Sauteed Mongo Beans with Shrimp

Good day y'all.  Went to the Farmer's market at Third and Fairfax today.  Ate an early lunch of panini and salad from The French Crepe Factory.  The panini had sliced mozzarella, prosciutto, sliced tomatoes, and basil in it.  It was surprisingly good.  The meal came with a garden salad that had a mustard dressing.  The salad was okay but nothing spectacular.

The Farmer's market, being an LA landmark is always crowded with tourists and can get pretty noisy around lunch time.  The alleys and passageways are narrow and  usually congested with foot traffic.  Despite all that, I still like to go there because of Monsieur Marcel as well as La Surla Table and World Market.  I try to go early in the morning though before the lunch and tourist crowds arrive since trying to find parking can be a huge pain in the butt.



As  usual, my trip to the farmer's market isn't complete if I do not go to the usual stops.  Today, I stopped at Monsieur Marcel and picked-up some cold cuts and cheese (Havarti with dill, french ham, and oven-roasted turkey breast).  Although I can find these at the regular store, I prefer getting them from Marcel because the quality is better.  I also stopped by at La Surla and World market but didn't find anything that I liked.

From the farmer's market, I made a quick stop at home to drop off the cold cuts and the made my way to Glendale where I met with my friend.  We went to Glendale galleria and shopped a bit.  Finally, I was able to buy the bamboo matcha scoop/spoon that I wanted.  Hooray for that!!!



By the time I got home, I was starving again.  A quick inventory for ingredients yielded a bag of mung beans, shrimps, a bag of fresh spinach, tomatoes, and onions - things I needed to make sauteed munggo beans.  This dish is a childhood favorite which my mom used to cook for us.  I think I learned making this dish while watching/observing her cook the dish.

This is a simple, no-frill dish which can be prepared easily.  This is a dish which can probably be found in almost every places in the Philippines though there might be slight variation in the ingredients used or preparation.  Some people add sinigang mix to make it sour.  We usually use a different green vegetable but since it is not readily available here in the States, spinach is acceptable.



Cooking mung beans may take a long time so prepare the dish well in advance so that it will be ready when meal time  comes.  You boil the beans until it becomes soft, mushy, and liquid thickens.  If the water has evaporated before the beans softens, you can add more.  Also make sure that you stir it every few minutes as the bean could stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.  Aside from the fact that burnt mung beans do not taste good, it is also hard to clean a pan with burnt mung beans.



Ingredients:

1  cups of mung beans

1/2 lb shrimp (more if  you prefer), trimmed and deveined but leave the shells on

2 cups fresh spinach

1 onion, sliced

1 tomato, sliced

salt and pepper according to taste

oil

1 Place mung beans and water in a pan and simmer until soft and mushy. Set aside.

2. In another pan, add oil then sauteed onion and tomato until onion is translucent and fragrant

3. Add shrimp and lightly saute until it turns slightly orange.

4. add softened mung beans to the pot and cook until it boils and slightly thickens.  NOTE: add more water as needed

5. When soup thickens slightly, add spinach and cook for a minute or two.

6. Season with salt and pepper then remove from heat.

7. Serve warm.

Fried Shrimp in Salted Egg Yolk

I hope everyone's weekend was way better than mine.  I was in pain all weekend long as a result of yet another steroid shot to my injured elbow ...Ughhh, being the fourth shot within the last six months, I think they have outlived their usefulness.  As a result, there has been no significant effect on the pain anymore.  It is still at the same intensity as it was before the last one...they need to find a better treatment regimen for me... 

On the bright side, I cooked an excellent dish today.  Cooking is like my oasis in the desert that helps to keep me going when things are not going as they should.  It helped keep me sane when I went through a rough patch and still does help keep my brain occupied now since I do not use it as much as I did when I worked... another added advantage is that it helps exercise my elbow and hand to keep it moving....hehehe... okay, enough about my problem and moving on to the good part...

