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Labels:
beef
I'm not really a big steak fan, but there are times when I crave it. Today was such a day. If you would notice, there was a good amount of fat marbling on the slab of meat I bought, because I believe that fat is where the flavor is. ;-)
This is a very simple steak recipe so I did not take exact measurements of the ingredients. Tweak yours as you please. And since I only had 2 pieces of steak, I used the electric griddle to cook them instead of the grill (less fuss and cleanup!).
What you need:
- steak (I used rib eye cut)
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- 1 whole Vidalia onion, chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
What to do:
Preheat the electric griddle to 350°F.
Onion partay!!!
Increase the griddle heat to 400°F. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter on the griddle and add the steak. Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. Serve with the caramelized onions and garlic bread.
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. I like my steak medium-rare hence the amount of cooking time I mentioned above. If you like yours rare, cook it for only 2 1/2 minutes per side, and 6 to 7 minutes for well-done.
2. The onions will take longer to cook than the steak so do the onions first and just push them on the side of the griddle to make room for the steak.
3. Add more butter if the onions seem dry.
Brown on the outside, but pink and juicy at the center. Yum! *drools*
Labels:
noodles,
soup
I originally planned to fry these meatballs, but I found out that I was out of wonton skins so I decided to make soup instead. Hubby loved the gingery taste of the meatballs, and I loved the tasty broth. It turned out to be a win-win situation.
What you need:
- 1 pound ground pork
- 5 - 6 pieces dried Chinese mushrooms
- 1 carrot
- 2 stalks green onion
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1/2 thumb-sized ginger, peeled
- 1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 bundles of vermicelli noodles
- 8 cups of chicken broth
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 of a large Vidalia onion
- 1/2 tablespoon Canola oil
What to do:
Soak the vermicelli noodles in water to soften them up a bit.
Re-hydrate the dried mushrooms by soaking them in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the stems afterward. Cut the mushroom caps, green onions, ginger and carrots in small pieces then put them in a food processor. Pulse for 2 to 3 seconds, until all the ingredients are chopped finely.
Thanks for making life so much easier, food pro!
Heat the Canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic and onion for a minute or two, or until onions are translucent. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and lower the heat to medium. Gently drop the meatballs in the hot broth and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. No food processor? No problem. Just chop the veggies finely.
2. Use water chestnuts instead of carrots.
3. Reduce the amount of ginger in half if you don't like the flavor.
4. You can use water if you don't have broth. Just add bouillon!
5. Garnish with chopped green onions or toasted garlic.
Labels:
Product Review,
sweets
I love Pepperidge Farm products because they are so yummy and perfectly baked. Prices are pretty steep, but Pepperidge Farm is a premium cookie brand, and they usually deliver on taste. However, I was disappointed with the Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chunk Dark Chocolate Pecan. Perhaps I didn't read the label well, or I was just expecting something entirely different from what I had. But I didn't like it as much.
What I liked:
- The cookie itself was big.- There were large dark chocolate chunks.
- You can definitely taste the pecans. Yes, they didn't skimp on that.
What I didn't like:
- It was crunchy! I would have loved a soft-baked variety.
- The taste wasn't very chocolatey... more of sugary. It reminded me of Snickerdoodles, though not that sweet.
- 140 calories per cookie. Boo!
- 8 grams of fat per serving? Ugh! The rest of the ingredients aren't something to be happy about, either.
The verdict:
I wasn't impressed with the Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chunk Dark Chocolate Pecan. Sure, it had big chocolate chunks, but that was the only saving grace. The cookie, as a whole, lacked the deliciousness and "comfort" of soft-baked ones. Maybe I should have dunked it in milk to soften it. Or popped it in the microwave for a few seconds. Nothing special about it, except the brand. Would I recommend it to friend? I'd recommend other Pepperidge products first. Would I buy it again? Probably not.
Labels:
pork
There's beef broth, and there's chicken broth. You can even buy fish or shrimp broth. So how come there's no pork broth? The solution - pork bouillon. Although, I can only buy them from the Asian store as local US grocery stores don't carry them.
