Chicken Adobo

Adobo is a sauce used to marinate meat in a flavorful combination of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, paprika, and oregano which is common to Spanish cooking.  However, I like to make chicken adobo using the same method except with a few changes. My cooking method is indigenous to the Philippines, as their marinade is similar. The vinegar will change the taste of the dish a little bit, so I use the vinegar with less acidity, such as white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.  The finished dish will have a sweet and sour meat stew. Adjust the taste to fit your family’s expectation!!

Ingredients:
10 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 green chili peppers, sliced (such as serrano or jalapeño optional)
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks, or 4 whole chicken legs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Sauce ingredients:
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce (not low sodium)
2 tbs mirin (Korean cooking wine)

Other ingredients:
1 white onion, sliced
1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
3  dried bay leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Serve with:
Chopped green onions and cilantro
Cooked rice ( Jasmin)

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and add chicken. Marinate chicken for 1 hour. Remove and save the marinade.
Slice garlic roughly
Heat 1 tbs. vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced white onion. Stir and cook on low to medium heat until the onion is soft and changes color to golden yellow. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, add a little more oil and add chicken (skin side down). Brown the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes (Lift chicken pieces with tongs once or twice toward the end to let the hot fat flow underneath the chicken until the fat is rendered and the skin is crisp and golden brown).
Add reserved sauce with sugar, bay leaves, garlic, and onion on top of the chicken. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally. Season generously with pepper.
Cover and cook chicken for 35–40 minutes very gently, adjusting heat to maintain barely a simmer and turn pieces once, until meat is very tender and easily pulls away from the bone (but not so tender that it’s falling apart).

In the last 15 minutes, uncover lid and cook chicken until the sauce has evaporated to your liking.

You may have to transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Increase heat to medium-high and boil braising liquid, shaking pot often, until the liquid has formed a rich sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes).

Serve chicken and sauce over rice. Thinly slice the remaining sliced chili peppers and scatter over, then season with more pepper.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Today, I will have a friend come visit. He is vegan. It is challenging to prepare a meal for a vegan because vegans do not eat eggs or dairy products, and fried rice tastes good with eggs. However, this recipe is a simplified version of Thai Pineapple Fried Rice, which omits the egg, meat, and fish sauce, which is commonly used in its preparation. The rice after cooking is served in the pineapple skin shell. This dish is also prepared and cooked quickly.

Ingredients:
3 cups days old cooked rice
1/2 cup mixed frozen peas and carrots
1 cup pineapple, diced
 ¼  teaspoon turmeric powder
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup diced white onion
Sauce ingredients:
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Salt and sugar to taste
1 fresh red chili (optional), finely sliced or shredded
1 tablespoon roasted cashew nuts (optional).

Directions:

Mix rice with turmeric and curry powder.Heat wok and add diced pineapple. Let it dry fry for a few minutes. (Because pineapple has a lot of juice, this method will not only cook the pineapple but also reduce the amount of juice that would wet the rice.)

Remove from the wok and set aside.Heat the oil in a wok. Add the garlic, onions, and frozen peas, and carrots. Fry until fragrant. Throw in the cooked rice. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until rice is heated through and well coated. Add pineapple to join with the rice.

Season to taste with light soy sauce, salt, and sugar.
Garnish with chili, chopped cilantro, and cashew nuts and serve immediately.

Spam and Egg Fried Rice

Even though Spam is not a nutritious ingredient, but for some people it is so tasty and makes a favorite quick meal. I posted a Spam sushi recipe in my blog before, and today I will introduce a quick, easy recipe for turning Spam into a well-deserved spot on the list of recipes to try. Asians love Spam, maybe because it easy to find and also not that expensive for feeding a large family. This Spam fried rice is just a perfect choice. Although I promote healthy eating habits, once in a while, I like to enjoy this tasty, easy meal.

