a cool idea for summer: frozen mint tea

Summers here in the Philippines are scalding, so surviving one means having to think of clever ways to beat the heat.  Frozen mint tea is one of the smartest ideas ever.

Mint has a sweet taste that delivers a cooling sensation, and it's real nice when it's ice-cold.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

1. Make mint tea.
   (Boil water, pour over fresh mint leaves; cover for 3 minutes, strain.)
   
   
2. Freeze.
   
   
3. Stick in blender for a refreshing drink.

Sometimes I like to turn it into a sorbet of sorts.  I don't have an ice cream maker, so I have to do things the creative way:

1. Make mint tea.  Pour into a container with a cover.
   
   
2. Add sugar.  Maybe milk too, and/ or a tiny bit of citrus.
   
   
3. Cover and place in freezer.  Break it up with a spoon every 30 minutes or so to keep it from completely solidifying.

It's a really divine treat for a scorching afternoon. Mint tea cools and refreshes, and it also relaxes, so it's perfect for when you're winding down in the evening.  It aids sleep, lifts your mood, clears the sinuses and promotes healthier skin, too.

no-bake blueberry cheesecake

I haven't made this in a while, and I thought of making a batch as a housewarming gift of sorts .  No-bake cheesecake is one of the easiest desserts to assemble; I learned it when I was a teenager. I love sharing this trick with cheesecake-loving friends, because it's so amazingly simple.



You Will Need:

• butter, softened
• graham crackers
• cream cheese
• blueberry preserves

Here's How You Make It:

1. Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs.  The easy, mess-free way to do this is to place them in a resealable bag and roll a rolling pin over, but any which way will do.
   
   How much crumbs do you need?  It depends on how big you want it to be, or how thick/ thin you want your crust.  I normally use a little less than a cup of crumbs for a 9-inch pie pan.
   
2. In a bowl, combine crumbs and butter.  Add about a pat of butter at a time so you can control the consistency.  Your goal is a putty-like consistency, moldable like clay, but a bit crumblier.
   
3. Place the crumbs-and-butter mixture onto your pie pan and spread it until it covers the entire base of the pan.  This will be your crust.  I personally prefer a thin crust, about one-fourth thick, but hey, it's your cake.  Press it down with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
   
4. Soften your cream cheese.  It would be nice to have an electric mixer, but a bowl-and-wooden-spoon works fine too.  Like it much sweeter? You can stir in some sugar or all-purpose cream.
   
5. Lay the cream cheese right over your pie crust.  Stick it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
   
6. Slather blueberry preserves (or any other fruit jam you like) over the layer of cream cheese.  voila!
   

Get Creative! 

• Don't like blueberries?  Make it a cherry cheesecake! Or a strawberry one.
• Make your own fruit jam for topping: Combine one part each of canned or fresh fruit, sugar and water; bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer until gooey. 
• You can even use this trick to make an Oreo cheesecake.  Just use Oreos instead of Graham Crackers - be sure to scrape off the filling first.  Take the filling and some more crumbs, and mix it all into the cream cheese layer.  Top with crushed cookies.

making sinigang from scratch - with santol ^_^

When cooking, I try as much as possible not to use those "artificial flavor enhancers" that happen to be outrageously high in sodium.  I only resort to them when I'm in a hurry, or when there's a particular flavor that I have a hard time capturing - like the mouth-watering asim of sinigang.

One of my goals this year is to experience cooking different kinds of sinigang from scratch, using the various natural sour ingredients, or "pampa-asim". That means no short-cuts, no flavor packets, no MSG. The easiest natural "pampa-asim" to use is fresh calamansi juice, and I've even tried using lemon juice when I visited my mom in the 'States.  I have yet to experience making traditional sampaloc broth - I have it scheduled for the week after next.

My latest triumph has been sinigang sa santol from scratch.  I hardly see santol fruits these days, and I was quite happy that someone gave me a bunch.  After snacking on a fruit or two, I decided what to do with the remainder:  Use the santol for sinigang.

Santol broth is quite easy to make:

1.  Peel the fruit, discard the peel. Cut the fruit into wedges, careful not to break the seeds (any broken seeds must be removed).  Use 1 fruit for every 2 cups of water.

2.  Place in a pot and cover with water.  Boil for 30 to 45 minutes.

3.  Remove the santol wedges using a slotted spoon. Discard the seeds and mash the flesh.  Put the mashed santol back into the broth; cover and simmer for 3-3 minutes.


Ta-dah! Santo lbroth from scratch!  No need for those high-sodium flavor powders.  It's all natural and  sooooooo divinely flavorful.



