tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190383202024-03-06T23:09:56.248-05:00Kusinera sa Amerika - A Cook in the USAKusinera = a Cook. I came from the Philippines and am now residing in the USA. I enjoy cooking and like to try new recipes. I share it all here in my food blog. Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-41828958939147627182011-01-11T07:58:00.004-05:002011-01-15T07:55:27.653-05:00Tastes Like Honey Baked's Cheesy Potatoes and Ham Casserole<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XhOThLegdBuWDaU8fCEAzTiDTC_GXzRPpY_6vAs94rHS8IL0XQzUfkmDCwmfWDxTlFx5nx0vIrBvmO-bj_Q02lX3k4hSxSDsBXCor9XV7xr3E3CdQhmllgqXn2c_Qz41dBwO/s1600/CheesyPotatoes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XhOThLegdBuWDaU8fCEAzTiDTC_GXzRPpY_6vAs94rHS8IL0XQzUfkmDCwmfWDxTlFx5nx0vIrBvmO-bj_Q02lX3k4hSxSDsBXCor9XV7xr3E3CdQhmllgqXn2c_Qz41dBwO/s400/CheesyPotatoes.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560912753465398578" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>CHEESY POTATOES AND HAM</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I first tasted Cheesy Potatoes and Ham at the Honey Baked Ham store last month. We always buy our Christmas ham at this store. I know it is expensive but it is well-worth it in my opinion. Every Christmas season, they give out samples of all the side dishes and desserts and this dish was one of them. I loved it but I don't want to buy it and spend more so I decided to look online for a similar recipe and found this. I followed the recipe the first time and found it a little dry for my preference so I made more gravy the second time I cooked this and it was perfect. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I highly recommend this potato casserole if you are tired of the usual mashed, scalloped or roasted potatoes to accompany your entree.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br />1/2 medium onion, chopped<br />1/4 cup butter<br />1/4 cup flour<br />1 tsp. salt<br />1/2 tsp. pepper<br />1 1/2 cups milk<br />2 cups shredded cheese<br />1/2 lb ham, diced<br />6 cups diced cooked potatoes<br />1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)<br />Preheat oven to 350.<br />Begin by chopping the onion and parsley and cubing the potatoes.<br />Saute the onion in butter until it is tender but not browned. Blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.<br />Now gradually add the milk. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and stir until melted.<br />Add the ham, potatoes and parsley. Stir well to combine, being careful not to break up the potatoes too much.<br />Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-85033193087421865672011-01-11T05:44:00.005-05:002011-01-11T06:04:01.797-05:00Chocolate Cheesecake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDRJUqmdKuAlwC0VFllJGmgvGkdJQ4Xl8v1XMzCV1IQZZTk1lnkhWN21cgRbljt7Grc-7vk4ZQTIqvqb9WXWoG6zhg2ohFTSqSSN_rfNIl0h3eZ0jIoAVhVBaDCUIfVXl54oO/s1600/chocolate_cheesecake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDRJUqmdKuAlwC0VFllJGmgvGkdJQ4Xl8v1XMzCV1IQZZTk1lnkhWN21cgRbljt7Grc-7vk4ZQTIqvqb9WXWoG6zhg2ohFTSqSSN_rfNIl0h3eZ0jIoAVhVBaDCUIfVXl54oO/s400/chocolate_cheesecake.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560881269162584242" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you are looking for an easy to make chocolate cheesecake that tastes great, THIS IS IT. I've tried many recipes and found this to be delicious and not too sweet. I used canned cherries for the topping. You can use any topping that you prefer, be it fruit or chocolate ganache or leave it plain.</div><br /><span id="fullpost"><br />ingredients<br />1-1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers<br />1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)<br />1/2 cup butter, melted<br />2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened<br />1 cup sugar<br />2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />2 8-ounce cartons dairy sour cream<br />3 eggs, slightly beaten<br />4 ounces semisweet chocolate<br />1 recipe Raspberry Sauce (optional)<br /><br />directions<br />1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. For crust, in a bowl combine crushed graham crackers, walnuts, the 1 tablespoon sugar, and, if desired, the cinnamon. Stir in melted butter. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan; set aside.<br />2. For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, the 1 cup sugar, the flour, and vanilla with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in sour cream until smooth. Stir in eggs. Melt 4 ounces semisweet chocolate. Stir the melted chocolate into half of the filling.<br />3. Pour plain filling into the crust; pour chocolate filling into the crust. Use a narrow metal spatula to gently swirl the fillings. Place the pan in a shallow baking pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes for 8-inch pan (40 to 45 minutes for 9-inch pan).<br />4. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a small sharp knife, loosen the crust from sides of pan; cool for 30 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan; cool cheesecake completely on rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving. If desired, serve with Raspberry Sauce.<br />5. Makes 12 slices<br /><br /><br /><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-55771490357856907882010-10-07T09:30:00.000-04:002010-10-12T15:11:48.897-04:00Pasta Alla Carbonara<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrNHpX-LA2ZhCSkKSvwswYbmXPjC9wjIHIL2a5UZWD6osFPPmtW1AHgqqvlPeyDI4ykaU8Q7ILTx3V9PeMEnVcjmTy285-Ycaj79yESyAMx2zpwJUpydqbTSIINK5_YX4wpog/s1600-h/IMG_0606.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300063039075076130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Pasta Alla Carbonara" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrNHpX-LA2ZhCSkKSvwswYbmXPjC9wjIHIL2a5UZWD6osFPPmtW1AHgqqvlPeyDI4ykaU8Q7ILTx3V9PeMEnVcjmTy285-Ycaj79yESyAMx2zpwJUpydqbTSIINK5_YX4wpog/s400/IMG_0606.JPG" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="font-family:arial;">PASTA ALLA CARBONARA</span></strong></div><span style="font-family:arial;">There are many versions of Carbonara. Even in Italy, restaurants make this dish different ways. While in Rome, we tasted three different takes on this dish. Italian food purists will tell you that a 'real' Carbonara does not have cream while others prefer to use cream to get the texture they prefer. We ate at a restaurant in Borgo Pio near the Vatican and they served their Carbonara using spaghetti and without the cream plus it was loaded with freshly ground black pepper. The restaurant we went to near Piazza Navona meanwhile used ziti and cream in their Carbonara which my family and I prefer. The traditional style is just too dry and we prefer our Carbonara to be a little creamy. Whatever style you prefer, Carbonara is an easy recipe to follow and prepare. These recipes are from Emeril Lagasse and Gourmet magazine and I tweaked it to suit my family's taste (I omitted the butter, used less oil, doubled the liquid, etc.) If you don't have Pancetta, use bacon; if you like garlic, add it with the onions. As with any recipe, you can tweak it to suit your personal taste.<span id="fullpost">
<br />
<br />CREAMY CARBONARA
<br />
<br />1 tsp olive oil
<br />1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
<br />3 pcs pancetta or bacon diced
<br />1 pound pasta
<br />3 large egg yolks
<br />1/2 cup heavy cream
<br />1/2 cup 1% milk
<br />1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
<br />ground black pepper
<br />
<br />All ingredients should be at room temperature for even and fast cooking (eggs, heavy cream, milk and cheese).
<br />
<br />Heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and pancetta and cook until the onions are wilted and the pancetta is brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
<br />
<br />Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream in a bowl and set aside.
<br />
<br />Drain the pasta and reserve a cup of the water. Return pasta to the pot and over high heat, add the pancetta and onion mixture. Stir until the pasta is coated with the pancetta mixture.
<br />
<br />Add to the egg yolk/heavy cream mixture to the pasta, along with the Parmesan. Remove the pot from the heat and toss the pasta until it is well-coated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. If needed, add a bit of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to help toss the pasta if it is dry. If it's too watery, add more parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
<br />
<br />TRADITIONAL CARBONARA
<br />5 pcs pancetta or bacon
<br />1 medium onion, chopped finely
<br />1/4 cup dry white wine
<br />1 pound pasta
<br />3 large eggs*
<br />3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
<br />1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
<br />1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
<br />1/4 tsp salt
<br />
<br />Slice pancetta into cubes and brown in a pan. Add onions and cook until wilted. Add wine and boil until it's reduced by half. Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, mix the eggs, the two cheeses, black pepper, salt in a bowl.
<br />Drain the pasta and add to the onion and wine mixture. Under lowe heat, mix well until all the pasta is coated. Remove the pan from the stove and add the egg mixture. Serve while warm.
