Kuih Sagu

Kuih sagu or sago cake is popular in Malaysia and other neighboring countries, this is very easy to make and delicious. Here is my simple way of making it.

Ingredients:
 1/4 kilo any color  sago (cooked according to packaging procedure) drained
1/4 kilo sugar
4 pieces pandan leaves
1/4 kilo grated coconut
1 cup water
pinch of salt

Procedure:
1. In a pot put the water, sugar and pandan leaves then boil until it become syrup, then turn off the heat, remove the pandan leaves then add the cooked sago and stir well until fully mixed.

2. Grease an 8 inches pan then pour the tapioca with syrup and stem for 30 minutes.
3. Mix the grated coconut and salt .
4. When the sago is done let cool and cut into small pieces then roll over the grated coconut.

5. Serve with a smile :-).

Basil Parmesan Oven-Grilled Flatbread

Here is a simple idea to be used as a snack or as a side to soup or salad.  Prepared flatbreads are more common these days in higher end grocery stores, and you can also use pitas or 'naan' for this recipe.

This recipe demonstrates the use of our Basil Parmesan Oil, but any of our oils will do, especially our Pastamoré Rosemary with Roasted Garlicor our Pastamoré Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. 

 ingredients

• one package flatbread
• a leafy herb such as Italian parsley, cilantro or basil, chopped & to taste
• Pastamoré Basil Parmesan Dipping Oil
• course sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Using a purchased flatbread or ‘naan’ (pictured is a Safeway brand), drizzle/brush a small amount of Pastamoré Basil Parmesan Oil over the surface. If you have a leftover herb in the fridge, chopped and sprinkle on top (we used Italian parsley here). 

For more richness add a generous sprinkle of Parmesan. Last, add a pinch of course salt for texture and flavor, and a grind of black pepper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Cut into random triangles and serve.
 

Nature's Best Beef Stew

A beef stew cooked with 100 % natural spices, I used fresh tomatoes for this recipe, an excellent flavored stew that you will surely like. Healthy and yummy.

Ingredients for 5 servings:
1/2 kilo beef (tnderloin)
4 cloves garlic
1 onion
3 big tomatoes
2 potatoes
2 carrots
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon atsuete powder ( annatto)
3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the tomatoes and saute until soften.

2. Add the atsuete powder and stir well, then add the beef and simmer until the pinkish color is gone.
3. Add the water and bring to a boil, then simmer the beef until tender.
4. Add the carrots and potatoes then simmer until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste then the bread crumbs to thicken the sauce and simmer until done.
5. Serve it hot.

Tapioca Pearl Dessert

You can make this dessert as colorful as you can by adding different colors of gelatine or gulaman.
I only have green gelatine  in my pantry, but I can't wait anymore to make this, so here is the simple recipe for this delicious dessert.

Ingredients:
1 sachet green gulaman ( cooked and sliced into cubes)
1/4 kilo Tapioca pearls ( cook the tapioca then drain)
1 1/2 cup condensed milk
1 cup Nestle cream or all purpose cream
1 cup evaporated milk

Procedure :
1. Combine all the ingredients then refrigerate.
2. Serve with a smile :-).

Beef Broccoli

An easy to prepare dish that is great to serve with rice. The oyster sauce made the taste tangy and delicious.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
1/2 kilo broccoli
1/4 kilo beef
1/4 cup oyster sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
1/2 cup water ( add if needed)
salt and pepper  if needed

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the beef and stir until the pinkish color is gone.
2. Add the water and simmer the beef until tender.
3. Increase the heat, then add the broccoli, give it a good stir and simmer until almost done.
4 Add the oyster sauce and stir it, add salt and pepper if needed then turn off the heat.

5. Serve it hot.

Puto Ube

Craving for an ube flavored puto but there is no ube in my place :(  I just used the ube flavoring, but still the real ube is the best for this.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
20 ml ube flavor concentrate or 1/4 cup ube powder
1 1/2 cup fresh milk
cheddar cheese for toppings

Procedure:
1.Combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder then sift it.
2. In a mixing bowl combine together the sifted ingredients, ube flavor and milk then mix very well until the batter is smooth in texture.
3. Fill the puto molder with the batter around 3/4 full then top the cheese and steam for 20 minutes or until done.
4. Let cool before unmolding it then serve it with a smile :-).

