Saturday, December 20, 2008

Pritong Liempo (Adobo Cebuano Style)

This is always a winner everytime my mom cooks this for a sunday dinner. She usually serve this along with tinulang isda (Fish soup) and maiz(in lieu of rice). Maiz is ground corn, it's similar to polenta and grits, cooked like regular rice.

I cook this only if i get to buy liempo from the Asian store. For this dinner i served the adobo with curried coleslaw and of course steamed white rice.



Cut liempo into cubes



Season with S&P, cayenne and paprika. Lawrys' sesoning will do, i've tried it before.
Fry them in batches to achieve the crisp. Make sure to cover the pan w/ those splatter protector to protect yourself and avoid the mess.



Serve with steamed white rice, and any salad (i made curry coleslaw) and ofcourse vinegar w/ kalamansi or lemon juice for the dip.








Monday, December 15, 2008

BUCHE DE NOEL COOKIES

Another recipe from the Best loved Hershey's Sweet and Sensational Cookbook. I had fun making these and we loved them as well. I personally love it because it's chewy cookie.

The recipe didn't require garnish but i wanted it too look festive, so i added mini marshmallows as the mushrooms and mini M&Ms just to add colors.



Assembly line for the cookies








BUCHE DE NOEL COOKIES

2/3 C butter or margarine, softened
1 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ C all purpose flour
½ C Hershey’s cocoa
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Mocha Frosting (recipe follows)
Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Cover; refrigerate dough 1/ to 2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Shape heaping teaspoons of dough into logs about 21/2 inches long and ¾ inches in diameter; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool slightly. Remove to wire rack and cool completely. Prepare Mocha Frosting.

3. Frost cookies with frosting. Using tines of fork, draw lines through frosting to imitate tree bark. Lightly dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Y: about 2 ½ dozen cookies.

MOCHA FROSTING:

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 2/3 C powdered sugar
1/3 C Hershey’s Cocoa
3 to 4 Tablespoons milk
2 Teaspoons powdered instant espresso dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed in medium bowl until creamy. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, dissolved espresso and vanilla, beating to spreadable consistency.

Y: about 1 2/3 C frosting









Thursday, December 11, 2008

EASY CHOCOLATE CREAM FILLED TORTE

I bought this book couple of months ago from my "library" Barnes and Nobles, they had this on sale for $5 and what a bargain...this book is full of deliciousness ha!ha!ha! This recipe is my first and more to come.







The sides looks rustic yet it looks elegant..well that's my opinion, what do you think?






Y: 8-10 servings
prep time: 20 minutes

1 pound cake (Store bought)
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 C Hershey's cocoa (any cocoa powder will work)
1 C (1/2 pint) cold whipping ceam
1 t vanilla extract
Chocolate glaze (recipe to follow)
Sliced almonds (optional)

1. Cut cake horizontally to make 3 or 4 layers. Stir together sugar and cocoa in medium bowl. Add whipping cream and vanilla; beat until stiff.

2. Place bottom cake layer on serving platter. Spread 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture on cake layer. Place next cake layer on top of whipped cream mixture; continue layering whipped cream mixture and cake untl all have been used.

3. Prepare Chocolate Glaze; spoon over top of cake, allowing to drizzle down sides. Garnish with almonds, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

CHOCLATE GLAZE:
Y: 1/2 cup glaze

2 T butter or margarine
2 T Hershey's cocoa
2 T water1 C powdered sugar
1/4 to 1/2 t almond extract

1. Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and slightly thickened. Do not boil.

2. Remove from heat. Gradually add powdered sugar and almond extract, beating whisk until smooth.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Scallop and Shrimp Curry















