Chicken & Spinach Pasta

Chicken and spinach are two of my favorite ingredients.  After weeks of contemplating, I finally came up with this recipe using most of my favorite ingredients.  I call it the Chicken & Spinach Pasta.

Basically, its just spaghetti noodles, pan-fried chicken breast, spinach and bechamel sauce or cream.

Cook pasta according to package instructions, or in my case I cook my pasta for 10 minutes and I make sure its al dente.  

Pan-fry chicken breast that is just seasoned with salt, pepper and a little kalamansi juice.  On that same pan add more olive oil and saute the spinach.  You have a choice to either add prepared bechamel sauce or all purpose cream. 

For bechamel sauce you will need flour, butter and milk and some chicken stock or pasta water.

If you prefer to use cream, saute some chopped onions in butter before adding spinach, then add the cream.  Add pasta water or chicken stock to achieve your preferred consistency.

Once sauce is cooked, toss pasta and top with sliced chicken breast and some parmesan cheese.

More chicken and pasta recipes coming soon...

Facts about Spinach:

Spinach is rich in antioxidants.  

A great source of vitamin A, C, E. K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron, Vitamin B_{2 and} B_6,  calcium, potassium, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

You can also try spinach with your omelet, a perfect nutritious breakfast idea!

My very first Pancit Canton

It was only last April 2013 when I was finally able to cook my very first pancit dish! Voila! My very first Pancit Canton!

Pancit Canton is actually my dad's favorite pancit.  During his birthday he would ask my mom to cook Pancit Canton.  He doesn't like the dry, stir-fried one, he prefers the  saucy pancit canton complete with all the other garnish like squidballs, kikiam, shrimps, snow peas, cabbage, carrots, etc.

I found this 20-peso 200gram pancit canton on the grocery and had the urge to try to cook it.  Luckily, I was successful in making my very first Pancit Canton.  Thanks to Google for the recipe. :-) 

According to my husband, it tasted like the usual Pancit Canton served on carinderias and eateries and also those served on birthday parties. So that means its not so bad after all and it passed his standards. Well, good for me.

Next on my pancit list, I'd like to try making Lomi.  Hmmm... Let's see.

Places to find Cheap Patio Furniture

There are quite a number of places where you can find cheap patio furniture than you can imagine.  All you need is a lot of patience, a dash of creativity, some hunting and haggling skills, some cash, a stylist buddy to help you decide and some really comfy shoes then you are good to go.

Cheap patio furniture sets are mostly available on end-of-season or off-season sales.  That is if you want brand new and can afford the latest trends.  If you’re simply looking for a good find there are a few suggestions that I can make on where you can scout for any furniture.

First on the list, try to look for a garage or yard sale.  You might be lucky enough to find a nice set of cheap outdoor patio furniture from one of your moving neighbor.  You can then try to get it at its cheapest cost, just wait for the perfect timing and make that offer.  Most outdoor furniture sold on yard sales are still in good condition.  You can always refurbish them anyway.  It won’t cost you that much to buy some spray paint and fabric.

Next, go flea market bargain-hunting.  I’d say visiting flea markets are fun.  I enjoy looking at special and one-of-a-kind pieces on flea markets.  If you are the creative, artistic type, you may find the perfect but cheap wicker patio furniture you’ve always dreamt of on a bargain.  Most flea markets are held every month or annually on the same location. 

I have an additional tip for furniture bargain hunters, either you come early or come late.  If you come early, you get the best pieces at its best prices.  On the other hand, if you come late to a garage or yard sale, you may be guaranteed the lowest prices, especially if it’s their last day.  You are sure to get the price that you ask for and they’ll surely give it to you.

Our next destination for buying cheap furniture is the antique shop.  Antique and thrift shops sell cheap, classic, old but collectible pieces you can consider for your patio or backyard. 

Also try visiting those places selling architectural salvage.  You’ll never know if you can find furniture pieces there that you can repurpose and remodel.  Sometimes these places also offer repairs, you just need to make arrangements with them on what you want done and how you want it.

You can also consider looking for good second hand furniture online.  There are sites like eBay that sell good seconds.  If you are the kind of person who likes staying at home or has no time to shop, shopping online whether for brand new or good seconds is the thing for you.  Online shops also offer free shipping depending on your arrangements.

Oftentimes shopping for cheap furniture at yard sales and thrift shops would still require you to make some repairs on the pieces that you’ve purchased. Slightly used furniture often has scratches that need to be repaired which makes your patio furniture cheap.  Doing a little handyman job won’t hurt and you are sure to save a lot of money by simply doing the repairs yourself.

