Artisan Bread

According to artisanbakers.com, an Artisan Baker is a highly trained craftsperson compared to other experts such as jewelers, glass blowers and furniture makers, just to name a few. According to those lofty standards, Artisan Bakers we are not. Fortunately for the rest of us, the important aspect of Artisan bread is the small list of ingredients it has. Flour, salt, yeast and water. Made by hand. No conditioners or preservatives added. Well after reading a little more about it, my wife decided to just give it a go. When it comes to cooking and baking, you just have to roll up your sleeves and get down with it. There will always be something to learn about cooking and baking, even for experts. You can always adjust, substitute and improvise. Much like we did when we baked the bread inside a wok.....

Artisan Bread

Artisan Bread

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tbsp Kosher salt
1 1/2 cup water

Procedure

-mix the dry ingredients
-add the water and mix until well incorporated. (do not knead)
-place in a covered but not air tight container and let rest in the fridge overnight

-dust a flat surface and your hands because the dough will be very sticky
-cut your desired size of dough and shape it into a round piece and place in an oiled bowl
-let proof for 45 minutes to an hour covered with cling wrap or cloth
-preheat oven to 450 with the Dutch oven inside (or in our case, a wok)
-wait for at least 30 minutes to get the Dutch oven very hot
-place the dough in the preheated Dutch oven or wok and bake covered for 30 minutes
-remove the cover then bake for another 10-15 minutes

-remove the bread and let cool on a rack or serve piping hot. up to you :)

Enjoy!

Hoisin Glazed Meatballs (Mongolian Meatball)

Have you ever had Mongolian Beef? The first time I ever had this dish was about 26 years ago at a restaurant called Ho-Ho's. Back then, the steamer warmed, 2 item combo Chinese restaurants were practically non-existent. It was your neighborhood, authentic Chinese restaurant that served the tasty goodness, a la carte. Coming from the Philippines, it was quite the revelation to have Hong Kong Style Pan-fried noodles. However, it was this Mongolian Beef that really just became an all time favorite. Silky slivers of beef with this sweet savory sauce and just the perfect amount of heat in it. The chopsticks just didn't have brawn nor the wherewithal to even attempt to perform the job of shoveling the awesomeness that is the Mongolian Beef. It was the job for the giant serving spoon that accompanied each dish that came to our table.

Where does this dish originate from, you ask? Nobody really knows. Some say it's another one of these Americanized Chinese dishes and some say it originated from the U.K. One thing is for sure, it isn't really Mongolian. Google the recipe and you will get about a thousand different types of them and from my experience, none of them are ever going to be as good as the ones made by the line cook of your favorite joint. He can be a Chinese immigrant or a Mexican dude from Oaxaca. Unless those guys are trolling Pinterest or Recipes.com, chances are, you'll have to get your fix at your local spot.

Alas, all this talk about the mythical Mongolian Beef and thinking you came to the right place for the secret recipe.... you came to the wrong place. Here, you will get the slightly fatter but much more handsome brother, Mongolian Meatball aka Hoisin Glazed Meatballs.

I understand that the restaurant version is the way it is because the meat has been massaged in a baking soda concoction in order to give the meat it's silky smooth texture. (i know, shocking) and that the unapologetic amount MSG sprinkled in it is almost comical. I can rationalize the consumption of it when I eat out. I know exactly what i'm signing up for, but at home, I'm cooking for my loved ones and I would feel guilty shoveling that baking soda and MSG in to my loved ones. A compromise had to be made and luckily for me, my dish passed with flying colors according to the picky 4 year old little person. Mission Accomplished.

Hoisin Glazed Meatballs (Mongolian Meatballs)

Hoisin Glazed Meatballs (Mongolian Meatballs)

1 pound ground beef (or whichever meat you like)
1 egg
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 large yellow onion caramelized and small diced
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp finely grated ginger
2 tbsp think sliced green onions
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
black pepper to taste

Hoisin Glaze

2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp Sambal Oelek
1 tbsp brown sugar

Procedure
Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs then refrigerate for at least an hour
Form about a tbsp of meatball mixture into balls and pan fry in medium heat until cooked
then turn the fire up high and pour the Hoisin glaze and stir until sauce has thickened slightly and has coated the meatballs with a nice shiny glaze.
sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds on top of steamed rice. Enjoy!

