Sibuyas Republic

Archive for October, 2011

Am I too early thinking about what foodies to prepare for Christmas? Honestly, I do. Christmas season is a very long holiday. I actually had mixed feelings if I wanted it to come or not. Two birthdays, hubs on the week before Christmas and eldest daughter, the week after Christmas. Geez! I can imagine how tired am I going to be. Hubby would always say,

“Make the kids happy, let them enjoy the food and feel the happiness an occasion brings.”

Let them enjoy while I do become like a limp vegetable Surprisingly, though, that is the reason why I do plan this early. Had to list down the family’s favorite dishes. Nothing new. Nothing extravagant. Just good ole favorite dishes. The two kids even asked me on the day of my birthday two days ago, “Mom, what would be our “handa” on Christmas and New Year?” See, they all looked forward to the holidays.

Last Noche Buena, our table have these…

The halayang ube was prepared three days ahead of Christmas (Bad blogger here, thought I had shared the cooking procedure here. There was none. Ought to post it tomorrow for another meme^_^)  It takes time cooking. Hubby’s the one who gets to do the mixing. The kids helped out in making the colorful polvoron. The ham’s the only one which is easy to prepare. Thanks to Purefoods Fiesta Ham

The sushi on the table was my first take on the Japs cuisine. The carbonara’s their fave, too. And, the Baked Loaf A La King  is a poor knocked-off from my effort, as always. Pardone.  No chef here. Just a try-hard one

This year, even though hubby’s on the weight watchers program , holidays and birthdays can’t be snubbed. There should be something on the table, as is the tradition.

Well, nothing grand, nothing different. There should be ham, and please checked out this fruit cake if you are looking for one this holidays.

Plan. Plan. Plan. And, do the grocery shopping earlier. So as not to be caught on a web of shoppers come Christmas season.

Linking this post on Girls Talk.

Remember the two typhoons that had hit Philippine area in a matter of week. It sends a thousand household completely out of electricity for 5 days. Had no choice but to cook out what were left in the freezer.

After frying one home made meat loaf after another, there’s one left and the kids would never want to touched their fried meat loafs.

Thinking how I should “repurpose” the last one, I looked for other items that needed to be used up in the fridge before they rot. Got me these...ham slices, mushroom, potatoes, and mince garlic and onions.  The kids love another variation of Cottage Pie HERE.

COOKING PROCEDURE:

1. Boil the potatoes. Set aside.

2. Saute garlic, onions then stir in the meat loaf.

3. Add dash of salt and black ground pepper.

4. Placed the cooked meat loaf in a shallow round dish.

5. Mash the potatoes, add cheese and salt.

6. Evenly spread the mashed potatoes on top of the sauteed meat loaf.

7. Brush with butter.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until potatoes becomes golden brown.

9. Enjoy your slice. Perfect with garlic toast or over pasta, too.

Linking this post to Mellow Yellow Monday

Tired but tummy super full. Sissy in law’s husband celebrated his 51 years of life. As usual, there was lechon and a whole lot more of yummyliscious foodies. I just picked few pieces of lechon and that’s it. SIL asked me cook Cordon Bleu a la Riz with ham and cheese as filling. After cooking, I stayed until noontime to help her with other dishes. There were so many, I allowed my eyes to feast only. It’s a good thing, (unlike hubby^_^) I didn’t have trouble “snubbing” foodies. Tasting every dishes is enough for me

But, then, I had sinfully indulged on the “sugpo” and these delectable “puto” (native rice cakes) which SIL had let me “take-out”. Gee! Thanks. Mahirap lutuin yan! The only “puto” I could cook was this BIKO and oh, yes, INANGIT. These rice cakes were too laborious too cook.

clockwise from the top: biko, espasol, sapin-sapin and maja blanca

Rice cakes’ kinda heavy on the belly. Will save these in time for tomorrow’s coffee

Linking this post t0 Color Connection and Yummy Sunday.

This post brought to you by Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Imagine the “All You Need Plan” which heavy users can use the allowed 1000 minutes of calls, 1000 texts messaging, and 30 MB of web data browsing. Anybody would be happy switching to Straight Talk.

Sure, few readers of this post will make faces as there were few people who shun eating this dish. While others, due to culture barrier were alien to this dish.

Bought these two packs of “burong kanin” (fermented rice with fish) at my favorite vegetable stand in the town market. She told me, it was the same buro that they were cooking at home. And, it tasted fresh and good. I believed my “suki”

My “suki” veggie vendor told me that the key in achieving a great tasting buro is on how it is cooked. I didn’t fully grasped what’s in the cooking style she wanted to emphasize. I can tell that there’s nothing extra special in the way it was to be cooked.

• Saute lots of minced ginger, garlic and onions in a pan.

• Add the fermented rice.

• Add half cup of water (to achieve a not-so-dry buro)

• Season with fish sauce and a dash of ground black pepper.

• Add sugar to balanced out the acidity (optional)

• Let it simmer for 5-8 minutes. Adding water if necessary.

The finish product. Paired with grilled fish and boiled eggplant, or okra, or string beans…it is truly a “pinoy” dish.

Here’s my plate.

