Food Posts on Instagram

Hello there! It's been a busy month or so with our Euro trip which I haven't updated you about. Anyway, I've been posting plenty of food posts on Instagram. One of them was even posted on Gastropost. Check it out here!

Follow me on Instagram for more daily posts =) @janapearls

Day 4: fun!

I'm doing this Photo-A-Day Challenge on Instagram and I'm having so much fun so far in doing some of the daily photo projects. For Day 4, I did some baking for a friends' daughter's 2nd birthday. Her party was pink lemonade themed. Here are some of our photos on Instagram. Love, love, love! Beautiful pink lemonade cake by The Caketress.

eggplant omelette (tortang talong)

Eggplant omelette or Tortang talong in Filipino is a popular Filipino dish. It's my first time making it so I had to google a recipe and found this really interesting food blog. Thanks tinybites.ca for the step-by-step and pictures =) Click here if you're interested! Eggplants are rich in folic acid and potassium and helps block free radicals. Delicious and healthy!

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants
2 eggs
salt and pepper
cooking oil

Directions:
1. Using your oven, set it to broil on high. Put the eggplants in a rack and make sure to turn them to broil all sides.
2. After all sides are broiled, remove the skin.
3. Using a knife, cut the eggplant in strips, leaving the top part and opening the eggplant like a fan
4. Scramble the eggs and add salt and pepper. Dip the eggplant into the egg mixture.
5. Fry on medium heat and turn until both sides are cooked.
6. Enjoy!

hoisin beef with vegetables

Hoisin Beef with Vegetables

It's been awhile since I posted a recipe, so here's a quick recipe for you :)

Ingredients:

beef tenderloin cut into strips

1 cup of snowpeas

1/2 of yellow bell pepper cut into strips

2 carrots cut into strips

1 medium tomato cut into cubes

1 medium onion 

3 cloves of garlic minced

2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce

1/4 cup of soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

cooking oil

Directions:

1. Marinate the strips of beef in half of the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a medium pan, add some cooking oil. Set on medium heat, saute garlic and onions. Add the tomatoes. Add the beef and cook until it's brown on all sides. 

3. Add the vegetables and stir fry. 

4. Add the remaining soy sauce and the hoisin sauce

5. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

recipe: easy pan-fried salmon and baby bokchoy

Need a quick and easy lunch recipe? Try this.

Ingredients:

baby bokchoy
garlic
kikkoman soy sauce
salmon
salt and pepper
vegetable oil

Directions:

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. A little bit of cayenne pepper could be added for flavour.
In a medium pan, add vegetable oil and set at medium heat. Add the salmon and cook until golden brown.

In a separate pan, cook the garlic in a little bit of oil. Add the baby bokchoy. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and serve with the salmon.

Enjoy!

Red velvet brownies = Love!

Why give in to commercializing this day when homemade baked goods mean so much more?? =) Here's a really simple and easy Red Velvet Brownie recipe for all of you!

Red Velvet Brownies

ingredients:

Brownies:
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1-1/2 c. sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 oz. liquid red food coloring
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 T. butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar

directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a 9x9 baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang so you can lift out the brownies when they're done. Spray foil with nonstick spray.

In a large saucepan over low heat, stir together butter and chocolate until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar and eggs. Stir in the vanilla, salt, and food coloring. Sift flour and baking powder over mixture and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched and a tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan on rack.

For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and powdered sugar. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil and cover with the frosting. Cut into bite size squares to serve.

from A Farm Girl's Dabbles

 I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter  for the shape and cream cheese frosting on top 

My Instagram collage. Love, love, love!

homemade sweet potato chips

 We're in the process of getting rid of whatever is left in the fridge and pantry, since we will be away for almost 10 days and it'll be a shame if most of our food went to waste. So, I was thinking up recipes for the sweet potato I've been meaning to cook for days. Here's a simple homemade sweet potato chips recipe:

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato thinly sliced and dried (I dried mine using paper towels)
1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 cup of peanut oil/vegetable oil

Directions:
Mix brown sugar, salt and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Pour oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

 Deep fry the sweet potato until golden around the edges, about 45 secs to a minute. Drop the sweet potato in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan!

 Using a strainer, shake off excess oil and transfer chips onto a baking sheet (I used aluminum foil on mine). Sprinkle the chips with the seasoning and let cool to crisp.

 Serve while still hot and crispy! Yum!

garlic shrimp in coconut milk

I had fun playing around with this recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
12-20 pieces of large shrimps peeled
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of butter
1 small ginger thinly sliced
1/3 cup of coconut milk
1/2 of a chicken bouillon cube
a dash of cayenne pepper and salt

Directions:
In medium heat, add the butter to the skillet. When melted, add the minced garlic. Add the shrimp to the skillet and stir about 4 minutes until the shrimp is cooked. You may add a bit of cayenne pepper and salt at this point. Add the ginger and chicken cube. Pour the coconut milk and continue to stir.

