adobongblog

At home at "A Taste of Home"

2016-07-28T18:34:00.001+08:00

My family attended "A Taste of Home" at the Filipino Community Centre in Petone last weekend. It's an event showcasing Filipino food and culture. But to be honest, we were actually more interested in seeing MasterChef runner up Leo Fernandez in action!

There were of course, a wide assortment of Filipino food for sale. What would a Filipino event be without food?!

Sisig - crispy, spicy bits of pork meat, ears, skin, usually served on a hot plate with a raw egg on top. I love this dish, though I do need to ease up on the pork dishes...

Lechon - roasted suckling pig. This one sold out quickly!

I love rice cakes, and the Philippines has a wide variety. It's one of the top things on my 'to-eat' list whenever we go on a holiday to the Philippines.

More food than I can handle in one sitting...

There's the famous Adobo! This time with coconut milk

and fresh lumpia (spring rolls)

For the sweet tooth, how about some Polvoron...

...and Yema!

There were also some local entertainment showcasing Filipino talents!

This is traditionally danced with candles inside the glasses, one for each hand and on the head (called Pandango sa Ilaw). This time around, they replaced the lit candle with water. It takes skill and balance to perform this!

There was (tap) dancing...

... and singing!

Guests were also treated to traditional dancing from the Cook Islands!

And, as a special treat. we got to see Leo Fernandez in action!

Too bad I don't have a photo with him!

At any rate, it was a fun event. Looking forward to more activities like this in the future!

Chia Seeds in drinking water

2016-07-21T16:49:00.000+08:00

Chia Seeds are a new thing to me. I first saw this in my colleague's drinking bottle. He's from Colombia so I guess this is something that's common in their region. It actually reminds me of tadpoles swirling about as he gives the bottle a good shake before taking a couple of gulps. When I inquired from him what it was about, that was when I learned they were Chia Seeds and that he's taking it to help control his weight.

Chia Seeds are touted as a superfood, with a host of benefits and nutrients:

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one ounce of chia seeds (approximately 28 grams) contains 138 calories, 8 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrate, 10 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Eating one ounce of chia seeds per day would provide 18% of daily calcium needs, 27% of phosphorus, 30% of manganese and smaller amounts of potassium, zinc and copper. When compared to flaxseed, chia seeds provide more omega-3s, calcium, phosphorus and fiber - all essential nutrients that most people are not getting enough of. (source: medicalnewstoday.com)

Another interesting article can be found at draxe.com.

I have a bit of weight problem myself, so I thought this might be something I can integrate into my diet. Note that there may be side effects too, but I do not have blood pressure problems nor diabetes so I decided to give this a go.

I asked my colleague how he prepares the Chia Seeds for his drink and he said he simply mixes the chia seeds into his drinking water then he leaves it overnight at room temperature. After ten hours, the seeds form a gel-like coating; it's ready to drink.

This is my 4th day of incorporating Chia Seeds into my drink bottle, and I will update this post if I see/feel any changes in the coming weeks!

So I add 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds into my 600ml drinking bottle...

... and my daughter gives it a good shake...

...and we leave it on the dining table overnight.

The seeds naturally settle to the bottom of the bottle. But overnight the seeds become enclosed in a gel-like coating.

Besides getting Chia Seeds into my diet, I have actually taken to drinking more water. By lunchtime, I would have to top up my bottle as I would have drunk 80-85% of it. No need to chew the seeds!

My friend said he actually started with 1 teaspoon, then the next week he added another teaspoon, and finally on the third week and thereafter he uses 3 teaspoons. Mine's actually a bigger portion as I started with a tablespoon, and I just might max it to 1.5 or 2 tablespoons. If you're interested to do a test run, perhaps a teaspoon per day will suffice for starters. If you have an existing medical condition or are unsure, make sure you check with your doctor first!

Here in Wellington, Chia Seeds are available in Moore Wilson's and at New World (where you buy nuts, dried fruit, muesli, seeds, and lollies per 100 grams).

How to make crispy and juicy fruit pudding

2016-02-08T17:29:00.000+08:00

Macaroni salad

2016-01-13T17:16:00.003+08:00

Macaroni salad always reminds me of happy days. My Nanay would make this on special occasions, especially at Christmas time. She would always make a big batch and there would always be some left for me to snack on all throughout Christmas eve, Christmas Day, and a couple of days thereafter.