To make the rest of the sinigang:

1.  Boil cubes of pork in the broth until sufficiently cooked.  Don't forget to add a bit of salt.

2.  In a separate pot, boil slices of gabi (taro root) until soft.  Remove from water and add to the broth when cooked.

3.  Add 2-3 banana-peppers.

4.  Meanwhile, boil more water in another pot.  When boiling, dunk kangkong and slices of eggplant and okra.  Add the veggies to your stew just before you remove it from the heat.

5.  Season, and serve hot.

no-cook fruity oatmeal

Here's a clever way to enjoy oatmeal - without any cooking required.  This really works for me, since there are so many things to do at the start of the day, and I really appreciate a nutritious breakfast that spares me the unnecessary hassle. All I have to do is prepare it the night before and refrigerate it so I can eat it in the morning.

"Why opt for this when there are instant flavored oatmeal packets available from the supermarket?,"  you might ask.  Good question.  My answer is that those instant thingies are often loaded with sugar and preservatives, and they have much less nutrition than good old classic oats.  Furthermore, their oat bits are near-pulverized, so they don't provide the same satisfying texture.  More importantly, no brand carries the delicious flavor of fresh, succulent, Philippine mango - which is waaaay different from what imported products try to pass as "mango".


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup fruit juice or milk
• slices of fresh or dried fruit  of your choice

Optional:

• a little bit of cinnamon, honey or brown sugar, or whichever sweetener you prefer
• whichever nuts or seeds you like
• 6 tbsps plain yogurt.

Procedure:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix together.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

That's it! No cooking required - soaking the oatmeal in milk or juice will make it nice and soft by breakfast time.  In the morning, you could stick it in the microwave for a minute or two if you want it hot; but it's nice as a cold treat too, especially on scalding summer days.

Suggestions:

• Apple-cinnamon oatmeal:  apple juice + bits of apple + a pinch of cinnamon + a pinch of brown sugar
• Mangoes and cream:  milk + mango slices.
• Banana-walnut:  slices of banana + milk + honey or brown sugar + crushed walnuts
• Honey-almond:  almond milk + honey + slices of almond
• If you're watching your weight, pass on the sugar and dried fruits (which often have a lot of sugar).  You could ditch dairy milk for almond milk (or your preferred substitute), or choose all-natural fruit juice with no added sugar.  

lazy summer spag

The basil plants in our garden usually dry out during the summer, but they're flourishing this year - the Hubby discovered that basil plants actually love sunlight, and they simply have to be watered well in the dry-hot season.  So now, summer means more basil. 

Summer also means bigger, brighter mangoes and tomatoes.

And hazy, lazy days when I'd like to spend as less time in cramped kitchen as possible.

I hate the heat and the suffocating humidity and the fact that we can't afford to have 24/7 air-conditioning, but  I'm thinking my happy thawts now.  I do love basil and tomatoes and mangoes (trying to stay positive here ... it's so hot and dizzying).


lazy summer spag for lazy summer days

Ingredients:
Olive oil
Garlic, one half small head or 2-3 large cloves, minced
Onion, one whole, large, chopped
Tomato, 2 large, diced
Fresh basil leaves, a whole lot, chopped
Dried rosemary, 1 tbsp
Olives, sliced, about a fourth to half of a cup
Parmesan cheese, as much as you like
Spaghetti noodles, whole grain is nice, about 2 fistfuls

Optional:
Tuna flakes, 1 can
1 ripe mango, cut into cubes
A dash of black pepper


Procedure:

1. Cook noodles as directed on package.  Drain and set aside.
2. Swirl garlic and onions in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  When the onions are slightly transparent, add tomato and rosemary and swirl further until tomatoes soften. 
3. Smile.  
4. Add the tuna flakes.  Or not, if you'd rather go vegetarian. Remove from heat.  
5. Stir in cooked noodles, cheese, pepper, olives and basil (and mango, if you like).  Toss to coat.  

Makes 2-4 servings.
Nothing fancy, but The Hubby and the Sister swear it's good.
Nice with a tall glass of ice-cold cucumber shake.
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how to make peppermint bark

Cheers to a brilliant, easy, Christmassy gift idea that doubles as a dessert!    I've never tried making (or  eating) peppermint bark before, but I've recently become acquainted with it and I reckon it's a common holiday treat.  I learned this recipe from a girl named Allie, whom I've had the privilege of meeting during my short stay in Vegas.  

You Will Need:

8 oz semisweet chocolate
8 oz white chocolate
Candy canes or peppermint candy


How To Make Peppermint Bark:

STEP 1: Crush the candy canes (or peppermint candy).  Make about 1/3 cup of crushed candy, then set this aside.

Note:  The finer the candy bits are, the less they will stick to the chocolate later on, so you'd want to make the pieces rather coarse, not pulverized.  About the size of rice grains.  We used a kitchen knife today, but I think using a mortar-and-pestle is a smarter option.


