Mother's day

It's been a while since I last posted something. I have been busy scrambling with my household chores and keeping up with my two little ones especially with my 8 month old son. He started crawling and he has been an inquisitive baby. I had to follow him everywhere. At the end of an exhausting day, all I wanted is to crawl to bed and sleep in peace. How I wish! Oh well, my lovely baby wakes up at least twice at night. Aren't we glad babies are cute? Or else... :-P

Thank God mother's day existed. I found a reason for "Me" time without really being guilty leaving my baby to my hubby. The day was spent to zumba class, brunch and shopping with great friends. It was a relaxing day that I was so recharged to once again tackle motherhood.

With the two kids, fancy dinner for mother's day is not in our list. We had a simple lunch at a hole in the wall Taiwanese restaurant called Coco's Cafe. They have the best pearl drinks. Lychee Slushie, Thai Ice Tea and Cappuccino Smoothie are my favorites. They also serve lunch and dinner and they are good. I love their curry fried chicken, onion pancake, fried tofu and spicy beef noodle soup.

curry fried chicken

fried tofu

my 4 year old son slurping pineapple slushie with pearls

hubby savoring the spicy beef noodles

Farfalle with Tuna

Niko : "What's for dinner, mama?"
Me : "Pasta!"
Niko : "Spaghetti?"
Me : "No, Farfalle with Tuna!"

Sounds fancy ha? Saying the word "farfalle" makes you feel like a top chef.  It'll impress your family.

Well, "farfalle" is just another word for bow-tie pasta. Don't get intimidated by the name of the dish. This is as easy as making spaghetti with meat sauce.


INGREDIENTS :

1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2  14.5oz cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup dry white wine (you can substitute with chicken stock or water)
1  14.5oz can black pitted olives, drained and sliced
3 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2   6oz cans tuna in olive oil
1 lb/16oz dried farfalle/bow-tie pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Saute the garlic and onions until onions are tender and translucent.
2. Add the canned tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the dry white wine and simmer for a minute. Stir in the olives and oregano. Cover pan and let it simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, cook the farfalle per instructions on the package. Save 1/4 cup of the water used to boil pasta. Drain the pasta and transfer to a bowl.
4. Flake the tuna (you can drain the tuna to remove excess oil if you wish) and add it together with the 1/4 cup pasta water to the simmering sauce. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste. Let the sauce simmer for few more minutes until the tuna is heated through.
5. Pour the tuna sauce over the pasta and toss. Garnish with fresh oregano or parsley to make it look like a professional chef made it.
6. Serve, say the name of the dish (Farfalle with Tuna!) and let your family enjoy your fancy pasta!

Baked Chicken Nuggets

One of any mom's challenge is what to feed our kids. I am lucky to have kids who will eat almost anything I put on the table. Yet I still ran out of ideas on what to feed them. I have to admit, I am sometimes guilty of feeding them with chicken nuggets from a fast food chain. Well, they never say "no" to chicken nuggets.

So I thought, how would I make it homemade and a little bit healthier? I used chicken breast on this recipe and baked them. The only not so healthy part is the little butter I used. You can use eggs to substitute the butter.

I hope your little ones will love this.

INGREDIENTS

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into nugget size pieces
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 Tbs dried basil (or Italian seasoning)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup melted butter
olive oil

1. Grease a baking sheet and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
2. Meanwhile, mix parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Dip chicken nuggets in butter and then coat them with bread crumbs mixture.
3. Place coated chicken nuggets in a single layer on the greased baking sheet.
4. Drizzle some olive oil over the chicken nuggets.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

TIP : You can make a big batch, place in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze them. When you need them, just heat them (yes no thawing needed) in a preheated 375 deg F oven (I use my toaster oven most of the time) for 12 to 15 minutes. It'll be as good as when they were freshly baked.

Pork and Cabbage Dumpling

INGREDIENTS

Dumpling Filling :

1 lb ground pork (80% lean, 20% fat)

2 stalk scallions, minced

1 tbs rice wine

2 tbs light soy sauce

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp salt

2 cups of minced cabbage (You can also use napa cabbage or bokchoy)

1 pkg (about 50) dumpling wrapper shanghai-style (gyoza or potsticker wrapper can also be used)

Water to boil the dumpling

Water to seal the wrapper

Dumpling dip :

3 tbs light soy sauce

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tbs minced ginger

1 tsp sesame oil

1. Put the cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle 1 tsp of salt. Toss. Let it sit for at least 10 min.

2. Combine the ground pork, scallions, ginger, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper.

3. Using your hands, squeeze the liquid out of  the cabbage one handful at a time. You can also put the cabbage on a cheese cloth, kitchen towel or paper towel and squeeze the liquid out.

