Shrimp Jambalaya

Sorry for the long hiatus, my project of 3 years has come to an end, or rather, have started a new beginning and I have been swamped with work these past couple of weeks. I still have lots of photos and recipes waiting to be blogged. Don't worry, I will get to it, as we say here in the gulf, Inshallah (God willing)!

Anyway, I don't think this one can wait. This dish was an instant hit the first time I tried making it. And although we have never, (EVER!) tried a jambalaya before, this has now become a new favorite in the Casa Vaquer. My husband have requested it twice this week! I guess it's because it closely resembles our favorite Spanish dish, paella. But the great thing about this dish is it is not as labor intensive as the paella. Though it still is time consuming and will require your utmost attention, it is easier to prepare.
What I also love about this one-pot dish is that it is a crowd-pleaser and can instantly be the star of the meal. I made this on our weekend family lunch and everybody loved it. Wow your friends and bring this to your next pot luck.

The original recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe but I have modified the recipe to my own liking. If you want to try Martha's recipe, click here.

The original version calls for long grain rice, I guess if you use long grains the rice would be less mushy. But I love Egyptian rice and is a staple in my pantry. I like medium grains because it closely resembles a risotto and the flavor easily seeps in the rice. So feel free to substitute if you prefer long grains.

Here's how to make this New Orleans dish, Shrimp Jambalaya:

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 80 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
240 g Spanish chorizo, cut lengthwise and sliced into 1/6 inch thick
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 celery stalks (Note: reserve trimmed stalks and leaves for the stock)
1/2 head of garlic, minced
2 1/2 tsps paprika
1 1/2 to 2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)


10 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

3 cups medium-grain white rice, (or long grain if you prefer), rinsed
1 kg medium shrimps, peeled and deveined (*Note: reserve the shells and head for the stock)
1 cup green peas, thawed
3 to 5 cups *stock
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

*For the stock:
Shrimp shells and heads, cleaned
1 red onion, quartered
celery leaves and discarded stalks
5 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Prepare the stock by putting all the ingredients in a pot and bring it up to a boil. Reduce the heat to low until ready to use, approximately 20 minutes.

2. Heat the olive oil in a big pot over high heat. Add the chorizo and occasionally saute for 4-6 minutes until it renders fat. Add the garlic and onions and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the bell pepper and celery. Cook for another 3 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften. Add the salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper, (if using) and let the ingredients absorb the spices, about 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and rice and stir until well combined. Add 3 cups of stock and stir. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, checking halfway and stir, making sure not to burn the bottom.
Note: This is where it gets tricky. Add an initial of 3 cups of water. After 10 minutes or so, check if the rice is cooked. Add stock as needed. Keep a close eye so you don't end up with a jambalaya with uncooked rice or is too mushy. I add an interval of 1/2 cup until I get the rice perfectly cooked.

4. Once the the rice is cooked and most of the water has evaporated, add the shrimps and peas and stir for the last time until well combined. Cover the pot and cook for another 2 minutes. Then turn of the burner, do not open the lid of the pot for the shrimp to cook just right.

5. Let the rice sit for another 10 minutes before you serve, to make sure the liquids are fully absorbed. Alternatively, serve immediately if you want a risotto-like texture. Garnish with scallions on top.

Serves a hearty helping for 4



Home-cooked Meal
22 Feb 2013

Bagoong Rice

This is one of those dishes that I made as a result of my one of those out-of-the-blue-cravings. I didn't know how to make it, but I was sure I want something home-made, not take out, (nope, not even Thailand or Mami Soup will cut it this time). So I did some research, but none of the recipes online seemed to work for me. If you cook, you know by looking at the ingredients how it's going to taste like, right? Probably the one closest to what I was dreaming of was this recipe from yummy.ph. So that became my guide, then I adjusted it to my liking.

Though this has been well adapted as a Filipino dish, this was borrowed from our Thai neighbor. We Southeast Asians share the same love for rice! And this rice dish is one of them; it's bursting with with complex flavor-- salty, sweet and tangy, what more can you ask for? A second serving perhaps?

