"Clam Soup with Chili Leaves"

It's a variety of my "One Drop Clam Soup" recipe, I added chili fruit and chili leaves for more color and enticing taste. Actually, my hubby was asking why I didn't use any veggies for the soup! He wanted moringa leaves (dahon ng malunggay) but unfortunately it wasn't available so he settled for the chili leaves in our backyard.

Instead of just chicken cube, I boiled two leg quarters of chicken into the soup. Then, what I did with the chicken was the recipe of "Pritong Manok ni Lola".

"Ham and Egg Fried Rice"

Before I start cleaning my ref, I want to get rid of the food inside it without going to waste. I decided to cook this for breakfast.... I have some leftover ham, 2 pieces of eggs and some cold cooked rice.


You'll need:

• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 2 pieces eggs, beaten
• 4 cloves garlic, finely pounded
• 1 large onion, minced
• about a cup of leftover ham, cut into strips
  
• 5-6 cups of cooked rice, mash to separate grains
• salt
• liquid seasoning

Here's how

In a wok, heat 1/2 of oil. Fry the beaten eggs until half-done only. Chop into strips. Set aside.

Back to the wok, heat the other half of oil. Saute' garlic until rich golden brown. Put onion. Cook until soft. Place ham. Cook for 10 seconds. Add the cooked rice. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Drizzle with liquid seasoning. Put back the egg. Mix until well-blended and heated through.

Serve immediately.

"Tortang Talong" (Eggplant Omelet)

There's a bunch of eggplant sitting inside my rerigerator for a few days now. It's starting to dry up. I didn't want it to go to waste so I decided to cook this recipe for our dinner. I know it's kinda weird to have "patis-kalamansi" for the dip. I like it that way instead of the usual catsup. We had also, "Salted Egg and Tomato Salad"

Good for 3 persons.


You'll need:

• 4 pcs large (500-600 grams) eggplant
• 3 pcs eggs
• salt and pepper
• 2-3 tbsps of all purpose flour
• cooking oil for frying

dip:

• kalamansi
• patis
• hot chili pepper (labuyo)

Here's how:

Grill or broil the eggplant. Remove skin and top. Cut and mash the flesh with a fork. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Mix.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Put in the eggplant. Add in the flour. Mix until well blended.

Fry in batches (It's up to you how big or small you want your eggplant omelet to be). Drain in lots of paper towels.


note:
Use a tbsp of oil while frying the first batch, then just add little by little as you go along. Eggplant tends to absorb oil instantly, you don't want your omelet to be soggy and dripping with oil. Besides, it's not healthy too!

"Chili Fried Rice"

The chili pepper is the fruit of the plant Capsicum from the nightshade family of Solanaceae. The name comes from Nahuatl via the Spanish word "chile". The term is usually refer to the smaller and hotter types of capsicum. Chili peppers and their various cultivars originate in the Americas, they are now grown around the world because they are widely used as spices or vegetables in cuisine and as medicine.

The fruit is eaten cooked or raw for its fiery hot flavor which is concentrated along the top of the pod. The stem end of the pod has glands which produce the capsaicin which then flows down through the pod. The white pith that surrounds the seeds. It contains the highest concentrations of capsaicin. Removing the seeds and inner membranes is thus effective at reducing the heat of a pod.

The substances that gives chili peppers their heat is capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids.


Good for 4-6 servings.


You'll need:

• 3 tbsps of palm oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 150-200 grams of lean ground pork
• 1 tsp of ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp of fish sauce
• 5 long pcs of stringbeans (sitaw), chopped
• 2 large white onion, halved and sliced thickly
• 3 pcs of hot chili pepper (labuyo), chopped
• a piece of finger chili, chopped
• 125 grams of pechay tagalog or pak choi, cut at 1" length
• 6 cups cold cooked rice, mash to separate grains
• 1/2 tsp of ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1-1/2 tbsp of liquid seasoning, chili flavor

Here's how:

Using high heat, saute garlic until light brown only. Put ground pork, 1/2 of ground black pepper and fish sauce. Stir-fry to separate pork. Cook until liquid dries up.

Put the string beans. Saute for a minute. Add in the onion, chilis and pak choi. Stir-fry until half-done only.

Place the cooked rice, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper and the rest of ground black pepper. Mix. Drizzle the liquid seasoning. Mix until well-blended and heated through.

Best serve hot or with any fried fish or meat.

Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli

We went to Makati earlier today, did some errands and bought some clothes in Landmark. After that, we went to Glorietta. I haven't been there for awhile now. We just roamed around. I saw a stall of Eng Bee Tin. My hubby and I, we both love hopia. We bought each pack of "hopia baboy" and "hopia monggo". I just wanted to satisfy my cravings... trying to watch my diet lately because my blood sugar is still high. Hopia is one of my comfort foods and seeing the name Eng Bee Tin .... it reminds me of my daddy, the memories of walking around Ongpin (I know that's where their main branch is) scouting for food to buy for our pasalubong (",)

I bought a pack of tikoy roll ... just curious! I still haven't tried it. It's inside my freezer, maybe one of these days, we'll try to eat it for our merienda!

Greenwich

Our merienda today... My hubby wanted a pizza, he got the "Greenwich Special". I had their "Baked Lasagna Supreme". My kiddo got the "Mozarella Garlic Pizza"

This was not the first time, we had Greenwich for our food delivery. Personally, I like their pizza, no dripping oil from the crust! The pizza sauce has just the right combination of sweet-sour taste and also, they have hefty servings of toppings (",)

"Mung Bean Sprouts Easy Saute"

A very easy way of cooking mung bean sprouts (togue). You can add pork cracklings (chicharon) at the end but if you're watching your diet... just omit it. Best with any fried fish or meat or just munch on it (",)

Good for 2-3 servings


You'll need:

• 2 tbsps of palm oil or vegetable oil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, pounded finely
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 red ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 350 grams of mung bean sprouts
• 2 tbsps of oyster sauce (i used mama sita's)
• 1/3 tbsp of fish sauce
• 3/4 tsp of ground black pepper
• some pork cracklings (optional)

Here's how:

Heat oil in a wok. Saute garlic until golden brown. Add in the onion and tomatoes. Cook until soft. Put the rest of the ingredients. Stir. Cook for a few minutes or until mung bean sprouts are soft but still crunchy.

