Slowly Unwrapping 2014

By: Sarah Lee

 

Isay 2013 wasn’t that bad for me, I lost some pounds (from working crazy hours, haha, no treadmill moments, yet, but I think I am pretty motivated to lose more this 2014!), I gained some nice pennies for the rainy days. Wow, this is all we can say of the 2 beginning days of 2014…wow, lots of snow, fluffy bits just keep on dropping like chicken nuggets on a deep fryer (not sure why I picked the nuggets, I just had some from Burger King the last day of 2013 and was disappointed to not see a honey mustard or barbecue dipping sauce with the meal…really!). My last 2013 meal was courtesy of Panera Bread — bowl of broccoli cheddar soup (cheezy goodness ever!), grilled cheese sandwich (stringy cheezy goodness ever more) and kettle potato chips (not a fan of this one, sorry). Back home, we make and enjoy fantastic “welcome to the new year” round-shaped goodies, I miss them all — bibingka (or bibingcups), guinataang bilo bilo (with ripe plantains, now I gotta make some this weekend), puto cheese (oh well, cheese away!) and kuchinta. No new year celebration will ever be complete without them. How was your New Year’s Day! My slow cooker got busy with my amazing pot roast, about 5 pounds of deliciousness. Real food indeed to enjoy a night of watching reruns of Food Channel’s Restaurant Impossible. Glenn shared his memories of late Mom’s pot roast served to them almost every month. He never grew tired of pot roast, he loves, loves this dish with loads of red potatoes, carrots and celery stalks, and nicely seasoned with salt and pepper. And what’s interesting to me, Glenn mentioned his Mom sometimes drop in some pieces of bread dough (like dumplings) for a complete meal in one pot. I need to try that twist one day and maybe make it a winning recipe. I still hope to win a lottery ticket one day, lol!. Enjoy the simple pot roast recipe I’m sharing it with you in this page. And here’s wishing you all a prosperous and healthy New Year! Following flatbread recipes are the ones I already tried and truly enjoyed from (courtesy of Flatout Flatbread given out during the National Restaurant Association event last year). You can flatbreads now in leading supermarkets.

Philly Steak & Cheese Pizza
1 5″x15″ Flatbread
1 oz creamy garlic salad dressing
3 oz shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz Philly steak – pre-cooked
Lightly oil flatbread, spread with garlic dressing. Top with Philly steak (or
any steak) and shredded cheese. Cook until edges are crisp, center is warm
and cheese melts. Remove and cut into pieces.
Artichoke & Mozzarella Pizza
1 5″x15″ Flatbread
1 cup artichokes, chopped
2 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese
1 oz tomato or pizza sauce
5 basil leaves, sliced thin
1 oz balsamic glaze
Lightly oil flatbread, top with sauce, artichoke, mozzarella and basil. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and cook until edges are crisp, center is warm andcheese melts. Super-easy Guinataang Bilo-bilo (Mixed Fruits and Rice BallsCooked in Sweetened Coconut Milk)
Bilo-bilo (rice balls):
1 cup glutinous rice flour
1/2 cup water
In a medium bowl, slowly combine water to glutinous rice flour to a soft and a bit sticky mixture. Roll into small balls (you may wet your hands to prevent sticking). Transfer each ball to a plate and set aside.

Guinataan:
1 can coconut milk (Chaokoh is the best brand)
2 cups water
1 piece large sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 pieces ripe plantains, peeled and diced
1 can coconut cream (see picture)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup canned ripe jackfruit (nangka), sliced into strips ube/violet food color (optional)
1 teaspoon pandan (screwpine) extract

Start with boiling 2 cups water and 1 can coconut milk in a large saucepan. Drop the rice balls and stir occasionally. Boil again, then lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes (I prefer rice balls to be cooked well). Put in diced sweet potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes or until almost tender. Add the diced plantains and continue simmering for 2 minutes. Stir in coconut cream, sugar, jackfruit strips and ube food color. Continue to simmer until fruits are tender and coconut mixture is heated through. Stir in pandan extract. Serve warm. Serves 4 to 6. Tip: Do not cover the saucepan once guinataan is cooked to prevent it from spoiling.

Amazing Slow-Cooker Pot Roast
about 4 1/2 lbs chuck roast, trim fat and cut in big chunks
2 large onions, quartered
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut in big chunks
8 red potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 celery stalks, cut in big chunks
1 tablespoon dried rosemary flakes
3/4 cup tomato catsup
1/3 cup red vinegar (sure you can use white)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce, optional
(I like it salty a bit)
1/2 cup water

 

Place roast, onions, carrots, potatoes, celery stalks and rosemary flakes in a large slow cooker. Mix remaining sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and pour over roast and vegetables. Cook on high for about 5 hours. Serve with rice; serves 4 to 6 (just because you can’t have enough of this amazing meal). Share your recipe by email (celebreatylink@ sbcglobal.net) and if published, I’m sending you a complimentary copy of THE CELEBREATY RECIPES COOKBOOK. Buy one, get 2nd copy at 50% off. Please make checks ($ 18.00 for 2 books) payable to: Glenn Turner, 127 N MAIN ST #1, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. Shipping is free. Hello wonderful 2014! My massage appointment book for 2014 is filling up nicely — email: thekneadingtable@sbcglobal.net and write on the subject line “I would love a massage”. As always, relaxation is included with every massage. FACEBOOK: Celebreaty Link and Via Times NewsMagazine BLOG: Celebr-EAT-y by Sarah Lee (hit subscribe to blog when you visit my blog) BLOG LINK: http://celebreaty4recipes.wordpress. com/

Amazing Slow-cooker Pot roast (to die for!)

 

 

 

Super easy Guinataang Bilo bilo