MEXICAN PULLED PORK & PINTO BEANS

I love this versatile recipe. First of all it is all done in the crock pot in just a few hours with no need to pre-soak the beans and leftover possibilities are endless.I make this with a 2 pound pork tenderloin, because it is nice a lean, but any pork roast will work. I have a large oval crock pot that tends to run a little hot, and this recipe is fall apart tender for me in 6 hours on low heat....

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STRAWBERRY CHANTILLY

Sweet, light as air, packed with strawberry puree and waiting in the freezer for that special occasion!! CRUST1 cup all purpose flour¼ cup brown sugar½ cup butter½ cup chopped pecansCut the butter into the flour & sugar until crumbly, then stir in the chopped pecans. Press into a 9" x 13" baking dish and bake at 300 for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. NOTE: I make this dessert with...

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Korean Rice Pops, Anyone?

You know all these products and gimmicks coming up when Filipinos have been addicted to Koreanovelas and Korean music? I have been seeing a lot of bright colors and new cuisines around the metro. I thought it stopped a few months ago, but apparently, it never did.We passed by Magic Pop in Southmall on our way to the supermarket. I was quite amused by the flying rice crisps being thrown in...

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Blueberry-Cinnamon Breakfast Bananas

I’m really fond of eating saba bananas, and I remember my grandmother frying them up as maruya (banana fritters), turon (sweet banana spring rolls), or breakfast bananas, thinly sliced and fried, sprinkled with sugar or served with cereals. Determined as I was to stop Alex from buying all the darned junk foods in our school cafeteria, I brought breakfast bananas so that he won’t be tempted to...

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ULTIMATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

These shortbread cookies melt in your mouth, they are super easy to make (with few ingredients) and they are foolproof!! I have been trying different shortbread cookie recipes for years and they have always been a pain. Either the dough is crumbly and hard to roll out, or the "easier" ones that you pat into a pan look ugly to me (lol) and then there are the ones that handle beautifully, but you...

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Creamy Scramble With Basil and Tomatoes

Before I started cooking, I watched a ton of cooking shows in the Lifestyle Network. I was especially fond of Jamie Oliver’s show, The Naked Chef. He makes cooking seem like a lot of fun, not focusing too much on those stiffly decorated gourmet-style garnished dishes, but on the rustic side of it which made old-style cooking so much more favorable. What I remember most from his show was that...

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Traditional Cocoa Tablea

I remember asking my lola the name of the ugly fruit she was holding at the kitchen almost a decade ago. She said it was kakao, which is what chocolates are made of. I found it extremely hard to believe at that age, but I watched her cut the fruit open, wash the seeds and dry them in the terrible heat of the sun. After which she brought it to the local market to have it ground. She came back...

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CHERRY CHEESECAKE PIE

Last week, Debbie, over at Mocha Me, posted a raspberry cream cheese pie that sounded quick, easy and tasty. It had a chocolate crumb crust, a layer of fresh raspberries, a baked cream cheese filling and a chocolate drizzle..On the day I wanted to make the pie, we were snowed in with a foot of new snow so I had to improvise on some of the ingredients. The final result was excellent and I will be making...

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Black Cocoa Biscuits from Cowhead

I remember my days as an primary school student. I was still the youngest then, and I can get away with eating nothing but cereals drenched in cold, fresh milk from the numerous boxes in our cupboard. I was most especially fond of the mini toys I can get for free with every box. And the milk just had to be Cowhead's fresh milk. I don't know why but I never really liked other brands, even if my...

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CARROT CAKE with PINEAPPLE

This recipe has been in my recipe box for so long, that it seriously needs to be replaced. It is covered with thumbprints and little vanilla splash stains that have accumulated over the last 30 years. Every time I see the card, it reminds me of the times I made this for my children and I can't bring myself to make a new card. It is a deliciously MOIST and easy cake.2 cups all purpose flour2 teaspoons...

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Tri-Flavor Kesar Pista Choco Malai Kulfi

( click image for enlarged view )Since last week the temperatures has been rising in chennai and my younger sister who came to visit me had requested me to prepare a regular malai kulfi as she had seen on my blog earlier but I thought I could prepare a interesting variation . It came out pretty well and she was so delighted to have three flavors in one kulfi. So here is the recipeIngredients8 cups...

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Meatballs in White Gravy

I have been guilty of playing with the ingredients in our kitchen today. Somehow waiting for our graduation day has been extremely tiresome especially when you have to listen to some lecturer for eight whole hours at school. And I give credit for that for not being able to grasp any inspiration to cook at all. So I made meatballs, in a sauce I like to call white gravy. White gravy, in...

