Corn and Potato Chowder

On rainy days like this who would not look for comfort food? This is one quick, surefire way to warm the heart and the stomach.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk powder
2 1/2 cups water (for dissolving the milk powder)
1/2 cup white onion chopped
2 tablespoons oil (preferably canola oil)
3 1/4 cups water (for soup)
1 large potato, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
5 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 (14 oz.) cans of creamed corn
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Dissolve 1 cup milk powder into 2 1/2 cups of water until no lumps appear.
Saute chopped onion in oil in a skillet on medium heat until soft and translucent.
Add water, cubed potato and pepper to a large soup pot on stove. 
Add sauteed onion and 1/2 serving of bacon.
Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil on medium and reduce heat to low. 
Simmer 5 - 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Pulse creamed corn in blender for 3 minutes until smooth before putting it in the soup pot.
Add blended creamed corn, bring to a boil stirring occasionally.
Add milk and butter to the mixture.
Heat slowly to serving temperature.
Before serving, top with crisp bacon bits.
Goes well with melba toast or garlic French bread.

Enjoy!

Spam Fried Rice

Thank you Cristina Quackenbush of Milkfish New Orleans for this ingenious idea. I just thought it would be nice to share it with readers.

Spam started being used in Filipino cooking during World War II and remains a popular ingredient (though the majority preferred to eat it either fried or microwaved straight from the can as a quick meal any time of the day).

This recipe is a surprisingly delicious breakfast dish elevating the lowly pork shoulder based ingredient into a wonderful addition to any Filipinos' breakfast table.

A must try for the on-the-go Pinoys!

Ingredients:

1 can Spam diced

4 cups cooked, then cooled rice

1 diced onion

5 minced garlic cloves

diced green onions

diced tomatoes

1/4 cup soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

canola oil for sauteeing

2 eggs

Procedure:

Dice Spam into 1/4-inch cubes and saute in canola oil until crisp on the outside.

Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.

Add cooled rice and 1/8 cup of oil.

Mix rice thoroughly with Spam, onions and garlic.

Add 1/8 cup of soy sauce and be sure to distribute evenly over mixture.

Flatten out rice and let brown slightly.

Stir again and flatten out slightly.

Make a hole in the middle of the rice and break an egg into it.

Let the egg cook as you gradually incorporate it into the rice.

Add the remaining soy sauce and oil and stir fry until egg is cooked completely.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add diced tomatoes over top and fry an over-easy egg for the top to finish.

And voila! An easy satisfying dish in minutes!

000webhost.com

Need a free web hosting service? Click or paste the link below.

http://www.000webhost.com/581447.html

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.