Watermelon Eyes

I couldn't believe my (watermelon) eyes!

Recipe: Tinolang Manok (Chicken Ginger Soup)

This recipe is a sure delight to most Filipinos. It has been a popular local dish as it was even mentioned in Chapter Three of Dr. Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere. The novel, Noli Me Tangere, was written in 1884 and Rizal is the country's national hero.


What you need to prepare:
-casserole

Ingredients:
-1 whole chicken, cut into small serving pieces
-1 small ginger, peeled and sliced
-1 small garlic, crushed
-1 medium onion, chopped
-2 tbsp patis (fish sauce)
-2 medium sayote (chayote squash), peeled and cut into serving pieces
-sili (chilli) leaves
-1 tbsp canola oil
-1 liter of water
-dash of salt

Let's start cooking!

1. Heat canola oil in a casserole. Saute garlic, onion and ginger until it produces an aromatic scent.

2. Add the chicken pieces to brown the meat lightly.

3.Season with patis and a dash of salt. Then pour water and cover for about 15 minutes.

4. When the chicken is half done, add sayote. Simmer over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.

5. Stir in sili leaves just before serving.

Serve with love!

NOTES:

1. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables.

2. You can also use raw papaya instead of sayote, and malunggay leaves instead of sili leaves.

summer and watermelons

Our summer meal as a family is not complete without the crisp, cold, and juicy watermelon. I guess summer and watermelon are inseparable especially if you're living in a tropical country such as ours.
Other than the water content, the beautiful red watermelon is filled with high concentration of lycopene and some of nature's antioxidants. It is packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. Everything about it is healthy so obviously, eating watermelon to quench the summer thirst is a safer than taking energy drinks.

A stroll around the city will show you several fruit stalls. I usually buy from Beth's Pakwan (which means watermelon in Tagalog) along Don Bonifacio Avenue. If you're from Balibago and going to NLEX/Angeles Municipal Hall, the store is after Caltex Gasoline Station.

So eat up and take advantage of the nutritious, bright red watermelons this summer. I'm actually enjoying a big slice right now. Happy watermelon slurping!

Avoid Hot Liquid Intake

According to a recent Iranian research, drinking scalding hot liquid may cause throat cancer.

Tea hotter than 160 degrees may trigger the development of cancerous tumors in the esophagus.

They suggest that we let steaming liquid cool at least four minutes before consuming it.

News from Reuters

Honey Bunches of Oats

I'm not really a breakfast person but to start my day right, I grab a bowl of my favorite breakfast cereal with fresh milk.

Whole grain wheat + Rolled oats + Almonds + Honey

Honey Bunches of Oats is a healthy and delicious morning, afternoon or evening treat - with zero Trans Fat, zero Saturated Fats and zero Cholesterol. I like the original flavor because it's very crunchy, tastes really good, and it's not overly sweetened.

I buy a couple of this cereal pretty much every time I go shopping. I feel happier when I know I have it on my kitchen shelf. There was a time when we couldn't find one in our local supermarket. We had to search for it on the next town. Good thing we had Duty Free Shops in Clark as our last resort.

Intercourses

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Looking at its front cover, I'm already seduced into getting a copy of this cook book. Intercourses by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge is a collection of classic aphrodisiac recipes and sensual food art.

Oysters, honey, chocolate, strawberries - ahh, sexy and yummy!

The Right Cooking Oil For You

Filipinos can't get enough of frying almost any type of food - Fried Chicken, Fried Fish, Fried Hotdogs, Fried Rice, Fried Squid (Calamares), Fried Vegetable Rolls, Fried Eggplant and the list goes on. All that frying means we have to choose the healthiest cooking oils for our everyday meals.

Our bodies need fats because it provide essential fatty acids. Doctors still encourage us though to limit both Saturated Fats and Trans Fats in what we consume because of its association with cardiovascular diseases. These fats are found primarily in meat and dairy. Butter, vegetable shortening, and margarine also contain these bad fats so you may want to reduce them in your cooking.

Choose cooking oils with high concentration of Monounsaturated Fats and Polyunsaturated Fats because they lower the bad cholesterol.

For frying foods, use oils that will not burn in high heat such as canola oil, corn oil, sesame oil, or sunflower oil.

For salad dressing, add a little more flavor by trying avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil or walnut oil.

Other tips:

1. If you want to recycle the oil, use it two (or three at most) times only. More than that is unhealthy.

2. Separate the oil for fish and pork to prevent rancid smell.

3. Use oils sparingly in your cooking and preparation.

4. Store the cooking oil in a cool, dry place to keep its goodness.

Recipe: Torta (Ground Pork in Tomato Sauce)

Kapampangans call this recipe Torta but I learned from my mother-in-law that this is called Giniling in Tagalog. If you're a busy person and you don't have time to cook everyday, this is the perfect recipe for you. You can cook it on a Monday then store the rest in the refrigerator. Just re-heat a serving portion in the microwave and you have something to eat for the rest of the week.

Torta with Chinese Buns/Mantou

What you need to prepare:
-skillet

Ingredients:
-1/2 kilo lean ground pork
-2 medium potatoes, washed and diced
-1 medium green bell pepper, diced
-1 medium carrots, diced
-5 small tomatoes, finely chopped
-1 small pack of tomato sauce
-1 medium onion, sliced
-1 small garlic, crushed
-1 tbsp olive oil
-a pinch of salt
-a pinch of pepper

Let's start cooking:

1. In a skillet, saute garlic and onions with olive oil. Add ground pork until light brown or thoroughly cooked.

2. Add tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and green bell peppers. Stir fry for two minutes. Then season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour in tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water. Cover and let it stand for five minutes.

