vegetarian fresh lumpia

Aside from Filipino adobo, there are other traditional dishes and snacks that deserve a prominent place in Philippine cuisine. Lumpia is one of them. Unlike the crispy deep-fried lumpia that most people know and love, this type of lumpia is a more of a vegetable dish. Yes, there's a fresh lumpia version and this is the actual filling that goes inside it. I hope this will not be confusing to those who are more familiar with the crispy type of lumpia.

This vegetable lumpia filling may also be served wrapped in fresh lumpia wrappers similar to a savory crepe. I like it both ways but the fresh wrappers are hard to find and I've never been successful making them. Served minus the wrappers, this dish is called "lumpiang hubad" or "naked lumpia" much like the term "naked burrito" when served in a bowl without the tortilla wrap.

This was my version of a vegetarian lumpia (shown above) which had tofu. Cut a block of tofu into 1/2" thick slices. On a tray or plastic cutting board, arrange the tofu slices side by side on a clean towel or sheets of paper towels. Cover with more paper towels and place a cutting board on top. This process will get rid of excess water and prevent splattering when frying the tofu. Dice the tofu and pan-fry in a small amount of oil until lightly browned.

Pork, chicken or shrimp may be added but it's also traditional to add small dried shrimps (called hibe - pronounced as hee-beh) for a more distinct flavor. Rehydrate the hibe in hot water before using. The slight orange color was from annatto seeds  or achuete.

For the recipe, please refer to my 2010 post for Lumpiang Sariwa.

cauliflower crust pizza

It has happened many times in the past when a new food craze shared online by avid food enthusiasts became so noticeably popular to grab attention. This cauliflower crust idea was one of them.

We've always enjoyed all kinds of vegetables so I was curious about this new technique and recipe. I had my doubts but I just had to try it and see.

In a food processor, finely chop the cauliflower. Drain well or squeeze as much water as possible from the chopped cauliflower using a clean kitchen towel. Tossing the chopped cauliflower with a little salt will also help draw out moisture from the cauliflower. Transfer to a bowl then add 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well. Spread out the mixture on a pizza pan lined with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment with non-stick baking spray. Bake the crust for about 30 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven. Evenly spread Alfredo sauce on top then sprinkle with more cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. This tasty recipe was adapted from Crockpot Gourmet's Deep Dish Cheese Pizza with Cauliflower Crust. Other favorite pizza toppings will be just as good.

lightly toasted cauliflower crust ready for the toppings

The mystery of the cauliflower crust no longer haunts me :-) Again, it has been proven that the popularity of certain food ideas should never be taken for granted. There's a reason why they're popular. Oftentimes, they're worth trying.

surf and turf sous vide with zucchini noodles

Having tried to cook salmon sous vide for the first time, I was so thrilled with the result that I may never go back to other ways of cooking this fish again. It was very moist, flavorful and perfectly cooked.

Using a vacuum sealer (shown above) to get the air out of the bag ensures that the food stays submerged in the water while simmering. A ziplock food bag will work just as well using the water displacement technique. I used the Anova brand of immersion circulator. Set the temperature to 50C (122F) then set the timer to 40 minutes. The salmon pieces were about 8 oz each. This recipe is also available at the Anova culinary website.

Rump steak cooked medium rare was sliced across the grain as shown above. The nice thing about the sous vide method of cooking is there's absolutely no way the steak can get overcooked and dry out during the sous vide process. It will always be evenly cooked inside out. A quick sear on a hot cast iron grill or pan was all that was needed before slicing and serving. Allow the steak to rest for about 10 minutes after searing.

My husband's sous vide tasting plate with thinly sliced steak, a small piece of salmon, cheese slices and zucchini noodles (shown above).

The zucchini noodle side dish, shown above, cooked scampi-style with minced garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and lemon juice, was another revelation. I keep reading about them in food websites that I had to give it a try. We've always loved grilled zucchini since we discovered how grilling makes them extra flavorful, but I have to say this was another must-keep idea.

This Benriner turning slicer (shown above) is a handy kitchen gadget which I often use for carrots and other salad vegetables. It does a great job creating all kinds of spiral-cut vegetables. I used the medium blade slicer for these zucchini noodles.

orange tomatoes

I found some interesting orange tomato variety at the grocery recently. They had good flavor so I used them to make a couple of light weekday meals.

