Slow Cooker Chicken (or Turkey) Chili

I have made this chili many times for my family and friends and it's always well loved and the super easy recipe is often requested. 

When our schedules are not hectic we love to have people over at our place. We especially love having friends from church during Sunday nights after the evening worship service. It's just a nice and perfect time to relax, enjoy each others company especially before we face the challenges in the real world the next day --- Monday! We enjoy some food and occasionally have some games that everyone can participate in. We don't do anything too formal or structured, the food is mostly the appetizer type - quick and easy in preparation. The point is to enjoy each other's company in a fuss-free environment.

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.

Slow Cooker Beef and Beer Belgian Stew

We've been to Brussels a couple of times and in each visit we've always had a wonderful time! One thing we truly enjoyed in Belgium is the food....oh glorious food. Brussels is the city where we enjoyed the best fries, best waffles and naturally, the best chocolate! For a foodie like me, it was culinary heaven, indeed! But there is another food from this lovely place that we have totally loved at home and is often requested by hubby as it has become his favorite (insert drum roll here!) - the classic Belgian Stew or Carbonnades a la Flamande, if you want to sound more posh and sophisticated. :)

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.

Ginisang Munggo (Mung Bean Soup / Stew)

With beans, spinach, tomatoes and meat this hearty and healthy soup is filling and delicious!

Mung Beans or locally called "munggo" is considered a staple food in the Philippines especially in the provinces. Just a small amount of mung beans with added meat (like chicken, pork, or shrimp) or even meatless truly goes a long, long way and can easily feed an entire family. I think that's why it's quite popular. Not only can it feed a lot of people - it is also quite cheap and also very nutritious! If you're abroad, you can find mung beans either in the Asian section of your grocery or in any Asian store.

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Beef Stew

Fall is the time to make delicious comfort food that will help us cope with freezing cold winter nights. I often experiment on different types and flavors of beef stew so all throughout the season we don't get tired of the same old, same old recipe. This time, I fancied something with a bit of an Asian kick. For convenience I used the slow cooker so it's just a matter of dumping all the ingredients in and then it's ready when we are.

Beef and Beer Belgian Stew (Carbonnades a la Flamande)

Last year my family and I went to Brussels, Belgium to visit some friends and do some sightseeing. I have been to Belgium before so I was excited to go back and learn more about this beautiful country. I know Belgium is well known for its chocolates, waffles, fries and beer but beyond that I didn't know much about its culinary heritage. With influences from other neighboring countries - Netherlands to the north, Germany to the East and France to the South - its varied cuisine reflects that of its neighbors. I have read that Belgian food is served in the quantity of German cuisine but with the quality of the French! Having tested quite a few dishes there, I completely agree. The quality of food and the taste is truly superb! I can't wait to go back there again.

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

Beef Caldereta (Kaldereta sa Gata) - Beef Chunks Stewed in Coconut Milk

Kaldereta belongs to the category of comfort food in the Philippines. It is a favorite dish that is often served in weddings, birthday parties, certainly Fiestas and other special occasions. Like many other Filipino dishes, it has some Spanish influence particularly in its name which originated from the Spanish word - caldera/caldero - which means "cauldron." It's a tomato-based stew as many other Spanish-influenced dishes in the Philippines are, but the Filipinos gave it a unique twist by adding either liver spread, coconut milk, peanut butter and sometimes cheese for extra flavor. It is traditionally made with goats meat but more often the beef version is the most popular one though depending on one's diet and preference you can also find "kaldereta" made with chicken or pork. Others like it spicy, while others prefer it creamy or just more tomatoey. 

Chicken Chili

 

Just a few weeks ago, we were invited to dinner by some friends from church. We always love gatherings like this for it not only presents a great chance to visit friends but it's a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other better and with great food at that. Needless to say part of our menu was this amazing Chicken Chili dish! Naturally, I asked my friend to give me her recipe and she willingly obliged. I was so happy to try it. It was wonderful as I expected! What's even greater you can also do this in the slow cooker!

 

Pochero (Pork/Beef Stew with Saba/Burro Bananas)

Sundays were very special in our family when I was growing up in our small island called Marinduque in the Philippines. Not only because that's the day that we all dress up and attend church but also because we know that Mom would have something special for us for lunch. It was always a much anticipated meal.

