Baked Shrimps With Ritz Crackers Crumbs

Here's another easy recipe for you. The original recipe calls for scallops, and since scallops are very pricey, I substituted shrimps. I keep a big pack of medium shrimps in my freezer so I have them handy when I need to stir-fry veggies with shrimps or cook Mung Beans with Shrimps instead of pork (Ginisang Monggo). This dish smells really good while baking in the oven, you can not resist to eat them right after baking. Everything really tastes and smells good with butter!

BAKED SHRIMPS WITH RITZ CRACKERS CRUMBS

INGREDIENTS
1 lb Shrimps, deveined and pat dry
6 tbsp butter, melted and divided
10 pcs Ritz Crackers
salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat oven to 375 deg. F
2. Put Ritz crackers in a ziplock bag and crush into crumbs, set aside.
3. Pour half of the butter on the shrimps and stir to coat.
4. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
5. Arrange the shrimps in a shallow buttered casserole.
6. Cover with Ritz crackers crumbs.
7. Pour rest of the butter over crumbs
8. Bake for 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Lamb Stew

This is the easiest recipe ever. I got this recipe from my father in law the first time he visited us. You just put all the ingredients in a crock pot and then forget about it. Sometimes we just leave the crock pot in the sink while cooking just in case it spills over, then we go out to shop and come home with a hot dinner.

LAMB STEW

INGREDIENTS
A pack of Lamb ribs, about 2 lbs
(you can substitute with beef chuck or stew)
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 cup baby carrots
2 stalks celery, sliced about 1/4 inch
3/4 cup pearl barley
1 cup frozen peas
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
2 cups water or enough to cover everything

PROCEDURE
1. Put the lamb ribs at the bottom of the crock pot
2. Put the carrots, potatoes, celery, and barley on top
3. Mix the pepper, soy sauce and water together then pour in the pot.
4. Cook on High for 5 hours, then stir and fish out the bone of the lamb.
5. Add the peas and stir.
6. Cook for another 1 hour on Low.

Easy Salad For Lunch

We eat out a lot on weekends, so during the week I try my best to prepare healthy dishes to offset the fatty intake of the past weekend. My husband usually takes sandwiches and salad, or fresh fruits, yogurt and cottage cheese to work. I make his lunch time exciting by coming up with different twist on the salad.

Spinach and Romaine Lettuce Salad
with Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts

INGREDIENTS
A handful of baby spinach
Half heart of Romaine lettuce, cut in ribbons
1 ripe vine tomato, slice in wedges
3 to 4 hearts of artichoke from the can, sliced
Toasted almonds

Pesto Dressing
Mix one is to one of store bought Basil pesto and red wine vinegar

PROCEDURE:
1. Mix all the ingredients and drizzle with the dressing

Tomatoes and Mozzarella Salad

I used to have herb garden in pots and and my most favorite that I always use is Basil. I always harvest Basil to include in my pasta and salad dishes. Now that warm and sunny weather is here once again, its about time to plant some herbs again. I have a very easy recipe of salad here that you will surely enjoy in the warm weather.

TOMATOES & MOZZARELLA SALAD (CAPRESE)

INGREDIENTS
2 to 3 ripe vine tomatoes
2 balls fresh mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
juice of one lemon (optional)

PROCEDURE:
1. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella about the same size
2. Drizzle with olive oil
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. For a twist - Mix lemon and oil with salt and pepper to make a vinaigrette
5. Pour on the tomatoes

Eggplant Omelette

One of my favorite vegetables is eggplant. I can eat it any way. In the Philippines when I crave for eggplants, I will just have some sliced and fried and will eat them with vinegar and bagoong isda (vinegar with fish paste) for condiment. Sometimes I just boil it and serve with bagoong again as a combo dish to a fried fish. The most common way that I do with eggplants is to broil them and make eggplant omelette.

EGGPLANT OMELETTE

2 Chinese Eggplants
1 pack Sweet Italian Sausage (6 links)
1 medium potato, cubed
2 medium carrots, cubed
1 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper for kick

PROCEDURE:

1. Broil the eggplants on low for 20 minutes turning once. While still hot, peel off the skin, to make peeling easier than when it has already cool down.
2. Meanwhile saute garlic and onions in oil until soft.
3. Mix in the sausage and break into small pieces with the edge of the spatula. Stirring constantly until cooked.
4. Add carrots and potatoes and cook until tender.
5. Beat the eggs and add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix well.
6. Mash the eggplant in the beaten eggs, add the sausage mixture, then pour in a very hot pan.
7. Cook until golden brown, then cover the pan with big plate and turn the pan over. Slide the eggplant back to the pan to cook the other side.
8. Serve with hot sauce and steamed rice.

