My Passionate Soul's RECIPE

Simple Pansit Recipe

2009-12-08T11:23:00.011+08:00

Pinoy has too many version of Pansit: Pansit Canton, Pansit Palabok, Pansit Luglog, Pansit Malabon, Pansit Guisado and more. There are tons of noodles available around and just too many version of how to cook it. And I am pretty sure that I haven't tried everything. But, there is always one favorite version of Pansit. During parties especially birthdays, we usually serve Pansit, as oldies would always say 'For long life'. Very Asian indeed. Actually for Filipinos, it is not a party without Pansit.
I have here fresh noodles that I just bought in the market where I can cook it right away. And I just looked into the fridge what is available vegetables, and it is just right to make a simple Pansit recipe for dinner.

Ingredients:

1 kilo Pansit
1/2 cup Shrimp, shelled
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Onion, minced
1/4 kilo pork, sliced into stips
1 Carrots, peeled and sliced into strips
1 Cabbage, Sliced
1 Chayote, peeled and sliced into strips
3 tbsp cup Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce(Optional)
1 tsp. Black Pepper
pinch of salt and sugar
3 cups hot Water
2 tbsp cooking oil

Procedure:

Rinse the fresh noodles with hot water very quick.
In a Wok, Saute Garlic, Onion and Pork in medium heat. Simmer it for a while until the meat turned to light brown. Add Soy sauce, Oyster Sauce, Black Pepper, Sugar, Salt and Shrimp. Stir it until the shrimp turned pink.
Add hot water. This will make the meat easy to cook. Bring it to boil for 10 minutes or until the pork is tender.
In a low fire, put the noodles in the boiling water and stir it. Cooking with fresh noodles, you should not put a lot of water or it will overcooked the noodles. Stir it until there is a little water left. In case the noodles were too dry and starts to stick in the pan, just add a little amount of HOT water.
Add all vegetables and stir it until vegetables are cooked. My family would always love it half cook, so after two minutes put out the fire and cover the wok for five minutes. The heat inside the wok will slowly cook the vegetables.
Serve it Hot!

Chicken Liver BBQ Another Grilled Recipe

2009-12-06T21:47:00.012+08:00

Grilled food make outdoor activities more fun. They're perfect for backyard picnics and parties. We had this for lunch when my sister have this craving for grilled liver of chicken. Of course, it goes with a sauce. The secret of any grilled meat is the marinade. I do experiment a lot with the sauce, and I always get different impact on the taste of meat. This one is just perfect, including the heat and timing.

Ingredients:

1 kilo Chicken Liver
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Onion, minced
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp Maple Syrup (optional)
1 tsp Sugar (if maple syrup is not available)
1/8 Cooking Oil
1/8 Vinegar
1 Chili Pepper
1/8 cup Ketchup
1/8 cup Oyster Sauce
12 BBQ Stick(skewers)
Coal for Grilling

Procedure:

In a bowl mix the Liver, Soy Sauce, Black Pepper, Garlic and Onion. Marinate the liver for 20 minutes.
Pre heat the sauce pan and put the liver together with the marinade and add a little water. Cover it and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
Take out the liver from the pan. Leave the sauce and continue to simmer it in a low fire.
Add Cooking Oil, Maple Syrup, Vinegar, Chili Pepper, Ketchup and Oyster Sauce.
Continue to stir until the sauce becomes sticky. This will be spread on the liver while grilling. If it is done, place it in a small bowl and set it aside.
Fill skewers with liver, 3-4 pieces leaving a little space between pieces so everything gets equally and thoroughly cooked. Don't overload skewers.
Above medium hot coals, place the first batch of skewed liver. Cooking time depends on the distance of the coal to the food and the actual temperature. I suggest that you give more space between the coal and the food. Estimated Distance of the from the coal is about 5 inches.
Turn it over from time to time. After a few minutes, Baste some sauce on both sides.
Estimated cooking time 20 minutes. And its Done!!! You can prepare the next batch until everything is cooked.

Mango Jelly Delight

2009-11-23T14:02:00.007+08:00

Oh Mango! Starting this month, mangoes are available and I can smell summertime is coming soon. My mom brought home some sweet mangoes and my sister just got an idea what to do with it.
Simple treat that the family would love to eat.

What I love most with this kind of desert? Its Creamy and its not too sweet. With a little warning, 'Slippery when wet'. Something you have to find out for yourself...