Last Christmas, I decided to start this tradition of making Macaroni Salad in our home. This recipe is easy to make, and is sure to please. One tip: make this a day in advance for the flavours to develop.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg elbow macaroni, cooked
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small tub sour cream
1/2 cup minced celery
1 small red onion, minced
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup raisins
1 medium can pineapple tidbits
3 beetroot, cooked and chopped into cubes (I bought a pack that's ready to use)
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

Procedure:
Mix the mayonnaise and the sour cream in a big bowl using a wooden spoon.

Add in the cooked elbow macaroni, and fold in, ensuring the pasta is coated.

Next, add in the celery, red onion, pickle relish, raisins, pineapple tidbits, and beetroot and fold until thoroughly combined.

Finally, add the condensed milk and fold until mixed.

Taste and adjust by adding more mayo or condensed milk if necessary. I love raisins, so I actually added another 1/4 cup to mine but this is of course to my preference only.

Chill before serving.

Leo Fernandez makes it to Masterchef NZ Top 3

2015-09-23T18:09:00.000+08:00

Let's zoom along, shall we? In this 2-part episode in Dubai, the 4 contestants duke it out in the open dessert (that's part 1) where the boys won the round.

Oh no! We've got a man down! #MasterChefNZ pic.twitter.com/ag7OYJlkYs
— MasterChef NZ (@MasterChefNZ) September 20, 2015

Seriously, I cannot imagine how it is like to cook out in the dessert with the grill and frying pan on high. Especially for Kiwis, who are accustomed to the cool climate.

On part 2, they headed off to the Dubai Marina to replicate a three-course dish at chef Gary Rhodes' restaurant.

Whisked away by boat to a Dubai market with nothing but a list... No worries! #MasterChefNZ pic.twitter.com/SIdIkfZzRN
— MasterChef NZ (@MasterChefNZ) September 21, 2015

It was a pretty tight contest, with each contestant getting at least one great review with their dish. I have listed the ones for Leo below, complete with screenshots! (literally, I took shots of the show from the TV with my camera)

Entree: Smoked Haddock with Welsh Rarebit & Tomato Salad

"It's a stunner, isn't it?"
"It looks beautiful"
"I thought it was a more complete dish, certainly with the oil, pepper and the salt, and the seasoning"
Get the recipe on TV3.co.nz

Main: Grilled Welsh Lamb Cutlets Sesame Cabbage and Ginger with Spicy Oriental Sauce

"He left the fat cap on there, which is a bit dissappointing"
"I think it's cooked beautifully. It's a little bit wet (referring to the cabbage), I like a bit of caramelisation."
"Quite a bit of chilli sauce, quite a lot of raisins, you know, in the cabbage, doesn't feel as tight as it should be."
It's not 100% correct but he did get some of the spices coming through there which helped the dish"
"It's just a bit too sweet."
Get the recipe on TV3.co.nz

Noooo, really??? hehe #MasterChefNZ pic.twitter.com/uQopheFyf5
— MasterChef NZ (@MasterChefNZ) September 21, 2015

Dessert: Marshmallow Meringue with Creme Anglaise

"It's a lovely dessert."
Get the recipe on TV3.co.nz

And it was back on the boat, with judges' comments for Leo below:

"Leo, from our point of view, your entree was the best by far."
"Visually, it was restaurant quality. It was spot on."
"Your main, the sweetness... was just a bit overpowering there, and you left the fat cap on the lamb."
"Your dessert, though, was lovely. Great anglaise, and great presentation."

It was a toss-up between Leo and Glenda, and in the end, winning the challenge in part 1 gave Leo the advantage.

Well said Glenda, what a beautiful outlook on things! #MasterChefNZ pic.twitter.com/fqUaoms9kL
— MasterChef NZ (@MasterChefNZ) September 21, 2015

Next weekend, it's the Semi-final, followed right after with the Finals!

Don't forget to 'Like' Leo's profile on the MasterChef NZ website!

Filipino makes it to MasterChef NZ Top 4

2015-09-14T18:27:00.000+08:00

If you haven't been watching the latest edition of MasterChef NZ, you still have time to catch up with the Top 5 competition. And there is good reason to watch, for we have our own 32 year old Leo Fernandez who made it to top 5!

We weren't actually able to catch the early episodes ourselves. A friend alerted us about this and we have been tuning in ever since. We would have loved the episode where he showcased maja blanca and adobo!

If your region allows it, you can still watch the more recent episodes on 3 Now. On TV, MasterChef is on Sundays at 7pm and on Mondays at 7.30pm.

In the meantime, here is one of Leo's recipes. The judges found the lettuce spring roll very flavoursome so I would like to try that!

Photos and recipe from the TV3 website (no copyright infringement intended, such TV-related articles disappear over time so I would like to keep a copy here for archiving purposes).

