Pork and beans

Growing up a few decades ago compared to today, there were so few choices when it came to food.  The cereal variety was maybe about less than ten.  There were no gluten free pasta or bread, no dairy free butter, no sugar free muffins.   Coffee was coffee, no soy, light, chai, etc.  A steak was usually T-bone, no varieties such as Wagyu, Angus, or labels such as corn fed, grass fed, aged, dry aged, etc.  Food was food.  There were no unnecessary labels.  Whether it was fresh - from the ground, from a tree/plant or packed - cans, boxes, plastic packaging.   Today, it's an entirely different story.  Whatever happened to simple food?  

In his 2009 book Food Matters, Mark Bittman mentioned modern agriculture, global warming, sustainability and the change towards conscious eating. These days, we don't look at calories anymore. Consumers are conscious about where their food comes from, the carbon footprint, whether its organic, grown locally or imported from half way around the globe.  This kind of mentality creates a good set of consumers. Smart consumers.  But then we also create a lot of waste.  In Australia alone, consumers waste an estimate of 4 million tons of food each year!  Because what happens is we tend to shop more than what we can actually consume.  (How not to waste food shall be for another post!)

I'm not a fan of food fads but I do believe in simple good food. Seasonal cooking is always how we plan our menu at home.   Simple food prepared at home. With love.  For family and friends.

Now growing up, we were fed with lots of food I wouldn't normally buy these days. Our parents back then fed us with what they knew best.   Powdered orange juice (Tang), canned vienna sausages... including a favorite breakfast fare a million years ago.  Canned pork and beans.  A mixture of beans covered with sweet tomato sauce and about 1 to 2 pieces of pork.  We used to eat it on toasted white bread and loved it for breakfast and even after school snack. And sometimes ate it with rice too.  It's a Filipino thing (rice with everything).

Now this is my take on the canned pork and beans I grew up eating.   A simple dish made of 2 basic ingredients:  pork and beans! 

Ingredients

200 grams pork belly, cubed

300 grams French beans, cut into 2 inch pieces

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

vegetable oil 

chilli flakes (optional)

Method

Heat a shallow pan and add cooking oil.

Fry the pork pieces until crispy.  Set aside.

Using the same pan, add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant. Do not overcook or burn.

Add the beans, and stir to cook the beans until bright green, about 2 minutes.

Add the cooked pork and stir to mix through.

Add the chilli flakes (if using) and stir.  Turn off heat.

Serve with steamed rice.

Barbecued pork belly cooked in capsicum paste

 

I love a good make ahead recipe.  Especially when it's something that can be used for grilled dishes (like my version of chermoula chicken)  and when it takes me outside of my (Filipino) comfort zone - where the usual marinades consists of soy sauce, vinegar and garlic.  This one caught my eye from the get-go - the small photo in the October 2013 issue of The Sydney Magazine of Mark Jensen's barbecued pork spare ribs was enough to leave me drooling and craving for this dish!  And when that happens, off to kitchen I go.

Red capsicums are a plenty at my local green grocer and they're cheap as! Although they came in different sizes.  But size and shape does not matter that this was on our table for a weenight dinner. It helps that I only work 3 days a week and Mondays and Tuesdays are quiet days to ponder and domesticate myself while the kids are at school and hubby at work. So I prepared the paste a day ahead.

Vibrant red!  They're so pretty!

Oh. The. Smell!  It was divine!!

Now the hero of this dish is the capsicum paste.   You make it a day ahead and it keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (according to the recipe). 

Ingredients:

125g of red capsicum, washed

2 heads garlic

2-3 pieces red chillis

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

 Preheat oven to 220*C.  

Place capsicums and garlic on a baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes or until the capsicum skins have blackened.  

Place a rack and leave to cool.

Peel the garlic skins off and place the flesh in the food processor.

Peel and seed the capsicums and add to the food processor with the chillies, salt and pepper.

Process to a smooth paste.

Spoon into sterilised jars and top with olive oil.

Keep in the fridge until ready to use. 

Poured into a sterilised jar and topped with olive oil!

On the ready - to brush onto the pork pieces!

To make the barbecued pork ribs or belly:

1.5 kg of pork belly, sliced 1/2 inch thick strips

Generously rub on pork pieces and leave to marinade in a glass bowl, covered with cling wrap in the fridge - minimum 1 hour (or up to 4 hours)

Heat the BBQ grill or pan-grill and cook away.

