Friday, September 21, 2012

It's All About Food: FRIED SARDINES

It's All About Food: FRIED SARDINES: INGREDIENTS: 10 Sardines(2-3 155 gram cans) in tomato sauce 1/4 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to tas...

FRIED SARDINES





INGREDIENTS:

 10 Sardines(2-3 155 gram cans) in tomato sauce
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 Lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
Oil for pan frying

 PROCEDURE:
  1. In a deep frying pan, heat about 1 cup oil for pan frying.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk flour, cumin powder, salt, and ground black pepper until well mixed.  Take 1 sardine in tomato sauce and gently toss in the flour mixture.  Careful the sardine doesn't break!  Repeat with remaining sardines.  Set aside tomato sauce for another use.
  3. Gently place floured sardines into hot oil and fry until golden brown.  Gently place on paper towels to drain excess oil, and serve with lemon wedges.


 These sardines make the perfect finger food!

Takes 15 minutes
Makes about 10 pieces
Costs PHp 5.35 per piece

Saturday, September 8, 2012

It's All About Food: Meatballs in Spicy Peanut Curry Sauce

It's All About Food: Meatballs in Spicy Peanut Curry Sauce: INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Salt and ground black pepper 1lb. ground beef, medium lean (80 or 85%) 2 Tbs. vege...

Meatballs in Spicy Peanut Curry Sauce





INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 1lb. ground beef, medium lean (80 or 85%)
  • 2 Tbs. vegetable oil: more if needed
  • 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbs. red curry paste; more to taste
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk (refrigerate the can, don't shake it, and use the thick cream from the top)
  • 2 Tbs. chunky peanut butter
  • 2 tsp. fish sauce; more to taste
  • 1 1/2 Tbs. sugar; more to taste
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh mint or basil for garnish
PROCEDURE
  1. PUT THE FLOUR on a plate.  Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp., pepper on the beef and mix well.  Shape the beef into small, firm balls about 1-inch in diameter; you'll get 32-40.  Roll the meatballs in the flour, dusting off the excess.
  2. LINE A PLATE with paper towels.  In a wok or a frying pan, heat the oil on high until it's hot.  Fry the garlic until browned, about 1 minute; remove the garlic and set aside.  Add the meatballs(in batches, if necessary) and sear them on a high heat, stirring and titling the pan, until they're browned evenly and cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to the power-towel lined plate to drain.
  3. IF NO OIL REMAINS in the pan, add another 2 tsp. and fry the red curry paste so it releases its aromas, about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking.  Add the reserved garlic and the cream of the coconut milk and then stir in the peanut butter.  Cook and stir to get a smooth, uniform consistency, about 1 minute.  Taste and add fish sauce, sugar, or more curry paste to taste; the sauce shouldn't be too sweet.
  4. RETURN THE MEATBALLS to the pan with the sauce and simmer over a low heat until they're hot, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the mint or basil sprinkled on top.
*Thick canned coconut milk tames the fire in this curry.  

How to make a rich, silky curry sauce

Coconut milk is the critical behind-the scenes ingredients.

Better refrigerate the can so that the cream rises and hardens, making it easy to scoop out.




Peanut butter and coconut milk melt into the curry paste, making a smooth, unctuous sauce.








Rolling the meatballs around right in the pan warms them up and ensures a complete coating of sauce.








Source: FINECOOKING RECIPE BOOK


Saturday, September 1, 2012

It's All About Food: PORK TOMATO SINIGANG

It's All About Food: PORK TOMATO SINIGANG: This is my own version of Pork Tomato Sinigang.   INGREDIENTS 1/2 kg pork ribs 1 pc (30g) small onion,sliced 1/2 tbsp patis SAUC...

PORK TOMATO SINIGANG

This is my own version of Pork Tomato Sinigang.  

INGREDIENTS

 1/2 kg pork ribs
1 pc (30g) small onion,sliced
1/2 tbsp patis

 SAUCE

 1 pouch (200 g) Tomato Sauce
2-1/4 cups water
2 pc potatoes, each piece cut into two
3 pc okra, cut into two
1 pc carrot, cut into cubes
1-2 pc siling haba
1 bunch kangkong leaves or pechay
1 tbsp sinigang mix powder

 PROCEDURES:

  1. Boil ribs first to make it tender.  Then set aside.
  2. Saute onion and pork ribs until golden brown then add patis.
  3. Add Tomato Sauce and water.  Then add the potatoes, carrots and okra.
  4. Cover and simmer until all are tender.
  5. Add pechay and sinigang mix powder.
  6. Allow to simmer and serve. 

*My two kids don't like to eat radish in a soup.  (They love to eat radish if I make it to salad.) So I use potatoes and carrot. And instead of liempo I use ribs.  

 *There is no kangkong available in our market, I replace it with pechay.

 A very different sinigang recipe with a TWIST!  Hope you will like it.

Pal Food Lane

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