Hot and Spicy Love

Happy Late Love Day.

I love valentines day because it's a day of love. The love of your lover, the love of your friends, the love of family, and the love of God. We didn't do much for Valentines day. My husband got me a plant, I was super excited because I've been wanting one in our apartment. Gives the meaning of life you know. I love flowers but plants last longer. We celebrated our valentines with one of my husbands closest friend and his girlfriend and watched a movie...nothing romantic...I guess it could be in it's own way because the guy showed love for his family. The movie was called Mirrors....scary but loved it. I also found this picture and if you know me you'll laugh because this is what I do with my lips... Natural habit. I used this as my screen saver on my computer and it makes me smile every time I see it. I need to print it and frame it and put it somewhere. For some reason I am attracted to things that have hearts and things that are kissing. I guess I'm a sucker for love.

Anyway back to what I cooked. I didn't know what to call it but Hot and Spicy hehehehe



I used chorizo sausage, potatoes, jalapenos, onion and garlic, salt and pepper to taste. I cut the chorizo sausage into bite size pieces and browned them. Than I sauteed the onion, potatoes, and jalapeno. Than mixed it with the chorizo.... It was yummy but spicy.

Spicy Pork Curry

Curry....I love curry, from Indian food, Thai, Japanese, the more spice used the better. I wanted to try something other than chicken for curry or even beef so I used pork. It was really easy to do and it turned out really good.

Ingredients
1 Tomato chopped
1 Celery chopped
1 Onion chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic minced
2 Bay Leaf
2-4 pieces of Pork (ribs with no bones)
2 tbs Curry powder
1 tbs paprika
pinch of salt
1 jalapeno minced


I sauteed the garlic and onion together till fragrant. Than I added the chopped celery, tomato, and jalapeno. Than I added the pork, curry, paprika, and salt.

I cooked the pork till white in color and the juice have come out. I added about half a cup of water and the 2 bay leaf.

I added a little bit more salt to taste and let it boil till the sauce is reduced.

Serve over rice....

Filipino Sopas

Sopas is one Filipino dish that can be good as a snack or a complete meal itself. Traditionally, it consists of boiling chicken or pork bones with salt and pepper. Once you get good tasting broth flavor, elbow macaroni is added which you cook till al dente. When the pasta is almost done, vegetables are added usually chopped carrots and cabbage. Once done, season with salt and pepper to taste and add a cup of milk to make it really creamy.

Now, me, I like to tweak my sopas and add whatever I can find in the fridge. I usually love making sopas after thanksgiving because of the left over turkey and ham. I also like to use left over rotisserie chicken when it's not thanksgiving or any chicken with bones...yes not deboned chicken because that's where you'll get the most flavor.

Sopas is so good when the weather is cold or when you're feeling down and out. It's comfort food and I love it. I made it cuz it was cold and we had a snow storm hit us....

Ingredients

Chicken with bones 4- 8 pieces

1 box Elbow Pasta

1 - 2 Bay Leaf

Salt and Pepper

Chicken Bullion

Water 5-8 cups

1 Carrot chopped

2 Celery chopped

1 Onion chopped

1 Garlic minced

4 Eggs hard boiled

1. Bring to boil the meat broth. I usually make the broth by boiling chicken with bones in water till the meat flavor comes out. Than I shred the chicken meat.

2. Add the elbow macaroni (other pasta shapes will do like farfalle, rigatoni and penne - but this would not really be a Filipino dish).Add dried herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary).

3. The elbow macaroni is cooked till al dente. Just taste the macaroni a few minutes after boiling. When macaroni is almost done, added the chopped vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Turn off fire and add the milk.

5. Add egg optional

and serve hot......

My Favorite Ingredients

It's been several weeks since I last posted. Haven't been too motivated to cook. I've cooked but it's the same things over and over again....I'm at rut. So today I'll tell you a little bit about the ingredients I like to cook with.

Here are a few of my favorite things...

Knorr's Chicken Bullion. I use this in almost everything I cook. I love the flavor it gives. I'm not a bland type of person so I like to use this to give it a great taste. Don't use too much because it can get salty. Knorr sells a version of this in little cubes but I think they don't taste the same. I like this loose powder better. You can buy this at your local WALMART or back home in San Diego at Carnival or your local supermarket. This will last you for several months depending on how often you use it. I mean I use a pinch here and their and I still have it full and it's been 2 months. Great value and great taste....



The other ingredients I love to work with is GARLIC...ONION...TOMATO, and Jalapeno or any other pepper.

I love the smell when you saute garlic and onion together.

The tomatoes and jalapeno gives it that extra zing to any meat.

So when you get a chance try these ingredients out :)