December 11 - Cathelyn's Penne a la Vodka

Pork menudo became an instant favorite of Daniel. As for Cathelyn, she chose Penne a la Vodka.

Besides the vodka, the sundried tomatoes gave the dish its unique twist.

If you are thinking of making this dish vegetarian, feel free to exclude the bacon and add in more butter or use olive oil to saute the garlic and onion.

Penne a la Vodka
Ingredients
1 package of penne pasta
12 pieces of sundried tomatoes, sliced into thin strips, softened in 1 cup of warm water
1/4 lb chunk of Schaller & Weber double smoked bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet onion, minced
100 ml. heavy cream
1 cup of Vodka or Vermouth
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter
freshly ground pepper





Cooking Time
Cook the penne pasta as instructed in the package.
When selecting bacon, get a chunk from your butcher shop or gourmet store.
This kind of bacon is not as fatty when cooked.
In a large pan, fry the diced bacon.
Add the garlic and onion and cook until caramelized.
Add the sundried tomatoes together with the water and cook for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender.
Add the heavy cream, cheese and butter.
Lower the heat.
Adjust the taste (by adding more cheese) to make sure that the sauce is not bland.
Add the vodka (or Vermouth) and quickly mix in the penne pasta.
Add some freshly ground pepper.

December 11 - Daniel's Pork Menudo Dish

This version of Pork Menudo became an instant hit to my son, Daniel.

I was careful not to put so much water. The sauce is just enough to cover the dish without making it soupy.

A diversion to normal recipe is using chickpeas instead of green peas. So if your kids are not used to the taste of chickpeas yet, then feel free to use green peas.


Pork Menudo
Ingredients
1 package of pork tenderloin (about 3 lbs), cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet onion, minced
4 medium sized tomato, diced
4 Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 big Yukon potatoes, diced
1 can of chickpeas
1 cup raisins
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 cup water




Cooking Time (45 minutes)
Heat the olive oil in a large pan or wok.
Saute the garlic and onion until caramelized.
Add the tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are wilted.
Add the pork tenderloin and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the chorizos, potatoes, paprika and 1 cup of water and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the pepper, chick peas and raisins.
Add some salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for another 10 minutes.
Be careful not to make the potatoes mushy.
Add the grated parmesan cheese and cook for just 3 minutes to melt the cheese.

December 11 - A Very Festive Potato Salad

I earned a lot of points serving this very festive potato salad to my husband.

Besides having that wonderful "red" color (make sure you use fresh red beets and not canned!), the different vegetables mixed a lot of unique tastes to an otherwise boring potato salad.

Do not hesitate to add onion and cheddar cheese to your salad!

I served this potato salad with baked ham, another favorite of my husband...

Russian Potato Salad

Ingredients
12 small buttercream potatoes
4 red beets
4 medium sized carrots
1 green bell pepper
1 large sweet onion
4 boiled brown eggs
3 tbsp of tillamook cheddar cheese, diced
2 tbsp superfine sugar
dash of salt
dash of freshly ground pepper
1 cup mayonnaise





Preparation and Cooking Time (1 hour)
Use a big bowl to mix in all the ingredients.
Boil the vegetables with the skin on (20 minutes for the pepper, onion and carrots, 30 minutes for the potatoes and beets).
Peel the skin off and dice the vegetables, eggs and cheese.
Mix all the ingredients together with sugar, salt, pepper and mayonnaise.

November 20 - Excited for Meat Lasagne

Even with lasagne, I would prefer the pasta, al dente. I would rather use the "No Boil Oven Ready" lasagne, to avoid having mushy lasagne.

Serving this to my kids, I decided not to put ricotta cheese. They are not familiar with the taste of the ricotta cheese.

This lasagne is not mushy nor "soupy". But if you prefer more sauce, then increase the amount of pasta sauce.

Meat Lasagne
Ingredients
2 lbs ground sirloin
1 large sweet onion, minced
2 red sweet pepper, minced
1 14 oz. pasta sauce (I used Classico Tomato and Basil)
5 oz shredded mozzarella
2 oz shredded parmesan
2 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup water
"No Boil Oven Ready" Lasagne pasta
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, minced

Cooking Time (1.5 hours)

In a large pan, heat the olive oil and saute the ground sirloin, onion and sweet pepper for 15 minutes.

Add the pasta sauce, salt, freshly ground pepper, water and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the basil, oregano and parsley.

