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Summer Chasers

~ Sharing the Thrill of Travel

Summer Chasers

Category Archives: Food

How to Cook Adobo

19 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by Summer Chaser in Food

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Adobo, Bay leaf, Black pepper, Cook, Olive oil, Philippine cuisine, Pork, Soy sauce

My new German friends have recently been asking about Filipino dishes. Well, Adobo seems to be the favorite amongst most Westerners. So, this one is for you all, meine Deutsch freunde!

First, you’ll want to start with your favorite meat. It really doesn’t matter too much whether it’s chicken, pork, beef… heck, I’ve even tried lamb.

1 pound (or more) of your favorite meat.
Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Chopped Garlic
Sliced Onions
Black Pepper
Bay Leaves (Optional)
 

I’m feeling hungry for pork, so let’s go with that.

About a pound of pork.

Next, we’ll want to fry up some chopped garlic in extra virgin olive oil on medium heat.

Fry some garlic.

After a couple of minutes, we’ll go ahead and add the pork. Turn up the heat to high and fry the pork for 5 minutes. Mix it well so that the chopped garlic covers the pork cutlets and infuses it with flavor.

Add pork, mix well.

Now, add about a half a cup of vinegar and soy sauce. Also toss in some black pepper and Bay Leaves. Do NOT stir for about 10 minutes to allow the mixture to cook into the meat.

Mix vinegar, soy sauce and pepper.

After 10 minutes, stir the mixture and continue cooking for another 10 minutes on medium heat. Once the sauce is a thin gravy-like and dribbles off the spoon, you may add some chopped onions. Cook on high for about 2 minutes.

Pork Adobo!

Jawohl! You’re done! Serve with some sticky white rice!

Image

Guacamole Lettuce Wraps with Sun Dried Tomatoes

10 Saturday Mar 2012

Tags

Avocado, Guacamole, Lettuce, Lettuce Wrap, losing weight, Mushroom, recipe, recipes, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Tomato

Guacamole Lettuce Wrap with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Starving but want something healthy? Try these! Fresh, organic guacamole with some mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes.

So I’ve been losing weight pretty steadily. It’s just been a matter of focusing on two simple things.

1) Spend more calories than you take in.

2) Take in less calories than you spend.

For the most part, I’ve simply stuck to eating organic, healthy fruits and vegetables during the week and combining it with light exercise. During the weekends, I either visit a good restaurant or I have a little bit of meat and sweets to satisfy my sweet tooth.

One of my favorite dishes these days is the Guacamole Lettuce Wrap with some sun dried tomatoes.

It’s pretty easy to prepare. You’ll need:

2 Avocadoes
Some lime juice
Some salt and pepper
Some chipotle chili powder
Some minced garlic
Some chopped up red, green, and yellow peppers
Some chopped up onions
2-4 Lettuce Leaves
A handful of white mushrooms
Some sun dried tomatoes
 

Now then, I mash up the avocadoes and mix in the ingredients, except for the mushrooms and onions which I caramelize on a frying pan.

After caramelization, I toss them in with the guacamole and spread thickly on the lettuce leaves.

Voila! The perfect summer dish! Simple, easy, and done in minutes. Enjoy your meal!

Posted by Summer Chaser | Filed under Food

≈ 2 Comments

El Morocco: An exotic Adventure near San Francisco (Restaurant Review)

07 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by Summer Chaser in Food, Travel

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Bellydance, Bellydancer, El Morocco, Fadil, Harira, Moroccan cuisine, Morocco, Restaurant, Restaurant review, review, San Francisco, Zahara

She winked as her graceful body hazed by, whirling and turning like a desert dervish. The explosions of colors swept right by my eyes leaving little trails of dazzling light. She was wearing devilishly red silks and satin harem pants, a crimson flower playing in her long curls. Her skirt rebelled around her, its golden beads flickering in the light of a dozen lamps, each with their own shade and variety and temperament. Her hands weaved and waved a thousand ways, while her hips jerked from side to side in motions too mesmerizing for my thoughts to comprehend. Her feet glided as if she were dancing on the water of a desert oasis. 

And for much more than just a moment, I was there, inside the tent of some wealthy caravan trade prince, the guest of honor, feasting… laughing… Living!

El Morocco

El Morocco

What: Moroccan Restaurant
Where: 2203 Morello Ave. Pleasant Hill, CA, USA
Phone: 1(925)671-0132
Open: Tues – Sun 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Price: $29.95 for a 5 course feast or about half that for à la carte entrées.
Be sure to: Mention if it’s your birthday, they’ll give you a red fez to wear!
Try the: Lamb braised in Honey Sauce with Almonds, hold the raisins. Magnificently gratifying!
Web: www.elmorocco.net 
 

I hope you enjoyed my little narrative. That is exactly what it feels like when I’m over at my friend Fadil’s Moroccan restaurant located in the pleasant hills of, well, Pleasant Hill.

