Food Friday: Pulled Beef Barbecue

pulled beef barbecue and coleslaw sandwich

I did a boneless beef spareribs version of Pulled-Pork Barbecue meant for The 4th of July but it was so good we finished it before the week was over.:D

Red, White and Blue Pasta Salad

red, white, and blue pasta salad

This light and delicious "red, white, and blue" pasta salad which is perfect for the coming 4th of July picnic or meal is a breeze to assemble. I used store bought Italian dressing and canned white chicken breasts which I think is better than homemade because they're soft, juicy, and surprisingly flavorful. I love the crunch of the red peppers and the blueberries add a bit more sweetness to this refreshing pasta salad.

Red, White, and Blue Pasta Salad

1 pound cooked farfalle, cold or at room temperature

½ cup prepared Balsamic Italian dressing, plus more to taste

1 cup diced sweet red bell pepper

1 cup diced canned cooked chicken breast

1 cup diced or sliced celery

1 cup diced sharp Provolone

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

salt to taste

crumbled fresh (salty) farmer's white cheese or blue cheese

• In a large bowl, toss all ingredients except salt and farmer's cheese. Taste and adjust dressing and salt. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish top with crumbled farmer's cheese before serving.

And for dessert, why not blueberry Jello with strawberry sauce, cream, and fresh blueberries? It's easy to make but oh so yummy. Adding in fresh blueberries to the Jello makes it even better.

strawberry puree (with sugar), blueberry Jello,

fresh blueberries, and cream

Figs and Almond Cream Tart

It's that time of the year again when fresh figs are aplenty. I love love love figs...fresh, candied, and even dried ones when enrobed in dark chocolate. Today I made a frangipane and fig tart. The combination of creamy marzipan and fresh figs is heavenly and the tart is now added to my favorite summer fruit pie and tart recipes.

Figs and Almond Cream Tart

crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 pinch of salt

½ cup very cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg yolk

filling

1 cup almond flour

6 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

topping

10 fresh Mission figs, quartered

• Prepare crust: In a food processor, pulse ingredients until fully combined; it will be soft not crumbly. Press into a tart pan with removable bottom. Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
• Prepare the filling: Process ingredients in a food processor and pour into the chilled crust; chill for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Top the chilled tart with figs and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Remove from pan and transfer into a serving plate.

Food Friday: Gourmet Tuyo

I never thought I'd see gourmet and tuyo together on a food label which is sort of an oxymoron. Tuyo is a Filipino heavily salted and dried herring which used to be a poor man's ulam (viand) but apparently Filipinos have converted them into gourmet food, whatever that means. The last time I ate tuyo was when I was still in elementary school, and although I liked them specially with hot pepper and vinegar dipping sauce I haven't had for most of my adult life. They made me want to throw up right after eating, I don't know why. Maybe because the tuyo of yesteryear were processed from not-too-fresh fish.

When I saw the jar of gourmet tuyo with garlic and packed in olive oil I just had to get it to find out what's gourmet about it. I was surprised to find I really love it; the familiar tuyo flavor is present without the imagined rotten quality and I now prefer them to Spanish sardines because they're not as fishy tasting as sardines. Indeed they are gourmet tuyo.