Ginataang mais (pronounced GEE-nah-ta-ang MA-es) is a Filipino sweet corn dessert soup.  I know this may not sound too appealing for people who haven’t tried it, but it’s one of my favorite desserts and it really brings back a lot of memories.  It’s sweet enough for kids to enjoy, yet not too sweet that you couldn’t have multiple bowls in one day.

There is one ingredient that is required for ginataang that I have never used before: sweet rice.  I found a small bag for just about $5 at the international grocery store.  I haven’t seen it at regular grocery stores.  This is the kind I bought:

(Sorry, no, the frog clip does not come with it! Haha!)

One of the interesting things to note about this dish is that it can be served warm or cold, which makes it something you can make year round.

The Basics

• 5 cups of water
• 2 cups of sweet corn (I used frozen, but you can use fresh or canned as well)
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of sweet rice

The Run-down

Mix all ingredients except for corn in a pot.  Heat until boiling.  Boil for about 20 minutes, uncovered.

Reduce heat to low and add corn.  Let cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Serve hot or refrigerate to serve cold.  Enjoy!

I never understood why there is such a stigma against brussel sprouts.  Personally I think they taste like mild, little cabbages.  By sauteing the brussel sprouts in a salty meat like bacon, prosciutto, or smoked sausage, the sprouts take on a wonderful flavor.

 The Basics

• brussel sprouts – fresh or frozen, quarter or cut in halves
• small onion – diced
• salty meat (I used smoked polish sausage) – dice
• cooking oil – I recommend vegetable oil over olive oil, because olive oil has a distinctive taste.
• salt and pepper

The Rundown

1. Saute oil on medium heat in a non-stick frying pan.
2. Add onions and cook until caramelized.  This will take about 5 minutes.
3. Add meat and mix with onions.  Cook for about 5 more minutes.
4. Add brussel sprouts and mix with meat and onions.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes until the sprouts are fork tender.  Enjoy!

I was talking with a co-worker about a recipe I read in the local newspaper.  The recipe was essentially green bean bundles wrapped with bacon.  She mentioned that her kids loved the way she prepares green beans, which I learned later called “green beans almondine”.

She sold me on the dish so I stopped by the grocery store on my way home that night to try it out.  And let me tell you, I was so blown away on how such a simple recipe could be so amazing!  I’m already planning to make this for my next event when I have to make food! 

The roasted garlic and almond flavor infuses this amazing flavor in the green beans.  I especially love the crunch factor of the garlic and almonds.  This is definitely one of my favorite sides and become something I keep in heavy rotation!

The Basics

• green beans – I used fresh but I’ve seen some recipes use frozen.  If you use fresh, be sure to wash the beans and snip the tips off
• garlic – I used 4 cloves because I love garlic; peel and mince the garlic
• almond slivers – I used about 3 tbsp
• extra virgin olive oil - about 2-3 tbsp
• salt and pepper

The Rundown

1. Steam the green beans.  (To reduce the amount of dishes I had to wash later, I used Ziploc microwave steam bags.  They are awesome!)
2. Heat the EVOO in a frying pan over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and almond slivers.  Keep stirring the mixture and be careful not to burn the garlic.  Golden brown = good, chocolate brown = evil.
4. Add green beans in the pan and toss. 
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

This is a great way to make a dessert if you aren’t a great baker, like me.  It’s super easy and simple, and the great thing is that people will think you made it from scratch!

I made this cake for Easter lunch, and I had a lot of compliments.  Definitely worth a try whether for company or for a nice treat at home!

The Basics

• Chocolate frosting
• Fresh ripe strawberries – washed and sliced thin
• Whipped cream – I used 1 tub of Cool Whip.
• Angel food cake – Store bought; found in the bakery section.
• Sliced almonds – crushed

The Rundown

1. Cut the cake into thirds horizontally.  Using a serrated knife helps in the cutting process.
2. Add a thin layer of whipped cream to top of the of the cake.
3. Add a layer of strawberries.
4. Add another thin layer of whipped cream on top of the strawberries.
5. Add a layer of cake.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 finishing with the top layer of cake.
7. Frost the cake with the chocolate frosting.
8. Garnish with strawberries and crushed almonds.  Enjoy!

