Peppered Pork Belly

If it weren't for a friend who asked for the recipe of this dish, I wouldn't be posting anything at all. So thanks! It's about time I update and post a recipe on this blog.

The story behind this pork dish goes around with my love for scallions or onion leeks. Recently, I've replaced the usual onion toppings with these attractive green vegetable.

 I love to top any of my prepared Filipino stews with fresh and finely chopped scallions. For some reason it enhances the food itself, makes it more delicious. Plus, the green garnish on top makes it even more enticing to eat.

The recipe will flow with my version of Teriyaki sauce minus the sesame seeds and the Japanese condiments. It will be sweet, peppery and the hint of ginger will make its taste like any Asian cuisine.

Yield: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kilo of thinly slice pork belly (Menudo cut for Pinoys)
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 medium red onion (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped ginger 
• 2 stalks of onion leeks thinly chopped
• 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper granules
• 1 medium bell pepper
• a handful of chicharo or chickpea
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil

Procedure:

• In a sauce pan, heat cooking oil.
• Saute onions, garlic until translucent.
• Add ginger and stir for a few seconds.
• Add pork belly and turn heat or fire to medium and stir until the meat is half- cooked.
• Add black pepper, soy sauce, honey, water and simmer until pork is cooked.
• Add vegetables (bell pepper and chickpeas) and oyster sauce.
• Simmer in low fire until vegetables are half- cooked.
• Transfer in serving platter.
• Garnish with onion leeks.

Note: You can add cornstarch to thicken the sauce and add roasted sesame seeds.

Tip: If you have sake/ mirin or white wine, add 1-2 tablespoons and you'll have a Teriyaki sauce.

Enjoy!

Popcorn Makeover

Like potato chips, popcorn has given us that "it" factor when it comes to munchies especially partnered while watching flicks. At home, one of our family past times is watching movies and television series. We always have popcorn on stock just for weekend movie nights and even game nights. It's light and at the same time you get to control the flavor you like. My husband like it plain and salted. But on a personal note, I'm not a fan of plain popcorn, I've always wanted mine buttered or flavoured. 

Popcorn is easy to eat and it is available all the time. Yet, the ways it's served is very limited. So let me share my thoughts on how to enhance popcorn to make it more enjoyable to eat. What I came up with is very simple. My only basis are the ff:

1. It should not be messy to eat.

2. Availability of basic ingredients at home.

3. A healthy side to it.

After popping some in the microwave, I placed my popcorn in a clean, dry bowl. Top your  popcorn with the following ingredients:

• 1- 2tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese mixed with garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of chopped scallions/ spring onions
• 1/2 teaspoon grated black pepper

Other options:
cayenne
paprika
melted butter
sour cream

Check out these flavors from SkinnyPop

Top it all and spread it out well. No need to mix. The olive oil will do its job by sticking to the rest of the dry ingredients, it won't be messy. As you dig in the bowl,  the ingredients will blend accordingly.

From Canned Fish to Glammed

As a homemaker, one of the things that is so important to me is to serve good, healthy food all the time.  But it doesn't often go our way right? There will be times when we want to rest so we buy food to go or we open a can or two.

Let me focus on how to make processed food more inviting to eat, particularly canned products. Personally, I love packing on sardines, Spanish- style sardines to be exact. My kids love it and I serve it for breakfast paired with hot rice.

I always assume that anything processed outside my kitchen is a risk. Though canned products follow a certain standard when it comes to preparing down to canning, still, just the idea that I don't see how they prepare these products makes me more meticulous. In order to meet the thought of making sure that what I serve my family is okay, I cook these canned products like any dish made from scratch. Believe me, it will taste better and somewhat being able to create your own out of some random sardine can is fun.

I brought life to this canned Spanish- style sardines by:

• Sauteing minced ginger, freshly- pressed garlic, red tomatoes and onions in olive oil. 
• Let it cook for a few seconds until the juice from the tomatoes comes out.
• Drain half of the oil from the canned sardines. Best to replace that oil with olive oil.
• Pour the sardines with the sauteed ingredients and mix everything well.
• Add black pepper and simmer for a few seconds.
• Serve!

I also use this very same dish for pasta drizzled with Parmesan cheese.