Bacon Potato Hash with Egg

Bacon. All the cardiologists in the world screaming bloody murder cannot stop the goodness that is Bacon. In reality, it isn't in our best interest to indulge so moderation is definitely key. I was at the market today and found these beautiful red and yellow creamer potatoes. Creamers are generally Yukon Gold and Red potatoes that are harvested before they mature and so they are less starchy. I love potatoes because it's such a great flavor canvas and at $0.69 per pound it works out balancing the budget for the dish because bacon is definitely not cheap nowadays. First off, bacon used to come in 1 pound packages. These past few years, the 12 ounce pack has quietly made it's way in to the shelves and starting at $5 for said package, bacon in moderation makes a ton of sense. I was lucky that the market that I went to carried a brand of bacon that sold packs of irregular slices for about $1.50 less than the perfectly sliced ones. Brunch for 4 at about $10 is not too shabby. It's pretty hard to mess up a bacon dish, but this dish is definitely a Sunday Brunch keeper.

Bacon Potato Hash with Egg

Bacon Potato Hash with Egg

2 lbs red and yellow creamer potatoes quartered (but feel free to use whatever potatoes you have on hand)

1/2 pound bacon rough chopped 

1 large onion sliced thin

6 cloves of garlic rough chopped

2 Roma tomatoes large diced

3 tbsp sliced green onions

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Procedure

boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender but not overcooked. set aside

brown the bacon, set aside and reserve the bacon grease

in the same pan, saute the garlic and onions together until they start to caramelize then add the tomatoes and saute until tender then remove from the pan and set aside.

now add a few more tbsp of bacon grease in the same pan and throw in the boiled potatoes in high heat.

do not pick at it too much. let it develop some crispy bits.

once the potatoes are golden brown and slightly crispy, throw in the garlic, onions and tomato and stir for a minute or so to incorporate the flavors.

add the bacon and about a minute later, as soon as the dish is heated through, add the cheese and stir for about a minute, serve with a sunny side up egg on top and ENJOY!

Mimi's Fish and Chips

In the Philippines, one of the more curious items to me, on the street food roster, are these curious orange tinged deep fried chicken and quail eggs. Tokneneng and Kwek Kwek as they are called, are quite the big sellers and I've always wondered if them being orange was a big contributing factor. Growing up, I don't remember ever seeing these orange deep fried eggs and never got around to having them when I lived there a few years ago. I never got a straight answer why the orange came about and what the purpose was. My wife tells me that it was more appetizing to look at. Well this recipe is a nod to an English take away favorite with a cheeky Filipino street food touch.

Mimi's Fish and Chips

Mimi's Fish and Chips

1 lb your choice of and white flaky fish available to you. In this case, we used frozen Flounder

Batter

2 cups all purpose flour

1 3/4 cup cold water

1 tsp chicken powder
1 egg

2 tsp Annato powder (optional)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

-mix all the dry ingredients well then add the water and egg. mix well 

-add the fish and incorporate with the batter

-deep fry at 375 until golden brown

Tartar Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp Bread and Butter pickles rough chopped

1 tbsp diced red onions

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp maple syrup

This tasty dish is best served piping hot. Enjoy!

Herb Garlic Roasted Chicken

The Whole Chicken. Complete and economical yet so neglected. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, bags of chicken wings, little trays of chicken tenders, frozen barbecue boneless chicken wings for up to $8.00 per pound and the list goes on and on. Next time you're staring down at a whole chicken on sale for under a dollar per pound, grab one and click over to this recipe. I have to warn you though, this dish does require a bit of planning ahead. It isn't a "got stuck in traffic now I'm pressed for time to get dinner on the table" type dish, but I promise that the extra planning will definitely pay off. On the plus side, whether you eat the skin or not, it's a whole lot healthier than a bucket of chicken....much cheaper too. In the end, nothing is much better than a family sitting together eating a home cooked meal.

Herb Garlic Roasted Chicken

Herb Garlic Roasted Chicken

Brine. It is the key to having moist and juicy chicken and the reason why you must plan ahead.