Image from: 

https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=De-H4wObvJo0DM&tbnid=esOhv3WK6fRGAM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mysimpleparadise.com%2F2010_04_01_archive.html&ei=Lc62UdrFL82IiQfF94GADQ&psig=AFQjCNG99sKDbS6FnZvwB4xvCgXq7J4DDQ&ust=1371021229963099

This article is written on June 6, 2013 by Melissa B. Valdespina

Fried Dumplings & Gyoza (Chicken)

It has long been a tradition in our household to prepare something to eat when expecting visitors or friends.  A good conversation is made even better when sharing it with a cup of coffee, some cake or just about anything to eat.
Last month I got reunited with two lovely childhood friends that I haven't seen in almost, I'd say, a decade.  I got a message that they'll coming over so I immediately thought of a dish to prepare.  Good thing I have some wanton wrappers, ground chicken, cabbage and carrot in the fridge. I decided to make some Gyoza.
Gyoza is a Japanese-style dumpling, originally a Chinese dish that have become very popular across Japan.
Unfortunately, because I was too preoccupied and excited while cooking, I overcooked the Gyoza, turning it into Fried Dumplings.

Anyway, my friends came and brought me chocolate cake. They both enjoyed the Fried Dumplings while we were chatting and catching up with many stories that happened in our lives.

The following week, still dissatisfied from not being able to make Gyoza the right way, I made some again.
This time it was almost, but not quite perfect.  I was able to make 20 pieces.  I cooked 13 pieces for merienda that Friday afternoon as my husband was arriving from Palawan.  I also whipped up some sweet-style hotdog spaghetti.  I ate 3 pieces of Gyoza. Surprisingly, my "not-so-hungry husband" ate all remaining 10 pieces of Gyoza, side by side the spaghetti.

Then, I remembered I promised my youngest sister I'd make her some Gyoza.  This time my Gyoza, I might say was perfectly cooked!  It took me three try's just to perfect the technique.

But what really is the technique? Simple.  Just slightly brown the flat side using very little oil. Next, turn it over to the pleated side and add about 5 tablespoons of water, lower heat  and let the water reduce until completely dry.  Do not let the dumplings fry again.  It shall look a little brown on one side and moist and soft on the other.

More recipes and chicken dishes soon...

Snow peas, Chicken & Carrot Stir-fry

Last night's dinner was Snow peas, Chicken & Carrot Stir-fry.  I just made a trip to the grocery in the morning so I got all my veggies on hand.  I was lucky to find a good bargain.  I bought the following:

• snow peas for Php 8.50
• carrots for Php 7.05
• onions for Php 11.63
• 1/2 kilo of chicken breast for Php 101.40.

This dish has it all--protein, carbohydrates,vitamins, minerals, etc.  Also, it takes only about ten minutes to cook this dish.

Snow peas, Chicken & Carrot Stir-fry with Quail Eggs

Here are the ingredients for Snow peas, Chicken & Carrot Stir-fry:

• garlic, minced
• onion, sliced
• snow peas
• carrots, julliened
• 2 pcs. chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• quail eggs, boiled and peeled
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce or "patis"
• a little butter

Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes in:

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• a dash of pepper

In a wok or non-stick pan:
1.  Heat oil.  Saute garlic & onion.  Add marinated chicken and cook thoroughly.
2.  Next add carrots and snow peas.  Add the marinating sauce.
3.  Add the quail eggs and a little butter and mix well.  Cook for a few minutes.  Serve with hot rice. Enjoy.

This is one way to enjoy veggies and chicken.  You can also try it with noodles.

More dishes coming! :-)

Grocery Geek

Yesterday was one of my favorite days, it's grocery day! I would call myself a "Grocery Geek" because I enjoy going to the grocery and discovering new products that are available there.  I also enjoy going to the wet market or "palengke" , but its been quite a while since we last made a trip there.

With a budget of eight hundred pesos, we were able to purchase the following:

• chicken wings
• chicken breast
• ground chicken
• 2 pcs pork steak
• 1/4 kilo sukiyaki cut pork
• 1 pc boneless bangus
• 2 pcs chicken balls
• 2 pcs pork tonkatsu
• onions
• cabbage
• potatoes
• kalamansi
• carrots
• snow peas
• broccolli
• red bell pepper
• sayote
• kalabasa
• cooking oil
• Gardenia white bread

grocery receipt
TOTAL Php 797.65

Of course we brought with us our own "blue bag", our eco bag, since plastic bags are no longer allowed in the City of Bacoor.

