Friday, October 26, 2018

Salami Toasties by Chef Baker Johnlu Koa

I went to an event held at SM Annex Davao, "Easy Food Treats" sponsored by TEFAL and The French Baker, wherein Chef Baker Johnlu Koa showcase his talent in cooking through a Live Cooking Demo.

One of his recipes shared to us, Salami Toasties.


INGREDIENTS:
  • The French Baker half loaf
  • Tomato spread
  • sliced gouda cheese
  • sliced onion
  • sliced olives
  • siced tomato
  • salami
  • butter

PROCEDURE:
  1. Spread tomato on one side of loaf.
  2. Assemble salami, onion, olives, tomato and cheese.
  3. Cover with another loaf with tomato spread, applied also to one side.
  4. Brush lightly with butter the outer surface of the Tefal UltraCompact Cutting Plate Sandwich Maker.
  5. Toast sandwich for few seconds.
  6. Cut before serving.


Saturday, December 24, 2016

Mika Macaroni Fruit Salad

It's Christmas once again and the best part of Noche Buena(Christmas Eve) celebrations is always between gifts and food. Time to think of a good and decent gifts followed by a sumptuous food.

When it comes to tradition, the Noche Buena is the center of the celebration, a gathering of families, friends and love ones, that brings the family back together for another unforgettable, crazy, and nostalgic feast. Filipinos are fond of food. This is the most favorite part of the Filipino family, it is important that the special dishes are always present, aside from lechon, ham, steak, pasta, the simple salad with dressing are some of the signature menu and consider the ones who are coming over especially if there are any Balikbayans in the family.

Well, old and reliable menu handed down from generations to generations makes the whip in the kitchen, doing the splendorous magic in making the dishes, but for millennials the new stuff or the experimental dishes that we randomly saw on a food porn really attracts their palate.

Here's the Macaroni Fruit Salad prepared by my eldest daughter, Mikaela Francesca. According to her, this is the new way in preparing the salad.

Okey, let's try, right?


INGREDIENTS:



250 ml All-Purpose Cream
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
300 ml Sweetened Condensed Milk 
1/2 teaspoon salt
400g elbow macaroni noodles
100 grams raisins
1 can Fruit Cocktail (drain the syrup)
2 8oz Nata de Coco (red & green)
Cheese


PROCEDURE:

  1. Cook macaroni noodles according to the package instructions. NOTE: Don't forget to put salt in a boiling water, just like we cook our pasta with our spaghetti. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the drain fruit cocktail, all-purpose cream, nata de coco and sweetened condensed milk. Stir well to combine.
  3. In a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients, including the elbow macaroni. Mix it all. Toss to combine.
  4. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
  5. You can add dice cheese on top and raisins too!


Side dishes like this, Macaroni Fruit Salad easy to prepare and go with everything! Great recipes for parties and birthdays too. A wonderful sweet, creamy, a bit of a tangy crunch (if you add apples)...a perfect combination of flavors for this Holiday!





Thursday, October 27, 2016

Pork Chop with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and Salad Bar Fine Dining Recipe



What do women think of men who can cook? I think this question need a good answer.

I have been blessed to have a man who loves to cook, that is because I love to eat! I am a big foodie person and my taste bud never satisfied in looking for a sumptuous dish that will content my cravings. Another thing is that I don't know how to cook, oh well, I know but simple dishes like that of an instant food.

I love to watch a man cooking. It's a big turn on to me when I see a man cooking in the kitchen. The way he handle delicate things by slicing and chopping, makes a petite dish that you will truly love.

Last Saturday night, we are supposed to watch movie together, but because he was so inspired with the food he eat at Claude's and Bigby's (a treat of one of his client),  instead he went to a grocery store to buy the recipes.

PORK CHOP with CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE served with buttered vegetables and mashed potatoes

Ingredients:

2 cuts of pork chop (1/2-3/4 inch thick / about 2 pounds ), trimmed

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp powdered pepper

string beans or Baguio beans

3 tbsps virgin olive oil

3 potatoes

Knorr Cream of Mushroom Mix

butter

fresh milk


Procedure:

  1. Sprinkle pork chops with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 pork chops.
  4. Cook it well, medium rare is better, 5 to 7 minutes.
  5. Remove to a plate. Set aside.
  6. Blanch string beans or Baguio Beans

For Mashed Potatoes:

  1. Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until very tender.
  2. Drain the potatoes.
  3. In a small saucepan, heat the butter in half.
  4. Place the potatoes in the bowl while still hot and mashed it with fork or use mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
  5. If using fork, mashed it finely until get the desired texture and for the mixer use low speed. Slowly add the butter, fresh milk, 2 tsps salt and the pepper.
  6. Mix until the potatoes are mashed but not completely smooth.  

