"Choco-Banana Milkshake"

makes 3 glasses.

Ingredients:

• 24 pcs ice cubes
• 1/3 cup condensed milk
• 3 medium pcs cavendish bananas (lakatan), peeled & sliced
• 1/2 cup full-cream powdered milk
• 1/2 cup instant chocolate powder
• 1/3 cup ice cold water

Procedure:

Put all the ingredients accordingly in a blender. Process for a 3-5 seconds. Mix using a spatula until well-blended. Process again until smooth.

Serve at once.

"Indian Mango Shake"

We've harvested lots of indian mangoes from our backyard. Some are over ripe. I don't want it to go to waste, so, I made a fruit shake out of it. Here it is....

Ingredients:

• a kilo of over ripe indian mangoes
• 12 pcs ice cubes
• 3 tbsps evaporated milk
• 1-1/2 tbsp white sugar

Procedure:

Peel the mangoes. Slice mango meat into chunks, disregard the seed. Put it in the blender with rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth.

Serve at once.

Weekend Snapshot - Bread Talk

ham & cheese bun, jj baby & sisig bun

my kiddo munching the ear of choco bear, hehe!

Everytime we passed by Bread Talk. We're always full to try their breads. But last Saturday was a different story, though, we just had our lunch at Pho Hoa Noodle House (I'll post all about this resto later). The husband still wanted to eat something and me too. So, for the first time we did try the products of Bread Talk and it was very satisfying and delicious. Even my little one liked it! For sure, we'll be back for more. We still got a lot of their breads to try!

Pork Char Siu & Omelet (Ham & Mushroom) Breakfast Meals At Chowking

After dropping our Little One in his Kumon class, H and I, we went to Chowking for our breakfast. As usual, H got the "Breakfast Bangus". While I tried their new breakfast products, "Pork Char Siu" and "Omelet". For the omelet, you have two choices, cornedbeef or ham and mushroom. I picked the latter one. The verdict? Pork Char Siu is a cross taste of our tocino and pork barbeque, okay for me but H didn't like it. As for the omelet, the eggs were overdone. Personally, I don't like my scrambled eggs or omelet that way. It feels lke you are eating rubber. Maybe next time, if I will try the omelet with cornedbeef, I should tell the cashier I want my eggs slightly cook (malasado) so that she can inform the cook.

Maman's Baked Tahong

just before going into the oven

after being baked, isn't this yummy?!

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs grated matured coconut
• 2 kilos medium-size mussels (tahong)
• 12 oz clear soda
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns
• 3 tbsps cooking oil
• 3 lightly crushed garlic with skin on
• a large chunk of pounded ginger
• 3 cloves finely pounded & minced garlic
• 1 large (50 grams) finely minced red onion
• 3/4-1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• 3 pcs finger chilis, seeded & finely minced
• 3/4 cup grated quickmelt cheese
• finely minced fresh parsley (optional)

Procedure:

Make the vendor extract the coconut cream for you where you bought your coconuts. They have this manual jack-pump that does the job. That means less work in the kitchen (",) I also, made them extract the coconut milk, in which I will use for my "Maja Blanca", that would be for my next post.

Back to the recipe, wash and clean the mussels. Remove the beards by pulling it out.

Put the mussels in the wok. Add the next-four ingredients. Lid on. Place over medium-high fire. Bring to boil. Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes or until all shells open up. Remove cooked mussels from the broth. Reserve and strain the mussel broth for your soup later. Disregard any mussel that didn't open. Lay on a baking sheet or porcelain plate (like I did!) half of the shell that has the mussel on it. Disregard the other half of the shell.

In a small non-stick pan, place over medium-high fire. Heat moderately. Put oil and garlic. Saute until golden brown. Follow with onion. Cook until soft. Add the white pepper and fish sauce. Cook for less than a minute or until fragrant. Pour in the pure coconut cream. Mix. Bring to boil. Then, decrease fire to low. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stirring frequently to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan.

Add the finger chilis. Mix. Cook for another 20 seconds. Remove from fire.

Pour a teaspoon of this cooked mixture over each mussel. Top with grated cheese. Sprinkle lightly with parsley if you have.

Bake at 475 fahrenheit until cheese melts and lightly brown.

Serve with steamed rice or crusty bread and don't forget the mussel broth. Reheat in the microwave before serving.

My Yummy Breakfast

I just had my breakfast. As you can see, I love rice! can't seem to have enough of it. I'm such a rice person. Though, bad for my blood sugar, hehe! Plus, I love eggs too. I was quite bored with the usual "Hot-si-log" (Fried Hotdog, Garlic Fried Rice & Sunny Side-Up Egg). What I did was, to make a fried rice with tons of scrambled eggs in it. If you like to try it, here's the recipe...

