Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette)

An omelette or omelet is a dish made by beating eggs and folding them with fillings which could be onions, veggies, fish, minced meat or cheese.  Some would even add more egg whites or milk to make the dish fluffier.  There are a lot of variations that you can choose from.  Each country has its own version of omelette but the one that my husband and I really enjoy eating is Tortang Talong or eggplant omelette which is quite so famous in the Philippines.  My husband, an Australian with a Filipino heart and probably a Filipino in his past life loves this particular type of omelette than those that he grew up with.  So each time we have eggplants in the house, he would always request for tortang talong.

I used to do the tortang talong by just by slicing the eggplant a bit  and spreading them without removing the stalks.  I will then beat eggs with salt and pepper and soak the eggplant on them and then fry them but I have learned form my sister that it is better to just remove the stalks and shred the egglant in medium pieces and soak them in the egg mixture and fry.  I find it more tasty and juicy. 

Ingredients
5 eggplants (lebanese)
4 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Oven - grill the eggplants.  Let cool. 
Remove the stalks and the skin off the eggplants carefully.
Shred the eggplant meat into medium pieces.  Set Aside.
Beat the eggs and add salt and pepper.  I prefer mine a bit spicier so I add more pepper.
Pour the egg mixture onto the bowl of eggplant.  Mix with a fork.
Set aside for a couple of minutes before frying.
Use a 1/3 c in scooping the eggplant-egg mixture into the non stick pan.
Fry until golden brown.
Serve with ketchup or fish sauce-vinegar dip.

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Mojos ala Shakey's 1

Back when I was still working in Miriam, I had this group of friends that I would always go out with to eat at different fast food / restaurants.  Each food trip we had would always be enjoyable not only because of the food but also because of the good company we were with.

One thing that we would always order at Shakey's then was this appetizing Mojos -- sliced potatoes coated with yummy breading mix deep fried until golden brown in color.  They were always served first before their delicious fried chicken wings and pizza. 

I came across with a Mojo recipe on internet but it calls for thyme which I only have in paste.  I decided to just use the ready made breading mix and they turned out yummylicious which my husband and daughters agreed to the max!  They have to be eaten though right after they were cooked.  It's best to eat them warm.

Next time I will try the other recipe for this too.

Ingredients

4 large potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c fresh milk
1 packet of White Wings breading mix

Procedure
Slice the potatoes into 1/3 inch thick.
Dip into milk.
Roll into thr breading mix.
Deep fry until golden brown in color.

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My Creamy and Spicy Adobong Ribs sa Gata

This is the second of my adobo series.  I know it took a long time to follow the last one but I think it's worth the wait for this recipe would really make your palate happy.

This is my recipe for adobong pork ribs with gata or coconut milk.  The taste is just soooo yummy!  you can taste all the important flavors  in a dish and everything is balanced by the coconut milk.  It also made the dish creamy.
Ingredients
1/2 k pork ribs
4 tbsp white vinegar (Datu Puti w/ chilis, onions and garlic)
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce (Leah Perrins)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp Maggie savour
2 tbsp soy sauce (Marca Pina)
1 tbsp garlic, minced (for marinade)
1 tbsp garlic, minced (for sauteeing)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp sweet basil
1/2 tsp pepper
2 pcs green chilis or jalapenos
2 pcs bay leaf
1/4 c water
salt to taste (optional)
1 cup coconut milk
hardboiled eggs

Procedure
Marinate the ribs with soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, white vinegar, maggie savour, garlic, pepper, coriander and bay leaf for 30 minutes.
Heat a pan.  Sear ribs in olive oil. Remove from pan when the ribs turn into slightly brown color.
Sautee onions and garlic. 
Put in ribs into the pan and stir.
Pour in the chilis, marinade and water.
Add salt if you want or additional pepper.
Put in the sweet basil and eggs.
Boil until the meat is cooked.
Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for 3 minutes.

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Insistent Requests

One of my bestsellers, is the chocolate crinklers --- for both Aussies and Filipinos.  I am baking some right now for our wonderful friend, Jenny who lives at the next town.  Hopefully, the crinklers are enough for all the Filipinas and their Aussie husbands tomorrow when we go to the show at Charleville.  Having Filipina friends makes my homesickness bearable.  You see, I haven't been to the Philippines since January of 2011.  It seems like forever! 

Anyways, I have also baked some chocolate revel bars -- a favorite of my husband which we can also share with them.  My husband specifically requested for the chocolate revel bars.  He's on the field right now and he brought some to eat with his coffee or tea.  Since it has oats, hopefully his tummy would be full until he comes home this afternoon.

This is the beauty of baking and cooking.  You do not only satisfy your curiousity, your tummy and your cooking/baking skill ego but you also make your friends and family happy with your food.  That's the best thing actually.  If you see your love ones happy and enjoying eating the food that you cooked/baked, that's the best payment that you could ever received.

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Chicken w/ Riesling and Mushroom

I got this recipe from my That's Life! Real Food recipe book collection that my dear husband has subscribed for me.  Right now I have 43 of them and he's asking me how many more will come?  I told him, maybe the number follows the design on the side of the recipe books hehe! Well anyway, I got curious with one of the recipes and I thought maybe I should try it just to know if my husband would love it and whoooaaah he did!  I did not know that Riesling is a wine before knowing this dish as I am not fond of alcohol no matter what kind they are.  I don't mind adding them to the food I am cooking though since they added more taste to them.

