Basa Fish Fillet cooked in Lemon sauce

| Doyd

Something smells fishy and savory…

I love fish.  Don’t you?

Instead of eating red meat or poultry, I’d rather eat seafood.  I enjoy the light flavor and the variety of dishes I can make out of the many kind of seafood in the market.

I grew up eating fish because my Dad loves to eat fish.  Growing up, I remember going to the “Palengke” or wet market.  Fresh caught fish, shellfish, octopus, crustaceans and even sea cucumbers and sea urchins can be bought.  It’s simply a delight learning easy fish recipes but what makes me extra happy about this particular recipe is that my family gave me a high score on this 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 3 pcs. Basa fish fillet
  • 3 tbsp. Capers, washed and drained
  • 1 Lemon
  • Ginger, julienned
  • Shallots. thinly sliced
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Cut the Basa fish fillet into bite sizes.  Cut the lemon in half.  Juice half of the lemon while slicing the other half into very thin round slices.

Into a non-stick pan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Saute the ginger and shallots until fragrant.  Add the fish, some salt and pepper, the capers and the sliced lemon.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat.  Add in the lemon juice and drizzle with some more olive oil.  Cover the pan and cook for another minute.

Very easy!!!!

Low-Calorie Dukbokki 떡볶이

| Doyd

Low-carb, low sodium, sugar-free, low fat, low-calorie, all the lows and frees in the world.  But nothing beats eating your favorite Korean spicy rice cake (Dukbokki).  The original recipe calls for Korean rice cakes made of glutinous rice flour.  For people who are on a low-carbohydrate, low-sugar diet, each bite of Dukbokki seem sinful but really, it’s not.  I’ve searched online that Dukbokki is naturally low in calorie if eaten in moderation.  However, for people like my husband, a small bowl is not enough 🙂

Inspired to cook a guiltless version of spicy rice cake for my husband, I created this recipe and because it does not use the original ingredients, do not expect the texture to be the same.  The best thing about it is it taste as great as my original Dukbokki.

My key ingredient is Konnyaku.  I first used this type of ingredient when I made sukiyaki, another family favorite.  I use a similar type of ingredient called Shirataki noodles.  Both are very low carbohydrate and very low calorie.  To learn more about these ingredients, please read related articles below this post.  One thing for sure, konyakku is guilt-free and it helps normalize blood sugar levels.  One of my favorite vegan substitute for meat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pack of Japanese Konnyaku, thinly sliced according to your liking
  • 4 cups Water
  • 10-12 pcs. Large korean anchovies, head and innards removed
  • 3-4 pcs. Flat fish cake sheets, sliced diagonally
  • 1/4 cup Chopped red bell pepper
  • 3-6 tbsp. Hot pepper paste
  • Sliced green onions
  • 1-2 tbsp. Sweet rice flour
  • 1 tbsp. sugar substitute (stevia or splenda)
  • Sesame oil

Boil the water and dried anchovies in a shallow pan for 10 minutes.  Remove the anchovies (i leave a few pieces for texture) then add  the konnyaku, hot pepper paste and sugar substitute.

Add fish cake, red bell pepper and green onions.  Make sure to mix the sweet rice flour in cold water before adding to the pan.  Cook until the spicy sauce thickens according to liking.  Finally, add sesame oil.

Great eaten when freshly cooked!

I hope to hear from readers who will try this recipe.  It’s super easy and satisfying.

Related articles:

Konnyaku

My original Dukbokki

Maangchi‘s Dukbokki recipe

Kale Stir-Fry

| Doyd

I first learned about Kale when I was reading recipes for baby food back in 2004 when our eldest daughter was still a baby.  It was intimidating at first because I never used or tasted this type of vegetable which was not available at the local markets when I was growing up in Manila.  That’s why in my many years of learning to cook, I barely had any interest with Kale.

Making baby food out of Kale was challenging.  At first, we thought the kids will not like it but actually, they did!  They really did and it was their favorite homemade baby food and since our children like it so much, we should learn to eat it too.  This is the start of my Kale challenge:

Here’s an easy recipe that’s not only appealing to the taste, but also appetizing to the eyes.

