Today we’ll do another good recipe from Blogchef…

I particularly like it because the beef stays tender and moist, because it contains yummy vegetables and because the sauce is delicious!

Ingredients:

- 750g / 1,65 pounds steak sliced into thin strips

- 3 tbsp cornstarch

- vegetable oil

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 red bell pepper, I sliced it in thin strips too

- 1 green bell pepper, also in thin strips

- 1/2 onion, in slices

Ingredients for the marinade:

- 1 egg

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp water

- 1 tbsp cornstarch

Ingredients for the sauce:

- 4 tbsp water

- 4 tbsp sugar

- 3 tbsp ketchup

- 1 tbsp vinegar

- 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes

- 2 tsp cornstarch

Cooking instructions:

In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the marinade together with the beef. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Then mix the ingredients for the sauce in a separate bowl.

Add the 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to the beef, and deep fry in a wok in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Remove all the oil from the wok except a couple of tablespoons. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds. Add the peppers and the onion and stir fry as well, until you reach the desired level of “softness” for the vegetables. It should take less of 5 minutes though, or else the vegetables will disintegrate. Set aside the vegetables.

Remove all the oil from the wok and pour the ingredients for the sauce in it. Heat until it boils and remove from the heat.

Add the beef and the vegetables into the wok and coat them with the sauce.
I served it with some white rice,

Enjoy!

I have a special weakness for whichever dish bears the adjective “Thai”.  I would probably try a stew of frog’s tripes if you told me it was “Thai”…or maybe not, but you know where I’m heading to 

These precious balls would be great as an appetizer, or as a party snack.

Ingredients:

- 350g – 12.35 ounces chicken minced meat

- 120g – 1/2 cup roasted peanuts (I roasted them in a non-stick frying pan without oil), chopped

- 1 tbsp fish sauce

- 50g -  1/4 cup breadcrumbs

- 1 tbsp red Thai curry paste

- 1 tbsp lime juice

- 3 kaffir lime leaves (I used the dried ones, and removed the central nerve of each of them), crushed

- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce

- 2 tbsp coriander, chopped

- 3 tsp brown sugar

- vegetable oil, to fry

- more Thai sweet chili sauce, to dip

Cooking instructions:

Could not be easier: mix all ingredients but the vegetable oil. Form balls with this mix of the size of large marbles.

Fry the balls in hot oil, until golden. And that is it!!

I served them with Thai chili sauce and accompanied with a salad made of Chinese cabbage, red pepper, cucumber, seasoned with a mix of brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, water in more or less equal quantities.

Enjoy!!

I’m not a very carnivorous person, but when it comes to spareribs I know when I start to eat but I do not know when I will stop

This time I tried a recipe (with some small modifications) from Curiously Ravenous, who in turn, replicated a recipe from her Chinese grandfather.

I would encourage you to try it, it is literally and figuratively to lick your fingers!!

Ingredients:

- pork spare ribs (I used 2 regular racks, the ones you find in any supermarket)

- 1 inch/ 2.5 cm ginger, grated

- 1 cup / 235 ml water

- some freshly ground black pepper

- 2 whole star anise

- 1/2 Maggi cube (chicken stock cube)

- 2 tbsp black Chinese vinegar

- 3 tbsp soy sauce

- 1/4 cup Shaoxing cooking wine

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

Cooking instructions:

Cut the meat strips in individual ribs. Put them in a large pot, fill with water, boil for 1 hour.

Drain the ribs and dry them with some kitchen towels. The original recipe recommended to then fry the ribs in a wok with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, but I found that this step can be skipped without any major sacrifice of the taste, while it is a little healthier.

Alternatively, if you are short of time or starving to death, you could omit the boiling and just fry the ribs, but they won’t be as tender…

Now mix the rest of the ingredients to make the sauce (feel free to double the quantities if you are making lots of ribs or if you like them with lots of sauce), pour it in a wok together with the ribs and mix. Leave for a couple of minutes until the ribs are well coated in hot sauce.

Serve with plenty of kitchen towels

Enjoy!!

Today we are having a great, Mexican-inspired dinner…The recipes are of an amazing simplicity, but ohhhh so good, and they go perfectly together! Spicy, tender, pork bites combined with a great guacamole and some paprika pita wedges instead of tortilla chips.

