granola bars.

We love granola around here, eaten by itself and washed down with coffee or crushed up and in yogurt. We usually buy granola, in individual packets, boxed up, from the store. However, I’ve taken to making my own granola after being inspired by my sister-in-law Sarah. Because we eat it so much, I wondered about making our own granola bars. After searching online for a good recipe, I found one here, on Smitten Kitchen (what a wonderful website!). Of course, I made my own modifications and made do with what I had. The end product? I was very pleased with the results. I don’t think I’ll be buying the boxed kind anymore. Why do that when I can make my own, and know exactly what is going in them?

Ingredients (adapted from the Smitten Kitchen recipe, see link above)

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/2 cup milled flax seed
• 1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran
• 2/3 cup honey (plus half of a 1/3 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 glass dish with foil (and coated with some cooking spray), set aside.
2. Put the oats, coconut and sesame seeds in a baking sheet and cook in the oven for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Check it every so often and stir, so nothing burns.
3. When the oat mixture is done, remove from the oven; lower the heat to 300 degrees. Put the oat mixture in a bowl. Mix in the wheat germ, milled flax seed and wheat bran – stir well.
4. Then, while the oat mixture is still warm, add the honey (add more if you think the mixture is still a bit dry), vanilla and salt. Mix well.
5. Add the dried fruit and mix well.
6. After everything is coated with the honey, pour the mixture in the baking dish and pat firmly into the dish with your fingers or a spatula. Pat it as tightly as possible.
7. Put the dish back in the oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Cool for about an hour and a half (the original recipe said 2-3 hours, but I was too impatient, hehe), then use a serrated knife to cut the granola into bars.
9. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap.

According to Smitten Kitchen, these granola bars will keep for about a week stored in an air-tight container, at room temperature or longer, frozen . We still have 3 more store-bought granola bars to eat, so I put my individually-wrapped homemade bars in the freezer for now. I’m so glad I found this recipe and excited to make more in the future!

palitaw.

A dessert I ate growing up is called palitaw. Since I’ve been recently trying to expand my Filipino food repertoire, I searched online for a recipe – found one here. Now, rice flour (and specifically, sweet rice flour that my mom would use) can only be found in Asian grocery stores. However, we have a small organic-type of grocery store that I suspected would have such a flour. Lo and behold, they did – white rice flour and brown rice flour. The brown rice flour was on sale so that’s what I got. Now, with most of my recipes, I post the ingredients and step-by-step process. However, this dessert was a bit tricky to make (and quite messy, too) so I’m not sure how often I’ll make it. Here’s the recipe, halved from the original I found online.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups water
• half of 1/3 cup of sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup coconut
• 4 cups water for boiling

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan, for about 30 seconds or so, in medium high heat. Set aside in a bowl and cool. Once cooled, add the sugar.
2. Put the coconut in a shallow plate and set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of water and the rice flour together. (It seemed too wet so I added a bit more flour to remove the wetness.)
4. Put the 4 cups of water in pot and boil.
5. When the water is boiling, take a teaspoon of the rice flour mixture, roll into a ball, then flatten into a patty. Drop carefully into the boiling water and cook for about 20 seconds or so (very trial and error for me as I examined the cooked patties). The patty should float to the top when it’s done (I had to just guess-timate mine – didn’t really float all the way to the top; I think it’s because I used brown rice flour).
6. Coat the patty immediately with the shredded coconut. To serve, top with the sugar and sesame seed mixture.

shrimp tacos.

There is a restaurant in my town that serves amazing tacos. Whenever we go there, I get the seafood kind, complete with their special garlic sauce, cilantro and crumbled feta cheese. So different, yet so good!

I made my own version of said seafood tacos, with shrimp. Nothing too fancy but it completely satisfied my appetite (plus my husband enjoyed them too!). One thing to note, the frozen shrimp that I got was small and it shrank as I cooked it – note to self, get bigger shrimp next time. (Also, I tried coating the shrimp with panko crumbs but they did not adhere very well and fell off into the pan. However, I liked the taste of the toasted panko crumbs that so I included it in the taco.) We ate this with potatoes sauteed in a bit of olive oil and kosher salt. So for a quick and tasty dinner, check it out . . .