Inspired by caprese salad, one of my favorites, I sliced the tomato thinly, arranged and layered them on a plate along with thinly sliced mozzarella cheese, then sprinkled them with salt, pepper and some creamy lemon vinaigrette (shown below). Balsamic vinaigrette will be just as good.

One of the biggest salads I made this summer, this was a combination of mixed baby greens, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, julienned carrots, tomatoes, a colorful mix of green, red, yellow and orange sweet peppers, hard-boiled eggs and fresh mushroom slices. Red onions, red radishes and alfafa sprouts may also be added. Very healthy and crunchy :-) Serve with some homemade dressing.

refreshing, colorful and crunchy summer salad

vegetables for pinakbet

It's not often that we're able to stop by a bigger Asian grocery and produce market so when there's an opportunity, we rarely miss it. I like to browse the merchandise along the aisles. There are so many interesting items and I always enjoy my time there. Fresh Asian vegetables are also available and buying some of my favorites has always been a special treat for me. In Manila, these vegetables are very common at the local market.

This unique mix of vegetables was exactly what I needed to make a Filipino dish called pinakbet. It's a popular vegetable dish in the Northern Philippines particularly the Ilocos region. There are many variations using different eggplant varieties and other vegetables. One of the key ingredients used to season this dish is bagoong, a type of salty paste made with shrimp or fish. I had to replace it with patis (fish sauce) so my husband will have no problem with the pinakbet (he's very allergic to shrimp).

It has crossed my mind many times that pinakbet, shown above and below, may be the Filipino version of ratatouille, a French vegetable stew that also uses a variety of vegetables.

I also bought a bunch of garlic chives, sold cheaper at this Asian market than at regular grocery stores. A good amount went into these Asian potstickers, shown below. I made them many times before without the chives, even if the recipe required it. They were not just expensive at the grocery but they were hard to find sometimes. The chives definitely added more authentic flavors to the dumplings.

Asian potstickers with garlic chives

our complete meal ~ pinakbet and Asian potstickers
served with steamed rice

For the recipe,

rice paper rolls

Right after my sous vide experiment which I posted previously, some leftover steaks made it into the beef summer rolls, shown below. Sliced very thinly and layered with julienned carrots, cucumbers, red radishes, red bell pepper and lettuce leaves, they were refreshing and light, perfect little appetizers for hot and humid summer days. I also like cooked vermicelli noodles in them, for additional texture, but always optional. Dried rice papers, sold in most Asian markets and grocery stores, are handy to have in the pantry. To make the rice paper pliable, soak it briefly in warm water then lay it on a clean towel or wood cutting board to get rid of excess water before rolling.

Another version I made later on was with a combination of thinly sliced ripe mango, cucumber, red bell pepper and surimi or imitation crab sticks layered and rolled together with flavored vermicelli noodles. Thanks to the recipe by Chef Hylton Le Roux which I found on youtube. Glad to discover his Market to Master series which I've been watching lately. He's a chef based in Manila who also travel around the country in search of the best regional dishes and food. I get so many tips and ideas from the episodes.

surimi flakes, red bell pepper, cucumber and mango 

Shown above, the seasoned vermicelli noodles and the package of imitation crab I used. The noodles were soaked for a few minutes in boiling water until they softened then drained. Toss with chili sauce (for a spicier version, use sambal oelek), rice vinegar, sesame oil and mirin. The seasoned vermicelli was very tasty and I may never go back to using plain vermicelli for these rice paper rolls. Serve with honey-soy dip.

For the recipe...

green salad days

Now that spring time is officially here again, the warmer sunny days made me think of colorful refreshing green salads. I love using a combination of baby greens, sometimes adding other varieties like romaine, spinach and arugula. For starters, I like serving green salads for lunch or dinner most days now.

 

Very fresh Greek salad, shown above and below, is one of the easiest to put together and one of the healthiest too. The combination of crunchy salad greens and other vegetables, salty feta cheese and olives tossed together with a light vinaigrette, is something I truly crave. The vinaigrette may be mixed ahead and stored in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend well. 

