lime

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Last night on my way home I stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant where I used to eat pho. I stopped eating there because of the tiny portions (see my post about it by clicking this link: ….Pho….
Knowing that I would be disappointed by the skimpy pho, I placed my hope into an order of summer rolls…….
Well, the same crappy principle as with the pho (a ton of stock, a tiny amount of anything else); only this time, there was a ton of wrapper (2 per roll !) and just a tiny bit of filling. I could have kicked myself for not following my own previous advise to avoid this place.
So, what’s an old cook to do? Well of course, make my own version of rice paper rolls 🙂
Mind you, these are NOT Vietnamese summer rolls! And, because of their plumpness, rather than eating them by hand, I suggest you use a fork in order to have a less messy encounter with these babies. 🙂
However, these rolls consist of the exact amount and ratio of ingredients I craved when I ordered the rolls in the restaurant and was so badly disappointed:
A small amount of wrapper, LOT’S of noodles and shrimp, and NOT drowned in fish sauce and basil. Ahhhh, the good life ! 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you prefer the more traditional skinny shape, just arrange the filling accordingly.
P.P.S.
I am still hoping to find a decent Vietnamese restaurant around here 🙂
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Hans’ Peanut Sauce

This recipe may not be the most authentic, but it’s really, really good.
Serve it as a dipping sauce, over hot or cold noodles or as a salad dressing.

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

4 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons chili paste

½ teaspoon garlic paste

1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. Whisk again before serving.
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Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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slice 1 lb medium size cooked shrimp in halves

soak 8 oz rice sticks in hot water until soft, drain, mix with the shrimp (reserve 12 halves for garnish, 2 inside the rool and one on top), fine julienne of 1/4 red pepper and 1/4 yellow pepper, fine julienne of 1/4 red onion and 3 ea finely sliced basil leaves, dress with rice vinegar, fish sauce, chili pepper, kosher salt and sesame oil to taste

prepare the peanut sauce according to the recipe on this page

the good stuff……

rice peper sheets

soak 1 sheet at the time in warm water until pliable

remove to a work surface

add a bit if peppers, cucumber and two half shrimp

top with the salad

fold both sides over the top, then roll tight

recipe will produce 4 “fat” rolls or 8 thin rolls; serves 2

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Pork Sinigang (Sinigang na Baboy)

Yesterday I had a long-standing wish fulfilled 🙂
(Mind you, there are “BIG WISHES” in life and then there are “small wishes” This was a small wish, but nevertheless, I am happy that it finally came through)
For years, I wished there’d be a good Filipino restaurant in my neighborhood, but there is only one that I know of within a few miles around, and frankly, that one sucks!
I don’t want to go into details, but believe me, if it would be halfway decent I would still go there. I have tried it three times, but all three times it was VERY disappointing, so I stopped going there and gave up hope. Whenever I needed a Pinoy food-fix, I had to prepare it myself.
So yesterday I went to do some errands in a close-by shopping center to which I have been going for more than 15 years. Much to my surprise, I saw a “new” restaurant named Manila Grill&BBQ tucked away in a corner. (I asked an employee how long they’ve been open and he said more than two years)
I had never noticed it before, maybe because what sticks out on the sign is Grill & BBQ, so one does not quickly associate this with Pinoy food………..
The place is very clean, simply but nicely appointed and the employees are very friendly, attentive and professional.
The food, THE FOOD 🙂 – it was absolutely delightful, very authentic, nicely presented and wonderfully tasty. The prices are moderate and overall, it was one of the best lunch experiences I had in any restaurant in Miami in years.
You can read more about it here: Manila Grill & BBQ, Pembroke Pines, Florida
So now, back to the dish at hand, Sinigang Na Baboy
Sinigang is a sour soup native to the Philippines. Beef, pork, shrimp, fish, and even chicken (sinampalukang manok) can be used. The one featured here today uses pork as the main ingredient. One can use boneless pork, though bony parts of the pig known as “buto-buto” are usually preferred. Neck bones, spare ribs, baby back ribs, and pork belly all can be used.
The most common vegetables used are egglant, okra, onion, green beans, tomato and taro root.
The most common souring agent is tamarind juice, (sampalog), but if not available, you can use calamansi, lime, lemon, guava, bilimbi (kamias), green mango, pineapple, and wild mangosteen (santol) To go an even easier route, you can buy instant “Sinigang Mix” ready to add to the stock while cooking. (For my personal taste this is too salty and not sour enough)
Today I went to look-up the sinigang I posted before on ChefsOpinion, but much to my surprise I could not find a single post, although I cook sinigang quite often. I then checked my folder of unpublished posts and low and behold, there was a bunch of pics of a sinigang I cooked about 6 years ago but never published. Looking at the quality of the pics I understand why I hesitated, but what the heck, here it is:
Sinigang na baboy from the distant past 🙂
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Masaya Ang Buhay ! Kainan Na !
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Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: pork-cut of your choice (I love pigs-tails), kosher salt and hot chillies to taste

