Cooking Channel

I had a crazy weekend, one would think a three-day weekend would equal relaxing but for me that never happens.  I was offered a great opportunity to cater a 5-year old b-day.  I pretty much cooked from Friday to Sat for a Sat afternoon party.  I'm kicking myself but I didn't have time to take pics.  I even made a cake in shape of Mickey.  Since it was a kids b-day party, I was looking for kid friendly food but I handed a challenge.  I had to make everything low-fat.  That was a challenge for me because quite a bit of Filipino food and kids food is high in fat so I decided to alter recipes to reduce the fat.  For example, I made spaghetti I used whole wheat pasta.  I even had the opportunity to make Ube Halaya.  It was exhausting but completely worth it.  On Sunday, we were invited to The Brother's Girlfriend's house for a BBQ.  The Daughter had a ball.  She got a yard to run around and her god parents (The Brother, and The Girlfriend) playing with her.  We even watched Harry Potter (Yes, I'm completely obsessed with Harry Potter, BTW I am a 30 year-old mom :D).  Here we are on Monday, I was just flipping the channels and found the Cooking Channel.  I'm totally obsessed with all food network and I have been seeing commercials about the new Cooking Channel for a month now.  I got so excited when I found that it was available for us  The Husband than groaned when he heard the TV :D.  I'm am currently watch Rachel Allan: Bake!  I'm totally loving this show.  This channel is all about cooking.  You should check if it is available from your cable provider.  I don't think I'm leaving the house today :D  Hopefully my cousin has some pictures of all the food I made but I'm not sure.  I'll post them if I could get some :D

Added to my recipe box 5-28-2010

I have so many recipes I wanted to share with you guys this week but I actually do run out of things to say at times :D.  I saved close to 20 recipes this week.  My list keeps growing, I have been pondering tackling a recipe or two a week :D.  That would also force me to clean out my pantry.  I'll let you next week what my plan of attack will be to actually try some of these recipes.  I think I'm at 400 now :D.

 

I have been following Oggi's blog I can do That for a while now.  Quite a few of her recipe I have made in the kitchen.  Late last week, she made a baked spaghetti with corned beef.  She even made her own corned beef.  The Husband has been dying to try to make corned beef for a while now.  The spaghetti looks so good.  She even made a cream cheese bechamel. 

 

A new blog I have been following is IslandEat's Blog.  On Sunday, she posted a wonderful version of flan.  It is similar to a custard cake but instead she made a Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake with the flan on top.  The interesting part is the process.  She put the cake on the bottom of the pan, which I normally put it over the flan.  As the little cakes cooked, the cake moved to the top of the pan while the flan was on the bottom.  She even used cream cheese in the flan.  I thought that was an interest twist to flan. 

 

Growing up, I didn't get to eat the same things other kids my age did (I had a lot of allergies).  As I slowly grew out of my allergies, my taste buds tend to be one of a five year old.  I don't remember ever making chocolate chip cookies so I never had the opportunity to actually eat cookie dough until cookie dough ice cream came out.  I love that flavor.  When Per l'Amore del Cibo posted a recipe for cookie dough cupcakes, I had to save it.  It looks really good and I'm sure The Daughter would love it. 

 

Earlier this week, The Cooking Photographer shared a French Spring Soup recipe.  I was attracted to this soup mainly because of the ingredients.  It had potatoes, asparagus, and rice.  Since rice is a staple in my house, I already know The Daughter would eat it.  The nice part, it is perfect for a summer dinner out on the patio with a side salad. 

 

 

 

Pianono

When I was younger, there was this wonderful Filipino bakery.  Unfortunately, it closed around the time I graduated from high school (oh the memories).  One of the pastries we would always get is the Pianono.  This is a jelly roll filled with a custard cream and sprinkled with sugar.  It has always reminded me of a pancake.  I don't know why either, I have weird association to food and music.  There are many versions of this recipe.  I am still experimenting with my variation but I stumbled upon Kusina ni Manang version.  I liked how she used simple ingredients and the outcome was very similar to the one I had as a child. 