5 Spiced Pork Roast, Bean and Lettuce Spring Roll, with Apple and Oyster Sauce

Recipe by Leo Fernandez
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Makes 1 Portions/Servings

Ingredients
Pork
1 Pork Chop
1Tsp. Five Spice Powder
Spring Roll Stuffing
50g Minced Pork
½ Granny Smith Apple, cored and diced
1Tbsp. Peanut Butter
1Tsp. Fish Sauce
2Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
1 Onion, peeled and diced
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and diced
1Cup Green beans (cut diagonally)
Apple Sauce
1 ½ Granny Smith Apples
Oyster Sauce
3Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
1Tsp. Sugar
1Tsp. Flour
Finishing Touches
3 Iceberg Lettuce Leaves, trimmed and washed
4 Coriander Leaves, picked
1Tsp. Chives, finely sliced

Procedure

To make the Five-Spiced Roast Pork, start by blanching the pork in a pot of boiling water for 5mins. Remove from the pot and pat dry with paper towels. Rub with the five spice powder and place onto a lined baking tray. Put in the oven at 200° for 10mins. Then reduce the temperature in the oven to 180° and continue cooking the pork. Set to grill to achieve a nice crackle on the pork. Set aside.
To make the Spring Roll Stuffing, start by sautéing garlic and onion in a large pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook over a high heat until soft. Season and add pork mince. Stir well and cook until the pork starts to caramelise. Add the beans. Then season with fish sauce and oyster sauce. Add peanut butter and diced apple. Stir well and lightly season. Take off the heat and cool.
To make the Apple Sauce, place apples into a medium pot with just enough water to cover the base of the pot. Cook over a medium heat until tender. Lightly season and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Pass through a sieve and set aside.
For the Oyster sauce, mix sugar, flour and oyster sauce in a pot and cook over a medium heat. Cook until it starts to thicken. Take off the heat and set aside.
To plate, spoon 2Tbsp. of the spring roll stuffing into each lettuce leaf. Add coriander, chives and a good dollop of apple sauce. Serve with the pork chop drizzle with oyster sauce.

Show your support to Leo by 'liking' his profile on the TV3 website!

To grow a tree, you first need to plant a seed

2015-01-14T17:34:00.002+08:00

A friend gave us some avocadoes November of last year, and as is usual practice we would throw away the inedible parts (ie skin and seeds). However in this instance I had a flash of inspiration and decided to try and give the 3 seeds (or, in this case, pits) a second chance. So I googled for the best way to get the plant going and pierced the pit with three toothpicks to suspend it on glass with its pointy end submerged in water.

That was on the first of November 2014. I read that it will take 2-3 months before I see some signs of life, so I was delighted to see roots coming out from one of the pits about 3 weeks ago. It's on schedule! And last weekend (12th January 2015) I decided to transfer it to a pot. Unfortunately the 2 other pits are not cooperating as much (late bloomers, perhaps?).

With the seedling in its own pot, I have been reading up on how it will be like to grow your own avocado tree. Overall, my impression is that this plant is a rather fussy one, and you need to monitor its water supply, fertiliser, soil acidity, protection from frost, etc.

Oh, and I learned that it will take around 7 years before an avocado tree (from seed) begins yielding fruit. And that the fruit will not really taste that great. What a bummer. Cuttings work best (and will bear fruit in half the time).

My avocado has just started life and it looks like it's got everything against it! But it will receive the same care as the other plants at home just the same. I will give updates on how it is coming along through this blog (7 years is a loooong time...)

Thinking of growing your own avocado tree? Here are some resources on avocadoes that you might be interested in:
incredible edibles
Reader's Digest
nzavocado

Boodle fight

2015-01-07T17:43:00.000+08:00

'We're going to have a boodle fight,' my friends said as a matter of factly while they busied themselves with covering the dining table with banana leaves. There was also a lot of activity in the kitchen, so I knew food was involved. Was there going to be a food fight? Close, but not quite.

A boodle fight, I learned later on, is a dining style inspired by the Philippine military as the men share a meal on a table with the food all spread out on banana leaves. They eat together regardless of rank, with their bare hands. It is a sign of camaraderie. The 'fight' part is not really an exchange of punches, but rather the staking your territory on the table where you place your share of the meal, and getting those bits that you really want lest you get left out.

I have eaten with my bare hands before, and I have also dined using banana leaves as my plate (think Binalot) multiple times, but I have never been to a boodle fight so my interest was piqued.

I helped out with arranging the banana leaves onto the dining table while the ladies prepared and laid out the food. The meal looked sumptious.

