Pistachio Cake... Island Favorite!!

Everyone loves dessert. A Guam island favorite is Pistachio cake.

Here is a great tasting recipe from one of our friends. And it is so easy to make. Even I can make this...

Pistachio Cake

Recipe supplied by Arlene

Cake:

1 Box of Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix

For the water portion of the instructions, make it 1/2 water and 1/2 Rum.

Add 1 box of Jello Pistachio pudding into the batter.

Add green food coloring until it is the color that you like.

Those are the only deviations from the instructions on the box.

Glaze:

Recipe supplied by Lani

1 cup confectioner's sugar;

3 tbsp milk;

1tsp vanilla;

butter for flavoring.

That's all there is to it.

Sinimple...right?

Until next time....

Smoking Yellow Fin Tuna....Guam Style!!

Here is my latest post on my BBQGuam blog. I thought you might enjoy it.

Smoking Yellow Fin Tuna....Guam Style!!

Until next time....

Smoked Ham Hock and Beans

Rainy days on Guam call for some special indoors cooking. Today my wife, Lupe, cooked up some delicious Smoke Ham Hock and Beans.

Here is her recipe and process:

Smoked Ham Hocks and Beans

This process involves the use of a pressure cooker. This allows one to greatly cut down cooking times. But if you don’t have a pressure cooker, just cook as per the instructions in a regular pot until the ham hocks and beans are tender. Both are cooked separately.

Ingredients:

6 smoked ham hocks

2 bags of pinto beans

2 tbsp of olive oil

One medium onion

1 16 oz. can of stewed tomatoes

1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

2-3 tbsp of chili powder

1 tbsp of granulated garlic powder

Cooking the Ham Hocks:

In a pressure cooker (we have the 8 Qt. size) place all six ham hocks inside, and fill with water. Make sure you keep the water level just below the line inside the pressure cooker.

Lock the lid in place and put on stove. Place pressure regulator on top of vent pipe in the middle of the lid.

Heat on high until the pressure regulator starts to rock gently and gives off a whistling noise. Set your timer for 6 minutes and mark the time. At the end of the time, turn off the heat completely.

Wait until the pressure drops enough for you to open the lid.

Empty ham hocks into another container and set aside.

Cooking the Beans:

Same process as the ham hocks except once both bags of bean are inside, fill with water until it covers the beans about 2 inches.

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil. This is because dry beans and peas have a tendency to froth and foam during cooking, which could cause the vent pipe to become blocked. The oil helps in this regard.

Cook on high heat. Once the pressure regulator starts to rock gently and gives off a whistling noise, time the beans for 8 minutes. Turn off the heat entirely at the 8 minute mark.

Combining the Ham Hocks with Beans:

Once the cooker has depressurized, open and pour the beans and bean liquid into another cooking pot big enough to hold everything.

Place this pot over the burner at a medium heat.

Cut up the ham hocks. They should have been scored already. Add them into the pot.

Dice up the onion and stewed tomatoes and add them into the pot. Make sure that you also add the juice from the stewed tomatoes.

Add the 2-3 tbsp of chili powder, 1 tbsp of granulated garlic powder, and tomato sauce into the pot.

Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes or until you are satisfied.

Salt to taste. I normally don’t have to salt this because the smoked ham hocks have enough salt on their own.

Serve with rice and lemon finadenne’.

And here is the lemon finadenne':

We had a great time eating this.

Until next time....

Fried Rice....Guam Style!!!

Everyone loves fried rice. Basically fried rice is just another way to enjoy leftovers. But done right, it makes one great breakfast served along with your usual breakfast items. Talk about powering up for the day.......

