Parmeasan Breaded Pork chops

Parmesan Breaded Pork chops

What you’ll need

3 pieces of pork chops (or pork cutlets)

1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
1/8 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 to 1 cup of bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon of water
oil for frying

How to do it

– Pat dry the pork chops with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.
– In three different saucers/breakfast plates or shallow bowl, place:
a. Parmesan cheese
b. Breadcrumbs mixed with the herbs (dried oregano, basil)
c. Egg beaten together with the water (egg mixture)
– Doing it one pork chop at a time:
a. Dredge both sides in Parmesan cheese
b. Dip both sides in the egg mixture (make sure to let the excess liquid drip first)
c. Dredge both sides with breadcrumbs
– In a plate, place the breaded pork chops and let it sit for at least 30 minutes
up to three (3) hours maximum before frying.
– Once its ready to fry, on a frying pan heat oil over medium heat and brown both sides.
– Once done, drain excess oil.

Serves four (4) people | Best served with mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables. 🙂

Notes on the recipe

1. The reason behind letting the breading sit for at least 30 minutes or up to three (3) hours is
because this gives the breading a chance to stick on the pork chop. Not letting the breading sit
will cause the breading to peel of the pork chop.

2. Make sure to monitor the heat of the stove while frying the pork chop. If it the pan and the oil
gets too hot it causes the crust to burn and the meat raw.

How much did everything cost?

Pork chops (three (3) pieces of pork cutlets) ———– Php 97.10
Dried basil ——————————————— Php 71.00
Parmesan cheese —————————————– Php 94.50
Bread crumbs ——————————————– Php 13.50
Egg —————————————————– Php 95.00 (for 10 pieces)
Cooking Oil ——————————————— Php 171.50
Butter ————————————————– Php 50.00
Mixed Vegetables —————————————- Php 32.00

Cinnamon-Caramel Toast

I’m not a huge fan of breakfast. I don’t think that its the most important meal of the day, to me lunch (or brunch) is the most important meal of the day. To me sometimes breakfast is such a burden, I just wait for 11am so I could have brunch. I don’t know, I just don’t have the appetite for breakfast. Sometimes all I need is a good cup of coffee and a simple sandwich, that’s it. So I made it my mission to find simple and not timing consuming breakfast recipes, easy to do but still yummy for the tummy.

Cinnamon-Caramel Toast

What you’ll need

2 slices of bread
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
dash of cinnamon
butter for frying

How to do it

– In a bowl, put in the sugar, cinnamon and butter.
– Dip it evenly on each side of the bread slice.
– In a small non-stick pan, melt some butter.
– Fry both sides of the bread until golden brown.

Serves One (1) to two (2) people | Best enjoyed with a good cup of hot coffee . 🙂

Notes on this recipe

1. What we use here at home is muscovado sugar. It doesn’t have the same texture as brown or white sugar and it tends to build up once you mix it with the butter, so I don’t recommend you to use it.
2. If you don’t have any brown or muscovado sugar at home, you as always use white sugar.
3. Always make sure to keep the stove setting on low so you won’t have a burnt toast.

How much did everything cost?

Butter ——————— Php 50.00
Sugar ———————- Php 59.50
Cinnamon Ground ———— Php 42.50
White Bread —————- Php 46.00

Noodle Craze: Macaroni Tomato and Garlic Sauce

Macaroni in Tomato and Garlic Sauce

What you’ll need

150 grams of elbow macaroni pasta
2 heads of garlic
6 red tomatoes, de-seeded and sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of basil
a pinch of salt and pepper
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Optional toppings: Parmesan cheese and/or chili flakes

How to do it

– Pre-heat the turbo broiler to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
– Slice the top and bottom side of the garlic heads, but make sure to leave some
of its skin.
– Place them on a sheet of an aluminum foil and drizzle with one (1) tablespoons of
olive oil.
– On a separate sheet of aluminum foil, place the tomatoes. Drizzle with the remaining
olive oil. Pour the balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper.
Make sure to mix well.
– Place the garlic and tomatoes on the small baking pan. Place it in the turbo broiler
for 15 minutes.
– Remove from the turbo broiler
– In a medium bowl, transfer the tomatoes and its juices. Add the Italian seasoning and basil.
– Remove the garlic from the foil and save the oil. Remove the remaining skins of the garlic
carefully. Minced the garlic.
– Add the garlic together with its oil to the tomatoes. Add more olive oil if needed.
– Toss it with the cooked noodles.

