Spinach and Mushroom Bruschetta with Roasted Garlic and a Little Life Update

At laaaast. (Etta James voice)

You have no idea!

But I will give you some.

I've been working on my nth chance in school.

And I did it! I actually FINISHED something!

And when I looked at my parents' faces, man!

There is no better feeling in the whole wide universe than seeing the people you love truly happy.

I want to say my work here is done, Ma and Pa.

But who am I kidding, right?

My work has just begun and I've never been more ecstatic to flip to a new chapter in my life.

New stories. New characters.

Ma was right when she told me I have to "move" to find where I ought to be.

Pa was right when he told me things will eventually fall into place.

They're both right when they gave me another chance to pick myself up from the rubble I was in and trusted me even when I didn't deserve it back then.

It may be cliche but parents do know best - and they do love best. Hands down.

What did I learn in school?

The most basic knowledge is deep inside of you - school is where you unearth it.

It's where you learn how to do things. But outside is where you can test if all you have learned will eventually work.

And there will be times that it won't.

And that's okay.

Speaking of the basics, I've been wanting to post about this ever since I've tasted it in my old workplace.

It's not much of a staple recipe that is locally known but man, for someone who loves garlic so much, I find it ridiculous that I've been missing this food all my life.

Roasting is one of the easiest and probably the most delicious way to prepare garlic.

So delicious I even eat it as a snack!

Also below, another way to enjoy it.

You're welcome!

Roasted Garlic

You will need:

4-6 whole heads of garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
a baking sheet

How-to:

Pre-heat oven to 230 degrees C (450 degrees F)
You can also use toaster oven for this recipe.

1. Slice off the top of the garlic heads enough to show its flesh.

2. Arrange the garlic heads on the baking sheet face/flesh up.

3. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over the garlic heads.

4. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil on the heads.

5. Place in center rack of the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Let it cool before placing in an air-tight container and store it in the fridge for future use.


Perfect for sauteing meat and vegetables, for soups, for sandwiches and for bruschettas!


Spinach and Mushroom Bruschetta with Roasted Garlic

You will need:

a whole baguette, sliced 1 or half an inch thick
1/2 cup spinach, purged and chopped finely
1/4 cup cream cheese, spreadable or softened block
1/4 cup button mushrooms (Champignon), sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 head roasted garlic
a dash of salt
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

How to make:

1. In a pan, saute one head of garlic in olive oil. The roasted garlic's flesh is soft and you can simply squeeze it out of its skin.

2. Add chopped purged spinach and button mushrooms and season with some salt. Cook in medium fire for about 5 minutes and set it in a bowl.

3. Add in cream cheese and parmesan (if you have) and mix the filling well.

4. In a non-stick pan, drizzle a little olive oil and heat the baguette slices on each side until crisp. You may also use a toaster for this.

5. Spread a generous amount of filling on top of the baguette slices and just pop it in your mouth.


Wonderful.

The extra filling can be saved in the fridge for later. It can be used for paninis and savory crepes too!

Other than being really easy to prepare, what I love most about this is how satiating it is.

Two bruschettas and I'm solved.

Till the next eats my loves!

Sweet and Tangy Mayo-less Coleslaw

It's been a while.

And it makes me wonder (a lot) how time flies by even when you are not doing anything.

If this year is a person, it would have been bipolar.

By that, I mean it takes pure wisdom and understanding just to go through it, to survive it...

and still be whole in the end.

And just like last year, I wish the last quarter of this year will be a gazillion times better than the rest of it.

This heavy theme deserves a light recipe, wouldn't you agree?

This delicious mayo-less side salad is both sweet and sour. Classic life metaphor.

To Willow and all other vegans out there.