This dish is Chinese in origin but uses ingredients that are commonly used in Asian cooking.  One of the main ingredients which, in my opinion, takes this dish to an entirely different level is the addition of salted egg yolks into the sauce.  The salted egg yolks just makes the sauce creamy and tasty.  Although salted egg yolks were used in the dish, surprisingly, it is not salty at all so do not be afraid of seasoning your shrimp or adding salt to the cornstarch or all-purpose flour used in dredging the shrimp prior to frying.  

Serve this with a piping hot bowl of steamed rice and use your hands to dig in.  While that may sound barbaric or crude to a lot of people, I do think this is the best way to eat this dish...hehehe....that's just the Filipino way of enjoying a meal.  Of course, I have never been too good with using my hand to eat rice with but I definitely use my hands to peel the shells off the shrimps and dunk it in its sauce.  The shrimps are good but the sauce is divine... As the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan goes, these babies are finger lickin' good

BTW, do not throw away the salted egg whites since that can be used in another dish which, in my opinion, is a great accompaniment to this dish.  Recipe will follow.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs large shrimps

1/2 cup cornstarch

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup oil

1/2 block butter

1 head garlic, peeled and finely chopped

6 hard-boiled egg yolks, mashed

1,  In a bowl, mix cornstarch, salt and pepper.

2. Lightly dredge the shrimp in cornstarch mixture, shake off excess.

3. Heat a non-stick wok over medium heat.  Add oil.

4, When oil is hot, add shrimp and lightly saute.  Cook until shrimp turns orange in color then immediately remove from heat.  Transfer shrimp to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess fat.

5. Add garlic to the oil and saute until fragrant and soft.

6. Add salted egg yolks and stir to dissolve.

7. Add shrimp back to the wok and stir to mix.

8. Remove from heat and serve.

Vietnamese Spring Roll (Goi Cuon) with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham)

Vietnamese spring roll is something that I discovered about 10 years ago and have really fallen in love with it. It is simple and easy to make plus most of the ingredients are easily accessible. It has all the yummy goodness of a spring roll without the greasiness and added cholesterol. It is also like a handheld salad which you can take with you and eat while on the go. To me, the spring roll itself is bland because, with the exception of the herbs, there is nothing that has been added in terms of seasoning. The secret though is in the sauce. It can either be dipped in peanut based dip or a fish sauce based dip. In this recipe, I served it with the fish sauce based dip.

Handling the rice paper wrapper can be tricky especially for those who are using it for the first time. They easily tear and quite hard to handle when they are very wet so the trick is to just get it wet enough that it becomes slightly pliable but still retains it shape. What I do is just dip it in water for a second or two then place it in my work surface area then let the rice paper wrapper soak up some of the excess fluid which takes about 30 seconds then start adding the filling. When adding the filling, make sure not to overfill as it will be hard to handle when rolling the rice paper wrapper.


INgredients:

12 jumbo shrimps, shelled and deveined
3-4 oz vermicelli (bean threads)
1 large carrot, peeled then julienned
rice paper wrapper (Banh Trang)
Lettuce leaves, washed and dried then cut into half (lengthwise) with the hard membrane removes
handful of mint, chopped coarsely
handful of cilantro, chopped coarsely

1. Boil jumbo shrimp in a small pan of water until it turns orange. Remove and cool.
2. In the same pan where you boil the shrimp, add the vermicelli and boil for 2-3 minutes or until it turns soft. Rinse in cool running water then drain.
3. When shrimp is cool enough to handle, slice in half (lengthwise)
4. To assemble: Take a piece of rice paper wrapper and dip in a pan of water for a second or two.
5. Place the rice paper in a flat work surface and let it rest for 30 seconds.
6. Take a piec of the lettuce then top with a small handful of vermicelli, add carrots, mint, and cilantro. Add three slices of shrimp arrange side by side.
7. To wrap: fold the sides inward to enclose the filling then take the end closest to you and start rolling until you reach the end. NOTE: Make sure you roll as tight as possible without causing the wrapper to tear.
8. Serve with prepared dip.