Serve with love!

NOTES:

1. My mom would add sliced hotdogs and green peas in this recipe while my mom-in-law's giniling recipe isn't complete without raisins.

2. You can eat this recipe with a hot bowl of white rice or Chinese buns (Mantou).

3. You can buy Chinese Buns in Robinson's Grocery, Nepo Mall. 12 buns is around Php50.00. Just steam the buns about 3 to 5 minutes and they're ready to eat.

4. For a more flavorful experience, try this recipe with a combination of 1/4 lean ground beef and 1/4 lean ground pork.

Recipe: Lechon Kawali (Pan Fried Pork)

This is a classic Filipino food so if you want to cook for a Pinoy friend or guest, this will certainly bring him a wide smile. All meat lovers will also enjoy this crispy, pan fried pork.


What you need to prepare:
-frying pan with cover
-tissue paper

Ingredients:
-1/2 kilo liempo
-canola oil
-a pinch of salt
-a pinch of pepper
-3 tbsp all-purpose flour

Let's start cooking!

1. Rub liempo slices with salt and pepper. Let it stand for five minutes.

2. Heat oil in frying pan until very hot. Have your cover ready. While heating the pan, sprinkle the pork slices with some flour.

3. Carefully put liempo in the frying pan. Cover the pan and reduce to medium heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Turn the pork over and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until light to golden brown.

4. Remove from pan and completely drain on paper towels before serving.

Serve with love!

NOTES:
1.You may also use pork belly however, you my need to boil the meat prior to frying.

2. Sprinkling some flour before frying will prevent the oil to spatter but maintains the meat's crispiness.

3. If you want a less greasy meat, you can simply season the pork slices with salt and pepper and use a turbo broiler. It'll remove the fats and you don't have to worry about the spattering as well.

4. A crushed garlic-vinegar dip or plain tomatoes will be a delicious complement for this recipe. Enjoy your meal!

Recipe: Stir Fried Scallops

Cooking home meals rather than dining out is one of the surest way to save money. And not only that, you can make sure what you're eating is clean, delicious, and healthy too.

I have all the time now to experiment new dishes so my first attempt is called Stir Fried Scallops. This quick recipe is good with white rice or crispy noodles.

What You Need to Prepare:
-wok or large skillet
-two small pans

Ingredients:
First set:
-3/4 cups scallops, washed and drained
-small garlic, crushed and finely chopped
-small onion, finely chopped
-small fresh ginger, crushed and finely chopped
-white wine
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup chicken broth
-olive oil
-sesame oil


Second set:
-olive oil or canola oil
-medium onion, sliced
-1 small can of mushrooms
-broccoli, blanched
-cauliflower, blanched
-1/4 cup oyster sauce
-1/2 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in water

Let's start cooking:

1. Blanch the broccoli and cauliflower in a small pan for three to four minutes.

2. In another small pan, add olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Add the scallops. Cook for one minute. (This part is very fragrant!) Drizzle with white wine and sesame oil. Add salt and chicken broth. Cover and let stand for another two minutes. Then remove from heat.

3. Heat olive oil in wok or large skillet. Add sliced onions and mushrooms. Push mushrooms to the side of the wok. Place precooked scallops and blanched vegetables at the center of the wok. Toss to mix. Add oyster sauce and dissolved cornstarch. Season and stir fry for about two to three minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve with love!

NOTES:

1. You can buy frozen scallops in SM Hypermarket. 500 grams is around Php250.

2. Feel free to add more vegetables like carrots, asparagus, or baguio beans. Adding prawns to this recipe will also be a good idea.

3. While blanching the veggies, you can precook the scallops to have a better blend of flavors and save time as well. You can cook this meal in less than ten minutes!

Recipe: Crispy Fried Chicken

An ordinary, quiet evening is enough for you to try this simple, good for two recipe. It's easy to prepare and an absolute favorite! Preparation time is less than ten minutes and estimated cooking time is about 30 minutes.


What you need to prepare:
-Deep Fryer
-plastic storage bag
-two bowls
-tissue paper


Ingredients:

-chicken drumstick, 4 pieces
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon pepper
-1/2 teaspoon of Aji Ginisa Flavor Mix (or garlic powder)
-1 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup milk
-1 egg
-breadcrumbs

-canola oil for frying

Let's start cooking:

1. Clean the raw chicken with water and pat to dry. Rub the chicken with salt and pepper. Let stand for one to two minutes.

2. Pour all-purpose flour and Aji Ginisa (or garlic powder) in plastic storage bag. Add the drumstick before sealing the bag. When completely sealed, turn chicken to coat evenly.

3. Beat the egg lightly in a medium bowl and add milk. Spread the breadcrumbs in another bowl. Meanwhile, heat frying pan with canola oil.

4. Dip the chicken in egg mixture then roll the chicken in the bowl of breadcrumbs.

5. Deep fry in medium heat until cooked in a lovely golden brown color. Repeat Step Four with remaining chicken. Drain on kitchen towels to remove excess oil before serving.

NOTES:

*Make sure that both the fryer and cooking oil are extremely hot before deep frying.

*Cook the chicken in medium heat. High heat will make your chicken golden brown but not cooked through.

*Try a mixture of Del Monte Catsup and Low Fat Mayonnaise for your dip.

I'll share with you my coleslaw and other side dish recipe next time. Enjoy your meal! Yum!