October 23 - Kare-kare for Dinner

Kare-kare is the Filipino version of beef stew with peanut sauce. It is popularly cooked with oxtail meat and beef tripes, but for the faint of heart, beef short ribs is a perfect substitute.

This stew is cooked bland and served with sauteed shrimp paste on the side. If it is more convenient for you, you could also mix the shrimp paste in the peanut sauce when cooking.

Kare-kare
Ingredients

6 pieces of beef short ribs, about 1.5 lbs

4 cups of water

3 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 medium size onion, thinly sliced

1 lb green beans

3 Japanese eggplants, sliced

3 bunches of baby bokchoy

3 tbsp shrimp paste

4 tbsp Smucker's Natural peanut butter (no salt added)

Cooking Time (95 minutes)

In a big casserole, cook the beef short ribs with 4 cups of water for an hour, or until tender.

Set the beef short ribs aside and save the beef broth.

In another casserole, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic.

Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp paste and the peanut butter and mix well.

Add the beef broth.

Add the meat.

Add the green beans and eggplants.

After 10 minutes, add the bokchoy.

Cook until the vegetables are tender.

Serve warm with white rice.

October 3 - Frutti de Mare Over Pasta

Being a seafood lover, Frutti de Mare is one of my favorites. You can pretty much include any kind of seafood, but for me, there should be shrimps, mussels, clams and squid. You can use your favorite marinara sauce or a simple can of chopped tomatoes. Chopped pancetta adds a distinct flavor to the dish.

Frutti de Mare Over Pasta
Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Vidalia sweet onion, minced

4 oz pancetta, chopped

10 oz. sliced fresh button mushroom

1 red bell pepper, minced

28 oz can of chopped tomatoes or bottle of marinara sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1/2 cup red wine

4 jumbo tiger shrimps, peeled and deveined

4 squid, cleaned and sliced

1 dozen clams

1 lb mussels

1 package of fettuccine

4 tbsp butter

Cooking Time (40 minutes)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan or wok.

Saute the garlic, then the onions for 5 minutes.

Add the pancetta and brown for 5 minutes.

Add the red bell pepper, mushroom, and chopped tomatoes (or marinara sauce).

Add the basil, parsley and oregano.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Let the sauce cook for 10 minutes.

Add the clams and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Then add the mussels, shrimps and squid.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta.

Once cooked, mix the pasta with butter.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the pasta in a big serving plate.

Take out the clams, mussels and shrimps from the sauce.

Carefully pour the sauce over the pasta.

Arrange the shrimps and shells on top.