Linguine with Marsala Cream Sauce

Pasta wasn’t Bryan’s kind of food. He didn’t like pasta and he never really wanted to eat them. I figured out that it may have something to do with the tomatoes and mild flavors. Since Bryan doesn’t like tomatoes, tomatoes sauce based pasta won’t make Bryan happy for sure. And some of pasta sauces are on the light and mild side, that wouldn’t satisfied Bryan either. But there is the cream based sauce, which is hearty and rich. This Marsala cream sauce was extraordinary. The Marsala wine gave the sauce a sweet note. The mushrooms made it earthy. The cream made it rich. With your favorite pasta, this dish is irresistible. Even Bryan loves this, I urge you to try this tonight.

After you make this, you can use the Marsala wine for Tiramisu! And yes, I would use the leftover bottle just for Tiramisu. 😀

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Macaroni and Cheese with Garlic Panko

This is no ordinary macaroni and cheese. It is a stove top dish. No oven is needed. There are bacon, caramelized onions, and garlic panko topping. I love the little sweetness and smokiness from the onions, and I can taste the bacon in every bite. The panko give some perfect crunch. The flavors are amazing! I have made this recipe many times, and after many tries, I am finally happy with my cheese choices. This is definitely my go-to mac and cheese recipe. I hope you will like it too!

Ddukbokki (Korean Stir Fry Rice Cake)

Rice cake! Rice cake! I love rice cake! Rice cake always has a special place in my heart. It is something really unique and different. Nothing I have ever eaten has a texture like rice cake. It is chewy with a bite. There is not much flavor to rice cake itself. The sauce is the secret to a good rice cake dish. I have grown up with Chinese rice cake, which is usually thinly sliced and cook with pork and soy sauce. Not only until recent years, I found out about Korean rice cake which is usually in a shape of long tube. However, most Korean rice cakes that I saw were cooked with a spicy sauce. I don’t eat spicy food, so I have never tried it. This recipe is just perfect, because it is not spicy! The sauce was delicious with tons of beef flavors and a hint of sweet. The cucumber was refreshing, and the carrot gave some crunch. I really love this dish that I think I can cook this every week. I hope you will like it too.

Smoked Salmon Linguine with Lemon Cream Sauce

Bryan and I bought a few cans of smoked salmon from Salmon Etc. in Ketchikan, Alaska. I just couldn’t resist not to get anything from Alaska. Salmon seems to be the perfect thing. These canned salmon are pretty good. Very smokey. After getting the salmon, I was thinking how to cook with them. Salmon Etc. gave us a few recipe. I picked this pasta one with lemon cream sauce. This recipe may look heavy, but the lemon juice and zest definitely lightened it up. The sauce was creamy and smokey. Good to eat with a side salad. The most important is that this dish reminded me of the good times in Alaska.

Swiss Sauce Marinated Chicken Thighs with Noodles and Ginger Topping

With all those leftover Swiss sauce, this recipe is just perfect. The chicken thighs were simply delicious. It is hard not to be, because the leftover Swiss sauce was packed with chicken flavors already. With some fresh green onions, onions and garlic, the chicken thighs were extra amazing. The ginger topping may seems a bit funny, but after they were cooked by the oil. The ginger and green onion were aromatic and flavorful. It was tasty to mix with the noodles. A little bit goes a long way. Give this recipe a try, and you will always want to marinate your chicken like this.

Japchae (Korean Sweet Potato Noodles)

I discovered japchae probably two years ago. Even though it was only from food court and it was not authentic, I still liked the dish a lot. The texture of the noodles was the most memorable. It was chewy and bouncy. And, I like the hint of sweetness. Recently, I have tried it again in a Korean restaurant. I loved it and I knew that I would love to make it at home. Last night, I made the noodles. It was good. Bryan and I both like how it tasted. It was like the one from restaurant. Although there are many steps to this recipe, it is worth the work and time for sure. Give this a try!

Creamy Pasta with Peas and Carrots

This pasta is absolutely delicious! The sauce was the secret. It was made with mascarpone cheese and cream cheese. I actually like this sauce more than a simple bechamel. The cheeses made the sauce very creamy and flavorful. With a tons of vegetables and some shrimps, this pasta is a good balance meal. And, it is very easy to make. Hmmm…… Yummy!

Creamy Taco Macaroni

A few months ago, I saw this recipe on Annie’s Eats. I tried the recipe and it was amazing. The flavor was exactly like a taco, but it was in a form of pasta. The most important was that this pasta was easier to make than a taco. Minimum dicing work is perfect for a fast weeknight meal. The pasta was creamy and flavorful. Bryan and I liked this a lot! If you want the taco flavors, but you didn’t feel like cutting all the toppings. Then, this is your recipe!

Penne with Meat Sauce

Hong Kong was once a British colony and it is the international city of commerce, so there is heavy British influence in politics, cultures, and food. Many Hong Kong style cafes serve western style food, like meat sauce pasta, french toast, and baked pork chop rice. This dish, penne with meat sauce, reminds me the taste of Hong Kong. Enjoy!