sautéed young/green garlic

as i have mentioned previously, green garlic (or young garlic, or spring garlic), is a delicacy in my hometown. i do not recall what time of the year these are abundant in the philippines but i remember it being planted after  rice is harvested because they use rice straw for mulching.  garlic is one of the produce my uncles grow in the farm they inherited from my grandparents, aside from rice and more common vegetables like tomatoes and eggplants.  growing up i would volunteer to help my uncles pluck young garlic in the field behind our house.   why pluck them out? to make more growing space for the "main" garlic, which will be harvested later when it is matured and cured.  {for in-depth information on how they grow garlic in my province go here.}

green garlic looks very similar to green onions.  some would have a bit of bulb, while others would have bigger heads with the individual cloves starting to form. the simplest way to tell the difference between a green onion and a green garlic is the smell. but if that fails look at the stalks.  green onions have tube-like stalks, young garlic stalks are flat open.

i have seen young garlic at the farmer's market and sometimes at whole foods, but they are expensive ($4 for a small bundle) and seldom available.  just for fun i have planted some in early spring in my tiny window box alongside other herbs.  the harvest was scant but it was sufficient to satisfy my craving.  last week, i was pleasantly surprised when i came upon so many of them!  this harvest came from my mother-in-law's boss's backyard.  the generous lady, jen, who grows them, gave me a generous amount to my heart's content. i kept a handful for myself but i shared most of it to my grandma. she believes garlic helps regulate her blood pressure.  she recently stopped taking her blood pressure medicine and has opted to just munch on garlic chips.  if it is sufficient to keep her bp under control i do not know.  however she eats mainly fish and vegetables so i am not all that worried. besides for an 85 year old, she is in good health and can still whip my behind if she needs to :)

anyhow, what to do with green garlic? you can make green garlic soup like molly did,  you can make a tart or pesto like erin did with her garlic scape, or cook it with spaghetti. the recipe that follows however is one that most resembles what my mom used to make.  simple and filling when eaten with rice. 

the recipe goes like this...

cut up some pork and brown it. i used bacon because it is what i had available. if you want it healthier you can just use olive oil.  all you need is a little fat.  instead of pork, you may also use shrimp or tofu.

when bacon is browned remove all but 1 tablespoon of the oil. 

add the tomatoes and sauté until it softens. 

add seasoning to taste- you  may use kosher salt, sea salt, patis (fish sauce), soy sauce, bouillon, chopped up anchovy, or whatever you prefer to use. i added a pinch of cumin to mine although it isn't really necessary. if it's too dry, add a little water. it depends on how soupy you want it.

add the white portion of the young garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes.

next add the green part. check for seasoning and adjust as needed.

cook for a couple minutes or until the leaves start to wilt.  do not overcook. 

remove from heat and that's it!

post script: don't worry about it being too garlicky. young garlic is much milder and sweeter than regular garlic. you won't get garlic breath afterwards i promise.

corn and blueberry salad (briefly)

this recipe is adopted from an issue of better homes and gardens magazine a couple of years ago.  

i'm not sure why it took me 2 years before finally making it.  

i honestly would never think of combining corn and blueberries. it just seems weird.  but this recipe was  an a-ha moment.  the dressing brought the flavors well together.  the result was a tasty, crunchy and refreshing salad.   

the recipe says it is a do-ahead type of salad, good within a 12 hour period.  also it says to let it sit overnight but mine turned out well in only 1 hour.
(note: the original recipe called for red onions but i used radish instead)

ingredients
3 ears fresh corn
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed well
3 small persian cucumber, sliced
1/4 cup sliced radish (or finely chopped red onions)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

Dressing
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey (or to taste)

1 pinch kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:
1. bring salted water to a boil and add corn.  cook, covered, 5 minutes or until tender. when corn is cool enough to handle, cut corn off the cobs.

2. in a serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, radish (or onion), cilantro, and jalapeno.

3. for the dressing, combine lime juice, oil, honey, salt, and cumin in a screw-top jar.  cover and give it a good shake.

