Coconut Shrimp With Coconut-Cilantro Rice And Rainy Days

When it rains, it pours. Literally.

These past couple of weeks has been rainy down here in my neck of the woods. The southern part of the Sunshine State of Florida momentarily became gray and gloomy. Summer officially started, not with sweltering heat but rather, with a drenching downpour. Even as I write, outside dark clouds are beginning to gather and the day has started to turn dreary.

But, I am not complaining. For the most part, to me the rain has been a good respite to the otherwise hot and humid temperature in this part of the world. Our lakes were fast evaporating, the grounds were so dry and fires have ravaged our forests. So I say, it’s about time that we welcome heaven’s blessings, albeit wet. All I’m praying is that may these rainy days be NOT an indication of how the hurricane season would be like in the coming months (saying this with crossed fingers). Lord knows, the last thing we need in these challenging economic times is a catastrophic disaster in the likes of Hurricane Katrina. God forbid.


Isn’t it funny how circumstances in our lives happen to match the weather sometimes? That’s just what happened with me. This past week had likewise been somewhat emotionally cloudy and dismal due to a death in the family.

A dear cousin of mine, Nok, as he is fondly called, passed away. He was in his mid 40’s.

Nok and I grew up together; we were quite close. When my own mother fell ill with breast cancer, he was there for us. He stepped in for me as I couldn’t be physically in the Philippines as much as I'd like to, being that I now reside in the U.S. He drove my parents to the doctors every week for my mother’s appointments, rounds of chemo and radiation sessions. Ironically, the day my mother passed away on 2007, was also the day Nok was admitted to the hospital. That was the day we discovered that he had failing kidneys; the same day he started his weekly dialysis.

Unfortunately, Nok’s health deteriorated slowly ever since until he took his last breath on Sunday, May 31st.

Dealing with death of a loved one has always been difficult, no matter the manner and time of their demise -- this and added to the fact that Nok has been the 4th of a series of deaths that occurred in my family this past 3 yrs. Among these deaths was that of Nok’s younger brother, who passed away just last year. So you can understand how much of a blow this is to our family.

In memory of Nok, I’d like to dedicate this dish to my dear cousin, who loved life and food. Nok, though your presence will be sorely missed by all who love you, I am sure that you are in a better place now where pain and suffering do not exist anymore. Nok, thank you with all my heart for all that you have been to me and my family. May you rest in peace.


With that said, I'd like to share with you this Coconut Shrimp which I made with Cynthia's Coconut-Cilantro rice (of Tastes Like Home). This was made a while ago, but I've never gotten around to posting it. I don't know what got into me that night but I just was on a coconut mood.

To be honest, when I first got to the U.S. and tasted coconut shrimp, I did not like it. Uh-oh. Back in the Philippines, I grew up on shrimps simply prepared by steaming them with garlic, gingeroot, salt, pepper and vinegar (and sometimes with a touch of lime soda). However, Mr. J took me to Island Breeze one day - a restaurant that serves Jamaican food - and we had the coconut shrimp served with a spicy honey-mustard dip as appetizers. That was my point of no return. I became a convert. I fell in love with the dish at that moment. And the sauce. Oh, the sauce.... That's it, it must have been the sauce!

Anyhow, after that night, I promised myself that I have to try and re-create the dish, and the sauce. But while making the coconut shrimp, I had a big Aha! moment. I remembered Cythia's Coconut Cilantro rice. Why not give it a try? And I did. I'm so happy that I did. Cynthia, your rice rocks! This was very good, and I thought, it was the perfect pair for the shrimp. Thank you very much.

We had such a wonderful meal, I just wish we were having it at a restaurant by the beach. :o)

This dish is also my entry to Lasang Pinoy (La.Pi.S) Sunday - Pearly Shells. La.Pi.S is a weekly food thematic event. If you want to know more, check it out a here.

For the Coconut-Cilantro Rice recipe, I will not be posting it here in deference to Cynthia. If you want a copy of the recipe, pls. go here . Drop a note to Cynthia and I'm sure, she'll be glad to share it with you.


