Italian Sausage Casserole

This Italian Sausage Casserole is delicious and loaded with flavors from meat, herbs and vegetables! A healthy and yummy option for those in a gluten-free and low-carb diet, too!

Last November we went to England because of a family emergency. While we were there we met up with some of our friends. We only get to see them when we come to the UK for a visit so when we are over we make sure we meet at least once. One of the Sundays we were in London we attended worship service at St. Helen's, part of the Church of England denomination. Our friend attends this church regularly and we all decided to have dinner together after the evening service. After our souls were fed, we wondered where to get some physical nourishment. Thankfully, we didn't have to go too far to find a restaurant as St. Helen's, on Sunday nights, offers a dining service in one of its buildings for a very reasonable price. And the food was really good!!!

Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy (Boeuf Bourguignon)

Beef chunks are simmered in red wine in the slow cooker and results in a melt-in-your-mouth delicious stew. Make this crockpot version of the classic French stew - Beef Burgundy (Boeuf Bourguignon) in the morning and enjoy it for dinner!

I feel the chill in the air! It has started to get cooler the past few days and I have seen leaves fall all over the place already which means Autumn has started. Yay! I do love the fall season with all the gorgeous colors that it brings and also the most wonderful and aromatic dishes we associate with it.

10 Mouthwatering Gourmet Burgers

Just in time for Father's Day,  here's a delicious collection of the best 10 Mouthwatering Gourmet Burgers you can make for Dad!

What are you waiting for? Dig in! 

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

Very tasty, quick and simple to make is this Thai inspired Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps. Perfect as appetizer or as main dish served with Jasmine rice.  Gluten-free and paleo-friendly, too.

Naturally, I love cooking Asian food as that's what I grew up with. I love that any typical Asian dish whether from the Philippines, China, Thailand or any other parts of Asia is not only loaded with tasty seasonings but offers delicious complexity - it can at once be sweet, spicy, tangy and salty. My taste buds are tickled indeed with all these nuanced yet harmonious flavors.

Whole Roast Masala Chicken (Indian-style)

Flavored with aromatic spices, this whole roast Masala Chicken (Indian-style) comes out so yummy! The skin is deliciously crisp and the meat is tender and moist. This roast is very easy and quick to prepare, too.

When I was pregnant for the first time 10 years ago with our eldest son, the main food I craved was roast chicken. I had a really bad "morning" sickness (of course, it could be anytime of the day!) for the first 4 months or so and nothing seemed to calm my stomach and made me happier than roast chicken! I don't know why that was but I guess I should just be happy my cravings were not too "exotic" or hard to find!

Crispy Adobo Flakes

Crunchy and flavorful, these crispy adobo flakes are perfect for breakfast, as topping for salad or soup and a delicious accompaniment to your favorite Asian dish. Use left-over pork, chicken or beef adobo to make this so nothing is wasted!

A few days ago, I posted a recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo which I cooked previously. After the first meal of enjoying this classic Pinoy dish, we had some left-overs as usual (we are a small family after all). Normally, I would simply reheat whatever was left and have it with fried rice for a second meal. But then, I thought that would simply be boring. So, I decided to use the remaining chicken pieces for making crispy Adobo flakes. After all, hubby totally loved the Adobo flakes after having some at a breakfast place in Manila. He couldn't believe how tasty the odd looking shredded meat was and that it was as good as the original dish itself!

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

Chicken slowly braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and bay leaves until fall-off-the-bone tender and DELICIOUS. This classic dish can be made a day ahead and tastes even better the next day! 

Life does get in the way sometimes. :) I intended to post this well-clamored for recipe last week but alas my migraine headache for 3 days in a row totally prevented me from doing so. So, I apologize to those who were normally awaiting another recipe last week. Things were certainly beyond my control. I guess, it's better late than never. Anyway, let me assure you dear readers that this recipe is certainly worth the wait!

Creamy Pasta with Pancetta and Mushrooms

You can never go wrong with bacon and mushrooms! This creamy and delicious pasta with pancetta is our comfort food for sure.  

I am so happy to be living in New Haven, CT! Two yummy reasons are - Whole Foods and Trader Joe's! When we were in  Michigan the nearest Trader Joe's was 3 hours away - to the west in a Chicago suburb and to the east in a suburb of Detroit. That means when we visit either store, we tend to hoard as we don't know when we will return. My hubby is such a huge fan of their salsas so we haul loads of them back home.

