Lorna's Bok Choy Soup for the Soul

I had promised "Small Daddy," my teacher and coach ever since I started this blog in 2007, that I would cook more wholesome food for my family of two (my husband and I). Since I consider vegetable cookery a huge production, I was up to the task of reinventing the art of practical cooking on-the-go.

This is how I developed my penchant for soups, stews, and casseroles. After having lost over five inches from my belly since April of 2009 just by modifying my eating habits, I am determined to keep the weight off.



Today, I am smiling almost like a Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat. "Small Daddy" is always right. I feel better after cooking my Bok Choy Soup for the Soul, perfection times 10.

Bok Choy is also known as Chinese Cabbage. Very popular in Chinese cuisine, I don't buy it often unless someone takes me to a huge ethnic supermarket such as Assi Plaza or Super H Mart in Illinois. Ron Salazar is one "foodie" friend who enjoys bringing me out to try neighborhood markets where there is an abundant supply of culturally-diverse ingredients for my intuitive culinary tastes.

Today, my Bok Choy Soup for the Soul is the panacea for my personal challenges. The soup will last me for a few days while I study for my life insurance licensing exam. The thought of Bok Choy Soup as my kick-starter to success warms my heart and allows me to scream inside my head, "I am unstoppable! I am fearless! Watch me, World!"

Bok Choy has a slightly peppery taste and a crunchy "feel." When garnished with fresh-sliced tomatoes, the soup acquires a Filipino "Sinigang" type of flavor.

Some of the recipe's ingredients are peppered with memories of "who gave what" and "how I came to buy this." There Vinicius, my Brazilian friend who gave me the vegetable broth, Knorr's Potinho de Caldo, Legumes. Josephine, the Illinois-based friend gifted me with the Green Onion Miso Soup Mix after a conference. The Ionique Spectra Salt that Ben Menor had turned me on to has only half the sodium of regular salt, boosted by trace minerals (and if you want to buy it, please email me at LornaDietzPR@gmail.com). My new bottle of black peppercorns (with a built-in grinder) was a purchase during a field trip with Ron Salazar and Andy Gaston to Fresh Farms International Market.

From my house to your house, here is my "Bok Choy Soup for the Soul." May it motivate you to keep aiming for your higher good!

Lorna's Bok Choy Soup for the Soul
Ingredients:

4 bunches of Bok Choy (enough to fill 3/4's of a 4-quart pot, a 16-cup capacity), about 1 foot long per bunch
2 tbsps. equivalent of fresh ginger, pared, then sliced into half-inch cubes
14 cups of water (to reach 3/4's of the pot)
1/2 cup of finely-diced onions (use a food processor or Cuisinart; prepare ahead of time, then freese until ready to use)
1 cube of vegetable broth OR 1 packet of Brazilian Potinho de Caldo (Legumes) by Knorr

1/4 cup of sliced leftover meat such as roast turkey, chicken, beef, or fish
2 small foil packets of fresh miso paste from any Miso Soup mix, approximately a total of 2 to 3 tbsps., to taste
2 squirts of Ionique Spectra salt (or salt to taste)
A few grinds of black pepper

Procedure:

1. Rinse and slice the bok choy (including the stems) into 1/2-inch portions.
2. Transfer the sliced bok choy into a 4-quart cooking vessel. Add the cubed ginger and diced onions.
3. Add the Brazilian Potinho de Caldo and mix thoroughly.
4. Add about 14 cups water to fill 3/4's of the pot.
5. Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes.
6. At this point, add 1/4 cup of sliced meat (leftovers are desirable).
7. Add the contents of two small packets of miso paste.
8. Simmer for another 10 minutes over low heat.
9. Squirt Ionique Spectra Salts (two times) or add salt to taste.'
10. Grind some black pepper to taste.
11. Slice some tomatoes to garnish over each bowl of soup.

Note: My husband likes to spike his soup with a little more salt and tabasco sauce.

Here's a YouTube video I found about Vinicius's favorite Potinho de Caldo (Legumes) by Knorr.

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Lorna's Adobong Kangkong

On November 21, 2009, I went on a "foodie" field trip with Ron Salazar, a dear friend who works at the Mayor of Chicago's Office of Special Events. He wanted me to sample some of the best "foodie" haunts in Uptown Chicago, at the famous Argyle Street, or simply known as "Argyle." Although this strip has many Vietnamese owned-and-managed restaurants, groceries, and produce stores, I quickly became a fan when Ron took me to a bakery, La Patisserie, which featured some of the best Filipino baked products I've ever tasted, such as pan de sal, pan de coco, and hopia. Oh me, oh my, I was in "foodie" heaven!

One of my great "buys" that Saturday was kangkong, aka Chinese water spinach or swamp cabbage. I refrigerated a hefty bunch of kangkong --- and I plotted and schemed on what I would serve that Friday for our Thanksgiving dinner: "Adobong Kangkong for my brother, David, and his wife Janet, when they visit us on Black Friday all the way from Missouri!"

Cooking Adobong Kangkong was SO easy. Washing the vegetables was another matter. For those who know me well, any vegetable dish takes a lot of cleaning time for me. I was SO busy cleaning the kangkong that when the dish was cooked, I forgot to take a photo of the finished product.

Here is my recipe.