For the sauce:

  1. Knorr Cream of Mushroom mix.
  2. Just add 3 cup cold water and 1 cup fresh milk.
  3. Whisk in and mix the cream of mushroom by stirring it constantly.
  4. Reduced heat. Cover partially and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
  5. Add the Cream of Mushroom to the pork chop and/or mashed potatoes, and to the blanch vegetable for more tasty dish.



SALAD BAR




Ingredients:

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Onion

Boiled Egg

Vinegar

Pickles

Salt

Fish (from a leftover food)

Directions:

  1. Wash lettuce, tomatoes and onions.
  2. Shred the leftover fish. Set aside.
  3. Dice all the ingredients in small pieces and put in a different plates to avoid getting sour.
  4. Mix everything in a bowl. But take note if is not to be consumed immediately do not mix the ingredients together yet in the absence of a refrigerator.
  5. Arrange in a flat tray to allow air circulation.
  6. Spread some minced pickles and boiled egg on top and then refrigerate.
  7. You can add vinegar if you want to served it. 




There you go Pork Chop with Creamy Mushrooms Sauce and Salad Bar Fine Dining recipe. A very healthy recipe with lots of protein, fiber and healthy carbs that help boost your metabolism and keeping yourself full all day. Good also with your digestive system.

Men that knows how to cook are amazing and a blessing. They often add new experiences to your life, just like my experience now, I'm so excited to see him and interested to witness his new dishes and I for myself happy to learn different cuisines that might never tasted before.











Thursday, July 28, 2016

Calamari Negra (Squid Ink) Recipe #CalamariNegra #SquidInk #FoodRecipe #EasytoCook




Have you tried eating a black Calamari? Well, for you to know how it taste, I'll give you the recipe. This is from ZARAFISH called CALAMARI IN SQUID-INK BATTER with ROMESCO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

  1. 1 pack of calamari ring
  2. 4 tbsp of tempura flour
  3. 2 sachets of squid ink
  4. 10 tbsp of water

For ROMESCO SAUCE:

  • 1 bulb of garlic
  • 2 ripe tomatoes
  • 80g of fried almonds
  • 1 tbsp of red pepper flakes (or pulp of 2 ñora peppers or dried peppers)
  • 200g of olive oil
  • 50g of vinegar
  • 50g of water
  • 2 slices of bread
  • sunflower oil for frying

Photo credit to ZARAFISH


PROCEDURE:


Sauce
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°c.
  2. Cut the skin of the tomatoes to stop from bursting and roast them in the oven along with the chopped garlic. This will take approximately 20mins for the tomatoes and 30mins for the garlic to cook and give that exact aroma and taste. Then keep it cool.
  3. Fry the bread and almonds in the sunflower oil.
  4. When tomatoes and garlic have cooled, peel and place them in a blender along with the rest of the solid ingredients.
  5. Blend and add salt to taste.



CALAMARI

  1. Mix the flour, water and squid ink in a bowl.
  2. Coat the squid rings and fry in a plenty of oil.
  3. Make sure that it is well cook.
All in all, this will give you 45 minutes to cook. Good for 4 serving.

Photo credit to ZARAFISH

Though it's not an easy sauce to make, but this is perfectly pair with the Calamari Negra. 

For more tasty, healthy and easy to prepare dishes, visit ZaraFish!

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Fresh Homemade NO-BAKE DARK CHOCOLATE ENERGY BITES #EnergyFood #HealthyFood


I'm not a pastry baker, but I loved to eat a lot, especially when it comes to healthy and energy giving food. I just receive an email from 101 CookBooks and give me this 
4 o'clock No-Bake Energy Bites recipe.


  • 1 cup lightly taosted old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 3 tbsps chia seeds, ground in mortar and pestle
  • 1/4 cup chopped chocolate (or chips)
  • 3 tbsps good maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened, toasted coconut flakes
  • 2/3 cup well-stirred natural peanut butter
  • sea salt, to taste


And looking at the ingredients, it really boost your energy starting with the natural peanut butter ingredient. Well, you can adjust as needed and you can also substitute it with honey or almond butter or any ground seeds available at your market.




Procedure:

  1. Combine the oats, chia seeds, chocolate, maple syrup and coconut in a medium bowl. Toss until well combine.
  2. Add the peanut butter, use your hands to really mix the ingredients well. Adjust a bit if necessary, adding more peanut butter if the mixture will not help you shape a ball. Or just alternately, add oats if the mixture is too sticky.
  3. You can shape the balls by hand, or why not use a rounded spoon and press the mixture, make it more easier and less messy.
  4. Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate, let refrigerate or freeze. Then for an hour, put it in a small jar, or any container.
  5. Makes 2 dozens energy bites.
  6. Make some add-ons like sprinkling it with healthy topping ideas




A food recipe blog with simple and tasty recipes for the foodie lovers and aspirant cook like me.