Chocolate Frog, Butterbeer, etc.

Can you guess which book/movie this frog is from?

Yep, Harry Potter. When we visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I immediately had 2 things in mind - this chocolate frog, and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans!

Like in the movie, this treat came with a wizard card inside. I was hoping to get Dumbledore (or even Godric Gryffindor), but I got Rowena Ravenclaw instead. I wouldn't have minded, if not for the scowl on her face. Couldn't she have smiled for posterity's sake? And UNlike the movie, Rowena stayed put in my card. So Ron Weasley's dialogue "you can't expect him (HER in this case) to hang around all day, can you?" does not work in the muggle world. ;-)

Why the scowl, Rowena?

Chocolate Frog, $9.95

Speaking of muggles, the servers at Three Broomsticks kept calling us "muggles". I didn't take any offense (I imagine some will), in fact I found it quite humorous. Especially since those servers didn't really deliver our drinks on flying broomsticks. ;-)

Of course, a trip to Hogsmeade wouldn't be complete without Butterbeer. I have always imagined how it would taste like, as they mentioned in the book that it would make house elves drunk, but not humans. Well, butterbeer will NOT make even house rats drunk. It tasted like soda with butterscotch, and it was DELICIOUS! However, you can only have one mug. It is overly sweet and unbearable if taken in large quantities.

Butterbeer is served in two ways - frozen, and liquid. We tried both, and we agreed that liquid is better. Frozen is more expensive, though. It was $2.99 for liquid and $3.99 for frozen, but if you want the commemorative cup (like in the pic), it is $9 and $12 (not sure as of time of writing!). Oh, and the frozen would give you brain freeze. ;-p

frozen and liquid butterbeer in their commemorative steins

I was pretty impressed with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. From the "moving portraits" to the curios and merchandise - they were very authentic and made me feel transported to the world that I thought would only be possible in my books and the movies. The Forbidden Journey ride was amazing and state-of-the-art, though I felt like I just ate Puking Pastilles from Zonko's afterwards. You can even hear Moaning Myrtle in the restroom! I am a true fan - I have read all the books and watched all the movies - and I am very impressed with the park. My only complaint was that we didn't stay long enough to explore everything! That, and I wasn't able to buy Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. 

The pictures talk and move!

This looks just like the wall in Sirius Black's house, right?

The Sorting Hat. It talks and actually gives orders instructions.

Ollivanders. The finest wand maker.

P.S. I found a website that contains better pictures of the theme park. Click here. (He was able to take pictures of the holograms and such, and had interesting things to say about the park, too!).

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Kibbeh with Yogurt Garlic Sauce

Aside from Asian cuisine, Middle Eastern/Mediterranean also top our list of favorite food. There's something about how they eat - it seems to be a little lighter, healthier, and simpler. Although I must say, this dish that I made was probably a poor example of what I just said.

Kibbeh is a dish made of ground meat and rice or bulgur. According to Wikipedia, the word kibbeh comes from the Arabic word "kubbah" which means ball. However, for some reasons, all of the kibbehs I have had in restaurants were shaped like a football. It is but natural, of course, to make mine in the same shape. ;-)

Fair warning - this is probably one of the hardest dishes I have made. It was just so difficult to make those football shapes since there was no binder (the recipe didn't call for eggs). I promised myself I wouldn't make this again unless my family's life depended on it. If ever we have a craving for kibbeh, I would just make a trip to our favorite Lebanese resto. 

Don't let me scare you from trying, though. The dish was so good and tasty. I tweaked Emeril's recipe from here. And the yogurt garlic sauce went beautifully with the dish. It was so well worth the effort!


What you need:

For the shell:
1 cup bulgur wheat
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup roughly chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the filling:
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Canola oil, for frying
yogurt garlic sauce (recipe follows)


What to do: 

To make the outer shells, cook bulgur wheat according to package directions. Make sure to drain them in a strainer and press to remove excess liquid. Set aside to cool.