Yield: 1 Servings
Ingredients

    6 Eggs Separated
    6 Tbl Sugar
    6 Tbl Sifted flour

    Cream of Tartar

 

Directions

1. First beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until it is stiff. 
2. Than slowly add the sugar a tablespoon at a time.
3. Beat the egg yolks and than add them to the egg whites at a low speed.
4. When it is completely Incorporated, remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour, a tablespoon at a time.
5. Pour into a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. 
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 400F.
7. Let the cake cool and place it on a cloth (I used a towel covered in sugar) or parchment paper. 
8. Remove the original paper lining.
9. Spread your favorite custard or jam frosting over cake and roll.

Embutido

A couple months after The Baby was born, The Mother spent a month with us.  It was nice to have Grandma watch The Baby for a while and during that time she started to cook and show me some of her recipes.  This is around the time when I really started to explore my cooking and baking skills.  One of the things she showed me was embutido.  For those that doesn't know what it is, it is a Filipino meatloaf.   The main source of cooking this is steaming it and than you could fry or bake it if you like.  I personally like the steam version because it is generally healthier or at least I like to tell myself that one ;D.  Right before The Mother went back to California, she stocked me up with about 10 of them (they freeze beautifully).  This was a staple in my house for a long time.  Around Thanksgiving I attempted to make it and it was a huge hit (I have been meaning to post this for a while). 

 

Ingredients

1 Lb of Your Choice of Ground Meat (Beef, Chicken, etc)

1-2 Eggs

2 Carrots (Minced or Shredded)

1/2 Onion (Minced or Shredded)

2 Hard Boil Egg

2 Vienna Sausage or 1 Filipino Hot dog

A slice of Velveeta Cheese about 1/2 inch thick

Panko - Enough to bind

Salt and Pepper to taste.

 

Directions

1. First Mix together the ground meat, carrots, onions, and salt and pepper.  
2. Add the egg until it is fully incorporated.
3. Slowly add the panko until it binds well.   
4. Spread out the mixture on a sheet of foil (make sure the foil has at least 1 inch more than the meat mixture) into a shape of a rectangle.  I would say about 8 x 11. 
5. Take the egg and slice it in 4 equal pieces,than cut the sausages into two pieces, and than slice the cheese into a long cube. 
6. Make sure the longer end is facing you, place the eggs, sausage, and cheese about 2 inches from the bottom.   
7. Slowly roll up the end until it is a long tube.
8. Pinch the ends of the foil to make sure it is tightly sealed. 
9. Steam for about 15-20 minutes.
10. Let it rest for about 10 minutes and than slice.
11. Service with a side a rice :D.
    

 

Chicken with the Filipino hot dog

 

Beef version

May's Kulinarya Cooking Club - Pancit Luglug

I was so excited to hear what the theme was for this month.  I have never made pancit before.  I always had my friends or family who made it so I never had to make it.  When I heard the theme, I immediately called The Mother.  She told me the different ingredients but no measurements so bare with me on this one.  I had to go through the recipe about 3 times with her and the funny part, we were chatting on video chat as I was getting the recipe.  So just imagine myself trying to talk to The Mother and having her think about it, change her mind on the recipe and than skipping steps.  It was so much fun (*hint of sarcasm :D). 

Here is the "recipe"

Pancit Luglug

1 Block of Tofu

1 Onion

3 Cloves of Garlic

1/2 Lb of Bean Sprouts

2 Tsp of Grounded Annatto Seeds 

Water - A lot (this is The Mother's word)

2 Eggs Beaten

1/2 Head of Cabbage (In large strips)

1 Tbs of Flour

1 Tsp of Corn Starch

Palabok Noodles or in The Mother's Case, Spaghetti

Salt and Pepper to Taste

*You could add any veggies that you would like. 

Topping *if you would like

Hard Boiled Egg

Chicharron

Directions

1. 
   
   Cook the noodles (make sure it is not over cooked), rinse, and set it aside. 
2. 
   
   First dice the onion and garlic and saute it with the tofu in a large wok
3. 
   
   Add the cabbage and bean sprouts but do not cook it
4. 
   
    for too long.
5. 
   
