Shrimp and Chicken Rice Soup (Khao Tom Kung Lae Kai)

This is a wonderful Thai rice soup!  So yummy and filling; it could easily be your next comfort food.  It is not spicy like other Thai foods. People from Thailand eat this for breakfast with steamed buns or as a late night snack. 

Ingredients:

1/4 lb of raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/4 lb of ground chicken
4 garlic cloves (chopped)
1 coriander root (chopped)
Pepper and salt to taste
1 spring onion (minced)
3 3/4 cups chicken stock
2 tblsp light soy sauce
2 tsp preserved radish (minced) - optional
1 3/4 cup cooked jasmine or basmati rice
1/2 inch ginger root (sliced)
1 Small Chinese cabbage (roughly chopped)

Garnish:
2 Spring onions (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves

Using a blender of food processor, blend coriander root, chopped garlic, salt and pepper.  Blend until it makes a paste.  In a bowl, mix the paste with the ground chicken and minced green onion until well incorporated.  Using wet hands, pinch a small piece of the ground chicken mixture and shaped into a ball.  Do this until all the ground chicken mixture is shaped into small balls.

In a stock pot, heat the chicken broth to boiling.  Add the soy sauce and ginger. Reduce heat to medium and bring to a low boil or simmer.  Add the chicken balls.   Cook for approximately 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Add the cooked rice, Chinese cabbage and shrimp.  Cook for another 2 minutes until shrimp is pink and opaque.  Season with salt to taste if necessary.

Serve hot in bowls. Garnish with the spring onions and coriander leaves. These go great with pot stickers.

Sweet and Sour Spareribs

Not many Chinese restaurants prepare this.  I think it is because of the small bones.  But, this is one of my favorite dishes.  This is a new version of a classic using ketchup and canned pineapple.  You can use fresh pineapple if you prefer. Asian grocery stores have spareribs already cut into 1-2 inch strips. All you do is cut between the bones. What I love about this is you get the sweet and sour flavors, but without the heavy breading.

Ingredients:
1 lbs of spareribs (cut into bite size pieces)
Enough oil (canola or peanut) for deep frying

Marinade:
2 tblsp of light soy sauce
salt and pepper
1 tsp sugar

Sauce:
3 tblsp rice wine vinegar
3 tblsp sugar
2 tblsp light soy sauce
2 tblsp ketchup
1 green bell pepper (rough chopped)
1 small onion (rough chopped)
1 carrot (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 inch ginger (minced)
3.5 oz canned pineapple chunks or fresh equivalent

Combine marinade ingredient and pork. Stir until well coated.  Let marinate for 1 hour. In a deep pan or pot add enough oil to fry the ribs. Heat the oil. Deep fry spareribs in batches for approximately 8-10 minutes until done and brown.  Drain on a papertowel and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and ketchup.  Set aside.

In a deep pan, heat 1 tblsp of oil (can use from the deep frying). Stir fry garlic and ginger for approximately 1-2 minutes.  Add bell peppers, onions and carrots and continue to stir fry for another 2 minutes.  Add the sauce mixture and allow to come to a boil.  Add the spareribs and pineapple chunks.  Continue cooking and stirring until everything is heated through.  Serve over white or fried rice.  Enjoy!

Fresh Lumpia (Lumpiang Sariwa)

There are so many versions of egg rolls.  Different parts of Asia have different versions.  The Philippines is no different.  Depending what province you are in, they have their own version.  Most egg rolls are fried, but there are some that are considered fresh.  This is most popular during special events, holidays and fiestas in the Philippines. Depending where you are at, the ingredients could change accordingly.  This one is my grandmother's recipe with a slight variation; she likes to add garbanzo beans to hers.  Fresh lumpia wrapper can be found in the freezer section of most Asian grocery stores. 

Ingredients:
1/2 lbs raw shrimp (shelled, deveined and chopped)
1/2 lbs ground pork
1 jicama (sliced into match sticks)
1 cup bean sprouts
2 cups napa cabbage (cut into strips)
2 cups green beans (roughly chopped)
12 red or green leaf lettuce leaves
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (minced)
Slat and pepper
Fresh lumpia wrappers
2 tblsp canola or olive oil

In a large fry pan or saute pan, heat the oil.  Add onions and garlic.  Saute for approximately 3 minutes.  Add the ground pork.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes until pork is done.  Add the shrimp and continue to saute for another 4 minutes or until shrimp is pink and opaque.  Add green beans, jicama,  and napa cabbage.  Saute for another 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and drain well using a colander. 

