Stir Fried Beef and Broccoli

If I will be asked to choose my favorite cooking method, I'll definitely choose stir frying. It only involves heating oil in a pan then adding and stirring the ingredients until they are cooked, and you have a delicious meal in less than ten minutes. Stir fried dishes are also healthy and very flexible. You can pretty much toss in whatever combination of meat and vegetables that you have in the refrigerator. What could be better than that?

This Stir Fried Beef and Broccoli that I am sharing with you today is one of my family's favorite stir fry dishes. Not only is it very easy to cook, it's healthy and delicious too. Cutting the ingredients may be a little time consuming, but considering how good this dish is, it's all worth it! You should try it!

Cheese Topped Shepherd's Pie

It's March 17...and do you know what that means? It's St. Patrick's Day --- an Irish holiday in honor of St. Patrick who is the most recognized patron saint of Ireland. We're not Irish so we don't really celebrate it. :) But every year, my daughters would always request that I make something green which is the color associated with St. Patrick's Day celebration. This year, I opted not to. I told them that I'll just make something "Irish" that we can share and enjoy after church, and this is what I came up with...

...Shepherd's Pie --- a meat pie with a top crust made of mashed potatoes. I've read that St. Patrick's Day won't be complete without Shepherd's Pie, which was originally called "Cottage Pie" and originated in England but was adopted by the Irish people.  Traditionally, the meat layer of a Shepherd's Pie is made of ground lamb, onions, carrots and peas. I honestly have never tried a traditional Shepherd's Pie. This one I am sharing with you today is an adaptation of a recipe I found at marthastewart.com years ago. It's made of ground beef, carrots, corn and celery...and has mashed potato and cheese topping. My family love this...and it's truly a big hit every time I make it. 

Whether it's St. Patty's Day or not, I highly recommend that you try this! It's comfort food at its finest!

Shredded Beef with Green Beans and Mushrooms in Bistek Sauce

From the way they look to the things they like, my two daughters are indeed different in many ways like most siblings are. While my eldest got my natural curly hair, my youngest has straight hair like the hubs. My eldest got my fair complexion while my youngest got her dad's medium skin tone. While my eldest hates pink and girly girl stuff, my youngest is so into it! Though both of them love school, my eldest loves to curl up with a good book but hates Math, while my youngest can sit and do Math problems all day but gets upset when it's reading time. Unless told so, my eldest won't help in the kitchen while my youngest is always so eager to help and considers herself as my sous chef. When it comes to food, my eldest would rather stick to burgers, chicken nuggets, pizza, fried chicken  and other food she's used to while my youngest would try anything I serve on our table. I can go on the whole day telling you how different they are from each other...but when it comes to how they are alike, I honestly can only think of a few. Aside from their being so sweet and loving, both of them love to sing and draw. They love dogs, playing at the park, flying kites together and building sand castles at the beach. And as far as food is concerned, both of them just couldn't resist anything with mushrooms! My eldest can be so picky but whenever I serve any dish with mushrooms in it, she can never say no! This Shredded Beef with Green Beans and Mushrooms is an example of that...

Pepper Crusted Filet Mignon with Balsamic Red Wine Sauce

If you are following PiTCC on Facebook then you might have seen this gorgeous Filet Mignon plate on our page last Valentine's Day. 

Rather than fighting the crowd to get an expensive meal at an overrated restaurant,  I decided to just prepare a lovely dinner for my family using the Prime Angus Filet Mignon that was sent to me by Certified Steak and Seafood Company as part of their ongoing promotion.

Bulalo (Beef Shanks with Bone Marrow Soup)

The province of Batangas where my dad came from is known not only for the  famous Kapeng Barako (Batangas coffee) and its beautiful beaches, but also for this comforting beef dish called Bulalo. For many, Batangas is a favorite spot for swimming or scuba diving, and on the way to their destination, it’s always a must to stop at one of the many bulalo restaurants along the way. 

So what is Bulalo? Well, bulalo is actually the Filipino word for kneecap. It is use to refer to this very tasty soup which was originally made from beef shanks cut with the kneecap included and the bone marrow still intact (though nowadays, most bulalo are cooked without the kneecap). This dish is said to have originated in Batangas where the best grown cattle in the region can be found. Traditional Batangas bulalo is cooked with onions, garlic, corn cobs, cabbage and pechay and is usually served with fish sauce, calamansi (Filipino lime), and a kind of chili called siling labuyo. This dish is very similar to Beef Nilaga and the only difference lies in the use of beef shanks with bone marrow for the bulalo.

