Sauteed Green Bean Recipe

Sauteed Green Bean with Bacon

I was with my family at Outer Banks vacation 2 weeks ago. The vacation is AWESOME!! being with my family, make things together and hang out on the beach is priceless. We had so much fun..:)

One thing we do as family was to have dinner together every night. The idea is, one family member choose to cooked for everybody on certain day, then other family member do the cooking the next day and so on and so fort.. until everybody got their turn. I got too excited that  I want to cooked first, hahah:)

I made some Rice, Beef Caldereta minus peas, and Sauteed Green Bean, and chocolate peanut butter brownies for dessert. The food are good and more fun especially when it shared with family. My mother in-law brought some wine and yeah... it was delicious!!. I love how the green beans add some special taste to the whole meal. I'm a big green bean fan and so my family. So, here I am, more excited to share this recipe here on my blog. C'mon let's hang out in my kitchen and start cooking..:)

Below is the recipe and hopefully you would love to try for your next family gathering. Enjoy cooking..:)

Blanching is a cooking process wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval, and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process.( source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanching_%28cooking%29)

Ingredients:

1 lbs. Green Beans- (Trim both end)

3 pieces bacon- slice into small pieces

1 small onion- thinly slice

Salt and Pepper - to taste

1.)   In large pan, bring water to boil, add the green beans. Let it boil for 5 minutes or until half way cooked and crisp in texture.

2.) Placed the green beans into ice water to stop the cooking process and to retain the color and texture.

3.) Meanwhile, In large pan, cooked the bacon until golden brown and crisp, add the onion and sauteed for couple minutes.

4.) Drain the water from the green beans. Then, add the green beans into the pan and sauteed for 4-5 minutes until everything cooked but still have that texture from the beans.

5.)  Salt and Pepper if needed. Share and Enjoy!

Note:

- Taste according to your preference

- Bacon is optional

- blanching method is important to obtained great texture of the green beans.

(beans are on the right side of the plate)

Outer Banks, NC. Family Vacation

  Our Outer Banks, NC. Vacation 2013

 

Hello everyone! I'm back from my family vacation, back to work and of course back to blogging. I missed you guys!:)

There's nothing I could complained about my vacation. It was memorable and fun experience. We stayed in private condo with easy access to the beach, indoor pool and very close to stores, restaurants and gift shoppe. I can looked up the beautiful ocean view right on the deck. I wished, we could spent more time...and I'm excited to share my food escapade and all the memorable things.:)

 Saturday 

 After 13 hours of driving we finally arrived at Nags Head, NC. Due to excitement I just threw my bags on the condo and head on the beach along with my kids and hubby and that's how things started..:)

Sunday- 

We started the day by heading to the beach. It is so much joy seeing my kiddies having fun playing on the beach. Then we head out to Applebee's for dinner in celebration with Granny's birthday. It was fun and memorable experience and the food is just delicious.

( Blackened sirloin over potatoes & shrimp creamy fettuccine)

Monday 

I was happy to cooked for everybody, So, I made rice, green beans, caldereta minus the peas ( beef stew with potato and carrots) and chocolate chunk peanut butter brownies for dessert

After the dinner the whole family had a camp fire and s'mores on the beach. It was amazing experience:) 

Tuesday

Me, Reese and Hubby head out for a wonderful seafood lunch at Dirty Dicks Crab House. It was AWESOME! seafood experience for me. Dirty Dicks, also offered good variety selection to those non-seafood fan. Hubby got some ( beef fried Po Boy sandwich with fries) Reese ( Pulled Pork sandwich and chips):)

I started my lunch with clam chowder soup along with free hush puppies.. yum! and then followed by

shrimp,lobster, scallop kabobs over wild rice, Of course you can't leave dirty dicks without trying their crab,So, why not? I ordered crab legs and it goes along with potato, corn on the cob and sausage. I ate everything exclude the potato and corn. It's unbelievable how I ate everything (hahahha) It was fun, scrumptious experience :)

After lunch we head out on the beach where my kiddies are playing with their cousins.

 My mother in-law (Cheri) prepared cook out dinner for everybody, we had burgers, hotdogs, bratwurst, bake beans, corn, fruits,tater tots. The food is really good.:) 

Then, for the first time. I got a chanced to watched an outdoor play " The Lost Colony" I would say MUST SEE if you're having a vacation at Outer Banks. I love the show and how all the characters played. I'm wondering what happened to them?  they just simply vanished with no trace of evidence, nothing.... One theory in my mind they probably died with disease.. I don't know.:)

( excited to watched " The Lost Colony"@ Raonoke Island, NC )

Wednesday-  

We treat the kiddies by heading to the movie theater to watched " TURBO" on first day released. The movie is really nice and entertaining. My kids and their cousins LOVED IT:)

My sister in-law (Kindra) prepared Mexican dinner for everybody, We had Bake Taco's, Mexican rice, re-fried beans and chocolate M&M's icecream. Delicious as always!

Thursday

We had meatloaf, salad, potatoes,beans for dinner prepared by Granny Helen and chocolate brownies for dessert.. YUMMO! perfect family night.

The whole family head out to "Jockey Ridge"- the tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States. Located in Nags Head, it is one of the most significant landmarks on the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Always changing, always beautiful… (source: http://jockeysridgestatepark.com/)

( @ jockey's ridge)

Friday

We spent most of the time just hanging out on the beach...

Packed our stuff, head to the store grab some few goodies for our long trip back home. 

