Vegan Hash Brown Inspired Potato Cakes

We've been having a shitty weather lately. Last week was terrible as there were flooding all over the metro, and as my family, cats and I remained dry and safe, it's very sad that there were plenty of families that were evacuated from their homes because of severe flooding. The country's not even recovered from last week's monsoon rains, but here we go again getting another visit from a typhoon. Anyhow, it was moving and remarkable to see the Filipino spirit during these times. I hardly read rants about how the government performed nor criticizing the government's level of preparation for this kind of natural calamity, but rather read more about people helping people. It was tragic for most, but a lot of people affected were rather calm and trying to stay positive.

So since the flooding was so severe last week, school and business operations were suspended, Almost everything was closed. For that matter, we weren't able to do our groceries. I kinda underestimated the monsoon rains and didn't think to stock up with food supplies. All that's left in my fridge were a bunch of baby potatoes, baby carrots, onions and some cherry tomatoes. If it was just me in the house, I'd probably have settled with an instant Lucky Me Pancit Canton (Mark won't be happy reading this), but since hubby's home I gotta improvise to impress. Thanks to my food processor, grating the baby potatoes was almost effortless. The canned baked beans I never ate served us well too.

Ingredients:
- 4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and grated (I  used a bunch of baby potatoes in this photo).
- 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped.
- 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp of egg replacer + 3 tbsp of water mixture (or use 1 medium sized egg, beaten)
- salt and pepper

1. Combine the grated carrots, onion and potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper according to your liking, and mix well.
2. Squeeze out extra water from the mixture using your hand or a strainer.
3. Add the egg replacer mixture (or beaten eggs) and blend well. The purpose of the egg is to hold them together when you mold it.
4. Mold the potatoes in to balls (size depends on how big you prefer).
5. Heat oil in pan. Once it's hot enough, carefully put the balls and press it with a spatula to flatten it a bit. Set fire to low heat so it doesn't burn quickly and can cook evenly on the inside.
6. Flip on the other side once it's golden brown.

Serve with baked beans and fried baby potatoes.

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Asparagus and Scrambled Eggs + Some Catching Up

Mabuhay!

Yes, I'm still alive.

I'm so thrilled that my husband's back home and there's more reason to cook. After 7 long months he's finally back and although he's just gonna be around for a few weeks, I'm trying to make the most of it.

Here are some catching up photos plus a simple breakfast recipe of our very first breakfast together in 7 months.

Ingredients:
- thin asparagus, ends trimmed.
- 2 medium eggs, beaten
- 1 tbsp mayonaisse
- 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- loaf of bread

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic until golden brown. Set aside.
2. Pan fry the asparagus until it reaches its vibrant colors. Set aside.
3. Combine beaten eggs plus mayo and a pinch of salt, and beat it like crazy. Fry the mixture and scramble away.

To serve:
Note: Sorry, I totally forgot the name of the bread used in this picture. I just saw it in the Saturday market and it looks tasty enough so i bought it. Use preferably a long loaf like this.

Cut the bread in half, lengthwise and top it with the scrambled eggs.Then layer it with
the asparagus and sprinkle the roasted garlic. Sprinkle some pepper and salt if desired. I matched it with an arugula and kiwi salad.

And here are the catching up photos

Fresh vegetables shopping once again from the Saturday organic market place here in Salcedo Village.

Lottie in his "I'm not really into veggies" look  +  Mark's welcome home flowers.

This was actually our 2nd breakfast but I might as well add it in this post. It's baked pancake. The pancake's Pillsbury :P.

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Leeky Potato Soup

I was randomly looking for food inspiration when I stumbled upon a cooking video of a garlic potato soup. I sat on the idea for about a week, thinking where I can get the "spring garlic" - I don't know what it is exactly called, and since it's kinda like spring onion, I guess it wouldn't hurt to call it like that :P.

I have a very busy week (what's new?) and unfortunately, I didn't really have the time to scavenge markets for the garlic ingredient, so I played with the idea of using leeks. I like leeks when it's grilled or as garnish, but never really have tried to cook it as the main event. And there, I'm happy to say it was a success with flying colors!