Bulalo has been a favorite soup of mine since I was a little girl...and when the cooler temperature comes or whenever any of my family member feels under the weather, this is my go-to dish. It has a very rich taste and satisfying broth that makes it very comforting! It takes time to cook, but I tell you, it's worth the wait!

PiTCC Goes Japanese with Nikujaga from Just One Cookbook

It's the third Wednesday of the month...and it's time for PiTCC's Favorite Dishes from Around The World!

Today, I am sharing with you a dish from the Japanese Cuisine which Ryan and I really like. I am not sure if I have told you before that Ryan worked with a Japanese company right after we passed the engineering board exam until he left for the US. He had been on several job related trips to Japan ranging from one to six months, which made him love everything about Japan most especially its friendly people, its fascinating state of the art railway system, the heated toilet seats (LOL), the huge electronic stores in Akihabara and its cuisine, of course. Though I haven't been to Japan myself (except for those stop overs in Narita Airport on the way to and from the Philippines), I have come to love Japanese food mainly because I have been influenced by Ryan. When we were still in the Philippines, we regularly ate at Japanese restaurants in the Makati area like Saisaki, Sakura, Jipan, Tokyo Tokyo, Yoshinoya and Teriyaki Boy. Gyudon, Katsudon, Tendon, Unagi Don, Takoyaki and Yakisoba became my favorite Japanese food among many others. But our featured dish for today is something that we got to eat not from a restaurant but from several parties hosted by Ryan's Japanese boss. It's called Nikujaga which is basically a dish with meat, potatoes and onions stewed in sweetened soy sauce. 

It has been years since we last had this dish. Just like in the Philippines, it's not in the menu of the Japanese restaurants we've been to here in Texas. I've tried cooking it before but I don't think it came out as authentic as it should be...there seem to be some flavors missing. I'm truly glad that through my good friend Nami, I can share with you this simple but really delicious dish and we can all learn the authentic way of cooking it. I'm sure most of you know Nami...but for those who don't, well, let me tell you that she's one of my favorite bloggers. She was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan and now lives in SF Bay Area with her Taiwanese husband and two adorable kids. She's the author and co-founder of this blog called Just One Cookbook where you can find the most authentic Japanese recipes and cooking tips. I'm truly glad to have known her! With a husband like mine who loves Japanese food so much, having Nami and her blog is truly a big help! And today, I'm so honored to have her here on PiTCC! Without further ado, let me bring you our second guest blogger for PiTCC's Favorite Dishes from Around The World series...Namiko Chen!!! 

Hi everyone!  My name is Nami and I am the author, cook, and photographer behind my blog, Just One Cookbook where I share quick and easy Japanese food and recipes.  I’m really excited to be here today to share with everyone Tina’s favorite Japanese meal, Nikujaga.

Nikujaga (Japanese: 肉じゃが) literally means “meat and potatoes”, from two of the main ingredients niku (meat) and jagaimo (potatoes). It’s the Japanese version of beef stew; however, it contains a fairly small amount of meat.  The meat is added for flavor rather than substance, just like most of Japanese cooking.  It is simmered in the classic Japanese seasonings of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. Unlike Western stews, the simmering time is much shorter because nikujaga uses thinly sliced meat.  Beef is commonly used for this dish but in eastern Japan, pork is more popular.

  

Nikujaga is a comfort food for the Japanese and it is a very popular meal cooked at home.  It is often considered as “mother’s taste” meal (“ofukuro no aji” in Japanese) as each household cooks it just slightly different.  The food itself is very simple and homely, and the warm bowl of your mother’s nikujaga brings one back to their roots.  It is probably the most popular dish among all kinds of nimono (Japanese stewed dishes). 

Thank you Tina for having me here today and I hope you and your readers will enjoy this dish!  Now let’s get cooking!

Three Cheese Filipino Style Baked Macaroni

Today, I'm bringing you a favorite pasta dish in the Philippines...the Baked Macaroni. Like the all time favorite Macaroni and Cheese here in the US, Filipino Style Baked Macaroni has elbow macaroni and cheese as the basic ingredients, but it has a tomato based meat sauce which is a little sweet like the sauce used in Filipino Style Spaghetti.

The most common version of baked macaroni in the Philippines is simply cooked pasta combined with meat sauce then topped with shredded cheddar cheese. The version that I'm going to share with you is my family's favorite. This is how I've been making Baked Macaroni since we got here in the US. The addition of mushrooms in the meat sauce makes it more special. The topping is also different. It 's a lot better than the usual melted cheddar cheese topping. It's creamy and cheesier, and both kids and adults will surely love it!

