Lechon Kawali

Last week Nelbert and I planned to have a barbecue party on a Sunday afternoon at home, quite a good plan since I still have pork and chicken stocked in the freezer, frozen meat that was neglected for weeks.

In the morning, I marinated the meat so i could have enough time to prepare for the grill in the afternoon, but just after lunch I was caught in an emergency when two of my electric fan went dead, a bad timing since I'll be heating the charcoal in the stove which will add up to the room's temperature that is already near that of a sauna. And I can't let my visitors soak to sweat while eating barbecue. So before the clock strikes 5, I head to SM to buy this 'Ionizer Fan' which i was contemplating to buy 3 weeks ago. Though I told myself before to hold on just a little more, that situation totally forced me to let go. So i bought the fan and went home.

Afternoon's weather went bad, the rain drown up our plan of doing a barbecue party in the yard. So instead of cancelling things, I decided to cook indoors and readied the pork for Lechon Kawali, not that troublesome to prepare and just as good as the pork barbecue.

So here's how to make lechon kawali.

Menu for the day: Lechon Kawali

Ingredients:
1 k pork belly
2 tbsp salt
cloves of garlic
1 tied lemon grass
dash of black pepper
oil for deep fry

Procedure:
1. Put pork, salt, garlic, pepper and lemon grass in a pot with half full of water. Bring to a boil.
2. Wait till meat becomes tender. Drain.
3. Slice meat into serving size.
4. Place cooked pork under the sun to dry up. If there's none, place meat in the freezer until it hardens.
5. Prepare deep frying pan and add a good amount of oil . Bring oil to boiling heat.
6. Place your meat in a pan and prepare to cover with lid.
7. To avoid burned meat, lower your flame just enough to heat the oil.
8. Wait till color is golden brown and turn to the other side.
9. Drain oil and serve. Best served with Mang Tomas or Pinakurat.


Our kawali was paired with hot beef broth bought by Nelbert, just perfect for a cool and rainy evening. Btw our party went quite well, with only three of us to enjoy the good food. =)

Forgot to take actual pics "kay gin gutom na kami". hehe

Ciao!

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Home Made Silvanas

This past few weeks I've been hearing a lot about Silvanas, a hard cream ball sold at Brownies Unlimited. Well that's what i was thinking, but I was wrong, its the Silvanas from Paradise Village they meant and not the one from Brownies. Well, I haven't tasted Paradise's Silvanas yet but will try it soon.

Though I can't remember the taste of the one from Brownies and what it is made of, I made a version of my own Silvanas last night. Got the recipe from a biscuit wrapper when i did my grocery last week.

Dessert for the day: Home Made Silvanas











Ingredients:
.25cup butter
.25cup margarine
.25cup confectioners sugar
.5tsp vanilla
800g cashew nuts, chopped
1pack biscuits

Procedure:
1. Whip butter and margarine til smooth and creamy.
2. Add sugar, cashew and vanilla.
3. Fill a small amount of cream between 2 biscuits like a sandwich.
4. Make 2layers of sandwich.
5. Cover all sides with cream.
6. Sprinkle small amount of crushed graham on the cover.
7. Chill. Cover should be hard before serving.


What i used in this recipe is Grahams Chocolate but i didn't like the hardness of its biscuit when chilled. I plan on buying Marie biscuit for a substitute, for a little softness on every bite.











Tips: You could add chopped chocolate on your cream for additional sweetness and excitement.

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Pinoy Fried Rice (Binagoongan Rice)

Since we love eating and we love food, we try different restos every time we have the budget. One of our favorite place is Krua Thai. For a budget of P130 you could already have a nice meal of binagoongan rice and 2 chicken pandan. No one would think that you only spent a small amount in that expensive resto.

But its not everyday we got the time to eat outside, we could always eat nice foods at home just by using what we have in the kitchen. One time, i made a binagoongan rice from my left over rice, eggs and spicy bagoong, and instead of ham which i quite a bit costly, i used canned meat loaf. Ingredient are not that complete but still, you got what you crave for.

Food for the day: Binagoongan Rice











Ingredients:
3pcs eggs
1tsp salt
1tsp oyster sauce
5clove garlic, chopped
1cup ham, cubed
1pc green mango, julienned
1sachet aji-ginisa mix
.5cup sweet bagoong
3stalks green onions, sliced
1K cooked rice (good for 15)

Procedure:
1. Make scrambled eggs, slice into cubes. Set aside.
2. Heat oil, add chopped garlic, wait til golden brown.
3. Add sliced ham and oyster sauce.





















3. Add salt, aji-ginisa mix and bagoong.
4. Add cooked rice. Mix.
5. Add julienned mangoes and eggs. Mix.
6. Put rice in platter, garnish with chopped green onions.
Serve hot.













Very easy?? You bet.

Just like any fried rice, it is best served in the morning with "bulad" and hot coffee. =)

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White Sauce Spaghetti

Hello guys, 'Kaon Ta...' is back! After months of silence (due to lots of work, December diet and holiday budget constraints), I'm now back with some recipes for you. Yep, I miss cooking. I miss bringing food in the office and i miss eating a lot. =)

"Sunod na problemahon ang diet if duol na ang summer", hehe!

Our 1st recipe for this month/year is the White Sauce Spaghetti. I know you love eating this one but it's always best that you are armed with something to prepare when situation calls for "feel good" food.


