Banana Peanut Butter Oat Smoothie

Craving a banana-peanut butter fix?

 

 

 

Here's a yummy, nutritious, chilled, fiber packed drink you can prepare out of your favorite fruit-nutty combo.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 banana

a little less than 1/4 cup peanut butter of choice
1/3 cup  whole grain oats (not instant)
1 tbsp Nutella
1.5 cups Almond milk
Agave nectar or honey for sweetness, desired amount

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combine everything in a NutriBullet or regular blender and spin till frothy. Transfer to a plastic container if you're using a blender and cover with a lid, chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Pour in your favorite glass or mug and ...

 

 

ENJOY!

 

  

Green Juice | Post Workout Drink

Ingredients:


1 whole apple, chopped
around 8 pieces frozen pineapple tidbits, fresh not canned
1 whole orange, frozen wedges
a hand full of organic baby spinach
equal hand full of organic kale
1 cup Arizona Green Tea - don't worry this is 0 calories

Combine everything together in a blender or NutriBullet, spin till frothy. Serve in your favorite mug or glass. Keep excess in an airtight container and refrigerate till next use.

Bottoms up!

Kitchen Confidentials - Salmon Sinigang

In most Filipino kitchens rarely would they run low on onions, garlic, tomatoes or ginger; toyo (soy sauce) and/or patis (fish sauce) - good God I think we have bags of these that would last us the whole month. Not to mention some sort of "sour soup"  (Sinigang) base powder. 

This morning I did an inventory check of the pantry and saw that I was still good with the "usual suspects", the only thing I had to do was find out from my tribe which kind of Sinigang they wanted - beef, pork or fish.

Since it's been a while this is what they requested...

The usual suspects:

1 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup sliced ginger
3 medium tomatoes, chopped into 8 piece wedges each
Tamarind soup base
patis
salt (if needed)


Accessories:


Tamarind leaves, 1 pack (1/2 lb.) 227 g
Okra, 12 pieces
Petchay, 1 bag - cleaned and trimmed of white stalk, green leafy part only
*optional: Banana pepper for spice


The Culprit:

3.5 - 4 lbs. Salmon head + cheeks

Korean Inspired BBQ Marinade

Summer to me means BBQ, grilling and quick meals. But if you're a working mother like me it's always practical to have something prepared ahead of time for easy cooking, not to mention something you can make yourself at home instead of buying something ready in a jar just to be stored in the frig for months on end. Here's my recipe on a Filipino BBQ marinade with a twist! The most common components in Asian marinades are soy sauce, sugar and garlic... this here is inspired by the taste of Korean short-ribs, yet still keeping true to the Pinoy flavors.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp garlic, minced or store bought readily minced
1x1 inch piece of ginger
1 medium onion,  diced
1 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup brown sugar or 1 can (15.25 oz) Crushed Pineapple in 100% juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 ground black pepper

*Note: good for 2.5-3 lbs of meat

Ingredients

(Before) not only for added sweetness but also a tenderizer

 

(After) then add the rest of the ingredients

Voila!... Ready for any meat!

Pork Nilaga

This dish is near and dear to me as it was the first I've ever cooked without my mom's guidance or her telling me what to do next. In my sophomore year in college I dared to cook this for my housemates and I'm pretty sure it wasn't as awesome at the time, but since then and several pots later... this is how I cook pork Nilaga for my family now ---

Ingredients:
5 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
1 pork cube
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp whole pepper corn
1/4 cup patis (fish sauce)
2 tsp sugar
2 yellow potatoes, cut into quarters
1 pack (approx. 2.75 lbs) pork shoulder country style ribs
1 small cabbage head, roughly chopped
10 cups water, for soup

 

Load pork into an 8 Quart pot or any large pot you have, cover in water, set heat on high and bring to a boil.