Check it out and do give it a try! It doesn't only make a delicious filling meal any day of the week, it's a perfect pasta dish for special occasions too...like Valentine's Day! ;)

Batangas Goto (Tripe Soup) and a Picture-ful Weekend

So how was the weekend for you all??? We had a rainy and gloomy weather here last weekend. If not only for the Breakfast with St. Nick at church which we promised the girls we'd go to, I could have slept until noon. It was such a perfect day to stay in PJ's, but we had to leave before 8am for the event. Well, we didn't stay out that long. After eating pancakes and taking the girls' photo with St. Nick,

we went straight home, took some photos with our Santa,

and some photos for our 2011 Christmas card with pink and green theme, 

put our jammies back on, took some photos again

and then we all curled up and cuddled on the sofa to watch movies on Netflix. It was such a lazy day but such a wonderful weekend for the four of us.  We enjoyed taking pictures and doing something we love the most which is spending time with each other. 

We had simple but filling food which didn't require much cooking. For lunch we had hotdog sandwich and chips which Ryan prepared and for snack, we had a bucket of popcorn and some Chocolate Crinkles.

It was raining the whole day and it was really cold, so for dinner, I thought of making soup.  It's my father's favorite soup. Oh actually, it's every Batangueño's favorite and it's called Goto, which simply refers to Tripe Soup. The goto I grew up with is different from the “Goto Arroz Caldo” most Filipinos know. Like the traditional Chicken Arroz Caldo that I've shared with you before, Goto Arroz Caldo is made of glutinous rice but has tripe strips instead of chicken. Batangas Goto, on the other hand, is not congee type. It has no rice in it. It is simply a soup made of tripe, cow’s skin, intestines, liver, tongue, blood and beef simmered and seasoned with onions, garlic, ginger, pepper and salt. To add flavor and color, it is also cooked with annatto powder. Goto is best eaten while hot. It is usually served with soy sauce and calamansi dip with crushed chilies which reduces the gamy taste of the cow’s entrails.

I know that many of you will be grossed out by the mere thought of eating this kind of soup. But this has become a favorite to many Batangueños. The variety of soft, tender textures of meat and spongy skin and the light stickiness of tripe in it make this a hit to the people of Batangas and to those who have experienced eating this.

When I was still in the Philippines, I've seen how restaurants serving goto overflow with people waiting in turns to savor this native dish during lunch time. Available at 40Php-90Php($1- $2) per bowl, it is really cheap considering that it is so flavorful and really filling when eaten with rice.

I must admit that since I was a kid until now, I only enjoy eating Goto with just tripe and beef. I have tried it with all the other entrails. It's good especially when the entrails have been cleaned well before cooking, but it's still too pungent for me. The combination of tripe and beef is just perfect. So for those of you who are already saying "eeewwwww", let me tell you that the soup I made last weekend didn't have cow’s skin, intestines, liver, tongue nor blood. It's just tripe and beef...and it's delicious! Ryan cleaned the tripe really well so there was no gamy smell and taste at all. Even the girls loved it...they didn't eat tripe though. :)

If you are someone who's on the lookout for an extraordinary gastronomic experience, you should try this. Not only is this soup perfect for the cold weather and so filling when eaten with rice, it is also the perfect cure for hangover. A hot bowl of this flavorful soup will surely take away your headache and will put you back on track. Check it out! 

"Arroz TapLog" - Beef and Egg Arroz Caldo for KCC Challenge

Today, I bring to you my take on this month's Kulinarya Cooking Club Challenge. For those of you who haven't heard of Kulinarya Cooking Club, it is a group of foodies who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colorful cuisine. You know that my blog's main objective is to share the goodness of Filipino Cuisine, so I'm sure you can imagine how proud I am to be a member of this awesome club! 

Each month, the club showcases a Filipino dish with the hope of sharing its members' passion and love for Filipino food. For this month, the chosen theme is Arroz Caldo which is one of the most favorite comfort food among Filipinos. Arroz Caldo which is often thought of as one of those Filipino dishes that's of Spanish origin came from the Spanish words, Arroz which means "rice" and Caldo which means "broth"), but is actually an adaptation of the Chinese congee or porridge. It is a thick rice porridge that is flavored with garlic, ginger, onion and safflower (kasubha). The latter is our local saffron which gives Arroz Caldo an appealing aroma and a bright yellow tinge.

In the Philippines, when you say Arroz Caldo, you are actually referring to chicken rice porridge because that's the most common version of this dish. But I've already posted my Chicken Arroz Caldo recipe during my first month of blogging...