STEP 2:  Melt the brown chocolate using a double boiler.  If you don't have a double boiler, improvise with two saucepans:  boil water in one saucepan, and put another pan on top of that one.  Place the chocolate in the top pan.  The steam from the bottom pan will rise to the top pan, melting the chocolate nicely.

It's important to use this double-boiling method so as not to scald the chocolate.  Burnt chocolate = gross = not good.

(Uh ...  I'm really no good at photo-documentation because I get distracted so easi... oh look, a teddy bear!  I'm so sorry I wasn't able to take shots of the other steps. *sheepish grin*  )


STEP 3:  Pour the melted chocolate in a cake pan. Spread with a spatula to make a nice, even first layer.

The size of the pan you use would depend on how thick you want your peppermint bark to be.  We wanted ours to be real thin, so we used a 10x12 pan to make quarter-inch-thick pieces.  A smaller pan of course will yield thicker layers.  A rectangular or square pan is ideal, but I suppose a round one will do if you're not the type of person to obsess over even-sized pieces.


STEP 4:  Stick the pan into the freezer until the chocolate hardens.

STEP 5:  Melt the white chocolate this time.  Pour the molten white chocolate over the hardened brown chocolate layer - and similarly, spread to make it even.  Let cool.

STEP 6:  Before the white chocolate hardens, sprinkle the crushed candy canes over it.  Let this sit in the freezer awhile to let it solidify completely.

STEP 7:  Slice into neat, even-sized 2-inch squares.

Okay, fine.  It isn't so easy to slice them neatly.  Irregular, uneven pieces are an excellent idea too.  You can tell your friends later that this adds character.  :)


Yields:6 to 8 regular servings, or
2 candy-lover servings


Prep time:1 hour (it depends on your freezer's capabilities, actually)

Serving Suggestions:

I think peppermint bark is pretty straightforward, but I imagine it would look good with green jellybean garnish and / or those edible sparkly thingies.
Several pieces in a clear candy bag tied with Christmassy ribbons would make nice giveaways.

* All photos in this entry are mine.
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tita haydee's kare-kare recipe

I'm so glad I learned something new yesterday. My wonderful new friend Tita Haydee taught me how to make kare-kare . She's not really my tita.  She's just a few years older than I am, but I call her "tita" because she's a friend of my mom's.

I always thought of kare-kare as an ultra-challenging dish to prepare, but Mrs. H showed me how to do it the easy way.  Since she's quite health conscious too, she gave me a few tips to make it "safer" for human consumption.


Ingredients: 

Beef, cut into cubes
Oxtail
String beans
Pechay
Eggplant
Kalabasa
One large onion
Garlic, 4 cloves
Achuete powder, 3-4 tbsps or one packet
Reduced fat peanut butter, 2 cups or 1 jar


You'll also need:
At least 2 large cooking pots
Strainer
Slotted soon


Procedure:

1.  Wash beef and oxtail  thoroughly under running water.

2. Place the beef in a pot, with enough water to cover it completely.  When it comes to a boil, remove from heat, drain and wash off the excess fat.  Repeat once more.

3.  Boil beef again until soft.  This may take 2-4 hours on the stovetop, or 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.

4.  Meanwhile, chop vegetables into bite-sized chunks.  Set aside.

5.  Take pot #2 and boil water.  Dunk vegetables briefly in boiling water to rinse out any impurities.  Set veggies aside and throw away the water.

6.  Boil the eggplant until tender.  Do the same with the kalabasa.  Set aside.

7.  Boil about 2 cups of water.  Stir in 2 cups of reduced fat peanut butter (or one whole jar) until melted.  It has to be reduced  fat peanut butter because  most other kinds tend to produce globs of oil. Pour this into a bowl and set aside.

8.  Sautee onions and garlic in oil in pot #2.  Stir in the achuete.  Pour in the molten peanut butter and stir until smooth.

9.  Check the meat pot now.  When the meat is completely tender, gradually stir in the peanut butter sauce, about a cupful at a time.

10.  Add the vegetables, put heat on low and let simmer for 2 minutes.  No too long because you want the veggies to be crunchy.

tarragon love

The tiny patch of tarragon in our herb garden has been flourishing this year (whee!).  It's one of the herbs I am least familiar with, so I spent some time getting acquainted with it. 

Image not mine.  Nicked from this site.

my top three uses for tarragon:

1. For making a nice cup of calming tea

Tarragon tea is said to detoxify and reduce anxiety.  I've found that it's a perfect pre-bedtime drink; if I had a cup or two while watching television at night, I'd have an easier time falling asleep.

Procedure:
Pour a cup of boiling water over a teaspoon of fresh tarragon leaves (or half a tsp if dried, or two if frozen).  Cover and let stand for two minutes. And don't add sugar.  ^_^

It's nice as a cold beverage too:  Let cool, add cold water and ice. Add a drop of vanilla extract or honey if you want it sweeter.

