Cook With Me Today!

Sardine Spaghetti

2011-08-24T04:30:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was craving for anything pasta. I checked my grocery shelves and my fridge, I wasn't able to find any ingredients to make a delicious spaghetti but i found were two cans of spanish sardines, olive oils and my new pepper grinder which I am always excited to use. I was too lazy to go out off the house that day but my hubby ask me to watch a movie and have dinner outside. I was so reluctant because I feel lazy but then I realized that we haven't been to a date this past few weeks that's why I thought that I could go to the grocery store and watch movie with him. That's why I was able to make this sumptuous dish which I only get to taste in restos and it's so surprising to experience that it's just so easy to make.

Been checking online for recipes on how to make Sardines Spaghetti and I got confused. All I know was the basic ingredient for this dish is the sardines. So what I did was make a variation according to my own taste. I love herbs and the most common herb they use for this is dill but can;t find one so I used Parsley which is also common. I added some red bell pepper for some added crunch and color, a few stewed tomatoes and white onions. I also found out that you can use any kind of pasta for this recipe but since I can at anything as long as its pasta, my hubby chose spaghetti thou I really wanted an angel hair or linguini.But hey I was able to make a good recipe I never really expected it would be this delicious. it's good with a good wine or beer. For the complete recipe please visit Sardine Spaghetti Recipe.

Dining Out? Know What is on The Menu! Part I and II

2011-07-28T05:14:00.000-07:00

Dining Out? Know What is on The Menu! Part I and

Dining Out? Know What is on The Menu! Part Two

Know what's on the menu before you realize you are sabotaging your diet. Be aware. Be informed!

Spicy Chicken Stew Recipe

2011-07-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

Are you up for a spicy dish today? This might be spicy but you’ll surely love it like I do. A delicious way to cook your chicken right! This dish tasted like buffalo chicken recipe without the butter on it and the blue cheese dressing. Less fatty ingredients yet still yummy and delicious! For the full article please visit http://notecook.com/soup/spicy-chicken-stew-recipe/

Oh My Gulay! A must visit café.

2011-07-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

No, this is not your usual expression, the truth is, it’s the name of the famous unique resto in Baguio City Philippines.

This resto is located at the penthouse of a five story La Azotea building in Session Road Baguio City. I found out about this when I accidentally read a blog about it and my hubby and I went to Oh My Gulay just this weekend.

This is me with shaky legs but still making a pose because the stairs is a bit shaky but it I guess its still safe though. The stairs from the ground floor going to 4th floor is ok its made of stone but going up to the 5th floor that’s when you get to feel the oldy-jungle-y atmosphere.

We discovered that it’s not just a house of tasty pasta and other veggie recipes but also an art gallery with forest like theme. It’s unusual for us to find a mini forest/jungle at the top most part of a building plus every table spots are built of antique woods (that includes the stairs).
We came in early because we thought we could have breakfast from here but we’ve learned that they only open at 11am. So while waiting we rested for a bit then took photos.

You should have brave strong legs with you plus the courage to look down while decending the stairs.

From behind my hubby, is the stairs.You can’t really tell you’re at the penthouse and thats the stairs.

When you get inside a few steps from the stairs, this is what you’ll see. Take note that all the plants you see here are real and never artificial.

and there’s a pond with real Koi fishes in it. And please don’t ignore the sign “Don’t feed us coins.”

While waiting for our food, we decided to take pictures. Since we’re early we have all the space and time in the world to take some.

And finally the food has arrived!

That’s Pasta Putanesca! Spicy? Yummy!

That’s his chow-chow.

this is for dessert.

We may have eaten just a few recipes they got but w hile surely was full up. Big servings in a very reasonable price. Plus we also experience a little entertainment, Justin the young waiter showed us a few magic tricks using his cards and big metal rings. I can say that I was pretty amaze with his card tricks but for me the metal rings are not that convincing, I just don't want to ruin his performance and sabotage his tricks! Lol

We didn’t order that much because we thought we could have another food feast at the Tam-awan Village where in we loved the food that much we decided to come back and visit their cafe. But the sad thing was their supply is only limited due to guest are very rare during the rainy season because the trekking is close. But still we were able to feel full even I only ate their “dry” pesto. Can’t even taste the basil and the pasta is a little soggy.

