The Crispy Pusit

Newly dried squid which my niece bought from the market today, I can't help it but have some, mmmm that smell while frying it, is an appetite booster and a taste bud tickler, now I am mouth watering.

As soon as the squids are crispy I grabbed the rice and the rest is history. :-).

Here is a recipe for dried squid

Ingredients:
1 kilo small Squids  ( Cleaned thoroughly)
1/4  cup salt


Procedure
1. Slit open the underneath portion of the squid entrails then
remove all the innards and clean well.
2. Put salt and mix well then sun dry it for 7 hours on a bamboo capping.
3. Collect the sun-dried then air-dry for an hour under the shade then pack and store in a cool dry place. You can have it anytime :-).

How To Make Ice Candy For Sale Version

An ice candy recipe designed to those who are planning to make ice candy that is for sale. This formula will make your customers come back for me, because this is really delicious and the ice is soft and smooth because of the cornstarch. Affordable and simple ingredients yet delicious. Will you start selling ice candy this summer? Who knows  where this small business could bring you? :-).

Ingredients for more than 200 pieces Ice candy using 1 1/4 X 10 Ice Candy Wrapper
7 litres water ( I revised the recipe on August 25, 2014 from 4 litres I tried 7 litres and it's better.)
1 cup powdered milk ( any brand)
2 cups corn starch or cassava starch dissolved in 1.5 litres water
1 3/4  kilos sugar ( you may reduce the sugar according to your taste)
1/2 tsp salt
Add your desired flavor ( buko, mango, chocolate, pineapple, etc)

300 pieces ice candy wrapper

Procedure:
1. Put the water in a big pot then bring to a boil, add the sugar and salt and mix well until it is fully dissolved.
2. Add the dissolved corn starch and powdered milk, stir very well to avoid the lumps formation, boil for 8 minutes, then turn off the heat, allow to cool for few hours then add your desired flavor.
3. Pack in the ice candy wrapper and freeze until frozen and it is now ready to be sold.

Note: If using fresh fruits at least 1 cup for flavoring if using a concentrated flavoring at least 1/2 cup or according to your taste.

Lemon Grass Meat Lollipop

A fragrant ground meat dish that is so delicious, aromatic in every bite.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo ground beef
1 big onion ( chopped)
1 big potato ( diced)
1 big carrot ( diced)
1 small bell pepper ( diced)
1 cup flour
2 eggs beaten ( seperate each)
1 cup bread crumps
salt and pepper to taste
7 lemon grass stalks ( tanglad) ( washed properly) cut in the middle and pounded a bit.

Lemon grass stalks, pounded and cut in the middle for a nice aroma

Procedure:
1. Combine the meat, carrot, potato, bell pepper, onion, 1 egg, flour, salt and pepper, mix well, then divide into 6 or 7 portions then put in lemon grass stalk, pressed well to make a strong hold.

 2. Dip in a beaten egg, then coat with bread crumbs.

3. Deep fry until golden brown then serve it hot.

Note: Fry over medium heat to ensure that the inner part is evenly cooked.

lemon grass

Lettuce Salad

One of the salads the I like is lettuce salad because it is easy and simple to prepare yet yummy.

Ingredients:
1 bunch lettuce
2 tomatoes ( diced)
1 onion ( finely chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
spring onion
salt to taste

Procedure:
1. Arrange the lettuce, tomato and onion in a serving platter.
2.Combine the lime and olive oil then sprinkle on the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and add some spring onion then serve.

How to Save Your Leftover Pancit

Sometimes leftover pancit is a lot to be eaten again for the next meal and sometimes your loved ones are not excited anymore to eat the leftover pancit, so to save it from going to the bin, make it into another special dish, something crispy by wrapping it into spring roll wrapper ( lumpiang pancit). It is yummy and your loved ones will definitely love it.

Leftover pancit

It is very simple to do it, in a lumpia wrapper put some pancit then wrapped  and sealed the wrapper with a water or beaten egg.
Deep fry until golden brown and serve it hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy.

You have now a delicious new dish that's good for a meal or a snack.



Don't waste food!! It's a part of God's blessings. Learn to recycle the leftover.

Asian Style Balsamic Glazed Drumsticks

These Asian inspired drumsticks would also be great using chicken thighs or wings.  We suggest serving with steamed vegetables to make a complete low fat meal.  You can drizzle the remaining glaze over the vegetables, or over rice.

ingredients:

• 8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed
• olive oil spray
• 1 cup water
• I tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1/3 cup Pastamoré Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoon chives or scallions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and Sriracha and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes.  Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8-10 minutes, until it becomes thick, turning chicken occasionally.

Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it starts becoming thick.  Transfer chicken to a platter and ladle sauce on top. Sprinkle with chives and sesame seeds.

Serves 4.

Lomi

Lomi is my  favorite thing to order at  a snack house near my school during college days with my classmates during break.  We always have a hard time before snack break in the afternoon because of the Math subject (laugh out loud) lomi is always there to give us comfort. The yummy noodles and its hot soup is so comforting, that's why I prepare it every now and then.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
300 grams lomi noodles
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup ground beef or pork
1 piece onion
1/4 kilo shrimps ( cleaned)
4 cups water ( add if needed)
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup sliced cabbage
1/2 piece bell pepper
1 small carrots ( strips)
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1 beaten egg
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the ground meat and continue to saute until pinkish color is gone then add the shrimps and simmer for a minute.
2. Add the water, soy sauce, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, when boiling add the noodles and simmer for a minute then add the carrots, cabbage and bell pepper, simmer for  a minute
3. Add the dissolved corn starch and stir well to thicken evenly then the beaten egg and simmer for a minute and turn off the heat.
4. Sprinkle with spring onion and serve it hot  and do not forget to smile :-).

