Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts with bacon
Catching Up (ahem, part 3)
Here are some of the dishes I’ve made since my last post. I’m going to make this short because this is my 3rd try posting and nothing is posted! If I get lucky with this post, I’ll add more later.
I’m almost always on IG so follow me there!
Fall!
Although I have been absent here, I have been eating my way through some awesome dishes the last time I blogged. Every Sunday for the past 4 weeks, I have tinkered in the kitchen for hours preparing meals for the week. Why? My hope is to decrease the amount of snacking that I do on a given day by filling my body with nutritious meals from breakfast to lunch. While snacks are still in my lunch box but in limited quantity, I pick and choose those that can double as “filling” and “rewarding”. So, yes, I can pack a brownie paired with a crunchy snack for a bit of pick-me up in the afternoon.
Here’s what I ate every day last week:
When I think of meal prepping, I think of how much I’m eating better. It’s intentional. I like to be intentional about my eating, exercising, and mini yoga routine. While some people might think spending 4 hours in the kitchen is a lot of time (and it is), I think of it as an exercise of strength. I want to be strong (in mind) about the things I eat so I don’t fall off the band-wagon and depend on pb&j sandwiches (I love pb sandwiches). And, no, I don’t want to eat pb sandwiches all week.
I also think that intentional meal preparation and planning leaves me no room to make an excuse and head out to McDonald’s or Wendy’s. Although I haven’t been to either place in years, I could start if I don’t set a side time to meal plan. So, no, I don’t want to eat fast food all week either.
So, if I’m not here…head over to Instagram and find me there. I usually have updated posts each day about what I eat and I started a series 4 weeks ago that chronicles exactly what I eat every day of the week. It sounds boring, yeah, but I am going for it. By posting my weekly menu, I am (silently) being accountable to the public and to myself (even though I have not made that public statement).
See you on IG @spoonfulofcrumbs
I’ll be back here again, though it may not be weekly. Work has gotten in the way big time of my blogging and since blogging isn’t making me any $ at this time, I am going to spend more time with work until I can have a decent break to return here.
Filipino Pork & Beef Adobo
I made this adobo a few days ago for dinner. It is very tasty, easy to make, and so full of flavors. I’ve had my share of adobo recipes and this one is, by far, the easiest and quickest to make.
I grew up eating adobo using chicken, pork, or beef. It brings many fond and happy memories of family and family meals. My mom would make adobo for dinner then make fried rice with all the yummy sauce the following day. If there were any meat left, those are usually shredded and included in the fried rice. Another memory about adobo is the sauce (my mouth is salivating just thinking about it). The sauce is drizzled by the tablespoons onto the steaming white rice to make the rice flavorful. It’s really the only way to eat adobo.
This recipe calls for brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, water, garlic, and black peppercorn. Some adodo recipes require that you fry it after it’s been braising in the liquid (don’t get rid of the liquid/sauce) while others call for braising the meat until it’s tender. Either is fine and a personal preference. I’ve also learned that adobo recipes can be different or varied depending on the region in the Philippines. These variations can be from the sauce or the color of the dish. Some adobo recipes are sweeter than others, too. Others are a bit on the sour side. Which adobo do you like?
This recipe is by @iankweks on IG.
IG link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTqWpQIMqJn/?utm_medium=copy_link
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Spoonful Of Crumbs – where I make YOUR recipe come alive in MY kitchen.
Bihon
Bihon (bee-hon) is a Filipino noodle dish popular in so many homes worldwide. It is a versatile noodle dish that is easy to make and delightful to the palate. It’s versatile in the use of proteins, meaning you can use pork, chicken, tofu, or shrimp. Or, make it vegan. Although I have not made this noodle dish with beef, I’m sure it will yield tasty results.
When I make and eat Bihon, it reminds me of home and family. My family used to go to this Chinese restaurant where they make the best bihon. In fact, it was a special type of cooking the bihon where the noodles come out crispy and crackling with joy. The name of this dish escapes me, but trust me, it was delicious and a well earned treat for our family.
My version of Bihon incorporates Vietnamese pork sausage called cha lua, thin slices of pork belly, carrots, and cabbage. Carrots and cabbage are the usual suspects for bihon though you can also add quail eggs or hard boiled eggs at the end in addition to the vegetables. You can also add Chinese sausage and it will be yummy. If you don’t have cabbage, bok choy would work well here.
The noodles for bihon is called rice sticks also known as rice vermicelli. It’s thin and dry which means you find it in the noodle section of your Asian grocery store. I have never trusted to buy bihon noodles at a regular grocery store so I always plan to get it at the Asian store. I’m sure it’s all the same, but I’m very particular with the brand.
For seasoning, it is very simple: oyster sauce, pepper (or white pepper), salt, soy sauce. If you need a bit more salt, you can more soy sauce or a little bit of chicken bouillon powder. The key here is the amount of water that you put in the pan for the noodles to soak in to cook. If you have a lot of water, your bihon will be soggy. Not enough, your bihon will be dry as the desert. So, my tip is look at a recipe or the directions on the package and add water with caution. For example, this recipe called for 2.5 cups of water. I thought that was a lot looking at the amount of noodles I had. I added only 2 cups and it was perfect.
