Strawberry & Onion Marmalade Beef Tapas

Wow! Just got a little bored at home, opened the freezer and the ref and found a new treasure dish. I had a bottle of Onion Balsamic Marmalade by Whisk (which i got as a treat from my friend Cheryl) , Strawberry Jam and freshly bought beef cuts!

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo  Beef Sirloin, thinly sliced
5 tbsp    Onion Balsamic Marmalade by Whisk
5 tbsp    Strawberry Jam
2 Tbsp   Sesame Oil
3 Tbsp   Olive Oil
Procedure:
1. In a bowl, mix together the beef sirloin, onion balsamic marmalade, strawberry jam and sesame oil. Marinate for atleast 12 hours.
2. In a pan, place 2 cups of water to boil.
3. Add the marinated beef and let the water evaporate in medium-high heat.
4, When the water has completely evaporated, add 3 Tbsp of olive oil and pan-fry the tapa until done.
5. To Serve: Rice + Fried Eggs (cooked to your liking) + Strawberry & Onion Marmalade Beef Tapas!

Just perfect for that craving tooth - something meaty and sweet! Sweet and Simple! Enjoy! :)

Vanilla Cheesecake

I love Williams-Sonoma Cookbooks! I've done several of their recipes and they turn out to be real fine dishes. As requested by our house mate, she wants DESSERTS. I'm really not a fan of baking since it requires a lot of mixing and chances of success in letting the dough rise is quite a challenge for newbies, but YES! I say YES to trying to bake a simple dessert, Cheesecake inspired by The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: The Essential Recipe Collection for Today's Home Cook! Lovely and Yummy! Pure Cream Cheese, Wow! Ingredients really makes a lot of difference. Find and use the best ingredients and you're on your way to success! :) Enjoy this One!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup  Graham Crackers
1 1/4 cup  Sugar plus 3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp      Cinnamon
1/4 cup     Unsalted Butter
1 kg          Cream Cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp       All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp      Salt
1/2 cup     Sour Cream
1 tbsp       Vanilla Extract
3 pcs         Large Eggs

Procedure:
1. Pound the Graham crackers to crumbs. (you can put it in a plastic and pound it with anything solid until it turns into smooth crumbs)
2. Preheat the oven to 400F (200 C). Lightly grease a 10 inch cheesecake / springform pan. In a bowl, mix together the graham cracker, 3 tbsp sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.
3. Stir until the mixture until the crumbs are evenly moist.
4. Pour into the sprinform pan and press evenly unto the bottom and to the sides of the pan.
5. Bake the crust until lightly golden for about 10 mins. Let cool on a rack and reduce the oven temperature to 300F (150C)
6. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, flour and salt until smooth.
7. Add the sugar, sour cream and vanilla and continue to mix until well blended and add the eggs one at a time.
8. Pour into the crust.
9. Bake the cheesecake for about 70 mins until the edges are slightly puffed but the center still jiggles when shaken. Let cool in a rack at room temperature and refrigerate overnight or until chilled.
10. To serve, unclasp and remove the pan sides then run along a thin spatula between the pan bottom and the crust and carefully slide the cake to a serving plate. Slice and Serve!!! :)

Procedure with Photos:
1. Pound the Graham crackers to crumbs. (you can put it in a plastic and pound it with anything solid until it turns into smooth crumbs)

2. Preheat the oven to 400F (200 C). Lightly grease a 10 inch cheesecake / springform pan. In a bowl, mix together the graham cracker, 3 tbsp sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.

3. Stir until the mixture until the crumbs are evenly moist.

4. Pour into the springform pan and press evenly unto the bottom and to the sides of the pan.

5. Bake the crust until lightly golden for about 10 mins. Let cool on a rack and reduce the oven temperature to 300F (150C)
6. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, flour and salt until smooth.
 7. Add the sugar, sour cream and vanilla and continue to mix until well blended and add the eggs one at a time.

 

8. Pour into the crust.

9. Bake the cheesecake for about 70 mins until the edges are slightly puffed but the center still jiggles when shaken. Let cool in a rack at room temperature and refrigerate overnight or until chilled.

10. To serve, unclasp and remove the pan sides then run along a thin spatula between the pan bottom and the crust and carefully slide the cake to a serving plate. Slice and Serve!!! :)

What do you think of these photos? :)

 

 

Pesco Basil Pasta

Whoopsieee! I have a lunch meeting in a bit and I want to prepare something healthy on my own but I still have work to finish... So think think. Make use of my fresh ingredients available here in the kitchen that's quick and easy to prepare and voila! Here goes our Pesco Basil Pasta!

