Red Snapper Fiesta!

PESTO:

In a food processor, pulse the following together:

Basil leaves

Garlic

Parmesan Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Nuts-> optional

RED WINE REDUCTION:

Cook red wine, bay leaves and a bouillon cube and reduce until syrupy. Add butter to enrich the sauce.

ROASTED GARLIC:

Slow cook garlic cloves in olive oil until soft and caramelized. It's almost like poaching the garlic in olive oil.

FRIED LEEKS:

Slice and fry in the oil used for the garlic! 

FRIED ASPARAGUS:

Cook in the oil used for the garlic and leeks, season with salt and pepper.

GARLIC-SOY RICE:

Season the water for cooking rice with soy sauce and garlic powder. Cook.

RED SNAPPER MUNIERE:

Season with salt and pepper, dip in cornstarch and pan fry in olive oil until cooked and crispy outside.

Assemble all the ingredients and plate as you wish.

Westernized Laksa

Kevin loves Laksa! And we haven't found any good laksa so i thought that it would be best if I made it for him at home. But, my style of course! I didn't have any noodles on hand, but I had angel hair spaghetti. Neither did I have any squid balls or prawns, but i had soy fish cakes. So here is my version of laksa.

Angel hair spaghetti, pre boiled and drained

Veat Fish cakes (vegetarian, made of soy protein), pre-cooked

Eggs, fried and cut in strips

Cucumbers, washed, deseeded and sliced

Ginger and Garlic, chopped and fried to use as topping

For the soup:

Garlic, chopped

Ginger, chopped

Laksa Sauce, packed

Coconut Milk

Saute the garlic and ginger, add the laksa sauce andteh coconut milk and simmer until slightly thickened.

Arrange on a plate the noodles, the fish cakes, cucumbers, eggs and top with the crispy ginger and garlic. Serve the soup on the side and pour when ready to eat.

Enjoy!

MIGHTY MEATY MALUNGGAY PESTO

Have you met the MIGHT MEATY PESTO? If you haven't, let me introduce you! Usually, when we have pesto in pasta, you almost never see anything else in it but the pesto sauce (basil leaves, garlic, parmigiano, pine nuts, olive oil, salt and pepper). But in my home of meat eaters, that usually doesn't cut it. As requested by The King, there has to be other components in the pesto sauce like the way his Mom makes it. So here is my first attempt at making the pesto sauce more fit for royalty.

1 cup of pesto sauce (fresh or bottled)

Olive oil, for sautéing

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

1/2 cup finely chopped green olives

1/2 cup finely chopped ham

1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms

1/4 cup dried malunggay/moringa flakes

salt and pepper to season

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. 

Add the olives, ham, and mushrooms.

After a couple of minutes, add the pesto sauce and the malunggay flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes and season.

Top on pasta.

Simple, beautiful, delicious. Enjoy!

YOGURT CHICKEN

Chicken Thigh Fillets
Greek Yogurt
Garlic powder
Za'atar spice blend
Chicken powder
Cream of Mushroom powder
Chili flakes
Rosemary
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and Marinate the chicken for 1 hour.
Pan fry,  until thoroughly cooked then add some more yogurt to make a sauce. Season the sauce with more garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Top with chopped parsley and enjoy!!!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

