Van's Kitchen: Pan-Fried Steak

Arguably steak is one of my favourite food, and I keep on telling those non-steak eaters that they are missing half of their lives if they don't eat steak. I love them all, from the humblest breakfast steak to the most extravagant of Wagyu's / Kobe's.

I usually just grill steaks with very little seasoning: olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Sometimes I rub in a little Dijon mustard and a sprinkling of Worcestershire sauce. When I do pan-fry them I add in a dollop of butter when cooking, plus a dollop more on top when serving.

It was a pleasant and lovely chance that I got to watch Gordon Ramsey do his version of pan-frying steak. What better way to share it to you than to show the actual video.


These were the tools and ingredients I used to do my own:

Kitchen tools:

• cast iron skillet
• tongs

Ingredients:

• Steaks (I used tenderloin, which was what I had that time)
• Salt and Pepper - rub them on to the steaks seconds before frying!
• Olive Oil
• Dried Thyme (used a teaspoon) - I highly recommend using the fresh one!
• Garlic (since I love garlic, I used a lot, 5 cloves hehehe)
• Unsalted Butter ( I used a lot too since I love butter)

Enjoy!

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Quote for The Week: Craft a Life of Purpose

I got this quote from Joshua Becker's Becoming Minimalist Facebook Page. It is a simple but powerful message, as crafting an examined and purposeful life oftentimes involves difficult decisions to make and take. Decluttering one's life to unearth a meaningful one involves carefully weeding out all the nuisances you currently have: habits, material things, and even persons. When I say nuisances, I mean those that do not add value to the life you want to live. It is not about just taking out what you don't like or are too difficult, since there are some that may be hard to deal with, but you learn a lesson or two from them.

In my case, I have to examine the life I wanted to have, what purpose do I want? After examining and deciding that this is the kind of life I want to live in, then I list down what are the values I need to have in order to support the life I wanted to craft. What then are the major aspects of my life? I need to assess which contribute and which do not. It is hard, but I must wean off from those that bring me farther way from my goal, in order to spend more time to maintain, nourish, and cultivate those that matter.

To summarize,

• Examine what you want in life.
• Reflect what values you need, the principles and beliefs you live by.
• List what major habits, persons, material possessions you have - everything, not just the good and the bad.
• Carefully assess if they contribute to the life you wanted to live.
• Decide to remove those that do not add value.
• Maintain, nourish, and cultivate those that are important.

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Home Decor: The Charm of Paris Rentals

Ah, Paris. I have longed to visit that place I've been reading, watching, and hearing about. Apart from  French food and historic places, what I wanted to see and experience is that of Parisian rentals. There is something so simple, yet classic and elegant about the design of these rentals... well at least from what I saw so far in the internet, tv shows, and magazines. Just like Scandinavian style homes, I have been compiling photos of lovely Parisian rentals designs, which I hope I could replicate when we finally redesign our little Casa Pineda. Here's one rental that serves as my (current) inspiration.

Images from: Time and Place

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Money Matters: Organizing Bills

Back when I was single, organising bills was a pretty much a non-issue, since the only bills I paid were my credit card bills. Things get a little complicated when I got married (not only finances hahaha!), and at first I was able to cope with my bills payment by just remembering them. Thanks to age, kids, and additional bills, I had to resort to organising my bills payment. Thank goodness for the Internet, where people share their tips and tricks (and tools) to make life easier to manage.

I have been using this Annual Bill Schedule printable from Organizing Home Life, and I must say that I love, love love this (among her other printables, which are must-prints!).

Not only do I get to track what expenses are due for the month, but I could tick them off once I paid them already. Believe me, with the number of bills I needed to pay every month, this printable comes in really handy. The year is almost ending, so it is about time for me to edit and print it out. This is seriously a must-have. :)

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Beauty Loot: Picture Polish

I rarely get hit by the nail polish bug, but when I do, I hoard.

I remembered the days when my husband used to ask me if I was planning on setting up my own nail salon because of the daily deliveries of nail polish orders I had. That came to a halt when I got pregnant with my second child. I still wore nail polish, but rarely. In order not to waste all the polishes I had, I lent all of them to my staff at work.

Fast forward to now, here I am hoarding my favourite polishes: a-England, Zoya, and Picture Polish. Right now I am featuring the latest two polishes I got from my trusted online seller, Polish Please. Both are introduced this year, are 5-Free, and dries smooth on the nail.

