PINEAPPLE SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS
This is one of those fast meals that I whip up when I don't have much time to spend in the kitchen. What's nice about this recipe is you can skip making the meatballs from scratch and use the frozen Italian or Swedish meatballs in the freezer. Of course, if you're feeling like Martha Stewart, then by all means, go ahead and make it from scratch. :o) I found the original recipe online but tweaked it to suit my taste. I added catsup (the sauce needed more color), lessened the brown sugar (too sweet) and vinegar (too sour), etc. That's what's good about cooking, you can change a recipe according to your taste. Here's my final (for now) recipe:


Pineapple Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs:

This is a Roast Pork dish that is usually served by our catering business in Pasig. It's simple to make yet elegant enough to serve in parties.You have to start with a good cut of lean Pork Loin, it has to be large enough so it won't disintegrate when you cut it after it had been tenderized. We don't have a special name for this dish. We call this dish 'pork loin with mushroom sauce'. Big thanks to my mom for teaching me how to make this dish.

Ingredients:
1 large slab of lean Pork Loin
salt and pepper
4 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 can of small tomato paste
5 cups of chicken stock
1 stick of butter
1 small onion, minced
2 tbsp flour
1 cup broth from the cooked pork loin
1 small can of Cream of Mushroom (use regular not low fat)
1 cup grated cheese (any kind)

Wash and dry the pork loin. Season with salt and pepper. Heat cooking oil in a large pot, brown all sides of the pork loin. Add the tomato paste and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved. Cook until the pork loin is tender, stirring the pot once in a while and adding chicken stock if the liquid becomes too low. Set aside 1 cup of the broth to be used in the next step.

Heat the oven to 350 deg F.

In a smaller pot, in medium heat, add butter. When butter is melted, saute the onions until it's cooked but not browned. Add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Then add the broth (that was set aside from the pork loin) a little at a time to prevent lumps. Wait for it to boil. When it's boiling, add the Cream of Mushroom and stir thoroughly.

Take the roast pork loin and cut it into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside. In a pyrex dish, pour 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom. Arrange the roast pork loin slices in the pyrex dish. Pour more sauce on top of the pork loin. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the pork loin. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, just enough for the pork to be reheated through and the cheese to melt. Serve with rice.
SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL HERE

Someone emailed me and asked me for a quick recipe that can be made with vegetables and meat. This is my 'fall back' dish whenever I'm in a rush or just too lazy to think of what to cook for dinner. This very basic dish can be made with any available ingredients in your fridge. For this recipe, I used beef tri-tips and broccoli. I blanched the broccoli in boiling water for one minute to keep the bright green color. You can adjust the amount of oyster sauce depending on your taste and the kind of chicken stock you use (canned stock are already salty.)

2 long strips of beef tri-tip, sliced thinly about 2-in. long
2 bunches of broccoli, cut into pieces and blanched for 1-min. in boiling water
1/4 onion, sliced thinly
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp Oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand, for example)
2 tsp Chinese rice wine (or sweet rice wine like Mirin)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of chili pepper flakes (optional)
1 tbsp canola oil

Mix oyster sauce, rice wine, sugar, cornstarch, chicken broth, sesame oil and ground pepper, set aside. Heat oil in a large pan or skillet. Saute garlic and onions over medium heat until limp. Add beef strips and chili pepper flakes, cook until no longer pink (this cooks quickly since it is sliced thin). Add broccoli pieces, and cook until broccoli stalk is tender but still crunchy, about 4 minutes or less. Add the sauce mixture, stir and mix until it thickens, about 1-1/2 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.

Tip: I purchase the family-size beef tri-tips pack and use the FoodSaver vacuum system to re-pack it in small portions, each pack is just enough for one dish.
SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL HERE

As with most Filipino food, Caldereta originated in Spain. They have the same dish and almost all the ingredients are similar with the exception of Cinnamon stick, which is called for in the Spanish recipe. This dish can be made with beef, goat meat or even chicken. I prefer using beef for my version of Caldereta. Some recipes call for the use of vinegar as a marinade, along with salt, garlic and pepper. This is advisable if you are using a tough part of the beef as vinegar acts as a meat tenderizer.

Browning the beef as the first step of the cooking is very important. Do not use a non-stick pot or pan for this since you want the brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan. These will add a lot of flavor to your Caldereta (or any kind of beef stew). Instead of tomato sauce, I prefer to use tomato paste (about 2-3 tbsp depending on how much water you add and how much sauce you want at the end) since I find that the resulting sauce has more depth and flavor. It is also important to let it simmer for a long time since this will allow all the flavors to meld and make the sauce thicker (you don't want a sauce that is watery).

The nice thing about Caldereta is you can omit some or most of the ingredients. As long as you have beef and tomato sauce, you'll still end up with a good dish. It's okay if you don't have liver sauce or olives or green peas. I for one do not add green peas, just because dh does not like it. If you like a Caldereta with a kick, add some chili pepper flakes or chili peppers.