In a large baking pan (13" x 19" x 2"), place a layer of the meat sauce.

Repeat layers of lasagne, mozzarella cheese, and meat sauce.

Finish with a third layer of lasagne and meat sauce.

Top with 2 oz. of freshly grated parmesan.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

November 9 - Ribs With Black Bean Sauce

A typical Chinese dimsum favorite is spare ribs with black bean sauce. The recipe calls for short cuts of ribs. Unfortunately, I only got long beef ribs (beef bones).

I used the Kikkoman black bean sauce with garlic, which made the sauce subtle for the kids to enjoy. The ginger and spring onions gave the Asian kick. The carrots, celery stalks and green pepper added the sweet, stewy taste.

As with the curried chicken that I prepared last time, the kids welcomed the new taste.

Of course, I am thrilled, especially when the kids are becoming more daring to finish all the vegetables served to them.

Ribs With Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients:
Beef Spare Ribs (Single Bones or Cut into 1 1/2" long)
2 tbsp oil
3 cups water
5 tsp black bean sauce with garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp of long, thin slices of ginger
1 cup diced celery stalks
1 cup diced carrots
2 green pepper, long, thin slices
1 but of spring onions, cut in half
dash of freshly ground pepper







Cooking Time (1 hour)
Heat a large frying pan with 2 tbsp oil.
Brown the ribs.
In another large stock pan or wok, heat 3 cups of water.
Add 5 tsp black bean sauce with garlic and 1/2 cup of soy sauce.
Transfer the brown ribs in the large stock pan.
Cover and cook the ribs in high heat for 25 minutes.
Dash with freshly ground pepper.
Add the ginger, carrots and celery stalks and cook in medium heat.
In the last 10 minutes, add the green pepper and spring onions.

November 7 - Curried Chicken Dish That Kids Will Love

Here's one chicken curry recipe that my kids ended up liking. Curry powder is a bit spicy but adding some milk to the dish made the taste mild enough for my kids.

The original recipe called for sliced mushrooms. It was not that appetizing for the kids. So for the second time, I substituted the mushrooms with carrots and sweet peas.

I still think that color is a big factor when it comes to dishes that kids would enjoy.


Curried Chicken Fricassee

Ingredients

6 chicken legs

1 tbsp salt

2 tbsp butter

1 big sweet onion, thinly sliced

8 small (or medium) carrots

1 can sweet peas

2 tbsp curry powder (West Indian)

1 cup of milk

2 tbsp corn starch

Cooking Time (30 minutes)

Heat the butter in a large frying pan or Dutch oven.

Rub the chicken legs with salt.

Fry the chicken, skin side up.

After 10 minutes, turn the chicken on the other side.

Place the onions and carrots on top of the chicken and let it cook for 10 minutes.

Strain the sweet peas from the can but save the liquid.

Put the peas in the pan.

Mix the liquid with 2 tbsp curry powder.

Pour the liquid on the chicken and cook for 5 minutes.

Mix 1 cup of milk with 2 tbsp corn starch.

Pour it around the chicken and carefully mix it with the curry.

Cook for another 5 minutes.

November 3 - Carrots and Snow Peas with Dill

I would think that all kids like carrots. It must be the orange color and the subtle sweet taste.

But I would not expect kids to love snow peas. It has a stronger (grassy) taste than green beans.

So I tried adding snow peas to the classic dish of carrots and dill. Sure enough, the kids enjoyed eating the snow peas, too.


Carrots and Snow Peas with Dill

Ingredients
1 bunch of carrots, cut-up
1 lb snow peas
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp butter
1/2 tsp dill
1 cup water








Cooking Time (20 minutes)
Boil the carrots in a cup of water in a large frying pan for 10 minutes.
Add the snow peas, sugar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, butter, and dill.
Cook for another 10 minutes.

November 2 - Beef Steak a la Filipino Style

Beef Steak a la Filipino Style is one of our favorites growing up. It goes perfectly well with plain white rice and any leafy vegetables.

Beef Steak

Ingredients
1 lb beef tenderloin or sirloin (thinly sliced, carpaccio style)
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp lemon juice
freshly ground pepper

Cooking Time (25 minutes)
Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
Saute the onion until caramelized and slightly browned, about 10 minutes
Set the onions aside.
Lay the beef in the frying pan, almost in a single layer.
Fry until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the lemon, soy sauce and dash of pepper.
Fry until the beef has absorbed all the sauce.

