Food Corner

Pork Chop with Rosemary Gravy

2012-01-19T11:54:00.000-08:00

Pork chops are the most familiar cut of pork and are the most widely cook among people.Bone less chops offers quick preparation but bone- in is more flavorful being cooked with the bone.You can cook the pork chops however you want it,bake ,fry,roast ,grill ,you name it. For my featured recipe ,I baked it instead of the usual frying and if you notice I dont have the exact measurement .

Ingredients:

fresh rosemary- chopped

garlic minced
olive oil
lemon juice
lemon and pepper seasoning salt

Directions:

1.Mix all the the ingedients
2.Rub it on the pork chops
3.Put in a baking dish and bake at the preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or more or until the juice from the meat comes out clear.
4. Arrange in a platter when cooked.
5.Topped with gravy

Rosemary Gravy:
Combine the juice from the meat,chicken broth,chopped rosemary.Boil to reduce the liquid mixture. Thicken with corn starch.Season with salt and pepper to taste.Add butter at the end to add flavor and glossy finish.

Cookie Cutter

2012-01-19T06:06:00.000-08:00

I have got colorful christmas cookie cutter right after Christmas for 75% off. Isn't that a good deal .I can use it next Christmas to make some colorful Christmas cookies. Yey,I am excited to use it.One thing I learned from Us is it is wise to shop for the Seasonal items after it's over because the stores will dispose them all so they give as much as 75% off to almost all of the items. The prices is even cheaper than the Black Friday.

Roast Pork

2012-01-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

A delicious meal that is easy to prepare.Serve with mushroom gravy sauce ,roasted potato and any other side dish or rice.

A pork butt is roasted with potatoes for 3 to 4 hours depending on the size whether it is tied,boneless,bone-in or stuffed or until the temperature is155°F to 160°F .Do not over cook, over cooking the pork will produce tough, dry meat.To cook, the roast is placed on a rack in a shallow roasting pan to allow the bottom of the cut to become brown and crisp on the surface just like the rest of the meat.To ensure doneness, check with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the cut and should produce a temperature of 160°F for medium doneness (165°F to 170°F for well done). For best results, the meat should be allowed to rest (a waiting period before carving) for 10 to 15 minutes. During this time the meat will continue to cook and will increase in temperature 5 to 10 degrees. Resting also allows the juices to be redistributed through the meat before it is carved. Remove strings if tied, and slice or carve to the desired thickness.
Note:Potato cooks faster so make sure to remove it from the pan when done or put it at the last hour of roasting.

Roasting Tips:
1. Be sure to fully preheat the oven before placing the roast into the oven for a crips surface.
2. Rub the surface of the meat with your favorite seasoning to add extra flavor
3.A roast with a bone will cook faster than a boneless because the bone will conduct heat faster than the meat
4.To check the doneness with thermometer,be sure that the stem of it is not touching the bone because this will result in wrong reading
5. The driping from the roast will add flavor when making a gravy sauce
6.Do not use sharp utensils that may pierce the meat when trying to turn it because piercing allows valuable juices to escape.
7.Roast at a lower temperature for a more flavorful and moist meat. It will take longer to cook but the results will be worth the wait.

Beef Humba

2012-01-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

My husband is a picky eater.As an american ,he used to eat instant food from the box or in can .When I introduced him to Filipino way of cooking from scratch he was amazed and couldn't believe it .For us it is normal but for him or for the Americans it is a big deal.To cook like a chef or as he was always saying "a gourmet chef" is something.His tongue is not familiar with our food so I tried so much to cook it according to his taste but in a Filipino way. Humba is one of his favorite dish. I used beef instead of pork for this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 kilo beef - cut into small pieces or slice.
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup water
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 cloves minced garlic
1 sprig oregano
2 bay leaf
2 tbsp black beans or tausi( adjust the salt if you used salted black beans)
2 tbsp fat or cooking oil.
salt and pepper to taste.
2 tbsp white wine(optional)

Mix all the ingredients except black beans and cook until beef is tender. Add more water if needed.Lastly,add the tausi/black beans.Season to taste. Serve hot.

Healthy Breakfast for Kids

2012-01-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and the most neglected .Finding time to prepare a good breafast for our kids makes them healthier,smarter , happy and maintain a healthy weight .Government study showed that students who ate a healthy breakfast paid better attention in school.

Here are some tips for a healthy breakfast:

1. Always keep fruit on hand for a good source of vitamins,fiber and energy.

2. Encourage everyone to eat the same thing.

3. Choose a smarter cereal .Have a bowl of hot cereal once in a while insted of a cold one.Oatmeal is a good choice.It is rich in fiber which will keep you feeling full. Cereal is a big help if you are short on time.

4.Kids love muffin.You can make it healthier by adding fruits and can be preapre on weekends to freeze for weekday mornings.

5. Healthier pancake or waffle. Grab a box and follow the direction .If you want it healthier, try to add a little fiber,substitute 1/4 of bran flour for regular flour.A suBstitution of little amount will not alter the tasste or texture of pancakes and top it up with fruit toppings or low sugar syrup.

6.Yogurt is good , flavored, plain or fat free .You can mix them together for a not so sweet yougurt.

7. Make them a smoothie. Kids don't like to eat in the morning.They are still half asleep and will take a while to become fully awake.So make them a smoothie to drink for breakfast.Smoothie is basicallly made up of milk,yougurt and fruits and makes a helthy breakfast.

8. Scrambled egg,add with some cheese ,wheat germ or even ham.Make a sandwich and they can eat it on the way to school.
9.Involve your kids in the process of planning breakfasts.You will save time and ensure they will like the results.

I mentioned in my old post that my 3 years old son loves to eat salad .Here it is,salad for breakfast as per his request and of course nana's( he say nana's instead of banana) or apple.Since he eats everything on the plate,I don't have a hard time serving him different kinds of healthy breakfast.

Lasagna

2012-01-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

If I have some left over spaghetti sauce there is one thing that I usually do to make a new meal out of it.Lasagna saves the left over food from being thrown into a waste. All the other ingredients were all in my pantry and fridge.Make a white sauce (butter ,flour and milk).Just layer them altogether and a delicious food is ready to serve to a picky family members.

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-29T14:29:00.000-08:00

These were the cookies served at my son's school Christmas Party.There were many other desserts on the table so I ignored it and just took a picture for a blog post. I never tried making cookies for Christmas before and was thinking of making some next Christmas. Cookies are fun to do with the kids helping out .

Buttered Green Beans

2011-12-28T04:42:00.000-08:00

Green beans and Pork Chop

I grew up with vegetables, meat or fish and fruits on the table for a meal.That is how my mother feeds us ,vegetables and protein to keep us healthy and strong.Now that I have a family of my own,it's my turn to serve my family a complete healthy meal as my mom does.One good thing about my children is that they loves to eat vegetables specially my 3 years old .I f you ask him to choose between green salad and chicken ,he surely will choose the first one.

Green Beans also called as string beans and snap beans are available all year round.Wash them throughly in water.Trimmed off the top only and leave the tail end.You can cut it at desired lengths or leave whole.

Cooking Procedures :

1.Boil water ,add the green beans,blanch for 4-5 minutes until crisp tender.Drain and plunge into an ice cold water to stop the cooking process and retain its color .Remove from cold waer and set aside.

2. Heat butter and oil together.Saute garlic and onion ,add the green beans and the tomato.Season with salt and pepper to taste.Add fresh basil(optional). Serve with hot.

Pork Chop

Marinate with lemon and pepper seasoning salt for at least an hour.Heat vegetable oil and fry until golden brown.

Beef Liver with Spinach

2011-12-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

Beef liver , it is either you hate it or you love it.Though it is loaded with nutirents and often recommended for its iron content .it's not a popular meal for most of us. Beef liver can be healthy for most individuals as long as you eat it only in moderation and make sure it is thoroughly cooked.In my home, nobody likes it except me so I eat what I cook ,they don't know what they are missing.I like it fry seasoned with lemon pepper seasoning salt ,steak ,sauteed added with some vegetables like spinach just like my recipe above.

Chocolates,anyone?

2011-12-16T07:17:00.000-08:00

Since yesterday,I was browsing at my picture albums looking for brown photo's to join the Thursday Brownies.And I finally got me one,chocolates! When it comes to Chocolate ,I am to picky probably because I don't have a sweet tooth .I just have it once in a while even if you are on a diet.

Dark Chocolate Queen Anne® Cordial Cherries.

