Missouri Life Magazine Feature | Sesame Beef Sliders

Okay... it's been a month since my last post.  And a few of you have asked me what's up, why the delay in posting my next piece?

It's just that there are too many new developments coming in... some good ones, and some unfortunate ones.  But isn't that what life is about?  The good time mixed in with the bad?  As Ellen Degeneres said: “My point is, life is about balance. The good and the bad. The highs and the lows. The pina and the colada.” LOL! And  I would add the yin and yang - how contrary forces are related and interconnected.

But fine, let's tackle the things that are good - as I am so grateful with all the wonderful opportunities coming my way... Well in the current August issue of  Missouri Life Magazine, I am featured in their Back to School Beef article.  The Missouri Beef Council co-sponsored the article about moms preparing meals for back to school time.

Here an excerpt of what Tina, assistant editor wrote:

When Malou Perez-Nievera's three children would open the front door on weekday afternoons, savory smells would wash over them like an ocean wave.  "Preparing good food is always at the center of a close-knit family, at the dining table where the food is shared and stories are heard" Malou says.  She shares recipes and reflections on her family-centered blog Skip to malou and teaches the Modern Asian Cooking Series in the St. Louis area.

"I would think that in the age of frozen dinners and takeout, it's still important to have some kind of sense of cooking good food--- food that comes from the heart" she says.  Malou's meals are robutst and creative: grilled lemongrass beef, oxtail and tripe stew in peanut sauce, and corned beef sinigang (sour soup). New twists on solid staples spell adventure for her family, and she hopes to ignite that fire in others"

I'd like to thank the staff of Missouri Life Magazine for the write up and for the whole enjoyable experience:  special mention to Tina Casagrand, assistant editor, your article is well written... and Bob Holt for the stunning pictures.  Also Jonas Weir and Danita Allen Wood, the editor in chief and co-owner of the magazine.

Here's the recipe I shared for the back to school issue:

Sesame Beef Sliders

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 tbsp liquid seasoning
3 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 stalk green onions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsps sesame seeds
1-2  tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, put the ground beef.  Season with salt and pepper.   Mix all the remaining ingredients together.   Since this is for back to school fare, some kids don't like garlic or onions, you could use the powder garlic and powder onions instead.  Gently mix the beef together and remember not to over mix the beef.

To make sure that the beef mixture is well seasoned, pan fry a teaspoon full of the beef mixtures and taste.  Adjust the seasonings if needed.

Now we’re ready to form our patties. Grab a chunk (like a the size of a golf ball) of  beef and gently form a patty. This recipe yielded 12 patties.  Pre-heat a cast iron pan on high heat. Add patties and cook it for about 2- 3 minutes per side. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top. Let it rest.

Grill the buns on the same cast iron pan.  Then play around with your flavors. For the dressing, I mixed mayo with chopped garlic, a little soy sauce and a little sugar.  If Rachel Ray has her EVOO, I have my SO (sesame oil) so go ahead, sprinkle some sesame oil on your mayo mixture.

Let's build your sliders. First, slice the bun in half, grill both sides (facing down)  Spread the mayo on the toasted bun add the grilled burger. Add a tomato slice, cucumber slice and spinach.  and add the top bun. Finish off with a slice of strawberry on top.  The kids will love the heart shaped topped sliders... ENJOY!

Red Snapper with Lemon Coleslaw on a Spinach Cup and Wasabi Mayo

He called me from work last week and asked  "What are you having for lunch?"

 "A Spinach Wrap!"  was my reply.

And he said "It sounds healthy and refreshing! That's good!"

Then, the next day, he called again and asked the same question and I replied "Spinach Wrap" 

"Hmm, Yum Again!" he said.

And for the remainder of the week, he popped the same question.  Yes you guessed it right, I answered: "Spinach Wrap!"

"What?  SPINACH WRAP Again??? Don't you get tired of it?" he asked in disbelief. "Love, you are usually creative. What happened?  Aren't you inspired at all?"

I smiled, little did he know that I've been enjoying my spinach wrap marathon lately. I use my spinach wrap as a blank canvass, and pretty much. everyday I create a colorful new picture. It depends on my mood, really.  Sometimes I could easily throw in any left-overs from the previous night to a bed of spring greens.  Sounds healthy, right?  Or sometimes, I would grill it with cheese (oooh gooey) or add some cream with fresh fruits... oh so divine...  

So ok, in case he calls today, and he pops the same question... I will not say Spinach Wrap.  This time I would say:  Red Snapper with Lemon Coleslaw on a Spinach Cup and Wasabi Mayo.  

I can't wait to  hear what he has to say this time.  How about you... What are you eating for lunch today?

Happy Monday!

Red Snapper with Lemon Coleslaw on a Spinach Cup and Wasabi Mayo

Ingredients

Pan-fried fish strips
I used Pan Fried Red Snapper which I seasoned with salt and pepper and lemon.  Pan fried each side, takes about 4-6 minutes)

Lemon Coleslaw
Mix 1 cup coleslaw mix, 2 tbsp mayo, lemon juice from lemon, 1 tsp sugar ,salt and pepper to taste. You may also add a drop of sesame oil a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds.

Wasabi mayo: 2 tbsp mayo, a dot of wasabi (you may add more if you want)

Small Spinach wraps

Assemble them all together and you will enjoy a refreshing lunch in no time.  Enjoy

Breathe | Squid Adobo Balsamico Pasta

Mum - breathe... take a break!