October 21 - Zesty Roasted Chicken for Dinner

Injecting the marinade beneath the skin is a technique I use when preparing my turkey for Thanksgiving. This helps the turkey to remain moist and tender after roasting.

I prepared the chicken the same way and we nearly didn't have leftover for the next meal. Even the chicken breast was tasty and moist.

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients
1 fresh whole chicken (4lbs)
1 sweet onion
ginger root
Marinade:
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
6 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses
4 lemons, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp hoisin sauce






Preparation Time (at least an hour)
Prepare the marinade.
Loosen the chicken skin from the meat
Inject the marinade under the chicken skin.
Marinade for one hour or overnight.








Cooking Time (1 hour and 45 minutes)
Place the onion and ginger root inside the chicken cavity.
Tie the chicken legs to keep them in place.
Use the oven broiler pan to roast the chicken.
Add water on the bottom pan.
Bake the chicken at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 75 minutes.

October 19 - Basic Ingredients of a Good Corn Chowder

My favorite chowder would be New England Clam Chowder. Even if my kids like it, they still do not believe that it has "clams". So corn chowder became a good compromise for me to cook at home.

From all the chowders I have tasted, I think the good combination of butter, bacon, potatoes, onions and cream make the chowder.

I used a thick slab of bacon that I got from the butcher shop. It is more meat the fat.

Cooking the bacon until it's browned, cooking the onion until it's caramelized and then lightly browning the potatoes, gave the chowder its unique, comforting taste...

Corn Chowder

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter

3 thick slabs of bacon, minced

1 medium sweet onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups of diced celery stalks

2 cups of diced carrots

4 fingerling potatoes, diced

fresh corn kernels from 3 corn ears

1 cup of cream

4 cups of water

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp thyme leaves

Cooking Time (45 minutes)

Heat the butter in a big pot.

Brown the bacon.

Add the onions and cook until caramelized.

Add the carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the water, bay leaves and thyme leaves and

let it boil.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the cream and simmer until all the vegetables are tender.

October 15 - Vegetable Soup for the Cold Autumn

The first days of October are the toughest time of Autumn. It is getting colder and our bodies are starting to acclimate to the changing weather. It is even tougher when it becomes windy and kids have to play soccer in the freezing rain.

Dutch Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
1 cauliflower head, cut in small pieces
2 cup diced carrots
2 cups diced celery stalks
15 pieces of Brussels sprouts, cut in halves
2 tbsp minced scallions
8 cups of chicken broth
2 cups cooked white rice
2 tbsp minced parsley







Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Using a large pot, saute the vegetables (except parsley) in butter for 15 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and the cooked white rice.
Simmer for the next 30 minutes.
Mix in the parsley in the last minute.
Serve with some sausages and bread.

October 7 - A Real Dutch Steak

Potatoes is a Dutch staple as rice is to a Filipino.

I appreciate the way the potatoes are "fried" the Dutch way. They are cooked in butter and taste really sweet and creamy.

As for Dutch steaks, they are simply seasoned with salt and pepper and also fried in butter.

Dutch Steak

Ingredients:

4 boneless ribeye steaks, .4 lb each

3 tbsp butter

salt and pepper

1/2 cup cream

Preparation Time:

Pat the steaks dry.

Season them with salt and pepper.

Let them stand in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Heat the butter in a Dutch oven pan or fry pan.

Fry the steaks on high heat, for 10 minutes on each side, for medium well.

Set the steaks aside.

Pour the cream on the pan.

Stir it gently for 5 minutes to make the gravy.

Pour a tablespoon of the gravy on the steak.

Serve the steaks with home fried potatoes and sweet peas.

Home Fried Potatoes

Ingredients:

15 small gold creamer potatoes, thinly sliced

3 tbsp butter

1 cup water

salt

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Melt the butter in a large frying pan.

Put the potatoes and water.

Season with salt.

When the water is all dried, fry the potatoes gently until they are lightly browned. Serve warm.

October 6 - Kid Friendly Spanish Paella

Growing up, Spanish paella for me would normally refer to seafood paella, filled with mussels, squid, clams and shrimps.

My family is not used to eating seafood yet, besides fish fillet and shrimp. Even if I would have enjoyed the paella with mussels and clams, I stayed away from it.

Besides trimming the meat to just chicken, chorizo and shrimps, I also limited the vegetables to green bell pepper, peas and onions. I made sure that I used enough saffron and paprika to give the dish that authentic taste.

