Tuna Taco with Coleslaw

I assign 2 days in the week to eat fish so as to assure variety in the meals in our home. For today, I made some Tuna Tacos with Coleslaw-wanting to use up the half cabbage in my fridge. I took a photo of it unrolled so the ingredients can be seen.  So roll this up and munch away!

INGREDIENTS:

5 whole wheat tortillas

2 cans of tuna (one flakes in water and one flakes in brine)

5 tablespoons light mayonnaise

½ of a medium onion, chopped

½ of a medium cabbage, shredded

½ of a large carrot, shredded

3 tablespoons cane vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper, for seasoning

1. Flake the tuna and mix in the onion and the 3 T of mayonnaise.  Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2.  In a separate bowl, mix together the cabbage and the carrot.  Set aside.

3.  Mix the vinegar and the honey well and pour on the cabbage and the carrot to make a Coleslaw salad.  Season with salt and pepper.

4.  Heat the tortillas and assemble.  Add some pieces of jalapeno and taco sauce on top. Roll and munch!

Fish Chowder

I love preparing this soup during rainy days!! Chunky and filling!

This is very simple to make but really delicious!
Ingredients:
2 fish fillets( I used Cream Dory fish), cubed
salt and pepper, for seasoning the fish
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped or 1/4 tsp celery powder
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup
1 cup chicken broth or water (if using water, you might want to use 1 cube of chicken bouillon)
Procedure:
1.  Season the fish fillets and pan fry. Set aside.
2.  Saute the onion and celery stalks until fragrant.  Add the fried fish. Cook for a few seconds. 
3.  Mix the chicken broth and Cream of Mushroom soup in a bowl.  Add to the onion, celery and fish.
4.  Add the potatoes.
5.  Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes(until the potatoes are soft to eat).
Enjoy with crackers!!

Spanish Sardine Pasta

Gotta love this recipe- easy to fix, delicious and healthy!! What else will you ask for?

1 bottle Spicy Spanish Sardines in olive oil , a bit crumbled

4 tomatoes, chopped

½ cup of dried shitake mushrooms

1/2  of a medium onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp Olive Oil

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Linguine pasta

Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, then set aside.

2. Rehydrate the shitake mushrooms in a bowl of hot water. Set aside.  Keep 2 tbsps of water where mushrooms were soaked.

3. Saute onions, garlic,  and tomatoes in olive oil.

4. Add the sardines , shitake mushrooms , 2 tbsps of water where mushrooms were soaked and italian seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes.

5.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

6.  Mix spanish sardines to pasta. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on top.



'Am happy today about the pepperoni pizza I made. I made EVERYTHING myself from the dough to the sauce!!! I might be making my own sausage soon!! I used Recipezaar's New York Style Pizza Crust. I tweaked it a bit by using 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of regular white flour. I also used 1 1/2 tsps of yeast (it's a big hassle for me to bring out my weighing scale!). I kneaded the dough for 5 minutes on a floured surface then let it rest for 30 minutes in a plastic covered bowl which I greased with olive oil (so the dough won't stick to the bowl). Then I punched the dough and kneaded it again for 2 minutes then I started rolling it out into a square ( like the pizzas I ate in Rome!). Then, I let it rest for 2 minutes . In the meantime, I sliced my pepperoni and checked my pizza sauce (which is actually a cup of the spaghetti sauce I made the previous week--Italian Style spaghetti sauce with ground sirloin). I spread the pizza sauce on the dough and distributed the pepperoni slices on top. I grated parmesan cheese on top ( you can also use mozzarella, or whatever you have in your ref). I baked it in the oven (450 F) for 15 minutes. Then--there you have it!!! A DELICIOUS SATURDAY NIGHT FEAST! Don't forget your cold glass of COKE!!

Sweet Garlic (Longganisa)Pasta

On my way home, I passed by this restaurant that had a big sign on it, featuring their bestselling dish which is precisely this pasta dish. So I thought of making my own version! Make sure you use a garlicky sausage to have yummier dish!

Ingredients:

4 pieces medium longganisa (removed from casing),meat crumbled (any sweet garlic sausage will do!)

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper,chopped

1 medium onion, minced

1 can of diced tomatoes

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

cooked fettuccine pasta

Procedure:

Saute onion and garlic until fragrant. Mix in the sausage and fry until cooked through. Mix in the red and green bell pepper. Cook until pepper is a bit soft. Mix in the can of tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle some olive oil on top to taste. Spoon on top of a plate of fettuccine! Enjoy!

Embotido

This is a real comfort food recipe from my sister!! I was in a hurry to chow this down, so I just opened the aluminum foil wrapping right after steaming it. I would recommend though that you let this cool down first and refrigerate for at least an hour (to  make it firm) before you slice and quickly fry it on both sides.