You can garnish this with green onions or just leave it as it.
IG link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTii5h_M-ay/?utm_medium=copy_link
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Banana Bread with Brown Butter
I did some baking last week (so, yeah, this is a late post) and had this delicious treat as my “reward” after lunch. It was such a great treat, mind you, that it satisfied me!
This banana bread recipe has been repeated 2-3 times in my kitchen. It comes out moist, not too sweet, and just a delight to eat. I added some slivered almonds and it gave a slightly different texture at each bite. The ingredients are all right there in your pantry, but you do need to have those overripe bananas staring at you. You’ll need 2-3 depending on the size. And, oh, sour cream is also an ingredient that keeps this baby soft and moist.
As previously mentioned, I ate some last week which means, I froze the other half for later. This banana bread recipe keeps really well in the freezer and I am a believer! C’mon, try it and let me know.
Recipe here: https://www.rivertenkitchen.com/moist-soft-banana-bread.html
IG link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTTFxPiMMSr/?utm_medium=copy_link
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This post may contain affiliate link. If you make a purchase through a link, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Sausages with Sweet Chili Sauce
I made this dish for lunch this week and I’m so glad I did. It is delicious, easy to make, and a great lunch idea!
I’m back to a full schedule (and then some) and I’m exhausted. I nearly have any time to do other things on the weekdays and need to manage my time better. It’s like riding a bike, eh? With everything in full swing, I want to make sure I am also feeding my body with good food and not just junk. Preparing my lunch each with with intention gives me that guarantee that I will eat good food.
I have never been a proponent of the idea that I’ll buy lunch at lunch time because for one, I never had the money to do that when I was in college. That mentality has taken me into the present time. I always try to plan my meals ahead and if I have no motivation to cook I know I will still plan to eat something instead of buying.
So, getting back to this easy dish. It is literally so easy: sausage (you can use hotdogs), peppers, garlic, and sweet chili sauce. The recipe is written as “grilled” sausages, but I didn’t grill mine. I bet it would add another layer of flavor if it were grilled.
I paired this sausage with sweet chili sauce with basmati rice. It was a filling lunch and I found myself satisfied, as in, not hungry until the evening.
Recipe here: https://www.manilaspoon.com/2014/06/grilled-sausages-with-peppers-in-sweet.html
IG link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTQhXAiMZoC/?utm_medium=copy_link
Follow me on Instagram @spoonfulofcrumbs
Spoonful Of Crumbs – where I make YOUR recipe come alive in MY kitchen.
This post may contain affiliate link. If you make a purchase through a link, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Garlic Popcorn Chicken
This crunchy popcorn chicken is delicious and popping good! It can be baked, fried, or air fried. This version is fried although I have made a similar recipe in the air fryer before as well.
Some versions of popcorn chicken come with sauces while others don’t. It’s really up to you as this dish is quite versatile and appeals to your palate and eyes. Some sauces include garlic-honey, honey-mustard, or bbq. Or you can leave it plain like this.
One tip that I want to pass on for popcorn chicken is double frying it. Double frying creates that crispy texture that you might have enjoyed at your last take out from the Chinese fast food or Chinese restaurant. The use of cornstarch is also key to popcorn chicken.
I didn’t double fry mine because I was too lazy, but I have made popcorn chicken before that was absolutely crispy and still moist after it was double fried.
Give this a try and let me know how you like it. This recipe is from @chinesefoodobsession on Instagram.
IG link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTLQLwdsuby/?utm_medium=copy_link
Follow me on Instagram @spoonfulofcrumbs
Spoonful Of Crumbs – where I make YOUR recipe come alive in MY kitchen.
Egg Fried Rice
Here’s another favorite take out that I made: egg fried rice. I added strips of fried Vietnamese cha lua, which is Vietnamese pork roll. If you’re not familiar with it, it basically looks like sausage but the rolls (at least the ones I have encountered) are wider than typical sausages you see in the grocery store. I linked Wikipedia in case you want to read about it some more.
I have had my share of fried rice and like any Asian person, I grew up eating it. My preparation of fried rice is influenced by how my mom made it and other people in our household when I was growing up. Typically, it uses garlic which is fried so that the rice becomes “garlic fried rice” and salt and pepper. When you order fried rice from your favorite Chinese place, it is typically brown in color because of the oyster and soy sauces. The rice that I make and have grown up knowing is usually “white” because I don’t use oyster or soy sauce.
I’ve explored other types of fried rice recently and one of them was Nasi Goreng. If you remember my post that featured Nasi Goreng, you might recall the use of kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce). Along with a few distinct ingredients, Nasi Goreng comes out a bit sweeter than your typical fried rice. This time, I explored a recipe by @tiffy.cooks on IG and this is the fried rice I am familiar with when I order take out from my local Chinese place. It is very simple to make and so delicious.
You have to give it a try because it is so worth it!
IG link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTKc2mBLGqE/?utm_medium=copy_link
Follow me on Instagram @spoonfulofcrumbs
Spoonful Of Crumbs – where I make YOUR recipe come alive in MY kitchen.
This post may contain affiliate link. If you make a purchase through a link, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
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