I COOK: Fruit Roll Ups

It’s a holiday in the Philippines today, we celebrate the birthday anniversary of one of our nation’s heroes: Andres Bonifacio.  Staying in with the family, I decided to make some merienda.  Something easy and budget-friendly.  I present to you:  fruit roll ups.  Enjoy, and happy weekend everyone!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp white sugar
Fruit cocktail: combination of pineapple bits, apples, banana, etc.
2 pc eggs, beaten
18 pcs medium lumpia wrappers
2 cups Japanese breadcrumbs

PROCEDURE:

1. Mix together cream cheese and sugar.
2. Fold in the fruit bits. Set aside.
3. Wrap every tbsp of cream-fruit mixture in lumpia wrapper. Then seal edges with beaten eggs. After that, dip in eggs and roll in breadcrumbs to coat all sides.
4. Deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels .

NUMBER OF SERVINGS: Makes 6 servings

Happy eating! x

I EAT: Banana-Brownie Cake

Nothing beats home-prepared desserts.  What did you have after dinner tonight?

I COOK: (Leftover) Siomai Stir-fry.

Every late afternoon, a siomai vendor walks in my street and I swear, he has the best dumplings ever!  I’ve tasted a lot of siomai, and I am pretty sure this is the best I I have tasted (well so far).  I can finish 10 pieces in one seating.  That’s how beastie I am when it comes to siomai.

Which directs me to the food I cooked for dinner tonight.  Now, I feel really proud of this, because for the first time (for an amateur like me) I have cooked something that’s not from my food magazine, or recipe books.  I don’t have a particular name for it, for now, I am just gonna call it Siomai Stir-fry.  Sounds normal, eh?  I basically used some leftover siomai as additional ingredient in my simple recipe.  Make sure to have enough steamy rice handy, because this one’s really really good.

Here are the ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ yellow onion, diced
Siomai
1 1/2 tbsp butter
Long green beans
Carrots
Lucky Me Nam Nam fine seasoning

For the sauce:
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine the ingredients for the sauce and mix well. 

Then heat the butter in a wok over moderate heat and cook the garlic and onions. Turn the heat on high and toss in the leftover siomai. Give a quick stir, mix in long green beans and carrots, Lucky Me Nam Nam seasoning. Stir some more then add in the sauce.

Serve warm with steamed rice. Quick and easy!  Happy eating.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Last weekend, and for the first time ever, my family decided to put up a Christmas tree at home.  We have a 4 year old boy who’s very excited about the whole Christmas thing, and most about Santa who will be leaving him some goodies if he remain nice at home, and in school.  It will be a beautiful holiday, as always.  I can already feel the Christmas air, especially in the evening when it’s chilly and calm.  Have you guys started Christmas-decorating yet?

Oh December, I love you….

I COOK: Thai Basil Chicken

Just before you attack me with some professional cooking comments, I just want to make it clear that I am just a regular food lover who happens to now and then have the energy to head to the kitchen and cook something from my recipe book, or magazines.  That’s me.  I am very amateur in all food-sense, so please be gentle, okay?  :)  I won’t even go ahead and list ingredients here and there, instructions 1, 2, 3, because well, main reason why I write this and have this category “I COOK” is to simply showcase you something I made, which for an amateur like me is already a source of pride.  Especially if the people I cook for loves what I made, it really brings pleasure.

I know I still need to learn more: cooking techniques, ingredients familiarization, measuring, etc.  I tend to shy away from meat right now because I am not very confident with it yet, on when it is really done and ready to eat- it’s one aspect I really have to learn more.  But as they say, experience teaches you best so I guess I just have to keep cooking and cooking and then eventually will find answers along the way.  For now, enjoy my Thai basil chicken (without the chilis because of my GERD issues).  It’s so easy to make that tomorrow, I am thinking of substituting the chicken meat with tuna and just because I wanna try it, remove the corn starch and the basil leaves with green string beans.  Let’s see how it goes.

Until then, happy eating…

D.

I EAT: Tuscano Italian Wood Oven Pizza

This is rather old entry, since I have been slacking lately for a decent post.  I have been really busy lately and I can’t find a decent time to sit down and have a long love affair with my computer.  If I am not out hustling, I am mostly home busy cooking and spending time with my little boy (who’s doing really well at school I am happy).

The meal started with some bread and some Italian coolers.

Tuscano Italian Wood Oven Pizza, or simply Tuscano, is located in my favorite area in Metro Manila:  Fort Bonifacio.  I swear, I really have to find that rich man and I have to hypnotize him, into buying a condo unit in the vicinity.  Ha!  I feel so at home whenever I am there, and last Friday, I had to pick up a cute lamp I ordered online in the same area, and then tried the peppermint mocha frappuccino over at Starbucks, Fully Booked.

Anchovy aglio olio pasta.  I was not impressed with this one.  It was too salty for my taste.

The cheesy bacon and beef pizza was just so so.  I ended up taking home leftovers as my Aunt did not even finish her share.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10.  I actually find the place quite nice, and cozy- but they have to elevate their food if they want more customers to go back.  They have promos every now and then so check out their Facebook page to keep updated.

Tuscano
GF-3 The Fort Residences 30th St.cor. Padre Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global, 1105 Taguig
478-750

Weekly Photo Challenge: THANKFUL

Always thankful for the gift of travel.

I SHOP: Human Nature (Recommended)

I am in love with Human Nature.  I have to admit I was skeptical at first as I rarely do online shopping from Philippine-based websites but when I eventually tried theirs, it was love at first “SUBMIT ORDER”.

Here is a list on why I am instantly addicted to Human Nature:

1.  Their website is very easy to navigate- there’s not a lot of complicated clicks here and there and ordering is very straightforward.

2.  They offer Paypal for payments, which is a big plus point for me.

3.  Orders arrive very fast.  I ordered Thursday afternoon and my package arrived Friday.  A big plus point for me.

4.  And the main qualifier for me: they have good-quality products.  I only ordered their soap and hand sanitizers so far but I already made a list of next items I will have to buy from them.  I am really hooked!

5.  And one more thing, good customer service.  I really love Human Nature.

Have to add, their products are really affordable too.

I ordered these:

First order: 100% Natural Cleansing Bar (P59.75) and All Natural Spray Sanitizer in Juicy Burst (P64.75)  The soap didn’t have a strong smell to it, and it cleans my body really well.  The Juicy Burst sanitizer on the other hand had a mix of orange-apple smell to it.  Not too strong, just the right amount of scent.

I ordered the Juicy Burst Spray Sanitizer on my first shopping, so on my second visit to their site, I bought more sanitizer, this time the All Natural Spray Sanitizer in Citrus Burst (P64.75).  Now this one has a stronger scent but I actually really really like it.  I now prefer it over the Juicy Burst.  Really good.

And more soap.

More shopping to come!  Go get your own Human Nature fix HERE.

Bathroom Art #2: Kitchen’s Best Home Patisserie, Fort Bonifacio