Spanish Beef Stew

This dish of Andrew Zimmern reminds me of Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon!  The flavors are so similar but presented in a different way.  Cooking the beef in red wine gives it a deep rich flavor that is so pleasant in the mouth.

Another good thing about this dish is that you can fix it in the slow cooker and leave to do other stuff!

Ingredients

3 tbsps olive oil

2 pounds cubed beef for stew

3 pieces bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger, grated

1/4 tsp clove

1 tsp sugar

1 c dry red wine

1 c beef stock

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes halved & placed in a bowl of cold water

1/2 c dried currants ( I could not find this so I used dried blueberries instead)

1/4 c toasted pine nuts

2 tbsp capers

3 tbsp minced parsley

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 bunch spinach

Salt and pepper

Directions

Cook bacon in a large heavy pot until it becomes slightly crisp.  Remove from the pot and set aside.

Add a third of the beef.  Brown it on all sides and and transfer to a platter.  Repeat with the remaining meat.

Add ginger, onions, garlic, clove, nutmeg and sugar.  Cook for 3 minutes.

Add wine and let it boil for 5 minutes. Add the stock and lower the heat.  Put the beef back and simmer covered for 1 hour.

Add the potatoes and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

When the meat and potatoes are fork tender, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Stir in the spinach, currants, pine nutes, capers, parsley and vinegar.  Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add back the meat and potatoes and cook for another minute or two.

 

Pineapple Pie

Before my mom made her famous apple pies her first fruit pie was pineapple.  Living in a tropical country, pineapples were abundant, not to mention sweet.  Of course she makes everything from scratch which means that she used fresh pineapples, peeled off the thick spiny skin and removed the pineapple "eye" one by one.  It was a laborious job.  But it had it's merits.  It was the best pineapple pie I have ever eaten.

From then on,  I would always ask her to make one but she never did.  It was just that one time.  I can't blame her.  It was too much work.  I know you would ask, "why didn't she use canned pineapples?".  Well that's how my mom made things.  Nothing pre-made, everything from scratch.

So to bring back memories of my childhood, I made a pineapple pie.  But not like my mom, I used the canned kind but unsweetened.  I want to control the sugar that I put in the food I make.

This pie surely brought back memories of my childhood.

Hope you like this recipe and include it in your repertoire (so to speak).

Pie Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon coarse salt

2/3 cup shortening

5-6 tbsp ice water

Filling

1 – 20 ounce can Crushed Pineapple (unsweetened), drained
2/3 Cup White Granulated Sugar (the original recipe called for 1 cup of sugar)
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cornstach
1 tbsp quick cooking Tapioca
pinch of salt

Topping

Milk
Egg

Directions

We did not have a food processor growing up so this dough recipe is done manually.In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add the shortening and with a dough cutter/blender "cut in" the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal (to "cut in" means to mix cold fat such as butter with dry ingredients to form small pieces.) Pour in the ice water a tablespoon at a time (the amount of water added would depend on the temperature at the time you are making the dough). If you are using a food processor, just pulse the dough until turns into a crumbly texture. Combine just until the dough holds together in a ball.Divide the dough and two. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. If the dough has been refrigerated in advance, remove 15 minutes before using. The dough can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days in advance or frozen for up to 6 weeks.Preheat oven to 375F.

When the dough has chilled, remove one disk from the fridge and on a floured surface, quickly roll it out into a circle, 12 inches in diameter. Fit dough into a 9 inch pie plate ( do not stretch dough) and cut the edges that hang over.  Poke the bottom crust with a fork to prevent it from bubbling up when baking.

Bake the dough until slightly brown.

While the bottom crust is baking, combining all the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl.

Pour the filling into baked pie shell.

Get the other dough disk from the refrigerator and place on a floured surface.  Roll the dough into a circle, about 10 inch in diameter.  With a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the dough in 9 equal strips.

Lay 4 strips across the pie, parallel to each other, and evenly spaced.

Fold back every other strip, about half way. Take a strip of dough and lay it right up agains the folded back strips and perpendicular to the strips laying flat. Unfold the strips, so that they lay flat over the new strip.

Repeat this pattern until the lattice is finished. Trim off extra and crimp edges.

Crack an egg and add a tbsp of milk to make an egg wash. Brush the crust with the egg wash.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 – 45 minutes until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

This might come as a surprise but, serve it with vanilla ice cream!

Mom's Apple Pie

My mom has been making pie for as long as I can remember.  Maybe more than 30 years.  But she would only make it on special occasions like birthdays (upon request), Christmas and New Year. During the Christmas holidays, she would make a lot and give every house on the block a pie each (even if she did not know them).  This pie has become popular among our families and friends that they would always ask me if I could bring my mom's apple pie on gatherings.

