One of my favorite, family comfort foods is Filipino pork adobo. My mom’s pork adobo is one of the simplest meals I make. It’s not the fastest, but what it lacks in quickness it makes up in simplicity and ease of cooking. And sometimes you don’t mind being patient if you can’t throw something together without much effort. I’ll typically get this started and while the meat simmers for an hour, I prep and turn on the rice cooker. So easy. And while I’m feeling lazy, steamed veggies of some sort (especially broccoli or cabbage) usually get added as a low-stress side. Chop, steam, done. Easy does it.
Hello, deliciousness!
I tried to take a photo of what the sugar looks like when it’s time to add the pork. The sugar goes in clear, almost white, but when it turns golden, it’s time to get the pork cooking.
There are many variations of pork adobo. Each family seems to have their own take. This recipe is how my mom cooks hers.
The soy sauce does make the dish salty, but it’s meant to be eaten with plain rice. The rice helps balance out the saltiness. You may want to reduce the soy sauce and sub in more water (or even broth) if you don’t like things very salty. Or maybe just try the recipe as is one time and adjust from there according to your preference.
Mom’s Filipino Pork Adobo
Here’s one of my family’s comfort food recipes from our house to yours. I took some photos and wrote some tips above to help you out with this recipe, so read through the photos for some extra info. This may be a little salty for some so be sure to serve it with plain rice to balance out the flavors. The pork isn’t traditionally shredded like the photos show, but that’s my sister’s touch on the recipe, and it’s how I like to eat mine, too. This meal requires few ingredients and though it’s not the fastest, it is one of the easiest things I make. Enjoy!
PS: I like to double this recipe so I have leftovers. I don’t like leftovers of many things, but this re-heats nicely.
Cook Time: approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes
Serves: 3-4 (I seem to consume extra pork when we have this recipe, so I’d lean towards this serving 3 and double it if you want to serve more)
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 pound boneless pork loin (thick cut), cut into 1″ pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- couple dashes garlic powder (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- couple dashes onion powder (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- cooked rice, for serving (we like jasmine)
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large pan (I like using my le creuset style pot) on medium heat. Add sugar. Watch carefully for when the sugar turns golden brown. Add pork. Add salt and pepper and cook 3-5 minutes without turning/stirring, until the bottom is browned nicely. Turn and cook another 3-5 minutes without turning/stirring until the bottom is browned nicely. Note: If doubling recipe, cook the pork in batches. Otherwise, the pork will get crowded and it won’t brown.
- Add garlic powder and onion powder and stir. Stir in soy sauce and water and cook until boiling. Stir in vinegar and cook till boiling. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 1 hour, or until tender, stirring occasionally.
- If there is still liquid left in the pan, increase heat to medium/medium-high) and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated. If you’re shredding your pork, while the liquid reduces, use the back of a wooden spoon, pushing down on the pork, to shred the meat. Note: It’s not traditional to shred the pork like this, but it’s how my sister and I like it.
- Serve with plain rice. Enjoy!
Reader question: What’s your favorite comfort food from your family?
A new cookie has taken the lead as my favorite cookie – oatmeal chocolate chip. The old favorite was chocolate chip. I know, it’s not much of a difference. And yet, that simple addition of oats gives the texture and flavor something special that I just love.
Of course, this meant I needed to come up with a recipe so I could make the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies just the way I like – a little chewy. I started with this recipe for butterscotch oatmeal cookies that I made a couple years ago with good success, but I made a couple changes, also looking at my dough ball recipe for some ideas. I liked the flavor and chewiness of those butterscotch cookies, but I wanted to reduce the sugar and make them less flat, plus I wanted to make far fewer cookies. I played with the recipe over several batches, about 8 or 9 over the last couple years. I started by halving the butterscotch cookie recipe, adding flour, and reducing the sugar amounts. The first couple tries were decent but not great. I thought simply adding flour would make the cookies less flat, but it didn’t work as I expected. I tried some batches with far less sugar, far less flour, different amounts of butter, using baking powder instead of baking soda, and many other variations. Each try was just okay but not just right. I tracked my adjustments and made notes along the way. Most recently, I tried doing some google research.
I did some online searching for how to make cookies chewy, and it turns out sugar is one thing that that helps make them chewy (so much for reducing it lol). Apparently using melted butter and baking soda instead of baking powder helps, too. So, I tried a couple more times, tweaking things all along the way. The final result is what I’d consider a “just right” oatmeal chocolate chip cookie – a little chewy, a little soft, and a little crispy all in one delicious package.