• For the cake:
  2 cups All Purpose Flour
  2 tsp Baking Powder
  1 tsp Baking Soda
  1/2 tsp Salt
  1 tsp Cinnamon
  1/2 tsp Nutmeg
  1/2 tsp Allspice
  4 Eggs
  2 cups Brown Sugar
  2 tsp vanilla extract
  1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
  2 cups grated Carrots
  1 can (20 oz) Crushed Pineapple drained
  1/2 cup dried Dessicated Coconut
  1 cup chopped Walnuts
  1 cup Raisins
  Preheat oven to 350F/170C/Gas Mark4.
  Coat a large loaf pan, 10x15x2 baking dish or bundt pan with oil or cooking spray.
  In a medium mixing bowl stir together using a wooden spoon the FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, BAKING SODA, SALT, CINNAMON, NUTMEG and ALLSPICE. Set aside.
  In another larger bowl mix together using a wooden spoon the EGGS, SUGAR and VANILLA.
  Stir in the OIL until the mixture is thick.
  Gently stir in the DRY ingredients.
  Fold in the CARROTS, WALNUTS (optional), PINEAPPLE, COCONUT, and RAISINS.
  Pour slowly into prepared pan and spread evenly.
  Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  Let cool for 15 minutes, then turn out on to plate or platter.
  For the Frosting:
  8 oz of cream cheese, very soft
  4 oz of butter, very soft
  1/8 tsp salt
  4 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
  1 tsp of vanilla extract
  
  Beat the cream cheese and butter with the salt until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, and the vanilla - beat until smooth and creamy. Ice the cooled carrot cake. Top the cake with some coconut.

Truffled Poached Egg on Greens

I am not really a fan of Philippine eggs...mainly because they don't taste as fresh as they should be. But lately, I have been getting organic eggs that are always fresh with very orange yolks. So this morning, I had an idea. I just arrived from the U.S. and I got silicone egg poachers, and thought, why not make some poached eggs today...plus, I also had black truffle oil and himalayan salt...already sounds good right? 

So here is what I made for breakfast.

A poached egg seasoned with truffle oil, salt and pepper on a bed of mixed lettuce and arugula with a sweet vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious!

POTATO GRATIN

"That is the best Potato gratin I have ever tasted!" said Kevin. 

I couldn't help but smile. He loves to eat! And potatoes are NOT on his top 20 food that he eats. He is also very picky, so he is my biggest critic! So every time I hear a compliment from him, I know I did well! He might as well give him a score sheet after every meal and see how he grades each dish I make. Hmmm, that is not such a bad idea...

Anyway, back to the potato...I made this dish about 2 weeks ago, and as usual, I didn't write the recipe down. So now, for the love of me, I can't remember the proportions.

Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Garlic, finely chopped

• Rosemary
• Cream 
• Salt and black pepper
• Mozzarella cheese, grated
Nutmeg, a few dashes

Preheat to 350°. In a large saucepan, put the cream, garlic, potatoes, rosemary,nutmeg, salt and black pepper  and bring to a boil.Add the mozzarella and mix in.
• 
  
• 
  
Add salt if needed and adjust seasoning.Transfer the mixture to a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake until golden-brown. Let stand for 15 minutes.

ARROZ CALDO

I always associate arroz caldo/lugaw/pospas/congee with being sick. Every time I was sick as a child, this is what I was always fed. When I had a fever, arroz caldo was what i ate. When I had a cough and cold, arroz caldo was there again. When I had a bad tummy, arroz caldo would be present again. When I had my own child and family, arroz caldo was and still is a staple when they are sick. but more than just a meal that is easily digestible and warming to the stomach when one is ill, it has become comfort food, not just to me but to many of us.

I have cooked arroz caldo many, many times but each time is always different. I always have different toppings that I serve alongside the arroz caldo.

I have made arroz caldo twice this week, requested by the hubby. Of course, since he doesn't eat leftovers and he doesn't know how to eat chicken with bones without wasting the meat (I always use chicken fillets), both versions of the arroz caldo had to be different.

This one has century eggs and cilantro on top. And of course, crispy patis scented garlic and ginger!!!

For the Arroz caldo:

Rice, uncooked
Chicken fillets, cut in strips
Ginger, julienned
Garlic, chopped
Leeks, chopped
Olive oil
Chicken Bouillion cubes
Kasubha, crushed
Water
Cilantro
Century eggs, quartered

Saute the ginger, garlic and leeks in olive oil until fragrant and slightly caramelized.
Add the chicken strips until browned.
Add the rice and the kasubha and saute for a minute or so.
Add the water and the chicken cubes.
Cook until the rice is soft and the soup is thick. Adjust seasoning.