Set a small bowl of water next to a plate, lay a wrapper and place a lettuce leave on with the stem to the center of the wrapper and the leafy part extending slightly over the edge of the wrapper.  Put 2 tablespoon of the mixture onto the leave within the wrapper. Lay one side of the wrapper over the filling and gently roll tightly without tearing.  Before reaching the end, pull the bottom to the center and continue rolling until you create a tight cone with the leafy end open. Serve with lumpia sauce. Recipe below:

Lumpia sauce:

4 tblsp cornstarch
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
10 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tblsp canola or olive oil

In a sauce pan, heat oil and saute garlic for approximately 1 minute.  Add sugar and broth.  In a small bowl combine soy sauce and cornstarch until cornstarch is disolved.  Add this to the sauce pan.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes until sauce comes to a low boil and starts to thicken.  Spoon over fresh lumpia.

Pineapple Spam Fried Rice

We were in Hawaii when we had the great fortune to try this at Sam Choy's restaurant.  Spam is super popular in Hawaii.  McDonalds has a breakfast meal that includes Spam, eggs and rice.  It was absolutely great. So, through trial and error and lots of experimenting, I came up with this recipe that my husband believes is just as good if not better than the one we had in Hawaii.

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice (preferably from previous day)
1 tin of Spam (cut into small bite size cubes)
2 green onions (chopped)
1 cup of peas and carrots (thaw first if frozen)
3.5 oz can of pineapple chunks or fresh pineapple
2 tblsp light soy sauce
2 tblsp canola or olive oil
1 tblsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 eggs (beaten)

Heat oil and butter in a deep fry pan.  Add the Spam and stir fry until slightly brown.  Add garlic and onion and saute for approximately 2 minutes.  Add peas and carrots until heated through.  Push all ingredients to the side and pour eggs.  Scramble eggs until no longer runny.  Add rice and pineapple chunks.  Continue stirring until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Add soy sauce and mix well to ensure rice mixture is well coated. Season with salt and pepper.

Soy Chicken

So easy and flavorful.  I find this under a different section of the Chinese restaurant's menu.  It is always served with steamed rice and is priced differently than the other entrees.  When I discovered the recipe, I tried it and now I can have Chinese soy chicken at home. This is great when serving a crowd.  Picky eaters love it as well.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken (cut up pieces)
1 cup water
2 stalks green onion (sliced)
2 inches ginger root (sliced)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 star anise
2 tblsp sugar

In a sauce pan, brint to a boil, the water, soy sauce, star anise and sugar.  Reduce to a low boil, add green onion, ginger root and chicken. Return to a full boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook for 45 minutes.  Stirring occasionally to ensure all the chicken pieces are cooked in the sauce.

Remove chicken from sauce and discard cooking broth.  Grill chicken for approximately 6-8 minutes either on the grill or in the oven's broiler on low.  Rotate chicken and grill the other side for another 4-5 minutes. This is to develop a nice slightly crisp outer layer.  Serve immediately with steam rice.

Chiles Relleno de Picadillo (Stuffed Chiles Relleno)

I was watching the movie Tortilla Soup the other day.  One of my favorite movies. It has a really good story, but I watch it for the food.  All the foods are prepared  by two fabulous Chefs, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger.  After watching the movie, I went through their cookbook "cooking with two hot tamales" to see if I could even find the recipes they prepared.  Must be in their other cookbooks.  Anyway, I saw this recipe and made some minor adjustments.  Roasted stuffed chiles are very Mexican-American.  I have made picadillo before, but this one is different.  It does not use your typical Tex-Mex seasoning.  I had a lot of fun making it for lunch one day. It went home with a couple of friends and now their husbands want to be my official food tasters.  Cut the recipe in half if the 12 is too many. I found people wanted at least two (2).