Here's a nice warm soup for your rainy afternoons.

Ingredients:
- 300g chopped leeks
- 200g peeled and quartered potatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup all purpose cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- nutmeg (optional)

1. Heat oil in a pot. Saute the leeks until tender.
2. Add the vegetable broth and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes. Set the stove in low heat and cover. Check often and make sure you still have enough liquid in there. Add water when necessary.
4. Use a fork to test if the potatoes are soft and almost mushy.
5. Strain the mixture, take the chunks of potatoes and leeks in a food processor. Add a little bit of the liquid too, and then pour the rest back in the pot.
6. Puree away.
7. Pour the pureed leeks and potatoes back in the pot and give it a stir.
8. Add the all purpose cream, stir, and simmer for another 10 minutes. If you think the soup is too runny and would like to reduce liquid, simmer longer.
9. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste.


To serve:

Get a nice good looking bowl and pour the tasty soup. Sprinkle some nutmeg if you have some, and serve with a nice roll. Serves 2 - 3 depending on your appetite :P.

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Candied Tomatoes Salad Topping

Yes! I'm still alive!

I actually missed cooking and blogging. Lately I've been consumed by the demands of work and has been neglecting cooking - specifically healthy eating. No, not good.

During my dark kitchen days (that's still actually on-going, can you believe that?!) I find my comfort from as usual, my favorite blogs, Tika's savory dishes,  Natalie's flavorful vegetarian delights, and Dulcie and Sarah's mouth-watering recipes. These girls should share their secrets in time management :). Oh well, it's really hard to be a working woman and a single mom of 6 cats at the same time :P.

OK enough of the excuses.

I did a simple recipe a few weeks ago because I felt special and wanted to reward myself a healthy lunch for the first time in 2 months. Meh, it's not really that special. It's just some boiled baby potatoes, poached egg and a bed of arugula. What made it kick up a notch from a mediocre salad to a special one was the candied tomatoes!

How To Make Candied Tomatoes ala Lekkericious

I'm pretty sure a lot have already thought and executed this (and probably a lot better), but sorry I feel like claiming it :P I swear I thought about it!

Ingredients
- some ripe tomatoes
- olive oil
- honey
- salt

1. Wash the ripe tomatoes thoroughly.
2. Slice vertically in half and remove the seeds. Then slice it the halves in 3 parts.
3. Sprinkle some salt on the tomatoes and toss. Let it sit for a few minutes to let the excess water come out.
4. Drain the tomatoes.
5. Drizzle some olive oil and toss again.
6. Coat it with generous amount of honey.
7. Add another dash of salt for grand finale.
8. Lay it evenly on your oven toaster pan. Do not over crowd.
9. Heat at 400w for 20 minutes or until wrinkled up but not burned.
10. When cooked, let it cool down so it gets stiff and chewy.

If you are making a lot, feel free to use your oven. I'd recommend low heat since tomatoes are quite delicate and they tend to get burned quickly. Check on it often if necessary.

I topped these beautifully delicious candied tomatoes on baby potatoes and arugula leaves with a poached egg (I need some protein). You'll be surprised you don't need dressing, the candied tomatoes carries the dish. If the arugula and baby potatoes feel dry for your taste, toss it in extra virgin olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Then you are set!

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Homestyle Tomato Tartare

Since I know that I will never have the guts to eat beef tartare (I'm not a fan of raw meat), I thought of making tomato tartare that I once saw on TV. It's refreshing for first course. It does look special too for something that's quite simple to prepare. In this recipe, I only made a small portion since I'm the only one to eat. Double the recipe to serve 2.

Ingredients:
- 3 big, ripe, juicy, fleshy tomatoes, peeled and deseeded
- 1 tbsp. of minced chives
- 1 small minced scallion (or a small red onion)
- 1 tsp. finely chopped tarragon
- 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- a small can with both ends removed for molding

Peeling fresh tomatoes:

a. Remove the stalk.
b. slice a cross on top.
c. Blanch in boiling water for 30-40 seconds (be careful! Do not overcook) until it blisters.
d. Shock it in ice water.
e. Peel away!

