What's Cookin'---Its Mr. Crabs!

Just last weekend, my Dad took home some fresh Crabs from the waters of Quezon Province. Fresh---it was still moving with its claws tied up.

As we placed it one by one in a huge cooking pan...Oh boy, these things are fast even without the help of their claws.

The process:


Steamed whole sprinkled with salt.

Perfect with soy sauce & Calamansi...chili (sili) for those who wants it spicy. I added Crab paste to give it a little something-something... Warning: Take in ModerationHappy eating!

What's Cookin'---Lechon Paksiw

Christmas 2008 my family celebrated with this Lechon(roasted pig) from Lydia'sLechon. To be honest, this was never included in my list of favorites. It's a pretty big Lechon for families and people looking after their blood presure on Christmas Day LOL.

What happened? left-over galore!

This is somewhat a late food entry. I was fixing my picture folders when I came across this Lechon image. Now, it reminded me to make a post about it.

Lechon Paksiw is a famous Filipino Dish. It is often served during town fiestas and celebrations such as Baptism, Birthdays and it is also best for the Holidays. It is served with thick liver sauce cooked with vinegar, sugar and herbs, popularly called the sarsa (sauce).

We had our fair share of this juicy meat with crispy skin. To preserve the meat, I turned it to Lechon Paksiw. The process was very easy. By the way, you can buy Lechon from any of our local sellers per kilo. Anytime, we can now prepare this meal without buying one whole lechon :)

What you will be needing: Good for 1 Kilo of Pork

1 Cup vinegar (add more if desired)

1 1/2 Cup water(add more if desired)

1/2 tbsp granulated pepper

tsp tip of salt

330g regular Mang Tomas Sauce

1 Cup Lechon Sauce

How to:

Boil pork with vinegar, water and pepper (Paksiw process)
When water is reduced, add the Mang Tomas sauce and lechon sarsa
Simmer on low fire
When sauce is thick add salt to taste
*you can add more water and vinegar to satisfy your taste

It is going to be Sweet, soury and savoury combined...

Happy eating!

What's Cookin'--- Pinakebbet

Pinakbet is a famous Philippine veggie dish. The name originated from the word Pinakebbet. Which is an Ilocano word meaning, to dry up. One main ingredient that makes Pinakbet different is the use of shrimp paste.
The vegetables commonly used are:
Okra
Eggplant
Ampalaya (Bitter Melon)
Kalabasa (Squash)
We add meat (especially the fatty ones) to add more flavor.

With my version of Pinakbet, I don't use meat (to be on the healthy side). I let the Shrimp Paste and other vegetable ingredients (such as some red tomatoes) play with the flavoring.

For dinner, once again, I gathered the available veggies from my crisper and made Pinakbet our grub for the night.

What you will be needing:

5 cloves garlic minced
1 medium onion chopped
3 red tomatoes cut into quarters
2 eggplants sliced into desired shape
10 pcs. okra chopped
1/4 part squash sliced/chopped
2 tbsp. shrimp paste
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 Cup water
a bunch of Kangkong (Water Cabbage)

How To:

In a pan heat up olive oil
Sautee garlic until medium brown
Add onions and tomatoes (simmer for 30 seconds)
Add Shrimp Paste
Mix for a few seconds
Add chopped squash
Add water, simmer until squash is half cooked
Add the Okra, add water if necessary, simmer until okra and squash are cooked
Add eggplant, simmer again until all veggies are cooked
*Ampalaya would be a nice vegetable to add*
Salt & pepper to taste

I like my Pinakbet with Kangkong tops. Makes it look more healthy.

Happy Eating!

What's Cookin'---Salmon Salad

Salmon (particularly the Pink Salmon) has been part of my food shopping list. It is the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific Salmons.This fish doesn't require so much to improve its taste. Naturally, it is rich in flavor. This is a borrowed recipe from a Travel magazine I read over the weekend.

The original recipe has the ff:
6 tbsp olive oil
salmon fillet
2 tbsp garbanzos
2 mid sized tomatoes (chopped)
2 tbsp pitless black olives (sliced)
1 tbsp choppedparsley
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. capers
1 tsp.grated orange peel
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 tbsp chopped basil

How to:
Stir fry salmon fillet in olive oil with the rest of the ingredients except the chopped basil.
When fish is cooked, set in a platter, top with chopped basil.
Viola!