Coconut-Shrimp
adapted from Cooking Light

18 unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
1 cup coconut milk (or butter milk if you don't have it)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup beer
1 (7-ounce) package sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs ( I used Panko breadcrumbs)
Peanut oil (I used canola)
Salt

Peel shrimp, leaving tails on. Butterfly shrimp by making a deep slit down the back of each from the large end to the tail, cutting to, but not through, inside curve of shrimp.

Stir together coconut milk, cilantro, and lime juice in a large bowl. Add shrimp, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Drain shrimp from mixture (do not pat dry).

Whisk together flour and beer in a small bowl. Combine coconut and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dip shrimp into beer batter; dredge in coconut mixture, pressing onto shrimp. Place shrimp on a baking sheet; freeze 20 minutes.

Pour oil to depth of 2 inches into a Dutch oven, and heat to 350°. Cook shrimp, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve immediately with the Mustard Sauce.

Mustard Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
1/3 cup pineapple preserves
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup stone-ground mustard
Dash of hot sauce, if preferred

Preparation
Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Puto Maya (Sweet, Sticky Rice), Sushi-Style

“Ohhh.,… it’s mango season again!”

The words came out from my mouth almost like a song when I saw some mangoes being sold in the grocery that I go to. Adding to my delight was the fact that the mangoes are the ones that taste and look like those that come from the Philippines. I don’t see them often in the local grocery stores; I get them from the Asian markets all the time. I believe they are from Mexico. Naturally, I grabbed a box before they ran out.

This is one of the reasons why I love spring. Mangoes.

Mangoes are probably my most favorite tropical fruit. If you ask me, this is one of the food items that I miss most from the Philippines. I am especially partial to the mangoes that come from the city where I was born/raised – Cebu (Guadalupe). Those mangoes are so sweet; it is a dessert in and of itself. No kidding!

Philippine mangoes have none of that fibrous / stringy stuff, which is characteristic of those green/reddish mangoes that abound here in South Florida. They are pure, sweet flesh and the best way to eat them is by hand—yeah, peel off the skin and bite into it just like you would an apple (except that you have to remember, mangoes have huge seeds in the middle - you don’t want to loose a tooth). It’s a bit messy, but it’s totally worth it.



Having these mangoes is so timely. April was a crazy month for me, reason why I was MIA from the blog scene. For some reason, the past month was jammed with a lot of activities that ran from birthdays, baby showers to church functions. In the midst of all the helter-skelter, I began longing for something comforting; something that reminds me of home --- and this breakfast trio just hits the spot: freshly cooked "puto maya" (sweet sticky rice cooked in coconut milk), with ripe, sweet, golden mangoes and finished off with a hot "sikwate" (hot chocolate/cocoa drink processed locally in the Philippines). What is more comforting than something you grew up with eating?

So with my precious mangoes at hand, I was ready to tackle making the puto maya. Normally, puto maya requires soaking the rice for at least 6 hours. I believe this process lessens the liquid (in this case, coconut milk) needed to cook the rice in, at the same time, shortening the cooking period. However, I didn't have the luxury, nor the patience to wait for 6 hrs, so I decided to do my own short-cut method, hoping that it will yield the same results - more or less. And it did, thank God.

Mr. J likes the puto with mangga (mangoes, in our dialect) as well. As a matter of fact, it was him who suggested that I make sushi rolls out of it. He goes, “why don’t you make it like sushi? Form the rice into sushi, roll the rice in brown sugar to make them look like those sushi with fish eggs, and then put slices of mangoes on top of it!” (But I discovered later on that the turbinado sugar which I used melts easily that it didn't look right, so I ended up just sprinkling the rice with sugar as you can see in the photos.)

A popular Filipino breakfast served the popular Japanese way? A Filipino-Japanese fusion of sorts. Cute idea, isn't it? Now why hadn't I thought of that before?

“Oh, that is brilliant, Honey!” was my excited response to him. Not only is it brilliant, but it sounds like really fun to do (and it really was). Hey, who says we can’t have fun with our food? .. Which reminds me, one of my favorite bloggers, La Tartine Gourmande, did something similar to this but using rice pudding. Mind you, my hubby hadn't seen her post, so he thinks that this was a very original idea. I didn't have the heart to break it to him, so, let's just keep it a secret....ok??? SHHH...



