Sweet treat in bed

Dbeenddesert has been sick for already a couple of days. It must have been the humid, soaring hot weather outside and the freezing temperature in workplace. Dbeenddesert is not at all well yet still unstoppable when it comes to her passion in cooking.

She managed to bake a chocolate cake. Of course, she decided to go on the safer side by buying an American Garden Chocolate Mix (500g).  For the liquid ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs

Combine these with the cake mix, beat thoroughly until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Grease the pan with butter and sprinkle with flour. Pour the batter in this greased pan.

Cook in preheated oven (temperature set at 185 degrees) for about 40 minutes. Check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean then it is an indication that the cake is ready. Let it cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the baking pan.Dbeenddesert enjoys her afternoon snack in bed - chocolate cake she made garnished with hayati’s dates harvest and a cup of tea.

Grilled Chicken in Yoghurt

I had a joke with hayati the other day that all his dishes seem the same, cooked the same way..in tomato sauce & masala. That conversation ended with a promise that the next dish he’s going to prepare will be somewhat different from what he previously cooked.

Well, let’s see if this recipe is really unalike from hayati’s previous dishes.

He marinated 6 pieces chicken legs (skin discarded) into a mixture of:

• 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 1/2 teaspoon masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• juice of 1 medium size lemon

Just combine all the above ingredients, pour into the chicken pieces in a foil, seal and marinate for an hour or preferably longer.

Cook in a 250 degree oven for about 20 minutes just to tenderize the chicken. Then grill for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook 2 cups basmati rice as per the package direction. Sauté onion in a 2 tablespoons canola oil, drop 1/2 cup chickpeas, season with salt & pepper, plus he added a yellow coloring for the rice. Combine with the fluffy basmati rice.

Serve with the grilled chicken.

Pinakbet / Pakbet

This is a well known dish in my province - Cagayan. Though Cagayan is called home of the Ibanags, the locality at present is not just a mix of Ibanag & Ilocano people, but there are other groups present as well like Itawis, Gaddang & other groups.  I even noticed last time I visited my place the emergence of Muslim community near Aparri. 

I observed, the way of cooking pinakbet also varies from house to house. Some will add crunch to this dish by adding pork chicharon, some will just drop all the ingredients right in the pot, simmer & that’s it! I believe we tend to carry with us our first cooking lesson we learned, which is surely in our own home.  And this is what I inherited from my parents.. this is how we cook pinakbet at home.

My brother has been longing me to cook this local dish and tonight I decided to satisfy his palate.  Most of the vegetables in this dish are imported from India. The bitter gourd at first glance seems different from that of what we have in the Philippines but I can say there’s no difference much on the taste except that this one is more bitter :)

Well enough with the prologue and lets list down the ingredients. This is just for two persons so if you need more serving, adjust the measurements accordingly.

• 1/2 kg tilapia (any fish you prefer may do), clean and cut into half.
• 1/8 kg eggplants, sliced into quarters
• 1/8 kg bitter gourd, sliced the same size as the eggplant
• 1/8 kg lady fingers (okra), trim both ends (tip & cap). [Tip I learn from my mother: Try to break the tip of the okra. If it breaks, then its good, but if not just throw it away as the pod is tough.  You don’t want to eat a stringy okra, right?]
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• 1 head onion, sliced 
• Ginger, sliced into strips
• 3 cloves garlic, do not slice, leave as a whole
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 of bullion cube (vegetable flavor)
• 1/2 cup water
• Cooking oil
• You may add: Pumpkin / Squash. I opted not to incorporate this as the serving will be too much for me & bro.
• We sometimes add finger chilis (siling haba). I don’t know what variety is being sold in my province but believe me its not at all hot/spicy the chilis there. Unfortunately, here, chilis are way too much hot/spicy.

Since I do not eat pork meat, I will use fish instead. Even way back home we generally use fish, usually grilled fish called tangi in my dialect (tulingan in Tagalog).Cooking my way:

• Sprinkle the tilapia with salt.
• In a pan, heat some oil and fry the fish till golden brown. Set aside.
• In a casserole, heat about 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Drop the garlic, ginger and onion, sauté until the garlic turns little brown.
• Add the sliced tomatoes and cook till it gets soft. Then drop all the remaining vegetables. Pour the fish sauce, stir fry for about 2 minutes just to let the vegetables absorb some of the sauce.
• Pour in the water, drop the bullion cube, close lid and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
• Check the taste, season with salt if necessary. Add on the top the fried tilapia, cover and simmer till the vegetables are cooked through.
• Serve immediately with jasmine rice.