...so for this month's Kulinarya Challenge, I thought of making another version which I call "Arroz TapLog". It's Arroz Caldo with Tapa (Cured Beef) and Itlog (Egg). It's kinda like my favorite breakfast, Tapsilog, but in this one, I paired the beef and egg with Arroz Caldo instead of sinangag (fried rice).

Back when I was growing up, my mom loved making Arroz Caldo especially during tag-ulan or rainy season which is from June to November and during tag-lamig or cold season which is from December to February. The Chicken version is what my mom cooked often...but I remember how she would make Beef Arroz Caldo whenever any family member was feeling under the weather. I guess for her, serving this version of Arroz Caldo makes a sick person feel more special and cared for because beef is a lot more expensive than chicken. :) 

Thoughts of my mom's tender loving care inspired me to create this Arroz Taplog for Kulinarya. The flavor of beef tapa gave a twist to the usual Arroz Caldo that my family enjoys.  But I must tell you that no matter what meat is in your Arroz Caldo, it will always bring that comforting and healing effect to your body! The flavors of garlic, ginger, onion and safflower combined with rice and broth is what makes it so filling and satisfying! Whether you're feeling under the weather or just having a tough day, a nice hot bowl of Arroz Caldo will definitely make you feel better!


Don't miss our Macy's Thanksgiving Giveaway!!!

Beef Morcon and Macy's Thanksgiving Giveaway

Growing up in a country where there's no Thanksgiving celebration, I was at lost as to what to prepare when we first had our first Thanksgiving here in Texas. We relocated here from the Philippines a week before Thanksgiving Day in 2004, and though we were invited by a friend to celebrate with them, I decided to cook something that we can bring. I searched over the internet about what's usually served on a Thanksgiving feast, and though I wanted to be adventurous and try cooking a usual Thanksgiving dish, I opted to just make something that I'm used to prepare. Beef Morcon, which is a favorite holiday food in the Philippines was one of them...and surprisingly, it was a hit not only to our friend's Filipino guests but also to the American ones!  

This will be the 8th time that we're celebrating Thanksgiving here, and though I've been preparing traditional American Thanksgiving food (like roast turkey, mashed potatoes & green bean casserole) since our second time, Beef Morcon is one of those Filipino food that I love making for Thanksgiving. I don't know if it's simply because it was my late Mom's favorite dish to cook for my birthday (which falls on Christmas Day) or it's my way of looking back to our first Thanksgiving celebration 7 years ago. Well I guess both are good reasons...but I must say that Beef Morcon is certainly a dish to love.

Let me share with you my Mom's Beef Morcon recipe that I altered a bit. You will find this dish irresistible, and you definitely won't regret if you'll make this a part of your Thanksgiving or Holiday feast. It's such a good addition to the usual star of the dinner table, Mr. Gobble Gobble Turkey. The best thing about Beef Morcon is that you can prepare it ahead of time!

Pancit Bihon with Stir-Fried Ground Beef and Mixed Vegetables

Of all the Chinese influences to the Filipino Cuisine, I must say that noodles has been my most favorite since I was little. My mom used to cook all kinds of noodles common in the Philippines - bihon, canton, miki and sotanghon, in many different ways depending on what other ingredients are available in our refrigerator. I grew up having pancit (noodles) for lunch or dinner frequently, which could be chicken, seafood, pork or plain vegetable pancit. On special occasions, we usually have my mom's supreme pancit which has all the ingredients mentioned. But I don't remember her cooking it with beef. I am not sure if it's because beef takes longer to cook or because it is more expensive. Well, I guess it's the latter.  

The other week, the girls requested for Stir Fried Ground Beef with Mixed Veggies. Instead of serving it with rice, I thought of serving it with bihon noodles. Clarise and Cherlin both love anything noodles so I wasn't surprise when they both asked for a second serving. Ryan, on the other hand, is not a big fan of bihon, but I guess it was also good enough for him. The only thing he complained about is why I didn't cook more! :)

Before going to the recipe, let me announce the prize for our "Recreating PiTCC Recipes in Your Kitchen" Facebook Photo Contest! It will be a $50 Visa Gift Card and Lynn Alley's 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker recipe book (worth $16.99). You don't need to be a blogger to join! This is open to all fans of Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner on Facebook. All you have to do is to submit a photo of any of our recipes that you recreated, and that's it. The photo with the most "likes" will win. For the complete contest details, just visit our Facebook Page! :)

And now, here's my Pancit Bihon with Stir-Fried Ground Beef and Mixed Vegetables recipe. Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday!!!

