Lipa Grill, Lipa City Batangas

A late birthday celebration led me to Lipa City, Batangas courtesy of new found friends. It may not be the healthiest way to celebrate it, but once a year may not be too bad to feast on something way more interesting.. :D

Photo courtesy of Lipa Grill's Facebook Page

Bulalo

Something I craved for these past few months wherein the only legitimate place I know to get one is in Tagaytay. I was so wrong.

Chopsuey

Ensalada

Inihaw na Pusit

Crispy Pata

Creating Friday on a Tuesday Night

"Tuesday is not really the typical day to go bar hopping" then I realized, I have nocturnal friends where everyday is a Friday except Fridays when it is an extra special Friday. Peace.

Cafe Escudero
Dinner for two, because the third of the musketeers had dinner at home already :(
The place was excellent, perfect for diners who wants peace and solitude.

TYA Bar
Had to finish quick so we could hop in to the next bar.. The ambiance was excellent, service was good and we had the perfect spot outside, under the moonlight and with all the Christmas lights around. The martini however tasted like benadryl, (It must be the cherry) :D a whole lot more alcohol to it would have made it better.. but that's just the martini, some excellent mixes we're probably crowding the bar inside.

Chili's
Chili's! Oh Chili's! what can i say? it's a sports bar. JUST PERFECT.

CandleLight Cafe Lipa, Batangas

If you ever head on to Lipa Batangas, you might want to check this small but very cozy small cafe along KM 80 President Laurel Highway. It is just beside the road before SM City Lipa. I discovered this place while looking for a decent carwash. Not wanting to bore myself in their bare lounge, I head on to the main entrance where this small cafe is installed.

Their menu is amazeballs! chicken and rice, salads, variety of sandwiches, Batangas' signatured "kapeng barako" smoothies.. etc...

The place is very quiet. You can barely hear other diners talking. Whispering is our best option of conversation and I delighted myself to do just that. :D

 The interior design was more likely fitted for a small bookstore but what can I say? It was the best place I've seen so far. So cozy, so country.

Morning Coffee :D

I wonder what my companion's coffee tasted like? :D

Have a happy and inspiring morning everyone!

Pancit Sotanghon (Vermicelli)

The Easy Kitchen is bringing you yet another healthy meal that consist of your favorite noodles. It is cooked with less oil, more white meat instead of the regular pork meat you use. With eggs and scallions, you can be sure of a healthier version of your conventional "pancit recipes".

Recipe inspired by Madel's kitchen

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

2-3 pcs. chicken breasts

3 pcs. eggs

3 packs sotanghon noodles (Vermicelli) (Soaked in water for 30 mins prior to cooking)

Cooking oil (enough to saute garlic and chicken)

ground pepper

fish sauce

scallions (Chopped)

Preparation:

• Boil the chicken until tender and cooked. Set aside to cool down and put the chicken stock in a separate bowl.
• Shred the cooked chicken and set aside.
• Fry the scrambled eggs and cut into strips. Set aside

How to cook:

• Saute garlic until it turns brown. Set the aside.
• Using the oil where you sautéed the garlic, saute the shredded chicken
• Add fish sauce according to your taste and mix.
• Add the chicken stock and let it simmer.
• Add the noodles and occasionally mix until the chicken stock is drained.
• Put cooked noodles on a serving plate, sprinkle with ground pepper and chopped scallions
• Add fried egg strips on top and sprinkle it with sautéed garlic
• Serve and eat!

Visiting Army Navy Over The Weekend

The Easy Kitchen visited the Army Navy Burger + Burrito at Nuvali Sta. Rosa last weekend. It was a first, and the food was just... overwhelming!

Blueberry Freedom Toast

It's a shame I wasn't able to taste this super mouth watering blueberry freedom toast because I was all about trying their starving sailor burrito.

Starving Sailor (Steak)

Their starving sailor recipe offered more than just a steak in a bun. Its tender, succulent taste made it even more delicious. While I usually don't eat any onions that came with my burger, theirs tasted sweet with less "oniony" taste.

Army Navy's Double Quarter Pounder 

Another excellent burger with authentic, real beef taste. There's something different about its taste.... Oh wait, it's REAL burger.

Freedom Fries

I call this the sexy, spicy fries. Perfectly done.

They also have one of the most reasonable prices for such enormous and delicious menu.

Know who invented your favorite Batchoy

Are you curious as who really invented "batchoy"? 

