4-Egg Broccoli/Cheese Breakfast Scramble

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Nothing powers me up more than a good breakfast. And I definitely need the power when I come home from the fire station in the morning and Lupe, my wife, hands me my honey-do list for the day.

Here is one of my favorite breakfast omelets.....

Broccoli and Cheese Scramble

Here is the recipe: 

Broccoli and Cheese Scramble 

Ingredients 

· 4 eggs 

· 1 cup of broccoli cut into small pieces 

· Colby/jack grated cheese 

· Parmesan grated cheese 

· Butter for cooking (gisa) 

· 2 green onions, diced for garnish 

Options: 

Any leftover meat - gisa this prior to adding in.
Cubed potatoes – ½ in. gisa in butter prior to mixing into omelet

Instructions

· Prepare the eggs for scrambling in bowl 

· Cut the broccoli up into small pieces, rinse and either steam or microwave maintaining a cooked but not soggy texture. Allow to drain and set aside. 

· Place 2 tbsp of butter into fry pan and heat to medium. 

· Add in eggs, broccoli, Parmesan cheese (to taste) and any meat and other options at this time. 

· Add in salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste. 

· When done plate and sprinkle the Colby/jack cheese over the top. 

· Garnish with the green onions. 

· Microwave prior to serving for 45 seconds. 

· I also like to add in Cholula Hot Sauce when I first add in the eggs and scramble this along with everything else. Almost gives it a Chorizo flavor. Very tasty. Optional. 

Serve along with your other courses and finadenne.

Hope you give this a try. You're sure to enjoy it.

Until next time....

Roasted Turkey...the Guam Firehouse Cook Way!!

Roasted Turkey    

We love roasted turkey. And we don't wait for the holidays in order to enjoy it either. Sometimes we will BBQ the turkey low and slow, especially on a Kettle grill which seems to work out perfect for this. So we wanted to share with everyone our recipe for cooking a delicious, moist and crispy turkey.

First things first...

It is very important to defrost the turkey in refrigerator until completely thawed. This may take 2 days or more.

Soak turkey in brine overnight in the refrigerator. Use a container large enough for the turkey and brine.

Recipe for Brine:

                           1 gallon water         

                           1-1/2  cups of kosher salt

                           2 cups of brown sugar

                           Stir until seasoning is dissolved

Adjust the brine to your individual taste. More salt, more brown sugar??

The brine ensures a very moist turkey as well as getting the seasoning to soak thoroughly into the meat, thus enhancing the flavor.

Next day take turkey out of the brine and allow to drain for about ½ hour in the refrigerator. The refrigerator will dry out the skin and will give the roasted turkey a crispier skin.

Rub bird down, inside and out, with olive oil or canola oil.

Apply a medium amount of Santa Maria rub. Make sure that you rub under the skin of the turkey in the breast area.

Recipe for Rub:

                           1 tablespoon sea salt

                           1 tablespoons granulated garlic powder

                           1 tablespoon of Kosher Salt

                           1 tablespoon of granulated onion power

                           1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, fine grind

                           1/4 teaspoon black pepper, medium grind

                           1/4 teaspoon Accent (MSG) - optional

Chop the parsley or crush it between your fingers to make it small enough to mix well with the other ingredients. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. If you need larger amounts, just double or triple the ingredient amounts.

Set turkey on a roasting rack inside the roasting pan (must have cover).

Use two packages of Lipton’s Onion Soup/Dip mix. Sprinkle one over the turkey. The other mix into 4 cups of water, minimum, and pour into the bottom of the roasting pan. You may need to add more water during cooking. Do not allow the water to completely evaporate while roasting.

Place one stick of butter into the cavity of the turkey.

Place one stick of butter, ½ stick to each side, into the water of the roasting pan.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Follow the cooking times for the turkey on the package.

Cook covered for half the recommended time and uncovered for the rest of the time. This will ensure a thoroughly cooked turkey that is also well browned.

Baste the turkey from time to time, while roasting, to get that shiny glaze on the skin. The butter in the water also helps crisp the skin.

Use a meat thermometer.

For a turkey with stuffing, insert meat thermometer into the center of the stuffing in the turkey cavity. The reading should be no less than 165 F.

For a turkey without stuffing, insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, not on the bone. The reading should be no less than 185 F.

Once you reach these temperatures, take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest for about ½ hour.

If the wing tips and drumstick tips or any other part of the turkey start to get too dark while roasting, cover those parts with tin foil to avoid burning.

Use the turkey drippings in the roasting pan for your gravy.