Chop into small bite size pieces.

Enjoy with some coriander for garnish.  Serve with a slice of lemon or lime.  Best eaten with lots of rice.

Tips:

* In the recipe, Mark suggested to place the roasted capsicums in a plastic bag for 15-20 minutes.  I guess this makes the skins peel off easily.

* The recipe called for julienned ginger and chilli slices for garnish.

Chicken liver adobo (pate)

This week is another chicken dish, but one that drives close to home - it is an adobo dish.  And involves a favourite of mine - chicken livers.  It's not one though that I always make at home as I'm the only person who eats it.  When my parents were visiting last month, we made this as my father is just a huge fan as I am.  I guess being of the offal category, chicken livers take a bit of effort to like, to love even.  Some get squeamish at the thought, and it was one of the reasons why I never thought of sharing the recipe in the blog.   It is quite an effort to make the photos attractive, so I have discounted the photos from the preparation to the cooking.  Even the cooked dish was not likeable no matter what angle.  So I thought I'd reinvent it a bit and make it pretty.

And I'm sharing the recipe as guest post at Debra's blog The Saffron Girl.

I first met (virtually) Debra through Instragram, following each other's food creations and me drooling at her travel photos.  I now stalk her on Facebook , Pinterest and Twitter. Hahaha!  Debra posts a lot of paleo and gluten-free dishes and I admire the passion she puts into each dish - she does a lot of research and tweaking and reinventing to adapt to her readers. 

I was first drawn to Debra's blog for the Spanish dishes which she makes as ode to her roots.  Why am I drawn to Spanish dishes?  Well, its because (and I have mentioned this in many many posts), it is my dream to travel to Spain and eat and drink and eat and drink and ......  Where did this come from?  I supposed from the history of the Philippines where I grew up and probably because I believe I may be a Spanish senorita in my previous life.  But that's just me. 

When Debra first asked if I'm interested to do a guest post, I was filled with excitement and nervous fear.  As it's something I have never done before, it was kind of daunting like sitting for a finals exam.  It took awhile for this to materialise, but it was actually fun and every bit worth it.

So, hop on down to The Saffron Girl and have a taste of this classic Filipino dish.  Reinvented and prepared for Debra's readers.

Coq au Verdelho (chicken with mushrooms in white wine sauce)

There will be a trend here for the next couple of weeks.  As I have 2 other chicken dishes to post including this one so it shall be declared that chicken shall be the theme!  

Chicken is the easiest poultry and game meat to cook and prepare.  When we were doing the the Poultry and Game module at TAFE,  working with chicken was my least favourite.  Because no matter how many times we have prepped a whole chicken in class, I still can't get my chicken portoins right when at home.  When in class, I amaze myself.  When at home, it seems like a struggle.  I guess the pressure that there is a chef/teacher breathin down my neck helps in the process of making it right the first time. While at home, who cares how the portions look?!  Hahaha!

Ah memories of Kitchen 10, 8 and Kitchen 1.  And since that's all history now, time to move and get planning.     I've learned so much all those times in the TAFE kitchen but somehow in the process, lost my creativity.  When prior to cooking school I would experiment in the kitchen, during the course I was inclined to be more technical.  You know, following recipes to the very detail and focused more on the technical processes and result rather than having a fun time and just letting ingredients flow.  Thankfully, I've regained it all back - being creative in the kitchen when cooking and baking afterall, is the fun part of it all. 

So what to do after a 2.5 years in a culinary school?  Initially, the goal was just to supplement my knowledge of food and cooking at home, and in blogging.  But then, it has pointed me to a different path and so hopefully a food-related business to materialise soon.

In the meantime and in order to get the ball rolling, I have started lunch box delivery to co-workers and hubby's office.  Not a regular market, but a few tubs of lunch a week gets me busy researching and experimenting on what's best to serve my clientele.  I'm focusing more on Asian cuisine, but once in while serve them familiar dishes and classic favourites.  And this one was raved about most. Served with slices of sour dough bread, it was such a hit they have been asking for the recipe.     

And what luck that I found this on Pinterest!  A Nigel Slater recipe posted on Alida Ryder's blog which will make your family and friends happy to lick their plates clean.  Seriously.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large brown onion, finely diced

4-5 pieces rasher bacon, diced

4 garlic cloves, chopped finely

8-9 pieces chicken thighs, on the bone

250 grams button mushrooms, sliced

300 ml Verdelho (or any white wine)

300 ml thickened cream

salt and pepper, to taste

1 bunch flat leaf parsley, coursely chopped

 Method

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and set aside.