Another one of our regular favorites is Cobb salad, which is more filling with the addition of ham or other deli meats. I used pastrami for my version then added more crunchy vegetables and avocado which is usually present in traditional Cobb salad. Shown from left to right in the picture below, shredded red radishes, shredded carrots, diced cucumbers, diced feta cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced red onions, pastrami strips, avocado slices and sliced black olives were arranged over a bed of romaine and spring salad greens.The dressing may be a simple ranch or other creamy mixtures.

quick pickled cucumbers

Sometime ago, while browsing the vegetable section at a local grocery for ideas, I found some salad cucumbers that looked so fresh and crisp. Aside from adding them to our usual Greek and other green salads, I thought of making pickles with them using just a few ingredients. For the dressing, just combine apple cider and rice vinegar together to make about 1/2 cup. Add some white sugar, salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Pour over the sliced cucumbers. Refrigerate to blend the flavors. At serving time, garnish with sliced green onions. For a spicier vesion, sprinkle thinly sliced red Thai chilis on top.

The pickled cucumbers in a very light, sweet and sour vinegar dressing were just the perfect side for our pan fried pork chops dinner that night. Back in Manila, this was always my personal favorite to have with fried whole fish. There's a particular fish, sold in local markets, called "hasa-hasa" which, when fried until the skin is very crispy, worked so well with these pickled cucumbers. I miss that fish :-)

Shown above, the salad cucumbers were smaller than regular cucumbers. They were bright green, very fresh and crisp. I like to use  this Thai vegetable gadget, which can also be used to shred carrots and other vegetables, to score the cucumber peel lengthwise, creating a nice scalloped design when sliced. This gadget is available in most Asian stores.

ramen at home

my husband's ramen (above) with a touch of sambal oelek

It's exciting that the Japanese ramen craze has invaded big cities in the US over the past few years. I remember growing up in Manila enjoying many variations of it. However, I had one particular Filipino noodle soup favorite popularly called "mami" in Manila which my mother used to make for the family. The fresh egg noodles were store-bought but she would make all the toppings from scratch. These days, our laid back weekend meals at home usually mean very simple cooking involved with instant ramen soups ranking high in our list :-)

We had a chance to visit my favorite Asian market on our way back home from a recent vacation. I was excited to see some fresh vegetables like enoki mushrooms, baby bok choy and fragrant Chinese chives that aren't usually available at the grocery store. They also sell them at a very reasonable price. These vegetables were perfect for ramen.

Shown above, I arranged the cooked ramen noodles, blanched baby bok choy strips, thinly sliced chives, enoki mushrooms and eggs in a bowl. I just rinsed the enoki mushrooms, they didn't have to be blanched. Pour boiling ramen broth over the arranged ingredients. Serve immediately and enjoy!

bibimbap ~ Korean mixed rice

This may not be the most authentic bibimbap since I didn't really have the complete ingredients but I tried my best to make up with the presentation :-) Bibimbap is a well-known Korean mixed rice dish. It usually consists of meat and sauteed vegetables then topped with egg. I find the concept very appealing as I've always liked traditional rice dishes like Spanish paella, Southern red beans and rice and many more. My bibimbap version had corn kernels, chopped shitake mushrooms, sliced kale (which I substituted for the spinach), julienned carrots, green and red bell peppers. The dried shitake mushrooms may be soaked overnight. All the vegetables were sauteed in a little sesame and vegetable oil. The colorful mix of vegetables looked quite appetizing arranged on top of the rice. Raw egg may be mixed in with the hot rice but I made fried egg instead, with the yolk still a bit runny. The rice dish may also be transfered and served in a heavy cast iron skillet, then heated over low fire until the underside gets lightly toasted and forms a crust. Just before serving, I sprinkled toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions for garnish and additional flavor. Mix the steamed rice, the vegetable toppings and the egg together before eating. Serve with kimchi, hot sauce or sriracha if desired.

For the most flavorful bibimbap meat (shown above), I marinated thinly sliced beef with finely chopped ginger, lots of chopped garlic, soy sauce, a little sesame oil and ground pepper. The beef was very aromatic so I thought it was best to pan-fry them outdoors using our handy electric wok. I fried the beef until well-browned and crispy.

my wok set-up at our screened sunroom :-)

summer salads

As the summer heat continues to become unbearable outside, there are days when we like to stay cool by doing less cooking. Here are a few refreshing salad ideas to welcome the summer season. Shown above, the addition of quinoa to this antipasto platter along with roasted asparagus, eggs and pickled beets, turned this salad into a healthier and well-balanced meal good for any day of the week.

