Thai Beef Fried Rice

I love Thai fried rice it is fragrant and nowhere near as oily as traditional Chinese fried rice. I love the heat of the Thai Chili, the flavor, and aroma of Thai Holy Basil and the delicate taste of shallots, what is not to love. I prefer the Pineapple fried rice for myself however my other half loves beef so that is what I am preparing this time.

Thai Basil has a somewhat licorice, peppery flavor. Thai Chili's (birdseye chilies) have a wonderful heat. Shallots offer a delicate onion flavor and garlic, well what is not to love.

4 cups cooked Jasmine rice, day old and refrigerated overnight
1/4 pound beef, sliced then chopped small
4 Cloves Garlic smashed or minced
1-2 Fresh Thai Chili's, smashed or minced (optional)
1 Shallot, sliced very thin
3 eggs
Small handful of Thai Holy Basil Leaves  (no, you cannot substitute Italian sweet basil)
2 stalks Green onions, cut
2 Tbsp Oil

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
2 Tbsp Soy
2 Tsp Palm Sugar or regular sugar

My personal advise is to combine the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar together in a small bowl. Make sure the sugar dissolves, microwave for 30 seconds if needed. Add a little at a time to your rice till you hit the right amount of sauce for you. (Oyster sauce and Sweet Soy are not traditional, sometimes I add a few dribbles into my sauce mix, however that is a personal preference).

Heat oil in wok till hot, add garlic and stir-fry a few seconds, add shallots and optional Thai chili, stir fry for another few second, add beef and cook till just done. Add rice, chop to break up and toss with other ingredients till well incorporated and mostly cooked. Scoot aside rice mixture, crack two egg into wok in are made available by moved rice mixture, swirl and scramble with the spatula till mostly cooked, toss rice on top of egg mixture, toss everything together and stir fry another minute. Add sauces and sugar, continue stirring till distributed. Add Thai Holy basil and green onions, cook another few seconds. Remove a serving to a bowl and top with fried egg. Immediately remove from wok to a plate or bowl. Garnish with a sprinkle of black pepper.

Serve with a side of Prik Nam Pla

3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
4-5 Thai chili's small sliced
1/2 to 1 Lime, juiced per taste

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and stir to combine.

Thai Fried Breakfast Rice with a Spam and Egg Twist

3 cups cooked Jasmine rice, day old and refrigerated overnight
3 1/4 inch thick slices of Spam, diced
4 Cloves Garlic smashed or minced
1-2 Fresh Thai Chili's, smashed or minced (optional)
1//2 small onion, sliced into slivers, then slivers cut in 1/4ths, (or shallots if you have them)
2 eggs
Small handful of Thai Holy Basil Leaves  (no, you cannot substitute Italian sweet basil)
2 stalks Green onions, cut
1 1/2 Tsp Oyster Sauce
1 1/2 Tsp Soy
1 Tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Oil

Heat oil in wok till hot, crack 1 whole egg into hot oil, allow to fry, spoon hot oil over the top of the egg, cooked to desired doneness, remove egg to a small plate and set aside.  Drop in diced spam and fry to desired crispiness, add garlic and stir-fry a few seconds, add onion or shallots and optional Thai chili, stir fry for another few second, add rice, chop to break up and toss with other ingredients till well incorporated and mostly cooked. Scoot aside rice mixture, crack two egg into wok in are made available by moved rice mixture, swirl and scramble with the spatula till mostly cooked, toss rice on top of egg mixture, toss everything together and stir fry another minute. Add sauces and sugar, continue stirring till distributed. Add Thai Holy basil and green onions, cook anther few seconds. Remove a serving to a bowl and top with fried egg. Immediately remove from wok to a plate or bowl. Garnish with a sprinkle of black pepper and addition green onion.

Serve with a side of Prik Nam Pla

3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
4-5 Thai chili's small sliced
1/2 to 1 Lime, juiced per taste

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and stir to combine.

Garlic Beef

1-2 Pounds of sirloin, sliced very thin and chopped
15 cloves or whole bulb garlic, minced (4 heaping Tbsp)
3 small onions, cut into slivers
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp sweet soy
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp Chinese chili paste
1-2 tbsp oil

Consider adding a vegetable like peas, broccoli raab etc...