1 gallon water
3/4 cup Kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp whole black pepper
1 head of garlic cut in half to expose all the cloves
1 bunch fresh parsley or whatever you fresh herbs you have.

put everything together except fresh herbs, bring to a boil and let cool to room temperature

submerge the chicken and keep in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

remove chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, place on a rack and back to the fridge for at least 6 hours. this is key for very crispy skin.

for this recipe, the fresh herbs that will be going in the chicken cavity is lemongrass since i have it growing in the backyard. use whatever herbs you like, about two cups of it and make sure to bruise the herbs to release the essential oils prior to stuffing it in the chicken. grab the head of garlic from the brine and stuff it in there with the herbs. season the skin with some fresh cracked black pepper. NO MORE SALT. the brine already took care of that.

now truss the chicken for even cooking. I lost my butcher's twine so I used sewing thread. No big whoop ;) here's a quick video from Chow:

have the chicken out to reach room temp before cooking.

preheat the oven to 450

bake chicken on a rack at this temp for 10-15 minutes then bring it down to 350 for 20 minutes for every pound of your chicken. (these are just guidelines. all ovens are different so cooking times will vary)

once out of the oven, PLEASE DO NOT CARVE IMMEDIATELY. loosely tent with foil and let rest in a warm area for 20 minutes.

carve and ENJOY!

Ensaymada (Brioche with cheese)

Last of the dough marathon day is Ensaymada. Definitely on the opposite side of the healthy spectrum with but this pastry is as Filipino as Adobo and Pancit. Goldilocks, a famous Filipino bakery back home made them the size of saucers topped with a ridiculous amount of margarine, sugar and shredded cheese. Definitely something to enjoy once in a while. Same dough with a different procedure one last time for one fantastic dessert.

Ensaymada

Ensaymada

Ingredients

4 cups of flour (2 cups all purpose/ 2 cups bread flour) plus extra for dusting

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp rapid rise yeast

2 tbsp powdered milk

3/4 cup +  1 tablespoon fresh milk 

3 eggs

6 tbsp melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup melted butter for brushing

Topping
1 stick  butter (creamed)
sugar to sprinkle
shredded cheddar cheese

Procedure

combine all the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl (flour,sugar,salt,yeast,powdered milk)
-make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients (eggs, melted butter, fresh milk)
-with the dough hook attachment, knead the dough until smooth and elastic for about 10-15 minutes
-cover with cling wrap and rest for 15 minutes
-turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute
-cut the dough into 20 pieces
-roll the dough into rectangular shape then brush with melted butter
-roll into a long log and twirl into shape and pinch to secure the shape
-let it rise until double for about an hour covered with a damp cloth
-preheat oven to 350 and bake for 18-20 minutes until slightly brown
-let it cool then brush the creamed butter and sprinkle with sugar and grated cheese

Enjoy!

Special Pan De Sal

This is a different version from one we already posted. The earlier recipe we have is the absolute basic recipe for Pan De Sal. It's what you get from the street vendors selling them for breakfast and merienda in the afternoon. This one is a slightly more decadent version that produces a more soft and airy roll. We used the same dough as the Spanish Bread with a slightly different procedure.

Special Pan De Sal

Ingredients:

4 cups of flour (2 cups all purpose/ 2 cups bread flour) plus extra for dusting

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tsp salt

1 packet of yeast (2 tsp rapid rise yeast)

2 tbsp powdered milk (optional)

3/4 cup fresh milk (warm)

3 eggs

6 tbsp softened unsalted butter (cut into cubes)

bread crumbs for dusting

Procedure

-combine all the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl (flour,sugar,salt,yeast,powdered milk)
-make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients (eggs, fresh milk)
-with the dough hook attachment, knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about 10-15 min)
-add the softened butter until well incorporated for about 10 min.
-cover with damp cloth/ cling wrap and rest for 15 minutes
-turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for a minute
-cut the dough into 4 equal parts, shape in to logs and cut each log to 5 pieces
-lightly roll on to bread crumbs
-cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled about 45 minutes to an hour
-preheat oven to 375 and bake for 18 minutes

Enjoy!

