No, we haven't been eating take-out

I just haven't had time to take pictures of what I've cooked recently!

Two weekends ago, I made pancit sotanghon for the first time ever. (Recipe here.) It was a big hit with Benjie! (Since I still haven't found annatto seeds, it was much paler compared to the photo.)

The past few days, we've been living off roast chicken--I roasted parts from two chickens with pesto. Also, last week, I made Black Beans & Pork Bits, a recipe in How to Cook Everything.

Teo eats the meats from the Bean recipe (it has bacon, pork and chicken sausage), but he refuses to eat the beans. Which is weird given that he likes the burritos from California Tortilla and other Mexican fast food joints.

(This was a quick-cook recipe using canned black beans--you put 4 cans into a pot with their juice, add a T of cumin, salt & pepper and the peel from one orange, and set the pot on a low simmer. Then you start cooking the meats-- bacon, then the sausages, then the pork loin--and add them to the beans. Then you saute chopped onions and bell peppers in the oil, and add that to the beans, then pour a cup of red wine into the skillet where you cooked the meats & veggies and reduce it by half. Add the reduction and half a cup of orange juice to the beans. Serve, when heated through, with orange segments and cilantro.

(It would've taken me less than the described 30 mins. to make this but I cut myself badly slicing the onions.)

Broiled Steak & Garlic-Butter Spinach

We gobbled this up too quickly for a photo.

I got the recipe from a book I picked up for a buck at a yard sale--Cooking LIght's SuperFast Suppers. (Which I suppose is a healthy Rachel Ray, as most meals in it can be prepped under 30 minutes.)

In the book, this is paired with potatoes, but I opted for a spinach recipe since I'm trying to stay away from carbs.

I switched on the broiler. (I was nervous about cooking it this way, since I've only used the broiler to brown my adobo, never to cook something through.)

I mixed: the juice of half a lime, 3 T of Dijon, salt & pepper and minced garlic. I lay the nearly one-pound sirloin on a cookie sheet (man, I need a broiler pan!) and put half the mustard mix on top. It went into the oven for 4 minutes, came out, flipped, got the rest of the mustard mix, then back into the oven for another 4.

(I ended up cooking the steak for 12 minutes altogether, since I like my meat medium-rare, and for the 7-8 mins specified by the book, the meat still was too red for me. Also, my cookie sheet twisted. But it settled back into its original shape, almost.)


(I also zapped Teo's slice of steak for another 20 secs, to remove the redness from it altogether.)

For the spinach: you zap garlic, salt and butter (in our case, fake butter) for 25 secs in the mic; add a bag of spinach, cover and zap for another 2 minutes. Mix everything together.

(I added grated Pecorino and Padano.)

The meat was a big hit with the boys. Teo wasn't keen on the spinach. I think I should have removed the stems from the spinach. Good thing I also nuked him some corn & peas.

Chicken Adobo & Kare-Kare

Sorry, no photos. I cooked these on Sunday for an Easter lunch for friends and neglected to photograph them before they were attacked.

While I still have leftovers, they do not look appealing at all. (Still delicious, though.)

I never ever cooked these dishes before we moved to Boston! I suppose the distance makes them that much more yummy.

I used a mishmash of recipes for these. To make adobo, I used the basic principles outlined in Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything. I can almost forgive him for claiming that there are no other dishes from the Philippines worth trying, since he does proclaim Adobo the best chicken dish in the world.

Put these in a bowl: fresh black pepper, bay leaves (2), 1 cup soy sauce, .5 cup vinegar (here I used rice wine vinegar, as per the Dorotans'--of Cendrillon in Manhattan--suggestion), water (MB recommends matching the amt of soy sauce but I use a bit less) & crushed garlic (as much as you like, though MB recommends 3 cloves). Once these are all mixed, put chicken in (3-4 lbs' worth). The Dorotans recommend marinating for at least 3 hours. I try to do 18-24!

To cook: put chicken & sauce in saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer, uncovered, until chicken is cooked.

Pre-heat the broiler. Put chicken (skin-side up) on baking pan and put on rack (which should be on highest level in oven), for about 5-7 mins.

Try to reduce the sauce until it thickens.

The last two steps aren't necessary but make the adobo that much yummier.

I used this recipe for kare-kare. Isn't that funny? But this is actually friendlier than the Filipino cook-authored recipes I've found, so far. It's easy to follow. I haven't managed to find tripe in my supermarkets but I use broiler-quality meat to add substance. Also, haven't found annatto oil (to make the stew a more presentable red, instead of brown) yet, but it doesn't seem to matter!

(Food very well received, by the way. Even Teo enjoys bagoong!)

Lentils with Kielbasa & Asperation

Sausages and legumes are my go-to, can't-figure-out-what-else-to-prepare-for-dinner-meal.