Our refrigerator will surely bring back the smile in its "face" now that the groceries and supplies have been replenished.  Our pantry will again be a "Happy Pantry".  As for me, I will have more reasons to cook up something special for dinner since I have all my supplies ready ans waiting to be cooked. :-)

This girl loves mangoes!

Eversince I was little, I have been in love with this yellow sometimes green, sweet sometimes sour, half-moon shaped tropical fruit called the mango.  I remember the Indian Mango tree up in Indang, Cavite where we'd spend our weekends hanging out picking fresh fruits from the trees that are abundant there.  My dad also use to bring us to his kumpare's farmhouse in Trece Martires.  There we'd enjoy our choice of fruits, grilled "tilapia" for lunch while playing with our Barbie dolls in a small nipa hut.  The air was fresh and nibbling on green mangoes and "bagoong" was my favorite past time.

Green and ripe mangoes

As I grew older, I still continued to love this fruit.  I couldn't imagine how many kilos of mangoes I've already consumed in my 32 years of existence.

sliced mangga at bagoong at asin

For a couple of years when I got diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, I stopped eating mangoes.  My mom believed that it sort of triggers my stomachache so I stopped eating mangoes for a while.  As I got better and learned to manage this illness, little by little, I was able to eat sour and citrus fruits again.  I started eating mangoes again!

Every now and then I would go to the market to buy green mangoes and "bagoong".  Sometimes I would ask my husband to buy some for me.  On occasions when we visit places where there is a mango tree, I ask for permission from the owner if we can get some from the tree.  Like on one of our visits in my husband's aunt.  They have a big "Apple Mango" tree in their backyard.  So we immediately asked for permission, looked for the "panungkit" and enjoyed picking mangoes from the tree.

my husband with the "panungkit"

I'd also say that we Filipinos are lucky because we have the best mangoes in the world.  I have yet to try the mangoes of Zambales, they say its the best there is.

huge apple mangoes

My love for mangoes will never falter. As long as I can, I'm gonna eat 'em!

I LOVE MANGOES!

Chicken & Bacon Rollups for Christmas

For Christmas Eve, I chose to cook this dish for the first time, Chicken & Bacon Rollups.  Sounds easy, but it took me a while to finish this dish.  But the results are quite impressive because everybody loved it.

Chicken & Bacon Rollups

I saw this recipe from Pinterest and did my version of it with the ingredients that are affordable and available in the grocery.  Also instead of cooking it for 8 hours as the original recipe stated, I cooked it for 45 minutes instead. That is minus the preparation and searing of the meat.

So here's the recipe for the Chicken & Bacon Rollups:

10 bacon slices
10 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
garlic, crushed
onions, diced
1 pack Knorr Cream of Mushroom Soup, yes soup!
1 pack Alaska Crema
1 small can button mushrooms, pieces and stems
salt and pepper to taste
water

1.  Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Wrap bacon around the chicken breasts.
2.  Put oil on a pan and sear the bacon & chicken roll until slightly brown.  Set aside.

seared chicken & bacon 

3.  On the same pan, saute garlic, onions and mushrooms.
4.  Meanwhile, dissolve the Cream of Mushroom soup in 1 cup of water.  Add to the pan and let simmer. Stir occassionally.
5.  Add Alaska Crema and mix well.
6.  Transfer the mixture to a bigger caserole.  Put the chicken & bacon rolls and make sure that it is fully immersed in the sauce.  Add a little water.
7.  Let it cook for 45 minutes.  Serve and enjoy while hot.

Leftover sauce from this dish can also be used as pasta sauce.  Just cook up some ham and pasta and toss everything with the sauce in a pan!

ham & leftover sauce pasta

the cook

The first time I cooked Kalderetang Baka for my husband

Beef is one of my husband's favorites.  His most favorite is the Nilagang Baka or the Bulalo.  I was surprised when he requested me to cook Kalderetang Baka for the New Year.  So I did, for the first time!

Kalderetang Baka

I can say that I'm an expert at cooking chicken dishes.  Beef? Well, it needs hard work and the help of a pressure cooker!

For this dish, I decided to cook the beef in the pressure cooker first for 30 minutes before actually cooking the Calderetang Baka.

Kaldereta is cooked!