1. Slice the tomatoes in 4 parts and remove the seeds. Finely chop the tomatoes. Let it sit in a colander or strainer for about an hour to drain out the excess water.

2. Transfer the tomatoes in a mixing bowl and toss in the rest of the ingredients.

3. Add salt and pepper according to you liking. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

4. Place the mold on top of your serving plate and stuff it with the tomato mixture. Pack it tightly. Then remove the mold.

I didn't realize that molding is challenging. I suppose my tomatoes weren't drained enough that the excess water kept it loose. It kept on collapsing. I even tried to use an ice cream scoop because I thought i could never keep it together using my can mold. Eventually, the tomatoes drained more water and there, I got to keep it together :).

Taragon and chives. Be careful in the amount of taragon, the taste is easily over powering.

My attempt to plate the dish. I'm not too happy with it :P

I think I got carried away once I started eating. I get this icky feeling every time I take a bite, thinking it was meat but then realizing it's just tomatoes :P. I'm so weird.

I served it with toasted bread sticks, but it's best served with slices of baguette.The greenish thing there is avocado cream cheese which I still yet to share.

Smakelijk eeten!

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Lemon Asparagus, A Barrowed Recipe

Asparagus and I, we have a love affair. But like any other love affairs, it gets tiring at some point. Frying and steaming doesn't excite me anymore. But thanks to Two-Tarts, the affair's been ignited once more with this lovely and uber-easy asparagus preparation. Yumminess guaranteed!

Ingredients :
- thin asparagus
- 1 medium sized lemon
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- slices of orange (optional)


1. Thinly slice the lemon, make about 6-8 slices. You can add about 3 slices of oranges too just for added flavor. Arrange it in a baking pan.
2. Wash the asparagus thoroughly and drizzle it with olive oil and coat it evenly.
3. Arrange the asparagus on top of the lemon and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Then off to the oven and let it sit there for a few minutes on high heat, until roasted.

The flavor of lemon (and oranges) seeps in the asparagus as it broils.

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Goat Cheese Wrapped in Roasted Eggplant

If you are tired of tortang talong or plain fried eggplants, here's another way you can cook and prepare them - with an added glamour. It's easy to make, just a bit challenging to wrap (at least to me).

Ingredients:


- 3 long eggplants, washed thoroughly
- olive oil
- Goat cheese (or kesong puti for a cheaper local version)
- culinary string
- salt and pepper to taste


Garnish:
- minced parsley or corriander leaves.
- toasted bread

1. Chop off the stalk. Thinly slice the eggplant lengthwise on both sides removing its skin. Then make 2 slices (depending how thick your eggplant is). This will be your pair of wrapper. Do the same with the rest of your eggplants.

2. Brush olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle salt and pepper, and grill it. If you have no grill, then frying is fine. Turn to the other side when it's browned and cooked. Set aside.

3. Slice cubes of goatcheese, just enough to fit the width of the eggplant slices.

4. When the eggplant has cooled down, lay 2 slices on top of each other making a cross. Lay the goat cheese at the center and wrap it with the eggplant slices. Then fasten it using a culinary string.

5. Heat it in an oven toaster of 3 minutes.

Makes 3 pcs.

To serve:

Lay it on top of a sliced toasted bread and sprinkle some parsley or corriander leaves. Best served with a green leafy side salad.

Great suggestions for some variation of this dish:

a. Use courgette instead of eggplants if you aren't a fan of eggplant (trust me I know people who wouldn't dare take a bite on an eggplant).

b. Use feta cheese as a filling.

c. Coat the goatcheese with sesame seeds or poppy seeds for an added texture and flavour.

d. Maximize the enjoyment of this dish by pairing it with other superb, healthy dishes like stiry fried mushrooms and brocolli or a nice kale apple salad.

Big thanks to the suggestions on improving the dish, J. Roper and an anonymous commenter I'll call Lekker Friend :), and for sharing your experience trying out this recipe!

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Rice Noodles in Spicy Asian Inspired Broth

Our good friend Glenn from the Netherlands cooked dinner for us during my last weekend there, and yet again, it was superb. Glenn and I seem to share the same taste when it comes to food. I can't remember a time where he prepared something I didn't like. I have stolen acquired recipes from him in the past, and this one is definitely worth sharing.

