Mama's Favorite: Oyster Cake 蚵仔煎

Mama used to bring us to this restaurant (forgot the name) that served good oyster cake and coffee float with black jelly (yes, Starbucks isn't the first) somewhere in Chinatown. I didn't know back then, that it's her favorite dish. O-A-Chian, in fukkian language or Oyster Cake is a Chinese dish from Fujian, an Omelette dish with small oyster. 

Ingredients: bean sprouts, carrots, spring onions, garlic, camote flour, eggs, water (konti lang) and of course, oyster (sorry can't give the exact measurement, tansta-tansta lang ako, hehe)

Preheat the pan, add about 1-2 tbsp oil, even though I used a nonstick pan.  Dissolved the camote flour with water, add the rest of the ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour the batter into the pan, cooked in low-medium heat.  Until golden brown. 

 I tried to flip it unfortunately it only flipped half-way. 

Served it with chili sauce or hot sauce and ketchup. 

my Tuna Paella Filled and Grilled Squid

There was this time I left alone at home and nothing to do. Tamad kumain and tamad din maglinis. Wala akong ginawa kundi manood ng TV. And I always end up watching cooking episodes especially in QTV (we don't have cable TV at home).  One of the recipe caught my attention is Sarap at home's San Marino Tuna Paella Stuffed and Grilled Squid. You can view the details at http://www.wmn.ph/article/1591/tuna-paella-filled-and-grilled-squid.

My own San Marino Tuna Paella Filled and Grilled Squid. Went to the grocery and bought everything I need.  I followed the recipe, well, not exactly, I added some chopped garlic and onions. And, instead of lemon, I used calamansi. I didn't threw the fats from the squid.. dagdag flavor sa paella.

                        

Tonight's Dessert: Apple Mango to-Crumble

Achi loves cooking apple, peach, mango with sugar and water (it's like fresh fruit cocktail but not from a can)... earlier I smelled her cooking some apple and mango, she also put some cinnamon that makes me loved the aroma. But I'm kinda sawa na.. hehe.  For a change, I thought, why not apple crumble... or maybe I just love my flower design baking pan makes me loved to bake!! haha!!

My Apple and Mango CRUMBLE:

First, I don't know how to make an apple crumble. I saw Ahya makes one but di ko siya pinanonood.... Although I know the basic principle of making one. hmmm.. So I google-ed just to be sure. (have I tell anyone that I'm so happy of our technology!!).  So I looked for my left over butter from my blueberry cheesecake. Mixed flour and crushed graham. blended it all until it looks like breadcrumbs. topped it on the apple-mango mixture. Baked for 10 mins. Let it cool.

 Thus,

MY Apple-Mango to-Crumble. Some people loved this when chilled. but I like mine hot. Sadly, I don't have vanilla ice cream to topped.

Tonight's dinner: DIY Tortilla

I bought a frozen tortilla in a grocery the other day.. thinking of california maki twister of KFC.  so, why not DIY tortilla for dinner. 

Tonight's Dinner.  

Stripped some cucumber. prepared some lettuce. stripped green pepper. saute some stripped beef with little soy sauce, sugar, and worcestershire (you can also painit some left over foods in your fridge). sliced onion. riped mango. mayonaise, pepper, some cream for the sauce. wasabi (for my california maki twist). Heat the frozen tortilla in a non-stick pan (sprinkled little flour para maiwasan dumikit sa pan) Served everything on the table... and Do-It-Yourself Tortilla!! 

Ang masaya dito ay kahit paiba-iba ng ang ipalaman mo sa tortilla pwede. Be creative to satisfy your own taste!!  Tortilla is originated in Mexico but tonight's Tortilla is mixed asian or mixed of everything.  Thus, one thing I loved about cooking is you can experiment and experiment!! 

Something Fishy..

I'm supposed to blog this earlier but instead I blogged about my depression about the world. Hehe...

Anyway, few days ago, while having this mixed emotions I decided to step in to my kitchen. Being in the kitchen gives me freedom and happiness. Doesn't matter if i cook or bake, its like painting expressing what's your heart truly desires. My heart truly desires.... the smell of baked fish. I took fish fillet out of the fridge and looked for lemon and cheese.  It wasn't like my chef's (ahya) cheesy baked fish but it was good.

Fish fillet rubbed with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Baked till half cooked.

Topped with cheese, added some ground pepper and dried thyme herbs. Baked for few minutes.

I learned this cooking when I was in HS. My mom taught me this recipe when she left me alone at home. Back then, I felt that I made something special. As in wow!! When she came home, I told her how good it was. The thought that I made it my own made me more happy as a child. Remembering this made my dish more delicious.