We also had dishes with sauce, so obviously this could not go with the rest of the spread so they stayed in their own bowls.

And then it was time to eat! (remember to wash your hands first!)

Eating with her bare hands came naturally to this wee one.

It was loads of fun sharing a meal this way with friends. You should try it some time!

Philadelphia mini cheesecakes

2014-12-15T13:08:00.001+08:00

Just saw this on my Facebook wall, and it looks easy to make.

More cheesecake recipes at the Kraft website.
(this is not a paid endorsement!)

Crispy Pork Belly

2014-11-20T16:58:00.002+08:00

I came across this recipe from Annabel Langbein's website and I can just imagine how mouth-watering this recipe can be! And to top it all, it just needs seasoning, pork, and milk! I tried this recipe one Saturday night when we had friends over. I was only able to get a morsel for my taste test and placed the rest on the table. I never got to have a bite again - they made short work of it!

I tweaked Annabel's version a bit. And because this was a weekend experiment, I only used 500g of pork belly.

Ingredients:
500g pork belly, with skin sliced (you can buy the pork with skin sliced already)
salt and pepper
fresh milk

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 240C
Use a metal baking dish and not glass as it might shatter when the milk is added. Place the pork on the baking dish and season the meat with salt and pepper. Turn over, pat the skin dry and season generously with salt, rubbing it through the slices.

Roast the pork skin side up for 30 minutes.
Pour milk around the side of the pork, making sure that the skin does not get wet. Submerge the meat about 2/3 of the way up.

Reduce heat to 260C and roast for 1-1/2 hours. During the cooking process, check the liquid level and replenish when necessary.

Remove the pork from the oven and discard the liquid, which would have curdled.

Chop up and serve with lechon sauce (found in Asian stores where Filipino goods are sold)

Beef Empanada

2014-08-27T17:58:00.001+08:00

The empanada is a hearty snack that's sure to please. With the beef-veggie filling encased in lightly browned pastry, this dish looks time-consuming to make, but my version is, well, easy as pie!

I find making the dough from scratch daunting, so I'm using pre-made pastry sheets instead. That said, the shape of the empanada are not the traditional half-circle, but rather triangles or rectangles as I do not want wasteage. Also, the veggie filling comes from the pre-cut, frozen pack. That's a substantial part of preparation time cut down, and the best part is, the result tastes just as amazing (tested on friends and kids!).

One comment made by a friend was that we can add some hard boiled eggs too, but I'm keeping to the recipe I used below. You can add hard boiled eggs to the filling if you wish.

The yield is 18-20 pieces empanada easily. But we just used 4 pieces pastry sheets so we came up with 16 (4 per sheet) - we ate the leftover filling with rice :-).

Ingredients:

1/2 kg ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped into small pieces
4 bulbs garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 medium potato, diced into same size as the frozen veggies
1.5 cups frozen vegetables (carrots, green peas, corn)
1.5 cups raisin
1/2 cup tomato sauce
4 pastry sheets
1/2 cup tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 heaping teaspoonfuls brown sugar
1 medium egg
2 tbsp milk
cooking oil

Procedure

Cut each pastry sheet into quarters and set aside to thaw.

Heat a glug of cooking oil over medium heat in a pan. Saute the onion and garlic.
Add the minced beef, mixing occasionally until the raw reddish colour has turned light brown.

Add the tomato sauce and diced potatoes and mix thoroughly. After a couple of minutes, add the frozen veggies. No need to thaw. Also add the raisins. Alternate between covering and mixing, until the veggies have partly thawed. Do not be too concerned about the veggies being completely cooked at this stage, as they will have lots of chances to do so in the oven.

Next, add the brown sugar, mix, then season with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat. Minced meat filling done!

Make the egg wash by scrambling the egg with the milk and a dash of salt.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Take a quarter pastry sheet, then place a spoonful of the minced meat filling in the middle. Brush half of the egg wash onto 2 adjacent edges of the pastry sheet, then fold over the filling, pressing the edges firmly to seal. You can make triangles or rectangles, it's up to you. I found out though that the triangle can be a bit fussy, especially if the pastry sheet was not cut into a near-square!

Use the tines of a fork to press on the edges to further seal it.

Place empanadas on a baking tray lined with baking sheet. Brush the tops with the egg wash - this will give the empanada shiny coat.

Finally, pierce the top a couple of times with a fork to enable the pastry to 'breathe'.

Bake for 30 mins, or until lightly browned.
Let it rest to a manageable temperature before serving.
Some like having a dip to go with it, so have some ketchup, Mang Tomas, or sweet and sour sauce handy.