<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">
<br /><span style="font-size:100%;">SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-20584404578261063472010-09-17T11:36:00.000-04:002010-10-12T15:12:23.051-04:00Sansrival<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCj-D5JKoMHl5AR7SG_opuIqCY6JIe61bAnIW-xb8y5mWHh7z802AjphuG_5Z1STmsDeMPnk08nW71uWxkgyE0o09tPUyDwxsjm4mI_ckjg8mPxUiD23aLbEgimsPj1-kx9ci/s1600-h/IMG_0686.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308585383102841202" border="0" alt="Sans Rival" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCj-D5JKoMHl5AR7SG_opuIqCY6JIe61bAnIW-xb8y5mWHh7z802AjphuG_5Z1STmsDeMPnk08nW71uWxkgyE0o09tPUyDwxsjm4mI_ckjg8mPxUiD23aLbEgimsPj1-kx9ci/s400/IMG_0686.JPG" /></a> <strong><span style="font-family:arial;">SANS RIVAL</span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">What do you get when you mix meringue, buttercream and almonds? Sans Rival, what else? The photo and title says it all, what more can I add to it? Delicious, rich, mouth-watering, diet buster, calorie laden dessert. Ah, one shouldn't think of diets when enjoying this dessert. This is one of those rare times that eating it is worth sacrificing 1 day off your healthy lifestyle. That's why you don't eat Sans Rival every week, you're only allowed to have this dessert uhm once every year? Ok, maybe once every six months. </span><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The name Sans Rival is French, meaning 'without rival'. Nobody knows where this dessert originated but it sure has some European characteristics. It's like Napoleons. It's an Almond torte and consists of layered crispy meringue with almonds and buttercream. There is also another dessert that is similar to this called Sylvannas, the only difference being the Sylvannas is shaped like a huge egg but it tastes the same.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I grew up eating Sans Rival from Goldilocks. This is one of my favorite desserts from that popular Filipino bakery along with Mocha and Ube rolls. When I moved to Northern California 20 years ago, I was ecstatic when I learned that Goldilocks is just a drive away. I got a sticker shock though, a small square of Sansrival costs $25 (back then). No wonder it's expensive, it's a little complicated to make this. There aren't a lot of ingredients but it takes a lot of work to assemble the whole thing. After many years of wanting to try to make this dessert, I finally did it two weeks ago. I was thinking of what dish to bring to a party when I decided to make dessert. It turned out quite good, very good, in fact. Would I make it again? Hmm, yes I will (if somebody pays me to do it LOL). I used almonds instead of cashew nuts just because. If you are a novice baker, then I would suggest you buy it instead of trying to make it. :o) For an expert baker, this is quite easy to make. All you need is a lot of <strong>patience </strong>and Reynolds Release non-stick aluminum foil. If you don't have this special aluminum foil, use baking paper or parchment paper. </span><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELGxa_iz_OK0Jt7FTP3WKbo92MGuzwWagvjlOpb-a8legFtkMMGTHuJ73UkCtU-QeaUWIcgGZv0MN9i8kA3VSK6jsCg3eL8AjSSyNAuikT7MdYPZBYeMzDdCgdueWU8e4Z-MI/s1600-h/IMG_0689.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 310px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308585217395502418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELGxa_iz_OK0Jt7FTP3WKbo92MGuzwWagvjlOpb-a8legFtkMMGTHuJ73UkCtU-QeaUWIcgGZv0MN9i8kA3VSK6jsCg3eL8AjSSyNAuikT7MdYPZBYeMzDdCgdueWU8e4Z-MI/s400/IMG_0689.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqE7QXWyBcPLDn7d2TWxccEG9JJb-AKcACmjZufmEDzLRz3nKgzTFnwHyRpcQuwEsDq3GfPjO5ITSNjPZQg0zf-6maCHBIj7ax7TIGbI19qctcheYBx9EaUWIF7crgir85RqP/s1600-h/IMG_0688.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 307px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308585084121537986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqE7QXWyBcPLDn7d2TWxccEG9JJb-AKcACmjZufmEDzLRz3nKgzTFnwHyRpcQuwEsDq3GfPjO5ITSNjPZQg0zf-6maCHBIj7ax7TIGbI19qctcheYBx9EaUWIF7crgir85RqP/s400/IMG_0688.JPG" /></a><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">SANS RIVAL</span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">for the wafers:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">10 egg whites at room temperature</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/4 tsp cream of tartar</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 cup sugar</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2 cups finely chopped almonds</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">for the filling and frosting:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">6 egg yolks</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup light corn syrup</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2 tbsp water</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/4 cup sugar</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2 sticks butter at room temperature (1/2 lb)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">for the topping:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup finely chopped almonds</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Beat egg yolks until it turns light yellow.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Heat corn syrup, sugar and water over low heat. Cook for 2 minutes after it boils.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Pour the syrup into the egg yolk slowly while beating on medium speed. Set aside to cool down.Cream softened butter and gradually beat in cooled yolk mixture.Set aside.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Preheat oven to 325F. Line three cookie sheets or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Generously grease and flour the parchment paper (very important so the meringue will not stick; if you use the Reynolds Release foil, then you don't have to grease and flour)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Beat egg whites and of tartar until soft peaks form. Add sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until stiff.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Fold in ground almonds.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Spread evenly on the cookie sheets about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. </span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Cut the wafer into desired size while still warm. Peel off the paper or foil. If the parchment paper is sticking, cover with damp towel for a minute or so.</span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Spread the frosting thinly on top of each meringue and stack another meringue, repeat with the layering . Don't put too much frosting in each layer or you wouldn't have enough to frost the outside of the Sans Rival. </span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Sprinkle chopped almonds on the top and sides. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.</span></div></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWBdHAb-ibQrwRZz5nKA6asEKkZNfp00a40M86PwKNsJDvGqk5AET6gKKdmcIt4B8P81WUP87iis50xj_Wc37pQJd7fUVW7s02KJ9BYTOeK-1ZqNoz_sws54NbH504marLTJs/s1600-h/IMG_0672.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309166163175280754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWBdHAb-ibQrwRZz5nKA6asEKkZNfp00a40M86PwKNsJDvGqk5AET6gKKdmcIt4B8P81WUP87iis50xj_Wc37pQJd7fUVW7s02KJ9BYTOeK-1ZqNoz_sws54NbH504marLTJs/s200/IMG_0672.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6DxJJsWkLLLqdgpD-xHv2uLNolm_SmWX6LzWpq0n25u0ZRlprI5dPphLkA8lW6hEU1Mw9n_A98IdTRKRk9paWQOWG5cDCc9s5r3wcdnCu9vswJKvsBthB3vwwvJ-dSkZc1ZY/s1600-h/IMG_0674.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309166162679268050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6DxJJsWkLLLqdgpD-xHv2uLNolm_SmWX6LzWpq0n25u0ZRlprI5dPphLkA8lW6hEU1Mw9n_A98IdTRKRk9paWQOWG5cDCc9s5r3wcdnCu9vswJKvsBthB3vwwvJ-dSkZc1ZY/s200/IMG_0674.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQfWrQOZmSimY13NAtum7XZXVRBhDUGht9v2jTEE3aCWIMx3gRvlkhH76BBcGNhNb-10P8JVNBGYizkNLd98PHGw-B5Uxy6YAmc7ZNRxSaIQ5AkhaAs7VHmPknL2a5ZJHxJBW/s1600-h/IMG_0673.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309166157038844002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQfWrQOZmSimY13NAtum7XZXVRBhDUGht9v2jTEE3aCWIMx3gRvlkhH76BBcGNhNb-10P8JVNBGYizkNLd98PHGw-B5Uxy6YAmc7ZNRxSaIQ5AkhaAs7VHmPknL2a5ZJHxJBW/s200/IMG_0673.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;">HERE</span></a><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-69122088968591660892010-09-06T06:37:00.001-04:002011-01-11T06:03:48.344-05:00Chocolate Cake with Cheesecake<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344162294933960818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 238px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Chocolate Cake with Cheesecake" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuWhMVBySLFeMxZNuU1TSsTqMOVt6CVkCrJ5h6ZU3Qmmr0ykAs8WN-BjW_4_eVjeTuHP2sko_p_o3mhQxxQdSYBxfmeg0UqIE8V3tOhPRS8oZBQ-_L1K2rDgvVzHD3igkVWQO/s400/chocolatecakecheesecake1.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>CHOCOLATE CAKE AND CHEESECAKE</strong></span> </div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">What could be better than combining chocolate cake with cheesecake? It's getting two desserts in one. It is very easy to make for the novice baker, well, except for someone I know who couldn't get it right even after trying it over and over again. She maybe an exception so you should try it if you or your family is a cheesecake and chocolate cake lover. This recipe is from the Cheesecake Factory's German chocolate cheesecake. It's obvious from the photo that I didn't make the traditional topping. We're not fans of that kind of topping so I use chocolate ganache for this cake. The ganache was still warm when I sliced the cake so it dripped but I think it makes for a good photo. What do you think?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>CHOCOLATE CAKE AND CHEESECAKE</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344171434203937554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 271px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Chocolate Cake with Cheesecake" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL63_mbTzgjtrhfpLhPdHZ_YNp8YKp-PY6BwirT1S3nlfDSRBkADRDh95S9xYe8UpJPRKM7Xp_KDGqf5UNlY3mwZn3nnMc_qU2zRXlGr0_c3apCvxgy0pcylIFvFh2miFl1yF0/s400/chocolatecheesecake2.jpg" border="0" /><br />For the Cheesecake:<br />3 8 oz cream cheese package, room temperature and cut into squares<br />1/4 cup sour cream<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2 eggs</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/2 cup sugar<br />1 tsp vanilla<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Pre-heat oven to 425degrees.<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla until well-blended and smooth. Do not over beat. Set aside.<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />For the Chocolate Cake:<br />4 oz unsweetened chocolate<br />1/2 cup butter<br />2 cups sugar<br />4 eggs<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1 1/2 cups flour<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Microwave chocolate and butter 2 to 3 minutes, or until melted. Cool slightly. Using a fork, mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until everything is incorporated.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Grease a 9 <span style="font-size:85%;">1/2</span>-inch springform pan. Pour the chocolate cake batter and spread evenly. Using a spoon, put dollops of the cheesecake batter on top of the chocolate batter. Carefully spread it over.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Bake in the oven 15 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking 55 to 60 minutes. Turn off the oven. Keep the oven door slighly ajar and let the cake cool to room temperature inside the oven. I use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door from closing. Refrigerate until chilled. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">CHOCOLATE GANACHE</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">3/4 cup heavy cream</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 bag)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 tbsp salted butter</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Heat the heavy cream to a simmer. Take off from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Do not stir and let stand for 5 min. Mix in the butter and stir until blended. Let it cool until thick but can still be spread easily. If it gets too sticky, heat in the microwave for 10 seconds and mix. Repeat until the desired consistency.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Remove the cake from the pan and invert onto a cake plate. Spread the chocolate ganache on the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate until chocolate ganache is set. Bon Apetit!