Food for the day: White Sauce Spaghetti

Ingredients:


Red Sauce:
1k Spaghetti Pasta
.5k Ground Beef [para ka eat si Aisah =)]
4can Spaghetti Meat Sauce
1head Garlic, chopped
1pc Onion, chopped
2pc Red and Green Bell Pepper, chopped
Black Pepper
Soy Sauce
Salt

White Sauce:
50g Butter
5clove Garlic, chopped
1can Evaporated Milk
1bar Quick Melt Cheese, grated
1can Mushroom, sliced
1box Nestle Cream
dash of Basil Leaves


Procedure:

Pasta:
1. Cook pasta as per package direction. Have it al dente.


Red Sauce.
2. Saute garlic and onions.
3. Add ground beef.
4. Season with salt, pepper and soy sauce.
5. Add spaghetti meat sauce.
6. Fill empty can of meat sauce with water to remove remaining content, pour mixture in the pot. Mix. Bring to a boil.
7. Repeat procedure 6 until sauce thickens.
Hint: Sauce that looks light and flows like water is still uncooked.
8. If sauce is already thick, season with salt and pepper to taste


9. Mix red sauce with pasta.

White Sauce:
10. Melt butter in a pan.
1.. Add chopped garlic.
12. Add evaporated milk. Bring to a boil.
13. Add grated cheese, let it melt.
14. Add sliced mushroom.


15. Add Nestle cream. Continue stirring so cream won't stick at the bottom.

16. Wait till cream thickens then turn off fire.
Hint: Try to pour a teaspoon of white sauce on top of your spaghetti, if it dries/thickens like white paste, then your white sauce is already cooked.

17. Dash with basil leaves for nice aroma.


Word for the day: 'Al dente - Of pasta cooked so as to be firm when eaten'

Very easy. Right? Kamo nasad buhat. Okiez! =)

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Buko-Pandan Float

I went to the grocery last weekend and bought 2 boxes of nestle cream with a plan to make buko-pandan pie for the validation guys. While looking for my ingredients i was surprised to see that there's a new variety of Nestle cream out in the market, its the Buko and Strawberry flavored Nestle Cream. Good timing. No need for me to look for buko flavor since the cream already has its own, so i took another 2 boxes, neglecting Strawberry since i'm not a fan of it, head down to the baking section, took all the remaining ingredients and went home. When i was about to start with my buko-pandan pie, i remembered that i don't have a circle pan for a pie! Got no more butter in the ref, bought crackers instead of crushed graham and the most unfortunate of all, i forgot to buy buko shreds! Very nice. How can it be a buko-pandan pie without the real buko? So i drop the idea.

The next day, while i was walking home along Humay-humay street, a bahay-kubo near our house (which i haven't noticed before) sells exactly what i need. A buko. But this time, instead of making a pie I decided to do a buko-pandan float even without a recipe to follow, i know its not that difficult since i'm just making a little twist with the usual float and I'm quite positive that whatever fruits and flavors you mix with your cream it'll still taste good.

Dessert of the Day: Buko-Pandan Float

Ingredients:
2 box of Buko-flavored Nestle cream
1 can condense milk
2 pcs buko, meat shredded
buko-pandan coloring/flavoring

Procedure:
1. Combine nestle cream and condense milk in a bowl, add few drops of coloring and mix. Cream should be color light green. Set aside cream.
2. Arrange graham crackers in the bottom of the pan and spread a portion of your cream on top.
3. Cover cream with buko shreds. The more the merrier.
3. Repeat procedure 2-3 till all cream and buko are used.
4. Chill and serve.


I've been craving for sweets lately that's why i made 2 floats in a row but when it comes to sweet tooth, nothing can beat Ian. =).


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Choco Magnifico

Got the recipe of this in one of the food labels at the grocery, I did this before and its good, tastes like Coffee Mocha ice cream. Don't have a camera that time that's why i haven't taken its pic, just remembered to post its recipe because of an experimented buko-pandan float that i did few days ago.

Dessert of the Day: "Choco Magnifico"

Ingredients:
2 box Nestle Cream
1 can condense milk
1 tbsp - Nescafe Classic diluted in hot water
1 pack Graham crackers
few pieces of Oreo cookies - cracked into bits
chocolate shavings or choco bits

Procedure:
1. Combine Nestle cream and condense milk in a bowl. Add your diluted coffee then mix. Set aside the cream mixture.
2. Arrange first layer of graham crackers at the bottom of the pan, cover it with a portion of your cream and layer Oreo cookies and choco-wafer sticks on top.
3. Repeat procedure 2 and 3 until all cream are used.
4. Cover last layer of cream with chocolate shavings or bits.
5. Chill before serving.


I'm thinking i'll do this again, hopefully next week (kung naa pko kwarta). =)

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"Fish Inun-unan/Pinamalhan"

I went home this weekend to join Masskara Festival in Bacolod. Did a lot of activities in just 4 days, from morning jog at the lagoon, malling, baby sitting, cooking, baking and street partying. It was very tiring yet I enjoyed every moment of it. I still have a hang-over right now, still tired and sleepy of my last nights trip.

Over the weekend i baked carrot and chocolate cake for Papa's post birthday celebration, though it was baked for his birthday he was not allowed to eat sweets for sugar prevention (too bad). Aside from the cakes i also prepared "inun-unan/pinamalhan" and pochero, this time i did not forget to take pics of pochero but on the chocolate cake i did, it was all gone when i was about to take the pic. I was really planning to cook rice binagoongan and calamaris that day but since my allergy is back, change of plan. Maybe this weekend i'll try.

Menu for the Day: "Fish Inun-unan/Pinamalhan"

Ingredients:
1/2 k fish
1 cup native vinegar
1 head of garlic, crushed
2 pc onion, sliced
1 pc ginger, sliced

Procedure:
Add all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil. If you want it real sour, add vinegar, if not, add a little amount of water. Let it cook for about 20 minutes or until your vinegar seeps in.



My weekend carrot cake

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