Pasta with Peas & Mortadella

To go with my pika-pika asparagus wraps I’m making simple pasta noodles with peas and mortadella.  This is my dinner tonight.

• 100 grams spaghetti noodles
• 2 tablespoons EVOO (Extra-virgin olive oil)
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• Grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 100 grams mortadella (I’m using with olive flavor), cut into bite-size
• Pepper & salt to taste
• Sage leaves (No fresh sage available in the pantry so I’m using dried sage)

Direction

• Boil water in a large saucepan, add salt and cook the pasta for about 8 minutes (check package for a more specific minutes required).  Plunge the peas into the pan and bring to boil for two more minutes till the peas are tender and the pasta is al dente. Drain well. Reserve some of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, in a non-stick pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil and brown the garlic. Add the mortadella slices, sage, season with some pepper and salt.  Stir fry in a low fire for around 5 minutes.
• Add the drained pasta and peas into the pan. Add about 4 teaspoons from the pasta water, mix to incorporate all the flavors and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top.

Cheesy Asparagus Wraps

When I’m alone, I want to indulge myself with foods... Yes! I do not need to cook rice dish for dinner as kuya is away tonight. I decided to prepare Asparagus wrapped with Mortadella to munch while I’m watching the news show.

• 15 spears of asparagus, cut till the hard end.
• Cheese slices
• 3 mortadella slices

In a salted boiling water, blanch the asparagus for about two minutes. Drain and drop in a cold water to shock the asparagus and stop the cooking.

Divide the asparagus into 3 sets, 5 spears per set. Lay each set in the middle of mortadella, top with cheese slice, wrap by sealing both ends of the mortadella with a toothpick. Cook in the oven just till the cheese melts. Serve while hot.

Shake that shake

Weather update: temperature outside is 45°C.

I definitely need a refreshment drink with this weather. So I thought of mixing my usual fresh milk drink with some strawberries. I always have a stock of ice-cream in my fridge so why not add more flavor into my drink?

• 500 ml fresh milk
• 400 grams frozen strawberry
• 1 cup of vanilla flavored ice cream
• Ice cubes

Put everything in a blender and thoroughly blend.  Pour in a glass, garnish with a slice of strawberry. Since I cannot drink all in one shot, I put in a glass container, with tight seal so I can bring some in the work. :)

?? Did you know that there are on average 200 seeds (which are actually fruits) per strawberry?

Lunch in a Bag

If there’s one thing I learn from watching Jamie Oliver’s shows, that’s cooking simple..

Thursday night, saw a replay of his cooking show sharing the use of bag (foil paper) in cooking a meal.  I went to bed with the thought of trying to use this method in the coming day.

Friday…cooking time for the planned recipe. I gathered the following ingredients..as Jamie said, you can put any veggies you want.

• > 1/4 kg Hammour fillet (just enough for me & big bro)
• > 100 grams button mushrooms, just slice into 4
• > 1 small can green peas, drained
• > 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
• >  Olive oil
• >  Part of lemon, 3 thin slices
• >  Onion leaves 
• >  Salt & Pepper
• >  Foil

 Fold the foil into bag-like shape, sealing the edges by pressing gently.

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Dash with little bit of olive oil as well. Put into the foil bag and arrange the lemon slices on top of the fish.

In a bowl, put all the vegetables, sprinkle with salt, pepper  and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to coat all the vegetables then put inside the foil bag.

Seal the opening of the bag by folding 4 times. Press gently to ensure tight closure.

Cook this into 200-220 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

 

 

 

You may eat straight from the opened bag or transfer in a serving dish.

I was delighted with the outcome of the dish. The fish was perfectly cooked on its own juice and from the vegetable steam. So simple, fulfilling dish and no mess to wash up.  :) :) with my accomplishment today.

Hayati’s Biryani#2

Hayati seems enjoying making his own version of biryani dish. And here’s another product of hayati.