2 lbs ground pork
4 eggs, lightly beaten
8 slices of cheese
5 slices of bread soaked in milk
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup pickle relish
1 pack ham (8 slices)
1 pack hotdog (around 10 pcs)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can vienna sausage

1.  Chop the cheese, onion, bell pepper, ham, hotdog and vienna sausage.
2.  Mix the ground pork, eggs, salt and pepper to the chopped ingredients.
3.  Break the bread slices in the meat mixture.
4.  Portion the meat mixture  and wrap it with aluminum foil.  Steam the meat rolls for an hour.
5.  Cool the rolls.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing it. Pan fry the slices.

I ate my embotido with a dash of these 2 spicy sauces! I bought the DELIMONDO Chili and Garlic drizzling oil at the Saturday Salcedo Market and Trappey's Bull Louisiana Hot Sauce at Landmark Supermarket.

Osso Bucco in Slow Cooker

This is definitely my Sunday Fiesta dish! You will need a slow cooker or a pressure cooker for this one, though. I also used an electric chopper to speed up prep time., but of course, you can just do the chopping by hand. It's worth all the waiting...and the chopping!!

2 large beef shanks(1.3kgs)

2 T olive oil

4 T flour seasoned with salt and pepper

3 T butter

1 c onions,chopped

1 c carrots, chopped

1 c celery, chopped

1 tsp garlic, chopped

1 1/2 c white wine

1 beef cube

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 pack 250g tomato sauce (optional)

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil or Italian Seasoning

2pcs bay leaf

1 tsp parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Dredge the shanks in seasoned flour and fry in olive oil enough to brown all sides. Set aside.

2.  Using the same pan, add the butter and stir fry the vegetables until fragrant and softened.

3.  Add the white wine and the remaining ingredients. Cook for awhile.

4.  Transfer the vegetable mixture into the slow cooker.  Put the shanks on top of the vegetables.

5.  Cook in high for 4 hours.

I made mashed potatoes to eat with my Osso Bucco.  Trust me, this dish always leaves a smile on my face!!



Pork Steak Cinco De Mayo Sandwich

Decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo today--on the eighth of May! I invented a sandwich--pan-fried pork steak with pico de gallo and guacamole! Muy delicioso! I made pico de gallo first- used my ever dependable electric chopper chopped together 2 small tomatoes, 1 small onion and a bunch of cilantro leaves. I squeezed half a lemon on everything and set this aside. Then, I worked on the guacamole--I simply mashed two ripe medium avocados and squeezed lemon( you can use lime for the authentic version!) on it. For the pork steak (thin slices of lean pork), I pan-fried 6 pieces of approximately 3.5 inch-round steaks (I used 2 pieces for one sandwich)- I flavored the steaks with salt and pepper. Then, I assembled my sandwich. I toasted 2 slices of whole wheat multigrain bread. I piled up 2 pork slices, guacamole and pico de gallo. When I took a bite, I was delighted by the different flavours--the creaminess of the guacamole and the sharpness of the pico de gallo. These 2 complemented the pork slices! ¡Definitivamente, un ganador!

Ukoy(Squash and Bean Sprout Fritters with Dried Shrimps)

I was really delighted with my first bite into my Ukoy- salty, sour and a bit crunchy! My hubby told me right away to make it again! This is very simple to make: You need 1 cup grated squash, 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts(blanched to remove the grassy taste), 1 diced onion, 1/4 cup dried baby shrimps (optional- I did not put any shrimp to my version of ukoy), salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything in a bowl. Set aside.

For the Sauce: 3 tablespoons light soy sauce, 6 tablespoons vinegar, 1 small onion (diced), 1 clove garlic( minced) and a dash of pepper. Combine everything in a bowl and set aside.

For the batter: 1 cup flour, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/4 tsp cayenne(optional) and 3/4 cup water (pour water a little at a time so you will not have a very thin batter).

Add batter to the sprout mixture. Heat 1/4 inch oil in skillet over medium heat. Fry fritters until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Spoon sauce over fritters. THEN, SAVOUR YOUR FIRST BITE!!

Meatless Grits and Tofu Congee Style

With a whole box of grits in my pantry, I have been cracking my brains in trying to come up with other ways to serve it. I thought of serving it chinese congee style! You'll need:

2 pieces 3-inch square tofu, cubed

2 T soy sauce

4 T white vinegar

2 small tomatoes, sliced

1/2 of a small onion, chopped

a dash of pepper

Pan fry the tofu and set aside. Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, tomatoes, onions and pepper. Mix in the tofu. Set aside.

For the grits:

3/4 cup grits

3 cups water

salt to taste

Boil the 3 cups of water. Stir in the grits ,1/4 cup at a time to make sure no lumps form. Cover and simmer for 6 minutes. Stir once in a while.

Top the tofu mixture on the grits and enjoy every spoon! You may add some shredded chicken or cubed pork for variety!

Vegetable Biryani Rice

After tasting the Vegetable Biryani in a surprise luncheon with my sister in a nearby Indian Resto, I went home thinking of how to replicate that dish. So here's my version:

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, cubed

1/4 cup green peas

1 cup long grained rice(jasmine rice would be better!)