4. Add the squeezed cabbage to the pork mixture and mix until combined.

3. Wrap the dumpling filling with the dumpling wrapper. See photos below on how to wrap the dumplings.Set them aside and cover it with damp cloth or paper towel to prevent the wrappers from drying.

4. Fill a large pot with 2/3 of water and bring to a boil.

5. Gently slide the dumplings in the boiling water (do not overcrowd the pot. Do them in multiple batches). Return to simmer and gently cook for 6-8 minutes. They will start to float. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot.

6. Return water to boil and repeat with the next batch of dumplings with procedure 5.

7. Serve with the dipping sauce. To make the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients and whisk.

8. I usually serve this with hot and sour soup, egg drop soup or miso soup and it's dinner.

9. Enjoy!

 ***note : you can store the dumplings in the freezer after step 3 if you want to prepare them in advance. You can thaw them in the ref  before cooking or cook them straight from the freezer.

HOW TO WRAP A DUMPLING

Put 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper.

Dip your finger into the water and wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper into half-moon shape, squeeze out the air and press the edges to seal the wrapper.

Wet the middle edge of the wrapper and fold three times and press to create pleats.

Asparagus and Beef Stir-fry

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetable. I would buy it as often as I could. I usually roast them  seasoned with salt and pepper but it gets boring after a while. This vegetable is a bit pricey. On my weekly food shopping last Sunday, price was at $0.99/lb. It was a bargain. I had to include it in my dinner menu and so I came up with this dish. It is a fuss-free healthy recipe as a roasted asparagus and the result looks better than a Chinese take-out.

INGREDIENTS :

1/2 lb thinly sliced beef sirloin

1 lb asparagus, sliced into 2 in length

1 orange bell pepper (you can also use red or yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1/2 of a medium onion, sliced thin

1 medium carrots, sliced thin

4 medium fresh shitake or white mushrooms, sliced

2 stalks of scallions (white and greens separated)

2/3 cups of water

2 tbs soy sauce

1 small (3.7 g) beef bouillon

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp of water

1 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

1/4 tsp sriracha or sambal oelek (optional)

1. Mix water, beef bouillon and soy sauce in a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat 1/2 tbs of olive oil in a skillet at high heat. Add onion and stir-fry for a minute. Add carrots, asparagus and bell pepper. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir-fry until cooked but still crisp. Transfer stir-fried vegetables in a bowl.

3. Add the remaining olive oil in the skillet and heat. Add beef and whites of the scallions.Stir-fry until beef is just about to turn brown.

4. Add the mushrooms, soy sauce mixture and sriracha or sambal oelek . Let the sauce boil. Adjust seasoning according to taste.

5. Return the stir-fried vegetables to the pan and mix. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir constantly until sauce thickens.

6. Turn of heat. Transfer to a plate and garnish with the remaining green parts of the scallions.

7. Serve with hot steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Saucy Soft Tofu

Tofu is a good source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and  iron. It is also low in fat and calories. It is a healthy alternative to meat. Since tofu does not have a strong flavor like meats do, the challenge is how to make it taste good. Firm tofu is delicious when it's deep-fried or added to stir-fried dishes. So what to do with soft tofu? I like adding them to stir-fried dishes like the firm tofu. They are also yummy on soups.

Saucy Soft Tofu (I just made-up the name) , sweet and savory, will hopefully delight your taste buds on tofu.

INGREDIENTS:

14oz soft tofu, cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs rice wine
2 tbs soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp water
1 stalk green onions plus additional for garnishing, sliced diagonally
1/2 inch ginger, sliced thinly
1/2 tsp sesame oil

1. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, chicken stock and sugar. Set aside.
2. Put soft tofu in a pan in one layer. Top with the ginger and green onions. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the pan.
3. Turn on the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the cooked soft tofu in a plate.
5. Add the cornstach dissolved in water to the sauce. Stir until it thickens. Turn off the heat. Drizzle the sesame oil into the sauce.
6. Pour the sauce into the cooked soft tofu. Garnish with green onion.
7. Serve and enjoy a healthy meal.

Banana Raspberry Cupcake

Besides cooking, I have always wanted to learn how to bake. I bought my first baking utensils and oven when I quit my job waiting for my US visa. I wanted a hobby to keep me preoccupied. My first attempt was baking a banana loaf. I found a recipe and thought that if I follow it down to the T, I will have a moist scrumptious banana bread. Oh yes, moist! The bread came out of the oven looking great. I sliced it and so excited to take a bite of it. In the middle of the bread was more than moist, it was very sloppy...down the trash it went. But that didn't stop me from baking again. Second attempt was brownies. This time, it'll be better I thought. Not! I baked a brownie that was inedible. It was hard as a brick. I didn't bake for a while.

