Category: Recipe

My Parent In laws just got back from the ocean this weekend, and we asked them to get us some tuna bellies.  I grew up eating a lot of tuna belly (grilled), it’s part of our usual Sunday lunch with family.  Now that I’m married to my hubby, it makes me laugh to see him eat tuna belly like a typical Filipino.  He loves it big time!  He savors it like the layers of meat are the most delicate type of fish meat ever!  I always tease him that if it was not for me, he would be missing a lot in the world of tuna belly:).  So this is very simple dish, I marinated the belly with a little soy sauce, olive oil, pepper and garlic. Grilled it 4 minutes each side.

Yesterday afternoon we dropped by at the asian market (Seafood City) at Tukwila, and I got some yummy Filipino products.  I got some produce like bittermelon (ampalaya) and kangkong (water spinach).  I only get to buy these veggies in an Asian market thus I rarely get to prepare and eat them.  To add more yummyness to the kangkong, I also prepared lechon kawali( fried pork belly) and garlic chips.  I planned to prepare asian food this week (poor hubby) to make use of my asian goodies!

Recipe credits to “panlasangpinoy.com”

Adobong Kangkong

Ingredients:

1 bunch water spinach (kangkong), leaves separated and stalks chopped in 1 inch length
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup vinegar
1 head garlic, crushed and chopped
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking procedure:

1. Heat a cooking pot and pour-in the cooking oil.
2. When the oil is hot enough, put-in the garlic then brown.
3. Pour the soy sauce, vinegar, and water in the cooking pot and let boil.
4. Add the Kangkong stalks and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Sprinkle salt and ground black pepper then stir.
6. Add the Kangkong leaves and gently stir to mix with the other ingredients. Cook for 30 seconds at most.
7. Transfer to a serving plate and top with toasted garlic.
8. Serve. Share and enjoy!

I got this recipe online (www.howsweeteats.com).  It looked so easy and yummy!  I had most of the ingredients that I needed to make this tonight, Hubby said it’s “OK” but then again he’s not really into egg dishes. I will most likely prepare this again for “brunch” with friends!

Caprese Baked Egg Cups

makes 4 cups [2 x 3 1/2 in ramekins]

4 or 8 eggs (depending on if you want 1 or 2)

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

3-4 ounces mozzarella cheese, chopped (I used marinated mozz from Trader Joe’s, hence the seasoning)

8-10 fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons cream or milk

salt and pepper

softened butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter each ramekin and fill with a few pieces of tomato, cheese and basil. Crack one or two eggs into each and season with salt and pepper, then add 1/2 teaspoon of cream to each egg to prevent them from drying [used this tip from Ina Garten]. Add a few tomatoes, cheese and basil on top and set on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-8 minutes, then turn on the broiler and bake for about 5 minutes more [this resulted in slightly firm yolks for me, broil less if you them runny]. Watch carefully to determine how runny/firm you want your yolks. Serve hot with toasted, crusty bread.

The name of this recipe might sound so complicated but the truth is, this is one of the simplest dishes I’ve ever made.  This is my first time to make “stuffed chicken” because I always get so intimidated with the dish.  It looks so complicated but after preparing this last night, I can honestly say it’s so easy.  I will for sure be making LOTSSSSS of stuffed chicken in the future (I can guarantee it already because I know it’s that easy!).  I got the recipe in the food network book, told you I’m determined to use this book a lot, so far so good!

1. Spinach Goat cheese filling:

Mix 1/2 cup softened goat cheese, 2 cups chopped fresh spinach and 1 minced garlic cloved, seasoned with salt and pepper.

2. Stuff the Chicken:

Preheat the oven to 375. Insert a paring knife into the thickest part of skinless, boneless chicken breasts to make a 3 inch deep pocket. Stuff the filling into the pockets. Brush the chicken with olive oil, season with salt and rub with italian or Mediterranean seasoning.

3. Cook the Chicken

Heat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over the high heat, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until golden on the bottom, 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook 2 more minutes. Transfer to the oven and cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155, about 12 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes.

4. Make the sauce

Mix mayonnaise with roasted garlic,juice of lemon,seasoned with salt and pepper.

We always have left over rice in our house, and it’s been a while since we had fried rice so it was just the perfect time to have this dish!  I got the recipe from the Food Network book, I’m really determined to try and cook some of the dishes in the book so I won’t feel that it’s just another “waste” of money spent on cook books and cooking magazines.  I like the vegetable fried rice because the veggies are crunchy and add flavor and texture (not just the usually scramble eggs and rice). Instead of bacon I used a sukiyaki cut(pork), Hubby and I are trying to get healthy, and bacon is not helping us!