Serves: Two (2) to three (3) people | Top it off with parmesan cheese and/or chili flakes 🙂

Notes on this recipe

1. In case you don’t have a turbo broiler available, you can also use your oven. Same setting, for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
2. Instead of using elbow macaroni noodles, you can also use spaghetti noodles or angel hair pasta.
3. More toppings options: Ricotta cheese, goat cheese or kesong puti (white cheese).

How much did everything cost?

Elbow macaroni pasta ————— Php 53.50 (for 400 grams)
Garlic —————————– Php 30.00 (1/4 kilo)
Red tomato ————————- Php 30.40
Italian seasoning —————— Php 47.50
Basil —————————— Php 71.00
Balsamic vinegar ——————- Php 132.50

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana is one of the absolute favorites of my significant other. When I cook this, he absolute drools over it. Its been a while since I cooked this and he keeps yapping on when will I cook this one again. So together with his help, we present you Chicken Parmigiana.

Chicken Parmigiana

What you’ll need:

4 pieces Chicken Breast Fillet
50 grams of bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of dried Italian herbs
1 egg, beaten*
3 250 ml of Italian spaghetti sauce
2 175 grams of Spaghetti noodles
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bulb of red onion, sliced
Fresh Basil, rinsed
Easy melting cheese, grated or melted

How to do it?

For the chicken:
– In a plate, mix in the bread crumbs and italian seasoning.
– Pat dry your chicken before rolling them over the bread crumbs.
– In a frying pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil then fry your chicken
until golden brown.

For the sauce:
– In a medium sized casserole, saute the garlic and onion in olive oil.
– Pour in all of the italian spaghetti sauce, let it boil.
– Once it boils, add in the grated/melted cheese.
– Season it with a dash of salt and pepper.

For the noodles:
– In a medium sized casserole, fill it with water.
– Add olive oil and one (1) teaspoon of salt, and let it boil.
– Once it boils, pour the noodles.
– Occasionally, mix it so the noodles won’t stick.
– You’ll know its cooked when you can slice it in half with a fork.

Assembly: Spaghetti noodles -> Sauce -> Chicken -> Sauce

Serves four (4) people. 🙂

Notes on this recipe:

1. You can also use pomodoro sauce for this recipe, I just substituted it since I didn’t have the time to make one. Here’s a simple recipe for Pomodoro sauce:

You’ll need:

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bulb of red onion, diced
2 red tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoons of white sugar

How to do it?

– Over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in olive oil in a saucepan for two (2) minutes.
– Put the tomatoes and herbs, continue cooking for five (5) minutes.
– Add in the sugar, salt and pepper and you’re done.

2. Some brands of bread crumbs don’t require you to use the egg to coat your chicken.
3. If you forgot to grab some bread crumbs, you can you can substitute a seasoning mix. Here’s a recipe.
4. If you’re like me who finds it too tedious to grate cheese, you can also slice them into cubes place them in a bowl then pop it on the microwave for a minute and your cheese it melted.

How much did everything cost?

Chicken Breast Fillet ——- Php 105.00
Spaghetti Noodles ———– Php 40.40
Italian Spaghetti Sauce —– Php 79.50
Bread Crumbs —————- Php 13.50
Cheese ———————- Php 70.50
Parmesan Cheese ————- Php 94.50
Italian Seasoning ———– Php 47.50
Garlic ——————— Php 30.00 (1/4 kilo)
Red Onions —————— Php 35.00 (1/4 kilo)
Basil leaves —————- Php 71.50

Dessert Madness: Mocha Mousse with Coffee Jelly

Mocha Mousse with Coffee Jelly

Recipe

Coffee Jelly

2 teaspoons instant coffee
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon of white sugar
3 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin

Mocha Mousse

1 teaspoon of instant coffee
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whipped cream

Procedure

Coffee Jelly:
– Prepare your coffee. Set aside.
– Prepare gelatin as indicated on the box
– Add in the sugar and coffee. Mix very well.
– In a saucepan, medium heat. Mix continuously until it boils.
– Let it cool to set. Cut into cubes.

Mocha Mousse:
– Prepare your coffee. Set aside.
– In a double broiler, melt chocolate. Once melted, remove from heat.
– Add the butter and half of the coffee. Mix well. Let it cool.
– In a saucepan, low heat. Whisk egg yolks together with the sugar and remaining coffee
for one (1) to (2) minutes, stir constantly. Remove from heat.
– Mix in the melted chocolate. Fold in the whipped cream.