Ingredients:

1 pack Gelatin(colorless)
1/2 cup Sugar (will be added to Gelatin)
2 pcs Mango, peeled and thinly sliced
2 All Purpose Cream
1 pack Bread Crumbs (we used Broas or Lady Finger Cookie)
1 small can Whole Kernel Corn (Optional)
1 small can Pinapple tidbits (Optional)

Procedure:

Cook Gelatin, follow instruction on its pack and add sugar. When the gelatin is almost done, add mangoes in it. Leave few pieces to be placed at the top of the desert.
Place the cooked gelatin on a rectangular or square glassware. That is where you will finally place the desert. Let it cool and set.
Place the Crumbs evenly at the top of Gelatin
Then Add All Purpose Cream at the top of bread crumbs
Finally, arrange the mango slices at the top of the cream to determine how many slices you want to make. Also add Pineapple tidbits and corn together with the Mango.
Best when chilled.
Slice and Serve!

Filipino Egg Rolls "Lumpiang Shanghai"

2009-11-19T10:22:00.014+08:00

Lumpia is famous Filipino Egg Roll or sometimes it is called 'Spring Rolls'. It is made by wrapping a combination of chopped vegetables and meat of your choice, dipping the dough in egg then deep frying it. But for the regular Lumpia, no need to dip the roll in egg.

We had this at the party last weekend. This is just easy to prepare and of course, you can make the rolls and fry it later. That is the best part in preparing this kind of food.

Ingredients:

1 kilo ground Pork
1 cup Shrimp, chopped
5 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Onions, minced
2 Large Bell Pepper
1 tsp ground Pepper
2 tbsp Sweet Pickle Relish, chopped
5 stalks Scallion(Spring Onions), chopped
2 large Carrots, shred
1 cup Cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup Cheese, shred
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Seasoning
Pinch of Salt to taste
40 - 50 pcs Lumpia Wrapper
2 cups Oil for frying

Procedure:

In a bowl, combine Pork, Shrimp, Garlic, Onions, Scallion, Carrots, Cabbage, Bell Pepper, Pickle, Ground Pepper, Soy Sauce, Salt and Seasoning. Mix it well.
In a not stick Pan, Preheat in a low fire and put the Pork mixture. Cover the pan and leave it for a a minute. Stir the pork until it turned light brown. You will notice that there is a little water on the mixture, drain it and let it cool. You can place the Mixture on a plate, elevate the other side and let the water drip our of the mixture.
After draining, add the cheese and it is ready for wrapping.
Wrap the filling and make it into rolls. Below is the Instructions on how to wrap.
If the rolls are done. Deep fry each rolls until each sides turned to light brown.
Put a paper towel on the plate and place the rolls that are done. That way, the paper towel will absorb the excess oil from the rolls.
There you go with your LUMPiA!

How to wrap?
Remember that Lumpia wrappers may come in different shape. We usually have round shape others are rectangular. It doesn't matter at all.The important thing is how you fold it and tuck the fillings and make perfect rolls.

Scoop about 1 tbsp of Lumpia filling mixture.
Place the filling on the end part of the wrapper close to you. Spread it horizontally and give a little allowance at least an inch on the sides.
Fold over the lower part of the wrapper and roll it halfway.
Fold the sides of the wrapper to the middle making almost rectangular shape.
Dip your fingers into the water and wet the remaining end. Continue to roll and seal it. The water will hold the wrapper together so that it will not open when you cook it.

My Paborito Karne Prita (Beef Steak)

2009-11-17T17:28:00.008+08:00

Karne Prita (Karne means Beef), this is the way we call it here for some they call it Bistek in other words Beef Steak. What taste you got for it? Marinade is the secret! There are many ways to make marinade according to your taste. For me, just a simple combination with love. But my mom insist to do something, and I think, its great. Want to try?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 kilo Beef (round, sirloin or tenderloin), slice 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup Kalamansi (native lemon) Juice
1 cup Soy Sauce
2 tbsp ground Pepper
10 cloves Garlic, minced
2 large Onions, cut into rings
2 tbsp All Purpose Cream
1 tsp Sugar
1 cup cooking oil (for frying)

Procedure:

Clean the beef and drain.
In a bowl, mix the beef with Soy Sauce, Pepper, Sugar, Garlic and Kalamansi Juice. Mix it well.
Let marinate over night, or at least 2 to 3 hours.
Remove the beef from marinade, keep the marinade it will be used as its gravy.
In a medium heat, Pan fry the beef slices by batches, removing them as they turned brown. If all the beef is done, set it aside.
Using the same oil, slightly fry the Onion rings and set it aside.
In a pan, take out excess oil from frying, leave at least 2 tbsp for the gravy.
Put the marinade and simmer it. Until sauce thickens.
If thickness of the sauce is achieved, add all purpose cream. Simmer it for a while.
Add the beef in the pan and mix it with the gravy.
It's DONE! Garnish it with Onion Rings at the top.

