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.