Ingredients:

1 Block firm tofu

1 lb. Kale

1/2 Large eggplant (North American Variety)

1/4 cup Low sodium vegetable stock

Sliced garlic

Olive oil

Chili pepper flakes

Salt and Pepper

Heat olive oil on medium low heat.  Sauté garlic with a dash of salt until light brown and crispy.  Add chili pepper flakes.  Add a little more olive oil then cook the eggplant and tofu.  Stir in the vegetable stock then turn up the heat to medium high.  Lastly, add the kale and cook for a few minutes until cooked to desired texture.  Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Related Articles:

The Truth about Kale

The World’s Healthiest Foods dot ORG

 

Oat Bran Flax Banana Nut Muffin

Image | | Doyd

I first learned a similar recipe from my sister-in-law whom I consider to be the “best” when it comes to making creme brûlée.  I’ve made her version many times for years but after a while, I tried to change the ingredients according to what I have in my pantry, who will eat the muffins, what fruits are in season or simply depending on my mood.  Here’s one of my favorite that’s really easy to make:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Oat Bran
  • 1/4 cup Flaxseed Meal
  • 1 Tbsp Baking powder
  • 1/4 cup Raw sugar (or less if using sweetened dried fruits)
  • 2 Egg whites or 1/2 cup egg substitute
  • 1/4 cup Raw slivered almonds
  • 2 Ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
  • 1 1/4 cup Soy milk, unsweetened
  • 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • Baking milk chocolate chips (optional)
  • Olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Start by putting in the dry ingredients into a large bowl.  That would be the Oat bran, flaxseed meal, sugar, baking powder and nuts.  Add the egg whites, olive oil, soy milk and bananas.  Mix together.

Spray your 12-piece muffin pan with olive oil spray then evenly distribute the muffin batter.  Top each muffin with raw almonds.  I put a few baking chocolate chips for my daughter’s muffin so she will enjoy this healthful muffin with a treat of sweetness from the chocolate chips.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Let is cool for a few minutes before removing each muffin from the pan.  Enjoy a minimum of 2 pieces per person for breakfast 🙂

This muffin is so easy to make, one can change the kind of nuts depending on what you like to use.  I also use other fresh fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, dates, and figs.  I also use dried or frozen fruits depending really on what I have in my kitchen.  In addition, if I am in the mood for a guilt-free muffin, I even use sugar substitute (i.e., Stevia or Splenda).  Create endless versions.  The important ingredient is to use oat bran.

Share your recipes, versions and photos to me…  Feel free to leave me a note!

Related Articles:

8 Week Cholesterol Cure

Oats

 

Vegetable Minestrone

| Doyd

I have this feeling that this Vegetable Minestrone will not be a sellout at home because my family is not into eating over-cooked veggies like the mixed greens I put in this soup. Let’s see what they have to say.

 

Anyway, it’s tough learning about cooking healthful options for our family’s menu but I am trying my best to change our eating habits. Hard as I thought, it was difficult to throw away almost all the processed food from our pantry but after slowly changing our supply with only the fresh, wholefood and necessary – I feel more challenged as the mother and the “cook”.

I am responsible for what my family eats. Eat healthy and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Brown onion, chopped
  • 1 Large carrot, peeled and diced
  • 4 Celery stalks, chopped
  • 5 Cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 Lb. of Swiss chard or Kale, coarsely chopped (I used mixed greens on this recipe)
  • 1 Medium Potato, peeled and cubed
  • 15 Ounces of canned diced tomatoes (unsalted)
  • 1 Fresh rosemary sprig
  • 1 Piece of parmesan cheese rind
  • 2 Cans (14-ounce) Low-sodium beef broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 Can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 Can black whole olives, drained and roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp of chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Salt and Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Saute until the onion is translucent. After a few minutes, add the potato and the greens. Saute for a few minutes then add the canned tomatoes and the rosemary. Simmer until the greens are wilted, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend 1/2 of the beans with 1/4 cup of the beef or vegetable broth until smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining of the broth and the parmesan cheese rind into the pot of vegetable mixture. Simmer and stir occasionally, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the rest of the cannellini beans, olives and parsley. Simmer until the beans and olives are heated through. Season with salt and pepper, according to taste.