Ingredients:
6 oz. Spam (1 can of Spam is about 12 oz.)
2 eggs beaten
3 cups days old cooked rice
1/2 cup chopped white onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, sliced
Sauce ingredients:
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs mirin
1 tbs cooking wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp mushroom seasoning (optional)
Other ingredient:
2 tbs oil (grape seed or your choice)

Directions:
Soak Spam with water for 15 minutes to remove some of its salt. Drain and dice.
Heat oil in a wok or deep sauté pan; scramble the eggs, remove, and set aside.
In the same skillet, add some oil. Add Spam and stir and cook until Spam turns brown. Stir in the chopped white onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes or until fragrant.
If you have a large skillet, at this point move the cooked Spam off to the side and add rice.
Because there is a lot of fat that comes out from the Spam, I do not add any more oil. Continue to cook the rice and stir in sauce. Adjust the seasoning because Spam tends to be salty.
Stir in scrambled eggs and mix the cooked Spam to join with the rice.
Mix them well together; turn off the heat and stir in the green onions.
Now the rice is ready to serve.

Easy Egg Custard

Egg custard has a variety of culinary recipes in different countries in the world with preparations based on milk or cream with the whole egg or just the yolk to thicken it. Also, sometimes it includes flour, cornstarch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe in different regions of the world, the custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring sauce (crème anglaise) to the thick pastry cream (crème pâtissière) used in the filling of éclairs or doughnuts. The most common custards are served for desserts or snacks. I found this recipe which uses an easy method to make egg custard. It is commonly served in dim sum restaurants or in Asian bakeries. If time permits, making dough for this recipe is the best. However, it is an easy recipe for beginner bakers. I use the store-bought pie dough. It turns out delicious, plus it saves a lot of time.

Ingredients:
1 package of store-bought pie dough
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar
2 tbs cream powder (optional)
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Utensil needed:
Individual tart pan

Directions:
Preheat oven set to 350°.
Let the pie dough assume room temperature for easy handling.
Spray the tart pan with a light coating oil. Use a kinfe or biscuit cutter to cut one portion of the pie dough and place in tart shell. Press the dough firmly into the pan with your fingers. Try to make the tart shell uniform in thickness.

To make the custard filling:
Cook milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla until the sugar is melted. Do not let the milk boil.
In a mixing bowl, beat egg and whisk into the sugar milk mixture.
Strain the mixture and make sure there are no lumps.
Place the prepared tart shell onto the baking sheet.
Pour the egg mixture onto the prepared tart shell.
Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown or when and inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Stir-Fried Salmon with Garlic Noodles

Stir-fried noodles with garlic is a very popular dish of Asians, especially most of the recipes for this kind of stir-fried use Ramen noodles. However, when it comes to this recipe, I like to use pasta noodles, which are used in Italian dishes, such as linguine, spaghetti, fettuccine, etc.  I use pasta for this dish because I like the texture of the pasta noodles, and they are very delicious and suitable for this dish. This recipe uses a fast cooking method, so it usually uses shrimp or fish. Today, I will use salmon for this stir-fry, so let's go to my kitchen and create a wonderful Asian pasta dish.

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets, about 6 oz. each
2 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs avocado oil
10 oz. spaghetti noodles
Spicy garlic sauce ingredients:
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs corn syrup

1 tbs cooking wine (dry sherry or sake)

2 tbsp water

2 tsp cream chili flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
Other ingredients:
2 tbs cooking oil, such as avocado, peanut oil, or grape seeds oil  (your choice)
3 green onions, sliced
Cilantro, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped

Directions:
Cook pasta (follow the directions on the outside the package); Drain and set aside.
Cut Salmon into 1 inch cubes; stir in cornstarch and oil. Mix well.
In a small mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients, and mix well.
Heat oil in a wok until hot. Add salmon; cook until salmon is brown all over. Add garlic.
Stir in the sauce and noodles. Stir the noodles and salmon well; then stir in green onions.
Season to your taste with more soy sauce, sugar or salt at this time.
Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Tip: for your spicy taste buds, add minced jalapeno peppers at the end of cooking.

