Baked Oatmeal Pudding

My husband and I eat oatmeal almost everyday for breakfast. I tried this recipe today from the WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook. It's very good, but I would make it with less sugar next time.

• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (or less)
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used slivered almonds)
• 1/4 cup dried cherries, cranberries, or strawberries
• 1 firm ripe apple or pear, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 325. Coat an 8″ square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, oil, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the oats, baking powder, salt, nuts, dried fruit, and apple or pear. Stir just until well blended.
3. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and the top is light golden brown. Spoon into bowls and top with blueberries.

Per serving: 278 calories, 96 calories from fat, 11 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 4 g monounsaturated fat, 3 g polyunsaturated fat, 71 mg cholesterol, 257 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 22 g sugar, 8 g protein.

Salmon Belly with Soy Calamansi Sauce

Here's a recipe I should try soon.

Photo and recipe from inquirer.net

½ k salmon belly, cut into lengthwise pieces
2 tbsp calamansi juice for marinating
2-3 tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion, sliced into rings
¼ c soy sauce
1/3 c water
¼ c calamansi juice for the sauce

Clean salmon belly, removing the scales on the skin and any sharp bones that may still be attached. Marinate in the two tablespoons of calamansi juice for 10-15 minutes. In a large skillet, heat cooking oil to medium and sauté onions until soft, about two to three minutes. Transfer onions to a clean plate.

Add salmon belly to skillet and stir-cook until salmon starts to become firm and pinkish in color, about three to four minutes. Combine soy sauce, water and the ¼ cup calamansi juice and pour into skillet. Return the cooked onions to skillet. Simmer until salmon is fully cooked (the texture must be flaky), about one to two minutes. Serve with rice.

Tips

Don’t marinate the salmon in calamansi for longer than 15 minutes. The acid in the calamansi could break down the protein in the fish.

You can adjust the proportion of the soy sauce, water and calamansi according to desired taste.

If the salmon starts to stick to the pan, add a little more cooking oil. Spoon off any excess oil from the pan before pouring in the soy-calamansi sauce.

Lemon-Soy Dressing

I'm not into salads, but if ever I have to prepare salad, this dressing from The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook looks easy enough to make. And best of all, I have all the ingredients available all the time.

If you were to peek into my refrigerator at any point in the year, this is the salad dressing you would be most likely to find. It is a pleasing blend of flavors, is low in fat, keeps forever, and is very, very good.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dark sesame oil
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
4 garlic cloves, minced

Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar and shake well.
Serve at once or store in an airtight container for several months in the refrigerator. Stir or shake well before using.

Makes 1 cup.

Roast Pork Loin with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Here's a recipe I tried tonight from Yahoo! Food

Photo and recipe from Yahoo!Food.

• 1 pound plum tomatoes, cut into thick wedges
• 1 pound small button mushrooms, stems trimmed
• 5 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 (2 1/4 pound) boneless pork loin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, combine tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, and move mixture to sides of pan (leaving center free).
2. Sprinkle pork with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, coriander, and oregano, rubbing mixture in. Place pork in center of pan.
3. Roast until meat registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer and mushrooms are tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven.
4. Cut off a third (10 ounces) of the pork loin, and set aside for making pressed pork sandwiches. Slice remaining pork, and serve with tomatoes, mushrooms, and any pan juices.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Info per Serving

• Calories: 469 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 12 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Fat: 26 g
• Protein: 45 g
• Sugars: 4 g

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

I haven't tried this recipe from Cooking Light yet, but it sounds delicious. I have a bunch of asparagus spears in the refrigerator so I will cook this tomorrow.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 5 spears)

• 40 asparagus spears, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• Cracked black pepper (optional)
• Grated lemon rind (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle over asparagus, tossing well to coat. Garnish with cracked pepper and rind, if desired.

Nutritional Information:

Calories:45 (60% from fat)

Fat:3g (sat 1.8g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:1.9g

Carbohydrate:3.9g

Fiber:1.7g

Cholesterol:8mg

Iron:0.7mg

Sodium:134mg

Calcium:18mg

Sesame Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salad

Here's the second recipe from WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook. I used mini cukes (another term for cucumber) as I didn't find any of the bigger cucumbers.

Bursting with omega-3 fatty acids, all salmon is nutritionally beneficial. Wild salmon, however, has the highest amount of these essential fatty acids, so opt for it whenever possible.