   While that veggies are cooking, mix the annatto seeds with the water until it is fully incorporated.
6. 
   
   Strain out the broth and put it back into the wok.
7. 
   
   Mix together the corn starch and flour with a little flour until it is fully incorporated. 
8. 
   
   Turn on the heat to a medium and slowly add the egg, stir constantly.  It is a similar technique when you make egg drop soup.
9. 
   
   Add the flour-corn starch mixture to thicken.
10. 
    
    Take the noodles and put it in the separate bowl or the container you are going to serve it in.
11. 
    
    Mix in the veggies and tofu.
12. 
    
    Than pour the sauce.  Just use enough to coat, I used way too much.
13. 
    
    Top with the eggs or chicharron, which I couldn't because of The Baby.
14. 
    
    Serve.

 

This is The Mother's and probably My Lola's recipe.  I was able to get all the measurements I used, you could adjust it to your liking. 

Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipinio bloggers living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its cusines. Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.

If you are interested in joining our Kulinarya Cooking Club, please feel free to stop by our foodblog and leave a commnet - we would love to hear from you. 

The current members are:

Trish - Sugarlace

Kath - A Cup Cake or Two

Trissa - Trissalicious

Olive - Home Cooking and Baking

Caroline - When Adobo Met Feijoada

Ninette - Big Bold Beautiful Fod

Peach - The Peach Kitchen

Althea - Busog Sarap

Asha – Fork-Spoon -Knife

Malou - Skip to Malou

Cherrie – Sweet Cherrie Pie

Acdee - Confession Nook

Valerie – A Canadian Foodie

Sheryl – Crispy Waffle

Divina – Sense and Serendipity

Anna - Second Helpings

Dahlia - Energetic Chef

Dahlia - Energetic Chef

Maribel – foodgeek's diary

Tressa

Jen - Jen at Work

Pia – Inato Lang Filipino Cuisine and More

Blogger Secret Ingredient - Capers

This week's Blogger Secret Ingredient was hosted by Fuss Free Flavours and her choice was capers.  I was trying to figured out what to make all week.  I'm not a huge fan of capers so I had to inquire from a few of my friends.  My friend Anna, suggested to use it with fish.  I was initially going to make a baked fish with a caper sauce but the weather was so nice, I went out to grab some veggies to grill with the fish.  I settled on a caper salad dressing to coat a mixed vegetable side that had eggplant, zucchini, and squash.  The first recipe I found had red wine vinegar and honey mustard but to my frustration, I didn't have either so I had to search for another recipe. 

 

Lemon Caper Dressing

(adapted from Recipe Web Diaries)

Juice of one Meyer lemon
1 TBS Capers

1 Large Garlic Clove, Crushed
1 TSP Salt
1 TBS Honey

1 TBS Parsley, Minced
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

 

Directions

1. Mix together the Capers, Garlic, Salt, Honey, and Parsley. 
2. Once it is fulling incorporated, slowly whisk in the Olive Oil. 
3. Add the pepper to taste.

 

Grilled Mixed Veggies

1 Eggplant

1 Zucchini

1 Yellow Squash

 

Directions

1. Sliced all the vegetables about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Grill them until it is tender
3. Once it is grilled, dice to large cubs.
4. Add the dressing and toss.

 

Grilled Fish

Tilapia

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

 

Directions

1. Season to taste.
2. Coat with a little olive oil so it won't stick to the grill.
3. Grill for 10-15 minutes or until it is cooked.

 

 

Added to my recipe box 5-21-2010

For some reason, I tend to follow into a theme of recipes I want to save and search for.  This week has been mainly breads.  I find breads challenging and I always strive to get the perfect bread. 

 

Last week, The Village Cook shared a great breakfast bread.  She made a Strawberry-Vanilla Breakfast bread.   Who wouldn't want strawberry bread?  I wonder if it would be good with Chocolate like a chocolate covered strawberries.  Oh I must try this :D. 

 

A Cupcake or Two shared a great Swiss roll of chocolate, banana, and honeycomb.  It is chocolate heaven especially with a topping of a chocolate bar.  The interesting part, she used potato starch in the recipe.  You could use regular flour but the potato flour gives a different taste and texture. 