All Purpose cream is my moms idea. To make the sauce more sticky and creamier.

Beeferrific Bakareta

2009-11-16T15:10:00.012+08:00

Slow cooking brings out the best taste of the meat. Always have patience to wait until the meat is perfectly done. Bakareta (Baka means Beef) is easy to prepare even for beginners.

I love to do this during party. While you wait for the meat to get done, you can prepare other food and even finish one dish in no time. You want to know what I mean? Let's go to the kitchen and get started!

Ingredients:

2 kilos Beef Chuck, cut into cubes
5 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Onion, minced
5 Potatoes, cut into cubes
5 Carrots, cut into cubes
1 big can Garbanzos ( Chickpea), drained
300 grams Tomato Paste
5 pcs Bay Leaves
2 Bell Peppers, cut into cubes
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
5 tbsp Cooking Oil
Salt and ground Pepper to taste
8 cups of Hot Water

Procedure:

Clean the meat and cut into cubes. Strain it and set it aside.
Boil 8 cups of water.
Prepare the Garlic, Onion, Salt, Pepper and Bay Leaves
In a big pot, saute Garlic and Onion. Add the Beef, and let it simmer in a low fire for 10 minutes.
Add Salt, ground Pepper, Soy Sauce and Bay Leaves.
Let the water subside, set it to medium heat and let the beef turn to light brown and add the hot water. If you want your meat to get tender easily, you must add hot water after you saute it. If you add water at a room temperature, it will take you a little longer to get the beef done.
Set to Medium heat bring to boil the beef for 2-3 hours. Or until there is almost a cups of water left. Remember, slow cooking and be patient.
While you are boiling the beef, you can prepare and cut the other ingredients and set it aside.
If the beef is done, add Garbanzos, Sugar and Tomato Paste. Simmer for a 5 minute.
Then add Bell Pepper, Potatoes and Carrots. Simmer it for another 5 minutes.
Its DONE! Ready to serve.

Pinakbet

2009-11-11T18:03:00.011+08:00

I want to have more vegetables this week. I have a good combination of healthy stuff. Aside from very affordable, it is also nutritious. From sweets and sticky menu, lets go for healthy food this time.

Good thing is, my dad is a good cook when we were kids. So me and my sisters learned to love eating almost any kind of vegetables. And now, we knew just how to prepare it and experiment a little. We can make a menu whatever vegetables available in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1/4 kilo Pork belly with fat, cut into bite size
1 cup Shrimp
10 pcs Okra (lady finger), cut diagonally about 2 inches long
1 small Squash, peeled and slice to bite size
2 pcs Bitter Melon, sliced diagonally about an inch wide
10 pcs String Beans, cut about 2 inches long
2 pcs Eggplant, slice diagonally an inch thick
1 Onion, minced
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Chili Pepper
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
4 cups Hot Water
3 tbsp Cooking Oil
1 tsp table Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Black Pepper

Procedure:

In a Casserole, Saute Garlic and Onion. Add pork and simmer it in a low fire. Let the water subside and let the pork turn to light brown.
Combine the shrimp until it is lightly cooked, still in a low fire.
Add 4 cups of hot water and bring it to boil in a medium fire until the meat is tender. Notice that the water is lesser after few minutes of boiling, it is okay.
Add in all the vegetables and simmer it in a low fire for a minute.
Add Soy Sauce, Salt, Sugar and Black Pepper
Simmer for a little while until the vegetables are cooked. Careful not to overcook it.
Serve it hot with plain rice.

Embutido: The Filipino Style Meatloaf

2009-11-05T12:37:00.008+08:00

Simple, Economical and Delicious. Great for Party and it is very easy to prepare. Filipino Style Meatloaf that my family loved so much. This is very common here in Philippines during parties and town Fiesta.

You can also adjust the ingredients according to your budget, yet you can still make a delicious menu. Can't wait to see how it is done?

Ingredients:

1 kilo ground Pork with fat
1 Carrots, finely chopped
10 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Onions, minced
2 red Bell Pepper, minced
1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheeze
1/4 cup Sweet Pickled Relish
1/4 cup Raisins
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Table Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper(grind)
1 tbsp. Cornstarch
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
2 raw Egg
3 Eggs (Hard Boiled)

Procedure:

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except for hard boiled eggs. Mix until well blended.
Prepare a 10" x 12" size Aluminum Foil. Spread and flatten the mixture in the middle of the foil. Place the hard boiled Egg at the center. Holding both ends of the foil, roll the mixture until it covers the egg in the center.
Roll the aluminum foil into tightly packed log and seal both ends. Repeat with the remaining pork mixture.
Place all packed Embutido in the steamer and steam it for an hour.
If it's done, let it cool and slice it into rings. and Serve it!!