This recipe is based on how I remembered the dish tasted like so I tweaked stuff a little bit based on my memory of the flavours.

Ingredients:

Rice Noodles

Broth:
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 vegetable broth cube
- 2 tsp. Sambal Oelek (Indonesian chili condiment)
- 1 tbsp. sugar (optional)
- corriander powder
- salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:
- french beans
- fried tofu cubes
- togue
- fresh corriander leaves
- slice of lime/lemon

1. Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of tap water and set aside. This should soften it.

2. Prepare the toppings. Trim both ends of the french beans and parboil it. Careful not to overcook to keep it crunchy. When the colors become vibrant, remove it from the boiling hot water and shock it with cold water. Drain and set aside.

3. Cut tofu into cubes and fry until golden brown. Set aside.

4. Pour 4 cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the vegetable broth cube and give it a stir.

5. Add the coconut milk.

6. Add 2 tsp. sambal oelek. Add more if you like it spicy. Bring the broth in to a boil and then set it to low heat.

7. Add the sugar, a good amount of corriander powder, then salt and pepper to taste. Adjust accordingly.

8. Drain the rice noodles and then pour hot water in it. Wait until it's cooked and soft enough for eating. Drain and set aside.

To serve:Arrange the rice noodles in a bowl. Add a scoop of broth. Top it with the beans, tofu, togue, corriander leaves and garnish it with a slice of lemon or lime. This dish serves 2 to 3.

Note: Rice noodles absorb liquid easily that's why I like to cook it separately. It is also heavier in the stomach than it looks so don't cook too much noodles.

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Scrambled Tofu

I first got the idea of making a scrambled tofu from The Kitchenist, while searching for tofu recipe. Tofu is one of  my many favourites, but I'm seriously tired of deep frying them all the time, since it's the only way I know how to prepare it. So I got excited to try the scrambled tofu, and curious how it would turn out.

I tweaked the recipe a bit and made it more personal - I added more ingredients and other spices. I used silken (soft) japanese tofu with these, although in my opinion, it would have had a better texture if I used the firm one, which is usually used for deep frying. But over all, it's very yummy. It's like a substitute for egg scrambled, if you are vegan :).



Ingredients:
- 1 silken tofu (or firm), drained and crumbled
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, leaves separated and chopped
- 1/3 cup frozen peas
- spanish paprika
- ground coriander
- salt and pepper

(note: do not over crumble the tofu as you would want to preserve some chunky texture).

1. Heat oil in a pan and saute onions until soft.
2. Toss in the red and green bell pepper.
3. When the pepper is a bit soft, toss in the green peas.
4. When the green peas is soft and cooked, add the tofu and mix well.
4. When the tofu is almost dry, add the celery stalks.
5. Start seasoning it with salt and pepper according to your liking. Add a dash of ground coriander and spanish paprika.
6. Toss in the chopped celery leaves and mix well.

Serve with toasted bread. Serves 3.

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Zucchini and Carrot Mini Pancakes with Poached Egg

This food presentation from Seven Spoons totally inspired me to make a nice similar breakfast today. Yese, I'm not over with poached eggs fever :).

Ingredients:
- 100g chopped zucchini
- 4 pieces zucchini sliced thinly (optional)
- 4 slices carrots, thinly sliced (optional)
- 100g chopped carrots
- 2/4 cups bread crumbs
- 1 large beaten egg
- 1 egg for poaching
- 1/8 cup melted butter
- some spanish paprika
- salt and pepper
- alfalfa sprouts for garnishing

1. Combine the zucchini, carrots, bread crumbs, melted butter and beaten egg. Mix well.
2. Add salt and pepper according to your taste. Give it a dash or two of spanish paprika.
3. Put the mixture in a food processor. Do not puree, just give it about 5-10 seconds chopping/blending. It's still nice to have a little bit of chunks.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan.
5. Use an egg mold to hold the batter. Pour a little bit of the mixture inside the mold, and then top it with the thinly sliced zucchini. Then top it again with the mixture.
(note: I usually set the oven heat medium to low, so I can evenly cook even the inner portion without burning the outter part.)6. Flip to the other side when firm enough and cooked. Do this to the rest of the mixture.
When everything is cooked, you can then poach your egg.
To serve:
1. Get one pancake and spread some garlic mayo.
2. Sprinkle some alfalfa sprouts. Arugula also works with this.
3. Top it again with another pancake. Sprinkle some alfalfa sprouts (or arugula) and then top it with the poached eggs.

