Panzanella

I was reading up on the news on Yahoo one day and came across this recipe for Panzanella. I've always seen Panzanella being made on cooking shows or featured in a restaurant on TV, but I've never had it. I always loved the croutons in my salads, so I imagined it was like eating a bowl full of croutons.  So I decided to give it a try. Let me tell you that its even better than eating a bowl full of croutons. Its fresh and light and tangy and so full of flavor. Hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed it that we ate huge bowl fulls of it as a main course. This is my new favorite salad.

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 anchovies, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1) Combine all the ingredients, except olive oil, in a bowl. Allow to sit for 15 minutes for the flavors to infuse.

2) While whisking, slowly add olive oil in a steady stream until fully incorporated. Set aside.

Salad
1 loaf of day-old french bread, torn in large pieces
2 lbs. tomato, large diced
1/2 cup red onion (or any sweet onion), sliced thin
2 medium cucumbers, large diced
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn in large pieces

1) To assemble the salad, place all salad ingredients in the a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to meld. Or if you like your bread to have a bite, you can eat the salad right away.

Zucchini & Corn Fritters with Cilantro Sour Cream

I just love fresh corn on the cob, but I've always wanted to make something else out of them. Enter Pinterest. I've been seeing quite a few recipes on corn and zucchini fritters like this one from Girl versus Dough and I thought it would be a great way to sneak in some veggies for the kiddos. I made a go at it and also made some dipping sauce to go with it. Score! The little one loved it. The older one, not so much. But mommy thought it was so yummy. This recipe makes quite a few patties, so I decided freeze a few to eat later whenever I need a corn fix. Such a yummy way to use up corn and zucchini.

Fritters
1/4 cup oil
4 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup corn kernels
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1) In a large bowl, combine eggs, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Add zucchini and corn and combine thoroughly. Add the flour and stir thoroughly until there are no pockets of flour in the dough.

2) Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a pan over medium-high heat. Using an ice cream scoop filled about 1/4 full, pour batter into oil and cook on both sides until golden brown. Place cooked fritters on a paper towel to drain the oil. Serve warm with cilantro sour cream.

Cilantro Sour Cream
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
salt & pepper to taste

1) Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend thoroughly. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Ukoy (Squash and Sweet Potato Fritters)

Ukoy is a Filipino crunchy appetizer, often eaten as a mid-afternoon snack. There are many variations to this dish, where shrimp and mung bean sprouts are sometimes used. But the main ingredient is always either sweet potato or squash or both. Growing up, I was not too fond of ukoy whenever my Lola (Grandmother) or dad made them. They made theirs with squash, mung bean sprouts, and tiny shrimps. As a kid, you never really like veggies or tiny little shrimps poking at you while you're eating it. But I've grown to love eating ukoy when I had them at a friend's party about a year ago, and then recently at my daughter's welcome party during our recent trip to the Philippines. My aunt's maid had made them for the party and I learned that my aunt taught her how to make them. And so I asked my aunt how it was made, which was quite simple. Her ukoy was made of just sweet potato and squash, a little salt and pepper to taste, and a mixture of cornstarch and flour to bind them together. There really isn't any exact measurements. So its more based on texture. You can also add whatever type of other vegetable you want. I added some corn kernels for an extra touch of sweetness. Once deep fried, the best part of this dish is the crunchiness that I love. Dip them in a mixture of vinegar with minced garlic, salt and pepper, this can be eaten as a main dish as well. My daughter loves this dish so she's able to have her dose of veggies for the day.

2 cup shredded kubocha squash (Japanese Squash)
2 cup shredded sweet potato
1/2 cup corn kernels
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup flour
splash of water
oil for deep frying

1) Fill  a deep frying pan or saute pan with oil about 1/4 of the way up the pan. Heat oil over medium heat.

2) In a large bowl, combine shredded squash, sweet potato, salt and pepper. Stir until incorporated. Add cornstarch, flour, and splash of water. Stir well. Mixture should stick together when mashed together. If mixture is too wet, add an equal amount of cornstarch and flour. If its too dry, add a splash of water.

