Pork Liver Steak

While Hubby does not like chicken liver (which I go crazy about) he does cook the best pork liver steak (bistek style). Liver is healthy to eat but make sure it is in small amounts and not frequent.. The nutrients include protein, amino acids, all vitamin Bs, the mineral phosphorus, and the greatest food source for Vitamin A.

I share with you today Hubby's recipe.

 Pork Liver Steak

Ingredients:
1/4 kilo pork liver
3 tbs soy sauce
2 large white onions, sliced into rings
juice of two medium size lemons
olive oil
salt
freshly ground pepper

Here's how:

1. Marinate the liver in lemon juice and soy sauce, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cover and leave in the fridge for an hour.

2. In a big shallow pan. add olive oil and pan-fry the liver slices all together. After 3-4 minutes, pour over the marinade, add half of the white onion rings and let simmer for a minute or two.

3.Adjust seasoning. Be careful not to over-cook. Liver is best served medium-rare (they are tender and juicy) or they will end up tough and dry.

4. Remove from heat and garnish with the remaining white onions.

5. Serve with warm jasmine rice.

 An entry for

Rib Eye Steak

If your hubby (like mine) is a dedicated meat lover, this easy recipe is for you.

Rib Eye Steak

Serves 3

Ingredients
3 rib eye portion
3 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp olive oil
freshly ground pepper
salt

For the steak sauce
balsamic vinegar
soy sauce
Pad Thai chili garlic sauce

Here's how (please proceed upon buying your steak, do not refreeze)

1. Brush the meat thoroughly with olive oil. Coat both sides with garlic powder. Give a good grinding of pepper and marinate. Leave in the fridge overnight.

2. Heat the grill pan. Brush with a little olive oil. Grill the steak for no longer than 20 minutes.

3. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately with fresh carrots or cucumber. Yes, only sprinkle salt at the last part because the salt tends to dry the meat when you add it while grilling. Steak should be juicy, ayt?

4. For the home made steak sauce, mix equal parts of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce.

Happy cooking!

Old-Fashioned Lasagne

Our family is a big fan of pasta. On our first months (probably year) here in Dubai, pasta recipes were always present on our weekend menu. Naturally,when i got the chance to bake, I tried making lasagna when i read a recipe from a celebrity magazine. It came out right the first time i did it, but i found it a little salty for my liking. Plus I wanted more vegetables with it. I tried, and tried again, adjusting the ingredients, until i was satisfied with the taste - down to the crunchy vegetables.

I'm thinking of making this again over the coming weekend. Maybe we will have visitors since it is Freedom Day celebration, maybe not, since everybody will be busy at Al Nasr Leisureland. Nevertheless, I want to be ready -- and yes to satisfy my craving too hihi. I've been wanting to cook since i bought that box of Barilla last week.

Old-Fashioned Lasagne
Serves 8-10



For the Meat Sauce
200 g chopped bacon
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced onion springs
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
400 g beef mince
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepper
375 ml full-fat milk
40 g butter
400 ml beef stock
400 g diced tomatoes
125 ml tomato paste
160 g Parmesan cheese

For the White Sauce
125 g butter
100 g plain flour
1.3 ltr full fat hot milk
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Here's how

1. To make the meat sauce, fry the bacon in a large wok. Add the onions and garlic. Fry until softened but not browned. Add carrots and celery, sweat for 10 minutes.

2. Add beef mince, soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce, and a good grinding of pepper. Fry on medium heat until browned.

3. Add milk and butter and cook to reduce by half. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and add the beef stock. Simmer uncovered for at least an hour.

4. To make white sauce, melt butter in a pan. Add flour and stir to make a paste. Leave to bubble until really dry. Gradually stir in the hot milk. Allow to boil then stir until sauce thickens. Check seasoning and remove from heat.

5. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Grease 10 x 14in oven proof dish. Spoon white sauce on the base. Lay pasta sheets. Spread a layer of meat sauce. Sprinkle 1 tbsp green bell pepper, 1 tbsp yellow bell pepper, 1 tbsp spring onions, and Parmesan cheese. Top with white sauce and layer again pasta sheets. Repeat until you used all the ingredients finishing with white sauce on top and the last of Parmesan.

6. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the top is bubbling. Don't worry about the bubbling over the sides of the dish. This gives the look of an authentic lasagne.

