doyd’s blog

My Version of Pesto (Pesto Alla Genovese)

| Doyd

Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa, Italy. Traditionally, it consists of crushed garlic, pine nuts, course salt, basil leaves and hard cheese. My version is simple and clean and easy to make. I experimented on using different types of nuts, different cheeses and even different types of basil.

My brother recently suggested to me that I can use my slow masticating juicer. I was surprised by the texture of my pesto. It brought my sauce into a different level.

I also make pesto using my classic Mortar and Pestle and sometimes even my blender but my favorite way to make it is using my food processor.

My children are my food critic. They tell me which type of pesto version they like the most. Today, I will share to you the best version of pesto my children like the most. This recipe will be using a food processor but if you don’t have one, feel free to use whatever you have at home.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 oz. Organic Fresh Basil (washed and leaves removed)
  • 3-5 cloves of Garlic
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp. of course Sea Salt
  • 1/4 cup of roasted Pine Nuts
  • 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 lemon (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Put the garlic, pine nuts and salt in the food processor then process into a smooth paste. Add the basil, a handful at a time and continue processing. Drizzle olive oil while the food processor is running at low speed and process until smooth. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese.

We love our pesto garlicky so I put more garlic than our normal recipe. Without the garlicky taste, it’s a no-no for my kids. I sometimes add a little bit of lemon juice to add a little character to my sauce.

This recipe is my children’s go-to. They eat it with their pasta, their morning toast, top it on their pizza, dip for their baby carrots and even spread for their lunch wraps. You can freeze your extra sauce in a jar and it can stay fresh for up to 3 months but I am not so sure you will do that since this pesto will be gone before you know it 🙂

I hope you like my recipe. Please click the Like button below if you did. Thanks for visiting my blog.

My version of Sugarfree Blueberry Chia Jam (VERY EASY)

| Doyd

Making homemade jam wasn’t my thing but I learned to make it because I wanted my family to enjoy my homemade bread with something fresh and clean. Clean meaning, no added refined sugar and preservatives. This is a very easy recipe that I use as a spread, as topping for my yogurt snack, add-on to my overnight oats for breakfast or even an addition to my homemade dairy-free ice cream. By the way, I tried this same recipe using blackberries and raspberries. You can use any kind of fresh OR FROZEN berries you have in handy, wherever you are 🙂

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound Organic Blueberries
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • Juice of 1/2 of a small lemon
  • 3-4 tbsp. of Chia Seeds
  • 1/4 cup Monk Fruit Sweetener (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 2-3 pinches of Xantham Gum (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Start by washing the blueberries. In a medium stainless steel sauce pan, place the blueberries and add the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Turn on the burner to medium high. Using a potato masher, gently smash the blueberries while it is starting to cook. Leave some berries tact for texture. When the mixture starts to boil, turn the burner to low then add the chia seeds.

Cook for 10-15 minutes, mixing a couple of times or so. Add the xanthan gum and continue to cook for 5 minutes. You can omit the xanthan gum because the chia seeds will help thicken the jam already.

The lemon will balances the sweetness. You can also omit the monk fruit when blueberries are in season and are naturally super sweet.

This is our go to jam. I put them in small 8 oz. jars. Each jar is only 165 calories. I hope you try and make this too. It’s one of my super easy recipes that I truly want to share to all of you. If you liked this recipe, please share it to your friends. Thanks!

Vote for Lily in the Irvine Animal Care Center 2020 Photo Fundraiser.

| Doyd

Show your support for Irvine Animal Care Center by voting for Lily in the Irvine Animal Care Center 2020 Photo Fundraiser

Source: Vote for Lily in the Irvine Animal Care Center 2020 Photo Fundraiser.

No-Knead Multigrain Whole Wheat Bread (Variations: Nuts, Figs & Apricots)

| Doyd

I mastered this super easy bread recipe just a few months ago. After staying home for almost 3 months due to COVID-19, I learned to bake different kinds of things like cakes, muffins, cookies, sweet buns, dinner rolls, keto bread, gluten-free buns, etc. After weeks and weeks of cooking and baking, just like a lot of other people, my family and I gained weight. It was expected but we were not happy about it. With positive attitude and collective effort, we decided to be consciously healthy moving forward.

To bake this bread, I use the best local ingredients available and I buy from one of my favorite ETSY Store, AOSUPPLY. They have the best flour and yeast and their service during the pandemic’s stay-at-home order was excellent. Check them out and see for yourself.

