Young Broccoli Leaves and Shitake in Sweet Garlic Sauce

Servings: 5-6
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch fresh broccoli leaves
• 2 cups of sliced dried or fresh shitake mushrooms
• 1 whole garlic minced
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• cooking oil for frying garlic
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp washed sugar
• 1/4 cup soysauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• a dash of salt and black pepper

:Make sure that the broccoli leaves are washed well. You have an option to cut the leaves into pieces or blanch it as it is. The young broccoli leaves are not as thick and long as the mature ones. For me, I like the whole thing intact as I blanch it.

How To: Part 1

• Arrange blanched young broccoli leaves in serving platter.
• In a small frying pan heat cooking oil and fry minced garlic until light brown. Set aside.
• Using the very same frying pan, roast sesame seeds. Set aside.

How To: Part 2

• In a sauce pan, heat sesame oil and stir fry sliced shitake mushrooms for about a minute.
• Add water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, washed sugar and roasted sesame seeds.
• Mix everything well and let it simmer for a few minutes.
• Add salt and pepper if needed.
• Pour sweet sauce with shitake over blanched young broccoli leaves.
• Top and garnish with fried minced garlic.

Served with hot rice or noodles and hot tea. Enjoy!

Pork Adobo sa Gata

Pork Adobo in Coconut Milk

Here's one Filipino dish I experimented on. Well, I thought it's something new, but it's not, because just yesterday, I saw this particular viand in a menu from a local restaurant. This dish is easy to prepare. It's just basic pork adobo with coconut milk or coconut creme.

 

Ingredients:

• 5-6 pcs. pork adobo cut
• 1/2 cup coconut milk or coconut creme
• 3 bay leaf
• 5 cloves garlic crushed
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup soysauce
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 green chilli chopped into pieces
• a dash of salt and black pepper

 

How To:

• In a sauce pan mix pork adobo cutlets in water, soy sauce, crushed garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
• Boil pork until tender. Drain, set aside Adobo sauce.
• In a pan, heat olive oil and fry minced garlic until light brown. Set aside.
• In the same frying pan, stir fry drained pork cutlets. Stir for a few minutes and pour about 5-6 tbsp of Adobo sauce. Set aside in a serving bowl.
• Using the very same frying pan, stir fry green chilli for a few seconds.
• Add Coconut Milk and simmer for a minute or 2.
• Add remaining Adobo sauce and simmer again for a minute or 2 or until sauce is thick.
• Pour prepared Adobo sauce with coconut milk in the serving bowl with the pork cutlets.
• Add and garnish fried minced garlic.

 

Servings: 4-5

I Love Tootsie Rolls!

You know what, I can't recall if this is my first time to share my love for Tootsie Rolls or if I already made a post about it before. Anyway, it's been raining Tootsie Rolls here in our house. I've been a Tootsie Roll lover eversince. All the way from my childhood, I would ask my mom or grandmother for 2 Pesos for a stick of Tootsie Roll. As a kid, for a child who's always attracted with the dark brown packaging and for the ever curious little girl  wondering what's inside the dark brown foil, I would do anything just to have a taste. I remember visiting the store even without money just to take a glimpse of the jar of Tootsie Rolls. Of course as I grow up, I'm able to treat myself  not only with a stick, but packs of this sweet goodness.

 

I've enjoyed lots and lots of candies, but Tootsie Roll has always been my favorite. Every Tootsie Roll candy reminds me of my colorful childhood.

Here in the Philippines, they sell Tootsie Rolls in small tubes, sticks which are packed by 5, a jar and packs of small candies. I always go for a jar of bite size Tootsie Rolls, I am very fond of the Vanilla flavor too.

Today, my husband surprised me with 2 big packs of Tootsies. Both assorted and original flavor. The sweet gesture of my husband inspired me to share my love for Tootsie Rolls.

To my husband, thank you for filling up my jar of Tootsies again. I am very happy to share my every Tootsie Roll moment with my family.