Just Right Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
The ingredients are simple and the results are delicious. They whip up pretty quickly, too! I started with this cookie recipe and experimented, analyzed, and re-experimented, and re-analyzed over several batches until I was happy with the results. According to some google research, melted butter, sugar, and baking soda help give the cookie a chewy texture, so keep that in mind if you modify the recipe at home, especially if you like chewy cookies, too. Be sure you use kosher salt or reduce the amount if you use table salt instead. And mini chocolate chips distribute better than large ones, so I was able to reduce that amount versus the 3/4 cup of the regular size chocolate chips I’d recommend. Hope you like these cookies as much as I do!
*Vegetarian, vegan options listed below*
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 10-12 minutes
Total time: 20-22 minutes, plus cooling time
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats (old-fashioned would probably work just fine, too)
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (reduce amount if you use table salt, maybe 1/4 – 1/2 depending on how you like your cookie flavor)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly (vegan – sub Earth Balance or similar product)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg (vegan – sub a flaxseed egg)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (or use 3/4 cup regular sized chocolate chips)
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three baking sheets with parchment paper. Note: I could bake all the cookies in one batch with 2 shelves and 3 baking sheets.
- In a large bowl, add oats, flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to evenly combine.
- In a medium bowl mix butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Make sure butter mixture isn’t too hot so it doesn’t cook the egg when add it, and add the egg and vanilla. Whisk to evenly combine.
- Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and gently mix with a large spatula. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Using a medium sized sorbet scoop (2 tablespoon), scoop dough and evenly distribute on baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches of space in between each ball of dough.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges are slightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets to room temperature. Enjoy!
Happy baking! Thanks for reading!
Which do you prefer: regular chocolate chip or oatmeal chocolate chip?
Speaking of lack of breakfast-eating, one thing I’ve been able to sneak in now and again is my tried and true egg bake. These truly are SO much easier than making a fried or scrambled egg. Each of those requires dedicated attention during the cook time. With an egg bake, you just throw some stuff in a bowl, mix it up, and pour it into a prepared mini baking dish. Instead of hanging out by the stove, I get ready for the work day while the egg bake cooks in the oven. I love the multi-tasking!
However, I haven’t been grocery shopping much lately, so I’ve had to get creative on my recent egg bake ingredients and flavors. Since I’ve been so big into spices lately, my latest thought was to add in one of the new spice blends I recently purchased – Berebere Ethiopian Style Seasoning. Would it work? It worked great! The spice blend added a zesty flavor to the egg bake that I’ve really enjoyed.
Another trick? I scored some Van’s frozen whole grain English muffins on sale at Whole Foods recently. They have been lifesavers considering my lack of grocery shopping as of late. Both the egg bake and the English muffins are great pantry dishes, really, since I didn’t need fresh ingredients. The English muffins were in the freezer, the eggs and milk were in the fridge, and the spices were in my cabinet. Busy-bees, rejoice!
Oh, and for my long-time readers, yes, this is basically a slight adjustment to my previous versions of this recipe, but I like to type it all out so you and newer readers don’t have to click back and forth.
Berebere Spiced Egg Bake
A simple addition of the zesty Berebere Ethiopian style spice blend adds great flavor to this easy breakfast dish! Mix, pour, and multi-task while your egg bake cooks in the oven.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 16-19 minutes
Total Time: 21-24 minutes
Serves: 1 (multiplies easily)
Ingredients (multiply by each serving for multiples):
- non-stick spray
- 1 cage free or farm fresh egg
- 1 tablespoon frozen, chopped spinach
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1/8 teaspoon Berebere Ethiopian style spice blend (see link at top of the post for details on the one I used)
- pinch of salt
- a bit of fresh-ground pepper
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray individual casserole dish(es) with non-stick spray.
- Combine egg, milk, Berebere spice blend, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk together. Add spinach and mix in.
- Evenly distribute egg mixture to individual casserole dish(es). Bake until edges are golden brown and egg is set in the middle, about 16-18 minutes (depending oven temperature, etc.). Note: I used a toothpick to check doneness, sort of like you would for cake.
- Remove from oven and let sit for a couple minutes till it’s safe to eat. Enjoy!
Happy cooking!
Thanks for reading!
Reader question: What do you eat for breakfast when you haven’t been grocery shopping in awhile?