3) Spoon mixture into oil to make a small patty and fry on both sides until golden brown. Serve hot with a mixture of vinegar with minced garlic, salt and pepper.

Fruit Salad

As with previous New Years, one of the traditions in our household is to have a display of a large fruit basket on the dining table when the New Year rolls in. The fruit basket must consist of 7 pieces of 13 different fruits to help for a bountiful year.  That  being said, I always end up with a lot of fruits that need to be consumed, or else they get thrown in the trash. Every December 31st, my dad and I go to a special market that sells a large variety of different fruits. However, being that its winter, some of the fruits aren't as sweet as they would be whenever they are at their peak season. So some of the fruits end up in the trash anyway because they don't taste good. Whatever fruit that doesn't get thrown away is brought to work to share among co-workers.

Last year, I decided to start making fruit salad out of all the fruits we end up with on January 1st. This idea came from a co-worker of mine who always brings fruit salad to work potlucks. We all asked her how she made it and she told us that it was nothing more than just adding shredded coconut and chopped walnuts to any chopped fruits you have. Simple, tasty, and healthy. Perfect.

variety of fruits, chopped in bite-sized pieces
shredded coconut
chopped walnuts, soaked in water overnight to soften
splash of lemon to prevent from any fruit from browning

1) (Note: if you use fruits, such as apples, pears, or bananas that turn brown after cutting, toss them with a few splashes of lemon juice to prevent them from oxidizing). Toss all chopped fruits in a large bowl. Sprinkle desired amount of shredded coconut and chopped walnuts and gently mix. Serve immediately.

Mashed Potato Soup

Its been about a week since Thanksgiving, and I still have some leftover side dishes in the fridge that I have to decide whether to throw away or not. Specifically mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy and cranberry sauce. My co-worker, Stacy, had mentioned that a friend of hers had made tons of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and then used it to make some delicious potato soup for her because she was sick this past weekend. I asked her to try to get the recipe and she lead me to this from The Rachael Ray Show.

This recipe couldn't be any easier. It asks for leftover mashed potatoes and chicken stock, but I happen to have turkey stock from our Thanksgiving turkey carcass. It was so delicious and so comforting for a chilly evening like it was last night. Its a potato soup kind of night.

oil

6 slices of bacon, chopped

4 Tbsp. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

4 Tbsp. flour

4 cups chicken or turkey stock

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

chopped chives or green onions for garnish

1) In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

2) Drain off excess bacon fat from the pot and add butter. When it is melted, add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour into pot and cook with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Whisk in stock and bring to a bubble. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

3) Whisk in mashed potatoes. Stir in cheddar cheese with a wooden spoon and cook until potatoes are hot and the cheese is melted. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with bacon and chopped chives/green onions.

Scalloped Potatoes revisited

I know its been over a week since my last blog post. Honestly, I had been working myself up for this recent Thanksgiving holiday. Keeping busy by planning my strategy on how to tackle the tasks at hand. My menu has been the same ever since I volunteered to host Thanksgiving dinner for my side of the family. We always have my famous Deep Fried Turkey, Creamed Corn, Mashed Potatoes, and Scalloped Potatoes. Scalloped Potatoes is the one dish my brother looks forward to. However, my Scalloped Potatoes are either a hit or miss. They either are somewhat undercooked, or not cheesy enough. Then a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, this recipe came up on my reader from the Brown Eyed Baker. The key for perfect Scalloped Potatoes every time is to boil the entire mixture together prior to baking it. I can't believe I didn't think of that before. They came deliciously.

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 small onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

4 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup shredded cheese

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

2) In a medium sized stock pot, melt butter over medium-high heat until foaming subsides, about 1 minute. Add onion and saute until it softens and begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream, milk, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and potatoes. Bring mixture to simmer. Cover, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a light simmer. Cook until potatoes are are almost tender (paring knife can be slipped into and out of center of potato slice with some resistance), about 15 minutes.

