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.

Turkey, Spinach, and Pesto Panini

Good morning, World. I went to bed early last night so I woke up bright and early this morning...huh? Did those words come out of my mouth... este, did I really type those words? Hahaha...quite strange coming from a girl who is not always in a good mood in the morning. I am not a morning person but strangely I feel okay this morning...maybe because I got some much needed rest last night after a few days of not sleeping well. I tell you, I slept like a baby with a few dreams here and there but i cannot even remember those dreams when I woke up...strange, huh? 

Anyways, I have some blogging to catch up to so I will start with this entry and maybe back-track posts for the last two or three days and post entries for the dishes I cooked but haven't had time to post...hehehe...was busy with school trying to finish a paper that was due Monday so didn't have time to post...

I had an appointment with my therapist yesterday morning...hand therapist, not psychiatrist...hehehe.... and as usual I usually stop by at several shops before finally making my way home. In the process, I usually end up with tons of stuff by the time I reach home. What can I say? There are just so many temptations along the way. First, I stopped by at Whole Foods and picked up more arugula, ciabatta, and basil as well as well as corn, jam, and mustard. Next off, I went to Monsieur Marcel at the Farmemr's market and picked up prosciutto, and oven-roasted turkey breast from their deli section. Next, I went to World Market and La Surla Table(still at the Farmer's Market) and picked up some glasses, small dishes, and tea towels...Oh, the joy...they are like candy stores for the kitchen....too many pretty and shiny stuff :). Finally, I bought some fresh produce at the Farmer's market which were really great and fresh.

By the time I finally made it home, it was past lunch time. Unfortunately, there was nothing ready to eat at the house A quick rummaging on the cupboard and refrigerator and I found some ingredients I need to make a quick lunch...the result is a turkey, sinach, and pesto panini. I am telling you, I have been hooked on panini lately...hehehe... If you do not have a panini press or panini maker, refer to this post for idea on how to make it... it is easy and tasty

The combination for this pesto sandwich came from sister who told me after she saw the picture of my sweet chili, chicken, and pesto panini which I posted on my facebook account. I was a little skeptical at first because I was not sure how the wilted spinach taste in the panini but this converted me into a huge fan. Everything meshes well together perfectly and you cannot even tell that the spinach is in there which will be a good way to sneak veggies into your children's diet. I think it also helped that the roasted turkey breast from Marcel's taste great even by it itself. I was in panini heaven, so easy to make and tasty...a combination that's hard to come by....hehehe...

Even with the side salad and fruit cup, I was done in less than 20 minutes. I prepared a simple salad of baby spinach, pine nuts, and apple in a simple olive oil-lemon dressing to go with the salad. A fruit cup of mixed, sliced fruit such as apple, blackberries, and strawberries round out the meal. The fruits were part of the produce that I purchased from the farmer's market on Third and Fairfax.

Ingredients:

1 Rustic bread or any crusty bread, sliced in half

Prepared (I used my homemade) pesto

2-3 slices of oven-roasted turkey breast

a handful of baby spinach leaves

grated mozzarella or sliced provolone cheese



1. Spread pesto on both sides of the bread.

2. On one side, add a layer of cheese, then spinach.

3. Add turkey on another layer and top with another layer of cheese.

4. Cover with the other half of the bread and press down. Set aside

5. Heat your cast iron grill pan over medium heat.

6. Add about 1/2 a tsp of olive oil.  Using a non-stick, heat-resistant basting brush, spread the oil all over the grill pan.

7. Position your panini in the middle of the pan.  Place a layer of foil on top of the panini before placing you weight.

***make sure that the weight is stable and provides even weight on the panini.  I used a cast iron pan and then topped that with a cast-iron wok to provide a a heavier weight on the sandwich.

8. Grill each side for about 3-4 minutes or until it is toasted according to your preference.  When one side is done, use a spatula to turn it over and cook the other side using the same procedure.

9. When done, remove from heat and slice into two equal portion. Serve with potato chips, fried, salad or your choice of sides.

Portabella, Baby Spinach, and Feta Cheese Frittata

Woke up tired and a little later than usual this morning... probably because I had coffee late last night which kept me awake until wee hours of the morning.  I was also having more pain than usual on my left elbow and hand that every little movement would jolt me back into a state of wakefulness...hmmm...is that even a right term? Oh, well.  If it isn't then who cares, right?  This isn't one of my grad school paper where every little grammatical and punctuation error is subject to a deduction....hehehe...As I was saying, I didn't get much sleep last night so I naturally woke up late and feeling tired this morning.  I had originally planned to make lasagna today but changed my mind as it requires more steps and prep work than I was willing to exert my effort on.

After getting up, I probably spent a couple of hours watching anime via crunchyroll.com. Anime is an animation style that originates from Japan.  I started watching Gintama today and surprisingly it sounds interesting.  This is only the second anime series that I have seen so far. The first one is Hunter x Hunter which, unfortunately, is still airing in Japan so I have to wait for more episodes to become available before I finish the series.  Although I have heard of and seen bits and pieces of an anime on my numerous visits to the Philippines, mostly due to the fact that my brother watches them, I have never really sat down and watch (on my own accord) an entire anime series until last week.  To my surprise, I entertained to the point that I couldn't wait to see the next episode.  It is not surprising , I guess since I am used to watching drama series (mostly Korean and some Taiwanese) for hours at a time.  What's more surprising though is the fact that my ears seem to have become acclimated to listening to the Japanese language...something that I had a hard time adjusting to when I attempted to watch Japanese dorama in the past.  Strange, isn't it?