Inihaw na talong

Isang napakadaling ihanda ang inihaw na talong, masarap ito lalo na kung lalagyan ng bagoong, siguraduhing marami ang kanin kapag ganito ang ulam ninyo dahil siguradong matataob ang caldero :-).

Mga sangkap:
talong
bagoong isda
camatis
sili labuyo
calamansi or dayap

Procedure:
1. Ihawin ang talong, balatan ito kapag luto na.
2. Timplahan ng bagoong, calamansi, camatis, at kung anu-ano pang mga pangpasarap na sangkap ang gusto ninyong idagdag
3. Ihain kasama ng pagmamahal :-).

Almondigas

Almondigas simply means meatballs or bola-bola in Tagalog, but the almondigas dish in Philippine cuisine has a vermicilli rice noodles or misua in it, its the distinguishing characteristic of almondigas Filipino style from other countries. 

Ingredients for 5 servings:
1/4 kilo ground beef
1/4 cup flour
1 onion (minced)
5 cups water
70 grams misua
3 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes
spring onion
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Mix very well the ground beef, flour, onion, salt and pepper, then get a portion from the mixturee and form into balls, then fry and set aside.
2.Saute the garlic and onion then add the tomatoes, simmer  until soften then add the water and bring to a boil. Add the almondigas (meatballs) then simmer for 3 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add the misua and simmer for 2 minutes or until done, turn off the heat then put the spring onion

4. Serve it hot.

Note: It is also okay if you just drop the almondigas into the soup without frying it.

Ampalaya with bola bola

I will not refuse bitter melon any time, because this vegetable stimulates digestion  which can be helpful in relieving indigestion and constipation problems. This is also good source of Niacin (vitamin B-3), Pantothenic acid (vit.B-5), Pyridoxine (vit.B-6) and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, manganese and magnesium. To those who do not like bitter melon, start eating this now :-).
Ingredients for 4 servings:
1/2 kilo bitter melon (ampalaya) sliced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 piece onion
2 beaten eggs
1/4 kilo ground pork ( made into small balls)
salt and pepper to taste

Bitter melon

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the meatballs and simmer until cooked.
2. Increase the heat then add the bitter melon and stir until half cooked then add the beaten eggs and give a good stir, add salt and pepper to taste, then turn off the heat.
3. Serve it hot.

Rice Puto

The first puto that I've tasted when I was around 5 years old. Every weekends my older sisters and their bestfriends are always spending time at our house making this puto. That's why it became my favorite, I loved the sweetness and creamy taste in every bite.

Ingredients for 15 Puto:
2 cups rice flour ( giniling na bigas)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
Wilted banana leaves ( cut into circles enough to fit the molder with an overlapping allowance)

Procedure:
1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, then pour the coconut milk into it and mix well, until the batter is smooth in texture.

 2. Put the banana leaves into the molder properly then pour the batter around 3/4 full.

3.Steam for 30 minutes or until done.
4. Serve anytime you want it.

Refreshing Avocado and Milk

Cool yourself with this refreshing drink made from a delicious fruit, avocado. Loaded with ice and blended with the creamy taste of milk, nothing beats this. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 ripe avocado
2 cups evaporated milk
3 cups crushed ice or more
sugar to taste

Procedure:
1. Scrape the avocado meat and put in a jar then add the milk and sugar, mix well until sugar is fully dissolved.

2. Add the ice and allow few minutes for it to be melted, you can add more ice if you want.
3. Serve and enjoy.

Pancit Molo

A comfort food that originated from Molo district of Iloilo city. I learned this dish from my parents who are both Ilonggos. This Filipino noodle dumpling soup is really delicious yet very easy to prepare and this is how I like this soup, with pancit, you can click the link at the bottom for molo soup, I wrote there on how to make the dumplings. The original recipe do not have noodles, but my family like it this way, because we love pancit ( noodles).

