BEEF RENDANG

500 grams sirloin or tenderloin cut into cubes
1 cup thick coconut milk
1/4 cup toasted coconut
1/4 cup canola oil
2 kaffir lime leaves
*(but since I don't have it 3/4 teaspoon of lime zest will do)
1 teaspoon muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon of tamarind paste or powder
2 large onions chopped
1 inch ginger sliced
2 stalks lemon grass or 1 teaspoon lemon grass paste
3 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli pepper
1 teaspoon gram masala
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon coriander powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
dash of granulated cloves
dash of cumin powder
2 1-inch sized cinnamon
1 star anise
1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cardamons
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor or blender, put the onions, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, 2 tablespoons water, and dried chilli
pepper. Blend well till paste consistency and set aside.
In a skillet on low heat, put 1 tablespoon of oil and stir fry the cinnamon, star anise, cumin seeds, fennel
seeds and cardamons for a minute.
Then add in garam masala, curry powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, granulated cloves and cumin powder.
Stir fry for a minute.
Now add in the paste mixture from your blender, then add the rest of the canola oil. Stir fry for 7-10 minutes.
Add in the beff and stir well. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add in the coconut milk, sugar, lime zest, tamarind paste.
Stir and let it simmer for 45 minutes, or until the beef
is tender with constant stirring.
You can add 1/4 cup beef stock if you find that your beef needs more time to get tender.
When beef is tender, add in toasted coconut and stir well.
Simmer for another 5 minutes with stirring constantly.
Beef Rendang should be darker and dry at this time.
Season with salt and pepper.
Turn off heat and discard the cinnamon, star anise, and cardamons before serving.
Serve with jasmine rice and a slice of lime.
Enjoy!

*Beef Rendang is quite complicated and time consuming to cook.
But this dish is guaranteed packed with flavor!
Originally from Indonesia.
And it has been my favorite from the first time I tasted it!
Challenge yourself and give it a try! Cheers!

                        

ADOBONG MANI

 1 kilo peanuts (with or without skin)
15-20 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
2 cups cooking oil
salt (kosher or iodized salt)
granulated garlic (optional)

Wash peanut and drain excess water.
* this makes peanuts crunchier.
In a wok on low to medium heat, pour cooking oil.
Add in slices of garlic, fry till slightly brown with constant stirring.
Remove from oil and set aside.
In the same wok, add in peanuts and fry for about 12-15 minutes.
Remove from oil and transfer to a bowl with paper towels.
Add in the garlic chips, salt and granulated garlic.
Stir well. Serve. Enjoy!

*This is such a simple recipe. And amazingly...a request! 
  We love to watch movies at home, and we gotta have
  something to nibble while watching.
  ABODONG MANI is just perfect!

DINUGUAN (Pork Blood Stew)

1 kilo pork belly sliced into small pieces
6 cloves garlic minced
1 large onion minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
5-6 cups pork blood
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bay leaf
dash of dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
few green chillies
cooking oil for sauteing
1/4 cup water or stock

Pour pork blood into a blender add 2 tablespoon vinegar and a teaspoon of salt. 

Blend till smooth. Set aside.
In a skillet on medium heat, add cooking oil. Saute ginger, onions, garlic for 2 minutes.

Add in bay leaf and pork belly, soy sauce, pepper and oregano. 

Stir fry for 2-3 minutes then add in water or stock. Stir.
Simmer till pork is tender with little amount of stock left.
(Add a little amount of water from time to time if needed).
Add in vinegar and simmer without stirring for a minute or two.
Then add the pork blood. Add sugar. Simmer for 20-30 minutes with constant stirring. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add in green chillies. Simmer for another minute and serve.
Enjoy!

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GENERAL TSO

500 grams chicken breast cut into bite pieces
all purpose flour
cooking oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 medium onion sliced
1 tablespoon thinly sliced ginger
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch
salt and pepper to taste

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Dredge in flour and fry. Set aside.
In a bowl, add chicken stock, sugar, hoisin sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, corn starch and pepper. Mix well.
In a skillet on medium heat, saute ginger, onions, garlic for few minutes. Add in the sauces mixture and bring it to a boil while stirring, until it thickens. Bring the heat to low and add in the chicken. Mix well and make sure the chicken is well coated with the sauce. Remove from heat. Serve. Enjoy!
* I added some sliced green bell pepper for additional flavor and
color. And you can garnish it with chopped spring onions too!
It's just that I don't have it at the moment. 
Easy, quick and delicious recipe!