Happy cooking!

brocolli & bacon

Our Friday breakfast is the meal i look most forward to. The meal most often consist of rice, grilled salmon fillet, eggs, and brocolli. Hubby, Andreas and I will share the meal on the balcony and enjoy the empty Trade Center Road. Birds flyby, sometimes we see an approaching sandstorm, and on the course of the meal, we decide on a Friday activity.

Anyway, i am writing this post to share recipe so before i drift further from the topic, i might as well admit now that i have an issue with brocolli. I serve it steamed now and then. Sometimes i even include it on my pasta recipes. But i never had an ounce of liking for it. Hubby says i should only think of the nutrients in it, and not concentrate on the taste.

But just when i was resigned to let hubby devour those nutri-loaded broccolli on Friday breakfasts, I found this recipe from a magazine and it is soo good it deserves to be shared with everybody.

Brocolli and Bacon
Serves 4



Ingredients
300 g brocolli
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
140 g streaky bacon,chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Here's how
1. Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in boiling salted water.Drain, run under cold water until completely cooled. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and bacon. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the garlic halfway through, until the bacon is crisp to your likeness and the onions are soft and golden.

3. Add the brocolli to the pan. Cook for a few minutes more until brocolli is thoroughly heated. Season with pepper and serve immediately.

Happy cooking!

Ivatan Yellow Rice

Kaydians visited us last Thursday night. I served them yellow rice and roasted duck over a bottle of tequila. I cook yellow rice when i feel homesick but it was the first time i actually served it to visitors. When they all enjoyed my recipe, i decided to share how it is done since i never saw any of it online. The cooking process was related to me by my Grandmother over the phone and i decided on the amount of ingredients.

Yellow Rice

Serves 6

Thank you to Vina for the pic!

Ingredients
4 cups Jasmine rice
2 thick slices of pork belly (sliced thinly)
2 medium size onion (chopped)
1 whole clove garlic chopped
a pinch of Ginisa Flavor Mix
1 Knorr pork cubes
1.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt
pepper
a pinch of cloves (optional)
100 g raisins (optional)
2 sticks of cinnamon bark (optional)
50 g cashew nuts

1. Soak raisins in water.

2. Place sliced pork belly in a large wok. Add a little water, cover and let boil until it dries up and fat comes out.

3. When the pork is browned, set aside on the wok and sautee garlic and onion. When onion turns soft, mix the pork belly. Add salt and a good grinding of pepper.

4. Add five cups of water and bring to boil. Then add pork cubes, cloves, turmeric powder, Ginisa Flavor Mix, and cinnamon bark. Bring to boil again.

5. Wash Jasmine Rice and place in the rice cooker. Add the boiled pork and turmeric, stir in cashew nuts. Cover and let cook. When almost done, stir the rice mixture and let cook again.

Happy cooking!

deserted brandy

Like any household with a toddler, there is always a chocolate powder drink on the cupboard. And like any family that welcomes visitor, there is always a brandy at the counter. So here is a tea cake that's simple to make and perfect for those afternoon snacks. It is crispy, crumbly, and not too sugary (our family is never used to sweets) so you may serve it also to the kids.

Deserted Brandy Tea Cake

Serves 4

Ingredients
125 g butter
100 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp brandy
250 g flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tbsp chocolate drinking powder
1.5 tbsp milk

1. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla sugar and eggs together. Stir in the brandy and fold in the flour and baking powder.

2. In a small bowl, stir the chocolate drinking powder and milk.

3. Pour the brandy and flour mixture in a greased springform tin (10"). Spread the thick chocolate mixture on top. Leave about half-inches frame to give your creation an attitude.

4. Bake as follows:
Setting : 150 to 170 C
Shelf Level : 1
Duration : 60 - 70 minutes

5. Allow to cool and chill if you like. It also tastes better when it is served cold. Perfect for summer.

Happy cooking!!

beef sopas

It is nearing weekend and grocery day at the same time so i did some "slight" cleaning of the fridge. (slight because it is hubby who regularly cleans the fridge on weekends (*_*) lucky me. thank you darling. mwah mwah). I found out we have many leftover veggies and meat. There are some extra fresh milk too, from my pancake recipe so i decided to make beef sopas.

Ate Maya and my Andreas loved it so here is how it was prepared

I sauteed the ground beef in garlic and butter while the pasta shells were boiling. Then I diced carrots, celery, capsicum, and onions. I then sliced thinly our leftover cabbage.

When the pasta shells were nearly done, i add in the sauteed ground beef and celery. I let it boil for awhile before adding the vegetables and fresh milk. I added a little salt and pepper and let it all boil together.



Yummy.