4. pour dressing over salad and toss. cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

sauteed pea shoots

summertime for me means spending time together cooking - him on the grill, me by the stove and the little one doing small preps.  the little one picks the veggies, just like how it was with me when i was a little girl.  that was how i learned to be comfortable in the kitchen.  i watched my mom cook, and helped her in one way or another even if it's just to stir the pot.  i'd like for sophia to learn in the same manner.  it is going to be a few more years before i can trust her with a knife or to stir in hot pots but preparing the vegetables is something i can let her do without worries.  surprisingly she is very patient at it.  i, on the other hand would prep vegetables in the fastest way i can, using every short cut i know.  


with these pea shoots though she was a little disappointed that there was almost nothing to do.  i bought them from the asian store and they were pretty much ready to cook.  so what i did is to let her wash the shoots. one by one. :) 


anyhow, i just might make this pea shoot crostini before summer is over.  it was in fact what i intended it for.  however we grilled pork belly for dinner tonight and pea shoot sauté seem to be the perfect side dish. plus some sort of carbs of course.

SAUTÉED PEA SHOOTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces fresh pea shoots
1/4 cup low-salt chicken broth

salt (to taste)

rinse pea sprouts in cold water and remove excess water using a salad spinner.

heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.  add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

add sprouts, salt and half the chicken broth.  sauté until wilted, about 3 minutes, tossing the greens every now and then for even cooking.  add broth a little at a time if it's too dry.

serve immediately.

moringa (marunggay)

my brother got lucky to have found a moringa plant at the farmer's market on saturday.  he took the young  moringa home, ready to be replanted at my grandma's backyard for us to enjoy in the months to come.

marunggay (or malunggay) as called in the philippines is hands downs my favorite vegetable- leaves, fruit and flowers.  in the north western tip of the philippines where i came from, the marunggay leaves is a staple, a common ingredient in a dish we call inabraw or dinengdeng (a stew of mixed vegetables).  i consider myself lucky that i live in a place where filipino vegetables isn't a rarity. even after many years of residing in the u.s. there are days i crave for the exotic vegetables i grew up eating.  on those days i would simply visit my lola (grandma) whose fridge always seem to have a serving of inabraw, ready to be eaten.  

back to marunggay, in the past few years there have been studies on the many health benefits of this leafy green vegetable.  it was even featured on dr. oz once, i suppose, as mentioned here.  marunggay  leaves they say contain twice the protein in milk, three times the potassium in bananas, four times the vitamin a in carrots and seven times the vitamin c in oranges.  and that's not it,  marunggay  helps strengthen the immune system, controls blood pressure, relieves headaches and migraines, prevents diabetes, reduces inflammations and arthritis pains, heals ulcers, prevents the growth of cancer cells and is useful for lactating mothers in increasing their breast milk. the list goes on. 


so how do you cook marunggay leaves?  marunggay is very versatile and can be stewed with a variety of other more common vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini and okra.  the authentic ilocano inabraw calls for diluted fermented fish paste we call buguong but i usually substitute with chicken broth for a more american-husband-friendly version.  (my husband cringe at the sight and smell of fish sauce or fish paste.)  


my simple marunggay soup is as easy as boiling a couple of cups of chicken broth with a sliver of fresh ginger then adding a cup of marunggay leaves.  the leaves cook quickly, just a blanch, about a couple of minutes with the pot covered, and that's it.  never overcook it.  you want the leaves to stay green, not brownish. my dad's trick so it doesn't overcook is to transfer the dish immediately to a serving plate so it stops cooking. for more details on how to cook marunggay hop on over to pinakbet republic. the blog also has a variety of dinengdeng posted if you're interested.


{back when i was still breastfeeding my little one, my grandma would make me chicken soup with marunggay when i go visit.  she claims it increases breast milk production.  i didn't really notice the difference to be honest but i was also taking fenugreek and blessed thistle capsules at the time for that same purpose. some of my friends however agrees that it helps with milk production.}

Carpe Diem

"The days are long, the years are short."  Someone wise said this, I am not sure who, about parenthood.  I ought to remind myself that.  Everyday.  Even now that things seem a little more under control.

This is Sophia when she was 7 months old.

I don't remember much from that time but I keep a stack of photos that give me a glimmer of it.  My husband often criticize me for taking more pictures than necessary instead of enjoying the moment.  Well Honey, this is why I do it- to capture the memories.  It's for my heart.

I remember when Sophia was an infant that I often got overwhelmed juggling work and caring for a young child.  I would cry to my husband and he would remind me, "but this {having a child}, you said, is what you dreamed of..."  I just felt like smacking him in the head!  Then I would laugh through my tears because he is right.  But why, why does it have to be so much work?  Between the sleepless nights, diaper changes and the constant breast feeding, days did feel like eternity.