</span><br /><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">HERE</a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-1324835876510186782010-08-24T10:19:00.000-04:002010-10-12T15:13:23.100-04:00Mango Custard Tart<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328262666551234274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 269px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Mango Custard Tart" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SfHKqjXDDuI/AAAAAAAADP8/NQuaNdibxw8/s400/Mango_custard_tart2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>MANGO CUSTARD TART</strong></span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Mangoes are my favorite fruit. If you have never tasted Philippine mangoes then you have not tasted the BEST mangoes in the world. There is something special with mangoes grown in the Philippines. It is very sweet, has perfect yellow flesh with no strings whatsoever. I remember when we went to the Philippines in 2003, dh tasted Philippine mangoes for the first time and he was hooked. The mangoes we have here in the US are all grown in Mexico. They have this variety called Champagne which looks similar to the Philippine mango but the similarity ends there. The taste does not even come close to the original. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I made this mango custard from Champagne mangoes. The batch that I got was bad and I was very disappointed. Since I already tried making mango ice cream, I decided to try this mango custard recipe from the cruise ship recipe book I purchased when we went on a Mexican Riviera cruise. So what's the verdict? It is very good. If you are into custards and mangoes, then you will like this dessert. I didn't have a tart pan so I used a regular pie plate. I omitted the brandy since I want this to be kid-friendly. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328296431585513490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 215px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Mango Custart Tart" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwgMh26Wwg4l_IubK5_lZj_AfvJ_znP0FG5nLM4IP58U2JPWdcs6dMUyr2mQ9HhZdZi42lysnQ_WMsX0KKQiZOvAIyowJeGKNH7CRp0kz49mZrNs6E3cWKwPXkmxJdhS3W9yi/s320/Mango_custard_tart3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong>MANGO CUSTARD TART</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup sugar</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">6 tbsp milk</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">6 tbsp whipping cream</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">3/4 cup mango puree</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">2 eggs, lightly beaten</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">4 egg yolks, lightly beaten</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 1/2 tbsp Napoleon brandy</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 (9-inch) frozen pie shell</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/4 cup whipping cream</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 tbsp powdered sugar</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Heat oven to 350F. In a small saucepan, bring sugar, milk and whipping cream to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, cool slightly. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Add mango puree, eggs, egg yolks and brandy. Whisk until well mixed and eggs are completely mixed in. Strain mixture into pie shell. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until custard is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate until serving.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">In a small bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff. Cut pie into slices. Pipe whipped cream rosette on each slice.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">*Note: One ripe medium mango should yield about 3/4 cup puree.</span><br /><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">HERE</a><br /><br /><a title="Mango on Foodista" href="http://www.foodista.com/food/7NS2DSKS/mango" rel='nofollow'><img alt="Mango on Foodista" src="http://dyn.foodista.com/content/embed/b2_7NS2DSKS_693734434f565705c5cbf646fc9d3014747670a7.png?foodista_widget_LNSLCY4R" style="border:none;width:300px;height:175px;" /></a><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-49740107844421414082009-04-08T11:38:00.003-04:002009-04-08T11:47:37.106-04:00Fresh Lumpia (Vegetable Roll)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3HV1N1IY8agWssnD0_-OM7JaeC6JKTqR9pQof-nIxA47NFTew9xViK0N_rE4jwCspIrvUraX-quKjy1jzKuI4DaC6ZkujowwfCfY1BY_Xdfud2l4yAc1F1_7E6IYQ0mg_gxW/s1600-h/Fresh_Lumpia.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322346733766473666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Fresh Lumpia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3HV1N1IY8agWssnD0_-OM7JaeC6JKTqR9pQof-nIxA47NFTew9xViK0N_rE4jwCspIrvUraX-quKjy1jzKuI4DaC6ZkujowwfCfY1BY_Xdfud2l4yAc1F1_7E6IYQ0mg_gxW/s400/Fresh_Lumpia.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> This fresh Lumpia is one of my favorite vegetable roll, the other one being Lumpia Ubod (Heart of Palm). This lumpia is mostly vegetable with a little bit of pork and/or shrimps. You can put almost any vegetable you prefer in it, you're the cook, why not? I'm sure there are many variations of this dish just like any other Philippine dish. Mine came from my mom, of course. For the wrapper, I use a regular crepe batter and make it with my crepe maker. If you don't have a crepe maker, you can use a non-stick pan to make it. In the Philippines, some people use the regular Lumpia wrapper sold in the wet market.</span><span id="fullpost"><br /><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">FRESH LUMPIA</span></strong></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><u>Filling:</u><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:arial;">1/2 cup pork, cut into small cubes<br />1/2 cup shrimps, chopped<br />1 tbsp cooking oil<br />salt and pepper to taste (or fish sauce instead of salt)<br />1/4 cup chicken broth<br />*all these vegetables are cut into thin and short strips<br />2 cloves garlic<br />1 small onion<br />1 cup string beans or snow pea<br />1 cup potatoes<br />1 cup carrots<br />1 cup singkamas (jicama)<br />1 cup cabbage </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Heat oil and pre-cook the sliced potatoes, set aside. Saute garlic and onions until limp. Add pork and saute until cooked. Add shrimps and season with salt and pepper or fish sauce. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth and the rest of the vegetables except the cooked potatoes. Saute until the vegetables are done but not over-cooked. Drain and let cool down.</span></p><table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" width="400" border="1"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><tbody><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><tr><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SdzE_92mIUI/AAAAAAAADLk/WIiK_4XqzKc/s1600-h/Fresh_Lumpia_veggies%5B12%5D.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" height="166" alt="Fresh_Lumpia_veggies" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SdzFAYZYA-I/AAAAAAAADLo/CYxw62Xf_Vg/Fresh_Lumpia_veggies_thumb%5B10%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></td><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SdzFA6Y0iOI/AAAAAAAADLs/RzsR9MSblsE/s1600-h/Fresh_Lumpia_wrapper%5B3%5D.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" height="171" alt="Fresh_Lumpia_wrapper" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SdzFBKJEvfI/AAAAAAAADLw/WI5dvt5ISOE/Fresh_Lumpia_wrapper_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="217" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><u><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></u></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><u>Wrapper:</u><br />3 large eggs<br />1 cup cornstarch<br />2 tbsp. cooking oil<br />1 1/2 cup water<br />1 tsp sugar </span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Whisk the eggs, sugar and water. Add the cornstarch and whisk until well blended. Heat the non-stick pan and brush with a small amount of oil. Depending on the size of the crepe you want to make, pour the right amount on the heated pan. Tip the pan to spread the batter thinly. When the edges begin to separate from the pan, the crepe is done. Repeat until all the batter is used. </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><u>Sauce:</u><br />3 cups water<br />3 tbsp soy sauce<br />1 cup brown sugar<br />1 1/2 tsp salt<br />3 tbsp cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp water<br />ground peanuts, chopped (optional)<br />3 cloves garlic, minced (optional) </span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Mix all ingredients except the diluted cornstarch. Cook until it boils, lower heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and mix. Cook until thickened. Add peanuts and garlic in the sauce or if you prefer, sprinkle these on top of the wrapped lumpia and sauce when ready to serve. </span></p><p align="center"><u><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SdzFCamMUEI/AAAAAAAADL0/Td3xahhKyxg/s1600-h/Fresh_Lumpia1%5B2%5D.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" height="157" alt="Fresh_Lumpia1" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SdzFDIE2KrI/AAAAAAAADL4/Ca7yi6hme1U/Fresh_Lumpia1_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></u></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><u>To serve:</u><br />Use one crepe and place a piece of lettuce on one side. Add the right amount of filling on top of the lettuce. Fold the bottom part over and then fold the sides of the crepe. Secure with a toothpick.</span> </p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-76699185211721599642009-03-29T11:41:00.004-04:002009-03-29T12:07:43.146-04:00Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKMTF9YKM6XbJs2zGKiS7WgOZ9pV303IaK3ThrZoNmszJZqh_yd55lvzsNpeKUjeQBrncOGxCaT_iDdrcxXtDKsk-aVVa2H60YRe4NEOeUcO4CVVcEbzDPNNovK7PTFTdQzMK/s1600-h/Chewy_Chocolate_Chip_Cookies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318635458059967826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 306px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Chewy_Chocolate_Chip_Cookies" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKMTF9YKM6XbJs2zGKiS7WgOZ9pV303IaK3ThrZoNmszJZqh_yd55lvzsNpeKUjeQBrncOGxCaT_iDdrcxXtDKsk-aVVa2H60YRe4NEOeUcO4CVVcEbzDPNNovK7PTFTdQzMK/s400/Chewy_Chocolate_Chip_Cookies.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>CHEWY JUMBO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES</strong></span> </div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">I had been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for a long time now. I've had a lot of flops and mediocre cookies, the recipes of which I got from the internet. There was a time when the cookie was as flat as a lace cookie. The dough just melted when it was baking. What a disaster! All I wanted was a chocolate chip cookie that is not dry and one that doesn't crumble into pieces when you bite into it. I wanted a cookie that is chewy and moist. I wasn't planning on using this recipe, I had another recipe I wanted to try. I actually found this recipe by accident. It was printed inside the box of Land O Lakes butter. This recipe yields about 26 jumbo cookies. That's right, it is huge. Of course, you can make it into whatever size you prefer, just adjust the baking time. After tasting this chocolate chip cookie, I knew that my search is over for the perfect recipe.</span></div><span id="fullpost"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 1/2 cups butter, softened (3 sticks)<br />1 1/4 cups sugar<br />1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar<br />2 eggs<br />1 tbsp vanilla<br />2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12-oz bag)<br /><br />- Heat oven to 375F. Combine flour, baking power and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.<br />- Combine softened butter, sugar and brown sugar in a bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.<br />- Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not overbake. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:arial;">HERE</span></a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-15557412501038638572009-03-24T09:39:00.006-04:002009-03-24T11:50:08.397-04:00Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316749443911160210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 306px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Sweet and Sour Pork" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzTkobXpFY9AAOBlyjHST1GhkD4Mzg9O5f-ewX8_JnAOV8jjFy6SkXiHcTPleNjNQ43s1YJxTZlC37TQLat51ZPvqIr0W6ku5ZC9YAcF0XvUw7E4kmY2piLs2SAuTnibaUWV-/s400/sweetnsour.