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Don Henrico's Buffalo Chicken Pizza

We went for a late lunch over at Don Henrico's in Ermita before going to the movies. It's located outside Midtown, and it's a lot more peaceful in here than the restaurants inside the mall, which were bustling with hungry people at the moment. Upon scanning the menu, Alex ordered a big pan of their Buffalo Chicken Pizza, and a big platter of large, crisp onion rings, together with iced tea. ...

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CLASSIC BREAD PUDDING

"Classic" recipes are classic for a reason; they are great old recipes. Bread pudding is one of those classic recipes that most people have a fond childhood memory of. It doesn't take any special ingredients, it is inexpensive and easy to make. It is total comfort food, so it works well for any family gathering or holiday. 10 slices of white bread cubed (see note)¼ cup melted butter1 teaspoon ground...

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Muffins De Chocolate

( Click image for enlarged view )Last week my younger sister came to visit me, she is studying college and stays in hostel near chennai and she was missing a lot of good food and came with a big wishlist. She loves chocolate and I prepared these muffins for her. She was so delighted with these muffins and kept asking for moreIngredients1/4 cup chocolate chips1/4 cup tutti frutti1/3 cup unsweetened...

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SUBWAY SWEET ONION CHICKEN TERIYAKI SANDWICH

This is a "knock off" recipe for Subway's sweet onion chicken teriyaki sandwich. It is delicious, only about 370 calories and very quick to fix (as long as you make the sweet onion sauce a day ahead).  1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins.¼ cup soy sauce¾ cup pineapple juice½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon ground ginger½ teaspoon dry mustard¼ teaspoon white pepper¼ cup brown sugar2...

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Feed Homeless Children With Your Spare Change!

Yes, the Lenten season is almost here, and from what I can see, I haven't really given back to charity much aside from donations of clothes, books, and toys during the holiday seasons or whenever a calamity struck. It really is painful for me seeing young children begging for food at the streets, most especially when they are looking at us through the clear glass windows of the food...

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Flavorful No Onion No Garlic Meal

( Click image for enlarged view )I had prepared this meal ( Mint Pulav, Paneer Makhani and Palak Raitha ) for my mom who visited me this weekend.According to ayurveda our ancient traditional medicine system of India there are three formats of food rajasik, tamasik and saatvik, foods simple and wholesome in nature are saatvik by nature, onion and garlic have sharp flavors and they fall under the "tamasik"...

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Yummy Seafood Dishes at SuperBowl of China

Shrimp and Seafood Curry Hot Pot - Php 295Alex and I were both having seafood cravings while strolling around Midtown and looking for new stuff to buy. Which made Superbowl's seafood dishes so welcoming when the waiter placed the hot, steaming dishes on our table.Yang Chow Fried Rice with Shrimp Toppings - Php 240We ordered Shrimp and Seafood Curry Hot Pot, Roast Jellyfish with Century Egg,...

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RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD BARS

These dainty bars are delicious. They have a super tender shortbread base, a layer of sweet jam, then a layer of sweetened cream cheese & white chocolate and finally, a soft chocolate frosting.The recipe says to chill them, but I think they are even better when they've been out of the fridge for 30 minutes, although when you do that, they are a little messy on the fingers, but Oh! so worth it!!...

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Crunchy Sweet Corn Walnut Salad

(Click image for enlarged view)Recently my hubby has fallen in love with salads and I was looking out for salads with different flavors. I noticed in some of them balsamic vinegar is used commonly for salads.Surprisingly he came one day with a bottle of balsamic vinegar, it looked like a wine bottle !!So it was decided I had to make a lot of varieties of salads , so here is one recipeIngredients 1...

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Torihamu (Chicken Ham): My First Take

It's quite a big deal in Japan. It's one of those things that is perfect for bento meals, and as I was almost desperately trying to make healthier alternatives for our packed lunches, I started on a three-day project on making my first ever Torihamu or Chicken Ham.Torihamu wasn't really a traditional Japanese dish, but it was made popular from the internet and now is a permanent addition to...

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PEANUT BUTTER CLOUD PIE

If you like peanut butter, this pie is a little taste of heaven on earth. It is super easy to make (even easier if you use a ready made Oreo crust). It is the perfect ending to any meal; it is not heavy at all and it is absolutely delicious frozen. CHOCOLATE GRAHAM CRUST1¼ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs¼ cup granulated sugar¼ cup melted butter.Mix ingredients and press into a 9" pie plate. Bake...

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