LaPiS: Steamed

They say one of the healthier cooking methods is steaming.  I initially had reservations about steamed food since it seemed less tasty than its fried or grilled counterparts.

I was happy to be proven wrong in this case, though, since, apparently, healthy could still mean flavorful and delicious.

Here are some “steamy” samples from my tiny kitchen for you to (virtually) savor.

 Steamed Chicken Siomai – always a hit with my boys and girl

 

My ”Albino” Leche Flan (unwittingly used white instead of brown sugar for the caramel – duh!). Better than my first attempt but could definitely still be improved – still dreaming of that silky, bubble-free texture (*sigh*)! Taste-wise, though, it thankfully “redeemed” what it lacked in “looks” – hehehe

To see what “steams up” my other LaPiS-mates, click on the link on my sidebar.  A restful and delicious Sunday to all!

Year of the Ox(oy)

When I want something quick and easy to cook (which is almost always), I turn to familiar recipes which remind me of “home sweet home”.

What better to fit the bill than this…

Good ol’ shrimp-tofu fritters – or okoy, in the vernacular.  Whether eaten for lunch, merienda (snack) or dinner, with the familiar soy-vinegar-garlic dip, by itself, or with steaming white rice, it just hits the spot everytime for me. Yummy comfort food – that’s what it is – simply delish.

And in case you feel some “okoy munchies” soon, click here to grab the recipe I used for a quick fritter fix. Happy eating!

 

 

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

In our family, we are used to having the same viands (ulam) for both lunch and dinner.  I usually stick to this set-up (since it does save me a lot of time in the kitchen) except for some days – like yesterday evening – when I found myself stumped as to what to cook for dinner (as I obviously didn’t prepare enough food to last till the evening!).

As usual, I get ideas (and inspiration) from my “numero uno kitchen fan” (and critic) – dear hubby!  Our conversation went something like..

Hubby: Parang gusto ko kumain ng pancit canton. (I think I want to eat some lo mein noodles).

Me: Ako rin! Pareho tayo ng iniisip ha! (Me too! We’re thinking the same thing!)

Hubby: Ano, lutuin ko na yung Mie Goreng? (So, do I cook the Mie Goreng?)

Mie Goreng, incidentally, is the brand of our current favorite instant fried noodles here.

Me: Hindi, gusto ko yung totoong pancit canton.  (No, I want the real lo mein noodles.)

And real lo mein noodles I got! (Or, more accurately, I cooked – for the very first time!)

Get a load of this! So excited that my first pancit canton foray turned out so well – yum!

Up close and delicious! It definitely hit the spot and put our lo mein cravings to rest (at least, for the day – hahaha!)

Many thanks to blogger pal, Brother Utoy, who provided the much needed guidance (aka recipe) for this cooking adventure – though, admittedly, I had to make a few substitutions here and there (i.e., adding in a lot of minced garlic, using pak choy instead of cabbage, chicken broth for the shrimp stock  and celery stalks instead of haricot verts) depending on what was available in my cupboard and crisper.

And, before I forget, a belated Kung Hei Fat Choi to all (most especially to hubby’s dear relatives and fellow Chinoys)! May we all prosper in the Year of the Ox!

 

LaPiS: Eye Candy

I honestly think that presentation is such an important part of the total “gastronomic experience”.  What we perceive to be pleasant visually (especially where food is concerned) generally creates an expectation of “yumminess” even before we actually taste the dish before us.

Though many also believe that the ultimate proof of the pudding (or scallops, in this case ) is in the eating, being served “eye candy” such as this didn’t hurt one bit!

This was the main dish I ordered – Pan-Seared Scallops in Chili Vinaigrette Sauce – when we celebrated eldest son’s decade birthday recently at Trader Vic’s, Ritz Carlton in Bahrain.

And yes, it tasted as good as it looked! Yummy indeed!

Pumpkin Pie

Did I already tell you I’m a “trying (very) hard novice baker” into baking now? 

I did? Well, so sorry for repeating myself…

It’s just that I get a natural (or is it sugar-induced?) high everytime something like this comes out of my oven…

Yes, it’s freshly baked pumpkin pie! 

This is actually a long-overdue Halloween “kitchen project” that I only had the guts to do quite recently.  Since my first attempt wasn’t as successful (was still using a turbo broiler then to bake – silly me!), I kept on postponing my “second go” lest the results disappoint yet again (yeah, call me a certified baking coward ).

It’s a good thing I gave it another shot (and with a “proper” oven this time!) or I never would have the satisfaction of seeing and tasting this “fairly easy-to-make” (look who’s talking now! hahaha! ) dessert. 

This is best served refrigerated with a dollop of whipped cream on top.  Here, have a slice!