First up is Bardot. It is a French baby pink jelly scatter holo, and described as "French in every way a sultry fashion forward siren." I could very well see the French in it once applied on my nails. This reminds me of Brigitte Bardot, so I guess the polish's name does suit it perfectly. The baby-ness of the pink is just gorgeous, while the subtler silver scatter holo makes it unique (well at least to me). This is a colour that anyone can wear anytime, be it at school (if allowed!), work, or at parties. Honestly I'm not into pink shades, since I am more of a red or burgundy type of girl, but this lovely polish had me at hello. It's currently what I'm wearing now. :)

Next is Karma. This was actually the first one that caught my eye when the nail polish bug bit me. I was so in love with it that I got heartbroken when I was told that it was out of stock and that it may take a while before it was restocked. I forgot about it until Polish Please sent me a Viber message informing me that it was already available (after months!).

The picture I took below did not do any justice to how gorgeous and rich the polish looked. According to the website, Karma is a vampy eggplant (purple) jelly scatter holo, inspire by the night sky. "Karma can be as radiant as the starry sky and mysterious as the dark night." Perfect description! The irony though is that under sunlight, the polish bursts with magical colour! Perfect for Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Love love love.

Ok, here's one more photo of Karma, just to have a better idea on how truly wonderful the colour is. Got this from Polish Please's IG account.

Lovely, right?

I'm currently eyeing Picture Polish in Bordeaux. See why.

However, in order to save on shipping costs, I need to order another one. I hope that by the time I do, it is still available!

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Van's List 1: Nudes and French Food

This marks the first of a series of blog posts that features my favourites for the week. Enjoy!

1. Charlotte Tilbury Very Victoria Matte Revolution Lipstick and Lip Cheat Iconic Nude

Lately I have been on a lipstick bing (will blog about it soon), and the latest lipstick loot I purchased were Charlotte Tilbury's Very Victoria Matte Revolution Lipstick and Lip Cheat (Liner) in Iconic Nude. I love the velvety smooth texture once I applied both on my lips. I must say that this one should be included in every woman's lipstick arsenal, for those days when you just want to have that muted elegance look.

I purchased mine via Instagram: Cebu Makeup Online

2. My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz

I finally got hold of this book! I've been wanting to have this book for the longest time (well, since it was first published), but was at first hesitant because I have purchased a lot of cookbooks in the past. My curiosity finally gave in, and so now I am happy as a clam. I have only read the Introduction and browsed through the pages (sorry I just received the book last night), but wow, I am loving it so far. Can't wait to try the recipes!

I purchased my copy online via National Bookstore.

3. Uniqlo IDLF Cashmere Crewneck Sweater

Are you also like me who can't get enough of Uniqlo's Ines de la Fressange line? If so, then you understand the excitement I felt when I found out of her latest collection. The pieces are obviously geared towards colder temperatures, but there are still a couple of pieces that are suitable to our warm climate. Take this beige cashmere crew neck sweater. Can't wait to wear this when I go to Tagaytay!

4. Zara Culotte Jeans

The culotte craze is here again, but unlike the past, the style today is somewhat more streamlined (not to flouncy). I have seen a lot of women wear this in basic black, so I was very happy to have chanced upon the jeans version in Zara. Just the right length and silhouette for me. Do check it out!

5. Givenchy Pepe Pandora Bag

This bag is in my Wishlist for some time now, but I haven't had the nerve to purchase one. I a loving the tan color, but perhaps I would wait for other colours to be available since this looks very close to the Alexa bag I have.Which reminds me... I should take that bag out this week!


6. Valentino Rockstud Pumps

Ahh, the very one that I would really really want to have soon. I have been wanting to get hold of the Valentino Rockstud shoes ever since the first version (flats) came out. Unfortunately, it was always sold out, until I gave up. Then the pumps came in. It's been years since I planned to get one, but until now I haven't gotten one. My sister even ended up purchasing one ahead of me! Why the hesitation? First, the color. I wanted the Italian Pop Grey for so long, but it seems it doesn't want to get owned by me. I have been waiting (until now), but so far, no notifications of its availability have ventured its way to my inbox. Second, the price tag. Ugh. Every time I decide to just get a neutral color (such as this lovely tan), I couldn't get myself to click that final button. Would've been easier if I was working (hahaha), but I think it really is just a matter of time before I do so. Until then, this remain's in my Wishlist.

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Van's Kitchen: Paella

Cooking Paella is a big deal in our household, so when we decide to have it as our main meal, everybody is serious and gets down to business.

Today was a trying day though, because the seafood ingredients were hard to find, even if usually these were available! I had to go to two markets and two grocery stores just to get hold of fresh seafood! There was that option of buying in advance and freeze them, but I have always been iffy about it, thus buying fresh ingredients on the day is very important to me.

At the end of it all though, cooking paella is so worth it. Just take a look the the finished product...

The photo did not do justice to it though, since I only used my phone to take a photo. We couldn't wait to dig into it, so there was no time to do those photo-ops. Hahaha.