LORNA'S ADOBONG KANGKONG

- 1 huge bowl of kangkong (swamp cabbage) about 4 to 6 cups, stalks and leaves trimmed and placed in separate containers, washed and drained
- 1 lb. of pork, washed, drained, then sliced into 1/2-inch pieces, then marinated in about 2 tbsps. soy sauce, just enough to coat meat (low sodium preferred; this can be prepared at least a day in advance, then stored in a ziploc bag)
- 1/4 cup of Datu Puti white vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- 1 heaping tbsp. of prepared minced garlic from the bottle
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 bouquet gaarni of Lorna's aromatics (see Lorna's Humba recipe or see below)

Procedure:

1. Prepare a saucepan (stainless steel, teflon, or other non-acid reactive pan) by heating it with about 2 tbsps. of olive oil.

2. Saute garlic until light yellow, then add onions. Stir-fry in medium heat until the onions turn translucent. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the pork slices and brown for a few minutes. The resulting broth will flavor the Adobong Kangkong.

3. Add the bouquet gaarni and perch the muslin bag onto the side of the saucepan. Make sure that the bouquet gaarni touches the broth in the sauce pan.

4. Add soy sauce and vinegar. Bring to a boil.

5. Add the kangkong stalks. Allow to cook and soften, maybe about 5-10 minutes.

6. Add the kangkong leaves. Mix the pork and broth with the leaves. Cover the saucepan. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the kangkong is slightly wilted. Some cooks prefer a wilted Adobong Kangkong (like me!).

7. Serve with steamed rice.

Note: You can use other vegetables, such as Bok Choy, snap peas, spinach, string beans, cabbage, or whatever you have in your refrigerator for a nice Adobong Vegetable dish.


The Bouquet Gaarni

A bundle of spices and herbs, the aromatics, are placed in a square of muslin cloth and tied together with butcher twine ("lambo"). I use a muslin bag sachet normally used for tea and I fill it up with my aromatics. If you don't have any of the above but you have a tea strainer, you can use this, too.

I prefer using a bouquet gaarni instead of mixing the aromatics with the meat or vegetable mixture because I don't like biting into peppercorns or cardamon seeds. The bouquet gaarni is braised with the rest of the ingredients and is removed before eating.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients for Bouquet Gaarni:

4 pieces of Star Anise dried flowers
2 whole cinnamon sticks, split in half (the original length is 3-inch sticks)
6 small bay leaves (or laurel leaves)
1 to 2 tbsps. whole black peppercorns
16 cardamon seeds (whole, unpeeled)

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Lorna's Humba: Pig Hocks as Comfort Food

This is not the traditional Humba recipe that mothers from the Visayas region of the Philippines teach their children. I've taken the influences from Filipino, Chinese, Indian, and American home kitchens to create my own version of this braised Humba that can take two to four hours' cooking time. Of course, if you use a pressure cooker, the fragrant Humba cooks in half the time. If it's a slow cooker you're using, an overnight process is just as delicious.

Finding the right meat, and I don't mean pork belly either, meant going to my neighborhood Polish deli, Deli 4 U, across the street from my suburban home in Illinois --- and enjoying the thick, succulent slabs of not-very-fattening but definitely gelatinous pig hocks. Should I say I am in Pig Heaven? Since there were no dried Azucena flowers (tuberoses) available as a garnish, I used dried lily flowers, an extremely delectable substitute from San Francisco's Chinatown.

According to MonsterGuide.net: "Pork hocks are also called pork shanks, Schweinshaxe, or Eisbein. Pork hocks are sliced from the hind leg or pork foreleg between the knee and the ankle. This is a tough meat as it is a part of a “work” muscle, but it is very tasty though not tender. Although not as popular as pork ribs, it is still a well-liked meat. Pork hocks, and pork in general, are available as natural, or organic, meat."

Before we start, let's review the term, "bouquet gaarni," a remnant from my B.S. Hotel and Restaurant Administration college days at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

BOUQUET GAARNI: A bundle of spices and herbs, the aromatics, are placed in a square of muslin cloth and tied together with butcher twine ("lambo"). I use a muslin bag sachet normally used for tea and I fill it up with my aromatics. If you don't have any of the above but you have a tea strainer, you can use this, too.

I prefer using a bouquet gaarni instead of mixing the aromatics with the pig hocks because I don't like biting into peppercorns or cardamon seeds. The bouquet gaarni is braised with the rest of the ingredients and is removed before eating.

Bon Appetit!


LORNA'S HUMBA

Equipment: a 16-cup or 4 quart, non-acid reactive saucepan (heavy stainless steel or glass)

Ingredients for Bouquet Gaarni:

4 pieces of Star Anise dried flowers
2 whole cinnamon sticks, split in half (the original length is 3-inch sticks)
6 small bay leaves (or laurel leaves)
1 to 2 tbsps. whole black peppercorns
16 cardamon seeds (whole, unpeeled)

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the following:

2/3 cups soy sauce (low sodium is preferred)
1 cup white vinegar (Datu Puti vinegar or sukang maasim, made out of cane vinegar and water)
2 cups water
4 to 5-1/2 lbs. pork hocks, thawed and washed
Bouquet Gaarni, perched on the side of the saucepan, and immersed in the liquid mixture



2. Simmer over medium heat for 1-1/2 hours. Do not put the lid over the saucepan. The goal is to reduce the liquid, rendering a glazed, gelatinous sauce at the end of the cooking time.

3. Turn over the pork hocks after the first 45 minutes, for even cooking. Use tongs.

4. After 1-1/2 hours of cooking time, lower the heat to low-medium (simmer), and add 1 cup water and 1/4 cup brown sugar (pressed) or 1/4 cup white sugar. You can also lightly cover the saucepan (or leave a little opening).

