Weekend Sewing Project! - Massage Oil/Lotion Holder

What can I do to clear my mind from Anatomy and Kinesiology homework?  Make a cute massage oil holder!  I am about 1/4 of the way through massage school and aside from the intese book work, I am enjoying it. Next week I am practicing on former coworkers and this cute holder will come in handy.  Up until now, I have been setting the oil down all over the room which is messy.  I want to set a professional tone (yet still show my quirky personality) and this new holder will do the trick!

Many years ago my cousin went to Hawaii and brought back precut quilting squares with beautiful patterns.  I have always intended to quilt, but I just don' t have the attention span to work on a sewing project for more than a day.  This project didn't take more than an hour so I just may attempt a quilt soon.

I basically sewed a bunch of peices together to form the belt and the holder.  I used a basic cream flanel fabric for the back of the holder.  It is a bit to floppy for my taste, but it will do for my appointments next week.  For the next one (because there will be more to be made) I will use batting and add buckles to the belt.

Happy Sunday!

Gorditas and Hamonado

Yes, another Mexi-pino concoction.  Gorditas are like corn tortillas, but they are thicker and more like a crisp bread.  Hamonado is a Filipino breakfast sausage that is on the sweet side.  Combine them and mmmmm, so good!

Corn Flat Bread
1 3/4 cup masa harina (corn flour)
1 cup sweet rice flour or all purpose gluten free flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grape seed oil
1 cup hot water
oil for frying

Mix dry ingredients plus the oil.  Slowly add the hot water to form dough.  (I usually do this in my Ninja blender so I can add the hot water while it mixes it for me.  This way I don't have to deal with trying to handle the hot water.)  In a pan, heat oil.  Shape dough into 2 inch flat circles, flattening as thin as possible.  Fry dough for about 2 minutes on each side until they are a golden crisp color.  Set aside cooked bread and allow to cool.

Sausage, Mushroom & Spinach Filling

1 package chicken hamonado (any chicken sausage will do)

1 cup mushrooms sliced

2 cups spinach washed

1/2 onion

1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced (you can omit if you don't want it spicy)

Salt

Pepper

1/8 cup chicken broth or 2 tablespoons of oil

Boil hamonado in water for about 15-20 minutes.  Drain and rinse pan.  Cut hamonado in half lengthwise and cook in pan with a little oil.  Hamonado is sweet so it will burn easily so flip it from one side to another to prevent burning.  Cook until brown, about 10 minutes.  Set aside and let sausage cool.

In another pan, heat chicken broth and saute onion and mushrooms.  Add sausage and stir well.  Add spinach and jalapeno and cook until spinach wilts.  You can use oil instead of chicken broth, but since the gorditas and sausage is already cooked in oil, I try to avoid using it for the vegetables too.

When the sausage is cooled slice into small bite sized pieces.  Top gordita with sausage and vegetables and serve with salsa.

If you don't use up all the dough, you can store it in an air tight container in the fridge.  Simply microwave it when you are ready to use it.

Feel free to experiement with the toppings.  I have used steak, tomatoes, and onions and it was great.  There are also great flavored chicken sausages like mango and tomato basil which work great too. 

Quick and Easy Shrimp Tacos

Since I have started school, time management has been a bit tricky.  I have been opting for easy meals I can put together easily.  Needless to say, we've been eating a lot of tacos again in the Padilla house.  This recipe is super quick to put together.  I always have these ingredients on hand so whenever I am in a pinch I whip up this dish. 

I always buy the frozen large prawns and keep them in my freezer.  The part that takes the longest is defrosting the shrimp.  I throw the bag in a sink of cold water as soon as I get home and try to unwind from school.  It's usually ready to go in about 30 minutes.

Shrimp Tacos
1 lb cooked large prawns peeled
1 white onion diced
2 garlic cloves diced
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 juice of lime
1 pinch salt
Green salsa
Corn tortillas

Roughly chop shrimp so they are about 1/2 inch in length.  In a bowl, mix shrimp, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.  Heat corn tortillas and top with shrimp mixture.  Top with green salsa.

Crack open some hard cider and call it a night! Tomorrow is another day!

Salza!...yeah I know it's spelled "Salsa"

This salsa is one of many versions that I make.  It is partially blended with a little bit of fresh tomatoes, onions and cilantro.   It's quick and easy to make and keeps well in the refrigerator.  I like this version on tacos and grilled chicken.

Salsa
1 can roasted diced tomatoes
2 jalapenos (remove the seeds if you don't like it too hot)
1/2 onion diced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 large beefsteak tomato or 1 roma tomato diced
Salt
Red pepper flakes
Cumin
Cayenne pepper
Red pepper seasoning
Cilantro

In a blender, puree canned tomatoes, jalapeno, 1/4 onion, garlic, and spices. Save the other half of the onion, the tomato, and cilantro for later. As for the spices, I don't measure how much I put in there. I have a heavy hand and estimate that it is at least 2 tablespoons. 

Pour the salsa into a bowl. Chop the rest of the ingredients and mix with the pureed salsa. Add more seasoning if you feel necessary.