Ingredients

• 1 cup small shrimp (thawed, peeled and deveined)
• olive oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• kosher salt
• 4 white corn tortillas
• crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tbsp sour cream
• 4-5 tbsp tomatillo salsa (All Natural Frontera brand)
• cilantro leaves

(directions modified without panko crumbs)
1. Soak the shrimp in the milk, then sprinkle with kosher salt.
2. Heat some olive oil in a pan, about medium heat and cook the shrimp (drained of the milk first) for a few minutes until the shrimp is about pink and opaque.
3. Set aside shrimp and make the sauce.
4. Combine the sour cream and tomatillo salsa in a bowl (add more of each, if you want), then put it in the fridge to cool for about 15 minutes.
5. To make a taco, heat up one corn tortilla in a pan or microwave. Put the shrimp on the tortilla, then layer with the sauce, cilantro leaves and feta cheese. (When we ate this, I forgot to add the shredded lettuce, so add whatever other veggies you want to the taco.)

I will make this again, with shrimp and different kinds of fish like tilapia or salmon.

afritada or apritada.

Lately, I’ve been craving Filipino food. Maybe it’s because I know I am going to be eating some great Filipino meals (when my husband and I visit my parents this weekend). Or maybe I’m just getting more in touch with my roots. Either way, I love my native country cuisine.

Tonight, I made afritada (or, pronounced by us Filipinos, “apritada”), which is a tomato-based stew of sorts. You can make this dish with pork, beef or chicken and with a few vegetables, and eat it with steamed rice. Here’s the recipe (not sure how exact it is, but the end product ended up tasting pretty close to my dad’s recipe). Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 5 chicken tenderloins, cubed
• 1 large potato, cubed (without the skin)
• 1 can (about 14 oz) of stewed tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (about 14 oz) of petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup sweet peas
• 3/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups water
• olive oil
• 2 or 3 tbsp of garlic (or more, if you want!)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper

1. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep sautee pan. When the oil is heated, add the chicken pieces and cook until light brown.
2. Add the garlic, all the tomatoes and tomato paste in the pan, stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the water, stir, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, add the carrots, potatoes and onion. Also add the basil and oregano. Mix well, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
5. Add the peas last, simmer for about 3 minutes, then turn off the heat.
6. Let stand for a few minutes before serving with rice.

pan-fried chicken with mustard sauce.

While I was meal-planning and doing the usual thing of perusing the internet for recipes to try, I came across this Martha Stewart dish – pan-fried chicken with mustard sauce.  I made it for dinner one night and I will be adding this to my recipe box! So simple, yet so good. I’ll note my modifications below, in parentheses. We ate this with wild rice and roasted asparagus (and seeing as how we eat asparagus a lot, I decided to post how I roast this vegetable – see the end of the post).

Pan-fried Chicken with Mustard Sauce
Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (I used 6 chicken tenderloin pieces, which what I had in the freezer)
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper (I use kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper)
• 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup of chicken stock
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard (I used what I had in the fridge, 2 tbsp of stone ground mustard)
• 3 tbsp sour cream (I used 2 tbsp instead)

1. Season chicken with thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
2. Heat non-stick pan with evoo, on medium-high heat.
3. When the oil barely starts to shimmer, add the seasoned chicken and cook until done (or browned).
4. Once the chicken is done, remove them from the pan and set on a plate, covering it with foil.
5. Turn up the heat to high, and add chicken stock and mustard to the same pan, whisking to combine the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Then, whisk in the sour cream until the mixture slightly thickens (about 2 minutes).
7. Serve the sauce with chicken.

Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients

• 1 stalk of asparagus
• kosher salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Trim each asparagus, about an inch from the bottom. Discard the bottom parts of the asparagus.
3. Put a small bit of olive oil on a non-stick pan, and roll the asparagus around in the oil.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook in oven for about 5 minutes or so until the asparagus starts browning just a little bit (at least, that’s how I like my asparagus! sometimes I even broil it).

hotcakes!