Queen Anne is one of my favorite ,hubby introduced it to me last year when we came to US from then on I fell in love with the Cordial cherry field dark brown chocolates . I recently bought a box last week .It contains 10 pieces all in just a dollar. I love the sweet taste of the cordial filling and the chocolate itself is not bitter just right for my taste.

Another favorite is the Reese's peanut butter cups. It has a perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate.

Fish Tempura

2011-12-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Fish Fillet or Prawns,peeled and deveined

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

oil for frying

Japanese bread crumbs(panko)

Batter

1 cup ssifted all purpose flour

1 whole egg

2/3 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cooking Instructions:
1.Cut fish into strip.Sprinkle with salt and pepper
2.Mix all the ingredients for the batter in a mixing bowl with wire whip.
3.Heat up generaous amount of oil for frying.
4.Working one fish at a time,deep the fish filletin the prepared batter,roll in japanenese bread crumbs and deep fry until golden brown.
5.Drain on plates lined with paper towel .Serve with your favorite dipping sauce ,tartar sauce ,catsup or lemon -butter sauce.

Dipping sauce:
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp grated ginger
3 tbsp grated radish
For the sauce,combine the first 3 ingredients in a samll saucepan.Allow to boil .Turn off the heat and quickly stir in the grated ginger and the radish.

Grilled Baby Back Ribs

2011-12-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

One of my eldest son's most requested recipe is the Barbecue/grilled Baby back ribs aside from tortang talong and fried fish.Out of the whole baby back ribs my share would only be 1/4 and the rest goes to his tummy .He already took 1/4 of the ribs while I already grabbed mine and the rest shown in the picture will still be his.He'll back later to get all of it.

Here is my recipe:
1/2 slab sparerib or 1 kilo ribs
1/2 cup tomato /banana catsup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pine apple juice(optional)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/cup soy sauce1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder(optional)
1 tsp black pepper
1 T salt

Cooking instructions:
1.Season the ribs with salt and pepper .Arrange in an iron skillet or oven proof dish and cover with aluminum foil.Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.Reove from the oven .
2.Combine the remaining ingredients .Pour over the ribs , return to oven uncover and bake for 30 minutes or more.

*You can add or put a little more of the ingredients according to your taste.
*You can put any spices available in yuor pantry.
*Cooking is fun and easy if you just know how to use and experiment on the spices.

Cinnamon Roll

2011-12-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

I have been baking cinnamon roll from different recipes but still cannot make a perfect one.So far this one is a little better than the previous ones.Taste is good, just needed some more cinnamon sugar filling according to my critique son .If you will look for some nuts,you will find nothing .It is not that I forgot to put some I just don't have it at home. I need to try another recipe again and hoping it will be perfect this time

Birthday and Thanksgiving Celebration

2011-11-25T16:10:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated yearly in the USA for the blessings and good harvest of the year .It is not complete without the traditional turkey on the table.It is also the time for family and friends gatherings.

The first time I celebrated Thanksgiving with hubby was in Qatar during our first year together.We invited our friends over to celebrate with us. I cooked a lot of American food but only few showed up. From that day on hubby told me that we are not going to celebrate it there anymore .He was not so happy that I spent 2 days cooking and ended up with too much left over food because many of our expected guest did not come.

Now that we are in the US there are so many reasons to thank God for all our blessings.This year we did celebrate thanksgiving and my eldest son's 13th birthday as well.

I forgot the candle for the cake so my 2 boys just pretended blowing.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and of course happy happy birthday to my son!

Mc Donald's Apple Slices

2011-11-16T11:49:00.001-08:00

My youngest son loves french fries and chicken nugget so much.Everytime we go out and see the Mc Donald's fast food he will say "French Fries".French Fries for him means"Chicken Nugget Kids Meal" and that includes toy in his order. Last Sunday before the weekly grocery shopping we stopped by Mc Donald first for lunch since he asked for fries again when he saw the big yellow "M" sign near Walmart store.

While my eldest son was on the line for our orders, me and the small one headed into the play area .The play area is one of the reason why I take my kids to Mc Donald because that is where they want to play and enjoy the day.The meal came as a surprise,Mc Donald has added apple slices and reduced the portion of French fries in its children's meal boxes.McDonald's has made changes to its menu over the years to drive more sales and to serve a healthier food to their customers.

Blueberry Muffin

2011-11-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

I have this recipe from Dorothy's Cooking School cook book for a long time . This is one recipe that I really like .Very easy to bake and my kids loves it.

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Muffins:
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup fresh milk
1/4 cup butter
1 whole big egg
2 cups sifter all purpose flour
2 tsps sifted baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
13 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 cupcake with baking paper cups.
2. To prepare the streusel topping,combine all the ingredients in the mixing bowl .Keep in the freezer until needed.
3. In a mixing bowl ,combine sugar,milk,softened butter, and egg. Beat at low speed until blended.Pour in the flour,baking powder and salt.Continue beating at low speed until the batter is thick and heavy.
4. Gently fold in the blueberries using the rubber scraper.
5. Divide the batter equally(3/4 full) on the prepared molders.Get the streusel topping from the freezer and crumble with your finger.Generously top the muffins with this mixture.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Sinigang na Manok (Chicken Sour Stew)

2011-11-12T04:44:00.001-08:00

I was always cook sinigang at home using lemon as a souring agent( pampaasim) since I cannot find any sinigang mix in my place .After a year ,I finally got one from Walmart Paris ,Texas. I love to shop there because the food is tax free and they sell some Asian food stuff .Last week was my lucky day.At last ,they were selling Knorr Tamarind Soup Mix. I immediately cooked Chicken Sinigang for me and my children .I put in the freshly harvest eggpalant from my garden.Too sad that I don't have okra and pepper anymore so I just settle for bell pepper for added flavor.

Ingredients:
3/4 k Chicken wings cut into two
2 -3 pieces tomatoes,sliced
1 onion,diced
minced garlic
2 tbsp patis sauce or tiparos sauce
bell pepper ,sliced
eggplant
2-3 cups water
Sinigang mix ,according to your taste
salt and pepper to taste.
chicken bouillon(optional)

Instruction:

1. Saute garlic,onion and tomatoes

2.Add chicken, salt and pepper .Stir , cover and boil for 5-10 minutes.

3. Add water orrice wash.Bring to a boil .

4.Add the Siningang Mix and fish sauce.Cover and let boil.

4. Stir in the vegetables.Cook until done.Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve with rice.

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Pakbet

2011-10-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

Pakbet or Pinakbet is one of my favorite dish and a very popular Ilocano dish among Filipinos .It is made up of sauteed or boiled mixed vegetables seasoned with bagoong .Most of the recipe calls for pork but I like it with shrimp too.I love to cook this because it is easy to prepare and we can cook it however we want it but the taste is still good probably because of the fermented fish(bagoong isda)or shrimp paste. My mom usually serves it with fried fish(galunggong) and a lot of rice.

Shrimp with Brocoli

2011-10-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

Brocolli is one of my families favorite vegetable .It is always available in the market and easy to cook and most of all is high in vitamin C and fiber. It may be cook boiled and steamed but may also be eaten raw.

In this recipe,I blanched the brocolli first and added to the sauteed garlic ,onion and shrimp .And lastly poured the mixture of oyster sauce,oyster sauce and cornstach to make a thick sauce then salt and pepper to taste.

Siopao (Steamed Dumpling)

2011-10-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Siopao is one of my favorite snack .I like both the asado and the bola bola. The last time I made my own siopao was years ago back in Qatar.Hubby's a picky eater and he did not like it so I ended up eating all the siopao.So whenever I crave for it I just buy or order.Saves me time and effort.

Since siopao is nowhere to be found here in my place ,I made one and just used the left over meat balls.The dough turned out good and the sauce was perfect for my taste. My boys even liked it. The recipe was from one of my oldcook book and I even shared it to a friend few years ago for her siopao business and it was a real hit.

Beef Steak /Bistek Tagalog

2010-07-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week for me and no time for blogging for a while. But I don't want to miss this weeks Yummy Sunday and Luscious Saturday so I checked out some of my saved photos and got my late entry for this week . One of the easiest food to prepare that everybody loves and enjoys eating.

Fried Salmon

2010-07-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

I always love salmon ,my favorite fish actually .I really like the juiciness and the taste of it .I bought 1 kilo for QR 60( $17 ) last week and asked for the vendor to cut it for me and left for some more grocery stuff then came back after a while .I took the fish out of the plastic once I get home but to my dismay ,the slices was too thin,hmm!. I like it better if it was a little thicker but what else can I do.