3) Remove and discard thyme and bay leaves. Transfer potato mixture into a 3-quart casserole or gratin dish. Sprinkle top with cheese. Bake until cream has thickened, is bubbling around the sides, and the top has turned golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Banana-Cue

All of the Filipino dishes I make in this blog are reminiscent of my childhood days in the old country. This recipe is one of them. Banana-Cue is a street food often sold as an afternoon snack. I remember numerous stands of food vendors selling their specialties outside the gates of my elementary school, ready to sell their goodies to hungry students after a long day of school. Many of the food stands sold sweets, such as banana cue. My parents rarely allowed us to buy street food for sanitary reasons. They always feared that I would get sick by the way some vendors prepared their food. I guess that's one of the reasons I chose my career in food safety. But when we managed to convince my parents to buy us an afternoon snack, we were often treated to banana cue.

Filipinos have a strange way of naming their foods. Our Filipino barbecue is usually served on a stick. Therefore, everything else served on a stick always ended with a "cue." Hence the name "banana-cue." Its made of a saba banana that is only found in the Philippines. Saba is mainly a cooking banana and is one of the most important banana variety in Philippine cuisine. We're lucky enough to have an abundance of them in our local Filipino grocery store. And when I saw them during my recent trip to the Filipino store, I decided it was time to introduce this yummy snack to hubby and my daughter.

3 ripened saba banana (make sure its not over-riped), cut into 4 pieces

3/4 cups brown sugar

3 Tbsp. oil

1) Heat oil over medium-low heat. Add banana pieces and cook until they start to brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes.

2) Stir in brown sugar. Continue cooking until sugar begins to melt, stirring occasionally. Once sugar has completely melted, continue stirring until all banana pieces have been coated with the sugar. Remove banana pieces and place on a plate lined with parchment or wax paper. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Serve threaded on a wooden skewer.

Atchara (Pickled Green Papaya)

Growing up, my lola used to make a lot of pickled items such as pickled mangos and pickled green papaya relish (atchara). She would bottle them and it would remain in the fridge for months and months. They're often an accompaniment to fried dishes with rice. However, I was never a huge fan of the pickled mangos or atchara. I was a kid and didn't like the sour-ness of them. Then a few months ago, hubby and I went to a food truck fest and ate off of a Filipino food truck. They had the standard rice and tocino. But their plates had a side of atchara with it. I don't think I remember my grandparents or my parents eat their tocino with atchara before. Then flashbacks of me not liking atchara when I was kid ran through my mind. But hey, I'm older now and have a more sophisticated palette. So I gave it a shot and ate it together with my rice and tocino. What did I miss all these years??? The sour-ness balances the flavors of the meat and rice perfectly. Hubby took a taste of it and asked if I could make atchara. And it gave me an idea. So I did a search and found this recipe from Panlasang Pinoy.

One of the reasons why I started this blog was for my daughter to have a record of her culture in food. With all the desserts and other non-Filipino dishes I make on this blog, sometimes I lose that vision. So this atchara dish somehow takes us back to that. And when I tasted my final product, it somehow took me back to my days with my lola.

3-4 lbs. green papaya, juliennned

2 medium sized carrots, julienned

1 large onion, sliced thin

10 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2 Tbsp. peppercorn

1 inch fresh ginger, julienned

1/4 cup, plus 1 1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups white vinegar

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 small boxes raisin (optional)

1) In a large bowl, combine green papaya and 1/4 cup salt. Mix until salt is well distributed. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2) After papaya has been treated, place in a colander and thoroughly rinse under running water. Wrap rinsed papaya with a cheesecloth or clean cloth towel. Squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the papaya.

3) Return papaya in the large bowl. Add carrots, garlic, ginger, onions, peppercorns, and raisins (if using). Mix until evenly distributed. Place in a large, clean mason jar (or evenly distribute among several smaller mason jars). Set aside.

