dinner

Cua Pao (Gua Bao) – Lovingly learned from my Mom-In-Law

| Doyd

I first tasted Cua Pao when my mother-in-law visited us in California and she made her own version.  From then on, because of the savory, sour, sweet and nutty taste of Cua Pao, it’s become one of the family favorites.  Cua Pao also known as folded steamed sweet buns with filling is an authentic “Chinese” recipe.  Similar to when you order Peking Duck, stewed pork belly cut in slices are placed in a steaming hot sweet bun. It’s very easy to make and it’s a sure hit to anyone who loves to explore authentic Chinese meal.  Definitely NOT a vegan recipe but it’s a classic hand-me-down family recipe 🙂

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INGREDIENTS:

  • Pork Belly
  • Soy Sauce
  • Mirin
  • Cooking Sake or Rice Wine
  • Ginger
  • Star Anise
  • Cilantro
  • Sour Mustard
  • Chopped garlic
  • Chopped peanuts with white sugar or crushed peanut cake
  • Folded white steamed buns

PROCEDURE

First, prepare the stewed pork belly.  In a large pot, boil pork belly with crushed ginger for 30-45 minutes making sure to remove the scum for a clear/clean broth.  The broth should reduce then mix in soy sauce, mirin, and sake.  Reduce for another 15 minutes.

In a wok, heat oil and brown the chopped garlic.  Mix in thinly sliced sour mustard and stir fry for 5-7 minutes making sure you squeeze out the water from the mustard before cooking.

Prepare cilantro leaves.

Steam store-bought buns for 10-15 minutes.

Assemble your cua pao… and enjoy!

Massaman Tofu Curry with eggplants and mushroom (แกงมัสมั่น)

| Doyd

Enjoying the rich flavor of curry is like diving into the enticing food culture of the East. The depth of flavor, the goodness of the combination of different spices and the bright color is simply appetizing.

I used to not like curry at all.  I didn’t like the boring flavor I get from the kind I ate when I was young because I only knew one kind of curry then and it wasn’t the kind of curry I now know of.  I’ve tasted chicken curry of many sorts but by the looks of it, it was as simple as adding instant curry powder to cut-up chicken, mixing coconut milk, potatoes, carrots and a few other variety of extenders.

This recipe I am sharing was inspired by my brother who loves to create his own vegan cuisine in his healthy kitchen.  He always gives me ideas on how to cook vegetarian dishes.  This version is a twist of my own taste and choice of ingredients.

I hope you like it!

Ingredients:

  • Block of firm organic tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 270 ml. of Light coconut cream
  • 3 pcs. Indian eggplant, washed and sliced in chunks
  • 2 tbsp. Massaman curry paste
  • 1 Zucchini, washed and sliced half-moon
  • 1 can Black beans, washed and drained
  • 1 Shallots
  • 1 bunch Spinach with stems, washed and drained
  • 1 cup Mushrooms, sliced in half
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

In a shallow pan, heat olive oil on medium high then sauté the curry paste and shallots.  Add the tofu, mushrooms and zucchini and continue cooking for a minute or two.  Stir in the coconut cream then add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water (depending on consistency desired).  Cover the pan and cook until the veggies are almost cooked.  Add the eggplants, spinach and beans then season with salt and pepper.  Close the lid and let everything cook according to how you want it done.

 

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!!!!

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

 

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) 🙂