Slow Cooker Beef Caldereta (Kalderetang Baka)

This Asian beef stew (Beef Caldereta) is robust in flavor and so delicious! Cooking in the slow cooker makes it very convenient, too. Serve with Jasmine rice.

Sometime last year when the weather was starting to get cooler, I had this intense craving for Filipino food. In particular, I was longing for a steamy bowl of Beef Caldereta, a classic Filipino beef stew originally based on a Spanish stew, hence the name, (we were colonized by Spain for over 300 years, remember?) but with a distinctly and authentic Asian flair! It is a dish you will commonly find in any major celebration in the Philippines - weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, you name it. It is usually made with either beef or goat though you may also find versions of chicken or pork. Naturally, it pairs perfectly well with rice!

12 Tried and Tested Zucchini Recipes

12 tried and tested, family-friendly, sweet and savory recipes that use summer's favorite vegetable - Zucchini!

I am a happy Mom when my kids willingly eat their vegetables. One vegetable they don't  snub is Zucchini. Perhaps because I add Courgettes (the british name for Zucchini) in breads and cakes but, certainly, they love them in savory dishes, too! Over the years,  we have enjoyed these sweet and savory recipes that all use Zucchini! We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Sautéed Zucchini with Lemon and Parmesan

A quick, delicious and healthy way to use up all these summer squash is to make Sautéed Zucchini with Lemon and Parmesan!

We are at the peak of Zucchini season and it would certainly be hard to miss these tasty summer squash. They are everywhere from the Farmer's market to your favorite grocery and yes, of course, in your neighbor's vegetable garden! In our house when I have already baked 3 Zucchini breads in a row in less than a week, then you can be sure it truly is zucchini season!

Lemon Cilantro (or Coriander) Chicken

Fresh lemon juice, aromatic spices and herbs add so much flavor to this succulent chicken dish. Easy and delicious option for a weeknight family meal!

What a disaster! No, not this recipe, thankfully, but the fact that I lost the video for this recipe. It is frustrating as I really worked hard to make a video for this and even missed an appointment to finish it on time and then in the twinkle of an eye, it was gone....all gone.

Slow Cooker Roast Pork with Dried Fruits

Melt-in-your-mouth, moist and delicious roast pork that you'll make over and over again. Use a different variety of fruits - dried giant raisins, apricot, plums, cherries, etc. It's your choice.

I love my slow cooker as it's a very reliable ally in the kitchen. While I have used it for a variety of recipes including desserts my favorite dish to cook in my crock pot is a roast. I love the result of melt-in-your mouth tender meat that is so moist and full of flavor as a result of long hours of braising. It just has never failed me so far and my family is always delighted with the outcome.

Italian Sausage and Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

This post is is sponsored by Prego^® Sauces.  All opinions are mine alone. 

Ready in 30 minutes or less, this delicious Italian Sausage and Broccoli Alfredo Pasta meal makes dinner a breeze for Mom. Just five ingredients is all you need!

30 Minute Beef and Franks Spaghetti Meal

This post is is sponsored by Prego® Sauces. All opinions are mine alone. 

Ready in 30 minutes, this Beef and Franks Spaghetti Meal with only 5 main ingredients is the perfect dinner solution for busy moms. With ground beef, hot dogs, vegetables and a rich Italian sauce served over pasta, a delicious weeknight family meal has never been easier.

One Pot Meatballs and Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)

Last weekend we attended the fair at Durham here in Connecticut. I believe it is the biggest in the state, much anticipated and certainly well-attended. There was so much to see and check out that you can honestly spend an entire day during the fair without getting bored at all. My kids and I had a lovely time checking out the rides, games and exhibits and the animal shows. I have honestly never attended a fair this huge so it was something new and exciting for me.

Baked Spiced Salmon

I am enjoying the perfect weather we are having this month of September. It is sunny and warm during the daytime ((without being oppressive) and cool enough to sleep at night without having to turn the air conditioner on. The lovely days of September inspire me to turn the oven on and begin baking again not just for cakes or other sweet treats but certainly for savory recipes, too.