I have a lot of respect for Fadil, who was a musician before he became the proprietor of this amazing establishment. He is truly a magnificent host and unlike most restaurant owners, he is at El Morocco every night greeting its guests at the door, initiating the party for anyone celebrating a special occasion, and introducing the guest bellydancer of the night. Did I mention the bellydancers!?

Almost every night at around 7 pm and again at around 9 pm, a special guest bellydancer comes out to the dining area to place the guests under an exciting, sensual trance (appropriate for all ages, this is a family restaurant!) as they dance to the tune of lively and exotic Middle-Eastern music. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a captivating performance from my friend, Zahara, who performs here occasionally. Please don’t forget to tip them (In the Middle East it is customary for the male to kneel before the bellydancer while placing the tip on her waist. Warning, she may continue to bellydance making a game of it as you attempt this.)

Zahara

The enchanting Zahara, an award winning professional bellydancer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, performing at El Morocco.

As you are sitting there enraptured by the show and awaiting your 5 course meal, you get the feeling that you’re inside a giant tent at a banquet held in your honor. The low tables are brass, round, Moroccan designs accentuated by a peregrine candle lamp. There are expensive Persian rugs and carpets all over the place as well as Moroccan poufs, which are round leather seats, to emphasize the festivities going on around you. As you sit (or lay) there, surrounded by a motley of vibrantly hued pillows, your supper binge begins…

Dining Table

Exotic dining table at El Morocco.

The servers bring out a basin and wash your hands in refreshingly warm water. Any meal such as this that you can eat with your hands must truly be deserving of your attention!

The 5 course feast starts off with some Harira, a traditional Moroccan soup with tomatoes, lentils, herbs and heartily spiced for flavor. Dip it in bread or drink it off the cup, here you are the sheikh!

Afterwards, you are served with a selection of choice Moroccan salads, including a mix of tomatoes, green peppers, parsley and eggplant puree with cabbage slices to use as scoops.

Next up, comes out the Bastilla, a flaky dough pie baked with Chicken, eggs and almonds and served sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Scoop up bite sized pieces with your hands and experience the sensation of flavors you never knew existed!

I hope you’ve built up some appetite, because at this point comes out the main course. You have an ample list of options to try your taste buds on, including chicken prepared in unique ways, lamb braised in honey sauce and topped with almonds, couscous which is a very fine cracked wheat served with meat or vegetables, or how about some hearty shish kabobs to fill your belly?

Time to eat!

Time to eat!

If that’s not enough for you and you’re feeling really adventurous then perhaps something unique such as Cornish hen braised with onions, lemon juice and green olives? Or why not braised hare in a lemony tomato sauce served with olives?

Ah and finally, for dessert some scrumptious Moroccan pastries with freshly brewed mint tea.

A delectably mouthwatering dinner, spellbindingly entertaining belly dance performance, loads of laughter and fun, and all for about thirty dollars. No wonder I feel like a king whenever I’m at this gem of a food and show palace!

Just being here has inspired me. I really need to add Morocco on my bucket list of places to travel to for my quest.

Thank you Fadil, for running such a wonderful place. You can bet your red fez I’ll be back often!

Let the vibrant lights, foreign sounds and exciting smells of El Morocco take you far, far away!

Learn to belly dance (or just get a better view!)

Japanese Hamburg Steak

04 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by Summer Chaser in Food

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Food, Hamburg Steak, Japanese Food, Japanese Hamburg Steak, little brother, pan fried, recipe, Runnyrunny999, surprise visit

My little brother paid me a surprise visit today (okay so he’s not so little, but he’ll always be Lil’ Bro to me, haha.)  I had to prepare something especially good.

Now, being a bachelor, one of the best side effects this kind of lifestyle has brought out in me is having to learn to cook for myself. In situations like this, I turn to Runnyrunny999 whom I can always rely on for good ideas.

Lil’ Bro, today we’re eating Japanese Hamburg Steak!

It is not really complicated to make and fortunately, I have all the ingredients available. Less than an hour in the kitchen, and voila! We feast!

Hamburg Steak

Savory Japanese Hamburg Steak pan fried with olive oil and topped with home made gravy sauce, garnished with butter sauteed carrots and boiled garlic broccoli.

Special thanks to Runnyrunny999 for making me look like a pro to my Lil’ Bro!

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