Ingredients for 5 servings:
10 pieces molo (cooked)
1/2 kilo pancit ( blanched)
10 cups chicken broth or water
1/2 cup minced carrots
salt and pepper to taste
spring onion for garnishing

Procedure:
1. Saute garlic and onion then add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
2. Add carrots, salt and pepper to taste, just allow to simmer over very low heat so that when we pour the soup over the noodles it's really hot.
3. Divide the pancit into 5 serving bowls, put each bowl with molo and spring onion, then pour the soup.
4. Serve it hot.

You might also like this recipe
Molo Soup

Mely's Kitchen Puto Cheese

This puto cheese is a result of finding out a perfect batter for the puto, I think this one is very good, it's just perfect! I am talking about the batter, because I was not happy with the cheese that's available in my place. I hope you will try this recipe.

Ingredients for 15 medium size Puto:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cup fresh milk
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon butter (soften)
cheddar cheese for toppings

Procedure:
1.Combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder then sift it.
2. In a mixing bowl combine together the sifted ingredients, butter. egg and milk then mix very well until the batter is smooth in texture.
3. Fill the puto molder with the batter around 3/4 full then top the cheese and steam for 20 minutes or until done.

4. Let cool before unmolding it then serve it with a smile :-).

Sunday Dinner February 2, 2014

Today is a very challenging cooking experience because at the middle of my cooking activity the gas tank was emptied, oh no!!!!! There is no LPG shop that is open during Sundays in my place, so it means we can not purchase a tank of gas, and there is no electric stove, so I used the oven and rice cooker to finish my cooking. So instead of pork adobo, it became a lechon, then I cooked the beef stew  in the rice cooker, I'm still thankful to God, I have finished my cooking on time.

The starter: 

The main course:

Rice

Lechon

Beef stew

Baked Lasagna

The Dessert:

Tapioca dessert

Ginataang Alimango ( Single Serving)

Alone and craving for crab. I was  too shy to tell the vendor that I only want 1 crab :D, but at last I was able to opened my mouth and yes! The vendor allowed mo to have just 1 crab. Thank you! I said to him smiling :-) .
If you want to cook or few persons, just adjust the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 crab ( cleaned )
1 tablespoon ginger strips
1/2 onion
1 cup pure coconut milk
some spring onion
salt to taste

Procedure:
1. In a pan put the crab, onion, ginger and salt then cover over medium heat, once the crab turned reddish, add the coconut milk and simmer until cooked.
2. Add the spring onion then serve it hot.

How to Cook Tapioca Pearls

I have received emails asking me how to cook tapioca pearls because when they cooked it, the result was not good.
So here is the simple and perfect way of cooking tapioca pearls.

We need:
1/2 kilo Tapioca pearls
3 litres water

uncooked tapioca

Procedure:
1 Put the water in a pot then bring to a boil.
2 When it is boiling, pour the tapioca  and stir very well to avoid it from sticking to each other.

3. Stir occasionally  while simmering until the tapioca pearls are all transparent, this means it's already cooked. Approximately 1 hour.

4. Turn off the heat, then drain and wash in running water.

This is now ready to be used for your recipes

Here are some Tapioca Recipes:
Tapioca Mango salad 
Tapioca Corn salad
Tapioca Mango Delight

Tapioca Mango Delight

I can not believe how delicious is this dessert. A must try recipe.

 Ingredients for 10 servings:
1/4 kilo Tapioca pearls ( cook the tapioca then drain)
1 1/2 cup condensed milk
1 cup Nestle cream or all purpose cream
1 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water
3 mangoes

Cooked Tapioca Pearls

Procedure:
1 Remove the mango from its seed ( use only 1 piece of mango) then put into the blender together with the water, then blend until smooth.

2. Combine the cooked tapioca, blended mango, cream and milk then mix well, now use the remaining 2 mangoes by slicing it and put as a topping.
3. Refrigerate for few hours before serving.

Note: Just adjust the sweetness by adding more condensed milk or sugar, and you can add more mangoes if you want.