2.  For not-so-plain rice

Procedure:
Drop a sprig or two of tarragon into the rice cooker before the rice boils.  When cooked, remove the leaves, mix and serve. That simple!  In effect, you would be cooking the rice in herbal tea instead of plain water, making the rice absorb the flavor.  Tarragon adds a mild fragrance and sweetness to rice, makes for a good companion to meats (like lechon manok), esp. spicy meats. 

This process can be done with almost any herb actually - mint and chamomile are excellent rice-spicers, me thinks.


3.  For adding a kick to mango shake

To reap the benefits of fresh fruit shake, it should have little or no sugar (not refined sugar at least).  Herbs like mint or pandan have long been used to add sweetness to beverages, but tarragon is a good choice too.

I.m.ho., the flavors of mango and tarragon complement each other. 

Procedure:
Make fruit shake the usual way, but this time, add tarragon instead of sugar.

And another one of my favorite uses for tarragon:

My rabbit Davey loves it.  He gets excited when he gets a whiff of freshly-picked tarragon.  It's a healthy bunny-treat, besides.
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this week's new like: prosciutto e melone

My godfather gifted us with a huge slab of prosciutto (Italian ham), and I've been loving it this week.  Coincidentally, the night before I encountered that pretty parcel of pork, I found an article on CNNGo that lists it as one of the World's 50 Most Delicious Foods. 

I Googled for recipes, and I learned that one of the best ways to enjoy it is sliced paper-thin and wrapped around wedges of melon.

Images not mine.  Taken from the web.

Or any shape of melon, I guess. But it seems laying them side-by-side on a plate is acceptable too:

Photo not mine.

I had to shoo away my ham-related fears (such as the possibility of salmonella, and the scare of fat settling in my hips forever).  This prosciutto e melone looks so intiguing, it's something I just have  to try. Luckily there was a whole honeydew in our fruit basket.

I have neither the tools nor the skill to cut ham neatly, so I just sliced it as thin as I could with the best knife I found in the kitchen (MENTAL NOTE: Buy fillet knife or other appropriate appliance).  The clumsy bits of ham I came up with weren't large enough for wrapping around, so I just opted for the "lay them side-by-side on a plate" method. 

You must forgive me for not taking any photos; I don't think I did a very presentable presentation - it was good for eating but not really for photoblogging.

Besides, I was too excited to eat everything, so I once again failed to take a decent photo before gobbling it all up.  (Burp)   I must say it was heavenly - the subtle saltiness of the ham and the sweetness of the melon compliment each other.  It makes an excellent light dinner. 

But the ham alone is delish - it's silky and moist, it kinda reminds me of sushi.  It's totally deserving of that slot in the 50 World's Best list.
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holiday-leftover sandwiches

What I both love and hate the most about post-holiday season are the leftover food.  I hate it because I don't enjoy eating tira-tira.  But I love it because Christmas food is often of the special-sumptuous variety (why, why, why is holiday ham available only in the holidays?) , and as long as I keep things refrigerated, I wouldn't have to cook for a few days.  :p

Leftovers don't have to go to waste, but they don't have to look like leftovers either.  I like to pile some of the holiday ham and holiday cheese onto wheat bread and pretend I'm eating gourmet sandwiches.


pear, cheese and ham

I got the idea from Cameron of  Modern Family.  I was marathon-ing that sitcom yesterday, and in one of the episodes Uncle Cam said his favorite was PB&J - pear, brie and jambon. We don't have any brie around, but we do have a medium-sized queso de bola.

Most Pinoys have a habit of buying at least a dozen kinds of fruits for New Year (the superstitious believe it's for good luck, but I think most people just want something to snack on), so you will probably have a pear or two around the house.  Apple would be good too.

You will need a few slices of:

• Pear (or apple)
• Queso de bola
• Christmas ham

Optional:
Lettuce
Mayo or jam

chicken salad samwich

Lechon manok is a Pinoy go-to ulam. Chances are, someone brought a variation of roast chicken to one of the gatherings you attended, and then put some of it aside in a Tupperware for you to take home.  If  you've gotten sick of chicken, chicken and more chicken, turn it into a sandwich.

You will need:

• Shredded chicken
• Celery, finely chopped
• Mayo
• Salt and Pepper

Combine ingredients and spread on bread.


tomato, cheese and basil

You will need:

• Cheese (I personally prefer cream cheese or cottage, or kesong puti on pandesal, but since we're consuming the leftover cheese in our crisper, I'd have to go with queso de bola again).
• Fresh basil leaves
• Tomatoes (not the tart, native variety; sweet fat salad tomatoes are best)

red wine spaghetti meat sauce

I'm so not a fan of sweet, Filipino style spaghetti (the kind with hotdogs, sugar and cheddar cheese - blech!  >_< ).  I like it tangy and rich and thick - not the usual children's party fare.

