The Best Pork Adobo Recipe, Ever and Ever.

     Once in a while I indulge myself in cooking up one of the philippines' finest home cooked comfort food, Adobo. You can have it in the chicken or pork varieties and you can add just about anything you want and even put in however many twist to that filipino classic as you deem fit. I, on the other hand, prefer the classic type and in this post I will share how I cook it with less fat without compromising the taste.

     Ok, to start off let's make a list of what you will be needing; A kilo of pork ribs. I prefer younger pork meat and I would like to have the ribs with ample meat on them and chopped in appropriate sizes. I would season the meat with a little rubbing down with salt and pepper and just a pinch of paprika, dried rosemary, dried basil, and set it in the refrigerator for about half a day. Once ready to cook have  2-3 medium sized potatoes peeled and cut into bite size cubes, peel 2 carrots and cut them up in comparative sizes to the potatoes. You will need the following, as well. Pork lean meat or ribs about two and a half pounds (roughly a little over a kilo). Half a tablespoon of salt, a quarter of a tablespoon of ground pepper, a pinch of paprika, several dried bay leaves, dried rosemary and thyme about the same ratio as your pepper you grounded earlier. Also, a clove of garlic minced into little pieces and a whole onion, diced to perfection.

     Saute the garlic and onions first and once you see the onions about half done add in your meat. I like to sear the meat on a separate pan with about two tablespoons of olive oil to lock in the juices before I add them to the sauteed onions and garlic. cook in medium heat until the pork is about half done then season with your salt,pepper, paprika, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Add about half a cup of chicken   stock to the mixture and cover for about five minutes. Chop the potatoes and carrots into equal cubed sizes and have the carrots steamed until half cooked. The potatoes, however, will be fried on a separate skillet until golden. Then comes the best part about cooking adobo. You see, it's the soy sauce that gives it a distinctive flavor making it a filipino cuisine every household is well familiar with. Mind you, not every brand of soy sauce you see on your supermarket shelf is the same. I chose Kikkoman Soy Sauce because of its rich flavor. Add about a quarter cup of soy sauce into the pan and stir. Let cook for about another five minutes before adding the carrots and potatoes.

     I like adobo because it's one of those comfort foods you never tire of. Every household in the Philippines have at least a variant of this dish and is a mainstay of the filipino kitchen. I like to serve it over hot rice with juices flowing over and steaming with flavor. A side dish of Atchara and a tall glass of cold Mango shake and you couldn't possibly ask for more. Ahhhh...Indeed. Well, I hope I tickled your taste buds enough to make you want to try this dish for yourself. As they say," variety is the spice of life".So go try to cook yourself up one of these. You will taste a culture found half a world away, reading this same post, I hope. Well, ta-da and until next time. Happy cooking.

How to lose 10 pounds in 30 days!? Really?

     Ever get tired of hearing how you can lose so many pounds in so many days? I know I am. Weight loss is perhaps the most misunderstood health issue of all time. Losing weight, you see, is not all about shedding the excess weight off with the hope of achieving, or at least getting as close to as, your ideal BMI ( Body Mass Index). More on what BMI is later and how to calculate yours. Losing weight is more of changing our perspective and the way we engage food. It is first and foremost a lifestyle change before anything else. First, some key groundwork working knowledge on what nutrition is, what metabolism is, and what exercise really ought to be for you. When you are finally serious about losing weight know that it always helps to consult your doctor, nutritionist, and exercise specialist or trainer before attempting to undertake ANY program catered to your specific needs.

     Alright, what is nutrition? Understanding nutrition is key in weight loss and it is in the very sense a process and a science. It is the way we eat in order to nourish our body. Nourishment means we sustain our bodily needs in terms of tissue and cellular growth, repair, and maintaining homeostatic, metabolic , and physiologic functions. Boy, wasn't that a mouthful. The key take home point here is that we should EAT TO NOURISH our bodies ( i.e. we should eat to live and not live to eat). Of course it's also important to consider that different people, depending on what level of physical activity they do, require different amounts and levels of nutrition. What I mean by this is that the individual who partakes in arduous physical activity like say your construction worker, your body builder, or a deep sea fisherman require more than the recommended daily intake of calories and other essential nutrients. Your body burns off the macro nutrients you digest (carbs, proteins, fats) in the from of work and naturally, the more work you do the more calories you need. On the other hand, your average couch potato or sedentary patient will not require so much calories to maintain basic metabolic functions.

     Metabolism is a term referring to the set of chemical reactions that happen inside the cells of our body to convert what we ate to life giving energy for growth, reproduction, and for maintaining our body's physiologic functions. There are actually two parts to metabolism ( catabolism and anabolism) but we need not venture that far. What you need to remember, however, is that some individuals have naturally high metabolic rates ( fast conversion) while others have a slower metabolic rate (slow conversion). The BMR is what I am referring to when I speak of metabolic rate. BASAL METABOLIC RATE or BMR is actually the amount of energy required by our bodies to maintain bodily functions while at rest and this energy can be calculated from a rather complex equation we need not know of. It is suffice to say that BMR varies between individuals and between age groups. Notice that as we get older to tend to get fatter and weight loss then becomes an issue.

     So, the question is can we really lose 10 pounds within 30days? YES, WE CAN. How do we do it,you ask? We do it by sticking to a well devised plan of attack: 

1. Know how much weight you really need to lose. What's your ideal weight ( Ideal meaning for your age gender, and height).

2. Eat more of the foods you know you should be eating of in order to lose weight. I don't need to enumerate them for you because I am sure you have your personal list of nasty tasting health shakes, fruits, and vegetables, and other what-not. A point of advice though, if you are considering a rigorous exercise regiment then load up on Vitamin C and Proteins as they are essential for tissue repair.

3. Do light exercise first to get your body slowly adjusted to doing more "work". If you feel comfortable enough to increase duration and/or intensity then do is but do it in increments or sets at a time. Be wary of cardiovascular exercises if you have a heart condition,so you should consult with your doctor first.

4. Understand that as you progress you will feel hunger pangs and your mettle will be tested. Don't give in. Curb your appetite with satiety but do so with bland, low calorie foods. And always increase fluid intake. Energy drinks are fine but water is always best.

5.You need to master the art of self psychologizing ( is that even a word?). Remember that no food, no matter how delicious it is, is worth more than how fabulous you will look when you stick to it. Imagine the comments you'll be getting from friends and co-workers. The Big and Large section in your local department store will be one section you will not be going to any longer.    

     One favorite drink I have a recipe for is I would peel and cut up a cucumber and place it in a pitcher of ice cold water, let it set in the ref for about half a day, then strain the cucumber pieces out of the water, then stir in a tablespoon ( or teaspoon, depending how big or small your pitcher is) of honey. Let me tell you, that its one of the most refreshing drinks you can ever have after a workout. So, there you have it folks. Take care and, as always, JowelMD signing off.