I don’t usually crave pancakes but a couple of weekends ago, I got a hankering for them. Specifically, the true Filipino version – what we call “hotcakes”.  I had found one recipe but was not happy with the results; they were tasty but not like the kind I used to eat when I was a young girl. I could have asked my parents, but they are not the kind of cooks who keep recipes. Rather, they cook by taste.

My hotcake craving got the best of me and I scoured the Internet for a genuine recipe. Alas, I found the perfect one! (cannot find link, so will post it later)

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 and 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter

1. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in one bowl.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the melted butter and buttermilk.
3. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix, taking care not to make the mixture too smooth. (some small lumps are good)
4. Heat non-stick skillet (or griddle) and add some butter. Pour enough batter into the hot skillet to make a circle (maybe 1/3 cup batter?); cook it like you would a normal pancake.

This hotcake has a slight sweetness, so eating it with syrup is not necessary. Enjoy!

impromptu banana split.

Every so often, my husband and I will surprise each other with some little gifts after a long day’s work. Not anything too extravagant – mainly, snacks that are purchased at the local grocery store on the way home. We don’t keep junk food in our home, because junk food is not healthy and if it’s at home, we’ll eat it with no hesitation. So, a treat here and there is not bad at all.

The other day, I came home to find that my husband had purchased us some dessert – tiny cups of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. I was happy! He knows how much I love chocolate and ice cream. So, to make my little treat somewhat healthy, I added sliced bananas, pecan bits and semi-sweet chocolate chips (MUFA!). Ahh, satisfaction in a bowl.

tea and coffee.

Inspired by my friend Andrea and a little Facebook thread about tea and coffee, I decided to devote a post about my love for these two drinks.

Before I was married, I took several trips to Ireland, and on my travels there, I discovered tea. Black tea with cream and sugar. Heavenly! Then, I went to India and drank the goodness that is chai, with some masala for a little kick. Delicious. I have also traveled to China and tasted the pureness of loose-leaf green tea, served in little handmade clay cups.

However, in the following years I figured out that the loads of sugar I would put in my tea and coffee gave me such a horrible crash after consuming these drinks. Alas, I slowly weaned myself from adding sugar and milk/cream to my tea and coffee (Rachel, aren’t you proud of me?). Some people can’t fathom drinking tea and coffee without sugar and milk, but now I can’t fathom drinking it WITH sweetness! The sugary flavor covers up the different spices and blends that tea and coffee have. THAT is why I drink tea and coffeee (plus it keeps me warm on a cold, blistery day).

Here are some of my favorite teas:

• Ahmad Tea (London): Earl Grey
• Twinings: Earl Grey, Lady Grey and Prince of Wales
• PG Tips
• Black, loose-leaf tea from Boston Tea Campaign (introduced to me by my husband)
• Barry’s Irish Tea: Irish Breakfast
• Tazo Berryblossom Tea
• and any black tea (ceylon, assam and darjeeling – the latter acknowledged as the finest tea in the world)

And for our coffee consumption (no instant or pre-ground; beans are better), here’s what my husband and I like:

• Eight O’Clock Coffee: Original, Bokar and Colombian
• World Market Whole Bean Coffee: Costa Rican Tarrazu blend
• Honduran blend (I think I got this at a Dunn Brothers Coffee Shop, but they don’t have it anymore)

*side note – roughest coffee I’ve ever had? Ethiopian Harrar coffee, fresh from Addis Ababa (I bought over 10 pounds worth of coffee beans when I traveled there). When I drank the coffee, it made me wonder if motor oil tasted like it.

Even though we can and do certainly make coffee at home (even our own version of Cubano espresso), every so often we’ll visit a coffee shop. I highly recommend Art Six and Buon Giorno (especially for their French Press coffee, and beans roasted on site!). And both times I’ve been in Seattle, any coffee shop (asides from the ever-favored, over-rated Starbucks) has great drinks.

Mmmm . . . caffeine!

Money Matters – an introduction.

Let me tell you a story . . .