Just last weekend I made a batch of red wine meat sauce for a family Christmas party, and I was so gladdened when others said they liked it.  The special, flavor-enhancing ingredient is the red wine.  Here's how I made it:


Ingredients

Photo not mine

• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 to 5 large plum tomatoes
• basil leaves (preferably fresh and finely chopped, but dried and pulverized works too)
• two 200g packs of tomato sauce
• half a kilo of ground beef
• 1 cup of red wine

Optional

• a can of sliced mushrooms 
• sliced black olives
• beef cubes or beef stock for flavor
• oregano 
• rosemary
• pepper, to taste

Procedure

• Sautee the onions ang garlic.  I prefer to do the onions first because they take longer.  Once the onions turn transparent, fry the ground beef.  Set aside.
• Boil the tomatoes until soft.  Remove from heat and mash them with a fork.
• Over heat, combine the cooked ground beef-and-onions, smashed tomatoes and tomato sauce.  This would be the time to add your beef cubes.  If you want mushrooms and olives in your sauce, you can add them at this point.  Stir constantly to avoid burning the beef.
• Sprinkle the basil (and if you wish, oregano and rosemary) and pour in the red wine.  Lower the heat, cover and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Serve over spaghetti noodles and top with more basil and Parmesan cheese. 
  Makes 4-6 servings
  
  

Variations

• Meat-lover: 
  Throw in some meatballs.
  
• Heart-healthy: 
  Instead of ground beef, use tuna flakes.  Use no oil, just water.  Mix in one cup of oatmeal into the tomato sauce. Don't add any beef cubes or flavorings.
  * Oatmeal and garlic help to lower cholesterol, red wine has antioxidants, tuna has omega-3 and tomato sauce has lycopene - all heart-friendly.
  
• No Parmesan cheese? 
  Don't use cheddar!  (I beseech thee! Please!) Instead, use Edam - that's the kind of cheese in Queso de Bola (marami tayo niyan 'pag Disyembre!). Local cheddar is too sweet, and i.m.h.o. ruins the flavor.

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(improvised) tomato-pesto soup

I'm a fan of tomato - tomato soup, tomato juice, sun-dried tomatoes.  <3<3<3  There's a tomato-pesto soup I enjoyed at this Mediterranean restaurant, and I told myself I could figure out how to make something like it.   Now I'm not at all a great cook and most of my recipes are formed by improvisation an estimation, so you might not want to trust me completely with this one. ;)   I just know I like how it turned out.

 Not an amazing photo, but it brightens up the entry, more or less.  :p 

 

Ingredients

• Chicken stock (or chicken cubes)
• Tomato paste
• Various vegetables, diced
• Carrot
• Potato
• Celery
• Zucchini
• Onion
• Red beans or lentils
• Tomato
• Pesto sauce - you can find my recipe for pesto here
• Chicken flakes - you can use the leftover chicken from last night's dinner.

Procedure

1. Boil the veggies and beans until soft - not mushy, but just sufficiently soft as to be edible.  Of course it shouldn't take a genius to know that harder ingredients like beans and carrots take much longer.  Set aside.
2. Combine water and chicken stock / chicken cubes, stir in the tomato paste and bring to a boil.  You would like to put enough tomato paste to make it slightly opaque (not transparent).
3. Throw in the veggies and chicken flakes.  Cover and simmer.
4. Serve in bowls.  Swirl each bowlful with a teaspoon or two of pesto.
5. Top with black pepper, additional olive oil or cream if desired.  You can float a few pieces of penne (like I did), potato chips or a sprig of parsley or basil.

tarragon tea

I noticed how the row of tarragon in my dad's garden has been looking lively lately, and I got tickled by the thought doing something with the fragrant herb.  I don't know much about tarragon and what sort of dishes call for it; I do remember sipping a cup of tarragon tea at Sonya's in Tagaytay some time ago.

Tarragon is slightly sweet, and I imagine it would go nicely with mangoes. My rabbits love eating it.
To my nostrils, a whole bunch of it smells slightly of Mighty Bond superglue, but not at all in an offensive way.

It is said to have relaxing and stress-relieving properties.  I decided to test that by making myself some tea before bedtime.

Image mine.

* Since tarragon is on the sweet side, there's no need for sugar. But if you need a bit more sweetening, I suggest you use honey - it goes nicely with the flavor.  Besides, it makes sense not to use sugar if your intent for drinking is relaxation.

I've always been the type to have trouble sleeping at night (sleeping in the daytime however, often proves to be much easier) and it looks like the tea is already working its power on me.  Either that or the Heroes marathon the Hubby and I did today lulled me to ennui.

baked potato soup

Last Sunday, the Hubby and I had lunch with his side of the family; we went to this resto with fabulous baked potato soup. It was so freaking yummy that within the first spoonful I decided to try to replicate it at home. I Googled various baked potato soup recipes to get a general idea, and then for lunch today I made attempt number one.

