FTF: Burger Steak and Carbonara

It's been a long time since I last joined Food Trip Friday. I'm happy that I have something to share this week. I have been low around my kitchen for the past weeks. 

I'm just HAPPY to be back!

I prepared two dishes from separate Fridays. 

The first one is a Veggie Carbonara. It'spasta with bell pepper, lots of mushrooms and green olives in white sauce. I added some sweet ham to add flavor. 

The next dish is our usual burger steak. It's burger patty topped with mushroom sauce. For an Easy Mushroom Gravy recipe please click the link included.

Food Trip Friday

Of Wine Racks, Tablewares and a Bottle Opener

If there's something that I need to manage in my kitchen, that would be our bottles of wine. Friends would often give us bottles of wine, especially for the Holidays. Proper storage has always been a problem for us. I don't even know where to get a wine rack. Wine racks are perfect for those who loves wine and doesn't have wine cellars at home. Personally, I want a wood wine rack because it can be made according to need. I don't have much wine bottles, but I have more than 4 or 5 stored. A modified wine rack can be handy. I can order a wine rack for the exact amount of wine bottles I have, and maybe make room for more. Racks can be made to fit within your available space.

A bottle opener is also an essential. They may come in small sizes, but quality matters. I have experiences when it took me minutes just opening a bottle of champagne.

Another upgrade that I need for my house is a new set of tableware. It's been 7 years since my husband and I bought our first set. of course, the old ones are still useful. But as I work around my kitchen, I just felt that I need to change things a bit.

  4 Section Glass Divided Serving Platter

Tableware includes plates, glasses and serving platters. I am very particular with serving platters, because I want my dishes to be served with style. I adore this 4 Section Glass Divided Serving Platter. It's so modern, at the same time it can be used for both casual and formal dining.

My Home and Beyond

I got a little off the track lately. I've been feeling sick for the past weeks. I can't even think of dishes to cook. It's just unusual for me to go blank when it comes to food. Aside from that, health- wise, I'm trying to cut down on fast food and instant food. Basically I'm trying to stay away from anything that are not home-cooked. It's pretty hard for a person maintaining a food blog. One of the goals for this blog is to come up with thoughts on certain restaurants and other food adventures.

I'll explain more for the next coming days.

Other than that, as a mother, I am also preparing for school year 2011-2012. My son will enter primary school soon, so it will take a lot of my time guiding him with whatever he needs. At home, maintenance is also my job. Well, my husband handles the work per se, but I take note of things that's needed to be fixed. Just recently we had Laminate flooring install because of the dog. He bites and eats everything. 

I'm trying my best to get back on track. So far so good, I've made 3 posts for this week. Now, I'm conditioning my mind to be able to come up with more recipes. Even if I come short on restaurant thoughts, I'll be able to fill them with stuff from my kitchen. Please bear and thank you for the continuous visits.

Honey- Glazed Dory

I have been in low on cooking dishes recently. It's not easy to get sick and still work around the house. That's why I keep my freezer and my pantry full, so anytime I can still cook something fresh and worth sharing. A few days back, I prepared this wonderful dish.

Dory Fish is one of my favorite fishes because of its creamy flavor. It's easy to cook and it can go with any kind of fish dish.

 Ingredients:

• 2 whole dory fish fillet
• 1/4 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbps honey
• 2 tbps chopped onion leeks or scallions for garnishing
• salt and ground pepper to taste

How To: 

• Sprinkle lemon juice on both sides of the fish
• Season dory fish fillet with olive oil
• Season both side of the fish with honey
• Season with a little salt and pepper
• Bake for 15-20 minutes at 200°C
• Garnish 

It's perfect with potato wedges or potato chips.  Enjoy!

Make Your Home Brighter

Lighting greatly affects the over-all feel of a house whether its old or brand new. With proper lighting an old house can become the most appealing and inspiring such as: contemporary lighting, bathroom lighting fixtures, chandeliers. Brightness and design can also make an impact on the home owner's life. As a blogger, I am very particular with the right lighting to protect my eyes while in front of the computer. A sleek looking desk lamp will aid me with this.

Desk lamps are an important lighting accessory to have in study or work areas because it provides extra illumination for tasks like reading and writing. They can also be a very versatile piece of equipment because of their smaller sizes. 

Another part of my house that I like to fix is my bathroom. When it comes to bathroom lighting fixtures, I like to add accenting lights like bathroom wall lamps, sconces, or bathroom vanity lights. These are perfect to give illumination. 

Chicken Arroz Caldo

There's a lot to consider on serving Chicken Arroz Caldo:

1. A bowl of Chicken Arroz Caldo should be served with large chunks of Chicken (preferably Tinola Cut). Small pieces of chicken fillet is only applicable for those who are sick and advised for a soft diet.

2. Make egg as an option. Serve a plate or bowl of hard boiled eggs on the table separately. This is to give guests a choice on how they like their Arroz Caldo to be.

3. Roasted garlic and chopped scallions are also served separately.

These are mostly applicable when we serve Chicken Arroz Caldo to our relatives, friends and  acquaintances. But when you're alone with your family, all options are open, feel free to mix and match.

Ingredients: Servings 4-5

• 2 cups sticky rice
• 4-5 pieces chicken
• 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
• 1 whole garlic (minced)
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1 tbsp saffron (kasuba)
• 2 tbps chopped scallions
• 2 liters of water
• salt and ground pepper to taste

How To:

• In a sauce pan saute 1 tsp minced garlic until light brown.
• Add chopped onions and minced ginger. Stir for a few seconds.
• Add chicken and stir for about a minute.
• Add 1 liter of water and simmer until chicken is half cooked.
• Add 2 cups of sticky rice and add water as needed. Simmer until rice and chicken are cooked.
• Add tbsp saffron and continuously stir. Add water as needed to reach desired consistency.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

* In a separate pan, roast remaining minced garlic until golden brown.

Serve a bowl and top with roasted garlic, chopped scallions and egg. Perfect with calamansi and fish sauce.

Dynamite

With the looks of it, a person will instantly know why it's called "dynamite". I learned this dish from my dad and he learned it from one of his travels. Not only that a piece looks like a dynamite, but it will also give you a blast once you take a bite. At first I wasn't able to handle it, then I found out that the first batch my dad cooked has chili seeds intact. Originally, the people who invented this dish prefers to leave the seeds. To make it less hot, remove the seeds and wash it well. With the seeds removed, it's still hot, but bearable and the chili flavor is strong.

It's green chili washed with seeds removed, stuffed with sauteed ground pork then deep fried. Perfect with honey mustard sauce or any sweet vinegar mixture. Crunchy, hot, mixed with a little sweetness and the soft texture of the sauce, this dish is surely a Dynamite!