Spanish Bread

My wife was experimenting in the kitchen today to add some items for our catering menu and some traditional pastries from the Philippines came about. You have to get the originals down before you start changing things up. Sometimes chefs make the mistake of changing so much of the ingredients that all that's left is the name of the product taking away it's soul. Subtle changes to traditional dishes sometimes is enough. Maybe i'm partial to Filipino dishes I see out there that have been more or less ripped from it's roots. In any case, give this recipe a try and brew a cup of coffee right around the time the oven timer goes ding. We guarantee your baking efforts will be nicely rewarded. :)

Spanish Bread

Spanish Bread

4 cups of flour (2 cups all purpose/ 2 cups bread flour) plus extra for dusting

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp rapid rise yeast

2 tbsp powdered milk

3/4 cup + 1tbsp fresh milk

3 eggs

6 tbsp melted unsalted butter

bread crumbs for dusting

Filling

1 stick softened butter

2/3 cup bread crumbs

3/4 cup sugar

mix until well combined

Procedure

-combine all the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl (flour,sugar,salt,yeast,powdered milk)
-make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients (eggs, melted butter, fresh milk)
-with the dough hook attachment, knead the dough until smooth and elastic for about 10-15 minutes
-cover with cling wrap and rest for 15 minutes
-turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute

-cut the dough in to 4 equal parts, make a log and cut each log into 6 pieces

-flatten the dough,spread some filling then roll them up and pinch to seal

-lightly roll onto bread crumbs

-cover with damp cloth and let rise until doubled for about an hour

-preheat oven to 350 and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until slightly browned

-serve hot and enjoy!

Spanish Bread

Baja Style Grilled Chicken Tacos

I had a hankering for some chicken tacos today and figured it was a nice day to grill some meat before the 4 days of miserable rain this week. This is a no frills dish. Feel free to use chicken breasts but I like to roll with chicken thighs. Chicken breasts can quickly dry up on you specially on the grill, but thighs give you a little more margin of error. Trim off the excess fat and throw it in the marinade and I guarantee you, you'll have a tastier product. Also, speaking of marinade and marinate. Marinade is the mixture that the meat goes in to. (noun) Marinate is what the meat is doing in the Marinade. (verb) Just in case you were using them interchangeably, now you know. :)

Baja Style Grilled Chicken Tacos

Baja Style Grilled Chicken Tacos

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup orange juice. (fresh squeezed is much better and throw the skin in the marinade while you're at it)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp dried oregano

marinate the chicken for at least an hour in the fridge, but as usual, overnight would be perfect.

grab your choice of corn tortilla, put a bed of fine shredded cabbage and then the chopped up grilled chicken. top with diced onion and tomato. sprinkle with some rough chopped cilantro and a dollop of Mexican crema. Enjoy with a bottle or two of Dos Equis.

Beef Pares (Filipino Braised Beef)

I was missing Filipino street food today and Beef Pares was at the top of the list. This Filipino version of braised beef is a dish for the masses because it's made from cheaper cuts of beef like brisket. Pares which means Pair, because the dish is paired with the beef broth that it was cooked in and along with a bowl of garlic fried rice, you had a meal for under $1.00. Well luckily for me, beef neck was on sale today for $2.99 per pound. You're more than welcome  to use boneless short ribs for this dish but I like to stay true to the street food aspect of it. No frills... just pure nostalgia.  Beef neck is much like the Beef shank. Plenty of flavorful meat that is perfect for low and slow cooking in an all day bath in the slow cooker. I, however, didn't have all day to wait around for it so out came the pressure cooker. Result? Craving satisfied with a new found appreciation for the butcher that broke down the beef neck. Until the next street food craving....

Beef Pares (Filipino Braised Beef)

Beef Pares (Filipino Braised Beef)

(pressure cooker version)

2 lbs beef shank or neck (will yield about a 1 lb of boneless meat)
2 pieces star anise
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup of rock sugar or white sugar
1/2 yellow onion small diced
4 large cloves of garlic minced
1 thumb sized knuckle of ginger minced
1 cup beef broth (cooking liquid from pressure cooker)
1 tbsp of sliced green onion for topping
1 tsp fried garlic for topping

Procedure

pressure cook the shank for 20 minutes and neck for 10-15 minutes
let cool and hand pull the meat carefully in to bite size pieces
if using rock sugar, set aside the 1 cup of cooking liquid hot and put the sugar in to dissolve
if regular sugar, dissolve it in the soy sauce
heat up a wok or a pan and saute the onion, garlic and ginger
once fragrant, add the beef pieces and saute for about a minute then add the star anise, soy sauce, sugar and broth
reduce the liquid by half then the dish is done. serve hot with garlic fried rice and top the dish with the green onions and fried garlic.
you may also thicken the sauce to your liking with a cornstarch slurry.

Enjoy!