This is her secret recipe.  But when I moved to the US I started craving for my mom's apple pie and I had to get her recipe.

Here's my "homage" to my mom!  

Ingredients

Pie Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2/3 cup shortening
5-6 tbsp ice water

Pie Filling

6-7 cooking apples (Fuji, Granny Smith, Crispin or Cortland apples are the best to use)

2 tbsp tapioca (if you don't have tapioca, used cornstarch instead)

2 tbsp flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 a stick of cold butter sliced

1 egg plus a tbsp of water for egg wash

sea salt for sprinkling

Directions

Pie Dough

We did not have a food processor growing up so this dough recipe is done manually.

In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add the shortening and with a dough cutter/blender cut the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. (To "cut in" means to mix cold fat such as butter with dry ingredients to form small pieces.) Pour in the ice water a tablespoon at a time (the amount of water added would depend on the temperature at the time you are making the dough). If you are using a food processor, just pulse the dough until turns into a crumbly texture. Combine just until the dough holds together in a ball.

Divide the dough and two. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. If the dough has been refrigerated in advance, remove 15 minutes before using. The dough can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days in advance or frozen for up to 6 weeks.

Filling

Get a large bowl and fill it half way with cold water and a tbsp of salt.

Peel the apples.  Remove the apple seeds. Apple seeds contain cyanogenic acids that if eaten in abundance could be poisonous. If you have a mandoline, slice the apples thinly.  If you don't have a mandoline, just use a regular knife.   Place apple slices in the bowl of salted water. Dip it for 5-10 seconds and fish them out. Drain all the water from the apples and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine tapioca, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Set aside.

Take one pie dough from the refrigerator. In a flat surface, dust it with flour and start rolling your dough. Roll your dough starting from the center going outwards. Continue rolling out your dough until  you get a pie crust big enough to cover a 9-inch pie dish. Transfer the rolled out dough on to you pie dish and leave at least an inch of over-hang around.  Place the pie dish in the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

After the pie dough has cooled, start building the pie.

Line the pie with one layer of sliced apples and dust it with the spice mixture. Place a couple slices of butter between every other layer.  Build the layers until you have used up all the apples and the spice mixture.

Get the second half of the pie crust and roll it out same way as you did with the first half of the dough.  Cover the pie with the second dough. Tuck the edges of the dough and crimp it.

Make several slits on the center of the pie to let the steam vent.

With a pastry brush, brush the crust with egg wash and sprinkle it with sea salt.

Place the pie on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Bake until crust is brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Let cool on wire rack before serving.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Tips 

Make sure that you are using cold butter.  Cold butter makes the dough flaky.

If you are using a food processor, just pulse the dough.  Do not over mix.

Do not forgot to make slits on the top crust.  The slits lets the steam vent.

If you want a lighter (in color) crust, brush it with milk instead of egg wash.

If the edges of your crust start to turn brown and your pie is not yet done,  cut strips of aluminum foil and cover the edges to prevent the ends from burning.

Basil & Rosemary Crusted Chops

I fixed this dish when the weather started to get cold.  Our neighbor who had a vegetable garden trimmed all her basil plants and gave us some.  Instantly, I thought of fixing pasta with pesto sauce.  But my husband is a typical meat and potatoes guy and he needs to have a meat dish with his meals.  I had several slices of lamb chops and rosemary (which I always grab when I buy lamb) on hand too.

Now my madness begins.  First a make the pesto for the pasta minus the pine nuts. Then I divided the recipe in two and use  the other half for the chops.

I love the traditional (back in the day) way of making pesto .... using a mortar and pestle. That's how I  made it growing up since we didn't have a blender or a food processor. But when I get lazy, I use a blender to make the pesto paste.

This recipe could be used for pork chops, veal chops, lamb chops, chicken and turkey.
Here are some interesting facts about basil and rosemary.  Did you know that basil has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties? Basil contains exceptionally high levels of beta-carotene and Vitamin A essential for vision.

Rosemary  also has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  Furthermore, it has anti-allergic, anti-fungal and antiseptic properties.  It is rich in many B-complex vitamins, such as folic acid.  

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tbsp dried)
2 cloves garlic, whole
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 c breadcrumbs
4 pieces thick-cut chops (lamb, veal, pork, chicken breast or turkey breast)

olive oil for pan frying

Directions

Put all the ingredients (except the breadcrumbs, chops and olive oil) in a blender.  Use the slowest setting (or pulse) to start with.  Slowly drizzle the olive oil as you continue to "pulse".  To create a smooth paste, press "liquify" for a few seconds. 

Add the paste to crumbs.  Dredge the chops in the herbed crumbs.  Press down the herbed crumbs to make sure it sticks (to the chops).

Heat olive oil in a large pan.   Pan fry chops for around seven minutes per side (for medium rare). 