Use coupon code DOYD74 when you order to receive $3.00 OFF your first purchase

I also buy flour from JOEL’S ORGANICS. My brother and his wife lives in Walla Walla County of Washington State. I was able to purchase Joel’s Organic products from their local coop store. They have very fresh products and I am very lucky that my family ships my Joel’s Organic flour directly from Walla Walla to Orange County here in California.

Use coupon code DOYD74 when you order to receive 10% OFF your purchase

I am sharing my recipe of this Multigrain Whole Wheat Bread so you can enjoy this dense but light on the stomach bread. It’s easy on our digestion and low-glycemic. This is my breakfast, my snack, my desert, or my after dinner treat. Try to make it and let me know how it goes.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 18 ounces Lukewarm Water
  • 1/4 teaspoon Instant Yeast
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Honey
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 cups Whole Wheat stone-ground fine Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Hard Wheat, stone-ground Bread Flour
  • 1/2 cup Harvest Seed Blend
  • Some rolled oats for topping before baking

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, add lukewarm water. Add the yeast, salt, honey and olive oil. Mix gently until everything is combined. Add the harvest seed blend and flour. Using a wooden spoon, gently fold the ingredients together until it forms a dough. No need to mix very well, as long as the ingredients are combined well, it should be ok. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and proof for 4-5 hours. I use a proofing oven to consistently proof my dough.

After first proof, mix the dough with a spatula, removing the air. Shape into a ball, sprinkle with some rolled oats and bread flour and proof for another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the weather where you live.

Preheat a greased Dutch Oven to 450°F. When it is preheated, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven and slowly transfer your dough into it. Cover and bake for 30 minutes in the middle rack. After 30 minutes, remove the cover and continue to bake for another 5 minutes to make your bread crusty. Remove from Dutch oven immediately when finished and transfer on a wire rack to cool.

RECIPE VARIATION:

Using the same recipe above, I did two variations. First, I added 1/4 cup of chopped dried figs and 1/4 cup dried apricots. My second variation was instead of using harvest seed blend, I added 1/2 cup halved walnuts and 1/4 cup chopped apricots (one of my favorite combinations). I add the fruits and nuts after the first proof. Mix it well so that it’s ready to be transferred to the Dutch oven for baking.

  • FIGS AND APRICOTS
  • MEDIUM LOAVES
  • MUFFIN BUN
  • WHOLE LOAF

Each slice of my whole loaf with the variated recipe is only 98 calories. No need to add butter, cream cheese or jam. The figs and apricots sweetens the bread enough to enjoy it as it is.

I hope you enjoyed reading my post. Please try baking it. It takes about 10-15 minutes to prepare and mix the ingredients together then you can leave it for proofing. I am excited to know how your bread will turn out. THANK YOU for visiting my site. If you liked my post, please hit the like button below.

REASONS TO LOVE THIS BREAD

easy to MAKE
Healthy
freezable
DELICIOUS
affordable

“Enjoy making your own homemade bread but remember, overdoing on bread can add pounds so make sure to eat in moderation.”

I can’t live without bread!

Fear of Yeast …. gone!

| Doyd

I’ve always wondered how to bake bread but I am a coward in terms of handling yeast. I have cooked many kinds of meals from different cultures but when it comes to using yeast, I am always intimidated. Why, you ask? I guess it’s because I never really saw how bread was made when I was young. It’s only now that we have YouTube, eBooks, Pinterest, etc. that I learned and discovered the many ways to prepare food and this trained me to cook better.

My whole grain Artisan Bread

Many years have gone but it’s only now in 2020 that I realized I wanted to try again and learn to bake bread. The COVID-19 Pandemic was actually the primary reason why I explored new ideas at home while on stay-at-home order and I courageously faced my fear (from yeast…. yes, instant yeast).

Back in March 2020, my first ever try was to make a pizza dough for my family. During the start of the COVID pandemic, I wanted to do fun things with my children and I knew that if they made their own pizzas, they would be super excited. It was a success! I usually research online for recipes and watch YouTube videos on how other people make it. Then I write down my own measurements and ingredient preferences. After which I try to make it myself.

My first pizza dough plus each family member’s pizza creation

This is the story of how I faced my fear. From that day on, March of 2020, we never had store-bought bread at home. I tried many types of bread recipes and I will share them to you on my next posts.

