Thursday, April 22, 2010

Spring Fling

(This t was my guest post at  Chow and Chatter a couple of days ago.  Such a great honor and joy to have been invited .... Thank you Rebecca!)

It's almost noon during an unseasonably cold, hazy spring day as my daughter, hubby and I decided to take a walk at the beach. The beach? Really? On such an overcast day?  I know, I know... it doesn't seem right but the beach being just in our backyard seems to always beckon us... especially when my eldest daughter comes for a visit...  coming from a highly stressed environment, the beach is therapeutic... even minus the bright skies.

Spring is evident all around, even under grey skies.   We drove past rows of flowers all in bloom.  Vivid hues of shimmering yellow, romantic red and vibrant purple... the lively chorus of birds chirping and the rhythm of their flapping wings as they fly in droves... ahhh this is why I love spring!

On the beach, surfers in wet suits glide with the waves with grace and balance.  The beach is not crowded, that makes us appreciate it more.  My daughter and I giggled as we realized we moved in synchronized motion as we took our shoes off and ran towards the ocean.  Meanwhile, my husband was standing, watching over us by the roadside, seemingly content with the captivating views of the the cliffs and the ocean... and relaxing to the sound of the crashing waves landing on the shore.

We screamed every time the waves hit the shore and washed our feet.  We could see my husband's head shake as he hears our screams and shreiks.. but we didn't care... we were there to enjoy and celebrate the beauty of God's gifts in a rare occasion where it's just the three of us.

As we dusted off the sand from our shoes  before entering the house, my daughter glimpsed at the pictures posted on the wall. The gallery of photos has always been there on the entry way all these years, but having a wonderful feeling coming from the beach, she looked at these pictures differently.




 "Heartwarming" she said... to see the last pictures we had at about the same time in early April, one Easter weekend ten years ago in my hometown..  Even when we move, these pictures always find their space on the entry wall.  It happened to be  the last Easter we celebrated before we moved to the US.  They never fail to remind us of the good times we had in the past. The nostalgic feeling led my daughter to request me to cook one of  her favorite comfort food from my home town... and yes, which leads me to share with you the recipe of a noodle dish known in my home town as BATIL PATUNG.

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Batil Patung  is stir fried noodles served with an egg topping (patung),and a side serving of egg drop soup (batil) the dish is not complete without the sauce--- soy sauce and vinegar with lots of raw onions. It maybe high in cholesterol and sodium but hey there's no taste like home!


Ingredients:

1/4 lb. ground beef
1 pc. chinese sausage, sliced
chinese cabbage, sliced
mongo sprouts
carrots, sliced
onions, diced
garlic, minced
soy sauce
oyster sauce
beef stock
fresh egg noodles (found in the refrigerated items section in an asian store)

Directions:

Saute garlic and onions. Add ground beef and sausage. Cook for about 4 minutes or until beef is brown and the sausage is cooked. Add the vegetables.  Season it with soy sauce and oyster sauce.  Adjust to taste. Make a quick stir. Set aside. De-glaze the pan using a beef stock. (if you don't have a beef stock, use chicken or pork) Add soy sauce and let it simmer. When the soup stock is simmering, break an egg and stir it into the soup. Ladle up some soup in a serving bowl and set aside.




Using the same pan, add the noodles. (You may add more beef stock if needed) Cook the noodles for about 3-4 minutes.



Put the noodles on a serving plate. Top it with the stir-fried beef , sausage and vegetables. Top it with a poached egg.


Condiments:


Soy sauce with lemon or a little vinegar
Diced onions.































22 comments:

  1. sobra singo na batil patung mo malou.

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  3. Malou,
    This Batil Patung is so gourmet. I will never look at the pancit the same way. IT's a notch or even way beyond the carinderia look. I am craving for it.

    Gina

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  4. I've been waiting for this post. After your balatung.

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  5. Great dish and great post. You are a great writer Malou. Hmm, I don't think I've tried this dish before..or you just made it gourmet. :)

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  6. I have not visited you for months. I've been sick but this post surely hits it off to a tee.
    You are a great writer and a good cook. Hoping you will get a break soon.

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  7. thank you anonymous 1! i hope you get to cook your own batil patung now
    Gina: i just tried to make it look fancy but honestly, it's the same recipe!
    taga-tugue: i'm glad i did. i never thought it would create a buzz among FB friends.

    divina: i guess we belong to MAC then? hahaha MAC is mutual admiration club... coz yes i believe you're a great writer too!

    foodie2: what? i hope you're feeling better. take care of yourself and i hope to see you more often. yeah i missed seeing you here...

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  8. I've never cooked egg noodles using ground beef and poached egg before. I bet using grass fed ground beef would come close to the batil patung made back home. Can't wait to try this!
    I love this post.....feels like I'm right there on the beach. You have the writer's touch. Keep blogging!

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  9. This is making me hungry. Great photos.

    http://comfycook.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/give-away-and-it-is-a-wow/

    Stop by and see if you win.

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  10. thank you for the kind words cookies and crean.. i hope you will try to make this noddle dish and relinquish the memories it brings... happy cooking!

    hi chaya... thanks for stopping by... i will definitely join the contest... thanks for the info.. have agood weekend!

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  11. I really like those entry wall photos! We keep meaning to do something like that-I think I even have the frames somewhere too! :D

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  12. thanks for visiting my blog - have had a quite look at your blog and really enjoy all your food wonderful colours and flavours - mmmmm - sorry not to have more time to read it in more depth but hope to come back and read some more soon

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  13. Wow, Malou, thank you for this. I've never had Batil Patung before, but it looks yummy. Anything with Chinese sausage is yummy to me!

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  14. lorraine: thanks for stopping by... and i hope you find the time to hang those entry photos... they brighten the entry way all the time.

    Johanna GGG it's great to see you stop by... i hope to see you around...

    Liren: i love chinese sausage too. they always perk up the dish especially if it's a veggie dish...

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  15. Malou, this dish looks so yummie, love the idra of ground beef and egg...love the pictures as well :-)

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  16. I love the plating of your dish and the others are right. You are a great writer. And picture hanger I might add.

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  17. wow i've never tried this dish before, looks fantastic! great post!

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  18. thanks again for doing it love Rebecca

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  19. Julliana: Hello great to meet you and glad you stopped by...

    Kathy: yeah, i love anything with egg... i hope you could get to try this recipe.

    Penny: thanks for the sweet words... and thank you for stopping by...

    Nastassia:hey happy anniversary... im so glad to meet you on the blogosphere

    Rebecca: anytime ... but thank you for the exposure..

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  20. That's a very lovely meal. Love the presentation.

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  21. What a beautiful dish! I'd not heard of Batil Patung before - learn somethng new everyday!

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Thank you for stopping by and oh I would be thrilled even more if you could leave a comment... :) Cheers!

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