We made rectangular-shaped ones as well, which, I think, looks much better than the triangular ones.

Fishballs in sweet and sour sauce

2014-04-29T19:06:00.003+08:00

This is a different take on the simple street food we know as fishballs. It is usually fried, and then dipped in sauce as it is eaten. In this instance we cook the fishballs with the sauce. This results in a more flavourful dish. Best of all, you avoid double-dipping!

Ingredients:

Fishballs, sliced into 2 (the fishballs here look similar to squid balls)
sesame seeds
sweet and sour sauce
cooking oil
chilli flakes (optional)

Procedure:
Heat up some cooking oil on a frying pan, then cook the fishballs, mixing occasionally, until lightly browned.

Toss some sesame seeds and mix for a minute.

Finally, pour in the sweet and sour sauce and mix. Warning: the sauce will spatter. Just pour in enough sauce to coat the fishballs. Toss in some chilli flakes if desired.

Serve immediately. Great with beer!

Breakfast Pizza

2014-04-22T17:18:00.000+08:00

I got this idea from the Food in a Minute book I borrowed from the Library. The ingredients are readily available from the supermarket, but you can also substitute for variety!

I made this for our two breakfasts over Easter Sunday and Monday and it's a certified hit. Even my baby daughter loves it! One pizza is good for 2 adults; make 2 to share (and maximize use of oven)! The ingredients listed below are for 2 pizzas.

Ingedients:

2 Pita bread
Edam cheese, grated
5 Streaky Bacon, cut into squares
2 Eggs
400g Italian Style Diced Tomato in can
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
Pre-heat the oven to 220C.

Place the pita bread on a baking tray (sufficient to accommodate the bread). Spread the diced tomatoes evenly over the pita bread.

Next, add the bacon pieces...

... followed by the cheese...

... and finally, crack an egg onto the middle of the pie. Then season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the egg white is cooked. If you don't want a runny yolk, cook it for a couple more minutes. Serve hot as with a regular pizza.

This is a delightful way to start the day! I also tried a variation with ketchup and fresh, chopped tomatoes with chilli flakes and it turned out great too! I will also add other ingredients like chopped mushrooms next time.

Embutido (Filipino-style Meatloaf)

2014-03-16T18:26:00.000+08:00

The Filipino version of the meatloaf - the embutido - usually makes an appearance during celebrations only. Perhaps it's because making this dish is a bit labour intensive. It takes time to make a batch. But that's not to say it's difficult to do. Check out the procedure below and you'll see what I mean!

Since it is steamed, embutido is already cooked as is and can be served cold. However it tastes best when sliced then fried, paired with ketchup or your favourite dip with meat.

Note that you will need a steamer (or a similar device) to make embutido.

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, grated
3 spring onion stalks, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, chopped into small squares
1 green capsicum, cut into small squares
1/2 kg pork mince
1/2 kg chicken mince
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
2 raw eggs
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup ketchup
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
230g can vienna sausage
4 eggs, hard boiled
aluminum foil
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Mix the carrots, spring onion, capsicum, pickle relish, raisins, onion, cheese, chicken and pork in a big bowl.

Next, add the breadcrumbs, ketchup, and break in the 2 raw eggs and mix thoroughly.

On a separate plate, slice the hard boiled eggs. Slice the vienna sausages.

The size of your embutido depends on how big your steamer is. With this in mind, cut up the aluminum foil into rectangles.

Arrange the meat mixture into the centre of the foil. Then place an embutido slice and egg slice side by side, forming a line across the mix.

Fold the aluminum foil over, then roll, folding both edges to close.

Then squeeze both edges to seal the meat loaf.

Steam your embutido for an hour.

Store the embutido in the ref for the pieces you are eating relatively soon, and freeze the rest.

Serve sliced and can be eaten cold, or fried til lightly browned (I prefer the fried variety).

Ginisang kamatis (sauteed tomatoes)

2014-02-05T17:41:00.000+08:00

My wife casually mentioned that my Nanay shared this recipe with her in one of their more recent phone conversations. I love it, and friends do too! It's like a thick sauce for that perfect side dish to fried fish (and I did not mean to rhyme!). The above photo is the second batch my wife has cooked in a week.