Homemade Beef Chili

November is finally here...and now that the cold weather has returned to Texas, my thoughts once again seem to be focused on food that provides warmth and comfort. Next to Filipino cold weather comfort food like Arroz Caldo, Tinolang Manok or Tahong, Beef or Pork Nilaga, and Fish or Pork Sinigang, Beef Chili has become a household favorite! We actually love chili anytime of the year...but we find it so perfect during fall and winter. It's so good and easy to make, and with saltine crackers, it's enough to stand alone as a meal.  

Here's one of my Beef Chili recipes which my family consider to be one of the "best cold weather meals prepared by mommy"! :) I always use home cooked beans for this. Though beans take time to cook, you can leave it unattended for most part, so I still  go for it! At least I am sure that there's no sodium and preservatives in it, and they taste better and aren't mushy as the canned ones.

According to the girls, my beef chili has the perfect flavor and just enough spice to warm them up. They really love it --- actually, we all do! Check it out and see for yourself! ;)
 

Kalderetang Baka (Beef Caldereta) and Avery® See Through Sticky Notes Giveaway

I love jotting down notes as well as to-do and to-buy lists. Maybe I got it from my father or I just find it helpful in not forgetting things that I have to do. I was really excited when self-adhesive notes came to the market. I don't exactly remember when that was (I guess I was in college) but I must say that the person behind it is a genius! It is such a simple idea that made my life easier. Even in this smartphone world where we are now, I still prefer writing notes that I can readily see to remind me of upcoming events, or what the girls need to bring to school, or what pantry supplies I need to get. You may think I'm old fashioned but I must admit that I'm a big fan of sticky notes and even though I love using my iPhone notes and reminders apps, sticky notes are still so handy for me.

When I was asked by Avery® to make a review and hold a giveaway of their see through sticky notes, I just couldn't say no! How can I when I'm a big fan??! When Avery® took these sticky notes a step further by developing a See-Through Sticky Note, I was like telling myself that whoever thought of it was so cool!

I just love the idea of having  transparent writable surface that will stand out without covering the information underneath. I can place these right on my recipe books, write recipe adjustments and still see the recipe!

I can write reminders on calendars without covering important texts!

The best thing about Avery® See Through Sticky Notes is that it has a good adhesive that sticks well on paper and other flat surfaces whether rough or smooth, but it removes cleanly without leaving sticky residue or ruining the paper. Its neon color (yellow and magenta) really helped the notes stand out from the page and even if these sticky notes have a plastic texture, you can use a simple ballpoint pen or even pencil! I am really impressed and for that, I give it 5 stars!

Honestly, I like how cool and innovative Avery's products are! But there's more to that! Avery® is part of Box tops for Education - a nationwide fundraising program dedicated to helping America's schools get the things they need—from books and school supplies to playground equipment to computers. Every packaging of Avery products include Box Tops for Education coupon, and for each Box Tops coupon redeemed from Avery products, Avery will donate 10 cents. I find it so great that Avery® is focusing on helping raise money for our local schools! And last Oct. 3, Avery  launched  its Sticky Notes Mark The Spot Sweepstakes wherein 20,000 winners will be selected at random to receive one (1) pack of Avery Sticky Notes, valued at $2.88, and  (5) schools from among those nominated by the 20,000 preliminary contest winners will each win 100,000 Box Tops For Education Coupons, valued at $10,000 each. The estimated retail value of the 20,000 Avery Sticky Notes is $57,600 and the estimated retail value of the 5 school prizes is $50,000. It's really so generous of Avery, don't you think???

If you want to try your luck of helping your school, just like Avery's Facebook page, sign up  and then choose the school you’d like the money to go to should you win. Pretty simple, and you're doing it for a great cause! Imagine what you can do with Avery Sticky Notes and what your school can do with 100,000 Box Tops coupons!

And if you want a chance to win some packs of sticky notes, I am happy to tell you that the generous people from Avery are offering my US readers the chance to win 6 packs Avery® See Through Sticky Notes.
 
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what you want to use these cool see through sticky notes for. It's that simple! The giveaway will close on Sunday, Oct. 23, 9PM CDT. One winner will be chosen via random.org and will be announced on Monday!

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It's such a wonderful day, and aside from the awesome giveaway from Avery®, I want to share with you a very awesome Filipino dish called KALDERETANG BAKA (Beef Caldereta)...

Kaldereta which came from the Spanish word "caldereta" simply means stew. It is a favorite Filipino dish especially in the Luzon area, which is originally goat stew and is cooked with tomato sauce, potatoes, liver spread, olives, bell peppers and hot peppers. It is another one of those Spanish-influenced dishes that came to be a favorite among Filipinos. It became so popular that many versions have been made, and other meat like beef, chicken, pork and even fish have been used. Beef is the most popular though.