Batchoy is a Philippine soup recipe that consists of noodles, soup, pork and beef. Said to have originated in La Paz, Iloilo, does the name ring a bell now? La Paz Batchoy :D the recipe is available all year round but is especially popular during the rainy season. Find out more about the La Paz batchoy on Yahoo's La Paz Batchoy FaceOff...

Image by: Yahoo

So the next time you crave for the best Batchoy in town, why not visit an authentic Ilonggo restaurant to dine? :D

Goto Recipe

Visiting Tagaytay last Saturday was a blast. And the chilly, rainy weather made it all the more inviting. So what's the best way to warm up? Goto over great brewed coffee..

Ingredients:

1  ½ lbs cow tripe, cut into squares (approx 1x1 inches)

1 cup uncooked rice

500ml water

500ml beef stock or 1 piece beef cube

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp garlic, minced

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 cup onion, minced

4 pieces hard boiled eggs

1 cup scallions (green onions), minced

2 knobs ginger, julienned

3-5pcs kalamansi

How to cook:

Saute garlic, onion and ginger

Add some ground black pepper and the cow tripe. Cook for 2-3 minutes

Add the fish sauce and water. Bring to boil and simmer until cow tripe is tender

Add rice and stir

Add the beef broth and bring to boil

Occasionally stir until rice is cooked (takes about 35-45 minutes)

Add the hardboiled eggs and stir

Served hot with chopped scallions, fried chopped garlic and kalamansi

Biko (Glutinous rice) Recipe

Biko is a common recipe in the Philippines and another glutinous rice treat simply cooked with coconut milk and brown sugar. This is commonly categorized locally as “kakanin” or dessert . The cooking process is very simple and can be done by anyone.

Ingredients:

2 cups glutinous rice (malagkit rice)

2 cups coconut milk

2 cups coconut milk (for latik)

2 cups brown sugar

2 ½ cups water

½ tsp. salt

How to cook the Biko:

• Thoroughly wash the glutinous rice, combine it with water and cook  (the same way you cook ordinary white rice)
• In a separate pan, combine the coconut milk, brown sugar and salt. Keep stirring until it becomes thick.
• Once the glutinous rice is cooked, and the milk sugar is thick, scoop the glutinous rice and add it to the milk – sugar mixture and mix them well together.  (keep the milk-sugar mixture in a low fire while mixing it with rice).
• Place the cooked biko in a flat serving plate and flatten it.
• Spread the latik on top, serve and eat :D

How to cook Latik:

• In a saucepan, pour 2 cups of coconut milk and bring to boil
• Stir continuously until almost all the liquid is gone (will take around 10 to 15 minutes)
• Once the residue turns brown and the oil is separated already, scoop the residue (this will be the “latik” you put on top of the biko)

Ginataang Sitaw with Baboy

Some recipes are best cooked and enjoyed on a rainy day. So The Easy Kitchen is once again bringing something perfect for the season. Tara Let's Eat!

Recipe inspired by Elmo's Kitchen

Ingredients:

½ kilo pork (sliced into cubes)

3 bundles string beans (cut into 1 ½ to 2 inches long)

1 ½ cup coconut milk

1 clove garlic

1pc medium size onion

I pc medium size ginger (cut into strips)

3-4 pcs finger chillies (siling haba) (coarsely sliced)

Cooking oil (for sautéing)

Salt and seasoning

How to cook:

• Sautee garlic, onion and ginger in a pan.
• Add sliced pork and sautee until it turns brown
• Add sliced finger chillies and stir
• Add the coconut milk and let it boil for few minutes then let it simmer until pork gets tender
• Add salt and seasoning and stir
• Serve and Eat

Ginataang Ampalaya na may Takal

One of the few things I don't dare to cook is a recipe that requires some coconut milk in it. As I mentioned on my previous posts, this is because I have this notion that there is a certain way you cook food with coconut milk. However, hanging around with a family who came from a place where "guinataan" recipes are abundant, and thus expert in doing so, you might see The Easy Kitchen feature more and more guinataan recipes in the future. 

Recipe inspired by Elmo's Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 pcs. large ampalaya (sliced into strips)

2 bundles string beans (cut in 1 ½ to 2 in. long)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

1 pc. Onion (chopped)

2 pcs. tomatoes

Cooking oil

1 ½ cups gata (coconut milk)

1 cup takal (takal is a seafood ingredient similar to oyster)

(when in Bicol, takal is usually already boiled and cooked)

2 pcs siling haba / finger chillies  (coarsely chopped)

Salt and seasoning

How to cook:

• In a small pan, saute garlic, onions and takal. Set aside.
• In a small pot, put together the ampalaya (bitter melon), string beans, tomatoes and coarsely chopped finger chillies and add the coconut milk. 
• Bring to simmer until vegetable is half done. (Do not overcook)
• Add salt and seasoning to taste.
• Add the sauteed takal and simmer again for a minute or two.
• Serve and Eat with white rice.

