Grilled Chicken in Garlic and Parsley Butter Sauce with Watercrest and Apple Salad

It's been quite awhile now since I last posted an article related to food... so much had happened for the last month or so that I took cooking for granted. Anyhow, being dramatic should not take a toll on my cooking, but since what I am experiencing right now is more than just being dramatic, cooking somehow is set aside. Don't get me wrong, I still love cooking, I still love eating, though I have to admit that there are times that getting up and try to cook is a struggle. My uncle as of now does the majority of cooking, and as the true master chef of the house, he had shown exemplary dishes all through out my sick days. I sometimes feel ashamed for not helping him, maybe I should do more effort to do some cutting of the vegetable and stuff. Anyway, the dish that my uncle cooked is absolutely magnifique! The chicken is so tender and the butter sauce is absolutely divine. It is light and a straightforward dish, no fuzz in making just a very easy yet classy in the palate dish.

Ingredients:

Chicken Dish:

4-6 Breast Chicken

100 g of Butter 

2 Garlic Cloves

Parsley

Salt

Pepper

Salad:

Watercrest

1 Apple sliced

Tomato

Salt

Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Direction:

Mix the butter (room temperature), mashed garlic and parsley and set aside. Put butter on a grill and cook the chicken until golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the butter with garlic and parsley at the last minute of cooking, melt it and serve.

Toss the salad, plate it and add the chicken, take a picture before eating. Bon Appetit Mes Amis : )

Banana Bread

I absolutely have no clue in baking, the last time I baked something was a major flop, people say that it's good, but I think they just don't want to hurt my feelings, because I can clearly see that the end product was terrible. I am referring to this Banana Bread, everything was wrong, except for the taste. I do like the taste in fairness to my banana bread the thing is, the outside was hard and the inside seems to be not baked properly as it appears to be still wet. I have three possible answers to my question, first and possibly the main reason for such disaster is that instead of putting two bananas on the wet ingredients as it was indicated on the recipe book I copied, I put three bananas. I put three bananas because there were three bananas left and it's getting too ripe and I don't want to waste it just by throwing it, and I will certainly not eat an over-ripe banana as it tastes awful. I think because of that move, I made the wet ingredients too heavy. Also, I think that I kept opening the oven as the bread is still on it's baking process. Lastly, I think I didn't give enough time for my bread to be baked. Whatever the reason for this disaster, I believe that I've learned a lesson. Though, I have to admit, I should've learned this thing a long time ago because I had been attempting to bake since last year, but I couldn't just get it right. Though I promise that I will not give up, because someday I will prove to everybody that I can bake a decent cake, muffin, cupcake, bread, cookies or whatever, so that they will no longer lie to me and pretend that my creation is good, in the future, they will tell me how good baker I am. In this time though, I will take my time. Funny how I can relate baking with my situation right now, I won't elaborate on that "situation", but certainly, things must not be rushed, just like giving ample time for my bread to bake. I have to follow things the right way just like following the amount of ingredients needed and don't make any shortcuts just like opening the oven too soon. Things will come on it's own term, so that someday, I will be who I am (very enigmatic, right? lol). I've learned a lot of lessons in life, but I couldn't guarantee that I make good choices and decisions because there are times that no matter how many times I fall, I kept repeating some of my mistakes that will lead to my second, third or how many downfalls, but no matter how much bruise and cuts I recieve from that fall, one thing that I've learned from it... and that is to never give up.

Just in case you want to make a banana bread... here's the proper ingredients and direction...