Serve over rice.

Serves two.

bacon and egg pasta

Okay, I'm on a roll and since I'm off today, I want to share another recipe with you. Here you go...

Ingredients:
250g of spaghettini (about half a bag)
6 bacon strips cut into smaller pieces
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
3 eggs
1/4 cup of texmex (mozarella and cheddar)
salt and pepper
parsley for garnish

Directions:

Cook the spaghettini according to package directions. Boil one of the eggs with the pasta. Drain when cooked. Mash the egg in smaller pieces and add a little bit of salt and pepper.

Beat two eggs and add the salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic. Sautee for about 2 minutes. Add the pasta. Stir over gentle heat until well mixed then add the egg mixture. Continue mixing well until the eggs are lightly cooked and creamy. Serve immediately and garnish with the mashed boiled egg, cheese and parsley. Maybe served with garlic bread.

Serves two.

maple-glazed chicken breast with vegetables

 It's been so long since my last food update, I owe you another recipe. Try this delicious maple-glazed chicken for dinner. It's one of those less than 10-ingredient recipes you can make in less than an hour. Here are the ingredients:

garlic
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
a dash of pepper
1/2 of an onion
3 medium carrots
1 zucchini
2 boneless chicken breasts cut into strips
(you may also use red and green pepper instead of carrots and zucchini)

Directions:

Marinate the chicken breast in salt and pepper and set aside.

In a skillet, add the oil and sautee the garlic and onions. Add the vegetables. Add the soy sauce and maple syrup. Set the vegetables aside when cooked.

Using the same skillet, cook the chicken breast until they're medium brown. You may add the sugar at this point. You may also add additional soy sauce and maple syrup as you please.

Serve chicken and vegetables over rice. Enjoy!

watermelon lemonade

Looking for a refreshing drink? Try this!


Watermelon Lemonade Recipe:

6 cups of watermelon
1 cup of water
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of lemon juice

Preparation:

Remove as many seeds as you can from the watermelon flesh. Place water and watermelon in the blender and blend until smooth. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Refrigerate until it's chilled.

Although, what's more refreshing than this??

yummy shrimp and tomato pasta

 This recipe is so easy, you'd be eating this yummy pasta by lunch! The ingredients are simple:

1 bag of spaghettini

1 bag of shrimp

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cup of chicken broth

2 tablespoons of "I can't believe it's not butter" margarine

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside. 

2. In a medium pan, add the 2 tablespoons of margarine (or butter). I love this particular brand because it tastes like butter, but it's margarine. Haha!

3. Saute the garlic until medium brown. 

4. Add the shrimp and cook until it's brown. Add a little bit of pepper and a tiny dash of salt. 

5. Add the tomatoes. 

6. Add the chicken both to add flavour. Saute until the sauce is thick.

Serve over pasta and enjoy!

easy tuna salad

I learned how to make this Tuna Salad Recipe from my mom. It's great because you can eat it with your favourite greens/veggies and you can also use this on your sandwich as a filling. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cans of tuna

6 tablespoons of light mayonnaise

1 medium carrot, grated

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

2 tablespoons of pickle relish

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Can be served with cucumbers, greens and tomatoes with Asian Salad dressing. You can also add almonds or walnuts for added texture. 

Enjoy!

lemon poppyseed cupcakes with lemon glaze

I love Starbucks' lemon poppyseed loaf and I've been craving for them for awhile now, which led me to find this awesome recipe for lemon poppyseed cupcakes with lemon glaze. Thank you, Joy of Baking!

The Recipe:

I've used the same recipe as stated except that I baked mine in a muffin pan. 

Ingredients:

3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin of the lemon) 3 tablespoons (30 grams) poppy seeds 13 tablespoons (184 grams) unsalted butter, softened For the lemon glaze: 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (8 x 4 x 2 1/2 inch) (20 x 10 x 7 cm). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until combined. Add the softened butter and half the egg mixture and mix on low speed until moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about one minute. (This aerates and develops the cake's structure.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating about 30 seconds after each addition. (This will strengthen the structure of the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes (for cupcakes, bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may have to cover the bread with buttered foil after about 30 minutes if you find the bread over-browning. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the sugar and lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Drizzle the glaze over the cupcakes/loaf and refrigerate. You can also use powdered sugar dusted on top, Starbucks style =)

rainbow cake and pinwheels cupcakes :)

Haven't had a food update in a while....so today, I whipped something up, just for you =)

Ever since I saw Martha Stewart's Rainbow Cake recipe, I knew I had to try it someday. And boy how happy it made me =)

If you want to do this the easy way, (like I did) use white cake mix and Williams Sonoma's decorating pastes in primary colours. 

 I used a tiny 4inch cake pan and sliced them into two halves, which in the end yield two tiny cakes.