Using a large skillet or pan (I used a 30cm large cast iron pan with handles), heat the olive oil.

When oil is hot, brown the chicken pieces in batches.  This will create some caramelisation in the pan.

Once all chicken pieces are browned, set aside on a plate.

Add the onions and bacon to the pan and cook to render fat from the bacon and until the onions are soft.  

Add the garlic and cook for about a minute or until the garlic is fragrant.  Remove the onion-garlic-bacon mixture from the pan and set aside.

 Pour the wine and using a wooden spoon, release some of the caramelisation on the pan.  Let this come to a boil.

Add the chicken pieces into the pan making sure they are spaced out evenly.

Add the onion-garlic-bacon mixture and the mushrooms.

Let this come to a boil, then turn down heat, cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, add the cream and mix it around the pan using your wooden spoon to evenly distribute the cream into the sauce.  Cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and reduced a little.

Add a handful of chopped parsley and stir to combine the greens into the sauce.

Serve portions topped with more chopped parsley, with rice or slices of sour dough bread.

Tips and tricks:

* I omitted the butter from the original recipe as a personal choice.  Also because I was going to keep the tubs in the fridge for the next day's lunch box, I wanted to avoid the buttery residue on the plastic tubs while the dish is cold.

* I used Lucy's Run Verdelho from my sister's trip to the Hunter Valley a week before and was the white wine I had at home at the time.  Nigel recommends any kind of dry white wine.

* You can use any kind of mushroom.  I actually added more as we love mushrooms at home.

 

Now when I said people will lick their plates clean with this one, I'm not kidding.  So if you make this, make sure you have enough sour dough bread or rice (or even mash) to help them clean their plates.   It's really that good!

Pork belly Bicol Express

So our laptop died a couple of week backs.  The blue screen of death emerged from what used to be a seemingly quiet and cooperative non-living thing.  No signs of slowing down from previous weeks, no puff puff puffing about, no sputtering smoke like an old car would.  Nothing. And then the blue screen.  A non living thing was infact a living being – full of all our old photos and videos and all of my food photos.  The ones I’ve been putting off to blog about.  There were about 300 photos, meant for 6 blog posts and recipes.  We had about three quarters of the family photos saved in an external drive. The rest... well.  They went with the blue screen.  Oh well.  Surprisingly  we all accepted the demise with composure and understanding.  No cursing you didn’t do this, or blaming why didn’t I blah blah blah... blah blah blah.  Well maybe in my head and hubby’s but no loud gnarling expletives in mid air.  I think its a sign that we’ve matured.  Whatever.

There's a good thing here.  There's something to be learned from this.  And I always say this to myself.  The good news is the laptop has been ressurected with a new hard drive at a fraction of the cost.  And I found some of those pictures (not all of it) still in the camera memory card.  Minus a few items.  So all is not lost.  No dramas.

And this dish was one of those saved.  A few of them photos at least.  These are a fave of mine and hubby.  Its spicy and has that punch.   A Filipino classic with origins from the southern part of Luzon which is the Bicol region where the majestic and enchanting Mayon Volcano resides. Bicol Express, the name of dish was originally coined by a local cook from a Malate Manila restaurant, after the train that runs from Manila to the Bicol - the region famous for its spicy cuisine. Like any recipe or dish, the variations are aplenty.  The base of this dish is the coconut milk and the addition of shrimp paste - something that takes a bit of getting used to, for the unfamiliar palate.  But like traditional Thai and Malaysian dishes, shrimp paste can be the X-factor that could make or break the dish.  Personally, I think this must be the next best pork dish to adobo from Filipino classic dishes. 

Cast of characters: onions, ginger, garlic, chillies

To make Bicol Express:
(Print the recipe here)

 750g-1kg pork belly, sliced into cubes

1 large onion, chopped

1 knob ginger, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

2-3 tablespoons shrimp paste (more if preferred)

2 green long chillies

3-4 birds eye red chillies

1 litre coconut milk

vegetable oil

In a large pan or skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and stir the onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant. Do not burn.

Add the shrimp paste and stir to release oils. (this can get really smelly if you're not used to shrimp paste - it has a fishy smell)

Add the pork belly and stir to coat the meat.