Honey Glazed Roasted Chicken

A very simple recipe of roasted chicken that you will surely enjoy with your loved ones, specially if you love a little sweet taste in your viand.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken ( around 1.5 kilos) cleaned
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
salt to taste
1/2 cup honey

Procedure:
1. Evenly massage the  lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and ground pepper to the chicken
2. Preheat the oven for 15 minutes at 180C. Then put the chicken and  roast for 45 minutes while basting it with honey every 15 minutes. After 45 minutes flip the chicken so that we can roast the other side for another 45 minutes and baste it with honey every 15 minutes, after this, it is now ready to be served.
3. Serve and enjoy.

Pork Sinigang sa Miso

Filipinos really love sinigang, my family loved it with a strong "kilig asim" effect when you sip the soup. There are different ingredients to make the sour flavor of sinigang like, tamarind, calamansi, guava, tomatoes, miso, etc. I am going to share the one with miso.


Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pork
4 cups water
1/4 cup miso ( boil in 1/2 cup water)
1 bunch kangkong ( swamp cabbage)
6 pods okra
2 tomatoes
1 onion
3 pieces chili ( silng haba)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1.In a pot put the tomatoes, onion and pork then cook over medium heat until the pinkish color of the pork is gone, add the water and bring to a boil. Simmer the pork until tender.
2. Add the okra and simmer for a minute then the kangkong, chili, salt and pepper then simmer for few seconds and add the miso mixture then simmer until done and turn off the heat
3. Serve hot with rice.

You can add more vegetable sinigang for this recipe.

Lato Salad ( Grape Seaweed Salad)

Lato salad is one of the seaweeds salad that I like a lot, I love popping it inside my mouth, yummy! Adding the vinegar few minutes before you eat it, will spoil the freshness of the "lato" it will not be juicy anymore. This seaweed is abundant in Davao regions of  Philippines and the neighboring regions.

Ingredients for 6 servings:
1/2 kilo lato ( grape seaweed)
1 tomato
1 small onion
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

Procedure:
1.. Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Make sure that you do this when it's already time to eat because if not it is better to separate the vinegar to maintain the freshness of the seaweeds. Putting the vinegar more than 5 minutes before you eat it, will make the seaweeds sagged.
2. Serve with  grilled or fried fish or meat.

Beef Pares

Pares means pair, that's why this popular beef dish is always serve with either steamed or garlic rice and extra broth, that is the pares (pair) for this.

 Ingredients for 4 servings:
1/2 kilo beef brisket
7 cups water
1/4 cup soy sauce ( add if needed)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 minced onion
2 cloves garlic (minced)
3 cups broth ( add if needed)
2 pieces star anise
2 teaspoon corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Procedure:
1. Put the water and the beef in a pot then boil it for 2 hours or until really tender, if pressure cooker is available you can boil it for 30 minutes. When it is tender remove the beef, set aside and reserve the broth.
2.Saute ginger, garlic and onion then add the beef , soy sauce, black pepper and sugar then stir well and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Add 4 cups of beef broth, anise and salt to taste, then bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the cornstarch mixture while stirring to avoid it from forming lumps, then simmer until it thickens and turn off the heat.
5. Serve it with rice and extra beef broth, enjoy!

Homemade Lite Caesar Dressing

It’s another quick and oh-so-easy recipe to eat well and stay healthy!  Here is a salad dressing that is much better for you than the off-the-shelf (what-the-heck-is-in-it) fare you find at the grocery store.  If you do not know about ‘Grapeseed oil’, it has some super health benefits and a lighter, ‘cleaner’ taste than olive oil.

ingredients

• 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon Nan’s Honey Roasted Garlic Mustard Blend (a good Dijon will also work)
• 2 good quality anchovy fillets
• 1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
• 1/3 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt

In a small bowl of a food processor add the cheese, lemon juice, chopped garlic, mustard and the anchovies.  Pulse the machine until well combined, 15 to 20 seconds.  Add the oil and yogurt and let the machine run for another 15 seconds.

Makes 3/4 cup.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Shredded Pork

This is an easy recipe for those of us who love the convenience of a crock pot or slow cooker.  A pork sirloin roast can be used instead of the shoulder roast.  This shredded pork makes for one heckova slider!

ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
• Kosher salt, to taste
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup Pastamoré Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Pastamoré Barrel-Aged Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey

Season pork all over with salt, garlic powder and red pepper flakes and place in the slow cooker.  Mix together the broth, vinegar & Worcestershire and pour it over the pork,  Finally drizzle the honey over the pork and set the timer for 4 hours on 'high' or 6-8 hours on 'low'.

Once the pork is cooked and tender (it should fall apart easily with a fork), remove from slow cooker onto a serving dish.  Shred lightly with two forks.  Drizzle ½ cup of the remaining sauce over the shredded pork and keep warm until ready to eat.  As Nan says, “super easy…”!