American Style Fast Food

I have been craving for Jollibee hamburger and Buco Piña Pie for quite some time. I promised myself that once I fly back home in the Philippines, I would make sure to make sawa of my favorite Jollibee Buco Piña Pie. As in todo to the max na kainan. Just thinking about it now makes me hungry and crave for more. How I wish some day, someone from Texas will be able to franchise Jollibbee! For sure papatok talaga yan.

Jollibee is an American-style fast-food restaurant with Filipino-influenced dishes specializing in chicken, burgers, spaghetti and some local Filipino dishes.

Filipino Ice Cream

Filipino Ice cream is rich in flavor. It's creamy and really yummy. I just read a blog a while ago that discussed about the Filipino Ice cream. I think he is an American(not sure though) that visited or worked in our country. He mentioned the Filipino "dirty ice cream" as what others called that "refers to home made ice cream that's sold by street vendors from carts". He mentioned that the Filipino Ice Cream he had tasted is a lot less creamy than most American ice creams which is really true.

But if you try the real Filipino Ice Cream that's made by Selecta, Magnolia and other company's our Ice cream is actually creamier than any other American Ice cream. It has coconut and milk on it that makes it yummy! Filipino Ice cream have different flavors such as Mango, Buco Salad, Halo-halo, Ube, Chocolate, Mocha, Coffee and many more.

Afritada Recipe

This is a Filipino Recipe. You can use pork or beef if you don't like chicken.....

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken, cut into chunks
5 pieces potatoes, peeled and halved
1 onion, diced
1 garlic, minced
1 chicken knor cubes
1 green and 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 cup tomato sauce
cooking oil
Water
Salt and Pepper

How To:

1. Heat oil in the pan and sauté garlic and onion.
2. Add chicken and slightly brown.
3. Add water then pour tomato sauce. Add knor cubes and bring it to boil for few minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked.
4. Add potatoes and continue to cook until the potatoes are cooked.
5. Add the green and red bell peppers, Salt and pepper to taste then simmer for few minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Bacon Cheedar Fries

I have never tried "Bacon Cheddar Fries" before until I came here in USA. If you’ll ask me what fries I love, I would answer Macdonald French fries without thinking at all… Yes I love French Fries though I don't like some fries I have tasted from other restaurants or fast food as it is either too mushy or oily... I was amazed when I first tasted this "Bacon Cheddar Fries" in Cheddars restaurants even though it was a bit oily (of course cheddars duh)… Anyway back to the “Bacon Cheddar Fries which obviously compose of Bacon, cheese and potatoes, it really taste good especially if you dipped it on a salad dressing like “Ranch Style Dip”… humm good.... ooopppss my diet lol!

Have A Break Have A Pizza

Blogging gives me so much emotion since the time I started it. It makes me happy and sad the next minute. It’s also limiting my time on some other things that I needed to do like cooking, cleaning and even washing dishes. Just like tonight, I was able to grab some opportunities that I needed to finish to be able to grab for another one which makes me forget of the time. It was already passed seven o’clock when hubby called and said he is on the way home. He asked me what we have for dinner and told him that I haven’t make any yet and asked him in return on what he thinks he would like to eat tonight. He then replied that he can just grab something on the way home and I hurriedly said “I want Bread Stick from Pizza Hut”… hubby said ok that will do it! Hahahah poor hubby…

Can't Stop...

We just can't stop ordering "Pinakbet" every time we go to Filipino restaurant. It's like each of us already knows what to order and it's expected that "pinakbet" will be present on the table. Eating with friends is more likely fun as always. It's never ending bond between friendship... I think this is one of the thing that all people from different country have something in common, when it comes to meeting or bonding with friends, there's always food...

Dinuguan

Today, we went to the church with my friends and then dine out to the Filipino Restaurant. And this Dinuguan is one of the pinoy food that we order. We all pig out and went out so full. It's really nice to go out and enjoy pinoy food with friends who also loves the food. The more people with you eating, the more you can eat and more fun...