Here is my salmon with just salt and pepper fried in olive oil.Me and my son enjoyed eating it dipped in soy sauce with lemon and lots of rice and sliced cucumber.

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Snacks

2010-07-18T03:56:00.000-07:00

Got me some banana saba at the store again and this time instead of the usual turon/banana roll and banana in sugar syrup , I just boiled it for a change .I haven't eaten boiled banana for a long time now and here it is my snack for the day.

And of course ,hubby got me some pork skin crackling to munch always .

My all time favorite snack Rice Porridge with tripe ,chicken strip,boiled egg,green onion, fried garlic serve with tokwa't baboy .Unfortunately we don't have pork here so I just settle for fried tokwa.

Visit Yummy Sunday and Luscious Saturday for more food

Pancit Canton

2010-07-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

When it comes to cooking pancit ,I prefer pancit canton than bihon although I like them both.The reason is that I cannot cook the bihon right. It is either under cook or dry while the pancit canton can be cook however you like it ,crisp,dry or a little saucy.

Here's my Food Trip Friday entry for this week

Check here for more mouth watering food that will surely makes you drool.
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What's for Breakfast ?

2010-07-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

These are some of the most requested breakfast of my loyal customers.

egg omelette,pan cake and french toast

I serve it with pancake syrup and sausage or bacon

My eldest son's all time favorite fried rice with mix veggies,eggs,hot dog ,bacon and/or ham or what ever left over meat is in the fridge.It is a complete meal already so I just give him fresh milk.

My bunso waiting for his pancake

Join as at Yummy Sunday and Luscious Saturday

Spaghetti and Garlic Bread

2010-07-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

My Food trip Friday entry for this week is the spaghetti that my husband and son loves so much.For them mommy's spag is the best.

They like it with lots of meat sauce and cheese toppings

And of course ,I always make sure to have garlic bread to go with the spaghetti.

Visit Food Trip Friday for more mouthwatering food.

Chicken Adobo

2010-07-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

This is my mom's easy to cook chicken adobo recipe.Actually.I just found out about my mom's adobo when my sister came here to baby sit my bunso . She cooked it one day and the taste was really good so I asked her how she did it .And that's it ,she said that it is our mom's recipe .

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken- cut into serving pisces
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
1 onion chopped
minced garlic
1 small tomato chopped
1 tbsp kalamansi juice or lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Throw all the ingredients in a deep pan .Let it boil without stirring to avoid the sour taste of vinegar.Cover. Mix well after few minutes of boiling and cover again .Lower the fire to medium .You can have it dry or with a little sauce.Add salt and pepper according to your taste.

Serve with rice ,hard boil egg and tomato.

Visit Perfectly Blended for more Yummy Sunday .

Andrei's Birthday Party

2010-07-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

My friends son turned 8 last week .Here are the foods that we shared together on the special day.

spring roll,pancit bihon ,spaghetti,chicken babrbecue,hotdog on stick with marsmallow,beet salad cake and gelatin,fruit salad.

picture taking

Time to blow the candle

Fun games

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Adobong Kangkong

2010-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

When my mother was pregnant with me, kangkong was her favorite food.She was always craving for it and cooks anytime she wants. .They used to leave in a company compound at that time with lots of kangkong(swamp cabbage) plants in some vacant area. Doon daw ako pinaglihi. I usually eat Adobong kangkong together with fried fish and lots of rice but this time I had it with some pre heated left over fried chicken .

Adobong kangkong is a popular dish sauteed in cooking oil, onions, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce.You can also add some tomato like I always do.

Kangkong can also be added at sinigang (meat or fish sour stew) or serve as an appetizer called crispy Kangkong

Join us at Food Trip Friday for more delicious food.

McDonald's Sundae

2010-06-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

For how many days now ,I was telling hubby that I want a sundae from Mcdo.So on Sunday on the way home from US embassy ,we stopped by Mc Donald's drive thru to get our lunch plus 3 orders of sundae but unfortunately we went home without the sundae but an extra kiddie meal chicken nugget instead.It was our bad coz we did not check the receipt first nor the orders they gave us.Then Wednesday came, hubby was craving for a sundae and decided to get us all each, At last I have ordered my favorite strawberry sundae while hubby and kuya had their hot fudge sundae.Oh,so yummy!

I bought this slices of cake in one of the bakeshop here when I was craving for some cake. The blueberry cheese cake is my favorite.

Hubby always brings me taco salad from work .We like to have it for lunch

Visit Luscious Saturday and Perfectly Blended for more yummy food

Breakfast at Jollibee

2010-06-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

My children and a friends son having good time eating breakfast at Jollibee. They so love it !

bunso's first taste of Jollibee chicken joy and palabok

kuya said after 4 year's, he got a taste of Jollibee again

we'll come back again Jobee,see you next time!

Spring Roll ( Lumpiang Prito)

2010-06-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Spring roll is one of the appetizer that is so easy to do .You don't have to be a good cook to make it.As long as you know how to sautee and fry, you are good to go.

Ingredients:
onion chopped
garlic minced
carrot, julienne cut
green beans julienne cut
sweet potato and/or potato .julienne cut
bean sprout and/or cabbage
chicken , boiled and shredded(optional)
salt and pepper to taste ,don't put too much.just enough for the vegetable to have a little taste
tokwa/tofu diced (optional)
chicken cube(optional)

Directions:
Saute garlic,onion ,add the shredded chicken,tofu,little water ,chicken cube,all the vegetables, .boil until half cook .Put in a strainer to drain.

Prepare the spring roll wrapper .Put a tbsp of vegetable mix on the wrapper.Spread it lengthwise and roll make sure to fold both ends.

Seal with water by dipping your finger in some water and paste it at the end of the wrapper.

Deep fry until golden brown .Place it in a paper towel to remove excess oil.Serve with vinegar or sweet chili sauce.

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Biscocho(toasted bread)

2010-06-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

We always have left over bread in the fridge which is often ended up in trash.Well, don't throw it yet ,you can make a delicious snack or dessert out of it.Have you ever tried making Biscocho? It is very easy and will not take time

Ingredients:
slices of leftover bread
butter
sugar

Directions:
Spread butter on the sliced of bread and sprinkle with sugar or you can dab the buttered bread on a plate full of sugar. Put bread in an oven toaster 3-5 minutes until it becomes toasted. Another way is by oven at 300 F for 30 minutes or more until the bread turned golden brown.

Puto ( Rice Muffins )

2010-06-19T01:41:00.000-07:00

Rice muffin is one of my sons most requested food .

Ingredients :

2 cups rice flour
3/4 cup white sugar ( 1 cup is too sweet for me so I make mine 3/4)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoon baking powder

grated or sliced cheddar cheese or grated hard boiled egg for toppings(optional) .
1 can coconut milk ( 400 ml or 2 cups )
grated coconut or butter

Directions:

1.Sift first four ingredients together in a mixing bowl

2.Add coconut milk and mix well to make a smooth mixture.

3.Fill in greased muffin pans 2/3 full. And topped with grated cheese

4.Steam for 30 minutes. Make sure to boil the water first for best result and cover with cheese cloth or any white clean cloth to prevent water from drippings into the muffin.

You can make 18 -20 puto

Serve with freshly grated coconut or butter.

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Happy Birthday

2010-06-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

A very good friend and a big brother to all of us Filipino Expatriates(Filex) group celebrated his nth birthday on June 14.Since the special day fall on a Monday ,we had an advanced surprised birthday party on weekend at the celebrants house.Here's the food that we shared together,

cake and brownies

spaghetti,lumpiang shanghai ,refrigerated cake,buttered shrimp,kare are ,
creamy beef and chicken,pininyahang manok and more

chicken barbecue

leche flan/custard

puto/steamed rice muffins

Join us and visit Food Trip Friday for more delicious food.

Krispy Kreme Doughnut

2010-06-12T23:53:00.000-07:00

I was craving for doughnut and bought me a dozen plus 6 more additional for the promotion of "Buy 1 dozen get 6 free". These doughnuts are actually too sweet and pricey compare to Dunkin Doughnut but I still want to have it once in a while. Ooops, is it obvious that I am a Dunkin doughnut fan? lol.

I like the original glazed though.