Using you food processor, blend the beef, onion, cumin, salt and pepper to a paste. Add bulgur wheat and mix well. Process again until you get a smooth consistency. Add ice water if it seemed dry. If your food processor is small (like mine), you might have to do it in batches.

To make the stuffing, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, salt, allspice, pepper, and cinnamon. Stir well. Remove from heat, then add the almonds and stir again to distribute ingredients evenly. Set aside to cool.

To make the dish, use about two tablespoonfuls of the raw meat-bulgur mixture and form round  balls. Flatten the balls a bit and make a semi-hole down the center of each ball with your index finger. Stuff each ball with about one tablespoon of stuffing. Press down on the sides to enclose the stuffing and shape into an egg with pointed ends. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Heat Canola oil in a deep frying pan over medium. Add the kibbeh balls and fry until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and let drain on a cooling rack. Serve with yogurt garlic sauce.


Yogurt Garlic Sauce 

What you need: 

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth and creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine. 


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Aside from beef, you can also use lamb.
2. Fine bulgur is best to use (I used medium).
3. The original recipe called for pine nuts. Since they are sooooo expensive, I substituted with almond.
4. Some recipes used mint leaves in the shell. Do so if you please.
5. Serve the dish with traditional labneh instead of the sauce.
6. Wet your hands frequently when shaping the balls.

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Ginger-Garlic Steamed Red Snapper

Desperate times call for desperate measures. We have not been grocery shopping for a few weeks (gasp!) but for a good reason - we are trying to eat cheap empty our freezer. I noticed that we have been piling up meat, produce, and other whatnots that get buried underneath new food that we buy. So I decided to make a dish out of what I had, with the meager ingredients at hand.

It turned out really good - the dish was very light, healthy and delicious. The lemon added contrast to the fishy/garlicky taste. Best eaten with veggies (steamed asparagus, perhaps?).


What you need: 

1 pound red snapper (about 2 fillets)
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
lemon, for garnish


What to do: 

Score the fish. Do this by lightly making diagonal cuts on the surface of the fish (make sure your knife doesn't go through the meat). After scoring, season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, combine ginger, garlic, parsley and olive oil. Mix well, then pour on top of the fish.

Place in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Transfer to a plate and drizzle with fresh lemon juice before serving.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. You can use tilapia, dory, or other white fish.
2. Try sesame oil instead of olive oil for an Asian flair. ;-)
3. Green onions would be a good addition to this dish.

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Salmon with Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glaze

Looks like chicken, no?

Ah, salmon. My favorite fish. I could eat salmon everyday (if it wasn't so dang expensive). I could eat it whichever way prepared - poached, fried, marinated, grilled - even raw (sashimi, of course!). Chinook (or King Salmon) is my family's favorite because of its taste and fat content. Our least favorite is the Sockeye, but hey, any salmon is better than no salmon at all, right?

I was looking for a quick recipe - one that needs no 2-hour marinating - and found this recipe.  Fairly easy to make and I have all the ingredients at hand, so I tried it - and was very satisfied afterwards. It was very good, and the glaze that hardened on top offered a different kind of texture that I found very pleasing. It was like eating your dessert with your meal because the savory taste of the salmon blended well with the candied glaze. This recipe is a keeper!


What you need: 

3 (8 oz) salmon steaks
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted


What to do: 

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in brown sugar and stir. Place salmon fillets on top of brown sugar mixture, flesh side down (the skin should be facing you). Cook for about 5 minutes, then turn salmon and pour in the bourbon. Continue cooking for about 5  more minutes. 

Remove from heat, spoon glaze over the salmon and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. If you don't want the sweetness to overpower the taste of your salmon, just use 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
2. Add a bit of soy sauce and a clove or two of garlic to give it a kick.
3. Don't overcook your salmon! Always not good!

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Simple Mango-Mint Lassi

My garden is growing beautifully, and I just love to eat out of it! The weather is perfect for cultivation, and since we live in a tropical state, most of the plants we grow are "heat resistant" (like my Solar Flare tomatoes!). The cactus has some pithaya fruits, but the birds usually beat me to them. My mint is thriving too, in fact I have seen baby sprouts shooting out (makes me sooo happy!).