I'm happy to say that attempt number one turned out to be really good soup, and I'm proud enough to share my improvised recipe here.


Baked Potato Soup

You will need:

• 2 large potatoes, diced (or around 2 1/2 cup or diced potato)
• 2 cups water
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (around 1/4 cup)
• 2 small cloves of garlic (or one large one), crushed
• 1 cup evaporated milk or cream
• cheddar cheese, grated (or any cheese you prefer, I suppose)
• a few tablespoons of spring onions, finely chopped
• fried garlic chips

Optional:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• a few sprigs of rosemary, minced
• bacon chips
• salt and pepper

Procedure:

I know this is called "baked potato soup", but some of the recipes I found didn't require baking the potato since the vegetables have to be boiled together anyway. So here goes --

• Boil the potato until soft. By soft I mean easily mashable.
  
  Suggestions:
  Boil the taters with rosemary (or any herb of your choice); I chose rosemary because it adds a bit of tang.
  If you don't have herbs, you can use chicken flavor cubes. You can also use chicken broth instead of water, if you prefer.
• Remove from heat. Draw out half of the potato cubes and mash them separately with a fork. Combine the mashed potatoes and potato cubes in the pot.
• Toss in the onion and garlic to the potatoes-and-herb mixture and bring to a boil.
• At this point you can add butter if you prefer, and/or a few tablespoons of grated cheese.
• Lower heat and let simmer.
• Remove from heat and stir in the milk or cream.
• Serve warm in individual bowls. Top with spring onion, garlic chips and more grated cheese. Bacon chips would be a good idea too. Makes 4-6 servings.

neil gaiman's yummy porridge recipe

Porridge is a Brit way of saying oatmeal (or any kind of boiled grain like champorado or lugaw). I found this recipe at Neil Gaiman's blog, in which the writer claims it to be a recipe for the yummiest porridge. I decided to give it a try and darn, it is delicious - it's got that caramelly, butterscotchy twist to it.

It comes with a warning though: Gaiman advises that it's not exactly healthy, and certainly not for eating everyday. It's just the kind to serve when you have guests over and you want to impress them, he says. I say, the flavored oatmeal we buy at the grocery stores has more junk than this, so I think this is still a better substitute.


You will need:

• Oatmeal. Unflavored, regular, old-fashioned oatmeal, not the instant kind. Use 2 different types for texture.
• Butter
• Water
• Milk or cream
• Optional: Sweetener such as brown sugar, maple syrup or honey

Procedure:

• In a pan, bathe the oatmeal in butter. Use low heat; be careful not to burn it.
• Pour in the water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• When cooked, top with the sweetener of your choice and a dollop of cream.

Suggestions:

• I experimented by adding a dash of vanilla for flavor. Still yummy.
• I'm thinking about maybe next time I'll try it with cinnamon and / or bits of fruit.

i love pesto

Basic Pesto Recipe

I love how the rains make the herbs in our garden grow bigger and faster. When there is a flourishing, that means yummy recipes. One of the things I like making out of our garden greens is Pesto.

Everybody likes pesto. You walk into a restaurant, that's all you hear: pesto, pesto, pesto.

- Seinfeld's George Costanza

Ingredients

• 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves (or 2-4 loosely packed cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup of pine nuts or walnuts, crushed (subsitute: Cashew)
• 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, grated (substitute: Edam or Queso de Bola)
  

Note: Make sure the leaves have been thoroughly washed, and then blotted dry after washing.
You don't want any excess water on them because (1) wet leaves will clump and will be messy; and (2) the water will diminish the flavor.

Procedure

Mince the basil and oregano leaves in a blender or food processor.
* The traditional way is to use a knife and / or mortar and pestle, but that will take ages)

Add the garlic, nuts and cheese. Blend.
* Be careful not to overdo it; you'd want the leaves to look very finely chopped, and the mixture smooth but not too souplike.

Pour into a bowl and stir in the olive oil.


Serving Suggestions

• Serve over pasta. Pesto can be used as a pasta sauce by itself, or with chicken flakes and/ or sun-dried tomatoes on the side. Pesto can also be drizzled on top of red or white sauce to add extra tang.
• Slather over fish or chicken dishes. Real good!
• Spread over garlic bread.
• Mix with mayo or all-purpose cream and use as dip.
• Use as a sandwich spread to spruce up a burger or chicken sandwich.
• Add a few spoonfuls to chicken soup or tomato soup for that Mediterranean-ish taste.
• Stir into risotto or plain rice.
• Mix into mashed potatoes.
• Bake into pastries.
• Drizzle over a baked potato or tomato for a unique side dish.

homemade body scrub

(Easy recipes included ^_^ )


I enjoy trying out trusted recipes for homemade beauty products - the kind that I can put together in my own kitchen. Aside from getting to do something fun and new, I get a free, all-natural product for pampering myself. I like these homemade things because they're a lot less expensive than store-bought products; more importantly they have no chemicals or additives, and are safe on ultrasensitive skin like mine.

