Rosemary-crusted Pork Tenderlon with Red Wine Reduction Sauce

My seasoning included one teaspoon each of salt and ground black pepper, half teaspoon each of paprika and chili powder. Mix together all these spices and rub thoroughly onto the meat. The pork is about 350 grams and about two inches thick. Then roll the pork on rosemary leaves. Make sure that most of it is covered by the herb. Leave in the fridge overnight.

You can prepare the sauce ahead of time. Simply sautee 8-10 pieces of shallots in two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil over low fire. Cook until the shallots are soft. Pour in 1.5 cup of red wine (I used Penfolds cabernet sauvignon, but definitely you can use any red wine your prefer) and 1.5 cup chicken stock. Simmer over very low fire until it is reduced into half. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Here's how we cook the meat. Remove the pork from the fridge and keep at room temperature. Once ready, coat a nonstick pan with olive oil, about two tablespoons. Once hot, fry one side of the pork over low-medium fire. Cover the pan. Cook each side for about three to four minutes. You can pinch the meat with your thumb to know if the center is still raw. If it feels very soft, it's still uncooked.

Once cooked, cover the meat with foil and let it rest for about 7-10 minutes before slicing. Slice the meat diagonally to make appear the pieces larger. Pour the warm wine sauce over it before serving.

Happy eating!

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What's waiting for you at Fresh?

I recently tried at Fresh, one of the few casual dining restaurants at Solaire Resort & Casino in Entertainment City.  The overall experience was great! It is perhaps one of the very few restos that cook and serve the only freshest ingredients. As a matter of fact, the ingredients are imported daily from different parts of the world.

It's quite pricey though compared to buffet of other hotels in the metro. But it's worth it.  I wasn't able to try all the food actually.  Many of the dishes were so good that I had to try them twice. *burp* Excuse me.

I have here a few photos, which I hope would entice your appetite.  I was so giddy that night I forgot to take close-up shots of each dish.  Apologies.

Here are the operating hours and price list at  Fresh.  It's open 24 / 7!

Cold cuts and cheese. 

The cold appetizer station. These are ALL fresh! The shrimps and crabs were tender and sweet.  The oysters were imported straight from France. Surprisingly, the razor clams were delicious. 

Salad station

This is the only dishes the Japanese station serves.  Few but, yes, fresh. The salmon sashimi was as good as the one I tried in Le Meridien in Hong Kong.

It's a huge piece of roast beef! This can be found in the Western Cuisine station.

 

Pizza station. They are thin and flavorful. I don't remember seeing pastas though.

 

Western station with some baked potatoes, baked salmon and baked foie gras.

Colorful short cakes at the dessert station.  There were also gelato and fresh fruits served.

Yummy cakes!

Those are fondant cakes at the back.

One of the highlights of my night:  medium rare baked foie gras with rock salt!

Frankly, I did not like the buko pandan.  I thought it was bland.  But the french macaroons, especially the chocolate, were perfect to cap the 5-hour dinner. The chocolate truffles were as equally good, only sinful.

I failed to include them here.  But there's also Filipino, Korean, Chinese and grilling stations.  At the grilling station you'll find beef, salmon steak and chicken. Beside it are newly cooked veal, lamb, mushroom and chicken dishes. I did not try the other three stations, except for the dimsums.

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Broccoli and Longganisa Pasta

Although longganisa originated in Spain (longaniza), it is perhaps the most famous sausage in the Philippines.  It is usually served during breakfast together with fried egg (sunny side-up) and garlic rice. There are different kinds of longganisa.  Among the most notable ones are Lucban longganisa from the province of Quezon and Vigan longganisa from Ilocos, both made from pork.  There is also longganisa made of ground chicken.

This recipe is very easy and can be done in minutes.

First, choose your pasta.  I preferred not using the ribbon family so the meal can be eaten easily.  Besides, this dish isn't saucy at all.  Cook your pasta according to the package instructions.

While waiting for your pasta, in a separate pan, saute one medium minced white onion in two tablespoons olive oil.  Once the onion becomes translucent, add two pieces of thinly sliced longganisa (that's about 1/2 cup).  The sausage I used here were brought from a local market. Saute for about a minute, then add one and a half cup of broccoli flower.  Pour 1/2 cup chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Add a few dashes of paprika, dried basil and chili powder. Let it simmer over low fire until the broccoli is tender.

Toss the pasta to your veggie and sausage and mix thoroughly.  Continue mixing for 30 seconds to one minute.  Add some parmesan cheese on top. Serve hot!

Happy eating!

