Recipes on the web

I sometimes search the internet for some recipes. One such site which is very useful is panlasangpinoy.com. Check it out ... 

noodles with shrimp

Ingredients:

egg noodles (or any kind of noodles)

shrimp (or any meat)

vegetables - carrots, broccoli, cabbage or any leafy VGs etc.

garlic

onions

olive oil

oyster sauce

pepper

soy sauce

chilli powder (if spicy is preferred)

1. boil noodles and set aside

2. saute garlic and onions

3. add shrimp

4. add the hard vegetables (carrots, broccoli etc)

5. add the seasoning

6. add the noodles and soft vegetables (leaves)

Cooking time: 10-15 mins

mango frozen delight

modified recipe a.k.a. mango pavlova, mango torte

you will need:
oatmeal cookies (since no graham crackers here), can also use butter cookies
cream (used whipping cream coz no nestle cream here)
condensed milk
ripe, sweet mangoes (peeled, sliced)
yoghurt (any flavour) - i added this coz cream was not enough!
cinnamon powder

procedure:

1. crush oatmeal cookies until fine, and put a layer on the bottom of baking pan or glass dish; set aside; also keep some for topping later
2. in a bowl, mix cream and condensed milk; put a layer over the cookie layer
3. add a layer of sliced mangoes
4. add a layer of yoghurt
5. add a layer of mangoes
6. add a layer of cream and milk mixture
7. sprinkle top with remaining cookie crumbles and cinnamon powder
8. freeze for at least 12 hours

You can modify this by adding some crushed peanuts or cashew nuts. And adding more layers depending on your supply of ingredients.

yakisoba egg noodles

my first time to use this kind of noodles, which i bought from foodland the other day. it is similar to our fresh pancit but a little more rounded and thicker. i modified the recipe (as usual!)

ingredients:
bacon - cut into small pieces
carrots - cut into strips
enoki mushroom
cabbage - cut into strips
yakisoba egg noodles
garlic
onion
knorr cubes
soy sauce
pepper

1. cook bacon until oil comes out
2. fry garlic and onion using oil from bacon
3. stir together until brown
4. add carrots
5. add mushroom
6. add a bit of water, then the knorr cube, soy sauce, pepper, chilli sauce (optional)
7. boil a bit, then add the noodles, stir to mix
8. add about a cup of water and bring to boil
9. add cabbage, stir to mix, and remove from fire

this will taste better with shrimp and liver...
mix with lemon juice and some chilli powder if desired

Fish dish

A couple of weeks ago while doing our grocery shopping at Foodland, we saw some mullet fish. We call this 'gisaw' in Kinaray-a (banak/talilong in Tagalog). I always associate this fish with simple cooking such as paksiw or pinamarhan ...although here in Thailand we can often order it deep fried with garlic or herbs. So how do we cook this fish at home? It is simple.

1. Put the fish inside a pot (to be used for cooking).
2. Add some vinegar (until half of the volume of fish)
3. Add salt or soy sauce, chopped garlic, sliced onions, pepper
4. Optional: pepper corns, bay leaf
5. Add some water
6. Boil until it is nearly dry. Add some olive oil if preferred.

Kitchen is open again!

More than a week ago my husband and I decided to do our own cooking again. Living in Thailand makes it easy to just go out and eat. It is more convenient, and saves time, money and effort. So we did just that for ages now. But then a couple of weeks ago, while eating lunch bought from the cafeteria, I smelled something from the food we bought. It seemed that the oil used for frying is not a new or fresh one. I could smell it. I wanted to spit the food out. I was eating alone at that time. Later in the afternoon I told my husband about it and we agreed that we better cook our own food. It would take a lot of our 'free time' to go to the supermarket and cook. We have established a routine now. When we arrive from work in the evenings, we would prepare our food for lunch the next day. Just like when we were in the UK. Then the remaining food we keep for dinner. So far we have done this last week, for 5 days. Below are the meals I cooked:

Friday -Stir fried kwangtung leaves and carrots with S&P Italian sausage
Monday - Spaghetti with tuna and mayonnaise
Tuesday - Pork adobo with carrots (dry)
Wednesday - Chicken adobo with brocolli (with sauce)
Thursday - Bitter gourd omelet with corned beef
Friday - Stir fried kwangtung and grilled chicken with black pepper

I took note of them so that I could cook them again. I asked my husband what else he wants to eat and he replied: pinakbet and sinigang. I have never cooked pinakbet the Ilocano way (served in Pinoy parties) but I can find the recipe and try it. I have my own list as well, which includes pesto spaghetti (as per my BFF Lalaine's recipe), sweet and sour fish, & other stir fried menus.