Pour the coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Then turn down heat to simmer and let the meat cook and the sauce reduced.

You can chop half the chillies and add them when almost done into the dish.  And leave the rest to top the Bicol Express when serving.

This is best eaten with steaming hot rice.

 

And the base: coconut milk and shrimp paste

Hang on a minute. I just realised the Filipinos also have the lechon (roast spit pig) in our pork line up. Well, maybe this can be third.

Glazed ham, first ever attempt

Please excuse the over excitement over a simple glazed ham.  It is something traditional and ho-hum to some, but a first attempt in our little corner.  Over the years, oven baked ham that grazed our table were usually gifts or store bought.  It just seems like something too daunting to take on, like a massive DIY project.  But like all dreams and goals and things that you need to tick off your list, taking the first step and just getting on with it is the best antidote to the curiosity that eventually would have killed the cat.  And just like a DIY project, this one is massive!  7.8 kilograms of glazed pork ham bliss. Well, if you're into this kind of thing.

To make this glorious looking ham goodness, friends shared their recipes.  First stop, carefully take skin/fat off the ham.  Score diamonds on the ham then soak overnight in brine made of:

 4 liters pineapple juice

1 cup brown sugar

1 440g can crushed pineapple

1 tbsp cloves

* Use a big deep plastic bowl or container.  DO NOT USE aluminum or stainless container as the acid will ruin your pot. 

* The ham should be soaked/submerged all the day.  If you don't have a deep container, make sure to turn the ham every hour or so to make sure other parts of the ham are soaked as well. 

 

The next day, when ready to bake/roast, preheat the oven 170*C and prepare your roasting dish/pan. 

 Pat dry the ham and prepare ingredients for glaze.

600g jar apricot conserve or jam

1 can 440g crushed pineapple

 1 cup brown (half cup for rubbing, half cup for the glaze)

1/2 cup of the brine

1 cinnamon quill

handful of cloves for studs

Using a medium sized pot or saucepan, gently simmer the apricot jam, crushed pineapple, brown sugar, brine and cinnamon quill over low heat until the mixture has reduced and has a sticky thick consistency.

Rub brown sugar over the ham and stud the diamond scores with the cloves.

Using a pastry brush, glaze the ham with the apricot mixture in a patting motion, making sure all the sides and the diamond scores are covered.  Save some of the glaze for basting.

Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours, glazing every half hour but making sure ham is not getting burned (cover with aluminum foil, if this happens).

This ham was part of our NYE feast and coming out of the oven, it raved Oohs and Aahs with just its looks!  Served with some of the left over glaze on the side, the ham took on the new year by storm.  Some of it made its way into some pasta carbonara and many omelette dishes well into the week.  

Does it have to be Christmas or New Year's eve for ham to graze the dinner table?  With its size and effort, I guess its worth it.  A smaller and leaner portion can be made with a simple glaze and kept in the fridge for those weekday sandwiches, weekend breakfasts, toasted and topped on some salad, etc. etc.  So if  making glazed at home is on your to do list, don't wait for the  next big holiday.  Make it now and invite some friends over!  A ham is definitely worth making, and sharing!

 

Perfect pot roast

I have been following the Pioneer Woman for some months now and I know for sure, for years to come.  And maybe in my wildest dreams I will come to meet her some time.  Just like I met recently David Lebovitz.  Who knows.  And why not, right?  I've made some of PW's recipes like the cinnamon rolls and the rosemary buttered dinner rolls and over the weekend, I've embraced the pot roast!   Yes Ree, I did!  And I loved the simplicity of this recipe that I'd probably do it over and over again, until my family's pleadings that they're tired of it.  It is perfect in every sense - preparation, taste and it even looked perfect on the plate! Thank you, Pioneer Woman!

To make this perfect pot roast, you'll need a pot which you can put in the oven.  I used a La Chasseur cast iron pot and the rest, should I say will perfectly fall into place.

 To prepare the perfect pot roast, we used:

1.8kg scotch fillet

2 onions, halved

4 carrots, tips removed and roughly cut

2 sprigs of fresh rose mary, about 6-7cm each

(Ree included thyme but I didn't have it at the time, but maybe next time around)

3-4 cups vegetable stock (or beef stock as was PW used)

olive oil

salt and pepper to season

And here's the step by step in photos.... just like how PW did!

Pre-heat oven to 140* C

Generously season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat the pot and add olive oil.  Saute the onion until it the outsides are seared.  Remove and place on a plate.