Serve with Pesto pasta.

Enjoy!

Read:
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/basil-herb.html
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/rosemary-herb.html

Baked Five Spice Chicken

I have always expressed my love for chicken and Five Spice powder.  If I can't think of anything to fix,  I just whip up something with either one of these two ingredients.

Chinese five-spice is made up of cloves, anise, star anise, cinnamon and ginger.  It can also be purchased in a small bottle from your Chinese store or in some groceries that have an Asian section.

Another thing I try to have in our meals are vegetables.  I need to have my fiber!!!!

Today I put together my two "go to" ingredients, chicken and five spice powder.  For a healthier version, instead of the traditional Chinese deep fry, I opted for the fat free baking method.  I put the chicken on top of a bed of stir fried broccoli rabe and sprinkled it with sliced almonds.

Ingredients

2 lbs. chicken breast, butterflied

1 tbsp Five Spice powder

3 large garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

sliced almonds (optional)

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse chicken breasts. Pat dry with paper towels.

Place chicken between two pieces plastic wrap. With a meat mallet, pound the breast until it is quarter of an inch thin.

In a shallow dish, combine the rest of the ingredients (except the sliced almonds). Dredge the chicken with the spices.

Transfer chicken to a parchment lined baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is done.

Sprinkle with sliced almonds (optional).

Serve with salad greens, brown rice, or stir fried vegetables.

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Two of the things I love are chicken and Dijon mustard.  I can eat chicken everyday!

I found this recipe combining two items that are always present in my pantry and added some left over sour cream and white wine.

Another simple and quick recipe!!!!!!

I also found out that mustard a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as calcium, dietary fiber, iron, manganese, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, protein, selenium and zinc. Selenium is a nutrient that has been shown to help reduce asthma, arthritis and certain cancers. Magnesium also reduces asthma and lowers blood pressure.  It also speeds up metabolism and stimulates digestion.

(Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/718352)

Ingredients

1 lb chicken (breast or thighs)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup white wine (substitute - water or broth)

1/2 cup light sour cream (substitute - regular sour cream or milk with 1 tsp lemon juice)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp dried tarragon (or 1/2 tsp fresh)

parsley, chopped (to serve)

Directions

Season chicken pieces with salt.  In a large pan, heat oil and pan fry chicken pieces until done.

Remove chicken from pan and set chicken aside.

Add wine to the chicken drippings and deglaze by scrapping off particles that got stuck in the bottom of the pan.

Add sour cream, mustard and tarragon. Add back chicken pieces and let it simmer covered for another 5 minutes.

Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve.

Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Walnuts

Growing up in the Philippines, Brussel sprouts were not popular and are not even available in the market.  I didn't even know about it until later in life.  When I moved here, the variety of vegetables that were in front of me was so vast.  It almost made me do my happy dance.  One that caught my eye was the dear little Brussel sprouts.  I call them my baby cabbages. One note,  have you seen Brussel sprouts in its stalk?  They're like mini grape cabbages (for a lack of a more descriptive term)!

Here are some health benefits to this baby.

Brussel sprouts has loads of flavonoid anti-oxidants that offer protection from prostate, colon, prostate and endometrial cancers.  It is also an immune modulator, anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent. I think I have found my new miracle vegetable!!!  Brussel sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C.  Along with other antioxidant vitamins, vitamin A and E; it protects body by trapping harmful free radicals; vitamin K for bone health and helps delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease; vitamin B complex which is essential for the body's metabolism.

The list of health benefits from this vegetables just goes on and on! Now the cook side of me wanted those baby cabbages on my plate!  I have tried a lot of recipes but they did not work for me.  It's either it made the vegetable too mushy or it still retained some bitter taste.  But I never gave up on this baby (cabbage). Just a note though, this baby does not photograph well.

You can make this dish completely vegetarian but omitting the bacon.  Just saute the garlic and 1 tbsp. of canola oil.

This is my version. I have combined recipes I have found online and this one is a winner for me.

Ingredients

4 strips of bacon, cooked in a little Olive oil till crisp and crumbled

1 clove Garlic minced

1 lb Brussels sprouts, cut in half and core removed

2 tsps Red Wine Vinegar ( to taste )

1/2 cup Walnuts , toasted

1/4 cup Dried Cranberries

Directions

Cook bacon in a little olive oil till crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside.

Add garlic to remaining oil and cook till golden brown.

Add Brussel sprouts. Turn down heat and cover.

Check frequently to avoid burning.

Drizzle with red wine vinegar and cover again.

When the vinegar had dried out, add salt and pepper.

Toss walnuts and cranberries.

Cook for 2-5 minutes so that flavors merge.

Serve.

Read more on the benefits of Brussel Sprouts : http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/brussel-sprouts.html