Easy Tender Pork Roast

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you would know that "we love the pig." In fact, I think I have more pork dishes than all the other categories combined (NOT!). We love the pig so much that we decided to make beef roast but use pork instead hahaha. No, seriously. This is originally my mother-in-law's beef roast recipe. I just copied it and used pork in lieu of beef. :-)


What you need:

4 to 5 pounds pork loin
14 oz chicken broth
1/2 cup Dale's seasoning 
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground black pepper


What to do:

Place pork in your slow cooker or Crock Pot.  Add broth.

Using a fork, poke roast to create little pockets or holes. Place pork in your slow cooker or Crock Pot. Pour in broth, Dale's seasoning and let meat absorb it. Sprinkle minced garlic and pepper.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. 

Enjoy!


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. I know, it is a loooong time to wait. But it makes the meat really tender. If you are pressed for time, cook using medium heat for about 6 to 7 hours.
2. If you are a garlic lover like me, add garlic powder!
3. Best served with veggies and mashed potatoes!

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Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette)

I had to drive a long way just to get these Japanese eggplants. See, I have been craving for tortang talong (eggplant omelette), but it doesn't seem right to make it with the eggplants aubergines that are available in the local markets here. They are either humongous and fat, or pudgy and fat. They probably taste the same, but I didn't think I would have the right meat-to-eggplant ratio if I use them. 

So when I saw these Japanese eggplants in the Oriental store, I grabbed a pack of 3. I figured I could finally have my omelette, and possibly an extra piece to grill (another one of my favorites!).  

This recipe of eggplant omelette is easy to make and delicious. Dipped in (banana) catsup, it "hits the spot!"


What you need:

2 eggplants
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
1/2 green bell pepper
1/4 of a large Vidalia onion
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil (for frying)


What to do:

Grill eggplants until skin is almost burnt and peeling off. Let cool on a rack. When it is cool enough to touch, remove skin. Flatten the grilled eggplant with a fork.

In a flat container, beat the eggs. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Lay the flattened eggplant on top of the beaten eggs.

Meanwhile, heat about a teaspoon of olive oil in a wok. Saute garlic, onion and bell pepper. Add ground pork and cook till brown. Season with soy sauce. Set aside.

Heat a large flat pan over medium-high. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Remove eggplant from beaten eggs and place into hot oil. Put some of the ground pork mixture on top of the eggplant. Cook for about a minute or two, then turn over so the other side would be cooked. Remove from heat. Enjoy with hot rice and your favorite condiment.

Yes, this is how your pan would look like too! ;-)

Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Do not cut off the top of the eggplant. It is actually very useful in handling and transferring the eggplant!
2. Use a wide spatula to put the flattened eggplant into the pan. 
3. Don't flatten the eggplant too much. You're making omelette - not baba ghanoush!
4. Eggplants tend to soak up a lot of oil so don't use a lot!

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Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno

This is my take on 4Rivers' delicious appetizer that hubby loves (and craves EVERYDAY!). It was so easy to make - only took me a few minutes to make them. And even a shorter time to eat them all up.

Since there were just 3 of us, I just used about 6 pieces of jalapenos. I should have known better and bought a lot. We will definitely make more of these in the future!

 
What you need:

6 pieces Jalapeno peppers
1/2 block (4 oz) of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 pieces of bacon

 
What to do:

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Wash the jalapenos and cut them in half lengthwise. Using a paring knife, remove the seeds from the jalapenos carefully. Set aside.

Combine the softened cream cheese and the cheddar cheese. Make sure the cheddar is distributed evenly.

Slice the bacon strips in half (you only need about half a strip for each jalapeno). Set aside. Scoop about half a tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the jalapeno. Gently press so you fill in the nooks and crannies! Wrap the jalapeno by rolling a bacon strip around it. Continue doing this process until you use up all your ingredients.

