Pizza Margherita

Probably the easiest and the most healthy kind of pizza ever invented. I'm not big on vegetables but i welcome this pie anytime on my table. 
A tip: best served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip (but it is optional if you want to savor your pizza the way it is). 


Here it goes:


Ingredients:
2 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil, additional for dough
1/4 kg. plum tomatoes, chopped in 1/2" pieces
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 12" prepared pizza crust
6 oz. (or half cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
6 basil leaves cut into julienne strips
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese


Instructions:
Combine 2 tbsps. olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Allow to marinate.
Brush pizza crust lightly with olive oil. 
Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, then the marinated tomatoes.
Bake in preheated 500F oven for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. 
Remove from oven and top with parmesan cheese, then basil.
Cool on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving. 

Shrimp Toasts

Each Chinese restaurant has it's own version. I substituted mine with bacon to give out its smoky flavor and i think bacon marries well with shrimps. The kind that reminds me of my aunt's cooking at home however instead of using bread, she wraps the bacon on shrimps and secures it with won ton or spring roll wrapper then deep fries it. She however, serves it with a sweet and sour kind of sauce instead of lemon wedges. Different strokes for different folks. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 fresh uncooked large shrimp

1 egg

2 1/2 tbsps. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

Pinch of Pepper

3 slices sandwich bread

1 hard-cooked egg yolk

5 slices of bacon (fried to a crisp)

1 green onion

2 cups vegetable oil

Instructions:

Remove shells from shrimp, leaving tails intact.

Remove black veins from shrimp.

Cut down back of shrimp with sharp knife.

Gently press shrimp with fingers to flatten.

Beat 1 egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended.

Add shrimps to egg mixture and toss until shrimps are completely coated.

Remove crusts from bread.

Cut slice into quarters.

Place one shrimp, cut side down on each bread piece.

Gently press shrimp to adhere to the bread.

Brush or rub a small amount of egg mixture over each shrimp.

Cut egg yolk and bacon into 1/2 inch pieces.

Finely chop the onion.

Place one piece of egg yolk and bacon and a scant 1/4 teaspoon of onion on each shrimp.

Heat oil in wok over medium heat,

Fry 3 to 4 shrimp-bread pieces at a time in hot oil until golden, 1-2 minutes on each side.

Drain on absorbent paper.

Serve with lemon wedges while it's crisp and warm.

Chili Dinamitas

(Acknowledgement: Photos and instructions through the courtesy of Kusina Ni Ella http://kusinaniella.wordpress.com)

Dedicated to the Sitel HP IPG Wave 1 class of Ritch (specially to the following people who shared this snack with me in an evening at Banchetto: April "Princess Effrel" Gohel, Jaja Espiritu, A Constantino, Ji Young Bang, Tim Pulido, Jigz Cuizon, Theo Valeriano, Vicks Balucio and Dan (our guest from Sitel Madrid)     

Warning: Chili Dinamita is not for the faint of heart.

Ingredients:

20 pieces or more New Mexico cayenne pepper a.k.a siling pansigang

1 cup (or 1/4 kilogram) sauteed ground beef with burrito or taco seasoning

20 - 30 pieces of matchstick slices of cheddar (or mozzarella) cheese

1 20-piece pack of lumpia (spring roll) wrapper

2 - 3 1/2 cups of vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions:

Soak chilis in salted water for 15 minutes. Slice lengthwise and remove the seeds. (If you want them spicy, leave the pith and some seeds but be warned, it will be spicy hot!)

Stuff chilis with cheese and ground beef.

Wrap stuffed chilis in spring roll wrapper.

The spring roll wrapped chilis should look like this. With stems sticking out so you can easily handle the chili dinamita at its stem.

Deep fry until wrapper turns golden brown and place cooked chili dinamitas on paper towels to absorb the oil. 

Great with thousand island dressing, ranch dressing, sour cream and chives or creamy cheese dip.  

Enjoy!

Arroz Valenciana

This dish was also a big hit when our family gathers on special occasions. I still remember the day when this dish was taught by my aunt to me. She said, "This very rich dish was only served to the wealthy during the Spanish era. Until now we still could not afford to buy a few strands of saffron to make it authentic. So the Filipinos decided to make a budget friendly version. And this was your grandfather's spinoff also taught to me when I was still young. Learn it well and make people smile." 

Hope this makes you smile.

Ingredients:

2 kg chicken, cut into serving pieces
3 teaspoons anatto seeds or 1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup red bell peppers sliced into 1/2-inch-wide strips
4 pieces Chorizo de Bilbao, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
3 cups rice, boiled in 3 cups water
1/4 kg pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 teaspoon salt                                           
1/2 cup olive oil                                          
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic                                    
6 potatoes, peeled and quartered                                    
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives                                

3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced crosswise                               

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup chopped onion
2 cups canned or prepared chick peas (garbanzos)
1 cup tomato sauce
4 cups water 
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Season chicken and pork with salt and pepper. Fry in olive oil in a stockpot until brown. Set aside the chicken and pork pieces. In the same stockpot, fry the anatto seeds in the remaining oil to give a golden-orange color, then discard seeds. Saute garlic onion and tomato sauce until mixture has taken on a sauce consistency. Add potatoes, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, sliced Chorizo de Bilbao and 4 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to low. Add bell pepper and chick peas (garbanzos). When the bell pepper and peas lose their crispness, remove 1 cup of stock from the pot and set aside. Add cooked rice, fried pork and chicken to the stockpot. Mix thoroughly until well blended. Add reserved stock and cook uncovered over low heat until mixture becomes dry. Serve on a large platter and garnish with pimento-stuffed green olives and sliced hard-boiled eggs.