Is it just me, or is this year starting off with a bang? In a good way, of course! I’m finally feeling like I have a good sense of direction for some non-blog (and non-work) projects I’m working on, and I can’t wait to see where things go in 2013. I’ve been tackling these projects with a renewed sense of confidence and enthusiasm. I’ve been burning the midnight (and morning) oil, but it’s felt great. I’m rediscovering my more geeky roots, and I’ve been having way more fun than I expected.
Here’s what an average day is looking like for me recently:
- Wake up and immediately find coffee
- Go through online programming exercises (I’m learning Ruby and Rails)
- Get ready for work
- Commute and listen to inspiring and informational podcasts on the way
- Work the 9-to-5
- Commute back and listen to more podcasts
- Go straight to Zumba (no time to go home first!)
- Teach or take class
- Go home
- Make and eat dinner
- Blog? (I’m cutting back to make more time for my other projects)
- Go through more online programming exercises
- Bed (phew!)
Things I’m forgetting to work into the schedule but need to add: time for reading (books & magazines) and time for reflection. I’m thinking I may need to alternate nights for some of these activities to spread things out. I’m having to cut back on blogging and Zumba a bit, but I’m hoping to pick them up more over time.
Reader Request: I’m looking to get some feedback about one of my ideas. Do any of you work/volunteer for animal rescue groups OR do any of you follow any rescue groups or middle men groups that do online fundraising? (Also OR – have any of you used a crowdfunding web site (like GoFundMe or IndieGoGo)?) I’d love to chat about my idea. Please leave me a comment or email me at thechiclife at gmail dot com.
***
One of the projects I’ve recently taken up is blogging for Scoop Charlotte! I recently posted a blog for an easy Valentine’s Day recipe you can make without needing to know much about (or even liking) cooking. I’ve shared some additional new-to-cooking tips and tricks on that post (click), which you may enjoy. But, I also wanted to share some of the photos and the recipe with you guys right here on TCL.
This is not only a fool-proof Valentine’s-worthy meal but a wonderful everyday-meal, too. I’m a big fan of pot roast. I guess some people don’t think of it as healthy, but I usually opt for a leaner roast cut called “eye of round” that keeps it healthier. The chianti adds a great dimension to the flavor of the dish and is wonderful served with the finished result.
Chianti-Braised Pot Roast
This simple slow cooker meal will make you look like a rock star for a romantic Valentine’s dinner “in.” You don’t even need to know how to cook to make this recipe. Let the slow cooker do all the heavy lifting for you. Be sure to save this recipe for later in the year, too. You don’t have to celebrate anything to enjoy this yummy (and easy!) dinner.
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: 7-8 hours
Serves: 2 (with some leftovers likely)
Ingredients:
- non-stick spray
- approximately 2-3 pound eye of round (or sub chuck roast, though this cut isn’t quite as lean)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus additional to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 4 medium to large red skin potatoes (eyes/skin removed/peeled), cut into 1 – 1 1/2″ pieces
- 1 medium onion (yellow or white is fine), skin and outer layers removed, cut into quarters
- 1 cup baby carrots, rinsed (yay! no chopping!)
- 2 stalks celery, cleaned, cut into approximately 2″ pieces
- 1 cup chianti (a good quality that you would drink – save the extra to serve with dinner)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- cooked rice, optional
- Italian parsley, optional – for garnish
Directions:
- Spray inside of slow cooker (cooking vessel) with non-stick spray. Place eye of round in center. In order: sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary. Rub spices into the meat.
- In order: place potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery around and on top of the meat.
- Pour wine over the meat and vegetables. In a medium bowl, add tomato paste. Whisk in beef broth. Pour mixture over meat and vegetables.
- Cover slow cooker and cook for 7-8 hours, or until the meat is tender to your liking.
- Remove meat and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into serving pieces and place in a low bowl with potatoes, vegetables, and broth. Note: If you used chuck roast, you may wish to skim some of the fat before serving the vegetables and broth.
- Serve and enjoy! Note: You could serve this over rice, but it will probably be enough to just serve the meat with the potatoes and vegetables. It’s up to your personal preference! If you want to get extra fancy, garnish with fresh, Italian parsley.
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Thanks for reading!
Reader question: Are you eating in or going out for Valentine’s Day this year?
And remember to email me (thechiclife at gmail dot com) if you have any experience: managing animal rescue, donating online to rescue groups, using crowdfunding web sites. Thanks!