I pretty much Rachel-Rayed this one (no measuring!). And since I had leftover bacon in the fridge (from pasta night) I decided to fry that a little, then saute the onions in them, then added the kielbasa. I let them fry together about 3 mins before putting the lentils in. (I used cheap green lentils, although I was tempted to go with small, French dePuy or black lentils. If I'd shopped at TJ's instead of Whole Foods, I think I might have scored the latter two for a lower price.)

I added the stock to cover, let boil then simmered for about 30 minutes. I added some salt(kosher!--which I only recently tried and like very much!) and pepper.

(Anyone out there who's a firm advocate of boxed broth vs. boullioun broth?--I use the boxed type, but am I losing so much more money that way?? )

When the lentils were still a bit nutty to the bite, but already well on the road to tender, I added the chopped up asperation (AKA broccolini, a hybrid of broccoli and asparagus, I think.) covered completely to steam for 5 minutes, and served on rice.

(I like throwing a veggie of some sort into my one-pot meals. Teo generally has no problems with green, leafy types.)

Benjie likes his lentils soupy, so I served his and Teo's with lots of broth. The photo shows mine--I like my lentils dry, with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Teo has had issues with sausages before--I think I once served him rather spicy ones, but he enjoyed this meal. As did his father!

Italian Wedding Soup

from Giada de Laurentis' Everyday Italian. Recipe here.

(Giada de Laurentis is so sexy I can't believe she cooks and eats what she cooks. Her head is disturbingly large for her body, though...or is it just her hair that makes it seem that way?)

I followed Giada's recipe except:
*I used a beef-and-buffalo combination instead of beef-and-pork.
*I also used baby spinach leaves instead of escarole
*I cooked the meatballs for a total of about 25 minutes, since I didn't think 8 minutes would be enough to cook them through
*I used orzo to add more carbohydrates, but according to Benjie not enough orzo.
*I skipped the egg-cheese thing at the end. I figured that Teo and Benjie had had enough egg today!!

Results well received. Teo ate about 5 meatballs so he must have been really hungry! And aside from looking for more orzo Benjie enjoyed the soup too.

Orecchiette with Leeks & Peas

From the April 2007 issue of Real Simple magazine.

(I actually cooked this on Sunday.)

Ingredients:

4 leeks (didn't read the recipe thoroughly so only bought 2, which worked out fine)
10 oz frozen peas (though if you can get fresh it's highly recommended; I used Trader Joe's frozen petite peas which were yummy)
2 minced garlic cloves
olive oil (which I skipped; you'll see why on the bottom)
.5 tsp kosher salt
.5 tsp black pepper
.75 c heavy cream
1 cup grated Pecorino (I found "Romano" at my local Safeway and had to keep my fingers crossed that they were the same thing)
2 t lemon zest
.25 c mint leaves
1 lb orecchiette (ear pasta?) or other short pasta, cooked according to package directions

I added 4 oz of bacon--I live with a carnivore who constantly asks where the meat is in what I cook...it makes the recipe seem like Pasta Alla Carbonara, but the resemblance is very slight.

I browned the bacon and when it crisped up I scooped it out and fried the leeks in the bacon fat with the salt & pepper till they wilted. In went the garlic and peas for another 2 minutes, then the cream and cheese, then everything simmered for 4 minutes. I put the cooked pasta in with the sauce, tossed a few times and served with more cheese and crunchy bacon.

(I was too cheap to buy mint leaves and a lemon...I think the recipe worked well without them, though.)

Meal was well-received. Teo preferred the orecchiette on his head (I guess it does look like a hat) so I'd tear them in half to make it easier for him to manage. I worried that the Pecorino was too strong for him but if I do this recipe with parmesan in the future I don't know that the mesh of flavors will be the same.

The taste of leeks was absolutely lovely. Milder than onion but still very distinct and yummy.

Dedicated to Julie Powell & Adam Roberts

--who are the biggest inspirations for this blog.

I luuuurve Adam's blog. He is funny and down to earth and he just makes me want to move to NY so I can eat at all the restaurants he's reviewed. I've cooked two of the recipes he's written about (though not yet the one he made up himself)--I haven't tried more because I'm way cheaper than he is, plus I live with a toddler(who has days when he'll eat anything I put in front of him, and days when he'll eat only cheese) and a husband who would eat the same thing at every meal if I let him.

I just finished Julie's book and love it as well. I have no ambition or time to replicate her project, but I do want to keep a record of what I make in the kitchen and how my boys react to my efforts. (Plus I feel this'll be a good way to store recipes I like from magazines and chuck them without feeling dread about trying to find the damn recipe when I need it!)

This blog is also inspired by other foodies and food writers--Ruth Reichl, Bill Buford, Mark Bittman (although I take umbrage with Mark's assertion that the Philippines has only one dish worth including in his newest book).

The blog name is misleading...I don't cook every day, but I do try to cook at least 4 days of the week.

This blog won't be anywhere as well-written as Amateur Gourmet or Julie & Julia but I'm fine with that. (I'm sure the 3 of you who'll bother to read my entries will be too!)

I do promise to include photos as often as I can!