Luto-Luto Blog

Aglio Olio with Prawns

2012-09-05T04:43:00.000-07:00

While I am fond of rich pasta like creamy pesto, baked mac and lasagna, I am also partial to basic pasta preparation.

If you'll notice, most of my posts about pasta here are basic and simple. The main reason is that I have very little time to cook now that Reese is on her toddler years and need to be supervised all the time. I also make it a point to share quick and easy ways to cook food that the whole family can enjoy.

Aglio Olio is basically a pasta dish using Garlic and Oil as its name suggests. To add a twist, I used large shrimp or prawns to infuse the seafood flavor as opposed to the usual anchovy fillets.

Ingredients

400 grams spaghetti, cooked al dente

1/2 cup olive oil

1 whole garlic, minced

300 grams prawns, peeled and halved

1 tsp Chili flakes

Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

A handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped or 1 tbsp. dried

Procedure

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the prawns by peeling each without taking the tail. Cut the shrimp lengthwise. Season with salt (about a teaspoon) and pepper (1/4 teaspoon).

Heat up the olive oil and immediately throw in the garlic and chili flakes. Saute for one minute. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through.

Turn the heat to low and add the pasta. Make sure to mix throroughly such that every noodle has been coated with the sauce. Check the taste and add salt, pepper and chili flakes as needed. Add the basil cook for at least 1 minute more while mixing everything thoroughly.

Serve with parmesan cheese on top.

Egg-Mayo Sandwich

2012-09-02T04:23:00.000-07:00

I used to go to Deli France now known as Cafe France for my sandwich fix. Egg-Mayo on croissants is a sure fire mood booster alongside some hot soup (nothing in particular) or pasta.

Two days ago, h's cousin gave us 2 dozens of extra large eggs. Some of them even had 2 yolks. Can you beat that?

Thinking of what else to do with so many eggs in the pantry, I boiled a couple to make an egg salad for breakfast.

Ingredients:

2 extra large eggs or 3 large eggs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 tsp salt

Dash of pepper

A handful of shredded lettuce or any greens of your choice (arugula is my first choice)

Chili flakes (optional)

Procedure

Make hard boiled eggs by simmering eggs in salted water for 7-10 minutes depending on their size.

Once the eggs have cooled, peel off the shell and mash the eggs.

Add salt, pepper and mayo. Mix until well blended.

Lay shredded greens on a plate and top with the egg mixture. Add chili flakes if using.

Serve with toasted bread.

It's so yummy with pan de sal!

7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Philippines

2012-08-31T09:29:00.001-07:00

The Philippines was rocked by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 intensity near the eastern part of Sulangan, Samar at 8:45 p.m. Philippine Time according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

As a result of the earthquake, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a tsunami warning for the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and other islands around the Pacific.

Stay tuned for more updates.

I Love Chicken Bon Chon!

2012-08-27T01:14:00.002-07:00

Okay, this is rather a late post... not because this happened a long time ago but because Chicken Bon Chon has been in Manila for like 2 years already.

Anyway, I digress. We've been meaning to try Bon Chon every time we happened to be in the malls, however, our cravings for mexican, american, italian, mediterranean, greek, japanese or chinese would always prevail. Two weeks ago though, that was before Habagat came, we were in SM North Edsa Annex to meet a friend. Papsi planned to eat at Amici but when we arrived at the restaurant's stall, we were surprised that it wasn't there anymore. We were already hungry and too tired to look for another place to eat so we kind of settled with Bon Chon. And boy we are glad we did!

Medium Chicken Leg and Wing combination in Soy-Garlic sauce

Japchae

Fish fillet also in Soy-Garlic

We also had fries (for Reese) and Kimchi Coleslaw (which was surprisingly delish) as sidings.

Everything we ordered was satisfying, in tagalog, sulit! See their happy faces?

Now, I can't get over my Bon Chon addiction. I think I can eat Bon Chon everyday!

Tribute to Sec. Jesse Robredo - Danggit

2012-08-24T02:53:00.002-07:00

Just like my tribute to Mang Dolphy, I'm dedicating this post to honor one of the very few dedicated yet low-profile public servant in the the Philippines, Sec. Jesse Robredo.