Once a upon a time, there was a naive college student who lived a normal, happy life. At times, this young girl was organized and meticulous about everything. But other times, she was not so organized and meticulous. In fact, she could be completely oblivious. And let’s face it – she was a college student, so irresponsibility was not too far of a reach. And unbeknowst to her, she still had many a life lesson to learn. This was just how it was.

This girl had a steady income from a part-time job, and earned a bit more money than the normal college student would. Twice a month, she would deposit her hard-earned money into the bank. And throughout each month, she would also spend. A meal at a restaurant here, a cup of coffee there. Yet, she was not frivolous nor lived a luxurious life. She was just a typical college student.

However, it seemed that she became more oblivious and paid less attention to some important details in her life. She thought her spending was not exceeding the amount of money in her checking account and the amount of money she was putting in twice a month. She had never balanced a check book in her life, nor did she keep up with her online banking registry. She thought she had it all straight in her head, how much money goes in and how much money goes out. She didn’t even feel the need to open the envelopes from her bank that had begun piling up on her desk. Surely, she thought, these are just statements that are telling me what I have been spending, nothing more. I already know this!

So that pile of envelopes slowly got taller, each month.

One day, she received a phone call from her bank. Then fear overwhelmed her, shaked her to the core and the tears welled from her eyes.  Ma’am, you have overdrawn your account, in the amount of $1,500. Those words kept ringing in her ears. $1,500?! Panic set in, she wringed her hands and thought about how stupidly she had handled her money. She also thought about the impending doom that would come when she called her parents. That was it, she would be disowned.

Fortunately, this story had a happy ending. I was that extremely naive and irresponsible girl who overdrew $1,500 (!!!) and lived to tell about it. Thanks to the kindness of a friend who lent me some money and the support of my parents and brother who stepped in, the charges were paid and my bank continued to keep me as a customer. (Most importantly, my family did not disown me.) I received a long, stern but loving talk from my father and on that day, I learned a very valuable lesson: Check your bank statements, online or on paper, and make sure your expenditures are not exceeding the amount of money you actually have! This should be a simple, “duh” kind of thing right? To my twenty-seven-year-old self, yes. But six years ago, it just didn’t sink in.

Stay tuned for another installment on Money Matters.

my own version of capellini pomodoro.

As my husband continues to heal from his dental surgery, I’ve had to think long and hard about what other soft foods to feed him other than oatmeal, applesauce and pudding. One day, I made him some baked salmon with refried black beans seasoned with a little bit of lime juice (this was a new find in a can, bought at our local grocery store). Just recently for our date night, I decided to make one of Bryan’s favorite dishes (he first tried this at Olive Garden) – capellini pomodoro. I thought, how hard could it be? Its ingredients were tomatoes, garlic, basil and pasta. However, before I jumped the gun on this new meal, I went online to look for “copycat” recipes just to make sure I wasn’t going to create something too difficult for me. I was right – it’s pretty basic. I was excited to try this, because it would be a pretty soft meal for my husband to eat and it would give me the chance to eat tomatoes (for some reason, I don’t like eating uncooked or nearly cooked tomatoes . . . odd, I know; however, I can eat salsa all day, use ketchup for my fries and burgers and can guzzle tomato soup by the gallon).

Ingredients:

• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped (next time, I’ll be using 4)

• extra virgin olive oil

• approx. 1 tbsp of minced garlic (next time, I’ll use more!)

• 7 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

• freshly ground black pepper

• kosher salt

• half a box of angel hair pasta (capellini)

• fresh parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain and set aside in a bowl.
2. Put enough evoo in a small sautee pan and heat until the oil starts to shimmer.
3. Add minced garlic and cook, but not browned (burnt garlic doesn’t taste good).
4. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for about a minute (make sure the tomatoes don’t lose their shape and get mushy).
5. Quickly add some basil leaves to the mixture.
6. Remove from heat, add a pinch or two of kosher salt and some pepper (do this according to taste; I don’t like my dishes too salty but that’s just me and my mother, the dialysis technician’s influence on me).
7. Add tomato mixture to cooked pasta. Top with remaining basil leaves and fresh parmesan shredded with a microplane grater (you must have one of these!). Serve immediately, with foccacia bread.
Serves 2.