spicy tuna linguine in mushroom sauce

it's been quite awhile since my last post...i've been so busy with moving into a new home, new place and totally new life for me. it's been a hell of a week but i have finally settled down and got the chance to do what i love...cooking! my friend and i have been out the whole day and when we got home she requested that i make pasta so this is what i did...spicy tuna linguine in creamy oozing goodness mushroom sauce...

Saute minced onions and garlic in butter and olive oil. Add the spicy tuna. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cream of mushroom. Blend well. Add in the minced basil and shredded paramesan cheese. Adjust seasoning. Toss in the pasta. Serve hot.

bistek~beef steak..filipino style!

bistek~is a Filipino slang for beefsteak. an all-time fave among Filipinos served especially in breakfast with garlic rice~super delish...

First, marinate the beef slices (half kilo) with half a cup of soy sauce,10 pcs kalamansi ( lemon or lime) and black peppercors for an hour or longer. Saute onions and garlic (i used 2 heads of garlic). Add the marinated beef. Stir fry for 15 minutes...add a sprinkle of sugar and 1 tbsp of oyster sauce. Cook until tender.

i just loved the citrusy taste of the kalamansi in the beef with a hint of black peppercorns...so Asian...so Filipino!

my bro's grilled pork tenderloin

my brother made this really flavorful grilled pork tenderloin. he marinated the pork in cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground oregano, dried marjoram and dried sage with melted butter for an hour. Grill both sides around 5 minutes on each side depending on the size. served with grilled asparagus and hoisen sauce...paired with a good glass of wine...ahh... so perfect!

lengua de sarsa

i went to the wet market today. i wanted to buy pork belly since i'm craving for kimchi chigae. however, since today is All Soul's Day...a very big holiday here in the Philippines in commemoration of our families, relatives and friends who have passed away. it's a time for gathering of families to visit the graves of our loved ones. naturally, where there is gathering, there is always lots of food...somehow, most of the meat were sold out already...darn it! i got this pig's tongue instead and envisioned something to do with it...

Slice the pig's tongue into bite-size pieces. Saute onions and garlic in canola oil. Stir fry the pig's tongue. Add 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the liver spread. Blend well. Add 1 cup of sarsa (i used Mang Tomas, however, you can still make this dish without it). Add a dash of sugar. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Cook until the meat becomes tender. Garnish with tarragon leaves.

yey...so yummy! my dad super loves it! even the sauce alone would just be enough...really a MUST TRY recipe..*wink*

goat's meat in coconut milk and asparagus

Everytime we have goat's meat, there is only 1 dish that we knew how to make of..that is..Kaldereta. since i wanted to be creative and to go out of the usual..i decided to make this dish...it's something like a curry dish but not really so much of it...

First, wash the goat's meat well. Drain. Squeeze 5 kalamansi (lemon or lime) to get rid of smell. Saute onion, garlic and ginger in canola oil (or just whatever that you have around). Stir fry the goat's meat for 10 minutes till the juices comes out and the flavors of the spices blends in the meat. Add 1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce, season with salt and black peppercorns. Add 1 cup of soda to tenderize the meat. After 30 minutes add the coconut milk..about 3 cups. Simmer for another 30 minutes then add 2 tbsp turmeric. Simmer under medium fire until the meat gets tender. Adjust seasoning. Add the asparagus a minute or two before you turn off the heat.

i loved it! it's spicy with the rich flavor of the coconut milk...just so damn good! and the asparagus?...couldn't have taste better!

yummy spaghetti with bacon and creamy sauce!

ahh..the smell of pasta..the oozing richness of it's sauce...i don't know why but making pastas gets me so excited no matter how simple it is...this pasta is just plain simple spaghetti but i added a different variation to it.

boil the spaghetti in enough water... al dente! heat pan with olive oil and butter. saute onions and garlic, add the ground beef. stir fry for 10 minutes and add the minced bacon, season with salt and pepper. add the all purpose cream. blend well before adding the spaghetti sauce. simmer for another 10 minutes. add a dash of dried thyme and basil. adjust seasoning. serve over hot spaghetti...

this has a really rich and creamy flavor. the combination of beef and bacon is just too fantabulous...and the sauce sooo creamy you don't need to add cheese anymore!!! yummy-licious! i strongly recommend this variation...hope you love it too!

