Eggplant Parmigiana

It's nice to be back! So Eggplant Parmigiana it is! Cooked this dish about a couple of days ago. I didn't really plan to cook it as it's not very usual in Filipino cuisine but as an impulsive cook as I am, I always make dishes out of what I could find in the fridge. Below is a summed recipe for my own take on Eggplant Parmigiana.

You may opt to use eggplants with the skin on but I prefer otherwise as it sometimes become stringy. Thinly slice 2-3 eggplants lengthwise and season with salt and pepper. Fry the eggplant slices until crisp or golden brown. I chose to fry the eggplants with a well seasoned batter to increase volume as I only used 2 small sized eggplants on this recipe. Caramelize a medium sized thinly sliced onion then add 3 medium cloves of minced garlic. Put in a about half a pound of ground lean pork. Let it cook for a good 7 mins. then add in half a cup of sliced mushrooms and saute for another 3 mins. Pour in 2 cups of ready-made spaghetti sauce (I used Del Monte Mushroom Flavor for this one), season with salt, pepper and sugar. Simmer for 10 mins. with occasional stirring.

On an oven safe deep bowl or rectangular lasagna dish, make a layer of the fried eggplant slices at the bottom. Pour in a generous layer of the chunky sauce and add slices of parmessan cheese. Do this for another couple of times depending on how many layers you want to make. Top the last layer with grated parmessan and chunks of cream cheese. Put in the oven at 475F for 20-30 mins. or until top layer is golden brown and cheeses have melted.

Serve fresh out of the oven. Enjoy!

Music + M&Ms

Sorry. I've got nothing to say but.. I'M BOOOOOOORED and hungry. LOL. We had a visit to our family physician a while ago, all my laboratory results were fine, except CHOLESTEROL. This means cool-off with guilty pleasures for the mean time. I'd surely miss them. Be posting more serious stuff real soon. Cheers! :D

Alfajor with Strawberries

And now I'm back! I browsed on my stock of food photos and chose this (btw, all photos in here are self-taken. I'll try to check on a watermarker software later. *wink*) Going back, I know most of us doesn't know much what Alfajor is, even I just heard of it from my cousin. This type of pastry has both Arabic and Spanish origins. It is basically 2 circle cookies baked to a crumbly consistency with most often, caramel filling. It is covered in confectioner's sugar or dipped in chocolate. In Spain, it is usually covered in coconut.

Here in the Philippines, I know one really good maker of Alfajores, Good Shepherds of Baguio City. I wish to make one myself though. I just thought Alfajor has a very plain flavor and since I went to Baguio - the only place here in the Philippines where strawberries are grown, I also had to take home some really fresh strawberries. When I got home, I thought of something good to use both Alfajor and strawberries for, then I thought why not have them both? So I did and just added a little condensed milk to fuse both flavors and it turned out really well, or should I say deliciously well. You can find online recipes if you wanna try doing it. It's best as a fancy afternoon snack or a dessert. Go get one!

Deep-Fried Cream Dory with White Pesto Cream Sauce

Cream Dory is a fish and is a member of the carp family. Compared to most fishes, Cream Dory has lesser or even no stench most of the time. The very plain fish flavor makes it more easy to infuse flavor and be more creative in doing so. We had this for dinner the other night with a very simple recipe I made out of what we have in the fridge.

Deep-Fried Cream Dory with White Pesto Cream Sauce

White Pesto Cream Sauce

We shall start with the sauce. In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil and a tbsp butter. Pour in 1 cup of light cream or evaporated milk. Simmer for 5mins or until cream thickens. Add chopped basil leaves and crushed pine nuts. Now some may not have basil or pine nuts handy so here's the clever part, you may add 2 1/2 tbsp of McCormick Pesto Pasta Mix which you may find at grocery stores and the taste is just as good. Season with pepper and salt and a dash of sugar. Add 1/4 cup of water to loosen up the sauce a bit then simmer for another 5mins until desired sauce consistency. Do not overcook as the cream might burn, not cool (lol). Set aside for plating.

For the fish, we shall start with half a pound filleted cream dory seasoned with salt and pepper. Now it gets more interesting with the batter I used for this recipe. Crush 2 Skyflakes Onion and Chives Flavor (onion and chives-flavored soda crackers) until it's coarse enough to coat. In a small bowl, mix a quarter cup of milk, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp cream cheese. Dip the fish into the liquid mixture and coat with crushed flakes, be generous on the coating. In a fryer, heat up oil at just the right level that the coated fillet may soak into the oil fully. At just the right temperature, dip in each fillet for 3-4 mins or until golden brown. Make sure the oil is very hot so the batter would stick and cook on each fillet without falling off. Set aside on a paper towel to drain excess oil.

Deep-fried Dory in a Crispy Onion and Chives Batter

The crispy crunch of the batter. The soft and moist fillet. The creamy pesto cream sauce. I'm going nuts reminiscing how tasty this was. I should be doing this again, for sure. Try it! Enjoy.