Here's how I cooked our Paella. It is based on the Paella on the Grill by Bobby Flay. Thank goodness I got to watch it on Food Network, and I have been cooking paella this way ever since.

PAELLA

Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken cutlets
1 kilo clams, scrubbed
1 kilo mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 kilo crabs (the alimasag type), cleaned, cooked, and halved
1/2 kilo jumbo shrimps, shelled but leaving the tails
1/2 kilo squid (medium size)
2 lemons, halved
1/4 kilo scallops
1/4 cup canola oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken stock
1 large pinch of saffron (this is a non-negotiable for me)
1/4 cup olive oil (1 tbsp for the lemons)
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 head of garlic - cut crosswise, then finely chopping the top half and retaining the lower half.
1/2 kilo chorizo de Bilbao, sliced thinly
2 red bell peppers, sliced thinly.
4 cups rice (I used 3 cups Sinandomeng and 1 cup malagkit or glutinous rice)
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1 /2 cup frozen peas, thawed


How to cook:

• Brush the chicken cutlets with some of the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken over low heat, making sure that the chicken does not get burned. Once cooked, set them aside.
• Meanwhile pour the chicken stock in a saucepan and add the saffron. Let it simmer until the stick is quite boiling. Add the clams and cook until they are open. Remove them to a bowl, discarding those that are not open. Add the mussels and cook until they are open. Remove to a bowl and discard those that are not open. Note: do not overcook! Set aside the stock.
• Brush all the seafood with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill them until they are almost cooked through. Be careful not to over cook them! Set aside the grilled seafood.
• Brush the lemons with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill them cut side down for about 45 seconds, then set aside. 
• Heat the olive oil in a large paellera. Sauté the onions and garlic (even the bottom half of the garlic), then add the chorizos and bell peppers. 
• Add the rice and cook - stir it constantly for a few minutes. Add the chicken + saffron stock one cup at a time, stirring the rice a few times. Keep on doing so until the rice is almost cooked. At this point I don't stir the paella rice anymore. NOTE: I know some may disagree in stirring the rice, saying that this is a no-no, but I don't care. I've seen one show featuring Spanish food and in Valencia, the veteran cook was stirring the rice.
• When the rice is cooked, I arranged all the grilled chicken and seafood on top of the rice, burying them slightly here and there. Scatter the peas on top. I let the paella cook (low heat) for about 2-3 minutes. 
• Squeeze the juice of two lemon halves over the paella, and nestle the rest in the rice.
• Scatter the parsley on top of the paella. Serve hot.

Usually I serve Sangria, but in this case, I just opened a bottle of Pinot Grigio to go with the paella. By the way, for those who are looking for a good Pinot Grigio, I know that lately this type of wine is hard to find. However, I found a couple of bottles in M&S stores. :)

Enjoy cooking and eating. 

Always remember, cook for pleasure, eat with pleasure. :)

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Van's Kitchen: Shrimp and Artichoke Tagliatelle

Just like blogging, I rediscovered another activity that I love doing: watching food and cooking shows!

I was able to wrestle my way into watching TV, and was so happy to have chanced upon this wonderful recipe from the show "The Kitchen." This simple pasta dish blends two of my favourite ingredients: shrimps and artichokes.

I have made something similar before, but I used chicken instead of shrimps. Now, I am very eager to  cook this, and I am quite sure I will love it. This would be perfect on a lazy Sunday lunch, paired with a glass of Pinot Grigio. :)

Here is the recipe from The Food Network:

Shrimp and Artichoke Tagliatelle

Ingredients:

Shrimp and Artichokes: 
10 jumbo shrimp (U12), peeled and cleaned, cut in half lengthwise
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 artichokes, cleaned and chokes removed, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock

Pasta: 
Salt
1 pound fresh tagliatelle
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

For the shrimp and artichokes:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 
• On a baking sheet, toss the shrimp with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice and butter and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. 
• Roast until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. 
• In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. 
• Add the artichokes and cook until seared and just browned, about 2 minutes. 
• Add the garlic and cook until aromatic. 
• Add the wine and cook until reduced slightly, 1 minute. 
• Add the chicken stock and bring to a slow simmer. Cook until the artichokes are tender and the liquid is reduced by half. 
• Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

For the pasta:

• Meanwhile, bring a medium stockpot of salted water to a rolling boil. 
• Boil the pasta until cooked, about 2 minutes (or according to package instructions). 
• Remove the pasta from the water and toss directly into the artichoke pan along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. 
• Cook and reduce the liquid, tossing the pasta, until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Remove from the heat and add the cheese and black pepper. 
• Add the roasted shrimp and its juices, lemon zest, butter, lemon juice, parsley and salt to taste.
• Toss the pasta until the butter has emulsified. 
• Plate and serve. 

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