This recipe is a combination of recipes from my mom, aunts and cook books. You can tweak this recipe to accomodate your taste

BEEF CALDERETA

2 lbs beef cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups water
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
additional 2 1/2 cups water
3 medium-sized potatoes, quartered
1 large carrot, chopped
1 red Bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup canned liver spread
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup whole olives (optional)
Chili pepper flakes (optional)

- Marinate the beef in soy sauce, garlic and pepper for at least 1 hour. Drain and reserve the marinade.
- Heat the oil in a large pot.
- Fry the beef cubes until brown in all sides. Set aside.
- Add the onion and saute until limp.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce and reserved marinade.
- Bring to boil and then lower the heat to simmer until the beef cubes are tender (approximately 1 1/2 hours). Add more water if needed. You should end up with an oily and thick sauce just like what is shown in the photo at the right. Skim the fat off the sauce.
- Add potatoes and carrot, cook for 10 minutes.
- Add Bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add salt if needed.
-Serve over rice.

Subscribe to receive more recipes by email. You will only get emails when there is a new recipe posted. No SPAM or adverts. SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL HERE

You would think that the best Prime Rib I've ever tasted was in some fancy restaurant in San Francisco or Boston. It wasn't. Dh and I were visiting friends in Kingman, Arizona and we went to this restaurant on top of the mountain. It is not a fancy schmanzy restaurant with waiters dressed in black-tie. It is just your run-of-the-mill mom and pop run place. But wait till you try their Prime Rib, it just melted in your mouth. THE BEST!

After that experience, I've always been in the hunt for the perfect recipe. I'm an avid-watcher of Alton Brown's show 'Good Eats' on the Food Network. He did a show on Prime Rib. If you've watched Alton, you know that he uses a variety of techniques. Some of his techniques and/or tools will make you scratch your head and wonder if that will really work. This is one of those shows, he used a terra-cotta pot to cover the meat. If I had a clean one with no plants in it, I would've probably tried it too. But then, I don't have a clean one so I just used a regular roast pan with a cover.

I cooked this standing rib roast for Easter Dinner. I bought a four-bone roast which is more than enough for our family. I adjusted the cooking time since we want our meat medium. The ends of the prime rib came out medium-well which is just right for the kids.

Dry-Aged Standing Rib Roast

I received a tag from Liz of Mommy's Little Corner. :)

We had Ceasar Salad and Baked Ham last night (Holy Saturday) for dinner. Ceasar Salad is our favorite, we actually have this served in our wedding reception at Wente Vineyards restaurant. They served the hearts of Romaine whole with Parmesan shavings and croutons.

I like to make the Ceasar dressing from scratch. To limit the risk of Salmonella (the original recipe calls for raw egg yolk), I use the yolk from a soft-boiled egg.

Ceasar Salad Dressing

1 egg yolk
2 gloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 pcs. anchovy fillets, chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Romaine lettuce
Croutons
Parmesan cheese shavings

In a blender or food processor, place egg yolk, garlic, Dijon mustard, anchovies, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper. Blend for 20 seconds until smooth. With the motor running, add the extra-virgin olive oil slowly to make the dressing thick & creamy.

Drizzle over the Romaine lettuce and croutons. Top with Parmesan shavings.

Pineapple Glazed Ham

To celebrate my dh's Irish heritage, I always serve Corned Beef for St. Patrick's Day (March 17). This is one of those 'no-brainer' dishes that is very easy to prepare. Corned Beef in the Philippines always comes in a can. :) Fresh Corned Beef here in the US is completely different. Most Corned Beef sold in the grocery stores are the 'brisket' kind and that is what I have been using years before. This year though, I'm using the 'eye round' part of the beef which is much leaner. I personally prefer the brisket but dh ends up taking out a lot of it out because of the fat.

The Corned Beef is placed in a pot of water and brought to boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for three to four hours until fork-tender. I also cook the potatoes with the Corned Beef. Make sure you add the potatoes while the water is still cold. If you add the potatoes when the water is already boiling, you will end up with potatoes that are mushy on the outside but still hard on the inside. Cabbage is also part of the dinner and green beans, if you prefer.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! :)

If there would be a 'national dish' for Filipinos, I think Adobo would be on top of that list, would you agree? There are different variations of Adobo, depending on which part of the country you're from. Is Humba considered Adobo? It would seem so, they taste the same unless of course it's the version with the black beans.

Adobo is a favorite 'baon' whenever we go on vacation while I was growing up. In the summer, on the way to Baguio or going to the beach. I remember stopping for lunch and there would always be Adobo and kanin along with the sandwiches and chitchiria. It's good to eat even though it's cold, isn't it?