Then poof! 


This is her now.  

It seems like it was only yesterday when she first said dada.  Now she goes on talking jags using more and more words like humongous and scrumptious.  Sometimes at the dinner table we forget to include her in our conversation then she'd ask, "what are you guys talking about?"  The other night we were talking about how at her one year old check up, the substitute pediatrician told us she wasn't saying as much words as she should.  My husband joked - that doctor should go on a car ride with Sophia now.  We both laughed.  Sophia, listening to the whole conversation then said, "Are you making fun of me?  If I don't talk I get a stomach ache." ..... We laughed our hearts out.

I like it when older parents tell me to carpe diem.  "It goes by so fast, enjoy it."  At times it seems like there is a twinge of regret mixed with it.  In fact, when I said those words to a couple of friends with kids younger than mine, there was a feeling of I should have enjoyed it more along with it.  Sophia is only three but I feel age 0-3 went by as quick as a blink of an eye that I didn't get to enjoy those years to my satisfaction.  There is a little bit of a guilt there.  And I bet many working mothers (and fathers) feel the same way.

I will not however dwell on the times I missed out on, but rather I will try to enjoy the present. To carpe diem is what I'll do.  Now is so much fun.  I mean, just look at this!

Our child literally made us stop what we were doing, and had us sit on the sofa to watch her sing and dance.   I need to savor times like these. And without being asked to do so, I should make more time to just watch   and be mesmerized by this beautiful sweet little person we have been blessed with. Even though there are other things to worry about, I need to be more present in the few hours that I get to spend with her - listening intently as she speaks, teaching her and learning from her at the same time.  I need to stay focused in the moment  instead of being lost in my own thoughts.

When I am an old lady and Sophia is all grown up and moves out of the house, I want to be able to let her go without regrets.  I want to be the proud parent with a deep sense of satisfaction that I was able to spend many meaningful times with my daughter.

Lately this kale chips is what we have been enjoying together.

I have been making these kale chips to serve as appetizer in the evenings.  Sophia loves it!  She eats them like she eats roasted seaweeds.  And the best part is that it is so easy to make.  You simply toss them in olive oil and sea salt, then roast them in the oven for a good 12 minutes at 325°F.  I like to buy the packaged kale at Trader Joes because they are prewashed.  I don't need to rinse and dry them.  Drying the leaves is quite a bit of work and it is important that the leaves are dry before they go into the oven.

You will see a bunch of different ways to make kale chips online but I keep mine simple for now.  They are good with just EVOO and sea salt, but you can also add other things like, vinegar, garlic, cumin, etc. if you are feeling fancy.

Roasted Kale Chips

1 bunch kale (lacinato or dinosaur kale) or use the prewashed bag of kale from Trader Joes
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Wash and dry kale.  Dry it well using paper towels.  Cut off the ribs/stems then tear leaves into large pieces.  

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil (for easier clean up).

Pour a good amount of olive oil in your hands then toss the leaves with your greased hands. Arrange leaves in a single layer on the baking sheet then sprinkle with salt.  You only need a little bit of salt.  You can add more  after it's cooked it you think it is not salty enough.

Roast kale in the oven for about 12 minutes.  Ovens are not the same so check the kale on the 10 minutes mark.  If it is not crisp enough at 10 minutes, keep cooking making sure to check every 2 minutes or so.

Remove from oven and let it cool a bit.  Then eat it.  Eat it all in one sitting.

Ratatouille

I have been trying to train Sophia to sleep by herself.  I know.  It's a little late for that.  By the books I should have trained her to sleep by herself at 3 months old.  What was that called again? Ah, the cry it out method.  The thing is I never had the heart to do it.  And I never understood why in this country parents are so much in a hurry to separate with their newborns.  Not sleep training Sophia early on caused many sleepless nights for me but looking back, I don't regret those precious short moments when we cuddled and fell asleep together.  It was a nice treat after a long day of being apart.  It was the only chance I had to bond with her, and smell her sweet tiny head and baby breath.   I didn’t sleep the whole night next to her but those brief moments somehow made up for the lost times during the day.

So it does not surprise me that unlike most kids Sophia never dragged around a faded blanket or lovey.  Nor did she ever sucked on her thumb or a pacifier to soothe herself to sleep.  I was her lovey.   It was my presence that soothed her to sleep.  It was me that made her feel secured and comfy....  Let me just dwell on that thought for a minute.  Sigh.