4) In a medium saucepan, add vinegar and cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in sugar and remaining 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt until well diluted. Remove from heat and cool completely.

5) Pour vinegar mixture in the prepared mason jars until the vegetables are completely submerged. Seal jar and refrigerate for 5 days to 1 week. Serve with fried dishes as desired.

Apple Cider Beignet with Caramel Rum sauce

I've been wanting to make some apple donuts because we always buy loads of apples from Costco. Don't get me wrong. Hubby and daughter loves eating them, but I just wanted to make something out of them other than eating them on their own. Then I found an awesome recipe for Apple Cider Beignets from Smells Like Home. OMG were these delicious! And easy to make. I especially love dipping it in the caramel sauce. The original recipe includes making the caramel from scratch. But I had some caramel sauce leftover from my Banana Caramel Cream Pie that I didn't want to go to waste. I just added a splash of the rum and apple cider vinegar it called for. These were great to eat by itself, but dipping it in the caramel sauce takes them over the top. Make these now if you love apples. These will not disappoint.

Beignets

vegetable oil

2 Golden delicious apples (or any apples you have on hand), peeled and core removed

1 1/2 cup self rising flour

1 egg

1 cup sparkling apple cider

confectioner's sugar for dusting

Sauce
1 cup caramel sauce

splash of rum

splash of apple cider vinegar

1) Preheat oven to 250 deg F. Set a cooling rack on a large shallow pan inside the oven. Heat 2 inches of oil in a pot over medium heat to 275 deg F.

2) Place 1 cup flour in a shallow bowl. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl, beat egg. Stir in apple cider and 1 tablespoon of oil. Pour mixture into the well of flour. Stir with a fork until lumpy batter forms. Set aside.

3) Cut peeled apples crosswise into 1/4" thick slices. Pat apple rings dry.

4) Place 1/2 cup of remaining flour in a small bowl. Dredge 3 apple rings into flour, shaking off excess flour. Then dip apple rings in the wet mixture until well coated. Fry in oil until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to rack in the oven to keep warm. Dust with confectioner's sugar when ready to serve with caramel sauce.

5) To make the sauce: Combine prepared caramel sauce, a splash of rum, and a splash of apple cider vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir to combine. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Serve warm with beignets.

Bruschetta

A few months ago, I had watched the movie Julie & Julia, because almost everyone I knew suggested I should. Its about a girl who blogs about recipes she makes from Julia Childs' cookbook. Hmmmmm, sounds familiar. I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the movie left a lot to be desired. The story sort of dragged. So I was rather disappointed. However, there were some recipes that Julie made that caught my eye. Like her bruschetta (although they didn't really identify the dish in the movie. I just guessed it to be bruschetta). It looked delicious and I've always loved eating bruschetta as an appetizer in restaurants. So I vowed to someday try to make some. Julie's bruschetta had, what looked like, both yellow and red tomatoes. For this recipe, I only used red Roma tomatoes.

Hubby absolutely loved these. He couldn't stop eating them. He said they were quite tasty. And I have to agree with him.

1 loaf french baguette (about a foot long), cut into 1/4" thick slices

olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, cut in half

5 Roma tomatoes (or any medium tomatoes you like), seeded then chopped

3 stems fresh basil, chopped or chiffonade

salt & pepper

1) Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Place sliced baguette on baking sheets. Drizzle the top of the baguette slices with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until they start to turn golden brown. Cool for about 2 minutes. Rub garlic (cut-side down) on toasted baguette. Set aside.

2) In a medium bowl, combine chopped tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly. Top prepared baguette slices with tomato mixture and serve.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Its the last weekend before Christmas and its been raining for the past 3 days. We had planned a trip to Disneyland and the rain has, for lack of a better word, dampened our plans. So we stayed local and have kept busy by attending one of my nephew's birthday party and did our last-minute Christmas shopping. I'm pooped, its rainy and cold, and I wanted to have something to warm me up inside.

