Adobo Seasoning

This seasoning, from Ingrid Hoffman, is what I used when I made chicken enchiladas the other night.

"This is the backbone of almost all Latin cooking, including my recipes. It adds a distinct lemony garlic flavor. I like to make my own homemade organic version, which is a blend of cumin, oregano, achiote, parsley, lemon pepper, onion and garlic. If you could only have one spice in your cabinet, adobo is by far the most versatile. It’s mild enough for fish and salads or can add a strong flavor to meats, poultry and stews."

Adobo seasoning is wonderful on everything. It adds a kick to the soups and sauce and is great as a spice rub or mixed with liquids for a marinade. Store it in a tightly covered glass jar in a dark, dry, cool spot. It will keep for up to six months.

1 tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder or flakes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon achiote powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon salt

Combine the spices in a small glass jar and seal with an airtight lid. Shake to blend and store in a cool, dry place.

Classic, old-fashioned pork ‘adobo’

This recipe came from my grandmother.

2 k sliced pork belly

250 g garlic, chopped

1 tbsp black whole peppercorn, crackled

6 pc laurel

6-8 tbsp of vinegar according to taste

1 Knorr chicken cube

In a deep pot, combine garlic, pepper, salt, laurel, chicken broth, vinegar and 10 glasses of water. Bring to a boil until pork is tender, approximately 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

Strain pork and garlic. Separate pork from garlic. Set aside broth.

Then, fry pork in oil, turning occasionally until golden brown. Oil will splatter since pork is wet. Add fried meat to the already simmering broth. This will take approximately an hour.

Chop garlic finely then fry until golden brown in the same pan where pork was fried. Return to broth and mix well. This will take another 30 minutes. Let it simmer. Sauce will turn brown without soy sauce, since pork and garlic have been browned.

Curry Rice (Kare Raisu)

Yesterday, my husband and I went on our usual walk to our downtown and ended up at the library. I wasn't meaning to borrow another cookbook, but stumbled upon this cookbook called "Let's Cook Japanese Food!" to check if it had a curry recipe that my son could try. It turned out to be a good one and I plan to try some other recipes soon.

A thick, mild or spicy classic based on English-style curry, kare raisu is arguably the best-known in Japan's large repertoire of "borrowed" cuisine. After its introduction in the late 1870's, curry rice became a hugely popular dish in universities and other schools, at lunch counters, and in homes. Tasty, cheap, and filling, it is still the meal of many college kids and office workers a couple of times a week.

The thick, rich sauce is often served over tonkatsu or ebi furai with rice on the side. But it is most typically spooned over rice to soak up every last bit of flavor, and dish is eaten with a spoon. Yogurt and grated apple are my secret flavourings for the curry.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons curry powder
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 or 2 hot red chilies or 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound boneless stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil
1 tomato, halved, seeded, and chopped
2 cups reduced-fat, low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 small apple, peeled, cored, and grated (optional)
2 tablespoon plain yogurt (optional)
4-5 cups hot cooked rice

In a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add 2-1/2 tablespoons of the curry powder and half of the onion slices, stir well, cover, and cook, uncovering and stirring every 2 minutes or so to prevent scorching, until the onions are medium brown, about 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in the garlic, ginger, chilies to taste, and bay leaf and stir to combine.

While the onions are cooking, spread the flour in a shallow bowl and lightly dust the beef cubes, shaking off any excess. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, add the beef cubes and brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

When the onion-curry mixture is ready, add the browned beef to the pot along with the tomato, mix well, and then pour in the broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the frying pan, return it to medium heat, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter is foaming, add the potato and carrot chunks and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

After the beef has cooked for 15 minutes, add the potato and carrot chunks, the remaining 2-1/2 tablespoons curry powder, the remaining onion slices, and the salt and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the potatoes are soft but not disintegrating and the carrot and beef are tender, about 20 minutes longer.

Remove from the heat and stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Add the apple and/or yogurt (if using) and stir well. Divide the rice among 6 bowls and generously spoon the curry sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Carne Asada Sandwiches

These traditional Mexican sandwiches are like a burrito; they are one of the original wrap sandwiches.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. flank steak
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
• 1 tsp. oregano leaves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 8 flour tortillas
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup chopped green chilies
• 1 cup queso fresco cheese
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes

Preparation:

In large zip lock bag, place flank steak. Pour vinegar, oil, and seasonings into bag; seal bag. Squish bag to blend marinade ingredients and to coat steak. Place in refrigerator and chill for 6-24 hours.

When ready to eat, prepare and preheat grill. Grill flank steak for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until desired doneness. Cook onions in grill pan or a foil pan until tender.

When flank steak is done, remove from grill, cover with foil, and let stand 5-6 minutes. Slice flank steak thinly across grain and make wrap sandwiches with remaining ingredients. 8 sandwiches.

Here's another option from Simply Recipes.

Japanese Curry

My son is learning how to cook. The first dish he cooked was Bistek Tagalog. The next recipe he wants to try is Japanese Curry.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 4 medium potatoes, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 C water
• 2 chicken or beef boullion cubes
• 5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 C flour
• 4 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp chili powder (optional)
• 2 Tsp salt (or to taste)
• 2 C short grain rice
• 4 C water

• In a large pot, heat 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil. Saute onion and garlic until softened.
• Add the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink.
• Add the carrots and potatoes, stir a few times, and then add the water and boullion.
• Bring to a boil, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• While the meat is cooking, make a roux out of the remaining 3 Tbsp oil and the flour: heat oil in a medium skillet until shimmering. Over low-medium heat, add flour and stir, cooking until the flour is blended and takes on a pale golden hue.
• Add curry powder and chili powder, using the back of the spatula to blend it into the roux. The mixture will be powdery and dry.
• Take 1/2 C of the hot liquid from the meat pot and slowly add it to the curry-roux mixture, stiring constantly to form a smooth paste.
• By spoonfuls, add the curry paste back to the beef mixture, stirring to dissolve.
• Add salt.
• Simmer the curry for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the beef and vegetables are tender.
• While curry is finishing up, bring rice and water to a boil in a pot, immediately reduce heat to low, cover the pot with its lid, and cook for 20 minutes.
• Serve curry with rice in shallow bowls. There should be approximately twice as much curry as rice in the bowl.
• Notes:
• 1) Curry mixes vary in ingredients and intensity, so adjust the spices accordingly.
• 2) Like a stew, there should be a lot of sauce, so if the curry is too dry, add more water.