Ingredients:
FOR THE PORK BITES
1 cup bite-sized pork belly
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp sugar

FOR THE BAGOONG RICE
3 cups day-old cooked rice
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4 cup raw bagoong alamang (shrimp paste)
1 tbsp minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
2 tbsps finely chopped red onions
1 red chili, thinly cut, crosswise

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar

FOR THE OMELET:
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS
1 green mango, 3 inch-julienne
1 cucumber, 3 inch-julienne

Directions:

1. Make an omelet with one egg lightly seasoned with salt. Cool for a couple of minutes and then slice thinly, (the same size as the cucumber and mango). Set aside.

2. Season the pork with salt, pepper and sugar. Fry the pork in EVOO until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes; you may adjust to your preferred doneness. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Remove some of the pork fat and reserve for later, leave 2 tbsps of oil in the pan.

3. Saute garlic, chili and onion in the same pan over medium heat for 2 minutes or until onion is slightly softened. Add the shrimp paste , sugar and black pepper. Saute until the shrimp paste change its color from pink to brownish. Add the rice and mix until well combined. Serve in a bowl and top with strips of mangoes, cucumber and omelet.

Makes 2 servings

Home-cooked Meal
06 Oct 2012

Sausage & Chorizo Hash Skillet

Sausage & Chorizo Hash Skillet - All Rights Reserved © Haidee Vaquer 2012

I was watching an episode of Cooking for Real by Sunny Anderson on Food Network 2 weeks ago when my husband joined-in. Normally he would ask me to change the channel, but when he saw what was cooking, a breakfast skillet with chorizo and beef hash, he was intrigued and watched the show with me. When the dish was done, he said, "Oh my God, that looks so good!" "Would you like me to make some for you tomorrow?", I asked. And he answered with a resounding, "Yes, please!"

 So the following morning, which happens to be a Saturday, I made him a breakfast skillet. It was not exactly the same dish prepared by Sunny; hers was chorizo and ground chuck hash, mine was with sausages... big and chunky sausages!

The Sausage and chorizo pair is a match made in heaven, they complimented each other perfectly; it's a spicy-savory combo. Add some potatoes and crack a few eggs on top and it's one good brekky-in-a-pan! A great way to start anybody's day. My husband loved it so much he requested an encore last weekend!

So here it is, my Sausage and Chorizo Hash Skillet.

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes
Total Time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 of 225 g Chorizo Burgos, finely diced

4 pcs (225 g) pork sausages, skinned and crumbled
1 large (approx. 2 cups) potato, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 eggs
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), add as needed
1/2 tsp salt, adjust to taste
1/2 tsp pepper, adjust to taste
1 tbsp chopped parsley, garnish

Groceries Tips for my Bahrain-based readers: I used Broad Oak Farm Pork Sausages and La Cordobesa Chorizo Burgos; both can be found in the pork section of any Al Jazira Supermarket.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C.
 Tip: You may pop in the skillet in the oven while you prep; that will save you time on pre-heating the skillet on the stove-top.

2. Heat the EVOO in the skillet and swirl it around to coat the inside of the skillet. Cook the sausage and chorizo for 3-4 minutes. Do not cook all the way through, just enough for the sausage to release some of it's oil but the meat are still medium cooked and tender. Transfer the meat in a bowl and leave the oil in the pan.

3. In the same oil, sauté the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook covered for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are done but still firm, stirring every 2 or 3 minutes. You want the edges of the potatoes to brown but not burnt!

4. After 10 minutes, add the garlic and onion and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the onion is semi-translucent. Feel free to add EVOO if needed.

5. Add the sausage and chorizo and stir until well mixed. Taste for seasoning. 

6. Make 4 indentations and crack eggs on those dents. Pop it in the oven for 5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your preferred doneness. Garnish with chopped parsley and freshly cracked pepper. Serve with toasted crusty bread and herbed butter.

Makes a hearty servings for 2.

 31 August 2012
Home-cooked Meals

Sausage & Chorizo Hash Skillet - All Rights Reserved © Haidee Vaquer 2012

Sausage & Chorizo Hash Skillet - All Rights Reserved © Haidee Vaquer 2012

Bacon-wrapped Green Beans

Here's another crowd-pleaser at the dinner table-- bacon-wrapped green beans, specifically long beans or "sitaw" in Filipino. It's a great way to sneak in some veggies into your family's diet. I mean, who can resist something wrapped in bacon?