Ingredients
· 1 lb sea scallops
· ½ lb shrimps, deveined and take out shells
· fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
· 3 tbsp oil
· ½ bamboo shoots
· ½ sweet peas
· 3 shallots finely chopped
· 2 bird’s eye chili peppers finely chopped
· 1 tsp fresh/frozen lemongrass minced
· 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
· 2 stalks scallion thinly sliced (reserve a bit for garnish)
· 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
· 1 bay leaf
· 1 tbsp curry powder
· 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
· 1 cup water
· 1 tbsp fish sauce
· 1/3 cup white wine
Rinse and pat scallops dry with paper towels. Cut scallops in half if they are jumbo size. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste on both sides. Heat oil in deep, heavy skillet over high heat. Sauté scallops until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to platter. Then sauté the shrimps until light pink in color. Transfer to platter.
Mix lemongrass, chili, ginger, scallion, garlic, bay leaf, curry powder and little water to make a paste using an immersion blender or food processor. Put skillet back on burner and add shallots and shoots. Sauté until slightly golden and then add the paste mixture to same skillet. Mix the ingredients until they are evenly coated with oil. Whisk together the coconut milk and water and pour into skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until slightly thickened. Add white wine and fish sauce and simmer to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return scallops to skillet 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with green scallions.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

HOMEMADE MISO SOUP AND JAPANESE BBQ

So, flu bug got me first guess i don't need my flu shot now! These was what i fixed/cooked the day i felt better. I was craving for miso soup, nope not those from the packets/sachets..i wanted to make it from scratch. The chicken bbq was a last minute decision just because i wanted to use up all the miso paste and i had chicken wings in the freezer. The ingredients i used for these recipes are staple in my pantry.

Miso soup is easy to make. There are 2 main ingredients to a basic miso soup. Then a lot of garnish you can add to the basic miso soup. For my family we like to add soft tofu and scallions sometimes enoki mushroom.
Miso soup is not only easy to make but healthy as well not to mention inexpensive...really!! seriously!! take note on the prices of the items and a little goes a long way.

1. DASHI (Dashi) for this recipe, dashi is made w/ kelp sometimes called kombu or konbu (Kelp) and bonito flakes (Katsuobushi)
2. MISO PASTE (Miso)


THE LAST TIME I CHECKED OUR REGULAR GROCERY STORES..THE INGREDIENTS ARE READILY AVAILABLE.YOU MAY SUBSTITUTE DASHI STOCK W/ CHICKEN STOCK BUT IT'LL NOT TASTE THE SAME


KELP (KONBU/KOMBU)


BONITO FLAKES (ABOUT $2.50-5/PACK)







ABOUT $1.50

MISO INGREDIENTS

HOW TO MAKE DASHI STOCK:
1. Wipe a strip of kelp w/ damp paper towel. Add the strip to a pot of cold H2O (5 cups).
2. Bring to a simmer over low heat, about 15-20 minutes allowing the kelp to infuse.
3. Remove kelp as soon as water reaches boiling point. Set kelp aside for the seaweed salad.
4. Add a packet of bonito flakes to the water for few minutes.
5. Remove and let flakes steep for 2 minutes, strain them out of the broth.








HOW TO MAKE MISO SOUP:
1. Whisk and mix 1/4 cup of dashi stock and miso paste until a smooth, creamy paste is achieved.
2. Add and whisk the mixture into the dashi stock and return to a simmer.
3. Add in diced tofu let simmer for 2 more minutes.
4. Garnish with scallions. Other garnish options: chives, onions, mushrooms, chopped spinach and a lot more....

The entire process takes about 25 to 30 minutes from the dashi stock to miso soup. The stock could be made in advance and refrigerate for 3 days or freeze until the next use. Miso soup can be kept in the ref for 3 days...but in my house the soup will not even see the ref=:)







KELP (SEAWEED SALAD)
Slice the following thinly: sweet onions and kelps. Mince garlic and ginger. Mix everything w/ spicy vinegar, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.





JAPANESE CHICKEN BBQ INGREDIENTS ( ANY KIND OF BEER CAN BE USED..I HAPPEN TO HAVE JAPANESE BEER IN THE HOUSE)



HOW TO MAKE JAPANESE BBQIngredients:
1 cup miso paste
1 cup beer
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar2 t sesame oil
1/8 t cayenne pepper (add more if you want it hot)
2 lbs. chicken (breast, wings or thighs w/c ever you like).