When it starts to boil, the fat and protein will surface to the top, skim off as much as you can and toss. Adjust heat to low, add in the garlic, onion, whole pepper corn, pork cube and patis. Cover and let this simmer for about 35 minutes or till meat is tender.

Then add the chopped potatoes, bump up the heat to medium-low, add salt and sugar, let boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes slightly covered.

Turn off the heat, add in the cabbage, mix well and set aside from heat.

one of my "go to" comfort meals rain or shine!

Spicy Sesame Broccolini

Here's another quick and simple veggie dish I prepared today for dinner, I'm so glad I actually had the time to film it to show you how this was made step by step. 

Ingredients:
2 packs broccolini or sweet broccoli
2.5-3 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tsbp Hoisin sauce
3/4 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp hot water

2 packs broccolini

sauce mix

Watch and learn...

Oven Lechon: Chicken Leg Quarters

Hey everyone! It's been really hot the past week here in the Bay and although salads and light dishes seem more appropriate, I got the sudden urge to brine chicken quarters and roast it in the oven for some homemade lechon. I originally got this brine recipe from my sister but tweaked it a bit for my own personal touch :)

chicken leg quarters

Here's what I used:

1 whole garlic head or 8-10 cloves with the top end(s) slice off

1 large onion chopped in half

1 full carton (2 lbs or 907g) chicken broth

2-3 cups water

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Kosher salt

1/3 sugar

1 tsp whole pepper corn

1 family pack chicken leg quarters 5 pieces (approx. 5 lbs) - Asian grocers sell this chopped and with slits for BBQ marinating but we're using this instead of the whole hen. The slits help make the chicken absorb more flavor faster. 

Combine all ingredients in a pot, on high heat bring this to a boil then turn off and remove from the burner, let cool. Clean the chicken quarters rinsing them a few times and place in big glass mixing bowl. When brine has cooled down and is warm enough to touch, pour this over the chicken pieces covering everything. You may want to flip and dunk the pieces every once in a while. If this is something you are making for dinner, prepare this in the morning for the best flavor. Most of the time I brine chicken overnight but for this portion, it has been soaking for about 6 hours.

chicken brine

When ready line a baking or cookie tray with aluminum foil, spray some Pam and place the chicken quarters. Preheat oven to 370 degrees. Load the tray in and let roast for 45 minutes. Check every 10-15 minutes and baste with it's own juices when you see it accumulate along the sides of the tray. Then lower the heat to 350 degrees and continue for another 10-12 minutes, do not open the oven anymore. When done, turn off heat, remove the chicken from the oven, place on table or counter-top covering with foil allowing to rest for 10 minutes.

Plate, serve and Enjoy!!

F.O.B. Fridays ~ Beef Bulalo

I started something new some time ago on my Instagram account, as my schedule permits, Fridays I feature "Fresh Off the Burner" {hence F.O.B. not fresh off the boat okay LOL} dishes I just cook, it is real time food served and photographed as soon as it's cooked! Unfortunately I haven't posted the previous dishes on my blog so this is the first. Hope ya'll LIKE!

Ingredients:

1 pack beef shank (approx. 3 lbs)

half  medium onion

8-10 garlic cloves, slice 5 pieces into halves

1/4 cup fish sauce (patis) I used the Vietnamese brand  Nuoc Mam Nhi Phu Quoc "Flying Lion"

1 tsp pimienta negra entera

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 beef cube
 *optional - veggies of choice. I used baby bok choy and chopped green onions to top.

• in a 5 qt. pot place beef shank in, cover with water and bring to a boil on high heat, then simmer for 30 minutes. This helps eliminate the grayish protein that floats to the top. Skim this. When done, remove & rinse meat and the pot, then redo this process.
• filling the pot again with water covering the meat and bringing to a boil on high heat. Once it starts boiling, lower heat to low or low-med (depending on your stove top), place in the onion, garlic cloves, beef cubes, patis, whole pepper corn and salt. Continue to simmer for 2.5 - 30 hours. You can fish out the garlic cloves if you prefer towards the second hour, otherwise just keep it in the broth. The onion prevents the soup from getting murky after prolong boiling.
• add in your vegetables, garnish, serve and Enjoy! 

