Nita's Random Thoughts

We had a very simple Thanksgiving dinner celebration. We're supposed to go to our cousin's house tonight but she canceled it since her daughter was not feeling well. So dear hubby had to come up for Thanksgiving dinner. He made ham, sweet potato with marshmallows, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. I also made cupcakes just for the fun of it.

Labels: Recipes

The whole family went to Bremerton, Washington yesterday. We spent the entire day driving around the city. After that, we went straight to Ranch 99 Market in Edmonds, Washington and bought some fish. I've been craving for grilled fish so I decided to cook Grilled Pompano with Lime for dinner. Yummy!

Grilled Pompano with Lime Recipe

Ingredients:
4 to 5 pieces pompano fillets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/24 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 limes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:
1. Rub the fillets with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Grill the fillets skin-side up over a medium-hot fire for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip them and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until the fish is done.
3. Remove the fillets from the fire, drizzle them with the olive oil, squeeze a half lime over each, and sprinkle them with the parsley.

Labels: Food, Recipes

This is dear hubby's own version of Deviled Eggs.

Labels: Fun Stuff, Mellow Yellow Monday, Recipes

We had fried crabs for dinner! Yummy!

Fried Crab Recipe

Directions:

Preheat frying oil to 350 degrees F. Roll in cornmeal mixed with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown for about 2 to 4 minutes.

Labels: Cooking, Crabs, Food, Recipes

We had chicken barbecue for dinner. The kids love these tasty BBQ chicken which are simple and flavorful. They kept asking for more! Thanks honey for making the Chicken BBQ. You are awesome!

Labels: Recipes

(click to enlarge)

Okay, I cooked this Fried Pork Chops last night for our dinner. Isn't it yummy? This is my own version of cooking Pork Chops.

Ingredients:
2 pork chops (with bones)
2 gloves garlic
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vetsin

Directions:
In a bowl, mix pork chops with garlic, soy sauce, ground pepper and vinegar. Put them all together in a saucepan. Cook until tender. Add virgin olive oil and let it stand for 1-2 minutes. Serve with hot steamed rice!

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Labels: Cooking, Food, Recipes

Dear hubby and I still don't have plans for Mother's Day. Since both our parents live far away from us, we decided to stay home and enjoy each other's company in the comfort of our own home. I was browsing for some Mother's Day recipes which features a variety of recipes to delight Mom on Mother's Day, includes recipes for breakfast and brunch as well as cake decorating tips for adding that special touch. For Mother's Day brunch, I'm planning to have Baked Apple-Pecan Maple Pancakes.

Ingredients:
1 cup pancake/waffle mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup apple - peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together pancake mix, milk and egg until blended. Set aside.
2.) Pour melted butter in 9-inch pie plate. Place apple slices in bottom of pie plate. Sprinkle cinnamon and pecans over apples and drizzle syrup over top. Pour batter over apples.
3.) Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Loosen edges and invert onto serving platter. Cut into wedges before serving.

Labels: Recipes

This is my dear hubby's favorite dish. It's been a while since I cook Egg Foo Young so I am planning to make some for tonight.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup diced onion-mushrooms
3 large eggs
Raw vegetables or meat
2 tablespoons oil
Foo Young sauce

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok. Add mushrooms and fry 1 minute. Place in bowl until cool. Break eggs (beat well); add fried vegetables or meat.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of oil in wok; heat for 30 seconds over medium heat. Pour in 1/4 cup egg mixture; cook without stirring for 1 minute or until brown.
3. Cook the rest of egg mixture the same way, using 1 teaspoon of oil every time.

For Sauce:

1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar

Labels: Cooking, Egg Foo Young, Food, Recipes

It's been a while since we had Crispy Pata. I was craving for Pinoy food so I decided to cook Crispy Pata for dinner. Isn't it yummy?

Labels: Cooking, Food, Recipes

Does your family usually eat meals in the kitchen or somewhere else? We normally eat in the kitchen. I don't like eating somewhere else in the house.

Who usually does the dishes in your house? Both. Sometimes, dear hubby do the dishes if I'm busy doing other things.

What’s your favorite small appliance or tool in the kitchen? Pot, plates, bowl, luwag! LOL...

Dear hubby likes Embutido so much so I'm planning to cook it for him.