Salad

3 hothouse cucumbers, peeled, quartered, and seeded
6 radishes, julienned
1 scallion, sliced
4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Salmon

4 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skinned
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a baking sheet with sides (jelly-roll pan) with cooking spray.

To make the salad: Slice the cucumbers at an angle into 1/2"-thick pieces. In a large bowl, toss together the cucumbers, radishes, scallion, vinegar, sugar, and pepper flakes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the salmon: Place the salmon on the prepared pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and soy sauce. Brush the vinegar mixture on the salmon and sprinkle with the black pepper and sesame seeds, pressing the seeds onto the fillets. Roast for 8 minutes, or until the fish is opaque. Serve with the salad.

Serve with steamed asparagus, if desired.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 200 calories, 92 calories from fat, 10 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 4 g polyunsaturated fat, 47 mg cholesterol, 314 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 21 g protein.

Better-for-You Black Bean Chili

Whenever I go to the library, no matter what I do, I always gravitate towards the cookbook section. I was glad I found this cookbook called, WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook. So far, the two recipes I've tried were good.

I know - another chili recipe. But I like this as it has sweet potatoes or "camote". I've never been a fan of camote until recently. Served it with zaa'tar bread.

Bingo! Almost every single ingredient in this quick, satisfying chili is a heart healthy food. Take the time to thoroughly rinse canned beans before draining and reduce the sodium content by up to 30 percent.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14.5 oz each) no-salt-added whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chile peppers, drained
1 ripe avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and chopped (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and potato and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and chile peppers. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potato is tender. Spoon the chili into bowls and top each serving with some of the avocado.

Serves 6.
Per serving: 234 calories, 94 calories from fat, 11 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 7 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrates, 10 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 7 g protein

Chicken Mushroom Stew

Here's another recipe from Michael Smith.

The thighs of a chicken are my favourite cut. They’re inexpensive and have way more flavour than the bland breast. I usually braise them because it’s easy and they go with just about anything. I love the way they soak up the earthy flavours of the mushrooms in this dish. This stew works with any mushroom, even the most common, regular white buttons. Whatever type you choose, don't slice them into oblivion. - show off Mother Nature's form by halving or quartering them.

• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 8 x chicken thighs
• 1 lb. of cremini or button mushrooms, cut into quarters
• 2 x Portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 2 x onions, sliced
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 cup of wine, red or white, your choice
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat a large skillet over a medium-high heat then add the oil and a single layer of the chicken thighs. Because you will be adding liquid and lowering the temperature of the chicken, this is the only opportunity you will have to add the rich flavours of caramelized chicken - so be patient. Brown evenly on both sides. When they are done remove and rest on a side plate. Pour off most of the accumulated fat.
2. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan. Sauté first until they begin to release their juices then as they start to become golden brown. Place the chicken thighs back into the pan; then add the stock, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a slow simmer; a boil will toughen the meat. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid so that no moisture escapes and simmer slowly until the meat is very tender and falling off of the bone, about 45 minutes.

Feel free to try: Once the chicken is done stir in some thinly sliced green onions and a bit of chopped parsley for some last-minute green flavour. I also like to ladle it over a big handful of raw baby spinach leaves.

Country Inn Pancakes

Here's a recipe from Michael Smith's Chef at Home cookbook. I used half of the recipe as the whole recipe is too much for us.

This is my gold-standard pancake recipe. When I was a country inn chef I tinkered with it every morning. I tried adding everything under the sun but always come back to this simple base recipe with blueberries. The secret? A preheated skillet.

One and a half cups of all-purpose flour
A cup of whole-wheat flour
One-half spoonful of salt
Two spoonfuls of brown sugar
One spoonful of baking powder
Several large pinches of grated nutmeg
Two eggs
Two sticks of melted butter, eight ounces
Two cups of milk
A splash of vanilla extract
A cup of blueberries (optional)

Preheat your griddle or skillet over a medium-low heat while you mix the batter.

Whisk the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and nutmeg together in a large bowl until they’re evenly combined. In a separate bowl use the same whisk to beat the eggs then whisk in the butter, milk and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and switch to a wooden spoon. Combine with a few quick strokes. Leave the batter a bit lumpy so the flour doesn’t over-mix and get tough. Let the batter rest for a few minutes; the flour will absorb the milk and the batter will stiffen.