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Bananas

170g Caster Sugar

170g Self Raising Flour

170g Soft Butter

3 Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 160C/ gas mark 3. On a food processor, add all the ingredients starting with the wet ingredients then the sugar and sif the flour and blend until well mixed. Pour into lined loaf tin and bake for 1 hour. Cool, take a picture before eating. Bon Appetit Mes Amis : )

British Adobo (Adobo with Apples and Cream)

As I promised, I am going to make a British Adobo... and I absolutely love it! There was a movie called American Adobo before and since I've been posting adobo for days now, that prompted me to create British Adobo. I actually have no idea what British Adobo really is, I just assumed that if I'm going to make that kind of dish, I better use British products like red wine vinegar, british apples and double cream... Yup, you heard it right, double cream... because I want my adobo to be creamy, so that it would be different. I was afraid that this experiment of mine would be a disaster though because I was fearful that once I poured the double cream to the sauce with vinegar on it, the cream might curdled... but I was relieved that it didn't happened. I was also afraid that the apples might sweeten the adobo too much, again, nothing went wrong, I absolutely love the end product. With modesty aside, even my uncle and auntie loved it. I promise that I will cook this again so that others can experience this untraditional adobo of mine. Just don't bash me in front of my face because I'm sensitive. lol. I am being adventurous with the food I cook now, and this is proof of that, and I am happy that people liked it : )

Ingredients:

4 Loin Porks (cut into cubes)
6 Tbsp Soy Sauce
6 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Double Cream
4 Apples
1 Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Cup Water
Pepper
5 Bay Leaves
Rosemary
Dill
Olive Oil
Salt

Direction:

On a casserole, saute onion and garlic in olive oil then add the pork, brown the pork and cook for awhile on medium heat fire. Add the soy sauce and let it boil, pour the cup of water, then add the bay leaves, rosemary, dill and pepper, let it simmer for 30 minutes on low fire, partially covering it. Add the red wine vinegar an let it boil. Add th apples and cook for 10 minutes then pour the double cream. Adjust the seasoning by adding more soy sauce or salt. Plate it, take a picture before eating. Bon Appetit Mes Amis : )

Porc Au Lait (Pork Cooked in Milk)

I'm going back to France once again, this time around I'm bringing milk with me. As traditional French Cuisine, it is common for a dish to be creamy, and this one is not an exeption, it is buttery and milky, my kind of food. Though, one should be aware that this kind of food are not really good for someone who is trying to loose weight, so I guess, it's either stay away from this or cook this with adjustments, like I did. What I did was, instead of using full fat milk I used skimmed milk, I also used low-fat butter and trimmed the fats of the pork. Yes, I am trying to shed some pounds because I want to have a healthy life, I don't want to be tachypneic or tachycardic easily everytime I move. I also want to look good in clothes, I know this second reasoning is shallow, but you wouldn't understand this unleast you're in my same shoes, especially if you've been living on the heavier side for the majority of your life. I remember before, when I went to my province and I was on my heaviest, I weight 195 lbs. and people were just mean to me, this particular person told me I was so fat, it's not normal anymore, I don't look normal anymore... It was like I was pierced by a sword when she told me those words, I just kept quiet and pretended I am happy, but those words are one of the reasons why I want to lose weight. I am now happy to say though that I have shed some pounds, from 195 lbs to 149 lbs... and I am still trying to be fitter by eating healthy and by excercise (thanks Zumba and Pussycat Dolls DVD Workout. lol). It is true, there will always be people who is going to judge you by the way you look, and everyone of us is like that, it is human nature for us to judge and ridicule, but if we can do something, if we can change things, then do it. Or we could just ignore those people and embrace our flaws and stand up, either way, it is your life, just remember that whatever people thinks of you, there will be those who will always love and support you. Though the best thing to do is to think that when we ridicule someone, things comes back to us, I think we should all be nicer, I know I have some faults, but I gues, it's never too late to change, it is never too late to be a better person. Anyway, back to this dish, I always think of French Cuisine as complicated and hard to prepare, but this one is the absolute contrary of what I was thinking, Porc Au lait is one of the easiest food you can cook.