In the past few years, I've tried making different kinds of all-natural body scrub, facial mask, toner, lip balm and hair conditioner - all of which produced satisfying results.

Today I made some more olive oil body scrub. It's one of the easiest things to make. It moisturizes and exfoliates skin safely.

I get no allergic reactions from it. I particularly like using it on my legs and feet - it helps to smooth out those dry portions on my toes and heels. It's also safe to use on lips; it sloughs off dead skin cells and brings out a rosy glow.

Olive Oil Body Scrub

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 4 tbsp. salt (or sugar)
  

Combine olive oil and salt.
Store in an airtight container.

TO USE: After your bath, massage this onto your skin then rinse off. Use at least once a week. Go easy on the scrubbing; the salt or (sugar) could be pretty abrasive if you rub too hard. ;)

With this, you don't need to put on lotion after your bath (which works for me, since I'm allergic to a lot of lotions anyway), and you don't have to worry about poisonous stuff accumulating under your fingernails.

Another nice, easy-to-make-at-home scrub:

Oatmeal Body Scrub

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp. rolled oats
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 3 tbsp. sugar (or salt)
  
• Olive oil, coconut oil or any massage oil of your choice
  

Run the oats through a blender to mince them.
Combine oatmeal, sugar (or salt) and honey.
Pour in oil until it just covers the mixture.
Stir together.
Store in an airtight container.

SUGGESTION
Add a drop of essential oil to give yourself some aromatherapy. Try rose, lavender or vanilla if you want something relaxing. Use citrusy scents if you want it energizing.

This exfoliates and moisturizes, and nourishes skin. It smells yummy too.

Going back to our grandmothers' beauty recipes might be a good idea, now that we've become conscious of chemicals in commercial products - as well as the eventual harm those chemicals can do to our bodies and the environment. All-natural ingredients are SLS-free and they don't come in plastic packaging. They're non-irritating, skin-friendly and environment-friendly. ^_^

chocolate fix

I've always loved chocolate, but lately I've been craving like crazy. How have I enjoyed one of man's most delightful discoveries this week? Let me count the ways.


1. Chocolate dipping

This has got to be one of the most brilliant party ideas ever. I recently attended a younger friend's birthday recently, in which we were served fruit and sweets and scrumptious dipping chocolate for dessert.

I happily pigged out

My favorite thing to dip was the gigantic marshmallow. Uber yummer.

death by chocolate

If you don't have a fondue thingy, you can serve chocolate dip in a bowl. I tried it with a bunch of kids once, and it was an absolute hit.

CHOCOLATE DIP

• Melt chocolate cubes in a double-boiler (I prefer it dark ;) ).
  * If you don't have a double boiler, boil water in a regular pan, and place a smaller pan above it; melt the chocolate in the smaller pan.
• Stir in cream.
• Voila!
  
  

DIPPING THINGS
(serve with skewers or toothpicks)

• Marshmallows - always a crowd favorite!
• Strawberries
• Slices of other fruit (banana, melon, etc.)
  
• Dried mangoes
  
• Pretzels
• Potato chips - kinda weird, but it's wonderful!

2. Chocolate cupcakes

An older lady-friend of mine runs a small cafeteria, and lately she has been experimenting with baking. The other day my dad bought three cupcake samples from her; he left them lying around so I ended up sampling them all (hee hee).

My verdict: She could still improve on the presentation, but the taste is A-one.


3. Iced Milo

I usually prefer rich, hot chocolate eh, but these days it's too warm for hot chocolate.

I'm not particularly a fan of Milo (because I think it tastes like watered-down cocoa), but I once bought an iced Milo on my way to see a movie, and I loved it.


This evening, I noticed that we had sachets of Milo at home and decided to fix myself a treat.

ICED MILO - MY WAY

• Empty four Milo sachets into a tall glass (the extra sachets make up for the watered-down taste :p )
  
• Dissolve in a small amount of lukewarm water.
• Fill the glass three-fourths with cold water and stir.
• Mix in a drop of vanilla.
• Add ice cubes.
• It would be more fun topped it with whipped cream and chocolate syrup, but it's good with or without.

happy accidental baked chicken

I was very hungry and wanted to eat something good and satisfying without having to go out and spend. I checked our understocked kitchen to see if anything was available for me to be able to concoct a good meal.

