Vegetarian Pansit

A few times I have been asked on our Facebook page if I have a vegetarian version of our country's famous noodle dish - Pansit. At that time, I actually have never tried it without meat. In the Philippines, we either use chicken or pork, sometimes shrimp and even Chinese sausage to add flavor to the Pancit. However, there is a first time for everything. Finally, I decided to make a vegetarian/meatless version of the Pansit for our friends who prefer that diet.

Bagel and Creamy Egg Breakfast Sandwich

We have a bagel shop that does a Baker's dozen (13 pieces instead of 12) every Wednesday, so often we wait until Wednesday to buy our Bagels as they are on sale and so much cheaper. Normally, my kids are happy with just Bagel and Cream Cheese for breakfast, perhaps with a teaspoon or two of jam added for good measure. But sometimes,  I get tired of that same old, same old bagel and cream cheese combo so occasionally I will cook some eggs and have them with bagels instead. When I am feeling indulgent, I spread a little mayo or add a slice of cheese on a toasted and buttered bagel with this creamy egg. A few sprinkles of chopped chives perfectly round-up this delicious and filling breakfast sandwich. Enjoy!

Boeuf a la Bourguignonne

The first challenge is to try to say the name of the dish correctly! J

I have been wanting to cook this traditional French beef stew for the longest time. For some reason, I always end up doing a steak casserole. I suppose because the casserole is easier to do and is pretty straightforward in terms of methodology. This dish, not only has  a pretty intimidating name, a real tongue-twister; I also often thought it was quite complicated. But I set my fears aside and decided, I will try it once and for all. And, am I glad I did! This is now my favorite beef stew recipe. Hands-down winner for me. It is so good, I promise, you'll want to lick your bowl clean. J

Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup (Yummy Recipe to help cure the Flu)

So my dear hubby has the flu.....I feel so sorry for him. I don't like it when he is unwell as it not only makes me sad, I don't like to see him suffer and look sick. But this is one of the hazards of winter that cannot always be prevented.

Being the resourceful person that he is, hubby researched for a more natural remedy to help cure the flu or at least hasten his recovery. He showed me this cooking video from a nutritionist who suggested that this is a wonderful cure for flu. I was skeptical but indulged my honey and watched the video anyway. I was of course intrigued. I like that all the ingredients are natural and for me has the potential of something flavorful.   Sweet potato, ginger, chili pepper and mushrooms to name a few - this concoction must at least taste nice and if it helps cure the flu, even better!

Hubby says, he did feel better after having some. He felt boosted though he's not completely recovered yet. Well, it's only been day 1 so perhaps tomorrow and the next day and a few more cups of this yummy soup then he'll be back to his full healthy self. At any rate, I am sharing this because I actually loved this soup, yes, I had some already - quite a thick one, almost like a puree - it's so flavorful and I agree with the nutritionist, this is a perfect curry base! I will definitely use this recipe for a curry next time. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
2-3 inch-ginger, finely chopped*
1 red chili pepper, with seeds*
1 large red Onion, chopped
1 large Sweet Potato, chopped
Shiitake Mushrooms (fresh - 4 oz / dry 1 oz), chopped*
Vegetable Stock or broth (32 oz)

*If you don't want it too gingery, you can just use the 2-inch one. That's how I measure my ginger, by it's length and not by tablespoons.

*Hubby only got 1 hot cherry pepper so that's all that I used but feel free to use your favorite hot pepper and adjust the heat to your taste.

*If using the dried Shiitake mushrooms, make sure to rehydrate them first. Just add them towards the end of cooking.

Procedure

Please watch the short video for the full instruction on how to make this flavorful soup. Hope you all feel healthy this winter!

Valentine Desserts

Wondering what to make for Valentine's Day? Look no more, here's a fantastic line-up of fabulous Valentine's desserts! Make any of these and you're sure to please your loved ones! Enjoy