1 cup slice white onion can add to this dish. Stir in the white onion add the same time with the sauce

Chicken Rendang

Rendang is an Indonesian spicy meat stew dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. ... Although culinary experts often describe rendang as a curry, the dish is usually not considered as curry in Indonesia because it is richer and contains less liquid than is normal for curry dishes, and does not have potato or carrots as curry has. It will take hours of cooking, and the bubbling coconut milk and the spices will turn the meat soft and spoon tender. This dish takes on all the intense tropical aromatics of the coconut, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, chiles, and spices, and along the way, the coconut milk deepens into a nutty, buttery sweetness. I use chicken drumsticks for my recipe, but chicken legs will work well. Some people prefer beef instead of chicken.

Ingredients:
8 to 10 chicken drumsticks
1 can coconut milk 14.5 oz
Spicy paste ingredients:
1 inch ginger, roughly chopped
1/2 inch galangal, roughly chopped (omit if unavailable or use 1 tsp powder)
2 lemongrass (the white part), chopped
4 garlic cloves

3 shallots

2 red chili (remove seeds)

1 tsp clove powder
Other ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes, ground
Salt, black pepper, sugar
Chopped green onion and cilantro
Serve with
Cooked Jasmine rice, or Chapati Bread or Nan

Directions:
Wash and dry the drumsticks, and set aside.
Place ginger, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, and red chili in a mini food processor and blend until becoming a paste. Remove into a bowl and mix well with coriander powder.
In a deep sauté pan, add 1/4 cup of oil; stir in all the spicy paste and cook for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Stir in toasted coconut flakes
Add chicken in one layer and cook chicken on both sides. It will take about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and sugar (your taste).
Add coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to boil and lower the temperature to simmer.
Cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender; remove lid in the last 10 minutes for the sauce to evaporate. Season again to your taste. At this time, add black pepper. Turn the heat off and sprinkle with green onions and chopped cilantro
Now the Rendang is ready to serve.

 

Tips: I add 1 package of the Goya Sazon seasoning because this spice has cilantro flavor (optional). 

This recipe also needs the star anise. You can add a few. I do not have star anise in my recipe because it is already flavorful.

 

To make toasted coconut flakes. In a sauté pan, add unsweetend coconut flakes. Stir constantly until toasted. Blend the toasted coconut in a blender set to fine. You do not have to grind the coconut if you can get one already ground.

 

You can add 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth if the sauce is too thick.

The World That Everyone Sees Is Different

Once there was a man who collected feces, a woodcutter, and a beggar who met one another. These three people had nothing to do and decided to sit and chat.

The beggar said, "If you were the emperor, what would you do?."

The feces collector said If I were to become emperor, I would order all the feces in the street to converge on me. If anyone came to take the feces away, I would send the army to arrest them immediately."

The woodcutter said, "If I were to become emperor, I would go order a golden axe and daily use this golden axe to chop wood."

Finally, the beggar said, "If I were to become emperor, I would do nothing, sit by the fire every day and eat baked sweet potatoes."

The story above makes it clear that it is difficult for each person to break through the limitations of personal experience and knowledge. Like, if you see a gem, you may marvel at its beauty, others are  thinking how much is it worth . People with different cognitive abilities cannot talk to each other.

Therefore, arguing with others is useless.

 

Homemade Stir-fry Sauce

In Asian restaurants, this is the sauce that they use to make most stir-fry dishes.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup Oyster sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp mushroom seasoning
1/4 cup sesame oil

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients and bring to simmer. Stir and cook until the sugar dissolves. Let sauce cool and place in a glass jar to store in the refrigerator, where it can remain fresh for months.
Use this sauce for stir-fry and to marinade meat or fish.

 

Easy Cookie Dough

I have been looking for an easy cookie dough recipe for quite some time. Today, I am very happy to share this recipe . With this cookie dough, other ingredients can easily be added to create different cookies to satisfy guests.

Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine wet and dry ingredients in two separate bowls.
Sift the dry ingredients.
Use a wooden spoon to beat the wet ingredients until well mixed. You can use a hand-held mixer to do the job.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.
If you do not use the dough now, then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze until you need it.

Add-ins:
1/2 cup mixed nuts ( I grind the nuts) .
1/2 cup raisin or any dry fruits that your choice
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips

All the add-ins to the dough that you create on your own should not be more than 1/2 cup total.

Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread

This is an easy recipe for making garlic bread that I found when I went to search YouTube. The One Pot Chef is one of the listings. Garlic bread is a type of snack that will make you eat it nonstop. The Olive Garden restaurant always serves garlic bread as an appetizer, and it is really great. When making this garlic bread, people often think of yeast, flour, and the time that it takes for the dough to rise is too troublesome.  However, this recipe will cut through all those steps by using self-rising flour and nonfat Greek yogurt. This recipe is the breakthrough recipe for people who have very little skill at making bread, and I am one of them . The dipping sauce can be marinara, tomato, or salsa. Most of the dipping sauces can be purchased ready-made at the grocer, and they are not bad at all. I have also included below a garlic butter recipe, which I find easy to keep in the refrigerator to create this easy recipes .  This bread also reminds me of the garlic bread that is served at a Pizza Hut restaurant .

Ingredients:
1 cup self rising flour
1- 5.2 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup of cheese (your choice)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbs melted garlic butter

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the self-rising flour, yogurt, olive oil, sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix until well combined. This process can be done in the food processor with a few pulses, or until it forms a ball.
Roll dough out about 1 inch thick using a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface.
Brush dough with melted garlic butter. Spread the cheese on top.
Bake in a preheated oven set to 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
The bread can be cut into strips before baking..

 
Garlic butter
1 stick butter softened
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
Combine all the ingredients and wrap it in a foil. Label and refrigerate. Use whenever needed to make garlic bread or other recipes that call for garlic butter.

9 toxic habits you need to avoid

Staying positive isn’t always easy, especially in difficult situations. But there are several habits and behaviors that may be sabotaging your efforts. Recognizing these negative thoughts can help you put an end to self-inflicted negativity.

To keep a positive mindset, here are nine toxic habits you need to avoid:
1. Taking Things Too Personally
Sometimes you can’t help but get your feelings hurt by other peoples’ words or actions. But taking everything personally will constantly bring you down. It’s important to remember that what others say and do is a reflection on them, not you. If someone around you is constantly hurting you, it’s probably time to cut them out of your life.
2. Being Judgmental
Judging others on their appearance, gender, social status or anything else is toxic behavior. Being judgmental is almost always an indication of a problem within us, not the other person. Judging others invokes negative thoughts and behavior.
3. Holding On To Pain
Letting go of pain or loss is never easy. But it’s the best way to move on. The longer you hold onto pain, the more it will negatively affect your thoughts and emotions. Find a way to work through it and release the negative thoughts that you’ve been holding on to for so long. You’ll feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders, and you’ll be able to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones.
4. Being Jealous Of Others
Being jealous of other people robs you of being able to appreciate your own blessings. Jealousy is an unproductive and wasted emotion. If you admire someone for their success, set your own goals that will help you work harder for what you want. Working toward your own goals will allow you to be sincerely happy for those around you.
5. Playing The Victim
Constantly complaining and playing the victim can negatively affect every aspect of your life. It can wreak havoc on your relationships, your work life and your sense of self. Life happens to all of us. Things pop up unexpectedly. The way we choose to handle them makes all the difference. Stop looking at yourself as a victim. Instead, realize that you have the power to overcome any situation with a positive mindset.
6. Being Cruel
People who are cruel lack empathy, respect and compassion for others. Being cruel to others is indicative of inner issues. Unfortunately, cruelty is one of the biggest problems we face in the world today. It’s never productive or acceptable.
7. Lacking Self Control
If you don’t practice self control, you’re setting yourself up to make poor and irrational decisions. You might lash out at others who don’t deserve it and give way to other impulses, no matter how harmful they may be. Self-control is a valuable tool that’s necessary for making good decisions.
8. Trying To Impress Others
The sooner you learn that you don’t need to impress others, the sooner you will open yourself up to living a positive and authentic life. Being true to yourself is what matters. Stick to your morals, live your passion, follow your dreams and respect yourself enough not to let others bring you down..
9. Acting Immorally
Lying, cheating, stealing or any other kind of deception is toxic behavior. Almost every time you choose to act immorally, someone else is susceptible to getting hurt. We all face temptations, but being strong enough to make the right decision can help keep your conscious clear and your thoughts positive.

Source and courtesy: David Wolfe