I hope you enjoy my roast turkey recipe.

Rueben Olivas

Chicken and Pork Adobo

Well last night, Wednesday, is my wife Lupe's weekly Scrabble night. She invites friends and family over for a few intense games. Of course this means, that I get the opportunity to cook. I love it!!!

On the menu were a couple of recipes given to me by one of my friends from FaceBook's 671 Recipes, Maria Puno Ravela of Guam. She gave me a chicken adobo and a pork adobo recipe. The chicken adobo recipe is credited to Jean Jasmin. Anyway, I could not decide which one I wanted to cook, so I cooked them both. Problem solved!!

Here are pictures of those dishes:

Chicken adobo with achote powder for the color.

Pork adobo with added achote, tomato sauce and potatoes.

Here are the recipes for both:

Pork Adobo - Maria Puno Ravela

2-3 lbs pork (with some fatty parts, like butt, or belly)

8- 10 cloves garlic

1 tsp coarsely cracked pepper

2 pcs bay leaves

1 1/2 cups white vinegar (datu puti when available)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoon sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a thick saucepan

2. Cover and simmer over medium heat. Check occasionally and stir to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3. Allow liquid to reduce. Cook until fully reduced and only the oil is visible, with the sauce dried into tasty bits clinging to the meat.

4. Turn up the heat to crisp the meat and cook until crispy golden brown.

5. Adjust heat occasionally to prevent the meat from scorching.

6. Serve warm over rice. Allow to cool and store in refrigerator or cool dark part of pantry. When submerged in pork fat and properly cooked , it will keep for several months in the refrigerator.

I did add in one packet of powdered achote (Mama Sita's Achuete [Annatto Powder] 1/3 oz. packet), one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce and two large russet potatoes cubed. 

Chicken Adobo

Recipe by: Jean Jasmin

1 lb chicken wings

1 onion chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped

2 Bay leaves

1 bag achote powder

1/4 Cup Vinegar

3/4 Cup Water

Salt

Pepper

Oil

1. Heat oil and Sauté garlic and onion

2. Then add your achote powder stir until dissolved.

3. Add chicken wings. Seasoned with salt n pepper. Let it cook for about 10-15mins

4. Add 1/4 cup vinegar and 3/4 cup water and bay leaves.

5. Simmer until done. You can tell when the soup is thick it's 
cooked.

The directions were easy to follow and the results were delicious. Just about everything was wiped out. There was just enough left over for me to enjoy a taste for breakfast.

If you have the opportunity, give yourself a treat with something different but delicioso....try these adobo dishes. They may just be your new favorites.

And for more fantastic recipes, pay a visit to 671 Recipes. Click on the photo and document buttons on the top of the page just under the 671 Recipes title. That where it is all happening.

Adios for now,

Until next time....

Guam Baked Dijon Salmon

I am always on the lookout for something a little different to try. It's not too big a stretch when the dish involves salmon. Well I got lucky this past week when my wife Lupe turned me on to a recipe that she was given by her supervisor at work,  JoAnn Claveria of Santa Rita....Guam of course.

Here is the recipe and a few photos...

Baked Dijon Salmon

Ingredients

2 Salmon fillets with skin on

Olive oil

2 Roma tomatoes

1 medium yellow/white onion

3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise

3 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard

Parmesan cheese

Black pepper

Santa Maria seasoning (my addition)

• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoons granulated garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of Kosher Salt
• 1 tablespoon of granulated onion power 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, fine grind
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, medium grind
• 1/4 teaspoon Accent (MSG)
• Chop the parsley or crush it between your fingers to make it small enough to mix well with the other ingredients. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. If you need larger amounts, just double or triple the measurements.
  

Directions

Rinse salmon and allow to drain in refrigerator for about 2 hours. This dries out the salmon for better baking.

Chop your onions, dice your tomatoes and mix your mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.

Preheat your oven to 400 f. Set up oven rack in middle section.

Lightly coat your flat baking tray with oil.

Coat your salmon with olive oil on both sides.

With the skin side down, place on baking tray.

Lightly season the salmon, top only, with the Santa Maria seasoning.

Spread your 1:1 mixture of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard very liberally over the salmon, top side only.

With you chopped onions, rub onions between your hands (releases their flavor) and sprinkle evenly over the top of the salmon.

With your diced tomatoes, sprinkle over the top of the salmon.

Sprinkle very liberally the Parmesan cheese over the salmon.

Lightly sprinkle the top of each salmon fillet with the black pepper. This is for flavor and eye appeal.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the onions start to brown.