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">SWEET AND SOUR PORK</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I tried a lot of recipes for the batter to use for the dish Sweet and Sour and let me tell you, there are a lot of recipes that doesn't hold up to the sauce. What you'll usually end up with is a soggy mess with the batter falling off the viand. The good news is, I found a batter recipe that stays put. It is a lot of work so if you don't like a recipe with a lot of steps, my advice is to order out from the Chinese restaurant down the road. The batter is deep fried twice for extra crispiness. (I know, some of you will cringe but hey, you're only supposed to have this dish once in a while, not every week.) In lieu of pork, you can substitute chicken, shrimps or fish. If you are diabetic, you can substitute splenda (just add it at the end of the cooking steps for the sauce.)</span></div><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVbkVa4M0N5Eo1iXhlNl1AtZT1TkcwS0JmAIGMw1g4DqPVxJPBohyphenhyphen5urI3DVghpLBSJb0XQT8vIlbAK0smbqs97sGdzwiebbHdMPSQxszmpa2Ho-Dxci9tm69WeXGCPNEv0Gj/s1600-h/sweet_and_sour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316749453577614930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 269px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Sweet and Sour Shrimps" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVbkVa4M0N5Eo1iXhlNl1AtZT1TkcwS0JmAIGMw1g4DqPVxJPBohyphenhyphen5urI3DVghpLBSJb0XQT8vIlbAK0smbqs97sGdzwiebbHdMPSQxszmpa2Ho-Dxci9tm69WeXGCPNEv0Gj/s400/sweet_and_sour.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="font-family:arial;">SWEET AND SOUR SHRIMPS</span></strong><br /><div align="left"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>SWEET AND SOUR</strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Serves 4-6</span></div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup carrots, sliced</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 small bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup pineapple chunks, drained</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup all prupose flour</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/4 cup cornstarch</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 tsp baking powder</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 tbsp beaten egg mixed with enough water to make 1/2 cup</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 tsp cooking oil</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 lb pork, cut into 1-inch or smaller cubes</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 tsp dry sherry or cooking wine</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/4 tsp salt</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">ground black pepper to taste</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Sauce:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup sugar</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/3 cup catsup</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 tbsp light soy sauce</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 tsp salt </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 cup water</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup cider vinegar</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup water</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">cooking oil for deep frying</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Parboil carrots in boiling water for 1 minute. Add the bell peppers. When it comes back to boil, drain and rinse in cold water to stop cooking.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Add the pineapple to the veggies and set aside.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, egg mixture and oil in a bowl. Mix until well-blended. The batter will be like a thick paste. Set aside.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Mix the pork, sherry, salt and pepper. Set aside.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- In a deep pan, heat oil to a temperature of 375F to 400F. This is very important so the batter will not soak up too much oil.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Dip the marinated pork into the batter and coat completely.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Carefully drop the battered pork into the oil, a piece at a time.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Fry until golden brown.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Remove the browned pork and dry on paper towels and let cool. </span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Mix the sugar, catsup, soysauce, salt and water in a saucepan.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Bring to a boil and add the vinegar. Do not stir. Let boil for 10 minutes.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Stir in the cornstarch/water solution. Cook until the sauce thickens.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Add the vegetables and pineapples to the sauce. Add 1 tsp. of hot oil from the deep-fry pan to give the sauce a shine.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- While preparing the sauce, reheat the oil to 400F for the second frying. </span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Add the cooked pork and fry until the pieces are heated and crisped. </span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Drain on paper towels. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Serve with the sweet and sour sauce poured on top.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">TIPS:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- You can make the pork in advance. After the first frying, you can keep in the refrigerator or in the freezer for a few days. Thaw first before frying for the second time.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- The oil can be re-used if kept in the refrigerator.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:arial;">HERE</span></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-44170274166521868582009-03-17T11:40:00.006-04:002009-03-17T12:20:11.192-04:00Pork Medallions with Apricot-Orange Sauce<div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVpE_1iOISRw6EccodBUU44OVygxh8FjdLZazfT7txe4Y8mfweq9Am3af0EQ2a0V_EPLPBc5C5gNx0DfbNBnEMkigpoZXVjN2j5Ve7486DrkUEDDV8tTbyLcKXIkS6Hu8Q-u_/s1600-h/pork_apricot_orange.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314187047500348242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 269px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVpE_1iOISRw6EccodBUU44OVygxh8FjdLZazfT7txe4Y8mfweq9Am3af0EQ2a0V_EPLPBc5C5gNx0DfbNBnEMkigpoZXVjN2j5Ve7486DrkUEDDV8tTbyLcKXIkS6Hu8Q-u_/s400/pork_apricot_orange.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>PORK MEDALLIONS WITH APRICOT-ORANGE SAUCE</strong></span></div><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">One of the leanest part of the pork is the tenderloin that is why it is my husband's favorite. This recipe calls for sliced pork tenderloins but I prefer whole tenderloins since this keeps it moist. I brown the sides of the whole tenderloin on the stove top and finish cooking it in the oven at 350F. The roasting time depends on the size of the pork tenderloin. I use a meat thermometer and cook the tenderloin until the internal temperature reaches 165F. I usually serve roast pork with homemade applesauce or apple compote. I saw this recipe from Cooking Light magazine and decided to try it. Each serving (2 slices) has 236 calories. If you don't have dried apricot, you can substitute fresh apricots, peaches or nectarines. The sauce was a little tart for my family's taste so I added a teaspoon or so of sugar.</span><br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 tbsp olive oil<br />1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch thick slices<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp black pepper<br />1 cup thinly sliced onion<br />1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced<br />1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth<br />2 tsbsp orange juice<br />2 tsp minced garlic<br />1/8 tsp black pepper<br />1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped<br /><br />-Heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper. Fry pork and cook for 3 min. or until browned. Remove from pan and keep warm.<br /><br />- Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in pan. Add the onions, saute until tender. Stir in apricots, chicken broth, orange juice and garlic; bring to boil. Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.<br /><br />- Serve sauce over pork.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:arial;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div></span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-8723283883930219472009-03-02T08:36:00.010-05:002009-03-28T11:04:26.387-04:00Sans Rival - Oh My Goodness!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCj-D5JKoMHl5AR7SG_opuIqCY6JIe61bAnIW-xb8y5mWHh7z802AjphuG_5Z1STmsDeMPnk08nW71uWxkgyE0o09tPUyDwxsjm4mI_ckjg8mPxUiD23aLbEgimsPj1-kx9ci/s1600-h/IMG_0686.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308585383102841202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Sans Rival" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCj-D5JKoMHl5AR7SG_opuIqCY6JIe61bAnIW-xb8y5mWHh7z802AjphuG_5Z1STmsDeMPnk08nW71uWxkgyE0o09tPUyDwxsjm4mI_ckjg8mPxUiD23aLbEgimsPj1-kx9ci/s400/IMG_0686.JPG" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="font-family:arial;">SANS RIVAL</span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">What do you get when you mix meringue, buttercream and almonds? Sans Rival, what else? The photo and title says it all, what more can I add to it? Delicious, rich, mouth-watering, diet buster, calorie laden dessert. Ah, one shouldn't think of diets when enjoying this dessert. This is one of those rare times that eating it is worth sacrificing 1 day off your healthy lifestyle. That's why you don't eat Sans Rival every week, you're only allowed to have this dessert uhm once every year? Ok, maybe once every six months. </span><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The name Sans Rival is French, meaning 'without rival'. Nobody knows where this dessert originated but it sure has some European characteristics. It's like Napoleons. It's an Almond torte and consists of layered crispy meringue with almonds and buttercream. There is also another dessert that is similar to this called Sylvannas, the only difference being the Sylvannas is shaped like a huge egg but it tastes the same.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I grew up eating Sans Rival from Goldilocks. This is one of my favorite desserts from that popular Filipino bakery along with Mocha and Ube rolls. When I moved to Northern California 20 years ago, I was ecstatic when I learned that Goldilocks is just a drive away. I got a sticker shock though, a small square of Sansrival costs $25 (back then). No wonder it's expensive, it's a little complicated to make this. There aren't a lot of ingredients but it takes a lot of work to assemble the whole thing. After many years of wanting to try to make this dessert, I finally did it two weeks ago. I was thinking of what dish to bring to a party when I decided to make dessert. It turned out quite good, very good, in fact. Would I make it again? Hmm, yes I will (if somebody pays me to do it LOL). I used almonds instead of cashew nuts just because. If you are a novice baker, then I would suggest you buy it instead of trying to make it. :o) For an expert baker, this is quite easy to make. All you need is a lot of <strong>patience </strong>and Reynolds Release non-stick aluminum foil. If you don't have this special aluminum foil, use baking paper or parchment paper. </span><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELGxa_iz_OK0Jt7FTP3WKbo92MGuzwWagvjlOpb-a8legFtkMMGTHuJ73UkCtU-QeaUWIcgGZv0MN9i8kA3VSK6jsCg3eL8AjSSyNAuikT7MdYPZBYeMzDdCgdueWU8e4Z-MI/s1600-h/IMG_0689.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308585217395502418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 310px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELGxa_iz_OK0Jt7FTP3WKbo92MGuzwWagvjlOpb-a8legFtkMMGTHuJ73UkCtU-QeaUWIcgGZv0MN9i8kA3VSK6jsCg3eL8AjSSyNAuikT7MdYPZBYeMzDdCgdueWU8e4Z-MI/s400/IMG_0689.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqE7QXWyBcPLDn7d2TWxccEG9JJb-AKcACmjZufmEDzLRz3nKgzTFnwHyRpcQuwEsDq3GfPjO5ITSNjPZQg0zf-6maCHBIj7ax7TIGbI19qctcheYBx9EaUWIF7crgir85RqP/s1600-h/IMG_0688.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308585084121537986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 307px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqE7QXWyBcPLDn7d2TWxccEG9JJb-AKcACmjZufmEDzLRz3nKgzTFnwHyRpcQuwEsDq3GfPjO5ITSNjPZQg0zf-6maCHBIj7ax7TIGbI19qctcheYBx9EaUWIF7crgir85RqP/s400/IMG_0688.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">SANS RIVAL</span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">for the wafers:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">10 egg whites at room temperature</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/4 tsp cream of tartar</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 cup sugar</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2 cups finely chopped almonds</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">for the filling and frosting:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">6 egg yolks</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup light corn syrup</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2 tbsp water</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/4 cup sugar</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2 sticks butter at room temperature (1/2 lb)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">for the topping:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1/2 cup finely chopped almonds</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Beat egg yolks until it turns light yellow.