Sweet and Tangy Apple Coleslaw
(derived from Cook's Illustrated June 2011)

You will need:

3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 large green cabbage (1 pound), cored shredded fine (loosely 6 cups)
1/4 cup sugar +extra for seasoning
table salt
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 large Granny Smitth or Fuji apple, cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or wansoy leaves
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard or 1 teaspoon Honey mustard (Clara OIe is a good inexpensive brand)

How to:

1. Combine vinegar, oil, celery seed (if you have), and pepper in medium glass or metal bowl. Place bowl in freezer/chiller until well chilled, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Toss cabbage with sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl and cover. Steam or microwave for 1 minute. Stir briefly, re-cover, and continue to steam/microwave until cabbage is partially wilted and has reduced in volume, about 1 more minute.

3. Transfer cabbage to salad spinner to remove excess water or you may use a strainer and push cabbage with a spatula to drain its liquid.

4. Remove vinegar mixture from the fridge. Add cabbage, carrots, parsley, apples, and dijon or honey mustard. Toss to combine.

5. If desired, adjust flavor with sugar, salt, or vinegar.

6. Refrigerate until well chilled. Toss again before serving.

Enjoy with light toast or fried tofu. Of course, it goes well with meat and seafood, too!

Things will be better.


Till the next eats!

Open Sesame

Sometimes, aroma is everything. Everything to get your drool on, that is. It's an initiator of things, a bringer of memories, a heart-stopper. Get a bad cold and I bet you wouldn't even touch those fries no matter how scrumptious it looks (welp, some people still do!). The sense of smell is just as important as the sense of taste and sight when it comes to food. If you're a mother, you should know that the best people to taste test food are kids because they prove to have a higher sensitivity than adults. 

"Stack of pancakes, you have no idea what I can do to you."

This reminds me of yesterday when I went out to dine with my family at Sunburst Fried Chicken. It's a local chicken place from where I live (Cebu City) which I can safely say, is already an institution. They're around even before I was born. Their fried chicken has got this aroma so distinct that you can never go wrong when you get a whiff of it, you can always tell it's Sunburst. 

My plate of Classic 3-piece Sunburst.

So we had our dinner and I was giddy because I haven't eaten there for years and what do you know, it just wasn't the same. The chicken I so dearly remember doesn't taste the same. Sure it smells the same but I can tell there had been a slight change in the recipe and I went home kind of disappointed but nonetheless, full. 

Let me tell you, the place was packed and I went home thinking "Aroma is everything."

We can make or break your dish.

Not too long ago, I started being conscious about the oils and spices I use in cooking and I've discovered that  those things are very important in improving flavors. A dash of let's say, thyme or a tablespoon of oyster sauce does miracles to a dish. A lot of restaurant style food secrets depend on condiments.

Here's a recipe I've sort of made up. I know that classic buffalo wings are baked and sesame chicken wings are usually grilled so I made mine super easy fried then smothered in sauce. 

Oishii Omnomnom

I flunked Nippongo.  Big deal. 


Well, I didn’t really fail because it was that hard to tackle, what happened was, I dropped the subject mid-semester because I got too caught up with last year’s holidays (my sister and her family flew in from Europe and I got ‘busy’). Still, it wasn’t an easy class; we also had to write Japanese. 


I remember when I took up Fookien and barely made it. My Lǎoshī told all of us, we shouldn’t worry about failing because she totally understands how impossible it is for us to learn the entire module if we only meet 3 hours a week for 5 months. She spoke the truth.

I thought about how incompetent I am at anything Japanese. I’m not into anime like 90 percent of the population unless if it’s in the general category of cute (i.e.Totoro) and kikay (i.e.Sailor Moon). You hate me by now. I do like Japanese cars, noodles, Meiji chocolate, engrish.com and was crazy about the perfumed stationery collection of my childhood aaaand my most favorite soy sauce in the world is Kikkoman. 

Who Do You Cook For?

(Meet my dining family.)

Ask yourself that. Some people, living alone, cook for themselves. Mothers cook for their kids. Some fathers cook for their families, like my dad. Wives cook for their husbands. Some of my female friends cook for their boyfriends. I don't know any of my male friends who cook for their girlfriends. Most of them just buy ready-to-eat food. Some would care so much to prepare instant pancit canton. 


But really, who would want to slave over the hot stove?