Candied Cashew nut with Shrimp and Veggies

Spaghetti is a versatile dish that pairs beautifully with many types of sauce. In Nigeria people are more familiar with tomato based sauces almost like Italian marinara sauce. As this blog points out cooking is a creatively outlet and our popular food can be tweaked to blend with other cuisine.

So I made a chinese inspired sauce, I couldn't find hoisin sauce in the stores I went to in Lagos. Being one of the ingredients called for in the recipe I substituted it with oyster sauce which is more commonly found here.

I ate this last nite and had it again this morning if I hadn't finished it off this morning I would probably eat it again for lunch and dinner and again tomorrow and again next tomorrow..... I guess you get the picture of how good this food is. Try this recipe out but don't be like me....... eat it for three days in a row!

 Ingredients

1 packet spaghetti ( the tiny ones)

1/2 cup Cashew nuts

1/2 tbsp sugar

500 g prawns

2 cups Shredded Cabbage

1 cup Julienne carrots

2 cups green beans

1 cup frozen mixed veggies ( corns, peas, carrots etc)

4 cloves garlic

1 ginger root, Julienne

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 chicken flavour cubes

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 cooking spoon peanut oil

salt

2 cups water ( get this from the water used to boil the spaghetti)

Break the cashew nut into pieces, soak them in water for 2 minutes. Drain the nuts and put it into a pot add the sugar and a pinch of salt and cook over medium to low heat. Cook until the cashew nut caramelizes transfer into a flat dish and allow to cool. Separate it when it cools completely.

Cook the spaghetti according to manufacturer's instruction reserve about 2 cups of the water used to boil the spaghetti. It would be used to make the sauce.

 

Making the sauce.

1.  Cut the green beans into big chunks put into a pot with the carrots add a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Bring to a boil, cook for about 3 minutes
2. Add the frozen veggies during the last-minute of boiling the green beans and carrots.
3. Drain the veggies in a colander, use the drained water to blanch the cabbage for about two minutes and drain. Set aside all the veggies.
4. In a sauce pan heat the oil, add the ginger and garlic, fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the cleaned prawn into the ginger and garlic mixture, add the seasoning cubes and cook until it just starts to turn white.
6. Add all the veggies and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
7. Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, seasoning cubes and the reserved water in a bowl. Sprinkle the corn starch into the mixture and stir very well to mix.
8. Pour the liquid into the prawn and veggies
9. Add salt and cook for another 5 minutes.

Shrimp Scampi

I made this over the weekend.

It is an Italian dish that is made with shrimps, garlic, lemon and  white wine. Shrimp scampi is an easy meal to make, if you are bored with the way you serve spaghetti, you must try this dish. It’s a clear departure from our Nigerian styled tomato sauce spaghetti. It is an easy breezy way of having dinner made in 30 minutes or less.

I didn’t have white wine so I substituted with chicken stock, I used lime instead of lemon and nchuawu (scent leave) instead of parsley…… hey dont judge, read my blog title and you would understand why I had to substitute.

Here are the ingredients

1 packet of spaghetti

200 grams shrimps or prawns

1 large onion, shredded

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp oil

2 limes

¼ cup shredded scent leaves or parsley

2 stock cubes

1 tsp oregano, optional

1 tsp dry chilli flakes



1. Boil the spaghetti according to package instruction, drain and set aside. Reserve the spaghetti water.

2. Gently melt the butter in a sauce pan then add the oil.

3. Sauté the onion in the oil for about two minutes followed by the garlic

4. Take ¾ cups of the drain liquid add the 2 stock cube to it stir and pour into the sauce pan cook for about 4 minutes

5. Add the shrimp, oregano, salt and pepper to your taste, cook for about 2 minutes

6.  Add the scent leave and cook for about a minute

7.Squeeze in the limes remember to remove the seeds

8. Mix the sauce with the spaghetti