My What's Cookin' recipes are all based on the available ingredients I have in my pantry, freezer and crisper. I choose the best substitute to the ones that I don't have. And yes, there are also times when I had to go out to buy, just in case I come up with nothing from my own kitchen drawers.

My version:

2 slices of Pink Salmon

2 mid sized red tomatoes (as followed)

3 calamansi (instead of lemon)

fresh basils ( as followed)

romaine lettuce

2 tbsp orange juice (not fresh)

6 pcs. baby corn (chopped)

3 tbsp olive oil

note: I did fillet the salmon myself. It's easy. The bony part is at the skin and fin area. Just chop those off. And cut the fish into small cubes. Why calamansi if you might ask. It serves the very same purpose of a lemon. To eliminate the "lansa". The orange juice will add more flavor. Romaine lettuce to give something extra. As you can see, I don't have most of the ingredients from the original recipe. The lettuce will cover everything.

My How to:

1.Stir fry all ingredients with the salmon fillet in olive oil except for the chopped basil and lettuce.

2.In a salad platter, mix the lettuce and basil together.

3.Once the fish is cooked, mix it all with the greens.
Done!

This is a very healthy dish. You can also eat it with rice or any form of carbs/ and protein you want. With this salad alone, its already quite heavy. You can also add walnuts, almonds, fresh mushrooms. Anything that your heart desires. If you don't have salmon, any fish fillet will do.

Happy Eating!

& Watch out for a Chocolate entry! I'm back in making chocolate candies for xmas!

9 Days Before Christmas!
Big Hugs!

What's Cookin'---Picadillo

Picadillo is a dish mainly consisting of ground beef (sometimes shredded beef or chicken) typically found in Cuba, Mexico, and other Latin American countries. In Mexico it is sometimes used as a filling, such as for tacos, and can be mixed with vegetables. It can also be prepared as a type of stew. In most other Latin American countries it consists of a common table from where people pick small beef pieces or other food such as french fries. The name comes from the Spanish word, "picar" which means "to chop". Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries; it's made with ground meat, tomatoes, and regional ingredients. The Cuban version includes olives and on occasion capers, omits chili powder, and is usually served with black beans and rice. The classic recipe uses ground meat, boiled and cubed potatoes, raisins, slivered almonds, diced olives, allspice, salt, pepper, chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper, and sometimes a little chili powder. This is all slowly simmered and served with hot flour tortillas.

-wiki-

Here in the Philippines we eat it with rice. There are so many ways to make this recipe your own. Picadillo is also good stuffed in any large bell pepper of your choice, topped with cheese (let the microwave do it's thing for 3-5 mins).

This particular dish is one of my favorites prepared by my grandmother. My mother-in-law has her version of Picadillo too (which is in Oyster sauce). Now, I gathered the available ingredients from my pantry and crisper.

What You Will Need:

4 pcs. medium potatoes (cut into cubes)

1 red bell pepper (sliced about an inch long and half inch thick)

4 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 K Lean ground Pork or ground sirloin

2 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp raisins

1C water

Sauces: You can choose from any of these:

I used this Ragu Old Fashioned Spaghetti sauce.

Tomato Sauce:

1 (227 g pouch plain tomato sauce)

1 (250g Filiino Style tomato sauce)

If you have this same dilemma as mine...

a 1/2 C of any tomato based sauce of your choice will do.

Fresh Tomatoes: Of couse this is the best option. 5 ripe (red) medium sized tomtotoes (sliced)

Oyster Sauce: 2 tbsp.

Note: sauce measurement good for 1K of ground meat

How To:

Saute garlic in olive oil until medium brown
Add the onions and diced potatoes
Add ground meat simmer for a few seconds
Mix it all together
Add water
Simmer for 7 mins or until potatoes and meat are cooked

Add the tomato sauce

note: for fresh tomatoes, just saute it with the onions and continue with the How To

Simmer for another 4mins

Add the bell pepper & raisins
Add water if necessary
Salt and pepper to taste

note: you can also add a little sugar to balance the taste.

Enjoy! and have a Delicious week!

Big Hugs!

What's Cookin'--- Tanigue Friday

It's an easy dish for today ladies. All you will be needing is your favorite fish, olive oil, salt and pepper, and herbs of your choice. Part of my mommyism is to serve white meat every friday or as much as possible, most of the time. Last week, I came up with my version of chicken cream.

It's been a busy week for the family. After my birthday, I didn't have the time to do serious blogging at all. And today,I made an easy meal for lunch.

