QUEEN VICTORIA'S BAKED ADOBO

 by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

Adobo is a very popular Filipino cuisine, which involved stewing with vinegar. In the late 1500s and early 1600s, the Republic of the Philippines was colonised by the Spanish, who encountered an indigenous cooking process, which they then referred to as 'adobo'. A Spanish word for seasoning or marinade.

This is a meal that uses sauce and seasoning on meats. The common way of cooking this recipe is to fry the meat first in oil and add the sauce mixture afterwards.

In this recipe, I grilled the meat and then, baked it in the oven! !

Main Ingredients:

• 3-4 pork chops
• a dash of salt & pepper Grilling

Sauce Ingredients:

• 4 tbsps. of Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsps. of Wine Vinegar
• 2 tsps. of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 ½ tbsps. of Extra Virgin Oil
• 1 teaspoonful of ground pepper
• ¼ tsp. of cayenne pepper
• vegetable stock granules to taste
• a pinch of mixed herbs
• 1 medium-sized onion, cut into 4 (separate each layer)
• 2 cloves of garlic, crashed
• 2 medium- sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 

Sauce Preparation and Cooking:

1. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce and extra virgin oil until well blended.
2. Add the ground pepper, cayenne pepper and vegetable stock granules that serve as additional flavours.
3. Sprinkle the mixed herbs in the mixture. Mix all until well combined.
4. Cook the mixture in a saucepan on a moderate flame for 2 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
5. Add the garlic, onion and the potatoes.
6. Cook again for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Cover the grilled meat with the sauce mixture.

Grilling and Baking Procedure:

1. Thaw your meat, if needed.
2. Preheat the grill to 110ºC.
3. Using your chopping board, place the meat on it and rub it with salt and pepper.
4. Prepare a cooking dish (Pyrex-glass cooking dish is good), grease it with oil and lay the prepared meat on it.
5. Place it under the grill for 30 minutes. Turn it over every 15 minutes to grill the other side. While waiting for the meat, prepare the 'sauce mixture' below.
6. Once the meat is grilled and both sides are cooked, remove from the grill.
7. Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the meat.
8. Place it in the oven and BAKE for 10-15 minutes. Adjust the heat to 90ºC.
9. Once cooked, dish it out of the pyrex-glass and you can use either your choice of traditional food serving bowl or the tomfoolery saucepan to present it on the table.

QUEEN VICTORIA'S BAKED/GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

 

I like eating flavoured meat!

Cooking food at home is my magic wand. This is one of the reasons why I don't buy processed food or indulge myself to instant products when shopping. However, it doesn't mean I dislike them!

I have eaten grilled chicken breasts that was bought and made in the supermarket, in particular, garlic grilled chicken breasts. The taste was really scrumptious!

I bought a bag of frozen chicken breasts last time and challenged myself to cook my own baked/grilled garlic chicken breasts recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs. of chicken breasts
• 3 cloves of garlic, crashed/sliced
• crashed ginger (optional) 
• 2 tbsps. of Extra Virgin oil 
• 1 tbsp. of sunflower oil
• 2 tsps. of honey
• a pinch of mixed herbs
• a pinch of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and vegetable stock granules to taste
• 2 strands of spring onion, angled slices
• 4 cherry tomatoes, slice into 2

Sauce Preparation:

1. Mix the extra virgin oil, sunflower oil and honey in a bowl. Stir well.
2. Add the crashed ginger. Stir well again.
3. Once all mixed, just set it aside.

 

  (Baked Chicken Breasts and Grilled Chicken Breasts) 

Cooking Procedure:

1. Wash and rinse the chicken breasts (Thaw, if needed).
2. Prepare the chopping board and place the breasts on it. Use a sharp knife to scar on top and turn-over to do the same. Just set it aside.
3. Prepare your crashed/sliced garlic, then insert most of the slices in the created scars of the meat. Dont throw away the excess garlic just scatter and arrange evenly in the bottom of the pyrex glass covered with foil.
4. Rub the breasts with mixed herbs, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and vegetable stock granules for additional flavours.
5. Prepare your cooking dish (Pyrex-glass cooking dish is good) and lay the prepared breasts in the centre to create a well balanced art. Just set it aside.
6. Gradually, pour the sauce mixture you made (Sauce preparation) and make sure it is distributed evenly over the breasts.
7. Design it with angled slices of spring onions and slices of cherry tomatoes on top (Be Imaginative!). Then, cover the pyrex either with its excess foil or its lid.
8. Place it in a safe area and marinate it for 1 hour before placing it in the oven.
9. Preheat the oven to 150ºC under bake mode (electric). 
10. Place the cooking dish (with the marinated breasts) in the preheated oven, then bake it for 30 minutes. In 15 minutes time, glaze the breasts with its own sauce and be careful not to burn yourself.
11. After that, unfold the foil or removed the lid and then, change the Bake to Grill as well as adjust the temperature down to 120ºC. 
12. Place and grill it for 30 minutes. Check it every 10 minutes and glaze the breasts using its own sauce.

