Friday, January 23, 2009

Stuffed Milkfish ( Rellenong Bangus)


Yesterday, my husband went to the supermarket when he finished working and he bought a fish which looks like bangus (milkfish). I told my husband that I will going to prepare a Filipino recipe called Rellenong Bangus, using the fish that he bought. And he agreed.

And here are the ingredients:

1 big bangus (milkfish)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1 egg
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons of cooking oil
ham, finely chopped
raisins
cooked peas
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Scale and remove the intestines of the fish.
2. With a very sharp knife, slowly remove the meat of the fish from the skin through the opening cavity below the head. Remove the spine by snapping off the bone at the base of the tail and head. Use a long spoon to scrape all the meat from the skin.
3. Marinate the head and skin in lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper.
4. Boil in 1/2 cup of water the fish meat with some salt for 5 minutes.
5. Saute the garlic and onions until slightly brown then add the tomatoes and carrots until tender.
6. Add the chopped ham, cooked peas, raisins and the fish meat to the mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add a beaten egg to the saute and mix well.
8. Stuff the mixture inside the bangus skin and head. Sew the cavity if needed.
9. Fry in oil until golden brown.
10. Slice slightly diagonal (1 1/2 inch thick) and serve.

Anyway, bangus or milkfish is the Philippines national fish. It is wide spread throughout the islands of the Philippines but the most tasty ones comes from Dagupan, Pangasinan ( northern part of Luzon, Philippines ).

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Butter In Frying?


Have you ever tried using butter in frying an eggs? Well, my mother in-law does it. She prepared butter in frying eggs than in any kind of oil. At first, I asked myself why she preferred using butter. But when my husband tried to use butter in frying eggs, I tried to taste it and I could say that the taste is good. So, if you haven't tried using butter in frying eggs, why not try it, it's delicious.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Rice With Shrimps And Mushrooms

Here in Italy, if they are cooking rice they usually fry it. They use mostly olive oil in frying or sometimes frying the rice alone. They are frying the rice because it makes it separated from each other.

And here is one of the recipes wherein they are frying or toasting the rice.




Ingredients:

6 tbsp. of olive oil
320 g of rice
1 dl of white wine
800 ml of vegegetable broth
300 g. of mixed mushrooms
20 shrimps (without head)
1 shallot
1 bunch of parsley


Directions:

1. Heat 4 tbsp. of olive oil in a saucepan and toast the rice for a couple of minutes. Steam the wine into the rice then continue cooking it adding the warmed vegetable broth a little at a time.
2. Clean the mushrooms and cut it into slices. Shelled the shrimps. Chop the shallot and fried it in the remaining oil.
3. Add the mushrooms, cook it for 5 minutes or until the color is brown, then put the shrimps, some are whole, some are in pieces. Cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Before 2 minutes of cooking the rice, add to it the mushrooms and the shrimps. Outside the fire, garnished it with finely chopped parsley. Then serve immediately.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Purea di Patate ( Mashed Potatoes)

Last New Year, my husband prepared Purea di Patate together with lenticchie and cotechino. Lentichhie is one of the family of legumes. While Cotechino is like a sausage. It is a gut of pig whose interior consists of a mixture of lean pork, bacon, rind, spices and herbs.


And all of these three foods, are very easy to cooked. So to start with, I will going to give you the recipe on how my husband prepared the Purea di Patate. Try and it's delicious.



Ingredients:

1 kg. potatoes
125 gr. butter
1 glass of milk
a pinch of salt and pepper
10 gr. salt

1. Peel, wash and cut potatoes into small pieces.
2. Put them in a pot and cover with cold water. Add 10 gr. of salt and cook it.
3. Once the potatoes becomes soft (but not too much), remove from the water and drain.
4. Then put them in a bowl, mashed the potatoes with a wooden spoon until it becomes elastic.
5. Add small pieces of butter and season with salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir, then add the milk.
6. Put again the mashed potatoes into the fire (low heat) and continue to mix .
7. When just starts boiling, remove from the fire. Then, it's ready to serve.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Different Kinds of Pasta

Here in Italy, there are different kinds of pasta. Each pasta has it's own name and characteristics. Now, here are some of the pasta and choose from these pasta what you prefer and discover what they are.

Characteristics



Fusillo - you are dynamic, joyful, in continuous motion; love novelty and a good time to enjoy creative dishes and attractive to the eye.



Lumacone - you are possessive and not "soft" what is yours, but you accept generously, knowing choose and understand the right company.



Cresta (Crest) - you are meek and humble, unlike what they appear, but who knows you well know that you can trust and takes a lot to your company.



Penna - you are quiet, smirking a bit, but can in everything we do. Woe to get angry, become paonazzo and spicy, but always remains good.



Sedanino - you are simple, classic repetitive perhaps, but very attentive to the quality, is a table with friends. Who you know is to have a faithful friend.



Ricciolo (Curl) - you are aesthetics, always in search of beauty e. .. voucher. You know the claim, you can appear presumptuous, but you are welcome because you have "thick".



Farfalla (Butterfly) - you are imaginative, creative and slightly ' "farfallone" but so, so good. Your inconstancy you to change often, but always leave a beautiful memory.



Festonata (Festoons) - are the first-class, but deservedly so solve all the problems. Sai face any situation successfully, for these six required.



Elica (Helix) - six witty, brilliant, a true "top", always in search of collective celebration. Do not you love dell'ovvio, but you know also be practical and concrete.



Rigatone - you're an Lustig, the soul of the company. Do you like good food and sometimes the line a little round confirms this your predilection.



Spaghetto (Spaghettti) - are all of one piece, you break but not bend you, you're but a reliable and secure reference. Under hide under a soul tender for this six loved by all.



Tagliatella (Noodles) - you are a home pantofolaio, you do not run risks. Six of "substance" and who knows you can not do without your company.