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Heat corn syrup, sugar and water over low heat. Cook for 2 minutes after it boils.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Pour the syrup into the egg yolk slowly while beating on medium speed. Set aside to cool down.Cream softened butter and gradually beat in cooled yolk mixture.Set aside.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Preheat oven to 325F. Line three cookie sheets or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Generously grease and flour the parchment paper (very important so the meringue will not stick; if you use the Reynolds Release foil, then you don't have to grease and flour)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Beat egg whites and of tartar until soft peaks form. Add sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until stiff.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Fold in ground almonds.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Spread evenly on the cookie sheets about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. </span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Cut the wafer into desired size while still warm. Peel off the paper or foil. If the parchment paper is sticking, cover with damp towel for a minute or so.</span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Spread the frosting thinly on top of each meringue and stack another meringue, repeat with the layering . Don't put too much frosting in each layer or you wouldn't have enough to frost the outside of the Sans Rival. </span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Sprinkle chopped almonds on the top and sides. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.</span></div></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWBdHAb-ibQrwRZz5nKA6asEKkZNfp00a40M86PwKNsJDvGqk5AET6gKKdmcIt4B8P81WUP87iis50xj_Wc37pQJd7fUVW7s02KJ9BYTOeK-1ZqNoz_sws54NbH504marLTJs/s1600-h/IMG_0672.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309166163175280754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWBdHAb-ibQrwRZz5nKA6asEKkZNfp00a40M86PwKNsJDvGqk5AET6gKKdmcIt4B8P81WUP87iis50xj_Wc37pQJd7fUVW7s02KJ9BYTOeK-1ZqNoz_sws54NbH504marLTJs/s200/IMG_0672.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6DxJJsWkLLLqdgpD-xHv2uLNolm_SmWX6LzWpq0n25u0ZRlprI5dPphLkA8lW6hEU1Mw9n_A98IdTRKRk9paWQOWG5cDCc9s5r3wcdnCu9vswJKvsBthB3vwwvJ-dSkZc1ZY/s1600-h/IMG_0674.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309166162679268050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6DxJJsWkLLLqdgpD-xHv2uLNolm_SmWX6LzWpq0n25u0ZRlprI5dPphLkA8lW6hEU1Mw9n_A98IdTRKRk9paWQOWG5cDCc9s5r3wcdnCu9vswJKvsBthB3vwwvJ-dSkZc1ZY/s200/IMG_0674.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQfWrQOZmSimY13NAtum7XZXVRBhDUGht9v2jTEE3aCWIMx3gRvlkhH76BBcGNhNb-10P8JVNBGYizkNLd98PHGw-B5Uxy6YAmc7ZNRxSaIQ5AkhaAs7VHmPknL2a5ZJHxJBW/s1600-h/IMG_0673.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309166157038844002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQfWrQOZmSimY13NAtum7XZXVRBhDUGht9v2jTEE3aCWIMx3gRvlkhH76BBcGNhNb-10P8JVNBGYizkNLd98PHGw-B5Uxy6YAmc7ZNRxSaIQ5AkhaAs7VHmPknL2a5ZJHxJBW/s200/IMG_0673.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:arial;">HERE</span></a><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-36353933617525935612009-02-25T22:03:00.004-05:002009-02-25T22:09:23.971-05:00Thai Barbeque Chicken<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbHhdn63ochrjijsOCLYqGyYf4jPEJG1G3ZCVWWS4XoUgi3yULY3BMHEhwlQ-I9WxU0dz2tGFnevcrqHVfx3U-MPa5LOBKxWLlgj0cgV36K4EpUS5teP1WiAAO8jQ5cOC21LK/s1600-h/IMG_0682.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306937169840321218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Thai Barbeque Chicken" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbHhdn63ochrjijsOCLYqGyYf4jPEJG1G3ZCVWWS4XoUgi3yULY3BMHEhwlQ-I9WxU0dz2tGFnevcrqHVfx3U-MPa5LOBKxWLlgj0cgV36K4EpUS5teP1WiAAO8jQ5cOC21LK/s400/IMG_0682.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>THAI BARBEQUE CHICKEN<br /></strong></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">This is a recipe from a book Keo's Thai Cuisine by Keo Sananikone. He owns the Mekong and Temples of Thai Cuisine restaurants in Hawaii. This barbequed chicken is very good, you can detect a hint of coconut milk, lemon grass and ginger so it is important to marinate the chicken for more than an hour. To achieve crispy skin, I increased the temperature to 500 degF at the last 15 minutes of baking.<br /><span id="fullpost"><br />THAI BARBEQUE CHICKEN<br />1 whole chicken<br />2 stalks fresh lemon grass<br />1/2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh ginger<br />3 large garlic cloves<br />2 shallots<br />1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar<br />1/4 cup coconut milk<br />1 tbsp fish sauce<br />1 tbsp soy sauce<br />1 tbsp cooking oil<br /><br />Rinse chickens and pat dry. Split chicken down the breast but do not cut all the way throug; press open. Place chicken in a large bowl. In a food processor or blender combine the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour this sauce over the chicken and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350degF. Place chicken on a rack with the split side down. Bake for about 1 hour, depending on the thickness of the chicken, or until the juices run clea when the thigh is pierced with a sharp knife. I use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part of the thighs.</span><br /><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:arial;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></div></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-2676349318386367962009-02-20T08:28:00.005-05:002009-02-20T09:22:34.114-05:00Light Yet Delicious Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdevAMHF0_eR2mXYwy_EEmFx4k1qcEacJfTZb05uEdxOLu76RMpCPPzgnV5mtjcQAGAoLttF82Q7TQsc3hGKz8owbVj1s3-LqjMGe2hAtZWT6hB8rGantK26dgEq99FbD9uBt/s1600-h/Light_Carrot_Cake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304876249977543826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 269px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdevAMHF0_eR2mXYwy_EEmFx4k1qcEacJfTZb05uEdxOLu76RMpCPPzgnV5mtjcQAGAoLttF82Q7TQsc3hGKz8owbVj1s3-LqjMGe2hAtZWT6hB8rGantK26dgEq99FbD9uBt/s400/Light_Carrot_Cake.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">LIGHT CARROT CAKE</span></strong></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Carrot cake is one of my favorite cakes. It somehow lessens the guilt of eating cakes when you know that it has a vegetable in one of the ingredients. Even though this type of cake is good, it still packs a large amount of calories. A typical carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (3 oz slice) contains 425 calories. Yikes! This recipe from Cooking Light magazine is 100 calories less than the regular recipe. It also has coconut flakes, crushed pineapple and pecans (which I omitted since I don't like any kind of nuts in my desserts). Since I didn't have crushed pineapple, I used apple sauce (1 cup). Even with the substitutions, the resulting cake still was delicious. Dh loved it and commented that it is so light and moist. I only used half the amount of confectioner's sugar in the frosting and it was still too sweet for my taste. So next time I make the frosting, I will only use 1 cup confectioner's sugar and omit the butter entirely. I'm sharing the original recipe so you can tweak it to suit your taste.</span><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Cake:<br />1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)<br />1 1/3 cups granulated sugar<br />1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut<br />1/3 cup chopped pecans<br />2 teaspoons baking soda<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />3 tablespoons canola oil<br />2 large eggs<br />2 cups grated carrot<br />1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple, drained<br />Cooking spray<br /><br />Frosting:<br />2 tablespoons butter, softened<br />1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened<br />3 cups powdered sugar<br />2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />Additional grated carrot (optional)<br />Preparation<br />Preheat oven to 350°.<br /><br />To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, pecans, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine oil and eggs; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated carrot, and pineapple into flour mixture. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.<br /><br />To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cake. Garnish each serving with grated carrot, if desired.<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"></a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-17903639657187858852009-02-14T06:31:00.009-05:002011-01-29T14:40:19.964-05:00Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu<div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302614719183692802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXnWt8USMJAcLDt9dJpmXKgO7DnJUhcpAtQzGGnPs_FD4RsDpmP42iFk2yBu7hBIun80XV2-jQTsDQbpMWm11NvjQRKvQxtuOFUxDtQCQNv_2ABvsFiCIhEK80GPYml4yV9WV/s400/IMG_0628.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><strong>EASY CHICKEN CORDON BLEU </strong></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong></strong><div align="left"><strong><br /></strong>The original recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu takes a lot of work. It takes a while to prepare it. It entails pounding the chicken breast, dipping it in flour, egg and bread crumbs, then you put it in the fridge to have everything set. This recipe is from Kraft Food and Family. It is very easy to make and prep time is less than 15 minutes (for me). Of course, nothing beats the original recipe but if you don't want to toil in the kitchen and still get the same taste (almost) then you should try this. It has become my family's favorite. If you're not a fan of mustard, you can omit this ingredient or use just a teaspoon like I did. This recipe used a lot of Kraft products (of course) but you can use whatever brand is available. You can also omit using stuffing mix, it doesn't make much difference. In the photo below, the serving on the left side is for my son who doesn't care for stuffing.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong>EASY CHICKEN CORDON BLEU</strong></span><br /></span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6OLgnIiLOX5-v0oNFhBGFPoKQ2T01v-0eeK5rOoBSKsi4aLh8vN1DWpFXN-jETZcGEhc2lWxDhE8knrRkdTZ29iuxTNe4EeAzLL94QSw3564HcKBkQOJjjU9l0KB2dqyh12U/s1600-h/IMG_0626.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302617208276632290" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6OLgnIiLOX5-v0oNFhBGFPoKQ2T01v-0eeK5rOoBSKsi4aLh8vN1DWpFXN-jETZcGEhc2lWxDhE8knrRkdTZ29iuxTNe4EeAzLL94QSw3564HcKBkQOJjjU9l0KB2dqyh12U/s320/IMG_0626.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">1 pkg (6 oz) stuffing mix</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">6 slices ham</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 can condensed cream of chicken soup</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 tbsp Dijon mustard</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">6 slices Swiss cheese</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package. Set aside.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Place chicken in 13x9- inch baking dish; cover with ham. Mix condensed cream of chicken soup and mustard; spoon over chicken. Top with prepared stuffing.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Bake for 25 min. or until chicken is cooked through (the internal temperature should be at least 165 deg F). Top with cheese slices and bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Makes 6 servings.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:arial;">HERE</span></a> </div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-47522236406496691922009-02-10T13:15:00.005-05:002009-02-10T20:25:05.650-05:00Sauteed Scallops with Corn Salsa<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3V05Nra8iWAOo4P0ZJqYRGiEpuWzLsyq3cuIasPOc5NAk-vROOEUibIAGt83LiV19m0jKbwrp91i8hYv8eG_5_9UMknbtRJH0EFbVCQ6-zr02YswzN5U3mDRhpjf8Kadwzg7m/s1600-h/IMG_0639.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301335590384400898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Sauteed Scallops with Corn Salsa" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3V05Nra8iWAOo4P0ZJqYRGiEpuWzLsyq3cuIasPOc5NAk-vROOEUibIAGt83LiV19m0jKbwrp91i8hYv8eG_5_9UMknbtRJH0EFbVCQ6-zr02YswzN5U3mDRhpjf8Kadwzg7m/s400/IMG_0639.