How to Prepare a Couscous Salad

Couscous is a staple food of North African cuisine and voted as the third-favourite dish of French people in 2011 in a study by TNS Sofres for magazine Vie Pratique Gourmand, and the first in the east of France. 
Source: Wikipedia

I used instant couscous for this salad, instant couscous can be used by just soaking it with warm water.

Ingredients for 20 servings
300 grams couscous
1 big zucchini
2 big eggplant
1 big yellow bell pepper
1 big green Bell pepper
1 cup dried tomato ( sliced)
1 cup green peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon

Procedure:
1. Dice all the vegetables, sprinkle with olive oil,  then put in the a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes at 200C.
2. While roasting the veggies, soak the instant couscous in warm water for 5-10 minutes then drain.

 

Dried Tomatoes

3. Combine all the ingredients and mix well, sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper then stir until fully mixed. Serve and enjoy.

How to Prepare a Simple Appetizer

Surprise your loved ones with this simple appetizer that perfectly goes well with any dishes. It will surely boost your appetite.

Ingredients for 6 servings:
1 head broccoli big ( cleaned)
2 ripe mangoes (sliced)
200 grams strawberries (cleaned and sliced)


Procedure:
1. Boil the broccoli for 2 minutes then drain and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients making sure that it is evenly mix.
3. Serve with your favorite salad dressing or just simply sprinkle with  a little salt, olive oil and lime juice. Enjoy!

How To Make an Easy Dessert

Simple yet delicious and very easy to prepare. Affordable and enough for the whole family.

Ingredients for 15 servings:
500 grams white small sago (cooked and drained)
1 sachet green gelatine powdered (unflavored)
1 sachet red gelatine powder ( unflavored)
2 cans condensed milk or  add according to your taste
2 cups fresh milk or evaporated milk
1 litre All purpose cream(Nestle, Alaska, Magnolia, Etc)

Procedure:
1. Cook each gelatine then set aside and diced.
2. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients then mix well.
3. Refrigerate before serving.

I recooked today (August 1) for a friends birthday and everybody likes it. I used green and orange gelatin

I dropped some raisins to my bowl and it's superb!

Chinese Cabbage Salad

Chinese cabbage or Napa cabbage is one of the common ingredients in Asian cooking but I want to share my recipe of raw Chinese cabbage salad. Easy to make yet nutritious and delicious.


Ingredients
1 piece Chinese cabbage ( Slice thinly)
2 tomatoes
1 can corn kernel
1 cup frozen green peas
1 medium size onion
1 lemon or according to your taste
salt and pepper to taste

Chinese Cabbage

Procedure:
1. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients then mix well and serve.

When I served it, I  added some parsley for extra aroma and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil will make it extra yummy :)

Corn and Green Peas Appetizer

A simple salad combination that's really delicious.

Ingredients for 6 servings:
1 cup corn
1 cup green peas
1 cup seedless olives
1 cup cherry tomato
2 tablespoons olive oil ( Extra Virgin)
salt to taste

Procedure:
1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well then serve.

White Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a crop grain originated in the Andes region of  Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia. It has been called a superfood due to its nutritional value. High in protein, essential amino acids and a good source of other vitamins and minerals. The time when I learned how nutritious Quinoa is, I fell in love with it and made it a part of my nutritious food list, a little expensive but its worth it :-).  Try it.

Ingredients for 5 servings:
1/2 cup white Quinoa
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup cherry or grape tomato
1/2 cup green peas
1/2  cup corn 
2 tablespoons olive oil (Extra Virgin)
salt to taste

Procedure:
1. In a pot, put the quinoa and the water then cook the same way as rice over medium heat. When it is done set aside to cool.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine everything then serve and enjoy.

