Chicken and Brown Beech Mushroom Stir Fry

If there was one thing I missed living in Kissimmee, it was the big Asian supermarkets that we have so many of, here in Southern California. I could spend hours just zipping around the isles just looking at everything from the ridiculous amounts of prepared sauces and condiments to the great array of snacks.

All throughout my cooking career, I have always been partial to Asian food. It's just what my palate has woken up to. I also love that there's a certain mystique with each country's cooking style and ingredients that really is hard to master due to it being passed down from generation to generation within the family. Some of these ingredients can, at times, be a little intimidating to incorporate to our daily menus. That's the nature of the beast, though, isn't it? If you happen upon a certain ingredient that you've been curious about, pick it up and try it out. We often get stuck with the same routine dishes that we make for our family day in and day out that we forget that there's a world of ingredients out there that definitely deserve to find their way in to our pantries and plates. They don't need to be these exotic and expensive items either. Just new to you ingredients will suffice. 

So on our recent trip to the Asian market I decided to pick up some Kecap Manis and Brown Beech Mushrooms. So the same old stir fry was a little different this time around... in a good way. I've always loved Kecap Manis. It's seasoned Indonesian sweet soy sauce and it just does wonders for certain dishes. Think of it as a Teriyaki sauce with a tinge of garlic and anise.

The Brown Beech Mushrooms are a bargain at about a dollar for a package. They have a more pronounced flavor than button mushrooms so if you aren't a mushroom fanatic, go easy on them and see if they're a keeper in your repertoire. Like most mushrooms,though, they take in flavor quite well, specially in intense flavored Asian cooking. They might even be a good meat substitute for you vegetarians out there. Stay tuned for that one....

Chicken and Brown Beech Mushroom Stir Fry

1 lb chicken breast thinly sliced on a bias

1 package of Brown Beech mushrooms (trim off base and separate)

1 medium sized onion sliced in to half inch thick slices

5 heads of garlic minced

4 tablespoons Kecap Manis

2 tbsp oyster sauce

black pepper to taste

3 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp water

5-6 tbsp of vegetable oil
cilantro for garnish

marinate for chicken

thumb sized ginger peeled and sliced thin

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sesame oil

in a bowl, add the sliced chicken, ginger salt and sesame oil. massage well. then add the cornstarch and water. massage meat well then keep in fridge for at least an hour.

Cooking

Heat a wok until it is smoking. In batches, cook off the chicken meat then set aside.

Add about 3 tbsp of oil and once the wok starts to heat up again, add the mushrooms and keep stirring until they have softened a bit. about 2 minutes

Next, add the garlic and onions and stir fry for about 30 seconds.

Then add your chicken, stir for another minute then add the Kecap Manis, oyster sauce and black pepper.

serve right away with steamed rice and enjoy!

"Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead"

It sneaks up on all of us. You wake up in the morning and you have these aches and pains that you can't remember where they came from. Maybe you went in for a check up just to see how things are doing and your doctor drops a few subtle hints about maybe indulging on fast food a lot less than you would like to admit. For my wife and I, it was simple. Make the changes in order to set an example for our daughter and in turn having a better quality of life, but just as important, quantity of life.

Now unlike the documentary, we won't be going on a juice fast. For now, one 16 ounce glass of raw juice should be a great start to bumping up our vegetable intake. Coupled with a reduced intake of meat a whole lot fewer trips eating out and we should be on our way to better health. Sort of like a tune up for the daily driver that we so often under appreciate and at times....abuse. 

So off to Amazon and saw this well reviewed juicer which was actually the brand used on the documentary. 

Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice Fountain

This one is $99 plus tax with free shipping and it was at the doorstep in 2 days. Not too shabby. There are some that are cheaper and plenty that are much more expensive, but after skimming through the reviews, the keywords that kept coming up were quiet and durable. It was good enough for us. A friend had bought the Black and Decker version for well under $100 and it was about half the size of this and it sounded like an industrial wood chipper while juicing a carrot. Again, different strokes for different folks...