Note:

To preserve left over Embutido, wrap it with plastic and place it in freezer. Freezing will preserve the food from spoiling. Steam it for 5 minutes if needed to be serve. Or you slice it into rings and deep fry it.

Brazo de Mercedes

2009-10-30T21:13:00.002+08:00

Sweets, sweets and more sweets from a dear friend. Brazo de Mercedes is a favorite of a friend which made me curious how to make it. Though the first try is not really successful, yet it is really good to see and get hands on lesson for the first time. As the saying goes, Practice makes perfect. For several try, we will be able to get it almost perfect. I always believe that cooking is by heart. Once you have seen how it is done, you will be able to get it right away no matter how complicated it is.

So to keep in mind about this special recipe I must include this on my collections. Of course, this is just another version of the recipe.

Ingredients:

10 large Eggs
1 can Condense Milk
1 cup Sugar
1 tbsp. Cream of Tartar
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Confectioner's Sugar or Powdered Sugar

Procedure:

Filling:

Separate Egg Yolk from Egg White.
In a Saucepan, mix Egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and condense milk. Stir it constantly on a low heat until mixture has consistency of paste. Set it aside.

Meringue:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Beat Egg Whites until stiff and gradually add sugar followed by 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper greased with butter or cooking oil and spread the meringue at the top. Bake until brown. If its done, let it cool for a while.

Finale:

In another cookie sheet spread confectioner's sugar evenly and place the meringue upside down.
Take off the parchment paper and spread the filling evenly on top and roll it into a log. It's done!
You can have another option, if you want a better look outside of the meringue, you can spread butter on the outer part and put it back in the oven until turns brown.

What a Sweet, Sweet Indulgence...

Lumpiang Ubod

2009-10-28T00:10:00.009+08:00

At the backyard, my dad just plant coconut tree everywhere. There is no order at all. The other day he decided to cut off young coconut tree to clear out some space, that means we will have coconut shoots. We usually call it Ubod, it is known to be the heart of the tree and the youngest part of the trunk normally found at the top.

You can eat it raw, or you can cook it. I just love the natural sweet the Ubod brings. Now I remember Stir Fry but that is not the recipe I have for now.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Pork, grind
1 tsp butter
5 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Onion, minced
3 cups Ubod, cut into strips
Salt and black Pepper(grind) to taste
10 Fresh Lumpia Wrapper
Peanut, grind

Sauce:
10 cloves of Garlic, shred
1 cup Water
1 cup Sugar
1 tbsp Cornstarch

Procedure:

Using non-stick pan or a wok, put butter and saute garlic, onion and pork. Add salt, pepper 1/4 cup water. Bring it to boil for a two minutes and add Ubod. Stir it until the water has evaporate. Place it in a strainer when you can drain excess water. Set it aside and let it cool.
Prepare a small sauce pan, mix the water, sugar, garlic and cornstarch. Place it in a low fire and stir it constantly and bring it to boil. Take it out from the fire if you reach desired thickness of the sauce.
Wrap the Ubod. The number of Lumpia you make will depend on the content you put in the wrapper.
To serve, place the Lumpia on the plate. Put a sauce on top and spread peanut on it.

Suman sa Ibus

2009-10-27T20:36:00.020+08:00

Simple food, but made artistically. It takes a good hand to wrap the sticky rice using a young coconut leaves. If my family will visit my Aunt's farm when I was still a kid, this is a common breakfast. Out of curiosity, I broke in the kitchen and observe how those people would wrap it neatly and they are fast. Can't resist, I tried it, just to realize that it is not simple thing to do. I tried it several times, but it end up unsuccessful. For those who are an expert of doing this, two thumbs up for you guys!

Suman is a rice cake that is very common here in the Philippines. Especially this coming Halloween, you will see a lot of sticky delicacies everywhere. More Sticky Treats to come...

Ingredients:

3 cups Sticky Rice (Glutinous Rice)
2 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp. salt
young Coconut Leaves (Wrapping)

Procedure:

Wash rice and place it is a bowl and soak the rice in coconut milk and salt. Leave it for 2o minutes or until the rice absorb the coconut milk.
Wrap the mixture (do not fill then up completely)
Place the Suman in a large bowl. Fill them with water until the Suman is completely immersed.
Boil it for 25 minutes until the Suman is cooked.
Serve it with sugar and mango.

Wrapping Option: You can use banana leaves but you need to cook the rice first (3 cups of rice to 3 cups of water combined with coconut milk) wrap it using banana leaves and steam for a while. The leaves will give a natural aroma to the rice. Desperately enough, you can use aluminum foil instead.