Sunshine on a plate :).

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Vegetarian Eggs Benedict

You might say, poaching an egg is very simple and nothing to get excited about. But for some reason, since I just learned it recently, I'm almost always thinking of any recipe that would let me poach an egg. Weird, but I just love 'em.

This recipe is adapted from Sprouted Kitchen, another wonderful vegetarian recipe avenue that I found by browsing numerous food blogs that has become my habit every time I feel like cooking.

So aside from the poached egg as the main ingredient that caught my attention, the asparagus caught my eyes. Not only that it's one of my many favourites, but it always reminds me of my good friend Dave, who told me that asparagus makes your pee stink. Thanks to Dave, every time I eat asparagus, I have this idea in my subconscious and I suddenly become observant when I have to do #1 after eating. Well, I'm not going to tell you if it's true or not - see for yourself :P.

About 4 months ago, Dave sent me a nice food styling techniques hand book and I remember promising that I'll dedicate one food photograph for him as a token of my appreciation. It's been 4 months, but it's better late than never, eh? So here, a very good timing - I'm dedicating this photograph to him, for sending the hand book + for the asparagus trivia :).



Ingredients:

- 2 English Muffins
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup spinach leaves, washed and drained
- 8 spears of asparagus, cut in half (in this recipe, I used the short thin asparagus)
- lemon zest from 1 small size lemon
- salt and ground pepper

Bell Pepper Sauce
- 1 medium sized bell pepper, roasted and skinned (red, green or yellow)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 oz goat's cheese
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp Siracha hot sauce (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste

Sauce preparation:

1. Cut the bell pepper in half and roast it in a toaster. You'll know it's ready when the skin begin to blister. Let it cool down.
2. Remove the blistered skin. Chop in to small pieces.
3. Put the bell pepper in a blender or food processor. Add the milk, cheese, mustard, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Blend well until smooth.
4. Put the sauce in a small bowl and add salt and pepper according to your taste. Set aside.

Eggs Benedict Proper:

1. Heat oil in a pan (olive oil preferred).
2. Fry the asparagus until the color become vibrant. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper. Careful not to over cook as you would like to preserve the crunchiness. Set aside.
3. In the same pan, saute the spinach and lemon zest until the spinach is wilted, but not overcooked. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Then poach your eggs.

To serve:

(from bottom layer to top)
English Muffin -> Bell pepper sauce -> Spinach -> Asparagus -> Poached Eggs -> Bell pepper sauce again.

Serves 2. Hubby approves!

Now that I'm very satisfied with my vegetarian eggs benedict, I feel more confident and deserving to post the Heart Locket Blog Award that Tika sent me :).

A few pointers if you get this award:

1. Pass it on to 7 other blogs.
2. Put in the award picture in your post.
3. Don't pass the award back to the award giver.
4. Answer the questions below and post them in your blog.

Questions:
1. What makes you feel great about yourself?
2. Who inspires you most? Also be more specific, which qualities inspire you, in each person? You can list as many people you like.

My answers:
1. Healthy food, nice pedicure, groomed eyebrows, coco butter all over, and appreciation from the people I care for :).
2. I'm usually inspired by most people who doesn't even know they inspire me, or doesn't know me at all. I take inspiration from their works, experiences and accomplishments. I'm influenced heavily by people who aim for the highest quality in whatever they do. 

I only know a handful of people in the blogging community (2 in cooking/food subject, to be specific :P), but I'd like to give it to the 7 top blogs I visit - not just for good food, but also for great food photographs!