5. Add 1/4 cup of dried azucena flowers or dried lily flowers. You could also experiment with dried banana blossoms, if available.

6. Cook for another hour until the meat tests done. The pork hocks should be tender and detach easily from the inner bone. If in doubt, simmer for another 30 minutes. Season with Montreal Steak Seasoning or lemon pepper to taste. You can also add 1 tbsp. of oyster sauce (I use the Mama Sita brand). The sauce should be a rich, glossy, caramel color.

You can blend your own mixture of Montreal Steak Seasoning. Click here for the recipe.

7. Remove the bouquet gaarni before serving.

8. Serve with lots of steamed rice.

Notes: This makes a great potluck dish! It refrigerates and reheats well. I chose not to use salted black beans because some people develop an itchy feeling in their gums if they are not used to it. Other cooks like to add fried plantain bananas (saba) and cooked hard-boiled eggs with the simmering mixture. Use your imagination!

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Asian American Chicken-Vegetable Wraps

I am such a lazy cook that I always look for ways to shorten cooking times. You see, I am one of those virtual work warriors that has a home office. Working out of the house isn't that easy. Telecommuting means working during odd hours of the day --- and night.

During one of my sojourns to DELI 4 U, an ethnic Polish deli across the street from our home, I discovered some amazing delectable and affordable food products, even if I don't read or speak Polish. I thought, "Wow, this must be how non-Filipinos feel when they go inside Seafood City!" Sometimes, I'm the only Asian who stalks the aisles of this deli. The owners and staff make me feel at home. I oftentimes ask my husband to buy my favorite Seaweed Salad that is spiked with sesame seeds and sliced chilis. Apparently, the deli's staff knows all about my esoteric, healthy favorites. Don't get me going about their homemade poppysead bread and their fabulous chicken sausages, Italian style. Mamma Mia!

Last week, I bought some of their skinless chicken breasts. They weren't like the ones you get at Costco --- flash-frozen, skinless, and skinny. These chicken breasts were fresh, thick and juicy!

I had defrosted the chicken breasts yesterday. I also promised my husband that I would cook more healthy meals so this was my chance to prepare another simple meat-and-vegetable dish for us. I didn't tell my husband that I was SO tired after working more than 12 hours. So, I looked at the freezer and found a package of stir-fry vegetables from Deli 4 U. It said: Warzywa na patelnie z cukinia i ryzem, Stir-fry vegetables with Courgette and Rice. Brand name: Fritar. Weight: 480 grams. It came with a dry spice packet which I decided not to use for my recipe.

As it turned out, my husband enjoyed his meal. Lucky me, I earned brownie points especially since he is quite a competitive cook and fastidious diner.

Here is the recipe I created. Four large servings as a one-meal dish and most likely good for eight to 10 wraps. Each tortilla is 190 calories each. Add the chicken and vegetables --- and I'm sure we have a filling, healthy meal or snack for under 450 calories per wrap!



ASIAN AMERICAN CHICKEN-VEGETABLE WRAPS

The chicken-vegetable dish:

2 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil (Kirkland brand, from Costco)
1 chicken breast, sliced into 3/4" cubes (from Deli 4 U)
2 tsps. or more of Emeril's Asian Essence
1/2 cup whole fancy Cashew Nuts (Kirkland brand, from Costco)
1 package frozen stir-fry vegetables, about 1 lb. or 480 gms. (from Deli 4 U)
1 tbsp. soy sauce (Sempio Soy Sauce, from a Korean store)
1 tbsp. rice cooking wine (salt added rice cooking wine, from a Korean store)
salt to taste (I use Alessi 100% Mediterranean sea salt, Sale Marino, from Trader Joe's)

Wraps:

A package of El Milagro Harina/Flour Tortillas (10 count). I buy mine at a Mexican grocery.

Procedure:

1. Slice the chicken breasts into cubes and coat with Emeril's Asian Essence spices.

2. Open a package of stir-fry vegetables. Do not use the spice packet that comes with it.

3. In a large alumimum or teflon-type frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil.

4. Stir-fry the chicken cubes until 3/4's done.

5. Add the cashews to the chicken cubes.

6. Add the package of vegetables. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.

7. Add soy sauce and rice wine. Cook for about five more minutes or until the vegetables are heated through and the cashews are medium-soft. Turn up the heat a little bit. Add salt to taste. This is not a runny, saucy entree. This dish has a little bit of sauce that works well with freshly-made rice, pasta, or potatoes.

8. At this point, you can serve this as a dish OR you can continue making the wraps.

Assembling A Wrap:

I use the microwave to heat the wraps.

1. Use kitchen paper or waxed paper (the type you get at Costco). Lay a tortilla on a sheet of waxed paper, then place another sheet of waxed paper over the tortilla.

2. Heat each tortilla for 20 seconds in the microwave.

3. Remove the waxed paper over the tortilla.

4. Add about 1/4 cup (or 4 heaping tablespoons) of the Chicken-Vegetable mixture on top of the tortilla.

5. Wrap the tortilla like a burrito. Wrap the waxed paper over the wrap. You can use a refrigerated chicken-vegetable mixture.

Note: This is an excellent lunch at the office. Just microwave at 50% for about 1 minute, 30 seconds if you had refrigerated the wrap.

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Chicken-Prosciutto Rolls in Lemon-Thyme Biryani

May 5, 2009

It's Cinco de Mayo!