Have a Sticky Treats!!!

Yummy Brownie!

2009-10-21T20:36:00.003+08:00

In courtesy of Ms. Leslie. She came to visit and here she is, cooking and baking delicious food for us which is very very tempting to try. She have this business when she was still in Saudi with my sister. For them, this is just a hobby which their friends crave for their secret recipe.

To love food and cooking, means another source of income. Remember, not all people may have time to bake or cook. Not everybody may have patience to do all the preparation. And some will just spend money for them to save time and effort. But for those who enjoy the fun in the kitchen, everything is under control.

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Cocoa
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 cups Sugar
2 large size Eggs
1/2 Butter
Peanuts, grind
Chocolate Chips or Kisses (optional)

Procedure:

Heat the oven to 360°.
Grease a 9 inch square pan.
In a bowl, mix Flour, Cocoa and Baking Soda. Then set it aside.
In another bowl, melt the butter in a room temperature.
Slowly add sugar and mix it well. Add 2 eggs in the mixture
Then slowly add the Flour mixture to the butter until everything is mixed well.
Evenly spread the mixture in the pan
Sprinkle grind peanut on top or add chocolate
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out nearly clean when inserted in the center.

Mac to the Max!

2009-10-11T19:26:00.009+08:00

Load up your Mac!
During parties we love doing this instead of Spaghetti. We always expect to have more kids and for sure they would love it. For some reason, spaghetti can be messy for kids. For big events or family parties, not missing the taste of pasta we always have Mac instead. Aside from economical, it is also very easy to prepare. Sweet blend taste is always the best for kids. But for me, I always love to load it up with herbs and spices.

Ingredients:

500 grams Macaroni noodles
1/4 grind Pork
1 Onion, minced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tbsp Butter
10 pcs Hotdog, cut diagonally
1 small box of Cheese, grated
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
1 cup All Purpose Cream or Milk
1000 g Spaghetti Sauce
1 small can of Mashroom (optional)

Procedure:

Cook Macaroni noodles according to package instruction. Drain.
While cooking the Macaroni noodles, Saute Garlic and Onion in a sauce pan. Add the Grind Pork and simmer for a while.
Add Mushroom and Hotdog.
Mix the Spaghetti Sauce, stir it slowly and constantly.
After a while, add a cup of All Purpose Cream, and continue to stir and bring it to boil
Add the cheese and black pepper.
Lastly, Mix the cooked Macaroni noodles in a saucepan. Turn off the fire and make sure to mix the noodles and the sauce well.
Serve with love.

Shrimp Kilawin

2009-10-08T13:26:00.002+08:00

My sister just came home after several years working in far country. Since she can't have all the food she wanted where she worked, she always craved eating this kind of food. We usually known her to love hot and spicy food. And you bet, she loves HOT Sizzling Sauce too. She also loves several raw dishes. Kilawin is just her thing and we usually have this if she is around. And guess what, this is just very very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

1/4 kilo Fresh Shrimps, peeled
1/2 cup Vinegar
4 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Onion, minced
1 small size Ginger, minced
2 pcs Chili Pepper, sliced diagonally
piece of Scallion (Spring Onion), cut
Pinch of Salt, Black Pepper and Sugar to taste
1 tbsp Evaporated Milk (optional)

Procedure:

Put the peeled shrimp in a bowl. Make sure that the shrimp is fresh.
Add Vinegar. Make sure that the shrimp is soak. Set it aside. You will notice the change of color of the shrimp.
While letting the shrimp soak in vinegar, you can cut the rest of ingredients and add it in the mixture.
Add a pinch of salt, black pepper and sugar. Then serve.
You can also mix 1 tablespoon of Evaporated Milk before serving.

See, It is as easy as that.

Pork Sinigang

2009-10-01T20:42:00.002+08:00

Sour taste and a sticky soup is what I love the most. This could be a heavy meal but very satisfying. Most Filipinos crave for this. There are several ways how to cook Sinigang and this is just another version of it.

Remember, for those who are very conscious with their diet you can eat this once in a while. I tell you, this could be a sinful meal for you. Very tempting...

