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!

Discovering Yahoo's Foods Worth Traveling For

Photo from Yahoo's  Foods worth traveling for

What could be more enticing than a planned trip abroad? I'd say truly discovering the place's culture. Sometimes we travel for a long vacation and sometimes we travel for business or the most commonly called "short vacay.." Regardless of the length of your stay, you can wrap up the wholeness of it by trying the different cuisines of every single country you've been through. 

Yahoo's  Foods Worth Traveling For pretty sums up most of the traveled places around the globe with their special cuisine in tow on the list. I bet those frequent travelers can add more but if you're one of those people who occasionally travel, this might be a good guide on what to order the next time. Every country in this world have at least two (2) national dish that can be identified as their own. Few month's ago, I came across Andrew Zimmern's Bizaare Foods on Youtube and there you will see the different types of food a country can actually offer.

Photo from Yahoo's  Foods worth traveling for

So the next time you travel, consider exploring the different kinds of dish a certain place can offer. Apart from discovering the place through scenic views, it's so much more interesting too if you can keep up with their local dishes.

Sinabawang Tahong (Mussels) Recipe

When I cook tahong (mussels) at home, I usually cook it with minimal water so it may look like it’s steamed mussels. Some prefer it with more water (soup based). Either way they taste really good. The reason I cook it with less water is the sweet twang of bitter and a purely seafood taste.

Ingredients:

1kg Tahong (Mussels)
1 clove medium size minced garlic

1 medium size sliced onion

1 thumb-size ginger (sliced finely)

4-5 Tomatoes (sliced)
12 oz 7 up soda or sprite
2 tablespoon cooking oil
salt to taste

2 pcs chilli pepper (chopped) (To give a little spice on the soup)
1-2 pechay (bokchoi) or chilli leaves

Procedure:

• Wash and clean the mussels thoroughly, make sure to remove the beard.
• Place the mussel in a bowl with water while you prepare the other ingredients.
• In a pan or pot heat cooking oil then sauté the garlic, onion and ginger.
• Add tomatoes and saute until soften.
•  Add mussels and stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes or until the shells are slightly opened.
• Add  7Up or sprite soda and simmer. If you want to have more soup, add water and simmer until shells are opened.
• Add salt and seasoning to taste. Be careful when you add salt as the mussels taste salty already.
•  Add pechay (bokchoi)  and simmer for 1 minute.
• Turn off the fire and leave it covered for another 2-3 minutes making the veggie half cooked. (I like it that way)
• Place it in a serving bowl and serve! Yum!

Chowking Halo Halo on a hot summer night...

It's beginning to feel a lot like... SUMMER! 

Chowking Halo Halo with the people I love...

Goodbye Hongkong...

I traveled to Hongkong alone and the experience was surreal. Part of me wanted to go back home but the greater feeling was to stay and explore. There was so much to experience. The place, their food, culture and more, but it was just a few days, and I dragged my feet leaving the nice beautiful paradise. 

Sitting at the airport, I started to think, when will be my
next trip to this beautiful place.
The chilly weather made the experience lovelier and unforgettable.

Hongkong in my mind..

Benefits of eating Chocolates

Did you know that you don't have to feel guilty anymore every time your hand slips inside that chocolate jar again? Although lots can be said about chocolates and its negative effect to our health, if taken in moderation, it does contribute a lot in improving our health. Study shows that chocolates can help improve your heart's health as well as an anti oxidant.  Chocolates, specifically dark chocolates are rich in flavanoids that helps increase insulin easing your risk of diabetes. 

The benefits of eating chocolates are indicated based on moderate to small amount of intake. Check out what doctors have to say about the benefits of chocolate here.

Lemon Water Benefits

Lemons aren't just lemons and a lemon, isn't just a garnish on your glass of mojito. You see this in your fridge every day and probably, the only time you think it is of good use is when you have some tequila left in your liquor cabinet. There is definitely more to lemon than a bitter taste vanquisher. Lemons are filled with nutrients such as Vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium and even fiber that helps better digestion.

What can you benefit from Lemon Water?

1. Boosts your immune system:

We all know that Vitamin C is our best defense against tropical illnesses, and you know what fills a lemon fruit? That’s right! Vitamin C. If you’re not fond of taking chemically induced vitamins, make sure to take at least 2 glasses of lemon water a day to boost your immune system.

2. Helps improve digestion:

Lemons help improve digestion which means they can also help reduce bloating. Ever had that feeling of fullness after eating a small portion of your meal? This could be caused by your stomach having a hard time digesting your food. Taking water lemon during the day will help improve the bloating feeling.

3. Cleanses your system:

When your body generates good digestion, your body will be able to work well in eliminating toxins causing you a better and lighter feeling throughout the day.

4. Freshens your breath.

Although the acid content of a lemon is enough to give bad effect on your tooth enamel, it is also a great source of citric acid that helps prevent gingivitis and toothache.

So the next time you see a lemon sitting in the fridge, make good use of it before it dries. Slicing a medium size of lemon and mixing it with a pitcher of water can go a long way. Drink it during the day instead of plain water.