Heat oil in a skillet, add all minced garlic and saute 1 minute, add beef and cook stirring, cook till meat just loses its pink color, add white onion, saute another minute, add sauces, water and chili paste with black pepper. simmer for a few minutes until thickened.
Serve over steamed rice, garnish with scallion and extra chili paste if desired

Filipino BBQ Pork

Marinade

3 pounds of pork steak, cut into thin cubes
6 Cloves Garlic finely minced or crushed
1/4 Cup Toyomansi (Soy with Calamansi)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup banana ketchup
2 tbsp sweet soy (thick soy)
1/3 cup 7 up

Mix all ingredients together, place in a nonreactive bowl with pork, cover and refrigerate overnight.

1 Hour before grilling, cover wooden skewers in hot water and allow to soak.

BBQ Sauce

6 Garlic finely minced or crushed
1/3 cup Toyomansi
2 tbsp thick soy
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup banana ketchup
1/4 cup 7up

Place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, cook about 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate.

Grill the pork skewers on a charcoal grill. Begin brushing with sauce upon the first turn. These should be flipped 6 to 8 times, brushing with the bbq sauce as you go. You want to achieve a grilled, caramelized appearance with a little charring.

It is good when you drizzle a little of the leftover sauce on scoops of steamed jasmine rice to go with the pork. Enjoy.

Lumpia Shanghai

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 finely grated carrot
2 cups angel hair cabbage, chopped fine
1/4 white onion, grated
4 stacks green onion minced fine
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp Toyomansi (Soy sauce with Calamansi)
2 tbsp sweet soy (thick soy)
1 tsp oyster sauce or fish sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 egg

Saute, garlic, carrot, cabbage and yellow onion briefly, set aside and allow to cool.
Place ground beef and pork in large bowl, add sauces and seasoning and break up with a serving fork, add cooled veggie mixture along with minced green onions. Using the fork mix all ingredients together well.

Beat egg and set aside to seal your wraps

Using Lumpia wrapper, spread 2 tablespoons of mixture completely across the bottom of the wrapper, roll tightly like a cigar, brush the end section of the wrapper with beaten egg and continue rolling to seal. Cut the roll in half.

Deep Fry at 350 until golden brown and cooked through.

Pancit Bihon

2-3 tbsp
1 onion sliced thin
6 cloves of garlic, processed
1 lb pork finely cut or ground
16 oz Shrimp
1 Chicken breast cut 1/2 of a bite size
2 tbsp Toymansi  (Soy sauce/calamansi combo)
2 tsp fish sauce
2 cups cabbage shredded
1 large carrot cut into matchsticks
2 cups chicken broth

Garnish
4 green onions, cut lengthwise and then in 1/4th's.
Lime wedges


Saute garlic and onion till it just tender, add pork and chicken, cook until chicken and pork browns, add vegetables, Toymansi, fish sauce, pepper and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, add noodles lower to a simmer. Once the noodle have softened gently stir and press them down into the liquid, till covered. Place shrimp on top of of noodles, press into liquid and cook until shrimp are opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside. Stir dish gently and cook until liquid is absorbed. Return shrimp to the dish and toss.

Chicken Adobo Braised in a Dutch Oven

6 Chicken Thighs and Six Drumsticks, skin on
1 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 3/4 Vinegar
10 Garlic Cloves Crushed
1 Teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 Bay Leaves
2 Crushed Chinese or Thai Chili (this is optional and not traditional, adjust amount to taste)
1 Cup of Water (do not add this during the marinade process, add right before it goes in the oven)


Place all ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer bag or tupperware-type container in the morning and allow to marinade for 6-8 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and transfer everything into a large enough Dutch oven that allows you to place the chicken in a single layer skin side up. Braise with the lid on for 35 minutes, Remove the cover, lower the temperature to 365, and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

The above photo shows the chicken after cooking, and the lid is first removed.

It will now cook without a lid, the sauce will reduce, and the skin with getting crispy. 

After the adobo is cooked with the lid off. Turn the broiler on for a few minutes. Watch it carefully, do not walk away. 

Serve over steamed rice.

The point in using the oven and the Dutch oven is the meat braising, the reduction and thickening of the sauce, and the crisping of the skin all in one pot. No transferring of meat to a broiler pan. It is a far superior way of cooking adobo than a rapid boil on the stove. Though my cooking time is a little longer, the meat does not dry out as it braises in the sauce the entire time.

Option 2

I make a ridiculous amount of sauce, so here is a more conservative amount.