Chicken Wings

This is the Chicken wings I fried last Wednesday. It turns out great and hubby loves it. All I did was marinate the chicken with soy sauce for about 30 minutes. While marinating, I mixed flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and bread crumbs. After marinating, I heated oil on the pan and fried the chicken wings and that's it... it's good when you served it with hot and chili ketchup.

Typical Filipino Breakfast

This is the typical Filipino breakfast that every houses in the Philippines would cook in the morning. A rice, egg, and dried fish dipped in vinegar with chili. Every Filipino would be happy to have this serve in table. Hum this type of breakfast makes my day wonderful. And of course makes my tummy bloated lol.

Chicken BBQ

This is Filipino Chicken BBQ, it's juicy, flavory and very taste. Indeed, the best BBQ in the whole world... para sa akin lang ok! Oh it's not just for me because hubby also loves it and I am sure other Filipino people would agree as well.

Chicken Barbecue and other kinds of BBQ are very popular and common in the Philippines. Where ever you go at four o’clock in the afternoon and beyond, you can always find barbecue on the street side in Manila. But for me, the best one is the one from our province. The barbecue stand or vendors in our province does not only sell different variation of barbecues but they also have “Chicken Soup” and “Puso”, a rice wrap from coconut leaves in diamond shape. Hummm that’s one of the things I miss in the Philippines.

Ampalaya With Egg and Pork

I had a great brunch today... brunch as in breakfast and lunch...I cook an ampalaya with egg and pork and eat with rice of course. Then had an orange for dessert...

Shrimp Soup w/ Okra

Have you ever tried any kind of "Shrimp Soup"? This one that I make is just a very simple one. I am the type of person who loves to experiment. I just use what ever is available on our kitchen, as if I have a choice? hahaha I can't drive so it's hard for me get anything on the rush. Have to be patient until my driver(hubby) gets home from work before I can't go anywhere I would like to. Akala nyo lfe is easy here in "Tate" especially if you don't know how to drive? then you're all wrong! hahahah

Yummy Food on Hearts Day

This is one of the food we ordered when we dine out on our first year Anniversary and Valentines Date as well. It's called Sizzling Beef with Scallops. It was first time hubby seen the waiter mix the food in front of our table in Chinese Restaurant. Customers closer to our table caught their attentions towards what the waiter did. It was like sizzling sounds with smokes smell so good ummm very yummy to eat with rice.

Buko Juice

This is the buko juice we got in asian market. I really intended to get some because my husband have UTI. And as far as I know, buko juice is good for our kidney just like Cranberry Juice. But sad to say hubby said he don't like buko hahahah. Well not a waste though because I surely love this buko juice. I could drink this every day as many but I only get 5 so I need to get more again once we get to Asian market... don't know when toink...

Fish In Vinegar

A fish cook in vinegar with garlic and ginger is really good tasting and even more delicious with rice. It will make you more than a plate of rice lol, it's true though... Until now, I am just happy my husband eat almost everything I cook... just almost not all...

Pepper Steak

Yummy? Humm it really is. This is what we usually order when hubby and I go to Chinese restaurant. This is his choice and I get something else then just share because one order of this Pepper steak can actually feed two to three person. Plus the other menu I order? gosh sobrang busog na with take home pa heheheh.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 inch thick beef steak, any kind (16-24 oz)2-3 bell peppers, any color
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 hot pepper (depending upon heat desired)
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Wondra (or other flour)
3 tablespoons red wine
1 bouillon cube or teaspoon of beef flavored soup base (optional)
salt or soy sauce (if desired)
pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste

How To:

1. Slice uncooked steak into thin slices across the grain.
2. Prepare vegetables: Core and slice peppers, peel onions and thinly slice, peel garlic. Clean mushrooms and slice.
3. In a skillet, melt butter in oil. Add onions and saute over medium high heat until edges take on light brown color. Add whole garlic cloves and sliced peppers. When garlic cloves have a slightly roasted appearance, mash the garlic into the oil using the tines of a fork. Remove sauteed vegetables to a dish using a slotted spoon when tender, and lightly browned on edges but not soft.
4. Turn heat to high and brown steak; add mushrooms after several minutes. Remove steak to vegetable dish when tender. Add wine, flour, and bouillon, scraping pan to add flavor and color to gravy. Reduce heat to very low and simmer gravy ten minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water or broth if gravy is too thick; add more flour if gravy is too thin after several minutes. Add vegetables and steak to gravy and heat through. Season to taste with salt (or soy sauce), pepper and hot pepper, to taste.
5. Serve as is, or over rice or chow mein noodles, or in sub sandwiches topped with caramelized onions. Season with soy sauce, if desired.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Pork

I called this "Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Pork". Hubby made his favorite Chili so I made this for myself.

Ingredients:

2 Pieces Tomato
1 Piece Cucumber
1/2lbs. Pork
1 Onion
1 Small Slice of Ginger
Soy sauce or Salt
Black Pepper
Lemon

How To:

1. Wash and slice the pork into small rectangular length and set aside.
2. Get a bowl and mix soy sauce, lemon, black pepper and put the pork.
3. Mix it and marinate for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
4. After marinating, fry the pork in the skillet until golden brown.
5. Peel the cucumber, onions and ginger and slice it together the tomatoes and put it on a bowl. Mix it and add some lemon or vinegar, soy sauce or salt.
6. Serve it with rice.

Achara

This is my first time in my life I tried to make Achara. I grew up seeing my mother cook and sale it to our store in the market. But since I don't have my mother with me and I craved for it when I saw a raw papaya in Asian market I decided to grab one. Gosh the papaya I bought has been sitting on the fridge for weeks but glad it's still ok. When I called in the Philippines yesterday, my sister asked me if I made it already and. I checked all my ingredients after we talked and start shredding the papaya and prepared all the things I needed.
Ingredients:

1 Shredded Papaya
2 carrots
3 cups Vinegar
2 Gingers
1 Red bell pepper
1 Green bell pepper
3 Onions
1 tsp Freshly ground pepper
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Salt

How To:

1. On a big deep skillet, boil a vinegar then add sugar, salt, and ginger. After few minutes, add the carrots, onion and let it simmer for at least 3 minutes.

2. Add the shredded papaya and let it simmer again for another few minutes then add the bell pepper. Add Freshly ground pepper, taste it and add sugar if you think it's needed.

Fish in Vinegar

I can't believe my husband like Paksiw hehehe. At first I thought he won't like but he did. He love fish so much and he usually don't care how I cook it as long as there's no salted fish sauce on it hahahah.

Ingredients:

Any kind of fish
Eggplant (optional)
Okra (optional)
Ginger- Sliced
Garlic- Chopped
Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

How To:

1. Wash the fish really good and set aside.
2. In a skillet, combine all the ingredients and bring it to boil until the fish is done.
3. Serve it with rice.

Stir Fry Beef Steak

This is the recipe of yummy stir fry beef steak ideal to eat with rice. Hubby and I enjoy this food so much that would make us go back to rice cooker to scoop for more. Humm

Ingredients:

1 pound sirloin steak
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 (8-ounce) package sliced button mushrooms
2 (5-ounce) packages prepared fresh green beans
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

How To:

1. Firsts, trim excess fat from steak, cut in half, and cut across the grain (or perpendicular to the lines in the meat), into 1/2-inch strips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In heavy skillet, melt butter and olive oil; add the steak strips and stir-fry until brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove meat from skillet with slotted spoon to a plate.

2. To drippings remaining in skillet, add onion and garlic; stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and green beans; stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes longer. In small bowl combine Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, lemon juice, beef broth, and cornstarch. Add to skillet and bring to a simmer.

3. Return meat to skillet; bring back to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes longer, until meat and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.