Place the wrapped jalapenos on a metal rack and bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

 
Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Want more heat? Don't remove all the seeds of the jalapeno.
2. Be careful - those seeds are hot! Always wear protective covering (like gloves) and avoid touching your face after handling seeds!
3. If you want more bacon, use a single strip for each half of jalapeno. Just add a bit more cooking time so the bacon would cook through.
4. When buying fresh jalapenos for this recipe, choose the bigger ones so you get more of the filling! However, you can still get the small ones for those one-bite jalapenos! ;-) 

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Super Meaty Sausage Pizza

This is what happens when hubby and I make meals without planning. It is usually an overload of... something. In this case, toppings. But hey, I am not complaining. When it comes to pizza, I love my meat and mushrooms! 

By the way, if you look closely, you'd notice that one side has more meat than the other. Guess whose half that is!


What you need:

pizza dough
quarter of a pound cooked sausage meat
1/4 Vidalia onion, sliced
8 oz can of mushrooms
2 to 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 tomato, roughly chopped
slices of mozzarella cheese
dried thyme (to taste)
dried basil (to taste)
about 2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

What to do:

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Prepare/knead dough according to package directions. Place on round baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Using a pastry brush, spread the olive oil so it would cover the whole middle area. Sprinkle salt on the edges of the dough.

Spread tomato sauce on top of dough. Cover with mozzarella cheese slices.  Top with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and sausage. Season with thyme and basil. 

Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until dough is cooked according to package directions. 


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. I used sweet Italian sausage in this recipe. Feel free to use the regular or spicy variety!
2. Dried oregano would be a nice touch to this dish.
3. No tomato sauce? Use spaghetti sauce! It works well too!

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Sweet Glazed Ham

This ham is just sooooo good! I helped my mother-in-law prep it by spreading the glaze (yep, that was my part!). 

We used the Boar's Head Brown Sugar and Spice Glaze and Boar's Head Ham to make this delicious combo. Nope, not a sponsored post. We just love Boar's Head. It is so worth paying the extra money to have this good quality meat.

Anyway, we basically followed what it said in the bottle of the glaze. The result was a delicious sweet and savory ham that we enjoyed for lunch, plus several sandwiches afterwards.  

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White Pork Afritada

Yet again, this dish was inspired by Kuya Dennis' post. I love how he would take traditional dishes and tweak it to make a new dish. I always trust his recipes because he has three kids as taste-testers!

I also did some tweaking of my own. I used pork instead of chicken, and since I don't have cream in the fridge, I used evaporated milk. That has always been my go-to ingredient because it makes everything creamier, and it is so easy to stock because of its long shelf-life. And since hubby is in his "olive cravings," I had to put in some olives.

This dish was really delicious. Very flavorful and savory, with a little hint of creaminess. I also didn't feel too guilty eating it, because I loaded it with a lot of veggies. Healthy and yummy!


What you need: 

1 pound pork shoulder, cubed into bite-size pieces
1 Russet potato, wedged
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups baby carrots
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 Vidalia onion, sliced
3/4 cup evaporated milk
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup Spanish olives, drained
1 tablespoon of butter
salt, to taste


What to do: 

In a pan, heat butter over medium-high. Saute garlic and onion. Add cubed pork and cook, stirring until brown (about 2 to 5 minutes, depending on how thick the cuts are). Add carrots and potatoes, then pour in broth. Bring to a boil, then set heat to low. Let simmer for around 10 minutes, or until pork and veggies are tender.

Add the rest of the veggies, and the evaporated milk. Season with salt. Continue cooking for about 5 more minutes. Serve hot.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. No broth? Use bouillon cubes instead. Or just water will do.
2. You can also make this recipe using chicken.
3. Make sure veggies are relatively the same size for even cooking.
4. Not a fan of evaporated milk? Use cream or regular milk instead.

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Pork and Spinach Potstickers

This is actually a Guy Fieri-inspired post, as we were watching his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives when I thought of making this. Well, he featured a Chinese diner in California, particularly their dumplings. I remembered that I still have ground pork in the fridge, and it has been a long time since we've had dumplings, so I might as well make some.