Well here's the picture:

And here's the recipe:

Fried Rice with Corned Beef, Spam and Sigidiyas (Wing Beans)

By Lupe Olivas

Fried rice is traditionally a dish that combines leftover rice and other items that you may have leftover. But it is such a wonderful and popular dish that leftovers are not always used. Now more and more

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked rice

3 eggs

4 short green sigidiyas (wing beans)

½ cup of julienned carrots

3 cloves of garlic

½ can of Spam

1 can of corned beef

Bacon grease (leftover from frying bacon)

Soy sauce (to taste)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Prep:

1. Julienne the carrots or buy the carrots already julienned in the bag.
2. Mince 3 garlic.
3. Dice Spam.
4. Slice sigidiyas (wing beans) crossways about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.
5. Remove 3 eggs from shells and scramble in a bowl.
6. Remove corned beef from can. 

Directions:

1. Using a large cast iron frying pan, put in 2 tbsp of bacon grease (oil).
2. Sautee 3 cloves of minced garlic.
3. Add 3 cups of rice. We eat Jasmine at our home. But any cooked rice will do.
4. Fry the rice until it gets warm. Add soy sauce to taste.
5. In a separate fry pan, fry up one can of corned beef. Discard the oil. Continue frying until cooked to your liking. Place corned beef aside in a bowl.
6. Fry the diced Spam using the bacon grease.
7. Using the same fry pan, fry up the sigidiyas (wing beans) in a little bacon grease.
8. Do the same with 3 eggs but scramble them in one tbsp of butter.

 Finishing Off:

1. Now combine all the ingredients together over medium heat stirring constantly.
2. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
3. Add more soy sauce to your taste if needed.
4. Garlic powder and diced green onions for garnish optional.

Once everything is blended serve hot on the table.

Easy operation. Most of the work is in the preparation.

Until next time....

Pineapple Cream Pie....Mom's Recipe!!

Well since we have been posting desserts, let me post one of my all time favorites....my mother's Pineapple Cream Pie. 

Pineapple Cream Pie

Ingredients:

1 Pkg   9-inch Baked Pie Crust (Pillsbury Frozen Pie Crust or Betty Crocker) or make your own.

2 Cans 20oz. Crushed Pineapple w/heavy syrup, drained

2 Egg yolks

2 Cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tsp. salt

5 Tbls corn starch

2 Tbls butter

1 Tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Prepare pie crust according to directions & set aside, allow to cool.

Over medium heat combine the 2 egg yolks, milk, sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Stir constantly and bring to boil. Mixture will thicken rapidly. When thickened, remove from heat.

Stir in butter, drained crushed pineapple and vanilla.

Pour into cooled pie crust and let pie cool.

Refrigerate until firm.

That's all there is to it. So simple.

Until next time....

Sometimes We Just Have to Have Dessert!!!!

Hey, with all the cooking and grilling that we do,  a meal wouldn't be complete without a good dessert. My wife, Lupe, got this recipe for Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches, while watching TV. 

Here is the recipe:

Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches w/ cream cheese filling

Recipe by Chefs Peter Duenas and Lorena Manibusan, Meskla Restaurant, Guam

Ingredients for cookie batter:

½ cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1½ tsp red food coloring

1 tbsp milk

Ingredients for cream cheese filling:

¼ cup softened butter

8 oz. softened cream chees

½ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 F

Mix ingredients in the following order:

Fold the butte with granulated sugar;

Add in the vanilla;

Add in the eggs;

Fold in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda;

Next fold in the powdered cocoa and 1 tsp salt;

Now add the red food coloring and milk and mix everything together until you have a smooth batter.

Next use a small ice cream scoop for portion control and drop the batter on a cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.

Bake at 375 F for about 10 minutes.

Take out of the oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.

Directions for cream cheese filling:

To make the cream cheese filling, take the softened butter and whip it until it is creamy in texture.

Fold in the cream cheese and add the powdered sugar slowly until you have a creamy filling.

Putting it all together:

Take one cookie and add filling, thickness depends on your personal taste. Cover with another cookie to create the sandwich. 

You have got to try this. Super delicious.

For all you macho men out there, you can substitute the glass of milk for a pint of ice cold beer!!!!

Until next time....

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....