The recipe’s were adapted from the David Lebovitz blog…

Ingredients for the “carnitas”:

- 2 pounds/1kg pork shoulder, cut in bite-sized slices

- salt

- 3 tbsp oil

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- 1 tsp dried chili flakes

- 2 bay leaves

- 1/2 tsp ground cumin

- 3 garlic cloves, chopped

Cooking instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

Salt the meat.

Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the pork in it until brown. Get it out of the skillet and put it in an oven-proof pan. Add the spices and the garlic. Add water until the pork is submerged by two thirds. Roast in the oven for about 2 or 3 hours (the longer the better), until most of the liquid has evaporated and the pork is crispy outside and caramelized.

Guacamole:

- 2 avocados, mashed coarsely with a fork

- 1/2 tsp ground cumin

- 1 tomato, diced

- 1 tsp dried chili flakes

- a handful of chopped cilantro leaves

- 2 tbsp lime juice

- salt to taste

It can’t be easier. Mix all ingredients and serve!

Pita wedges:

Cut the pita bread in wedges, brush with a mixture of olive oil and smoked Spanish paprika powder (pimentón), sprinkle some salt and grill on both sides.

Now all that is left is serving with some ice cold Mexican beer. And do not forget the sombrero, it does not taste the same without it

Enjoy!!

What can I say, I have a weakness for Asian cuisine…This, combined with my Spanish penchant for tapas explains why I absolutely adore dumplings, sushi, and all bit-size delicacies from the Far East.

This recipe derives from David Lebovitz’s…In his Parisian blog he explains about food and French cultural habits (which more often than not clash with the American’s), quite hilarious at times…

Ingredients for the dumplings:

- 1 pound (500g) minced pork meat

- 1 pound (500g) raw, peeled, clean shrimp

- a handful of chopped cilantro

- 2 tbsp fish sauce

- 3 tbsp cornstarch

- 1 egg

- 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

- 2 tbsp grated ginger

- won ton wrappers

Ingredients for the dipping sauce:

- 1 tbsp grated ginger

- 1 tbsp grated garlic

- 2 tbsp fish sauce

- 1 tbsp rice vinegar

- 1 tbsp brown sugar

- 1 tbsp sesame oil

Cooking instructions:

Mix all ingredients except the wrappers. Put a teaspoon of mixture in each wrapper, gather the ends up, press firmly together and turn them to ‘close’ the dumpling.

The recipe said to use a bamboo steamer to cook the dumplings, but mine is really tiny and I was too impatient, so I stir-fried the dumplings instead of steaming them.

Serve with some greens, white rice, the dipping sauce and sweet chili sauce.

Enjoy!!

This dish is absolutely gorgeous. Another proof that a couple of simple ingredients can produce an adorable result. I felt in love with the tender, lemony chicken meat and the amazing flavour of the potatoes.

I base myself on a recipe from “From Argentina with love”, and it is a dish that I could see my mum doing any time (and she can cook!).

Ingredients:

- A whole chicken, eviscerated

- 1/2 cup – 125ml olive oil

- ground black pepper

- 2 Maggi chicken cubes, crushed

- 1 lemon

- 1/2 cup – 125ml dry white wine

- 5 cloves garlic, peeled

- 1 pound/500g peeled potatoes, cut in ‘fries’

Cooking instructions:

Warm up the oven at 375°F- 180°C.

Prepare a sauce with the olive oil, the ground pepper, the Maggi cubes and the juice of the lemon.

Put the potatoes and the chicken in a baking pan. Drizzle with the sauce, then rub the sauce in the chicken. Stuff the lemon halves into the cavity of the chicken. Place the garlic cloves around in the potatoes.

Bake for about 40 minutes. Then pour the wine over the potatoes. Return to the oven and bake until the chicken turns golden (about 30 minutes more).

Enjoy!!

Do not be fooled by the picture, they are the size of a large marble…These mini-meatballs are extremely easy to make, and quickly done. They are tiny, they are tender, they are tasty and they are cute! Perfect for children and picky eaters.

I based myself on a recipe from canarygirl, and I served them with some white rice and sweet chili sauce. Some lettuce or cucumber would have been lovely too, but when I made this dish I had ran out of greens!