Stir-fried Mushroom and Asparagus

2011-07-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Healthy and delicious stir fried recipe that fits on your budget and the whole family will sure love plus its easy to cook.

We went to Baguio City last weekend to feast on food with my hubby. We went to many different resto for the whole day and one thing I haven’t tasted was the stir fried spicy mushroom. It looks so yummy from the menu but I really wonder why I never ordered it. I feast too much on pasta I guess and salads. That is why I cooked my own version of it. I surely loved it I even cooked a soup version of it and my hubby liked it so much he ask if there’s still leftovers the next morning. But for now I’ll share the stir fried recipe then later on the soup.

For the complete recipe please proceed here http://gomestic.com/cooking/stir-fried-mushroom-and-asparagus/

Smoothies, Shakes and Juices - Your Prefect Combinations!

2011-06-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

Thinking about healthy fruit or veggie shake recipe? This is one is surely the best for the whole family to enjoy plus it's healthy too! Shake, smoothies or juices is plain easy to do all you need is some blender or a food processor and creativity then off you go sip a new and tasty beverage to fill you in for the day. So enjoy and goodluck in keeping the family healthy and wealthy! =)

Carrot + Ginger + Apple - Boost and cleanse our system.

Apple + Cucumber + Celery -   Prevent cancer, reduce cholesterol, and improve stomach upset and headache.

Tomato + Carrot + Apple - Improve skin complexion and bad breath.

Bitter gourd + Apple + Milk - Avoid bad breath and reduce internal body heat.

Orange + Ginger + Cucumber - Improve Skin texture and moisture and reduce body heat.

Pineapple + Apple + Watermelon - To dispel excess salts, nourishes the bladder and kidney.

Apple + Cucumber + Kiwi - To improve skin complexion.

Pear & Banana -   regulates sugar content.

Carrot + Apple + Pear + Mango - Clear body heat, counteracts toxicity, decreased blood pressure and fight oxidization .

Honeydew + Grape + Watermelon + Milk - Rich in vitamin C + Vitamin B2 that increase cell activity and strengthen body immunity.

Papaya + Pineapple + Milk - Rich in vitamin C, E, Iron. Improve skin complexion and metabolism.

Banana + Pineapple + Milk - Rich in vitamin with nutritious and prevent constipation

Quite interesting!

Sinigang Na Hipon (Shrimp in Tamarind Soup)

2011-06-24T00:58:00.000-07:00

Hearty soup you can serve any time of the day especially on winter or rainy days like here now in the Philippines.

This dish is so popular in the Philippines because the ingredients are very abundant and really easy to cook. You really can’t miss this soup in every Filipino’s dining table. It’s everyone’s favorite. The basic ingredient for this dish is the Tamarind. You can find it in ready to mix powders from your local grocery stores or if not you can use a few fresh green tamarinds and just boil it until its tender for you to easily get the juice and use the juice as soup base. Actually, this was served last night and cook by yours truly.

Here’s what you need:

1 liter of water (or tamarind base soup from tamarind extract)

24 grams of tamarind mix (Maggie or Knorr Sinigang mix)

1 lbs Shrimp (torns and antenna removed)

1 cup Water Spinach/Swamp Cabbage (Kangkong) stalks only

1 medium onion (chopped)

2-3 pieces red tomatoes (cut into 4 sections but not cutting them all the way)

Fish sauce to taste (as needed)

Procedures:

1. Bring to boil the onions and tomatoes with water into a deep pan.

2. Once tomatoes and onions are already well cooked add in the shrimps and and tamarind mix. Simmer for a few minutes (do not over cooked shrimps). Taste if you’re already ok with the saltiness or you need to add fish sauce as needed. I didn’t add mine because for me the taste is ok with the sourness of the tamarind.