We had SONIC for dinner. I had cheeseburger with tater tots and chocolate fudge brownie for dessert.. YUM! and we did had long walked on the beach....saying goodbye to the beach and picked up some sea shells to take home with us.

Saturday 

We left early to avoid the traffic and indeed.. it was a success. Left at 7:10 at Nags Head arrived home round 8:00 p.m-

It was nice to have wonderful vacation with family, Its double the FUN and EXCITEMENT. ..:)

Ube Coconut Rolls Recipe

Ube Coconut Rolls Recipe

Purple yams, officially referred to as ubes, are a common ingredient in Filipino kitchens. These yams are actually violet in color and are used in all different types of recipes. They have even been known to make a pleasant looking violet-colored cake.(Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1224916)

Hello friends and readers of this blog-

I will be spending a week with my family and won't be back until 20th this month, Before I head out, I leave you this Ube Coconut Rolls Recipe to be enjoyed for the rest of the week. Keep visiting my blog and I'll see you when I get back.. :)

Honestly, I don't know what this recipe called. This is just one of those "AHA! Moment" in the kitchen. Sometimes I just love to explore the flavor and mix ingredients and see the result myself. This is just a combinations of my two favorite ingredients, Ube/ Purple Yam and Coconut Flakes. The sweet idea about this recipe is,  basically same process of making spanish rollls the only different is the filling and I used coconut flakes instead of breadcrumbs for coating.

The texture of the bread is soft and you have this sweet ube filling inside and toasty coconut flakes outside.. I would say perfect rolls anytime of the day.. YUMMO!  I can't wait to share this recipe with you guys.. C'mon lets start baking :)

Tips:

- I used store bought Ube yam, you can totally make it from scratch as well.

-Adjust the sweetness according to your preference.

Filling:

1 1/2 cup Ube/purple yam- I used store bought

Coating/ Sprinkles:

4 teaspoon brown sugar- taste according to your preference

1 cup Coconut flakes

  -In food processor combine the coconut flakes and the sugar and pulse 3-5 times until

Dough:                           
3 1/2 cups flour                        

2/3 cup- Lukewarm water                 

2/3 cup- Lukewarm milk                   

1/2 cup sugar                                  

1/4 cup butter melted                          

1 pack yeast                                          

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1.) Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast on the big bowl ans set aside.

2.) Pour the lukewarm water and lukewarm milk into the dry ingredients and mix it well.

3.) Pour the melted butter into the mixture, mix well. Knead the dough until the dough is smooth and elastic bout 15 minutes or so.

4.) Let it rise for 1-2 hours
5.) Divide the dough to 18-22 pieces. Flatten it out, spread the Ube/purple yam and sprinkles with little coconut flakes mixture , fold the dough and roll into a coconut flakes and sugar mixture.
6.) After rolling and coating, covered it with plastic wrap and let it rise for 30-45 minutes.
7.) Bake on 350 preheated oven for about 15-18minutes, until its golden brown:) ENJOY!

- Taste more delicious when shared with family and friends..:)

M&M's Cookie Recipe

M&M's fourth of July Cookies

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
(source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence Day)

Yesterday, United States are celebrating the 237 years of Independence. People celebrate 4th of July in various ways, some of them participate in parades and watched fireworks. It also common to everyone to cook outs with family and friends, picnics or even family reunion on fourth of July.
We celebrated fourth of July by simply hanging out in the kitchen making this M&M's
Cookies and to make our 4th of July extra special I made some chilli to go along with our cookie dessert. The cookies are soft, sweet and delicious perfect way to end our fourth of July dinner. Below is the simplest M&M's Cookie Recipe you could ever find. C'mon let's hang out in my kitchen:)

Ingredients:

1 eggs

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1tsp. vanilla

1 1/2cups flour

1/2 cup oats (quick)

1/2tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup M&M's candy- ( 4th of July color )

Directions:
1.) Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside;
2.)  In large mixing bowl mix on low the eggs, butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla until combine.
3.) Slowly add the dry ingredients. Add the quick oats and then lastly the M&M's candy and mix well .

4.) Bake on preheat oven 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Enjoy!

I made like 24-26 cookies

Happy weekend everyone:)

Tinolang Isda Recipe

Fish soup with leafy vegetables

Tinolang Isda is the way of cooking fish soup in the Philippines. The name varies depends on what region you're in, Cebuano's or Visayan  called it Tinowang Isda or Sinabaw na Isda. 

 Cooking is so simple, fish is boiled with ginger, tomataoes, onion and seasoned it with salt and pepper. My version of Tinola is just little different from traditional one, Since, I'm using frozen fish. Although is it not as good compared to fresh fish still good enough to satisfy my craving for some Tinola. I used red snapper on this dish but you can totally used whatever fish you like.

Let's have some Tinolang Isda this week..:) C'mon let's start cooking

Ingredients:

Red Snapper fish-  used whatever fish you like

Spinach/ malunggay leaves

Ginger

Onion

Tomato

Chayote Squash- Optional

Salt and Pepper- to taste

Oil

Directions:

1.) Put oil in the pan, wait until it get HOT and start frying the fish. Set aside

2.) Using same pan sautee the ginger and onion.

3.) Add water onto the pan, salt an pepper and chayote squash. Let it come up to a boil.

4.) Add the fish and spinach. Let it simmer for 3 minutes.

5.) Serve best when its HOT. Enjoy and share with friends

Tips:

- Fresh fish is recommended.

-Used whatever you like for leafy vegetables

- Taste according to your preference.

-Frying the fish  is optional