Ingredients used:

• 3 cups basmati rice (cooked as per pack direction)
• 6 pieces chicken legs, rub with coarse salt & wash thoroughly
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 big potato, sliced into medium size
• 1 medium carrots, finely diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup roasted cashew nuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Arabic mix masala
• Cooking oil (we always use canola oil)
• 1 cup water
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

• In a pan, cook the chicken in a little oil in a medium heat till it gets little brownish. This is hayati’s way of getting rid the fats from the chicken. Once cooked, set aside in a plate.
• In the same pan, remove some of the oil sauté the onion until it becomes translucent then drop in chopped tomatoes and cook till it gets soft. Add the sliced potatoes and carrots, cook for about 5 minutes set in a low fire (to avoid burning).
• Add masala and put back the chicken. Add a cup of water, cover and simmer until chicken gets cooked.
• Lastly, season with pepper & salt as required, add the roasted cashew nuts, cover & cook for another 5 minutes still in low fire.
• Get another pot, brush the bottom with little oil and put half of the cooked rice. Cover the top with half of the cooked chicken, then put the remaining rice. On the topmost layer, spread the remaining chicken mixture and the two hard boiled eggs. Retain the other egg for garnishing. Cook this in a low heat for 5-10 minutes just to blend the flavors.
• Plate & garnish with sliced eggs.

Pizza from left-over

Craving for pizza but no available delivery near my place. So I decided to make my own simple homemade pizza.

I used:

• Left over spaghetti sauce that I cooked the other day.
• Sliced breads
• Butter
• Cheese. No choice, only sliced cheese available in the fridge.

So first, butter the slice breads,arrange in a baking sheet and in to the oven for about 10 minutes.

When the breads are toasted, add the spaghetti sauce, top with sliced cheese and put back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese are melted.

Serve immediately.

Fasolyah Bel Laham (the first attempt)

I came across of this Arabic recipe in Gulfnews’ Food Recipe section and I decided to make it at home.  I however substitute some of the ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil (instead of clarified butter)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 kg lamb (instead of beef), cut into medium-size cubes
• 1 can white broad beans
• 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
• 20ml tomato paste
• 4 cups water, more if necessary
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking direction

• In a casserole, sauté onion and garlic till translucent. Put in the lamb cubes and sear till it turns little brownish.
• Add the tomato paste, coriander, ground pepper and season with salt. Put water, stir and bring to boil. Simmer in low heat till meat is tender. Add more water if necessary to tenderize the lamb.
• Once the meat is cooked, add the white beans and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Serve & enjoy.

Shish Tawook in Rice

Hayati thought of using the shish tawook (marinated chicken) in this dish instead of the usual grilling method. I and Hayati have no idea on the name of this dish so we’ll call it Hayati’s biryani #1.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of Basmati rice (cooked as per package instruction)
• 1/2 kg ready to cook shish tawook (marinated chicken)
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 carrot, cut into small cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Some cashew nuts, roasted
• Some raisins
• 3 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Arabic mix masala
• 1 cup of water
• Some canola oil
• Salt to taste

Cooking direction:

• In a pan, sauté the onion till translucent. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, in low fire.
• Add the masala, tomato paste and carrots. Add a cup of water and simmer till the chicken is tender. If necessary, add more water just till the chicken is done.
• Add the garbanzo beans, cashew nuts and raisins. Season with salt cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
• In another pot, arrange the rice & the cooked chicken dish in alternating way. Rice on first layer, second layer the cooked chicken. Again a layer of rice then topmost layer is the chicken.  Cook in low heat for about 5 minutes.
• Serve with yoghurt.

Ikay's first taste of Chopsuey

Wondering who is Ikay? Hubby bought for me a new cooking range which I named Ikay.  It was delivered yesterday and was firstly used in cooking......Chopsuey!

For this dish, I gathered these ingredients:

• 1/4 kg chicken breast, cut into desired chunks
• 1/4 kg cauliflower, separate florets
• 1/8 kg green beans, ends trimmed
• 1/8 kg chinese cabbage, split a leaf into 4
• Some button mushrooms, cut into two
• 1 celery stalk , chopped
• 6 pieces young corn, split to two
• 1 carrot, sliced diagonally
• 1 head of onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped (I grate it to arrive with the smallest possible pieces)
• 1- 1/2 cups water
• Oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

How I did it:

• In a wok, sauté the onion, garlic and celery until translucent. Add the chicken, stir fry for about 2 minutes in a low fire. Pour the water, adjust the heat into high, cover and simmer till the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
• Add the vegetables except the Chinese cabbage. This takes lesser time to cook as compared to the other vegetables hence adding it later.
• Add about 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, mix the vegetables. After about 2 minutes, time to add the chinese cabbage.
• Season with pepper and salt as per your liking then cover and cook till the vegetables are done but still with a crisp.
• Serve while fresh and hot! Enjoy!