The first of hopefully many juices to come! The apple was there to try to balance out the kale, but we realized the carrots added enough sweetness to the concoction and so we left it out in our subsequent juices. On that note, our daughter has enjoyed the apple juice. We will be sneaking in some carrot juice in there so hopefully she doesn't end up "accidentally"  spilling the juice.... in the toilet. Stay tuned for that. In any case, we will be sticking to juicing vegetables from now on because from the articles we've read, the sugar and the calories along with that from fruits really do start to pile up and so it starts to become counterproductive in that regard. 

True to the tune of most of the reviews on this product, it was strong, fast and quiet. Job well done. 

I gotta say, looking at this glass of juice filled with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients makes me want to honestly go out and grab a nice juicy burger. We will have to save that for a cheat day. I'd like to say after finishing this tall glass of goodness that my wife and I felt like 2 million bucks. Sing the praises of our bodies feeling more alive than it has in a long time. Not quite, but it did feel great to put great things in our bodies. The prospect of regularly replacing bad meals with raw juice and more vegetables is an exciting one because even if the results aren't as quick and drastic as those people in the documentary, they will come. 

There hasn't been much research done on the benefits of juicing, but if common sense prevails, it could only help, right? Treat it as a supplement to your regular diet. It really is a difficult prospect to eat in a day our recommended daily intake of vegetables. Juicing will help get you the vitamins and minerals you need, but realize that the fiber, which is very important for our diets are practically eliminated during the juicing process. Eating whole vegetables and fruits is still just as important, so try not to completely neglect them in your diet. 

On a side note. If you do get in to juicing, it might be an opportune time to start a compost bin. All that processed pulp will turn out some quick compost and in turn, maybe have yourself an organic garden of vegetables that will eventually find its way through your juicer... and so a cycle begins. Just a thought. Until the next time!

Health is Wealth.

Dinengdeng (Vegetable Stew)

This is a harvest type vegetable stew. These are the vegetables typically grown in backyards in rural areas in the northern regions of Philippines. It's a no fuss type dish in which the freshness of the vegetables is the highlight. It's great with fried meats or grilled fish.

Dinengdeng

saluyot (jute leaves)

                                                            

patola (sponge gourd)

Ingredients:

1 medium size onion
2 cups of squash (cut into cubes)
2 - 3 cups  string beans
15-20 pcs okra
1 big patola (sponge gourd) - peeled and cut into strips
2-3 cups jute leaves
squash flower
1  cup shrimp / fried fish/ grilled fish  - whatever is available
3 cups of water

How to cook:

1. In a casserole, pour water and add the onion. Bring to boil
2. Season with bagoong ( fermented fish sause) and continue boiling for 3 min.
3. Add the shrimp, simmer for 3 min.
4. Add the squash, simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Add okra, string bean and saluyot (jute leaves). Simmer for 4 -5 min  or until halfed cooked.
6. Add patola (sponge gourd) and squash flower. Cooked until vegetables are done.
7. Adjust seasoning according to taste.

Enjoy!

Misua - Patola Soup (Misua and Sponge Gourd Soup)

We were at the Asian market the other day and found these fantastic Loofah Sponge Gourds. If you were wondering, yes, these are the Loofahs you use to scrub yourself, comes from. They are annual vines that are very closely related to cucumbers. They are grown in tropical areas and are quite common in many Asian dishes. They are high in fiber and packed with vitamins and minerals.

I have to say that this particular one must have been grown locally because it was quite sweet and tender. These fruits have to be picked before they fully mature or they will just be too fibrous. It got me thinking of food miles and the importance of at least attempting to have a vegetable garden. Appreciating how fresh picked organic vegetables really differ from what's usually available to the masses at the market.