This puto-mango-hot chocolate trinity is my entry to this week's Lasang Pinoy Sundays - Shades of Spring and Summer . La.Pi.S is a weekly food thematic photography meme, Filipino style.

Also, I'm sharing this to Iska of Iskandals for her Bloggoversary. Congratulations, Iska and here's to many more prolific years of cooking, eating and blogging!

Puto Maya
2 cups glutinous rice (sweet, sticky rice)*
4 cups thick coconut milk
3-1/2 tsps salt
1 cup sugar (or less, depends on how sweet you like it to be)
2-pcs ginger root cut into approx. 1", washed and smashed

1. Rinse rice and place in a 2-qt pot.
2. Add coconut milk, cover and let it come to a boil. When boiling, add the rest of the ingredients. Stir.
3. Turn heat to a lower setting and let mixture simmer for about 15 minutes or until rice is done. (I had to test the rice every now and then).
4. When done, scoop out rice, discarding the ginger root.Wrap rice in clean banana leaf, if available, and steam for about 30 mins.
5. If not, mold into cups and sprinkle with brown sugar if desired. Best enjoyed when warm, served with ripe mangoes and sikwate (hot chocolate).

Sikwate (Hot Chocolate/Cocoa Drink)
2 cups water
4 or more pcs tablea (pure dried cacao)*
1/2 cup brown sugar (or more, depends on your taste)

1. Place water in a pot. Let it come to boil.
2. Add the tableas and whisk vigorously by hand until tableas have melted.
3. Add sugar. Adjust sweetness to taste.
4. Serve with puto maya, while hot.

*NOTE: Glutinous (sticky) rice are available at Asian markets. Tablea is a Philippine product, so you might need to find a Philippine specialty store. Otherwise, you may use unsweetened cocoa powder as substitute.

Gelato di Riso (Rice Gelato), Homemade

“We gotta go to Vivoli!”, my friend Monica insisted.

According to her trusted travel resource, Rick Steve’s Travel Guide, Monica informed us that Vivoli is said to make the best gelato in Florence, or in Italy for that matter. And Rick recommends trying the rice gelato.

"Rice ice cream?” I said, “never heard of that before! But rice + ice cream together? What’s not to like? That must be good".

Monica didn’t have to convince the group any further. Off we went to find Vivoli.

This conversation happened many years ago one summer. A couple of my colleagues and I decided to spend our summer break in Italy while being student-trainees in Germany. We were the typical student travellers – backpacking and staying in youth hostels. We really didn’t have that much money but we made the most of what we had. We met Monica while in Verona (of famed Romeo & Juliet), our first leg of the trip. Since she was traveling alone, she decided to hook up and tag along with us. So we were together in the next 4 weeks exploring Italy and became fast friends. Those were good times – no, best times.

It was in our stop in Florence that Monica mentioned this Gelateria that is a must-visit according to Rick Steve. (Rick Steve’s is a good resource when it comes to budget travels!)

After a bus ride and a lot of walking, we finally managed to find Vivoli. It was a small Gelateria, but boy, was there a long line outside of the shop! Not surprising though, because if it is the best Gelateria in Florence, then it follows that the place should be popular. So we fell in line. It must have taken us around 30 minutes to finally get our turn. Not bad, really. We were on vacation so time was on our side.

Needless to say, I had my Gelato di Riso for the very first time then. And I’m telling you, that was a piece of heaven in a cup (they don't have cones)! Yum'oh! It was so creamy, not too sweet -– everything that you had hoped a gelato would be – but with rice! It’s like a frozen rice pudding, but better! Indeed, our efforts paid off.

Last month, I got an ice-cream maker. It was one of those points-reward that Mr. J got from his job – so we got it for free! I love free stuff, don't you? Of course I wanted to make ice-cream immediately to try my new toy. For others, the logical thing to do might have been to make something basic for the first time. Something that’s probably from the recipes that come with the manual. But no, I am not like that. (Yeah, I’m crazy). I wanted to do something ambitious. I wanted to do something simple -- but not that simple, you know what I mean? (If you're a girl, then you'd know what I mean!)

