Whole Grain Penne with Meat Sauce

Growing up, pasta consisted of spaghetti and macaroni. The former came with a very sweet tomato based meat sauce and the latter was a "salad" drenched in mayonnaise. Those two still have a special place in my heart even after all these years, but like the rest of us, taste buds must also grow up.

When it comes to eating healthy, or at least trying to, we have this idea in our heads that the healthier version just doesn't measure up to the original's taste. The healthy version is basically stripped off of what made the original taste great in the first place. Unfortunately, this seems to be the truth in most cases. One of these days, we can give examples of such facts until we're all blue in the face, but today, lets talk about one example that goes against that train of thought. Whole grain pasta.

Hold the eye rolls, please. Get past the fact that whole grain noodles just aren't able to twirl around your fork like regular pasta does and you'll be on your way to a whole new world of tasty goodness.

Give me an hour and a half with 8 ingredients and if you aren't satisfied I will send you the full amount of what you spent on that box of whole grain Penne pasta. Kidding of course, but trust me. Don't be afraid of the hour and a half. You won't be slaving away in front of the stove.

Whole Grain Penne with Meat Sauce

Whole Grain Penne with Meat Sauce

1 12 ounce box of Whole Grain Penne pasta
1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey)
1 large yellow onion small diced
1/2 head of garlic minced
4 Roma tomatoes rough chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp thin sliced fresh basil (optional)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 cups of water


Brown the meat then drain excess oil.

Add the onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and dried oregano and continue to saute for another two minutes or until the tomatoes begin to break apart.

Add half the amount of water and turn the fire down to a simmer.

Add sugar if desired to cut in to the tomatoes a bit. again, this is optional

Let the liquid reduce all the way down while occasionally giving it a stir.

At this time, boil a pot of salted water for the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the box. Pasta water should taste as salty as the ocean. Once the pasta is done cooking, do not forget to save a half cup of the pasta water.

Add the remainder of the water in to the sauce and reduce it all the way down.

The reason for reducing that much liquid in to the sauce is because you're giving the sauce a chance to really meld all the ingredients in to it's body. It sounds sexy and all, but it's a chef thing and it makes a huge difference in flavor building.

Always taste while you are cooking. Season according to your taste. how salty or spicy you want something is completely up to you.

Once the sauce has reduced and is perfectly seasoned, add it to the pasta in a separate pot, stir until fully incorporated and serve with fresh basil on top and some shaved Parmesan cheese if you like.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Coffee Braised Beef

I received a basket of goodies from Newman's Own Organics and I gotta honest, there was so much stuff in there I couldn't quite wrap my head around what to use first and for what. You take in to consideration the work that they put in to developing their products, so I figure you have to at least do the products some justice and put out something that both of us would be proud of.

Using chocolate in savory dishes is not a new thing, despite of what chefs around the country would like you to think. Quite the contrary. Mexicans have been serving chocolate tinged Mole with their turkey for hundreds of years. Working as a cook in Los Angeles, I've had the privilege of going to battle with my brothers from Oaxaca. I've had the pleasure of tasting different types of Moles with some recipes going back a few generations. One of these days I'll try my hand in making a Mole, but for now, this will have to suffice. 

My wife, living most of her life in Philippines couldn't even fathom the thought of chocolates in a savory dish. It's excusable though, because I'm sure the thought of sliced avocado in sugar and powdered milk is about weird as it sounds when all your life, you've associated avocados with guacamole. 

Alas, thanks to Newman's Own Organics, I was finally given a small nudge to play with something that is new to me. I suppose that's the adventure of cooking. Venturing out of your culinary comforts to try new ingredients and cuisines can in turn teach you a little about other cultures. That's a beautiful thing if you ask me. To top it off, you end up with something delicious with your loved ones. So roll up your sleeves and hop to it.

Chocolate Coffee Braised Beef

Chocolate Coffee Braised Beef

1 lb beef chuck roughly cubed in to 1 inch pieces
1 tomato diced
1 onion diced
5 whole cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
2 tsp chipotle sauce (or if you really like it spicy, throw in the whole chili in there)
1 cup brewed coffee
2 cups water
1 large carrot rough chopped in to 1 inch pieces
1 lb red creamer potatoes, washed scrubbed and cut in half
1/2 cup dried Newman's Own Organic Dried Apricots rough chopped (substitute any brand of dried fruit available to you)
flour to dust the beef
salt and pepper to taste
Newman's Own Organic Olive Oil (or any olive oil you have in your pantry)
1 3.25 ounce Newman's Own Organic Super Dark Chocolate (any dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa)

Procedure

- season the beef with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour
- heat up a pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and in batches, sear off the beat until nice and brown then set aside
- add a little more olive oil then saute the garlic, onions and tomatoes in high heat for about a minute to caramelize it a little bit
- deglaze the pot with the coffee then add the browned beef, coriander seeds, bay leaves and chipotle sauce
- add the water and bring to a boil then cover and lower the fire and simmer for an hour
- then add the carrots, potatoes and apricot and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the beef is fork tender
- break up the chocolate in to smaller chunks then add to the sauce until well incorporated.