Labels:
pork,
rice
This was hubby's favorite dish during one of our trips. It was simple yet delicious, and I tried to recreate it from hubby's vivid memory/dreams of how it tasted.
He was reminded of this dish after I cooked lugaw. It wasn't exactly hard to make, but there was a lot of prepping involved. The dish was well worth it though, as we both enjoyed it immensely.
What you need:
- 1 cup rice
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tablespoon Canola oil (for congee) + 1/2 tablespoon (for ground pork)
- 1 thumb-sized ginger, cut into matchsticks
- 3/4 pound ground pork
- 2 stalks green onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 of a Vidalia onion, sliced
- 2 eggs, fried
- roasted garlic for garnish
What to do:For the congee, just follow the procedures from my original entry.
While waiting for the congee to cook, start the ground pork toppings. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of Canola oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic and onion for about a minute, or until the onions are translucent. Add the ground pork and soy sauce. Cook until the pork is brown. Transfer to a container and cover to keep warm.
To serve, ladle congee in a bowl and top with the ground pork mixture and fried egg. Garnish with green onions and roasted garlic. Enjoy!
His and Hers
1. Reduce the amount of broth to 6 cups if you don't like soupy congee.
2. Use ground beef instead of ground pork.
3. Do it egg-drop soup style! Just crack egg on top of congee before serving. Make sure your congee is hot to ensure that the egg will cook. (Stay away, salmonella!)
Labels:
stuff
Thank you to my friend who recently visited Korea and brought me back these Korean goodies! Woohoo!
This, I was told, is a Korean game called Gonggi. It is very similar to jackstones (minus the rubber balls). Can't wait to play this game with my friend!
I couldn't resist the cute Panda on the wrapper of this lollipop!
Thank you, dear friend! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Labels:
chicken
I made this dish one night and hubby said that it was "American." What he meant by that, I still don't know, but I enjoyed the dish nonetheless. It was a complete meal in one - protein, carbs and veggies. Yum!
What you need:
- 6 slices of bacon
- 4 medium-sized chicken breast
- 1/2 of a red and green bell pepper, diced
- 4 red potatoes, diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
What to do:
Cook bacon in a large non-stick skillet on medium heat until they are crisp. Remove bacon from the skillet and drain on a cooling rack. Discard the drippings in the skillet.
Add chicken to the skillet and cook for about 7 minutes on each side or until done. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165°F. Remove chicken from the skillet and cover to keep warm. Crumble the bacon and add to the skillet along with the veggies. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until heated through.
Place the chicken over the potatoes and top with the shredded cheddar cheese. Cover, cook over low heat for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Super cheesy goodness!
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. Make sure to wash your hands every time you handle chicken.
2. Add more bacon if desired.
3. Try other veggies like carrot or celery.
Labels:
soup
Red place mat for that Chinese ambiance. Haha.
I had to stop myself from singing the old Knorr Chinese Soup commercial jingle that was popularized circa 1980's so I don't drive hubby crazy. But I gave in to my whim afterwards and even searched for a youtube video of the jingle so I could sing with it.
♫ ♪ Knorr is one of a kind, best Chinese soup you can find. Knorr is easy to cook, just add one egg! Goodah! ♪ ♫
Anyway, I cooked the Knorr Corn and Chicken soup, but added more ingredients to it to make it tastier. The end product was great. Quick, easy and yummy for a lazy day.
What you need:
- 1 pkg Knorr Chinese Style Corn and Chicken Soup
- 4 cups water
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
- 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
What to do:
(As per package instruction): Pour the contents of the soup packet in a bowl and dissolve with 1 cup cold water. Set aside. Meanwhile, boil 3 eggs for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until it is hard-boiled.
pre-cooked stage
Boil 3 cups of water in a pot over medium-high heat. Pour dissolved soup mix into boiling water while stirring. Add the green onions and corn. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the remaining (fresh) egg and stir gently with a fork until egg is well dispersed. After stirring, re-simmer soup for 2 minutes or until egg is completely cooked. Add the hard boiled eggs. Serve hot.