3. Add in the spinach stalks and let it simmer for 1 minute. Serve Hot and Enjoy!

Tinolang Manok (Chicken Ginger Stew)

2011-06-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

For the past few months, my hubby and I haven’t had a real meal together. Either I’m out of town or just plain lazy to cook another hearty dish that we usually love to share together. He likes meat a lot but I love vegetables more than ever. That’s why I decided to cook this one for dinner. It’s just so easy to cook you can even blog or watch your favorite tv show while cooking (that’s what I’ve been doing while I cook this recipe). This dish is good for 4 people but in my case it’s only for 2 people (my hubby is such a good eater he can eat 3 servings of this in 1 seating) :-p

Here’s what you need:

2 lbs. chicken parts

2 thumbs ginger (crushed)

2-3 stalks of lemon grass (crushed and cut into 2 inches long)

2 cups chicken stock (1 chicken cubes is also ok)

3 cloves garlic (crushed)

1 medium onion (sliced thinly)

2 tablespoon olive oil/canola

Fish sauce to taste

2 cups of chili leaves (can be substituted with malunggay or spinach)

1 whole green (young) papaya (sliced into bite size about 1inch thick)

Procedures:

1. Sauté ginger into the oil in a deep cooking pan until brown.

2. Add in garlic and onion then the chicken.

3. When chicken is already coated with the sautéed ingredients add in the lemon grass and simmer until chicken is slightly browned about 10 minutes do not over brown the chicken because this will affect the color of the soup.

4. When chicken is already cooked, add in chicken stock (or if cubes add in 2 cups water/1 cube) and fish sauce to taste and let it boil.

5. While boiling add in the papaya and simmer for another minute or until papayas are cooked.

6. Add in the chili leaves and serve hot and enjoy!

An easy recipe to a comforting dish that your family will surely love.

Pako Salad (Fiddlehead Ferns)

2011-06-18T01:09:00.000-07:00

As I walk going to church one Friday morning, I happen to pass by the new wet market in Angeles City. It's my second time to pass by that market and I was so overwhelmed with the veggies and fishes. And one thing that catch my attention was the pako (fiddlehead ferns) I used to buy from my neighbors morning store it's like a little market inside our subdivision that only sells fresh stuff only in the morning. Since they closed their store I wasn't able to make some salad for me and my hubby. That's why I suddenly thought of making this pako salad because we missed it that much.

This is just an easy recipe so there is no reason you can't do this at home.

1-2 bunch of pako (take the heads and set aside)
2 salted duck eggs (sliced or shredded)
1 medium purple onions (shallots) minced/diced whichever you prefer
2 tomatoes
3 tablespoons apple cider or vinegar
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Procedure:

1. Wash the pako well and keep it inside the fridge while mixing the other ingredients.
2. Mix the vinegar and onion with the dash of salt and pepper.
3. Mix the vinegrette with the chilled pako and top with sliced salted egg and sliced tomato.

Serve while it's chilled! Enjoy!

Yummy ArozCaldo!

2011-06-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

It's stormy season once again here in the Philippines... and it's best to just stay in the house and eat some hearty congee to comfort you in these cold rainy day. I'm sharing to you today my version of Arozcaldo.

My hubby and I love to eat something we seldom eat during rainy days. And this recipe I just cooked last Thursday because it’s still raining due to a storm. This is supposed to be our early dinner menu but we ended up eating all of it for a snack.

Ingredients:

1-2 cups sticky rice

1 lb. chicken parts (a cut your choice)

2 thumbs ginger (julienne)

1 medium onion (minced)

1 head of garlic (minced)

2 pcs barks of lemon grass (crushed)

2 tablespoons fish sauce (the amount actually depends on your taste)

2 teaspoons of Salt and

1 teaspoon black/white pepper

Spring onion/onion leeks

1-2 cups chicken stock or 2 chicken cubes is just fine

Procedure:

1. In a deep pan, brown all of the garlic and set aside some of it for garnishing.

2. Sauté ginger, onion and lemon grass.

3. Put in chicken parts until well cooked then add in salt and pepper. Simmer until cooked.

4. Add in washed sticky rice and chicken stock. Simmer until cooked. Stir constantly though to avoid rice from sticking onto the pan.