1. In a bowl, combine miso paste, beer, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and cayenne pepper.
2. Stir until the miso and sugar are dissolved. I usually set aside about a cup or so of the marinade (bring it to a boil) and use them to glaze the chicken right before serving.
3. Marinate chicken for at least and hour.
4. Preheat oven to 375 F. This could also be grilled.
5. Arrange chicken including the marinade on a baking pan and bake. Check chicken after 10 minutes and turn each pieces. Return to the oven to bake until tender and cooked

JAPANESE CHICKEN BBQ SERVED W/ STEAMED WHITE RICE

AND THE ENTIRE MEAL!!!
HOMEMADE MISO SOUP, SEAWEED SALAD AND JAPANESE CHICKEN BBQ.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

TAPAS

My daughter gave me a Tapas Cookbook last May and went on a mission to try all the recipes from this book. To date i'm not even halfway, but will eventually finish and test the recipes. So far, there is only one Tapas recipe that i like the least.

All the recipes serves 8


CHICKEN IN LEMON AND GARLIC

4 Large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
5 T Spanish olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon, finely pared rind of
1 lemon and juice of both lemons
4 T chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
salt and pepper
lemon wedges and crusty bread, to serve.

Slice chicken into think strips.
Heat olive in a skillet, then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Add the sliced chicken to the skillet and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring from time to time, until all the ingredients are lightly browned and the chicken is tender.
Add grated lemon zest and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
At the same time, deglaze the skillet by scraping and stirring all the bits on the bottom of the skillet.
Remove the from the heat, then stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve hot and garnish w/ the lemon zest, lemon slices and some parsley.
Crusty bread for mopping up the juices.




TORTILLA ESPANOLA
(FRITATA)



Y: 8 slices


1 Lb waxy potatoes ( i used yukon gold potatoes)
generous 1 3/4 cups olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 large eggs
salt and pepper
sprigs of fresh flatleaf parsley, to garnish


Slice potatoes like chips/scalloped, dry slices very well.
Heat olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet.
Add potato slices and onions, then reduce the heat and cook the potatoes until tender.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs lightly, season well w/ salt and pepper.
Pour in the egg mixture, making sure the potatoes are equally distributed through out the skillet.
Add oil if necessary. Use a spatula to keep loosening the tortilla from the bottom of the skillet to avoid it from sticking.
To cook the other side of the tortilla, cover it w/ a plate and hold the plate in place with the other hand.
Quickly turn the skillet upside down so that the tortilla falls onto the plate.
Return the skillet to the heat and add a little more of the oil if necessary.
Slide the tortilla, cooked side up, back into the pan and cook for additional 3-5 minutes or until the bottom side is cooked.

FRIED POTATOES WITH PIQUANT PAPRIKA
WHEN SERVED WITH THE FIERY TOMATO SALSA, THIS DISH IS THEN KNOWN AS PATATAS BRAVAS.


3 t paprika
1 t ground cumin
1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t salt
1 lb small old potatoes, peeled (I used yukon gold potatoes but Idaho would be great too)
oil, for shallow frying
Combine paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
Cut potatoes into wedges. Coat potato wedges w/ the spice mixture.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet, then add the potato wedges, preferably in single layer to achieve a crispy fried potatoes. Over crowding the skillet with potatoes will make it mushy.
Serve the Fiery Tomato Salsa
Salsa recipe:
2 T olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
splash of dry white wine
14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
1 T tomato paste
1/4-1/2 t red chili pepper flakes
dash of Tabasco sauce
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
Heat the olive oil in a pan, then add the onion and cook for 5 min. or until softened but not browned.
Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 sec.
Add the wine and let bubble, then add all the remaining ingredients, simmer, incovered, for 10-15 min, or until a thick sauce is formed.

SAUTEED GARLIC MUSHROOMS

1 lb white mushrooms
5 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper
4 T chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Wipe or brush clean the mushrooms, then trim off the stems close to the caps.
Cut the large mushrooms in half or into fourths if necesssary.
Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet, then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds- 1 min. or until lightly browned.
Add the mushrooms and saute over high heat. stirring most of the time, until they have absorbed all of the oil in the skillet stirring from time to time, until the juices have almost evaporated.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir in the parsley.
Serve hot.