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo Pork(loin), sliced into cube
3 pcs medium size Radish, sliced
5 pcs Taro Roots (Gabi), sliced into cube
1/4 kilo Chinese Cabbage (Pechay) or Water Spinach (Kankong)
10 pcs Yardlong Beans (Sitaw)
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
2 pcs Tamarind or a piece Raw Mango or 1 tbsp Vinegar
1 medium sized Onion, minced
1 medium sized Ginger, minced
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
6 cups of water
Cooking Oil

Procedure:

Preheat the soup pot, put a little amount of cooking oil and Saute Ginger, Garlic and Onion.
Add the pork, and cover the pot and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Covering the pot will allow the water to come out of the meat.
Add water and let it boil for 20 minutes. The longer you boil the meat, the tastier the soup will become. You can add several pieces of Taro roots and let it overcooked to make the soup sticky.
Add the rest of Taro Roots and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
Next, put in the Radish and Yardlong Beans. After 3 minutes, add Chinese Cabbage
Make sure the vegetables are cooked and add the Tamarind. Pinch salt and pepper to taste and simmer for few minutes.
Serve HOT!

Servings good for 6 people

Bitter Melon with Egg

2009-10-01T10:24:00.003+08:00

Bitter as it taste, but is good for your tummy. Bitter melon stimulate digestion and this can be helpful in people with sluggish digestion, dyspepsia, and constipation. I just love its bitterness and combine it with other menu because it can have a twist of taste. But if you are busy enough to prepare a big meal, you can just add some egg and have it on your breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 Bitter Melon
2 medium size Egg
4 pcs Tomato, diced
2 cloves of Garlic, diced
1 medium size Onion, diced
1 tsp Soy Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cooking oil

Procedure:

Cut the Bitter melon into half and scrape out the middle part together with the seeds and slice it. Set it aside
Beat the egg in a bowl and add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the pan. Saute Garlic, Onion and Tomato.
Add Bitter Melon and Soy Sauce. Make sure that the fire is low and leave it for a while
Mix the Egg in the pan until it is cooked.
Place it in a platter and serve.

Have a Happy Breakfast!!!

Living a Healthy Way

2009-09-25T22:02:00.004+08:00

Something that is hard to keep up especially if you are working full time just to earn money to pay all the bills. But how many times have we ignore ourselves with healthy food?

Just walking through grocery store nowadays, there are tons of food that are packed with a label "Fresh" or food loaded with good stuff as what the label says. We just can't stop ourselves grabbing one because most of the time we are too busy to get ourselves to the kitchen.

Actually, for those who are like this, you are not the only one. Because I myself at times get lazy to treat myself with good and healthy snacks. The tendency, we crave for ready to go food.

Do you know that fruits are also best to keep you healthy. Something I want to have if I am doing this crash diet which I am crazy for now. I call it crash diet when I break the Rules of Diet in a healthy way. I am getting rid the food and take a very small amount in a day. Or almost not eating a meal at all. Normally, I will just have water and soup.

Of course, this is jut a short term way of losing weight. The important thing is, know your body and know your limits. But if you really want a longer term in making the best shape out of you, give yourself the right balance of food intake and the right workout. You can check out SWEAT STUDIO. This is where I get information to keep myself fit and healthy. Not just having a great shape, I am also talking about endurance, strength and good metabolism. And guess what? They have a very friendly trainers that will entertain you and answer your concerns.

To keep yourself healthy, it is always up to YOU.

Pork Adobo

2009-09-19T17:58:00.005+08:00

'Tatak Pinoy' food that is very very common at home and I will never get tired of eating Adobo at all. I have learned so many ways on how to cook this, and it is just okay for me. I would really love for this one to be hot and spicy. As you notice, I always love to cook with spices and chili pepper in it. You bet, who can resist. It was my sister who introduce to me how to love chili pepper. So for those who love hot and spicy food, you can try this one. You can also have chicken instead, and remember it is in the sauce that makes it delicious.

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork' cut in cubes
1 medium size Onions, diced
4 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 medium size Ginger, minced
2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
1 cup Vinegar
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
4 tablespoon Sugar
2 cups Water
5 pieces Laurel Leaves(bay leaves)
Black Pepper grind or whole to taste
Chili peppers (optional)

Procedure:

In a big Sauce Pan or Wok, Saute the minced Ginger and Garlic until golden brown then followed by diced onions
Add the pork and simmer for a minute.
Add water and bring to boil. Add Laurel Leaves and black pepper. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until the meat is tender. If not, you can add another cup and bring it to boil for another 2 minutes.
On a separate bowl, mix Vinegar, Soy Sauce and Sugar. Add the mixture in the pan
Bring to boil and simmer for another 20 minutes
Add Chili Pepper if desired
Serve HOT and SPICY!

Oh My! SiOMAi

2009-09-12T11:12:00.002+08:00

It never miss any party in the family. My Aunt Jessica in Bacolod usually cook Siomai and sell it. When I was still staying in their place during college days, we always have this on the table. Since I have seen her doing this all the time, I was able to learn from her how to cook it. And I am always doing taste test because she always experiment on it. We all know that sometimes prices will change, so she also try to adjust ingredients but at the same time it won't affect the taste and the content. And at times, she always try to make another recipe for a special request. I really don't miss siomai so much but I would love to make it for special occassion.