Yesterday, it was Myrna's birthday (my sister). Although we didn't get together, I celebrated her birthday by creating a new simple, healthy dish that didn't have too many ingredients. I kept thinking that she would want to try this out some day. Then, I remembered that I had kept this Biryani spice mix that my friend, Padma Mangharam Siap, had introduced me to during a field trip to a special district in Chicago --- DEVON --- where South Asians, Russians, Muslims, and other ethnic groups commingled in commercial "bliss." When you hear the names, Chicken Biryani or Beef Biryani, please note that the dishes are mildly spicy, Sindhi style.

At the Indian grocer, A to Z Pantry, at the corner of North Elmhurst Road and Camp McDonald, I had tried to get "Harry" to give me recipes for the past 2-1/2 years. I was trying to be helpful. I wanted more SPICE for my recipes without the food necessarily getting hot, as in fiery and smoldering to my taste buds. I explained to "Harry" that many of his customers were non-Asian and would benefit from knowing how certain spices in his ethnic retail store's shelves could make their American home cooking sizzle.

I have used my Biryani spice mix in my barbecued pork, chicken, and beef dishes. For non-South Asian cooks, just use a little bit of the spice. Add Filipino white vinegar (the most popular brand being Datu Puti Cane Vinegar, a.k.a. Sukang Maasim), some soy sauce, or oyster sauce, and a little sesame oil. Yummy barbecues!

The following recipe is meant for the typical Midwest kitchen. There are some Italian, German, and Polish immigrants in my lovely white picket fence neighborhood so I thought I'd share my simple recipe with them also.

All my neighors would have to do is make a trip to "Harry's" store, A to Z Pantry: Indian Grocers, and buy any Biryani mix. Of course, my neighbors can buy their lottery tickets or "scratch-offs" there as well.

CHICKEN-PROSCIUTTO ROLLS IN LEMON-THYME BIRYANI

6 skinless chicken breasts, defrosted
12 slices of prosciutto
1 tsp. of Biryani mix per chicken breast (you can use more!)
1 sprig of fresh thyme, chopped (without the stem)
1/2 lemon
about 2 to 3 tbsps. of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
12 toothpicks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Rub each chicken breast with 1 tsp. (or more) Biryani mix. Set aside.
3. Use a plate to assemble the following for each chicken breast:
- Put a piece of prosciutto on the plate.
- Put the chicken breast on top of the prosciutto.
- Then, on the top layer, add another piece of prosciutto.
- Roll the chicken breast tightly.
- Secure the chicken-prosciutto roll with two toothpicks.
4. Get an oven-proof baking dish and arrange the chicken-prosciutto rolls on it.
5. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the rolls.
6. Squeeze the juice of a 1/2 lemon over the rolls.
7. Sprinkle the chopped thyme over the rolls.
8. Season the chicken-prosciutto rolls with a little salt and pepper. (If the proscuitto is not very salty, you can add more salt.)
9. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes. Turn the chicken rolls so the bottom part of the chicken breasts get browned.
10. Cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
11. Before serving, cut each roll into four slices. (Do remember to remove the toothpicks.)
12. Serve hot. Spoon the Lemon-Thyme Biryani juices over the chicken-prosciutto rolls.

SERVE WITH LEMON RICE.

The brand A to Z Pantry carries is MTR Imports, Inc. Ready-to-Eat Lemon Rice. What I like about this rice-in-a-pouch is that I don't need to cook! All I do is immerse the unopened pouch of rice in boiling water for about 5 minutes. After I remove the hot rice from its foil container, I would mix it with pre-roasted pine nuts. If I'm more adventurous, I would garnish the top of the rice with sauteed scallions or chopped green onions. Your family or guests will not be able to figure out that you've just spiked a traditional recipe with the best of South Asian spices.

This dish would make a great potluck meal since it can be gently reheated.

Bon Appetit!

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Bachang or Bak Chang

This recipe is certainly not for people who are in a hurry. Whenever I pass by Chinatown in San Francisco, and peer at the display windows to salivate at the various dimsum products, I would spot leafy triangles in a steamer, wrapped in twine or kitchen string. I smile because I remember that a long time ago, I had this Chinese (Fookienese) boyfriend who taught me what his favorite foods were. He even went to the extent of bringing me some expensive Chinese black mushrooms for this recipe. I did some research on "Bachang" (there were no online recipes then) and found a basic recipe I liked. I revised the recipe for the Filipina cook's taste buds and availability of resources.

I found a Malaysian blogger, Hochiak! Delicious Asian Food, who seems to describe best about my then-boyfriend's love for Bachang, Bak Chang, or Bak Zhang. I checked DeliciousAsianFood.com's Creative Commons Attribution to see if I could share some of the website's tips with you to complement my own efforts.

Bak Chang (or Zongzi), meat enclosed in glutinous rice filling, is traditionally eaten in June for the Chinese. It stemmed from the Dragon Boat Festival which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu who lived during the Warring States period. Of course, in this day and time, eating Bak Chang is more of a “seasonal food” though it is not uncommon to see Bak Chang being sold all year round.

LORNA'S BACHANG
circa 1984

4-1/2 cups glutinous ("Malagkit") rice
30 bamboo leaves (or substitute with banana leaves)
string
1/2 kilo pork (or 1.1 lbs.)
5 pieces Chinese black mushrooms*

Mixture I.

1/4 cup plus 1-1/2 tsps. soy sauce
1/3 tsp vetsin (monosodium glutamate; see quote below)
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp rice wine
1 to 3 tbsps minced and sauteed shallots

5 yolks coming from salted eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps dried shrimp

Note: For those who want to make homemade salted eggs, the recipe is also found below.

Mixture II.

