Daday’s Kitchen: Shepherd’s Pie

The first time Jonjie cooked Shepherd’s Pie, I was surprised because we have no oven. I was surprised even more when I tasted it…it was delicious!!!

It was a full meal on its own. But, it is also good with rice or as a side dish to a main course such as Baby Back Ribs or Salisbury Steak or any type of Steak.

Shepherd's Pie with Baby Back Ribs and Garden Salad

Shepherd's Pie with Salisbury Steak and Garden Salad

INGREDIENTS:

Mashed Potato

• 6 large Potatoes
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Filling (same as the filling as that of Baked Stuff Green Bell Pepper)

• 1/2 kgs Beef, ground
• 1/3 cup Carrots, diced
• 1/3 cup Green Peas
• 1/3 cup Canned Corn, chopped
• 1 can Canned Button Mushroom, chopped
• 1/2 cup Onion, minced
• 6 cloves Garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Soy Sauce to taste
• Oil

For  assembling

• Cheese, sliced thinly into strips

DIRECTIONS:

Mashed Potatoes

• Do not peel the potatoes, instead clean it thoroughly by brushing to remove the dirt.
• Score around the potatoes across its length (for easy peeling after boiling). To score, run the knife around the potato, at least in two location, crossing each other.

• Boil in evaporated milk and water, making sure that the potatoes are submerged in 3/4 of the mixture. Check occasionally with a fork,
• Remove the potatoes from the mixture and peel.
• Dice and mashed adding butter and the milk and water mixture (used for boiling) until soft, moist and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Set aside.

Filling (same as the filling as that of Baked Stuff Green Bell Pepper)

• Sauté garlic and onion.
• Add ground beef and cook until light brown, season with salt and pepper, stir to break the lumps.
• Add the broth (sabaw) of canned button mushroom, season with soy sauce.
• Cover and simmer until beef is half-tender.
• Add carrots, green peas and corn.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover until sauce is reduced.

Assemble and Bake using Oven Toaster (if oven is not available)

• Fill an oven safe cup with filling, halfway.
• Add mashed potato on top, until the rim.
• On top of the mashed potato, arranged stripped cheese in a basket weave pattern.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese turned golden brown.

TRY THIS RECIPE AND HAVE A HAPPY TUMMY!!!

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Daday’s Kitchen: Baby Back Ribs

Jonjie and I are fond of watching food and cooking show in Lifestyle and TLC Channels. We specially like the  Man vs. Food by Adam Richman (but it ended already), MasterChef with Gordon Ramsay, Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, Take Home Chef by Curtis Stone, Curiosity Got the Chef by Sharwin Tee.

Every time we watched something that we really like, Jonjie will find a way to transform gourmet cooking into simple home cooking. And this Baby Back Ribs is one of those...

He cooked it three times already this year. The first time was exclusively for us and some close friends, unfortunately I was not able to take a photo. The second, with the plated photo below, was during one of my mini-birthday celebrations last July. And the third, served "to share", was just this month, when one of Jonjie's friend from Bulacan visited Pampanga.

INGREDIENTS:

2 kgs baby back ribs

Dry Rub:

1 tbsp paprika

1 1/2 tsps dark brown sugar (muscovado)

1 1/4 tsps salt

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

Marinate:

1 1/2 cups Steak Sauce

1 1/2 cups Tomato Catsup

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 tsp dark brown sugar (muscovado)

2 tbsp Cooking Oil

1/4 cup Water

DIRECTIONS:

• Mix all the dry rub ingredients together.
• Rub desired amount onto the baby back ribs. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Brush a generous amount of marinate mixture onto the baby back ribs.
• Wrap with aluminum foil ensuring all the edges are sealed. Refrigerate it for at least 12 hours (longer or until 24 hours is better to infuse the meat with the marinate).
• Steam for at least 2 hours using a steamer.
• After steaming, open the foil slowly and collect the accumulated juices from the rib and put it together with the remaining marinate mixture.
• Grill using charcoal and from time to time brush with the marinate / rib juice mixture to keep it moist. Cook until the meat is a little bit charred.
• Serve according to your preference. Please see below for some ideas.

We called this Flintstone Meal served with Shepherd's Pie, Garden Salad and Chili Con Carne Soup (not in the photo). To view related post on this, please visit A Look Back At July: My Birthday Month and scroll down to July 23

Served with Baked Stuffed Green Bell Pepper, Potato Salad, and Raisin Bread.
We prefer this combination over the Flintstone Meal as the side dishes enhances the taste of the Baby Back Ribs.

