Pico De Gallo Recipe

This Pico de Gallo Recipe is a colorful and aromatic Mexican condiment. It is served with tacos, fajitas, nachos and tortillas. It can be served as a simple salad as well. It is made with salad vegetables,chili pepper and for fresh flavor- a lime juice is used. The onion and tomatoes are used as base flavor for this recipe but you can always adjust the ingredients for more flavor or according to your taste. This recipe is best eaten the same day and I can't keep it in the house because it get's eaten so quickly. It's a good way to get your loved ones eat their veggies! It is a quick and easy recipe. I will make this again, and again and again.

Pico De Gallo Recipe

Ingredients:

4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 piece of mango, cut into cubes (optional)
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 or 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon limejuice ( add more according to your taste)
Salt to taste

Cooking Directions:

• In a bowl, combine all ingredients and chill in the fridge for an hour.
• Serve and enjoy!

Continue Reading...

Filipino Pork Barbecue ( Pinoy BBQ)

Filipino Pork Barbecue is a favorite appetizer (pulutan ) and street food in the Philippines. This authentic Filipino recipe is a very popular and a requested dish during parties or potlucks. This is a very delicious and easy to prepare dish. There are many variations of this Pinoy recipe but this is basically made with pork, marinated in a sweet and sour sauce, skewered and grilled. Give it a try and do not forget to share with others.

Filipino Pork Barbecue Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pounds of pork cut into cubes ( I prefer combination of pork butt and pork belly)
1 small onions, minced
1 cup soy sauce
1 whole garlic, peeled and smashed
¼ cup of calamansi juice or lemon juice
½ cup of 7Up or Sprite soda/pop
1 cup of Banana Sauce (Ketchup)
5 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of sesame oil

bamboo skewers- soaked overnight

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except pork and cooking oil. Mix thoroughly.
• Add the pork cubes, make sure that it is well coated. Marinade for a minimum of an hour, preferably overnight on the fridge.
• Pre-heat grill. Skewer the marinated pork.
• Bring the marinade mixture to boil. Let it simmer until it is reduced to half. Transfer into a bowl and add oil. Mix well. This would be used as a glazed for the barbecue.
• Grill pork barbecue for about 5 minutes each side. Brush both sides with the prepared barbecue glaze.
• Serve hot with Green Papaya Pickle ( Atsara ) or your favorite Dipping Sauce.
• Share and Enjoy!

Note:

• Easy Dipping sauce would be a mixture of crushed garlic,minced onions, red chili pepper and sugar cane vinegar. Pinch of sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
• Use charcoal grill for best authentic taste.

Continue Reading...

Garlic Chili Prawns/ Shrimps

I saw this Filipino recipe featured on TV one day. I did not wrote down the recipe but as far as I remember, the main ingredients were fresh red chili and garlic. To continue my Lenten food recipe theme, I decided to make my own spin into this recipe. I coated the cleaned fresh prawns with chili powder since I did not have a fresh chili on hand. (I left the shrimp head on simply for presentation purposes.) Then I stir fried it with lots of garlic, onions and red bell pepper. It turned out really good. You can remove the head and add toothpicks and serve as party food or enjoy with steamed rice as a main entree. This spicy shrimp recipe will be a sure hit with your friends and family.  It is very fast and easy. 

Garlic Chili Prawns/ Shrimps

Ingredients:

2 lbs of jumbo size fresh shrimp/ prawns (thaw if frozen)
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste (I used this instead of chili paste)
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1 teaspoon of dried chili flakes ( use fresh if you have)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, cubes
2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions:

1. Wash prawns/shrimp thoroughly. Remove shells and deveined, leave tails and heads.
2. Coat the shrimp with spices, chili powder, cayenne pepper, dried chili flakes,salt and pepper.
3. Heat pan or wok with cooking oil. Stir fry garlic, add onions and bell pepper.
4. Add red curry paste, stir fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the shrimps and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the oyster sauce. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp is cooked or turned pink.
6. Serve hot over steamed rice if serving as main entree. If serving as a party food, remove head and poke with toothpick and garnish with lemon wedges or lime. Enjoy !

Continue Reading...

Shrimp Tempura

This Lenten season, when millions of Catholics and members of other denominations abstain from meat, shrimp is a perfect menu choice either for dining in or eating out. Shrimp always tastes great especially if it is fresh.  It's affordable, easy to prepare and there is lot's of variety in shrimp recipes you can choose from. Shrimp Tempura is an easy "go to" recipe during Lent season.This famous Japanese deep fried dish is very simple, fast and easy. The secret to perfect tempura? A deep pot, plenty of oil, high cooking temperature and good batter. I made this Semi-homemade Shrimp Tempura using ready made Tempura Batter Mix and it turned out really good. It was cooked to golden perfection. This can be a great appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce; or a great filling meal when it is served with steamed rice.

