Capsicum halves stuffed with chicken, cheese and vegetables
This is my second attempt at making stuffed capsicum (or bell peppers, if you prefer to call them that) and I finally did it right. The first time, I stuffed the peppers with raw ground meat mixed with raw vegetables. The juices from the meat and vegetables soaked the peppers during baking, making it very soggy. This time, I cooked the filling first, stirred in lots of grated Parmesan and stuffed the sticky gooey mixture into the cavities of the halved peppers. I baked them only long enough to brown the tops and to cook the bell peppers just until they were tender-crisp.
Continue reading 'Capsicum halves stuffed with chicken, cheese and vegetables' »
Aromatic (and tastier!) spring roll wrappers
I used to cook my spring roll wrappers on medium-low heat. Yesterday, I realized that if the batter is poured into a very hot pan and the wrapper is cooked over medium-high heat, the bubbles create a better texture and pattern. The wrapper browns better too. But that wasn’t the only thing I learned yesterday. I also discovered that adding finely sliced herbs to the batter makes the wrappers aromatic and tastier. Those are bits of fresh tarragon peeping through the spring roll wrappers. Next time, I’ll experiment with some other herb.
Continue reading 'Aromatic (and tastier!) spring roll wrappers' »
Chicken and pesto quesadillas
These chicken and pesto quesadillas were the last decent things I cooked before I fell ill. Just so you understand the unusually long interval between this entry and the one before it.
Chicken and pesto quesadillas? You’d probably raise your eyebrow a little higher when I tell you that those quesadillas in the photo had lots of kesong puti (native white cheese) inside them. Yes, seriously. Like I always say, never be afraid to experiment and use unorthodox combination of ingredients.
Continue reading 'Chicken and pesto quesadillas' »
When tofu met pesto
It was a whim. A last-minute whim and a decision that took all of a split-second to make. What I really intended was to saute the spinach leaves with a little Kacep Manis then use them as a bed for the fried tofu and fish fillets. I was already taking out the bottle of Kecap Manis from the fridge when my eyes went past the small jar of pesto that I made a couple of days ago. I said, “Why not?” And because pesto is much milder than Kacap Manis, I decided that a little more kick was in order — two pieces of chili picante. That was how I discovered that pesto is not an enemy of tofu.
Continue reading 'When tofu met pesto' »
Chicken and potatoes in yogurt
You know that baked creamy chicken and potatoes that so many readers have tried and enjoyed? Okay, if you’re new here, check out this link and note that the baked creamy chicken and potatoes entry consists of three pages. So, it’s become quite popular. My kids love it and many of you say the same. Now, I wanted something similar that will be just as kid-friendly and, at the same time, a dish that adults — especially those who carefully monitor their fat intake — won’t be scared to have a second helping of. Enter this chicken and potatoes in yogurt recipe.
Continue reading 'Chicken and potatoes in yogurt' »
Sardines frittata in tortilla
Beef and chicken are not the only things you can use to stuff flour tortillas. A tortilla is a bread and anything that goes well with bread will taste delicious with tortilla. I bought a bag of flour tortilla a week ago intending to stuff them with chicken a la king. Sadly, the chicken a la king was gone before I could use it as stuffing. The package says the tortillas won’t be any good after tomorrow so I decided to create something that would be as radical a filling as chicken a la king.
The title says I stuffed the tortillas with sardines frittata but that title doesn’t really do justice to the filling. Read on to understand what I mean.
Continue reading 'Sardines frittata in tortilla' »
Kalabasa (squash) soup
In the Noche Buena blog, there is a recipe for kalabasa (squash) and potato soup which I made using the broth from the bones of a duckling. I added cubes of squash and potatoes, and chopped onions to the strained broth, simmered everything until soft then pureed the mixture in the blender.
I did another version of this wonderful soup a few nights ago but, instead of pureeing the chopped onions along with the rest of the ingredients, I sauteed them in a little butter. Amazing how one little step can change the soup in such a substantial way.
Continue reading 'Kalabasa (squash) soup' »
Chicken and mushrooms burger
If you’ve been to Tagaytay City, you must have passed by Mushroom Burger along Aguinaldo Highway. And if you’re a Tagaytay habitue like I am, you must have eaten at the place more than once. If you’re a real Mushroom Burger fan, you would probably know that there used to be a branch at the Makati Commercial Center and that there is still a branch in Quezon City. And if you’re the kind of person who is curious about what exactly goes into a Mushroom Burger, you’d probably have read up or asked around and discovered that it is one part ground beef and one part ground oyster mushrooms.
Continue reading 'Chicken and mushrooms burger' »