Some cook their kaldereta with coconut milk and some cook it really hot...but I grew up loving the original version which is cooked in tomato sauce but is not too spicy. Kaldereta is a truly scrumptious dish that is served during fiestas, birthday parties, and other special occasions in the Philippines. It has lots of ingredients that all contribute to the goodness of this dish. But don't get intimidated...as long as you have beef (or even pork), tomato sauce, liver paste, potatoes and bell pepper, you're good to cook a simple version of kaldereta. That's how I do it most of the time! :)

But this version of Kaldereta that I'm going to share with you is the one that is usually served during special Filipino gatherings. It has all the ingredients that make it so festive and so delicious that you just can't stop asking for more!

Filipino Burger Steak

If you are from the Philippines, I'm sure you know where the Filipino Burger Steak originated. It may look like the more popular Salisbury Steak but it differs in sauce. Burger Steak which was made popular to the Filipinos by Jollibee (an American-style fast-food restaurant serving burgers and rice-based meals as well as other Filipino favorites like sweet spaghetti, palabok and hotdog sandwich) in the early 90's is made up of pan-fried beef patties that come with a flavorful brown gravy topped with sliced button mushrooms and served with steamed rice. It became a favorite to most Filipinos not just because of Jollibee's marketing campaign but more because of its affordability and its delicious taste.

Jollibee's burger steak first came out when I was in college. I really liked it back then. It's affordable and very filling! But I was on a tight budget and I couldn't be eating out as frequent as I wanted to...so I had to learn how to cook burger steak. Oh well, the truth is I asked my mom to find out how to cook it...and she did come up with her own version. For the burger patties, she combines ground beef, minced garlic and onions, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and pepper; divide it into equal portions; form each into round patty; and pan fry them. Her sauce was made up of butter, all-purpose flour, Knorr beef cube, soy sauce and water. She cooks it in low heat with a can of sliced button mushrooms and then pour it on the pan-fried patties. I must say that her version really tasted like the original Jollibee's Burger Steak, and I love it and had been doing the same version for years.

But now that I have 2 girls who loves mushroom sauce so much, I tweaked my mom's recipe and came up with a creamier and tastier version that has become my family's favorite since the first time I cooked it. For the burger patties, I eliminated the bread crumbs and added herbes de provence to the mixture, shaped my burger patties into oval instead of round so it will look more like a steak, and grill them for a better flavor. Then instead of my mom's brown gravy, I made mushroom sauce. These are just simple alterations but they sure give a big change to the texture and taste of the dish! 

Ingredients:
*Serves 4-6  

For Burger Patties:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small red onion, minced
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Herbes De Provence
• ¼ tsp black pepper

For Sauce:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup fresh or canned button mushrooms (I used fresh and because my daughters love mushrooms, I made it 2 cups)
• 1- 10.5oz can cream of mushroom sauce
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (If you are using Filipino soy sauce which is more salty, reduce the amount to 1 ½ Tbsp)
• ½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt & pepper

Father's Day Greetings and Oven Baked Stuffed Bell Peppers

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE LOVING DADS OUT THERE!!! 

May God's blessings and guidance be with you always to help you be wonderful role models to your children every single day...

A real father is very rare….that’s why I've always felt so blessed to have one! No words can express how thankful I am to have a father who’s responsible, strong, smart and filled with love...a father who fulfills all his duties - to teach, to guide and to protect. I am the woman I am today because of the strong foundation he built. Now that I have my own family, I am so thankful to God for giving me a husband who's very much like my father. The first time Ryan held Clarise in his arms was so amazing to watch. I just quietly sat in the hospital bed watching them. Ryan is truly an  awesome dad! From the day Clarise was born until now that we already have 2 daughters, he wholeheartedly accepts and performs the role of a real father. Never was there a time when he fails Clarise and Cherlin. Each time I think of what a good father my husband is, I fall in love with him more. My father was one of the few great fathers and husbands of all time, and Ryan is right up there with him.
 
Today, I celebrate these two great men in my life. What a blessing it is to have the best father and husband in the world!

Happy Father's Day to my father, Ernesto Flores...and my husband, Ryan De Guzman! I love you both so much! 

If my father is here with us now in Texas, this is what I'll cook for him today. He loves anything with beef and pepper, so I'm sure he'll like this one. It was in April when I saw Chris of Gourmet Fashion's Oven Baked Stuffed Bell Pepper post. I got so intrigued by it and promised myself I gonna try making stuffed bell pepper myself. The other day, I got the chance to do it. Though I didn't follow Chris' recipe, I want to thank her for showing me through her post that making stuffed bell pepper isn't hard at all. 