Sauteed Chayote (Sayote Guisado)

When I was still in the Philippines and living with my family, this dish was on our table every week. We truly love all kinds of squashes especially Chayote (called Sayote in the Philippines). It such a well-loved dish that you can find Sayote Guisado in any cafeteria or canteen all over the country during lunch time. I often had this for lunch when I still worked for the Supreme Court. It's almost like a soup that you have on the side, though it really isn't a soup at all but more like a stew. And, you often serve this with rice. It's also pretty cheap to prepare yet quite nutritious, too. You can make this dish with just chayote on its own but you can certainly add other vegetables like cauliflower or broccoli to the mix.

Classic Chicken Adobo

If there is a dish that the Philippines is known for it's got to be Adobo. While the word "Adobo"  certainly has Spanish origins (the Philippines has been colonized by Spain for nearly 400 years), this particular cooking method and dish is indigenous to the Philippines.

Chicken Afritada

Much like the other Filipino classic dishes namely Adobo, Pansit, and Menudo - the Afritada is also quite popular and is often served at birthdays, weddings and other gatherings. Much like Menudo, Mechado and Kaldereta, Afritada is highly influenced by the "estofado" or Spanish stew.

Pollo al Ajillo (Chicken with Garlic)

This Chicken dish needs no elaboration. Chicken with Garlic, you can already imagine how flavorful it would be....add to the mix, extra-virgin olive oil and some dry sherry...how can you go wrong?

Rigatoni with Creamy Garbanzo Bean Sauce

I say it again - necessity is the mother of invention.... It's the case with our latest recipe. I had some cooked Garbanzo beans that needed to be used but didn't want to make a hummus. I already used half of it to make a sautéed dish so I figured, am sure I can use these for something else that I have never done before. So off I went to the pantry and found this box of Rigatoni noodles and then the light came up - how about a pasta dish?

Rosemary Chicken with Courgettes (Zucchini)

We went to England in 2010 and stayed with my hubby's very good friend, Robin, while in London. His wife was away visiting her family abroad at that time so he was left in-charge of taking care of us and feeding us. Wow, I was almost afraid for him - not that we are difficult guests (LOL) but just because I didn't want him to make a fuss or to be intimidated with our presence.

Chicken, Cashew and Tarragon Stir-fry (with Bacon)

  

When we visit my in-laws in England, my husband never fails to request his mom to cook this dish. He said that this is one of his favorite food. Having tasted it a few times, I do agree it's a wonderful dish - simple to prepare yet fabulously delicious. I particularly love the crunch that the cashews bring and the flavor that the tarragon imparts to the chicken.

I would have tried to cook this a long time ago if I had the recipe. I don't know why I haven't asked for it. Unfortunately, when my husband was craving this dish for dinner it was  a little too late to call England so I had to make this based on how my hubby remembers it was done.

When we were eating the dish, he suddenly remembered that he forgot to tell me an important ingredient of the dish ---- bacon! How can anyone forget bacon? It's a good thing that when  he mentioned that the chicken was stir-fried --- butter and garlic came to mind. So, it still came out good. The next time I made it for sure bacon was added. If you don't fancy bacon you can just leave it out. 

Ingredients

A little olive oil (1 tsp or if using a non-stick pan, a little spray on the pan will do)
3 tbsp butter or 3-4 bacon strips, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb chicken breasts (2 large ones), chopped in bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper
4-6 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (we love tarragon so we  use a lot of it but it has a strong aniseed-like flavor so adjust to taste!)
1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts (whole or in pieces)

Procedure

Melt the butter in a little oil in a large skillet or frying pan. If you prefer, use bacon instead. Cook the bacon until it turns brown and renders its fat. Sauté the garlic and let it sizzle for a few seconds (not more than a minute to prevent browning). Once the garlic has flavored the butter/bacon fat and oil, you may opt to remove it from the pan but if you love garlic, let it stay!

Raise the heat to medium high and then add the chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper.  

Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes or until the chicken has changed its color and is starting to brown a little on its sides.

Stir in the cashew nuts and the tarragon leaves. Cook for another minute or just until chicken is tender.                                                                                       

Garnish with a little more tarragon on top. Serve immediately.

Have it with green veggies on the side. Broccoli perfectly pairs with it.