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham)
Adapted from here

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
6 Tbsp fish sauce
5 Tbsp fresh lime juice
5 tsp rice vinegar
6 Tbsp sugar
1 chopped fresh red chili, seeded and choped finely
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic

1. COmbine water, sugar, and vinegar into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Add fish sauce, lime, chili, and garlic then mix thoroughly.
4. Serve with fresh Vietnamese spring roll

Firecracker Shrimp

I remember having these wonton wrapped shrimps years ago but cannot remember when and where exactly I had them. My memory seem to tell me that i saw someone cooked this in food channel and I tried to recreate it at home but that memory seem blurry that I am not even sure if I am remembering things correctly. Anyways, to make the long story short, I had some shrimps which I thawed in the refrigerator overnight and could not think of any dish to make. Then I saw some wonton wrappers which were leftover from when I cooked shrimp and squid mini lumpia rolls which gave me an idea on making some firecracker shrimps. For the life of me though, I cannot remember what the marinade for the shrimp was so I searched the net and landed in Jaden's (of steamy kitchen)blog with a recipe for firecracker shrimp. She has soe good pointers on how to make sure the shrimp doesn't curl up when fried which I used and viola! the shrimps stayed straight. I made made some revision on the marinade that I used though but the end result is still amazing. I also used sweet and sour mango sauce instead of sweet chili sauce.


Ingredients:

15 shrimps, deveined and shelled with tail part left in
15 wonton (0r 8 eggrol wrappers cut into two triangles) wrappers
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp lite soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, according to taste
2 Thai chili, seeded and finely chopped


1. Combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well and add shrimp. Make sure that shrimps are coated with marinade well. Marinate for about 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, drain marinade and pat shrimps dry to absorb excess marinade.
3. Make a few small incisions along the inner section of the shrimp ( see jaden's illustrations here)
4. Wrap 1 shrimp using 1 wonton wrapper and wrap shrimp with tail sticking out. Wet the end of the wrapper to fasten (make it stick) in place. Do this until all of the shrimps has been wrapped.




5. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and deep fry shrimps until golden brown. Make sure you do not overcrowd the pan as that will bring the oil's temperature down.
6. DRain excess oil by placing fried shrimp in paper towel lined plate.
7. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with sweet and sour mango sauce (recipe here)

Deep Fried Shrimp with Spicy Salt

This is my version of the deep fried shrimp dish that we usually get from a Chinatown resto here in LA. Normally, this recipe calls for Szechuan peppercorns but I did not have any on hand so I opted to tweak the recipe instead of going out to buy some. Taste wise, this dish is really good. The shrimp is very crunchy and crispy on the outside while succently on the inside. This dish taste really good with piping hot rice. When Ieat this dish, I usually do not use utensils. Instead, I use my hand to eat...mmmm, yummy...

I refrain from adding seasoning to the shrimp prior to deep frying it because the spicy salt will be more than enough to season it. You can devn your shrimp by making a lit along the back using a sharp knife then removing the membrame but I just totally skipped that step because I was pressed for time. When frying it, make sure that your oil's temperature remains constant by not overcrowding the pan. This will result in a crispier outcome, in my opinion. Oh, be very careful when frying or removing your shrimps as the oil will be very hot and could burn your hands. I always use a screen splatter guard (I am not even sure if that is what its called) to prevent oil from splattering all over you, your stove, and the kitchen. Word of advice: when handling Thai chili and kochukaro, avoid touching your face or eyes as they can cause it to sting. To me, the dish is not too spicy but if you can to cut down on the spiciness, make sure that you remove the seed from the Thai chillies or eliminate kochukaru. Bon Appetit!