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Broccoli Oriental

2010-06-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hubby got me some cookbook when he came back from vacation. One of them is the Better Homes and gardens New Cook Book.I tried the broccoli but instead of frozen I used the fresh one,omit the sesame seed and add onion instead.

Broccoli Oriental
1 small head brocolli ,cut into florets
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1tbsp sugar
1tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp water
1 small onion ,cut into rings
2 tsp sesame seed, toasted

Direction:
Cook broccoli according to package directions.Drain, keep warm. For fresh broccoli,blanch it in boiling water with a tsp of salt.Drain.Combine soy sauce, butter,sugar, onion rings and water.Heat till butter melts.Pour over broccoli.top with sesame seeds

Baked Chicken
Rub whole chicken with salt,pepper,garlic powder.Bake for 2 hours or until done at 350 degrees.Brush with butter once in a while for a crispy skin.You can pit some onions ,lemon grass or tamarind leaves inside the cavity for added flavor. Serve with gravy.

visit Food Trip Friday for more mouthwatering food.

Adobo

2010-06-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

I received this adobo recipe from Del Monte with their Sandosenang Sarap All-in-One Seasoning.I might give it a try for a better tasting adobo.

1 pack DEL MONTE Sandosenang Sarap All-in-One Seasoning (18 g)
½ tbsp oil
½ kg pork kasim, cut up
1½ tbsp DEL MONTE Red Cane Vinegar
1 pc small laurel
¼ tsp peppercorn, crushed

Sauté DEL MONTE Sandosenang Sarap All-in-One Seasoning in oil for a few seconds. Add pork, sauté for 10 minutes.
Add 1/3 cup water and remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 30 minutesover low heat.

Makes 4 servings.

Sizzling Burger Steak

2010-06-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

As I promised from my previous post about my newly purchased sizzling plates , I already used it with my burger steak recipe.

The food was good but I was not happy with the sizzling effect .It was not like those we were seen at the restaurant wherein you can hear the sizzle and see the smoke all over the place.Well , guess I need to learn more how to do it right.

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KFC gravy

2010-06-04T02:40:00.000-07:00

At last ,after a long time of longing for a gravy at KFC, they decided to give costumer the satisfaction of eating fried chicken dipped in a sauce .Just last month they started selling the much awaited gravy and everybody was so happy about it.My friends who tasted it already said that it taste like the Philippine gravy and a must try.

So yesterday ,I headed at a KFC drive thru to get me and my son our favorite spicy fried chicken and gravy.I did not order one for hubby because I was not sure if he will still work overtime or not so I just order him a medium size super supreme Pizza hut afterward.

I already ate all the chicken before I remember to take a photo of it.Gravy was really yummy .I will surely grab another one again .Thank you KFC- Qatar for bringing gravy back into our lives.

Kare Kare

2010-06-02T03:13:00.000-07:00

Kare kare is an authentic Filipino stew made from peanut sauce ,vegetables , beef and sometimes with oxtail or tripe.It is eaten together with shrimp paste .Kare kare is not kare kare without the bagoong or shrimp paste.And any Filipino occasion is not complete without this sumptuous dish on the table.Now a days cooking kare kare kare is never a problem anymore,just buy a packet of kare kare mix,add a little bit of peanut butter and a bottle of cooked shrimp paste and there goes your yummy meal serve with rice, delicious dessert and a cold drink.

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Shrimp with Cauliflower

2010-06-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Here is an easy way to cook cauliflower if you are really hungry and and in a hurry.Done in just 10-20 minutes and you'll get a healthy and delicious meal. .

Ingredients:
1 small head cauliflower
1 cup frozen shrimp
4 cloves garlic,minced
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tsp corn starch dissolve in 2 tbsp water.
salt and pepper to taste

Direction:

Saute garlic and onion.Add shrimp.Add 1/4 cup water,Let it boil.Add the cauliflower,so sauce and oyster sauce.Season with salt and pepper according to taste.Thicken with cornstarch, add according to desired thickness .

Bicol Express

2010-05-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Sigarillas or winged beans is one of the most common Indian vegetable here in Qatar. I grew up with this vegetable,my mom always cook it either in sinigang ,ginataang sigarillas or with sotanghon. Now that I have my own family,I learned to cook Bicol express using this. My eldest son likes it so much .He call it kangkong ,well in fact he calls all the green veggies kangkong and as long as it is kangkong he will surely eat it. That is why I did not correct him anymore.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo beef, cut into strips

winged beans, cut into strips

1 can coconut milk

onion,cut thinly

garlic, crushed

shrimp paste

salt and pepper to taste

hot peppers,cut thinly

Preparation:

Put coconut milk,onion,garlic in the pan, add the onion, garlic, spoon of shrimp paste in the pan.Let it boil. Add the meat,stirring constantly.When cooked,add the winged beans and the hot peppers.Simmer for few minutes or until the veggies are done.Serve with rice.

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Hot dog and burger steak

2010-05-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

I have some left over home made burger patties in the fridge and was thinking what else to do with it for my son .Until I read Mga Luto ni Dennis at iba pa 's Longganisa with a twist but instead of sausage I put hotdog on it and add the left over burger.I just fried the sliced hot dog and diced burger patties.Put some Maggi seasoning ,salt and pepper,parsley and onion rings.

My food trip friday entry for this week is hotdog and burger steak.

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Mango Festival

2010-05-27T02:12:00.000-07:00

I went grocery shopping today at Lulu Hypermarket ,one of my favorite store here in Qatar. The store is a one stop shop You can get almost every items you want here aside from the fact that it is very near to my place.

My last stop is always at the fruit and vegetable section. And look what they've got here! A mango festival where in they sell different kinds of mango from different country except from Philippines .Too bad because these mangoes are not as good as the Philippine mango.Anyway ,I looked around and see if I could find one that I like.I saw one kind of mango surrounded by shoppers and almost sold out. The Badami mango which is only QR 6.75/kilo . I asked one Indian lady if it is good and she answered yes, so I grabbed a plastic bag and get me some ,unfortunately I was able to get only 2 pieces, few left over mangoes are no good at all. So I looked for another mango again and got the Daseri Mango which is QR 14.50/kilo .This mango is similar to Philippine mango.

Eggs

2010-05-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Have been to grocery store 2 days ago..Food items has become too expensive here in Qatar after the 2006 Asian games .Price goes up tremendously .During my early years here ,eggs cost only QR 10/tray and now it ranges from QR14 - 20/tray.I Bought one tray of egg and put it at the back seat while the other stuff was in the trunk.Went back home around 2:30 pm.Unload everything with the help of my son.The following morning while I was going to take my son at school.I saw the eggs at the back seat.I don't know what to do,keep the egg or throw in trash?So I decided to call HUBBY in the US and asked his opinion.He asked mother first and the decision was to throw in trash since it was already exposed to too much heat.I had a Summer post to give you an idea how hot it is i my place right now.Egg exposed to temperatures above 40°F for more than 2 hours is unsafe to eat and should be disposed .

For Egg safety
1.Keep eggs refrigerated.2.Avoid raw and runny eggs, eat only well cooked eggs.
3. Wash hands after handling eggs.
4. Use only pasteurized eggs in foods calling for uncooked eggs

Sauteed String beans

2010-05-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

I was able to get some fresh string beans last week at the grocery store and had the chance to cook it only today .The string beans still looks fresh after a week of being stored in the refrigerator.Whenever I have this veggy I just want to cook it sauteed with lots of ground beef

My lunch for today beef longganisa and sauteed string beans with lots of rice.

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Halu halo

2010-05-22T00:10:00.000-07:00

My family back home went to Boracay last week for a weekend treat .While looking at them enjoying the white sand I can't help but feel envy for our(me and the kids) absence .They really have fun in the Philipppines and I am missing them a lot .My eldest son keeps on whining about us being away from our relatives and not be able to join them everytime they go out of town. Well ,what can I do,that is life!We were living 9 hours away from home.

I was looking at my niece FB photos and this big bowl of Halu- halo in front of my nephew caught my attention. It is really mouth watering. She did not get a good shot of it but it's okay,at least she tried to show me this yummy cold dessert..

Eggplant omelette

2010-05-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

Tortang talong is my sons most requested meal. It is so easy to prepare and very affordable .You can cook it in different ways either with or without ground meat .

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot.
1 small potato chopped finely
3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1.Grill eggplant ,peel and set aside.
2. Saute garlic,onion ,minced beef,carrot and potato ,add saltand pepper to taste.Remove from heat.Let it cool.When cool,add 1 egg.mix well.
3. Beat the remaining egg very well.
4.Fatten the egg plant in one plate,pour beef mixture on top .Add egg.
5. Heat oil .Slide the eggplant carefully and cook in low fair to medium fire.Turn and brown the other side.