Next, stir the carrots until it gets a bit of colour, just like what you did with the onions.  Set aside.

Next stop, the roasting meat. Sear until browned all over but not cooked through.  Set aside with the veggies.

After you sear the meat, pour about a quarter cup to 1 cup of stock into the pot to deglaze - that is to get all those flavours from the bottom of the pot.

fresh rose mary... we had a massive shrub in our backyard!

Add back into the pot, the meat first, then carrots and onions, and the rose mary and thyme if using.  Pour enough stock to cover the meat - about 2-3 cups.  Place lid on, and put in the oven to cook for 3 hours.

After 3 or so hours, voila! Perfect pot roast!

Seriously good roast!  Simple, but packed full of flavour!

I served this for Sunday lunch with some home made mash potato.  Shredded the roast meat, served on top of mash and some of that glaced carrots and onions!

Hope you will embrace the pot roast like I did!  This is new to me as most Filipino dishes are stove top and roasts such as chicken and beef are only made on special occasions.  But how easy this is has left me to wonder why I  never tried to do it before!  Its so much like Julia Child's boeuf bourgignon. Now that I've taken the pot roast route, I'm not too afraid to try on the French classic!

PS - Here's my simple mash potato consists of: 4-5 medium sized potatoes, boiled till tender and soft.  While still hot, peel the skins off, add about 50g of unsalted butter cut into cubes, half a cup of milk, salt and pepper to taste.  Mash with all you might using a sturdy masher.  Add some chives for that extra colour and flavour! 

Baby back ribs in ginger-orange glaze

I've never tried making my own glaze or sauce for a barbeque before.  This was a first. And now I'm thinking of making more and bottling them, and selling them!  Seriously!  Because they are absolutely great!   The golden ticket of barbeque ribs! This recipe is adapted from Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.  I've tried this over the weekend, including her fall-off-the-bone tip and what a turn out!  Serious baby back ribs, and literally fall-of-the-bone ribs, with a sweet and spicy Asian glaze.


These are the best ribs I've ever cooked at home! Most ribs we grill always end up marinaded for a few hours then on the grill.  Great for those spontaneous what-should-we-have-for-Sunday-lunch-barbeque?  On the other side of the fast and furious is this.  Slow and tender cooking (3-4hours) with some passionate smearing of spicy-sweet-orange glaze. And if you don't like the sweet and spicy orange glaze, you can still use your own favourite supermarket variety.  But do the 3-4 hours slow cooking process, because it'll change your life forever. The next time you'll have a backyard barbie, you can have this in your repertoire and your guests will definitely be impressed.

Pat dry the 1.5-2k pork baby back or rack ribs (American ribs as called in local butchers) with salt and pepper.  Place on a roasting tray or dish, cover with aluminum foil and place in a 150 degrees pre-heated oven for 3-4 hours. 





To make the glaze

1 tsp grated ginger (1 thumb-sized nob)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 small eschalot , minced (Also known as shallots - see onion varieties here)

3/4 hoisin sauce (I used up a whole jar 240g Lee Kum Kee jar)

1 large orange, zest and juice

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp sambal

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat a small skillet or saucepan.  Add the vegetable oil and saute the onion until soft, 2-3  minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.

Add all the ingredients except the lemon juice (Jaden uses yuzu sauce but mentioned that lemon can be a substitute).

Lower the heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes. 

Remove from heat and add the lemon juice (and some more ginger for extra punch).

We had this for dinner over the weekend, served with rice or rosemary buttered dinner rolls option, and simple side salad.  This dish is definitely making an encore in the next get-together.  I might make this a staple-plate-to-bring for those lunch and dinner invitations.  

Herb crusted lamb brains with lemon pepper mayonnaise

“Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell you who you are.” -  Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Lamb brains in crumbed herbs with lemon pepper mayonnaise - Lesson 2 @ Kitchen 10

When was the last time you did something for the first time?  This was an excellent TV ad by Emirates. First time to see and feel snow, a grandmother’s first time to ride a helicopter, a scuba diver’s first encounter with sharks.  All exhilarating experiences for the involved people.  It’s a great ad.  It ended with the tag line, “Keep discovering.”  Great message.