As a bonus, I found some spinach in the freezer and I thought I'd make our meal a wee bit healthier by adding it. Also, instead of deep frying, I wanted to steam them in broth so it turned out to be potstickers instead.

This might be a case of "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," since potstickers, dumplings, and gyoza are basically the same things - meat/veggies wrapped in thin pieces of dough. The difference, I surmise, are in the shape and style of wrapping them. But of course, they all taste great! 


What you need: 

1 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 cups spinach (fresh or frozen)
1 can (8 oz) chicken broth
4 stalks green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
canola oil for frying
wonton skins
small bowl of water or egg wash (optional)


What to do:

Notice the egg wash on the corners of the wrapper (bottom left)

Boil spinach for about 20 seconds in briskly boiling water. Drain. When cool enough to handle, place them on a cutting board and chop until fine. Place in a bowl and add ground pork, green onion, sherry, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, ginger and sugar. Mix well.

Place about half a tablespoonful of filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper. Wet the edge of two sides of the wrapper with water or egg wash. Bring ends together forming a triangle and press, making sure you release air bubbles. Continue this process until you have used up all your fillings.

Over medium-low, heat a pan with about a teaspoon of Canola oil. Place several potstickers and let one side cook  for about a minute. Then add about 3 tablepoons of chicken broth and cover pan. Cook until liquid reduces to almost nothing. Repeat until you have cooked all your potstickers.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. This dish is so versatile - you can use chopped carrots or water chestnuts if you don't like spinach.
2. Use a measuring spoon when scooping up filling so you always get roughly the same amount in every wonton skin.
3. Non-stick pan works the best - less "potsticking" means more for eating!
4. When placing the potstickers in a pan, make sure not to overcrowd them. 
5. For dipping sauce, we like toyomansi (soy sauce with lime), but you can use sweet and sour sauce, or just regular soy sauce. 
6. For added heat, pour in a bit of chili oil to your dipping sauce.

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15 Bean Soup

 

I know, I know. I shouldn’t be eating beans too much, but I just can’t help it – I love them! And so does hubby. Surely, once in a while would be OK, right?

So here’s a funny story. I called hubby at work and proudly told him that we were having 15 Bean Soup for dinner that day. His answer was, “15? I thought it was 16 Bean Soup. Did you remove one kind of bean from the packet?” Hahahaha. I don’t think I would go that far as to weed out that packet of one certain type of bean. Apparently, when he was growing up, there were 16 kinds of bean in that package or so he remembers. Now, its only 15. Aaah, inflation. ;-)

This would have been perfect with ham bone (a.k.a. “the gift that keeps on giving”) but I think we gave our dog the hambone. Doggone it! (pardon the pun!). By the way, I followed the recipe at the back of the package (with some minor tweaking) -  it already came with the seasoning so might as well give it a try! Semi-homemade much? 

 
What you need:

1 pound pork loin, cut into bite-size pieces

½ cup onion, diced

½ cup carrots, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper

*seasoning packet included in package


What to do: 

Place beans in a large pot, cover with 2 quarts of water. Allow beans to soak overnight, or at least  8 hours.

After soaking, drain water and add anther 2 quarts of water. Bring beans to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 hours.

Melt butter in a skillet and saute garlic, onion, carrots, and pork loin over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add this mixture, and the flavor packet to the beans. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes, or until beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Add other veggies like celery or potato.
2. Not a pork fan? Use chicken instead.
3. Sausage is a great addition too!
4. Want a thicker soup? Reduce the amount of water.

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"Americanized" Batchoy

The pork cracklings make it so good!

Old habits die hard. Hence, I still follow old "New Year" traditions that we used to do as a child. A lot of them had to do with Chinese beliefs that became meshed with Filipino practices. Remember when our grandmas would tell us to wear something with polka dots to celebrate the New Year? Or to have 12 different kinds of round fruits that would represent prosperity for the coming 12 months.