Love garlic? Already baking something in the oven?  Try this simple garlic spread recipe given to me by my foodie friend Jerald!

You can spread it on bread or add it any recipe like soups, sauces or stews for a strong roasted garlic flavor.

The Basics

• 1 head of garlic
• Milk/heavy cream – about 1-2 tbsp.
• Salt

The Rundown

Cut to top off the head of garlic, just enough to expose each nub of garlic.  Place in a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil (or a small baking dish with a lid).  Form a bowl with the aluminum and add the milk or heavy cream.  Crumple over the foil to make a tight package.

Add to an oven that’s heated from anywhere between 325-375 degrees.  Let bake for about 30 minutes.

Carefully open the foil package. Voila!  The garlic should be cooked thoroughly to a nice golden color and all the milk/cream should be gone.

The skin should be easy to remove.  Remove all the skin, and put the cooked garlic in a small dish.  Add a pinch of salt and mash with a spoon until smooth and delicious.  Enjoy!

Holy guacamole, this is a super easy recipe!  Yeah, okay.  That was pretty lame.  But you know what’s NOT lame? Fresh guacamole!

I like to cook whatever is on sale, especially vegetables.  At the peak of the season you will get the best tasting and the best deal for produce.  If you can score avocados for less than $1, then that’s a heck of a deal!

Another great place to get produce are international or Asian markets, but buyer beware!  I’ve found that produce I’ve purchased there is usually already ripe so be prepared to start using it immediately!

The Basics

• 2 ripe avocados – They should be firm but have a slightly soft when given a tight squeeze.
• 1 lime – You can use lime juice if you have it.
• Garlic – 1 or 2 cloves should do the trick.  Finely minced or ground into a paste with a mortar and pestle.
• 1 small tomato; diced – I prefer Roma tomatoes.
• Coarse salt – Kosher, sea salt or the like

The Rundown

Half the avocado length-wise and running your knife against the pit.  When you remove the top half, you will have one half with the pit in tact.  To remove it, take a sharp knife and cleave it into the pit.  Hold the avocado and twist the knife and the pit should pop out.

Gently carve a grid into each half of the avocado.  Basically you will run your knife through, with the knife point scraping the inside of the avocado shell.  Once your done, you can take a spoon to scoop out the fruit.

Put the avocado in a large bowl.  Mash with a fork.  Add the garlic and tomatoes.  Add just a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime.  Mix the guacamole.  Add a little bit of salt at a time until it tastes right.

Although the lime juice will slow the browning (oxidation) of the avocado, I would recommend searching this the day of preparation or put in a air-tight container and serve the next day.  Enjoy!

Soy-yu chicken, chicken cooked in sweet soy sauce and ginger sauce, is one of my childhood favorites.  I’m fairly certain that my dad just made this recipe from scratch, but I think he was inspired  Hawaiian cuisine.

Its super easy to make and all my friends who have tried it loved it!

The Basics

• Chicken, with bone and skin removed – I like using chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Soy sauce – About 1/2 to 1 cup
• Fresh ginger; about an inch thick piece – peeled and cut into slivers
• Sugar – About 1/2 cup
• Water

The Rundown

This can’t get any simpler.  In a pot, add 1/2 cup of sauce sauce, 1 cup of water, the fresh ginger, and 2-3 tbsp of sugar.  Bring to a boil, then add the chicken.

Boil for about 20 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.  I would leave it uncovered so the sauce can reduce.  Taste the sauce.  If it’s too sweet, add a bit more soy sauce or water.  If you don’t taste any sweetness, add a tbsp of sugar at a time until desired sweetness.

Serve with rice.  Enjoy!