This was my daughter's message as I was telling her how intense this Coco Cooking Contest has become.  Call it madness but I have been totally obsessed with trying to win this cooking challenge via online voting.

I'm afraid some of my friends would now avoid me when they see me online on FB. : )  They must have been irked with my appeal to please vote... Initially I said "vote - please" (in a soft tone)... But as the competition got more intense, I was now typing in caps:  VOTE - or else...  $!&@! (insert favorite curse word here).  I paraded around Facebook with a loud gong and megaphone announcing to the world that I should win. And it must have been annoying! LOL!  I now realize my folly - please forgive me my FB friends.

But through it all, I am most grateful to all of you - and I am glad that I have so many supportive friends. Thank you to my new friends I met through the promotion of my recipe for this contest. Thank you for voting for me from all over the world - my friends from the Southern Philippines, in Manila, and of course those in my hometown of Tuguegarao.  Thanks to all those who voted in the US, special shout-out to friends and family in Las Vegas, San Diego, Oregon, Nebraska, Alaska, Georgia, Florida and New Jersey - some of these places I am more familiar to than others - but you were one in supporting me.   I may finish second in the competition but your support made me realize that I have already won.

My daughter is right. I should take a break... and when I take a break, you will find me in my kitchen, trying to express myself  through my recipes...

So to my friends, here's a recipe called Squid Adobo Balsamico Pasta.  Thank you for your votes.  And in case you have not voted (opps I can't help it.) I would like you to take a few seconds to give me your vote.

SQUID ADOBO BALSAMICO PASTA
I was staring at the thawed baby squid when my phone notification beeped.  It was a message from my friend Orly.  He was busy giving me his statistical analysis of the voting results when I asked him a random question: What is your favorite Filipino food? His reply was: Adobo, because of the myriad variety to cook it.On  that note, I took the humble traditional squid adobo and amped it up like what I love to do. Thanks Orly for the inspiration and for all that  you do.

Ingredients:
2 lbs baby squid (clean with salt and rinse well)
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp crema de balsmico
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onions, chopped
2 tbsp capers
fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
cooked pasta

Procedure:

First clean the squid and follow instructions here Make sure to reserve the ink sac.

In a pan, saute garlic and onions.  Cook until onions are wilted.  Add squid and its ink. Cook until squid renders its own liiquid.  Add wrocestershire sauce, crema de balsamico and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Cook for just a few minutes as overcooking the squid will make it rubbery. Sprinkle thyme, give it a quick stir.  Add in the capers. The dish should be saucy and creamy.  Pour over a platter of cooked pasta.

Garnish:
Drizzle with toasted garlic and olive oil.
Sprinkle grated ginger. (freeze a thumb size ginger and grate it over the plate of pasta)
Add more capers (optional but i do love capers so I usually add more)
Add cherry tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Reboot| Pork Chops in Hoisin and Fish Sauce

I awaken this morning in an unfamiliar setting... Hubs not beside me, window by my side, I thought I had slept somewhere else.  Before your suspicious minds wander and eyebrows start to rise, let me explain. I slept on a spare bed because my husband is not feeling well so he isolated himself from me.  He is in quarantine.

However, the sun has barely risen and I already hear and smell familiar Saturday morning rituals.  The tv is on blaring the morning news... the coffee is brewing... ahhh, it must be Saturday I said.  Hubs is definitely feeling better as he is up doing his regular routine.  The familiar voices of  our local morning hosts on KSDK, Kelly and Chester made me recall that it's been a week since I guested at their show... as my thoughts regaled the recent guesting, I jumped out of bed (literally) as I panicked... Oh no, it's been a week too since my last post.

Talk about wanting to be more current with the news (yes I wanted to do a post about the Olympics). I thought of sharing with you our dinner last night.  No matter how much I try to be "in", I always go back to one of the goals of this blog, which is to share with you simple recipes from our dinner table.

I realize it has only been a few seconds since I opened my eyes.  My thoughts are going 100 mph, so I logged on to my laptop... I panic again because one, wi-fi wasn't working, and two, I remember my initial reason to panic - it's been a week since my last post.  Hubby comes in and says to me "relax, I'll reboot the modem, it's a beautiful Saturday morning...".  Indeed, all I had to do was calm down and to resolve the last dilemma by sharing with you last night's dinner.  Life is simple... life is good.  Good Morning!

Porkchop in Hoisin and Fish Sauce

(I just love the hoisin and fish sauce that I used in my cabbage rolls a few posts ago. Now I use it in almost every thing that I serve...haha.  But trust me, this simple recipe will be a winner too..  This dish is served best with steamed veggies  on the side.  With this marinade, you could cook the pork any way you want it: bake or grill is fine.)

Ingredients:

6-8 pcs pork chops

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tablespoon fish sauce

1/2 cup soup stock

1 lime - add the lime juice

4 clove garlic - minced

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

Marinade the pork chops by mixing all the ingredients together.  Leave it for 30 minutes or at best overnight.

Pour the marinated pork chops (together with the marinade) in a pan.  Cook over medium fire.  Cook until sauce is reduced.  If pork is not cooked yet, add another 1/2 cup of soup stock and cook until done.  Sauce should be reduced but there should be enough to coat the chops.