Ingredients

150 grams         Tagliatelle or Fettucine

250 grams         Dory fish fillet (diced into ¾ x ¾ inch)

250 ml               Tomato Basil Sauce (Cirio) – available in Santis Delicatessen

2 tbsp                Olive oil

1 tbsp                Garlic (minced)

2 tbsp                Basil Leaves (chiffonade)

1/2 tbsp             Cream cheese (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan (to Garnish)

Procedure

1.       Boil water and put salt and oil. Throw in Pasta for 10-12 minutes or until al dente.

2.       In a pan, sauté garlic in olive oil.

3.       Sauté fish fillet very quickly and place in the tomato basil sauce.

4.       Put in  basil leaves and cream cheese

5.       Season with salt and pepper

6.       Potion the pasta into individual plate and top with sauce and garnish with parmesan!

7.       Voila! Quick ‘n Nice Fresh Pasta to Serve and Enjoy! 

Serves 2-3

Tips:

Check out this site to learn how to do the basil leaves’ ‘chiffonade’:  

http://veganyumyum.com/2007/01/how-to-chiffonade-basil/

Baked Soju Basil Chicken

Happy Valor Day! Spending the day with the family at home with just a few options on the freezer to cook since we'll only do market day by tomorrow. So, i've got a whole chicken and was wondering what i can do with it. Thought of doing a home-made baked chicken and browsed through some option from my cook book. I got to a chinese recipe but the recipe needed white wine and green onions... but I dont have them on the shelf! Luckily, I have soju - which might give me a new flavor! and I can make some use of all the basil plants we have here so i got some basil leaves (really fresh - straight from the plant box). If you want to grow your own basil leaves, I just asked my first root of basil from the market - the market guy happily gave me some basil roots when I asked and now I have lots of them here at home! Maybe I can share you some also! So, here's to our BAKED SOJU BASIL CHICKEN! Cheers! ... a perfect dish to celebrate valor day!

Ingredients

1 pc          whole chicken (1.2 - 1.5 kilos)

Seasonings:
3 tbsp      fresh basil leaves (chopped)
3 slices     ginger (minced)
2 tbsp      soju (korean distilled beverage)
1 tbsp      salt
1 tbsp      black peppercons
1 tbsp      olive oil

Procedure:
1.) Clean chicken thoroughly, rinse several times and then wipe/pat it dry. Pierce the thick part of chicken with a fork, such as legs and breast.
2.) Mix together the seasoning (chopped fresh basil leaves, minced ginger, soju, salt, black peppercorns and olive oil)
3.) Rub the seasoning all over the chicken and marinate for 6 hours. Stuff the seasoning into the belly cavity.
4.) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius, place chicken on a tray and cover with foil. Put to oven and bake for 30 mins, then turn the chicken over and bake for another 30 mins. Increase the temperature to 250 degrees celsius and place the chicken with breast side up brushed with some olive oil to color the chicken) and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
5.) Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and Serve!

Cheers and Enjoy! :)


Procedure w/ Photos:

1.) Clean chicken thoroughly, rinse several times and then wipe/pat it dry. Pierce the thick part of chicken with a fork, such as legs and breast.

2.) Mix together the seasoning (chopped fresh basil leaves, minced ginger, soju, salt, black peppercorns and olive oil)

3.) Rub the seasoning all over the chicken and marinate for 6 hours. Stuff the seasoning into the belly cavity.

4.) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius, place chicken on a tray and cover with foil. Put to oven and bake for 30 mins, then turn the chicken over and bake for another 30 mins. Increase the temperature to 250 degrees celsius and place the chicken with breast side up brushed with some olive oil to color the chicken) and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

5.) Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and Serve!

You can opt to drink the rest of your soju bottle with this now!

Cheers and Enjoy! :)

Dory Fillet in Lemon Thyme

This is an easy recipe you can prepare during the holy week :) You can also try it with pangasius steak cuts - which is the same meat as your dory fillets.

Ingredients:
1 kilo      Cream Dory Fillet (approx 3 fillets)
1/2 cup   Olive oil
2 pcs.      Lemon
4 tbsp      Thyme (dried) - available in McCormick or 6 Tbsp of Fresh Thyme

Procedure
1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. Season the fish on both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat one fourth of the olive in a skillet, preferrably non-stick, and cook the fish fillets over mediujm heat briefly on both sides - remove it as soon as the out part turns white.
2. Transfer the fish into an oven proof dish. Cut one lemon into wafer thin slices. Squeeze the juice of the other lemon on the fish. Place  the wafer thin lemon slices on top of the fish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. While waiting for the fish to be cooked, heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet and add the thyme and a little seasoning. Turn off heat and set aside.
4. Tranfer the cooked fish to plates and pour the cooking juices into the herb oil. Heat in low fire for a few seconds then pour th herb oil over the fish. Serve Immediately.

