Blender, my friend!

Over the past few weeks I've grown increasingly addicted to a fairly new drink on the Philippine market - the iced black coffee with hazelnut flavor. If anyone tells you that coffee is not addictive, don't believe them. As for me, I just had to find a way to sneak that drink into my cooking weekends. So instead of looking for some recipes with coffee, I bought some vanilla ice cream and blended the two together. It was soooooooo good!!!!!! Wow! On a weekend when all other recipes did not stand out, this drink was a life-saver. Made me appreciate the blender so much more. I could not go to bed without giving my blender a brotherly hug. You rock, little dude!

OK, so before you start thinking I lost a few screws, here are this weekends recipes.

Dish # 1 - Grapes and Pineapple Salad

Serves 4 Time to Prepare 10 min

1 pound seedless grapes
1 can pineapple tidbits
14 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
2 cloves garlic, thinly chopped or squeezed
1 cup mayonnaise

Mix cheese and garlic first, then add grapes and pineapple. Pour in mayonnaise and mix well.

My experience: This salad is super easy to make.
Our verdict: Way too much garlic (in fact, I put only one clove, and still it seemed to be too much), and too much cheese. Not our favorite salad, but not too bad either. Pineapple and grapes go quite well with cheese.

Dish # 2 - Beef and Beer Stew

Serves 4 Time to Prepare 20 min Cooking Time 2 hours

1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour for coating
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle beer
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
1 pinch dried dill weed
2 medium onions, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Season the beef with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour to coat. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat, and cook until browned on all sides, turning as needed. Remove the meat from the pot, and set aside.
Add the onion and garlic to the pot; cook and stir until clear and starting to brown. Return the meat the pot, and pour in the beer and water making sure to loosen any bits of food from the bottom of the pan. Season with rosemary, dill and parsley.
Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours.

My experience: I love beer, so the idea of using for a stew did not sit well with me. Nevertheless, I decided to take the risk and try it out. By the time the stew was ready, my stomach was already full, so I was not really that excited about it. But I have to say, it's quite tasty.
Our verdict: A bit of a novelty recipe for us. Takes some time to get used to, but it is quite good. The leftover makes a really great gravy for mashed potatoes.

Dish # 3 - Vietnamese Beef and Lettuce Curry

Serves 4 Time to Prepare 15 min Cooking Time 45 min

5 teaspoons white sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fish sauce
5 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons chile sauce
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 (28 ounce) can canned diced tomatoes
2 cups lettuce leaves, torn into 1/2 inch wide strips

In a bowl, mash together the sugar and 1 clove garlic with a pestle. Mix in the fish sauce, water, chili sauce, and lemon juice.
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat, and quickly saute the 3 cloves garlic. Mix the beef into the wok, season with curry powder, and cook until evenly brown. Pour in the tomatoes and about 1/2 the fish sauce mixture. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes, until thickened.
Toss the lettuce into the beef mixture.

My experience: I seriously don't understand what that fish sauce thingy is doing in this recipe. Other than that, it's quite a good recipe.
Our verdict: Super salty. We think fish sauce should be omitted altogether from this recipe. Without it, it would be two thumbs up.

Dish # 4 - Iced Black Coffee with Hazelnut Flavor and Vanilla Ice Cream

Serves 4 Time to Prepare 5 min

4 bottles of iced black coffee hazelnut flavor
3 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Mix coffee and ice cream in the blender.

My experience: I still dream about this yummy drink.
Our verdict: Prepare to get addicted! This is awesome!