                           

BUFFALO WINGS

1 kilo chicken wings
cooking oil for deep frying
1 tablespoon baking powder
granulated garlic
granulated onion
cayenne pepper
paprika
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
hot sauce (any chili sauce you prefer, I used Sriracha and Tabasco)
2 tablespoon tomato catsup
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

Clean chicken wings well. Chop into two parts, drumettes and wings. Discard wing tips. 

Season with salt, pepper, baking powder and garlic powder. 

Mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes in the fridge.
In a frying pan on medium heat, add cooking oil, enough to cover chicken wings. 

Fry for about 2-3 minutes both sides. Do not over cook. Set aside and drain in paper towels.
In a skillet on low heat, add butter, hot sauce (depends how spicy you want), catsup, dash of cayenne pepper, dash of paprika, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix well till sugar is dissolved. Add vinegar and stir for another minute.
Remove from heat and add the fried chicken wings and toss well.
Make sure all to coat 'em evenly.
Serve. Enjoy!

*Best serve with some vegetable sticks with bleu cheese or ranch dressing.

CUSTARD PUDDING

For Caramel:
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water
1-2 tablespoon hot water
butter

Butter individual pudding moulds.
In a small pot, put sugar and water.
Simmer on low heat without stirring, just give it a swirl
occasionally until color turns golden brown.
Immediately off the heat and tilt the pot and add a
tablespoon or two of hot water, and swirl.
Then put caramel into your moulds or ramekins.
I used a microwaveable safe cup!

CUSTARD PUDDING:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup evaporated milk
4 tablespoon sugar
few drops of vanilla extract (optional)

In a pot, warm milk then add sugar, stir until sugar dissolves.
Do not boil.
Slightly beat eggs into a bowl and slowly add the milk and sugar  mixture while constantly stirring.
Strain and pour custard mixture equally as possible into your ramekins. 

Scoop out some bubbles on top of the mixture.

Cover each ramekins with aluminum foil.
Steam for 20-25 minutes.
Or you can do like a hot water bath on stove top, just like
what is shown in the picture. Just make sure to keep the water
below boiling point and place a kitchen towel underneath the moulds.
Cover.
Once cooked, let 'em cool, and pop in the fridge for few minutes.
Transfer pudding into a plate and serve. Enjoy!!!

          

                     

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken

kosher salt
a handful of sliced ginger
6 stalks of spring onions
1 lemon grass stalk crushed
5 cloves garlic (whole)
sesame oil
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Jasmine rice or any long grained rice
(washed and soaked in cool water for 15-20 minutes. Strained).
minced garlic
minced ginger
finely chopped medium sized onion

Clean the chicken with a handful of kosher salt by rubbing
all over and inside the chicken as well. Rinse well.
Drain chicken for few minutes then season well with salt
inside and out. Stuff chicken with ginger, lemon grass and
spring onions.
Place the chicken in the big pot and add water just enough
to cover the chicken.
Add in cloves of garlic, fish sauce, peppercorns and
1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Bring the pot to boil over high heat for about
20 minutes and turn heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
This depends on how big your chicken is. So, adjust accordingly.
Prepare a basin or a pot filled with cold water.
When chicken is cooked, turn off heat and carefully remove chicken
from the pot using 2 big slotted laddles and place it in
basin with cold water.This will stop the cooking process.
It'll keep the meat softer and juicier, also makes the skin
firmer. Discard chicken stuffing. Don't throw away the chicken broth.
We will use it to cook rice.
When the chicken is totally cooled down, drain the chicken.
Slice 'em into serving pieces and place it in a platter.

Let's cook the rice!
In a pot on low to medium heat, put 2-3 tablespoons of
sesame oil, add in minced ginger, onions and garlic.
Saute for few minutes or until fragrant.
Add in the rice. Stir for few minutes or until rice is slightly toasted.
Add in the broth, make sure to strain it.
1 1/2 cups of broth to a cup of uncooked rice, that's
how I measure, but sometimes it all depends on the type
of rice.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.
Simmer till rice is cooked.

Season the broth with salt and pepper. Sprinkle some
finely chopped spring onions and that'll be your soup!