1. Cook, Eat, Live Vegetarian
2. Sprouted Kitchen
3. PhotoKitchen Food Photography
4. Green Kitchen Stories
5. Ellen Silverman Photography
6. Two Tarts
7. 101 Cookbooks

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Grilled Tomatoes and Asparagus Salad

This dish was inspired by an asparagus salad dish we tasted from Malcom's place (I can't find their website). I executed the way I remembered how it tasted, and luckily, Mark approved! So I'm posting it :P.

We both didn't know how to make poached eggs, but thanks to YouTube, we learned in 5 minutes.

Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of short stemmed fresh asparagus, bottoms cut
- 7 pcs of cherry tomatoes, halved (or you can add more if you wish)
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
- olive oil
- eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
- feta cheese (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a pan.
2. Add the garlic and saute until golden brown. Do not burn it, it will become bitter. Put it in a bowl and set aside.
3. Grill the asparagus and cherry tomatoes until you see nice char marks on it. I used a griddle pan to do this. Set aside.
4. Pour a little bit of the garlic oil on the vegetable - just enough to give it a garlic flavor. Toss well.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper according to your taste.
6. Take some of the roasted garlic and sprinkle it on the vegetable mixture. Again, toss well.
7. Arrange the vegetable in a small plates (for serving) and set aside.
6. Poach your egg.
8. Lay the poached egg on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle some feta cheese and serve!

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Stir-fried KangKong with BambooShoots

Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of Kangkong (swamp cabbage)
- 1 small can of bamboo shoots, cut into strips (if you can't get it fresh)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
- 1 small red onion, chopped.
- 2 tbsp Kikoman Soysauce (or regular soysauce)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek (optional)


1. Remove the leaves and include young crunchy steps of kangkong. Wash thoroughly and remove excess water.
2. Heat oil in a wok. Fry the onion until a bit soft, then add the garlic. Saute until golden brown.
3. Toss in the bamboo shoots and give mix it well.
4. Add kikoman soysauce and mix well.
5. Add the kangkong and toss well. The kangkong is cooked when the leaves starts to wither.
6. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.
7. Add the sambal oelek to give it a spicy kick.

Serve hot with steamed rice :).

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Vegetarian Pinakbet

My taste bud's been missing a lot of my favorite Filipino dishes lately. I can't cook them since they all have meat in them. You can't have tinola without the chicken, sinigang, caldereta, dinuguan, binagoongan, and sisig without pork or beef.

I kept thinking of famous Filipino dishes that doesn't involve any amount of meat that my head started to ache, when I suddenly realized, hey why deprive myself of my Filipino favorites when I can try cook them without the meat? I certainly can't cook my top favorites I mentioned earlier without the meat, but that shouldn't stop me from trying to cook my other favorites, meat free right?

Pinakbet is one of my favorites. I used to order it in every Filipino restaurants we dine in each time. It's always on the table! Pinakbet have shrimp paste and pork, but I skipped those two in this recipe, replaced the pork with tofu to make it vegetarian friendly.

Ingredients:
- 1 firm tofu, fried and chopped in to cubes
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 200g Kalabasa, chopped in to cubes.
- 100g Ampalaya (bitter gourd), deseeded and sliced
- 4-5 pcs Okra, sliced in two (or three if it's long)
- 100g String beans, cut about 2 inches long
- 1 pc long eggplant, cut in to 4 parts
- 2 pcs tomatoes, quartered
- 2-3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- salt and pepper

Note : To remove some of the ampalaya's bitterness, rub it with salt and let it sit there for 10-15 minutes and then rinse it.

1. Parboil the Kalabasa, careful not to overcook. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped eggplants, turning to the other side when it's slightly browned. Do not over cook.
3. Heat oil in a wok. Saute garlic and onion until garlic is almost golden brown and onion is soft.
4. Add the ampalaya and stirfry for about 15 seconds.
5. Add the sliced okra and tomatoes and stir fry for another 15 seconds.
6. Add the kalabasa and fried eggplant, and string beans. Mix well.
7. Pour 1/2 cup of water and 3 tbsp of soysauce. Mix well.
8. Sprinkle salt. The original pinakbet is sauteed with shrimp paste which makes it salty, so gradually adjust the saltiness to imitate the saltiness of the shrimp paste.
9. Stir fry for a few more minutes until you see the colors of the veggies become vibrant. If it gets too dry, just add another half a cup of water and adjust the saltiness accordingly.
10. Lastly, add the fried tofu. The tofu is used to replace pork in the dish.