• 2 tbsps of cooking oil (I used sunflower oil for health reasons)
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups of leftover cooked rice, mashed

In a pan or wok, over medium-high heat. Put oil. Heat lightly. Break the eggs unto the pan. Stir immediately. Sprinkle with a little salt. When half-done. Dump the rice. Add salt and pepper. Toss well. Cover. Cook until rice is fluffy. Stirring often. Serve.

Easy, right?! (",)

I ate it with my favorites, Purefoods Tender Juicy Jumbo Hotdog, 8 o' clock orange juice and a semi-ripe banana, for my fruit intake in the morning.

Max's Restaurant.... again!

"Sinigang na Hipon"

"Fried Lumpiang Ubod"

We fetched our Little One from school earlier today, we're going to SM-Southmall for his ice skating lesson and practice. My hubby asked him, "Sa'n mo gustong kumain?" (Where do you want to eat?). Our kid answered with no hesitation, "Sa Max ko gustong kumain ng lunch!!!" (I wanna eat lunch at Max!!!). After tasting the "Lechon Kawali" & "Caramel Bar" the last time we ate there, less than a week ago. It got to his lists of favorite foodies. According to Kulit, my son, Max's Restaurant is his fifth favorite eating place. The top choice are Mc Donald's & Chowking. Second, Dampa in Paranaque. Third, Le Ching Tea House in Greenhills. Fourth is Jollibee.

For a change, I ordered Fried Lumpiang Ubod instead of the fresh variety I always order. We even tried their Sinigang na Hipon. The verdict? I still prefer the Fresh Lumpiang Ubod. Personally, I don't like the Sinigang na Hipon. The shrimps were frozen not fresh. The soup was too sour for my taste. Even my kid, wasn't satisfied. I can't blamed him, he's used to the taste of fresh shrimps.

I never cook shrimps that are frozen. it's always freshly bought at the market and goes straight to the stove for cooking. If ever, I stack them in the freezer for future use. I always steam them first with small amount of salt. Drain and cool them well. Double wrap in plain paper or brown paper, then, seal with plastic. Freeze.

Lola, my mother, always say never freeze fresh shrimps, it render a soapy-taste after thawing. As tested, it's true. The secret to keep it fresh even after freezing is to steam them first and wrap them in paper. The paper absorbs the smell and moisture of the shrimps, making them stay fresh-tasting.

"All Natural Buko Juice","Pork Chop Bistek" & "Mojos"

"Mala-uhog" means very soft coconut meat, almost watery in consistency. That is the kind of coconut best with this recipe.

good for 3-6 servings
Ingredients:

buko juice:
2 pcs buko (*mala-uhog)
2-3 tsps white sugar

pork chop bistek:
4 tbsps soy sauce
5 pcs kalamansi
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 small pcs (650-700 grams) pork chops
1-2/3 cup of water
1 very large (230 grams) white onion, sliced & segregated
savor
cooking oil

mojos:
1 pc (200 grams) potato, thinly sliced with skin
fine salt & white pepper
1/2 cup or more of flour


Procedure:

In a large pitcher, place the buko juice and soft buko meat. Put sugar. Stir until blended. Freeze before serving.

Sprinkle the potato slices with salt & white pepper on both sides. Stand for a few minutes. Meanwhile, in a smal bowl, put the first-three ingredients for pork chops. Mix well. Put the pork chops in a tray. Pour the mixture. Turn several times, making sure to coat both sides of the pork. Set aside.

In a wok, place 1-1/2 tbsp of oil. Saute the onion. Drizzle lightly with savor. Cook until limp. Remove from pan.

Back to the pan, place another 2 tbsps of oil. While waiting for the oil to get hot. In a paper bag, put 1/2 cup of flour. Add the marinated potato slices. Shake. If potato slices are still wet, add a little more of flour until well-coated. Fry until golden brown. Drain in paper towels. Set aside.

Saute the garlic in the remaining oil until light brown only. Add in the pork, fry lightly on both sides. Pour the marinade and water. Cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low-medium fire, bubble away for 25 minutes.

Add the cooked onion. Mix well. Let it cook for another minute. Place in a platter. Decorate with fried potato on the sides.

Serve best with warm cooked rice & buko juice.

"Nilagang Mani" (Boiled Peanuts)

A peanut is a common legume also known as a groundnut. It is eaten plain or roasted and sold in salted and unsalted varieties. It is used to make peanut butter and peanut oil.

You'll need:

• about 2 kilos of freshly picked peanuts
• water
• 2-3 tbsps rock salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Here's how:

Wash the peanuts several times under running water until all the dirt is gone.

In a large thick bottom casserole, put the peanuts. Add the salt and brown sugar. Level with water. Mix. Cover. Bring to boil. Then, decrease fire to low. Simmer for 35-45 minutes, depending on your desire tenderness. I like it soft but still a little crunchy (",)

"Kid-Friendly Caldereta"

I've been wanting to cook this for several days now but I haven't had the main ingredient which is the neck bones or shoulder bones of pork or commonly called "buto-buto".