Last week, our office had a holiday luncheon at BJ's Brewery. I had a half-sandwich and a bowl of Broccoli Cheddar soup. Yummy. I have large bags of broccoli and shredded cheese that I bought from Costco that I could use, so I searched for a good recipe for Broccoli Cheddar soup and found this recipe from CD Kitchen. I've never tried anything from Panera Bread, but this is a copycat recipe of their Broccoli Cheese soup. This was a yummy comfort food that I'll definitely be making again. Its a great way to have your vegetables for the day.

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 of a medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 all purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half (I used 1 cup milk and 1 cup cream)

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 lb. fresh broccoli

1 cup julienned carrots

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1) Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a stockpot. Saute chopped onions for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

2) In the same pot, add melted butter. Whisk in flour to make a roux and cook for about 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly add half-and-half. Add chicken broth. Simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes, whisking constantly.

3) Add onions, broccoli and carrots. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

4) Place mixture in a food processor or blender and puree (or you can use an immersion blender). Return mixture to the pot to heat. Add cheese and continue to cook on low heat until cheese has melted. Add nutmeg. Remove from heat and serve topped with more shredded cheese or croutons.

Jap Chae (Korean Glass Noodles)

I love eating Korean BBQ. But my family doesn't always like going to Korean BBQ restaurants because they 1) don't always like waiting for their food to cook, and 2) they don't like leaving the restaurant smelling like their meal. So I've learned to bring Korean BBQ home by making my own Korean dishes. Other than the actual BBQ itself, I also love eating the noodles they serve the food with. I never knew what the noodle dish was called but I've been dying to try to make it at home. So I did a search online and found this recipe. Jap Chae, so that's what its called!

Its my mother-in-law's birthday today and we're hosting the lunch at our house. Everyone is bringing a dish, and I decided to make my Korean BBQ Short Ribs and I thought making Jap Chae would go perfectly with it. This noodle dish tastes exactly like what they serve at the restaurants and it was so good! And easy too. Everyone liked it, even our nephew's girlfriend who happens to be Korean. Its a really light dish. I'm definitely going to make this again.

1/2 lb. dried Korean sweet potato noodle

2 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. cooking oil

3/4 cup thinly sliced onions

2 medium carrots, julienned

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks green onions, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 cup sliced mushooms (shitaake or wood ear)

1/2 lb. spinach, washed and drained

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1) Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water for 5 minute. Drain under running water. Toss with 1 tsp. sesame oil to prevent from sticking. Cut noodles to smaller pieces with kitchen sheers. Set aside.

2) In a small bowl, mix soy sauce and sugar together. Set aside.

3) Heat vegetable oil in a hot wok or large skillet. Fry onions and carrots until softened, about a minute. Add garlic, green onions and mushrooms and cook for another minute. Add spinach, soy sauce mixture and noodles. Sautee for 2-3 minutes until noodles have cooked through. Turn of the heat and toss in sesame seeds and the remaining 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil. Serve warm or cold.

Oven Baked Zucchini Chips

This recipe popped up on my reader today from Telly's Tasty Tidbits. I had some leftover zucchinis from my diet last week that I wanted to use up, so this recipe came up at the right time. I LOVE zucchinis and I'm so glad I made these because they were so yummy! My daughter loved these too. This is a great way to sneak in some veggies for her because she hates veggies. Thank you so much for this recipe! I'll definitely be making this again.

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 grated parmesan cheese (I used shredded parmesan on this one)
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
a pinch of black pepper
2 Tbsp. water
1 egg, beaten
2 small zucchinis, thinly sliced
cooking spray

1) Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. Grease 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Set aside.

2) In a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, garlic powder and black pepper.

3) In another bowl, whisk together egg and water. Dip zucchini slices in egg mixture and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. In a single layer, place zucchini slices on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and crisp.

