Goddess of Scrumptiousness Recipes

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

500 grams spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente)

1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks)

For the chicken marinade:

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ a lemon

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)

-  Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes (if making this dish in pronto) or over night (if making this dish the next day… much better).

-  Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.

For the garlic gravy:

½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups chicken stock

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups whole cherry tomatoes

-  Place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.

-  Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.

-  Add the flour and cook for a minute.

-  Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.

-  Season with salt and pepper.

-  Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked spaghetti into this  sauce.

-  Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).

Makes 5-6 servings

Goddess of Scrumptiousness Food Photography and Original Recipes by Jeannie Maristela are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at goddessofscrumptiousness.tumblr.com

Inasal Style Grilled Pork Belly with Balsamic-Soy Braised Eggplants over Creamy Sweet Corn Puree, sprinkled with chopped Jalapenos

The smoky and hearty grilled pork belly and all its porky deliciousness is balanced by the savory-tangy balsamic-soy braised eggplants. The creaminess and sweetness of the sweet corn puree balances the richness of the pork belly and the slight acidity of the eggplants. The chopped Jalapenos (although optional) rounds off all the varying flavors and absolutely compliments all the three components of this dish with an added spicy kick.

Ingredients:

For the Grilled Pork Belly:

1 pound pork belly (sliced 3/4 inch thick)

Marinade:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup fish sauce

2 tablespoons red onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ginger root, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

salt and cracked black pepper

- marinate pork belly slices in marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight (more preferably). Before grilling, brush away/remove the finely chopped aromatics from the marinade, pat dry the pork belly slices. Grill pork belly until cooked, golden and slightly charred.

For the Braised Eggplants:

2 large eggplants, medium diced

1 medium red onion, small diced

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 mild long red peppers (I used Jamaican long peppers for this), small diced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup dark soy sauce (not the Japanese soy, but use other Asian variety)

salt and cracked black pepper

1/2 cup water

- In a saute pan over medium fire, heat EVOO and saute garlic and red onions until soft and aromatic. Add the eggplants and saute for 5 minutes. Mix together the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce and pour over the sauteing eggplants. Add the water and simmer until eggplants are soft and liquid has evaporated. Mix in the diced mild red peppers and season with salt and pepper according to taste.

For the Sweet Corn Puree:

4 cups fresh steamed sweet corn kernels

1/4 cup butter

1 medium red onion, sliced

3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock - if making this corn puree vegetarian)

1/2 cup half and half (half milk-half cream)

pinch of cinnamon (just to accentuate the sweetness and flavor of the corn)

salt and white pepper to taste

- Melt butter over medium heat and saute red onions, when onions are soft and translucent, add the sweet corn kernels and saute for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

- Cool the sauteed mixture slightly then puree in a blender. Pass the pureed mixture through a fine sieve or strainer.

- Return the corn puree in the saucepan, heat and add the half and half. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

* Serve/Plate all three components together, sprinkle finely chopped Jalapeno peppers (optional).

Serves 4

CHEDDAR AND GREEN ONION BISCUITS

A bowl of hot soup with 2 or 3 of these biscuits are all one needs to appease and calm everything that is cold, tired and hungry within one’s being.

I made these late this afternoon. Whenever I rub cold butter and flour with my fingertips, I always feel calm, as if I am suddenly put in a trance… this is how relaxed I feel, baking on a late Sunday afternoon and knowing that tomorrow I have a sweet or savory treat I can easily munch on as I please. :)

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cold unsalted butter, cubed small

1/2 cup cream cheese

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup green onions, chopped fine

1 1/2 cups milk

1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Procedure:  Preheat oven to 375’F and line baking sheets with parchment.

In a medium size mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse mill with small beads of butter remaining.

Add grated sharp cheddar and chopped green onions and with a fork and mix everything well.

Still stirring with a fork, pour the milk. Mix lightly until dough comes together (do not over mix as biscuits will get tough, over mixing or over handling this type of dough will only develop the gluten in the flour).

Using a medium ice cream scoop, place biscuit dough 2-inch apart on the baking sheets. Flatten top of the scooped dough and brush top with egg wash.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until biscuits turn light brown.

Serve warm accompanied by your favorite piping hot soup. :)

Makes 24 (2-inch) biscuits

LIGHT AND FLUFFY PANCAKES

Now I know that anyone can absolutely just prefer to buy boxes of ready-mix pancake for the obvious reasons that they don’t want to bother following a recipe and measuring pancake ingredients, I mean I too am guilty using Bisquick and Pillsbury on lots of occasions for the same reasons as all of you have… why bother making it from scratch when there is already an instant option.

But there is something gratifying (for me) about discovering and creating my own mix/recipe of a standard and familiar everyday food… like pancakes! 