Ingredients:
75 to 100 g. leaf lard or sinsal, cleaned and drained
1 piece white gulaman bar, finely shredded
1/2 kg. lean ground pork
1/2 cup chopped Vienna sausage
1/2 cup chopped chorizo de bilbao, (approx. 60g.),
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
3 tbsp. raisins
2 tsp. finely crushed garlic
1/4 cup pickle relish
3 tbsp. chopped red onions
1/4 cup chopped pimientos
2 tbsp. chopped carrots
2 tbsp. MAGGI Chili Sauce
2 tsp. MAGGI Savor
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3 pieces eggs
1/4 cup CARNATION Evap
strings to tie ends of embutido

Broth
1 tbsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/3 cup chopped red onions
1 piece MAGGI Pork Broth Cube, dissolved in
2 cups water
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. MAGGI Savor
2 tsp. butter
1 piece bay leaf
2 tbsp. cornstarch, dispersed in
2 tbsp. water

Directions:
1. Divide sinsal into 4 pieces and spread out in a tray. Set aside.
2. Soak finely shredded gulaman bar in water until soft; drain. Set aside.
3. Combine all the ingredients and the soft gulaman shreds. Mix thoroughly.
4. Put around 1 1/2 to 2 cups of mixture on each sinsal; form into a log and wrap with the sinsal.
5. Tie both ends with string to secure. Set aside.
6. To make the broth: Heat oil and sauté garlic and onions until limp.
7. Pour in broth, vinegar, MAGGI Savor, butter and bay leaf; let boil without stirring to avoid the raw taste of vinegar.
8. Lower Embutido into the simmering broth and cook over low fire for 25 minutes.
9. Remove embutido from broth and cool before slicing.
10. To make gravy, strain broth and thicken the soup stock with cornstarch. Serve with the sliced Embutido.

Labels: Four Foods On Friday, Fun Stuff, Recipes

Boy, looking at the photo above makes me drool. When I was in the Philippines, we used to go the beach at least three times a month to have fun and of course, to have Kinilaw Na Isda. Boy, I missed Kinilaw so much. I told dear hubby when we visit the PI, I don't care if I eat seafoods every day.

Labels: Recipes

It's getting cold here and I decided to cook Chicken Soup or Nilagang Manok for dinner. It's been a while since I had Chicken soup. It's really yummy! Dear daughter can't get enough and kept asking more soup!

Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken (cut into desired sizes)
6 cup water
20 pepper corns
2 tsp. salt
1 big onion (quartered)
2 potatoes (pared and quartered)
1 head cabbage (quartered)
4 saba bananas (halved)
1 small bundle green onion, cut into 2 inch length
1/4 kg. green beans, stringed and cut into 2 inch lengths
1 fresh pechay (native)

Directions:
1. Place chicken in a big kettle with water, peppercorns, salt, onion, and bring to a boll Cover and cook until chicken is tender.
2. Add potatoes, bananas, cabbage, pechay, green onions and green beans and cook for a few minutes until vegetables are cooked.
3. Add water and season to taste. Serve hot.

Note: I didn't put pepper corns, bananas, cabbage, potatoes in there. Gusto ko yung simple lang!

Labels: Recipes

Labels: Cooking, Food, Recipes

Labels: Recipes

I've been looking around for some cakes online and finally saw this recipe and thought it would be perfect for my daughter's 3rd birthday. She loves wearing flip flop! I'm sure dear daughter will gonna love it.

Ingredients:

1 10-3/4-ounce frozen pound cake, thawed
3/4 to 1 cup desired-flavor ice cream
1/2 of an 8-ounce carton frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed
Pull-apart licorice twists
Bright-color candy wafers and/or round candies
Graham cracker crumbs (optional)

Directions:
1. Halve pound cake horizontally. Using a serrated knife, cut off the rounded top of the cake so each layer will be level. Cut each half into a flip-flop shape*. Place ice cream in a small bowl and stir to soften. Spread softened ice cream over one of the cakes. Top with second cake. Place ice cream-filled cake on a baking sheet. Cover and freeze until firm (2 to 3 hours). Spread with whipped topping.

2. To decorate, cut the ends of two twists at a diagonal. Insert a toothpick on the underside of each twist. Arrange the two twists with the cut ends together to form a V-shape, inserting toothpicks in cake to hold the twists in place as straps. Arrange candy wafers around base of flip-flop to decorate. Cover cake loosely and freeze until serving time. Serve on a platter sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs as sand, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

3. Tip: To cut flip-flop shape, trace the bottom of a child-size flip-flop (needs to be 7 to 7 1/2 inches long) on a piece of paper. Cut out shape. Place paper, clean side down, on a piece of clean cardboard or sturdy paper; trace shape. Cut out shape. Place cardboard shape on top of one cake half and use a small sharp knife to cut around shape and through cake. Repeat with other cake half.

4. Cake for 12: For a larger crowd, double recipe and make a pair of flip-flop cakes.

Labels: Recipes

Labels: Recipes

Labels: Recipes

Labels: Recipes

Labels: Recipes