Nutritional Value of uncooked Quinoa

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	1,539 kJ (368 kcal)
Carbohydrates	64 g
Dietary fibre	7 g
Fat	6 g
Saturated	0.7 g
Monounsaturated	0.1.6 g
Polyunsaturated	3.3 g
Protein	14 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.	(0%) 1 μg
Thiamine (B1)	(31%) 0.36 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	(27%) 0.32 mg
Niacin (B3)	(10%) 1.52 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	(15%) 0.77 mg
Vitamin B6	(38%) 0.49 mg
Folate (B9)	(46%) 184 μg
Vitamin B12	(0%) 0 μg
Choline	(14%) 70.2 mg
Vitamin C	(0%) 0 mg
Vitamin E	(16%) 2.44 mg
Vitamin K	(0%) 0 μg
Trace metals
Calcium	(5%) 47 mg
Iron	(35%) 4.6 mg
Magnesium	(55%) 197 mg
Phosphorus	(65%) 457 mg
Potassium	(12%) 563 mg
Zinc	(33%) 3.1 mg

Source :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa

Potato and Carrot Salad

This easy to prepare and budget friendly recipe will surely make your loved ones satisfied.A perfect appetizer.  Try it.

Ingredients:
1 kilo potato (diced)
1/4 kilo carrots (diced)
3 hard boiled eggs ( diced)
1/4 cup parsley ( chopped)
1 cup mayonaise
1 cup all purpose cream
salt and pepper to taste


Procedure:
1. Boil the carrots and potatoes until soft (around 8-10 minutes) drain after boiling and set aside until cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, then chill and serve.

Chickpea Salad

Garbanzo or chickpea is a legume that is high in protein and a good source of iron. The first time I ate it I fell in love with its yummy taste, very creamy and nutty. You can use chickpea in different dishes but for now enjoy this delicious and nutritious salad :-). Below are the basic ingredients but you can add more when you serve it, like sesame seeds and basil leaves.

Ingredients:
250 grams chick pea
1 cup cherry tomato
1/2 cup black seedless olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Cook the chick pea until tender ( I pressure cooked it for 20 minutes) if pressure cooker is not available, just use a pot and boil until done.
2. When tender, drain and put in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes, olives, olive oil,  salt and pepper then mix well.
4. Serve with love and do not forget to smile :-) .

Bell Pepper Appetizer

 A simple appetizer yet nutritious. Bell pepper is an excellent source of carotenoids and a good source of vitamins E and C. You will surely love this crunchy and colorful appetizer which is low in calories (31Kcal per 100 grams). Try this.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 regular size green bell pepper
1 regular size red bell pepper
1 regular size yellow bell pepper
any salad dressing of your choice


Procedure:
1. Slice all the bell peppers into rings then combine well.
2. Serve to your desired presentation or plating. Perfect with fried or grilled  fish or meat

White Sago and Macaroni Salad

White sago is not as transparent  as tapioca pearls but it still delicious and the same in texture. I prepared this for my family last July of 2014 but it is only now that I was able to find this photo from my files :-).



Ingredients:
1/4 kilo white small sago ( cooked and drained)
1/4 kilo elbow macaroni ( cooked and drained)
1 small can fruit cocktail ( drained)
1 1/2 cup condensed milk (or adjust according to your taste)
2 cups Nestle cream or all purpose cream
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk

Procedure :
1. Combine all the ingredients then refrigerate.

2. Serve when ready.

Fried Dried Fish

Simple yet special for me, oh how I love this fried fish at breakfast table,  a good appetizer . Wash your hands and grab the fried rice now :-). 

To fry it, simply heat the oil then fry the dried fish to your desired doneness, when done remove from oil then put in a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Serve and enjoy.

Bean Sprouts Salad

Bean Sprouts are one of the common cooking ingredients that we can find at the market, this is very nutritious, in fact it is more nutritious than the original bean where it came from according to what I've read.  Low in calories ( 31 calories for 104 grams) but a good source of folate,  folate helps your body produce DNA, amino acids and red blood cells,  that are important in preventing anemia and birth defects. Make it a habit to include bean sprouts in your diet because it also a good source of protein and dietary fiber. 
Here is a simple salad recipe to enjoy. This salad goes well with any meat and fish dishes.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
2 cups bean sprouts ( wash well)
1 tablespoons lemon or calamansi juice
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons soy sauce ( if balsamic coy sauce is available it is better)
2 tomatoes ( slice to your desired size)
some lettuce
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Combine the tomato and bean sprouts, set aside, in a serving dish, arrange the lettuce properly then put the combined tomatoes and sprouts.
2. Sprinkle with lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, salt and pepper then serve and enjoy. :-)

