FV32-05-1110

I was hungry, it's late and we don't have dinner yet... that's my concern one night. I already had the rib eye steak at room temperature but I didn't feel like having the usual rib eye steak with mushroom gravy. First, I was bored and second, I wasn't inspired enough to whip out a steak, my hubby was not around, steak is something he loves to chomp on.

Not really had any plans but in the end I thought of a great idea for the ingredients that I have... my inspiration? Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.. He goes to the most outrageous food joints in the US and it's amazing how hungry you'll be for those mouth-watering food.

Tip 1: Use meat tenderiser powder if you think you need it.
Tip 2: Use cling wrap on top of the steak before pounding your meat senseless so you'll have less mess after 

INGREDIENTS:
Kraft cheese, single/individual packet
2 portions of rib-eye (approx 500 grams)
1 box of button mushroom, sliced
1 1/2 medium sized red onion, sliced
1/2 cup pancetta
Mini - baguette

This took me 45 minutes

Rub your steak with meat tenderiser powder, then pound each part until they've thinned a little.

Leave the meat for 30 minutes on the side. 

In the meantime, prep the rest by sweating your pancetta to the point where its crispy enough. Drop in the mushroom and saute until it's cooked. Add the onion to the pan until it's cooked and translucent. Set aside.

On the same pan, pan sear the steak until cooked, a little pink on the inside.

Rest the steak for 5-10 minutes before slicing it.

Once rested, slice the steak against the grain and on 45-degree angle.

Return the steak and pancetta mixture to the pan and stir fry a little. If you like your meat a medium rare, then take it off the pan straight away. If you want it done, then take it off when the pink's gone.

Slice your baguette and pan-grill them, sliced side face down on the grill. Once you have good marks, spread one side with good mayonnaise, top with steak slices then finish off with a slice of cheese. Place the other half baquette on top and toast it panini style until the cheese begins to melt or put it in the oven to melt the cheese.

Serve your steak sandwiches with dijon mustard on the side. You can dip whatever steak that falls off your bread.

Serve this with fries or potato wedges or a green salad of your choice. An ice cold cola doesn't hurt either.

By the way, I ate left overs of these steak the following day and boy-oh-boy! It's as good as the night it's cooked. Yum-my!

FV29-02-1110

This is a perfect partner to mushroom and bacon jam, pesto, slice meat, almost everything! Also great as an accompaniment to pastas.

INGREDIENTS
baby - french bread sticks or baguette
3 ounce butter
2 clove garlic

Serves 4
309 Calories per Serving

15 minutes, not another minute long

Preheat oven to 150 degrees celcius.

Cut frozen bread to thin slices 1/2 to 3/4 inch width.

Melt butter with crushed garlic over low heat, or microwave. Brush both sides of the bread with butter using a pastry brush.

Place on a baking tray, preferably pizza tray with holes.

Bake for 7-10 minutes until just golden, keep an eye because it burns quickly

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FV12-10-0910

Original Recipe:
Gourmet | October 2004 & January 2005

Baking Empañada is like... baking lasagna for me... scary idea but I have to try...

While searching for a recipe, I found out that what we have back home is not the authentic Empañada, like everything else, it was modified through the years to suit our palate. It make sense, we have to adapt so it's not going to be so tedious for housewives to create. Moreso, we're not as globalized as we are today, malls weren't available and imported ingredients were,,, well... not that common.

Okay, it was my twin sister who made that analysis,,, she's boring. So now, this recipe is amazing.... and the result.... Oh... My... Gosh, Heaven!!! Okay, maybe not so much as heaven, if my mom reads this she'll be giving me a lecture on blasphemy... you get my drift though, right?