Crunchy chicken salad with shredded oven-roasted or boiled chicken breast, green leaf or romaine lettuce, carrot strips, thinly sliced cucumbers, canned chickpeas (drained well) and red onions. Other favorite additions like bacon bits, toasted nuts and sunflower seeds may also be sprinkled on top just before serving.

Always refreshing, these summer rolls may have all kinds of meat and vegetable filling combinations. The more colorful, the better :-) Slice them thinly then cut into strips and toss together. Rice papers (sold in Asian markets imported from Thailand or Vietnam) are always to handy to have in the pantry. Soaked in lukewarm water for a few seconds until they become pliable, they make the ideal wrappers for the vegetables.

healthy options

Here I go again, after the holidays and all the rich high-calorie foods, trying my best to eat healthier and exercise more :-) I also find myself craving uncomplicated and lighter meals but still satisfying such as these beef and vegetable rolls. They always come to my mind whenever I have leftover beef steak or roast. I like to have a stack of Thai or Vietnamese rice paper wrappers which are so handy to have. They're delicate when dry but can easily be soaked in warm water to soften. The fillings may vary depending on the vegetables preferred. I like to use a colorful combination of thinly julienned carrots, red bell peppers and cucumbers, some lettuce and rice noodles. Some thinly sliced scrambled eggs may also be added to the filling for these Asian Beef Rolls, shown below.

A sweet and sour vinaigrette with rice vinegar and sweet chili or sriracha sauce makes the perfect dip for the rolls. However, another popular version with a mixture of hoisin and sriracha sauce may appeal to those who prefer more intense flavors.

You can't go wrong with a platter of grilled or roasted vegetables as shown below. I used our handy and convenient grill pan to cook some of our favorite vegetables like eggplant, yellow zucchini and portobello mushrooms. Lightly season them with salt and pepper then brush with olive oil just before cooking.

A combination of Greek yogurt, feta cheese and oregano made a healthy Mediterranean-inspired dip or dressing. Leftover grilled vegetables are great tossed in with pasta and also for bruschetta or other flatbreads. Here's to another year of ideas and inspirations for healthy eating!

quinoa with roasted squash

I have always been curious about quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) and was interested to find out about its taste and texture. From what I read so far, it's called "mother grain" which has been cultivated and harvested in South America since ancient times. Quinoa is light and makes a great substitute for couscous with a similar texture. The tiny grains absorb seasonings well and become more flavorful when cooked in chicken or vegetable broth. I roasted some butternut squash until tender and served them with the fluffy quinoa for a healthy side dish.

I found some helpful tips on how to properly cook quinoa from The Kitchn cooking website. For every cup of dried quinoa, use 2 cups of water or broth. Transfer the quinoa to a wire mesh colander, rinse very well under running water then drain well. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet then add the quinoa and toast for a few minutes. Stir in the liquid and a pinch of salt (optional). Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. After 15 minutes, turn off and remove from heat. Allow to stand for another 5 minutes. Use a fork to gently separate the grains before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil leaves.

butternut squash is a personal favorite but other roasted vegetables will work too

pommes duchesse (French piped potatoes)

Saveur magazine remains to be my favorite with its striking food photography and interesting global food articles. Even though most of the time I just quickly scan its colorful pages, every now and then I get a chance to try the recipes too. I was tempted to make these pommes duchesse or  French piped potatoes as soon as I saw them featured in a recent issue. They looked so neatly piped out and arranged in the picture on the Saveur page but as with the case of perfect magazine photography, piping them out proved to be a challenge but still doable.

I think the best part was the way the piped out potatoes get toasted along the thin edges which make an impressive presentation on the plate. Instead of plain looking mashed potatoes, these would make an elegant side dish. The individual portions are also much easier to serve on a platter or small plates. They look special when garnished with fresh parsley. A few baby lettuce leaves may also be tucked under them. 

The recipe and procedure for pommes duchesse may be found in this link at the Saveur website.