To all those who haven’t tried baking, try it! Baking our own whole grain bread is actually one of the greatest things that happened to our family. We used to all love to eat white bread. But now, all of us eat whole grain all the time. I still bake special treats for my family of course. That is part of eating healthy, rewarding ourselves with treats. Treats that I made myself knowing that I only use the healthier ingredients.

PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups All-purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use pink Himalayan salt)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Procedure:

Using a stand mixer, mix the flour, salt and yeast. On low speed setting using the paddle attachment, start mixing the dry ingredients then add the water. Mix until the dough forms. Transfer the dough to a large bowl drizzled with olive oil. Make sure to coat the dough in oil, knead a little bit and form into a round dough. Cover with plastic wrap and proof for 2-4 hours at room temperature (I always use my proofing oven to be precise).

After rising, you can use the dough immediately and prepare to shape into pizza sizes that you prefer or you can store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (make sure to rest the dough at room temperature before using).

This recipe is enough to make 4, 8-10 inch pizzas just like what we did. Bake your pizza at 450°F for 7-12 minutes depending on how big/small, thick/thin your pizza will be. Sometimes, I pre-bake the flattened pizza dough for 5 minutes, then add my toppings and bake it for another 5-7 minutes. It really depends on your preference.

I am planning to make some dough tonight and keep it for tomorrow’s Friday night pizza. What’s your plan?

‘Til my next post…. If you enjoyed reading, please like my post and thanks for reading.

Pinoy Streetfood: Nilagang Mani (Boiled Peanuts)

| Doyd

Nilagang Mani (Boiled peanuts) is a very economical snack available everywhere in the Philippines.  Memories of traveling by bus with my Mom going to Pangasinan or Baguio City.. Mommy buys me a bag of boiled peanuts and boiled eggs to snack on during the long road trip.

It’s very common to see street peddlers in Manila selling these boiled peanuts.  Sometimes, they come in pre-packed brown bags and peddlers would quickly load a tour bus to sell to travelers for their long bus ride to the provinces.

Recently, my husband and I bought a small pack of these boiled peanuts from an Asian store and knowing that my eldest daughter loves to eat this too, I was inspired to make some from my kitchen in order to save money, control the saltiness of the peanuts and add more seasoning to make the boiled peanuts more aromatic and flavorful.

Street peddler posted online by Richard Macalino
Street peddler posted online by Richard Macalino

Here’s my very simple recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. raw Peanuts
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 5 pods of Chinese Star Anise
  • 1 tbsp. Garlic powder

Cooking Procedure:

Wash raw peanuts well.  In a large stock pot, add raw peanuts and cover it with water or fill the pot until it’s about more than half way filled.  Add salt and start boiling.  When the water in on a rolling boil, add star anise and garlic powder.  You can add more or put less depending on your taste.  Continue to boil covered for 2 hours.

Turn off the heat after 2 hours and leave the peanuts to cool down with the salted water.

After 3-5 hours, drain and your boiled peanuts are ready!  Enjoy!

It’s truly a healthy and fun snack for the whole family.  Making a big batch is a good idea.  It holds well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, even up to 5 days.  You will find boiled peanuts from Asian markets but I think it’s more fun to just make some at home.

Raw peanuts soaked in water with salt ready for boiling

Healthy boiled peanuts great for snacking

NOTES:

SUPERMOON 2012 lighted Irvine’s night sky

| Doyd

At exactly 8:09PM, I finished putting our children to bed. I ran to my husband telling him I needed to go out and drive around to take a few shots of the Super Moon that’s expected to be at it’s brightest and biggest this year (2012) at exactly 8:34PM Pacific Standard Time.

I grabbed my Nikomat film camera and made sure I had all my accessories with me to help guarantee a good shot of the beautiful moon tonight. I also brought my DSLR camera to be certain that I can take a few digital shots and bring home proof to my husband of this gorgeous display of tonight’s clear skies.

To make a long story short (because I am posting this and writing this at exactly 9:29PM, I just got home and am too excited)… here’s a sample of my shot.

SUPER MOON

Lens: AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED

Date/Time: 5/5/2012 8:35:40PM PDT

Focal length (35mm): 232.0mm

ISO 160 f/11 1/100 155mm

I wish my family had gone with me. I would’ve taken a much beautiful view of the moon from where I drove around the dark corners of Irvine. Security was my priority and I didn’t want to be along a dark street by myself.

There’s always a next year 🙂

Hope you like my composition!

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.