 My uneven layers haha but still, how much do you love these layers????

Excuse my messed up icing job, I ran out of icing for ambitiously thinking I can use one batch for two cakes! I love this rainbow cake!

love, love, love!

Click for Martha Stewart's recipe! Although, as I said, I used a white cake mix with homemade cream cheese icing. I also made these cupcakes today for a gender neutral baby shower. I love pinwheels =)

comfort food

It's been raining almost everyday in Toronto but I refuse to be bogged down by this almost depressing weather. In times like this, it's nice to stay in and indulge in your favourite comfort foods. For me, it's cupcakes =) How can this sunny batch not bring a smile on your face, even on a gloomy day, like today?

 I haven't cooked in a while, so here's a good old recipe for Filipino style chicken noodle soup!

 Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

4 eggs

3 cups of pasta (macaroni or shells)

5 pieces of chicken hotdogs (cut lengthwise and into half-moons)

2 medium sized carrots (cut into half circles)

3 stalks  of celery

1 whole onion minced

4 cloves of garlic minced

2 tablespoons of butter

4 cups of milk

3 cups of chicken broth

3 chicken bouillon cubes

Directions:

1. Place the chicken breast in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, or until the chicken is cooked and tender. 

2. Drain the chicken. Save 3 cups of the broth in a bowl. Use a strainer to remove the fat and chicken bits. Cut the chicken into strips and set aside

3. In a separate pot, cook the pasta. In another pot, bring the eggs and the carrots to a boil. Drain and set aside. 

4. Add the butter in a pan on medium heat. When melted, saute the garlic and onion. Add the hotdogs and chicken strips and cook until brown, and almost crispy. 

5. Transfer in a large pot. Add the milk, chicken broth and chicken bouillon cubes. 

6. Add the celery, carrots, hardboiled eggs and pasta.

So, go ahead. Bring your umbrella and enjoy the weather!

random shot from Madison Square Park

fried bananas

Plantain bananas just like regular bananas is rich in potassium which is very good for the heart and prevents heart attacks. It is however, lower in sugar content, which makes it even better than regular bananas. It is also rich in magnesium, phosphate, a good source of Vitamins A, B6 and C which help maintain vision, good skin, and build immunity against diseases. 

You can simply fry them or, in this case, roll them in brown sugar before frying. The only thing missing, is the ice cream. Enjoy!

yummy rainbow cookies

Actually, the recipe calls for chocolate chips, after all, it is a chocolate chip cookie recipe. But I don't have chocolate chips so I used rainbow coloured candy coated chocolate bits.

Here's the recipe: 

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or in this case, candy coated chocolate bits)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Cream together melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

Beat in vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy.

Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
On a baking sheet, drop spoonfuls and make sure they are at least 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15-17 minutes.


Makes 24 cookies. 

I think I need a tall glass of milk!

creamy shrimp and spinach pasta

How do you know if your pasta is cooked?? My mom used to say, "if it sticks to the wall (or ceiling) when you fling it, it's cooked!" Hence, the explanation for this picture. =) Of course, you can also --- taste it! (duh! hehe) Anyway, I love my mom's sense of humour!

Anyway, I had some spinach and shrimp left in the fridge and I thought, I'm sure I can put together something to put these two to good use. Spinach is one of the healthiest vegetables and it's rich in so many nutrients including Vitamin A, Iron, Calcium, folic acid and many more. Remember the old Popeye and Olive cartoons? Spinach really is good for you =) 

I'm bored of the regular tomato sauce for spaghetti, so here's a creamy shrimp and spinach pasta recipe for you. 

Ingredients

10-12 medium shrimps

2 cups of spinach (I basically used half of the regular spinach bunch you get from the supermarket and cut them in smaller pieces)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 medium sized tomatoes, diced

1 tablespoon of butter

1/2 cup of milk

1 1/2 teaspoon of flour

1 chicken cube

salt and pepper to taste

1 slice of lemon

Directions:

• Cook pasta as package directions suggests.
• Sprinkle some salt and pepper on shrimp. 
• Heat butter on a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the minced garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds.
• Add shrimp and saute for about 5 to 10 minutes. I like my shrimps well cooked, so cook it to what you desire. Add tomatoes.
• Add the spinach and saute until cooked. 
• Aside, mix 1/2 cup of milk and flour and stir to avoid clumping. Add to the skillet. 
• Add the chicken cube and mix well. Season as desired. 
• Squeeze some lemon before serving, or in my case, I added a little bit of orange rind. It adds quite a bit of flavour. 
• Enjoy!

what to do with day old bread

Seems such a waste to throw out bread, even if it is a day past its expiration date. I hate throwing out food, so here's a bread pudding recipe to extend the life of your old bread =)

Ingredients

• 6 slices day-old bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Drizzling melted butter mmmm.....

I added 1 banana on my bread pudding before baking...and a tiny bit of caramel sauce before serving. Yum!