Remove, cool for about 5 minutes, and serve.

The necessary ingredients beside the Salmon fillets.

Mix up your mayonnaise and Dijon mustard 1:1.

Oil the pan and salmon and lay them on the baking pan.

Seasoning, Dijon/mayo mix, onions, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and black pepper added.

After baking at 400 F for about 30 minutes. May take longer depending on the individual oven.

You can eat this as a main with other regular sides or you can serve this over pasta al dente with a little of the mayo/Dijon mustard mix heated as a sauce.

This is my new favorite way to eat baked salmon. I really love this dish. Thanks JoAnn!!!

I hope you give this recipe a try. You won't regret it.

Until next time....

Guam Labor Day 2011 at Art Toves Family Beach, Agat, Guam ...Firefighter Style

This past Labor Day, firefighters, their families and friends got together at the Art Toves Family Beach in the beautiful southern village of Agat to celebrate Labor Day 2011. We had a great time. Toves Beach is a great location to hold functions and I feel fortunate that we were able to secure permission to use this beach for our celebration.

Here is the video/slideshow of that celebration....

I think it is safe to say that we know how to celebrate!!!

We really want to thank Mr. Art Toves, (Mr. T), for being so gracious to allow us to use his family beach. God bless you Mr. T.

Well all I can really say right now is,

Until next time....

Chicken Soup on a rainy day.

We are right in the middle of the rainy season on Guam so our days of being able to BBQ are limited. But I like nothing better than to eat a fresh, hot bowl of chicken soup on a rainy day. Put this over hot white rice and top with lemon finadene and you have one satisfying meal.

That's just what I did yesterday. As a matter of fact my wife, Lupe, has been down with a cold and congestion so I felt a good soup would be just what the doctor ordered.

Here is what I made...

Chicken soup with cabbage and green onions and topped with lemon finadene. My wife also added fresh cilantro to her soup.

And here is the after photo...

I don't think I need to tell you all how much we enjoyed this hot soup on a rainy day.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 ea. Chicken fryer cut into small pieces

½ head of cabbage

3 green onions

4 cups corn

1 can cream corn

6 chicken bouillon cubes

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

12 cups of water

Directions

Cut the chicken into bite–size pieces.

Sauté the chicken in a stock pot with the oil until browned.

Add the 12 cups of water along with the chicken bouillon cubes and boil for about ½ hour.

Add the black pepper while the chicken is boiling.

Cut up your cabbage. I cut the half head in half again and then into 1 inch strips.

Dice up your green onions.

Rinse your corn.

When the ½ hour is up add the corn and can of cream corn.

Cook for another 5 minutes.

Season with salt to taste.

Add in the cabbage and green onions and turn off the heat.

Stir the soup and check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Hope you enjoy this basic recipe.

Until next time....

Instant Finadene Sauce, Nanan Mami Foods Inc. has it and more!!!

Hey everyone, I just learned of this site recently from Facebook. Nanan Mami Foods Inc. offers some of Guam's delicacy sauces such as Guam's favorite traditional finadene dipping sauce. Also offered are lemon powder and other spices used for preparing Guam cuisine. But let's not talk about it, just watch the video by Guam's own Jo Ann Charfauros, reporter for KUAM NEWS here on Guam. So let's roll the film.....

Ms Joan Aguon Charfarous from KUAM in The Mix

So if you don't have time or do not have the ingredients to make your own lemon finadene sauce or any of the other Guam's many finadene sauces, then Nanan Mami Foods Inc.'s Instant Finadene Sauce is the ticket. 

Give it a try. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Until next time....

My New Blog "Fishing Guam"

Well, many of you may already know me from my blogs, BBQGuam and Guam Firehouse Cook and I figured the only thing missing was a blog about fishing on Guam. This blog is not all about my fishing on Guam, though I do a lot of it. It is my effort to showcase what fishing on Guam is all about. From the cultural fishing methods to the modern styles, I will try my best to showcase them all.

I have just posted my first post. There will be many more posts and photos to come.

Here is the link to my newest blog: 

Fishing Guam  http://fishingguam.blogspot.com/

Until next time,

Fish On!!!!!!

Simple Shrimp Dinner

Well, I made it back from my short trip to New Mexico and Calif. It was a great trip seeing all the family and BBQing and what not. The only thing that could have made it better is if my lovely wife Lupe could have accompanied me. But unfortunately she had students to teach.