Serve with rice, pasta or tortillas. Enjoy!

for mobile phone users, please click this link: Youtube video

Ground Beef Omelette (Tortang Giniling)

Torta is the Filipino version of the omelette and it is my absolute favorite dish. Ever. The most common of these omelettes would be the Giniling or ground pork/beef and Talong or Eggplant. However, we pretty much make Tortas out of everything from corned beef to crab. I remember when I was young, my mom would buy a huge bag of crabs and my Dad would steam them and one by one, pick the meat for the sole purpose of making the omelette. The patience of this man when it came to preparing food for the family is unparalleled. The end product though was rich, decadent and heavenly. Another story I remember from my childhood was when my grandma would make raisins from grapes that were picked from a friend's farm in Bakersfield, Ca and send them back home to Philippines. My dad must have added raisins to everything he cooked and Tortas were usually the recipients of those raisins, which I admit, really helped round out the dish. This particular recipe will have raisins it it, but as usual, is optional.

Ground Beef Omelette (Tortang Giniling)

Ground Beef Omelette

1 lb ground beef or pork
1/2 an onion diced
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of frozen cooked peas
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of tomato ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp all purpose flour
3 tbsp sliced green onions
4 large eggs

-brown the beef or pork then drain the fat
-saute the onions and garlic until fragrant then add the browned meat
-add the peas and raisins and saute on high for a minute or so then add the ketchup
-once the ketchup has caramelized a bit, add the soy sauce, mix for another minute then set aside to cool

-once the meat has cooled, crack the 4 eggs in to the mixture, add the green onions, sesame oil and flour then mix thoroughly,
-heat a well oiled pan and pan fry 3 tbsp sized patties until both sides have a nice crust.

Enjoy!

Ground Beef Omelette (Tortang Giniling)

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!

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!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

The 4 year old isn't a big fan of meat. I have a feeling she just doesn't like to chew the meat, so ever since she was able to eat solids, it's been ground meat made in to her favorites. She does get tired of the same old dish so I have to change it up. Siu Mai to Spring rolls to 5 spice pork and now....the meat ball. She calls all the food she likes her favorite. If it's red and sweet....it's her favorite. It's so hard to get this littler person to eat sometimes and I'm sure many of you can relate. Hopefully this one becomes a new favorite by the Boss Lady....

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup small diced red onions
4 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
4 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for an hour
brown the meatballs in a pan then finish them off in the oven for 15 minutes at 375.
you can also just cook them off in the oven for 30 mins at 375.

Sweet and Sour sauce

1 tbsp sliced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp diced red onion
2 tbsp diced red bell pepper
5 tbsp ketchup
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
(slurry: 1 tsp of cornstarch in 1/4 cup of water)
pinch of salt

in medium heat, sweat the garlic and ginger and when fragrant, add the onion and bell pepper

saute for a minute then add the ketchup and stir for another minute
add the water and vinegar and bring to a boil then add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
whisk in the slurry, stir for another minute on low heat.

Easy Cheesy Frittata

The Frittata is a very flexible dish. Just open the fridge and if you have eggs, scrounge up the other ingredients and you'll have a tasty dish in minutes.  This time around we had some ground beef in the fridge just waiting to be called up to the stove. So I picked some sweet potato leaves from the garden and grabbed some peas and carrots in the freezer. Sunday Brunch!

Easy Cheesy Beef Frittata

Easy Cheesy Frittata

1 lb ground beef
1/2 yellow onion small diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
handful of sweet potato leaves or spinach
2 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper
6 eggs
optional: shredded cheese for topping

Procedure:

Brown the ground beef then drain the rendered fat. Put the meat back in the pan then add the onions and garlic and when fragrant add the peas and carrots. Season with the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Stir in the greens then remove from the fire once they are wilted.

Once the mixture has cooled, beat the eggs then add it to the mixture. Pour the mixture in to an oven safe dish with a thin layer of pan spray. You may spoon the mixture in to muffin tins for individual servings. Top with the shredded cheese. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 15 minutes.