I honestly haven't had these in any other dish except for Misua-Patola soup. Growing up, this was one of my favorite dishes and it actually still is. Thinking of dishes to put up in this blog can sometimes get to the point where we actually miss the point. As we get older and the aches and pains begin to linger around longer, we have to be more aware of what we put in our body. Making better choices. Sadly, it may not be as sexy as some cheesy casserole dish but at the end of the day, at least we'll be sexier from better food choices.

                                        

                                                      Misua

                                     

                                       

                                                     Patola ( sponge gourd)

Ingredients:
1 small onion - diced
4-5 cloves garlic - minced
1 large patola (peeled and cut into strips)
1 cup shrimp
50 grams of misua
4 cups of water
salt and pepper
patis (fish sauce)

How to cook:

1. In a sauce pan , saute garlic and onion.
2. Add shrimp and pour in 1 tbsp of fish sauce.
3. Add water and bring to boil.
4. Add patola and 1 shrimp cube, cook until slightly softened.
5 Add  the misua , cooked for about 1-2 min.
6. Add pepper and adjust seasoning according to your taste.
7. Serve hot and enjoy!

Chicken Stir Fry with Mushrooms and Green Beans

The star of this dish is none other than the Green Beans because they came from our garden. It was barely enough of a harvest to balance this dish, but it's always satisfying to be able to step outside and pick fresh vegetables from the garden to cook right then and there. Talk about farm to table dreams. Someday, we will definitely get there when not just one or two components of a dish comes from within our own little farm, but every single one of them. No pesticides or synthetic fertilizers to negate the goodness that these vegetables are suppose to bring to our bodies.

A quote by Sarah Ban Breathnac states The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers, but above all, the world needs dreamers who do. Some day the maintenance of lawns will be subjugated by the nurturing of vegetable gardens. It may be an idea that won't sustain for now due to the way people's lives are now constructed, but maybe some of us can help push the idea along. That good clean, whole foods should be the absolute norm and not thought of as an elitist health fad.

So we decided to celebrate the idea and our green beans became part of a tasty stir fry.

Chicken Stir Fry with Mushrooms and Green Beans

green beans from our garden

Chicken Stir Fry with Mushrooms and Green Beans

1 chicken breast thin sliced
1 cup green beans cleaned and blanched
1 cup of any type of mushrooms sliced
1 onion large diced
1 thumb sized ginger peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic minced

marinade

3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp baking soda (optional. works as a tenderizer)

sauce

3 tbsp Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sambal (or Sriracha or whatever hot sauce you have in your pantry)
pinch of white and black sesame seeds

please click this link for the video for mobile phone users:  youtube video of procedure

Tinolang Manok sa Ampalaya (Chicken Ginger Soup with Bitter Melon)

Testing out recipes on a daily basis, especially for the blog, you tend to forget to eat healthier. Healthy food is a tough sell in any household, but now, more than ever, it is a must. I've written about the health benefits of bitter melon, but I doubt too many people can even begin to get past the bitter part of the vegetable. My wife and I love the vegetable and anything that will help keep diabetes away is a welcome staple in my diet.

Rainy days here in Florida reminds us of Philippines and what better way to enjoy the rain with some soup. Tinola, traditionally is a basic chicken soup flavored with ginger usually accompanied by papaya and water spinach. This particular recipe is a rendition coming from my wife's province. Bitter melon is widely used in dishes in the norther part of Philippines. I enjoy this vegetable as a stir fry, such as Stir Fried Bitter Melon with Shrimp, but a little less oil and cholesterol was the mission for the night and I think we did well. The bean thread noodles makes the soup a bit heartier so eating it with rice is optional......... so I thought.

