Sinigang (Filipino Tamarind Soup)

I suck at cooking Filipino food, mostly because I hardly try to cook these dishes. Even though I grew up eating so much Filipino food from my dad who is an amazing cook, I didn't pick up any of it from him. I did try cook Chicken Adobo a couple years ago but it was terrible. I know, how the hell do I screw up Adobo? I have no idea.

Courtesy of food.com

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef ribs, cut one bone per slice
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 packet sinigang tamarind soup mix
• 14 cups water
• 1 bok choy, chopped in 1 to 2 inch slices
• 1 daikon radish, chopped in thin round slices
• 1 small tomato, chopped fine
• 2 small potatoes, chopped in large chunks
• Salt

Directions

Saute garlic, onions, and ribs in a pan. Cook until ribs are brown. In separate large pot add water, sinigang tamarind soup packet to taste. Add enough to get the level of sourness to your taste. Add the tomato and the ribs and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes and then add the potatoes cook for another 10 minutes. Add the daikon and the bok choy and cook  for about 10 more minutes.

Serve with over or with rice or by itself.

Review

This reminds me of some good home-cooked sinigang, just like how my dad used to make it. One of my favorite recipes is actually one from Toppings Too in Union City because it tastes perfectly home-cooked, unlike the ones at Gerry's Grill or Tribu (which are also in Union City). I actually used brown rice because that's all I had, which wasn't as weird as I thought it would be. Everything was cooked almost as I wanted. The only thing was that it wasn't as sour as I wanted it to be and the potatoes were undercooked but it was still delicious. This marks my first attempt at Filipino food for this blog. Next on my list: Kare-Kare, which is a Filipino oxtail soup with vegetables and peanut butter sauce. One of my favorites!

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

I saw a picture of these on prettyfood.tumblr.com. I've never really roasted potatoes like this before so I wanted to try it out.

Courtesy of megkat.com

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium red potatoes, cut into small wedges
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• Sea salt to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Wash and dry the potatoes then cut each potato in half length wise, then cut each half into 4 or 5 wedges, then cut those wedges in half.

In a small bowl, combine the parmesan, garlic salt, and paprika and set aside. Next, toss the potatoes and oil together in a mixing bowl then add the bowl of cheese and seasonings and stir to coat. Dump onto a cookie sheet and arrange in a single layer.

Bake for about 25 minutes then remove from oven and turn over all the potatoes. It takes a few minutes but it is SO worth the time.

Put them back in the oven for another 10 or 15 minutes until they’re sufficiently crispy and divine. Season with sea salt if needed.

Review

MMMMM these were so crispy and cheesy delicious. Although they came out a little saltier than I hoped, I loved every crunch of these potatoes. I love eating potatoes with ketchup and tabasco so I dipped each bite into that. I think these potatoes are a great complement to any dish whether it is steak, hamburger, roasted chicken, and the list goes on. I don't think I would change anything about this dish. They are amazing the way they are.

Almond Danish Swirls

I'm such a failure. This is the third post that I forgot to post at the time when I cooked it. It's funny that my updates to this blog are so sporadic. You can tell I really try to make an effort to update and you get a whole bunch of recipes and then it dies out for a whole year. Anyway, here are some simple danish swirls that were made for the breakfast club at work again.

Courtesy of Paula Dean

Ingredients

Swirls

• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, chopped fine
• 2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon water

Glaze

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 4 teaspoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  

Directions

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, almond extract, and sugar until fluffy. Fold half of the chopped almonds into the cream cheese mixture. Separate 1 can of dough and assemble into 4 rectangles. Firmly press the perforations to seal. Press or roll each piece of dough to form a 7 by 4-inch rectangle, and spread each with about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling to within 1/4-inch of the edges. Starting at the short end, roll each rectangle tightly into a cylinder. Repeat with the other can of dough and remaining filling.

Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350  F while the rolls are chilling.

Remove from the refrigerator and cut each roll into 4 slices. Place 1/2-inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. In a small bowl, combine the egg white with 1 teaspoon water. Brush over the swirls. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped almonds. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until light brown.

While the swirls are baking, combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Cool the swirls for 3 minutes on wire racks placed over a sheet of waxed paper. Drizzle the icing over the warm swirls.