I also have two secret ingredients for this dish.  This I learned from my dad.  My dad used to cook Caldereta when I was younger.  So I copied his secret ingredient--cheese and liver spread.

Now here's what I used to magically cook up this sumptuous dish...

garlic, crushed
onions, chopped
1 kilo of beef short ribs
1 small can of liver spread
potatoes, cut into chunks and fried
carrots, cut into chunks
bellpeppers, sliced
laurel leaf
1 pouch Del Monte Gourmet Spaghetti Sauce Tomato & Cheese
2 tablespoons Tomato paste
grated cheese, half

Procedure:
1.  Cook the beef in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes.
2.  Saute garlic, onion & beef until slightly brown.  Add liver spread, stir then add the beef broth about 1-2 cups and simmer until tender.
3.  Add Del Monte Gourmet Spaghetti Sauce Tomato & Cheese, potatoes, carrots, laurel leaf, salt & pepper to taste.  Cook for 15 minutes.
4.  Add bellpeppers and cheese and continue cooking for another 45 minutes or until the beef is really tender.
5.  Serve with hot rice and soda! Enjoy!

Not only did my husband like it, he loved it and told me to save a lot for him.

Big Smile

We brought my Calderetang Baka to our New Year's Eve dinner at my parents house.  They all loved it.  My sisters loved it.  Mochi loved it too.  My mom placed some sauce on Mochi's dog food and he immediately finished it!

Mochi our little boy Yorky

Seven Wooden Spoons

My Seven Wooden Spoons

Cooking and eating has become my favorite past time ever since I became a housewife.  Before, I love collecting shoes and clothes but now  things have changed.  Everytime we go to the department store, I now go to the home and kitchen section.  I buy pots, plates, mugs, glasses, utensils, basically stuff for the kitchen.  Little did I know that I already have seven wooden spoons, yes, seven!

My seven wooden spoons are not assigned by the day, even if there are seven days.  I use them depending on my mood and need.  I also have my favorite.  Would you like to make a guess?

L-R      (1)        (2)           (3)        (4)           (5)      (6)          (7)

My favorite is the second from the left.  Isn't it obvious from the looks of it?

my favorite

My husband's favorite is the third.  He uses it to make pancakes. Yes, makes pancakes!

my husband's favorite

I first bought a wooden spoon in Divisoria for ten pesos.  I bought one coz I need it for my non-stick pan. That's the first one from the left.

my first wooden spoon

Now, this is my mom's favorite.  She uses it everytime she comes over to cook for us.  This is also my second favorite wooden spoon.

my mom's favorite

The newest addition to my collection--the eco-friendly, bamboo wooden spoon that I bought for only twenty pesos.

my new favorite--eco-friendly, bamboo

Honestly, I haven't used these two.  Not that I don't like them, its just that I haven't felt the need for them.  Eventually I'll be using them too.

never been used

also never been used

These wooden spoons are like my armory when I'm cooking.  They help me flip my pancakes, stir my sauces, check my steaks and cook up a sumptuous meal everyday.

Afritadang Manok with a twist!

I always cook Chicken with Tomato Sauce.  Something always seems to be missing.  This time, as I was trying to imitate a version that I once tasted I decided to put a twist to my "Afritadang Manok"

Afritadang Manok with a Twist

Before my version seemed boring and lacking with flavor.  After several times of trying this dish out I finally came out with what my husband and I believe to be my best version.
I never thought two secret ingredients (which I'm gonna reveal later) can be very helpful.

Now let's start by enumerating the ingredients:

1/2 kilo chicken wings
chopped onions
minced garlic
1 small pack of Del Monte Tomato Sauce
fried potatoes
carrots (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
patis or fish sauce
1 tablespoon grated cheese
1 tablespoon pickle relish

grated cheese

pickle relish

So there goes my two secret ingredients--grated cheese and pickle relish.  Believe me, you must try adding this to your Aftritada.

How to cook:
1.  Saute onions first then garlic. Add chicken and cook until slightly browned.  Pour some patis or fish sauce.
2.  Let it cook for about 5 minutes before adding the tomato sauce.  Add tomato sauce and cook for another 10 minutes.  Add some water.
3.  Add fried potatoes.  Mix well.  Then add the grated cheese and pickle relish. Mix well again.
4.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let cook for several more minutes or until the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency.
5. Serve and enjoy with steaming hot rice.