For each batch add a splash of vegetable oil to the pan then spoon in the batter. Bake until the bottom of each pancake is browned and bubbles break on the top surface. Carefully flip then bake a few moments more. Drench with butter and maple syrup then start your day with a big smile!

Feel free to try: For a less decadent variation, you can substitute any vegetable oil for the melted butter. For a richer, earthy flavour, replace some or all of the white flour with whole wheat flour. For an apple-pie version, substitute cinnamon for the nutmeg and add a finely diced apple. For a treat, stir in sliced bananas and chocolate chips.

Hints: Your skillet is perfectly preheated when water drops dance on it without evaporating. Adjust the temperature if the drops evaporate (too hot) or just sit and simmer (too cool). Find that magical sweet spot on your stove.

Chicken-Fajita Fettucine

Here's another recipe from Chatelaine magazine.

We gave our favourite Mexican meal an Italian twist in this fast, kid-friendly pasta toss. It boasts all the usual fajita fixings ? No wrapping required.

• 1/2 of 500-g pkg fettuccine, linguine or rigatoni
• 1 large onion
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 2 sweet peppers
• 2 tsp (10 mL) each chili powder and cumin
• 1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) salsa
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) sour cream
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped cilantro
• Grated cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook following package directions until al dente, 8 to 10 min. Meanwhile, slice onion in half, then thinly slice. Cut chicken into bite-size strips. Coat a large, wide frying pan with oil and set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink, 2 min. Add onion and reduce heat to medium. Sauté until it begins to soften, about 5 min.
2. Meanwhile, slice peppers into bite-size strips. Add to pan and sprinkle with seasonings. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through, 2 to 4 min.
3. Drain cooked pasta, but leave in pan. Add chicken mixture along with remaining ingredients, except cheese. Toss to mix. Sprinkle with cheese.

Nutrients per serving

• 34 g protein
• 10 g fat
• 61 g carbohydrates
• 6 g fibre
• 112 mg calcium
• 840 mg sodium
• 466 calories

Makes 4 servings

Cabbage-Roll Stir Fry

I tried this recipe from Chatelaine magazine today. I should remember to drain the fat before adding the rest of the ingredients so the dish isn't too oily.

One taste of this hearty supper and you'll wonder why you ever wasted time rolling cabbage. It tastes just as comforting, with one-quarter of the prep time.

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb (500 g) ground pork or beef
• 28- oz (796- mL) can plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
• 71/2- oz (213- mL) can tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 mL) each dried oregano and thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 454- g pkg coleslaw mix or 1/2 cabbage

1. Lightly coat a wok or large saucepan with oil and place over medium-high heat. Add onion and crumble in pork. Using a fork, stir frequently to keep meat crumbly until it's almost cooked through, 3 to 4 min. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and seasonings. Stir often until flavour develops, about 5 min.
2. Meanwhile, slice green pepper into thin strips. If using a cabbage, thinly slice. Add pepper, cabbage or coleslaw mix to pan and stir often, uncovered, until cabbage is tender, 4 to 5 min. Taste and add salt if needed. It's good on rice or mashed potatoes, or wrapped in a tortilla.

Nutrients per serving

• 25 g protein
• 21 g fat
• 25 g carbohydrates
• 5 g fibre
• 116 mg calcium
• 839 mg sodium
• 374 calories

Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

I saw some nice portobello mushrooms at the grocery today so I tried this recipe for dinner. My husband turned the dish into a sandwich.

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup marjoram, chopped (I used oregano)

1. Combine olive oil, vinegar, salt, garlic, marjoram and mushrooms in a bowl. Let the mushrooms marinate in the dressing for 2 hours.
2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
3. Cover a baking sheet with tinfoil sprayed with nonstick spray. This will help protect your pan.
4. Arrange portobello mushrooms on the foil. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
5. Remove your roasted portobello mushrooms from the oven and serve hot. Use the dressing that you made to spoon over the mushrooms when served on the dish.

Roasted Asparagus

My husband loves roasted asparagus, so I tried another version today and I used the toaster oven. I found the recipe online. I plan to borrow the cookbook, The Gourmet Toaster Oven: Simple and Sophisticated Meals for the Busy Cook, where this recipe was taken.

10 ounces fresh asparagus, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Coarse salt

Capers (optional)

Preheat the toaster oven to 375 degrees.