As you may wonder, why is the title kid-friendly? Well, caldereta is a spicy dish. This recipe is not but still has the rich yumminess of the dish. Caldereta is usually served as the main entree or "pulutan" in gatherings or special occasions among Filipinos.


Here's the recipe... good for 4-6 servings


You'll need:

• 4 tbsps of cooking oil
• 4 small (250 grams) potatoes, quartered
• 6-8 cloves finely crushed garlic
• 2 medium-sized red onion, chopped
• a kilo of pork neck or shoulder bones, cut up
• 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1-3/4 tbsps white vinegar
• 3 tbsps of soy sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1 pouch (115 grams) tomato sauce
• 1 large (50 grams) red bell pepper, seeded & cored, cut into large strips
• 3 tbsps grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 rock salt

Here's how:

Place a non-stick casserole over medium-high fire. Put half of the cooking oil. Heat slightly. Add the potatoes. Cook for 8 minutes or until sides ar lightly brown, stirring often. Remove potatoes. Set aside.

Back to the casserole, pour the rest of cooking oil. Add the garlic and onion. Saute until fragrant. Put pork and pepper. Saute until no longer pink.

Pour the vinegar. Do not mix. Bring to boil. Keep boiling for a minute or until vinegar is very fragrant. Pour the soy sauce, cook for 2 minutes. Add water, tomato sauce, red bell pepper and cheese. Cover. Bring to boil. Reduce fire to low, simmer for 30 minutes.

Increase fire to medium, add the potatoes and salt. Mix. Cover again. Cook for another 25 minutes in low fire.

Serve with warm cooked rice.

"Porkchops in Mushroom Gravy Sauce"

I have this can of mushroom soup sitting in my pantry for awhile now... I'm wondering what to do with it. I came up with this recipe ..... easy to prepare dish but still tasty (",)


You'll need:
6 pcs (500g) pork chops
½ tsp iodized fine salt
¼ tsp black pepper powder
½ tsp granulated garlic
3 tbsps of cooking oil
2 pcs (100g) white onion
1 clove of garlic
¼ cup water
½ pc of pork boullion cube
1 tetra pk (250ml) fresh milk
1 can (10 oz) cream of mushroom soup
A good sprinkle of MAGGI savor liquid seasoning, hot chili flavor



Here's how:
Lay pork chops in a tray, single layer. Sprinkle the next-3 ingredients on both sides of pork chops. Let it stand for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, chop onion. Set aside. Bruise, remove skin and finely mince the garlic. Set aside.

Pan-fry porkchops in two batches. Remove from pan.

Back to the pan, sauté onion until it has a nice color brown. Add garlic, sauté for 20 seconds. Pour water. Add pork boullion, milk & cream of mushroom. Blend well. Return pork chops to the pan. Sprinkle savor. Mix well. Cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 25-30 minutes or until porkchops are tender.

Serve with "Buttered Corn & Carrot" and warm pandan-flavored rice.

“Pritong Manok ni Lola” (Grandma’s Fried Chicken)

This dish is a copy-cat of Max’s Fried Chicken! Yeap, my mother’s idea and recipe. I just added something to soothe my taste preference. We, my brothers and I, grew up eating in Max’s Restaurant occasionally. Way back then, it was really a treat for us! This recipe brings back fond memories of my childhood years (“,)


Ingredients:

• 4 chicken leg quarters, over a kilo in weight
• 6 cups rice wash
• 2 chicken cubes
• 1/3 cup MANG ERNIE’S fish sauce (patis)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• All- purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 cup or more of cooking oil

Here’s how:

1. In a thick bottom casserole, put chicken and rice wash. Cover. Bring to boil. Add the cubes. Cover again. Reduce fire to medium-low. Simmer for an hour. Drain chicken for 15 minutes in a colander. Reserve chicken stock for future use.


2. In a small bowl, combine, fish sauce and pepper. Mix well. Using a fork, prick chicken several times on both sides. Spoon all over the chicken the fish sauce-pepper mixture. At least marinate for 4-6 hours (turning every now & then and spooning the marinade all over the chicken again). Put it inside the refrigerator. Make sure to cover it tightly. To avoid the smell of the fish sauce inside your refrigerator.


3. After 6 hours make sure to remove the excess marinade of the chicken or else it will become too salty. From this point you can stack chicken inside your freezer if you’re not yet going to eat it. Just individually wrap it with plastic.


4. In a deep pan or “kawali”, heat it over medium-high fire. Put oil. Heat it some more (should be smoking hot!). Meanwhile, dust lightly the chicken with flour on both sides. One at a time, fry the chicken on each side for a minute or two or until light golden brown only. Do not over-fry. If you do that the chicken will become too dry. Don’t worry the inside of the chicken is cooked already from boiling. We’re just aiming for a crispy outside texture of the chicken.


5. Serve immediately. It’s great with banana catsup and hot cooked rice.

Note:
This recipe is good for “baon”.