Ingredients:
1 lb jumbo shrimp
oil for frying
1/2 cup cornstarch or all-purpose flour
2 red Thai chillies, sliced thinly and diagonally
2 greem Thai chillies, sliced thinly and diagonally
1/4 tsp freshly and coarsely ground black pepper
a small pinch of Kochukaru (Korean red pepper powder)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 rsp sea salt, you can adjust depending on your taste

1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium high heat.
2. In a small bowl, mix sea salt, ground black pepper, and kochukaru. Set aside
3. Wash and dry shrimps thoroughly.
4. In a small bowl, place flour.
5. Dredge shrimp in flour them place in a strainer and shake off excess flour.
6. When oil is hot, add a few shrimps at a time and deep fry until it turns slightly orange. Remove from heat and drain excess oil using a strainer or colander. Repeat process untill all the shrimps has been deep fried.

7. Heat clean sauce pan over medium heat. Ad about 1 - 2 Tbsp of oil.
8. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
9. Add Thai chili and saute for 30 secons to 1 minute.
10. Add the salt mixture and saute a little bit. Notice that the salt will absorb almost all of the all.
11. Add fried shrimp into the mix and dry sautee to coat it with the salt mixture.
12. Immediately remove from heat, transfer to a serving platter and serve. Serve with rice if you want.

Squid and Shrimp Mini Lumpia (Spring Roll)

Inspired by the squid and shrimp balls that I made yesterday, I ventured into making mini lumpi today. Ha! I woke up really early for this one too because I just woke up with visions of these crispy, fried (translation: fattening and greasy...hehehe)but oh-so-yummy babies. Lumpia, as we call them in the Philippines, is otherwise known as spring roll. It is similar to chinese spring rolls. The filling is wrapped in spring roll wrapper and then fried until golden in color. There is an endless possibility for what you can use as filling...you are only limited to your imagination. Traditionally, we use ground pork with spices, veggies, and some fillers such as bean sprouts, chesnuts, and even mashed tofu. This one though is slightly different partly because the ingredients are pureed in the blender before they are wrapped in wonton (not spring roll) wrappers. Wonton and spring roll wrappers are basically the same except that wonton wrappers are smaller compared to spring roll wrappers. To round up this dish, I used sweet and sour mango sauce instead of the catsup-based sweet and sour sauce.


Ingredients:
1 lb squid, cleaned and sliced
1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2/3 cup carrots, cpopped
1 egg yolk
1-2 Tbsp oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
oil for frying


I. Bring a pan of water to a boil.
2. Blanch squid for about 30 seconds to 1 minute in hot water then drain.
3. Add shrimp, squid,garlic, shallot, carrots, sea salt, egg, and pepperto a food processor. Pulse until pureed and well incorporated. Drizzle oil (1-2 Tbsp) and continue to process until it starts to form a ball.
4. Take a piece of wonton wrapper and lay it on a plate. (NOTE: Keep the rest of the wonton wrappers covered with damp towel to prevent it from drying out.)
5. Add about a tsp of the mixture and wrap. NOTE: See pictures on how to wrap.




NOTE: Wet the tip of the wonton wrapper to make it stick when you roll
6. Continue wrapping until all of the fillings have been used. NOTE: You may dredge lumpia in flour before frying fo a crispier lumpia that stays crispy for a while. Be sure to remove excess flour though before frying.
7. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
8. When oil is hot, add lumpia a few at a time and fry until golden in color. Do not overcrowd you pan as it will lower the oil's temperature resulting in a soggy lumpia. NOTE: Be careful as this may cause oil to splatter all over your stove and on yourself.
9. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil. When frying is done, transfer to a serving dish and serve warm with sweet and sour mango sauce.