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Blog Anniversary Giveaway

2010-05-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

Rose's Obstacles and Glories is celebrating blog anniversary by giving away $100 promotional code sponsored by CSN online store. I started checking out items that I like to have if ever I won. I love to have them all especially the Wedgewood collections( been dreaming to have them for a long time).Let me just show you the item.

Since I cannot afford to have a set of Wedgewoood ,I chose another one worth $100 that I really like too.Here is my choice in case(fingers crossed) I got lucky.

Zwilling JA Henckels Twin Flatware Angelico 45 Piece Flatware Set - 22773-345

List Price:$168.00

You Save:$68.01 (40%)

Sale Price:$99.99

By the way, this giveaway, that CSN is sponsoring, is open to Canadian and American residents only but since our dear Rose loves us so much ,she will still give the non US and Canada resident a chance to win cash money worth $25 thru a paypal account. I know I am getting excited here, lol.

Visit Rose's Obstacles and Glories now to see the mechanics of the contest. It is so easy to join.

Goodluck to all of us.

Daing na Bangus( Fried Milkfish)

2010-05-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

I usually buy frozen bangus (milk fish) for my Daing na Bangus .I like the frozen one better than the fresh one.I just thawed it a little bit then cut and clean by a kitchen scissor and a knife .It is so easy to do.Make an incision from head to tail using the scissor followed by a knife to totally wide open the fish .Remove all the internal organs and the gills.No need to scale the bangus .Clean well with water.

Ingredients:
2 pcs. frozen bangus( Milkfish )
1 cup vinegar
1 tbsp. iodized salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
4 cloves crushed garlic.

Direction:
Put all the bangus in a glass baking pan .Add all the ingredients.Marinate for 1 -2 days .Cover with foil and keep in the refrigerator.

After a day or 2 ,remove from marinade.Wrap in a plastic.Keep frozen.No need to thaw ,just fry it frozen to have a juicy and firm fried milkfish.

Suman

2010-05-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

Suman is a Filipino rice cake wrapped in coconut,palm or banana leaves.It can either be sweet or bland.You can serve it with grated coconut and sugar or a sauce made from sugar and coconut milk.

I always buy Frozen Suman sa Ibus for my son ,he likes to eat it with sweetened coconut milk anytime of the day.I just steamed the suman for a few minutes .Open a can of coconut milk,add sugar and boil to thicken.

Another suman that I like is the Suman sa lihiya .It is made of glutinous rice and lye water wrapped in coconut leaves.It is very popular in my grandmothers hometown on All Saints Day or Undas.I miss those days when we go to the province and get back home to Pasay City with bag full of suman and my mother cooks a lot of sauce for us.

Suman sa ibus

3 cups glutinous rice

2 tsp salt

2 cups coconut milk

Direction:

Soak rice in water for an hour or until grains are swollen.Drain.Add coconut milk and salt ,Mix well.Prepare the leaves then fill with rice mixture, seal the end and tie with buri or coconut strip .Arrange in a big saucepan and cover with water.Boil for 2 hours or until done.

How to wrap Suman sa Ibus

1. Fold the end of the buri leaf by 1 ½ inches.

2. Fold the bottom edge into a triangle.

3. Start rolling up the buri leaf in an overlapping manner.

4. Roll up the buri to make a tube.

5. Attach a small piece of wooden pick to secure the tube.

6. Fill the tube with malagkit.

7. Seal the ibus tube.

8. Tie with strips of buri.

Shrimp Scampi

2010-05-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

Shrimp Scampi is one recipe that I've been cooking back in Saudi Arabia for many reasons:
1. Easy to cook- just mix all the ingredients(shrimp melted butter,garlic salt and parsley) together and throw in the oven.Bake for 30 minutes.
2. Very cheap- we can buy it at the fish market at very low price and the pay for one kilo and you will get one and a half kilo shrimp by simply showing your charm and sweet smile.That's how generous the vendors are to their costumer.
3 .Availability- because the place where I used to live is near the sea, there is too much supply of fresh sea food everyday.
4. Fresh- and if you are lucky enough you'll get live ones too.

Serve with Lemon Butter sauce.

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Sizzling Plate

2010-05-15T02:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I got me some Sizzling plate for a good price of QR 29( $7)only in one of my favorite shop. For a cheap price ,I know that it is not one of the best quality cast iron plate but I still want to give it a try .Stores here don't sell sizzling plate so I was really surprised to see it in different sizes and shape and grab the regular/standard ones that the restaurant owners usually use.

Since this is my first time to own a sizzling plate and very proud to have one.I must know how to use and take care of it properly

So to start with, ,this is how I get the sizzle and the smoke effect in the plate.Make the cast iron really hot ,add some fat and the food.The sizzle does not do anything for the food taste but it just get the peoples attention for the restaurant owners to attract more customer.

Proper way of cleaning:
1.Do not use soap .The metal is porous and the soap is difficult to rinse all the way and you will end up with a soapy flavored food.
2.Just wash is with really hot water and a scrub .
3.Then dry it with a towel
4.Put back in the burner to completely dry it .
5.Let it cool then apply a very light coat of oil with a paper towel then wipe again with clean paper towel to remove any excess oil. Makes sure to coat the plate entirely with oil.This will keep the rust away while being stored.Use vegetable oil if you use it often and mineal oil for a once month use .

Watch out for my next post using the hot plate. I was thinking of making a sizzling burger steak.

Turon

2010-05-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

Turon or Banana roll is one of the most pupular Filipino snack made of ripe plantain and spring roll wrapper.It is commonly seen being sold along sidewalks freshly cooked right in front of the pedestrian or sold house to house by a street vendor.

Ingredients:
saba banana/plantain,sliced lenghtwise
brown or white sugar
spring roll wrapper
jackfruit strips (optional)
cooking oil

Direction:
Roll banana in sugar.Lay 2 to 3 banana slices on a wrapper.Add strips of jackfruit. Wrap filling and wet the edges with a little water. Cookdeep fry until golden brown.Best serve while still hot and crispy.

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Misua Soup

2010-05-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

If you are in a hurry and craving for a good tasting filipino soup, try this easy to prepare recipe .Here in Qatar we never run out of vegettables from India and patola is one of them.

Patola /loofah is commonly used by Filipinos when making misua soup together with some meat.I usually like frozen or freshshrimp for my misua soup ,depends on whatever is available.

Misua Soup

Ingredients:

2 small patola/gourd (loofah) ,peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen shrimp
1 cup misua
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 small onion ,sliced
3 cups water
1/2 beef cubes
salt and pepper
1 tbs cooking oil

Direction:

1.Sautee garlic and onion ,add beef cubes and water ,bring to a boil .
2.Add patola and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper according to taste
4.Add the misua and let cook for another 2 minutes or until done,
5.Serve hot.

Blog and Me: Devilled Eggs

2010-05-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

Devilled Eggs

I had a first taste of the appetizer back in 1999 while I was working in Saudi Arabia. A friend of mine has a birthday party and we were served with devilled eggs first while waiting for the main dish. Then I tried it on using the recipe in one of my cookbook with some variations according to my taste.

Devilled Eggs

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs

2 teaspoons Dijon or yellow mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp minced onion

Salt to taste

Paprika for garnishing

Directions:

Boil the eggs for 12 to 15 minutes. Let the eggs cool .Peel and Cut into half-lengthwise. Scoop the egg yolks and set aside the egg whites .Mashed the egg yolks add the minced onions, mustard, mayonnaise and salt. Spoon the egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill before serving.

Blog and Me: Devilled Eggs

Scalloped Potato

2010-05-10T06:50:00.001-07:00

This recipe is very easy to prepare.Just dump everything in the baking pan and throw in the oven. My hubby and son loves so much . When I asked them ,they just said it is good .Well ,if they say so.

Scalloped Potato
2 big potatoes,pared and sliced
2 tbsp butter/margarine
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup mashed potato dissolved in 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup fresh milk.
1 tbsp parmesan cheese

1 tbsp salt /onion salt ,add according to your taste

Direction:
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees .Put all the ingredients inside a rectangular pan. Mix well.And bake for 1 hour.

