#potatoes

Electric Lunchbox #78: Salmon and Veggies

Theresa PizarroLeave a comment

A heart healthy, low carb meal done in a few minutes, almost hands free, and delicious to boot! What’s not to like?

Salmon with veggies! My son has been asking for salmon lately and we have been going through it a lot.

I usually pan fry or oven roast but this time I tried a single serving in the ELB.

Delicious and pretty, this can be prepared in advance but make sure to keep it chilled until ready to cook as fish goes bad really quickly.

Hope you enjoy this meal!

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1 potato, peeled and thinly sliced

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 yellow squash, thinly sliced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 salmon fillet, around 5-6 oz

Zest of 1 small lemon

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Place potatoes and zucchini in the bottom bowl, drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Mix them together.

2. Place salmon in top bowl, sprinkle with lemon zest and drizzle with olive oil.

3. Pour orange and lemon juice over salmon, then season with salt and pepper. Place on top of bottom bowl and cover with foil.

4. Place both bowls over the ELB base. Add 2 ELB cups of water to the base, cover and let steam until it shuts off, about 35 minutes.

5. Carefully open the ELB and check the fish for domestic. It should flake easily and look opaque throughout.

6. The potatoes and zucchini should be tender. If the fish or vegetables are not done, steam with 1/2 to 1 ELB cup of water until cooked through.

7. Serve salmon on top of the veggies. Enjoy!

Electric Lunchbox #73: Pork Menudo

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Menudo is a staple dish in fiestas, birthday parties and everyday lunch and dinner in the Philippines. See my stovetop version and introduction here: https://athomewiththeresa.com/?s=Menudo

I make it a lot at home so, like most of my staple recipes, I decided to make an ELB version.

You can add peas, garbanzo beans, and pork liver if you want.

Like I always say, use my recipes as a guide and add more or less of any ingredient you like or not like. I do encourage you to try it my way at least once though. Then make your adjustment after you taste it.

Hope you’ll try it soon and as always, I hope you’ll like it!

*NOTE that this recipe uses regular sized measuring cups, NOT the tiny ELB cup, unless specified.*

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Ingredients:

200 grams pork, cubed

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 hotdog, cut in half lengthwise and cut into small semi circles

1 tablespoon chopped onions

1 large tomato, diced finely (1/2 -3/4 cup)

1 potato, peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup or so)

5 baby carrots, diced (1/3 cup)

1/4 each of green and red bell peppers, diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon raisins

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon bouillon powder

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

3 ELB cups water in base

Procedure:

1. Season pork with salt and pepper.

2. Place pork, hotdogs, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrot, and bell peppers in the large ELB bowl.

3. Mix in tomato paste, fish sauce, raisins, water, bouillon powder, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Stir to mix.

4. Place bowl in the ELB base and add 3 ELB cups of water in the base. Cover and let steam until it shuts off, about 1 hour.

5. Carefully open the ELB and check the meat for doneness. Add more water to steam if necessary.

6. Serve hot and enjoy.

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Japanese Potato Salad

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Try this Japanese Potato salad as a side for your Holiday meals!

Do you like potato salad? I know I LOVE starchy potato salad in all it’s variations!

This is a very tasty, Japanese style potato salad recipe. The potatoes are steamed to a point that it is soft enough that you can mash them, but you don’t, so you have some smooth mashed potatoes (from mixing) and chunks at the same time. Add in some ham, chopped boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers, and sliced carrots and this is nothing like your average potato salad! 😋

Serve it as a side to your main meals like any other potato salad. I sometimes grab a bowl of this straight from the fridge and eat it while watching TV, or reading. Or try it as a sandwich filling between two super soft and milky Japanese style pullman bread – yum!

Ingredients:

3-4 potatoes, peeled, cubed, and steamed until soft

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 cup carrot, thinly sliced

¼ cup sliced onions

1 – 2 cups chopped ham

2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped 

1/2 – 1 cup Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise

1 tsp white vinegar 

1 tsp hot mustard 

1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt

Paprika, to serve

Procedure:

1. Steam the cubed potatoes until fork tender. Set aside to cool.

2. Thinly slice the cucumbers, onions, and carrots. I use a mandolin or a food processor to do this. I used Persian Cucumbers in this recipe as they are thin skinned and small enough that I just wash and slice them. Makes life easy!

3. Place sliced vegetables in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss gently and set aside for a few minutes until it weeps. Then grab a handful of veggies, squeeze tightly and place in another bowl. Repeat with the remaining salted vegetables.