Shrimp Tempura ( Semi-Homemade)

Ingredients:

2 lbs large shrimp or prawns, shelled and deveined
store bought tempura batter mix ( I used Krusteaz Tempura Batter Mix)
vegetable oil or peanut oil for deep frying

Cooking Directions:

• Clean and prepare seafood. Dry thoroughly.
• Pour 2 inches ( minimum ) vegetable oil into deep frying pan,wok or electric fryer. Pre-heat to 375°F.
• Prepare tempura batter mix as per package directions.
• Dip shrimp or prawns into batter. Drain off excess batter. Gently drop the shrimp in the preheated oil.
• Deep fry for 2-4 minutes,until brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot and Enjoy!

Note: This recipe can be used for vegetable tempura. Follow similar directions except the cooking time. Vegetable tempura should be deep fried 1-2 minutes.

Continue Reading...

Shaking Beef ( Bo Luc Lac )

 

Shaking Beef ( Bo Luc Lac ) is a traditional Vietnamese dish. This recipe makes a great appetizer and, when paired with white steamed rice, can be a satisfying entree as well. I had my first  taste of this dish at Red Door Pan Asia restaurant in Vancouver. I knew then that I would order it again next time I dined at a Vietnamese restaurant. The second time I had this was at The Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco. Again, I got that amazing flavor that captivated me the very first time I tasted it. The tender cubes of  flash seared filet mignon or beef tenderloin, sautéed with red onions and a soy vinaigrette, and then served with black pepper lime juice dipping sauce. It is  fantastic!  I could not resist giving it a try. Lucky me, I found the original recipe of Vietnamese Shaking Beef posted by Charles Phan, The Slanted Door restaurant owner. I did a little tweaking on the recipe to cater to the ingredients I had available at the time. Result: Absolutely delicious! I encourage you to give it a try. It is very simple, and easy to make. But the flavor, hmmm amazing!

Original Recipe by Charles Phan, The Slanted Door
Resource: San Francisco Gourmet

Ingredients :

The Meat

2 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
1-½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon fresh black pepper
2 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, canola oil or corn oil
1-½ lbs filet mignon, cut into 1” cubes

The Vinaigrette

¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup rice wine
4 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce

The Dipping Sauce

 Juice of 1 lime

½ teaspoon  kosher salt
¼ teaspoon  fresh black pepper

 The Stir-Fry

4 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, such as canola or corn oil
3 stalks green onion, cut into 1” pieces
 ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
 1 Tablespoon butter
2 bunches watercress, for garnish

 Cooking Directions:

• Prepare marinade by combining garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and oil in a large non-metal bowl. Add filet mignon, combine and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for two hours.
• Prepare vinaigrette by combining rice vinegar, sugar, rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and fish sauce. Set aside.
• Heat a wok over high heat. Divide beef, green onions and red onions in half, as you will cook in two batches.
• Add 2 tablespoon of oil to the wok. When the oil starts to smoke, add first portion of the beef in an even layer. Let it sit until a forms a brown crust, about 2 minutes. With a spatula, flip the beef over to brown the other side, about 1 minute.
• Add first portion of the green onions and red onions and cook for 1 more minute. Pour half of vinaigrette down the side of the wok, and then shake pan to release the beef and toss with the vinaigrette. Add 1 teaspoon of  butter and continue to shake pan until butter melts. Remove the meat and onions from the wok. Keep warm.
• Repeat steps 4 and 5 with second portion of meat, green onions and red onions. Place the watercress in the middle of the serving plate and spoon hot beef and onions on top.
• Prepare dipping sauce by putting salt and pepper in small ramekin and squeezing lime juice over it. Serve alongside the beef. Serves 4. Share and Enjoy !

Continue Reading...

Asparagus Bacon Maki

One night I was wondering what I could make for dinner. I asked my husband and he said, just make something light as we were both not that hungry. So I looked at what ingredients I had available inside the fridge. I had a fresh asparagus, chicken wings and bacon. I asked myself, what can I make with these 3 ingredients? I decided to make Asparagus Bacon Maki which is a popular modern Japanese dish. This Asian dish is made from fresh green asparagus rolled in bacon. It is very fast and easy, but delicious. Give this a try and please let me know how it goes.

Ingredients:

1 lb of fresh asparagus ( 12-15 pieces)
1 lb of bacon
salt and pepper

Cooking Directions:

• On a medium sauce pan. Bring 3-4 cups of salted water to boil. Prepare shock bath (ice and cold water).
• Clean asparagus by snapping off about an inch of the bottom part, trim the ends.
• Blanch asparagus on the boiling water for 30 seconds up to 1 minute and drop to the prepared ice bath. Drain the asparagus and pat dry with paper towel.
• Take 3-4 pieces of the asparagus and wrap a 2-3 slices of bacon.
• Heat pan under medium high heat. Pan fry the asparagus bacon wrap until bacon is cooked enough.
• Serve with other appetizer of your choice. Share and Enjoy !

