Eggplant Lasagna

      This E-Blog blog recipe comes with a highly nutritive value for everyone. A must try and you won't regret having it as a meal.  This dish which I got from a pasta dish cookbook given to me as a gift by my student Abba gives you a different view and taste of what lasagna is all about. I'm a pasta lover but normally we were used to having pasta mixed w/meat sauce. This recipe makes a difference. With the absence of meat in it, the flavor of a real lasagna is very much present. This was originally entitled vegetarian lasagne but I have made changes and variations in the ingredients and increased the amount of "aubergine" (eggplant) so I entitled it eggplant lasagne. Try it.

Ingredients:

250 g lasagna sheets

200 g ricotta cheese

250 g mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium size eggplant, halved and cut lengthwise.

1 small can sliced button mushroom

1 medium size carrot, grated

1 medium size onion, chopped

1 medium head garlic, minced

500 gms spaghetti sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

1/c cup red wine (optional)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsely

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water, al dente.  Drain and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in the skillet and saute garlic, onion, eggplant, mushrooms and carrot for 2 minutes.  

3. Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, wine and parsley. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring

    occasionally.

4. Season with oregano, pepper and salt.

5. Grease a rectangular ovenproof dish with butter. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce, cover with a layer of

    cooked lasagne. Spread 1/3 cup of ricotta cheese and and 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese.

6. Repeat the layers until all are used up finishing with ricotta and mozarella cheese on top.

7. Bake for 30-40 minutess until cheese are melted.

8. Let stand for a few minutes before slicing.

Tips:

Soak eggplant in water after slicing to avoid discoloration.

DRUMETTES

Hi guys! Been a long time since I made my last post. I went home to the Philippines for a vacation and since I arrived, I've been quite busy with some stuff. Aside from the fact that I cannot get my momentum on writing my next blog. Well, here I am now. Hope this will make your visit here worthy of your time.

I prepared this recipe as one of the entree for my student's surprise birthday lunch. Honestly it was the first time I had it done. Surprisingly though, it was a hit. Good thing I was able to taste at least one piece. Here it is, my "amazing drumettes" for my D-blog

Ingredients:

1 kg drumettes

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 cup milk

1 egg

                                                                                (photo courtesy of Zaike Lopez)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

oil for frying

Directions:

1. Combine the first six ingredients and marinate overnight. Drain when ready to cook.

2. Mix together flour, cornstarch, rosemary, thyme garlic salt and place in resealable plastic bag.

3. Place the drumettes in the plastic bag and shake well until all chicken are well coated.

4. Beat the egg and add milk. Continue beating until well mixed.

5. Heat frying pan and add oil enough for deep frying.

6. Dip each drumette into the milk mixture and coat again w/the remaining flour mixture.

7. Fry until golden brown.

Serve with your favorite gravy or sweet chili sauce.

Chili con Carne

Hey pals!

Had a swirling day today. From the office following up my student's transcript, editing her typing work, collecting Thai recipes from my friend that I can test cook for my family when I get home, going to and from the bank, and at last home. Huh! such a tiring day.

Here I am trying to boost my mood to be in here. I'm actually doing last minute stuff since I WILL BE GOING HOME SOOON! Really don't know how to load things I wanna bring home to my family, to think that I have already sent one package ahead of me, still I am loaded w/stuff.....Oh Good Lord.....no excess baggage please. Peng mak!

Since I will be away for two weeks I won't be able to update this blog for sometime. Don't worry I am leaving you with this great and easy recipe which you and your family will enjoy indulging with. By the way somebody was requesting for a copy of this recipe when I prepared this last Christmas. C-Blog for you

Ingredients:

1 kg of red kidney beans
1 kg of ground beef
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 medium size canned tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 pcs bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper


Directions:

Wash kidney beans with water and soak overnight. Drain and transfer to a large saucepan, cover with water, let it boil and simmer for an hour or until tender but not overcooked. Set aside

In a large pan,heat olive oil, saute onion, red and green pepper and ground beef. When beef turns brown add tomatoes and tomato paste and the rest of the seasonings. Cover for 1 hour and add water if necessary. Stir occasionaly to prevent from sticking. Add the boiled kidney beans and simmer for another 15 minutes. 

Can be served with plain rice or Nachos.

B-Baked Macaroni

Hello!

     I am now on my B-blog. It feels like preparing a lesson plan for my next class. I don't wanna be caught off guard by my students or followers (I got one, hope they will multiply....hahahaha!) unprepared. since I've started inviting friends to check out on me here. You might be shocked to see 1 posted recipe. Anyways here's one great recipe my children and my friends had been crazy about since I started cooking it for them.

