Add the onions and the leeks. Add 10 cups water and simmer for 20-30 minutes over low heat, skim off the scum. Season. Strain

Roast Chicken:
1 small chicken, cut into 8-10 pieces
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp garlic
Salt
Pepper
2 pc calamansi,
Marinate chicken with soy sauce, garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, juice of 2 calamansi for at least 6 hours.
You may also marinate chicken whole.
Arrange chicken on a baking dish. Bake.
Roast at 350º for 1 hour, depending on size of chicken and carve/chop chicken according to preferred size before serving

To serve/components:
Roast chicken
24 hard boiled quail eggs
Green onion, chopped
Mami noodles, rinsed in water and blanched, drained
Handful coriander,
chopped
150 g Shiitake mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in oil
Toasted garlic
Patis
Calamansi, sliced
Arrange each one in a bowl. Bring soup stock to a boil.
Allow your guests to make their own bowls of mami, putting what they fancy into their own bowls.