But my little love bug is growing.  And I think the time has come for my darling to sleep on her own.   At first she refused saying, "Sleep next to me Mommy, I can't sleep without you."  That plea melted my heart  and made me want to give in.  But I realized I had to be firm.  Then the other night for the first time ever she wanted a lovey next to her.  She picked her favorite doll, the one which she refers to as baby sister.

Last night was the third night she fell asleep without me beside her.  I must admit, this new independence is harder for me than it is for her.

Ok, I'm getting teary eyed so let's move on to the next recipe...

Outside of the Filipino vegetable dishes I grew up eating, ratatouille is one of my new favorites.  I think it's because the flavor is sort of reminiscent to my all time favorite dish pinakbet.  I love the combination of eggplant, tomatoes and onions stewed together.  And this dish has the nice addition of sausage to make it into a complete meal.  

Ratatouille and Sausage

Olive oil
1 medium chopped onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3 medium sized zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat a large oven-proof pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  When oil is hot, brown Italian Sausage on all sides.  Remove sausage and set aside.

Lower heat and in the same pan sauté onions until they begin to soften. Add garlic and continue to cook.

While the onions and garlic are cooking in low heat, heat 2 tablespoons in another skillet over high heat. When the pan gets hot, add zucchini and lightly brown.  Remove browned zucchini and add to the pan with the onions.  This step of browning the vegetables gives the dish more depth of flavor as opposed to just adding them straight without browning.

Repeat the browning process one at a time for the bell peppers, then the eggplant, adding the browned vegetables to the pan with the onions.  Add more olive oil as necessary but make sure not to add too much.  You only need a little so the vegetables do not stick to the pan.

Add the tomatoes with their juice to the vegetables.  Season with about 1-2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Add red pepper flakes and herbs and 1/4 cup of water.  Bring to a boil then place the sausages on top.

Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes.

A perfect side for this dish is a simple garlic parmesan bread-- cut a clove of garlic and rub it on slices of Italian bread.  Brush bread with olive oil and place in oven for 8 minutes. Remove bread from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Return to oven and cook for 3 more minutes or until cheese melts.

My First Dream

I blinked and came the new year.

I blinked again and it's February!  Time, why do you sneak up on me? 

Meanwhile, nothing much has changed around here. Not much accomplishments since the beginning of the year... or the last ten years it seems.

What the heck did I do with my time?

I look at my daughter and think, where has my baby girl gone?  Really, nothing can make you more aware of how quick time flies than a growing child.

Then I started wondering at where I'm at now in my 37 years of  life.   My initial thoughts were--  how much money do I make?  How much stuff do I own? 

The assessment made me sad.  Career wise I felt such a loser.  Then a more profound question crossed my mind... "where you are in life, are you happy?"

My answer was clear.  Heck yeah!

Now going back to the previous question of what I did with my time,  my answer is that I have spent my time tending to my family.  Below is a photo of my husband and the little girl we have been nurturing  in the past three years.

Parenthood is no joke.  It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice but it also is the most rewarding investment of all. There are small accomplishments in each day, like when you get to feed your child vegetables without bribing them with ice cream afterwards. Or when they finally use the potty for #2 after many months of potty training! Ok, that last one is actually a big accomplishment.  {At least for me it is.}

What I am saying is that having a family sometimes make our professional dreams take a back seat.  It's a tough trade off for parents.  In reality though it means we are prioritizing the dream that make up who we are.  It would be a lie for me to say I didn't dream of becoming the most successful among my peers.  I wished to own the biggest house, the fanciest car, and to travel the whole world.  But if I were to really examine my heart, my first dream was to be loved. To be happy.  To journey through life with the comfort and joy that comes from family. 

That said, I see no time wasted.  I simply lived my ultimate dream.

As part of this 'tending to my family' thingy I have been cooking a lot.  I have been researching and doing trial and error on many recipes online.  I want to build my repertoire of meals I can quickly prepare.  I want to add to my rotation of dishes so we don't get easily bored.  I had a couple of flops this week which I definitely won't bother to post here.  But this recipe that follows is a keeper.  Husband loved it.  Daughter liked it (and it's a vegetable!).  We all win.

Sesame Snow Peas & Mushroom

ingredients
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 lb snow peas, trimmed
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon canola or grape seed oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Blanch snow peas.  Bring a large pot of salted water into a boil.  Add snow peas and cook for 1 1/2 minutes.  Drain and set aside. (You don' need to do this really but  like mine to cook uniformly. If you skip this step just make sure you saute it longer later).