The rice came out fluffy and tasty. The taste is subtle yet very satisfying to my kids.

Spanish Paella

Ingredients:
1 lb jumbo shrimps, peeled
2 chicken legs, boneless, cut-up
3 links of Spanish sausage (chorizo), thinly sliced
1 medium Spanish onion, minced
.4 grams saffron
1 tbsp paprika
1 green bell pepper, long strips
2 cups sweet peas
4 cups Jasmine rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup clam broth
coarse sea salt
freshly ground pepper
olive oil for cooking






Cooking Time (1 hour)
Using a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and cook the shrimp for 5 minutes, turning the shrimp once.
Add salt and pepper.
Set the shrimp aside.
Season the chicken with salt. Heat another 2 tbsp olive oil.
Saute the chicken and chorizo for 10 minutes, mixing once
Set the chicken mixture aside.
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil and saute the onion for 5 minutes until it is caramelized.
Add the green bell pepper, peas and 4 cups of Jasmine rice.
Add 1 cup of clam broth and 4 cups of chicken broth.
Add the saffron and paprika.
Bring the rice to a boil until the broth is almost dried up.
Cover the pan and cook the rice for 20 minutes in low heat.
Mix and fluff the rice, once in a while.
Mix in the chicken, chorizo and shrimp to the rice.

October 5 - Spicing up Your Breakfast with Spanish Omelet

My kids love omelets for breakfast. But going beyond ham and cheese, I decided to introduce them to Spanish omelets.

Although potato and onion omelet (or torta) is a more popular dish, I added some chorizo (Spanish sausage) and spiced it up with diced tomatoes.


I do not flip omelets. Simply because it is difficult to do it and my kids enjoy the omelette looking like pizza. They call it the vegetable pizza!



Spanish Omelet

Ingredients

3 links chorizo (Spanish sausages)
2 tbsp minced shallots
2 tbsp minced tomatoes
6 small golden potatoes, diced
1 tbsp salt
dash of freshly ground pepper
6 farm eggs, whisked
4 tbsp olive oil








Cooking Time (20 minutes)
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan(preferably non-stick).
Saute the onions, tomatoes, chorizo, and potatoes for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
Season with salt and pepper.
Take out the potato mixture from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil.
Pour the eggs.

Put back the potato mixture on the eggs.
Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes (until the eggs are cooked) in medium heat.
Serve immediately.

October 3 - Finally Serving Chicken Afritada

It is not easy to label a dish to a specific country. The more I try dishes from other countries, the more I realized that many countries (and continents) share the same dishes.

Chicken Afritada is a favorite dish in the Philippines but the name itself is very Spanish.

I was not able to check how the Spanish cuisine is cooked differently from the Filipino style of afritada. But most likely, it will be as warm and comforting like this one.


Chicken Afritada



Ingredients
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large red onion, minced
2 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 28 oz can of ground tomato
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup oyster sauce
1 10 oz can of baby sweet peas
8 red potatoes, cut-up
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips




Cooking Time (1.5 hours)

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, ginger, and garlic for 5 minutes.
Place the chicken in a single layer and lightly brown both sides for 15 minutes.
In a large baking pan, mix the tomato sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce.
Lay the chicken pieces in a single layer.
Put the potatoes, peas, and red bell pepper.
Cover the pan and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Uncover the pan and bake for another 15 minutes.

September 27 - Paksiw na Pata Reinvented

Paksiw na Pata is a Filipino version of braised pork leg or pata. Years ago, I would not mind having a serving of Paksiw na Pata. But now that I have grown in age (and gray hairs) I am more cautious in eating such dish. I still love the sweet sauce that comes with the dish so I used boneless pork shoulder roast instead.


If you are more adventurous though, you could prepare this dish with pork leg, trotter or shank.


Braised Pork
Ingredients
5 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast (cut-up)
1 cup dark soy sauce
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup dark brown sugar
6 bay leaves
7 cloves garlic, peeled
4 stems fresh oregano
1 packet of dried banana blossoms (30 grams)
2 tbsp whole peppercorn









Cooking Time (1 hour)
Place the meat pieces in a large baking pan in a single layer.
Put the rest of the ingredients (soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, banana blossom and peppercorn).
Cover the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour.

September 27 - Ossobuco - An Excellent Sunday Dish

Sunday afternoons are the best time to prepare slow-cooked dishes.