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. Add some cooked chicken to make the dish just perfect!
2. Garnish with toasted garlic. (I am nuts for toasted garlic!)
3. Sing the jingle while eating. It will put you in a happy mood, I promise! (I recommend singing the line "There is nothing like Knorr Real Chinese Soup" in your highest falsetto voice!)
Labels:
rice
Hubby wanted something mild or bland for dinner, so I whipped up some congee. I mean, seriously, what could be blander than that? (Wait, don't answer that. I just thought of something actually blander than lugaw hahaha).
Lugaw brings me back to my childhood when we would eat at the street corner carinderia for breakfast. A piping hot bowl of lugaw would cost Php3.00 ($0.07). The pork and tofu that come as "extra" would actually cost more. Aaahh... those were the days.Anyway, the one cup of rice I used went a loooooong way. Too long, actually. :-) And no, hubby didn't really get his wish cause I used broth (instead of water) and put a bit of patis in it to taste.
What you need:
For the lugaw:- 1 cup of rice
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon patis (fish sauce)
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, cut into match sticks
- 1/4 of a large Vidalia onion, sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon Canola oil
- 3 stalks of green onion, chopped
- toasted garlic
For the extras:
- 3 strips of thick-cut pork belly (around half a pound)
- 1 block of firm tofu
- Canola oil, for frying
For the dipping sauce:
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/4 of a large Vidalia onion, chopped
- 1/2 head of garlic
- salt and pepper, to taste
What to do:
In a big pot over medium heat, toast the cup of rice until slightly brown (don't burn it!). Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same pot, heat the half tablespoon of Canola oil and saute the ginger and onion for about a minute. Return the rice to the pot and add the broth. Season with patis. Let cook in medium-low heat for around 45 minutes to an hour, stirring ocassionally. Add 1/2 cup of broth at a time if you think it is drying out.
Before and after the rice was toasted
For the dipping sauce, just combine all the ingredients and let sit for a while for the flavors to blend.
Garnish the lugaw with green onions and toasted garlic before serving.
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. The best type of rice in making lugaw is sticky (glutinous) rice. I used sushi rice, and it worked well too. Don't wash the rice to retain starchiness.
2. Use your splatter guard when frying the tofu. Or dab it with a paper towel before frying.
3. You can use water instead of broth.
4. Aside from tofu and pork, you can also eat it with hard boiled eggs.
5. Red onions are great to use in the dipping sauce. (I only had Vidalia when I made this dish)
Labels:
chicken
We were so impressed with Brazilian Food (thanks to our experience at Bossa Restaurant) that we decided to explore more of Brazilian cuisine. So when I saw this recipe, I thought I'd give it a try, especially since hubby loves curry.
Not much difference from Indian curry, but I kinda' miss the turmeric taste which the Brazilian version lacked. Also, it was cooked in crock pot, which made the chicken VERY tender. Imagine what it did to the potatoes. Anyway, it tastes good albeit in a different kind of way, with the addition of tomato paste.
What you need:
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- dash of freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 red and 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips and halved crosswise
- 5 red potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
What to do:
Mix the coconut milk, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper in your slow cooker. Add onion, peppers and potatoes. Mix well until vegetables are evenly coated.
Rub curry powder all over chicken. Afterwards, place them on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. Sprinkle more curry powder if you like.
My old (smaller) crockpot came in handy for this dish!
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. Use chicken drumsticks if you don't want VERY TENDER chicken. Like 'you don't need to chew it, just swallow it' tender.
2. Yukon Gold potatoes would also be good and won't be as mushy as red potatoes.
3. Add more or reduce curry powder according to taste.
4. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.
Labels:
bread,
stuff
This dip is the kind they serve at Italian restaurants while you wait for your meal. It is usually accompanied by a loaf of freshly baked bread, but since I am no restaurateur, nor do I have a furnace to make Italian bread, I just eat it with toast.
What you need:
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
What to do:
Just combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well to make sure they are evenly distributed. Put a small amount on a dip plate and add olive oil as needed. Enjoy with your favorite bread.
