Zitis

 Marguerite Chicken Ziti Pasta

                        Baked Ziti

and now, the disappearing act...

Pancit Sotanghon

Here's one of my faves...been craving for some major carbs, so I made this today.  I just love it!  Here's my recipe for this absolutely incredible dish...thought I'd share it.

PANCIT SOTANGHON
1 large package Vermicelli Bean Thread dry noodle (usually sold packaged in pink net bag over plastic wrapper)
about 3 tbsp canola oil
1 large chicken breast, boiled, de-boned and hand shredded into thin strips
1/2 lb medium to large shrimps, peeled & deveined
about 1/4 lb lean-cut pork, cut into small cubes
3 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, peeled & diced
1  large carrot, peeled & cut into thin diagonal strips
1/2 celery stalk, de-veined and cut into thin diagonal strips
about 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce, for color
2 tsp fish sauce
2 cans reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable stock
about 2 cups cabbage, cut in julienne (thin diagonal) strips
about 1 cup dry shitake mushrooms (sold pre-sliced in Asian markets)
about 1/4 lb Asian green snow pea snaps (similar to the sugar snap peas, only thinner)
1/2 cup scallions, cut thinly crosswise
salt & freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish (optional)
lemon or calamansi wedges
Method:
-In a small bowl, soak the shitake mushrooms in warm water to soften, about 20 minutes, then squeeze off excess water and set aside.  In another bowl, soak the vermicelli noodles in warm water to soften, about 10 minutes, drain, then set aside. 
-Pour the oil into a large wok or skillet, place in medium high heat.  Saute' garlic & onions until soft, then add the shrimps, cook until shrimps turn pinkish-orange.  Remove shrimps from pan into a clean bowl, cover and set aside.  Add the pork into pan and cook until slightly brown, mix in the shredded chicken, carrots and celery, continue to saute for another 2 minutes, until carrots are slightly soft.  Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer, stir in the pea snaps into the broth until the peas turn a nice bright green color, then quickly remove peas from the broth, rinse them in ice cold water (to stop the cooking process & for peas to retain its brightness), then set aside in a bowl.  Add the shitake mushrooms in the broth, and simmer for a few minutes until mushrooms are soft.  Pour in the soy sauce & fish sauce.  Add in the cabbage, stir, then mix in the vermicelli noodles shortly after.  Replace the shrimps back into the pan & fold in all the ingredients together until noodles, meat and vegetables are blended together.  Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until noodles are cooked.  Add salt as needed and a few dashes of freshly cracked pepper.  Replace the snow pea snaps, stir quickly.  Then remove noodles from heat.  Serve hot in a serving platter, sprinkle with scallions on top.  Garnish with cilantro, if desired.  Serve with lemon or calamansi wedges.  ENJOY!

Savory Sides

Yellow corn with sweet peppers...fresh, crisp and very swweeet!

Spinach Strudel

A light and flaky crust pursed around a creamy spinach center with bits of feta cheese and little specks of toasted pine nuts...great as a savory snack or pick-up meal

Holiday Eats


Christmas celebration...a gathering of family and friends both young & old, enjoying each other's company, spreading goodwill, laughter and feasting on good food.  In quintessential true holiday fashion, everybody brought and shared their favorite dish for our Christmas potluck...what a mouth-watering blitz it was!


                                  Here's what I made...

Seafood Bouillabaisse






Candied Ham

 



Garbanzo Bean & Bacon Risotto



A toast to holiday gastronomy, for the food-lover in all of us...what a spread!  Thanks to everyone for whipping out their signature dishes!



Pasta Dishes

Pasta Puttanesca

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Fusilli with Shrimp pasta

Pre & post-Thanksgiving Eats

With my lobster thermidor still in the works and my turkey just barely out of the brine,  I had to prepare a speedy and easy lunch to satiate our hungry mouths, after all Thanksgiving dinner was still a few hours away...so I took a couple of fresh lobster tails from my party spread, seared it in butter, seasoned it with lemon juice, zest, fresh basil, herbes de Provence, salt & pepper, sprinkled it with freshly grated parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs; flash baked it in the oven to melt & brown the cheese-crumb topping.  Sides included a small sampling of my mashed potatoes and garlic champignons.

Garlic champignons with parsley

One of my post-Thanksgiving meals--yesterday's lunch:  Linguine Pesto pasta with toasted pine nuts

I made this hearty, chunky soup today out of the leftover turkey....added some carrots, summer squash, celery, farfalline, garlic, onions, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, broth, salt & freshly ground pepper...simple, warm, soothing comfort food for this cold, blustery day.

Thanksgiving 2010

Fresh lobster tails--the highlight of this year's Thanksgiving dinner & the main ingredient for my LOBSTER THERMIDOR

2nd stage:  Prior to refilling the lobster meat back in their shells, I've prepared my herb-infused bechamel sauce, mixed in the wine, cream & yolks to the lobster meat.  It's topped with a generous amount of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, before I put it back in the oven for it's 2nd & final run.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR all done & ready to serve...

Herb roasted turkey

Super creamy mashed potatoes with chives

Bacon, Sourdough & Apple Stuffing

light & flaky Pear Tart for dessert

Here's a slice with a dallop of whipped cream, yummmm!