In Pasig, where I'm from, my grandmother will sometimes cook a different version of Adobo. All of the ingredients are the same except for the addition of tomatoes. This results in a more sweeter and tangy Adobo. Instead of putting everything in the pot, the garlic, onions and tomatoes are sauteed first. Then when it's all soft and wilted, the meat is added and sauteed until you see it cooking in it's own juices. The liquid is then added (water, vinegar and soy sauce). It is simmered until the meat is cooked/tender. After it is done, I put it in the oven and broil it until brown. I like it browned and crispy. It can also be done on the stove top but I don't like to deal with the splattering oil. Too messy and hot oil hurts.

I've been trying to make Humba the way my cousin from the province makes it. Her version is dry, no liquid left unless you call the loads of fat liquid. LOL The resulting meat is tender and sweet. Although I can feel my arteries getting clogged while eating the pork. That was before, now I rarely eat the fat portion of the meat unless of course I'm eating Lechon.

Here is the Adobo recipe I used:

Adobo ng Pasig

1 lb. pork, chopped into medium-sized pieces
1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water
6 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp whole peppercorns
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp oil

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and onions, saute until tender.
Add the tomatoes and cook until it is soft.
Add pork and soy sauce, saute until you see some liquid from the pork.
Add water and let it boil for about 15 minutes.
Add the vinegar (do not mix - let it boil for 10 min).
Let simmer until pork is fork tender.
Drain cooked pork and set aside the adobo sauce.
Place pork pieces in a pyrex dish.
Broil in the oven until the outside of the pork is brown. It is very important to always check on the pork since it will brown quickly.
Add the sauce back into the pork.
Serve over steamed rice.

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL HERE

This is a Roast Pork dish that is usually served by our catering business in Pasig. It's simple to make yet elegant enough to serve in parties. The taste is not exotic for non-Filipinos and Americans who have tasted this dish liked it.

You have to start with a good cut of lean Pork Loin, it has to be large enough so it won't disintegrate when you cut it after it had been tenderized. We don't have a special name for this dish. We call this dish 'roast pork'. Big thanks to Mommy for teaching me how to make this dish.

Ingredients:
1 large slab of lean Pork Loin
salt and pepper
4 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 can of small tomato paste
5 cups of chicken stock
1 stick of butter
1 small onion, minced
2 tbsp flour
1 cup broth from the cooked pork loin
1 small can of Cream of Mushroom (use regular not low fat)
1 cup grated cheese (any kind)

Wash and dry the pork loin. Season with salt and pepper. Heat cooking oil in a large pot, brown all sides of the pork loin. Add the tomato paste and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved. Cook until the pork loin is tender, stirring the pot once in a while and adding chicken stock if the liquid becomes too low. Set aside 1 cup of the broth to be used in the next step.

Heat the oven to 350 deg F.

In a smaller pot, in medium heat, add butter. When butter is melted, saute the onions until it's cooked but not browned. Add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Then add the broth (that was set aside from the pork loin) a little at a time to prevent lumps. Wait for it to boil. When it's boiling, add the Cream of Mushroom and stir thoroughly.

Take the roast pork loin and cut it into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside. In a pyrex dish, pour 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom. Arrange the roast pork loin slices in the pyrex dish. Pour more sauce on top of the pork loin. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the pork loin. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, just enough for the pork to be reheated through and the cheese to melt. Serve with rice.

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL HERE

I had a craving for Empanadas the other day and no, I'm not pregnant. LOL My best friend's mom makes the best empanadas, I was talking to my best friend on the phone and in our conversation she mentioned that she's learning how to make it. After that phone call, I can't get the thought of empanadas out of my mind. I know, bad for my waistline. hehehe

Anyways, off I went to the grocery and bought the ingredients. I have to admit that I cheated on the pastry part, I didn't make it from scratch. Hey, I'm a mom to a 6yo and a 17-month old! I don't have much time to slave in the kitchen. LOL I used the ready-made pie pastry, the roll-up kind. I just cut it in rounds and filled it with the sauteed filling. Then just before baking, I brush the pastry with a mixture of egg and a tablespoon of milk to get that yellowish color on top.
Here is the Empanada recipe I used:

Empanadas

3 cups of ground meat
1/2 small onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 potato, minced
1 cup raisins (you can adjust this to your taste)
salt and pepper
1 pkg of double pastry crust
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp of milk

Preheat the oven to 400degrees. Heat a tablespoon of oil. Fry the potatoes until soft, set aside. Saute the onions until it's wilted but not brown. Add the carrots and ground meat. Cook until the meat turns brown. Add the potatoes and raisins. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool down.

Roll out the pastry crust and cut into circles. Fill each rounds with about 2 tablespoons of the cooked meat mixture, do not overfill since this will cause the empanadas to crack. Crimp the edges together to form a tight seal. Brush the empanadas with the egg and milk mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

It's a simple recipe, you can tweak it anyway you want. Add whatever vegetables you have at the moment, any ground meat, season it and wrap it in any kind of pastry and voila! You've got a delicious empanada. Enjoy!

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL HERE