Year of the Fire Pig

Kung Hei Fat Choy!!!

For me, "Tikoy" is always associated with my Daddy. It brings back fond memories of my childhood years. My father loved food. It was from him I've learned also to love food and cooking (",)

When I was little, there's only two kinds of Tikoy I knew, the white one and the darker one in color (1st photo). But now, it has different colors and flavors, like ube, pandan, strawberry.... which by the way I wasn't able to try. I hope in the near future I will ....

Thank you Tin for the tikoy you gave us!

Chicken Sisig from Max's Restaurant

Welcome Home Dada!!!

My hubby just got back... we dined at Max's Restaurant. We had our favorite, "Fresh Lumpiang Ubod". Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take pictures. Our first time to try their "Chicken Sisig". It's good, just the right spicyness (masarap siyang pulutan!). My kiddo had their "Basic Plate", consists of chicken, rice and caramel bar.

While we're eating my kiddo found a new friend. He didn't even asked what's her name .... they just played merrily! (",)

Valentine Donuts from Gonuts Donuts

Happy Valentine's to Everyone! (",)

Though different in colors, the Valentine Donuts tasted the same and I loved it! Just the right sweetness for me. Taken last Sunday. I was saving these pictures for today.

Kuya Arcel's Salinyasi na luto sa Kalamansi

The picture said it all! My Little One really loves seafood and fish. As you can see, ang sarap ng kain ng bebe ko! nakataas pa ang paa at naka-kamay! I always say to my kid, you have to be flexible. You need to know how and when to use spoon and fork or your hands, pinoy ata tayo dapat marunong magkamay! Given by Kuya Arcel, ang aming rasyon ng pagkain! In our family exchanging of food is an everyday thing.

Rai Rai Ken

Definitely, we'll not go back to this Japanese Restaurant. The food tasted bad. I ordered Sharksfin Gyoza, which was "malabsak", my son threw it out after putting inside his mouth (ganda pa naman sa picture akala mo ang galing mag-chopstick!) and Shrimp and Beef Bento, too much breading around the shrimp, the bean sprouts are bitter and the beef teriyaki had too much salt. The only consolation my kiddo got was the soup, he liked it. No wonder, everytime I passed by their store there's no people dining in.

Sunday Breakfast at Chowking

For the past several months, we would have our breakfast at Chowking Pamplona every sunday. Our favorite "Almuchow", their breakfast menu.

Danggit for Tita Tin-tin (1st photo). Breakfast Bangus (2nd photo) and Oriental Beef Tapa (3rd photo) for me. For my Little One, 3-4 Sunny-side up eggs and 1-1/2 cup of garlic rice (4th photo), imagine that?! for a little person like my son, I wonder... kung san niya nilalagay yung kinakain niya eh hindi naman tumataba at lumalaki! Siya ang kumakain lahat ng itlog sa almusal namin!

"Guinataang Alimasag na may Gulay" (Crabs & Vegetables in Coconut Sauce)

Do you want to see my son's eyes twinkle? This dish is the answer! Yeap, He loves crabs! He even associated crab with "gata" (coconut cream) and learned to love it along with the vegetables (",)


You'll need:

• 3-4 tbsps of cooking oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 40 grams of ginger, sliced
• 1/2 kg of crabs
• 2 tbsps of fish paste (bagoong isda)
• 2/3 tsp of ground black pepper
• 8 pcs string beans (sitaw), cut at 2" length
• a slice (300 grams) of squash (kalabasa), cored & peeled, cut into chunks

coconut cream:

• 2 pcs grated coconut
• 1 cup of warm water

coconut milk:

• used grated coconut
• 1-1/2 cup of warm water

Here's how:

Extract the coconut cream. Set aside. Do the same to the coconut milk. Set aside.

Pound together the garlic and ginger until finely crushed.

In medium heat, using a traditional kawali or wok, saute garlic and ginger in oil til almost toasted but not burnt. Put the crab and fish paste. Saute til fragrant. Add the coconut milk. Mix. Cook until there's no more liquid left.

Put the coconut cream. Bring to boil. Add the ground pepper, string beans and squash. Cook until vegetables are done or desired thickness of coconut cream.

Serve with warm cooked rice and garlic-vinegar for your dip.

"One-Drop Clam Soup"

Not knowing what to cook I just went to the small wet market (talipapa) in our place. When I saw the clams, i know that's what I'm going to cook. My kiddo loves seafoods.


You'll need:

• a kilo of clams
• 6 cups rice wash
• 50 grams of sliced ginger
• 1 large red onion, quartered
• salt and pepper
• 1 chicken cube

Here's how:

Place the clams in a glass bowl. Add water, enough to cover. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes while preparing and cutting the other ingredients. Set aside.

Drain the water from the clams. Wash again to remove the sand it had emitted.

In a medium casserole, Drop all the ingredients. Cover. Place over medium-high heat. Bring to boil. Let it cook for 2 minutes.

Serve immediately while hot.

Kuya Arcel's Paksiw na Bangus & Pinakbet

Almost everyday, we have food given to us at lunch, coming from Kuya Arcel and Ate Vicky, my cousin and her husband (rasyon namin galing sa kanila! hehe!). They're my neighbors. We love to eat and exchange foods.