crabs in garlic and peanut butter sauce

it's been quite awhile that i've made a post...i admit i have been lazy and restless these days...and i misplaced my card reader( good excuse, huh?!)...but finally found it last night..so anyway, this dish was made earlier this week. i bought these crabs for just 150.00 with almost 2 kls in all..not bad, right?

i was told that these kind of crabs are female (male crabs are bluish in color)...and it is usually these female crabs have a higher chance of having much fat...(i love crab fat!)...

the usual way of cooking crab in our household is just to put these crabs in a pot with salt and soda...then let it cook in medium fire....so simple. however, i wanted to try something different...so after washing the crabs...i asked my brother to cut in half...

then i heat the pan with olive oil and 4 tbsp of butter. sauteed the minced onions and lots (2 heads) of minced garlic before adding the crabs...toss the whole thing...season with enough salt and pepper...finally add the peanut butter (5 tbsp was good for me)...after 5 minutes..add 1 cup of soda (i used 7-up). simmer until done...

i just loved the peanut butter taste with garlic..delish!!!

Portugese Restaurant in bantayan island, cebu

my friends posing at the beachfront of Marlin Beach Resort while waiting for dinner

i had a light dinner since i did not like the food that we ordered at the resort's restaurant. so after we took a shower, we then head off to explore the nightlife of the island. we rode a trisicad and slowly went by the place...someone suggested Balikbayan's Restaurant. and so we headed to the unfamiliar place, unfortunately the place was packed because of a birthday celebration...even the governor of Cebu was there. so we cruised around until we found Portuguese Restaurant...we asked if they serve pizza and luckily they said they are...we took a table and ordered our pizza and drinks only to find out later on that they ran out of mozarella (oh, brother!) we have no choice since our drinks are already served so we just ordered sandwiches...clubhouse and chicken sandwich

pineapple vodka, pineapple juice, margarita and chicken sandwich
the clubhouse sandwich tastes good especially the filling...but the bread was just so plain and ordinary costs 160.00

this chicken sandwich costs 110.00

my margarita...i have to be honest has a quite strong mix of alcohol...


baked scallop...YUMMY!!! with butter and mozarealla (i thought they ran out of mozarella!)

this costs 150.00...not bad compared to the rest of their menu which is quite expensive

i felt sorry i was not able to take a pic of the restaurant but it's made of a native hut with different flags of the world attached around the walls of the place...they have a buffet dinner with a mix of Europian dishes...it figures a lot of foreigners are dining at that place. well, for a start, the owner is a foreigner...goes to show the name of the restro..Portugese Restaurant...it is side by side with other restaurants as well...just near the resorts. There was a live band in another resort but it was quite far from our place so after we finished everything we head back to our room and called it a day!

a day in bantayan island, cebu

i had an overnight trip to bantayan island, north of cebu. my friend wanted me to come with her to find the seashells she's looking for her wedding. a 3 hour drive from the city to hagnaya wharf in san remegio where you will take an hour trip in a ferry to the island of beautiful white sand beaches...it was a pleasant trip even with the overcrowded ferry with so many passengers at that time. We arrived at Sta Fe port a little past 10 and directly went to the resort i have booked Marlin Beach Resort.

we had lunch at Sta. Fe Beach Club, a place that i frequent to whenever i come to this island. i have tested and proven their dishes...a mix of Filipino, Chinese and Thai cuisine. i super love this place and aside from their dishes they also have a good supply of drinks...cocktails, wine, whisky, vodka and most especially soju (my fave!). it is only in this place of the entire island which offers soju and korean ramen.

this is stuffed pineapple rice with a little meat, mushroom, green peas which cost 140.00, small serving...
chao pa chin...a chinese dish with mixed veges, young corn, mushroom, shrimp, meat and squid...costs 160.00...my fave!
this is stir fry noodles with meat and veges...a Chinese dish that is so Filipino...popularly known as Pansit Canton. my son loves this!!!..at only 155.00

this is my ultimate favorite...Lemon Chicken. Buttered chicken breast fillet with lemon sauce...with a tangy sweet flavor...super yummy. there is never a meal in this restaurant without this dish...costs 175.00

my favorite appetizer...Chinese sausage with century egg...a definite must-try!!!


