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. 

Baked Eggs with Herbs and Tomatoes

It's been awhile since I wrote a breakfast post which is funny because I have quite a few recipes for breakfast that I haven't blogged yet. I thought that for today's post, it's got to be breakfast. Last weekend we made this easy and scrumptious Baked Eggs with Herbs and Tomatoes for brunch. I love that it is such a versatile recipe --- you can vary the tastes by flavoring this very simple tomato sauce with some spices like curry or chili powder, or by adding pesto instead, or using a variety of herbs like basil, parsley or cilantro/coriander perhaps. The sky is the limit! For brunch, serve this with some crusty bread that you can use to mop up the sauce. :-D

Spinach and Cream Cheese Crostini

Crostinis consist of small pieces of toasted or grilled bread served with toppings. They are essentially Italian appetizers which are great for entertaining. I thought since the holidays would soon be with us, it would be great to share a recipe that's easy to make, elegant  enough to serve with company and most of all - delightfully delicious! This recipe for Spinach and Cream Cheese Crostini is all that! Make it this holiday season for your family and friends or as a quick and delectable lunch option! We love these these yummy toasted bread for lunch with our favorite salad! Enjoy! 

Delectable Chocolate Chili

Fall and winter calls for comfort food that will not only keep you warm but also make you feel really good - to help battle the winter blues! And we all know that kind of food has got to be Chili! I have already made a chicken version last year so I thought it's about time I make a beef one. I have seen some recipes that use unsweetened Cocoa powder to add more flavor to their Chilis and I thought it was a wonderful idea. So here's my version of a Chocolate Chili that uses cocoa powder to add more flavor to your regular Chili recipe.

Ground Beef Stroganoff with Thyme and Red Wine

I didn't realize that I have back-to-back pasta posts this week as the recipe I shared earlier was already a pasta dish. Oh well, this week has truly been a Pasta week for us and even our dinner tonight is another pasta dish - Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe though I added some Asparagus to the mix. Obviously, this week has not been low-carb at all though partly gluten-free as hubby only eats gluten-free Pasta. But my whole family was happy with all the dishes and that's all that matters. :-)