October | 2017 | silver chopstix

Matcha Green Tea Yogurt Pancakes

The key to making matcha pancakes is getting good quality matcha powder. Make sure to get culinary grade which is used for cooking or baking. Do not get the powdered kind commonly used for instant lattes and smoothies because this has added sugar and flavorings. I adapted this recipe to make this pancake. I just added 1 tbsp. matcha powder to the milk to dissolve it before combining with the yogurt mixture. Make sure to add the milk a little at a time for a smoother consistency. To serve, top…read more

Atrium Dumbo

During a mini vacation in New York City, we explored DUMBO which is short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. This is a quaint neighborhood in the Brooklyn borough. We planned to have brunch in the area and were there early. To kill time, we had coffee first at One Girl Cookie and took a stroll at the most instagrammable street in Brooklyn, Washington St. which has the magnificent view of Manhattan Bridge. We chose Atrium Dumbo as our lunch spot mainly because it is highly rated and does…read more

Paella

I had my first taste of paella when my dad took us to Minggoy’s restaurant in Magallanes as a high school student in the 80s. That was the first Spanish restaurant I have ever been to. My family would also order paella to go from them whenever there is a family celebration at home. When I first started making paella, I must admit I took the easy route and used the packaged paella mix you can buy in the grocery store. It’s either the goya or vigo brand, my family…read more

Halloween Temari Sushi

I try to make at least one Halloween themed blog during the Fall season. The past several years it’s all about bento and it’s not any different this year either. Temari in Japanese literally means hand ball. Temari sushi are ball shaped sushi made by forming rice using a plastic wrap. This is by far the easiest way to make sushi specially if you are a beginner. Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it down on a plate or counter top. Then place 1/4 cup cooked white rice…read more

Smoked Salmon and Dill Scrambled Egg on Avocado Toast

Posted by SilverChopstix in Breakfast, Brunch

It is simple and easy to make your own elegant brunch at home. No need to go to New York City and set you back 20 dollars a plate. You just need a little creativity or imagination. For me anything with avocado looks and taste great. Adding smoked salmon just gives it more flare. This isn’t exactly a recipe, it’s more like making a sandwich where just put things together. Get a crusty bread and toast it. Then add some smashed avocado and scrambled egg. For the scrambled egg, add…read more

Avocado Toast with Poached Egg

I can’t seem to get enough of avocado toast. I can eat this everyday. I try to add different flavor ingredients or combinations to make it more interesting This time I added arugula, poached egg and finished it off with generous shavings of parmesan cheese. I got this idea from the avocado crostini I had at the Atrium Dumbo last month. First, get a slice of bread or in my case a slice of multi grain loaf that has been toasted. Then add the following in this order: a heaping…read more

Salmon Baked in Foil Packets

This is one easy and fool proof way of cooking salmon fillets. Clean up is a breeze too since there are no pans to scour or scrub. Pre-heat your oven to 400F. Take a heavy duty foil and place some lemon slices in the middle, then place your salmon fillet on top. Season fish with salt and pepper and then add 2 tbsp of butter on it. Sprinkle generously with chopped dill, I added a lot since I love dill. Then pull the sides of the foil together and do…read more

Avocado Rose on Olive Bagel

Avocado rose first appeared on social media last year and since then I made a couple of attempts to create one. They turned out just barely decent. The key is to get just the perfect kind of avocado, too ripe will be too smooshy and will just crumble when you handle it and not ripe enough wouldn’t allow you to form it in the way you want. So after watching this video tutorial several times and finally getting the perfect avocado I went to the kitchen and tried my hand…read more

Chicken Nilaga (Filipino Chicken Soup)

Chicken Nilaga I think was the very first dish I learned to cook. It is the easiest I think because it’s just practically boiling meat and adding vegetables. Making a flavorful and tasty Nilaga is another matter. I make nilaga during the Autumn and Winter season when the weather is a lot cooler. Nothing beats a warm bowl of soup on a cold night. Since our weather is starting to get chilly, I made some chicken nilaga for dinner. First, make sure to use bone in chicken to create a…read more

Birthday Dinner – Pan Seared Ribeye Steak and Roasted Purple Sweet Potato

Today is a special day and we are celebrating by having steak. My husband loves ribeye and it was just my luck that Whole Foods has it on sale. The bone in ribeye was going for $9.99 a lb, I got a piece which came just a little over a pound and is more than enough for the two of us. You really need a cast iron pan to cook steak over a stove. I didn’t own one so I had to make do with my thick bottomed stainless steel…read more