Ossobuco is one dish that needs a lot of time (at least 2 hours) of cooking hours to make the veal shanks fall off the bone tender.

Another technique that I have been using lately is baking the dish rather than using a slowcooker or stovetop.


Ossobuco (Braised Veal Shanks)
Ingredients:
3 lbs veal shanks (about 6 pieces)
6 tbsp olive oil for cooking
1 red onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup brandy
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar



4 tbsp tomato paste
4 sprigs of rosemary
4 sprigs of thyme
6 bay leaves
1.5 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper









Cooking Time (2.5 hours)
Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper.
Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan.
Brown the meat on both sides.
In another large pan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil.
Saute the garlic, then the onions.
Add the green and red pepper, carrots and celery stalks.
Pour the sherry, brandy and tomato paste. Add the chicken broth.
Let the vegetables simmer for about 10 minutes.
In a deep baking dish, lay the veal shanks in a single layer.
Make a "bouquet garni" out of the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves and place in the pan.
Scoop the vegetable mixture on top of the veal shanks.
Pour the sauce. Cover the pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 2 hours.

September 22 - Celebrating Oktoberfest with German Short Ribs

When I think of Oktoberfest, I imagine festive eating, dancing and barrels of beer.
I am not a beer drinker but I do enjoy German foods. We often visit Helmer's, an old German pub and restaurant here in Hoboken, for a good serving of bratwurst and knackwurst.
There are other good German dishes and one of them is the slow-cooked short ribs.

German Short Ribs

Ingredients

5 lbs beef short ribs (cut into 12 pieces)

8 tbsp flour

2 tbsp salt

2 tsp ground pepper

4 tbsp vegetable oil for cooking

1 big white onion, thinly sliced

1.5 cups red wine

6 tbsp dark brown sugar

6 tbsp white wine vinegar

6 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp yellow mustard

2 tbsp paprika

Cooking Time (2.5 hours)

Coat the ribs with a mixture of flour, salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the ribs on all sides.

In a large baking pan, mix the red wine, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, yellow mustard, and paprika. Lay the ribs (bones side up) in the baking pan in a single layer.

Arrange the sliced onions between the ribs.

Cover the pan and bake the ribs for 2 hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

September 14 - Zesty Poulet Yassa

I have to leave the familiar world of European and Asian cuisine and surf the web for some African recipes. Interesting to see a lot of chicken recipes. I picked Poulet (Chicken) Yassa, acclaimed to be a famous Senegalese recipe.

The striking taste of this dish came from marinading the chicken and onions in lemon juice and vinegar (lots of it). I skipped the cayenne pepper, since I was serving this to my kids. But the overall taste was amusingly strong, even for me.

Poulet Yassa

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut-up
2 big sweet onions, thinly sliced
8 tbsp lemon juice
8 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp mustard
small cabbage, cut-up
4 carrots. cut-up
2 chicken bullion cubes
4 tbsp vegetable oil for cooking

Preparation:
Mix the chicken, onions, garlic, bay leaf, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Marinade the chicken overnight.

Cooking Time: (30 minutes)
Drain the chicken and onions. Saute the chicken in a large pan until slightly browned. In another pan, saute the onions until caramelized. Add the marinade, mustard, chicken bullion, and carrots to the onions. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the chicken to the vegetables. Serve with rice or couscous.

September 13 - Siopao Asado for Home Lunch

Daniel and Cathelyn are back to school. Daniel is now in 5th grade and Cathelyn is in 3rd grade. As our CEO will always tell me, I should cherish these "golden" years. Indeed, these years are starting to be golden.

Last summer, the kids enjoyed going to the summer sports camps as well as going around Hoboken with their older cousin. They are more independent. They have more enthusiasm in trying out new things (which started this "Fine Dining at Home" project). And they have better appreciation of what they have and what they could do.

Another new thing that they initiated is bringing home lunch to school instead of getting the everyday hot school lunch. Besides making my morning time more hectic preparing their home lunches, it became more challenging for me to prepare a variety to encourage them to really eat their lunch.

This is the main reason why I tried to make siopao asado. Besides being a favorite of my kids (once in a while, I am able to pass by the Red Ribbon bakeshop to buy a dozen), it is also something that I could prepare in advance and then just reheat them in the morning. At this age, too, they are allowed to use the microwave in their classroom to warm their home lunch.

A little convenience, after all, does not hurt....