Sweet Mint

And since it is summer (and parts of the country are roasting experiencing a heatwave), I thought I'd cool ourselves down with this drink, using some mint leaves that I snipped from my plant. The drink is called a "lassi" because of the addition of yogurt, but traditional South Asian lassis have salt and other spices added to them. I might try a traditional one next time, but for now, I want to stick with the good ole "American" type. 

Hubby said that I used too much mint, but I thought it was perfect (of course I love mint). So exercise your own judgment when using ingredients.


What you need: 

flesh of 1 medium-sized mango
12 pieces mint leaves, chopped + a bit more for garnish
3/4 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons wildflower honey


What to do: 

Easy peasy. Just combine everything in a blender and pulse intermittently (about 5 seconds each) until you get your desired consistency. Pour in a glass and garnish with a sprig of mint. Enjoy!


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Start with about 7 mint leaves, and add more if you wish. 
2. Yogurt is a bit tangy, so add more honey until you get the balance you like.

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Beef Soup with Soba

Soba, or buckwheat, is a type of thin Japanese noodle.  Udon, on the other hand, are thick wheat noodles. Truth be told, I haven't the vaguest idea what buckwheat was until I started playing the game Harvest Moon. Actually, I learned a lot by playing that game, and now even my husband is hooked to it (and yes, son too!). 

But this post isn't about the game (although I would gladly tell you more if you're interested!).  Its about this delicious dish that I got from Women's Health Magazine. And around the time I was making this dish, I saw a rerun of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" where he featured a person making noodles the "traditional way." According to the show, he is the last person to do so, as it is a dying art. I can't blame them... it is painful to even watch. It consist of kneading the dough by mounting on a bamboo pole and... uhmm... well, just watch this to find out (wait for the 1:58 mark). But remember, I warned you!

Back to the recipe (I have been sidetracked so many times!). It calls for shaved beef, so I used my trusted mandoline slicer to slice the beef ever so thinly. BIG MISTAKE. My arms hurt like I just played tennis with Rafael Nadal! Next time, I would stick to having our local butcher shave the beef for me. The dish itself was very easy to make, it was the prepping that took some time.

Shaved beef

What you need: 

4 cups of beef broth
3 cups of water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
6 oz shaved beef
1 teaspoon sesame oil
6 oz dried soba noodles
1/2 cup green onion, slivered
1/2 cup carrots, shredded or shaved
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 lime wedges


What to do: 

Boil about 8 cups of water in a big pot. Add the noodles and cook per package instructions.

In a separate pot, combine water, broth, and soy sauce over medium heat. Add the beef, then  let simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, divide noodles into bowls. Ladle beef broth into individual bowls and top with beef slices. Garnish with carrots, cilantro, lime, and green onions.

My bowl. Hubby got the fancy red one. ;-)

Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. If you are gonna shave the beef, do not thaw it completely - it would be easier if the meat is still a bit frozen as you can handle it better.
2. To make shaved carrots, just wash them thoroughly, then run a peeler on the skin. 
3. You can use other noodles for it - udon, somen, whatever you have!
4. No lime? Use calamansi!
5. DO NOT try to make noodles like the guy in the video. Or if you do, let us know how it turned out! ;-)

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Chicken-Macaroni Salad

This is one of those recipes that came about due to some left-overs that I didn't want to throw away. We bought a whole rotisserie chicken one afternoon, and we had a ton of extra! So the next best thing was to make another meal out of it (hurrah for austerity measures!).

I used two types of pasta (guess why!) in this dish - rotini and conchiglie. As usual, they were whole grain for that extra jaw exercise chewiness. It was tasty and filling. And I was glad to have used the leftover rotisserie chicken for another meal.


What you need: 

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups rotini pasta
2 cups conchiglie pasta (seashell)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 carrot, cubed
6 stalks green onion, sliced into rings
1/4 cup pineapple chunks
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste


What to do: 

Cook noodles according to package direction. Drain.