For the Patis Scented Crispy Garlic-Ginger :

Garlic, chopped
Ginger, chopped
Olive oil
Patis

Fry the Garlic and ginger in olive oil. When almost crispy, add the patis/fish sauce. When crispy, set aside and let it cool.


Put arroz caldo in a bowl. Top with cilantro, garlic-ginger and century egg. Guaranteed satisfaction!!!

Chorizo Bread Stuffed Boneless Roasted Chicken

Yesterday, I saw that my local butcher was selling deboned whole chicken, and that gave me a brilliant idea! I was going to make a roasted stuffed chicken. But what flavor profile did I want to go with? Would i use a meat stuffing, a rice stuffing or a bread stuffing? So many ideas were running in my head but yet, no decision had been made...and I had to decide so that I could get the ingredients while I was still at the grocery...Spanish, Asian, Filipino, Chinese.....Ok, ok, Spanish it is!!! 

I grabbed some Olives stuffed with cheese and a pack of chorizo. I had ground meat, rice and bread at home...so I could decide later on what the base of my stuffing would be.

My final decision was a bread based stuffing with a chorizo profile. My boys enjoyed it immensely. please let me know how you like it once you get to try the recipe. Enjoy!

Chorizo Bread Stuffed Boneless Roasted Chicken

1 whole deboned chicken

2 teaspoons Chicken powder

Fresh cracked Pepper

3 Cups cubed stale bread

1/2 Cup Spanish Chorizo, sliced

Olive oil

1 White Onion, chopped

1/4 Cup Garlic, chopped

1 Cup Milk

2 eggs

Salt and Pepper

Chorizo Lard (Where the chorizo comes in when in the can)

20 Cloves Garlic

20 Green Olives

Garlic powder

Pimenton powder (Spanish Paprika)

1 cup water

For the stuffing:

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil. When cooked, add the chorizo slices. When all the oil from the chorizo has been extracted, add the bread cubes.When bread has absorbed the chorizo oil (it turns orange), add the milk and season with salt and pepper.

Let it cool, then mix in the 2 eggs.

Season the chicken with chicken powder and pepper, inside and out. Stuff with the previously cooled stuffing.

Sew up the skin of the chicken where it is open, usually by the breast and the back, to keep the stuffing in. Season with garlic powder and paprika and sear on both sides using the chorizo lard. 

Add the water, olives and garlic and bake until fully cooked and crisp.

This is one of the most delicious roasted chickens I have ever made and eaten. Enjoy!!!

BEEF KABOBS & CUCUMBER TZATZIKI

Ground beef
Garam Masala
Garlic, grated
Onion, grated
Yogurt
Bread,chopped in small pieces
Egg,beaten
Salt and Pepper

Mix the beaten egg and yogurt.
Soak the bread in the egg and yogurt mixture.
Mix all the ingredients together and let sit for 30 minutes to marinate.
Put meat mixture on bbq sticks and grill.

For the tzatziki:

1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and chopped
100 grams plain unflavored yogurt
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Mix everything together and season.

BEEF STROGANOFF

400 grams Beef sirloin,cut in strips
1 tsp Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Bay leaf
2 cups Portobello mushrooms, chopped in the same size as the beef
1 cup sour cream
1 chicken or beef bouillion cube
2 cups water
Salt and Pepper
Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil.
Add the beef strips until slightly caramelized.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until the beef is tender and sauce is thick.
Adjust seasoning.
Serve on top of pasta....or rice...or serve with bread. Yum!!!!

SQUID STEWED IN CERVEZA NEGRA

2 Cups Squid, cleaned and cut in rings
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 bottle Cerveza Negra beer
1 cup tomato sauce
1 chicken bouillion cube
Salt and Pepper

Saute onions in olive oil until transluscent.
Add the squid until it curls. Add all the ingredients and stew until squid is tender and sauce is thick.
Adjust seasoning.