I later realized what went wrong...I was ignorant of baking 101. With the TV, Internet and books as my teachers, I learned. I started baking boxed cake and brownie mixes at first until I got comfortable. I challenged myself that I can bake something from scratch. Banana bread was the first successful baked good I have made.

I got this recipe from a cookbook. I changed some of the ingredients, cut down the amount of sugar and changed it to cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS :
3/4 cup butter, softened (at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
2 eggs at room temperature, well-beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chopped pecans
cupcake papers (about 24 pcs)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add mashed bananas, raspberry preserves and eggs. Mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Fold in pecans into the mixture.
6. Line muffin pans with cupcake paper. Scoop the batter into the paper-lined muffins, about 2/3 full. 
    Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes (note that every oven varies). You know they're
    done when you insert a toothpick in the cupcake and it comes out clean.
7. Cool the cupcakes in a rack.
8. Enjoy and satisfy your sweet tooth!

Beef Tacos

Tacos for dinner? Why not? It is a great way to bring fun in the dining table and deviate from the usual dinners.

This is so easy and fast to make. You only need to cook the beef which will take you less than 10 minutes. Serve the beef mixture and toppings in separate bowls and let everyone build their own tacos.

INGREDIENTS :
1 lb ground sirloin beef (I use 90%lean/10% fat)
12 jumbo taco shells (corn tortillas can also be used)
1 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
shredded lettuce (I recommend using the pre-shredded ones.It will save you the trouble of slicing, rinsing and drying it)
1- 8oz light sour cream
salsa
cheddar cheese, grated
canned refried beans as a side dish (optional)
avocados, diced (optional...sprinkle with lime or lemon immediately after cutting to prevent discoloration)

1. Heat oil in medium high heat. Saute onion until it becomes translucent. Add beef and cook until no longer pink.
2. Sprinkle with oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Stir.
3. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Cover plate with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
4. Warm taco shells or flour tortilla according to package direction.
5. Place the rest of the ingredients in separate bowls and lay them on the table.
6. Let everyone have fun in building their own tacos.
7. Serve with refried beans on the side, if desired.

Japchae

I was food shopping when I passed by the oriental aisle. I saw this interesting sauce called Japchae sauce(see photo below). It is a Korean product. Great! I love Korean food. I went ahead and bought it and figured out what to do with it later. Luckily, the label has a recipe in fine print.

I cooked this tonight and we ate it for dinner. It was good. The sauce is sweet and not spicy at all as I would expect for a Korean dish.

INGREDIENTS :
1 lb sirloin, sliced thin
8 oz rice stick (bihon)
9 oz spinach
2 stalks green onions
2 med carrots, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced same size as carrots
4 large shitake (if using dried, soak in warm waterfor few hours until soft)
   or white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Japchae sauce
olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Sesame seeds for garnishing

1. Boil water in a pot and blanch spinach for about a minute. Remove spinach and set aside. Reserve water and use to cook rice stick. Return water to a boil and add rice stick. Cook for 3-5 mins. Drain.
2. Heat oil in pan in medium high heat. Saute onions and carrots. Sprinkle with salt. Saute for about 5 mins. Remove from pan and transfer to a plate.
3. Saute beef for 3 minutes. Add green onions, mushrooms and japchae sauce. Saute for another 3 min. Add the onions-carrots mixture. Turn off the heat.
4. Mix spinach and rice sticks into the beef and vegetable mixture.
5. Transfer to a plate. Garnish with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions.

Pineapple Strawberry Smoothie

Nikoli, my 4 year old son, hates pineapple, papaya and kiwi fruit. Although he is not a picky-eater. I would mince a bitter melon and mix it in his rice and he will eat it. Not with these 3 fruits. However, he has an obsession with smoothies and tapioca pearls.

The other night, I was slicing a fresh pineapple. I asked him if he will eat few pieces. He said, "no mama!". I asked him again, "how about if make it into pineapple strawberry smoothie?". His eyes lit and happily said, "Ok mama!".

INGREDIENTS :
1 cup sliced fresh pineapples
1 6oz strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup crushed ice

Combine all ingredients and blend. This will serve 2.

Lumpiang Shanghai (Fried Pork Spring Roll)

fried is good but lumpiang shanghai is really good.

I rarely cook fried food. This one is an exception. It is my family's favorite. My husband is not a big eater but when I serve this dish, it's always a hit. He will devour it.