Ingredients:
5 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (we remove the seeds)
1 heaping tablespoon sauteed shrimp paste (we used the Kabayan brand bottled shrimp paste)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 egg, whisked and seasoned with salt
cooking oil

Procedure:
Heat up some cooking oil in a pan over medium-low heat.
Saute the garlic and onion.
Add the tomatoes and mix occasionally until the tomato pieces have softened with the pulp separating from the skin.
Add the sauteed shrimp paste, mix occasionally and cook for a couple of minutes.
Finally, add the scrambled egg and mix continuously until the egg is cooked.
Serve warm; it's especially great with fried fish! (Actually, it becomes more flavoursome the following day, if it lasts that long, that is)

(Please pardon the quality of the above photo; I used a phone's camera to take this shot and share my mouth-watering seafood dinner with friends at Facebook!)

Champorado (chocolate rice porridge)

2014-01-30T17:43:00.000+08:00

I was having a quiet lunch at the office while browsing through the Dominion Post when I spotted a familiar face smiling up at me. It was one of our friends giving an interview about his favourite childhood food, the Champorado (chocolate rice pudding)! I excitedly shared the news with friends and they were obviously elated to see someone they know in the papers, and in a good way too!

Of course news like this has to lead somewhere, and so a couple of weeks later we were treated to Dave's famous Champorado at their home!

The Champorado was awesome. Now, I'm sure you are itching to have a copy of the recipe, in which case I am happy to point you to the news article at Dominion Post. You're welcome!

Chicken Macaroni Salad

2014-01-22T17:12:00.003+08:00

I like this Chicken Macaroni salad - which is a recipe of my wife's - because it is not too sweet. I like having it any time of the day (or night!). This festive dish is also a favourite amongst friends, and is one of our go-to recipes whenever there's a celebration.

Ingredients:

470g Mayonnaise

200g Condensed milk

250ml Reduced cream

1 large carrot, grated

500g Elbow macaroni

2 Chicken breasts

1 small white onion, finely chopped

Cheddar cheese, grated

1 medium can, Pineapple chunks

Raisins

Pickle relish

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Cook the elbow macaroni as per instructions

Submerge the chicken breast pieces in water and season with salt and pepper. Boil the meat until cooked. Set aside to cool. Then shred the meat. Not too finely, as the meat can get lost in this salad if shredded too finely.

In a deep bowl, combine the Mayonnaise, Condensed milk, and Reduced Cream.

Time to add in the other ingredients: elbow macaroni, shredded chicken meat, pineapple chunks, chopped onion, raisins, grated cheese. There are no exact measurements for the raisins and pickle relish; use it to balance the sweet and sour flavour of the salad.

Season with a bit of salt and pepper, give it a good mix, then adjust taste accordingly with raisins and/or pickle relish (or even pineapple chunks!)

Serve chilled.

Palitaw

2014-01-14T17:48:00.000+08:00

Palitaw is a native Filipino rice cake, whose name literally means "to float". And it is exactly the way this is cooked; the dough is ready when it floats. We had visitors over the weekend who prepared palitaw for merienda, and it was a nice treat as we haven't had palitaw for some time now.

Ingredients:
2 cups glutinous rice flour
water (about 1 cup)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
grated coconut meat

Procedure:
Mix the rice flour with water and knead into a soft dough. There is a bit of guesstimate here. If the dough needs more water, add a little at a time and continue kneading. Then take small portions of dough formed into balls, then flatten into discs. Set aside.

Boil enough water in a pot to submerge rice dough pieces then enable it to float when cooked. While the water is on a rolling boil, place a number of the dough discs, making sure they do not touch each other as they will tend to stick. The discs will get submerged, but will float when cooked. Remove the discs to drain.

Mix white sugar with the toasted sesame seeds in a bowl.

(In this instance, we pounded the sesame seeds but it is not necessary)

Finally, coat all sides of the cooked rice dough with grated coconut, then coat with the sugar-sesame seed mixture. Or, you can serve the sugar-sesame seed mix separately (as in the case below, Mommy Connie got her own small bowl of sugar with sesame seeds so she can savour her palitaw using her bare hands!). Serve and enjoy.

Thanks Mommy Connie for the fun merienda afternoon!

Seafood Chop Suey

2014-01-07T15:03:00.001+08:00

Back when I worked in the bustling city of Makati in the Philippines, there was this fast food shop that served rice meals which I loved going to because it was the next best thing to a proper dinner without putting a dent in my wallet. Their Chop suey was my favourite. Aside from the crunchy veggies, the pork crackling and squid made it special. The squid is the best part of the meal, and we usually saved it for last.

I experienced deja vu when we recently had chop suey and had a craving for some squid with my veggies. But why have squid only, when we can add more seafood? And seafood mix it is. This dish turned out great! A bit of pork crackling would have made this complete, but that can wait for another time.