1 tsp salt
1/3 tsp vetsin (monosodium glutamate; see quote below)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper

Optional: Pandan leaves (screw pine leaves) for the cooking pot.

PROCEDURE:

* Pre-condition mushrooms. Soak them in warm water until soft. Remove stems and discard. Use the mushroom caps as directed.

1. Rinse rice until water runs clear. Drain and soak rice for one hour. Drain again slightly (leaving the rice with some water).

2. Wash bamboo leaves and cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. If you are using banana leaves, pass them over a fire until slightly wilted and soft. Wipe dry.

3. For the Filling:

Cut pork into 15 pieces, then cut each piece into 5 pieces.
Cut previously-soaked mushrooms into 15 pieces, then cut each piece into 3 pieces.
Mix pork meat and mushroom pieces with Mixture I and soak for 20 minutes.
Cut salty egg yolks into 15 sections.
Equally divide above ingredients into 15 portions.

4. Cooking Procedure:

Heat frying pan and add 1/4 cup and 2 tbsps cooking oil.
Stir-fry dried shrimp until fragrant. Add rice and Mixture II.
Add any remaining sauce from marinated meat (Mixture I).

Stir-Fry over medium heat until almost dry and the sauce has almost been reduced.
Remove the shrimp-rice mixture from the fire and separate into 15 portions.
From my test kitchen, that's 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps per portion.
Let cool.
Add 5 pieces meat and 3 pieces of mushrooms per portion to the shrimp-rice mixture and blend thoroughly.

5. For Assembling:

Place 2 bamboo leaves or banana leaves together (about a foot long). Use the smoother side of the leaves for the inner portion.
Fold the leaves into a cone shape. However, one top should be longer than the other.
Add 1/2 of a rice portion, pressing rice gently to line cone.
Add a portion of the filling: a piece of egg yold, meat, and mushroom.
Then, cover with the other 1/2 of the rice portion.
Fold over the long end of the leaves to form a cover and encase rice and filling.

6. Wrap and bind with string. Place the leafy cones in a pot with water to cover and some pandan (screw pine) leaves. Cook covered over medium heat for 1 hour.

Number of servings: 15

BONUS: A Youtube video showing how to wrap the Bachang. (I don't need to re-invent the wheel, so thank you, DeliciousAsianFood.com!)



I have also linked DeliciousAsianFood.com's recipe for Bak Chang for those who want to compare notes.

SALTING EGGS IN BRINE

1. Boil 6 cups of water and 12 cups salt (I prefer sea salt). Cool.
2. Carefully place 12 chicken eggs in a wide-mouth glass jar.
3. Pour the salt solution in the jar. Weigh down the eggs with a plate or cup to keep them from floating to the surface.
- Instead of a jar, you could use a sealed plastic bag (a huge ziploc bag could work!) filled with salt solution.
4. Cover the mouth of the glass jar with perforated paper. Keep in a cool, dry place.
5. Try an egg after 12 days by boiling in water. Taste it to see if the saltiness suits your taste buds.
6. Soak the eggs again for 5 more days if you feel that the tested egg isn't salty enough. You can also use duck's eggs but you have to soak them for a longer time.
7. After 5 days, the eggs should be salty enough. Boil a test egg, just to be sure.
8. Boil eggs in water for 5 minutes. Let stand for 10 more minutes.
9. Color eggs, if desired.


A NOTE ABOUT MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE:

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified MSG as a food ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe," the use of MSG remains controversial.

MSG has been used as a food additive for decades. Over the years, the FDA has received many anecdotal reports of adverse reactions to foods containing MSG. But subsequent research found no definitive evidence of a link between MSG and the symptoms that some people described after eating food containing MSG. As a result, MSG is still added to some foods.

Continue reading about MSG at www.MayoClinic.com.

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Ham-Tomato Fried Rice a la Vinicius

Thanksgiving 2008 will forever be known as "Vini's First Thanksgiving and Black Friday Celebration." Our regular house guest, Vinicius, arrived from Brazil on the eve of Thanksgiving, not realizing that his two-day adventure with us would include a rice dish named after him, a gift from a Filipina American cook.

Since my husband and I decided to celebrate a quiet Thanksgiving, I was also in the mood to create a recipe for the occasion. I unearthed my ancient rice cooker (yes, I don't normally eat rice like any good
Filipina because I like couscous). I also used a teflon-coated dutch oven type of a pot, not a wok, because the citric acid in the sun-dried tomatoes does not work well with any aluminum-based cooking vessel. Lastly, I am known as a lazy cook. The goal was to use only ONE pot in this cooking process while maintaining my healthy cooking lifestyle.

I also modified the fried rice methodology of cooking. Regular instructions for cooking would include: "Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirling so that the bottom of the pan is coated. Add the rice. Stir-fry for 2 - 3 minutes, until the rice is heated through." Watch how I modify this method in the recipe's instructions. What I love about this dish is that you can use freshly-made rice (which I did, for this occasion!).


We hope Vini can also cook this recipe for his wife in Brazil. This dish makes an excellent potluck dish, too!

Bon Appetit!


Ham-Tomato Fried Rice a la Vinicius


RICE:

Extra-Long Grain Rice, 3 cups (raw)
Water, 3 cups (to cook with the rice)

1. Measure 3 cups of raw rice into the rice cooker's container.

2. Under running water, rinse the water with your hand, draining the white-colored starchy water from the side of the container. Keep doing this until the water looks almost clear.

Note: If you've noticed the cooked whitish to brownish scum at the bottom of a rice cooker, that's probably the result of the starch resting at the bottom of the cooking vessel. This is my own theory, of course!