Food I Choose First on a Buffet

2010-04-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

Whenever I go on a buffet I always look for the soup first then get me another plate of vegetables and sea food. If it is a Filipino buffet the first thing I grab is the rice, laing(if there is any), dinuguan ,binagoongan,ampalaya con carne,buttered crab and of course the ever popular kare kare.Never mind the pancit (noodles) and spaghetti because we usually have it in almost all the Filipino gatherings we are attending to.

And for other restaurant ,I always get food that I don't usually eat or cook at home in small portions so I can taste all the food they are serving as much as I can.And then get me another plate or more for the food that suits my taste.

Most Expensive Lunch

2010-04-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

What was my expensive food ? I am a cheap person so I consider every food that I eat outside as expensive.
The most expensive lunch for me is every time we go to US and eat at one of the restaurant there with our 5 children.

And one of the most expensive breakfast I had was a french toast ,2 pcs of turkey bacon ,one half grillled tomato ,half a cup of potato wedges and a glass of capucchino from the Italian Resto at a mall 2 weeks ago at a price of QR 50( 600 pesos).

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2010-04-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is one of my families fave food.My hubby likes the sweet and sour taste of the sauce and pineapple chunks but really hates mushroom in his meal.My eldest son ,on the other hand is not much of a veggie eater. So in order for them to eat these healthy vegetables ,I thought of something to trick them by mixing chopped veggies on the hamburger meat or fish flakes.By doing this ,they can eat their not so favorite vegetables without them knowing it.

500 grms ground beef
1 medium size potato –cut into small sizes
1/2 small carrot –cut into small sizes
1 stalk green onion – cut
1/4 cup mushroom
2-3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Throw all the vegetables in the food processor ( potato ,carrots,green onion ,garlic,mushroom) .I have the small processor that I have been using for a long time now and is really a great help for me .It saves me time from chopping all the veggies very finely.

In a big bowl,place the burger meat.Pour in the chopped veggies .Mix well.Add 1 tsp salt and pepper or according to taste.

Form into balls and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Sauce:
1 small can pineapple chunks
6 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp tomato catsup
1 onion –quartered
2 tbsp corn starch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
1/4 cup sugar
1tbsp soy sauce

Pineapple chunks syrup
1 bell pepper cut into strips
1 small carrot cut into strips

Stir fry bell pepper and carrots.Set Aside. Mix water ,catsup ,pineapple syrup,soy sauce,salt pepper.Cook until boil.Thicken with corn starch.Add carrots ,bell pepper and pineapple chunks. Remove from heat.Pour sauce on top of the meatballs.Serve with rice or mashed potato.

Sinigang sa Miso

2010-04-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

My breakfast this morning is non other than Sinigang sa Miso.I used the Sinigang mix that I bought from one of the store here. I have been using this mix for the second time now .The first time did not look and taste like a sinigang sa miso by following the instructions written on the pack. The soup was fishy and with a pungent taste.

Now that I am craving for another Sinigang sa Miso again ,I did it my sinigang way or my mothers style .And the result was satisfying.Sometimes ,we really don't need to follow what was written on the ready made ingredients step by step to get the best result.

Sinigang sa Miso

Ingredients and instruction:

1 medium size Hamour fish, cleaned and sliced- coat a little sugar. Heat 3 tbsp cooking oil. Fry fish just enough to seal the taste or half cook only. Set Aside.

Prepare the Soup:

Sauté 3 cloves of garlic minced, 1 small onion and tomato chopped, 3 sliced ginger (I put this to get rid of the fishy taste).Add 2 cups of water. Let boil. Add the sinigang mix. Adjust the amount according to your taste. Add sliced medium size raddish.Cover and let boil for 2 minutes. Add fish. Cover and let boil for another 5 minutes. Add 3 pieces chili pepper/siling pangsigang. Put some salt and pepper to taste.
Add mustasa/mustard leaves .Remove from heat.

Serve with rice.

Chicken Tinola

2010-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

My godson Caleb and his parents visited us last week.My kids were really very happy to have visitors in our house.They brought Tinola to cook for dinner and I cooked my mothers adobo recipe .Mushroom and rice wash are all new to me for a tinola and the taste was really good .Thank you Van for sharing with me your recipe.

Chicken Tinola

1 whole chicken - cut into serving pieces
Green papaya(medium size)
3 pcs Shiitake Mushroom
1 Bell pepper
1 Jalapeno pepper/siling pang sigang
1onion(medium)-julianne cut
4 cloves Garlic- minced
1 small piece ginger- julianne cut
5 cups rice wash/hugas bigas
2 tbsp fish sauce
Salt pepper to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil

Direction:

Heat oil.Saute garlic ,onion and ginger. Add chicken, stir fry for about 10 minutes.Add patis sauce Add rice wash.Cover and let it boil .season with pepper salt according to your taste.Add papaya and mushrooms.Simmer until the papaya is done.Add the bell pepper and jalapeno before turning off the fire. Serve hot with rice.

Birthday Cake

2010-04-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

My kids and me was invited to a birthday party last thursday at Mc Donald.It was a 7th birthday of my friends daughter .The celebrant looks gorgeous on her beautiful dress.The children enjoyed so much at the party and all of them wanted to win the games.

What amazed me was the birthday cake.I know that it is not unusual now a days but it still caught my attention.I was wondering how did the cake maker copied a celebrants pictures using icing on top of the cake.The picture was as clear and colorful as the original photo.

I was really wondering how was it done .So I searched the internet and I found out how.It is like printing a copy out of the scanner using gadgets especially use for cake making only.And these are the Edible Printing Systems,Edible Inks & Cleaners and Icing Sheets.

Here is the beautiful birthday cake.

Caramel Popcorn

2010-04-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

Burnt Pop corn

He was so scared trying to hide it from me but not the smoke all over the kitchen. It is his first time to make his own pop corn so I got another pack and showed him how to do it right.
Left over popcorn, what do you do with it? Try to make caramel coated popcorn out of it. Your kid will surely like it and saves you a lot of money than buying a packed.

Caramel Popcorn

1/3 cup white sugar
2 tbsp butter

Melt butter in a big pan. Stir in white sugar. Bring to a boil .Stirring constantly until the sugar melt well with the butter and you get a smooth consistency and golden yellow color .Turn off fire .Pour popcorn over the caramel syrup.You can add peanuts and raisins too if you want .Continue mixing until the popcorn is coated with caramel and started to harden.

Beef Bulgogi

2010-04-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

This morning, my two sons and I went to the mall. My eldest son's 1 week Spring break and he asked me if we could go out.W e left home at around 8:30 am and had breakfast at Mac Donald first before doing some shopping .As usual my son's last stop is at his favorite shop and while waiting for him I decided to stop by a coffee shop and order me some French toast and cappuccino.We want back home to meet a friend at 12 noon.

Hubby came home from work at 1:30 pm and I cooked him an easy to prepare lunch.He had mashed potato, baked beans, sliced tomato and beef bolgogi.He said beef is pretty good .I told him I cooked it with love that is way it tasted good.

Here is my recipe

Stir-Fry Beef Bulgogi

1/2 kilo beef-(tender loin or any cut beef will do) sliced in thin strips
2 tbsp Sesame oil or any cooking oil.
2 tbsp Sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
5 cloves Garlic -minced
1/4 cup Green onions –chopped
1/2 cup carrots -Julianne cut (optional)
1 onion - sliced (optional)

Direction :

Mix all the ingredients together except carrot and the green onion. Marinate for 2 hours but since I am in a hurry, I did not have the time to do it. Stir-fry the beef mixture,cook until its done.Add carrots and cook for another 2 minutes or until it is half cooked .Remove from heat .Add the green onions and serve hot.

Devilled Eggs

2010-03-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

I had the first taste of the appetizer back in 1999 while I was working in Saudi Arabia at a friend's birthday party .We were served with devilled eggs first while waiting for the main dish.It is one of the good and easy to prepare appetizer that guest will surely like.Here is my version using the recipe in one of my cookbook with some variations according to my taste.

Devilled Eggs

1 dozen eggs
2 teaspoons Dijon or yellow mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp minced onion
Salt to taste
Paprika for garnishing

Directions:Boil the eggs for 12 to 15 minutes. Let the eggs cool .Peel and Cut into half-lengthwise. Scoop the egg yolks and set aside the egg whites .Mashed the egg yolks add the minced onions, mustard, mayonnaise and salt. Spoon the egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill before serving.

Ginisang Amplaya/sautéed bitter gourd

2010-03-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Amplaya is one of my favorite fruit/vegetable or whatever they call it is the bitter taste of it makes people not like it but for me this is just one of any other vegetables in the market with good taste.