This is the perfect garlic chicken breasts to be served and eaten on the table with your loving family.

QUEEN VICTORIA'S BAKED/GRILLED BONED PORK LEG

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

 

As an old saying goes, “A way to a man’s heart is to fill his empty stomach.”

Sistahs, it is time for you to prepare your kitchen and check the needed ingredients for this scrumptiously meaty recipe. It gives a succulent cooking experience and also, warms up your kitchen in this type of weather. More importantly, it will truly indulge your man’s appetite... STOP HIS AGONY!!!

Ingredients:

• Boned Pork Leg 
• 3 cloves of garlic; crashed/sliced
• ginger; crashed/sliced
• mixed herbs
• 2 tbsps. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. of Sunflower Oil
• 1 tbsp. of Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. of Worcester sauce
• salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and vegetable stock granules to taste
•  1 medium cooking onion; slice into 4 and separate each layer 
• 4 medium-sized mushrooms; cut each into 2 

Cooking Procedure:

1. Thaw your meat, if needed.
2. Prepare the chopping board and place your meat on it. Use a sharp knife to scar on top and turn-over to do the same. Just set it aside.
3. Prepare your crashed/sliced garlic and ginger, then insert most of the slices in the created scars of the meat. Dont throw away the excess garlic and ginger, just scatter and arrange evenly in the bottom of the pyrex glass.
4. Rub the whole meat with mixed herbs. 
5. Prepare your cooking dish (Pyrex-glass cooking dish is good) and lay the prepared meat in the centre to create an art. Just set it aside.
6. Mix and whisk the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, Lemon juice and Worcester sauce in a bowl. After that, add the condiments for additional flavours and make sure they are all well blended.
7. Gradually, pour the mixture you made from cooking procedure 6. Just make sure it is distributed evenly over the meat.
8. Design it with layers of onions and slices of mushrooms around it (Be Imaginative!) Then, cover the pyrex either with foil or its lid.
9. Place it in a safe area and marinate it for 1 hour before placing it in the oven.
10. Preheat the oven to 150ºC under bake mode (electric). 
11. Place the cooking dish (with the marinated meat) in the preheated oven, then bake it for 30 minutes. In 15 minutes time, glaze the meat with its own sauce and turn it over for the other side to be soaked in its sauce, too. 
12. After that, remove the foil or lid and change the Bake to Grill as well as adjust the temperature down to 120ºC. 
13. Place and grill it for 30 minutes. Check it every 10 minutes and glaze the meat using its own sauce.

Eat it with joy in your heart and share your dish with loved-ones as the scrumptiousness will be revealed when all are together around the table.

I miss my loving Tatay because of this Filipino inspired cuisine of mine.

QUEEN VICTORIA'S BAKED BATTERED AUBERGINE

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

It was surprisingly tasty...

A soft bulbous shiny purple or white skin that varies in different sizes. Don't be too green as I am talking about a commonly used nightshade vegetable.

Aubergine or in some countries known as eggplant is a nightshade plant closely related to tomato and potato. It is a delicate perennial (more than 2 years) plant that grows in temperate climates of China, India, Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized aubergine
• 2 cloves of garlic, crashed and finely chopped
• 1 small-sized onion, finely chopped
• a dash of mixed herbs
• 2 medium-sized eggs, beaten 
• salt, pepper and vegetable stock granules to taste
• 2 tbsps. of Extra Virgin oil

The aubergine was burntly- grilled that made it easier for me to tear-off its skin and also it cooked some of its pulp. After I have scraped its burnt skin, I divided it into two and crashed each pulp (the size of United Kingdom's aubergine is four times bigger than in Asia) using a fork.

 

Baking Procedure:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150ºC (electric) and then, dazzle the oil into the pyrex glass to cover the bottom .
2. Prepare you marinating mixture by whisking and mixing up together the following ingredients. Such as cloves of garlic, finely choppped onion, mixed herbs, 2 eggs and the condiments.
3. Place the pyrex glass inside the pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes. 
4. While waiting, pour and coat your prepared aubergines with the egg batter mixture in step 2. This is the marinating time!
5. Take-out the pre-heated pyrex glass in the oven and then, lay and arrange your marinated aubergines. Be careful not to touch the surface of the pyrex glass as it will be sizzling hot (NOTA BENE!).
6.  Place it back in the oven and bake it for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Check it every 10-12 minutes or adjust the temperature, if necessary and to avoid burnt food!