Ingredients:

1 kilo grined Pork
2 large size Onions (150 g)
2 large size Garlic (150 g)
1 tbsp finely Chopped Scallion (Spring Onions)
1 medium size finely chopped Carrots (150 g)
1 small size gratedPotato (optional)
1 small pack grated Cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped shrimp (optional)
2 xl size eggs or 4 small size eggs
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp iodized salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Soy Sauce
2 packs Molo Wrapper (estimated 60 pcs)

Procedure:

In a large bowl, put the pork and combine all the ingredients and mix it well. It is better to use your hands so that the ingredients will mix up well with the pork.

How to Wrap the Siomai:

Using Molo Wrapper, place a mixture of pork about 1 tsp in the middle of the wrapper
Lift the four sides of the wrapper and hold it together on top, then press the side to make a round shape
Set it aside

Place the Siomai in a steamer properly, you can put a little oil where you will place the siomail so that the wrapper will not stick on it if you will take it out later the open side at the top

Steam it for a bout 45 minutes and Serve

Sauce:

1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Kalamansi or Lemon
Black Pepper
Chili (optional)

Tuna Omelette

2009-09-09T15:32:00.002+08:00

Breakfast is always grand for me. I would love to have a good breakfast in the morning match with a coffee. Rice is always present in the table and I know it is rich in Carbohydrates. So, recently I decided to have my own special diet. No more rice,but still making a good healthy meal in the morning. Eggs can be boring at times, but it can be more interesting if I add some twist in my morning meal. And it goes with toasted bread and a coffee of course.

Ingredients:

1 pc. of Egg
2 cloves of Garlic
1 medium sized Onions
Pepper and salt
1 small Carrots sliced
1 can Tuna

Procedure:

Drain the can of Tuna and set it aside
In a small bowl, beat the egg, and seasoned it with salt and pepper
In a non-stick pan, Saute Garlic and Onions
Add Carrots followed by Tuna and set it aside
In the same pan, melt the butter at the heat setting just above medium
Pour the Egg mixture in the pan and let it cook until the base is set
Arrange the Tuna on the top soft part of the egg
Set the heat to Low, cover the pan until the egg is set with its toppings
Then Serve

Escabeche Grande

2009-09-09T11:08:00.004+08:00

Tired of Fried Fish? You can try to add stuff to make a good menu. This can be great for left over fried fish too. It is not good to waste your food huh! You can always try to experiment a little bit to make a delicious creation. There are just too many options for big fish to cook. Sauce makes it a little bit different from ordinary meal. Frying makes the fish in tact.

Ingredients:

Fish (2 whole fish or sliced like in the picture)
6 cloves of Garlic
1 Large Size Onions
5 pcs. Chili Pepper ( I love it sizzling hot)
1 Green Bell Pepper (optional to add more color)
Black Pepper
Medium size Ginger
1/4 cup Vinegar
2 tbsp. Sugar
Salt
Cooking Oil

Procedure:

Fry the fish, well done and set aside.
Saute Ginger and garlic together, follow it up with onions
Add Fried Fish, stir it up and add 1/2 cup of water and simmer for a minute
Add vinegar, sugar, pinch of salt and pepper
Add a little more water if it is drying up, Simmer for two minutes
Serve it while it is hot and sizzling

Healthy Scrambled Egg White

2009-09-04T17:20:00.002+08:00

This is the right one for me. After making Leche Flan, you have egg whites that you might not know what to do with it. If you are on diet, this will be best for you. Since you can't just waste the egg whites, I tried to make some healthy meal for myself. And there are just tons of ways how to make delicious scrambled egg.

For another option, you can keep the egg white and make it as a facial mask. This is also a good beauty tip for you. Actually I tried it and it works fine. Amazingly, there are just tons of ways on what you do with egg whites. Check and find out!

Ingredients:

Egg whites (left over from the Leche Flan recipe)
Garlic
Onions
Tomato
Scallion (spring Onions)
Salt
Pepper

Procedure:

In a bowl, beat the egg white. Add pepper and salt to taste.
In a medium flame, Saute the Garlic, Onions and Tomato.
Add the egg white. Mix it up until its done. You can also add cheese to have a little twist on the taste.
Put Scallion as toppings and Serve.

Other Option:

I would also love to mix up the egg with tuna, really really good for breakfast. Serve with toasted bread. And goes along with hot coffee. Or you can mix it with cheese instead of tuna. Nice meal, healthy breakfast and most important thing is you are aware of how much you take into your body.