This morning I decided to have sautéed ampalaya/bitter gourd and fried fish for breakfast

Ginisang Amplaya

Ingredients:

2 pcs bittergourd (ampalaya)

1/2 cup meat( cut into small piesces)

1 egg, slightly beaten

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 small Onion (chopped)

1 medium tomato (chopped)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup water

1 square pack Beef cube

Direction :

Sauté garlic,tomato and onion ,add beef ,add some water and beef cubes ,cover and let it boil for 15 minutes.

Add the amplaya and egg
.Salt and pepper to taste.Coook until the amplaya is done.

Food Trip

2010-02-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

Filipino's are known to be food lovers kahit saang bansa pa mapunta.We will try every food that is new to our sight regardless of the price Kaya naman kabi kabila ang mga kainan sa iba't ibang sulok ng Pilipinas at kulang ang isang department store kung walang fastfood area na punung puno lagi ng tao.Sa dami nga nila ay di mo na malaman kung ano ang pipiliin.Nung buntis ako sa panganay ko ,madalas kong puntahan sa kahit anong fast food center sa mga mall ay Goto King's special arrozcaldo with lumpiang prito .Ewan ko ba sarap na sarap talaga ako don na sasabawan ko pa ng pinaghalong tamis at asim ng suka at toyo ng lumpia sauce. At kapansin pansin na di nawawala ang magkalabang Jollibee at Mc Donald kahit saang lugar ay talaga naming puno palagi.Mahal na ang franchise nila!magkano na kaya ngayon?

I like Jollibee more than Mc Donald .I love their crispy chicken joy,palabok and hotdog sandwich.But here in Qatar whenever I crave for hamburger I go for Mc Donald's fillet o'fish meal or cheese burger with french fries and small soda
When it comes to fried chicken,Max's is the best for me plus their fresh lumpia .Paano kaya nila niluluto yon?simple lang pero sarap to the bones.
Masarap din daw ang Mary brown with gravy but I haven't tasted it yet.Kenny Roger's has its chicken and ribs with side dishes na pwede na rin if you feel like eating affordable American foods .Chowking has a wide variety of good tasting Chinese food but don't try it here in Qatar because their taste and servings are not as good as in the Philippines.Hmmm,KFC ,pwede na kung type mo kumain ng friend chicken with gravy on the side. .Dito kasi sa Qatar ,no gravies kaya parang bitin ang kain so magtyaga ka na lang sa ketchup.
At pag tinatamad naman akong mgaluto ,nadyan ang Pizza hut for home delivery.Medium super supreme and lasagna with garlic bread for me and hubby , hawaiian pizza and spicy chicken wings naman for my son.

More than 3 years na rin pala kong di umuuwi ng Pinas .last time I went back home ay nung kunin ko ang anak ko and I stayed there for 1 month .And of course ,vacation is not complete without visiting these fastfoods and restaurants.Unahin ko na ang Henlins for their siomai na may masarap na chili sauce,,syempre di ko makakalimutan yan kahit pa nakatayo lang ako sa gilid gilid.And of course, Pancake house for plain and flavored pancakes and waffles for breakfast .
Dencio's with their best selling sisig, ,crispy pata ,sinugba , bulalo and grilled foods.

At heto pa :
Gerry's Grill pinoy food na kung saan lahat ay gusto mong orderin at unahin mo na ang sisig crispy pata, tuna belly, pinaputok na tilapia dahil talaga naming masarap.
Kung malakas ka naman kumain at kaya pa ng budget, punta ka ng Dads eat all u can at sulit ang tyan at bulsa mo, lalo na at mahilig ka sa inihaw ,try their boneless wagon wheel steak,stuffed squid,giant shrimps ,lengua,paella at marami pang iba.
Casa Ilongga, the best ang La Paz Batchoy ever.
Barrio Fiesta - kare-kare and crispy pata at meron din silang eat all you can.
Goldilocks – ensaymada, dinuguan matching with puto pao
Red Ribbon – cakes and pastries.
Panciteria- Pancit Malabon sa bilao...
lumpia house - fish balls, tempura, squid balls
ice cream castle – halo halo
Greenwich- lasagna with garlic bread and pizza.
Wendys-iced tea and burger and garden sensations salad.
Anu ano pa ba? Kung isa isahin natin ang ma fastfood and restaurants sa atin ay talaga nga namang masasabi nating mahilig talaga sa pagkain ang mga Pinoy

Dictionary of Street Food

2010-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

I am an OFW for 11 years now, I left Philippines in 1999 to work in a Military hospital in Saudi Arabia and then to Qatar in 2003 . Being an OFW there are a lot of things to do in order to survive like cooking your own food, doing the laundry which we don't usually do back home .We have our loving mother or housemaid who takes care of everything for us.Cooking is not an easy job but we have to do it in order to survive.But even if we do know how to cook ,we still miss our mothers home cook meal and our old time favorites street foods .

I really miss the street food back home such as green manggo ,singkamas with shrimp paste ,fish ball with sauce and of course the balut from the vendors that walking down the street at night.I still remember the sweetness of the freshly cooked banana cue and crunchy turon outside of our neighbor's house in Pasay during my childhood days.When I was in college ,me and my friends would buy adobong mani at cornick na binudburan ng mantikang may sili on our way home.Those were the days with the street food.Anyway, here is the list of street food that I found thru internet with unknown writer .Whoever you are,thank you for the compilation you had made .This really helps us a lot.

Dictionary of Philippine street food ...

Abnoy - unhatched incubated duck egg or bugok which is mixed with flour and water and cooked like pancakes

Adidas - chicken feet, marinated and grilled or cooked adobo style

Arroz caldo - rice porridge or congee cooked with chicken and kasubha; see also Lugaw

Atay - grilled chicken liver

Baga - pig’s or cow’s lungs grilled or deep-fried and served with barbeque condiments