*Photo courtesy of topfoodfacts.com

BAKED/GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

 (Before and After)

I usually deep-fry chicken wings but last night, it was entirely different. I was very indecisive to experiment as dinner is not same as baking a cake that is replaceable, if worse comes to worst! At the end, I gave it a try and was very pleased with the outcome and the taste, too. Succulent, delicious and very colourful (very exemplary)!

Main Ingredients:

• 6 medium-sized chicken wings

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. of Sunflower Oil
• 3 cloves of garlic; crashed
• crashed ginger; finely chopped
• 1 medium sized red tomato; slice into 8
• 1 medium cooking onion; slice into 4 and separate each layer
• a quarter of yellow bell pepper; cut into chunks
• a quarter of red bell pepper; cut into chunks
• ½ tsp. of mixed herbs
• salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and vegetable stock granules to taste

Pre-cooking procedure for the chicken wings:

1. Add boiling water in a pot and dip in the chicken wings.
2. Cover and boil if for 3 minutes on a high flame.
   
   

   

   (After 20 minutes of Baking and After 30 minutes of Grilling) 
   

 Cooking procedure:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150ºC (electric). Arrange the crashed garlic in the bottom of the pyrex glass and then, place over the pre-cooked chicken wings.
2. Scatter and arrange evenly the prepared ginger, tomato, onion, bell pepper, mixed herbs and the condiments over the chicken wings.
3. Smoothly pour the 2 types of oils over the prepared chicken wings. Then, cover the pyrex with foil or its lid.
4. Place it inside the pre-heated oven and bake it for 20 minutes.
5. After that, remove the foil or lid and change the Bake to Grill as well as adjust the temperature down to 120ºC. 
6. Place and grill it for 30 minutes. Check it every 10 minutes and glaze everything using its own infused oil.

Better call the people you love in life and let them judge your own way of cooking chicken wings. Don't forget to cook cups of rice grains my dear Filipinos!

QUEEN VICTORIA'S SAUSAGE BAKED SUPREME

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

I have cooked this recipe before but this time, its tastier and much more colourful.

I usually cooked this recipe at night as the process of making it warms the kitchen in the cold evenings here in England.

I like eating sausages and the protein content is not enough to perk me up, carbohydrate from a bread is highly needed. That is when, I decided to prepare this recipe that contains the main ingredient (sausages) and the batter mixture. The batter is a flour mixture that will substitute my need for carbohydrate.

In the United Kingdom, this is traditionally called Toad In A Hole but as I modified it and claiming it mine, I called it 'Queen Victoria's Sausage Baked Supreme'.

 

I am hoping that you will like this recipe of your Quidnunc Queen Victoria!

Main and Other Ingredients:

• 8  sausages
• 2 ½ tbsps. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 medium onion; finely chopped
• half part of a medium-sized bell pepper; finely chopped
• a tsp. of finely chopped ginger
• 3 gloves of garlic; crushed

Batter Ingredients:

• 5 tbsps. of self raising flour
• 1 tbsp. basic muesli
• 2 medium-sized eggs
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 2 tsps. of tomato and chili chutney
• 1/2 cup of matured grated cheese (optional)
• 2 whole leaf frozen spinach; defrosted & cooked at medium temperature for 5  minutes in the microwave
• a dazzle of mixed herbs
• salt, ground pepper, chili pepper and vegetable stock granules to taste

Batter Procedure:

1. Sift the flour in a mixing bowl, and then add the basic muesli.
2. Add the egg, milk, chutney, grated cheese, spinach and mixed herbs. Mix and beat all well.
3. Add the salt, pepper and vegetable stock granules. Mix and beat all well until no more lumps of flour. Rest for awhile until needed (usually an hour before baking).

Baking Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 120ºC (electric).
2. Prepare the onion, bell pepper, ginger and garlic. Grease the cooking dish (Pyrex- glass cooking dish is good) with Virgin Oil and then place the chopped ingredients (don't forget to combine all using a fork). After that, arrange your sausages over the chopped ingredients.
3. Place the cooking dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. However, 3 minutes before the time you have to take out the sausages from the cooking dish and set it aside. Place the cooking dish back in the oven and wait for another 3 minutes.
4. On a low flame burner, place the cooking dish to hold its temperature. Gradually, pour the batter mixture. Disturb and make sure it is distributed evenly.
5. Arrange your pre-cooked sausages in the cooking dish with softly sizzling batter.
6. Place it back in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until puff and golden.
7. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

The importance of being an open minded is the ability to grasp information in which I have learnt how to combine and add a few ingredients making it, more or less, genuinely mine.