Crab Rice and Crispy Pata

Ineng's BBQ

Midget lunch at Ineng's BBQ Lipa Batangas. 

The Easy Kitchen has found yet another new quick fix meal restaurant that offers the kind of "fast lunch" you need when you're up and about. Check out Ineng's BBQ one of the quickest  meal fix that will surely keep up with your time schedule.

Ineng's BBQ

L1 - 250 Main Mall Robinson's Place

Lipa City, Batangas

(043)757-55-88

Pinakbet Recipe

Pinakbet is a native recipe from the northern part of the Philippines, mainly the Ilocos region. It is a combination of different kinds of vegetables mixed with shrimp paste. The Easy Kitchen is bringing you yet another nutritious recipe that can be cooked in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1/4 lb pork, thinly sliced

2 large egg plant, sliced

2 medium-sized bitter melon, chopped

1/4 lb squash, chopped into cubes

3 pieces large tomato, sliced

1 piece onion, chopped

1 tbsp ginger, minced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

5 to 7 pieces okra

1 bundle string beans, cut in 2-3 inches long

4 tbsp shrimp paste (bagoong)

Chicharon or bagnet

1 cup water

3 tbsp cooking oil

salt and pepper

Cooking Procedure

• In a pan, heat cooking oil and sauté garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.
• Add the sliced pork and cook until it turns brown
• Add the shrimp paste, mixed it well with the sauteed pork and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add water and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until pork is tender.
• Add the squash and cook until squash is tender (make sure not to overcook it)
• Add the remaining vegetables, small amount of salt and seasoning and simmer for 5 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked. (Do not overcook the vegetables)
• Top it with crushed chicharon or bagnet
• Serve and Eat!

Restaurants in Metro Manila with a Make-Your-Own Concept (Yahoo Article)

Imagine a world of fun where you can create your own choice of healthy ingredients without actually going to the grocery store and find them yourself? If you're the type of person who's keen on knowing the health load of what you eat, these restaurants maybe the perfect place for you to dine. Yahoo's List of make-Your-Own Concept restaurants should be worth your time as they make a whole lot meaning to healthy fast food.

The Easy Kitchen recently found these featured healthy restaurants online that lets you decide what type of nutrition you want to feed yourself and if you're in for the challenge you might be able to do this at the point of a finger.

Whether you're in for some nice, loaded but healthy burgers, some cheese filled cake or some love stuffed frozen ice creams, those guilt feeling of loading yourself with unwanted "fillers" may just be a thing of the past with these restaurants. 

So the next time you decide to eat out, you might want to consider visiting these restaurants and see what they can actually do to keep that healthy eating habit of yours intact.

Images courtesy of Yahoo Food

Ensaladang Dilis Recipe

Most of the time, we find ourselves thinking of the fastest way we can mix and match food that’s true to the taste. The Easy Kitchen recently discovered a new recipe called Ensaladang Dilis (Anchovies Salad) that is fast to cook and can be served in an instant. I honestly love this with or without white rice. Happy eating everyone!

Ingredients:

4 pcs. Medium size labanos (radish) (peeled and thinly sliced)

3 packs dried dilis (anchovies)

2 pcs. Medium size onion (diced)

5 pcs. Medium size tomatoes (sliced length wise)

½ cup vinegar

5 pcs. Kalamansi or 1 pc lemon

2 pcs. Red chilli pepper (chopped)

salt to taste

1 tsp. sugar

Cooking oil (for frying of anchovies)

Procedure:

• In a clean pan, fry the dried dilis (anchovies) until they turn crispy or cooked. Set aside
• Put all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them together. For best results, wash your hands clean and use them to mix the ingredients.
• Lastly, add the vinegar to the mixed ingredients including the fried anchovies.
• Add lemon to balance the sourly taste.
• Set aside for an hour
• Serve and eat. 

Crispy Spinach Recipe

The Easy Kitchen is bringing you something delicious and nutricious this Monday morning :D 

Crispy spinach recipe that anybody can make at home. Some would consider this a finger food, fry it, eat it. I prefer it with rice with sweet and hot sauce..