Enjoy it while it's hot and the texture of the fish is at its best! :)

Stir-Fry Minced Chicken with Cashew

A chicken breast recipe you can cook in a simple kitchen outside your home with just pots, pans and stove! My friend – Ria B. (Events & Marketing Specialist) – is travelling with her family to Baguio this weekend and requested for a chicken breast easy recipe idea which she can cook for her family to enjoy! You can also send in your requests with your specifications through eleonorgo@gmail.com! We can craft a menu together for your next get together J Hope to hear to from you.

Ingredients:

500 grams            Chicken Breast (Boneless and Skinless, diced into 2cm pcs)

4 tbsp                    olive oil

2/3 cups                Cashew Nuts (Cooked and Ready to Eat)

½ pc.                      Green bell pepper, diced by 2cm

½ pc                      red bell pepper, diced by 2 cm

2stalks                   green onions, cut into 2 cm length

6-8 slices              gingers, cut into 2 cm length

Marinade

1 tbsp                   soy sauce

2 tbsp                   water

½ tbsp.                 cornstarch

Seasoning

1 tbsp                   soy sauce

½ tbsp.                 wine (optional)

½ tsp                     sugar

¼ tsp                     vinegar

3 tbsp                   water

Few drops of sesame oil

Procedure;

1.)    Mix ingredients for the marinade

2.)    Marinate Chicken for atleast 30 mins

3.)    Heat olive oil and stir-fry ginger slices and green onions. When fragrant, add green and red bell pepper, stir-fry for awhile.

4.)    Stir-Fry chicken until it turns just white and add in seasonings, soy sauce, wine, sugar, vinegar, 3 tbsp water and few drops of sesame oil.

5.)    Add in Cashew Nuts and Stir-fry over high heat until thoroughly mixed. Serve Hot! J

Serves 4

Chinese Style Steamed Chicken

This is actually a very simple recipe for your chicken breast. It’s low on calories as we steam it to its right texture and it’s easy. You can combine any vegetable to your liking but we love broccoli here and it’s very popular accompaniment for Chinese Style dishes. 

Ingredients:

4 pcs.                     Chicken Breast (Boneless and Skinless)

4 pcs                      Garlic cloves (minced)

1 tsp                      Ginger (minced)              

2 tbsp                    Soy sauce

1 tsp                      chili red pepper flakes

500 grams            Brocolli heads, cut into florets

Procedure:

1.) Fill the bottom part of your steamer with 1 inch of H20 and bring to a boil.

2.) Coat your chicken breasts with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chili red pepper flakes.

3.) Place chicken in the steamer basket and pour in all remaining soy sauce mixture from the coating.

4.) Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Steam for  5 minutes.

5.) Turn Chicken Breast and place in your broccoli florets, cover and continue steaming until chicken is cooked through and broccoli is tender. 5-6 minutes more and Serve! J Here goes you healthy Chinese dinner! J

Serves 4

Beef Caldereta / Kaldereta (Beef Stew)

 
I super love the blend of tomato and cheese which makes every caldereta meal a hearty meal. :) My friend - Ria - is craving for beef caldereta today and so i decided to share our home recipe for this! We've loved our version of beef caldereta since our housemate Jovie came along three years ago! :) This is her recipe and you can actually do a variation of this with kambing/goat meat.

1 kilo            Beef kenchi (cut into cubes)
1 pc              garlic (whole - crushed)
4 pcs             red onions (sliced)
1 k                potatoes (cut into cubes)
2 pcs.            carrots large (cut into cubes or big chunks same size with your meat / potatoes)
1 pc              red bell peppers (cut into big squares / large dice)
1 pc              green bell peppers (cut into big squares / large dice)
250 grams    green peas
1/4 cup         cooking oil 
170 grams     liver spread (Reno Brand )
1 kilo            tomato sauce (Del Monte )
1 small pack tomato paste (Del Monte )
175 grams    quickmelt cheese (Che Vital )
                    black pepper, to season

** You can have any grocery or market butcher cut your meat to 'kaldereta' cut! -easy!

Procedure:
1.) Heat oil in a casserole with medium-high heat. When hot, saute garlic until golden brown, saute onion until translucent. Saute beef until liquid extract of meat evaporate until almost dry, season with freshly ground black pepper.
2.) Put in water just to cover meat. Put to a boil and lower heat to simmer for 2 hours (or until meat is tender), check once in a while and put in more water if necessary.
3.) When meat is tender, bring to a boil and put in liver spread, tomato sauce, tomato paste and quickmelt cheese for the meat to absorb the taste. Mix well until the mixture is well blended with the meat. 
4.) Put in potatoes, carrots, green peas, red bell pepper and green bell pepper. Bring to a boil and lower heat simmer for another 20 mins (or until potatoes are cooked to your desired texture)

Cooking is definitely about your and your guests! So just grab those ingredients and make it happen in your dinner table!!! Enjoy! :) Photos to follow!