Continue Reading...

Tandoori Chicken Wings

 

 

Tandoori Chicken is the most famous Indian dish that it is embraced by most people in the world. This classic Indian recipe is really easy to make and the spices you need are available in almost every grocery store. If not go to any Asian or Indian grocery.  So in search for the most authentic Tandoori Chicken recipe, I turn to my favorite guru online Chef Vah. Who can cook a more authentic Indian dish than the people from India itself? So here, I gave it a try with my own twist of the recipe. I brought this dish to a potluck party and everyone loved it. The spices are in perfect compliment with each other. This is definitely a keeper, this is one of the most authentic-tasting recipes I've tried.

 

 

                            

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 lbs of chicken wings

½ teaspoon of dried red chillies

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1 tablespoon of crushed ginger

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

2 tablespoon of red chilli powder

1 tablespoon of pepper powder

2 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of garam masala powder

½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

½ cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoon rice flour

oil for deep frying

salt and pepper to taste

 

 

Cooking Directions:

• Using a fork, prick holes in the chicken wings so that marinade soaks into the chicken.
• Place the chicken wings in a ziploc bag or non-reactive bowl.
• In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the chicken. Process until well blended.
• Pour the marinade over the chicken wings. Make sure chicken is well coated.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to 4 hours.
• Pre-heat oil or deep fryer to 350°F.
• In a mixing bowl, season the rice flour with salt and pepper. Drain the chicken wings and toss in rice flour mixture until well coated.
• Deep fry wings until crispy and cooked through ( juices run clear ). Drain on paper towels and serve.
• Enjoy and share!

Continue Reading...

Shrimp Satay with Thai Peanut Sauce

 

 

 

I am lucky to be living near the Fish Market where I can get fresh shell fish and other seafoods. Besides being fresh, it is relatively cheap compared to our local super market. I had a leftover Thai Peanut Sauce from the other day when I made the Thai Chicken Satay so I decided to make Shrimp Satay. It is another out of this world easy recipe. 

 

Ingredients :

 

2 lbs fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon of curry powder

1 cup of coconut milk

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of finely chopped lemon grass

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of Thai Peanut Sauce - see recipe here

Bamboo skewers ( soaked for 30 minutes )

 

Cooking Directions:

 

• In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the peanut sauce.
• Add the shrimp and marinade for 1-3 hours.
• Pre-heat grill pan on medium high heat and spray or brush with oil.
• Thread the shrimp on the prepared skewer.
• Grill shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side or until turns pink.
• Serve Shrimp Satay with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce and noodles of you choice. Enjoy!

  

Click here for Chowmein or Yakisoba recipe

 

 

 

 

Continue Reading...

Thai Chicken Satay with Thai Peanut Sauce

This Thai Chicken Satay recipe is amazing !!! The flavors come together like they were made for each other. The chicken by itself was very flavorful and could stand on it's own, but the Thai Peanut Sauce was divine. The Thai Peanut Sauce can be use with Asian Summer Rolls too. This recipe is a definite keeper!


Source: Food Network/Ellie Krieger and Thai Food Tonight


Thai Chicken Satay Recipe
Ingredients:

1-½ lb of chicken breast cut to 1 inch cubes
½ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 shallot ( finely chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger ( grated)
1 clove of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of finely chopped lemon grass
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
½ tablespoon of curry powder
salt and black pepper to taste
bamboo skewers ( soaked for 30 minutes )
1 cup of Thai Peanut Sauce ( Dipping Sauce ) - see recipe below

Cooking Directions :

• In a mixing bowl, combine the milk, soy sauce, fish sauce,shallot, garlic,brown sugar, curry powder and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, mix well.
• Add the chicken cubes and marinate for 1- 3 hours.
• Pre-heat your grill pan on medium-high heat and spray or brush with oil.
• Thread chicken onto skewers while pan is heating.
• Grill chicken satay for 2-3 minutes per side, or until meat is cooked through and has light grill marks.
• Serve Chicken Satay warm with Peanut Dipping Sauce and Asian salad of your choice.

Thai Peanut Sauce ( Dipping Sauce ) :

Ingredients:

1 cup of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of Thai curry paste
2 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter

Cooking Directions:

• Bring ¾ cup of coconut milk to boil.
• Immediately stir in the Thai curry paste.
• Add fish sauce and sugar, mix well.
• Add the peanut butter, mix well and make sure it is well incorporated.
• Finish it with the remaining coconut milk. Cook for 1 more minute.

Note:

Sauce can be made 1 day ahead of time, and will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Related Video

Continue Reading...