Tinolang Manok sa Ampalaya (Chicken Ginger Soup with Bitter Melon)

Tinolang Manok sa Ampalaya (Chicken Ginger Soup with Bitter Melon)

1/2 lb chicken breast cut into large cubes
1 whole bitter melon seeded and sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 thumb sized nob of ginger smashed
 3 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion sliced thin
1 cup dried bean thread noodles
2 tbsp fish sauce (optional, you can use salt to taste)
black pepper to taste
4 cups water or chicken stock

Below is our first instructional video. Let us know how you like it! Enjoy the dish! :)

Mung Bean Soup (Ginisang Munggo)

This is classic Filipino rainy day fare and as it stands, it has been raining here in Florida for 4 days now. Coming from California, though, I can't complain. It could be our imagination but rain water seems to make the vegetable garden grow faster as compared to watering it.

Mung Bean Soup in Philippines is typically not eaten by itself, but instead as a vegetable side dish accompanied by steamed rice and fried fish. This particular recipe has pork in it but you can substitute shrimp or even make it vegetarian and add mushrooms instead and more leafy greens.

Mung Beans are in the legume family so right off the bat, you know it is high in fiber, low in saturated fat and contains no cholesterol. They are also high in vitamins and minerals such as protein, vitamin C, folic acid, iron and zinc to name a few. Mung Beans are high in purines though so if you suffer from gout, moderation is key.

Mung Bean Soup ( Ginisang Munggo)

Mung Bean Soup (GinisangMunggo)

1 pound dried Mung Beans (munggo)
1 big sliced tomato
1 small onion halved and thin sliced
7 cloves garlic minced
1 pork cube
1 lb pork shoulder or belly medium diced
1 Anaheim chile
thumb size ginger
1 bunch spinach or any leafy greens you like
20 each squash blossoms
8 cups of water
salt or fish sauce to taste

Procedure

-soak the beans overnight
-in a large pot, boil the beans for an hour or until tender
-once tender, turn the fire on low. stir occasionally to prevent from  the beans from sticking to the pan
-on a separate pan, brown the pork and once golden, add the garlic, onions and tomato and sweat
-once the garlic, onions and tomato have softened, add it back to the pot of beans
-add the pork cubes and the fish sauce and simmer until the pork is tender. about 30 minutes
-depending on how thick you want the soup, you may choose to add water to think it out
-to finish, add the spinach and squash blossoms

serve hot and Enjoy!

Squash Blossoms from our garden

This Kabocha squash grew from the seeds that we threw in the compost bin. It was a small plot meant for the Okra but since the squash started growing already, we just decided to keep it. The jury is still out on weather it will actually grow some squash. So while we're waiting, we decided to go ahead and harvest some of the male blossoms to mix in to our Mung bean soup. The delicate blossoms do not pack a lot of calories, but they are rich in calcium, iron and vitamins C and A. Well we just wanted to show how we prepped the blossoms for soup. Hopefully we can have more from the plant and maybe stuff them in the future.

squash blossom

our squash

First off, how to choose the male from the female. 

male

female

How to prepare the squash blossoms

1. Remove the sepal

2. Remove the first layer of the stem

3. Remove the anther

4. Wash

Sweet Potato Tops Salad (Talbos ng Camote Salad)

We figured it would be best to slowly get in the habit of eating healthier. Everything in moderation, right? Adding a little more color here and a lot more leafy greens there and we start feeling better physically. Sort of giving the old car a tune up. In a way, it's more satisfying that the star of your salad was free because you grew it yourself. Noble idea, right? Saving a little money here and there and being a better owner for that body of yours. Baby steps...

Our  Sweet Potato plant

Sweet Potato Tops Salad  (Talbos ng Camote)

Sweet Potato Tops Salad

2 cups blanched sweet potato leaves
2 pieces Calamansi or 2 tsp of lemon juice.
1 medium onion diced
1 tomato diced
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp olive oil

wash and blanch the leaves for a minute then once wilted, throw in an ice bath to stop the cooking. squeeze as much of the water as you can then cut them in to one inch pieces. add the rest of the ingredients and serve cold.