Maja Blanco - A Very Easy Dessert

Another dessert that I brought once in a potluck get-together is Maja Blanco. I'm sure all Filipinos out there will agree with me that this is the easiest dessert there is.

MAJA BLANCO
(Corn Starch Pudding with Caramelized Coconut Milk Topping or Latik)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 can coconut milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 can Corn Cream Style

LATIK TOPPINGS
1 can coconut milk

PROCEDURE FOR THE MAJA:

1. Mix the first 3 ingredients - sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, boil coconut milk and evaporated milk until bubbly. Then lower heat and add the mixture in #1 above. Stir constantly until smooth and pasty.
3. When already smooth and pasty, stir in the corn cream style until well incorporated.
4. Pour into a dish to mold then add the toppings.

PROCEDURE FOR TOPPINGS:
Pour the coconut milk in a pan and cook until bubbly then lower heat and stir constantly until reduced and caramelized and crunchy. Be careful not to burn. Remove from heat then put on top of the maja.

KITCHEN TIP #3
Maja Blanco is already good as it is, but putting Latik on top makes it yummier.
However, making Latik is time consuming since
you need to be in front of the stove stirring it all the time.
To save time, you can cook the toppings in advance and
just keep it in the freezer until you need it.
When the need comes, just thaw it in the microwave and
presto you have instant Latik in no time.

Menudo For Potlucks

I have attended two get-togethers with two different groups of friends and I brought a favorite Filipino dish Menudo (Diced Pork with Potatoes and Chick Peas) as my potluck contribution. Cooking Menudo is not really difficult. Just the prepping of the ingredients is time consuming because you need to slice the ingredients and the meat in somewhat uniform sizes.

I brought Menudo to our recent Dinner Club Meet - a group of multi-cultural people joined together with their love for food. In our last meeting we brought food from our own country with green ingredients in it. I used green bell pepper among other things. Then again, I brought the same dish to a Going Away Party of our good friend who is moving to South Carolina with her family.

In my first Menudo, I didn't put liver because my hubby doesn't eat them. He is not a picky eater but liver is not on his list. But in my second Menudo, I did put liver to make it really authentic. Menudo is not a menudo without liver, don't you think?

MENUDO

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups diced pork
1 cup diced pork liver
2 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red ripe tomatoes, cubed
2 cups diced potatoes
1 small red bell pepper
1 small green bell pepper
1 can cooked chick peas
1 package of Mama Sita's Menudo Mix

PROCEDURE:
1. Pre-fry the potatoes and bell peppers in 1 tbsp of oil. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, pour in the rest of the oil and saute the garlic and onion until soft.
3. Mix in the cubed pork and liver and cook stirring constantly until opaque about 5 minutes.
4. Mix in the Mama Sita's Menudo Mix dissolved in water and let it boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until meat is tender.
5. Then mix in the pre-fried potatoes and bell pepper and chick peas. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Add salt to taste.

Penne In Italian Sausage Sauce

Sorry for not posting any recipes here in a while. It's not that I was not cooking. My kitchen was actually very busy the past weeks when my FIL was here. It's just that before I can even post them here I need to of course have an accompanying picture to make it more enticing and appetizing to my readers. Well the cooking; making presentations; taking pictures; downloading and cropping of pics before I can post my recipe seem to slowdown the process. Ok enough of the excuses, the important thing is My Kitchen Table is back on business, LOL.

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One of the favorite ingredients that I always use in my kitchen is pasta. I have different kinds in my pantry. Here's one very easy and quick pasta dish that I know you will enjoy to try.

PENNE IN ITALIAN SAUSAGE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS
1 lb of Penne cooked according to package
Sweet and Hot Italian Sausage Sauce
Parmesan Cheese Topping

SAUCE
1 pack of Sweet Italian Sausage (6 links)
1 pack of Hot Italian Sausage (6 links)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans of 16 oz. Tomato Sauce
2 cans of 16 oz. Diced Tomatoes
1/2 tbsp dried Italian Seasoning
1/2 tbsp Parsley Flakes
1/2 tbsp dried Sweet Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Olive oil

PROCEDURE:
1. In medium heat, saute garlic and onion in olive oil for about 3 minutes or until soft.
2. Meanwhile, remove the skin of the sausage links and slice them in 1 inch thick pieces, just so it is easier to move them around the pan. But you can also drop them straight to the pan and just break them with your cooking spatula.
3. Mix in the sausage in the pan and stir until opaque.
4. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and herbs. Adjust the heat to low and simmer for about an hour, stirring every now and then. Slow cooking makes the sausage really tender and yummy.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

KITCHEN TIP #2:

I usually make more sauce than what the recipe calls for and just keep the rest in a vacuum sealed canister for later use. So next time I crave for another pasta dish, I will have an instant sauce to use.