 

 On my ongoing battle with cleaning out my pantry I had to save a recipe that Frosted Rosepetals posted.  She shared with her readers a apricot cookie recipe.  The recipe was quite simple and it uses brown rice flour.  I love any reason to experiment with other types of flour. 

 

Last week, I had the change to try Panna Cotta.  I have never tried it prior and I loved it immediately.  I have always like creamy jellos.  Not so much the standard multi-color jello but the jello that is creamer as it is in Asian cooking.  Amazingly, Kitchenscraps posted a panna cotta recipe with mint and almond pesto.  I have this thing about trying different types of pesto.  I love variations and trying different combos.  Since this recipe offered two of my current interest, I had to save it in hopes I will try them soon. 

 

Meetings, Meetings, and more Meetings

Do you ever have one of those days when your professional life completely interrupts your personal life?  Today has been one of those days.  I have been stuck in meetings and all I want to do is search for recipes.  Yes, I know I should be working but I get most of my brain storming of recipes tend to be at work.  So as I am fidgeting and wishing I wasn't stuck in meetings, I ponder various recipes I would like to try or dishes I crave.  During my 9 in the morning meeting (btw this is my breakfast time, so by than I'm starving), I started to crave Filipino fruit salad that I made on Mother's Day.  This dish is one of those dishes that brings you back to your childhood and when I have it now, I try to pretend it is "healthy" for me minus the condense milk :D.  The recipe is pretty simple and I may make it tonight, if I get all the ingredients.

 

Filipino Fruit Salad

Ingredients

1 Can of Condense Milk

1 Package of Cream Cheese

2 Cans of Fruit Salad

2 Mangoes (diced)

1/2 A Jar of Macapuno (If you could get fresh, it would be better) 

1/2 A Jar of Sugar Palm Fruit or kaong

*You could put any fruit you would like.  I tend to put any fruit I have in the house.

 

Directions

1. Combine the condense milk and cream cheese completely.
2. Add the fruit to the condense milk mixture and incorporate thoroughly
3. Chill in until it is ready to be served.  I generally let it chill overnight.   

 

Now off to yet another meeting :(

May Kitchen Boot Camp - Sauces

As some of you know, I like challenges.  It forces me to explore various cooking methods and recipes that I wouldn't normally try.  My Kitchen Addiction decided to start hosting a kitchen boot camp.  We need to explore a book called Professional Chef.  It covers various cooking techniques.  This month's theme was sauces.  It seems simple enough but there are so many variations to sauces, I didn't know where to start.  Do I got with a sweet or savory sauce?  It was requested by The Husband to try to make pulled pork sandwiches.  It came to me, why not a Hawaiian BBQ sauce.  I was also craving Hawaiian macaroni salad.  If you haven't noticed, I have quite a sweet tooth so anytime I could use brown sugar, I do :D.  This is probably why I have issues losing weight.  Oh well, I'm enjoying life (at least I like to tell myself that).  These recipes I used utilized pineapple juice. 

 

Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 Cup of Pineapple juice

1 Can of Tomato Paste

2 Tbs of Molasses

Minced Garlic (Amount is up to you.  I did like 2 Cloves)

2 Tbs of Brown Sugar

 

Directions

1. Saute the garlic a little.
2. Mix all the ingredients together in a small sauce pot.
3. Let it simmer until it is thickens. 
4. Remove any pieces of garlic 

 

Pulled Pork

Ingredients

1.5 lbs of Pork Shoulder

4 Cups of Water

A Little Beef Bouillon

 

Directions

1. Mix the water and beef Bouillon until it is fully mixed.
2. Pour the mixture into a slow cooker.
3. Add the pork and let it run on low for 6-8 hours
4. The pork is done when it pulls apart with a spoon.  Start pulling apart the meat until it is shredded.
5. Mix in 1/2 of the BBQ sauce with the shredded meat and place in a heat safe dish like a casserole dish. 
6. Bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes until the sauce penetrates the meat.  *This step is optional

 

Macaroni salad

Ingredients

*These measurements is to my preference

15 Oz Mayo

1 Can Crushed Pineapple Without The Juice

1/4 Cup Pineapple Juice

2 Tbs of Sweet Relish

1 Box Macaroni

 

Directions

 

1. Cook the macaroni and than set aside to cool.
2. Mix together the rest of the ingredients. 
3. Take the mixture and start coating the macaroni.
4. Once it is fully coated, over with saran wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
5. Serve the next day. *We didn't wait but it was better the next day.