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the mushroom.  Dry saute the mushroom, just on their own, no oil or other liquid with it.  Stir often, it will squeak, then it will release its  juices.

Keep cooking, then when it has softened, add 1 teaspoon canola and add in the garlic.  Cook for one minute then add the the snow peas into the pan.  Cook for one more minute or until done to your liking.  I like mine crisp-tender and bright green.

Remove from heat. Add the sesame seeds, sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve.

Baked Chicken and Roasted Broccoli

Ah, baked chicken! It is one of the easiest homemade meals to put together.  It varies from one home cook to another, with seasonings ranging from olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon, garlic, rosemary, thyme, cumin etc.  I bake or roast chicken on those nights I'm at my wits' end on what  to cook for dinner, which happens at least about every two weeks (sometimes more often).   Baked or roast chicken can easily get boring unless you vary the seasoning.  But thank God, with baked chicken it's just hard to screw up.  The worse you can do really is to under/over season it with salt.   In this recipe, I added a few other herbs to the basic EVOO, salt and pepper marinade.

For the Chikin:

3 to 4 lbs chicken, cut into 6 parts (2 breasts, 2 thighs and leg quarters, 2 wings) excluding the back

Olive oil

Sea salt (or kosher)

1 teaspoon Organic garlic powder

1 teaspoon organic onion powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Make the adobo seasoning mix by combining the last 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

Rinse the chicken then cut into pieces (2 breasts, 2 thighs and leg quarters, 2 wings), reserving the back for future use. Pat dry with paper towels.

Coat the bottom of a roasting pan with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.

Rub and coat the chicken pieces with olive oil then sprinkle both sides generously with salt and  the seasoning mix.  You can do this to the chicken a day in advance if you like.  But even if you don't it's still going to be good.

Arrange the pieces skin-side up in the roasting pan so the breasts are in the center and the so it isn't crowded.  A crowded pan will trap moist in between the pieces and prevent it from browning.

Cook chicken for 30 minutes at 400°F. Then turn oven dial to broil and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes more until cooked through and browned to your liking.  Chicken is cooked when the breast pieces are 165°F and the thighs are 170°.   

Now for the broccoli.
In a large bowl, toss 1 pound broccoli florets with 2 tablespoons EVOO, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, a pinch of chili pepper, salt and pepper.  Arrange broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 20 to 30 minutes.  You can do this while the chicken roasts at 400°F.

Serve chicken and broccoli with Spanish Rice.

Other Baked/Roast Chicken ideas:
Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs
Butterflied Roast Chicken
Zuni Roast Chicken

Orzo Artichoke Salad

I have been pondering about life lately.
This week I started to follow Jennie on twitter.  In the last week, her Pie-for-Mikey post inspired so many food bloggers to make Creamy Peanut Butter Pie to share with love ones.  You see, Jennie recently lost her husband from heart attack, and the pie is her way of telling us to treasure every moment with the ones we love.  I did not make the pie because I have diabetes tendencies but the significance of making it made me hold my family tighter and dearer.  That day when I read Jennie's post I was snapped out of wanting to give my husband cold shoulders for something he did wrong.  It made me aware of the importance of being together and enjoying life as a family.  It made me think of how important it is to take care of our health - for the sake of ourselves, our spouse, our child, those that love us.  Reading through Jennie's words, I just can't imagine the grief of such loss ( I pray for her strength and courage).
Most importantly it made me realize how life is so fragile.  That we are nothing apart from the Creator who breathe life into us.  So I also realized how important it is to entrust everything to God, and to invoke His presence in our lives each and every minute.

So instead of the pie, I made this Orzo Artichoke Salad.  It was an easy recipe but I was pressed for time when I made it.  I just wanted to make it to yoga class without sacrificing a good dinner to spend with my family.  It was made with love.

Orzo Artichoke Salad

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients
1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
1 12 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 cup kalamata olives (or black olives) drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Feta cheese (optional)

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente according to package directions; drain. 

Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid.
In large bowl combine pasta, artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, onion, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and lemon pepper. Toss and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.
Just before serving, drizzle reserved artichoke marinade over salad.