So just out of nostalgia from that trip in Italy – and because I am Asian – I decided to make rice gelato. It had been many years ago since I had this ice cream. I don’t remember exactly how the taste was but all I know was that it was very good!

And so I began searching online for some recipes, which eventually led me to David Lebovitz’, The Perfect Scoop. This recipe book received so many good reviews from Amazon buyers, and most of all, it had the Rice Gelato recipe that I was looking for!!!! So that sealed the deal. I bought a copy.

After so many years, I had rice gelato again! It was creamy, super delicious. The only complaint Mr. J had was that it was too "orangey" - which was my fault. If you read the recipe, it required two strips of orange zests. Well, I made a mistake of pureeing the zests with the rice mixture (wasn't really a mistake because I decided to do it). Plus, I also added a teaspoon of orange liquour. So you can really taste the orange in the ice cream. Mr. J found the orange taste overpowering - maybe so - but I liked it. With the ice cream I made the hazelnut tuile cookie, that I shaped using the wooden handle of a spoon (for that cigar shape).

This rice gelato is my entry to this weeks' Lasang Pinoy Sunday (La.Pi.S) - Melted Bliss. Eating this ice-cream took me back to Italy..... What a bliss, indeed!




Rice Gelato (Gelato di Riso)
David Lebovitz

1/2 cup Italian Arborio rice*
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean*, split in half lenghtwise
Two 1-inch-wide strips of orange zest
5 large egg yolks (save the whites for use later)
1 cup half-and-half or cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. In a 1.75 to 2 quart baking dish, mix together the rice, milk 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt. Add the vanilla bean and strips of orange zest.

3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the rice from the oven and remove the foil. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, then continue to bake the rice, uncovered for another 30 minutes.

4. Remove the rice from the oven a second time, remove the vanilla bean and orange zest and briskly whisk in the egg yolks at once. Then whisk in the half and half or cream and nutmeg.

5. Puree half of the rice mixture in a blender or food processor until chopped fine then stir it back into the cooked rice.

6. Chill the mixture in the fridge (I left mine for 2 hrs), then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

*NOTE: I made mine 1/4 c arborio rice and 1/4 c sweet "gelatinous" rice, aka sticky rice. I thought that the sticky rice would make the ice cream a lot creamier, which it did. I didn't have a vanilla bean, but I used a good quality vanilla bean paste. But if you don't have the vanilla bean or paste, I believe that vanilla extract would do.

Chili-Glazed Tofu Over Asparagus And Rice

Every once in a while I do try to experiment and cook something vegetarian. Mr. J and I both like to watch what we eat, and vegetarian dishes make us feel like we could eat more and still feel not guilty at all.

Unfortunately, the word "healthy" in food has not always been associated with "tasty". It is only in the past few years, when different diet plans began to emerge and the organic-food revolution came about that the mindset about healthy food has changed -- that healthy could also mean flavorful, tasty food, afterall.

Well, here's one such recipe. Mr. J and I both like tofu, so this recipe is perfect for us. And instead of using white rice, I decided to use organic brown rice that has more fiber -- for good measure. Hmmn... the tofu was sweet and spicy- perfect for a light dinner. Trust me, with this dish, you won't miss meat at all!

This recipe would also be my very first entry to Fat Chef or Skinny Gourmet, a food event hosted by Ivy of Kopiaste and Ben of What's Cooking focused on diet or low-calorie foods.