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Meatballs in Chunky Tomato Sauce

I know most of you probably have cooked meatballs at least once in your lifetime. But lemme share with you the recipe I grew up with. Back when I was little, sweet and sour meatballs is all I knew. It's one of my faves from my father. When started to learn cooking, I imitated how he does it. But now, I thought maybe I could tweak it a bit to give the meat more oomph and flavor.

The process would start with my father having all the vegetables (one large skinned carrot, one large celery stalk, one large peeled red onion and 5-6 cloves of garlic) grinded with a kilo of lean beef. Well, that's him. My way? I grate the carrots, mince the onion, crush the garlic and finely chop the celery.

One they are mixed thoroughly, add three medium eggs and season with salt and pepper. As for me, I opted to include one tablespoon of paprika, half tablespoon of chili powder and a few dashes of nutmeg. Mix them well.

Before you mold the meat into balls (about the size of a golf ball), I suggest that you "test" the taste first. Simply, coat a pan with olive oil. Once hot, fry about a teaspoon of the meat. This way, you'd be able to adjust the taste.

Deep fry the meatballs over low-medium fire.

Let's do the sauce while waiting for the balls, shall we? In a sauce pan, sautee one medium diced white onion in olive oil over medium. Add 500-600 grams largely chopped tomatoes (deseeded), mix and cover for about two minutes. Add 2/3 cup stock and 500 grams tomato paste. Lower the fire and cover the pan. Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper. I would prefer to include a teaspoon of crushed basil. Cover again and let it simmer until the sauce thickens.

Once ready, just pour the sauce onto the meatballs. Serve hot.

Happy eating!

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Cod Fish with Mashed Strawberry

I had this pack of fillet cod fish and I didn't know what to do with it.  When I don't have the time to do some grocery, I have no choice but to content myself with what's available in our cupboard and fridge.

So I found some sweet strawberries, tomatoes and orange, and started working on this dish.

First, season 500 grams of cod and sprinkle some crushed tarragon. Pan-grill the fish until golden brown and set aside.

Next, coat a non-stick pan with olive oil. Sautee 1/4 cup minced white onion. Add one small diced tomato (deseeded). Pour in one cup of mashed sweet strawberries. Add one tablespoon of orange juice, a dash of cinnamon powder and nutmeg. Add 1/4 cup stock and simmer till the mixture thickens.

Now, that is sweet! And savory.

Happy eating!

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Not Your Ordinary Menudo

It's my first Filipino dish here on the blog!

I have cooked sinigang, tinola, kare-kare, adobo, afritada and pochero several times, and I can write about them with my eyes closed.  So I challenged myself and menudo is a first for me.  I know it's popular and common among  households so I put a little twist into it; adding unusual ingredients and making a few spins.

Start working on the dish by marinating 1kg of pork, cut into small bite-size pieces, with 1/2 cup of Sprite (oh, yes!) and 3 tablespoons of spanish paprika.  Add a few dashes of nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of dried thyme, mix well, and cover for at least 30 minutes.

In a large casserole, saute 4 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 large minced onion.  Add the pork (save the marinate) and cook until the meat turns brown.  Add the marinate and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated.  Pour in 3/4 cup red wine and simmer again over low fire, reducing the wine to about 1/4 cup.  Add 1/2kg of pork liver cut into small cubes and 1/4 kg of sliced hotdogs.  Keep mixing and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Pour 500 grams of tomato sauce, add 1.5 cups each of diced potato and carrot.  Continue simmering until the veggies are soft but not breakable.  Add 1/4 cup raisins, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 medium red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into short strips, and about 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese.  Mix and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Your menudo is now ready.  Serve with rice.

Happy eating!

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Grilled Porkchop with Mango Salsa

The preparations and procedures involved in the making of this dish are very basic, but your palate will thank you for the scrumptious taste.  In less than 15 minutes, I'm sure you can do this anytime, in any occasion.

First, let us prepare the rub. Mix together one large clove of crushed garlic, one teaspoonful of paprika, less than half a teaspoon of nutmeg and chili powder, salt and pepper, two teaspoons of lemon juice and few dashes of dried thyme.  Use this for two pieces of porkchop, bone in, about half an inch thick.

For the salsa, combine one medium diced tomato with 1/4 cup diced ripe sweet mango, one tablespoon of chopped celery stalk, 1/4 cup diced onion, one tablespoon lemon juice, a few dashes of cider and salt and pepper. You may add at least 1/4 cup of chili for that "kick".

Simply grill the pork until cooked and serve with the salsa on top.

Happy eating!

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Pineapple Chicken Burger with Mango Barbecue Sauce

Pineapple and chicken go well together.