HOMEMADE FLAT BREAD

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons baker's yeast
• 1/3 cup water to mix with the yeast, warm but not hot
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups plain, white flour
• 1 cup water, warm but not hot
• 1 teaspoon salt

Activate the yeast by mixing it with the 1/3rd cup of water and the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Wait for 10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy.

If it doesn’t become frothy, your yeast has died/expired and you need to buy a fresh pack.

Meanwhile, sift the 3 cups of flour along with the teaspoon of salt into a bowl

Create a well in the middle and add the cup of water and the yeast mixture

Mix well and then knead.

Make a ball and with a knife, slice a cross on the surface to loosen the surface tension

Cover with a damp, clean cloth and place it in a warm, draft free area. Wait until it doubles in size (depending on the temperature this could be anywhere from 1 to 3 hours)

Knock back the dough and divide into 8 balls

Place on a lightly floured surface and flatten with a rolling pin until it is around 0.4 to 0.5 cm thick and put aside for 10 to 15 minutes to rise a bit more. The shape should be circular

Heat the oven to maximum

Brush the top of the discs with a bit of olive oil.

Cook in a skillet or toast until dough is cooked but bread is still soft.

Adapted from: http://thefoodblog.com.au/2010/05/lebanese-bread-recipe.html

QUICK WHITE SHRIMP PAELLA AND BEAN AIOLI

White Shrimps, peeled and deveined
3 packets Paella Seasoning
Olive oil
2 cups Rice, uncooked
2 Red Grilled Bell peppers, sliced
2 hardboiled eggs, quartered

Saute the shrimps in olive oil, and sprinkle one pack of paella seasoning for flavor.
Cook rice in the rice cooker with 2 packets of paella seasoning.

Arrange on a serving plate, topping the shrimps, peppers and eggs on the rice.

Serve with Bean Alioli. Recipe follows.



Bean Alioli

1 can cooked white beans
3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Adjust seasoning. Super delish!!!

CHICKEN TRUFFLE BURGER, ONION MAYO AND CUCUMBER SALAD

For the patty:
100 grams of chicken breast, diced to an almost fine ground
Onion powder
Salt and Pepper
Truffle oil

Mix all together then grill.

For the mayonnaise:

Mix together light mayonnaise, onion powder and thin with a bit of water.

For the salad:
Mix together peeled,deseeded and diced cucumbers, splenda, vinegar, salt and pepper.

MARNEE THAI ANGEL TOFU

Firm tofu, cut in strips
2 tsps crushed Garlic
1/2 cup Chicken stock
Fish sauce
Vinegar
Sugar
Red curry paste, ready made

In a mixing bowl, mix together chicken stock, fish sauce, vinegar
Saute garlic in oil until translucent. Add the pre mixed sauce, and let it thicken.


Fry the tofu in hot oil until crispy, drain and then toss in sauce!

PESTO-PARMESAN CHICKEN BREASTS

5 Chicken breast fillets, pounded thinly
1 cup pesto sauce
Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Marinate chicken breasts overnight in pre-made or home-made pesto sauce.
2. Cook in a non stick pan, add some water and let it simmer.
3. When cooked, transfer to a pyrex and top with grated parmesan cheese.
4. Bake or torch until cheese is melted and brown.

X.O. FRIED RICE & CARAMELIZED BEEF

For the rice:
2 Tbsps onions, chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups day old cooked rice
2 tsps X.O. sauce

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. When slightly caramelized, add the rice and X.O. sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.



For the Egg:

1 egg, beaten

Cook beaten egg in a thin layer using olive oil, then slice into strips.
For the caramelized beef:
1 tsp Olive oil
1 cup cubed tenderloin
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Sauté the beef in olive oil, add the sugar, soy sauce and pepper until beef is cooked and slightly caramelized.

Arrange everything on a plate and garnish with:
Quartered straw mushrooms
Chopped fresh cilantro
Basil leaves

THAI SHRIMP AND MUSHROOM SOUP

Boil 3 cups water in a sauce pan.