A tradition that I couldn't forget was to eat noodles and boiled egg in the New Year. Noodles for long life, and egg... well... the round shape of the boiled egg has the same meaning as the polka dots. Last year, I didn't really prepare much so I just had ramen and egg. But this year, I wanted to make La Paz Batchoy.

After reading all the ingredients of La Paz, I decided that I couldn't make it - I just don't know where to get the pig innards needed for it. More importantly, I don't think my family would eat it. 
 So I had to do the "Americanized" version and take out the offals and innards from the recipe.

A more traditional version includes pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, shrimp, vegetables, chicken stock, chicken breast, beef loin and round noodles. Of those ingredients mentioned, I think only pork cracklings made it to my dish. I didn't have any complains, though. It was delicious. Really delicious.


What you need: 

1 lb pork loins
1 lb miki noodles, boiled
4 hard boiled eggs
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 quartered Vidalia onion
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
7 cups water
1 pack pork cracklings, crushed
1 head of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil


What to do:

In a large pot, boil water. Add pork, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, sugar, onion, shrimp paste and soy sauce. Let cook until pork is tender, about an hour.

Meanwhile, cook minced garlic in oil until toasted. Drain in paper towels and set aside. 

Remove pork from broth and let cool. Shred or slice into strips.

Arrange noodles in a bowl. Top with pork slices and egg. Ladle broth into the bowl. Garnish with crushed pork cracklings and toasted garlic. Serve hot!


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. When cooking pork, make sure to remove the scum that rises to the surface.
2. Use green onions for garnish!
3. Some people prefer egg-drop type batchoys.
4. As always, go with taste. If the broth doesn't taste ok for you, tweak it!

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Special Embutido

I already have a post for embutido, but I wanted to make my grandmother's embutido - the delicious, unforgettable kind. Sadly, because I couldn't get some of the ingredients here, I had to be creative and wish for the best (hahaha). 

When my grandmother used to make embutido, she would wrap it in caul fat, which is a lining  in a pig's intestines. Sounds really gross, but it is actually a natural sausage casing, and when cooked, caul fat melts, leaving the meat moist and succulent.

Anyway, since caul fat isn't something I can buy from our local store, I decided to just use cheese cloth. No, it didn't melt, but it also held the meat very well.  And I loved that I boiled it instead of steaming it because - aside from the meat being very moist - I used the liquid as the base for sauce. Yummy!!!

 What you need:

For the embutido:
1 1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 green + 1/2 red bell pepper
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 carrot
1/2 Vidalia onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Worcerstershire sauce
3 tablespoons raisins
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced in quarters
1 can Vienna sausage
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper


For the sauce:
6 to 8 cups of water
1 teaspoon canola oil 
1/4 Vidalia onion, sliced
2 pork bouillon cubes
2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water


What to do: 

Using your food processor, grind the peppers, carrot, and onion. Place in a large bowl. Add in all the embutido ingredients, except the hard boiled eggs and sausage. Mix well.

Place a good amount of ground pork mixture on the top end of a piece of 10"X10"cheese cloth and flatten it a bit. You should be forming a rectangle of sorts. Put a quartered egg on top of the meat, then a piece of sausage. Alternate the egg and sausage until you reach the end of the meat mixture.

Form a log by rolling the meat and seal it by lifting the top part of the cheesecloth and rolling towards you. Secure by twisting both ends like you would twist a candy wrapper. Repeat the procedure until you have used up all the meat. Set aside.

In a pot, saute the garlic, tomatoes and onion in oil for about a minute. Lower the heat, place the embutido logs in the pot (on top of the onions) and pour about 6 to 8 cups of water. Crank the heat up to high until water begins to boil. Once boiling, drop the pork bouillon cubes and bring heat back to low. Allow meat to simmer for about an hour.