Ingredients:

4 to 6 Loin or Shoulder Pork
2 garlic cloves
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp Low Fat Butter
1 Thyme
1 to 5 Bay Leaf
2 to 4 Cups of Skimmed Milk

Direction:

On a large flameproof caserole, melt the butter and fry the pork until it is browned on all sides. Add the bay leaf and the thyme, as well as the milk, bring into a boil slowly. Cover and cook in a preheated moderate oven (160 C or 325 F, Gas Mark 3) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the pork is tender. If you don't have an oven, just cook it in the stove and let it cook for 2 hours on low to medium heat. Turn the pork during halfway of cooking. Transfer the pork into a serving dish and boil the milk rapidly to reduce slightly then season it to taste. If there is a cudled milk formed, strain the milk and discard the curdled milk. Plate it, take a picture before eating. Bon Appetit Mes Amis : )

Adobo sa Gata (Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk)

Let's go back to my motherland and try some of our native cuisine we call Adobo, but this time with a twist... It's Adobo with Coconut Milk, or we call it Adobo sa Gata. As I've mentioned before, Adobo is the most common Filipino food served everywhere there is a Filipino, it is common because it's easy to make, have a long shelf life and it is appealing to the Filipino tastebuds that even the non-natives would like. Since Adobo is common, sometimes it can be boring as everyday, we eat Adobo, so why not try something new. I remember before, when I was in college, our helper used to cook Adobo with Ginger almost everyday, that it became her trademark and a running joke between my college friends and I. Everytime my friends would go to our house, we always have a guessing game what will be the food for today, and as usual, we were always right... Adobo with Ginger! lol! There are many varieties of Adobos, you have it like a stew or dry, some people put orange juice, pineapple juice, pineapple chunks, ginger, wine or even Sprite (yup, the soda). I read somewhere that you can also make an Adobo with coconut milk, so I tried it, and I find the end result interesting and delicious. Instead of the usual salty and sour combo, the coconut milk surely makes it creamy. I cooked this dish a long time ago, only now that I posted this, but I can still remember how people liked this dish so much because it is a breakaway from the usual Adobo, we Filipinos always have. My Belgian uncle likes Adobo that he sometimes ask for me to cook it, the thing is, I'm not good with Adobo, but my mother surely cooks the best one. Other than my mother, a special shout out to my colleagues who also cooks wicked Adobo, Ate Jenny, Ate Rose and Abigail... oh, also the karenderia (canteen) my college friends and I call Bulatum. Next time, I will make Adobo with Double Cream instead of Coconut Milk and add some British apples and I shall call it, British Adobo... but that's for another post.

Ingredients:

6 Pieces of Chicken Thigh
1 Can of Coconut Milk
4-6 Potatoes
2 Garlics
1 Onion
5 Bay Leaves
1/2 Tbsp Peppercorns
6 Tbsp Soy Sauce
6 Tbsp Vinegar
1 Cup of Water
Cooking Oil

Direction:

Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, peppercorns and minced garlic for an hour. On a pan, saute the onion then add the marinated chicken and bay leaves. Continue to saute until the liquid has evaporated and meat starts to render fat. Transfer the marinade to the pan including bits of garlic and peppercorns, add a cup of water. Simmer in medium fire until the chicken becomes tender. Pour vinegar and continue to simmer. On the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, add the potatoes and pour the coconut milk, let it boil and simmer for awhile. Plate it, take a picture before eating. Bon Appetit Mes Amis : )
 

