Buffet Spread for My Daughter's 5th Birthday

Ashrie celebrated her 5th Birthday yesterday and we hosted a simple dinner for close friends over the weekend. Along with her DIY birthday cake and cupcakes (both from The Icing Room), we served Mashed Potatoes, Pavlova, Baked Honey-Glazed Chicken wrapped in bacon, Seafood Salad Wrap, Roast Beef, and Roast Broccoli and Mushroom with Pine Nuts. All very simple and easy-to-make recipes.

So to my sweetie, Happy Birthday Ashrie! Daddy and I loves you very much!

Cheers!
Jane

Mixed Vegetables in Cream Sauce

I always have a pack or two of frozen mixed vegetables in the fridge. It’s an easy add-on for several quick dishes and a great side dish for steaks or even fried chicken, hotdogs and sausages. Speaking of sausages, here is a breakfast suggestion using mixed veggies, sausages and egg.

Ingredients:

6 pcs Japanese chicken sausages, sliced diagonally

1 pack of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, and peas)

1 hardboiled egg (optional)

1 cup all-purpose cream

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil for sautéing

Procedure:

1. Sauté onions and garlic in a skillet of hot oil.

2. In the same pan, fry the sausages then stir in the mixed vegetables.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the all-purpose cream. Let it simmer until the veggies are half done.

5. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the eggs for garnish.

Serve warm with hot steamed rice. Enjoy!

Cheers!

Jane

Ginisang Mais

Here’s a recipe, actually one of my favorite dishes of all time. It’s healthy, packed with rich flavor, and most of all, delicious!

Ingredients:

4 pcs fresh corn, removed from cob

6 pcs string beans

1 cup pork, sliced into small pieces

1/4 slice medium sized pumpkin, cubed

1 onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp shrimp paste

1 tbsp oyster sauce

salt to taste

cooking oil for sautéing

Procedure:

1. Pour cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Fry the pork until golden brown. Set aside in the wok.

2. Sauté the onions and garlic. Add the shrimp paste.

3. Add the corn. Simmer until corn is almost ready.

4. Add in the pumpkin and string beans. Bring to a boil and reduced heat when the veggies are almost cooked.

5. Season with oyster sauce and salt to taste.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Cheers,

Jane

Baked Chicken Adobo

It was raining heavily the other day that the clothes I have washed needed to be hung inside at the laundry area, (which is adjacent my kitchen) to dry. I have already planned to cook Adobo but I’m afraid doing this would give me an Adobo-scented clothes. The solution, bake the Chicken Adobo in the oven instead of cooking it on the stove. The result was excellent! Perfectly tender chicken in a rich soy and vinegar sauce. Try it!

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken thighs

1 onion, diced

1/2 tsp whole peppercorns

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water

2 bay leaves

3 to 4 hardboiled eggs (optional)

seaweed flakes (optional)

Procedure:

1. In an oven-safe saucepan, marinate all ingredients except for the eggs and seaweed for at least an hour.

2. Bake in the oven at 170 degrees Celsius for 1 hour, checking once in a while if the sauce is getting too dry. Add water when necessary.

3. After an hour, remove from oven, drop in the eggs and garnish with seaweed flakes.

Serve with steamed white rice.

Cheers,

Jane

Lumpiang Sariwa

Lumpiang Sariwa or Fresh Spring Rolls is a light, healthy, and summery dish that you can prepare. It involves a savoury ensemble of sautéed vegetables in a spring roll wrapper and then smothered with a thick and creamy peanut-based sauce. For pizzaz, some people like it topped with a bit of crushed garlic and vinegar, but we skipped that for this recipe. Hope you will like it.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo pork, cut into small pieces

1 large turnip, cut into strips

1 large sweet potato, cut into strips

2 pcs medium size carrots, cut into strips

1 bunch green beans, cut into strips

2 pcs tofu, cut into small cubes

1 garlic, minced

1 large onion, minced

2 tbsp oyster sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking oil for sautéing

For the sauce:

1/3 cup roasted peanuts, crushed

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

Procedure:

1. In a wok with about a cup of water, let the pork simmer for a few minutes until it’s tender. Save the broth and set the cooked meat aside.

2. In the same wok, sauté garlic and onions in oil. Add in the tofu, followed by the pork. Pour in the broth. Season with salt and pepper and let it simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Add in the vegetables. Season with oyster sauce. Simmer until vegetables (especially the sweet potatoes) are cooked.

4. Remove from heat and drain the broth.

5. Wrap about 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls in spring roll wrappers.

For the sauce:  In a small saucepan, simply mixed the water, flour and soy sauce and sugar over medium heat. Add the peanuts and bring to a boil.

Share and enjoy!

Cheers,

Jane

Sweet and Sour Pork

Here’s another sweet and sour recipe. This time around, it’s Sweet and Sour Pork. That’s all the goodness of crispy bite-size chunks of breaded pork with a tasty sweet and sour sauce!

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork loin, cut into small pieces

1 cup flour

1 fresh egg, beaten

1 red and green capsicums, cubed

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

1 large carrot, sliced diagonally

Salt to taste

For the sweet and sour sauce:

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoon cornstarch, diluted in 5 teaspoons of water

Procedure:

1. Season the pork loin with salt. Roll it over the beaten eggs then dredge it in flour before frying.

2. Deep fry the pork pieces until the coat turns golden brown. Set aside.

3. Whisk together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl.

4. In a wok over medium heat, pour this sauce mixture and bring to a boil.

4. Add the cornstarch, stirring constantly until the sauce becomes thick.

5. Add in the red and green bell peppers, carrots and the onions. Let it simmer until the veggies are ready.

6. Put in the deep-fried pork, and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Cheers!

Jane