Zucchini Oven Chips

I think that children should be offered to eat the same food as adults.  Allowing them to continually try things and taste different types of food is all part of development.  So my daughter pretty much eat the same food my husband and I eat - the good and unfortunately as well as the bad ones.  And as much I try to feed her healthy, there is the inevitable introduction of french fries, chips, cakes and candies.  Neither my husband nor I have a sweet tooth, so there is not much sweets in our house.  Thankfully to this day our little Princess has not tasted any candy or chocolate.

On the other hand, husband and I have our weakness in things crunchy and salty - chips.  We have allowed our child to have a taste here and there that she now have acquired some sort of fondness to it.  She even blurted "chips!" yesterday at church during holy communion as the minister gave us the holy host.  My husband and I could only look at each other and smile.

So to make up for the bad parenting of introducing such a junk food to our daughter, I made these healthy zucchini chips.  They are tasty, crunchy, low in fat and so easy to make.  Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!  They are a delicious snack, preferably served right away while they are crunchy (they get a bit soft when cool).  And feel free to dip it in  ketchup or squeeze lemon on it.  I tell you, these are addicting.  I only wish their crunch could last and that I could keep them in a store bought potato chips bag to trick the little one.

By the way, Sophia miraculously started walking this weekend. Thanks God!  A stroll at the park and some motivation is what got her to start walking, although she is still limping a bit.

Zucchini Oven Chips


Ingredients

* 1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs
* 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
* 1/4  teaspoon  seasoned salt ( I used Lawry's)
* 1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder
* 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
* 2  tablespoons  fat-free milk
* 2 1/2  cups  (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
* Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Spice Up Your Lentil Soup

I have been making lentil soup for the little peanut since she started on solid food.  She started from plain pureed lentils, then I added one ingredient at a time t until I was sure she did not have allergies to any of it.  I usually make one big pot and freeze them in containers to take for lunch to the babysitter's.   It's convenient and healthy, and so much better than the canned Spaghetti-O many parents resort to feeding their kids.  The truth is my daughter has not been fond of eating commercialized, preservative loaded toddler food.  She likes what we grown-ups eat, she likes flavors and at 2 years old she likes to try everything.  I am not trying to say she is a voracious eater as certainly there are days when she does not like to eat anything at all (as some toddlers do).  That's when I get stressed, force her to eat and oftentimes it results to melt downs.  But I learned that the best thing to do is to not mind her at all during dinner.  I try not to say stuff like, "yummy, it's delicious!"  or "good, you're eating" ...  It's more likely that she will finish her food if I ignore her and go about my own business.   And if she does not eat, I do my best to stay calm and not worry.  It's hard, but I read somewhere that kids will eat what they need when they need it.  I find it to be true.  Thankfully the little peanut always eats her lunch and that's why I try to pack as much nutrients as I can in the form of soups.

I often make this Lentil soup out of the cooked lentils I buy from Trader Joe's but using dried French green  lentils is also good.  Just boil the dried lentils in water until tender, about 20 minutes then proceed with the directions as follows.

Lentil Soup

1 package cooked lentils (from Trader Joes)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp EVOO
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 table spoon curry powder (If you are not into curry though just omit the curry powder and it will still be good.  )
1Quart chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in tomatoes and saute until it starts to breakdown.
2. Add carrots and celery,  saute until the vegetables start to sweat, about 7 minutes.  
3. Add salt and pepper, curry powder (if using) and turmeric.  Enjoy the aroma!
4. Pour in the chicken broth or stock and bring to a boil.  
5. Simmer for 5 minutes then add cooked lentils.  Bring to a boil then simmer on low heat until lentils are cooked to desired doneness.

Brussels Sprouts

The beauty of brussels sprouts is bewitching to me. Because they are beautiful I am always tempted to buy them even if I have not really figured out the best way to cook them. 

Up to this day I'm still looking for that perfect recipe.  I have boiled them whole, sauteed them halved, steamed them, shredded & sauteed them in olive oil and garlic, and even cream-braised them in quarters but I have not found the perfect dish to make of them.Maybe I am expecting too much...

My husband claims he likes how I have cooked it.  And goes on to say that they are a good side dish.  I am not looking for a recipe to make it as a main dish but I would want something more from my cute hard-headed green friends. I don't mind that they stink a little, I've smelled worse! And I don't mind that they get mildly bitter - I actually like that.  So far the best I have prepared them in my opinion is when I popped them in the microwave then added them to roast with the Zuni Roasted Chicken. 

But I am not giving up on these cute cabbages. I will keep trying and I know the right recipe will come.