Acting Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo had Danggit for breakfast on the day of his plane crash tragedy, that is, according to Senator Loren Legarda who happened to host a special breakfast meeting in her Makati abode to talk about the confirmation of Robredo in the CA.

The breakfast was attended by Robredo and 5 other NPC congressmen. During the meeting, Robredo was said to be quite reserved and quiet except that he showed delight in the "Danggit" served with Paksiw na Bangus, longanisa and rice plus lots of onions and tomatoes as side dish.

There's a little spooky or odd about this anecdote. In the middle of their meal, Sec. Jesse asked Legarda from where she sourced the "Dangit" and the latter answered, "In Masbate". Masbate happened to be the place where Robredo's plane would crash later in the afternoon of the same day while attempting an emergency landing.

Masbate is not known for Danggit as we most often associate this delicacy with Cebu. But for whatever this tale meant, we'd like to believe that Sec. Jesse has lived a life of purpose.

Rest in Peace Sir, may your legacy of good governance live on!

Note: Photos are not mine, I do not intend any copyright infringement.

Nursing Licensure Exam Results June 2012

2012-08-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

The results of the Nursing Licensure Examination Results held last JUNE 30 & JULY 1, 2012 is finally out.

Roxanne Trinity Dotingco Lim of UST (my alma matter) topped the exams with a rating of 86.20

Click here to see the complete list.

Congratulations to all the passers!

Body of Sec. Jesse Robredo Found

2012-08-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Today, August 21, we commemorate the death of Benigno Aquino Jr.

This is also a sad day as we mourn the loss of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. The office of the President through Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas, has confirmed that technical/foreign divers were able to recover the body of Robredo at 8:15 am today.

The pilot Capt, Jessup Bahinting and co-pilot Kshitz Chand were also found but are yet to be recovered since they were stuck on the cockpit with their seatbelts still on.

Three days ago, Piper Seneca crashed off the waters of Masbate en route to Naga from Cebu.

Rest in Peace Sirs! Our prayers to the families of Robredo and his companions.

Photo credit: Inquirer, Kara David

Habagat - The Aftermath

2012-08-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Just because you're a flood victim too doesn't mean you cannot help others. Your own share of disaster should never be a hindrance to stewardship or generosity or any act of goodwill.

When we were hit by Ondoy 3 years ago, we helped through Ateneo's Blue Bayanihan. This time after Habagat, we chose to send in our donations at TV5 Alagang Kapatid Foundation due to its proximity to the flood victims along Tulyahan River which we have actually witnessed.

Not even the chapel was spared.

All those plastic from the garbage.

Roads in our village were badly damaged by ravishing flash flood.

On the lighter side, we have to commend Manny V. Pangilinan for allocating a very nice head quarters for his troop.

Alagang Kapatid Foundation Staff were very friendly and organized.

The place is clean, orderly and reminds me of a hangar.

They even have an ambulance and rubber boat for emergency.

Walk-in donors continue to arrive.

Although we only donated a little, we felt happy. We intend to go back as soon as we gather more stuff to donate.

If you would like to help, you may send in your cash donation via PayPal (hit that button on the upper right part of this blog) and we will make sure your goodwill reaches the right people and we promise to post records of transactions including donation receipts of donees/organizations.

There are still a lot of families who are yet to recover from the flood, show your support now!

P.S. If you are not financially abled at this point, you can also help through PRAYERS :-)

Pasta Marinara

2012-08-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Marinara sauce, for me, is the most versatile pasta sauce that I can prepare at anytime. Still haven't gotten over from Habagat's disaster, I cooked spaghetti in Marinara plain and simple. Most of my cooking tools were submerged in the flood since they are kept at the bottom part of my buffet cabinet, of course I wouldn't want to jeopardize the health of my family so with a pain in my heart, I tossed everything out in the trash.

Now working on minimal gadgets, I needed to cook something that will surely satisfy me and my family. Spaghetti comes to mind as one of our favorite comfort food.

Ingredients

1 jar of Ragu Spaghetti sauce or your preferred Tomato sauce

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 onion, minced

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Handful of Fresh Basil or 1 tsp. if using dried

1 pack of 400g spaghetti, cooked al dente

Procedure

Cook pasta in salted water, drain.
In a saucepan, add about 2 tsp of olive oil, add the onions right away. Sauté until softened and semi-transparent. Add the garlic and stir in Ragu.
Wait for the sauce to boil before seasoning with basil, salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Pour sauce on cooked pasta. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Note: On a normal day I use fresh tomatoes, boil them for hours and then pureed in a blender as my basic Marinara sauce.