Flounder Cakes with Herb Yogurt Sauce

When you're trying to eat healthy, one of the things that come to mind is that maybe you should probably eat more fish than meat. It makes sense but we also have to consider the source. Many of the fish that end up on our plates at home and in restaurants are farm-raised. Salmon, tilapia, sea bass, catfish and cod are the most commonly farm-raised fish. Unlike their wild counterparts, the farm-raised ones are raised in very crowded environments which breed diseases. In turn, the water is pumped with antibiotics and fungicides which ends up inside us. Farm-raised fish are fed with cheap feed which consists of carcinogenic chemicals. Studies have also shown that the ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 is not as high as compared to wild caught fish.

Pretty sobering considering we used to eat tons of tilapia because they would go on sale for $1.89 per pound. So now we look to wild caught fish. There are also arguments saying wild caught fish isn't exactly super healthy either because of our polluted waters, but for the sake of argument, we'll go with the lesser evil. So at Costco we find a 3 pound back of Flounder filet for about $13. Same bag of tilapia for around $15. It was worth the try. I'll definitely look further in to the sustainability of flounder if it's even an issue but as for the taste, it's a mild flaky white fish that takes in flavor well. Perfect for fish cakes. Eating healthier and responsibly is an ongoing learning process for us. Feel free to chime in about it.

Flounder Cakes with Herb Yogurt Sauce

Flounder Cakes with Herb Yogurt Sauce

1 lb frozen flounder filet
1 whole yellow onion caramelized
2 cloves of garlic minced
3 tbsp of thin sliced green onions
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
pinch of black pepper
1 cup of Panko bread crumbs

Herb Yogurt Sauce

10 ounces plain Greek yogurt (2 small packs)
1 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 whole red chili pepper (seeded and membrane removed)
1 large shallot fine diced
2 tsp honey
pinch of salt

procedure
-steam the fish for 5 minutes, let cool then flake by hand. make sure to leave bigger chunks for texture
-mix the rest of the ingredients for the fish and carefully fold in the mayo so as to not mash the fish
-form in to desired size and lightly roll in the bread crumbs and fry on medium high fire until golden brown

Enjoy!

Pan de Coco (Coconut Roll)

Afternoon snacking is a sport in the Philippines. Well, not really but it might as well be. Thanks to the Spaniards for introducing Merienda to us which translates to picnic in Spanish to snack in Tagalog. Bakeries in the Philippines would have people riding bikes carrying all kinds of baked goods kept warm in Styrofoam boxes. They would honk their little horns yelling out what's on the menu for the day. One of the old time favorite is Pan de Coco. Goes great with a cup of coffee for the old folks and a Coke for the kids.

Pan de Coco

Pan de Coco

Bun Recipe (sans the sesame seeds)

Coconut stuffing

2 1/2 cups sweetended coconut flakes

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch stirred in to 1/4 cup water

Procedure

-In a saucepan, put the sugar, water and condensed milk  and bring to a boil

-Add the coconut flakes and vanilla and mix well

-once it's mixed, slowly pour the cornstarch slurry slowly and once the mixture has thickened, remove from the fire, set aside and let cool.

Once the dough has rested, divide it in to 18-20 pieces

roll each piece to a ball then flatten it

put 1 tbsp of filling in the center then gather the sides to cover the filling and pinch to seal the dough

let the dough rise for another 45 minutes to an hour and preheat the oven to 350

brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown

serve warm with a cup of coffee :)

Penne with Sausage and Mushroom

The sole purpose of making sausage today was so that it makes it's way to some pasta. Lately we've been eating more whole grain pasta because it just tastes better. The nuttier, fuller flavor of whole grain pasta makes things in the "sauce department" a lot easier. Here's a delicious, quick and healthy fix for lunch or dinner when you're pinched for time. Let Umami rich ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese do the heavy lifting for you. Quit opening the jars of ready made tomato sauces and stay away from the rich cream based sauces in foil packets. Make. real. food. (mental note: that's a nice slogan) It's easier than you think and it will save you tons of money in the long run and most importantly, it's healthier.

Penne with Sausage and Mushroom

Penne with Sausage and Mushroom

12 oz box of whole grain Penne pasta

8 oz sausage of your choice sliced thin on a bias (although i recommend you making this awesome sausage)

2 cups your choice of mushrooms rough chopped

1 cup thin sliced yellow onions

6 cloves of garlic minced

2 large Roma tomatoes rough chopped 

salt and dried chili flakes

the process

-Boil salted water. If you're not sure how salty, imagine sea water. Yup. about that salty. 