Serve with some chilli sauce (Sriracha), minced garlic and ginger,
sweet dark soy sauce, cilantro, spring onions and cucumber.
Enjoy

                                       

Chicken Alfredo Pasta

500 grams chicken breast (thinly sliced)
granulated garlic
granulated onion
salt
pepper
250 grams fettucine
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
parsley
olive oil

Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Season chicken breast with granulated onion,
granulated garlic, salt and pepper.
In a skillet on medium heat, add olive oil
and fry chicken breast for 2 minutes both sides.
Slice cooked chicken in chunks or strips.
In the same skillet, melt butter.
Add in heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
Stir until thick.
Add in the chicken and minced parsley.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Off heat and add in the pasta.
Mix well. Serve. Enjoy!

                         

Apple Hand Pies

Pastry Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup iced water
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 cup shortening or butter
(cut into small pieces and pop in the freezer
for at least 30 minutes)

In a bowl, mix flour and salt.
Cut the butter in the flour mix using a fork,
till well incorporated. Make a well in the center.

In another bowl, beat the cold water, egg, egg white
and vinegar. Add to the flour mixture.
Mix well with a fork till you have a sticky dough.
Place the dough in a floured surface
and knead for a minute.
When you can make a round shape out of your dough -
that's good to go!
Wrap dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Filling:
2 apples - peeled, cored and cut into small pieces or
thin slices.
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
pinch of ground cloves

In a saucepan, on low heat, melt butter and add in
apples. Stir and add in the rest of the ingredients.
Cook until apples are soft.
You can add a little amount of water if needed.
Set aside to cool.

*Let's do the hand pies!
Remove dough from the fridge and cut in half.
Roll each portion of dough to about 1/8 of an inch.
Cut into circles using a biscuit cutter, or the rim
of your desired bowl size will do! About 4-5 inch in diameter.
Place 'em in a tray with parchment or wax paper.
and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove dough from the fridge and place 1 tablespoon of apple
filling on each round. Lightly brush edges with water and fold over.
Using a floured fork, crimp edges. Brush top of each pie with egg wash.
you can sprinkle raw sugar if desired. Poke each pie with fork
or make few slits on top.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or till golden brown.
I just used an oven toaster with this!
Let the pies cool down for few minutes. Enjoy!

*With this recipe, I only used half of my dough.
I will be using the other half for curry puff!
You can store dough in the freezer for few days.

Milky Chicken Soup

250 grams pasta of your choice
(I chose spaghetti because that's the only pasta 
I got in my pantry! ;) I broke 'em into three parts)
3 cloves garlic minced
2 small onions minced
2 tablespoon butter
5-6 cups of water
250 grams chicken breast
1 medium sized potatoes diced
1 small can of vienna sausage sliced
1/2 cup evaporated milk
a dash of dried sweet basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese (optional)

In a pot, pour water and add chicken breast.
Season with salt and pepper.
Once cooked, set aside chicken to cool, then shred.
Add pasta into your boiling chicken broth. 
Stir and cover

In a frying pan on medium heat.
Put butter and saute onions and garlic.
Add in the shredded chicken breast and vienna sausage
and give it a quick stir.
Pour your sauteed chicken and sausage in the pasta pot.
Stir and add in potatoes, a dash of sweet basil,
grated parmesan cheese and evaporated milk.
Then salt and pepper to taste.
Stir and simmer till potatoes and pasta are cooked.
Serve with a dash of grated parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!

                               

Joey's Fried Chix

2 kilos chicken (drumsticks and thighs)
vegetable oil for deep frying
FOR MARINATE:
1 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp five spice
1/8 tsp cumin powder
1/8 celery seeds
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (if you want it spicy)
BREADING:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
pinch of salt
pepper


Wash chicken and drain excess water.Set aside.
In a big bowl, mix all dry ingredients FOR MARINATE.
Rub marinate onto each chicken.
Add the egg and milk then mix well.
Marinate for an hour in the fridge.

In a plastic bag or any container with cover,
mix all ingredients for breading.
Add few pieces of marinated chicken.
Cover container and shake well.

In a wok, on low heat add vegetable oil.
When oil is slightly hot, add breaded chicken.
Fry 4-6 minutes on both sides. Do not overcrowd your wok.
Be patient, cook in batches! ;)
Drain in paper towel and set aside.
I know your chicken is not fully cooked! :D
Turn up heat to medium high.
Fry the chicken again 3-5 minutes on each side.
Drain excess oil in paper towels.
Serve.  Enjoy!