Chili-Glazed Tofu Over Asparagus Rice
2 cups brown rice (I used organic brown-wild rice mixture)
2-1/4 cups asparagus, chopped 1 in. (about 1 lb)
2 cups water + pinch of salt
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp fresh minced ginger (or bottled)
1 tsp hot chili-garlic sauce
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and sliced to about 1/4-inch thick
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup shredded carrot
1 tsp dark sesame oil

1. Cook brown rice according to package directions.
2. In another pot, bring 2 cups water to a boil. When boiling, add a pinch of salt and the asparagus. Cook 1 minute.
3. Take asparagus out of the hot water and straight into an ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Let aspargus stay in water for 3 minutes. Drain and dry.
4. Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and chili sauce in a small bowl.
5. Slice tofu to about 1/2 thick. Dry tofu by putting it in between paper towels and pressing it a little bit using the palm of your hand.
7. Heat peanut oil in a skillet. Sprinkle tofu with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. When oil is hot, add tofu to pan, cook 3 minutes on each side until brown.
8. Add soy sauce mixture; cook 20 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
9. Combine rice, asparagus, 1/2 tsp salt, carrott and sesame oil. Serve tofu over rice.

Oh No, Rice Again!

Hey guys...It's mystery chef here, and as it turns out, I found yet another recipe for the rice that I made a few days ago. This time I was inspired to make breakfast for my wife, but for lunch. The ingredients are as follows:

3 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 diced onion
1/4 diced red pepper
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 cup spanish rice leftovers
2 eggs scrambled
1/4 cup italian blend cheese
1/4 cup salsa
sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
1 cup leftover diced grilled churrasco steak (oops thats another recipe...lol)

First, saute the onions an peppers in olive oil, salt and pepper, Then, add the spanish rice, leftover steak and diced garlic continuing to stir heating the mixture thoughly. When ready, add your scrambled eggs into the mixture and fold until it is cooked. Remove from pan and plate, adding dollop of salsa, a few shakes of Tobasco, and your cheese topping and enjoy! Yet another use for rice!

Hi-jacking the Foodie Blog!

Thats right, I'm hijacking the Foodie Blog...hahaha.

This week there's a guest blogger in the house. Hmmmmm, who could it be?
Me, of course...Well my name is Joe and I am the husband of the best-lookin' filipina chef. Since I'm on vacation for a few weeks, I will be relieving her from most of her cooking & blogging responsibilities. Before you shriek at the thought of me in the kitchen, I will have you know that I do have about 15 years experience in most aspects of the restaurant business, with many of those years spent cooking and preparing tons of food.

Anyway, (((sinister laugh))) I get to finally be creative in the kitchen and blog about it here! F.Y.I., I know this may seem hard to believe, but my wife and I have been married now for 6 years this month (Apr.20) and she has never stopped to complain about cooking for me. She faithfully prepares my breakfast, lunch, and dinner and takes great pride and is joyful when I give her the thumbs-up on her culinary creations. (Very few thumbs-down, btw). Just so you know, I do cook sometimes, and try to help her out as much as possible around the house to show my appreciation for her taking care of me, so be kind to me, please, in your comments, LOL.

Her previous cooking experience was cooking her own native filipino dishes, under the direction of her mother. Since we got married, Jescel's culinary skills have grown immensely by cooking for me and our friends, watching the food network, and catching the food-bug as we get together for dinner with others and asking lots of "How did you do that?" type questions. You go girl!

She has learned so much and is so passionate about food now... How could my stomach ever refuse to let her cook??? Just having Food Network on in the house is a blessing, because we can eat more than just rice! Yehey!

Some co-workers have told me, "Oh wait a year and she'll stop cooking for you" or "You keep eating like that and youre going to get fat". Most of the time my wife prepares food that is not diet oriented, but is substantially healthier than what I could get elsewhere. To see guys drool every morning at what my wife made for me is its own sweet reward --LOL. I know she doesn't hear this nearly enough from me, but "Thank you for taking great care of me... I love you!"

This week I made my own creation, inspired by spanish rice that is good enough to eat as a light lunch, or the next day as the stuffing for a vegetarian, southwest style burrito -MMMMMM..

MMMMM.....

