Pork Stir-fry in Oyster Sauce with Bokchoy/Pechay

Ingredients:

Marinate:

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Grated ginger

1/2 tsp White pepper or black pepper

1/2 kg Pork (thinly sliced)

STIR FRY:

Oil for stir fry

A few slices of ginger

Minced garlic

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons oyster 

1 tablespoon Mirin (optional)

1 teaspoon white sugar (use this if using Mirin) if not using Mirin use 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar instead

1 cup of water

Chopped Red/orange Bell peppers

3 stalks, chopped spring (separate white and green part)

Chopped Bokchoy/Pechay (separate stalks and leaves)

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

Slurry:

1 tablespoon Cornstarch

1 cup Water

1. MARINATE: Put meat in a bowl. Add all the other marinade ingredients: baking soda, corn starch, soy sauce, white pepper, and squeeze the juice from the grated ginger over the meat, then add the grated ginger to the mix. Mix everything together, coating all the pieces of meat evenly. Set aside. You can cook the meat right away if in a hurry or  if you have time allow to marinate at least 10-15 minutes.

2. Heat up the wok or pan. Add some oil. Put in the slices of ginger, stir until you smell the aroma. Add in the minced garlic. And then the white part of the spring onion. Stir for a few seconds.

3. Add the marinated meat to the pan. Stir and try to separate meat which are sticking together. Brown the meat evenly.

4. Add the soy sauce. Stir. Then add in the oyster sauce. Stir well. Simmer for a minute and then put 1 cup of water. Simmer until the sauce slightly boils. If using Mirin, add the 1/2 tsp white sugar, if not using Mirin add the 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar. Stir well.

5. Add now the bell peppers and the white stalk of the bokchoy/pechay. Stir for a few seconds. Meanwhile, mix the slurry ingredients: cornstarch and water. Then drizzle it on the meat mixture. Stir well.

6. Once the sauce starts to boil, add the green part of the spring onions and the green leaves of the bokchoy/pechay. Stir for a few seconds until sauce begins to thicken.

7. Drizzle the sesame oil. Stir. And then if adding Mirin, drizzle it, too. Stir again. And done!:)

8. Plate it and eat it with rice or noodles. Enjoy!!!

Japchae (Korean-style Stir-Fried Glass Noodles)

In recent years, I've been addicted to Korean dramas. Naks! Haha, feeling teenager. Anyway, no one can debate how interesting K-Dramas are. More and more people from all over the world started watching K-Dramas, K-Pop stars, etc. Most of their K-dramas have light and feel-good stories. You don't end up watching a movie with a heavy heart.

Anyway, because of my addiction to K-Dramas it opened up to knowing their type of cuisine or food, too. Watching the actors eat their food in a movie/series heartily makes you want to try it out. This was what lead me to research some Korean recipes. 

Japchae is one of the foods that I wanted to try. I have also a Korean friend who cooks and shares Korean food with us, so I got to taste it once. It tasted so good, much like our Pinoy Pansit bihon and sotanghon. The only difference is the preparation and the kind of noodles used.

Japchae is made from sweet potato glass noodles. It's thicker than our sotanghon noodles and more chewy in texture. Instead of stir frying the noodles with all the other ingredients like we do with sotanghon gisado, you just mix the cooked sweet potato noodles (cold ) with the rest of the ingredients. You just have to balance the sugar and soy sauce content for flavor.

It is a hearty meal by itself. It already has the noodles, some meat ( I used stir-fried beef), eggs, and different kinds of vegetables. Or if you want, you can make it as a side dish and pair it with more meat and rice. I cook it from time to time when I crave Korean food. Try it out!

Tortilla Soup

9 oz. Bear Creek Tortilla Soup Mix
1 package Corn Tortilla, cut into strips(separate 1 cup and fry the rest)
8 cups water
12.5 oz.  can Hormel chicken breast or any leftover chicken meat
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsps. cooking oil

cilantro (optional)

PROCEDURE:
Bring 8 cups of water to a boil.
Whisk in the soup mix.
Lower heat to medium ,add the drained chicken breast pieces, and then simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
Put the cup of tortilla strips in the soup. This will make the soup a little thicker.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve and garnish with fried corn tortillas and cilantro.

Frying the corn tortilla:
Heat oil or butter in a skillet.
Then put the rest or remaining corn tortilla strips.
Toss and stir until golden brown.
Use as garnish for the tortilla soup.

Penne Alfredo with Roasted Garlic and Herb Chicken

Summer days are starting to let us feel its scorching heat. The desert is turning golden brown even more, with hints of green, and some flowers blooming here and there. You cannot get out and enjoy the heat of the sun longer or you'll get sunburn.

It was an overcast sky today which was a nice change from the very hot, hundred degree temperatures the last few days. We did not have to turn all the AC's the whole day. God is good!

Anyway, I can never choose between a very cold, icy winter or a very hot, fiery summer. So, I'd rather just be thankful I can experience both extremes, which tells me I am alive and living well! Thank God for the wonderful life whether it is hot or cold.

Because it was a wonderful day, it was also a great day to do some cooking! I made some penne pasta with homemade alfredo sauce. I also pan-grilled some chicken breasts which were seasoned with roasted garlic and herb. It was pretty easy and quick to make. Dinner was served with ice-cold cranberry juice. Time to eat!

Creamy Mashed Potato and Buttered Lemon-Pepper Swai Fillet

What's for dinner tonight? I decided to make some creamy mashed potatoes, since we haven't had it for a long time, and some Swai fish fillets.

A little break from heavy meaty meals, I opted for a fish menu for tonight. And it is easy and fast to cook, too. I bought some nice, frozen Swai fish fillets instead of the usual frozen tilapia fillets. Swai is a white-flesh fish. It has such a mild taste and my family likes it because it does not have such a fishy taste, lol, if you know what I mean. I sprinkled some lemon-pepper powder on it and leave it to marinate for a few minutes. And then I pan seared it in butter and a little olive oil.

As you can see, the plating is like East meets West. A little Asian condiment/side dish of kimchi and the fish which are common food from the Eastern part of the world. And the mashed potato and pickled pepperoncini, usual fare on the Western part of the globe.

The sourness and slight spiciness from the kimchi and pepperoncini compliments very well with the creaminess of the mashed potato and the lemony, buttery fish. 

Simple meal but very yummy, appetizing, and such a fulfilling dinner!

Ginataang Hipon (Shrimp with Coconut Milk)

Pinoy Bistek

I haven't had bistek in a long time. Bistek is the Filipino beef steak version. These are thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce and kalamansi or vinegar, and then cooked and garnished with sauteed onion rings. Since I haven't eaten it in a long time since I left the Philippines, I tried to cook it. Actually, maybe a year or two ago I tried cooking it but it didn't come out so well. I guess, I marinated it too long that it was too sour or maybe I just put too much kalamansi. Well, I guess you learn along the way. I was still learning how to cook then, haha. Anyway, I tried making it again yesterday and it came out pretty well. My husband said it was perfect. Well, I guess because he hasn't tried other Bistek recipes, haha!So he can't really compare it. But I am also a hard critic of myself and this time I know it did come out good. I used a recipe I found online. I forgot the site but I'm gonna tell you about it next time because it's too late already to do research again, haha. Here is the photo of my very own Bistek.

A Great Dinner of Roast Beef, Mashed Potato and Asparagus