Ground Pork Menudo

 

It's been awhile since I posted a Filipino recipe so I thought that I will share one today. This is quite an old recipe which I posted on my old blog and you can see that with the photo - I didn't know anything about photo composition yet - point and shoot is what I did then! However, don't worry it would still look like this when you cook it - though perhaps a newer photo may do justice to the recipe.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

My husband and I have done some travelling both before and after we got married. We love to experience different cultures, get to know different folks and of course, try new cuisines. Once in awhile I try new recipes from other countries, especially the ones which we have had the chance to visit. It makes us feel like we are back in that country whenever we eat their food.

One of our favorite places to shop is the World Market because it gives us the chance to sample certain products from around the world. One time I saw this Tagine from one of their stores. A Tagine is an earthenware pot that is used in traditional Moroccan cooking. It is a circular cooking pot with cone-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The dish cooked in it is also called "Tagine." Since Mark has been to Morocco, I thought I'd cook him some Moroccan style dish.

I love this dish because of the flavor imparted by a lovely mix of spices commonly used in Moroccan cooking. It gives the chicken stew a nice robust and complex flavor. The addition of dried fruits give the dish some texture and added sweetness. Since we like to use fruits (esp. raisins) in Filipino dishes, I thought this dish is perfect for me.     

I didn't actually use the Tagine in cooking the stew but used my regular pan instead. However, a Tagine is always used as a serving dish. At least, the dish looks more authentic this way! :-)

So, if you want to try a different kind of dish, I would highly recommend this. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp each ground ginger, cumin, turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Freshly squeezed juice of one orange
7 oz package of mixed dried fruits, chopped
A few Tablespoons of raisins (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut up
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Chopped fresh Parsley (optional)

Procedure

Heat the oil to a medium in a large deep pan. Add the garlic and onion. Saute briefly until aromatic, about a minute or less. Do not let the garlic brown. lmmediately, adjust the heat to the lowest setting. Add all the spices and cook gently for about 4-5 mins or until the onion softens.

Pour the orange juice and the dried mixed fruits.  Stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the tomato paste and the chicken stock. Add the chicken and coat with the sauce. Bring to a boil. It may look quite thick at this point, but don't worry it will produce some more liquid as the chicken cooks. (I prefer the sauce to be thicker rather than runny).

Cover and simmer for about an hour or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. You may add a little water as you cook it if you find that the sauce is too thick for your liking. Adjust seasoning if necessary.  Sprinkle the sliced almonds for garnish or you can also sprinkle it with some chopped fresh parsley instead. This stew is even better the next day!

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Serve hot with rice and plain yogurt on the side, if desired. Enjoy your Moroccan chicken stew.

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Filipino (Pinoy) Style Lentil Soup

It's getting really cold now and I miss my favorite Mung Bean dish - Ginisang Munggo - which we often have in the Philippines. When I discovered that lentils have a similar taste and texture to my fave mungo I decided to cook it the same way and I love the result. For this recipe, instead of the usual pork and beef cutlets traditionally added in Ginisang Munggo, I opted for Italian sausages for richer taste and texture. Towards the end of cooking, I added some spinach leaves to pack in extra nutrients!

If you're thinking of one healthy meal to cook for your  family that's full of good flavor without much guilt, you have to try this recipe. My husband particularly loves this and little Sophie eats this with rice!

Just leave out the meat if you want a vegan or vegetarian option. Enjoy this healthy soup (or stew) during the cooler days!





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Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
5-6 crushed garlic cloves
2 medium size onions, chopped
1 lb Italian or your favorite sausage (mild or hot or a combo), cut/chopped diagonally
5 diced roma tomatoes 
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ½ cups dried lentils
5 cups of water
1 (10 oz) bag of spinach

Procedure

Heat the olive oil in a deep pan. Sauté the garlic and onions until the onions are tender about 3-4 mins.

Add the sausages and cook until brown. Stir in the tomatoes and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper then cook for another 3-4 minutes. In the meantime, rinse the lentils and drain. Add the lentils and water to the sausages and vegetables then bring to a boil.

  

Simmer covered for about an hour or until lentils are tender. Finally, add the spinach and cook just until it's wilted.

Adjust seasoning to your taste. Serve hot on its own or paired with bread or rice.

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