Assembly:

Cups or glasses: Cubed coffee jelly -> Mocha mousse -> Chill until set -> Whipped cream -> Chocolate bits/shavings or cocoa powder

Serves: Four (4) people. 🙂

Notes on the recipe:

1. When I tasted the finished product, I can barely taste the coffee mixture so I suggest you use a strong coffee for this recipe.
2. I also noticed that it was a bit grainy. So I suggest you blend your mousse really really well in order for you to get a smooth texture.
3. If you wish, you can also add a coffee extract in your mocha mousse. You can check out this recipe for your very own coffee extract.
4. If you can find a coffee-flavored gelatin that would be so much easier.

How much did everything cost?

Instant coffee ———- Php 154.50 (30 sachets)
White sugar ————- Php 26.00 (1/2 kilo)
Unflavored gelatin —— Php 54.50
Semisweet chocolate —– Php 29.50
Butter —————— Php 50.00 (100 grams)
Egg ——————— Php 80.00 (for 10 pieces)
Whipped cream ———– Php 213.00 (for 250 ml)

Noodle Craze: Sotanghon Guisado

Sotanghon Guisado is very well-known here in the Philippines. It is a staple at every celebration and is usually enjoyed with a stick of chicken or pork barbecue.

Sotanghon Guisado is one of the many dishes my mom absolutely loves. Once in a while, during snack time she would ask me to buy one in a small canteen near our house so I decided to make one for her today. Though I didn’t serve this during snack time, but we absolutely enjoyed this for dinner.

Songtanghon Guisado

Recipe

1 pack of dried vermicelli noodles (sotanghon)
1 bulb of red onion, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup of Baguio beans, sliced
1/4 cup of carrots, sliced into strips
2 stalks of celery, sliced
3 tablespoons of cooking oil
1/2 cup of sliced chicken breast, boiled
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of annatto oil
2 cups of chicken stock

Procedure

Noodles: Soak the sotanghon noodles in a large bowl full of water until it softens.

1. In a large pan, saute the garlic until golden brown then add the onions saute until translucent.
2. Add in the carrots, cabbage, celery and Baguio beans then add in the annatto oil.
3. Pour the chicken stock, then add the sliced chicken breast. Let it boil.
4. Add in the noodles and mix the ingredients well. Add a dash of salt and pepper, then occassionally stir until the liquid evaporates and you’re good to go.

Serves five (5) to six (6) people | Best served with calamansi and soy sauce with matching pork barbeque. 🙂

Notes on this recipe

1. As an option, you can also add fried garlic chips or minced garlic as a garnish.
2. One mistake I did was not cutting them into shorter lengths. Before or after soaking the noodles
make sure to cut them into shorter lengths for a shorter cooking time.
3. Don’t know how to make annatto oil? Check out my recipe for Chicken Inasal to see how to make one.
4. This is one version of this recipe, the other one is a soupy version. Just add a lot more of your chicken broth.
5. There are two ways to make your own chicken broth, one is by boiling water on a pan then add your chicken bouillon or make it the authentic way

How much did everything cost?

Annatto Powder ———- Php 25.00
Celery —————— Php 25.45
Cabbage —————– Php 25.45
Carrots —————– Php 13.60
Dried vermicelli noodles Php 80.00
Garlic —————— Php 30.00 (for 1/4 kilo)
Red Onions ————– Php 35.00 (for 1/4 kilo)
Chicken Breast Fillet — Php 105.22

Stir-fried Beef in Garlic Oyster Sauce

Stir-fried Beef in Garlic Oyster Sauce

Recipe

215 grams of Beef strips
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 bulb of red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cubed
1 green bell pepper, cubed
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
6 tablespoons of oyster sauce
1/2 cup of water or beef stock

Procedure

1. In a medium frying pan, heat cooking oil over high heat.
2. Stir-fry the beef stripes until the meat changes color.
3. Add in and saute the garlic, onions and bell peppers for two (2) minutes.
4. Pour the oyster sauce, beef stock (or water), and brown sugar. Cook for one (1) minute just until the beef gets tender.
5. Add in a dash of salt and pepper, then add in the sesame oil.

Serves three (3) people | Best served with a cream-based soup and hot rice (or rice substitute). 🙂

How much did everything cost?

Beef strips Php 131.88
Bell peppers Php 34.50
Datu Puti Oyster sauce Php 40.00
Brown sugar Php 50.00
Red onions Php 34.00 (for 1/4 kilo)
Garlic Php 30.00 (for 1/4 kilo)
Cooking oil (Wesson Canola Oil) Php 171.50