Remove meat to cool. Add cornstarch, soy sauce, tomato paste and sugar to the boiling broth. Cook for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Serve with the embutido.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. I made a lot of substitutions in this recipe because I didn't have some ingredients. Feel free to use sweet pickle relish instead of vinegar, and fresh garlic instead of garlic powder.
2. Don't have cheesecloth? Do it the regular way then - by using aluminum foil, then steaming instead of boiling.
3. Skip the bouillon cubes if you don't have any. Try cooking it in beef broth instead.

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Soba-Pork Stri Fry

Yet again, I used Soba noodles to replace rice for starch in this meal because aside from noodles being hubby's favorite, it makes me think that we had "Chinese" for dinner. Only less greasy, and with dishes to do afterwards (yeah - you have to take the good with the bad).

Speaking of Chinese takeouts, I read somewhere that there are three times more Chinese restaurants here in America than McDonald's franchises. Hmmm... next time I drive down the road, I'd make a mental note to count the Mickey D's and Chinese restos to see if that's true. :-)


What you need: 

2 bundles Soba noodles
1/2 lb pork loin, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup snow peas
2 carrots, coined
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon blackbean sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoon garlic oil 
1 teaspoon sesame oil
dash of red pepper flakes


What to do: 

Cook soba noodles in lightly salted boiling water for about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat garlic oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Saute minced garlic and onion for about a minute, then add carrots and snow peas. Cook for another minute or two, then add the pork to brown. Stir constantly so the pork doesn't stick to the bottom of the wok.

Pour in rice wine, oyster sauce and blackbean sauce. Season with a dash of red pepper flakes. Add noodles and mix well. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Other veggies that you can use are baby corn, water chestnuts, cauliflower, etc. Pick your favorite!
2. You can skip sesame oil if you don't like the taste.
3. Do not overcook your soba - it gets soggy fast. Also, you are actually gonna cook it again when you put it back into the wok with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Don't forget to trim the ends of the snow peas.

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Pochero

So what do you do when you have left-over chickpeas, Spanish sausage, and plantain bananas? Make pochero, of course. Well actually, I have been planning on making pochero for quite a while  but everytime I have plantains, we end up making platanos fritos. Fried ripe plantains are just so good....  mmmmm... 

But anyway, I finally had the constraint not to fry my plantain and make pochero instead. Hubby loved it. He said it tasted like Spanish bean soup (come to think of it, it did taste like Spanish bean soup!). This is not the traditional way of making pochero, but there is really no right or wrong way when it comes to cooking. As long as you are happy with the outcome, then all is good. ;-)


What you need:

1 lb pork loins, cut into cubes
1/2 cup green beans
1/4 cup chickpeas
1 tomato, quartered
1/2 medium-sized onion, sliced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 potato, cut into cubes
2 pieces chorizo, coined
1 plantain, cut into thick rounds
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 pcs pork bouillon (optional)


What to do: 

Soak chickpeas in  cold water for at least 6 to 8 hours. Replace water every 2 hours. 

Heat canola oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Fry the sliced plantains halfway (about a minute). Let drain on a cooling rack and keep warm. In the same pot, quickly fry the chorizo for about 30 seconds, and remove from heat. Set aside. 

Cook the pork slices until light brown (around a minute or two). Add in the drained chickpeas and potatoes. Pour in about 6 to 8 cups of water and put in the bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then drop the heat to low and let simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until meat is tender.

Add the green beans, sausage, and plantains. Continue cooking for about 7 to 10 more minutes. Remove from heat, ladle in bowls and serve hot.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Use more plantains if you want the dish to have more "sweetness".
2. Add cabbage leaves for a heartier, healthier version.
3. Don't have pork bouillon? Skip it. Or better yet, use beef broth.
4. Soaking chickpeas overnight works best!

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Pork Belly Stir-Fry with Noodles and Basil

This recipe is from the book that my sister-in-law gave me a few months ago. The book (I Love Bacon!) has so many great recipes, all of them contributed by chefs around the world. I was looking forward to making Iron Chef Cat Cora's "Pig Candy Ice Cream" but that would have to wait as we still have ice cream in the freezer. 