When boiling, drop 120 grams of peeled and deveined shrimps and cubed white fish. When cooked, remove and set aside.

Add the following to the sauce pan:
bruised lemongrass (white part only)
5 grams cilantro leaves
5 grams basil leaves
1 bay leaf
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 cup cubed portobello mushrooms
1 cup chopped chinese cabbage
salt
pepper
1 splenda packet (omit if you don't want it to be sweet)
a dash of hot sauce

When everything is cooked, return the shrimp and fish to the pan and adjust seasoning.

VOILA! Yummy and oh-so-healthy soup!!!

CINNAMON STEAKS, GREEN RISONI AND TRUFFLED SPINACH

I never thought that cinnamon and beef would go so well together. I cooked some beef saute last week and added some cinnamon and it came out glorious! So today I decided to make some cinnamon steaks.

In a bowl, mix together:
1 part ground cinnamon
1 part ground oregano
1 part ground black pepper
1 part paprika
1 part garlic powder
1 part salt

Marinade tenderloin steaks in the spice rub mixture and let it marinate for at least an hour. Grill or pan fry to your desired doneness.

For the Risoni, boil the risoni, or orzo and add blanched chopped zucchini, basil and green onions. Season with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.


For the spinach, thaw and drain frozen spinach. Saute in olive oil, season with pepper, garlic powder, and season with Bragg's liquid aminos. When cooked, drizzle with truffle oil.

GARLIC-SHIITAKE MUSHROOM TAGLIATELLE & PAN FRIED SOLE

250 grams Tagliatelle noodles, cooked in salted water until al dente
10 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup Fresh Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Basil, chiffonade
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan cheese
Sole Fillets

For the pasta:
Saute the garlic in olive oil until slightly caramelized.
Add the mushrooms until wilted.
Mix in the noodles, basil, parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

For the Sole:
Season the sole with salt and pepper and pan fry in olive oil til slightly crisp and thoroughly cooked.

KABAYAKI PRAWNS

500 grams Prawns, peeled and deveined
1 thumb ginger, chopped
Kabayaki Sauce (recipe below)
Oyster sauce
Sesame oil
Cracked Black Pepper

Marinate the prawns in all the listed ingredients.
Ways of cooking : Broil, Bake, Grill or Pan Fry. Top on white rice.


Kabayaki Sauce

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup sugar

Preparation: Pour all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for a few minutes. Stop the heat and cool the mixture. Store the sauce in a sterilized container/bottle in the fridge.

RIB-EYE STRIPS AND FRENCH BEANS

1 U.S corn fed Rib eye Steak, cut into 1/2 inch strips (marinated in salt and pepper)


1 bunch French green beans, tops removed
1 Tbsp Olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
Salt
Pepper

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until slightly caramelized.
Add Rib eye strips, until half cooked.
Add the French beans, until beef is cooked and beans are half cooked.
Add the clarified butter for added flavor and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

*Serve with steamed rice or pasta.

ROASTED CHICKEN ON A BED OF VEGETABLES

4 pieces Chicken Thighs, cleaned
1/2 lemon, juice only
Dried basil
Dried Rosemary
Cracked black Pepper
Rock Salt
1/2 cup Carrot, diced
1/2 cup Potato, diced
1/2 cup Celery, diced
10 whole garlic cloves
1 chicken bouillion cube
2 Tbsps Olive oil

Rub the chicken thighs with the crumbled bouillion cube, under the skin, on the flesh of the chicken.
In an oven safe baking tray, miv the diced vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Fix in a layer that will serve as the roasting bed for the chocken thighs.
Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables, sprinkle with lemon juice, salt, pepper, dried herbs and drizzle with olive oil.

Roast at 375 degress Fahrenheit for 35 to 45 minutes. Chicken skin should be brown and crispy.