Bitter Melon and Shrimp Stir Fry (Ginisang Ampalaya at Hipon)

Type 2 Diabetes is an epidemic. In my family alone, Type 2 diabetes is present in both sides. I can accept it as a foregone conclusion for myself, or I can take significant steps to combat it. Dietary changes and exercise will definitely have to be the new norm. I have been reading about bitter melon as having the ability to lower blood glucose levels. I've also read and tried blending raw bitter melon with water and drinking it as a shake. I have to be honest. I had to definitely slow my roll on that one. Bitter melon is an acquired taste to say the least. In fact, it's probably classified in the hate it or love it category of vegetables to eat. Baby steps to better health before it's too late. We can all work our way to bitter melon shakes but for now, how about a tasty stir fry?

Bitter Melon and Shrimp Stir Fry

Bitter Melon and Shrimp Stir Fry (Ginisang Ampalaya at Hipon)

2 large bitter melon seeded and sliced on a bias
1 medium yellow onion thin sliced
5 garlic cloves minced
2 Roma tomatoes diced
1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined.
4 tbsp oyster sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

on high heat, saute the onion and garlic until slightly brown then add the tomatoes. once the tomatoes are soft add the bitter melon and stir for a minute then add the oyster sauce, salt and pepper. keep stirring for another 2 minutes until the bitter melon is softer but still has a bit of crunch to it. add the shrimp and stir for another minute until the shrimp turns pink. serve with rice and enjoy.

Lumpiang Sariwa (Fresh Vegetable Springroll)

Woke up today craving for some deep fried vegetable egg rolls. Filipino style of course and I was motivated enough to make it.  This is a dish we usually make in a big batch and store in the freezer. I had the ingredients on hand so I started the process and halfway through peeling the carrots I just remembered I don't have the wrappers. Fantastic.

After a little pantry diving I found these tucked away in the back.

Add caption

Looks like lunch will be a little healthier today. It won't be your traditional Filipino fresh lumpias, but I think this version is lighter and just as good.

Note that the ingredients and measurements in this recipe is very flexible. Substitute and omit as much as you like and tailor it to your taste, but we had this for lunch and I can tell you, we loved it...except for the little one. I'm still working on that one to eat more vegetables.... but that's another post.

This tool right that I picked up at the Asian market is worth it's weight in gold when it comes to prep for this dish and the uniform cuts will make for even cooking of the vegetables.

 Lumpiang Sariwa filling:

3 cups shredded Japanese sweet potato
3 cups shredded carrots
2 cups shredded jicama
2 cups sliced green beans
2 cups bean sprouts
1 medium onion think sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup rough chopped Chinese celery leaves (or cilantro)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil

<sup>Make a habit of organizing your ingredients before you fire up the stove so as to avoid forgetting things then  running around the kitchen yelling to your wife (or husband) where the fish sauce is. In the professional kitchen we call this your Mise en place. (French for putting in place)

Turn the heat up high and when  the oil is hot (but not smoking) sweat the onions then garlic until fragrant. (do not brown)
Follow it up with the green beans for about a minute
Toss in the carrots and the sweet potato and stir for about 2 minutes
Add the jicama and about 30 seconds later add in the oyster sauce, fish sauce, salt and pepper.
Stir for about a minute then add the bean sprouts and rough chopped herbs. 
shut the fire off and stir.

At this point the vegetables will still have a delicate crunch to them but not raw. Transfer the mixture in to a tray to cool it quickly.</sup>

^{Once the filling has cooled to touch, make sure to drain it.}

^{Warm water is best when reconstituting the rice paper.}

 It is not necessary to wait for the wrapper to be completely soft in the water. It's much easier to work with when it is still a bit stiff.

^{Pat dry to remove excess water}

^{and to finish}

 

Here is a great recipe for Nuoc Cham, a Vietnamese dipping sauce from the folks at Sunday Night Dinner

Nuoc Cham 

And here is our lunch. 

It doesn't hurt to have a vegetarian meal once in a while. We, like the rest of you are at least trying to eat a little cleaner. Plus making this meal had plenty of filler for the compost bin. :) Let us know what you think of this recipe and visit us again soon!