This homemade pancake recipe I concocted while lying on my bed, wide awake at past 3 am with this conversation in my head, “Well, the reason why Spongecake and Angel Food cake are fluffy and soft and light is because of aerated egg whites and cake flour… cake flour contains cornflour and baking powder… and cornflour makes cakes fluffy and light and with some sort of an angelic fine texture… baking powder in all cake-y things makes everything, well, risen and cake-y, duh!” And with this conclusion, I went to sleep.

5 hours later I was in the kitchen like a mad scientist ^@-@^ measuring my own “designer” pancake mix!!! Wink ;-) First try (kitchen test) and this recipe already came out perfect!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)

3/4 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

- sift all these dry ingredients 3 times. Set aside.

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2 large eggs

2 1/4 cups evaporated milk (makes pancakes creamier than regular milk)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup melted butter

- whisk all these wet ingredients together. Set aside.

Procedure:

- Pour the wet mixture into the bowl of the dry mixture and stir until the batter is just smooth, but don’t over mix.

- Heat an un-oiled griddle or non-stick skillet.

- Using a large ice cream scoop (makes same size pancakes), drop pancake batter on hot griddle/skillet. Wait for the surface to be bubbly before flipping.

- Serve with… Oh, whatever you wish to eat these pancakes with! Freedom of choice is delicious!!! :D

Makes 16 (4-inch) pancakes

SPICED GINGER COOKIES

These Ginger Spiced Cookies are warmly spiced with a gentle but snappy flavor of ginger, the earthy sweetness of cinnamon and cloves and a hint of maple syrup which echoes all the spices.

These cookies are so perfect with a very cold glass of milk… You all know I always talk from my own experience! :)

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups margarine, softened

2 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup granulated sugar (to roll in/coat the cookie dough balls before baking)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350’F. In a medium bowl sift all the dry ingredients. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl cream together margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time then add the maple syrup.
3. Stir in the flour mixture. Using a small ice cream scoop, shape dough into balls and roll in granulated sugar.
4. Place balls 3 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie/baking sheet.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are light brown.
6. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 45 (2 1/2-inch) cookies

BANANA AND WALNUT COOKIES

These cookies are wonderful as they are but these can also be made into sandwich cookies with buttery (frosting) filling… perfect for an afternoon tea time. 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 medium (1/2 cup) ripe banana, chopped coarsely small

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon banana extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350’F. Combine butter, sugar and banana in a large bowl. Beat until smooth. Add egg, vanilla and banana extract, beat until smooth. Add flour and salt into the butter mixture until well combined. Then stir in walnuts.
2. Using a small ice cream scoop shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking/cookie sheet. Flatten each balls into 1/4-inch thickness with the buttered bottom of a glass dipped in flour.
3. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet and transfer onto wire racks to cool.

Buttery Frosting (if making sandwich cookies)

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 tablespoons of milk

- Beat all ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Fill cookies with 2 teaspoons of filling.

Makes 72 cookies or 36 sandwich cookies

BUTTER AND GARLIC PORK WITH CRISPY FRIED GARLIC 

This dish is super fast to make. Again this belongs to my portfolio of dishes that requires minimum effort, but with maximum deliciousness. 

Don’t mind the garlic breath… this dish is all worth it!

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork tenderloin, sliced thinly

Marinade:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional and according to taste)

____________________

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 Jamaican long red peppers, deseeded and sliced thinly

1/4 cup chives, sliced finely

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1 head garlic, minced finely

1/4 cup canola oil/vegetable oil

- fry garlic in oil until golden brown (but not burnt) and crispy. Set aside.

Procedure:

1. Marinate pork tenderloin slices with the marinade ingredients for 20 minutes.
2. Heat a saute pan or wok. Melt butter and saute garlic in butter until soft. Add the sliced pork and saute for 6-8 minutes.
3. Add the sliced long peppers. Saute for 2 minutes.
4. Serve over boiled plain rice.
5. Sprinkle with chives and crispy fried garlic bits.

Makes 4-5 servings

STIR-FRIED SRIRACHA SHRIMPS

Spicy with a hint of Asian barbecue.

Ingredients:

1 pound medium-size shrimps (heads removed and peeled)

1 Tablespoon Sriracha

1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce

Salt and Pepper

2 Tablespoons butter

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

1 Jamaican long pepper, chopped fine

Procedure:

1. Marinate shrimps in sriracha, oyster sauce, salt and pepper for 5-10 minutes.

2. Place wok or skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter then saute garlic until softened and fragrant (1 minute).

3. Add the Jamaican long pepper and green onion and saute aromatics for another minute.

4. Add the shrimps into the sauteed aromatics and toss or “stir-fry”. Cook for no longer than 2 minutes or until shrimps curl-up (shrimps can overcook in a matter of seconds).

5. Serve with steamed rice or toasted baguette slices.

Makes 2-3 servings