Ingredients:
1 1/2lb ground turkey
1 medium onion (minced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup raisins
5 Italian plum tomatoes (canned, drained and chopped)
1 1/2 tbls cider vinegar
1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
Salt and Pepper to taste

12 large poblano chiles
6 large eggs (separated)
1 1/2 tbls all purpose flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour (in a shallow dish)
3/4 tsp coarse salt (kosher)
Peanut or vegetable oil for frying

You can roast the chiles in an open flame if you have a gas burner. Rotating directly on the flame allowing the other layer to char.  Or you set your oven to broil.  Coat the chiles with a little oil and place on a tray.  Place under the heated broiler and allow to broil for 20 minutes, turning it occasionally to ensure charring on all side.  Once the outerskin is charred, remove from heat and place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to steam.

To make the picadillo, heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add onions, season with salt and pepper.  Stir the onions for approximately 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes continually stirring so as not to let the garlic burn. Add ground turkey breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you stir it with the onions and garlic.  Remove any clumps and cook until turkey is completely browned.  Add the cinnamon and cloves and cook for another minute.  Add the tomatoes, raisins and vinegar.  Lower the heat and allow simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pan juices are gone and all the ingredients as well incorporated; approximately 20-25 minutes.

Once the chile peppers have cooled. Uncover the plastic wrap and gently remove the outer layer or skin. The skin should come off in large pieces.  Be very careful so as not to tear the peppers.  Cut a slit across the top (stem end) of the pepper and then down the center creating a "T" opening.  With a small spoon, remove all the seeds and membrane.  Be very careful not to scrape too hard so as not to tear the pepper.  If you want heat, leave the membrane.  Loosely stuff each pepper with the picadillo and close with a toothpick.  

In a large bowl, beat your egg whites with salt until soft peaks.  Beat in each egg yolk one at a time. Then beat in the 1 1/2 tsp of flour until flour disappears.  Heat your oil in a large heavy skillet deep on medium with enough to fry the chiles.  As the oil is heating, roll the stuffed chiles in the 1/2 cup of flour in the shallow dish. Patting gently to remove excess.  When the oil is hot, dip the stuffed chiles into the egg mixture, shake off excess and carefully place in the hot oil.  Repeat with the other chiles. Do not crowd.  The chiles will brown pretty quickly, gently roll them over to ensure browning occurs on all sides evenly.  Remove from skillet and allow to drain on a paper towel.  Cover to keep warm while you cook the rest. 

To serve, place a stuffed chile relleno on a plate, ladle with your favorite salsa (red or green) and serve with your favorite rice (spanish or cilantro lime). Enjoy!

 

Hocks Braised with Sugar (Pata Estofado)

This is a great Filipino recipe.  Cooking time is pretty extensive.  Preparation is easy, pig hocks need a lot of time to braise to make them tender, so the cooking time takes 3-4 hours and does require you to check to ensure that all the liquid does not completely evaporate.  You will need to replenish to allow for the cooking time.
Dried lily blosssoms can be found at any Asian grocery stores.

Ingredients:

2-3lbs pig's hocks
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
10 peppercorns
2 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 cinnamon stick
2 onions (quartered)
10 cloves garlic (minced)
8 tblsp oil (for frying)
1 cup dried lily blossoms (add more if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, heat 3tablespoon of the oil.  Add onions and saute for approximately 3-4 minutes.  Add minced garlic and cinnamon stick.  Continue to saute for another 2 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and add the rest of the ingredients except for the oil and dried lily blossoms.  Allow hocks to marinade for an hour.  Heat oil a large deep skillet.  When oil is hot, remove hocks, reserve the marinade in the pot.  Fry hocks on each side to brown.  Approximately 5 minutes on each side.  Do not crowd hocks when frying.  Continue until all the hocks have been browned. Move hocks back into the stock pot and place on the oven set at medium-high heat.  Allow to boil, reduce heat to a low boil and continue cooking for another 2 1/2 hours.  Check pot occasionally to ensure braising liquid has not evaporated.  If braising liquid is low, add another cup each of water, apple cider vinegar and sugar and a 1/2 cup of soy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and continue with the cooking process. You can increase sugar if you want it a little sweeter.  This dish is more to individual taste.  During the last 30 minutes of the cooking process, add the lily blossoms.  Test the hocks for tenderness by spearing with a fork, meat is tender if fork slides in without any effort.