Japanese-themed Family Dinner

Once in a while, our family does themed dinners. Last Sunday's theme was Japanese. Had 3 dishes that I cooked. I was to make Maki rolls but then the Chairman of the Kitchen Stadium called the battle to an end, LOL. So here they are:

Soba with Nori (Roasted Seaweed) in Cold Shouyu

You can find Soba noodles at the imported section of select supermarkets. Bought mine at SM Supermarket North Edsa as well as the Nori. The cold soup-base or Shouyu is Kikkoman with cold water and you may add a hint of Wasabi. Make the Shouyu, add the Soba noodles and put in strips of Nori.

Beef Teriyaki with Fried Potato Wedges

This Teriyaki recipe is my own. Since cooked beef chunks are available from the fridge, I had the convenience of just defrosting it and reboiling until it gets tender. So I went to make the sauce. First, caramelize the onion by sauteing it with a little olive oil, butter and sugar then set aside. For the sauce, use the same sauce pan so the onion flavor is not wasted. Pour in 3 tbsp. oyster sauce, 1 tbsp. (each) butter, ketchup and sugar, 3/4 cup water, pepper and salt. When done, plate the beef with the caramelized onion on top then pour in the teriyaki sauce. Serve with fried potato wedges for a crunch.

Garlic Buttered Shrimps

Lastly, I stir-fried some shrimp with lots of garlic in a little olive oil and butter. Add a tsp. of tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper and squeeze in a little lemon or calamansi.

Themed meals are fun and it makes a family enjoy a dinner more than the usual. So, go ahead and add some new items on that list and check recipes online or follow mine, if you want. Trust me, it just has to be awesome!

Mexican Soft Tortilla

Mexican food, for me is always a good fallback whenever I doubt what my appetite really wants. Filipinos are BIG food enthusiasts and would love cuisine that has similarities with their own. In this case, it's Mexican. burrito, quesadilla and salsa are constant favorites. This one here is home-made except for the soft tortillas which you could buy from most grocery stores nation-wide. The beef filling is sauteed beef in garlic and onion seasoned with pepper, salt, oyster sauce and a little flour to bind. For the veggies, I had fresh Iceberg and Leaf lettuce with sliced tomatoes and corn. Top this with a honey mustard dressing or an herbed cream cheese and you're good to go!

Oriental Style Chicken Wings

Buffalo Chicken Wings? Nope. Tastes like? Sort of, but NO. Oriental Style Chicken Wings as the name says is a Chinese-inspired dish because of its mainly sweet and sour flavor. This has been marinated in garlic, ketchup, oyster sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and calamansi (citrus). To make it more authentic, star anise may be added for a more Chinese flavor. This may be paired with sauteed and buttered mung beans and a bird's nest soup. Perfect for a light dinner.

Champorado (Chocolate Rice Porridge)

Mom's Champorado (Spanish: Champurrado)

And what's to beat the cold rainy weather with? I'd say a warm (because I don't like eating really hot food) bowl of a very chocolaty Champorado. This one here was made by Mom I guess months ago and I just happen to have kept a photo. See, I really should've made this blog a long time ago, Haha! Almost every Filipino kid had enjoyed a bowl or more of this very good merienda dish. It is usually boiled sticky rice with cocoa powder, sugar and milk. However, some - including my Mom, would add coco milk or gata and it just makes it more interesting and delicious. To balance it out, Tuyo or dried salted fish is served on the side for a very exciting palate experience.This really thick, chocolaty, creamy Champorado is definitely a Filipino favorite! I must say I'm craving as I type away.

Banana, Peanut & Walnuts

Made this 3 weeks ago. The title says it all. The banana's sweetness, creaminess of the peanut butter and the walnuts soft crunch are such great combinations.

What you need:
Bananas
Peanut Butter (I used Jif on this one)
Walnuts
Big Smile =)

Subway Spicy Salami with Olives

This was brought by dad when he got home last Friday. The sandwich is just as good as it is healthy. It has tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, olives, salami and a honey mustard dressing. Most Filipinos have now become more cautious about their food intake and their health in general (including me! lol). This is quite noticeable due to the increase of fitness gyms and health facilities around the country. For health-conscious peeps who craves for a not-so-guiltful and at the same time, delicious meal, Subway is the way to go!

Special thanks to Dad. Happy Father's Day! :)

Empire State Ciabatta (Debut Post)

Hurray!!! My debut post as a self-proclaimed FOOD BLOGGER! woohoo! So I just thought I'd share with you (whoever will follow my blog. lol) my last night's craving - The Empire State Ciabatta from Yellow Cab. I was then working for IBM at the UP-A. Technohub along Commonwealth Ave., QC and tried this once, as I was grossed out of KFC and Ministop already (Peace!) I should say I was hooked. The sandwich is composed of Hungarian sausage slices, perfectly scrambled eggs, cream cheese and cheddar and of course, a freshly baked Ciabatta bread with a crunchy outer later and a soft sort of creamy inside. The spiciness of the sausage was delicately balanced out of the creamy cheeses. The sandwich has great combinations of texture and taste anyone could really enjoy.

I would like to congratulate myself for my first ever food blog. CHEERS!!!

All photos posted and will be posted in this blog are mine and self-taken. Photo editor: Instagram and Picasa.