Review

So simple and sweet! And I just love almond flavored foods and drinks, like almond milk tea or almond ice cream. This was the cheapest dish I have made for my breakfast club. I've gone all out before with dishes like Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce and they have gotten pretty expensive to serve 20 people. But this was so easy to make and it fed the club pretty well. Sometimes great things don't have to be extravagant, right?

S'more Baked Oatmeal

Again, another post that I forgot put up when I first cooked the dish. But before I had made this, I was waiting for the perfect moment to make it. We have this breakfast club at work and I wanted to impress my coworkers with something different. So this is what I made.

Courtesy of une-deuxsenses.blogspot.com

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or more to your taste)
• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• Mini Marshmallows
• 1 large bar Hershey's chocolate bar, broken into pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking dish, set aside. In a large bowl combine the oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. In another bowl, combine the milk, applesauce and oil. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix to combine. Place mixture into a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently stir the mixture, then fold in the fruit, if desired. Bake for another 20 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Spoon one serving, about 1/2 a cup, into a small bowl. Top with desired amount of mini marshmallows and chocolate pieces. Using a blow torch, toast the marshmallows until browned. If you don't have a torch, set your oven to broil and broil for 5 - 8 minutes or until marshmallows are nice and toasty.

Review

Wow, what a great way to spin oatmeal. I haven't eaten oatmeal since I was maybe 10 years old when my mom would make instant oatmeal for breakfast. I wasn't the biggest fan so that's why I don't eat it anymore. But this was a different story. S'more-inspired dishes seem to always turn out well. I saw a recipe for s'more french toast! What the hell, right? Sounds delicious! I loved this dish because of its creativity and it tasted really good. I ended up broiling the marshmallows a little longer than expected and that's why they are so brown-topped, but it turned out well regardless. 

Caribbean Chicken Wings

I actually made these for Fourth of July last week but I just realized I never posted it! I wanted to make wings and I wanted something more unique and I found a picture of these wings and I knew I had to make them.

Courtesy of Sunny Anderson

Ingredients

• 1 habanero, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons fennel seed
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 7 pounds chicken wings

Directions

In a food processor, blend together all the ingredients but the chicken until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of marinade. Place chicken wings into a large resealable plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. Remove chicken from bag and place on the baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring reserved marinade to a boil. Reduce by 1/3 until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove chicken from oven. Brush chicken with the glaze. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and cook chicken until cooked through, another 20 minutes.

Review

The flavors were delicious on the skin but the meat was not bursting with flavor like I had expected, but I think that was my fault because I didn't have the time to marinate them for 4-6 hours. Instead, I had less than 2 hours because I forgot to wake up early to prepare the marinade. But regardless, it was still a hit with the party and the wings went fast. I loved them because they were sweet, tangy, and spicy all in one and I wouldn't want to have it any other way with these wings. I appreciate different takes on traditional foods and this is definitely one of them.

Chicken Carbonara

The first time I had Chicken Carbonara was at Sonoma Chicken Coop in San Jose, CA. That one is served over rice but that dish is honestly one of my favorites in the entire bay area. I looked online for a recipe and to little surprise, Ms. Giada De Laurentiis has one online.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve..

Review

Seeing how simple the recipe is, I was not expecting too much. Despite that, all the flavors worked so well together. The subtle lemon zest, the freshness of the basil and italian parsley, the crunch of the walnuts, the savory flavors of the panchetta and the garlic, they all complemented each other very well and I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it doesn't compare exactly to the chicken carbonara I am used to from Sonoma Chicken Coop, this is still a delicious home cooking alternative and definitely up there with my favorite pasta recipes. I might consider adding some other ingredients like green beans or maybe incorporate another cheese. All in all, another great Giada recipe 

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

When I first heard these words, I was blown away. What a damn good idea. I need to try this NOW.

Courtesy of sugarderby.com

Ingredients

• About 20 strawberries
• 8 oz pkg softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 sleeve of graham crackers
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

To prepare the strawberries, wash them under cold water and cut the tops off. Core the middle using a peeler or a small knife. The easiest way to core the strawberries is to hold the entire berry in your hand (wrap your fingers around it) and literally just core out the center. Get as deep as you can without breaking through the bottom.

For the filling, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Put the filling into a piping bag (or to improvise, use a ziploc bag and snip off the corner) and fill in the strawberries allowing the filling to come out a bit of the strawberries.

