Cheesy Pesto Bread Pull-Aparts

Made two giant loaves 2 days ago and we can't finish it all.... decided to do something about the untouched bread before it turns to rock =)

I've been seeing this recipe on Pinterest every time I check the food category so I gave it a try.  It's called pull-aparts because you will literally pull them apart when it's time to eat.
Made my own combination- pesto, cheese, tomatoes and lots of bacon =)

Ingredients:

1 whole loaf bread
pesto
moozarella cheese, sliced or grated
bacon, cooked
tomatoes, diced

Cooking Directions:

1.  Pre heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit
2.  Slice bread horizontally then vertically
3.  Smother pesto in every sides of each cubed slices
4.  Insert cheese and bacon in every sides as well
5.  Top with tomatoes
6.  Bake it in the oven for about 10-15 mins or until cheese are melted.

Poached Mussels

This dish is so easy to cook.  Very simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 K fresh Mussels
1 onion bulb
4 garlic cloves
1 cup white wine
fresh dill
salt
pepper

Directions:
1.  Saute chopped onions in butter.  Add garlic.
2.  Stir in fresh mussels and coat with onions and butter mixture.
3.  Pour white wine and chopped dill.  Simmer and cover mussels for 5 to 8 mins or until all shells are opened.
4.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

* discard all unopened shells

Baked Seabass with Saffron Risotto

Seabass is one of the most treasured fish in the culinary world.  It has a soft, creamy texture and tastes so rich and wonderful.

I've decided to pair the seabass with Saffron-infused risotto, chose Saffron because it goes very well with seafood.

I got the Seabass recipe from Dave Lieberman.  This recipe is very easy and a "5 stars" for me =)

Here's the recipe...

Ingredients

 

• 5-ounce sourdough bread or other leftover bread
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 4 (6-ounce) sea bass fillets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Few sprigs thyme, leaves removed
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pulse the bread in a food processor to get slightly coarse bread crumbs.

Coat a casserole dish just large enough to hold the fillets with 1 tablespoon butter. Place the fillets in the dish and season with salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, and thyme leaves.

Melt the remaining 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet with the smashed garlic. As soon as the butter starts to bubble, turn off the heat and let the garlic infuse the warm butter.

Remove the garlic chunks from the butter. Add the bread crumbs and lightly toss until all the butter has been absorbed. Turn the heat off, stir in the parsley and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Spread a layer of bread crumb mixture over the top of each fillet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until bread crumbs are golden brown and fish is cooked through.

Spicy Eggplant with Minced Pork

Eggplant is one of my favorite fruit-vegetable =)  Not everyone likes it though.... they said it has an after taste or is "itchy" in the mouth.  To remove the after taste and the itchiness of the vegetable, you should soak the sliced eggplant in water with salt for at least 5 to 10 mins and cook as directed.

Here is a Chinese recipe of an eggplant dish that I always order whenever we eat out.  I served mine in a claypot just to make it a little more authentic. 

as promised, here is a better photo of the Eggplant with Minced Pork

INGREDIENTS
300 grams  ground pork
5 eggplants, sliced into long strips
1 whole garlic chopped
1 white onion (optional)
1 Tbsp. bean sauce
1/2 tsp chopped ginger
1/2 Tbsp chili paste with garlic (Lee Kum Kee)
sesame oil

PORK MARINADE
2 tsp light soysauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil
pepper

Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. light soysauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch

Directions
1. Combine seasoning ingredients in a bowl. 
2. Marinate ground pork in "PORK MARINADE"for at least 15 minutes.
3.Heat pan and add oil
4. Saute half of the onions and half of the garlic.  Add half of the bean paste.  Cook until onions are translucent.
5. Add eggplant and 1/2 cup of water.  Simmer until eggplants are cooked and almost all liquid has evaporated.  Set Aside.
6.  Using the same wok,  add oil sauté the remaining onions, garlic and bean sauce.  Add 1/2 tsp. chopped ginger.
7.  Add marinated pork and cook.
8.  When pork is done.  Make a well in the center and add the "seasoning".  Let it simmer until it thickens.
9.  Add in the cooked eggplant & chili paste with garlic and continue cooking.
10. Taste.
11.  Season with salt and pepper.  You can add more water if desired.

Chashu Ramen

My newly wed friends and I had a small "cooking-class-get-together".  KC taught us how to cook her famous Katsudon and Chicken Teiryaki, Aimee cooked her shrimp balls and my share was to teach them how to cook Ramen and Okonomiyaki... Joni was my sous chef =) she helped me in preparing the miso stock and chashu =) 

 Below is a little review of our cooking session and the Okonomiyaki and Chashu Ramen Recipe  =)

Preparation =)

some of the important ingredients in Japanese cooking

Aims slicing the cucumbers for the Kani salad

Belle helping Aims with the Kani =)

Joni busy with the Miso stock

Jiana breading the pork for the Katsudon

KC's famous Katsudon is done =)

Aimee cooking the prawn balls

The very tender and delicious Chashu

Okonomiyaki

Chicken Teriyaki

Chashu Ramen

Roasted Bone Marrow

Bone marrow has been in the menu of a few good restaurants lately.  Tried it in a new restaurant and I was quite disappointed with the quantity that was served...taste was good but the portioning was not.  Ordering these in the resto is quite costly, be ready to shell out around PHP 400 - PHP 550 per order.

Made it myself and saved a lot plus the whole family got to eat it =)  I paired the bone marrow with some rosemary scented bruschetta and a little lemon =)

This was very easy to make all you need are..

bone marrow
olive oil
rosemary, chopped
bread, grilled
lemon

Directions:
1. Pre heat oven to 345 degrees F.
2. Rub rosemary onto bone marrows, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil.
3. Roast the bonesin the oven for 20-25 mins

4. While the bones are cooking, drizzle the bread with some olive oil and rub rosemary sprigs for aroma.  Grill.

HOW TO EAT IT?

Spread marrows on the bread and drizzle with a few drops of lemon and ENJOY =)

Peanut Butter Prawns Spaghetti

Cooked this a few weeks back =)  and this is one of my hubby's favorite dish ....it kinda tastes like Thai Shrimp because of the nutty flavor, just added pasta to the saucey dish. 
If you're allergic to shrimps, you can always substitute it with chicken.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2  cups chicken stock
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
pinch of red pepper flakes, crushed (depends on how hot you want it)
1 garlic clove, chopped
6-8 pcs prawns
pasta, cooked
sliced spring onions
roasted peanuts

1. cook pasta
2. Heat chicken stock, peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, honey, pepper flakes and garlic in a saucepan, stirring until mixture is smooth.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  (continuous boiling may make the consistency too thick and finish product may be dry.  Don't worry if the consistency is watery it will thicken when cooled and pasta is combined.  If it becomes too thick just add a little more chicken stock.)
3. While peanut butter mixture is heating, stir fry seasoned prawns just until cook.  Remove from heat.
4. Add the prawns and cooked pasta to the peanut butter mixture and stir well until well combined.
    Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
5. drizzle with roasted peanuts and spring onions for garnish.

Enjoy =)