Moroccan Harira

I want to taste different cuisines that each people in certain countries enjoy even without spending hefty amount of money. This time around, I cooked Moroccan Harira, it is part of my attempt to go global, my attempt to recreate Morocco's spice-rich food. I haven't tasted an authentic Harira so I have nothing to compare with, as of now, this will do. Besides, I like the taste of it, the spices and tanginess of the lemon mixed so well, the aroma is enough to make me believe I'm in Morocco. It is said that Harira is the traditional soup of Morocco, it is usually served during dinner in the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan to break the fasting day. I do not belong to the Islam faith, but I do believe that no matter what religion you came from or  you don’t want to belong to any religion, a person can enjoy any food he/she wants. I do respect different culture and tradition, and I understand that Harira is part of the Muslim tradition. So, if someone says that Harira is just for the Muslim, I would respect them but I would tell them that food is universal, it is not just for someone belonging to any group, but for all the people in this world. We must think that food is there even before society was created, therefore, we must understand that food must bring people together, not to divide… Diba, ang drama?! Lol! Sorry, I was just imagining I’m in Ms. Universe. Seriously though, food must bring people together, not to divide. We all have different cuisines for every nation, and I think we must embrace and experience what the others are enjoying. If you have an opportunity to taste a cuisine coming from a different nation, try it. Thank you very much!

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Lamb, cut into small cubes

1 Tsp Turmeric

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Ginger

2 Tbsp Butter

3/4 Cup Chopped Celery and Leaves

2 Onions

1/2 Cup Parsley

1/2 Cup Cilantro

1 Can of Tomatoes

3/4 Cup Lentils

Salt and Pepper

1 Cup Chickpeas

2 Eggs, Beaten with the juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/4 Cup Fine Soup Noodles

Direction:

On a large pot, ombine the lamb, butter celey, onion, parsley, and cilantro, heat in low fire for 5 minutes. Then add the tomato pieces (without the juices) and continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the rmaiing juice of the tomatoes, 7 cups of water and lentils. Bring into a boil, partially cover then simmer for 2 hours. When you are ready to serve the dish, put the chickpeas and noodles (though in this dish, I didn't use the noodles because we had rice, but it's all up to you), cook it for another 5 minutes. While simmering th soup, stir in the eggs with lemon juice into the stck and continue to stir it until strands of egg appears on the soup and until the soup thickens. Season to tste, plate it and dust with cinnamon, take a picture before eating. Bon Appett Mes Amis : )

Adobo

I tried cooking Adobo last night hoping to recreate the Adobo of my mother’s recipe… The end result was… let’s just say, it is different from the taste of my mom’s Adobo, though I’m not saying it’s horrendous, but it is definitely not perfection like my mother’s version. My mother’s adobo has the usual ingredients and stuff, no added secret ingredients nor spices, just the basics, yet her Adobo is one of the finest or if not, the best I’ve ever had, and no, I am not being biased just because she is my mother, she really does cook a mean Adobo. Just a quick note, Adobo is the unofficial national food of the Philippines, it is the quintessential food for Filipinos, it is always partnered with rice. I remember before, outside our University, there’s a mini-canteen that sells two or three kinds of food but Adobo is always present, there are even times that they only sell Adobo. Other than the mini-canteen, during my practicum in one of the hospitals in Mandaluyong, there’s a restaurant called Adobo Republic that sells nothing but different kinds of Adobo. Adobo is part of Philippine culture, and even though it has a Spanish name, the food preparation is indigenous to the Philippines, because even before the Spaniards came to Philippines, Filipinos had been stewing or marinating meats in vinegar, which the Spaniards came to call Adobo, because they share an almost the same process.

Ingredients:

Chicken or Pork

2 Garlics

1 Onion

5 Bay Leaves

½ Tbsp Peppercorns

6 Tbsp Soy Sauce

6 Tbsp Vinegar

1 Cup Water

Cooking Oil

Direction:

Cut the pork or chicken into medium size pieces, marinate the pork/chicken in soy sauce, peppercorns and minces garlic for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

 

On a pan, saute the onion then add the marinated pork/cjicken and bay leaves. Continue to sauté until the liquid has evaporated and meat starts to condense fat. Transfer the marinade to the pan including bits of garlic and peppercorns add a cup of water. Simmer in medium fire until pork becomes tender. Pour vinegar and continue to simmer until sauce is reduced. Plate it, take picture before eating. Bon Appetit Mes Amis : )