Ingredients:

1 bundle baby spinach

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

salt and seasoning

cooking oil (for frying)

Procedure:

• Remove spinach leaves from stalk and wash the leaves thoroughly. Set aside
• In a medium size bowl, mix egg, salt and seasoning and slightly beat (make sure everything is properly mixed)
• Dip the spinach leaves in the egg mixture and roll it in bread crumbs.
• In a pan, heat oil and fry the spinach with bread crumbs. Repeat until everything is fried.
• Serve and eat.

Follow The Easy Kitchen on facebook.com/theeasykitchen for more recipes and dining escapades..

Beat the Heat with Razon's Halohalo

You check in to Razon's and look around you.. not a single table is left without their special and unique halo halo. At this time of the year, I guess it's selling like hotcakes because it's by far the hottest hot summer ever! :D

Razon's special halo halo

French Fries to balance my craving ;)

Mang Cook Diner

Over the weekend and during an out of town house hunting, I was introduced to this nice and cozy little diner along the highway of Santiago, Malvar Batangas (Near Lima Technology Center). They have all sorts of dishes, purely Filipino recipes from Miki Bihon, to Sariwang Lumpia, Pancit Canton and so forth. Needless to say, the experience was fantastic. I was specifically drawn to their tokwa't baboy dish. You can also follow Mang Cook on their Facebook page for more info.

Mang Cook's Diner

Nilagang Baka

Pork Sisig

Tokwa't Baboy

Pininyahang Manok (Pineapple Chicken) Recipe

It's such a delight lunching on another chicken recipe aside from the typical fried one. If you're not in for some total soup based chicken recipe (Tinola) you can always go for this (pininyahang manok recipe) or chicken curry if you feel like it.

Ingredients:

¼ kg            Chicken legs 

¼ kg            Chicken thighs

                    Cooking oil (enough for sauteing chicken)

2 cups         Coconut milk (or you can opt for 1 can of evaporated milk)

4 cloves      Garlic   (Crushed)

1 pc             Onion

1-2 tsp         Fish sauce or salt

½ tsp           Seasoning

¼ tsp           Black pepper

2 pcs.          Medium size ginger  (Cut into strips)

1-2 pouch   Pineapple tidbits

1  pc            Medium size red bell pepper

1pc              Medium size green bell pepper

Procedure:

• In a clean pan, heat cooking oil and sauté garlic, onion and ginger.
• Add fish sauce (patis) and chicken and sauté of 10 minutes or until the chicken turns slightly brown
• (If you opt to use salt, you can add it when you simmer)
• Add black pepper and pineapple syrup. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Lastly, add bell pepper, coconut milk, seasoning and pineapple tidbits. Simmer again for 3 minutes.
• Serve and eat :D

Dynamite Stick Recipe (Dynamite Lumpia)

This recipe requires your creativity in cooking. Sometimes, handling your food and having the inspiration to cook it makes it even more perfect. Today’s recipe is what we locally call Dynamite Stick. It’s similar to spring roll but with the presence of finger chili to spice it up.

Ingredients:    

1 pc chopped medium size onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 kilo ground pork
Salt and pepper

Seasoning mix
10 finger chilies (siling pangsigang)
10 spring roll (lumpia) wrappers

1pc small egg

Cooking oil for sautéing and frying

Procedure:

• In a clean bowl, mix ground pork, onion and garlic. Add seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat oil in a pan and sauté the mixed ingredients for 10 minutes or until ground pork is cooked. Set aside.
• Slice chilies on one side and scrape out the seeds.
• Stuff the sliced chilies with the cooked pork mixture.
• Wrap the stuffed chilies with spring roll wrapper and seal using egg white
•  Heat oil in a pan and fry the wrapped chilies until golden brown.
• Serve and eat. :D

Egg Omelet

I'm not sure if I gave justice to a great cook's simple recipe when I went through with it but just the same, I was able to eat it without rice, meaning.. it was good :D If only I can perfect flipping it on the other side..

More of a tradition, mom usually cook something like this on Good Friday, nothing else and that's what we did.

Cocktails you can make at home

Warning: Post not suitable for young audience :D

Who says that the best cocktails are the ones that have been around the longest? Maybe that's true fro some but.. take note, nowadays, there are over hundred ways  you can shake and toss that liquid in your shaker and you'll always come up with something different. Alcoholic drinks tend to have different effect on different people so if a shot of tequila is excellent for you and a bottle of beer kills you, this might be vice versa on someone else. 

I recently came across the website The American Cocktail and immediately fell in love with how easy they taught how to mix and match cocktail drinks that I assume some of us never heard of. I definitely recommend this to those of you who enjoy their weekends under the sun and in the company of a mojito. :D Cheers!