This is so easy it shouldn’t really classify as a “recipe”.  I like my chicken coated with barbecue sauce, but I hate when the sauce just wipes off.  This recipe double coats each piece of chicken to achieve a sticky and satisfying result.

The Basics

• Cut up pieces of chicken, on bone and with skin – I used chicken thighs.
• Bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce – I used Sweet Baby Ray’s.

The Rundown

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Meanwhile, wash chicken under water and pat dry with paper towels.  Rub (or brush, if you’re feeling dainty) sauce all over chicken, especially underneath the skin.

Put aluminum foil on a baking sheet, with the shiny side down.   Bake for about 20-25 minutes depending on how thick your pieces of chicken are.

Remove chicken from oven and turn the heat up to 375 degrees.  Brush more sauce on top of the chicken.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until the sauce begins to brown and bubble.

Remove from oven and enjoy!

I was intrigued when I received this recipe from a friend from high school — Brittney, aka mommy-extraordinaire at the Family at the O.K. Corral.  This is a really easy recipe for a tangy BBQ salmon which is sweetened with blueberry jam.

I know what you’re thinking. “Blueberry jam and barbecue sauce?!  Gen, are you sure?” Why, yes. Yes, I am!  I loved it, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who loves salmon.

The Basics

• Fillet of salmon with skin – descaled and cleaned
• 1 tbsp of blueberry jam
• Barbecue sauce – Use whatever you like.  I used Sweet Baby Ray’s.

The Rundown

In a small bowl, combine a 1tbsp of blueberry jam and 1-2 tbsp of bbq sauce.  Add marinade in a plastic bag with salmon.  Try to remove as much air as you can.  Put in refrigerator for at least an hour to overnight.

After salmon is finished marinating, preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (shiny-side down).  Place salmon on foil.  Baste salmon, but try to save some of the marinade to make a sauce.  Put salmon in oven and bake for about 10 minutes if you want it medium rare inside to 20 minutes if you want it completely cooked.

Heat remaining marinade in a sauce pan.  Warning — It may smell a bit fishy, but that’s ok.  Add a few more tablespoons of bbq sauce.  Add more blueberry jam if you would like to sweeten it a bit.  Once it starts simmering, remove from the heat.

Remove salmon and move rack near the top of the oven.  Baste salmon with sauce and then broil for about 1-2 mins.  Remove from oven and plate.  Serve with bbq sauce.  Enjoy!

Hollandaise sauce is a delicious buttery, lemony sauce made of an emulsion of hot butter and egg yolks.  I first experienced this sauce on top of an asparagus crab meat omelet and it was love at first bite.

After two failures, I finally figured out two easy ways to make this sauce.  

Fun note: I started singing Madonna’s “Holiday” but exchanged the word to “hollandaise”.  Give it a shot.  It was silly, but fun! “Hollandaise! Celebrate!/If I made some Hollandise (oh yeah, oh yeah!)/Took some time to celebrate./Just one day out of life/It would be so nice!”

The Basics

• 3 egg yolks – Don’t throw away egg whites and broken eggs! Use them to make an omelet!
• A dash of hot sauce
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp of Dijon or regular yellow mustard – You can also substitute this with a few shakes of dry ground mustard.
• 1/2 cup of hot melted unsalted butter – That’s 1 whole stick.  Make sure the butter is bubbling hot or it won’t cook the egg properly

The Rundown

Blender method:  Add all the ingredients except the butter in a blender.  While blending, slowly pour in a thin stream of butter.  The sauce sauce immediately thicken.  Stop blending and serve in a small dish.

Whisking method:  Quickly whisk all ingredients except the butter.  While whisking, slowly add the butter and the sauce should thicken.  Serve in a small dish.

Additional Notes

In my experiments, I had an issue with the butter not being hot enough to cook the eggs.  So I put the almost ruined sauce in the microwave for 10 seconds.  Whisk the mixture.

If it’s still not cooked, microwave for 10 second intervals and whisk again.  It took two intervals for my sauce to get a smooth creamy consistency.