Ryan and even the girls loved it! I'm sure it will be a hit to your family too! Just like what Chris said: "this is really so simple to make and ingredients can always be modified to whatever you happen to have on hand .. as long as the combination of ingredients works with the taste of the bell peppers you've got dinner in 30 minutes!"  

For Chris' recipe, click here. 

Here's mine. I'm sharing this on Savory Sunday and Yummy Sunday.

Ingredients:

• 6 pcs. Red Bell Pepper

Filling:

• 1 cup cooked rice
• ½ lb ground beef
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• ½ cup onion, minced
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 1 medium carrot, cubed
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 2 Tbsp raisins
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Mexican 4 cheese
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Fun-filled Memorial Day Weekend and Slow-cooked Beef Brisket & Vegetables

Our Memorial Day weekend turned out to be all about cooking, partying and spending time with good friends. It was a bit exhausting, but we definitely had fun!

Saturday was our goddaughter's birthday. She had a "Spring Tea Party" themed birthday celebration, and for that, I baked Inipit and Food for the Gods, which I wasn't able to take pictures of. But here are pictures of the birthday girl and my girls during the Tea Party. All the girls were really so pretty in their spring dresses and hats.

Then Sunday, after attending mass, we spent a few hours at our friend's lake house for a pre-Memorial Day celebration. I brought some Filipino Egg Rolls and Inipit. I was kinda in a rush so my inipit was a little more toasted than it should be. :)

Sunday was also the birthday of our dear friend, Melo who is Cherlin's godfather. We prepared a simple dinner for him and invited a couple of friends to come over. I cooked Filipino Egg Rolls and Pancit Canton. Ryan grilled some pork chops, pork belly and bratwurst. I didn't have enough time to make an elaborate cake...but I wanted his birthday cake to be homemade, so I decided to just make a simple strawberry shortcake which the kids really liked.

Yesterday, we decided to just stay home the whole day and take some rest while enjoying some good food. Ryan cooked Fish and Chips for lunch. He used White Bass fillet from the dozen of White Bass he caught last week when he went fishing at the lake.

And for dinner, we had Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket and Vegetables. This is one of my daughters' favorite slow-cooked dishes which I love making because of the ease of preparing and cooking it--- no basting, no flipping...It’s the kind of thing you can throw together and just allow to cook on its own.

It's so easy and delicious that I want to share the recipe with you...

* I'm linking this up on Savory Sunday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mangia Mondays, Hearth and Soul Hop Hub,  Tuesdays At The Table, Tasty Tuesdays, Foodie Wednesday, Let's Do Brunch and These Chicks Cook.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs beef brisket, cut if necessary to fit in pot
• 6 medium- sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 6 medium-sized carrots, sliced
• 2 medium-sized onions, sliced
• 1 head garlic, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

Beef Brisket With Corn Kernels In Mushroom Sauce

My mom loved cooking lengua (ox tongue) in mushroom sauce.Though some people consider any dish with lengua exotic or unusual, back in the Philippines, it is a favorite to many Filipinos. Lengua Estofada (sometimes called Lengua Estofado), a dish of Hispanic origin, which is stewed ox tongue cooked in tomato sauce is the most common way of cooking lengua. I love it too but I love lengua in mushroom sauce more.

I remember last cooking it for Christmas Eve two years ago. "Ewww" was all I got from my daughters that's why I haven't cooked it since then. Yesterday was one of those days when I was terribly missing it. Because I know that my daughters won't be happy to see ox tongue on our table, I thought of substituting it with beef brisket.They actually love mushroom sauce & corn, it's just the texture of the lengua that they say bothers them, and of course, the thought that it's an animal tongue.

So, based from my mother's "Lengua with Corn Kernels in Mushroom Sauce" recipe, I cooked Beef Brisket with Corn Kernels in Mushroom Sauce for the first time. It was a hit I tell you! Rye loved it and Clarise & Cherlin both asked for a second serving, so I can say  they loved it too! My craving for my mom's lengua was satified! The beef brisket actually looked like lengua when covered with sauce. You'll just know it's not lengua the moment you bite it. But it was good...really good...and it made the four of us happy! :)

I'm sharing this on What's on the Menu Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Foodie Wednesday and Let's Do Brunch. 

Prep Time:~5 mins              Cook Time:~1 hour & 15 mins                Servings: 4-6       

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs beef brisket
• 1 whole onion, quartered
• 1 whole garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 Tbsp peppercorns
• 2 pcs bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp salt
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup fresh or canned corn kernels (I used fresh corn which I boiled with the beef.)
• 1 ½ cup beef broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pc. Knorr beef cube
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
• salt
• pepper

Tapsilog

It’s Valentine’s Day next Monday! For this week, Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner will be featuring Pinoy recipes that you can prepare for your family on Valentine’s Day, i.e., for breakfast, lunch, merienda(snack) and dinner. There will be dessert recipes too!