Inihaw na tilapia at nilagang sitaw na may sawsawang burong kanin.

Kain na!

Linking this post to Food Trip Friday and Food Friday.

The college daughter arrives home for the semestral school break. Yesterday, she went to see her dentist to check her braces. Today, she and her siblings plus few cousins went to the nearby swimming resort. Hubs and me were very confident she could take care of her two younger sibs.

Bought pork chops and chicken wings and have them barbecued as their “baon”. Also, I added up this pork sisig, in case the barbecue will be consumed fast. Kids are really into meats, don’t they?

I used to call this sisig variation as a “healthier sisig”. Why? Sans the pork liver I used pork liempo and added lots of tofu.

Ingredients:

• half kilo liempo

• 25 pesos worth of tofu

• calamansi juice

• minced onions

• 1 tbsp. liver spread

• 2 tbsp. mayonnaise

• salt and pepper to taste

• chili (optional)

Cooking procedure:

• Fry the liempo and the tofu. Cut into small pieces.

• Mix all the ingredients.

The kids loved the fried tofu and its crunchiness.

Have a  Yummy Sunday everyone:)

When two nieces had double birthday celebration recently, it became a double double fun event, too. Foodies and sweet treats treated the guests.

There were two cakes for each of them. Adriane is one-year old, and Tisean is 6.

Before the guests could have feasted on both the cakes, I had mine hidden in the pantry…and indulge my sweet cravings for the richness of the chocolate cake and the pretty pink flower icing…the very next day…

Chocolate’s really addicting. Why, oh, why?

Linking this post to Pink Friday, Color Connection and Colorful Weekend.

This is a dish that I always avoided cooking but would always be included in the lists of my favorite vegetable dishes. I cooked this dish even though I get afraid it would end up with the bitter gourd…BITTER! I get frustrated why can’t I learned the secret of losing the bitterness of the veggie. I tried every trick I get from others…

Saw these “ampalaya” at the nearby vegetable store, fell in love with the lovely greens, that, all I wanted to buy was “pechay” for my sinigang, and, yet, ended up buying the bitter gourd (bitter melon), as well.

Okay,will have to try again…

INGREDIENTS:

• half kilo ampalaya

• chopped garlic, onions, tomatoes

• 2 eggs

• tofu

• salt and pepper

COOKING PROCEDURE:

•  Sliced up the veggies thinly, discarding the seeds.

• Placed in a deep bowl. Sprinkle 4 tablespoon of rock salt. Mix up until salt has completely dissolved. The process will make the ampalaya juiced off its bitter taste.

• Wash up with tap water two times. Strain then set aside.

• Meanwhile, sprinkle dash of salt and black pepper onto the tofu and fry in oil. Let it brown a bit to make it crispier. Cut into small squares and set aside.

• Saute chopped garlic, onions, and tomatoes into a pan.

• Add the “ampalaya”. Season with salt when needed. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

• Add 2 scrambled eggs.

• Topped with fried tofu.

Honestly, can’t say it’s not bitter…

But, IT IS NOT THAT BITTER

Sharing this bittery dish at Thursday Brownies , Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Difficulty passing stools lately left me irritable after every loo trips. Regular bowel movement can be as often as everyday to about two to three times per week. Constipation occurs when bowel movement restricts a person to loo trips for just under two times per week. However, constipation is not actually a disease. It is a symptom of many underlying causes. Undermining the possibility of a more serious disease, common causes of constipation may be as follows:

1. Bad bowel habits. Suppressing the stool specially on public toilets. Withholding the urge to defecate too frequently results in constipation.

2. Diet. Diets low in fiber results in a hard-to-pass stools.

3. Fluid intake. Water softens the stool and is the best laxative as laxative is associated with certain damages to the colon which then leads to constipation.

4. Hormones. Hormonal change played key factor in resulting to constipation.

Management and treatment of constipation:

• adequate fluid intake

• high fiber diet is recommended

• maintain good mobility through exercise or physical activities

• laxatives can be used but routine use is discouraged

(more information about constipation on MedicineNet.com)

These were the sandwiches the family eats together during one of those darkest nights brought about by typhoon Pedring. As nights started to get longer at the start of the “ber months, 6 in the evening brought about complete darkness across the horizon. By the third day of the black-out, the kids became very fretful, and all I could offer them was food!

We, literally had oversupply of “ulams” by the third day when the freezer was completely thawed out, and news of restoring electricity became nil. I had to cook either adobo or fried dishes. Yay!

And the hotdogs became filling for these sandwiches. Roll, roll, and, roll. That’s how it’s done.

• Roll them up tightly.

• Roll in egg lightly.

• Roll it up again in chicken breading and deep fry for 3 minutes.

Yes! Chicken breading. Though, a couple of months back I posted here also how to make Rolled Deli Sandwich. Check out how-to’s

As always, when there’s typhoon (a double typhoon, that is!), stacked up on food, water, and batteries. Five days of no electricity? Life sucks!

But, thank Heavens, we’re spared from flood. If you have time please check out my friend’s house, UNDER WATER. It is heart wrenching.

Linking this post to Thursday Brownies, Food Trip Friday, and Food Friday.