Hope you tried this Baby Back Ribs recipe at home and feel free to post your comments here.

ENJOY!!! HAVE A HAPPY TUMMY...

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Chapel of Padre Pio, Eastwood Quezon City

Pio of Pietrelcina (Italian: Pio da Pietrelcina), O.F.M. Cap. commonly known as Padre Pio, (May 25, 1887 – September 23, 1968) was a friar, priest, stigmatist, and mystic of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Padre Pio became famous for bearing the stigmata for most of his life, which generated much interest and controversy around him. He is now venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.  

Pio was born Francesco Forgione, and given the name of Pius (Italian: Pio) when he joined the Capuchins. After his beatification in 1999, he was canonized by Saint John Paul II on June 16, 2002.

On 20 September 1918, while hearing confessions, Padre Pio had his first occurrence of the stigmata: bodily marks, pain, and bleeding in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ. This phenomenon continued for fifty years, until the end of his life. The blood flowing from the stigmata smelled of perfume or flowers, a phenomenon mentioned in stories of the lives of several saints and often referred to as the odour of sanctity.

Though Padre Pio would have preferred to suffer in secret, by early 1919, news about the stigmatic friar began to spread in the secular world. Padre Pio’s wounds were examined by many people, including physicians. People who had started rebuilding their lives after World War I, began to see in Padre Pio a symbol of hope. Those close to him attest that he began to manifest several spiritual gifts including the gifts of healing, bilocation, levitation, prophecy, miracles, extraordinary abstinence from both sleep and nourishment (one account states that Padre Agostino recorded one instance in which Padre Pio was able to subsist for at least 20 days at Verafeno on only the Eucharist without any other nourishment), the ability to read hearts, the gift of tongues, the gift of conversions, and the fragrance from his wound 

Excerpts from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pio_of_Pietrelcina

I have been hearing the miracles and answered prayers received by others through the intercession of Padre Pio. We’ve been passing the area where the St. Pio Center is located almost every weekend when we visited my mother-in-law in Las Pinas. Visiting Padre Pio is always at the back of my mind. Last Wednesday after I got back from Bicol for the 40th day of my mother’s death…for no reason at all…I heard a strong voice within me to pay Padre Pio a visit. And since Thursday is a holiday (Ninoy Aquino’s death anniversary), Jonjie readily agreed.

My experience was a very personal and spiritual one…it will be difficult for me to put it into words. But I remember vividly the peace and calmness that engulf me the moment I touched Padre Pio’s hands and the cleansing tears flooding my eyes while I was praying in front of him. And for that alone…I know I am blessed and I am loved despite my sins and my imperfections.

The following are pictures taken while we are waiting in line for our turn with Padre Pio.
    

After praying, we took some pictures inside the church.

The outside of the chapel is well kept and well maintained and every nook and crannies are inviting to be photographed.

I love this archway of rosaries...

And the gardens…

Daniz is calling the doves...

Daniz face to face with the dove and Dada was telling her not to be afraid.

Footnotes:

• Leggings, shorts, sleeveless are not allowed inside the church but "malongs" are provided at the entrance.
• The waiting line for "the moment of prayer with Padre Pio" is on the front right side of the altar...someone holding a "Silence" sign will advise you where the end of line is...
• "The St. Pio Chapel started off as a small room in one of the office buildings that housed a golf pro shop. With the continuous promotion of devotion to St. Pio, more and more people visited the make-shift chapel, and we had to move it to a larger place. From having a chapel in a small office space with an office desk for an altar, the chapel is now large enough to fit around 500 church-goers at one time." For the complete details of St. Pio Center, please visit http://saintpiocenter.com/stpio_wpsite/.
• All pictures posted were taken using iPhone4S

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10 Things To Do in Clark and Angeles City in 4 Hours

Yesterday, Jonjie had a visitor from Malolos, Bulacan...Ms. Icecycles Florentino. She was one of the members of Mapua Dabarkads. She took a UV Express Van from Malolos and Jonjie picked her up at Dau Bus Terminal. She arrived at around 10:30 am.

At 12:00 pm, we had our lunch courtesy of Jonjie and Ate Bev in our humble abode: Baby Back Ribs, Baked Stuffed Green Bell Peppers, Potato Salad with Raisin Bread and Fruit Salad in Light Syrup for Dessert.