Habagat Flood - The Experience

2012-08-09T19:13:00.003-07:00

The past week had been very stressful. Since Typhoon Gener, we have not been getting any sleep for fear of flash floods as we are residing near a creek that connects to Tullahan River where water from La Mesa Dam automatically goes once it reaches spilling level.

Last Tuesday (August 7), I was half-asleep when I heard cars rushing out along our street, that was around 3am. I knew it was an indication that people have started fleeing to higher grounds. I woke everyone up except for Reese. I packed a few clothes and cooked the hotdogs, eggs and re-heated our left-over nilaga. Papsi and our visiting friend, Queen took care of bringing important things up to the second floor. Before 5am we can already see gutter-deep water at the end of out street, approximately 5 houses away.

When everything we needed were already in the car, we drove away to the nearest gas station to have our tank filled, just in case we needed to stay in the car for long.

We went back to our village and parked near the guard house which happens to be the highest point in the area. It was a good location, we were a few steps away from 7-11, ATM, Pharmacy and main hi-way. Going to the rest room wasn't a problem either since there was a school nearby that offers their restrooms.

By 4pm, we headed back to our house and saw that the flood has receded. We dropped by our friend to a mall so she can get a ride to her destination and we went back home to check out the extent of the damage.

Papsi deemed that it was not safe for us to stay at home since the rain still hasn't stopped. We looked for a hotel and checked-in.

Photo credit: Twitter

McDonald's Coca-Cola Olympics Glasses 2012

2012-08-01T01:23:00.001-07:00

It's the year of the Olympics, and once again, McDonald's and Coke teamed-up for the biggest sports event to take place in London.

I have been collecting these glasses way back. Unfortunately, most of them got lost or broken. Talk about helpers' carelessness and Hamburglar invasion.

Anyway, I digress. When we went to McDo last weekend, the service crew at the counter sweet talked me into upgrading our drinks to Medium so I can get the glasses.

I don't know what got into me that I agreed. Now I'm wondering what to do with all these three.

Pic above shows what's left of my past collection. The one with the coke was from 2008 Olympics. And the glass shaped like a "Coke in Can" was from last two year's same promo from McDo.

How about you? Do you collect these glasses too?

Quick-Fix Series - Corned Beef

2012-07-31T17:29:00.000-07:00

The blog has been silent the past days. I got the flu bug first and then everyone in the household followed. My sweet baby was not spared and is still has occasional cough.

So while I was sick, Papsi was the one in charge of the kitchen and I told him to just prepare anything quick and easy. One day we had a brunch of Corned Beef from Hereford.

We prepare Corned Beef differently depending on the brand. For imported brands, we like them simply stir-fried or heated. Open the can, use a non-stick pan, put a little oil, add some garlic and onions and dump the contents. Let the corned beef heated through for about 5 minutes and serve.

Monday Agenda: SONA 2012 and Razon's of Guagua

2012-07-23T02:50:00.002-07:00

Today marks the 3rd State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III.

We were on the mall earlier for some grocery shopping. Afterwards we went to Razon's of Guagua for snacks. Ordered this:

Pancit Luglog

Tidtad (Dinuguan) and Puto

and the famous Halo-Halo

It was already 2pm, while we were eating I remembered about the SONA, so we hurriedly went home.

For some Filipinos, the SONA is no big deal, but being a mom, I believe it is my duty and obligation to my daughter that I should know where our country is going to.

After listening for more than an hour, there's one statement from the President that stayed on my mind: "Napakasarap maging Pilipino sa panahong ito." I'm keeping my faith in P-Noy. God Bless the Philippines!

Rainy Day Comfort Food: Suman sa Lihiya and Hot Chocolate

2012-07-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

A good friend from Calapan came over this week to Manila and gave us a bag of Suman sa Lihiya among other pasalubong.

The rain seems to be unstoppable due to Typhoon Ferdie and at times like this, don't we just want to lie down and snuggle in bed? The only reasons for getting up is when you need to go to the bathroom and when your mind is asking for something to eat. We found the best rainy day comfort food right there sitting on top of our dining table, Suman sa Lihiya! All we need is some hot chocolate or in tagalog, tsokolate eh, to complete the meal.

Heat up a cup of fresh milk in the stove, remove just before it boils and stir in your favorite chocolate mix. I had Carnation, hubby had Swiss Miss with Marshmallows. We added a teaspoon of Fry's cocoa powder to our respective mugs to make the chocolate taste more potent. Unwrap the banana leaves and dump the suman into the mug. Heavenly!

Anti-Cancer Fruits

2012-07-20T10:22:00.001-07:00

There are so many good things that come with technology and modernization but sadly, the same are also responsible for a lot of diseases that only our generation has witnessed.

I have been an advocate of healthy lifestyle after recovering from bouts with illnesses in our family a few years back. We try to avoid food that are known to be bad or unhealthy like sodas, chips, processed and the likes.

Abstaining from these types of food is not enough to be considered healthy. We also need to consume and eat food that would help our body to combat illnesses.

Lately, I've been hearing one sad story after another that concerns the big C. Cancer is becoming prevalent and all the more we should take steps to avoid it.

While there is no guarantee that a certain diet will cure or prevent Cancer, it's still wiser to be aware of what scientists or dietitians say about the food we serve on our table. After all, eating healthy is a choice.

A friend recommended this and I deem that I owe it to my readers that I also share not just recipes or reviews but also tips about health. Take a look at this list of fruits that are said to be Anti-Cancer.

Many types of cancer are induced by the food we eat. Cancer can also be prevented or helped by adding super fruits to our diet. Here are the Top 14 best anti-cancer super fruits and why they are so good for you:

BLUEBERRIES Researchers have shown blueberries contain pterostilbene, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, flavonols, and tannins, which inhibit mechanisms of cancer cell development. Besides this, blueberry can also alleviate the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, prevent urinary tract infections, and reduce blood sugar.

GRAPES Grape is a perennial and deciduous woody vine. Its berries can be eaten raw or be made into juice, jam, jelly, wine, raisins, and others. Grapes are found in almost all parts of the world. Grapes contain phytochemicals such as resveratrol which has been positively implicated to inhibit any type of cancer.

DRAGON FRUIT Dragonfruit is rich in phytoalbumin antioxidants which help carcinogenic free-radical formation in the body. It is also rich in fiber, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins C and B2, as well as its helps excrete metal toxins from the body.

CITRUS FRUITS Citrus fruits include orange, lemon, grapefruit, etc. This kind of fruits contains a large number of bioflavonoids, which can enhance the activity of certain enzymes in human skin, lung, stomach and liver, and change the fat-soluble carcinogenic substance into water-soluble, so as to make them not easy to be absorbed and can be expelled out of the body. At the same time, they can enhance the absorptive capacity of vitamin C by the human body.

Vitamin C is an important cancer substance, which can enhance human immunity, prevent the formation of nitrosamines--a strong carcinogen. What's more, it also has certain effect in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.A study published a few years ago in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, for instance, found that people who consume the highest amounts of flavonoids and proanthocyanidins, a subgroup of flavonoids, were 44 percent less likely to develop oral cancer, 40 percent less likely to develop laryngeal cancer, and 30 percent less likely to develop colon cancer compared to others.

AVOCADO Avocados contain lutein, an anti-cancer carotenoid. Lutein lowers the risk of prostate cancer in men and protects eyes against fatal diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts. Another cancer-fighting component of avocado is glutathione that can significantly cuts the incidence of oral and pharyngeal cancer. Avocados are also rich in potassium, vitamins, and heart-healthy fats.

STRAWBERRIES Anti cancer action is actually related to the polyphenols contained in the berries, rather than in their antioxidant potential, as is commonly assumed. A diet containing a high proportion of strawberries or raspberries (5% or more of total diet) in animals, has been found to significantly decrease the number of esophageal tumors triggered by NMBA, a known powerful carcinogen. Ellagic acid appears to prevent the activation of carcinogenic substances into cellular toxins, causing them to lose their ability to react with DNA and induce mutations capable of triggering the onset of cancer. In addition, strawberry also contains a kind of amine substance, which has good effect in the prevention of leukemia and other diseases related with blood.

ACAI BERRIES Laboratory studies have shown that acai berries can kill off cancer cells. Extracts from the berries can induced the death of leukemia cells. Other beneficial contents of acai are its antioxidants (found to be twice than in blueberries), omega fatty acids, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and fiber.

NONI According to recent studies, noni has properties that may be beneficial in preventing cancer. The extract from the tropical plant indicates some anti-cancer properties useful for the immune system. Moreover, noni contains carbohydrates, dietary fibers, niacin, calcium, iron and potassium.

GOJI BERRIES It has been found out that goji berries contain selenium, a trace mineral that acts an antioxidant which can neutralize free radicals that damage cells and cause cancer. Goji berries are also rich in other nutrients and phytochemicals like amino acids, carotenoids like beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, polysaccharides, antioxidants, calcium, potassium, iron, zinx, and riboflavin.

MANGOSTEEN Mangosteen is anti-cancer and helps cancer prevention. Various studies have shown that phytoceuticals in Mangosteen (in some cases known to be its xanthones) have properties such as: anti-tumor (shrinks tumors), anti-leukemia, antifungal (critical for all cancer patients), antibacterial (to protect DNA), antioxidants (at least two dozen different kinds of xanthones are in the mangosteen fruit), antiproliferation, kills cancer cells and causes apoptosis (programmed cell death) for some types of cancer. This is a pretty impressive list of cancer credentials!This fruit has countless health benefits like ant-ulcer, anti-aging, antiviral, antibiotic, antifungal, anti-depressant, anti-obesity, anti-allergenic, anti-cataract, and many more. Mangosteen also contains: catechins, polyphenols, minerals and vitamins.

SOURSOP Soursop has anti-cancer characteristics and is best for all types of cancer. The fruit is also anti-stress, anti-bacterial, antifungal, anti-depressant, and anti-worms.

POMEGRANATE Studies have reported that the fruits contain phytochemicals that can suppress aromatase, an enzyme which converts androgen into estrogen and which is associated with breast cancer. Furthermore, clinical trials have shown the pomegranate extracts can prevent prostate cancer in men.

KIWI Kiwi contains plenty of vitamins, especially vitamin C, the content of which is 4 to 12 times as that of orange. Through the researches in recent years, it is confirmed that kiwi contains a kind of active ingredient, which can block the formation of carcinogenic "nitrosamines" in the human body. As a result, it has a good effect in preventing cancer.

APPLE Apple peels contain as many as a dozen cancer-fighting chemical compounds, according to a study conducted by researchers at Cornell University and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry."We found that several compounds have potent anti-proliferative activities against human liver, colon and breast cancer cells, and may be partially responsible for the anti-cancer activities of whole apples," said Rui Hai Liu, an associate professor of food science.

I have eaten some of them and I'm glad to discover those fruits that I am yet to taste and see. How about you?

Eat Bulaga Launches Franchise In Indonesia

2012-07-18T10:00:00.001-07:00

In what could be considered as another historical feat, Eat Bulaga, our favorite lunch companion, now has an official Indonesian counterpart with Uya Kuya, Nardji, Reza Bukan and Farid Aja as lead hosts.

This comes after Indonesia's SCTV Network bought Eat Bulaga franchise from TAPE. The latter said in its announcement last Monday, "Today marks another milestone for Eat Bulaga as th e first international franchise of our show will be launched at 4 p.m. in Indonesia. Eat Bulaga, Indonesia in SCTV".

Congratulations to our dear dabarkads for this new milestone.

Lunch Products

Tropical Fruit Shake

2012-07-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

It's rainy season now in the Philippines and why am I writing about fruit shake? Blame it on the weird weather but this rainy season is awfully driving us to the extremes.

Expect the rains to come by in the evening if not late afternoon. But mind you, you'll be enduring the sweltering heat during morning until around noon time.

So, for refreshment and to quench our thirst, we've been having fruit shakes twice in a day. One during breakfast or mid-morning snack and another one in the afternoon for merienda.

This is a healthier alternative to ice cream, I suppose. And of course, to sodas. I still love coca-cola but I have been consciously trying to evade it to minimize my sugar intake.

Here's a refreshing fruit shake concoction that you can try doing at home.

Ingredients

2 pcs. ripe mangoes (cut it up into three to separate the seed and use just the fleshy part)
1 cup pineapple chunks or tidbits (I use fresh and cut them in small pieces)
1 piece banana (lakatan)
1 cup yogurt (see note)
1-2 tbsp honey
2 cups of crushed ice
1/4 cup water

Procedure

Prepare the fruits and combine them in a bowl.

In your blender, pour water and honey and blend/pulse for about 10 seconds just to emulsify.

Add your fruits and blend again for 30 seconds.

Then pour the yogurt and ice. Blend for 1-2 minutes until well mixed.

Pour in individual glasses or in a pitcher to serve.

P.S.
You can also add some garnish to the glasses for presentation. But since we've been having shakes everyday, don't really mind about presentations anymore. Besides, the heat is making us impatient to wait some more :-)

Note: You can use flavored yogurt to give the shake a different twist anytime. I buy Nestlé Fruit Selection Strawberry, Melon Nata, Buco Nata, Raspberry Apple, Berry Mix Medley and Almond-Lychee and they all tasted great.

Best Blenders for Shakes

Bangus Belly Steak Filipino Style

2012-07-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

Bangus or Milkfish is the Philippines' National Fish. This fish has a unique taste which I can only describe in one word: delicious. Bangus can be cooked in different ways from the most complicated Relleno to the simplest Fried or Prito. Somewhere in between are paksiw, sinigang, totso, lumpia (yes, you can make lumpia out of the fish' flesh), and a lot more.

In our family, we all love the belly and head part and it's a good thing that we can buy boneless belly in groceries now. A pack is enough for about 4 servings so we can buy only the choice cuts in bulk instead of wasting the tail part. This sells much higher than the regular fresh Bangus but the hassle free experience is all worth it.

One of the most requested recipe of Bangus that I always get is belly steak, pinoy style. The fish is cooked ala bistek Tagalog or Filipino beef steak using kalamansi and soy sauce and topped with lots of onion rings. This dish is very easy to prepare and I highly recommend this to kitchen newbies. Just be careful though when frying bangus, the oil will splatter to no end so you must lower the heat before turning the fish over to cook the other side. And always, always, use a pan lid to avoid skin burns and messy clothes.

Ingredients

400 grams Bangus (boneless or regular) cleaned and cut into serving size
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup kalamansi juice
3 white onions, cut into rings
water
Oil for frying

Procedure

Mix soy sauce and kalamansi juice in a bowl.
Marinate Bangus in this mixture for 10 minutes.
Remove Bangus and let it drain in a rack.
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry Bangus (in batches) until they reach your desired crispness. See note below.
Take out excess oil, on the same pan, sauté the onions for about a minute. Keep stirring. Do not over cook. Set aside.
Pour the marinade in the pan and add about 1/8 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced in half.
Carefully dump the fish into the sauce followed by the onion.
Simmer for 2 minutes more.
Enjoy with rice or mashed potato and buttered veggies on the side.

Note: When frying the fish, remember that the more crisp or well-done they have been, the less tendency they are to absorb the sauce.

What's in my Pantry? - Ragú Pasta Sauce

2012-07-13T05:30:00.003-07:00

I'm starting a series of "What's in my Pantry?" to let you readers get a glimpse of the ingredients or products I use for cooking. On a similar note, I plan to have another series of the tools or appliances that I find invaluable in my gastronomic adventures. Earlier in my blog post, I have featured Tefal Actifry which has proven to help minimize the need for oil in fried foods that I prepare.

Going back to this post's featured product, Ragú, which is the favorite pasta sauce brand in our home. According to Ragú's website, the brand has been in the market for 75 years and is currently the most preferred pasta sauce in the U.S.

We use Ragú in almost every recipe that calls for tomato-based sauce like marinara, bolognese, baked zitti, macaroni casserole, parmigiana, even in caldereta.

You can buy the sauce in several flavors but we prefer the Original, Real Meat and with Mushrooms.

Tasty Pastas and Sauces

Tribute to Mang Dolphy

2012-07-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

The most memorable trivia I remember about Dolphy is his love for women and food.

In one interview, if my memory serves me right, it was with Arnold Clavio, Dolphy told an anecdote about his favorite food of all time, Kare-Kare. He even cared to emphasize with "maanghang-anghang na bagoong".

The story goes like this, in one of his birthdays (which happens to be July 25th), this was during the time when he was still in several relationships, he was able to eat Kare-Kare four times within the day. The good father, partner and son that he is, Dolphy never failed to pay a visit to his (several) families on his birthdays. Since all of his partners knew of his fondness to Kare-Kare, all three partners plus his own mother prepared the same meal which he, of course, had to show appreciation by eating. He jokingly added, that night even in dreams he was eating Kare-Kare.

As my personal tribute to the King of Comedy, here's my own Kare-Kare recipe.

Ingredients:

1.5 kls. Ox Tail cut into serving size
1/2 cup cooking oil
3 pieces eggplant, sliced diagonally
10 strings sitaw (string beans) cut to 2" long
1 bunch petchay, separated
1 piece Banana bud (puso ng saging), cut into squares
1/4 cup atsuete
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 pieces onions quartered
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup grounded toasted rice
1/2 cup cooked bagoong

Procedure:

Boil Ox Tail in water until tender. This would take around 3 hours in stove or 30-45 minutes in a pressure cooker.

When the Ox tail is almost fork tender, begin preparing the other ingredients.

Heat half of the oil in a frying pan, fry eggplant, string beans, petchay and banana bud in batches. The vegetables should stay half-cooked so it would just take a minute or two per side.

On a saucepan over medium heat, put the remaining oil, add the atsuete and remove immediately once the oil turns red orange. Saute garlic and onion.

Once the onion has caramelized, get about 3 cups of broth from the ox tail. Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add the peanut butter and ground rice stirring continuously. Let it simmer for 3 minutes then add the ox tail.

Note: I prefer to use imported brands of peanut butter because they are not overly sweet unlike the local Lily's etc.

Add more broth if needed. Season with bagoong. It's best not to make the sauce salty. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Finally, add all pre-cooked vegetables. Give them a few stirs then turn off the heat. Cover and let the Kare-Kare sit for about 2 minutes before serving.

Serve with Bagoong on the side.

Cran-Grape: Cranberry or Grape Juice for UTI?

2012-07-11T01:43:00.001-07:00

If you are Googling for UTI or Urinary Tract Infection home remedy, chances are you will come across Cranberry or Grapes as the recommended solution.

Cranberries have long been regarded as a good source of vitamin C. The fruit's high acidity combined with its natural proanthocyanidin content prevents bacteria to linger on the linings of our urinary tract. In this acidic environment, bacterias cannot multiply and eventually die until they are completely eliminated.

In addition, cranberries are considered rich in anti-oxidants that helps prevent cancer and other illnesses. They also have anti-inflammatory properties which hastens recovery from infection.

The same goes to grapes, the purple variety in particular. These small rounded fruits also contain anti-inflamatory substances and are said to work better than cranberries (although this is still debatable) since grapes can somehow make the urine less acidic and therefore helps bladder to recover fast from an infection.

Since women are more prone to UTI, as a preventive measure, I try to drink 1 glass of Cran-Grape juice every other day. You might ask, "Why not every day?". The reason is that I'm also counting my sugar consumption. It's difficult to find a "less sugar" Cran-Grape in the grocery. According to the package, a serving of 8 oz. glass has 32g of sugar.

To lessen the sugar, I try to dilute the juice with ice and the result is like a smoothie. Actually, after my first sip, it brought me back to my childhood days as it tasted like a snow cone.

That's about 6 oz. of juice plus 8 ice cubes. Whip them them in a blender and enjoy a refreshing Cranberry and Grape juice. I also add a handful of fresh seedless grapes when I have some stock in the fridge to make it more fruity tasting.

RIP Dolphy

2012-07-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

Dolphy, Rodolfo Vera Quizon in real life, passed away at the age of 83 tonight while being confined at Makati Medical Center (MMC).

Heralded as the Philippines' King of Comedy, Quizon has been confined in the said hospital for several weeks due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In its official statement, MMC said, "We would like to inform you that Mr. Rodolfo "Dolphy" Quizon passed away at 20:34 due to multiple organ failure secondary to complications brought about by severe pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute renal failure."

RIP Dolphy. Thank you for bringing laughter in our lives.

Photo credit: wikipedia

Sinigang na Hipon sa Sampalok (Shrimp in Tamarind Soup)

2012-07-09T21:25:00.001-07:00

I have yet to hear of a true-blooded pinoy who dislikes sinigang (sour soup). In fact, based on my personal survey, there would be one or two in a household who love sinigang to no end. Meaning, sinigang is a must in their weekly menu.

Sinigang takes so many styles and variation. There's pork sinigang, fish sinigang, beef sinigang, shrimp sinigang and chicken which is differently called as sinampalukang manok. In addition, the souring agent also varies such that different fruits or vegetables are used to make the soup sour like kamias/kalamias, kalamansi, miso, guava (bayabas in filipino) and the most popular sampalok or tamarind.

Still, there are different methods how sinigang is prepared and cooked. For this recipe, I am looking at the healthier way since there are theories alluding to shimps as high in cholesterol (there's an ongoing debate about this), I just boiled everything similar to cooking a stew.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo shrimp ( I used tiger shrimp or sugpo)

3-4 cups water or rice wash

2 pcs. big red plump tomatoes quartered

1 large onion

Prepared tamarind soup base or you can use ready-made Sinigang mix (in bottle or pack)

Kangkong or Water Spinach

other vegetables (eggplant, radish, string beans)

3 pcs. finger chili

Patis or Fish Sauce to taste

Procedure:

Make a tamarind soup base by boiling a handful of tamarind fruit in water or rice wash (hugas-bigas) until tender. Mash the tamarind while still boiling. Use a strainer to filter bits of tamarind.
Add tomatoes and onion to the soup base and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the to tomatoes are tender.
Add all vegetables except kangkong and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add the shrimp and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Season with patis before dumping the Kangkong.
Lower the heat, let the broth simmer for 2 minutes. Make sure that all the vegetables are cooked just right. Serve.

Sinigang is best eaten with rice.

Portuguese Inspiration: Peri-Peri Chicken

2012-07-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

We are constantly on a lookout for ways to prepare or serve chicken to our family and guests. Here in the Philippines, the most common Filipino recipe for chicken would be Chicken Adobo or Adobong Manok, Chicken Tinola, Chicken Afritada, and of course, the all time favorite Fried Chicken.

To give chicken a new twist, I made Peri-Peri Grilled Chicken. Peri-Peri or Peli-Peli is a Portuguese specialty which is very flavorful and considered to be the counterpart of Pinoy Lechon Manok. The difference is mainly in the marinade since both require to be grilled over flame for that smoky effect.

A couple of days ago I spotted some fresh chicken wings over at Magnolia's Chicken Station and hurriedly marinated my loot as soon as we got home. That's how badly I wanted the flavor to infuse deep into the meat.

Prepare the marinade: (This is for about 600 grams of wings)

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 tsp. ground Paprika

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Onion Powder

2 tsps. finely chopped Oregano Leaves or 1 tsp. dried Oregano

1 pc. of bird's eye chili or silting labuyo finely chopped

a dash or more of Cayenne (depending on how hot you prefer)

1/2 tsp each of Salt and Pepper

juice of 2 cps. kalamansi or half of lime or lemon

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Wash and pat dry chicken wings.

3. Dip each wing one by one then put them in a bigger bowl.

4. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate.

5. Let it stand for 12 hours or more.

It was raining hard the following day and I knew I didn't stand a chance to grill the chicken in open flame so I just roasted the wings in the oven.

6. Put chicken in an oven-proof glass and cover with foil. Note: I added some potatoes to the baking tray as sidings.

7. Bake for 1 hour in pre-heated oven at 350°.

8. After 1 hour, take off the foil, increase the heat to 425° and let the chicken brown for 5-10 minutes.

If you have the luxury of grilling the chicken, you can cut down the baking time to 45 minutes then grill the chicken pieces in open fire while continuously basting with the drippings.

We had the wings with buttered corn kernels and tortillas.

Serena Williams Bags Her 5th Wimbledon Title

2012-07-07T10:05:00.001-07:00

I'm not really the sporty type nor do I watch sports on TV a lot. But I follow Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Twitter and I saw her tweet:

This was after beating Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland with scores 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.

Serena proved that passion and dedication with hard work really pay off. Nobody expected that this champion will rise again after her life threatening medical condition a couple of years ago.

Congratulations Serena!

Photo credit: Reuters

P. S. Follow me on Twitter : @disisdang