I have used chipotle peppers from a can, but the brand at our market has added gluten. I have also used dried chipotle seasoning as well which gives it that smokey flavor, but not necessarily the heat that I like.

Now excuse me while I snack and plan for school tomorrow...

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

I had all that left over broth from the other day and decided to make this dish.  It is on the higher calorie side with the coconut milk and all, but it's great once in awhile.  I have made curry soup without coconut milk and put in carrots and celery instead of peppers.  I have had it like that for hot pot and it is pretty good!

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
Chicken
4 medium sized russet potatoes sliced into cubes
1/2 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 bell peppers coursely chopped or 10 mini sweet peppers
Curry powder (I have found that the Trader Joe's brand does not have gluten)
1 can of coconut milk
Salt
Pepper

I still had quite a bit of drumsticks so I used that today.  I boiled it when I made stock and separated the bone from the meat.  If you are going to use raw chicken, saute it now until all sides are white.  If you cut them into small cubes, you don't have to cook it all the way through.  It will cook more in the soup.

Saute the onions until they become clear and fragrant and add the garlic.  After a minute or so add  the peppers and stir.  Sprinkle a little salt to flavor the vegetables and add 4 tablespoons of curry powder and mix well.  Add the chicken and potatoes with a little broth into the saute mixture.  Cover the mixture and let the potatoes cook for a couple of minutes adding more broth if necessary.  Turn the heat down to medium/medium low.  Stir in the coconut milk and 2 cups of broth, cover and bring to a boil.  Cook until the potatoes are done, stirring often.  Taste the soup and see if you need more curry powder or salt. 

I let the soup cool down and put them in mason jars and into my freezer.  My husband is starting to have a collection of soup for lunches!

Chicken Adobo...Tacos?

As I've mentioned before, we do a lot of Asian-Mexican fusion recipes in this house since I am Filipino and my husband is Mexican.  Corn tortillas and rice are a staple in our kitchen.  I like to cook up batches of different types of marinaded meats and put them in the freezer for later use.  Usually we do tacos because I am too lazy to wait for the rice to cook.


Chicken Adobo
1 lb chicken drumsticks
1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use organic, gluten-free)
3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves

My dad always taught me to throw out the first boil to clean your meat.  Wash the chicken thoroughly, put it in your pot and bring to a boil.  As soon as it starts to boil, take the pot off the heat and strain it.  Rinse out your pot and the chicken.

Put the chicken back in the pot and pour in the vinegar and water.  Cover and put heat on high until it comes to a boil.  Bring the heat down to a simmer and let the chicken cook for 30 minutes.  You don't have to stir often, but you may want to check to ensure that there is sufficient liquid.  Just add more water if necessary.

After 30 minutes, stir in the soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf and turn the heat back up to medium/medium-high.  Cook for another 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.  By this time, you should see the meat literally fall off the bone!

Take the pot off of the stove and let it cool down.  Pull the meat off of the bone and spoon in the liquid mixture.  I have a strainer ladle which makes it easy to separate the solid spices from the liquid.  You definitely do not want the bay leaf and peppercorns in your tacos!

I have tried chicken breast and chicken thighs, but I have found them to be either too dry or too fatty for this dish.  The drumsticks seem to be just right for us.  If you try chicken breast, I recommend increasing the vinegar and decreasing the water to accommodate for the dryer meat.

Tacos
Grilled corn tortillas
Chicken Adobo
Green salsa
Diced onions
Shredded lettuce, romaine or iceberg
Cilantro

There are many ways to heat up the corn tortillas. I have used my George Foreman Grill, toaster oven and microwave, but I love it grilled on top of my gas stove! Whichever way you choose to heat up your tortilla, make sure to wet it down on both sides. Be aware that it will stick to whatever surface you put it on so make sure to flip it from side to side to keep from losing the tortilla to your grill. It will catch on fire on top of the gas stove so you have to watch it closely. Just stick to the microwave if you are prone to accidents!

Layer your ingredients on top of your tortillas and there you have your Mexi-pino (Mexican-Filipino) dish!

Hello!

"Can I get the gluten free vegan dish with a side of chicken please?"

Recently, I have discovered that I have food allergies. I try to stay away from gluten, dairy, eggs, pecans, peanuts, beer and wine. I like to take traditional recipes and mix it up a bit to fit my dietary needs. There is a Filipino dish that has peanut butter in it called kare kare. I make mine with sunflower seed butter!

My father is an excellent cook and I would like to think that I have half his talent.  My dad is the cook in my family and my mom, well, not so much.  I started to cook at a very young age and when I moved out of the house I made it a point to learn my dad's recipes which he learned from his mom.  When I met my husband he introduced me to a lot of other dishes.  We make a lot of Filipino-Mexican fusion dishes as I am Filipino and he is Mexican.  If you have ever had Filipino food you probably had chicken adobo.  We make chicken adobo tacos.  Yumm!

If you have any dietary issues as I do or just looking for something different to make for dinner, I hope I can provide you with some great ideas.  I will share my latest creation and would love your feedback or your variation to the recipes I post.  I will also post my latest craft project as I love making things and have been sewing at young age.  I am working on launching my Etsy store for my homemade crafts, so be sure to check it out as soon as it's up an running!