Egg Education

I was watching Worst Cook in America where the contestants were tasked to make different ways to cook egg. Scrambled egg, poached egg, sunny side up and boiled egg. Then I remember my conversation with a college friend where she suggested I write about eggs in my blog.  Why not? We eat egg almost everyday. Almost all fridge in a household have eggs in them. It is eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snack. It is used for cooking and baking. People have different preferences on the way they want their eggs. Most common egg eaten is chicken egg, although duck egg is also popular in some countries especially in Asia. Quail egg is also sold in the store, although it is hard to find them. Gull egg is common in England and Norway. While guinefowl egg is eaten in Africa.

There are a lot of breeds of chicken used for laying hens. They are called 'Layers' or 'layer chicken'.  Some breed (with white earlobes) lay white eggs, some  breed (with red earlobes) lay brown eggs. Layers produce egg almost everyday, average of 300 eggs a year. Egg, once bought, can be stored for up to 3-5 weeks in the coldest part of the refrigerator, preferably in its original packaging so you can still check the expiration date. It is not advisable to store egg on the fridge door because it is the warmest part of the fridge. How do we know if egg is still safe to eat?  By doing a simple test.  Put egg in a bowl or glass full of water. It it floats, then it is not safe to eat. It is old and has accumulated gas in the air space located at the edge of the egg. If it sinks, then it is still good to eat.

There are several kinds of eggs sold in the store today. There is the commercial white egg, vegetarian egg, free range egg and organic egg. The last three eggs usually has brown shell. There is a difference between free range and organic egg. Free range eggs are eggs produced by layers that are not 'caged' and are free to roam around the farm. It can have antibiotic on its feed. Organic eggs are eggs produced by free range layers that are fed organic feeds. Organic feeds are free of antibiotic and genetically modified products. Vegetarian eggs are produced by layers that are fed vegetarian feeds. Make sure to read the label before you buy.

Egg is considered 'meat' due to its high protein and choline (Vitamin B4) content. It also has the rest of vitamin B complex and minerals like iodine and selenium.  There was a debate on how many eggs one can eat a day due to its high cholesterol level, which is mainly concentrated in the yolk. Clinical studies show that it is safe to eat one whole egg a day. But one can eat as many eggwhite, as long as you are not allergic to it.

Egg allergy is the most common allergy in children, second to milk. The protein that causes allergy is usually in the white part of the egg, the albumen. Some children are also allergic to protein present in the egg yolk. Most common sign of egg allergy is wheezing, coughing, troubled breathing, stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea, hives, itching and anaphylaxis.

Of course I will not let the opportunity pass by asking the question that causes debate for centuries, since the time of Aristotle. Which comes first, chicken or the egg?

Potato Croquettes

One of the root vegetables that Sophie and I love to eat is potato. French fries. Mashed potatoes. Chicken afritada with lots of potatoes. Omelete with potatoes. Chicken adobo with potatoes. I almost always cook dishes with potatoes on it. We just love it. And so one night when we were watching a show on The Food Network, Sophie saw one of the chefs cooking potato croquettes. She said she is tired of mashed potatoes and wants to try something new. And if we could try making what the chef is cooking.  Of course, I told her.

I googled the recipe. And since I don't follow the recipe to the letter, I adjusted some and made it my own.  You know me, I love to experiment. Below is my own version of potato croquettes.

Ingredients

4           pcs medium baking potato, peeled and quartered

3           pcs mozarella sticks, finely chopped

1/4        parmesan cheese

1/4        dried parsley

3           organic eggs

1 tbsp  salt

1 cup    breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil for frying

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a pot, cover the potatoes with water, then simmer until tender. This will take about 15-20 minutes.

2. When cooked, transfer to a large mixing bowl and mashed it. Add the mozarella and parmesan cheese, dried parsley, salt and one egg. Mix and form into balls.

3. Beat the remaining 2 eggs. Coat the potato balls with the egg, then with breadcrumbs.

4. In a pan, heat the oil and fry the croquettes until golden brown. May serve with ranch dressing or ketchup.

The croquettes turned out good, Sophie said. I thought it was ok. But I would be making some changes the next time I cook it. 

1. Instead of parmesan cheese, I would be using cheddar cheese or american cheese.

2. I will add spring onion.

3. Instead of dry parsley, I will be using fresh one.

But for now, we will enjoy my first potato croquettes experiment. Do you want some?

What would you do with a billion dollars?

Everybody was in frenzy and fell in line just to buy power ball ticket yesterday before last night's draw. I mean who wouldn't? There is a $1.6 Billion waiting to be won. I have only bought a lotto ticket once before, decades ago when I was in college. But that's about it. I'm not really into gambling in any form, including buying lottery ticket. But yesterday was different, I felt like, why not. I have a few dollars to spare. And what are the chances that I can win? One in a million probably. But why not? And so I bought a power ball ticket along with other friends that afternoon. I found out that the winner will be drawn that night. Waiting for a few hours before a winning ticket will be announced, I started daydreaming. What if we won? And what will I do with that huge amount of money? You would think that is easy. But its not. Your life will change forever. Life will never be the same. People will know about you. You will be in newspaper and TV for days. And so I thought, would I mind that? Maybe.. Maybe not. But would anybody pass an opportunity to win $1.6 Billion dollars?  And so the dreaming begins..

If you become a billionaire, what would be the first thing you will do? In my case, I would probably scream and scream for hours, while jumping of course. And for sure, Sophie would scream and jump along with me. I wouldn't be able to sleep for days. Not with a lot of things planned in my head. I would most definitely go back home. Buy my mother a mansion house. Bring my whole family to Europe. Go to all the places I want to go to. And then after that, I would live a simple life. Retire early, buy a farm, live on the farm, eat organic food raised on a farm.  Simple.. and yet so fulfilling. But of course, life would be boring if I'm not doing anything. I don't want to be idle. I must have something to do. A purpose. With a huge amount of money, I will be able to help a lot of people.