2 1/2 cups water

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp chili flakes(optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 chicken broth cube, crumbled

In a pan saute the onion and garlic until fragrant. Set aside. In a rice cooker, combine rice, water, carrots, peas, onions and garlic mixture, turmeric, curry and broth cubes. Cook until rice is done. I served this with grilled milkfish and loved the combination!

Quick and Easy Mac N' Cheese

This is my version of the boxed Hamburger Helper we see in the supermarkets!

200 grams macaroni pasta
1 cup cheese spread
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 kilo ground beef
salt and pepper

1.  Cook the beef until done. Set aside.
2.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and put back in the pot.  Mix in cheese whiz, butter, and milk. Add the beef. Season with salt and pepper.

Picadillo

Great soup during a cold day! Easy to prepare too,plus it's a one-dish meal!

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cloves of garlic

1/4 k lean ground pork

1 medium carrot,cubed

1 large potato,cubed

1/4 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

5 cups water

2 tbsps fish sauce(patis)

1. Saute onions and garlic. Add pork. Cook pork until brown.

2. Add oregano, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf and water.Boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add fish sauce just before serving (add more if needed).

Enjoy with crackers. Serves 2.

Pancit Lomi

I really have to cook a pancit dish once a week, otherwise, I'll be thinking about it the whole week! Good thing, this is not so difficult to make!

You just need:

2 pcs 3x3- inch- square tofu,sliced into small squares

1/2 cup dried mushrooms, julienned

2 T chopped onions

2 minced garlic cloves

1 T chopped ginger

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup string beans,julienned

1/4 cup carrots, julienned

3 cups lomi noodles

2 T oyster sauce

Fry the tofu pieces and set aside. Soak dried mushrooms in boiling water and set aside. Saute the onions, garlic and ginger. Mix in the vegetables(cabbage, carrots,and beans). Add 1/2 cup water (add more if you want your dish saucy). Add the lomi noodles. Simmer until the noodles and vegetables are tender. Season the dish with oyster sauce.

Mix in the tofu and mushrooms.

Enjoy with a glass of cold Coke drink!

P.S. Have you noticed that this dish is meatless? If you feel the need to add some meat, you can add some shredded chicken or small pork cubes OR even both !

Toblerone Banana Cake

Being a chocoholic, I always try to put chocolate in the pastries I bake. For this banana cake, I chopped a 50g Toblerone bar and mixed it in my forever favorite banana cake! I ate this with coffee this morning!! I wish I could eat breakfast 3x a day!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup canola oil

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 medium bananas, mashed

2 cups flour(I used 1 c whole wheat and 1 cup white)

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk (I made this by putting 1 T white vinegar in 1 c milk-let rest for at least 5 mins)

1 50g Toblerone Bar, roughly chopped

In a bowl, mix oil and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended. Stir in vanilla and bananas.

On a wax paper, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add to banana mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in the Toblerone chocolate.

Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake in preheated oven 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until done.

Philly Cheesesteak

Gotta love this quick recipe! Best for Saturday Night TV time!

1/4 k sukiyaki cut rib-eye

1 big onion,sliced

1/4 c cheese spread(Kraft)

3 pcs steak bread(or baguettes)

2 tbsps olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Caramelize onions then set aside.

2. Add some more olive oil on the pan to brown the rib-eye. Put back the onions and stir quickly. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Slice the bread in two. Spread some cheese and top with beef and onions. ENJOY!

Quick Corned Beef and Cabbage

Quick and really tasty! I can't ask for anything more from this dish! Since I can't find the real corned beef here in Manila, I opted to use the canned corned beef. The best one I found that tastes like the real deal is the PALMS Onion Corned Beef. So here is how I prepare it:

1 can Palm Onion Corned Beef(it only comes in one size)

1/2 tsp whole peppercorn

2 dried bay leaves

1 small cabbage, quartered

4 small potatoes peeled and quartered

1 carrot sliced

1 1/2 tbsp butter

2 small garlic cloves

1 medium onion sliced

1 tsp mustard

6 cups water

2 tbsps fish sauce

In a pot, saute onion and garlic in butter. When fragrant, add the corned beef and crumble it a bit. Add the water and the rest of the ingredients. Wait until it boils, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Before serving add the fish sauce . Enjoy !

Oriental Chicken Pasta

I was thinking about this new recipe on my way home from the office and what to partner my chicken with: rice or pasta.  Upon checking my pantry, pasta won!
You will need:
1/4 kilo chicken breast,cubed
1 thumb size ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, julienned
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil + 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons cane vinegar
linguine pasta (good for 2)

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
2.  Pan fry the chicken cubes until done with 1 T sesame oil. Set aside.
3.  Saute onion , garlic and ginger until fragrant.  Add carrots. Cook in low heat for 2 minutes until carrots are a bit soft.
4.  Mix together oyster sauce, sesame oil and cane vinegar. Mix into onion mixturein the pan. Add cooked chicken. Cook for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
5.  Mix cooked pasta into the sauce.

Enjoy with a glass of cold lemon iced tea!