Spanish-Style Rice Ala-Joe
(serves 4 people)

2 cups cooked jasmine rice
3 cups water
pinch of salt
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 med onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
dash of salt & pepper
2-3 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1/2 c tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
splash of Merlot wine
1 can red kidney beans (15 oz)
handful of yellow corn kernels
dollop of lite sour cream

1. Bring to a boil the water, add a pinch of salt; add in the jasmine rice, stir and then reduce to simmer for 20 mins.
2. In the meantime , heat olive oil in the pan and saute onions, green pepper until soft. Add a dash of salt and pepper, and then add the garlic. Saute for 1-2 mins, followed by the diced tomatoes and tomato paste to thicken the sauce. Stir until completely incorporated.
3. Then add a pinch of red-pepper flakes for heat,some sea-salt and fresh-gound black pepper to taste, dried oregano and a splash of merlot. Simmer for several minutes more, then remove from heat.
4. Once the rice has cooked, add this to the sauce and mixed it all together. Let mixture cool for a few minutes, then add the red kidney beans (for protein), some yellow corn (for crunch), and voila! It is now ready to serve.

My wife was a little late coming home for lunch, so I began plating and served this with a dollop of lite sour cream and that's all. It made for a very light and nutritious lunch. I knew my wife would like it simply because it had rice (that Asian thing, you know :OP ).

But wait, thats not all. Like I ALWAYS tell my wife, most things that are mixed together like soups, sauces, gravies, etc... are so much better the next day! So, I took my day old, nuevo spanish rice cuisine, and upgraded it for lunch today. I took the leftovers from the 'fridge and scooped enough for the two of us, mixed in

2 tablespoons sour cream,
some smoky paprika,
couple dashes of green tabasco sauce

and heated that up and used that as filling for a sun-dried tomato(flour)-wrap burrito laced with italian-blend of cheese melted on the inside as well as the outside. It was very filling as my wife was unable to eat it all.

Maybe it was the breakfast I made for her that filled her up? This dish was really simple to make and is flexible enough to be used a few different ways on a few different days.

Let us know what you think, ok...and if you've found any different uses for this, too.


Until Later, The Mystery Chef :o)

How've Ya Bean?

I've always liked beans but I just never realized its benefits until I came across a Cooking Light magazine article about it. Turns out, beans are the most overlooked source of antioxidant-rich foods.

According to the research of Clifford Beninger from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, beans are rich in anthocyanins, an antioxidant with possible anticancer properties.

The darker the bean, the more healthful it is. Black beans therefore, are the most potent, containing 10x the concentration of antioxidants found in oranges and an amount equivalent to that of apples, grapes and cranberries. A half-cup black beans has the same amount of anthocyanins as two glasses of red wine. Beans also has fiber, calcium and B vitamins and are low in fat and slim in calories.

So, black beans, bring it on!

This is my take on a classic Cuban dish of black beans (frijoles negros) and rice. The traditional way of preparing this dish takes long because it requires using the real beans which you need to soak overnight, before boiling it in water the next day for about 1 hour to tenderize them.

But I am not doing it the traditional way. Truth be told, I prefer doing the short-cut version, which makes this dish one of the simplest ones that I can whip up in less than 30 minutes.

Black Beans And Rice
2 cloves garlic, minced (use 1 of you don't like garlic)
1 can (15 oz) black beans
1/2 c size onion, chopped
1/4 c green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Dash of Badia Complete Seasoning (Sason Completa)
Pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce (optional)
Chopped tomatoes or onions, for garnish
Chopped italian flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, for garnish

1. In a skillet, saute onion until translucent, then add garlic and pepper. Saute for one more minute. Add a dash of red pepper flakes, if preferred.
2. In a separate bowl, pour half of the beans from the can and mash with fork. This will help thicken the sauce.
3. Then add to the skillet half of the beans from the can with the liquid, as well as those that you mashed in a separate bowl. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
4. Season with complete seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve over steamed white rice. Garnish with chopped tomato and parsely.

If you notice, I didn't use green pepper as what I have on hand was the yellow one. If you can't find the Complete Seasoning, use the following combination: dash of garlic powder, dash of cumin, 1 bay leaf, dash of dried oregano and 1-2 tsp vinegar - you just have to adjust amount of seasoning according to your taste.

You can eat this as is for a vegetarian meal, or serve it as a side dish for chicken or pork (in Adobo-style would be good).