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. Add a teaspoon of dried rosemary if you like the flavor.
2. All ingredients can be tweaked according to your preference.
Labels:
gardening
It took me a few weeks of stalking this butterfly before I could take a good photo of it, because it flies so fast and wouldn't seem to stay still. But when I did, it seemed to enjoy hamming it up in front of the camera. I caught up with it when it was pollinating my Cosmos flowers.
This beautiful creature is called the Passion Butterfly or the Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae). An interesting fact I read about them is that their bodies are toxic so birds and other predators generally stay away from them.
This is just one of the many butterflies fluttering around our yard. I hope to snap more pictures soon.
Labels:
vegetables
I have been wanting to copy Outback Steakhouse's recipe of Garlic Mashed Potatoes but I just can't seem to duplicate it. But well, I can always try, right?
I usually use an electric beater for my mashed potatoes because it makes the taters light and fluffy (with the addition of air), but tonight, hubby and son said they wanted lumpy mashy taters so I did it the hard way - I got my wooden spoon and actually mashed it.
What you need:- 5 pieces medium-sized red potatoes
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 stalks of green onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- kosher salt, to taste
What to do:
Wash the potatoes and peel them. Slice them in small pieces and place in a pot of lightly salted boiling water over high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat, enough to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender and falls apart when poked with a fork.
Meanwhile, peel the garlic cloves and mince. Set aside. Place the cooked potatoes in a bowl and mash them with a masher or wooden spoon. Add the milk, green onions, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Mash until you get your desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. When cutting the potatoes, make sure they are relatively the same size so they would cook evenly.
2. If the mashed potatoes look dry to you, add more milk.
3. Use half-and-half instead of milk for a richer taste.
Labels:
beef
This dish was tasty and delicious, but it was one of the most challenging I have ever made because the recipe from the Food Network Magazine (where I got this) was not very well-written. I had to make some major tweaking and adjustments to make it simpler, but the pay-off was terrific.
What you need:
- 1 1/4 pounds chuck short ribs
- 1/2 of a large Vidalia onion
- 11 cloves garlic
- 6 slices of bacon
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/2 cup white grape/cherry juice
- 1 1/2 cup red cooking wine + 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms
- 8 oz white mushrooms
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
In a food processor, pulse the tomato paste, onions, and 10 cloves garlic to make a paste. Set aside. Cook the bacon until crisp then drain on a cooling rack. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings for use later.
Put the tomato paste mixture in a pot over medium-high heat and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and add the white grape/cherry juice. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, about 5 more minutes. Gradually stir in the cooking wine/water until smooth. Add the baby bella mushrooms, thyme, bay leaves, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.
Meanwhile, season the ribs with salt and pepper, place in the pot and add water to cover. Trim a piece of parchment paper so that it rests on top of the meat. This is to seal the moisture in while braising. Cover the pot with the lid and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is fork-tender, about 3 hours.
Remove the meat from the sauce and transfer to a plate. Set the sauce aside, about 10 minutes, then skim off the fat. Discard the bay leaves and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Return the ribs to the sauce and keep warm over low heat.
Chop the remaining 1 clove garlic and set aside. Heat the reserved bacon drippings in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the white mushrooms and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Toss in the chopped garlic and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Enjoy!
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. Use pancetta instead of bacon for more flavor.
2. I substituted a lot of alcohol in this dish, the original recipe calls for cognac (I used white grapes/cherry juice) and red wine (I used red cooking wine). Still turned out pretty good.
3. You can use other types of mushrooms like porcini, oyster, or cremini. I used baby bella and white due to unavailability of other mushrooms in our local grocery store.
4. Add 1/4 cup chopped parsley with the 1 clove of garlic when cooking the white mushrooms.
Labels:
rice
Another rice entry. We love eating rice, be it steamed, fried, or anything else in between. I made this dish because I had leftover cooked chicken that was too small to make a dish on its own. It was also a great excuse to eat veggies.