Serve it with hot steamed rice.

Serves 3-4 heads.

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Curried Green Beans in Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

- 200g green beans, chopped into small diagonal pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 tsp. yellow curry powder
- 2 pc long peppers, deseeded and sliced (red is preferred)
- 1/4 cup vegetarian ground meat (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste

Note : I am unfamiliar with pepper families, but the one I used here is the "pan-sigang" type, which is not that spicy. If you can find red pepper (not labuyo please!) that's also not that spicy, use that one instead so you get color contrast.


1. Heat oil in a wok. Saute onion and garlic until onion is soft and garlic is golden brown.
2. Add the vegetarian ground meat. Cook until fried and golden brown. (Skip this part if you won't use any).
3. Add the green beans and saute for about 30 seconds, and then the peppers.
4. Add the coconut milk and yellow curry powder. Mix well.
5. You'll know the beans is cooked when the green color becomes vibrant. Be careful not to overcook the beans as it's nice when it's crunchy. The coconut milk will be absorbed by the beans and it won't be saucy.

Serve with steamed rice!

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Meat-Free Arroz Caldo

Who said you can't have Arroz Caldo without the chicken?

A lot of you might say that Arroz Caldo is not an Arroz Caldo if there's no chicken in it. It's the chicken that gives Arroz Caldo its life. I mean no disrespect to this timeless recipe (it's one of my favorite Filipino merriendas) but I did make one without the chicken - and I even skipped the mandatory fish sauce :P. Hey! Vegetarians also have the right to enjoy the yummy arroz caldo, specially in this kind of weather we are having lately - rainy and grey. Perfect for a hot tasty arroz caldo!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup white rice
- 1/2 cup sticky rice (glutinous rice)
- 6 cups of water (or vegetable stock)
- small ginger, cut in strips (i used about 10 strips)
- 2 Tbsp safflower (kasubha)
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (for garnishing)
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
- onion spring, finely chopped (for garnishing)
- 1 calamansi or lemon (for garnishing)
- 1 hard boiled egg
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil





1. Add some olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the garlic until it's golden brown. Set aside. We will use this for garnishing later.
2. In a pot, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil.
3. Saute the 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic until golden brown. Add the onions until soft, and then add the ginger until it releases its flavour.
4. Pour 6 cups of water (or vegetable broth). Add 1/2 cup white rice and 1/2 cup of sticky rice.
5. Set the stove to medium heat and let it simmer. Stir occasionally to make sure that the rice doesn't stick on the pot. Add more water if necessary. The goal is to make it look like risotto (but maybe softer). If it gets sticky, just add water.
6. Sprinkle the safflower (kasubha) and stir. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.

To serve:
Scoop the arroz caldo in a bowl. Sprinkle the toasted garlic (oil drained) and spring onion.Cut the hard boiled egg in half and put it on top. Serve with calamansi or lemon slice. Add a dash of pepper if you wish!

Best matched with fried tofu.

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Vegetarian Burger

My dear husband has recently publicized this blog to almost everyone he knows, and took the liberty to make me a facebook page for my home cooking. I know, he's my biggest fan (because he have no choice but to eat what i cook :P), I really am flattered and I feel like saying "awww", but at the same time I feel pressured now to update as often as I can as well as to make quality postings!

Here's a vegetarian patty recipe that's tasty, even a non-vegetarian would enjoy!

Ingredients :
1 cup dehydrated mock ground meat (soy based grains)
1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
4-5 pcs swiss brown mushrooms, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 large egg
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Arugula
pickled green pepper, sliced
honey-mustard sauce


1. Put the dehydrated ground meat (soy based grains) in a bowl. Pour hot water until completely submerged.
2. When it's soft enough, drain the excessive water and put it in a mixing bowl.
3. Toss the grated carrot, onion, coriander, bell pepper and swiss brown mushroom and mix well. At this point you can also add the cumin, about 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper (according to your liking).
4. Divide the mixture in to two. Keep half of the mixture in the freezer. We will only cook half of it as it makes about 5 patties.
5. Add the egg and butter.
6. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of flour. The flour's purpose is to hold together the mixture. If 1/4 cup is not enough, add flour gradually until you reach the desired firm texture to mold the mixture.
7. Prepare your frying pan and heat oil.
8. When the oil is hot enough, make a ball out of the mixture and put it in the pan. Flatten it with a spatula.
9. Turn the patty to the other side when it's golden brown and ready.