And of course it goes without saying the obvious.  That it was a first time for mum to be introduced lamb brains.  We've seen this many times, especially at our favourite reality cooking show Masterchef.  I wouldn't have anticipated it sooner, but there it was facing mum right in the face.  In Kitchen 10.  Menu for the day!  Herb crusted lamb brains with lemon pepper mayonnaise. I know.  It sounds and looks icky.  Offals after all, in culinary terms are off cuts or entrails and internal organs of butchered animals.  But it shouldn’t be.   Coming from a country that has isaw or chicken and pork intestines barbequed and sold in skewers at street corners and sometimes deep fried called “chicharon” or crispy pork skin, and has found food use for pig's blood, lamb brains must be something easier to consume, in concept and in the palate.  But… eating brains sounds like something you’d be doing if you’re were in an Indiana Jones movie.  And as part of the intro,  I need to add in a word of caution.  The following image may not be for the faint at heart.  But look at the photo above!  Definitely suits the saying, looks can be deceiving!

4 lamb brains

 1 egg

 50g flour

50g bread crumbs (use fresh bread passed through a processor)

2g fresh herbs (1 bunch each of parsley and thyme)

salt and pepper to season

olive oil for pan frying

Break the brains into halves along the middle (you will have 2 pairs and halved into 4).  Wash the brains and cut out fat and sinew (white parts).  Place the brains in a small bowl and soak in milk to lighten their colour.  Leave for about 20 minutes.

Finely chop the herbs and mix with the bread crumbs.  While brains are soaking, prepare your crumb a l'anglaise which is simply your seasoned flour-egg wash-breadcrumbs in separate bowls.

Take the brains out from the milk and place on a tray with kitchen/paper towel to drain the milk and dry the brains out a bit.  

Fresh lamb brains (L) and the crusted lamb (R). Definitely hides the ugly facade.

To crumb a l'anglaise, dip one brain at a time first in flour, then egg wash then coat with the breadcrumbs.  Do this until all brains are coated.  Set aside.

Prepare a medium sized skillet in medium heat.  Add olive oil and shallow pan fry the brains until golden brown.   (The instructions for the recipe in the textbook says to deep fry, but Chef A insists, that deep frying is easy and can be done by anyone.  But pan frying shows a Chef's technique and skill.)

Lemon Pepper Mayonnaise

200ml mayonnaise (either use store-bought or make your own which mum posted here)

1/4 lemon, zest and juice

10g lemon pepper (again, store-bought or make your own)

Mix the mayonnaise with the ingredients. Chill then serve as accompaniment (to any dish).

Surprisingly, it didn't taste like anything different or disgusting.  It was soft with a texture almost like squid.  Smooth.  But can I say, the closest similar taste would be chicken?!  Yes!  Tastes like chicken!  Don't they all?   Come to think of it, I'd choose lamb brains over Cambodia's fried tarantulas and South Korea's dog meat and offal!

Korean beef stew / Kalbi Chim

Mum has shared a similar recipe for this (3 years ago) which was from a book and was a bit too daunting and tedious. And then, mum found an easier way to make this classic Korean dish, without much of the hassle.  A quick and easy Korean beef stew, shared to us by a family friend.  Its great when friends share their recipes, because mum knows it has been tested and tried many many times and it works.

This is a great one pot wonder recipe.   It is great as you can drop everything in a pot and while away the time doing some other important domestic tasks deeming your attention (such as vacuuming the lounge or sorting the laundry, reading a book, water the plants!) coming back to the pot every now and then to skim it, but you let this simmer for a good 1-2 hours to let the meat become tender.  Braising is the proper method here as the meat is submerged and tenderised through a slow simmering process, in a prepared liquid.

To make:

1.5-2k beef ribs (cut in between the bones)

4 cups water

2 cups Kikkoman soy sauce

½  cup sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 long chillies

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted 

Note: To toast sesame seeds: 

Stove top: heat a pan and light fry the sesame seeds until they turn golden.  

Oven: place sesame seeds on a baking tray and roast in the oven until golden brown.  Do not burn.  If you do, just do another batch.  The smell of burnt sesame seeds will not add a nice aroma to the dish.

Put all ingredients in a large saucepan, add the beef and bring to a boil.  Make sure the meat is submerged in the liquid.  Bring to medium heat and simmer until beef is tender. May take 1-2hours, skimming impurities and fat every now and then. 

Once meat is tender and cooked, add sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds then turn off heat.   

The sesame oil and the seeds add a rich aroma to the dish. After you add this last ingredient, the house will just perk up like a sunflower standing tall.  The smell just lingers everywhere.  When I made this, someone peeked in the kitchen and said, “what’s for dinner?  It smells YUM!”