One key ingredient is the spring roll wrap. I use the "Spring Home" brand (see photo below) which is the best that I've used so far. Unfortunately, my local grocery does not sell it. So when we take a trip to Chinatown, I buy a couple or more and store in the freezer.

Of course, don't forget the dip...sweet and sour sauce. Making lumpia is quite a lot of work with all the chopping, wrapping and frying so I prefer using the bottled spring roll sauce. It is as good as the homemade version.

INGREDIENTS :
42 pcs spring roll wrappers
1 1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped
2 med carrots, minced
3 cloves garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten
5 tbs chopped onion
3 tbs soy sauce
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 stalks green onion, minced
vegetable oil for frying

1. Combine all ingredients except oil and spring roll wrapper.
2. Using a teaspoon, scoop a mixture and lay it on the wrapper in a cylindrical shape. Wrap and moisten the end of the wrapper with water.
3. Place 3 inches of oil in a pan and heat. Fry lumpia in medium heat for about 7-10 minutes.Do not crowd the pan.
4. Drain in a plate with paper towel to remove excess oil.
5. Serve hot with sweet and sour dip.

TIP: In case you have a leftover, lumpia loses it's crispiness after a day. Warm it in an oven for 10 mins at 300C and it'll be crispy again

Nilagang Baka (Beef and Vegetable Stew)

After eating restaurant food for 3 consecutive days, I started craving for a Filipino dish. This is the perfect dish that satisfied my craving. It is a comfort food.

It needs long hours to cook but it is so easy to prepare. Throw the ingredients in the pot, let the stove do its job, wait and be patient and voila...a meal that's worth the wait!

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs beef shank, cut into 1 1/2 cubes
1/2 lb green beans
4 med potatoes, quartered
1 bunch bokchoy
1 whole head garlic, peeled
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tbs kosher salt
1 tsp peppercorn
1 tsp patis (fish sauce)
2 cubes (3.7 g) beef bouillon (I use wyler's)
8 cups of water

1. Combine beef, garlic, onion, peppercorn, salt and water in a big pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for about 2 to 3 hours or until beef is tender. Skim the fat as it is simmering.
2. Return to a boil and add the patis and beef bouillon. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste.
3. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the green beans and bokchoy and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
4. Serve with hot rice.

Sauteed Green Beans

Simple is better.

I learned this dish from my mother-in-law. She would serve sauteed vegetable in almost every meal. It is a good side dish to accompany a meaty course.

The flavor is in the vegetable itself. This method of cooking enhances the sweetness of the green beans. My 4 year-old son loves this. He would munch it like he was eating french fries.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lb green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp of salt
1 1/2 tbs of olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped (optional)
1/4 cup of water

1. Heat olive oil in pan. Add shallots and saute until it turns translucent.
2. Add green beans and stir until they are well-coated with oil. Sprinkle with salt and stir.
3. Add water and cover.
4. Cook until green beans are tender.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Variations : Napa Cabbage, bokchoy, green mustard, cabbage, asparagus...just about any vegetable.

Pork Adobo

Adobo is a popular dish in Philippine cuisine. It is a stew that is slowly cooked with vinegar, soy sauce and garlic. Pork adobo, chicken adobo and combination of both are the most popular adobo. This is also a dish that can keep well without refrigeration (vinegar inhibits the growth of bacteria). Thus, it is a common dish served on feasts and packed for lunches and picnics.

Well, whenever I think of Adobo, I think of home. It is a comfort food for me and I'm sure for most Filipinos too. I don't know any Filipino who doesn't like adobo.

My favorite is pork adobo. My mom makes an amazing one. She always cooks by eyeballing the measurements of ingredients so I never got the exact recipe from her. After trial and error, I finally came up with my own concoction. I hope my mom will be proud of this.

INGREDIENTS :
 1 lb country-style pork ribs, bone-in (I prefer this because it has a little fat that makes it moist when  cooked), cut into 1 1/2" cubes
  *** substitute with a whole chicken, cut up
 5 peeled hard-boiled eggs
 4 med potatoes, quartered
 2 tbs vinegar
 1 small head of garlic, peeled and smashed
 5 Tbs soy sauce
 2 dried bay leaves
 1/2 tsp peppercorn
 1 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 C water


1. Combine all the ingredients except the hard-boiled eggs and potatoes.
2. Let it boil and turn down the heat. Let it simmer for an hour or until meat is tender. You can add water if sauce is starting to dry up. Don't forget to taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Add the potatoes and the hard-boiled eggs making sure they are soaked through in the sauce. Cook for until the potatoes are tender and turn off the heat.
4. Don't forget to serve it with hot rice. Happy cooking!