Ingredients:

500g pack seafood marinara (thawed)

2 medium capsicum

1 medium head of broccoli

1 medium head of cauliflower

2 medium carrots, skinned and chopped

a medium bowl of squid balls

1 heaping tablespoon cornflour

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

water

cooking oil

fish sauce

salt and pepper to taste

it wasn't available at the time, but snow peas and cabbage are also great for this dish. To prepare, remove both ends of snow peas (a handful will do); chop a small head of cabbage into bite-size pieces.

Procedure:

Chop the squid balls into quarters. Heat up some cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the squid balls until lightly browned. Set aside.

Chop the capsicum into 8 pieces, removing the seeds as you go. Then chop each piece into 3 pieces.

Cut and snap the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-size florets. Do not discard the broccoli stem; slice away the thick outer skin then chop diagonally.

Heat up some cooking oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic.

Add the carrots first (this being the toughest veggie in the bunch).

After a couple of minutes, add the cauliflower and broccoli (add also the snow peas if you have it). Season with salt and pepper.

Add a cup of water and cover to simmer. After around 3 minutes add the capsicum. Cover and simmer for a couple more minutes.

Refrain from mixing the veggies too much as they become soft when cooked and get easily mashed when moved around.

Then add the seafood marinara mix. Add the cabbage at this stage as well. Cover to cook for 3-4 minutes or until the shrimps, mussles, and squid are cooked.

Time to adjust the taste! Add a tablespoon of fish sauce for starters and mix slowly, then have a taste. You may need to add more fish sauce, depending on your preference.

Finally, put the cornflour with a bit of water in a small bowl then mix to dissolve. Form a well in the middle of the chop suey, then add the diluted cornflour. Mix it in, the sauce should thicken.

Serve immediately with rice (it's great hot!)

Chicken Katsu

2013-11-18T17:02:00.001+08:00

I had a sudden craving for Pork Tonkatsu, one of my favourite Japanese dishes. I thought about making some at home, but did not know the first thing about making this dish. Good thing Just One Cookbook came to the rescue! However, in this case I tried Chicken Katsu instead and it was great.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg chicken breast

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs, available from your local supermarket or Asian store. Note that you may need more than 1 cup.

Canola oil

1 egg, beaten (2 eggs is too much for 1/2 kg chicken breast)

1/2 cup flour (you may also need more)

For the Tonkatsu sauce:

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp white sugar

Procedure:

Heat up the enough cooking oil to submerge the meat pieces (by batch) over medium heat on a non-stick pan.

Sprinkle the meat pieces with salt and pepper.

Tenderize the meat by pounding it with the flat edge of the knife. Don't beat it to a pulp, just give it a good pounding crosswise, then lengthwise.

Dip the meat onto the flour...

followed by a dip on the beaten egg...

then a generous dip on the panko.

And it's on to the frying pan. Lay the meat flat for even cooking, then flip to the other side when golden brown.

Place on paper towels to drain off excess oil.

To make the sauce, simply mix all the ingredients for this.

Chop the chicken katsu, then drizzle some sauce on top. Serve and enjoy (great with rice!)

Fundraising for Typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines

2013-11-14T07:03:00.000+08:00

Barkadahanz is an organisation of Filipino families located in the Northern suburbs of Wellington, New Zealand. We are currently raising funds for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

We are coordinating with various local agencies helping in Tacloban and nearby communities to find the best way of channeling our donations. Please watch this page for updates re this fundraising initiative.

If you want to donate through us please use the account details (for electronic banking) below:
ASB Account No. 12 3223 0160240 50
Reference: HAIYAN
Code: your surname

For further inquiries, please contact:
Cory Gawe (04 4774251 / 027 588 2276), or
Nick or Tina Ballesteros (04 477 4069)

We are also running a Garage Sale on the 23rd of November. Details below (click image to enlarge).

Salamat po for your assistance. Please help spread the word also.

A bigger, better Filipino store

2013-10-10T16:42:00.002+08:00

A momentous happened last week: the Filipino Store has moved to a better location (and is still in Johnsonville)!

We dropped by on its first day of opening, and husband and wife tandem Wynda and Edwin were a bit exhausted from the move (late nights and early morning work) but were visibly jubilant that the move was completed , and they made it in time for opening day!

The new place is definitely a step towards the right direction. Big parking space, bigger store space, and even better location. Congratulations on the new store, Wynda and Edwin!

The store is open 7 days a week. I believe on most days it will be open til 6.00pm. I'll get the exact schedule when we visit again. In the meantime, you can phone the store at 04 478 6812 for inquiries.