As an option, serve with lemon wedges.

Romesco Sauce

This sauce was greatly influenced by the Spanish when they colonized the Philippines. Good thing they left us with this lovely sauce. Like many Spanish sauces the texture comes from thickening with ground fresh nuts, bread crumbs and olive oil to promote a creamier texture. Romesco sauce can actually be served with any grilled seafood, fish or meat and if thinned down makes a great salad dressing.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of sweet paprika (dulce) 

Pinch of hot pimenton (pimenton caliente) or cayenne pepper
1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 garlic cloves
1/8 cup fresh almonds, blanched and skinned
24 hazelnuts, skinned
(as substitute for the hazelnuts and almonds, use either 1/3 cup fresh peeled pili nuts) 

1 slice of bread, toasted
1 tablespoon of parsley
3 mint leaves
150 ml or 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

Combine the paprika (or romesco), cayenne (or pimenton caliente), tomato, garlic, almonds, hazelnuts or its substitutes, bread, parsley and mint in a blender or in a food processor. Blend until you have a smooth puree. Now blend in the olive oil a little at a time and then season with salt, pepper and the vinegar. The sauce should ideally be served at room temperature.

Blah

Since my body clock is totally screwed up again by the new work schedule, I am now wide awake at 1:36 am (according to my laptop clock). Had a great Saturday with friends and family. A lot of drinking and pigging out. Could not think of a recipe to share or the inspiration left me in the middle of the night. So I owe my beloved fridge contents a blog.

Will write soon. Promise.

For now, I'll try to go back to sleep.

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Sinigang Sa Miso (Fish Stewed in Sour Broth and Miso)

Since I am dieting (desperately), I have been searching my brain on what to cook.

Something healthy and delicious without the guilt.

Then I thought of rainy days and warm soups.. comforting yet tickles the taste buds. So I thought of the traditional sinigang we used to make at home. Not just any sinigang... this one is a unique, protein-filled concoction. So here it goes:

Ingredients (serves 2 -4):

1/2 to 1 kg fillet of any kind of firm fish meat (Maya-maya, Tanigue, Tuna, Milkfish(Bangus) washed and pat dry

1 Onion quartered

5-6 stalks of mustasa (mustard greens) washed and ends cut

1 - 1 1/2 packs of instant sinigang powder (for those who prefer the shortcut version) or

Prepare 1/2 kg young tamarind boiled in water until soft, mashed and sieved to produce at least 1/2 to 1 cup of tamarind juice (if you prefer to make the sour broth from scratch)

1/2 tsp iodized salt

3 pcs green chili (siling pansigang)

3 Tomatoes quartered

1/2 cup of cooking oil to fry the fish

Sprinkle salt over the fish fillets and fry in oil until it is half cooked. Drain the oil. Set the fish aside.

Boil at least 4-5 cups of water in a pot until it goes into rolling boil.

Add the quartered onion and tomatoes until it can be mashed to bring out the flavor in the soup base.

Add either the sinigang broth powder or the prepared tamarind juice and the green chili.

Simmer until all flavor incorporates.

Meanwhile, prepare the miso paste before adding to the broth.

Sauteed miso paste:

250 g Miso

1 head of garlic pounded

1 Onion chopped finely

3 Tomatoes chopped into small cubes

1/4 cup cooking oil

Saute garlic, onion and tomatoes until soft then add the miso paste. cook until the miso paste absorbs the oil and dries up.

Add to the sinigang soup base and stir until the sauteed miso thickens the soup base.

Finally add the fish. Simmer for another 5 minutes to cook the fish thoroughly.

Turn off the stove and put the mustard greens on top and cover the pot to cook the greens.

Adjust the taste with a little salt or fish sauce and pepper.

Serve hot.

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Chicken and Pork Adobo

Long overdue post.

Sorry blog for neglecting you for two years.

I have been distracted.

As a comeback, I would like to share an all time Filipino favorite that can be served at any occasion (Yeah, you may have read this recipe from some other blog but this is my version.).

Yes, the adobo is served in many versions depending on which region of the Philippines you go into. Some people would like their adobo cooked omitting the soy sauce and replacing it with anatto (achuete) juice, some preferred it with thick coconut milk, others would make it Hawaiian style by adding pineapple chunks.

Yet be it ever so humble, there is no place like home. I would always go back to my aunt's original cooking.

So, enough of the blahs and on with the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 kilogram chicken cut into serving pieces

3/4 kilogram pork cutlets or pork spareribs cut into bite size pieces

Marinade and sauce:

1/2 cup of vinegar

1 cup of soy sauce
1 1/2 cups of water

1 head garlic chopped finely

1/2 tablespoon of black pepper

2 pieces bay leaves

Mix vinegar, soy sauce and water and marinade the chicken and pork pieces for an hour.

After an hour place the marinated chicken and pork along with the marinade on a pot or on a wok.

Add the garlic, bay leaves and pepper and bring to a boil.

Once it is boiling, remove the lid and simmer until three quarters of the marinade is already evaporated and the pork starts to seep out its oil.

Drain the remaining sauce and set aside.

Fry the cooked chicken and pork in its own oil until it is semi-crisp and pour the remaining sauce again to the meats.

Remove bay leaves and serve hot.