we had a full lunch...so ready to search and find the sea shells that my friend, cindy, is looking for. i'll blog another post entirely for this place Sta Fe Beach Club on my next visit.

chicken shepherd's pie

this is my very first attempt of making a shepherd's pie...thanks to jenny of picky palate one of the many great food blogs that i admire. i have read several recipes for this dish but it was in her post that made it sound so easy. although i have made several replacements for her ingredients since i want to make use of what's available in my pantry. i'm just so happy with the result...oozing creaminess and deliciousness...you've got to try it!!!

oozing with creaminess...hot from the oven....yummmm goodiness!!!!

Mashed Potato Topping

4 pcs large peeled cubed potatoes

½ stick butter

1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¾ Cup warm milk

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Meat and Vegetable Layer

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

500 gms cubed chicken breast

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 225 gms can green beans, drained

1 225 gms garbanzos, drained

1 415 gms corn kernel, drained

1 250 gms tomato sauce

1 140g chorizo bilbao

1 green and red bell pepper, cubed

1. Place potatoes in a pot with enough water. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until fork-tender. Mash in a blender and add all the remaining ingredients. Set aside.

2. Heat pan with olive oil and saute onions. Stir-fry the chicken breast. Season with salt, pepper and add the chorizo bilbao. Mix the green beans and garbanzos. Cook for 5 minutes before adding the tomato sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Blend in the red and green bell pepper. Lastly the corn kernel. Taste and adjust seasoning according to your preference.

3. Pour chicken mixture in a baking dish. Topped with mashed potaotes and bake for 15-20 minutes.

grilled porkchop with sweet and spicy hollandaise sauce

this has got to be the easiest grilled porkchop i ever made. just marinate the porkchop with kalamansi juice (lemon) and kosher salt. although i tend to be big on marinades mixing different sauces but i remembered my brother suggesting with simply using these two ingredients brings out the natural taste of the pork...so i gave it a shot...he was right!...the simplicity of this dish made me appreciate the true flavor of the pork although i made a quick hollandaise sauce with sweet and spicy ketchup on the sides to give it an extra kick~

menudo

this is again a classic filipino recipe. my mom absolutely love this. there is never an ocassion in our home without this dish...my mom just wouldn't allow it. i guess this dish was influenced by the spanish colonizers in the philippines a decade ago?hmmm i'm not sure when exactly i'm not so good with memorizing history and stuff. Well anyway, spanish regime brings a lot of very good influences in this country. among the many is this menudo which has evolved from a simple stew into this rich and colorful dish that we have today.
my mom specifically marinates the cubed pork in kalamansi juice (lemon juice) and soy sauce for an a hour or so before cooking. and you can really tell the difference when you take a bite there's this citrusy taste in the pork with the sweet and a little bit of tangy flavor from the sauce~a definite must try!

500 gms pork
200 gms pork liver
2 pcs potatoes,cubed
2 pcs carrots, cubed
2 pcs water chestnuts, cubed
raisins
hotdogs
250 gms. tomato sauce
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped

Saute onions and garlic in a saucepan. Add the marinated pork. Stir-fry for 5-10 minutes before adding the liver. Add the pineapple juice. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add all together the rest of the veges. Simmer. Add the tomato sauce, red and green bell pepper, raisins and hotdog. Add the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning according to your taste. Simmer until the sauce has become syrupy in consistency.

fruit salad in creamy mango sauce

Last Sunday was my son's family day in school and we had a potluck lunch. I was assigned to bring in the dessert and since i was informed on a very short noticed, i went over our pantry and decided to go with fruit salad, a dessert that is very common in filipino household whenever we have special occasions. it's very easy to make just toss in any fruits (mangoes, apples, grapes, pears,banana, cherries..you name it!) but popularly we use fruit cocktails found in cans. I also added cheese, raisins and coconut gel. Blend in with the condensed milk and all-purpose cream. however, with this dessert i wanted to make a difference and instead of just adding sliced mangoes (that's very sweet!) i had it mashed in a food processor so i get to have a creamy mango sauce to blend well with the salad. it's so delicious!





what can get better than these creamy and absolutely yummy salad!