Serve warm with rice and lots of love.

I also found a similar recipe here  for the same dish - http://homecookingrocks.com/korean-beef-stew/

Spaghetti and meatballs adapted from Junior Masterchef

Ate has been eyeing Vans shoes for some time now.  And she asked mum's suggestion on the colour.  RED of course!   It comes up with every single conversation.  At the dinner table, while in the car, while washing the dishes in the kitchen, while waiting for the three of you at swim class.  The short of it is, she's saving up to buy a pair.  I can't imagine the time mum and dad were in one of those Vans shoes too.  It must be early 90s, way back in college when these shoes came into fashion.  Along side K-Swiss and  Tretorn and Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran hit the air waves. Simply, fashion comes around even after decades, it can still become in fashion and songs stay on for centuries.  Anyways, there's something about the colour red that makes it stand out. Shoes or otherwise, its gorgeous, its radical, it's foxy, it's hot! And I could go on.

In the kitchen we have something red too!  I love my La Chassueur red cast iron cookware which mum bought last year.  Not the high end brand  but it serves the purpose.  Heavy bottom and can withstand 400 degree heat, which means its great for dishes like casseroles, stews, and that No Knead Bread (the purpose of why mum bought the cookware in the first place!) that we've never had the chance to do.  Just yet. 

This gorgeous red cast iron pot was used by Ate when she took a serious oath on Mother's Day (that day when everyone took over the kitchen and mum was secretly trying hard not to be the control freak she is in the kitchen) and prepared the lunch for the day. A simple spaghetti and meatballs dish (plus her simple chocolate truffles).  The recipe is adapted from the Junior Masterchef Australia Cookbook Volume 1.  I do have a simple fool-proof spaghetti bolognese recipe which also includes meatballs, but Ate was on a roll and she enjoyed every bit of the challenge.  She now has a repertoire of dish(es) under her arms.

To make this simple pasta dish, use:

1 onion, quartered

1/4 cup, flat leaf parsley leaves

250g minced pork

250g minced veal 

(Mum's not a fan of veal purely on the basis that these are quite young cattle that could have seen more days than they were allowed.  But in this occasion mum left everyone to their devices to follow the recipe)

70g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs made from day-old bread (see Chef's tip)

(Ate just used the store-bought variety)

40g (1/2 cup) finely grated parmesan

2 eggs, lightly beaten

500g dried spaghetti

25g (1/3 cup) grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

(we use the same variety parmesan as the one above)

Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

700g bottle tomato passatta (sieved pureed tomatoes)

(this can be bought from any deli or providore, if not available in the local grocery)

1/2 tsp caster sugar

1. Process onion in a food processor until finely chopped.  Transfer half the onion to a bowl and reserve for the sauce.  Add parsley to onion in the processor and whiz until finely chopped.  Add minced pork and veal, breadcrumbs, parmesan and eggs, and season with salt and pepper.  Process until well combined.

2. Carefully remove the blade and, using a measuring spoon and spatula, scoop out level tablespoons of the mixture onto a plate. Roll into balls (you will be able to make about 30 meatballs).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

3. To make tomato sauce, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the reserved onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until soft.  Add crushed garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes or until fragrant.

4. Add passatta, 250ml (1 cup) water and sugar, mix well to combine, then season.  Bring to the boil, add meatballs.  Cover and return to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.  Gently shake pan halfway through cooking to ensure meatballs are covered with sauce.  Remove from the heat.

5. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.  Add spaghetti, return to the boil and cook according to packet directions or until al dente.  Drain well and transfer to bowls.  Spoon meatballs and sauce over spaghetti, then serve scattered with extra parmesan.

Chef's tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs, start with white or wholemeal bread that's at last one day old.  Remove crusts and tear bread into large pieces.  Process bread in a food processor until fine crumbs form.  Store breadcrumbs in an airtight bag or container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Spaghetti meatballs or bolognese is a simple pasta dish that is easy to make for any meal of the day.  Promise me this - you will not ever try those spaghetti's-in-a-can variety.  I mean really.  Pasta in a can.  Mum thinks they are just horrendous!  There are plenty of fresh ingredients around so be kind to the environment.  Lessen your carbon footprint! I don't mind two-minute noodles.  But pasta-in-a-can is taking fast food to the extreme!