Potato Paratha (Potato-stuffed Indian Flatbread)

I think Paratha is the first Indian dish that my friend Kiran had me try. She brought some to work that her mom had made and I was hooked. I always secretly hope that she brings some to work for me everytime her mom makes some :) Its a flat bread stuffed with various things. Most of the time, its stuffed with potatoes. I saw this recipe on the new Cooking Channel with Bal Arneson of Spice Goddess. Kiran and another Indian co-worker of mine would tell me how to make Paratha, but I think I had to have a visual on how to make this dish. So when I saw this on TV last night, I was dying to try to make it today.

It wasn't as hard as I thought, though there just seems to be something missing in the filling. Maybe because I omitted the fenugreek leaves (because I didn't have any). The Garam Masala was a little overpowering, so I may lessen the amount the next time. Overall though, the taste was there. I'll try to make this again next time, with different ingredients.

Filling

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 Tbsp. minced onion

1 Tbsp. fenugreek leaves

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp. Garam Masala

salt & pepper to taste

Dough

2 cups flour

1/2 - 3/4 cup water

1) Combine the ingredients for the filling in a medium bowl. Set aside

2) In another bowl, combine dough ingredients and knead until it forms into a smooth ball, similar to a stiff pizza dough.

3) Take a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and roll it into a disc. Lightly dust surface with flour, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the disc into a thin patty (like a pancake).

4) Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the center of the disc then fold the edge of the dough over the mixture and form into a ball. Gently roll the paratha into a flat patty (like a tortilla), being careful not to squeeze the filling out.

5) Heat a skillet to medium-high. Place paratha on hot skillet. Cook until dough begins to bubble and brown, then flip on the other side to cook, about 3 minutes on each side.

Summer Corn Dip

I found this recipe at one of the blogs I visited and thought to make it today. I still had a few ears of corn leftover from last week, so I thought it would be perfect to use on this. The original recipe called for canned Mexi-corn, which I obviously substituted. It came out quite good and hubby was addicted. He says I'm not much help to his diet. I say, everything is okay in moderation.

1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onions
1/4 cup red and green bell peppers, finely diced

Mix together all ingredients until well incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Deceptively Delicious Mozzarella sticks

For lunch today, I decided to make these. I was so excited when I found this recipe out of my Deceptively Delicious cookbook. Aside from pasta, the next thing my daughter loves to eat is cheese. String cheese, cheese snacks, cheese slices, grilled cheese sandwich without the bread, quesadillas without the tortillas..........you get the point. My dad gave her some frozen mozzarella sticks last week and she seemed to like it. So I thought to give these to her with a healthier twist.

It was pretty tricky to fry the sticks. They ended up melting all over the pan. I think the trick to cooking these is to deep-fry them over super high heat, which is what I did at the end. Aside from that, they came out quite good. My daughter was able to eat a few. They came out pretty gooey, so she pretty much just played with them in the ketchup that I served it with. I'll try to perfect these a little better for the next time.

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp. flaxseed meal (optional)

1 tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1) In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal and sesame seeds. Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, stir together mozzarella, cauliflower puree and cornstarch until well combined. Shape into logs. Gently roll each log in breadcrumb mixture. Wrap in foil or waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes.

3) Heat oil in high heat. Arrange mozzarella sticks in pan in a single layer, being careful not crowd them. Cook until crumb coating begins to warm. Place on paper towels to drain oil and sprinkle with salt.

Deceptively Delicious Macaroni & Cheese

The next recipe I wanted to try out from my Deceptively Delicious cookbook is Macaroni & Cheese - my daughter's favorite. There were actually 2 Mac & Cheese recipes in the cookbook - one made out of either butternut squash or cauliflower puree and the other one out of beans. I still had some pumpkin puree, so I decided to use the butternut squash/cauliflower recipe.

My daughter loved this one. You can't even tell that there's a vegetable in this dish. Hubby and I had this for dinner as well, and it was deliciously cheesy. I will probably try making this with my own Mac & Cheese recipe by adding the pureed vegetable, because the concept is similar to my recipe.

