Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Shzam Jalapeno Poppers

Holy fried peppers

Bite into mouthfuls of capsaicin and you’ll feel the heat.  Our Shzam Jalapeno Poppers, however, also pack another spicy surprise: crushed wasabi peas.  Yup…the Mixed Stew crew combines a Latin-American mainstay with a traditionally Asian ingredient in this week’s recipe.  Meanwhile, the melted cheese cuts the heat with a rich and creamy filling.   Remember intake of capsaicin in most hot peppers also increases the human body’s metabolic rate so it’s healthy for everyone.           

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Shzam Jalapeno Poppers

Packed with cheese and heat

The Mexican tradition gets a two or more unexpected twists in this week’s yummy dish.  Here’s the recipe: 

What you will need:

1 fry-pan

1 serving dish

1 cup vegetable oil

3 medium-sized mixing bowls

6 or 8 Jalapeno peppers

1/3 cup cilantro, minced

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced

2 whole eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup wasabi peas, crushed

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Cooking and Directions:

Combine feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, green onion, cilantro, and one whole egg in a mixing bowl.  Mix well.  Set aside.  Make an incision, going lengthwise, into each Jalapeno then stuff with cheese mixture.  Repeat for each pepper.  Pour breadcrumbs into another mixing bowl.  Add crushed wasabi peas.  Mix well to form breading for poppers.  Set aside, too.  Now, beat 1 whole egg and 1/3 cup milk in a third bowl.   

Preheat fry-pan on medium-high heat for at least 3 minutes.  Allow the oil to get hot enough for frying.  Dip each stuffed pepper in egg mixture then roll in breadcrumbs.  Place each coated jalapeno in fry pan to brown and crisp up (3-5 minutes).  Turn peppers at least once while frying.  Remove fried poppers to serving dish.  Serve immediately.                         

Wednesday's Helping: Eggplant Breakfast

The Mixed Stew is going on hiatus from June 15th thru June 19th.  We hope everyone enjoys a week of Guam faves. The Mixed Stew will be back on June 22nd with even more yummy posts. 

Post originally from August 7, 2009

Waking up to a yummy surprise

A reader (Thanks, Jenel of Arizona!) of The Mixed Stew asked for a recipe for egg-wash fried eggplant, which apparently more residents on Guam had for breakfast than we could have even imagined. Mom makes this healthy breakfast entree, which usually is gobbled up in a jiffy. The cooked vegetable absorbs and extends the egg flavors. It is fine served alone with that traditional Guam breakfast starch -- steamed white rice. Or serve the eggplant with breakfast meat.

Fried eggplant -- an "almost" omelet

What you will need:

1 sauce pan
1 medium-size bowl (filled with ice water)
1 frying pan
spatula
1 shallow casserole dish
3 cups water
6 Japanese eggplants *(see Helpful Hint below)
4 large eggs or 5 medium eggs
¼ cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking and Directions

Combine eggs, pepper, salt, and milk in the casserole dish. Beat egg mixture well and set aside. Start off sauce pan on high heat with water. Bring to a boil. Slice eggplants in half (lengthwise). Place eggplants into boiling water. Let the eggplants cook until just soft. Remove eggplants and immediately submerge them in bowl of ice water. Next, take them out of ice water bath. Let excess liquid drain off and pat dry with paper towel.

Now, heat up frying pan on medium high heat. Add oil to heated pan. Dip eggplants in egg mixture. Immediately place dipped eggplants in frying pan. Let them brown slightly, or more if you prefer, on one side. The timing will vary depending on the thickness of the eggplant. Turn over each piece once and let brown on other side.

*Helpful hint: You can also use the round Italian eggplants for a version of this. Simply cut the large eggplant into 1/8-inch slices or thinner, blanch each slice in boiling water to soften and then dip pieces into the egg wash so that each side is coated. Then fry in heated pan with oil like above.

Tuesday's Cupful: Pork Ribs Adobo w/ Spinach

The Mixed Stew is going on hiatus from June 15th thru June 19th.  We hope everyone enjoys a week of Guam faves. The Mixed Stew will be back on June 22nd with even more yummy posts. 

Post originally from April 1, 2013

A healthier serving

There are many different versions of adobo.  This one includes spinach so expect more nutrition in every bite.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large stock pot w/ lid

1 wooden spoon

2 and ½ lbs pork riblets, cut into pieces

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbspns soy paste

2 tbspns canola oil

1 cup water

1 bunch spinach, chopped
1 zuchinni, chopped small

Pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking & Directions:

Heat pot at medium-high heat.  Add cooking oil, onion, and garlic.  Let ingredients sautee.  Stir well until onion turns translucent.  Pour in pork riblets and let them brown for 10 minutes.  Pour in water and reduce heat to medium-low.  Let pork braise for 25 minutes in covered pot.  Mix in soy paste and add veggies to braising ingredients.  Mix well.  Throw in pinch of salt and pepper.  Let ingredients braise for another 15 to 20 minutes.  Serve with steamed rice or brown rice.

Monday's Bread Bowl: Chamorro Sausage

The Mixed Stew is going on hiatus from June 15th thru June 19th.  We hope everyone enjoys a week of Guam faves. The Mixed Stew will be back on June 22nd with even more yummy posts. 

Post originally from November 30, 2009

A homemade link to Guam

Many ethnic cuisines have their own variety of sausage. There is German bratwurst and Portuguese linguica. At nearby supermarkets we can find Mexican, Salvadoran, and Argentinian chorizos. And so, it comes as no surprise that a Pacific island where European seafarers landed has a sausage of its own. The explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, "discovered" Guam and its Chamorro people in 1521. The island was occupied by Spain until 1898. Chamorro sausage has a milder flavor than Spanish chorizo. Additionally, there are no minty or green herbs in Chamorro sausage. Less is more with garlic, paprika, and annatto (achiote) seasoning this yummy sausage. Katsons makes and sells packaged links. Look for Chamorro sausage in the freezer aisle at most of Guam’s grocery stores. Local restaurants may serve a loose meat Chamorro sausage. These restaurants usually serve Chamorro sausage with fried eggs and steamed rice. Here is our recipe for homemade Chamorro sausage:

What you will need:

1 medium-sized bowl
1 wooden spoon
2/3 cup datu puti (Filipino cane vinegar)*
3 lbs ground pork
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, minced
3 teaspoons paprika
3 tablespoons annatto (achiote) seasoning
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
3 teaspoons garlic powder
3 teaspoons onion powder
3 teaspoons salt
Pinch of black pepper

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in bowl. Mix well. Next, chill seasoned meat in fridge for at least 48 hours. To prepare, heat frying pan on medium heat and coat with a bit of cooking oil, add sausage mixture and brown well. Otherwise, freeze in Ziploc bags for later use.

*Helpful hint: We get datu puti at a nearby Asian supermarket. Palm vinegar also is good for this recipe. In a pinch, apple cider vinegar would be better to use than regular, clear distilled vinegar.