3. When you drain the last of the water from the rice cooker's container, you might have retained about 1 to 2 tbsps of water with the raw rice.

4. Add 3 cups minus 2 tbsps of water to the rice.

5. Cook your rice as usual.

6. When done, fluff the hot, cooked rice with a fork so that the rice doesn't clump. Shut off the rice cooker. Allow the rice to go to room temperature.

Note: You can cook the rice a few hours before you cook the fried rice. You will notice that I have not added any salt to the rice.

If you are simply cooking rice to accompany your meal, here's something my college cooking teacher taught me: Trickle a tablespoon or more of extra virgin cooking oil in a circle-like, clockwise motion on top of the rice. Fluff the rice with a fork. Now you know why the rice looks so glossy and appetizing!


HAM-TOMATO FRIED RICE:

Pine nuts, 1/4 cup
Extra-virgin olive oil, about 1/4 cup
Coarsely-chopped white onions, 1-1/2 cups
Chopped left-over baked ham, in 1/2 inch cubes, 1-1/2 cups (or less)
Balsamic vinegar, about 1 tbsp or slightly more (I use Trader Joe's Balsamic Vinegar of Modena; Filipino cooks can use sukang Ilocos)
McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste
White pepper, to taste
Sundried tomatoes, julienne-style, about 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup (not coated in oil)
Water, 2 tbsps. To 1/4 cup
Frozen green peas, about 1/3 cup
Finely-chopped basil, 2 tsps. (I use Dorot's basil cubes from Trader Joe's)

1. Heat a teflon-type (or use a non-aluminum, non-cast iron pot) 4-quart (16-cup capacity) cooking pot. Use medium heat throughout the cooking process.

2. Add 1/4 cup of pine nuts. Toast the nuts, stirring the nuts with your wooden spoon until light yellow. Do not burn the nuts since they might taste bitter. Immediately transfer the nuts to a glass (non-metal) bowl.

3. Add about 2 tbsps of extra-virgin cooking oil to the pot. Heat through, then add the 1-1/2 cups of white onions. Stir-fry until the onions turn translucent. Transfer cooked onions (with its oil) on top of the toasted pine nuts in the glass bowl. (Vidalia onions are also nice to use for this recipe.)

4. Add about 1 or 2 tbsps of extra-virgin olive oil to the pot. Start with 1 tbsp of oil, heat it, then add the 1-1/2 cups of ham cubes. If the ham absorbs all of the oil immediately, add another tbsp of the olive oil. Stir-fry the ham cubes. Add about 2 tsps of Montreal Steak Seasoning. Then, add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. After the ham cubes absorb the vinegar, check the taste of the ham. The salty taste of the ham should disappear. Add a little more vinegar if the salty taste of the ham is still predominant. Add about 1 tsp of white pepper, if desired. Transfer the cooked ham cubes into the glass bowl, on top of the pine nuts and onions.

5. Add 1/3 or 1/2 cup of julienne-style sundried tomatoes to the heated pot. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pot about 1/4 inch high. The goal is to extrude some of the tomato juice from the sundried tomatoes and to soften the tomatoes at the same time. When softened, add 1/3 cup of frozen green peas straight from the package. Cook until the peas have softened and the water is simmering. At about the same time, add the frozen basil cubes and allow to defrost. Then, season with about 2 tsps Montreal Steak Seasoning or to taste.

6. Lower the heat of the stove to low heat.

7. Using a rice spoon (a plastic-type of spoon that normally comes with a rice cooker), transfer the cooked rice to the pot. Mix in the liquid of the tomato mixture evenly throughout the rice.

8. Add the rest of the glass bowl's ingredients (pine nuts, onions, and ham cubes) to the cooking pot. The flavored oils from these ingredients are now transferred to the rice. Make sure that each strand of rice is evenly mixed with the flavors. You don't want to see white strands of rice. Taste the rice dish to see if you need to add any more seasoning. The dish shouldn't taste vinegary.

9. Transfer the rice to a glass container with a cover. Set aside. Serve immediately or reheat contents in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes.

10. A few reminders: Although ham has been cured, thus it doesn't get spolied easily, my personal rule of thumb for meat dishes is: Don't leave your dish in room temperature for more than 4 hours.

11. Store leftovers. Reheat in the microwave.

Some defintions:

Dutch Oven
A large, heavy pot or kettle, usually of cast iron and with a tight lid, used for slow cooking.

Ilocos vinegar or sukang Ilocos
This famous Philippine vinegar is made in the northern province of Ilocos out of sugar cane with some samak (Macaranga) leaf added. It is dark and pungent and used as an ingredient in Vigan Longanisa sausage as well as in many other regional recipes, as a dip and for medicinal purposes (disinfectant and on the forehead for fevers). Industrial Balsamic vinegar has been suggested as a substitute when the Ilocos product is not available.

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Lorna's Mediterranean Couscous with Filipino Chorizo

This recipe is my easy version of Spanish Rice with Filipino and Italian influences. Since I'm a lover of pine nuts and basil, and my husband loves lots of garlic, I decided to include these ingredients. No onions for this dish, though, although I wouldn't mind adding lots of Vidalia onions (for the sweetness).

It's the spice mix I use that makes a difference. Since I make the rounds of ethnic-type markets, I watch out for interesting spices. In this case, I used a natural condiment for paella, meats, and fish, named Bijol, which contains corn flour, cumin, annatto (yes, for the yellowish color), yellow no. 5, and red no. 40.