Riesling is a white grape variety which is used to make semi-sweet and sparkling white wine.  According to wikipedia,  it is included in the top 3 white wine varieties together with chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.  It originated in Germany and often consumed when young. Asided from Germany are now being harvested and made as wine in France, Austria, Australia and New Zealand. 

This dish that I cooked has that semi - sweet, tangy taste balanced by the cream added to it.  The result was just marvelous!  It has an appetizing smell and quite very delicious.  I would cook this again for sure.

Ingredients
1/2 k chicken pieces
4 stalks spring onions, minced
1 1/2 tsp, garlic, minced
1 chicken broth cube dissolved in 2/3 c water
1 c reisling or any white wine
2/3 c cream
2 tbsp plain flour
2 egg yolks
salt and pepper to taste
1 tin button mushrooms
1/2 butter

Procedure
Melt half of the butter in a non stick pan.
Sautee spring onions and garlic.
Stir in chicken.
Pour in the chicken broth, reisling and season with salt and pepper.
Boil the chicken for 30 minutes or until they are cooked through.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a smaller non stick pan.  Cook the mushroom in this butter and season salt and pepper.
When the chicken is cooked through, stir in the mushroom.
Simmer for at least 5 minutes.
Mix the egg yolks, flour and cream in a small bowl.
Switch of the stove and pour in the creamy mixture into the chicken. Stir.
Serve with rice or noodles.

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Braised Pork Ribs in Orange Juice

One new favorite of my husband -- Braised Pork Ribs in Orange Juice.  This is just an experiment and it turned out really good.  I was supposed to cook adobong ribs sa gata but there was no coconut cream in my pantry so I ended up using one tetra pack of orange juice of my daughters.  Braising is a cooking method used in tougher cuts of meat.  In the process the meat is sauteed with the other ingredients and boiled and simmer until most of the liquid or juice evaporates and the meat is tender.

Ingredients
1/2 k pork ribs
2 medium carrots, cubed
1 cup orange juice
5 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 1/2 water
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp sweet basil
1/2 tsp parsley
4 stalks of spring onions, chopped
olive oil
pepper

Procedure
Heat up olive oil in a non stick pan.
Sautee garlic.
Add in the pork and sear.
Stir in the carrots.
Pour in the orange juice and water.
Mix in the herbs and pepper.
Boil until the ribs are tender.
Mix in half of the chopped spring onions when the ribs are tender.  Cover the pan again and simmer until the juice has evaporated a bit.
Remove from heat and serve. Top with the remaining spring onions.

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Ginataang Bilo-bilo

I have always loved ginataan especially with lots of bilo-bilo on it.  Bilo-bilo are riceballs made from glutinous rice flour and shaped into small balls.  It's so easy to know if they are cooked.  When they start to float on the pot, that means they're ready.  Ginataan is a favorite snack of the Filipinos.  Most of the karinderias (small food stalls) serve it.  It is best to eat ginataan when it's warm and the weather is cool.  The sweetness and the yummy flavor of the coconut cream or milk add more yumminess to it.
My taste tester (my husband) loved it  and had second helpings.  He said, it's different.  Gee it's his first time to have it.

Ingredients
4 saba (plantain or lady fingers), sliced
1 1/2 c glutinous rice flour + 1 c water
1 big sweet potato, cubed
1 big taro (gabi), cubed
1 c jackfruit, sliced
1 c sago or tapioca pearls ( I used McKenzies small tapioca pearls)
2 tin coconut cream
1 c white sugar

Procedure
Prepare the bilo-bilo.  Mix the rice flour with water and form bilo bilo.  Set aside.
Boil sago with 1 c water w/ 1 c sugar.
Keep stiring until they float or until they become bigger in size.
Pour in 1 tin of coconut  cream.
Add in the sweet potato and taro.  When they are a bit tender, add in the bilo-bilo, bananas and jackfruit.
If you are using the jackfruit in jar, pour 1/2 c of its juice to the ginataan.
Simmer and add the other tin of coconut cream.
Serve hot or chilled.
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Crunchy Herb Chicken Nuggets

What's the best way to prepare chicken which your little ones can enjoy eating?  Make them chicken nuggets -- crunchy chicken nuggets!  I love the nuggets at McDonalds but I think I would prefer to have this one that I concocted hehe!  They're really great!  One thing good about having chicken nuggets is not having to wrestle with the bones.  I remember April, a former colleague, selling chicken nuggets to everyone at school.  I would always get a couple of packets from her because my niece and nephew love them to bits (back then when I was still single).  That's April's bestsellers, she calls them McDo Chicken Nuggets but I think hers are much better that the ones sold at McDonalds.
Anyways, here's my recipe which you can enjoy.  I decided to steam the chicken with herbs boild in water first before frying them to add a twist to it.  The result is quite yummy!

Ingredients
6 chicken breasts, cut into 4 inches long
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs (you can make your own combination)
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs (panko will make them crunchy)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Put in the mixed herbs into the water of the steamer. Boil.
Sprinkle salt and pepper to the chicken.
Put the chicken breasts into the steamer.
Steam for 20 minutes from the time the water boils.
Remove the chicken from the steamer and let it cool and rest for awhile.
Cut the chicken into 4 inch strips.
Dip into the beaten egg and roll into the breadcrumbs.
Deep fry.
Serve with dill pickle sauce or ketchup.

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