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong> SAUTEED SCALLOPS WITH CORN SALSA</strong></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Usually, when I cook scallops, I just roll it in bread crumbs, fry it and serve it with lemon wedges and sometimes cocktail sauce. I decided to try something new and found a recipe by Gordon Ramsay. This one is from his book Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food. We liked the hint of curry, it doesn't overpower the scallops. This is pretty easy and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. For this recipe, it is ideal to use Sea scallops, these are the big ones. The original recipe calls for 3 tbsp. of Sesame oil, I only used 1 tbsp. I didn't have Arugula so I used Spinach. Here's the recipe: </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="left"><br /></div></span><span id="fullpost"><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">SAUTEED SCALLOPS WITH CORN SALSA</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Sea scallops, cleaned<br />1/2 tsp medium curry powder<br />2 tbsp olive oil<br />arugula leaves<br /><br />Corn Salsa:<br />14 oz can corn, drained<br />cherry tomatoes, quartered<br />1 small red onions, minced<br />1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes<br />2 scallions, sliced finely<br />1 tbsp sesame oil<br />1 tbsp cilantro, chopped<br />juice of 1 lime<br />dash of light soy sauce<br />salt and ground black pepper<br /><br />For the salsa:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Mix all the ingredients and stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Set aside.</span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="left"></div><div align="left">If the scallops are thick, slice it horizontally into two disks. Mix the curry powder with 1 tsp. salt and sprinkile over the scallops. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the oil. Cook the scallops for 1 minute each side until golden brown at the edges. Don't overcook.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Spoon the salsa onto the plate and arrange the scallops on top. Serve immediately.<br /><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:arial;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></div></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-82650075551256629032009-02-03T12:41:00.005-05:002009-02-03T13:30:06.998-05:00Pineapple Sweet and Sour Meatballs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2jdajH5JfCfWgS4KG2jVJYyuXq1S9-qo8KoItwtnD8jt4Juax95d1s9k5gXwZfoiViqx3H6uj2XLCUhk0Bt_5uq-1XdfSyW06RT2PhZ3Yyta1pcfs74cXQiz3zUm3sTPhDW4/s1600-h/IMG_0620.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298631366717178866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Sweet and Sour Meatballs" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2jdajH5JfCfWgS4KG2jVJYyuXq1S9-qo8KoItwtnD8jt4Juax95d1s9k5gXwZfoiViqx3H6uj2XLCUhk0Bt_5uq-1XdfSyW06RT2PhZ3Yyta1pcfs74cXQiz3zUm3sTPhDW4/s400/IMG_0620.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"><br />PINEAPPLE SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS<br />This is one of those fast meals that I whip up when I don't have much time to spend in the kitchen. What's nice about this recipe is you can skip making the meatballs from scratch and use the frozen Italian or Swedish meatballs in the freezer. Of course, if you're feeling like Martha Stewart, then by all means, go ahead and make it from scratch. :o) I found the original recipe online but tweaked it to suit my taste. I added catsup (the sauce needed more color), lessened the brown sugar (too sweet) and vinegar (too sour), etc. That's what's good about cooking, you can change a recipe according to your taste. Here's my final (for now) recipe:<br /></span><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Pineapple Sweet and Sour Meatballs</strong><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Meatballs:</span> <div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">1 lb ground beef<br />1 egg, beaten<br />1/2 cup panko or bread crumbs<br />1 small onion, minced<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp ground black pepper<br />1 tsp Worcestershire sauce<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"><br />Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Lightly oil a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Mix the ingredients for the meatballs. Shape into small balls and bake for 30 mins or until fully cooked.</span></div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce:<br />1 can pineapple chunks, drained<br />1 med carrot, sliced thin (so it will cook quickly)<br />1 red bell pepper, cut into squares<br />1 small onion, quartered<br />3/4 cup pineapple juice (you can use the juice from the pineapple chunks)<br />1/3 cup water<br />1 tbsp vinegar<br />1 tbsp soy sauce<br />1/4 cup brown sugar<br />1/3 cup catsup<br />3 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup water<br />salt if needed </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">While the meatballs are in the oven, prepare this sauce. In a medium sauce pan, mix pineapple juice, water and soy sauce. Bring to boil. Add the vinegar but do not mix. Bring it up to boil then mix. Add brown sugar and catsup and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Throw in the carrots, onions, pineapple and red bell pepper.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Add the cornstarch/water mixture a little at a time thoroughly mixing after each addition. Stop adding the mixture when it's at the consistency you prefer. Try the sauce and add salt to suit your taste.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;">You can serve the meatballs mixed in with the sauce or serve the sauce on the side. You can pair this with steamed rice or cooked pasta.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;">SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;">HERE</span></a></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-91891097666508231232009-01-31T18:17:00.004-05:002009-02-28T20:59:15.794-05:00Mexican Taco Pie<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4J6hsW6C58w4rVwOvbr1fs6JRmTbsyHeSCC3IgCCFUckq9l5XDNB3564878n9ZFa2-abU9pwit4PVL3iWrWHsdJHmtCdKvatPVUhCJntcgsl48P-iq7AguDDoPKUA1qxBsdp/s1600-h/IMG_0499.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297477530144633090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 272px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4J6hsW6C58w4rVwOvbr1fs6JRmTbsyHeSCC3IgCCFUckq9l5XDNB3564878n9ZFa2-abU9pwit4PVL3iWrWHsdJHmtCdKvatPVUhCJntcgsl48P-iq7AguDDoPKUA1qxBsdp/s400/IMG_0499.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>MEXICAN TACO PIE</strong><br /><br />My family loves Mexican food. I always make beef Tacos, Enchiladas, Carne Asada and Chimichangas. I wanted to make something new so I tried this recipe. I made a couple of modifications to suit my family's taste. You can make this sans refried beans. If you like salsa, then by all means, add it as another layer.</span><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><strong>Mexican Taco Pie</strong><br />1 lb. lean ground beef </div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">1 medium onion, chopped </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">1 can Refried Beans </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">1 pkg. taco seasoning 1 pkg. flour tortillas </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">2 c. shredded shredded Mexican mixed cheese </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">1. Grease a pie pan with oil. Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg F. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">2. Saute onions in a little oil. Add ground beef and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until brown. Strain the cooked ground beef to take out excess oil. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">3. Return to heated pan. Prepare the taco seasoning according to the directions on the packet. Add to the cooked ground beef. Simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside. 4. Place two pieces of tortillas on the bottom of the pan. Spread some refried beans evenly on the tortillas. Follow with the ground beef. Sprinkle some green chilies on top, then the Mexican shredded cheese. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">5. Place two more pieces of tortillas on top and repeat with the refried beans, ground beef, green chilies, cheese. Do this until you reach the top of the pie pan. 6. Sprinkle some extra cheese on the top to get a crunchy topping or you can place one layer of tortilla then the cheese if you want an extra crunchy top. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">7. Bake for about 30 minutes when everything is all bubbly and crunchy. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">8. Let cool for 5 minutes and slice. Serve hot. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL </span><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family:arial;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></div></span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-36072065395240645262009-01-26T07:28:00.001-05:002009-01-31T18:17:17.017-05:00Lumpia Shanghai, Filipino Spring Roll, Filipino Egg Roll<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295302948761584642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="Lumpia Shanghai" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcCzVgRd3PCuqJpAnmViq7dvQayca4NUwenCAWOBGun7dj7BjCb5Qg-HztW_RVq-qrkrMcapQGcKjUXXLkJKZWSM6Dgx7wzYuRjNVgSN1LRAyOjKeyvPRZVz9tpFt3fTRvhrS/s400/P8075377.JPG" border="0" /> <span style="font-family:arial;">Lumpia Shanghai is one of the most popular Filipino dish here in the U.S. If you ask an American who has a Filipino friend, co-worker or family member, what their favorite Filipino food is, most likely they'll tell you it's Lumpia. My husband's family like it so much that they always ask me to cook some everytime we get together for special occasions.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">This is an easy recipe, it's similar to making meatballs. The only difference is that making it is very tedious since you need to roll each and every one. If you don't eat pork, you can substitute ground turkey, chicken or beef. Some recipe calls for water chestnuts but I find that unless you intend to cook these right away, it is best to omit this ingredient. The water chestnut adds moisture to the lumpia which will make the wrapper soggy if you plan to freeze it. I use the food processor to mince the onions and carrots just to save time.</span><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The spring roll wrappers can be found in any good Asian grocery. I use these wrappers instead of the 'egg roll' wrappers because it is thinner. Each bag has 25 wrappers. I cut the lumpia in half before frying so I get 50 small lumpias in all. I added the step-by-step photos on how to roll the lumpia if you do not know how to go about it. I either use beaten egg or a mixture of flour and water boiled into a paste to seal the lumpia. I hope it helps. :o)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Here is the recipe:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">LUMPIA SHANGHAI</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 LB. ground pork</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 medium carrot, minced</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 small onion, minced</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">3 stalks green onion, chopped</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">1 egg, beaten</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">salt and pepper to taste</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Mix all ingredients in a bowl. I fry a small pattie of the mixture just to test if it needs more salt or pepper. Peel off one spring roll wrapper and cover the rest with a towel to prevent it from drying out. Put one tablespoon or less of the mixture in the middle of the wrapper as shown in the photo. Shape it with your spoon so that it resembles a thin cigar. Brush some beaten eggs on both corners and fold across. Always brush the corner to be folded with the beaten eggs and fold as shown in the photo. Try to fold it as tight as possible. Don't forget to seal the edges (photo #4) with beaten eggs. Fry in medium high heat until golden brown.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">You can freeze the lumpia up to 2 months. You don't need to thaw it before cooking. I just cut the lumpia in half and fry it. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Serve with sweet and sour sauce or duck sauce.</span><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295303708075452002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvn-6wwO1dArQs2ebVLyODzuc-98sb8wzQ1-9tMFcmkLoCVUtARDk300yrji_PFoDGd-eixZ5qM_p0BK4IxOUXxlkJZcNEQ9KKJ2JDo9v3djsplK33RxRpZ9KYIWcsl_bCBWM/s200/DSCN6740.