1/3 Cup Filipino Cane Vinegar
1/4 Cup Toyamansi Sauce (Soy with a hint of Calamansi lime)
1/4 Cup Water
3 Bay Leaves
10 Smashed Black Peppercorns
10 Garlic Cloves minced (feel free to lessen the amount)
If you like spicy Thai chili, or 2, omit this together; it is not traditional.
Oil

Maputing Babae Lumpia

Note: This is the precooked filling version. If you wish to make the raw filling/cigar rolled Lumpia, see the bottom of the page for instructions.

1 pound ground pork
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 inch slice of ginger, finely grated
1 bunch chives, finely minced by hand
5 cloves garlic, ground or fine minced in food processor
1 large carrot, finely grated
2 small celery stalks, chopped then minced in food processor
2 cups angel hair cabbage, then minced in food processor
1 cup small diced cooked but not too soft in boiling water (addition of potato is optional)*
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce


I recommend using a small food processor like my lil Ninja and a fine grater to mince your vegetables and aromatics, (except the chives, do that delicate aromatic by hand).

Place ground meat in a large skillet and brown, chop the meat finely as it cooks.

Once meat is halfway browned add garlic, ginger, carrot and cabbage.

Continue cooking till done. Add sauces and mix together well. Tip the pan and remove grease with a spoon, do not even try to put it in a strainer, you will lose your veggies. Remove from heat to a large bowl, toss in chives and allow mixture to completely cool. If you have chosen to add potatoes: Cook small diced potato in salt water till tender but not mushy. Strain potatoes, place in ice water till cold, strain again till dry, then toss cool dried potatoes through the mix,

Place about 2 tablespoons into a lumpia wrapper, fold it like an envelope, bottom corner up halfway, both sides folded in, roll and paint corner with egg wash and secure.

There is another method of rolling and cooking lumpia. You mix all ingredients together uncooked, add an egg to hold the mix together. Use only 1/1/2 tablespoons of mixture, roll like a tight cigar leaving the ends open. (do not overfill a cigar roll as it will not cook through) You will need to fry this a little longer and darker to cook it through. Both versions are good, it is a personal preference.

You can saute the vegetables and aromatics (except chives) first, then cool completely before adding to the raw meat mixture.

*If you are wondering why potato is in this recipe, it is because my husband's Filipino mother puts it in hers. I would recommend using potato in the precooked version only or omitting it if preferred.

Last note: Yes I used an egg roll wrapper, I am looking for a store that sells the lumpia wrappers or I will have to buy a non stick skillet and make my own.

Tuna Salad

                                                                               


3 cans of tuna packed in water, drained and pressed* see note

1/3 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise

1/3 cup Miracle Whip

3 tablespoons salad cubes, Claussen pickle relish or other relish

1 small carrot, grated

2 stalks of celery minced small

1/4 cup onions minced or green onions cut small

2 jumbo hard boiled eggs, chopped

Strain water from tuna and flake into a medium sized mixing bowl, Chop celery, onion and egg and grate carrot, add to tuna. Add relish and Hellman's and Mayo. Gently toss all ingredients together with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides to incorporate all of the sauce into the tuna mix. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving or chill canned tuna ahead of time. I think it tastes better when the tuna hangs out together and chills. 

*Using a regular can opener, use lid to press on and strain the water out of the tuna over the sink. You get a lot more water out of the tuna this way than attempting to use a strainer. 

I also put my canned tuna in the refrigerator the morning I plan to make tuna to get it good and cold. 

Add more or less mayo or miracle whip per taste or just use one or the other. Some people don't like miracle whip so use whatever you want, however I think it balances the flavor when combined. 

Tex-Mex Beans

1 Pound Bag of Pinto Beans, washed and soaked over night
1 Can Spam, diced (you can use low sodium if you can find it)
6 Sliced Bacon, chopped and fried crisp
1 Jumbo Onion, diced
5 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 19 oz Can Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
1 Can of Hot Water
1 Package Old El Paso Taco Seasoning 25% less salt
3 Bay leaves
3 Chinese Dried Chili's Crushed (or a diced jalapeno)
Fresh Cracked Pepper
3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Special Dark Cocoa
2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
DO Not add additional salt, it is not necessary, you have salt in the bacon, spam and taco seasoning.

Rinse beans and place in crock pot. Add Enchilada Sauce and hot water. Saute bacon crisp, add spam and onions and cook till onions are translucent. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out bacon spam and onions, add to crockpot with all remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 10 hours.

