organic

Sous Vide Pork Belly, Mexican Rice & Egg (over a bed of Black Bean Salsa Casera)

The other day hubby and I discovered a quaint restaurant in Aptos, Ca, namely Cafe Sparrow. Right before walking through their entrance door, I spotted a dish on the menu board that caught my eyes right away, pork belly with eggs! It read so simply, yet the thought of grilled pork belly over a bed of black bean salsa, with a chipotle aioli alongside two eggs peeked my curiosity even more.

Incidentally, about a week ago hubby and I were doing our monthly run at Costco. There, amongst the many items we always manage to discover on a whim were Sous Vide Pork Belly! Unbeknownst to me that I would end up ordering pork belly & eggs about a week later.

All this to say that my craving for this dish inspired me to make my own rendition at home…

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Ube Cookie Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Stumbling upon it on Instagram, I purchased a few of these Ninong’s Original Ube Cookie Butter. Although I’m quite familiar with the flavors of ube, I’ve never had one in a cookie butter form. 

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Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn)

Corn season is in full force in California, so, naturally it’s an Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn) kind of day…

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Cajun Burger with Collard Greens and Fried Oysters…

My version is a simple dash of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper atop the grass-fed beef patties on freshly-baked hamburger buns, adding on fried oysters, collard greens, and Sir Kensington’s Special Sauce to finish it off—no bayou dish left unturned.

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Cheezy Dog Biscuits

This is an easy, human-grade biscuits to make for your pooches.  The recipe originated from the April 2018 issue of Bake from Scratch magazine, as shared by the Winterlake Lodge.

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Chicken Piccata

My cousin gave me some wonderful, homegrown lemons, and so, when life gives you lemons…do make something wonderful out of them.

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Steamed Mussels in Garlic and Tomato Broth

Mussels, once they have been properly cleaned, are really easy to cook, and you can have something delicious on the table within 15 minutes.

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Peanut Butter Dog Treats

I’ve been on a cookie baking binge the past few days, and this is one of three recipes I will share with you this week.

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My Summer Fling with Squashes

Humbly grateful with our gardener for the bounty of his homegrown zucchini and squash that he shares with us from time to time.  One in particular is the pattypan squash.  Thus, to satisfy my curiosity, I did some research.

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Zucchini Lasagna Rolls

We are fortunate enough to receive some organic vegetables from our friend. From fava beans, to various types of squash, to cucumbers, to zucchini. Today I’m excited to share with you a lasagna recipe I’ve never done before using zucchini.

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Pork Belly Adobo Sliders, Anyone?

Well…here I am!  Back in the cooking game after our 6th move in August.  I will not go into much details …but, I am pretty sure this is THE ONE!

kitchen_2 kitchen_3

Of course, in my new little kitchen, the first meal I made (by request from our teen) was Pork Sinigang (Filipino sour soup or stew).  A staple in any Filipino home, and quite the favorite for many–young and old.  Thus, on the topic of Filipino food, comes the wondrous Pork Adobo…

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Braising Mix Greens with Bacon

For those of you who has never experienced the southern comfort of collard greens, you are definitely missing out on a staple dish!  I’ve cooked this in many different ways but never holding out on two factoring ingredients that make this so good–apple cider vinegar and hot sauce.  Oh, and need I mention the obligatory bacon/ and or ham-hock to boot?!

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Lamb Chops, Collard Greens, and New Beginnings…

Happy Spring!  It’s been a couple of months since I’ve had an opportunity to jot down a favorite recipe or two.  This week I made a very simple lamb chop dish, alongside some collard greens.  This was one of those days when I felt like playing in my current kitchen for one last time.  I say this because we are moving!  So the thought of new beginnings, new ideas, and a new home for the long haul just made me appreciate how much I love doing what I do…

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Crispy Baked Ravioli…How do you ravioli?

Here’s a healthy alternative to frying ravioli…and less of a mess, too!

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