Monday’s Bread Bowl: Quick Crab Bisque

That comfort taste and feel in under an hour

Spoon into this thick and rich bisque for lots of yummy seafood flavor.  We think you’ll agree that it has the qualities of any other bisque that takes several hours to prepare and cook.

What you will need:

1 large stock pot w/ lid
½ yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 long wooden spoon
1 (13 oz) can coconut milk
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 (6 oz) cans Geisha brand crab meat, drained
1 (15 oz) can cream corn
1 (12 oz) bag frozen mixed veggies
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking and Directions:


Heat pot on medium-high heat.  Add oil, garlic, salt, peppe, and onion.  Sautee until onion turns translucent.  Add water, chicken broth, coconut milk, and evaporated milk.  Bring ingredients to a boil then reduce stove to medium-low heat.  Add crab and creamed corn.  Let ingredients simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.  Add mixed vegetables and heat through.  Serve hot.

Friday’s Last Spoonful: Food Surf

Mangoes in bunches

Food Surfing will feature fun food links from around the Blogosphere, including leads to other interesting sites. These recommended links may give you other interesting ideas for making your life taste better.

Parade featured 21recipes for this luscious fruit that we recommend you try.  The Mango Cheesecake Flan and Mango Margarita Ice Cream can really tempt your tastebuds.

The Thai Green Mango Salad and Avocado Mango Salad are just two of the yummy recipes that SAVEUR has to offer.  

  

Lastly, allrecipes can give you several ideas for different mango smoothies.

Thursday’s Side Dish: 7d Dried Mangoes

Have this tropical fruit anytime

The Mixed Stew crew loves mangoes for their sweet and tangy flavor.  7D brand dried mangoes allows consumers and mango lovers to keep mangoes under wraps in their pantry all year long.  Break into a pack of these instead of fat-laden potato chips or candies, which can be loaded with sugar.  This product is produced in the Philippines.  Chop the large chunks of mango into smaller bite-sized pieces.  Then you can add dried mango to your favorite breakfast cereals, cookie recipes, and pastry recipes.  Look for 7D Dried Mangoes at HMart, Lotte Plaza, or your favorite Filipino foods mart.

Wednesday’s Helping: Ingredient Alternatives for Chamorro Style Fried Chicken

Yummy and fried the Chamorro way

The Mixed Stew has some interesting recipe twists when considering Chamorro-style fried chicken.  For example don’t forget that you can prepare pork spare ribs, pork belly cubes, and even pork chops this way.  If you wanna stay with poultry, try using quails, Cornish hens, and turkey parts.  We suggest cutting back on soy sauce if you need to cut back on the salt content.  Add a bit of minced cilantro, a pinch of cumin, or cardamom to the marinade for a slightly minty flavor accent.  Lastly, add chopped jalapenos, a sprinkle of paprika, or hot pepper flakes to the mix for a spicy hot kick.  

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Chamorro-style Fried Chicken

An extra special Guamanian treat

Why do we love chicken that’s prepared like this?  The deep frying process seals in juices unlike barbecuing or grilling.  Deep frying also ensures extra crispy skin in the end product without the thick, carb-loaded batter.  Meanwhile, the island-style soy sauce and vinegar marinade is a classic Chamorro staple.  The Mixed Stew crew, in fact, dares you to try making fried chicken like this instead of American-style fried chicken that’s dredged in flour.

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Chamorro Fried Chicken

A rare treat instead of BBQ

There’s nothing like Chamorro-style fried chicken and its crispy skin on a fiesta plate.  Here’s our recipe:

What you will need:

1 pair metal tongs

1 cast-iron skillet

1 large plastic container w/ lid

8-12 chicken parts, defrosted w/ skin-on

2 ½ cups canola oil

1 yellow onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2/3 cups soy sauce

1/3 cup white vinegar

 Pinch of black pepper

Cooking and Directions:

Place chicken parts, garlic, onion, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic in plastic container.  Season chicken pieces with black pepper.  Cover with lid and let chicken marinade for at least 3 hours. 

Heat skillet and cooking oil on medium-high heat.  Let the oil heat up to 350 degrees.  Carefully place up to 4 chicken pieces in skillet.  Let pieces fry for at least 8-12 minutes on each side.  Chicken should turn dark brown w/ crispy skin.

Remove fried chicken and let pieces rest for at least 10 minutes before serving and eating.  

Friday's Last Spoonful: Food Surf

Bacon Bites

Food Surfing will feature fun food links from around the Blogosphere, including leads to other interesting sites. These recommended links may give you other interesting ideas for making your life taste better.

The Mixed Stew crew recommends these 10 unique bacon recipes available on Babble. The Potato Bacon Chowder and Bacon Cup Salad look especially promising.

The Bacon Gumballs and Bacon Ice Cream scream lusciousness from Delish.

Lastly, we like The Bacon Goddess for its focus on nothing else but this elegant pork cut.

Thursday’s Side Dish: Palm Corned Beef

A premium canned food item

The Mixed Stew crew recommends this brand of canned corned beef.  The label says “Corned Beef w/ Juices.”   If simplicity is best, empty this can of corned beef into a microwave-safe bowl, then cover, and heat in the microwave for 2 ½ -3 minutes. Remove bowl from oven then let it rest for 5 more minutes.  The end result is succulent corned beef that’s swimming in its natural juices.  Serve with warm rice.  Each (11.5 oz) can is usually priced at $ 4.99 and above.  Palm brand corned beef is a product of New Zealand.  Look for this food item at HMart, Grand Mart, Lotte Plaza, and other Asian/ International food markets.

Wednesday’s Helping: Red Pork Stew w/ Bacon

Bacon makes it different

Yes, this pork stew is an “old favorite” that’s been reinterpreted.  The achiote adds an earthy flavor accent that also offers a feast for the eyes.  Also, the precooked cabbage is already flavored with bacon drippings.  So, there’s an extra infusion of smokey-flavors in the stew’s broth.  The shredded cabbage also makes for a nutritious alternative to regular green peas.  We recommend making this stew if you’re in the mood for rustic comfort food.

Tuesday’s Cupful: Braised Cabbage w/ Bacon

A stand-by that never gets old

There’s so much variety in terms of greens that it’s easy to overlook regular cabbage.  This recipe doesn’t take long at all to prepare and cook.    

What you will need:

1 medium-sized saucepan or stock pot w/ lid

2 cups water

1 wooden spoon

½ head of cabbage, shredded or julienned      

         3 bacon slices, thinly cut

1   1 whole garlic clove

1 yellow onion, diced small

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking and Directions:

Heat up pan at medium-high heat.  Place bacon, onion, and garlic in pan.  Sautee until onion turns translucent.  Plus bacon should crisp.  Next, add cabbage and let leaves wilt a bit.  Add water.  Let ingredients reach a simmer then lower to medium-low heat.  Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes then it’s ready to serve as a side dish.