Vegetable Fried Rice with Bacon , serves 4(from Food Network magazine book)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 pound thick-cut bacon,cut into 1/4 inch pieces

3/4 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoon soysauce

3 cloves garlic,thinly sliced

1   2inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 head broccoli, florets and stalks cut into 1/4 inch pieces

5 cups cooked long grain white rice

1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

4 large eggs

1 bunch watercress,stems removed

spicy mustard or chili sauce, for serving (optional)

1. Place a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and bacon and stir- fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the bacon and toss. Add 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce (watch-out, the oil will bubble up) and continue to stir-fry until the bacon is glazed, about 30 seconds. Transfer the bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to the drippings in the pan and stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, the remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, the broth and glazed bacon. Toss to the heat through.

2. Push the fried rice to one side of the pan, crack the eggs into the other side and scramble until set, about 1 minute. Mix the eggs into the rice and stir in the watercress. Divide among bowls and serve with mustard or chili sauce, if desired.

Pork Adobo has got to be the most popular dish in PI.  My sister, Cynthia, makes the yummiest adobo if you’re gonna ask me (I’m not that biased you know!).  Anyways, I got the pork belly in the Asian market and I know they’re just perfect for adobo.  I got the recipe from the food network.  I fried the pork belly first because that’s how I want my adobo done.  I pan fried, braised, fried it again!  It needs patience but I really think it’s worth it.  There’s something about the super tender but crispy pork belly adobo, comfort food:)

Here’s the recipe! If you check food network it’s “Filipino chicken adobo” and instead of chicken I used pork belly.

• 4-5 lbs.  pork belly
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves

Directions

I got this recipe from my new food network book, and this was really easy to make, just perfect for busy night at home. My husband likes Indian food and I don’t.  The 2 dishes that I only really eat whenever we go out and eat at an Indian place are chicken tandoori and chicken tika masala.  So when I got the book I really wanted to try this for my Indian food loving hubby and we really liked the result.  We’ll definitely make this again!

Tortang talong or Eggplant omelette is a popular dish in PI.  Growing up I remember they are always in our school cafeteria.  I think it’s cheap yet delicious.  It’s so easy to make but one needs patience to prepare this dish.  You need to roast, peel, fry the eggplant!  Last week we went to the asian market here in WA so I saw these eggplants and the only way I have eggplant is if it is prepared this way (I’m not picky eater, promise!).  The grilling part is not my fave, but this is a very important part of the cooking process, after that stage it’s like you’re almost done:)

It was kinda raining outside so I had to do it inside!  HA! even if it’s not raining I’d rather grill it this way, easy to “control” the eggplant and I can adjust the heat:)

We’ve had this dessert when we invited our friends to celebrate “cinco de mayo”.  Leche flan is similar to custard/brulee.  This is one of my fave desserts but I rarely make it because I really have a hard time making the caramel part of the dish.  It’s really frustrating because I end up wasting lots of sugar!  I got the recipe from panlasangpinoy.com .

Ingredients:

10 pieces raw eggs

1 small can condensed milk

1 cup fresh milk (or evaporated milk)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking procedure:

1. Using all the eggs, separate the yolk from the egg white (only egg yolks will be used).

2. Place the egg yolks in a big bowl then beat them using a fork or an egg beater

3. Add the condensed milk and mix thoroughly

4. Pour-in the fresh milk and mix well

5. Put the mold (llanera) on top of the stove and heat using low fire

6. Put-in the granulated sugar on the mold and mix thoroughly until the solid sugar turns into liquid (caramel) having a light brown color

7. Spread the caramel (liquid sugar) evenly on the flat side of the mold

8. Wait for 5 minutes then pour the egg yolk and milk mixture on the mold

9. Cover the top of the mold using an Aluminum foil

10. Steam the mold with egg and milk mixture for 30 to 35 minutes.

11. After steaming, let the temperature cool down then refrigerate

12. Serve during dessert. Share and Enjoy!

Chicken Inasal (roast) is a very popular dish in PI.  It’s another family fave growing up.  I ate and prepared a lot of roast chicken here in America but I still think something is missing in the taste.  So I researched online and “tested” this roast chicken recipe and I was so happy with the result because it’s just what I’ve been looking for!  Brings back memories…finally I have a fave roast chicken recipe.  The secret ingredient: lemongrass in the marinade!  I’m so thankful that a lot of U.S supermarkets have lemongrass in their produce section and that I don’t have to go to the asian market just to get some, so convenient! I just “eyeball” the recipe..

Ingredients and directions:

Place your Chicken parts in a bowl. Add chopped  lemongrass,lemon juice/calamansi,vinegar,minced ginger and garlic,salt and pepper(lots of it!) . Marinate for an hour and stir to coat chicken evenly.

Preheat oven 450F, bake chicken for 40-50 minutes (turn once). You can also grill this if you want!