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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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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!

Recipe here: https://tiffycooks.com/egg-fried-rice-better-than-takeout/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=egg-fried-rice-better-than-takeout

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Sesame Chicken

What is your favorite Chinese take out food? What’s your top three?

Here’s mine:

Favorite Chinese take out food: Mongolian Beef

Top Three: Beef Fried Rice, Ma La String Beans, Mongolian Beef

Wait….I have more: General Tso’s Chicken, Lo Mein, Egg Drop Soup….

I just cannot leave it at 3 like many of you. While I don’t do much take out anymore since my confidence in the kitchen has grown, I miss going to my local Chinese take out place to order the above items and much more. I have so many Chinese take out favorites and most of them you can easily make at home.

One of the factors that brought my confidence in the kitchen was, of course, the global pandemic that started last year. Because there weren’t so much to do or could be done outside of our homes, I spent a good deal of time in the kitchen. I didn’t cook anything fancy, but just spent a lot of time in that space.

Sesame chicken is one of my other favorites in terms of fried and saucy type chicken dish. Next to General Tso’s and Orange chicken this is another favorite.

This recipe was, surprisingly, very easy to make. The sauce ingredients isn’t complicated and the whole process was simple to follow. I love how the sauce flavors come together. While the recipe called for frying the chicken pieces, I bet you can air fry them as well to opt for a healthier version.

This is best served with rice (brown or white).

Recipe here: https://howtofeedaloon.com/sesame-chicken/

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Eggplant with Minced Pork

Raise your hand if you like eggplant.

When I was growing up, the only way I would eat eggplant was when it’s cooked like an omelet. This type of omelet, also known as tortang talong, uses Asian eggplant. It is a very simple dish typically eaten with rice. Since then, I have loved all kinds of eggplant dishes. You can say I’ve grown up and matured in my eggplant experiences.

This eggplant with minced pork is delicious and simple to make. I love simple dishes that yield bold flavors and this is one of them. Although the recipe called for Asian eggplants, I used regular eggplants in this dish because I didn’t want to go to the Asian store.

I roasted the eggplant in the oven first until it has softened then sliced it into bite sized pieces. I simply added the sliced eggplants at the end. It’s that simple!

You can eat this eggplant with minced pork by itself or with white /brown rice. It is really up to you once you’ve tasted it. My household is big on white rice and I paired the dish with it.

IG link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTDqrlYMoiH/?utm_medium=copy_link

Recipe by @conniecooksfood

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Vietnamese Chicken Wings

These aren’t your ordinary chicken wings. These are coated in sticky sweet fish sauce and air fried. Imagine how crispy the skin is while retaining the juicy inside of the chicken. I’m salivating as I’m writing this.

The original recipe calls for deep frying, but I didn’t want to do that. I have used my air fryer many times for chicken wings and know that it can do the job. I air fried the wings in batches at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes then flipped and set the time for another 5-7 minutes (I believe I went to 10 minutes at one point, but just gauge your air fryer). You don’t want to end up with dried up wings.

The key ingredient here is fish sauce and the chili sauce. The chili sauce makes it sticky and it adheres to the chicken like butter on bread. This is a recipe that you must try: deep fried or air fried because it is that good.

Recipe by @vietnamfoodsafari on IG

IG link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTBD1k5s2Hd/?utm_medium=copy_link

Recipe by @vietnamfoodsafari

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Mongolian Beef

I used to order Mongolian Beef each time I do a take out from my local Chinese fast food. I love the taste and texture of the dish. So when this recipe by @tiffy.cooks on IG landed in my IG feed, I immediately wanted to make it.

I know it looks different from its usual picture and that is because I added zucchini to it and the usual green onions from my garden. I had other plans for the zucchini, but that plan didn’t come through. I love the addition here– plus, I get more veggies than usual.

It is seriously one of the easiest recipes you can make even on a busy week night like I have tonight. Some of the main ingredients aside from beef are Chinese cooking wine, oyster sauce, and soy sauce.

You can serve this with rice or eat by itself. It’s seriously a wonderful dish.

Recipe here: https://tiffycooks.com/mongolian-beef-better-than-takeout-2/

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