This dish was contributed by Chef Ian Chalermkittichai (hope I spelled that right), chef and owner of Cuisine Concept Co., Ltd. I had to tweak it a bit and substitute some ingredients to use available resources. It turned out to be awesome - a bit spicy but very flavorful. So now I am wishing I made more...


What you need: 

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 finger chili pepper
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, thinly sliced
1/4 cup basil (plus more for serving)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 tablespoon peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound rice noodles, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
6 slices pork belly, cut into 1 inch pieces


What to do: 

Cook the pork belly (sliced bacon-style) by baking them like this. Or, you can put them on a skillet and fry them the old fashioned way. Let cool, then slice into 1 inch pieces.

Heat canola oil in a wok over low heat. Add the finger chili and garlic and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes. Add the ginger, 1/4 cup of  basil, fish sauce, oyster sauce, coconut milk, chicken stock, peppercorns, sugar, and rice noodles. Stir well to distribute ingredients evenly.

At the last minute, add the crispy pork belly and stir-fry quickly until everything is fully combined. Check and adjust the seasonings, if necesssary. Garnish with more basil and serve immediately.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Original recipe called for green peppercorns and Thai basil. I used regular black peppercorns and sweet basil.
2. Adjust seasonings according to your taste. Skip the finger chili if you don't like spice. Add more coconut milk to tone down the heat (if using chili). 
3. If using green peppercorns, it should be fresh - not dried.
4. You can substitute pork belly with pre-packaged bacon. 

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Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Hubby has been asking me to make Dolmades for the longest time (it is one of his favorites) and so I finally gave in one day. I don't mind making stuffed grape leaves. I like them too. The thing is - every grape leaf we have tried was different! Some are stuffed with rice, with couscous, with lamb, with herbs added, etc. The possibilities are endless!
 
I decided to make mine using ground pork. It would have been great if I had fresh grape leaves, but since I don't have a vineyard (hmmmm......), I used bottled grape leaves. So I toiled away (no kidding!) to prepare this special dish for hubby. Oh, you should have seen the look on his face when he saw what dinner was for that night... you'd think he won the lottery. 

A quick note, though. We learned that dolmades is good when freshly cooked - not so as leftovers. The grape leaves dry up when you heat it. So make a small batch. Or a big one, but invite friends over!


What you need: 

1 jar (1 lb) grape leaves
1.25 pound ground pork
6 cups beef broth
1 cup bulgur wheat
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 teasoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
dash of dried oregano
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil


What to do:

Carefully remove grape leaves from the jar. Fill a large pot with water (enough to cover the leaves entirely) and boil for about 20 minutes. This is to wash the brine off the grape leaves. Remove from heat and let cool.

Meanwhile, cook bulgur wheat according to package directions. Set aside to cool. 

In a bowl, combine pork, cooked bulgur wheat, garlic, onion, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well (use your hands!). 

Take a piece of grape leaf and place it on a flat surface. Make sure there are no holes - if there are, try to patch it up by putting a smaller leaf on top of it. A whole grape leaf is big, so you can also cut it in half. Place about a tablespoonful of the meat mixture on the leaf. Fold the sides inward, then cover with the top part (the one nearest you) and roll (see pics). Continue doing so until you have used all your meat (or grape leaves).

Put the dolmades in a shallow pan (you can stack them - don't be scared!) and cover with a plate. This is so the grape leaves would not unravel. Pour enough broth to touch the surface of the plate. Add lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Cook on low heat for an hour. Serve hot!


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Grape leaves are so delicate - handle with care!
2. Don't have bulgur wheat? Use couscous or rice.
3. Fresh grape leaves are always the best. If using fresh, you should also boil it, much like the bottled grape leaves.
4. Ground beef or lamb can be used in lieu of pork.
5. Some low-quality bottled grape leaves are "stringy" - avoid these.

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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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