I usually cook in low heat so i can evenly cook the inside of the patty as well as not to burn the outside.

To serve:
1. Toast your burger buns.
2. put a good amount of arugula on the base. Top it with the burger patty.
3. Spread some honey mustard on the patty and top it with the pickled green peppers.

Don't be afraid to free style. You can put fresh onions, caramelized onions or tomatoes. Guacamole also works as a dressing for the burger if you want to skip honey-mustard.

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Sweet Potato for Breakfast

As usual, when I run out of ideas of what to cook, I food hunt in my favorite food blogs. This morning's breakfast, I was in the mood for something simple. I found Potato Latkes recipe and was immediately inspired to make one. On a side note, my husband loves sweet potato so I replaced the ingredient with sweet potato instead. I am not too crazy about sweet potatoes because of a childhood myth I grew up with that it makes you fart like crazy. A lot of sweet potato lovers might probably object, but like I said, it's just a myth - with or without sweet potato, we will fart. It's just my mental issue.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup (packed) grated sweet potato
- 1 large beaten egg
- 1 small white onion, minced
- salt and pepper to taste

1. Squeeze the grated sweet potato and remove the excess liquid in it.
2. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper according to your liking.
3. Heat pan with cooking oil.
4. Pack a tablespoon with the mixture and put it in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes or when its golden brown. Turn to the other side when ready.

1 cup makes about 5 small pieces. If you wish to make more, the proportion of grated sweet potato and beaten egg should be 1:1. The egg is present just to hold it together. We wouldn't want the egg to overpower the flavor of the sweet potato. You can serve it with ketchup, or sour cream as a dip.

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Baked Herbed Vegetables

I've been thinking of herb usage since my mini herb garden's been blooming. I always feel bad to trim them and then not able to use them. So this evening, while I was cleaning up the fridge, an idea came - that is to make a vegetable side dish, infused with herbs.

This vegetable side dish is a great partner for the vegetarian meatballs I prepared together with it.

Ingredients:
- small broccoli flower head, chopped and washed
- 1 small carrots, sliced in circles
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped in big chunks
- Baguio beans, cut it in half if it's too long. You may also use french beans.
- 2 tbsp of corn kernels
- 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp fresh oregano leaves
- a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- a few sprigs of thyme
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp butter (optional)

1. Toss all the vegetables in a mixing bowl.
2. Sprinkle the olive oil and herbs. Add salt and pepper according to your taste and set aside for 15 minutes to marry the flavors.
3. Preheat oven to 200 C.
4. Make a bag out of aluminum foil and put the vegetable mixture, including the marinade in it. You may add about a tablespoon of butter.
5. Seal it and put it in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes. Make sure you do not overcook the vegetables inside. I love the carrots when it's still crunchy :).

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Eggplant Sandwich

Getting back on the healthy eating track, I made a simple eggplant sandwich for dinner - healthy and tasty.

Ingredients:
- bread, preferably whole wheat
- 2 eggplants cut in 3 parts and then lengthwise
- slices of swiss brown mushrooms
- fresh romaine lettuce
- Salsa (optional)
- fresh tomato slices
- slice of mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper to taste

1. Grill the eggplants. If you have no time to grill, you can also fry it but blot the eggplants with paper towels to remove the excess oil.
2. When cold enough to handle, sprinkle a bit of salt,pepper, and spanish paprika on both sides. Set aside.
3. Saute the mushrooms and sprinkle it with a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Toast your bread.
5. Put the lettuce on the bread, then top it with the eggplants. Then put the salsa or tomato slice, mushrooms, and then the slice of mozzarella cheese.

I think this recipe works better in panini style.

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