Mighty Spicy Meatloaf

Mighty Spicy Meatloaf 

This spicy and hot meatloaf brings on big heat, that’s for sure. Even so, it is not exactly fire in the mouth, so even the less adventurous can sample this and excite their taste buds. Adjust it to volcanic, a mild tingly heat or remove it completely, it works just as well. Get it to zero heat by removing the red chili and hot sauce. Make it hotter on the other hand by adding in more chili but it can be better by using jalapenos. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 lbs ground beef
• 1 large egg
• 1 large onion
• 10 red chilies
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 large dill pickle
• 2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
• 4 oz catsup
• 4 oz hot sauce
• 2 oz oil
• salt
• ground black pepper

Directions: 

1. Mince the onions, red chilies, red bell pepper, garlic and the dill pickle, set them aside in separate bowls.
2. Saute the onions until they are caramelized.
3. Add in the red chilies, red bell pepper and garlic, cook until softened and then set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, onions, red chilies, red bell pepper, garlic, dill pickles, a big pinch of salt, a pinch of ground black pepper and the whole wheat bread crumbs.
5. Form a large loaf that fits into a baking pan and set aside.
6. Set the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Mix together the catsup and the hot sauce.
8. Apply a good coat of the catsup and hot sauce mix on the meatloaf and place it in the oven.
9. Wait 45 minutes to 1 hour, serve it hot out of the oven or cooled after several minutes. 

The ground beef should not be the lean kind or else there might be a dry meatloaf waiting in the oven after 45 minutes. Wrapping this meatloaf in bacon takes it to another level of delicious goodness or perhaps sprinkling it with crisp bacon bits when served gets it there too. Enjoy it the way you like it.

Basic Twice-Folded Omelet

Basic Twice-Folded Omelet

There are numerous ways of how people cook an omelet and how people like to enjoy them. This is just one of my ways of doing an omelet and there are other variations depending on my mood and the current desires of the people I am cooking them for. This is a version that is something close to an American style French omelet, that is at least as I remember it from Jacques Pepin. The omelet is browned a bit and quite unlike a traditional French omelet which is pale and not browned. Another distinction is the curd being soft for the French traditional omelet and harder, but not rubbery, for the American style French omelet. Unless you are a bit finicky about your omelet, it may not even matter. It’s fried beaten eggs not rocket science. Some in the culinary elite would disagree and it is often a great test of skill and a speciality of some sort for one to produce the perfect omelet. Perfect or not this is my Basic Twice-Folded Omelet.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 oz water
1 pinch salt
1 tsp oil

Directions:

1. Heat up a pan on a medium or low setting. (Depends on how fast you work on the eggs)
2. Crack the eggs in a bowl.
3. Add the water and salt to the eggs and beat the eggs well.
4. Add the oil to the pan and swirl it around.
5. Stir the beaten eggs and pour them in the pan.
6. With a spatula draw the egg mixture from the edge to the center 2-3 times. (Move from 12 o’clock or North, 6 o’clock or South, 3 o’clock or East and 9 o’clock or West.)
7. When the eggs have set with very little watery bits on top, slide the spatula under the South side and flip to about a third of the way towards the middle.
8. Repeat on the North side.
9. Flip the whole thing and fry for about 30 seconds more.
10. Slide off to a plate with the folds underneath and serve.

The perfect pan would be a traditional curved shallow pan so you can fold the omelet from the edge and slide it off. To orient yourself with the pan, use the handle as a reference point and keep it as the west side. Some may prefer their omelets a little runny on the inside and some want them to be dry but the outer appearance is browned and that leaves some flexibility and room to adjust in case it’s still a bit pale. Their way, my way or better yet your own way, crack some eggs and start making some omelets.

Chicken-Pork Adobo

Chicken-Pork Adobo

Not your traditional adobo recipe but rather a classic recipe that gets a sweet and spicy twist. The heat is mild but you can get it really hot by adding in more red chili. I rarely do this meal the hard way but most times it’s the easy way and since this meal is prepared a lot, I keep Ziploc bags of it in the freezer. When you decide to cook Chicken-Pork Adobo, take a bag out the night before, let it thaw in the refrigerator and cook it in the morning. In case you forgot to thaw the darn thing, just take it out of the freezer, run it under the tap for a few minutes, take the Chicken-Pork Adobo ice block out if the Ziploc bag, put it in a pot with 60 ml of water, turn on the heat to low and an hour later the Chicken-Pork Adobo is done. Leave it on for half an hour more to get really tender meat.

Ingredients:

½ kilo chicken (preferably chicken thighs but all parts work too)
½ kilo pork (pork loin is best because of its great meat to fat ratio but all parts work as well)
1 head garlic
40 ml vinegar
40 ml soy sauce 
30 gm brown sugar
3 red chili
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tsp oil
40 ml water

Directions:

The Hard Way

1. Crush the garlic by running the cloves through a press. Set aside.
2. Mince the red chili. Set aside.
3. Heat a heavy large pot and add the oil. 
4. Sear the pork and then the chicken. Place finished pieces in a big bowl.
5. Saute the crushed garlic in the same pan.
6. Deglaze with the vinegar.
7. Add chicken and pork along with rendered juices. 
8. Cook off the sharp vinegar taste on a low simmer for 5 minutes.
9. Turn the heat to high and add soy sauce. 
10. Mix in the red chilli and give the pot a stir.
11. Combine the brown sugar and the water and pour that in. 
12. Add the ground black pepper and bay leaves.13. Stir the pot, set the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. (30 min. for really tender meat)

The Easy Way

1. Leave the oil out.
2. Combine everything in a pot.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.

The easy way or the hard way, Chicken-Pork Adobo is simple enough for anyone to make. There are countless variations and that leaves plenty of room for experimentation. The basic flavor elements of the black pepper, salty soy and the sourness of the vinegar can be used with any meat to make your very own adobo version. Try cooking up a unique version today.

My Recipe Repository - Getting Started

My Recipe Repository - Getting Started

Through the years, I have created and developed recipes inspired by my family's cooking and by various encounters and experiences with food. I almost always never make anything the same twice because I do not follow recipes - even my own. It is more of an ingredient source problem more than anything and working with whatever available ingredients has been my way of cooking ever since I can remember. Some of these recipes turn out excellent and some are not even fit for human consumption. Fortunately, lower forms of animals like pets can still enjoy these meals. I hope the ones I choose to post on this blog turn out to be acceptable at the least and perhaps one or two become good enough for readers to try out and enjoy.

Most of the recipes will be healthy but some will be heart attack meals and killer food for diabetics. Some of these unhealthy recipes may become allowable for persons at risk when taken in moderation. That is if, some substitutions and/or reductions of deadly ingredients are made when preparing them. A small portion, once in a while, should be OK but don't take my word for it. You should always ask your doctor to be sure. Health conscious individuals will find some recipes to be unacceptable but some healthy meals will also be presented. Weight watchers will have some recipes to look forward to as well and they are advised to stay away from the diet destructive meals available on the site.

From the usual to the strange, the recipes on My Recipe Repository will make some people experience joy and pleasure when tasting the food prepared from these recipes. Some may even puke from the weird and bordering on the taboo meals one could make from the recipes in this repository. It will make individuals with weak constitutions hurl just by reading the exotic ingredients and preparation methods.Getting started with cooking the meal from the recipe may not even be considered because of its out of the ordinary nature.

From heavenly to hellish, but mostly somewhere in the middle, the food you can prepare from this hodgepodge of recipes is hoped to awaken a passion for food and food preparation.