Ingredients:

- 1 pound/500g of lean pork meat
- half onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- vegetable oil, to fry

Cooking instructions:

I put all ingredients in the food processor (except for the oil) to obtain a paste. I then took little portions of the meat and rolled it to make tiny balls, which I then fried. That is it! I told you it was quick and easy…

Enjoy!!

This is my second favourite salad all time…An incredibly surprising combination of flavours, and some lettuce and tomato to justify it.

There are 1001 variations of the Caesar salad, but I adore this one, a variation of Barefoot Contessa’s…What about you? Do you have a favourite salad? Do you know any tasty variations of the Caesar salad? I’d love to hear about it…

Ingredients:

- Romaine lettuce, washed and sliced

- tomatoes, peeled and sliced in chunks

- some olive oil, salt and ground black pepper

- bacon, in small cubes

- 1 yolk

- 2 tsp Dijon mustard

- 15 canned anchovy fillets

- 2 garlic cloves, chopped

- 125ml lemon juice

- 2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

- 180 ml olive oil

- 125g grated Parmesan

- optional: some extra Parmesan to serve

Cooking instructions:

Preheat the oven at 400°C. Put the tomatoes in a baking tin, toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Put in the oven for about 20 minutes, until soft.

Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium-low heat, for 15 minutes.

Mix in a food processor the yolk, the mustard, the garlic, the anchovy fillets, the lemon juice, the salt and the pepper.  While still blending, pour down the feed tube the olive oil, slowly, and finally add the Parmesan and pulse 3 times. There you have it, your own delicious dressing!

On each plate, put some lettuce, some tomatoes, bacon, add the dressing and if desired, toss some extra Parmesan.

Enjoy!!

I had often read about chicken enchiladas and had no idea of what it was, really. But hubby was so delighted with this dish that it won’t be the last time!! So based on a recipe of Elise, from Simple Recipes …

Ingredients:

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 3 garlic cloves, chopped

- vegetable oil

- 1 500g can of tomatoes (chopped, peeled, whichever way you like them really)

- chili powder

- salt

- ground black pepper

- soft corn or wheat tortilla’s

- 330g grated cheese

- a whole chicken breast, cooked and shredded or chopped

Cooking instructions:

Preheat the oven.

Prepare the sauce: Coat a large skillet with oil and sauté the onions on medium heat until translucent, a few minutes. Add the garlic for a minute more. Add the tomatoes to the onions and garlic. Bring to a low simmer. Start adding the chili powder, one teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition, until you get to the desired level of heat and chili flavor.

Mix the chicken with some cheese and some sauce.

Prepare the tortilla’s: Heat a small light skillet on med-high heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to coat the pan. Dip a tortilla in the sauce to coat the tortilla with sauce on both sides. Place the tortilla in the skillet and heat for a few seconds, until the tortilla begin to show some air bubbles. Use a metal spatula to flip to the other side for a few more seconds. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Assemble the enchiladas. Place a couple spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and roll it up. Place in a baking dish and repeat with all the tortillas. Cover the tortillas rolls with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.

Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Serve with some salad and sour cream, enjoy!!!

At some point, you’ll notice that chicken is my favourite type of meat. How couldn’t? It is healthy, pleases everybody, tender, versatile…mmmmmmm

Here is another adaptation of a recipe of The Blog Chef . Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:

- 2 chicken breasts, diced

- 125g flour

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 2 eggs

- salt

- pepper

- oil (for frying)

- 250ml chicken broth (which I faked with half Maggi cube + water)

- 2 tbsp oyster sauce

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 2 tbsp soy sauce

- 2 tsp cornstarch

- 1 large yellow pepper, in slices

- 100 g cashew nuts, roasted in a non-stick pan and crushed in the mortar

Cooking instructions:

In a bowl, mix flour and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs with some salt and pepper.

Dip the chicken pieces first in the egg, then in the flour. Fry in batches. Drain on paper towels.

Heat a tiny bit of oil in a wok and stir-fry the pepper for a couple of minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.

Mix the ingredients for the sauce: cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, chicken broth. Pour in the wok, heat up and stir until it thickens.

Serve the chicken with the sauce, the pepper and the cashew nuts on top. Enjoy with some white rice!