Seasoning... forgot to include the Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Simple, Easy and Delicious!

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Sautéed Asparagus

This dish is all about the plating and I got my inspiration from a seafood dish I had at Sir Francis Drake in San Francisco during my husband's company late Christmas party back in January. The dish I had was a piece of salmon steak atop some mashed potatoes and asparagus with some kind of tomato reduction sauce.

Here's what I did to achieve this plate of savory perfection:

Sautéed Asparagus

Here's an easy and simple veggie dish anyone can make. You can dine on this alone or as a side to another entrée like poultry or seafood.

Ingredients:

bundle of asparagus

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp Canola oil

1 cup whole grape tomatoes,  rinse and slice into halves

juice from a lemon

1/2 chicken cube

Salt and pepper to taste

• after you've cleaned and trimmed the ends of the asparagus, in a saucepan filled half way  blanch in boiling water that has been seasoned with salt and half chicken cube for 3 minutes.

• transfer into a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process.

• using the same saucepan, clean and set back on heat to melt the butter then add the canola oil. Sautée garlic till lightly brown, add tomatoes, asparagus and lemon juice. 

• sprinkle with a pinch of salt and stir gently with rubber spatula, cook for a couple minutes but not till tomatoes wilt. 

• plate, season with pepper & parsley, serve and Enjoy!

Choco Banana Berry Smoothie

Though it was a cold day in the Bay, I still had the urge to whip up this glass of yummy goodness! Here's what I used for 1 serving ---

3/4 cup Almond milk
1.5-1.75 cups frozen fruit (I had already chopped and froze 4 large strawberries,  1/2 cup blueberries & half a banana ahead of time)
1 tsp Cocoa powder
1 tsp Honey (add more if you wish)
*optional: top with chocolate whipped cream and sprinkles :)

Blend it like Beckham yo!!... set to chop for several seconds till fruit is macerated,  then blend for a smooth consistency.  Pour in your favorite glass and enjoy!

CHEERS!

Savory Filipino-style Pasta Sauce

Meaty pasta sauce with an Asian twist.

You hungry yet?

 

     Yeheyyy! It's a weekend of no work and that means preparing food that will last a couple days for my family. This is such a simple yet popular dish that in my culture is a must have and is always present at gatherings, parties most especially at birthdays or fiestas. Most Filipinos put slices of "red" hotdogs as the meat for this sauce but I prefer to stick to the usual meatballs and/or Italian sausage meat, and always try to find ways to fuse or incorporate a Filipino twist in popular dishes from other countries. This is my version of the typical pasta sauce marrying it with elements of our Filipino spaghetti sauce. It's sweet, it's savory... it's really good!

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 large onion, diced

66 oz (4lb 2oz) Ragu Traditional pasta sauce

12 oz Jufran Banana Sauce (banana ketchup)

1 lb Johnsonville Mild Italian sausage meat

1 bag (1 lb 10oz) Rosina Meatballs Italian style, fully cooked

1/4 c fish sauce

1tsp Kosher salt

1 tbsp sugar

pepper to taste

*Note -  the salt plus fish sauce may seem intimidating especially because it's a double dose, but I promise once you top or mix this with your pasta of choice the saltiness will tone down and you will just love the sweet-savory taste of this dish as a whole!

Let's cook...

How to cook Fried Rice using leftovers

Sometimes you run out of ideas for a meal or have some leftovers you would want to recycle in your next dish... but what?

How about making FRIED RICE!

I put this video up last year and want to share how I recycle day old food or leftovers in general into a dish that can stand alone or be served with another to complete a full meal!