In a big bowl, combine all the ingredients by mixing and gently tossing. If it looks dry, add more mayonnaise. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Enjoy!


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. It does not always have to be rotisserie chicken - you can use leftover fried chicken, or any kind of cooked chicken you have.
2. Have you tried Kraft's Mayonnaise with lime? It is soooo good. You can omit the lemon in this recipe if using said type of mayo.
3. Don't like pineapples? Try using dill pickle relish instead.
4. Add hard boiled eggs to your salad.
5. Shrimp can also be used in lieu of chicken.

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Hear that, dogs?

Apparently, you are not allowed to bark in the fire lane. (Seen at the parking lot of a local grocery store)

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The Lady's Cheesy Mac

Fresh off the oven!

Hubby requested for Macaroni and Cheese one day, but he had something specific in mind - he said he wanted "very cheesy" mac and cheese. I thought I'd copy Paula Deen's recipe (the queen of Southern cooking, who else?) and see if its any good.


Well, the recipe was great - it was cheesy, creamy, and had a wonderful flavor. I used whole grain pasta so it wasn't as smooth (hey, I was trying to be healthy!) but I kinda' liked the extra chewiness that whole grain pasta offers - I feel like I am burning calories as I eat them! Haha.

Truth be told, this dish did not taste like the mac and cheese we had at The Lady and Sons (Paula Deen's restaurant). Not in a bad way though. Most of the food there were greasy - extremely delicious, but very greasy and buttery (I guess that's why it was delicious). They probably use a different recipe (trade secret?) for mac and cheese. But we loved it as well!


What you need: 

4 cups whole grain pasta shells
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 cup milk


What to do: 

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Cook the pasta shells according to package directions. Drain, then place in a large bowl. While still hot, add the grated cheddar cheese. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, sour cream, butter, salt and milk. Mix well, then add to the macaroni mixture.

Pour into a 9X13 glass baking dish, and bake for about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and top with additional grated cheddar cheese.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Use regular elbow macaroni for a smoother texture.
2. Add cooked chopped bacon before baking - more grease, less healthy, but I bet it is super delicious!
3. Try using evaporated milk instead of regular milk. It would add a hint of sweetness to the dish.
4. Always buy a block of cheese and then grate it yourself - it might mean more work, but I promise, you can taste the difference!
5. Do not overcook it - it will turn dry and the egg will curdle! Keep an eye on your pasta and make sure it is cooked to your desired consistency.

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Pancit Canton 2

As always, whenever I take a peek inside my pantry, I find something buried or long forgotten - case in point, the pack of noodles that has been sitting there since who knows when. I did the "expiration test" to determine if it was still ok to eat. And what a dangerous test it was - I had to break off a little piece of noodle and nibble on it... Had it been stale, I would have been doubling over in pain by now. (NOT!)

So I decided to make pancit canton, but using only pork this time. My previous pancit canton entry had shrimp for protein.  We still haven't bought shrimp since the last oil spill. But I really want to. Maybe tomorrow. ;-)


What you need: 

1 1/2 pounds pork loin, cut into strips
3 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cup sugar snap peas
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
2 medium-sized carrots, coined
5 - 6 pcs Shiitake mushrooms,
8 oz pack canton noodles
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 small onion, sliced
1 tablespoon Canola oil


What to do:

Soak dried mushrooms in hot water for about 10 minutes. Remove the stems and slice the caps into small strips.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion for one minute. Add the pork strips and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Add carrots, snap peas, and water chestnuts and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Season with soy sauce and oyster sauce. Add the mushrooms and cook for a minute, then add the broth. Bring to a boil. Add noodles. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Adjust taste.

Serve with a spritz of lime or lemon juice.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Chicken can also be used in this dish. Remember to use chicken broth instead of beef, though.
2. Try other veggies such as cauliflower, cabbage, or celery.
3. Adding chorizo will make it tastier! 
4. Serve with a few drops of sesame oil.
5. On a serious note, this is where I go to determine the shelf life of things: stilltasty.com <- very helpful site!

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