4. Chop ham into bite sized pieces. They look nice when the sizes are identical, but if not, that’s okay too! It’ll still be delicious!

5. Now grab a big bowl, and mix everything together. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

6. Refrigerate until cold. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving. Serve and enjoy!

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Electric Lunchbox #71: Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

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Here is a perfect side dish for a small Thanksgiving meal! Creamy scalloped potatoes!

You start by making the sauce over the stove as I was never able to get a good consistency with my usual “dump everything in the ELB bowl and steam away” method.

If you want to make this in advance , you can prepare it in the bowl and cover with the plastic lid in the fridge until needed. Then switch out the lid with a piece of foil and steam until done.

This dish is creamy, starchy, cheesy, and just delicious! Feel free to add bacon bits if needed, for extra yumminess. It’s the holidays so indulging is a given. 😊

I am thankful for every little blessing in life (family, health, happiness), this year specially, as even though we are in the midst of a pandemic, I am still able to work and keep donating to the causes I care about. Please try to help others in need if you are able to. A little kindness goes a long way and I think everyone needs a little understanding nowadays.

*NOTE that this recipe uses regular sized measuring cups, NOT the tiny ELB cup, unless specified.*

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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese plus 1-2 tablespoons for topping

Big pinch of salt

Dash of pepper

1 medium potato, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

*I just use a Japanese slicer for a single potato. If I need to slice a lot, the mandolin or food processor is brought out.*

Procedure:

1. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter and add flour. Stir constantly until it comes together.

2. Slowly pour in milk and keep stirring until it becomes thick and smooth.

3. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper and stir. Set aside.

4. Place a few slices of potato on the bottom of a greased medium or large ELB bowl.

5. Pour about a tablespoon of the cheese sauce over and use the back of a spoon to even it out.

6. Repeat layering the potatoes and cheese sauce, until all are used up, ending with sauce.

7. Top with a tablespoon or two of grated cheese.

8. Cover with a piece of foil and set on the ELB base.

9. Add 3 ELB cups water to the base, cover and let steam until done, about 1 hour.

10. Carefully open the ELB, remove the bowl and let cool on a wire rack. *I removed mine too early and it fell apart…so forgive the photos!*

11. Gently run a knife along the edges and carefully transfer scalloped potatoes to a dish and serve, warm or at room temperature.

12. Enjoy!

Filipino Menudo

Theresa Pizarro8 Comments

This Menudo recipe is a Filipino dish that makes it’s appearance on everyday lunch and dinner tables to fiestas and special occasions. It is tomato based and has a little sauce that make it perfect with white steamed rice, and LOTS of it!

You can use cubed chicken breasts or pork meat in this dish. I have not tried nor heard of a beef version though. Please let me know if you know of a Filipino menudo recipe made with beef!

When I was a kid, I remember this dish having *chopped liver when served, but I do not really like liver nor is it easy to find where I live now, so I left it out. If you want to add it, of course feel free to. I’m sure it will taste closer to the authentic version my aunts used to cook!

I usually add *sliced hotdogs to this dish too. My son loves hotdogs (I mean, all kids do right?!) so if I have it, it definitely goes in the recipe too. I just didn’t have any on hand this time.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 pound pork or chicken breasts, cubed

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 carrots, peeled and diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Onion, diced

1/2 cup Tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

*1 cup chopped liver, optional

*1 cup sliced hotdogs, optional

1 bell pepper, sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup raisins

Salt and pepper

Procedure:

1. Season cubed chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a wok or saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and let cook until lightly browned about 4-5 minutes, without stirring. You want that caramelization as it adds so much flavor to the dish. Give it a quick stir and let sit again until most of it is lightly browned.

3. Remove chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.

4. Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and heat up. Pan fry the potatoes and carrots until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and set aside. *You can skip this step but my Tita Saning who showed me this recipe did it this way, so I am sharing this step too. Kind of like honoring her memory. I miss those times. ❤️

5. Heat up the last tablespoon of oil and saute the garlic until fragrant. Add the onions and saute for about 3-5 minutes, until golden.

6. Add in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces, potatoes, and carrots. *If using liver and hot dogs, add them too*

7. Let simmer over medium-low heat until meat and potatoes are done, about 20-25 minutes. Taste, taste!

8. Add the bell peppers, peas, and raisins and simmer until heated through, about 5-10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

9. Serve hot over freshly cooked rice. Fish sauce on the side is optional, but highly recommended! 😋

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