-while waiting for the water to boil, slice and chop the ingredients. make sure you get everything because like a stir fry, this will go very quickly

-once the water boils, add the pasta and heat a separate pot 

-start with the garlic and onions and once they get a bit of color in them add the mushrooms. 

-you're going to start having brown bits stuck to the pan and that's a good thing. 

-once the mushrooms have softened and has browned a bit, add the tomatoes

-a minute later, add your sausage making sure you're constantly stirring 

-at this time, turn down the fire to low and the pasta should be cooked al dente. 8-9 minutes

-reserve 3/4 of a cup of the pasta water before draining

-once drained, turn the fire up again and add the pasta and the pasta water

-stir and taste and adjust the salt to your liking. add chili flakes to your liking as well

-serve hot with shaved Parmesan cheese. 

ENJOY!

Homemade Apple-Maple Chicken Sausage

I was reading the news today and came upon the chicken nugget recall because people complained of plastic pieces in them. I understand accidents happen, but it just highlights the fact that we really need to make a conscious effort to cook our own food. Knowing exactly what goes in to the meals that we feed our family should always be a priority.

Summer is right around the corner and grills all across the country will be fired up and my personal favorite are sausages. Now, I'm not sure how you feel about nitrites, but the verdict is still out whether it's really bad for you. Well while they're doing more studies on it, I figured I'd make some nitrite free fresh sausages. A package of "natural nitrite-free" sausages can run you from $6 on up for a pound of meat. It's kind of pricey plus you still don't know what's in there. I decided to test out the KitchenAid sausage maker set up and this is what came of it.

Homemade Apple-Maple Chicken Sausage

Homemade Apple-Maple Chicken Sausage

1 lb boneless skinless organic chicken thighs ran through the fine grinder plate
or (1 lb ground chicken or turkey)
1 large Granny Smith apple peeled and small diced
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 ft natural hog casings

mix all ingredients together and let rest in the fridge for an hour

I used the bigger funnel for this. I find that if you have a moist sausage mixture, it makes it a little difficult to push the mixture through the chute.The first few times, it might be best to work with another person to either hold the casing as the mixture pushes through or be the one to stuff the mixture down the chute. 1 large apple might seem much but it helps keep the sausage moist inside and the Granny Smith works great in adding a sour contrast to the maple syrup and brown sugar. Depending on where you are, it might be difficult to find hog casings. Bass Pro carries them for a very reasonable price and the quality is very good. I've finished a whole pack of casings which is good for 25 lbs of sausage without a single hole.

I steamed the sausages for about 10 minutes in a half cup of water in a pan, covered, then grilled them. This insures that the sausage is fully cooked once it comes off the grill and the casings didn't char from the sugars in the mixture.

Upcycled flower vase

A neighbor of ours had these water plants growing around her house and I got an idea. I always keep empty jars for leftover sauces and dressings that we make. We've been baking quite a bit recently and I've been wondering what to do with these empty yeast jars. Well, with a little bit of nail polish, I found a home for the water plants. I can't wait until we have a whole row of these somewhere. Maybe a wood pallet to line these on would be a nice wall piece. 

Chinese sausage and Shrimp Fried rice

One pot meals are usually your garden variety stick to your ribs comfort food. Fried rice, the one wok meal is no different. Day old rice from the fridge is best. The rice dries out and is much easier to separate. Leftover meat entrees are great to toss in. Went freezer diving and found a pack of Chinese sausage and some shrimp and who doesn't have a bag of carrots and peas in the freezer? There is no set guidelines to making fried rice.

Chinese sausage and Shrimp Fried rice

Chinese Sausage and Shrimp Fried Rice

3 cups cooked rice (preferably day old from the fridge)

3 pieces of Chinese sausage diced

1/2 cup medium shrimp peeled and deveined

2 eggs beaten

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/2 onion diced

3 cloves garlic minced

4 tbsp of soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

have all the ingredients ready because stir frying is quick and on high heat. ingredients will burn quickly

-in hot wok/teflon pan start with the scrambled egg. cook 10 seconds and remove from the wok

-then fry the sausage until lightly browned then add the garlic and onion. 

-add the carrots and peas

-then add the rice and quickly break up the clumps

-season with soy sauce, salt and pepper

-lastly, add the shrimp, the green onions and the scrambled egg then stir for about 2 minutes or just until the shrimp is cooked

serve hot and enjoy!