Serves: 4, or 8 servings of 1/2 cake each

Ingredients:

1 pkg dark chocolate bar (or approx 4 squares)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar

6 tbsp flour

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 425F. Generously butter 4 ramekins or small custard cups and place on baking tray.

Melt chocolate and butter on double boiler (an easier way would be to microwave on HIGH for about 1 minute, or until butter is melted). Whisk until both ingredients are well incorporated. Add the sugar. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, stir and mix well. Carefully incorporate the flour and stir. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins.

Bake for 13 to 14 minutes or just until the sides are firm but the center part remains soft and wiggly. Let stand for 1 minute. You can choose to serve them in the ramekins or invert them into dessert plates by loosening around the cakes with a spatula or a small knife. Serve with whipped cream, powdered sugar or fruits on top.

Photo courtesy of: Marco Barisione

October 25 is National Greasy Foods Day. So what comes into mind whenever you think of greasy food? For me it is burgers and fries, since I will never admit that pizza is part of the equations. I would like to believe that it is homemade.  I am quite guilty of food indulgence. I never count calories and I just love to eat heart stopping food, which is why I would like to feature a burger joint that will definitely give you a heart attack.

Heart Attack Grill is an American fast food restaurant that started in Dallas, Texas. Recently they opened the doors of their hospital themed restaurant in Las Vegas. Waitresses dressed as nurses take orders and tag them to the customers.

Here is a sample of their menu.

I think I will settle for a butterfat milkshake, flat liner fries and a single bypass burger. I doubt if I can finish it, but I will definitely give it a shot –even if I risk being on a comatose after the meal. That shouldn’t be a problem though, because this establishment also boasts of an awesome staff which will take care of your “heart problems”.

They have interesting promos such as all-you-can-eat flat liner fries. These fries are deep fried in lard for more guilty pleasure. In this “hospital” people who weigh more than 350lbs get to eat for free. If you have always wanted to have your own private nurse, then all you have to do is eat a quadruple bypass and your wish will come true. A “private nurse” will wheel you out in a wheelchair and take you to your car.

Let’s all celebrate this day with a big fat burger and some gooey fries, since we all have an excuse to eat greasy.

Rice krispies or rice puffs is a type of cereal that is often used as a topping or added to other desserts or dishes. This yummy snack is great for kids and even adults who love peanut butter and bananas. It is similar to the classic granola or power bar.

You may add some nuts or dried fruits to this yummy recipe if desired. It is perfect for parties too. I also think that topping it with vanilla ice cream would definitely take this treat to the next level. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Serves 2-4

4 tablespoons unsalted peanut butter

2 cups rice krispies or rice puffs

2 bananas

3 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven at 150C and slightly grease a small rectangular baking pan with oil.

Combine the rice krispies and the honey in a medium sized bowl. Mix well until the rice krispies are coated in honey. Transfer the rice krispies into a pan and spread it evenly. Bake it in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and let it cool completely. Cut it into bars.

Peel the bananas and slice them. After, spread peanut butter over the rice krispies bars and top them with sliced bananas.  Serve immediately.

Photo Courtesy Of:   jeffisageek

The Elvis sandwich was named after the legendary king of rock and roll Elvis Presley. According to Wikipedia,  he was fond of sandwiches with bananas and peanut butter. He even craved for Fool’s Gold Loaf, which is a loaf of Italian bread stuffed with bacon, peanut butter and grape jelly. This special sandwich can be found in a five-star restaurant in Denver, Colorado called Colorado Mine Company. During the 60’s it was known as “the place to be”.

Here is a yummy recipe that uses his favorite ingredients without the bacon fat, although if you want the salty taste to stick to the bread, you can heat the bread in the same pan which you used for frying the bacon. Just make sure that the oil isn’t too much.

The type of peanut butter used can also make a big difference as there are many types. Feel free to use one that suits your taste, but smooth peanut butter usually is the best option. I must agree though that crunchy peanut butter can add more texture to this delectable sandwich.