*Using a meat thermometer, chicken is cooked at 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

**Remove any excess oil in the bottom of the pan from the chicken drippings.

NON-DAIRY MAC & "CHEESE"

2 cups Chicken Broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
salt
pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1/2 cup frozen peas
Cooked pasta

Combine the broth, the flour and the garlic powder until flour is dissolved.
Place in a stockpot with all the ingredients except the spinach and the peas.
Once the sauce is thick and bubbly, add the vegetables.
Adjust seasoning.
The sauce should resemble melted cheese.

Toss with the pasta and enjoy!!!

*I found that it was a bit too tart, you can skip the lemon and mustard altogether if you don't want the tartness.

FUSILLI WITH SMOKED SALMON, SPINACH & PEAS

Fusilli pasta
Spinach
Peas
Smoked salmon
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Cook the pasta in boiling water with salt. when almost done, throw in the chopped spinach and peas.
When pasta is cooked, drain and return to pan.

Add the chopped smoked salmon and season with olive oil, salt and pepper.

SIMPLE YET DELICIOUS!

HUMMUS

1 can garbanzos/chickpeas
1/3 of the liquid in the can
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Put everything together in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

*Serve with Pita bread, vegetable sticks or use as a replacement for mayonnaise in sandwiches.

**Chickpeas are a good source of dietary fiber and protein.
***Hummus can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be kept in the freezer for up to one month. Add a little olive oil if it appears to be too dry.

MISO SALMON FILLETS

Salmon fillet with no bones
Yellow Miso paste
Sesame oil
Ground black pepper
Salt


Score the salmon fillet on the fleshy part, not on the skin.


Mix the miso paste, sesame oil, salt and pepper and massage it on to the salmon fillet. Put the fillet and the marinade in a ziplock bag and marinate for 2 days.

After 2 days, rinse  the fillet under cold running water then pat dry with a paper towel. Preheat a grill pan on the stove. Spray on both sides with oil and grill on the pan, flesh side first. Flip when cooked, and finish cooking on the skin side.
*Serve with a salad, steamed asparagus or brown rice lightly seasoned with salt, toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil.

MUSHROOM & ZUCCHINI RICE, STUFFED ROASTED EGGPLANTS AND LEMON-BUTTER PRAWNS

For the Rice: Sauté garlic in butter, add sliced zucchini and oyster mushrooms then add cooked rice and season.

For the Stuffed Roasted Eggplants: Sauté chopped onions, mixed mushrooms, carrots, green peas, and celery(all chopped except the peas). Add ground beef then season with a bouillon cube.

Grill the eggplants, peel then flatten. Put sautéed meat on top then dip in egg and cook.

For the fresh water prawns, just peel, devein and drop in boiling water then add butter and lemon juice.

GRILLED STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

I had no clue that all baby bell peppers start out green, duh!!!


Did you know that all baby peppers start out green, then change color as they mature? In fact, when you’re growing bell peppers, some stay green until they mature to yellow or red, while others may turn white, lilac or purple before maturing to red, yellow or orange.
You can eat peppers at whatever stage you prefer, but fully ripe peppers taste better and are more nutritious. Sugars and other flavor compounds accumulate during the final stages of ripening, and vitamin C content often doubles. The color change in ripening peppers is caused by the breakdown of chlorophyll, which coincides with the maturation of the seeds.
For example, ‘Sweet Banana’ peppers are a pale, yellowish-green when the fruits are immature, then they slowly change to yellow, then orange and finally red.
For early yields of colorful sweet peppers, it’s best to choose varieties that waste no time changing to their fully ripe color and flavor. Varieties that mature to red far outnumber those that mature to orange or yellow. The best fast-ripening red peppers to grow are ‘Gypsy,’ ‘Lipstick’ and ‘Ace.’
At the end of the season, peppers picked when they have just begun to change colors will continue to ripen indoors when kept in a warm place.


Taken from :
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2006-04-01/Growing-Colorful-Bell-Peppers.aspx


Grill the yellow peppers, peel them, cut off the top and deseed.