At 2:00pm, we left the house and then the start of the 4 hours countdown…

1. Sightseeing inside Clark

We started with showing her around Clark through the Mabalacat Gate.

• From Gil Puyat Ave passing the Clark Jeepney Terminal on the left.
• Clark Picnic Ground where the Dinosaur Island is located and little ahead is the El Kabayo.
• Turning right to Panday Pira Ave are two of the biggest manufacturing companies: Texas Instruments and Phoenix Semiconductor Philippines, then Clark International Speedway. 
• Turning left to Prince Balagtas Ave along the Clark Perimeter, we passed Fontana Leisure Parks and FA Korea CC Golf Club
• Left again going down to Jose Abad Santos Ave and left to CP Garcia are the Clark Development Offices and 
• Then to R.C. Santos, left of the Clark Parade Ground are the restaurants,The Red Crab (not in the map) and Cafe Mesa and turning right are the Clark Museum and Rendezvouz Restaurant.
• Crossing the street to S. Osmena is the Clark Public Safety Department and ahead are Starbucks, Jollibee and C' Italia.

We turn left to Jose Abad Santos Ave and right to Manuel A. Roxas Hwy. We exited Clark through the Friendship Gate.

2. Visit Deca Clark Wakeboard Park

Deca Wakeboard  Park is open to everyone form Mondays to Sundays and even holidays. For details, please visit http://www.clarkwakeboard.com/getting-here.html.

3. Pray at Carmelite Monastery

Mass schedule at Carmelite is 6:00 am Monday to Saturday and 6:00 am and 8:00 am every Sunday. But it is open the whole day for those who wants to pray and meditate.

4. Visit and Pray at Apung Mamacalulu Shrine

Apung Mamacalulu (Merciful Lord) or the Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) of Angeles City, is a statue depicting the burial of Jesus Christ and is enshrined at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Christ our Lord of the Holy Sepulchre in Barangay Lourdes Sur, Angeles City. Thousands flock to hear the special Holy Mass celebrated every Friday. 

To know more about "Apung Mamacalulu", please visit http://jadspiritsfamilylifeadventures.blogspot.com/2014/08/shrine-of-miraculous-apung-mamacalulu.html

5. Pray at the Blessed Sacrament of the Holy Rosary Parish Church




We visited this Blessed Sacrament three times already but I am still in awe...of the peace and serenity that it radiates.  With the calming sound of flowing water and the gentle swoosh of the bamboo leaves just outside the chapel.

6. Shop at Nepo Mall

Perfumes, bags, clothes, shoes...name it and they have it at Nepo Mall. Everything at low prices...and if you are good at bartering then it can still be lowered. 

7. Buy pasalubong at Rosing’s Pastry Shop


  

Yema Balls...one of my favorites. They will only make it upon order...so you have to wait for several minutes or come back later.

We've been introduced to Rosing's pastries four years ago by my sister-in-law, who ironically is from Las Pinas. She said one of her colleagues mention it and together we searched for its location. They have all kinds of pastries which, up to now, are being made the old-fashion way.

8. Pass The Quad at Nepo Center



The Quad at Nepo Center was dubbed as “the biggest convergence of locally grown restaurant brands”. It is the new "in" place among locals and tourists alike as it offers the best of Kapampangans' cuisine. We dined in one of the restaurant named Donwtown Cafe and for the details, please visit http://jadspiritsfamilylifeadventures.blogspot.com/2014/07/just-two-of-us-at-downtown-cafe-quad.html.

9. 40 Kph Leisure Drive at Air Force City

Private cars are welcome to use this road but there is a need to maintain the speed at 40 kilometers per hour.

10. Eat at Creamline Ice Cream House



Creamline was built adjacent to the ice cream factory and serves different types of banana splits, sundaes, smoothies, frappes. They are open Mondays to Sundays and even holidays. The price are reasonable.

• Ms. Icy ordered Chunky Monkey Sunday (P100)
• For Daniz, its Strawberry Stripes (P100)
• For Jonjie and I, Nutty Banana (P150)

One of their bestsellers is the Pinatubo consisting of 8 scoops of chocolate ice cream with chocolate and strawberry syrup with cherry on top and cost only P250.

Footnotes:

• A few minutes after 6:00pm, we dropped Ms. Ice at Dau Terminal.
• 4 hours exclude dinner time. To dine at The Quad would take at least 2 hours.
• All pictures were taken using iPhone4S

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