Ingredients: Prepare in sequence.

1-1/2 cups couscous (follow instructions for cooking the couscous; set aside; this can be done a few hours before)
4 pieces Flipino chorizo, Pampanga-style (a more sweet, spicy chorizo or longaniza; this can also be cooked beforehand but I like to do this when I start cooking); or if you don't want a sweet, sticky chorizo, use chorizos from Lucban (Quezon), Vigan, or Baguio (Dipasupil), or my favorite longaniza from Cebu (check out my sister's (Noemi Dado) recipe of skinless longaniza if you want to make your own)
1 large tomato, cored and diced (1/4" cubes are fine); set aside in a plastic bag inside the refrigerator
1 heaping tbsp. chopped garlic (ok, I like using bottled chopped garlic)
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil to fry the pine nuts (until light yellow); however, I like to use the left-over oil from the chorizo
1 heaping tbsp. raw pignolias or pine nuts (I use Trader Joe's Nuts which is an 8 oz. or 227 gm. package)
2 cubes of frozen chopped basil, Dorot brand (I buy this at Trader Joe's)
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (to stir-fry the couscous in)
1/4 tsp. Bijol condiment (found in many Mexican groceries or other Latin marketplaces)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1. Prick the chorizo pieces with a fork. Parboil the Filipino chorizo in a little water over low-to-medium heat in a skillet until it renders its own fat. Continue cooking (with a splatter guard) as it fries in its own fat. Be careful since the chorizo caramelizes quickly (thus, burns quickly). This could take around 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Slice diagonally into thin slices. Set aside.

2. In the same chorizo oil, fry the raw pine nuts until light golden yellow. Add a little extra-virgin olive oil if you want to. (You can also roast the pine nuts in an iron skillet.). Set aside.

3. Fry the chopped garlic in the same oil until golden yellow. Add the frozen cubes of chopped basil and cook until the cubes dissolve. (Note: You can use extra-virgin olive oil in a separate teflon skillet that is large enough to mix the couscous mix in it.)

4. At this point, transfer the fried garlic and chopped basil mix to a large teflon or stainless steel skillet. Add 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (or more, according to your taste). Add the Bijol condiment. Add the sliced chorizo pieces (if you need to re-heat them). Add the cooked couscous.

5. Finally, add cooked pine nuts and the tomatoes at the final stage of cooking. Mix well. (This means that you don't need to add the tomatoes and pine nuts until just before serving.)

6. Season with fresh ground pepper.

Serve with my Mediterranean Chicken Stir-Fry.

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Lorna's Mediterranean Chicken Stir-Fry

This is a healthy, no-nonsense dish that I made with Trader Joe's Individually Frozen Boneless, Skinless, Ice Glazed Chicken Breast Meat with Rib Meat. The package has about 14 pieces, weighs 2 lbs. and 8 ozs. (or 1.13 kilos). The seasoning mix, a specialty of Sadaf.com, is a Persian-style spice blend, containing onion, citric, acid, salt, pepper, paprika, saffron, parsley, and other spices.

This recipe and its accompanying dish, Lorna's Mediterranean Couscous with Filipino Chorizo, was specially created for my husband and his midnight shift companions during the stressful week of late August 2008 when their company instituted a corporate lay-off of about 20-22% of the employees. Since they didn't know who among them would be laid off that week, I decided that home-cooked meals (not take-out pizza) would help ease their work-related stress.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. chicken with or without skin, defrosted and cut into 2-inch cubes (this is about 7 pieces, if using Trader's Joe's Chicken Breast Meat with Rib Meat)
1 package (1 oz.) of Sadaf Chicken Kabob Seasoning
extra virgin olive oil for stir-frying

Procedure:

1. This can be done several hours before cooking. Place the chicken pieces in a plastic bag with the seasoning (I use a freezer ziplock-type bag). Shake well until all pieces are well coated. At this point, you can transfer the marinated chicken pieces to a plastic or glass bowl (a non-reactive bowl, which doesn't react to acid), cover, and refrigerated for 10-15 minutes. I don't do this but instead, I use the same ziploc bag (much more efficient, and when I have time, I turn around the pieces inside the bag).

2. For cooking: You can grill, bake, or fry the chicken pieces. You can also use this as barbecue-style chicken with green or red bell peppers. If grilling, brush chicken pieces with oil or water during the grilling process. If baking, use a oil-lined pyrex dish (or glass dish for oven baking), and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, turning the pieces once in a while for even cooking. This might take about 30 minutes only.

In this case, I like to stir-fry.

Heat a non-reactive skillet (not an iron skillet or aluminum skillet because of the citric acid found in the spices) such as stainless steel or teflon-type.

Add about 1 Tbsp. (or more) of extra virgin olive oil until heated through.

Then, add the marinated chicken pieces and stir-fry over medium heat until done.

Serve with my Mediterranean Couscous with Filipino Chorizo.

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Petite Potatoes & Mushroom Bake

It's been many, many years since I've written down the recipes for the dishes that I prepare for my family. I'm finding out that documenting my research in simple food fare is helping me pay attention to what I am eating. Hopefully, as I get better at watching what I eat, the recipes that I will share with you will also reflect these changes.

I like baking my dishes. I prepare them, set my cellphone's alarm clock to remind me about the cooking time, and go back to work. I can be so focused with my projects that I always need an alarm clock to remind me that something's cooking in the oven, of course.

Melissa's home-grown baby Dutch yellow potatoes are SO yummy that you become a potato lover after trying them out the first time around. The potatoes don't even need to be buttered! These thin-skinned potatoes don't need to be peeled. Delicious every time --- whether they are fried or sauteed, broiled, or baked.