MUSSELS WITH HERB AND GARLIC BUTTER

1 lb fresh mussels, in their shells
splashof dry white wine
1 bay leaf
3/4 stick butter
generous 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
4 T chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
2 T snipped fresh chives
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
lemon wedges, to serve

Clean mussels, pulling out any beards.
Discard any with broken shells and shells that are closed even when tapped.
Put mussels in a large pan and add a splash of wine and bay leaf.
Cook, covered, over high heat for 5 min. shaking the pan occasionally, or until shells are opened.
Drain mussels and discard any that remain closed.
Shell the mussels, reserving one half of each shell.
Arrange, in a large, shallow, ovenproof serving dish.
Melt butter and pour into the bread crumbs, parsley, chives, garlic and S&P to taste and mix well.
Fill each mussel shell w/ the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake the mussels for at least 10 minutes or until hot.
Serve hot with lemon wedges.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH MOUNTAIN HAM

2 T olive oil
6 slices serrano ham
12 asparagus spears
pepper
Aioli

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Drizzle roasting pan w/ olive oil.
Trim ends of the asparagus spears, then wrap a slice of ham around the stem end of each spear.
Place the wrapped spears in the roasting pan and lightly brush the ham and asparagus with the remaining olive oil.
Season spears with pepper.
Roast for about 10 min. or until tender but still firm
Serve the roasted asparagus hot with aioli for dipping.

Aioli (my version)
Mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
S&P
Lemon juice or white wine vinegar.

Mix all ingredients and serve.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Rolled Prosciutto and Sole (Rotolini di sogliola prosciutto e alloro

Got the inspiration from my flickr contact saledolce. Saledolce originally posted the recipe in Italian and asked a great favor to translate the recipe into English so i can make it. I did a little tweaking to the recipe, I added some lemon juice, used shallots. This was a hit in my family. We all liked this dish and will definitely make it again.

Thanks again, Saledolce.



Lay some prosciutto slices on a flat board then lay strips of sole on each prosciutto, season with S&P and add 2 to 3 cubes of butter then roll.






Insert little sprigs of fresh rosemary.




Serve warm with the white sauce.



This is the wine i used for the sauce and ofcourse served this chilled w/ the rolled sole and prosciutto.

Ingredients:

4 sole fillets (each fillets sliced into 3 strips)

12 prosciutto slices (I used thin slices of prosciutto de Parma)

small sprigs of rosemary for each rolled prosciutto



Sauce Ingredients:

1 laurel leaves

1 medium shallots

1 clove garlic minced

4 sprigs of parley chopped and some for garnish

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 Tablespoon flour

2 Tablespoon butter

olive oil

salt and pepper



Place a strip of sole on a slice of prosciutto, season with a pinch S&P and butter then roll.
Continue the same process until all the sole are wrapped and rolled w/ prosciutto. Insert small sprigs of rosemary into each rolls. Place the rolled sole on a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the sole turns white.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the sauce. Make a roux. In a pan, melt the butter, olive oil, over very low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, laurel leaves and chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper. Gradually sprinkle the hot melted butter and oil with flour and immediately begin stirring. Stir the mixture constantly until it reaches the desired color, for this dish a blonde roux (white roux). Add the wine and juice of a half small lemon, keep stirring until the wine and juice are incorporated into the roux. Taste and adjust the seasoning at this point.



Serve the rolled sole warm with the sauce.

TILAPIA WITH PUTTANESCA RELISH

This is my version of Emeril Lagase's Swordfish Puttanesca Relish. I was surfing for some new recipes using tomatoes. Summer is almost over and i still have lots of tomatoes from the garden. I substituted swordfish with tilapia fillets since i have them in the freezer. I actually have all the ingredients in the pantry and ref.