Saute onions, garlic, tomatoes &carrots in olive oil, add ground beef. When nicely caramelized and thoroughly cooked, season with salt, pepper and chili paste (the salty kind, not the sweet).


Stuff the peppers, brush with egg wash and then pan fry or bake. cover with top of the pepper that you previously cut off.


Voila, stuffed peppers!


*You can use tomatoes instead of peppers too!

5-SPICE GRILLED PORK CHOPS

I used to really dislike anything that had star anise and cloves, but when I went to culinary school and learned how to use all kinds of spices on different dishes, I learned to appreciate flavors that I didn't like. I didn't just appreciated them but I learned to enjoy them.


5-spice is native to Chinese cuisine and usually consists of a mixture of star anise, cloves,cinnamon,Sichuan pepper and fennel seeds. Sometimes the formula is Chinese cinnamon, star anise, anise seeds, ginger root and cloves.


My tastebuds think that 5-spice really goes well with pork, chicken and duck. :-)


Hope you enjoy this recipe!


6 pieces pork Chops
5 Spice powder
Garlic Powder
Ground black pepper
Himalayan Salt
Cinnamon
Soy Sauce
Red vinegar
Balsamic vinegar

Mix all the ingredients and marinate the Pork Chops overnight.
Grill.
EAT!

GARLIC PORK STEW WITH SHRIMP PASTE AND COCONUT MILK (BINAGOONGAN)

When I was a kid, I used to eat anything. I would look through the refrigerator and see what I could pair with the previous day's cooked rice. Options were usually eggs, hotdogs, canned goods or even just soy sauce, Knorr seasoning and my super favorite condiment, bagoong! Bagoong is made by mixing fish or shrimp and brine and then left to ferment for months. It is stinky but oh so good!!!


There were always jars of different types of bagoong in our home. There was commercialized Barrio Fiesta and Lorenzana's bottled bagoong, there was fresh sauteed bagoong made by my Nanny, and there was Bagoong Balayan which is fermented anchovies. Drool, that alone on hot steamed rice and calamansi or lemon juice was a meal to me!  My mom used to get so angry because I used to really eat bagoong with everything! In fact, I would use it in place of mint jelly for lamb, soy sauce for fried fish, and patis for my Sinigang and Nilaga. 


As I got older, and started to learn to cook, I learned to use my favorite condiment in deifferent dishes. This is one of them. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!




2 Kilos Pork belly cubes
1 Tbsp Olive oil
20 cloves of Garlic
8 pieces Bay leaves
1 cup Vinegar
1 cup spicy Barrio Fiesta Bagoong/Shrimp paste
1 can Coconut Milk
1 knob sliced Ginger
2 Tbsps  Fish sauce/Patis
1/4 tsp ground Black Pepper
4 cups Water

Heat a heavy bottomed pot like a Le Creuset Dutch oven, pour the olive oil and sear the pork belly cubes until nicely caramelized. Add all the other ingredients and simmer until the pork belly cubes are tender. Adjust seasoning. You know it's done when the sauce is almost dry and all the oils separate from the meat.

*Serve with steaming hot rice!

BRAISED PORK WITH BLACK BEANS (HUMBA)

I absolutely love Asian food, and all Asian ingredients! One of my favorites being Chinese fermented black beans, tausi or Dou Chi. It is made by fermenting and salting soybeans. It's flavor is pungent and very sharp, tasting salty,sweet and bitter at the same time. Use it only in small quantities because it is very salty!


1 kilo Pork Pata
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 bay leaf
2 Star Anise
1 teaspoon pepper corn
3 tablespoons tausi or salted black beans

1/2 cup of banana blossoms (optional)

Directions

1. Sear the pork pata in the pan, then add the sugar when the meat is brown. Add the minced garlic,black beans and star anise and mix all together.

2. Add the remaining ingredients (vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf, and water) except banana blossoms together until the pork is tender.

*Halfway through the cooking, add banana blossoms and continue cooking until tender.
3. Arrange on a serving platter and serve with steaming hot rice.