Pile a scoop of rice into a large bowl.  Ladle sauce, hocks and lily blossoms over the rice and enjoy!

Pork Pot Stickers

I don't think I have met anyone who does not like pot stickers.  What's great is these can be either fried or steamed.  And the dipping sauces to choose from can vary (dumpling sauce, soy sauce, Ponzu, sweet & sour).  The sauces can work on either steamed or fried versions of the pot stickers.  You can either buy the skins at your Asian grocery store, or make it yourself (I've included the recipe).  For a light dinner we do the pot stickers with egg rolls and fried rice.  Yummmmmmm!

Ingredients for filling:
1lb ground pork
3 tblsp ginger (minced or grated)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
4-5 stalks of green onions (minced)
1/2 napa cabbage (finely chopped)
1tblsp salt
1 tsp sugar
6 tblsp sesame oil
Ground pepper to taste

Ingredients for skin:
2 cups water
4 cups all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Cooking options:
6 tblsp Canola or olive oil for frying and 1/2 cup water
Steamer with pot of water

In a bowl, combine the finely chopped cabbage and 1 tblsp of salt. Set aside for approximately 20 minutes.  Transfer the cabbage to a clean kitchen cloth or paper towel and gently squeeze out the excess water.  Mix the cabbage with the rest of the ingredients for the filling.  Mix well to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.

To make the skin:

Bring water to a boil.  In a bowl mix the flour with the pinch of salt.  Slowly add the boiling water in 1/4 cup increments, mixing with chopsticks until a vall is formed and the dough is no longer too hot to touch or handle. All the water may not be needed to create the ball of dough.  Sprinkle some flour onto a work surface and knead the dough for approximately 15 minutes. Return the ball of dough to the bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it rest for 1 hour.

Roll the dough into a long baton approximately 1 inch in diameter.  Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand until you form a circular disk approximately 3 inches in diameter and 1/16 inch thick.  Repeat with remaining dough pieces.

Creating pot stickers:

To fill each pot sticker, get 1/2 teaspoon of filling and place into the center of one of the skins.  Fold the skin over the filling creating a half moon.  Gently press the ends together to seal the filling in the skin.  Press the the non sealed side gently on the surface to create a flat bottom. 

When all the pot stickers are done, choose one of the cooking methods. 

Frying:  Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add pot stickers with the flat side down.  Rotate pot stickers. Cook in batches.  Allow the pot stickers to brown, then add 1/2 cup of water.  Cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Drain liquid and refry to crisp up the bottom for another  2-3 minutes.  Remove from pan and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Steamer:  Heat a deep pot or stock pot until water come to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow roiling boil. Line steamer basket with lettuce leaves or parchment paper.  Place pot stickers in steamer basket leaving room so they do not touch.  Place steamer basket over the pot of boiling water.  Steam for 6-8 minutes.  Server in steam basket with your favorite dipping sauce.

Potato Crusted Tilapia with Rosmary Oil

I made this some time back for my son's birthday before he left for Canada to play hockey.  I had invited family, his friends and my friends.  This is so easy.  I got this recipe watching Giada DeLaurentis one day on the FoodNetwork.  It is great to fix for a large crowd or an easy weekday dinner.  Even friends who normally do not like fish, loved this!  You can use red potatoes or Yukon Gold.  I like seasoned salt, but sea salt or kosher salt will work as well.  I find that russet or baking potatoes do not work. 

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets

1-2 potatoes (very thinly sliced)
2 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup minced fresh chives
Seasoned salt or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using a mandoline or slicer (can be done by hand), slice the potatoes into paper thin rounds.  Place in a bowl of cold water to remove the starch.  Then remove and pat dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel.


Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Top each of the fillets with potato slices completely covering the surface of the fish, overlaying the potatoes like shingles. When all the fillets are covered with the potato slices, sprinkle the potato side with a little more salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the minced rosemary leaves.

Heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the butter. When the butter is melted and the oil is hot add the fish, potato side down.  Cook the for approximately 4-5 minutes or until it looks like the potatoes are brown.  Move the skillet to the oven and bake until the fish is cooked through, about 15 to 17 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk the extra-virgin olive oil, chives, the remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary, salt and pepper.

To serve, flip the fish with the potato side up on to a plate. Drizzle the fish and the plate with the rosemary-chive oil. Serve immediately with your favorite rice pilaf.

Nilagang Manok (Filipino Chicken Vegetable Soup)

This is not your ordinary chicken vegetable soup. As with many island cultures, soup is very big in the Philippines served over rice.  You can use beef instead of chicken if you prefer.  There are no strict rules on the vegetables either.  Use whatever yo want, when I cannot find bok choy, I use cabbage. Cheyote is good with this and I have seen potatoes as well.   This is very popular in many Filipino homes since it is an easy meal to prepare with lots of vegetables.  The chicken broth just feeds your soul.  Now, I did make some changes to the original recipe.  I find I like more seasoning in mine.  I played around until I came up with this version.

Ingredients:

1-1/2lbs chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, drumsticks, etc.)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 inch ginger (minced)
2 small stalks celery (whole w/leaves)
6-8 peppercorns
3-4 carrots (peeled and cut)
1 small onion (peeled and quartered)
8 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb of green beans
8 baby bok choys (cleaned and removed from core)
2 tblsp canola or olive oil
Salt to taste

In a large stock pot, heat the oil, then add onion, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorn and ginger.  Cook while stirring for approximately 2-3 minutes.  You want the onions to be a little soft and translucent, but do not want the garlic or ginger to brown.  Add 8 cups of chicken broth, celery, carrots and chicken. Allow to get to a roiling boil, then reduce the heat to continue a low boil for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove and discard celery stalks and bayleaf.  Season with salt and add green beans; continue to cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the baby bok choy and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.  Taste and season with salt if needed.  In a bowl, add rice and spoon nilaga over the rice. Don't forget to be generous with the broth.  You can season to taste with patis (fish sauce).  Enjoy!

Piri Piri Shrimp

This is a South African recipe that I have seen on FoodNetwork and several cookbooks.  It looked really good and so I thought I would try it.  There were several variations, so I took bits and pieces of each recipe to come up with this one.  It has a majority of my favorite ingredients (shrimp, garlic, lime and cilantro). Adjust the "heat" with the number of serrano chillies.  One makes it pretty mild.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  It is simple to fix, just a little planning required to allow the shrimp to marinade.

Ingredients:

1 1/2lbs Raw shrimp (remove shells)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tblsp Paprika
Juice of 2 medium size limes
1 tblsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tblsp flour
1-3 serrano chillies
1/3 cup olive oil plus 1 tblsp
1 handful of cilantro (roughly chopped)
Salt to taste

Remove shells from shrimp, pat dry and place shrimp in a glass or ceramic bowl.  Cut serrano chillies in half and with a small spoon remove the seeds and membrane (white stuff that keeps seeds intact.) Do not use your fingers to remove the seeds and membrane.  In a food processor, add the serrano chillies, garlic, paprika, lime juice, sugar and red wine vinegar.  Process until it creates a paste, add the olive oil minus the 1 tablespoon.  Continue to process for another minute.  Pour the marinade over the shrimp and let marinade for 1-2 hours or longer. 

In a skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Remove the shrimp from the marinade and toss with 1 tablespoon of flour.  Mix well.  When oil is heated, cook shrimp in batches until opaque and pink.  Transfer to a clean plate.  Continue cooking all the shrimp.  Sprinkle cooked shrimp with salt and toss with cilantro until mixed. Serve with white rice and enjoy!

Eggplant Adobo Style

We love eggplant at my house. I try to find recipes out there that utilizes this great night shade.  There are so many different types of eggplants, so you know there will be numerous ways to prepare.  Filipinos love "adobo".  They prepare just about anything adobo style.  So, when I found this recipe, I was so excited to make it.  What a find.  If you love Filipino style adobo and eggplant, this is a perfect marriage.