Toss the asparagus with the olive oil and vinegar in a baking dish and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the asparagus spears are tender. Serve hot or chill to room temperature and garnish with capers. Or serve cold in a salad.

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

Yes, I borrowed another cookbook. I was at the library and remembered I had a bunch of bok choy sum in the crisper so I got this cookbook called Asian Vegetables. The recipe calls for broccoli, but I used bok choy sum, of course! I also added some thinly-sliced pork. The sauce can be used for any kind of greens, I think.

The Chinese broccoli in this dish is interchangeable with just about any other greens, from choy sum to bok choy. Serve it over noodles or with rice, and you've put dinner on the table in about ten minutes. Although Chinese broccoli is not as delicate as some greens and won't absorb oil as quickly, if you have only a small wok or skillet, it is best to cook it in two batches.

2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
3/4 pound Chinese broccoli, tough stem ends discarded and stems and leaves cut into 3-inch pieces
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons water

In a small bowl, combine the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, salt and chicken broth or water.

In a wok or large, deep skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 15 seconds until fragrant. Add the chinese broccoli, toss well, and add the oyster sauce mixture. Cover and let the Chinese broccoli cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Add the cornstarch mixture, toss to combine, and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the sauce thickens a bit. Transfer to a platter or bowl and serve at once.

White Beans with Bacon and Spinach

Here's the other recipe I want to try soon.

Photo and recipe from Chef at Home/Food Network.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
• 2 x onions, chopped
• 8 x cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 x cups dried navy beans, soaked in cold water overnight
• 3 x bay leaves
• 2 x sprigs fresh rosemary
• Fresh ground pepper
• A few handfuls of baby spinach

Directions:

1. Brown the bacon in a saucepan over medium-high heat then pour off most of the fat before adding the onions.
2. Stir and cook until the onions soften and begin to brown.
3. Add the garlic and stir for a few minutes before adding the soaked beans.
4. Add bay leaves, rosemary and pepper. Add just enough water to cover the beans.
5. Simmer until the water has been absorbed and the beans are tender, about 45 minutes.
6. Stir in the baby spinach and serve.

Cornflake Crusted Chicken with Curry Sauce

I hardly watch TV, but the other day I was down with a kick-ass sore throat so I turned on the Food Network and watched "Chef at Home" with Michael Smith.

I liked a couple of dishes he prepared that day and I plan to add these recipes to our menu soon.

Photo and recipe from Chef at Home/Food Network.

Ease of Preparation: Easy

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Cornflake Crusted Chicken

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 x eggs
• 1 x Heaping spoonful Dijon mustard
• 2 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
• 4 x boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Curry Sauce

• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup 35% cream
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• Salt

Directions:

Cornflake Crusted Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Put flour into a medium sized bowl.
3. In another bowl, put in eggs and mustard and whisk well.
4. In a third bowl, place cornflakes.
5. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and then coat them with flour.
6. Shake off any excess flour then dip into the egg mixture.
7. Allow the excess egg to run off then dip into the cornflakes and press to coat well.
8. Place the breasts on an oiled baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until crust is crispy and chicken is cooked through.
9. Serve with Curry Sauce or your favourite condiment.

Curry Sauce

1. Pour stock and cream into a small pot over medium heat.
2. Stir cornstarch into water and then whisk into the stock mixture.
3. Add curry powder and continue to whisk until sauce is thickened.
4. Season to taste with salt.

Simple Fabada Asturiana

I like Fabada, but the recipes I've seen require some ingredients which might be hard to find so I hope I can try this simplified version soon.

Simple Fabada Asturiana (c) 2007 L. Sierra Licensed to About.com

"Fabada Asturiana" is a typical and very traditional dish from Asturias, made with beans, sausage, ham, meat and tomatoes. If you don't have the time or all the ingredients, try this simplified "fabada" recipe, which does not require overnight soaking, takes half the cooking time and only a few ingredients.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dry lima beans
• 1 1/2 lbs. pork loin “country style” ribs
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, whole
• 1 bay leaf
• 6-7 oz. chorizo sausage, sliced
• 1 Tbsp spanish sweet paprika
• salt to taste

Preparation:

Serves 6.

Quick “Soak” Method for Beans
Instead of soaking the beans overnight before cooking, try this method: Pour beans into a large pot or bowl and cover with cold water. Turn burner on high until the water comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and then turn off burner. Cover and let beans sit in the water for one hour.