Tip 1: You can use whichever chicken part you prefer, though the ones closest to the bone are tastier
Tip 2: You can make the dough in advance, freeze it up to one week. Thaw it for few hours in the fridge, then bring it to room temperature before using it.
Tip 3: You can make the fillings 2 days in advance. Again, bring it to room temperature before using it.
Tip 4: Because this dough is soooo amazing, you can play with it. You can choose whatever filling you want. I think as simple as hotdog and cheese to as complex as fruit preserves.
Tip 5: If you can't find the linked chorizo, just the tapa-sliced-type will do, just follow the weight

Dough Ingredients
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons salt
2 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large eggs + 1 for brushing crust
2/3 cup ice water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Filling Ingredients:
3 whole chicken legs, including thighs (2 to 2 1/4 pounds total)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1/3 cup finely diced Spanish chorizo (cured spiced pork sausage; 1 1/2 oz; casings discarded if desired)
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (not hot)
1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (1 Knorr chicken cube will do)

Serves 24

This took me 3.5 hours active time, yes that might be 2 or less hours for you.

To make the dough
Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. (Mixture will look shaggy.)

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

To make the filling
Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, turning over once, about 6 minutes total, and transfer to a plate. Sauté onions, garlic, and bay leaves in fat remaining in skillet, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chorizo and paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add olives, raisins, wine, and broth and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Return chicken to skillet along with any juices accumulated on plate, then reduce heat to moderately low and simmer chicken, covered, turning over once, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes total.

Transfer chicken to a clean plate. (Sauce in skillet should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it's not, briskly simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.) When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and coarsely chop meat. Stir chicken into sauce and discard bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, then cool filling, uncovered, about 30 minutes.

Forming and baking of empañada
Form dough into a ball, then wrap in oiled plastic wrap (oiled side in) and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 2 15x10-inch shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) with 1 tablespoon oil.

Form smaller balls roughly 2x2 inch. Spread a tablespoon or more of filling, evenly and leaving 1 inch border. Moisten border with water then fold to make a half moon shape. Press the edges together and sill. Roll the edges in and press to form a decorative rim. Roll out remaining dough in the same manner.

Bake empanada 15 minutes, then brush crust with the beaten egg. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven and brush empanada with remaining egg. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a rack, then slide empanada onto rack using a wide metal spatula and cool to warm.

I didn't think I'd ever say this,,, but this one made me realize... this is why I want to learn how to cook.... so I can eat good food like this one.

Impress your love ones, enjoy eating and most especially,,, happy cooking!

Acoustic Chef, cookin’one tune at a time!

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FV06-04-0910

Original Recipe:
Gourmet | July 2009
by Maggie Ruggiero

Club Sandwich has always been my ultimate saviour at times of confusion. I've always adored it but never thought of making one myself.

I thought restaurants have some secret dressing that makes it yummy. I was so wrong!

I'm so happy about this discovery, a dish so delicious that my son who's a picky eater actually loved it! 

Our nanny who doesn't eat after 6PM finished the whole thing! That must be a good sign.

Tip 1: For non-pork eaters, use beef bacon, turkey or chicken ham
Tip 2: Use any bread you feel like eating!
Tip 3: If you're using white bread, toast it so it doesn't sog. Plus it looks more appetizing with a bit of colour. Don't make it too brown though it'll be too hard to bite at and yes... take the edge off!
Tip 4: If you're serving as a main meal, add a good portion of french fries, potato wedges or just pop open a bag of crisps.

This took me an hour to make so yes, half an hour for you.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
12 slices white bread, toasted
2 hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced and seasons with salt
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
150 g bacon or 4 good sized strips, halved and fried until crisp
4 slices of ham
1 cup of mixed herb leaves, flat parsley, basil, lettuce and cilantro or two herb leaves per sandwich
lettuce leaves

Makes 4 large sandwiches
or 8 servings of halved portion
or 12 hors d'oeuvres

Add chives to mayonnaise then season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Spread mayonnaise mixture on 4 slices of toast. Top it with egg, tomato, bacon and herbs. Spread mayonnaise mixture on both sides of another 4 more slices of toast. Top it with ham and lettuce leaves. Lastly, spread the last 4 toast with remaining mayonnaise mixture, mayonnaise-side down.

Secure sandwiches with picks and cut into quarters.

Acoustic Chef, cookin’ one tune at a time!

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