Ingredients:

3-4 Japanese eggplants
5 cloves of garlic (crushed whole)
1/2 cups chicken or pork broth
3 tblsp soy sauce
1/3 cup white wine vinegar or coconut vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oyster sauce
3 tblsp canola or olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp canola or olive oil (for sauce)

Slice eggplants diagonally.  Heat the oil in a frying pan.  When hot, fry the eggplant slices until brown and semi-soft but still a little firm.  Remove the cooked eggplant to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.  Continue cooking until all the eggplant slices have been fried.  Do not crowd.  Eggplant tends to absorb the oil, so add additional oil to the pan when needed.

In another saucepan, heat 1 tsp of oil.  Add the garlic, stirring frequent, cook for 1 minute. Do not allow it to burn.  Add vinegar, soy sauce, broth and lots of pepper.  Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the eggplant, season with salt if necessary.  Continue to cook for 5 minutes, turning the eggplants occassionally.  Serve hot with jasmine or basmati rice.

Ceasar Chicken

I made this for a family friend's birthday party to celebrate his 90th birthday.  It was a hit and so easy to make (especially for 52 people).  The recipe below is for four servings.  The number of ingredients is pretty low, which makes it super easy to fix.  Using your  favorite brand of ceasar dressing.  Make sure it is not the creamy version.

4 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Ceasar dressing
1 cup canned tomatoes (chopped or diced)
4 strips of crisp bacon (chopped)
2 tblsp fresh parley (chopped)
2 tblsp fresh basil (chopped)
2 tblsp canola or olive oil
Pepper to taste

Pat chicken breast with a paper towel to remove any moisture.  In a deep fry pan, heat the oil.  Fry chicken breasts until brown on each side, approximately 5-7 minutes per side.  Do not crowd the chicken.  Add  chicken stock and ceasar dressing. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 4 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and season with pepper.  Turn chicken breasts over and continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Add the the fresh parsley and basil and cook for another 2 minutes.  There should be enough sodium in the dressing and chicken broth not to need salt.  Remove from heat and season to taste.  Serve with  a salad and your favorite rice pilauf.

Embutido

Okay, this is seasoned ground pork that has been rolled into a log and then baked.  The ingredients sounds kinda strange when you think about combining them, but actually, this is absolutely DELICIOUS!  This is my mother's recipe which I have taken some liberties ( I know she will yell at me later).  I've made two different versions, one using Spanish chorizo and another using andouille sausage.  The Spanish chorizo is part of the traditional recipe.  The andouille sausage adds a whole 'nother level.  If you like your foods with some spice, I highly recommend the andouille sausage, if not, go for the traditional Spanish chorizo.  Remember, do not use Mexican chorizo, totally different taste and seasoning.  It will not work on this dish.  This actually is not hard to make, just mix all the ingredients, roll into a log, wrap and then bake.


Ingredients:

1 1/2- 2 lbs of ground pork
1 cup bread crumbs soaked in 3/4 cup milk
2 Spanish chorizo or andouille sausage (cut into chunks)
2 eggs (beaten)
4 tblsp sweet pickle relish
4 tblsp raisins
1 small can (6oz) tomato paste
1 cup pork or chicken broth
2 tblsp of light brown or raw sugar
2 tblsp canola or olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 sheets of aluminum foil

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, add the chorizo/sausage and raisins. Process until minced but not pureed.  In a large mixing bowl, add the ingredients from the food processor, ground pork, soaked bread crumbs, eggs and sweet relish.  Mix well and season with salt and pepper.  On one of the aluminum sheets, place half of the mixture and proceed to stretch out and create a log.  It does not have to be perfectly round.  Wrap the log with the foil and crimp the ends closed. Place foil wrapped log in a baking dish.  Do the same withe other half.  Place the second foil wrapped log in the same baking dish.  Place in the heated oven and bake for 1 hour.  Remove the embutido from the oven and reserve the liquid at the bottom of the dish. 

Unwrap the embutido and remove the foil.  Place the rolled meat back into the baking dish.  Set the oven to broil - Low .  Brush each log with the oil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes to brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. 