First recipe is Tapsilog which you can serve for breakfast on Valentine’s Day.

Tapsilog is an all-time favorite breakfast in the Philippines. It is the shortcut for Tapa (fried cured beef strips), Sinangag (garlic fried rice) at Itlog (egg) combined into one meal. Although it is considered as breakfast food, it is commonly sold throughout the day in Philippine turo-turo eateries. (The word Turo (to-roh) in Filipino literally means "point," and turo-turo refers to the many roadside eateries in the Philippines, where diners just point to the dish they want from the wide selection of cooked food displayed on a table.)

Here’s my hearty Tapsilog recipe for breakfast that will get your family off to a good start on Valentine’s Day!

Ingredients:

*Breakfast for 4

For Tapa or Cured Beef Strips (a little sweet version):

• 1 lb beef sirloin, cut into very thin strips then tenderized (Each strip is to be 4 to 5 inches long and about 2 inches wide)
• 1 head garlic,  minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp black pepper

 For Sinangag or Garlic Fried Rice:

• 4 cups cooked rice
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt to taste

For Fried Egg or Pritong Itlog:

• 4  eggs
• Salt to taste

Nilagang Baka

Snow storm is over but it’s still freezing here in Little Elm, TX at 13F. Nilagang Baka is one dish that comes into my mind during cold weather like this. We had it for dinner last night and it was perfect! It is among my daughters’ favorite Filipino dishes, and I love adding an assortment of vegetables in it so it will be healthier for them. They quickly finish their meal and they get to eat vegetables without an argument whenever we have nilaga.

Nilagang Baka is literally translated as “Boiled Beef”. It is simply beef and vegetables boiled together in water with some seasoning. This dish can be served alone or with rice. It is very easy to prepare even for those who are just learning how to cook. It takes almost no effort at all to cook this dish - you just put everything in the pot and let it cook. You have to be patient in tenderizing the beef though. If you are in a hurry, you may use pressure cooker to tenderize the beef.

This is a simple yet so good and nourishing dish that you should try!

Prep Time: 10 mins          Cook Time: ~2 hours           Servings: 6                              

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef (brisket, shank or short ribs), cut into serving pieces
• 1 medium sized onion, quartered
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 bundles pechay (bok choi), washed and trimmed
• 3 stalks green onion, cut into 2 ½ inch length
• 8-10 pcs string beans or 12-15 pcs green beans, cut into 2 ½ inch length
• 2 pcs. corn on the cob, each cut into 3
• 2 potatoes, quartered
• ¼  tsp peppercorns
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• Salt 

Beef Pares

During my college days in UST, it was said that you’re not a real Thomasian if you’ve never tasted Beef Pares at the Original Pares House along Espana near Maceda St. in Sampaloc, Manila. I remember being first introduced to this place by my boyfriend (now, my hubby) and his friends, and how it became our most frequent dining place. Their beef pares is the best! It has the right blend of sweetness that makes it so delicious!!!

So what is Beef Pares? Beef Pares is a juicy tender stewed beef in sweet brown sauce, which is one of the most famous street foods in the Philippines. It is called pares which means “pair”, because this meat dish is served with a pair of garlic fried rice (sinangag) and beef soup. What makes the beef pares stand out from other beef-and-rice dishes is its very tender meat and its aromatic sweet sauce.

One very important consideration when cooking this is the right cut of meat. Beef brisket for me is the ideal cut for making beef pares. It has lots of ligaments (litid)) which will help achieve a texture that is tender and sticky at the same time.

Beef Pares has become a comfort food to the rice loving Filipinos. Try this beef pares recipe. I’m pretty sure you’ll fall in love with it! I included here the procedure on how to make the garlic fried rice & beef soup that you have to serve with the beef stew. After all, it can’t be called pares without the rice & the soup.

Prep Time: 10 mins          Cook Time: ~2 1/2 hours           Servings: 6-8                      

Ingredients: 

For beef stew:

• 2 lbs. beef brisket, uncut
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 pcs. star anise
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 stalk green onion,  chopped (for garnishing)
• Salt to taste

For the soup:

• 3 stalks green onions, cut into 2-inch length
• 1 medium size onion, quartered
• ½ head garlic, chopped
• 1 pc beef cube
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 stalk green onions, finely chopped (for garnishing)

For the garlic fried rice:

• 5 cups cooked rice
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste