My Expat Mommy

Single Serving: Pork Longanisa

2016-10-09T11:36:00.000+03:00

Homemade pork longanisa and dried fish

This recipe I owe to many who have asked after I posted it on my personal Facebook page. Long overdue. Sorry :)
Truth be told, I have so many recipes that I wanted to add in this blog, but I just can't seem to do so because I don't like the look of the website. I really really wanted to update to this website to look more personal. That's one talent I don't have so I can't do on my own. So, if you are interested to see more recipes and you know anyone who can help me design the blog, please do let me know. Nakakatamad kasi talaga magsulat if medyo hindi maganda tignan yung outcome...
Anyways, going back to the longanisa, I've long wanted to try making it, kaso it really overwhelms me, tingin ko ang hirap gawin. Specially when most of the recipes online include salitre or saltpeter --- I don't know what it is, and I don't know where to get it. And, it sounds scary! I mean di ba, yung tunog pa lang sa-lit-re... it's a curing agent I know, but being an untrained cook... Wala lang, parang I want to stay away from it until I know exactly what it's made of. So there, since I don't have a curing agent, the challenge now is what will I use as a binding ingredient. I'm sure hindi egg yun and also hindi flour yun. But then, kelan pa mangyayari yong longanisa di ba if I won't try? We have already bought ground port many times but it never ended up being longanisa. Most of the time menudo ang ending n'ya. LOL!
This time, since long holiday, I wanted to make sure happy happy ang breakfast namin everyday since we intend to just stay home the entire time. No big plans, just big breakfasts! Well, surprisingly, the longanisa turned out very well. My guess is the 3 days curing helped a lot, making sure that there is no excess water from the meat. When I cured it dry na dry talaga yung ground meat and when you cure it, don't put it in the freezer kasi mag-moisture yon ulit when you thaw. Below are the ingredients I used:

400gms ground pork
3 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs vinegar
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tbs olive oil (optional depending on how fatty your meat is)
minced garlic (amount depends on how garlicky you want it)
pinch of ground black pepper
salt (to taste)

Just mix all the ingredients well before adding in the ground pork (or any other meat you prefer). Mix well and transfer into a container, seal and put in the ref for about 2-3 days. Roll into logs depending on your preferred size and wrap with wax paper. In this case, I used the ice cream scoop as a measure.

Mommy Tip: It gets smaller after frying, leaner meats don't get too small but tends to get dry and rubbery.

That's it! Fairly simple really. I don't know why making longanisa had overwhelmed me for a very long time. Although to be honest, I was also quite surprised how it turned out. I was ready to fail!

Update: I made another batch yesterday using mixed ground pork and chicken in equal amounts. I don't know how it'll turn out. Watch out for it, I'll post it on My Expat Mommy's Instagram and FB Page.

*Shameless plugging: Please follow My Expat Mommy on Instagram and Facebook!

You might also like:

Tomato & Cucumber Salsa

Chicken Tocino

Pork Adobo sa Star Margarine

Single Serving: Udon-ala-Meimei (Japanese noodle soup)

2015-11-22T12:34:00.001+03:00

Ok, so yeah this is for lack of a better name, let's call this dish as Udon-ala-meimei. This is because this is just something I came up with last Saturday when our Expat Daddy requested spicy soup to relieve him of his hangover. Hmmm.. yeah, I'm a good wife like that. LOL!
Whenever our Expat Daddy has had one drink too many, he always want a spicy soup for breakfast and normally our go to dish is our favorite Shin RamYun instant noodles. I even posted a review here. Yes, that's how much we love our Shin RamYun, and we always keep stock in our pantry. But this time, I had something better in mind. The last time I cooked Soy Chicken, I made sure to keep the extra sauce "for later". I don't really know when that later will happen of if it will ever come. Still, I kept the sauce in a jar and stored it in the ref. So that fateful morning, the "for later" eventually came. I thought about the udon noodles I also have conveniently stored in the freezer, and viola! Spicy udon noodles ready within 15mins.
But of course it wouldn't be good without usual noodle soup "embellishments". Be it ramen, mami, lomi, whatever it is, it's always the "stuff" that make them look so appetizingly good. So I scoured through our ref to find whatever vegetable and meat that would work. Well, lucky me I found some prawns, pulled chicken breast, cabbage, carrots, celery, onion and chili flakes. Hmm... now that I think of it, I should have added boiled egg, for an additional ummph!
Here goes!

Fast and easy but not instant noodle soup

This is really so fast and really easy to make specially since I already had that soy chicken sauce mix ready to go. If you want to know how I made the soy chicken, check the recipe here. So, I just mixed a cup of the sauce with 2 cups of water, put it in a pan and over high heat. When it started to boil, I added the udon, onions, chili flakes and the prawns (so I get that extra seafood flavor from the prawns). I left it for about 5 minutes to cook the noodles and prawns. After that I added all the other vegetables. Adjusted the taste with salt and pepper and kept if for another 5 minutes and then turned of the heat. Transferred it in a bowl and served it to the hungover Expat Daddy. He loved it! And he was amazed how fast I was able to make the soup. Oh btw, did you see that tiny bit of beef strip there, oh it's just for show. LOL! That's our breakfast, I just added a piece for the photo. So, yeah... What I really just want to point out, is that you can put anything that suits your fancy. Whatever you think your family would like in there, it's up to you. It's "ala-Meimei" for a reason. You can also come up with your own version. And you know what's cool, if you can share it with me too!
One point for Mei-mei, yaay!!!

You might also like:

Chicken Mami

Pancit Guisado

Kung Pao Chicken

The Expat Daddy's Lambchops BBQ

2015-05-05T09:06:00.001+03:00

Yummiest ever!!!!

Our Expat Daddy makes the best barbeque ever!!!!! May it be lambchops like these or pork or chicken. The best! Unfortunately, the recipe I haven't learned yet. I don't want to know really. I'm happy enough to just be eating than cooking.

So in the meantime, let's all drool at the photo. LOL! :)

Steamed Hamour (Lapu-Lapu)

2015-04-28T13:21:00.000+03:00

It's been weeks and I still couldn't think of what I really want to eat. I've been looking for inspirations from severel recipe blogs to try and get inspiration on what to cook at home. Sad... so sad that till now I have not found that inspiration. Even that crispy pata we had two weekends back did not really appeal to me. Yesterday was slightly an exception when I thought of preparing steamed Lapu-Lapu inspired by a post I saw from Market Manila. I didn't really use the recipe right to the dot but somehow being a cook myself I kinda got the drift on where the recipe is headed so I just made my own. One thing I was hoping to do just like in Market Manila's recipe is to charcoal steam the fish. I think that's just brilliant. Well having the fish kinda steamed and kinda grilled that's awesome! LOL!

And of course cooking it over charcoal would probably give it a distinct flavor rather than just steaming the fish. So anyway, I just read through the recipe as I've said and then made notes in my mind on what I'd like to take from the recipe. So the one I made is kinda similar but different. Any how, we all enjoyed our dinner last night so big big thanks for the recipe.

Healthy and Yummy!!!

For this dish we used two small red hamour or lapu-lapu about half a kilo each. Since our Big Ate decided she's having Shin Ram Yun for dinner and I also snacked on Shin Ram Yun when I arrived home, I thought two small fishes would be enough.

Ingredients:

2 small hamour (lapu-lapu)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, sliced

small head ginger, sliced

1 large tomato, sliced

bunch of coriander, chopped

salt

pepper

cooking oil

(Mommy Tip 1: you'll also need foil and steamer)

Method:

1. Heat pan then add cooking oil.

2. Saute garlic and ginger. Add onion when fragrant and slightly brown.

3. When the onion is soft and translucent, the tomato. Saute until tomato is soft and is starting to disintegrate.

4. Add the coriander and saute for another 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Set aside.


I agree sauteing the veggies first makes a difference in the overall taste of the fish.

5. Brush the foil sheet with a thin layer of oil. Lay out the fish over a foil sheet and fill its cavity with the cooked vegetables. You may also put some more vegetables over the fish. Wrap and seal the fish.

6. Put in a pre-heated steamer with boiling water and steam for about 30-45 minutes.

7. Turn off the heat. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes then unwrap. Serve with hot steamed or fried rice. Enjoy!

Mommy Tip 2: A dipping sauce of chili oil is a perfect accompaniment to the dish. Yummmmyy!!!

Soy Chicken

2015-02-09T15:09:00.000+03:00

New on the menu: Soy Chicken. Yum!

If you live in the Middle East like we do, you understand the need to be creative in the kitchen. The line "chicken or beef" as said by the cabin crew on your flight to and from any country in the Middle East is a very good indication of what you can expect here. Yes, it's mostly chicken or beef and if you've been living here for quite sometime, a decade and a half perhaps, well... it's understandable that you kinda grow tired of it sometimes.

This is not to say though that we don't have vegetable and seafood options (although seafood are quite expensive, I must say). But yeah... you get the picture. It's chicken or beef maybe five days a week so you really have to find ways to make it extra special specially if you have kids to feed.

If there's one chicken recipe that I really really want to try out is that Soy Chicken I've seen in the Food Network. I actually don't know why I haven't tried it yet till now, but it looked so delicious and very easy to make. Last night I decided to give it a try, half way. Half way I said because I did not get to the part where the chicken was air dried and then deep fried. I'll do that part next time, when I've got a bit more time. In the mean time, let's have this version of half way through Soy Chicken. :)

Well, if the amount of dinner our Small Ate ate is any indication, I would say it really is so good. Usually when we prepare any chicken dish, the breasts were almost always left over. But this time, I even had to save a portion for our Little Oyen, or else there would be nothing left for her. And to think it was a 1.3kg chicken I cooked instead of our usual 1kg.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

1 cup soy sauce

2 tbs hoisin sauce

1 tb Knorr seasoning

2 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

3-4 cups water

1/4 cup sugar

salt (to taste)

pepper

garlic powder (or minced garlic)

ginger powder (or minced ginger)

dried rosemary

Sesame oil

Sesame seeds

Spring onions, chopped

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients except the chicken in a pan and bring to a boil on high heat.

2. When the sauce is boiling, lower the heat to medium and add the whole chicken. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

3. Flip the chicken over and cook the other side. This should also balance the brown color of the skin. Cook for another 30-45 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and let it cool. Once the sauce has cooled down, remove the chicken,set aside to cool down further.

5. Turn the heat again to medium and cook the remaining sauce until it thickens to desired consistency then turn off the heat.

6. Chop the chicken and transfer to a serving dish. Pour over the sauce. Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.

7. Serve with steaming hot rice. Enjoy.

Mommy Tip 1: I've also served the remaining sauce on the side in case people would want to mix it with their rice, which my kids did!

Mommy Tip 2: Light bulb moment, for a more special meal, serve with Bok Choy in Ginger and Garlic Sauce and Yellow Fried Rice. I think this is what I'll do next time. Yum!

You may also want to check these out:

Hoisin Chicken

Hainanese Chicken

Soy Sauce Marinated Stuffed Tilapia

Pinoy Style Chicken Empanada

2014-10-15T12:26:00.001+03:00

Too far in between, I know! But I am back to cooking now, so hopefully I'd be able to share more recipes in the near future.

I'm not quite sure but I think I may have already mentioned in my previous post that I'm more of a cook rather than a baker. I'm not so comfortable with the strict structure of baking, like those measurements, timings, and whatever else. So I just tended to stick with cooking and leave those "dough-related" activities with everybody else in the household.

When we used to have a "mini" catering business more than two years ago, among our bestsellers are cassava cake, empanada and lumpia. The cassava was the specialty of the Expat Lola and she tends to be proprietary with her recipe so I still don't know how to make that. LOL! With the lumpia and empanada I have about 50% participation. Because, I am only engaged in cooking the stuffing. The wrapping and dough preparation, the assistants are the experts. Specially with the empanada dough it used to be the previous nanny who make it. I didn't bother because she can do it perfectly well and ---- it's hard. But long story short, she's no longer with us and we're back to COOKING FOR MONEY!!!! LOL!

I wanted to include empanada again to our menu because it used to be such a hit. But there was this "dough" problem. So as always, I turned to my mentor Mr. Google and looked for the best looking photo of empanada accompanied with the simplest recipe which I can master. And then ---- tarraaaannn!!!!

Finally! We made it!!!!

There you have it ladies and gentlemen, the most perfect empanada in the whole wide world! Hahahaha!!! No, that was a lie. But I'm quite happy with how it turned out. No, that was an understatement. I'm ecstatic ---- and very proud. The dough was perfect for the perfect filling recipe I already have tucked under my sleeve. Naks! Kidding aside, this truly was an instant hit when I introduced it to the "market". That's about 20 persons, really. Our customers in our little enterprise of supplying snacks and lunches daily.

Anyways, so here's my take on the empanada that everyone loves.This recipe yields about 20 pieces.

Filling:

200 grams chicken breast, cooked

1 large potato, diced

1 large carrot, diced

2 tbs raisins

1/4 cup green peas

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 pcs garlic, minced

3 tbs cooking oil

1 tbs tomato paste

2 tbs soy sauce

1/4 cup tomato sauce

salt, pepper and sugar to taste

hard boiled egg, sliced (optional)

How to:

1. Put pan over medium heat and add oil.

2. When hot, add the onion. Saute for 1-2 minutes then add the garlic.

3. When the garlic is golden brown, add the chicken. Saute for 2-3 minutes. (Remember, the chicken had already been boiled/cooked)

4. Add tomato paste, soy sauce and tomato sauce. Saute for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt, pepper and sugar to suite your taste.

5. Add all the vegetables and the raisins. Cook until potatoes and carrots are soft to the bite.

6. Remove from pan, drain excess liquid and set aside.

Dough:

3 cups flour

3/4 cups fresh milk

120gms frozen butter, cubed

1 tbs baking powder

2 tbs sugar

1/2 tsp salt

How to:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients then add the frozen butter.

2. Fold in the solid butter pieces and work it out with the flour mixture using your hands. Add the milk.

3. Mix until dough is soft but firm and no longer sticking to the bowl or your hands.

4. Form the dough into one big ball and wrap in plastic.

5. Put in the freezer for about 1-2 hours.

And then finally to make empanadas you'll need enough oil for deep frying.

1. Remove dough from freezer and thaw for about 15-30 minutes or until soft enough to roll.

2. Roll out the dough to about 2mm thick.

3. Scoop about 2 tbs of filling put in the center top with a slice of hard boiled egg (if using). Fold the dough to form a semi-circle. Stick the edges together then cut out the excess leaving only about half cm. to seal.

4. Using a fork, tuck the edges to seal. Repeat. Yield is about 20 pieces.

5. Deep fry the empanadas. Make sure you don't crowd the pan so as not to drive down the temperature of the oil, so fry about 2-3 pieces only at a time.

6. The the dough turns light to golden brown, remove from pan.

7. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil. Set aside to cool.

8. Serve for breakfast or snack. Enjoy!

Mommy tip: Remember, the filling is already cooked so no need to fry for too long. Remove from pan the moment the dough turns brown and crisp.

You may also want to check these out:

Homemade Pancakes

Cheese Cupcake

Puto Pandan and Cheese Puto

111111

2014-02-24T08:30:00.002+03:00

Wow! Just thought this is amazing. 111,111 views as of now, Feb 24, 2014.

I thank everyone who still keeps visiting this blog even if I don't really have new things to offer. I would really try harder this time. As I check the stats now, the top 10 viewed dishes are:

Ginataang Tambakol - 4,889 views
Hotdog and Cheese Bread Roll - 4434 views
Tonkatsu and Buttered Vegetables - 3,809 views
Pork Humba - 3,793 views
Cheese Cupcake - 3,461 views
Puto Pandan/ Cheese Puto - 3,139 views
Arroz Caldo - 3,124 views
Kalderetang Batangas - 3,040 views
Paksiw na Pata - 2,821 views
Labanos Kilawin - 2,055 views

So, if you have anything in your mind you'd like to learn how to prepare or cook, please do share. Let's learn together. Just like you, I am also learning as I go along. I believe good dishes are a product of a lot of hits and misses. So to be a good cook, let's not be afraid to try. My first dish which I learned when I was 10 was 3-step Adobo, taught by my Tatay. First chop all ingredients, dump them in the pan and cook. Done. It was good actually. But along the way, I started experimenting. Adobo sa Star, Adobong Dilaw, Spicy Adobo and even Adobo Fried Rice. Any and all kinds of Adobo, until finally I got tired of it. It's now my least favorite dish. LOL!

Last night, as I was making Fish and Chips, which ended up as Fish Tempura, for our dinner. I suddenly realize that even the girls' perception of home cooked meals had now changed. They now are active participants in planning our menu. It was a funny thought that they now see our kitchen as they're personal restaurant where they just call in their orders and I would prepare it for them. Even before going to sleep, they enumerate the breakfasts, lunches and dinners they want me to prepare for the week. It looks like they think they have a personal chef at home! There were even times when they would ask for burgers or steaks or mashed potatoes but refuse to eat out. They wanted me to cook them at home instead. Life had just suddenly become harder! LOL!

But I love it. I love when the fam loves the food that is served to them. I love when they finish up everything. I love when the Expat Daddy takes photos of the food before we devour them. I just so love food, cooking and everything that goes with it. In our home, meals are always a thing to look forward to. Specially weekend meals, they're such big events.

Some people suggest that I should put up a restaurant or make any of my cooking a business. And I pray, with God's grace, in time that could happen. I think the happiness I get now will be multiplied a hundred-fold.

So to all you foodies out there, here's to all of us who loves food, cooking and eating!!!!

See you in our next Kitchen Adventure!

Oh by the way, and since we're "talking blog", please check out my mommy blog too, 3 Mini Ladies and a Mommy. Let's share our mommy-hood experiences and some future planning and personal finance too!

Boneless Lechon Belly a.k.a Lechon Cebu

2014-02-23T16:18:00.000+03:00

Look how beautiful this baby is! We are definitely in Lechon heaven!

I have not been able to post any entries on this blog in the last months, that was sad, really. I really really wanted to keep this blog going. More so, to improve it. I just didn't know how to do it. I really think I need help to design this blog, plus the other "mommy" blog which I also wanted to keep active as an online diary for the girls. Unfortunately, the drive just wasn't there. But, now is a totally different case. I have just had a major major accomplishment in my cooking adventures and I think, this one is really for the books. Maybeone of the most successful kitchen experiments I've had. Although personally, I think this one really tops them all!

Last week, the Expat Daddy's and my chats on Facebook while we were both at work revolved around the Cebu Lechon that we have been craving for. We both agree that it would be a good idea to try it out since all ingredients are now readily available in Qatar. We were both so motivated and from the first conversation, it had developed into a full-blown plan! We don't have any of the ingredients, but our major set back was the butcher's twine which we didn't know where to get. I even asked in one of my groups in Facebook if they knew where to buy. I received a couple of store recommendations and I relayed it to the Expat Daddy who was tasked to buy all we need. In the end, he came home with a yarn. LOL!

But who cares?! We are really set on making it for our Friday lunch. So, yarn it is! My concern only was that the yarn may burn and not hold the meat while it cooks. Fortunately, my anxiety was for nothing. The yarn held just as well.

Our little kitchen adventure started on Thursday night. After another complicated dinner of steak, mashed potato, salad and roasted mushrooms. I didn't care how tired I was with the dinner preparation. I was really set on the lechon. So after Yaya finished washing up and cleaning the kitchen, the Expat Daddy and I tackled the task at hand. We already had the boneless belly thawed and now it's sitting in the kitchen counter at room temperature. In a bowl I mixed salt, crushed black pepper and coarsely chopped lemon grass, bay leaves and scallions. then I rubbed it on the non-skin side of the meat. After that the Expat Daddy helped me in rolling the meat and tying it (yes that was his only role! LOL!). I then mixed more salt and crushed black pepper in the same bowl and rubbed it on the skin side of the meat. After that I kept the meat back into the freezer overnight.

Pardon the tying, we are amateurs :)

The next day, after waking up, I immediately took out the meat from the refrigerator to thaw up to room temperature.

In a Pyrex flat dish, I prepared the marinade by mixing soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, lemon grass, garlic, onions, bay leaves and scallions. I then transferred the rolled pork belly in to the marinade. Untied it so that I can also marinate the meat-side of the pork. I marinated it for about an hour, turning it over from time to time to marinate both sides evenly. After an hour, I scooped all the solid ingredients of the marinate and put it on the non-skin side of the meat and rolled the meat back again.

I then turned on the oven to high and let it heat up for about 10-15 minutes before putting in the pork belly. I baked it for about 2 hours on medium heat and another 30 minutes on low heat until the skin is crisp. After 2.5 hours, Viola!

Crisp skin and tasty skin that's peeled off the succulent meat. Did I say Lechon Heaven? :)

We let it sit for about 10 minutes to cool down before chopping it. I mentioned that the skin was too crispy it just peeled itself off the fat portion of the meat. This really is oh so yum! We served it with steaming hot rice and Philippine mangoes for dessert. And then had an evil laugh right after! LOL!

We kept the stuffing with the chopped lechon for added kick!

Oh, I am so pleased with myself. Now 2 days after. I couldn't help myself but share the success with you fellow foodies out there. I am just too giddy with happiness. We all agree that we did well on our first try and we can't wait to try it again. I have actually boasted about it on Facebook and with our family, friends and relatives. And they're as excited as I am to try it out again and sample it to them. Yes people, it wouldn't be so far away. This is happening again!!!! :)

Project 57: Beef Wraps

2013-08-25T15:15:00.001+03:00

So good and filling, you won't even feel like you're on a diet! :)

Ok, you might be wondering what's Project 57 is. Well, that's just my code for my perpetual struggle with the bulges. As I turn a year older again next month, it would be exactly a decade when I was down to that weight. Hihi! And in a month's time too, that would be 10 years of Day 1 in my diet program. Can't seem to make it to day 7! LOL!
So anyway, for the record I am currently on day 4 of my salads and wraps diet. Yes, it is quite an achievement to have reached this stage without rice and Coke intake! My gulay! It was a struggle, but I'm so proud! Woohoo! Actually, at this point I am not looking too far ahead. My only goal is to at least keep away from rice and Coke for about 2 weeks. Hopefully by then, I'd be able to fit in the clothes I have just recently bought. My goodness, they were just about a couple of months old I guess, but I just keep on getting bigger and bigger by the day. So yes, I now learned to make SMART goals, and I am keeping it SMART this time. I'll make sure that I have realistic goals to avoid frustrations. :)
So to start off, I'll share with you this very delicious wraps that's been keeping my tummy happy this past few days. Mind you, it's so good that the Expat Daddy and the girls share them with me.
So yeah, Project 57 is project going back to 57kg. The goal is to achieve it in about 1.5 - 2 years. Yes, that's how realistic my goal is. No crash diets, no diet pills this time. Just healthy eating and exercise. :)

Ingredients:
Flour tortilla
Beef strips (I used rib eye, but any cut will do as long as they're not hard and chewy)
capsicum
white onion
avocado
lettuce
1/4 tsp light soy sauce
olive oil
dash of salt and steak pepper to taste
garlic dressing (optional)
cheese (optional)

Method:
Sprinkle some salt and steak pepper on the beef and set aside.
Heat pan and add olive oil, throw in the onion and capsicum. Roast until soft, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the beef strips. When cooked, add the light soy sauce. Stir and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Set aside.
To prepare the wrap, layer the tortilla with lettuce, the cooked beef, avocado and cucumber (You may also want to add the garlic dressing and cheese, if not on a diet. The photo above was for the Expat Daddy, mine doesn't have cheese.)
Roll and serve. You may also heat in the oven toaster if you want to eat your wraps warm. Enjoy!

Chicken Maring

2013-08-25T14:43:00.000+03:00

Best for the rainy weather :)

Sounds familiar? It's because this was the chicken recipe I cooked at the time when Typhoon Maring was wrecking havoc in the Philippines. At that time my mind was too occupied with the people affected by the typhoon and the floods that followed. So no, it wasn't inspired, because honestly, the news were nothing but depressing. But I guess we could empathize, because at the exact same time, there is just nothing in our pantry and refrigerator. So for dinner, I just cooked whatever was available. But as it turns out the Fam loves the dish. The Expat Daddy even kidded our dinner is very timely. The perfect relief dish! LOL!

So here goes my no nonsense Maring dish. I will definitely make it again! And by the way, these recipe is so non restrictive, it's just basically chicken Sautéed with veggies, so you can add whatever veggies are available for you. Feel free. :)

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, chopped adobo size
2 medium sized potatoes, cubes
1 small can sliced button mushrooms (including brine)
cabbage
string beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, sliced
2 tbs cooking oil
1 chicken broth cube
salt & pepper
2 cups water

Method:
Heat oil in the pan, add garlic and saute till lightly brown. Add the onion, cook until soft and translucent.
Add chicken and chicken broth cube. Cover for 10-15 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking to evenly cook the chicken.
Add the potatoes. Cover and cook for another 5-8 minutes.
Check the potatoes, when soft, add the mushrooms (including brine) and beans. Return the cover and cook for about 3 minutes then add half of the water.
Simmer for 5 minutes then add the cabbage. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add more water as desired and adjust taste buy adding salt.
Turn off heat. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

Grocery Find: Spring Home Siomai

2013-07-31T11:26:00.000+03:00

It's no secret our family loves to eat. Me specially. Not only I find joy in the food that I serve, I also take pride every time I'm able to recreate dishes that the Fam loves eating in the restaurants. I have a lot actually in my bucket list. Most of them I am able to do successfully, other times I try to look for them in the grocery. Do you remember the my entry on Shin Ramyun noodles I posted here? That's the Korean spicy instant noodles that has become an all time favorite for me and the Expat Daddy. Until now, we make sure that we have that in stock all the time. :)

Just recently, I found this.

This is the bomb! :)

Actually I've been seeing this in the grocery for quite a while already but didn't attempt to try until recently. Because it is Ramadan, and for those of you who are not from our part of the world, Ramadan is the month of fasting for our Muslim brothers and sisters. And if you're in the Middle East, during the Ramadan season, all restaurants are closed from sunrise to sunset. They open after the sunset call to prayers, after then it is Iftar or the breaking of the fast. This is the time when restaurants can now open to serve. However for us non-Muslims, we are allowed not to observe fasting. But we can only eat in the comforts of our home, out of respect to those who are fasting. And since we only have a 6-hour work day, what better way to spend time at home than eating, right? :)

So in my quest to find options to serve to the girls who are on summer break, I finally tried this Spring Home Siomai. They cost QR11.00 ($3.00) per 10pc pack. Not bad right? I mean compared to the prices of siomai's served in different restaurants, this comes out as quite cheap actually, specially for a family of five. Well, we can actually finish 3 packs in one serving :). I got these from Family Food Center in Al Nassser Area, but I know I've also seen these in Lulu Hypermarket and Carrefour. What's good about this is that we even liked it more than those served in the restaurants. Surprisingly, they're not hard and chewy, just about the right texture too. The rest of the Fam loves the chicken and prawn flavor, but I thought I liked the prawn more. The only drawback however, is this is a little bit hard to find. That's why everytime I go to the grocery, I always look for them. And apologies to those who will be looking for it, I kinda hoard most of the time. I know that's bad, but I can't help it! We just like it so much! I also recommended it to my sister in law, since siomai is my nephew's favorite food on earth and they love it too! Go! Don't take my word for it, and let me know if you like it too. :)

Red Velvet Cupcake "Experiment"

2013-07-31T10:05:00.003+03:00

Disclaimer: As the title goes, this is an experiment and by no means am I recommending this, but I must just also say that this isn't so bad after all. The cupcakes tastes good and fluffy. Yes, the photo did not do justice, but then again, this is just an experiment so I'm sure we can do better next time! :)

Tastes better than it looks, promise!

Isn't that neat, starting off this entry with a disclaimer? LOL! No, I'm not being defensive, but most of you know that I am not a baker. In fact, apart from the crinkles and chocolate chip cookies --- plus the pancakes, I can not remember any single successful baking I've made, in terms of cakes and cupcakes. I really don't know, but no matter how hard I stick to the recipe, somehow what I made turns out differently than that of the ones in in the pictures. Haay... But I'm not giving up. I know, someday... Someday, I'd be able to make at least 1 decent cake :)

Now, I'm not one with a sweet tooth, but somehow I really like the Magnolia Bakery's cupcakes. Among the flavors they have, my favorites are the Vanilla and Red Velvet. There's just somehow a distinct flavor in the Red Velvet that I like. Won't say love yet, I haven't fallen in love yet. But I guess when it comes to cupcakes, the Red Velvet would be my flavor of choice. The only problem is, they are so expensive! I mean for myself and the girls, it would cost me an arm and a leg. And the trouble is the two little ones just make a couple of small bites and won't finish them. So I end up with cupcakes one too many.
And so I thought, the only solution for me to enjoy the cupcake from time to time is for me to be able to make one for myself. I save on the labor cost, plus the rest of the Fam can enjoy too --- well that is, if I do it right! LOL! And so my quest for the perfect recipe began. I browsed through the net, starting with my favorite bloggers to find the perfect recipe. Perfect meaning, something that's good but at the same time with simple steps that I can follow. I found some, no question. But they all look so complicated! Well all cakes and cupcakes recipe for me are complicated. And so weeks passed... One day, in the grocery store this box of Betty Crocker French Vanilla mix caught my eye. It was a lightbulb moment! LOL!

This is it! :)

I think the French Vanilla flavor would be a perfect base for my red velvet cupcake. And it did! I prepared this mix as per package instructions, mixing in 4 tbs of cocoa powder in the mix before adding the liquid ingredients. Then once I finished mixing, I added 1 tsp of red food coloring. Then baked them. It was good! Really it was. I know it doesn't seem so from the picture but you can try them for yourself. LOL! Although, I think 4 tbs of cocoa powder had overpowered the color. Maybe next time I'll lessen it to just 2 tbs. The chocolate and vanilla flavor, plus the smell truly is red velvet. I really just try to make it less chocolaty and a bit redder next time. It's what makes Red Velvet truly Red Velvet right. AND, I must learn to make that frosting. I think the frosting is also essential to capture the flavor of Red Velvet. I'll do it, in the near future I promise I'll do it and let you know how it turns out. In the mean time, let me just enjoy this little Red Velvet experiment I just did. :)

Surprise flowers and Iphone5 from the Expat Daddy, The Story of our 10-year Marriage

2013-06-09T09:16:00.000+03:00

Last Thursday, I had the surprise of my life when I found these in the car.

Actually, the Expat Daddy was picking me up, so obviously I already know these were from him, right? hehe! Every Thursday, our routine is that we'll meet up so he can take the car and pick up our Small Ate and then they'll drop me off back to the office. He'll then drop off SA home and come back for me after office. Last week was no different as routine goes. So you can imagine how surprised I was when I saw this as I reach the car. But before that actually, the impatient me was kind of irritated when I saw there was no one in the car waiting for me. I was like, where did he go? I just want to get in the car and leave! And then the flowers and the phone, oh and that two page letter there. Yes, it wasn't just a note it was a front and back letter. :)

So ok, it wasn't really the movie/ teleserye reaction he got from me. He knows me, he'll never get that. The best I could come up with is a wide grin. As I always say, ganon talaga ang Royal Blood, we don't show our emotions in public. hehe! When I posted these on my FB page though, it was very popular. So many likers in both my and ED's page. And, what's funny was that most of the likes came from other mommies, all over! It just goes to show that a little kilig goes a long way! I had the strong urge to tag the daddies, pinigil ko lang sarili ko! hehe!

Well, I guess it's about time to let the secret out, mommies. I'm not always that lucky, hehe! Minsanan lang yan. Both ED and I are not "gifting" people. Well, ED used to be, nahawa na lang ata sa pagiging kuripot ko. And that's exactly the story behind the surprise. ED knows I like Iphone, but not enough to part my hard earned money with. And that's how I am since we got married. So worried about the future that all I ever want to do is save save save. I'm sure most of you mommies agree with me di ba? But somehow, ED has a point too. I mean after what we've been through in the last 3 years, and after loosing all our savings to investments gone bad prior to that, I'm starting to think that ED is right, that we should also enjoy our money from time to time. Since as I've said, they're hard earned. And we should enjoy the fruits of our labor right? Right! My only problem is, I can't make myself believe that. I always feel guilty if I buy something for myself. I can spend so much for the girls and I don't mind whatever ED wants to buy, but for myself... that's another story altogether.

The phone story. Don't get me wrong mommies, I have a nice phone naman. A Blackberry, this.

nice naman right? The only problem with it is that it always hangs and more often has no signal. I used to have a black one, also from ED, with the same problem. So imagine ED's frustration when I had to replace the black with this. Yes, I'm stubborn that way. And also, I felt that if I really had to buy, I would only raise my budget up to this. And so I had turn away from the Iphone. That's more than double the price! My goodness! We already have so many I's in the house we don't need another one. But ED thought differently. The only problem is he knows there is no way to convince me to buy a new phone since the Blackberry is just about 2 months old. And so as always, he took matters in his own hands. Hehe!

And the flowers? Oh I think that's an afterthought. Hahahaha! He knew that giving me the phone alone will also give me a heart attack at the same time. So he had to cover it with flowers. As I would be overwhelmed with the flowers, and would be giddy with the kilig that I wouldn't mind receiving the phone too. Haha! Baligtad no? Yes, I would have been happy with the flowers alone. But no, the flowers are not the gift. Kumbaga sa war, the flowers are in the line of fire. To protect the phone from getting hit. Hehe!

And for added defense, the letter. That was how we were when we were just starting out. We loved giving giving letters to each other. What I love about the ED's letters is his presentation. No, he doesn't have any stationeries. He makes them up. Like he'd cut and burn paper. Use magazine pages, roll up a used brown envelope. The works. Maybe I should show them to you one time. They're like so nice talaga kasi you can see the effort he'd put into them. I loved those times. The time when we didn't have money yet and we had to find innovative ways to gift each other. I'm sure you mommies are like that too, no? We get touched more when we see more effort than more cost. Tama ba? Kaya I was really touched, after all these years he remembered. And of course the content din of the message. It's too personal so I won't share it na lang. But, it's a testament that after a decade I still believe that I have married a good man. Someone I can depend my life on. We may not be rich but we're living a full life. And best of all, our love hasn't wavered in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. That's what marriage is all about right mommies?

My Tasmeem Doha 2013 Food Preparation Workshop Experience -- Part 1

2013-03-14T10:24:00.001+03:00

Warning: A bit of a long post, this was also the thought process documentation I submitted to our workshop leaders to incorporate with the other participants' written documentation for our exhibition. You will find my own Tinola Recipe here. I'll be writing more about my Tasmeem Doha 2013 Experience in my other blog Doha Domestication.

In this workshop, I decide to make Tinola, a traditional Filipino chicken dish most commonly prepared as a viand to rice. As a variation, I had initially thought of the various ways this dish could be turned into, mostly as a viand. Eventually, I decided to vary the dish and turn to another Filipino Classic, the Lugaw or more commonly known for its Spanish name Arroz Caldo.

Being a Filipino, I know when it comes to dishes, the first thing that other nationalities would normally think of is Adobo. Again, I would think that the dish is a recipe coming from the Spanish colonizers. Filipino cuisine, more often is a fusion of a local dish and another foreign dish. This being, that the Philippines have been colonized/ ruled by different nations throughout its history and their influences are more commonly evident in our present day dishes. It can be observed that Filipino dishes would more often than not have a Spanish, American, Japanese influence and on other dishes, influence also by Chinese and Indian traders who had come to the Philippines to trade prior to the Spanish colonization. It is a surprise really that the Filipino palate did not develop any preference to the various spices they have introduced to the country.

Although Adobo is very popular for a Pinoy Dish, in this workshop I would like to prepare something which I believe has a distinct Filipino origin. The Tinola by its name alone is very Filipino. As I researched its origin, it turns out that the dish is truly Filipino. According to Wikipedia:

Tinola in Tagalog or Cebuano, or la uya in Ilocano is a soup-based dish served as an appetizer or main entrée in the Philippines.^[1] Traditionally, this dish is cooked with chicken, wedges of green papaya, and leaves of the siling labuyo chili pepper in broth flavored with ginger, onions and fish sauce. A common variant substitutes pork for chicken, chayote instead of papaya, or moringa leaves known as marungay or malunggay or "kamunggay" (in Cebuano), instead of pepper leaves.^[2] However, an all-vegetable broth in Cebu with 'kamunggay' in prominence is called "utan kamunggay" or "utan bisayâ".
Tinola was invented in the late 19th century. The dish was also referenced in José Rizal's first novel, Noli Me Tangere.

The above description aptly describes what the dish is all about. And had I been in the Philippines I would be preparing this classic the same way. However, being here in the Middle East, circumstances call for substitution since like leaves of chili pepper is not available here in Qatar. Also, with the chicken being so oily here in Qatar (I don’t know why) the traditional cooking method of sautéing the chicken and eventually coming up with a very oily oily soup doesn’t really look so appetizing. However, for the purpose of the workshop, I decided to present the traditional cooking method just so I would be able to present how a simple soup dish can be converted into a full meal with the variation of the last few steps.

As I mentioned, I decided to use the traditional cooking method, so after I have prepped the ingredients, I have heated the oil in a saucepan over medium flame. Once hot I have put in the garlic and sautéed it for a minute until soft. I then added the ginger. Once fragrant, I added the shallots and sautéed them together until the shallots are soft and translucent. I have then added the chicken, sautéed for about 5 minutes and left it for another 5 minutes on low flame. Once the chicken started to brown and about halfway cooked, I added the papaya and the chicken broth cube. Adjusted the heat to medium flame and left it to cook for 5-8 minutes and then I added the rice wash which will serve as the broth for the dish. I adjusted the flame to high to bring it to boil which took about another 10-15 minutes. After which I adjusted back the flame to medium-low heat to simmer. I have also added the long green pepper at this time. I cooked it for another 5 minutes and turned of the heat, at which point I have added the scallion. The residual heat from the broth will cook the scallions in just a minute or 2.

As a variation to the dish, the vegetables will be replaced with rice and egg. The method will also vary a little but, what I would like to point out is that although there is a very minimal variation in the recipe, it would not be very obvious that these two dishes are very similar.

Again I started with prepping the ingredients the chicken and only the vegetables needed for sautéing. This time, I have dry-rubbed the chicken with turmeric. The reason is to give the dish a very mild yellow color (I’m not sure why it had to be yellow, but that’s just how it is. I still actually don’t know how they make it yellow in the Philippines, but the turmeric is just my own touch. So basically the heirloom lineage for our family, I guess will start from me). Just like the first dish, I had sautéed the vegetable chicken and chicken broth together. Then I added the rice sautéed it for about 5-8 minutes and then added the rice wash. I then continued stirring until the rice is cooked. This part is a little bit tedious and somewhat tiring since I really had to stir the chicken and rice until the rice is cooked. For the very small amount of ingredients I have, it took me 30 minutes on this part. Maybe because I made the mistake of using biryani rice. I am not very familiar with biryani rice since we don’t use this in the Philippines. Jasmine rice would be more appropriate for this dish. The biryani had also given the dish a very different smell so it was really a wrong move on my part. Although I’m still glad that the taste did not really deviate from the original recipe, but the texture of the dish is really different. The biryani did not have that much starch in it I guess to really turn the dish moist.

When the rice is starting to cook, I had then cooked the egg in a different pan. Once cooked, I added the peeled hard boiled egg into the dish.

I have also prepared garnishes just like how we normally served the dish in the Philippines. This includes chopped scallions, shallots, and chili pepper, sliced lemon and roasted minced garlic. Usually the lemon juice will be mixed with soy sauce and chili pepper and poured over a bowl of this Lugaw.

In this two dishes it could show that basically both are chiken and rice dishes. The only difference is that the Tinola serves as a viand for rice, unlike the Lugaw where the rice is already incorporated in the cooking process. Both this dishes exhibit the strong garlic-onion-ginger taste in them.

In the Philippines, I will be surprised if there will be any Filipino who did not grow up with these two dishes. Not only is it a classic but it is very economical and practical that any household would be always be happy to include it intheir menu.

Twisted Crab and Corn Soup

2013-02-18T15:14:00.001+03:00

Today I had salad for lunch. Today I commit not to have rice intake. Today I'm supposed to go back to the gym. But it won't happen. The other half of the Fam is sick. Dada with his arthritis and our Big Ate and Little Oyen are both down with the cold. So today, at 10am, I had to rush back home to tend to these loves. The biggest challenge was what food to offer them. All of them don't want to eat anything. Both Yaya and I already offered everything we have available, willing to cook anything they will ask. Since I only had 2 hours to stay home before I go back to work again for a scheduled meeting, I didn't have time to go run to the supermarket to pick up anything soft I could offer them. But then, scouring through the pantry, I found we have lots of different powdered soups available. Those packet types which you only need to add water and boil. I'm sure you know the kind. The challenge is how I could make it look and taste appealing for them to eat, given the circumstances. Not only that, i can't just serve them diluted soup powder in water right? And so this is how I came up with this "twisted" crab and corn soup. Basically it is just the Knorr Crab and Corn Soup mix with a little twist to make it healthier and more delicious.

Ingredients:
2 tbs Knorr Crab and Corn Soup (powdered mix)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbs butter
1/4 cup misua noodles
mushrooms, sliced
bell pepper, finely chopped
celery leaves, finely chopped
3 cups hot water
1/4 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper (as desired)

Method:
In a pan, melt the butter and gradually add the soup powder while stirring it continuously to avoid lumps from forming.
Add the mushroom. Cook for about a minute while stirring continuously.
Add the half of the water. Stir until of the pasty mix of butter and soup powder is fully dissolved.
Add the vinegar, bring to a boil then lower the heat to simmer for about 1-2 minutes.
Add the bell pepper and misua noodles. Stir until misua is cooked.
Slowly pour in the egg in a steady stream while stirring rapidly to make shreds.
Add the rest of the hot water until you reach desired soup consistency. Add salt and pepper as desired.
Garnish with celery leaves and serve. Enjoy!

Mommy Tip: You know what I really loved about this spur of the moment recipe? Just stir in chopped chili peppers and this soup tastes so much similar to the hot and sour soup served in the Chinese restaurants! But don't take my word for it, try it for yourselves! :)

You might also like:

Creamy Chicken Sopas

Single Serving: Our New Instant Hit - Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup

Arroz Caldo (Chicken Lugaw)

Roast Turkey: Our Christmas "Lechon" for 2012

2013-02-11T16:35:00.001+03:00

"The star of our Noche Buena Feast"

Oh geez, it's been one and half years already. Time does fly so fast! First of all, let me first thank the who had still continued to check out this site even if I've been too "lazy" to update it. Oh no, I did not just say that... let me jus say, I "lacked the creative juices" to write in the last year. Haha!
Well, to be quite honest about it, 2012 had been quite a roller coaster year for me and my family and so with everything had been going on, updating this blog didn't make it to the priority list. But, I think that's ok, since loosing weight never made it too! :)
So, why don't we kick off the blogging year with a festive mood (even if we're 2 months late, haha!). Let's start off with the star of our Noche Buena feast last Christmas. This is actually something I am so proud off. That was about my third try to roast a turkey, and finally, I was able to roast it just right, with the meat cooked through but not too overcooked that it was dry. This one was just right. And, I'm not sure if all of you would agree, but I think I made the right decision when I decided to cook the turkey in its brine first before transferring it to the oven to roast. This way, the meat is already half-cooked and all I had to do is to brown the skin and cook the meat all the way through making sure that there are no bloody juices coming out from the turkey when we slice it.

Ingredients:

1 whole turkey (around 3kg)
2 carton pineapple juice
4 large celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, sliced to 4-5 parts
4 red onions, quartered
1 head garlic, crushed
fresh rosemary
fresh lemongrass
spring onions
salt
crushed black peppercorns

Method:
At least one day before roasting, prepare the brine by mixing all of the ingredients in a pot that can fit the whole turkey.
Add in the turkey and let it sit overnight, turning over the turkey from every few hours to ensure balance of seasoning in the meat.
Before roasting, pre-cook the turkey in the pan by putting it over medium to high fire and letting it boil for about half an hour then lower the heat, cover and simmer for at least 2 hours more.
Turn off the heat, transfer the turkey to a roasting rack and let it sit for about half an hour to drain off the liquid.
Take the as much vegetables from the broth and insert it in the turkey's cavity.
Put the turkey in a roasting pan and into the oven and roast for about 3-4 hours at 180deg.
Turn off heat, let the the turkey sit and cool down before transferring to the serving tray.
To prepare the gravy, use the drippings from roasting the turkey, add a little broth you used earlier and let it simmer while stirring gradually until it is reduced to half the original amount and to your desired thickness. Add more broth as desired.
Serve and enjoy with the rest of your holiday feast!

Mommy tip: serve with roast potato wedges for added goodness! :)

You might also like:

Roast Chicken with Cheesy Cream Sauce

Fresh Lumpia

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adobo Fried Rice

2012-07-17T14:46:00.001+03:00

A little twist to our usual Adobo fare

Ok, let me be honest with you, this was just an experiment, but the I have been toying with the idea for a few months before I made it. Yes, I do have2 bandehados of them, hehe! I actually made if for a paying corporate client, who I had catered for 2 weeks for their training sessions. I know, I know, I shouldn't have experimented, hehe! But just I said, I have had the recipe in my mind for a few months now, so I was quite confident I could make it work. I mean it is still Adobo, and surely you fellow Expat Mommies out there will agree with me that we can make one mean Adobo with our eyes closed! :)
And so, this recipe will come in two parts. First would be Fried Chicken Adobo, and then this would be the main component for the Adobo Fried Rice. For this particular recipe, I will cut down on the ingredients so that it would serve a family of 4-6 or thereabouts. :)

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, adobo cut
2 medium potatoes, sliced to wedges
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced to wedges for garnish
3-4 cups cooked rice, cooled
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced & roasted (for garnish)
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2-3 tbs cane vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a deep bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, half of the crushed garlic and onions together to make the marinade.
Wash chicken and drain of excess water then put into the marinade. Toss to coat chicken evenly. Add the potatoes. Again, to toss to coat the potatoes evenly with the marinade.
Cover and set aside for at least half an hour.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken and potatoes in batches, startingwith the potatoes first. Ensure that all potato and chicken pieces are fried on a single layer in the pan. Fry until golden brown. When cooked, transfer into a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess oil. Set aside the marinade.
In a smaller pan, transfer the marinade and put over high heat until it boils. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 5-8 minutes then turn off the heat. Set aside.
Once done with the frying and if the frying pan is big enough, use this to make the fried rice by removing the used oil, leaving only about 3 tbs in the pan.
Add the remaining crushed garlic and cook until brown and fragrant. Add the rice. Toss until chunks of rice have disintegrated. Add the adobo sauce. Continue tossing until the rice is evenly coated with the sauce. Make sure to continue stirring/ tossing to avoid rice from sticking unto the bottom of the pan. Cook until the sauce had dried up and the rice is no longer moist and sticky. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Toss in the fried adobo chicken and cook for another minute or so.
Turn off heat. Leave for about 2 minutes to rest.
Transfer into a serving plate and garnish with the fried adobo potato wedges, hard-boiled egg wedges and roasted garlic (I would put some chopped spring onions if available, for added flavor and fragrance :) ).

Mommy Tip: This is a full meal in itself so no need to add any more viands. Good for any meal of the day, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. :)

You Might Also Like:

My Expat Daddy's Sweet and Spicy Adobo

Pork Adobo sa Star

Pork Humba

Sinigang na Hipon

2012-07-15T09:59:00.001+03:00

Perfect for those idle Friday lunches :)

Aint' that photo above just mouth-watering? :)

Though I must admit, our shrimps here in Qatar is nothing compared to the shrimps and prawns available in the Philippines. But then, shrimps are shrimps are shrimps and surely, except for those who developed an allergy to these babies, we could not resist a shrimp dish once laid out on the table.

Our family is no different. Even the kids love them. Have you seen my Garlic Butter Shrimp post last month? That was an instant hit! And for a mom like me, it's always heartwarming when your kids love the food you've laid out on the table. Right?

On this particular weekend, the Expat Daddy got about two kilos of them from the Abu Hamour Fresh Market so we had extra to make this Sinigang, one of my all time favorite dishes. Of course most you Adobo fans out there may disagree, but for me Sinigang is my Ultimate Signature Pinoy Dish! :)

Ingredients:

1kg medium shrimps

2 large tomatoes, halved

1 large radish, sliced

string beans, sliced

okra, sliced

eggplant, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

lettuce (kangkong is preferable, if available)

4-5 cups water (or rice wash)

2 tbs Knorr Sinigang Broth Powder (other brands would do)

salt to taste

Method:

In a pan, put the water the crushed garlic and the tomato. Bring to a boil and simmer until tomatoes softened and starts to disintegrate. Put in the Sinigang Broth powder and salt. Cover and continue boiling for about 2-3 minutes to blend the flavors.

Add the vegetables one at a time starting with the radish which takes the longest time to become tender. When the radish is fork tender, add the string beans, then the eggplant, okra and onion.

Add in the shrimps. Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimps change in color. Add the lettuce, cover and simmer for another two minutes.

Turn off heat. Keep covered and let sit for about another 2 minutes. The residual heat will continue to cook the lettuce/ kangkong.

Serve with hot rice and a dipping sauce combo of fish sauce, lemon and chili. Enjoy!

Single Serving: Baked Parmesan Fish Fillet

2012-06-29T15:38:00.000+03:00

Baked Parmesan Fish Fillet

Geez, I didn't realize this post has been in the draft for a few months now. Good thing I had browsed through the photos in the laptop to check which dishes I haven't posted yet. Hmmm... I really thought I've already done this post. But well anyway, another simple dish for you Expat peeps, and the best thing about this dish is that this can be prepared as a single serving for you who are living on your own.

Usually I buy these frozen fish fillets in the supermarket for parties, like when I have to make dishes such as Sweet and Sour, or Lemon Butter fillets, it is much more convenient to buy these packed fillets instead of doing the filleting myself. And even for our own home cooking, I use these fillets because our Big Ate loves this. At this instance though, I have opted to try making something different out of the fish. This time, I have prepared the fish with a bit of Parmesan cheese and some herbs and then baked it with tomatoes and onions for added flavor. Hmm... honestly, it isn't much of a fit for the PascuaFam's palate so I guess I wouldn't be making it again. I'm guessing because the flavors used are leaning a bit to Italian cooking, and we're not much into Italian dishes. Well, that is only my guess. But I'm not saying it isn't good, because it is. It's just that it didn't become a hit in our household but who knows, you might like it, so don't take my word for it, and please do let me know how you liked it. :)

Ingredients:
1/2 kg fish fillet
3 tbs Parmesan Cheese
1 tbs olive oil
1 large tomato, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
Ginger, sliced
spring onion, sliced

Method
Preheat oven at 180deg. for about 15-20 minutes.
Thaw and drain fillets with excess water. Season both sides with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese then drizzle with olive oil.
In a baking pan put all the vegetables on the bottom of the pan then lay the fish over the veggies.
Put in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. When cooked, turn off heat and remove from the oven.
Transfer into serving plate. Enjoy!

You might also like:

Pan Roast Hamour with Light Soy Sauce

Barbeque Beef Ribs

A Very Simple Roast: Garlic and Butter Chicken

Ginataang Tilapia

2012-06-29T14:32:00.001+03:00

Ooops! Sorry for the blurred photo, took this with my phone :(

Surprisingly, I have not yet posted a recipe for this dish. I guess because it has always been common favorite among Pinoy households that I just assumed everybody knows how to prepare Ginataang Tilapia. The inspiration to this post actually is not really to share the recipe but to share to Doha peeps out there our discovery in Safari Supermarket (the one in Abu Hamour, near the Catholic church just a few hundred meters away from QDC). Well, we have just discovered that prices there a bit lower than those of Lulu, Carrefoure and Family Food Center. I couldn't tell exactly how much the price difference is, but what I do know is that doing our usual grocery shopping, the total bill comes to about a couple of hundred Riyals lower than when we do the shopping from the other supermarkets. How do I know, it's because whenever we do our grocery shopping, the Expat Daddy and I have this little game where we guess what the total cost of our shopping would be. So like every time, we know just how much more or less it would turn out, and most of the time we would just be about maybe QR20-30 off from the accurate amount. But then when we shop at the Safari Supermarket, we are always around QR150-200 over that correct amount. So yes, it's not exactly a very scientific experiment, but we are truly enjoying our little game, and double the fun when it's about QR200 less than our usual guesses. :)

So anyway, going back to the Tilapia. I'm not sure if you do but we notice that frozen Tilapia is really not as good as the fresh ones we get from the wet market, right? So for the frozen one the usual dish we make of it is something that would include fying it first to a crisp before adding it to whatever sauce we like at the moment. And the frozen Tilapia in Safari Supermarket is no different. But what's good about it is that they have these frozen Tilapia packs which are just QR7.50/kg ($2.00), about 4-5 pieces, so good for 1 family meal. So imagine that, for about 4-6 family members, this meal would just be less than QR2.00 per person, right? If that doesn't make you smile, well.. I don't know what will. :)

Ingredients

1kg Tilapia

cooking oil for frying

2 eggplants, sliced

string beans, cut

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, sliced

1 cup coconut milk powder diluted in 1 cup of water

1 tbs vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

salt and pepper

Method

Thaw the Tilapia, wash and drain excess water. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Heat oil and fry the eggplants until lightly browned. Do not overcook. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess oil.

In the same pan, fry the fish to a crisp. Transfer into another plate lined with paper towel.

Use a slightly bigger pan for the rest of the cooking. Heat about 2tbs of the used oil then add the garlic. Saute for about 2-3 minutes or until soft and fragrant then add the onions. Cook until soft and translucent.

Add the string beans. Saute for another 3 minutes then add the diluted coconut milk.

Lower the heat and let simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until desired consistency is achieved.

Add soy sauce and vinegar, do not stir.

Return the fish and eggplants into the pan. Keep for about 2-3 minutes then check and adjust taste with salt and pepper.

Turn off heat. Serve with hot rice. Enjoy!

Mommy Tip: I always enjoy this dish with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, lemon and chili for that added kick! :)

Garlic Butter Shrimps

2012-06-28T14:20:00.002+03:00

Definitely better than my singing according to the Expat Daddy :)

Finally! A new dish for the blog! Haaysss... been a SAHM for 2 months now, and honestly, I feel that I've become more "tamadin". Since the kids too have been on summer vacation, our life had just been relaxed and well, that has been what we have been doing in the past couple of months, relaxing. With it, embarrassingly enough, I have neglected the blogs for a while. Actually, there's been a lot to write about even if we were just staying at home and I have all noted them in my mind, but, I don't know... There really is no excuse for it but 100% laziness! LOL! But this time, I do resolve to take care of these. So I really really hope you readers are still out there. I truly am sorry for not updating the blog. I hope that you had stayed. And so with this, I think there is no better way to start blogging again but with a very simple yet delicious recipe. Something you fellow expat and non-expat moms out there could easily cook in less than 15 minutes or so. Yet so delish that the Fam would surely love you more for it. Just as the the Expat Daddy told me, I can cook this all I want, as long as I stay away from singing! Hahaha!

Even the girls are so in love with the dish :)

Ingredients:

1kg med-large shrimps
1 cup Sprite/ 7 UP
1 cup butter
1 head garlic, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
spring onion or parsley, chopped (optional for garnish)

Method
Clean the shrimps, drain with excess liquid and put in a bowl. Marinade with Sprite and a dash of salt for 15 minutes.
Using a non-stick pan, melt half of the butter in medium to high heat. Add the garlic. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until garlic is soft and light brown in color (do not burn).
Add the shrimps, leaving out the marinade in the bowl. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, tossing only once or twice to cook all the shrimps evenly.
Remove shrimps from the pan, lower the fire a bit then add in the marinade into the pan. Simmer until the liquid is reduced to half.
Return the shrimps in the pan and the remaining half of the butter, stir-fry for about a minute or two or until the remaining butter is fully melted then turn off the heat. Let it rest for another 2 minutes for the shrimp to absorb the flavor of the sauce.
Transfer to a serving platter then sprinkle with the chopped spring onions or parsley. Serve with steamed or garlic fried rice. Enjoy!

Mommy Tip: If available, serve on a sizzling plate to add a bit of smoky goodness to its flavor :)

You might also like:

Butterflied Tilapia with Sweet Ginger Sauce

Fish Fillet in Lemon Butter Cream Sauce

My Expat Daddy's Cuttlefish Kilawin

Creamy Chicken Sopas

2012-03-13T11:19:00.000+03:00

This discovery I was so happy about. See, our girls love chicken sopas. I mean no matter how I make it, even during times when the end product was really just so so, like when I am doing several other tasks while cooking or when I just whip it up with some missing ingredients (specially homemade broth). But what really made me love this new version of this chicken sopas was the reception it received from the Fam. They really loved this way better than the other times I used to make it. Even the Expat Daddy noticed the difference. It's thicker and creamier and the chicken flavor more enhanced. This thanks to the Knorr Cream of Chicken powdered soup that I have added into the ingredients. It just changed the whole meaning of chicken sopas for the girls, and I know they wouldn't like it any other way now! :)
Ooops! Don't get wrong, this is not a sponsored post, but I really just loved to highlight how it tasted so much better than before. Actually, I am not really fond of powdered instant soups. I just find it so starchy and really really tasting like flour. So I really don't know what made me think of adding the cream of chicken to the chicken sopas I was making. Well, maybe just because it's been in the cupboard for a long while now. That's just me, I buy things for the simple reason that I may need it sometime and it would be out of stock in the supermarket. Oh yes, a small note, the Knorr packet I was referring to was the one imported from the Philippines. There are lots in the supermarket really, those which were manufactured in the region, but we don't like that. They have this distinct flavor that I think people in the region prefer. Not really to my Filipino taste. I usually buy Philippine products really, when it comes to sauces and seasonings. Just to play it safe.
And so yes, as I've said, we just love this creamy version of chicken sopas and I don't think I'll ever do it any other way. :)

Ingredients:
1 pack macaroni (cooked as per package instructions)
1 cooked chicken breast
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 celery stalk, sliced
1/4 small cabbage, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tbs cooking oil
6 cups chicken broth (or water with 2 chicken broth cubes)
1 pack Knorr Cream of Chicken powder (Philippine made)
1/2 small can evaporated milk

Method:
Cook macaroni, drain and set aside.
Boil chicken breast. Remove from broth, when cool, pull the meat and set aside.
Keep the stock aside. Use this to dissolve the cream of chicken powder and set aside.
In a deep sauce pan, heat oil then add the onions. Cook for about 2-3 minutes then add the garlic. Saute until soft and fragrant.
Add the pulled chicken breast. Saute for another 5 minutes then add the carrots.
Saute for 5 more minutes then add the rest of the vegetables and the macaroni.
Saute to ensure that the noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the chicken broth (or water and broth cubes). Stir then cover.
Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time to infuse the flavor to the macaroni.
Add the dissolved cream of chicken powder. This time with continuous stirring to blend completely with the rest of the ingredients in the pan.
Simmer for another 5 minutes with continuous stirring.
Turn off heat. Add the milk, stir then cover. Let sit for 2-3 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

You might also like:

Arroz Caldo (Chicken Lugaw)

Roast Chicken with Cheesy Cream Sauce and Vegetables

Kiddie Party Spaghetti (Sweet Spaghetti)

Single Serving: Grilled Pitik (Slipper Lobster)

2012-03-03T00:01:00.000+03:00

When the Expat Daddy came home last week with a 5 gallon plastic bag full of crabs and cuttlefish, the bag also contains 2 pieces of moderately sized slipper lobsters or what we call in the Philippines Pitik or Pitik -Pitik. That was actually the first time I would be able to cook and eat that crustacean. I must say it wasn't bad at all! The meat is soft yet firm, almost tasting like crabs but not as sweet.
To add some flavor I have used a combination chopped garlic and green bell pepper and grated mozzarella cheese. What I did was to cut the lobster in half but not through the shell so I would be able to top the opening with the veggies and cheese. Before doing that, I have first seasoned the lobsters with a pinch of salt and pepper.
I have then put the lobsters on the grill to cook until the cheese had fully melted. When the melted cheese had formed, I have turned them over to cook the topside meat. Took me about a total of 15-20 minutes to cook them.
We enjoyed eating the lobsters as is, with just a glass of ice cold coke. :)

Roasted Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom and Black Bean Sauce

2012-02-27T10:38:00.001+03:00

Were there also times in your household when you just can't seem to think of anything to eat anymore? That you get a bit tired of your usual fare of chicken, beef, and fish. Well to us it does happen a lot! Even if I love to cook, there just are days when we just couldn't think of anything to make with the chicken or the beef in the ref. When it's our nanny or yaya doing the cooking, our chicken most of the time turns into Adobo, Afritada, Fried Chicken or Roast Chicken. It had now been a running joke between myself and our yaya whenever she asks me what she would have to cook for dinner. I always tell her that she had already been asking me that question everyday and until now she still doesn't know the answer! Hahaha!
Well, these I believe are also common fares for ordinary Pinoy families here in the Middle East. And sometimes, we must admit, we just want something new. But something new doesn't mean dining out or having dinner take out. Sometimes, it is just giving a fresh tough to an ordinary dish. Fortunately last Saturday, I had a sudden inspiration to do just that. And was I so glad that the kids loved our new dish. Something so simple yet, delicious and I was able to add veggies in the dish too! Don't you just love that? :)
The dish call for a simple roasted chicken recipe. I have halved the chicken for a faster cooking time in our turbo broiler, but you know what, you can just even buy a cooked roasted chicken from Lulu or Carrefoure then you can skip the roasting part and just go straight to preparing the sauce. I have also posted here my Garlic Butter Roast Chicken recipe if you're looking for that garlicky flavor in your chicken.

Ingredients:
1 roast chicken
5 pcs dried shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 small green bell pepper, sliced
spring onions, sliced (for garnish)
2 tbs olive oil
1 pack black bean sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
2 tbs light soy sauce (kikkoman)
2 tbs brown sugar
1 cup water
salt and pepper

Method:
If you will be roasting the chicken yourself, just pat dry, rub with salt and pepper and put in the turbo broiler or oven to roast. When cooked, remove from oven and set aside.
To prepare the sauce, put the pan over medium high heat and pour in the olive oil.
When hot, add the onions. Stir fry for a minute then add the mushrooms. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the bell pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes then remove from the pan. Set aside.
Using the same pan, pour in the 3 sauces, stir and bring to a boil then add the water. Stir a little then simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the brown sugar. Adjust taste with salt and pepper.
As it starts to boil, return the stir fried vegetables.
Simmer for another 5 minutes or until the desired consistency of the sauce is achieved. Turn off heat.
Chop the chicken and transfer into a serving dish.
Pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with spring onions.
Serve with steaming hot rice. Enjoy!

You might also like:

Torikatsu (Breaded Chicken Cutlets)

Chicken Teriyaki

Pan Roast Hamour (Lapu-Lapu) with Light Soy Sauce

Pork Menudo

2012-02-26T10:49:00.002+03:00

We were pleasantly surprised when an uncle came back from vacation two weeks ago. Another aunt had kindly sent us a package of pork, menudo-cut. To those of you who are not from these parts of the world, pork packages are quite common here in Qatar, actually. Although they are now starting to sell pork at QDC, most people do not have access to the shop anyway, so having pork in your refrigerator is quite a privilege. And so, the following weekend I decided to cook the pork, mainly because we were not able to go food shopping and we don't have anything else to cook :)
Pork Menudo is quite a common dish in the Philippines, apart from Afritada, it is one of the easiest pork stew recipe to make at home. It is also a popular dish during Fiesta or other occasions. Personally though, I would opt for the Afritada anytime, since Menudo includes other ingredients I don't particularly go for with my dishes, like the hotdog and the raisins. Of course you may say you can strike them out anytime, but taking them out defeats the distinct taste it provides to the dish.

For this dish, since we do not have pork liver, I have included liver spread instead to achieve the thickness to the sauce that liver gives to the dish. But of course, had liver been available, I would not have second thoughts using it instead of the spread. I soooo love pork liver!

Ingredients:
1kg pork, menudo cut
2 hotdogs, sliced
1 potato, diced (2cm cubes)
1 carrot, diced (2 cm cubes)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tbs raisins
1 tbs liver spread (optional, in the absence of pork liver)
1 tbs cooking oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
2 cups water

Method:
Parbroil the pork in a little water, simmer until all of the water evaporates then add the oil. Saute for about two minutes.
Add the onions, saute until onions are soft then add the garlic. Toss a few times then lower the heat.
Add the potatoes and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, while tossing a few times.
Pour in the soy sauce and tomato sauce. Saute until both sauces fully coat the meat. Add half a cup of water and cover. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, checking from time to time if the sauce is drying up, in which case add half a cup of the remaining water each time.
Stir in the liver spread, raisins and hotdogs. Adjust taste with salt and pepper.
Add the bell pepper. Simmer for another few minutes until desired consistency of sauce is achieved. If the sauce is too thick add a little more water and taste test again. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.
Transfer into a serving bowl and serve with steaming hot rice. Enjoy!

You might also like:

Beef Ribs Pochero

My Expat Daddy's Sweet and Spicy Adobo

Chicken Afritada