Yummy Preview

Here's a yummy preview of what's coming to you tomorrow! Why just a preview? Well, because awesome things comes to those who wait, and patience is a virtue, errrrr, but actually, it's just that the fabrication for the awesomeness is still in progress. So until that's finish, satisfy yourselves with this. =)

Happy Eating! =)

Easy and Fast: Sardines in Spaghetti and Cheese Quesadilla

The long holiday is over! Boo! And for most of us, it’s back to work. Everything is a little fast paced once more, but I don’t think that means our food should be always “fast food” too. There are some really good foods that’s sooooo quick to make, much better and healthier than fast food.

I made some fast Brunch for myself a while ago and here are 2 quick, (almost) cheat treats you can do in your kitchen. Both are done, with a preparation and cooking time of only 15 minutes (or even less)! Easy and Fast! 

Here's how you can do it too: (for lone serving)

Cook yourself some instant spaghetti, this is the only process that takes a little more time; about 6-8 minutes.

tip: to avoid the pasta from sticking together, make sure to cook them in rapid boiling water and coat the pasta with some oil AFTER draining them. (not during cooking; as oil doesn't really mix with water)

Prepare your favorite Spanish Sardines. (this is already the opened one I saw in our fridge, so this is what I employed in this recipe.)

Heat some pan or skillet and drain some oil from the sardines. If you want heat in your spaghetti, fry along with it some chili flakes. (little goes a long way for chili flakes, so use sparingly)

Stir in the cooked spaghetti and some of the sardines (depends on how much you like), then break them into little pieces (for easier mastication =) ). Just heat them through. Season with salt and pepper.

Now, IF you have some basil leaves in your garden, get some and chop them. Toss it in the spaghetti, this is NOT only for adding some color and presentation but it also adds a bold flavor of basil in your dish.

First express dish done in about a total of 10 minutes! 

Next, lets make a very simple Cheese Quesadilla. 

The husband loves Cheese and so our fridge must always have some cheese; and I, on the other hand always stock the fridge with wheat tortillas; to make myself some wrap on the go with leftovers when I don't have the luxury of time to cook a complete meal.

Here's how you can do it. Modify it every way you want them by filling them with your favorite meats and veggies.

In a large plate, lay a piece of tortilla. Using just your hand, tear some cheddar cheese to fill the tortilla.

Cover with another tortilla.

 Heat some non-stick pan, and toast the Quesadilla, about a minute on each side. Cover the Quesadilla with a lid to lock in the heat and to easily melt the cheddar. 

Cut into wedges. You can serve this with some salsa on the side.

Hassle free and satisfying yet still made with so much love. =)

I know what you're thinking, these are not exactly the best pairing. But, for a hungry gourmand on the go, who really cares? =) 

Now, back to work! Happy Eating! =)

Chicken Katsu with spiced Katsu Sauce paired with Apple-Cabbage Slaw!

I have said in my recent post that I will include a “Katsu” dish for my menu this week, and that came earlier than I expected, since I remembered that husband and I just did some grocery shopping and bought some chicken breast fillet the other night. I don’t like stocking any fresh meat in my freezer; I try to cook them as quickly as I can to ensure they are still of good quality and as much as possible just buy them when the need arises.  It’s also great timing that I still have all the ingredients for making some chicken “schnitzel” since it’s the same ingredients I used for the Longganisa Scotch Eggs.

There are a loooooot of things and techniques that you can apply with chicken breast fillet: roll and fill them to make cordon bleu, season them into fajitas, grill and toss them into your salads, etc.  It’s flexible and healthy.

I miss making Chicken  breast fillet dishes, I realized it’s been quite a long time since I made one, probably because I had been busy creating vegetable and fish dishes for the recent holy week. Now, it’s back to regular programming, welcome back, Pork, Beef and Chicken! Lol. =)

Tonight’s dinner dish has 3 components: the Chicken Katsu, Katsu Sauce and a side salad of Apple-Cabbage Slaw. You can make both the sauce and the slaw ahead of time, as both gets better in time and the flavours blends so well together after a while.

Basically, a Katsu sauce is just some ketchup combined with Worcesterchire sauce and seasoned with some sugar and pepper. But I have found a good basic Katsu recipe by username: Soifua via Allrecipes.com. Thanks Soifua! =) Let’s start making the KATSU SAUCE.

Here’s her Katsu sauce recipe with some modifications: (good for 4 servings)

In a small bowl, combine the following:

- 1/2 cup ketchup

- 2 tsp dry mustard powder

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- 1 tsp ground black pepper

- 3 tbsp Worcesterchire sauce

Just combine everything in the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to blend well. BUT, what I did was, put everything in a saucepan and simmered over low heat just until all the spices are dissolved.

While making the sauce, I tasted it and felt like I still needed to tweak it to suit my husband and I’s taste. And if you’ve been reading my blog, you probably have observed how much I love putting and playing with different spices. So to this concoction, I added:

- 1 tbsp of white sugar

- a dash of turmeric (for color)

- a dash of cayenne pepper (for a little heat)

- 1 tbsp of Kikoman Soy Sauce (it's "Japanese")

- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (for a little more sourness)

- 1 tbsp of Mirin (again, to make this more "Japanese")

Just let it simmer until all spices are well dissolved. Remove from heat. Set aside.

Now, for the APPLE-CABBAGE SLAW:

This is my no-frill recipe for creating a light, yummy side dish perfect with the Chicken Katsu. The salad dressing is so easy to make with only 5 ingredients to use, I got this from my dear Mother.

1) In a large salad bowl, combine 1/2 of whole cabbage head, shredded; about 2-3 cups; 1 sliced fuji apple, 1 diced red onion, and 1/2 of a medium carrot, grated. Stir everything well and add juice of half a lemon. Stir well.

2) Follow it with 1/2 cup of Japanese Mayonnaise. Mix them well.

3) Then, 1/4 cup of Condensed Milk. (Yup, you read that right! Condensed Milk! =)) 

4) Finally, season with salt and pepper. Mix everything well. Set aside in the fridge. 

Lastly, let’s make the CHICKEN KATSU. (You can also do this with pork and large shrimp.)

(Makes 3 pcs. Chicken Katsu)

1) With the back of your knife, pound the chicken breast fillet to flatten it. Then, pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper to remove excess moisture. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

2) Prepare all ingredients for your "Breading Station":

- 1 beaten egg in a bowl

- 1 cup Japanese bread crumbs (Panko) in a plate

- 1/4 cup of flour in a plate

3) Dredge the Chicken fillets in the flour, remove excess.

4) Dip it in the beaten egg. 

5) Finally, press them in the Japanese bread crumbs and coat very well.

6) Chill the prepared "Katsu" in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before deep frying.

7) When ready to fry, heat some pan with a cup of vegetable oil.

tip: You'll know your oil is at the right temperature for deep frying, if, when you put the handle of a wooden spoon, it bubbles around it. I think, I got this tip from watching Nigella. =)

8) Place the breaded chicken in the pan at least 3-4 minutes on each side or until it is beautifully golden brown.

9) Drain to remove excess oil.

10) Let them cool a bit before cutting into serving pieces. Transfer to a serving plate with the Katsu Sauce on the side or drizzle it on top of them.

11) Serve with the Apple-Cabbage Slaw. Enjoy it too with some hot rice. 

These have become a favorite in our household; the Chicken Katsu is crispy and tender; and the sauce and the Slaw just really gets better in time. It is a balanced meal on its own. Try these at your homes too and tell me if its a keeper in your recipe files. =)

I hope each and everyone of you had a great Easter holiday. =)

Happy Eating! =)