5. Add in fish sauce and pepper according to your taste.

6. Garnish with fried garlic and onions springs. Serve hot and enjoy.

Learning More about Spice Freshness

2011-06-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

This is actually a continuation of my previous article Spices and Herb 101. This is more about the freshness of your spices, like how long you should keep them in your shelves. You may wonder why your spices stored on your shelves is caking and seems not that good when you put them on your recipes... worry no more... these tips and ideas will give the best answer you've wanting to know... read on right here Learning More About Spice Freshness.

Mongo Guisado (Mung Bean Soup

2011-06-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Mongo Guisado (Mung Bean Soup)

This dish is best served anytime of the day or even on any season but we love to serve this in the house during the rainy days because of its hearty soup. There are actually too many versions on how to cook this soup but since I’ve tried most of it but this version is my real favorite especially if it’s my hubby who’s cooking this. He cooks really well (at times). He made it really simple and yet still yummy. That’s why I came to believe what most chefs say about cooking… “the simpler the better”.

So let’s start cooking! You’ll need the following:

3 cloves garlic

1 medium size onion

2 thumbs of ginger

1 cup mung beans (mongo) – this is better when soaked overnight. It’s easier to boil

2 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil

1 lbs sliced pork meat (or shredded smoke fish, chicken meat or prawns/shrimps or combinations)

1 cup of leaves your choice. I prefer Bitter Melon leaves because it gives a little kick of bitterness that makes the dish more delicious. You can also try Malunggay leaves or Horse Radish leaves in English but if it’s not available you could use spinach leaves.

3 tablespoons of water

2-3 tablespoon fish sauce (depending on your taste)

Procedures:

1. Boil the soaked mung beans for 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

2. Put the sliced meat in a deep pan with the water and let it brown.

3. Add oil and sauté ginger, garlic and onions next.

4. Transfer the boiled mung beans in the pan and let it boil.

5. Put the fish sauce next. Simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust according to your taste.

6. Put the leaves and simmer for another minute. Serve hot.

This dish is good if paired with rice and some fried fish if you prefer. Enjoy!

Spices and Herbs 101

2011-06-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

Oh sure spices and herbs are really good for most of our recipes, but how much do you know about it? This post will give you an idea... Read further here... http://quazen.com/shopping/spices-and-herbs-101/

Grilled Steak ala Carol

2011-06-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

If you like a peppery grilled meat this one is the best! See full details of this recipe in the link below...I cooked this for my picky husband. He loves to chomp on meat on his days off.

http://notecook.com/main-course/meat/grilled-steak-ala-carol/

Sampelut (Ginatan)

2011-05-28T03:24:00.000-07:00

I've always craved anything cooked in coconut milk during rainy or cold season here in the Philippines. Since I don't live anymore with my mother I get to learn how to cook the food I and my siblings always loved to eat since we we're a lot younger. I'd like to share with you one of the many comfort foods we love. The Ginataang bilo-bilo.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh coconut milk (you can use can or pack of coconut milk available in the market today)
1 tbsp. sago or tapioca pearls
20 pcs bilo-bilo balls
2 lbs. gabi (taro root), diced (optional)
1 lb. kamote (sweet potato), diced
3 plantain bananas, sliced diced
6 sections of langka (jackfruit), in strips (optional)
1 cup sugar
2 cups warm water

Procedure:

· Combine 1 cup of coconut milk and 2 cups water and bring to a boil.

· Add sago (or tapioca pearls), gabi, and bilo-bilo and cook until half-cooked.

· Add kamote, plaintain and langka and sugar and continue cooking.

