Pan-grilled Herbed Pork Chops

Description:
This is now my favorite pork chops recipe- it's juicy, flavorful, tender and so easy to make. The secret is marinading the chops in brine prior to cooking it. We really loved it, including the kids, who really had no trouble eating the meat since it's tender, juicy and yummy. I guarantee it :)

Ingredients:
4 pieces (3/4 inch thick) pork chops, around 120 g a piece
Salt and pepper to taste
McCormick Italian Seasoning Herbs, around 1-2 Tbsps.
2 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil

Brine Solution:
1.5 cups water
3 Tbsps. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. table salt



Directions:
Combine all ingredients for the brine solution; mix until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour solution in a zip lock/ food grade plastic bag. Add in chops, seal the plastic, and marinade in the refrigerator for one (1) hour.

Drain the chops (throw out the brine solution) and dry with paper towels.
Set aside.
Mix together salt (not too much), pepper, herbs and olive oil. It will look like paste. Rub this paste on both sides of the chops. Leave for about 30 minutes for the meat to absorb the flavor.

Heat up a grill pan until very hot. Sear in chops (no need to put oil), around 3 minutes per side.

Serve right away and enjoy!

Little Brenzie Bunny

Meet out little bunny Brenzie :) I'm glad he loves this bunny costume (passed on from Trixie) which he will wear in the costume parties to come.

Trixie, My Flower Princess

Here are some photos of my two kids at Jon and Michelle Go's wedding last October 2, 2010. This was Trixie's third time to be a flower girl, and she was really good at it.

Got to wear shades!

Kids played around with my shades. I remember when I was a kid, I also did that. :)

Birthday Celebration 2010

I had a simple but fun birthday celebration at home. I really couldn't ask for anything more- I have two precious little ones and a wonderful hubby. My life is pretty blessed, thank you God!

Mandarin Sky

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Chinese
Location:	Banawe, Quezon City

This resto serves good Chinese food at a very affordable price. For a lauriat set with crabs and steamed suahe good for 10-12 pax, the price is P4,880! Of course, the place isn't posh and classy, but they serve good Chinese food.

Squash Cake aka Kim-kwe Keh

Description:
This week, my mother-in-law taught us how to make her special Kim-kwe Keh. I consider this a passing on of her legacy as a really good cook and homemaker, and I am grateful. I consider this recipe as a special gift that I will treasure. I'm glad both my kids like this a lot; it's a healthy Asian snack that I hope their kids will enjoy too when the time comes.

Ingredients:
1.5 kilos squash
3-5 cups of water, as needed
375 g rice flour
1.5 cups broth from hibe and dried mushrooms

Filling/ Topping:
150 g ground pork
1/8 cup hibe, rinsed very well and soaked, then minced
4 pcs dried shiitake, soaked and minced
4 pcs shallots, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Remove skin and seeds from squash and grate. Put grated squash in a sauce pot and add 3 cups water. Cook squash until soft and moist, adding more water as needed. (Approximate weight of cooked squash is 1.8 kilos.) Scrape the bottom of pot to prevent scorching.

Prepare filling. Saute shallots in oil until fragrant and light brown. Add in drained hibe, and continue to sauté. (You may set aside a portion of this mixture to serve as toppings.) Add the ground pork and shiitake mushrooms, and continue sautéing until brown and fragrant. Add in oil as needed to prevent drying and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine rice flour and broth, then add to the squash. Add filling mixture, season with salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Pour in lined loaf pans/ round molds, then flatten top. Steam for 1 hour or until done. Let cool completely before serving.

Note: Squash cake has a shelf-life of about three days in the chiller.

Serving Squash Cake:

Slice squash cake into about ½ inch slices. Pan-fry until golden brown on both sides, then serve with hoisin sauce or sweet chilli sauce.

Birthday Dinner Date

I consider it purely providential that my birthday falls on the week of the annual Restaurant Week (where the finest restos in the Metro offer this fabulous menu of less than P1000 net per person for a gourmet meal complete with wine, Italian water and coffee, check out www.winedepot.com.ph.) Since last year, it has become tradition for Brandon and me to celebrate my birthday at Zucchini's- a mere 2-minute drive from our house (again, providential!). It was a lovely dinner.

Family Portraits by Lito Sy

Here are my family's recent portraits shot by Lito Sy.