To make the sauce, in a sauce pan, add the tomato paste, sugar and broth.  Mix well to make a smooth sauce, and heat through using medium heat.  Pour the reserved liquid from the baking dish into the sauce.  Stir the sauce until the liquid is well incorporated.  Continue to heat until sauce is hot, season with pepper to taste.  Serve sauce with the sliced meat.  Enjoy with your favorite steamed jasmine or basmati rice.

Bacon and Egg Fried Rice

I am always looking for something different for breakfast.  I enjoy the standard American fare, but I like to do something different just to make it interesting.  With the daily grind to the office, I usually do something quick or fast food.  But on the weekends, it's nice to do something different.  Fried rice is such a versatile dish.  You can make it with just about anything.  This is a breakfast fried rice.  I normally use garlic and ginger, but since this is breakfast, I thought I would forgo it this time.  Use any bacon you prefer.  I find applewood bacon is really good with this dish. 

Ingredients:

2 tbls canola or olive oil
4 Eggs (beaten)
6-8 slices of bacon  (cut into bitesize pieces)
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots (or peas only if preferred)
2 stalks of green onions (chopped)
3 cups cooked rice
3-4 tblsp light soy sauce
2 tblsp sesame oil
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a wok or deep skillet.  On medium heat, add the beaten eggs and season with salt and pepper.  Scramble the eggs until soft but not runny.  Remove the eggs from the skillet.  Increase the heat and add the bacon to the skillet and cook until brown and crisp.  Add the green onion and cook until heated through, approximately 1minute.  Add the green peas and carrots and continue stirring until heated through.  Add in the rice. Reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring, breaking up the rice as you go.  When all the ingredients are incorporated, add soy sauce; continue stirring until soy sauce is well mixed and rice is well coated.  Drizzle the sesame oil and return the eggs into the skillet.  Continue cooking, breaking up the scrambled eggs so that it can be completed incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  If rice appears too light, add a little more of the soy sauce being careful not to add too much as this will make the dish very dark and salty.  Serve immediately with your favorite morning beverage.

Tandoori Fish

This is absolutely incredible.  I got this recipe from Nita's husband when he returned from a trip to India.  I decided to try it with fresh fish. What's great about this dish it has fabulous flavors but it is not spicy hot. I served it to the dance troupe before we did a performance. If you can, use fresh fish instead of frozen if at all possible.   Asian and ethnic grocery stores have large fish tanks with a good assortment of live fish to choose from.  Have your local fishmonger scale and clean the fish for you.

Ingredients:
2 whole fishes (cleaned) trout, sea bass or tilapia
2 inches of fresh ginger root (peeled and minced)
10 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 tblsp olive or canola oil
1/2 lime (juiced)
3 tblsp tomato puree
1 tblsp paprika
1 tblsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
salt and pepper

Cut diagonal slits on each side of the fish.  Make sure you cut deep enough to expose the meat, but not all the way through the bones.  Place fishes in a glass or ceramic plate.  Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix until it creates a paste.  Rub the paste all over the outside of fish on both sides.  Make sure some of the paste get between the diagonal cuts.  Rub some of the paste inside the cavity of the fish.  Use all the paste.  Cover the fish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinade.

Set oven to broil and preheat in low.  Cover a baking dish or deep tray with foil.  Place fish in the foil covered dish and broil in the oven uncovered.  Broil one side for approximately 8 minutes.  Turn fish over and broil the other side for another 8 minutes.  Increase the setting to medium or high to allow the skin to crisp.  Watch carefully so as not to burn for appoximately 4 minutes; flip fish and do the same on the other side. Remove from the oven and serve with basmati rice and Tomato, Onion and Chilli salad (recipe available on this blogsite).

Tomato, Onion and Chilli Salad

This refreshing salad is absolutely great with fried or grilled foods.  Serve this over rice with the Tandoori fish. Yummmmm..... Adjust the spiciness by increasing or decreasing the number of chillies.

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes (chopped)
1 red onion (finely chopped)
1-2 green chillies (remove seeds and finely chopped)
1/2 lime
1tsp sugar
salt and pepper

In a non-metallic bowl, place all the igredients and mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Taste and adjust with salt and pepper before serving.

Tandoori Chicken

This is probably one of the most famous dishes from India.  This is absolutely wonderful. The spices add so much flavor, but not with heat. 