· Add the other can of coconut milk and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

· Simmer for 5 minutes and adjust sugar to taste.

BBest served when hot. Taste better too if chilled. Enjoy!

My Yummy Molo Soup

2011-05-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

A reposted article of mine from my triond account.

An oriental dish that will for sure everybody will love to eat especially during rainy or cool seasons.

Warning! This is not your typical Molo Soup at all. I adjusted it according to my own taste and preference. But however it is, I know you’ll love it!

I cooked this soup just because I was craving for it. The last time I’ve eaten this soup was like about 10 years ago and it was cooked by my mom. So that’s why I really wanted to eat once again even if it’s already summer. So glad that even if it’s been ten years I was still able to get the same exact rich taste as what my mom has cooked before and I was so glad too that my husband loves it and he even asked me to cook the same thing for tomorrow. Hahaha

Here’s what you need for the filling:

¼ kl of ground pork

¼ kl of shrimps chopped

1 pc turnips (singkamas)

2 tbsp chopped onion chives

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 egg

3 dashes of sesame oil

Salt and pepper

Molo wrapper

1. Combine all ingredients of the filling.

2. Wrap into the wanton/molo wrapper.

3. Add a teaspoon of the filling mixture at one of the corners of the triangle shaped wrapper then close by rolling and joining the tips. Make sure to press the two free ends firmly together with water.

Here’s what you need for cooking the broth:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 heads of garlic (you can decrease the amount of this if u want, we just love garlic) please leave some for garnishing

1 medium onion

½ kilo shrimps (shelled)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

1 chicken or shrimp cube

1 breast of boiled chicken (flaked)

6 tbsp onion chives (for garnishing)

1 thin roll of Misua(Mee Sua, thin Chinese Noodle )

Now cook with me:

1. Saute garlic in olive oil until brown. Set aside half of the toasted garlic for garnishing.

2. Then add onions.

3. Place shrimps and season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour in chicken broth and chicken flakes and bring to a boil.

5. Drop in the stuffed wanton wrappers and boil for 10 minutes.

6. Add Misua noodles and boil for another 2 minutes.

7. Serve in soup bowls and sprinkle it with green onions and toasted garlic.

Enjoy this hearty soup that supposed to serve for 12 people but in my case just the two us love birds and a family of 3 (our next door neighbor).

I'm Cooking!?!

2011-05-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you for taking a time to visit my page and I hope this is just the beginning of it. You are free to follow me here at my blog and even free to message me anytime. These pictures below are the latest pics we got about eating... =)

Yes, I'm cooking. I'm may not be a chef who went to an culinary school but I definitely could cook anything I want; especially if what my family wants. I'm a 29 year old stay at home wife and I have a picky eater of a husband. He likes meat a lot and I'm more of a vegetarian but not the religious one. I can have meat from time to time like when it's my hubby's day off. I eat fish when I don't feel like eating meat so basically you can find recipes here on almost about anything. I like to make experiments too on beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). I love desserts too! I don't throw out parties here at our home but I can definitely cook for my friends if they asked me to. We'd love to just munch some fingers foods while we get a light drink like wine or beer. Before when I was still working in the corporate world my husband and I would just love to eat out. We would eat anything we wanted to eat from street foods to fine dining...So obviously...we love to eat. Sometimes I joke around at my husband... I call him a miser everytime we go together at the mall and I want him to buy something for me like a dress or a shoes or just about anything that looks fancy for me he would say "we'll get it next time ok?" but when I told him I'm starving and without a doubt he would say "where would you like to eat?". We eat too much all the time and I came to realized that we are spending too much on food already so why not just cook for ourselves at home. It lessens the effort of going out and less the tip for the waiters. That's why I started cooking again (I learned cooking since I was in my 3rd grade). Instead of having our meals from the resto or from the corner store where you'll never know how they cook the food you eat but in your own kitchen, you get the chance to select the best quality of the food you serve on your plate with spending too much... I hope to share all I know about cooking and also you are free to share yours.