The next day, I tried to cook beef broccoli.  Tried? because its feels like I made chopseuy without the seafoods.. I have few beef sukiyaki cut in the freezer, bought broccoli and some dried mushroom the other day. I found carrots and tofu in the fridge. Cut some radish too and veggie mushroom balls (don't have squid balls). When every ingredients in the pan, I discovered I don't have oyster sauce, so I used vegetarian stir-fry sauce...

Fried tofu first!

HomeCooked: Make your own TACOS

I'm very excited about our overnight stay to Casa Ibiza this coming Saturday.. and been dreaming about the Mexican Style resort in Antipolo. Which influenced me on what to have tonight's dinner, Tacos and sweet corn.  What's so good about preparing this dish was having my siblings do some shredding/cutting; preparing and cooking together!!

TACO

• Hard Shell Tacos
• White Onion, Sliced
• Cheese, Shredded
• Cabbage, Shredded
• Fresh Tomatoes, Sliced

    Sauce

• Ground Beef
• Red onion, Minced
• Garlic, Minced
• Spaghetti Sauce

In a heat pan, Saute garlic and onion. Add ground Beef, simmer until the beef cooked. Add Spaghetti Sauce, let it boiled. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Served with other ingredients.

HomeCooked: (Lotsa'f tomatoes in the fridge)

"Lots of Tomatoes in the fridge".. ang status ko kanina sa FB. Comment ni ahya, gawin salsa. Parang marami ata para sa salsa lang. Kaya i cooked kinamatis na baboy. Simple recipe para sa isang may simpleng buhay na tulad ko.

Kinamatis na Baboy

What we need: Tomatoes, Garlic, and Pork
What to do: Slice tomatoes, tanggalin ang mga buto (seeds). Slice into strips ang Pork. Minced ang bawang. Igisa ang bawang sa maiinit na mantika. tapos ilagay ang baboy. lagyan ng konting patis (fish sauce) at paminta. kapag half cook na ang baboy tsaka ilagay ang kamatis. Simmer hanggang sa lumambot na o soggy ang kamatis at baboy. Salt and Pepper to taste. Pwede nang ihanda sa hapag-kainan.

Simple lang di ba?   para naman sa Salsa na suggest ni Ahya. Gumawa ako ng Tomato-Mango Salsa.

Combine: Tomatoes (nalinisan na, natanggal ang mga buto), ripe mango, slice in strips, mince onion and garlic, and sili (siling espada lang meron sa ref). Lagyan ng mga 1 teaspoon na vinegar/sukang puti at paminta. Chilled


Viola!! may Tomato-Mango Salsa na! Saktong sakto, masarap ipartner sa pritong bangus bukas ng umaga!

Let's eat!!

HomeCooked: Peanut Butter Ampalaya

Ampalaya (bow)!

Ampalaya o Bitter Melon, sa salitnag Ingles, ay hindi gusto nang iba dahil sobrang pait nitong lasa. Sabi ng ilan nakakabuti daw ito sa mga taong may sakit na diabetes. nakakatulong daw ito magpababa ng blood sugar level ng tao.

Hindi alam ng ilan ito ang paborito kong gulay.  Ang recipe na ito ay itinuro ng isang kaibigan na vegetarian. may kontiii lang akong binago.

My Favorite, Ampalaya w/ Peanut Butter Sauce

Ingrediets:

      Ampalaya

      Dried Mushroom, washed and soaked in hot water

      Garlic, Chopped

      Peanut Butter, any brand

Cut the ampalaya in medium size, hwag tanggalin ang buto. Set aside, ang iba hinuhugasan ito sa tubig na may asin para ma-lessen un pait. but i like mine naturally bitter.

Cut the mushroom in strips. marinate it with soy sauce (of course, silver swan kami, haha) and konting brown sugar.

Heat oil (konti lang). Saute marinated mushroom until dry. Set aside.

Saute garlic until brown then put amplaya. Until cooked (para medyo crispy). Add water if necessary. When cooked reduce heat of the stove then add peanut butter. salt and pepper to taste...

Serve in plate, topped with our mushrooms.

Viola!!

mas masarap ang pagkain kung may kasalo. Kain tayo!!

HomeCooked: Sauteed Prawns

Simple recipe for my simple life.

I always admire moms who can cook. Especially, my gwama and my mom.  I remember na tuwing may family reunion niluluto 'to ni gwama. So my mom taught this simple recipe to me when I was in grade school. I never thought it was this simple back then.

Sauteed Prawns


Saute ginger (love the aroma of ginger, kaya marami akong nilagay) in hot oil. Add the prawns. Instead of using ordinary water, use 7-up or Sprite soda. Simmer until prawns are cooked.

For the sauce; Combine cane vinegar, half teaspoon of seasoning, and chopped garlic. Viola!!
Happy Eating!!






"He who eats alone chokes alone."
Arab Proverb, H. L. Mencken