Goulash (crockpot)

2 Pounds Ground Beef
1 Jumbo Onion
1 Large Green Pepper
2 28oz Cans Diced Tomatoes with Juice
1 Can Tomato Paste
3-4 Cups Beef Stock
1 Cup Red Wine
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Beef Bullion Paste
Fresh Cracked Pepper
3 Bay Leaves
About a pound of macaroni noodles
(optional) Sharp Cheddar Cheese.

So basically you brown the beef, saute the onion and bell pepper, deglaze the pan with the wine and then everybody except the macaroni goes into the crockpot. You can add more seasoning as your taste dictates. I do not add salt as I use bullion and beef stock.
I put mine in at 11am and served at 7. The Macaroni goes in 20 minutes before serving. It will look really watery until the Macaroni has cooked.
You can blend a few handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese through the mix once the macaroni is cooked. I didn't add cheese because my husband doesn't like it.

Note* Shut off the crock pot after adding the noodles. The mixture is plenty hot enough to cook the noodles but you do not want it to continue cooking after it is ready to serve. At least shut it off after the noodles have been in for 10 minutes.

Ham and Potato Chowder with bacon

Ham and Potato Chowder with bacon

5-6 Ribs of celery
Fresh celery leaves chopped
5 carrots peeled, quartered and chopped
1 medium or large onion chopped
4-5 large Yukon gold potatoes chopped
Ham (from baked ham) chopped in squares
6 slices bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 stick of butter
3 cups chicken or ham stock (I use better than bullion)
2 cups heavy cream
Onion Powder
White pepper
Thyme


Saute, butter, celery, onion, till soft, add carrots, potatoes, ham continue cooking, add white pepper, thyme. Add onion powder, bacon and stock. Cook until potato's and carrots are soft, add heavy cream and simmer for about 10 more minutes.

*Note - you can alternately make a roux with butter, flour and whole milk.

You could add corn to this and garnish with chives or minced green onion.

Collard Green with Smoked Pork Necks

3 bunches Collard greens
2 large Smoked Pork Neck Bones
4 large cloves Garlic, minced
1 large Onion, small chop
3 tablespoons Onion Powder
2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 tablespoons of a malted type vinegar (I use Heinz Tarragon) or apple cider vinegar
1 or 2 tablespoons sugar, I use natural cane or turbinado. Brown will work as well
A little seasoning salt, but only if needed after all ingredients come together (add this at the end only if needed)
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Better than Bullion Ham Base
2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease
or 2-3 tablespoons of an oil butter combination


Place Collards in a freshly cleaned sink, wash with running cold water well. Next, fill sink with cold water and add about 4 tablespoons of vinegar. Allow to soak for about 10 minutes, scrub leaves against each other to get off any leftover soil from the leaves. Drain water and rinse leaves under running water. Drain and dry leaves well.

To chop leaves, fold each leaf in half and cut off the stem that runs up the side (reserve stems for later use), Once all of the leaves are de-stemmed, stack leaves on top of each, about 10 at a time, roll up like a cigar and cut 1/4 or 1/2 inch strips crosswise. Chop some of the center part of the reserved stems to add to your pot if you like.

You can also use bagged chopped greens if you must. I recommend you rinse them well.

Heat fat in a large 6-8 quart pot, add smoked pork neck, brown on all sides till they are a little caramelized. Remove neck-bones and set aside. Add onions into the same pot and saute, add garlic for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Remove and set aside.

Add additional fat if needed at this time but only a little. Start adding your greens about 2 big handfuls at a time, stir to cook down. You will see the greens wilting and making room for additional handfuls of greens to be added. Repeat these steps until all greens are in the pot.

Add hot water and several tablespoons of the better than bullion ham base (make as directed on jar). The bullion is why you do not want to add seasoning salt. However if it needs a kick of salt at the end add a little seasoning salt sparingly.

Return the onions to the pot with the greens, add neck-bones, add all seasoning except the seasoning salt. As to the crushed red peppers, that is all about personal taste, remember though a little goes a long way as the broth distributes the heat throughout well.

Cook at a low simmer for at least 2-3 hours, Greens should be tender, not tough. Check seasoning about 2/3 of the way through cooking, add additional seasoning at this time as needed. Now would be the time to add any seasoning salt, be careful though as you already have a bullion in the mix. You can always add salt but you cannot remove it.

You will also want to remove the smoked pork necks at this time, cool, pick meat off of bones, chop meat roughly and return both the meat and the bones to the pot.

Enjoy, serve with a side of vinegar or hot sauce if you like or they should be just fine as is.