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295303708656747218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgHYebJM47_G0nXsVTqwP_nWftDQDG0cEHntp_cPuK8FEBavTrPqUCsu70G5DP_oLfPLr7pYnhpgsnbaUrYodtd-KLlNpj8HpyG1NWIbHr6HYBhG8YbUxA05Pq-MUsMVT3O8a/s200/DSCN6741.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295303713056485538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhly3lt2Nt5xwS4Tpe1mF9QHNzL6AXCQS92P_zOh9dl150Wi8wytdCIm8v1dfZb-Upuqgz70Mju-QxuRNVm3Wm79xqa71gx9fCby5d22Urz6Ltxzu46h-NP3glAUBni93bpODvi/s200/DSCN6742.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295303709689776514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdnrgH8N9SKlrQxQ72nSr8PVR3MCayx-a1Ek9hfH1ekXIw_sREKTpsHntvOkNhyphenhyphenxGsr3ScZLTpWlSUv1HweA4e8eq-aGUNG_CU-Vir6uRJgTT4KRa9GIhYuIArrVp7RDBahWt/s200/DSCN6743.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295303709505563250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUzpwVQFxLcho4MJ-CtHpQdmMoHIxuOqJ3JH9bePa4znrsVer8rjfDvNLN8H5m_S9cT5DDXW5EwV1waCLgBD0sCC5lQ6On7RYhXC9ZVP8VeslPLSi_ivSP09G0F16Edzn9oXY/s200/DSCN6744.JPG" border="0" /></span><br /></span></span>SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel='nofollow' target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-22196577742395562422009-01-20T21:13:00.006-05:002009-01-31T18:16:09.824-05:00Falling Off the Bones Back Ribs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylTyKQWbORP4LKjiNUmmPhfJpeBlP08aj_Gt2rovWdP0MoeDJLIRmTILEAs732dSIvnscYChDLN2Amnzfk7YCS8vXV-9P5rsSZjqt-OxZ8FLCltY4KvubPSVId9WaoXHLjZ4j/s1600-h/pork_ribs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293566273279095826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 399px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylTyKQWbORP4LKjiNUmmPhfJpeBlP08aj_Gt2rovWdP0MoeDJLIRmTILEAs732dSIvnscYChDLN2Amnzfk7YCS8vXV-9P5rsSZjqt-OxZ8FLCltY4KvubPSVId9WaoXHLjZ4j/s400/pork_ribs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I served this Barbequed pork baby back ribs on my daughter's birthday party last weekend. I forgot to take a proper photo (!), good thing I saw a photo of one of the guests holding this plate with the ribs. LOL Anyway, it is REALLY good. I got a lot of compliments about it. The good thing is that you use a slow-cooker for this, isn't that great? By the time the ribs are done, it is literally falling off the bones, hence the title of this post. Try it and you'll see what I mean. Here is the recipe.</span></div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span id="fullpost"><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Ingredients:<br />4 pound pork baby back ribs<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />1 1/2 cup Barbeque sauce</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">1 1/2 cup ketchup<br />1/4 cup packed brown sugar </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">2</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> tablespoons vinegar<br />2 teaspoons dried oregano<br />2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce<br />1 dash hot sauce<br /><br />Directions:<br />1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).<br />2. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Place in a shallow baking pan. Brown in oven 15 minutes. Turn over, and brown another 15 minutes; drain fat.<br />3. In a medium bowl, mix together the barbeque sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">4.Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.<br />5. Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.<br /></span><br /><br /></div></span><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel='nofollow' target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-77185402939049020562008-12-16T07:36:00.005-05:002009-01-31T18:15:29.969-05:00Chicken, Chorizo and Shrimp Paella<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3umiwHJPYeu57pav71xHoxLlJjKE20w0ztrdiyBP0b-nwNgWtmvJ1EdASiUKhu4T-1Vvibu4CELSt0KZu7NH7-yYIsuhm_P7dDCERqMUf2Sn1Zy0l043BDAhmB3a4DJYm0Bf/s1600-h/PC047264.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280061595582345954" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3umiwHJPYeu57pav71xHoxLlJjKE20w0ztrdiyBP0b-nwNgWtmvJ1EdASiUKhu4T-1Vvibu4CELSt0KZu7NH7-yYIsuhm_P7dDCERqMUf2Sn1Zy0l043BDAhmB3a4DJYm0Bf/s400/PC047264.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This is one of my favorite dishes. It is simple and easy plus you only need one pan to cook it, less washing for me. :o) The secret to a great Paella is the Saffron. It gives this dish an exquisite flavor in my opinion. Saffron is quite expensive but is essential for a real Paella. I also have a Paella pan to cook it in. If you don't have one, you can use any saute pan that is big enough. You can also cook it in a regular wok and transfer it to a baking dish. I took this photo while the Paella was still cooking so it has some liquid left. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The recipe I used didn't call for shrimps but I added it anyway since I love it and I'm the cook. LOL If you are adding shrimps, do it at the last 5 or so minutes of cooking, depending on the size of your shrimps. If you'll notice in the photo, only one half of the Paella has green peas, that's because my husband hates it while I like it. LOL The recipe also calls for roasted chicken but if you don't have left-over chicken, you can use fresh chicken. I put salt and pepper on fresh chicken and fry it it a little oil.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Here is the recipe I used from Epicurious.</span><br /><br /><br /><div><span id="fullpost"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Quick Chicken and Chorizo Paella</strong><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Epicurious September 1999</span><br /><br />Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings<br /><br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />14 ounces chorizo, cut into 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal<br />1 small onion, chopped<br />1 red bell pepper, chopped<br />2 cloves garlic, chopped<br />1/4 teaspoon pimenton or paprika<br />2 cups short- or medium-grain rice<br />1 pinch saffron threads<br />2 bay leaves<br />4 cups chicken stock<br />1 1/4 pounds roast chicken (meat from 3-pound chicken skinned, deboned, and torn into chunks)<br />1/2 cup frozen peas<br />1 tomato, chopped<br />Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste<br /><br />Heat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a large casserole or paella pan over high heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.<br /><br />Add rice (medium or short grain rice), pimenton, saffron, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and coat the rice, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add roast chicken, frozen peas, and tomato; stir to combine.<br /><br />Transfer skillet to oven. Cook uncovered until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately. </span></span></div><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel='nofollow' target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-51368482699929794262008-11-27T11:13:00.005-05:002009-03-28T11:02:42.843-04:00Brined Roast Turkey<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SS7HXhEOgbI/AAAAAAAACJQ/WjHc0pN5kOw/s1600-h/PB227190.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273371420524446130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SS7HXhEOgbI/AAAAAAAACJQ/WjHc0pN5kOw/s400/PB227190.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylKR7A7Sn-ug38kVAixRb5eNolsE4EBRaXAd3Eay29BGJayJEf7-a7cZYTjH3HRyAobwc0FH_5D8UheXSO46JaeQVYDVAGGh0enU0QPsh3S5U2AQeo2Ts3jEcggk6O6Piq62d/s1600-h/PB227189.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273371417503298050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 327px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylKR7A7Sn-ug38kVAixRb5eNolsE4EBRaXAd3Eay29BGJayJEf7-a7cZYTjH3HRyAobwc0FH_5D8UheXSO46JaeQVYDVAGGh0enU0QPsh3S5U2AQeo2Ts3jEcggk6O6Piq62d/s400/PB227189.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is Emeril Lagasse's recipe and it is very good. The turkey turned out very moist and still is even when reheated the next day. It is definitely a keeper.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">BRINED AND ROASTED TURKEY</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey<br />Brine, recipe follows<br />4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature<br />1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths<br />1 large orange, cut into 8ths<br />1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces<br />1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces<br />2 bay leaves<br />2 sprigs thyme<br />1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting<br />Turkey Broth:<br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />Reserved turkey neck and giblets<br />1 large carrot, coarsely chopped<br />1 onion, coarsely chopped<br />1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped<br />1 small bay leaf<br />3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth<br />3 cups water<br />Gravy:<br />4 cups turkey broth<br />1 cup dry white wine<br />4 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />1/4 cup flour<br />Salt and freshly ground black pepper<br /><br /><br />Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.<br />Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.<br /><br />Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.<br /><br />For the turkey broth: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking.<br /><br />Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.<br /><br />Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.<br /><br />Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.<br /><br />For the pan gravy: Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup.<br /><br />In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.<br /><br /><br /><br />Brine:<br />1 cup salt<br />1 cup brown sugar<br />2 oranges, quartered<br />2 lemons, quartered<br />6 sprigs thyme<br />4 sprigs rosemary<br /><br /><br />To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.<br />Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water. </span><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel='nofollow' target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-90366222268792276412008-11-08T12:40:00.014-05:002009-01-31T18:13:58.311-05:00Osso Buco - My Favorite Italian Dish<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266343717246942674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="KusineraUSA Osso Buco" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SRXPtWOdPdI/AAAAAAAABv0/KX1p20_nDPU/s400/OssoBuco3.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I've seen this dish prepared by TV chefs all the time but have not tried cooking it. While in Italy last summer, I tried Osso Buco for the first time at a restaurant in <a href="http://www.babettesblog.com/2008/08/duomo-in-florence-italy.html">Florence</a> named<a href="http://www.labussolafirenze.it/"> </a><em><a href="http://www.labussolafirenze.it/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">La Bussola Ristorante Pizzeria</a> </em>and I was in heaven. You can see in the photo below that it was served with steamed rice and the sauce <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SRXR3aqYOTI/AAAAAAAABwE/X3le9Th1fYs/s1600-h/La_Bussola_OssoBuco.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266346089259743538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="La Bussola Osso Buco" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SRXR3aqYOTI/AAAAAAAABwE/X3le9Th1fYs/s200/La_Bussola_OssoBuco.jpg" border="0" /></a>has A LOT of tomatoes. I love tomatoes so I didn't mind it at all. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">If you're not familiar with Osso Buco, it is a regional dish from Piedmont in Italy. It is made with veal shanks although if that is not available, you can substitute beef shanks instead. For the dry white wine, I used Chardonnay since that's what's readily available in my fridge. I also used canned tomatoes. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">This recipe is from Epicurious.com and I found it to my liking. It is the classic version of Osso Buco. I omitted the orange zest since I don't remember tasting it in Italy., You can also use the crockpot in cooking this. You only need to brown <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SRXURsJHBCI/AAAAAAAABwM/VQr9AvYEHu8/s1600-h/OssoBuco1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266348739651896354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 176px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H3unWaJZC9k/SRXURsJHBCI/AAAAAAAABwM/VQr9AvYEHu8/s200/OssoBuco1.JPG" border="0" /></a>the shanks and saute the veggies on the stove top first before adding all of the ingredients to the crockpot. This recipe is a keeper. It is as close to the Osso Buco I had in Florence and I will definitely make it again.