Take another ziploc bag and put three graham crackers in there and pound with something hard and flat into crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs onto the tops of the filled strawberries.

If you want, you can also melt some chocolate and dip the strawberries to give them a chocolate coating. Or you can even put the melted chocolate into a piping bag and drizzle them. However you would like.

Review

I think this is such a creative idea. I never would have thought of the idea and I've never see anything like it outside of the kitchen. It's actually really simple to make, though I'd imagine it would get tedious making several of these for some party or event. These strawberries were just so tasty that I almost ate all of them and didn't leave some for my roommates. All in all, a unique dessert that is sure to impress many people.

Deep Fried Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

I saw this and I immediately want to cook it. I thought to myself, why haven't I thought about this before?!

Courtesy of taylortakesataste.com

Ingredients

Dough

• 4 tbsp softened butter
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup  flour
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1-2 tbsp water
• Corn starch

Batter

• 1 egg
• 1 cup ice cold water
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 2 tbsp confectioners sugar

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream together light brown sugar, sugar and butter. While mixing, add vanilla and 1 tbsp of oil, followed by slowly adding the 1/2 cup flour. Add salt, followed by second tbsp of oil. The dough may be dry and crumbly. While mixing, slowly add enough water to give the dough a moist but not overly wet consistency. Mix in chocolate chips.

Remove from mixer and roll dough between your palms into ping pong size balls. Roll in corn starch, shake to remove excess flour.

With a fork, mix together egg and water. Add flour and sugar to egg and water mix. Dip cookie dough balls in batter, make sure that the dough is completely covered in batter so that they won’t leak out dough when frying. Using a slotted spoon or mesh spider quickly place 3-4 at a time in 375 F oil for 1 and a half to 2 minutes minutes until golden brown on the outside.  Serve in paper trays and top with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.

Review

Ummmm. This was heavenly. I waited until after dinner to dip this in the deep fryer and so I just had the cookie dough waiting in the mixer and I couldn't stop myself from eating the cookie dough. But after it was deep fried and accompanied with the ice cream, I was just blown away with how delicious it was. On top of that, it was very simple to make and there are so many variations you can do with this. For example instead of chocolate chip, I could put in white chocolate and macadamia nuts. This is definitely a dessert I am going to try over and over again.

Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

Salmon Experiment #2. Honey? On salmon? Alright! Let's try this one! (Don't pay too much attention the horrible cutting job)

Courtesy of EatingWell.com

Ingredients

• 1 scallion, minced
• 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 lb center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 portions
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seed

Directions

Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.

Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

How to skin a salmon fillet: Place salmon fillet on a clean cutting board, skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip the blade of a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.

To toast seeds: cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Review

First of all, I hate the cutting job on this salmon. I messed up with the initial cut so it was either going to be extremely long and skinny or short and fat. Obviously, short and fat won. Anyway, this was MUCH better than the first experiment. I'm a big fan of the ginger-soy sauce combination, so this came out much like I expected. And with the added sweetness of the honey, it was quite savory. This recipe is incredibly simple and healthy. If I decide to make salmon in the oven again based of these two recipes, I will have to choose this one. 

Baked Salmon

Salmon is one of my favorite fishes to eat. My favorite way to eat it is raw, sometimes over some sushi rice, but I decided to buy a wholesale portion of salmon and experiment with different ways of baking/broiling fish. Here is the first experiment:

Courtesy of Giada Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 4 (5 oz) salmon fillets
• 2 tsp plus 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Place a salmon fillet, oiled side down, atop a sheet of foil. Wrap the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely; seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a heavy large baking sheet. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve.

Review

Despite the simple recipe, I think I expected more. But I'm not going to go so far as to say that this was a bad recipe. Since I am not a big fan of cooked tomatoes, it is probably the biggest reason why I did not enjoy this dish as much as I had hoped to. The salmon itself was pretty good, but when combined with the salsa on top, it just didn't click with me. I did make a mistake, though, because I didn't mix the olive oil with the salsa before placing it on the fish for baking. Right before I put the fish in, I simply poured it over the salsa last minute. However, I don't think it would have made that large of a difference had I made the recipe correctly the first time. Nonetheless, this was an interesting experiment. Time to use the rest of the salmon for another recipe.