Pan fried Tanigue

Fresh Salad & Rice

Nothing much. But it's healthy and my boys loved it.

Season your fish with olive oil on both sides, a tip -spoon of salt and pepper. Add a pinch of dried rosemary and thyme (my choices) on both sides of the fish. The taste will vary on the amount of herbs. Fresh herbs are always best in every meal.

No oil is needed in the frying pan. Heat up the pan. The olive oil will do the work and the fish will secrete it's own oil. Fry on low fire. Salmon, Tuna, Blue Marlin are perfect.

Have a healthy Friday everyone!

Big Hugs!

And oh, finally, I was able to learn how to make a watermark for my pictures. Happy!

What's Cookin'--- Chicken Cream

Let me share my version of Chicken Cream

What you will be needing:

2 chicken breasts (adobo cut or chopped into desired size)
5 garlic cloves (minced)
1 medium onion (chopped)
6 celery stalks (chopped)

Celery leaves chopped
4 potatoes (cut into quarters)
1 red bell pepper (cut into quarters)
1 Cup full cream milk (this is a powdered milk & water mixture)
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup water

2 green chilis
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (or any oil)

note: milk and water measurement are based on liquid measuring cup


How to:

Saute garlic with olive oil until golden brown. Add onions.
Add chicken breast
Add 1/2 cup water (add enough water if needed)
Simmer until chicken is half cooked
Add potatoes
Simmer until potatoes and chicken are cooked
Add milk
Simmer until the milk is a bit thickened
Add the celery
Salt & pepper to taste
Add red bell pepper

Top with Green Chili

Simmer for a minute

Ready to serve

note: you can slice the chili a bit to add a little spice.

Servings: 3-4

There's a big difference between simmering and boiling.

Simmering is below boiling point. Food that is simmered in milk or cream instead of water is referred to as creamed. (wiki)

Reduction is performed by boiling liquid (whether stock, wine, whiskey, vinegar, or sauce mixture) rapidly until the volume desired is reached by evaporation.

Enjoy!

Big Hugs!

What's Cookin'--- Pork Steak With Basil& Mushroom Sauce

And let the cooking begin! This is my first recipe to be posted here on Blogger. I thought of CRAVINGS to be my title simply because, most of my recipes are experimented thru the taste I wanted to achieve. I can cook a regular Sinigang, but I make sure I add something to make a distinction saying: "hey! that is my recipe"
Most of my recipes are passed-over by my Mom and Grandmother who rooted all the way from Pampanga. Pure Kapampangan. And they are very famous for their native- cooking expertise.
I also post some recipes from the cookbook. That is, if I was able to get the right result. I am also into gourmet cooking. Fresh herbs are my thing. I keep a bunch of fresh basil in my crisper all the time. For it is the most flexible herb. Gourmet caters to most of my family's occasions.
Sometimes you'll find me cooking late at night trying a recipe or again, experimenting. Like this Pork Steak I will share today. I gathered the ingredients available in my freezer, crisper and pantry. I was stirring 3am in the morning. Boy do I make our neighbors hungry while they're asleep :) Weird for somebody cooking at this time :) I can't help it!

Moving On! I now introduce to you....

Pork Steak with Basil & Mushroom Sauce

What You Will Be Needing:

4 slices of Pork Steak
1 can button mushrooms (fresh is better)
a handful of fresh basil (- the stems) (chopped if desired)
1 red bell pepper (sliced o chopped if desired)
salt & pepper (to taste)
3 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
1 whole garlic (chopped or minced)
2 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed in 1 taza of tap water
2tbsp olive oil (for sauteeing)

How To:
1. Treat Pork with salt and pepper
2.Pan fry until golden brown

note:you can use regular oil for frying.

3. Set aside pork in a serving platter

4. In a sauce pan saute garlic in olive oil until golden brown
5. Add chopped mushrooms
6. Add oyster sauce (medium heat, Keep stirring)
7. Add cornstarch Mixture (low fire)
8. Taste---add salt and pepper if needed
9. If all thick and perfect, add the fresh basil or (you can all top it first on the pork, then the sauce)
10.Top over the pork
11. Add red bell pepper to garnish

Best served with a platter of Fresh garden Salad & Vinaigrette.

Enjoy!Happy Eating!

Big Hugs!

Edited---I will be using What's Cookin' for my ecipes :)