Eat Kale, It's Good for You

Kale I think is a beautiful name.  I would not call any of my children by that name but if I had a cat, perhaps I would name her Kale.

In my 30ish I was introduced to kale.  I often see kale at the market but I never really know what to do with it.  I used to get intimidated by it - with it's unruly dark leaves, it appears to be tough and just looked plain ugly.  It was not until  my favorite food blog writer, now a columnist of bon appetit, wrote the article How I Learned to Love Kale that I took the courage to go buy bunches and experiment on sautéing it.  It was a hit at the dinner table and my husband said this could be my signature dish.  I was amazed how flavorful it turned out, and was surprised about its texture.  It was not tough at all, it was soft but it had a mild crunch to it.  One thing I like about it is that it does not overcook easily as other leafy vegetables.  In fact the longer it cooks, the more its beautiful flavor develops - earthy & sweet.  Since that day, I have cooked kale every chance I got,  after all it is very good for the health.

For the past few years kale has become more popular for its unsurpassed health benefits like lowering your cholesterol & lowering your risks for cancer.  I have heard Ryan Seacrest now & then talk about his kale juice on air.  I would like to try to make his concoction actually but I yet to develop the courage to drink it.

Anyway, to buy kale choose those that have firm, deep green leaves and moist hardy stems.  I try also to get the organic kind as much as I can since kale is one of those highly contaminated leafy vegetables.  Get the small sized leaves, they are more tender than the larger ones.  They are best when in season which is around winter time.

Kale Sauté
2-3 bunches of lacinato kale leaves, washed, stems removed & coarsely chopped
4 strips of bacon or 4 oz pancetta, chopped (optional)
2 cups chopped tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon tomato (paste)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, thinly sliced 
salt & pepper

1. Heat a big saute pan in medium heat then add bacon.  Cook until crisp. (If not using bacon, use olive oil).
2. Add onions and cook until pieces becomes transparent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute then add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes starts to disintegrate, about 5 minutes.
4. Slightly increase heat and add kale.  Cover. After 2 minutes mix & flip the top leaves to go under.  Do this until the leaves are slightly wilted.  Add tomato paste if using.  Lower heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly until the leaves are tender yet still crisp. There should be enough liquid from the tomatoes & kale but if it dries out before your desired doneness you may add water by tablespoons.

Ilocano Pakbet

Pinakbet (or Pakbet) is just about my all time favorite Filipino dish. During the summertime I enjoy going to the farmer's market and shopping for my Filipino vegies to cook this dish. As a child I hated the commonly disliked ampalaya but over the years I have come to like them that in fact they are now a favorite. There are several ways to cook pinakbet and it varies from one region to another - the Ilocanos like it shriveled while the Tagalogs like it half cooked and crunchy. Also the Tagalog style usually calls for squash, and shrimp paste is used instead of bagoong. Either way you have to be prepared for the smell :)

The recipe that follows is more of the Ilocano version, much simpler I suppose. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (Serves 3-4)

• 1 cup liempo (pork belly), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 pcs small ampalaya (bitter melon), whole but slit in the middle
• 6 pcs baby Philippine or Japanese eggplant, whole but slit in the middle
• 12 pcs okra (i love okra!)
• 8 pcs sitaw (long beans), cut into 2" long
• 3 medium size tomatoes, wedged or better is use several cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup bagoong sauce (thick anchovie sauce, not the same as fish sauce).
• 4 cloves garlic, pounded
• 4 thin slices of ginger
• a drizzle of oil to coat the pan
• other optional veggies that can be added are Patani (lima beans) , pallang, sili, alukon and patola
• Note: Bagnet or bacon could be an option to liempo.

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a pan and add garlic and pork liempo. Cook in low heat, slowly (to tenderize meat)until meat is golden brown.

2) Add vegetables in layers in the following order ampalaya-okra-eggplant-long beans-ginger,
and put tomatoes on top.

3) Strain bagoong and pour it over the vegetable. Add half a cup of water, cover and simmer.

4) After 3 mins after it boils, toss the pan (do not stir to mix) so that the vegies on top goes to the bottom. After 2 minutes, toss again. Do this until vegetables are cooked to desired doneness.

I prefer it cooked the Ilocano way shriveled and almost dried-up. After all, Pinakbet is actually a short term for pinakebbet, an Ilocano word meaning dried up and wrinkly.

Serve hot over steamed white rice.