Category Archives: homemade

Bean Sprout Lumpia (Lumpiang Toge)

Leave a reply

Lumpiang Toge (Bean Sprout Spring Roll) is one of the comfort foods I grew up with. Street vendors served them out of baskets of fried food, along with a bottle of spiced vinegar you can use to douse the lumpia to your heart’s content.

Filling: firm tofu, snap peas, mung bean sprouts sauteed in garlic and onion.

I’ve learned to make lumpia using mung bean sprouts and when I can find them, ones simply labeled “crunchy sprouts.” I’m not really sure what beans they originate from, but I sure like the added crunch and coarse texture they give the roll.

The filling is made by sauteing garlic and onions, browning some tofu and adding the sprouts as well as any other vegetables you might want to add (julienned string beans, snap peas, carrots). Stirfry until almost cooked then season with salt, pepper, and if available to you, a drizzle of fish sauce. Drain the vegetables and wrap in spring roll wrapper, then fry until brown. Incidentally, spring rolls are an ingenious way of using leftover vegetable stirfry, as long as the ingredients are chopped well and are dry.

I like serving mine with spiced vinegar, crushed garlic, and soy sauce. Just like home.

Mangia!

(Photos by Kanako Shimura)


Homemade Meals: Protein + Green + Grain

Leave a reply

Healthy meal planning is definitely a cumbersome task that requires a lot of planning and execution, from marketing the ingredients to scheduling meals and cooking. For the single working person (or even two working adults), the effort hardly seems worth it and it’s much easier to resort to food delivery or eating out. But there is a kind of comfort in knowing where and how your meals were made, as well as the luxury of dining leisurely at home by yourself or over great conversation with a partner. 
Below are some meal ideas (from our kitchen to yours) that follow a simple combination of proteins, grains, and vegetables in pre-set plated portions. Enjoy!

 Steamed shrimp over sauteed chard and bulgur.


Chicken afritada, steamed artichoke, rice and green mango.

Pan-fried salmon over quinoa, sauteed chard, avocado with soy sauce and wasabi.

Bottled dried herring (tuyo) over quinoa, sauteed sprouts.

Curried fava beans and okra, rice, roti.

Panko-encrusted baked fish, sauteed watercress, quinoa, kalamata olives and Greek yogurt.

Baked deviled chicken thigh, cabbage salad, sauteed sprouts, quinoa.

Curried chicken and chickpeas, rice, steamed rapini, mango chutney and naan.

Pan-fried salmon, brown rice, beet and pepper salad, avocado with soy sauce and wasabi.

Kalbi (Korean BBQ Shortribs)

Leave a reply

After purchasing bottled Korean Barbecue marinades years ago, I decided to try and make it myself with what I thought I tasted in the store-bought sauces. Ever since then I’ve made my own mix and marinated short ribs for as long as a week. I use a FoodSaver vacuum-sealed container, but any airtight container will do as long as it soaks long enough. Ziploc bags are very effective for bigger batches.

9-12 strips flanken shortribs
1 head garlic, crushed and peeled
10-15 whole peppercorns
5 stalks scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil

In a bowl, mix well until blended all ingredients except for the meat. Adjust seasoning to taste. Arrange meat in layers in an airtight marinating container, slipping pieces of garlic and scallions in between layers. Marinate for 2-3 days, checking daily that all pieces are in contact with the liquid.
Grill on high heat until brown. Serve with rice, vegetables and kimchi.

Mangia!

Valentine Paella

1 Reply

One large pinch saffron
2 x 14 oz cans chicken broth
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 chicken thighs, deboned and cut in half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-4 pieces chorizo, cut into half-moons
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups short-grain rice, such as arborio
½ pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined chopped
1 large squid, cut into rings
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
15 green olives with red peppers inside
1 dozen littleneck clams, cleaned
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (optional).

Mixsaffron into the broth and keep warm in a pot.  In an 18-inch paelleraor a wide deep pan/saucepan with lid, brown the chicken in the oliveoil and set aside. Brown the chorizo and set aside. Using the same oil,sautee onion until clear and garlic until brown, then add rice and mixuntil coated. Season with salt and pepper.  Add stock, chicken andchorizo. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes then add the shrimp, squid,and clams hinge-side up. Add peas, and olives.Cover and cook until allthe liquid has absorbed and seafood is cooked. If rice is underdone,add another cup of stock and return to the fire for 5 to 7 minutes.Season with salt and pepper to taste and, if you choose, top withparsley.  Serve with lemon wedges. (Adapted from The New York TimesMagazine)

Homemade Leche Flan

Leave a reply

12 egg yolks

1  12 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1   14 oz can evaporated milk
½ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
 
Caramelize sugar and water in high heat until the consistency of syrup. Line pan/s with caramel.

Ina large bowl gently mix eggs, milk and vanilla, avoiding the formationof bubbles. When blended, pass through a strainer to catch undissolvedegg particles and other solids. Pour into aluminum mold, pans or muffinmolds and cover with foil.  Place pans/molds in a bigger panhalf-filled with warm water, bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 1 houror until solid. Invert molds into plates and serve with caramel sauce.

Mangia!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...