Fiesta Eggplant Salad

A superb eggplant salad for the whole family, loaded with nutritious ingredients. Try it now :-)

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo eggplant
1/2 cup raisins
1 small onion (diced)
1 big tomato (diced)
1/2 cup diced red and yellow bell peppers
spring onion to sprinkle
2 tablespoons lemon or calamansi juice
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Boil or grill the eggplant until cooked, then diced.
2. Combine all the ingredients, sprinkle with spring onion then serve and enjoy.

Quinoa Salad

A salad that is loaded with vitamins and minerals, I served this to some friends in the neighborhood.Try and enjoy it.

Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa (cooked and set aside to cool)
12 pieces hard boiled quail eggs
2 medium size carrots ( sliced)
1 head broccoli (cleaned and separated)
olive oil
salt

Procedure:
1. Boil the carrots and broccoli until cooked ( Do not over-cooked)
2. Combine all the ingredients until fully mixed and flavor is well blended.
3. Serve and enjoy.

Below is a chart for some of its nutrients.

                     http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice

Salad with Poppy Seeds Dressing

 A healthy salad tossed with poppy seed salad dressing, a perfect start to boost your appetite. Highly recommended, really yummy and low in calories.

Ingredients:
2 cups lettuce (Cleaned well)
2 big tomatoes ( diced and seeds removed)
1 avocado (diced)
Poppy seed salad dressing ( according to your taste)


Procedure:
1. Combine the first 3 ingredients then drizzle it with poppy seed dressing and serve.

Ricota Cheese Appetizer

An excellent combination for appetizer, the aroma of the oregano flakes and the creaminess of ricota cheese will really boost your appetite.

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed ricota cheese or kesong puti
3/4 cup seedless olives
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano flakes

Procedure:
1. Combine the tomatoes, cheese and olive in a big mixing bowl.
2. Sprinkle with olive oil and oregano flakes.
3. Serve.

White Salad

I made this out of curiosity, my sisters said that it's yummy but it's better if it is colorful :D :D :D I said it's the taste that's matter and how I will call it white salad if it is colorful? They laughed :-). 

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo white small sago ( cook the sago then drain)
1 kilo white nata de coco (drained)
10 pieces young coconut ( buko) strips
1 big can condensed milk or according to your taste
2 big cans  Nestle cream (600 grams)
1 big can evaporated milk (add if needed)


Procedure:
1. Combine all the ingredients then mix well.



2. Refrigerate for few hours before serving.

Topped with chocolate Ice cream 

Coconut Salad

My family was surprised when I served them this dish and even more surprised when they have tasted it, speechless because they do not have any idea that a dish like this is really good. Simple and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
1 cup grated matured coconut
1 onion ( sliced thinly)
1/2 cup flaked fried fish
2 tablespoons calamansi or lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Combine all the ingredients until fully mixed then put some chili if you like.
2. Serve with fried or grilled meat or fish.

Ensaladang Talbos ng Camote at Itlog na Maalat

Perfectly yummy!!

Ingredients:
2 medium size tomato ( sliced)
2 salted egg
1 bunch potato tops ( talbos ng camote)
2 tablespoons calamansi or lemon juice
1 onion ( sliced thinly)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Blanch the camote tops, drain, put in a serving platter then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice salt and pepper.
2. Add the onion, tomato and salted egg on top then sprinkle with the rest of the lemon juice then salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Battered Broccoli

This is a very good side dish or appetizer.

Ingredients for 3-4 servings:
1 big head broccoli ( cleaned and florets separated)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 egg beaten
water ( enough to make a good batter)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Boil the broccoli until half cooked. Drain and set aside.
2. Combine the water, egg, salt, pepper and flour then mix well until batter is smooth.
3. Dip each broccoli floret into the batter and deep fry until done.
4. Serve with fried or grilled fish or meat.