Leche Flan

2009-09-03T16:30:00.002+08:00

One of my personal favorite. When I was a kid, my mom used to bake cake with icing. Egg yolks that was leftover in making icing were always cooked like this. Every now and then we always have sweet desert after meal. Since she stopped accepting orders in baking cakes, we missed this so much that we only have it during special occasions. Today, was no special occasion at all, but I just missed to eat this sweet temptation.

Ingredients:

1/4 c sugar
1 can Condensed Milk
8 eggyolks
Vanilla or Lemon (optional)

Procedure:

Pour sugar into the pan and add two tablespoon of water then heat over medium flame until sugar caramelizes. Watch the sugar as it melts, DO NOT STIR, just move the pan as the sugar melts. When it turned light brown and the sugar is melted, it is done. Remember, Pale means sweeter, Dark means bitter.
Set Aside the pan.
In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks and condensed milk and a drop of vanilla syrup.
Strain the mixture and pour it in the pan.
Steam for about 20 minutes or Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking.
Once cool, run a sharp knife around the edges and carefully turn it over onto a serving platter.

Tempting Fried Pork to Indulged with

2009-08-30T19:10:00.002+08:00

A very sinful treat for you guys. Sorry for those who are trying to be in the best shape, but you can treat yourself with this once in a while. This is another way of cooking pork in its own oil. Let's say, making it less sinful. This kind of cooking is close to Lechon Kawali. If you are after with its crispiness than you will love this. But if you love a tender meat, then you can try another way of cooking it.

This is just another famous way of cooking pork here in Philippines. Especially in the house, and our visitors will always love it. Tested and proven.

Ingredients:

Pork (ribs part or belly part)
Lemon grass
Pepper
Salt
Seasoning
Sugar

Procedure:

Make sure that the pork is clean and not soaking in water

Sprinkle the pork with a pinch of pepper, salt, seasoning and a little sugar. Make sure to spread it well on the meat

Marinate it for a while

Tie a lemon grass around the pork. Make sure to tie it well that it will not loosen when you fry it. This give an extra aroma to the pork.

The secret: Steam the meat until it is half cooked. This way you have less time to fry it and sure enough that the inner part is cooked well. This also gives more crisp to the skin of the pork...which is so sinful but delicious. If you don't have steamer, just put 1/4 cup of water on the frying pan, heat it very low, and cover it. Make sure that the water is dried up when you take the meat out of the pan.

Secret of Frying: Preheat the frying pan. Make sure that it is very hot, then lower the fire and put the meat in it. No Oil needed. Make sure you cover for the pan right after you put the pork in it. You can hear popping effect, but don't worry, it is normal when the oil is taken out of the meat.

If you want to turn the meat on the other side, make sure to put the fire out for a while before you open the cover. Or oil is just popping out of the pan. When you are done turning it over, put the cover and turn on the fire again until it is done.

You can use the oil to fry the next slice of pork.

Slice and Serve.

Banana Q

2009-08-22T19:39:00.005+08:00

Snack time! I always think of summer having this snacks. Summer for us kids means No Class, No Homeworks, and more FUN! When I was a kid, me and my family would visit our grandparents house and all of us cousins have all summertime to enjoy, have fun and play around.

We are like a battalion of armies playing 'Sulpot' in the rice field. It is the best time to play out there after harvest. Or you can find us flying a kite, climbing Mango trees, play hide and seek, or sneak around and go to the river for a swim. It is the best time ever and it is great to be kids. After playing and wondering around, my aunt would prepare us a delicious snacks that we really really love to eat.

Note: There are hundreds of varieties of bananas. 'Saba' or Cooking Bananas is an all time personal favorite especially if it is cooked like this. Aside from it is delicious, nutritious and economical it is available all throughout the year.There are just too many delicious creation you can do with Banana.

Ingredients:

10 pcs. Regular Sized 'Saba' Banana
2 cups Sugar (washed sugar is better because the color is light brown)
1 cup Cooking Oil (for frying)

Procedure:

Slice the Banana into pieces. Ripe is best, but for this kind of cooking, take the almost ripe kind of banana.
Pre heat the frying pan and put cooking oil. Fry the banana until it is golden brown. Don't choose the ripe banana, it will be too soft to fry.
Fry everything before you to go to the next procedure.
Using the same oil in frying, put the sugar into the oil and let it melt a little while and combine the banana into the pan (make sure the fire is not too high, if the sugar is burned it will have a bitter taste)
Keep frying until the sugar melts and turns to dark brown. But don't overdo or it will have a bitter taste. If you use a brown sugar you would expect a darker color. But if you use the white sugar, it will have a pale color.

Voila! Your Snack is Done...Enjoy!