What you need:
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
- 1/4 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 small carrot, diced
- 2 eggs, scrambled
- 6 cloves of garlic, mashed
- 3 stalks green onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Canola oil
Not sure what the connection is between panda and oyster.
What to do:
Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic for about 30 seconds, then add the chicken and cook for a minute or two. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the rice is heated through. Remember to stir frequently, else the rice will stick to the bottom of your wok. Remove from the heat and enjoy!
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. Top with roasted garlic for more flavor.
2. If not using soy sauce, substitute with about 1 teaspoon of salt.
3. Add other veggies like water chestnuts or broccoli.
4. Oyster sauce has a strong flavor, so use sparingly.
Labels:
Product Review,
sweets
Mother-in-law gave me a box of these Ritz Fudge Covered crackers from Nabisco. The first thing that I noticed were the words "Limited Edition." I had mixed emotions about it - why was it limited edition? Are they any good? Would the chocolate clash with the buttery taste of the crackers? And so to satify my curiosity, I opened the box and took a bite!
It kinda' reminded me of Fibisco Choco Crunchies from the Philippines. But Choco Crunchies were sweeter, and the crackers were thicker. Ritz, on the other hand, used their traditional buttery/salty crackers and coated it with milk chocolate.
Fibisco's Choco Crunchies. Photo Credits: www.tsikot.yehey.com
What I liked:
- Good balance of salty and sweet.
- The crackers underneath the chocolate were light and crispy.
- Only 160 calories for 4 pieces! Gimme more!!!
- The chocolate was not overly sweet.
What I didn't like:
- Milk chocolate. I would have liked it more if it was dark chocolate.
- The chocolate coating was kinda' waxy. Sorry.
- The word "fudge" was misleading. When I hear "fudge", the words "sweet", "creamy" and "rich" comes to mind. None of were in the Ritz crackers that I just tasted.
The Verdict:
Ritz Fudge Covered Crackers are a good snack, but nothing really wowed me. It made me think of Keebler Cookies Fudge Stripes. I mean they taste good, but nothing extra ordinary. Would I recommend it to a friend? Maybe... after all, it is "limited edition." (Probably off the shelves by now). Would I buy it again? I would give it another shot if they make a dark chocolate variety.
Labels:
Hubby's Corner
This is hubby's favorite recipe of guacamole. It is chunky, tangy and delicious. And for the record, he made this guacamole. My only participation was mashing the avocados and enjoying the finished product!
What you need:
- 3 avocados
- 3 tomatoes, diced (we used plum, premium and vine-ripened variety)
- 1/4 of a red onion, diced
- 2 stems of green onions, sliced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (seeds included)
- 1 serrano pepper, diced (seeds included)
- 1 poblano pepper, diced (seeds included)
- juice of 1 1/2 fresh lime
- 1/4 teaspoon vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- pinch of kosher salt
- dash of red pepper flakes
What to do:
Wash all the vegetables and let dry. Start by dicing the onions and peppers and putting them in a large bowl. Add the diced avocados to the bowl. As soon as you put the avocados in, add the lime juice and the rest of the ingredients, except the tomatoes. Mash it up according to desired consistency. At the very end, add the tomatoes and gently fold them in.
Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. This is by far, the hardest part, because we end up eating it along the way. Let's put it this way - we taste it to make sure it tastes good, but once you start nibbling on it, you really can't stop.
Serve with your favorite chips.
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:
1. For easier dicing of avocados, cut it in half, remove the pit and score it, making sure not to push through the skin. Then scoop with a spoon.
2. Roll the lime on a flat surface with your palm for maximum juice extraction.
3. The lime is not just for flavor - it also helps the avocado not to turn brown. So add it immediately!
4. The tomatoes are added last so that they don't get smushed when you mash the avocados. Unless you want a juicy guac.
5. Everything can be tweaked to taste. For example, if you don't want it spicy, remove the seeds of the peppers. If it is too tangy, lessen the amount of lime juice.
Onion partay!!!
Brown on the outside, but pink and juicy at the center. Yum! *drools*
