I have been out of commission for quite sometime now. Right now, I cannot think of a more valuable excuse or explanation other than being lazy to upload pictures so I always forego writing in my blog. Such a lazy swine. I think it runs in the family. Ha!

Being Sunday, it accounts for yet another lazy afternoon worth trying new dishes. Specially so because the weather has been conducive – wet, gray yet not gloomy. I was left alone at home – mom to the Church and the oldest sister went to the salon. Besides hunting down for more friends in the internet who would want to chat with me, I started to play on the idea of cooking that pound of pork, which has been sitting in the freezer for a week now, in a different way.

My middle sister had once challenged me to come up with recipes which include at least 5 or 6 ingredients to make it easier for her to follow. Besides, maybe her Precious son, who has just turned 21 and managed to flee from his doting parents (ha!) can try my recipes, too.

So here goes……

1 lb. pork round

1 medium sized carrot

1 whole onion, quartered

Salt and pepper to taste

**** Put all ingredients in a dutch oven casserole and fill with about 4 or 5 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil until pork is tender. Reserve the liquid as broth.

Meanwhile…prepare:

half an inch ginger, sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, minced

half onion, cut in rings

2 stalks green onions

2 medium sized tomotes, sliced thickly

half a carrot sliced

1/4 c. brandy, optional

Mamacita or Mang Tomas Lechon Sauce

Salt and pepper to taste (I always use cracked pepper)

Cut the tender pork into big chunks. Heat 1TBSP. of oil in a wok. Add pork  and brown on all sides. Set aside. Saute ginger until pungent. Add the garlic and saute until slightly brown. Add carrot slices and add half of the brandy and let simmer until liquid is dissolved. Add the rest of the brandy and about 2TBSP of the reserved broth. Continue to simmer until the carrots are a bit tender then add the sliced tomatoes until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the pork chunks and 2tbsp. broth and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3tbsp. Lechon sauce and simmer until liquid becomes thick, about 5 minutes more. Turn off heat and add onion rings and green onion. Serve immediately. Would feed 5, but in abnormal circumstances, would feed 2 very hungry sisters. Well, there will still be enough left for the next day’s packed lunch.

Enjoy!

P.S. I couldn’t stay with the required 5 ingredients, but I assure you it is worth all the trouble.

Whenever I am bored OR angry, I get into that “crazy” mood. Crazy because I either will eat like a horse (more like a pig – and snorts along the way) in a frenzy OR shop like it was the end of the world.  A few days back, I was in such a mood and I thought of ways I can cook that salmon in the freezer. I didn’t want to serve pork and poultry more than 3 times in a given week. It is tempting,  but I have to accept that the “occupants” in this house are way into their middle age and have a milelong of medical problem list up their sleeves. So yes, Salmon it will be.

I was tired of just broiling it with the usual garlic, salt and lots of pepper and lemon combination. So I thought of sarciado. I never actually follow receipes since I started cooking. My recipes are all bouts of replication from other recipes, only using ingredients on hand. I always felt that is the real homemaker – being more creative and frugal in a way.

Half a pound (or more) of fresh salmon

1/2 tsp. salt

1tsp. pepper or more, as desired

Olive oil to coat salmon

One whole sweet onion, sliced

One big tomato, sliced

Maple syrup

TO DO:

1. Marinate salmon in salt and pepper and olive oil for 45 minutes to an hour.

2. Put oven dial to broil (I use the ordinary oven toaster as the real oven has been converted to a “cabinet” for baking pans and trays. Hey, We have to explore all the spaces!)

3. In a broiler pan, put a small amount of water and set the fish on top of the grill.

4. Broil for 20 minutes. The fish will be cooked but moist.

5. In a non stick skillet, put a small amount of olive oil and saute the onions until soft. Add the tomatoes. The mixture will be “watery” and continue to simmer until almost dry.

6. Add 3 tablespoon of maple syrup (you can add more according to taste) and cook for about 3 minutes.

7. Transfer on top of the salmon and broil for another 5 minutes or until onion is almost burnt and crispy. (Wow!)

8. Slide onto a medium deep plate.

9. Spoon the drippings onto the salmon and serve immediately.

Note: I will challenge my MS (middle sister) if she finds this recipe appealing.

Sundays, when my daughter was still living with me, were always reserved for “Family Day.” Being a single mother, weekdays went by like a blur as I hurdled myself from work to another “Friday” job, shopping, laundry and helping my daughter with homework. Let’s not forget about the cooking in between. It was only on Sunday that I can devote my time to my daughter to go see a movie, eat out on special occasions or those “just because” days, to browse through countless books and help her choose which one she could buy to add to her already growing collection (she had more than 1,500 before she left to venture life on her own!). Nowadays, Sundays are usually spent leisurely and dabbling in a little concoction of new dishes.

This Sunday is specially meaningful because tomorrow is a holiday, too, being Labor Day. That means I have an extra day for myself before I go back to work. Well, I’m not working right now anyhow. But going back to work means going back to the desk and looking and submitting resumes for job prospects.

My sister, who I live with, brought home groceries to my satisfaction – salmon, pork (with fat and skin intact!) and shrimps!!!!! I can almost dream of the dishes I will be serving for the next few days or so. Today, I opted for PORK CHOP STEAK! and my own version of Menudo – pork and shrimp combined. I had to add seafood since mother cannot be eating pork all the time.

Here’s a look at the finished products:

In my insatiable quest to find the best breakfast, I just had donut.

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