Though I am still recovering from major jet lag, I did want to cook a little something for Lupe. So I decided I would grill some shrimp and veggies. Due to the inclement weather, I was not able to grill outside so I went to plan B.......indoor grilling. 

I bought my wife a little handy device made just for the job at hand. A little stove top indoor griller. And boy does this stove top griller do the job. Just place it on top of the stove's gas burner and you are all set.

Stove Top Indoor Griller

Here are some pics of what I grilled....

Skewered Shrimp

Baby Bok Choy. One of my wife's favorites.

Asparagus

Button Mushrooms

After the grilling chores were finished, it was time to serve it all up to my wife....

Lupe looks happy with the spread...

Making her selection...

Looks like she is enjoying it so far...

Ah yes... the look of approval!!!

Gotta keep my lady happy.

Until next time.... 

Santa Maria Style BBQ in Santa Maria

Santa Maria Style

Well as you all may of gathered I have been having a great time in California visiting family eating and cooking up a storm up in San Jose. I went south to the area of my origin, Santa Maria, home of Santa Maria Style BBQ. I went to visit my folks for about 10 days. It had been a year since my last visit. If you don't know, I live on Guam and Santa Maria is not just around the corner. Anyway it is always great to visit my folks and the rest of my family. As has been the past custom, so to speak, a big BBQ bash was in order.

The menu was simple....cook alot to feed alot. Here was my menu...

6 racks of baby backs (rubbed and let sit overnight), 20 pounds of chicken thighs and legs (marinated in a soy based sauce overnight), 6 pounds of of pork country style ribs cut for kabobs which were marinaded in Worcestershire sauce and rib rub, 6 pounds of medium sized shrimp, skewered and coated with olive oil and sprinkled with a little dry rub. Same went for the two medium sized red snappers and grilled asparagus, brown button mushrooms, baby bok choy and spanish onions. Of course others made fried rice, bbq'd beans, broccoli salad, and an assortment of desserts and yes, there was plenty of ice cold refreshments and harder drinks as well.

Enough talk, here are some of the pics that I took....

My mother, Connie and sister, Cynthia prepping one of the tables.

Sister Cynthia cutting up the Bok Choy for grilling.

Brother-In-Law, Bones (short for Bonejangles), supervising and keeping hydrated, but it doesn't mean he's a bad person....

Sister Cynthia cutting flowers for the table decorations.

Bones lending one helping hand. One must pace ones self.

Banana leaves under the table settings.

Cynthia dressing up the tables.

Getting the bar table ready for action. More to come.

Bones and my Step-Father Fred. Fred is the fire master.

Fred's red oak burning down.

Red oak coals ready for grilling.

Marinated chicken and dry rubbed baby backs ready to go down.

Aunt Ginni and Uncle Bob just chilaxing.

Bones preaching to Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Johnny "Tripod" Centeno. If his lips are moving, he's lying!!!

Uncle Bob with grand daughter La Bubba.

Time to chow down with Bob Royster and Aunt Sylvia.

Attacking the table from all sides!!

More food being served up.

Hey, no pushing!!

Aunt Sylvia and Elaine talking story.

Mike and Pat picking on the grilled mushrooms, spanish onions, asparagus and baby bok choy.

Grilled baby backs and chicken.

Grilled shrimp and pork kabobs.

Grilled red snapper.

Ray Bonilla and Chincha (Cynthia) at the bar doing what they do best....oh yeah!!

Cousin Tina and the Aunties taking care of business.

La Bubba entertaining all her Aunties.

Table of Honor, just don't get in between them and their plates.

Chincha says the food and drink doesn't get any better than this.

La Bubba going over her song list. She has one beautiful voice. Great Country & Western.

Gotta have music at any BBQ. Bones is getting into it. 

Uncle Johnny, aka Tripod, the eldest of the family, still dishing out lessons.

La Bubba throwing down her set. What a voice!!

Elaine and Mom showing some love.

The "Tripod" and Auntie Bobbie.

Sister and Brother, Mom and Uncle Johnny.

The BBQ and party was so much fun even the dog (Rollie) "tapped out".

It was a great time with great people and everyone had plenty to eat. Everyone chipped in to make this gathering a major success.

If you're wondering what happened to the photos of the grilling action, well all I can say was that I had my hands full being the only one on the grill. No time for photos. But that's OK because that's "What I Do!!!".

I actually gained about 10 lbs on this trip. And that was with me putting in some miles on my bike. Oh well, it was worth it. I hope to lose it all back on Guam.

Santa Maria BBQ is alive and well in Santa Maria, California.

Until next time....