Ingredients:

3lbs chicken (assorted pieces)

1/2 lemon

2 tblsp melted butter or ghee

salt and pepper

Masala Paste:

1 tblsp ginger paste

2 tblsp garlic paste

1 1/2 tblsp paprika

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3/4 cup yogurt

Few drops of edible red food coloring

In a small bowl, mix lemon juice and butter.  Rub the lemon juice and butter mixture all over the chicken pieces.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  In a separate bowl make the masala paste by combining all the masala ingredients and mix until all have been incorporated.  Using your hand, rub all the chicken pieces with the masala paste.  Make sure all the chicken pieces are well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours, preferably overnight. 

Preheat oven at 400 degrees.  Lay chicken pieces on a roasting rack and tent (lightly cover) with foil, place in oven and cook for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil. Change the oven setting to either broil or roast in a low setting.  Continue cooking the chicken for another 15 minutes or until chicken's juice runs clear.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, serve garnished with cilantro and lemon slices.  This is great with the vegetable pulao on this same blogsite. Enjoy!

Whole Fish with Black Bean Sauce

Something I have always wanted to try was to cook a whole fish.  It is not as difficult as I thought it would be.  It was actually a lot of fun.  Note: there is a difference between fresh fish and frozen.  Asian and ethnic grocery stores have huge fish tanks for live seafood.  It is amazing how wonderful it is to cook with very fresh seafood.  I recommend it highly.  Have your fishmonger scale and clean the fish for you.  The original recipe normally steams the fish.  I prefer baking or broiling; this creates a different texture to the fish.  If you wish to steam, wrap the fish in foil and steam for 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 whole fish (cleaned) trout, sea bass, tilapia

2 tblsp salted black beans

1 tsp sugar

2 inches of fresh ginger (shredded)

6 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

3 tblsp Chinese rice wine

3 tblsp Light soy sauce

4-6 spring onions (shredded or sliced)

3 tblsp olive or canola oil

1 tsp sesame oil

Wash the fish inside and out and dry with a paper towel.  With a sharp knife, cut deep diagonal slices across the each side of the fish. Cut deep enough to expose the flesh but not to the bones.  Mash half of the beans in a small bowl with the sugar.  Add the remaining whole beans and mix well.  Place fish on a glass or ceramic plat and place half of the shredded ginger and sliced garlic inside the fish cavity spreading as evenly as you can.  Rub the blackbean mixture on to the outside of the fish making sure you get it between the diagonal slices.  Turn fish over and do the same on the other side. Cover with plastic wrap and marinade for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.  Place fish in a foil covered pan.  Mix rice wine with 1 tblsp of soy sauce and 1 tblsp oil.  Pour mixture over the fish. Cover fish with another piece of foil and place in the oven.  Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil covering and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes or until fish is done (flesh is opaque).

In a small pan, heat the remaining oil until almost smoking; remove from heat. Add the sesame oil and the remaining soy sauce and stir.  Remove fish from the oven and transfer to a plate, sprinkle with the spring onions.  Drizzle with the oil and soy sauce mixture.  Serve hot with steamed rice.

NOTE: If you are not comfortable with cooking a whole fish, ask your fishmonger to remove the head.  This also works with fish fillets. Reduce cooking time if cooking fillets.

Chicken Cooked in Coconut Milk (Manok sa Gata)

The combination of chicken and coconut milk is very popular in the pacific islands.  There are several versions depending on where you look (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.)  This is one of our favorites at home.  This is even better the next day, if it lasts that long.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs of chicken (thighs, legs and breasts)
3/4 cup vinegar
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 inch ginger (minced or paste)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 13oz can coconut milk
3 tblsp sugar
Salt and Pepper
1 tblsp canola or olive oil

In a deep pot or sauce pan, heat the oil.  Add the ginger and garlic and saute for approximately 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add the vinegar and chicken broth.  Season with salt and lots of pepper, then add the sugar.  Reach to a boil, then reduce to a low boil.  Cook for 30 minutes. Watch carefully to ensure the liquid does not dry out.  Add the coconut milk and continue to cook in a low boil for another 20-25 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary.  Spoon over rice with a generous amount of the soup.  Enjoy!