: add sliced ginger, onions, scallions, tomatoes and garlic

: simmer all until pork is tender but NOT falling apart, remove pork, set aside, strain soup into a new pot, season the soup with the souring agent of your choice (I used tamarind juice), add the pork back into the soup, add the vegetables of your choice

: (I added cabbage, radish, scallion and tomato) , simmer for 1 minute, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning, serve with steamed rice and patis (fish sauce)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

: Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

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Pho

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While Pho comes in many variations and can be served with a plethora of sides, such as finely sliced onions, chili peppers, culantro, lime, bean sprouts, Thai basil, etc, I kept today’s lunch relatively simple but nevertheless very rich and delicious. Preparation was lightning quick, since I had a strong beef stock leftover from yesterday’s “beef and vegetable stew”.
If you prefer your beef paper-thin, you might want to put it in the freezer for a few hours before slicing, but I prefer the texture of the beef the way I sliced it, slightly thicker than usual and thus with a bit more bite to it. Certainly not “original”, but, in my kitchen, cooking for myself and Bella – anything goes. (Well, almost anything 🙂 )
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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All about Pho
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More Pho on ChefsOpinion
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Pho

Pho

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: slice beef tenderloin into thin slices

: season beef stock with star anise, cinnamon bark, coriander seed, fennel seed, grated ginger, garlic paste, kosher salt and crushed black pepper, simmer until fragrant, strain, check / adjust seasoning

: cook rice vermicelli, drain, rinse

: add vermicelli to serving bowl, add a few drops of fish sauce

: top vermicelli with sliced beef

: ladle simmering stock over beef

: garnish with cilantro, chilies, basil leaves, scallions, fried garlic and scallions

: Pho

: Pho

: Pho

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Playing with food 🙂
Green, white and red –
very easy to come up with a real Mexican dish using the mexican flag colors.

¡ Buen Provecho ! ¡ Viva México!
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Click here for Guacamole recipe
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Click here for Salsa Mexicana recipe
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Milanesa Mexicana

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Preparation :
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mise en place

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season veal cutlet with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

season thinly pounded veal cutlet with mustard, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

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place onto serving platter, drizzle with lime juice, top with guacamole, sour cream and salsa mexicana, sprinkle with chives or cilantro (however, there is already plenty cilantro in the guacamole)

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Comfort food at it’s easiest, it’s quickest and it’s best. Once the spinach has been blanched (I always keep some in the freezer for occasions like this), the whole shamukus does not take more than fifteen minutes to prepare, ideal for a lazy day-off lunch while watching a good movie ( Captain Phillips )

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Click here for Creamed Spinach recipe

Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Preparation :
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season chicken and shiitake with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, grill until internal temperature has reached 162F, remove from grill and let rest for fife minutes, carryover heat will cook chickento a perfect 165F

season boneless chicken tights and shiitake mushroom with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, grill until internal temperature has reached 162F, remove from grill and let rest for fife minutes, carry-over heat will cook chicken to a perfect 165F

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place creamed spinach on a serving dish

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top spinach with chicken and shiitake, drizzle with lime juice, sprinkle with sliced scallion

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
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Wings Glazed With Fermented Black Bean Sauce

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Wing’s (like life itself) can become a bit boring if you don’t change the method of preparation once in a while, so last night’s wings got a different twist of flavor by marinating them for 24 hours in fermented black bean sauce, lime juice, hoisin sauce, sriracha, soy sauce and granulated garlic. Then roasted at 385 F for ninety minutes, basting often with the marinade. Good Stuff 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Wings Glazed With Fermented Black Bean Sauce

: Wings, fermented black bean sauce, lime juice, hoisin sauce, sriracha, soy sauce and granulated garlic.

: Marinate for twenty four hours

: Bake at 385F for ninety minutes, baste with marinade often

: Wings Glazed With Fermented Black Bean Sauce

: Wings and dragon fruit

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Asian Inspired Fiery Lamb With Egg Noodles And Vegetables

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This is comfort food at it’s finest.
What quick, easy and affordable food can be more comforting than spicy, juicy noodles with ground meat of any type, vegetables of any sort, seasoned to that just slightly burning mouthfeel that feel’s oh so good and satisfying after your taste buds have adjusted to the heat after the first few bites.
Tonight I have used lamb, egg noodles , cabbage, peppers, onions and scallions, but you could use any protein, such as pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, scallops. You could also substitute the egg noodles with any other type of pasta, as well as use the vegetables of your choice/ availability. This is such a versatile dish that only your fantasy limits your choice of ingredients.
Experiment for a bit and you will arrive at your very own favorite version of this dish 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Fiery Lamb With Noodles And Vegetables

Saute Fine diced Onions, Garlic Paste And Grated Ginger

Add Lamb, Saute Until All Lumps Are Broken Up

Add Salt, Hoisin Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Maggi Seasoning, A Bit Of Corn Starch Slurry And Chicken Stock. Simmer until Meat Is Tender

Add Salt, Hoisin Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Maggi Seasoning and Chicken Stock. Simmer until Meat Is Tender

Add vegetables And A Bit Of Corn Starch Slurry , Simmer For One Minute

Boil Egg Noodles, Drain, Mix With Sesame Oil

Add Freshly Cooked Egg Noodles And A Splash Of Lime Juice. Adjust Seasoning If Necessary. Mix Well.

Fiery Lamb With Noodles And Vegetables

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video below. ( You don’t have to watch it, just click once ) Thank you 🙂
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Guacamole

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Guacamole Ingredient’s :

Avocado, diced
Lime,   juiced
Fresh chilis,    diced
Cilantro,   coarsely chopped
Garlic,   paste
Salt,

Method :

Mix all ingredients until guacamole has the texture you desire.
The more you stir, the more the avocado breaks down and the
guacamole becomes smoother, less chunky.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Note: For a slightly different version, add diced totatoes.
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Fruit Yogurt

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Most times I buy those little cups of fruit yogurt at the
supermarket like most other folks. They are convenient and
an easy, mostly guild free fix for a little sweets – craving.
But lately I use a lot of plain greek yogurt in my cooking,
so earlier when my sweet toot acted up, I took some Fruits
I had in the fridge, (apples, grapes and strawberries), mixed
some yogurt with vanilla essence, castor sugar, freshly
squeezed lime juice and a bit of cayenne pepper. Some
of the Yogurt on the bottom of the plate, then the fruit,
then topped with more of the yogurt. Very quick, cheap,
delicious and pretty to look at.
Question is, WHY do we buy these little expensive
tasteless cups of fruit yogurt if this is so much better ???