Sweet Wings for my Sweet

I love buffalo wings but I can't stand its spicy flavor.  My mouth often feels like burning after eating 'em.  So last Friday night, the idea of making Sweet Wings dawned into me.  I had the chicken wings thawed early and seasoned it with fish sauce or "patis".

I then started mixing my marinate.  In a bowl combine the following:

• 2 tablespoons tomato catsup
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce

By the way, I am using 8 pcs. of chicken wings for this recipe.  You see, I'm an expert at cooking dishes for two.

Marinate the chicken for about 30 minutes. Do not throw away the mixture.

Once you are ready to cook, fry the chicken wings until caramelization occurs in its skin and it is well-cooked.

Gently pour the marinate over to the pan.  If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch with half a cup of water to create a slurry.  Cook the sauce until it thickens.  

Best if served with fried rice and soda!

My Sweet Wings

Fried Rice

Tip for the Fried Rice:
Use the same pan you used in cooking the chicken and capture all the flavors left on the pan.  Just add a little oil.

Ginataang Sitaw, Kalabasa at Manok

This was last Thursday's dinner--Ginataang Sitaw, Kalabasa at Manok.

I've learned to loved this dish.
I never thought that I'd be cooking it often.
My husband loves it too.

Here's the recipe for Ginataang Sitaw, Kalabasa at Manok:

1/4 kilo chicken wings or breast fillet

1/4 of a whole Kalabasa or squash

Sitaw or string beans

chopped onions

minced garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1 pack Knorr Ginataang Gulay Mix Sitaw at Kalabasa or 1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water

How to cook:

1. Saute onions and garlic.  Add the chicken, cook until slightly brown.
2. Add the kalabasa or squash and let cook for about 10-15 mins.
3. Before adding the sitaw or string beans, get a few pieces of cooked squash and mash it.
4. Dissolve 1 pack of Knorr Ginataang Gulay Mix in 1 cup of water before adding to the dish.  Lower heat.
5. Put the mashed squash back to the casserole and mix evenly.  Let it simmer for another 10 minutes of until everything is well-cooked and incorporated.

Best if served with hot rice and fried fish!

Made a Dress from Old Shirts

Last September, I went into a flare-up for a while so I had to rest and stay in bed.  Feeling so bored and looking for something to do, I checked out our closet an found a couple of old but not-so-used shirts.

I decided to make a project--a dress.

• First item is my black baby tee from year 2004. 
• Next is my oversized (for me) company shirt, also black.  
• Last is my husband's really old ash gray T-shirt with a hole on one armpit.

I grabbed my sewing kit, scissors, ruler, measuring tape and started with my project.

Procedure:
1. I cut the sleeves of my black baby tee to make it sleeveless.

2. Using the black T-shirt, I measured 5 inches from the bottom of the shirt. Cut another one measuring 5 1/2 inches.  Do the same procedure for the gray T-shirt.

3. Sew the 4 pieces of cloth alternately putting the gray on top, black next, gray again and black at the bottom.
4. After sewing the pieces together, measure about 26 inches of garter for the waistline.  Insert the garter on the top part which is gray.  Make sure the measurements of the waistline and the baby tee are the same, for you will sew them together afterwards.
5. Sew the top part (baby tee) and the bottom part (T-shirt cutouts) together.  You now have a new dress from old shirts!
TIP: Ask a tailor to sew the edges of the dress for you. Thanks to Tito Man for sewing the edges! :-)

I plan to do another dress from my old clothes.  I still have to find some materials to put together to make a new one.

My Favorite Lunch

When I'm alone for lunch and I don't feel like cooking up something special, I eat Fried Chicken Breasts with my choice of dip.

Fried Chicken Breasts with potatoes

My dips include tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, Mang Tomas, suka at bawang and toyo kalamansi.  I sometimes fry some potatoes to complete my meal.

Don't get me wrong, this may be very simple but I can have it everyday for lunch.

Chicken Marinate:
Patis at kalamansi

On some days, I eat fish.  One of my favorites is the "Hasa-hasa" fish.  I also marinate it before frying.  I use rock salt and kalamansi.

Fried Hasa-hasa

The other day, my husband requested if he could eat pork.  So we bought pork belly or "liempo" at the grocery.  He preferred it fried also with a vinegar and garlic dip.  As usual I had fried chicken breasts that day.

Fried Liempo & Chicken Breasts

Cooking Tip: Before frying your Liempo, boil it in little water and 1 tbsp. of vinegar for about 5-10 minutes. Makes it more tender and tasty.