Since I don't like huge kitchen productions, this simple potato dish lasts me for four or five meals as a side dish or a quick "carb" hot hors d'oeuvres plate. I reheat a few at a time for about 1-1/2 minutes at 60% power in the microwave. I like my potatoes buttered --- so the extra calories mean another work-out for me. There are around 30 petite potatoes in each package. I bought this brand at the produce aisle of Safeway.


2 tbsps. butter or margarine
1 package of Melissa's Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, previously washed with Environne, then set out to dry for a few minutes in a colander
1 cup of sliced crimini mushrooms or other mushrooms of your choice
1-1/2 tbsps. chopped garlic
McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
Sour Cream for garnish


Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Using a 9" x 13" oven-proof rectangular glass dish (a.k.a. pyrex dish), dot the bottom of the dish with thin slices of butter, about 1 tbsp.
2. Add the potatoes.
3. Dot the top of the potatoes with the remaining 1 tbsp. butter.
4. Season with Montreal steak seasoning.
5. After the first 20 minutes, turn the potatoes so that they are evenly buttered.
6. Add the mushrooms and garlic on top of the potatoes.
7. After the next 20 minutes, mix the potatoes and mushroom-garlic mixture in the dish.
8. Take out the dish after 10 more minutes of cooking. Test the largest petite potato for doneness.
9. When serving, add a dollop of sour cream to garnish your potatoes.

Serves 4 to 5.

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Faux Crab Meat Scramble

I'm not really an egg lover but when I want a quick protein fix that won't make me hungry for hours, then I turn to scrambled eggs. You'll notice that I don't use any ketchup with my scrambled eggs. Well, that's because I believe that tomato ketchup or banana ketchup (many Filipinos can understand my love affair with this ketchup) are flavor potentiators. This means that I tend to have a huge appetite if I add any ketchup to my egg scrambles. I've substituted Trader Joe's feta cheese with mediterranean herbs as the "ketchup alternative."

The following recipe can be done within ten minutes.


1 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 tbsps. chopped onions
1/2 cup The Captain's Choice Imitation Crab Meat, in small chunks (100 calories; CHO = 12 gms., sugars = 8 gms.)
one egg mixed with 1 tbsp. water, whipped until bubbles form
1 tsp. Montreal Grill Mates Steak Seasoning (and add to the egg mixture)
1 tsp. Trader Joe's Crumbled Feta with Mediterranean Herbs



Procedure:

1. Melt butter in a small cast-iron skillet.
2. Add chopped onions and saute until the onions become translucent.
3. Add the imitation crab meat and saute until heated through.
4. Add egg-water-seasoning mixture to the skillet. Cook until partially done. Use zigzag patterns to scramble the egg mixture.
5. After the scrambled egg mixture is cooked to perfection, on the serving dish, garnish the Faux Crab Meat Scramble with crumbled feta cheese.


Serves 1.


For some pizzaz:

1. If you're not watching your carb count, then make a sandwich. Spread low-fat mayonnaise or salad dressing on two pieces of bread. Add a romaine lettuce or butter lettuce leaf and a couple of sliced tomatoes before slathering some of the faux crab meat scramble on top of the sandwich. Sprinkle some tabasco sauce for a little kick!

2. If you're watching your carb count, slice a piece of pita pocket bread into half. Make a pocket in the half-pita bread and add some alfafa sprouts inside. Top with the faux crab meat scramble and some sliced tomatoes. Top with sprinkles of hot sauce.

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Mung Bean Sprouts and Baked Tofu Saute

8:00 am, fasting - 88


Cooking Tip: I use a cast-iron skillet for almost everything except boiling water and cooking acidic foods like tomatoes (unless I'm o.k. with my tomatoes turning a little darker). When I was very anemic 10 years ago, my doctor advised me to use an iron skillet because the iron is quickly absorbed by the food. I have not owned any teflon or non-stick pan since I bought my three cast-iron skillets from Austin, Texas many years ago. I hope to bequeath this set to at least three more generations of cooks in our family.

About This Recipe: Although I use tofu here, I've substituted it with any leftover meats or seafood. This is truly one of my favorite concoctions. I can cook this healthy meal within 5 minutes, even if I'm very hungry.

MUNG BEAN SPROUTS & BAKED TOFU SAUTE

Prepare the following:

extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tsps., for sauteeing

chopped cilantro, 1 tsp. (or buy the Trader Joe's Dorot frozen-packed chopped cilantro, 20 tsps. servings)

chopped garlic, 2 tsps. (or buy ready-made chopped garlic, bottled)

sliced crimini mushrooms, 1 cup (or buy ready-sliced mushrooms)

1/4 package of organic baked tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see Food Shopping category for the brand I use)

McCormick Grill Mates Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning, 1 tsp. or to taste

Mama Sita Oyster Sauce, 2 tsps. to 3 tsps., to taste

1/2 package of mung bean sprouts (see Food Shopping category for the brand I use)

Procedure:

1. Season cast-iron skillet. Add extra-virgin olive oil. Heat the skillet over a medium flame.

2. When the skillet is hot enough, saute chopped garlic. Add sliced crimini mushrooms or any mushrooms of your choice.

3. Add cubed tofu and season with Montreal Steak Seasoning and Oyster Sauce.

4. When heated through, add the mung bean sprouts. Saute for about 3 to 5 minutes. The sprouts should be crunchy yet hot enough to eat.

Serves 2.

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