     Every occasion my baked mac has always been a center of attraction leaving the baking pan empty and ready for washing all the time. My children would always request for it every school gathering specially during Christmas party. Their teachers, who were mostly my comrades, would include that in their menu planning for the pot lock. Whenever I engage in my "small time" catering business it would definitely be an entree
     The secret to a delicious and mouth watering baked mac is the bechamel sauce. The length of baking the dish which would give the cheese the right melting mixing with the sauce would give this dish a 100% rate for palatability. Here  it is.

Note:

     Hope I would still get orders after revealing this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 kg elbow macaroni (penne would be a great option too)

1/2 kg ground beef

1/4kg spiced ham diced

1/2 kg spaghetti sauce ( tomato sauce would do but you need to add spices like dried oregano and thyme)

1 medium size capsicum (green or red bell pepper)

1 medium size onion diced

1 small head garlic crushed and minced

1/4 cup olive oil

3 pcs. bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste ( a little ground peppercorn is a plus)

3/4 cup grated quickmelt cheese

Bechamel Sauce:

1 can Campbell mushroom soup or 1 pouch Knorr mushroom soup

1 tall can evaporated milk

4 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chicken or beef broth

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water al dente. Put a little oil to prevent from sticking.

2. Heat olive oil in pan and saute garlic, onion, bell pepper and mix the ground beef until brown. Add the spiced ham, spaghetti sauce and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes and set aside.

3. While simmering the macaroni sauce, start preparing your bechamel sauce.

  • Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour until it mixes well w/the butter. Immediately add 1 can mushroom soup, 1 can evaporated milk and 1 cup broth. (If you are using the powdered mushroom soup, dissolve it first in 1 1/2 cup water).

  • Let it boil in medium heat stirring constantly. Your sauce will start to thicken but avoid making it too thick since it will dry up on the process of baking. You can always adjust consistency by adding more broth or water.

 • Set it aside when it’s done.

4. Pre-heat your oven at 190°C. Mix well the macaroni sauce with the cooked pasta. Transfer the mixture     into a baking dish, pour the bechamel sauce generously over pasta and top with grated quickmelt cheese.

5. Bake at 190°C for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

6. Best served with garlic bread.

    

A- Adobo

Adobo (Filipino Pork and Chicken Stew)

When I was in St. Paul Pasig I had a co-teacher named Agnes. She already knew that I can cook well but then she teased me to bring lunch for the group to prove my skill. I thought of cooking adobo  since it's the easiest, leaving me no hassle in preparation w/a 6:30 morning class to beat then. At lunch time everybody brought out their usual packed lunch and started indulging w/what's in front of them. It was superb according to them. She unreluctantly uttered "you will surely forget your name upon tasting Edith's adobo." From then on it has been a word of mouth how tasty my adobo was.
What are you waiting for, if you hate the name your mother gave you when you were baptized, might as well try this one.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 kg pork cubed
1/2 kg chicken cut into bite size
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground peppercorn
1 tablespoon sugar
1 head garlic crushed and minced
1 medium size onion sliced
2-3 pcs of bay leaf
1/2 cup of water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Contain in a saucepan and let it boil uncovered. (This removes the acid taste from the
    vinegar) for at least 10 minutes.
3. Cover and simmer for another 40 minutes or until  pork is tender.  Chicken cooks
    faster than the pork.
4. Check your sauce, if it starts to dry up you can adjust by adding more water and a little
    soy sauce if your pork is not done yet.
5. Continue cooking until sauce starts to thicken  and gets a little oily.
6. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Tips:
If you're not on the go you may opt to remove the pork and chicken from the sauce pan after boiling for 10 mintues, heat cooking oil in a separate pan and brown the pork and chicken for a few minutes. Mix the browned pork and chicken back to the sauce and follow steps 3-6.

Let's cook A-Z

Sawasdee Kha!

That's a general Thai greeting which means "Good Morning", "Good Afternoon". "Good Evening" and even "Hello" and Goodbye". Since I'm based in Thailand I opted to greet you guys this way.

Well then, WELCOME to my blogsite. At last after pondering for a long time and with the insistent push of my limping panda (undisclosed) not to mention the inspiration I got from Julie meets Julia, here I am, ready to share my thoughts, my experiences, my learnings, my experiments, my inventions and my culinary expertise.