View Larger Map

Beef Corned Silverside Caldereta

2013-09-12T17:46:00.002+08:00

My wife decided to try using beef corned silverside for caldereta and it turned out really good. When you bite on the meat, you get that texture and flavour of corned beef, but the tomato-based sauce, sweet raisins, and creamy cheese all combine for that yummy caldereta taste. Perfect with hot, steaming rice!

Ingredients:
1kg beef corned silverside
cooking oil
1 medium onion, sliced into thin rings
half a head of garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes, skinned and quartered
2 medium carrots, skinned chopped diagonally into a size roughly similar as the potatoes
1 large capsicum, roughly chopped
300g tomato sauce
70g tomato paste
a handful of raisins
cheddar cheese
water
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
First off, the beef corned silverside needs to lose its saltiness. Give it a good rinse, then boil the meat over low heat for an hour. Use enough water to submerge the beef. Drain, then add a second batch of water. Resume cooking under low heat for another hour or until it becomes tender. Set aside the water (which will now be your stock), and chop the meat into chunks.

While waiting for the beef to cook, start with preparations of the veggies. Just fry the potatoes, carrots, and capsicum until half-cooked. Set aside.

Pour a couple tablespoons cooking oil into the pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic.

Add the beef and mix.

Next, pour back the stock, and add the tomato paste and tomato sauce. Stir and let boil.

Next, add the veggies and combine.

Since the veggies have been half-cooked, just wait for a couple more minutes and then grate the cheese and add the raisins. Mix and taste, adjusting with salt and pepper. Add more grated cheese if you wish.

Serve warm.

Beef Corned Silverside

2013-09-05T16:26:00.000+08:00

The first time we tasted Beef Corned Silverside, it was at a friend's house and to be honest, we did not like it (not that we were going to say it there! but our friends also did mention they might have gotten the recipe wrong too). And that's because it was too salty. Beef Corned Silverside is naturally salty off the shelf so we assumed there's a trick to cooking it. We did not attempt to buy and cook this meat since then because we also did not know how - until we saw this recipe at Countdown.

A kilo of this meat is too big for one sitting for us, so I had some of these for lunch the following day. I must say it tasted better than when it was served the day it was cooked. I guess it's because the flavours have had more time to combine overnight. It has the texture and distinctive taste (although not as strong) of canned corned beef, with a note of garlic and orange flavours as most noticeable. But more importantly, the strong salty taste has been toned down considerably!

Ingredients:
1 kg beef corned silverside
30 whole cloves garlic
4 tbsp golden syrup (corn syrup can be substituted)
8 bay leaves (also called laurel leaves
12 whole peppercorns
2 oranges
water
mustard sauce to serve

Procedure:
Rinse the meat, and remove any visible fat.

Push the cloves into the meat. We had to make some incisions in order to do this (not sure how we were going to accomplish this otherwise).

Place the meat in a heavy-bottomed pot, ensuring the pot can accommodate the meat and the liquid that will submerge this.

Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, and golden syrup.

Cut the oranges, squeeze the juice into the meat, and leave the orange halves in the pot.

Fill the pot with water, ensuring the meat is covered.
Cover the pot and cook under medium heat for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Once cooked, remove meat from the pot, cover, and set aside for 12-15 minutes.
Remove cloves from the meat and slice across the grain to serve with mustard sauce.

Daigaku Imo

2013-09-02T18:10:00.001+08:00

Sachie shared a couple of Japanese snack recipes in an episode of Sachie's Kitchen. One of these is Daigaku Imo, which she also affectionately calls University Sweet Potato because it is a well-known treat to cash-strapped students.

While this recipe sounds Japanese, the recipe will be oddly familiar to us Filipinos. This is similar to our camote cue (or camote Q), with the addition of sesame seeds!

I think the sweet potatoes we have in the Philippines are more adaptable to this recipe because our variety ends up with a rather crunchy outside and mushy inside when fried. I used an orange kumara (the local name for sweet potato) for this recipe and tried to fry it but it started oozing water and soon it was merrily boiling away. I tried to get it to the frying stage but ended up with some mildly browned bits instead (as can be seen from the above photo!)

You will need:
1 big orange kumara, chopped into bite-size pieces
sesame seeds, toasted
the original recipe calls for sugar syrup, but I used maple syrup instead
cooking oil

Procedure:
Heat up some cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the sweet potato pieces.

When cooked (pierce with a fork for doneness), remove from heat then drizzle and mix with maple syrup.

Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. Let cool a bit and serve. Good for 2 servings.