Anyways, after a couple of hours my stomach started growling so I dragged myself off the bed and rummaged through the refrigerator's content after a quick shower.  I found different cheeses, fresh baby spinach leaves, portabello, some eggs, and milk so I decided to make frittata which is easy enough to make.  Frittata is an Italian egg-based dish that is similar to an omelette or a quiche.  The egg with addition of vegetables, cheese, and meat is usually cooked on the stove top just until the sides start to set then transferred to the oven to bake until the center is cooked.

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup sliced portabello mushroom
1/4 milk
1/2 cup feta cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp parmigiano reggiano

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add eggs, feta cheese, and black pepper.  Beat to mix well.
3. Heat an oven-proof,  non-stick skillet over medium heat.
4. Add oil then garlic and shallot.  Saute until fragrant then add portabello and cook until softened.
5. Add spinach leaves and saute until it welts slightly.  Note: do worry if the spinach seems too much because the volume will be reduced significantly once it has welted.
6. Lower the heat to medium low and add the egg mixture.  Using a fork, stir the mixture slightly until the spinach and mushroom floats to the surface.
7. Continue to cook until the sides begin to set.
8. Sprinkle parmigiano reggiano on top then transfer to a preheated oven and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the center sets and is cooked through.
9. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Spinach Pouch

I have been experiencing a publishing backlog lately because my ability to cook and take pictures is a lot faster than my ability to post and publish them. I really do love to cook and enjoy taking pictures just a little bit more than before. My problem is that sometimes I get too lazy to start typing. Other times, I just don't know what to say. Not a problem though as I am positive that I will be able to get them all posted in due time :)


Before I talk about the dish that I have created today, I have to say thank you to everyone who came and visited my blog. I have to say that tastespotting, foodbuzz, and foodgawker has done wonders to increasing the traffic in my blog. And please do leave me a comment as I always welcome and enjoy reading them.

The dish that I created today is an appetizer that is so easy to make. I used four main ingredients plus pepper and salt to create this dish. The filling can be easily substituted with whatever is readily available. The filling can also be changed into a sweet filling to make it a dessert instead of an appetizer. I would say that the possibility is endless. Today though I used frozen spinach, cream cheese, and ricotta cheese as filling. Make sure that you thaw the frozen spinach well ahead of time to prevent any delay. I thawed mine in the refrigerator overnight and then used chesse cloth to squeeze it dry. Making sure that all the fluids has been removed is important because you do not want a soggy pouch when fried plus the water will also make frying difficult as it will cause oil to splatter.


Another important thing to remember when using wonton or spring roll wrappers is that they dry out easily so make sure that you cover them in damp (not soaking wet) cloth to prevent them from drying out and turning brittle. To help the pouch retain its shape, I let it air dry a little bit after I wrapped the filling so that it becomes stiff thus helping it hold the shape better. These pouches can be kept in the freezer and then taken out when needed. I usually don't thaw them out before frying so they just go from the freezer to the hot oil. You need to be careful though as oil may splatter when it comes in contact with the frozen pouches. Also, use splatter guard to prevent oil from splattering all over you and your kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 box (10 oz) Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Large size wonton wrappers
oil for frying
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


1. In a bowl, placed squeeze-dried spinach. Fluff them up to loosen.
2. Add cream cheese and ricotta cheese. Mix well.
3. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
4. To wrap: Take a teaspoon full of the filling and place it in the middle of the wonton wrappers. Gather the corners to create a pouch. Take small stips of the cut wonton and use it to tie the corners together. Be careful not to break the tie.
5. Do this until all the filling has been used.
6. Heat oil in a pan. When oil is hot, place a few of the pouch and fry until golden in color. NOTE: Fry only a few at a time so as not to lower the oil temperature and not to overcrwod the pan.
7. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
8. Transfer to a serving platter and serve warm.

Spanakopita

I am using the other half of my phyllo dough on this recipe (the other half was used in baklava the other day). Spanakopita is a snack food in Greece where the dish originated. ngredients for this dish usually include feta cheese, chopped spinach, onions, scallions, eggs, dill, and seasoned with salt and pepper. The filling is wrapped in phyllo wrapped and baked until the crust runs golden brown in color and very crunchy.
Ingredients:

1/2 package (1/2 lb) phyllo dough, thawed before use
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp flour
1 package (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
2 eggs, sightly beaten
1 large onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1. Heat pan over medium heat. Saute onions in oil until translucent.
2. Add spinach and dill and saute for a minute or two.
3. Sprinkle flour and mix to combine. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes to cook with flour. Season salt and pepper according to taste.
5. Add eggs, parmesan cheese, and feta cheese. Mix until well incorporated.



To assemble:
1. Lay out your phyllo dough and remove 1 piece. (Be sure to cover the rest with damp towel so as not to dry out).
2. Brush half of the phyllo dough with butter.
3. Lift the sude without butter and fold it over to the buttered side.
3. Take a teaspoon full of filling and place it in the lower middle area leaving about two inches at the bottom,
4. Fold the bottom part over the mixture.
5. Take the left side and fold it in the middle. Do the same with the right side.
6. Hold the area where the filling and fold like you are folding a flag. Place on a buttered baking dish with the seam down.











To Bake:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place the spanakopita in a baking dish that has been oiled/buttered.
3. Baked for about 45 minutes or until golden brown
4. Remove from oven and cool a little bit before serving.