Filipino Coconut Chicken Curry

The other night we had dinner over at our friend's house. A missionary visiting from France who spoke at our church last Sunday stayed with them. For his last night we decided to have dinner together, sort of a pot luck. I didn't have time to prepare a main dish as we toured him around the area during the day (though I made some French clafoutis for dessert in his honor). Hubby and I just decided to get a couple of rotisserie chicken as our contribution. 

Beef Mechado

Mechado.....mmmmm. Mechado masarap (too delicious!) is probably what you would hear a Filipino jokingly say when he tastes a really good Mechado dish. The expression is a play on the word "masyado" which means too much or over the top while "masarap" means, as you may have guessed, "delicious."

Easy Thai Shrimp Curry

It seems forever since I made a homemade curry! We are a little spoiled here in New Haven as there are many good curry houses both Thai and Indian so I have been a little lazy in making one at home. I made curry more often when we were in west Michigan as, honestly, there weren't really any good authentic curry there so I had to make them at home a lot of times. But, it turned out well for us as I learned to make really good curry dishes so I am thankful for that opportunity and no regrets! You can check the search box and find 10 different curry versions on this blog - yes, that's how much we love curry!

Slow Cooker Red-Cooked Chicken

I love cooking Chinese food. It really is, next to Filipino cuisine, my favorite. Whenever I crave something with Asian flavors that means family dinner will have rice and a Chinese viand. Also, it's much easier to find ingredients for Chinese recipes nowadays as chances are you are within walking or driving distance from a Chinese store. However that is not often the case with my Filipino ingredients although of late many Asian stores now carry some of the basic Filipino must-haves for cooking. For this reason, Asian night means mostly Chinese night.

Corn and Spinach (Suam) Soup

When I was growing up, this was our fall back soup. When my Mom or our help either runs out of ideas or time to make something elaborate for dinner, you can be certain - Suam na Mais or Corn Soup would be on the table. Don't get me wrong, I never had any issues or bad feelings about this soup even though I have had this so many times. In fact, I actually miss it as my Mom (or our former helpers) are not here to make this soup for me. This time, I have to make it for myself and my family.

Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Last week I had been craving for something a little spicy. I didn't really fancy making a curry but thought I'd make it a Mexican night in our house. Before we had kids, I used to make Chicken Enchiladas for hubby and myself but have never ever done another one ever since we had kids. Wow, that's almost like a decade ago.

Pasta with Tuna in Creamy Tomato Sauce

When I was in Manila, my sister cooked a yummy tuna pasta with a creamy sauce and the other day I suddenly had a strong craving for it. I looked around our pantry shelves to see if I still have some canned tuna lying around. Thankfully, I found one. Unfortunately though I didn't have any mushrooms to go with my pasta. I thought I'd have to find a way somehow to make a yummy and creamy tuna pasta without mushrooms.

Classic Glazed Ham

If you are a subscriber of our blog, then you probably already know that we are on holiday in Asia at the moment. I do try, when I get the chance, to spend the Christmas season with my family. There's just no place like home for the holidays. It doesn't hurt when you can spend Christmas season by the beach and enjoy the sun and the sea either! For me that's the ultimate holiday treat!!! :)

Ricotta Meatballs in Creamy White Wine Sauce

Today I felt like a contestant in that popular show from the Food Network - Chopped. I had some left-over ingredients which needed to be used up but they seemed to be an odd assortment. Initially, I felt like it would be weird to merge them in one dish, much like in Chopped (though perhaps not as extreme) where contestants are supposed to come with a yummy dish using a medley of ingredients which you don't normally put together. That was my challenge for the day - how to use in one dish a few pieces of sun-dried tomatoes, a little wine, two types of cheeses and ground beef.

Country-Style Chicken Kiev

In our church in Holland, MI the ladies came up with a fantastic cook book that contained recipes that are not only family friendly and easy to make, they were also very much palate-pleasing, too. When I was just starting to learn how to cook - a little over a decade ago - this book was my companion and reference guide for meals that I prepared for hubby and the kids.

Baked Chicken with Olives and Zucchini

Yay for Fall! That means the weather is cooler and we can finally turn our ovens on to bake and cook delicious meals for our family. When I make a savory dish for my family, I try to use simple recipes that I can easily prepare and do not require too much fuss. After all, when school season begins, there are tons of activities to attend to and oftentimes, there isn't a lot of time to make dinner.