I can't wait for Summer!

 

I will always love Chicago but by the time April comes around, I can't wait for summer.  The best part of summer is the availability of various produce.  I am always craving fruit and veggies around this time of year.  The fresher the better.  Last week, I was trying to figure out what to make for dessert on Friday.  I try to make a traditional family dinner very Friday and when I was trying to figure out what to make, The Husband asked if I could make key lime pie.  I had majority of the ingredients already so I figured why not.  I just have to get limes.  I did do a little twist for this recipe.  I added coconut to the crust, for some reason I have an abundance amount of coconut. 

 

Key Lime Pie with a Coconut Crust

Ingredients

3 Egg Yolks

1/2 Cup of Lime Juice (I was suppose to use key limes but I couldn't find any)

Grated Lime Zest (Up to your preference.  I would say from 1 to 3 teaspoons)

1 Can of Condense Milk

1 Tsp of Vanilla

1 3/4 Cup of Crusted Graham Cracker

1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar

1 Cup of Coconut Flakes

4-5 Tbs of Melted Butter

1 Tbs of Flour

1 Tsp of Salt

 

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a pie pan.
2. Place the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, coconut flakes, flour, and salt in a food processor or mixer.
3. Once all the ingredients are fully incorporated, slowly add the butter until it starts to bind together.
4. Take the mixture and press the dough into the pie pan.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes until it looks pretty solid and a little dryer in texture.
6. Cool the crust. 
7. While the crust cools, take the egg yolks and start to whip them until it lightens in color.
8. Once the color lightens, add the condense milk and vanilla. 
9. Once that is fully mixed, add the lime juice and the zest.
10. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and bake for 10 minutes until the filling set.

 

Mellow Bakers - Corn Bread

Another challenge for Mellow Bakers was Corn bread.  I know, you must think I was just making the traditional sweet corn bread.  Oh no, it wasn't the case for this it was actually a yeast-based corn bread.  In the book Bread it was on page 139.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the book yet and it is still on order so I had to use a different recipe.  I used Apple Pie, Patis, & Pate's Yeast-Raised Cornbread with Brown butter without the brown butter.  It was an experience because these types of bread intimidate me.  The initial step took about 16 hours.  I allowed the yeast to rise with equal parts of flour to water.  I had to read the instructions multiple times to make sure I got the measurements right.  It only required 1/8Th teaspoon.  That surprised me quite a bit and I wondered if I did it correctly.  I looked the next day and it rose quite a bit.   I was very excited.  16 hours later, I started to work with the rest of the dough.  I did make a mistake in the first two steps.  I added the flour early and I didn't realized that the corn meal needed to soak in the water for 15 minutes prior adding the rest of the ingredients.  I realized that after I added the flour so I let it sit there for 15 minutes.  I added the rest of the ingredients and than kneaded it.  The dough needed to be knead three times and letting it rest for almost 4 hours.  I observed the growth and how the dough changed throughout the whole process.  It amazed me.  Trying this recipe made me realized I just needed to be patient and that I shouldn't be intimidated. 

 

 

Added to my recipe box 5-15-2010

I meant to post this yesterday but I was actually trying to be a good student and try to get my homework done ahead of time.  I can't wait until I'm done.  One more year, one more year. 

 

This week, I found so many recipes I wanted to attempt.  Luckily, my friend Anna shared a copy of her Dessert Magazine.  I tried very hard to copy each recipe.   If you have a chance to pick it up, I would.  This focused on Asian ingredients like matcha.  