Balat ng manok - see Chicken skin and Chicharon manok

Balun-balunan - grilled chicken gizzard

Balut - hard-boiled duck egg with fetus

Banana cue - deep-fried saba (banana) covered with caramelized brown sugar

Barbeque - marinated pork or chicken pieces grilled on skewers

Batchoy - miki noodle soup garnishedwith pork innards (liver, kidney and heart), chicharon (pork skin cracklings), chicken breast, vegetables and topped with a raw egg; origin traced to La Paz, Iloilo
Betamax - curdled chicken or pork blood, cubed and grilled
Bibingka - glutinous rice flour pancakes grilled with charcoal above and below in a special clay pot
Biko (also Bico) - glutinous rice cake with grated coconut topping
Binatog - boiled white corn kernels, sugar, grated coconut and milk
Bopis - minced pig’s heart and lungs sauteed with garlic and onion and seasoned with laurel, oregano, bell pepper and vinegar
Botsi - chicken esophagus, deep-fried or grilled
Calamares - deep-fried squid in batter
Calamay (also Kalamay) - glutinous rice cakes; varieties all over the country
Camote cue - deep-fried camote (sweet potato) covered with caramelized brown sugar
Carioca (also Karyoka, Karioka) - deep-fried glutinous rice flour cakes served on skewers
Cheese sticks - deep-fried cheese wrapped in lumpia (spring roll) wrapper
Chicharon baboy - pork skin cracklings, made from pork rind boiled and seasoned, sun-dried and deep-fried
Chicharon bituka - pork or chicken intestine boiled, seasoned and deep-fried
Chicharon bulaklak - pork omentum boiled, seasoned and deep-fried
Chicharon manok - chicken skin cracklings
Chicken balls - balls made with chicken meat, deep fried and served in skewers with a sweet, sour or spicy sauce
Chicken skin - chicken skin battered and deep fried
Cutchinta - see Kutsinta
Day-old chicks - literally day-old chicks deep-fried to a crisp, served with sauce or vinegar
Empanada (Batac) - pork longganiza, egg and grated green papaya in a rice flour shell, deep-fried and served with vinegar
Fishballs - balls made with fish meat, most often from pollock, deep fried and served in skewers with a sweet, sour or spicy sauce
Goto - rice porridge or congee cooked with beef tripe
Halo-halo - translated as “a mix of many things” or “an assortment,” it is a dessert topped with shaved ice that may contain sweetened saba (banana), camote, macapuno (young coconut), kaong, nata de coco, pinipig (rice crispies), gulaman (agar), sago (tapioca balls), brown and white beans, garbanzos, ube (purple yam), and leche flan (creme brulee), with milk and sugar
Helmet - grilled chicken head
Hepalog (also Toknonong) - hard-boiled duck eggs dipped in orange batter and deep-fried
Isaw - collective term for different types of grilled chicken and pork innards; varieties include isaw manok, isaw baboy, atay, goto, botsi, balun-balunan, and tenga ng baboy
Isaw baboy - grilled or deep-fried pork intestines on a skewer, served with sweet, sour or spicy sauce
Isaw manok (aslo IUD) - grilled or deep-fried chicken intestines on a skewer, served with sweet, sour or spicy sauce; also referred to as IUD because it resembles an intra-uterine device
Iskrambol (also Scrambol) - frostees; shaved ice, diced gulaman, sago and condensed milk
IUD - see Isaw manok
Kakanin - collective term for snacks made with kanin (rice), particularly malagkit (glutinous) rice; varieties include puto, kutsinta, calamay, sapin-sapin, suman, palitaw, biko or sinukmani, and espasol among many others
Kalamay - see Kalamay
Kamote cue - see Camote cue
Kikiam - the special ones are made of ground pork and vegetables wrapped in bean curd sheets, deep-fried and served with sweet, sour or spicy sauce; those in the street are seafood-based, usually made of fish meat and cuttlefish
Kudil - deep-fried pork skin
Kutsinta - steamed bahaw (boiled rice) with lye and brown sugar; has a gelatinous consistency
Kwek kwek - see Quek quek
Lomi - noodle soup made with thick fresh egg noodles or lomi
Langoniza - pork sausage grilled or fried on a skewer
Lugaw - rice porridge or congee; varieties include arroz caldo (with chicken and kasubha) and goto (with beef tripe)
Lumpia - spring rolls; varieties include lumpiang basa; lumpiang hubad - fresh spring rolls wothout the wrapper; lumpiang prito; lumpiang sariwa - fresh srping rolls; lumpiang shanghai; lumpiang ubod; and turon
Mais - boiled sweet corn seasoned with salt, butter or margarine
Mais con yelo - sweet corn, milk and sugar topped with shaved ice
Mami - noodle soup
Manggang hilaw - green mango served with bagoong (shrimp paste)
Mani - peanuts either boiled, roasted or deep-fried and seasoned with garlic and salt
Maruya - banana fritters
Nilupak - mashed kamoteng kahoy (cassava) or kamote (sweet potato) with brown sugar and served with butter or margarine
Palitaw - glutinous rice flour pancakes topped with grated young coconut, sugar and roasted sesame seeds
Panara - deep-fried crab and grated green papaya empanda sold in Pampanga during Christmas season
Pancit - noodles; varieties are batchoy (Iloilo) - see Batchoy; batil patung (Tuguegarao) - local noodles topped with hot dogs, chicharon, ground meat, fried egg, and vegetables; pancit bihon; pancit canton - a kind of pancit guisado flavored with ginger and soy sauce; pancit guisado, pancit habhab (Lucban) - sautéed miki noodles served on and eaten straight from banana leaf sans utensils; pancit lomi - see Lomi; pansit luglog (Pampanga and Tagalog Region) - it has a distinct orange shrimp-achuete sauce and is topped with chicharon, tinapa, wansoy and shrimp; pancit malabon (Malabon) - made with thick rice noodles tossed in shrimp-achuete oil topped with shelled oysters, squid rings, suaje or hipong puti and wansoy; pancit molo (Iloilo) - clear chicken broth with wonton, garlic and crushed chorizo; pancit palabok; pancit puti (Manila); and pancit sotanghon among many others
Pandesal (also Pan de sal) - breakfast roll; rounded bread
Pares - translated as “pair,” means the pairing of rice with beef; beef pares is characterized by very tender meat, usually with a lot of litid (ligaments)
Penoy - hard-boiled duck egg without fetus
Proven - hard portion of chicken entrails that is either marinated and grilled, battered and fried or cooked adobo style
Pusit - squid grilled on skewer
Puto - steamed rice cake
Puto bumbong - purple glutinous rice snack cooked in a special steamer
Quikiam - see Kikiam
Quek quek (also Toknanay) - hard boiled chicken eggs dipped in orange batter and deep-fried; also used for quail eggs but some say the correct term for the quail egg version is tokneneng; the balut version is sometimes referred to as hepalog
Sapin-sapin - layered glutinous rice and coconut milk cake usually topped with grated coconut and latik (residue from coconut oil extraction); different flavor per layer such as ube (purple yam), macapuno (young coconut), kutsinta and langka (jackfruit)
Scrambol - see Iskrambol
Sinukmani - see Biko
Siomai - steamed pork dumplings
Siopao - steamed pork buns
Sisig - roasted pig’s head, chicken liver, onions and chili, chopped and flavored with calamansi served on a hot metal plate
Sorbetes (also Dirty ice cream) - street ice cream made with local fruits and ingredients; common flavors include ube (purple yam), mango, avocado, queso (cheese), chocolate, langka (jackfruit), buko or macapuno (coconut); strawberry is common in Baguio City
Squid balls - balls made with squid or cuttlefish meat, deep fried and served in skewers with a sweet, sour or spicy sauce
Suman - glutinous rice snack steamed in banana or coconut leaves; varieties include binagol (Leyte) made with glutinous rice, gabi (taro), coconut milk and chocolate; budbod sa kabog (Tanjay, Negros Oriental) which uses millet instead of glutinous rice; Taho - bean curd snack topped with arnibal (liquefied raw sugar similar to molasses) and sago (tapioca balls)
Tenga ng baboy (also Walkman) - marinated pig’s ears grilled on skewers; see also Kudil
Toknanay - see Quek quek
Tokneneng - hard boiled quail eggs dipped in orange batter and deep-fried; also called kwek kwek by others
Toknonong - see Hepalog
Tupig (also Itemtem) - glutinous rice, grated mature coconut, coconut milk and molasses rolled in banana leaves and grilled; varieties in Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte (Batac) and Isabela
Turon - saba (banana) with with sugar and sometimes langka (jackfruit) wrapped in lumpia (spring roll) wrapper and deep-fried
Walkman - see Tenga ng Baboy

Food Corner

Pork Chop with Rosemary Gravy

Cookie Cutter

Roast Pork

Beef Humba

Healthy Breakfast for Kids

Lasagna

Christmas Cookies

Buttered Green Beans

Beef Liver with Spinach

Chocolates,anyone?

Fish Tempura

Grilled Baby Back Ribs

Cinnamon Roll

Birthday and Thanksgiving Celebration

Mc Donald's Apple Slices

Blueberry Muffin

Sinigang na Manok (Chicken Sour Stew)

Pakbet

Shrimp with Brocoli

Siopao (Steamed Dumpling)

Beef Steak /Bistek Tagalog

Fried Salmon

Snacks

Pancit Canton

What's for Breakfast ?

Spaghetti and Garlic Bread

Chicken Adobo

Andrei's Birthday Party

Adobong Kangkong

McDonald's Sundae

Breakfast at Jollibee

Spring Roll ( Lumpiang Prito)

Biscocho(toasted bread)

Puto ( Rice Muffins )

Happy Birthday

Krispy Kreme Doughnut

Broccoli Oriental

Adobo

Sizzling Burger Steak

KFC gravy

Kare Kare

Shrimp with Cauliflower

Bicol Express

Hot dog and burger steak

Mango Festival

Eggs

Sauteed String beans

Halu halo

Eggplant omelette

Blog Anniversary Giveaway

Zwilling JA Henckels Twin Flatware Angelico 45 Piece Flatware Set - 22773-345

List Price:$168.00

You Save:$68.01 (40%)

Sale Price:$99.99

Daing na Bangus( Fried Milkfish)

Suman

Shrimp Scampi

Sizzling Plate

Turon

Misua Soup

Blog and Me: Devilled Eggs

Devilled Eggs

Scalloped Potato

Food I Choose First on a Buffet

Most Expensive Lunch

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sinigang sa Miso

Chicken Tinola

Birthday Cake

Caramel Popcorn

Beef Bulgogi

Here is my recipe

Stir-Fry Beef Bulgogi

1/2 kilo beef-(tender loin or any cut beef will do) sliced in thin strips

2 tbsp Sesame oil or any cooking oil.

2 tbsp Sugar

3 tbsp soy sauce

5 cloves Garlic -minced

1/4 cup Green onions –chopped