Jade’s score: 9.8 (out of 10) 🙂

Look who’s back!

| Doyd

 

Welcome 2012!  I know… I know, it’s been a year.  I may have been gone for a long time but with me (as seen on photo) is my 10-month-old baby girl.  I still can’t imagine how fast time flies.  I still remember feeling so bad about not being able to write on my blog because I was so sick during my pregnancy.

Life changed.  For the better…

I still love to cook but I’ve learned new recipes and we’ve somehow changed our eating habits after becoming a BIG LOSER…. loser of fat (that is).  When I get the chance, I will write about new recipes.  Honestly, for now – my life is really all about raising our children – specially our new member, little Roo.

Thanks to all who remained loyal to my dormant blog 😛

2010 in review

| Doyd

Thank you everybody who supported and followed my blog for 2010.  I hope to write more in the coming months.

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

Healthy blog!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!.

Crunchy numbers

Featured image

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 3,700 times in 2010. That’s about 9 full 747s.

 

In 2010, there were 37 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 29 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 49mb. That’s about 2 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was May 11th with 127 views. The most popular post that day was Doyd’s Spicy Mackerel Stew.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were doyd.net, maangchi.com, stumbleupon.com, twitter.com, and healthfitnesstherapy.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for doyd74, sutamyeon, jajangmyeon, dokbukki recipe, and korean black bean noodles.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Doyd’s Spicy Mackerel Stew May 2010
4 comments

2

Jajangmyeon (Korean Black Bean Paste Noodle) May 2010

3

Duk bokki (Spicy rice cakes 떡볶이) July 2010
2 comments

4

Igname Patbingsu (Purple Yam Patbingsoo) June 2010

5

About April 2010
3 comments

It’s a Princess!

| Doyd

It’s been months; I agree.  I have my reasons and here’s my proof 🙂

It’s not a joke to undergo first trimester specially if you’re the kind of woman that I am.  I’ve been sick (to my stomach) – worst case of morning sickness ever.  If you put yourself in my shoe, I don’t know if you will have the energy, will-power and motivation to write up something on your blog as well (LOL!!!).

I am 20 weeks pregnant now and we are expecting a baby girl Spring of 2011.  My precious Jade will be a big sister soon.  Bok and I will be parents to two beautiful princesses.  I really can’t wait… ahhhh… uhmm… actually, I “can” wait.  I want to enjoy each day that I am pregnant because this is all part of our family history.  Now that I am feeling much better, I am more content.

I cannot blog on new recipes yet because since I had an extreme case of morning sickness… I stopped cooking for 3 months!!!  IMAGINE THAT?  3 long months!  I just can’t stand the smell and my energy was to it’s extreme low.  So to all of you who are awaiting for another “secret” recipe (as if… LOL!) by me, you’d better be more patient. 

I was thinking of sharing recipes on how to make baby food when our new baby arrives.  Wouldn’t that be interesting?

Okay, now I need name suggestions for a girl.  Feel free to message me! 

Before I go, I just wanted to say that my favorite ultrasound photo is the last one at the bottom right.   She was nibbling on her cute tiny foot 🙂

Happy Holidays to all!

Amaryllis tie-dye

| Doyd

My tie-die patterns and first ever brush tool “serious” project on CS4.  Yes, I am serious so please don’t make fun of this art work.  I dedicated my complete attention and artistic skills (which I don’t have quite a lot) to create this masterpiece.

By the way, the seed of this flower came directly from my Mom’s garden in Katipunan to my patio planter in Irvine.  I had to take a picture of this year’s blossom because I want to be reminded of the good memories I shared with my Mom.