Pork Adobo

Pork Adobo

I love adobo. I grew up eating this comfort food. It's so easy to make and pretty much the ingredients called for this recipe can be found in every kitchen home. There's alot of variations to this recipe, there's some that uses chicken, beef, and boiled eggs added {not too keen on this though}. I prefer it this way- simple and straighforward. I guess to each is own. But the base of this recipe is the same for all.{soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic}. Try this and you won't be disappointed. This is the most identifiable recipe to most filipinos.

Ingredients:

Pork or chicken {I've seen beef being used with this recipe}

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tbsp. brown sugar {add more if you want it to be sweeter}

2-3 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper to taste

peppercorns {optional}

1-2 bay leaves

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar {optional}

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce {optional}

Directions:

Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper,  and cloves garlic. Add meat and bring to a boil for 10-15 minutes or until liquid is almost evaporated and the meat is tender. {cook meat longer if you want it more tender}. Add balsamic vinegar, and worcestershire sauce and let it simmer for another 5 minutes or so.{this  is  optional, I like adding balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce as I think it rounds up overall the flavor}.

 Bring the meat to simmer longer, or until liquid is almost dry. 

Pork Adobo.

KitchenAid Addict

KitchenAid Appliances

I love KitchenAid! John always teases me with my KitchenAid appliances. He always says, he might as well invest in their stocks, as he'll make more money out of me! He does have a point. I agree. Considering all the foodist out there, kitchen novices, housewives, and beginners, every home has one of these appliances or a combination of both or every one of each! I'm closing on it! :). I  told John he might as well. Besides, KitchenAid is still in existence for close to 100 years now...{ I doubt this company will ever go to bankruptcy}, just think of all the women having every color of the rainbow of this appliances on their counter tops.

I love the KitchenAid stand mixer so much, I got two!

The red one is the Professional 550 HD Bowl-Lift stand mixer,  more for heavy duty work for bread, and big batches of cookies. The white one is the Classic Series Tilt-Head stand mixer, which was my first KitchenAid appliance purchase. I use it more for small batches, quick whipping up of meringues or for simple mixing of ingredients.

Now, if I could just convince John that a clear glass or a copper bowl will complete the whole kitchen experience! He just rolled his eyes on me! ;)

KitchenAid makes work in the kitchen easy peasy! Happy baking!

Cupcakes

Cupcakes

Cupcakes!

Banana Lemon Jam

Banana Lemon Jam

If you have old banana's and you've had enough of the regular banana muffin, don't waste them and make these banana jam instead. It's a cinch to make!

Ingredients:

Banana {5-6 over ripe bananas or whatever you have on hand}

1-2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar {more or less, adjust to taste}

Directions:

Mashed bananas and combine the sugar. Bring to a boil for 10-15 minutes or until the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour the lemon juice and simmer to low for another 5-10 minutes. Let cool completely and store in a tight lid container.

This jam/preserve lasts for 2 weeks in the fridge. 

This is a perfect revamp to using over ripe bananas. No more banana muffins or cake. This is perfect for bread, pancakes or ice cream toppings.

You can also add strawberry's or any kind of berries to this preserve.

Banana Lemon Jam! Save those over ripe bananas for this recipe. Yummy.

Apple Cake

Apple Cake

I love this Apple Cake. It's simple, easy to make and full of flavor. It's a apple pie in a cake version. The presentation always comes out so nice and the smell is delightfully so good. It's so delicious, I couldn't helped myself with a few slices all the time. It's always decadent- drizzled with chocolate sauce or vanilla ice cream on top...

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

t tsp. baking powder

1/4 salt {optional if using a salted butter}

1 stick of unsalted butter {omit salt if using salted butter}

1/4 cup sugar {more or less if the apples are sweet already}

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. cinnamon

1-2 apples {cored, peeled and thinly sliced}

It's so pretty to look at.

Directions:

Mix all the these ingredients in one bowl: flour, salt, baking powder, {except cinnamon} and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar, until fluffy. Add the egg, and alternately add the flour mixture and milk. Pour batter in a round or square greased pan.{set aside}. 

Cinnamon mixture {combine sugar and cinnamon- easy as that}.

Assemble sliced apples on top of the cake batter.{decorate it as you please, I like how I do mine- as it fans out}. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture on top of the apples and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Make sure to grease the pan very well and keep an eye on it. Over baking it creates a dome or cracks on the surface of the cake.{important if you are serving it as a whole for presentation or bringing it to a party}. Serve this with a caramel sauce, chocolate sauce or vanilla ice or just plain- either way, its always a treat.