Linguine al Nero di Seppia (Squid Ink Linguine)

This my tribute to the recently concluded Korean drama entitled "Scent of a Woman". The main characters met in Japan and had this pasta. I really wanted to make the one with the squid ink sauce but couldn't find any prepared ones. Short of having to collect the squid ink myself, this is a better alternative...hehehe. I may have to order some online though so I could make risotto al nero di seppia (Squid ink risotto) or arroz negro (black rice). The good thing is that I found this newly opened(or so I was told) place at the Farmer's Market in Third and Fairfax that sells squid ink pasta and the guy whom I talked to said that the company who makes the pasta might be releasing a new product, squid ink gnocchi, soon. Oh, that sounds really nice...can't wait for them to carry it.

Ah, the walk through the farmer's market was really nice. I found fresh lemon grass which I could use for another squid recipe that i have in mind. There were also passion fruits which, at $1.98 a piece, was a little too much in my opinion. But then again, that was the first time that I have seen passion fruit in a long time. Maybe I should have gotten some...

In Filipno cuisine, we really don't use squid ink other than leaving the ink sacs when we cook squid adobo. Squid ink is very popular in Italy where they use it in risotto and as ingredient to make squid ink pasta as well as pasta sauces. It is also very popular in Spain particularly Valencia where they use squid ink as an ingredient for arroz negro or black rice. As I have previously stated, this dish uses squid ink pasta instead of using squid ink in the sauce. One advantage of squid ink pasta over the squid ink sauce is not having to deal with blackened teeth as a result of eating the dish...hehehe...not a good food for date night. Although I have to say squid ink pasta is a lot milder than using the ink for the sauce.



Ingredients:

4 oz squid ink linguine
1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium vine-ripened tomato, cubed 1/2 inch size
a handful of parsley, chopped roughly
10 large shrimps, shelled and deveined with the tail left on
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


1. Cook pasta according to direction. Add salt and oil to the pasta water. Reserve some of the pasta water before draining pasta using a colander.
2. Heat pan over medium heat.
3. Add onion and garlic and saute until fragrant and translucent.
4. Add shrimp and saute until it changes into orange color.
5. Add tomato and mix well(NOTE: the reason I am adding the tomato a little later is because I did not want it to cook too long and breakdown)
6. Add wine and simmer for a couple of minutes.
7. Add salt and pepper, to taste
8. Add pasta and parsley, mix well.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. YOu may also add some pasta water if it is too dry.
10. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Ginisang Mongo ( Sauteed Mung Beans)

This dish reminds me of home and memories from my not-so-distant past. It reminds me of my childhood spent in our house which was located in a sugar central compound where my dad works. I miss the village, the people, the simple life. Now, the place has changed so much to the point that it is beyond recognition. Gone are the uniformly-built and well-kept houses which added so much charm to the place. It has been replaced instead by sugarcane plantation. It is a sharp contrast from what it used to look like. To be honest, I have not been back since the village where I used to live was changed into a plantation. I do not think I can handle it,too sad. I would rather preverve my memory of what the place used to look like...a place that holds so many memories of my childhood and youth; of friendships that has endured the test of time; of loved ones who remains steadfast in their support and love for me; and of experiences that has helped shape me to become the person that I am today...


Ingredients:

1 cup mung beans
1 small onion, sliced thinly
1 tomato, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/4 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
oil
salt to taste
bunch of spinach


1. Place mung bean in a pan and cover with water. Let it boil until beans softens and thick. Keep an eye to make sure that the water does not evaporate. Add mor water if needed until the desired consistency for mung beans is achieved then set aside.


2. Add water to a large bowl. Add spinach and rinse. Leave spinach in the bowl to allow dirt to settle to the bottom. Set aside while Preparing the rest of the ingredients.


3. Heat pan to medium heat. Add oil and then saute garlic and onions until translucent.

4. Add tomatoes and cook until soft. Add shrimp and sautee until it turns pink.



5. Add mung bean mixture and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add water if needed but make sure to let it simmer until the soup slightly thickens.

6. Add spinach and cook for about 2 minutes, or until spinach is soft.

7. Season with salt according to taste. Remove form heat and serve.