 

This week Healthy Delicious shared a wonderful potato salad recipe that did not include mayo.  Yes, you heard me right.  No mayo.  Instead of using mayo, she used Greek yogurt.  What a nifty way to reduce the amount of fat and still enjoy potato salad.

 

Food Practice shared a nice twist to pesto.  She was trying to clean out her fridge and decided to create a new recipe.  I know that feeling.  I have been trying to work through my freezer and pantry for months.  This week she created a pistachio cranberry pesto.  I am so used to pine nuts but this a nice change to the norm.

 

When I was in Miami, I had the pleasure of trying some Venezuelan food.  One of the dishes I tried was Arepas.  I have been craving that since.  I was catching up on the various blogs on FoodBuzz and the Village Cook posted a Arepas recipe.  I was so excited.  I can't wait to try this.

 

Lately, I had this love affair with goat cheese and figs.  When How Sweet Eats posted a goat cheese and honey stuffed fig muffin, I had to copy down this recipe.  I liked how she incorporated olive oil.  I have been searching for some good recipes that utilize olive oils in sweets. 

 

 

Grissini - Mellow Bakers

When I first started to blog, I would hear about these various challenges.  I have always wanted to participate but I would miss when the first month.  This time I decided just to dive in and have a go at it.  I joined the Mellow Bakers.  I have been trying to improve my bread making skills and I thought this was a perfect way to do this.  My first attempt was Grissini from the book Jeffrey Hamelman's book Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes.  Grissini is an Italian bread stick made with olive oil and garlic.  This is probably the easiest bread I ever made.  Especially since I didn't have to wait hours for it to proof.  Automatically, I am very sensitive how the yeast is treated and I was able to put everything in the mixer and let it just rock and roll.  The Daughter adored them and out of the 2 dozen I made, I think only 3 remain.  I think next time, I would try making a sweet version. 

 

 

Please feel free to join us.

Honey Mustard Baked Chicken

 

As always, I was reading my long list of blogs and I noticed a challenge.  I'm slowly getting a hang of blogging and I found I enjoy the various food challenges.  Jenn Cuisine was hosting a challenge to utilize honey in a recipe.   Each week there is a secret ingredient (Iron Chef and Chopped come to mind) and the winner for the week gets to pick the next ingredient.  I went on a mission to hunt for a recipe.  I wanted to do a honey biscuit but when I tried it, I didn't put enough cream and so it didn't turn out as well.  So last night, I was looking through a few cookbooks I borrowed from the library.  I just remembered the other day I made some honey mustard baked chicken.  Yes, honey!  I spent two days looking for a recipe to reference and I didn't realized I made something recently.  I initially made this in attempt to use up the stuff in my freezer and pantry (I tend to over buy).  Since I have been on a semi-health kick, I figured I'll do a baked chicken.  I did use chicken legs just mainly because that is what I had in the house but a whole chicken would have been better or even just wings.

 

Ingredients

1 Lb of Skinless Chicken

6 Tbs of Dijon Mustard

6 Tbs of Honey

Panko to coat

Olive Oil

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 400F degrees.
2. Prepare a baking pan with foil and pour a light amount of olive oil to prevent sticking.
3. Mix the mustard and honey together.
4. Pour the panko into a plate.
5. Dip the chicken into the honey mustard mixture.
6. Coat the chicken in panko.  Make sure you over the whole thing.
7. Place on the baking pan.
8. Cook for about 30 minutes or until it reaches 180F.  I used a meat thermometer to be on the safe side.
9. Serve

Kare Kare - Oxtail Peanut Butter Stew

This is my ultimate favorite dish.  I used to beg The Father to make this all the time.  I used to hid the leftovers so I could have it all to myself.  When The Parents moved away, I would beg them to make it when I would go to California.  There are many variations of the dish but I had to make it like The Father and my Lola used to.  I had a basic understanding how the recipe was but I finally got the recipe out of The Mother.  Even The Husband liked it.  It was much to my disappointment that The Daughter is allergic to nuts so unfortunately, I am unable to make it as much.  I really don't have measurements for this since it is per taste.  This recipe is one of their many recipes when The Parents tell me, just a little or it is up to you comment when I ask them about measurements.   