* Double frying gives extra crispiness.
  And you just did it!
  Crrruunnnccchhh!!! ;)

PORK POCHERO

1/2 kilo pork belly or kasim
1 medium sliced onion sliced
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
cabbage
6pcs. saging saba (plantain banana)
cut in half diagonally
cabbage quartered
Baguio beans
bokchoy (chinese cabbage)
1/2 cup garbanzos (chick peas)
3pcs. chinese chorizo sliced diagonally
2 1/2 cups water
cooking oil for sauteeing
1 tablespoon fish sauce
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato sauce

Fry saging saba until slightly brown, set aside.
Fry chinese chorizo, set aside.
In a wok, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.
Saute onions till soft, add the garlic,
give it a stir, then add the tomatoes.
Season with pepper.
Add the pork and fish sauce and stir fry for 
5 minutes. Add tomato sauce.
Now add 2 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil
until the pork is tender.
Once the pork is tender, add garbanzos, the fried
banana and chorizo. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add the remaining vegetables stir and cover for 
2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 
Stir. Serve. Enjoy!

PORK HUMBA
500 grams pork belly
100 grams banana blossoms
100 grams black beans
10 cloves garlic crushed
peppercorns
2 medium sized onions chopped
2 star anise
3 bay leaves
3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 lemon grass stalk crushed
1/4 cup spring onions
4 tablespoons cooking oil
2 1/2 cups water.


Wash black beans in a strainer and drain.
Wash banana blossoms and soak in water.
Set aside.

On low heat, in a wok, pour cooking oil and garlic.
Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the garlic are soft
and lightly browned. This is just to sweat the garlic
so we can have oil infused with garlic.
Remove garlic and set aside.
In the same wok, on medium to high heat, add pork.
Fry meat until lightly browned both sides (searing).
This process is essential to seal in meat's juices and
it also adds flavor.
Once seared remove pork and set aside.
Remove oil, just leave a little for sauteeing.
Add star anise in the wok and saute for few seconds then
add onions. Saute till onions are soft.
Add garlic and crushed lemon grass stalk.
Give it a quick stir then add in the pork,
banana blossoms (squeezed excess water), black beans.
Stir then add soy sauce, peppercorns, sugar and
bay leaves. Pour in water, stir, cover the wok and simmer
for about 15 minutes. Add in vinegar and half of the
spring onions and simmer for another 15 minutes uncovered
or until meat is tender.
Remove star anise and bay leaves and garnish with
spring onions. Serve and enjoy!
* star anise and bay leaves are in the attached photo
just for photo op. 

Potato Croquettes

1 kilo potato 
salt/pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg 
dash of cumin powder
1 egg
bread crumbs
cooking oil for deep frying

Boil potatoes for 30 minutes with skin on.  Let it cool and peel skin.
Mash potatoes in a big bowl, add salt and pepper to taste. Add egg, parmesan cheese and dash of cumin powder. Mix well.
Shape potato mixture into balls or cylinder shape like I did.
Dip in beaten egg then dredge to bread crumbs.
Deep fry. Drain excess oil in paper towel. Enjoy! 

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

1 kilo chicken breast fillet
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup corn flakes crushed
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil for deep frying.

Slice chicken breast thinly. Season with salt and pepper.
Set aside.
In a bowl, add crushed corn flakes, bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese.
Beat egg and milk in another bowl.

Dip chicken in egg/milk mixture, shake off excess and dredge into corn flakes/bread crumbs/parmesan breading then set aside. If you want a thicker breading, do the procedure twice.
Deep fry in meduim heat, 1 minute each side.
Drain excess oil in paper towels.
Serve with ketchup or barbeque sauce. Enjoy!

A Newbie Who Aims To Make Your Kitchen Hotter

A first time blogger here.

A mother who cooks for the family everyday...unless there are leftovers.

I love to add some twists in my pot, some turned out really good and some were just ok.

This blog would be great for first time cooks, those who want to simply impress their families, friends, girlfriends and boyfriends. I didn't go to any culinary school. I am just a simple lady who loves to eat and can't afford to take my family to restaurants as often to have good food, and so I learned.

I hope I will make your life busier in the kitchen. And hoping to make friends who cooks too!

I would love to learn more!

Cheers!