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (or any pasta you like)

nonstick cooking spray

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup butternut squash or cauliflower puree (I used pumpkin puree)

1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. paprika

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1) Cook pasta according to directions and cook until al dente. Drain.

2) Coat large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add oil, then flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

3) Whisk in mil and cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add vegetable puree, cheeses, and seasonings, and stir until the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

(Note: you can also place this in a baking dish and top with bread crumbs, then bake at 345 deg F for 30 minutes if you liked the baked version of Mac & Cheese).

Spinach Dip

Tomorrow's my daughter's 2nd birthday. I can't believe she's 2 now. I can still remember every moment at the hospital when I gave birth to her. Last year, we went all out for her 1st birthday party. Pinatas, baloons, pony and all. I decided to make it smaller this year and have it at an indoor playground just to have the kids over. For food, I decided on quick things to eat. I didn't want to slave over the stove, so we ordered pretty much everything from some of our favorite places. I also wanted to make my Banana Squares and this Spinach dip to munch on chips with.

I learned this recipe from my cousin, ate Jhune, who made this for my college graduation party over 11 years ago. I've made this dip often and came to realize that this recipe can also be found on the back of the packaging of the Knorr spring vegetable soup mix packet. lol! Nevertheless, its a recipe that definitely shouldn't be passed up. A food processor will be very useful for this recipe. You can serve this as is or to put a special touch, serve in a sourdough bread bowl.

10 oz package of spinach, finely chopped
3 stalks green onions, finely chopped
8 oz can whole water chestnuts, finely chopped
1 package of Knorr Spring Vegetable soup mix
16 oz sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise

1) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until well blended. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips, vegetable sticks, or crusty bread.

Mashed Potato Layer Bake

I found this recipe in Yahoo's food section. I know hubby loves potatoes, so I saved this recipe for a later use. I didn't know what to make for dinner tonight, so I just made my Albogindas soup and decided to make this as a side dish to try out. Hubby said it was pretty good, but it tasted a little too cheesy and made it more of a cheese bake than a potato bake. So I'll try to lessen the cheese the next time. I also cut this recipe in half tonight, since its only the 2 of us eating. This is definitely must make for our Thanksgiving functions.

4 large white potatoes, peeled, chopped and cooked
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped and cooked
8 oz. Chive & Onion Cream Cheese spread
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1) Preheat oven to 375 deg F. Place potatoes in separate bowls. Add half each of the cream cheese and sour cream to each bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mash with potato masher until creamy.

2) Stir in half of the parmesan cheese with the white potatoes. Stir in half of the cheddar cheese with the sweet potatoes.

3) Alternately layer half each of the white potato and sweet potato mixture in a clear glass dish/casserole. Repeat layers.

4) Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheeses on top and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheeses have melted

Basil Pesto Pasta

I've been dying to have a basil garden again. So after a long wait, we were finally able to plant some basil before the winter season started a couple of months ago. We also have parsley, Thai basil and oregano. Alas, because hubby's been busy with school, I haven't had time to care for my herb garden and haven't kept up with watering them. We've had a few good days of rain during these 2 months. Unfortunately, it isn't enough as the basil started withering. So before they become completely useless, I decided to hurry it up and find a way to use up all that basil.

I've never had pesto before but have been wanting to make it for a while, ever since I started growing herbs a few years back. But I never got around to it. I've seen it being made on TV and thought how easy it was. I found this pesto recipe and decided to make it for dinner tonight. It obviously goes great with pasta, but I could see this being used to dip a good crusty italian bread or used as a marinade. It smells insanely good. If you're not a huge garlic person, you can probably cut the garlic to only 1 clove. I also added a little salt and pepper to put a more flavor to it. This recipe received a "thumbs up" from hubby.

2 cups fresh basil
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1) Place basil, garlic, walnuts and parmesan cheese in a food processor. Turn on machine and slowly pour in olive oil while machine is running. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with your favorite pasta.