Ingredients:

12 strips bacon

1/2 teaspoon oil

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 large bananas, sliced

1/4 cup honey

8 slices white bread

2 tablespoons softened butter

Heat the oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bacon strips for 3-5 minutes or until they are crisp. After, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Spread butter on 2 slices of bread. Place the bread butter side down on a flat surface or plate. Next, spread peanut butter on the other side. Top it with bananas. Pour some honey over the bananas and put 3 slices of bacon on top of it and then cover it with the other slice of bread. Repeat this for the remaining ingredients.

Transfer the assembled sandwich on a hot grill for 3-5 minutes or until they are hot and crispy. Transfer the sandwiches to a plate and slice them in half before serving. Serve warm with fries or chips.

Photo Courtesy Of:  kthread

I started off with burger patties with mushroom gravy, which was already a real hit for my son’s lunch pack as well hamburger patties for his sandwich bag the next day.  My mom isn’t really big on hamburgers so I made them into Almondigas. This is a soup dish of  Spanish origin made of meatballs and very fine noodles or vermicelli. I thought of adding a  local vegetable gourd chopped evenly to make it more hearty. And since I was on a roll of making meatballs, I made enough for sweet and sour meatballs too. I love anything that is sweet and sour so, this one had my name on it. And just to stretch that sweet and sour sauce a little bit more, I made some Shanghai Spring rolls or popularly known as the Filipino Lumpia.to go with the sauce to dip them in.

At this point I was pretty much proud of myself! I had enough more ground meat to make it into spaghetti and meatballs as well! Cabbage rolls were next in my meal planning. So far, my mom and my son haven’t really noticed much of  my sneaky evil plans and I’m just glad I was armed with some creativity that day.

I am down to the last bits of ground meat and I must say I’m fresh out of ideas. And then, I had an epiphany when I saw some plantains being sold by a local veggie cart vendor. I wanted to make some Arroz a la Cubana. It is derived from Arroz Cubano which means Cuban style rice, It is a popular dish in the Philippines, most likely handed down by our Spanish ancestors, but is also known in Peru. Spain’s version will has it with white rice, tomato sauce and a fried egg. In Peru, it consists of white rice topped with a fried egg, fried bananas and a fried hotdog.

In the Philippines, we just have to take this to a whole new level of a gastronomic cultural experience. The Filipino’s take on this dish calls for sautéed ground pork or beef with some diced potatoes and carrots, green peas, and simmered in some tomato sauce. It is served with fried plantains and a sunnyside up egg on hot white steamed rice.

I have to confess this dish had me from the word go when I first tasted it as a young child. I don’t cook it as often but I love it any meal of the day!

ARROZ ala CUBANA

Ingredients:

Steamed or boiled rice
1/2 kilo ground beef (use sirloin or top round)
3 carrots, cubed
3 potatoes, cubed
1/2 c. of sweet peas
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 tbsp. of raisins (optional)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. of tomato paste
finely chopped parsley
pinch of basil
3 tbsp. c. of olive oil
1/4 c. vegetable cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste
6 eggs, fried sunny-side-up
8 Plantains , each sliced diagonally into 3, fried

Instructions

1.Heat a heavy skillet. Add 1/4 c. of cooking oil. Heat to smoking point. Add the cubed potatoes and carrots. Fry until the edges turn a light brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
2.Pour off the oil from the skillet. Pour in the olive oil. Add ground beef, breaking it up. Cook over high heat until the meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic, chopped onions and tomatoes, bell peppers and raisins, if using. Cook, stirring, just until the vegetables start to soften. Add the tomato paste, salt and pepper. Stir to blend well. Add the sweet peas. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds then put the carrots and potatoes back in. Cook for another 30 seconds. Add the basil and parsley. Give it one last stir then turn off the heat.
3.Serve with rice, an egg and fried saba bananas on the side.

Photo Credit: Koleksyon.com

Photo Credit: Proyecto de cocinero