Siopao Asado

Meat Filling Ingredients

1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced along the grain
2 minced scallion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch with 4 tbsp water

Dough Ingredients

6 cups flour

3 tsp salt

6 tsp bakling powder

2 package active dry yeast

1 cup white sugar

1.5 cup lukewarm water

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Cooking the Meat Filling:

Saute the onions and garlic. Add the meat and cook for 10 minutes. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce and 1/4 cup water. Simmer for 45 minutes until the meat is tender. Take out some meat while still cooking. Shred the meat and put it back to the pan. Add the water with the cornstarch. Mix until all the meat is covered. Set aside.

Preparing and Cooking the Dough:

In a big bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.

In another bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1.5 cup of lukewarm water. Add the white sugar. Add 1 cup of the flour mixture and set aside for 30 minutes. Add the rest of the flour mixture and knead the dough until it is smooth and not sticky. Grease the bowl. Cover the dough with the oil and set aside for 2 hours to let the dough rise.

Divide the dough into 12 balls. For each ball, flatten the dough into 5 inches in diameter. Using an ice cream scoop, place 2 scoops of the filling on the center of the dough. Close the seams. Place the filled dough on a wax parchment (1.5 inches in size) and set aside.

Place at least 3 pieces in a steamer. Leave an inch of space between the pieces. Steam for 20 minutes.

You may store the siopao in the freezer.

Reheat for 15 minutes in the steamer. You may also microwave the siopao for a little over 1 minute.

September 11 - Standing Up To The Challenge of Peking Duck

I would like to go beyond preparing the usual meat dish of beef, chicken, and pork, so I ask my husband if he would eat the dish if I decide to cook some duck. He was amenable to it and suggested that I try Peking duck (Beijing roast duck).


I ordered my whole Peking duck from a gourmet market in Hoboken, Sobsey Produce. That night, I surfed through the web to check how to prepare Peking duck. The process of air drying the duck for several hours intimidated me. It is meant to dry the duck skin like a taut parchment. And the idea of turning the duck every 30 minutes while roasting it looks messy to me.


Anyway, I gave it a try. I took my time. It was worth the wait.



Peking Duck

Ingredients
5 lbs whole Peking duck
4 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp honey
6 tbsp soy sauce
150 ml. rice wine (sake)
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground star anise
For serving:
Mandarin pancakes
hoisin sauce
thin, long strips of cucumber
strips of scallions, cut the white end lengthwise






Preparation

In a small pot, mix the lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, rice wine, ground cinnamon, and star anise.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Set aside.

Fill up half of a big pot with water and bring it to a boil.




Wash the duck and pat it dry.
Place the duck in a big, deep pan and slowly pour the boiling water.
This procedure is meant to loosen the fat.
Let it stay in the hot water for about 5 minutes.
Once again, pat the duck dry.

Place the duck on a rack.
Brush the marinade on the duck until fully covered.
Place the remaining marinade inside the cavity.
Let the duck stand in a cool, airy place overnight.
On the next day, drain all excess marinade from the duck and let it stand for another 6 hours until the skin is dry and tight like a taut parchment.

Cooking Time (1 hour and 45 minutes)

Grease the middle rack. Place the duck on the greased rack, breast up. Place a big pan (with an inch of water) under the rack. This pan is used to catch the drippings from the duck. Roast the duck for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully turn the duck on the other side. Roast for another 45 minutes.
Turn the duck again (breast up) and roast for another 30 minutes or until the skin is dark brown.
Set the duck aside for 10 minutes before carving.
Serve the roast duck with Mandarin pancakes, thin slices of cucumber, scallions, and hoisin sauce.

September 8 - A Handful of Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Any dish that you have to eat by hand could be messy. There's the sizzling fajitas, the Korean barbecue, and the Chinese chicken lettuce wraps. The lettuce leaf could easily break or the sauce could drip on your plate or placemat. It's the tasty meat with a rich sauce all wrapped up in the bland flour tortilla or lettuce wrap that makes the mess worthwhile.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps


Ingredients
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
6 tbsp hoisin sauce
6 tbsp rice wine (sake)
dash of pepper
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp sesame oil
6 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp minced scallion
1 cup diced celery stalks
2 cups diced mushrooms
6 to 8 iceberg lettuce leaves
1 cup bean thread noodles





Preparation Time
Place the chicken in a large, baking pan.
Add the hoisin sauce, rice wine, pepper, brown sugar, salt, ginger, garlic and sesame oil.
Mix together.
Set aside in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.