Apple Cake! How can you go wrong with such classic? Deliciously moist, melt-in-your-mouth Apple Cake. Enjoy eating!

Pork Barbecue

Pork Barbecue

Ingredients:

1 cup soy sauce
Pork meat cut thinned slices diagonally

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

1 small onions - minced {optional}

2 lemons

1/2 cup 7-UP or Sprite soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

ground black pepper
Pepper flakes or siracha {optional}
1/2 tsp. salt {optional- the soy sauce is salty enough}
{Add more or less of the above ingredients according to your taste}

Directions:

Combine  soy sauce, minced garlic, mince onions, juice of lemons, soda, ketchup, brown sugar and black pepper. Whisk and dissolve mixture well. Pour mixture over pork.

 Cover and marinate meat overnight, upto 2 days.

I've been looking for this recipe that reminds me of the pork barbecue street food from back home. This is one of the favorite street food in market sidewalks. The smell and taste of this barbecue while cooking is reminiscent of these fond memories. Enjoy grilling!

{Soak bamboo skewers overnight or half an hour before skewering the meat, to avoid splitting and burning during grilling or barbecuing}.

Pork Barbecue! Happy eating! Let me know what you think.

Dutch Baby

Dutch Baby

I'm glad I found this recipe. It was more of a curiosity in trying this recipe than anything at all. As I found out, this recipe is called dutch baby or a german pancake, or a dutch pancake. It was derived from Germany's cake as "Apfelpfannkuchen". More like a Yorkshire pudding as it is known to the British. You should try this recipe. It's so easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 tbsps. butter

4 large eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsps. sugar
powdered sugar {optional}

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with butter on a cast iron pan/ skillet.

Mix eggs, flour, milk and sugar.

Pour batter onto hot skillet and return to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. {Be careful in handling a hot cast iron pan}.

Serve while hot.

{Blend all the batter in the blender for a quick one pot, - cuts on the plate use!}. Serve with powdered sugar and fruits. I usually serve mine with jams, preserves, maple syrup or whatever breakfast or savoury toppings you have on hand. Dust with powdered sugar as needed.

This dutch baby is a wonderful alternative to the usual pancakes, muffins, or  crepes  for breakfast. This is also a one pot use. No need to use multiple dishes in getting this ready- just whip everything in the blender and you're good to go while waiting for the cast iron to heat up. Make sure to use a cast iron or pan that can go in the oven. This is a warm, light and fluffy breakfast!

Dutch baby! an alternative to crepes or pancakes for breakfast. No more slaving away on the grill pan. Happy eating!

Chili

Chili

Ingredients:

Ground beef or pork {I prefer both}

Celery, onions, garlic

carrots {or whatever vegetables you have on hand}

salt and pepper to taste

tomato paste

tomato sauce

Worcestershire sauce

Red kidney beans

Directions:

Saute garlic, celery, and onions until translucent. Add ground meat and cook through. Pour tomato sauce, tomato paste, and vegetables. Add kidney beans, salt and pepper to taste, worcestershire sauce and let simmer for an hour. The longer they are cooked through, the better the flavor get. I like it the day after. 

Chili to warm you up in the winter time! Enjoy!

Cream Puffs

Cream Puffs

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/2 cup unsalted butter {If using salted butter, omit the salt on this recipe}

pinch of salt

1 cup flour

1 cup water

Directions:

 In a large pot, bring water and butter to a boil. Stir flour and salt and mix until it forms a ball.

Transfer the dough to a large bowl, and mix using wooden spoon or a stand mixer, add eggs one at a time until incorporated well and smooth in texture.

Drop dough mixture in spoonful and bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 mins.

This is how it should look after mixing it.

Drop dough mixture using an ice cream scoop or a spoon. Don't make the dough too big as it expands during cooking. Make sure to use a parchment paper on top of your pan, otherwise the mixture will stick.

{Poke holes on the puff pastry to release the steam inside and transfer to a wire rack to cool. This is important to do, so the pastry doesn't deflate while cooling}.

Perfect cream puff! hollowed in the middle and crunchy on the outside.

Add whatever cream filling you prepared.

This is easy to make and way better than the store bought ones. This recipe freezes well. 

Cream Puffs! Tastier than the store bought one. Try this recipe! Enjoy!