A long time ago, after Ruffa Gutierrez was crowned as Second Princess in Miss World 1993, she built a foundation that helps children. The foundation is called Roof-a-Child.  From that moment on, I have promised myself I will be doing the same thing if I become insanely rich.  I also want to put up my own foundation. I want to help under privileged children who can't go to school. I will provide scholarships so these children can finish school. For I always believe that education is one of the key to a good future. And children is our future, and so we must educate them. I would probably start in my town, and probably go nationwide from there. It's something I am passionate about. And hopefully in the future I will be able to do.

But then...well the dreaming must end. We all know where the winning ticket is. And its nowhere near me. Oh well, one can only dream. It's free and I can do anytime I want. What about you? What would you do if you win a billion dollars?

Home-made Embotido

A lot of people have been asking me for the recipe of my home-made embotido(meat loaf). So I thought of including my recipe here in my blog.

When I was back home, I just love eating embotido especially during Christmas and fiestas.  It is one of my favorite dish to eat. I especially love it when fried and dipped in ketchup. And of course, with lots of steamed rice. I have not tried cooking it until I settled here in the Midwest.

And since I am staying away from pork and beef, I have made some changes in original embotido recipe. But first let me give you the original recipe of embotido.

Ingredients

2     lbs ground pork
1     can Vienna sausage, sliced lengthwise
3     pcs hard boiled egg, sliced lengthwise (wedges)
1/2  cup sweet relish
1/2  cup tomato sauce or ketchup
2     pcs raw eggs
2     cups cheddar cheese
1     cup red bell pepper, chopped
1     cup green bell peper, chopped
1     cup carrots, chopped
1     cup onion, chopped
1     cup raisins
1     cup flour or breadcrumbs
1     tbsp salt
1     tbsp pepper

Procedure

Combine all ingredients except the hard boiled eggs and Vienna sausage.  Marinate for at least 4 hours. Best if marinated overnight. (I usually prepare everything the night before.  Then steam the following morning.)

After marinating, cut aluminum foil in squares, about 12 x 12 inches.  In the middle of the foil, spread the mixture, around 6 x 6 inches square. Line up the cut boiled egg and the Vienna sausage. Then roll together with the foil. Seal the end.  Steam for at least 50 minutes.

That's the original recipe that I have used a few years ago.  And when I changed my diet, I switched ground pork to ground turkey, I added more carrots, bell pepper and onion. Sometimes I would use dried cranberries (craisins) instead of raisins.  I also added a few cloves of garlic. And sometimes don't add the Vienna sausage since it is made of pork. One of these days I would try it with ground chicken. I want to find out if it will also be as delicious.

I hope you try the healthier recipe for embotido. I firmly believe in eating healthy and having a healthy lifestyle.  Enjoy experimenting in the kitchen!! And send me a feedback if you have time!!

Looking forward to a better 2016

Years ago I stopped making my own New Year's resolution for some reasons.  One, I don't get to keep it and two, I found it cheesy. It's so ideal to plan for the year ahead. But then as the days pass, I just tend to go with the flow, hence I forget about my goal, my resolution. 2015 has given me a lot of challenges. Some I have surpassed, some still unresolved. But I look forward to the year ahead. I want to be more optimistic, excited for what 2016 has in store for me. Although this time it will be different. Before I just let things take over me. This time I will make my own fate. I will claim it.  2016 will be a better year.

And so I will not be calling it my New Year's resolution. It doesn't need a label. It's just going to be my project. My plan for 2016. I will try to be a better me. I want to be more productive, more innovative. To have more guts and to find ways for a better lifestyle.

First I want to do is try to write more often.  When I'm busy, I tend to forget about my blog. I will set aside more time just for it.  I want my blog to be more visible. To be able to reach more audience, and one way to do that is to write more often.

I will be posting recipes of my favorite dishes. Please feel free to request your favorites. Some recipes will include my experiments. I always have the tendency to change the original recipe. The reason why is because I want it to be different. I want it to be my own version.

I will write down my bucket list one of these days.  I have lists of things I want to do, and places I want to go, but it's all in my head. This time I will make a hard copy. And try to check which one on the list is possible for me to do this year.

I will widen my reading preferences.  I tend to be judgmental, wouldn't try authors I'm not familiar with. This time I will be more open minded. And will find time to read non-fiction books. Books that I could learn from. I will be honest, I won't pretend to read about architecture or engineering. I will try to read more about topics that I can learn and apply. Like arts and crafts, creative writing, food designs, food arts, book writing etc.

I will declutter my room. I will get rid of clothes we haven't worn in years, Sophie's toys she has outgrown and stuff that we don't need. They will all be in balikbayan boxes. Lol.

I will continue to eat healthy food. I know I claim to be semi-vegetarian, but really there is no exact term for my diet. I eat almost everything except beef and pork. I eat mostly vegetable, rice and seafood, a few bites of chicken. I love dairy products and eggs. How I wish I could eat everything organic. I started with eggs, its more expensive than regular ones, but I think I will stick to eggs from vegetarian fed hens. And since organic vegetable are very expensive, I will compromise and search for other organic products that I can use and cook everyday.

I will try to be less worrisome. I will not worry about things that are beyond my control. To minimize stress. And to just embrace and enjoy my life.

I will be more flexible.  I can add more things to do, in the future, that I haven't written here. The more things accomplished, the better.

Lastly, to write this down on a piece of paper, and put it in my fridge, so I can see it all the time, to remind me of things I need to accomplish this year.