We like the dish, it was definitely something new to us. This was not like the pasta puttanesca that i usually make. This will be a keeper, i will probably try another kind of fish or maybe try this with chicken or pork.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds cherry and yellow tomatoes, halves or diced (about 2 1/2 cups) any tomatoes will do
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste (2 chopped fillets)
1/2 cup pitted and halved kalamata olives
1/2 cup pitted and halved green olives
2 tablespoons drained capers and 1 tablespoon caper juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves plus 4 sprigs, for garnish
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
4 (6 to 7-ounce) tilapia fillets , about 11/2 inches thick
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil


Combine tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic, anchovy paste, olives, capers, caper juice, crushed red pepper, basil, parsley, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a large, non-reactive bowl. Stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, to allow the flavors to blend. Season fish fillets with black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare to medium. Transfer the fish to 4 large plates. Add the tomato mixture to the hot pan and cook until just heated through, about 1 minute.








Saturday, September 6, 2008

FISH ESCABECHE (FILIPINO SWEET AND SOUR FISH)

Ingredients:
1 medium size fish (Filipinos almost always use Lapu-lapu/Grouper) but you can use any kind. I like sea bass or tilapia for this.
Salt and pepper
Oil for deep frying

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1 cup water
½ cup vinegar
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1/2 T salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium-sized onions, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits (optional)
1 inch of ginger, julienne
1 large carrot, julienne
1 red pepper, julienne
4 green onions, sliced on a bias (leave some for garnishing)
2 tomatoes, cut in wedges
2 tablespoons cornstarch, diluted with 2-3 tablespoons water (slurry)

1. Clean the fish and slice diagonally along the fish, then rub salt and pepper on it and inside the fish cavity

2. Deep fry until fish is cooked or turns golden brown and crispy. Drain and Set aside

3. Prepare the sweet and sour sauce. Mix together water, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and salt. Set aside.

4. Sauté garlic, ginger and onions together. Stir until onions turns translucent.

5. Add the remaining vegetables stir for 10 minutes or until vegetables are cooked.

6.  Pour the water and vinegar mixture. Stir and let simmer for 15 minutes.

7. At this point taste and adjust.

8. Lastly add the cornstarch slurry stir until sauce is thickened.

9. Pour the sauce to the fried fish and serve immediately.

10. Garnish w/ green onions.

11. Serve w/ steamed white rice.






Thursday, August 21, 2008

Roasted Bone Marrow















Adapted from Fergus Henderson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fergus_Henderson)


Fergus Henderson, of St. John Restaurant in London is known for cooking exotic cuts and parts of meats. An average eater may not know who he is but he is "adored" by the chefs.


If you've seen No Reservations New York Edition, Anthony Bourdain at one point mentioned that Henderson's Bone Marrow with Parsley Salad will be his Death Row meal..so intriguing!!!


My family is no stranger to beef bone marrows. This was and is one of my sis and bros favorite especially during rainy seasons. In the Philippines bone marrows are always available in the market. My Mom cooks them w/ her beef stew (Nilat-ang Baka/Bulalo) oh...we would fight over the last bone marrow.


I have only used bone marrow like my Mom, so i was excited and curious as to why the chefs in NY loves this dish. Lucky for me Meijer had bone marrows in their "not normal" cuts of meat. Bought 2 packs and since my family esp. my daughter is not really a fan of parsley, i made a substitute and used spinach instead.


It was good as i've expected, it spread like butter. I believe it would have tasted even better if i made the parsley salad, but the spinach wasn't bad at all. I'm definitely making this again! Another good way to cook marrows aside from my Moms beef stew.




Roasted Bone Marrow



Time: 20 minutes


8 to 12 center-cut beef or veal marrow bones, 3 inches long, 3 to 4 pounds total

1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley ( i made a substitute and used baby spinach)

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons capers

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Coarse sea salt to taste

At least 4 1/2-inch-thick slices of crusty bread, toasted.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put bones, cut side up, on foil-lined baking sheet or in ovenproof skillet. Cook until marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone, about 15 minutes. (Stop before marrow begins to drizzle out.)

2. Meanwhile, combine parsley, shallots and capers in small bowl. Just before bones are ready, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle dressing over parsley mixture until leaves are just coated. Put roasted bones, parsley salad, salt and toast on a large plate. To serve, scoop out marrow, spread on toast, sprinkle with salt and top with parsley salad.

Yield: 4 servings.
Pastilan...lami kaayo...kalimti ang cholesterol usa'=;) (oh yeah!!! this is good! and don't think of cholesterol while eating this=;)