Chop the onion into approximately 1/4-inch pieces. Cut pork into large pieces – about 2-inch squares.

Heat a pot with olive oil in bottom for sautéing. When hot, add onions, garlic and pork. Sauté until onions are transparent. Turn off heat.

Drain water from the beans. Place beans in the large pot where you sautéed the onions and pork. Add water to cover. Add the bay leaf, sliced chorizo and paprika. Place on stove and turn on high. When the water comes to a boil, reduce to medium. Water should be at a low boil. Cook until meat is tender. This takes approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve in soup bowls with bread.

Egg Noodles With Soy Broth

My son loves noodles so this recipe by Mark Bittman should be on our weekly menu soon.

Photo and recipe from New York Times.

Time: 20 minutes

Salt

1/3 cup soy sauce, more to taste

1/3 cup ketchup or 3 tablespoons tomato paste and a pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, more to taste

A few drops dark sesame oil (optional)

A squirt of sriracha or other sauce, or a dried red chili to taste (optional)

1 pound egg noodles, preferably fresh.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. In a smaller pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil; once boiling, reduce heat so water bubbles gently.

2. To the smaller pot add soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sesame oil if using and sriracha or chili, along with a pinch of salt. Stir and let simmer.

3. Add egg noodles to large pot; fresh noodles will be ready in just a couple of minutes; dried will take longer. When tender but not mushy, drain. Taste broth and add more soy, salt, vinegar or heat as you like. Divide noodles into bowls and pour hot broth over all.

Yield: 4 servings.

Egg Salad Sandwich

Here's a good recipe from 101 Cookbooks. I'll make it again today, but will add some tuna flakes.

Photo and recipe from 101 Cookbooks

6 large eggs
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
A tiny squeeze of lemon juice
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
1/2 bunch chives, chopped
2 small handfuls of lettuce
8 slices of whole grain bread, toasted

Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking. Crack and peel each egg, place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, a couple generous pinches of salt and pepper, now mash with a fork. Don't overdo it, you want the egg mixture to have some texture. If you need to add a bit more mayo to moisten up the mixture a bit, go for it a bit at a time.

Stir in the celery and chives. Taste, and adjust the seasoning - adding more salt and pepper if needed.

To assemble each egg salad sandwich: place a bit of lettuce on a piece of toast, top with the egg salad mixture, and finish by creating a sandwich with a second piece of toast.

Make 4 sandwiches.

Another Adobo

There are probably hundreds of versions of Adobo available. Here's a new one I tried recently. I usually boil the adobo. I skip the last step.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white cane vinegar
• 1/4 cup toyo (our local soy sauce)
• 3/4 – 1 cup water (you may not use all of it)
• 3 chicken legs (drumstick) and 3 chicken thighs (about 600-650 grams of chicken)
• 350-400 grams pork belly (the part with the bone, skin on), cut into generous chunks (about 2 inches)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 8-10 cloves garlic, just slightly bashed, skin still on (do not peel!)
• 2 bay (laurel) leaves
• Freshly cracked black pepper, a few twists
• One star anise
  

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients except for the water in a Dutch oven or any heavy duty pot and leave for about 30 minutes to marinate.
2. Place the pot over medium heat, add 1/2 cup water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer without stirring until most of the vinegar’s acid has been cooked off – you will know when this is done because it won’t smell as sharp and “sting-y”.
3. Keep simmering over low heat until the chicken is very tender - about 40 minutes to an hour. Taste the sauce. If it’s too salty or too sharp for your taste, add some of the remaining water. I usually end up using 3/4 cup total.
4. When chicken is tender, remove the pieces from the pot and set aside. At this point the garlic will be very tender as well – you can mash some (not all!) of the cloves against the sides of the pot to incorporate it into the sauce.
5. Keep simmering on low heat a further 30 minutes to 1 hour or until pork is meltingly tender. When pork is very tender, remove from pot and set aside.
6. Keep simmering sauce until reduced to your desired consistency. Taste the sauce and if you’d like a bit of sweetness, stir in a pinch of brown sugar.
   
7. Heat a skillet with some oil over high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the chicken and pork pieces to brown. When the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency add the browned chicken and pork back to the pot. Toss gently and remove from heat. You can eat it at this point but it gains depth of flavour if you let it rest for a day.