Shrimp and Tomato Overload Omelette

Shrimp and Tomato Overload Omelettes I love shrimps and I can eat an entire bowl of tomatoes. I'm actually thinking of making it as substitute for my rice intake (chopped - pwede!!! Hehe ) So, I get really happy when there's enough supply of prawns to make into omelette s and well ripped tomatoes that can fill my eggs (where all I see are nicely cooked red prawns and tomatoes and only just patches of yellow from the eggs) Maybe later, I can decide to call it sauteed prawns and tomatoes with eggs... But for now, we can call it omelette as we're used to :)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp  olive oil
1/2 pc  white onion, sliced
2 pcs.   tomatoes, chopped
3           large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 kilo prawns (giant ones if possible!) - deveined, peeled and cut into big chunks
2 tbsp  cream cheese, cut into small pieces     
freshly ground pepper, to season

1. Heat oil in a  skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
2. sauté onions until translucent.
3. Sauté prawns until just cooked, about 1-2 minutes, being careful not to overcook.
4. Add eggs , tomatoes, cream cheese and season with freshly ground pepper and allow to set and ZOOM!!! 5. A perfect dish to start your day right :) Enjoy!

Serves : 2-3 persons.   

Procedures with Photo

Fresh Produce will largely affect the taste of your omelette! So just grabe the best ones. For the shrimps, make sure the heads are intact and the body is firm to touch.

Prepare the Ingredients

1. Heat oil in a  skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.

2. sauté onions until translucent.

 
3. Sauté prawns until just cooked, about 1-2 minutes, being careful not to overcook.

4. Add eggs , tomatoes, cream cheese and season with freshly ground pepper and allow to set and

 5. ZOOM!!!  a  A perfect dish to start your day right :) Fold in 2 or three as desired or Flip to a round plate.

Enjoy! :)

Inihaw na Bangus (Grilled Milkfish)

I love bangus! I can have bangus the entire week and never get tired of it. This is just one of our home recipes that makes me crave for bangus each and everyday! A simple dish which I learned to make at the age of 12! :) I used to grill in an outdoor charcoal grill, but now... thanks to George Foreman Grill and/or nice and easy to use ovens, I can grill anytime. Hope you enjoy this one! :)

Ingredients:

4 pcs. Fresh Tomatoes - slice
3 pcs. Red Onions - slice
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Large Boneless Bangus (Milkfish)
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Foil (big enough to wrap the fish)
Oil to baste

Sauce:
6 pcs  Calamansi
3 Tbsp soy sauce

Procedure:
1. Mix together sliced tomatoes, onions and soy sauce sauce to be used as filler, set aside
2. Flip open the fish, season with salt and pepper and top with filler (sliced tomatoes, onion and soy sauce mixture.)
3. Oil the Foil to avoid the fish skin to stick on the foil later on and wrap the Fish with foil
4. Grill for 20 mins (10 minutes each side)  in your George Foreman, Choarcoal Grill or Oven.
5. Open and Smell the fragrance! Serve with calamansi and soy sauce mix! and of course, RICE :)

Procedure with Photos:

1. Mix together sliced tomatoes, onions and soy sauce sauce to be used as filler, set aside

2. Flip open the fish, season with salt and pepper and top with filler (sliced tomatoes, onion and soy sauce mixture.)

3. Oil the Foil to avoid the fish skin to stick on the foil later on and wrap the Fish with foil

4. Grill for 20 mins (10 minutes each side)  in your George Foreman, Choarcoal Grill or Oven.

5. Open and Smell the fragrance! Serve with calamansi and soy sauce mix! and of course, RICE :)  

Serves 3. :)

Pork Adobo with Egg (My Mom's Pride)

We grew up with this version of Adobo! It's not adobo when it does not taste like our mom's adobo. It will definitely make everyone at home EAT!!! Pig out is more like it. It's perfect with your plain lugaw or cupSSSS of plain rice! This made us HEALTHY - Big! hehhe

Ingredients

1 Kilo Pork kasim or liempo (cubes)
4 Tbsp Corn Oil (Marca Leon)
1 pc. Garlic (whole)
1 cup Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Black Pepper (Whole)
6 pcs. Egg

Procedure:
1. Cook and Peel Hard Boiled Eggs and set aside
2. Saute Garlic in Corn Oil until light brown.
3. Add in sugar and black pepper.
4. Stir Fry Pork just until brown
5. Pour in soysauce.
6. Put in water just to cover meat.
7. Put in Egg, Simmer (low heat) until meat is tender.
8. Serve with rice or lugaw!!!

Serving for 6! - actually 2 can finish this! hahahahah!!!
Prep Time: About 1 Hour.
Voila! Perfect Home Cooked Meal! Enjoy!!!