PS You can find the recipe I used here.  And don’t you worry if you can’t find the specific brand of milk mentioned, I used another brand and it turned out just as well.  Also, instead of a ready crust, I used a store-bought “do-it-yourself” one from Betty Crocker.

LaPiS: Hot Drinks

What indeed can be more comforting on a cool and crisp wintry evening than a warm, tall cup of cocoa?

Or, in this case, a tall, warm glass of Illy coffee macchiato from Haagen Dazs? Perfect for an after-dinner nightcap, right?

The “heart” in my coffee says it all… I love it!

To see what “warms up” the cold days and nights of our other LaPis-mates, click on the Lasang Pinoy Sundays icon on the right side of my page.

Do you know the Muffin Man?

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?

Or so goes the catchy children’s song…

In case you do, though, could you tell him I whipped up batches of some of his favorites recently?  Been donning my novice “baker’s toque” quite often during the holidays especially after dear hubby successfully managed to finally put my long out-of-commission oven in good running condition – yey!

Happy to share some “samples” from my mini-kitchen…enjoy!

Double Chocolate Muffins (okay, I admit, most of the work for this was done by my “friend” Betty (Crocker) – hahaha!)

Blueberry Muffins (again, my compliments to Betty!)

Banana Walnut Muffins! Finally, these I made from scratch – and I’m even prouder to say that these served as the birthday cupcakes for our son Luigi’s recent 10th birthday – yipee!

Now, how’s these for my “just desserts”, huh?   More baked goodies soon…

LaPiS: Left-Overs

I almost did not have an entry for this week since leftovers are probably the last thing I would want to take a photo of (if you know what I mean ). 

Yet, as luck would have it, I remembered that I actually managed to unwittingly make something that would fit into this week’s theme – yey!

From the leftover siomai wrappers (I actually used egg roll wrappers since it is quite difficult to “source” proper siomai wrappers here) and some cheddar cheese slices, I made these…

Yummy cheese sticks!

The “after” shot… Oops, didn’t realize they cook so easily!

Though they came out a tad “darker” than what I wanted, I’m glad that there still wasn’t anything left over from these leftovers! All’s well that ends well, I guess!

Happy Lasang Pinoy Sundays to all!

Mini-Cheeseburgers

The holidays have been quite “productive” for me in terms of “kitchen churn rate”. I’m happy that I was able to hone the “culinary” side of my “diva-ness” by trying  things I’ve never done before like baking (now this deserves a separate post altogether! ) and cooking something at the spur of the moment – based on the ingredients I have available – and making up the recipe along the way!

Here is a result of one of those “culinary experiments” – mini-cheeseburgers!

Though we’ve been consciously minimizing our intake of beef ever since my “gall stone scare” early last year, I make it a point to include beef in our menu once in a while – just so the kids can also familiarize themselves with its taste.

For this dish, I initially soaked 3 slices of brown bread (shredded into pieces) with approximately a cup of low-fat milk.  After that, I mixed this with half a kilo of extra lean beef (you may switch to the “fatty” kind if you prefer it to be more juicy), about 5 cloves of crushed garlic, half a head of minced white onion, 2 stalks of chopped celery, 1 whole egg and salt and pepper to taste.  I then formed the mixture into mini-patties which yielded about 20 pieces.

To cook, I lightly greased a non-stick pan with canola oil, flipped and fried away! Just when the burgers are about to be done, I sprinkled grated mozarella cheese on top and covered the pan for about 3 minutes or so to melt the cheese. 

You may serve this in little buns with your condiments of choice or with steamed plain rice (like we did).

I’m pleased that all the kids (and my big “kid-at-heart”) loved it as it turned out still juicy and very flavorful.  And since they’re “mini-sized”, it’s easier for the kids to finish it (and get seconds…and thirds too!).

Bon appetit!

LaPiS: Media Noche

Unlike our “Media Noches past” in Manila, being in the “Kingdom Far Away”  for New Year’s Eve meant a simpler holiday spread.  Aside from the fact that it lessens the “kitchen workload” on me considerably, I felt that replicating what we were used to back home is highly impractical (and could also be wasteful) since, after all,  there would only be hubby and I and three kids who will share this midnight meal to welcome the new year.

Nonetheless, I learned that simple could also be delicious as these pictures will (hopefully) show. 

Fiesta Ham (yes, we were able to get some ), cheese wedges, grapes and a bottle of non-alcoholic wine spritzer (so the kids can join in the toasting!)

Before I forget, I also prepared some macaroni salad to complement our simple fare

As we welcome the new year, may we remain “steadfast in faith, joyful in hope and unwavering in love” and may our austerity in certain things lead us to greater prosperity not only in resources but also in the loving company of family and friends.

From our family to yours, a blessed 2009 to all!