My love for this combination started when I was in pre-school. I remember my mama would often cook Pininyahang Manok (Chicken and Pineapple in milk sauce) for my packed lunch. I enjoyed the sweetness of the fruit with the tenderness of chicken and creaminess of milk. The slices of hotdog sauteed with the chicken added enough saltiness into it. *slurp*

I don't remember the last time I had that dish. But because I'm too familiar with it already, I went for something I haven't done before. And to make it even better, I made a special sauce for the star of the meal. I really do hope my palate will please you.

Prepare the following:

Burger patties
- 700 grams ground chicken (no skin)
- 1 pc red bell pepper, seeded and minced
- 3 pcs minced shallots
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 3 eggs slightly beaten
- 250 grams crushed pineapple (juice included)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper

Sauce
- 350 ml tomato catsup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup minced (yes, I did that) ripe mango (should be sweet)
- salt and pepper

Here's how:

To prepare the burger patties, simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Using a molder (you may substitute any round container lid), arrange about four tablespoons of the mixture (about 1/2 inch thick) in a plastic sheet and keep in the freezer if you don't intend to cook it yet. (Yields about seven patties). When cooking, grease a non-stick pan with olive oil. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes over medium fire.

Mix together all the ingredients of the barbecue sauce except for the mango and simmer over very low fire for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mango and continue simmering for another 2 minutes.

Happy eating!

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Chicken Peri-Peri (Piri-Piri)

While reading this book about various ingredients that work really well when combined together, I came across with chicken and chili.  Quite frankly, I thought that was ordinary since most Filipinos use chili in sauces and dips for almost all proteins.  Oftentimes, we mix chilis with vinegar, soy sauce and fish sauce with calamansi (my personal preference). But my interest got tickled when peri-peri was mentioned in the book. I know I have not tasted it before. So that’s when I started checking Google.

With all the recipes I saw, the three most common ingredients are: oil, citrus juice (lemon) and, of course, chili. As usual, I put my personal spin into it.

Take two large chicken breasts, skin on and bone in. Place them in a large bowl then pour in 1/3 cup orange juice. Add two pieces minced shallots, two cloves of crushed garlic, one teaspoon each of cayenne powder, ginger powder (or two teaspoons crushed ginger), chili powder and paprika. Season with salt and black ground pepper, and add four tablespoons of olive oil. Lastly, toss in a handful of chopped red chilis. Mix thoroughly and marinate for no less than 24 hours.

After 24 hours…

Grease a grilling pan with olive oil. Make sure the pan is totally hot before placing the chicken (skin side first). Cook over medium fire. Brush the chicken with the marinade until it cooks. Serve with salad or any starch.

Happy eating.

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Cliché

New year. New beginnings. New life. Who in the world doesn't believe these? Well, I do. And with the new chapter I started a couple of days back, I decided to join the bandwagon of writing down resolutions. Fact of the matter is, am not really a fan of prepping a (long) list of new year's resolutions. But I told myself I want to be better. I have to improve myself.

I set two criteria when I wrote down these last night before going to bed. First, they have to be realistic. and second, they must, at all cost, be achieved.

• Read more
• Cook new dishes (It actually means to be more inventive)
• Cook for others
• Travel (somewhere I've never been to) at least twice this year
• Save
• Spend more time at home
• Volunteer
• Care less
• Care more
• Seek a mentor
• Try (and learn) something new
• Find THAT job that I love (which is...I dunno yet what exactly it is)
• Don't. Get. Stuck.

What are your resolutions? Share. Someone might just help you with them.

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Beef in Red Wine with Black Olives

Thanks to the busy holidays, I wasn't able to put much on my site last month. But I promised to myself that I have to write something at the start of the new year. So here's a recipe which I've actually tried a couple of weeks before Christmas. (Did I say I was too busy to write?)

What I have here is a dish that can be done in any day. The fact of the matter is, I read it from Elizabeth David's cookbook. What really prompted me to do this is a bottle of unfinished red wine. As you may know,  a bottle of red wine has only a day or two to keep its richness once opened. So I maximized the remaining wine through this.

I got here about 500 grams of cheap beef cut into cubes (about an inch thick) browned in two tablespoons of unsalted butter.

I poured in 1.5 cups each of stock and wine and added one large piece of bay leaf, parsley and a teaspoon of dried thyme.

I then covered the casserole with foil and simmered it over low fire for about 1.5 hours. Then I added about a cup of whole pitted olives and simmered it for another 15-20 minutes.

Here is the end result. What better way to eat this than with rice!

Happy eating!

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