Tuna-Basil Carbonara

500 grams, your choice of pasta (I used spaghetti)
about 4 – 5 strips of bacon, chopped
unsalted butter
2 tbsp, chopped garlic
1 can of tuna, plain (I used ‘in vegetable oil’), liquid drained
1 can of tuna, hot & spicy, liquid drained
basil leaves, julienne cut
1 tetra pack, all purpose cream
1 tetra pack, fresh milk
Half a bar of cheddar cheese, grated
white pepper

1. Cook pasta. Boil water in a large pot. The water should be enough to provide ample space for the pasta to move and not stick together. Put enough salt for the water to reach that ‘salty’ taste where you are sure your pasta would not taste bland. My normal cooking time for the pasta is 11 minutes. Reserve about a cup of the pasta water.

2. In a non-stick pan, place the chopped bacon and allow the bacon to render fat. When bacon is crisp, remove the oil. Set aside the crispy bacon.

3. In the same non-stick pan, place a quarter of the entire bar of the unsalted butter and allow to melt.

4. When the butter is almost melted, put the chopped garlic. Cook until the garlic had release its fragrance but not to the point of burning it.

5. Add the tuna and allow cooking for about 2 -3 minutes.

6. Add the basil leaves and leave for about 2 minutes.

7. Add half of the crispy bacon.

8. Pour the all purpose cream and milk. Simmer over low heat while stirring.

9. When the mixture reaches a soft boil stage, add the cheese and continue stirring.

10. Season as necessary. After a few minutes, turn off.

11. Pour the sauce over the pasta. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little of the pasta water.

12. Top with the bacon bits and dried basil leaves.

Beef Mechado

I got inspired by a post made by MarketMan and I followed his recipe, just tweaked it a little based on what was available to me. For the copy of his version of the recipe, you can check his site: http://www.marketmanila.com/

2 – 3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
¾ kilo beef chunks (Or you can ask for the mechado cut. Most groceries have it.)
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
1 can Hunts stewed tomatoes
1 small pack of tomato sauce
2 – 3 pcs bay leaf
4 tbsp, vinegar
4 tbsp, soy sauce
Beef cube
4 pieces, medium-sized potatoes
3 pieces bell peppers
1 large onion, cut into eight parts
Half a teaspoon, paprika

1. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper and then brown them in olive oil.

2. In the same oil, sautée garlic then add the tomatoes from the can of Hunts stewed tomatoes.

3. Bring the beef back.

4. Add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and vinegar; as well as four pieces of dried bay leaf. Allow the mixture to simmer a few minutes so that the acidity of the vinegar would dissolve (or evaporate).

5. Add the rest of the liquid from the can of Hunts, a small pack of tomato sauce and a piece of beef cube.

6. Add water that is just enough to simmer the beef into.

7. Cook the entire mixture over low heat in about one-and-a-half hours with occasional stirring as to avoid burning the bottom of the pan.

8. Add the potatoes, bell peppers and sliced onion.

9. For additional taste, add half a teaspoon of Spanish paprika and more pepper.

10. After 15 minutes, it should be done.