This was inspired by the recipe I pinned which is linked to Mo'Betta blog. If you want to view her recipe, click on the link here. Mine is slightly different, read on.

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 to 70 minutes

Ingredients
500g long beans, cut 3in long
400g smoked bacon
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp EVOO
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 200*C.

2.  Blanch the beans in salted water for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the beans is slightly cooked. Give it a shock bath in iced water to stop the cooking process and preserve the bright green color. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. On a cast iron skillet, heat the oil and fry the bacon until it's cooked but not crispy. Set aside and save the bacon fat rendered.

4. Wrap 6 pieces of beans in half a slice of bacon, about 5 inches long.

5. Saute the garlic in the skillet with rendered bacon fat until slightly browned. Transfer the garlic and oil in a small bowl and set aside.

6. Arrange the bacon-wrapped greens in the skillet. Brush the top with the garlic-oil mixture. Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until the bacon is golden brown with crisp edges. Serve immediately.

Makes 3-6 servings.

03 May 2012
Home-cooked Meals

Binagoongan

Binagoongan

Here's my first ever post on a truly, authentic and originally pinoy (filipino) food-- Binagoongan, (Pork in Shrimp Paste).

It was noteworthy to mention that this is the first time I ever tried making this dish. My husband begged me to write it down immediately or else I might forget how I made it and I won't be able to duplicate the dish. It's gonna be an "adobo story" all over again and my husband wouldn't want that, oh no, no no! I'm still trying to find what I put in the adobo that he fell in love with, still trying to find that long lost love. Pots by pots of adobo and he still ends up brokenhearted... she is not the one. Hence, the reason why I'm blogging. I told myself never again will I cook a dish and forget about it. I owe it to the people who falls in love with it to revisit and rekindle that love over and over. So they may live happily ever after. The...what?! Ok, enough with the drama, and the adobo, let's talk about binagoongang baboy or just simply binagoongan.

I made this dish over the weekend. I searched the bloggesphere and watched several videos and none of them seems to be the "right" recipe. If you're a cook, you KNOW what I'm talking about. Once the food touches your taste buds, you know it's anatomy, you can dissect it in your mind, and can vividly imagine how it was put together... even if you haven't made one yet. I've been wrong before but I'm usually right! So, what a girl to do? Well, experiment of course! Just don the apron and get cookin'! And boy! was it a success. My husband found his new love!

As for me, I have learned my lesson, I'm penning this baby down before I forget. Let me know if this rocks your world the way it did my husband ;-)

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1hr + 40 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs, 30 min
Note: You can cut total time in about 1 hour if you prep during the initial cooking time and inactive time.

Ingredients:

1 kg pork belly, cut into 1 inch strip.
1 head garlic, minced
2 large, red onions, diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 eggplants, cut lengthwise then sliced into 1 cm thick
4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced, set aside a few slices for garnish
1/2 cup, Barrio Fiesta Sweet shrimp paste
1 cup pork broth*
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
2 pork cubes, crushed, (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup oil + more for deep frying the pork (approximately 4 cups)


Direction:

1. Boil the pork in water with salt, pepper and 1 pork cube. After boiling for 5 minutes, turn down the heat and continue cooking for 30 to 40 minutes until the pork is tender and the fat is really soft and has a buttery texture. Fish out the pork and set aside 1 cup of pork broth* for later. Slice the pork into 1 inch cube and pop in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
 Note: You may want to prep while you wait for the pork to cook.

2.  Heat the oil for deep frying.

3. Fry pork per batch until golden brown Be careful not to overcrowd the pan or the pork will stick and the temperature of the oil will drop. Drain and Set aside.
*Caution: Watch out for the oil splatters!

4. In another pan, saute garlic, onion and tomatoes. Then add the shrimp paste, the remaining pork cube, sugar, vinegar and pork broth. Let it simmer for 5 minutes then add the eggplant and jalapeno. Finally, add the pork and toss until well combined. Taste for seasoning. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes. To serve, garnish with jalapeno slices on top. A perfect compliment to rice.

Makes: 6-8 servings

Home-cooked Meals
26 May 2012