 

Ingredients

Oxtail (I used 2 packs because The Husband likes the meat)

Onion

Beef Tripe

Garlic

Beef Bouillon

Eggplant

String Beans

Napa Cabbage

Sazon by Goya or any brand you like

Salt and Pepper

 

 Directions

1. Boil the oxtail with onion and garlic.  The use of a pressure cooker is great for this.  In my cause, I used a slow cooker and I left it for about 6 hours.  Oxtail is quite tough so it takes a long time to cook.
2. Once the oxtail is tender, add the tripe and cook for a 5-10 minutes.  Do not overcook it.
3. After the meat is cook, remove from the pot but keep the liquid for later.
4. Take the meat and saute it in a wok or large skillet add the chicken bouillon and sazon (to taste) and more garlic and onions. 
5. Once the meat browned slightly add the veggies.  Start with the string beans, the egg plant and lastly the napa cabbage. 
6. Once everything is sauteed together, add the peanut butter, broth from earlier and pepper to taste. 
7. Serve over rice. 

 

*For The Daughter, I set aside some meat and veggies so she is able to try it.

This one was for The Daughter

 

This was for the rest of The Family

Lemon Curd

Sometime last year, my friend Anna had some left over lemon curd she brought into work.  We used to look forward to any of her left over food when she had a cake order :D.  I never actually had lemon curd before and I totally fell in love with it.  Especially when I spread it over a flaky croissant.  Sweet and a little sour at the same time.  Since than, I have been a little obsessed making Lemon Curd.  When ever I have left over lemons, I always make it.  I tend it use it quite a bit in jelly rolls. 

 

Lemon Curd
1 Stick of unsalted Butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
½ Cup Lemon Juice
4 Large Eggs Beaten

1. Put butter, sugar, juice, and zest into a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water or you could use a double boiler.  That is what I used.
2. Let butter melt, then gradually whisk in the beaten eggs.
3. Cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens.  If you don't continually stir, trust me, there are clumps and it is not as smooth as it should be. 
4. Once it thickens, remove the bowl or top pot from the water and let it cool.
5. Transfer the curd into a clean jar and bring it to room temperate.
6. Once at room temperature, you are able to refrigerate it up to a couple of weeks if it lasts that long. 

Happy Mother's Day!

My Auntie Glady and The Daughter

 

As some you know, I completed a 5K for Chicago's Empower walk for Breast Cancer.  It was a great event even thought it was really, really, really early in the morning.  I enjoyed the event and it was great to spend time with my aunt and uncle.  It is amazing how many people were there. 

Before the walk, we started on Columbus right by Lake Shore Drive and Grant park.

 

 

 

 

We were waiting to take our group picture.  Btw, it was really cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Daughter was wrapped as a burrito to keep her warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the many great buildings in Chicago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Husband, The Daughter, and myself before the walk.

 

 

 

 

 

The Daughter loving seeing all the people and displays.

 

 

 

 

 

Myself, My friend Christianne, and My auntie Glady

 

 

 

 

 

We released balloons for all the mothers out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We started in the middle of the crowd of people and it took us about 20 minutes before we even crossed the start.  The first set of people were runners and the rest were walkers.

 

 

 

 

There were so many people, it was great to see the amount of support there was. 

 

 

 

The Daughter sitting on daddy instead of walking

 

 

 

This picture doesn't do it justice on the amount of people walking.  There is actually two sets, approaching the 2 Mile mark and almost finished.  By the time I took this picture, I was almost done.

 

 

It took us about 1 hour and 20 minutes to finish the walk.  My legs felt like jello and my feet were hurting quite a bit.  It was all worth it!

 

 

 

 

 

Myself and my friend Christianne at the finish line.

 

 

 

 

The Daughter fell asleep as soon as she got in the car.  The husband was smart and put cushion next to her head.  That is why she kinda looks like Princess Leah. 

 

It was a great way to spend my Mother's day Morning.  For the rest of the day, I laid on my living room floor trying not to move :D  I know it is a bit late, but Happy Belated Mother's Day!