Sinigang

Sinigang is one of my favorite Filipino comfort foods. It is a sour, sometimes spicy, soup with vegetables and meat or fish or shrimp. Traditionally, the soup is tamarind-based, and that is what gives it its distinct sour flavor. However, there are other ways to develop the sour flavor using calamansi, unripe mango, or guava. I have not tried these methods yet but I plan on experimenting soon. I currently use the powered soup mix but I know I should try to use more organic ingredients.

As far as how I like to make this dish, my favorite meats or fish to use are: pork (butt/shoulder cut or spare ribs), salmon, milkfish (bangus), or shrimp. I usually end up using the pork butt/shoulder – it’s the same cut of meat from the shoulder of the animal but both names are used – because it is the most affordable. I add a TON of vegetables because I love vegetables. In addition to the vegetables photographed, I also often add in kangkong (water spinach), eggplant, daikon radish, gabi (taro root), and chili peppers (siling labuyo) to spice up the dish. Also if you choose, you can leave out the meat and this dish would be a great vegetarian option too.

I have found that most of these ingredients are now easily available at any local grocery store in the Asian aisle but they do not stock a lot of the products. So, my suggestion would be to hit up a local Asian market. In the Sacramento area, check out Koreana Plaza in Rancho Cordova or Seafood City in South Sacramento. Both are huge Asian marketplaces that have some of the best stuff and typically aren’t too expensive.

Sinigang na Baboy (Pork Sinigang)

2 pounds Pork Shoulder/Butt

2 Tomatoes, diced

1 medium onion, diced

3 bunches baby bok choy, leaves separated

1 bunch yard long beans (sitaw), cut in 2 inch length

2 packets Knorr Sinigang mix (yes, I use 2!)

Directions:

Pressure cook pork for 40 minutes until tender

Stew pork, tomatoes, and onions on medium high heat, 10 minutes. Add Sinigang mix and bring to boil. Add in bok choy & long beans and simmer for about 15 minutes

Serve with freshly cooked rice and enjoy!

 

Let me know what you think!

- F



Pasta Pasta Pasta!

Tonight, decided to have an easy dinner night to end the week and made some yummy pasta.

I cheated and used a jar pasta sauce tonight because I wanted to save time, however, making your own sauce is just as easy. 

Below is my favorite recipe for a Tomato-Basil sauce courtesy of Tyler Florence (holler!).

Ingredients

3 tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Pinch of sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions
Coat a sauce pan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and warm over medium-low heat. Add garlic until cooked. Add crushed tomatoes and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat slightly to medium and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the basil and the remaining olive oil.

I used whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles (my favorite) and added mushrooms, olives and spinach. 

This is also awesome for leftovers! Definitely give this one a try! 

Chef Bo Chinese Restaurant

Although I love cooking, there are times when I just want take out. Yes, I order take out every now and then like a real adult. 

Tonight, I was craving food from my favorite local Chinese restaurant: Chef Bo Chinese Restaurant. They offer an extensive menu with tons of options and are very affordable. Also, ordering from this place is super easy. You can either call in or place an order online and they also deliver! 

Some of my favorites off the menu are the Honey Walnut Shrimp and Eggplant in Hot Garlic Sauce. I ordered both of those plus Sweet and Sour Pork for Lou tonight.

                               

Aside from being some of the friendliest people, the staff is amazing at packing to go orders. I know this is weird, but seriously, they know how to stack and pack this stuff. I had to take a few pictures because all this survived my crazy driving. Look, no spills! Thank you Chef Bo staff!

Oh & look who got lucky with two fortune cookies in one package. Yup, me!

Try this place out sometime. Let me know your thoughts! :)

- F

Carnitas Burrito Bowls

I was really craving enchiladas tonight. Saucy, cheesy, warm, super yummy enchiladas from one of those hole in the wall Mexican places. Mmmm, with some rice and beans and chips on the side... But, I realized shouldn't spend the money or devour all those calories. Instead, Lou and I decided to stay in and make some Carnitas Burrito Bowls. Smart move, especially since guacamole will not cost you extra at Felice's.

I made the carnitas a few days ago - Sunday to be exact - and allowing the flavors to set really adds more to the taste of the meat. The recipe I followed was found on Pinterest. It is technically a slow cooker recipe, but instead of using one of my slow cookers (yes, I own 3 of them...), I decided to try out the recipe in my pressure cooker. Using the meat/chicken setting for about 1 hour resulted in super tender meat.

Here is the Carnitas recipe, which will yield about 4-6 servings.

Ingredients:

3 ½ - 4 pound boneless pork butt/shoulder, cut into equal pieces

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon cumin

8 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, quartered

3 bay leaves

1 lime, juiced

1 large orange, juiced (save the orange halves)

Steps: 

Combine meat and spices (salt, pepper, oregano, cumin) in a bowl making sure each piece of pork is covered.  Transfer seasoned meat into pressure cooker pot. Add garlic, onion, bay leaves, lime juice, orange juice and orange halves. Cover and set pressure cooker for one hour. Once time has elapsed, remove pressure from cooking pot according to your unit.

Remove meat from pot and transfer to a foil lined baking sheet. Shred meat using forks. Ladle some of the cooking liquid from the pressure cooker onto the meat. Place baking sheet under the broiler until meat browns and crisps a bit more.

To make the burrito bowls we combined the meat with Cilantro Lime Rice (one cup cooked Jasmine rice, handful of cilantro, one lime and pinch of salt) & Guacamole (avocado, onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, pinch of salt, and lime juice). Lou put some shredded Mexican cheese blend on his while I did not because I am semi-lactose intolerant. Self-diagnosed. Next time, I want to add some beans, lettuce, and maybe some pico de gallo. Mmmm.. The possibilities are endless!

 Let me know how this recipe works out of you. :)

- F 

Welcome!

I have always loved food and it has been an integral part of my life from since I can remember. Growing up, I had the advantage of learning how to cook and eat (yes, knowing how to eat is a thing) from both my parents - the best cooks in the world! Not that I am biased or anything. Ironically, one of the best things to happen in my life was the separation of my parents when I was young. This gave me the opportunity to distinguish their cooking styles and food preferences.  

I started learning how to cook around the age of 7 or 8. I remember always being in the kitchen whenever either of my parents was cooking – mostly because I have a hearty appetite and am almost always starving. Eventually, observing morphed into helping out with small tasks, and soon enough I was in charge of meal preparation all together.

My love for food extended beyond the kitchen and dining table at home, and eventually developed into what I studied in school. I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Nutrition and Food. However, I do not claim to be an expert and I am not a registered dietitian. All the information on this blog is purely based on my personal experience.

I love reading books about food and how it affects every aspect of the human experience. I am intrigued by documentaries concerning our food sources on this planet. I grew up watching the Food Network and love learning new recipes. And, my favorite kind of shopping is anything related to food and the kitchen.

My dream job has always been to be a food stylist and/or food photographer. So, I've decided to just go for it and start sharing my food-ventures with whoever is reading this. Hopefully, you will find this blog helpful and inspiring. And most importantly, I hope this blog leaves you hungry for more! Check back soon!


Thank you! :)


- F