Ingredients:

Garlic
Eggs
Crab meat
Beef (leftovers)
Frozen vegetables (peas and carrots)
Leftover refrigerated steam rice (mashed)
Soy sauce or Oyster sauce
Salt
Pepper
Chopped green onions
Fried garlic flakes
Sesame seeds

Lengua / Beef Tongue with Savory Mushroom sauce

OMG this is a dish I almost always make for parties or potluck and is such a hit with my friends! I always get asked "what's your recipe Cat?" ... so here it is ---

 This dish is close to my heart because my dad taught me how to cook this! Here is what I used in putting this dish together...

Homemade Taro Pearl Smoothie

Spring is here and don't we all love us some pearl shakes or smoothies? I always go to our local Vietnamese Sandwich shop that serves up some really good pearl drinks, Lee's Sandwiches. My fave is Taro! One day while getting some groceries at Seafood City (Filipino/Asian grocer), I was going down the aisle that had all the jarred sweets, beans, Nata preserves and ingredients for Halohalo and I realized that I could make a spin-off of Halohalo that is pretty much similar to the ever popular pearl drinks but use our very own Filipino ingredients! 

Here's what I got:

2.5 - 3 heaping tsp of purple yam (taro) jam, Pamana brand
tapioca pearls (desired amount), Pamana brand
1/3 - 1/2 cup evaporated milk, Carnation
1 tsp sugar (or completely omit)
1.5 - 2 cups crushed ice

BLEND it like Beckham!!...pour into a tall or wide glass and ENJOY!

**Make sure to purchase the wider straws for pearl drinks, I laughed at myself when I realized I pulled out the wrong straw!

Corn in Sweet Rice / Ginataang Mais

This is a sweet treat that brings back memories of "mirienda" (snack or desserts) being sold by walking vendors who prepare and cook them at home and make a living by selling them on the streets, walking throughout villages and rural neighborhoods. This is Filipino comfort food at its simplest!

Preparing this with all natural ingredients is such as freshly made coconut milk/cream and corn preserves its authenticity but since living in an "instant" world where nearly everything is readily prepared, I opted to share a quick and easy version of making Ginataang Mais! 

Ingredients:
1 cup sweet rice
1 can coconut milk
1/2 can coconut cream
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1 can sweet corn cream style

Pork Giniling / Torta

This is such a quick and easy dish to prepare and can literally be served in various ways - with rice, with flat leaf or red leaf lettuce as a wrap for a more healthier food option, also can be wrapped with a warm tortilla as a kind of breakfast burrito, can be filling in an omelet or scrambled eggs in your huevos rancheros.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup calamansi
1/2 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 tbsp patis (fish sauce)
1 pork cube
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water
1.5 cup frozen veggies - peas and carrots (more if you prefer)
2 cups frozen diced potatoes


Note: precook ground pork seasoned with salt and pepper, to render fat and discard this.

Sinigang

Hello! I've decided to take a step into the blogger world seriously and I will do my best in updating this routinely as my work schedule permits. I will be linking videos here and there of what I have been up to and would like to share because I think visuals are important and add a little variation to the monotony of reading. I am a foodie at heart and if given the choice to choose between working full-time or part-time, I would pick part-time and utilize the rest of my day cooking and just trying out other recipes where I could incorporate into the Filipino palate creating a fusion dish but prepared and made at home! I really would like to change up or liven up dishes for my family so not to dine out too frequent which is why whenever me and my family do go out to eat, I really savor the flavors of the food and start thinking of ways to marry this with Filipino food.

 

 

 

But going back to simple and basic dishes, this is one of my faves and could be made pretty much with anything like beef, chicken, fish and shrimp.


Here are the ingredients I used for this Pork Sinigang dish:

2 lbs pork side with bone
8-10 cups water (for soup)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
1 banana pepper
1/2 cup fish sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
packet of Knorr tamarind soup mix
1 Knorr chicken cube
Veggies: bundle of bok choy sum and green beans