So far we have survived eating our food without heating them by also bringing cup soup so at least there is something hot. Also we have a small bottle of chilli powder with fish flavour to get that spicy taste! It is very appetizing.

Fried noodles

Fried noodles is one of the simplest meals to cook. You just need to mix spices and vegetables then add the noodles.

Ingredients:
garlic
onion
meat (pork or chicken)
shrimp
broccoli
carrots
cabbage
other VGs if available (beans, bean sprouts)
fresh egg noodles (can be any noodles)
seasoning: soy sauce, pepper,
optional seasoning: oyster sauce, sesame oil, chilli sauce or powder
olive oil (or any oil if not health conscious)

Procedures:
1. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil
2. Add meat and stir until brown
3. Add shrimp and stir
4. Add the hard vegetables (except cabbage) and mix well
5. Add some water or stock to boil the vegetables in; sometimes enough water can come out of the VGs but you don't want to overcook
6. Add some seasoning
7. Add the noodles and mix together; let the bit of sauce to boil
8. Reduce fire
9. Add the cabbage and mix properly
10. Taste and add some more seasoning accordingly

Writing reviews

When I was at university there were always assignments related to writing reviews, especially in our English, Humanities and Psychology courses. We were asked to watch stage plays, movies and concerts, listen to music, visit museums and other exhibitions, dine at restaurants, use some products, and then review them accordingly. So now reviewing things and writing about them have become part of our daily lives. Sometimes though we do not have the opportunity to write about them. But things have changed as the internet has opened lots of opportunities to write reviews such as the one offered by LinkFromBlog. If you have a blog and like writing reviews, or want to start writing, and then earn something from it, then why not head on over there and see what it's all about. Cheers!

FTF2: Tofu salad

Tofu salad - this is what I always order when dining at our favorite Japanese restaurant. The sesame seed dressing is delicious. The topping made of dried/smoked fish flakes is also yummy especially with its woody flavor. I think these are the two main things that make this salad very distinct. I haven't tried making this one at home yet. But I guess that it would be quite easy except that one has to be extra careful with the tofu so as not to break it. The veggies in this photo are just the green and red lettuce and tomatoes, sometimes with some romaine lettuce depending on availability.

Join Friday Food Trip Facebook group.

FTF: Spicy Thai Food - Pla Too & Ho Mok

Today is Friday. This marks the first day I am joining Food Trip Friday. To be a member, just post any food photo and talk briefly about it, and then share the link in the FTF website by FickleMinded and in Facebook.

Thai food is well-known all over the world. It is really delicious, spicy or not. For me, having some spicy taste is better. It takes some time to get used to but once you've tasted the spiciness, your tongue will always long for that taste. This photo was taken in one of the roadside restaurants where we stopped for lunch. The fried fish (pla too) always comes with the side dish of steamed and raw vegetables (cucumber, brinjal, cha-um omelet, winged beans, etc.) and the chilli and shrimp paste dip. The one in the lower right is called 'ho mok', which is a mixture of fish (esp. snakehead), vegetables, spices and coconut milk. It is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Similar to bibingka but this is eaten with rice not as a snack. Topped with thin slices of chilli and some green leaves.

Just another stir-fried vg

Ceylon spinach (alogbate)

Shitake mushroom

Fry the chopped garlic

Add the sliced onions

Add some meat if desired. Add pepper powder.

Add the mushrooms

Stir until well mixed. Allow some water to come out
from the mushrooms and cook them in it.

Add the ceylon spinach. Add some oyster sauce.

Stir for a while but not too long. Do not overcook the spinach.