(my final dish - Chopsuey)

Friday Brunch

July, on its first Friday - Weekend and that means a brunch meal in the house. As usual, big brother cooks the rice and waits me to get up to cook the dish.  That's what we call division of labor :)

To go with the cured meat (Halal of course), I sautéd some vegetables as a side dish. 

• Couple of asparagus spears, discard tough ends
• Button mushrooms, sliced
• Tomatoes, seeds removed and sliced
• 1 egg (for my big brother)
• Some salt and ground black pepper to taste

I usually cut my veggies right while cooking and just put it into the board, this way less washing needed.

• From the same oil used for cooking the cured sliced meat, arrange the vegetables into sections (i.e. Tomato in one part of the pan, to the other quarter put the asparagus, mushroom on the other side). Of course you'll need a medium pan to be able to do this.
• Sprinkle some salt and pepper.  Stir fry the vegetables in low heat until tender. asparagus should be still crisp.
• Move the veggies on the sides, crack one egg in the middle pan, add little salt and cook till desired doneness.
• Arrange in a plate and serve.
• Remember to Share!

حياتي in kitchen

"Cooking is an art and patience a virtue... Careful shopping, fresh ingredients and an unhurried approach are nearly all you need. There is one more thing - love. Love for food and love for those you invite to your table. With a combination of these things you can be an artist - not perhaps in the representational style of a Dutch master, but rather more like Gauguin, the naïve, or Van Gogh, the impressionist. Plates or pictures of sunshine taste of happiness and love."
-- Keith Floyd, A Feast of Floyd --

Hayati invaded the kitchen today and prepared the dinner. Like me, he is also a novice in this field, yet he tried to make a good food. For him, cook on your own way and just enjoy the experience.

For our snack while watching a TV show, a ready to cooked cheese and chicken flavored samosas, which we bought in Spinney's. This popular Indian stuffed pastry I guess is the counterpart of the famous lumpiang shanghai.

And for dinner, we enjoyed his rendition of fried rice with chicken. 

For this dish you'll need:

• 1/2 kg chicken legs (Hayati removed the skin, rubbed with salt and washed thoroughly)
• 3 cups basmati rice (washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes before cooking)
• Carrot, cut into small cubes
• Green beans, sliced to almost same size of the cubed carrot
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• salt to taste
• 1 fresh yoghurt

Direction:

• Cook the basmati rice as per direction specified in the package.
• Heat oil in a pan. Sprinkle salt into the chicken and fry in low medium heat.
• Once cooked, remove the chicken and set aside.
• In a casserole, add little oil and sauté the onion.
• Add the carrots and green beans. Cook for about 2 minutes.
• Then add the beaten eggs and mix slightly.
• Add the cooked rice and chicken. Season with salt and stir.
• Cover the casserole and cook in a low fire for about 5 minutes.
• Serve with yoghurt.

Stewy Wednesday (Bulalo is in the house)

Here's my own way of cooking this hearty, warm & comfy stew (popular as bulalo in Tagalog).

This dish is quite easy and simple to make that even a novice like me :) surely can prepare.

 

A couple of ingredients needed:

• 1/2 kg veal feet (I'm using this instead of the commonly used beef shank)
• 1 head onion, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut
• 1 stalk of celery, cut roughly
• Chinese cabbage (you may use pechay or just the regular cabbage), wash, just split leaves into two.
• Salt
• Pepper corns

 

My way:

• The veal feet that I bought is already cut into serving portion so I just washed it.
• In a pressure cooker, add water & the veal. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.
• Transfer the tenderized meat in a casserole. Add some more water enough to cover the meat, drop the onion, pepper corns, celery, carrots and continue to boil. While simmering, some scum might float in which you need to scoop out. I also removed some of the oil accumulating just to reduce the fats in the dish.
• Add the cabbage (a good source of Vitamin C and Calcium). Dash some salt to taste. Cook till just the cabbage has wilted.
• Serve hot!

I always prepare a fish sauce (patis) with lemon juice, to go on the side of this dish, for buddies that have more salty taste preference.