... a few slabs of chicken breast ... no vegetables whatsoever except potatoes ... a jug of soy sauce, a few ounces of vinegar, a bit of olive oil ... leftover homemade pineapple syrup ... a whole lot of spices and dried herbs ...

So once again i challenged my creativity; the goal was to make a yummy, semi-impressive dinner for the Hubby and myself and whoever else wanted to eat with us. I'm glad to say that the objective was accomplished. My only regret is that I didn't take note of how I made it, so I may not be able to make it again.

In an attempt to maybe sort of preserve the recipe because I might want to cook it again, I'm retracing my steps.

So I combined soy sauce, a drizzling of vinegar (I wanted to use calamansi juice but I was too lazy to cut and squeeze and strain), crushed garlic, a bit of curry powder, a bit of ginger, pepper and a few tbsps of cinnamon in a pan for marinade. I did not bother to measure nor take note. I was thinking of throwing some pineapple juice in but later decided I wanted to drink it instead (Oh well, maybe next time). I planned to put in some fresh rosemary from the garden but forgot to. I let the chicken breast soak for twenty to thirty.

I preheated the oven for - I don't know, I really wasn't paying attention. While that was happening, I massaged the chicken breast in the marinade because It seemed fun.

I found me a right-sized baking pan. I poured some of the marinade into the pan, just enough to cover the bottom. I sat the chicken breasts on it, and rubbed them with black pepper and dried basil. They looked yummy already. I put some potatoes and an apple onto the pan to bake with the chicken.

I put the pan in the oven, put the heat on max and waited. I passed the time drawing in my sketchbook. I enjoyed my baking so much that I forgot that something was baking in the oven. Good thing the Hubby decided to check. It must have been ready in fifteen to twenty.

I poked the potatoes to see if they were cooked. They were still a bit hard so I decided the whole pan should go back in for a few more minutes.

In the meantime, I decided to make some topping-sauce. I minced two small red bell peppers freshly picked from our garden. I let them boil in around a fourth of a cup of water. I added some of the marinade and the leftover pineapple syrup, brought it to a boil.

While the rice was cooking, I put in a handful of dried lemon basil into the water. This gave the rice a fresh, herby flavor. After i scooped it out of the rice cooker, i drizzled a small amount of olive oil.

I served the chicken breasts side-by-side on a rectangular plate, their surfaces spattered with the pepper-and-pineapple sauce . I put the baked potatoes and apple (now sliced) on the side. I did not think of taking a picture because i didn't think it would turn out that good.

The nameless, amazingly good, happy accidental baked chicken was a delightful surprise - kept the Hubby and me remarking how good it was. I'm hoping I can duplicate the flavor some other time, or perhaps make a better version of it. Maybe next time I'll put that pineapple juice into the marinade.

basic risotto recipe

Risotto is a creamy and flavorful mixture of rice and other ingredients, prepared the traditional Italian way. There are many variations but this here is a basic recipe I found and tested. It's rather simple, but needs patience - you'll see why as you read on. ;)


Ingredients:

• 4-6 cups of rice. Arborio is best.
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups white wine
• 2 large (or 3 medium sized) onions; chopped
• butter or oil for frying
• olive oil
• parmesan cheese, grated
• black pepper
• various herbs and veggies (see suggestions below); chopped
• meat of your choice (see below); cooked and cut into strips or bite-sized pieces

Directions:

In a large skillet (or wok), lightly brown the chopped onions in butter or oil.

Lower the heat and add the rice.

Mixing lightly, add broth a little at a time - like, around a third of a cup at a time. Don't dump it all in. Let the broth absorb into the rice, and add some more as it gets dry. Just keep the rice wet, but you don't want in swimming in soup; this isn't arroz caldo. :p

Be careful not to pound the rice into a pulp as you mix. :)  Use a wooden spoon.

And keep the heat low. If the rice is sticking to the pan, it's too hot.

When you're out of broth, it's time for the wine - mix it in a little at a time.

* If you don't like wine, just use more broth.
* Some recipes call for red wine - that'll result in purple / pink rice of course. It's kinda weird, i.m.h.o. but I suppose it's just as good :p
* Cheap cheat: They say that light beer is a cheaper substitute for white wine. It produces almost similar results, with a stronger, less fine flavor.

After the rice has absorbed the wine / broth, it's time to add your other ingredients:

Suggested greens:
- tomato, chopped
- broccoli
- asparagus
- basil, fresh
- spinach
- peas
- leeks, finely chopped
- wild rice
- mushrooms

I've seen a risotto station with corn and carrots, but I don't like corn and carrots together in risotto.  That would work better for yang chow fried rice though.

Just before you turn off the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Some people like adding more butter or cream to make it creamier.

Now, plate in single servings.  Drizzle olive oil or more Parmesan cheese if you like.  Top with additional greens, like asparagus spears or fresh basil leaves.

Makes 4-6 servings.
.