Cooking Time (45 minutes)
Bake the chicken in the oven at 375 degrees.
After 20 minutes, take the pan out of the oven.
Mix 6 tbsp cornstarch.
Sprinkle the scallions, celery and mushroom on top of the chicken.
Bake for another 20 minutes.
Fry some bean thread noodles.
To serve, place a scoop of the chicken on a lettuce leaf.
Top it with fried noodles and serve immediately.

September 6 - Flare It Up With Scampi

Years ago, I went on my first trip to Europe, a two week business trip to Luxembourg. Even for that brief stint, I have enjoyed the best food Europe can offer, Neopolitan pizza, steaks, and scampi. My colleagues brought me to this Portuguese restaurant where they regularly order their scampi generously broiled in butter, garlic and lemon. Yes, it was a memorable meal and should be eaten with caution :)


Scampi
Ingredients

15 counts of jumbo shrimp (shell on, heads off)
4 fillet of sole
2 tbsp minced scallion
2 tbsp minced garlic2 fresh lemon
10 tbsp butter
salt and pepper








Preparation Time

Take out the tip of the shrimp tail to prevent curling when broiled.
Cut the shell in half and lay each shrimp flat on a large, shallow pan (you may use the oven broiler bottom pan).
Cut one lemon and squeeze the juice on the shrimps (be careful not to include the seeds).
Sprinkle 1 tbsp of minced scallion.
Sprinkle 1 tbsp of minced garlic.
Dash some salt and pepper.
Place 1/2 tsp of butter on each shrimp.




Lay the 4 fillet of sole on a separate large, shallow pan.
Cut one lemon and squeeze the juice on the fish.
Sprinkle 1 tbsp of minced scallion.
Sprinkle 1 tbsp of minced garlic.
Dash some salt and pepper.
Place 1 tbsp of butter on each fillet.











Cooking Time (20 minutes)

Place the shrimp and fish on the third level rack of the oven and broil for 20 minutes.
Pour a teaspoon of the melted butter on the shrimps and fish when serving.
Serve with rice pilaf.

September 3 - Celebrate with Rib Eye Steaks

Steaks are served at home only for special occasions. I got rib eye Angus steaks from a local supermarket 2 miles from Split Rock Resort where we are staying. I usually serve steaks with a potato dish but have used up all the potatoes for the potato gratin I prepared last night.

The kids are not used to special sauces or garnishing on their steaks yet. Apart from the marinade, I just grilled the steaks with butter. A tender, succulent, simple tasting steak is more satisfying than one that is smothered with an exotic (more often, difficult to prepare) sauce.

Rib Eye Steak with Rosemary and Thyme
Ingredients
3 tbsp ketchup
3 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp sea salt
2 rib eye steaks (1 lb each)
butter for grilling




Preparation Time
Mix the first 9 ingredients together.
Pour over the steaks and marinade overnight.

Cooking Time
Heat butter in a frying pan or grill.
Grill steaks over medium heat.
Cook each side for 8 minutes for medium rare. When serving to kids, cut into slices and serve with vegetables, rice, or dinner rolls.

September 2 - Onion Potato Gratin With A Twist

We are enjoying our one week holiday in Poconos, Pennsylvania. Our unit in Split Rock Resort came with a full kitchen so we have the luxury of preparing our own breakfast and dinner. Luckily, the resort is just two miles away from Aharts Supermarket.

Except for some baked chicken, we did not have much leftovers. After a tiring but fulfilling day outdoors, I have to cook dinner. And tonight, I decided to prepare potato gratin as our main dish.

The kids loved this potato gratin. It's either they were so hungry for anything or the bacon I added on top of the dish made a difference.



Onion Potato Gratin
Ingredients

12 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 package of bacon, diced
1/2 pint heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
dash of salt and pepper

Cooking Time
Fry the bacon. Set aside.
Simmer the heavy cream with the onions for about 15 minutes. Dash some salt and pepper.
Use a large shallow pan or the bottom pan of an oven broiler pan.
Spread 2 tbsp butter on the pan.
Place a single layer of potatoes on the pan (using approximately 6 potatoes).
Spread the onions on top of the potatoes.
Place the next layer of potatoes.
Spread the bacon on top of the potatoes.
Pour the heavy cream.

Bake the potatoes at 375 degrees, covered. After 30 minutes, uncover the pan and bake for another 15 minutes or until the sides of the pan are slightly burned. Serve immediately.