</span><br /></div></div><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>CLASSIC OSSO BUCO<br /></strong></span><span style="font-family:arial;">4 pounds (1.8 kg) veal shanks, cut in 1 1/2-inch ( 4 cm) slices<br />1/4 cup (30 g/1 oz) flour<br />salt and pepper<br />2 tablespoons olive oil<br />2 tablespoons butter </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Vv2qB8QrXVbGUWVNo5lMK1VnLHw101PRPFOYu8SdId-09Wqi6mpKczE5qb749rovu66H6SH7uEdtw6wud2d5dwYPQrxFDZYJ6R8fCSz5M0Hc7JhfiVIF7f4kt-VOUvSVYoMg/s1600-h/OssoBuco2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266348930835917362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Vv2qB8QrXVbGUWVNo5lMK1VnLHw101PRPFOYu8SdId-09Wqi6mpKczE5qb749rovu66H6SH7uEdtw6wud2d5dwYPQrxFDZYJ6R8fCSz5M0Hc7JhfiVIF7f4kt-VOUvSVYoMg/s200/OssoBuco2.JPG" border="0" /></a>2 onions, chopped<br />1 carrot, chopped<br />1/2 bottle (375 ml) dry white wine<br />a 14.5-ounce (435 g) can plum tomatoes, chopped<br />2 garlic cloves, chopped<br />grated zest of 2 oranges (I omitted this)<br />1 cup (250 ml/8 fl oz) veal stock, more if needed<br /><br />1. Heat the oven to 350°F (176°F/Gas 4). Put the flour on a plate, add generous amounts of salt and pepper, and coat the veal slices, with flour, patting to remove the excess. Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan or frying pan big enough for all the veal slices to touch the bottom. Add half the slices and brown them over quite high heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn them, brown the other side and remove them to a plate. Brown the remaining slices and remove them also.<br /><br />2. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and carrot and sauté until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in the wine and boil until reduced by half, stirring to dissolve the pan juices. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, orange zest, veal stock, salt, and pepper. Immerse the veal slices in this sauce — the liquid should come at least halfway up the sides. Cover the pan and bring it to a boil.<br /><br />3. Braise the shanks in the oven until the meat is very tender and falling from the bone, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir from time to time, gently turning the slices, and if the pan seems dry, add more stock. At the end of cooking, taste and adjust seasoning of the sauce. Osso buco can be cooked ahead and stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator, or frozen. Keep it in the pan ready to be reheated on top of the stove.<br /></div></span></div></div></div><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel='nofollow' target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-2898957868440396892008-10-04T09:57:00.007-04:002009-01-31T18:13:28.482-05:00Itlog Maalat (Salted Eggs)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabiJI0Ahw_4-Pi_o5mzFutpt6dNgWnHeGmOHraov9NNm1fz_ruzObNwujGbR6C6AtA6r3qxcfTIWHgqTv1r33ExsYLZpk2ALIf0G7Bi7-Gf8VY6WS3RHlzBk-kRIlw8XyhIi4/s1600-h/Salted_Eggs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253300993333448386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabiJI0Ahw_4-Pi_o5mzFutpt6dNgWnHeGmOHraov9NNm1fz_ruzObNwujGbR6C6AtA6r3qxcfTIWHgqTv1r33ExsYLZpk2ALIf0G7Bi7-Gf8VY6WS3RHlzBk-kRIlw8XyhIi4/s320/Salted_Eggs.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPV8ShfD3oQCKO_ccbpQWLSFJHIwiAuoDnFc2JNe_SEpaic77R634iXQbMwSfEwc3ekchWO2UJfe9BTUUwyKaDCBiF3H7ynnvvQ37gytyAiqYTnfk9P-fJSzkKH_D-KpACIiU2/s1600-h/cracked_eggs.gif"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253298204326040194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPV8ShfD3oQCKO_ccbpQWLSFJHIwiAuoDnFc2JNe_SEpaic77R634iXQbMwSfEwc3ekchWO2UJfe9BTUUwyKaDCBiF3H7ynnvvQ37gytyAiqYTnfk9P-fJSzkKH_D-KpACIiU2/s320/cracked_eggs.gif" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> This is one of those foods that is an acquired taste. As you can tell from its' name, this egg is very salty. I don't even dare to find out how much sodium per serving it contains. That is why I get to enjoy this rarely. Duck eggs are ideal to use when you want to make salted eggs. For me it has a different taste and has more flavor. Uncooked duck eggs are usually available in some Asian supermarkets. You can purchase these already cooked and sold in packs of six. There are also uncooked salted eggs available, boil them as you would boil a regular egg. The ones I've seen is imported from China or Taiwan. The taste is the same as the ones in the Philippines. My relatives always brings me back a tray of salted eggs from Pateros, the city where these salted eggs became well-known for.</span> <div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">If you want to make your own but do not have access to duck eggs, you can use chicken eggs. It is very easy to make. There are two different procedures, one that makes use of mud and one without. I prefer not using mud since I do not want to deal with the mess. If you want the authentic salted eggs with the oily yolk, then you need to prepare it using the method with the mud.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>Salted Eggs</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">10 </span><span style="font-family:arial;">eggs</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />1 <span style="font-size:85%;">1/2</span> cup </span><span style="font-family:arial;">salt</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />6 cups </span><span style="font-family:arial;">water</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div><br />Wash the eggs.<br />In a large pot, dissolve salt in water.Add the eggs. Put a plate on top of the eggs and put a ziploc bag with enough rice kernels to ensure the eggs remain submerged once the lid is closed. </div><div>Leave in room temperature for 30 days.<br />After 30 days, boil the eggs.<br />Refrigerate.</div><div></div><div>These salted eggs with tomatoes and onions are good for use as a side dish when serving fried fish and even dried fish.</div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Note: The red color is just food coloring. The vendors in the Philippines have different kinds of eggs for sale and the color helps them distinguish the salted eggs from the rest.</span></span></div><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel='nofollow' target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-22977793096558229332008-09-24T19:32:00.008-04:002009-01-31T18:12:54.460-05:00Buko Pandan - My Favorite Dessert<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyZSrxjMLYbtToi-hZnpGhWwHlcF0HtNzk5MzJtdm68Pn1YaOUEaH6gke3jXHDPxUgfK2IWHoYm-sfhVr8sN01T-MVSIIuZw1ophLIVJjLtMIsJ5qoL-q6fXZ_7X3Owc07mtH/s1600-h/P8155389.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249738247418826882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyZSrxjMLYbtToi-hZnpGhWwHlcF0HtNzk5MzJtdm68Pn1YaOUEaH6gke3jXHDPxUgfK2IWHoYm-sfhVr8sN01T-MVSIIuZw1ophLIVJjLtMIsJ5qoL-q6fXZ_7X3Owc07mtH/s400/P8155389.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I remember tasting this unusual dessert when I went back to the Philippines in 2003. This dessert has young coconut slivers mixed in with Pandan (Screwpine) flavored gelatin, sugar and heavy cream. The cream was heavily colored with Pandan extract so it was greener than the one I made on the photo above. Regardless of the aesthetic, I still liked the taste. It's simple and not pretentious. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Making this is quite easy. The part that took the longest was waiting for the gelatin to set. Otherwise, everything was a breeze. I decided to work on the presentation a little bit. You can blame it on the years I watched Food TV (now the Food Network.) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">You can find Pandan (Screwpine) leaves in an Asian grocery, it is usually in the frozen food section. Some grocery have the Pandan extract, using this will save you time. Young coconut is sold in cans or you can also find these in the freezer section.<br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div><br /><strong>BUKO PANDAN</strong></div><div>2 cans young coconut meat, drained and cut into strings<br />1/2 teaspoon pandan extract<br />2 cups heavy cream<br />3/4 cup sugar or Splenda<br /></div><div>for the Pandan gelatin:<br />2 (90 g) packages unflavored gelatin<br />3 cups water<br />1-1 1/2 tablespoon pandan extract<br />4 drops green food coloring (omit if extract is green)<br />1/4 cup sugar</div><div><br />Dissolve gelatin and sugar in the water and bring to boil. </div><div>Remove from heat and stir in the pandan extract and food color.<br />Pour into a rectangular pan and refrigerate until firm.<br />Cut the gelatin into 1 inch cubes. </div><div>Whip the heavy cream to thicken it<strong> just a little bit</strong> but you can use it as it is. </div><div><br />In a large bowl, mix cream, sugar and pandan extract.<br />Add the gelatin cubes. </div><div>Chill before serving. </div><div><br /> </div><div>Notes: </div><div>-You can substitue light cream or half and half for the heavy cream. If you want an authentic Filipino flavor, use the brand NESTLE CREAM (canned cream.)</div><div>-If using Pandan leaves, boil it in 3 cups of water. Use this liquid for the gelatin.</div><div>-Adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste.</div><div></div></span></span></div></span><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel='nofollow' target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038320.post-52226961177369780562008-09-07T20:40:00.006-04:002009-03-28T11:01:00.884-04:00Pork Loin with Mushroom Sauce<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV77_seBKTMWq-RtTdC04OeEI0qYBnv2LWU-aEi5hyphenhyphenBtqMdkrrOnqPaekSI-dBF0oUVRY_ZBRMKreAZ-s3qnUOqeLTHPEx3C2gH8zTm2D5UxPRKxzSlsVXk0G-z2lgqBPTVLar/s1600-h/P1010011.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV77_seBKTMWq-RtTdC04OeEI0qYBnv2LWU-aEi5hyphenhyphenBtqMdkrrOnqPaekSI-dBF0oUVRY_ZBRMKreAZ-s3qnUOqeLTHPEx3C2gH8zTm2D5UxPRKxzSlsVXk0G-z2lgqBPTVLar/s400/P1010011.0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243450031585377346" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a Roast Pork dish that is usually served by our catering business in Pasig. It's simple to make yet elegant enough to serve in parties.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">You have to start with a good cut of lean Pork Loin, it has to be large enough so it won't disintegrate when you cut it after it had been tenderized. We don't have a special name for this dish. We call this dish 'pork loin with mushroom sauce'. Big thanks to my mom for teaching me how to make this dish.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ingredients:</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 large slab of lean Pork Loin</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">salt and pepper</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">4 tbsp cooking oil</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">1/2 can of small tomato paste</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">5 cups of chicken stock</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 stick of butter</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 small onion, minced</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 tbsp flour</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 cup broth from the cooked pork loin</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 small can of Cream of Mushroom (use regular not low fat)</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 cup grated cheese (any kind)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wash and dry the pork loin. Season with salt and pepper. Heat cooking oil in a large pot, brown all sides of the pork loin. Add the tomato paste and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved. Cook until the pork loin is tender, stirring the pot once in a while and adding chicken stock if the liquid becomes too low. Set aside 1 cup of the broth to be used in the next step.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Heat the oven to 350 deg F.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a smaller pot, in medium heat, add butter. When butter is melted, saute the onions until it's cooked but not browned. Add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Then add the broth (that was set aside from the pork loin) a little at a time to prevent lumps. Wait for it to boil. When it's boiling, add the Cream of Mushroom and stir thoroughly.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Take the roast pork loin and cut it into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside. In a pyrex dish, pour 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom. Arrange the roast pork loin slices in the pyrex dish. Pour more sauce on top of the pork loin. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the pork loin. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, just enough for the pork to be reheated through and the cheese to melt. Serve with rice.</span><br />SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2223175" rel='nofollow' target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6